Title: When Your World Changes

Writer: Mbeer769

Pairings: Clois, and brief Clana

Spoilers: Phoenix

Rating: PG-13 to NC-17

Warning: Some scenes of romantic substance, along with some scenes of violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of its characters; they belong to Warner Brothers and DC comics. I am not making any money off of this story, and no, I am not Nate Teich.

Main Characters: Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan, Bart Allen, Lana Lang, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Lex Luthor.

Summary: What if after returning to Smallville, after Clark's escapade in Metropolis, he decided to leave again? What would happen if he ran into a certain witty and beautiful brunette?

Prologue

Smallville, Kansas: 2004

Clark had been back for a few days now. After being brought back by his father, he was still in the process of trying to put his life back together. Although he no longer wore the ring, he could still feel its effects lingering inside of him. He felt he had to get away, and sort things out on his own; he felt leaving was the only choice.

Clark shines his flashlight around on the cave paintings, stopping briefly at a painting of a ball of fire, descending from the heavens. He turns towards his father. "Dad, I just don't get it. Why would Jor-El help you bring me back when he was the one who wanted me to leave?" Jonathan pauses and tries to hide a guilty look on his face, Clark looks at his father before a thought dawned on him. "You made a deal with him, didn't you?"

His father places a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, "Clark, the most important thing right now, is that my son has his life back." Clark looks his father in the eye then to the ground, "I'm not sure I want it back." He pulls away from his father and turns and walks a few steps away. "Being Kal-El, I could just do whatever I wanted. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of me."

Jonathan walks up to him and puts an arm around his shoulder. "Look, I'm not saying that staying is going to solve all your problems, but at least this way we can face them together, as a family."

Clark sighed, "I wish it were that easy, but I feel like I have to figure things out on my own, for once." His father winces slightly and closes his eyes. "Dad, I can still feel the ring's effects, I need to sort things out. I can't do that here, not with the worries about Lionel and Jor-El."

Jonathan sighs and looks at his son, and nods in defeat. "Ok… but please, promise me you will keep in touch." He looks at his son, while Clark nods. "I promise dad." They hug and Jonathan wraps an arm around his son's shoulders, "C'mon, let's go home." Clark nods and they leave the caves.

The truck ride home was quiet; there was an uneasy feeling inside the cab of the trusty old pick-up. Clark's gaze was fixed on the fields outside his window, while Jonathan's was on the road, although he would look at his son every now and then. When they arrived at the farm they noticed a familiar SUV parked in the driveway. Clark got out of the car first and went inside where he found his mother and Lana talking.

"Lana?" She turns around and looks at Clark. "What are you doing here?" She pauses for a moment, "I came to talk… to you." Clark nods, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. His thoughts racing trying to discern the topic of conversation, he's snapped out of his thoughts when Lana speaks. "Can we go somewhere private?" He nods, his mind still elsewhere. "Uh, yeah, sure. Let's go up to the loft." She nods quickly and they head out together to the loft.

When they reach the top, Clark shoves his hands in his pockets, and rocks back and forth on his heels. "So…" Lana turns to regard him. "What did you want to talk about?" She looks into his blue green eyes with her brown orbs and answers with a short but precise answer. "Us." He looks at her even more confused, "What do you mean… us?"

She turns and takes a few steps towards the large window. "Our future… together. "Clark opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off. "I understand you have your secrets, and you can't explain some things, and I'm fine with that now. I understand now, that as long as you have love, then that's enough." Clark forces an uneasy smile, which Lana takes for nervousness, so she takes both his hands and continues. "I know all of this now, and I love you, and that's all that should matter."

Clark squeezes her hands gently and tries to smile, but he can't. "Lana… do you remember when you told me to come find you when I decided whether or not I was going to stay?" She nods. "Well… I've decided." A look of sadness overcomes her face, and tears well up in her eyes. "I'm leaving…" She falters and lets go of his hands. He looks at her with sadness in his eyes, "I'm sorry, but I have to." She looks at him, her face looks as if her world came crashing down around her at that exact moment. "W…w… when? And to where?" He sighs and turns around, not wanting to look at her for fear he'd change his mind. "I leave in 2 days… and I haven't decided where yet. All I know is I need to get away from Smallville for a while, to think." He sighs and walks down the stairs of his loft, leaving Lana alone and confused.

Two days had passed and Clark was ready to leave, he just had to say his last goodbyes to everyone. They were all gathered at the Kent Farm; Pete, Chloe, Lana, Lex, and his parents. Clark began the sad task of saying goodbye, and promising to keep in touch, but alas he did it and headed off to the bus stop. He said goodbye one last time at the bus stop and got on the bus, not knowing when he would return or what lay ahead of him. All he knew was he was going to figure things out on his own for once.