Summery:
Ahhh, the dance…and some disappearances. You guys will like the end. It's about time…

W00t! Chapter 10! Wowo! I made it this far! Thanks for all you're support guys, could NOT have done it without you all!




Rating: PG-13…it's just more fun.

Disclaimer: *Gets caught with Lex on a leash* Awww…ok I'll let them go. * releases Smallville characters*

A/N:Just reminding everyone, this is AFTER obscura, and BEFORE tempest.

And I know the dance happens differently. But if I told you what happened exactly the way it happened in the show, that wouldn't be interesting now would it?

Oh, and, just so you know I never really liked the idea of Whitney joining up in the army, so he's still there in smallville.

NOW…on with the show!!!!

~*~*~

Of Mice and Men

By Calette

Chloe danced in front of her mirror, the folds of her dress twirling about her. Clark would be there any moment to pick her up for the dance. True, she liked being a modern, independent female, but there were times where she did like the old traditional ways. A guy opening the door for her…giving her his jacket so she wouldn't be cold…you know, that chivalry stuff.

A car pulled up into her driveway. Damn it was spiff! Clark must have borrowed it from Lex or something. She smiled to herself. Damn, he really was going all out on this. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror, checking to see if there were any imperfections in the way she looked. She grinned. In her opinion, she had never looked better. She raced down the stairs to her door. Unfortunately, her window was the 'art deco' type, and she couldn't see through it to check out how Clark looked. He rang the doorbell again impatiently.

"Hold up, I'm coming!" She yelled to him through the door. Quickly, she unlocked the door, opening it wide. "What? You're not Clark!"

~*~*~*~

Clark has rushed through his chores and his dinner, and he was still running late. Trying for the 50th time to tie his necktie, he looked at the clock.

Damn.

She was gonna kill him.

Good thing he was impervious, he thought to himself, laughing.

Finally getting it right, he rushed out the door, barely stopping to say 'goodbye' to his parents.

I just hope I'm not so late she'll want to kill me…he thought, pulling out of his driveway.

~*~*~*~*~

Chloe shook her head, half mad and half amused.

"Figures he would be late…do you know how long till he comes Pete?"

"Sorry, he just told me to hightail it over here and tell you what's happening. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"You do know Pete that there's a wonderful little invention out there called the phone. You could have just called me."

Pete grinned. "yeah…I could've, but Brittany lived close by, and you know…two birds, one stone. Bam." He said, punching his fist into his palm. Plus I just wanted to see how pretty you looked before Clark did."

"Ahhh Pete, the sweet talker. Word of advice – don't try it on Brittany." She said laughing, checking out the window. " About time. Clark just pulled up." She grabbed her camera. Pete started to head out the door.

"All right, lets rock and roll!"

~*~*~*~

Awwww, how cute, the Three Musketeers off to the dance.

"Too bad you won't be joining them princess." He said to the terrified Lana Lang, bound and gagged next to him.

~*~*~*~

This…this is just perfect. Chloe thought to herself as she looked around her. It was like a dream come true. She was at the Spring Formal. On a date. With Clark.

Well, technically, it wasn't a date, but who's counting the technicalities anyways?

Remy Zero started up the chords to Perfect Memory. Clark came over and led her to the dance floor. Pulling her close, he started to dance with her slowly. Oh dear lord this was perfect. He nudged at her forehead, causing her to look up at him. Chloe couldn't believe her eyes…it wasn't like anything else she had ever felt before. It just hit her WHAM in the stomach. His eyes…his eyes seemed different. Like… they were in a new light, something completely different from before yet so right…

Their heads started to move towards one another, slowly edging towards that unmistakable goal. Chloe's lips tingles with anticipation. Finally, their lips met, just a brush against one another, but it felt like fire. The kiss deepened, seemingly never ending. The world seemed to stop around them as all time slowed down. All that was there was the moment and them, and they were just fine with that, thank you very much.

After what seemed like ages, they finally parted, Chloe a little breathless. Clark kinda looked shocked and scared at what he had done, afraid what whatever the repercussions might be. She just laughed and kissed him again, finally satisfied that she had Clark.

~*~*~*~

Martha Kent was just sitting at home, watching the television when her phone rang. Wondering who it could be, she walked over and picked it up.

"Hello? Hello?!" Nell Potter's voice rang out on the other end.

"Nell! Um – hi." Martha said, wondering why in the world Nell Potter would call her of all people.

"Martha! Thank god you're home!"

"Why Nell. What's wrong?"

"Well...I – I was coming home late from the Talon. I thought Lana would be home but she wasn't. No note, nothing!"

Martha sat down. Lana Lang being kidnapped wasn't exactly a new thing, but it was still shocking. "Alright Nell, calm down. Did you call Whitney?"

"Yes, I did. His mother told me he went to Metropolis to look for a job this weekend. I called everyone, she's not anywhere!" Nell wailed on the other end.

"Did you call the police?"

Nell gave a kind of half choke, half laugh. " The police?! Since when have they been any help to me?"

"Ok Nell, just calm down. You're no good to anyone falling to pieces. As soon as Clark gets home, we'll all start organizing a search party for her. She's bound to turn up somewhere."

"Ok…ok…thank you Martha."

Martha pondered for a moment, then asked. "Do you want me to come over? It can be helpful for some company."

"…sure." Nell said, relieved to have someone there for her.

Martha nodded, said goodbye, and then left, leaving a note for Jonathan and Clark.

~*~*~*~

Clark was feeling preeeeety good about himself right now.

Oh yeah. He was the man. He was the man.

He smiled and thought about how he and Chloe spent the entire evening in each other's arms. He smiled at the memory of the good night kiss he gave her on her porch, sorry he had to go. For the first time in his life, he felt free. He wasn't bogged down by worry, or by longing for Lana. He was just in the moment, and the moment was Chloe.

The lights in his house were dark.

Odd. His mother was supposed to be home. Cautiously, he opened the door to his house.

"Mom! Mom, are you there?" He said, yelling into the empty house. He ran to the kitchen, scanning the room frantically. Thank god, she had left a note on the fridge…

"Clark, went to Nell Potter's house. Lana missing. Call me when you get home."

Clark ran to the phone, almost tearing it off the wall.

An hour later, everyone was at his house, all talking about Lana and her disappearance. A search party was in the process of being organized. Clark realized that Chloe wasn't there. Walking over to the phone, he dialed her cell phone.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Ring

Chloe wasn't picking up. Something was wrong, she ALWAYS picked up the phone in the first two rings.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Clark was about to hang up and race over to her house when the phone picked up.

"Oh Chloe thank god! For a moment that I thought something had hap-"

"What makes you think this is Chloe?"

Clark's blood froze. Somehow, he knew he was talking to Lana and Chloe's mystery stalker. "Where is she? Where's Chloe!"

"Relax farmboy, they're safe."

"They're?" The realization dawned upon Clark that he must have Lana too. "You sick – "

"Woah, temper temper there Clark. Wouldn't want to fly off into a rage now, might not know what you might do with those superpowers of yours. Oh yes, I know, and I know a lot more about you, more then you know about yourself."

"Who are you?" Clark demanded, his eyes cold and hard.

"Awwww Clark, I'm hurt. After all you know me very well. Well, I should hope you do – after all you and your 'gifts' ruined my life! Now listen up, and listen good. And don't tell anyone else – well, actually it doesn't matter if you do, I've taken steps to ensure that you and only you can enter here. Now, I want you to go into the forest, right about in the center. You should see a mine shaft entrance there. Enter it and go straight. No turns, just straight. You might want to be fast too, I don't know how long these two can hold out." He said, laughing manically, hanging up. Clark pulled aside his Dad, explaining the situation. Jonathan's eyes were troubled, he knew what his son was about to do, and there was nothing he could do to stop him.

"You're going aren't you."

"Dad, he said nobody else can enter the mine shaft but me. I have to go. Chloe and Lana are depending on me."

Jonathan put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Alright son…just be careful. Hurry up and go, I'll cover up for you here." Clark just nodded, and sped out the door.

In no time at all he reached the mine shaft, in the middle of the forest, as described by the mystery man. Entering it, he felt a tingling sensation. That must be those 'measures' he was talking about. Clark thought bitterly. There were three tunnels ahead of him, each branching off into a different direction. Clark ignored the two on the sides and went straight as ordered. As he went through the shaft, the air grew damp.

There must be a cavern nearby, he thought to himself as he crept along. Clark only went a few more steps though before something came out of the darkness and hit him. Before he passed out, he saw a face right above him. It was oddly familiar…

~*~*~*~*~

Clark woke up in a small dark place. He tired to move but – but his hand were tied! Clark didn't understand this, there were no meteor rocks around…why couldn't he break through the bonds?

"And to answer you're oh so obvious first question, that's a special steel titanium with small, miniscule amounts of kryptonite – oops, sorry, meteor rocks, melted into the steel."

"Who are you?" Clark demanded once again, still struggling against his bonds.

The mans' shadow could be seen leaning against the wall. "Just someone from your past to whom you have done a great injustice." He said, stepping to the light. Clark gasped.

The unmistakable icy blue eyes of Eric Summers stared back at him.