Note: As usual, thanks for reviewing! Sorry for the long wait, but finals was this week. Anyway, I have a three day weekend meaning I can write some more! Oh, this chap has clana in it! Sorry for the lack of clana in the few past chaps, but I needed to move the storyline along. Anyway, go read it now! :)

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Smallville: Apartment above the Talon

9:47 A.M.

Monday, June 14th

"Oh, thanks again Mrs. Watson I really appreciate this break." Lana Lang was sitting at a small round table that was taken up from downstairs and into Clark and her apartment. On it were wedding magazines, pictures of celebrity weddings, and a phonebook. The bustle of the Talon from below could be heard from below. Martha Kent was probably swamped with the morning customers from nearby businesses. Perhaps she would go down to help her later, that is, if she got done with her location search and planned out who to invite and who not to invite to the wedding.

Lana smiled. In just a matter of several weeks, she would be Mrs. Lana Kent. It was a happy and scary thought at the same time. Happy because she and Clark would be official in everyone's eyes and scary in the sense that she would finally be tied down to the man she was so deeply in love with. Their love would be forever.

"Lana? Hello? You still there?" Lana jerked out of her reverie and focused on the conversation at hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Watson. I was just thinking of the wedding," Lana sighed happily.

Ever since her and Clark's engagement, Lana couldn't stop talking nonstop about it to her girl friends. Lana had even spent ten minutes chatting about it to a girl in her senior year at Smallville High who was applying for a position at the Talon. Martha had been awfully busy so Lana decided to help the poor girl out. She had handed her the application and while she filled it out, Lana had gushed to her about Clark. Anyone who had known the Lana Lang during her high schools could tell a huge change had happened. She was now more carefree and blissfully in love.

Over the phone, Lana heard Mrs. Watson chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Lana. A job will still be waiting for you when the wedding is over. You just worry about getting hitched to that man of yours. Rockaway Fashions can tell when we have a hard working employee with a lot of talent. You just call me when you feel you're ready to come back."

Lana nodded, but realized that Mrs. Watson couldn't see her. "Thank you again; you truly don't know how much this means to me."

"Not a problem. Now, go plan that wedding of yours."

A click brought the end of the conversation and a "Lana?"

Lana turned around in her chair to find her fiancé standing there. "Clark? I thought you were in Metropolis?" Lana gave him a quick look over. His hair was ruffled as if he just super sped here and his clothes had bits of grass on them.

"Hey," Clark said with a slight smile. He didn't want to alarm her into thinking tragedy had struck. He held out his arm that was carrying the sunflower he had picked from the Kent Farm. Clark had made a pit stop there for old time's sake. He knew his mother wouldn't be there because she was running the Talon.

Lana gracefully got out of her chair and delicately took the sunflower. There was a moment of stillness as she scanned the expression on his face to make sure nothing was wrong. Clark kept his face neutral and when she was done, she balanced on her tip toes and gave his cheek a sweet peck with her lips. Clark immediately blushed, feeling foolish that she could still render him speechless with the simplest gestures of affection.

"It's beautiful, Clark," was all Lana had to say to make Clark's heart flutter.

Another moment passed of the young lovers gazing into each other's eyes. Lana was the first to come out of the trance with a blink of the eyes.

"Umm…you still haven't told me why you're here," Lana said, moving towards the sink to fill a vase with water for the flower. "Not that I'm not happy to see you," Lana added with a smile filled with love and joy.

"I went to see my dad," Clark said quietly.

Lana carefully placed the vase with the flower in it on the counter space next to the sink and turned towards him with a confused look. "I thought conversing with the dead was my thing."

"That's what I told my dad," Clark said, grinning. "Lana, I told my dad that we're engaged." Clark knew Lana wanted to pound him with a hundred questions of why he wasn't at work and why he was acting so strange, but he was glad that she held it in.

"And what did your dad say?" Lana moved closer to him and took his hand.

"He's happy for us. He wishes he could be there," Clark said, his voice wavering. Lana squeezed his hand tighter and he continued, "Lana…something happened in Metropolis."

Lana let the breath that she was holding in out. "What? What happened, Clark?" she said in a hushed tone.

Clark didn't answer her; instead, he pulled a crumbled newspaper out of his back pocket. Lana took it and unfolded it cautiously. She sent Clark another puzzled look when she found Lois Lane's article on the front page.

"She stole my article, Lana."

It took a while for Lana to process this information in. She remembered Clark mentioning something last week about working late to type up his article. She had found it strange that he was writing an article. "Coffee boys don't write articles," Lana had overheard Chloe telling to Clark once.

"Your article?" Lana questioned.

"Remember last week at the party? Chloe helped me hack into the LexCorp database? I needed the information for the article. I was going to turn it in today to Mr. White. I guess I was hoping for a real job at the Planet," Clark explained.

"Oh, Clark," Lana said sympathetically. "I can't believe Lois would do something like this." She felt anger and resentment toward Lois.

"It wasn't all her fault, Lana. I had it stored in her computer," Clark said with a sad smile. "Besides, I'm over it."

Lana shook her head valiantly. "Clark, you can't just let this blow over. I'm going to call Chloe right now to get her to talk some sense into her cousin. She worked with you on this article too."

"Lana," Clark pulled her back to stop her from reaching the phone set on the round table. "There's something else."

Lana was going to protest, but when she saw his countenance, it was serious and weary. "What is it?"

Clark sighed and brought a hand to the back of his head for the second time that day. "I felt like I was torn between me and Kal-el. I was mad at Lois, so I grabbed her wrist and I wanted to hurt her."

"But, you didn't, right?" Lana said, but regretted it a second later. How could think that the man she loved would ever do such a thing? He was Clark Kent, the loving, kind, gentle man she loved. He had saved so many people with his abilities. It was a shame for her to even think that. "Oh, Clark, I'm sorry…." Lana said, realizing her mistake.

"It's okay…I even had my doubts for a second there too. Lana, something is happening to me…I feel like I'm Clark Kent, but I'm also Kal-el, the guy meant to rule over the world." Clark's face was worried and Lana felt a sudden urge to wrap him up in her arms to take some of that pain away.

"But the important thing is you didn't. You didn't hurt her. You would never hurt anyone intentionally," Lana consoled, reaching out to grab his other hand. Her thumb traced small soothing circles on the palms of his hands.

"Lana…I couldn't save someone," Clark said, spilling out the grief and sadness that were trapped inside him up until this point. "There was a woman…she was hurt…and I couldn't save her."

"Clark…" Lana brought a hand to cup his face who he was trying to hide from her. "It wasn't your fault…."

"That's what my dad said too…."

"And he's right….It's not your fault," Lana stated firmly. Then she said more gently, "You can't save everyone, Clark. You did your best and that's all that matters."

Clark nodded and his lifted his eyes to her face. "I'm so lucky to have fallen in love with you."

"Same here, Superman." Lana giggled.

"Superman, huh?" Clark was amused by her nickname for him. "Where did that come from?" His mood had been lightened greatly. God, how can a smile coming from this woman do that?

"Oh, no where," Lana said, pulling Clark into the corner of the apartment that was referred to as the 'living room.' To be honest, Lana had come up with that nickname while on the phone with Chloe. Chloe had been teasing her mercilessly about how much she gushed and cooed about the dark and handsome man who had captured her heart.

Lana pulled him down next to her on the couch and leaned against him. "I spoke to my boss and she agreed to let me take a break until after the wedding."

"What?" Clark was surprised. He hadn't heard Lana mention any of this to him before.

"Clark, I need the extra time to plan this wedding. And don't worry about my job; Mrs. Watson reassured me it would still be there when I get back."

"But, Lana," Clark began, "If this wedding is too much, we can always─"

"Clark, we are not postponing this," Lana said firmly.

Clark sighed, knowing he would never win. "It's just…money's a bit tight right now."

"I know…." Lana nodded her head; her expression was one of worry. "Clark, as much as I would like to think we're going to be having a dream wedding next month, we're not. I balanced the budget of the wedding today and let's just say things aren't looking out too good."

Clark remained silent and kissed the center part of her head. It was only ten o'clock in the morning, but Clark was already tired by the day's events. He knew he should get back to work; considering that he and Lana just talked about their financial status.

"Hey, you're tired," Lana sensed. "I'll go make us some coffee."

Clark watched her go into their makeshift kitchen, her hips swaying. Keep thinking like that, Kent, and it'll be the end of your abstinence.

He only had to wait a few minutes until Lana returned with his coffee. "Careful; it's hot," she warned him, forgetting he was immune to all things cold and hot.

"I think I can handle it," Clark said. Jokingly he blew on the surface of the cup. To his and Lana's surprise, the coffee in cup began to freeze.

"Wh—what happened?" Lana asked as Clark tentatively held the cup upside down. Not a single drop spilled from the cup.

"How did you do that, Clark?" Lana's eyes were the size of a dime.

"I'm not sure…." Clark said uncertainly. He flipped the cup back to the position it normally was used in. The coffee was still frozen.

"Lana…remember the night that my breath turned really cold?" Clark began, looking nervous. "I think I have some new power."

"Like…freezing stuff?" Lana asked.

Clark nodded as Lana took the cup away from him. She hesitantly put a manicured finger to the surface of the coffee. Cold to the touch.

Clark's forehead was scrunched up in concentration. If in fact he could freeze things with his breath, it would explain the mysterious ice incident at Gateway docks. His body, while unconscious, could have automatically sent ice out to protect itself. And the night that Lana complained her neck was cold; Clark was barely keeping his heat vision in check. He must have triggered…ice breath.

"Lana, I think I've developed super breath."

"Super breath?" Lana raised a carefully plucked and waxed eyebrow.

Clark merely nodded his head. "Lana, it happened again today. I blew on the woman's neck to stop it from bleeding and the wound froze."

"Froze? Just by breathing on it?" If Clark didn't know any better, he would say Lana was amazed by his new power. Before Clark could reply, Lana asked him another question, "She was attacked on the neck?"

"Yeah," Clark pulled a face when he thought of her mangled neck. "I can't imagine what could've done that. It looked like a vampire bit her something."

Clark thought he saw Lana shiver slightly. Clark couldn't fathom what could have made her shiver. It was a warm day in Smallville. Sunlight lit up their apartment, filling every cranny and nook. Perhaps it was the frozen cup now sitting on the coffee table next to Identity Crisis, a book he must have bought in his high school days.

"Maybe it was a vampire," Lana whispered.

Clark was about to laugh, but quickly pushed it down his throat when he saw the freaked expression on her face. "Lana, I didn't mean it."

Those words seemed to snap Lana out of her daze. "I know, Clark. I mean…with all the weird things in Smallville, it wouldn't exactly be crazy to say it was a vampire."

"Well, it happened in Metropolis, Lana. And besides, vampires don't come out in day," Clark reassured her, pulling her closer to him. "Even if it was a vampire look-a-like, it won't get you; not with me around." He puffed out his chest to make it seem comical and it seemed to do that trick. Lana gave a laugh of relief at his silliness.

"You are such a dork, Clark," Lana said, smiling.

"Yeah, but you still love me." Clark kissed her forehead.

"Yeah…I do." Lana took a hold of his warm hand. Her ring sparkled in the light, twinkling at Clark to remind him that he needed to get another one to go with it.

Clark sighed and slowly got up from the sofa. "I need to get back to work. With you taking time off work, it's up to me to bring in the cash."

Lana nodded, understanding where this was coming from. "You know, I can still manage the wedding and my job if you want."

"Lana, it's fine," Clark said and added, "I don't want you to work yourself out. When are Chloe and my mom going to help you?"

"I think Saturday; Chloe is trying to find a job this week and your mother is busy this week with the Talon. Smallville High lets out this Friday, so she's trying to get everything ready for the anxious, summer-hungry teens."

Clark chortled and gave a nod of understanding. "Just don't work yourself too hard, Honey."

"Already calling me Honey?" Lana smiled with a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes. She too got off the couch and moved closer to him.

Just when their lips were about to meet, Clark's cell phone rang. Clark checked the caller ID and found it was Lois, probably wondering where her coffee and camera was.

"It's okay. We'll have time for that later," Lana said, ushering her fiancé out of the apartment. "Bye, Honey."

Clark laughed, his mood drastically changed from earlier. "Bye, Baby."