thanks for the coolest reviews, guys:o)
Clark woke up coughing almost to the point where he thought he was going to choke to death. His cheeks burned and his sides hurt badly when the coughing finally did cease, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position very slowly, his stomach muscles aching from their strenuous work. Taking a few breaths, he opened his eyes to see where he was.
He was back in the bed of the suite he and Lana had been given before the ball. Looking down, he noticed he still wore his tuxedo pants, but the bloodstained shirt and jacket were no where to be seen.
Memories of the ball played back in his head like a broken record. He could only recall the parts of it that were the most terrifying and this began to give him a minor headache. He decided it would be best to just ignore that part of his life for now.
Still, it was hard to stop himself from staring at his horribly injured chest, which bore four painful looking cuts, but had obviously been treated with something because they were almost all the way healed. He touched one and groaned loudly in pain. Ok, maybe not as healed as he thought.
"Clark! Was that you?"
Clark quickly looked up surprised as he saw Lana rush out of the bathroom, carrying a wet piece of cloth. Her eyes looked a little red and puffy as though she'd been crying earlier. He hoped it wasn't because of him.
"Clark!"
She reached him and gave him an awkward-looking hug, trying not to touch his sensitive scars.
Her wonderful scent filled his insides and gave him a sense of happiness he hadn't felt in a long time. "Lana…wha-what…how…"
She smiled sweetly.
"Everything's okay, Clark. They're gone."
Clark tried to think of what she could possibly be referring to, but only gave himself an even bigger headache then before. He put his palm to his head.
"Who's gone?"
Lana's expression grew more concerned as she pressed the wet cloth to his aching forehead. "Please tell me you remember Amon and all them."
"Yeah, of course I – " He suddenly stopped, staring at her unbelievably. "They're gone?"
Lana smiled and nodded.
"Forever!" He moved abruptly in excitement, accidentally bumping his chest. He grimaced in pain. "Oh…ow…"
"You'd better lay back down. Aimee said it'll take a few more days before those cuts completely heal. You're so lucky that thing didn't cut you as deep as Aimee said he usually does…you're the first one she's treated that's actually had a great chance of healing." Clark reluctantly lay back down, taking the cloth Lana offered him with a sweet thanks. "And, just to let you know, your left hand is completely healed already. Aimee must have some pretty powerful stuff because it really looked horrible before you were brought to her just last night."
He nodded and then sighed.
"So…if my memory's right…Elsu saved everyone," he stated, closing his eyes. "Wow…would you have ever guessed that the horse we were riding on this whole time was possessing the Mist?"
"Yeah…it's weird…"
Lana's tone seemed somewhat unsure.
Clark opened his eyes, looking at her strangely. "What?"
She sighed, pulling her puzzled look into a smile. "Nothing. It's nothing. I just…well, Viren said that after the two found the Mist, they'd be able to go back home…" She looked around the room, slightly saddened, "…and we're not home."
Clark just now realized this also. He bit his bottom lip, feeling somewhat guilty. Now he felt more then ever that because of him they weren't going to go back. Lana was surely going to be furious when she found out…he'd have to tell her eventually…there was no other explanation. Clark Kent screwed up again and this time there was no backing out.
'She's gonna hate me forever…but I have to tell her…now or never, Clark. Here we go.' He watched Lana go into another room and coming back with a glass of water, a smile still grazing her face. 'Yeah, she's happy now…after I tell her about me, she'll probably throw this glass of water right into my face…'
"Um…Lana…" - 'Calm…calm and slow is very good…' - "y-you know…I'm sure there's just another little thing we have to do before we go back. Maybe chant a few words or something. I wouldn't worry about it." He quickly took a sip of the drink, then set on the nightstand along with the cloth, avoiding her eyes.
'I hate myself…I hate myself…I HATE MYSELF…' Clark repeated in his mind as he lied directly to Lana's face. He mentally slammed his head against a locker and cursed himself for being such a wuss.
Lana, however, did not see any signs that Clark was untruthful and watched him happily. "You're probably right. You always know how to make me feel better…even during a time like this."
Tentatively, Clark returned the smile, hoping his mask of lies would hold out long enough for him find the words to tell her the truth…
"Mistress Lana, I – " Viren stopped at the threshold of the front door. "Master Clark!"
"Hey, Viren," Clark greeted as the elf rushed over to his bed.
"Oh, I must tell the others you have awakened!" Viren stared happily at Clark with his large eyes as if not believing what he saw.
"Is that for me?" Clark asked, noticing that Viren had some sort of bottle clasped in his long fingers.
The elf looked down at his own hands as if not remembering he even held something. "What? Oh! Yes, it is. It's the ointment Aimee said would help your scars heal faster." He looked up, somewhat saddened. "Though, she did also add that the scars may never completely leave your chest. It's hard to tell…Amon's claws are extremely deadly…everyone was afraid you were going to…well, you must already know."
There was a pregnant pause.
"Um…well…I'm sure the ointment stuff well help a lot though, right?" Clark said, trying not to sound too upset about having to bare a permanent reminder of Amon on his body.
"Yes, of course." Viren looked over at Lana who was staring at Clark, notably upset. He smirked however slightly when his little mind concocted a way to make her feel better.
"Um…I was going to apply this ointment myself, Master Clark, but seeing as you're awake, I do wish to go down and inform everyone as soon as possible. They're all dreadfully worried." He handed the bottle out to Lana. "Would you mind assisting Master Clark?"
Lana quickly looked from the bottle to Clark, who's eyebrows jumped a little. Swallowing, she took the ointment. "Yeah, of course. Anything to help."
Smiling gratefully, Viren backed up towards the door. "Well, I guess Aimee or I will come back to check on you later. Oh, and Rolf has told me that we would discuss your departure from Sogni Dromen over dinner in the main dining room. I guess I should tell him to begin preparing that meal for tonight. Is that all right with you?"
"Yeah, o-ok. Thanks," Clark exclaimed before the elf bowed and left the suite.
Clark then turned to Lana who was already squirting out a little of the ointment onto her hand. It had a shiny pearl color to it and gave off a refreshingly soothing odor. But although it was soothing, Clark already felt extremely uncomfortable about the situation.
"I don't know if this is gonna sting…" Lana warned as Clark quickly sat up a bit, inhaling deeply yet trying to remain calm.
She rested one knee on the edge of the bed and then dabbed her index finger into the puddle of the ointment in her palm. She decided to start with the shortest two cuts first which were on the outside. One ran from the right side of his collarbone to his left pec and the other from the spot just below his right pec to the middle of his torso.
"Ah!" Clark squeaked as soon as her finger touched his skin.
"Did that sting?" Lana asked, failing to stop a smile from appearing on her face.
"No…it's cold…"
She giggled softly and continued to cover his wounds with the ointment. Soon she'd finished every cut but the longest, which stretched from his left hip to the spot just under his right ear.
"Ow…ok, that one's a little sensitive," Clark stated, tightening his chest as he felt a sharp sting.
"Quit acting like a whimp, Clark. I'm almost finished," Lana explained, laughing a little more. Inside, however, she wished she'd just begun…oh the possibilities that could arise if she was only just a bit more bold…
Her finger slid slowly up the scar and Clark desperately wanted the flip-floppy feeling in his stomach to stop. When her finger finally reached his collarbone, he turned his head a little to let her reach the side of his neck, fighting the blush that was forming on his cheeks.
Lana moved more onto the bed, leaning over Clark to reach the end of the scar. She tried to hold back the urge to watch Clark as she did this. His breathing was completely uneven, and his deep gulps could easily be heard anywhere in the room.
"You…uh…done yet?" Clark asked slowly, making sure his voice wouldn't make some kind of noise that resembled a squeaky dog toy.
"Just a little more……there." As soon as she finished, Lana gave in and glanced at him.
His eyes stared into hers, the green swirls blending into the blue like two uniquely colored emeralds. She intended to smile at him, but she couldn't help but let her eyes slip down to his lips…
He watched her, unsure why she was looking at him so closely. Licking his lips, he tried to sit up a little more, only to realize it minimized the distance between him and Lana even more. He opened his mouth a little, planning to apologize for moving in so close, but suddenly he forgot how. His brain went into overdrive when he noticed Lana's hand had moved down to that point on his neck that sent a most unusual, yet welcoming sensation up his spine. By now all reasonable thoughts were blown from his brain and his very eager heart began to take control in Lana's goddess-like beauty…
His breath was tingling and warm and it was drawing Lana towards it. A lot of questions formed in her brain, most of them yelling, asking her what she was doing and why, but listening to her mind had stopped a long time go…
'Her eyes are closed! She closed her eyes!' Clark thought with panic. Eyes closed could only mean one thing – the thing he wanted so badly. He found his eyes were sliding shut also.
'Just wait…any second now!' His heart was jumping around in his chest like a hyperactive jackrabbit. This was all he wanted and more…just a kiss…
But in those few moments of waiting, something suddenly twisted deep inside him, warning him to stop this immediately. But why in the world would he want to do that!
He felt her lips touch his…her innocent, soft, unearthly lips.
'Wait…unearthly…'
And that's when it dawned on him - the reason why the warning sign had appeared. Reluctantly, he decided to take its advice.
"I-I can't do this, Lana. I'm sorry."
Lana opened her eyes, feeling as though she'd just woken up from one of the best dreams of her life just a second too early.
"Clark…I – "
"Look, it has nothing to do with you I…I mean I really want to do this…but there's something I really have to get out before I do."
Lana slowly backed away from Clark, grabbing the cloth on the table to wipe off the excess ointment on her hand, somewhat embarrassed. She then curled her legs up under herself on the end of the bed, pulling a piece of stray hair behind her ear. She watched Clark with concern as he chewed on his bottom lip, obviously thinking about something very intensely.
"What is it?" Lana asked timidly.
Clark forced himself to stare at her for a moment with confidence, but then chickened out, letting his gaze fall down to his hands.
"Um…" He felt sweat beginning to form on his forehead and his mouth go dry. Now he knew how his dad felt when he first told Clark the truth in the loft four years ago. If he ever got home, he promised himself to thank his dad for being so brave. This was by no means going to be easy.
"Okay…um…do you…uh…remember the Old Story Viren was telling us about? Back when we were in the forest?"
Lana nodded.
"You know the part where it says if two humans find the Mist, Sogni Dromen will be saved and they will go back home?"
The way he stressed 'human' puzzled Lana even more, but she nodded just the same.
"And you know how…we haven't gone back to Smallville yet?"
She tried to act like she understood, but then her eyebrows pulled down into a weird look. "Clark…I don't think I'm following what you're trying to say…"
He looked back up at her, mentally searching inside him, trying to muster up every piece of confidence he owned.
"I think we haven't gone back yet because…I'm not…exactly…human."
Lana glared at him, her mouth dropping a few centimeters. "Not exactly…human?"
"You can say that I'm joking, but when you really think about it…you'll know I'm being serious."
She stared at him. It wasn't an angry stare. It wasn't an understanding stare. I was just a plain, emotionless stare.
'Okay…that could've went a little better…' Clark swallowed, trying to think of something else to say. "Um…I have these…these abilities. I could tell you what they are but…I think I'd just freak you out. You'd have to see to believe them."
"A-abilities?"
Clark nodded, trying to be as calm and straightforward as possible for fear that Lana was going to go into shock any minute now. "Yeah. This place kind've block them though. I really don't know h – "
"So if you're not human…what are you?" she asked, still expressionless.
"Well…I'm pretty sure I'm from this planet – it's called Krypton. I came down in a spaceship during the meteor shower and – "
He stopped, realizing that Lana had gone very pale. A sudden look of worry crossed his face.
"Look, um, maybe I should just skip all that stuff until later. B-but my point is that…um…"
"You're an alien…and because of that…we won't be able to leave here…" Lana finished coldly, "…ever."
Clark immediately looked back down, feeling Lana's eyes watching him like a hawk. A few minutes later, he suddenly felt the bed shift abruptly. He looked up to see Lana had gotten off and was heading toward the door in quick, straight strides.
"I have to go," she mumbled almost unaudibly.
"Lana?" She continued walking towards the door. "Lana, come back. Please. It's not my fault. Lana, where - "
The doors slammed behind her, shaking the frame.
Clark let his head fall back on wall and let out a large gust of air.
'For once I just wish my intuition was wrong…'