Chapter 70 [Talon—That Afternoon]

Clark sped to a stop in the alley beside the café. Even with Reynolds' visit that morning, he finished everything on Martha's bucket list. They'd hashed out a few ideas around the table. A few others they'd run by Jonathan that weekend. What came up with Dr. Connors? I know he and Miss Stacy were getting sick. Was it one of those witches? He narrowed his eyes. Before that week, such things had been the stuff of Halloween horror fests and such.

Still this was Smallville. And according to the parents, it had happened before….

No wonder Lex wants a lid on some of this stuff….

He shook his head. He walked through the door; his mind still struggling to doggie paddle through that particular deluge. He noticed that the café remained sparsely populated. A new girl and Lana polished the counter. "Hey! Looks really quiet." He frowned.

"They'll be back next week after school." Lana shrugged. "Hey. Chloe was telling me about Dr. Connors. That's really last minute."

"Mr. Reynolds said he had things going on back east. Something got to him in the lab too. I don't know. I was going to ask Lex or Mr. Parker. They know him best." He motioned to the new girl. "Where's Miranda?"

Lana shrugged. "She had to take off. Her uncle arranged for her to have dinner out if you get my drift."

He curled his lip not really understanding her gist. "You mean like our time out last Saturday?"

"Exactly. I'm not going to stand in the way of her doing that. So what have you been up to, Clark?" Lana poured him a coffee and handed it to him.

"Mom and I just finished everything around the farm. Dad's long-term projects are all caught up. Meantime we came up with some ideas to help with the internship gap. I have to talk with Miss Stacy on something when she and Mr. Parker get back. Might be a really great thing. And Mr. Reynolds liked one ideas. I can't believe that." He sipped on his mug.

"You've been showing initiative, Clark. Mr. Reynolds wanted to see that in you. I noticed too." She grinned.

"You…have?" He looked up from his mug. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Yes, Clark, I have. Maybe you might want to work with Professor Dubois on your mutual things?" Lana smiled.

"That…doesn't bother you?" He searched her eyes and face for clues on the next answer.

Clark, it's what we are. Well I'm half that but I'm still descended from Krypton too, she added telepathically. "Chloe wanted to talk with you. I'm taking my break in a few minutes. Sarah can handle things for a few minutes at this pace."

"Okay." He headed across the café toward the corner table. There he found the blonde reporter typing away on something. Her eyes burned into the screen. What's got her so driven? "Hey, Chloe! How was New York?"

"Hey. Take a seat, Clark. Just got to finish this…." She typed another sentence. "paragraph." She saved her work. "There! Finished!" She gulped from her tankard. "Dad and I got back late last night. Really long day." She shrugged that point off. "On the good news, Mr. Parker and Miss Stacy have their date. Lex is going to top his party with Desiree at the mansion for them. Now that is going to be Smallville's Gala of the Year. I met their friends too. We went to their version of our wonderful emporium here. It's called the Coffee Bean. I've got a few ideas for Lana to try out."

"How'd your trip to the newspaper go?" He saw the eyebrow go up. "Or should I ask?"

She clenched her teeth. "I respect that Mr. Jameson is a really high-powered driven publisher. Great. He's also a complete ass! Well I'm wrapping something up on that."

"Uh…okay." Dread washed over him. She's ticked. I'd hate to be in this guy's shoes when Chloe's done. "I don't think he's going to care what the Ledger or Torch says."

"Oh I know." She took another hit from the tankard. "I've got something bigger in the works. Just wait until Sunday." She read the document over again. She adjusted a few sentences. She changed words for impact. Then she composed an email and attached that file. It went off. "There. Now it's on the way." She nodded with deliberation.

Chloe, be careful. He grimaced knowing the Hazel Fury well. I know you mean well but don't take your career down before it starts!

"It'll be all right, Clark." She saw another message pop up from Travers. "She got it. She's good with it."

"She? Who did you send that to?" He stared at her.

"That's a surprise. Wait until Sunday. That's all I'm saying. Payback's hell." She took a mouthful of coffee to wash that notion down. "Lex and Jasmine have their own surprise too. It should be going through…" She checked her watch. "…very shortly."

"I just hope you don't get Mr. Parker fired, Chloe." Tension throbbed at even his temples.

"He can't get fired, Clark. He's freelance. Besides he's willing to do the assignment in question. So was I. I just won't invade someone's privacy to do it. Got to have some ethics." She frowned.

"That sounds like you, Chloe. I'm proud of you then. I just don't want to see you get hurt," he told her.

"Thanks, Clark. I know." She giggled. "You should've seen my Dad go off on that guy. Wow. Even Lex was impressed. Then he accused Jasmine of being Lex's latest girlfriend." She rolled her eyes.

"He didn't!" He grimaced.

"Oh yes he did. Jasmine did not back down. It was actually fun watching her put him in his place. I can't wait to see what happens with the surprise." Triumph spread the grin across her face.

Yeah she's on the warpath. He rolled his eyes but kept his comments to himself.

"Relax, Clark. It's okay. Let's focus on helping Mr. Parker and Miss Stacy with their internships. With Dr. Connors dropping out, they don't have anything," she changed the subject.

"Mr. Reynolds stopped by the farm this morning. I suggested that Miss Stacy and I work together to help the science teachers. I was just telling Lana that I want to do some astronomy sessions for kids. Mom had some ideas too." He sighed. "I can't believe he was taking me seriously."

"Why not? Those are great ideas. Mr. Parker needs something too," she complimented. "He's going to be teaching Pete and you about photography. There are the workshops for the town. I can't believe he still wants to do those stories for the Bugle." She shook her head. "I told him that he should be with Miss Stacy and you at the schools instead."

"Maybe he knows the guy, Chloe? I don't know." He noticed Lana coming over. He made room beside himself in the booth. "Break time?"

"I'm fine for a few minutes." Lana sat down with her tray. She handed refills to them both. Then she sipped on a latte. "I just hope that everything works out."

"Things always do. Just not the way we always think." Chloe tipped the new cup at Lana. "Thanks. I really needed this." She poured it into the tankard.

I just hope it does. He rubbed his forehead.