Part 8

Almost before Clark hit the ground, he was full out running towards his supposed counterpart.

Clark was usually a mild mannered person, never quick to judge or get angry.

But this creature had been kissing his Lana.

Possibly hurting his Lana.

Clark lost it.

With a wordless cry he lunged at himself, striking blindly. But with each punch or kick, his skin seemed to grow harder.

"You fool!" The creature shouted, striking back. Clark turned just in time, having had quite enough practice just today alone.

He ignored the creature's words, his hatred growing every second.

---

Chloe was getting worried.

Clark had gone upstairs about 5 minutes ago, and… nothing had happened.

Neither boy had run down the stairs, being chased by the other, there was no shouting or sobbing or… anything from upstairs.

Chloe's curiosity got the better of her, and she snuck up the stairs. She would just see if Clark needed any help in kicking this guy out, she told herself. She would do nothing else. These were her friend's personal lives, after all, not some article for the Torch or anything like that.

As she neared Lana's room, she listened, but heard no voices whatsoever. It was only when she was standing right by the open door that she heard the muffled sobbing.

Looking inside, she saw Lana lying facedown on her bed, sobbing into her pillow.

Chloe grew concerned instantly as to why her friend was crying. Was it because she felt so bad for what she had done to Clark?

Or had this been more than just making out.

Had this guy hurt Lana?

"Lana?" She hurried inside and over to her friend, climbing onto the bed and touching her shoulder in worry.

The other girl sat up and turned tear filled eyes to face her friend, still crying.

"C-Chloe," she said through a sob, but nothing else.

"Lana, are you okay?" Chloe began looking her over carefully for signs of injury. Should she call 9-1-1? Her dad? And suddenly the obvious hit her: where on earth were the boys?

"Lana… are you hurt?"

Lana didn't answer, she simply continued sobbing, her body trembling as she cried and gasped for breath in between heart wrenching sobs.

Chloe took hold of her friend's shoulders, pulling her up into a sitting position and forcing her to look Chloe in the eye. "Lana," she said firmly, "I know you're upset, but this is important. Are you hurt in anyway?"

"N-N-No," Lana managed to choke out, and Chloe relaxed, releasing her friend's shoulders, which caused Lana to fall against Chloe.

Awkwardly Chloe hugged her, not used to comforting people. She patted her back and said uncertainly, "it… it's gonna be okay… Lana…"

But the whereabouts of Clark and the other guy were still unknown to her, and once she'd let Lana have a good cry, she pulled away and spoke to her once again. She tried to make her voice calm, but had a feeling she failed.

"Lana… where is Clark and… and that other guy?"

Lana's body shuddered, but her tears, which had subsided slightly, did not worsen. She pointed shakily towards the window, which Chloe just noticed was open. Rain was dripping steadily onto the window ledge and slowly but surely making it's way closer to the wallpaper and both the girl's grounding.

Chloe rose and went to close the window, glancing out before doing so.

What she saw made her forget all about the ruining wood and waste of heat.

Clark was down there, fighting with another guy and losing badly.

"Oh my… Clark! How on earth did they get out there?!"

At the sound of her Boyfriend's - x-boyfriend? Chloe wasn't sure - name, Lana rose slowly and came to stand beside Chloe.

"Oh my…" The rain made it difficult to see, but it was obvious to tell who was winning.

"We've got to help him!" Chloe wasn't good at comforting, but after that guy had nearly stolen her laptop last year, she did know a thing or two about self-defense. She really should coach Lana sometime, she thought absently as both girls raced for the door.

-

It was no longer Clark vs. Clark anymore, now it was Clark vs. some guy made up entirely of muscle.

Clark hadn't even noticed the changes, but he did notice the hard uppercut to his face.

No matter what he did to defend himself, it seemed to have no effect on his opponent.

"Clark!" A call of his name distracted him, giving the figure another chance to punch Clark's nose.

Chloe and Lana were now standing on the front porch staring at the boy's fight in shock.

"Come on, Clark!" Chloe called to him, "don't let this guy kill you - come on!"

Her support seemed to give him renewed strength, and he focused back on the fight. He punched the guy, still hearing Chloe's encouraging words.

And for the first time, it seemed to have some kind of effect.

The figure stumbled, wincing and grabbing his cheek where Clark's fist had caught him.

The figure growled in anger and lashed out blindly, his hand slamming into Clark's stomach.

"Clark!" Lana's cry was horror-filled, voice broken and filled with terror, sadness, and… love?

Though it was a stupid thing to do, Clark turned to look at her. Tears were streaming down her face, but as their eyes met his question was instantly answered.

She did still love him.

"Don't worry! It's all right," he called to her, trying to say with his eyes that he wasn't just talking about his physical well being.

Lana loved him.

In one quick movement, his full attention was back on the fight and his fists were flying, striking out at the teen in front of him.

And it was working.

They made contact and he felt the other boy wincing in pain, backing away, surrendering.

"This isn't over," he growled finally, giving Clark's face one last light punch and sprinting away.

There was no movement from the 3 other teenagers in the yard for a few seconds, Clark standing on the lawn bleeding slightly, Chloe staring after the figure opened mouthed and shocked, and Lana staring longingly at Clark, tears still cascading down her face, body crying out for contact with his.

"Ummm… let's go inside," Chloe finally said, and the other two agreed.

-

11:00 came and went, but nobody took note.

Chloe had attempted to clean up Clark's face, but he protested, proclaiming he was fine. Lana had disappeared up to her room, mumbling something about making sure the water hadn't ruined anything and had not been seen since.

Chloe was confused as to how both boys had ended up downstairs without any use of the front door, but Clark had explained that the guy had come up to Lana's room with the use of a rope and gone down the same way, with Clark himself following before he could untie it.

Chloe seemed to accept this, and finally went to bed offering to drive Clark home but he declined.

He knew he had to leave, and it wasn't right for him to e alone in a house with two most likely sleeping girls, but he couldn't leave; not quite yet.

Not until he at least saw his Lana, made sure that she was physically all right.

He crept up to her room, walking silently passed Chloe's closed door and hesitating when he reached Lana's.

He was about to simply x-ray it, but then couldn't.

He couldn't be satisfied with just getting a glimpse through the door at her, in addition to the fact that it was taking advantage of her privacy, but he had to speak to her, touch her, be one hundred percent sure that she was all right.

---

She lay on her bed, clad in sweatpants and an old t-shirt. She was confused and horrified and so many other things.

Part of her wanted to run downstairs and apologize over and over to Clark, to throw herself in his arms and kiss him, love him, touch him, simply be with him.

But no.

No, never again.

She'd betrayed him.

A shuddering sob escaped her lips, being muffled by her pillow.

She reached out to her nightstand and picked up an envelope Chloe had given her sometime ago. Opening it, she pulled out one of the 3 photographs inside.

Despite her sadness, a smile formed on her lips, as she looked at Clark, asleep on her front lawn, in faded, slightly too small pajamas.

If she looked closely she realized, she could see herself, or rather her hand, resting on Clark's shoulder, assuring that he would stay asleep for the time being.

Replacing the picture, she pulled out another, this one of Clark as he woke up, in the same position, expression sleepy and puzzled. She touched his forehead where a stray lock of hair lay, fingers brushing against the paper, the image so real that she'd done the action before she could stop herself.

There was one more picture in the envelope, of Lana herself, but she left it inside.

She remained curled up on her bed, staring at her beloved's face and longing for his touch.

And abruptly, it came.

The softest of hands touched her shoulder, a tentative voice whispering her name.

"Lana?"

She turned slowly, her tears having stopped sometime ago so that she was able to see him clearly.

At first she only stared, not believing, but when their eyes connected she knew and breathed his name.

"Clark."

She reached out and after a second's hesitation he scooped her up. She dropped the picture back on the bed and leaned into his embrace, holding him tight around the neck and crying, laughing, and repeating his name all at once.

Then their lips were touching in a kiss so tentative yet strong that they never wanted it to end. The kiss slowly deepened, but not too much and not too fast. It was a kiss of renewal, of forgiveness and of trust. It was filled with love and apology and so much more.

They breathed in unison, their breaths as soft and light as butterfly's wings. Their arms encircled one another protectively, like the hold a mother would do on her child, but so much more than that.

Finally, as one the kiss ended, their faces drawing apart. Their breathing separated but their eye contact did not.

"I'm so sorry," Lana said finally, though she knew Clark already knew.

"I know… and I forgive you. I love you so much, Lana."

"I love you too, Clark. And I - Clark!"

He jumped in surprise, looking at her worriedly. "What? What is it?"

"Your face!" In all that had been going on she'd failed to notice the fresh bruises on his face, the cuts that had stopped bleeding but still looked painful.

"Oh… it's fine."

"No, it's not. Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him towards he door, "let's go."

---

She led him down to the bathroom, cleaned his cuts and applied ice to his bruises. They ended up in the living room, sitting on the couch. His arm was around her shoulders and her head was on his chest. She held the ice to his face despite his protests and they exchanged stories.

They would have discussed how and why the figure had left, but both were growing exhausted. It had been a physically and emotionally draining day for them both, and sleep was drawing dangerously close.

They slowly lapsed into silence and Lana was half asleep when she felt something fall against her arm.

Opening her eyes and sitting up slightly, she saw that it was Clark's head. He was either asleep or very close to it; his head slumped against her arm, the ice packs very close to falling to the floor.

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was close to midnight and knew that Gabe would be home soon, and Clark had to be at his own house as well.

"Clark," she murmured, touching his hand. He showed no sign that he'd heard.

"Clark," she said again, slightly louder. "Clark, wake up."

He stirred slightly, but nothing else. "Clark, come on, you've gotta go home."

Her lips were close to his, her breath warm on his face. Her hand moved from his to his shoulder, and shook him slightly.

His eyes opened slowly, and he moaned in protest. Sitting up, he looked around, confused.

"What… where…"

"Come on, I'll drive you home."

They both rose from the couch, Clark becoming more fully awake and Lana not wanting him to leave.

The car ride was silent, both too tired to speak.

"Thanks," Clark said as they approached his house. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know… but I wanted to." She pulled into his driveway and they both unbuckled their seatbelts and shared one last kiss.

---

Pain.

Hot, searing pain.

Love, support, concern, and even more love.

The emotions were hitting it, burning it, possibly killing it, running over it's body both inside and out.

No matter what shape it shifted into, if it was solid or not, the pain did not leave.

"Just… a… miner… setback," the figure muttered to itself, as it sat in an alley on the outskirts of Smallville. "I'm just not strong enough, that's all."

But even as it spoke the words, it didn't believe them.

It would just have to be careful, that was all. It forced itself to believe these thoughts, a slow but sure smile forming on its kryptonite lips.

It would win.

It would kill.

It would make that girlfriend of Clark's do much more than cry.

If only the pain would stop…

Author's Notes:

I finished it in a week! There's an improvement, dontcha think? Oh, and in other good news… I found my Clana CD! I'm currently listening to it, if anyone was wondering. That was the reason for the sappy scene t'wards the end there… Take me Away by Lifehouse is such a nice song… *sighs happily*

Well… as always… feedback please!

And one more thing, though I think this part pretty much cleared it up… the Clark kissing Lana in the last part was the figure… the Clark helping Chloe with the Torch was our Clarkie. Just so everyone's clear… I thought I remembered one person wondering about that… If not, then you just wasted sometime reading this last paragraph!

J Lala