Relapse (Post-Eppie: Whisper)

DJ Dubois

April 2013

Notes: Smallville and its characters belong to DC and the CW. Please send comments to dante0220 .

Chapter 1 [Kent Farm—Moments after "Whisper"]

The sun shone brightly down on the Kansas prairies on that spring day. A few birds chirped on their boughs. Clouds moved harmlessly across their blue backdrop. It all seemed like the perfect day.

For most maybe. For all except one Kryptonian survivor.

In his case, the world was imploding much as his previous one had. And that hurt.

The icy hot pain ripped through his heart.

Clark sulked on the old couch in the Loft. His eyes battled a bout of the blurries. However it wasn't from the recovery process from the jewelry store incident. He could see just fine in that regard.

Rather it was from the tears soaking them.

His ears had adjusted to their new super sensitivity. He had learned enough to focus his hearing to screen out unwanted sounds.

That didn't help as he heard Lana's weeping despite her being miles away at that point.

Clark shook his head at the mess which one might call his love life. He wanted to share everything with her. He had wanted to keep her safe.

Instead she'd ended up an emotional and physical mess. She had to deal with his exile in Metropolis. She tried to push back in when he held her at arm's length. She'd offered to help during his blindness.

Still he'd unwillingly held her away.

He could hear her words in his head. If you keep pushing people away, you'll constantly be alone. You really want that? You'll be missing something pretty amazing.

"Something amazing. Yeah I'll bet." He stood in the doorway and stared out toward his father's fields below. He saw the corn starting to poke through the ground. He could make out the other plants starting their like journeys.

Making the most of their chance…being allowed to do so….

Unlike him.

"Everything else gets the chance," he groused. He trudged down the wooden stairs; each bootfall ringing out to the animals below. He headed out the main barn door to find Jonathan working on the family tractor (yet again). "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Son." Jonathan studied the younger man's face but knew the cause behind the depression there. He'd watched Lana's departure but hadn't interceded. "Tough conversation?"

"Yeah." Clark ran his hands through his hair. "Lana's seeing someone else. Guess I deserve that."

Jonathan let out a deep breath. As with Clark, he knew how loaded the previous six months had been for them all. He set the wrench down. "No, Clark, you don't. Some day you'll be able to tell someone."

"When, Dad? When?" Clark demanded. He turned from the farmer and threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Why can't I have a normal life? WHY? Why do I have to deal with these gifts if there's no instruction manual?"

"I wish I knew," Jonathan conceded. "And, Son, I'm sorry about what happened. Maybe you both can still be friends?"

Clark nodded. "It's still going to be tough. I'll manage though." He sucked in a tortured breath. "I need to run this off. Be back." He took off at super speed down the driveway and the road beyond.

I'm sorry, Clark. Wish I could let you reveal your gifts to her. We can't take the chance! He watched the road dejectedly knowing his son could very well have cleared the county line by that point.

"What's going on, Jonathan?" Martha queried.

"Too much, Sweetheart. Too much." He embraced her and felt fear in his heart.

He just hoped things would be okay…..