Note: Thanks for all the reviews.

Kal-El's Gurl: I tried to continue the story in third person, but I kept hitting writer's block. I should have thought about what POV I would be using for the story before I started…. Now it feels like the whole story is screwed up.

Anyway, I hope that this chapter is okay. And if you have any suggestions for the title of this chapter, please tell me. I can't come up with anything at the moment. Thanks again for reading.

Clark's POV

The next morning, I wake with a start at the mooing of the cows and squawks of our rooster, Henry. How on earth did I manage to wake up earlier than Lana?

I groggily rub my eyes and ruffle my hair. Sitting up, I see Lana sprawled on the couch, the red and blue checkered blanket tightly wrapped around her body. After several yawns are out of my system, I quietly get off my make-shift bed on the hard floor and stretch. Making my way to the window, I gaze out at the vast plain known as home to me.

Unconsciously, my mind begins to drift back to the night before.

Last night was a blessing in disguise. Not only did Lana confess her love to me many times, but I was able to pour out all the demons hidden inside of me for years. I opened up not only to Lana, but to myself as well.

I'm ashamed to admit that I feel like I haven't given Lana enough credit for her strength and intelligence. How she could handle everything that I had to tell her last night is beyond me. I couldn't even handle it myself. I bawled like a baby in front of her. I'm not too embarrassed though because afterwards, she told me that it was good that I'm finally letting go of the past and the feelings that are associated with it. And she's right. I feel a lot better this morning than I ever did.

For one thing, I was able to get the one thing off my chest that had been bugging me since my return home from the caves last summer—something that I haven't even told my parents or Pete. It's not like I didn't want to tell them…I was just afraid that they wouldn't understand. What would my parents say if I told them I was stuck in a cave wall for three months learning about my Kryptonian heritage? With my luck, Dad would probably have a heart attack or even worse…lecture me on how dangerous Jor-el is and that I should just ignore all the warnings he's given me…and so on. Mom would be more understanding, but she would get these sad eyes…eyes that tell you that she doesn't want me learning more than I already do in hopes of keeping me on the farm. Pete…he's in Wichita and despite our daily correspondence by e-mail, I can tell that he's still stressed out over my secret. Part of me wishes that I hadn't told him, but he insists that I did the right thing. And Lana…

Afraid that she can hear my thoughts, I quickly glance at the couch to make sure that she's still asleep. Hearing her soft snores, I smile slightly. Part of me wants to wake her from her slumber, but the other part knows that I should let her rest for the time being. We'll have plenty of time to talk later.

I'm aware that I still have a few more things to confess to her. Like the fact that I'm staying in Smalville next year would be a good topic opener. I can imagine it now:

"Hey, Lana, guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm staying in Smallville next year!"

She squeals and jumps into my arms.

"Yay! Now we can be together forever!"

I smile goofily and add, "Can we also hump like monkeys?"

"Of course, baby! Anything you want."

"…then can we do it right now?"

Lana jumps down from my arms and proceeds to shed off her clothing, ripping her bra and panties off.

And of course, the rest would be us doing some pretty graphic things. Needless to say, my fantasy will never happen.

I can only guess what Lana's reaction will be to my decision. She could react in so many ways that just thinking of them makes my head spin.

Would she be thrilled that our relationship doesn't have to end or be stressed when the summer ends? Or would she be upset that I'm throwing away my future for her, much like the reaction that I got from Dad? Would Lana be disappointed on the outside, but on the inside, secretly excited that I was finally going to step up to the plate for our relationship? All these questions, but no answers. Not yet, anyway.

If I want answers, then I had better do something about it, I decide. Today I'll tell her about my decision and maybe throw in a demonstration of my abilities if she's up to it. I know that she probably has many more questions for me and I'd be happy to answer them for her. I'm done with the lying and deceiving. I've already opened the door; I might as well close it so that we can open another one together.

Remember that ball of energy waiting to be released? Well, I think it has finally burst, giving way to something beautiful and forever. Deep down, I know that I'll never love a woman the way that I love Lana. She's my first and will always be. No one will ever take her place in my heart. It sounds like something in a romance/tragedy novel, but it's true.

I made a promise to myself a long time ago. If Lana gave me a second chance, I swore to myself that I wouldn't screw it up. No matter how difficult or how many obstacles stood in the way of pure happiness, I would overcome each and every one of them because that's how much I love her. If fate was cruel enough to drive us apart, then I'm sure that I would be determined as hell to defy it.

This past year, I haven't exactly been keeping my word to my promise. Not only had I gone out of my way to avoid Lana, but I acted like a coward. But I shouldn't dwell on my mistakes or the past because it does nothing to move you forward. I know that now.

I spend a couple more minutes gathering my thoughts and strategizing a game plan. When I'm ready, I head to my desk and write a quick note to Lana. I make my way over to the couch and right when I'm figuring out where to place it, she stirs.

"Clark?"

"Hey," I whisper, taking her hand and placing the note in it. "I'll be right back, okay? Read the note."

I quickly kiss her forehead, knowing that she's probably confused. I hope that my note makes up for it.

I descend the stairs of the loft and within several strides; I reach the yellow farm house filled with precious childhood memories. I spot Mom in the kitchen window making breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon waft through my nose and I inhale deeply. I make a mental note to bring some breakfast back to Lana in the loft.

I enter the house quietly and I sigh a breath of relief when I only see Mom in the kitchen. It's too early in the morning to face Dad's wrath. Although, I'm not completely sure why I deserve his wrath.

"Clark," Mom says pleasantly enough to me.

"Hey, Mom," I go over to her and give her a kiss on the cheek for reassurance that she's on my side.

"How did it go last night with Lana?" Mom spoons the sizzling bacon on a plate and I take it to the table for her.

"Umm…it went well," I say uncertainly. "How did you know that I went to the caves with Lana last night?"

"Your father told me." She begins to stir the batter for the pancakes and I watch.

"Where is Dad anyway?" I lean against the counter and I'm about to reach over and grab a fresh muffin from a tray, but she slaps my hand away. I feign hurt and rub my hand.

"Outside doing your chores." She glances up at me with an expression that says that I should go out and help.

I ignore it and instead ask, "Why are you making so much for breakfast?" I notice the large quantities of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and muffins—not that I'm complaining.

"Well, your father and I got to talking…"

Uh-oh. This isn't good….

"…and we decided that maybe we should invite Lana over for breakfast today. Considering that she knows your secret now, your father and I thought that this would be an opportunity to welcome her into the family, just like we did Pete." She says this all in one breath while pouring the batter into the pan.

"Why do I get the feeling that you had more to do with this than Dad?"

Mom ignores my comment. "Clark, why don't you call Lana and see if she's awake? Ask her if she wants to join us for breakfast."

"Umm…" Shit. What have I gotten myself into? If I tell my mother that Lana slept with me in the loft last night, that could lead to a lengthy lecture from Dad.

"Mom…I have a confession to make."

"Oh?"

"I…umm…"

"You…?"

I glance up from my shoes and notice the smirk she has on her face. What's going here?

"Oh, Honey, I'm just teasing you. I saw you and Lana out in the loft."

I blink. "What?"

My mother continues cooking the pancakes and I tap my shoe, waiting for an explanation.

"When I went to wake you up this morning, I assumed that you would be in your bed. But you weren't, so I got a bit worried. I told your father about needing something from the barn and I went to check if you were there."

"Does Dad know…?"

"No, I didn't tell him."

I sigh in relief. "Thanks, Mom."

"Your welcome, but don't expect me to cover for you next time. The next time you pull an all-nighter with Lana, well, you're just going to have to deal with Dad."

I nod. "So what did you tell Dad about my whereabouts?"

"I told him that you drove Lana home last night and was too tired to head back into the house, so you just camped out in the loft. At least, that's the theory I tried to get him to believe."

She hands me a plate of muffins and I bring it over to the dining table. We continue our conversation from across the room.

"But didn't Dad want to come up to the loft to check on me?"

"Yes, but before he could, I laid down the suggestion of inviting Lana over for breakfast and that took you off of his mind for the time being."

"You're a sly one, Mom," I say with a smile.

"So…is Lana still in the loft?"

I nod and grab a muffin. "I'm going to head back up there. I'll see you in a bit."

I hide the muffin behind my back and make my way out the door.

Before stepping down the porch, I take a quick look both ways, making sure that Dad isn't in sight. In seconds, I am back in the loft due to my super speed.

I slow down once I get to the top. Lana is at the window, her back turned to me. I make my way toward her, keeping as quiet as possible.

My element of surprise is ruined when I step on a squeaky floorboard. She spins around, alarmed, but her countenance relaxes once she sees that it is only me.

I join her at the window, enjoying the light morning breeze playing across my face. I dare not say anything to ruin this moment between us. The sun is now high above the horizon, casting its glow on Lana, giving her an ethereal effect. I close my eyes and let this moment become etched into my memory.

Once I am certain that it's burned into my memory, I open my eyes to find a pair of greenish orbs staring at me intently. My eyes slowly travel to her plump lips and I bend down to kiss them.

The kiss is tender and sensual, unlike our kiss last night in the caves. We take our time showing our love for each other and we could've gone on like this forever, but our need for air was too great.

I pull back and notice a coy smile playing on her lips.

"I hope that that muffin is for me because I'm starved."

It takes me a moment to remember that I still have a muffin in my hand.

"Well, it's gonna cost ya," I say teasingly, hiding the muffin behind my back.

To my surprise, she leans in for another kiss. This one is more passionate than the last one.

When she is done with her payment, she reaches around and grabs the muffin from me. She breaks off a piece and hand feeds it to me.

"Hey, I can feed myself," I say indignantly.

She ignores my comment and tells me to open my mouth. I do so and for payback, I manage to lick a few of her fingers.

As I wait for her to finish the muffin, I go over to my desk to prepare to show her my abilities. I grab some candles from the drawer and set them on the table in front of the couch. Lana finishes the muffin hastily and goes over to the couch.

"What's this for?" she asks, picking up a candle.

"Lana, how much do you know about my abilities?" I ask, setting up the candles and gently taking the one in her grasp.

"Umm…Well, I know that you're impervious to heat and you can run really fast."

I nod and take a seat on the couch next to her. "You want me to go slow or fast?"

"Fast."

"I have super speed, super strength, heat vision, x-ray vision, super hearing, and my skin is bullet proof."

"Umm…. How about slow, this time?"

I grin. "Okay…. Let's start with you do know. I have super speed—you saw that when I ran in front of your car, thus causing you to ram into our fence."

"Right," Lana says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And when we did that bake sale, you saw me use my bare hands to take the tray of cookies─"

"Muffins."

"—muffins out of the oven."

I pause and glance at her, making sure that she's following all this.

"And you said that you were…?"

"Bullet proof?"

"Yeah, that." She pauses and glances around the loft at anywhere but me.

"You're not freaked out…are you?"

"What? No," she says quickly, shaking her head firmly. "It's kind of a relief, actually."

"What do you mean?"

Lana finally fixes her gaze on me and she smiles uncertainly. "It's…comforting to know that you can't get shot. I mean, when you watch the news and hear stories about people being killed everyday by bullet wounds, it gets kind of scary."

"Yeah, but this is Smallville, Lana. Not Metropolis."

"Yeah, I know. But when you get to thinking that your life could end by a simple walk to the market…or crossing the street to the dry cleaners…" Lana trails off and starts wringing her hands.

I take hold of them to get her to stop because it's making me nervous.

"Well, to be honest, I've never really thought much about that," I admit, tracing her hands with my thumbs. "It's usually people that I care about like you and my parents that I worry about."

"'Cause you're indestructible, huh?"

Right now would be the ideal moment to tell her about the effects that kryptonite has on me, but I refrain from telling her for now.

"Except when it comes to you, of course," I reply with a grin. "When I'm around you I have this tendency to forget what I'm saying or drop things."

"Are you calling me a magnet for accidents?"

"No, I call it love."

She giggles and demands me to finish my show-and-tell.

Twenty minutes later, I'm done showing her my gifts—or curses, depending on how you look at it.

Somehow, we went from the couch to the floor, with Lana's head resting on my lap. I know that we should probably head back, but there's still the matter of my decision to take care of.

"Lana, have you ever thought of going back to Paris?"

Her eyes open at my question, but she doesn't answer right away. Instead, she chooses to drive me crazy by turning her head in my lap until she is comfortable.

"I've thought about it," she admits, twisting her head to gaze up at me with exotic eyes that always seem to take my breath away.

She smiles at me and I stroke a hand through her hair.

Lana continues. "But…I don't know…. Paris has just lost some of its appeal to me. It's just not the same anymore now that I've seen it. You know…I was really lonely in Paris. I missed Smallville…and you, even though I couldn't admit it to myself back then."

I nod.

"But who knows? Maybe I'll go back someday."

"By yourself?"

"Well, I was thinking of convincing this very handsome, plaid-wearing farm boy to come with me."

"I'm pretty certain that he would agree. After all, spending a night in Paris with a beautiful and attractive lady like yourself is an offer that no one can refuse."

"You think?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely." I grin as she sits up in my lap and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"How about you? Any big plans for the future?"

"Besides spending a couple nights with you in the city of light and romance? Nope, my calendar is completely open."

"Haha. No, seriously." She sits up a little straighter and her expression is serious.

Time to spill the beans about my decision. "Lana...before I say anything, I just want you to know that your decision to stay in Smallville next year has nothing to do with this."

Okay, that wasn't a complete lie. Wait—yes it was. Her decision has everything to do with this, but I mean; I would have followed her to Paris if she decided to go there for school next year.

"Oh…Clark…please don't tell me…"

"I'm staying in Smallville next year."

Okay, this was not the reaction that I had hoped for. I knew that I was prepared for different reactions, but a part of me can't help but feel disappointed because she's not as thrilled about this as I hoped that she could be.

"Clark, why? I mean, if it has nothing to do with my decision," she demands, sounding a tad upset.

"Lana…I'm sorry, but I lied. This has something to do with you decision, but…"

"But what, Clark?"

A tad upset was an understatement. "Lana, please try to understand…"

"Understand what, Clark?" she says rather hotly. She softens her tone a bit when she notices my taken-aback expression. "Clark, please don't throw away your future for me…don't throw away all your hard work and all those football scholarships…" She pauses to recollect her thoughts. "I would hate it if I was the reason for you giving up your future."

"Now you're starting to sound like my dad," I say, noticing the bitterness in my voice.

"Maybe he has a point," she shoots back, scooting out of my lap, pulling her hands out of my grasp.

"Maybe," I say, scooting closer and taking her hands again. I need her to understand…if she doesn't, I might just loose her forever. "But, Lana, please listen. I love you. If I don't do this…then we may never get this chance again. I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I would do everything in my power to make this work if you gave me a second chance. You and I both know that if I go off to college in Metropolis or who knows where, we'll never get the chance to let our relationship grow into something more…stable." I pause to let the words sink in.

"We could have a long distance relationship…. A lot of people have long distance relationships from as far as different countries," Lana says half heartedly.

"Yeah, but how many actually last more than a few months?"

She doesn't answer and she knows that I am right.

"I could follow you to Metropolis…even Florida if you wanted to go to school there…." Lana says, saying it to convince herself rather than me.

I shake my head. "I can't let you just pick up and move your life for me."

"Clark, you're just contradicting yourself!"

"Lana─"

"No! I don't want to talk about this now, Clark," she says exasperatedly, pulling her hands out of my grasp yet again.

She gets off the floor and I follow her down the steps of the loft.

"Lana…" I try to grab her arm, but she flinches violently and I stop.

She closes her eyes, trying to block out the hurt expression on my face.

"Clark, please…let's just go have breakfast with your parents. We can talk about this later."

I nod and follow her to the house, keeping my expression neutral, not letting her know how much that she has hurt me. God, I royally messed up this time, didn't I?