Flying High

[Cardinal]

Thanks to xDnellejOy808x for the basic idea of this fic. I changed it a bit, but not too much. ;)

Thanks, Nelle, you're the Sweetest! ;D



Chapter 1

Going Home

Wearing only a bra and panties, a woman stood sideways in front of the narrow, full-length mirror that was on the inside of her locker door and inspected herself. What she saw pleased her. Her legs still had good muscle tone; she knew that male passengers on her flights always seemed to enjoy watching them as she moved down the aisle. Eyes moving higher, she saw she still had the nice bubble butt that always made her boyfriend drool, and her abs were as taut as ever. As always, she was mildly disappointed by her small boobs, but no guy had ever complained about those, so she figured she’d live with them. All in all, I think I’m looking pretty good for twenty-six, she thought.

At 5’ 3” and 100 pounds, Lana Lang worked hard to maintain the figure she’d had since high school. Bland airline food and the seemingly interminable walking she did as a flight attendant helped with that. She’d just flown into Boston earlier in the day from Detroit and was due to finish her workday on a red-eye flight from Boston to Metropolis in a little more than thirty minutes. She’d spent the last hour here in the employees’ lounge relaxing and reading a few more chapters in her latest paperback book before coming into the locker room to freshen up with a quick shower before the flight.

Home, Lana thought, as she pulled on her blouse and the tie that went with it, it’ll be good to get home and see Jason. In minutes, she was smartly dressed in her red and blue uniform and began pulling her long, glossy brown hair into a sleek bun at the nape of her neck. Once done with her hair, Lana carefully applied her makeup before leaving the locker room to look for the flight attendants she’d be working with on this flight. Not only did she find them, but also the two pilots who’d be taking them to Metropolis.

“Well, well, well,” boomed one male voice as the other one wolf whistled. “If it isn’t the luscious Lana Lang.”

Lana rolled her eyes. “Keep it in your pants, Bob, or else I’ll have to tell Kathleen about you,” she said, as a smile spread across her face. She knew both Bob and Ted were harmless; each was hopelessly devoted to his wife, which was just the way she thought it should be.

Bob nudged his co-pilot in the ribs and whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Didja hear her, Ted? She’s not just gorgeous, she’s mean, too…makes me hot just thinking about it.”

Ted tried to fan himself with one hand. “You know it, Bob. All she’s missing is a chrome-studded black leather outfit.”

“Jeez, you guys, share the love.” Lana nodded toward two of her crewmates. “Tease Renee or Nelle once in a while.”

“Nah,” Bob replied. “Renee blushes too easily, and Nelle might actually make us put up or shut up.” The crew list for the flight was rounded out with two other flight attendants named Emma and Louise.

As the seven-person crew headed for the door leading to the airport’s concourse, Lana collected her garment bag and carry-on bag, extended the bag’s handle, set the rollers on the tiled floor, and pulled her bag along as she followed Bob and Ted to their plane to begin their pre-flight preparations.

Once onboard, the pilots headed to the cockpit for their pre-flight checks, while the women checked to make sure that the food and other supplies were in place. Lana was scheduled to work first-class on this flight. While the first-class flight attendants always had fewer passengers to deal with, the ones they did have tended to be much more exacting. She knew that people who paid those kinds of prices demanded that kind of service, and tonight it was going to be her job to see that they got it.

Soon, Lana and Nelle were standing near the plane’s doorway as they began welcoming the first-class passengers onboard. Lana’s last check before the first passenger arrived was to make sure her golden engagement ring was securely in place on the ring finger of her left hand.

It appeared that the lateness of the hour had kept the number of first-class passengers down to a trickle, which quickly slowed and then stopped. The airline was about to begin boarding the rest of the passengers when one final first-class passenger strode down the jetway. From a distance and with one hurried glance, all she could tell was that he was dressed very casually and looked to be huge. Of course, everyone looks huge to me, Lana thought dryly.

When he got closer, Lana could see that his royal blue t-shirt was so tight that his upper body seemed to be poured into it. Not only was his chest thick with muscle, but it appeared to be completely ripped. His chiseled arms bulged out of the t-shirt’s sleeves, the close fit of the t-shirt showed off massive pectoral muscles, and with the t-shirt being tucked into his jeans, it made it easy to discern the impressive v-taper from his shoulders to his waist. Lana managed to tear her eyes away from his upper body with great difficulty, only to look straight into his eyes as he drew close.

Her normal warm greeting was forgotten as she stared, shell-shocked to be feeling such an immediate and intense attraction to a man she knew nothing about besides his looks. She’d always hated it when guys were attracted to her just because they thought she was pretty, and now here she was doing the same exact thing. And as she tried to get a handle on her unusual infatuation, he smiled at her as he walked past, and the infatuation seized control once more. Damn it! Lana thought. It ought to be illegal to have a smile like that. Especially when paired with those eyes of his.

Clark felt the attraction, too. His mouth had flopped open when he first saw her standing at the plane’s doorway. He’d looked the petite flight attendant over, finding it hard to believe that he was ogling a woman he didn’t even know. When their eyes locked, Clark felt like he’d been punched in his solar plexus. Breathing was suddenly difficult, and it was all he could do to manage a smile as he walked past her and into the plane.

Once he could no longer see the stunningly gorgeous flight attendant, Clark made his way to the seat his ticket said was waiting for him in row 20, seat A. He was blinking his eyes the whole way.

Lana took a moment to gather her composure, while sternly reminding herself that she already had a boyfriend, when Nelle nudged her with an elbow and whispered, “Look at that ass!”

Lana really didn’t want to look, not consciously anyway, but found she couldn’t help herself; she immediately wished she hadn’t. The man’s jeans clung to his butt just enough to give her a pretty good idea of what was hiding underneath, and as he walked down the aisle, his glutes flexed with each stride. Lana could almost see the muscle mass. Jeez! Does that guy live in a gym? she wondered. Any guy that pretty, who looks that buff, has got to be a narcissist. Lana didn’t know if she really believed that or was just trying to convince herself, but if it helped keep her eyes and her mind on her job, then she didn’t really need to know which was the truth.

Clark’s seat was in the last row of first-class. He’d chosen that row specifically so that no one would be behind him to jab the back of his seat with a foot. This was the third and last flight of a very long day, and he fully intended to sleep.

Once all the passengers were onboard, Lana and Nelle made sure their passengers were securely belted in and then participated in the required safety announcements before strapping themselves in for takeoff. The plane reached cruising altitude before the flight attendants unstrapped and set to work taking care of the few first-class passengers.

Lana made it back to Clark’s seat to ask him if there was anything she could get for him. She hoped her initial attraction to him was just a fluke, but no such luck. Crap. That’s just fantastic. I would get the hot guy in my section. Lana unconsciously adjusted the ring on her finger, more to reinforce her dedication to Jason than anything else.

Clark had been admiring the slender goddess once again, this time taking in what little he could make out of her figure. He’d been wondering how to get her phone number when he saw the ring. Shoot! Engaged. I shoulda known. Women like that are almost always taken. As much as Clark was entranced by the flight attendant’s beauty and grace, an engagement ring was a line he would not cross. He’d always figured that an engagement ring was a woman’s way of announcing she’d made her choice of which man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with; as a gentleman, he believed it was his duty to respect that choice.

Lana had seen the man’s green eyes as she fidgeted with her ring. She’d noticed them go from bright and lively to hooded and remote in an instant. “Hi, my name is Lana; I’ll be your flight attendant tonight.”

“Hi, I’m Clark.”

“Is there anything I can get you this evening?”

Clark shook his head no, but just as Lana began to turn back toward the front, he said, “Actually, there is one thing, Lana. I’d like a pillow and a blanket, please.” Clark rolled the sound of her name over in his mind, savoring it like the taste of a fine wine. He then berated himself mentally for having thoughts like that. She’s off limits, Dumbass!

Oblivious to what Clark was thinking, Lana smiled and said, “Sure thing. Coming right up.”

Lana and Nelle worked quickly to pass out the various comforts requested by their passengers, and as they did, Nelle pouted, saying, “I can’t believe your luck.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t act so clueless, Lana. You know exactly what I mean…or more exactly, who I mean.”

Lana did know what and who Nelle meant, but she was determined to not talk about the hunk sitting in the last row. It was bad enough that he had captured her interest so easily; talking about him would only make it worse. So Lana settled for flashing her ring in Nelle’s face.

“Oh, don’t give me that,” Nelle said dismissively. “You know that ring is just to ward off the losers. I bet Jason hasn’t even thought about marriage yet…and 20A is sooooo fine.”

Lana gave Nelle a look that told her to back off. The subject of Jason and marriage was a touchy one for her, and hearing one of her co-workers words echo her own secret fears was something she couldn’t take right now.

“Okay, okay, I’m shutting up, but if you won’t chat him up during dead time, then I will.”

First-class was mostly empty; no one was sitting within three rows of the man in row 20, seat A, and Lana knew from the look on Nelle’s face that she had far more in mind than just ‘chatting him up.’ Lana rolled her eyes, as she knew the only way to defend her passenger from her co-worker might be to talk to him herself.

When Lana made it back to Clark with a thick blanket and a fluffy pillow, both of which were hypo-allergenic, she saw that he had fully reclined his seat. She waited for him to lean forward slightly before working the pillow into position, and then unfolded the blanket, spreading it from his chest to his ankles. It was only then that she saw his bare feet. Looking on the floor, she spotted a pair of blue flip-flops that looked comfy, but were somewhat out of place in first-class. While she tugged the blanket down over Clark’s feet, Lana nodded at his footwear, and said, “Nice shoes.”

“Thanks.” Clark eyed Lana briefly. “Personally, I like your uniform better.”

Laughing, she asked, “Why?”

Clark shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I just have a thing for red and blue uniforms.” Lana wasn’t quite sure if he was being serious or not, but he was grinning slightly, as if he’d just heard a private joke.

Lana stood up straight, and continued the conversation. “Where’d you come from that you needed flip-flops?”

“Vacation,” Clark replied. “There I was on a remote beach in the Maldives, blissfully unaware of anything going on in the outside world, when somehow my boss tracked me down with a frigging phone call.”

“The beach part sounds great,” Lana said. “The boss part…not so much. What did she want?”

“She? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind women bosses at all, but in this case, it’s definitely a he.” Though Lois does think she’s also my boss.

“Why’d he call you? Were you late coming back or something?”

“Or something.” Clark looked at Lana to see if she seemed to be really interested or was just humoring him. Satisfied with what he saw, Clark went on. “Actually, he wanted to call me back from my vacation early. First he tried ordering me, and when I refused, he turned to begging. I was so stunned to hear that crusty old man beg, that I agreed just to make him stop.”

Lana gave Clark a knowing smile. “I’ll bet he did that on purpose.”

Clark’s answering smile was rueful, as was his reply. “I don’t doubt it a bit. Perry White would sell the soul of every last member of his family if he thought it would get him a big enough story.”

“Not his own soul?”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure he’s already sold that five or six different times.”

Pleased with Lana’s pleasant company, and not anxious for her to leave, Clark looked around the quiet cabin, and then said, “If you’d like to, Lana, and if you’re allowed to, you could sit here in the aisle seat and we could talk.” So much for my plans for sleeping.

Lana hesitated. She hadn’t sensed any flirtation from Clark and found she wanted to continue the conversation, both to protect him from Nelle’s probable advances, and because she genuinely liked talking to him. Still, she had a few more duties to attend to first, so she’d have to come back in roughly twenty minutes, when experience told her the rest of the first-class passengers would be asleep. If Clark was still awake then, she’d see if he still wanted her company.

Clark misinterpreted Lana’s hesitation, some of it anyway, and leapt to assure her of his intentions. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you think the wrong things about me, Lana. I’ve noticed your engagement ring,” the fingers of Lana’s right hand reflexively began caressing the ring, “and believe me, I totally respect what that ring stands for, so you don’t have to worry about me hitting on you.”

Lana swept a stray strand of hair behind an ear. “That’s nice to hear. A lot of guys see an engagement ring and just take it as a challenge. I hate that.” She smiled briefly. “Let me take care of some work and I’ll come back. If you’re not sleeping by then, we can continue talking. Okay?”

“That sounds nice. See you then.”

[Nemu]

:D
YAY!! It's HERE!!!

That will make for an easier read ;)

Nice start Card!!

PPMS!!!

[kentfamily]

Hey, it caught my attention. Please update.;)

[NYC300Z]

Nice start

ppms!

[shortcircuit85]

Yeah! Another Cardinal Story. Great start. Can't wait for more.

Thanks,

[clana_never_give_up]

Another Cardinal Story. YAY!!! :D

The beginning was really good.

I like their first encounter, looks like they are going to have a nice long talk.

I hope Perry White has Clark go on more flights so they can send ore time together, :D

[redraven]

I'm loving it so far, Cardinal.

And I wonder how long Clark will last with out hitting on Lana in some way. ;)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 2

Conversation

Just as Lana thought, the first-class passengers were eager for some shuteye, and it wasn’t too much longer before she was looking to see if Clark had managed to stay awake. When he saw her halfway down the aisle and looking straight at him, he reached up and turned his overhead reading light on to let her know he was still awake. Lana’s answering smile was all he needed to see, so he flicked the light off and sank back into his seat as he was enveloped by the onrushing darkness.

Lana sat down and reclined her seat until it was level with Clark’s. “Oooh, that’s nice!”

“What is?” Clark asked.

“I don’t get to sit in these seats very often,” Lana replied. “It’s easy to forget just how comfortable the first-class seats are.”

“Are you going to be okay back here?”

“Oh sure, Nelle’s keeping watch to see if anyone asks for anything. She’ll be quick to let me know if I’m needed.”

“Cool.”

Pressing the palms of her hands down her thighs, Lana said, “So, what were we talking about?”

“I think it was my soulless boss.”

“Ah yes. The man who took you away from a sunny beach in the Maldives. Where are those islands anyway? As a flight attendant, I’ve been just about everywhere, but I’ve never been there.”

“Mmm…I’d say they’re a couple hundred miles south of India. I flew from the Maldives to Bombay yesterday and got some sleep in a hotel before flying from Bombay to London to Boston and now to Metropolis.” Lana let out a low whistle. “Despite your company, Lana, I can’t wait to get home.”

“And here I thought I was a frequent flier,” Lana said. “You said your boss wanted a story, so I guess that makes you some kind of reporter?”

“Yeah. I write for the Daily Planet. My writing partner is already out in Las Vegas covering that end of the story, and Perry wants me here to handle this end.”

“What’s the big story about? Or can you tell me?”

“Mmm…I can tell you a little, just not specific names in case the story doesn’t pan out. I definitely don’t want to slander the guy.”

“Okay, your scruples are noted.” Lana sat there expectantly as Clark considered how to give a thumbnail sketch of what Perry had told him.

“Basically, a high-priced call girl in Las Vegas was murdered a couple of days ago. At first, it didn’t look like anything special, just another murder. But then, the LVPD discovered who the last person seen alive with the hooker was and positively IDed him as a prominent politician from Metropolis…and that made it a big deal for the Planet. So, Lois got sent to Las Vegas because she was in Kansas, while I’ll be covering the politician once he returns home.”

“Lois? Lois Lane?”

“Uh huh.”

“But then, that would make you…Clark Kent?”

“The very same.”

“Oh,” Lana said, “I’m sorry I didn’t make the connection earlier, Mr. Kent.”

“The name’s still Clark, not Mr. Kent, and I’m glad you didn’t make the connection earlier. Too many people act differently when they learn what I do.”

“It’s just that my boyfriend and I are both avid readers of your and Miss Lane’s work. He says if you want to know what’s really going on in Metropolis, then reading any article written by either of you two is a must.”

Clark flushed red with both embarrassment and pleasure. It was good for him that the cabin’s darkness made all colors look like shades of gray.

“Thanks, Lana. It’s good to be appreciated.” Clark shifted slightly under the blanket, twisting his body toward her. “But enough about me; I want to learn something about you.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for instance, how’d you decide to become a flight attendant?”

“Oh, that.” Lana’s eyes looked to the ceiling as she thought back to her childhood in Granville. “I grew up in a small town in Kansas, never going farther than occasional visits to Metropolis, but I wanted to see the world and experience all it had to offer. So after I graduated from high school, I applied for a job as a flight attendant, went through the training, and have been flying ever since.”

“Cool.” She’s a small town Kansan. Something we have in common. Clark paused a moment and then asked, “What are some of the best places you’ve been to and the best sites you’ve seen?”

“I’ve seen Ayres Rock in Australia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Blue City of Jodhpur, the Red Fort of Agra, and the Taj Mahal in India…” Clark could tell from the tone of Lana’s voice that she was waxing rhapsodic. “…I’ve seen many major cities, been on every continent but Antarctica, and seen more wonders than I could’ve possibly imagined.”

Clark could sense a ‘but’ coming. “But?”

“But…exactly.” Lana drummed the fingers of one hand on her thigh. “But it’s about time for me to come home and develop some roots. As much as I’ve experienced in the last eight years, I realize now that the greatest wonders had always been right under my nose. Waving fields of corn and wheat, calves and lambs being born, children and families growing together, as much as crops and animals. You see…the objects of stone and steel will always be there, with each day much like the last, but with living beings, each moment is a unique experience, never to be recaptured.” Lana stopped and thought about what she’d just shared with a complete stranger. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to babble on like that.”

“No need to apologize,” Clark said. “I said I wanted to learn something about you and I did. Knowing what you want out of life isn’t such a bad thing. Especially when you’re still young enough to pursue it.”

“Thanks,” Lana said, relieved that she hadn’t scared Clark with her unexpected mini-speech.

“So, since it sounds like your flight attendant career is about to come to a close, what’s next?”

Lana didn’t know why she felt so comfortable talking to this guy she’d only just met, but she felt like she could tell him anything. “Hmm…I’ve been saving money ever since I became a flight attendant. I may end up going back to school and getting my degree.”

“Sounds good to me, but you said ‘might.’ Why might you not go back to school?”

“My boyfriend’s not so hot on that idea.”

“Why not?”

“His family’s got plenty of money and he seems to be offended by the idea of his wife wanting to work.”

“Humph, I’d think he’d be happy to know he was involved with a woman who wasn’t trying to sponge off of him.” Lana didn’t say anything to that, just raised a single eyebrow. Clark sensed it more than he saw it, but his reply didn’t back off an inch. “Come on, I’ll bet you’ve seen it as much as I have. Successful women, and men, who have no intention of working once they’ve married into real money.”

Lana reluctantly conceded the point. “Yeah, I have seen it. One of the women I’ve worked with here did just that. But I think men would do it just as often as women, if more women had that kind of money.”

“I agree,” Clark said, which surprised Lana. “But only if women were as likely as men to go after trophy mates, and that’s not something I think likely. Not yet anyway.”

Lana knew she couldn’t afford to get too comfortable in her seat, or else she’d run the risk of falling asleep. And the best antidote for sleep was talking, keeping her mind fully engaged, and that was something at which Clark was very good.

“You seem to be very comfortable with flying,” Lana said, then asked, “Do you fly a lot?”

“All the time,” Clark said, and then added, without thinking about it, “though I’m not used to commercial.”

“Not used to…? But what else is there? Do you fly charter all the time? Or do you have your own plane?”

Oh crap! Clark thought. Tongue, tongue, keep control of the tongue! “I’ll admit to a lot of solo flights over the years.”

“Do you take people up?” Lana asked excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to fly like that, where the plane almost doesn’t seem to be there, and it’s just you and the sky.”

Clark hadn’t had such a romantic view of flying in a very long time. Flying was just something he did to make his job easier. And he wasn’t referring to his reporting job.

“Sorry, Lana, I don’t take anyone else up unless it’s a genuine emergency. Flying with me is the safest thing you can do, but it tends to scare the, uh, crud out of people.”

Lana looked slightly disappointed, but Clark wasn’t sure. The only light in the plane’s cabin came from the moon and stars outside, and he wasn’t very familiar with her expressions. Maybe someday, Lana, he thought, but not as long as you wear that ring. Not as long as you belong to another man. And thinking of which…

“How long have you been engaged?”

Lana hesitated. Her ring was her armor, it protected her from having to deal with assorted would-be Casanovas, but somehow, she didn’t want to lie to this guy.

“Well…”

Just then Nelle signaled to Lana from the front of the cabin. All she did was turn the light at their workstation off and then back on quickly a couple of times, but in the darkened cabin, that was enough.

“Sorry, Clark, duty calls. I’ll be back if I can.” With that, Lana moved her seat back to upright and slid out of it. Clark couldn’t help but watch Lana’s skirt-clad behind as she eased into the aisle, once again proving to him that he was just a regular guy, in most respects.

It turned out that Nelle had been busy with a customer request that required her full attention when another one buzzed, looking for an extra blanket. Lana had the extra blanket out and tucked around the elderly lady who’d asked for it in no time. Before she headed back, she checked in with Nelle to see if anything else needed doing.

“Nope,” Nelle replied. “I’ve got it, but thanks for asking.”

“Thank you for covering for me.”

“Of course. Now, spill.”

Lana’s look of ‘What?’ was overpowered by Nelle’s look of ‘Duh!’

“It's nothing. He’s sweet and he saw the ring before I showed it to him, so he hasn’t even tried to hit on me.”

“Is he gay or something?”

“Maybe, maybe not, but right now I’m just treating him as a gentleman who’s respecting me. That’s nice, and it doesn’t happen too often.”

“You’re right about that.” Nelle shooed Lana back to her seat with Clark. “Go back to tall, dark, and handsome and squeeze him once for me.”

Lana rolled her eyes but said nothing as she headed back toward Clark.

Nelle was still at her workstation when Lana returned, and the diamond in her ring caught enough of the dim light from the workstation to sparkle. Clark’s regular vision was sharp enough to catch the faintest of rainbow refraction, and he focused some of his special visual abilities on the stone out of curiosity. He just wanted to know if there was anything else he could see that others couldn’t. At this range, he was able to use his infrared vision, both kinds of x-ray vision, and once she sat down, he was even able to use his microscopic vision.

Infrared didn’t show him anything special, but one type of x-ray vision showed that the band wasn’t solid gold, instead it was just gold plated. To top that off, his microscopic vision showed him something more, or less, depending on your perspective. It appeared that the diamond…wasn’t a diamond after all, it looked like it was just a cubic zirconia.

Wanting to make sure, Clark asked, “Can I take a look at your ring?”

Surprised by the request, Lana lifted her left hand nonetheless as Clark reached up and turned on the reading light once again. He lowered his hand from the switch to raise her fingers to his face, but when their hands touched, it was as if they completed a circuit. They both felt a surge of heat and looked down as their hands leapt apart.

“What was that?” Lana breathed. Just touching him was…wow.

“You felt it too?” Clark asked, before finishing weakly, “Uh…must’ve been static buildup.” Oh jeez! I haven’t reacted like that to a woman’s touch since high school.

“Yeah, that must’ve been it.”

Cautiously Lana raised her hand one more time. Clark gingerly clasped it, this time feeling nothing more than warmth and a smooth softness as he raised her hand close to his face. Looking at the stone once more, Clark returned to his microscopic vision. Yup, definitely CZ. I hope her fiancée didn’t buy her that. Any woman deserves more than that, and this woman more than most. But I can’t tell her, or can I? She’s admitted her guy has lots of money, so buying a decent ring shouldn’t be a problem for him…in fact, a rich guy oughta have bought her a huge rock. They almost make a game of it: who can buy the most obscene diamond?

I wonder if she bought the ring herself.

All of those thoughts raced through Clark’s mind, one after another, before he released Lana’s hand only moments after touching it.

“It’s…nice,” was all he could manage to say. Somehow, he found himself unable to mouth the obligatory niceties that are usually expected by a woman who’s engaged.

She heard the word ‘nice,’ but what she felt was that he somehow knew the ring wasn’t right.

“You asked me earlier how long I’ve been engaged,” Lana said. “Truth is, I’m not…not yet anyway. Jason and I have been seeing each other for a little more than a year now, but the ring is just something cheap I bought to fend off the guys who’ll try to hit on any woman. Thank you for respecting it…and for respecting me.”

“No problem,” Clark replied. “And I hope when he does propose, he gives you a ring that’s worthy of you, and of what you two mean to each other.”

Next thing, Lana learned that Clark was from Smallville and she told him that her ‘small town in Kansas’ was Granville. Knowing they had gone to rival schools and learning they had graduated in the same year had led to them exchanging memories of small town lives lived only miles apart.

The last story, before Lana went back to work for good, was how Clark had helped stack a trio of pickups, one on top of the other, in the middle of the Granville parking lot during Lana’s senior prom. When she asked how they’d done it, Clark refused to say, claiming it was a trade secret.

The plane finally pulled up to the terminal at Metropolis International Airport and the first-class passengers were the first to disembark. Clark was the last of those. He shuffled down the aisle, flip-flops as secured on his feet as possible, carry-on in one hand. Nelle gave him an admiring look, but he had eyes only for Lana. He knew she was taken, but that couldn’t stop him from wanting, only from doing.

All he said was, “Thanks for your company, Lana. You made the last flight of a long day the best flight.”

“I wish more of my passengers were like you, Clark,” was Lana’s reply.

Both women looked at him as he made his way down the jetway and into the terminal. Nelle’s look was once again admiring, while Lana’s was wistful.

“Tell me that’s not the finest man you’ve ever laid eyes upon,” Nelle said.

Nelle was talking about his looks, but Lana was thinking about the man she’d become friends with over the course of a flight. She bit her lip with worry as she realized that while she didn’t know him well enough to say Nelle was right, she definitely didn’t know him well enough to say she was wrong.

It didn’t occur to Clark, until he was almost home, that Lana had mentioned her boyfriend’s name.

Jason…and he’s loaded…a rich guy named Jason…in Metropolis. How many of those could there be? God, I hope it’s not Kansas State Representative Jason Teague, ‘cause I don’t want to be investigating her boyfriend.

[NYC300Z]

Keep 'em coming. Can't wait to see how Clark and Lana bump into each other next!

[maitriniazngurl]

omg this story is great! I can't wait for more!

[clana_never_give_up]

Thats insane. :eek:

Clark is going to be investigating Lana's bf. That means they will definitely be seeing more of each other :D

[redraven]

Ooooh interesting. The finest man alive is going to be investigating Lana's boyfriend. :D Can't wait to see where that goes.

[The Black Cat]

I love it so far. PPMS!

[Nemu]

Well if Clark is to investigate Jason... he needs to find a way to tell Lana...

Especially if he has proof of any wrong doing...

even if he doesn't have he needs to tell her himself before she learns from someone else... because then she will think that he only got close to her for his job... (and I know somehow they will get closer)

PPMS!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 3

Preparation

With the passengers gone and their final duties complete, Lana and her crewmates left the plane and headed for the parking lot. Most of them had cars in long-term parking, but they all knew Lana would be picked up by a chauffeured limousine.

As the five flight attendants and two pilots began the long walk through the terminal, Nelle started in on Lana, teasing her about flirting with the green-eyed hunk and keeping him all to herself.

“What?” Bob asked. He didn’t really believe it, but wasn’t about to pass up a chance to tease Lana.

“I don’t believe it,” Ted said, faking shock at the very thought that Lana could ever do such a thing.

“Thank you for your support, Ted,” Lana said drolly, “no matter how insincere it is.”

“What did he look like, Nelle?” Renee asked.

“Oh yes, Nelle,” Emma chimed in, “we’ve got to hear about this guy. Anyone that can turn Lana’s head must be something.”

“He did not turn my head,” Lana insisted. “Though he was awfully cute.”

“Cute?” Nelle chortled. “You were drooling as much as I was, and it wasn’t me that spent all night cozied up with him.”

“Only to defend him from you, Nelle.”

“Only?” Nelle asked.

“Well…not only, but mostly, and I’ll have you know he was a perfect gentleman. Clark and I had a lovely conversation, and he never hit on me once.” Shooting a withering gaze at Ted, whose mouth had just opened, Lana added, “And I didn’t hit on him either.”

“Rats,” Renee said. “Forget the description, Nelle. If he didn’t hit on Lana, he must be gay, blind, or very devoted to someone at home.”

Lana turned on her friends, “What is it with you people? Why is being gay at the top of the list for any guy who doesn’t try to get under my skirt?” Renee’s last idea was one Lana hadn’t thought about until now. Just because he hadn’t been wearing a ring doesn’t mean he doesn’t have someone of his own at home. Lana fought off an irrational flash of jealousy. “Anyway, Renee, to answer your first question, Clark is at least 6’ 3”, maybe 6’ 4”, and he’s gotta weigh at least 225 pounds. He has thick, wavy, coal black hair, jade green eyes, a facial structure that would make Michelangelo jealous, and an easy smile that ought to be an illegal weapon in all fifty states. And that’s before we get to his body.”

“Oh, don’t let me stop you there,” Renee breathed. “Go on.”

“He’s thickly muscled, with the most exquisitely chiseled arms I’ve ever seen. He’s massively wide across the shoulders, but his torso narrows to a slim waist, giving him a classic v-taper.” Just when they thought Lana was through with her description, she added, “Oh, and did I mention his butt is so tight that you can bounce a quarter on it?”

By this time, Renee was openly lusting for a man she’d never met, while the other two women were eyeing Nelle for confirmation. They figured Lana’d been laying it on a bit thick, but when Nelle said that Lana was basically correct, Emma burst out with a laugh, and said, “Maybe we were accusing the wrong person of being gay. How’d you let a guy like that slip through your fingers, Lana? A perfect gentleman who looks like a Greek god? At the very least you could’ve tried to corrupt the gentleman and shack up with him for a night of mindless sex before returning to your boring politician.”

“Jeez, Emma, my ring may not be a engagement ring, but I’m committed to Jason anyway. Clark could’ve been Casanova and Don Juan all rolled into one, and it wouldn’t have mattered.” Besides, I don’t do mindless sex.

When the seven co-workers made it to the main concourse, Lana pulled out her cell phone to alert the limo driver that she was almost at the front door. She knew that with his precision, he’d be pulling to a stop a few seconds before she stepped outside.

She was minutes away from the airport before she thought to tell the driver to take her to her small apartment, which wasn’t too far away. As much as she wanted to see Jason again, she figured he was catching some sleep which was something she needed too. And for that, her apartment was much closer. A warm reunion can wait until tomorrow. But when she told that to the driver, he surprised her by saying that though Jason had come home hours earlier, he had waited up to see her.

“Jason waited up? Really?” Lana asked, both surprised and thoroughly delighted. Then came a quick, affirming nod from the driver. “All right, take me to Teague House then, please, James.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

As promised, Jason was still up when Lana walked into his office at three a.m. He was sitting in a high-backed black leather executive swivel chair behind a sleek, modern minimalist desk made of glass and steel, with his head down as he made his way through a pile of paperwork.

Lana stopped just inside the doorway and admired his close-cropped light brown hair. It looked like it had begun to bleach somewhat during his recent business trip in the Southwest. The legislative session of the Kansas House had just recently ended for the year, which let Lana look forward to having her man in Metropolis more often instead of being squirreled away in Topeka.

“Miss me?” she asked, wanting to see his reaction to her voice.

Jason looked up. He was surprised to see her as he had completely lost track of time. “Lana!” He rose from his seat as he spoke and headed around his desk to meet her halfway across the room. His arms slid around her back, gently pulling her in as his lips captured hers for a long, soft kiss. Lana’s hands slid up his biceps of their own volition as their bodies pressed together.

Between her job and his, they hadn’t seen each other in nearly two weeks, and daily phone calls just weren’t the same thing. When they finally broke the kiss and moved back far enough to see each other’s face, Jason said, “I missed you more with each passing day.”

Once he knew Lana was safely back in Metropolis, Jason lost his ability to focus on his paperwork, which had originally just been something to occupy his mind while he waited anyway. But the initial surge the two of them felt from seeing each other quickly faded, and both gave into the need for sleep.

Lana didn’t live with Jason, but he kept a bedroom for her, next to his, which had been professionally decorated to suit her tastes. She didn’t have a full wardrobe on the premises, but had enough clothing for any occasion, including this one.

They walked hand-in-hand to her door, and after they shared a goodnight kiss, Jason nodded toward his door, and said, “You know you’re always welcome in there.”

“I know, Jason,” Lana said, “and you’ve been sweet to not pressure me about it, but you know why I can’t.”

“I know,” Jason said, sounding like a man who’d known the answer before asking the question. “I just wanted to let you know the door is always open.”

“Goodnight, Jason. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Lana. Sweet dreams.”

While Lana had a few days off before she was scheduled for her next round of flights, Clark had an eight a.m. story conference scheduled, so he was going to be working on very short sleep. He fudged things a bit by sleeping in until the last possible minute and then super-speeding through his morning routine before flying to work.

If I could have bloodshot eyes, Clark thought, I’d definitely have ’em this morning. Between flights and airport layovers, I spent almost an entire day coming home, when I could have done it in minutes. As he stepped off the elevator, he used one finger to push his thick-lensed horn-rimmed glasses back up his nose. His hair was lank and parted on the left, he wore an ill-fitting brown tweed jacket with elbow patches and plain brown slacks. As usual, Jimmy was the first person on the floor to greet him.

“Clark! It’s great to have you back.”

“Thanks, Jimmy, but I wish I wasn’t back for another few days yet.” Clark said as he headed for his desk. True to form, Jimmy followed like a dog on a leash. Sometimes, Clark found himself fantasizing about the Humane Society’s euthanasia program, but for the most part, Jimmy was his most dependable male friend in the newsroom.

Clark set his briefcase down on his desk, making sure to knock over his pencil cup in the process. As he awkwardly tried to scoop up his pencils and stuff them back into the cup, he asked, “Where’s Perry?”

“Umm…oh! The Chief told me to tell you to, and I quote, ‘get his sorry ass in my office’ as soon as you came in.”

“Oh!” Clark fumbled for a notepad and two pencils before heading for Perry’s office.

Once there, he quickly noted Lois’ voice coming out of a desk-mounted speaker on Perry’s desk. “Uh…hi, Mr. White.”

Perry didn’t even take the time to look up from perusing his copy of the competition’s morning edition before saying, “You’re late, Kent. When I say eight a.m. sharp, it really means seven forty-five.” He gestured to the speaker. “You’ve made me listen to Lois blather on about something or other for fifteen minutes…but at least she was here when I wanted her to be.”

Just as Clark had expected, no pat on the back for busting his hump to get back from the other side of the world, just the belief that what Perry White wanted was right and everyone should leap to do it.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Okay, now that Kent’s here, we can finally get started.”

By the end of the story conference, Clark knew what Lois had been able to uncover in Las Vegas. The girl, whose trade name had been Monique LaSalle, but whose real name was Mary Ellen Stratton, had been in her early twenties when her body was found in a green trash dumpster behind a seedy strip club three nights ago.

A 5’ 10” buxom, blue-eyed blonde, Mary Ellen had been a small town girl from Arizona who had come to Las Vegas to attend the University of Nevada’s Las Vegas campus, more commonly known as U.N.L.V. When money got tight, she’d answered an ad tacked to a bulletin board on campus. It had been from an ‘escort service’ that was looking for attractive and intelligent young women to be companions for their well-heeled clientele.

One thing led to another, and what had started out as an occasional job being pleasant arm candy for the rich and powerful, had degenerated into a life as a high-paid call girl who sold every inch of her body on a daily basis. Clark imagined that selling her self-respect had to have been easier since she’d only had to do that once.

Mary Ellen had last been seen alive, as far as the LVPD knew anyway, coming out of the front door of the Bellagio on the night she died. The doormen and security people at the hotel were familiar with her, as some of their high rollers would occasionally call for ‘companionship.’ So when the Homicide cops showed up asking questions about her the next morning instead of the Vice cops, two different staffers remembered seeing her inside the night of her death. That had led police to check the security footage at the hotel, which clearly showed Mary Ellen leaving the Bellagio’s lobby in the company of a distinctively handsome man. His car was a rental, which was quickly traced to the Las Vegas airport’s Hertz location. In no time, the police knew that the car had been rented to a Jason Teague, and a check of the Bellagio’s records showed that a man of that name was currently in a suite there.

Clark had sucked in an apprehensive breath at that moment, hoping against hope that Jason Teague was not Lana’s Jason. He couldn’t imagine having to be the one to break something like this to her, but then again, he couldn’t imagine how stupid a guy would have to be to cheat on a woman like Lana in the first place. The idea that Lana was somehow not enough was incomprehensible to Clark. He'd known her for less than a day and already considered her to be the most attractive woman he’d ever known.

Lois went on to say that Mr. Teague had been interviewed at length by the LVPD. But when the coroner established the time of death as being a time when Mr. Teague could easily prove he was back in the Bellagio playing blackjack, he was released.

“This is where things begin to stink, Clark,” Lois said. “I checked, and that night was the only night of his week in Vegas where he gambled at two in the morning. Every other night, he left the VIP room no later that eleven p.m.”

Clark could see where Lois’ thoughts were heading. “Yeah, it sure does look as if he was trying to establish an ironclad alibi.”

“Exactly.”

Perry just sat back and listened as his two star reporters went to work. He silently marveled, and not for the first time either, that two people so personally different could work so well together. There was definitely some kind of synergy involved in their work, which caused their combined efforts to produce greater results than what they could have accomplished separately.

By the end of the meeting, Clark had a clear idea of what he needed to do. While Lois chased down leads about who might have done the actual killing, he was going to be asking for an interview with Jason Teague.

[NYC300Z]

wah I guess Clark will find out soon enough! Can't wait 'til he does and has to make a choice....

PPMS!

[redraven]

Jason's an idiot if he really did do it...

Either way, I'm looking forward to finding out, and seeing what happens when Lana finally knows.

[clana_never_give_up]

I can't believe Jason would cheat on Lana!!! Thats horrible. :mad:

It's going to be interesting when Clark finally tells Lana waht Jason has been up to lately. :)

[The Black Cat]

Great update! PPMS!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 4

Interview

Jason Teague was a politician through and through. Sure, he’d been educated as a lawyer, and he still worked for his family’s high-powered law firm when the Kansas State Legislature wasn’t in session, but he’d been prepared by his parents for elective office since birth.

Just like Joe Kennedy, Genevieve and Edward Teague had carefully planned their son’s future. First, the State Legislature, then, when he reached thirty and was old enough, the U.S. Senate, followed by a run for the presidency somewhere in his mid-to-late forties.

The Teagues had money and power, and wanted to found an American dynasty of sorts. The only thing the Kennedys had that the Teagues lacked was a large number of sons that could provide them with second and third chances. Jason was it for his family. He could not afford to fail, to be caught, to let himself be stopped. And that’s what he was thinking about while on the phone with Clark Kent.

“You do know that the cops in Las Vegas let me go, don’t you?” Jason asked politely.

“Yes, Mr. Teague,” Clark replied. “I do understand. I also understand they told you to not leave the country.”

“I’d really rather not go over that night again.”

“That’s fine, Sir, but then my article will just state the facts: that you were seen in the company of a high-priced Las Vegas call girl who was murdered hours later and dumped into a trash bin, and that when asked for your side of the story, you declined to comment.”

“You can’t write that,” Jason breathed. “It would ruin me. I’d sue you back to the Stone Age.”

“On what grounds? It’s only libel if it isn’t true.” Clark had just hit Jason with the stick; now was the time to offer him the carrot. “I know the Las Vegas PD has been trying to keep this quiet because it’s an ongoing investigation, and somehow it hasn’t been picked up by the Metropolis media, not yet anyway, and here I’m offering you a chance to tell your side of the story before someone else gets their version of the story out there first. And since I write for the Planet, my story will carry some weight with the public, unlike the reception they’d give to a similar story in the Inquistor.”

This was supposed to have been kept quiet, Jason raged. He promised me that no one in Metropolis would ever know. Damn him!

“Okay,” Jason conceded, “I’ll do it.” He looked over to his desk-mounted appointment calendar. “I’m having an early lunch, but it looks like I can squeeze you in just after that. Be here at noon.”

“Thank you, Mr. Teague.” Clark intentionally left out the line: you won’t regret it.

Clark was at Teague House at ten minutes before noon. A servant showed him to the anteroom to Jason’s office, where Clark patiently waited. He thought Jason might keep him waiting just to show his power, but was pleasantly surprised when the secretary ushered him into the office precisely at noon. Clark tried a feeble smile on the elegantly-attired blonde, but was given the cold shoulder for his efforts.

Nice to see that I’ve still got it, Clark thought wryly. Dork Boy, Superman’s plain Jane alter ego, can still scare away any woman with just a hint of flirtation.

Jason looked up from his desk, the remains of a Chicken Caesar Salad evident on a plate which had been shoved to one side. He had been nursing a large glass of iced tea as he read over some paperwork as Clark came in the door.

“Thank you, Debbie,” Jason said, “you can take lunch now.”

Clark saw Debbie respond to her boss with a smile that was warm and genuine, as she said, “Thanks, Mr. Teague. I’ll be back in an hour.” Clark ducked his head awkwardly and shuffled out of her way as she passed by on her way out the door, which she pulled closed behind her with a soft click.

Clark took a quick look around the room as he approached Jason’s desk. He wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for, but he didn’t find it. Jason gestured to a seat in front of his desk, and Clark took it.

“Do you mind if I record this interview?” Clark asked as he pulled a digital voice recorder out of his inner jacket pocket, and nearly dropped it as he set it on the table.

“Not at all,” Jason replied. “Just so you’ll know, I’m recording it, too, with my security system.”

“Fair enough.”

Clark looked at his notes, and said, “Okay, I’d like to establish the facts of the night in question before I start asking questions.”

Clark then repeated what Lois had pieced together, starting with Jason and ‘Monique’ leaving the Bellagio together and ending with him playing blackjack at the time of her death. Jason agreed with what Clark said. Now that they had a barebones history agreed upon, Clark went to work.

“You are, by all accounts, handsome, you’re rich, and very well-educated. It would seem you could attract women by the score, women who wouldn’t damage your reputation and possibly ruin your budding career in politics, and yet you chose a hooker…why?”

“First off,” Jason said, “I had no idea the woman in question was a, as you so distastefully put it, a hooker.” Clark didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a near thing, choosing instead to raise his eyebrows in polite disbelief.

“I’d been at the craps table in the main casino for awhile, when this amazingly hot blonde walked up and stood next to me. I didn’t know her or anything, but what guy is going to send a woman like that away, so I bought her a drink. The thing is, I started winning almost as soon as she latched onto my arm. One thing led to another and soon we were heading out to celebrate.”

“Where did you go to celebrate?”

“We went to Ruth’s Chris, and after we each ate a delicious prime rib meal, I gave her a ten percent cut of my winnings for being my good luck charm. She wasn’t happy with that, figuring she was entitled to more, so we parted ways.” Jason shrugged his shoulders. “I went back to the Bellagio and started in on blackjack and didn’t think about her again until the cops came looking for me the next day.”

“So you…didn’t avail yourself of Mary Ellen’s special services?”

“You mean Monique, I suppose. She never told me that wasn’t her real name, but I guess I should’ve known.” Jason took a sip of tea and asked Clark if he would like something to drink. When Clark declined, Jason said, “And for the record, no I did not make use of her body. I’ll admit she offered herself to me in that way for a stiff fee, but I declined. I mean, I’ve got a girlfriend who means the world to me. I’d never cheat on her. Besides, sleep with a girl like that and you never know what kind of STD you might end up with.”

“I guess we’ll never know for sure. It’s too bad housekeeping had already changed the sheets in your bedroom before the police arrived.”

Showing a little anger, Jason challenged Clark, “Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, no. It’s just that having them find none of Mary Ellen’s DNA would have sealed the deal. Instead, you’ll have to live under a cloud of suspicion. For your sake, I hope your lady friend is understanding.”

“Lana loves me. I have no doubt that she’ll support me all the way.”

“Since you two split ways after the late dinner, can I assume then that you’re claiming to have had nothing to do with Mary Ellen’s death?”

“That’s correct. I had nothing to do with her death. I never saw her after we split. I’m sorry the young woman died, but…maybe she tried to overcharge someone else for her services and received payment of a different kind.”

Clark suspected he was being lied to, but had no way to prove it. Hearing Lana’s name from Jason lips had been like a kick in the nuts for him, as he didn’t want his newest friend to be involved with someone who he thought had probably slept with the hooker, and who might have been involved with her death. And then there was Jason’s last line, which had left Clark with a cold feeling inside. It had been a callous, uncaring thing to say; something he would never have expected to hear from a politician.

Having covered the main topics, Clark finished off with a few innocuous questions and then thanked Jason for the interview. He collected his digital voice recorder and headed out the door, closing it behind him. The secretary had evidently gone to lunch like Jason had suggested, as the anteroom was empty of people, so he put his hand on the handle of the outer door and pulled it open.


**********

Lana had been exhausted after a long day at work, and had barely had enough energy to change out of her uniform and into a set of white linen pajamas. As soon as she climbed into bed, she was out like a light. Not having to go to work the next morning, Lana hadn’t set an alarm, and Jason’s staff let her sleep as late as she wanted. She woke up twice during the late morning, but immediately rolled over and went back to sleep.

When she finally woke up for good, she stretched and smiled as the last remnants of her final dream flitted through her mind. It had been disjointed and confusing like most dreams, but it had also been fun and sexy. Lana might be a virgin who was saving herself for marriage, but she could still dream about what sex was like.

Just before the dream disappeared from her mind forever, Lana sat up in shock when she realized that the guy in her dream hadn’t been Jason, instead, it had been Clark. No! No, no, no! Wrong guy! Lana tried to force the remaining scattered dream images out of her mind, but as was always the case, trying to not think about the dream she’d had only made her think about it more.

Arrrrggggghhh! Lana hopped out of bed and headed for her private shower, hoping that would help get her mind out of the gutter. Maybe I need a cold shower, she groused to herself. I hear those work on women, too.

Lana quickly washed herself, but then spent a long time on her hair, first washing it with Neutrogena to strip off the shampoo and conditioner residue. Then she used her regular shampoo. Finally, she used her conditioner and let it set for the full five minutes.

Most days she was too rushed to get to work to lavish this kind of attention on her hair, but not today. Not only did the conditioner strengthen her hair and give it extra body and shine, but it also helped detangle it, which was going to be very useful when she brushed it out.

Lana used a thick terry cloth towel to squeegee most of the water out and then began brushing it out while using a hairdryer set on low. It took awhile, but when done, her hair glowed. She thought about makeup, but decided that could wait until after she’d had something to eat; after all, she didn’t plan to leave the house until evening at the earliest.

Lana didn’t know if Jason was working from home today or if he’d been pulled into the office, so she planned to eat a super late breakfast and curl up with a book until he was done with work. So, she rummaged around and came up with something suitably comfortable for lounging around the house: a dark blue crewneck sweatshirt, and pink and blue plaid flannel girl’s boxers. Remembering that the floors in the house were either wood or marble, both of which tended to be cold, Lana topped off her outfit with super-fluffy Snoopy house slippers.

On her way out of her room, she saw that it wasn’t quite twelve-thirty yet. Good! Jason’s cook ought to be making something for the household staff, and they always have enough extra for me.

Lana padded silently down the halls, taking a route that would lead by Jason’s office to allow her to see if he was home before going on to the kitchen. She could tell Jason was in his office because the light was spilling out from under the door into the otherwise dimly lit hallway. She debated about stepping in and having Debbie give him a message for her and had just reached for the door handle, when the door opened inward and a man came out.

[CaptainObvious]

I've been off the boards for a bit but ecstatic about returning to find a new Cardinal story!! This one is off to a great start and I can't wait to see where you will take us! Clark and Lana's initial meeting was nice. You always capture that initial spark between them so well and leave us wanting more! I'm anxious to see Clark's reaction when he discovers Jason is Lana's Jason!!

[NYC300Z]

ohhh Lana and Clark's next incounter! This will be very surprising for Lana....I wonder if she'll be embarased....or what she'll think of Clark after she finds out what he's doing....hmmmm


PPMS!

[kentfamily]

update please! Lana bumps into Clark!

[maitriniazngurl]

omg this story is awesome! i can't wait to see what happens next!

PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 5

Things That Go Bump…

Clark was looking back over his shoulder, wondering what Jason was hiding, as he walked out of the office anteroom.

CRASH!! Clark smacked into someone and down the guy went. He instantly realized what he’d done and tried to catch the guy he’d hit to keep him off the floor. But he’d no sooner leaned forward and begun to reach out his arms, than the guy’s flailing legs became tangled with his, tripping him.

Because Clark was already leaning forward, that’s the direction he fell, too. When he saw he was going to land on top of the guy he’d just knocked over, Clark grasped one flailing arm to pull the guy close, and then quickly wrapped both of his arms around his victim before spinning a quick 180 degree mid-air turn to make sure that he, and not the victim, landed on the hard marble floor of the hallway.

Just as Clark was realizing that the person on top of him was too small and way too light to be a guy, Lana spoke. “Okay, Mister, we’re safe on the floor. You can get your hand off my butt now.” The feeling of a big, strong man’s hand on one of her buns made Lana flashback to the dream of Clark she’d tried to forget just a little while ago. She blushed furiously, ashamed that she’d had sexual thoughts about someone other than Jason, and angry that she kept having those thoughts.

Huh? Clark thought. He quickly inventoried his arms: one was securely around the small of the woman’s back; the other one was significantly lower, and from the softness he could feel under his fingertips…

Oh crap!

Both of his hands leapt off the woman as if she was made of Kryptonite. “Uh, I’m sorry Miss. I didn’t mean to…” …fondle you, Clark thought as he mentally finished the sentence. It was then that the sound of the woman’s voice finally registered in his mind. He knew he’d just plowed over and then accidentally copped a feel from Lana, of all people. His embarrassment factor went from a 9, on a scale of 1 to 10, to a 12.

At the same time that Clark recognized Lana’s voice, she recognized his.

“Clark? Is that you?” Lana choked out, as she propped herself up on her elbows. She thought this day was turning into some kind of personal hell for her.

“I, um, yes, it’s me, and I’m…I’m sorry.”

Lana tried to keep her irritation with herself from leaking into her voice, as she said, “It’s okay, Clark, I’m sure you didn’t mean to deck me,” and then playfully, she added, “but I’m not so sure about that grab of my butt.”

Clark’s embarrassment level went up another notch to 13. His face felt so hot that he figured Lana could fry eggs on it by now.

Lana slid off of Clark’s chest and stood to one side as he rolled over on hands and knees and began looking for his glasses, which had fallen off during the collision. She had pulled her hair out of her face by the time he’d located his glasses and stood up. When Clark pushed the horn-rimmed glasses back into position, he turned to face Lana and they both got their first good look at each other.

Lana first noticed the differences between this Clark and the guy she’d met the night before. Instead of the thick, wavy hair, she saw limp, almost greasy hair. This Clark was wearing horn-rimmed glasses, whereas last night he’d not needed them. Last night’s Clark was confident and would look directly at her; this Clark seemed awkward and refused to meet her eyes.

And then there was the suit.

Last night’s Clark had been wearing something simple, just a t-shirt and jeans, but the fit had been perfect and he’d looked stylish, not to mention completely yummy. Today, he had on a tweed jacket and brown slacks that didn’t fit him correctly and looked like they belonged on a tenured English professor, not a newspaper reporter in his mid-twenties.

While Lana was noticing the changes in Clark’s appearance, he was doing the same with her. He’d loved the simple elegance of her perfectly knotted bun last night, but the shimmering cascade of silken hair that he was seeing right now blew that style away. He then noticed that she wasn’t wearing any makeup at all, but still looked gorgeous. What a face to wakeup to, Clark thought. Whatever else Jason Teague may have done wrong, he’s definitely figured out the girlfriend selection process. Seeing Lana looking relaxed in a comfy blue sweatshirt was a refreshing change for Clark after having watched her work in a tailored uniform the night before.

And then his eyes traveled down below her sweatshirt.

The girl boxers’ pink color was a perfect feminine touch, and the blue lines that made up the plaid struck a chord with Clark. Somehow, it gave him a feeling of home. But the overall effect of seeing Lana in the plaid flannel boxers, with her slender legs peeking out below, was sexier than he knew how to express.

Lana saw Clark eyeing her from head to toe and shrank back in embarrassment. No makeup and wearing a sweatshirt, boxers, and Snoopy slippers, she’d dressed solely for comfort today, not dreaming she’d see anyone from outside the household, much less the new guy who’s more McDreamy and McSteamy than anyone on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Clark’s forehead started feeling hot. His eyes first began to water and then to burn. He knew he was seconds away from starting a major house fire if he didn’t get his hormones under control. As his hands shot up to rub his eyes, he staggered backward, hit the wall, and then slumped into a sitting position.

Lana was alarmed, forgetting all about her personal wardrobe issues, as she thought that maybe Clark had hit his head during the fall and had injured himself. She squatted down in front of him and began using her hands to delicately probe the back of his skull. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but figured she’d notice anything that shouldn’t be there. What she feared most was finding blood, or maybe even a bone fracture.

Knowing that it was Lana’s hands caressing his head did absolutely nothing to help Clark control the fires that raged within him. She was so close that he could smell the perfume of her soap and the fragrance of her freshly washed hair, but overriding both of those was a scent that he was beginning to identify in his mind as ‘Lana,’ a scent so pure, fresh, and womanly that he instinctively wanted to pull her against his chest and never let her go.

“Are you okay?” Lana asked. She had to repeat herself once before Clark took in what she’d said and replied.

“I’m okay, I think,” Clark said, “I just need to rest my eyes a minute.”

Not finding anything obviously wrong with the back of Clark’s head, Lana brought her hands around to the front of his head to sweep some hair off of his face. When she did, she instantly noticed how hot his forehead was.

“You’re burning up!” she said worriedly. “I’m going to the kitchen to get you a bag of ice.”

Lana leapt to her feet and hurried off as fast as her Snoopy slippers would allow. Clark heard the strange scuffing sounds Lana’s feet were making as she scurried off; he wanted to open his eyes and see what she had on her feet, but was afraid that one sight of her pink and blue clad backside would be enough to send him over the edge. So, he waited until she was gone, and then made a beeline for the front door.

Once outside, Clark looked up, made sure there weren’t any planes overhead, and let loose with a titanic blast of heat vision. Anyone cloud watching at that instant would have noticed a small bank of fluffy white clouds at 20,000 feet that were all but obliterated.

Clark was still standing on the front steps trying to gather his composure when Lana finally found him. She pulled him to a seat on the steps and tried to place the bag on his head, but Clark snatched it out of her hands and held to his forehead with one hand because he didn’t want her to find out he wasn’t hot anymore.

Sitting there together, Lana frowned at Clark, and asked, “Why’d you go running off? I told you I was coming right back.”

“I know and I thank you for your kindness.” Clark gestured to the groomed landscape of the mansion’s front lawn. “I just had to come out here. It’s a cool April day, and I thought it might help me to be out in it.” It wouldn’t have looked good on my expense report to write down that I burned a multi-million dollar mansion to the ground.

Clark took a deep breath, and once again was intoxicated by Lana’s scent. He knew he’d have to leave soon or risk another heat vision episode, especially since Lana had her legs stretched out before her, neatly crossed at the ankles. Eyes following her legs down to where they disappeared inside her slippers, Clark echoed Lana’s words from the night before, when he said, “Nice shoes.”

“Yeah.” Lana wiggled her feet back and forth. “Snoopy and I have been together since college. My freshman roommate bought them for me as a present after I helped her snag a date with the guy of her dreams.”

“Did it last?”

“Nah,” Lana said, “it turned out that Nikki had a flavor of the month, and that guy was it for September.”

“That’s not for me,” Clark said quietly. “I don’t want a girl for a month; I want the girl for a lifetime.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, Clark. Too many guys are into ‘wham, bam, thank you, Ma’am.’ There’s a woman out there somewhere for you.” Then she snuck another look at the fashion disaster sitting next to her, and said, “But it might be easier to find her if you dressed a little bit differently.” Clark raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in reply.

“What’s up with the…” Lana searched for the right word, “…the costume? Yesterday you had my coworker ready to jump your bones right on the plane in mid-flight. Today, you look like someone who forgot to take a shower and then dressed himself in the dark.” Lana reached over and took Clark’s glasses off of his face. “And these things. You didn’t need them last night.” Lana put them on her face and was surprised to find that her vision was unaffected. “Non-prescription I see. More disguise.”

Lana remembered something else from the night before. “And here’s another thing: last night you smelled great. I remember your cologne had this citrus scent with just a little bit of spice at the end. But now, you smell like Aqua Velva, which is something old men wear. From our time together last night, I know you’re a great guy, so...” Lana faced Clark full on and asked her real question. “...why do you hide?”

A serious question deserves a serious answer, Clark thought, but I can’t possibly tell her the entire reason. Not yet anyway. Annoyed with himself, Clark wondered where that last idea had come from. I can’t tell her, ever! There, that’s better.

“If I had dreamt there was a snowball’s chance in hell that someone I’d meet on the plane would meet me again today, I’d have dressed and acted differently. You never would’ve seen me like you did. The Clark Kent you saw on the plane, the Clark Kent you’re talking to now, is the real me. I hide because when people see me this way, they don’t take me as seriously as they should, and it makes it easier for me to do my job.” And then reluctantly, as though it was being dragged out of him, Clark added, “As for ‘Miss Right,’ she’ll be attracted to me no matter what I wear, so this disguise scares off a lot of would-be girlfriends.” You wouldn’t believe how many women throw themselves at me when I wear the suit from my other job.

Lana and Clark sat there on the steps like they were old friends, side-by-side, but not quite touching. Now that they were past the shock and embarrassment of seeing each other again, neither was quite sure of what to say until Lana remembered why Clark was coming back to town in the first place.

“How’s that article coming along?” Lana asked.

The article was the one thing Clark didn’t want Lana asking him about, but now that she had, he figured their budding friendship was about to coming to a crashing halt.

“Okay,” Clark said cautiously. “I’m just doing a few preliminary interviews right now.”

Lana reached back in her memory for what Clark had said about the article. A call girl was murdered in Las Vegas. I remember that much, Lana thought. And I seem to remember him saying something about…something about…it being a big deal because the hooker was last seen with…a prominent politician from Metropolis. And Clark’s here. At Jason’s house. Jason Teague, who is a prominent politician. Oh please say you’re not investigating my Jason.

“Clark?” Lana asked, her voice squeaking a bit with nerves. “You wouldn’t be investigating Jason, would you? Please tell me you’re just here for background information on someone else.”

Damn, Clark thought, I knew she wouldn’t miss that.

Clark marshaled his courage. He faced Lana and saw the uncertainty and fear on her face. He hated giving bad news, especially to a woman like Lana. “All I can tell you is that Jason Teague is the politician who was spotted with the call girl in Las Vegas just hours before she died.” When Lana started to cry, Clark’s heart began to break. “If you want to know anything else, you’ll need to talk to him first. As your boyfriend, he deserves the chance to tell you his story before you hear any other version.”

“No…no…” Lana sobbed. “Not Jason, not him! He couldn’t have been with a hooker. He knows me. He understands why I want to wait. He wouldn’t…” Lana’s denial turned to anger, but not anger at Jason.

Her anger was directed at Clark.

“You slimy bastard!” Lana stood so fast that she felt her head swim. “You’re here trying to ruin a good man. Do you have any idea how much good Jason’s doing in the legislature? Do you? Just this year, he sponsored a bill on affordable child care for working single parents, and then sponsored a bill that would provide basic health care for low-income Kansans.”

Lana’s glare was challenging. So was Clark’s response. When he stood to give it, he loomed over her like a giant. Not wanting him to be any higher than her, she climbed up two steps.

“Do you know that neither bill came anywhere close to being passed?” Clark asked.

“Yes,” Lana said hotly, “because big business didn’t want to have to pay for it.”

“Those bills were just grandstanding. Your precious Jason sponsored those bills because he knew they’d look good on his resume when he runs for the U.S. Senate next year. Those bills were dead before they had their first hearings in committee, and Jason knew it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I think you do, Lana, but don’t take my word for it, ask him! See if his eyes convince you the way mine do.”

“Someone’s trying to ruin Jason. They’re setting him up, and you’re helping them. No matter who he was with that night, he’d never kill anyone. I know that! So you can just take your butt ugly suit, fake glasses, and greasy hair and leave. Don’t try to ruin everyone else’s life just because you don’t have one.”

Clark saw that Lana was so thoroughly inflamed that he couldn’t deal with her rationally. He also saw Jason watching from just inside the front door. Clark had no idea how long Jason had been there, or what he’d heard, but he knew it was time to go.

Just to piss Lana off that little bit more, Clark turned on the Kent charm full blast, giving Lana a smile that could melt iron, and said, so softly that Jason couldn’t possibly hear it, “I really like the Snoopy slippers, but the plaid boxers have to be my favorite. As for your hair, down is better than up, and you don’t need a drop of makeup to be the loveliest woman I know.”

As Clark piled into his 1994 Ford F-150 pickup and drove away, Lana was still angry with him, but hadn’t been able to think of any kind of comeback. After all, how was she supposed to scream at him for such a nice compliment. She wanted him to yell back at her, to justify her anger, but no dice, Clark wasn’t playing any more. Just as Clark thought, Lana was angrier than ever.

[NYC300Z]

wow even worse for them than I thought it was going to be! oh man this is going to be a hard turn around! I'm excited to see how this works out!;)

PPMS!

[treker]

I really liked how Clark didn't shy away from Lana's anger. He just gave her facts, he gave her the truth even if she didn't want to hear it.

Hopefully Lana's anger will now find it's deserving target in Jason Teague.....let's see him lie his way out of this one......

[maitriniazngurl]

great update! i love Clark's last comment to make Lana even more upset but it was too nice to say something back. lol.

I don't think Jason is completely guilty. Maybe just a little bit... i think he is being setup my Lex Luther... i dunno.

[shortcircuit85]

Several great updates. Love the confrontation between Lana and Clark. Liked the strong Clark, not backing down. I liked how he ended the conversation. Please keep the updates coming. I'm enjoying this story.

Thanks,

[clana_never_give_up]

They were having such a great time, why did Lana have to connect the dots? :(

Oh well, I'm sure it will get better.

[Cardinal]

Chapter 6

Reaction

Jason waited until Clark’s battered old truck made it’s way off of the grounds of his mansion before he stepped out onto the porch.

“When did you become acquainted with Clark Kent?” Jason asked. When he’d told Lana months ago that reading anything by Lois Lane or Clark Kent was essential, he’d had to explain who they were, so he knew Lana’s association with Clark had to be recent.

Lana didn’t answer. She was choked up with anger and fear, two poisonous emotions that when combined, were completely debilitating to her.

Jason moved up behind her and began to lightly massage her bunched up shoulder and neck muscles. He touched them just enough to note that they were as tight as a drumhead before Lana moved. His touch was the catalyst that broke her out of her trance.

She started to turn and swatted his hands away from her body, and when she completed her turn and faced him, the venomous look in her eyes made him take an involuntary step back.

“I defended you,” Lana said, each word dripping with acid. “I told him it couldn’t have been you. You’d never sleep with someone other than me.” Lana searched his eyes, not sure what she hoped to find there. “But we both know better, don’t we?”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” Jason said, as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “That was six months ago. I’ve bowed and scraped for months trying to win back your trust, and thought I had, until now.”

“And you’ve never given me reason to doubt you…until now.”

“Could we take this someplace private?” Jason asked. “I’d rather not air our differences in front of the servants.”

“Fine. Your office should be just the place. I seem to remember you saying that it had been fully soundproofed.” Oughta hold down the screaming if I have to kick your butt. Before leaving the front steps, Lana got right in his face and said softly, but very firmly, “Let’s make one thing crystal clear right now. I’m loyal, loyal to fault some of my friends say, and I give second and third chances to people who are close to me, but, if you did screw that wh*re in Las Vegas, then we…are…done. No more chances. No begging. Nothing.”

Lana led the way back to Jason’s office. The splintering crack the office door made as Lana slammed it closed behind them could be heard at the other end of the hall. Jason picked up a sleek remote control and used it to shut down the surveillance equipment that was in the office. He definitely didn’t want anyone to witness this.

While Lana and Jason were holed up in his office as he gave her the same explanation he’d given to both the Las Vegas Police Department and Clark Kent, that very same Clark Kent was returning to the Daily Planet’s newsroom. He had to take the information he’d gathered and add it to what Lois had told him and organize it. Passion had always been her strong suit in their partnership, while his was organization. Lois was always losing things, and if he didn’t keep an archive of their various investigations, there was no telling how many of them might have been compromised along the way.

Clark had barely made headway on his task when he heard a perky voice that could only belong to Chloe Sullivan. Clark looked up from his work in time to see Chloe’s smiling face peering over his shoulder.

“Hi, Clark, how were the Maldives?” she asked.

“Hi, Chloe. The Maldives were everything they were advertised to be: warm and relaxing.”

“So you had fun?”

“I slept a lot, ate like there was no tomorrow, caught up on my reading,” Clark looked around to make sure no one was near enough to listen and then joked, “and even worked on my tan a little bit.”

Chloe snickered at the very idea of Clark Kent getting a tan. The last time he’d gone on vacation, he’d taken along a bronzing cream that would make it look like he’d gotten a tan. Chloe didn’t need to look long to know he’d neglected that bit of camouflage this time. Maybe Perry’s unexpected summons home had had something to do with that.

Chloe motioned for Clark to follow her. She quickly led him to an unoccupied conference room where they could continue their talk in private.

“I bet taking all of those flights to get home killed you,” Chloe said, once they were safely inside the conference room. Her smirk said she fully enjoyed it when Clark had to suffer like everyone else once in a while.

“Actually,” Clark said, knowing that what he had to say would knock Chloe on her butt, “it wasn’t too bad. I met someone.”

“Well, I’d hope so. It would be hard for even you to go that long without talking to someone.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Clark said exasperatedly. “I met someone.”

Chloe was stunned speechless for a few seconds as she contemplated what Clark had just said. “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that you ‘met someone’ met someone?”

“Yeah, I do, and I did.”

Chloe was seeing something on Clark’s face that she hadn’t seen in a long time, maybe not since his long ago crush on Lois: a dopey, lovesick look that meant his IQ had just been cut in half.

“Problem is,” Clark continued, “she happens to have a long-term boyfriend.” Chloe started to say something, but Clark cut her off. “And, she happens to hate my guts right now.”

“Oh come on, Clark,” Chloe said chidingly. “No one hates you. Not even Lois, though you two do have your moments.” Clark just sat there, so Chloe marched on. “I mean, mothers want their sons to turn out like you, and all parents want their daughters to bring home guys like you.”

“Yeah well, this woman hates me,” Clark asserted. “I just told her that her boyfriend, Metropolis’ very own Jason Teague, had been seen with a call girl in Las Vegas. Needless to say, she wasn’t happy, but she focused her anger on me instead of on the guy who had likely cheated on her.”

“Duh!!” Chloe moved around Clark and took a seat. “Of course she’s mad at you. You said he’s her longtime boyfriend. That means she’s got a lot of emotion and time invested in that relationship. No woman wants to contemplate the possible end of that.”

“So, you’re saying she was engaged in a form of killing the messenger who brought bad news?”

“Mmm…that’s actually a pretty good analogy, Clark,” Chloe said as she swiveled her chair. “She wasn’t mad at you so much. She was really mad at what you said. Give her time, and she’ll come around. Who knows? She may even end up thanking you for letting her know.” Chloe fidgeted a bit. “It suddenly occurs to me that you haven’t yet told me who this paragon of feminine virtue is, Clark.”

“Lana,” he said hesitantly.

“Lana…? Lana who, Clark?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “She never told me her last name.”

“Some reporter you are.”

Chloe stuck her head out of the conference room and looked over at the gossip columnist’s desk, where she saw the impeccably dressed Cat Grant working on her nails. “Hey, Cat. Who’s Jason Teague dating these days?” Clark looked like he was about to soil himself, but Chloe just grinned mischievously and awaited her answer.

Without even looking up from giving her manicured nails a light buffing, Cat said, “A flight attendant named Lana Lang. Supposed to be a real looker.” Cat gestured at her desk. “I’ve got her address here somewhere if you need it.”

Clark’s fingers itched to have that address, but he knew Lana was still off limits. At least he now knew her full name: Lana Lang. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.


**********

This was shorter than usual, but I may try to write a 2X.

[Nemu]

:D

I bet his fingers were itching...

Oh man I wish that Lana would kick Jason's butt..

At least she is mad at him...

I wonder what will be the element to link everything together...

PPMS!!!

[CaptainObvious]

First, still laughing at Clark's reaction to Lana's snoopy slippers and attire, causing a "titanic blast of heat vision"!

The fact that Clark left Lana speechless as he walked away was good. She can't help but be mad yet intrigued all at the same time.

[maitriniazngurl]

Great update!!

I can't wait for more... i wonder what happened 6 months ago w/ Jason and Lana.

[clana_never_give_up]

Lana better kick Jason's butt real hard for what he did to her. :mad:

I hope Clark goes to her house. It will probably seem stalkerish but hey at least she likes him :D

[treker]

wow...Lana has some temper. now I'm really convinced jason slept with her....time for Lana to take out the trash I think....

here's hoping for a 2X......

[NYC300Z]

Chloe introduced to the mix....Clark finding a little bit about Lana and learning all hope isn't lost good job it's starting to twitch lol

PPMS!:cool:

[CaptainObvious]

He now has her last name and her address. I wonder how they will coincidentally meet up again? Let's just hope it's soon!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 7

More Dirt

Clark waited until Cat called it a day before sauntering over to her desk and x-raying layer after layer of paper before finding Lana’s home address. While knowing where she lived might become very useful information should she ever become available, Clark had to admit that his favorite part of knowing Lana’s address was that it meant she wasn’t living with Jason Teague.

Seeing her at Teague House had been a bit of shock for Clark on more than one level. Not only had he been surprised at seeing her again so soon, but from what he’d learned the night before, he hadn’t thought her to be the type to shack up with someone.

It still looked to Clark like Lana and Jason were involved in a sexual relationship, but that wasn’t much of a surprise, since she’d said they’d been together for over a year. In this day and age, that was normal.

Clark had never been able to take that particular plunge himself, for various reasons. During his youth, he’d mostly been afraid of maiming a sexual partner if he lost control of his abilities while in the throes of passion. These days, he was concerned about making his first time mean something more than just ‘getting his rocks off.’ Trying to explain that to anyone other than Chloe always made Clark feel like a total girl though, so he kept it to himself.

Late the next morning, after spending several evening hours patrolling Metropolis and then getting a full night’s sleep, Clark was back in Perry’s office for another conference call with Lois.

“How’s the tan coming along, Lois?” Clark asked.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Lois said. “Like I have any time for lying out by the pool. By the time I’m done for the day, the sun’s gone down and the weather’s too cold.” Wanting to get down to business, Lois said, “So, tell me how the Teague interview went.”

When Clark got to the point where Jason said he’d gone out to Ruth’s Chris for a meal with the call girl, he thought he could actually hear Lois grinning on the other end of the call. Don’t ask me how you can hear a grin, Clark thought, but it just feels like that information has Lois ready to explode.

He was right.

“We’ve got him!” Lois chortled. “The Las Vegas CSIs made this a priority job because it was a murder, so they did their autopsy right away and found several things that could make life uncomfortable for Jason Teague.

“First, they found samples of human skin under each of Miss Stratton’s fingernails along with heavy bruising on the palms of her hands. It looks like she fought hard against whoever killed her.”

“But we know that couldn’t have been Teague,” Clark replied. “He was definitely playing blackjack at that time.”

“Of course, Smallville,” Lois said, with some asperity. “If you’d shut up for a minute, you’d find out I was getting to that.”

Perry gestured to Clark, trying to keep him from antagonizing Lois any more than necessary. Clark smiled at the speaker on Perry’s desk and waited.

“Anyway, as I was saying, the CSI guys checked the DNA from the skin samples and were able to match them with a guy out here who’s got a criminal record that’s longer than my arm and who is currently known as muscle for hire. They arrested him for Miss Stratton’s murder and are currently pumping him for information on whomever it was that hired him to kill her.”

“It’ll never work,” Clark predicted.

“Of course,” Lois agreed. “He was probably hired by an intermediary, someone he’d never met before, and I’ll bet my last pack of cigarettes he was paid in untraceable cash.”

“Okay, but none of this leads to Jason Teague. So tell me why you think we’ve got him.”

“Easy. In an effort to lessen his sentence, this punk’s telling them everything. I guess they’re trying to smoke out the guilty party by letting some of this information out. The big thing though, was that he said he’d been told to stakeout Ruth’s Chris on the night in question. He’d been given a couple of high quality photos of his target for reference, along with a detailed description. He’d been assured that the woman would come out alone and would take a cab.

“Once that happened, his instructions were to call her on her cell phone, the number to which had already been provided, and offer her the usual fee for her time. After they met, how she died and how he disposed of the body had been left up to him.

“Apparently, he’d been trying to move her body from the back of that seedy strip club into his car. His ultimate plan had been to bury her in the desert. Luckily for us, a garbage truck showed up just then to empty the dumpster. The murderer panicked and dumped her body so he could make his escape.”

“Umm…Lois?”

“Yes, Clark?”

“How’d you learn all this? This seems like a lot of detail, even for you, and I can’t imagine the police allowing you to have a sit-down interview with the guy.”

“Nope, they had an early press conference this morning, which was why I had to push back the start of our phone conference. What’s got me excited is that while everyone has the info I just told you, thanks to you, we are the only ones who know that Jason Teague drove the murder victim to the steakhouse from where she was then drawn to her death. That tidbit wasn’t in the press conference.”

“Circumstantial as heck,” Clark mused, “but they’ve sent people away with less evidence than that.”

“And get this. The Las Vegas Police will definitely want to talk to Mr. Teague again even if they don’t know he took Miss Stratton to the steakhouse.”

“Why?”

“The examination of her body found traces of semen in her vagina, but there were no signs of bruising or anything else that might be consistent with a rape. And the thug’s DNA isn’t a match for the semen, but guess whose is?”

“Jason?”

“Bingo!”

Clark was impressed. He knew there was no way that piece of info had been released by the police, but somehow Lois had gotten a hold of it anyway.

“Good work, Lo,” Clark said. His appreciative tone was obvious, making Lois preen on the other end. Clark looked at his notes and began a recap of what they knew so far. “So, a local state representative…”

Lois chimed in with her version. “Not bad so far, Smallville…”

“…the handsome, well-liked scion of a noted and powerful family…”

“…a rich, pretty boy…”

“…who has been groomed for higher office since he was a toddler…”

“…who’s had his eyes on the U.S. Senate since his first run for local office…”

Clark shook his head at Lois’ much more blunt approach, and said, “…went to Las Vegas, and while there, made full use of the services of a highly paid member of the local personal entertainment industry…”

Lois grinned. She could almost see Clark’s reaction to her next line before she said it. “…traveled to Sin City and dipped his wick into some high-priced hooker…”

Clark nearly choked on his coffee before he could continue, which made Lois laugh out loud.

“…who he then happens to take to a famous steakhouse…”

“Ditto.”

“Oh, I’m so happy you agreed, Lo. My day is officially complete.” Rechecking his notes, Clark moved on. “…where, who happens to be waiting for her but a man who has been hired, anonymously mind you, to kill her. Which he does.”

Clark looked at Perry, but addressed his question to Lois. “That sound about right to you, Lois?”

“Basically,” Lois agreed. “And you’re right, the connection between Jason and the hitman is completely circumstantial. But taking the girl to the steakhouse makes him look guilty as sin.” Lois took a breath. “I think we’ve got enough for a story.”

Clark nodded his head reluctantly. “Yeah. Me too.”

Perry was about to tell them to get to it, when he saw something in Clark’s eyes that made him wait. He knew that look from experience and knew it meant Clark had an idea that he didn’t really like, but that might be profitable.

“Out with it, Kent,” Perry said gruffly. “Otherwise, you and Lane have some collaborating to do tonight. I want this story on page one tomorrow, above the fold mind you, before someone else tumbles to what you two have already figured out.”

Clark wasn’t thinking about something, he was thinking about someone. “Teague’s got a girlfriend,” he said finally, and very reluctantly.

“Not after she reads this,” Lois chortled.

“She’s a friend of mine, and I need to let her know what’s about to happen. I don’t want her to be blindsided by it.”

“You know her?” Lois asked. She was incredulous. She’d thought the list of women Clark knew in Metropolis started and ended in the Daily Planet’s newsroom. “Well, why aren’t you out there interviewing the woman?”

Speaking with a voice that felt to him like it should have coated the room with a layer of frost, Clark said, “I repeat, the woman involved with Jason Teague is a friend of mine. Asking her for an immediate reaction to what might be the most painful moment in her life is about the most insensitive, idiotic thing I can think of, Lois.”

But Lois had a comeback Clark couldn’t refute: “If you don’t, someone else will, and they’ll do it early tomorrow morning before she’s even had a chance to clear the cobwebs out of her head. Not only that, but it’ll be done by someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her or her feelings.

“On the other hand, if you go do it, at least you’ll get to break it to her as gently as possible. Give her a night to adjust, and she might be able to handle the jackals when they show up in the morning. Lois finished with a direct plea, surprising Clark with it’s warmth. “If this woman is really your friend, you owe it to her to be the one to tell her, and to interview her, about what Teague did out here.”

“Yeah,” Clark said tiredly, as he took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. “I guess I do.”

[treker]

:)

Nice chapter. Clark's interview with Lana will be very interesting, but the real question is will she even listen to what Clark has to say?

Interesting to see Lois' soft side regarding Clark's feelings.....

[NYC300Z]

wow I wonder how Lana will react to Clark when she hears from him this time....oh man i'm excited for the next meeting between them two!

PPMS!

[CaptainObvious]

I agree. How will Lana react? Will she be upset and not listen to what he has to say? Than again, she might get mad at first, than be glad she has someone there to talk to. We all know Clark would be there for her in her time of need. Let's hope Lana gives Clark the benefit of the doubt and understands he's trying to help. Still, not the type of conversation Clark would like to be having to create a better relationship with her.

[clana_never_give_up]

Wow, Clakr has to interview Lana. I hope she listens to him because so far Jason doesn't seem that trustworthy to me.

I also hope that when Clak tells her the truth that she dumps him after hearing the truth about her so called boyfriend. :mad:

[treker]

Originally posted by clana_never_give_up
Wow, Clakr has to interview Lana. I hope she listens to him because so far Jason doesn't seem that trustworthy to me.

I also hope that when Clak tells her the truth that she dumps him after hearing the truth about her so called boyfriend. :mad:

Well, I think Lana will still be mad at Clark and pretend to support Jason but in truth she'll dump him and not tell anyone about it.

[Clana227]

Hey Cardinal just got caught up and can't wait for more.

PPMS

[clana_never_give_up]

Originally posted by treker
Well, I think Lana will still be mad at Clark and pretend to support Jason but in truth she'll dump him and not tell anyone about it.

You're probably right but there's always a chance that she won't hate Clark. :D

[shortcircuit85]

I agree with Treker, I think that Clark has a long row to hoe! Lana will not be happy to hear from Clark, but I agree that it is over with Jason. I wonder how Clark will get through to her, maybe dressing more like he did on the airplane, then the reporter Clark might be a good idea. Please Cardinal we need another update.

Thanks,

[Cardinal]

Chapter 8

Proof Positive

The day before, when Lana had gone into Jason’s office, she hadn’t heard anything that had proved he had slept with the call girl, but she knew enough from her travels to know that women like that didn’t usually go trolling the casinos looking for Johns. That kind of woman was very highly paid and was called on specifically by a client, hence the name ‘call girl.’

When Lana had pointed that out to Jason, his response had been that maybe the call girl had had a client lined up who’d then changed his mind when she’d got there, leading her to go to the high rollers area in search of an impromptu ‘date’.

Jason’s story sounded fishy to Lana, at best, but she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, she’d been very angry at him for putting himself in a situation where it would be easy for things to be misinterpreted. He owed it to her to not only be faithful, but to also to appear to be faithful, especially given the fact that he’d cheated on her once already. So, Lana’s response had been to pull on a pair of sweatpants over her boxers, step into a pair of shoes, gather up her carryon and garment bag, and ask for a ride to her place.

Once home, in her small and very neat apartment, Lana began by putting the clean clothes away and the dirty clothes in the hamper. After she started a load in her clothes washer, she shucked herself out of her sweats, put the Snoopy slippers back on, and grabbed a book out of her filled-to-capacity bookcase. She didn’t care which book, just as long as it was something in which she could lose herself for an afternoon.

Lana flopped down on her couch, determined to forget about Jason for awhile, but to her chagrin, she saw she’d picked up Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” She knew that book by heart. It’s major character, Pierre, was an intelligent, good-hearted man who married Helene, the attractive but immoral daughter of a powerful family. That wasn’t so bad in and of itself, but the fact that Helene went on to cheat on Pierre multiple times hit much too close to home for Lana’s comfort. So she put the book down, picked up the TV remote, and began channel surfing.

It wasn’t long before she settled on Oprah, but when she heard that Oprah’s topic was men who cheat and why, Lana changed the channel quick as a wink and accidentally ended up on ESPN where the show was an Outside the Lines report on athlete’s using steroids.

Aggravated by her inability to get away from the subject of cheating, Lana turned off her TV and hurled the remote to one side, where it smacked into her love seat and landed on the cushion.

Arrrrrrrggggghhhh! Lana thought. The whole world is conspiring against me today. Giving in, Lana spent some time thinking carefully about what she’d been told, both by Jason and by Clark. She already felt guilty for tearing into Clark, who had just been a nice guy caught in a difficult position. She hoped she’d get the chance to apologize.

Jason was another story.

Lana felt in her heart that Jason had cheated on her again, but she clung desperately to the hope that everything was just a misunderstanding, because that hope was the only thing keeping her from breaking down.

Having sorted her thoughts and feelings, Lana got another book and whiled away her afternoon. A quiet dinner for one and a movie on HBO filled her evening before an early bedtime ended it.

The next morning, Lana woke feeling refreshed. She carefully read the Daily Planet, looking for any article that might be related to Jason. Not finding one, Lana checked her cupboards and saw that she was low on food. Once she had a breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and granola laid out, she quickly jotted down a list of groceries and personal items she’d need to get today. Then, determined to get out of the house for something other than grocery shopping, she called some of her friends and arranged for an afternoon shopping trip for clothes.

The grocery shopping was a necessity; the clothes shopping was intended to be therapeutic. For Lana, there was nothing quite like blowing a wad of cash on something she didn’t really need to make her feel good again.

By five p.m., Lana had an arm full of boxes from some of her favorite stores as she trotted up the steps and into her apartment building. She tossed the boxes onto her couch, and checked her answering machine. She really didn’t expect to see anything since there weren’t too many people who had her home number, but she was surprised to see a flashing red ‘1’ in the window, indicating she had one new call. Figuring it was Jason with some kind of groveling, Lana neglected to check her caller I.D. Curious to hear what he had to say, and wondering why he didn’t just call her cell phone like normal, Lana pressed the blue play button and sat on the edge of the couch, next to her packages, to listen.

*Beep*

“Um…hi, Lana.” This obviously wasn’t Jason speaking. In fact, it kind of sounded like…“This is Clark Kent speaking. I’d like to ask you for permission to come over to your place, or to meet you at any place of your choosing, so that I can interview you.”

Lana sat all the way back.

Clark doesn’t sound awkward like yesterday, or smooth and confident like the night before, Lana thought. Instead, he sounds…nervous.

“Please call me A.S.A.P. at 555-0654, extension 104, as soon as you get this message. Otherwise, I’ll call you again at six. If I can’t interview you tonight, Lois and I will have to run our article anyway.

“If you don’t want to be interviewed, at least meet with me so I can give you a preview of certain facts Lois uncovered today. As someone who counts himself as your friend, I don’t want you to get blindsided by this. Thanks.”

“Facts…” Lana said. “Uncovered by his partner, who’s the one out in Vegas. If he’s so set on me having the info, it’s either about who killed the hooker, or it’s about Jason possibly having been with her. Either way, I want to know.” Lana grabbed the phone and dialed Clark’s number. Plus, seeing Clark again will give me a chance to apologize for ripping him a new butthole yesterday.

*Ring…ring*

“Hello, this is Clark Kent speaking.”

“Hi, Clark, it’s Lana.”

So strong was Clark’s relief upon hearing her voice, that she could almost feel it. He had been just about ready to call when Lana’s call came through. He and Lois had been working on the article, sharing ideas and rough drafts on a high-speed internet connection. Clark typed a quick IM to Lois, telling her that Lana was returning his call, before turning his full attention to the phone.

“Thanks for returning my call.”

Though she thought she knew why Clark had called in the first place, she thought she’d better make sure. “Why do you need to interview me?”

“Not over the phone. I can tell you in person or not at all. Lois and I don’t want any word of this getting out before tomorrow morning. But, um, you should already know what this is about.”

“Okay, Clark, come on out.” Clark smiled on his end as Lana asked, “Since you’ve somehow managed to obtain my phone number, can I assume you’ve also got my address?”

“Not that I want to sound like a stalker or anything, but, umm…yeah,” Clark admitted sheepishly.

“Okay,” Lana laughed. “Given where you work and the fact that it’s rush hour, I figure it’ll take you ninety minutes or so to get here. Just knock loudly; I might be in one of the back rooms.”

“Okay,” Clark replied, “I’ll be there.”

Lana immediately rushed around, trying to clean an apartment that was already spotless. It was just something to keep her mind off of what she believed was coming, what she knew was coming. Each passing minute only served to increase her feeling of dread.

Clark collected the paperwork that Lois had faxed to him, including a copy of the autopsy of Mary Ellen Stratton, and stuffed it into his briefcase before heading out. He found that Lana was correct. Driving from the New Troy section of Metropolis, across one of the numerous West River bridges, and to her apartment building in the suburbs was roughly a ninety minute drive at this time of day. Luckily for him, Chloe had done him the favor of Mapquesting the address so he’d have reliable directions. He parked his red Ford pickup truck out away from any of the buildings of Lana’s apartment complex. His intent was to leave the spaces closest to the buildings for the renters.

Before he grabbed his briefcase and got out, Clark checked his appearance in his rear-view mirror, and really saw himself. He’d never before cared about his appearance, or the way people saw him. One was just a tool for his job, and the other were only shallow opinions. But suddenly, he cared what someone thought. It bothered him that Lana had decried his work appearance as consisting of a ‘butt ugly suit, fake glasses, and greasy hair.’

It was too late for him to do anything about the ugly suit, but he could do something about the others. Clark slouched down low and tossed his glasses on the seat before going into Superman mode to fix his hair. He wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but when he’d taken on the role of Superman, his biological father Jor-El had given him virtually limitless control over things like his hair style and eye color. Jor-El had done it to ease his son’s transitions from citizen to Superman, and now his son was going to use it to fix his hair like it had been on the plane.

After all, Clark reasoned, there’s no sense in hiding from Lana since she already knows the real me.

One last change Clark made was to remove his tweed jacket and toss it on top of his glasses. Since he was still being a reporter, he kept his tie on, but rolled up his shirt sleeves to the elbows, a style he’d seen on many of his co-workers. Clark took a deep breath, snatched his briefcase again, and walked to Lana’s door.

It only took one knock for Lana to open the door. Clark could plainly see the distress on her face; in fact, he was vaguely worried she might slap him, but she eased that worry when she gave a strained smile and said, “Please, Clark. Won’t you come in?”

“Thank you,” he managed as he stepped inside.

Lana closed the door behind him, quite firmly, and asked if she could get him some iced tea, coffee, or a soft drink. When he declined, she led him into her living room. Since he had a briefcase and might need some extra room, she pointed him to the couch while she took the love seat.

While Clark was busy getting ready, Lana took the opportunity to say, “I’m glad to see you’ve changed your look. You look more like the man I remember from the plane.”

“There wasn’t any point in trying to keep up the charade once you’d met the real me and then seen through my disguise. But I can honestly say I’m glad you like me better this way. It cuts down on the number of people I have to be around you.”

“Your girlfriend has got to go crazy whenever you go out without her; she probably has to chase other women away with a big stick.”

This conversation was veering into uncomfortable territory for Clark. His voice became hesitant and soft, and his gaze wandered to somewhere over Lana’s shoulder. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Hazard of the job.”

“Oh,” Lana said, silently cursing herself for her stupidity in assuming that a man like Clark had to belong to someone. “I’m sorry I said…”

Clark’s eyes moved back to Lana’s, startling in their sudden intensity. “But if I had a girlfriend, she’d never have cause for a moment’s wonder.” Realizing what he’d just said, and to who, Clark’s mouth flapped open and his eyes began earnestly looking at his feet. “I shouldn’t have said…not with what I have to…please forgive me. That was completely unprofessional.” Clark began to fish around for his belongings, but when he tried to rise, Lana stretched across and pressed a hand on top of his forearm to hold him in his seat.

“Only if you’ll forgive me for taking out my anger at Jason on you yesterday. Hearing that hurt, a lot, and you were the only one within striking range. You were just trying to do your job, but I tried to humiliate you. I’m sorry.”

“Forgiven.”

“Forgiven.”

Their matching smiles held for only a moment before their minds brought them back to why Clark was here in the first place.

“Unfortunately,” Clark said, “I get the chance to hurt you all over again tonight.” He handed over the faxed copy of the autopsy report, along with another sheet of paper than showed the results of the DNA match for the semen found inside Miss Stratton’s body. His practiced finger pointed out the relevant sections before leaving Lana to do her own reading.

Clark could see her hands clenching the papers tighter and tighter. She shuffled the papers several times as her eyes went from one sheet to the other multiple times. Finally, her hands were hooked into tight claws that were on the verge of shredding the papers, when she screamed at the top of her lungs, “That ****ing bastard!! Damn him!”

The rage rolled off of Lana in waves. She’d been expecting this, if truth be told, ever since Jason had tried to explain himself to her the day before, but finding absolute proof of his infidelity had still been a shock.

What’s wrong with Jason? Lana wondered. Why isn’t he able to keep it in his pants? Can’t he wait for me? Doesn’t he love me enough? Aren’t I attractive enough?

What’s wrong with me? Do I demand too much? I don’t require that any prospective husband be a virgin, only that he refrain from sex after we become a couple. I know that might be hard for a guy who’s used to regular sex, but I’ve always made my position clear from the beginning.

Lana’s blazing anger at Jason’s betrayal shifted to tears as she thought of how much about him there was to love. He truly was dedicated to being the best state representative that he could be. She knew that. They had talked deep into the night about his desire to help his fellow Kansans; that was one of the things about him she loved most.

Besides his selflessness, she loved how sweet he was and how his money didn’t seem to matter to him. She loved that even though he was a politician and a lawyer, he was still able to let loose and have fun when it was just him and her.

Lana continued sobbing as she went through Jason’s many qualities one by one. It was as if she was saying a final good bye to a group of dear friends who had gathered to see her off. She knew she’d never get to see these particular friends again, because she had meant what she’d said yesterday: if he cheats, we’re done.

When Lana’s mind came back to the present, she found that she was holding a damp handkerchief that had magically appeared in her hand. She looked down at it and saw the letters CK neatly monogrammed in one corner and then mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to Clark, who was sitting on the edge of the couch as if ready to leap to Lana's aid at any moment.

Clark wanted to be by her side right now to give her someone to hold on to, but knew that not only would that be inappropriate, due to his professional involvement, but also that it would not likely be wanted by Lana herself. After all, she’d just learned that the man who was supposed to be closer to her than any other was unfaithful, so she’d not be likely to want a hug from a guy she barely knew.

So Clark sat there and watched Lana suffer. For once he was glad that there wasn’t a staff photographer around to catch the emotional moment. It was no one’s business but hers.

It was obvious that Lana was done crying when her sobs mutated into hiccups, which made her blush prettily. Her mascara might have been waterproof, but it apparently wasn’t tear proof, as attested to by the minor case of raccoon eyes she had going on. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was a mess, and yet there was some quality in her that shone through, something that made Clark see beauty anyway. He was angry with himself for thinking about that at a time like this, but he could just as easily resist Kryptonite as ignore her beauty.

Clark waited until Lana’s hiccups were few and far between before saying, “I wanted to interview you briefly, but given what you’ve gone through tonight, I think our article can do without.”

Clark started to gather his things and rise, but Lana stopped him once again. “Please, Clark, let me make a small statement.”

Clark nodded his head, and pulled out his digital voice recorder. When he pressed record, he asked, “Is there anything you’d like to say, Miss Lang, in response to what you’ve learned about your boyfriend, Mr. Jason Teague?”

“Yes. Thank you. First of all, Jason and I are no longer dating. He already knows this, because I promised him we were through if I ever learned he had cheated on me again.” Clark’s eyes widened upon hearing the word ‘again.’ “Second, I don’t believe Jason had anything to do with the call girl’s death. He’s not that type of man. I think someone’s setting him up to get him out of the way. Whatever Jason’s faults as a boyfriend are, I still firmly believe in his abilities as a representative in the state legislature. I know he would have done big things for Kansas in the future, but someone’s trying to stop that.”

[treker]

:)

As usual, another great chapter; I'm relieved that Lana recognized how badly she treated Clark and wanted to make amends.

It seemed to me that she secretly was trying to size up the possibility of Clark being available since she knew in her heart that Jason and her were over even if she had to wait for the evidence to be presented to her.

but, I don't agree with Lana that he's being set up....something Jason said in an earlier chapter leads me to think he's very much involved in this girl's murder......

[kenny356]

great chapter, at least Clark got to Lana before the story did. Now I am just waiting for superman to show up and I am waiting to find out if Jason was or wasn't behind this.

Needless to say though, his political career should take a hit due to his taking in the services of a call girl hours before her murder, even if the murder was tied to something else.

[clana_never_give_up]

Awesome Chapter Cardinal. :D :D

I must say I'm happy that Lana apologized for yelling at Clark.

I would have to disagree with Lana, I think Jason did kill the call girl.

[NYC300Z]

Well Lana still belives in Jason....I wonder if he deserves it? I'm glad she dumped the cheating b@$*@rd though!

PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 9

Confrontation

Now that Clark had finished what he had come to do, he decided to do something that was purely from him to his friend. No Daily Planet involved in this one, just Clark Kent. First, he needed to tell her what she’d be up against.

“Lana,” Clark said, “I need you to know that tomorrow morning, your front door is likely going to be surrounded by a phalanx of reporters, all wanting to know more about your reaction to…what Jason did to you.”

“How will they know so quickly?”

“They all send interns down to the Planet to get the earliest possible edition. This article’s already mostly done, so once Lois and I figure out how to add in your statement, we’ll be ready to go. That means this article will be in the early edition, and a story like this will drive everyone crazy.”

“Oh great!” Lana said. She closed her eyes, imagining what it was going to be like. And then there were her neighbors to consider. She knew dear old Mrs. Murphy across the hall wouldn’t appreciate a hubbub at sunrise. On the other hand, Lana thought, she might give them a good cussing. “What, exactly, can I expect?”

“A camera crew from every TV station in town. By lunch time, that may expand to include crews from every station in the state. The Planet will take the high road and leave you alone, since we’ve already got the first interview, for which I thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“But the Inquisitor will be here in force, along with the Herald.”

A groan crossed Lana’s lips at the prospect of having to face the jackals from the Inquisitor. She knew those goons had no journalistic integrity and wouldn’t hesitate to make up stories about her and Jason if they thought it would increase circulation.

“I figure that statewide print media response will be limited to the big papers in Kansas City and Wichita, along with the paper from Topeka. Again, the out-state print types will likely get here by noon.”

“God,” Lana said, “you’d think I’d just robbed Fort Knox or something.”

“Nah, sex is much more important than that,” Clark snarked. When Lana rolled her eyes, Clark went on to give her an option for escaping all of that. Or at least delaying it for awhile.

“How would you like to disappear before tomorrow morning?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can help you disappear, so that you’ll have some time to deal with this on your own before having to face the media.”

That sounded very attractive to Lana right now. She’d just poured out her emotions to Clark, but at least she kind of knew him. The idea of having to go over the intimate details of her failed relationship with complete strangers was terrifying. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that hiding wouldn’t do for her.

Hiding wasn’t Lana’s thing; facing her problems head on was. She figured that talking about Jason and the breakup was going to be like picking at a freshly scabbed wound over and over, but maybe getting all of that out of the way up front was the fastest way for her to get over it and move on with her life.

“Thanks for thinking of me, Clark,” Lana said warmly, “it’s really sweet of you, but this is something I need to fight through on my own. No one can make Jason disappear from my life but me.”

Clark was surprised by Lana’s stance, but was impressed with it at the same time. He was used to saving people. Finding someone who was determined to help herself was a refreshing change.

Clark whipped out a pencil and his notepad and quickly jotted something down. Once finished, he placed it in Lana’s palm and folded her fingers around it, before he said, “You’ve already got my work number, so here are the numbers for my home phone and my cell. Don’t hesitate to call any of the three if you change your mind.”

Clark wasted no time in leaving, both needing to get back to work on the article with Lois, and not wanting to overstay his welcome with Lana. That left Lana by herself, clutching that slip of paper, and wondering about the man who had just placed himself at her disposal.

Lana slept fitfully that night. Armed with Clark’s kind forewarning, Lana could at least anticipate what she’d be facing in the morning, but her mind seemed to want to anticipate that meeting all night long.

Come the morning, Lana showered and took her time getting ready. She wanted to present the image of a composed and put-together woman. Jason was not going to have the satisfaction of seeing her all broken up over the end of their relationship. Instead, he and everyone else would see confidence, strength, and a not inconsiderable amount of sex appeal. Make everybody wonder why he was cheating on me, Lana grinned as she applied her makeup.

Soon, Lana was leaving her apartment, looking smart in a fashionable blouse and jeans combo with a pair of butter-soft half boots peeking out from beneath the denim. With her was a box of kitchen trash bags tucked under her arm alongside her purse.

Just as Clark had predicted, the media was out in full force. Huge camera flashes were going off like roman candles, and every reporter was jostling for position to shove a microphone or digital recorder in Lana’s face to best record whatever she had to say.

The reporters were overbearing and the questions came in one right on top of another, ranging from very personal to somewhat strange. Lana fired off answers to some of the less offensive questions as she wormed her way through the crowd toward her maroon SUV. Once safely inside, Lana buckled up and then blasted her stereo to drown out the torrent of shouted questions as she pulled out of the lot.

Some of the crowd piled into their vehicles and followed Lana, while others continued to stake out her apartment. The ones following her were surprised when they realized she was headed for Teague House, where an even larger crowd of media was camped outside the gates.

Lana used her remote control that instantly opened the gates, and a team of mansion security guards kept anyone from sneaking in alongside Lana’s SUV. She parked near the front door on the mansion’s circular drive and bounded inside with her box of kitchen garbage bags in tow.

Lana began filling bag after bag with everything in her bedroom that actually belonged to her. Anything purchased by Jason, no matter how sentimental, was ruthlessly left behind. Soon, a couple of maids from the household staff were helping her, as they knew this would be the last time they’d see someone they'd come to like. Lana was done, with all of her belongings stashed in the back of her SUV, before she approached Jason’s office.

Despite her bravado with Clark the night before, Lana knew this meeting wasn’t likely to be easy, and had a chance of turning ugly. Jason was used to having things go his way. Having her dump him likely wasn’t something he had planned and him receiving official confirmation in the Daily Planet might only serve to make things worse.

Lana opened the door to the office anteroom, where Jason’s secretary Debbie had her desk, but found no one in. The door to Jason’s office was closed, and the soundproofing kept her from hearing anything, so she didn’t know if Jason was in. Maybe he’s working out of the law firm’s offices today, Lana mused. Still, he could be in and Debbie could be in his office taking dictation or something.

Lana went to Debbie’s desk and found the hidden release for Jason’s door. The door cracked opened with a soft click. She could hear something now as she approached the door. It sounded like a lot of grunting and groaning was going on, but that didn’t make sense because Jason had a fully equipped workout facility in another part of the mansion. As soon as Lana pushed the door open, she could see what was causing the grunting and groaning: Debbie bent forward over the front of Jason’s desk, with Jason bent over her.

Lana felt like she was watching a train wreck: it was something so horrifying that she didn’t want to watch it, but yet couldn’t manage to turn her head. Yep, Lana thought, Debbie’s definitely taking ‘dictation.’

Lana knew that Jason was no longer hers, so he wasn’t cheating on her now, but she couldn’t help wonder how long this might have been going on right under her nose. After all, as a flight attendant, she was out of town for three or four days in a row, so an affair would have been an easy thing for him to manage.

Lana finally managed to tear her eyes away from the live sex show, and uttered one word. She didn’t say it venomously or with any kind of hate or jealousy, she just said it as if she was stating an obvious truth. The word was: “sl*t!”

Lana drew great enjoyment from watching how fast Jason and Debbie tried to separate themselves from each other. Jason pulled out and instantly dove for his shorts and pants. Debbie whirled around and tried to cover her privates with both hands as she screeched, “I am not a sl*t. Jason’s my first in…”

Lana talked right over Debbie, completely unconcerned about what she had been saying. “I didn’t mean you, Debbie, I meant him.”

Jason looked up in surprise from trying to get his bare leg into the leg of his boxers and suit pants at the same time. The distraction was ill-timed and caused him to catch the toe of his shoe and fall toward Lana, ending up sprawled on the floor. Meanwhile, Debbie had seen her clothes and snatched them up. She held them in front of her as cover until she had moved behind the high back of Jason’s executive swivel chair, where she immediately began to dress.

Lana stepped over to where a face-down Jason was desperately trying to untangle his foot so he could pull his clothes up the rest of the way. All the while, he was sputtering, “Get out! Get out! Leave! You don’t belong here anymore.”

Lana reached into her purse, pulled out the remote control that allowed her access to the mansion grounds, and unceremoniously dropped it in the middle of Jason’s back. “I was doing just that.” Lana went for sarcasm as she continued to talk. “I see that you’re all heartbroken over our breakup, but I’m glad you’ve found someone to comfort you during this trying time.” Lana shot a look at Debbie, who had her panties and half-slip on and was just stepping into her skirt. “Debbie’s so caring, so giving of herself…”

“Just…get out!!” Jason bellowed.

As Lana began to move away and leave Jason for good, she said, “I can just see the headlines in tomorrow’s paper now: ‘Debbie Does Jason.’ Oh my, that might sell an additional million copies.

“Oh, and Jason? If you want to see how I get over you, check tomorrow’s edition of ‘Metropolis By Night’ in the Daily Planet. I’m sure to be in there somewhere.” Hurt by how quickly it appeared Jason had moved on, as if she hadn’t really meant that much to him at all, Lana was now determined to get out of her place tonight and have a good time herself. I want him to see exactly what he lost.

[shortcircuit85]

Another couple of great updates. They didn't go the way I thought, and thats why you are such a great writer. Can't wait to see how the night on the town goes for Lana, do I sense a Superman rescue coming?

Keep up the great work.

Thanks,

[trojan20]

cant wait for the next chapter

[treker]

I come home from work and find a wonderful gift....thanks steve.

yes...I guess debbie does take wonderful 'dictation' very funny line.

You're such a wonderful writer, steve; I'm always sorry to come to the end of an update because I always want more.

Lookin forward to the next chapter....

[clana_never_give_up]

Oh wow, Jason really didn't have much feelings for Lana.....what a bum. :mad:

Good thing Lana left him. :D

[NYC300Z]

Jason's an even bigger idiot than I thought and I already thought he was a huge idiot.....Can't wait to see what Lana has in mind!

PPMS!

[The Black Cat]

Great chapter. Can't wait for more!!!

[CaptainObvious]

Nice chapter. Lana is tougher than I thought in this story. I wonder where she'll end up tonight? If she gets into trouble, she may decide to call one of Clarks phone numbers for help. I'd prefer a Clark rescue versus a Superman rescue so the whole trust factor builds in Clarks favor.

[Cardinal]

Chapter 10

On the Town

As Lana drove out of the grounds of Teague House, for what she believed would be the last time, she wanted to go out and grab some lunch. Seeing in her rearview mirror that she was being followed by what she assumed were several news crews, Lana headed home. She didn’t want to cause a scene in public until late that night.

When she reached her apartment complex, she saw that the police had been called in and that the news people had been moved off of the apartment complex’s property. Two patrolmen were standing by with their police cruisers to make sure the news crews stayed there.

Lana walked up carrying the first bag of her belongings and saw Mrs. Murphy sitting on her porch in an aluminum-framed lawn chair whose seat was woven with green and blue nylon straps. Mrs. Murphy started to cackle when she saw Lana, but was stopped by a fierce coughing spell. Lana set down the bag and gave her beloved neighbor a baleful glare.

“Mrs. M,” Lana said firmly, “I see you’ve been smoking again. I know that handsome doctor of yours ordered you to quit.”

“But if I quit, I might get better and then I won’t have an excuse to go in and see that handsome doctor.” Mrs. Murphy eyed Lana a little bit too casually, which instantly put her on guard. “You know, now that the Daily Planet says you’re single again, I could introduce you to him.”

“No thanks, Mrs. M.” Lana smiled, as she picked up the bag again. “My next boyfriend will be chosen after careful consideration…and more background checks than they perform on the average Supreme Court nominee.”

Lana stopped on her way out for a second bag, gestured to the distant media corps, and asked, “How’d the police get involved?”

“Someone called the complex’s manager and reminded her that we have a no solicitation policy here. She talked to the media to try to get them to leave, and when that didn’t work, she called the cops. They just got here a few minutes ago.” Mrs. Murphy took a long drink of her sweet tea. “Oh, it was beautiful, Lana! You shoulda heard the grumbling when the cops threatened to start arresting people for trespassing on private property.”

“I can only imagine,” Lana said with a smile. “Remember to thank that someone for me, okay Mrs. M?”

A quick nod from Mrs. Murphy was the only acknowledgment she’d ever give that she’d been the one to get the ball rolling. Once Lana had brought her belongings inside, she began calling around to see if any of her friends were up for a girls’ night out. She wanted a night of fun to show Jason up, but she knew if she was going back downtown for late night partying, there would be safety in numbers, plus, she’d be able to lean on her friends a bit and vent about her cheating ex when the pressure got to be too much.

Nelle and Renee from work both said yes, as well as a former flight attendant they all knew who was now in business school at Met U. Her name was Fiona, and though she’d once been an integral part of the gang, school and a part-time job kept them from seeing her very often these days.

When Lana hung up, she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d hung out with any girls who weren’t flight attendants. I have got to get out more and meet a wider range of people someday.

Lana ate a light lunch and then spent her afternoon sorting through her bags of stuff, deciding what she needed to keep and then further deciding what she had room for in the apartment and what had to go to storage. The refuse she bundled up and took back outside to the complex’s trash dumpster. I wonder if any of those clowns is going to sneak back here at night to try to rummage through my trash. I hope so, they won’t find anything the least bit useful.

Not wanting to take the time to go out and get something for dinner, Lana ordered a meal of delivery Chinese food, which she ate quickly before beginning the hours long process of getting ready to go out on the town, and on a night like tonight, nothing less than looking her absolute best would do.

After a fresh shower, Lana worked on her hair. Taking Clark’s compliment from two days ago to heart, she left it down, styling it in shining waves, with a few loose curls here and there. She also spent an inordinate amount of time, for her at least, putting on her makeup and getting it just right. She felt like Goldilocks, wanting not too much or too little, but just the right amount to create the best effect. Her last step before dressing was a judicious use of body spray that matched her shower gel.

Knowing that for her, being sexy started with feeling sexy, Lana went all the way with her clothing choices. Lacy black thong panties topped with a black lace garter belt and sheer black thigh-high stockings were her foundation. Over her lingerie went a strapless full slip, and over that went a slinky little black cocktail dress, the hem of which didn’t cover the tops of her stockings by much. Just before running out the door, Lana dabbed on a little of her best perfume, stuffed a few essentials into a little black clutch purse, grabbed a light wrap just in case, and jammed her tiny feet into four-inch spike heels. They were murder on her feet, but she loved the way they made her legs look.

Tonight was all about her and making her feel good. She wanted men to stop and stare as she walked by. She wanted them to attempt to buy her drinks and ask her to dance. She already knew she’d turn away all of the drinks, and most of the men, but for one night, she wanted to feel attractive again. Lana knew she looked as hot as she could manage, but she still wanted that validation, that ego boost, that could only come from making men drool.

The other girls met Lana at the local Wal-Mart, which was always a safe, well-lit location to park their cars. As the other three women climbed into Lana’s SUV, the only car of the four large enough for all of them, Lana looked around the parking lot as she pulled out and saw at least two vehicles following her that she recognized as belonging to the news crews that had been stalking her earlier at her place. Good! Someone will get a good shot or two of me looking like this. I hope Jason’s got a bib.

Lana had surveyed her friends as they stepped into her SUV, and was sure that they would have the men howling at any club they chose to visit. There was Nelle with her exotic brown-eyed, chocolate-skinned Filipino good looks, Renee, who looked like a prototype of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Swedish ideal, and Fiona, whose Irish heritage showed up in her blazing red hair, sparkling green eyes, and lightly-freckled complexion.

“Ladies,” Lana said as the SUV pulled onto the expressway, “we are going to knock ‘em dead.”

Soon, Lana was driving down the expressway that led to a bridge that crossed the West River into the New Troy borough of Metropolis. The girls were planning on clubbing in the Little Bohemia district of New Troy. Most people could stand behind the velvet rope for hours at each of those clubs, just hoping to get in, but Lana knew that four women dressed like they were would have no trouble getting in immediately. She paid the toll at the beginning of the bridge, and returned the tollbooth operator’s leer with a wink and a sultry smile as she pulled onto the bridge. She couldn’t help it, she just felt like having fun with being a woman tonight.


**********

At about the time Lana had been finishing up sorting her bags of stuff from Jason’s place, Clark and Chloe had been at Metropolis International Airport waiting for Lois’ flight to land. It appeared there wasn’t going to be much more to work on, story-wise, for the moment, so Lois had opted to come home. She bounded off the jetway bursting with enthusiasm.

As always, she pulled Chloe into a hug first. Since an increasingly bitter and uncommunicative General Sam Lane had retired to a small cottage along the Maine coastline, and since Lucy hadn’t been seen or heard from in years, Chloe was effectively Lois’ only family, as well as being her closest friend. The two cousins shared almost everything; one of the notable exceptions to that was standing next to them at this very moment.

Clark was next, and as always, Lois never quite knew what to do with him. First, they tried to shake hands like a couple of guys, before Chloe shoved Clark into an awkward hug.

“Good work out in Vegas, Lois,” Clark said.

“Thanks, Clark,” Lois said, “but I have to admit it wasn’t all that hard this time. I thought I was going to have to sneak in and steal a copy of the autopsy, but I ran into a junior lab technician who apparently had a conscience attack about what had happened to the hooker and who wanted the details to get out.”

“No bribes? No hints at how ‘grateful’ a beautiful woman could be?”

Chloe swatted Clark’s arm for making that last comment, even though they all knew Lois wasn’t above hinting that she might be willing to trade sex for help.

“Nope. The really strange thing was that he chose me instead of someone from the Las Vegas paper. It’s like it was personal or something and the guy wanted to make sure that the people in Teague’s hometown read about it.”

The three of them were now waiting at baggage claim for Lois’ luggage to come down. “From what I’ve read,” Chloe said, “there isn’t enough information to indict, much less convict, anyone other than the killer himself. So releasing the autopsy, along with the already available security footage from the Bellagio, would seem to indicate a desire to damage, or even destroy, Jason Teague’s reputation.”

“Yeah,” Clark said, “Jason doesn’t have to be found guilty for his political career to be destroyed. He just has to have his squeaky clean reputation ruined.”

“But how would a young guy from Vegas even know who Jason Teague is?” Lois wondered. “Sure, those of us in the know here in Kansas knew that he was likely going to run for the U.S. Senate next year, but right now he’s just a Kansas State Representative. Hardly the type to attract attention in a city like Las Vegas.”

The three of them brooded while awaiting Lois’ luggage. It wasn’t until they were on their way out to Chloe’s Saturn Aura gas-electric hybrid, with Clark carrying both suitcases and Lois carrying her carryon bag, that Chloe finally said what they all were thinking.

“Who wants to bet that someone wants Jason Teague out of the way?”

“Yeah,” Clark said, “that’s what his girlfriend said when I talked to her. She knows he cheated on her, but she was sure he hadn’t killed the girl.”

“Now hold on,” Lois replied, “just because we think someone may have made sure that I got a copy of the autopsy, it doesn’t mean that Teague didn’t order the hooker’s death. He still could have done it. All we know is someone made sure his reputation was destroyed, whether or not he was ever convicted of having the hooker murdered.”

“You know,” Chloe said, as she unlocked the trunk and then the doors, “if Edward and Genevieve Teague were still alive, they never would have let something like this happen. Those were two of the more powerful and conniving people ever.”

“Jason inherited their money,” Clark agreed, as he put Lois’ luggage into the trunk and closed the lid, “but not their power, connections, or utter ruthlessness.”

Due to his size, Clark got to sit up front next to Chloe so he could push the seat back to get enough leg room. Lois took the back seat, sitting right in the middle so she could see both Chloe and Clark.

Lois tucked her tongue in one cheek, a sure sign of deep thought, as Chloe started the drive home. “So…who do we know around here who does have power, connections, and utter ruthlessness?”

That question was as rhetorical as asking if Perry White liked good stories that were well written and turned in on time. Clark and Chloe answered Lois in unison: “Lex Luthor.”

No one wanted to ruin the rest of their night by talking about Lex, so Lois changed the subject. “I don’t know about you two, but I intend to go out partying tonight to celebrate.”

“Celebrate what, Lois?” Clark asked, with great irritation. The idea of maybe being manipulated into doing Lex’s dirty work rankled him.

“Oh, come on, Smallville,” Lois replied. “Even if Teague didn’t have the hooker killed, we still proved he was cheating on his girlfriend and paying an expensive hooker to do it. There’s not much that’s better than taking down a politician who’s always portrayed himself as being squeaky clean.”

Chloe was up for a night of fun and quickly agreed to join Lois. Lois then looked at Clark, and said, “Come on, Smallville. Join us. We’re celebrating our success, so you have to come with us.”

“Yeah, Clark,” Chloe said, eyes dancing merrily, “maybe this way you can forget about that woman you met and find someone that’s just for you.”

Clark pursed his mouth in anger at Chloe for letting that out, but Lois’ eyes and mouth opened wide as she looked back at her cousin. “Wait a minute! You mean to tell me that big, tall, and goofy over here met someone? When? And why wasn’t it on the front page of the Planet?” Clark rolled his eyes just as Lois began to check out his clothes, and saw he was the same fashion disaster as always. “But you can only come along if you do something about those clothes.” She looked over to Chloe. “We’d never get past the front door of any club with Dilbert here tagging along.”

“Don’t worry, Lois,” Chloe assured her, “I’ll make sure Clark dresses appropriately.”

“Are you sure he’s got anything in his closet that’ll work?” Lois asked dubiously, as if Clark wasn’t sitting with them.

“Yes, Lois,” Chloe replied. “I’m sure he does, and I’ll walk down to his place after I’m ready, just to make sure he’s up to your standards.”

Lois nodded her head as if that was how things should be. Clark was offended enough that he was just about to announce he had no intention of going out with them, when Chloe reached across and patted his forearm to cool him off.

And so it was that after Chloe was pleased with her own appearance, she walked four buildings down to Clark’s apartment, at 344 Clinton St., Apt. #3B, to help him with any fashion dilemmas he might have.

Chloe was so happy, for the umpteenth time, that Clark had moved in just down the street from her building when he’d come to town. He’d needed something cheap, and Chloe had found this opening, which had been cheap, at least by Metropolis’ standards. Now that he could afford something better, Clark chose to stay where he was because it was neat and the low cost allowed him to save a fair chunk of his paycheck. Also, he was home so infrequently for anything other than sleep, that a bigger apartment would be a waste.

After Clark buzzed Chloe through the security door, he used his super-hearing to follow her progress up to his third floor apartment while he tried to find something in his closet and chest-of-drawers that would look good enough to keep Lois from biting his head off. Clark heard Chloe approach his door and stepped over to open it before she could knock.

“You know I hate it when you do that, Clark,” Chloe said, as she stepped into the room and Clark closed the door behind her. “It’s spooky to have the door open automatically like that, even when I know ahead of time that it’s going to happen.”

“Aww…come on, Chloe. It can’t be that bad.”

“Says you,” Chloe shot back. “In a building this old, having doors open that way is like being in a haunted mansion.”

Chloe immediately headed for Clark’s clothes to see what she had to work with. She knew he looked hot wearing any of his fitted tees, and she was pretty sure that if he wore one tonight, Lois would suffer a case of whiplash as she tried to follow Clark’s movement around the room. But for tonight, Chloe wanted a look that was even hotter than that. She was tired of Lois taking shots at Clark’s appearance, and she was pretty sure Clark was tired of it too, so her goal was to make Lois drool and wonder how she’d ever managed to not notice Clark’s potential before now.

As Chloe rummaged through Clark’s closet, another reason for keeping him out of tight t-shirts when around Lois went through her mind: Lois had seen Superman’s chest and abs plenty of times. They didn’t need to give her any chances to compare Clark’s t-shirt-clad chest with her memories of Superman’s spandex-clad chest.

Chloe found two or three hopefuls among Clark’s button-up shirts. She held them up one by one in front of him, trying to imagine how they’d look as he walked through a dimly-lit club. It didn’t take long for her to settle on a black, short-sleeved shirt. Gotta let a pair of arms like his have some breathing room, Chloe thought. Her second thought had been to wonder how he’d ever gotten a hold of a shirt that nice in the first place.

A good pair of jeans, that looked broken in but not worn out, were chosen next. When Clark wondered about a belt, Chloe slapped his hands away from that drawer, saying that since she was shooting for sexy tonight, he wasn’t allowed a belt.

“Why not?” asked a clearly puzzled Clark.

“Because, we want these jeans to ride a little bit low on your hips.”

“Uh…we do?”

“Yes, Clark,” Chloe asserted. “We, as in, every woman old enough to be inside a club with you tonight, wants to see you loosen up a bit. Show off that bod a little bit. Be a bad boy for once.” Chloe turned around for a second to allow Clark to speed into her choice of clothes. When she turned back around, she spotted the crew neck of a white t-shirt under the black shirt and quietly shook her head. “Ace the t-shirt, Clark.”

“Umm…why?”

“Because, when your arms reach skyward, it’ll give the girls a quick peek at those glorious abs of yours.” Clark blurred in front of Chloe to remove the t-shirt. When he was done, she reached down and untucked the black shirt all around. “Tucking that in just defeats the purpose of what I’ve been trying to do here.” At least he’s already wearing a nice pair of boxers. Giving the slightest peek of those won’t be bad at all.

“Sorry.”

Chloe eyed his black shirt one more time and asked, “Where the heck did you get something like that anyway?”

“Not sure,” Clark replied. “I think it might have ended up in my closet during one of Alicia’s frequent attempts at modernizing my wardrobe.”

“Well then, you have another reason to remember her fondly. She definitely knew what she was doing when she decided to put you in black.”

Despite how hot Clark looked, Chloe could sense that something wasn’t quite right. It took her a minute to realize that it was his hair. It was so neat that it looked like he’d gone to the Opie Taylor School of Hair Dressing.

“Lean down,” Chloe ordered. When Clark complied, Chloe ruffled both hands through his thick ebon locks, thoroughly messing his hair and giving him something of a shaggy look. “Now, I know about your ability to control your appearance, including your hair, so keep it just like that. The girls won’t be able to resist running their fingers through it.”

Chloe finally stepped back to take in the complete makeover. He was definitely ready. It was times like these that made her wonder, just a little bit, if she’d made the right choice back in high school when she'd decided to just be his friend.

Just before they left his apartment, Clark dabbed on a little bit of cologne. Chloe was delighted to see it was the bottle she’d given him last Christmas.

“I thought you weren’t a big fan of that scent, Clark.”

“I wasn’t,” he replied, “but I was wearing it when I came home from the Maldives, and…Lana really liked it.”

Lana…hmm. “You know she’s available now.”

“Yeah. She is. But I have no interest in being her rebound guy.” Clark shrugged his shoulders. “And anyway, we’re still working on the story about her ex, so that kind of puts the ixnay on dating her.” Clark checked the time on his wristwatch. “Lois is late. I swear she’ll be fifteen minutes late to her own funeral.”

Lois stepped out of a cab not five minutes later. She didn’t have to be let in, as Clark and Chloe were already waiting for her. Chloe came out first, and Lois noted her clothes with approval. But when Clark stepped out of the doorway next, Lois blinked twice, as if not quite able to believe what she was seeing. Chloe was off to one side, completely enjoying the look of befuddlement on Lois’ face as she tried to get her mind around the concept of Clark Kent being a hottie.

No glasses, Lois thought, no ill-fitting clothes, arms like something out of a body-building magazine, and that hair! Jesus, Clark, where have you been hiding all this time?

When Lois finally collected her thoughts, she tried to pretend that Clark’s appearance was nothing less than what she had expected. “Are we taking a cab or are we driving?”

“Driving,” Chloe said. “I hate trying to get a cab at two or three a.m.”

Lois smiled. “Little Bohemia here we come.”

[treker]

:D I love friday gifts....now, on to the update

I loved Lois comparing Clark to Dilbert....very funny.

So, everyone is on a collison course...is Lois going to start having feelings for Clark after seeing how hot he is? And will Lana and Lois butt heads over Clark?

I'm surprised that Clark let the little jab Chloe gave him over Lana pass so easily......

[Nemu]

sooo... Lana will be able to drool a little and Clark too...

hmmm... not sure what Chloe tried to do there with "zeroing" the chances that lois might compare clark to supes... but at the same time making her drool...

anyway...

Good update... PPMS!!!

[clana_never_give_up]

Ohh, this should be fun.

Clark and Lana will be drooling over each other. ;)

[trojan20]

i reeeeeeeeally cant wait for the next update, pleeease hurry!

[basketballstar23]

i just started reading and its great! PPMS! :)

[Cardinal]

Why thank you, basketballstar23. I haven't seen you on one of my fics in quite some time. It's nice to have you here. :)

And as for you, trojan20, I'm writing the next chapter right now.

And treker? Clark might have answered Chloe's stab at his romantic plight, except that the flow of the conversation moved away from that before he could. Maybe he will later, though I kinda doubt it.

[basketballstar23]

it's nice to be here. i need to catch up on my smallville. it's been a while lol.

can't wait for your update! :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 11

Static Buildup

One look at the four hotties making their way toward the velvet rope was all the chief doorman needed to wave them over and grant them instant admission to Europa, the trendiest new club in the artsy Little Bohemia section of New Troy.

Making sure the club was as full of attractive women as possible was the man’s primary job, and it had a two-fold purpose. First, the more gorgeous women there were inside, the more likely the men were to buy drinks for those women as part of a never-ending cycle of attempts at getting laid. Second, the more hot women there were tonight would cause those same men to go back and talk to their friends, which would help generate a larger number of guys for tomorrow night and beyond.

The club was fairly active, but the girls had gotten there early enough to claim a booth on the upper level that had a commanding view of the bar and the primary dance floor. There was a VIP room one floor up, but they all knew the only way they’d be going there was as the arm candy of someone famous, and that’s not what they were here for this evening.

All three of Lana’s friends had read about her breakup with Jason in the Daily Planet that morning. When she’d called them, asking to go out, they’d all hurriedly agreed, with both Nelle and Fiona having to then break previous engagements so they could go. They all knew why they were there, but none of the other three would even mention Jason’s name unless Lana did first. She’d said she wanted to have a good time, and they were going to oblige her.

Lana was limiting herself to one alcoholic drink, which she ordered from a waitress as soon as they sat down. The first, and public, reason was that she was the driver, so she needed to stay sober. Her private reason was that she knew how she reacted to booze. Any more than one strong drink, without a reasonable amount of food to go with it, and her decision-making skills disappeared, to the point that her virginity would be in danger. The good thing for her was that her body metabolized alcohol almost as quickly as it affected her, so that while she got drunk quickly, she sobered up just as fast.

It wasn’t long before complimentary drinks started arriving at the table from supposedly fervent admirers, including one for Renee that was from another woman. That drink, along with a number of others, was turned down, but enough of the guys looked like decent prospects that the women accepted some of the drinks sent their way. And if the guys then came over and managed to keep from making complete fools of themselves, they’d get a dance and a chance to prove they deserved something more.

Sometimes a guy would come over without feeling the need to first liquor up the woman who had caught his eye. Lana appreciated this kind of approach, as it showed the man had confidence in himself, even if it was sometimes too much confidence. She was practiced at letting guys down easy, but thankfully, didn’t have to do that too often without at least giving the guy a shot on the dance floor.

Lana was having fun dancing to the pulsating sounds of the DJ’s mixes of the latest in danceable hits, but none of the guys had that special something that was going to make her forget Jason anytime soon, so she thanked each one for the dance with an easy grace before slipping away to rejoin her friends.

The club had become more crowded, and much hotter, by the time Clark, Chloe, and Lois showed up. Clark had wanted to drive his truck since it was old and unlikely to be stolen, while Chloe’s Saturn was brand-new. Chloe wasn’t having it, however, as taking Clark’s truck would relegate her to the uncomfortable position of straddling the drivetrain hump since she was the smallest of the three. Then, Chloe’d had to find a parking space to her liking, which she finally did, but one that was a full block and a half away.

As they headed toward the door to Europa, Clark marveled at the differences between the two cousins. The highlight of Chloe’s outfit was a skirt that rose several inches above her knee, but was in no way scandalous. She knew it was a decent skirt, but considered it a bold move on her part anyway since she hated showing her legs.

But when compared to Lois, Chloe had nothing to worry about. Lois was wearing a stretchy band of fabric called a micro-mini that could only charitably be called a skirt. Clark supposed he should be grateful she had decided on a somewhat modest blouse to complete her ensemble.

Trying to look like one big happy family, Clark slipped an arm around each of the women as they neared the line. Lois then steered them toward the front of the line, the why of which became readily apparent when she started flirting with one of the bouncers.

The chief doorman had been evaluating the three of them as they approached. The short blonde was a definite cutie, but by herself she'd be waiting in line for a long time. The brunette was taller, with much better legs and the nerve to show them. On her own, she’d be a borderline decision which would be made based on her personality. The guy, however, looked to be a male model who was new to town. The doorman knew from experience that the women inside would go ga-ga over this one. They might even buy drinks for him. He was easily the prize of the trio, but with his arms around the other two, it was clear they were a package deal. The chief doorman didn’t even have to say anything. A slight nod of his head was enough for his men to open the velvet rope and allow the three inside.

“See, Clark?” Lois said, as they entered the front door and were blasted by waves of sound and heat. “All I had to do was flirt with the guy and he let us in.”

Chloe’d never gotten into a trendy nightclub that fast before and was busy soaking up the atmosphere, so she’d missed Lois’ brag. Clark had heard it, but didn’t really care. He’d done what they wanted and now they were here.

Europa was the kind of club where the waitresses tended to be even hotter than most of the female patrons. When told by one such waitress that tables and booths were in short supply, Clark slipped her a fifty, turned on the Kent charm, and asked her nicely to find one. He’d taken pains to hit the ATM for a large roll of cash because he knew from any number of experiences that a generous application of money tended to grease the squeaky wheel. Minutes later, the trio had a corner booth on the lower level. It wasn’t too near the main dance floor, but it was conveniently close to the restrooms.

“Why is it so hot in here?” Chloe said, just loud enough to be heard over the noise.

“Look around,” Clark replied. “All these bodies are packed into a small area, dancing like there’s no tomorrow, with hot-running spotlights and stereo equipment. I’ll bet they’ve got their air-conditioning equipment running at full blast, but it doesn’t have a hope of keeping up. Not tonight anyway.”

Not wanting to wait for some Lothario to offer her a syrupy girly drink, Lois put in her order for a Seven and Seven before heading to the restroom. Chloe liked fruity chick drinks, however, and thus asked for a Strawberry Daiquiri before following her cousin.

Clark had long since given up on wondering why women went to the restroom as often as they did, or even why they tended to do it in packs. When asked by the suddenly solicitous waitress what he’d be having, he just told her to bring him something she thought he’d like.

Before either Lois or Chloe could return, or the waitress could return with the drinks, which he’d paid for with two more twenties, two identical platinum blondes slid into either side of Clark’s booth, trapping him between them. He wasn’t sure, but it looked to him like they had less fabric on the two of them combined than Chloe had on by herself. And what that tiny bit of fabric was trying, and failing, to conceal was threatening to spill out everywhere. The women slid closer to Clark, until they each had a long, tanned leg pressed up against one of his.

“Hi there, Handsome,” the first woman said, as she rubbed his exposed arm. Clark turned slightly toward her and said an uncomfortable hello in return. The second woman took advantage of Clark’s momentary distraction to place a hand on his abs and begin rubbing. It wasn’t until she cooed that a greatly confused Clark realized her hand was under his shirt and was starting to head south.

Clark had just caught hold of the second woman’s hand and had pulled it from under his shirt when Lois abrasively announced her return. “Hey, Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee! Get the hell away from him, and get out of our booth while you’re at it.”

Chloe was somewhat behind Lois and couldn’t really hear her, but the balled fists she could see were a sure indication that Lois was ready to fight. Not good, Chloe thought, considering she hasn’t had anything to drink yet. Chloe rushed to Lois’ side and quickly assessed the situation the same way Lois had: Clark was about to be eaten alive by two barracudas if they didn’t do something. Protecting Clark always seemed to kick in Chloe’s latent mothering instincts, which in this case meant protecting her child from a danger he didn’t know how to handle.

When the twins saw that Lois and Chloe were prepared to put up a fight, possibly literally, they released Clark and slid away. But before they left, the second girl looked back at Clark, and said, “Sweetness, when you’re tired of the fumblings of Trying Too Hard and Not Trying Hard Enough over there, come find us and we’ll make it worth your while.” The first blonde merely blew Clark a kiss so sensuous that Chloe thought it should have counted as a lewd act all by itself.

“Jeez, Smallville,” Lois said in wonderment, “I pop into the women’s room just long enough to powder my nose, and you just about get molested by identical copies of STD Barbie.”

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle at the combination of Lois’ choice phrasing and Clark’s dumbfounded expression. Maybe now I know why he’s always hidden himself. Letting him loose like this is like lighting matches in a fireworks factory.

The waitress came back fairly quickly after that which surprised Lois, who was used to slow service at a club like this. Lois got her Seven and Seven, Chloe got her Strawberry Daiquiri, and then the waitress set a tumbler of single-malt Scotch in front of Clark. He just looked at the 86-proof drink, which wouldn’t affect him in the least, and asked curiously why she thought this was the right drink for him.

“Because it’s the best. Smooth. Full-bodied. Something you take your time with.” The girl then tapped the paper coaster she’d placed under his drink and walked away. Curious, Clark flipped over the coaster. On the bottom side it said, “Like me.” Added to that tag line was a phone number and a name.

When Clark showed it to the women, Chloe said, “I’ll say she’s smooth.”

“What about full-bodied?” Clark asked, with mock innocence. He knew he was going to get punched on the shoulder for asking that, but was surprised when both women hit him at the same time.

Chloe and Lois immediately began debating whether or not they’d have to always have one of them by his side for his protection. Clark was half-listening to them until he caught a fleeting glimpse of a heavenly apparition wafting her way through the crowd. Dark hair, darker clothes, and light skin were all he was able to identify, but there was something about the way she moved that made his senses tingle. His mind dropped completely out of the conversation going on around him as he craned his neck in an attempt at locating her.

When that didn’t avail him, and with Chloe and Lois seated on opposite sides of him, Clark’s only option was to reach back, put his arms on the seatback, and lift himself from underneath the table, to where he was standing on the seat itself. Lois was impressed with the show of strength, but Chloe knew it was more than that. He must have spotted someone.

Clark’s new vantage point gave him the angle to pick out his angel on the dance floor. Her face was turned away from him, but what he could see made it plain she was a good dancer and seemed to be enjoying herself. Clark made no bones about the fact that he was totally checking the woman out, even if all he could see was a cascade of shimmering dark brown hair, a short black dress that flared over her hips and clung tightly to her buns, and an occasional glimpse of what appeared to him to be the most amazing pair of legs he’d ever seen encased in sheer black stockings.

When the song was over, Clark could see the guy motioning toward the bar, but he smiled tightly to himself when the woman turned the guy down with a shake of her head. The guy’s disappointment was easy to see, but he didn’t look angry, which told Clark she hadn’t been an ass about it. That gave him hope. He hadn’t really intended to dance with anyone other than Chloe or maybe Lois, and only then if they made him, but for some inexplicable reason he found himself drawn to this woman, as if she commanded him completely.

Clark sat back down, gunned down his drink in one mouthful, and asked Chloe to let him out. He’d seen which set of stairs his black angel was headed toward, and he wanted to be the next guy to ask her for a dance.

Lois, being Lois, was duly impressed by the way Clark slammed the Scotch, even though it really was a drink for sipping, and both women were curious to see where he was going. They followed his progress through the crowd, mainly by watching his head as it bobbed farther and farther away. When Chloe and Lois saw him reappear as he ascended the stairs, they looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously, hoping he’d be okay.

When Clark reached the upper level, he stopped long enough to locate the object of his desire. The upper level was small, consisting of one row of booths, a narrow walkway, and a safety railing. He spotted that unmistakable hair seated at a booth halfway down the walkway, and made his move.

Lana was facing away from Clark, with Renee, Nelle, and Fiona completing the half circle in their booth, so Fiona spotted Clark first. She could tell he was well over six feet tall and thickly muscled, with the most wonderful black hair. The rest of his details were obscured by distance, poor lighting, and the slight haze caused by the incessant smoking of a number of the club’s patrons. Still, to Fiona’s practiced eyes, the man exuded pure sex, and she found herself sitting up straighter, biting her lips to plump them, and pulling loose strands of hair behind her ears, all without conscious thought.

Nelle was next to see Clark as he drew near, but though she was as attracted to him as Fiona was, the conditions kept her from recognizing him from the flight the other night. Clark didn’t come into Renee’s view until he was standing almost next to Lana, and his sudden appearance gave her a mild case of the hiccups, which embarrassed her to no end.

Lana had known that someone special was coming by the time Nelle started to react. She was curious to see the guy that could make those two women act like high school freshmen at their first dance, but decided to play it cool by not looking until he stepped into her view. That plan changed when Nelle finally got a good, close look at Clark and leaned over to Lana to whisper, “Lana, it’s 20A!”

At first, hearing that meant nothing to her, but it took only a second for her to realize what Nelle had to mean: the guy looming over her right shoulder was none other than Clark. She looked up just as he came to a stop, right at the middle of the semi-circular table, and said, as off-handedly as she could manage, “Oh hi, Clark.”

“Um…hi, Lana!” Clark replied. He was flabbergasted to learn that his black angel was none other than Lana Lang. But he guessed he should have known, since no other woman had ever had an effect on him like she had the past few days.

Lana was busy drinking in the details of Clark’s appearance. The last time she’d seen him, he’d looked nice, but this was something else. She had to swallow twice to keep her watering mouth from drooling down her chin, and her hands were just itching to get lost in his thick, shaggy hair.

Clark was about to ask for a dance when Lana felt a sharp jab in her ribs from Renee‘s elbow. That made her realize there were three other women who all would likely want to be introduced, a duty which she handled with aplomb.

“Clark, this Renee Dahlgren, Nelle Dangkulos, and Fiona Connolly.” She then turned to her friends. “Girls, this is Clark Kent.”

Pleasant greetings were exchanged between the four of them, with Clark turning on the Kent charm because he wanted Lana’s friends to like him. He didn’t have to worry too much about that, he'd had them at hello. When Clark returned his attention to Lana, she was more than ready to dance with him, so his question barely made it out of his mouth before she agreed.

Clark held out his hand, which Lana took as she rose from her seat. Once again, they felt a charge pass through their bodies as their hands touched, though this one was stronger by far than what they’d felt on the plane. Each looked at their still clasped hands in amazement, as Lana’s friends looked on.

“That…that wasn’t just static, was it?” Clark asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Lana replied, “it felt like something more. Much more.”

[NYC300Z]

1st! That chapter was amazing loved the detail! The ending was just perfect! Can't wait to see what happens when the two of them dance! Thanks for the bday update!

PPMS!;):cool:

[kenny356]

well that's nifty.

Now of course since he keeps soming up around Lana looking well, like normal instead of geeky old clark kent, how long will it take for her to put two and two together and realize he is Superman.

On a sidenote, when will Superman show up in this story?

[Nemu]

that was sweet... lol Clark spotting her and then going to get her was pretty straight forward for him...

That was good!!!

PPMS!!!!

[basketballstar23]

oh my gosh. that was so good! i'm dying to read more! :)

[trojan20]

another great chapter but u gotta stop teasin us like that, how are u gonna stop right there....
now i reeeeeaaally cant wait for the next chapter and i hope theres gonna be a catfight between lana and lois for clark or at least some jealousy and competition.
keep up the great work and im lookin forward to the next one;)

[CaptainObvious]

Oh gosh Cardinal....write the next chapter quick! I'm dying to now how the rest of the evening will go! Will Lois see Clark even more attractive once she sees him dancing with Lana and not her? Will Chloe defect Lois from Clark knowing he feels something for Lana?

I anxiously await the next chapter!

[clana_never_give_up]

Wow, sounds like Clark and Lana will be having fun on the dance floor. :)

[CaptainObvious]

I'm ready for the next update. Hint...Hint

[Leopard1789]

Oh please make lois crush on clark, it would be so funny. Can't wait for Superman to appear, and see lana start to put the pieces together. Ur stories so good your such a brilliant writter, u could so go pro!

[basketballstar23]

i'm seriously like dying to read more. i love it! so if you could please...update when you can? lol i'm just loving this story :)

[tygershot]

It's been a long time since I posted, but a Cardinal fic has brought me out of my funk! Great job as usual Card!!! PPMS!!!!

[CaptainObvious]

I'm still waiting patiently for the next update. In the meantime, anyone have ideas on what song they might dance to? Hmmm.....to many to choose from!

[NYC300Z]

PPMS!

[Clana227]

PPMS Can't wait for more

[Cardinal]

Chapter 12

Yes or No

Unwilling to let Clark’s hand go, Lana headed for the dance floor, pulling Clark along behind her down the narrow walkway. She’d come here to have fun and start putting Jason behind her. As far as she was concerned, some one-on-one time with tall, dark, and freaking gorgeous was exactly what the doctor ordered. As for Clark, he was just as happy as Lana was to keep their hands clasped. Sure, he had told Chloe that he didn’t want to be Lana’s rebound, but this was just a dance…wasn’t it?

The two of them clattered down the industrial-strength metal stairs, with Lana still in the lead, before coming to an unexpected stop at the bottom. It only took Clark a second to see why: they were faced with a virtual wall of dancers, leaving little room for the two of them to worm their way out onto the dance floor. A set of speakers was so close to them that Clark had to shout to make himself heard.

“I guess we’ll have to wait ‘til this song is over, then I’ll make us a path.”

Lana nodded her agreement just as someone came barreling down the stairs behind them. The guy, who was in a rush to reach the restroom before he barfed, slammed into Clark’s back. Clark obviously wasn’t hurt, but he was knocked off balance and into Lana’s back. Without thought, he instantly freed his hand from her light grip, wrapped both arms around her torso, and hunched over her body as he moved both of them out of the way of any additional traffic. That left them pressed tightly together, almost spooning vertically, with his nose pressed down into the top of her soft, wavy hair.

Being that close to Lana allowed her scents to overcome the smells of smoke, sweat, and spilled beer that were otherwise predominant in the club. The heavenly assault on Clark’s senses made his arms, which until then had been protectively stiff, relax briefly into a warm embrace before he even realized what he was doing.

Lana felt the jolt of the guy’s hurried passing, and saw him out of the corner of her eye as Clark moved her out of harm’s way. She realized he’d handled her as if she weighed nothing. Granted, she didn’t weight much, but still, she wasn’t used to being handled like a loaf of bread. And then there was the fact that he had turned them in such a way that she was against the wall, with his body between her and everyone else in the room. To her surprise, his preemptive action warmed her heart and gave her a feeling of security, as if nothing bad could possibly happen to her while she was in his arms.

Then Lana noticed that Clark’s arms had gone from shielding her to just holding her close. That gave her a completely different feeling, one which was centered in a different part of her body. It was a feeling she knew she wasn’t ready for yet, so she politely disengaged from his encompassing arms and turned to face him.

The generally dim lighting of the club, interspersed with random flashes of the strobe lights, made it impossible for Lana to see Clark’s furious blush, but the slump of his shoulders and the way his head was hanging let her know he was embarrassed anyway.

Deciding it would be better to pretend the hug never happened, Lana said, “Thanks, Clark, for looking out for me.”

Relieved that Lana wasn’t offended, Clark straightened up and said, “Oh! You’re welcome.” Both radiated pleased smiles as they stared into each other’s eyes from only a foot away. Just then, the music died away, making it easier to talk. Clark snatched Lana’s hand and said, “Come on, let’s find a spot on the floor.”

Clark led the way this time, using his wide body to make a path through the crowd. As soon as he found the slightest amount of space, he stopped and turned back to Lana. Still holding that one hand, he reached down and claimed her other hand, allowing the pads of his thumbs to glide lightly across the back of her hands as they waited for the DJ to start the next song. Lana thrilled to Clark’s surprisingly gentle touch, and found herself wondering what his touch would feel like on other parts of her body, before she caught herself thinking that way and berated herself to stop. Telling herself to stop thinking about Clark’s hands had the usual effect, as she then found she could think of nothing else.

Just before the DJ played his next track, Clark leaned in and said, “In the interest of fairness, I think I need to warn you I’m not the best dancer.”

Lana had thought, from the smooth, confident way Clark walked, that he was likely to be a pretty good dancer. That visual cue made her think his inability might just be a matter of confidence. Maybe a guy who hides his appearance and makes himself look dorky doesn’t get to go out and dance very often. And anyway, he’s being so cute about it that I have to help him.

Then Lana’s conscience spoke up: Aren’t you just trying to make sure he gets a shot at using those hands of his on you again sometime later?

Lana’s response to her conscience was a curt, You shut up! before she turned her mind back to Clark, and said, “Well, in that case, let me give you a few tips. Believe it or not, the biggest key isn’t knowing any special steps or moves, it’s not thinking too much.”

“Huh?”

“Really! The first tip is to not think about what you just did, what you’re doing, or are about to do…just do it. Once you quit thinking and obsessing about how much you suck, you can move on to tip number two, which is relaxing. Guys, and girls for that matter, who are nervous, look stiff and uncomfortable when dancing. Just learning to relax and not care what anyone else might think is huge. It allows your body to loosen up which makes your movements flow more naturally.

“Third, once you’re feeling loose and relaxed, just try moving your hips in time with the beat of the song. Unless the song’s very fast, that shouldn’t be a problem, and it gives you a base for everything else you’re going to do with your head, arms, and chest. Okay?”

“That’s it?” Clark asked dubiously.

“That’s it,” Lana confirmed.

The intro to the next song started, an insistent beat that had Lana swinging her hips already. She regretfully freed her hands from his and moved back a step to gain enough room to dance.

Clark’s eyes were drawn down by the hypnotic effect that Lana’s shaking hips were generating. Shakira, eat your heart out! he thought. And when her arms rose so that her elbows were level with her shoulders and her forearms were straight up in the air, she did a move that looked to him like several rapid butterfly curls in succession. The pumping of her elbows from slightly behind her to slightly in front of her stretched the fabric of her black dress across her chest at the same time as it caused her small breasts to wobble slightly.

That caused Clark’s eyes to pop out of his head.

Lana saw the look of undisguised lust on Clark’s face and could guess where he was looking. She had to admit that she liked the attention, especially coming from Clark, as one of her goals in coming here had been to feel desirable once again. Still, she wanted to see him dance too, so as the perspiration began to form on her forehead and the exposed skin of her upper chest in the heat of the dance floor, she shouted, “Come on, Clark. Dance!”

Clark obliged, breaking out of his trance and beginning to move a little bit side to side. His hands rose slightly, but never came close to going above the line of his shoulders. He was embarrassed, thinking that everyone was looking at him and laughing. Worse, he could see Lana was so much better than he was and had to be disappointed in what she was seeing.

But Lana remained encouraging, whether with a word or a smile. As much as Clark had liked watching Lana’s breasts move under her clothes, her smile intrigued him more. He knew she could be with any guy in the building with nothing more than wink, and yet she was staying with him, the guy who seemed to have three left feet.

The funny thing was, the more he thought about Lana, the less he thought about his dancing. And while her smiles were making butterflies thunder around in his stomach, they also made him feel she didn’t mind his dancing which helped him relax, and thus helped his dancing immeasurably.

Soon, the two of them were tearing up the dance floor, and more than one person took notice. Two different guys tried to cut in, and so did one woman, but all were turned away. Lana hadn’t danced with any guy more than once, but her time with Clark first stretched to two and then three dances.

Lana didn’t know exactly when Clark had figured things out, but she really liked the way he was moving now. His dancing was fun, but didn’t invade her space, which was amazing given how crowded the dance floor was. After three consecutive up-tempo dances, Lana thought she’d need to take a rest, but then the DJ played something slow, mostly to give the dancers a breather and a chance to get to the bar to buy more drinks.

As the dance floor started to empty, Lana decided she didn’t want to miss a chance like this with a guy like this, so she reached out and snagged Clark’s right hand, pulling him close enough to put that hand on her waist. Her left hand immediately found a resting spot on his shoulder and she held out her right hand for him to take, daring him to decline.

Clark admired Lana’s take charge attitude, though his only response was to raise an eyebrow as if to acknowledge her challenge, before taking her hand and beginning to move.

And move he did.

Clark moved confidently, leading the two of them around the dance floor like something out of an old Fred Astaire movie. Lana had been hoping for something calm, intimate, maybe even romantic, even though she’d just dumped Jason, but she hadn’t been expecting this. Clark was up on his toes, but not on hers, and it was all she could do just to keep up.

Lois watched this display slack jawed from their booth. She was about to turn to her Chloe to ask if she had known about this all along, when she saw her cousin was as stunned as she was.

Nelle and Fiona were also watching this dance from their second level booth while Renee was down near the bar, talking to a guy she’d just danced with. The two unoccupied friends of Lana were both impressed with and envious of, Lana’s luck with men. There she was, fresh off a break up with a hot, rich guy and she already had the hottest guy in the place seemingly wrapped around her finger. They both saw the way Clark was moving and were thinking the same thing: a guy who can move it on the dance floor can move it in bed. At this rate, it looked like one of them might have to get the SUV’s keys from Lana so they could get home, because it was beginning to look like she might be going home with Clark.

The young crowd was appreciative of a good show when they saw it, and gave both Clark and Lana a nice round of applause at the end of the slow dance as he led Lana off the dance floor and straight over to the booth he was sharing with Lois and Chloe. Lana figured it was her turn to meet Clark’s buddies, but was surprised to stop in front of a booth at which two more women were seated.

Clark was quick with the introductions, saying, “Lana, this is my writing partner and friend, Lois Lane, and next to her is my closest friend in the world, and also a Daily Planet reporter of renown, Chloe Sullivan. Ladies, this is Lana Lang.”

Lois nearly spit her Seven and Seven onto the table when she heard that. She couldn’t imagine Clark being stupid enough to get involved with a woman who was in an ongoing story of theirs, even if only peripherally, but she was even less inclined to believe it was a coincidence they had both been here tonight. Then she remembered that coming out to celebrate had been her idea, and that Clark hadn’t wanted to go all that much. That helped her calm down considerably.

Despite Lois’ misgivings about Clark having an interest in Lana, she didn’t want to blow it for him, so she decided to err on the side of caution and tact for once, a known rarity for her, and only mention Jason Teague, or anything related to him, if Lana brought it up first. Everything else, though, was fair game.

Lana felt a tad uncomfortable as she realized she was meeting Clark’s best friends instead of girlfriends. Meeting a bunch of guy best friends was something Lana knew how to handle. Guys tended to judge her solely by her looks until she’d been around long enough for them to get a feel for what type of person she was. She knew she was pretty enough to get a pass from any man until her brains and personality had a full chance to win them over.

But having Clark’s best friends be women put a whole different slant on things. She knew women tended to be more proactive in defending their friends from what they saw as undesirable connections, and that everything she said, did, and wore was being carefully dissected by Lois and Chloe. If Clark chose to stay at the booth, the two women would then excuse themselves to go to the bathroom and talk about her, coming up with a group opinion, and possibly a plan of action, before they’d known her thirty minutes.

Lana had just come here tonight looking for fun, but for some reason, she really wanted Lois, and especially Chloe, to like her. Clark could almost sense Lois sharpening her claws, so he waited until the women had exchanged greetings and quickly asked Lana if he could buy her a drink.

“Sorry, I can’t. I’m driving tonight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I offered.” He admired the fact that she was a designated driver. He’d been at the scene of far too many drunken driving accidents to think otherwise. “How about a soft drink then? Tea? Shirley Temple?”

She was thirsty after the exertion of the first three dances and the dry mouth she’d suffered in the slow dance as she marveled at Clark’s sudden dancing prowess, so she agreed. The two of them made their way to the bar where Lana ordered a Seven-Up and Clark followed suit, paying with a twenty, and telling the bartender to keep the change for a hefty tip.

When they were sipping their drinks and looking for a place to sit, Clark said, “I’m sorry if I seemed to be in a hurry to get you away from Lois and Chloe, but they’re both reporters and asking questions is as natural for them as breathing. You shouldn’t have to face that, not unless we’re on a date anyway.”

“A date?” Lana asked playfully. “Are you asking me out?”

Clark suddenly felt hot as he’d just lost control of the conversation. “Oh…I, uh…I don’t…” he took a deep breath, let it halfway out, and said, “…maybe.”

“Maybe? Either you are or you aren’t?” Lana was amused by Clark’s sudden uncertainty.

He reached back and set his glass on the bar, and asked, “Is there somewhere we can go to talk?”

Lana looked around out of habit, but she already knew there was nothing inside for them. “Not unless you can get us into the VIP room.”

“Sorry, I don’t have that kind of pull.” He looked down at her, wondering if she’d trust him, especially since what happened with Jason had to have shaken her willingness to trust men. “How about going outside for a walk? Or maybe out back in the smallish parking lot?” He could see she wanted to go, but was wavering. “It’ll just be for a couple of minutes.”

“Okay,” Lana said, “we can go out back. My Aunt Nell raised me to be careful around strange men, but I think I can trust you that far.” As they threaded their way through the crowd, on their way to the back door, Lana asked, “So tell me. Where did that slow dancing come from, Clark?”

“Ballroom dancing.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen a few ballroom dancing movies, like the one with Richard Gere and the one with Antonio Banderas, and then I saw some episodes of Dancing With the Stars. All of that inspired me to take some dancing lessons at night after work.”

“How many different dancing styles do you know?”

“Not many.” Clark shrugged his shoulders. “I stopped taking lessons when I realized I was wasting my time because I didn’t have anyone to dance with when I got home.”

“I beg to differ,” Lana replied. “Learning to dance was not a waste. You were doing fine at the end of the first three dances tonight, but during that one slow dance, you excelled.”

As they stepped out the back door, the bouncer stationed there gave them the once over to make sure he’d recognize them if they wanted to come back in. Being a guy, he automatically gave Lana a second look and a lustful leer, which earned him a hard stare from Clark. The bouncer was 6’ 6” and 285 pounds (that's 198 cm and twenty stone to those of you in the British Commonwealth), but something told him messing with Clark wouldn’t be a bright thing to do, so he gave an apologetic look to Clark and made sure to keep his eyes off Lana.

Clark shook his head as he tried to get the bouncer out of his mind. He knew Lana was looking especially hot tonight, but it still amazed him that some guys treated women like nothing more than a piece of meat.

Lana pulled him to a stop with a hand on his forearm, and as the two of them turned to face each other, she asked, “‘Maybe,’ why?”

Clark thought Lana would prefer direct and truthful to elliptical and evasive, so he said it right out. “Honestly? I know about your breakup with Jason, and I don’t want to be your rebound guy. I saw a friend of mine go through that, and it wasn’t fun. She helped the guy get back on his feet after a rough relationship, and when he was ready to get on with his life, he left her behind and went looking for someone who ‘wouldn’t be a constant reminder of what he had lost.’ I have no interest in having that happen to me.”

“Hey, hold on there a minute,” Lana said. She felt like she’d just been convicted of a crime she hadn’t committed, and that made her mad. “We haven’t even gone out on a date yet, Big Guy. Don’t put the cart in front of the horse. You might not even like me well enough for me to have the chance to stomp all over your heart.”

Clark wanted to laugh. He didn’t think telling a guy that ‘our date might be so bad that I won’t get a chance to destroy you’ was a very good thing to say, but he understood what she was getting at: give us a chance.

Clark was shaking his head before Lana finished talking. When she did, he replied, “Wrong.” He caught her eyes with his, willing her to know he was being sincere. “We’re past the ‘getting to know you’ stage already; we did that on the plane. Trust me when I say I like you well enough already.” Lana had hoped so; she already liked him, too.

“So…when are we going out?” Lana asked. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook; she was going to make him say no if he didn’t want to date her.

Clark bowed his head for a second to stare at his toes before he looked up at Lana, and said, “You have no idea how hard this is going to be, do you? I’m still looking into your ex’s story, so I really shouldn’t even be here with you. Then there’s our schedules: you fly a lot,” and so do I, “while I work long hours whenever we get a good story.”

Lana didn’t want to lose out on this guy, just because her last guy had no morals, so she laid it on the line. “I don’t know how hard this is going to be, but neither do you, Clark. A dating relationship isn’t defined by the obstacles put in your way, but by the road you travel in overcoming them.”

“You really want to try this, don’t you?”

An affirmative nod.

“Okay then, I’m fresh out of reasons to say no, and I still have one reason to say yes…you.”

Lana was so happy with Clark’s surrender that she used both hands to pull him down for what she intended to be a little kiss on the lips.

It was anything but.

Just as there’s no such thing as a little volcanic eruption, there’s no way a first kiss between Clark and Lana could be anything less than fiery, anything less than passionate. As the kiss intensified, Clark curled an arm around Lana’s shoulders to pull her body tight against his, and his tongue dove between her parted lips to taste her mouth. The fire of their kiss burned up the oxygen in their lungs, but neither one was willing to stop long enough to suck in another mouthful of air. Only when Lana couldn’t last another second did her lips finally relinquish their hold on Clark’s mouth.

Gasping for air, Lana wrapped her arms around Clark’s chest and pressed the side of her face into his chest. Clark brought his second arm around the middle of Lana’s back and held her lightly to support her as she caught her breath…and a nearby photographer, who was here covering the late night club scene for the Daily Planet’s “Metropolis By Night,” chose that moment to shoot a rapid string of photos, all of which caught both of their faces.

[Nemu]

:D

Uh Oh! Well it being the DP's night beat photographer might help... I mean CK can probably have some pull on this story being canned at least for a while if need be...

But it will rise some trouble though...

Soo... here Clark will be a grat dancer... nice change from him being a singer ;)

Nice chapter...

PPMS!!!

[Clana227]

Great Update

[trojan20]

damn paparazzi;)

[NYC300Z]

That update was amazingly hot Card! So much happened in a short amount of time! omg Clark is going to get it in the morning with the paper! I can't wait! I'm also so glad that they are going to go on a date!! I'm guessing Lana will take it well because that was her goal to get noticed


PPMS!

[clana_never_give_up]

Oh that sucks. :(

A great moment........ruined by the paparazzi. That is when the pictures come out.

[treker]

hey, at least we had a volcanic first kiss; and I loved the description of Lana's dance moves on the floor. <drool>

And didn't Lana say she wanted Jason to see her moving on? What better than to see her and Clark in a clinch on the front page of the nightlife section of the paper?

It was well worth the wait......

looking forward to what you have next in store for us.....

[CaptainObvious]

Great Update! I'm glad Lois didn't try to sabatage the whole dancing thing! I like Lana's no backing down approach when Clark was hesitant on being the rebound guy! Just about any girl would be insane to let HIM get away!

I'm guessing the entertainment/gossip section of the DP for the morning edition will have a nice photo of Clana to grace the page! I'm sure that will get Lois on a rampage!!!

I agree with Treker, the update was worth the wait. Thanks Card!

[basketballstar23]

wow! That update was ridiculously amazing! Can't wait to see where this takes them! PPMS! :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 13

First Date?

Clark and Lana were temporarily blinded by the camera flash, and his first instinct was to break every bone in the guy’s body for interrupting their private moment, but he went with his second instinct which was to hold Lana tighter and turn them both so she was shielded from the photographer’s view.

“Stupid jerk,” Clark grumbled. “He oughta be inside shooting the partiers.”

“Who is it?” Lana asked, as she tried to regain her night sight.

“A staff photographer from the Planet.”

“Do you know him?”

“Yeah,” Clark said, “it so happens I do.”

“Is there any chance he’ll do you a favor?”

“What? Not run the pics?”

“Hell no,” Lana replied. “I want one of those on the front page. Give that cheating bastard Jason something to stew about.”

Clark didn’t relax his firm hold on Lana until his super-hearing told him the photographer had moved on, but she stayed within the circle of his arms.

“Well…that kind of decision is up to the editor of the section. But with your current fame, if the shots come out clean and they recognize you, I think you’ve got a good chance at having your wish come true.”

“What about you?”

“There’s no chance of anyone at the Planet recognizing me. Remember, I dress like a dork at work.”

Lana began picking at a button on Clark’s shirt. “I wish you’d quit that.”

“Why?”

“Because that Clark Kent isn’t you.” She tugged on his shirt, and said, “This one is.”

Clark wasn’t too sure about suddenly showing up for work with a totally new look. He thought that might cause problems, even though there was no chance anyone could recognize him as Superman, since the suit had Kryptonian technology built in that made him unrecognizable.

“You’re the only one I want to see me like this,” Clark countered.

“What about Lois and Chloe?”

“Lois? Nah. I had a crush on her the first two years I was in town, but she saw me as her personal assistant and nothing more. We did eventually become friends, but the time for any romance between us is long gone.” Clark shrugged his shoulders. “And then, things were going so well for us as friends, that I never saw the need to let her know about me.

“Chloe, on the other hand, has been my best friend since eighth grade, and already knows everything about me. Who do you think picked out my clothes for tonight?”

“Well…I don’t even know Lois yet, but I can guarantee she’s gonna be mad at you for lying to her all these years.”

“Lying?”

“Yes, lying. That’s what women call it when men deliberately hide a part of themselves from us.” Lana craned her neck back so she could look Clark in the eyes. “The thing that makes you different from the other guys in this case, is that you’re hiding the best part of yourself. Most guys hide the dark part of themselves they don’t want others to see…Lois may actually be more hurt you didn’t feel you could trust her to know about the real you, the handsome and fun you, and still be just your friend.”

Oh crap, Lana, Clark thought, if you only knew!

“And as for the handsome part, remind me to thank Chloe when I see her again, because tonight, you look…delicious.” Lana slid a hand up Clark’s chest and hooked it behind his neck, pulling him into another kiss. This kiss was unhurried, with both participants taking their time to explore more thoroughly. Lips, tongue, teeth, gums…by the time they broke the kiss, Lana was fairly sure she could successfully map Clark’s mouth, and had no doubt he could do the same for her. “You taste as good as you look.”

Clark had no idea of how to handle a compliment like that one. He wasn’t the kind of guy with a line for every occasion, and because of his disguise at work, he almost never got any kind of compliment about his appearance, much less his taste.

“You know, Lana, if I do start taking the ‘real me’ to work, every woman in the building will get to see me that way. Who knows what they might do?”

Lana hadn’t thought of that, but she knew what they’d do. Clark would find himself being invited to lunch by secretaries he’d never met, female reporters would wonder where he’d been all these years even as they angled for a date, and suddenly she would find herself with a lot of competition. After dating a guy like Jason who’d had his pick of women, that idea didn’t sit too well with her.

“On second thought, forget what I said before and add on an extra layer of dork instead.”

Clark thought her sudden change of mind was cute, but he saw a look of uncertainty, maybe even insecurity, in her eyes and couldn’t allow that to continue. “I know you don’t know me very well yet, and Jason has to have shaken your trust in men, so you have little reason to trust my word,” Clark said, “but I’m not him. If things go well between us and we become a couple, you’ll never have a moment’s reason to doubt my faithfulness.”

Lana wanted to believe him, but it wasn’t him she was so worried about as much as it was her fellow women. Clark was gorgeous, personally engaging, intelligent, and had a respectable career. Any woman would be interested in taking a shot with him, and a number of them would, whether he had a girlfriend or not.

“Don’t worry about me,” Lana said, “my experience with Jason may have made me a little bit twitchy, but I just get this feeling about you, like I can trust you with my life.”

Lana’s simple belief in him, completely unearned as of yet, touched Clark because he thought trusting a man had to be hard for her right now. He silently vowed to her that he would work to earn that trust every day. But right now, they had a date to arrange.

“So,” Clark asked, “when does your work schedule open up so we can go out?”

Lana softly banged her forehead against Clark’s chest as if it was a brick wall, and said, “I’ll be out of town for the next four days. Then I’ll be back for two, and then, I think, I’ll be out for three more.”

“Okay. Looks like five days from now is our day; that’ll give me time to plan something decent. Can I pick you up at seven?”

“Seven? Sounds good to me.”

“One more thing,” Clark said. “Is there any food you particularly like or can’t stand?”

“As a rule, I love Chinese and Italian, but I can’t tolerate super spicy stuff.”

“Okay,” Clark replied, with a merry twinkle in his eyes, “no spice in our relationship.”

Lana giggled and pulled Clark into one last kiss. Once again, they lost themselves in the softness and warmth of each other’s mouth before breaking free. “I definitely want spice in our relationship, Clark, just not in my dinner.”

Clark was flustered by the seemingly casual way Lana took control of his mouth. Three times now, she’d kissed his lips as if they belonged to her and not to him, and yet, he found he couldn’t wait until she laid claim to them again.

“Come on,” Clark said, as he turned to the door, “let’s get back inside before your friends think I’ve abducted you.”

As they walked across the asphalt, Clark decided to do some claiming himself, so he reached over to Lana and enveloped her hand with his, and they walked hand-in-hand back into the club.

Wanting to avoid the madhouse the dance floor had turned into, Clark led Lana to the other set of stairs and then allowed her to go up first. This time, Renee was by herself, as both Fiona and Nelle had found acceptable dance partners and were shaking it down below.

Renee was slightly tipsy, but could still feel the ocean of raw chemistry these two managed to exude just holding hands. She thought watching them actually kiss might be hot enough to require an NC-17 rating.

“So,” Renee said. She was sober enough to realize she was tipsy, and was thus carefully choosing her words. “I see the prodigal flight attendant has returned home.” Then again, maybe she wasn’t sober enough to realize just how tipsy she was.

“Hi, Renee!” Lana said brightly. Gone was any hint of moodiness that might have existed earlier when she’d only been determined to have a good time. Now, she had the same excited butterflies in her stomach that she always got when her flights were about to take off. She hoped that was a good omen, as nothing would please her more than for this to be the beginning of something special.

Lana quickly realized Renee intended to grill Clark. Maybe she wouldn’t do it with the practiced skills of a couple of newspaper reporters like Clark’s friends, but Lana knew her friend could be nosy, especially now that booze was a factor. Figuring she could return Clark’s earlier favor of saving her from his friends, she thanked him for the dancing, kissed him quickly on the lips, and said she’d see him when she got back in town, before shooing him away.

Clark was so pleased with how things were going, that he almost forgot one very important thing: he needed Lana’s cell phone number. He actually turned to walk away before whirling back just as Lana sat down, and asked, “Umm…Lana? Can I get your cell number?”

“Sure.”

Clark pulled out his cell phone and opened the address book before handing it to Lana so she could input the number since he didn’t want her to have to say it out loud and end up giving it away to anyone in hearing range.

Seeing that they shared the same style of phone, Lana boldly asked, “Want me on speed dial?”

“Sure. I think there are some spaces open.”

“There you are,” Lana said, as she handed the phone back. “There are no excuses now. You can reach me any time I’m not in mid-air.”

“Good, I’ll call you in a few days to confirm the time for our date,” Clark said, as he tucked the phone into his jeans pocket. “And I’ll call before then just to hear your voice.”

As Clark moved away, Renee began to grill Lana about her time with Clark, but Lana put her off until Nelle and Fiona came back so she’d only have to tell the story once. By the time she got through the third hot kiss, all three girls were surprised by her quick turnaround, but very happy she seemed to have found someone interesting.

“You shameless hussy!” Nelle teased. “Three kisses on the first date. At this rate, he’ll be expecting sex on the next one.”

Lana stuck her tongue out at Nelle, while Fiona said, “I wish my first dates were that hot.”

“Yeah, me too,” Renee agreed glumly.

Lana hadn’t thought of her dancing and talking with Clark as being a first date, but she realized her friends were right. Not only had she just been on her first date with Clark, but it had been very hot.

[Nemu]

Soooo... Their first date is over... their first official one will be soon...

That was good!!!

PPMS!!!

[clana_never_give_up]

Wow......that was extremely HOT!!!! :D

Three AMAZING kisses in a matter of minutes. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Their official date is going to be AWESOME!!! I can't wait.

[NYC300Z]

Great Chapter!

PPMS!

[treker]

Have I ever told you how much I love the way you write Lana? Not the Clana relationship but Lana in general; she's no wimp and she kicks ass with no apologies

The kisses were incredible, but I wonder how long her virginity will remain intact once she gets more alone time with Clark; she's already all over him and they haven't even had an official date yet. I have a feeling there will be many cold showers involved. :D

Well done Cardinal, you never fail to impress me with your plotlines....I have my own theory as to what is going on with Jason, but I'll keep that to myself.

Looking forward to your next installment.

[Clana227]

Oh my gosh.........AMAZING.

Need more

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by treker
Have I ever told you how much I love the way you write Lana? Not the Clana relationship but Lana in general; she's no wimp and she kicks ass with no apologies.

Thanks! I'm not a big fan of the Smallville Lana who seems to let things happen to her. I generally want my version of our luscious lady to be more in control of her life.

Acting instead of reacting.

[basketballstar23]

that was a fantastic update! And I agree. I hate the lana on the show. The way you write her is so
much better! Can't wait for your next update! PPMS! :)

[CaptainObvious]

This is a fun story. Cardinal, as much as I get anxious and want to read what comes next, I always like the pace of your stories. They never bring us along very fast which lets in the little details that make the story better than most! Of course that just adds to me wanting updates sooner than later. I take them as they come.

[smallvillewolf17]

I'm loving this story so far. When is Superman going to make an appearance? PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 14

Second Thoughts

Clark had never been more conscious of his cell phone than he was at this moment. He could feel it sitting in his pocket like a lump of lead, and he wanted nothing more than to pull it out and call Lana right now just so he could hear her voice again. But even a relatively inexperienced dater like Clark knew better than that. He didn’t want to appear too eager, or risk scaring Lana off by smothering her, so he’d just have to force himself to wait.

The dance floor was still chaotic, so Clark moved around the fringe of it, and headed back to the corner booth he was sharing with the girls. Lois was still there, but Chloe was nowhere to be found. He didn’t even get the chance to ask where she had gone to before Lois pointed to the dance floor. Chloe and her partner had claimed a spot on the near edge of the floor which was readily visible from their booth; Clark smiled to see her letting loose for once and having fun.

Lois was a bit glum because Chloe had had more dance partners than she had, which was definitely not how things were supposed to go to her way of thinking. Lois was the social butterfly, and was used to being the one in demand. What she failed to realize was she was dressed like any number of other girls in the club, so any guy who was attracted to her type had a smorgasbord to choose from.

Chloe, on the other hand, had a fresh, wholesome appeal that was in short supply in the club. So while not many guys were looking for fresh and wholesome, she was just about the only game in town for the guys that were, and thus had all the admirers she could handle tonight.

Lois was irritated by Chloe’s relative success, and when added to her earlier annoyance at Clark for getting personal with a story subject, especially one who might be involved in their follow-up investigation, it made for a volatile mixture that just needed a one spark to explode…and being Lois, the spark didn’t have to be very big at all.

“Hi, Lois!” Clark chirped.

Lois couldn’t believe it. Clark Kent never chirped. Of course, there were all kinds of things he’d never done before tonight, to her knowledge anyway, like: looking hotter than any guy had a right to look, dancing like he had some idea of what he was doing, risking his professional reputation for the chance at a piece of ass, and smiling at her as if he was genuinely sorry she didn’t have a dance partner.

If Lois was honest with herself, she’d have to admit the last point hurt her more than the other three combined. Romantic condescension from Clark Kent? Lois fumed. Give me a freakin’ break! That’s like a bum giving me money because he thinks I look like I need it more than he does. Lois decided to ignore Clark in the hope he’d take the hint and leave her alone.

No such luck.

Clark’s happy burbling about Lana got on Lois’ nerves in record time. She turned to him, and hissed, “Shut up you moron!” Even Lois’ concentrated venom couldn’t manage to cut through Clark’s industrial-strength smile. “You really think you’ve found someone, don’t you? Well, let me tell you something, Buster. All you’ve found is a load of trouble. In case you’ve forgotten, Lana Lang is a part of the story we just wrote…a story we both plan on revisiting because we thought it was too easy. She’s still a likely part of the story, possibly even a source of information. So you can’t date Miss Lana Lang, not without ruining your objectivity and running the risk of destroying your reputation.”

Lois was out of breath, but she could see her tirade had finally gotten through to Clark. The guy had this lost look in his eyes, like someone had just told him there was no Santa Claus. She couldn’t believe Clark could look that adorable, and that reminded her Clark and Chloe had apparently been hiding the real him behind an array of fake glasses, bad suits, and bumbling behavior for years. Lois really hated being made to look like a fool, and she fully intended to have that discussion with Clark later, but right now, she’d have to wait because Chloe was making her way back to their table and she almost always took Clark’s side in things.

It wasn’t long before Lois decided it was time to go home since she wanted to be in the air and headed back to Las Vegas sometime tomorrow morning. Clark was all too happy to go, now that his bubble had been burst, and Chloe readily agreed once she noticed the sudden chill in the booth.

Lana and the girls, meanwhile, were at the club for another hour before they headed home. Fiona could sleep in since she didn’t have any classes, but the three flight attendants all had late morning flights and needed a few hours of sleep so they would be functioning properly at work.

The night had been a big success, as far as the girls were concerned. They’d all had fun, and Lana had not only gotten her mind off Jason for a while, but had also met someone new. As Lana drove them over one of the West River bridges and into the western suburbs, she thought about the night, which for her condensed down to thinking about Clark.

The girls teased her occasionally about how she was serially hogging the most eligible bachelors in Metropolis, but now that she was settled down a bit, Lana was concerned about how forward she had acted with Clark.

I’m a virgin, and yet, after some nice dancing, the first thing I do is maul this guy I barely know in a dark parking lot. Nelle was kidding me, but she was right when she said Clark may be expecting sex soon.

Crap! I find a new guy and mess things up already.

Oh well, I knew I was going to have to talk to him about my virginity soon anyway. I’ve always tried to keep the guys I’ve dated from feeling I’d led them on, but now I need to tell Clark before our first official date.

Talk about putting a damper on a relationship before it even gets started.

Still, I need to let him know I’m a virgin, that I intend to stay that way until marriage, and that I’m very sorry for having misled him with my kisses.

Maybe…Lana drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel…maybe it’s time to tell the girls about my virginity. Maybe they can help me get it right this time. Lana steeled herself for what she was sure was going to be an embarrassing confession.

“Umm…girls?” Lana said, her voice fairly dripping with trepidation.

“Yes?” Lana’s three passengers chorused.

“I…have a confession to make.”

“Don’t tell me you actually screwed Clark in the parking lot and are worried he‘ll think you’re easy,” Fiona said jokingly. She expected a heated glare from Lana in reply, but became curious when all she got was a hesitant laugh.

“No…definitely not that,” Lana said. Deep breath, Lana. Hold it. Let half of it out…and go. “In fact, it’s just the opposite. I got carried away and, as you know, kissed him three times. Each kiss was hot, each kiss was memorable, and each one may have been a colossal mistake…but I just couldn’t help myself.”

“What?” Renee asked confusedly. “What do you mean ‘it was a mistake?’ I thought you liked this guy.”

“I do,” Lana insisted, “and therein lies the problem. Three hot kisses, all initiated by me, might tend to give Clark the idea that I want sex, and want it soon.”

“Hell, I want sex with him,” Fiona countered, “and I haven’t even laid a finger on him.”

“You want sex with half the decent guys in Metropolis,” Renee said.

“Only because she’s already had the other half,” Nelle snickered.

“Shut your pie hole, Nelle, we’re talking about Lana now,” Fiona said, without bothering to refute the charges, which was only sensible since all four of them knew she had a very healthy sexual appetite.

“So…” Nelle probed, “you don’t want sex?”

“No, and it’s not because I don’t find Clark intensely attractive, because I do. It’s because…I’mstillavirgin.” Lana winced as she waited for her friends’ reactions to the fact that she was still a virgin at age twenty-six.

The three girls cautiously looked at each other, each wondering if she’d heard Lana’s rushed confession correctly, and then wondering if it could actually be true or if Lana was messing with their heads. But all it took was one look at Lana for the truth to sink in.

“Holy…” Nelle started.

“…shit!” Fiona finished.

Still tipsy, Renee spoke before she thought. “No wonder Jason cheated…”

Nelle reached across the second row seat and lightly slapped Renee to get her to shut up. It worked, but only because Renee was winding herself up for a major cry.

“Oh my head,” Nelle said, before reaching over and making her seatmate look at her. “Renee, don’t you dare cry, not now. I barely hit you. Babies slap harder than I did.”

It didn’t really matter anyway, Nelle’s slap had been too little, too late. Lana had already heard Renee’s thought, which had accidentally been spoken out loud.

“Thanks, Renee, for that encouraging thought,” Lana said wryly. She knew her friend was affected by the alcohol she’d drunk at the club, or else she might have been a bit harsher with her reply. “I’ve had that thought a number of times since I broke up with him. Believe me. But I’ve come to the conclusion that if Jason wasn’t willing to wait for me, then he’s not worth worrying over.”

Lana’s friends were impressed with the strength she was showing through this whole ordeal. Even being hassled by the few remaining photographers that had been waiting patiently for her to leave the club hadn’t disturbed her equanimity.

“Why are you so calm and composed about this, Lana?” Fiona asked.

“Well…I guess part of it is what I just said about not worrying over a guy who can’t wait, but it’s also due to the fact that Jason had already cheated on me once before, so I was well aware it could happen again.”

“He what?” Fiona asked, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she’d heard.

“He cheated on me,” Lana said simply. “Jason was working late one night on a legal brief for a case he had coming up, and I decided to surprise him in his office with some Chinese takeout so we could have some time together that day. I surprised him all right,” Lana said with disgust. “I opened his office door just as he was helping a junior member of the firm out of her panties.”

“Gives ‘debriefing’ a whole new meaning,” Nelle said, which caused the other two to roar with laughter. Lana didn’t want to join in, since it was her love life they were laughing at, but she found she couldn’t help herself.

‘Why on Earth did you give that loser a second chance?”

Lana checked her rear-view and side-view mirrors and then changed lanes before answering.

“Because he begged so prettily,” Lana joked. And then she admitted the truth. “He did beg, and I wasn’t quite ready to give up on him, or on us, just yet. I know the kind of man he is, the kind of effort he puts into everything he does, and how important it is to him to help people who are less fortunate than he.

“I wanted, and still want, a man who aspires to the highest ideals.” The other three girls could hear the emotion in Lana’s voice, and only now did they begin to grasp what this relationship had really meant to her, and the price she was now paying for its dissolution. “Jason had the highest ideals, but he also had the basest instincts. He proved that by screwing his personal secretary in his home office when I came over to his place to collect my things and say goodbye.”

“Oh, Lana!” the girls said, nearly in unison. Nelle and Fiona were heartsick for Lana, and Renee started to cry again. This time no one tried to stop her.

[Nemu]

Darn Hois.... can't she learn to shut up?

And I guess Clark will be more than happy to oblige to Lana's plea for her virginity...

That way they can take things slow and make sure they really love each other and also for Clark to make sure he isn't just a rebound....

PPMS!!!

[treker]

Great Chapter Steve...and once again Lois opens her big mouth and inserts foot.

As for Lana's Virginity, I'm sure Clark will respect her choice; but just one thought, since Clark is rather inexperienced at dating is it safe to conclude that he also is a Virgin? So, respecting her Virginity should be rather easy for him? (or maybe hard for him? ;) )

I think Lana has a more forgiving nature than I do; if one of my friends had been so crude with me I don't know if I could have let their crass comments side so easily.

As to the next chapter, since Lois is flying back to Vegas in the morning and Lana is also flying somewhere I wonder if they'll be on the same flight?

Looking forward to your next chapter....

:D

[Cardinal]

As to the next chapter, since Lois is flying back to Vegas in the morning and Lana is also flying somewhere I wonder if they'll be on the same flight?:D

A possibility I had not considered.

Hmm...

...maybe.

[treker]

A possibility I had not considered.

Hmm...

...maybe.

Glad I could help.... :D :p

[NYC300Z]

Very informative update. You did a great job of making us feel for Lana. I wonder what Clark will do now that Lois put a little sense in him, of course he can't give up on Lana that easily! I like Treker's comment I wonder if you'll act upon it!;)

PPMS!

[basketballstar23]

another fantastic update! Can't wait to read the next one! :)

[smallvillewolf17]

Ppms!

[CaptainObvious]

The idea of Lois and Lana ending up on the same flight together would add some drama to the mix. Lois can never keep her yap shut and could say something to pose a threat to Clark and Lana moving forward with their relationship. Let's hope Clark picks up his cell phone afterall and calls Lana.

[Karen26]

I have not been on the site for awhile. I Have been busy with college I have reading this from the start and I have to say its been good. Keep up the good work

[kentfamily]

Please update this is a great story.:):):)

[Cardinal]

First of all, I'd like to welcome Karen26 back after a loooooong absence. :)


**********

Chapter 15

Confrontation

Chloe dropped Lois off at her apartment, with Clark watching carefully to make sure she got in safely. Once Lois was out of view, Chloe got her car moving again to take them home. They rode in silence for a few minutes, or more accurately, Chloe talked and Clark rode in silence for a few minutes, until she decided she’d had enough.

“You wanna talk about it?” Hearing only a grunt, Chloe said, “A noise like that usually means Lois, so spill it before I drag it out of you.”

Irritated that Chloe knew him so well, Clark shot her an annoyed look, before he said, “It’s not Lois this time. It’s Lana…though it does involve something Lois said, so I guess it’s sort of about her after all.”

Oh jeez! Chloe thought. Not another one of those nights. Clark will talk himself in circles for hours if I don’t take a hand in the conversation.

“What did my tactless cousin say this time?”

“Well…you know how I said that I couldn’t date Lana because we were going to try to find out if someone had set up her old boyfriend?”

“Yeah,” Chloe said cautiously, “I also seem to remember you not wanting to be her rebound guy.”

“I didn’t,” Clark agreed, “but Lana wouldn’t let me alone until I’d agreed to take the chance.”

“So…I guess this is where Lois stepped in.”

“Yeah.” Clark looked out the window for a good half minute and then turned back to Chloe. “I used to have the biggest crush on Lois. I know that’s not news to you, Lord knows you tried hard enough to get her to give me a chance, but sometimes now, I wonder what I ever saw in her. I don’t know if she just couldn’t stand to see me happy or what, but while you were dancing, she tore me a new one for even thinking about seeing Lana.

“I mean, I know the risks as well as she does, and it’s my career that we’re talking about here, but she acted like I was trying to ruin her career.”

Chloe could just imagine what Lois had been thinking. Lois, who had just found out the two people closest to her had been lying to her for years, had just gotten her first good look at the guy she could have had, while he was happily parading around with someone else. Lois had known for years that Clark had a crush on her, but all she’d ever been allowed to see was the clumsy dork. Lana, on the other hand, had been introduced straightaway to Prince Charming. Knowing Lana hadn’t ever had to deal with the dork had to be tough for Lois to swallow. Anyone would have a good excuse to feel bitter, and Lois had never needed much encouragement to do that.

“Lois may have some issues with you seeing Lana for a while,” Chloe said. She was trying to be diplomatic about the whole situation, but Clark sometimes needed things spelled out for him when it came to matters of the heart. “But whatever Lois said, the decision about whether or not you pursue a relationship with Lana Lang is completely up to you.

“That said, if she warned you about the need to keep your objectivity, then she had a valid point, no matter how insensitive she was as she tried to get it across.” Clark shifted in his seat, surprised to hear Chloe taking Lois’ side in this since she’d always been the sappy romantic of the three of them. “Not only do you have to be objective in your work, but you have the added obligation to appear to be so.”

“So…if Lana and I can keep things quiet, this could work?”

Chloe could hear the hope in Clark’s voice. Beyond that, she could hear the determination; Clark was going to give this a shot, no matter how bad an idea it was. Now that she’d given him both sides of the situation and he’d made his choice, it was her duty as his best friend to support him.

“Yes, Clark, if Superman can manage to keep from doing something with Lana Lang that gets noticed by half the city, then this might work.”

The mere mention of his primary alter ego made Clark wince. “Superman would try to stay as far from Lana as he could manage. After all, Supes has no official clue she even exists.”

After that, Clark turned the topic of conversation to Chloe’s night and was pleased to learn she had been asked for her phone number by one guy that she actually wanted to call her. Clark worked to keep the focus of the conversation on her the rest of the trip, as he was well aware they spent most of their personal time talking about his issues. That had to get old, even for a friend as good as Chloe.

Clark walked Chloe to her door, and then disappeared into the dark shadows of the nearest alley before changing into his Superman suit and soaring high over Metropolis to think. He kept his ears focused on Metropolis, constantly listening for trouble, while he thought about Lana. He wanted Lana with a barely controlled passion that kind of scared him, but then again, what red-blooded guy wouldn’t want her? The funny thing in all of this was that for the first time in years he’d found a woman he wanted to take a chance on, and it was his job at the freaking newspaper that was getting in the way, not his job as Superman.

Despite the risk to his hard-earned reputation, Clark knew he had to take a chance on Lana. She was intelligent, exciting, gorgeous, and comfortable for him to be around, along with many other qualities she was sure were just waiting to be discovered. He didn’t want to call her tomorrow and appear too eager, so he’d give her a day and then call.

As for Lois, she’d just have to realize that to him, some things were more important than a shiny reputation, that there were some things he’d give anything to have, and that love topped that list. Feeling at peace with his decisions, Clark felt lighter, more free, and he spent an active couple of hours as Superman before a short night’s sleep.

Clark was up and made it to work early for a change. It was a good thing he did, because Lois grabbed him by the shirt collar the moment he walked into the newsroom and marched him to an open conference room.

“Sit!” she said, as she slammed the door behind her.

Curious as to what he’d done this time, Clark eased himself into a leather swivel chair as Lois stalked back and forth over by the door. He decided he was better off letting her do the talking until he knew what the subject was.

“You and Chloe must feel pretty smart,” Lois said as she gestured at Clark’s dork disguise. “How many times did you two sit back and laugh at me when I couldn’t see past the suit and the greasy hair? Was it some kind of game for you two? Didn‘t pulling the wool over my eyes start to get old after a few years?”

Only now did Clark begin to understand how lonely and desolate the headwaters of Sh!t Creek could be, even for Superman.

“I, uh…”

Lois turned to Clark, arms folded across her chest, with her weight shifted to one hip. Clark knew he was in real trouble when Lois started to drum the fingers of one hand on the arm below it, a move that had always been an extreme danger signal from her. Chloe was conspicuous by her absence, and he wondered if she’d already been roasted this morning, or if she’d just had the common sense to avoid Lois.

“There was a good reason initially,” Clark said. “People in college tended to judge me by my looks, but Pretty Boy Clark never would have gotten a job here, so I toned down my look. Then I discovered that acting like a dork, when added to the clothes, got people to think of me as being harmless.” He shot a knowing look at Lois then, and added, “Even star investigative reporters.”

Lois had the grace to blush as she acknowledged the accuracy of Clark’s statement. She’d thought of him in those days as a something of a lost puppy and had treated him like a combination gofer and personal spell check.

“So once people started disregarding me, it made my work easier.” Clark swallowed and looked away from Lois as he approached the most embarrassing part of the subject for him. “And then there was the fact that I had an enormous crush on you for two years.

“I’d had a number of dates in college with gorgeous girls who just wanted to see if I was as good in the sack as I looked.” Lois could see the bleak look on his face and was surprised to feel pity for him. The idea of a man being treated like a sex toy and not liking it wasn’t something Lois normally would believe, but she could believe it of him. “I wanted you to want me and not what I looked like, before I let you in. But all you ever saw was the dork.” He pointed at his current look. “This guy. Good only for fetching coffee refills and proofreading your illegible copy.”

Clark could hear an edge of bitterness in his voice now and was shocked by it. He’d never known he felt this way until right now.

“You’ve never looked at me, Lois. Never really looked at me, not once in all the years we’ve worked together.” Clark’s eyes returned to Lois’ and they were darkly intense. “Sure, we eventually became friends, of a sort, mostly a comfortable workplace friendship, but if you’d ever come over to my place for the evening, even one time, you’d have seen right away what Chloe and I have been ‘hiding’ from you.

“Chloe and I don’t laugh at you, Lois. She tried for years to get you to take a chance on me, and I decided that if the dork Clark that lived on the surface was all you could manage to see, then it wasn’t up to me to help you out. My true friends know who I am. They don’t need help.”

Clark’s look became softer, more sorrowful. “If you still think I should have told you who I really was, then I’m sorry. I gave you all of me that I thought you were entitled to have.

“As for why now, I still don’t know why Chloe decided it was time for me to ‘come out of the closet.’ Maybe she was just tired of your same old jokes at my expense. Whatever her reasons, I’m glad she did. It’s allowed me to get a load off of my mind.”

Lois just stood there, looking poleaxed, as Clark let her in on how her behavior had affected him over the years. She still had a hard time associating the dorky Clark in front of her with the suave and sexy Clark she’d spent time with last night.

Silence reigned for only a moment before Chloe burst into the room, looking anxiously from Lois to Clark and back again, before she said, “Is it safe yet?”

Both turned to Chloe and said, “No!” and Lois added, “Just go back to hiding in the supply room. We’ll be done in a little bit.”

The silence came back when Chloe left, until Lois finally broke it, “I know I treated you like crap, and did for years.” She started playing with her hands as if she didn’t know what to do with them all of a sudden. “I’m sorry about that Clark, I really am. I shouldn’t have made fun of the yokel in our midst…but that doesn’t change the fact that you and Chloe perpetrated a fraud on me for years. How many lies did you tell to me to cover yourself? And how am I supposed to trust you or Chloe ever again?”

Clark was grateful Lois chose to not go through a litany of his lies, but what she said was true nonetheless. He’d always known this day was approaching, that someday, Lois would learn he wasn’t who he portrayed himself as, but he’d never quite seen himself as a liar until now. Even Lana’s prescient comment concerning Lois not being happy about being lied to hadn’t really gotten through to him.

Need to pay even more attention to what Lana says, particularly about women, Clark thought. I guess it’s good Lois hasn’t learned about my other identity. Explaining the reasons why I never told her about that would not be fun.

The idea of being a liar didn’t sit well with Clark, because as Superman, he was known as a man who never lied. Superman’s word was gold, and over the years, Clark had kind of started to think that way about himself, even though it wasn’t quite true.

“I’m sorry, too, Lois. I have been lying to you for years about who I really am. I guess I never really saw it that way before, I just thought I was doing what was necessary to protect me. That doesn’t excuse it though. I guess when you finally decided to befriend me, I should have considered letting you in a bit.”

“So what do we do now?” Lois asked.

“I don’t know, Lo. Maybe it’s a good thing you’re heading back to Las Vegas. It should give us some time to think about where we go from here.”

“Well, I’m all packed and ready to go. I’ve got a cab scheduled to pick me up in half an hour or so, so when you manage to drag my cousin out of the supply closet, tell her we’ll talk when I get back, after you and I figure out what we’ll do about us.”

“Okay, Lois,” Clark said, as he ventured a tentative smile. “I’ll do that. Be safe.”

“Be safe?” Lois elbowed Clark in the ribs. “This is me you’re talking about. The General’s daughter.”

“Yeah,” Clark countered, “the only person on Earth who is in mortal danger so often that she has Superman on speed dial.”

Lois just snagged her purse and rolled her eyes as she left the room, leaving a deeply thoughtful Clark Kent in her wake.

[Nemu]

Why is Lois thinking she is entitled to any special treatment? They are friends... if she flatters herself as being one of the (if not THE) greatest reporter of the DP... she should have seen through Clark's dorky persona...

Clark has a right to me angry somehow about all this...

Now it basically comes down to if Lois can stop being a brat (to use lighter words ;)) and move on... or else things will just be hell between them all...

I for one hope Lois and Lana aren't on the same flight... or if they are that Lana doesn't take crap from Lois... in regard to Clark and everything...

Good chapter...

PPMS!!!

[treker]

First of all I was surprised with the shocking turn in Clark's attitude toward Lois; he went from being sumissive and allowing Lois to walk over him to calling her out on her hypocritical attitude towards her friends and what she is entitled to. Lois acts like she owns everyone and they need to bow down to her and pay homage. I'm delighted that Clark took her down several pegs by displaying his anger and disappointment in her attitudes toward him and the people in his life.

I'm also very relieved that Clark is not going to back down from pursuing a relationship with Lana; and I get the hint that she is very quickly becoming someone he deeply respects and will listen too just as much as Chloe. Well done.

I just wonder how Lois will react once she see's Lana again; knowing Lois she'll probably tear into Lana for stealing what she could have had; I hope Lana doesn't back down from her as a result.

Excellent Chapter....

[The Black Cat]

First of all I was surprised with the shocking turn in Clark's attitude toward Lois; he went from being sumissive and allowing Lois to walk over him to calling her out on her hypocritical attitude towards her friends and what she is entitled to. Lois acts like she owns everyone and they need to bow down to her and pay homage. I'm delighted that Clark took her down several pegs by displaying his anger and disappointment in her attitudes toward him and the people in his life.


I loved it too.

Great update! PPMS!

[NYC300Z]

Great update everything from Chloe and Clark and Clark and Lois.... can't wait to see what the next update might hold for us.....i'm guessing a little of Lois' flight? Will we get to the next day and see the Clana call? Will we see Lana wondering when Clark will call? i'm excited to see where we go from here!

PPMS!

[smallvillewolf17]

Awesome update. PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 16

Passing Notes

Lana strode into the employee lounge at Metropolis International Airport in plenty of time for her first flight, and was greeted by a chorus of ‘there she is!’ from the rest of her crew for this flight. It was just a very short flight from Metropolis to Las Vegas, which Lana thought was a perfect way to ease her way back into work.

Among that crowd, she saw Renee who, Lana quickly surmised, had been telling the others about the way she’d recovered from Jason’s infidelity and the end of their relationship by snagging the hottest guy in the club last night. Lana was proven right once she saw today’s issue of “Metropolis By Night” being waved around. There, on the front page, was a large print of her and Clark in the parking lot. She had to admit the picture looked hot, and hoped it was seen by a very jealous Jason.

Lana had to correct a few inaccuracies in Renee’s story, since the girl had been a bit tipsy the night before and hadn’t seen everything she thought she had, but most of the story was correct, and Lana had to take a great deal of good-natured ribbing from her co-workers.

The one thing Renee hadn’t told today‘s crew, however, was the news about Lana’s virginity. As the crew boarded the plane an hour later, Lana pulled Renee aside and thanked her for her discretion.

“No problem, Lana,” Renee replied. “That’s your business, not theirs. If you want them to know, you’ll tell ‘em.”

Lana and Renee were both assigned to business class for this flight and they quickly set about their duties, making sure everything was ready for the flight. Since the flight would only be an hour and a half long, they weren’t going to be serving any meals, which simplified things greatly. Soon, they were welcoming passengers, directing people to their seats, and helping stow carry-on bags.

Everything went as usual, until Lana directed a tall, strikingly beautiful woman in a smart pantsuit to her seat. The woman gave Lana an interested stare, as if trying to place her face, and then went blank once she read Lana’s name tag.

Apparently someone who knows me, Lana thought, or maybe someone who’s seen my face in the paper in the last couple of days.

Lois couldn’t believe the hussy that was trying to move in on Clark was right here in front of her. While any chance she and Clark may have had was regrettably long behind them, Lois considered it her duty to protect him from the more predatory women out there.

Clark’s so clueless sometimes, Lois thought. And this woman left her cheating billionaire boyfriend only to jump right into Clark’s arms so he could help cushion her fall. She’ll chew him up and then spit him out once she finds her next wealthy boyfriend, and then he’ll have risked his reputation and career for nothing more than a broken heart.

Lois pulled out her ever-present notepad and began writing furiously. She knew roughly what she wanted to say, but she knew Lana would be way too busy during this flight to stop for a chat, so she had to get it all down on paper. Three drafts later, she had something she thought might do.


Lana,

My name is Lois Lane. We met briefly last night at Europa. I’m sorry about what happened between Mr. Teague and yourself, but I hope you won’t let that pain cause you to hurt someone else.

Clark and I are looking into your allegations that someone setup Mr. Teague. We have reason to believe you may be correct. Clark needs to be and to appear to be completely uninvolved with anyone inside this story. Because you’re a part of this story, even if only peripherally, pursuing a relationship with Clark will put his professional reputation and his career as a journalist at risk.

Secondly, as a woman, I have reason to doubt your emotional stability this soon after a painful breakup. Clark is my friend and I definitely don’t want to see him get hurt when your heart heals and you move on to someone more your speed than a guy from Smallville, Kansas.

Best Intentions,

Lois Lane


Lois was a person of action. She’d much rather make a mistake of commission than one of omission. So, once she had the note written and neatly folded, she couldn’t wait to hand it to Lana. Lois signaled for assistance and Lana walked up, still not quite sure where she knew this woman from.

“What can I get for you?” Lana asked.

“Nothing,” Lois admitted, “I just wanted to give you this.”

Hoping this wasn’t some form of lesbian proposition, Lana pocketed the note, which she didn’t have time to read until later. When she got around to reading it, she chastised herself for not recognizing Clark’s writing partner from last night, and she was glad for the confirmation that they were serious about going after the people who had set Jason up, but she bridled at Lois’ attempt at interfering in her life. Writing hurriedly on the back of the note, Lana gave a sharply-worded reply.


Lois,

I’m pleased to meet you again so soon. Thank you for confirming the Daily Planet is serious about finding out if Jason was set up. I also thank you for your good intentions in trying to protect your partner and friend.

I must say, however, that your interference is as unwelcome as it is wrongheaded. Clark and I have already discussed the difficulties involved in trying to build a relationship and have decided to move ahead.

As for your contention that I may be unstable, I have nothing to say to that as the only way I can prove my stability is through my actions.

Finally, don’t worry about Clark not being ‘my speed’ just because he’s from a small town in Kansas. I find that to be the most insulting part of your note. Where he’s from doesn’t matter, only who he is today.

Sincerely,

A Girl from Granville, Kansas


Lana went back to work and quickly handed the note to Lois, and then stood there and waited for her to read it through. Once Lois was finished, she looked up at Lana, who was giving her a challenging stare.

Lois knew she had two choices: continue to try and keep these two apart, which it appeared would risk a serious fight with Lana, not to mention what either Clark or Chloe might do, or let it go, secure in the knowledge she’d made an honest attempt at saving Clark.

She chose option number two.

Lois tore up the note and stuffed the shreds inside a pocket of her suit jacket. “Forget I said anything, Lana. You two kids go out and have fun.”

“I plan to, Miss Lane,” Lana said in her best professional voice. “Enjoy the rest of your flight.”

While Lana was dealing with Lois, Clark was headed for another interview with Jason Teague. This interview was scheduled for his office at his law firm’s downtown complex.

Clark was cooling his heels in the main waiting room as Jason handled ‘more important things.’ He was used to people in power making him wait in an attempt to show their importance. Clark didn’t care, he’d been doing this for years, and to him, it didn’t matter how long he waited as long as he got the interview.

Finally, the receptionist took a call and then told Clark that Mr. Teague would see him now. She pointed him down the right hallway and Clark wandered that way, stopping to ask directions twice and bumping into one secretary’s desk, which sent a pile of paperwork flying. Embarrassed, both that he’d knocked the paper loose and that he had to do things like that to keep up his image, Clark hurriedly scooped up the paper before the secretary had the chance to get out of her chair and stoop to help.

Jason’s secretary was at her desk, and immediately showed Clark in. “Mr. Kent,” Jason said, as he pointed Clark to a chair, “I didn’t expect you to come back for another interview after your paper printed that article…you know, the one that ended my relationship with Lana, and likely ended my political career.” Then Jason tossed a copy of the “Metropolis By Night” section to Clark. “And then, your paper extends my humiliation by showing the woman I love enjoying an intimate moment with some pretty boy. Tell me why I’d want to spend another five minutes of my time talking to anyone from your paper.”

“My partner and I believe there’s a good chance that you have been the target of an orchestrated campaign to discredit you.”

“No sh*t.”

“We want to find out who and thought you might want to help us.”

There was nothing Jason would like more right now, so he leaned forward and said, “Tell me what led you to this conclusion, and then maybe I can use those clues to figure out who it might be. Otherwise, I probably can’t help you. There are too many people out there who would like to see me fall for me to narrow it down right now.”

“Lois and I already have our own ideas about who it could be, but we were hoping to get independent confirmation from you, so here‘s what we know.” Clark went on to detail how easily Lois had obtained the security footage from the Bellagio and the autopsy report from the CSIs. “That seems to indicate a high level of access. Does anyone in Las Vegas want to ruin you?”

“Not that I know of,” Jason replied. He was being honest, for despite his earlier comment of ‘no sh*t!,’ Jason hadn’t really considered the possibility that someone wanted to take him down. Until now, he’d been considering this as a simple operation gone wrong. “Sorry, Mr. Kent, I don’t think I can help you right now. Maybe if you come up with some more information.”

Clark could hear the dismissal in Jason’s voice and stood as the brief interview drew to a close. “The person who’s out to get you doesn’t have to be from Las Vegas, Mr. Teague. He or she could be from right here in Kansas. Just something to think about.”

Clark left the office, but focused his super-hearing on Jason’s office, just in case. He didn’t have anything more to go on than a hunch, but it didn’t cost him anything but time to follow up on it, so he did.

As he rode down the elevator, he could hear Jason talking on the phone to someone. From the quality of the sound from the other end, Jason had to be on a cell phone, but the quality of the sound didn’t have to be good for Clark to recognize the voice on the other end of the call.

“At first, I thought you were just an incompetent bastard, Lex,” Jason said, the venom in his voice plain to any who heard him. “I ask you for one little favor, to scare off that gold-digging wh*re, and your ‘crack’ thug messed it up so badly that she got killed, he got caught, and I’m getting the blame. Not to mention the fact that my girlfriend left me, and my political career is in tatters.”

“And…?” Lex was bored with this phone call already. He’d had to listen to a lengthy diatribe on his incompetence yesterday.

“But now I learn that someone appears to be out to destroy me. Someone leaked security tapes from the Bellagio, and someone made sure that a copy of the autopsy was leaked.”

“Okay, so? You have any number of potential enemies.”

“None in Las Vegas, Lex. And of the ones in Metropolis, none of them have that kind of clout out in Nevada.” A brief pause and then, “You wouldn’t happen to have an idea of who is responsible, would you?” Lex was beginning to get worried. Not much, but just a little. Jason might be a little dense sometimes, but with the financial resources at his command, he could be a problem if he so chose.

Clark smiled tightly to himself as the elevator let out on ground level. He couldn’t use anything he’d just heard in court, or even in an article, but it told him what had happened and where to start digging to try and find proof.

[treker]

:)

Just when I thought Lois was going to take the high road she goes and shows what a ***** she is. It's perfectly obvious that she now see's Clark as a potential love interest once she realized how hot he really is; I'm very happy that Lana didn't back down from Lois' attempted sabatoge of their blooming relationship, and Lana was right, it's incredibly insulting to judge Clark just because he comes from a small town in Kansas as was obvious from Lana's closing remark about being from granville.

Jason just keeps getting more disgusting as time goes on, it's becoming clear that Lex set him up, but Jason was just to stupid to realize that Lex might take it one step farther. Fortunately for Clark, Super Hearing solves many problems when trying to investigate dishonest people.

I wonder what Clark will do next? And will he find out what Lois tried to do to his relationship with Lana?

Will we get to see the first meeting in this story between Clark and Lex?

Great chapter Cardinal....keep em coming.

:D

[Cardinal]

Kudos to treker for suggesting that Lois and Lana fly out of Metropolis on the same plane.

[Nemu]

Way to go Lana!!!

Well Supes will be snooping around the Luthor I guess...

I had more to say but... forgot some...

PPMS!!!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 17

Needless Sacrifice

Clark spent the rest of his workday trying to get in to see Lex. The two of them had a long history together, dating back to Lex’s time in Smallville, but what once had been the closest of friendships had turned into an unyielding animosity, so Clark wasn’t surprised Lex didn’t rearrange his schedule to accommodate an interview request.

The rest of Lana’s day was rather routine. Her flight ended in Las Vegas, and forty-five minutes later, she was on the way to Seattle, on her last flight of the day.

When Clark’s workday was over, he was suddenly conscious of his cell phone and the exciting new number it contained. He’d been able to ignore the siren song of Lana’s phone number while at work, but now that he was alone in his apartment , it was becoming harder and harder to not pick up his cell phone and call Lana right away, even though his original intention had been to play it cool and wait for tomorrow night.

With one ear listening to the sounds of Metropolis as he watched TV, Clark finally pulled out his phone and scrolled down to find where Lana had placed her number on his speed dial. His parents were number one, Chloe was number two, Lois was number three, the Daily Planet’s newsroom was number four, and so on, down to number ten, which was where Lana’s number sat. Clark was impressed that Lana put herself last on the list.

She didn’t feel the need to move herself up. Any number of women would have wanted to be at least in the top half. Clark smiled. I guess she wants to earn her way up. Whether that’s modesty or confidence, it’s attractive.

Once Clark had Lana’s name and number highlighted, his thumb came closer and closer to making the call as her phone number’s siren song increased in strength. Just as he was about to give in and place the call, his super-hearing picked up a 911 dispatcher as she called out a five-alarm fire in a Hell’s Gate tenement.

Down went the phone, and out into the night went Clark. A bare minute later, Superman was on the scene. It took Clark quite some time to evacuate all the trapped residents before using his super-breath to extinguish the fires. When he came back to his apartment, he reeked of smoke and took a long shower to relax and remove the smoke smell. But once back in his living room, Clark was faced with the same dilemma: to make the call or to wait. He was usually good at waiting, having long considered patience a strong suit of his, but not tonight.

Clark made the call.

Lana and Renee were already ensconced in one of the nice apartments located near the airport that the airline kept for pilots and flight attendants when Clark’s call came through. Lana had just dressed in white silk pajamas and was busy brushing out her hair before she and Renee settled in to watch a movie on cable.

Wondering who could be calling, Lana checked the caller ID on her phone, and squealed when she saw it was Clark. Renee came rushing in from her bedroom to see what was going on, and started jumping up and down once Lana showed her who was calling. Once Lana composed herself and shooed Renee back out of the room, she picked up the call.

And then her stomach lurched as she thought of what she knew she had to say.

“Hi, Clark,” Lana said. Her voice was admirably controlled, given how excited she’d been only moments before. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

“Hi, Lana,” Clark said, savoring the way her name rolled off his tongue. “I wasn’t planning on calling until tomorrow, but…I found I couldn’t wait.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that.” Lana sat on her bed, tucking one leg underneath her, as she prepared for the unknown. She knew this could get ugly, and do so quickly.

“Me too.” After his shower, Clark had dressed in a white t-shirt and loose blue sweatpants. Now that he had Lana on the phone, he stretched out comfortably on his black leather couch. Just hearing her voice was soothing, helping drain the tension from his body that hadn’t been completely relieved by the heat of the shower.

“I actually would’ve called earlier,” Clark admitted, “except there was a tenement fire not too far away from here which I went down to cover.”

“Good thing you didn’t call. Renee and I were out getting something to eat.”

“What?” Clark asked in mock alarm. “You mean to tell me you wouldn’t have stopped eating to take my call?”

“Well, not for much more than the time it would take to ask you to call back. With most people, I would just let the call go to voicemail. I think taking a phone call while at dinner with others is kind of rude, unless it’s an emergency. Besides, I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear what I have to say.”

Clark thought that sounded oddly ominous, and his stomach began to get queasy.

Lana took a deep breath. She’d been thinking about this for hours. Renee had noticed her sour mood all through the flight to Seattle and even through dinner. “I can’t steal your reputation from you.”

Trying to keep his stomach from churning anymore than it already was, Clark asked, “Okay…I know we’d already decided to try this, so what brought on this…anxiety attack?”

‘Anxiety attack’ was all Clark could think to call what he thought he was sensing from Lana. He definitely didn’t want to think of what else it could be. Lana went on to explain how she’d run into Lois on the flight to Las Vegas. When she got to the point in the story where she’d read Lois’ note, Clark nearly crushed his cell phone in his hand.

“That stupid, little bit…” Clark said, his anger mounting with each word, before Lana cut him off.

“That’s kind of what I thought when I read it, and I told her that when I answered her note with one of my own.” Then Lana’s voice got edgy. “But then I got to thinking, and I realized that this is your career at risk here, not mine, yet I pressured you into trying this with me.”

“What are you saying?” Clark asked, as his heart fell toward his feet.

“You’ve worked long and hard to become known as a reporter of talent and integrity.” Lana sounded like she wanted to cry. “I can’t do this with you, Clark. Not now. Maybe not ever. It wouldn’t be fair to you. I’m sorry.”

Clark’s heart raced through a range of emotions as Lana listened tearfully for his reply. He was crushed to have his hopes dashed, then angry at both Lois and Lana for dashing them, and then depressed that he couldn’t have what he wanted even though he rarely wanted anything for himself.

When emotion ran out, all that was left inside Clark’s heart were ashes. He thought he could smell their acrid tang and even taste them seeping into his mouth, leaving him wanting to gag.

If I get this wound up in a woman after this short a time, Clark thought, maybe I shouldn’t be getting involved. Jor-El always said I’d walk alone. Maybe he knew what he was talking about.

“Clark?” Lana asked hesitantly. “Are you there? Say something.”

“If you ever decide what you really want, Lana, call me. You have my numbers.” He almost ended the call, but then added, “Just don’t expect me to be waiting around for you.”

In Seattle, Lana could hear bitter disappointment in Clark’s voice and then nothing, as he ended the call. Back in Metropolis, Clark wanted to smash his phone into dust or maybe throw it into outer space, but he managed to hold onto his temper, and decided instead to just delete Lana’s phone number.

It took Lana a long time to get to sleep that night, even after she skipped the movie with Renee and went straight to bed. The tears that had threatened to fall all during her talk with Clark flowed freely once she was alone in the dark. She was sure she’d done the right thing, letting him go so he didn’t ruin his life just for her…but the one thing that ate at her into the small hours of the night was this: if I did the right thing, why does it feel so wrong?

Clark didn’t find sleep any more easily. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he’d had something to look forward to, something beyond his day-to-day existence as a reporter, something even beyond his duties as Superman. It was something in his life that was going to be just for him, something he was going to throw himself into with everything he had, and it had been taken away from him just as quickly as it had arrived.

[Nemu]

:D:(
I hope Clark goes down and tear Lois appart for what she did... The freakin B#*@& I hope Chloe sees a difference in Clark's atitude and get to the bottom of it... cause both She and Clark will be able to slap Lois into next week... GRRRRRR

And I hope Lana wakes up fast and call him back... If it feels wrong then it means it was the wrong move...

Wow 2 updates back-to-back... can we hope for a third one in the next 24 hours?

PPMS!!!

[NYC300Z]

AHHHH! I can't believe Lana actually let Lois get to her! I so hope Lana changes her mind and calls Clark the next day! That last update just dashed so much hope for the two of them....i'm confident something will turn this around what I don't know yet.

PPMS!

[treker]

well, that was extremely disappointing....how could Lana do that?

I hope Clark rips Lois a new one, but I think what may happen is everyone is going to see a new clark kent from now on...and it won't be for the better. His heart is in ashes and if I was in his place no one would see any emotion coming from me again in order to protect myself, I really see Clark doing this and I know Lois will notice and hope she feels guilty about it...and Lana too for that matter....

[CaptainObvious]

Lois and her big mouth! I just knew she'd throw her two cents into the mix and get Lana to thinking. As much as Lana is trying to protect Clark's reputation, I hope her heart takes over and changes her mind about her relationship with Clark. I'm surprised she caved so quickly.

I wonder what circumstances will bring them back together? Nice updates Card!

[clana_never_give_up]

:eek: I can't believe Lana let Lois get to her!!!!! GRRRRR :mad:

She better snap out of it quick and call Clark back!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 18

A New Start

The next day was Monday, and unlike many workers, Clark and Chloe both had that day off, officially anyway. Since he was on a story, Clark would normally have kept working on the story without regard for what the calendar said.

But not today.

Clark suddenly found he had little interest in discovering who set up Jason Teague. It wasn’t like the guy had been successfully framed, because Clark already knew there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Jason of murder, unless Lois had missed something. Mostly, Jason had just been exposed for the cheating bastard that he was.

Oooh, too freaking bad! Clark thought. Cry me a river. At least that jerk got a shot with L…with her.

Clark couldn’t even bring himself to think about Lana right now, and not working on the story would help him with that. So he called Chloe bright and early and asked her a question she’d never thought to hear from Clark Kent.

“Chloe, would you like to go clothes shopping with me?”

Saying Chloe was startled would be putting it mildly. To her way of thinking, getting that call from Clark was the same as getting a call from Lex Luthor offering to tell her where all the bodies are located. And just as she’d never pass up such an offer from Lex, Chloe was completely incapable of not helping Clark buy new clothes.

An hour later, the two of them were headed for some of the finer men’s clothing stores in town. She delighted in seeing the way Clark reacted to the poking and prodding of the clerks as they took his measurements, after which they brought out some slacks for him to try on. After they confirmed the fit, they marked up the hem on the various slacks that Clark and Chloe chose and sent them back to the in-house tailor to be stitched up while he shopped for tie, belts and shirts.

Clark wasn’t rich, but he was well paid, and since he spent very little of his money for anything besides the necessities, he had a deep bank account, one that was about to take a significant hit today, as Chloe mentioned on more than one occasion. After the third such time, with no visible reaction from her normally tight-fisted friend, Chloe’s casual concern about Clark’s sudden fashion mania grew into something more serious. It was nearly noon time and they were driving home to stash Clark’s new collection of slacks, belts, ties, and shirts before heading out for lunch together, when Chloe finally decided she needed to say something.

“Clark, what in the hell has gotten into you today?” Chloe asked. “Is there something called gold-K out there that makes you spend money?”

“No,” Clark said, “there is gold-K, but it’s very rare, and would permanently remove my powers if I was ever exposed to it.” Chloe gasped. “But the shopping spree was brought on by a whole different color, or so I think. Namely green.”

Lost now, Chloe couldn’t imagine where Clark was going with this line of thought. “Green? Green-K weakens you, it doesn’t…”

“Not green-K, Chlo. More like, the green-eyed monster. Jealousy.”

“Who are you jealous of, Clark? Or…is it you that’s jealous?” Seeing something in Clark’s face that led her to believe she was on the right track, Chloe thought fast. As usual, she made the right assumptions and mental connections.

“Lois?” A tight nod from Clark confirmed it. But that didn’t make sense to Chloe…unless Lois’ supposed jealousy had somehow negatively affected his chances with Lana. “Oh, Clark!” Chloe cried out. “I’m so sorry!”

“You’re not half as sorry as that former partner of mine is going to be,” Clark said grimly.

“Former partner?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, former. I thought she and I had settled things between us reasonably well before she left. But then she flew out of town yesterday on Lana’s flight and scared her away from me.” Chloe could hear the anger and the hurt in Clark’s voice. He sounded like a bewildered little boy who’d just had his bike stolen, one who was mad and couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do such a thing to him. “The day I need relationship ‘help’ from Lois Lane, is the day I grow a second…”

Chloe moved to cut Clark off. “That’s about to be TMI there, Big Guy. And in any case, don’t you think the decision on whether or not you two will still be working together belongs to Perry?”

“Nope. I've already made it. I plan on telling him tomorrow that he has two choices: reassign me, or fire me.” When Clark saw Chloe’s jaw drop, he grinned. “You and I both know if he fires me, I’ll have a job with the Herald before lunch.”

“Well, if you’re considering the Herald, then you might as well go back and talk to WGBS about that TV reporter gig. You do have a face that was made for television.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” Clark said. The sarcasm in his voice was light, but there. She knew just how little TV work appealed to him.

Clark and Chloe spent some time moving his new purchases into his closet, filling the space they’d just made earlier in the day when they’d started removing his old dork clothes so they could take them to the Salvation Army.

Now they loaded up one last load of ill-fitting suits and cheap shoes and loaded them in the car. After making a second stop of the morning at the Salvation Army, the two of them headed for a nice meal on Clark at a downtown bistro. In between bites, Clark explained the events of last night’s phone call with Lana.

Chloe’s reaction to hearing about Lois’ note was one of disbelief. She thought she knew her better than anyone, and after having heard from Clark how the day before he and Lois had seemed to come to some sort of understanding, she just couldn’t imagine Lois doing what it sounded like she did.

If this is all true, Chloe thought angrily, that cow is getting a piece of my mind once she gets home!

And when she heard how Lana backed out on Clark, Chloe felt her heart break for him. They’d always been best friends, and he hadn’t had many chances at love after breaking up with Alicia Baker halfway through senior year at Smallville. She began to see why Clark was ditching his sad sack persona and showing the world who he sort of was.

I gotta get to work early tomorrow so I can get a front row seat for when he walks in looking like Joe GQ, Chloe thought. The girls are gonna crap themselves sideways!

The afternoon was spent at a highly-recommended tailor’s as Clark stood through an initial measuring session for a new set of suits. The man and his assistants took tons more measurements than anything else Chloe had ever seen, short of a wedding dress. After that, and after Chloe had gotten a good look at the color-fabric combinations the tailor planned on using, the two of them made one last set of stops on their day-long shopping odyssey: exclusive men’s shoe stores.

Being obsessive about shoes the way only a woman can, Chloe wouldn’t let Clark quit until he had at least five different pairs of shoes. Clark nearly soiled himself when he saw the price tags, but Chloe just snarled and told him he was lucky he wasn’t shopping for top of the line women’s shoes.

“We’ll actually need to come back and buy you twice as many pairs, at least, once your suits are completed, but these should do for now.”

They left the shoe stores with two pairs of Ferragamos, two pairs of Crockett & Jones, and two more from John Lobb. The high prices of the suits Clark could understand, sort of, but not one single pair of those shoes went for less than $750. He made Chloe swear to never tell anyone, especially his parents, how much they cost.

“I could've bought decent shoes for fifty bucks a pair,” Clark whined, as they headed out to Chloe’s car.

“Yeah, but you just bought all these stylish and expensive clothes. Nothing says ‘wanna be’ to a woman quite like matching crappy shoes with great clothes. The guys you know might never notice the difference, but the women will. The quality of a man‘s shoes, and how he takes care of them, can tell us a lot.

“The good news is, if you take care of these shoes properly, they’ll last you a very, very long time. And unlike women’s shoes, there’s virtually no chance of any of these shoes ever going out of style.”

By the time the last article of clothing was stowed, Clark felt exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. He’d been shopping with Chloe since eight in the morning and now it was after six in the evening. She’d already admitted that her feet were kind of sore from hours of standing, but otherwise, she looked to have found the whole experience invigorating.

“I don’t know how women get their kicks out of shopping,” Clark groaned, as he prepared to order delivery pizza for two. “Anything you want on yours?”

“Nah, I’ll eat whatever you get.” As Clark dialed, she said, “And as for shopping being fun for us women, it is. It’s a form of entertainment for most of us to go out and window shop, but to get a chance to help you blow a wad of cash on the start of a whole new wardrobe is even better. This was like playing dress-up with a real, live Ken doll.”

“You…had a Ken doll?” Clark said, after completing his order. The very idea of Chloe sitting down on her bedroom floor to play with her Barbie dolls just about short-circuited his mind.

“Yeah. Until I was eight or so and my friends and family quit trying to make me into a typical girl.”

“You’re anything but typical, Chloe.”

“Thank you, Clark. I’ve always strived to be different.” She pulled a Diet Coke out of Clark’s fridge, something he kept only for her, and popped the top. “Now. You’ve got the start of a great new wardrobe, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“I’m tired of hiding who I am. Dork Boy is dead.” Clark, not needing to watch his caloric intake, grabbed a Mountain Dew out of the fridge to have with the soon to arrive pizza. “Tomorrow morning, my co-workers will be introduced to the real Clark Kent.”

Lana had a different sort of morning in Seattle. She and Renee had to get going early to catch their flight. Combining Lana’s call with Clark, her nearly sleepless night, and her early wakeup call, made Lana grumpy, if not surly, the next morning as she wandered out of her bedroom. Seeing her roomie, Renee thought she looked rather rough.

“What’s wrong with you?” Renee asked. “I’m used to the country girl being up and ready for work by the time I finish breakfast.”

“I guess I’m not feeling too well this morning,” Lana mumbled.

“Or…maybe it has something to do with the crying I heard last night?”

“What crying?”

Renee didn’t say anything. All she had to do was put her hands on her hips and give Lana a ‘you have got to be kidding me’ look to get her to relent.

“Okay, I admit it. I was crying.”

“Why…?”

“Clark.”

Renee nearly spit a mouthful of coffee on the counter. She’d heard Lana squealing like a little girl just the night before because Clark had called. What could have gone wrong?

“Is he sick? Did he get hurt?”

“No. We broke up.”

Renee sat quietly for a few seconds, looking as if expecting Lana to jump up and say ‘April Fool,’ even though that had been nearly a month ago. In actuality, she was just digesting this latest in a series of ups and downs for Lana.

“Why? He seemed so happy with you. Why would he dump you?”

Lana finally moved the rest of the way across the room, grabbed a cup of Renee’s coffee, which was usually strong enough to use as paint stripper, and sat down next to her buddy. One small sip confirmed the coffee’s strength, and gave Lana some needed resolve.

“He didn’t dump me. I dumped him.”

“You dumped him…before you two even went out once…after you were so excited to hear from him last night.” Renee shook her head. She just couldn’t believe men sometimes. “What did that rat bastard say?”

“Nothing. He was funny, and adorable…which switched to very confused and hurt after I dumped him.”

“Lana…you hadn’t even gone out with the guy yet. Have you lost your mind? Let him screw up first…then dump him.”

As the two of them prepared for their day, Lana explained everything, starting with how she’d pushed her way past his objections to get him to take a chance on them. Then came Lois’ little note on the plane and Lana’s carefully worded reply.

“That b*tch!” Renee muttered, followed quickly by, “You sure set her straight.”

“Yeah, but then I started thinking and I realized that I was playing games with his career. I pushed him into dating me, when he specifically tried to warn me against it. How selfish can I get? He’s been building his reputation as a reporter for four years, and I wanted him to risk throwing it all away for the sake of one date with me.

“So I told him I can’t go out with him now. And knowing how selfish I’d been without even knowing the guy for a week, I got scared and told him I might not ever be able to date him. He ended the call by telling me to call him if I ever got my head out of my ass.”

“He said that?”

“Noooo…but he might as well have.”

Renee had thought this was easily fixable until Lana’s last few statements. Everything Lana had said up until then she could have fixed by claiming it had been her time of the month. She knew from experience that guys rarely questioned any slightly insane behavior that was claimed to have been performed while under the duress of PMS. But telling this guy that it might never happen might have been too much even for the PMS defense, slamming the door shut on her chances with him.

“Okay. First off, the whole career thing. You said you leaned on him to take a shot with you even though his career is at risk. What does he do and why is his job at risk?”

“He’s a reporter and he’s working on a story that involves Jason and might involve me. Potential big-time conflict of interest.”

“Oh. Well, anyway, it sounds to me like you leaned on him, but he actually made the decision to take the chance. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good! And that’s as it should be. It’s his career, so taking the risk should be his decision.”

Lana slapped herself on the forehead. “His decision, which I just took away from him. Jeez, I’m stupid!”

Second, quit doubting your instincts. After giving that ninny on the plane a perfectly good brush off, you turned around and let her dictate your actions? Hello? Anyone home? You said that chick was his writing partner. She’s just trying to look out for her own best interests. If his rep takes a hit, so does hers.”

“Right now I’d like to see her mouth take a hit,” Lana admitted. “Preferably from me.”

“Finally, you got way too dramatic when you dumped him. Before, this was fixable with a pseudo-sincere phone call; now its gonna take a face to face groveling session to explain your retardedness.”

“Yeah.” Lana said soberly, as she contemplated her next meeting with Clark. “I don’t know where he lives, but I do know where he works. First day off we have back in Metropolis, I’m going after him, early in the morning.”

“I just hope you can wait three days.”

“Me too.”

[treker]

I'm afraid that may be to little to late for Lana......

Clark isn't cooling off anytime soon, and Lois is in for a ass kicking like she's never had before; first from Chloe and secondly from Perry once he finds out what she did and how it'll effect his best writing team.

Thank God Lana has such a good friend in Renee......

[NYC300Z]

oh Lana now you come to your senses....I wonder what Clark will have to say when Lana shows up? I wonder how much he'll have moved on by then considering his new look?

PPMS!

[Nemu]

I'm afraid that may be to little to late for Lana......

Clark isn't cooling off anytime soon, and Lois is in for a ass kicking like she's never had before; first from Chloe and secondly from Perry once he finds out what she did and how it'll effect his best writing team.

Thank God Lana has such a good friend in Renee......

While I agree with you Brian... I have to add a comment...

I am not sure that Perry will actually know exactly what Hois will have done... Clark will try to keep that out of it... even if he is pissed at the world...

I think it might actually be Superman that will get them back (clana) on a closer play field... Card you mentionned the possibility that Lana will meet the big man sooner than later...

PPMS!!!!

[treker]

Card you mentionned the possibility that Lana will meet the big man sooner than later...

PPMS!!!!

When did Card say that????

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----





I think it might actually be Superman that will get them back
(clana) on a closer play fieldPPMS!!!!



I think you're possible right...however, I wonder how much Clark's anger at Lana will translate into Superman's attitude toward her???

[Nemu]

When did Card say that????

The question might not be "when" but "where"...

A few updates back people were commenting how he wanted to keep Lana as far away from Supes... then Card said something to maybe she will meet the guy sooner than later...

But being as K-site isnt the only place to read this fic... it is hard to remember where and when exactly that comment was made...



I think you're possible right...however, I wonder how much Clark's anger at Lana will translate into Superman's attitude toward her???

I dunno... dont forget though that even if Clark is angry (more hurt anyway) he did tell Lana that it was her call... so I guess he will listen to her... maybe not with lovey-dovey eyes... but he will...à

as for supes? depends on the situation i guess...

[CaptainObvious]

I wish I could be in the news room when Clarks walks into work tomorrow all GQ. Female eyes will be popping. Let's hope his temper mellows before the grand entrance....unless of course he unleashes his anger at Lois first! Even though Clark is really upset with Lana, I think he'll at least listen to her "I'm sorry, I was wrong" speech. Let's face it, when has Clark been able to resist Lana in any way.

[treker]

I wish I could be in the news room when Clarks walks into work tomorrow all GQ. Female eyes will be popping. Let's hope his temper mellows before the grand entrance....unless of course he unleashes his anger at Lois first! Even though Clark is really upset with Lana, I think he'll at least listen to her "I'm sorry, I was wrong" speech. Let's face it, when has Clark been able to resist Lana in any way.


I don't know how Card is going to write it, but in my opnion his hurt feelings are going to mix with his anger and he won't accept her apology, or if he does he'll say "I accept your apology but I can trust you anymore".

[clana_never_give_up]

Great Update.

I think Clark's new wardrobe will suit him well ;)

I hope Lana gets to him before some new girl does. :(

That would definitely suck. :\

[CaptainObvious]

I don't know how Card is going to write it, but in my opnion his hurt feelings are going to mix with his anger and he won't accept her apology, or if he does he'll say "I accept your apology but I can trust you anymore".

I must admit Clark's shopping spree and complete change in demeanor is a far cry from the typical Clark behavior we're used to seeing from him, so you may be correct in suggesting Clark will forgive Lana but be hesitant with trusting her again. He IS pretty PO'd after all.

[basketballstar23]

update soon? i hope :) fantastic story btw

[Leopard1789]

update??? ppms

[CaptainObvious]

Waiting patiently for an update.

[basketballstar23]

samesies! i'm super stoked to read a new update! PPMS! :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 19

New Problem

This was Lois’ second full day back in Vegas, and she was running up against brick walls wherever she turned. Now this is more like it, she thought. This is what the original investigation should have been like.

Lois was oblivious to the growing number of people who wanted to rain destruction down on her ass, but she could tell not everything was perfect back at the Planet. She’d been irked yesterday when she talked to Perry and discovered Clark had actually taken his scheduled day off. What is up with that, Smallville? I know we had a rough spot, but this is business. Don’t leave me hanging here. Then, she’d called in this morning and Perry had put her off, rescheduling their normal progress report for after lunch, saying something inane about having to get something ironed out with Clark first.

If Lois didn’t know any better, she’d think Clark was trying to avoid her or something. She didn’t think he’d actually get any additional information out of Teague, not yet anyway, so if he didn’t have anything better to do, she wanted him out in the desert with her to help break loose some leads.

Clark’s day had started like usual. First, an early morning patrol over Metropolis before he sat himself down for a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, buttered toast, and orange juice. Then he showered and dressed, and that’s where his day took a left turn into uncharted territory.

Chloe had laid out an outfit for the real Clark’s first day at work. She wanted something neat and professional that just screamed sexy. One look back at Clark had been enough to convince her that a blind man could set out clothes for him and he’d still look hot, but she did her due diligence and set out a white pinpoint shirt made of the finest Egyptian cotton, a sharp red silk tie, lightly pleated black slacks with an elegant black belt, and his brand new black Ferragamos. Black socks were something she figured Clark could handle on his own. Her last task before going home had been to search out Clark’s collection of eyeglasses and steal them just so he wouldn’t put a pair on out of reflex.

Strangely enough to Clark‘s way of thinking, Chloe had thought his overcoats were fashionable and hadn’t needed replacing, so he grabbed his trenchcoat and his briefcase and headed to work. As planned, Chloe was in place in the newsroom well in advance of Clark’s arrival. She’d staked out the spots that would give her the best vantage points to view everyone’s reactions to Clark’s new appearance.

The first person to see the new Clark and take note of him was the ground floor receptionist. Most of the people who worked in the building called her Madelyn, while her few real friends called her Maddie, including Clark. She had always been genuinely interested in him as a person, so while they weren’t the absolute best of friends, they did go out together for lunch at least once a week.

The first day she’d seen him, she’d thought right away he had the kindest eyes and a shy but endearing smile; it had been the rest of his appearance that had made her want to tear her hair out sometimes. He was so nice and so thoughtful that she wished she could be the one to help him see his potential.

When Clark stopped in front of her desk in the lobby, and said, “Hi, Maddie,” she looked up and her jaw dropped. Potential, poshmensial, Maddie thought as she slowly looked Clark over, bottom to top, Clark freaking Kent has arrived!

“Hi, Clark,” Maddie replied, as she gestured for him to turn for her. He blushed slightly as he complied, and she grinned, happy to know that whatever had come over him and gotten him to dress better hadn’t changed who he was on the inside.

“I may have to call Security before you get on that elevator, Clark,” Maddie said, as she unabashedly eyed Clark, “or else there may be some sexual harassment going on once you hit your floor.”

“Yeah, right, Maddie. I know I look better than I used to, but those women are hard-bitten professionals. They may look, but they won’t touch.”

Maddie snorted. She thought Clark’s innocence, when it came to personal relations anyway, might be one of his most appealing qualities. She found it so refreshing to know a man who wasn’t full of himself.

“Sorry, Clark, but the girls up there will be slobbering like you’re a piece of meat. If you’re not careful, some cougar will swoop down and have you for lunch in her office while the younger girls are still working out their plans of attack.”

“Jeez, Mads!” Clark said, as he headed toward the elevator. “A little too much sharing there.”

“Just beware of any woman with visible cleavage who says she needs to see you in her office,” Maddie shot back. She shook her head and turned back to work, wondering if she and Clark were too close as friends for her to take a shot.

Clark stepped out of the elevator on his floor, amused at having collected a phone number that a strikingly attractive redhead had boldly written on his hand just before stepping off the elevator on the floor below his. She had strode away from him then, swinging her hips like a professional dancer. Clark had watched in awe, completely unable to tear his eyes from her voluptuous figure

Maybe Maddie is onto something, Clark mused. He smiled and said hello to his coworkers as he met them on his way to his desk. Chloe watched with poorly concealed mirth as he left a wide swath of confused and outright disbelieving co-workers in his wake.

Few people recognized him before he spoke, and everyone, even those that did recognize him on their own seemed to suffer from some kind of mental failure, whether it was dropping what they were carrying, forgetting what they were doing, or mumbling the ends of their sentences as their minds went elsewhere…Clark going from dork to Joe Cool was frying the minds of everyone in the newsroom.

Everyone except for Chloe and Perry.

“Hi, Perry,” Clark said confidently, as he strode into Perry’s office and took a seat.

“Kent, you’re early.” Perry eyed his star reporter. “And you don’t look like you ought to have cheese growing behind your ears anymore. What’s up? Or more accurately, who is she?”

Clark was early specifically because he wanted to talk to Perry before Lois called in with her progress report. He should have known his boss would be perceptive enough to figure out instantly that his change in dress and attitude had been caused by a woman.

“None of your business is what she is,” Clark countered. “What I’m here for is to request a reassignment. I don’t want to work with Lois anymore. I’m tired of the fighting, tired of trying to deal with a woman who’s always trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.”

“Request denied,” Perry said, almost without thinking. He’d have to be nuts to want to break up his best writing duo.

“Oooookay,” Clark said. “Let me rephrase that since polite didn’t work. I’m giving you two choices Perry, neither of which involves me working with Lois even one more day. One, you fire me, and I’ll have a job writing for the Herald before lunchtime. Two, you reassign me. Either pair me up with Chloe, or else let me write on my own. Your choice, Boss.” Clark stood to leave. “Let me know when you’ve decided.”

Clark hadn’t been out the door for more than five minutes when Lois called. After Perry had rescheduled with Lois for after lunch, he wondered if he’d have anything to talk about with her then other than, You’re on your own. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what had happened between the fractious Lois Lane and the somnolent Clark Kent, but he knew there was one place to start. “Sullivan! Get in here, now!”

Chloe’d been waiting for this summons, and didn’t insult Perry’s intelligence by pretending she thought it might be about a new story. He pointed to a chair, and she sat. “There’s not much I can tell you, Perry, except for the fact that Lois interfered with Clark’s love life…”

“Clark has a love life?”

Chloe rolled her eyes and then glared at Perry as if to say, Are you going to let me tell the story or not?

“Yes, he has a love life. Not a very active one, but he thought he’d finally found someone. Lois then went and poisoned the water for him.”

“I’m surprised she never went after Clark herself,” Perry said thoughtfully. “He’s been playing the boob for years, but she has to have seen through that act by now. And judging by the way Clark’s appearance disturbed my newsroom, the women seem to find him decently good looking when he tries.”

“You’ve got it backwards, Perry,” Chloe said, wondering just how long Perry had known Clark was acting. “Clark wanted Lois for years. He and I both tried everything short of jumping through flaming hoops to get her to notice him, but no such luck.”

“But now that he’s coming out of his shell…?” Perry prodded.

“But now that he’s coming out of his shell, I think Lois is confused…”

By the time Chloe was done telling Perry the things she thought she could, he was wondering what to do. He knew Clark had taken a lot of abuse from Lois over the years, especially back when he’d had a crush on her. And now that he was trying to move on with his life, it appeared Lois was either spectacularly insensitive, happy with the status quo and unwilling to see it change, or else suddenly and completely in love with Clark.

Perry couldn’t imagine which idea would be worse, though he strongly suspected the first idea to be closest to the truth. Sometimes Lois just seemed to have the touch of a bull in a china shop. In any case, Clark had finally been pushed past his limit and was pushing back. Only he wasn’t making fun of Lois’ hair, clothes, or spelling ability; nope, good ol’ Clark had replied to a stiff punch in the gut by dropping a bomb.

If I can’t convince Clark to change his mind, Perry thought, or at least wait several days to cool off first before making this decision final, I’ll have no choice but to reassign him…because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him leave the Planet and end up writing for the Herald.

Clark, meanwhile, was trying to write up the substance of his most recent meeting with Jason Teague to add to the file for this story for Lois’ future reference. Even though that meeting had been exceedingly short, Clark was having difficulty typing the keys because he was being interrupted on a near-constant basis by a string of women who all wanted to talk to him for a minute about something or other.

If Clark hadn’t been expecting some female attention because of his new look, he might have been irritated by the interruptions, but instead, he just catalogued their visits, knowing that Chloe would demand a word-by-word replay once she pried herself loose from Perry’s grasp.

Most pleasing were the women who were just curious about his sudden transformation and, subsequently, were happy for him as they congratulated him on his new look. A number of these women were happily married, engaged, or otherwise taken, but a few were just friends. Clark took note of those women, hoping to work with them more often in the future.

Other women seemed to be sizing him up, looking to see if the new look came with a new confidence. It did. Those women came away swooning as they wondered what had happened to Clark Kent, who was the man sitting at his desk, and where could they put in an order to get one just like him.

Most of those women tended to think of Clark as suddenly being ‘out of their league,’ even though they would have turned down a date with him only two days earlier. The few that thought a date with this Clark Kent was a distinct possibility tended to keep their interest to themselves, hoping to learn more about Clark so they could evaluate him more thoroughly. These were the kinds of women Clark might like, if their interest in him was honestly based on him and not on how he looked.

And then there were a few supremely confident, supremely beautiful women, typified by Cat Grant.

Cat took one look at Clark, did a double take, and nearly broke a heel on her Jimmy Choo shoes when she stumbled against her desk. Mentally kicking herself for somehow missing out on the hottie that had been hiding in plain sight, Cat resolved to make up for lost time. As Clark’s fingers clicked away at his keyboard, she sat one leg across the corner of Clark’s desk and started to flirt.

She’d always flirted with him in the past, mostly to see if she could get a rise out of him, but now she had a completely different rise in mind, and her flirting was more direct and aggressive to match her new intentions. But despite bringing her A-game, Cat found all of her advances being rebuffed. While Clark had admired the length of leg Cat had so carefully arranged to expose to his view, there was only one woman he wanted right now, and she didn’t want him.

Most women would have taken Clark’s actions at face value and backed off, but Cat Grant wasn’t most women. Once she set her cap for someone, she didn’t stop until she got what she wanted…and right now, what she wanted was Clark Kent.

[Nemu]

:D

Well this sure was interesting...

Perry can't do much...

Well seems that Lana might not have too hard a time to at least get Clark to consider listening to her seriously...

But it is only 1 morning... there are still 2 and a half days left...

PPMS!!!!

[Clana227]

Great update can't wait for more.

[CaptainObvious]

Nice update Card! I wasn't expecting the Cat Grant character to pop into this story but I like it. I'm glad that you mentioned at the end that Clark still only wants one person....even though (for now) he thinks she doesn't. Let's hope he can fend off all the female advances long enough for Lana to call, apologize, and make up with her.

[shortcircuit85]

Great Chapter. Can't wait to find out how Lois deals with the new Clark. To bad that Lana couldn't see Clark and how the women were all over him.

Thanks,

[basketballstar23]

fantastic! oh shoot. this Cat Grant character might start some trouble, no? super stoked now! PPMS! :)

[treker]

I'm hoping that Perry Let's Lois have it with both barrel's and points out to her that she had a chance to have this Clark and now he doesn't even want to be her friend let alone work with her.

I can just see the drool coming off cat' lips....priceless....

Amazing how Lois can't seem to get anything down without Clark....maybe we'll start to see who was the real star of this reporting team.

2x???

;)

[NYC300Z]

What a morning for Clark.....I wonder what Perry's next move will be? I can't wait to see what Clark recounts for Chloe! And what is Lana up too?

PPMS!

[clana_never_give_up]

Oh man, this doesn't look good. :( Lets just hope that Clark is still in love with Lana enough that he doesn't go out with Cat because when Lana comes back she'll see that and think he's moved on. :(

[The Black Cat]

Great update!! Can't wait for more

[Cardinal]

Chapter 20

Surprise

Clark had wasted the morning catching up on the news as he read a copy of the Planet. Only twice had he needed to sneak out to handle a couple of emergencies that only Superman could deal with in time to save the people involved. He tried to let Metropolis’ emergency services handle the things that were within their abilities, because he knew he wouldn’t always be there to do their jobs for them, and so they needed the experience.

Perry still hadn’t gotten back to Clark on his status, and once Chloe’d gotten a quick rundown from him on the situation, she’d decided to keep away from him for fear of making it look like she’d somehow plotted to take Lois’ spot with him. Though she did have the intellectual honesty to grumble to herself that the spot as Clark’s co-writer should have been hers from the beginning.

Who knows that big, dumb alien better than me? Who knows just when and where on his ego to hit him when he needs a kick in the pants? Who better to help cover his many disappearances when Superman is needed? No one, that’s who.

Squaring away his desk before lunch, Clark was just grabbing his trenchcoat when he caught a not-so-faint whiff of an expensive French perfume. Only one woman in the entire building wore that scent, at least as far as Clark’s eidetic memory knew anyway, and that was Cat Grant. Oh crap! Clark thought as he tried to hustle off, but it was no use, Cat already had one of her long arms securely wrapped around Clark’s waist before he managed to get the belt on his trenchcoat cinched up tight.

“Hi, Clark,” Cat said, in her sexiest whiskey-voiced purr. “How about you and me taking a long lunch together?”

“Uh, I, um, I’m not really sure. Maybe I should check with Chloe first.”

Clark tried to sidle away from Cat, but she easily kept him within her grasp. “Don’t bother, Clark. Metropolis’ single largest consumer of gourmet coffee left the news floor fifteen minutes ago.” And then as if remembering a detail that didn’t quite make sense, she added, “And she was in the company of Jimmy Olsen, if you can imagine that.”

His usual crutch ruthlessly torn away from him, Clark was unsure of what to do next, while Cat took advantage of his indecision by guiding him toward the elevator lobby to wait for a ride down.

When the elevator the two of them were sharing hit the ground floor, Cat’s perfectly manicured nails had already begun tracing the outline of Clark’s wallet which was in his back pants pocket. Not because she was interested in his money, after all she knew she made more than he did; nope, Cat’s nails were there only because it gave her an excuse to put her hand on his ass and check just how firm it was. She was delighted to note the phrase ‘tight as a drum head’ was the first description that came to her mind.

Cat began to feel like this was going to be too easy. Clark seemed to be unable to resist anything she wanted to do, and right now, he was high on the list of things she wanted to do. She was so busy congratulating herself on another capture, that she never saw the blonde tornado coming up fast from behind.

“Oh there you are, Clark!” Maddie said brightly. “I’d just called up to the newsroom to see if you’d forgotten me when I saw you two get out of the elevator.” Maddie looped an arm around one of Clark’s and turned to Cat. “Thanks so much for bringing him down for me, Miss Grant.”

Maddie said ‘Miss,’ both to be careful of Cat’s position, as a woman with her stature in the paper might be able to get a lowly receptionist fired, and to add in a little ‘innocent’ twist that was sure to make Cat feel at least five years older than she already was.

Unable to stop this one-woman storm front, Cat looked on helplessly as Maddie swooped in and stole her prey right out from under her nose. Cat was tapping her foot in frustration and anger by the time Maddie and Clark pushed their way through one of the brass revolving doors at the Planet’s entrance. The two of them were halfway down the block before either one said anything.

“Thanks, Maddie,” Clark said, “you’re a real lifesaver.”

“I know this isn’t our usual day for lunch together, Clark,” Maddie said, by way of acknowledging she’d done him a favor, “but it looked like you were on the menu today as far as the carnivorous Cat Grant was concerned.”

“Carnivorous?” Clark asked, clearly amused.

“Yeah, she’s a real maneater.”

Maddie and Clark laughed easily together, something they’d always done, as they headed for someplace nice.

“For saving me from Cat,” Clark said, “lunch is on me. Where would you like to go?”

The two close friends began to walk a bit closer together as the wind picked up a bit. Clark tried to use his bulk to shield Maddie from the worst of it, but there was only so much he could do. As they moved together, their looped arms slid down until their hands were touching instead of their arms. Instinctively, Clark clasped Maddie’s hand in his and she gasped as she looked up at him in surprise.

Wondering if he’d just made a mistake, Clark looked back uncertainly until Maddie’s fingers shifted slightly and began to interlace themselves with his fingers. Then, her look of surprise turned to one of warmth and excitement. Clark’s answering grin was sincere, and considerably sexier than he would have ever believed, but one moment of being the focus of the fabled ‘Kent charm’ had Maddie’s toes curling in her pumps.

“Where would I like to go?” Maddie asked rhetorically. “How about someplace quiet? I think we need to talk.”

Clark hailed a cab and directed the cabbie to take them to Luigi’s. It was a quiet, out of the way restaurant with excellent food, impeccable service, and widely spaced tables. The one thing it was not was cheap, but Clark knew this wasn’t the time to be tightfisted.

Once at their table, Clark seated Maddie and then sat down across from her. Both were nervous about the unexpected step they were taking, with Maddie unable to meet Clark’s eyes until he reached across the table and took her hands into his. She felt a surge of warmth and looked up.

“I’m scared, Clark. We’ve been good friends for a while now, and I don’t want to lose that.”

“We won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Communication, Mads. If I start to feel it’s not working out between us, I’ll be honest and tell you so you aren’t misled, and I’ll expect you to do the same thing for me if you decide it’s not working out between us.

“That way, we should be able to keep the other person from getting in too deep, thus allowing us to save our friendship.”

“You think that’ll work?” Maddie asked hopefully.

“I hope so, because I’m tired of being alone. I’m willing to risk everything to find that special someone that’s supposedly out there for me.”

“I know what you mean about being alone. You can go places and do things with your friends, but everywhere you go, you see couples and know they’re sharing things on a deeper level than everyone else. I want that closeness, Clark…and I’m willing to try and see if you’re that guy for me.”

Once satisfied that they both knew the risks, lunch was relaxed and fun. Neither one had consciously considered the other as someone to date until today, but the thoughts had to have been there under the surface since they both made the decision so quickly. They didn’t know if they’d work out, but already being good friends gave them a better chance than most.

The good thing for Lana was that while Maddie and Clark were going to be dating, they hadn’t made it exclusive, giving her a chance to get home and fix things with Clark.

And speaking of Lana, she was having a premonition that something wasn’t right. She just had this feeling that she needed to get back to Metropolis before it was too late for her and Clark. Her schedule wouldn’t allow that, so she had to wait…and fret…and imagine all the bad things that could be going on.

The rest of Lana’s four day assignment passed slowly, with each day seeming to be longer than the last. It wasn’t until Lana’s last flight touched down at Metropolis International Airport and she was on her way home that Lana finally felt like her fate was back in her control. Now that she was here, she had a chance to make things right, and get back to where she had been with Clark at the beginning of her trip. If she knew where he lived, she would have driven there straight from the airport, but instead was going to have to wait until the morning when she could meet him at the Planet.

Anticipating a restless night, Lana made sure her alarm clock was set nonetheless for five a.m. so she could be on her way in time to beat the morning rush hour traffic. She wanted to have a good parking spot and be in position in the Planet’s lobby when Clark came in to work.

[trojan20]

Im really starting to like Maddy even though Lana's my main girl and I cant wait to see the clana reunion in the lobby with Maddy looking on. Keep up the good work and please hurry with the next post. PPMS :p

[basketballstar23]

well that was unexpected...but not really. you know what i mean? i knew someone had to come and fix this. and believe it or not, i think maddie will fix it rather than break it. can't wait til they meet up again. that will definately be intresting. PPMS! :)

[Leopard1789]

O man wots gonna happen, i really like Maddie so please be nice, i think it would be better if they try it for a few days even after lana comes back, and have them both decide that there better as friends.

Great Up date!

[Nemu]

Well... what to say... thank you maddy for saving Clark from the cat

I think that Maddy seeing Lana and Clark meeting in the lobby will make her hurt some... and since Clark is starting with her... not sure how he will deal with Lana...

But I agree that Maddy may see the underlying love in both Clark and Lana when they will meet and she might help them get back together... (would be interesting if that happened)

PPMS!!!

[NYC300Z]

on one side I hate Maddie because she's keeping Clark from Lana on the other hand I feel sorry for her because I know somewhere down the line she's going to lose Clark to Lana....hmmmm iono I see this taking Clark a while to decide! So has Lois discovered what's happened to her and Clark's situation? What's Chloe and Clark's new assignment? Are we still going to hear more about the investigation on Jason? What of Lex and his role behind the scenes? When will Supes meet Lana? I'm writing a book of questions! I'm just so excited to see how this is going to go!

PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 21

Falling

Lana followed her usual bedtime routine to a T. Washing her face, brushing her teeth, and then slipping into a pair of silk pajamas before pulling her hair back in a loose pony tail so she wouldn’t end up eating some of it during the night.

One side of the comforter on her queen-sized bed was turned back, and on the other side was her trusty stuffed bear Boo-Boo, who had been her close companion for twenty-three years. Boo-Boo didn’t get to fly with her because she was afraid her airline would lose him someday, but he spent every night with her at home, where his job, as it had always been since the death of her parents, was to guard her dreams.

After turning on her bedside reading lamp and turning off the room lamp, Lana climbed into bed, pulled up the comforter, and pulled a bookmarked paperback from the bedside table. She always read at least fifteen minutes before trying to sleep, as bedtime usually was the only time of day she could set aside for her books. After knocking off a couple of chapters, Lana marked her book again and kissed her valiant protector goodnight before placing the book on the table and turning off the light. Though Boo-Boo was on guard, dreams were destined to be few and far between tonight, as Lana was more right than she wanted to be about being restless.

Lana’s mind was racing, filled with thoughts about tomorrow and the things she could say or do to try to convince Clark she wasn’t a nutcase who’d turn around and dump him again the next time the wind changed direction.

He didn’t want to be my rebound guy, Lana thought, but I didn’t even let him stay around long enough for him to become a rebound guy. After what we shared on the plane and then at the club, how could he think of me as anything less than a flake for dumping him so soon and for no reason?

Lana evaluated different approaches she could take, and different sets of clothes she could wear, all in an attempt at convincing a guy to give her another shot. One she couldn’t manage to convince herself she deserved. After awhile, Lana looked to one side and saw the large, blue LED readout that said eleven-thirty.

An hour gone already, Lana thought. She turned to Boo-Boo and whispered, “Come on, Big Guy. Help me out here. I need some sleep, otherwise the bags under my eyes will be bigger than the boobs on my chest tomorrow morning. And that’s not the way I want Clark to see me.”

But Boo-Boo remained silent, staring ahead into the darkness as if to say, ‘You’re on your own, Little Girl. I just guard dreams.’ Frustrated with the lack of sleep, Lana’s mind continued to wander aimlessly from topic to topic until she drifted off into a fitful slumber somewhere around three o’clock.

Lana wasn’t the only who was having trouble sleeping. Clark hadn’t slept well since Lana had dumped him. He was getting up just about the time Lana was drifting off. Knowing it was useless to try and return to sleep, Clark got up and headed out in a black hoodie and jeans. As soon as he slipped into the deep shadows between buildings, he changed into Superman and took to the skies.

Clark hadn’t noticed, but something his parents and Chloe had both noticed in the years Clark had been Superman was he spent more time patrolling when he was upset than when he was happy. It was almost as if he wanted to take his troubles out on someone else.

There didn’t seem to be a lot of business going on, legal or illegal, so after swooping low all around the city to make sure the people who were awake knew he was too, Clark retreated to a cloudbank high overhead to listen to the city below.

His thoughts, however, were elsewhere.

They were focused on Lois off to the west in Las Vegas. She had been speechless when Perry had informed her Clark was no longer her writing partner, and she had been furious when she learned that his new partner was Chloe.

Lois had sent her cousin a venomous text message for stealing her partner and trying to ruin her career. Chloe had responded with thinly veiled contempt, calling Lois and telling her that she couldn’t have things both ways. “If you want your friends to stand by you, then you have to stand by them. Ruining his chances with that girl was beneath you, Lois. Small wonder Clark can’t work with you anymore.”

His thoughts then shifted to Maddie, who was asleep somewhere below him. He had gone out with her for the first time last night. She was sweet, smart, kind, funny, and pretty. The date had gone well, better than anything for which Clark could have possibly hoped. But if that’s so, Clark wondered, why do I feel like I’m cheating on a girl I’ve never been on a date with? A girl who dumped me!

His thoughts finally came to rest on Lana…wherever she was. Then he thought for a moment and realized she should finally be back in town. Clark thought it’d be awhile before his memory of her would finally fade because he’d never had the chance to see how good they could have been together. Thankfully, she lived in the west suburbs, miles and miles from his New Troy address, so letting her go shouldn’t take too long.

While Clark tried to sort out his relationships with various women, Lana was grumbling almost as soon as she slammed her hand down on the off button for her alarm clock. She rolled out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom, taking care of the call of nature before stripping off her jammies and throwing herself into the shower.

Just like in the old deodorant soap commercials, Lana found a hot shower to be invigorating, only she always used bath wash and a lather builder instead of a bar of soap and a wash cloth. But today, she did her hair first, washing, rinsing, and then conditioning it before cleaning her body. That gave the conditioner time to do its work on her hair, which she promptly rinsed off after she’d rinsed her body.

As Lana toweled off, including carefully working with her hair, she went back over the clothing options she had considered in the middle of her sleeplessness. She’d decided against anything overtly sexy as she didn’t want him thinking she was trying to turn his brain into a pile of mush, and she didn’t want anything too fussy either. Just an outfit she looked good in while at the same time telling him she was just a country girl from Kansas at heart.

She finally settled on a thin, springtime sweater and a fairly new pair of tight-fitting blue jeans, along with a pair of brown leather half boots. Lana laid out her clothes and then took her time carefully drying and brushing her hair before applying her makeup…light and natural, just the way she liked it. Then came time for getting dressed. In no time, Lana was out the door and driving her favorite route to New Troy. It wasn’t quite six-thirty yet, and her chosen path took her over the oldest, but least heavily traveled bridge, so she figured she’d be well ahead of the traffic.

As she drew near the West River, Lana noticed the first few wisps of fog rolling in. Grumbling about this development, Lana turned on the fog lamps of her SUV and drove on, only slowing a bit when the fog began to impair the range of her eyesight.

Lana’s eyes weren’t the only ones being impaired this morning. Down below, a massive river barge was pulling out to into the river’s main channel, its captain unwilling to wait for the weather to clear, as every hour tied up along the shore cost his employers another $10,000. The ship was moving slowly and the captain was relying on his brand-new, state-of-the-art radar system to warn him of any obstructions and to help keep his ship on course. But the radar was acting up, the current was unusually swift this morning after a couple of days of rain upstream, causing the captain to misjudge the barge’s approach to the last bridge, the bridge Lana was in the midst of crossing at that very moment.

The barge was a series of linked floating containers all being pushed by a large tugboat. Once the barge got moving in a particular direction, it was nearly impossible to stop, especially when it was heading downstream like it was now. The large concrete and steel pillar that supported the bridge was only fifty yards away when it loomed into view. Panicked, the captain ordered full reverse on all engines and set off his warning horns, which included one that pointed straight up into the air. That last horn was an innovation required of all large ships that transited the rivers around Metropolis, as it was thought it might attract Superman’s attention that spilt second earlier that would allow him to make a save.

Lana was in mid-river when the barge rammed the pillar causing it, and the roadway above it, to buckle. Lana slammed on her brakes and her SUV began to slide and rotate on the wet pavement. The SUV was caught by the angle of the buckled pavement and began to slide toward the suddenly precarious railing.

Clark was still up amongst the clouds when he heard the warning horn from the river below. He rocketed toward the site of the sound and was angling to intercept the barge when he saw an SUV heading for the edge of the bridge. Deciding instantly that saving the life took precedence over the barge, Clark altered his course and went to the other side of the bridge and pressed his hands into the driver’s side of the SUV, stopping it just after it rammed through the railing.

Lana screamed, imagining her SUV plowing into the icy depths of the river below, just as her SUV crumpled the railing. Her body lurched forward at impact, head slamming into the steering wheel. The SUV was supposed to have a steering wheel mounted air bag, but it had been stolen while she was on vacation a couple of months earlier and she hadn’t taken the time to get it replaced. The seat belt tensioners kept her chest back and maybe kept her from having a couple of cracked ribs, but the head blow gave her a nasty gash over her left eye, up near her hairline. Concussed, Lana wasn’t sure what was going on. She just felt that she had to get out of the thing in which she was sitting, and do it now.

Clark was in the process of pushing the SUV back onto the roadway, when the driver’s door next to him opened and the driver half fell, half walked out, right into thin air. Not seeing anyone else in the SUV, Clark gave it a last shove onto a safe part of the roadway and dove for the falling woman, wrapping one arm under the woman’s shoulders and one under her knees.

As Clark rose into the sky with his feathery light burden, he was scanning her for injuries but only saw the blood that was covering almost all of her face on this side. He knew head wounds would bleed like a raging river even if the wound wasn’t serious, but he knew he had to get this woman to a hospital just in case.

The blood masked Lana’s face from Clark, but as they rose above the bridge and he turned toward the nearest hospital, something about touching her felt familiar. And then there was her scent. Holding her close like that, he could smell the perfume of her body wash and the fragrance of her freshly washed hair, and overriding those was a scent that he had already classified in his mind as ‘Lana.’ Just as the first time he identified her scent, it was so pure, fresh, and womanly that his first instinct was to pull her tight against his chest and never let her go.

His second instinct was to panic.

Oh, God, no…not Lana…not her!

Clark acted quickly, shifting one arm to support her with one arm running from her backside to her shoulders, while the other arm reached across to turn her head so he could get a good look at her. Two things happened when his hand touched her chin: one, he confirmed his fear, it was definitely Lana, and two, another shock hit both of them, racing up Clark’s arm to explode in his head, while Lana’s shock had a shorter distance to travel, making her feel another pain that rivaled what she was already suffering.

And then, Clark did something he’d never done before. Shocked by seeing Lana, shocked by the fact that touching Lana skin-to-skin actually hurt him, and with his body cramping from the physical shock…

…Clark dropped Lana.

Lana had been mostly out of it as her concussion fogged her mind, but she knew enough at this point to realize falling was bad, and combining that with the new pain in her head, she was screaming like a maniac. Stunned, Clark quickly caught Lana again, careful to make sure he didn’t touch her skin with his.

“It’ll be all right,” Clark murmured, as he resumed their flight to the hospital. “Everything’s fine, Miss. I’ve got you now and I won’t let go.”

Clark wasn’t the only one with memories. Wrapped firmly in what felt to her to be a strong man’s arms, she felt safe, as if nothing bad could happen to her while he held her. It was a feeling she craved, and what’s more, it was a feeling she’d had not too long ago, but her foggy mind couldn’t quite remember where until they were almost at the hospital.

“Hi, Clark,” Lana said, drowsily. Then remembering something he’d just said, she asked brightly, “If you’ve got me…who’s got you?”

[Nemu]

:D
Man Lana calling him Clark will make his head spin...

And then the classic Superman 1 quote... you got me but who got you...

Well I hope Clark will allow Lana to talk to him...

From the way he described the date... even if it could qualify as a good date... he doesn't feel right...

Can't wait to see what happens next...

PPMS!!!

[CaptainObvious]

I wasn't expecting Lana to call Superman Clark. What's going to happen at the hospital? Will Superman drop her off than hang out to make sure she's alright leaving Lana to wonder why he's so concerned for her? Will she remember she called Superman Clark and put two and two together? Either way, Clark is still very much hung up on Lana. Maybe in her dilerium she'll murmur something about Clark to Superman that will give Clark the idea she's not over him.

[treker]

Well, it seems his concern over Lana's safety has rid his mind of his anger....at least for now.

I'm still waiting for Lois to get back so Clark can tear her head off....

[basketballstar23]

Oh my gosh! That was great! The last part literally made go 'OHHH shoot!' but its a good oh shoot so don't worry about it lol PPMS please!

[NYC300Z]

What just happened in mid-air? I have a guess, but i'm curious to see how it plays out. Also I wonder just how much Lana has figured out and what she'll remember when she wakes up at the hospital?

PPMS!

[tygershot]

Great update!!! Keep 'em comin'!!!

[CaptainObvious]

Well, it seems his concern over Lana's safety has rid his mind of his anger....at least for now.

I'm still waiting for Lois to get back so Clark can tear her head off....

I couldn't agree more!

[kentfamily]

I hope Lana gets to tell him how she feels before he starts to date that other girl. Waiting for your next update:)

[Leopard1789]

Wow i was not expecting that! i wonder if Lana's going to remender thinking Superman was Clark or if she'll jst forget about it, can't wait for the next update!! PPMS

[tygershot]

Update today?

[clana_never_give_up]

THAT WAS AN AWESOME UPDATE!!!

You had me at the edge of my seat when Clark got that pain from touching her skin to him dropping Lana. Wow, that was insane. :eek:

I also agree with Treker and CaptainObvious, it is going to be pretty funny when Lois gets back. :D

[basketballstar23]

Update? Please! I'm stoked to see where this leads them! Please! I don't think I can wait any longer! lol PPMS! :)

[Shelbyismyhero]

I never saw that one coming at all. Clark is going to go bonanzers i bet. Good job so far, i really enjoy this story

[Cardinal]

Update? Please! I'm stoked to see where this leads them! Please! I don't think I can wait any longer! lol PPMS! :)

Working on it, I promise. I've been sick on and off for over a month now and it makes me not want to write, but I do have a new update partially done.

[treker]

Working on it, I promise. I've been sick on and off for over a month now and it makes me not want to write, but I do have a new update partially done.


Take your time cardinal....you have to take care of your health first. we'll be here when you're ready.

[shortcircuit85]

Ditto to what Treker said. Get healthy, then work on the update. We will wait as long as it takes.

[CaptainObvious]

Sorry to hear you've been under the weather! Take it easy and get well.

[clana_never_give_up]

I agree get better first. :D We can wait.

[basketballstar23]

Working on it, I promise. I've been sick on and off for over a month now and it makes me not want to write, but I do have a new update partially done.

couldn't agree with treker more. didn't you know being sick totally gets you off the hook? lol don't worry about it. i'll wait :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 22

The Fog Lifts

Clark was stunned that Lana recognized him. One of his suit’s primary properties was its ability to make him look and sound different so he could maintain his secret. How Lana had seen through the disguise so quickly and seemingly effortlessly was a mystery. Not wanting to confirm for Lana who he was, Clark kept silent and increased his speed just a little bit, hoping to make it to the hospital before she said anything else…but then he realized this was likely his last chance to hold her close, and since she’d already made the big connection, he decided to slow down to a more comfortable speed for her and enjoy the feeling of her warmth and softness in his arms one last time.

Once his panic was out of the way, Clark took a quick look at Lana’s head, and finding the cut on her forehead, x-rayed it to make sure her skull wasn’t broken. In the meantime, Lana snuggled in close to Clark’s chest, wanting only to bask in the safety and security she felt while being in his arms. They flew together silently like that until Clark touched down just outside of the emergency room, when he then murmured, “Let’s get you inside.”

Clark walked through the automatic door, resplendent in his blue and red uniform, looking for someone who could help. An orderly saw Superman cradling a small, blood-soaked woman and rushed over with a wheelchair. Clark set Lana down, oh so gently, and then straightened up to tell the admitting nurse what little ‘Superman’ knew about the woman he’d just saved. He couldn’t tell them he knew her name because of the risk someone would wonder how he’d known that since she didn’t have her identification with her. So he just relayed the fact that she was a victim from the bridge collision and that he’d go back to collect her things and to let the police know to which hospital she had been taken.

It took a few minutes for Clark to return, as he had to rush back to the scene of the accident and make sure no one else had been hurt. Then he snagged Lana’s purse, and just before leaving to come back to the hospital, told the police officer in charge where Lana could be found. At the hospital, Clark handed off Lana’s purse to the admitting nurse, so she could use Lana’s ID to begin filling in the blanks on her paperwork.

Lana’s wound was meticulously cleaned and then neatly stitched up before they sent her for a battery of diagnostic tests to ensure she hadn’t sustained a more serious head injury in the crash. By the time the tests were complete and she was placed in a normal room, Clark had switched back into normal clothes, had located an open flower shop, and purchased a small wildflower bouquet for Lana which was in a clear glass vase.

Lana felt like she had the world’s largest headache, and her thoughts were still a little bit fuzzy, but she wanted to leave. She knew she had something important to do this morning, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was. The doctor wasn’t allowing it, however; she insisted Lana stay the day for observation even if the array of tests all came back negative. Lana was just about to argue that point when Clark pushed his way through the door, still clad in his black hoodie and jeans and carrying the bouquet of flowers.

Lana squawked as soon as she saw Clark and immediately pulled the thin hospital blanket over her head so she could hide. She remembered telling Boo-Boo she didn’t want Clark seeing her with bags under her eyes this morning, but that was nothing compared to how nasty she looked right now. Besides the cut above her left eye, she had a spectacular bruise on her left cheekbone, and even the job the nurses had done to straighten her up couldn’t make her look anything less than hideous.

Or so she thought.

The doctor turned to the door, wondering who or what was scaring her patient like that. “I don’t know who you are, but this woman’s just been through a serious car accident and needs to get some rest.” The doctor spotted the bouquet. “Before you get any closer, do you know if this woman is allergic to flowers?”

“Lana?” Clark asked, “are you allergic to flowers?”

“Flowers?” Lana asked hopefully. She lowered the blanket enough to peer out from under it, while still keeping most of her face covered.

“Nope, Clark, no allergies. In fact, I happen to adore flowers.”

Clark held out the bouquet so Lana could see it better and he saw her eyes light up when she saw him step around the doctor.

“I can see you two know each other, so I’ll allow you to have five minutes alone.” The doctor gave Clark a stern look. “Just remember to keep my patient from getting excited.”

Clark waited until the door closed behind him before moving in close. He was surprised when Lana didn’t reach out and snatch the flowers away from him, and was more surprised when she merely asked him to hold the vase close to her so she could get a better look at the arrangement.

While Lana looked at the flowers, Clark looked at her forehead. He could see the neat stitching job the doctor had done, and hoped she might avoid anything more than a small scar. Not planning on staying long, since the doctor said Lana needed rest, Clark decided not to sit.

Clark held the flowers where Lana could reach them at any time, and by way of joking, said, “What’s up with hiding? I know you don’t want to date me, but I’m not that bad, am I?”

“No, I just…I just don’t want you to see me like this.”

“I’m a reporter, Lana. I’ve seen a lot of crash victims. It’s okay to let me see. Unlike everyone else around here, I already know how beautiful you are.”

Clark set the vase on Lana’s chest and let go, forcing her to grab onto it to keep it from toppling. He then took a hold of her blanket and slowly began lowering it. She whined a bit, but made no move to stop him. Clark took in the sight of the bruise without so much as a flinch. He knew it would be important to Lana’s confidence that he not react negatively to anything he might see.

Once the blanket was tucked under her chin, Clark smiled softly. “That’s some bruise you’ve got there, Sluggo.” He reached up, and with a feather-light touch, traced the edge of the bruise. Lana closed her eyes as she savored his touch. Then he remembered the strange shock and, as he withdrew his hand, silently cursed himself for being reckless. “I’d hate to see the other guy right now.”

“There is no other guy to blame for this,” Lana said. “I knew I needed to replace my air bag, but I didn’t make the time to have it done…and now I’m paying the price.” Clark didn’t know what to say to that, so Lana looked at her flowers and said, “The flowers are beautiful, Clark. And oh so much more than I deserve from you.”

“The flowers may be beautiful,” Clark said, sounding as if he was reluctant to agree, “but they’re scant competition for you.” His eyes hadn’t left Lana’s face once since he’d tugged down the blanket; a fact that was not lost on her.

“How can you say that?” Lana breathed. “I know what I look like.”

“I’m just telling you what I see.”

Somehow, Lana knew he was telling the truth. Despite her injuries, and the fact that she had no makeup on, Clark thought her beautiful. She was amazed, and pleased, and felt even more unworthy of him all at the same time. Lana pulled the vase to her face and inhaled the fragrance of the collection of spring blossoms.

“Why are you so good to me?” Lana asked.

Remembering the hurt from the last time they had talked, Clark felt uncomfortable, and then shrugged helplessly. “I…don’t…know. Maybe it’s because I know Lois played a part in your decision and I keep hoping you’ll change your mind now that you’re away from her.”

Lana could hear the doctor out in the hall talking to one of the duty nurses. She assumed her five minutes with Clark were just about up, so she hurried to say what she needed him to know.

“Clark, I was on that bridge at that ungodly hour because I was coming in to town to meet you before work. I was gonna park downtown and stake out the Planet’s lobby until you showed up and then apologize and beg for forgiveness. I want to be with you, and if that involves you risking your reputation and your career, then I’m okay with it, because it’s your life and your decision to make, not mine.

“I know I don’t deserve a second chance, Clark, but I promise I won’t waste it if I get one.”

Clark could see the longing in Lana’s face, something he wasn’t used to seeing directed at him. But there was another woman in the picture now. Maddie didn’t spark his passion the way Lana did, but he thought that was something that could come in time as they moved from friends to lovers and built their relationship. Both women were attractive. He didn’t feel right kicking either one to the curb.

Ironically, his relationships with the two women were diametric opposites. Maddie was a longtime friend with whom he was trying to build something romantic. Lana was new, and they had chemistry in spades, but he was going to have to discover if she could be the best friend that any woman he got seriously involved with should be.

Clark didn’t like the idea of playing the field, but he saw no other choice. He’d have to date both of them, and make sure they knew their relationships with him were not exclusive, and then discover who was best for him at some point down the road…supposing one or both hadn’t dumped him yet.

“Lana, I’d like for you to get over your concussion and be perfectly well before we discuss our future, okay? I just want you to be able to focus your energy on getting better. Once you’re at home and feel like yourself, we will talk.”

Not getting what she wanted, but not being rejected outright, Lana decided to take what she could get right now…she’d always been a ‘glass is half full’ kind of person. “Okay, Clark, I’ll wait.”

Clark smiled, he wanted to tell her that she has competition, but he truly did want her to be well before he took that step. That also reminded him he’d have to tell Maddie, too. He wasn’t looking forward to either conversation, and wondered why it was that when he finally did get a love life, it was just as painful as not having a love life at all.

The door opened just then, and the doctor strolled back in.

“Okay, you two lovebirds. Time to break it up. I said five minutes and gave you ten.” The doctor swatted Clark firmly on his butt with Lana’s medical chart when it didn’t appear he intended to move. “Now scoot!”

Both Lana and Clark blushed furiously at the ‘lovebirds’ comment, and Clark, who had thought to kiss Lana on the cheek before leaving, now thought better of it and merely promised to come back as soon as he could.

“Is there anyone I can call for you to let them know you’re here?” Clark asked.

“Thanks for asking, but my cell is in my purse which, I’ve been told, is in the bedside nightstand. I’ll call a couple of the girls, and my Aunt Nell, as soon as I can.”

As Clark eased past the doctor on his way out of the hospital room, Lana eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. “Clark? How’d you get here so fast? How’d you even learn I was in the hospital?”

Not sure how much Lana was going to remember, and unwilling to tell her anything about the events of this morning that she didn’t remember herself, Clark just shrugged and said, “That’s another one of those things we’ll have to talk about when you’re back in top shape mentally. Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll see ya, Clark.”

“See ya, Crash.” Clark winked, as Lana gasped. “I’ll be back later today. Maybe I’ll bring chocolates this time.”

“Mmmmmm…” Lana moaned in anticipation, as the door shut behind him.

The doctor was still looking over her shoulder at the door Clark had just closed. She finally turned to Lana and said, “That’s one handsome man, Miss Lang. Don’t let the nursing staff get a shot at him, or they’ll drag him off somewhere and start playing doctor with him.”

Lana blushed again, and said, “He’s not my boyfriend. Not yet anyway. But he will be.”

“As for that last set of questions you asked him, I can tell you no one here has called anyone on your behalf. We didn’t know who to contact, and once that young man showed up, we figured we didn’t have to.”

Lana enjoyed a hospital breakfast, as the doctor decided she was well enough to be wheeled to the cafeteria for real food instead of the institutional stuff they feed the patients.

Once done, she called Renee, Nelle, and a couple of other friends and asked them to pass on the news. Then she gathered her patience and love before calling Granville, where her aunt was already at work.

After Lana’s parents’ deaths in the meteor shower, Nell had wanted to make a complete break with the past to allow Lana to grow up without the specter of that day haunting her, so she’d sold her business, her house, and her land, and had moved them to Granville. The two women had become as close as a real mother and daughter, and Lana knew her aunt would be half crazed to see a news report about her driving off a bridge if Lana didn’t call her first. Even so, Lana knew Nell’s reaction would be emotional.

Lana was right, once Nell realized Lana would be okay, she calmed down and called in a couple of part-time workers to help her one full-time girl run the flower shop, before hopping into her car to make a beeline to Metropolis.

Once that task was done, Lana leaned back against her fluffy pillow and thought. For the first time since the accident, her thoughts seemed to be completely clear. She thought back to the terror of her SUV’s out-of-control slide on the bridge, and then the impact of her head with the steering wheel. After that, things were kind of fuzzy.

She sort of remembered falling, and then being caught, and then falling again and being caught again. The one thing she remembered clearly was the feeling of safety and security she felt then. It was the exact same way she had felt in Clark’s arms at Europa. Lana smiled at the memory. She even remembered greeting him…in…mid…air.

No, that can’t be right, I must have been hit harder than I thought. The TV clearly said Superman saved me and flew me here…oh crap…while managing to drop me once on the way, according to eyewitnesses. Let’s see…Superman, tall, muscles out the wazoo, handsome; Clark, tall, lotsa muscles, handsome.

And then Lana thought back to her conversation with him on the plane, the night they’d first met.

“You seem to be very comfortable with flying,” Lana said, then asked, “Do you fly a lot?”

“All the time,” Clark said, “though I’m not used to commercial.”

“Not used to…? But what else is there? Do you fly charter all the time? Or do you have your own plane?”

“I’ll admit to a lot of solo flights over the years.”

“Do you take people up?” Lana asked excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to fly like that, where the plane almost doesn’t seem to be there, and it’s just you and the sky.”

“Sorry, Lana, I don’t take anyone else up unless it’s a genuine emergency. Flying with me is the safest thing you can do, but it tends to scare the, uh, crud out of people.”

Lana didn't know why she remembered that bit of conversation, but there it was. He flies a lot, but not commercial. Flies solo a lot. Only takes passengers in an emergency. Flying with him scares people but is as safe as can be. Lana swallowed hard and poured herself a cup of water from the bedside pitcher, drinking fast to wet her suddenly parched mouth and throat. Oh my aching head! Clark Kent is Superman! Talk about a hobby!

Now she knew how Clark had known she was in the hospital, he had been the one to save her life. He had kept her from dying as she walked out of her SUV and off a damaged bridge. The indefinite amount of time remaining until his promised return suddenly began to crawl by. Lana didn’t know how she was possibly going to make it.

[Nemu]

:D

OMG!!! She pieced it faster then I thought...

Well... at least that is one girl who will already know his secret...

Now to find out how things will go once they meet again...

I wish he didn't 'play' with both Maddie and Lana... but true there are too many unknown to make a decision...

I hope he will be able to explain the situation to both girl without too much trouble (like one seeing him with the other before he has a chance to explain)

PPMS!!!

[treker]

Yeah, she did piece that together quickly.....but will Clark try to convince her that she's wrong?

Clark seemed to get over his anger fairly quickly after seeing her hurt.

I'm glad Clark didn't just dump Maddie as soon as he knew Lana had a change of heart. Although I know that needs to happen eventually.

[NYC300Z]

wow crazy! developments I only half expected to happen! I'm intrigued to see how this will work it's way out! With Lana knowing and with her competition!

ppms!

[kentfamily]

Think he is being bit of a jerk for Clark. Competition for Lana. Wow, does that mean Lana could date other guys as well? since they are not going to be exclusive.

When men play games like that, just simply walk away because it usually mean you are not worth being the only one. Why should there be a competition in the first place.

Cant wait for the next chapter. This was a great chapter.

[SVsleuth]

Think he is being bit of a jerk for Clark. Competition for Lana. Wow, does that mean Lana could date other guys as well? since they are not going to be exclusive.

When men play games like that, just simply walk away because it usually mean you are not worth being the only one. Why should there be a competition in the first place.

Cant wait for the next chapter. This was a great chapter.
I disagree. I think Clark is just being honest with himself. On the one hand, he feels an unusual attraction for Lana, but he doesn't know her very well. He needs to explore getting to know her, so he can find out if they are compatible on other levels & not just physical attraction. On the other hand, Clark has a meaningful friendship with Maddie, the kind of friendship he hopes he'd have with any woman he might marry. He needs to explore whether there can be any development of more than "just friends" with her. Each woman has one element of what he's looking for in a spouse. The only way for him to find out whether either of them has BOTH elements is to explore both relationships. It's not really a competition. He just needs to explore both of them. Normally, he might choose to explore one at a time. But because of the way things happened here, he cannot make a choice of which one to explore first. He has to explore both possibilities.

I'll add that this DOES happen. Happened to me. Luckily, I was the one who got the guy in the end, but at the time, even I didn't consider it to be a competition. It's an honest exploration of both relationships, to find out what is there or not in each one. Could turn out neither is "the one". But, in this case, we're all pulling for Clana.

[CaptainObvious]

Wow! This update was surely "worth the wait"! The conversation in the hospital room was great! For a moment I thought the doctor was going to barge back in, kick Clark out, and prohibit Lana from telling Clark about her feelings. I was like, "Lana, hurry...say something!"

I doubt Clark will bring up the whole Superman thing to Lana and Lana may opt to forego her discovery with the idea that maybe she should wait until he's ready to tell her himself? She must realize her knowing his secret is a huge deal so she might not want to push that to the top of her conversation list when Clark returns tonight.

[treker]

[QUOTE=kentfamily;3626196]Think he is being bit of a jerk for Clark. Competition for Lana. Wow, does that mean Lana could date other guys as well? since they are not going to be exclusive.

When men play games like that, just simply walk away because it usually mean you are not worth being the only one. Why should there be a competition in the first place.

QUOTE]


Hey, Lana's the one playing games because she can't pull her head out of her own self involved world to see what was really going on.

And then after giving Clark a "Dear John" phone call she comes back 4 days later and says..."Oh, I didn't mean it."

What was Clark supposed to do....stay home and pray she changed her mind? I completely understand what Clark did and how it shows his integrity that he couldn't just drop Maddie just because Lana turned around and changed her mind again.

Clark must be thinking "what happens if I drop Maddie and Lana changes her mind yet again?"

Stick to your guns Clark....you're a Class Act.

PPMS

[basketballstar23]

wow, another fantastic one Card! so...does this shock that they have, will it be explained sometime in the near future? i'm curious, what can i say? lol i'm glad lana finally put some pieces together and that clark isn't going to just drop all things for her. i like it. no, i love it PPMS :)

[Leopard1789]

Wow i wonder what lanas gonna do now she knows he's Superman, you would think that the next time she see's him she'll be looking up to him a bit in a sort of 'wow your superman' kind of way. i know clark would want people to look past the suit and only see him as clark but lana has only just meet him and hardly knows him, so it would probibly be a bit unrealistic if she didnt look a him any differently, even if it was only a little bit untill she knows him better.

As always a great update, PPMS!!!!!!!!!

[trojan20]

.........................................ppms:p

[clana_never_give_up]

Wow, I'm glad Lana pieced things together that Clark is Superman. Hopefully when Clark and Lana talk later he will tell her the truth. I also really hope that he chooses Lana over Maddie. As great as Maddie is she really doesn't compare to Lana.

[Cardinal]

Chapter 23

Coming Clean

Lana wanted to nap for awhile after Clark left, but was far too wound up to do so. Her mind was whirling as she checked and rechecked her memories to make sure she was correct about Clark being Superman.

And she was.

After that, she spent her time wondering how to play it. Should I pretend to not know? Should I confront him about it? And no matter what I do with the info, do I still want to date him? Would it be selfish of me to try and make Metropolis’ hero, the man that belongs to everyone, into my man?

Lana had a lot on her mind and was beginning to be grateful for the time Clark was away so she could try to sort her thoughts and emotions. This way, Lana admitted reluctantly, I may be able to deal with Clark calmly once he comes back.

Nelle and Renee came in, having been given the same permission as Clark had been once the nurses had confirmed Lana was awake. After she’d called them, they’d called a few more friends and had them spread the word further before watching the local morning news to find out more about Lana’s accident. It had sounded absolutely horrifying, so when the girls entered Lana’s hospital room, they both rushed over to her bed and commiserated with her over how awful things must have been for her.

Once they were convinced she’d be fine, they started teasing her about being in yet another car wreck. Lana defended herself by saying the wrecks were never her fault. The girls agreed, but that didn’t keep them from pointing out Lana was still in more wrecks by herself than any three other people they knew combined. Lana finally admitted that she did seem to attract wrecks like outdoor lights attract flying insects. One thing she didn’t notice until later was that laughing with her friends helped her relax and forget about Clark for awhile.

The girls left for lunch, promising to come back once the doctor announced Lana would be allowed regular visitors if she satisfactorily passed a test the doctor would give while the girls were out.

Nelle and Renee came back just as Lana was pulling on her clothes for lunch. She’d decided it was time for her to put her own clothes back on, since there was nothing wrong with her and she was just staying in the hospital to humor the doctor. And that would give her a lot more cover than a mere hospital gown.

The hospital staff insisted she be wheeled down to the cafeteria though, making it seem to Lana that treating their patients as if they were helpless was a top priority. Renee waved off the nurses’ assistant who had been assigned to Lana as she got behind Lana’s wheelchair and pushed. Nelle walked alongside as the three of them headed down for Lana’s lunch.

Once on the elevator, Nelle opened her purse and showed Lana the pint of Mocha Mint she’d smuggled in for her. That inspired Lana to race through her lunch and hurry back to her room. The ice cream was partially melted, but yummy nonetheless and Lana attacked it with gusto…and with the plastic spoon Nelle had remembered to bring.

Lana was in ecstasy as the first melty mouthful of Mocha Mint hit her tongue. After almost dying this morning and then eating two hospital meals that were more bland than anything served on her airline, her favorite flavor of ice cream just seemed to taste that much better. She was halfway through the pint, with small smears of ice cream all around her mouth, when she heard a tentative knock on the door. Renee got up and opened the door a crack to see who it was. She gasped and told Nelle that, uhh, something had come up and they needed to go…right now.

Nelle squawked as Renee unceremoniously jerked her out of the room, but she knew why as soon as she saw the new visitor. Clark pushed the door open wide to allow the two ladies by him. He gave them only a cursory glance, but they both eyed him like they were starving carnivores and he was a slab of USDA Prime Beef as they walked out.

Clark heard the women tittering as they scooted down the hall, so he turned back to glance at them, and wondered what they were on, before he turned back to Lana, who he caught with a spoonful of ice cream in mid-bite. Spoon in one hand and a half empty carton in the other, all Lana could manage to think was: At least I’m dressed this time. She was so taken by Clark’s reappearance, and his eye-popping attire, that she forgot all about the ice cream mess around the edges of her mouth.

Clark, on the other hand, not only noticed the sticky mess on Lana’s face, but was enchanted by it. There she was, wearing a sweater and jeans and sitting on top of her bed, digging into her contraband ice cream like a teenage girl at a sleepover. She was so adorable and so sexy, both at the same time, that Clark just stood there, wanting to imprint the image in his memory.

Lana’s eyes made a quick inventory of Clark’s ensemble. He was decked out in a bronze pinpoint shirt with a black tie and black, pleated slacks. A slim belt encircled his waist, helping to emphasize the tremendous v-taper of his torso. Finishing the ensemble was a glossy pair of black leather shoes that just screamed style. And since this was a work day, she had to assume he’d dropped the dork look since the last time they’d talked. But as much as she wanted to discuss his new workplace fashions, there was something much more important on Lana’s mind at this time.

As Clark entered the room, a hand slid out from behind his back, holding a gold, foil-wrapped box that looked like it contained Belgium’s finest. Putting her sweet tooth on the back burner, along with her curiosity about Clark’s clothes, Lana pointed the box of chocolates to her bedside table as she thanked Clark for them, and then asked, “Is anyone just outside the door?”

“No,” Clark replied. “No hospital staff, and your friends headed for the elevator.”

“Good,” Lana said, as she placed the ice cream tub and the spoon on the table next to the chocolates. “Very good.” Lana eyed Clark and waited until he sat down. Once she had his full attention again, she said, “Soooooo…why’d you drop me this morning?”

Clark blanched, his face turning whiter than it already was. He tried to keep himself very still and not betray anything, but the little finger on one hand began to twitch, and Clark found himself unable to look Lana in the eyes.

Crap! She remembered! I don’t know how she figured it out in the first place, pretty amazing considering she had a concussion at the time. Shoot, I’d hoped she’d forget.

Lana was enjoying Clark’s discomfort just a little bit, but she didn’t laugh or give any other indication of her enjoyment because she knew this had to be tough for him. She could only imagine, but figured finding out that someone else had learned a secret like that had to be like a punch in the gut, so she was supremely patient while she waited for Clark to regain his equilibrium.

Clark’s first instinct was to lie, to try to convince Lana that her head injury was messing with her mind. The number of people in this world who knew his secret identity could be counted on one hand and still have a finger unused. Looks like Lana’s claimed that last finger. Clark knew he couldn’t lie to Lana, not about this anyway, not if he hoped to build a romantic relationship with her.

His second instinct was to give her the kiss of forgetfulness. He knew that would work, returning them to the relationship they had before the crash…but he began to think that was even worse than lying. For her to have the knowledge and for him to then forcibly remove it from her would be tantamount to mental rape, something he should only do in the most dire of circumstances.

Clark’s third instinct was to run like a chicken, but he quickly brushed that idea aside as he realized he had to be a man and face this head on. Lana knows. I don’t think she’s a danger, but I don’t know for sure…and if she does decide to tell or to blackmail me, I guess then I’ll be forced to erase her memory.

“The short version is…I’m not sure. I’ve never dropped someone before.” Clark was staring at Lana now, his eyes burning with intensity. He was trying to make sure she knew what was at stake here. “Longer version? We had another one of those weird shocks, only this one was much stronger than the last two. It shot up my arm and into my head, causing me a lot of pain.” His eyes softened then, letting Lana see how much he cared. “If that shock was able to hurt me, I can only imagine what it did to you.” Clark shrugged. “Thing is, I still have no idea what’s causing those shocks. Each one has been stronger than the last one, and I’m deathly afraid of touching you for fear of causing another one.”

Lana was faintly surprised Clark had acknowledged, even obliquely, that he was Superman. She had expected him to deny it and for her to have to recount every single moment she could remember, right up to the point where she’d called him ‘Clark’ while in midair, to get him to admit what she already knew. Lana liked people who told the truth, especially when the truth was painful to admit. She smiled briefly as she realized Clark had just moved up another couple of notches in her book.

“So that’s what the extra pain was,” Lana said, as much to herself as to Clark. “I don’t know if being woozy from the concussion helped protect me or what, because I felt the pain, but it didn’t seem to be too drastic to me.”

“Well…I’m not supposed to feel pain at all. I think the surprise of being hurt is what caused me to drop you more than the pain itself.” Clark eyed Lana, wanting to know how she’d managed to figure out his secret. “I know my suit alters my appearance, so how’d you figure it out?”

Now it was Lana’s turn to tell a secret she really didn’t want to let Clark know, not just yet anyway, but after he manned up and admitted he was Superman, she didn’t see a way around it. “It was the way I felt in your arms,” she said, both softly and shyly.

“How was that?” Clark asked.

“Safe. Secure. As if nothing bad could happen to me while you held me. I loved that feeling, Clark, and then I remembered I’d felt that same feeling not too long ago at the club when you held me.”

They sat there in silence, neither one sure what to say next, Clark felt like they’d grown closer through their exchange of truths, even if just a little bit. He wanted to take her hand and assure her that everything was fine, but he was serious about not wanting to touch her again until he understood what was causing those shocks.

“So what do we do now?” Lana asked.

“I’m not sure, except for one thing: as soon as I leave here, I’m going to go someplace where I can get some answers. If we can’t solve the mystery of those shocks, then…”

“Yeah. We may not be able to even try to be together.”

“I wasn’t going to talk about that until you got home,” Clark said, “but you look like you’re feeling better, I mean, what with that ice cream all over your face and everything…”

“That what?”

“Ice cream,” Clark said, as Lana’s hands started feeling around her mouth. Then she remembered the times both Renee and Nelle had jostled her spoon as she tried to eat her treat. She probably looked a fright, between her bruise and the ice cream, and instantly dove for the Kleenex, while adamantly insisting that Clark turn around while she straightened her appearance.

Clark had liked the look of the ice cream mess and had had no thought of laughing at her or of thinking any less of her beauty, but now that she was turning all girly-girl on him and getting upset, it was all he could do to keep from laughing his butt off.

Lana scrambled out of bed and rushed into the bathroom where she set about scrubbing her face clean, muttering imprecations under her breath all the while. Clark couldn’t help but use his super-hearing to listen in, and what he heard made him glad he wasn’t either Renee or Nelle right now. It sounded to him like they were in for a butt-whipping as soon as Lana could get her hands on them.

Once satisfied with her appearance, Lana allowed Clark to turn around as she made her way back to her bed. It turned out he was in for a small share of her displeasure, too. “You could have pointed that out a little earlier, Clark,” Lana said grimly, “instead of letting me sit there, looking like a fool.”

“It was cute,” Clark said, “and you were enchanting. Most women would appear sloppy looking like that, but you carried it off with aplomb, and looked completely adorable.”

Enchanting? Adorable? Lana thought. I think I can live with that.

Lana warmed up to Clark considerably after that, though she still plotted out elaborate revenge against her friends. She enjoyed the idea of evening the score, even if she’d likely never get around to executing any of her wild plans. Leaving me to meet Clark knowing I looked like that, Lana fumed. I’ll get those two. Grrrr!

“So,” Clark finally said, “are you feeling better? Do you want to talk about us?”

“Yes and yes,” Lana said. “Whatever it is that you wanted to wait to tell me, I’m ready to hear it now.”

“Okay,” Clark replied, “but there’s one more thing I have to say first.” Clark shifted position in his seat, suddenly becoming uncomfortable. Lana didn’t know it, but she’d just put her life in danger, and only she could protect herself. “You know my secret…part of it anyway. You hold my life in your hands. If the wrong people learn who I am, all those close to me, including you, will be made to suffer so that I will do the bidding of those same ‘wrong people.’ Worse yet, if anyone even suspects you know the truth about me, they’ll do things to you that I can’t even talk about just to learn my name. Don’t talk about Superman. Don’t think about him. Forget he even exists. It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

Fully aware of the seriousness of her situation, Lana nodded, and said, “No one will ever learn that secret from me. I promise.” Seeing Clark sit back, and look relieved, she added, “Now, about those other things you wanted to tell me.”

“Well, it goes like this…”

[Nemu]

:D

----- Added 17 Minutes later -----


Oh man... That was good!!!

The picture of Lana sitting there eating the contraband Ice cream was cute!!!

Well one advantage (in a way) Lana has over Maddie is that she knows Clark is Supes...

Man next update will be intense... with Clark telling her about Maddie...

I hope Lana has an open mind and realize the complete situation before taking any decision...

PPMS!!!

[Leopard1789]

Wow awsume update!
PPPMS!!

[clana_never_give_up]

That was really good.

Lana having ice cream all over her face while talking to Clark was pretty funny :lol:

[basketballstar23]

fantastic! i'm glad Clark doesn't beat around the bush. can't wait for the next one Card. PPMS! :)

[Clana227]

WOw great update, really like the way Lana asked CLark about his secret
good stuff

[CaptainObvious]

It appears Clark and Lana are mastering the "no more secrets, no more lies" thing. It's refreshing to read Clark not dodging who he really is so soon but trusting Lana with his identity. She must understand how important it is to keep Clark's secret. I wonder how understanding she'll be when Clark spills his next secret about Maddie.

I'm curious about what's causing those shocks! Clark better figure it out soon.

[basketballstar23]

i think i might be addicted. or maybe i'm just hooked. either way, i love this story :)

[CaptainObvious]

i think i might be addicted. or maybe i'm just hooked. either way, i love this story :)

Cardinal's stories usually do have that addictive quality. I would venture to guess you are "hooked"!

[Cardinal]

Short but important update. ;)


**********


Chapter 24

The Source

“Well, it goes like this…” Clark started to say, and then he hesitated. He had planned to tell Lana that he had just started seeing a woman from work and that he didn’t feel right about dumping her just because Lana had changed her mind again, but suddenly, that didn’t feel right. He liked Maddie, liked her quite a lot in fact, but Lana was different, she made him feel things, and that was rare. Rarer, in fact, than he cared to think about.

Then there were the occasional shocks he and Lana were feeling. He’d learned a lot of stuff during his training with Jor-El, but nothing that had been anything like this. Up until now, he’d assumed his only weaknesses were Kryptonite and his mom’s apple pie. To that list, he mentally added both painful shocks, and Lana Lang.

So before he did anything else, he had to find out what was going on. If it turned out that he and Lana would be kept apart by this, then she likely wouldn’t want to hear about him seeing Maddie. And if they could surmount this difficulty, he’d have to keep his promise to Maddie and tell her it wasn’t going to work out…not because anything was wrong with her, but because everything seemed so right with Lana.

“…hmm.” Clark cupped his chin with one hand and organized his new thoughts so they would make sense to Lana. “I was going to tell you something, but it just occurred to me that if we can’t be together because of these shocks, then what I was going to say would be unnecessary and possibly hurtful to you. And if we can work this out, then…I’m just going to have to think of something else to tell you, because what I had planned to say would then be wrong.

“I’ll come see you as soon as I can. Okay?”

Lana smiled, “It’s very okay, Clark.” Clark was just about out the door when Lana stopped him. “Clark? If you come to my place tonight, make sure you drive. My aunt will be staying with me and is nosy enough to wonder what kind of car you drive.”

“No flights. Gotcha.”

“And Clark?”

“Hmm?”

“Before you go, there’s something I need to say before we find out if we will even have a chance.” Clark shut the door and returned to her bedside, intuitively sure this was important. “I’m sorry. I let your partner get to me and make me think I was ruining your life.”

Clark wanted to reach over and silence Lana by placing his fingertips on her lips, but remembered just in time that touching her was off limits. So he settled for shushing her instead.

“Lana, you already told me why you were out and about so early. You told me this morning that you wanted to apologize for trying to make my decisions for me.” He smiled as warmly as he knew how. “That’s all I needed to hear. It’s sufficient that you wanted to apologize. The fact that you were so anxious to do it that you rushed into town to meet me this morning was just icing on the cake.

“If you need to hear me say it, then, I accept your apology. Let’s just hope I get some good news that will make that apology mean something more.”

As he stood to leave, Clark wanted to lean in and give Lana a quick kiss goodbye, but was once again foiled by his need to not touch her. So he pulled back out of touching range and blew her a kiss which she caught and held close to her heart. When Lana returned the blown kiss with one of her own, Clark hammed it up, acting as if her kiss had hit him on the cheek and knocked him across the room with its power.

Lana giggled madly at Clark’s performance as his body slammed into the closed door, and he said, “You are some kind of kisser!” He straightened up before the nurses came to see what had happened, and gave her a wink. “I’ll be back for the real thing as soon as we figure out what’s going on. Okay?”

“I’ll be at home plumping my lips, waiting for that very moment,” Lana replied laughingly, as Clark opened the door and headed out.

Clark headed home to change out of his new work clothes before going to the Fortress of Solitude. He debated telling Chloe what was going on, but decided that would take too long, as Chloe would try to wring each and every detail out of him. Besides, he knew she would start researching Lana in minute detail the minute she learned Lana knows about his abilities.

Minutes later, Clark was arrowing his way north, resplendent in his blue and red. Coming to a stop over the FOS, Clark slowly descended and entered through a hole in the top of the crystalline structure.

The blue/white color of the fortress’ interior, caused by the continual refraction of light by the columns of crystal and ice, was comforting to Clark, a sign that all was well in his remote hideaway. Not wasting any time, he quickly strode to the control console and activated the crystals that brought the hologram of his father to ‘life.’

“Yes, my son,” Jor-El said, “it is good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Father.”

Seeing the turmoil on Clark’s face, Jor-El asked, “What troubles you, Kal-El?”

“I’ve…I’ve met a woman…” Jor-El couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly at this revelation, “…and she’s causing me pain…”

“That’s just part of being with someone, Kal-El. You have to get very close to someone to love them, and that opens you up to being hurt also. No one can hurt us more than the ones we love the most.”

Clark was shaking his head no halfway through Jor-El’s speech. “You don’t understand. I’m not talking about emotional pain, though there has been some of that, I’m talking about physical pain. There are times when it actually hurts me to touch the lady…like a shock. And she doesn’t have any Kryptonite.”

Jor-El remained silent, chin buried in his hand, as he contemplated what his son had just told him. He couldn’t imagine any substance or condition on Earth that would cause his son pain outside of the green minerals of their homeworld.

Stumped, Jor-El began questioning Clark in detail about these ‘shocks,’ and found out that they were actually few in number, three to be exact, and that they only occurred as a result of skin to skin contact. That sounded like something that used to happen on Krypton, but it was something that should be impossible here on Earth.

On Krypton, population was strictly controlled, with everyone living in widely-spaced cities, limiting the chances of a Kryptonian to meet a wide variety of other Kryptonians of the same age. Combined with the incredibly busy, no-nonsense lives that most Kryptonians lived, that relative isolation made finding a mate difficult at best.

The first way Kryptonians tackled this problem was through arranged marriages. And while there were some notable successes with that process, enough marriages were unfulfilling that another way was sought.

So, a team of Kryptonian scientists, whose families had been working together for generations to study the part of the brain that controls emotions, what humans would call ‘the heart’, started a new project to find a way for Kryptonians to choose a mate, as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

It took a few more generations, but the Al and Ur family scientists created a genetic mutation in Kryptonians that would allow two people who were suitable as mates, to discover each other by touching as soon as their bodies had reached a state of biological readiness.

The discovery came in the form of a small shock.

In the normal course of events, the two young Kryptonians affected by this shock would go to their respective head of household, and a formal betrothal would be arranged. The formal betrothal included a step that deactivated the genetic mutation, as it was no longer necessary.

In a case where the initial shock was ignored or not recognized for what it was, additional shocks, each one stronger than the last, would come at random to not so gently remind the young couple that they had a duty to Krypton to marry and create children to eventually replace themselves.

With all he knew, Jor-El considered this to be the most likely answer to his son’s problem. The thing that bothered Jor-El was that this could only be happening to his son and his new lady friend, if she was at least partially Kryptonian.

[Nemu]

:D

----- Added 16 Minutes later -----


Oh man!!! I wonder how you are going to twist this...

That will be a better news to Clark and especially Lana than what might have been first thought (well i hope)

That was good!! It was nice to see a goofy Clark with the playfull kissing thing...

PPMS!!!

[trojan20]

please hurry with the next chapter ppms:eek:

[clana_never_give_up]

WOW, :eek: That was insane.

Lana is partially Kryptonian. That part made my jaw drop. :eek: I wonder how she's Kryptonian?

[basketballstar23]

well jeez louise. of all the things i thought the shocks were, having Lana being partially kryptonian was not one of them. I'm not going to lie, I like it. lol I'm stoked to see where this wil leave Clark. Maybe then he will see that they could possible be meant for eachother, no? yes :) PPMS. looking forward to the next one Card!

[shortcircuit85]

Wow! Like where this is headed. I always enjoy your stories, they keep you guessing and entertained. Keep up the great work, and I will always be wanting more.

Thanks,

[kentfamily]

WOW! Lana partial Kryptonian? Cant wait to see what comes next! Update soon please.

[Leopard1789]

Great update- loved the blowing kisses part and clark pretending to be pushed up against the wall from the force of it, that was really funny.

lana part kryptonian aye, that an interesting development
cant wait for your next update! PPMS

[treker]

nice twist Cardinal....now, I'm on pins and needles to find out how Lana could be partially kryptonian.

PPMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nemu]

I read your little side comment about the situation Card...

You are right... the facts will be shocking to both parties concerned...

Lana doubly so... guess we will have to wait and see what will happen...

But those shock do simply tell that they are 'meant' to be together...

PPMS!!

[CaptainObvious]

I think it would have been interesting for Clark to tell Lana about Maddie but I get his reasoning for not doing it. I guess I just wanted to see Lana's reaction to the whole another girl thing. Never the less, there's a good reason for those shocks, a good reason, and Clark needs to explain this to Lana. With some luck, any maybe a little help from Jor-El, maybe they can get this shock thing under control. Can you only imagine the embrace when that happens?!

[basketballstar23]

Ppms! :)

[NYC300Z]

wow I read this earlier but my comp wouldn't let me respond.... Awesome update! I wonder what Clark's next action will be! So many ways you could go next I can't wait to see!

PPMS!

[Cardinal]

Chapter 25

Explanation

“Kryptonian,” Clark said, after Jor-El broached the idea to his son. “Lana Lang is Kryptonian. Riiiiiiiggggghhhhht.” Clark smirked. “And I’m Bigfoot.”

“What is so hard to believe about the lady having some measure of Kryptonian heritage, Kal-El?” Jor-El asked. His voice was even and reasonable, making Clark wonder if it could be true.

“How?”

Jor-El paused for a moment and then chose to make a rare indulgence in his dry sense of humor. “And here I had thought the barbaric educational system of this planet had at least managed to cover that particular topic.” Jor-El began to mutter to himself. “Basic Biology, I have not taught this in years. My son would have learned this at age five on Krypton. I still do not see why this planet has to be so slow about these things.” Jor-El then flapped his silver robe with the black S-shield, assumed his best professorial posture, and began to teach, in a manner best suited to working with an especially dense student. “The male of the species, uses his engorged sexual apparatus to penetrate the female’s sexual receptacle.” Then whispering as if afraid someone might overhear him, Jor-El added snidely, “That’s the…”

“TMI!! Stop! Hold it right there. I get it.” Clark had been the butt of his father’s particular, some would say peculiar, brand of humor before. He knew if he didn’t stop him, the joke might go on for quite some time. “So, how many of my cousins are running around this planet?” Clark meant it as a joke of his own, but was sobered by Jor-El’s reply.

“I hadn’t really ever considered the possibility before,” Jor-El said, seeming to be completely chagrined by that fact, “but I should have since our people have been visiting this planet for hundreds of years. Even if only a few of those early visitors managed to sire offspring, then the number of potential distant cousins for you could be enormous.”

“How many?”

“Potentially? Tens of thousands. Possibly more.” Clark gasped, and Jor-El explained. “Come now, Kal-El. Our people have been coming to this planet for a very long time, and,” the silver-haired hologram admitted, “the women of this planet can be very intense, fiery, and passionate, when compared to Kryptonians. It could be an overwhelming shock for an unwary Kryptonian male to be swept along by a raging passion, seemingly at a moment’s notice, instead of the long, slow build that we would expect at home.”

“Yeah, I still remember you and Louise.”

“I never should have left that talisman in that cave,” Jor-El grumped. He hadn’t been happy that his son had accidentally found the talisman in the caves one day while cataloging the entire collection of drawings and symbols.

“Put the difference in women down to cultural differences?”

“Maybe. But you need to realize than when we started coming here, women’s roles on this planet were much more restricted than they are now, and yet, that’s when the cross-breeding had to have started for there to be ‘tens of thousands’ of cousins for you on this planet.

“My best guess, is that there are many thousands of people here on this planet who have some small bit of Kryptonian blood. They’ll have no abilities, no adverse reactions to green Kryptonite, but if you mate with one of them, their trace amount of Kryptonian DNA would likely be enough to ensure that any offspring of that union would have all of your abilities and weaknesses.”

“Holy crap!” Clark ran the fingers of both hands through his ebon locks as he tried to wrap his brain around what he’d just heard. “Soooo…I can father children?”

Jor-El rolled his eyes extravagantly, and said, “Yes, my son. If this young woman is partially Kryptonian, then it follows that an Earth-Krypton crossbreed is possible.”

Clark was wondering how they’d prove whether or not Lana was Kryptonian, when suddenly, a random thought bubbled up out of his subconscious: I wonder if Lana wants kids? It took Clark a second to realize the implications of that thought, but when he did, he studied it consciously and wondered if Lana really could be ‘the one.’

Talk about getting ahead of myself, I don’t even know how we can get past the shocks.

Clark got back to the subject at hand. “So, if Lana’s Kryptonian, how is that helping cause the shocks?”

That’s when Jor-El passed on the information about the Kryptonian marriage process. Clark hadn’t learned it in during his training period in the Fortress because Jor-El had been working under the assumption that Clark was the last Kryptonian, thus rendering the information useless.

“You mean to tell me you people got too damn lazy to go out and find your own brides?”

“Looks like that runs in the family, Kal-El,” Jor-El said. “I don’t see you having a wife yet.”

“Yeah, but I think I’m somewhat busier than anyone on Krypton ever thought of being,” Clark shot back.

“True, but that’s just a reason for you to make use of this part of your heritage and marry the woman. She’s a good match for you and you already have some affection for her, so why not?”

“Because she’s not going to agree to it, that’s why. And besides, I’d really like the chance to win her heart the old-fashioned Earth way: getting to know her every grace and foible; opening my heart to her as she does the same to me; building a strong foundation, so that our relationship will have something to stand on when the going gets rough.

“I want Lana, or whatever woman that eventually marries me,” Clark added hurriedly, “to meet me at that altar because she can’t possibly live without me.”

“And yet, finding a woman who’ll do that, who’ll love and support you while knowing your identity and mission, is going to be very difficult.”

“Nothing worth having is easy, Father…and she already knows I’m Superman.” Jor-El’s eyebrows rose upon hearing that. “All I ask is that you help me turn off those shocks, so I can see if Lana’s the one.”

Jor-El was in a quandary. He secretly admired his son’s stubborn determination to do things the hard way, and he admitted to himself that the woman involved likely wouldn’t go through with a betrothal followed by a quick marriage. My Louise would have done that, Jor-El thought, she would have thought it was the most romantic thing ever. The other side of the argument was that this was a Kryptonian tradition that Kal-El was so blithely asking him to set aside. There aren’t many traditions left. Not many ways left with which to honor the past.

Jor-El sought a middle path between doing as his son wanted and doing as he wanted. He thought about denying Kal-El’s request and telling him that not being able to even touch the woman he was romancing would be a perfect way for him to start building that foundation, since talking and listening would be all that was left. But then he remembered the white-hot passion that had existed between himself and Louise right from the start. He knew exactly how much he would have hated someone if they had denied him that. Finally, an idea hit him.

“Tell the girl your origin. If she stays, tell her her origin, or at least what we believe to be her origin. If she still wants you, tell her there’s a test I can perform on her from here that will not only determine if she’s one of us, but which family. The process will leave her with an indelible tattoo on her lower back if she’s Kryptonian. If that’s unacceptable, bring her here and I’ll perform a DNA test.” Looking up at the still turbulent Spring weather in the arctic, Jor-El added, “Though I recommend the tattoo. Your Lana may not survive the trip.

“Should she prove to be Kryptonian, thus proving the marriage theory correct, I will turn off the shocks…for her only. Her body couldn’t take much more, but yours can. You will have to choose carefully when to touch her, as your solar-powered strength and durability will only hold up so long against the shocks.”

Clark was stunned, lost in thought, when Jor-El added, “From my experience with Earth women, I’d definitely recommend limiting the touches to kisses that mean something.”

“But how do I trace the structure of her face? How do I hold her hand as we walk to dinner?”

“Wear gloves,” Jor-El whispered. “Thin ones.”

“And this is your final word?”

“Yes. When you and she are ready to commit to each other in a formal betrothal, I’ll lift the shocks from you, too. Not before.”

“But…”

“Someone has to uphold our traditions. As you are my son, that duty falls to you.”

[Nemu]

:D

----- Added 27 Minutes later -----


LOL funny moments coming this way with what Jor-El is willing to do...

Now I wonder how Lana will react and also which test she will want to do... the Kryptonian one or the DNA...

So I guess the permanent tattoo would indicate which family she belongs to.

PPMS!!!

[clana_never_give_up]

Holy man, :eek: I wonder what house she is from?

I'm betting Lana will go with the tattoo one because there's a chance she might die going to the arctic to get some tests. But I guess you never know, she might go for the DNA tests. :confused:

Wouldn't that suck, if Lana's family was the house of Zod? :eek:

[CaptainObvious]

There is no other term known to man that better describes Clarks realization that he can father children than, "Holy Crap"!! So funny!

Clark better stock up on gloves, pronto! Poor Clark! The guy can't even hold Lana's hand for fear of getting zapped! This was a great update with plenty of emotion and humor!

[treker]

Chapter 25

Explanation

“Kryptonian,” Clark said, after Jor-El broached the idea to his son. “Lana Lang is Kryptonian. Riiiiiiiggggghhhhht.” Clark smirked. “And I’m Bigfoot.”

.”

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

Very humorous update Cardinal; I loved all of it. But, the real question isn't who's house does she belong too, the real question is how diluted is her bloodline and would she be considered a member of any house? She could be 5 generations removed for all we know.

I think Lana will choose to go to the fortress; her curiosity just wouldn't let her do any less than to find out as much about Clark as she can, especially in light of her Kryptonian Heritage.

Jor-el was very funny in this chapter; not something we usually see in him.

And now on to a different topic; Cardinal, will we get to see Clark rip Lois a new one anytime soon?

Great chapter....

[NYC300Z]

lmao I wonder what Clark will think of that! THat was a hillarious update Card! I can't wait til Clark goes to dinner!

PPMS!

[trojan20]

dont take this the wrong way but im gonna be totally honest since i hope thats what you really want, I like the way you write but this whole chapter i was like :rolleyes:, but i think thats just because i was waiting for the clana and maddie stuff. anyways, cant wait for the next chapter PPMS ;)

[Cardinal]

dont take this the wrong way but im gonna be totally honest since i hope thats what you really want, I like the way you write but this whole chapter i was like :rolleyes:, but i think thats just because i was waiting for the clana and maddie stuff. anyways, cant wait for the next chapter PPMS ;)

That's cool. Honesty is welcome, as long as you're not being mean. ;)

[kentfamily]

Great update. Please write more!;):);)

[basketballstar23]

ohhhh shoooot! that was a great update! ha, the line about wearing thin gloves was priceless. can't wait for the next one! as always...:) PPMS!

[Leopard1789]

Great update, can't wait for more clana interaction.
PPMS

[basketballstar23]

ppms! :)

[Cardinal]

Chapter 26

Lana’s Turn

Clark and Jor-El talked some more, mostly Jor-El giving some further explanation about what Clark and Lana could expect once he shut down the shocks for her. Both chagrined and slightly amused by what he learned, Clark was soon arrowing his way south. He was back in Kansas and drawing near to Lana’s, before remembering Lana had requested he drive because her aunt was visiting.

A little bit less than an hour later, Clark was pulling into the parking lot of Lana’s apartment complex. The closer he got to her door, the more nervous he was about trying to explain all of this. He worried about Lana’s reactions, hoping she’d want to keep seeing him. But he knew he couldn’t put off telling her; she deserved to know as soon as possible so she’d have the best information possible with which to make her decisions. A firm triple knock on Lana’s door was answered quickly by an attractive woman who appeared to be in her early fifties.

“Hi,” Nell said, “I’m Nell Potter; you must be Clark. Lana told me she was expecting you.”

When the door closed behind Clark, Nell offered to get him a drink, and Clark said he’d accept a glass of water. Stepping into the living room, Clark found Lana sitting on her couch, with a pillow wedged behind her back on one end and her feet propped upon the other end. He raised his eyebrows at that and once Nell went on into the kitchen, Lana rolled her eyes. That was all Clark needed to see to know that taking it easy like this was not Lana’s choice at all.

“Looks like you’re milking this wreck thing for all it’s worth,” Clark said, as he gestured at her position, which featured a tray of snacks and drinks standing at her side.

Lana knew he was just teasing, but when she saw the smirk on his face, she had to respond. “Hey, I earned this,” she said, before pointing a finger at Clark. “You try almost falling to your death, twice mind you, inside a minute.”

Clark’s face turned beet red and his mouth moved, but no sound came out, as they both knew she was making a veiled reference to the fact he had dropped her in mid-air just after catching her.

Lana was about to add more to her counterattack when Nell came back with the glass of water, which Clark accepted with thanks. Just when Clark wondered how he’d be able to tell Lana what she needed to know with her aunt around, her aunt decided to go out.

Nell had seen Lana looking at Clark and vice-versa when she’d come back into the room, and those looks revealed a connection between them. Knowing Lana had just gone through a most public humiliation with her last boyfriend, Nell was happy to see her dating again so soon, so she decided to leave the apartment for awhile to give them some time together, especially since Lana had told her the young man had driven all the way from Metropolis just to see her. When Nell stated her intention to take in a late movie at a nearby theater, both Lana and Clark knew she was giving them room, for which they were both grateful.

Alone, but perversely not able to touch each other, Lana waited while Clark screwed up his nerve since the ball was definitely in his court.

“Lana, there’s something about Superman that I’ve kept from the public. It’s just a form of protection for me, but it’s something I have to tell you now, before I can begin to relay all that I learned today.” Lana knew this was serious, and since Nell was gone, she rolled her legs off of the couch and invited Clark to sit on the other end. He accepted and once seated, stretched his legs out before moving on. “I don’t know how to say this, Lana, but I’m not from around here.”

“Okay. I’m not either.”

“Yes, but you’re from Granville…I’m from Krypton.”

“Where?”

“Krypton…” Clark pointed skyward, “…you know, second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning.”

“Oh.” Lana knew she should have considered the possibility that a man with superhuman abilities would be from another planet, but somehow, Lana had just thought of him as Clark. But now, she had to think about the fact that Clark wasn’t human…or was he? Didn’t being an alien preclude being human? And what did this mean for her?

Clark thought it was a good sign that Lana hadn’t panicked. He figured she would be fine if she gave herself enough time to figure things out. Patience was one of his strong suits, so he sat still and gave her all the time she needed.

“Why are you here? On Earth, I mean. Surely there are other worlds out there that need you just as much as we do. How did my planet get so lucky?”

“Your planet ‘got so lucky,’ because my planet exploded.”

“Exploded? Like, kaboom?”

“Definitely kaboom.”

“I’m sorry,” Lana said. Clark could hear the sympathy in her voice and found it amazing that two kind words from her, more than twenty years after the fact, could make him feel warm inside.

“I am too. I was only an infant when I was placed in a prototype spaceship to escape our doomed planet, and was three by the time it reached Earth. I was found by a Kansas farmer and his wife, who adopted me and raised me as their son.” Clark summed things up by saying, “I may have been born on Krypton, but I’ve lived here since before I can remember, so Earth’s my planet, too.”

“That explains why you’re helping us,” Lana said. “Now comes the sixty-four dollar question: are you human?”

“Not exactly, but close enough for all the purposes you might ever have in mind.” That was as close to saying, ‘yes, I can have sex’ as Clark was able to make himself say. He figured Lana hadn’t even been thinking about sex, but he figured this way he could get it out there now, so she wouldn’t have to wonder at some later date.

Having told Lana about his connection to Krypton, now came the tricky part: telling her about her likely connection to Krypton.

“There’s a reason I told you about my Kryptonian heritage, Lana. It’s all tied in with those shocks.” Lana was listening very closely, very intently now. “Those shocks are Kryptonian in nature. They are an alteration of the genetic makeup of my people that was designed to help us find mates quickly and painlessly.”

“Painlessly?” Lana was incredulous, and Clark could see why. Those shocks had to have hurt her worse than they had him.

“Okay, maybe not painlessly.”

Lana was intrigued by the idea that the shocks were related to finding a mate. “So how was this supposed to work…back on Krypton?”

Clark explained it all, and did it so well, that Lana was ready to blow a hole in the one weak spot in his story as soon as he quit talking.

“But…for this to work on us, don’t both of us have to be Kryptonian?”

“Yes, Lana, we do.”

Lana kept waiting for Clark to crack a smile to show he was joking, but she eventually realized no smile was coming. He was serious. He thought she was Kryptonian.

“Umm…Clark? Helloooo? This is Lana Lang here, and I am definitely not able to leap tall buildings, etc., like you can, so I can’t be one of you.”

“All it takes is a little bit of Kryptonian DNA for this to work. And since my people have been coming here for hundreds of years, it’s definitely possible.”

“So you think…?”

“…that you’re at least fractionally Kryptonian, which gave you the genes to be affected by this.”

Lana was floored by this idea. In a few short minutes, she’d gone from not really considering anyone to be an alien, to being forced to wonder if she was one.

Clark could see Lana was freaked out by this line of thought, and he couldn’t blame her. He remembered his own reaction when his dad told him about the spaceship in the storm cellar. He wanted to reach out to her and offer what comfort he could, but they both knew touching was still off limits. But if he could get her to agree to be tested, she could then have the procedure which would allow her to touch him freely.

“If you want, you can be tested to find out if it’s true.”

“What good would that do?” Lana asked. She wasn’t angry or bitter, just curious.

“If it’s true, then my father can perform a ritual that will make it possible for you to initiate contact between us with absolute safety. Since this is a Kryptonian tradition, he insists that I remain vulnerable, so I will not be able to touch you safely.”

“Your father? He’s here? Why isn’t he…?”

Clark waved Lana to a halt. “Just a three-dimensional hologram, part of a computer program designed to help me. Nothing more than that. But he has the ability to, in effect, turn off the shocks.”

“So I’d be able to touch you whenever I want.”

Clark nodded. “As long as you initiate the contact, whether it’s a touch, a kiss, or whatever, it’s risk-free for both of us. If I touch you, my body will recognize the connection between us and the risk of a shock for me will still be there.”

“And if the test says I’m not…?”

“My father thinks the test is just a formality, because he has no idea what could be causing the shocks otherwise.”

“Then let’s get that test. Even though I’m not ready to marry you, not yet anyway, I want to be able to touch you.”

Clark went on to explain to Lana about her choices. She would have chosen the long-range tattoo test except Clark offered her a way around the dangers of polar air. He still had his octagonal key, and the portal in the caves back home in Smallville still worked, so all Lana had to do was dress warmly and she’d be fine.

“Just one thing, Clark.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanna go tomorrow.”

“Okay, you’re on.”

[auxvis]

Excellent as always, Card...definitely looking forward to continuing on! :D

[Nemu]

:D
So no tattoo? Aww man...

Well maybe Lana can still ask for it even if she goes to the FOS....

lol yep tell someone you are an alien and they can accept you... Tell them they are at least in part alien and now the freaking out starts ;)

Well Lana is kinda in a hurry of finding out...

Nice chapter...

PPMS!!!

[treker]

[center]Chapter 26

“Krypton…” Clark pointed skyward, “…you know, second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning.”




I didn't know Cardinal had changed his name to James Tiberius Kirk... :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Seriously, though, great update. Looking forward to more. Also, looking forward to Clark ripping Lois' head off when she gets back. ;)

[Leopard1789]

Great update


looking forward to Clark ripping Lois' head off when she gets back. ;)
i also agree! PPMS

[basketballstar23]

very nice as always Card! can't wait for the next one! :)

[kewl]

great update card! keep em comin'!

[NYC300Z]

So much to look forward to in this story! I can't wait until the two of them go to the fortress. I have a feeling the next udpate will have to do with either Nell coming back and interrupting them, something to do with Lois and Jason or Jason and Lex or the former, but with Lex in the background or maybe something else entirely! So many ways to go! Can't wait...

PPMS!

[smallvillewolf17]

I am loving this fic!

PPMS!

[basketballstar23]

looking forward to your update Card! this last episode is leaving me with a major Clana fix. Happy Clana is all I need! AH! Anyways...PPMS! :)

[clana_never_give_up]

Great chapter.

I'm glad Lana took her being fractionally Kryptonian quite well. :D

[kentfamily]

Wow! Great update. So where's the next.lol! Really write more.;););)

[kewl]

hope to receive an update this weekend card

[Clana227]

Hey great update can't wait to see what happens next

[Cardinal]

hope to receive an update this weekend card

Hope to be able to finish my update tonight, but I'm doing a reread of my story and taking notes as I go so I'll remember where I intended to go with this.

And if Kristin can't be in Vancouver making Smallville eps for us, at least she's in your neck of the woods making a movie. :D

[Nemu]

lol your 2 piece of standalone adult-oriented work messed up your mind about this story? ;) (kidding)

An update in the next 2 days? cool!!

[kewl]

And if Kristin can't be in Vancouver making Smallville eps for us, at least she's in your neck of the woods making a movie. :D

yeah, i'm really keeping my fingers crossed and hope to bump into kristin in one of the streets of bangkok ;) :lol:
can't wait for your update card!

[treker]

yeah, i'm really keeping my fingers crossed and hope to bump into kristin in one of the streets of bangkok ;) :lol:
can't wait for your update card!


Find out where the movie is being filmed and track her down. :rotfl::p

[Cardinal]

Chapter 27

Smallville

Clark was gone before Nell came back, which surprised her, but she was assured by the happy smile that was plastered all over her niece’s face that everything was fine.

“Clark and I have a date tomorrow, Aunt Nell,” Lana said. Nell could hear the happy undertones in Lana’s voice. She hoped this guy turned out better than the last one.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s a secret.” Lana rarely kept anything from Nell, but this had to be one of those things.

“Okay, just be that way.” Nell smiled back at Lana. “And since you don’t want your aunt around to mess up your date, I’ll take that as my signal to go home in the morning.”

Lana was glad she hadn’t had to resort to a more heavy-handed means of getting Nell to leave, since she couldn’t very well explain the need for her to dress in her warmest clothes for a date in April. Clark had been quite specific about her need to dress warmly, even with them using this special portal thingy to go north.

The next day, Lana called Clark as soon as Nell left, and gathered her warmest clothes for the drive to Smallville. She filled a green plastic trash bag with an extra t-shirt, two sweaters, two pairs of tights, winter boots, and her best winter parka. When Clark came to the door, she was dressed, and was holding her extra clothes, but he sent her back to add a scarf and a pair of gloves.

Clark carried the bag to his truck, and started to hold out his hand to help her into the cab, but then pulled back, afraid to touch her. Lana remembered too, and regretfully let him go, pleased that he had wanted to be a gentleman. Lana wanted the little things like that in their relationship. It was things of that nature that anyone could do, if they only took the time, that meant the most, and she meant to have them. So that gentlemanly reflex of Clark’s only drove home her need to get this fixed so they could touch, as soon as possible.

The drive to Smallville was a familiar one for Lana, as Granville wasn’t too far away. She and Clark spent the time talking about what she could expect in the Fortress of Solitude, and then when that topic was used up, they talked about the progress Lois was making in her investigation.

That was Lana’s first clue that Clark wasn’t working on that story any more. He hadn’t mentioned that when she’d talked to him at the hospital, and all he would say about it now was that he and Lois had had a falling out and that she was covering the story on her own. While his professional breakup with Lois was off limits, he did let her know that Lois was running into an unrelenting brick wall.

The guy that had slipped her the autopsy report was nowhere to be found, and the security guy from the Bellagio denied ever having met her, much less having let her see footage from their security cameras. So not only wasn’t she getting close to finding out the truth, she wasn’t even getting close to the people who knew the truth.

“If you want, Lana, I can tell you who we suspect of being behind the attack on Jason’s reputation.”

Lana wanted to know. She knew she didn’t have the resources to go after someone, and she kind of felt like she owed this mystery person for exposing Jason’s infidelity before she married him, but she knew the point of the attack had been to ruin a good man’s political career, not to end their relationship.

“Bear in mind that we don’t have any proof, but this fits the style of Lex Luthor. The only thing we’re not sure of is his motivation.”

“Lex?” Lana knew Lex Luthor, but only slightly. The real connection there was that her aunt had been in tight with Lex’s father Lionel before the elder Luthor’s untimely death in that helicopter crash. “Why would he want to hurt Jason?”

“In the years Lois and I have been trying to find something to put Lex behind bars, we’ve found that his motivations tend to be remarkably consistent. Money and power. And since he couldn’t have made money on this, unless he blackmailed Jason in which case he wouldn’t have exposed him, he has to be after power…which might mean he wanted Jason out of the way so he could get his own man elected.”

“But no one’s filed for the Senate race yet. Jason was considered to be a shoo-in on the Republican side.”

“That leaves us with the Democrats, or whoever the Republicans choose as their last minute candidate.” Clark pinched the bridge of his nose, almost as if he still wore his glasses. “One thing we can be sure of: if Lex was responsible for what happened to Jason, then he will have a candidate of his own all ready to go.”

When they approached Smallville, Lana asked Clark for a curious favor. She wanted him to not drive through the middle of town on their way to his parents’ farm. Clark had no problem with her request, but when he asked why, he got an answer that shocked him.

“Right on Main Street is where my parents died. I watched from across the street as a meteor came down out of the sky and hit them.” Lana looked away from Clark. “That’s a memory I’d really rather not relive, so if you don’t mind…”

“I thought you were from Granville.”

“No. I was born in Metropolis, but my parents brought me with them when they came back to Smallville for homecoming. They’d dropped me off to spend the afternoon with Aunt Nell and were on their way to pick me up after the game when the meteors struck.

“Aunt Nell didn’t want me to have to relive that every day of my life, so as soon as she won custody of me, she sold everything in Smallville and moved us to Granville.”

Clark felt like someone just cut open his heart and drained all the happiness from inside. He was having trouble breathing and it wasn’t even his parents who had died. Lana instantly noticed the difference in Clark’s attitude and wondered what was going on inside his head.

“Clark? Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

His throat was as dry as a desert, as he tried to find the words to say that his arrival on Earth killed her parents.

Lana saw the grief in Clark’s eyes and began to get worried. This wasn’t just a change in demeanor anymore, Clark looked like his best friend had just died. She reached over and rubbed his arm, careful to only touch the part that was covered by clothing.

“Please, Clark. Let me be here for you. Tell me what‘s wrong.”

“I told you yesterday that I’m adopted, too, Lana.” He brought the truck to a stop at a stop sign on the outskirts of town and wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs. “Like you, my adoption had to do with the meteor shower. I was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent in a cornfield on the day of the meteor shower. My ship came to Earth disguised as a meteor, one among many that showered the Smallville region that day. Including the one that killed your parents.” He’d looked Lana in the eyes during this explanation, but couldn’t do it any longer. “I am so sorry, Lana. Bitterly so.”

Lana was stunned. Clark had told her he came to Earth when he was three, but she had never dreamed his arrival had been during the meteor shower. She couldn’t imagine blaming an infant, but she was about to go visit the avatar of the man who she could blame. This Jor-El was about to get a piece of her mind.

“Don’t blame yourself, Clark, it’s not your fault,” Lana said. Her voice was as soothing as she could make it, because she already knew who was going to get her anger, and she was looking forward to finally having someone to blame for the death of her parents. She’d always tried to keep her feelings about their deaths buried, but discovering the person who was responsible brought them raging back to the surface.

The rest of the ride to the Kent farm was subdued, to say the least. Clark was still blaming himself, while Lana was focused on what to say to Jor-El. Thankfully, Clark was already near his parents’ house, so it wasn’t long before Clark brought his truck to a stop in the driveway just outside of the barn.

Clark was tempted to show Lana his old loft hideaway, what he called the original Fortress of Solitude, but he was in a hurry to get her to the Fortress, and he knew that having to meet his parents would be enough of a delay as is. Again, Clark tried to be a gentleman and escort Lana from the truck, but had to settle for carrying her bag of winter clothes as he walked by her side to the kitchen door.

Clark opened the door and waited for Lana to step through before following her in. His mother was busy making a simple lunch for two, and his father was nowhere to be seen, so he must be out working on the farm.

“Lunch isn’t quite ready yet, Jonathan,” Martha said. She hadn’t looked up yet and was thus unaware she had a guest.

“It smells delicious, Mom,” Clark replied, “but Lana and I ate before we got here.”

Martha jumped at the sound of her son’s voice, and nearly jumped again when she saw he was with a young woman. And seeing the way they were standing together, he was definitely with her. Oh my! Martha thought, the girl is lovely!

Martha quickly wiped her hands and approached Clark and Lana. Clark proudly made the introductions, not quite sure whether he was more proud to be introducing his mom or his girlfriend. “Lana, this is my mother, Martha Kent. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Lana Lang.”

Lana swelled with pride to hear Clark refer to her as his girlfriend. Despite the fact that he was letting her in on his secrets and taking her to his super secret fortress, hearing him say ‘this is my girlfriend’ seemed to be the official endorsement that meant more to her than anything else.

Martha and Lana greeted each other with smiles and a quick shake of the hand, before Martha ushered her son and his girlfriend to the kitchen table to take seats. Martha went back to finishing the ham salad she’d been making for lunch, hoping to learn more about the woman her son had brought home. This was the first woman he’d brought to the farm since graduating high school. Martha remembered Alicia Baker. She’d thought for the longest time that Clark was going to marry that girl, until one day in his senior year, Clark came down and announced he’d broken up with her.

“So, Clark, what are you and Lana doing here today?”

Clark decided that the truth was definitely the best policy today. “We’re here just long enough for Lana to change into her winter clothes. Then I’m taking her to the caves and we’re going to the Fortress of Solitude to meet Jor-El.”

Clark could hear the clatter of metal as his mother dropped her utensils in the sink. “You’re what?”

“Taking Lana to meet Jor-El.” Seeing his mom’s sudden panic in the stiffness of her back, Clark rushed to add, “She knows, Mom. She knows everything.”

Martha realized this relationship was much more serious than she had thought. She set her ham salad aside and gave her full attention to the young couple sitting at her kitchen table.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?”

Clark and Lana eyed each other before Clark said, “Mmm…basically since I came back from the Maldives. Though we still haven’t been on a date yet and have only officially been a couple since the night we spent together at a dance club in Metropolis.”

Lana counted back and said, “We’ve only been together for seven days.”

“You what?”

“Clark and I have had a very busy relationship so far. We just haven’t quite had time for a date.”

Just then, Jonathan came in the kitchen door, wiping his hands on a greasy hand towel. Martha instantly pointed him toward the bathroom, but his attention was immediately caught by the lovely young woman sitting next to his son. He raised his eyebrows and Martha just shooed him away.

When Jonathan came back minutes later, with thoroughly clean hands, and sat down across from Clark and his lady friend, Clark made the introduction. “Lana, this is my father, Jonathan Kent. Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lana Lang.”

The genuine smile on Jonathan’s face was impossible to mistake as he witnessed his son’s pride. If the girl’s half as nice as she is beautiful, then our son has done well.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Lang,” Jonathan said, as he reached across the table to shake her hand.

“Please, call me Lana, Mr. Kent,” Lana replied, when she shook hands with Jonathan.

“Only if you call me, Jonathan. ‘Mr. Kent’ makes me feel old.”

“That’s because you are old,” Martha kidded.

“Oh, that was a low blow, Martha.”

Lana could hear the love in their voices as they teased each other. She was glad Clark had grown up in a family like this, but it also made her sad, as this type of parental banter was something she had missed out on as a child. She’d grown up with one parent, not two, and she’d always suspected Aunt Nell had held back from dating because of her.

Martha had her arms wrapped around Jonathan’s neck and her face was buried in his neck, giving him a kiss. Clark started to roll his eyes at his parents’ antics, but when he saw how much Lana enjoyed their display of love, he quickly changed his tune.

“So, Lana, how long have you and Clark been dating?” Jonathan asked.

“Well, as we just told your wife…”

“Please call me Martha, Lana.”

“…as we just told Martha, we’ve only been dating for a week.”

Martha nearly choked since she knew that Clark had already told Lana everything. She couldn’t believe Clark had done that so soon, especially given how careful he’d always been about protecting his secret from everyone. Jonathan didn’t know about that though, which was a shortfall she didn’t intend to correct until the kids had left. She had no desire to see her husband go off on her son for being careless, especially not in front of his new girlfriend.

“How long have you known each other?” Martha asked. She hoped Clark had known the girl for a very long time and had just now gotten around to dating her. That would help explain why he felt so secure with her that he could tell her his secrets.

Martha started choking in truth, when he told her they’d only met a few days before the night at Europa. She couldn’t believe he had told everything to a woman he had known for less than two weeks. She decided she’d better get them on their way before Jonathan figured things out.

“Lana? If you’d like, you can take your clothes up the stairs to Clark’s old room and change.”

Lana thought that was a good idea. Despite liking the Kents, she was anxious to get on with today’s plans. She took her bag from Clark and hurried up the stairs, trusting that Clark’s old bedroom would stand out like a sore thumb.

Clark stood as Lana left and watched her disappear up the stairs before turning his attention back to his parents. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk. Pouring himself a glass, Clark then asked, “So…what do you think?”

The Kents looked at each other, saying more with a look than Clark and Lana could with words. “She’s lovely, Clark,” Martha said. “We can tell she makes you happy.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen you smile at a woman like that since Alicia,” Jonathan added. “I was beginning to think you had made a mistake when you dumped her.”

Clark paused, thinking carefully about what to say next. “I dumped Alicia because of Lana. Only, I didn’t know it at the time.”

[Nemu]

:D

Well...

I wonder how they will react to the reasons behind why Lana knows after only 7 days... (it's only been that long? Wow...

And I can't wait to see the Jor-El/Lana showdown about the meteor shower...

A question... Was that homecoming visit the same as in the pilot? Meaning the Kents did meet Lana back then if so?

PPMS!!!

[treker]

:)

Yeah, Jonathan's likely to go thru the roof once he finds out that Lana knows everything after only 7 days.

I wonder if Clark will point out to Lana that venting her frustration and anger at Jor-el is rather pointless since it's not the real Jor-el, but just a computer AI program.

So, Lois is frustrated and running into brick walls without Clark...serves her right.

[Cardinal]

:D
A question... Was that homecoming visit the same as in the pilot? Meaning the Kents did meet Lana back then if so?

Martha did meet the Fairy Princess at Nell's shop. Though she hasn't quite made the connection yet with a girl she met for one minute, 23 years ago.

[Nemu]

cool... eventually as they learn to know Lana the past will come back I guess...

[NYC300Z]

I don't quite get the last stament. I'm hoping Clark will explain next update. I'm glad Jonathon's in this story very refreshing...I wonder if they'll let it slip before they leave or if Jonathon will blow up on Clark before he gets a chance to go to the fortress. Either way can't wait

PPMS!

[CaptainObvious]

Won't Jonathan get a clue about Lana knowing Clark's secret when she comes down stairs dressed as Nanook Of The North. I mean that can't be normal attire can it?

I like the quick little references of Clark wanting to be Mr. Gentleman like holding Lana's arm or hand to help her in the cab of the truck only to realize (again) he can't touch her. It only adds to the chemistry. When they finally hold hands, watch out!!!