Lana was walking through the cemetery, looking for Chloe's grave. She just couldn't believe it. Three months, she was away for three months and Chloe's life had been taken.
Lana sighed. Smallville was the town of weird, but taking the life of somebody like that wasn't weird. Was violent.
Lana had known Chloe was going to testify against Lionel Luthor.
Which probably explains her sudden death, she thought, seriously. No wonder Lex doesn't get along with his father.
She looked around. It had to be around there somewhere. Lana walked a few steps more when she saw a guy standing a few meters away from her.
A guy with a large metal blade coming out of his right hand.
Lana made a horrified face when she saw there was a woman sitting on the floor, looking up at the guy bravely. He brandished the blade toward the woman again, and she backed away.
Lana suddenly saw a pepper spray on the floor and a shovel, coming out of Chloe's grave. Not wanting to think about what it was doing there, she walked grabbed both, without making one noise.
The man pulled his arm back ready to split the woman in two, when Lana hit him in the head with the shovel. He turned around to look at her with a maniac face.
That was Lana's cue to shoot the pepper spray on the man's eyes.
He screamed, falling down the floor, while Lana walked toward the woman and helped her to stand up.
"Are you okay?" Lana asked, worried. They looked toward where the maniac was lying. But he wasn't there anymore.
"Where the hell did he go?" asked the woman. "Medieval psychopath."
"I guess you'd have to be in order to dig up a grave in the middle of the day." she said, still facing what was supposedly Chloe's tomb, a million of questions popping into her mind. Lana looked at Chloe's grave. The coffin was opened. And there was nothing inside there.
"Actually, that was me." Lana turned to look at the woman. Certainly, she was covered with dirt. Lana made a strange face. Why would a woman--- "It's my cousin's grave." said the woman, offering her hand. "Lois Lane."
"Lana Lang." she answered, shaking it.
Lois smiled. "Thanks for getting rid of the crazy-blade-freak. Can you give me that back, though?" she asked, poiting to the pepper spray still on Lana's hands. "Still can be useful, if it's not over."
Lana smiled a bit too, handing the spray to Lois. "Yes, I guess there's still some of it on the inside."
"Thanks." She put it back on her bag. "What was that guy, anyway?"
"I have no idea. But in Smallville, anything is possible." said Lana, shrugging. She had certainly seen her quota of meteor-freaks through the years.
"I'll say." grumbled Lois. "A few days here and I've already had an lightening accident, I had to take a guy to the hospital and I was chased by a chopper." Lana raised her eyebrows. Lois noticed. "Long story." she said.
"I can imagine." answered Lana. She looked at Chloe's tombstone then at Lois. "You want a ride?" asked Lana.
"Thanks, that would be nice. I have the feeling I need a good and warm shower." answered Lois, picking up her bag. She reached to the shovel, then hesitated. "I'll just leave this right there. It's not like I dig up a grave everyday, anyway."
Lana laughed a bit.
"How did you meet Chloe?" asked Lois, while they walked toward Lana's car.
"I used to study with her in Smallville High before I went to Paris." she answered.
"Paris, huh?" said Lois. "I can understand why you wanted to leave this town." she looked around. "It's just too small."
Lana was going to say something about a certain ex-boyfriend of hers, but she gave up and just mumbled "Yeah."
They had arrived to her car. Lana opened it and sat at the driver's seat, while Lois sat beside her.
"Now, how did you know Chloe wasn't in there?" asked Lana, turning the car on.
"I didn't." said Lois, seriously. Lana made a face.
"So you might had found..."
"Yes."
Lana pressed her lips together at the thought.
"But a... uh... friend... of mine had the feeling she wasn't buried on this grave." said Lois, shrugging. She made a face. "Well, he was sure, actually."
"This friend of yours knew Chloe?" asked Lana, a strange thought passing by her mind. Lois looked from Chloe's tomb to Lana.
"Of course. He was one of her best friends." she explained.
"His name doesn't happen to be Clark Kent, does it?"
Lois raised her eyebrows, shocked. "How on Earth did you know?"
Lana fought against a smile. "It is a small town, after all." Lois agreed. "How did you meet Clark?"
Lois laughed. "Oh, long and embarrassing story, you wouldn't want to know." Lana raised one eyebrow, without taking her eyes off the road in front of her. Before she could answer, though, Lois continued. "Let's just say I met him and I didn't know he was the one I had been looking for all along." Lana looked briefly and strangely at Lois. "Because Chloe had left him a message, and I needed to talk to him to see if he knew something about her death." she added, noticing Lana's strange look. "Which he DID knew, he knew she wasn't buried on that grave. He thinks she's still alive. I don't know... nobody could want that more than I do, but I just think... I mean, some people SAW Chloe walking in on that house, and then they SAW the house exploding..." Lois stopped for a second, looking fixedly to a point in front of her. Lana thought she saw emotion on Lois's eyes, but she quickly managed to shake it away. "I just don't know how Farmboy knew she wasn't on that grave. He can be so weird sometimes. No, seriously, I thought I had him pegged, but sometimes he's just the most overconfident guy I've ever met. And for Heaven's sake, I don't know how Chloe could spend so much time with him. Were you his friend?"
"Sort of." answered Lana, in the lack of another thing to describe their weird relationship.
"God, HOW could you two stand him? I mean, he's nice and everything, but he's just too... correct, I dunno, he just looooves to tease me, and of course, I do my good part of it, I just can't help it, it's so funny when he is mad!" She laughed a bit. Lana tried not to smile. She definately talked a lot. About Clark.
"So, we're going and going and you still haven't said where you are off to." said Lana.
"So I supposed you know the world famous Kent farm?" asked Lois.
"Yes, I do." answered Lana. It wasn't exactly her plans to see Clark today, but...
"That's where I'm off to. I was back there on the cemetery yesterday and Farmboy just pumped in, and we talked, and then he asked me to live with him---"
This time Lana jumped and deliberately faced Lois, her eyebrows clenched. "You barely knew Clark and he already asked you to LIVE with him??"
Was it possible---
"Yeah, we---" then Lois stopped when she realized what Lana was implying. "Ohhh, no no no, God, no!" she said, with a disgusted expression that made Lana laugh, even though she didn't know why. "Just while I'm in town investigating Chloe's death."
"Oh." started Lana. She was curious to know more about that relationship. "I thought you two---"
"GOD no, that's all gross and wrong, I'd never date Farmboy."
Lana raised her eyebrows once again at the nickname, when she heard it a second time.
"Why not?" she asked. She knew it wasn't difficult for a girl to fall in love with Clark.
"Let's just say he's not my type." Lois answered, snorting. "In most of times he's just---"
"Adorable?" tried Lana, willing to see how Lois'd react at this. She made a face.
"I was going to say annoying!" Lana laughed again, focusing on the road in front of her. "'Adorable'? God, are you blind???"
Lana smiled knowingly.
"No, Lois, I am not."
Lois shook her head and changed the subject with the face of someone who was going to throw up.
"So, what were you doing in Paris?"
"Studying."
"STUDYING? In Paris?" asked Lois, shocked. "Oh, come on, it's Paris! I'm sure you must have done something else." she added, with a smirk.
"Well, actually, I met someone..." said Lana, smiling as she thought of Jason. Her smile faded away when she remembered she had left him there.
"Hah, I knew it! You can't go to Paris without that." said Lois. Lana smiled. "Was he hot?"
Lana almost hit a poor walker who was trying to cross the street.
"What?? Lois! No! I didn't notice that kind of stuff, he was just nice and sweet and---" Lois was looking at her sceptically. Lana gave in and laughed. "Oh, allright."
"I knew it." said Lois, smirking.
They stood a minute in silence, each one immersed on their own thoughts.
Lana really liked Jason. It had been really difficult for her to leave him, but she hadn't a choice. She felt a shiver when she remember the mysterious tattoo that had appeared on her lower back. Lana could almost feel it. She had to find out what was that all about. And she could swear the answer was in Smallville. Somehow, all seemed to lead her back to that town.
"Are you okay?" asked Lois, frowning.
"Oh, yes, I was just.. I'm fine." answered Lana, quickly. Lois shrugged and looked to the road in front of the car.
"So, uh, you used to study with Chloe and Smallville?"
"'Smallville'?" she asked, confused.
"Yeah. Clark." Lana raised her eyebrows. She seemed to be able to pick nicknames for people easily.
"Well, since... forever, I guess. Chloe and I were roomates for a while, and I before that, I used to be Clark's neighbor."
"You must have a patience from Hell." said Lois. "I wouldn't be able to do it."
Lana laughed. "But you live with him!"
"Yeah, I still don't know how I can do that." said Lois.
Lana fought against the will to say 'I know' while Lois started to give a speech about how Clark Kent was insufferable.
She tried to contain a laugh when she noticed how Lois and Clark's personalities might collide. Lois Lane seemed to be a very stormy, independent and strong woman. And Clark was... well, he was, as Lois had said, correct.
Lana tried to picture Lois with Clark.
For her own surprise, it wasn't difficult at all. People had always said opposites attracted each other.
She tried to imagine how Lois would react at Clark's secrets and mysterys. She made a face. Obviously, Lois was the kind of woman who seemed to put men on their right places. Using a whip, Lana thought, with a smile.
"Hey, look, we're arriving." said Lois.
Lana shook the thoughts away and parked the car on the Kent farm. She saw Clark working on the tractor. He stood up, with a smile on his face. Lana got out of the car, feeling kind of uncomfortable, since Clark was one of the reasons she had left for Paris in the first place. She felt a sudden urge to leave.
"Lana, you're back!" said Clark, still smiling.
"Hi, hi, Clark..." she said, awkwardly, as she remembered of Jason. Behind her, she heard the passenger's door close.
Clark looked surprised as Lois got out of the car.
"Lois." he said, confused. "How did you two---"
"We just met." explained Lana. "I stopped by the cemetery to pay my respects to Chloe."
Lois looked at her strangely, smiling. "I think you're forgetting about the part where you saved my life!" She turned to Clark. "Some Ginsu boy came after us at Chloe's grave."
Clark's eyebrows raised.
"Look, Clark, if you really think that Chloe's alive, I want to help find her." said Lana, determined. Clark made a simpathetic face.
"Uh, Lana... look, I don't want to get your hopes up, we don't know anything for sure." he said, in that mysterious way only he could. Lana made a face. She definately hadn't missed that.
"Okay." she said, finally.
The three of them stood in silence.
"You're back from Paris." started Clark. "You must have found what you were looking for."
Lana had feared that might happen. She opened her mouth to answer, but Lois cut her off.
"I'll say!" she started, grinning. "Who wouldn't want a hot summer fling in the most romantic city on Earth?"
Lana smiled awkwardly at her and looked quickly at Clark, who was looking from Lana to Lois, confused.
"I was going to tell you." said Lana, low.
"It's okay..." said Clark. He seemed kind of hurt, she noticed. Oh, she hated those awkward silences.
"Really?" said Lois. Lana looked at her. She was looking from Clark to Lana, with a strange expression on her face. "You two?"
How would they explain?
"We never..." started Clark.
"Not really..." said Lana.
"... had a thing..."
"It's complicated." completed Lana.
"A complicated thing." said Lois, cutting in before someone said anything else. "Never mind."
Lois looked from one to another once again, with that same strange expression. Lana looked from her to Clark, trying to ignore the thoughts that came to her mind.
They stood in silence for a moment.
"Well, um, I'm gonna go!" she said, smiling uncomfortable.
And walked back to her car.
If Lois hadn't cut in... Well, Lana wasn't exactly planning to say anything to Clark. Yet.
Well, she couldn't have stopped that. Clark could have known in a worse way. At least he knew.
She had moved on. For now.
She was kind of hoping he would to the same.
Lana turned once more to the Kent house.
Clark was facing nothing, with a thoughtful expression on his face.
And Lois was walking to the house. But she turned around. To look strangely at Lana.
Both women faced each other for a second.
Yes., thought Lana. He could do the same.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was night.
Lana's car was parked outside the Kawatche caves. And she was inside.
With a flashlight, Lana examined the walls, looking for the painting that was exactly like her mysterious tattoo.
But somehow, all of that paintings seemed to remind her of something, although, she didn't know what. She was so confused.
She just didn't understand how---
"Lana?" She turned around quickly when she heard Clark's voice. "What are you doing here?"
What was HE doing there?
She looked around, confused. How exactly was she going to explain herself?
"Probably the same thing you are." she said, in the lack of something better. She noticed he was waiting another answer. "It's peaceful."
It wasn't a complete lie.
"You're two for two." he said. "You keep showing up when I least expect to see you."
"I'm not trying to surprise you, Clark." she assured him. That had nothing to do with Clark.
"I know." he answered. "It's just when you left, I wasn't sure when I'd see you again."
Neither was she.
Lana looked fixedly at a point.
"It's funny, isn't it?" she said, thoughtfully. Clark just looked at her. She was okay with that, wasn't she? Wasn't she? The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. "After everything we've been through..." she looked up at him. "I thought it would take us longer to get over it."
"Us?" Clark asked, confused. Lana frowned. He hadn't understood.
"Yeah." she said. "You and Lois."
Lana waited for Clark's response carefully. Almost curiously.
He widened his eyes. "Lois?" Lana simply watched him gulp. "She's bossy." he merely said, smiling with the corner of his mouth. Lana couldn't help but smile, seeing through Clark's negative words. Clark stopped smiling, noticing she hadn't been convincent. He kept talking, this time, fiercely, exasperately. "She's stuck up, she's rude... I can't stand her!"
Lana laughed a bit weakly.
"The best ones always start that way." she said, knowingly. Clark faced her apologetically.
Lana faced him for a moment then looked to the painting behind him.
The tattoo.
She walked towards it, hypnotized.
"Do you believe in destiny?" she asked.
"I don't want to." said Clark, behind her.
"But you can't escape it, can you?" she continued. "Even if you don't know what it is yet?"
"Lana, what is it you're not telling me?" asked Clark. Lana almost laughed at the ironic situation. The places were inverted now. "Does it have something to do with this guy you met?"
"No, no, it doesn't." she said, turning to him. "But... I'm sorry you found out the way you did." She made a pause. "I should go."
Lana turned around and left the caves.
It hadn't anything to do with Jason. Or Clark.
At least, that's what she thought.
She unconsciously passed one hand by her tattoo and entered at her car.
While she drove away, however, her thoughts went to Clark and Lois. She felt herself smile.
They both were in denial. Typical.
She didn't know if something had happened, she didn't even know if something WAS going to happen.
But she was sure that wouldn't be the last time she would heard about those two.