In the week that followed, the press feasted hungrily on the trials and convictions of Lionel Luthor. He was given a good long amount of time to think about his twisted life, and in the mean time, his next of kin, Lex Luthor, took over Luthor Corp. completely – something that had been a dream of Lex's since the first time I'd met him.

Dean called minutes after the trial, informing me of the celebration party he was going to host the club that Friday. I asked him how Lana was, and he told me hadn't heard from her. The last he'd seen her was next to Whitney in the courthouse.

That bit of information probably scared me more than it should have. After that I couldn't stop wondering if Lana was seriously considering staying with Whitney. She hadn't even contacted me yet. True, she might not have access to a phone or she might want to clear out of the Luthor mansion first so she didn't have to go back and face what she'd done again…but just the mere idea of allowing my friends to sacrifice so much for me…and then have it be for nothing…it hurt too much inside.

That night I especially did a lot of deep, emotion thinking. Unfortunately, the trial had ended the day before my thesis was due, and I simply didn't have the energy to do much more than stare at the monitor. Who cared if the main idea stayed constant throughout the 10+ pages, or the transitions remained clear and smooth? Just gazing at all those words reminded me of the life I use to lead…where academics were everything. Every word was chosen with care and placed in its respective spot on the page. That was back when I had no one clouding my mind with daydreams of moving back to Smallville…taking over the farm…and raising a family with the most amazing girl in the world.

I couldn't even remember how I'd gotten through each day without Lana. Where had I found the strength to get up in the morning? How did I convince myself that this thesis – a bunch of random words and letters - was more important than love? And now that I knew what love could truly offer…how was I ever suppose to go back to the way things use to be? How was I suppose to forget Lana Lang?

I sighed, realizing I probably wouldn't have a choice in the matter if Lana did not want me in her life anymore.

I had to finish proof reading this paper and it had to be turned in later that morning. I guess it made more sense that I live the rest of my life alone anyway, with only a few memories of what life is really suppose to feel like. Maybe that's all Lana was for – to show me what could never truly be mine.

Then I heard it. A soft, angelic knock on the doorframe of the room. I could see the silhouette of my visitor in the reflection of the screen. A small figure, leaning against the doorway, patiently waiting for me to turn around.

I took a deep breath and swallowed my leaping heart back into place.

And then I turned. And I saw her.

I don't remember if I said her name, or said anything at all that had even been audible. I do remember my heart pumping fast out of the irrational fear that she was going to, at any second, disappear into thin air, just as mysteriously as she appeared.

But instead, she dashed from the doorway and collapsed into my lap, a thigh on either side of mine, pinning me down as her arms squeezed around my neck affectionately. It was a good millisecond before my own arms wrapped tightly around her tiny frame and my face buried itself in her shoulder, taking in the sweet, feminine scent that was uniquely Lana Lang…the very scent I almost thought I'd never be privileged to smell ever again…

"It's all over….I'm so sorry, Clark…" She whispered into my ear, tears spilling from both of our eyes.

"No, I'm sorry…I knew you never stopped loving me. I should have done whatever it took to – "

"No, no," she protested, sitting up a little to look into my eyes, "Clark, you did exactly what I wanted you to do."

I sighed, not being able to handle it anymore and blurted out the question I'd been asking myself a thousand times. "Why did you leave me?"

She tried to smile, putting her hands on either side of my face, but her smile only succeeded in squeezing out a few more tears from her watery eyes. "I didn't want to leave you…but Whitney found me…told me to come with him…and I tried to fight, but after a while…" She sighed, looking down. "…I felt so helpless…and making that call to you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do…but I did my best to make you hate me so that you wouldn't try to attack Whitney because…he told me he knew you were different…and he didn't know how, but I think he found out about his class ring…and I didn't want you to reveal your secret to protect me and have him find out the truth…I just…" She closed her eyes for a moment, pausing to catch her breath again. "…I wanted to keep you safe so I went along with everything…and I figured maybe Lex and the others would have a better chance of finding information if Whitney and Lionel thought that you didn't care anymore…" She sniffed a little and fought back a few more tears as her eyes found mine again. "…and just hope you can see that I never stopped loving you for a second, Clark. I see why you were so afraid of what would happen if I knew your secret…but honestly Clark, I think knowing your secret makes me love you more. And I'm so very sorry if I made you think I didn't love you as much as I do."

As I watched her explaining herself to me, I couldn't help but feel my insides heat up with embarrassment for trying to convince my heart that this girl didn't care for me anymore. Hot tears streamed down my reddened face, watching Lana pick up my broken heart with her words and mend it together with the utmost love and care. She almost sacrificed her future for me, and my secret. I had no idea this girl had so much determination and strength or that I could ever be lucky enough to have her stand up to protect me.

"It's okay…it's okay, Lana…" I whispered, trying to say it louder the second time, although my voice was very rasping from all the crying. "I tried to tell myself so many times that I shouldn't love you anymore, but…I never believed it. Not once. I never gave up on us. And I never will."

With that promise, Lana let a fresh pool of tears trickle down her cheeks and dropped her head onto my shaking shoulder.

We were both so unstable and so shaken, but when we were together, holding each other, everything balanced out. Whatever fears one had, the other one would cast them away. And all the empty space in the one's heart would be amply filled by the other. Every bit of ourselves was connected perfectly somehow.

And as soon as I realized this, I suddenly had what I can only describe as a brilliant epiphany.

"Lana?"

"Yes?"

I pulled her away from me in order to see her face, and I remember thinking that as tired and tear-streaked as it was, I still saw the beauty that was Lana Lang. "These past few days I've been thinking a lot about you…and about us. Being without you made me see how much of an impact you made on my life in just a short amount of time. I realized that before you I was never really living…I was just this…shell…this empty shell going through the motions…and then you brought me to life."

Lana grasped my nervous hands in her own and smiled brightly. "I know exactly how you feel, Clark."

"That's really good, because…" My breath caught in my throat, so I took another gulp of air and tried again. "…because…I really want to marry you."

Her smile suddenly dropped, as did her jaw. "What?"

"I know…a dirty dorm room isn't very romantic…and I don't have a ring to give you yet, but…" I gently pushed Lana off of my lap in order to get down on one knee, praying that I didn't fall over or pass out from nervousness, "…Lana, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Oh…oh my…" She whispered in total shock. I could feel her tiny hands shaking in mine. "Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Clark! Oh my God! Yesyesyes!"

I couldn't stop laughing as my newly-established fiancé kneeled down as well, attacking my entire face with kisses and giving me a giant bear-hug that I'm sure would've crushed the collar bone of any normal person.

"Don't we…have to...do something about…your marriage to Whitney though?" I asked in between happy pecks on my lips.

"It's already been annulled! That's why I was so late coming here to see you. Oh my God!" And to my surprise Lana leaped up from the floor, and burst out into the hallway. "I'M ENGAGED TO CLARK KENT!"

I heard a few muffled whistles and claps as Lana giggled and then came barreling back into the room, collapsing on my bed.

I heartily welcomed the huge grin plastering my face as I closed the door to my room and then made my way over to the bed. "You might want to calm down a little. You're acting like a five-year-old at Disney World."

"I have a right to act like this! We're getting marrieeed!! You can't tell me you're not even a little bit ecstatic!"

"Well, of course – "

"Clark, there's absolutely nothing in our way," Lana interrupted, kneeling on the bed, gazing at me with the brightest, dazzling hazel eyes I've ever seen. "We're finally free. Together forever."

Lana's words settled into my mind in way that wanted me to pick her up and whisk her away to some remote island to get married right then. But I refrained. I knew planning a wedding was just a fun and important for her as the actual wedding itself. Lana deserved a beautiful gown and flowers and a day that was filled with nothing but pure, sweet love.

Just then, the room down the hall, which normally blasted out the punkiest of metal rock, cut off a Blink182 song in mid-chorus to replace it with 'Come What May'. Nicole Kidman's voice vibrated through the walls, teamed surprisingly with Andy who shouted, "This ones for Clark and that smokin' hot fiancé he's got! YOU GO, CLARKIEE!!"

I blushed and joined Lana in another laugh. I didn't know many of the words, but I held my hand out to Lana who took it and then moved in for a sweet slow dance to the song.

"Come what may…coOOoome what maaaAAAaay…" I sang, trying to match Ewan McGregor's heart-felt strength in the words and smiling at Lana's giggle.

"I will love you…until my dyyyingggg daaaay…" Lana whispered in her perfectly tuned voice.

"Me too," I added, leaning my head on hers as we swayed. "Have you ever seen that movie? Moulin Rouge?"

"Uh-uh. Is that where this song came from?"

"Yeah," I retorted, pausing before I added, "…we should watch it some time. I think you'd really like it."

"We can watch it on our honeymoon," Lana concluded with a chuckle.

My heart leaped again. A honeymoon hadn't even registered in my mind yet. And, it was actually making me feel more nervous than happy. "Uh…Lana…about a honeymoon…"

"What?" she stopped swaying and looked up into my eyes with concern. "You think we could afford one, right? It wouldn't have to be some big, elaborate thing or anything…"

"No, I'm sure we could get one just fine, but…" I sighed. Embarrassing conversations never cease when you're Clark Kent, "…I still don't know if I can…do…what couples normally do…on our honeymoon."

It took a moment, but Lana finally smiled understandingly. "Clark…"

"I'm serious, Lana. In every situation I've been in so far I've been able to control myself, but…I honestly don't know what would happen if…if I…" I sighed, covering my face with my hands. "This is so incredibly awkward."

"Just calm down. It's not like we're about to do it right now." Lana giggled, pulling my hands from my beet-red face. "I think you're overreacting. If I must say so…I think your powers will enhance the experience rather than destroy it."

I looked up at my bride-to-be, my brows furrowed in confusion. "Enhance?"

"Yes. Sure, I'm scared about it too, but that's not gonna stop me from trying." She tugged on my arms, causing me to lean down until our foreheads were touching and our noses were just centimeters away from each other. "I want to show you how much you mean to me. And I want to give you a part of me…and have that part of you."

Somehow, her hopeful words began to outweigh the scary premonitions in my head until the only thing on my mind was the current moment.

"Now, I don't want us to talk about it anymore, ok? Putting too many words to it could ruin the experience. And I want you to be surprised."

"Already know it's the best surprise I'm ever going to get."