Yuletide Service

DJ Dubois

November-December 2024

Notes Part 1: This story takes place right after "Whisper".

Notes Part 2: Smallville belongs to DC and the CW. Other characters are mine. Please send comments to .

Chapter 1 [Smallville High—Second Week of December]

Overcast's steel-gray clouds hung low in the sky. Chill gusts swayed bare branches and yellow grasses. Flurries danced in the air. Smallville's residents rushed from place to place. Errands and appointments added hustle to their steps. Talon's coffee and treats eased Nerves' jitters after that.

Some, however, well they had to clear the hurdles first….

Clark stared into his locker. Mrs. Kowalski's latest science class numbed his brain. His eyes still adjusted to newly restored sight. His index finger ran down the books' spines therein. His heart ached. Regret stabbed at his chest.

Lana….

He shook his head. "Why? She just wanted to help me." His mind ran over the previous seven months. Wish finally seemed to come true. Lana and he drew closer together. Birthday Candles fulfilled Childhood's desire. Horseback ride and picnic filled an afternoon. Toast at Lex's rehearsal dinner affirmed shared beliefs. Memoria reminded him of her on Loft's stairs just prior to Lex's wedding. Care and Dress resembled Princess' more than Barista's or Schoolgirl's…

…but then she'd always been more than that to him…

Disaster, Desperation and Threats sank that ship however. Jor-El pushed the Kryptonian agenda. Lionel, Morgan Edge and Vann loomed as threats. Close calls with Vann and Sara's Uncle Christopher risked Lana's safety. She'd pulled away following their investigation of Louise and Jor-El. Suspicions pressed at him for more. His blindness opened Opportunity's door anew. She'd reached out to him.

Instinct and Jonathan's paranoia pushed them apart again.

How can I love someone if I can't tell them the truth? He bowed his head. He grabbed for his English and Math books. He knew the next day's assignments awaited his attention at home. "Guess I deserve that."

"You deserve what, Mr. Kent?"

Clark stiffened. Great. Now him too? He sucked in a deep composing breath. "Mr. Reynolds?" He turned to face the hulking principal. Somehow, his mouth settled back into a noncommittal expression again. "Sorry. I was just thinking about something with my parents. I wasn't ignoring you."

Reynolds' eyebrow raised at that excuse. "I never said you were, Mr. Kent. In fact, I'd commend you on the last week. Blindness is not something to be taken lightly. Most need time to reacquaint themselves with everything. You, on the other hand, have caught up to the other students. I have my concerns though."

"Concerns?" Clark studied Reynolds' face. Nerves' butterflies beat around in his stomach. "I've been trying to balance everything." He offered a shrug to further sell that notion.

"Yes. I can see that. Mr. Kent, you're doing most of what I can expect. The question is are you being fair to yourself?" Reynolds cleared his throat. "What is that you want? Remember why I had you write that essay last year? That was to prompt some assessment toward your future. There is a concerning matter for the moment, however." He looked Clark over again. "Your service requirements remain as they were since freshman year."

This? NOW? Clark squirmed. The retirement home visitation program fulfilled most of the Smallville High service requirement. Cassandra Carver's visions and the overall situation there caused him to drop the program prematurely. "Mr. Reynolds, it's only one credit. I am looking around."

Reynolds nodded. "We have discussed this before, Mr. Kent." His eyes pierced Clark's. Intention and Message remained crystal clear. He'd cut through the evasions. "There are options and opportunities. I'd like you to find one that benefits you."

Clark scratched his head. He glanced about the empty hall. "Benefits…me?" Jonathan's lectures about Responsibility's mantle and his abilities echoed through his mind. "I thought service is what I give to others?"

A slight smile cracked through Reynolds' serious expression. Hope eased his tone ever so slightly although not completely. (This is Reynolds after all, Gentle Reader.) "That is the primary goal. We should always seek to serve others. There is room for personal growth…for self-discovery. Consider your time with Mrs. Carver. I've read the assessment from the home. She offered you insight. Did she not? There are other sources."

Other sources? What other sources are out there? Clark ruminated through that concept's various aspects and potential outcomes. Mom and Dad want me to be more careful. More self-exploration? Dad'll love that! Memoria reminded him about his previous ancestral research. Swann's contact opened his eyes to Krypton and its heritage. Jor-El had rocked his world and disrupted everything. Desperation pushed him into overreaction. Lex's pleas for help at Edge's house stabbed at his heart. Lana's pain and tears echoed across his consciousness once more.

…Lana….

Sure. I keep exploring and come up with some new service requirement deal. Maybe I can hurt someone else by being stupid? Mom and Dad will never let me open up to anyone anyway. It'll happen when it's time Dad says. Yeah? When's that? When I'm on Social Security? I can't keep hurting Lana. It's not fair. Clark sank into Despair's quicksand. Nothing around him mattered.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. He bowed his head. An unintended whisper creaked into the air. "And what if that discovery hurts others?"

Reynolds stiffened. His mouth twisted into a frown. "Hurts, Mr. Kent?" Concern forced (yet another) reassessment. Previous summer's flyer concerning Clark's missing status came to mind. Questions bubbled up in his mind. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry, Mr. Reynolds. It's nothing." Clark closed his locker. The slipped whisper let more out than he'd wanted or intended. Fortunately, he noticed nobody else in the hallway. "Dad's expecting me at home. Have a good night, Sir." His eyes met Reynolds'. Then he hustled (at human pace) down the hall and toward the door. He wanted to…no needed to…get away before anything else happened.

Reynolds watched Clark leave. Challenges pushed at Clark. Hope held that the essay would've pushed Clark in a firmer direction. Yes, grades, activities and attendance improved. Direction, however, remained stagnant. Moreover, Depression and Guilt weighed on Clark clearly to him. What is going on? He started toward his office. A certain call remained to be made. Answers would be found.

Pursuit would gain such things….