Note: Again, I apologize for the long wait…also, don't kill me after you read this chap!

Smallville: Apartment above the Talon

12:26 A.M.

Sunday, July 4th

Lana opened her eyes slowly, confused. Her clock read 12:26; it wasn't morning yet. Then, why was she awake?

Lana flipped over on her side, closing her eyes as she blindly reached for a familiar warmth that wasn't there. Her eyes opened again when her hands continued raking against the soft sheets, not making any contact with her fiancé. Groggily, she sat up in the bed, reaching over for the telephone to make a phone call.

Creak. Lana twisted around and saw a dark large figure enter the apartment.

"Clark?" she called, flipping on the bedside lamp. Light illuminated the apartment and a disheveled Clark Kent.

"Hey," Lana said softly, noticing his torn clothes. When he didn't say anything, she got concerned.

"Are you okay?" She got out of the bed and walked towards him. She placed a hand on his arm and watched his face for any sign of a reaction.

Finally, Clark gave her a tired smile and nodded. Lana sighed mentally with relief and returned the smile nervously. She decided not to press for any information or details.

"Are you hungry?" Lana asked, breaking the silence. "There's left over cake if you want any…."

Clark shook his head and took Lana's hand into his. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Lana smiled at him encouragingly.

"Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you hadn't met me?"

Lana blinked and then replayed the past few seconds. She searched his face for a sign of how she should answer that, but found none. His expression gave nothing away and a look of seriousness was etched in his features.

"Clark…what's going on?" Lana asked, dodging the question. She squeezed his hand and tried to convey her concern for him through her facial features.

"Please answer the question."

Lana stared at him unbelievably. Then, she threw her hands up in the air and said, "Fine."

"Yes." Lana said truthfully. "I have thought about what my life would've been like if I hadn't met you—and it's not a pretty sight." She gave a hollow laugh. "If I hadn't met you, Clark Kent, I would've probably died a long time ago. I would've wallowed in my misery and self pity—because that's what I was doing before I truly met you."

"I probably would have been stuck being that girl in her fairy princess costume on the cover of Time Magazine. And you know what else?" Lana took a breath and looked her fiancé in the eyes. "If I had made it to this age, I would be married to some lawyer or doctor type person. I would probably be sitting at home asking myself how my life became this pathetic."

When she was done ranting, Clark shifted his eyes from hers. Lana, having had enough of his cloud of mystery, said, "Clark, what's really going on?"

"I've been thinking…" was all he said.

Lana's stomach lurched, knowing that he thinking wasn't always good. "About what?" Lana prodded gently.

"About us…and our future."

Lana bit her lip and watched as he sank into the couch and put his head in his hands. She felt like crying…screaming…something that would help her subdue her frustration.

Lana sat down next to him and folded her hands in her lap. It seemed like an eternity had passed before Clark spoke up again.

"Lana…I think we should break it off."

Lana blinked a couple of times then opened her mouth. No words came out. Finally, she was able to utter, "What?"

Clark sighed and stood up, walking to a corner of the room, unable to meet her eyes.

Lana felt as if her whole world that she had worked so hard to build and stabilize was falling apart. She forced herself to take some deep breaths. Then, she looked over at Clark with hurt in her eyes.

"Clark…you don't really mean that, do you?" Lana whispered uncertainly. She looked at him and willed him to look at her, but he didn't.

Moments passed in silence and thinking. Lana was trying hard not to cry, but Clark could see the tears threatening to spill from her doe-like eyes.

God…I promised myself and to her that I wouldn't hurt her…but if I stayed, I'd be doing exactly that—hurting her, Clark repeated to himself over and over again to drive his guilt down.

Finally, Lana broke down and covered her face with her hands. Clark felt his heart break in two when he heard heart wrenching sobs coming from her.

Clark cleared his throat. "Lana? I'm─"

"Don't you even say it!" Lana cried, lifting her face from her hands. "Why?"

Clark swallowed hard. "Lana…I wish I could tell you so you could understand─" Clark sighed, frustrated that he couldn't put into words about how he felt. "It's just…"

"What Clark? Better this way!" Lana yelled at him. "I'm not going to let you just walk out of my life again!"

Clark adverted his eyes from hers and started to chant in his head. If I stay it'll only hurt her.

Lana stood up suddenly and walked over to where he was standing. "Clark, I love you," she said in his face, taking his hand. "Please don't do this…or if you're going to then at least tell me why!"

"I ran into Cobwell today…and I just realized how dangerous it is to be near me," Clark said slowly, squeezing her hand. "Cobwell wanted information about Lex Luthor…and he tried to get to me through you. He hurt you, Lana. I can't let that happen again," Clark said firmly, ignoring the hurt in her eyes.

"Clark, that happened weeks ago! If you wanted to leave, why did you wait so long?" Lana asked, feeling tears running down her face. Oh God…please…this can't be happening.

"Because I wanted to believe that it would work between us…." Clark said pathetically. "Only, I realized tonight that it will never work—no matter how much I love you."

Lana pulled back from Clark as if she had been slapped. Except, it was the opposite.

The sound of someone slapping someone else echoed through the room. Clark stood there, realizing that he had just been slapped while Lana, the person who had slapped him, covered her mouth with her hands and started sobbing even harder.

"I hate you!" Lana screamed that hateful words at him, hitting him on the chest and kicking him until she had no more strength left.

Clark felt a tear slide down his cheek as Lana sank to the ground in anger, sadness, and frustration. Clark held back the urge to rush to her side and rock her until her pain became his.

"I hate you!" Lana yelled the painful words again. "You're lying! You probably met someone at the club and—and…!" Lana leaned over on the floor, trying to contain her sobs.

She doesn't know what she's saying… Clark thought with guilt. How could I hurt her so much that she slaps me and spouts off accusations? Clark rubbed furiously at his red eyes. If only she knew how much I love her…

A part of Clark Kent kept telling him that what he was doing was for the best, but another part of him kept calling him an asshole and a chicken. Why are you giving up something so beautiful and real?

Clark bit his tongue and decided that it was time for him to go. The voices in his head were all jumbled up and he was seriously considering getting on his knees and begging for Lana's forgiveness and to take him back. But, he knew that what was done was done.

With one last lingering look at a sprawled Lana on the hard wood floor, he left, shutting the door behind him with a click; leaving his once fiancée crying her heart out.