Chapter 13 [Kent Farm]

Even as Oliver, Zatanna and the rest of the JLA caught up with their business, Clark and Lana finished moving her into the farmhouse permanently. Given the whirlwind nature of that particular day, it was a fitting end. After being sure that Sheriff Adams was away from the place, they brought Lana's things out of storage at the Talon.

Her possessions in addition to his gave the farmhouse a complete feeling which it had lacked since Jonathan's death. In a sense, it represented a changing of the guard.

"This feels right!" she exclaimed.

"It should," he agreed while embracing her from behind. "But you know what I want."

She smirked at him. "You just fixed the bed though, you greedy boy. Maybe we should just set up a tent in the backyard so we don't take the house down?' Seeing him roll his eyes, she agreed, "I want that too. I just want to eat first."

"What do you think that pot of water is that's going downstairs?" he insisted. "Just you wait. Mom gave me an idea I want to try." He sped off down the stairs.

["We don't want to burn the house down, Mr. Kent!"] she teased telepathically while super speeding down the stairs after him. She found him draining the pan of pasta into a colander in the sink. "You are up to something."

Beside him on the counter rested a casserole pan, a jar of meat sauce and a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese. "You bet I am." He poured the pasta into the pan and spread the sauce and cheese over it. Then he put it in the oven. "Be right back!" He sped off toward town.

What's he doing now? Lana shook her head. Two can play at this game! She grinned while covering the table with a fine white tablecloth, setting it and placing two candles on it at super speed then she made a salad out of the veggies she knew were still there from three days earlier. After chopping, slicing and dicing at said rate, she just put the final drizzle of vinaigrette on it when her Romeo streaked back in the door. "Hope you like salad."

"I love salad especially if it's that romaine special." Seeing her creation, he nodded. "That's it all right." He kissed her cheek. "Love it and you."

"That was the right answer, Clark." She planted a light whisper on his lips as a rewarding encouragement and teaser for what was to come later. "What do you have there?"

"I remember you like a good white wine. It's not that stuff you had in Paris but…." He showed her the bottle.

"They said 1998 was a good year in France," she recalled. "Any year with you is a good one. Best to check on your creation?"

"Yeah that." He took the bubbling creation out of the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. "Hope it's good enough."

"Trust me; it's more than good enough if you made it for me. This meal was crafted from our love, Clark. We are partners. I swear that I'm home," she asserted while looking into his eyes.

"I want nothing more than that," he concurred while kissing her once again.

A knock at the door interrupted their moment.

They turned to see Tess watching the scene through the screen door.

"Miss Mercer, we weren't expecting anyone," he hedged while heading back for the preparations at hand.

"Would you care to come in, Tess?" Lana offered while opening the door.

"Thank you." She entered the farmhouse and admired the developing scene. "This is the celebration dinner? Very nice." She admired the wine choice. "I would have donated a bottle of something more special for this occasion. Just to twist the knife into Lex's side, you understand."

"He's the last person I want to think of tonight, Tess," Lana told her. "We were about to sit down. Would you care to join us?"

"Sadly, I have to decline but thank you nonetheless. No, this night belongs to you both. I was wondering how the black kryptonite worked," Tess responded.

"It split Davis off from Doomsday. Unfortunately it was destroyed in the process." He walked into the living room and returned with a small lead box. He opened it to display some residual black dust inside. "That was all that was left from the scene."

"Quite a shame. I would've liked to have had it analyzed. Thank you for returning this to me at least, Clark." Tess shut the box. "You did well today for what it's worth. Once again, congratulations to you both. See you bright and early in the morning." With that, she left.

They waited until she had driven off before returning to the kitchen.

"Clark, why even give her the dust?" Lana wondered.

He shrugged. "Who says I did? Follow me." He led her into the living room. There, he reached behind one of the pictures above the fireplace and produced the black kryptonite. "She has some charcoal. That's it."

"And we think Zatanna's a magician? That was quite an act you just put on," she admired. "Let's hope Tess is fooled by it."

"She won't be for long. After dinner, we're going back to the Fortress and leaving this there. I don't want it here in case she comes back." He put the rock back in its hiding place before leading her back into the dining room. "Now where were we?" He used his heat vision to light the twin candles and complete the romantic setting.

"We were about to indulge our taste buds," she reminded him.

"Yeah those taste buds. Nasty things," he cracked.

"Nasty indeed." They sat down at the table and savored the wonderful meal that their collaboration had produced. In many ways, it represented the coming together of things and so much more.

So much more indeed…..