Title: 7 days

Author: Bookworm1999

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Takes place after season two.

Summary: Somewhat AU but pretty close to the show. Clark gets a chance at love and at a normal life but realizes that its not all that its cracked up to be. Clark coming to terms with who he is and what he is meant to be. Chloe and Lex explore their new found feelings with apprehension and distrust. The definite event that turns Lex evil forever (don't get mad at me! Just please read.)

Feedback: Please review, this is my first fanfic so I would really appreciate constructive criticism to get more ideas and such. This is the first chapter of a long story in my head, so I would really like to finish it, so please review!!

School year was coming to an end in Smallville, and things between the four senior friends were just plain weird. Chloe hang out at the Luthor castle more everyday, Lana at the Talon was still not speaking to Clark, Clark was more distant than ever with all of them and Peter was stuck in the middle not knowing which part to take.

It had been a long and tired weekend for everyone, things just couldn't get worse. But with monday on the horizon, who knew?

The sun peeked its rays through the horizon, announcing the arrival of a new day. Clark was already dressed and headed down for breakfast. His face was serious and thoughtful. He sat at the table mumbling a good morning and immediately started poking diligently at his breakfast. Martha retreated into the living room where Jonathan was reading the morning paper.

"I hate to see him like that, its like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders"

"He does Martha, that's the problem, he does, and there is nothing you or I can do to lessen his weight" Jonathan put aside his newspaper and sat her besides him. "all we can do is support him and lead him in the right direction, just like we have been doing"

"I know, but I wish we could just tell him what needs to be done, but its not as simple as choosing a career or a job, is it?" Martha, for all her strength looked tired from not being able to carry her son's weight.

"He needs to make a decision, and we can't make it for him."

"I wish there was no decision to make, would it be too much to ask for a normal life?" Clark voice interrupted the couple's conversation. His words filled with sadness and dripping with frustration and disdain. "Look I have to go to school, see you later, bye." He kissed Martha on the cheek and walked out the door. A normal life, one that doesn't have the fate of the world in its grasp. Me a god? No way. I need to talk to Pete, he's the only one that can somewhat understand me.
"Lana, hurry up, Chloe already left for the bus stop!" Chloe's dad shouted as Lana made her way down the stairs. The situation between her and Chloe hadn't gotten any better, and Clark, well, thinking of him only made her feel sad and light-headed at the same time. More than a boyfriend, Clark had been her friend, and she missed him so much. But the mysterious way Clark had been acting lately only made her want to retreat more in her work and school and with summer coming up Lana felt lonely and missed a friend to talk to, maybe Pete would make a good listener.

"Thanks Mr. Sullivan, see you later!" and with that she was off after Chloe as to not miss her bus.
Lana, and Clark, Clark and Lana, that is all she was hearing lately, even at the Luthor's the Kent name was something common. Even though she had tried to make peace with Lana and not work for Lionel against Clark her feeling always got in the way. But lately what had had her in a lousy mood were confused thoughts that were entering her heart and mind. Clark seemed to be less and less the issue, she still couldn't bring herself to be completely comfy around him but it was because the more she investigated on her own, the more she realized she didn't have a clue as to who he was. What had her really confused was something she had never expected to happen. And spending so much time at the Luthor place wasn't helping any, but she just couldn't seem to tear herself away from the place.

She needed to clear her head. Pete was always good to talk to and help me clear my thoughts I'll look for him at school.

"Wait for me Chloe!" Lana's voice cut into her reverie.

"huh? Oh yeah, Look the bus is coming, hurry up!"
Pete had managed to make it to school early, just to think of his friends in the bus made him nauseated. For the past two week it seemed that everyday he was with someone different being used as a listener. Boy was he emotionally washed out, and all the problems he had in his head were not even his. Not that he didn't care for his friends, but it got tiring after a while, specially if they weren't speaking to each other.

Now at least he had a few minutes to plan his summer before they arrived. Things had gotten so predictable that as much as he tried not to he recapped his friends' lives. Things were pretty much the same, Clark was in denial over his "mission" on earth, Lana refused to give Clark a second chance and Chloe, well Chloe still couldn't get over the fact that Lana and Clark had been dating behind her back. Same old same old for almost a month now. He only hoped things would evolve or else he was going to do something to make things change and summer seemed like just the environment to do it. Suddenly a newfound feeling of mission and determination rushed through him as he mentally made plans to free himself from the limbo he had been living in.

Just then the bell rang and Pete made his way to his first class where he knew he would find Chloe and Lana.

"Well lets see if your walk is as cool as your talk" Pete mumbled to himself as he opened the door to Lab.

"Good morning class, I know it's a bit early for this class, but that is what the school board wanted, to have you guys wake up to the smell of phermeldohyde, get used to it you will be smelling it these last two weeks of class" Mr. Pierce laughed at his own joke while half of the students barely managed to look at each other in disgust and the other half were still asleep.

"anyway, pair up and let the cutting up begin!!" He sounded excited as if it were some great scientific experiment, but no it was just a nasty session of forensic practice, some were beginning to wonder why they were in the class.

"Need a partner?" Chloe approached Pete, he looked up to find Chloe's pleading face and the look of disappointment on Lana's behind Chloe, apparently they had had the same thought. Well, let the counseling begin.

"Yeah, why not?" Lana had already found herself a partner and Pete knew she would eventually find the chance to use him like her teddy again, but this time he was ready.

Mr. Pierce took out several bags from the storage room and started placing one in front of each couple.

"eww"

"what is that??"

"It stinks"

"what happened to the worms?"

"oh, and wait until you open the bag, jejeje" Mr. Pierce was sure having fun.

"Please, its just a pig, haven't any of you ever seen one before? You eat them, you know" and apparently he wasnt the only one.

"Chloe, why am I not surprised at your indifference?" Pete snorted as he put his gloves on and proceeded to inspect the bag.

"No, not indifference, fascination is more like it" she was already tearing at the bag. "although I think a real corpse would enlighten me more on the human anatomy, don't you think?" but Pete wasn't listening, he was turning away at the horrific smell that the conserved baby pig let out.

"That is nasty!" Chloe was laughing at Pete's outburst, specially since his reaction was mirrored by the majority in the class. A big smile on her face like she hadn't had for a long time.

When the first impression was over and the class calmed down Mr. Pierce proceeded to give the instruction as to the first assignment with the dead pig.

"Well this might be worth it after all" Pete said pointing at her smile "Just to see that smile again."

"Yeah well, things haven't been easy, but incredibly enough they are getting more complicated." Pete didn't know whether to smile or flinch at the fact that she was so willing to talk about her problems.

"What do you mean?" Now Pete wanted her to talk, only so he could.

"Well suffering for Clark seems to be more of a habit now, and I don't know how to break it, I don't know how to stop working for Lionel without having to sacrifice seeing Lex and ."

Pete abruptly interrupted at the twist this was taking. "Lex, what does Lex have to do with this?"

"Did I say Lex?" She grinned sheepishly and turned down to attack the skin of the pig. " I meant."

"You said Lex, look at me" she turned and looked at him and batted her eyelashes in an expression of innocence, turning into one of guilt. "oh boy, I think the pig can wait, this I wasn't expecting. You have feelings for Lex Luthor, multimillonaire, hates his own father, has a car for every day of the month Lex?" His tone lowered until it became a screamed whispered.

"Look I did not say any of that, I just said that Clark isn't exactly my main objective anymore"

"Well its about time, as a matter of fact I was going to tell you today to forget about Clark, make up with Lana and get on with your life, which by the way we both now its got fame and success written all over it." He took a long sigh and started poking at the pig with some of the pointy instruments he did not know the name of "but you are right Lex kind of does complicate things, it seems like he's cursed, anyone that gets close to him gets hurt or hurts him"

"That's only because he hasn't known true love" her tone got hard and her eyes flashed anger and frustation.

"Whoa, calm down, unless you want the whole class to know what is going on"

"Sorry, but its true, he only acts that way because he wasn't taught otherwise."

"So what, are you going to teach him?" Chloe turned to him to hit him for joking around, but instead she found a serious demeanour on his face.

"Look I don't know anything right now, that is why I am talking to you. I don't know what I am feeling for Lex or if he even has feeling for me, I just need to clear my head."
Chloe, somehow she always seemed to infiltrate his thoughts. Even in his vast office, talking business she always interrupted. In person or in thought, it was just as disturbing. And lately even more, her sad demeanour had lighten a bit and she even smiled once in a while at him or with him. Either way he couldn't get the crisp sound of her voice out of his head, the way she walked, her big brown eyes.

"Enough" he found himself saying out loud, Every time you look at a woman things go tragically wrong or there is some mad plan behind it. Besides, how can I trust someone who works so close to my father?

No, this time he wouldn't let himself feel, every time he confided his trust in someone, they failed, even Clark had failed.

No he would shut these feelings out before they got out of hand. That was the only way to go.
"Pete, can we talk?" Clark made his way through the crowd to reach his friend.

"Yeah sure, spill" Pete said lazily

"Look this is serious, please." That made Pete stop in his tracks

"Yes Clark, I know its serious. Look, let me tell you something" he grabbed his arm and led him outside where the only witnesses of their conversation were two couples making out. "Clark listen to me, I know how hard it has been for you, trying to fit back in, Lana and Chloe and to top it all off your real dad telling you to run the world."

"I .."

"No, Clark, this time I will do the talking. Here's what you should do, go for Lana, you only live once; think about the good you can do with your powers, maybe your alien daddy is not so wrong, and for heaven's sake, stop sulking!!" this last part he shouted, getting the couple's attention away from their partners for just a second.

Silence reigned for the next couple minutes, Clark's face in complete distraught and confusion. Not saying a single word. Pete almost regretted his ranting, almost.

"Look man, I know its not easy being you, but there must be an upside to it. You have done so much here, imagine what you can do for the world. And about Lana, man, if you don't dive in and find out what is, the what if will haunt you forever."

More silence.

Pete turned to leave, but looked back only to find his friend looking skyward. A muscle clenched in his jaw and then he looked back at Pete.

"I just need to do one thing" and with that he disappeared.

"I hate it when he does that" a smile playing on his lips as he headed back in.
Clark went directly to the shed, walking down the stairs with a determined step. Since the ship had started talking to him, he had tried to avoid it, and even now a sense of foreboding mixed with denial grew within him.

"You are the one thing keeping me from a normal life. Why did you do this to me?, why send me here only to take the only things I have ever know away from me?" he paced back and forth in front of the ship. "Why?!!!" with a scream he broke down in front of the ship, his hands balled into fists. "I just want to be like everyone else!!!!!" His shout was joined by a bright light coming from the ship. After the outburst Clark felt much better, and slowly got up as a holographic image of his mother rose from the ship.

"I know there must be lots of questions in your mind now, but only time and some soul-searching will give you the answers. But have something clear, you do have a mission to accomplish. And to help with your soul-searching I think its time for some time-off."

A bright orange light engulfed Clark as he felt his strength slowly drift away from him. The light then was sucked back into the ship.

"You have one week, this very same day next week all your powers will come back, for this week you won't hear calls of distress or be able to help those around you. I have full hope that this week will help you appreciate your true value, my son." These last words were said ever so softly and tenderly.

Clark watched as the image disappeared and the shed went black again. "one week" he suddenly felt that the weight he had carried for so long had been lifted. Suddenly a stubborn looked crossed his face and he walked quickly up the stairs.

"Lana"