A Flavor of Z

Smallville – After Midnight

The string of Christmas lights swayed in the gentle breeze. They were attached to an old trailer Clark had brought out here just for the occasion. The fire was slowly burning its way out, embers still swirling up into the darkness. The small lake was like a sheet of glass occasionally disturbed by small, ever expanding ripples. The food had been put away some time ago once it became apparent she wasn't going to show.

Clark sat in one of the sling-back chairs, a half empty glass of homemade sangria in his hand. He was alone. He'd stopped looking and listening for her over an hour ago. The music had been playing most of the night and in a bit of synergy it seemed to reflect his fading hopes. Willie Nelson's Angel Flying to Close to the Ground came on.

If you had not have fallen
Then I would not have found you
Angel flying too close to the ground
And I patched up your broken wing
And hung around a while
Tried to keep your spirits up
And your fever down
I knew someday that you would fly away
For love's the greatest healer to be found
So leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound
I'd rather see you up
Than see you down
Leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground

His emotions didn't run towards anger, just disappointed. He'd taken a chance and put himself out there only to have things not go his way. He was hardly the first or the last person this would happen to, just the latest. It seemed even being Superman didn't immunize you from being stood up on a date.

The Night Sky – Midnight

Fifty miles away Karen floated 20 thousand feet up in the stillness of the night. This was the closest she'd been in several hours. The amazing abilities she had on this world seemed more like a curse. She could see everything, every detail including the sadness on his face. Yet she couldn't seem to make herself move any closer. She knew he'd been waiting for her and she was the cause of his expression.

A date, it seemed so simple or at least it had when she agreed. She had thought she would surprise him by dropping out of the Mesosphere, above where he would be looking for her. It would be a little display of her abilities for someone who could appreciate them and know what they were like. Karen reached Smallville just before sunset. She could see him busily make preparations for the evening and she had to smile at his ingenuity. This was a date between Clark and Karen yet it allowed for them to be who they really were if they wanted.

Watching him she suddenly realized she wasn't going to keep the date.

While she was only 22, she had been on dates before, but this one was different. Every date is essentially about possibility. It's two people opening themselves up and taking a chance that they might be right for each other. It's asking someone else into your life. Karen realized that was what Clark was doing, asking her into his life on this world.

Of course he didn't know this wasn't her world, she hadn't told him.

She felt the pull to join him down there in this world, yet another world still beckoned. In her young life she'd already lost one world, Krypton, she wasn't ready to lose another. Joining him down there felt like she would be doing just that, giving up on getting back home. Her cousin and Helena's parents had sacrificed their lives for that world and as far as she knew the struggle wasn't over. Didn't she owe them to at least try to get back and help save that world?

She had been raised around heroes and if she ever wanted to be one didn't the bigger picture have to come first? Isn't that what heroes do? The line had been so simple before; personal desires took a backseat to the greater goal. If anything watching first Lois and then Selina die and seeing how her cousin and Helena's father pushed on inspired her. Even in their private grief they had put the world's needs first. Could she do less?

Tears wouldn't come at this altitude. Karen knew the best thing to do was just leave, but she couldn't. She watched him prepare everything, making sure it was just right for the night, for her. He said it would be different than other dates she'd been on and she could see he was right. She wanted to drop down and explain why she couldn't, but that would only create more problems and questions.

Karen and Helena had agreed when the first arrived the best thing was to let no one know they were from another universe. They had discussed asking this world's heroes to help them, but then Darkseid had attacked here too. They realized they couldn't ask them to leave this world unprotected to help their world. If they were ever going to get back they would have to do it themselves. If their actions caused what happened on their world to happen here, they would never forgive themselves. If they asked for help and then the worst happened, they would be dooming two worlds. That was a lot to put on the shoulders of two seventeen years olds, but they made their decision and had stuck to it. They realized they were on their own.

Five years had passed and it seemed their decision was the right one. This world's heroes had managed what their world's hadn't been able to, repel Darkseid and his army. Karen had studied every available piece of footage to see just how they managed it, hoping she could use whatever they'd done when her and Helena returned home but it almost seemed like chance that they won more than anything. She also knew Darkseid wouldn't give up so easily. He would return and this world would need all its heroes, especially Superman.

But five years had passed. Karen and Helena were no longer seventeen years old. Each day their world seemed to slip just a bit further away and this one became more real. Karen had always been the dreamer, while Helena was the more practically one, yet this business with Bruce Wayne worried Karen. She felt there was something she was missing in her best friend's actions. For as logical and calculating as Helena could be, there was something reckless about the way she was going. It was as if she wanted Bruce Wayne to know about her and Karen couldn't help wondering if it wasn't because of whom he reminded Helena of.

As she gazed down at the tiny campfire, Karen knew she was hardly one to talk. The feelings behind it might be different, but she wanted Clark to know her just the same. The illusion that he was the same as the Superman back home had fallen away. Five years had passed and now she was a young woman interested in a young man, Clark Kent. Why it had to be him of all people, she couldn't help wondering, but she knew it was true. That's where the danger came in. It was only a date, yet it was filled with possibility like all dates are. The closer she got to him the harder it would be to leave.

Floating in the darkness, she could hear the words to the song Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.

If you had not have fallen
Then I would not have found you

She hadn't fallen into this world and he wouldn't have found her.

I knew someday that you would fly away
For love's the greatest healer to be found
So leave me if you need to
I will still remember
Angel flying too close to the ground

She would fly away and leave him to return to her world. That's what heroes were supposed to do, she thought. They make a sacrifice. Maybe that's how he would remember her, as an angel that flew too close to the ground.

Smallville – Five Hours Earlier

Clark had a smile on his face as he got everything ready. He figured she would be arriving soon. He took a quick glance around, but didn't see her. The sun was setting over the small lake, so he turned on the Christmas lights he'd strung up from the old trailer. He was nervous, but excited. It was a first step, but a big one he knew. They had spent a night together, but this was the first time they would actually talk and get to know each other. The only other time they'd really talked was the ill-fated lunch in Metropolis. He hoped tonight went better than that.

After talking with Jimmy, Clark had been rolling over the idea of asking her out in his mind. His friend did have a point about him not being able to compete as far as money went. If money was the only thing, Jimmy had a better chance than Clark did. Of course he was also Superman, which opened up far more possibilities, but Karen already knew he was Superman. He wasn't asking her out as Superman, but Clark Kent. The more he thought about it though, he realized he didn't want to fall into the trap so many people do. He didn't want to impress her with all the cool things he could do or how much he could spend. That took no effort or thought.

If he was going to ask her out, Clark realized he wanted her to understand that he saw her as special and unique. He wanted her to know that he liked her enough to show her he'd put some thought into it. Anyone could just Google the best restaurant or the hottest club, but by taking the time to think of something different he hoped she would understand how he thought of her. It wasn't a matter of money, if it was then there was others with far more of it than him.

The idea started to form in his head. He contacted the people running the farm back in Smallville and asked if they'd mind if he brought someone up here to the lake? They weren't using it and no one really came up here so it wasn't a problem. He borrowed one of those old single person trailers and hitched it to the back of the truck and drove it up to the side of the lake. He put up a thin canopy and strung Christmas lights all around it. Clark built a fire and figured he would cook out on it for their dinner. He shopped into town and picked out locally grown food that was as fresh as this morning's harvest. They could watch the sunset and listen to music, maybe even slow dance a bit.

He wanted this to be a date between Karen and Clark, but by having it out here they would be alone so if the urge took them they would only be revealing their powers to each other. They could be themselves, all of themselves out here together. He rechecked everything, making sure it was just as he wanted. He started the music; Kings of Leon's Back Down South came on. Throwing a couple more logs on the fire, Clark took the pitcher of Sangria out of the little refrigerator of the trailer and poured out a glass. He sat down in one of the sling back chairs, nervous about her imminent arrival. He hoped this went well and maybe it would be the beginning of something special.

New York – Three Days Before

Karen had decided to get back to work on the Tunneler. The lost time couldn't be help, but she felt she was close to solving the puzzle of getting home. She tried Helena's number again, but only got her voice mail. Karen knew Helena was avoiding talking to her, as she probably already knew what Karen would say about going to Gotham. She prayed her best friend knew what she was doing, but feared she was getting in too deep.

Pulling up the latest reports, Karen began scanning them for what the scientists believed the problem was. She felt if she could immerse herself in the project maybe she could stop thinking about her personal life. The Tunneler was straight forward, a problem to be solved, while her personal life and the questions she had weren't so easy. In a way it was like concentrating on her schoolwork so she didn't have to think about what she was going to do about Friday night.

It was several hours later when her secretary buzzed her.

"Yes?"

"There's someone here to see you, Miss Starr."

"Who is it?" Karen asked.

"He says his name is Clark Kent."

Shit!

Karen quickly sat back and with a quick glance saw Clark was right outside her office. What was he doing here? Flustered, she tried to straighten her suit and quickly ran her fingers through her hair. He was the last person she was expecting. She did a quick check of her breath and started to stand up, but then sat back down.

"Miss Starr?' The secretary said over the loudspeaker.

"Um, yes, yes, well, I guess, um, send him in,' Karen finally replied.

As the door open, Karen started to stand up. When she saw Clark she began to raise her hand, but somehow it had gotten caught in the cable to her computer. She nearly jerked it off the desk and had to scramble to catch it before it tumbled to the floor. As she set it back in its place she glanced at Clark and saw he was smiling.

"Smooth,' he said.

"Ha-ha,' she replied. "What-what are you doing here, Clark?"

He closed the door and moved closer to her desk.

"Can I sit down?"

She nodded and pointed to one of the chairs. He sat and so did she.

"So?' She asked.

"I was wondering what you're doing this Saturday night?"

"Why?' she asked.

"Are you busy?" He replied.

"I don't know, probably not, why?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me?' He said.

"What? Like on a date?" She asked.

"Well, not like a date, a date,' he clarified.

"You're asking me out on a date?'

"Yes."

"What like dinner and a movie?" she asked.

"Something like that,' he replied.

"Why?"

"Cause I want to go out with you,' he explained. "So would you like to go out with me Saturday night, Karen?"

"It's kind of short notice, isn't it?" she said. "Is this really the best idea, Clark?"

"I don't know,' he admitted. "I thought we could try and find out. So yes or no on Saturday night, Karen?"

"Well, I guess, yes."

"Great." He stood up and she did too. He handed her a piece of paper. She glanced at it and saw it was directions to Smallville. She looked at him.

"Why don't you meet me there?" He said. "Or I could pick you up if you want?"

"No, I can get here on my own,' she replied.

"Okay, I'll see you Saturday night about sunset, okay?"

"O-Okay."

He smiled at her and then left her office. Karen sat down and glanced at the piece of paper again. Did she just make a date with Clark?