Chapter Seven: The Return

'Clark.' Lois was dressed in her pyjamas, Kal El tried not to smile at the image, she was angry and impatient, a combination he was all too familiar with. 'We need to talk.' She said firmly, indicating for him to sit on the couch, Kal El silently did as she requested, he tore his gaze away from her lips and focused on her eyes. But that didn't remove the attraction either.

Her arms were folded as she paced back and fourth infront of him, 'Look Smallville.' She said, 'I get that you're all torn up about Lana-I get that when we uh...when we...you know-'

'Kissed?' Kal El suggested calmly.

Lois nodded, 'yeah, that...it confused you-trust me, you're not the only one-I just...I need to know-' she stopped pacing now, Kal El studied her, she was like a mosaic, whenever he laid eyes on her, he saw a different emotion. This one was honesty.

'Did the kiss have anything to do with your feelings for Lana?'

Kal El stared at her as she looked down, she was prepared for rejection. He almost felt offended, did she truly feel as though she was a rebound option?? He didn't kiss rebounds like that.

Lois glanced up at him, 'well? Just tell me. If you tell me now-I'll leave and we'll never talk about it again-' Kal El stood up, he stepped towards her.

'What if I don't want you to leave?' He asked, his eyes trained on hers. Amongst the flecks of brown and green, he saw vulnerability, and it drove him restless.

Lois stared at him as he approached her, he stood inches from her, she could feel his calm breathing, and she was convinced he could hear her heart racing.

'What is this?' she asked.

Kal El gave her a look, 'do you really wish to spend any more of your time trying to figure that out Lois...or are you gonna let yourself feel it for once?'

Lois studied him, almost feeling as if she had to prove herself, why did she feel so defensive??

Grabbing his collar, she kissed him aggressively, Kal El lifted her into his arms, his hands trailing down her slender back as her tongue explored his mouth with a heated passion.

Kal El felt himself lose grip of his instincts as he pushed her down onto the couch, he let his urges lead him as his lips found her neck and began to drift lower. Lois closed her eyes, wishing the feeling could last forever as his warmth pressed against her body, she pulled him closer. She felt his hands at her waist as she leaned up against him on the couch, kissing him hungrily.

Clark stared at the two of them from the mirror in the barn in horror.



'HEY! HEY-HEY! STOP THAT! KAL EL!?'

Kal El suddenly pulled away from Lois, Lois frowned as she looked up at him, 'what's wrong? Clark?'

'Clark, don't you have a lesson to learn?' Kal El said irritably, Lois stared at him, why was he talking to himself in the mirror??

'You're on drugs aren't you??' Lois asked as she buttoned up her shirt, her heart beat was still rapid and her breathing shallow as she tried to catch her breath.

'CLARK??' she demanded.

'PLEASE stop calling me that.' Kal El said firmly, Lois stared at him in horror.

'What did you just say?'

'Kal El-don't hurt her-If you hurt her-I swear-I'll kill you-'

Kal El ignored Clark, as he turned to face a frightened looking Lois.

'What did you just say?' Lois asked him again, she stared at the intruder, 'you said not to call you 'Clark'.' She began to scowl as she thought about how intimately they had kissed, Kal El walked towards her.

'Lois. I can explain.'

'What have you done with Clark?' she ordered, demanding an explanation, 'where is he?!'

'Lois. Calm down, I AM him.'

Lois stepped backwards as he walked towards her, he reached out, before his fingers could touch her arm, she slapped across the face. 'You-Stay away from me-'

Kal El felt a pang of violence spread through him, how DARE she hit him??

He stepped towards her menacingly, but the terror in her eyes made him freeze.

Clark felt his adrenaline kicking in, 'JOR EL! HE's going to hurt her! Please! You HAVE to send me back! JUST for now-let me save her! PLEASE...!'

Clark stared at the sky as he waited for an answer, he sensed something above him, looking upwards at the sky, he frowned as he saw the mirror from the barn falling straight towards him.

Kal El glared at Lois, Lois backed away from him, 'You have NO idea what I am capable of...you don't know who I am.'

Lois picked up a baseball bat and swung at him. Kal El didn't even flinch as the bat snapped in two on coming into contact with his head.



This angered him, Lois began to run towards the stairs, Kal El walked towards her calmly, he gave the wooden table between them a push, sending it hurtling through the air. Lois ducked as the mirror dodged her, she stumbled down the stairs, hitting the floor with a hard thud.

Parallel Plane:

The mirror crashed down over Clark, Clark called out in pain as he stared down at himself, he began to take on the reflection of the mirror, before he knew it-he was standing in the loft.

'KAL EL!?'

Kal El's eyes drifted from a groaning Lois to a furious Clark.

'Welcome home Clark.'

Clark supersped towards Kal El, but Kal El put out a hand-sending Clark flying backwards through the air, Kal El shook his head, Clark simply wasn't rational enough.

He swooped through the air, heading for Clark, as he caught his stumbling alter-ego, he grabbed his collar as they swirled through the air. Clark glared into the steel blue daggers that held his gaze.

He felt almost powerless under Kal El's strength, Clark did his best not to feel dizzy.

'You know what you're greatest weakness is Clark?'

Clark gritted his teeth as Kal El tormented him in mid-air, they were zooming at a rapid speed, 'You're emotions control you-' With that, Kal El shoved Clark into the ground, landing on top of him as they fought.

Clark took a fist to his face, grunting in pain, Kal El stood tall over him, almost disappointed at how easily he was beating Clark.

'You are a disappointment Clark.'

Clark glared at him as he climbed to his feet.

'When will you learn that your ability to rationalise is the one thing that makes you better than these...earthlings?' he said with distaste.

'Hey!?' Lois's voice caught Kal El and Clark off guard, Kal El turned around to see Lois in the middle of swinging a chair at him-Kal El put out a hand, hitting the chair with such force that it double back onto Lois and sent her hurtling to the ground.

'LOIS!?' Clark said as he fell into a state of panic, he supersped over to her, 'LOIS!?' He cupped her face, wiping mud from the ground off her cheek, she had come out here to help him, but wound up being the one injured. He felt a familiar wave of protection spread through him, he slowly lifted his steel gaze, meeting Kal El's full on.



Kal El couldn't help but smile slightly at himself, for the first time in years as he looked at Clark Kent, he could see a part of himself in him. Before Kal El could react, Clark tackled him to the ground at superspeed, Kal El felt a rock hit his skull as they both skidded through the mud at such a speed that the ground beneath them felt as though it was on fire.

'Don't EVER go near her again-' Clark yelled down at his alter-ego, Kal El had to admit, he was impressed by Clark's rage and sudden outburst of strength.

Kal El grunted with effort as he tightened his hold on Clark's collar, he seethed at Clark, hoping he'd finally see things the way Kal El saw them. 'She makes you weak...!'

'She makes me BETTER-She makes me-' Clark stopped himself.

''Human'?' Kal El finished for him, 'say it Clark. Is that not what you've always desired? To be just like them??'

Clark let go of Kal El and climbed to his feet, his answer to Kal El's mindgames surprised him, 'Not anymore.' Clark said strongly.

Kal El almost scoffed, 'then what do you desire? Maybe we should be more honest...'

Clark glared at him, he had said 'we' to get to Clark. To remind Clark that Kal El was something he was very capable of becoming. Infact, he was Kal El, and yet somehow, he was Clark. His eyes drifted to Lois, she was knocked out for good this time, he turned to face Kal El. Who had witnessed his glance at Lois.

'Or is it her?' Kal El said as he began to circle Clark, 'Lois Lane.' He shook his head. 'This is not what you are supposed to desire Clark.'

Clark shook his head, 'wanna know what I desire? I want you to leave and never come back.'

Kal El frowned, 'Clark...I AM you...why don't you see...we're the same-'

'You're cold-blooded-'

'I AM A KRYPTONIAN!' He bellowed, his words echoed through the silent farm.

He menacingly supersped towards Clark, coming to a determined halt moments before him, their noses almost were touching as he seethed at his own almost pitiful reflection. Clark noticed a shard of mirror in one of his pockets, he kept his eyes trained on Kal El.

'You disappoint me.'

'I don't care.' Clark said, 'She's innocent. You shouldn't have laid a finger on her-'

'She intended on hurting me-'

'You know that's not possible.'

Kal El studied Clark, he was right, it was almost impossible to hurt Kal El, or Clark for that matter.



'Clark. I will tell you this because you deserve the truth. I've seen your life here...with these people...your compassion for them, it makes you weak. It gives your enemies a target.'

Clark watched Kal El closely as Kal El wiped some blood from his lip, the wound healed shortly after.

'Especially these...' He paused as he thought of the word, 'romantic...' he paused and looked at Clark, 'feelings you have towards Lois Lane...' Clark looked at him defiantly as he spoke, 'Maybe I should eliminate her. She could get in the way of your destiny.'

'You don't know what you're talking about!' Clark ordered.

Kal El smiled softly, 'You're prepared to destroy me for lifting a hand against her. I am a part of you Kal El.'

'Don't call me that.' Clark said firmly. As much as he hated to admit it, Kal El's words scared him and Kal El could feel it.

Kal El walked past Clark and approached Lois, who lay there unconscious and unaware of the mortal danger she was in.

All thoughts left Clark as he watched a part of him stand over Lois, his senses became clouded with what Kal El claimed were his biggest weakness. Emotions, several emotions, and all of them commanded him to save Lois.

'Emotions.' Kal El said as he watched the captivating brunette who lay on the ground, 'Make you lose control of your senses Kal El.' He crouched, his fingers tracing Lois's lips, 'for a moment, even I became intoxicated by the depth of your emotions for her.'

Clark couldn't bare seeing a cold-blooded Kryptonian persona like Kal El anywhere near Lois, let alone, seeing another man, even if it was himself, touch her lips like that. Not considering the consequences of wronging his sub-persona, Clark pulled out the shard of mirror in his pocket and supersped towards Kal El who had his back turned to Clark.

Hearing the sound of Clark speeding towards him, Kal El smiled slightly to himself, turning around, assuming he had time to stop Clark, he opened his mouth to speak-only to find Clark was faster than he thought and had already thrust a shard of the mirror into Kal El's chest.

'Argh!' Kal El roared in agony, clutching his chest. Much to Clark's horror, he felt as if he couldn't breathe himself, he keeled over, clutching his own chest. What was happening? Kal El grunted in pain as the he began to take on the reflection of the mirror, he stared down at himself in horror.

Clark reached his knees, gritting his teeth as his heart cramped in his chest, what had he done??

Before the parallel plane consumed Kal El whole, Kal El lifted his cold gaze, levelling Clark, with that he vanished into thin air.

Clark felt his strength returning to him, had he severed his ties with Kal El completely? Was that what had just happened? Was Kal El an entire being without the need to be alive in Clark??



Clark instantly focused on Lois, he ran to her side, 'Lois...?!' he lifted her into his arms with great ease and carried her into the Kent home. The wounds on his skin healed almost instantly, but the blow his heart had taken echoed through every heart beat. He was in love...with Lois. Almost losing her had made him realise what his feelings were, and they were like nothing he had ever felt before.

Laying her down on his bed, he sat on the floor besides the bed, pressing his forehead against the cool wooden bed frame. He was stunned. So much had happened within moments, it had left him torn. He stared at her, finally allowing his heart to feel what he had always felt in the back of his mind, her peaceful expression slowly painted itself across his mind as he gazed at her.

'Lois Lane...' he whispered to himself, smiling sadly, he shook his head at her. Out of all the people on planet earth. His heart wanted Lois. And much to both his surprise and dismay, he wanted her too. He touched her forehead, a small cut seeped crimson blood, he grabbed a towel and walked over to the bathroom, running it under cold water, he walked back to Lois's side.

She would be okay, she just had a concussion and afew bruises, he pressed the towel against her forehead as he ignored the turmoil deep in his heart, that seemed to twist and jab at him. The look in Kal El's eyes haunted him, they were far from finished with eachother. That much he knew.

End chapter seven: