Not absolutely satisfied with this chapter, but I do hope you guys enjoy it.

Halliwell Manor

Morning

"Alright, so explain this to me again?" Phoebe asked rubbing her temple as she; Piper and Leo sat in the living room, listening to Paige's story.

"When I was in Metropolis, my Whitelighter powers kicked in. My first charge is…lost. I don't know how else to help him. And I figured a Vision Quest helped you, and it helped Leo before the Avatars hijacked it so maybe it'll help him to," Paige explained.

"Paige, if you're gonna be a Whitelighter, I don't think the Elders want you to take the easy way out," Leo tried to warn her, well aware of how vindictive the Elders could be.

"I don't have much of a choice Leo. This isn't just about my charge," Paige said, catching her family off guard.

"Why? What aren't you telling us Paige?" Piper demanded and Paige hesitated before sighing.

"A few nights ago, I was helping Sam-"

"Sam as in your father?" Phoebe asked surprised.

"Yes, as in Mom's Whitelighter. Can I continue now?" Paige asked annoyed and Phoebe held up her hands.

"Okay, sorry," Phoebe muttered.

"I was helping him with something when my charge and I ran into a human. But something was…controlling him. Sam called it a darkness. It was like it could see into me; it knew things about me I never told anyone. Whatever this darkness is, it's able to control people. If it can gain control of my charge…well, it'll be bad for everyone," Paige said, not wanting to reveal Clark's secret just yet.

"Your charge, they're a witch?" Leo asked.

"Something like that," Paige said evasively.

"Paige," Piper said warningly.

"I'm just starting to get him to trust me, I'm not gonna go behind his back and tell you his secret," Paige snapped.

"Piper, Paige is right. Whatever happens between a Whitelighter and their charge is confidential," Leo pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Piper muttered before looking over at Phoebe. "What do you think?"

"I think, if this darkness is as bad as Paige thinks, then we don't have much of a choice," Phoebe said after a moment.

"I was afraid you were gonna say that," Piper mutter before sighing as she looked back at her youngest sister. "Okay. Bring your charge by in a few hours. We'll have the Vision Quest potion ready for him."

Kent Farm

Later that morning

Clark was in his loft, staring down at a barrage of magazines depicting the anti-hero movement.

"Maybe you're right Jor-El," Clark muttered to himself. "Maybe I'm not the one. Maybe none of us are."

Clark put the magazines down when he heard a strange buzzing. Turning around, Clark watched as Paige materialized in a barrage of orbs.

"How did you-" Clark asked in surprise.

"Perks of being half Whitelighter," Paige said as she walked over to him, noting the magazines he was looking out. "Hero haters huh? You sure you should be listening to them?"

"How'd you know where I live?" Clark asked pointedly dodging her question.

"Yellow pages," Paige said simply. "Listen, can we talk?"

"About what?" Clark asked wearily.

"About the darkness. Or I guess how to make sure it can't affect you," Paige said taking Clark aback.

"You can do that?" Clark asked shocked.

"Well, you can," Paige said, only confusing Clark further. "There's this potion my sister Phoebe once took, it sent her on a journey in her mind, helped her come to terms with some things."

"And you think this potion can help me to?" Clark asked skeptically.

"The darkness, it preys on a weakness inside us, right? The only way you can overcome it is to face yours. A Vision Quest can help you do that," Paige argued.

"I don't know Paige," Clark hedged, unsure and not wanting to make things worse.

"Wouldn't you rather face this thing instead of leaving it to Kara? Besides, what do you have to lose Clark?" Paige argued and Clark looked away, thinking. "Clark, do you trust me?"

"Yes, I do," Clark said without hesitation.

And he did, which surprised him. In the short amount of time he'd known Paige, he already trusted her a great deal. He couldn't really explain it himself; just that he knew she was trying to help him.

"Then trust me when I say I'm trying to make sure we have our best chance against the darkness," Paige said and, after a moment, Clark nodded.

"Okay. But I don't want your sisters to know who I am," Clark said and she nodded.

"I haven't told them anything about your secret, just that you're my charge who needs help. I won't tell them anything unless you feel you can trust them," Paige promised.

Halliwell Manor

Afternoon

"Are we sure about this?" Phoebe asked as she and Piper were finishing up the potion in the attic.

"You're the one who said we didn't have any other choice," Piper pointed out.

"And I still say that. But we don't know anything about this guy. What if we're only making things worse? I mean, we tried this before with Leo and it blew up in our faces," Phoebe worried.

"We'll just have to trust that Paige knows what she's doing," Piper said although Phoebe could see Piper shared her doubts.

Before Phoebe could respond, Paige suddenly Orbed in with a dark haired, well-built man with blue eyes. As she saw him, Phoebe gasped.

"You didn't tell me your charge was Clark Kent!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"You know him?" Piper asked in surprise.

"He's only one of the best reporters the Daily Planet ever had!" Phoebe exclaimed looking star struck.

"Uh, thanks," Clark said a little put off.

"Forgive her, that's my sister Phoebe, she's a reporter to. And this is my sister Piper," Paige introduced.

"Hi. I'm Clark," Clark greeted politely.

"So I gathered," Piper said dryly.

"Thank you for this. I know it's a lot, bringing someone you barely know here. I just want you to know I appreciate it," Clark said gratefully.

"Well, we're in the business of helping people," Piper said and Clark nodded.

"So I hear," Clark said and paused. "So how does this work exactly?"

"Well first, take a sip of this," Phoebe said, passing him a cup filled with the potion.

Clark took it, glancing at Paige uneasily. Paige nodded encouragingly and, after a moment, Clark brought the cup to his lips. He took a drink and noted it was the foulest thing he had ever tasted. But he still swallowed it easily.

"Now what?" Clark asked as he handed it back to Phoebe.

"Make yourself comfortably," Piper said, gesturing over to some pillows on the floor.

It seemed ridiculous but Clark reluctantly made his way over to the pillows. Lying down, Clark closed his eyes and, within a few moments, found himself drifting off to sleep.

When Clark opened his eyes, he found himself in a cemetery. Clark pulled himself to his feet, looking around and realized it was snowing. But it was mid-November, he thought in surprise.

"Hello Clark."

At the voice speaking up behind him, Clark's blood ran cold as he whirled around.

"Lex," Clark breathed as he stared at his former best friend.

"You still say it the same way," Lex said with a smirk as he walked over. "Astonishment, mixed in with a hint of dread, yet with a hopeful finish."

"Lex is dead…you're not him," Clark realized.

"No, I'm not," Lex agreed. "But I represent what he means to you: the ultimate symbol of corruption. Your best friend, driven mad by his own lust for power and paranoia. And your greatest regret. You feel you failed in being unable to save Lex from himself."

"Lex was headed down that path long before I met him," Clark said stonily and Lex shrugged.

"You're probably right. But that doesn't mean a little part of you doesn't blame yourself for what happened to Lex," Lex pointed out. "But we're not here to talk about Lex; we're here to talk about you. I'm you're guide through this Clark."

"Of all the people you could have looked like, it had to be Lex?" Clark asked disgruntled.

"Like I said, he's what you think of when you imagine corruption. You watched as Lex lost himself each day to his own darkness, but you weren't able to stop it, to save him. And now the tables have turned. Even you aren't immune to corruption Clark," Lex pointed out.

"What does that mean? All the sudden everyone keeps telling me I have this darkness in me, but I don't understand what it is or how to change it," Clark said in frustration.

"That's why I'm here Clark, to help you understand. Darkness is a journey, not a light switch. And here is where your journey started," Lex said as he looked down.

Clark followed his gaze and paled.

"My father's grave," Clark muttered as he stared at it and Lex nodded. "If you're trying to save me, why bring me here?"

"Because the death of Jonathan Kent was a defining moment for you, maybe the most important one. The moment you started to blame yourself," Lex explained.

"Well why wouldn't I? I chose to change fate, it was my fault that he died," Clark said angrily.

"Really?" Lex asked coyly.

Before Clark could respond, they were suddenly no longer in the cemetery. They were in the barn and Clark heard a crash behind him. Whirling around, Clark's eyes widened in shock as he saw his father throw Lionel Luthor across the room.

"I won't let you destroy my family," Jonathan sneered as he made his way over to Lionel. "We can withstand anything you rain down on us…because we have each other. That's what will always separate the Kents from the Luthors. Now why don't you get…"

As Jonathan paused, in obvious pain, Clark tried to rush to him. But Lex put a hand on his shoulder, which somehow stopped him.

"This is a memory Clark, nothing more. You can't save him," Lex informed him.

"He was only protecting me," Clark said desperately.

"Which was his choice," Lex pointed out. "Whatever happened, it was Jonathan's choice to protect you. Why can't you accept that Clark?"

"He didn't have a choice, he's my father, of course he'd try to protect me," Clark said desperately.

"We always a choice, in everything we do. Jonathan Kent didn't have to be your father, your protector. But he still chose to be, the same way you've chosen to be the defender of the earth, to dedicate yourself to protecting people. We all choose our own destinies Clark," Lex told him as Clark watched Jonathan walk out of the barn.

"Why isn't he saying anything?" Paige fretted as the sisters watched Clark sleep.

"Paige, relax, that's normal," Phoebe assured her.

"Leo didn't start saying anything either until the Avatars hijacked his Vision Quest. When he starts talking, then we should be worried," Piper said as she eyed her sister cautiously. "You care about him, don't you?"

"I just…I owe him," Paige said and her sisters looked at her oddly.

"You met Clark before you went to Metropolis, didn't you?" Phoebe realized and Paige sighed.

"Six years ago, I was in Metropolis as part of a last hurrah before graduating college with some friends. We were in a club and I went to the bathroom. I opened my stall and I was grabbed by some lowlife. I couldn't fight him off," Paige began with a shaky breath as her sisters paled.

"Page, my God," Phoebe whispered as Piper for once, was at a loss for words.

"He didn't get very far. He'd barely put his hands on me when the door opened. Someone yanked him off me and threw him across the room. He hit his head off a sink and got knocked out," Paige said and the pair realized where this was going.

"It was Clark, wasn't it? He saved you," Piper realized and Clark nodded.

"When someone heard the noise, security came to investigate and found us. The guy was arrested and, in all the chaos, Clark slipped away. I never saw him again until The Elders assigned me as his Whitelighter. I just…I feel after he saved me, I owe it to him to help him with this," Paige said as she stared down at Clark.

"Where are we now?" Clark asked as he and Lex appeared in a darkened room.

"Don't you recognize it?" Lex asked with a smirk.

Clark opened his mouth when someone walked into the room. It was Oliver, to Clark's shock. They were in Oliver's apartment, he realized.

"This isn't a memory, is it?" Clark asked lowly.

"No, it's the present," Lex confirmed.

Oliver sat down on his couch, turning on the TV. By pure chance, he turned it onto a news report about his recent outing himself as Green Arrow; a reporter was doing an interview.

"I got kids. What happens when they grow up and wanna be vigilantes like him?" a man demanded.

"He's been lying to us, all along!" another man said as the footage switched. "We can't trust him!"

'If you're trying to make me feel guilty about something, you just said we make our own destiny. Oliver made his own choice to come out to the public. He didn't think about what it would mean to the rest of us," Clark pointed out.

Lex was silent, simply staring at the scene. Clark watched, wondering what he was supposed to be learning from this.

"Oliver Queen, if you really are the hero you say you are, don't you think it's time you face the public?" A blond reporter demanded as the cameras turned to her. "We're waiting for some answers."

Oliver turned off the TV before hitting a button on his phone.

"Any calls?"

"Where to start?" his receptionist asked. "CNN, ABC, Dr. Phil."

"No, I mean any calls," Oliver clarified.

"Oh. I'm sorry sir, Mr. Kent hasn't left a word," she apologized.

Oliver nodded, clearly disheartened before ending the call, leaning back into his couch.

"He's always so Oliver, I didn't know he needed me," Clark said, watching his friend with a sense of realization.

"But he does," Lex told him.

"I don't know how not returning his calls amounts to some form of darkness in me," Clark said in frustration.

"You really don't see it, do you Clark?" Lex asked as Clark turned back to him. "Your darkness is the past. You hold onto your mistakes. You dwell on them; you punish yourself and everyone around you for them. Speaking of which…"

The scene changed once again. Now, they were in his loft, watching a scene that was fairly familiar to Clark. He was watching himself, talking to Lois.

"Your career is so important to you, what would make you stay?" Clark saw himself ask.

"For-for you. I would stay for you!" Clark looked away as he heard Lois declare this. "Clark, as important as my career is to me…you are more important. I would give up Africa to be with you. But only if we stop keeping secrets from each other."

"Lois, I don't know what you're talking about," Clark saw himself deny.

"What is this? Did you just bring me here to torture me?" Clark snapped angrily.

"No, I'm trying to help you," Lex said simply. "Lois loved you with all her heart. All you had to do was let your guard down and tell her the truth. All you had to do was let her in. But you didn't. And this isn't the first time this has happened."

Once more, the scene changed. Clark saw a younger version of himself standing across from Lana Lang. Instantly, Clark realized when this was: it was just after his father had died.

"Clark, I get it, you and your dad were really close. You don't have to open up to me. Just…don't keep all this inside," Lana pleaded with his past self.

It was silent for a beat, his past self wearing an unreadable expression.

"Thanks for coming by, but the hardware store closes in half an hour."

Clark watched is past self attempt to walk passed her. Lana tried to put a hand on his shoulder but his past self grabbed her wrist, to her surprise.

"I'm sorry," past Clark said as he released her wrist.

"No, you're angry," Lana pointed out. "And you should be. But don't keep hiding behind it. Trust me, I've tried."

"I know you're only trying to help…but trust me, I'm fine," past Clark said with a fake smile.

"You do care about Lois and Lana, right? You sure have a funny way of showing it," Lex pointed out.

"What is this? How is showing me my failed relationships supposed to help me?" Clark demanded as he whirled on Lex.

"I'm trying to make a point. You punish yourself and others for past mistakes. And your failed relationships with Lana and Lois are prime examples Clark," Lex said vaguely.

"Yeah? And what mistake am I punishing them for?" Clark asked angrily.

Lex was silent as the scene changed again. All the blood drained from Clark's face as he recognized it.

Clark saw a younger version of himself walking into a barn, looking around for someone. A dog was barking in the background as he walked inside. Clark wanted to turn away, knowing what would happen. But he found himself frozen, as if in a trance.

"Alicia?" past Clark called out.

Rounding a corner, past Clark paled as he saw Alicia hanging from a rope that was wrapped around her neck. Past Clark quickly rushed over, using his head vision to break the rope. But Clark knew it was too late, she was already gone.

"Why are you showing me this?" Clark asked his voice no more than a whisper as his past self wailed in agony.

"To help you. You still blame yourself for Alicia's death," Lex pointed out.

"If I had been there, if I had trusted her-" Clark began.

"She might still be dead," Lex cut him off. "There's no way of knowing what would have happened if you'd made a different choice. Tim would probably have still tried to kill her. You need to stop punishing yourself and the people you date for your failure to save Alicia."

"How am I punishing Lois and Lana for Alicia?" Clark asked in confusion.

"You keep them at arm's length. You don't let them in, you refuse to meet them halfway. Deep down, you think if you keep them at a distance, it'll spare them from dying the way Alicia did," Lex argued and Clark looked shocked. "But you end up hurting them anyway Clark. You dwell so much on the past, you miss out on the present."

Clark was then shown a barrage of images. Speeding away, not noticing Chloe looking after him during their last encounter. Finding Lois's letter. Saving the people in Metropolis by catching the Globe. Saving Cat from Deadshot. Then one he had never seen before: Greg Arkin, one of the first Meteor Freaks he had ever defeated, in a suit, drinking punch at the Smallville high reunion.

"You saved him, helped him get his life back on track," Lex said as Clark stared at Greg. "Sometimes, you spend so much time focusing on the big picture; you lose sight of the little things. Do you understand Clark?"

"I've been so focused on the future, I lost sight of the present," Clark muttered. "So focused on past mistakes, I lost sight of what I had. You're right."

"A hero is made in the moment. Not from dwelling on the past or fearing what's to come. You have to remember that Clark. Because the darkness is going to come back. And when it does, you need to be there to face it," Lex said and Clark looked over at him.

"I'm not sure Clark Kent can save the entire world on his own," Clark said.

"He can't," Lex said as he walked over, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder. "But we both know who can."

For a moment, Clark remembered a time when he had considered Lex a friend, a brother. Then, he took a deep breath.

"I know you're not him but…I'm sorry I couldn't save you Lex," Clark apologized.

"Lex Luthor's path was chosen long before you met him. But you can save millions of others Kal-El," Lex told him. "You've been given a second chance. Don't waste it."

Clark opened his eyes, finding himself lying on his back in the attic of the Halliwell Manor. Seeing he was awake, Paige was by his ide as Phoebe and Piper looked down at him.

"You get what you needed from that?" Piper asked him and Clark was silent for a moment.

"Yeah…I think I did," Clark said before looking over at Paige. "Thank you."

"What are friends for?" Paige said with a shrug.

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Clark joked, remembering when Lois had said the same thing to him.

"After what we've been through together, feels appropriate," Paige noted.

As they watched Clark and Paige joke, Piper and Phoebe exchanged a subtle glance, the sisters sharing the same thought. This was going to be interesting.

I hope you all liked Lex as Clark's guide through this. It felt appropriate, given their history.

Also sort of an apology, as Lex will not be coming back at the end of the story. Tried to see if I could make it work with all my changes to the Smallville timeline, and I can't without it being completely convoluted.

Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with the Vision Quest.