CHANGEOVER: FROM CLANA TO CLOIS
Chapter 1
It all began three months after the untimely death of Kansas State Senator, Jonathan Kent. Clark Kent had dropped out of school, not only to help out around the farm, but to take some time out to re-think his life. Specifically, the life he knew he wanted with Lana, but couldn't seem to bring himself to make happen.
Clark also realized that he wanted to know more about his native planet, Krypton. He wanted to know what kind of people he came from, what life had been like on the planet...how to control his powers, what the extent of them were...everything.
That meant leaving his life in Smallville, albeit temporarily.
Martha Kent understood, or at least, she thought she did. She knew Clark was still dealing with the consequences of his decision to spare Lana Lang's life, never dreaming for a moment, that Jonathan's would be hastened instead. She just didn't want her son to hurt anymore.
But what Clark Kent did not realize, is that the three months that he was gone, worked to many a person's advantage. Clark, who decided to spend the three months, in the Fortress of Solitude, was unreachable. That was the way he needed it to be, though there was a part of him that worried about his mother, Lana, Chloe, Shelby their dog...and yes, even Lois.
But he needed peace.
When Clark stopped needing it, he discovered that many things had changed in his absence. Why he was surprised by this, he would never know. The first shock came when he sat in the Kansas Airport...
So it was now a bearded Clark, that walked through the airport, though he had not come back by plane, obviously. He really didn't know why he was going through this farce of walking through an airport. Maybe he just wanted to see people again. Maybe he just wanted to be seen by people again.
It must have been fate, for as he was walking towards one of the exit doors, pondering on which general direction he would take to get home, using his superspeed, he bumped into someone.
"Oh, excuse me..."
It was Arthur Curry. Clark broke into a big grin and the two shook hands. Arthur grinned too, but his smile did not reach his eyes.
"Hey, bro! When did you get in? Your mother didn't say anything about your coming back anytime soon?"
Clark gave him a look of confusion.
"My mom? When did you see her?"
"I've been seeing her...through Lois. I've been helping out with the chores on your farm."
Clark flinched. Arthur put a hand on his shoulder.
"You did what you had to do. Your mom didn't go into a lot of details, but...I know you needed to regroup after your dad died. I was sorry to hear about it."
Clark nodded.
"Thanks. And thank you for helping my mom. I was just headed home. I don't suppose she's had a lot of time...with her job and all."
Arthur nods.
"Yeah, she hasn't been around a lot. But she's looking out for the people of Kansas. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll move here just so I can vote for her."
Clark tilted his head.
"One day? But not now?"
Arthur looked away. Clark frowned.
"Why are you here at the airport? You going somewhere?"
"Yeah, bro, I'm leaving. I need a break."
"Hey...I'm sorry about all the work you've been doing..."
"No, it's not the work. It's Lois. We broke up. Probably for good."
Clark could see that Arthur was hurting. He gestured to a few set of chairs, and they sat down. Arthur set his own bag down.
"Lois just dropped me off here...I'm hoping like hell that when she gets through this, she'll contact me."
Alarms went off in Clark's head. Alarms that told him that his being incognito for three months, had been a mistake. He was almost afraid to ask what Arthur meant by that. But Clark had to know.
"Arthur, I don't know if you realize this, but part of the point of my 'retreat', was to shut out the outside world. I don't know anything, about anything, that's happened in the last three months."
Arthur stared at him.
"You know, I kind of wondered. I mean at first, I suspected maybe your mother and you had a falling out. I just didn't think you'd leave her with that farm, and not stay in touch...okay, well where do I begin?"
"Why don't you start with why it's over between Lois and you? When did you come back to Smallville anyway?"
"I returned after it happened. I knew Lois would need me."
Clark tensed up.
"Why? Just say it!"
"Lucy, her sister?"
"Yeah, what about her?"
"Bro...she was killed. And I mean killed in a bad way...in front of everyone at the Talon."
Clark's heart began to thump wildly!
"Killed in the Talon? What are you talking about? What happened?"
"Well, the way I understand it, Lucy was always in some kind of trouble, and something happened here before, because from what Lois told me, she wasn't expecting to see her sister anytime soon."
Clark nodded, thinking back to the circumstances that had caused Lucy Lane to flee in the first place. Yet, she had come back, knowing that among the many people she had to answer to, Lex Luthor would be one of them. Not to mention her father. Why?
Clark looked at Arthur.
"So, Lucy came to the Talon to see Lois? Lois was working?"
"Yeah. Lois said that Lucy told her she couldn't stay long, handed her a package and then...the machine gun fire came out of nowhere."
Clark stood up out of his seat. Arthur did as well.
"Machine gun fire! Was anyone else hurt?"
"No...that was the miracle of it. Lois didn't have a scratch on her, even though she was standing right next to her..."
Clark halted Arthur with his hand. He was already too shocked to listen to much more.
"First of all, why would Lucy meet Lois at work? At a public place? She was a fugitive."
"Clark, believe me, this whole thing has left more questions than answers. Two men in ski masks rushed in shortly after Lucy arrived, shot up the place, making sure that they killed Lucy. The package that Lucy gave to Lois, disappeared, which is just one of the many things that have been bugging Lois."
"So, Lucy was killed right in front of Lois." Clark murmured, knowing what she was feeling, but unable to fathom it. If his mother or Lana had been killed like that...
"Clark, Lois can't let this go. She won't."
"Can you blame her?"
Arthur blinked.
"Why don't you hear me out before you take her side?"
Clark backed off. He knew he had yet to hear the whole story, and he could see that Arthur was still heartbroken.
"I'm not taking anyone's side. Go on."
Arthur sat back down. Clark did as well.
"I wanted to help her, you know? I wanted to help in anyway I could. Clark...I told Lois about my abilities."
Clark's mouth dropped open briefly, before he slowly closed it.
"You told Lois about what you can do in the water...and..."
"I told her everything...or most of it."
Clark took a deep breath. He was more than a bit curious as to what Lois's response to this had been. It would give him some idea of how Lana was going to take the news about himself, when he told her. And he did intend to do so. That was one of the many conclusions he came to, during his three months hiatus from real life.
"How did she take it?" Clark asked, trying to read Arthur's expression.
"Clark, she didn't care. And to tell the truth, I don't know if her reaction would have been different, or hesitant, if Lucy had not been killed. She even made sure there was always plenty of water on hand." Arthur smiled.
But Clark shook his head.
"Then why is it over between Lois and you? She needs you right now."
"And I wanted to be here for her! I did. But...Lois got a lead on one of the men that killed Lucy. I went with her to some town in California...it was a small place that had been completely destroyed by some earthquake. Anyway, Lois asked me to kill the guy when we caught up with him. And when I suggested just taking him to the authorities...well...she got mad. It changed the course of our relationship."
"So...you're saying she wanted you to use your abilities for revenge?"
Arthur nodded.
"I mean, come on! I know I can be kind of heavy handed. Especially when it comes to the environment. But I could do it. We turned him in, but something shifty happened. Someone paid the guy's bail and he hasn't been seen since. Lois didn't say anything, but I got the distinct impression that she wishes I had killed him. I would do anything for her, Clark...I love her."
Clark nodded, wondering if Lana would ever ask him to go that far? He couldn't imagine it.
"I know you do, Arthur. I'm sorry. But it sounds like Lois and you need a cooling off period, that's all. She needs to heal."
"Well, let me just catch you up to speed on a few other things: your mother has really been there for Lois. Lois and I were actually staying at the farm, though your mother wouldn't let us sleep in the same room."
Clark could not help but smile at that. He nodded for Arthur to go on.
"General Lane has been spending a lot of time out there as well. Your mother and him are real tight."
Clark raised a brow.
"My mother and Lois's father?"
"I'm not saying anything is going on or anything. But he has been there a lot. I think your mom is trying heal the rift between the General and Lois."
"Rift? They should be closer than ever with Lucy gone."
Arthur shook his head.
"There is so much more to this whole thing, man. I mean, when we got to that town in California, we found that the military had set up some kind of road blocks and barriers. It made Lois think that her father knew more about Lucy's death than he let on. I've seen your mother and the General whispering...I hate to say this, but not only do I think Lois is right about her father, I think the General has told your mother something about Lucy's death. Something Lois knows nothing about."
"My mother wouldn't keep a secret like that for anyone. Not if she knew a crime had been committed."
"I'm getting a sense that this is a secret that Lois's father thinks is just best not being known. Anyway, Lois won't speak to him. Your mother is planning a dinner tonight, for the third time, to try and get them together. But usually, Lois goes somewhere else. It's really sad."
"Okay...what about Chloe? Maybe she could help Lois get to the bottom of this?"
"Lois thinks Chloe has a new man in her life or something. Chloe is never around, and actually hasn't been for the last week. It's unlike her not to be there for Lois. Three more pieces of info: be glad the General has been hanging around, because Lionel Luthor has been looking at your mother like a hungry wolf."
Clark stiffened up.
"Lionel Luthor? Hell no!"
"Believe me, I know what you're saying, Clark. And I think Lionel is pissed that Lois's father is spending so much time at the farm. I told the General he should watch his back, but he just kind of laughed it off. Lionel Luthor is no one to mess around with."
Clark nodded. Didn't he know it. Didn't the whole town of Smallville know it.
"Secondly, and this relates to Lionel again: he arranged for some shifty farm hand to help your mother with the chores."
"Shifty? In what way?"
"The guy doesn't look as if he's ever done a lick of real work in his life! He gets the work done, but he just looks...not the farmhand type. And I think he's trying to put the moves on Lois."
Clark grinned! He couldn't help it, even though there was nothing funny about this situation.
"So is he shifty because he doesn't look like a farmhand? Or is it because of Lois?"
Arthur took a deep breath.
"Just watch him. I don't know, there's just something about him." Arthur said. He then nodded towards a gift shop.
"I have to get a couple of bottles of water, then I'm off. Lois was the one that dropped me off here, even though we both knew I wasn't going to be taking a plane."
Clark smiled softly.
"Yeah, I don't know why I came back this way either. What was the last thing you wanted to tell me?"
"It's about Lex. Lex and Lana. They're practically glued at the hip. If you want her back, and I know you do, I doubt Luthor is going to step aside for you to have her." Arthur warned Clark.
Lex swept aside some of Lana's hair as she slept.
In his bed.
Where he had dreamed of her being, for quite awhile now. Lex kissed Lana's back, just as his cellphone rang. He had turned the ringer down, so that if he was forced to take a call, it would not sound like such a rude interruption.
Lana was still asleep. Lex got out of bed, naked, and answered it.
"Yes?" he asked tersely.
"Our problem has escaped. I would warn Ms. Lang."
Lex closed his eyes. Damn! He did not need this right now!
"Fine, I'll take care of it. Anything else?"
"Yes. Clark Kent was spotted at the airport with Arthur Curry. You said you wanted to know the minute he came back to Smallville."
Lex glanced back at Lana, then walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
"What flight did he come in from?"
"I can't tell. My guess would be that he's headed home to see his mother."
"Make it more than just a guess and get back to me." Lex said tersely, before hanging up. Clark Kent had returned to Smallville. Chances were he'd want Lana's forgiveness as well, for just up and leaving. Lex had no intention of stepping aside and letting 'true love' take it's course. Lana was his now.