Just Another Meteor Freak

by jadedbluerose

Clark Kent has seen many strange things in his life; he's an extra terrestrial living in a town of meteor infected humans. But in the aftermath of the second meteor shower he discovers a cousin with his own strange past. What will the Kryptonian do when Danny Fenton arrives, bringing the ghosts of his own mysterious past along with him?

24. Purgatory

Chapter 23

Purgatory

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

Tap. Tap, tap. Tap.

Lana's toe tapped anxiously against the headboard of her bed. It was late. Very late, and she was late. She stared at the darkened dorm room ceiling, listening to the sounds of the night as it deepened around her.

Tap, tap, tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her foot kept beating an unsteady rhythm as Lana listened to the sounds of Chloe. Chloe shutting her computer down as the clock by her bedside flashed 10.32. Chloe rustling in her sheets as she pulled the covers tightly over, whispering a soft goodnight. Chloe still shifting uncomfortably at 11.03. Lana spared a nervous glance at the clock as it blinked another minute. There was a deep sigh from across the room and Lana heard a sigh as Chloe's breathing finally settled into the deep steady rhythm of sleep.

Lana jumped off the bed, fully clothed. Making use of the moonlight piercing through the small part in the curtain she threw the door to her closet open, frantically searching. It took a minute, but she finally pulled it out. The stack of hundred dollar bills that were her ticket to seeing them. She was quiet as she stole out of the dorm room, ghosting her way through the darkened hallways as she made her way out of the dorm.

She quickly paced her way across campus, past the newer buildings and straight to an old run down building on the edge of campus. Despite her nerves she confidently pushed her way in. Her boots clicking loudly against the cold red tiles of the building. Overhead the white lights flickered, but she paid no heed. She had been here before, and this time she knew it was going to work.

She pushed her way through the building. It used to be a research building, but many of the researchers had abandoned it for better appointed facilities. But that didn't matter in the slightest. He was here, and he was the one offering this particular little miracle. The lasting jitters, the cold and hot flashes. Even the near constant pain in her heart. It was all worth it. She knew. And tonight was the night that she was finally going to find them.

"You're late." The masculine voice cut through the darkness as Lana pushed her way into the room. He was standing there, and the beautiful green liquid in his hands held all the promise in the world. It glowed bright neon green, and Lana's heart gave an excited throb at the sight of it. "Was there a problem with the cash?" He asked coldly.

"No," Lana assured. "The money wasn't a problem. I had to ditch my roommate." He shifted an eyebrow sceptically. "You don't know my roommate." Lana rambled, feeling anxious. She dug deep into the bottom of her purse, pulling out the wad of notes and handing it to him. "Here. Two thousand dollars, the rest of my savings." Lana offered, sending him a small grateful smile. After all, what he was offering was worth so much more than just this.

"No worries, Lana." The soft, slightly husky voice of Alley penetrated through the darkness. "We're just about fixed for your fix." Lana's lips quirked in a small smile. Alley was pushing a small IV cradle through the room, the plastic wheels clicking slightly against the tiles. She stumbled to a stop, banging against the small instrument table. That was one of the unfortunate side effects; jitteriness, slight loss of balance, prolonged out of body experiences... but it was all worth it. It was worth so much more. And Lana was so very close that the side effects didn't matter.

"This is not a drug trip." He rebuked, his eyes sparkling as he picked up a single glowing syringe.

"Relax, Lance." Alley retorted sarcastically, "Just a little syringe-speak humour. I wasn't implying that it's a hallucination."

"Damn straight." Lance declared, his attention fixed on the glowing green liquid in the syringe chamber. "This little cocktail is my lock on the Nobel Prize."

"And a big fat deal with the pharmaceutical company." Alley added on tactlessly. There was silence for a moment, but the anxiety was getting to Lana.

"I want to stay down longer this time." Lana said, her heart racing a thousand miles a minute in anticipation. "Two minutes."

Lance snapped around to face her, his dark green eyes cold in the darkness. "Forget it." His voice was steady, but cold as ice. "It's too dangerous."

"Come on, Lance" Lana begged, "It's only twenty seconds longer than last time, and I almost found them."

"What could it hurt?" Alley interjected, and Lana just hoped that anxiously keen edge to her voice helped persuade Lance. She needed to find them, needed to talk to them. "I've been down almost as long, and you know you can bring her back." Alley picked up the small brownish amber vial. It didn't glow, didn't look like anything special, but it was the real miracle. And Lana knew this. All she needed was for Lance to agree. Lana put the most beseeching look on her face that she could, she didn't know whether it actually convinced him, but he eventually nodded his assent.

"Fine, but only two minutes. That's it." Lance stated. He flicked the syringe in his hand once before gesturing over to the operation chair in the centre of the room. Eagerly Lana pulled off her jacket, handing it and her bag to Alley as she fussed around her, making sure she was ready for her 'fix'.

The chair was uncomfortable, more so the bindings that Alley tightened around her wrists and ankles. They were necessary; the cocktail was never painless, but it was still worth it. Lana relaxed, breathing deeply as Lance plunged his green cocktail into the crook of her elbow. She felt the cold liquid push into her veins, racing through her system with a cool numbing sensation. She knew the instant it went into her heart, she could feel the strange way the liquid reacted with the heat of her heart. She felt the inner battle as her heart briefly sped up, gradually slowing as the liquid forced its way deeper.

Lana's eyes fixed pointedly on the huge lamp overhanging her head. With a deep breath, and a quick nod of acknowledgement from Alley it switched on, and Lana's world turned white.

Lana smiled, the warm scent of lilacs wafted through the air, and she was walking through a long hallway of flowers. It was beautiful, and she felt so very safe. Everything had a golden hue, it felt soft and fuzzy. Comfortable. Lana couldn't feel her arms or legs, not really, everything seemed so very loose. It was as if she didn't really have a body at all, but she still knew to walk forward. She brushed her fingers against the wall of flowers, enjoying the way the floral scent wafted through the air. She felt light as she walked forward, but somehow everything was perfect. Safe.

The hall of flowers thinned, but gave way to something she recognised. It was her Aunt Nell's old flower shop, the way it used to be before she sold it to move to Metropolis. Lana smiled, running her fingers easily across the small table where she used to sit and do homework while her aunt put together glorious bouquets. It was so peaceful here, and part of Lana wanted to just stay here forever, where it felt so safe and warm. There was a small change behind her, Lana didn't know what but she spun around to see what was different.

"Mom?" Lana asked, barely daring to believe as tears prickled in her eyes. "Dad, Oh my God." She broke into a broad smile at the sight of them. "I never thought I'd see you again." But they were here, they were real. Her dad stood there smiling her, brown eyes radiating so much pride and love. And her mom, her mom was here and so very beautiful. Her long brown hair perfectly framed her face, loving blue eyes sparkling with care and love and safety and warmth. Everything she'd ever hoped for from her and everything she'd needed so desperately all of these years.

"I've missed you so much." Lana proclaimed, stepping forward further into their circle of love.

"Oh, we've missed you too, honey." Her mom said, smiling gently.

"I've just been so confused." Lana admitted, she needed to talk to them, and she had never been given the opportunity before. But her parents were here, and she knew that they loved her, that they'd be there for her. And she just needed to tell them everything that she had never been able to before. "I didn't know where to turn."

"We know how hard it's been." Her father consoled.

"I loved him so much." Lana admitted, and she somehow knew that they could understand. That they knew.

"We're here for you Lana." Her mom comforted, a smile gracing her lips. Lana smiled, knowing that she was finally here, with a family that loved her, just like she was meant to be. Free from all the troubles of the world, free from the meteor showers and alien threats. Free from the emotional rollercoaster that was Clark Kent. Here she could be happy and safe, forever living with the love of her parents. Here everything seemed so peaceful and comforting and she felt truly loved as she never had been before. Lana leaned forward, hoping to finally get a comforting hug from her mom, her arms spread so easily. There was a familiarity to the action that she couldn't understand. And she was almost able to feel the warmth of her mom's embrace, for the first time since she was three years old.

Suddenly there was a sharp tug, wrapping around her waist and forcefully pulling her back. She screamed, desperate to stay here, in the safety of her family, but she was being yanked away so easily. The snare around her waist tightened, drawing her in with heat so hot it seared. It pulled and burned and she was aching, thrashing in her bonds as she tried to stay to move, to be free of the agony. There was a flash of white light, cold in its brightness somewhere above her eyes.

Dimly she heard voices, but she couldn't place them. There was one, female, but definitely not her mom. "Back... among the living." Lana heard; the voice drifting in and out as she tried to process what was real.

"Gone to long..." Lana heard a man say, and that man's voice was so cold and nothing like her dad's. "Almost didn't get you back."

Lana gasped deeply, the searing heat finally fading as she felt her heart forced to start again. It was slow at first, weak, but it gradually picked up as Lana managed to make sense of the world around her. She was in the lab, at the Uni. And Lance and... Alley... were both there. She was back, pulled forcibly back from the other side, but back. But everything was cold, so much colder than before. She had finally seen them, finally found them. Finally felt that love and safety that she so desperately craved. And she wanted more.

Clutching desperately to Lance's shirt she looked at him, begged him. "It wasn't long enough. I have to go back."

Line Break

Clark sighed as he paced along the upstairs hallway of the farmhouse. He had lived her for as long as he could remember, but it had somehow never felt so empty. His mom was off in Topeka attending to her duties as senator. Although she was scheduled to be back later in the day before she headed off to the Governor's Ball in Metropolis later in the evening. It was so quiet, it was times like these that Clark missed the soft tapping as his Dad rummaged around downstairs, or patiently working out in the barn as the soft tapping of hammer on wood echoed up to Clark's room.

Clark sighed, pausing in the doorway of the last room on the hall. The bed was neatly made, but the only sign that anyone actually lived in the room was the small pile of textbooks stacked on the desk. Clark absently crossed the threshold, moving over to the desk and picking up Danny's sketchbook. He slowly flicked through the pages, eyeing the careful detail that Danny had put into all of his sketches.

The pictures of Danny's ghostly enemies had thinned, replaced by detailed aerial maps of Smallville, Metropolis, even Edge City and the Star City Bay. There were fewer pages dedicated to actual people, there were one or two of the ghost girl Danny had introduced them to, Ember. But other than that the beautiful sketches of his friends and family seemed to have vanished. Clark frowned as he continued his pursuit, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He came to the last used page, his frown deepening. It was the ghost Cizin. The image was meticulously perfect. Clark could almost imagine him jumping of the page to cause more trouble.

But that was the thing; Cizin had already caused so much havoc in Clark's life. He had hurt his cousin badly, but more than that had brought to attention an issue that Clark hadn't even realised was there. Since the fight with Cizin Danny had barely talked to him, and being in Danny's exquisitely tidy bedroom made Clark realise just how much Danny lived like a stereotypical ghost. He simply didn't seem to be there. Clark's mind drifted, his thoughts stuck on a day nearly two weeks before as he caught sight of Danny coming back from the Ghost Zone.

Flashback

Clark sat in the warm sunlight of the barn loft, absently fiddling with the necklace in his hands. It had once been Lana's, a tiny piece from the meteor that had killed her parents swung on the silvery chain. But Clark had borrowed it, and his spaceship had neutralised the kryptonite in it to save him. Now it was just a memory, a small reminder of Lana and how he would always love her. A tiny token when he had been forced to let the real Lana go. She didn't know about it, didn't know he still had it. But it meant the world to him, and having the necklace made him feel as if everything was going to be okay.

He sighed, putting the necklace back in its box and setting it aside. It had only been a day since Danny had disappeared into the Ghost Zone, but he was getting worried. Danny hadn't been in the best health when he'd left, and Clark still needed to talk to Danny about purposefully blocking him out of the fight. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became. Danny may have taught Clark how to defend against ghosts, maybe even stop a weaker one, but Clark still didn't know how to stop a more powerful one. And that fact could have gotten both of them killed.

Clark frowned, pulling himself up from the sofa and moving to lean against the window. The afternoon light kissed the early spring fields, and the scent of promised rain hung in the air. It wasn't cold, and they had barely needed the woodpile the last few nights. The onset of spring making everything start to feel new, life continued on around him as it always did. Clark's eyes shifted out across one of the fields to the storm cellar. When Danny came back he would climb up those steps and out into the sunlight. Clark knew that. Everything was going to be fine.

A short while later he found himself walking back to the house, the small necklace box clutched tightly in his hand. He passed through the kitchen door; the papers his mom had been studying before she headed into town that morning were still scattered across the table. Hoping to make himself useful Clark moved over to the table, gathering the reports into a neat pile. He was about to put the kettle on, thinking that a cup of coffee would go down well, when he heard a soft thump coming from upstairs.

Clark loped up the stairs two at a time, wary of whoever was in the house. As far as he knew he was home alone, and he hadn't heard anyone come in either. He paused a moment on the landing, he couldn't hear anything anymore, and the only door closed in the hall was Danny's. He paused a moment before pushing open the door, his eyes widening when he saw Danny asleep on the bed. Somehow the halfa had snuck in without Clark's knowledge.

Clark frowned, slightly annoyed at that. However he couldn't begrudge the sixteen-year old. He looked exhausted. His skin was a sickly shade of pale and dark circles surrounded his closed eyes. He was flopped out on the bed belly down, a thick book having slid out of his hands to the floor. Clark moved to pick the book up, but that small movement was enough to jar the dark haired boy into awareness.

Danny sprung up, blue eyes blinking dazedly. He barely even seemed to realise where he was. Clark patiently waited, giving Danny a minute to catch up while taking his own observations. Danny's eyes were blue, mostly. But the flecks of silver that occasionally came into his irises were more prominent than usual. His hair was still white tipped, as it had been when Danny allowed himself to fall through the portal into the Zone. He looked tired, feeble even. Almost as if the injuries he had sustained hadn't healed up, but Clark couldn't see anything physically wrong with him.

Clark pulled out the desk chair, welcoming himself to a seat as Danny pulled back in the bed till his back hit the wall. Danny rumpled his hair dazedly before his gaze fixed almost sheepishly at Clark.

"Hey" Danny said, his voice was slightly hoarse, but quiet and demure.

"Hey yourself." Clark replied, sending Danny a small smile in hopes of calming him down. "What happened to Cizin?"

Danny blinked once. "I released him to my... mentor's care." Danny eventually replied. "He'll be held for a while and then go on trial."

"And how are you?" Clark asked.

"I'm fine." Danny was quick to reply, but the small flinch as he moved said otherwise. Clark raised an eyebrow. "Or I will be fine." Danny relented.

"What happened?" Clark pushed. He hoped that he could get Danny to see how foolish he was, blocking Clark out of the fight and then the two of them could get on to some proper training.

"Cizin attacked my core." Danny replied almost too quickly. "It'll heal in a few days. I'll be fine." Clark frowned. There was no way news like that was good, if Danny's core had been attacked directly then he was probably in a lot more pain than he was letting on.

"Why didn't you let me help?" Clark asked, meeting Danny firmly in the eyes.

Danny was the first to look away. "I had to keep you safe." Danny replied in a whisper.

"I could have helped," Clark pressed. "You know that, and then you wouldn't have been hurt at all."

"I'm not hurt." Danny defended.

"You can barely move without flinching. I could have helped." Clark returned. He was annoyed, and Danny didn't seem to want to listen.

"I couldn't risk it." Danny shot back, his voice stronger now.

Clark stood up, pushing the chair forcefully away. "I could have handled it. I've faced down meteor freaks and Kryptonians. I'm the one who took down Fine in the Fortress. I've gone up against witches and meteor rocks and who knows what else. You don't get to tell me that you couldn't risk it against a ghost."

Danny glared at him, and suddenly Clark was faced with a pair of bright green eyes. "You don't get it Clark! You couldn't have faced that ghost, you would have died. He was the god of death for a reason and you cannot tell me you've battled that. I have, and worse. I am not going to let you or anyone risk themselves for that!"

"You're not listening!" Clark shot back, his own anger coming to the front. "I can handle it, damn it, Danny, you could have been killed! I don't care what powers you have, you could have died because you wouldn't let me help!"

Danny's green eyes flared brighter, silvery flecks sparking electrically in their emerald depths. "In case you haven't noticed I died long before you met me, there's nothing that ghost could have done that I haven't faced before. I don't need you to prove yourself against them. You can take meteor freaks, fine. But ghosts are mine, my fault, my problem. And. I. Will. Not. Risk. You. Fighting. Them!"

Then he was gone, vanished in a swirl of mist that Clark's hands snatched meaninglessly at. The adrenaline of his anger faded from his system and Clark frowned, sitting himself on the bed in the silence of the vacated room. He sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling as he wondered how exactly things had gotten to this point. Danny shouldn't be doing this. He didn't have to fight alone, he never used to. Back when he was in Amity Park. But he had never asked for help from Clark. And now it was blatantly clear that he didn't want it. Clark just wondered how on Earth he was going to make Danny see that he wasn't alone.

End Flashback

That had been the start of nearly two weeks of avoidance. Danny had barely spoken to Clark other than during breakfast, and even then it was only if Clark's mom was around. Danny would vanish to school for the day, come back past midnight night and then give his mom a broad smile at breakfast the next morning. But Clark got the impression that Danny wasn't angry, not really. In fact, often it seemed like he was desperately sad. Clark just didn't know why or how to help his dark haired cousin.

Clark sighed, closing the sketchbook and carefully placing it back where he had found it. He felt he was floundering himself, and he didn't know who to turn to for help. He couldn't turn to Lana anymore, the month apart had done little to ease the sting and Clark hated to have hurt her so badly. Chloe too was out of the question; even though she knew part of Danny's secret she didn't know the whole truth. He couldn't talk to her about his worries for Danny when it wasn't his secret to tell. And where he would usually turn to his mom, he found that he couldn't put any more pressure on her, not when she was still grieving over his dad.

It was all too hard, and Clark found himself wishing that he had someone to talk to, more than that, he wished for his dad. But that was not going to happen anytime soon, and feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to help anything. Letting out a deep sigh Clark left the room. If nothing else he could get a bit of work done out in the barn before the day was done.

Line Break

Lex thumbed through the many letters that he had brought back from work, tension riding stiffly between his shoulder blades. . He had just arrived home after a late meeting in Metropolis and had been looking forward to taking a break and relaxing. It had been a tiring day and the PR department were insisting on making things far more difficult than they had any right to. At the moment the only thing keeping him going was the regular meetings with Danny, and even then the last two weeks he had seemed more on edge than usual. All that Lex could think was that Danny too was beginning to become disillusioned by Clark.

But there was something in the air, the feeling of the calm before the storm that five years of living in Smallville had taught him to pay attention to. His own home had been invaded so many times that the slightest thing tended to bring him to full alert. There was a soft clunk followed by the sound of shattering glass coming from Lex's office and he didn't think. He put his mail down and barely thought as his hand felt for the hidden compartment in the wall where a small silver handgun resided.

He cocked the gun, feeling the cold metal resting comfortably against his hand as he silently drew his way to the side entrance. Passing through the shadow of the narrow archway he pushed the door open, quickly analysing the room. There was someone there, dressed solely in thick black. A dark hoodie concealed their face, but it was for the best. If he couldn't see their face he wouldn't have to see their eyes if he have to hurt them. Whoever it was had a single flashlight in hand, the golden light flickering as the torch shifted. They were rummaging through his desk, carelessly looking for something.

Lex saw red; he knew that there were several valuable cheques as well as some loose cash that he usually kept close by. More than that, there were private documents concealed in his office, and whatever this thief was doing could only bring either private or corporate damages. Stepping out of the shadows Lex drew the gun, aiming it directly at the thief.

"Don't move." Lex commanded, but was unsurprised when the thief tried to run. A moment later he had the thief pressed against the wall, gun aimed dangerously close to their head. The hood fell down and Lex pulled the gun back. In the pooling light of the hallway stood Lana; her eyes wide and frantic. Fearful. Lex took a disbelieving step backwards and the large bag in her hands fell open to display large wads of cash.

The more of Lana he took in, the more he noticed was wrong. She looked sick, almost feverish. Part of Lex was tempted to rest his hand on her forehead just to check, but he knew he couldn't. Suddenly the gun felt heavy in his hand and he quickly locked it safe in a box. He could return it to its hiding place later. But his attention quickly slid back onto Lana. She stood still, frozen against the wall.

Lex's car keys dropped heavily onto the desk as he let out an exasperated sigh. "My God, Lana. I... I had no idea it was you. I could have killed you." Lex said as he gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa by the fire. She automatically folded herself up, drawing her legs right up against her chest drawing herself into a tiny ball. Frustrated, Lex sat down opposite her, taking in every aspect of her appearance. She looked tired and jittery and a thin sheen of sweat covered her entire face.

"If you needed money," Lex offered, taking an exasperated seat opposite her. "You could have just asked."

"I know, Lex." Lana rambled, determinedly not meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry. I just didn't wanna have to lie to you."

"Just tell me what's wrong." Lex requested calmly, not voicing his own silent plea for her to trust him.

"There's nothing wrong with me." Lana rejected defensively.

Lex looked up at her, finally catching her eyes. "You didn't want to lie to me, but you broke into my house and tried to steal from me." Lex shook his head, despite his best efforts to remain neutral or comforting it was difficult when he saw Lana like this. "You're acting like a junkie trying to find her next fix." Lex observed.

Lana looked away first, her eyes dancing in the firelight. "There's this guy, at school." Lana replied slowly. "And he's got these chemicals."

"So it is drugs?" Lex pressed.

"No." Lana defended, her brown eyes lifting to meet his. "It's not what you think. They kill you, and then they bring you back. Lex, I died. I died and then I came back." There was a sick gleam in her eye. The sort of excited glimmer that Lex had only ever seen in addicts so far gone that no amount of therapy was enough. She was practically vibrating with excitement at the idea. And it was insane, some hallucinogenic drug trip. Lex looked away.

"I'm telling the truth." Lana persevered. "I went to the other side... and I saw my parents. Lex, it was so beautiful." She broke off, her eyes flicking back to the fire in the grate. Lex frowned and stood up, moving so that he could take the seat next to her. Gently, cautiously he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"No one understands the death of a parent more than I do." Lex empathised. "And for you, growing up without a mother or a father... I can even understand taking whatever chance you did to see them again." Lex watched as she nodded in acknowledgement, but she still wouldn't meet his eyes. Lex shifted his hand, softly comforting her slim fingers.

"But you have to look at yourself." Lex pressed. "Look at what you've become. This isn't what your parents would have wanted for you." Lana's eyes finally met his, and they were full of regret.

"Lex," Lana whispered "I'm sorry, I just... I wanted to see them so badly. I'm so alone." And Lex hated the way her voice cracked; her eyes were sparkling as she fought back tears.

Lex squeezed her hand once. "I think maybe, it's time we both stop trying to hold onto the people we've lost, and start turning to the ones that we still have in our lives." Lex suggested, giving those delicate fingers one more squeeze, his heart lifting at the slight pressure she gave in return.

Lana gave a small smile, and nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right." That small smile made Lex's heart lift. It made him feel as though, if he had Lana in his life, then everything would be alright. He blinked once, realising what was wrong with Lana's grip. Her fingers were ice cold.

"You're freezing." Lex commented, standing up from the sofa.

"No," Lana disagreed. "I'm fine."

"No, I'm gonna get you a blanket." Lex pressed, pulling away and out of the room towards the small antechamber off to the side. It was the fastest way to the closest bedroom, where Lex knew he would be able to find a suitable blanket. As he walked he spent a moment musing as to what he could do. Lana was still hurting from her breakup with Clark; Lex couldn't think of anything else that could make her resort to drugs. But there was so much more to it than that.

She needed help; that was blatantly obvious. The banknotes that she had taken from him added up to nearly five thousand dollars, and Lex couldn't fathom what sort of dealer could demand such a high price. It was insane, in just a month since her breakup Lana had been reduced to this, and Lex couldn't help the seething anger at the fact that Clark was responsible.

Clark was the one that had driven Lana to this extreme. Clark was the one who had hurt her, pushed her away, made Lana feel as though she had no one to turn to. And in that moment Lex hated Clark. He spun a web of deceit around himself, shoving everyone away. Years of friendship had been thrown away through Clark's constant lies, and Lex had been content to let things go. But now Lana was hurt, and Lex was the one left behind to pick up the pieces. He would do that and more. He could prove to Lana that he was the one person she could rely on. He would be there for her where no one else had been. He would be her saviour, and maybe together they could move on from the damage that Clark's deception wrought.

Lex nodded to himself as he pulled the bedroom door open. It was one of his many spares, appointed very comfortably. Lex pulled the soft quilted blanket off the foot of the bed. It was soft and warm and with any luck it would be perfect for helping Lana back on the road to recovery. She would probably need therapy, Lex would pay for the psychologist of course, but the next few hours would probably be the hardest. It was clear that her body was demanding another fix of whatever it was, but she needed to get off it if there was any chance of her coming out of this safely.

The door to his office clicked open, and Lex paused in the doorway. Lana was gone, vanished into the night. Lex frowned, his immediate thought was to run after her, but he had no idea where she could have gone. He sighed, throwing the blanket carelessly onto the sofa. He sat down heavily at his desk, thinking of the best people to call to find her. Once he would have called Clark, but that was definitely not an option now. But perhaps Danny would be of use, he seemed to have picked up a habit of noticing things that even Lex missed. And Chloe too, after all Chloe lived with Lana.

Lex sat down heavily at his desk, rubbing his temples. He was tempted to pour himself a glass of scotch, but Lana came first. Lex picked up his private phone, pulling up Danny's contact. The phone was on the third ring when Lex noticed something amiss on the desktop. The keys for his Porsche were missing. His lips pulled down into a tight frown, but the sound of a slightly confused voice on the other end of the phone interrupted his musing.

"Lex, what's wrong?" Danny's soft tenor voice asked.

"Danny," Lex breathed, trying to conceal his anxiety from the younger boy. He hated asking favours from people, he didn't like being in debt. But this was far more important. Lana was at stake and he wasn't about to risk anything happening to her. His resolution set firm and he coolly allowed himself to deliver his single request.

"I need your help."

Line Break

Chloe was worried. Not her usual worry, which always seemed to revolve around Clark, and had somehow branched out into worry for Danny as well. But this was something else. For the past three weeks she had been watching Lana as she got worse and worse. Lana didn't seem to think she noticed it, but the constant jitters, Lana's pale skin and the deep dark circles around her eyes had Chloe severely worried. Just the night before Lana had snuck out near midnight and it was scaring her.

Lana had made friends with a couple of med students, but Chloe had only met the one; Alley. She seemed even worse off than Lana. If Chloe didn't know better she'd have said that Lana had gotten into drugs, but Lana simply wouldn't do that. So Chloe had watched, hoping that Lana would pull herself out of her slump before she ended up going too far with whatever it was she was doing. But she hadn't and Chloe was getting to the point of desperation.

The late nights were bad enough, she'd often hear Lana shifting uncomfortably in her bed late at night and she only seemed to get to sleep just before dawn. Chloe knew that what little sleep Lana got was broken and filled with nightmares. Many nights she'd woken up hearing Lana whisper for her parents. Chloe felt so helpless, but short of actually drugging Lana with a sedative there was nothing she could do. Lana didn't want to talk and didn't want help.

But the longer this went on the more Chloe noticed. It had started small, a late night with the med student friends and had then escalated. Suddenly Lana's bookshelves were filled with books on anatomy and a startlingly large number of occult books. Most of them were to do with crossing over to the other side, and Chloe was at a loss to know what any of it meant.

She had hoped that Lana would snap out of it, but she was only getting worse. And Chloe hated how powerless she felt watching as her best friend destroyed herself. She had tried to follow her once, to find out exactly what was going on. But Lana had disappeared into one of the older, lesser used buildings on campus where the only way to get in was to have the exact security clearance. In other words, until Chloe had a clue about what was going on she wouldn't be able to fake her way in.

And then there was the concern for Milton Fine. Clark had said that he and Danny had gone looking in Honduras, but all they had found was a pentagonal scorch mark on the ground. He'd been cagey about the subject, and when Chloe asked about Danny's thoughts he'd closed off completely. Something bad had happened between the two blue eyed boys, and Chloe didn't know what. All she knew was that the two hadn't really spoken in a fortnight. Chloe hadn't seen Danny at all since the day she sent them off to Honduras, but Clark would occasionally stop by at work. But even then it was only briefly.

Chloe sighed, tapping away at her computer. At the moment there was very little she could actually do to help any of her friends and she hated that. She was tired of feeling clueless, it wasn't in her nature to be clueless, but she couldn't even change that without getting into trouble for pressing the limits of privacy yet again. It was a frustrating situation, and Chloe didn't know which way to turn. Pushing her worries aside for now she started typing, she had an assignment that needed finishing and it would serve as a decent distraction.

Chloe startled as the phone rang, but she picked it up after a moment of fumbling. She frowned at hearing the near frantic – well so far as he went – voice of Smallville's own billionaire. He was looking for Lana; she'd been at his house the night before but had pulled a runner. Lex was scared because she had all but admitted that she was on drugs and now he had no idea where she was.

"No" she replied, cutting off Lex's rant "No, I don't know where she is, but I can find out. I'll call as soon as I know anything." Chloe stood, picking up her jacket from the back of her chair and sling it on. She was about to leave when a noise startled her from behind. She turned around, letting out a quiet breath when she saw the intruder.

"Lex called, said he was looking for Lana." Danny explained. His voice was quiet and steady but told her nothing about anything. His face was startlingly neutral, a carefully schooled blank slate.

"Danny." She gasped, settling her heart rate from the shock of his sudden appearance. She shook her head, taking note of his appearance. His hair was tipped in white, a stark contrast to the rich ebony of his dark locks. Chloe hoped he wasn't going through some neo-gothic phase. His eyes were a darker shade of blue than she was used to do, and he seemed to be nursing some deep rooted pain, something bottomless and rolling like a sunlit ocean that she couldn't quite place. But there was brightness in them, sparks of light so bright as to almost be silver.

"Lex is looking in Smallville," Danny supplied. "I said I was in Metropolis and offered to help out here. Figured he'd ring you, since you're her roommate. When did you last see her?"

"Last night." Chloe answered automatically. "But she never came back. Where have you...?"

Danny cut her off, looking at a couple of the books on the bed. "When did she get those?"

Chloe frowned before answering; Danny was clearly evading the question. "About three weeks ago. Danny, what...?"

But Danny wasn't paying attention to her. Instead he strode over to Lana's bed, picking up one of the books that had been left there. He looked at the cover for a moment in utter disdain before pulling a small slip of paper out from between the pages. Chloe watched as his eyes darkened, before he passed the little slip of paper over to her.

Hey, Lana,

Here's the book 'Beyond Death', it should help explain Lance's project. He's set for us all to meet up at 11.30, Tuesday night. If you need anything we should talk, I'm in room 1170.

– Alley

Chloe frowned, the note raised more questions than it answered, and Chloe just hoped that the answers wouldn't be too bad. But there wasn't time. For now all she could do was follow this lead and hope that it helped. Looking at Danny she set the note down, following his lead out the door and down the hallway.

"What do you think this means?" Chloe mused aloud, hoping to bait Danny into talking.

Danny frowned, his eyes set firmly ahead. Chloe felt slightly uncomfortable, and if this was a result of whatever had happened between Clark and Danny she only hoped that it would resolve itself soon. There was none of his usual coy aloofness, and Chloe found herself desperately missing it. "Lana only had half those books two weeks ago. Whatever she's gotten herself into I think it's safe to say it's got to do with the 'other side'. But anything more than that I won't know until we get more information."

Danny paused a moment, fixing his eyes on her. "She hasn't been looking into ghosts, has she?" Danny asked quickly and Chloe answered in the negative. Lana hadn't seemed to take any more interest in any of the ghosts than she did with the meteor freaks. They were there, but something to be avoided and were unimportant until they started interfering with her life.

Danny's lips pressed to a thin line, but they had already arrived at Alley's door. Danny was the one who knocked, three sharp raps that split the silence of the hallway. There was a dark black Ankh on the door, a match to the pendant that Chloe had often noticed swinging around Alley's neck. The door opened a moment later, and Chloe took a moment to take in what had become of Alley over the past weeks.

Alley looked haggard; her skin was coated with a thin sheen of sweat, as though she had a fever. Her eyes were sunken, dark. The rings around her eyes were deeper than even Lana's and her red streaked blonde hair hung limp from her shoulders. She looked exhausted, more than that she looked half dead. But Lana was in trouble and that had to be her number one concern right now.

"We need to talk." Chloe commanded, pressing her way into the room. She felt Danny come in behind her, but her attention was on the blonde goth in front of her.

"Lana warned us that her roommate was nosy." Alley replied annoyed, her voice was husky with disuse, but she sounded tired. Alley moved across the room watching her every step as though she wasn't sure where to place her feet.

The room itself was dark, lit only by a single lampshade and the thick dark curtains were drawn. The decoration was decidedly gothic, accentuated by dark purples, deep shades of crimson and midnight black. Chloe watched as Alley sat on the edge of her bed and Chloe pulled out the desk chair to sit opposite her. Danny seemed content to stand, she heard him come to a stop near her shoulder.

"You look even worse than Lana." Chloe commented, allowing her genuine concern to come through.

"So you're gonna go all Mrs Brady on me?" Alley bit back sarcastically as she gathered a blanket over her shoulders. "Bring me some chicken soup?"

"No." Chloe answered, slightly irritated at Alley's abrasive attitude. "Were here because we're worried about our friend."

"Yeah, I see that. Still don't know who the kid is, so I don't see why I should talk to you." Alley shot back.

"Danny Fenton." Danny replied "You've read my parents' work." He made a gesture to the bookshelf.

"Yeah, sure." Alley shrugged. "They didn't have the right answers."

"Look," Chloe interrupted, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Lana's boyfriend just broke up with her. And she's really vulnerable and depressed right now. The last thing she needs is to flunk out of school because she's out all night partying."

Chloe would have continued, but Alley started coughing. It was a deep chesty cough that left her biting back bile. She felt Danny move behind her, but he stopped when Alley sent the two of them a scathing look. "And you think it's your business?" She asked derisively.

"No, I know it's my business." Chloe shot back. "And if you don't tell me what you guys are up taking all night, I'll make it the university's business too."

Alley just rolled her eyes. "Chill, Lana hasn't been partying, and she isn't moping around, mourning her high school sweetheart."

"But she isn't acting like herself either." Danny replied, his voice cool.

"How would you know?" Alley spat back defensively.

Chloe looked back at Danny, his eyes were creased in a frown. "I'm observant." Danny supplied as he shifted uncomfortably in his spot behind Chloe.

"It shouldn't matter," Chloe interjected. "She hasn't exactly acting like Lana. And the two of you look like the poster children for the Betty Ford Clinic.

"Look," Alley rejected "I told you to let it go. Now I'm done talking with you." She stood as if to leave the bed, but Chloe wasn't going to let things go that easily. She held out a hand and pressed Alleys shoulder so she was forced to sit back down.

"No." Chloe pressed. "What's she taking? Drugs?"

Alley scoffed, her fevered face turning into condescending pity. "You're so small minded. No wonder Lana came to us."

"Came to you for what?" Chloe pressed, leaning in close.

"That's between Lana and her loved ones." Alley answered. But her entire body was shaking. She brought her hand up to cover a cough, but it didn't stop. She choked, gagging on something lodged in her throat.

"Alley, what is it?" Chloe asked, realising that something was desperately wrong. "What's happening."

"Near death experience." Alley answered feebly as she continued to choke. Chloe blinked and suddenly Danny was right beside Alley, nursing her shoulder.

"It's a compound." Alley managed to force out. "M-meteor rock." Chloe was pushed aside gently, as she realised that it was blood that Alley was coughing up.

"Alley," Danny said, placing his hands on both her shoulders. "Alley look at me." Chloe saw the struggle as she was still coughing. "Alley you're gonna be fine, I promise." Danny says looking at her. All Chloe could see was his back, but the small flicker of hope in Alley's eyes helped settle Chloe's fears.

Not even bothering to look at Chloe, Danny barked an order for her to call an ambulance. Chloe pulled her phone out, plugging in the number even as Danny leaned in to hold Alley upright. The coughing was worsening, lines of red blood stained her lips and Alley's pale blue eyes looked towards Danny, silently begging Please, I don't wanna die. Danny didn't seem to be taking much notice of Chloe. His attention was solely on Alley.

"I'm not gonna let you go. But you need to trust me." Danny whispered; his voice heavy with something that Chloe couldn't quite place. Through her coughing Alley nodded, her lips were smeared with blood now, like a thick gooey lipstick and Chloe wondered how much Danny could possibly do. Alley seemed to be hovering, barely conscious and it was clear that there was only the barest string that held her on to life.

Danny placed a hand over her heart, as though he were trying to ground her. Chloe frowned, wondering what that could to. But then Danny glowed. She didn't know what he was doing, but the bright white light that encircled him lit the whole room. Alley's eyes went wide, and Chloe was about to pull Danny back. She was scared. Chloe knew that Danny was meteor infected, and that he was therefore likely to become mentally unstable at best. All of them, even the best became homicidal if they relied on their powers too much.

Chloe blinked and suddenly the world shifted into clarity. For two weeks Clark had been worried about Danny, scared for him even. But this made it all make sense. Danny had finally fallen; the constant use of his powers had gotten to him and had driven him insane. She didn't know what this power was, what made him light up the room brighter than Times Square, but he had to be kept away from Alley. If there was any chance he could kill her in a meteor infected rage then he had to be kept away from all of them at all costs.

A tear prickled in Chloe's eye as she realised this. This could quite possibly be the last time she saw Danny. In all likelihood she would have to call Clark in to stop him, to keep everyone safe. And that would destroy Clark. He had just lost his Dad and Lana, there was no way he could be able to handle losing Danny too. But he would do it, take him down and lock him up with the other meteor freaks if he had to. It was horrible, because she was just standing there while Danny surrendered to his homicidal tendencies and Ally just sat there dying.

Only she wasn't. Even as Chloe watched the coughing slowed, the staggered gasps smoothing out to a steady rhythm and Alley was blinking in disbelief. Her hand reached instinctively to her heart where Danny's hand still rested. There was a moment, a heartbeat of silence. And then the white light around Danny turned bright green. It was only for an instant and then it was gone, the light in the room faded as Danny slumped into a weak heap on the edge of Alley's bed.

Now it was Danny's breathing that was staggered, and Chloe moved around to get a look at his face. His eyes were shut fast, contorted in pain. He took a haggard breath, releasing it in a heavy sigh before he opened his eyes. Chloe fought the urge to jump back because his eyes weren't their usual startling blue but a shocking shade of silver, intertwined with flecks of cerulean and meteor rock green. But there was a faint smile playing on his lips and there was a tinge of colour on his otherwise pale skin.

Alley gasped, her eyes briefly meeting with Chloe's. She looked completely baffled, as if she didn't even understand what had just happened. But Alley was alive, and somehow looked so much better than Chloe had ever seen her. She had looked as though she were standing at death's door for as long as Chloe had known her, but now she looked healthy again. Fully restored and with a healthy amount of colour on her skin, despite the stain of blood that touched her lips.

"W...What?" Chloe wasn't sure which of them asked the question, wasn't sure what to expect of an answer. It was a miracle, plain and simple. Alley had been literally choking on her own blood, and Chloe was sure that she wouldn't have been able to hold out for the ambulance with the way she had been coughing up blood.

"I know what that compound did." Danny whispered, his silver eyes startlingly bright in the dark room. "It stopped your heart, literally killed you. But... there has to be a second one, one to bring you back." Danny was speaking to Alley, and Chloe was almost sure that Danny had forgotten she was in the room. In fact he seemed slightly dazed, not in control of his own actions. With the way he was swaying slightly Chloe would have thought he was drunk. But that could just be a side effect of... whatever it was he just did.

"How?" Alley asked; her voice finally cleared of the horrible huskiness that the compound had given her. "How did you know?"

"How much do you know about auras?" Danny questioned. His voice was still soft, and Chloe was content just to listen.

Alley blinked once before rattling off an answer. "Depending on who you ask it's either the emotional energy a person feels, radiating around their body, or it's the energy manifestation of the soul."

"I'm glad you're a goth, you all know stuff that most people wouldn't bother with." Danny sighed, and that practically confirmed Chloe's 'Danny is sort of drunk' hypothesis. "When I first met you, yours was off. Lana's too, but less so." His eyebrows creased in genuine confusion, and even with his silver eyes that face was adorably sweet. "I couldn't place it at the time, but now it seems pretty obvious. You were messing around with death, weren't you? Sending yourself to the very edge and then dragging yourself back."

Danny shook his head. "No one should do that. There's life and there's death. If you invite death in then eventually it will come to collect. The compound was killing you. No if, buts or maybes. I don't know what you got out of it, but I do know that even with whatever cure you had it wouldn't work forever. You still need to see the hospital; I don't know what other damage the meteor rock did to you, and I just stopped the worst effects. There's no cheating death, I know that better than anyone." There was a rueful note to his voice that gave Chloe pause.

Alley sent her a questioning glance, but Chloe shrugged. "So you can what, see auras?" Alley asked almost sceptically.

"Not precisely," Danny replied, shaking his head. "It's more like sensing them, feeling them. It's easier to describe as colours or images, but auras are much more complex than that. Yours was... weak, like you were sick, but not. Sometimes it'd flicker or flare; I've seen that in hospitals where the patients fight back. But yours was... different. It was like you were walking around with... death's shadow or something like that. But I took it away, and now you're better. Like I promised."

"You're gonna have to explain better than that." Chloe cut in, and Danny physically jerked, his attention snapping to her. It was slightly unnerving having those silver eyes focused on her; Chloe couldn't quite understand the emotion they held. Danny blinked, twice.

"That's the best explanation I can give." Danny answered, rubbing the back of his neck. He suddenly seemed somehow smaller, much more awkward. He shook his head slightly, his eyes contorted in pain, but when he opened them they were wide and frantic and alarmed. "Lana." He whispered, and a shiver ran down Chloe's spine.

"We have to go," Danny commanded, his silver eyes sparkling fearfully at Chloe. "I think Lana's in trouble."

Line Break

Lana was desperate as she raced through the hallway to Lance's lab. Lex's Porsche sat just outside, the keys weighing heavily in her hand. She hadn't thought when she'd taken them, not really. But she had just been humouring Lex with his talk of moving on and being with the people who were still in her life. But there was no one left. No one she could rely on not to betray her. She needed to see her parents, needed to know she was loved. And that was all that mattered. That there was some way to talk to people who loved her. And anything was worth the price. Anything.

She pushed open the door, and gaped seeing the lab being stripped bare. Lance was leaned over the desk, the vials of glowing green being hastily tucked away into their carrying case. Lana pushed her way through the gloom, she was on a mission and nothing was going to stop her.

"What are you doing?" Lana demanded, her eyes fixed on the last little green vial as Lance stuffed it into place.

"Getting rid of the evidence." Lance answered sharply without looking up.

"Evidence?" Lana pressed confused. This was a miracle, how could anyone possibly think there was something wrong with it?

"Alley, she's in the hospital. She almost died." Lance replied, and Lana heard the fear in his voice, the genuine concern. It was the first time that Lana had heard him be anything but stoic.

"What?" Lana breathed before she could help herself. "What happened to her?"

Lance looked over his shoulder, his cold eyes meeting hers and Lana flinched. "I warned her there's only so many times you can die before you stay that way. The hospital doesn't even know how she survived."

"Was it your serum?" Lana pressed.

Lance's movement was sharp, and suddenly she was faced fully by those glacial eyes. "My serum didn't do anything. She did it to herself."

Lana looked down at the tantalisingly tempting green vials in his case, and she realised she didn't care. It didn't matter. Alley was still alive, and it wasn't like Lana would end up in the same situation. Alley had been down two times before Lana got in on the project, so Lana was still fine. Nothing would happen to her so long as Lance had the cure on hand. And he would, and it would all be fine, and she could see her parents again.

"I'm willing to take my chances." Lana found herself saying. "I need you to send me back."

"Are you out of your mind?" Lance implored, but Lana didn't really care. "The police could be here any minute; I gotta get out of here."

Lana reached into her bag, pulling out the keys and forcefully handing them to Lance. "Well we better hurry then." Lana commanded.

"What the hell is this?" Lance demanded.

"Those are the keys to a very expensive Porsche parked just outside." Lana answered, "Figured it would cover the cost of one more trip to the other side."

"You stole a Porsche?" Lance asked.

"No," Lana answered, assuring herself more than anything else. "I borrowed it from a friend."

"And he wants it back." Lana flinched at that voice, immediately recognising the cool distant tone of Lex Luthor. "Cool thing about expensive cars. They all come with GPS tracking."

"Lex, I can explain." Lana stammered, but found herself quickly cut off.

"Lex?" Lance practically snarled. "Lex Luthor?" Lana gave a small nod, but backed away at Lance's almost aggressive reaction. "Dumb bitch, I never should have let you in on this."

"No," Lana found herself begging as Lance grabbed the case and moved to leave. "Lance, please wait."

"I'm out of here." Lance spat as he strode towards the door.

Lana stopped caring, the blood was pulsing in her head and the thing she needed most was quickly walking away. The world lurched and she barely heard Lex saying something about the authorities getting there. It didn't matter. All that Lana cared about was the small green vial that was suddenly rolling across the floor towards her feet. Lana scrambled to pick it up, dodging around the two men as they started fighting. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the small green vial clutched in her hands like a lifeline.

A moment later she was gone, flying out the door and leaving them behind. She needed to find a needle. That was the only way. The only way to see her parents again. She sped out of the building, there was nothing left there. All the other rooms had been cleared, and now Lance's lab was gone too. But the biology building had supplies. Lana paced her way across the campus, taking no notice of anything else around her.

Line Break

Danny's eyes closed involuntarily at the bright light of the hallway. He didn't know exactly what he'd done with Alley, only that it had left him feeling... lightheaded. It had been instinct more than anything else. He had felt Alley's aura flicker wildly as she started coughing, and had leapt right to her side. After that he had sort of... reached out with his aura, pushing as much stability into hers as he could. But it hadn't been enough, and she was dying and all he had known was that he had to save her. So he had tried to absorb the sickness, literally siphon off her death. And it had worked, she was alive.

But it had badly affected him. Danny wasn't sure exactly what it was, and his mind was too fuzzy to think properly. He imagined this was what it felt like to be drunk, the way his limbs didn't feel like his own in a way that was completely disconnected with his ghost powers. He thought that was what had saved him from dying himself when he stole that sickness-death from Alley. He had already had his death, so he couldn't die again. That didn't make sense. A strange laugh passed his lips and he felt Chloe's gaze drift onto him.

It was strange; he had almost forgotten she was here. Danny suspected she had already called Clark in on this, but he didn't know for sure. And how did they get outside this old building? Chloe pressed something against the doorframe, and suddenly the glass door slid open. Danny looked inside. It was dark, and while he could see perfectly he wasn't sure that Chloe could.

Without thinking he sent a surge of energy towards his hand, watching as a small ball of energy gathered in his fingertips, lighting up the hallway. The energy was white, not green. And Danny didn't know why that was, or if that was a bad thing. He pressed forward, following a strange tug in his chest. That usually meant something, but he wasn't sure what. He followed it, letting the strange pull guide him forwards. He dimly recognised that Chloe was still behind him, but he didn't know if she was talking. All that mattered was that strange pull.

He paused at a door. It was locked, but the pull told him that he needed to be on the other side. He blinked once, cocking his head to the side. There was something that he'd normally do here, but he didn't know what. Locked doors weren't usually a problem, and he knew he had a power that could help with that. There was a click as Chloe pushed a piece of plastic against the doorframe and the door pulled open. There were two people in the room, but one of them fell to the floor as he watched.

Danny blinked and the first man turned on him. The man's attention flew to a small case open on the ground, and it was filled with tiny vials of bright green. Danny blinked once, but the man was already gathering them up, but he had a green needle in his hand as he strode across the room to Danny. The man opened his voice, but Danny was beyond understanding, it didn't even sound like the right language. Suddenly there was a prick at the side of his neck, and Danny felt something bleed into his veins.

And it burned, it felt like fire, but it was cold at the same time. It felt like electricity, like rage and hate and ice. It raced through him, eating its way straight through to his heart, his core. It fought him, and he fought back, but he was losing and he didn't know what was going on. He couldn't fight, but he needed to. And at the same time there was something in his core screaming at him to protect, but he couldn't do anything. The world swayed, and the man was gone. Danny fell limply to the floor, the hard tiles slamming hard and cold into his soft flesh. But he was too far gone, the world spun into a blur around him, and he found himself swallowed up by a pool of bright white light.

Danny breathed; he was lying on a cold hard floor as something like consciousness came back to him. His eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking at the ceiling. It was a very familiar ceiling, but one that he hadn't seen in almost a year. Covered in black burns and bright green smudges. He blinked; his head suddenly clear and he pulled himself up off the floor. He was in the lab, his parent's lab. But that hadn't even existed for months.

"Danny." A soft voice called from behind him and Danny's heart jumped. It was the voice of an angel, his angel. In an instant Danny was standing, blinking at the space by the lab table.

"S-Sam?" Danny breathed, barely daring to believe what he was seeing. Because she was there, her soft black hair framed her face perfectly. Gorgeous amethyst eyes sparkling even as the softest of smiled danced across her lips. Danny couldn't help it. In an instant he had her wrapped up in a hug, pulling her tight against his chest as he disbelievingly repeated her name.

"Sam." Danny breathed, pressing a kiss into her neck, drawing in her lovely sun kissed scent. For a moment he held her, tears prickling into his eyes.

"Lovebirds." Another voice cut in, and Danny spun around. Tucker was there, offering him a warm smile as he stood in the doorway to the lab and behind Tucker stood Jazz and his parents, all smiling down at him. Danny let go of Sam, his arms dropping heavily as he saw his parents. Almost hesitatingly Danny met his parent's gaze.

"I'm sorry." Danny whispered, feeling the guilt of his secret pressing heavily into him, but before he realised he was pulled into a tight hug. His mom's soft arms closed tightly around him.

"Danny, I am so proud of you." His mom said, her voice chiming softly against his ear. "Your dad is too. We understand."

"You should have told us, son." His dad cut in, but there was no anger in his voice, only acceptance. Danny allowed himself a smile as he pulled out of his mom's embrace.

"I'm so sorry," Danny stammered "I wanted to. I always did. But I was so scared, and I didn't know what you'd do if you ever found out."

"Oh, Sweetie" His mom cried, pulling him into a tight hug. "We love you, you'll always be my little boy."

"Ghost, boy or something in between. You're our son, and that's what matters." Danny's dad cut in before wrapping his large arms around both Danny and his mom. He stayed like that for a minute, breathing in the warmth and love from his parents that he'd been missing for so long. He hadn't felt this safe, this peaceful in their presence since before he got his powers.

"I love you both." Danny said, digging his face deep into his mom's neck. "So much. In the end that's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you guys hurt. I couldn't risk losing you."

"We love you too, little brother." Jazz added, her eyes sparkling. "But..."

"You have to stop." Sam ordered.

Danny cocked his head to the side, confused. "Stop what."

"This," Sam gestured in the air "Pushing everyone away."

"It really isn't good for you." Jazz interjected. "You're repressing your anxieties about us; instead of trying to accept the fact that we can't be there anymore you're holding onto us, pushing everyone else away. You've developed massive avoidance behaviours, instead of facing the problem. But you need to let that go, it's not healthy to keep forcing everyone out of your life."

"More than that," Sam pressed. "You're gonna get either yourself or someone else killed." Sam pressed a hand to his cheek, and Danny closed his eyes at her soft fingers. "Danny, I love you." She continued; her soft wonderful voice as beautiful as drizzling honey. "And the short time we had together was the best of my life. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. I know you hated risking Tuck and I, but we were a team. We worked together, succeeded together. And you need that again now."

"I am so glad to see you getting on with my sister and her son." Danny's mom commented. "You don't have to protect him, he is a grown man and he has to make his own decisions."

"You need a brother, Danny." Tucker said, clapping a hand on his back. "Just 'cos I'm not there with you, doesn't change that. You don't need to baby him, he's got his own problems, but he'll manage on his own. Clark wants to be there for you, he wants to be a brother. He's not as cool as I am with a PDA, and he doesn't have the same amazing good looks, but he can back you up."

"If you let him." Sam finished for Tuck as she sent Danny a beautiful smile, her teeth flashing white through her gorgeous soft lips.

Danny's eyes searched those of his family, savouring the supportive, loving look in each of their eyes. He wanted to believe them because he was so tired of hurting. He had pushed Clark away from him, hadn't wanted to risk him getting hurt. He hadn't let himself make friends in Smallville because he didn't want to replace his old family. But he was so alone, and he was so very tired of it. Maybe it was time to let go, to try to move on. If Danny let him, Clark could be great. He could be a true hero, a light for the whole world to look up to. And Danny wanted to be a part of that, to have someone to back him up when things got tough. He wanted to have that again. It wouldn't be the same, but maybe it was time to try.

"Danny, you have a great future waiting for you." Sam encouraged. "You're gonna be amazing, and I'm just happy that I had the chance to know you. But now you have to make your own choices. Choose your own future. Let Clark help you, you know that he's ready to. You need to let people in again Danny."

Danny's eyes prickled, but he was not going to let himself cry. "I love you, all of you." Danny said, "I've missed you all, so much. It's just so hard without you, there's so much I always wanted to say to you and now..."

"Now you've been given another chance." Jazz finished. "We were there for you to get you started, helped you learn how to flap your wings. But now, Danny, now we're ready to watch you soar. We'll always be watching you little brother." Jazz pulled him into a tight squeeze before letting him go.

"Always." Tuck nodded in agreement.

"We will be looking out for you Danny." His dad added, giving him a warm smile as his big hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"We love you so much sweetie. You've shown us how much you've grown up, I'm so proud of you." Danny's mom said smiling proudly at him.

"And I'm always gonna be with you." Sam added, pulling him into a tight squeeze. "Who else is gonna give you a good kick in the right direction, hey, Ghost Boy? I love you, so much. I always, always will. But I have to let you go, I know that now. The world needs you, Danny Phantom. You're gonna be so great, you're gonna bring about a new age of peace. I just hope that some small part of you will always be mine." Sam finished, and she tugged him to meet her eyes. They were sparkling beautifully, glimmering with happiness and pride and love. Danny didn't want to leave, not if he had to leave her. "You're gonna be incredible." She whispered softly into his ear before he felt her lips press against his, soft and giving. Danny closed his eyes in pure bliss as the world shifted to white.

Danny's eyes were closed fast, he couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and couldn't even feel his heart beating. Danny didn't know if he was human or ghost at the moment. He was paralysed completely. He was trapped in his body and the darkness swam around him. He was on a cold floor, the surface digging into his back. He could feel the liquid, whatever it was fading from his system, sending phantom electrical surges down his limbs. Left to his own thoughts he wondered how real that was, had he really just seen his dead family? Had he gone to the part of the other side that even ghosts couldn't know? Or was it just a dream?

It had felt so real, and what his family had said rang true. He resolved then to talk to Clark, to explain some things. Maybe it would be a while before he could trust himself to let Clark into a ghost fight, but it was about time he started. His thoughts wandered, and his heart throbbed. Sam. He had seen Sam again, and it almost made losing her all the harder. Like he had lost her all over again. Still his thoughts drifted, and vaguely he thought he heard dim voices cutting through the darkness.

"My god, this stuff's got a kick." That sounded like Chloe, but she wasn't talking to him. It didn't even sound like she was in the same room.

Lex's voice penetrated the blackness next. "What happened?"

"W... I was looking for Lana." Chloe said, but the brief hesitance told Danny that she was hiding something. "I found your... body. Kinda figured that if the green one killed you, the brown one could bring you back." There was a beat of silence before she defended herself adamantly. "What? You were already dead. I figured I could take a chance."

"We have to help Lana." Lex rasped. And that grabbed Danny's attention. That's what they'd been doing before they got stuck here, wasn't it? Danny tried to struggle back against the darkness, but his body wouldn't respond. There were only fragments of creeping sensation and he couldn't do anything.

"Do you know where she is?" Chloe demanded. But Lex didn't know. Danny's consciousness faded again and he was drifting in the darkness. He heard nothing, felt nothing. But suddenly there was a bright light against the blackness. A gentle, watery golden light. Brightening his vision and chasing away the darkness, warming him from the inside like the sun. He drunk it in, feeling it wash through his veins and purge out the icy burning of that strange liquid. Happily he sunk into the familiar feeling, reminiscent of ripples on a sunlit river. Of the shimmer of wheatgrass on a summer's day. Of the thousands of flickering lights in the city as the stars shone above.

Danny's eyes fluttered open, he was in a dark room on the floor. But all he really saw were the twin pools of glimmering green that smiled at him.

"Danny!" Chloe beamed, pulling him into a tight hug. "God, Danny. You scared me." She pressed as Danny squeezed back. "That guy injected you with the cocktail, and then he was gone. But you were unconscious, and Lex was unconscious, and I tried to give you the cure but it didn't work. So I moved you in here before I tried with Lex. He's been taken to hospital by the way..."

"Chloe." Danny croaked, cutting off her ramble. "I'm fine now. What happened? Where's Lana?"

"By now Clark'll be there." Chloe answered "I called him when you wouldn't wake up, he said... said it was probably best to let you recover on your own. But I didn't want to leave you alone, I mean..."

"Thanks." Danny replied, offering her a small grateful smile. Hesitatingly he stood up, shaking slightly. He was desperately grateful when Chloe caught his elbow, steadying him. Danny smiled, recalling all the times that one of his friends had been there to do the same. He had missed it. Missed this type of comforting support.

"Clark knows what's been going on." Chloe continued, it seemed she was talking more to relieve her own stress than anything else. "After what Alley told us, I sort of had to explain the 'meteorite cocktail ticket to the great beyond' thing to him. We tracked Lana down using her College ID, and Clark ran off to play knight in shining armour again."

Danny nodded, trying to take it all in. "Okay. Okay, so Lana's in safe enough hands for now." Danny paused, creasing his brow in concern. "Wait, how long ago was this?"

Chloe bit her lip and worry flashed through her soft green eyes. "It's been an hour."

Line Break

Lana slid her ID tag through the after-hours slot, pushing the glass door open when the green light flashed. She had headed straight to the biology building, knowing that was her best chance. The insatiable need was pooling through her, demanding that she go back. It blocked out everything else and nothing mattered anymore. A minute later she was outside the supplies room, but that door opened quickly too. She pulled the green vial out, fumbling as she searched through the drawers and cabinets for a needle. She needed this, needed to see them again and she couldn't wait.

Her eyes caught on a small glass door cabinet, a box of needles sitting tantalising in the low light behind the clear glass. She tugged the door, but it wouldn't open. She shook it, but it didn't give. With one final grunt of frustration she punched through the glass, her clenched fist passing through to the needles beyond. She didn't even feel the small shards burying themselves into her wrist, all she cared about was the needle. She was so close.

"Figures I'd find a junkie where the needles are." Lana jumped as a hand fastened around her throat, suddenly pressing her back against the glass cabinet. Lana's eyes landed on Lance. He looked furious, and she was scared. He snatched the needle from her pulling out his own vial. Lana trembled at the psychopathic gleam in his eyes. Suddenly the idea of crossing over to the other side seemed terrifying. She didn't want this; she didn't want to be anywhere him.

Suddenly the pressure was removed and Clark was there. And Lana was begging, begging him to help her, to let her see her parents. She needed them. But Lance was back, and the needle, her needle was aimed at Clark's heart. He groaned in pain as the glowing green pressed into his flesh, the liquid flowing in under his skin. Lana stepped back, unable to do anything but watch as Clark fell to the ground in a boneless heap.

Next thing she knew Lance was on her, and she felt herself thrown heavily across the room. She looked down at Clark, and something pulled her back enough to realise that Clark was in trouble. He needed the antidote, needed to come back. She needed him, even if he didn't want her she needed him. But Lance was in the way, and Lana was suddenly terrified.

"You know how much trouble you've caused me, you freshmen?" Lance demanded, menacingly stepping towards her. Lana pressed back further into the desk she had been thrown into as she realised what was in his hand. The bone saw activated, the metal blade spinning with a shrill screech. Her hands fumbled wildly as she searched for something, anything that could help. Her hands touched on something cool, a large glass beaker. Without a second thought she brought her hand up, smashing the beaker against Lance's head.

Lance looked dimly surprised as he collapsed, the bone saw burying itself somewhere deep into his chest as he crashed to the ground. Lana flinched at the sight, at the horrible squelching sound. But there was nothing she could do and she needed to save Clark. Before she knew she was by his side, begging him to rouse, to come back to her. She pressed her ear deep into his chest, tears pooling in her eyes as she realised she heard nothing but silence.

Line Break

Clark blinked, squeezing his eyes closed tight against the bright light. It was too bright, and he was confused. His eyes peeled open and he squinted against the bright golden light that seemed to pervade the room. His eyes focused and he realised that he wasn't in the lab at the university. He was in his barn. Clark pulled himself up from the floor, keen to figure out what was going in.

The barn was clean, uncluttered. Similar but different to how it normally was. Clark made his way over to the barn door, planning to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge. He put more effort in, drawing on his Kryptonian stamina and finally it shifted, but Clark was forced back as the blinding white light poured into the room. Clark took a step back, squinting hard as his eyes were cast with shadow. The light coming into the barn was so bright and thick it almost seemed like mist.

He blinked. There was something coming through the mist, a shadowy figure contrasting against the bright gleaming light. Clark squinted, trying to figure out who it was. The figure stepped forward, and it became clear. Clark couldn't help the bright smile that passed onto his lips.

"Dad!" he breathed, scarcely daring to believe that this was real. But the way his dad's eyes lit up convinced him. Nothing could imitate that warm and comforting smile.

"Hello, son." Jonathan Kent replied, and Clark's heart lifted. He leaped forward, tugging his dad into a tight hug. The man's arms closed around him and for the first time in months he felt at peace.

"I can't believe it's you." Clark whispered into his dad's shoulder.

"You don't belong here Clark." His dad replied, his voice still filled with warm affection. "You have to go back."

Clark pulled away just far enough that he could meet his dad's eyes. "Dad," he pleaded "You don't know how hard it's been. All I've done is hurt everyone that's close to me."

"That's not true son." His dad replied.

Clark paused, turning around to face him fully. "You died because of me." Clark retorted coldly. "When Jor-El brought me back to life and restored my powers. He told me there'd be a price: the life of someone I love. I'm sorry dad. I'm so sorry"

"Clark," his dad replied smiling even as he shook his head. "Believe me you have nothing to be sorry about. I lived a... a full, wonderful life. I had everything that a husband or a father could ever possibly dream of. I am so very proud that I died protecting you."

"Protecting me from what?" Clark pressed, his eyes creasing.

"Lionel Luthor, Clark." His dad answered succinctly. "He knows your secret. He knows everything" Clark frowned, taking that in. He didn't want to believe that, but something told him it was true. Clark's dad looked at him, a flash of sadness crossing into his eyes. "You can't stay here, son. You've gotta keep your mother and Danny safe. You've gotta keep the whole world safe."

"No, Dad." Clark denied "Not without you. Dad, I need you. I cannot do this without you."

"Yes, you can" his dad answered simply. "This is your destiny, son. You are gonna touch the lives of so many people. Not just as a man, but as a... a symbol. You're a symbol of light. You're a symbol of peace. You're a symbol of justice. And now it's time for you to go."

Clark frowned, not understanding. His dad's hand pushed against his chest and suddenly he was being pulled backwards. "I'll always be with you son." Clark heard, his dad's voice filling him up, even as Clark pleaded with him to stay. "Always."

He gasped as he felt a harsh breath pull its way through his lungs. Clark shot up, his eyes dazedly fixing on the brunette sitting right by his side. His mind was whirling; trying to figure out what was real. The barn had seemed to real, and his dad... he had touched his dad. For the first time in months he was given the grounding comfort of his dad.

"Clark!" Lana breathed; her still fevered face relaxing into something akin to relief. She smiled at him, a soft smile that he had almost forgotten. Clark breathed out, releasing all his tension in a heavy sigh.

"I'm so sorry Clark." Lana whispered. "I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"It's... it's okay, Lana." Clark found himself replying. But he couldn't make himself say anything more than that. Lana had been sick, she still looked sick, and had irresponsibly almost thrown away not only her own life, but Lex's and Danny's too. Part of him wanted to comfort her, to promise her that it was all going to be okay, but he couldn't do that anymore. He was the one who had sent Lana away.

Clark stood up shakily, taking note of the shattered glass spread across the floor, and the limp, bleeding corpse of the man who had started all of this. Clark had seen many people die over the last five years, but he still hated seeing death. The man may have gone into a psychopathic rage, may have tried to kill people, but he should have had help rather than ended up dead. But, if he was going to be honest he much preferred that this man, obviously half insane even before Lana found him, were dead instead of Lana. His eyes flitted over to her, taking in her shakily apologetic half smile.

He knew he had hurt her. Chloe had berated him for what he had done to Lana. He had driven her to this, he had hurt her so much that she was desperate for any type of love. She had turned to her parents, her dead parents, just because Clark had hurt her so badly. Clark hated himself for it, it seemed even when they weren't together Clark only managed to hurt her. But at the same time... she had chosen this, chosen to take the terrible risks and put so many lives in danger. And Clark didn't know what to make of that. His lips pressed into a tight frown, maybe he didn't understand Lana as well as he once thought.

They silently made their way out of the building, Lana sending him guilty glances the whole way. Clark heard two sets of footsteps approaching them as they walked down the front steps. Looking up he saw Danny and Chloe, Chloe's hands wrapped supportively around Danny's left arm. His cousin met Clark's eyes briefly, the bright blue eyes conveying understanding and sympathy.

"I'm... gonna go." Lana said, shifting awkwardly as she broke the silence. She sent Clark another guiltily apologetic glance before she vanished into the night.

"Well, that was awkward." Chloe commented, her eyes fixing on Clark. "What happened?"

"The guy responsible for this is dead." Clark answered shortly, watching as Danny flinched. Chloe's lips simply pressed into a tight grimace, understanding the cost of dealing with meteor rocks. It rarely ended up well. Danny however had probably never seen anyone killed, and he wavered on his feet.

Danny blinked, his eyes fixing on Clark. "I think we all need to talk." He said confidently. It was barely a whisper, but he looked like he was in pretty bad shape. His eyes were diluted, and he seemed unable to fix his attention on anything for long.

"Yeah," Clark agreed, looking between Danny and Chloe. There was a lot he needed to say, and the news about Lionel was not comforting in the least. But his main concern for now was making sure they all got home safe. "Maybe in the morning?"

"How about after work?" Chloe suggested. "We can all meet up when I get off at the Planet tomorrow and talk then."

Danny nodded, a small relieved smile on his lips. "Tomorrow then?" He queried, sending a speculative glance at Clark, and Clark found himself partially relieved. His eyes showed a level of trust, one that he hadn't seen in months. It was still veiled, but Clark got the feeling that Danny at least was willing to talk things out, maybe even trust Clark to help him.

Clark couldn't help the smile that played onto his lips. "Tomorrow." He agreed.

Line Break

Vlad Plasmius grinned behind his mask. This was the culmination of so many months of planning, the final chess piece that would leave Daniel in checkmate. He watched the proceedings start from his vantage point, physically stoic, playing his part perfectly. Through his helmeted mask he observed the large courtroom.

It was both entirely similar and entirely different to a courtroom on earth. Circular rows surrounded the small dais, the hundreds of eyes staring down at the darkened platform. Hundreds of yellow robed ghosts stared angrily down, the air itself taught with anticipation. Vlad forced himself to remain still. This was a crucial part of his plan, and he would not abide failure for a moment of impatience. This plan had been months in planning, ever since he had heard that this particular ghost was on trial.

Vlad had been amused to find out the extent of the judicial system in the Ghost Zone. When he had first begun his exploring the Ghost Zone he had believed that Walker's prison was the extent of law keeping. However further investigation had yielded a much more intricate system. Walker was of course responsible for his prison, and many of the sentences he determined were deemed appropriate. However there were certain crimes amongst the ghosts that even Walker was not suited to deliver punishment for.

The Observant's High Council were responsible for the oversight of the Zone, charged with ensuring the safety of ghosts and humans. At least that is what Skulker had explained. Since Vlad was not a full ghost there were many aspects of ghost culture that he was unaware of. Many of the laws that they had to abide by he was completely immune to. However, the system was quite clear. For certain crimes the ghost would be held in an enforced confinement until they could come to trial. The trial would result in one of only three judgements.

The ghost could be sentenced to serve a term in Walker's prison. While it was uncomfortable there were still relative freedoms, and the sentence time was fairly short so far as ghosts went. It was, according to Skulker, the ghost's equivalent of minimum security prison. While Walker was cruel he paid some respect to ghost's rights. He was overzealous with his law keeping, and no one wanted to go there on one of Walker's artificial sentences, but if you had been to the Observant's council it was considered a light sentence.

The second sentence was to a dungeon prison, presided over by a ghost called Lacerator. He had appropriated many torture methods, twisted them to work for ghosts. The shortest sentence there was a thousand years, and it was guaranteed that every moment would be in excruciating pain to push the ghost to the edge of existence. Lacerator rarely left his prison, and he did go out to trap other ghosts on petty crimes. Instead he apparently relished in inflicting pain on his charges, pushing them to the very limits.

The third sentence Vlad knew very little of. It was for the worst of the worst. Skulker had described it as akin to the death sentence for humans; you went in, but you never came out. Skulker hadn't given him a name, and Vlad did not know who guarded over it or where it was. It was rare to see the Hunter tremble in fear, but Skulker hadn't been able to tell Vlad much more than that it existed and that it was the worst punishment any ghost could ever look forward to. Vlad had naturally been curious, but few ghosts knew of it as anymore than an abstract threat. It seemed the only ghosts who knew what the third sentence was were the ones it had been given to.

However, Vlad simply had to wait. The ghost on trial today had been in confinement for twenty years, waiting for his trial. His plan had been forged around this; the final strategy was entirely dependent on ensuring this ghost became indebted to Vlad. The room shifted, and all the ghosts in the room became silent.

"All members of the Council in residence." A yellow ghost called, drawing the attention of all present. The atmosphere in the room became suddenly heavy, and Vlad stood straighter, performing his role perfectly. "The Observant High Council is seated. Let the trial of the Electora ghost, heretofore known as Vortex commence. Bring in the prisoner."

Vlad's eyes were immediately drawn to the centre of the dais. A small lump rose from the floor, followed smoothly with what looked like a large cylindrical cryogenic chamber. The ghost inside was unconscious, hidden by a darkness that seemed to be contained within the chamber itself. Above the chamber floated a metallic device, two spiked prongs forked downwards. That little device was all that confined Vortex to his prison. Vlad sneered beneath his mask, it was only going to be a matter of time.

"Vortex," The same yellow robed ghost cried "Master class Electora, hereby stands accused of unconscionable crimes against the Two Worlds. Irrevocable hazardous meteorological events in both Worlds, cities of the Human World have been wiped out, countless lives have been lost and endangered. These crimes are inexcusable; Observant High Council, what say you?"

Vlad's eyes flicked briefly up to the magnificent eyeball shaped screens that hung overhead. Each was huge, at least five feet in diameter, and only served to project the sheer magnificent power of each of the spirits that the screened windows displayed. The loud echoing "Guilty!" poured angrily from each of the seven eyeballs was so strong in its sheer power. Vlad felt the pronouncement tingle through the ectoplasm in his veins, and something told him that each ghost had felt the pronouncement in their cores.

"Before we pronounce sentence, have you anything to say to your defence, Vortex?" The yellow robed ghost asked, his eye falling on the glass of the darkened chamber.

"Yes." A voice hissed, echoing out from the chamber and spilling across the whole room. Suddenly the chamber lit, and Vlad got his first true look at the subject of his machinations. "FRY!" the ghost screeched, and electricity surged through the small chamber. However none escaped, shorted out by the small device atop the chamber.

"Your powers are rendered inert by our Spectral Barometer, Vortex." The yellow ghost stated, sounding distinctly smug for a supposedly emotionless eyeball. "There is no possible way for you to escape." Vlad smiled, taking that as the perfect cue.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Vlad commented coolly, charging up a powerful pink blast in his hand. It was really rather simple from there, he dispatched the three other guards and shattered the seven screens. By then the rest of the council was running scared. Vlad smirked at the notion that the supposedly all powerful High Council had been brought down by one half-ghost within mere seconds.

"Who are you?" Vortex questioned, raising an eyebrow from within his chamber.

"Plasmius." Vlad introduced. "Vlad Plasmius." He pulled the helmet off, revealing to the weather ghost his true identity. Easily he cast the helmet aside, the heavy clamour echoing loudly across the now empty courtroom. Vlad raised his staff, an altogether too convenient part of his 'guard's' costume. With a heavy crash the glass of Vortex's chamber was shattered, Vortex staring curiously at him.

Vlad smirked, idly picking up the Spectral Barometer heat had been thrown aside in the destruction. "And I believe we have some business to attend to."

---

AN: Sorry for the late update, I don't want to make excuses so let's leave it at I feel bad and guilty about it, and I think I'll have to switch to updating once a fortnight.

On the plus side this chapter is slightly longer than normal. I don't usually have to write three near-death experiences so that added a bit. Plus you get to see Vlad's machinations coming to light.

Anyway... Danny physically couldn't let Alley die without trying something, and now Chloe is even more suspicious because Danny got sort of drunk on death. In essence what he did was 'eat' the death that the meteor rocks were giving Alley, but it really doesn't agree with him because ghosts aren't supposed to deal with meteor rocks. Danny forced himself to because of his obsession, and that was the result. But it gives Chloe a few more puzzle pieces to play with :).

Cheers,

Bluerose.