Lana POV

I bit into my candied apple and made a small sound of pleasure. My day just could not get better than right now. I offered the apple to Clark but instead of taking it he raised his eyebrow at me.

"Do I look like I want to lose a tooth trying to bite into that thing?"

I laughed and took another bite. Through a mouthful of candied apple I smiled at Clark and while raising myself on my tiptoes I gave him a sticky kiss on his cheek. Clark groaned outloud in consternation.

"Lana! That was just gross." He raised his hand to his cheek and wiped vigorously. I tiptoed on my toes again and proceeded to kiss Clarks face wherever there was a patch of skin available.

Clark laughed while screaming at me to stop. "Lana, quit it!"

Clark tried to push me away but I was persistent in my endeavor to totally gross him out. Eventually, Clark gave up trying to stop me and instead gathered me in his arms and brought my sticky lips to his. He took my face in his hands and proceeded to lick at my lips with his tongue.

"If you wanted," Lick. "To use me," Lick. "As a napkin," Lick. "All you had to do," Lick. "Was ask." Clark took my bottom lip in his mouth and sucked it like a lollipop and I swear a part of me died inside.

My heart pounding, I took a deep breath. "Are you sure I shouldn't check your fingers for a red meteor rock?" I half whispered.

Clark's mouth lifted into that half-smile I love so much, his face centimeters away from mine. "Why is that?"

"Because that had to be the single most erotic thing in the world." I breathed.

"Well, you started it."

"And I'm glad I did."

Being careful not to place the candied apple anywhere on his shirt, I tiptoed and brought his lips once again on mine.

"God, can we even leave you guys alone for a few seconds?" Chloe's voice pierced through the air and shattered our moment as she and Pete seemed so fond of doing as of late. I glanced to my right and saw Chloe and Pete coming towards us after buying something from one of the attendants.

Clark sheepishly stepped back a bit and rubbed at his face. He pulled his hand away and pinched two of his fingers together and noticed the way they stuck together. "Ummm, I think I better go wash my face and hands."

I giggled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I think I should too. I think the bathrooms are this way." I said pointing towards the direction of the entrance.

Chloe just shook her head in mock impatience and placed her hands on her hips. "Do I need to send an adult with you two, or do you think you can handle being by yourself for five minutes?"

Pete put an arm around Chloe's waist and pulled her closer to him. "I think you should be more worried about us instead of them."

Chloe's eyes immediately found Pete's and she smiled into them. "Or else what?"

Pete shrugged. "Or else I'll be forced to show you why Pete Ross is da man."

Chloe rolled her eyes heavenward. "God help me."

I laughed out loud at Chloe's expression and took Clarks hand. "Come on Clark."

Clark smiled at Pete and Chloe. "We'll be right back guys. Wait here for us."

Chloe and Pete nodded without even bothering to look up. Their faces were a mixture of fondness and warmth with a little bit of something else as well. It was a little to early to put a name to that something else but it looked like their future was going to be a happy one.

Smiling up at Clark, I let him lead me to the area where the bathrooms were near the entrance. As we walked, I noticed the crowd had thinned out considerably since we had arrived earlier. The area near the bathrooms was littered with garbage and deserted. The wind picked up slightly and I shivered even though the wind was warm. An eerie feeling overtook me for a moment, thought I couldn't say why.

Clark looked down at me with a concerned expression on his face as he stroked my hand with his finger. "You okay?"

I nodded my head and tried to smile to ease his apprehension and maybe a little of my own. "Yeah. I'm…fine. Just, um, hurry in the bathroom okay?"

Clark gave me a perplexed look. "Um, okaaay. Are you sure you're alright?"

Feeling a little silly, I shook off my concerns and trained a megawatt smile in Clark's direction. "Clark, I'm fine. Really."

Clark nodded but not without fixing one more worried look in my direction as he headed to the Men's bathroom across from the Womens.

Shaking my head at myself, I turned and walked into the bathroom.


Walking into the open market, Alexa had steeled herself for a long, tedious search. Surely, nothing had prepared her for the sight before her: Clark and Lana walking almost directly ahead of her towards the bathrooms.

Alexa had to refrain from rubbing her hands together in glee. God might as well have handed Lana to her on a plate.

Making sure to stay out of sight, Alexa watched from a distance as Lana and Clark went their separate ways. She looked around once to make sure no one was around and slipped into the women's bathroom. Once again luck was on her side. Lana was in one of the stalls but no one else but Alexa was in there with her.

Quickly, Alexa turned on a pipe and proceeded to pretend to wash her hands. Hearing the toilet flush, Alexa pulled the brim of her hat lower onto her face. She wanted to relish this moment for as long as possible without Lana recognizing her. She felt rather than saw Lana come up on her right side and turn on a faucet. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lana hastily soap her hands and rinse.

"She looks like she's in a rush." Alexa thought to herself.

Still rinsing out one hand, Lana reached for a paper towel but her hand was stopped in midair by someone else. "Please, allow me." Alexa practically whispered.

Alexa watched Lana's eyes widen with recognition and a streak of fear entered their hazel depths. "Hello Lana. Miss me?"

Lana frantically tried to wrench her hand away from Alexa's and opened her mouth to scream. Alexa quickly grabbed her chin and forced Lana's eyes to look into her own. Only the usual immediate compliance didn't happen this time. Lana struggled and swung her free hand out in an attempt to punch Alexa in the face. Alexa saw the hand coming to her and grabbed the fist before it hit it's mark. In the process Lana managed to get out a strangled cry before Alexa was able to clamp a hand over her mouth. Full of confusion, Alexa had to force her way inside Lana's mind. Finally, seconds, that felt more like hours, passed and Lana relaxed in her arms.

Lana got a far away look in her eyes and gasped out, "Thank god. Clark! Alexa's here! We have to get the police!"

Slowly a smile spread across Alexa's face and she mockingly stroked Lana's hair. "Don't worry Lana. You're safe with me."

Quickly, practically running, Alexa led Lana out the bathroom door and to the front entrance where the locksmiths van was parked nearby. During the short jog, Alexa could feel her tenuous hold on Lana's mind start to fade. Alexa looked down once at Lana's face and saw the confusion on the raven haired girl's face grow by the second.

"Shit. What the hell is going on here?"

Finally, Alexa reached the van and dragged Lana to the double doors in the back.

"Who's van is this Clark?" Lana asked, slurring the words slightly. Her head was bowed down somewhat as if it was too heavy for her neck to hold up.

Alexa held Lana against one of the doors while opening the other with the keys from her pocket. "Don't worry about that baby. We're going to go for a little ride."

At Alexa's words Lana raised her head quickly and really looked at her. "Baby? What the-."

Before Lana could finish her thought, Alexa had grabbed up a medium sized hammer from the many tools inside the back of the van and hit Lana in the head with the side of it, effectively knocking her unconscious. "How does it feel bitch?"


End of Chapter Thirty