In Darkness

[LetMeGo]

Here’s my latest effort! I considered posting it in the general section but I believe there will be enough Clana interaction to justify posting it in here.

This fic starts at the end of their senior year of school. Clark’s life has been much more simple than it has been on the show. He and Lana have been dating since their second year of high school. She suspects he’s keeping something from her, but she trusts him and doesn’t push him for details. Clark and Lex are still good friends, Clark has no idea that Lex has been studying him for years.

His relationship with Jor-El isn’t great, but he doesn’t fight him like he does on the show. He has had to deal with an occasional meteor freak and didn’t run away to Metropolis while on red k. I’m borrowing the stone plot line minus the Teagues and witches to begin the story. I’m probably leaving stuff out… I apologize in advance. :\ :)
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Since the moment they landed in China Clark Kent had been in awe. He’d never been out of the States before and never imagined he’d be somewhere as far away as Luoyang, China. The sights, the sounds, even the smells intrigued him. There were people everywhere all in a hurry to be somewhere else.

“This is amazing” Clark said watching the city pass by the window of the car.

“It’s too bad this isn’t a sight seeing trip there are many fascinating locations in the area.” Lex commented, amused by his friend’s wide-eyed wonder. “Our destination is quite the tourist attraction in it’s own right.”

“How are we going to search a crowed tourist attraction?”

“By the time we get there The White Horse Temple will be closed to visitors for the day.” Seeing the question on Clark’s face he added “With the right resources anything is possible.”

“I’ve noticed that over the past four years” Clark answered wryly causing Lex to chuckle.

This trip was a great example of Lex’s unlimited resources. Yesterday, after months of analyzing the map hidden within the ancient manuscript Lex had found they’d finally gotten a break. That break had led them to the Henan Province in northern China and by a process of elimination to the White Horse Temple. They were on the Luthor Corp. jet within an hour of that discovery.

If all went well they would leave with the stone. Clark had the other two in the hidden chamber in the caves. One had been sent to him by Dr. Swann and the other he’d taken from Lionel Luthor. He wasn’t looking forward to taking the last one from Lex but some things couldn’t be helped. Jor-El had been clear about that.

At times he resented his biological father and his inability to see things from any perspective but his own. However, Clark had come to respect and even at times welcome Jor-El’s wisdom. This quest for the stones was not something he completely understood, but Jor-El’s instance that humanity depended on those stones not falling into the wrong hands had compelled him to act.

The car was coming to a stop in front of the entrance of the temple. To Clark it looked like a scene right out of a movie. Following Lex’s lead he exited the car and made his way through the gate into the courtyard.

The place was abandoned, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Come to think of it, there hadn’t been anyone on the street when they pulled up either. An eerie sensation filled Clark as his eyes wandered over the buildings that made up the Buddhist temple. Exchanging a look with Lex he saw that he’d noticed it too, something was definitely off. He nodded at Lex to go on, they were too close to turn back now.

Seeing Clark’s resolve to see this through Lex pulled a copy of the map out of his suit pocket. He studied it for a moment, then looked at their surroundings. This was the place. He smiled with satisfaction. “This is it.”

“Where to next?” Clark asked

“Daxiong Hall” Lex said nodding in the direction of one of the buildings.

The uncanny quiet of the courtyard paled in comparison to the silence inside. Their footsteps sounded harsh and heavy against the worn floor. Unable to see anything obviously out of the ordinary, Clark switched into x-ray mode and within seconds saw what they were searching for.

Not wanting to give himself away, Clark circled the room, slowly taking everything in. “This wall is too thick” he said coming to a stop.

Lex came over to where he’s standing and thoughtfully considered the wall before them. For a moment Clark wondered if Lex had developed x-ray vision and can see the hidden space as well.

“I believe you’re right Clark” Lex reached out and knocked on the wall. He was rewarded with a hollow thunk. He hit it again, harder this time, and felt it give a little.

Taking a step back Lex stared at the barrier that stood between him and what he wanted. Suddenly he threw a kick at the wall. Getting a high out of the violent nature of his act he continued to attack the offending wall.

Clark watched Lex desecrate what many considered a sacred place and felt a sense of abhorrence overcome him. Guiltily he looked around, expecting an angry mob to show up any second. But none did.

“A little help?” Lex said, now using his hands to widen the hole he’d managed to make with his foot.

“Uh, yeah” Reluctantly he moved and began to help Lex tear down the wall, feeling like he was doing something very wrong.

Once the opening was large enough Lex climbed in without hesitation. Peering into the murky darkness Clark decided not to follow him into the small closet sized room.

Using a penlight that cast an unexpectedly wide swath of illumination, Lex surveyed the contents of the space. Meanwhile, Clark heard the sounds of men speaking in Chinese coming from outside the temple.

“We’ve got company” he said using his x-ray vision to confirm his suspicions. A small group of armed men were coming into the courtyard.

Lex cursed under his breath. The light swept over a small statue of a horse. Quickly he grabbed the artifact and lunged for the opening.

“Hurry up” Clark urged not wanting to get stuck in the building.

They entered the courtyard cautiously. The men had split up to search the buildings and were currently not in sight. Not wanting to get caught in the open, but not wanting to attract any attention, they hurried as quietly as possible toward the gate. When they’d made it halfway there an angry voice yelled at them. Though neither of them understood Chinese it was pretty clear that the man wanted them to stop.

“Run!” Lex yelled over his shoulder. The distinctive rat-tat-tat of machinegun fire filled the air. Turning toward the sound Clark swatted at the bullets like they were flies and continued to follow Lex out of the temple grounds.

They reached their car only to find the driver slumped over dead. Wasting no time, Lex opened the door and pulled the body out of the way. Seeing Lex was distracted by his gruesome task, Clark super sped to the cars of their pursuers. Using his heat vision he welded shut the ignitions of both vehicles, rendering them useless.

Clark jumped into the passenger seat just as Lex was starting the car. They peeled away from the curb with an accompaniment of gunfire.

“Get down!” Clark shouted an instant before the back window of the car was shattered by a spray of bullets.

They sped away leaving the gun wielding thugs far behind them. Lex struggled to catch his breath and looked at Clark who was staring at the busted out window.

“That was close” Clark commented trying to regain his own composure.

“It gives a new meaning to the term ‘narrow escape’ doesn’t it?” Lex said dryly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

[SVsleuth]

wow! Looks like we'll get a lot of action in this one. I'll try to be patient waiting for the Clana.... PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

Thanks SVsleuth! You won't have to wait too long. :) There will be Clana in the next update. Their relationship plays a big role in the story, but so does Clark and Lex's friendship.

[redraven]

I like this story...I still hate Lex, but the story is good. :D

PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

Thank you to my two readers! :lol: Here comes some Clana… enjoy! :D
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Much to Clark’s relief, they were making their final approach to the small private airport outside of Metropolis. It had been a long flight and what little sleep he got had been light. His troubled thoughts revolved around the stones and Lex.

He considered what it would mean to Lex to lose the stone. He would undoubtedly blame Lionel, causing more strain in their already precarious father-son relationship. Then there was the mystery of what would happen when he put the stones together. He had so many questions and so few answers.

He could feel the plane slowing down and he smiled for the first time in hours. Lana was down there waiting for him. When he’d called to tell her when they’d be getting back she insisted on picking him up at the airport. He had argued that she didn’t need to drive all the way out there when Lex could give him a ride home. It was an argument he happily lost.

Lana gave him something no one other than his parents ever had. When he was with her he felt like he belonged. Having spent all of his life knowing he was different he never expected to have such a deep connection with anyone, let alone the most beautiful girl he’d ever met.

“Anxious to get home, or just to see Lana?” Lex asked.

“Both” he said embarrassed that Lex could read him so easily.

“You‘re a lucky man”

“Trust me, no one is more aware of that than I am. There are times I wonder what it is she sees in me.” He looked at Lex nervously “I’m going to ask her to marry me.” he confided.

“While I appreciate the plight of young love, don’t you think you two are kind of young for marriage?” Lex said coolly, managing to hide his surprise at Clark’s sudden announcement.

“I could wait a few years to ask her, but I don’t see the point in that. My feelings aren’t going to change.”

“There’s a lot of pressure in collegiate sports.” Lex countered thinking of Clark’s full ride scholarship to play football at MetU. “They’re going to expect a lot from their new recruit, adding a wife to the mix may stretch you a little thin.”

“You’re starting to sound like my dad, I‘m sure he‘s going to give me the same lecture. Anyway, we don’t have to get married right away, we could wait a little while.”

“Ah” Lex said “So when do you plan on popping the question?”

“Soon.” He answered as the plane touched down.

After waiting for what seemed like forever for the portable set of stairs to be put into place Clark and Lex were finally getting off the jet.

“Clark!”

A huge grin filled his face upon hearing Lana's voice. She started jogging across the tarmac to meet him. Taking the steps two at a time he rushed to reunite with her. She nearly knocked him over as she jumped into his arms. He picked her up and swung her around while she giggled in delight.

“I always wanted to do that” she said smiling up at him.

“I missed you” he said placing a passionate kiss on her lips.

“A person would think you two hadn’t seen each other in months.” Lex’s voice came from behind them.

“Hey Lex” Lana greeted him, trying to hide her disappointmet at being interrupted.

“Don’t mind me” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Clark, be sure to come by the mansion in the next couple of days so we can discuss our next move.”

“Sure thing Lex” he answered not bothering to look at him.

Lex took one last look at the two of them still wrapped around each other. With a slight shake of his head he turned and walked to the waiting limo. It was true, he thought, Clark Kent had the perfect life.

[SVsleuth]

Thanks for the sweet Clana. I can't wait to see where you're taking this. Sounds like Lex may be quite jealous of Clark's "perfect life". And I love that in this fic Clark & Lana seem to be happily together. :D PPMS!

[maru11]

great start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!!!!

[happycamper]

What a wonderful start...and anything w/o Jason is geat! ;)

Is Lex "good" in this story, or is the search for the stones going to break their friendship? :(

I'm off for a few weeks so I may not comment as I'd like. Hope to catch this as I can, or at least have lots to read when I get back. :)

:D :D

[maru11]

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

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the positive feedback! :D There are some twists and turns coming up… I’d tell you more but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Is Lex good? Can he be good? He is Lex after all. I’m sorry to say there isn’t any Clana in this update, but the next one will be full of Clana goodness. I’ll try to get it written soon! And I think I speak for everyone when I say we’ll miss you around here happycamper hope you have fun wherever you’ve gone off to! ;)
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Lex sat at his desk, watching the footage from his security cameras. He had it playing on a loop, one second everything looked perfectly normal and the next the door to his wall safe was wide open. He’d gone over every frame of video and found nothing but he continued to watch it hoping he’d see something. Anything.

“Hello Lex” Lionel Luthor greeted his son as he strode into the study.

“Dad” he closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. “Come by to gloat?”

“Gloat?” he asked with a confused expression. “What would I have to gloat about?”

“Come on Dad, how did you do it? How did you get past my security?”

Lionel’s eyes studied his son for a long moment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Lex.”

“Next you’ll tell me those weren’t your henchmen in China”

“You need to get over this paranoia son, it’s a sign of weakness.” he said pouring himself a drink.

Lex stared at his father’s back, his anger smoldering beneath the surface. “So you expect me to believe you’ve just stopped by for a cozy little chat the day I discover the stone has been stolen from me?”

Lionel’s eyebrows rose in surprise at this revelation. Three weeks ago the stone in his possession had been taken as well. He slowly turned around, and took a drink from his glass. “Maybe this will teach you to take better care of your things.”

Lex glared at him, he’d had enough of his father’s little games. “I’m going to want it back.”

“Of course you are. Unfortunately you’re looking in the wrong place.”

“All right Dad” he said sarcastically “where should I look?”

“You may want to be more careful of who you take along on your little excursions.”

“Clark?” he said skeptically.

“We both know he’s a remarkable young man”

“Even if he found a way around my security what would he have to gain by taking it?”

“That is an interesting question, isn’t it?” Lionel answered looking down at his glass as he slowly swirled it’s contents.



Clark walked through the caves with purpose. In his hand he held the final piece to the puzzle, soon all his questions would be answered… or at least he hoped they would be.

He entered the hidden chamber and came to a stop in front of the table in the center of the room. The stone felt heavier than it actually was, weighed down by all that it represented. Jor-El had told him the stones and the knowledge they carried were his birthright, but he wasn’t sure he wanted it.

This was the moment of truth, he told himself. Shaking off his doubts he carefully placed the stone in the place it was made to occupy.

A light brighter than any he’d ever seen before surrounded him. He raised a hand against the brightness and squinted, not daring to take his eyes off the stones. As he watched they formed into a crystal. It started to rise off the table and he grabbed it.

Clark suddenly found himself standing in an endless sea of white. He looked around taking it all in when the crystal started to pull at his hand. Instinctively he held it out and let go. It hovered in front of him for a moment. Then it moved, pointing the way like a compass. Without a moment’s hesitation he took hold of the crystal and threw it into the never ending scene before him.

It’s impact caused the earth to move beneath his feet. A low rumble resembling the sound of a freight train saturated the air. He watched in wonderment as pillars of ice came surging out of the ground. When it all came to a stop and the dust begun to settle a palace made of ice stood gleaming in the harsh artic sunlight.

[redraven]

Those last two updates were awesome. Glad Clark wants to propose. So, Clark finally saw the fortress. Great.

PPMS!

[superman8s]

PPMS! i like this allot much more nicer and easy going than the show i like.... PPMS!

[SVsleuth]

So, in this version, Clark finds and unites the stones much earlier. Hopefully this will mean we never get a 2nd meteor shower or spaceship.... PPMS!

[SeriousClanaFan]

Awesome update!
hmm...I wonderwhat'll happen...anyways post more soon!
PPMS:D
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By: Katelyn Knight
AKA: SeriousClanaFan

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everybody! I’ll warn you now that things will take a turn in the near future. But for the time being Clark’s life is a happy one. Rest assured there will be no second meteor shower or spaceship. The stones don’t really play a big part in the story. They were just to establish Lex and Clark’s friendship and the differences between them. And to show that Clark has access to the Fortress.
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“Nervous?” Jonathan asked from the doorway of Clark’s bedroom.

Hearing his dad’s voice Clark looked up and smiled. “A little…” then thinking about it for a second corrected himself. “A lot.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait a couple years?” He’d asked Clark this particular question several times since he‘d informed them of his intentions. “I’m not saying Lana isn’t the one, but the next few years are going to be pretty hectic for the both of you. You especially with football and your trips up north.”

After the formation of the Fortress he’d spent the day talking to Jor-El and they had come to an agreement. Clark would continue with his plans to attend college and spend his vacations at the Fortress to receive instruction. As much as he hated the thought of being away from those he loved during his breaks from school it beat spending a solid year or longer away from them.

“If she still says yes to me after I tell her everything I think we’ll be able to get through whatever comes our way.”

“Alright son” Jonathan said clasping Clark’s shoulder. “You’re a man now and I’ll stand by your decision.”

“Thanks Dad.”

“I want you to know how proud your mother and I are of you.” He looked at the young man that stood before him, thinking of the little boy he’d once been. Time had gone by so fast, he could hardly believe that he’d watched Clark graduate just two days ago. “No matter what happens tonight remember that you’re here for a purpose.”

Clark smiled at his dad and tried to push away the teary eyed feeling he had. Clearing his throat he said “I guess I should get going, I have to stop by Lex’s. He insisted that I borrow the Porsche for the night.”

Jonathan gave him a weary look.

“I know how you feel about Lex but he’s just doing me a favor.”

Understanding that he wanted to make this night special Jonathan smiled and said “Just be careful.”



“Hey Lex.” He was happy to find Lex playing pool, something that he enjoyed doing.

Ever since he’d taken the stone two weeks ago he’d been worried about him. He’d become more obsessed with the stones and had become increasingly angry at his dad.

“Looks like you’re ready for your big night.” Lex said indicating the suit Clark was wearing.

“As ready as I can be.”

“Well, you’ve picked the most romantic spot in Metropolis to propose.”

“Thanks again, I would never have gotten reservations with you’re help. But I’m going to do the actual asking in my loft.”

“You’re going to ask Lana to marry you in a barn?”

“Hey” he said defensively “it’s a special place for us. It’s where we first kissed.”

“I see.”

“You think that’s a bad idea?” He asked suddenly worried that Lana would be disappointed.

“Not at all Clark.” Lex said trying to calm the dismay that filled Clark’s eyes. “I’m sure it will only make it more memorable to ask somewhere meaningful to you both.”

With Lex’s assurance Clark felt slightly relived. “I’m terrified she’ll say no.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Lex said reaching into his pocket and pulling out the keys to the Porsche and holding them out to Clark. “I would say good luck but you’re not going to need it.”

“I hope you‘re right.” he said taking the keys.



Clark walked up the stairs that led to Lana’s apartment. In his hand he clutched a bouquet of irises. His heart was racing and his mouth was dry. He’d never been so nervous in his life. Coming to a stop at her door, he raised his hand and knocked.

When she opened the door all of his fears left him. Before him stood the closest thing to an angel he’d ever seen. Unable to find his voice, he held out the flowers to her.

“They’re beautiful Clark” Lana said as she took the bouquet from him. “Don‘t I get a hello?” she teased seeing the awed look on his face.

“How can you expect me to be able to speak when you look so stunning?”

“Very smooth Kent” she said laughing.

“Like glass” he said pulling her into his arms stopping her laughter with his kiss. “I guess we better get moving if we’re going to make our reservation.” he said letting her go.

“Just let me put these in some water. Where is it you’re taking me?” she asked as she went to find a vase. “I’m very curious.” All he’d told her was that she needed to dress up.

“The Oak Room”

“Really? Clark, that’s way too expensive.” she protested from across the room.

“I’ve got it covered.” he assured her. “I want this to be a night you’ll never forget.”

She smiled suspiciously as she walked toward him, wondering just what he had planned for the evening. “Sounds like you’ve got more than just dinner in mind.”

“Maybe” he said grinning.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

“Your chariot awaits” he said with a slight bow as he opened the door for her.

[SmallvilleFan2001]

1st great so far, ppms

[akuma]

Great so far, cant wait for reveal and proposal!:D

[SVsleuth]

OOOooo.... sweet start of the date. Can't wait for the proposal. PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

Thank you! :) I’m glad you like it thus far. This update is kind of short, but the next one will be longer and have the reveal/proposal. :D Enjoy!
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The soft sound of a piano drifted through the lowly lit dinning room. From their table they had an amazing view of the city. The atmosphere was magical and Lana couldn’t help but wonder what Clark had planned.

He usually preferred the kind of restaurant that encouraged you to throw peanut shells on the floor. For him to get dressed up in a suit and bring her to a place like this meant this was more than a graduation dinner. Her stomach was full of butterflies thinking of the possibilities.

She looked up from her menu to find Clark watching her. There was something different in the way he was looking at her and she found it very alluring. She met his intense gaze, her heart was racing and she was have problems remembering to breath. The spell was broken when the waiter came to take their order. A flustered and blushing Clark flashed her his signature boyish smile and proceeded to order an appetizer. Minutes later the waiter left with their order and they were alone once again.

“Clark this is amazing, the view is breathtaking.”

“Yes it is” he said reaching across the table for her hand, his eyes not leaving her for a second.

Realizing that he was referring to her and not the city, she smiled and squeezed his hand. “Dance with me Clark.”

“No one else is dancing” there was a note of panic in his voice.

“Come on, there’s a dance floor.”

“Are you sure you want to? I thought you’d sworn off dancing with me after the prom incident.”

“You did fine until you tried to fast dance.” She smiled at the memory. “All you have to do is stand there and sway. You don’t even have to move your feet, at least not very much.”

“You’re a brave woman. After an afternoon of trying to teach me how to dance even my mother gave up on me.”

“I’ll never give up on you Clark.”

“I can’t say no to that” he said bringing her hand to his lips.

They got up and navigated their way through the tables to the small and abandoned dance floor. The guy at the piano started in on ‘I Love You For Sentimental Reasons.’ Clark smiled down at Lana and took her into his arms and put forth his best effort to ‘sway’ without stepping on her feet.

“You’re doing great” she whispered looking into his eyes.



Lex sat alone in his study staring into the fireplace, watching the flames’ intricate dance. His thoughts were on Clark and Lana’s romantic evening. He took another gulp of his scotch, usually he savored the taste of it, but tonight he was trying desperately to fill the emptiness within him.

He use to take Helen to The Oak Room for dinner. He had truly loved her and she betrayed him. He wondered if Clark had any idea how lucky he was to have a woman like Lana love him. He took another drink. He doubted Clark had any idea of what he had.

Yes, he was jealous of Clark. It was only in his darkest moments he could admit it to himself. He was Lex Luthor, heir to the Luthor fortune, how could he envy a simple farm boy. But Clark had what he’d always wanted. A loving family, loyal friends, the devotion of a good woman, hair. In this moment he would trade places with Clark in an instant.

He swallowed what was left in his glass and stood up. Deciding he needed to get out, he grabbed the keys to his Aston Martin off his desk and walked out of the room.

[akuma]

Great update, nice set up for reveal, cant wait for more!

[SVsleuth]

Oh, the date is going so well - so romantic. But Lex - I'm not liking his mood - I hope he doesn't mess up things for Clark & Lana somehow. PPMS!

[superman8s]

nice..PPMS i wonder what Lex will do w/ those keys? hummm

[LetMeGo]

Thanks! We’ll catch up with Lex soon and see what he’s up to, but this update is purely Clana. I hope you enjoy it! :D
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“Close your eyes”

Lana looked at him suspiciously. After dinner Clark had suggested they go back to his loft to do some star gazing. She had eagerly agreed, not wanting the night to end anytime soon. However star gazing had been forgotten once they got there and found themselves on the couch in each other’s arms.

“Trust me, it’ll be worth it.” He said.

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart”

“Alright” as soon as she closed her eyes she felt a sudden gust of wind.

“Okay, you can open them now.” he said seconds later.

She opened her eyes to find what seemed like an endless sea of candles and every surface sprinkled with rose petals. She turned to look at Clark, who was holding a single red rose and smiling at her.

“Clark… How…?” she asked in complete wonderment.

“Lana, you know I love you, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I love you too Clark.” Her eyes had gone back to the scene before her.

“There’s something I want to ask you, but before I do there are things you need to know about me.” He looked away for a moment and then said “It may change how you feel about me.”

“Clark” she said softly caressing his cheek “there is nothing you could say that would do that.”

He smiled at her declaration and took some comfort in her words, but the fear of her rejecting him was still there. “Lana, I can do things people can’t do.”

“Like make candles and rose petals appear out of nowhere?” she asked jokingly.

“Not out of nowhere, I ran to the house and got them.” He answered “I’m pretty fast, among other things.”

“Other things?”

“Yeah, I actually have a pretty long list of unbelievable abilities. For instance, I didn’t use matches to light the candles.”

“Alright, I’ll bite. How did you light the candles?”

“With my eyes.”

“Your eyes…”

“I thought you might need a demonstration” he said reaching down and picking up an unlit candle and holding it out to her. “Hold this.”

She took it from him, finding it hard to believe he could do what he claimed he could. It wasn’t that she thought he was lying, as a matter of fact she’d always felt that Clark was capable of more than the average guy. However that didn’t make hearing him actually say it any less shocking.

She watched as Clark stared at the candle and it burst into flame. Her jaw dropped in spite of herself.

“What else can you do?” She asked in awe staring at the now burning candle in her hand.

“Well, I’m strong.”

“Like ‘I can bench twice my bodyweight’ strong?”

“Like ‘I can bench a bus’ strong. I haven’t found anything that I can’t lift.”

“So” she started trying to wrap her mind around what he was telling her “you’re super fast, can light things on fire with your eyes, and you’re incredibly strong?”

“There’s more.”

“More?” Their eyes met for a moment and she could see the anxiety written there. He was laying himself bare before her and her heart melted for him.

“I can see through things” he said and she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest “Lana I would never…”

She looked at him warily and let her arms down. “I guess I’ll just have to trust you on that one.”

“I also can hear really well, and I‘m kind of indestructible.”

“You’re invincible?”

“Not completely, I do have a weakness” he said looking at her. “Well, two weaknesses.” he said with a crooked smile. “When you answered your door earlier and I saw you standing there I felt completely powerless. But that’s a feeling I welcome whole heartedly. My other weakness isn’t so pleasant. The meteor rocks stop me in my tracks, and if exposed to them long enough they could kill me.”

“My necklace…” she said remembering how he’d been such a klutz around her back in their freshman year.

“I didn’t stand a chance around you back then.” He took her hand in his and softly ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Are you totally freaked out by all of this?”

“It’s a lot to take in.” She admitted and his face fell, but she squeezed his hand and went on. “These things that you can do are beyond remarkable, but those things are only a small part of who you are. You are the most kind, gentle, humble, selfless guy I’ve ever met. Do you have any idea what most people would do if they had your powers?”

“I…” He looked at her in wonder. He had expected her to be afraid, disgusted, angry, but she was taking it all in stride. There was more to tell her though, he wasn’t out of the woods yet.

“I just wish you could have told me sooner. It must be so difficult to keep all of this inside, I feel like I’ve failed you by not being able to be there for you.”

“No” he said shaking his head. “you’ve given me more than you’ll ever know. All my life I’ve known I was different and felt like an outsider. But when I’m with you I feel like I’ve found my place in this world.”

“So, how did you get to be so special? Was it the meteor rocks?”

He looked away from her and closed his eyes as his heart thundered in his chest. “No.”

“What is it Clark? You can tell me.” she said trying to reassure him by putting her hand on his back.

“I was born this way.” he let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands over his face. “I’m not from around here.”

“Yeah, I know you were adopted.”

“I don’t mean Smallville or Kansas… by here I mean earth. I was born on a planet called Krypton. My biological parents put me on a ship and sent me here before it was destroyed.”

“You’re not human?” She couldn’t believe it, he looked so normal.

“No, I‘m not.”

“But…” She didn’t know what to say.

“I arrived here the day of the meteor shower… it happened because of me.” He somehow forced the words out. The guilt and sorrow were evident in his tortured voice. “I’m so sorry.”

She sat in stunned silence. Clark’s salvation had been the cause of the event that had killed her parents.

“Lana, I would change it in a second. Knowing I’ve caused you so much pain tears me up inside.”

“Clark…”

“If you never want to see me again I’d understand.”

“Clark…”

“I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Clark!” she said putting her hand over his mouth. “It wasn’t your fault.” She’d come to accept her parents’ death, believing that fate sometimes dealt you a tough hand and you had to do the best you could with what you’re given. “I’ve gone over it a million times, there are so many variables, it was beyond anyone’s control. You could have come down anywhere.”

“Actually I think I was sent to Smallville on purpose.”

“Why do you think that?”

“The caves. The symbols on the cave walls aren’t some ancient Native American language, its the language of my ancestors.”

“Clark this is… it’s…”

“I know. About that question I was going to ask you” he hesitated and looked at her “maybe I should wait. Give you some time to think about everything.”

“Ask me.” She said simply. And it surprised her that it was that simple.

“Huh?” he couldn’t believe his ears.

“I thought you said you had super hearing.” She teased, then with tears filling her eyes she said, “Ask me your question Clark.”

“I had this whole elaborate speech planned, but I don’t think I can remember all of it at the moment.”

“That’s okay, just do your best.” she said laughing and crying at the same time.

“I’ll try” he said trying to blink back his own tears as he slipped off the couch and got on one knee. “The first time I saw you it knocked me off my feet and I’ve been falling ever since. You’re smart, kind, strong, stubborn, understanding, and beautiful… why you would give me a second look I’ll never know.

“When nothing in my life makes sense I just have to think of you and everything becomes perfectly clear. I have purpose, I have strength, I have everything because I have you. I love you, I need you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. “Lana Elizabeth Lang, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I‘ll marry you Clark Kent.” she said and threw herself into his arms kissing him over and over.

[SVsleuth]

Aww.... so sweet. Lana really took that well. PPMS!

[closetfan]

ahhh yess..the sweetness...

LEX if you even THINK about messin it up....ill kill you...(again)


keep updating :)

[superman8s]

hurray sweet sweet clana! hurray PPMS

[maru11]

gret update1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!!!!

[SeriousClanaFan]

awwwww.....that's so beautiful *cries*. I'm so happy, Clark finally proposed to Lana..

[superman8s]

me too! ppms

[LetMeGo]

Thanks for the comments! :D Here’s the update…
---------------------------------------------------------------

What had brought him here he didn’t know. At first he thought he was just a glutton for punishment, but now he wondered about that. There had to be more to it. Fate or possibly intuition? He wasn’t sure.

Lex had parked about a mile away and snuck into the barn, thinking he was so skilled. After Clark’s little confession he realized it was just dumb luck he didn’t get caught.

It all made sense now. Every mystery that surrounded Clark had been explained. Clark Kent was an extraterrestrial being capable of amazing feats. All the lies all these years. It sickened him to think that he’d trusted Clark, befriended him, thought of him like a brother. He wasn’t even human.

And the caves, he’d known about them all along. There was no doubt that he could understand what they say, and he’d just played dumb. The symbol on the stone matched one that was in the cave, which meant Clark had motive to take it. So, his dad had been right, Clark had betrayed him.

His anger grew as he waited for the happy couple to finish their make out session. He couldn’t believe Lana could so easily accept Clark. There had to be some kind of explanation for that, maybe an ability that he hadn’t revealed… it would make sense that he could have mind control powers, how else could he pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.

By the time Clark and Lana left he came to the conclusion that this was his destiny. He had to save Lana, he had to save the human race. Maybe if Clark had been honest with him he could have protected him, but now it was clear… Clark Kent was a threat. A threat that needed to be dealt with.



“Judging from the look on your face it must have gone well last night.” Lex said smiling at Clark from behind his desk just like he would have a week ago.

“It went better then I could have imagined.” Clark said grinning. “She loved the restaurant, between that and the Porsche I‘m seriously indebted to you.”

“Not at all Clark. What are friends for?”

“I really appreciate it.” he said walking to the desk Lex sat behind, intending to set the keys on it. As he took the last step his knees suddenly gave out and pain washed over him like a tidal wave. He dropped the keys and reached for the desk to steady himself and he saw what had caused his pain. On Lex’s desk sat a meteor rock.

“Clark, are you okay?” Lex asked his voice sounding genuinely concerned.

Clark tried desperately to move away from the desk, and managed a step before Lex was at his side.

“Come on Clark, you should sit down.” Lex said helping him to the couch. Though a worried look graced his features Lex was filled with glee. Having seen just how effective the meteor rocks were he could continue with his plan. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I think it passed.” Clark answered, and it was true he looked perfectly fine once again.

“Are you sure?” He persisted, making note of his quick recovery.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You are looking better.” Lex agreed and then changed the subject. “I’ve come up with a couple different theories on how my dad was able to take the stone. I’d like to go over them with you and get your opinion on them.”

“I would but I’m on my way to meet Lana.” It was true but he was also eager to get away from the Kryptonite.

“Well, some other time then.”

“Definitely” Clark got up and started for the door, then turning to Lex he said “By the way, I was wondering if you’d be my best man.”

“I’d be honored.” He answered.

Lex stood there for a moment after Clark had left the study, then went over to his desk. He settled into his chair and watched the security camera input on his laptop and monitored Clark’s exit from the mansion. With a wicked grin he picked up the meteor rock on his desk with one hand and reached for his cell with the other.

“Doctor” he said into the phone as he looked at the rock “I’ve got a project for you.”

[closetfan]

damnit lex..i warned u not to ruin it......

nice update

[superman8s]

ohh damn you lex yarg ruining a happy clanaful day! curse you curse you! PPMS

[SVsleuth]

Oh, no!Lex knows! This is NOT good! PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

Things are taking a turn… please don’t throw rocks at me! ;) By the way, I’ve made a poster to go with the story… In Darkness (http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/5461/darkness17dw.jpg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking into the Talon he immediately saw Lana sitting with Chloe and Lois. She was chatting with them and laughing, looking happier then he’d ever seen her. To think that he had contributed in any way to the smile that lit up her beautiful face brought him greater joy than he’d ever felt before.

Seeing Clark coming toward them Lana‘s smile grew even wider. “Hey you” she said looking up at him.

“Hello beautiful” he bent down to kiss her gently caressing her cheek as he lowered his lips to hers.

Chloe and Lois exchanged a look of annoyance. Public displays of affection had never been Clark’s style, however the past month of being engaged had brought out a different side of him.

“Hi” Clark acknowledged Chloe and her cousin as he sat down next to Lana. “What are you three up to today?”

“We think we’ve talked Lana out of pink and white as the wedding colors” Chloe answered causing Lana to roll her eyes.

“There was no way I was wearing pink” Lois commented.

“It was just one of several combinations I was considering.” Lana said defensively.

“Does that mean you’ve decided on one?” Clark asked remembering his mother’s advice to sound interested in the wedding details. With the wedding a year away he could already see he was in for a long process.

“I’m thinking lavender and silver, but I wanted to run it by you first.”

“Since you vetoed my choice of colors I didn’t think my opinion mattered.” he said trying to sound hurt.

“Of course it matters” she touched his arm and smiled at him.

“Sure” he said sarcastically.

“Sweetie, red and blue are not appropriate for a wedding, it would look like the fourth of July.”

“What’s wrong with the fourth of July?”

“I love my country as much as the next girl, but I don’t want it to be the theme of my wedding.”

“Lavender and silver it is then” he said unable to act offended any longer. “You know I’ll go along with any decision you make.” he reached for her hand and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

Watching that exchange was about all Lois could stand. “Would you look at the time! I’ve got a ton of errands to run…” She said getting up “You coming Chloe?”

Smiling at Lois’ less than graceful attempt at escape Chloe got up. “You two have fun planning. I’ll talk to you later.” She said and followed after Lois.

“What did you have in mind for tonight?” Clark asked after Chloe and Lois left.

“I know you’ll be getting really busy with football soon, so I thought we could just spend a quiet night alone. Maybe rent a couple movies.”

“What? No wedding plans?”

“We‘ll have plenty of time for that later” she said smiling at him



It was late. After the second movie and a lengthy goodbye Clark had left Lana’s place after 1am. Now as he drove down the dark country roads to the farm his thoughts were still with her. He felt like he was on top of the world. He’d always worried about what his destiny held but now the future was something he looked forward to.

His introspection was interrupted when he noticed a car on the side of the road up ahead. He could see a man struggling to change the tire. Pulling over he wondered what someone would be doing out here in the middle of the night, but shrugged it off realizing he himself was there.

“Need some help?” Clark asked approaching the car.

“Thanks, I’m having problems with this last lug nut. It seems to be stuck.” The man said holding up the tire iron in frustration.

“Let me give it a try” Clark said squatting down to look at the problem.

His knees buckled under him and he hit the dirt of the roadside. Clark rolled on the ground in a vain attempt to escape the agony that filled him. He looked up to find the man he’d been trying to help standing above him holding a meteor rock toward him.

“Why?” Clark barely choked out the word, but the man ignored him as he pulled out a cell phone.

“It worked” The man said with a smirk.

[superman8s]

ohhh noo *gasp* what will happen darn the cliffies darn you for making a cliffie! PPMS!

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!!!

[SVsleuth]

Oh, no! Clark! PPMS! "Somebody SAAAAAAAAAAAAVE Him!!!!" lol

[closetfan]

stupid stupid stupid lex...since u cant have fun, u gotta ruin other ppl's fun.....

[maru11]

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

[superman8s]

please update update update! *nuroticly spases out*

[LetMeGo]

Sorry to keep you waiting! Here’s the update!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry Walker had risen through the ranks of the Metropolis PD by doing favors for the right people and keeping his mouth shut. When he was contacted by none other than Lex Luthor, he saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Lex would be his ticket to greater things.

Looking down at the kid withering on the ground he couldn’t help but wonder what it was Lex wanted with him. The violent reaction to the meteor rock was curious but did it warrant the intense interest of a billionaire?

The headlights of the van he was waiting for cut through the darkness of the night as they approach with growing speed. He shoved his questions aside as the van pulled up next to him. He decided he’d rather not know all the details as two men jumped out of the vehicle.

“Hurry, I don’t know how much time we have.” Henry said looking around then back at Clark who seemed to have passed out.

One of the men bent over Clark with a syringe in his hand and drew several vials blood. Henry took them and scurried off to Clark’s truck while the other two loaded Clark onto a stretcher and placed him in the back of the van.

When he finished with the truck Henry came back to the van. Peering inside he saw that everything was going according to plan. They had the IV in and the pale green liquid had started it’s slow and steady drip. Nodding to the men inside that everything was done he slammed the door shut. The sound echoing across the empty fields like a gunshot.



The ringing of the phone entered her consciousness bringing her out of a deep sleep. Lana groaned and looked at the alarm clock next to her bed. She couldn’t fathom who would be calling her at 6:45 on a Saturday morning.

“Hello” she said groggily.

“Morning Lana.”

“Mr. Kent?”

“Can I talk to Clark?”

“Clark?” she asked sleep still fogging her mind. “He’s not here. He went home around one last night.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Isn’t he there?”

“No he isn’t”

The concern in Jonathan’s voice jolted her wide awake. “Could he be out doing chores?”

“I looked for him and found that the truck wasn‘t here… He didn‘t make it home last night.”

“Where could he be?” she said panic tainting her voice.

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions, there are several possibilities.” He said trying to sound calm.

“I’m coming out there to help you look.” she replied instantly.

“Lana, you don’t have to do that.” He protested.

“I can’t stay here knowing he’s missing”

“Alright,” he said wishing he had waited to call her. He didn’t want to cause her undue worry. “I’ll see you soon.”



Once she got out of town all regard for the speed limit was lost. It wasn’t like Clark to leave without a word to anyone. He was more than capable of taking care of himself but that didn’t relieve the anxiety that was gnawing at her stomach.

His dad’s concern had almost sounded like worry, which was totally out of character for him. Jonathan Kent was always level headed even in the most adverse of situations. She was eager to get to the farm to discuss the possibilities he had mentioned. She would have pressed for more earlier but she knew that some things regarding Clark shouldn’t be said over the phone.

She squinted as she drove into the morning sun, cursing herself for leaving her sunglasses at home. Up ahead the looming figure of a pickup sitting on the side of the road filled her view, and with a sinking feeling she recognized it as Clark’s.

Lana pulled behind the truck. Her heart was pounding at a crazy pace and she told herself to call his dad and wait for him to get there, but she didn’t. The driver’s side door was wide open beckoning to her and she couldn’t stop herself. She got out of her SUV and walked to the truck, each step forward requiring more effort.

“No” a hoarse whisper escaped her lips when she saw smudges of blood on the open door. She told herself it couldn’t be Clark’s blood, he doesn’t bleed… he’s invincible.

Looking into the cab of the truck she saw more blood inside. Everything became blurry through her tear filled eyes. This couldn’t be happening, they were getting married, they were going to live happily ever after. She collapsed to the dusty roadside and buried her face in her hands sobbing his name.

[closetfan]

oh no....oh no......

update realllll soon...

[SVsleuth]

Oh, no, what are they doing to Clark? Poor Lana, so worried. PPMS!!!

[superman8s]

OMG you cant just stop there! nooo! and not expect me to hound you for another update! PPMS! PPMS! PPMS! yarg darn you and yer damn cliffies!

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!!!!!

[LetMeGo]

Sorry for all the cliffhangers! I hate them too! :D I’ll try to keep the updates coming at a good pace…
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex entered the top secret facility with a satisfied feeling. For the past two weeks Clark’s family and friends had been searching for him, turning over every conceivable rock to no avail. All along Lex had him hidden here in the far reaches of northern Montana where no one would ever find him.

“Mr. Luthor” Dr. Page rushed to meet his VIP guest.

“Doctor” he kept his greeting short. “Bring me up to speed.”

“Well, all the tests we’ve done on his DNA have shown an anomaly in his genetic make up, which tends to support your theory…”

“It’s not a theory.” Lex interrupted him.

“Support the fact” he corrected himself trying to appease Lex, “that he is not human.”

“And the problems with the meteor solution?” He asked as they started to walk down a empty hallway.

“We’ve diluted the mixture and he’s starting to regain consciousness. He has stabilized for the time being.”

“What is that suppose to mean doctor?”

“We have no idea what long term exposure will do to him.”

“Worse case scenario?” Lex asked as they reached the open doorway of the room that held the powerless Clark Kent.

“Death.” Page answered somberly.

“You’re not going to let that happen, he’s much too valuable.” he said with a menacing tone and turned away from him, signaling that their conversation was over.

“Yes sir” he mumbled as Lex walked into Clark‘s room.

Lex stopped at the foot of the bed. The sight of a haggard and faded Clark failed to bring him the gratification he had believed it would. And so the twinge of guilt he’d felt when he walked into the room was replaced with a smoldering anger.

Clark started to stir, sensing the presence of someone in the room. His eyes cracked open and his surroundings slowly came into focus. “Lex” he croaked upon seeing his friend, feeling hope for the first time since the ordeal had begun. “Lex, help me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that Clark.” Lex said taking a few steps closer to him. “You got yourself into this situation by lying and stealing from me.”

Clark tried to speak but the effort was more than he was capable of.

“What’s wrong Clark? Can‘t believe I‘ve seen past your moral façade and see you for what you really are?” He asked leering at him “You’re nothing more than a liar and a thief.”



“Lana?” Martha came into Clark’s room to find her sitting on his bed clutching one of his flannel shirts in her hands. They were all struggling with Clark’s disappearance, but Lana was beyond crushed.

Lana looked up at hearing her name and attempted to smile. “Sorry Mrs. Kent I didn’t hear you come in.”

Martha sat down beside her and put her arm around her. “That’s alright, how are you doing?” She asked, concerned for this girl who loved her son so much.

“I… I don’t know.” she answered.

“Chloe is down stairs, she has an update for us.”

“Oh” Lana said flatly, not looking forward to hearing Chloe’s news. Thus far her updates had only succeeded in making her feel worse.

“Come on” Martha said forcing an encouraging smile on her face as she got up.

Lana looked at the shirt in her hands and hesitated to let it go. “Can I…?” she asked holding up the shirt.

“Of course you can have it.” she answered.

“Thank you” Lana said struggling to swallow her tears.




“I’m afraid the news isn’t particularly good.” Chloe started, hating to be the bearer of bad tidings. “According to my source at the sheriff’s office the blood found in the truck is not human.”

Jonathan and Martha exchanged a painful look. They had hoped that it wouldn’t be Clark’s that there was some other explanation. Lana on the other hand had an inexplicable feeling that the blood was his and that she’d lost him. Ever since finding his truck she’d come to believe that she was destine to lose everyone she loved.

Seeing that no one was going to say anything Chloe went on. “They’ve run the lab tests a couple of times and have decided that it was some kind of synthetic compound. I guess we should be thankful that they aren’t eager to explore it‘s origin, however it gives strength to the theory they’re trying to sell.”

“What theory would that be?” Jonathan asked.

“That due to the stress of his scholarship and new engagement he faked his own disappearance.”

“Clark would never do that!” Martha protested.

“They want to close this case. I‘m afraid we aren‘t going to get much help from the authorities.” Chloe said.

“Okay,” Jonathan said trying to sort out what was going on in his head. “The blood is Clark’s. So someone had to know his weakness, which means they knew about his abilities. And if they know about his abilities chances are they would want to keep him around to study him.” It was hard for him to say those words, but it meant Clark could still be alive.

Lana had remained calm up to this point, but hearing Jonathan’s words tore her soul in two. She felt physically ill thinking of Clark being experimented on like some kind of twisted science project. “This can’t be happening” she said tears running down her face. “Who would do that?”

“There is a very short list of people who would have the resources to do something like this.” Chloe answered.

“Lionel Luthor.” Martha stated immediately.

“Or Lex” Jonathan added.

“Lex wouldn’t…they’re friends, he’s going to be Clark’s best man.” Lana argued, not willing to believe Lex would betray Clark. “He’s got his people searching for him.”

“I know Clark always thought the best of Lex” Jonathan said looking from Martha to Chloe and finally to Lana “but he isn’t above suspicion in this.”

“I agree with Mr. Kent” Chloe was leaning toward Lionel as their main suspect but she wasn’t about to count Lex out. “We need to be careful when it comes to Lex. Someone is pushing for the investigation to be closed and chances are whoever it is has the last name Luthor.”

[maru11]

great update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
update soon!!!!!!!

[SVsleuth]

And the suspense builds... poor Lana - this must be so hard on her. I hope they can find him soon... then Lex needs to die or get amnesia.

PPMS!

[maru11]

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

[superman8s]

OMG ppms!

[maru11]

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

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everyone! :) Here’s the next installment!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Lana felt like she was moving in slow motion while the world went rushing by. Chloe’s investigation had hit a brick wall and her exhaustive search was taking it’s toll. Their meetings at the Kent’s were fewer and while none of them would say it, any hope they’d find Clark was slipping away.

When the fall semester started at MetU Lana was going to drop her classes and stay in Smallville. Starting college without Clark didn’t feel right, but the Kents, Chloe, and Lex talked her into going. All of them offering the same argument that she needed to keep herself busy. She knew they were worried about her, and something inside of her told her that she needed to get a grip, but she just didn’t care.

When Lex had shown up on her doorstep five minutes ago she wished he’d just go away. Chloe and Lois, with whom she shared an off campus apartment, both had classes and she was alone and would rather stay that way. But she had answered the door and plastered on her best fake smile.

“I’ve been meaning to come see you for a while, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long.” Lex’s voice sounded truly penitent, however it was his plan to give her enough space that she suspected nothing but pure intentions. “How are you holding up?”

She hated those kind of questions because she couldn’t answer them honestly. If she did tell anyone exactly how she felt they’d probably have insist she get help, and she didn’t want help, she wanted Clark. “I’m getting by” she said failing at her attempt to sound optimistic.

“I know this has been hard on you Lana, it’s been hard on all of us.” He said taking her hand in a comforting gesture, and he saw she still wore her engagement ring. He wanted to rip it off her finger. “I wish I had good news for you.”

“I know. Thank you Lex, I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

“I want you to know that I’m here for you. If there is anything you need don‘t hesitate to call me.” He held her gaze for a long moment.

Lana was about to speak when the door of the apartment opened and Chloe came in. Taking in the scene before her, Chloe’s eyes flashed with anger. She saw what Lana had failed to notice; that the only times Lex had come around in the past several months were when Lana was by herself.

“Well, I should get going” Lex said getting up from the couch “I’ve got a meeting I need to attend.”

“Thanks for stopping by” Lana said.

“It was my pleasure, I meant what I said.” He said giving her another concerned look. “Chloe” he said with a nod as he passed her.



“Lex” Chloe called, stopping him in his tracks. She had followed him out of the building intent on giving him a piece of her mind.

“Chloe, is there something I can help you with?” Lex asked as he turned around, irritation clearly written on his face. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“Stay away from her.”

“Excuse me?” He asked, hardly believing that Chloe was trying to tell him what to do.

“You heard me Lex. Lana doesn’t need you trying to move in on her, she‘s got enough to deal with as it is.”

“Move in?” he asked incredulously. “She’s my friend. I’m worried about her, that‘s all.”

“Don’t try to pull that concerned friend crap with me.” She couldn’t stand to see Lex take advantage of Lana’s vulnerability.

“Look” he said his cool demeanor wearing off “Clark is gone, he’s the one that left.”

“You can’t believe he left willingly” her journalist instincts kicked into high gear at his last statement.

“Every scrap of evidence points that way.” Hearing him push that theory was as good as a confession to Chloe.

“All this time I’ve been focusing on your father, I can’t believe I’ve been so blind.” she said shaking her head. “It was you.”

“Good luck proving it.” He answered coldly.

“Oh, don’t worry, I will.” she gave him one last defiant look and turned her back to him, letting him know he didn't scare her.

He watched her march back into the apartment building, amused that she thought she could stop him. As he got into his car he hoped Chloe wouldn’t waste what little time she had left looking for something she’d never find.

[SVsleuth]

As he got into his car he hoped Chloe wouldn’t waste what little time she had left looking for something she’d never find.
Ominous. Lex plans to have Chloe killed? :eek:

Hurry & find Clark, Chloe!

PPMS! We must have Clark back!

[maru11]

great updaste!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[superman8s]

nooo Clark and Lana= destiny no matter what you foggies say or write! please give me happy clana! ppms

[maru11]

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

[LetMeGo]

Don’t worry there will be more Clana… happy?… Perhaps… I don‘t want to ruin it for ya! ;) We’ll find out what happened to Chloe eventually… for now we’re jumping ahead a few years…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time was a concept lost on Clark. Weeks, months, years, he didn’t know how long he’d been here, but it seemed like an eternity. Slipping in and out of a Kryptonite induced coma, always happy for the darkness that allowed him to escape the reality of his existence, he continued to deteriorate physically.

When he was awake he was plagued with questions from Dr. Page. Questions about his origins, his powers, the stones… it was endless. He refused to answer, as a matter of fact he hadn’t spoken since he begged Lex for help. They had taken his powers but he was determined that they wouldn’t get anything else from him.

So many times he wanted to give up, just slip away into oblivion, but he held on. Thoughts of his family, friends, and especially Lana kept him from letting go. Somehow, someway, he’d return to her… it was a hope he clung to. It was all he had.



“Yes Mr. Luthor, we’ll take every precaution.” Dr. Page said and then hung up the phone, having been dismissed by the mighty Lex Luthor.

It had been like that since the beginning. Lex telling him what he was going to do, insinuating that he was ignorant. He had degrees from both Harvard and Johns Hopkins. He’d been considered a leader in his field with a bright future, but he gave it all up for to be Lex Luthor‘s flunky. Not that he would have passed on the opportunity to study an extraterrestrial being, but he found it frustrating that he didn’t get the respect he deserved.

He’d been recommending that they take him off the meteor rock drip for the last year or so. There were a couple of close calls and they almost lost him. Today he’d finally gotten Lex to agree to removing the IV, but there were new security measures he insisted upon.

He pondered the many years of study and all they’d learned as he walked. They had tons of data, yet there was so much they didn’t know. He hoped that he’d be in a more talkative mood when he was off the meteor rocks and maybe answer some questions. Even if he didn’t there was still much they could learn.

Dr. Page entered the room that had housed Clark for the past nine years. The frail figure that laid before him bore no resemblance to the young man that had arrived here so long ago. He was little more than skin and bones, his hair was thin and dull, his skin dry and pale.

He went to the bed side of their subject, Lex’s warning ringing in his ears. He checked his pocket for the small lead box that contained a meteor rock, then he looked at the shell of a man hooked up to several machines. He suspected he wouldn’t need the rock. As a matter of fact he doubted Clark would ever fully recover from the damage inflicted upon him over the years.

The doctor glanced at the monitor that kept track of his faintly beating heart. He sighed and shook his head. Fearing they’d waited too long, he removed the IV and watched Clark closely for any sign of change.

[maru11]

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

[superman8s]

OMG! poor poor Clark...oh wait! poor poor Lana...dumb Lex! errrggg PPMS!

[closetfan]

omg its been years?!!!

u cant leave it there...update soon

plz

[redraven]

I just got caught up on this story, it's good. :)

Nine years?!?!?! Omg, I hope Clark can get out. I can't believe that in nine years no one proved that Lex man-napped Clark and tested on him. Lex better die in this story!!

PPMASAP!

[SVsleuth]

Oh, poor Clark! I wonder how long it will take for his body to heal - or if he'll end up alive but stripped of his abilities for good...
PPMS!

[maru11]

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

[pacifichic]

How sad!!!! Please fix this soon. PPMASAP!

[maru11]

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

[LetMeGo]

This update was harder for me to write for some reason, I guess I don’t like to have Clark suffer… anyway… here’s the update!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took months, but Clark slowly regained enough strength to sit up on his own and feed himself. Every other day a physical therapist would come in and work with him and eventually he was able to propel himself in a wheelchair.

Each day he would wheel himself in front of the large window in what would be a visitors waiting room, if there were any visitors. He spent hours sitting in the sunlight. And while he sat he would think. At first his thoughts were full of Lana, but as the days ticked by he realized that far more time had passed then he had originally perceived. Convinced that she would have moved on by now, anger and bitterness toward Lex grew deep inside of him.

Many of the beliefs that defined him for so long changed as he fed the hatred that he clung to. The optimistic, naïve guy he’d once been was replaced with a troubled, cynical man. He wondered how he ever could have seen anything remotely good in Lex Luthor, and wished he would have let him drown the day they met. Some people just shouldn’t be saved.

After two years of patiently waiting the day Clark dreamt about finally came. He was in his usual spot, looking out the window at the snow covered scenery. It reminded him of the Fortress of Solitude. Clark sighed thinking of the last thing Jor-El had told him.

His father had told him he was destine to be a protector of this world. A smirk crossed his features as he thought of how angry Jor-El must be, the destiny he had pushed on him was never going to take place. If he did get his powers back he was going to make Lex pay, he couldn’t care less about the world.

Clark continued his fantasy of just how he’d exact revenge on Lex when suddenly he felt a surge of pain, almost like an electric shock. Just when he thought he was going to pass out it stopped. He slowly straightened up and looked around the room with a dumbfound expression on his face. For the first time in eleven years his body wasn’t aching.

Eager to see if his abilities had returned, he decided to try one of his less obvious powers. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Nothing. He tried again, focusing on his hearing as he clenched his jaw. He was about to give up when he heard Dr. Page discussing the next round of tests with the nurse. Turning his head in the direction of the voices he stared at the wall, trying to see through it. After a few minutes a smile started to form on his lips and he quickly stopped himself before anyone could catch him.

Not wanting to hang around for the doctor’s freak show, he decided he was going to leave, but not before he destroyed this place. He wheeled himself back to his room. Coming to a stop his eyes settled on the respiratory equipment beside the bed and he had an idea. Using his x-ray vision he saw that there was an oxygen line running through this part of the building that lead to an industrial sized tank. Leave it to Lex to insist on the biggest and best, he thought.

With a wicked grin he decided it was time to test his heat vision. His eyes were riveted to the wall that concealed the oxygen line. The room went up in flames around him as he concentrated on his task. It didn’t take long for him to burn through the wall and apply direct heat to it.

The explosion was massive; the force of it knocking Clark off his feet. He laid in the rubble, momentarily stunned by the magnitude of the blast. Slowly standing up amongst the burning ruins he surveyed the destruction with satisfaction.

The distant sound of sirens reached his ears, and he realized he needed to leave. He wanted to go home, but he knew now was not the time. There was only one place he could hide, and though part of him dreaded it, he turned to the north and super sped away.



Lex sat at his desk, watching a video of the wreckage of his most prized project. “Have you found the source of the explosion?”

“We believe it was the oxygen tank.” the voice on the phone answered.

“What would cause an oxygen tank to explode?” he asked irritably.

“We have several theories we‘re working on, none of us have seen anything remotely like this.”

This did not please Lex. Ever since they’d taken Clark off the meteor rocks he’d been afraid of him regaining his powers. “Have you found his remains yet?”

“We haven’t found the remains of anyone, sir. And we won’t.” he added solemnly, the blast had been left little of the building let alone what had been inside of it.

“Keep searching” Lex growled in frustration and hung up.

Turning his attention back to his laptop, he brought up the last pictures Dr. Page had sent. Clark looked thin and weak, showing no signs of recovery. Looking at them brought him a small sense of happiness. He’d taken the strongest being on earth and reduced him to nothing.

“Sir?”

“Yes James?” Lex answered looking to the doorway.

“Mrs. Luthor wanted to know if you’d be joining her for dinner.” The butler stated.

“You can tell her I’ll be there shortly.” he said and James quickly retreated.

Lex studied the pictures for a moment longer. Clark Kent would never blow up a building full of people, his morals would never allow that. His compassion for others had always been his weakness. Lex almost believed he died in the explosion, but he wanted proof.

[SVsleuth]

Oh, my! I'm glad Clark's powers returned, and that he escaped. But, a vengeful Clark could be very dangerous. And who the heck is "Mrs. Luthor"? Please, it CAN'T be Lana! PPMS!

[clark&lanafan95]

EWW! I hope Mrs.Luthor isn't Lana that's gross . Anyway Great update PPMS!!!

[closetfan]

nooo!!! 11 years.....no where to go ck is all alone....im hurt for him.....plz dont let mrs. luther be who i think she is.....pllllzzzzz

[superman8s]

NOOOO! it is Lana isnt it! NOOOOO you fiend u have turned on us! *runs to hide* NOOOOOO PPMS!

[LetMeGo]

I’ve got good news and bad news… good news, this update is a long one! Bad news, next week I’m going out of town and won’t be back until the end of August. I hope to update one more time before I leave, but I have a busy week ahead. I hate to leave you hanging in the middle of a fic for so long :( ... That is if any of you continue to read it....
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clark softly dropped back down to the ground as he became aware of his surroundings once again. He would often start to float while he was meditating and still it left him feeling slightly amazed. When Jor-El had first recommended this exercise Clark had been skeptical of it’s benefits. But Jor-El had insisted that he needed to be in tune with his body to reach his full potential. Much to Clark’s surprise, his time in the Fortress had made him stronger and faster than he had ever been and he’d developed super breath and the ability to fly.

Along with his improved physical strength came greater intellectual enlightenment. He had been a diligent student as Jor-El taught him, soaking up every piece of information his father gave him. Clark’s future was rarely discussed. His presence there seemed to be enough for Jor-El, but the day of his departure had finally come and he couldn’t avoid the conversation any longer.

“Father” Clark called out as he walked to the control panel.

“Yes my son?”

“I’m ready to leave.”

“The path you are determined to follow will not give you peace Kal-El.”

Clark was taken back by Jor-El‘s words, surprised that he knew what he’d been thinking. He hadn‘t said anything to him about his plans. “Lex must pay for what he has done.”

“Your destiny is of far greater importance than the revenge you seek.”

“We can discuss my destiny after Lex has answered for his sins.” Clark answered defiantly.

“The journey ahead of you is one of great difficulty Kal-El, if you submit to the hatred you harbor it will destroy you.”

“I’ll take that chance.”

“Very well my son.”

Clark turned to leave without saying anything more. He left the Fortress and launched himself into the perfectly blue sky and felt hope for the first time in years.



Landing minutes later he looked around with a sinking feeling. Where once stood the house and barn of the Kent farm there was nothing. The driveway was blocked by a closed gate which bore a sign that said LexCorp in big bold letters.

Of all people to lose the farm to! He could only imagine what it must have done to his dad. Obviously much had happened in the fourteen years he’d been away. He wanted answers and there was one person he was sure would have them, and only one place she would be.

Within seconds he was standing in front of the Daily Planet in Metropolis. He looked up at the building in front of him. Clark could still remember how excited Chloe would get when she would talk about working here. He smiled as went inside and made his way to the receptionist, excited to see Chloe again.

“May I help you?” The woman asked, taking him in, wondering if she needed to call security.

“Yes, I’d like to see Chloe Sullivan please.” He said, realizing his appearance was probably on the frightening side. He’d have to do something about his bushy beard and long hair and some decent clothes would go a long way.

“I’m sorry sir, we don’t have anyone by that name working here.”

“Are you sure? Chloe Sullivan…” he started again, maybe she was new here.

“What do you want with her?” a woman’s voice came from behind him.

He turned around and found none other than Lois Lane standing in front of him with a guarded look on her face. “She’s an old friend of mine.” he said smiling at the first familiar face he‘d seen, expecting her to recognize him.

“She’s been dead for thirteen years.” She said flatly. The man was visibly shaken by the news and she looked at him suspiciously. “Who are you?”

Clark struggled to regain his composure. “Uh… Kal… Kal Ellsworth.” She studied him, not quite sure what to think. “Can we talk?” he asked.

“All right” she answered and lead the way to the elevator. “How did you know my cousin, Kal?”

“High school.”

“So you’re from Smallville?”

“Yeah.” he answered as the doors of the elevator shut.



“How did it happen?” They were sitting at her desk in the news room of the Daily Planet. Clark was leaning forward slightly in rapt attention.

“According to the police it was a random act of violence.” she said sarcastically.

“You don’t believe that?”

“No. I don’t.”

“What do you think happened?”

“She was investigating her friend’s disappearance… maybe you remember him, Clark Kent?” she asked studying him from across the desk. His disheveled appearance was off putting, but her instincts told her there was more to him than met the eye.

“Yeah, I remember him.”

“I think she was getting too close to the truth and she was silenced.”

“By who?” he asked even though he knew the answer.

“Lex Luthor”

“Did they ever find Clark?”

“No, after his parents died he was conveniently forgotten.”

“The Kents are dead?” he asked weakly, feeling his stomach drop to the floor.

“They were in a car accident about a month after Chloe died.”

“Accident?” He knew it was no accident. Lex had systematically destroyed everything that had been important to him. It took all his will power to not go kill Lex at that very moment.

“I didn’t believe it either.”

“Didn’t Clark have a fiancée?” He didn’t want to ask, but couldn’t stop himself. He had to know if Lana was still alive.

“You mean Mrs. Luthor?” She asked wondering where this guy has been for the past decade.

Clark’s heart froze in his chest. He looked at Lois in wide eyed disbelief. Not even in his worst nightmares could this have happened. No, Lana. Not Lex. Anyone but Lex. “How…?” he whispered.

“If you knew Chloe and Clark you must have known Lana as well” she said, his reaction peaking her curiosity.

All he could do was nod and wait for her to go on.

“After Clark disappeared she was a real mess, but she had the support of Mr. and Mrs. Kent and Chloe. When they died she fell completely apart.” Memories came flooding back to her. “They were her family and she lost them. Just like she lost her parents, just like she lost Clark. I was afraid of what she might do to herself.

“I tried to be there for her as I struggled with my own grief, but that slime ball Lex Luthor swooped in like a vulture. He wouldn’t leave her side, always there with the right words.” She said shaking her head in disgust. “Lex was very persistent and she just didn’t have the strength or the will to fight his advances.”

Her words cut him to the bone. He wasn’t sure what was more painful to hear, Lana’s emotional torment or that she had actually married Lex. He pushed it out of his mind, not wanting to think about what it meant for them to be married, and held onto his anger. He was going to take everything away from Lex, bring him down to nothing and make him beg to be put out of his misery.

“If I got the proof to take down Lex Luthor would you write the story?”

Lois almost laughed at his statement. “Just how do you plan on doing that? He’s got the mayor in his back pocket, he owns this city.”

“If I brought you the proof” he said, his voice cold and hard “would you write it?”

The intensity in his eyes and the ice in his voice sent chills up Lois’ spine. “Nothing would give me more pleasure.”

[treker]

Do I have to say anything more?

I know you said there would be clanna in here...but this seems more like a lexanna story.....

The kent's dead?????

Chloe dead???????

And worst of all.....Lana married to lex??????

what the hell?????????

:( :( :( :( :( :( :(

[LetMeGo]

I told you things were going to get worse for Clark. Is this a Lexana story? So far I've only written one Lexana moment... This is a Clana story, they will see each other again.

Didn't one of your stories start out with Lex and Lana together?

[redraven]

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: OMG!

This is gonna' be fixed right?!?!?!?! make it be a dream or sumthing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's good...even though this story is really sad. :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

PPMS

[SVsleuth]

Gee, I wonder why Lex didn't kill Lois too? I'm trusting you LetMeGo, that this will all end with happy Clana. So PLEASE update again before you go away for so long.

[closetfan]

i cant take this sadness....plz fix it b4 u leave, it will ruin my whole summer...!!

:)

[superman8s]

what the hec and i think u got hit really hard in the head and are confused...this is the clana fic's thread and you my fiend are writing a lezana fic! thread check! PPMS! if its clana

[clark&lanafan95]

EWWW! SO she is Mrs.Luthor . Gross! I hope she dumps the bald freak soon and goes back to Clark. Great update PPMS!!!!!

[maru11]

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

[superman8s]

NO its so not a good update! it has Lexana and in my books that is most def not a good update i want clana!

[closetfan]

ok ok ....cmon now....let the story develope....dont kill now.....

[happycamper]

It certainly looks like a long time before we're going to see any Clana...:(

What happened? I'm gone for a few weeks and suddenly I find a dark and very disturbing story about a very different Clark and Lana. :eek:

And now your going to leave us stewing until the end of August? That's pretty cruel...

Congratulations! ;)

I guess this is the equivalent of a gigantic cliffie. Mean, but effective. :p

Hope you can post something before your departure (to at least let us know how things might go).


Have Fun! :D ;) :D

[maru11]

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

[that girl]

I just read this and it's really good, I guess.

I don't mean that in a bad way- the story is amazing, but it's also incredibly depressing, you know? Lexana being married is gross, of course, and everyone else being dead is incredibly sad. Will Lois ever recognize Clark? I'm interested to see where you'll take this, even if you're not gonna update for months.

[superman8s]

can facial hair really hide a persons true appearance??? i know what my dad looks like w/ a big beard...

[emogirl*88]

juss read it!! and i love it!
plz update soon!

[LetMeGo]

I fully intended to update before I left, but this week was even busier than I had thought it would be. :( So I didn’t get the time to write anything. I hate to leave you hanging for so long… I’m so so sorry!

So far it has been harder for me to write this fic, it being so dark. I felt that with Chloe and the Kents around Lana would never have married Lex, which is a major plot point for the story. Lois survived because I needed someone to tell Clark what happened and in Lex’s mind she isn’t that closely related to Clark. Lex’s motivation wasn’t so much that he was worried they’d find out what he’d done as it was that he wanted to destroy everything that represented Clark. A flimsy excuse, I know!

I’d say we’re about 2 maybe 3 updates away from some Clana. I was planning the next update to be about Lana and how she ended up married to Lex and about their current situation.

Facial hair doesn’t necessarily change a persons appearance that much but it’s been 14 years since anyone has seen him, and Lois didn’t really know him that long. Lana and Lex… well Lex thinks he’s dead and for many years before that Clark looked rather sickly. Lana… well… you’ll see.

Thanks to those of you who are willing to watch and see what develops… those of you who are angry and want to throw things at me… well… I’m sorry. I really do believe in happy endings… it’s the journey that makes it interesting!

I’ll be back… eventually! Thanks for the comments! :)

[treker]

Originally posted by LetMeGo
I fully intended to update before I left, but this week was even busier than I had thought it would be. :( So I didn’t get the time to write anything. I hate to leave you hanging for so long… I’m so so sorry!

So far it has been harder for me to write this fic, it being so dark. I felt that with Chloe and the Kents around Lana would never have married Lex, which is a major plot point for the story. Lois survived because I needed someone to tell Clark what happened and in Lex’s mind she isn’t that closely related to Clark. Lex’s motivation wasn’t so much that he was worried they’d find out what he’d done as it was that he wanted to destroy everything that represented Clark. A flimsy excuse, I know!

I’d say we’re about 2 maybe 3 updates away from some Clana. I was planning the next update to be about Lana and how she ended up married to Lex and about their current situation.

Facial hair doesn’t necessarily change a persons appearance that much but it’s been 14 years since anyone has seen him, and Lois didn’t really know him that long. Lana and Lex… well Lex thinks he’s dead and for many years before that Clark looked rather sickly. Lana… well… you’ll see.

Thanks to those of you who are willing to watch and see what develops… those of you who are angry and want to throw things at me… well… I’m sorry. I really do believe in happy endings… it’s the journey that makes it interesting!

I’ll be back… eventually! Thanks for the comments! :)




Well.....put a fork in it....this fic is done.....say hello to page 5.

No internet where you're going. I'm sorry....I know I'll get alot of hate mail for that comment. but, I really hate getting invested in a fic that is so new only to have it put on hold for months on end....

Bye all...

[SmallvilleMan]

It's only a fic, life will go on.........:lol:

[happycamper]

Me, me, me (waving an upraised hand wildly). I'll wait!

:lol: :lol:

[tygershot]

Can anyone say "Count Of Monte Cristo". I guess "Clark Of Monte Cristo" would be better.

[happycamper]

Are you back? I thought I saw your handle earlier this evening when I logged in.

Still waiting patiently!



:D :D

[1d0ntkn0w]

Im really loving your story. But I think 14 years was to big a jump to make, and after reading that lana married lex its pretty sick and i must say disturbing i mean if you think about whats intitled with marriage that would mean lana had sex with lex and i think im gonna puke, bad time to read that part of the story stragiht after dinner

[treker]

Originally posted by 1d0ntkn0w
Im really loving your story. But I think 14 years was to big a jump to make, and after reading that lana married lex its pretty sick and i must say disturbing i mean if you think about whats intitled with marriage that would mean lana had sex with lex and i think im gonna puke, bad time to read that part of the story stragiht after dinner

Why did you guys have to post on this thread? it was all the way back on page 4.....where it belongs. :(

[emsfan]

I just done reading this story i think it was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[treker]

Originally posted by emsfan
I just done reading this story i think it was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that makes 1 of you......

[LetMeGo]

Nice to see that you're still bitter about it treker... :lol:

I'm back and working on an update... :) hope to have one ready tomorrow, but I'm trying to get caught up on everyone else’s stories.

And yeah, I'm totally ripping off The Count of Monte Cristo... I'm surprised no one said anything before :D

[treker]

Originally posted by LetMeGo
Nice to see that you're still bitter about it treker... :lol:

:D

I just don't feel this is the appropriate site for your story. All the torture Clark stories are in the adult section.

No hard feelings.

[superman8s]

Brian, Brian, Brian ((throws hands in air)) have faith that all will work out...i will say tho that i agree w/ you on some level. The Lexana must stop! comon! Clark tortured+Lexana+dead kents and chloe=depressing sad fic....pardon me while i go take a bottle full of anti-depressants! Please, LetMeGo find it in you to write happy CLANA! you are in the Clark n' Lana shippers thread! just thought i'd remind you since you so desparatly needed a reminder! looking forward to seeing a happy, Clanaful update!

[happycamper]

Please LetMeGo, don’t let the comments get you too down. I’ve certainly had a lot of the same type of comments on my own stories (many of them very recently :lol: ).

To everyone else, I would add that this board is for Clark and Lana fan fiction, and not for all happy Clana, all of the time. Different people write different stories for different tastes. I certainly tailor my comments to the authors and stories I read. I don’t expect perfect writing and perfect happiness in everything I read; instead, I want a story that entertains me. If I don’t care for it, I simply stop reading. For example, I will tweak Card for a little bump in one of his stories because he normally writes about happiness (I think he both expects and enjoys those types of comments, in any case), and I truly find his stories fun. Others will write of tragedy and I can accept that too, because it is the entertainment that each story provides that is ultimately important. I would guess it is the results that make a story Clana to me, not simply snapshots from the entire process . . .

My own writing is technically acceptable – if you want a position paper or a report, I’d be your man. However, it is a great personal leap for me to attempt fiction, and I actually have enjoyed my fumbling efforts at producing stories for this board. I know I lack the vision or imagination to make a story truly compelling and loved by all. So I merely take the unhappy situation at the time a show was aired and then attempt to make everything come out all right in the end. Consequently, my stories are generally not very happy prior to the climax/conclusion – it would be implausible if they were – but it does satisfy my own need to ‘fix’ what I believe is wrong with Smallville. I just hope at least some of my readers enjoy that process and – especially – the results.

Every other author on this board has their own reasons for writing whatever it is that they provide to us. I think it expecting too much to have every writer pen every story to be happy all of the time, or to expect all of the authors to somehow satisfy one’s own personal tastes in fiction. Do try reading others for perspective, and if you really don’t like what’s happening, just go read something else. You can’t expect more than what you pay for, so there’s no reason or basis to fault any author for simply having different tastes or vision.

And in any case, LetMeGo, I’m still expecting a happy resolution, eventually . . .


:D :D

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

man gr8 story i really like it

[treker]

to Happy Camper...if you really read Lana's revenge you would see a way to have tragedy and happy Clanna without destroying your readership's enjoyment of what they thought they were getting.

To Superman8s....This story was promised to have happy Clanna over 3 months ago. I was happy when it was on the 4th page because it had no happy clanna (excuse me...the first 3 chapters had happy clanna....everything else has been pure hell).

If they're is any happy clanna on this story at all it will probably be in the last line. "and they lived happily ever after. 99% bad...1% good.

that is what is behind my posts regarding this story.

And if you read the rules....this forum is for pg13 and under. any excessive violence is to be posted in the adult section....not here. Torturing Clark qualifiy's as excessive violence.

I trust I've made my point.

Peace everyone.

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

man i hope you friking make it so lex dies right in front of lana and lana doesnt even care that lex is dead just that clark is alive and they will go to the fortress and.....stuff

[LetMeGo]

First of all I want to thank everyone for their comments… yes even you treker. :D To happycamper and all of you who offer support and are willing to ride it out to see what happens… I really appreciate it.

Now to treker… thank you for your opinion and I will take it into account as I write future stories. I get that you don’t like this fic and I understand if you quit reading it, however I feel that I need to finish what I’ve started. There seems to be a few people who would like to see where it goes.

I don’t believe any of my descriptions were beyond pg13 in rating… if they were I apologize.

I’ve always had a plan for this story. I never thought it would cause such a stir among all of you. If I mislead you into believing this was going to be a bright happy story I’m sorry.

Here’s the update… I kind of rushed it, my motivation isn‘t what it use to be for some strange reason… and here’s a heads up, things haven’t been good for Lana… read on if you dare! ;)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lana stood at the large gas range concocting an egg white omelet. She would usually prepare her own breakfast, finding a small sense of satisfaction in doing something for herself. Being Mrs. Luthor had its perks, some of which she’d gladly live without.

She slid the omelet from the pan onto a plate and topped it with a sprinkling of cheese. Giving her creation an once over and deciding it was suitable she took her plate and set it on the kitchen table choosing not to eat in the ostentatious dinning room. After pouring herself a glass of orange juice and grabbing the newspaper Lana returned to the table and her waiting breakfast. As she turned through the pages of the paper a picture caught her eye.

Her general good mood had been ruined and she pushed her plate away, having lost her appetite. She should have known better than to read the society page, Lex always made it in there when he was in town. She sat the paper down on the table after taking one last look and the picture of Lex and some cheap looking brunette. It wasn’t a surprise to her, she just wished he would be more discreet.

Their marriage had been flawed from the beginning. They had never really loved each other. For her there had been only one man that she truly loved and for Lex, well he didn’t know what it meant to love someone. She was nothing more than a possession to him.

After Clark disappeared she felt like she was sinking, it had taken everything she had to keep her head above the water. When Chloe and the Kent’s died it was the final blow and she stopped fighting. Slowly she sunk into the abyss.

She had dismissed Lois’ attempts to help her, not wanting her to meet the same fate as everyone that had the misfortune of getting close to her. She had tried to push Lex away as well, but he wouldn’t budge. He insisted she get help and took her to the foremost experts in psychiatric medicine. Before long she was undergoing intense therapy and pumped full of antidepressants. The hopeless defeat was replaced with numbness.

Lex was there, always there. It had been so easy to let him take care of her, to believe he really was concerned for her. When he proposed she hesitated but accepted. She’d told herself it didn’t matter who she married because Clark was gone. She’d never love anyone like that again. At least Lex was a friend, someone she cared for… oh how blind she’d been.

During that first year of marriage she’d started to believe life held some hope, that she might find contentment if not happiness. But then everything changed when she found out exactly what kind of man Lex Luthor was. Enlightenment came in steps, each new discovery more horrifying then the last.

It had started so innocently. Lex had been on a business trip and it was taking longer than he expected. He’d been so apologetic over the phone, telling her how much he missed her and how difficult it was to be away for so long. Surprising him had sounded like such a good idea, so romantic. Just jump on the jet and show up at his hotel.

Getting into his suite had been easy, his security had always been less than sufficient. She was met by muffled voices coming from the bedroom. They left no doubt to what was going on. Still she was drawn toward them, unable to stop herself.

She’d stood frozen at the doorway. It had seemed like an eternity, in reality it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. She left unseen by Lex and his other woman. Distraught, Lana returned to Metropolis.

The next week went by so slowly. Thoughts of Clark and the happy life she should be living occupied her mind, and a fresh wave of grief washed over her. By the time Lex returned she’d decided to leave him, unwilling to be with a man that didn’t love her. However, the confrontation with Lex wasn’t at all what she’d expected.

When she told him what she’d seen he didn’t bother to deny it, he just shrugged it off as if it were nothing. Then she informed him that she was leaving him and Lana saw a new side of Lex. It started with a change in his eyes and a tightening of his jaw, his words were short and unmistakable… she wasn’t going to leave him.

She had argued, saying there was no way she was going to stay with him. That is when she got her first glimpse of his violent side. He grabbed her and pinned her against the wall, his fingers digging painfully into her arms. With his face inches from hers he screamed that she was his now and if she left him it would be the last thing she ever did. In that moment something snapped inside of her. Hatred flooded her senses and she swore to herself that if she was forced into staying with him she wouldn’t make it easy for him.

Within months she was having an affair of her own in an attempt to even the score. When Lex found out what was going on he’d had the man killed and was sure to show Lana the pictures of her unfortunate lover. The fact that Lex could so easily kill opened a door to possibilities she wasn’t willing to explore, and she slammed it shut. Unable to consider for even a moment that she’d married the very man responsible for so much of her pain.

Over the years they’d come to a point where they rarely saw each other. Lex had affair after affair and she didn’t even care. She actually was happy that he seemed to get whatever physical fulfillment he needed from someone other than her. However she didn’t like being made to look like a fool especially with her annual benefit on the horizon.

The Luthor Children’s Charity was the one bright spot in her life. Helping the helpless gave her something to hold onto. For the past ten years she’d been holding these benefits, raising money and awareness of the plight of children around the world. Now the message would most likely be overshadowed by gossip and rumors about their relationship.

Lex would get an earful the next time they crossed paths, not that it would do much good. She was annoyed but it wasn’t the first time she’d had to deal with this kind of situation. Thankfully she’d mastered the art of fake smiles long ago.

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

1st i really like it but i wish hat there would be some sort of clana

[happycamper]

Great update! While very sad for Lana, this is certainly setting the stage for the reappearance of what we're waiting for...

This result is exactly why I was so displeased with Smallville. Why didn't Clark see how crushed Lana was, and why didn't he think of the consequences to her of breaking up rather than just the danger of staying together. He just left her alone even when he saw her as a death junkie - and she was physically and mentally endangered to the point of breaking - when I think any man who loved her would have done anything to help her, even if it involved telling her the truth.

Oops, need to edit my final paragraph, sorry...

Lana always knew that it was only with Clark she could find happiness. Will the love that Lana has always had for him help her to save Clark's soul when he returns for vengeance?


:D :D

[maitriniazngurl]

Hey, Goodjob!

Great update!! Havent' read it in a while but it's great!! :D

[clark&lanafan06]

good update ! PPMS!!!!!!

[LetMeGo]

Originally posted by happycamper

Lana always knew that it was only with Clark she could find happiness. Will the love that Lana has always had for him help her to save Clark's soul when he returns for vengeance?

Thank you hc... I'm glad you see where I'm trying to go with this fic! :D And thanks to everyone else, I'm glad you liked the last update!

Originally I planned on going into greater detail with what happens in this update, but since I’ve kept you waiting so long for the Clana I promised I’ve condensed it. So try to tough it out through this update cause the Clana is coming!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clark looked into the bathroom mirror studying his reflection. The hair cut and neatly trimmed beard had done wonders for his appearance, though he still held little resemblance to the fresh faced youth he’d once been. With a grunt of satisfaction he turned from the mirror and went into the other room to dress.

His plan was to make Lex’s suffering as drawn out as possible, and today he was starting the first phase. In a matter of hours Clark was going to be interviewing for a position at LexCorp, and thanks to his abilities he would be the perfect candidate for the opening. Not that he needed to be working from the inside, but the idea of infiltrating Lex’s infrastructure and corrupting it under his nose appealed to him.

Everything was in place. All of the appropriate papers with his new alias were filed away in the records of the right schools and businesses. He’d read every available scrap of information on LexCorp and knew the ins and outs of the company. There was no question he could be asked that he wouldn’t have the answer to. As a matter of fact he saw several areas where improvements could be made that would save LexCorp millions.

Clark reached for a dark green tie and pulled it around his neck. He’d carefully picked out each new article of clothing, making sure not to buy any of the primary colors he’d been so fond of in his younger years. Finally he pulled on his suit jacket and went to survey himself in the mirror one last time.




Getting the job had been amazingly simple, and he was taking to the new role he was playing like a fish to water. Actually enjoying the opportunity to be someone completely different than the boy scout he‘d always been. His coworkers knew him as Kal… the smart, flirtatious, and arrogant guy they couldn’t help but like. His superiors saw a brilliant, even inspired, businessman who’s new take on their shipping scheme was going to save them countless dollars.

In spite of all the progress he was making with his new job most of his time was spent on other endeavors. One of those was the framing of one of Lex’s most trusted board members for some major information leaks to their competitors. And as the rampant office gossip suggested, he was succeeding in shaking the confidence of the higher-ups.

The most time consuming, yet profitable, of his tasks was running surveillance on Lex. He’d followed him around to various points around the world, and to some of the seediest parts of Suicide Slum. However, there was one place he hadn’t followed him to… the penthouse Lex and Lana shared. Seeing them together may be unavoidable, but he was determined to put it off for as long as possible.

The concrete evidence Lois needed in order to write an article to bring Lex down was hard to find, but Clark was convinced it was there. There was no doubt that Lex had a hand in nearly every illegal act committed in Metropolis. And in the control Lex had over the major organized crime groups in the city, Clark saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

For the past two weeks Clark had been undermining the delicate balance with which Lex ruled the various crime lords. By disrupting their plans and intercepting various communications from Lex and changing them to his liking Clark had brought things to a breaking point. In an uncharacteristic show of unity the two most powerful mobsters in the city held a secret meeting and decided that Lex had finally gone too far. There was now a contract out on the almighty Lex Luthor.

Not that they would succeed. Clark was saving that particular pleasure for himself. But a few attempts on his life ought to give Lex something to think about. Unfortunately for Lex the years of unchallenged power had left him overly confident and he believed he was untouchable. And that made it so much sweeter for Clark.


“Mr. Ellsworth?” The voice of his secretary brought Clark out of his thoughts.

“Yes Morgan?”

“Mr. Luthor” she said emphasizing her words by wiggling her eyebrows, “wants to see you.”

“Well it’s about time!” he said flashing her a grin. “It won’t be long and I’ll have that corner office with the great view.”

“I don‘t doubt it.” She couldn’t help but return his smile. She’d developed an infatuation with her new boss, as had every other woman on their floor.

“How do I look?” he asked as he straightened his tie.

Heart stopping was the first thought to pop into her head. “You’ve got nothing to worry about sir.” He always looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of GQ.

“Wish me luck” he said with another of his trademark smiles.

“I would, but you don’t need it.”



Lex sat in his office trying to conduct business as usual, unwilling to show any signs of weakness. The leak of sensitive documents was a set back, but it in the long run it would be little more than a speed bump. He was more concerned about having a traitor in his midst. Heaven help the fool who thought he could outsmart Lex Luthor. Once caught he’d find no mercy.

“Mr. Luthor, Mr. Ellsworth is here to see you.” His secretary announced over the intercom.

“Send him in” he replied to the little box on his desk as he got up to greet his visitor. He pushed aside his anger, there would be time for that later. Right now he needed to focus on damage control.

As he entered Lex’s office Clark fought the temptation to end it right then and there, being alone with him was almost more than he could stand. Struggling to keep his disgust off his face he crossed the room to Lex who was smiling in a friendly manner.

“Kal” Lex held out his hand to Clark “I’ve been hearing a lot about you.”

“All good I hope.” He answered with a easy going smile as he shook the offered hand.

“Barely here a month and already saving us millions… I think that qualifies as good. Go ahead and take a seat” he said gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Normally I don’t check in on employees at your level, however they rarely have your talent.”

“Thank you Mr. Luthor.”

“You may not want to be so fast to thank me.” He said as he sat down behind his desk. “As you may have heard we’ve had some issues with an office mole. It’s left one of our most profitable divisions in chaos.”

“There have been some rumors” Clark commented with a serious nod.

“Instead of taking the wait and see route I’ve decided to do some reorganizing. I’m sending you over there to use your skills on cleaning up the mess.” He said handing Clark a thick file. “I hope you’re up for the challenge.”

“There’s nothing I love more than a challenge.”

“Good, you‘ll be reporting directly to me” he said, finding himself liking Clark’s go to attitude. “I think you have a very bright future here at LexCorp.”

“You can count on that.”

Lex smiled at his bravado. “I like you Kal…” he paused as he watched Clark flipped through the first few pages in the file. LexCorp needed some fresh blood and Lex saw a great deal of potential in him, as well as a chance to mold him into the kind of exec he wanted. “My wife is throwing a charity benefit next week. You should come, it would be a good opportunity for you to get acquainted with some of the more prominent citizens of Metropolis.”

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it.” Clark said closing the file as he got up.

[happycamper]

:)

I guess Clark is of the revenge is a better dish served cold persuasion...;)

It amazes me that Clark is able to hold himself back, when all he really wants is to finish Lex off. But then again, I guess all really good revenge plots involve destroying everything around the culprit first as a prelude to finally letting the victim know who had been responsible for all his woes. At that point, either the job can be completed - permanently - or else the victim could be left alone to suffer with his utter destruction and his sudden new knowledge as to the cause.

But as part of this, Clark would need to destroy the relationship between Lex and Lana. Is he strong enough to attempt that?


:D :D

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

good but yet evry fic is missing clana right now

[clana1fan4ever]

Nice update
ppms!

[superman8s]

nice i look forward to the happy clana that i have so longed for!

[treker]

Originally posted by superman8s
nice i look forward to the happy clana that i have so longed for!

I wouldn't count on that...not here in this fic....

[superman8s]

ok ok brian i get it that you think this fic sux...dont take this the wrong way please because i only have the utmost respect for you but would it kill you to not be so negative? i know that i myself can be negative at times but when you put youre self out there by writing a fic its a giant leap of faith...and i dont think that LetMeGo appretiates the negative comments..so try giving suggestions as to what LetMeGo can do to make it more appealing...structured criticizem is not bad bashing relentlisly is not too good...so yeah

LetMeGo i think you are doing a great job with the fic it is a little depressing but still kudos to you for putting youre self out there! i really like youre fic its very well written, a bit on the sad side but then again so is life. Keep up the good work and i look forward to the good bad or ugly outcome of this fic...i reamain youre loyal reader! ~jen

[closetfan]

oooooo....this fic is back....i like this clark.....

cant wait to see if lana can recognize clark

[happycamper]

This is a very good story LetMeGo, with the potential of being a great one. You have set the story up with so many possibilities for either a happy or unhappy outcome. I'm truly impressed, although I hope you know what ultimate outcome would be my personal preference. :) ;)

But don't let a few almost troll-like comments get you down. They're undeserved in any story posted to this board, but especially so for one that is as good as yours. No single person is an arbiter of how different stories should be written on this board, so finish the story however you want it to end.

Please post when you can - I really can't wait to see how everything turns out.


:D :D

[treker]

Originally posted by superman8s
ok ok brian i get it that you think this fic sux...dont take this the wrong way please because i only have the utmost respect for you but would it kill you to not be so negative? i know that i myself can be negative at times but when you put youre self out there by writing a fic its a giant leap of faith...and i dont think that LetMeGo appretiates the negative comments..so try giving suggestions as to what LetMeGo can do to make it more appealing...structured criticizem is not bad bashing relentlisly is not too good...so yeah

LetMeGo i think you are doing a great job with the fic it is a little depressing but still kudos to you for putting youre self out there! i really like youre fic its very well written, a bit on the sad side but then again so is life. Keep up the good work and i look forward to the good bad or ugly outcome of this fic...i reamain youre loyal reader! ~jen


Yes it does take great courage to put out fiction. I should know as I am a very shy person myself and having put out 3 stories I know what it takes. That being said.....

This fiction was reported to be (eventually) a clanna friendly post. which was why the author decided to post it here. There are other forums for torture clark...torture Lana....this is not the place for that. I am not alone in my opnion on this subject. Someone you respect and admire (I won't name him here....if you want to know then PM me) agree's with me. I asked him if I was being overly negative regarding my opnion. He said no. He agreed with everything I said.

That being said...Letmego....you have a very imaginative mind. You are to be commended...however, next time don't protray your story to be one thing and then not deliver it. Or put off that delivery so long and it is painfull to read. (haven't we clanna shippers had enough pain with what is going on in smallville???). this story has been on the board for almost 4 months....it is 5% clanna and the rest torture clark/lana.

I'm sorry if anyone is offended by my thoughts...they are not intentional...I only speak from my heart....my clanna heart. I believe in growth thru struggle and conflict without destroying clanna. Anyone who has read Lana's Betrayl (my fic) knows I will stray into areas which test the faith and loyalty of clanna....but, I would never let Lana be without clark for over 90% of the story as is done here.

everyone calm down....it is my right to voice my opnion. I have not been mean or beligerent in any of my comments. I only speak my mind....I only speak the truth....

[superman8s]

ok now that you have explained youre thoughts,i can understand...but if you could just try to be a little bit more positive i think that we all would be happy!..but brian... i still think you are a cool guy dispite youre negative-ness lol

[LetMeGo]

Hey everybody… I’m glad you’re still reading… thanks for the comments! To Jen and hc… thank you for your support, it means a lot to me!

treker… :sigh:… there is so much I could say. I have a pretty good idea as to whom you are referring. You’re right I do respect him, however I don’t always agree with those I respect. Bottom line… the main pairing of this fic is Clark and Lana and none of my descriptions have exceeded a PG13 rating, therefore this is the appropriate place to post this fic.

You do have a right to your opinion, just as I have a right to write my story as I see fit. It seems that there is nothing that will appease you short of deleting this thread. I‘m sorry, but I’m going to finish the fic. Feel free to stop reading it if you want…

Now back to the story! Will everything be resolved in this update? No… but it’s a step in the right direction.. I hope you enjoy it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------

“You were suppose to be here over an hour ago, we‘re going to be late.” She said trying to keep the irritation that had been building as she waited out of her voice. “It isn’t like I ask a lot from you Lex, the least you can do is show me a little common decency. Especially after the stunt you pulled last month.”

“Are you done?” He asked, not in the mood to deal with her tirade. Any other day he‘d goad her on and show her who was in control, but he had too much on his mind today. “I’m going to change.”

Lana watched him ascend the stairs, once again wondering why he kept her around, there didn’t seem to be anyone that wasn’t disposable to Lex. But she already knew the answer… he was punishing her. Punishing her for denying him the one thing he had wanted most, her heart. It had always belonged to Clark, even after he disappeared, even after all these years.




Clark entered the grand ballroom of the Avalon Hotel happy to see that wasn’t the only straggler. His tardiness was due to his life saving feats, though his intentions were anything but heroic. It was only a few short hours ago that Lex had literally come within an inch of meeting his maker.

Clark had changed the trajectory of the bullet so that it barely missed that bald head of his. Then he’d led Lex’s bodyguards on a wild goose chase to ensure the gunman’s clean get away. He wanted to keep Lex guessing as to who was after him. The list of suspects would be endless for a man like him.

The hum of voices filled the large room as soft music floated in the air. Apparently he hadn’t missed much, it didn’t even look like things had gotten underway yet. He surveyed the crowd which was full of Metropolis’ most rich and powerful inhabitants and saw Lex toward the front of the room.

Clark grabbed a glass of champagne off a tray as the server passed by. As he raised the delicate champagne flute to his lips and took a drink the music faded away. All eyes were drawn to the stage as a voice announced the entrance of the hostess for the evening, Lana Luthor.

He stood frozen, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him. She seemed to move in slow motion and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She’d always been beautiful but now she had a sophisticated appearance and he found her to be even more breathtaking than he remembered.

Having reached the microphone she was speaking now. The sound of her voice was so familiar it hurt to listen. Slowly he came out of the trance he was engulfed in, remembering what his goal was. Telling himself that it was no time to get sidetracked by sentiment he was able to shove his emotions aside and listen to her finish her speech.

“Ultimately this evening is about helping innocent children. It is the duty of those of us who have to help those who have not.

“So get out your checkbooks and bid generously. This year our items in our silent auction are bigger and better than in years previous. They include a luxury box at the Sharks - Chiefs’ highly anticipated rivalry game, several extravagant trips, a few exquisite pieces of jewelry, and a Maserati GranSport. Take some time to look through the catalogue listing everything up for auction. We’d like to thank all of those who donated items, I’d especially like to thank Lex Luthor for making tonight possible .”

Clark watched her smile widely at Lex as she finished her sentence. In response Lex touched his fingers to his mouth and held them up in his version of blowing her a kiss. Clark felt his stomach turn over. But the sick feeling was quickly replaced with anger. He downed what was left of his champagne in one gulp, wishing that it would have some kind of effect on him to help dull his senses.

“The bidding will end at eleven o’clock. In the mean time enjoy the music, food, and drinks!” Lana walked off stage to the sound of applause, with her brightest smile plastered on her face. Putting on a good show, she and Lex had that down cold.

The band had already started playing by the time she reentered the ballroom. She made her way through the room ‘working the crowd’ as she went. A little flirting here, a tactful word there, always with a smile. Trying to arouse everyone’s competitive nature to drive up the bids.



“Kal”

Clark hurried and finished scribbling down his bid on a Rolex before he answered.

“Mr. Luthor” He said turning toward the voice.

“Call me Lex, I insist.” he said shaking his hand.

“Very well, Lex.” It took every ounce of effort he had to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “You’ve got a great turn out tonight.” He said looking around the crowded room.

“The who’s who of Metropolis.” he said nonchalantly. “Speaking of which there are a few people I’d like you to meet.” With that proclamation they started to circle the room, Lex introducing Clark to the important and influential.


Lana was talking to a woman she couldn’t stand, but her smile never faltered. She listened about the woman’s last Botox treatment, commenting in the appropriate places with the appropriate responses. Her eyes started to wander as the tale dragged on and she saw Lex breaking away from a group of people.

She was about to look away when she noticed a man leave the group to join him. Lex said something and the other man smiled. She couldn’t breath. He looked up, his eyes meeting her open stare. Her heart began to thunder in her chest. One thought playing over and over in her mind… it couldn’t be.

“Lana, dear, are you alright?” The woman asked trying to sound concerned.

Regaining some sense of composure, Lana smiled. “Yes, I’m fine… please excuse me.”

She approached them on shaky legs, surprised that she was capable of walking. She fought to keep her face masked in a smile.

“Lana” Lex greeted her cheerfully.

She managed to take her eyes away from his companion and look at Lex as she came to a stop beside him.

“How are you faring?”

“Good… it’s going good…” she fumbled for words. “And you?”

“Wonderfully. I was just introducing Kal to a few people… by the way, this is Kal Ellsworth. He’s our new up and coming star at LexCorp.”

Taking her opening to look at him up close Lana searched his face. She wasn’t sure, but there was something about him. Her head was saying it was impossible, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling in her heart.

“And this is my lovely wife, Lana. She’s the amazing woman behind tonight’s festivities.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Luthor.” Clark said in a cool tone of voice.

“So, darling, have you come to collect that dance I promised you?” Lex asked, sounding every bit the devoted husband.

“You’ve read my mind” she said looking back at Lex, worried he’d see her reaction to meeting Kal.

“Shall we?” he asked holding out his hand.

Lana reached out to take it, disappointed that she wasn’t going to get to talk to this mystery man any longer.

“Lex…” a man’s voice came from behind them “may I have a moment of your time?”

“Lana dear, I’m sorry…” Lex said apologetically seeing who was calling him away “I’ll be back in a moment.” Then looking to Clark he went on “Kal, perhaps you could…?”

“I…” he was about to argue, but before he could say anything Lex was gone.

“I hope you don’t mind” Lana said taking his arm.

“You have no idea what your husband has gotten you into. Dancing isn’t one of my abilities.”

“It can’t be that bad” she said, her head spinning at his use of the word ‘abilities.’

“It’s pretty bad when your mother tells you you're hopeless.”

His words sent her back to the night Clark had proposed to her and his protests when she‘d asked him to dance with her. “There’s always hope.” She replied softly as a new song began.

“I don’t know about that.” he said as they joined those on the crowded dance floor.

When his arms came around her everything and everyone around them seemed to evaporate. She was lost in his familiar eyes not wanting to ever find her way out.

The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah

I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide

I'm quiet you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find
You and I collide

Don’t stop here
I lost my place
I’m close behind...

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find
You and I collide

You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

well that was nice but when is lex gonna die

[clark&lanafan06]

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

[happycamper]

Wonderful update! :D

I feel so bad for both Lana and Clark. :( Clark thinks that Lana was part of the betrayal, and Lana is trapped in a horrendous marriage with the bald one, thinking she sees Clark in complete strangers. :(

I just hope that Lex being called away gives them both a chance to clear the air (or at least provide some hope for Lana). :) And I really hope that Lana isn't included in Clark's plans for revenge.



:D :D

[Cardinal]

Not bad at all. :)

I just read this whole story, and I like it. While I have to admit that the bits about Clark being kidnapped and his whole world being destroyed were tough to read, it looks like it will be interesting to see how "Kal El"lsworth will bring Lex to utter ruin.

And yes, the persistent naysayers ought to just quit reading if they don't like it. Don't ruin the fic for the rest of us, please.

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

yes lex will die soon right???

[superman8s]

ohhh i like but when is lex going to die???

[LetMeGo]

Sorry it’s taken me so long to update, seems like every time I sat down to write something else would come up.

Thanks for the comments! And welcome to the fic Card! I know it’s kind of a depressing story, but I hope there is something redeeming in it!

And don’t worry, Lex will get his in the end…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last notes of the song gently died away and in his arms he held the only woman he’d ever loved. She was looking up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. For one short moment he remembered what it was like to feel human.

He released her and took a step back. “Thank you for the dance Mrs. Luthor, but I’m sure you want to get back to your guests.”

“Wait…” she said desperately as he started to leave.

He turned to face her and saw that the expression on her face matched the tone of her voice. “Is there something wrong?” He asked sounding exasperated.

“No, it’s just that you remind me of someone I use to know.” she said blinking away the tears that threatened to spill.

“Is that right? What happened to him?” he questioned, not taking his eyes off hers.

“He… he died.”

“Well, I couldn’t be him then, could I?” he said and left her behind.




“I was hoping you’d have good news for me Henry.” Lex was annoyed, he wanted answers now. All he’d heard since being dragged away from the party were excuses.

“It’s no simple task you’ve given me Lex, there are countless people who‘d love to see you dead.” He said, as if talking to a friend, which irritated Lex further. Ever since he’d been appointed commissioner of police he seemed to think they were on equal footing.

“I want you to throw all your resources at this. This one was close, too close.”

“Gee Lex, sounds like you’re scared.” Henry replied, finding it humorous to see Lex worried.

“If you can’t make any progress with this, I’ll find someone who can.” Lex said choosing to ignore his little jab, finding him less useful with each word out of his mouth.

“Are you trying to intimidate me?” indignation filled his voice.

“Not at all, I’m just letting you know where things stand.”



Clark made his way to the bar, glad to distance himself from Lana. Being around her had reminded him of the life he had once led, a life he wanted to forget. It was too late to recover all that he’d lost, all he had now was his hatred.

“What do you think you’re doing?” hissed a familiar voice.

Clark looked over to find Lois standing beside him. He’d forgotten that she was going to be here covering the event for the Daily Planet.

“Well, hello” he answered with a big flirtatious grin, and Lois just stared at him in irritation. “Don’t worry baby, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

She rolled her eyes at his alpha male behavior. “If she recognizes you…”

“She didn’t.” A hard gleam came into his eyes.

“I don’t think you realize… oh great, here comes Lex.”

“Slap me” he whispered leaning close to her.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Her initial reaction was to tell him he was crazy, however it occurred to her that taking out her frustrations on him might feel rather nice. Not one to hold back in these types of situations, Lois put her whole body behind it. The connection of her hand and his face sent a resounding crack over the loud music, turning several heads in their direction. With one last baleful glance she turned with her head held high and walked away.

“I see you’ve met Lois Lane.” An amused Lex said, having caught the theatrics.

“Was that her name?” Clark asked still rubbing the spot where her palm met his face as he watched her walk away clearly enjoying the view. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Trust me, that one is more trouble than she’s worth.”




Lana watched him walk away from her, the whole time wanting to run after him. He’d been so quick to deny something she hadn’t even said. Was she so transparent that he knew what she was thinking or was he really Clark. The Clark that could read her so well.

She laughed at herself. Of course he could tell what she was thinking, she had been on the verge of tears. Though his cold reply just didn’t fit. Perhaps Lex had finally succeeded in driving her to insanity.

She looked in his direction again, telling herself that it just couldn‘t be, when he was stopped by Lois. Her brow furrowed as she watched them. Their interaction hinted at familiarity, but things abruptly changed when Lois slapped him hard. And then Lex walked up to Clark with a smirk on his face.

Convinced that Lois knew something, Lana took off in the direction she had gone, determined to get answers.

[clark&lanafan06]

Great Update ! PPMS !!!!!!

[treker]

Originally posted by Cardinal
Not bad at all. :)

I just read this whole story, and I like it. While I have to admit that the bits about Clark being kidnapped and his whole world being destroyed were tough to read, it looks like it will be interesting to see how "Kal El"lsworth will bring Lex to utter ruin.

And yes, the persistent naysayers ought to just quit reading if they don't like it. Don't ruin the fic for the rest of us, please.

Don't worry card....I had my fill. I will be making no further comments on this "fic".......

Sorry I offended you.....

[happycamper]

Another great update! :)

It's unfortunate that Clark is unable - or unwilling - to see how badly life has gone for Lana without him, or how much she still pines for him.

I guess if he did, he wouldn't be able to continue on his campaign of revenge. It was Clark's loss of Lana, after all, that is probably fueling so much of his anger.

Lana is still unsure about this new man she has met, but one hopes Lois will actually be able to help her figure out what has happened.

Can't wait for more!


:D :D

[C.A.chick]

Oooooh, great fic LetMeGo! I love it! It is depressing, but I like stories like this better because as much as I like Clana, I understand that there has to be angst to make the story more interesting.
Its quite sad that Lana had no choice but to marry Lex, since he killed off everyone else. And Kal can't seem to understand that she didn't really have a choice. I hope he will be able to talk to her soon. Or at least let her know that he is really Clark.
As for the negative comments on here, this is a great story, and just because LetMeGo is taking a while to get to the Clana, doesn't mean it doesn't belong here. Just remember something we all should have learned as children: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

[treker]

Originally posted by C.A.chick
. Just remember something we all should have learned as children: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.


I have agreed to let it go...but, you people won't let me let it go. please drop it, as I have.

[C.A.chick]

As to avoid getting the thread deleted, and to make peace. I'm dropping it. All I meant was that, on ALL threads, including yours, people should just be positive as to prevent any major problems.
LetMeGo, I hope you update soon.

[superman8s]

diddo! i like it it is refreshing...PPMS

[maitriniazngurl]

Hey... Great updates!! LetMeGo your story is truely sad.. but not all stories can be lovely dovey. I enjoy reading sad stories just as much as I like happy ones.

I'm finally caught up.. I guess I only missed two updates. Very good btw.. Clark should take more time to understand that Lana never did betrayal him. She's stuck in this horrible marriage!! If I were Lana.. I would dump Lex on the spot!! But that's just me. And I can't wait for Lex to die!! hahah lol

PPMS!!

[Clana227]

Just got caught up and this story is unbelievebly priceless

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everyone! I’m glad most of you are enjoying it. :D Welcome to the fic C.A.chick and Clana227! Here’s the update…
-------------------------------------------------------------

Lana waited in an unoccupied dressing room back stage. She’d sent her assistant to Lois with an offer of an exclusive interview. The minutes ticked by and Lana was starting to wonder if Lois was going to pass on the offer. She was about to give up when the door opened.

“Lois, it’s been a while” Lana said with a hug and an air kiss. “You look great!”

“Thanks” Lois said, feeling a bit hesitant about the situation. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten the honor of an exclusive with Lana. She’d been avoiding the media since pictures of Lex with another woman had surfaced and started an onslaught of rumors about their marriage. Maybe Lana expected her to go easy on her since they had a history. “It’s been too long.”

They hadn’t spoken in years. On Lois’ part it was a mixture of guilt and resentment that had kept her away. Guilt that she hadn’t been a good enough friend to Lana when she needed one the most, and resentment from Chloe’s death. Though Lois knew it was irrational, she couldn’t help herself from blaming Lana for not listening to the Kent’s and Chloe when it came to Lex. If she had listened to them Chloe wouldn’t have felt so strongly about protecting her friend from that monster.

As for Lana, there had been several occasions when she had wanted to rekindle a friendship with Lois, but her fear of what Lex might do had always stopped her. He’d never been a fan of Lois’ he considered her a inept version of Chloe. He use to compare her to a Pomeranian, saying she made a lot of meaningless noise that resulted in a headache.

Lana pushed away the thoughts of what might have been if she’d heeded the concerns of the Kent’s, Chloe, and later Lois. She couldn’t change the past, but now she might have a chance of a future with the love of her life. If he was who she thought he was, and Lois was the key to finding that out.

They sat down and Lana dismissed her assistant with instructions to keep things running smoothly. Lana made sure Lois had everything she needed to write a nice fluffy human interest story. They spent several minutes discussing the charity, it’s goals, and the fund raising done all year that was capped off with this lavish event.

Thinking that the interview was over Lois was about to thank Lana for her time but stopped when she noticed a change come over Lana. It was if a mask had fallen away from her face. The poised and polished public persona had been replaced with the tormented look of a haunted soul.

“Can we talk off the record?” Lana said as she tried to smile.

“Of course” she answered slipping her digital voice recorder into her purse.

“You’ve never cared much for Lex”

“He’s like a cancer, he corrupts everything he touches” Lois spat out before thinking. “… sorry.”

“Don’t be, you’re absolutely right.” She’d thought the same thing many times, but to actually acknowledge it with words was harder than she thought it‘d be. “I’m very aware of what Lex is capable of. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I’d listened to you all those years ago.”

Lois was taken back by this omission. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be married to Lex, from the look on Lana’s face she decided it must be hell. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t expect or want your pity. I quit feeling sorry for myself a long time ago.” She raised her head defiantly “I’m telling you all of this because I want the world to know what Lex Luthor is.”

“Lana, that’s a huge risk to take.” Normally she’d jump on an opportunity like this, however she was already close to getting what she needed on Lex. “I failed you once as a friend, I can’t let you do this. We both know what he’d do if he ever found out.”

“Some things are worth the risk.” Lana answered, knowing that the only trump card she held was her knowledge of Lex. “And you didn’t fail me, I failed myself.”

Lois studied her for a moment, trying to gauge the situation. She seemed sincere, but something felt off. “Why are you coming to me with this now?”

“For years I’ve believed that Lex was beyond anyone’s reach, but tonight I saw something that gave me hope.” She met Lois’ curious stare “There is something I want from you though.”

“What would that be?”

“Tell me what you know about Kal Ellsworth.”

“Who?” she asked trying to sound puzzled. Lana shot her a look letting her know that it wasn’t working. With a sigh of frustration finally said, “I knew the second I saw you together this was going to happen.”

“I thought I was imagining things. I didn‘t think I‘d see him again...” she stopped herself there, unsure of what Lois knew. Protecting Clark and his secret would always be her first priority. “Please tell me what you know.”

“He showed up at The Planet a couple months ago asking for Chloe.”

“Chloe…?”

“Yeah, I was surprised to hear someone asking for her, it’s been so long.” There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“He said he went to high school with her.” Lois went on after clearing her throat of a lump that had formed there. “When I told him she had died he was upset by the news and insisted that we talk. I told him of the circumstances surrounding Chloe’s death and we started to talk about Clark and his parents. He took the news of their passing pretty hard as well. Then he asked about you, apparently he hadn‘t heard that you‘d married Lex.”

All her doubts were gone, Kal had to be Clark. Lana went from boundless joy to the depths of despair as she processed what it all meant. To think he found out that his family and closest friend were gone without any warning. She wanted to go to him and give him comfort, but it had been obvious that he hadn’t been happy to be near her.

“I wasn’t sure what to think of the guy. I’d never heard of him and, quite frankly, he looked like some kind of vagabond.” Lois shook her head thinking of how nicely he’d cleaned up. “But when he offered to bring me information on Lex I couldn‘t turn him down.”

“That’s why he’s working for Lex.” Lana stated, putting pieces together.

“Yes, he‘s determined to topple Lex‘s empire.”

“I want to… no, I need to help.”

Lois would sell her soul for the story Lana was offering her, so she was surprised at herself for her misgivings. However, upon seeing the determination in Lana’s eyes she discarded them. “Alright, if your sure this is what you want to do, lets get together next week and discuss it.”

[that girl]

Just read this....wowzers. :)

My first thought when I think about this is "wow, that would really suck" but it works wonderfully as a story. And as far as a lack of fluff is concerned, imo it's a welcome change from all the "happy Clana" fics out there. Those are great, but sometimes it's good to mix it up a little bit

I was glad to see that Lana's not in the dark about Lex's true self, even if she hasn't picked up on the fact that he was responsible to Clark's disappearance, after all -- she's not completely clueless.

And Clark's newfound pessimistic view on life is seriously disturbing. I can only hope that by the end Lana will have sorted things out for him.

Chloe and the Kents are dead. :(

One question: does Lois know Kal Ellsworth is Clark Kent? The first time he went to see her she didn't seem to recognize him but then at the benefit she said something about Lana "recognizing" him. What?

PPMS, I'm definetly looking forward to seeing where you take this!

EDIT: Hey, you updated again and I didn't notice before I posted. So.

Lana's in on it now! Yay! I loved the Lois/Lana scene, glad to see they could still be friends after all these years.

I guess that update sort of answered my question about Lois, although she could still be covering for Clark. Ahhh I'm confused! :confused:

Again, PPMS! :D

[happycamper]

Wow, what a wonderful story. Everything is now coming together so well. :)

I’m glad that Lana made her admission to Lois. It’s so sad that they couldn’t be there for one another in the past because of all their mutual losses, but maybe they can be closer now. It certainly seems like Lana has Lois on board for her plans (or vice versa).

If only it would be as easy to get Clark to see though all the lies and regrets to the truth. I just hope he hasn’t been damaged too much mentally to see that or to care... :(

(Although maybe I wouldn’t mind too much to have Clark fixed after he wreaks his revenge on Lex :lol: )


:D :D

[superman8s]

great update..i have been amtisapating it

[maitriniazngurl]

Sorry, LetMeGo

I posted the wrong comment on the wrong fic. I'm so sorry. It was for another fic. I was rushhing. :D

Awesome update. I hope the story could find more happiness. :D Your doing a great job. :D

[clark&lanafan06]

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

[LetMeGo]

Welcome to the fic thatgirl. Thanks to everyone for the kind words. Lois isn’t completely in the dark, but she only has her suspicions. Sorry I kept you all waiting for an update so long… here it is! :)
------------------------------------------------------------------

After talking with Lois there was only one thing on Lana’s mind. Getting Clark alone. She understood why he’d be reluctant to tell her who he was but once he knew where her loyalties were surely he’d let her in.

She ran several scenarios through her head, none of them very satisfying. Finally deciding on a course of action, she couldn’t stop the nervous feelings eating away at her stomach. It probably wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had but it was all she could come up with on short notice.

Time went by so slowly. Everything seemed surreal and she couldn’t concentrate on anything around her. She didn’t hear the music playing, didn’t see the faces of those she spoke to. Her eyes were constantly searching the crowded room for him. Occasionally she was rewarded with a short glimpse and her courage began to build.



Clark was emotionally drained. The evening had taken more of a toll than he imagined it would. He was ready to return to his sparsely furnished apartment. Though he knew sleep wouldn’t come, it never did, he just wanted to close his eyes and try to forget. And so Clark decided to leave early deciding he wouldn’t be missed.

He made his way through the rotunda. There were a few people loitering about, but most were in the ballroom where the party was still going strong. He passed through unnoticed on his way to the coat check.

The first thing he noticed was that there was no one there. The attendant was gone. Clark looked around finding nothing, he went to x-ray vision. Immediately he saw Lana hiding behind a rack of coats. His irritation grew knowing she was trying to set him up.

Obviously she wasn’t planning on coming out and he didn’t want to wait. So he decided to take his chances with a confrontation and vaulted over the counter, making it look like it took more effort on his part than it really did. Clark began to search through the coats, giving no indication that he’d seen Lana. After a few moments be believed that she wasn’t going to say anything, but then he heard her take a deep breath.

“Clark” Lana said stepping out of her hiding place.

He said nothing as she closed the short distance between them and threw her arms around him. There was an undeniable joy in her eyes as she looked up at him.

“I thought I’d lost you forever.” her words were full of emotion as she went up on her tiptoes to reach his lips.

The slow sweet intensity of her kiss was enough to bring the strongest man to his knees. She tasted so good. He started to push Lana away. He had to stop her, before he couldn’t stop himself.

“Mrs. Luthor” he said shaking his head in protest.

“Clark, it’s okay, you don’t have to pretend.” she gently caressed his cheek, tears of joy spilling down her own. “Did you really think a beard could stop me from seeing you in there?”

“Mrs. Luthor” he started again, still refusing to use her name. “If someone saw you… your husband…”

“I don’t care”

“My job…” he tried a different tact.

“Lois told me about your job. I know what you‘re trying to do.”

“I don’t know what Lois told you” he said, cursing her in his head “but it doesn’t matter. I’m not the man you think I am.”

“Clark…” she pleaded.

“I‘m sorry but you‘re mistaken. My name isn't Clark.” he turned his back to her.

“You’re right” she said her tears of joy having turned into something else. “You couldn’t be the man I thought you were.”



The last couple of days had been hectic for Lex Luthor. His priority had become finding whoever was responsible for the attempt on his life so he’d rearranged a few thing on his schedule and was running behind. He was suppose to be in Washington doing some lobbying however he was still in Metropolis.

“It’s all explained in the proposal sir.” Clark was saying as he walked along with Lex to the parking garage.

“Good, I’ll go over it on the plane and get back to you with any changes.” He answered taking the folder from Clark. “Is there anything else?” He asked as they approached his car.

“No sir.” he said doing a quick scan of Lex’s car revealing an explosive device rigged to go off when the vehicle was started.

Clark calculated the distance to the car, the confines of the parking garage, and the size of the charge and decided that he could detonate it without doing any damage to Lex. More importantly he could set it off and get away with coming out of it unscathed.

He super sped away, set off the explosion and made it back to Lex’s side to join him in being knocked over by the blast.

Clark laid on the ground for a moment before he started to sit up with a groan. He looked to the car engulfed in flames then to Lex. Selling his dazed and disbelieving reaction he asked in a panicked voice “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“What just happened?”

Lex offered no explanation. He just stared ahead at the ruins that had been his car.




“There it is” he said dropping a stack of files in front of Lois.

“I have to say I’m impressed Kal” she looked up at him. “And kind of surprised, you implied you didn’t have enough incriminating evidence.”

It was true he had planned on dragging things out for a while longer. However, when Lois told him about Lana’s intentions he’d moved things along. Besides, it was time to tighten the vice on Lex.

“I know you’re trying to protect her.” Lois had figured he was using a pseudonym from the moment he told her his name and the digging she did seemed to point in that direction. Intrigued and hopeful that he’d be able to bring her what she wanted she hadn‘t pushed for answers. As she put the pieces together she had a good idea of his true identity.

“This isn’t her fight” he replied through a clenched jaw.

“It isn’t?” she asked “It seems to me she has more of a claim in this than anyone else. Besides” she said picking up one of the files “this is all white collar stuff. It’s a nice start, but we both know he’s guilty of much more heinous crimes than these.”

“Take a look at it. It makes the Enron scandal from years ago look like a cake walk. Insider trading, offshore accounts, bribery, organized crime. It’s all there, and it all links back to Lex.” he said gesturing toward the files. “Everything else will come to light, give me a few more days.”

“I would be willing to wait, but I owe it to Lana to let her do this. It’s a way for her to redeem herself.” She sighed wondering how she could explain it to him. “She feels that she’s betrayed the memory of those she loved and herself by letting Lex into her life.”

He stared at her, finding no answer to her argument.

“She’s going to do this with or without us. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather it’s me who she’s talking to than someone else. Lex’s reach is far and powerful. And after that incident in the LexCorp parking garage today… well, he’ll be more dangerous than ever. If he thinks Lana has betrayed him…” she left it hanging, knowing his imagination would serve her cause better than any words she could come up with.

[clark&lanafan06]

Great update ! Can't wait for the next one . PPMS !!!!!!

[happycamper]

It is remarkable that it was only the knowledge that Clark was still alive that allowed Lana to think it was actually possible to bring Lex down. Even though Clark has rejected her, she still persists.

I'm not worried about Lex, but instead about Clark. I wondered many updates ago about the extent of Clark's bitterness, and whether he also blames Lana for what happened to Chloe and his parents. Can he ever see the truth and forgive her in his heart?


:D :D


And many thanks for the birthday wishes...:o :)

[that girl]

That was awesome. You're doing a really good job of portraying (or not portraying as the case may be) how Clark feels about what I'll call the "Lana issue." I can't tell whether he's pulling away from her because he's afraid the emotions that come with it will soften his stand on Lex or because he just doesn't want her to be involved in something so dangerous. The ambiguity is genius.

I'm glad Lois is helping Clark through all this. He needs someone to remind him of the life he had before Lex got ahold of him. And she seems to know what she's doing when it comes to the "Lana issue." :)

Lex needs to get what's coming to him. :mad:

Update soon!

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

2 bad clark didnt have her back they woudl gave done somethings. if you know what im saying

[superman8s]

please update more soon! ppms

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everybody! More insight into Clark's feelings will be coming in the next update (I’m hoping it won’t be too long until I get the next part written.) Until then, enjoy this little update…
----------------------------------------------------------

Lex fought the urge to throw his cell across the room. Of all the lessons his father taught him maintaining control at all times was the one he drilled into him repeatedly. So instead of giving into his anger he gently set his phone on the table.

He’d been in DC for a week and nothing was going as planned and things in Metropolis were getting worse. He’d just gotten off the phone with Henry. Not only were there no leads on the attempted hits but the feds were in town asking questions.

Henry had been very anxious about the situation and told him that if he went down he would take him with him. At which point Lex reminded him that he was expendable. And then Henry had the gall to threaten him, telling him that if anything happened to him that evidence of their endeavors would come out.

It was time to consider his options. Perhaps he was due for a vacation. He could disappear for a little while and have some time to clear his head. He had money stashed away in several untraceable accounts across the globe that he could live off of indefinitely. But first he needed to get back to Metropolis and tie up several loose ends.




Clark had spent the week tightening the noose around Lex’s neck. He started off by delivering a copy of the files he’d given to Lois to a carefully selected Department of Justice investigator. He had needed someone who couldn’t be bought off or easily intimidated.

Then in an unrelated anonymous tip to the FBI Henry Walker was named in a case evolving the death of one of their agents. They acted fast, already applying pressure to the commissioner. Clark had no doubts that Henry would flip on Lex, it was just a matter of time. The guy had become a liability to Lex and was smart enough to realize it. Lex was going to try to eliminate him no matter what he did. And though the witness protection program wasn’t usually enough to stop Lex in the past it was the best of his options.

Everything was coming together even better than he had planned. So he had to wonder why he wasn’t happy. He remembered what Jor-El had said about him not finding peace on this path. Up until his encounter with Lana the other night he hadn’t had any doubt that he‘d find satisfaction in Lex‘s death, but now he wasn’t sure he was capable of being satisfied.

With all of the questions he’d been avoiding for the past several days swirling around in his head he unlocked the door of his apartment.




When Clark had left her in the coatroom Lana had practically fallen apart. She wasn’t sure how she got through the rest of the night but she somehow managed. When they finally got back to their penthouse, Lex went to his room and she went to hers without a word to each other. Making nice had been a strain on both of them and once they were alone all pretense was dropped.

In her room she headed to her closet and went to one of many shelves in the back of the large space. On the bottom shelf in a cedar sweater box, under several rarely worn cashmere sweaters was the old flannel shirt she was looking for. Pulling it out she buried her face in it, hoping to find his scent still lingering there, but it had faded long ago.

Lana spent that restless night wrapped in Clark’s old and worn shirt reliving those bleak days and weeks following his disappearance. Knowing that he was alive and refusing to recognize her was almost as painful as having lost him so long ago. That was when she knew she couldn’t give up, not this time.

With her mind set, she started the week patiently awaiting her and Lois’ planned meeting. It was the right thing to do, the kind of thing the Clark she knew and loved would have done. And no matter what he said, she was sure that that Clark still existed beneath his new alter-ego.

When the news of an explosion in the LexCorp parking garage broke she found herself worried… not for Lex, but for Clark. The details were sketchy but she feared that Clark was connected to it in some way. It occurred to her that there may be more to what he had planned for Lex than the story he was working on with Lois.

The appointed day of the get together with Lois arrived and Lana felt an empowerment she had never felt in all of her married years. This purging of her soul was long over due. Lana recounted every detail she could think of and Lois took notes and occasionally interrupted her narrative to ask questions.

While Lex had never openly discussed his business with Lana, he wasn’t concerned about what she might have over heard. He had always believed that letting her in on some of his evil deeds would keep her sufficiently intimidated. Most of what she had to say would be considered hearsay in a court of law, but it gave Lois an ample amount of leads to track down.

That had been a couple days ago. Now, with her newfound fortitude, she was going to save Clark from himself. And if he continued to deny her she wasn’t walking away, not without a fight. He wasn’t about to be rid of her so easily.

Lana was so caught up in her thoughts she almost missed the faint sound of jingling keys and the turning of the lock. She held her breath and waited for the door to open.

[happycamper]

Good for Lana. In opposing Lex, she is finally starting to find herself once again. And her decision to fight for Clark is the right one, both for herself, and for Clark. He really does need to be saved from what he has become.

And I love that events are slowly closing around Lex.


:D :D

[superman8s]

good update i waited a long time for it!

[that girl]

You updated! :D

I'm really glad that Lana is stepping up to the plate and doing something. She's not a push over. Although, it was rather stupid of Lex to just let her know about things he'd done. He must have at least considered the fact that she could talk. But if that's what's gonna bring Lex down, I could care less. And I'm also impressed that Lana has started putting two and two together about all the attempts on Lex's life and Clark's connection to it.

Meanwhile, if Lex Luthor isn't scary enough, Desperate Lex Luthor is way worse.

Update soon!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

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

[LetMeGo]

Hey all! Thanks for the comments! Lex is one arrogant SOB, which makes him stupid at times. ;) I hope you all enjoy this update… :D
---------------------------------------------------

Clark entered his darkened apartment ignoring the light switch. Light would only magnify the emptiness of the space he lived in. He tossed his keys onto the small table in the area that served as his dinning room. He became aware of her presence when she soundlessly moved out from the deeper shadows of the room into the area dimly illuminated by the light of the city coming through the windows.

They stood in silence for a moment and he began to wonder if he was imagining her. He didn’t dare say anything or move in fear that she’d disappear. But then she spoke, awaking him from his dream-like state.

“Clark” she said seeing a vulnerability in his eyes that hadn’t been there at their last encounter.

“How did you get in here?”

“As much as I’ve grown to despise the Luthor name there are times when it can open doors otherwise closed.”

Not happy to be reminded that she was a Luthor, even if she despised it, he said “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“No, I can’t” she approached him, slowly closing the distance between them. “I can’t because I love you.”

“Love me?” he didn’t even try to keep the hurt out of his voice. “If you were so in love how could you marry Lex?”

“I’d lost everything important to me… it didn‘t seem to matter who I was with if it wasn‘t you.” She knew nothing she said could explain the turmoil she’d endured or the choices she made. “If I had thought for one second that you were alive, that you‘d come back… everything would have been different.”

“But it isn’t different is it?”

“It could be” She said as she reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

“You’re married”

“By law I am but the all things that make a marriage a marriage have never been a part of our union. We sleep in separate rooms. We don’t share our meals. We’ve gone weeks at a time without seeing or talking to each other. He’s never been the one, it’s always been you. Only you.”

“Lana...” he weakly protested.

It was the first time she’d heard him say her name since his return and nothing had ever sounded better to her ears. Feeling that she was starting to break through the armor he’d built around himself she stepped even closer. Their bodies weren’t quite touching but so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.

“I need you.” she whispered, aching to feel his touch.

He looked down at her, into those mesmerizing hazel eyes, and he could see into her soul. The pain of the past, the regret of her choices, and the fear of losing him again were all there. But overwhelmingly he saw hope shining from within the depths and he realized that she still believed in him.

The realization broke his heart as he wondered how he could ever live up to her expectations. He had changed so much and he didn’t know if the man she loved still existed within him.

Without thinking he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. Tears stung his eyes and he sought comfort from the only one who could provide it to him. He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes shut tight. He wanted to say so much but found himself unable to trust his voice to say anything. Not letting his lack of words stop him from conveying his feelings his mouth claimed hers in a fierce kiss.

She returned his kiss, matching his untamed passion with her own. Her hands found their way into his thick dark hair and she tried to pull him down to her as she went up onto her tip toes. Wanting to be closer, needing to be closer to him she pressed her body against his.

Coming up for air their lips parted but their hearts continued to race. Looking into each other’s eyes all need for words disappeared. She took hold of the lapels of the coat that he hadn’t taken the time to remove and helped pull it off. Unburdened of his coat, she moved on to his shirt. Each button she undid revealed more of his perfectly formed torso. Her hands moved over the muscled expanse of his chest as her lips caressed his neck.

Clark’s hands slipped beneath her soft sweater and encountered her velvety smooth skin. Wanting to touch and taste every inch of it he tugged at the sweater she wore. Lana complied with his unspoken request by raising her arms, allowing it to come off with ease. His lips made a slow journey from her shoulder to her neck. His hands continued to explore, her soft sounds of pleasure guiding his actions. They started to move toward the bedroom, leaving a trail of discarded clothing in their wake.




Clark reclined on the bed with blissfully exhausted Lana draped across his chest. He was slowly running his fingers through her hair, marveling at it’s silky texture. She turned her head so her chin was now resting comfortably on his chest, allowing her to look up at him. There were questions in her eyes as well as the hesitancy to ask them.

“It‘s okay” he said with a solemn expression. “Ask me anything.”

“Where were you?”

“For the last three years I was at the Fortress of Solitude recuperating.” He’d told her about the fortress and they had planned on going there together before they got married, but they never got to make that trip. “The years before that I spent in a lab being experimented on like a guinea pig.”

“Lex” Waves of nausea hit her and tears filled her eyes as her worse fears were confirmed.

“He found out my secret and my weakness.”

“I never told him, I never told anyone.” she said in a quivering voice, needing him to know that she had always and would always protect his secret.

“I never thought you did.” he said gently wiping away her tears.

“I should have kept looking… I shouldn’t have given up… I‘m sorry.”

“Shh” he took her into his arms as she continued to cry. “It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault.” He held her whispering soft words to her trying to bring her some amount of comfort.

“Lets leave. We could disappear, just the two of us.”

He wanted to give her what she asked. Without her he wasn‘t a complete person, he couldn’t deny it anymore. But he also knew that he couldn’t leave things unfinished.

“You have no idea how good that sounds but it’s too late for me to walk away now.”

“Why? Lois has enough to put him away for life. We can do this, please.” She begged, wanting to get him away from this place so his soul could have time to heal.

“Lex is smart. Given enough time he’ll figure out who I am, especially if you turn up missing too. Even if they managed to catch him before he slipped away prison wouldn’t stop him from trying to reach us. And with him knowing how to stop me… if anything happened to you...” He’d been unable to protect those he loved once, he wasn’t about to let it happen again.

She knew he was right. But she feared what it would do to him if he carried out his plan of vengeance.

“I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t.” He promised kissing her tenderly.

[happycamper]

What a bittersweet update... :(

One can mourn for all the time that they had lost and the pain that each went through during their separation. But now they both are fully aware of the source of all their sorrow - Lex!

I loved that Clark could see the love and hope "shining from within the depths" of the previously bereft Lana's eyes, and his own realization that he wasn't complete without her.

But both he and Lana were so worried that completing Clark's revenge against Lex would change Clark and/or their love, and rightly so. Could Lana love a man who might still be capable of destroying the lab and everyone within it? (That is, it is more understandable for Clark to do so in the moment of escape than the possibility of doing something similar as a cold-blooded act after his recovery)

Very sad, yet there is still hope for a happy ending.

I'm truly enjoying this tale, and look anxiously forward to your next update!!


:D :D

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

gr8 update and what a wonderful story!

[that girl]

I'm sitting here reading this update while eating popcorn and it really feels like I'm watching a movie. Very impressive update, LetMeGo!! :D :D

While I am completely estatic that Lana finally got through to Clark, happycamper is right, this was a very bittersweet update. Lana doesn't know what the "new Clark" is really capable of (does Clark even know?) and it remains up in the air as to whether or not she will accept it and still love him. So, I'm still on pins and needles waiting to see how all this get resolved so you'd better update ASAP!!

I love this story. :D :D :D

[superman8s]

omg i have never ever read an update as good as this. I really felt like i was in the room with Lana and Clark! OMG! i felt like crying for tem how sad... To be able to capture a moment like this takes skills! if the next update is nearly as good as this take all the time in the world.

[maitriniazngurl]

Whoa! I'm Very, Very Impressed!

Your update was soo nice!! I love it... the whole feeling was there.. a bit sad but very nice. This story is sad... and lovely at the same time!!

Update soon, I can't wait for the next update!!

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everyone! :D I knew that last update would be a pivotal one. I’m glad it came across how I intended it to! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get this one together… I hope you enjoy it!
--------------------------------------------------

The sun was barely breaking the horizon but Clark was already awake and dressed. He sat beside the bed he’d shared with Lana the night before watching her sleep. She appeared angelic in the diffused light of the dawn. So peaceful. So beautiful.

Would she still love him when this day was over? Could she? If he could walk away with her he would in a second but Lex had to be dealt with. He was dangerous, especially now that we was on the brink of losing everything.

Clark had been reckless in his plotting to destroy Lex. Nothing else had mattered and now there were numerable people in the line of fire. It was true that most of them were far from innocent and probably deserved anything Lex dished out, but there were others that were blameless who were now in peril. In order to set things right Clark had to finish Lex off.

Possibly the worst part of it all was that he knew he’d enjoy it. What kind of monster was he? He wasn’t worthy of her love but he needed it desperately. He felt a tightness in his chest as he thought of not having her presence in his life. Regardless of what transpired today it may already be too late. Once she realized just how different he was now… he couldn’t imagine her wanting to stay with him.

He placed a note next to her on the bed, in a place she’d be sure to find it. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and she smiled in her sleep.

“I love you” he whispered gently caressing her face, wanting to hold her again. Resisting the urge to gather her in his arms, he stood up and walked to the doorway of the bedroom. He turned back, taking one last long look at her before he left.




Shortly after landing in Metropolis Lex received the news that his bank accounts had been frozen. And thanks to a well paid source he knew that Henry was being questioned by the FBI. A growing panic was settling in his stomach, none the less, he had returned to the penthouse to collect a few things. He knew his window of opportunity was closing, but he believed he still had enough influence in the city to warrant a stop at home.

He’d arrived to find Lana gone, much to his great annoyance. Not having the time to devote to tracking her down, he’d headed to his study. If she didn’t show up before he left he would send someone to get her later. Chances were she wouldn’t be cooperative but she wasn’t going to have a choice.

He set to his task and soon the drawers of his desk and the door of his wall safe were all wide open and papers were strewn across every surface. It looked like a room under siege. Shuffling through the draws of his desk Lex was trying to decide what he needed to take and what he could leave. In the bottom of the drawer he was currently searching he came across a long forgotten meteor rock.

He ran his fingers over the rough surface as memories filled his mind. He’d kept the rock as a reminder of how everyone has a weakness. A lesson that had been seemingly lost on him. Deciding to keep the memento he sat it on the desk next to the pistol he‘d placed within easy reach. Between being someone’s favorite target and the feds hot on his trail he wasn’t about to walk around without protection.

He was about to start on the next drawer when he heard someone enter the room. He looked up, his hand hovering over the gun.

“Kal?” he asked finally placing the newly shaven face, feeling that he was missing something. “What are you doing here?”



The first thing to break into her sleep clouded mind was the bright light of the rising sun filtering through the blinds. It was still early but the sun was at just the right angle to fill the room with an intense brightness. Instinctively she raised her arm to cover her eyes, trying fruitlessly to block the light.

The second thing she noticed was the texture of the soft cotton sheet against her completely bare skin. With that the previous night of love making came rushing back to her. She reached out for Clark only to find that he was gone. In his place was an envelope with her name neatly scrawled across it.

Lana sat up, pushing dark locks of her tousled hair out of her face and opened the note with great trepidation. She hoped it would say that he’d gone out to get something for breakfast and would be back soon but she knew better.

Lana,

I should tell you all of this in person but to watch you when you realize what I’ve become and see the disgust that will undoubtedly fill your eyes would be too painful for me to bear.

I’ve gone to finish what I’ve started. I’ve crossed lines that the young man you remember would have never crossed and the only way to set it right is to carry out my plan. No matter how badly I want to leave with you there is only way to guarantee the safety of the countless people my quest has endangered.

I know you’re worried that if I succeed with my intentions I’ll never be the same. Unfortunately it may already be too late… the things I’ve done… I’ve acted with total disregard for human life. My escape, my revenge were the only things that I lived for. But last night, holding you in my arms, everything changed.

I need you. A life without you is one I don’t want to think about and I’m afraid I’ve lost you because of what I must do. If by some miracle you still want me after all of this I’ll take you wherever you want to go. No matter what you choose know that I’ll always love you.

Clark

Lana could feel the anguish in his words and felt her own heartbreak as she read. He had changed but his inner core was still intact. Proven by his regret and determination to do what he felt he needed to do to fix the mess he’d created, whatever the cost.

No one was more worthy of a death sentence than Lex Luthor, she didn’t question that. Would it really change things for Clark to be the one to carry it out? Would it cause irreversible damage? And if it did could she just abandon him when he would need her the most?

Wrapped in the sheet she got out of bed and began to search the floor for her clothes.

[superman8s]

omg please say there is an update soon...i dont think i could live with a cliffie this big.. i had my doubts about this fic but you have proven that it is well worth reading...ppms

[happycamper]

There is a lot of anguish for all three in this triangle. Lex's world is collapsing around him, Clark reluctantly feels he has to complete what he started, and Lana is heartbroken by what is happening with/to her true love.

But I guess that it is still a happy update, because Lana seems willing to fight for the Clark she loves, the 'inner core' that is thus far still intact.

I guess what is most important now is how the confrontation between the former friends goes...


:D :D

[that girl]

I can't believe I almost missed this update. How did that happen?

It was awesome as always. I'm so glad Lana's gonna stick by him, Clark obviously needs her in order to remain sane. And I really need to know about what happens with Clark and Lex. Teh whole meteor rock thing is really freaking me out. Hopefully, Lana'll show up and save the day.

Update soon because that was one hell of a cliffhanger! :D

[Clarkfan3000]

wow. im lovin this story. i just found it and wanna say PPMS!!!

[superman8s]

i agree thatgirl it was ne who that was one hell of an update! please please update i am really really getting tired of these long periods of waiting...PPMS

[LetMeGo]

Welcome to the fic Clarkfan3000! I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long. Life’s been hectic lately and I haven’t had the time to devote to writing. :( I hate keeping you waiting. And I apologize for the cliffy at the end of this update. I hope you enjoy it.
-------------------------------------------------------------

“Hello Lex” Clark said with a smirk, ignoring Lex’s question. Even though he was conflicted over killing Lex the hatred that had kept him fighting for the past thirteen years was still alive and well inside of him.

“What are you doing here?” Lex asked again as his hand gripped the gun and his muscles tensed in anticipation of action.

“What do you think?” he asked his head cocking to the side looking at Lex like he was stupid.

Lex didn’t care for his condescending tone, no one ever talked to him like that. His flaring temper was manifesting it’s self on his face.

“I’ve come for retribution.”

Not waiting to see what that would entail, Lex raised the gun and fired off a shot. For moment he wondered if someone had put blanks in his gun because besides the sound of the gun nothing seemed to have happened.

“Nice try.” Clark flashed the arrogant smile that had become a trademark of his Kal persona and tossed the bullet he’d snared in his hand back to Lex.

Lex caught the now misshapen slug as the truth hit him like a bolt of lightening. Clark’s cleanly shaven face, though broader and more rugged than the youthful one he remembered, suddenly looked all too familiar. “Clark…”

“You sure do catch on quick, don’t you?”

“So you’ve appointed yourself judge and jury?” Lex was acutely aware of the meteor rock sitting on his desk. His laptop was blocking Clark’s view of it and he was careful not to draw attention to his only weapon. It would be useless if he saw the rock from where he now stood, he needed Clark to get close enough for it to have an affect on him.

“And executioner.”

“You don’t have it in you Clark. You’re mercy has always been your weakness.”

“Maybe if this had just been between me and you I would have let you live. But you went after everything I loved. Chloe, my parents… they need justice, they deserve it.”

“Don’t forget Lana.” he said trying to goad Clark into action. “I really don’t know what it was you saw in her. Of course you never did get a test ride did you? Waiting for your wedding night… how old fashioned of you. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything special.”

“You son of a…” he growled and super sped to Lex, grabbing him by his shirt. He was going to toss him out the window and let the world speculate if he’d taken the easy way out.

However, when he reached Lex he was instantly weakened. Clark’s face contorted in pain as he looked at Lex who was smiling widely. With all the effort he could muster he stumbled back in an attempt to get away from the kryptonite. Lex was on his feet and following him closely with the rock in his hand. Clark collapsed onto the floor in agony.

“Did you really think you could beat me?” Lex asked as he slowly circled Clark. “So much for your little plan of vengeance. You should have killed me months ago. You know what they say about hindsight…”

Lex placed the meteor rock on Clark’s chest, a smile still on his face. “If I had more time, perhaps I’d keep you around Clark. But I don’t have time or the resources required to attend to your special needs at the moment.” He said as he walked to a display rack with one of the many swords he had proudly collected.

Taking down a Japanese katana, a sword used by samurais during the Edo Period, he unsheathed it and turned back to Clark. He studied the blade, enjoying the pain emanating from the hapless Clark.

“It’s really a shame, you’re such a interesting subject.” He shook his head and raised the sword, ready to make a fatal blow.

“I’ll see you in hell” Clark hissed through his clenched teeth.

“By the way, you’re fired.” He said and began his downward swing.

“No!” Lana’s voice rang out and Lex lowered the weapon and turned to greet the unexpected arrival.

“Oh, Lana. Darling you’ve made it just in time.” He said as if she was walking into a tea party.

“Don’t. Lex, please...” She hadn’t known they’d be here. Much like Lex she’d come to collect what she would need before leaving.

“You’ve been scheming with him all along, haven’t you?” He asked in disgust. “Even after all these years you chose that… thing” he said gesturing behind himself, toward Clark, with the sword. “over your husband.”

“It wasn’t like that” she said, trying to stall him. Clark had managed to move enough to make the kryptonite topple off his chest to the floor. Lana kept from looking directly at him, concentrating on Lex so his attention wouldn’t be drawn back to Clark who was now trying to roll away from the chunk of kryptonite.

“You’ll be dealt with as soon as I take care of this business.”

“Lex…” she said in a pleading tone of voice and took a step toward him.

Giving her a resentful look he ignored her imploring stare and turned back to Clark. Lex laughed as Clark struggled to crawl away from the source of his pain. Watching him fight so hard was making it so much more enjoyable to Lex.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked clucking his tongue and shaking his head. “There is no escape for you this time.”

Just as the words left his lips Lana hit him like a linebacker, knocking him off balance but not quite knocking him over. With great difficulty he regained his footing then grabbed a hand full of Lana’s hair with his free hand, jerking her head back in a brutal manner causing her to cry out in pain.

She swung her arms wildly landing a few blows before he violently threw her to the floor. She looked up at him hate and anger filling her face. He glared back at her as he wiped away a trickle of blood coming from his mouth.

“You try that again and there will be no debating your fate.” he warned menacingly.

Lex picked up the meteor rock and glanced back at Lana. It infuriated him that she still loved Clark and that her loyalty was with him. His raged built as he looked down at Clark, who hadn’t been able to get very far in spite of Lana’s efforts. With a sudden furiousness he kicked Clark once, then again, and again. Each strike making him feel better.

Lana watched in horror as Lex attacked Clark. Knowing she had to stop him she looked around the room for a weapon. Immediately she dismissed the swords, it would take too much time to get one down and unsheathe it. Her eyes roamed the room and her best bet seemed to be the fire place poker, but then her eyes skimmed over his desk. A pistol. Her heart soared.

Instinct took over and she moved without thought. Lex was cursing Clark as he continued to assault him, his voice was an indistinct murmur as the sound of her pounding heart filled her ears. She made it to the desk unnoticed, in his fury all Lex saw was Clark.

Her hand wrapped around the pistol butt and everything took on a surreal blur, each second that ticked by felt like a minute. She pointed the gun at his back and squeezed the trigger.

[Clarkfan3000]

grrr. i just found it and you cant give me one update without a cliffie can you? anyway! i loved it! please update soon

[happycamper]

2nd :)

Originally posted by LetMeGo
... I apologize for the cliffy at the end of this update. I hope you enjoy it.
The update - yes, very much so. The cliffy - not so much. :lol:

Clark was following the villain script in this update - too much talk and gloating, and not enough action...:lol: Good thing Lana was there to save him!!

But what has Lana done? Has she really shot Lex? Although come to think of it, she deserves revenge on Lex almost as much as Clark does. But an action like that would likely change her...maybe too much?


:D :D

[that girl]

:eek: Wow. Looks like Clark wasn't the executioner after all. There's a shocker. But it's sortof a good thing, because maybe now Lana will be able to restore his soul back to its original condidtion.

PPMS! :D

[superman8s]

that was the best update ever.,,.,you are mean for leaving it like that... ppms

[that girl]

Update soon, you're killing me with this cliffhanger!

[Clarkfan3000]

PPMS!!!

[clark&lanafan06]

Please Update Soon !!!!!!!!!

[LetMeGo]

I feel really bad about leaving you all hanging for so long… I’m seriously in the depths of despair! :( Since I won’t have time this weekend to write I’ve stayed up and finished this update. So please forgive any spelling or any other kind of errors I might have made. ;) I hope you enjoy it… just one more update left after this one. Thanks everyone for reading!
--------------------------------------------------------------

The gun jumped in her hands with the accompaniment of loud bang. The unstoppable Lex Luthor fell to the floor mid-kick like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Seeing that she’d stopped him she dropped the gun making a dull thud when it hit the floor of Lex’s study.

“Clark” Lana said rushing to him.

He looked like he’d passed out. Terror gripped her as she knelt beside him on the ground. She found the kryptonite Lex had dropped when she shot him and threw it across the room. “Clark… Clark come on…” She ran her hands over his face hoping to wake him. His eyes fluttered opened and slowly focused on Lana.

“Clark” she breathed his name in relief and threw her arms around him as he started to sit up. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah” his voice was slightly hoarse but he held her tightly realizing how close he came to death. “Are you okay?” he asked looking at Lex’s body.

“I think so” she replied, her eyes following his gaze.

“I’m sorry” His need for revenge had almost cost them both their lives and now Lana had the burden of Lex’s death on her shoulders. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Don’t start that” she said stopping his apology. She didn’t want him to blame himself for what happened, he was dealing with enough guilt as it was. “It doesn’t matter now.”

Clark looked at her, feeling so inadequate. He was suppose to protect her and she was the one that saved him. In so many ways. “Thank you” He said, his eyes conveying so much more than words ever could.

They sat, eyes locked on each other for a moment. But the reality of the situation set in and Lana finally asked “What do we do now?”

Clark took a deep breath, here was his chance to protect her. “I’m going to go over every inch of this room and make sure there is nothing that ties you or myself to what happened” he said calmly “You are going to go wash and change your clothes and bring them to me in a bag. I hope you aren’t attached to anything you’re wearing because I’m going to destroy everything along with the gun.”

“What about the security cameras? They’re everywhere.”

“They’ve already been taken care of. Did anyone see you come up here?”

“No, I used the private elevator.”

“Good. We don’t have much time. I need you to take the meteor rock with you, I’ll find a lead container so I can get rid of it too.”

Lana nodded and was about to start on the tasks he’d given her but Clark stopped her from leaving. Her composed and unfaltering exterior was betrayed by her racing heart.

“It’s going to be okay” he said trying to reassure her with his embrace.



Lana returned to the study fifteen minutes later a shopping bag in one hand and the chunk of kryptonite in the other. She stopped in the doorway and held up the kryptonite and cocked her head to one side and shot Clark a questioning look.

“On the desk” he replied and waited until she closed the lid of small lead box before walking over to her.

“Thanks” he said, once again reaching out to her to offer comfort. He’d noticed her trembling hands from across the room and while it pained him that she was suffering, he knew her frayed nerves would work in their favor.

“So you’re going to get rid of everything?” she asked

“I’m thinking I’ll take care of this while you call the police and tell them that you found Lex dead.” His words sunk in and she looked up at him, trepidation clearly written in her eyes. “I know that doesn’t sound appealing, but if you disappeared you’d be a suspect. If we disposed of his body you‘d be under scrutiny from the FBI as they searched for him. After the past two assassination attempts this won’t be that unexpected.”

“Clark, did you…?” knowing that he was planning on killing Lex she supposed it didn’t matter if he’d been behind Lex’s close calls but her curiosity made her ask.

“I encouraged the situation but there was someone other than me out to get Lex.”

“I don’t know if I can do this”

“You can” he said firmly, she’d endured so much for so long there was no doubt she could handle anything life could throw at her. “but if you don’t want to we can disappear. It’s just that once we start running we‘ll never be able to stop.”

“I know you’re right, but…”

“We can still leave if it doesn‘t work out, I won‘t let anything happen to you.”

“Alright” she swallowed hard looked into his eyes finding strength there. Strength she needed. “I can do this.” she said, more for her own benefit than Clark’s.

He smiled encouragingly at her and softly kissed her on the forehead. He held her for a moment, lingering in spite of the press of time. He didn’t want to leave her to face the police alone, but he had no choice.

“Get a hotel tonight, no one will expect you to stay here. I’ll find you.” And then he was gone.




It had quite possibly been the longest day of Lana’s life. After Clark left she’d dialed nine-one-one and reported, in a hysterical voice, finding her husband shot. Minutes later the penthouse was full of police. And the questions began. She fielded them one by one, each answer kept simple so that she would be able to keep track of her story. The detective questioning her was sympathetic and seemed to buy everything she’d said.

Lois called when she‘d heard that something was up at the Luthor’s. She was downstairs and wasn’t being permitted to cross the police line. Lana could only imagine the hell she was raising down there and she almost smiled at her friend’s bravado. Getting off the phone she insisted that they let Lois up to be with her. Lois’ familiar face was a comfort as was her concern and support. When the police finally let her leave Lois helped sneak her out of the building to avoid the media.

They drove to the Avalon Hotel where Lois got a suite in a different name to give Lana some anonymity. Once in the room they sat down and talked. Lois swore she was there as a friend and not a reporter. When Lana told her she’d give her an exclusive ‘official’ interview later Lois tried to refuse but Lana wouldn’t take no for an answer.

She skirted the details, wanting to talk to Clark before she said too much to Lois. Uncharacteristically of Lois she didn’t push for information, truly being a supportive friend. Finally she left Lana to herself after making Lana promise to call her if she needed anything. She was grateful to Lois, but to finally be alone was nice, though what she really wanted was Clark.

She took a couple of aspirin to ease a building head ache and laid down, and much to her surprise, fell asleep. She awoke hours later to a darkened room. She walked through the rooms of her suite, drawn to the french doors that opened to a balcony. She went outside, the city lights stretched out before her, the crisp cool air was refreshing and helped clear her head.

“Where are you Clark?” she asked as she leaned against the railing, eyes searching the city.

“Right where I belong”

His voice startled her and she turned to see where it had come from. Expecting to find him standing behind her she was astonished to find him floating above the balcony. He landed softly as she watched in awe.

“I’ve picked up a few new skills” he explained as he wrapped his arms around her. “How are you doing?”

“Skills…?” There really was nothing this man couldn’t do. She shook it off, deciding there would be time for details later. “I’m good, all things considered. I’ve missed you though.”

“How did it go?”

“Surprisingly well. They didn’t seem eager to press me for details.”

“Lex has controlled the Metropolis PD for a while. They’re probably relieved to be free of him once and for all.”

“Lois came when she heard what happened. I told her I’d give her an interview.”

“I know, I talked to her.”

“So, what are we telling her?”

“She knows who I am, but not about my abilities. She’s planning on a series of articles detailing the rise and fall of Lex Luthor. And since you and I have been her sources, and the fact that she considers us both to be her friends, she has promised to protect us. I trust your judgment on what you want to tell her.”

“It is going to be okay, isn’t it?” standing there with his arms around her she actually believed it.

“It is” he answered, but something in his voice sounded off and she knew there was more than he had told her.

“What is it Clark? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Before I came back I made a promise to my Father” he said, not meeting her eyes “I have to go back to the Fortress and discuss some things with him.”

“Now?” She couldn’t handle him leaving again, not now. Not when she needed him most.

“I got a message from him” he said not sure how to explain the noise he’d heard earlier, the distinctive sound of the house of El. It was calling to him, urging him to return and he couldn’t ignore it.

“But I just got you back” she protested.

“I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

“Take me with you”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone and you have things you need to take care of here.”

By the look in his eyes she knew arguing would be useless. She clung to him wanting to instill in her mind the way it felt to be surrounded by his strong arms and the sound of his beating heart which she could hear as she leaned her head against his chest.

“I love you” he said hating himself for leaving her yet again.

Their lips met softly, each seeking refuge in the other. Finding the affirmation they sought their shared kiss turned more passionate. The idea of being apart fueling their need for each other. Finally parting, breathless and at a loss for words, Clark took a step back and launched himself into the night sky.

[happycamper]

I hope the despair is due solely to leaving us hanging...:\

Poor Lana - having to do what she did, and now without Clark for some indeterminate period. She is going to have to face the police, her guilt, and maybe even some grief all by herself. :( Fortunately, Lois seemed the good friend.

So what's up with Jor-El. Is he going to give Clark grief for his actions?

And only one more update? How are you going to bring everything to a - hopefully satisfactory - close?

Post when you can!


:D :D

[that girl]

I feel so awful for Lana here. :( She just killed her husband (something no one should ever go through, no matter who their husband is) and now the love of her life is leaving....again.

But I'm glad that Clark and Lois are being so supportive.

And once again you showed us in this update how well Clark has thought this all through. After Lex was dead he handled it all so calmly and knew exactly what he was doing. Very different from the Clark Kent we know from SV.

And Lex is dead!!!!! :D :D

Update soon!!!

:D

[superman8s]

wow
this is
a really good
story, poor poor, lana
she has gone through alot
i hope they get reunited and
get to have a little bit of fun lol
PPMS

[LetMeGo]

Sorry to keep you waiting. My despair is due to my inability to update on a regular basis. Some people close to me have been going through some heavy stuff lately and it’s made it hard to find time or be in the right mood to write.

To all of you who have taken time to read this fic I want to thank you for hanging in there through the somewhat disturbing subject matter and my long absences between updates. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. :)Thanks again! :D :D And now the conclusion of In Darkness…
---------------------------------------------------------------

Waiting. For Lana there was nothing worse. Each day that passed seemed to go by so slowly and they stretched out into weeks and then months. To all who saw her she was the true picture of a mourning widow, though only Lois knew it wasn’t Lex she mourned.

For the first two weeks she had a never ending line of people offering their condolences but once Lex’s darker dealings started to come out her so called friends stopped coming by. None of them wanted to be tied to the Luthor scandal. Which was fine with her, she had no interest in continuing to travel in the circles she’d been a part of for so long.

She and Lois continued to grow closer, both knowing that Chloe would have wanted it that way. When Lana finally gave Lois an account of what had happened in Lex’s study she’d kept it vague. With Clark having disappeared and Lana’s guilt filled eyes Lois deduced that Clark had killed Lex while trying to protect Lana. She had countless questions but for the first time in her life she decided that there were more important things than quenching her thirst for the truth.

Coming to terms with what had transpired that fateful day was a slow process for Lana and she wondered if she’d ever truly leave it behind her. In her heart Lana knew that if she hadn’t stopped Lex Clark would have died and she would have most likely been the next of Lex’s victims. She really hadn’t had a choice, and she clung to that fact even though it offered little comfort.

Getting a small, modest apartment was the first step at separating herself from her former life. Lana had donated what was left of the Luthor fortune when LexCorp fell apart to several charities, wanting no part of it. Finding a job posed a more daunting task since she felt she had no marketable skills.

However, one night while she was thinking about her life she realized that some of the most fulfilling moments of the past several years were spent organizing the Luthor Children’s Charity events. And it struck her that event planning was something she was really good at. In her excitement she went to work on her resume that night. She hoped that her name wouldn’t be a hindrance, that it might actually turn out to be a plus. After all she had all the right connections to be successful and maybe once she learned the ropes she could start her own business.

With her new goal Lana’s days were full and she managed to keep her thoughts of Clark’s departure and Lex‘s death at bay. The nights, however, were a different story. She would often dream that she’d gotten there too late, walking in on Lex splattered with Clark’s blood, a wickedly triumphant smile spread across his lips. She’d wake with a scream caught in her throat and a racing heart, aching for the comfort of Clark’s presence, finding nothing but an empty bed.

The city of Metropolis was enduring it‘s own struggle in the aftermath of Lex’s death. Very few of the city’s residents would venture out after dark for fear of their safety. The different criminal factions were fighting for control of the city while the police department was dealing with corruption within it’s own ranks. The crime rate soared and Metropolis was earning a reputation as the most dangerous city in the country. And so when Clark returned it was to a woman as well as a city that was in desperate need of a hero.

Lana came home one night to find him in her apartment, just as he’d found her in his months before. Upon seeing him she broke down and tears streamed down her face. She’d been strong for so long, finally having him there, holding her was enough to tip the scales she worked so hard to keep balanced. They didn’t talk much that night. Knowing there were many weighty issues ahead of them they chose to leave the past and future for tomorrow and savor being reunited. They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms neither willing to let go of the other, not even in their deepest slumber. And for the first time in a long time Lana slept in a peaceful dreamless state. Her nightmares kept away by the quiet strength of the man who laid next to her.

The next morning Clark brought Lana breakfast in bed, complete with a flowers. Absolutely thrilled at his thoughtful gesture she commented that he was full of surprises. He grinned at her and said that he intended to keep her on her toes. For the remainder of their breakfast they talked and joked playfully but things turned serious once they were done eating.

Clark asked her how the last months had been after expressing how badly he felt for leaving her to deal with everything alone. She recounted the funeral, the investigation, the distancing of herself from her society lifestyle, all the while keeping an upbeat tone to her voice. He listened to her and realized she was trying to paint a brighter picture for his benefit. She concluded her recap with her new found ambition in event planning and Clark was impressed with her ability to find something to get excited about in the ruins of her life.

He asked if she was doing okay with so much love and concern that took her a minute before she could speak to answer him. She’d felt unloved for so long it was overwhelming to have someone care that deeply for her. When she did answer she was honest, telling him that she’d had a difficult time coming to terms with what had happened. And when she said she was feeling a lot better about everything she was surprised that she really meant it.

Then it was Clark’s turn to answer Lana’s questions. He detailed his time in the Fortress and explained that time didn’t have much meaning while he was in training. He’d been honestly surprised that so much time had passed since he left, he hadn‘t known Jor-El had that much more to tell him. She asked him what his training was for and he hesitated before answering, feeling the weight of what was expected of him. He was to be the protector of earth and the people on it. That had been his father’s intention from the time he’d sent him here.

Sensing his apprehension at this new role he’d been assigned Lana asked him if it was something he didn’t want to do. He sighed heavily and replied that it wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to do it, he just didn’t feel worthy of being a symbol of truth and justice. He’d let his need for revenge drive him and he had done things that were anything but heroic. He admitted that part of the reason he’d agreed to do what his father asked was to somehow redeem himself, which in its self seemed selfish to him.

Finally he posed the question that had been plaguing him. Could he fight crime and injustice without letting his feelings skew his judgment? She told him that he had the strongest sense of right and wrong of anyone she’d ever known. When that seemed to do little to comfort him she went on to say that Jonathan and Martha Kent raised him to be a good and honest man and he’d always have them, their love and strength, to draw upon. And if all else failed she’d be there to keep him in check she added with a smile, trying to lighten things up.

In the next few weeks Clark started looking for work and was able to land a low level job at the Daily Planet. Like most of Metropolis the Planet had gone through some changes since Lex’s death. Feeling a new sense of freedom Perry White decided to do some restructuring of his writing staff. Lois was now a valuable senior staff member and there were several openings.

Lois was surprised at Clark’s new look. His off the rack suit, cleanly shaven face, and a new pair of glasses truly changed his demeanor. He looked like an average unassuming guy, not the cocky young executive he’d pulled off so seamlessly. He used his name and had a carefully prepared story if anyone connected him to the Clark Kent that went missing years ago. However no one put it together, as matter of fact Clark was barely noticed as he started his career in journalism.

The beginning of his other career garnered much more attention. Lois, with her disposition to get into sticky situations, was the first to benefit from his services. The helicopter that she was riding in malfunctioned as it took off from the helipad on top of the Daily Planet and she ended up dangling off the side of the building. A crowd of people as well as several news crews had gathered below as the drama unfolded. Thankfully Clark had gotten there just in time to catch her and the helicopter before both plummeted to the ground where the public watched spellbound.

Lois ended up christening the new hero Superman, a name Clark scoffed at but Lana assured him it was a perfect fit. It didn’t take long for the caped hero to make a serious dent in the city’s crime spree, sending countless criminals to jail. Soon the citizens of Metropolis felt safe to walk down the street again knowing that they had a friend watching over them.

After the first few hectic months of superhero acts Clark began to learn how to balance his time better. Lana also found herself learning to take time out as she built her reputation as the most wanted event planner in the city. Shaping their careers and a relationship was a new and occasionally challenging experience for both of them but they were enjoying the sense of normalcy it brought to their lives.

Helping others and fulfilling his destiny had a healing affect on Clark. The darkness that had consumed his soul lifted a little more with each passing day. On rare occasions Lana would catch Clark staring at nothing with a distant look on his face. When one of these moods hit him she would reach out to him, her touch enough to bring him back from the memories that lingered in the far reaches of his mind.

Their love for each other served as an anchor, keeping them from getting lost in the past. The future was theirs to make the most of and together that’s exactly what they did.

The End

[happycamper]

Everything did end well, despite how horrible things were in the beginning! :)

The events seem to have scarred both Lana and Clark, but you had them work their way through them, with each to support the other. I'm glad the healing wasn't an instant process, and it looks like it also allowed them to become a much more mature and wiser couple.

So Clark's return allowed him to save both Metropolis and Lois herself. One question, though - my reading of your final chapter indicated, as per the movie, that Lois doesn't recognize the actual identity of her savior...is that right?

Thanks for a wonderful story. Very few require the characters to change and grow the way this one did, and I really appreciate the way you resolved all the disasters that had been foisted unto Clark and Lana.


:D hc :D



BTW, don't worry too much about the spacing of updates. I certainly can't complain, as it took me almost four weeks to get my last update posted. ;)

[that girl]

It's over?? Sad. :( :( :(

But I can't complain about the way it ended. Finally, they've got some happiness in their lives.

I'm glad you mentioned that Lana was having trouble dealing with it all. Even if she did hate Lex (and who can blame her), she still killed someone and I can imagine that that's not an easy thing to get over. That's probably the most realistic part of the whole story. :lol:

Also, I loved the little shout out to Superman: The Movie when you mentioned that he saved Lois after she fell out of a helicopter and the bit about Clark not liking the name Superman made me laugh.

Thank you so much for writing this story, it was very good and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope to see another one from you soon.

:D :D :D

[Clarkfan3000]

wow. i loved it. not happt that i coudn t have been with this since the start but glad for the end. it was a great ending

[superman8s]

such a great fic! sorry if you got some crappy stuff in your life i hope it all goes well!

[LetMeGo]

Thanks everybody! I’m glad all of you were satisfied with the ending… I was a little worried about that. You are right hc, Lois didn’t recognize Clark, though I thought about going the other way with it.

I’m glad you liked the Superman: The Movie reference… that was something I debated doing as well.

I’ve got a couple ideas for new fics. Most likely I’ll do a sequel to my short fic Just Like Dad next. The other might take a while before I post anything.

Superman8s… thanks :) it’s hard to watch someone close to you suffer through things and not really be able to do anything. I’m pretty sure things will workout eventually. And I’m honored that you’re using one of my avatars! :D Thanks!

[kewl]

awesome fic! lana just did the right thing after what lex had done, he truly deserved that kind of fate.
definitely loved the clana! ;)

[buddy232]

Just caught up with this fic!

Awesome, thanks!