Part 6

Lana opened the Sullivan's front door, which was strangely unlocked; Gabe had a thing about always locking the door, a far cry from the Kent's, who only locked their door at nights; and dashed inside, doubting she'd find Clark, but not knowing what else to do.

She had looked everywhere, even going so far as to look in Clark's bedroom over at the Kent's. But there had been no sign of him.

She suddenly heard noises coming from the kitchen. She hurried toward it, anxious to check on her Clark.

"Clark?" Her eyes widened as she stepped into the doorway of the room.

A kitchen chair lay on the floor, and blood was spattered around. The remains of the shirt that Clark had been wearing earlier that day were lying blood and what looked like vomit covered near the table, and Chloe's laptop lay beside a by now cold cup of coffee on top of it.

But these things were nothing compared to what she saw lying near the counter on the floor.

No, these things were nowhere near the worst part of the scene.

The worst part was Clark.

He was lying on the floor, making out with someone.

Making out with her.

Lana could only stare, and once her eyes got over the initial shock of watching herself making out with Clark, in a very skimpy outfit she noticed, she began to pick out things that she was stunned she could have missed on first glance.

The Lana look-a-like had her arms around Clark's neck, and he appeared to be in pain.

He struggled with her, but she seemed to have the upper hand.

She smiled and happened to glance up from where she was torturing a by now terrified Clark.

Her eyes met Lana's, and all her joy evaporated, turning to anger in less than a second.

"You!" She spat the word, her voice Lana's but somehow not.

She leaped off Clark, who lay trembling on the ground, not having seen the real Lana yet.

The Lana impostor met Lana's eyes for a brief second, and the look in them made Lana shudder.

It was a twisted evil, mixed with disgust.

Disgust for her.

And suddenly the figure was sprinting passed her, picking up speed as she went. As she left the front door, she was going as fast, if not faster than Clark at super speed.

Clark.

She turned away from the doorway and ran to Clark, falling to her knees beside him and looking him over.

---

Clark was really getting scared.

Lana's kisses were getting more demanding, and she still showed no sign of stopping.

Just how far would she go?

A twisted smile spread itself across Lana's usually gentle face.

Abruptly the smile was gone and a look of rage was replacing it.

"You!" She had dropped all pretences of being her usual self as she spoke, her voice filled with spite.

She jumped off him and he sighed in relief.

He lay panting on the ground, still trembling, still bleeding.

But Lana had mercifully stopped kissing him, and he was too relieved to think of anything else.

His relief quickly turned to confusion, with panic still gripping his heart however. Lana - no, not Lana. His Lana would never act like that - whatever she was had acted like there was someone else in the room.

Hesitantly, he looked up. He caught sight of Lana running out the door faster than a normal human should and still picking up speed.

Abruptly, he heard hurried footsteps and then the sound of something hitting the ground very close to him.

"Clark!" A voice said very close to his ear.

Lana's voice.

He gasped in terror and moved his body away from hers, too afraid to even brave looking at his princess. He'd heard her leave; what was going on?

"Clark?" There was fearful concern in her voice, and he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

Slowly, he turned to look at her. He wouldn't let this… whatever she was know he was scared.

---

Lana dropped to her knees beside Clark. He was facing away from her, and on closer inspection was trembling and covered in blood which appeared to still be falling all be it not too strongly.

"Clark!" She exclaimed, concern and fear in her eyes.

He didn't reply, but tried his best to move away from her.

He wasn't… he wasn't scared of her?

But Lana was certain he was.

What had that impostor done to him?

"Clark?" Her voice was softer this time, trying to get him to talk to her but also trying to reassure him in that one word.

She reached out, her hand resting gently on his bare shoulder. It was warm and that alone was slightly comforting, but she wasn't the one who needed the consolation right now.

Slowly, Clark turned to face her. Seeing his face up close was agony.

He was covered in bruises, and dried tear tracks were fresh on his face.

"Oh," she breathed, tracing the outline of one bruise in particular on his right cheek. Her touch seemed to worsen his trembling.

"Don't… don't hurt me, please."

---

She was acting so much like the regular Lana, his lovable Lana, but he wouldn't be fooled again.

Her hand gently touched his face, not bringing any deliberate pain like the other had 5 minutes before.

"Don't… don't hurt me, please." He begged, his voice coming out in a whisper.

Her reaction stunned him.

Tears glistened in those beautiful eyes of hers, and her own voice came out shaky.

"Clark… I would never hurt you."

His voice began to waver and he wished she would stop touching him. "I wish I could believe that…"

---

"I wish I could believe that…" His voice was shaking and the tears spilled down Lana's cheeks.

"Oh, Clark," she said through a sob and gathered him into her arms.

A gasp of pure terror left his lips and he began to convulse violently against her.

Seeing the effect she was having on him, Lana forced herself to let go. Clark fell back on the floor, with Lana leaning over him, her face close to his as she watched him concernedly, her tears slowly subsiding as she forced herself to regain control.

"Clark? What is it?" All her instincts were screaming at her to touch him, to stroke his cheek, to pull him to her, to kiss away the terror and the pain that reflected so clearly back at her in his eyes, but she held herself back, not wanting to scare him again.

"What… you… you're not kissing me," Clark spluttered, his fear seeming to lessen ever so slightly.

Lana stared at him, confused.

"No… do you want me to?"

"Not you… you're not the real Lana…"

"What are you talking about? Clark, of course I'm the real Lana! Look at me… don't I look like her?"

---

Clark looked at her; really looked at her. Gone was the skimpy outfit, replaced by her usual jeans and t-shirt. Her eyes met his and he saw no lust or spite. Loving concern was clear in her probing gaze, with a fear to match his behind it as well.

He reached out unconsciously, still not quite believing, but his blind panic diminishing slowly.

A small hand closed over his, and hope surged through him.

"Lana?"

"Clark?"

They spoke the other's name in unison, and he was the one to hug her this time.

He reached up and grabbed her hard and fast, clinging to her like those clip on animals young girls hung off their backpacks.

She returned his embrace instantly, relief coming into her eyes.

For a while he just held her, too relieved at having her, the real her with him, knowing she would never hurt him but not quite ready to relive the terrifying and painful memories that he knew he would have to eventually share with her, but just couldn't bring himself to right now.

-

Oh, how beautiful.

The figure watched in disgust as Clark and his girlfriend held one another, their pathetic emotions clear and making it feel physically ill.

Just what would it have to do to break him? To break both of them?

It didn't know yet, but it would figure it out and soon.

For now, it was content at remembering the terror in Clark's eyes when it had been kissing him before.

It shot away, smiling demonically and leaving its trademark green glow hanging in the air illuminating the couple briefly through the window.

Author's notes:

Short, but I got it up in a week, so did that make up for it? The next part… ooh. I'm utterly stuck for ideas… there will be a stand off of some kind with the figure between both Lana and Clark respectively, but it's too early for that to happen. Suggestions, anyone? The usual feedback would be great, too…