Chapter 21 [Kent Farm]
Lana turned left and drove under the farm's sign toward the farm house straight ahead. The day's activities and changes weighed heavily upon her…..
…having Reynolds' eye focused squarely on her…..
…what to say to the honor society group on the following day….
…Clark and Kal's situation….
…her own enhanced condition….
She stepped on the brake remembering not to put her full force down on the pedal. How can I deal with these changes? She rubbed her forehead in her hands. Several times her skittishness had pushed her abilities near the edge of coming out. She'd managed to suppress the heat vision fortunately enough. Still she barely managed to hold onto the steering wheel in a loose grip. Her x-ray vision spooked her as several roadside objects suddenly revealed their inner layers and nearly driving her off the road in the process. She ground her teeth. How does Clark deal with these things?
He practices, Lana Lang, but not as much as he should, Jor-El informed her. You need to be patient with yourself. In time your full abilities will come to you.
And what if I do something to expose myself?
Jor-El replied, You must learn from Kal-El's mistakes and be more observant. I have faith in you. Learn and be the better for it. For now follow your heart and seek him out. With that the voice went silent.
Learn from Clark's mistakes and be more observant? Yeah right! Lana eased her door open and climbed down gingerly from the cab. She sucked in a nervous breath. "Wonder what the Kents must be thinking? Wish I knew it was positive." She started toward the house at an anxious gait.
Clark rushed toward her. "Hi, Lana! Are you okay?"
"That's my question for you actually." She grabbed onto him tightly while savoring the feeling of safety in the harbor of his embrace. "I was worried about you today."
"Yeah…that. Look, Lana, I'm sorry I put you through that. I…." he started to apologize.
She shook him off. "I get it, Clark. Jor-El overstepped his bounds and tried to make you his son without any regard to the consequences. At least he let me come after you. I'm just glad you're back to being you." She hugged him harder with regular Kryptonian strength.
He gasped in surprise more than anything else at her strength. "Wow. I felt that."
"Oh sorry!" She let go and grimaced. "I'm kind of having some issues with the abilities. Maybe we can practice together sometime?"
He nodded feeling relieved that she wanted to bring her gifts under control. While he still felt unsure about why she'd accepted Jor-El's Faustian deal in the first place, he knew instinctively that he wanted to help her get to that point. He gazed into her eyes and felt at ease around her at last. "Sure. I'd be really glad to do that. Maybe we can make some dates around it?"
"Now you're talking, Mr. Kent," she replied with a warm giggle lilting over the words. "People were asking at school about you. I gave them the PC explanation. There's nothing to worry about. Samantha Cooper and I talked about the honor society deal. Maybe we can do this tomorrow?"
"Yeah…after dinner. Mom and Dad wanted to find out more about last night and this morning. Just wanted you to know. Pete's here too." He took her hands in his own. "And so am I. I'm right here beside you."
She sighed. "All this time I never knew how complicated your life is, Clark. Guess I have to spend some time in your shoes to understand."
"It has its moments." He shrugged and smiled. "When you, Mom and Dad stand with me, it makes it much easier." He kissed his forehead. "Remember that."
"Thanks." She let her eyes shine into his. "Thanks for not berating me about taking this load on. I want to be with you. That's my main priority. Now we can be together." Seeing his parents watching them through the screen door, she motioned toward them. "Guess we're on the clock?"
"Raincheck?" he queried.
"Just try to deny it, Clark." She smiled and led him toward the door. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. How are you tonight?"
"Better than this morning, Lana. Are you all right?" Jonathan replied with concern. He glanced around not trusting Jor-El to keep his peace at that point.
"Just adjusting to these powers. Now that I don't have the focus, dealing with everything seems strange. It's weird having to handle a steering wheel like an egg, having flashes of seeing through things and the burning behind my eyes," Lana admitted. "Jor-El said that I need to practice like Clark does."
"That's right. We're grateful that you brought Clark home," Martha expressed. "Ready to eat? We have plenty."
"I'd like that." Lana felt her nerves flaring. She had no idea how they deal with her new state of affairs. Hell, as she'd thought on the ride over, how would she deal with it? She rubbed her forehead as the heat surged in back of her eyes. "Ahh!" She turned abruptly as her eyes started glowing. "Watch out!"
"What?" Jonathan asked.
"Her heat vision," Clark realized as he spun her around. As her eyes realized the hot barrage, he endured their bombardment. His flannel shirt burst into flames but he didn't move. He only held onto her. "It's okay. Let it out." For almost thirty seconds he endured the unintentional assault.
Lana gasped. "Clark! What did I do?" She saw the charred remains of his shirt and slightly reddened chest. She put her hands to her mouth in horror.
"It's okay," Clark assured her. "I went through it when the heat vision turned itself on in my eyes too. I can just get a new shirt. No big deal. Until you master it, just try to remain calm. All right? Your emotions and hormones will set that off."
"It did for you? What caused that?" Lana wondered.
"You did actually," Martha interjected with a smile. "Just relax. Clark, why don't you go upstairs and change?" Once he had, she insisted, "As he said, Lana, we had to go through it with him about six months ago. You just need to be patient with yourself and learn what Clark did about that gift and the others."
"We'll help you get there. It's going to be all right," Jonathan added. "You have more at once than Clark's had but we'll manage." He rubbed her right shoulder reassuringly. "Now that pot roast is waiting."
Her mouth started watering at that thought. "I'm famished actually. I'd never turn down one of Mrs. Kent's meals."
"That's more like it. Come on," Martha invited while holding the door open for them. She led them into the kitchen where Pete worried at the table. "Are you all right, Pete?"
"When you said she had Clark's stuff, I didn't really believe it. Is he okay?" Pete worried.
"He's fine, Pete, I guess. Wish I knew if I was," Lana informed him. "I guess it's more complicated to b like him than I thought."
"Hey, it's cool. We'll help you just like we do Clark. No big deal for friends, right?" Pete told her reassuringly. "Trust me. This is like his dream come true. Now he doesn't have to hold back around you anymore."
"Really? No more secrets?" Lana queried.
"Between us, Lana," Jonathan noted. "Now you have to keep secrets from the world much as Clark does. There are people who will look to exploit you. You have to control your gifts and know when to use them. It's not easy some times."
"It's tough," Clark offered as he tromped down the stairs. He'd changed into another flannel shirt. "We just have to keep at it." He smiled. "Best part is we can survive the mistakes. As you saw this morning, I guess, is what happens when we go off the rails, I guess."
"I was really judgmental last night, Clark. I'm so sorry about what I said," Lana apologized while bowing her head.
"I imagine if people knew what we really are, they say it more often. That's why we have to be careful. Thanks though for saying that." He grinned at her before kissing the top of her head.
Pete pumped his fist at the beautiful moment. "And they finally get their moment!"
"Good of you to approve," Martha teased as she set the pot roast beside the potatoes and other cooked vegetables on the table. "Now let's sit down and not let this get cold." After they'd sat down and said grace, they'd pressed into the meal at hand.
"So what happened, Lana?" Pete queried. "From what I heard, you disappeared during first block."
"I got a text from Chloe. Apparently she ran into you, Clark, in Edge City. Mr. Carruthers let me reply and then I stepped out into the hall to call you, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. After I hung up, I saw all of these really weird colors rotating around me with the cave symbols. This voice spoke to me and offered to make me like Clark. I wanted to bring you home so I went along with it. I felt a bright light and heat. Next thing I know, I'm running toward Edge City and then Washington state. Kind of intense.," Lana explained.
"Wish that Jor-El would explain all of the circumstances related to that decision," Jonathan groused.
"What's done is done, Jonathan. Besides Clark isn't alone anymore," Martha cut in.
"Jor-El said though he wanted to talk to Clark and me about things after this whole mess blows over," Lana revealed.
Clark stiffened. "Who is this Jor-El? Things remained kind of hazy until we got back to school."
"Apparently he's your biological Dad, Clark," Lana noted. "And we've got a cultural tug of war to deal with now." She bit into the pot roast.
"What do you mean tug of war? Jor-El has nothing to say! He's dead along with his world. Clark's a human being and that's it," Jonathan insisted.
"I'm of two worlds, Dad. Apparently Lana is now as well," Clark disagreed.
"Clark, you're my son not his," Jonathan countered forcefully.
Everyone looked at each other and the stare down developing between father and son at the ends of the table.
"Yeah…can I umm…get someone to pass the potatoes please?" Pete inquired while trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Of course," Martha concurred while handing the aforementioned plate to him. She decided to try and change the subject. "So how's that honor society project coming along?"
"Martha, please. We're in the middle of something important," Jonathan cut in.
Martha set her jaw and locked eyes with her husband. "It's not anything that we can solve tonight, Jonathan. Let's try to have a nice dinner and let the kids get their feet back under them. There will be another time to hash this out."
While he disagreed, Jonathan stifled his comment for the moment. He had no wish to start a simmering argument—right or not. He stuffed a piece of roast into his mouth and started chewing on it instead.
Lana sighed wondering what she'd done. Maybe I shouldn't have….
Clark shrugged and offered her a sparkle from his eyes in support.
For the moment may have been tense but there was some hope….Some hope indeed…..