"Clark, where were you?" asked Martha. "It's four in the morning!" she exclaimed, coming down the stairs.
"I'm sorry mom, I fell asleep in the caves." said Clark. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
She seemed to relax. "So, how did your date with Alex go? You left in such a hurry this morning we didn't see you."
Clark smiled. "Mom, it wasn't a date. Alex was leaving today and I just wanted to say goodbye. We're just friends."
Mrs. Kent frowned, in confusion. "You said she was moving into Smallville? And just friends?"
Clark shook his head. "No I didn't. She was just staying with her grandpa for two weeks. Alex left today. And yes, we're just friends, why?"
"You seemed pretty attached to her." said Martha.
"Well, she's a great person. Very honest, very smart, very straight-forward. But it's not like we were romantic." Clark said, pausing. "It's too bad she couldn't have stayed longer."
"Are you feeling allright?"
"Of course mom, never better." he stated. "Now I'm going to go get some sleep for tomorrow, well today I suppose. Goodnight, mom." he said while quietly going up the steps to his room.
Martha stood there, stunned. Maybe she and Jonathan had misread Clark? But that didn't seem possible. Clark looked so certain. Or could be in denial? Whatever it was she would let Clark deal with it.
Clark stepped into his room, looking at the empty bed. Oh how he wished Alex was there... Where did that come from? Clark didn't know. He shook it off, laying down. His bed was far more comfortable than the cave. The teenage boy slowly drifted off to sleep, unable to stop the flashes of Alex filling his mind. And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.
And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.
Clark found himself in the loft.
"And we've found each other." she said, inching closer. "I know you can feel it to. I've never met anyone else like you. Clark, I never want to be alone again." she said, leaning forward. Alex pressed her lips against Clark's, dragging her lower lip below his.
Kent closed his eyes and kissed her tenderly back. For the first time in his life Clark didn't feel alone, out of place. Alex and him were different but the same, they knew each other in ways nobody else could possibly imagine. He didn't want to be alone again.
Suddenly Clark was at school.
"Going on a date?" asked Lana.
"Yep. Clark is going to introduce me to his parents."
Clark now saw the save paintings... his mind was filled with sadness.
"What?" asked Clark, concerned. "Whatever it is, I'll understand. I love you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you again."
Clark awoke, looking at the clock. He had been asleep for all of twenty minutes. Where did those dreams come from? None of that happened. Why was his mind making up these scenarios? Was he attracted to Alex? Again, she was very attractive. Very smart, very honest. Kent started thinking more about the time they spent together. Why hadn't he seen it earlier? Why hadn't he realized it? Alex knew Clark's secret, and Clark knew Alex's. Kent couldn't figure out why he told her, but that didn't matter. She was a friend and wouldn't reveal his secret. She was a very good friend, despite such a short time together.
Clark wished Alex would've stayed in Smallville. Maybe Clark would work up the courage to ask her out. Kent could defenitly see something developing with Alex. She was different from everyone else, she was the same as him. They belonged together.
What was wrong with him? Alex was a friend. He hadn't felt any of these things before. Yet, the more Clark thought about what had been happening over the past two weeks, one thing was made clear to Clark: iit was wrong/i. Something wasn't right about it. And Clark remembered her going to school, why would she go to school if she was only here on vacation, like she claimed?
'She is a telepath.' thought Clark. Maybe Kent could get a hold of Alex, have just one conversation with her. But he didn't know her number, or e-mail address.
Her grandfather! Clark saw him at the Talon. If Clark explained the situation, maybe the grandfather would understand. Crazy Joe could give Clark Alex's number so the boy could sort some things out, and just hear her voice one more time. Now that Clark thought about it, her voice was intoxicating.
Alex walked down the narrow hallway in the apartment complex, her and Justin stopped at apartment 207. Home-sweet-home.
Justin waved his hand, and the door clicked and swung open. "Come on Alex, don't you miss us? Don't worry, everything will be back to normal."
Alexandra gulped. For just an instant she wished she had never given in, but that was soon surpressed. She knew Clark couldn't even hope to defeat Justin. And Clark couldn't lover her anymore... no matter how much Alex loved Clark. He would die if Justin knew, her brother would do it out of jealousy, and anger towards her.
She walked inside, seeing her dad sitting on the couch with a package of potato chips. His clothes were dirty, and he was watching the 20-year-old television which was showing wrestling. Alex cringed at the fact that she actually used to call him daddy, that she used to hug him, that she used to tell him how much she loved him. But that was before Justin killed mom, and before both father and son had become so power-obsessed they needed to control everything and everyone. They would just use Alex as they pleased, and she was powerless to stop them. Really powerless.
"Welcome back sweetie." he called out, staring at her. He outstretched his arm.
Alex felt herself being pushed and pulled at the same time, being easily deposited on a chair. Gritting her teeth she kept quiet. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be anywhere else! But she couldn't. She would be stuck here the rest of her life, as both her dad and Justin had promised. She would never see Clark again, and could never tell him how much she truly did love him. She could never tell him how sorry she was for planting those first emotions into Clark. Of course she was grateful for those two weeks in Smallville.
Mercer didn't notice her father getting up from the couch, and into the kitchen with Justin. She just kept staring at the television, oblivious to everything. She had almost done it, she was so close to living a normal life. At least she had tried. Now Alex knew there was no way to gain that life, but felt some comfort in the fact that she tried.
"You let those people out of your grasp?" asked the father, very quietly and away from Alex.
"No, of course not." replied Justin. "They're still in comas. I can feel their thoughts, dad. They're trying to break free."
"Are they winning?"
"Of course not."
"What about Clark Kent? She says that she erased his memory of loving her."
"Dad, I raided her mind. I have all of her memories. I think that Clark person really does love her, and that could pose a problem. He's strong." Justin said. "We can't let him live. I can't let anyone who's seen Alex in that town live, they'll start probing into where she came from. After I kill everyone there, it'll be fun to see her reaction. I love it when she's angry."
"I'm sorry mom, I fell asleep in the caves." said Clark. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
She seemed to relax. "So, how did your date with Alex go? You left in such a hurry this morning we didn't see you."
Clark smiled. "Mom, it wasn't a date. Alex was leaving today and I just wanted to say goodbye. We're just friends."
Mrs. Kent frowned, in confusion. "You said she was moving into Smallville? And just friends?"
Clark shook his head. "No I didn't. She was just staying with her grandpa for two weeks. Alex left today. And yes, we're just friends, why?"
"You seemed pretty attached to her." said Martha.
"Well, she's a great person. Very honest, very smart, very straight-forward. But it's not like we were romantic." Clark said, pausing. "It's too bad she couldn't have stayed longer."
"Are you feeling allright?"
"Of course mom, never better." he stated. "Now I'm going to go get some sleep for tomorrow, well today I suppose. Goodnight, mom." he said while quietly going up the steps to his room.
Martha stood there, stunned. Maybe she and Jonathan had misread Clark? But that didn't seem possible. Clark looked so certain. Or could be in denial? Whatever it was she would let Clark deal with it.
Clark stepped into his room, looking at the empty bed. Oh how he wished Alex was there... Where did that come from? Clark didn't know. He shook it off, laying down. His bed was far more comfortable than the cave. The teenage boy slowly drifted off to sleep, unable to stop the flashes of Alex filling his mind. And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.
And for the first time in almost two weeks, he slept without nightmares.
Clark found himself in the loft.
"And we've found each other." she said, inching closer. "I know you can feel it to. I've never met anyone else like you. Clark, I never want to be alone again." she said, leaning forward. Alex pressed her lips against Clark's, dragging her lower lip below his.
Kent closed his eyes and kissed her tenderly back. For the first time in his life Clark didn't feel alone, out of place. Alex and him were different but the same, they knew each other in ways nobody else could possibly imagine. He didn't want to be alone again.
Suddenly Clark was at school.
"Going on a date?" asked Lana.
"Yep. Clark is going to introduce me to his parents."
Clark now saw the save paintings... his mind was filled with sadness.
"What?" asked Clark, concerned. "Whatever it is, I'll understand. I love you. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you again."
Clark awoke, looking at the clock. He had been asleep for all of twenty minutes. Where did those dreams come from? None of that happened. Why was his mind making up these scenarios? Was he attracted to Alex? Again, she was very attractive. Very smart, very honest. Kent started thinking more about the time they spent together. Why hadn't he seen it earlier? Why hadn't he realized it? Alex knew Clark's secret, and Clark knew Alex's. Kent couldn't figure out why he told her, but that didn't matter. She was a friend and wouldn't reveal his secret. She was a very good friend, despite such a short time together.
Clark wished Alex would've stayed in Smallville. Maybe Clark would work up the courage to ask her out. Kent could defenitly see something developing with Alex. She was different from everyone else, she was the same as him. They belonged together.
What was wrong with him? Alex was a friend. He hadn't felt any of these things before. Yet, the more Clark thought about what had been happening over the past two weeks, one thing was made clear to Clark: iit was wrong/i. Something wasn't right about it. And Clark remembered her going to school, why would she go to school if she was only here on vacation, like she claimed?
'She is a telepath.' thought Clark. Maybe Kent could get a hold of Alex, have just one conversation with her. But he didn't know her number, or e-mail address.
Her grandfather! Clark saw him at the Talon. If Clark explained the situation, maybe the grandfather would understand. Crazy Joe could give Clark Alex's number so the boy could sort some things out, and just hear her voice one more time. Now that Clark thought about it, her voice was intoxicating.
Alex walked down the narrow hallway in the apartment complex, her and Justin stopped at apartment 207. Home-sweet-home.
Justin waved his hand, and the door clicked and swung open. "Come on Alex, don't you miss us? Don't worry, everything will be back to normal."
Alexandra gulped. For just an instant she wished she had never given in, but that was soon surpressed. She knew Clark couldn't even hope to defeat Justin. And Clark couldn't lover her anymore... no matter how much Alex loved Clark. He would die if Justin knew, her brother would do it out of jealousy, and anger towards her.
She walked inside, seeing her dad sitting on the couch with a package of potato chips. His clothes were dirty, and he was watching the 20-year-old television which was showing wrestling. Alex cringed at the fact that she actually used to call him daddy, that she used to hug him, that she used to tell him how much she loved him. But that was before Justin killed mom, and before both father and son had become so power-obsessed they needed to control everything and everyone. They would just use Alex as they pleased, and she was powerless to stop them. Really powerless.
"Welcome back sweetie." he called out, staring at her. He outstretched his arm.
Alex felt herself being pushed and pulled at the same time, being easily deposited on a chair. Gritting her teeth she kept quiet. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be anywhere else! But she couldn't. She would be stuck here the rest of her life, as both her dad and Justin had promised. She would never see Clark again, and could never tell him how much she truly did love him. She could never tell him how sorry she was for planting those first emotions into Clark. Of course she was grateful for those two weeks in Smallville.
Mercer didn't notice her father getting up from the couch, and into the kitchen with Justin. She just kept staring at the television, oblivious to everything. She had almost done it, she was so close to living a normal life. At least she had tried. Now Alex knew there was no way to gain that life, but felt some comfort in the fact that she tried.
"You let those people out of your grasp?" asked the father, very quietly and away from Alex.
"No, of course not." replied Justin. "They're still in comas. I can feel their thoughts, dad. They're trying to break free."
"Are they winning?"
"Of course not."
"What about Clark Kent? She says that she erased his memory of loving her."
"Dad, I raided her mind. I have all of her memories. I think that Clark person really does love her, and that could pose a problem. He's strong." Justin said. "We can't let him live. I can't let anyone who's seen Alex in that town live, they'll start probing into where she came from. After I kill everyone there, it'll be fun to see her reaction. I love it when she's angry."