Clark really didn't want to talk to Lana, but he would. Clark felt better, more reassured that he was a good father. That was why he had taken Alex, and he honestly just didn't feel like even looking at Lana, he wasn't trying to pit Alex against her.
Clark opened the back door of the car, reaching inside to unfasten Alex's seat belt, letting him out of his car seat. Alex immediately raced towards the Kent's front door, stuffed tiger animal in hand.
Clark leaned against the car, deciding weather he should go in ot not.

Lana turned around as she heard the door open and her son stumbled inside, falling, but he was obviously not hurt, because he got back up with a smile on his face.
"Mom, I saw SO many animals" He beamed"There was a tiger this big" He stretched his out his arms as far as they could go.
"That's great sweetie." Lana said watching the door, wondering why Clark hadn't been right behind Alex.
"The tigers goes Grrrrr, really loud." Alex tried to imitate the tiger's roar"But I wasn't scared."
Normally Lana would have found her son's stories adorable and given him her full attention, but all she could focus on was lack of Clark"Sweetie, where is your dad"
As if on cue, Clark entered the house, eyes on Alex or the floor the whole time, never making eye contact with Lana.
"Hey, sweetie, Grandma's in the kitchen, why don't you tell her about the zoo." Lana said, and happy once her little boy ran into the kitchen, so she could talk to Clark alone.
"Clark, last night we both said some things we regret." Lana knew she had really hurt Clark.
"But... we meant them." Clark finally made eye contact with Lana.
Lana couldn't deny it"But Clark, you took what I said the wrong way. That isn't the reason at all I wouldn't move in with you... you're right, I did mean what I said, but I think you are a great father, I wasn't saying you weren't."
"Then why, Lana" Clark's voice sounded stressed, but not angry.
"I..." Lana honestly didn't know why, of course her parents frowned upon it, but Clark was right, she wasn't a kid anymore"I do... but..." Lana felt an underlying fear, why or of what, she didn't know.
Clark needed Lana to think he was a good father, but he needed her more to show it, back up her words"but what"
"I don't know." Lana tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ears"I just feel like I should, and I want to... but I feel like we need to set discuss boundaries and limitations."
"For Alex" Clark asked, unsure.
"Yes, but for us too." Lana felt like bringing the certain topic up, as long as they were discussing things. She really did know in her heart why she hadn't moved in with Clark. She had been hoping for a proposal before, yet it didn't seem like she was ever going to get it.
"Us? What about us" Clark didn't understand what she was getting at.
"Clark... are we ever going to go any farther" Lana asked indirectly.
Clark didn't know how much further they could go"Lana... what are you looking for me to say? Because I don't know, and I'm sorry."
Lana was hurt that he seriously just didn't get it, didn't think about it. She was going to have to be blunt"Are we ever going to get married"
Clark hadn't seen that one coming. He never even thought about marriage before. He honestly didn't believe in it. He never saw no purpose in it. What was the point? They take a vow saying death do us part, but more than half break that promise and get divorced. To Clark marriage had the same authority as dating. He didn't feel like marriage was a next step because it was all the same, only with a title. You couldn't cheat on your girlfriend, and you can't cheat on your wife. You could break up with a girlfriend and divorce a wife.
Clark had never realized Lana had wanted marriage before"Lana... I never thought..." He had just assumed she shared his opinion.
Lana saw it was clear he didn't want marriage and it hurt her"No, its fine. I just wanted to be sure." She turned away from him, trying to keep from crying.
"Lana..." Clark said with utter tenderness, sensing she was upset, and he bridged the 3 foot gap between, as he placed a hand on her shoulder from behind"If that's what you want, of course, we'll get married."
Clark saw Lana visibly shake, and even though her back was turned to him and he couldn't see her face, he knew the tears were there.
"Clark." She turned around"I don't want you to do it because you think it's what I want. I want you to want it." Lana's voice cracked on a sob.
"Lana, you know I love you. You know you're the only one I'd ever want to spend the rest of my life with." He cupped her cheek with his hand"You make me human, and if you want to show that, prove that with a title, I will."
Lana didn't understand where Clark was coming from. How could it mean so little to him? She had always pictured marriage in her future. She didn't doubt Clark's love or loyalty, but how could he not think about it? Marriage was so much more than a label.
"Clark marriage isn't just a title... it's the final commitment." She said as Clark brushed a tear from her face.
"Well Lana, then I want to make that commitment." Clark never knew Lana had felt this way about marriage before.
"Clark..." It just didn't feel right to Lana anymore. She knew Clark would always love her, but she also knew he was only asking her to marry her because he thought that was what she wanted, and it was but... this just wasn't how she had pictured her proposal, it wasn't romantic at all, it was forced.
"Lana, I don't know what else to say." Clark didn't know how to make it right.
"I don't know either." Lana didn't know why she felt this way, I mean, Clark loved her and was doing it to make her happy, shouldn't that be enough? She just didn't understand why Clark felt marriage was worth so little.
Clark was so confused and had no idea what to do next, he hated to see Lana crying but... he couldn't just change the way he felt"Lana, just tell me what you want and I'll do it. If you want to get married, we will."
How do you answer a question like that? Yes, she wanted to get married... he was trying his hardest to make her happy...
"Yes... I do want to get married." Lana knew she did, and she still wanted to, even if he didn't think it was important.
"Okay..." Clark hugged her, but he still didn't feel like things had been settled, it just didn't feel right.

1 ½ week later
"Alex, stop it." Lana scolded him in the supermarket as he pulled boxes of cereal off the shelf.
"I wanna go" He whined as he threw himself on the floor.
"Alex, get up. We'll leave soon." Lana said patiently as she picked Alex up by one arm, but he went limp on purpose, so she would have to pull all his body weight. "Alex, stop it."
Alex started crying, and pretty soon he was screaming. Lana picked him up, and he clung to her, still crying loudly. Lana knew her son well enough to know he was upset for other reasons.
Lana was very thankful when his wails calmed down to whimpers, because people were all starring at her.

"Hey, Lana." Martha grabbed a grocery bag from her daughter's arm as she came inside"Is Alex outside"
"Yeah, he's still in his car seat, would you grab him for me" Lana asked.
"Sure." Martha headed outside, and was back in the house with her grandson in less than a minute.
It was painful for Lana to look at her son, eyes red from crying and obviously still upset.
"Did he throw another fit" Martha asked, rocking Alex in her arms.
"Yeah." It hurt Lana so much, because she knew why he little boy was acting out; he missed his Dad. Clark hadn't been by in a week and a half. Lana understood too, he was working hard, trying to get Lionel's parole denied and he was working almost 24/7. She also thought part of the reason was because of how things had been really awkward between them ever since the marriage talk.
"Grampa..."Alex said and he looked like he might start crying again.

Martha came back into the kitchen after she had brought Alex to Jonathan"Lana, sweetie, what's going on with Clark"
Martha had kept her nose out of it so far but she couldn't anymore. Alex had started to cling to Jonathan more, obviously looking for a replacement of the male figure he wasn't getting lately.
"He's working on preventing Lionel's parole being granted." Lana knew she should have told Martha, but she had to of known herself, it was all over the news. Plus Lionel represented a horrible time in her life and she didn't like discussing it.
"Well I assumed that much, but it seems like there is something else." Martha tried to open her daughter up.
"Mom..." Lana said"We were talking about a lot of things... Alex... and us."
"And" Martha urged her on.
"I think I'm going to move in with Clark." Lana said, not sure how Martha would react.
"Oh..." Was all she said.
"Mom, you've seen Alex lately, and we both know he's acting like this because he misses Clark..." Lana felt like she need to explain, and this past week she really saw how much it all was linked, and that Clark was right.
Before anyone could say anything else the phone rang, and Lana picked it up"Hello"
"Lana, hey." Clark said in an optimistic tone.
"Hi, Clark. What's up" She asked.
"Um, Lionel was denied his parole request." Clark said.
"That's great, how did you do it" Lana had been aware of Clark's constant search for dirt over the past few weeks, but he had never found anything close.
"Money." Clark didn't feel a bit guilty that he had bribed the parole board, after all the only reason Lionel had gotten the 3 years was by bribing a judge"So he has to finish his last 6 months in jail. I'm going to come over, I'll be there in like 25 minutes.
"Alright." Lana replied.
"Bye." Clark hung up.

TBC...