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?

31. Chameleon

Chapter 30

Chameleon

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

Danny groaned, staring hatefully at the whitewashed ceiling. He felt sick, as though he was going to throw up if he so much as moved a muscle. It was disturbing, mostly because he hadn't been sick since just after he first got his powers nearly three years ago. His Aunt had called him in sick from school before heading out to her meetings for the day, and Clark had said that he was going in to town for supplies. Danny, however, hadn't been able to move ever since he woke up that morning, instead he was curled in an uncomfortable ball as he tried to figure out why he was sick.

Aunt Martha had recommended that if he started feeling better he should head downstairs and fetch himself a piece of dry toast, but the mere thought of that made Danny feel even more nauseated. So he was feeling incredibly bored on top of feeling sick. And the light intruding through a slit in the curtains was only adding to a rapidly building headache. Danny rolled himself over into a sitting position, glaring hatefully at the curtains. He couldn't muster up the energy to get up to close them better, and even the idea of trying to close them telekinetically made him feel ill.

It had been a fortnight since the incident with Konan, Zack and Ash. Mr Paige had still asked Danny to take the retest, despite realising that whatever Konan and his friends had done, Danny wasn't a part of it. Danny had passed with distinction, and had ended up spending an entire lunchtime talking to Mr Paige about parallels in human behaviour that led up to some of the more recent wars. That was a good thing; with everything that had happened recently Danny had been concerned that school was going to fall by the wayside. However he was still on track to graduate come the end of term.

Then a week ago the whole family had been hit hard by the cold confirmation that Lionel Luthor knew about Clark's powers. Danny had been disturbed to find out that someone was so disgusted by the elder Luthor's business tactics that they'd locked both him and Aunt Martha up in a high stakes game for freedom. Danny couldn't believe the psychological trauma that one man had wrought on his Aunt.

"He gave us a gun." His aunt had sobbed once it was all over. "And he said that only one of us could leave. I couldn't... I could never. But Lionel took the gun, and he had it to his head." Her eyes had gone dark, fearful. "It was blank. But what kind of sick person could do that? I had to just stand there and watch as Lionel tried to kill himself for me."

Danny had been appalled. He knew that there were horrible people out there, people with no morality or care for other people's welfare. His own treatment from the GIW had disillusioned him about the inherent goodness of all humanity. But this man had proceeded to cut the elevator in which both Lionel and his Aunt were trapped. He had tried to kill them, even after the trauma of his twisted version of Russian roulette.

But Clark had saved them both, catching the broken elevator as it crashed down to earth. Clark had saved them, but at the expense of his secret. Lionel had walked away with the absolute certainty that Clark had powers. Danny's cousin had gone to talk to Lionel afterwards, in his office at LuthorCorp. But he hadn't told any of them about what had been said. He had just come back with a darkly disturbed look on his face and said that he didn't want to talk about it. After that he'd gone out to the barn, and the sound of Clark's repressed anger as he worked on the motorbike had echoed through the house late into the night.

Danny himself had been caught up in the Zone during the event. Clockwork had scheduled another lesson, still about political tactics, and hadn't let Danny keep up with news from the Real World until it was all too late. Although in retrospect, that could have been one of Clockwork's less subtle manipulations of the timeline; after all if Danny had been there he probably would have been the one to save the both of them, and he would have found them sooner than Clark had been able too with Danny's obsession to guide him. Danny would have stepped in as Phantom, and Clark's secret would have been safe.

That Clockwork had interfered the way he had said that it was important for that discovery to have been made. For the moment all that Danny could see was the dependability of certainty; now they all knew that Lionel knew for sure, and they could deal with it on those terms rather than second guessing themselves about his actions. If there was an actual advantage to the confirmation then Danny was still unaware of it, but with anything involving Clockwork, no doubt it would be revealed in time.

Danny flinched at the sudden shrill noise of his cell phone, sitting in its cradle at the far side of the room. He struggled across the room just in time to catch it before the phone directed to voicemail.

"Hello." Danny answered wearily.

"Hey Danny" His aunt's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. "How're you feeling?"

Danny flopped heavily back down onto the bed. "Still sick." He replied dazedly. "And I don't know why."

"Have you had anything to eat?" His aunt asked. "Having something small might help, and I think there's peppermint tea in the cupboard."

"Thanks Aunt Martha." Danny replied. He was really glad that she cared, but the idea of having human food at the moment just made him feel worse.

"I was mostly calling to tell you that Lois is coming over." His aunt said, eliciting a tired groan from the young boy. "Danny" She reprimanded before sighing dismissively. "There's a bit of paperwork that I need her to do, it should still be on the kitchen bench. She won't impose, but Lois will probably check in when she arrives."

Danny sighed, but was able to send his aunt a respectful farewell before he hung up. He warily eyed the desk where the phone cradle was sitting tauntingly. He probably should go put the phone back where it belonged. Instead he rolled over as another wave of nausea racked his body. The phone came to rest just by Danny's ear as he tiredly drifted off to sleep.

Line Break

"C'mon Clark," Chloe huffed as she led the way down the busy Metropolis street. Clark frowned, fumbling with the finicky press pass that Chloe had somehow managed to get for him. It was the first time he'd really left the farm in over a week, and he still didn't really want to be in the city, surrounded by all these people. They could live their lives free from the fear of persecution, free from self doubt about what they were. Ever since Clark had confronted Lionel he'd backed away from everything, deeply concerned for the safety of both himself and his family as Lionel swung the proverbial Sword of Damocles precariously over his head.

It had not been a pleasant conversation. After rescuing both Lionel and his mom, Clark had gone in to LuthorCorp to talk things over with Lionel, hoping to come to some agreement. But in the end Clark had accomplished what needed to be done, even if doing so left the Kryptonian feeling disgusted in himself.

Clark scowled, glaring at the frosted glass doors before him. He hated the fact that he had to do this, but after months of uncertainty Clark needed some certainty. Clark breathed out heavily, setting his shoulders firmly before pushing the glass door wide open. Ever since he'd saved his mom and Lionel from falling to their death in the elevator shaft his emotions had been tumultuous, oscillating rapidly between anger, frustration and deep rooted concern. Seeing Lionel, tall, proud and with an air of condescending indifference as he gazed out his office window only made his anger roil.

"I've been expecting you, Kal-El." The elder Luthor commented, turning around to face him. Clark was careful not to display his concern at that statement; he was not prepared for Lionel to know about his Kryptonian heritage.

"How long have you known?" Clark asked coldly. He knew he was nowhere as good at emotional manipulation ad Lionel or Lex were, and even Danny was better able to do it. But Danny wasn't here; this was something that Clark needed to do alone.

Lionel looked at him, meeting his eyes with a beguiling level of calmness in his posture. "From the moment I held in my hand the crystal that helped to form your Fortress of Solitude."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "The one that put you in a coma?" He pressed, not sure of what to think of Lionel's remark.

"Coma?" The grey-haired billionaire asked, as though the notion of such a bland description was insufficient. "I like to think of it as a... a state of contemplative repose."

"You've known my secret for almost a year." Clark stated bluntly, trying hard to control the anger that was bubbling so close to the surface. The man had always been cruel and cold, but the notion of being caught up in some long reaching plot like that, again, made Clark feel disgusted. He had already been used by Vlad Masters, and did not plan on letting Lionel Luthor walk all over him as well.

"Yes." The man replied simply, but Clark could not understand the emotion in those dark eyes.

"Why haven't you done anything?" Clark pressed.

"What?" Lionel countered; his tone dismissive despite the nature of the topic. "Expose you to the world, some strange visitor from another planet." Clark's eyes sparked in anger at hearing something so dangerously close to what had happened to Danny. "I've tried to tell you, I am not your enemy. To reveal your secret would change your destiny. And it would harm someone I care about very deeply."

Clark scowled. "You had a choice; to kill my mother or to kill yourself."

"I could never harm your mother." Lionel answered vehemently. "There was no choice."

"Yeah?" Clark replied, unconvinced of Lionel's motivations. "Unless you knew the gun wasn't loaded." He accused, glaring down at the elder Luthor, using his full height to stand over him.

"You have no reason to believe anything I say," Lionel dismissed, walking away. "I realise that. But I hope that eventually you will come to trust me. I only want what's best for you and your mother, son." Clark's anger spiked at that statement, so reminiscent of what Vlad Masters said to Danny in Wisconsin.

"You don't call me that." Clark spat between gritted teeth as he came to stand bare inches from the billionaire's chest. "Jonathan Kent was my father."

"No," Lionel defended, backing off slightly at Clark's unspoken threat. "I'm not trying to take his place."

"You couldn't." Clark caustically replied, glaring down at the elder billionaire. "My mother seems to think there may be some good in you." Clark said, searching the man's eyes for anything worthy of being called good. "But I'm not so sure."

"It takes time, Clark." Lionel placated. "Maybe you will be."

Clark sucked his teeth, trying to quell the urge to punch the man. "Or maybe you'll just show your true colours." Clark replied coldly, his eyes flashing in warning. "Secret or no secret, you stay away from my family." He threatened darkly. He hated resorting to such a technique, but it was his only option. Now that Lionel knew there was little to stop him trying to worm his way into the family, uncovering more than just Clark's secret while he was at it. Clark couldn't allow it; not after what he had seen Vlad to Danny.

"Or you'll wish I never saved your life." Clark concluded coldly, glaring icily down at the man before he strode out. He didn't want Lionel anywhere near his mom, and Lionel finding out the truth about Danny as well was unthinkable. With that dark threat delivered, Clark had done all he could short of resorting to Lionel's own level to ensure the safety of his family.

"Pick up the pace," Chloe complained, jerking Clark's mind back to the present. "Somewhere between a brisk walk and super-speed. The star witness testifies in fifteen minutes." Clark rolled his eyes, speeding up slightly to match his blonde haired friend's pace. The two of them were headed towards the Metropolis courthouse, where Chloe was supposed to be getting information about a high profile case. A large company had been accused of significant fraudulent and unconscionable conduct, and Chloe was the reporter assigned to the story by the Daily Planet.

"Not that I mind being your boy Friday," Clark commented, struggling to attach the laminated press pass to his jacket pocket. "But I don't understand why you need an escort."

"I don't." Chloe admitted, taking the press pass and clipping it firmly onto his pocket. "I just thought that a nice little courthouse fieldtrip might reignite the journalism spark."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but my ace reporter days ended when I left the Torch." Clark replied.

"Alright," Chloe placated, holding her hands up in surrender. "Then consider it a much needed get off the farm pass. Look, Clark, I know this has been the year from hell and that was before you broke up with Lana. But there are only so many days that you can hole yourself up in that loft before I pull an intervention."

"Wait, I am not holed up!" Clark denied, but Chloe was already walking. Clark took two large steps to catch up to her. "It's just, ever since I found out that Lionel knows my secret, I've been waiting for a bomb to go off."

"Yeah, well don't duck and cover yet." Chloe consoled. "I mean, for all we know, he may never light the fuse."

"You're starting to sound like Danny." Clark mused, after all that was what Danny had said when Clark first raised concerns about Lionel knowing his secret.

"And he's probably right." Chloe replied. "Look, Clark I know you're worried, but I don't think Lionel's gonna blind sight you about this."

"This is Lionel Luthor we're talking about." Clark replied, shaking his head in disbelief. However all further thought was cut off by the unmistakable screech of failing brakes. The world slowed around him as Clark shifted into super-speed. Immediately seeing the danger Clark ran, leaping over a motionless taxi as he made the shortest path to the problem. Clark threw himself around the pedestrian, forcing both of them out of the way of a huge cement-truck as it skidded past.

"You okay?" Clark asked, taking in the appearance of the slightly breathless man. He was tall, so far as men went. He had short dark hair and dark brown eyes. A black trench coat hung from his shoulders, bespeaking fine tailoring. In fact the only thing that really stood out about him was the dark red gemstone on his lapel. It was in the shape of an oval, and Clark would have called it ruby in colour if not for the dark flecks of opalescent black that laced through the stone like spider webs.

"You" The man gasped, looking between the truck and Clark, "You saved my life. I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to." Clark replied, looking briefly at the road. It was clear anyway, but the black skid marks on the asphalt only highlighted the fact that this man had nearly died. "I did what anybody else would have."

The man sent him a grateful smile, but a heckled look pooled into his eyes as the man glanced down at his watch. "I'm sorry," He said urgently. "I really have to go. Thank you again, really." He smiled sincerely at Clark before racing off, vanishing into the crowd of the busy Metropolis streets.

"Hey." Clark heard Chloe's dulcet voice call as she approached from the other side of the street. Chloe pushed through a break in the traffic before coming to stop at Clark's side. "Now you couldn't do that on the farm." Chloe commented, gesturing in the direction the trench-coated man had disappeared. "Thanks to you, that guy's got a new lease on life."

Clark couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his lips. There were many things he hated about his gifts, he hated the need for secrecy and loathed much of his Kryptonian heritage. But this was made it worthwhile, to be able to help someone, save someone who would have been much worse off if he hadn't interfered. Chloe beamed back at him before grabbing his arm and taking an exaggerated step towards the courthouses.

They arrived to a sea of photographers and reporters, all eagerly gathered around the steps. However the dark clad security guards in front of the doors were not letting anyone in. Chloe frowned, pushing her way towards the front of the crowd, Clark following closely behind her. By the time they were through the crowd the guards were urging them all away, their radios crackling with fragmented conversations.

The crowd built for a full half hour, during which several police officers entered the building and an ambulance pulled ominously around the corner. A sharp instruction crackled through the radio of the nearest guard, ordering them to send the crowd away. Chloe's court case had been pushed back, but no one was willing to make a statement as to why.

Suddenly it was like a pressure valve had been released and the crowd dispersed. Chloe frowned, sending a half-hearted querying glance towards the courthouse door before leading back towards the Planet. "Well so much for that then." Chloe commented, flopping heavily down into her desk chair as soon as they arrived.

Clark raised an eyebrow. "The case was just pushed back, Chloe. I'm sure you'll get your piece."

"I'm more worried that you're just gonna head back to the loft and stare at the cows." Chloe replied.

Clark rolled his eyes. "I don't stare at the cows." Clark groused and Chloe raised a disbelieving eyebrow, staring him down forcefully. "It's just, with everything that's happened this year, sometimes it's easier to just concentrate on the farm." Clark added tiredly.

"And I get that, Clark." Chloe replied with a soft smile. "But there's only a fine line between making things easier and running away. Just, promise me you won't lock yourself away from the rest of us, okay?"

Clark nodded, offering her a small half-smile before he decided to head off. Just because the major piece she was working on had to be postponed didn't mean that Chloe had nothing pressing to do, and Clark himself wanted to head back to the farm. So instead of prolonging his departure he headed off, picking his mom up in Smallville on his way through.

Two hours after leaving Chloe in Metropolis he pulled up the truck through the wooden archway of the Kent Farm. His mom was tentatively enthusiastic about a bill she was trying to push through, and her cheerfulness was proving to be mildly infectious. However as he approached the kitchen door he frowned, hearing unfamiliar electronic noises coming from the kitchen. It was a sound he hadn't heard in many years, not since Pete Ross had been around to play video games with. Clark pushed the door open hesitatingly before allowing his mom to come through herself.

Clark's eyes peered straight through to the living room where Lois Lane was sitting surrounded by a huge plasma TV, several massive speakers and a full gaming system. Clark's scowl deepened, watching the young woman who was clearly absorbed with some kung-fu type fighting game. Lois was particularly engrossed with the game, yelling along with her player as she violently attacked her opponent. Clark raised a disapproving eyebrow and tried to grab her attention.

"Aww, Come on Smallville," She complained when Clark finally got through to her. The screen froze, displaying a red 'Defeat' label in bold font. Seeing that, Clark was vividly reminded of why he gave up on video games in the first place. "You killed me." Lois finished almost petulantly, scowling at him from over her shoulder.

"Where did all this come from?" Clark's mom asked, gazing dazedly around the room at the new technology.

"Good question." Clark emphasised, crossing his arms disapprovingly in front of his chest as he gazed down at the brunette.

"I think there's a card somewhere." Lois murmured, standing up from the sofa and thumbing through the cushions. "Looks like Christmas came early this year, in Hi-Def surround sound, no less. The delivery guys were unloading it when I got here. You win a raffle or something Smallville?" She rambled, but Clark was just as surprised.

"Not that I know of." He answered slowly.

Lois smiled, pulling something out from behind the middle cushion of the sofa. "Ha, there you go. 'Clark'." She proclaimed, handing Clark a stark white envelope. All that was written on the front was his name, meaning that it had been delivered in person. Lois looked uncomfortably between Clark and his mom for a moment before she awkwardly said that she'd get back to work and heading into the kitchen.

"Whose it from?" His mom asked as Clark opened the note. Unfortunately it afforded no answers, holding only the word 'Enjoy!' in an unfamiliar handwriting. Clark pursed his lips, his suspicions mounting instantaneously.

"I don't need a signature to know that this is from Lionel Luthor." Clark said, glaring at the TV set.

"Clark," His mom disagreed. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions."

Clark looked at her doubtfully. "Mom, I warned him to stay out of our lives, this is his way to buy himself back in."

"I really don't think he would do this," His mom murmured, shaking her head slightly. Clark raised his eyebrows at her in scepticism. His mom sighed. "I'll go call and find out, after I've checked on Danny."

Clark pursed his lips, watching as his mom headed up the stairs. Once more his attention drifted back to the TV set in the middle of the living room. Shaking his head in annoyed disbelief he approached it. If this was Lionel's way to try and get back in Clark's good graces, he was a long way off track. Clark scowled at the plasma screen, setting about unplugging it. There was no way he was going to accept something like this, and he'd quite happily tell Lionel that. Whatever else happened, Clark was going to take the whole entertainment system straight back where it came from.

Line Break

Danny groaned, unable to stay in bed anymore. He forced himself to sit up, drawing his comforter tightly around him. Having slept through most of the morning, he had no desire to waste the whole day away in bed. Already the nausea had largely subsided, but he still felt hopelessly lethargic; even the small motion of sitting up sent the world spinning disturbingly around him. He felt incredibly disoriented, and intuitively knew that something was dramatically wrong. But he couldn't figure out what it was. And with his head pounding the way it was, he didn't feel up to trying to figure it out.

Danny stood up, bracing himself s the room swam around him. He felt kind of floaty, in a completely non-ghost way. It was disorienting. Danny pushed himself towards the bathroom, the comforter still wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He made his way to the sink, splashing his face in the vain hope that it would make him feel better. Unfortunately the only effect the cool tap water had was to make his face feel horribly wet. Danny frowned, leaning over the sink heavily with slitted eyes as he tried to steady himself.

He stood there for what felt like an age as the world attempted to right itself around him. Giving up on that he looked up in the mirror; hoping to be able to convince himself that everything was okay. What he saw did the exact opposite. His skin, usually pale had taken on a shade of ashen grey that made him look... dead. But it was the eyes that got to him. His irises were twin pools of swirling blue, green and silver; writhing in an unendingly nauseating disarray. He gulped, disturbingly entranced by the display before he frowned.

Lois was downstairs, talking loudly on the phone. At the moment she was trying to get one of aunt Martha's fellow senators to vote on her bill, but Danny, for the first time, wasn't sure of exactly where that was up to. She had come into his room briefly when she'd arrived, but had left without disturbing him and so Danny figured that his aunt had only asked her to check in on him from time to time. Danny stared in the mirror at his effervescent swirling eyes, knowing that if she saw them he'd probably wind up in GIW type trouble.

So Danny concentrated, immediately realising what was wrong with him as he tried to draw on his ghost powers. They were virtually gone, it was though they had disappeared into the aether, and the only thing holding him together was his human half. But he could still touch on them, and in a push of iron will he drew on the last small vestiges of his cyrokinetic powers. The effort left him staggering, but he had managed to make himself a pair of ice blue contacts. It wasn't quite a match for his human eye colour, but it would sufficiently conceal his ghostly eyes from any human who looked too close.

Danny dry-retched once, leaning heavily over the sink as the comforter fell away from his shoulders, revealing almost skeletal shoulder blades that were drowning in his t-shirt. He looked half starved, but that didn't make sense. Even if he hadn't eaten much the day before, his body shouldn't have degenerated that quickly. Danny fumbled weakly, pulling the thick comforter back around his shoulders and relishing the cosy warmth it brought with it.

Lois' voice abruptly echoed up from downstairs, but it didn't sound as though she was talking to him. "Official warning:" Lois cautioned, apparently warding off someone who was downstairs. "I'm a third degree black belt. That means I can't be held liable for any funeral costs." Danny creased his eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Go easy on me," A man's voice responded, but it was completely unfamiliar to Danny. "I'm a friend of Clark's. Are you his girlfriend?" Danny frowned, he had never met the man before or he would have recognised the voice. It was always possible that it was an old school friend, but Danny doubted it, even in his bleary state.

"Not in this lifetime." Lois scoffed, and Danny edgily made his way to the top of the kitchen staircase, but his progress was slow in his weakened state. "I'm Lois, Lois Lane." The brunette introduced, her voice settling from wariness and back into her usual confidence.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lois." The man answered. "I'm Graham." There was a brief pause, and Danny took the opportunity to steel himself to head downstairs. "So, where's the plasma?" The man, Graham asked. Danny shook his head, blearily recalling Clark's angry complaints about billionaires trying to but their way into their lives.

"So you're the one who sent over all the high-tech booty." Lois surmised, sounding surprised. "You know, I was gonna keep it, but Mr. I-can't-take-candy-from-strangers took everything back this morning."

"That's odd." Graham responded quickly.

"That's Clark Kent." Lois replied dismissively, and Danny could just imagine her face as she said it. "Can I ask why you're playing Daddy Warbucks with the guy? 'Cos in my world, friends don't give friends twenty thousand dollar toys."

"Yeah, in my world they do." Graham responded plainly, and Danny recognised that tone in the affluent superiority of people like Vlad and Lex. Even if Danny himself would never accept a gift like that, he was well aware that that was just a part of life for some people. "Is Clark Around?"

"No, not at the moment." Lois replied. "Of course he never stays gone for too long, so... if you wanna hang out, you're more than welcome." Her voice trailed off demurely, well as demure as Lois went. And Danny could have sworn he heard a flirtatious edge to her voice.

"I think I will." Graham replied, and Danny finally reached the bottom step. Danny rounded the corner, inwardly cringing at the idea of appearing weak in front of a stranger, but his need to put a face to the name urged him on.

"Danny?" Lois questioned, turning around as she heard him land a jarring footfall in the kitchen. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

"Not as bad as earlier." Danny replied, which was half true in as much as he no longer felt as nauseous. Even if he did feel like death warmed over. Danny looked up, taking stock of the man in the living room. He was tall, probably only an inch or so shorter than Danny. He had short dark hair, looping in soft curls, and dark eyes. He wore a black trench coat and a pale white business suit. But what struck Danny was the red gem sat on his lapel. Something about it twinged at the edges of Danny's memory, but his headache made his thought processes too fuzzy to even attempt to figure it out.

"Right." Lois said, shifting awkwardly. "Um, Graham, this is Danny. He's Clark's cousin."

"You can see the family resemblance." Graham commented charismatically and Danny didn't feel like bothering to point out the fact that they weren't related by blood. "Pleasure to meet you."

Danny blinked in slight confusion, unsure of what to make of the man's overly charming attitude. But puzzling people out was beyond him just at the moment, and with how weak his core felt he couldn't even read the man's aura to get a good judge of his personality. Danny just nodded, sending the man a wary smile, cautiously reaching out to shake the man's hand.

"Interesting gem." Danny commented, managing to keep his voice level.

"It's a family heirloom." The man responded dismissively, and Danny wasn't sure if the appearance of a brief uncertain look in his eye was real or induced by Danny's dazed state. "Lois, I'll see you around." The man commented, sending a no doubt flattering smile towards the young woman. Lois sent him a smile back, and Danny was lift blinking dully as Graham sent him a curt nod before heading out the door.

"Thanks, Casper." Lois scowled. "Between you and Smallville I don't think I'll ever catch a date."

"Sorry Lois." Danny replied. "I heard voices downstairs, but I didn't recognise... Graham's."

Lois rolled her eyes at him before leading back into the kitchen. "You look like hell." She commented, pulling a glass of orange juice out of the fridge and pouring herself a glass.

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." Danny replied dismissively. "It's probably just a bug."

"Yeah, well, Martha ordered me to dose you with peppermint tea when you got up," Lois pressed on. "And if you feel up to it then I'll get you a piece of toast." Danny squeezed his eyes shut, his stomach still roiling at the notion of eating anything.

"Thanks." He replied forcing back the urge to gag, "But I think all I can handle at the moment is a glass of water." Lois frowned, but acquiesced and pulled out a glass before filling it from the tap. Danny smiled, taking the proffered cup with a brief thank you. "I think I'll go sit in the sun for a while." He commented, drawing the comforter close around his shoulders and putting the glass in the sink.

"Alright." Lois replied, giving him a studying glance. "I have a bit of work to do, but I'll be around if you need me. 'Kay?" Danny nodded submissively before heading out the kitchen door and onto the porch. It seemed like Graham had gone, and so Danny just drew himself into the sunniest spot he could find and sat, soaking up as much warmth as he could. His eyes drooped, and eventually he found himself settling into a tight ball, the comforter wrapped around him like a warm cocoon as he drifted off to sleep.

Danny's nose twitched, and Danny absently rubbed it, his mind still fuzzy with sleep. But it twitched again, this time accompanied by a distinctively wet sensation. Danny groaned as he was dragged from the pleasant comfort of sleep and into the waking world. He blinked, suddenly aware that there was a big shadow blocking the sun, but before he could register anything more he was assaulted by a wet tongue, licking his cheek fervently.

"Mia amiko!" a husky voice called excitedly, forcefully dragging Danny back to awareness.

"Wulf?" Danny blinked dazedly, looking at the shadow before him, but his mind quickly caught up to him and he threw his arms cheerily around the figure. "Wulf!" Danny grinned, automatically switching to Esperanto, the native tongue of his visitor. "You have no idea how much I've missed you. What have you been doing?" Danny pulled back, taking in the sight of his old friend. Wulf was one of the first ghosts he had met who he could honestly call a friend; the hulking wolf-like ghost stood at over seven foot tall and wore a ripped green shirt and pants.

"I've been exploring, mostly." Wulf answered happily before his smile dropped, green eyes drooping into a confused frown. "Friend Danny, what is wrong. You smell... friend you smell tainted, sick."

"I think I caught a bug." Danny answered.

Wulf frowned, leaning in and sniffing at him, his canine nose brushing closely against Danny's shirt. After a minute he drew back with a wolfish sneeze, looking at him confusedly. "Your core is weakened, but I could smell something unfamiliar, tingly. It wasn't there last time we met." Danny pursed his lips, trying to figure out what it could be that Wulf had smelt. But his head was still foggy with a headache, although it seemed to have lessened significantly in the ghost's presence.

"I do not think it's a 'bug', my friend..." He trailed off, giving him another sniff before breaking into a wide wolfish grin. "Danny, I had not realised you were so young."

Danny blinked. Twice. But then realisation hit him. "Wait, you mean this is a third year thing?"

Wulf just grinned, his teeth bared as he bit back a barking laugh. The wolf-like ghost nodded before shaking his head, fur rumpling in the air as he came to a settled seat at Danny's side. Danny sighed, pulling the comforter back around his shoulders as he returned to his seat in the morning sun. "I don't suppose you could tell me why it feels like my human half is destroying itself, could you?" Danny mused as Wulf came to lay his heavy jaw in Danny's lap.

The large wolfish ghost curled up almost protectively beside Danny, allowing him to absently stroke his dark-furred head. "I don't know how the third year will affect you, my friend. But for me, sometimes it was painful, especially close to my third death-day." Wulf explained with lidded eyes. "It was when my claws first grew in, and while I couldn't go without them now, at the time it felt like my paws were sliced open, hurt. That is what I remember the most of my third year; pain."

Danny nodded in absent acknowledgement as he stared at the late morning farm. With Wulf beside him he didn't feel quite so dazed, it was as though the ghost was able to help ground him, pull him back to reality and focus more. Even if his headache was still vicious, the warm touch of reality was desperately appreciated. Danny absently scratched at Wulf's head, relishing in the company of his old friend. The ghost grinned sleepily at him, giving his cheek another lick before settling down to sleep with his huge head in Danny's lap.

Line Break

Lana smiled, a fond grin creeping its way onto her face as she heard the side door close. She was currently in the mezzanine library of Lex's office at the mansion, reading a couple of books as she waited for him to come home. Lex had gone off to Washington for a few days, investigating a couple of inconsistencies he'd found about Milton Fine. But in the time he'd been away she'd come to realise just how much she'd missed him. A fortnight before they had kissed, but Lana had run away, completely unsure of her own feelings and still hurting over Clark. But Lex had managed to find a place in her heart, and now he was back.

She closed the book she was reading and looked over the railing to see her friend. "I see you stepped up your security." She commented lightly, and beamed inwardly when she saw the smile that came into his blue eyes. "I had to make a pretty decent case before they'd let me in."

"You're not an easy person to say no to." Lex replied, smiling as she came down the stairs.

"I couldn't wait any longer." Lana said as she came to stand in front of him. "I've been sitting by the phone..." She trailed off for a moment, enjoying the eager look in his eyes, but while she had missed him she was just as curious about Milton Fine. "What'd you find out in D.C.?"

Lex looked briefly disappointed, but covered it up quickly enough. "Oh, a lot of plausible deniability." He answered, stalking unhappily over to his desk. "From the Pentagon to the White House, no one can verify the existence of Milton Fine."

"He says he works in a covert branch of the government;" Lana prompted "maybe it's more covert than we think."

"If he even works there at all." Lex retorted, clearly disgruntled.

Lana's eyebrows creased in confusion. "What, so these classified documents he's been giving you, you think they're a forgery?"

"No," Lex replied with a dismissive shrug. "I had them authenticated, but that doesn't mean anything."

Lana frowned. "So, we have no idea who this guy really is."

"No," Lex consoled. "No. Don't worry. I'll find out." He paused for a moment, a strange glitter in his eyes. "You know." He commented. "I was only gone for a week, but I actually got a little homesick."

"What's so special about Smallville?" Lana asked with mock scepticism.

"Oh, I don't know." Lex replied, a sly smile in his eyes. "Cows. Cornfields. Wide open spaces."

Lana smiled as she tried not to laugh. "I missed you too Lex." She replied.

"You have no idea." Lex said, meeting her in the eyes. And suddenly his lips were on hers, his firm hands bracing her cheeks with a tender strength. And it was wonderful, an unexpected softness in the press of his lips against hers and a depth of passion that made Lana quiver all over. She drew back briefly for air, staring into his happily twinkling eyes and she smiled softly. She thought she heard the office door swing shut, but dismissed it in a foggy wave as Lex leaned in for a second kiss.

Line Break

"Hey, riddle me this:" Chloe posed, moving through the basement copy room at the Planet. "How does an assassin get in a completely sealed room unseen?"

"You knew, didn't you?" Clark accused, staring down at his blonde friend. He felt like a complete fool. For weeks now Chloe had been entirely evasive whenever Clark asked what Lana was doing, how she was. And now he knew. He'd gone by the mansion to see if Lex was the one to send that plasma, but had instead found Lex and Lana kissing, oblivious to the rest of the world. In that instant he had been in so much pain, paralysed by the heartbreak of seeing her like that that it took all his strength to not pummel Lex into the ground.

"No, that's why it's a riddle." Chloe countered, clearly not catching the point.

"All those times I asked you how Lana was doing, and you avoided the subject like the plague." Clark blinked, recalling their conversation from just earlier that day. Chloe had suggested that Lex felt guilty and wanted to make up for it. "You knew about her and Lex."

Chloe visibly sagged. "I'm sorry, Clark. But I didn't think that it was my place to get involved."

"You're supposed to be my friend." Clark virtually hissed, the sting of betrayal making itself known.

"I am your friend, Clark." Chloe murmured softly, her own green eyes twin pools of hurt.

"You are?" Clark countered. "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I'm Lana's friend too," Chloe retorted, her temper flaring defensively. "And she asked me to keep it a secret. I thought you of all people could respect that." Clark heard the hurt edge in her voice, but proceeded anyway as his temper flared.

"You know how dangerous Lex is." Clark seethed. "Any friend of Lana's would never let her get involved with him."

"Look," Chloe replied evenly. "I wasn't exactly jumping for joy either, but Lana's a big girl. And we both know that Lex still has a soft spot for Danny, so it's not like she's alone." But Clark wasn't listening, all he knew was that Lex would eventually betray Lana, and all that Clark had done to protect her would be meaningless. He turned, prepared to march all the way back to the Luthor mansion to give Lex a piece of his mind. "Clark, where are you going?" Chloe called from behind him, and Clark abruptly turned around.

"Lana has no idea what she's getting herself into." He fumed between gritted teeth.

"Clark," Chloe murmured sadly, laying a hand on his shoulder and meeting him firmly in the eyes. "You need to remember that you broke up with her. That means she can date whoever she wants with or without your written permission."

Her soft tone made him pause, his anger dissipating into a hollow sort of sadness. "I know." Clark agreed sadly, hating himself more in that moment than he had when he'd broken up with Lana in the first place. "But I still care about her. And I don't wanna just stand by and watch her get hurt."

"Look, I hate to be the one to say this, but you don't have a choice." Chloe stated, her eyes glimmering with saddened sympathy. Clark nodded, deflating inwardly. Chloe was right, she always was. But he didn't have to like it, and it didn't change how much it hurt to know that she had run to Lex's arms for comfort.

"I know" He murmured, looking sadly at the ground. "I know." He repeated, shaking his head sadly. He sent his blonde friend a sad smile before heading off. He needed some time to think. Now that the anger had been dispelled, all he could feel was a sort of disassociated numbness, and he didn't know what to make of it.

He hardly noticed the trip home, far too lost in his own thoughts. He did, however, pause as he approached the kitchen door. There was a blanketed lump huddled on the porch, and Clark could see a rumpled head of dark hair sticking out from beneath a thick comforter. Clark had been aware that Danny was feeling off colour, his mom's concern at that morning had left little room for imagination. But with everything that Danny had been through and managed to bounce back, Clark admitted privately that he had come to see his cousin as near invulnerable.

That illusion was shattered as the younger boy sat up, groaning slightly as he blinked in the afternoon light. Clark couldn't help but worry at the sunken look in his eyes; the icy blue had lost its usual vibrancy and seemed to be smothered in a thick glassy layer which Clark couldn't identify.

"Hey, Clark." Danny said, and to Clark his voice sounded horribly weak, as though he had lost something crucial to him.

"Danny." Clark acknowledged, going to sit by Danny's left side. But he paused, realising that there was something in the way. Danny blinked confusedly, but a second later a glimmer of comprehension washed through his eyes. Danny nudged the air in his lap, and Clark jumped at the slight growl that reverberated through the air, seemingly without a source.

"Mia amiko, veki ." Danny whispered in a strange language, eliciting a second growl from the air. "Wulf, ni havas vizitanton."

Clark blinked as suddenly a huge grey wolf appeared in front of him, the massive grey jaw resting in his cousin's lap like an oversized puppy. But the wolf was fully clothed, oversized green tattered cloth encased his torso and legs, making him look, if not more human, then at least less animal like. He was huge, and even sitting down, Clark could tell that if the animal were to stand up Clark would easily be dwarfed by his bulk. If that was not enough to tell Clark that the wolf was supernatural, the soft green glow around him would have clearly identified the creature as a ghost.

"Clark, this is Wulf." Danny explained, switching back to English. "He was one of my first ghost friends." Danny paused, before continuing in that foreign language to the large wolf. "Wulf, ĉi tiu estas mia kuzo Clark. Li estas amiko." The wolf nodded in loyal acceptance before turning his wide green eyes towards Clark. The wolf pulled gently back from Danny, treating the younger boy as though he were a young pup, and took a sniff of the air around Clark.

Suddenly the wolf jerked back with a wolfish sneeze, fixing his eyes back on Danny. "Mia amiko Danny, via kuzo ne estas homa," The wolf-like ghost growled hurriedly, a non-comprehending look in his solid green eyes. "Li odoras kiel sunlumo, sed estas tro forta. Li estas danĝera."

"Wulf." Danny interjected, digging his hands deeply into the fur of the wolfish ghost's face to meet him in the eyes. "Clark estas amiko, kaj eĉ se li ne estas homo, povas trakti lin kiel unu. Li estas afabla kaj apogo, kaj estis tie por mi ekde mia familio mortis." Those solid green eyes fixed on Clark appraisingly one more before the wolfish face slowly nodded.

The boy looked across at Clark who was stumped. "Wulf only speaks Esperanto, he's the reason I learned in the first place." Danny explained. "He does understand English, but if he tries to use it, it's fragmented." Danny sighed, absently stroking the fur of the larger ghost. "Wulf was worried because... well, because you smell 'like sunshine, but too strong'." Danny finished, sending Clark a wry grin. Clark noticed the similarity of that description to how Danny had described his aura. He just put it up to being a ghost thing and decided to leave it at that.

"One of your friends came by earlier... Graham, I think?" Danny said, but Clark just returned a blank look. He didn't know anyone called Graham, and he hadn't been expecting anyone over. "Um, tall, dark curly hair..." Danny trailed, but was interrupted by another short spurt of Esperanto from Wulf. "Wulf says he can smell someone in the barn now if you want to look."

Clark nodded, but turned back to Danny a moment later. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have a ghost... wolf... here on the porch?" He asked worriedly. After all, even though his mom might be not complain about the notion of a ghost coming to visit Danny, it was certain to raise an eyebrow from anyone else, especially Lois who was probably still inside.

"It's fine. He's been invisible and intangible to humans all afternoon." Danny commented tiredly, and Clark was once more reminded of how sick he actually was. Despite having managed a conversation, it was clearly taxing on him. "Only reason you saw him is 'cos you almost sat on him."

Clark nodded, he wasn't sure he was satisfied with that explanation, but it was clear that it was all Danny could manage. And even as he watched, the huge wolf flickered out of visibility as he once more settled back onto Danny's lap like a guard dog. As Clark crossed into the barn he mused about what he had seen. Wulf was large, but clearly protective of Danny. Clark hadn't missed the huge dagger-like claws that stretched out intimidatingly from his paws, but Danny felt safe around him. Clark had seen a fierce shade of loyalty in those solid green eyes, far more intelligent than any animal, but simultaneously filled with a canine's unquestioning loyalty.

Clark turned a casual eye back to the porch, and in his x-ray vision he caught sight of the wolf-like licking Danny's cheek once before curling protectively around the sick boy. Danny sagged, his energy apparently gone, and Clark saw him pull the comforter back around his shoulders tightly before the dark haired boy curled up once more, an exhausted bundle of blankets lying dejectedly in the sun.

Clark sighed as he pushed into the side entrance of the loft, cautiously mounting the stairs. But he didn't see anyone in the barn. Clark shook his head sadly, idly reaching for the small picture of Lana that always sat on his desk. His gut clenched, pained at the thought that Lana was involved with Lex. And the more he thought about it, the more it hurt, stabbing into his heart like an icy dagger. A wave of heated agony washed through and he angrily cast the picture frame aside, the tinkling of breaking glass cutting through the silence of the barn like the painful emotions that tore through his heart.

"Let me guess," A half familiar voice called, interrupting Clark's thoughts forcefully. "Bad breakup?" Clark frowned, watching as a dark clothed man picked up the shattered picture frame. "I've had a few of those."

"You're the guy from the courthouse." Clark commented after a minute, finally placing the face. He hadn't even asked the man's name when he saved his life. All that he'd cared about was that the man was alive. What was it that Danny had called him? Graham?

"You're a hard man to please." The man jocularly accused. "What's the problem, you don't watch TV?"

"Wait, you sent that?" Clark asked, genuinely surprised. Given his suspicions of the Luthors, a gift like this was mildly understandable. He would still never have accepted it, but the source was better justified.

"You saved my life." The man replied with awed exasperation. "If it wasn't for Clark Kent, I'd be in a morgue right now, with tyre tracks across my forehead. It's the least I can do."

"How'd you find me?" Clark asked. "I never told you my name."

"That press pass around your neck did." The man dismissed. "And the fact that I'm familiar with the area led me straight here."

"Oh, you're from Smallville." Clark replied, genuinely surprised. He didn't recognise the man, but he hardly knew every face that lived in the town.

"Lived here as a kid, before my father moved into the big city." The dark-haired man replied glibly. "Clark, if the big screen's not your thing then what is?" He asked, but Clark just raised an eyebrow. "Help me out here, there must be something I can do for you."

"Your thank you is fine." Clark replied, and really it was. If his dad had taught him nothing else, it was to take pride in a good act in itself and without reward. "I appreciate the gesture, but you don't need to repay me."

Graham shook his head. "This isn't about you, Clark. It's about me." The man professed. "I don't ever like to be in debt, and the fact is, I owe you my life. Let me at least buy you dinner. I'm staying in Metropolis. I'll take you for a night on the town."

"Thanks," Clark replied "really, but I'm okay."

Graham raised an eyebrow. "You're hanging out in a barn, alone, in the middle of nowhere. That doesn't sound too okay to me." And the way he said it made Clark feel supremely inadequate. After all, he had been doing the same thing for months, ever since the breakup. Maybe Chloe was right when she said that Clark needed to get off the farm for a bit. After all, even Danny was able to go about seeing his friends from the Ghost Zone rather than wallowing in his own self pity.

Perhaps it was that that had Clark struggling with a tie later that evening, or maybe it was sheer desperation. But either way he found himself at the penthouse suite of one of the most expensive apartment buildings of Metropolis, loud music pumping through the doorway and coloured strobe lights glinting from beneath the doorframe. Clark was admitted immediately, and was immediately confronted by a party in full swing. It made him feel claustrophobic, the loud music and the tight press of bodies confining in how badly he fit in. But he had come, and while he would justify it as letting Graham soothe his conscience, there was still something to be said for being off the farm.

Clark was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, the dense crowd pushing in against him, when he heard a voice cut through the droning pulse. "Looks like the chicken finally flew the coop." Graham commented, sidling up beside Clark. The red gem glittered mysteriously on his neck in the flashing lights of the crowded room, but the man held himself as though he owned the whole space. "I was getting worried about you, man."

"I thought we were going out for dinner," Clark replied, straining against the music. "What's with the party?"

The man smiled enigmatically. "I made a killing the other day, and it's all thanks to Clark Kent." The charismatic man grinned, almost darkly for a moment before he brightened once more. "You thirsty? How about a Mojito?"

"No thanks," Clark replied, waving a hand dismissively. He didn't drink, aside from the fact that he still wasn't legal; it was a pointless exercise since alcohol had no effect on him. "I'm good. What exactly do you do?" Clark asked, hoping to make conversation.

"I'm a head hunter." Graham replied smoothly. "I travel the world tracking people down, you know, for jobs." He smiled, but Clark could've sworn there was a dark undertone in his voice. However the man courteously let the way over to the bar, a confident spring in his step. He gestured to a woman in a red dress who was talking to the bartender. "I'd like you to meet my date."

Clark blinked as the woman turned around, the red fabric sitting on her beautifully, and light brown hair pulled back into a messy bun. "Lois." Clark stated in surprise, shocked that she had been invited to this as well.

"Smallville." Lois shot back, sounding just as shocked as he was.

"We met out at your house this morning." Graham commented, laying a possessive arm around her shoulder. "I couldn't disappear without seeing her again."

"Lois, could I talk to you for a second." Clark requested with a synthetic smile. He didn't like the idea of Lois being at something like this, he didn't know why, but the thought of her being with Graham unsettled him on a level that he couldn't comprehend.

"How about later?" Lois replied through gritted teeth as she briefly glanced at their host. Her eyes flashed a stern warning that Clark had no intention of heeding.

"It's fine," Graham dismissed, waving them both off. "I'll be right back."

"What are you doing here?" Clark demanded, but frowned as he realised that Lois was challenging the same thing of him. "Lois!" Clark urged for emphasis.

"Look, Clark," Lois confessed "I happen to actually like this guy. So do me this one favour and pretend not to know me" Clark opened his mouth to argue, but she was already stalking off, her distinguishable red dress vanishing into a pool of people and leaving Clark alone once more.

"Hey, pal," Graham's voice interrupted once more as the man slunk up to his side. It was actually quite amazing how he was able to sneak up on Clark like that, as though Graham was only noticed by people when he wanted to be noticed. "You gotta check out the view from the balcony." The man suggested, gesturing towards the wide glass doors at the far side of the room.

"Um," Clark stammered "You know, I'm not crazy about heights."

"Trust me." The dark eyed man urged. "It's worth it." Clark sighed as he was led to the edge of the crowd, the glass door left ajar in front of him. Clark turned to talk to Graham, but the dark-haired man had disappeared into the crowd once more. Clark sighed, pushing the door fully open as he made his way out to the cool balcony. A crisp breeze struck Clark's face, and Clark found himself able to breathe in a way he hadn't in the oppressive pulse of the party.

The balcony, in contrast, was quiet; softly lit by a web of fairy lights that highlighted the far railing. It was a fairly large balcony, and four tall topiary pyramids stretched artfully from the centre, creating a semi isolated dining area. Clark took a deep breath, ignoring the table in favour of looking out over the railing. The city was beautiful from this angle, tall skyscrapers glittering with light that stretched off into the distance. And the golden light of the Daily Planet globe, shimmering in the moonlight like a welcoming beacon. Despite his own personal dislike of heights, he couldn't help but appreciate the view of the city.

"Beautiful night, huh." A woman's voice asked. Clark turned around in surprise, noting the woman who had apparently come out for a breather as well. She was beautiful, dark eyelashes curling flawlessly over dark brown eyes, and dark blonde hair pulled artfully off her face to rest in a daring knot at the nape of her neck.

"Yeah, it is." Clark replied, looking back out over the city. Idly he wondered if this was what Danny saw when he flew over Metropolis at night, but he didn't really want to think about Danny at the moment. A twinge of guilt clenched in his gut as he dismissed thoughts of his cousin, curled up in a pained ball in bed.

"I'm Gia." The woman introduced, her voice a velvety alto that vibrated with a strangely melodic lilt.

"Hi, Gia. I'm Clark." He replied, shaking her hand.

"I know." The woman replied, smiling knowingly at him. "Guy like you, you must have a girlfriend, huh?"

"Me? I..." Clark paused unsure of how to answer such a blunt question. But the whole reason he was so desperately depressed lately was because he had broken up with Lana. "Don't." He finished sadly, his eyes searching the city as he leaned heavily against the railing.

"Do you wanna take e tour?" The woman offered. "I hear the view from the bedroom is even better than the balcony." There was a hint of innuendo in her voice, but Clark couldn't understand what it was about. Clark opened his mouth to offer a denial but Gia leaned in and kissed him. Clark pulled back, heat rushing to his cheeks as he felt himself blush. "What's wrong?" She asked, her velvety voice somehow confident in its confusion.

"I don't even know you." Clark murmured, a confused type of embarrassment making itself known at the thought that such a beautiful woman had kissed him.

"That's okay." Gia murmured, her cherry fingernails softly brushing against his cheek and sending a foreign tingle straight down his spine. "Graham warned me you might be shy."

Clark pulled back, any pleasure in her company vanishing in an instant. "Graham?" Clark pressed, studying her eyes carefully.

"He wants you to have a good time." The woman replied tempestuously, and only now did Clark hear the insincerity in the seductive velvet of her voice.

"Um, I'm sorry." Clark stammered, backing away from the dark eyed woman. "I think there's a misunderstanding. I should go." Clark didn't even give her an opportunity to reply before he headed back through the door. He was gonna leave, head home now and cut his losses before the night turned into any more of an emotional disaster.

"Woah, what happened?" Graham questioned, suddenly at his elbow.

"Look," Clark answered, looking the dark-haired man in the eyes. He was trying hard not to let his disgust show, but the thought of being set up like that, the insinuation that Clark would use a woman like that, was something that Clark just wouldn't abide."If you wanna do me a favour, just consider us even. I gotta go."

"Look, Clark, I apologise." Graham replied, holding out a hand to block Clark's exit. "I thought Gia was just what the doctor ordered, but I was wrong. You're a lot deeper than I gave you credit for. You must have really loved your ex." Clark saw a brief glimpse of understanding in his eyes before it was replaced by something darker. "What's the problem? Let's get you two back together."

Clark frowned. "It's a little late for that." He replied distantly.

"It's never too late." Graham denied, as though the idea was absurd. Clark deflated, unable to stop himself from dumping his anxiety on the dark-haired man.

"It is when she's already with someone else." Clark murmured; his voice strangely devoid of emotion.

"That might make it more difficult, but not impossible." Graham replied with a light smile on his face. "Who is the lucky bastard?"

"Someone I used to call my friend." Clark spat, unable to keep the seething venom out of his voice.

"That's not crossing the line." Graham concurred, sounding downright disgusted. "That's just plain wrong."

"Yeah," Clark seethed aloud, gladdened to finally have a listening ear who would actually acknowledge Clark's anger at the bald-headed man. "Well, if you knew Lex Luthor, you wouldn't be surprised."

"That billionaire might be with her now." Graham consoled, yet somehow there was a strangely dark edge to his comforting tone. "But don't lose faith, Clark. If it's meant to be, things have a way of working themselves out."

"Well I hope you're right." Clark admitted.

"I know I am." Graham replied, that enigmatic smile back on his face. "I'm always right." The man grinned, and the red gem at his neck glimmered strangely in the light as once more Graham disappeared into the crowd.

Line Break

Lana frowned as she made her way through the mansion. She'd dropped in, hoping to be able to spend the evening with Lex, but there was a strange tension in the air. Lana felt herself speeding up unconsciously, almost breaking into a run as she passed through the long wood panelled hallways. There was a sharp crash from inside Lex's office, shortly followed by the tinkling of shattered glass. Lana broke into a full run as she threw open the office door.

"Lex!" She cried, momentarily freezing at the sight in front of her. Lex was lying limp on the floor, a thick rope drawn tight around his neck, but it looked as though someone was pulling at it from behind. Lex convulsed, and there was a strange glimmer in the air as Lana noticed the man behind Lex. He was crouched over him, a dark trench coat wrapped around him and dark eyes glittering in malice. A red gemstone sparkled sinisterly around his throat, but he was gone not even a breath later.

Lana shook herself from her shock, racing across the room to Lex's side. "Help! Help please!" Lana cried, desperate as she felt how erratic Lex's pulse was. The door flew open, and the dark skinned head of security surged into the room. "Call an ambulance." Lana demanded before turning her attention back to Lex. "Lex" she murmured, sadly stroking his cheek as she silently swore to stay with him no matter what. "It's gonna be okay."

Lana stayed by his side, completely dazed as the paramedics arrived, all of them noting the angry rope burns around his neck.

Lana stayed by Lex's side, watching tearfully as he was lifted onto a stretcher and rolled out the doors, his strong body reduced to hopeless frailty in his unconscious.

Lana stayed by Lex's side, her heartbeat erratic in the overly bright ambulance, still murmuring soft comforts and hoping desperately that he would wake up.

Lana stayed by Lex's side, clasping his hand tightly with hers as the ambulance pulled up and he was taken straight to the ER room, protesting vehemently as she was forced to wait outside while he was immediately taken into the operating rooms.

And Lana stayed by Lex's side as he was left in his lonely hospital room, the doctor's assurance the only indication that he was gonna be okay. Despite the severe red burn across his neck, the suffocation was not going to cause any severe long lasting damage. Hours drifted by in the hospital, and Lana found herself whispering to the young man, her hand resting encouragingly on his in the vain hope that it would bring him sooner back to consciousness.

Something moved out in the corridor, and Lana saw a very recognisable red jacket standing outside the room. She stood up, moving quietly across the room to talk to Clark.

"Chloe called me, she told me what happened." Clark commented, answering her unasked question. "How's he doing?"

"Luckily his trachea didn't collapse." Lana answered, sending a fearful glance towards Lex. "And the doctor sedated him for the pain."

"Where's Lionel?" Clark asked, and Lana wasn't sure if the edge in his voice was due to anxiety over Lex or something else.

"Lionel's on his way back from Singapore." Lana supplied. Despite how strained the relationship between the two Luthors was, Lionel had still dropped everything to be with his son in hospital. That said something about how Lionel cared for Lex, even if the younger man wouldn't see it that way.

"You're a good friend for staying with him like this." Clark observed. "Danny would've come, but..."

"He's been sick himself." Lana finished, having heard Chloe mention it the day before. Lana nodded in understanding before peering at Lex through the hospital room blinds once more. "Someone should be with him when he wakes up."

"Yeah, of course." Clark acknowledged before taking a deep breath, as though he was steeling himself for something truly unpleasant. "Do they know who did this?"

Lana frowned, her gaze turning cold as she studied the blue-eyed man appraisingly. "I gave them a full description." She replied evenly.

"You were there when it happened?" Clark pressed.

"I was returning some books and I walked in on the attack." Lana replied calmly. That had been her excuse to go over in the first place, now she was just glad that she had come up with a reason to visit at all.

"So, what does this guy look like?" Clark pushed, completely ignoring how uncomfortable this line of inquisition was making her. She had almost watched Lex die, and she wouldn't feel comfortable until he was awake again.

"Dark hair, Dark eyes." Lana replied shaking her head. "About six feet tall. And he was wearing a black trench coat. He had a weird red gem at his throat." Lana paused, looking up at him as she tried to dispel her own confusion. "Clark, he seemed to vanish into thin air." But any hopes of an answer vanished when Clark frowned, his eyes flashing in distressed recognition before once more he pulled another Clark Kent style vanishing act.

Lana let out a choked sigh before turning back into the room. She wanted to be there for Lex, right by his side; just as he had been when Lana was lost in her own self-destructive emotional turmoil.

Line Break

Clark frowned, pushing his hands into his knuckles as he stared across the loft at Chloe. The young blonde was currently typing away at her computer, trying to pick up a lead on Graham. Danny was sitting just beneath the window, leaning tiredly against the wooden panels. He did look better than he had the previous day, the hollowness of his eyes having receded to just dark bags. Clark wasn't sure of it was a natural recovery or down to spending close to six hours asleep beside the anthropomorphic wolf ghost. But there was still something unsettling about his eyes that Clark couldn't figure out.

The biggest problem was that Clark had gone to visit Graham in an attempt to warn him off Lex. But the man had gotten violent, throwing a heavy lamp at him in an attempt to subdue Clark. Naturally as Clark reached to defend himself the vase had shattered, immediately notifying Graham that he wasn't the only one walking around with powers. The man had promptly turned invisible, and Clark hadn't even been able to find him with his x-ray vision, and that was a disturbing discovery in itself.

"If your meteor-challenged friend tried to kill Lex to repay a favour," Chloe suggested, a worried frown on her pursed lips. "It's probably not the first time he's murdered someone. In fact, with his powers he may even be the Chameleon."

"Who's the Chameleon?" Danny asked immediately, before Clark even had a chance to.

"Hitman for hire." Chloe supplied. "Number eight on the FBI's top 40 and climbing the charts. The GIW have him at number three, after yours truly and Vortex. He's also happens to be the prime suspect for the courthouse murder." Chloe finished, sending a significant look at Clark.

"Which happened right after I saved Graham's life." Clark noted self depreciatively.

Chloe sighed, her fingers tapping across the keyboard. "His trademark is getting to his victims in highly secure locations. He leaves no prints, no images on surveillance cameras, and no clues."

"A meteor power would explain it." Clark mused. "He said he'd been in Smallville as a kid."

"Well, unfortunately there's no record for camouflage power on the digital Wall of Weird." Chloe replied after a moment. "And the name Graham Garrett didn't get any hits. This guy's totally off the grid."

"Not entirely." Danny interjected. "I don't think it's a meteor power."

"I thought you said you were powered down at the moment." Chloe replied, peering curiously at him.

"Pretty much." Danny shrugged, a contemplative look on his face. "That's not what I was thinking of though, it's the gem he was wearing."

"What about it?" Clark asked, doubtful that it would help.

"I think I recognise it." Danny replied. "It's Eudialyte, I think it's the one from my book."

Chloe's eyes rounded in wary surprise, and Clark frowned at that look. He wasn't completely sure about the story behind the gems, but if it was anything like Simone's Turquoise they were in trouble. "What does that one do?" Chloe asked.

"In essence, the person wearing it controls how noticeable they are." Danny answered, his shoulders slumping tiredly. "It's not true invisibility, but it's a close imitation. And that makes him more dangerous."

"If I hadn't saved him," Clark lamented with inward directed anger. "That witness would still be alive, and Lex wouldn't be in the hospital. I gotta stop him."

"Well it's easier said than done." Chloe interrupted sceptically. "When you're a wanted man invisibility really comes in handy. Every law enforcement agency from the FBI to Interpol has been after him for the last year."

"I'm no typical law enforcement agency." Clark retorted, standing up to leave, but Chloe pulled him back down.

"Clark," The blonde warned. "Don't get too cocky. Not only does this guy know about your powers, but he could very well know about your weakness."

Clark raised a sceptical eyebrow. "How would he know about the meteor rocks?"

"He's the ultimate fly on the wall." Danny replied. "Regular police wouldn't be able to find him, and the GIW wouldn't be able to trace him. And somehow he's figured out a way to use the Eudialyte to hide from cameras too."

"And he's buzzing around the Talon later on tonight for a date with Lois." Chloe added, a hint of fear intruding on her normally confident tone. "I gotta call and warn her." Clark frowned as the blonde disappeared down the stairs. With any luck Chloe would catch her and Lois would be out of Graham's line of sight. But after half an hour straight of all three of them ringing straight through to voicemail Clark was getting worried. He gave up on the notion of warning her on the phone and chose to race over to the Talon, hoping to head off a problem before it arose.

Clark frowned as he rapped hard on the door of Lois' apartment. He'd been at the door for five minutes, but the brunette hadn't answered. Clark sighed, rubbing his hair in indecision before he forced the door open. Glancing around he didn't see anything amiss, but there was no sign of Lois in the main rooms. Hearing the soft padding of footsteps on a tiled floor Clark made his way over to the bathroom door, desperately hoping that Lois was safe.

"Hello?" Lois' voice came muffled through the bathroom door. She sounded uneasy, and Clark's heart leapt in worry. He pushed the door open, and was immediately confronted by Lois, a towel draped hazardously around her and wielding... was that a hairbrush? "What are you doing here?!" The brunette demanded, but Clark could hear the fear hidden beneath her aggression.

"Lois," Clark replied quickly, his own anxiety pushing through to the surface. "I have been calling, knocking on the door..." he trailed off, if she was just in the shower then she should've been able to get the phone earlier. "How long have you been in there?"

"About an hour and a half." Lois answered dismissively, and Clark blinked in mild astonishment. He didn't even know it was possible to spend that long in the shower, but at least she had been safe the whole time, even if they hadn't been able to deliver their warning about Graham. "Hey, you weren't just in my bathroom, were you?"

Clark blinked, a deep sense of disquiet rising in his stomach. Lois, I just walked in the apartment." He answered.

"That's weird." Lois commented "I could've sworn there was someone in there watching me."

"Graham." Clark seethed, anxiously looking around the apartment for any sigh of the Chameleon. It was unsettling to know that he could be there, and Clark wouldn't be able to see him, even if he tried to use his x-ray vision.

"Clark, you're blaming Graham?" Lois scoffed with mild disgust. "That's pathetic."

"If you see him, you need to stay away." Clark warned, still searching the room for any sign of the psychotic man. Clark was appalled that Graham saw fit to try and spin Lois into his web with so much blood on his hands.

"Why is it you feel the need to lob a grenade at every guy that I date?" Lois scolded; icy anger apparent in her dark eyes. But Clark wasn't really listening to her, on the edge of his hearing he thought he heard a third heartbeat in the room, making its way steadily towards the door.

"Quiet." Clark urged, listening for the steady heartbeat against the noise of the Talon that echoed up through the floor. "He's here." He whispered, but then the heartbeat departed, fading and mingling with the loud pulse of the Talon crowd downstairs. It quickly became drowned out in the steady bustle of the busy coffee shop. But Clark raced down the stairs as he saw a waitress knocked out of the way by what appeared to be thin air. The back alley exit flew open, and Clark followed, knowing that Graham was just outside.

Suddenly he felt weak, and a pained ringing echoed through his ears as the air escaped his lungs. He gasped, a hand reaching involuntarily to his chest as he was suddenly confronted by a vision of glowing green.

"Amazing what you can learn when you're a fly on the wall." Graham mused aloud, his dark eyes glimmering forebodingly. "These meteors might hurt you, but I have no problems using them to get the greatest life I could ever ask for. Although I'll admit I was surprised to find out that your cousin knew about the gem."

"It isn't yours." Clark spat, still gasping as the oppressive radiation of the meteor rock washed over him.

"That's where you're wrong," Graham replied, tossing the rock between his hands, moving it ever closer to Clark with each toss. "The gem has been in the family for generations, but I was the first one to actually use it to its true potential. You think using your powers to be a hero's a rush? Nothing beats using them to kill."

"I saved your life." Clark gasped as the dark-haired man forced him to the ground. The kryptonite glittered menacingly close to his face, turning his blood to stinging lances in his veins.

"You should have taken the plasma." Graham laughed before his eyes filled with cruel malice. The man leaned in, pressing the stone hard into Clark's chest. "But now that my identity's in jeopardy I have no choice. I have to get rid of you, Lex and Lana." His voice was a cruel hiss as he whispered the last name.

"No." Clark gasped weakly, but the kryptonite was quickly robbing him of any strength. Already Clark could feel his lungs shutting down as the air escaped them, left painfully empty with the next breath.

"They saw who I was, Clark." The man whispered darkly. "And in my line of work you don't leave loose ends."

"You'll never get away with it." Clark forced out, glaring at the man with what little remained of his strength.

Graham smirked. "I always do." The man crooned with eyes full of icy malice. Clark felt a blunt force impact the side of his skull as Graham slammed the kryptonite rock hard against his head. There was a brief surge of agony as the kryptonite overwhelmed him before Clark sunk into the welcoming relief of unconsciousness.

Line Break

Danny gazed through slitted eyes as he made his way up the stairs to Lois' apartment. His headache was still horrendous, and the bright light of the well lit room was not helping. But he needed to be here just as much as Chloe did. Clark had run off, leaving the two of them behind, and it had taken all of five seconds for Chloe to race out to her own car hot on his trail. Clark couldn't go into this unprepared; especially considering that he was vulnerable to the effects of the gem just as much as any human was. Danny was the only one of them who stood a chance of actually seeing Graham, and even then it was uncertain with how his ghost half was currently affecting him.

"Lois?" Chloe demanded, pushing the apartment door open and anxiously stepping through. "Do you know where Clark is?"

"No," Lois groused, looking severely annoyed as she tugged her lemon shirt down. "He just busted in here, warned me about Graham and then took off."

"Do you have any idea where he went?" Danny urged, pushing through his own personal discomfort as he felt a slight tug on his core. There was a faint whisper of protect at the back of his mind, but it was disconnected, weak.

"I wasn't exactly paying attention." Lois shrugged before quickly becoming more annoyed. "And you know what; I'm starting to get a little tired of him thinking that I need his approval just to go on a simple date." She rounded on Danny accusingly. "You're his cousin, can you please tell me why Clark Kent is so obsessed with my love life?"

"Lois," Chloe interrupted as Danny took an involuntary step back from an irate Lois Lane. "Graham's a killer. A professional hitman."

Danny watched as Lois' face fell, paling to a chalky white. "Of course he is." Lois deflated with dejected sarcasm. The brunette shook her head sadly, shrugging on her denim jacket with a weary sadness.

"We need to find Clark." Danny urged, and deep in his core the whisper became louder as Danny tried to clear the fogginess of his mind. The three of them ran downstairs, the two girls calling for Clark. One of the waitress said that he'd gone out back, and Danny pressed through the large door that led out into the back alley. Protect. The whisper came once more, calling him into the alleyway, but Danny could see nothing, and the call was still far too weak.

"Clark!" Chloe's voice cried out from behind him as the two girls burst into the alley. "Clark!"

"Waitress said he ran out back." Lois consoled. "He can't have gotten that far."

"You'd be surprised." Danny commented absently, his eyes fixed towards the shadowed corner behind the dumpster. There was a faint tug that drew him in closer, his sneakers raising a small cloud of dust as he stepped onto recently dug earth. His eyes widened as he saw a tiny scrap of red fabric poking up from beneath the dirt. He gasped, his core screaming at him and he collapsed to his knees, frantically scratching at the ground as he realised what Graham had done.

Chloe and Lois raced over, noticing his frenzied movements. "Oh God." Chloe gasped as Danny unburied a ragged arm. "Jesus!" the blonde exclaimed, the three of them working impossibly quickly to unbury the dark haired young man. Danny gasped as his hand brushed against another rock, this one lancing into him like electricity. He drew his hand back, hissing as he tried to work around the glowing green piece of kryptonite. Chloe noted his struggles and tossed the rock away, allowing Danny too reach into the pit and lift his cousin out from beneath the arms.

"Clark breathe." Danny urged, pressing his fingers against Clark's neck as he attempted to find a pulse.

"Clark, wake up!" Chloe begged, the three of them kneeling at Clark's side in the dirt.

"Lois, can you get him some water?" Danny asked, sending a quick glance to the brunette. Lois nodded and sped into the Talon. Danny gasped, his hand clenched to his core as it screamed at him. But he couldn't do anything, and it felt like his core was tearing itself apart. Lois came back, a glass of water clutched tightly in her hands as she raced back to Clark's side, dousing his lips gently with the clear liquid.

Clark coughed, the cool moisture rousing him from unconsciousness as it passed through his lips. The young man blinked, managing to sit himself up. "He's going after Lex and Lana." Clark coughed; his voice course with dust and pain. Chloe and Danny's eyes met briefly, and a flash of concerned understanding passed between them. Clark had just been literally buried alive, who knew what Graham would do to Lex and Lana.

Line Break

Lex sighed, the breath stirring short pains in his damaged throat. He had woken up in the hospital with Lana Lang holding his hand as she smiled fondly at him. He couldn't begin to describe the way that made his heart leap, stirring warmth inside him that he had not felt since before his mom died. Lana had stepped out briefly, saying that she was going to get something to eat. Lex was taking the opportunity to check his emails, despite his suspicions of Milton Fine; the man had asked Lex to assist in a project that would no doubt help fight the alien threat.

Unsurprisingly a message from Fine popped up, and Lex clicked into the window. 'Is the compound virus ready?' Fine's message read in small print at the top of the screen. The project was a remarkably simple one; gathering the most deadly strands of numerous viruses and combining them into a single, potent compound. It was brilliant in its simplicity since all the strains used were ones which humans had natural immunities to, but in theory an alien species would not be able to fight the potency of the virus.

'Yes.' Lex typed in reply, sending off the message. It was Fine who had supplied all the virus strains, giving Lex detailed reports about their potency, spread rate and epidemiology for each of the viruses. It was up to Lex to then develop their biological weapon, but Lex was not about to tell Fine about his own personal influence on the implementation of the project. The hospital room door clicked open, and Lex quickly folded the laptop closed, still on edge from the violent assault in his own home. Lex set the laptop aside, hidden beneath a towel as Lana came back inside the room.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, a mild edge of concern in her voice.

"Yeah," Lex replied, getting his breathing back under control. He had been half expecting his assailant to come back in and finish the job. "Yeah I just thought you were someone else."

"It's just me." Lana smiled, her voice filled with warmth and radiating cheer. "Bringing you a little comfort." The dark haired young woman smiled, pulling a dark pair of pyjamas out of her bag and demonstrating them proudly to him. "I thought you'd prefer these to the uncomfortable hospital garb."

"They're perfect." Lex replied, sending her a grateful smile. However the door clicked open again, making Lex frown. There didn't appear to be anyone there, but he got the feeling that in this case appearances were very much deceptive. Lex reached under his blanket, pulling out the small handgun that one of his security team had left for him. He stood up warily, using himself as a barrier between Lana and the door.

"Lex? What's happening?" Lana asked with confusion, and he could feel her eyeing the room fearfully from behind his back.

"Lana, stay behind me." Lex commanded, pushing both of them back into the corner so they were only vulnerable on two sides. On the far side of the room a rolling stand moved, and Lex immediately pointed his gun towards it. There was a loud bang as the bullet released, followed by a second and a third, until Lex had gone through half the clip. There was an ominous pause before Lana pointed to a small drip of blood on the floor.

Cautiously both of them stepped over towards it, hoping to catch sight of their invisible assailant. Lex blinked, watching a drop of blood appear in the air and fall silently to the floor. Suddenly a dark clad man appeared, and all Lex saw was an ominous red gem before the gun was forcefully thrown out of his hands. "Lana, run." Lex commanded, stepping back as the man bent down to pick up the gun. Sticky crimson stained his hand, and a red pool was slowly blossoming on his chest. "Run! Go!" Lex bellowed, forcing both of them out the door as he felt the man chasing close behind them.

They scrambled out the hospital room door, Lex urging Lana faster down the long, empty corridor. But Lana tripped, and there was no time to help her. Lex threw himself around her, wrapping her up in a living shield as he heard the gun fire. There was an eerie silence as the two of them crouched, their heavy pants the only sound in the starkly lit corridor. Lex looked warily into Lana's fearful eyes, before cautiously helping her up.

Lex turned, pulling Lana close to his chest as he gazed back down the corridor. Their would-be assassin lay on the floor, a pool of blood oozing from his lifeless abdomen, his eyes darkened by the hollow blankness of death.

"You saved my life." Lana murmured, pressing herself tightly against his chest. And Lex wasn't sure if the tightness of her grip was due to her gratefulness or her still rapidly beating heart. All that Lex knew, as he wrapped an arm comfortingly around her, was that once again they'd escaped certain death by the skin of their teeth. Lex looked behind him, noting that once more there was no sign of damage behind them. Despite the gun going off, it appeared that the bullet had disappeared into thin air.

Line Break

Clark frowned, absently rolling the warped bullet between his fingers. He had only just been in time to save them; even a second later and it would have been too late for both Lana and Lex. Clark sighed, squashing down his distress as he walked into the Planet. He shoved the bullet back into his coat pocket, taking a sidelong glance of the dark-haired boy who walked beside him. Danny had come into Metropolis with him, still not fully recovered but looking a lot better than he had two days before. The two of them walked down to the basement, where Chloe was working in the copy room.

Danny tapped on the glass, catching Chloe's attention as he pointed to the headline on the front page of the day's paper. Chloe grinned as she came out, knowing exactly what they were there for. "Congratulations on your first front-page by-line." Danny proclaimed, beaming at Chloe and catching her in an encouraging hug. Danny had been so excited when he saw the headline 'Chameleon Hitman Killed; LuthorCorp CEO Safe', not because of the article, but because it was Chloe who had written it.

"Yeah, and Clark here deserves all the credit." Chloe deflected, but Clark could see a happy sparkle in her green eyes.

"Or the blame." Clark emitted tiredly. "If saving strangers ends up getting other people killed, I'm not sure that's a business I wanna be in."

"Do you really want a choice?" Chloe asked. "I mean, I'm nowhere near super, but if I see someone drowning, I'm gonna throw them a rope."

"What if that person's a killer, Chloe?" Clark demanded, his own confusion and anger bubbling to the surface. "What if the world would actually be better off without them?"

"That's not your decision to make." Danny answered firmly. But Clark wasn't going to be easily swayed by his half-ghost cousin on this. Danny often said before that his decisions were heavily impacted by his obsession, so his advice wasn't quite as helpful in this situation.

But Chloe seemed to agree with him, nodding in affirmation. "Ask a doctor, or a fire fighter or anyone in the hero business. You save first, and ask questions later."

"It's their choice what they do with their life." Danny added, his eyes glowing a radiant shade of icy blue. "But you have to let them make that choice."

"I guess you're right." Clark reflected. "It's just not always that easy."

"Especially when the person you're saving is Lex Luthor." Chloe empathised.

Clark sighed, knowing that he still owed his blonde friend an apology. "I should never have questioned your friendship." He admitted, sending her a cautious smile.

"You were angry." Chloe dismissed. "And I understand. I mean, it's not exactly a walk in the park to see the person you love in the arms of someone else."

Clark nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly as he released a heavy sigh. "Of all the people in the world, why Lex?"

"Just like you can't pick and choose the people you save," Chloe answered, an understanding glimmer in her eyes. "You can't pick and choose who your ex-girlfriend dates. That's just the way it is."

"You have no idea how hard it was to see them like that." Clark confessed, remembering the pain that ripped through his heart when he saw Lex wrapped around Lana, kissing her. And Lana's kissing back desperately, as though her life depended on it. "It was like I couldn't breathe."

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way." Chloe admitted; her voice unusually humble. "I know how much that must've hurt. But you know, Lana's moved on. Maybe it's time you started doing the same thing."

Clark sighed, looking over at his blonde friend before turning his eyes to Danny. In those blue eyes Clark could still see the ghost of Sam, and he knew that Danny had never fully moved on from the amethyst eyed girl. Danny sent him a sympathetic smile, a flash of understanding passing through his bright blue eyes.

"Maybe." The boy suggested, "It's not so much moving on." He paused, meeting Chloe's eyes briefly before turning back to Clark. "Maybe it's letting her find happiness for herself, and taking heart that she's been given that."

Clark released a deep breath, nodding in acknowledgement as he met his cousin's eyes. This was what Danny had cautioned about when Clark had first broken up with Lana, and he had known that it would be hard. Clark was never going to be able to trust Lex, not after everything the man had done. But he could make Lana happy. And despite how much Clark disliked Lex, if the man could make Lana happy then that was the least she deserved. Clark loved Lana with his whole heart, and if that meant that he had to let her find happiness in someone else, well, that was a sacrifice that he was only too willing to make.

AN; Okay, I completely lost my muse for this chapter. So I apologise for the late update.

In regards to Graham... well it wasn't where I envisioned having the Eudialyte but it just worked so well for him to have it.

For all you people living in the northern hemisphere... Can I come to visit? We're having a really oppressive heat wave here and I could go for a bit of autumnal cool weather.

Translations;

Mia amiko, veki .Wulf, ni havas vizitanton. – My friend, wake up. Wulf, we have a visitor.
Wulf, ĉi tiu estas mia kuzo Clark. Li estas amiko. – Wulf, this is my cousin Clark. He's a friend.
Mia amiko Danny, via kuzo ne estas homa. Li odoras kiel sunlumo, sed estas tro forta. Li estas danĝera. – My friend Danny, your cousin is not human. He smells like sunlight, but it is too strong. He is dangerous.
Wulf. Clark estas amiko, kaj eĉ se li ne estas homo, povas trakti lin kiel unu. Li estas afabla kaj apogo, kaj estis tie por mi ekde mia familio mortis. – Clark is a friend, and even if he is not human you can treat him as one. He is kind and supportive, and has been here for me since my family died.

Anyway, once again I feel that I need to thank everyone who has been so loyally reading and reviewing, I have been particularly uninspired of late, but your feedback always spurs me onwards.

Till next time,

Bluerose