Author's note: I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with this story, or if I would find the time, but because of the motivation my two lovely reviewers gave me, and all the other people that read my story, I stayed up an hour past my bedtime to finish this chapter. ;) A huge thanks to GreenVelvetCurtains and JenB for your support and questions. Jen, in answer to your question, the last chapter was set during high school, 11th grade to be precise. It was late when I wrote it and I thought I added something in the chapter about that detail but might have forgotten to.

I will try to update as often as I can, but that probably won't be a regular occurrence, and just a warning, those updates may be a bit rough around the edges, but I will try to edit them as best as I can. Thank you all so much, and please, feel free to leave any reviews! All questions or criticism are accepted! I love to hear from you guys.

CHAPTER 2

Clark and Claire's friendship quickly blossomed as they became increasingly comfortable around each other. Before they knew it, they were in a happy relationship. The bullies who had mercilessly taunted him for years instantly dropped Clark once he began seeing Claire, realizing that he was no longer an outcast. Clark kept his powers a secret from Claire, fearing that he would scare her off. He loved her too much to take such a risk.

They were both heartbroken when the end of their senior year came, because Claire decided to go to college in New York, but Clark stayed behind in Kansas to pursue employment. They agreed with heavy hearts that the best thing for the both of them would be to end their relationship. Claire often remembered the last words they exchanged.

"I… I'm going to miss you so much." Claire said softly, trying in vain to keep the tears from falling from her eyes. They stood in Claire's backyard. It was nighttime, but the moon was full and bright enough to see each other clearly. It was summer, a month before Claire was to leave for college in The Big City.

Clark quickly wrapped his warm arms around her, crushing her face to his hard chest. "I'll miss you too, Claire-bear. So much." Clark murmured into her hair, using the pet name which she claimed to hate but secretly loved. She started to cry, with great heaving sobs that she tried to keep quiet. He gently rubbed her back. Claire struggled to regain control of herself. Once she let those few tears escape, it was as if a dam had burst. He loosened his grip on her and pulled slightly away so he could look at her eyes. Claire finally stifled her sobs, noticing the hardness of his eyes. He addressed her seriously. "But don't cry over me. I'll always be here if you need anything, anything at all."

Claire didn't realize it at the time, but there had been a double meaning to his words. Of course, he would be there as a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent anger to, but he also meant he would be there for her if the matter ever arose when she would need his special abilities to save her life. He looked deeply into her eyes, trying as hard as he could to convey with his eyes this double meaning, praying that she would understand. Praying that she would know that he had powers above what normal people could do.

Claire's eyes narrowed as she recognized that he was trying to tell her something. "What?" she asked, mildly apprehensively. The look in his eyes faded, but he quickly replaced his disappointment with a tender smile. He fished around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a balled fist with bits of leather string poking out from between his fingers. Hooked to the leather was a pendant of some sorts with an S imprinted on one end. He gently grabbed Claire's hand and opened it and placed the pendant inside.

"When my parents found me, I was holding this. Well, not actually this. I took the real thing to a metal shop and this is a copy of it. I still don't know who my parents are, and this is the only clue I have about them. I've tried so hard to find them." He paused to collect himself, as his voice had started to shake. "I want you to keep this, so whenever you're lost, or whenever you need to find me again, you'll have this to remember me by. And know that I'll always be wearing mine." He tugged on the leather cord he had around his neck and gave another half smile.

Claire took a moment to memorize that smile, and to remember all of his other smiles, like the smile he gave when he was sad, or when he was trying not to laugh, or when he was proud. She memorized the way his dimples came out when he gave those smiles, how his cerulean blue eyes crinkled around the edges in such a friendly way. She memorized the innocent blink of his eyelashes and the pale freckles that dotted his skin from years spent working on his father's farm in the sun. She stored these precious memories in a very special spot in her heart, then sealed it off tight. She cauterized it like a bad wound so she could heal from missing him.

After she had done all of this, after she sealed off her heart, she looked up at Clark for the last time with brave eyes. She gingerly plucked the pendant from his hand and placed it around her neck, like how he was wearing it. She took both his hands in hers. "Thank you Clark, so much. I won't forget."

Clark squeezed her hands gently, then ran his fingertips, gentle as a butterfly's wings, across her cheek. He smiled at her wistfully as he spoke. "I hope you have a wonderful life, Claire. Maybe if we're both really lucky, we'll see each other again. I wish you nothing but the best."

Then, he turned around and walked away, leaving Claire alone in the moonlit field behind her parent's house with her thoughts and her future.

From them on, Claire did not take dating very seriously, and reflecting back on her life as an adult, she realized that she had found "the one" in high school, in Clark. She considered herself lucky to have been in his presence for two wonderful years, and although she would have liked a man in her life currently, it would simply not do unless he was someone as incredible as Clark was.

She was actually rather happy living the single life, living in a nicely furnished apartment in downtown Metropolis. They city had been somewhat of a dump before, but Superman had really done a lot to help make it a better place. She no longer felt quite as scared as she had when she first moved there walking the streets alone. But, like any city, there were still criminals that remained, and average people who would surely turn into criminals. It would be impossible to eradicate the city of all the "bad guys".

She landed a job in the city as a copy editor for the Daily Planet, which was quite possibly one of the biggest businesses in newspapers worldwide (that's why they called it 'the planet'). She was very good at being a copy editor, as she was talented at pointing out mistakes and areas for improvement. She also helped with the layout of the paper on occasion and often collaborated with the photo journalist to come up with dynamic looking covers and page layouts.

But as happy as her life was, at the back of her mind, she knew she was missing something important. Although she never brought the idea into conscious thought or serious consideration, she felt a vague sense that her life was not yet complete.

Claire did not see hide nor hair of Clark for sixteen long years. As time passed, she forgot minor details of their relationship. But every night, just before she fell asleep, his face, forever imprinted in her mind's eye, would come back to haunt her like a friendly ghost. However, the reign of their silence was about to change, as events in the making would make their meeting inevitable.