Chapter Nine

Author's Note: All following "Reckoning" scenes are not my creation! I've just done some minor tweaking.

Clark sat in his loft, contemplating his decision. He knew it was the right thing to do, but would it be too much to handle? He couldn't help feeling the slightest bit of doubt in the back of his mind.

Am I doing the right thing? Clark thought. He held up the coal in his hand to look at it. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

"I brought gloves and a scarf like you said," he heard Lana behind him. Startled out of his reverie, he stood up and faced her. All doubts fled his mind as he gazed into her eyes.

"I was afraid you weren't gonna come," Clark said.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure a mystery date's exactly what we should be doing right now," Lana told him. "We have an ultrasound to get to."

Clark placed his hands on her shoulders. "That's why I called."

"Are you okay?" she inquired. She placed a hand on his chest. "Oh, my…gosh. Your heart's racing."

"It's…because I'm terrified."

"What's going on?"

"I can tell that…" Clark started, but couldn't find the right words. "Lana, I can tell that if I don't do this, I'll lose you."

"Clark—" Lana protested, turning her face away in frustration.

"And it's not your fault," Clark quickly added. Lana turned her face back to Clark slowly, surprised. This was something new; confessing was very un-Clark-like. "There's something I should've shown you a long time ago."

Clark led Lana through the Kawatche caves. She looked around eagerly, ready for anything that Clark was going to tell her.

I've waited for this moment for three years, Lana thought. Clark came to a rock wall and walked around it. Lana stared wide-eyed at the hidden chamber they were walking into. There was an octagonal table in the middle of the chamber. There was a triangle-like depression in the middle with a rectangular slot in front of it. All around them were symbols from the cave walls. She stepped around Clark, and approached the table.

"I can't believe no one knew this was here," Lana said. She glanced at Clark real quick. "How did you find it?"

She looked back at the table as she placed a hand on it.

"It was left here for me," Clark responded.

Lana turned, and stared at him. Where was he going with this? "For you?"

Clark walked forward to stand next to Lana at the table. "I rehearsed this, like, a thousand times." He took an octagonal, metallic disk out of his pocket. Lana stared at it; there were symbols on it that resembled the Kawatche symbols, and it looked like it was made of the same metal as the ship from the meteor shower.

"Lana, what I'm about to show you…may change the way that you feel about me," Clark explained.

Lana gazed at the disk, then at Clark. "Clark, whatever it is, it's okay."

Clark smiled at her, and placed the disk into the rectangular slot on the table. The symbols lit up, and the slot emitted an other-worldly light that illuminated the two of them. A hum seemed to resonate out of the void, and Lana gazed around at the cave walls, slightly freaked.

"It's okay," she heard Clark's voice tell her. She looked back into his eyes as he held out his hand. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the growing noise. "Do you trust me?"

Lana looked down at his hand. Without hesitation, she took his hand. If he trusts me enough to tell me the truth, I can do the same, she thought. Clark pulled her closer to his body, wrapping his other arm around her. His presence reassured her as the cave disappeared around them. Lana looked at the portal that had suddenly appeared. They spun through space as an ice palace appeared around them. Lana let go of Clark as she stepped forward to look at the splendor of it. There were crystals and ice and snow everywhere.

"Oh, my gosh," said Lana as she smiled. She turned to look at Clark, utterly perplexed. Clark seemed to hesitate.

"When you asked me if I believed in life on other planets, you had no idea how ironic that question was," Clark told her. Here goes nothing. "I'm from a planet called Krypton."

Lana didn't flinch or look horrified, but walked toward Clark and stroked his cheek. "But you're just like everyone else."

Clark bean to explain, but thought better of it. She'd never believe me, he thought. Instead, he picked her up in his arms, and stared into her face. He then looked up to the top of the Fortress, and found a big enough plateau. He squatted down a little to build up momentum, and then jumped towards the plateau. As he and Lana soared through the air, Clark looked at Lana to gauge her reaction. She stared around at the Fortress whipping past. She looked at Clark, smiling. As they approached the plateau, she looked back at their surroundings. They landed, and Clark set Lana back down. Lana looked over the edge of the cliff; they had to have jumped at least two hundred feet, if not more.

"This isn't the first time you've done that, is it?" asked Lana. "How many times have you been there when I didn't know it, saving me?"

"It doesn't matter, Lana. I couldn't let anything happen to you."

Lana turned to face Clark, wondering. "And no one knew."

"There were so many days I wanted to tell you."

"What makes today any different?"

"I want you to know who I really am," Clark told her. He held up the lump of coal, and Lana stared at it. He's giving me coal? Lana thought. Clark looked at her and wrapped his hand around the coal. The coal lit up and began to give off energy as Clark put pressure on it. The light and energy dissipated as Clark opened his hand. There was a small pile of coal dust in his palm. He blew the dust away to reveal a small diamond.

How did he… Lana thought. It takes thousands of pounds of pressure to turn a piece of coal into a diamond.

Clark took a golden band out of his pocket and placed the diamond on top of it. His eyes began to shimmer as heat waves shot from his eyes towards the ring. The diamond fused to the band as Clark stopped his heat vision.

Wow, thought Lana. How many more surprises does he have up his sleeves?

As if in answer to her question, Clark held up the ring as he got down on one knee.

Oh, my gosh, Lana thought. Is he gonna—

"Will you marry me?" Clark asked her.

Clark walked down the stairs to his left, hearing a truck drive down the driveway. He walked out the door to the barn to see his parents getting out of the truck. Naturally, he could hear what they were talking about as he approached.

"That's the worst joke I ever heard," said Martha as she closed her door.

"Oh, come on," said Jonathan as he closed his door. "You liked it."

"Mom," said Clark, announcing he was there. "Dad."

"Hey," said Jonathan. "I thought we were gonna see you tonight."

"I wanted to get some stuff loaded up before the welcome home party," Clark answered.

Martha and Jonathan began walking toward the house.

"Clark, I appreciate your courage in facing all those people," Jonathan told him.

"Mom…Dad…" Clark blurted, stopping them. "I have something important to tell you…I, uh…told Lana everything."

"What?" said Martha.

"Right before I proposed to her in the Fortress."

Martha and Jonathan's faces were filled with shock.

"So…what did she say?" wondered Martha.

"I asked her not to tell me yet," Clark explained. "It's a lot to put on her all at once."

"Clark, have you really thought this thing through?" asked Jonathan.

"If I were ever going to risk sharing my secret with someone, I'd want it to be with her," Clark told them.

"I'm proud of you, Clark," Martha told her son. "I know this decision's been weighing on you for some time." Martha looked at Jonathan. "Just like this pregnancy; any big decision has risks."

Jonathan looked at Clark. "I guess it's just hard looking at your son and realize you're talking to a man…a man who doesn't need his father's advice anymore."

Clark smiled at his father and shrugged. "I'm always gonna need you, Dad."

He and Jonathan smiled at each other, and embraced.

Lois put a kettle under the faucet and turned on the water as she cradled her phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Any results from that health inspection?" Lois asked the person on the other end. She took out a stool and placed it in front of some shelves. "Yes, I know it's early, but patience isn't my strong suit." She climbed onto the stool and reached for some boxes on the very top. This required her to stand on her toes. "Okay, call me when you find out." Lois hung up as her hand found what she was looking for. "Oh, yeah."

The stool started to tip, and Lois began to waver until two hands grabbed her around her waist. Lois jumped down to the floor, and spun to face Lana.

"Thanks," said Lois. She rushed over to the sink, and shut the water off. "I try to keep the junk food where I can't reach it, but some days, it's…easier to reach than others."

Lana hadn't moved since helping Lois down, but she now turned to face Lois. "Um…sorry I'm late."

"It's okay," Lois told her. She walked around the counter and picked up a box full of party decorations. "The decorating crew can't bunt to save their life. Can you grab that?"

Lois motioned to a second box as she headed for the apartment's living room. Lana looked at the box, but didn't move. She hadn't stopped thinking about Clark since he had brought her back to the Kent farm. Lois stared at Lana, and walked over.

"Okay…spill," said Lois.

"It's nothing," said Lana, walking over to the box.

"Three guesses: tall, dark and bumbling."

Lana paused, hesitating. How much did Lois know? Well, if she just generalizes the situation…

"Okay," Lana said, spinning around to face Lois, "what would you do if you thought you knew someone really well, and it turns out there's this…whole other side to them?"

"Well, that depends," Lois told her. "Are we in arms dealer territory, or are we talking the crying game?"

Lana smiled at Lois' humor. "Nothing like that."

"Then I guess the question is: does it change the way that you feel about him?"

Lana thought about what Clark had told her. Was she really ready to accept the fact that he was an alien with amazing abilities? Then again, he had trusted her enough to tell her the truth with the possibility that she would be repulsed by it. It was just as Helen Bryce had told her three years ago: was the part they were willing to share with you better than not having them at all? So, had Clark's confession really changed how she felt?

"Maybe," Lana said truthfully.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but I would be lucky to end up with someone as honorable as Clark Kent some day."

At once, Lana remembered all those times that Clark had been there for her. All those times that he had helped her or saved her…and all because he loved her. She smiled at Lois as she made up her mind.

Clark walked next to Chloe as they made their way down the stairs into the Daily Planet basement. He had just gotten through telling Chloe what had transpired that morning.

"You told Lana your secret?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Clark, turning and walked backwards down the stairs to get her reaction.

"Wow…" stammered Chloe as Clark motioned her to spit it out. "Okay…Gosh, and all those years of me yanking on your closet door. What's the real reason for this sudden coming out party?"

They had reached the newsroom doors, and entered the basement.

"It was only a matter of time before she found out," Clark told her. "You know, with the baby and all."

"That's great; you guys are meant for each other," Chloe told him as they got to her desk. "You're like Kansas' version of Ken and Barbie, but they broke up apparently which is kind of weird."

"Also, I think I was pushing Lana to the point where…I don't know if we could've come back and I love her too much to let that happen," explained Clark.

"So how'd she take the whole 'E.T…phone home' thing?" asked Chloe.

"I'm not sure yet. I was hoping she would've called by now."

The phone on Chloe's desk rang. Clark looked anxious as Chloe picked it up.

"Hello?" answered Chloe, and she smiled. "No, this isn't Mr. Foo's Noodle House. Sorry."

Clark's face fell as Chloe hung up and turned to him.

"Clark, if Lana cares about you as much as I know she does, I seriously doubt anything's going to change."

"One thing might. I haven't got my answer yet…I asked her to marry me."

"Wow…" said Chloe, stunned. "Well, that one wasn't on the Doppler; not even a blip!"

"I know what you're going to say," said Clark. "That we're too young, that there's a reason I hadn't told her before, that there's too much at stake—"

"That's funny," Chloe interrupted, "because what I was actually going to say is…there are very few people out there who know what they want…and are willing to risk everything for it. If anyone deserves to be happy, Clark, it's you."

Clark walked down the front steps of the house as he saw Lana drive up. She got out of the car.

"I thought I'd see you tonight," said Clark.

"I know, but then there'd be all those people," Lana told him as she stopped in front of him.

"Do I look different to you now?" Clark asked.

"Clark, you look like the same handsome guy I've always known."

"Handsome as in 'I wanna spend the rest of my life with you,' or handsome as in 'I'm gonna let you down easy'?"

Lana smiled. "As in…yes, Clark…I'll marry you."

Clark smiled as Lana took the ring out and held it up. Clark took the ring and gently placed it on Lana's ring finger. Clark held Lana's hand as they looked at the ring. Lana laughed as Clark wrapped his arms around her, and picked her up. He spun her around as she laughed some more.

Lana looked up at Clark's face as he wrapped his arms around her. They were sitting on the sofa in his loft, and Lana had the engagement ring on her finger.

"So, is there anything else about you I don't know?" asked Lana. "I mean, I know about your strength, and, uh…heat vision, and your ability to fly—"

"I can't fly," said Clark.

Lana looked puzzled. "But…what about…" She pictured in her mind the moment when he had flown up to a plateau in his Fortress.

"That wasn't flying," Clark explained. "That was just jumping really high…which falls under strength."

"Okay, well, I know about those two powers, and that you were born on Krypton, but…I still don't know…how did you get here?"

Clark paused for a moment, thinking about how to phrase his words. "Well, Chloe and Lex were right…the two meteor showers are connected. In this meteor shower, a big ship came carrying two adult Kryptonians. In the first meteor shower, another ship came, but it was much smaller with only room for one little boy."

"You," supplied Lana. "The…" Lana racked her brains to think of the term Lionel had used, "Disciples of Zod…they were looking for…"

"Yeah," said Clark. "I'm Kal-El."

"How did you find out who you were?"

"Remember when Dr. Swann tried to contact me?"

"Yeah."

"His satellites received a message from the stars on the day of the meteor shower. Ever since, he'd been looking for me. Then he saw the symbol I burned into the barn."

"With your heat vision, right?" asked Lana. Clark nodded. "So, when Chloe was talking about alien barn scorching…she wasn't too far off, was she?"

They shared a laugh at that.

"What happened next?" asked Lana.

"I met with him. He showed me the message he had recovered. It said: 'This is Kal-El of Krypton; our infant son…our only hope…Please protect him and deliver him from evil.' At first, I was reluctant to cooperate, thinking he would expose me. But then, he showed me another Kryptonian message. It said, 'We will be with you, Kal-El, all the days of your life.'"

"Kryptonian…the language on your home planet."

"It's really just a bunch of symbols."

The dots connected in Lana's head. "The symbols on the cave wall…it's all Kryptonian?"

"Yes," answered Clark.

"So…what else can you do?" asked Lana. "Do you have any more powers?"

"Well, I can run faster than the speed of light, I can see through solid objects, I can hear at incredibly long distances, and I'm pretty much invulnerable."

"Invulnerable?"

"Yeah, you could swing a steel girder at my arm, and I wouldn't so much as bruise. I can walk right through a blazing furnace without even getting a sunburn. I can't tell you how many times I've been shot."

"You said 'pretty much invulnerable.'"

"The only thing that can hurt me is—"

"The meteor rocks," Lana said without hesitation. Clark looked at her strangely. "It's kind of obvious. You came with the meteor shower. And, also, Lionel told me."

"Yeah, and those are only the green rocks. The green meteors are the ones that can hurt me…even kill me. Remember Chloe's story about the rocks in the class rings?"

"Red meteor rock?"

"They affect me emotionally. It takes away my inhibitions and I can become dangerous."

"That explains your behavior in sophomore year. We had just gotten our rings that week."

"I started a bar fight, and almost killed Jessie."

"You started a bar fight?" Lana asked, surprised.

"It was after you left," explained Clark.

"You had your class ring on in Metropolis. Is that why you ran away?"

"No, that only made me dangerous."

"So, there's only red and green kryptonite?"

"Well, there's also black. We're not sure what it does, but at the beginning of senior year, I was possessed by Kal-El."

"Aren't you Kal-El?"

"Well, I am, but in this instance, Kal-El was an instrument of my biological father," Clark explained. "My mom used black kryptonite to separate the two of us so I could get rid of him. It's also what split Lex into two people."

"Well," said Lana. "That's interesting." She paused. "What time is it?"

"It's almost six," said Clark. They stopped and looked at each other. "We're late."

Clark and Lana walked into the Talon to applause. Clark expected to see some cameras going off, but there wasn't a reporter in sight. Lana gave Clark her jacket, and he hung it up at the door. They walked in and found their friends.

"Hey," said Chloe.

"Hope you guys don't mind, but I got the sheriff to keep the press out," said Lois.

"No, that's great," said Clark, relieved.

"Yeah, that's the last thing we need," said Lana. "Tonight's our night off."

"Well, enjoy the party!" said Pete.

Clark's parents approached them.

"Mom…" said Clark. "Dad…"

Lana put her hand on Clark's chest. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I know that this is as much of a surprise for you as it is for me."

"Lana, we couldn't imagine Clark spending the rest of his life with anyone but you," Jonathan told her. He looked at Martha, and then hugged Lana. "We just hope you have as many happy years as we have."

The four of them smiled as Clark's parents admired the ring.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Lois, confused.

"Yeah," said Clark. He picked up a glass, and held it up. "Can I have everyone's attention?"

The room slowly died down as the people turned towards Clark.

"I thought I'd let you know that this morning, the beautiful Lana Lang…has agreed to marry me," Clark announced as everyone cheered. Clark wrapped his arm around Lana, and they kissed.

"Who would've thought?" said Lois. "So, when's the big day?"

Clark hadn't thought about it. Did Lana want to get married before the baby came or after?

"Christmas Eve," said Lana. Clark looked at her as she smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" asked Lois. "That's next week."

"We're sure," said Clark, hugging Lana close.

"Okay, but you better get a move on," said Lois as she walked away.

"It shouldn't be too hard," said Clark. "I mean, I can get most of the work done in between chores and dinner."

Lana gave him a look. Clark looked at Chloe and Pete, and back at Lana. "They know."

"Oh," said Lana. She smiled at Pete and Chloe.

"The happy couple," said someone behind them. They turned to see Lex coming towards them. "I never thought that the two of you would be tying the knot."

"Well…" said Lana. "It was time."

Lex smiled. "That's great. I'm happy for you two."

He came forward and hugged Clark. He backed away as Clark placed a hand on his shoulder.

"And I'd like you to be the best man," Clark told him.

Lex smiled. "I'd be honored. I'll see you around."

He walked away as Clark turned to Pete.

"And I'd like you to be one of the ushers," said Clark.

Pete smiled. "Sure, man."

"I hope you don't mind that I chose Lex," Clark said.

"No, Clark," said Pete. "It's alright."

"There he is!" said a man as he walked up. Clark looked at him. "Would you mind coming and meeting my friend?"

"Sure," said Clark. He looked at Lana. "This could take a while."

"Go mingle," said Lana. They kissed, and Clark walked away.

"Well, looks like Clark's got his half all figured out," said Lana. She took Chloe's hand in hers. "Chloe, I wanted you to be my maid of honor."

"Wow…" said Chloe. "Yeah, sure; I'd love to."

They hugged as Lois walked up.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I'm the maid of honor," Chloe told her.

"Congratulations," Lois said, smiling.

"And you're going to be a bridesmaid," said Lana.

"As long as I don't have to wear pink," said Lois, hugging Lana.

"Okay, I gotta track down Mr. Kent," said Lana.

She made her way through the crowd and finally ran into him.

"Mr. Kent, could I talk to you?" asked Lana.

"Sure," he said. They made it to a quiet corner. "What is it?"

"Well, as you know, my father isn't exactly around, and Henry Small was never much of a father to me," said Lana. "I would like you to be the one to give me away."

Jonathan stood there, speechless. "I'd be honored to give you away, Lana." She smiled. "Why don't you get back to the party?"