Warning. Clana fans, or fans of Lana in any respect, beware. And no I still don't own anything. Why, what have you heard?

Spike finally came into the kitchen when Mrs. Kent promised him she'd cook him anything he'd like that night. The prospect of home cooked food with his newly reborn taste buds was enough to make him forget whatever he was upset about. He came in to see a hot lunch laid out on the table, and all resistance gave in.

He had just finished off his third helping of meatloaf with whipped sweet potatoes when he noticed everyone, even Clark, staring at him. "What? You spend 150 years with everything tasting close to ash and see if you don't make a pig of yourself right away."

Martha just smiled and sat the cherry pie she had baked that morning on the table. "I think its fine. It's nice having someone else to cook for, even though between you and Clark I might need a bigger kitchen."

They sat around telling the Kents what had happened several days earlier during their epic battle, all the way down to Clark saving the bus form the crater, and then Spike saving Clark from the bringer who stabbed him in the back. At that, Martha was standing behind Clark, demanding he let her see the wound to see if it was healing. He finally relented, blushing deeply.

Clark had just finished buttoning his shirt when the door opened. "Knock knock," a sweet sounding voice filled the air, and Lana Lang appeared in the kitchen.

"Lana, hello. Come on in here, pull up a seat." Jonathan stood up to welcome her, offering his seat.

"Thank you, Mr. Kent. But I was just coming by to see if Clark was around." She smiled sweetly at him. "Do you think we could talk for a minute?" She held the screen door open, implying she wanted to speak in private.

"Uh, sure. We can talk." He stood slowly, then stopped as he saw Chloe. She had her hands clenched, tapping her fingers together. He could feel her tension, and he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She looked up surprised, and then smiled back at him as he walked around the table.

Lana saw what was happening, but she brushed it off as a friendly gesture. Clark held the door for her as she walked out, then he followed, shutting the door behind them.

Buffy sat back, observing everything that had just happened. "Chloe, what was that all about?"

Chloe smiled and leaned back in her chair, the cheek Clark had kissed moments ago cupped in her palm. "That was nothing. Not anymore."

-----------------------------------------------

Clark and Lana walked quietly out toward the barn, neither breaking the peaceful silence stretched between them. Finally, Clark had enough of the quiet. "Lana, what are you doing here? What is going on?"

The shorter girl smiled up sweetly at Clark, a gesture that long ago he would have longed for, but now only filled him with unease. It was easy to see how fake the smile was, how forced. "I just came by to see if you had thought anymore about what we discussed. Are you ready to get back together now and forget about all this breaking up silliness? I'm ready to take you back." She reached out for his hand, shrinking back slightly at the sight of the bandage still covering his hand, spots of blood visible through the white fabric, and placed her hand on his forearm.

Clark stepped back, pulling away from her instantly as she touched him. "If we're ready to get back together? Lana, I've been gone for a week. I'm cut up, bruised, and bleeding slightly still, and the only thing you care about is if I'll come crawling back to you?"

Lana finally dropped the smile at the harsh tone in Clark's words. "Excuse me? I came here to check on you and see if you had gotten over this idiotic phase you've been going through. Do you know what you've put me through Clark? When they declared you dead, and then you woke up and left without even trying to find me. And now you've been off doing god knows what and didn't even tell me you were going somewhere? And do I need to bring up the secrets you're always keeping from…"

"THAT'S IT!" Clark's hands sliced the air to emphasize his exclamation. "I'm sick and tired of it always being about you Lana. Like you said, I was declared legally dead, and then I came back. Do you know how that messes with your head? What you think about after something like that? I'm sorry if I wanted to see my folks and check on them right away, I'm sorry if you can't understand that!"

He started pacing. "And this week? I was a part of something big, something incredible, and I knew you wouldn't understand because it didn't involve you. All you think about these days is the meteor showers and what happened during them…"

"My parents died during the meteor shower Clark, I have every right to care about finding out the truth!"

"And I had every right to put my parents before you when I came back! And I had every right to put what happened this week at the forefront without having to clear it with you. So my question is why is it ok for you to put things ahead of me, but not vice versa?" His arms crossed, he stood still and waited for her answer.

Lana was at a loss for words. Clark had never acted like this, he had always been so… dependable. That's who he was, good old dependable Clark, always there when you needed something done. "At least I haven't kept anything from you Clark." She spoke lowly, venom in her words.

"Yeah, because camping out most nights at the Luthor mansion and spending every waking moment with a guy that carries blinding lust for you is something you have been so forthcoming about."

Lana stepped back, her hand coming up to her mouth. "There is nothing going on between Lex and I. How dare you accuse me of that."

Clark had to chuckle. "You're going to stand here and tell me that you don't see the feelings he has for you? You don't use that to get him to do whatever you want or need, just like you did with me?"

Even if he had been at full power, Clark was sure he would have been able to feel Lana's hand as she slapped him across the face.

--------------------------------------------------

"Oh that's it!" Chloe was already heading for the kitchen door after seeing Lana slap her boyfriend through the kitchen window. A pair of hands gripped her elbows, pulling her back.

"Whoa there Chloe, you don't need to be getting involved in this one." Spike relaxed his grip, but did not let the feisty blonde go.

"Did you not see what she just did to him? He's beat up already, and she slaps him?"

Buffy stepped in this time. "Chloe, first off, I'm guessing that there's a lot of history and tension between you three, hmm?" Chloe simply nodded. "And seriously, right now is not a time for you to finally let all of that frustration out. You're stronger now, the simplest blow could knock the girl stupid… or stupider if my first impression of her is correct."

Chloe finally settled down and returned to the window, smirking as she saw Lana cradling her hand. "You're right. Let her beat herself up over it."

-------------------------------------------------

Lana was holding her hand tightly, wincing in pain. "God Clark, how hard is your head!"

Clark rubbed his cheek, feeling the warm skin and a slight trickle of blood where she had reopened one of the cuts. "Pretty hard apparently. I'm sorry, did you hurt yourself while you were trying to slap me cross-eyed?" His face held no sympathy for her.

Lana glared back. "You broke my hand you jerk!"

"First off, you broke your own hand on my cheek. And secondly…" He did a quick scan with his x-ray vision, "It's not broken. Just hurt."

"How can you possibly know that it's not? Where were you last week, medical school?" She shot back.

"No Lana. But you can move your fingers, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the bones aren't broken."

Her eyes went wide. "Are you calling me an idiot?"

"No, but you're the girl who just decided it would be a good idea to slap a guy a foot taller and who was raised on a farm all his life." He barely contained the smirk.

Lana stood as tall as she could, poking Clark in the chest. "Yea well, that's all you'll ever be Clark. A farm boy. You'll never be anything better, just like your whole family. You're all just a bunch of dirt farmers. You can't even see what you have in front of you. I could have helped you Clark, could have shown you your potential. But you blew it! Good luck finding someone else to put up with you!"

A voice broke in from the direction of the house. "He already did."

Clark and Lana both turned to see Chloe standing on the top step. Clark smiled brightly as Lana sputtered. "Chloe? You're throwing away what we had together to be with Chloe?"

Chloe closed the distance between them and sank against Clark's side, her arm wrapping around his back. "He's not throwing anything away. He just upgraded to someone who respects him and tries to understand him Lana, not just lord over him and use his insecurities to her advantage."

Lana watched Clark's arm go around Chloe's shoulder, her eyes wide and mouth open. "How long has this gone on? You were cheating on me with Chloe?"

Shaking his head, Clark sighed. "Chloe and I have only been together a few days Lana, after you and I broke things off. But looking back, I should have seen how I felt about her long ago. If it makes you feel better, think whatever you want, but we did not do anything to hurt you or embarrass you."

Lana was fuming mad now, nostrils flaring. She looked from Clark to Chloe. Then she reared back again, swinging her good hand right at Chloe's face.

Instead of the satisfying smack she expected, she only felt pain as Chloe caught her by the wrist and bent it slightly. "Clark might be too much of a gentleman to hit you back for trying that with him Lana. But if you hit me or my boyfriend again, I promise you won't mistake me for a lady." She pushed Lana away, not breaking her gaze.

Without saying another word, Lana turned quickly and walked off. "No one makes a fool of me…" She reached out to open the door, stopping just long enough to glare back at the couple… then screamed out as she pulled the door handle with her swollen hand, forgetting about it for a moment. Hearing a slight chuckle from somewhere towards the house, she slammed the door behind her and drove off. She was just turning onto the main drive when she saw Mrs. Kent weeding in her garden. Martha stood up and walked towards the fence as Lana slowed. Lana put her best smile forward again and rolled down the window. "Hi Mrs. Kent."

"Hello Lana. I couldn't help but hear some arguing, are you ok dear?" Martha laid her hand on the jeep's door, her voice taking a maternal tone.

Lana slipped into her pitiful face. "Yes Mrs. Kent, I just don't know why Clark does things like this to me."

Pushing her gardening hat back some, Martha just sighed. "I don't know dear. I can't explain a lot of what he does, but usually it all turns out for the best." She smiled at Lana sweetly.

Lana stumbled a bit at this, wondering what exactly the elder woman meant. "I guess so Mrs. Kent. I just hope he realizes he's making some big mistakes." She moved to put the car in drive when Martha laid a hand on her arm.

"Oh Lana, I don't think he's made any mistakes in this one. I think Clark's finally growing up and realizing what's in front of him. Oh and one other thing." Martha leaned in the window slightly. "If I ever hear that you have talked down about my husband or my family again, such things as 'You'll never be anything better than a dirt farmer just like your family', I might forget about being a lady too. Jonathan and I have been nothing but kind to you since you lost your parents. For once, I'm glad they can't see the type of person you've become." Her eyes darkening slightly to match her words, Martha leaned back from the vehicle. "Do we understand each other?"

Lana simply nodded, unable to think of anything else to say or do… then she floored the gas pedal, speeding off down the dirt driveway back towards the main road.

Martha brushed the dirt from her hands and put her hat back on, kneeling down to work again. Peeking up between the barn and her gardening shed, she could see Clark and Chloe kissing softly. "Clark finally got it right," she muttered to herself, smiling as she went to work.