Chapter 3: Hopes And Dreams
~~~
When Clark's eyelids opened this time, he found himself looking at the meteorite that had split in half, only this time, the purple stone was missing from its centre. The one in his pocket was still the same size, as he had expected. He had had a faint glimmer of hope that if he came back to this time, the stone would be full size, and that then he'd have two stones to use as he pleased, but this was not to be. The crystal's power was limited, so he would have to use it wisely.
Did he in actuality, change the past though? He raced to the Ross's house to find Pete. He knocked on his bedroom window and was greeted by a sleepy Martha Kent. She opened the window and looked out.
"Clark, is that you? It's late, what are you doing here?"
"What are you doing in Pete's room?"
"Well, when the storm hit, the roads got pretty bad so your father and I stopped here for the night. Pete graciously offered us his room to sleep in. I would have declined had I known about the neon posters."
Clark looked in at the familiar fluorescent posters adorning the walls. The images of Denise Richards, Josie Maran, Kelly Brook, Eliza Dushku, Jessica Alba, and Kristin Kreuk in various provocative poses stared back at him with a strange tantalizing glow. 'At least he's got good taste,' Clark thought.
"So Pete's on the couch then? Can you let me in? It's really important."
After letting Clark into the house, Martha returned to Pete's bed and pulled her head under the blanket, trying desperately to shield herself from the radiance of the scantily clad girls surrounding her. Clark in the meantime was doing his best to try and wake his best friend up. All his efforts proved inadequate when faced with Pete's notoriously sound slumber. He finally resorted to smacking him.
"Oh, what the hell? Clark, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? And why'd you wake me up, I was having this dream about Lana and - "
"I'm sorry, did you say you were dreaming about Lana? My Lana?"
"Sorry dude, she's hot. And Nell was there too. you want me to shut up now, right?"
Clark pulled his hand back to smack him again, but relented with a sigh. Instead he pulled out the purple crystal.
"Do you remember this?"
"Yeah, it's that geode you had a few years ago. Except it looks smaller now. I remember because right after you showed it to me, we passed Cindy Perkins in the hallway. She was wearing this really thin pink sweater, and I think she was cold cuz I could see her rock-hard - "
"Pete! Can't you get your mind off sex for five minutes?"
"Hell no. Besides, I wasn't thinking about sex, I was thinking about nipples."
"Why do I bother?" Clark asked in despair, before leaving his friend to whatever erotic dreams awaited him.
~~~
When Clark arrived home this time, he went straight to the loft to where Lana was sleeping. Chloe's death had affected Lana just as it had Clark, if not more. These days she seemed so unsure of herself, as if she lost a step in the middle of a big musical number. Shadows could be seen under her eyes, obviously the result of many restless nights.
She was curled up toward the back of the couch, leaving just enough room for him to slide in. He did so, wrapping the both of them in a blanket. Time travel was a tiring experience, even for him. All the thoughts of what to do next with the purple meteorite vanished when he felt Lana turn in her sleep to face him, her hands reaching out for him on instinct. Her hand unconsciously traced circles into his chest as a slight smile appeared on her lips.
These moments were few and far between, and he was most grateful for them. On some days, it seemed like she was the only thing holding him together, and on others, the opposite was true. Clark slid down the sofa a little more so that their faces were a mere inch apart. He slipped his hand over her waist, caressing the small expanse of skin that lay just under her small tee shirt. Lana, sensing his presence clutched him tighter and brought her lips to his ear.
"Coping a feel, Mr. Kent?" she asked in a husky whisper.
"I could say the same of you. I don't let just anyone touch me like that."
Her smile grew deeper as she slowly opened her eyes to meet his.
"Where were you tonight? I was expecting you to keep me company."
"Took a walk. Got hit with a meteor. Came back."
"Just as long as you weren't out with another woman."
"It's always been you, Lana. There will never be anyone else."
"Ooh, sweet-talk. I like."
"Can I ask you a question, Lana?"
"Sure."
"If you could go back in time and relive your life, would you change anything?"
"I guess the first thing I'd do is to save my parents,"
A slight frown appeared on Clark's face as she continued.
"If I could. I don't know if a three year old girl in a fairy costume could have saved them. I just wish had gotten to know them better. even if my dad, wasn't my real father. And I would have saved Chloe of course. And Ryan, not to mention all the other victims of the homicidal meteor maniacs running around town."
"Is that all?"
"Oh, and I would never have gotten involved with Whitney."
"Oh really?" Clark asked, his ears sudden perked.
"Yeah, if I had known what kind of person you were, I would have gone after you right from the beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Yeah, you remember when we first met right?"
"Of course I do. You know, I didn't like you very much."
"C'mon, Clark. Even when I was five I could tell you had a thing for me. You always stumbled when I was around, and you could barely put together a coherent sentence. And for christ sakes, everyone knew about the kisses you blew me when I wasn't looking."
Clark's cheeks suddenly reddened. He bit his lip and diverted his eyes from her gaze. Lana took his chin and turned his head back to face her before bestowing a quick kiss on his lips.
"I thought it was cute."
"So that's all you would change?"
"That about sums it up. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," he replied as he closed his eyes.
Lana was left somewhat unsatisfied with his answer, but didn't press him. Instead, she got more comfortable by straddling his leg with her thigh and placing her head on his shoulder. She heard Clark sigh and smiled knowing what he was thinking about now.
"Don't take advantage me while I'm sleeping, Clark."
"I would never do that," he replied, a coy grin on his lips.
Lana snickered before replying, "Or at least wake me up first before you do."
Clark coughed as Lana giggled. He finally settled down after a few moments and readied himself for what was sure to be a long sleepless night.
~~~
When Clark's eyelids opened this time, he found himself looking at the meteorite that had split in half, only this time, the purple stone was missing from its centre. The one in his pocket was still the same size, as he had expected. He had had a faint glimmer of hope that if he came back to this time, the stone would be full size, and that then he'd have two stones to use as he pleased, but this was not to be. The crystal's power was limited, so he would have to use it wisely.
Did he in actuality, change the past though? He raced to the Ross's house to find Pete. He knocked on his bedroom window and was greeted by a sleepy Martha Kent. She opened the window and looked out.
"Clark, is that you? It's late, what are you doing here?"
"What are you doing in Pete's room?"
"Well, when the storm hit, the roads got pretty bad so your father and I stopped here for the night. Pete graciously offered us his room to sleep in. I would have declined had I known about the neon posters."
Clark looked in at the familiar fluorescent posters adorning the walls. The images of Denise Richards, Josie Maran, Kelly Brook, Eliza Dushku, Jessica Alba, and Kristin Kreuk in various provocative poses stared back at him with a strange tantalizing glow. 'At least he's got good taste,' Clark thought.
"So Pete's on the couch then? Can you let me in? It's really important."
After letting Clark into the house, Martha returned to Pete's bed and pulled her head under the blanket, trying desperately to shield herself from the radiance of the scantily clad girls surrounding her. Clark in the meantime was doing his best to try and wake his best friend up. All his efforts proved inadequate when faced with Pete's notoriously sound slumber. He finally resorted to smacking him.
"Oh, what the hell? Clark, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? And why'd you wake me up, I was having this dream about Lana and - "
"I'm sorry, did you say you were dreaming about Lana? My Lana?"
"Sorry dude, she's hot. And Nell was there too. you want me to shut up now, right?"
Clark pulled his hand back to smack him again, but relented with a sigh. Instead he pulled out the purple crystal.
"Do you remember this?"
"Yeah, it's that geode you had a few years ago. Except it looks smaller now. I remember because right after you showed it to me, we passed Cindy Perkins in the hallway. She was wearing this really thin pink sweater, and I think she was cold cuz I could see her rock-hard - "
"Pete! Can't you get your mind off sex for five minutes?"
"Hell no. Besides, I wasn't thinking about sex, I was thinking about nipples."
"Why do I bother?" Clark asked in despair, before leaving his friend to whatever erotic dreams awaited him.
~~~
When Clark arrived home this time, he went straight to the loft to where Lana was sleeping. Chloe's death had affected Lana just as it had Clark, if not more. These days she seemed so unsure of herself, as if she lost a step in the middle of a big musical number. Shadows could be seen under her eyes, obviously the result of many restless nights.
She was curled up toward the back of the couch, leaving just enough room for him to slide in. He did so, wrapping the both of them in a blanket. Time travel was a tiring experience, even for him. All the thoughts of what to do next with the purple meteorite vanished when he felt Lana turn in her sleep to face him, her hands reaching out for him on instinct. Her hand unconsciously traced circles into his chest as a slight smile appeared on her lips.
These moments were few and far between, and he was most grateful for them. On some days, it seemed like she was the only thing holding him together, and on others, the opposite was true. Clark slid down the sofa a little more so that their faces were a mere inch apart. He slipped his hand over her waist, caressing the small expanse of skin that lay just under her small tee shirt. Lana, sensing his presence clutched him tighter and brought her lips to his ear.
"Coping a feel, Mr. Kent?" she asked in a husky whisper.
"I could say the same of you. I don't let just anyone touch me like that."
Her smile grew deeper as she slowly opened her eyes to meet his.
"Where were you tonight? I was expecting you to keep me company."
"Took a walk. Got hit with a meteor. Came back."
"Just as long as you weren't out with another woman."
"It's always been you, Lana. There will never be anyone else."
"Ooh, sweet-talk. I like."
"Can I ask you a question, Lana?"
"Sure."
"If you could go back in time and relive your life, would you change anything?"
"I guess the first thing I'd do is to save my parents,"
A slight frown appeared on Clark's face as she continued.
"If I could. I don't know if a three year old girl in a fairy costume could have saved them. I just wish had gotten to know them better. even if my dad, wasn't my real father. And I would have saved Chloe of course. And Ryan, not to mention all the other victims of the homicidal meteor maniacs running around town."
"Is that all?"
"Oh, and I would never have gotten involved with Whitney."
"Oh really?" Clark asked, his ears sudden perked.
"Yeah, if I had known what kind of person you were, I would have gone after you right from the beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Yeah, you remember when we first met right?"
"Of course I do. You know, I didn't like you very much."
"C'mon, Clark. Even when I was five I could tell you had a thing for me. You always stumbled when I was around, and you could barely put together a coherent sentence. And for christ sakes, everyone knew about the kisses you blew me when I wasn't looking."
Clark's cheeks suddenly reddened. He bit his lip and diverted his eyes from her gaze. Lana took his chin and turned his head back to face her before bestowing a quick kiss on his lips.
"I thought it was cute."
"So that's all you would change?"
"That about sums it up. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," he replied as he closed his eyes.
Lana was left somewhat unsatisfied with his answer, but didn't press him. Instead, she got more comfortable by straddling his leg with her thigh and placing her head on his shoulder. She heard Clark sigh and smiled knowing what he was thinking about now.
"Don't take advantage me while I'm sleeping, Clark."
"I would never do that," he replied, a coy grin on his lips.
Lana snickered before replying, "Or at least wake me up first before you do."
Clark coughed as Lana giggled. He finally settled down after a few moments and readied himself for what was sure to be a long sleepless night.