Lana Lang knocked on the Kents' front door and waited patiently. She could hear people talking inside, but the voices stopped when Martha Kent opened the door.

She smiled warmly. "Come on in Lana."

"How are you doing Mrs. Kent?" Lana asked gingerly, wondering if she should acknowledge it at all.

Martha saddened for a moment, then smiled a bit.

"You know you can call me Martha, honey."

Lana nodded, almost shyly. "Okay."

"I'm doing alright, all things considered." She opened the door wider and motioned Lana in.

"I'm sorry about what happened. Clark never told me about."

Martha nodded. "We didn't want him to, until the pregnancy was farther along. I'm sure you can understand how difficult it was for him to keep that big a secret."

Lana laughed off-handedly. "Well, Clark always was good at hiding the truth." The words sunk in and the smile faded from her lips.

Jonathan sat in the living room, and ushered his wife and Lana in.

Martha tensed up noticeably. "Uh, why don't you sit down?"

"I got your message," Lana offered. "I came right over. Is there any news?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh.no. There isn't." Martha sat down next to her husband across from the couch, where Lana had taken the liberty of situating herself.

"Look," Jonathan said, struggling with the words. "It's been a couple weeks. As you know, Martha and I filed a missing persons report, but since Clark is a teenager, and left on his own, the police aren't really taking it seriously. And we can't say we blame them."

"Lana," Martha interjected. "We called you here, because we think it's time you knew the truth. We've been talking, and.you deserve to know everything."

"Um, no offense.but don't you think Clark should be the one to tell me."

Martha sighed painfully. "Honey," she started gently. "We don't know when, or if Clark is even coming back."

"He's coming back. I know he will," Lana replied, her eyes glassy, her voice cracking under the pressure of having to appear brave and strong in front of Clark's parents. Still, they were the only people who could understand the depths of her pain at this moment.

"Lana, we hope that you're right, but in case you're not, you need to know." Martha said this delicately, so as to not offend the already fragile girl.

"Maybe I don't want to know anymore. Maybe it's more trouble than it's worth." Lana turned away from them, trying to hide her anger and fear. If Clark's own parents didn't believe he'd come back, how could she keep hoping in vain that he would?

She shook her head. "No," she said clearly, with new resolve. "Tell me. I want to know. I need to know." Her voice broke as she spoke, trying to appear much calmer than she really was.

"Lana," Martha said, her own eyes filling with tears. "I need to ask you something."

"Martha." Jonathan warned quietly.

"No," she said, silencing her husband. "I want to ask her." She turned back to Lana.

"Do you love Clark?" she asked, her voice overflowing with emotion.

Lana small body shuddered at the mention of his name. She let out a small whimper.

"Yes, of course I do.more than anything."

Martha's face lightened considerably. She looked to her husband and he nodded supportively.

"Lana," Martha said gently. "What we're about to tell you can never leave this room. You can't tell anyone. Not ever. It's for your own protection, as well as Clark's."

"I understand," she said seriously. Lana's face remained impassive, but her darting eyes betrayed the fact that she was just as anxious about the situation as the Kents were.

"So this is it? The big secret? I hope it's good," she said, laughing softly to herself, trying to dissipate the awkwardness of the conversation.

Martha's face drained of color. 'Lana has no idea what she's in for,' she thought. She sighed, took a deep breath and began. Jonathan squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"Lana, before I say anything, you need to know, that the reason Clark never told you, was because he was afraid. Knowing what I'm about to tell you is a huge responsibility. And a dangerous one. Do you understand?"

Lana nodded. "I'm ready," she said confidently.

Martha forced a smile and continued. "As you know.Clark is.special."

The girl's face lit up. "Yeah, he is."

"He's different. He's not like us." Martha wished desperately that Lana could simply read her mind. That she wouldn't have to be sitting here in the living room, telling her son's girlfriend what she was about to tell her.

Lana played with her hands nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Honey.I don't know how to say this, but.Clark's not from this planet." Martha anxiously awaited Lana's reaction.

She smiled forcefully, and after a moment, was shocked to find herself not completely reeling from the news.

Martha and Jonathan shifted uncomfortably.

Lana sat half-laughing, half-trembling in fear. Finally, she spoke. "You're joking," she said, although the words came out in a gasp.

"No," said Jonathan soberly. "We're not. He came in a small ship with the meteor showers in 1989. We adopted him as our own son, and have raised him as such ever since."

"You mean.you mean, he's."

"An alien." Martha finished for her.

"An alien," Lana repeated in wonder. She was not immediately brought to her knees by the notion that her boyfriend was not human. It was too unbelievable to comprehend at all. It all seemed too surreal to be true.

"He has abilities."

Lana shook her head. "No," she whispered under her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut. "No, this can't be happening," she muttered. "This can't be real."

"Lana, I know this is a lot to be taking in right now, but we wanted to tell you because we want you to understand why Clark left."

"Why did he leave?" she asked, her heart aching at the memory.

Martha shook her head. "It's complicated. But if Clark said it was for our protection, then we believe him."

Lana nodded but did not seem placated by the thought. If anything, she looked increasingly more upset each passing minute. "I just wish he'd call. What if he's hurt, or in trouble?"

"He's not hurt." Jonathan said softly. "We know that. Clark's basically indestructible. The only thing he's allergic to is the meteor rocks."

Lana's eyes widened. "My necklace," she murmured, touching her bare neck, and remembering the memories associated with the green pendant.

A thousand questions rushed through her head. Questions she didn't have answers to. Not now, and maybe not ever. Questions that haunted her nightmares as she slept, and consumed her thoughts every waking moment.

A sudden chill in the air forced Lana back down to earth. "I have to go," she mumbled warily. She felt drained and numb. She was not expecting this kind of truth when she'd walked over to the Kents' that night. Clark's family was not known for their candor. 'Why now?' Lana asked herself. 'Why like this, all of a sudden?' Lana realized with a start that they were just as scared as she was. They were afraid they'd never see their son again. They wanted someone to experience their pain with them. And Lana was that person. 'Maybe lies are better than the truth," she thought bitterly.

Martha put her hand over Lana's, a gesture of maternal kindness. She flinched and pulled away.

"No," she said shaking her head furiously. "No, I can't. I just can't. I need to go," she said again, leaping up. She ran, stumbling, for the door. She hastily jostled the door handle and was outside; gasping in the fresh, cool air.

Jonathan called after her, but she was already gone.