Disclaimer: I own nothing. The lyrics are from Remy Zero (like you didn't already know that!)

A/N hey folks, sorry again for the long wait. I kept finding myself going back in and rereading what i wrote and thinking to myself, is this the best i can do? Some of these parts i think i edited like 4 times before i was satisfied. And guys, im not one of those jerks who swears that they will discontinue writing the story if people refuse to leave reviews, but i will say that i would really appreciate it if you took the time, especially with this chapter and the next. Most of my early writing tended to lean towards the action side of things and not factor in the human part of the story, which as i matured as a writer i realized was a glaring oversight on my part. What this means is that my romance writing is relatively inexperienced, so i could really use some feedback on these next couple of chapters to let me know if im headed in the right direction. I like it, but i want to know what you all think. Also, as this story progresses expect more fight scenes than the show includes. I think that the whole rush in, punch the bad guy once, save the day jazz can get kind of old, especially when a the show is proposing that kryptonite exposure can grant super strength and such. But it will be evolving slowly. Adding superpowers into a fight adds a whole other dimension to it. Anyways, enjoy!

The fifteen minute drive from the Kent farm to the Smallville High School gymnasium did nothing to improve the violent weather conditions; if anything, the storm was getting worse. Clark on the other hand was finding his own condition much improved. While he was still worried about how his newfound feelings were going to change his and Chloe's relationship, his mother's advice had given him a new perspective on the matter. And her could almost hear Lex's voice in his ear, reminding him that he couldn't live his life in fear of the unknown.

When he had first climbed into the car he had sat quietly, sneaking quick glances at her out of the corner of his eye. But as he sought in vain for a topic of conversation that seemed cool and impressive, he realized his mother was right. Why should he treat her any differently or try to be someone he wasn't just because he liked her? She was already his best friend and she liked who he was just fine. So he cracked a smile and asked with a teasing note in his voice if she had enjoyed her history class that morning. She shot him a death glare, and he began to chuckle under his breath. He knew very well that she loathed her history teacher Ms. Ryan; their mutual enmity was the stuff of school legend.

"That woman is the most ignorant, stubborn, and moronic human being on the planet. If indeed she is a human being. She does look a lot like a pig in high heels, so you never know." He was laughing uncontrollably now, hands slapping his knees. "I mean honestly, giving me a B minus just because I disagreed with her on a few minor historic points…" he stopped laughing and snorted disbelievingly.

"A few minor points? Chloe you disagreed with every word out of that woman's mouth."

"Well what can I say; she brings out the worst in me. Besides, its my civic duty to protect our fellow students from false information. It's not my fault that I've learned more watching the history channel then she did in four years of college. And whose side are you on anyway? Some friend you are." She turned her head to flash her tongue at him before turning her attention back to the road.

"My apologies your highness. I should know better than to question you." Despite his seated position, he managed a short, mocking bow and she let out a short giggle.

"Yes, well, you'd do well to remember that peasant," she replied, her nose lifted in the air in a mocking manner. They spent the remainder of the drive sharing stories about their week and laughing over the antics of teacher's trying in vain to hold their classes' attention with only a week of school left. Chloe was in stitches, almost swerving off the road a few times as Clark recounted how Pete had attempted to convince their math teacher that since no one was paying attention anyway, he should just cancel class for the week.

"…and he gave this huge speech about how life was too short to waste. And then, I swear to god, he stood up in his chair and started giving his version of the "I have a dream" speech. I have never seen Mr. Rushano get that angry." She continued to laugh and Clark watched her, feeling amazed that he could ever have felt awkward around this girl. This just felt too right.

Her laughter subsided slowly and she said, breathlessly, "We're here." His gaze shifted to the front windshield and, sure enough, they were pulling into the parking lot at Smallville High. The car slid into a parking space and Chloe put it in park, checking her makeup in the mirror before looking over at him. "Are you ready?" He matched her stare, feeling himself being drawn into her deep green eyes. His voice was soft, but firm.

"Yeah, I am."

Somebody save me
And two warm hands break right through me
Somebody save me
I don't care how you do it
Just stay
Stay
Come on
I've been waiting for you

The atmosphere in the room was loud and boisterous, with dozens of smartly dressed teens dancing, socializing, and generally having fun while Remy Zero played in the background. Clark exited the bathroom, having left Chloe chatting with friends, and headed for the refreshment table when he spotted Pete near the punch, cheering loudly for the band. He approached, almost having to shout to be heard over the din.

"Hey Pete, liking the band?"

"Yeah, I love these guys. WOO!! REMY ZERO!!" Clark laughed and Pete shot him a look, thrusting his chin forward to indicate a nearby knot of girls. "Chloe's having a great time." Clark's smile grew wider as he turned and retrieved a glass of punch from the table.

"Well I promised her a night that she would never forget." Pete's smile remained in place, but his tone turned serious.

"I'm glad you finally stepped up Clark." Clark spoke to Pete, but his eyes remained locked on Chloe.

"Yeah, me too." Clapping echoed around the room as the band finished their song and started up another, much slower beat. He could see Chloe practically jumping with excitement, even from across the room and he heard her squeal out "Oh my god, I love this song." Pete nudged him in the ribs suggestively.

"Hey, you know this is one of Chloe's favorite songs, right?" His smile grew devious, but Clark still only had eyes for Chloe.

"Why do you think I requested it?" With that he shoved his half full cup into Pete's hands began to walk. Pete stood mute for a moment, dumbfounded, before laughing loudly.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Clark's gaze never wavered as he made his way swiftly across the floor, determination visible in his gaze. The crowd seemed to part before him and he knew she had seen him as her eyes met his and her friends began to drift away to find their own dates. Her smile was tentative and nervous as he came to a stop before her, but that soon faded at the infectious grin on his face and the intense look in his eyes.

"May I have this dance?" he asked quietly but with confidence, his hand held out. Her smile widened.

"Of course." She lifted her hand and he grasped it in his own, her other hand rising to his shoulder as his wrapped around her slim waist. They revolved slowly in place, swaying in time to the music and continuing to hold each other's gaze. She chuckled lightly, a playful light dancing in her eyes.

"Clark Kent, man of mystery; just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me." He matched her laugh with one of his own.

"How's that?"

"The song, the tux…tonight." He released her hand to reach up and cup her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb.

"And I'm still here." Her smile lit up the room and her eyes swam with an emotion he couldn't quite place.

"Yeah, you are." Both leaned in slowly, anticipation mounting as their faces inched closer. Their eyes closed and Chloe began to tremble, feeling his warm breath graze her skin. Lips met softly, little more than a caress. Clark's head was spinning, never having thought that he could feel so much through such a gentle pressure. He pulled back slowly and looked into her slightly glazed eyes, searching for permission to continue. His answer was an emphatic yes and he leaned in, seeking the sweet touch of her lips once more.

"Can I have you attention please?" Clark jerked back, searching wildly to find the source of the interruption. Only now did he notice that the band had stopped playing and the principal was on the stage, waving his arms for quiet. "Thank you. The national weather service has just issued a tornado warning, apparently three funnels have been spotted heading towards Smallville. Now please remain calm, the twisters are going to set down south of here, but for your own safety no one will be allowed to leave the gym."

Students began to mill about in panic and confusion, some yelling loudly at the stage, demanding that they be allowed to return home to be with their families. Clark began to panic as well, realizing that if the tornado touched down as predicted, its path would probably take it right towards his family's farm. As well as the bus station. His eyes widened. His parents had been living through these things for a long time, and while he was worried, he knew that they knew what to do and had plenty of time to get to the shelter. But Lana was out there all alone, and likely too upset about Whitney to even be paying attention to what was going on around her. He turned to Chloe, whose eyes were wide and frightened.

"Lana was dropping Whitney off at the bus station. That's just south of here." Her tone held fear as she responded.

"Clark she'll be fine. I'm sure she's already home by now. I'll tell you what, you wait here and I'll go call her on my cell." She turned and Clark grimaced, knowing that she was not going to be happy about what he was about to do. But if Lana really did need his help, he would never forgive himself for not being there to save her. He would just have to find a way to make it up to Chloe.

A gust of wind blew across her back, sending a chill up her spine. She whirled around, searching for Clark's familiar face in the crowd and calling his name, confusion evident in her voice. But he was already over a mile away, running southbound on Route 34 as he raced a tornado.

Minutes later, he slid to a stop, harsh wind buffeting and swirling around him ruffling his suit and lending a windswept look to his hair. His gaze swept up and down the empty stretch of highway, trying to ignoring the debris that flew around him and into him. Then he spotted the truck. It looked like hell. It lay in a ditch just off of the road, it's once pristine red paint smeared with dirt from the whirling debris and the front end crumpled in like a smashed soda can.

He could feel the wind picking up around him and shifted his attention beyond the truck to the massive storm laden sky beyond. All three twisters that had been predicted had indeed touched down, and even as he watched, all three began pulling closer together. He gulped as what had been three funnels condensed into one huge one, and it was closing in on them fast. Looking back at the truck he saw Lana's frightened face in the window, tugging at the door handle in a vain attempt to open it as she screamed his name. He began to sprint toward her, but even with his incredible speed he could not take but a few steps before the sheer power of this force of nature lifted the two tons of metal that had once been a truck hundreds of feet into the air. He stopped, looking on in horror before his face settled into a determined grimace. Here goes nothing. He lowered his and charged into the heart of the tornado, allowing the winds to carry him up, up…into the sky.

The scene was one out of a nightmare. Clark found himself surrounded by darkness, the harsh winds buffeting him as they bore him through the stormy skies. He had lost track of Lana's truck almost immediately and he knew that he needed to focus if he was to find and help her. This was easier said than done, he reminded himself as yet another flying tree branch smashed into his face, shattering into a thousand splinters. Any normal human would have long since been killed. But he wasn't normal and his friend needed his help.

He shook his head to clear it and drew within himself, forcing his mind to focus and his vision to sharpen. There! A flash of red, but it was enough. He flattened his body, pointing himself in the direction of the flying vehicle but after a moment he realized that he had no way to propel himself there. Speed meant nothing if there was no ground for him to run on. He flailed helplessly, throwing his arms forward in vain. This was useless, he thought after a moment. He looked like an insane swimmer trying to breast stroke through a tornado and it wasn't getting him anywhere. He squeezed his hands into tight fists, angry and frustrated, but refusing to give up. A friend's life depended on him and he was not going to let her die. His jaw set, his face tight, and his teeth grinding together…he began to move.

He had no idea how, or why, but whatever he was doing was working so he didn't question it. Instead he willed himself to move faster and inch by inch he felt himself gaining momentum. Soon he reached his goal, his hands finding purchase on the open doorframe of the truck that was already beginning to tear apart under the incredible pressure of the storm. He flexed, inhuman muscles pulling him inside with ease, where he could see Lana stretched out along the floorboards, her arms held protectively over her head as she screeched in fear. There was barely time for him to lie on top of her, enveloping her in his invulnerable body before the remainder of the car tore away, leaving nothing but thin floorboard underneath them and dark open sky above them. The wind spun them unmercifully, taking them on an impromptu roller coaster ride. Despite the danger to Lana though, he couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill shoot down his spine at the sensation of the wind breaking across his face and down his body. With his eyes shut tight, it almost felt like he was flying, and somehow he felt an odd sense of…belonging.

But almost as soon as the feeling had come, it was gone as he felt a sudden jolt and opened his eyes to find that they had been flung free of the twister and were now falling freely towards the earth. Looking down he realized that Lana had fallen unconscious at some point; that would make his job much easier. Tightening his arms around her he pushed off of the flimsy car remains, twisting in midair to keep himself between her and the onrushing ground as they plummeted through the sky. He winced in anticipation; invulnerable or not, this was going to sting.

They impacted hard, bouncing once before gouging a ten foot scar into the Kansas soil. He lay still, watching as the tornado slowly diminished until finally, mercifully, it was gone, the last of the flying debris falling like heavy rain across the town. Clark took a moment to recover before slowly gaining his feet, Lana's limp body cradled in his arms. He groaned as he rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck, popping it. "Ow." Invulnerable or not, that fall still hurt. Definitely an experience that he would rather not repeat. Looking down at the weary girl in his arms, he realized that he had no time to waste. While he had absorbed as much of the impact as he could, she still looked pretty banged up; he needed to get her to the hospital. He turned and was gone like a flash.

Smallville medical center was an orgy of confusion of mayhem. Doctors ran to and fro, checking injuries from flying debris and yelling out medication orders while nurses struggled to organize the confusion, working seeming miracles as they accomplished a hundred different tasks. Clark stood in the middle of it all, unnoticed in the chaos and unsure of what to do. Finally he noticed a nurse helping a man off of a gurney into a wheelchair and rolling him away. He rushed over and lay Lana down gently before turning and grasping a passing nurses by the elbow, careful not to squeeze too hard.

"Ma'am I need you help me. I found her lying in a field out by Route 34. She must have been caught out in the tornado; I'm not sure what's wrong her." A mental light bulb went off and he turned, running his x-ray vision over her length. "Although you might want to be careful of her wrist, I think that it might be broken. Also she seems to have a few bruised ribs." The nurse looked at him in surprise but was too busy to comment on his seemingly magical diagnosis. She joined him by the gurney and reached out, gently grasping the young girl's wrist to take her pulse. Lana shifted, wincing and moaning but still unconscious. The young nurse quickly removed the pressure and frowned at him.

"Well young man, she doesn't appear to be critical and we are a little busy at the moment, as you can see. So it will probably be awhile before we'll have time to get her into x-ray. Since you found her, you'll need to stay with her until then." He shook his head vigorously.

"I can't, I have to get back to my farm and check on my folks. Lana will be fine; you said so yourself." She rolled her eyes at his argument.

"Sorry kid, those are the rules. And since you apparently know who this young lady is, you can go ahead and help her out by getting started on her paperwork." She turned and retreated a few paces to retrieve documents from the bustling nurses station, but before she had even taken one step, Clark was long gone. He needed to get home and find out if his parents were ok, but first he had a worried pair of best friends to reassure.