Epilogue – A New Beginning

The party was in full swing.

It looked like every teenager in town had converged on the Potter farm, and the music could be heard for a mile around. At the moment, the song being blasted out was "Somebody Save Me," by a band nobody's ever heard of.

Clark Kent strolled across the front lawn with his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans. He stopped before he got to the porch and looked around.

Everyone in school seemed to be there, though Clark recognised precious few of them. He'd just mounted the steps when the door opened, and Lana Lang stepped out into the moonlight.

Clark caught his breath. She wore tight fitting jeans, cut low, and a figure-hugging black halter-top. Clark's eyes glazed over as he admired her, silently praying she wouldn't notice how loud his heart was beating.

Clark could not decide which was the more painful, being around the meteor rocks, or standing close to Lana. Since he was five years old, Clark had been infatuated with Lana.

In a flash his mind raced back to the time she first spoke to him.

-----

It was in middle school, and Clark had been sitting on the sidelines of the field, watching Pete and the rest of the kids play touch football.

He was angry, and kept ripping the grass between his fingers because he wasn't allowed to play.

"You have to be responsible Clark, you could hurt somebody," he grumbled, mimicking his father, "Don't see why," he continued, "I'm careful. I've been practising. Yesterday I picked up a cow and I didn't drop her this time. I didn't even squeeze too hard."

He focused on destroying the landscaping, still fuming. He heard a cheer from the field and looked up. Pete had just scored a touchdown. He did a crazy little dance in the end zone and gave Clark a thumbs up. Clark forced a smile and returned the gesture.

"Why aren't you playing, Clark?"

Clark nearly jumped out his skin when he heard the voice. He swung round and saw Lana standing over him. She wore a pretty floral dress and had her hair done up in pigtails. Her eyes were an iridescent green and she offered him a sweet smile.

Clark's jaw flapped uselessly for a while as he struggled for a response. Eventually he clamped his mouth shut and just stared at her, obviously uncomfortable. She giggled and sat down beside him.

This only served to make Clark even more uncomfortable, and he started fidgeting. Twisting the blades of grass, braiding them together in an effort to keep his eyes away from Lana.

She pretended not to notice and turned her attention to the kids playing the game. Clark's heart beat a crazy rhythm against his ribs and his thoughts were a confused whirl.

He wasn't concentrating and started weaving the grass at a speed that, if Lana had noticed, would have sent her screaming back home.

But she didn't notice, and when Clark finally looked down at what he'd done, he was shocked to find he'd strung a summer green crown in a complex weave.

He stared at it. Lana looked down, and gave a little gasp as she spotted his handiwork.

"Oh, Clark! That's beautiful."

He turned and stared dumbly at her, still shocked at his actions. Then a thought pinged in his head and he held it out to her.

"For you," he mumbled.

Her lustrous eyes grew even larger as she reached out a hand and took it hesitantly. She held it flat on her palm and gaped at it, before lifting it slowly and placing it over her raven tresses.

Clark grinned. "Hold on," he said.

He got up and jogged over to the fence. At its base he bent down, and plucked a tiny yellow flower from the ground, before returning to Lana's side. He reached up, and placed the flower in her hair, just inside the circumference of the grass crown.

"There," he smiled again, "Perfect."

"Thank you Clark," she answered his smile with one of her own and Clark felt beads of sweat form on his brow.

Nervously, he wrung his hands together, returning his gaze to the ground in front of him.

"Welcome, Lana," he stammered.

She giggled again and stood up.

"I'm going to keep this forever," she told him.

Then, with a parting smile, she hurried off to join her girlfriends, who immediately began examining Clark's crude crown.

Clark forced his attention back to the game, where Pete broke through the line and scored another touchdown. This time, Clark cheered his friend with gusto, his grin so wide it could have snapped his face in two.

He'd talked to Lana.

Six whole words and he didn't mess them up.

What a great day!

-----

"Clark!" Lana's voice snapped him back, "You made it."

"Wouldn't miss it for all the world," said Clark.

"Glad to hear it," said Lana, "Well, you're here, everyone else in the county is here, there's only one person missing."

She moved to the front of the porch and stood, hands on hips. Clark joined her.

"Who?"

"Tyler!" said Lana, with an exasperated sigh.

"He's late for his own party?"

"Yeah," she said, "He probably wants to make a grand entrance or something."

"Uh oh," said Clark.

"What?"

"Well," a half-smile played on Clark's lips, "To Tyler, a grand entrance would be something like... parachuting through the roof, or, arriving in a stolen helicopter, or something."

"Oh I hope not. Nell's freaking out as it is. That would definitely tip her over the edge."

Clark chuckled, "How's it looking over at the Talon?"

Lana sighed and shook her head, "The coffee shop's completely destroyed," she said, "Luckily the theatre survived without any major damage. I think it'll survive a nuclear holocaust. I called Lex this morning and he's graciously volunteered to pay for the repairs."

"That's nice of him," said Clark.

"Yeah," she said, "The police said the supports were old and just caved, but..."

"But what?"

"But just before the ceiling came down on me, I could have sworn I saw Lex."

"Lex?"

"Yeah, in the shop."

"I doubt it," said Clark.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me Lana," said Clark, "It wasn't Lex."

Lana nodded and they stood for a while in companionable silence, then: "I'll go get us something to drink," said Lana, "You stay right here, okay?"

"Okay," Clark turned and watched her go inside.

When he turned back, he found Whitney up in his face.

"Still trying to get with my girlfriend Kent?"

"Look Whitney, just back off alright?" said Clark, holding up his hands, "Lana and I are just friends."

Whitney's look was full of scorn.

"Yeah right. You got lucky with that football, Kent! Next time I'll..."

Whitney's voice trailed away.

His eyes widened, and before Clark knew what happened, he was hurtling back over the lawn in a crazy tumble. Tyler Ring climbed the steps and laid a brotherly hand on Clark's shoulder. Turning, he called out:

"Hey Quarterback! Thinking of trying out for the gymnastics team?"

Whitney stood and dusted himself off, looking furious.

"Bring it on!" said Tyler.

Whitney didn't reply, without another word he stormed off. Tyler laughed.

"Whichever way you look at it, Kel-El," he said, leaning in to whisper in Clark's ear, "I'm your guardian angel now."

Clark grinned, "Where have you been?"

"I'm a gentleman Clark," Tyler told him, "I went to pick up my date."

He shifted his body so Clark could see Chloe, standing next to him. Clark's eyes bulged.

She looked radiant.

She wore a thigh-length, tight black dress, and more make-up than usual. But as soon as she looked at Tyler, Clark realised that that wasn't the true reason for the incredible transformation.

She had become desirable.

"Chloe," he gaped, in awe, "You look absolutely beautiful."

Chloe smiled self-consciously and clicked her tongue at him.

"Shut up Clark!"

"No really, you look..." he sought the right word, "Wow!" he finished lamely.

Tyler laughed, "My sentiments exactly."

Lana came back out onto the porch, carrying two drinks. She handed Clark one, then turned to Tyler.

"Decided to show up, huh?"

"Yeah," said Tyler, he put on a look of superiority and a terrible British accent, "You see, our plans to attend a ball at Smallville's Waldorf Astoria suffered a last minute cancellation. So I instructed my chauffeur to take us wherever the riffraff were gathering."

"Idiot," said Lana, rolling her eyes.

"Lana," said Clark, "Keep Chloe company for second. I need to talk to Tyler alone."

"Sure," Lana agreed, and she and Chloe immediately descended into an intense, whispered conversation.

Clark steered Tyler out onto the lawn where they wouldn't be overheard.

"Well," he said, "I persuaded my dad to let me weld shut the door to the storm cellar. You'd need a tank to get in there now."

"Good thinking," said Tyler, "You think Lex really doesn't remember any of it?"

"I'm not sure," Clark admitted, "I guess we'll find out sooner or later. We'll just have to deal with it when it comes."

"True."

"You never told me how you stopped the Eradicator."

"What?" said Tyler, "Didn't you see?"

"I was too busy dying at the time."

Tyler chuckled, "It was simple actually, I should have thought of it immediately."

"What?"

"I absorb the meteor rocks," he explained, "I don't just destroy them, I suck the energy right into my body. All I had to do was make sure Lex shot those beams into my eyes, and I drained him."

"Must have taken a lot out of you."

"It did," Tyler nodded, "I went out into the woods to test my abilities. They're not as hyped as they were, but I still have a little something left."

"Glad to hear it," said Clark, "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Tyler grinned at him, and they shook hands.

Then they turned and faced the steps, where Lana and Chloe were watching them with interest.

"C'mon," said Tyler, "Let's not keep the ladies waiting."

-----

Tyler leaned back against the wall, sipping his drink and watching the kids dance in the cleared living room. He closed his eyes and let the music wash over him.

The events of the past few days filled his mind, and he knew it would be a while before it all sank in. There was so much to deal with. The shock and pain of his parents' death still lingered, but his newfound friendship with Clark was going a long way to making that fade.

What he did know for certain was that he had a destiny now.

He opened his eyes at the sound of Lana's voice.

"Have you seen Whitney?" she asked, with a trace of agitation, "I can't find him anywhere."

"I saw him earlier," Tyler replied, "He must've bailed."

"Why would he do something like that?"

Tyler shrugged, "Maybe he was tired."

He almost grinned, and had to disguise it with a faked cough.

"Where's Chloe?" Lana asked.

"Bathroom," said Tyler, "She's touching something up. Lord knows what."

Lana smiled, "She does look fantastic tonight."

"So do you."

She inclined her head in acknowledgement. Then the music changed. The gentle melody of The Calling's "Wherever You Will Go" drifted out over the crowd and Lana squealed and clapped her hands.

"I love this song!"

Tyler smiled, "Good. Because the timing is perfect."

"What do you mean?"

"I think there's someone who'd really like to dance with you," he gestured over her shoulder.

Lana turned around.

There stood Clark, in the middle of the floor, his eyes locked to hers. She noticed something about him that she'd noted before – Whenever Clark was around, everything around him became just background. As if he were a colour photograph in a world of black & white.

Without a word, Lana stepped into him and curled her arms around his neck. He gently laid his hands on her waist and they swayed to the music.

And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days

If a great wave shall fall
It'll fall upon us all
Then I hope there's someone out there who
Can bring me back to you

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high, or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

Lana looked up at Clark, and silent tears glistened in her eyes.

"You know what I love about you Clark?" she asked, he shook his head, "You make this song real."

She laid her head back on his chest. Clark shut his eyes and just held the moment. Maybe the only one he'd ever have.

After a while, he pulled back from her.

"Lana?"

"Yes, Clark?"

"The other day, in my loft. What would you have done if I had taken a shot?"

"I have no idea," she said, "Its complicated."

Clark sighed, "Yes it is."

Lana stopped, and cupped his head in her hands, "Our time will come Clark. I know it."

"You really believe that?"

"Yes I do."

"Then what do we do now?"

She gifted him a gentle smile, "I guess... We pretend we never have to stop dancing."

-----

Tyler watched them from across the room. Then he smiled to himself, and went to find Chloe.

-----

"You want me to do what?" Chloe shrieked.

"Just climb out the window," said Tyler.

The party had ended, and almost everyone had left. They stood in Tyler's bedroom, by the open window that led out onto the roof of the porch.

"Just come on," said Tyler, stepping through.

With a sigh of resignation, Chloe hiked up her skirt and joined him. Tyler sat down and spread his legs. Chloe sat in between them, and leaned back, her head at rest on his chest.

They sat there for the longest time, not speaking, just losing themselves in the starlight.

"They're brighter here," said Tyler, eventually.

"What, the stars?"

"Yeah, you don't really appreciate them in the city."

"You think you'll miss it? City life?"

"Nah!" said Tyler, putting his arms around her, "Too dangerous."

Chloe giggled, "Even for the Metropolis wildchild?"

"Especially for the Metropolis wildchild."

"Don't you want to be reckless anymore?"

"I'm about to do something reckless right now." He leaned back, cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head until she was facing him.

Tyler paused, a cheeky smile on his face, and stared into her bright, wide eyes, noting how clearly they reflected the stars. They slowly leaned into each other and their lips met in a soft, sweet, lingering kiss. Tyler broke away and stared listlessly at her again.

"What are you thinking," she asked.

"I'm thinking I'm going to like Smallville."

The End