Note: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. This chap is clana all the way. I hope I'm not stuffing you with too much clana! Next update will have less clana and will focus more on the story line. Enjoy and happy 2005!

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Smallville: Apartment above the Talon

9:23 P.M.

Friday, June 11th

"Lana, are you okay?" Clark called through the apartment in search for his fiancé. He had unbuttoned the top buttons of his dress shirt and his bare chest was now peaking out. He stopped in the middle of their apartment and listened to the sounds.

Silence and his breathing. Sobs coming from the bathroom.

Clark slipped off his shoes and put them next to Lana's three inch heels. Clark guessed that whatever Nell and Lana were talking about, it was something heated and controversial. Lana's shoes looked like it had been thrown off her feet carelessly; a sure sign that she wasn't feeling too great right now. Clark once had the opportunity of seeing Lana fold her clothes before she put them in the hamper and even color-coordinate her clothes hangers. It wasn't like her to just throw her shoes around; especially a pair of expensive, one-of-a-kind shoes that Chloe had given to her.

"Lana?" Clark tried again, making his way into their makeshift bedroom. His sock clad feet made their way toward the bathroom where the tight locked door obscured his view of seeing his beloved sitting on the toilet seat and crying her eyes out.

"Lana, can I come in?" Clark asked gently. What could Nell have possibly had said that could make Lana shut him out?

Clark Kent wasn't naïve. He knew it probably had to do with the forced smile and tight lips that Nell had worn after the announcement. Had Nell forbidden Lana to marry him?

Just the thought of it made Clark's stomach uneasy. It also made him more desperate to get his fiancé out of their bathroom. "Lana, I'm coming in…."

He eased the door open, grateful that she hadn't locked it; because if she had, he would still have gone in. He also would have had to replace the doorknob the next day.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight in front of him. The sight of Lana hunched over and wiping her face, trying to make herself presentable for him.

"Lana…"

"Clark…" She stood up and made her way over to his awaiting arms.

"Hey…it's okay," Clark comforted; it was the only thing he could think of to say. Unfortunately, it was the wrong thing. Instead of consoling her, it did the opposite.

"No it's not…Clark…"

Clark hugged her closer and eased her out of the bathroom. He didn't really want to talk in the bathroom. Instead, he opted for the bed.

Clark sat her down on the bed and waited until her sobs subsided.

"Clark…Nell doesn't want me to marry you," Lana was finally able to say. After the word 'you' had left her mouth, she buried her head in his chest.

Get your mind out of the gutter, Kent, Clark thought as Lana's small hands ran down his body, looking for somewhere to grasp on to.

When her arms settled around his waist, Clark cleared his throat and said, "Well, what did you tell her?" Clark had suspected something of the matter had happened, considering the time Nell blew up at him for asking for her permission to marry her niece.

He waited patiently until Lana had regained herself. Clark lifted her head up slightly with his fingers. The make-up that was once on her face was washed away by her tears and her mascara ran down one of her cheeks. Tenderly, he stroked a thumb down her cheek, trying to rid the black smears. Even in such a state, she looked beautiful to him.

"I said horrible things…." Lana conceded, a look of guilt crossing her face, but was soon replaced by defiance. "And she deserved every one of them."

Clark hugged her closer to him, trying to hide the confused look on his face. Usually, Lana was soft-spoken and polite to her aunt. He knew they had their disagreements now and then, but he had never seen Lana get so upset over one of them. Sure, there was the one before graduation, but Lana and Nell had decided to never bring it up again.

"Clark…she said I couldn't marry you," Lana repeated, raising her head off his chest to look him in the eye. "She said…"

Flashback

"So, what is it that you want to talk about, Nell?" Lana asked, putting on a small smile to ensure her aunt that it was okay for her to interrupt her and Clark's blissful moment under the perfect full-moon, when it wasn't.

Lana noticed that Nell looked nervous. That's crazy; Nell's never nervous. Nell is out-spoken, opinionated, and blunt. The only time she was ever nervous was when she told me we had to move to Metropolis, Lana thought. Uh-oh…what life-changing event is going to happen here?

Nell gave her niece a petite smile and looked her over. "Well, I never got a chance to tell you how lovely you looked this evening."

"Umm…thanks, Nell," Lana said, unsure of what was going to come next. That was Nell's tactic; give a compliment or make a positive comment referring to future plans to get her enthusiastic.

"And, I'm happy for you, Lana," Nell continued, waving off Lana's thank you.

Lana smiled a genuine smile this time. "Thank you. It means a lot to me that you approve of our engagement. I mean, considering our past talks and how you've never really liked Clark."

Nell gave a small cough, the cue for Lana's smile to go sliding off her face. "Well, Lana, that's what I actually want to talk to you about…."

Lana tried to remain optimistic, she really did. Around Nell and her words of wisdom though, that wasn't an option. What Nell Potter said, was well, how things went. Lana couldn't ever remember a time before she met Clark that she had disobeyed her aunt or let her proverbs go in one ear and out the other.

"Talk to me about what?" Lana pretended not to know.

"Well…about you and Clark," Nell stated in an as-a-matter-of-fact manner.

"Okay…what about us?" Lana prompted, waiting for the axe to fall.

"Lana…I know how much he means to you…but I just think that you would be better off without him," Nell tried to break it to her niece as gently as possible, knowing that the last time she had brought it up, Lana had blown up at her.

"Why?" Lana asked, her voice shaking from anger. She had seen this coming a mile off.

When Nell didn't give her anything but silence as her answer, Lana said in a wry tone, "I can't believe that you're still holding a grudge against the Kents."

"I am not holding anything against the Kents," Nell snapped back, anger rushing to her from her niece.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry; you're just holding something against everything and everyone that has to do with Jonathon Kent," Lana snapped back, her temper getting the best of her.

"Lana Lang! Don't you use that tone with me," Nell chastised her niece. Her eyes closed for a moment to regain her composure, and this time she said more calmly, "I just want what's best for you, Lana. And, that means no Clark Kent in your life. He's too much trouble, Lana. Even as a teenager he was mixing about in police business and such, trying to be the town hero. Not to mention the fact that he broke your heart many times before."

Tears rushed to Lana's eyes as Nell's words brought back painful memories of her and Clark's past history.

Nell's expression softened when she saw the tears. "Lana, I'm sorry. But, if it hurts you that much to think of it, then you shouldn't be with him. I know this may sound cliché, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Lana took a deep breath to keep her emotions in check. "The only thing that hurts is you bringing it up. Clark and I have moved past that. I love him and I know he would never hurt me intentionally. Not ever." Lana said, feeling bolder by the minute.

"Oh really?" Nell was unconvinced. "I do recall a certain time when you called me in tears saying he had left you for Metropolis."

Lana blinked away her tears. Instead of grievous tears, though, they were tears of anger and frustration geared toward her aunt. "That was a long time ago; and I've already told you that we're better than that. You, on the other hand, I'm not so sure of."

"Oh, and what are you implying, my dear?" Nell asked, her voice rising.

"That you would be so childish enough to drudge up old memories to get me to rethink about marrying the man I love!" Lana cried with a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Lana, despite what you may think, I only have your best interests at heart!" Nell yelled back. The calm, reasonable conversation that she had in mind was now turning into a shouting match.

Lana gave a snort of disbelief. "Oh, and your best interest at heart is to tear me away from Clark so that you don't have to see Jonathon Kent's widowed wife at any future arrangements. You just don't want to feel pity for the woman who supposedly stole Jonathon Kent away from you! Well, Martha Kent doesn't need your pity, Nell. She's doing fine without her husband. And she's ten times a better mother than you ever were to me!"

"Lana─"

"No! I don't want to hear anymore crappy explanations or—or lies! Oh, and guess what, Nell? You don't have to see me get married to Clark, or see Martha Kent! You know why? Because you're not going to be getting a wedding invitation!"

"Lana!" But she was already storming up the stairs to her apartment.

End Flashback

"You said—all of that?" Clark asked Lana for the second time that night. After Lana had given Clark a replay of her conversation with Nell, a stunned Clark had suggested they get ready for bed and talk about it under the covers. In truth, Clark had wanted the extra time to process it all in, and it seemed like Lana had sensed it.

"Yeah…I did…." Lana said, snuggling up next to her fiancé. Clark noticed that she was feeling considerably better. Her cheeks' healthy glow and the twinkle in her eyes had returned. She was happy once again.

"I stuck my neck out there for you, Clark."

"And you know I would do the same for you too, right?"

Lana giggled, and leaned her whole weight against Clark's bare chest. "You always knew what to say to make me happy."

"Hey, I spent years fine-tuning my Lana senses and radar," Clark joked.

A peaceful, calm silence overtook them and soon Clark felt himself dropping off to a much needed sleep.

"Clark?" Lana prodded him awake. She hated to pull him out of his slumber, but she and him really needed to talk.

"What's wrong?" Clark opened his eyes to find the exotic, beautiful Asian eyes of his lover.

"What are we going to do about Nell?" Lana inquired.

"What? You mean kill her off?" Clark had developed his father's unique sense of humor. It came in handy for tense situations, but sometimes he used them for the wrong ones. Like this one.

"Clark…you know what I mean." Lana laid her head on his strong shoulder and admired his physique. Ever since she could remember, he had always looked like this. Big strong biceps and a muscular hard chest. She chalked it up to Kryptonian features passed down from his birth father.

"Yeah, I know." Clark sighed. "Well, what do you want to do about her?"

Lana gave herself more time to answer the question by tracing circle patterns with her finger on his chest. What should I do about Nell? Should I carry out with what I said earlier? About the wedding invitations?

Lana juggled the idea around for quite some time. She was grateful for Clark not prompting her until she was ready. It's supposed to be the happiest day of my life…but how am I going to be happy knowing that someone in the room objects to our marriage? What if Nell stands up when the priest asks if anyone objects? Lana ran through various what-if situations and with each one, she came closer to making her decision. Nell Potter was not to go to their wedding.

"Clark?"

"Hmm?"

"Nell's not coming to our wedding," Lana told him, knowing he wouldn't be too upset. He had always had a feeling that Nell didn't like him from the start. Jonathon Kent had broken her heart and so Clark knew it wasn't going to be easy kissing up to Lana's aunt.

"After your fight, I don't think she will either," Clark said, nodding his head.

"What? No, I mean I'm not inviting her."

A look of shock crossed Clark's countenance. "Lana, are you sure? You and your aunt have had some falling-outs but are you sure about this? After all, you two just had a major blow out and─" but Lana raised a finger to his mouth and hushed him.

"I'm sure, Clark. Nell and I…we just don't get along as we used to. Besides, I don't think I can like anyone who doesn't like you," Lana confessed, her nose crinkling up from her little joke.

"But─" Clark tried again, but Lana hushed him with a quick kiss on the lips.

"Now, when are we going to have our wedding?" Lana asked happily. Clark couldn't help but noticing she had a radiance about her. Her eyes danced with joy and twinkled with bliss.

"You know if I had it my way, we would be married right now and our reception would be at a nearby McDonald's," Clark replied cheekily. "I think it'd be best if I leave the wedding planning to you."

Lana gave a light musical laugh. "In that case, how about sometime in July? I'm thinking July 17th so we can have the last two weeks of July for our honeymoon. Then we'll be back in August, back in time for the heat wave and you can be here to help your mom out with the arduous farm chores."

"July?" Clark echoed. "Isn't that sorta soon? I mean, it isn't enough time for you and Mom to plan out everything. What about all the food and the reservations for the hotel or church? And your dress? That isn't enough time for altercations. Not to mention that you have to pick out dresses for the bridesmaids and─"

"Clark," Lana cut him out for the third time that night. "You said yourself that if it were up to you, we would be married already. Well, I want to be Mrs. Lana Kent as soon as possible. Even if that means working my butt off to get all this wedding stuff done."

"You are truly amazing," Clark whispered, rolling on top of her to give her a kiss.

His tongue prodded her lips to plead entrance into her warm loving mouth. She quickly obliged and his tongue swirled around her mouth, licking the roof of her mouth. The kiss began to heat up as Clark slipped a hand under Lana's black camisole.

"Mmm…"Lana moaned, which caused Clark to become bolder and slide a hand up to cup her naked breast.

"Clark…" Lana breathed, feeling his hand underneath her shirt. Everything told her to stop this right now, but Lana couldn't help the feeling of bubbling excitement from mounting.

"Lana…tell me to stop…." Clark panted.

"I can't…." Lana sighed back. Her face was flushed and so was his. They both knew they were slowing approaching uncharted territory. The farthest they had gone was Lana topless and Clark trying his best not to suck her nipples because it would be the end of their abstinence.

Clark decided to stop torturing Lana and himself; he slipped his hand out from under her shirt and crawled up higher. He massaged her neck with his mouth, knowing it would drive her wild. He slowly trailed kisses up to her awaiting lips.

"Clark…you're !" Lana pushed him off her, shocking Clark. She sat up just in time to see Clark fall out of the bed and onto the hardwood floor.

"What the heck, Lana?" Clark asked, amused by her behavior. "If you didn't want a hickey, you should have just said so." Clark gave her a knowing smile, thinking that her actions had occurred because he had driven her to boiling point.

"No! It's not that…" Lana quickly explained. Her hand was slowly massaging her neck at the spot that Clark had massaged it with his tongue. "It's just…you felt cold all of a sudden. And it made my neck cold."

Now this was new. Clark sat up a little straighter on the floor and wondered what could have caused that. Suddenly, a mental image of the frozen factory at the docks came rushing back to him. It was almost as if someone had planted them in his mind, wanting him to find out something.

"The docks?" Clark said to himself.

"What?" He heard Lana say from the bed.

Slowly, Clark got off the floor and got under the covers with Lana again. "Lana…I think this has something to do with the gift Jor-el gave me." Clark said.

Lana nodded her head, trying to understand all that had happened. Clark had told her the events that had happened at the docks in more detail.

"Lana, when I woke up everything was frozen. There was ice everywhere."

"Maybe the gift that Jor-el gave you had something to do with that," Lana said thoughtfully. "Clark, it felt like you had ice breath or something. One moment your breath was warm and then the next it was freezing cold."

Clark's eyebrows knitted together. "Well, this is new…."

"Don't worry; we'll figure it out," Lana said soothingly. She lay down on her back and tugged at Clark's hand to do the same.

"Let's sleep now…we have a lifetime ahead of us to figure this out," Lana said with a yawn. The day's events had worn her out. From Nell and her arguing and a new super power, things were started to get hectic in this small town girl's life. And she had a wedding to plan as well.

"'Night, Lana," Clark whispered, but was surprised to hear little snores in reply. He chuckled and was soon off in the world of dreams.