Ch. 19 Pt. 1
Kent Farm
As Lana pulled up the long dirt driveway she saw her former boyfriend sitting on the porch of the Kent house, he had been staring off into space but when he saw her Jeep he gave her a bright smile, Lana couldn't help but smile herself. She parked her car and started walking over to Clark, he looked down for a second, thinking of the right words to say. Lana interrupted his thoughts.
"It's over. For good…" Land said simply.
Clark good hide his smile, "Good. You're finally safe. Now I know I can trust you."
Lana cocked her head, "Trust me? I already know your secret."
Clark nodded, "I know, but now I know that I won't become bed talk with Lex," he paused, "And that I can finally get closer to you, even just as friends…"
Lana's smiled twitched, "Friends?"
Clark nodded and sighed, "I think it's for the best you know. Explore the world a bit."
"Or Kylie a bit," Lana snapped. She couldn't help herself. But then after a long paused from Clark she realized what she was also insinuating. She stammered, "I mean, uh her personality, not like that…"
Clark laughed lightly, "I know what you meant. But, yeah, I do like her a lot and I think there could be something there…" He watched Lana nod sadly but then he grabbed her hand, "Hey tell you what, if we are 40 and you will be some successful…I don't know, something amazing though, and I'll be some lowly reporter who will have to interview you and we both find ourselves alone, we'll get together…Deal?"
Lana laughed, smiling brightly, matching Clark's, "Deal."
"Good…so let's get inside and open some presents."
Lana nodded and headed for the door, following Clark, still smiling. 'This was good,' she thought, 'we're finally good.' Lana Lang loved Christmas.
--
Clark!! Lana!! Lookee I got presents!! Kylie screamed excitedly as she saw Clark come into the living room. She held up a box holding it triumphantly in the air. After giving Kylie a bright smile, Clark frowned, puzzled. He examined the room, which although the floor was buried underneath presents from the whole gang. Everything looked untouched except for the pile of gingerbread cookies he had set out the night before which had been diminished to two and lots of crumbs. Everyone was sitting around the coffee table laughing and drinking milk. Lana walked up beside Clark obviously seeing the strangeness.
"Why is everything so….clean?" Clark asked.
Martha smiled, "We'd thought it would be nice if we waited for everyone to get here before we opened presents. Besides, we didn't want you to miss Kylie's first Christmas."
"Yea…I want my whole 'family' here." Kylie added, "It's wouldn't be as good a Christmas without you or Lana?" She saw Lana's look of surprise when Kylie had said 'family.' She flashed Lana a smile, "You're like a sister to me."
Lana beamed and smiled at the people around her, she realized these people were her family too. "Well then, let's open presents."
With that the room was soon turned upside-down and wrapping paper and ribbons scattered the floor, boxes lay open and people sat laughing and showing their gifts to the others. Finally, all the gifts had been opened, 'thank yous' had been exchanged along with hugs and kisses.
Lois looked around the tree, "Hey…there's one more left, it was in back." She looked at the tag, "It's to Kylie." She tossed the box over to Kylie, sitting across the room. "It's a little something from all of us," she said giving her a wink.
Kylie smiled at everyone, "Thanks you guys. I mean you've already gotten me individual gifts. Well most of you…" she said winking at Clark, who blushed.
"Sorry I was a little preoccupied with having to take care of the alien who landed in basically my back yard."
Kylie laughed, "It's no problem 'Farm boy.' I know I'm a lot to handle." She then excitedly ripped open the wrapping paper and opened the lid of the box to find a leather photo album title Kylie-2006-2007 in gold lettering. Inside were pictures of her posing in different places, a bright smile on her face in everyone. Others had been when she and the others went shopping, eating or hanging out in Lois' apartment or the Talon. Some were with her other friends in Smallville and Metropolis. Others were of her and Clark, hugging or posing in some various quasi-friendship/romantic ways. Others were without her; she remembered taking these, of her friends.
"We thought we'd make something for you to remember your first year here on Earth…and the family and friends you have here. You can more to it…We've got a long year ahead of us." He paused, "A long, great year with you…the first of many…Merry Christmas!"
Everyone smiled at Clark's speech and in unison said 'Merry Christmas!' all coming around Kylie in a group hug. Kylie definitely couldn't wait to have the many happy years with these people, which has been more of a family than she has had in a long time.