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Clana - How "This Time" Will be Different (PG-13)
Title: Clana – How “This Time” Will be Different
Author: Ajfinn
Pairing: Clark & Lana
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Based solely on the end of season 4, preceding any season 5 spoilers.
Short summary: Clark cares for Lana after the meteor storm, and they both make confessions which bring their destinies closer than they could have imagined. Isobel’s past is visited through Lana’s reoccurring dreams, where she discovers the events which led to her interest in the stones, and the mysterious man who stole her heart. Primary characters include: Clark, Lana, Isobel, Kal, Marguerite, Chloe, Jimmy, Mr. Olsen, Lex, Jonathan and Martha.
Part 1:
“Are you all right?” Clark asked Lana, carrying her over the threshold of her Talon apartment. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Lana shivered in his arms. “Funny you say that, Clark. That’s exactly how I feel,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve been back here since . . . well, since before the meteor shower.” Lex had told her the mess was taken care of, but to her, the apartment felt no less haunted than three days ago when Isobel murdered Genevieve. Lana’s hands still stung from the power of the stone, as though it had seared Genevieve’s blood into her skin forever.
Clark had a feeling that what Lana referred to had more to do with the mysterious condition of the element she gave him, than it did the meteor shower. “Let’s get you settled, then I’ll make some dinner.” He set her down on the couch, being as careful as he could with her broken leg.
“You’ll make some dinner?” Lana asked, unable to hide her smirk. Clark’s ability to calm her always seemed to be a special power he possessed. One among the many she was starting to suspect he had. “Well, in that case I’d like to order cordon bleu, Mr. Kent.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of mac and cheese,” Clark said, propping up pillows behind her head, and one under her leg. “But I have to warn you that you may wish you were back eating hospital food with my parents.”
Lana became serious again, taking his hand. “I’m glad your folks are okay. We were all worried about your dad that first day, but as the doctors told you tonight, his heart’s doing much better.” Martha had been released from the hospital earlier that evening along with Lana, but insisted on staying with her husband.
With the house a wreck, along with the police investigation surrounding Jason Teague’s curious injuries—including a gun shot wound to his shoulder, there was no where to go anyway. But that wasn’t the reason Martha suggested Clark stay with Lana tonight, he could’ve stayed in the loft if he had to. Lana needed someone to care for her, and Chloe was staying with Lois in Metropolis for the next few days. Clark was the only option, and as out of character as it seemed for his mother to suggest such a thing, he’d be the last to complain about it. He needed a situation just like this one to tell Lana what he had to.
After his experiences in the Fortress of Solitude, it was time she knew his secret.
“I still can’t believe you made it out of that helicopter alive, Lana,” he said, stroking her cheek.
“And I can’t believe anyone made it through that day at all,” she said, giving him a curious look, then glancing away. She’d been so concerned about him over the past three days, that when he showed up at the hospital tonight, she was so relieved to see him that she didn’t care where he’d disappeared to this time. Or did she? The visions she’d had since her tattoo vanished, which seemed to be memories Isobel left behind, were so vivid and real, but made no sense whatsoever. But somehow, after the first vision she had of Clark fighting Isobel, Lana knew the stone she’d been hiding was meant for Clark. But why? And what did he do with it?
After the two of them ate a very sticky variation of macaroni and cheese, and had a surprisingly delicious dessert of peanut butter and bananas—called the Clark Kent special, Lana thanked Clark for dinner and asked a simple question. “Are you tired, or can we talk for a while?”
Having looked at Lana’s beautiful face for the past hour—seeing the smile he wondered if he’d ever see again, Clark was feeling anything but tired. “I’m fine,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?” It was safe to assume it wouldn’t be the weather.
Lana took in a deep breath, knowing what she was about to say might send him out the door. “Clark, the stone I gave you had Genevieve Teague’s blood on it,” she said. “I, or rather, Isobel killed her with it.”
Clark’s face turned white, and he swallowed down a lump the size of a boulder. “Lana, it’s not your fault. That was my biggest fear since I realized Isobel had the power to inhabit your body,” he said, putting his arms around her shaking frame, “that she’d do something awful you’d feel responsible for.”
For a time, Clark thought she’d never catch her breath from crying, and he couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through the past few days, having no one to talk to. He wished he could take her to the Fortress of Solitude that very moment, so she could feel the peace it offered.
“And there’s more, Clark,” Lana said, calming her sobs at last. “There’s so much more I have to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll think I’ve absolutely lost my mind.” She could not even imagine what Clark’s reaction would be when she told him about the spaceship she saw. Surely he would think she’d hit her head in the helicopter accident and had some sort of hallucination.
“Lana, you know I’d never think that of you. I’ll believe anything you tell me,” he said. “But it’s not right that you trust me with your deepest secrets, when I’ve been hiding my own for so many years.”
Lana tilted her head and smiled. “It’s okay, Clark,” she said. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me anything. Whatever secrets you have, and however frustrating they’ve been at times, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that they allow you to help people. And that’s a good enough explanation for me.” Lana could hardly believe the words had left her lips. She knew what she said was true, that it was how she felt, but Clark seemed to be offering a chance for her to at last know the truth. She wanted more than anything to take it, but didn’t want tonight to be about forcing him to admit things he wasn’t ready to.
“Wow, that wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected,” Clark said, sitting back on the floor beside the couch. “But if you’ve grown to trust me that much, then I’m right to assume you’re ready to know my secret. And I’ve waited long enough to tell you. It’s a choice I made before I even came here tonight.”
Lana nodded, having no words for the long awaited occasion.
“I’m not exactly sure where to start, because the beginning may be the part I’ll need to save for the end,” Clark said, shaking his head at how stupid that must have sounded. But to start by telling Lana he was from another planet seemed to be too much for anyone to process without being warmed up a bit. Especially when he’d also have to tell her that the meteor shower that killed her parents was sent to earth to mask his arrival. No, he’d start with something more believable.
“Lana,” he said. “I’ve been at the North Pole for the past three days.”
***Note to first time readers of this fanfic: this story has 80 parts and is completed. Scroll through the pages to read more
***
Author: Ajfinn
Pairing: Clark & Lana
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Based solely on the end of season 4, preceding any season 5 spoilers.
Short summary: Clark cares for Lana after the meteor storm, and they both make confessions which bring their destinies closer than they could have imagined. Isobel’s past is visited through Lana’s reoccurring dreams, where she discovers the events which led to her interest in the stones, and the mysterious man who stole her heart. Primary characters include: Clark, Lana, Isobel, Kal, Marguerite, Chloe, Jimmy, Mr. Olsen, Lex, Jonathan and Martha.
Part 1:
“Are you all right?” Clark asked Lana, carrying her over the threshold of her Talon apartment. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Lana shivered in his arms. “Funny you say that, Clark. That’s exactly how I feel,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve been back here since . . . well, since before the meteor shower.” Lex had told her the mess was taken care of, but to her, the apartment felt no less haunted than three days ago when Isobel murdered Genevieve. Lana’s hands still stung from the power of the stone, as though it had seared Genevieve’s blood into her skin forever.
Clark had a feeling that what Lana referred to had more to do with the mysterious condition of the element she gave him, than it did the meteor shower. “Let’s get you settled, then I’ll make some dinner.” He set her down on the couch, being as careful as he could with her broken leg.
“You’ll make some dinner?” Lana asked, unable to hide her smirk. Clark’s ability to calm her always seemed to be a special power he possessed. One among the many she was starting to suspect he had. “Well, in that case I’d like to order cordon bleu, Mr. Kent.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of mac and cheese,” Clark said, propping up pillows behind her head, and one under her leg. “But I have to warn you that you may wish you were back eating hospital food with my parents.”
Lana became serious again, taking his hand. “I’m glad your folks are okay. We were all worried about your dad that first day, but as the doctors told you tonight, his heart’s doing much better.” Martha had been released from the hospital earlier that evening along with Lana, but insisted on staying with her husband.
With the house a wreck, along with the police investigation surrounding Jason Teague’s curious injuries—including a gun shot wound to his shoulder, there was no where to go anyway. But that wasn’t the reason Martha suggested Clark stay with Lana tonight, he could’ve stayed in the loft if he had to. Lana needed someone to care for her, and Chloe was staying with Lois in Metropolis for the next few days. Clark was the only option, and as out of character as it seemed for his mother to suggest such a thing, he’d be the last to complain about it. He needed a situation just like this one to tell Lana what he had to.
After his experiences in the Fortress of Solitude, it was time she knew his secret.
“I still can’t believe you made it out of that helicopter alive, Lana,” he said, stroking her cheek.
“And I can’t believe anyone made it through that day at all,” she said, giving him a curious look, then glancing away. She’d been so concerned about him over the past three days, that when he showed up at the hospital tonight, she was so relieved to see him that she didn’t care where he’d disappeared to this time. Or did she? The visions she’d had since her tattoo vanished, which seemed to be memories Isobel left behind, were so vivid and real, but made no sense whatsoever. But somehow, after the first vision she had of Clark fighting Isobel, Lana knew the stone she’d been hiding was meant for Clark. But why? And what did he do with it?
After the two of them ate a very sticky variation of macaroni and cheese, and had a surprisingly delicious dessert of peanut butter and bananas—called the Clark Kent special, Lana thanked Clark for dinner and asked a simple question. “Are you tired, or can we talk for a while?”
Having looked at Lana’s beautiful face for the past hour—seeing the smile he wondered if he’d ever see again, Clark was feeling anything but tired. “I’m fine,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?” It was safe to assume it wouldn’t be the weather.
Lana took in a deep breath, knowing what she was about to say might send him out the door. “Clark, the stone I gave you had Genevieve Teague’s blood on it,” she said. “I, or rather, Isobel killed her with it.”
Clark’s face turned white, and he swallowed down a lump the size of a boulder. “Lana, it’s not your fault. That was my biggest fear since I realized Isobel had the power to inhabit your body,” he said, putting his arms around her shaking frame, “that she’d do something awful you’d feel responsible for.”
For a time, Clark thought she’d never catch her breath from crying, and he couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through the past few days, having no one to talk to. He wished he could take her to the Fortress of Solitude that very moment, so she could feel the peace it offered.
“And there’s more, Clark,” Lana said, calming her sobs at last. “There’s so much more I have to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll think I’ve absolutely lost my mind.” She could not even imagine what Clark’s reaction would be when she told him about the spaceship she saw. Surely he would think she’d hit her head in the helicopter accident and had some sort of hallucination.
“Lana, you know I’d never think that of you. I’ll believe anything you tell me,” he said. “But it’s not right that you trust me with your deepest secrets, when I’ve been hiding my own for so many years.”
Lana tilted her head and smiled. “It’s okay, Clark,” she said. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me anything. Whatever secrets you have, and however frustrating they’ve been at times, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that they allow you to help people. And that’s a good enough explanation for me.” Lana could hardly believe the words had left her lips. She knew what she said was true, that it was how she felt, but Clark seemed to be offering a chance for her to at last know the truth. She wanted more than anything to take it, but didn’t want tonight to be about forcing him to admit things he wasn’t ready to.
“Wow, that wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected,” Clark said, sitting back on the floor beside the couch. “But if you’ve grown to trust me that much, then I’m right to assume you’re ready to know my secret. And I’ve waited long enough to tell you. It’s a choice I made before I even came here tonight.”
Lana nodded, having no words for the long awaited occasion.
“I’m not exactly sure where to start, because the beginning may be the part I’ll need to save for the end,” Clark said, shaking his head at how stupid that must have sounded. But to start by telling Lana he was from another planet seemed to be too much for anyone to process without being warmed up a bit. Especially when he’d also have to tell her that the meteor shower that killed her parents was sent to earth to mask his arrival. No, he’d start with something more believable.
“Lana,” he said. “I’ve been at the North Pole for the past three days.”
***Note to first time readers of this fanfic: this story has 80 parts and is completed. Scroll through the pages to read more
***
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