A Summer in Love

Summary: Two lone souls running from their pasts. One wants to be free. Another wants to escape. They meet in the most unexpected way, and find solace in each other, but how long can that happiness last?

Rating: Mostly T, but M for later chapters

Pairing: Clark and Lois (Obviously)

Setting: This takes place during the summer between season two and three. There will be time jumps later.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! But I wish I did

Prologue

May 31st, 2003

It was a warm and beautiful summer night in the center of the mid-western state.

The moon shined brightly in the night sky, cascading over the small-town of Kansas. The farm animals were resting, soundlessly in the darkness that surrounded them. The cool breeze brushed throughout the trees and cornfields.

It was a clear night, like so many other nights.

There wasn't a single cloud in sight, and it seemed to be just a normal night in Smallville.

It wasn't.

The ambience in one household was anything but normal.

Miles and miles away from the town square, there was a yellow farmhouse that was clouded in utter darkness. What was once a happy, loving and high-spirited household was now filled with nothing—nothing, but the pain, guilt and sadness of one loving couple.

A husband and wife were in complete and utter turmoil.

They were grieving for the life they lost so suddenly, but most of all, they were grieving for their only son—their son, who was now gone—gone from their lives, and they just wanted him to come home.

They were sheathed in darkness, as they sat on the kitchen floor, drowning in their sorrows.

Jonathan held his trembling wife in his arms, as he cradled her body into his chest, and whispered soothing words in her ear, but deep inside he knew that everything he was saying was going on deaf ears.

She had lost hope.

He knew that, but he wouldn't believe it.

Not for a second.

He softly, kissed her forehead. "It's going to be okay, Martha."

"No. No, it's not. J-Jonathan, our boy-our baby boy is gone. He left. Why? Why did he do this? Why did he leave?" Her words barely croaked out, her voice filled with so much pain, as she spoke into his chest.

Jonathan breathed deeply, in and out, in and out, as he felt the burning sensation slowly building behind his eyes, but willed himself not to let the tears fall.

His wife needed him.

He had to be strong for her, for their son and for himself.

"He will come home," he spoke with such confidence, way more than he was actually feeling inside.

Martha heard the conviction in his voice before slightly pulling away from him, and gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. "How do you know?"

He swallowed, roughly at the expression that was plastered across her face, and he honestly didn't know how to answer that question.

He didn't know, but he believed, and that was the only thing that was keeping him together. "I don't know. I believe our son will come home. He will, Martha."

She shook her head from side to side, vehemently with tears pouring down her cheeks." No. He won't. He blames himself, Jonathan. Why would he ever come back?"

He remained silent.

Whatever he told her would only fall on deaf ears, and he didn't know how to soothe her.

He wanted to be there for her, but, how could he?

He didn't know where he was, what he was doing, or if he was even okay.

As the night rolled on, Martha fell asleep in his arms, and he carried her to their bed before staring down at his beautiful wife.

This was so hard for her. Not only did they lose their unborn child, but they also lost their only son, who blamed himself for everything that had happened, and as much as he wanted to drown in his own self-pity, he knew that she needed him to be strong.

And that's exactly what he intended on doing.

"He will come home," he whispered before walking out of the room.

As he sat on the couch in the living room with his head in his hands, and eyes closed, he couldn't think of anything other than that horrendous day.

The day his son left.

Their final words to each other ringing, loudly in his ears…

He was visiting his wife at the Smallville Medical Center when Clark showed up.

"How is she?"

"Doctors don't know yet. What did you do, Clark?"

"I stole Lionel' Kryptonite key and put it in the ship."

"And why did you do that?"

"Dad, I lied about the voice. It did come back. It told me that I had to leave by noon. I didn't have a choice, dad. I had to destroy the ship."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I knew you wouldn't agree with what I did. Dad, I didn't want it to take me away from you. I'm so sorry for what I did."

"Your actions have consequences, Clark! Didn't your mother and I ever teach you that?"

"Yes, but—"

"There's no time for excuses, Clark!" Jonathan interrupted his troubled son. "It's too late. You didn't think this thing through! You had no idea what was going to happen, and now—now your mother is lying in a hospital bed!"

He heard as his son tried to explain—tried to make him understand—tried to say anything that would have helped, but he couldn't listen. Instead of hearing him out, he turned away from him, going back to his wife, and slammed the door behind him without looking back.

If he would have looked back, he would have seen the hurt expression that was plastered across his face—he would have seen the pain and guilt that consumed his son, but he didn't, and without knowing it he lost his son that day.

Jonathan shook his head from side to side, not able to stop the tears from falling down his cheeks.

It was his fault.

His son left because he was so wrapped up in his own grief and anger that he couldn't see that his son was hurt—was in pain—was blaming himself.

And it was all his fault.

He slumped against the couch cushions, and stared up at the ceiling, his mind repeating the same thing over and over again.

Please. Please, come home son.

Pete pulled up to the Kent farmhouse, stopping his red mustang directly outside of the barn, and quickly rushed inside before grabbing what he needed for his plan to work.

Over the past week, he had spent most if not all of his time searching for anything that could have helped him find his best friend, and what he found chilled him to the bone.

He knew.

As soon as he heard The Daily Planet article, he knew that he had to be on Red Kryptonite.

It was the only answer.

Of course, he had suspected that his friend was planning on using that red rock to take his pain and guilt away, but he never thought he would actually go through with it. At least not until he left town without saying a single word to anyone.

He slowly made his way out of the barn, and contemplated on telling Martha and Jonathan his plan since it did involve their son, but immediately decided against it. They were in so much already, and he didn't want to add to it, especially if he could manage to bring him home before the night was over.

He needed to do this alone.

It was better for everyone.

Pete was seconds away from getting into his truck, but the sound of Jonathan' voice ringing out from directly behind him made him stop. "Pete? What are you doing here?"

He slowly turned around towards him, and pocketed what he had stolen in the process. "I, um, I-I was looking for something that could help me find Clark."

Jonathan, who had wanted some fresh air, took a few steps towards the young man. "Did you find anything? We searched the whole loft, and found nothing amiss. Well, nothing except my motorcycle."

Obviously not everything, he thought to himself, knowing that Clark had Red Kryptonite on him.

At his silence, he continued, "Thank you, Pete. I know that you've been looking for him. Have you found anything? Anything that could help me find my son?"

There was a part of himself that knew that he deserved to know, but the other part of himself also knew that he couldn't risk it. He couldn't allow Clark to hurt anyone, especially his parents, but maybe just maybe he could give him a half truth. "I think-I think he's in Metropolis, sir."

Jonathan smiled, the first smile in a week. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go get my son."

He sighed, softly, knowing that he would have to tell him more than he wanted to. "We can't or you can't, but I want you to know that I'm going to bring him home."

"What do you mean I can't?"

"He's on Red Kryptonite."

His face turned pale white, his eyes widened to the size of saucers, like he was realizing something, and he darted into the barn before rushing up the wooden stairs towards the loft.

Pete followed him, and watched as he rummaged through Clark' drawers until he banged his fists down onto the table in utter frustration. "DAMMIT!"

"What is it?"

He slowly turned around towards him. "The class ring. It's gone."

A frown took over his features from his words. "Didn't we destroy that?"

"Yes, but Clark insisted on having it locked inside a box as a reminder that he was capable of doing things that he normally wouldn't do under the influence of that rock."

"Kind of like the way he keeps Green Kryptonite in that lead case to remind him that he isn't completely invulnerable."

In a way it made sense, he thought to himself, but at least he now knew how he got his hands on Red Kryptonite, and he also knew exactly what he needed to do to free his best friend from that rock.

"Are you going to Metropolis tonight?"

He nodded.

"I'm coming with you. It's time I bring my son home."

"No!" He shouted a little louder than necessary before lowering his voice, slightly. "No. I can't let you do that."

"Why the hell not? This is my son we're talking about! This is all my fault! If he's in Metropolis then I'm going with you, and dragging his ass back to Smallville!"

"I'm sorry, but that's not a good idea. You know better than anyone what he's like on red meteor rock. He will say things-do things that will hurt you, and I can't let that happen. I'm going to bring him home."

He seemed to be contemplating that for a few seconds before he shook his head from side to side. "No! What if he hurts you? I'm coming with you."

He stood taller, his tone holding absolutely no exceptions.

"He won't, sir. I know that he is your son, but I'm his best friend, and I need to do this. I knew. I knew he was behaving weird after…" he let the sentence finish itself before continuing, "I promise I won't leave Metropolis until I've found him."

Jonathan stared at the kid he has known for years—the kid that has been so supportive to Clark, and knew that he could do this before nodding his head in approval.

Pete started walking away, but stopped before taking a step down the loft stairs, and glanced over his shoulder at him. "I promise I'll bring your son home."

And with that he left the Kent farm.

As Pete drove down the darkened streets of Smallville, he wondered if he should have told Jonathan his plan, but shook his head from side to side as soon as he realized that he would have either tried to stop him or tried to come with him, and he couldn't have that.

This was the only way.

He accelerated his speed, as a new determination surged throughout his veins.

He was going to bring his best friend back to where he belongs.

Jonathan walked back into the farmhouse, and restarted the dying fire before sitting down on the couch.

A part of himself knew that Pete could do this, especially since he was the one person that Clark trusted above everyone else in his life, but the other part of himself couldn't help wondering if this was only going to drive him further away.

No, he told himself, his son would be coming home.

Hopefully, Pete managed to free him from the affects of the red meteor rock without getting hurt. Clark would never forgive himself if he hurt his best friend, and he would never forgive himself for allowing him to do this alone.

A heavy sigh escaped past his lips.

He still had hope.

He knew Martha didn't, but that would all change by tomorrow—tomorrow his son would be home, and they would deal with this as a family.

He stared into the roaring fire, and waited—waited for moment that his son would walk through that front door.

I know this was short, but I just wanted to show how Martha was feeling, like all hope is lost without her son, and how Jonathan blamed himself, but I especially wanted Pete to be the one that figured out Clark was on Red Kryptonite.

I hoped you enjoyed the prologue