Chapter 112 [Kent Farm]

Clark sat at his desk. Even if Dr. Dubois felt the sling was needed, he knew he really didn't need it. Still, since Martha wanted it there (and it gave him a reason to stay home for the day), he kept it on. He caught up on his emails. He saw a text from Pete saying he'd be back from Wichita with Sam that night. I hope I can do without the sling tomorrow. It would be a downer to not be able to dance with Lana there.

Lana…

He leaned back in the chair. Everything seemed to be pointing in a certain direction. The engagement and next day's wedding for Peter and Gwen. Mr. and Dr. Dubois' return and their talk of commitment to each other. Mrs. Crane's account of two centuries in limbo waiting for her husband to free her. He and Lana discovering her Kryptonian heritage. Their feelings had deepened over the past few weeks. And now, Miranda and Jasmine….

Signs…more signs…all around….

He considered the bracelet…Kyla's former bracelet…sitting to his right. His eye caught the light's glint off of its smooth surface. He picked it up.

Give it to the special person in your life, Clark, Kyla had told him.

This is Lana's. It has to be. He studied it at length.

Kal-El, I feel your consternation, my Son. Your arm is all but healed. You live. Your adversary has been defeated. Your friends rejoice. What troubles you now? Jor-El probed the younger man's feelings.

I'm all right. I'm really psyched about Miranda and Jasmine. The wedding tomorrow will be great. I'm glad to have my arm in one piece still. It's the future. I want everything to be perfect. Clark studied the bracelet. You can see through my eyes?

I see you are considering the Destiny Bracelet. On Krypton, Lana Lang and you would be married already. You are for each other. Have you forgotten what I showed you both at the cave? There is no doubt, Jor-El assessed.

I know. I want Lana to know I'm here for her. She's the one for me. For our future here and the new Krypton too, Clark insisted.

She knows that. If you wish to affirm that, then tell her. Jor-El stopped speaking for a heartbeat.

Know what? Clark, is everything all right? Jor-El and you are speaking? Lana interjected.

Everything is fine, Lana Lang. Kal-El wishes to speak with you. I will give you privacy, Jor-El concluded.

Lana knocked. Clark?

Come in! He slowly got up from the chair. His mind swam with Implications' complexities. Decision Tree of a redwood's mass and impact lay in the path. Nothing would be easy.

But then again, when was it ever really?

She stuck her head in the door. "Clark, is everything okay?" Seeing him on his feet, she walked into the room. "Dr. Dubois put your arm in a sling? Looks really painful."

He frowned. "Normal swords are like bullets. They bounce off with a bruise. Mr. Arighatto's sword had some weird energy. Its fire burned and cut me. While he was fighting Peter and then the Child and this warrior woman, it would not stop bleeding. Once they got rid of him, my arm started to heal as it normally does."

"You heal this fast?" She looked over the arm.

"Usually it's faster. Guess it's taking more time because of the damage. Other than the scar, I was able to move my fingers, hand and arm by noontime. It'll probably be as good as new by tomorrow." He motioned to the arm again.

"Mr. Arighatto nearly hacked your arm off and it repairs itself within twelve hours? Wow." She scratched her head. "Is that how you survived being shot last Fall?"

"Once Dad got rid of Vann's bullet, my body started to heal. Guess it was the same thing?" He shrugged.

"Guess so. So you're vulnerable to magic and meteor rocks?" she presumed.

"Keep that secret. I don't want folks finding out." He rubbed his right shoulder with his free hand.

Magic can kill us, Kal-El. I told you what Lana Lang's ancestor did three centuries ago. Perhaps you should speak to the La Fontaine woman again? Jor-El reminded Clark while allowing Lana to hear him as well.

That Isobel lady. Right. Clark shook his head. Mr. Arighatto attacked me. I had to defend myself.

You were lucky, Clark. You could've lost your arm. That creep could have killed you. She grabbed onto him. I don't want to think about that.

Me neither. He peered deep into her eyes. Their minds met. Their hearts beat in rhythm. "I have something to say, Lana. I don't want to lose you either. Ever."

"What?" She stiffened. "Clark, that isn't happening! We're bonded." Aren't we, Jor-El?

You are, Lana Lang. Kal-El is…as you Earthers say…beating around the bush. Get to the point, Kal-El, Jor-El admonished.

Kill Joy. Clark frowned. "That's right, Lana. We're bonded. This morning's close call woke me up. Do you remember your drive here after Vann's arrest? You asked me to open up to you."

She nodded. "I remember that. Clark, the last month or so, you've made me so happy. I can't believe how honest you're being. This is so great!" She squeezed his free hand with her hands.

"I'm glad you know." Clark grinned at her. "It's made things a lot easier. My parents are getting used to it. We all get along. Have to admit it's great that you're here. I know it's just because of all of the dark stuff. I just hope that we can make it a permanent thing."

"Permanent? Clark!" Lana's eyes went wide. "You're proposing?" She slumped back into a chair. Shock blanked her mind.

Clark held the bracelet up. "Do you remember this?"

She looked it over. "Isn't that Kyla's bracelet? How'd you get it?"

"Chief Willowbrook gave it to me after her death. She told me that it had been passed down in her tribe from woman to woman over the generations, I guess. It's meant for Numan's special one. He told me to give it to the special one in my life." Clark sighed. "Lana, as long as I can remember, that's you."

"Clark, wow." Her jaw dropped. Her mind struggled to wrap itself around this turn of events. The day had taken on yet another unbelievable turn. She had often thought that she'd graduate in another year. Perhaps she'd wait for him. Perhaps she'd leave Smallville and not look back. She'd decided though that he needed to find his way and then Amor's path for himself….

…Clark Kent, International Man of Mystery, just struck again….

Jor-El, is this a promise bracelet? She wondered.

To you Earthers, it is an engagement bracelet. In Kryptonian custom, it is the Joining. You two are for each other. Whether it is now or in the future, the bracelet is yours by right. Do you wish to be with Kal-El? Do you wish to be like him? LIKE US? Jor-El explained.

Yes! YES! She nodded. You'd promise yourself to me?

If you promise yourself to me. Lana, I know my parents would never allow us to get married until after high school. It's only another year…thirteen months or so. I love you. I just wasn't able to tell you before. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I hurt you. I want to spend the rest of our lives making that up to you. I want to make you happy, Clark proposed. Lana, I want you for this Joining and for Earth marriage next year. He got down on his knees.

First Miri and now me. This is a day Smallville will never forget. She shook her head. When we finish high school, we'll find a minister, Mr, Kent. She held out her hand. Yes, my Star Traveler. I will be your partner, consort, the Eve to the New Krypton and your wife. Maybe you can put the bracelet on me? Lana's eyes sparkled into his. She held out her hand.

He trembled. Anxiety seized at his heart. His free hand shook as it moved forward with the bracelet. "This is really awkward. Sorry. I should've waited until this was off."

"Nope. You're fine." She steadied the hand as he slid the bracelet onto it. She held her new treasure up to Sol's light. Her eyes beheld how it sparkled.

Steady her, Kal-El. She will feel the effect shortly, Jor-El directed.

EFFECT? The two teens looked at each other.

You are changing. I said you will be like us. Now you will be like Kal-El. You are born on Earth. You live on Earth. But you will be full Kryptonian, Jor-El clarified.

Her skin tingled. She felt as if the stings of a thousand bees jabbed at her all at once. "AHH! CLARK!"

"LANA!" Panic seized onto him.

It will be all right, Kal-El. She is changing. It has happened before, Jor-El insisted

She glowed with a dark aura. Her hand's scar glowed. Crimson glinted in her eyes. A low growl escaped her lips. She convulsed and collapsed.

The aura floated into the air. It hovered in mid-air. Then it fell apart and burned itself out.

The scar on her hand healed and vanished.

Energy surged through her. She flexed her hands and arms. CLARK! IT'S SO MUCH!

Lana, I'm sorry! I didn't know! They didn't tell me! Clark apologized. He grabbed onto her with his free hand. His right arm burned. I'm here.

Thank you. I know, Clark. I know. She ground her teeth. I can do this. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS! She focused.

HAVE STRENGTH! YOU ARE CORRECT! YOU CAN DO THIS! Jor-El directed.

And as soon as it all had started, it had stopped. She relaxed. "It's over." She almost sprang to her feet rather than stood up…

…and hit the ceiling in the process…

"Uh, Clark? Help." She glanced back at him.

"Sure." He yanked her albeit in a playful manner back to the floor. He saw that the sling and binding on his right arm had vaporized. "Wow." He pulled his sleeve up to find no trace of the morning's scar at all.

"It's gone! And so's my scar! How?" She stared at his arm and her own hand.

It was the transmutation, Lana Lang. Before you are changed, you are purified. The process cured you of your family's curse. Because Kal-El supported you, the energies healed him as well. Your emotions healed one another, Jor-El explained.

I guess human emotions are good after all? Clark smirked to himself.

Everything has *some* use, Kal-El. Jor-El fumed over his son's jab. We shall speak again. Welcome to our family, Lana Lang. Truly you are worthy.

Thanks, Jor-El. Just one thing. Please call me Lana. The whole name thing is kind of weird, she requested.

I shall, Lana. Thank you. With that, Jor-El went silent.

"Now we're engaged?" She shook her head. Her eyes returned to the bracelet. "I can't believe I'm really like you." She rubbed her forehead. "Mmm! What's with the headache? It's not that warm. I…."

His eyes went wide. "Trust me." He held her against himself.

Heat vision beams shot from her eyes. They scorched his shirt for several seconds.

She backed away. "What? What just happened?"

"That's what happened last year to me. You have heat vision." He scratched his head with his now healed right hand.

She squeezed the side of his desk…and broke off a piece of metal. "Now what? Super strength?"

"Yeah. You have that too." He raised an eyebrow. "Maybe…we should go outside and practice? My folks might like that."

"Clark, don't push it." She frowned at his playful snipes. Still her heart was doing flip flops.

"Kids! What's going on?" Martha rushed in. "I heard you both screaming and…." She saw the damaged desk, Clark's singed shirt and his now healed arm. "What happened?"

"Clark gave me a present." She held up the bracelet.

"That was Kyla's. Clark, maybe you should've waited?" Martha narrowed her eyes.

"Mom, Lana's the one. The last month has made me realize that." He rubbed Lana's shoulder. "Now we can be. The bracelet makes someone like me."

"Like you? You mean like Kryptonian?" Martha stared at them.

"It's the Joining, Mom." He shrugged. "We're…engaged ourselves."

"You're engaged?" Martha sat down. "You could've talked to us first."

"We were figuring it out ourselves, Mrs. Kent." Lana braced herself. "Clark and I agreed to wait until after we graduated high school. That's another year or so. We do that and we can get married. He stays on the farm. I can run the Talon and learn from you." She shrugged.

"Lana, that sounds great in theory but have you thought it through? What if you want something else?" Martha considered everything. As her mind digested the events around herself, Realization told her that the choice had already been made. "What happened to the scar on your hand?"

"It's gone. The darkness has been taken out of me. It's part of the process. Now if I can just…" She took a few steps and then disappeared in a puff of wind.

"Super speed?" Martha raised an eyebrow.

"Uh yeah." He shrugged. Lana? LANA!

Clark, it's okay. I'm at the mansion. Wow.

"She stopped…at the mansion. I'll go after her." He sped away as well.

Now they're alike. Guess she's here to stay. Martha allowed herself a smile. She thought of things she'd teach their houseguest and one day Daughter-in-Law.

If only they'd all survive the learning curve that is….