Chapter 11
Trust
Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville
Warning: Includes Character Death
Vlad Masters frowned as he looked over the Daily Planet Headlines. It was not a paper that usually held much of his attention, but was proving an important resource in his current plans. He surveyed the details of one of the smaller articles. There was a small scuffle in the Metropolis slums that Vlad believed could have been the Little Badger interfering. Known criminals tend not to wind up tied up and unconscious for no reason, but it was not his usual style.
But this article was not the reason for Vlad's ill temper, no. The problem was Jonathan Kent and his strong position in the Kansas Senate election polls. Somehow that farmer had managed to pull ahead of Lex Luthor, as well as running an exceedingly successful campaign that seemed just as well supported as Luthor's.
Vlad tossed the paper aside as he moved to pace across his opulent sitting room. Really he could not care less who won the election from a political angle, but there was a worthwhile prize on the line all the same. The plan had been simple, a few subtle pushes to force Jonathan's hand, to scare him out of the election, then buying out the advertising companies to make it difficult for him to rally support. Anything to make that hick farmer feel like he stood no chance of winning. Vlad had even gone so far as to openly endorse Luthor in the business world, greatly increasing the odds against Kent.
However the farmer had pulled back, somehow he had kept his spirit despite it all. And that simply wouldn't do. Vlad wanted the man broken so that by the time he made his final move the whole family would crumple. Then the Little Badger would have no choice but to come with him. He paused, glaring down at the poll statistics on the paper. Jonathan Kent was ahead, and it seemed that he was embracing the pressure of the political campaign. Unfortunately the election was tomorrow, so Vlad had to recalculate his strategy.
It hardly mattered, with the Fenton's gone it was only a matter of time before the Little Badger came to him. He picked up the paper, one story grabbing his attention. He smiled, and a lustful red haze swirled through his eyes. Yes, it was only a little longer and he would finally have his perfect half-ghost son by his side.
Line Break
Clark sat in the barn loft staring at the lump of coal in his hand. The early morning sun glittered off the late January snow. Today was the day, he was sure of it. It was a cold day, but the sun shone with a certain vibrancy that warmed the soul, despite the fact that it was only early morning. Today was the day of the vote. Months of campaigning would pay off today. With how well his father had been going, Clark was sure that tonight there would be a Victory Party.
The first thing he had done that morning was stop by Danny's room. It wasn't often that Clark was awake early enough to catch Danny before he went downstairs, but he had been so nervous that he had woken up an hour before usual. He had gone in to find Danny sketching at his small desk, but before Clark could ask Danny had closed the book up and stood up to face Clark.
"What's up?" Danny asked, his blue eyed stare meeting Clark
"Nothing much..." Clark began, but paused when Danny raised an eyebrow. "Just because you can feel other people's emotions does not mean you get to act all high and mighty over us." Clark finished, his voice light but still slightly accusatory.
"It does when Mr Anxious decides to keep the Halfa up all night." Danny joked back, leaning back against the desk. "But, no. You're up an hour earlier than usual and you usually don't say 'hi' until breakfast. So what's up?" he commented with a shrug.
Clark sighed and went over to the bed to take a seat. Somehow he felt this conversation would be easier with Danny than his parents since Danny had felt the exact same concerns that Clark now was. "I think... how did you know...? Why did you...? What I mean is how did you know you could trust...?"
"How did I know I could trust you guys with what I am? Why did I tell you everything about me, and not tell Chloe?" Danny asked, and Clark simply nodded. Danny swivelled the desk chair around and took a seat opposite Clark. "In a word; faith. I believed enough in you to protect my secret, just like you trusted me with yours. I knew you could keep it safe but I also knew you yourself would be safe with it. I knew it would be wrong of me to ask you to keep Phantom from your parents, you trust them to guide you. Chloe, while I'm happy enough with her thinking I am meteor infected doesn't need to deal with my ghost half that wouldn't be fair on her."
"Clark, I never wanted my powers, I never wanted to be turned into this, but knowing that there's people like you who'll look out for me means the world. But then, this isn't really about me, is it?" Danny paused for a moment and looked into Clark's eyes and a strange intensity swirled through his cerulean orbs. "She'll accept you." Danny said bluntly.
"How?" Clark blinked.
"Clark, Lana loves you. Just because you come from another planet does not change who you are. And just because you have your gifts doesn't change the fact that you are Clark Kent. I know how much you love Lana, and I know how much she loves you. But for as long as you keep your gifts a secret there will always be a barrier between you. Not because of your powers, but because you feel you can't trust her enough with it." Danny explained.
Clark's mind raced with all his fears. "But what if she rejects me. It's my fault her family died. It's my fault for all of the problems in her life. How can she accept me when it's my fault? How can she forgive me for everything I've caused?" Danny sighed and pulled out his sketchbook. He flipped through it to a picture of Lana and Clark. The two of them were sitting together out by one of the fences. Lana had a tender loving look in her eye and had her hand gently resting against Clark's cheek. Clark couldn't even recall this happening, but he'd so often seen that look in Lana's eyes that it seemed real.
"Lana knows you, and because of that there will be nothing to forgive. You know you didn't cause all the trouble. The responsibility for that falls entirely on Zod. Lana knows you Clark, and she wants to know all of you. She wants you to trust her. I'm only telling you what you already know, but if you truly love her, she deserves to know everything about you."
Danny walked out of the room and Clark continued to stare at the picture in his hands. It was so realistic, but it touched perfectly on how he felt. Danny was right; Lana deserved to know everything about him, today was the day. He joined the rest of his family for breakfast, but was not paying too much attention; all he knew was that all of them were going to the Election Party at the Talon that evening. He got onto the phone, he needed to do this. He barely knew what he was saying, but he arranged it.
Thus Clark found his way up to the barn, still thinking about what he was going to do. He went over to the shelf to pick up the lump of coal he had saved for this particular day and sat waiting. He was certain this was the right thing to do, he knew it had to be done if he wanted to continue his relationship with Lana, and he wanted to prove to her how much he trusted her. He heard a slight shuffling downstairs and tucked the coal into his jacket pocket.
"I brought gloves and a scarf, just like you said" Lana said, coming up to stand behind Clark. Clark spun around to look at her. She was beautiful, a soft white jumper under her warm brown jacket, a white scarf loosely around her neck and her soft brown hair framing her perfect face. She truly looked like an angel.
"I was afraid you weren't gonna come" Clark said, trying to disguise the nervousness in his voice.
"Well," Lana began her voice a little edgy. "To be honest, I don't think a mystery date is exactly what our relationship needs right now." That broke Clark's heart, he knew they were drifting apart, he knew he needed to trust her. And today he was going to do just that. He was going to prove once and for all that he loved her. Today was the day.
"That's why I called." Clark said, finally closing the distance between them to hold onto her arms. He needed to do this, but he couldn't deny how scared he was.
"Are you okay?" Lana asked, placing a hand over his heart "Oh my God, your heart's racing."
"That's because I'm terrified." Clark admitted, plastering a nervous smile on his face and his heart beating a mile a minute.
"Clark, what's going on?" Lana asked, and his heart melted, even with how far he'd pushed her away she still cared about him. Lana deserved the truth, and he was going to give it to her. It was up to her to decide, but he needed to do this. "Lana, the way you've been... I can tell by the way you look at me that I'm losing you. And it's not your fault."
Clark stopped to look into her confused brown eyes. "There's something I should have shown you a long time ago. Please, it's time." Clark looked at her, and guided her to his car. The drive to the Caves was tense, Lana kept looking concernedly over at him, but all Clark could think about was what he was going to do; what had to be done. The key was burning a metaphorical hole in his pocket as he guided Lana down towards the antechamber.
"I don't remember this place ever being here" Lana commented as Clark guided her towards the chamber. The metallic altar-like table rested in the middle of the chamber, a shaft of light falling onto the centre of the octagonal top. "How'd you find it?"
Clark took a deep breath. This was the beginning, and he was determined to do this right. "It was left here, for me."
Lana turned to look at him, confusion evident in her eyes "For you?" she questioned sceptically.
Clark rubbed fingers through his hair anxiously. "I rehearsed this like a thousand times." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the octagonal key. "Lana, what I'm about to show you... may change the way you feel about me."
"Clark, whatever it is, it's okay" Lana said. Clark took a calming breath; that was exactly what he wanted to hear, what he needed to hear. It gave him the confidence to take the next step. Looking at her with a warm smile he plunged the key into the key-slot and the two of them were embraced by warm golden light.
"Do you trust me?" Clark asked; his voice calm and strong as he held out his hand for her. He smiled as she laid her soft hand in his and Clark comforted Lana as they were transported through the passage to the Fortress of Solitude, waves of warm golden light and comforting blue swirling around them as they were moved hundreds of miles in a matter of seconds.
Clark watched Lana as she took in her first view of the Fortress; slowly she stepped forward, inspecting the beautiful crystal structure. "Oh my god." There a hint of confusion and awe in her voice, but underlining that was a sense of happiness that Clark only hoped that he could understand. Lana turned to look at him, and Clark watched a thousand emotions flash through her eyes. It was clear she was trying to figure out what all this meant. Clark's mind raced as he struggled to find the right place to start. Eventually he settled on one specific memory.
"When you asked me whether I believed in life on other planets you had no idea how ironic that question was." Clark watched Lana's beautiful brown eyes, but didn't stop "I'm from a planet called Krypton." Clark felt Lana place her hand gently on his cheek, her touch soft and comforting.
"But you're just like everyone else." She said, comforting warmth radiating from her soft voice. Clark half smiled, she had accepted that without question. Clark steadied himself and lifted Lana into his arms. He gently shifted her so she sat bridal style in the space between his arms. He could feel her gaze on his cheek, but focused on the platform seven hundred feet above them. He braced himself and jumped; the air racing around them as they moved through the air.
Clark came to rest on the crystal platform. There were many places in the Fortress that could only be reached in this way, or he supposed by flying. Gently he set Lana down and she walked forward inspecting the ledge.
"This isn't the first time you've done that is it?" She questioned "How many times have you been there when I didn't know it, saving me?" The snowy air whipping around them as Clark moved to look her in the eyes.
"It doesn't matter Lana" he murmured "I couldn't let anything happen to you." Slowly Lana turned to look at Clark and in her eyes he saw the most wonderful swirling of understanding.
"And no one knew" she commented breathlessly.
"There were so many days that I wanted to tell you." Clark said, forcing himself to speak steadily.
"And what makes today any different" Lana asked, confusion coming back into her eyes
"I wanted you to know who I really am" Clark pulled the lump of coal from out of his pocket, showing it to Lana. He closed his fist, applying intense pressure, and with his eyes heated the coal to such an intense degree that he could feel its structure changing. He'd gotten this idea in the Far Frozen, using his powers to make something beautiful for the girl that he loved. Slowly he opened his hand to reveal a perfect diamond.
He pulled out a ring setting and placed the diamond into it, fusing it into place. From the corner of his eye he saw Lana's awed gaze, but he wanted to see this through. Clark got down onto one knee and lifted the ring towards Lana.
"Lana, I have loved you since the day I first met you. I am never happier than when I am with you. I want nothing more than to share the rest of my life with you. Lana Lang, will you marry me?"
Lana glanced between him and the ring. But he continued "I don't want you to tell me now, I want you to have time to think, but know that I will always love you, I want you to answer in your own time." Lana smiled gratefully at him and carefully he took her back to Smallville.
Line Break
Jonathan smiled as he heard his wife's dulcet laughter, pulling the truck up in front of the house. Jon was so glad that Martha had come around. She had been so supportive these last few weeks and he felt like the whole campaign had solidified them as a couple. By now he knew that Martha had accepted election funds from Lionel Luthor. That explained her suspicious behaviour a few weeks back, but he forgave her. She had only wanted to do the right thing by him and he would work hard to pay back Lionel Luthor so that man had nothing over him.
"Hey" Jon commented lightly as he noticed Clark coming towards them "I thought you were gonna meet us at the polls." He smiled and wrapped an arm around Martha. Today was a great day, they were heading out to vote in half an hour, but for now a nice cup of tea was in order. His smile widened as he thought of how close the family had become in the last few weeks. Although Danny hadn't been with the family long he somehow fit right in. This morning he had said he was going off into one of the back fields to train, although he had taken his sketchbook with him.
Jon heard Clark say "Yeah, I took a shortcut, thought I'd get everything loaded up for the victory party tonight." And he inwardly laughed. While the vote of confidence was appreciated he hadn't won anything yet, and he said as much to Clark. Gently he guided Martha towards the house, but was interrupted by the worried edge to Clark's voice.
"Mom, Dad" Clark began, conviction in his tone "I have something important to tell you. I told Lana everything." Jon blinked in confusion, but Clark wasn't finished "Right before I proposed to her, in the fortress." Jon was stunned, Clark had told Lana his secret and he hadn't given them any warning. Sure he knew that things between his son and Lana were pretty serious, but he had hoped that Clark would talk to them first.
"So, what did she say" Jon heard Martha ask from beside him, seemingly as bewildered as he was.
"I asked her not to tell me, it's a lot to put on her all at once." Clark rationalised, but Jon was concerned. He had exposed his secret and didn't know for sure that it was safe. All Jon had ever wanted for his son was for him to be safe, and so this was a huge risk.
"Clark, have you really thought this whole thing through?" Jon asked.
"If I was ever going to risk sharing who I am with anyone, I want it to be with her" Clark explained. While Jon had been aware of this sentiment he was still worried. Part of him would always worry for the safety of his son. But the truth was it was Clark's decision to make, and Jon would respect him for having the conviction to do so.
"I'm proud of you Clark." Martha accepted, seemingly echoing Jon's sentiments. "I know this has been weighing on you for a long time. Just like with this election, any big decision has risks with it."
Jon smiled at his son and looked him in the eyes. "I guess it's just hard looking over at your son and realising you're talking to a man. A man who doesn't need his father's advice anymore." With that he gave Clark a confident hug. He would always remember the little boy that they had raised, but he was so proud to think of how Clark had grown to become the wonderful man that stood in front of him.
Clark broke away from their embrace first to look him in the eyes. "I'm always gonna need you Dad" he replied with a smile. Jon happily clapped his son on the back, knowing that he would always love his son. His heart surged with pride at the young man that stood before him. He felt a slight tightness in his chest, but passed it off. There were more important things to worry about today than his heart condition.
"So what are your plans for the rest of the day, son?" Jon asked as the three of them came into their living room.
"I had planned on quickly running by the Polls on my way to Metropolis, I hoped to stop by the Planet for a while before I came back here to get ready." Clark quickly explained with a nervous smile on his lips. Jon just nodded. He wanted to spend some down time with Martha before this evening himself.
"Can you take Danny with you?" Martha asked "Otherwise he'll probably spend the whole day out in the fields." Jon couldn't help but smile at the image. It wasn't often, but occasionally he'd seen Danny while he practiced out in the fields. He rarely relied on his powers but seemed to have established a thorough martial arts routine. Usually Danny stopped when anyone came near, but occasionally he would be so involved that Jon couldn't help but watch the young boy as he swiftly moved through the forms.
Clark smiled and called out; it wasn't long before Danny stepped into the house with his sketchbook firmly in hand. "Hey" he said as he came into the house somehow completely comfortable in his long-sleeved t-shirt, despite the freezing temperature outside. He didn't even look flushed from the cold. Jon happily shook his head as the two boys headed off. They wanted to race to Metropolis rather that waste fuel on the truck.
"Sometimes I think that Danny coming here was a good thing for Clark." Martha commented as the two of them went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Jon knew exactly what she meant. With Danny around Clark was starting to truly embrace his powers as another aspect of who he was. Clark no longer seemed so resentful of how different his powers made him from everyone else and he was becoming more confident in himself.
Danny seemed to be able to relate to Clark in a way that Jon and Martha simply couldn't, and he was glad that Clark had someone to talk to. In the past there were times where Clark would completely close up because he couldn't handle the burden placed on his shoulders by his powers. Yet Danny was able to help Clark in a way that Clark really needed. Jon wondered if it was Danny's influence that gave Clark the confidence to reveal himself to Lana.
Jon was still a bit shell-shocked from the suddenness of Clark's proposal to Lana, but he realised that Clark had the right to choose who to let into his life, and there were few people as deserving of Clark's trust as Lana Lang. He smiled at his wife, the love of his life. If Lana was half the person that Martha was, Clark would be lucky to have such a wonderful woman to share his life with.
Jon and Martha settled into the living with their cups of tea. Jon could hardly recall a time where he felt so happy. He had a son he could be proud of, a loving wife, a nephew who brought so much good into the family and he had run a political campaign that brought the whole family closer together. Whether the result was good or bad he could rest well knowing that he had a strong family that he could be proud of.
There was another slight tight twinge in his chest, but he ignored it as he gazed at his wonderful Martha. Yes, there were few moments in his life where he was as happy as he was right now.
Line Break
Lana blankly stared as she walked up the stairs to the Talon. She didn't know what to think. Clark Kent, the boy next door, the farmer's son was really an alien. It was just too surreal. She couldn't process it. Absently she pulled the door to Lois' apartment open and stepped in. Clark came from another planet, and had used his alien powers to save her life too many times to count. But...
It was as if the clouds had moved, and now that she could finally see the sun she was blinded. She didn't know what to think. Was Clark still the man she thought he was? Could she still look at him the same way? And to top it all off he'd proposed to her. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to react to having her whole world view revolutionised.
Lana was so distracted she almost missed Lois losing balance on the stool she was standing on. But Lana managed to catch her just in time. Was that what Clark would have done, caught her? Or would he have just stopped the stool from falling in the first place? What were all Clark's powers anyway? How was he so different from those other aliens; the "disciples of Zod" that had arrived in the second meteor shower? God, Clark was the one who landed during the first meteor shower all those years ago.
"Okay, spill" Lana blinked to awareness as Lois completely derailed her train of thoughts. She couldn't tell Lois Clark's secret. Not when he'd just trusted her with the deepest secret in his life.
"It's nothing." Lana responded, but Lois was persistent.
"Let me guess, tall, dark and bumbling." Lois said as she turned the tap off and pulled the kettle out of the sink to put it on.
Lana shook her head lightly, absently thinking of the ring that sat in her pocket. The diamond setting that Clark had made himself. "It's just, um..." Lana had no idea what to say. "What would you do if you thought you knew someone really well and it turns out there's this whole other side to them."
"Depends" Lois replied "are we in arms-dealer territory or are we talking The Crying Game?" Lana couldn't help but smile.
"Nothing like that" Lana sighed. While she couldn't process exactly what had happened she knew that Clark's secret was amazing. He had done so much good for Smallville. No, there was no doubt in her mind that Clark was a good person.
"Then I guess the question is does it change the way you feel about him?" Lois asked.
"Maybe" was all that Lana could reply, too lost in her own confusion.
"Look, I don't know what's going on. But I would be lucky to end up with someone as honourable as Clark someday." Lois comforted. Lana looked at her and then thought of all the things that Clark had ever done for her. Whenever she needed him he was there. He was a good person. He was a strong man. He was a kind, wonderful and honourable man. He was a man that would do anything to take care of her. Lana fingered the ring in her pocket. Really there was only one answer she could give him.
Line Break
Clark and Danny arrived at the Planet's front doors in a great rush. Clark had been beating Danny until they got to the edge of Metropolis, but by then Danny's slight form and agility gave him the advantage. The two of them were laughing as they went through the doors only to bump into Chloe as she walked in as well.
"Hey Chlo'" Danny said and she smiled a greeting at the younger boy. Clark took a calming breath. Their race had relieved some of the stress from earlier today, but Chloe still needed to hear the news, and he hadn't officially told Danny either.
"So everything's set for the party tonight, right." Chloe began. "I just got back from the Poll myself." Clark was glad she was in such a positive mood. It would make this all the easier.
"Yeah, it's all set. Although, I actually wanted to talk to you." Clark said as they started down the stairs towards her basement desk. Clark and Chloe were having trouble navigating through the crowd, there seemed to be more people here today than usual. However Danny managed to avoid everyone anyway. Clark shook his head and got back to the task at hand. "I told Lana everything"
Danny beamed at him but Chloe blinked in disbelief "You told Lana your secret?"
Clark just nodded.
"Wow, um, Okay." Chloe stuttered "God, after all this time with me yanking on your closet door, what's the real reason for the sudden coming out party"
Danny just smiled knowingly at Clark as they headed through the glass office door. The crowd was just as busy in here as it was outside. A deliveryman came in and Clark flinched at the high pitch squeal of the secretary as she was given a bouquet of flowers.
Continuing where he left off Clark explained that it was only a matter of time before she broke it off.
Chloe smiled at him, saying "Well you guys are like, meant for each other. You're like Kansas' own version of Ken and Barbie. Except they broke up for some reason which is weird." She trailed off distractedly.
They were interrupted again by an argument from the bosses' office and the aggressive "You can't fire me, I quit!" resounded through the room as a man stormed off.
"I think it's a good thing you finally trusted her enough to confide in her." Danny said with his goofy smile. Honestly, it was impossible to keep up with the constant shifts between his personas. At the moment he was goofy and klutzy Fenton, but ten minutes ago he'd just been plain Danny.
"Well, I think I was pushing Lana to the point where I don't know if we could come back from." Clark explained for Chloe's benefit, adding on "And I love her too much to let that happen."
Chloe still looked shocked. But she still managed to ask how Lana had taken to the news that Clark was an alien. There was a soft gasp from Danny and Clark watched as he closed his eyes briefly. By now Clark recognised that Danny had sensed a ghost and sent off a duplicate to deal with it.
Chloe still needed to be answered, so hoping to conceal his true nervousness he answered "Not sure yet. I was hoping she would have called by now." Just then by some miracle that made all three of them jump the phone rang.
"Hello..." Chloe answered. Clark couldn't help his anxiety, this was probably Lana. "No, this isn't Mr Fu's Noodle House. Sorry." Clark couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but strangely was relieved at the same time. Chloe looked up to him and pointed out that "if Lana cares about you as much as I know she does, I seriously doubt anything's gonna change."
"You should listen to her. Like I said earlier, it's you that Lana knows and loves." Danny said, although he did seem a bit spaced out.
"One thing might. I haven't gotten an answer yet. I asked her to marry me." Clark said. Danny froze as he looked over at Chloe.
"Wow," she said "Well that one wasn't on the Doppler. Not even a blip." She seemed stunned. Maybe even a little disappointed. Clark wanted to explain it to her.
"I know what you're gonna say. That we're too young, there's a reason I hadn't told her before, there's too much at stake." He started rattling off all the reasons that he had justified to himself not doing this before.
In a strangely distant yet firm voice Chloe said "That's funny, because what I was actually gonna say is, there are very few people out there who really know what they want, and are willing to risk everything for it. If anyone deserves to be happy Clark, it's you."
Clark smiled at Chloe. He was glad to have her as his best friend. She was someone who he could always rely on to talk things through with. She was a voice of rationality when he was confused. But above all she was someone who had always looked out for him. Clark smiled at her as he gave her a friendly hug.
Then he glanced at his watch, he really needed to get going if he wanted to be ready in time. He excused himself, but Danny elected to stay behind. As he raced off Clark saw Danny gently lay a hand comfortingly on Chloe's back, but Clark couldn't think of a reason why such action would be necessary.
Clark raced back towards the Kent Farm. By now his parents would already be on their way to the Election Party, but Clark had said he'd be arriving later. He hurriedly showered and changed into a formal suit, putting on a red tie before checking his phone once more. There was still no news from Lana. He sighed as he headed out the porch steps. He needed to be there for his Dad tonight.
Clark heard the gate swing opened and brightened as he saw Lana walking up the path. Then a wave of nervousness overtook him. He had no idea how this was going to turn out. Did Lana hate him now? Was she scared of him? Nervously he spurted out "I thought I'd see you at the party."
He searched Lana's eyes for any hint of what she was feeling, but found himself too nervous to understand, especially when her reply came "I know. But then there'd be all those people."
Clark was nervous and scared. Everyone else who'd found out his secret had found out so differently, but the person who he cared about most in the world... he didn't want her to be scared of him, to think of him as a monster, a freak. He couldn't hide his worry as he asked "do I look different to you now?"
Lana looked up at him with her big beautiful brown eyes. "Clark, you look like the same handsome guy I've always known."
Clark gulped. "Handsome as in "I want to spend the rest of my life with you"? Or Handsome as in "I'm gonna let you down easy"?"
Lana smiled and pulled the ring out of her pocket giving it back to him. "As in "yes, Clark, I'll marry you."" Clark beamed. Lightly he took the ring ant gently slid it onto her ring finger. Then he picked her up and gave her as big a hug as he could muster. The two of them laughed happily in the snow as the rest of the world faded out of existence.
In that moment nothing mattered more than that the two of them were together. Nothing mattered more than that they were engaged. Nothing mattered more than that Lana had just made Clark the happiest man on Earth. The whole world was them, and it spun around them in flawless harmony in their moment of perfect bliss.
Line Break – A Few Hours Previous
Danny sighed as he heard Clark call him from the house. He closed up his sketchbook and stood up, turning intangible to allow the unmelted snowflakes that had landed on him to fall away. He teleported to the house, but was met with a wall of happiness and anxiety. It seemed Clark must have told Lana his secret if he was feeling this way. Subconsciously he put up a mental barrier to protect himself from Clark's powerful emotions.
He smiled as Clark challenged him to a race to the Planet. This would provide Clark with a distraction if only for a short while. It only took a moment to put the sketchbook back in his room before he and Clark raced out of the house.
There was something truly exhilarating about running this fast. Sure, it was not as speedy as flying, but it was only fair to Clark if Danny kept himself on the ground. For the moment there was a slight snowfall, but at their speed it seemed frozen still in the air. Danny could feel his ice core thrilling at being so surrounded by his element. He couldn't help but laugh in the snowy air.
The two of them were keeping a fairly even pace as they raced along the highway, although Clark was slowly pulling ahead. It was always like this when they raced along long straight paths. Clark was just that bit faster than him. Then they hit the outskirts of Metropolis and Clark was forced to slow down to avoid all the additional traffic. Danny was so used to having to dodge people that he quickly gained on him. Danny's agility made quick work of the many cumbersome blockages in the city even without resorting to intangibility. The two of them arrived outside the Planet not even out of breath.
Danny smiled as they bumped into Chloe just outside the door. It was a lot busier today than usual, but that was probably due to the Election. Happily he said hello to Chloe and was glad to see her vibrant smile. Something about Chloe really reminded him of Jazz, without the constant threat of psychoanalysis... although maybe she reserved that for Clark.
Danny felt rather than saw her shock as Clark told them he'd revealed his secret to Lana. Danny was proud of Clark. He just hoped that nothing bad would come to her, knowing about Clark's origins. Something told Danny that their discussion earlier may have assisted Clark in his convictions. The three of them went down into the basement and Danny winced at the high shrill and overly positive wave of energy as a woman received a bunch of flowers.
The discussion continued, but Danny was distracted by the aggression coming from in the boss' office. With all these people around it was really giving him a headache. Today he felt overloaded by the emotions pouring off of everyone and it was driving him to distraction. He had no idea how he was going to handle the Party tonight. The boss' door erupted and a young man stormed out yelling "You can't fire me, I quit!" as he threw off his press pass and marched off.
He shook his head and brought himself back to the conversation at hand. "I think it's a good thing you finally trusted her enough to confide in her." And he gave Clark a goofy smile. At the moment he was too distracted to put much effort into the Fenton Facade that he still used around Chloe, but he realised that for her own safety he had to.
Danny heard Clark explain that he loved Lana too much to risk losing her and Danny watched the battle of emotions that crossed Chloe's face. Danny wasn't worried about how Lana would react; he knew how much she cared for Clark so she would eventually come around.
Danny struggled to repress the gasp as a cold shiver ran up his spine. He felt as the moist breath in his throat crystallised and the cold air escaped in a small mist escaped his lips, alerting him that a ghost was near. The ghost was fairly weak, and he didn't want to suspiciously run off if he didn't have to, especially around someone as suspicious as Chloe so he duplicated himself, invisibly flying off to tackle the ghost and leaving his duplicate behind.
One of the problems of duplication was how distracting it became experiencing two things at once, he was aware of what his duplicate was doing, but the main problem came when the duplicate was reabsorbed in the memory integration. It was something that a human mind couldn't process, but part of being a ghost meant that he could deal with it, although he did wonder how it worked for Vlad sometimes.
Phantom flew off to the basement of one of the nearby buildings. He sighed at the slight flickering of lights as he came up to the ghost. There was mild pandemonium as files were being thrown everywhere. Interns were running about in a panic as they tried to rescue files from the spirit and the flying papers that soared across the room. Phantom was somewhat surprised at who he saw, since he hadn't seen him since he left Amity Park.
"BEWARE for I am the BOX GHOST. You shall tremble in fear as you face the wrath of..." Box Ghost looked at the nearest box as it floated near him "2004 Employee Audits!" Some of the interns screamed as the files flew out at them. Phantom stared in disbelief.
Phantom was absently aware of the conversation his duplicate was having at the Planet as the duplicate commented "You should listen to her. Like I said earlier, it's you that Lana knows and loves." He quickly reoriented himself to the situation at hand.
"Hey Boxy." Phantom said bluntly, not even bothering to charge up an ecto-blast.
"YOU! You shall not trap me in your cylindrical container of non squareness!" Box Ghost screeched, but Phantom just sighed and encased his torso in ice. A moment later the Box Ghost was sucked into the Thermos and out of the way. Phantom stayed for a moment to help neaten up the mess that Boxy had made. Really that was the only good thing about the annoying ghost, rarely were his messes overly destructive. With a small wave he flew back to the Planet and remerged with the duplicate.
"One thing might. I haven't gotten an answer yet. I asked her to marry me." Clark said. Danny froze as he looked over at Chloe he could feel the torrent of pain that swept through her. Danny felt terrible, he had believed that Chloe's care for Clark was strictly fraternal, but right now it was obvious that she had wanted more than that. She really was a true friend to have sat on her own feelings for Clark's sake.
Danny felt Chloe's heartache when she stammered "Wow, well that one wasn't on the Doppler. Not even a blip." There was a resounding wave of disappointment, but she was quickly covering it up. She really was a true friend to Clark. Danny heard Clark prattle on about all the reasons why he shouldn't have asked her to marry him, but his attention was on Chloe.
"That's funny," Chloe said, and Danny felt her pressing back her own heartache for Clark's sake. "Because what I was actually gonna say is, there are very few people out there who really know what they want, and are willing to risk everything for it. If anyone deserves to be happy Clark, it's you." Clark really was lucky to have such a good friend in Chloe.
Danny watched Clark give Chloe a brotherly hug before he ran off. Danny decided to stay behind to talk to the loving young woman who sacrificed herself for the sake of her friend.
"Hey there" He said and he allowed his own aura to spread out just enough to comfort her.
"Hey Danny" she replied with a slight smile. "What do you think about...?" She trailed off absently gesturing in the air where Clark had stood.
Danny shrugged "I'm glad he told Lana the truth. It was putting a barrier between them that would have destroyed their friendship."
Chloe smiled as she acknowledged that, but it dropped to a frown "And the...?"
"I don't know, maybe he should have waited to let the dust settle a little, but... as long as I've known them Lana and Clark have been together. It would be sad to see it all fall apart over something so insignificant as his powers." Danny explained. He really didn't want Chloe hurt anymore. She looked at him inquisitively.
"Insignificant?"
"Yes" Danny nodded adamantly "The powers don't make a person, it's what they do with them. What makes Clark, Clark is his heart. So his abilities are arbitrary"
Chloe lightly laughed. "Yes, I suppose you would see it that way." Danny saw that Chloe was coming back to herself so withdrew his aura back to normal. "Speaking of, I was wondering if I could get a lift with you back to Smallville."
Danny smiled at her, but couldn't help but point out "You do realise I don't have my drivers' permit yet" She laughed and shook her head.
"You do realise I know you didn't bring a car here." Danny rolled his eyes and patiently waited as she finished off her work, idly spinning on an office chair and picking through some back articles. With all the bustle around today it was mildly entertaining to just sit and people watch. It was just over an hour before she closed off her computer and tugged on her jacket. The two of them headed out of the Planet together. Chloe shivered from the cold, but Danny felt happy in it. He took a deep breath of the icy January air. He was kind of glad that Chloe knew he could teleport. While he didn't want her to know about Phantom he was able to let himself go a little in her presence. For Danny that little bit of freedom meant the world.
In a swirl of green the two of them arrived in the empty alleyway behind the Talon. Chloe hurried inside and away from the cold while Danny teleported back to the Kent Farm to change clothes; something made him suspect that he'd be roped in for photos that night. He heard a car drive off outside and assumed that Clark and the Kents were already on their way. Four minutes later he was outside the Talon in a neat evening suit with a blue tie. The swell of emotions was almost tangible from outside, but Danny gritted his teeth and went in.
He was bombarded with the flashing of cameras and the loud excited rabble of the anxious crowd. Luckily for him the first people he saw as he came in were his Aunt and Uncle.
"Hey Danny" Uncle Jon said with a smile, and Danny beamed back. While it was distracting to have so many positive people around he always had time for his Uncle and his family.
"Hey Senator" Danny laughed and his uncle shook his head in bemusement.
"Like I told Clark, I haven't won anything yet." Jon scoffed before he helped Martha put her necklace on.
"Danny's not too far off, one more district and you'll have a commute to Topeka" Martha laughed, smiling.
"Whatever the outcome, sweetheart, the only victory that's changed my life was when I won your heart" Jon replied and gave his wife a deep hug. Danny backed up a little to give them some privacy, smiling at their happy nature. Their embrace was interrupted by the MC for the evening and the three of them were dragged further in, joking all the while.
The three of them came up to Clark and Lana who were standing by one of the least crowded pillars. By the broad smiles on Clark and Lana's faces it was apparent that she had taken the news well and had accepted Clark's proposal. Danny smiled as he saw the simple ring glittering on Lana's ring finger.
"Mom, Dad, Danny" Clark began, slightly awkwardly.
"Mr and Mrs Kent, I know that this is as much of a surprise for you as it is for me." Lana smiled, her arm tightening against Clark's waist. Danny smiled at the obvious sign of affection. Jon and Martha beamed at the couple before Jon stepped forward to give Lana a fatherly hug.
"Lana, we couldn't imagine Clark spending his life with anyone but you." Jon took a step back and took Martha's hand, holding it tight. "We hope you have as many happy years as we have."
Lana smiled in thanks and the four of them helped themselves to a glass of champagne while Danny got a glass of apple cider. Danny smiled; moments like this were rare for him. While the Kents could never take the place of his family he was glad to be surrounded by such loving people. Their private celebration was interrupted by a loud whistle from upstairs.
"Everyone" Lois proclaimed, carrying her voice over the busy coffee shop. "I just got the heads up from the news room. And Ladies and Gentlemen, you are looking at our new Senator." The room erupted in tumultuous applause. Jonathan was heartily congratulated, several people coming up to clap him on the back or shake his hand. A bright sparkle came into his eye as he shone with radiant pride. The intensity of his congratulations only heightened when the announcer on the TV proclaimed "Jonathan Kent has just been elected State Senator in a staggering upset over corporate mogul, Lex Luthor."
Eventually the crowd around them thinned and Lois came up to the Kent family, happily saying "Okay, I need to wrangle you guys here for a photo shoot" with definite pride in her voice. Danny thought it was well deserved; she had been the campaign manager and had almost single handedly brought Jon to victory. The two elder Kents were swept away into the crowd, leaving Danny unsure as to whether to follow, but Lois dragged him along too, proclaiming "Casper, you are as much in the family for this as Smallville is. You're not getting out of the family photo." She laughed as she dragged Danny towards the elder Kents.
That didn't mean Danny missed Clark saying "Is this really happening?" in happy bewilderment, nor did he miss Lana's jovial reply of "Go do your photo op." Before he knew it the four of them were blinded by photo flashes and continued congratulations being sent towards his uncle. Eventually he was able to escape as Jon excused himself to answer a phone call. Danny stepped out of the Talon into the cool night air. He noted that Lana's car was no longer where she had left it, but was able to pass it off.
Danny heard something move in the alley behind the Talon. He stepped around back, senses on high alert. But there was no more movement. The dumpster was closed tight and there were few other places to hide. He continued his search, but found no trace of anything live around. His eyes traced the ground, and they landed on a gear shaped medallion lying in a puddle.
Confused he moved to pick it up, wondering why his guardian would leave one of his Time Medallions just lying around. As he picked it up he noticed a note stuck to the back.
Young Phantom,
Time shifts readily, always in a state of flux, now perhaps more so. I trust you shall know what to do with this once the time comes.
Your guardian
Clockwork
Danny read the note twice more, but couldn't make sense of it. Then again, Clockwork usually preferred to speak in riddles that only made sense in hindsight. He slid the medallion over his neck and tucked it in underneath his top. The gear shaped pendant rested against the DP symbol on his necklace. He thought he could figure out Clockwork's riddle later. Danny walked around the front and noted the tail end of the Kent truck as it pulled off into the distance. He wondered why someone had left the party early, but figured that he would find out once he got back inside.
Danny pulled through the happily buzzing crowd, giving Chloe a quick wave when he saw her. Danny walked over to her and they were soon joined by a beaming Lois. The three of them found a comfortable seat and Lois grabbed a glass of Champagne for Chloe and herself. Chloe mentioned a story that she was looking into. It turned out that there were criminals turning up unconscious and reports of a masked blur racing through the Metropolis slums. Danny was curious, it wasn't ghostly, but sounded like an intriguing story.
Eventually Lois excused herself saying that she had some follow up campaign managerial things to do. At this point Danny imagined that had more to do with talking up the photographer than anything else. Chloe went off to talk to Martha and Danny went over to find Clark. He just got over to his cousin when Clark's phone rang. It took one look in his eyes to know that something was drastically wrong.
Line Break
"You okay? You sounded pretty upset in your message." Lana said as she stepped into Lex's office in the Luthor mansion. Half way through the party at the Talon he had called, and Lana felt that she ought to come over to comfort him. Today had been the perfect day for her, Clark had finally trusted her enough to tell her the truth about himself and she had happily accepted his hand in marriage.
She closed the door behind her as she moved towards the centre of the room. Lex' back was facing her, but by his posture he was fairly drunk. He stood slightly slumped over his bar table, a crystal scotch bottle glittering in the firelight as he poured out two glasses carelessly.
"Probably shouldn't have called." Lex said, turning around to face her. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he looked over at Lana. "Shouldn't do a lot of things, but I uh, seem to do them anyway." Lex paused for a moment, seemingly studying Lana. He waved his scotch glass at her before continuing to say "I'm sure you want to get back to the party so..."
Lana was uncomfortable with his drunken state so she took the opportunity to interrupt. "Lex. I know how hard you worked for this, but I don't think you should take it so personally."
Lex seemed to take offense to this, before Lana realised it he was virtually yelling "you know how many people are cheering right now, that the spoiled, rich-kid lost to some salt-of-the-earth farmer?"
Lana had never seen Lex like this. She knew she needed to calm him down. She asked him "since when do you care what other people think?" hoping that it would help.
Lex fumed "Since I was branded at birth with the sins of my father." But then he slumped in on himself, defeated. "Just once Lana, I wanted to get out from under his shadow, you know? Earn something on my own." So that was what all this was about, he wanted to prove himself? Lex half laughed "Well, consider yourself lucky you never had a father to endure, huh."
With that pronouncement all her sympathy evaporated. Her father had died in the first meteor shower. She'd never been able to know him or love him. Icily she told Lex "I think it's best we talk about this when you're not drunk." And with that she moved to leave.
From behind her she heard Lex drawl "See, now I've hurt your feelings. Perfect. Through this whole campaign I've managed to alienate everyone I care about. I can't lose you too." Lana felt some of her sympathy return. Here Lex was, a dejected man who had just lost what he saw as one of the biggest chances to get out from under his father. She walked back over to him and gently held his hand. She looked into his eyes.
"Lex. Hey. You aren't gonna lose me." She pronounced with a soft smile. Lex's grip tightened on her hand before he let go, running his fingers against hers. He moved onto the ring that Clark had made for her, twisting it slightly around her finger.
He didn't look at her when he said "well I guess this is a bigger day than I thought."
"Yeah. You know it happened so fast. We never really got to tell anyone about it." She happily looked down at the ring, the proclamation of the love between Clark and her. Looking at it all the pain and confusion from his secret just disappeared. A faint smile flitted onto her lips.
"Yeah. So after all the lies he told you, you still chose him." Lex sounded angry. Lana looked up into his eyes to see the aggressive hurt in his alcohol darkened eyes.
"You don't understand." She needed him to though. Lana wanted Lex to know how wonderful a person Clark really was, but knew it was not her secret to tell.
"How many times did you come to me, wondering what Clark's hiding from you? Why he disappeared to Metropolis for months. How he rose from the dead." Lex shot back in quick succession. And it was true, there were so many questions she still had to ask Clark, but with this one revelation everything seemed to make sense. Something about his powers had saved him, and his powers had let him save her.
There were no secrets between them. Lana finally knew about Clark and they had forever together for him to share his life, his experiences, his burdens and his happiness with her. She felt like the luckiest person in the world that someone like Clark had chosen to give his life to her. "It's not like that now." She whispered. Her heart filled with the love she no longer needed to shy away from.
Lex scoffed "Really? Come on. Lana. I know you. You'd never say yes with all the doubts you have." His voice dripped with heavy scepticism. Lex felt threatened as he searched her eyes, his own widening slightly with sudden realisation. "Whatever it is he's been covering up all this time. You know, don't you?" Lana felt a surge of fear race through her, but was able to cover it up.
In a calm and steady tone she replied "Clark isn't hiding anything Lex." It was half true. Clark wasn't hiding anything from Lana, not anymore. Lex however seethed.
"After everything I've done for you, how could you lie to me?" Lex yelled coming up to her. Lana didn't know what to do. Lex no longer looked like the same man who had comforted her when she needed someone to talk to. Lex threw his glass of scotch into the fire as he yelled "Tell me!" The glass shattered in the fire with a loud crash and a flare of fire. Lana took the opportunity to run, quickly making her way through the labyrinthine corridors and out to her car. She soon found herself on the highway back into town but couldn't stop the fear thrumming through her heart.
She wouldn't have before she found out, but now she knew that Clark would save her. She quickly dialled the number, hoping that Clark could help calm her down.
"Hello?" he answered and Lana felt a surge of relief, but it didn't entirely dispel her panic. "Lana, where'd you go?"
"Clark I'm so sorry. I went to see Lex. And he was really drunk." She sniffled as the terror she felt settled back into something manageable. She shielded her eyes for a moment as a car passed from the opposite direction.
Clark's voice sounded worried as he demanded "What happened?"
"He knows. I don't know how he could tell, but he could tell I was hiding your secret. I didn't say anything to him. But he got really angry."
Clark paused for the barest of moments before he replied confidently "Lana, that's okay. Where are you now?"
Lana looked around for a moment, in her hurry she hadn't taken much notice of where she was going; only that she had to get away. Fortunately by now she had calmed down enough to recognise where she was. "I'm on route 40, right before the Loeb Bridge." She heard a car horn from behind her. She glanced into the rear view mirror and her panic one more heightened. The car was swerving slightly on the road but there was no missing that car. "Oh God." She said in disbelief, her fear surging once more, narrowing her view of the world in her need to escape "Oh God he's coming after me."
She heard Clark say "Lana" over the phone, but her attention was drawn by Lex as he pulled his car up next to hers. The window came down and he heard Lex yelling.
"Lana! Lana! Just pull over so we can talk!" Lana looked over at him fearfully, he was so drunk and they were going so fast that if he lost control there was no way it could end well. Suddenly Lex's eyes widened in fear as he shouted a warning "Lana Watch out!"
Lana turned to look, but everything was drowned out by the flood of light from the approaching vehicle and the roar as she felt the world tumble out of control around her.
Line Break
Clark raced out of the Talon not caring about his secret. In an instant he was at the scene, but was horrified by what he saw. A bus had hit Lana's car, which had rolled over sending a spattering of glass and metal across both lanes of the road. Lex stood by dumbfounded, but Clark couldn't find it in himself to care. All that he cared about was Lana.
Clark ran over to the destroyed car, racing around to the other side. Somehow Lana had been thrown out, she lay on the ground her body surrounded by glass and metal shards. Her porcelain skin smeared with crimson. Clark couldn't believe it. He dropped to his knees stunned beyond belief. This couldn't be happening. Not today. Not to Lana. He was barely aware of his own screaming. He just wanted Lana back.
He felt himself being pulled away, but he fought back; struggling to get back to Lana. He had to do something. Had to find her pulse. It had to be there. He couldn't lose her. She looked so fragile lying there, so broken. Couldn't they see he had to save her? "Lana!" he screamed, struggling to get back to her. The grip around him tightened and he felt himself being drawn away, finally hearing his Dad as he tried to comfort him.
Clark felt his Dad pull him into a tight hug. "No. There's nothing you could have done. Nothing" tears stung in Clarks eyes as he heard his Dad. Clark's hands were laced with Lana's blood. No, he couldn't lose her. Not Lana. He felt himself sob as his Dad pulled him further away from Lana's body. He heard the sirens as an ambulance approached, but the paramedic just pulled out a body bag. That's when it became real. He couldn't let this happen. This was all his fault. He had to do something about this.
Clark raced back to the farmhouse, tearing into the barn to retrieve the key. He pulled it out and barely a minute later found himself in the fortress. Somehow the blood had been cleaned away, but that did nothing for the tears in his eyes, nor the roaring pain that stabbed through his heart. It felt as though it was on fire; as if a thousand lances had stabbed through his heart and made it shatter. Nothing could describe the agony as he tore through the Fortress towards the central console.
"How could you take her from me!" he yelled into the air. He was fuming, his father Jor-El had seen fit to take away the one person on the planet that mattered more than anything to him.
"Human life is fragile, my son. You knew a life would be exchanged for yours." Jor-El's distant voice came back to him. It was irritating in its calm tone. Clark couldn't take it. Not today.
"Don't make her pay for my mistake. If I hadn't told her the truth about me she'd still be alive! You have to let me fix it." He beseeched the air.
Once more Jor-El spoke "Your powers on Earth may seem extraordinary, Kal-El. But we are not gods." Who was Jor-El to say that? He had played god to bring Clark back to life. How could he take Lana away from him as if she was nothing?
"This is not her destiny! And you know that!" Clark yelled, venting his frustration and agony. His voice dropped to a whimper "There has to be a way. There has to be a way... to fix this. Please." He moaned, begging his birth father to for once set things right. He couldn't lose Lana. There had to be something he could do.
Jor-El's voice once more permeated the room, a hollow emptiness in it as he said "There is one trial you have yet to experience." What was that even supposed to mean? Clark dismissed it, needing some way to save his beloved. "But you must heed my warning. The tide of fate is impossible to stop. Even if you are able to alter one course of events the universe will find a balance." A crystal separated from the mass in the central console, floating tauntingly in the air. "There is only one crystal. Once you make this choice there is no second chance. Decide carefully."
For Clark there was only one choice. If this was the way to save Lana, to make sure that he never lost her then he would gladly deal with whatever repercussions came with it. All that mattered was having Lana back. He reached forward, clutching the delicate crystal as if it were a lifeline. "I have to save her." He declared, and the whole world faded.
It felt like the universe was spinning around him, he felt himself being pulled backward as everything continued to swirl around him. He felt the crystal dissolve into nothingness as the world slowed around him. Suddenly he found himself sitting up in his barn loft, his hand clutched around a lump of coal. He looked around disoriented for a few moments before he heard the most wonderful voice in the world. Lana Lang, the voice of an angel, beautiful and warm and alive. He could barely contain his joy as he heard her for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.
"I brought gloves and a scarf like you said"
AN: And I'm gonna end it there and leave you in suspense.
This chapter corresponds with the Smallville episode "Reckoning", and I had to split it. This worked as the best point to do that.
See you next time.
Bluerose