Chapter 15

(Clark walks into the cabin feeling more energized than ever before.  Pete walks in behind him, looking about ready to fall over.)

Clark: "What a nice day.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun seemed so close!"

Pete: "I didn't notice.  I was too busy trying not to run into any trees."

(The other groups haven't returned yet.  Walking over, they plop down on the couch.)

Clark (Grinning): "I feel like I could fly."

Pete (Looking over his shoulder at Lois entering): "Yeah, well, restrain yourself buddy.  By the way, what do you think of Lois?"

Clark: "What do you mean?"

Pete: "I mean what do you think, Clark?  Come on, she's different to the extreme from all the Smallville girls."

Clark: "And what if I like the Smallville girls?  Besides, Pete, I'm not in the situation to really talk about this.  Lana is actually paying attention to me for a change."

Pete (Laughing): "Good point."

Clark: "Hey, how are things going with you and Chloe?  I've seen you guys hanging around each other a lot, but never got an official report direct from the 'source'."

Pete: "I'm not sure yet, Clark."

Clark (Raising an eyebrow): "But you asked her to prom last night, right?"

Pete: "Clark, you been listening to my conversations?"

Clark (Looking dejected): "No, of course not!  I've just been listening to Chloe's conversations... and this one, in particular...  Stop changing the subject, Pete!  I didn't hear her answer."

Pete (Grinning): "That's because she didn't really 'say' it."

(Clark nods his head understandingly and looks at Pete, getting a pensive look in his eyes.)

Pete (Seeing the look): "Clark, you're not having second thoughts about Chloe, are you?"

Clark (Being entirely truthful): "It's kind of hard not to."

Pete: "Because I can like, back off, if you-"

Clark: "No, Pete.  You deserve her."

Pete: "And what about you and Lana?  I'm guessing by how 'distant' you've seemed the past month that you and her are actually together, now?"

Clark: "Yeah."

Pete (Gaining a slight twinge of humor in his voice): "And how did you do it, this time?  Save her one too many times for her to ignore and she lovingly feel into your arms?"

Clark: "Actually...  Well, kind of."

Pete: "Meaning you told her?"

(Clark bites his lip, and then nods.)

Pete: "Whoa, she didn't like... freak, did she?"

Clark: "She took it a lot better than certain others did, I must say."

Pete (Trying to look offended): "Ah, man, come on.  I was the model best friend when I found out!"

Clark: "I seem to recall it taking a mad scientist's antics to snap you back to reality?"

Pete: "Well, that helped... a bit..."

(They grin at each other as Lois comes over, sits down on the couch beside them, and sweeps her hair back, carefully putting it up into a pony tail.)

Lois: "Have fun today, boys?"

(Clark fakes an exhausted yawn, trying to look as tired as Pete.)

Clark: "Yeah.  No idea how we're supposed to keep this up the rest of the week, though."

Lois: "You here what we're doing at the end of the week?"

Clark: "No, what?"

Lois: "Pike's Peak."

Pete: "Wait, you're kidding, right?"

Lois: "Not unless Stacey is."

Pete: "That's over a mile of vertical ascent!"

(Lois shrugs.)

Lois: "You could always stay behind if you don't think you can do it."

Pete: "Is that a challenge?"

Lois (Smiling): "It's whatever you make it, Pete."

(She stands and walks from the room.  Pete watches her go.  Clark looks at his friend, raising an eyebrow.)

Pete: "She's also the only girl that my boyish good looks and charm don't seem to work on."

(Clark shakes his head, laughing lightly.  He raises his head when Amandil walks over.  Spotting him, the young man crosses the room and kneels down in front of Clark.)

Amandil: "Clark, do you think we could talk?"

Clark (Sitting up and looking at him): "Sure."

(They both sit still for a moment; Clark waits for him to speak, Amandil for him to stir.)

Amandil: "I mean... alone.  Can we talk alone?"

Clark (Furrowing his eyebrows slightly): "Of course.  Come on, we can go out on the porch."

(They silently stand, and Amandil follows him out of the cabin.  Pete watches them go.)

Clark (Resting against the railing): "What is it?"

Amandil: "I don't quite know how to explain this best..."

Clark: "Start at the beginning, then?"

Amandil: "Okay.  Remember that lightning storm several days ago?"

(Clark nods silently, hoping – yet knowing otherwise – that Kryptonite is not involved.)

Amandil: "Something happened to me.  One moment I was happily playing a game, and the next my mother was shaking me awake in the early daylight hours."

Clark: "Fall asleep at the computer?"

Amandil: "I wish it were that simple, but I, unfortunately, soon came to find that the door to my study was splintered."

(Clark looks at him questioningly.)

Amandil: "I think I was knocked through it.  That lightning storm did something to me, Clark, and I'm only beginning to comprehend it."

Clark (Taking a deep breath): "Aman, before we go any further...  Why are you telling me this?"

Amandil: "I don't know.  I was just going to keep this quiet, but then...  I'm afraid that, whatever it is, I'm beginning to lose control of it."

Clark: "And you think I can help?"

Amandil: "Clark, every single little disturbance or sign of distress in Smallville, and you show up.  It seems to me you're a guardian angel of sorts there, even if you don't care to admit it."

Clark: "I'm just a normal guy, Aman.  I somehow seem to always be in the right places at the right time, but that doesn't make me any different.  It's just luck."

Amandil: "Call it whatever you like, Clark."

(Amandil looks off into the woods beyond the mountains.  Clark studies his face silently.  After several moments silence, Amandil turns back to Clark.)

Clark: "So what's happening to you, exactly?"

Amandil: "Well...  I don't quite think I can explain it."

(He shrugs.)

Amandil: "But I can show you, if you like."

(Clark nods.  Turning around, Amandil walks over to the other side of the porch.  He picks up a small hunting knife Roby left out the night before and crosses back over to Clark.  Clark jumps when, in one fluid motion, he makes a smooth cut down his arm.  Instantly, a line of blood oozes from it and begins running down his arm to the wood below.  Amandil cringes slightly.)

Clark: "What are you doing?!"

Amandil (Holding up his hand, grimacing in pain): "Please, just wait."

(Clark reluctantly sits back down, a horrified look settling on his face as he watches the blood slowly dripping down Amandil's arm.  Dropping the knife from his other hand and raising it to hover several inches over the wound, Amandil's eyes roll to the back of his head and his eyelids droop.  Clark looks up at him slightly confused.  He finds his lips moving, uttering imperceptible words.  To Clark's astonishment, small glowing blue beads of light begin coming out of Amandil's raised palm and moving to his wound.  He watches as they cling to the blood and slowly disappear with it.  After several seconds time, Amandil's lips stop moving and he stares at Clark.  He holds up his arm.  There isn't a hint of the wound there previously.  Clark looks down at the discarded hunting knife still caked with blood, then back up at Amandil.  He pants slightly and seems drained.  Amandil's shocking brown eyes gaze weakly back into Clark's, and he slumps to the ground as Clark easily catches him...)