This was another one of those episodes where there was really nowhere for Emmeline to go (luckily, there aren't a whole lot of those this season), so this is pretty much filler again. Sorry.

However, I've gotten a lot of ideas for future episodes in the season, and some may or may not include some ClarkxEm moments for all of you loyal shippers. :)


"Are you okay?" Chloe asked Emmeline as they made their way to the Talon.

Emmeline blinked a couple times as if coming out of a daze and looked at her best friend. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, that response for one thing. You've been acting aloof and out of it all week. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I'm fine, Chloe."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm okay."

"Okay. But you know that if there's anything wrong, you talk to me."

"Yes, I know."

"Good."

The two girls headed inside the café and saw Clark talking to another boy around their age. He looked antsy, like he could never sit or stand still if his life depended on it. He looked at Clark almost like an excited fan who got to meet his dream celebrity. It was kind of cute.

"What's up, Kent?" Chloe smiled. "We thought you'd still be in Metropolis playing detective."

"Right, I heard about your dad getting robbed," Emmeline said quietly, uncomfortable in the presence of the new boy.

"I thought I'd leave that one up to the authorities," Clark said, his gaze firmly landing on the boy behind them. There seemed to be a bit of negative insinuation in his voice hinted towards the boy. For what reason, Emmeline didn't know.

"Never would've caught him, anyway," the boy smirked.

"Chloe, Em, this is my friend, Bart. He's from—"

"The future."

"Really?" Chloe smiled skeptically.

"Yeah. I ran all the way back in time to tell you that we're still in love a hundred years from now."

Was that supposed to be a pick-up line? Chloe laughed out loud, so she must've liked it. Emmeline had heard better. On TV, at least.

"Bart…" Clark groaned quietly.

"What's your favorite kind of flower, Chloe?" Bart asked.

"Uh, tulips," Chloe replied. She grinned up at Clark for a moment when she felt a small burst of wind hit her face. When she looked back in front of her, Bart held up an orange tulip with a small smirk. "How did you do that?"

"Magic."

"Wow."

"You want to see some more?"

"Clark!" Martha called, motioning him over.

Clark headed over to her, but not before whispering to Bart, "Knock it off."

Chloe and Bart made their way over to one of the couches against the wall. Emmeline went up to the counter and ordered her usual vanilla bean frappuccino. She leaned against the counter as she sipped the drink.

"Em?"

Emmeline jumped a little and looked to see Clark standing next to her. "Hey."

"What's up? You looked lost in your own little world there."

"Not the first time that's happened though."

"Right. Look, I've gotta head to Lex's, so can you just…keep an eye on those two?"

Emmeline looked over at Chloe and Bart. "Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

Clark took off outside the Talon.

Emmeline felt tears come to her eyes, but she quickly forced them back before anyone asked what was wrong. She had already passed off the question several times, but it would be harder to do so if someone saw her crying.

She finished off her drink just as Chloe came over to her. "Hey, ready to go?"

"Where's your friend?"

"Oh, he's nice but so not my type," Chloe laughed.

Emmeline smiled a little. "Sorry."

"He's so…overconfident."

"I picked that up rather quickly."

Chloe giggled. "You win some, you lose some." Her smile disappeared when she noticed that Emmeline wasn't really joining in. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm all right."

"Look…it's clear something's off, and if you don't want to talk about it yet, that's fine. But I know you too well to know when you're not okay."

Emmeline nodded. "I can't."

To Chloe's surprise, Emmeline bolted out of the Talon leaving Chloe to wonder just what was going on in her best friend's life that she couldn't talk about.


Emmeline slowly walked up the steps to Clark's loft. "Hey," she said quietly.

Clark smiled warmly. "Hey, Em."

"What happened to your friend?"

"Bart?"

"Yeah."

"You definitely can't tie him down to one place. He took off."

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

Clark smiled a little. "He'll be fine. I think he's had a bit of a change of heart."

"Anyone who is your friend has a change of heart."

"I wouldn't say everyone."

"Okay, maybe not everyone, but you certainly have a way of influencing people. What's your secret?"

"Good parents to raise me."

Emmeline's eyes darkened. "Right. I, uh, I need to go."

She quickly turned and began making her way back to the steps.

"Wait. Em!"

Emmeline froze, but she didn't turn around.

"Clearly something is really wrong. You've been acting strange for days. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"No, I can't…" she said so quietly, he almost didn't pick it up.

"Why not?"

"Because if I say it out loud…it'll be real."

Clark took a few steps toward her. "What will be real?"

"…My mom visited the doctor last week, and we've been waiting for results."

"Did you get them?"

"Three days ago."

"And…?"

Emmeline took a shaky breath and turned around, her face ashen. "The cancer came back."

Clark's eyes creased together in concern. After everything he'd gone through in the past year with his dad, he could only imagine what it felt like to receive news like that.

"They don't think that she's going to make it this time."

Suddenly, everything made sense. Why she had been so worried and drained all week and why she had been so reluctant to tell anyone the reason.

"They gave her less than a year."

Clark rushed forward and held her. She cried harder than he had ever seen her cry before. He could not even begin to imagine how she was feeling. To be told that your parent had a timer on their life and it was quickly clicking down? There were very few things that were worse than being told that.

He also knew there was absolutely nothing he could say to console her. With all his powers, he felt so powerless.

At a time like this, all that he could do was hold her and let her cry it out.

This girl was one of his closest friends. He felt like he could tell her anything (barring his powers), and she would understand how to handle what it was he was dealing with.

Lately, it seemed that life really had it out for her and there was nothing he could do.

His heart broke for her as her cries echoed out across the loft.