-1Chapter Twenty Four- Kent Farm
Clark groaned as he regained consciousness and tried to shift himself into a more comfortable position. A heavy weight on his chest kept him still. Clark looked down to see a bundle of dark hair laying on his chest. Lana had sprawled out on his chest and fallen asleep.
He couldn't help the huge smile that plastered itself on his face. He wrapped his arms around her small back and leaned his head back. Lana shifted on his chest from his small movement, but she laid still shortly after.
Clark laid there for what felt like hours which was probably only half an hour total. He moved his hand in a small circle across Lana's lower back. She moaned and shifted against him. He smiled at the peace of this moment. He finally understood what Max meant about how having the woman you love in your arms - it was the only thing worth fighting for in this world.
He stopped his train of thought as he recalled thinking 'woman you love'. Did he really love Lana? Even though they'd only been together for a short time, he felt some pull in his chest. It was foreign and warming at the same time. As much as it scared him, it calmed him as well. Love really is a confusing and rocky thing. A knock came at the door and Lana groaned against his chest.
"Make it stop." She moaned.
"I would love to, but you're pinning me down." Clark said softly against the top of her head.
She looked up and smiled. Then she rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. The knocking continued, and she groaned burying her face in his chest. He could feel her breath against his skin through the thin material of his t-shirt. The knocking was harder this time and Lana finally rolled off his chest. Clark stretched as he sat up and stood from the couch. Lana tried to fix her hair as she yawned. Clark walked over to the door and opened it.
"Good Morning Mr. Kent. Lionel Luthor said we could find you here." The officer said. Clark rubbed his fingers through his hair and noticed the Talon coffee cup in the officers hand.
"What can I do for you?" Clark asked.
"I understand that you are having a problem with a few unwelcomed guests. My partner and I are to assist in the evacuation." The officer answered.
"Right, I almost forgot. Let me throw some clothes on." Clark said.
"You going out?" Lana asked shuffling over from the couch.
"I have to go to the farm. I'll probably be there for the rest of the day." Clark said.
"I'll stop by later, then." Lana said. She turned and smiled at the officer who held a small smile and looked down at his feet.
"Let me get some clothes then." Clark said heading after his bag and pulling out some jeans and a shirt. He rushed into the bathroom and changed, not bothering to attempt to fix his hair. When he came back out Lana was fixing the TV from last night. The officer was still outside and the door was partially closed.
"Will you miss me today?" Clark asked coming up from behind.
"Every second." Lana replied leaning into him. Clark turned her in his arms and placed a kiss on her soft lips. She smiled when he pulled back, "I'll swing by later."
"I'll see you then." He said, pulling his bag over his shoulder. He smiled and turned to leave her apartment. He glanced back and watched as she went about the apartment, he made sure the door was closed securely behind him.
Clark looked out the swat car windows as they passed corn fields and farms. He couldn't really grasp his thoughts of what he was seeing. He was heading back to his parents home, his home. It'd been years, ever since his parents funeral. All he could really remember was that he had never cried.
"We're here." The officer said. Clark looked up to see the wooden post with a sign hanging from it. As they pulled in the driveway, he read "Kent Farm" engraved on the worn wooden sign. He looked over at the tin mailbox with Kent painted on the side.
The officer pulled the swat car down the long dirt road. Clark looked up and saw the yellow two story house and the red barn. A blue truck and three motorcycles were parked next to the old basketball goal. The wooden fence was worn down and Clark was surprised that it was even keeping the cows inside.
"The place is looking pretty run down. Are you going to fix it up?" The officer asked parking the car, leaving the lights on.
"I plan to." Clark said opening his car door and getting out. He saw the curtains move in the main window downstairs. The trio knew they were here.
"Alright, let's get this farm back into good hands." The officer said, his partner getting out of the car as well.
The three of them walked up to the main door and Clark waited as the officer knocked on the door. No one answered at first.
"Listen up. I have orders to evict anyone living inside this farm house. If you do not leave on your own in thirty seconds, were coming in to force you to leave." The officer called through the door.
Clark raised an eyebrow at the officer. He'd never seen one act this way and could only assume Lionel had something to do with it. The front door opened and Will stood there, Rex behind him.
"Alright, we get the idea. We had a feeling since Lex was arrested that you'd be coming after us." Will said looking to Clark.
"You chose the wrong side. Greed is an evil thing." Clark replied looking Will in the eye.
"We know." Rex said stepping up from behind Will. They stepped out on the front porch and looked at Clark.
"We're sorry we tried to kill you." Rex continued.
"Wait, did you just confess to being the hired hit man for Lex Luthor?" The officer said.
"We confess." Will said looking down. Clark was surprised by the two. They had never been the ones to admit their sins.
"You're under arrest." The officer said. He began to read the two their rights as the other officer handcuffed them.
"There's one more inside. I'll see if I can find him." Clark said. Before the officer could stop him, Clark walked inside the old family farm house. The force that hit his chest took his breath away. Not a thing had changed since the last time he remembered being inside.
The same old couch lay in the middle of the living room. Family photos hung on the wall, the frames filled with happy times. He could see the kitchen and made his way over. The fridge was covered in magnets and more photos, mostly of Clark. He opened the cabinets and found his mother's favorite dishware.
He could feel the start of tears and taking a deep breath, he turned to the staircase. Obviously Sam wasn't downstairs so Clark made his way upstairs. He felt like he was in a suspense movie as he felt his heart jerk with every step closer to his old bedroom, his parents old bedroom.
A force slammed into him as he reached the top. He collided with the railing and grabbed on to keep himself from falling down the stairs. He fought to regain his balance and the force slammed into his rib cage. He doubled over and tried to catch his breath and he gained enough bearings to realize that it was Sam pounding him.
He brought his fist up and felt bone give underneath his knuckles. A curse filled his ears along with the dull ringing. He brought his shoulder up and followed through with his weight. He forced Sam back into the wall and heard the cracking of glass and wood as pictures collapsed onto the floor. Sam brought his elbow up and jabbed it into his jaw. He tasted blood, and winced from the sting on his lip.
"Can't handle a real fight, Kal?" Sam asked mocking. Clark growled and stood to his full height. Clark glared and slammed his fist into Sam's nose.
Blood spluttered from the nostrils as Clark pulled back and slammed it against his face again. The back of Sam's head collided into the wall and the wood panel cracked from the force. Before Sam could regain his senses Clark brought his fist into his midsection and Sam coughed blood. Clark backed up when he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs.
"Kent, what's going on?" The officer asked.
"I got attacked as I walked upstairs." Clark said, wiping away the blood from his lip.
The officer pulled Sam to his feet, "Your friends downstairs confessed to your plots on the attempt of Kent's life under the order of Lex Luthor. Do you have anything to add?" He asked.
"I have nothing to do with that." Sam said.
"Very well, you're under arrest for assault." The officer said and continued to read Sam his rights as he placed handcuffs on him.
"I'll send an officer over for your statement." He said. With a yank, he lead Sam down the stairs and out to the swat car. Clark leaned against the wall and breathed. When he finally took a good look around the hallway a pain stabbed at his heart.
The panel was ruined and would have to be replaced along with the photo frames that laid in ruins at his feet. He looked down the hall and saw the door at the far wall, and the two that faced on opposite ends. The one on his left was his bedroom, the one on his right, his parents.
He looked to his left and slowly opened his door. The walls were blue, his full size bed with flannel sheets were still made from the last time his mother had made them. Clark had remembered how he'd refused to sleep in his bed when his parents had passed. She had cleaned his room, folded his clothes, and when he'd come home she had kissed his forehead and smiled down at him.
After the funeral, he had closed the door and left it closed. He turned and closed the door behind him, unable to step into the room. He headed down stairs, not even looking at his parents door. Once he reached the bottom, the pain in his chest lessened.
He sat on the couch and leaned back. He made a mental list of what needed to be done. An officer was going to stop by for his statement, but he also had the fence to fix, and the barn to examine. He knew nothing about running a farm but if he wanted to keep what his parents had left, he would have to learn soon.
He stayed on the couch until a knock came at the door. With a grunt he pulled himself off the couch and made his way to the front door. With a quick look out the window he saw another swat car sitting in the driveway. He pulled open the door and smiled at the officer that stood there.
"Mr. Kent?" He asked.
"Yes sir." Clark said.
"I need your statement for the assault against you earlier today." The officer said.
Clark nodded and let the officer in. Clark told him what had happened and the officer looked over the cuts on his face and recorded it. By the time he was done another knock came at the door. Clark nodded and walked over to the door.
Lana stood on the other side, "Hey, why are the police still here?" She asked before turning to look at him. "Clark!" She exclaimed when she saw the state she was in.
"Thank you for your time, Clark." The officer said before stepping past him and Lana.
"Have a nice day." Clark said stepping aside to let the officer out and Lana in.
When he closed the door behind them Lana reached up and touched his cheek. "What happened?" She asked.
"Will and Rex weren't a problem. Sam was." He said.
"Are you okay?" She asked leading him to the couch.
He sat down and Lana held on to his hand, sitting next to him. "I'll be okay. I've been hit harder before."
"I bet Sam looks worse." She said with a smile.
"How'd you know?" Clark asked, with a small laugh.
"So what are we going to do?" She asked.
"We?" Clark asked.
"Is that such a hard concept to accept?" She asked.
"No, but I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm the other part of the we with you." Clark said trying to explain.
"So what are we going to do?" She asked again.
"Well, I was going to relax today but that seemed to get nipped in the bud. I'm thinking maybe dinner, and relaxation before I get to work tomorrow." Clark said.
"Work?" She asked.
"The fence needs fixing, and the paneling upstairs needs changed, I still have to look through the barn and everything." Clark said.
Lana could hear the restlessness in his voice. "How about we relax for tonight. I can cook dinner, and we can just snuggle on the couch. Just relax." She said, rubbing his arm.
He let out a deep breath and let his shoulders drop. "That sounds fantastic."
"But?" Lana asked.
"I made a deal with Lionel. I really should at least take a look at everything. If I can get a lot done this summer, the school year won't be so rough." Clark said.
"You still have football practice. Be careful and don't pull yourself to thin." Lana said.
Clark knew she was worried about him, and he loved that she was. "I promise I'll rest. How about you start on dinner and I'll head to the barn." Clark said looking over at her.
"Deal." She said smiling.
He stood from the couch and headed out the back door. He walked up to his dad's blue truck and smiled as he touched the cool metal. Despite the flat tires, and layer of grim on the truck, it seemed to be in good condition. He would just have to change the tires and check the engine. However that was a job for this weekend.
Clark stepped back from the truck and made his way over to the barn. The wood had been painted at one time, but was now dull and flaked. He would have to repaint when he had a chance. He pushed open the door, and winced as it shook on its hinges. That would need fixing as well, he thought as he walked in.
A tractor sat inside along with other farm tools. Wooden stairs wound up to a loft, and behind that was a place for horses, but the stalls were empty and dirty. He would have to buy fresh straw, feed, possibly parts for the tractor and truck.
He didn't have the money, but perhaps another talk with Lionel and he could get some to help. It would really kill him if he had to get a summer job as well. He didn't know where he would apply if he had to. However he did know that if it came down to it, he would get a job. This farm was all he had of his parents and he wasn't going to lose it.
He made his way upstairs to the loft and saw a worn and dusty couch with a trunk resting in front of it. He kneeled and opened the lid, a cloud of dust causing him to cough. He found a photo album, a little league football helmet, an old Smallville high school football jersey with Kent on the back, a box filled with awards and medals that belonged to both his parents.
He held the precious metals in his hands and smiled softly at the memories of his father telling stories. How he used to throw the winning passes, and how his teammates loved him. His chances in college, how he met his mother. All of them were precious to him and this box, this trunk brought all those tender moments to his mind. He hadn't thought of his parents since he'd come back to Smallville. He had never really mourned the loss, but he couldn't tonight.
He placed everything back into the trunk and stood from where he was kneeling. He patted the dust from his pants and headed back downstairs. He examined the stalls quickly before heading out and looking the fence over. It was a real mess that he looked at.
The wood for the fence was rotted and the nails rusted. He would have to rebuild the entire fence, probably all the way around the property. It would take him at least two weeks, if he only focused on that. He was only one man after all.
As he headed back inside, he wondered who had watched the farm for Lionel. Who ever it was had done a terrible job. The entire place was in ruins, and no possible way of earning Lionel a profit. It lead Clark to believe he held onto the farm simply because it was something of his mother's. If that was so, Lionel was a sick man to hold onto to something so dearly of a deceased woman who was married.
He opened the back door and was surprised to see the kitchen empty. Lana was sitting on the couch in the living room. "So we're not eating?" Clark asked.
"I ordered out. The only thing eatable in the fridge was a stick of butter. I found trash bags full of empty pizza boxes and Chinese take-out. There wasn't even anything to drink." She said.
Clark sighed as he sat down next to her. He placed his arm on the back of the couch behind her, and she snuggled into his side.
"What did you find out?" Lana asked.
"The farm is a wreck. The fence, barn, even the equipment is run down. It'll take all summer to fix." Clark said, already dreading the long hours in the sun he was looking forward too.
"How are you going to get the supplies to fix everything?" She asked, her hand rested on his stomach.
"Hopefully Lionel will help with that. If not I'll have to get a job." He said, his muscles jumping at her feather light touch.
"A job? How will you find time to do that along with football and fixing this place up?" She asked. She didn't like how this was getting harder and harder for him.
"I honestly don't know." He said staring off at the wall. "I do know, that I can't lose this farm. It's all I have left."
"I understand. The Talon was all I had left of my parents. I did whatever it took to keep it." Lana said.
"A deal with Lex?" Clark asked.
"I agreed to go on a date. It got out of hand, and I got trapped. I was never really his girlfriend. No one was willing to face him to ask me out so I was trapped. Till you came along." She said.
Clark smiled, "Glad I could be your hero, if only for that moment." He kissed her softly, and pulled back with a larger smile.
"You've been my hero ever since you saved me from Lex." She said.
"Glad you think so highly of me." He said.
"You may have done bad things, but you're not a bad person." She replied.
"Are you so sure?" He asked.
"I am." She said, leaning up and kissing him softly.
There was a knock at the door that interrupted them. With a chuckle she stood from the couch and reached for the door. Clark listened as she answered the door and paid for their dinner. She came back and Clark inhaled the scent of pepperoni pizza. His stomach growled as he sat up. She set the box on the coffee table, and opened the box. Clark jumped at the box and grabbed a slice. Lana laughed as he dug in and devoured a slice.
"Hungry?" She asked, still laughing as she grabbed a slice.
"Starved." He replied before stuffing himself again.
"I was looking around and found a movie to watch, do you care?" Lana asked.
"Not at all, if I get to watch it with you." Clark replied with a smile, going for another slice.
"Have you seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail?" She asked.
"I don't believe I have." Clark answered.
"You're serious." She said.
"I didn't really watch movies as I was at bars in the middle of the night, and busting heads during the days." Clark said as she got up and got the movie.
"It's really funny. I think you could do with a comedy." She said, putting the DVD in the player. She turned on the TV and grabbed the remote.
"I think a comedy will be great." He said grabbing yet another slice of pizza. He'd already eaten half of it.
She curled up next to him again and hit play. The movie started and they easily finished the rest of the pizza. By the end of the movie Clark was fighting sleep again and so was Lana. He shifted himself to where Lana laid on top of him. She pulled a throw from the back of the couch on top of them.
When the credits rolled, Lana turned the TV off and rested her head on his chest. Clark rubbed his hand in small circles on the small of her back. It wasn't long before he had her asleep in his arms. It was a wonderful experience to behold. He was a lucky man to have such a wonderful and kind woman in his arms.
He rested his head and closed his eyes. He thought of his family, and what his parents would think if they'd walk in and see him on the couch with a girl on top of him. It pained him to realize he would never know their reaction. With a heavy heart, and a comforting weight on his chest, he drifted off to sleep.