Coda

Excelsior

It had been raining all morning. The dark, grey clouds seemed to affect the mood of the entire city. Zatanna stood gazing out the window of her hotel room just watching it rain. The car would be there shortly to take her to the airport. This used to be one of her favorite times, finishing in one town and moving on to the next. That wasn't the case today. Today it felt hollow. It had been two weeks since the final confrontation with Nathan and she was still turning those events over and over in her mind. Mostly, she thought about Clark. It was a bitter irony that in trying so desperately to protect him, she had made the mistake that hurt him. Each night since then, as she rode back to her hotel, she would gaze up at his apartment window from the taxi. Every time she was so close to telling the drive to stop, but the words never seemed to come. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she was afraid. Afraid the damage had already been done and her one mistake was too much for them to overcome. How could she face him after hurting him so badly? It didn't stop her, though from looking for him in crowds, wishing he would just appear so she could rush into his arms and confess how afraid she was and that she was in love with him. As hard as she looked, he was never there.

The other thing that had been on her mind was the nightmare she experienced during the confrontation with Nathan. It was the same one she'd had earlier, yet somehow it seemed her deceased parents had come to her aid. They had pulled her from that nightmare, but part of Zee thought they were trying to give her a message or a warning. Their words seemed to haunt her, yet she wasn't sure what they were trying to tell her.

"You must take the next step in life or be trapped forever in fear." That was what her mother had said, but Zee didn't know what that next step was. It was all so confusing and unsettling to her. The soft knock on the door made her turn from the window.

"It's open."

Carmen opened the door and stepped inside.

"Your car's here, Zee," she said.

"Thank you, Carmen, for everything," Zatanna replied, embracing the young woman. The two of them stood there for a moment hugging each other. There were tears in both their eyes.

"That's what friends are for, Zee." Carmen whispered to her.

Los Angeles

Wally stood nervously in the wings waiting to be introduced. It was a national talk show and the first step in his plan to use the media to his advantage. Visions of parties at the Playboy mansion, judging the Miss Universe pageant, maybe even a reality show called Hero of Love, danced through his head. It promised to be an amazing year for him. Standing at his side, dressed in civilian cloths and looking extremely unhappy, was Shayera.

"I don't know how you talked me into this after that photo Dinah took made its rounds," she grumbled. "Why am I here again?"

"Presentation, Shayera," Wally explained. "I'm going for an image here."

"And that is?"

"Debonair playboy/hero."

"You are delusional, you know that?"

"Just work with me here." He pleaded with her.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"You're arm candy," Wally explained. In the next moment, Shayera's hand was around his throat. There was fire in her eyes and a growl came from her throat.

"That's why you wanted me here?!" She exclaimed, the anger rising within her by the moment. "You're exploiting me!"

"No! NO! Yes. Well, not like you think, I swear," he hastily explained as she lifted him off the ground. "I just needed to be seen with a beautiful woman, so I naturally thought of you."

This caught Shayera completely off guard. She lowered him back to the floor and eased her grip on his throat.

"Wh-what," she stammered to say.

"Well, I figure if people see me with you, they'll think, wow, look at the smoking hot babe he's with. He must have it going on."

"Why-Why me," Shayera asked, releasing her grip on him. She found herself flustered by what he was saying and not sure exactly why.

"Well, we're friends, right?"

"I suppose." she admitted.

"If I can't ask my hottest female friend for a little help, who can I ask?"

Before she could respond, the announcer introduced Wally.

"Let's get the Year of Wally underway," he said with a big grin. "Thanks again for helping me, Shayera."

He leaned in quickly and kissed her on the cheek, before strutting out to the applause of the crowd. Shayera stood there, mouth open in shock. She raised her hand to touch her cheek where he'd kissed her, as she watched him milk the crowd before sitting down. In her mind she absently thought, I'm either going to kill him or…no, she quickly told herself, don't go there. Her face reddened and she quickly looked around to make sure no one could see it.

Washington D.C.

Lois was just leaving the Senate office building after interviewing the latest Senator to be caught having an affair. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, she thought to herself. You can't shake a stick around here without hitting some politician playing grab ass with the help. As she made her way down the steps, there was a crowd gathered at the bottom. She pulled out her cell phone and was about to call in the headline for the story when someone shouted. "Look! Up in the sky!"
In that moment, Lois felt her heart skip a beat as she instantly looked up to the heavens.

"It's Green Lantern!" The voice continued. As the crowd gasp and marvel at Lantern, Lois couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. She'd come to Washington to get away from Superman, yet he was still on her mind. She was even now having trouble moving on. Part of her still thought they were destined to be together, soul mates. It's how their story should have ended, the fairy tale ending. As she turned her gaze back to the city around her, she knew this was real life. There wouldn't be any fairy tale endings for them. She would always love Clark and care for him deeply, but they'd missed their moment. Maybe in another time, or world or universe they would always be together, but not in this one.

Letting her eyes wander up to the sky, she felt a sense of regret. If they weren't meant to be, she would have to accept it, but after all they'd been through they'd never been together. She'd dreamed and fantasized about them together so many nights, but now she would never know what that would be like. Sadness filled her as she headed back to the office.

New York

Diana and Bruce sat across from each other in one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. Dinner had been wonderful. Their date had its stops and starts at the beginning. Bruce found himself slipping into the playboy persona that was second nature to him now. Diana immediately called him on it. Admitting it and apologizing, they slowly got comfortable with each other. Sitting across from her, Bruce had to acknowledge to himself just how breathtaking she was. It wasn't just her physical beauty that seemed to mesmerize him, but the whole package. She was still so innocent about so many things, yet there was wisdom too. Her bright, active mind was challenging to him. For a little while, he almost forgot who she really was. It was such a small thing that reminded him. During dinner, he'd reached over and taken her hand in his. They smiled at each other and he gave her hand a gently squeeze. He saw the color rise in her cheeks at this and it pleased him immensely that he could have this affect on her. It was when she returned his gesture, lightly squeezing his hand in return that he remembered. He managed not to wince as just a fraction of her strength threatened to crush his fingers. As casually as he could, Bruce pulled his hand away. Slipping it under the table he flexed his fingers, making sure nothing was broken.

Diana was having a wonderful time. After their initial awkwardness, they had settled into a comfort with each other. She found that when he was being his real self, Bruce was charming and fascinating. They discussed and debated several topics over dinner. She found his keen mind very alluring. He was certainly handsome, she couldn't deny. When he reached over and took her hand in his, Diana remembered that Kal had said her future dates would show little signs of interest. While his gentle squeeze of her hand barely registered, it was the look in his eyes that caused her to blush. She automatically returned his gesture before realizing she'd used too much strength. She saw him try and hide it, but Diana chastised herself for not being careful. With anyone but Kal, she always had to mindful of hurting them.

Neither mentioned it during the rest of their date. After dinner, they went dancing. Bruce was a much more polished dancer than Kal, but Diana found she couldn't help but compare the two men. They were both attractive to her, but in such different ways. While both were handsome and could be charming, their very appeal was so different. It was almost a mental versus a physical attraction. Later, when Bruce kissed her good night, Diana had to admit to feeling a little excited. Her attraction to Bruce had only grown during their evening together. As she made her way to her quarters on the Tower, her mind continued to think about the evening. Bruce had been everything she'd hoped he would be, charming, intelligent and captivating. Slipping out of the formal dress she'd worn, Diana's mind seemed to linger on their kiss. She was far from an expert on kissing, but she believed it was a good kiss. The one small thing that confused her was while she knew and understood the emotions behind it, she hadn't truly felt them. It was pleasurable to be sure, but it hadn't taken her breath away like the kiss with Kal had. Why would a kiss given out of obligation feel so much more intoxicating than one give out of desire? Being so new to the Man's world, she had to admit there were still many things that were confusing for her. When she climbed into bed, her mind seemed to go back and forth between the two experiences. As she was drifting off to sleep, her arms absently reached out and pulled the stuffed pink elephant to her. Cuddling against it, Diana had a smile on her face as sleep overtook her.

Metropolis

Lex Luthor was in an excellent mood. His campaign was exceeding his expectations. As he walked into the offices of his consultant Grace, he was surprised to see everything boxed up.

"Hello?" He called out, wondering what the hell was going on. One of the inner doors opened and Grace stepped out. Lex's eyes went wide when he saw her. Gone was the conservative clothes, the hair in a tight bun and the glasses. Standing there, she was transformed into an incredibly attractive woman.

"Grace," Lex said, not quite believing his eyes. As she turned to face him, her red locks cascaded down around her shoulders. Her emerald eyes locked on to him and there was a smile on her face.

"Hello, Lex," she replied.

"What's all this," he said, gesturing to the boxes. "And what's with you?"

"Oh, I'm leaving, Lex, so I no longer need to put on that disguise."

"Disguise? Why would you play down your looks like that? You're a gorgeous woman, Grace," he asked.

"It served its purpose." She smiled. "Was there something you wanted?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I had some new ideas to increase the pressure on Superman and the other heroes I wanted to give you." He seemed to take in her startling transformation and then a smile came to his face. "I have to say I like this new look, Grace. Maybe you should get out in front of the camera instead of always staying in the shadows."

"That wouldn't be a good idea. It would ruin everything I'm trying to do here, Lex," she countered, moving over to load another box.

"Why?"

"Superman, Kal-El and I already know each other quite well. He would have seen through this little scheme,' she said to him.

"You know Superman?"

"Intimately." She smiled.

"Intimately? Well that certainly sounds interesting," Lex said. "You'll have to tell me that story some time. Look, right now, I want you to get started on these new ideas."

"I told you I'm leaving, Lex," she replied.

"You can't just walk out, honey, you work for me, remember," he replied.

"Actually, I don't and never have, Lex."

"What are you talking about? I paid you. We have an agreement!" Lex said, his temper flashing.

"Our agreement was that I would help you, which I have. As for the money, it was of little importance to me, but you only value what you can buy," she said to him.

"Now look, if this is some game to bump up your asking price, it isn't going to work," he replied.

"You humans are so predictable, Lex." Grace chuckled and shook her head.

"We humans? What are you a Martian or something? Snap out of it, sweetheart, you about to lose your biggest client," Lex forcefully told her.

"I told you, Lex, I don't work for you," Grace said, turning to face him. "I, like all on Apokolips, serve only one master, Lord Darkseid."

"Darkseid," Lex said, in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm from Apokolips, Lex, it's my home. I lived among the Lowlies at my master's behest. Among them I was known as Amazing Grace. This was my chance to redeem myself for a past failure with Kal-El. Lord Darkseid is pleased and has magnanimously allowed me to return home."

"What the hell? What does any of this have to do with my project," Lex asked.

"Your arrogance is astonishing, Lex. You truly believe this was your idea and project? You should be happy you were allowed to benefit."

"Now hold on a minute, lady," Lex said, grabbing her arm. Grace whirled on him and in one swift motion, picked him off the ground and slammed him against the wall. She let him go and he slid down the wall to the floor. Lex looked up at her in disbelief.

"Consider yourself lucky, human," she coldly said to him. He could do nothing as she turned and opened a boom tube and then disappeared.

Antarctica

Zod hung in the air twenty thousand feet up. The cold sterile landscape below so reminded him of Krypton, his home world. It had been two weeks since his revenge on Nathan, but it felt like a hollow victory. He had killed Nathan, but lost so much in the process. Watching Morgaine walk away from him had turned the taste of triumph into ash in his mouth. Even the thought of revenge on Kal-El had lost its appeal. Zod had slipped away in the aftermath. Now hovering above the bitter inhospitable terrain, his mind seemed to wander back to those weeks spent in the sun and warm along the Mediterranean coast. He'd begun to consider ordinary things, family, a home, but that was gone now. Like the cold world he came from, his heart had hardened over. There would be no happiness found on this world. Taking another look, Zod turned his eyes upward towards the stars. Perhaps his destiny lay out there somewhere. As he began to rise through the atmosphere, he took one last look at Earth and for a brief moment, wondered what might have been.

Smallville

It had been a difficult week and a half for Martha Kent. Her condition worsened and she found even the slightest thing robbed her of her breath. Clark had been constantly around the whole time. She could see the worry on his face, but noticed there was something else too, a deep sadness. She hadn't wanted to press him, but hoped it wasn't something to do with him and Zatanna. She'd come to like the young woman immensely and thought they made a wonderful couple. Seeing them together, Martha couldn't help wonder if wedding bells might be in the future for her boy. It worried her that he hadn't mentioned Zatanna once in the whole time he was in Smallville. She prayed things would work out for them.

The doctor had adjusted her medication again and Martha began to feel better. Her breathing improved and put less strain on her heart. This morning she'd felt so much better she'd shooed Clark out of the house. He was reluctant to leave her. She had insisted and finally he'd agreed to head back to Metropolis to check on things. With him out from under foot, Martha tried to get back to her routine. It was a beautiful day so she decided to head over to the farmer's market for some fresh fruit for canning and pies. The county fair was coming up and she had an idea for capturing the blue ribbon in baking contest again.

It felt good to be out. As she moved through the aisles, she stopped and chatted with neighbors, catching up on all the gossip. With a keen eye, she took extra special care to pick only the best fruit. As she examined the peaches, testing them for firmness, she suddenly felt a blinding pain in her head. It felt as if it would go away, but then another stronger pain hit her. Everything seemed to flash white before her eyes, as she clutched desperately to the shelf. Looking around frantically, she tried to speak but no words came out. No one seemed to have noticed what was happening to her. The world began to spin around her. As she took a step, another pain shot through her brain and Martha collapsed to the ground. Her hand had been clutching the peach basket and as she felt they tumbled off the shelf and bounced to the floor.

Others at the market turned to see Martha collapse. Everyone rushed over to her, several calling 911.

Metropolis Airport - Inside

Last boarding call had been announced, yet Zatanna still stood in the terminal. She held her carryon bag, not wanting to leave just yet. Her eyes roamed over everything, hoping he would be there. Somehow how in her mind she felt he would.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but you're either going to have to board now or miss the plane." An airline employee said to her.

"Just another minute, please." Zee pleaded with the woman.

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to make a decision, Miss," the woman responded. Zee looked at her and then scanned the crowd one last time. He wasn't there. A tear rolled down her check as she allowed the woman to usher her to the gate and onto the plane. Zatanna's heart broke all over again as she watched the plane door closed behind her.

Metropolis Airport – Outside

Clark stood in the rain unsure how he'd even gotten here. He'd been thinking of Zee all day and just found himself walking. He knew her plane was leaving today. Since she'd ended things, he'd been going over and over all of it in his mind. It still didn't make sense. He was in love with her and still believed she was in love with him. Was it all a lie? Clark couldn't accept that. It had to be something else. For the past two weeks, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. He had to see her, even if it was just once more. Part of him was afraid that she would turn away from him again, but he wasn't going to let his fear rule his life. If she rejected him, he knew his heart would break wide open, but he had to look into her eyes and hear her say the words for it to be real. He could walk away then, if that's what she wanted. Quickening his pace, he desperately hoped that wasn't what she wanted. He could see planes moving towards the runway to take off, but he didn't stop. Just as he reached the edge of the parking lot, his cell phone went off. He resisted answering but it might be important.

"Hello?"

"It was the hospital in Smallville telling him the news about his mother. She was gone. The world seemed to go out of focus for Clark. The cell phone slipped from his fingers and smashed against the ground. Grief like he'd never imagined consumed him. Clark's body seemed to collapse in on itself. He fell to his knees as the anguish overtook him. Tears rolled down his face mixing with the raindrops. Knelling on the hard asphalt, his body shuddered with emotion. He leaned his head back and let out a primal scream of sadness, but it was overwhelmed by the sound of a jet taking off overhead. Clark was lost.

He was in the abyss.

A/N: For those that read it, thank you. For those that read and reviewed it, a very special thank you. I did read and appreciate all the comments.