To Start Again

Rated T

[Rating May change and is currently only there because people curse.]

Summary: If Clark Kent could go back and change everything, what would happen? Warnings: Contains slash and het pairings (clex, centric) Complete AU with major spoilers for season one and some for the whole series up to season six (ish).

Disclaimer: If they were mine, there would be less shirts seen through-out and Clark would always be drugged on Red K. They are not mine however and so the shirts have to stay and the Red K is far removed.

Chapter One: Jor-El's Gift aka: Clark makes a wish and Jor-El helps his son.

He wanted the pain to end. He wanted to forget the feel of blood on his hands, the horror. The image of Lex's face, filled with betrayal and grief and shock was burned into his retinas. There had been blood, so much blood. Lana's broken body, dark hair less twisted than her limbs. The shards of glass glinting in the flashing lights of a police cruiser as its siren wailed and the bus full of cheerleaders murmured in shocked gasps.

Clark couldn't hear the words that Jonathan said, didn't feel the arms that held him. Lana was dead. Lana was dead because she knew his secret. It was his fault. She hadn't deserved this. She didn't deserve this.

Before he knew it, Clark was in Jor-El's fortress. Cold, white Kryptonite surrounding him, and for a moment he stood still, gasping and trying to form words past the lump in his throat and the pain in his chest.

"She didn't deserve this!!" Clark screamed voice hoarse with grief and anger.

"Human life is fragile, my son." Jor-El said. "You knew a life would be exchanged for yours."

Clark shouted out, voice thick with guilt. "Don't make her pay for my mistake!" he paused, and then continued bitterly, "If I hadn't told her the truth she'd still be alive!

"You have to let me fix this." Clark's voice was edged with desperation.

"Your powers on earth may seem extraordinary; Kal-El, but we are not gods." Jor-El admonished.

Clark shook his head, unwilling to believe he could do nothing. "This was not our destiny! And you know that!"

Tears rolled down Clark's face as he waited. He hoped against all logic that Jor-El had some way in which he could be allowed to fix the mess his life was in right now. Jor-El had to help him.

It almost seemed as if Jor-El was hesitating, calculating before he responded. "There is one trial you have yet to experience. But you must heed my warning. The tide of fate is impossible to stop. Even is you are able to alter one course of events, the universe will find a balance. There is but one crystal."

From a group of crystals in front of Clark, a single length of crystal slides out and hovers before him, revolving slowly. Clark looks at it carefully, is changing everything really this simple?

"Decide carefully, my son." Jor-El cautioned.

Clark spared hardly a thought. "I have to fix this."

Reaching out, Clark grasped the crystal. Staring at as it began to glow; he thought 'I'll fix all of this.' The crystal flashed with a brilliant white light.

(**)HUGS(**)

When Clark next opened his eyes, he was sitting in-front of his old computer, staring at an online news paper heading; "Records Galore! Record breaking teen becomes fastest man alive."

Staring bewildered at the screen, Clark tried to think what had happened. Jor-El had said that the crystal would allow him to alter one course of events- did that mean he had some-how gone back in time?!

Clark started as he heard his mom yell up the stairs. "Clark Kent, you're going to be late for the bus!"

Habit won over confusion and Clark yelled back, "Coming, Mom!"

Swiftly Clark shutdown the computer and grabbed his backpack. Moving down the stairs, he pauses at the bottom. What was he doing! He didn't know what was going on! At the very least he needed to find out when it was.

"What year is it?" Clark asked, trying to keep the strain from his voice.

"Oh, Clark, I understand that your freshman year must be hard, but it just started. You just have to hang in there." His mother smiled warmly. Encouragement in her eyes before she moved out of sight.

Clark's eyes widened. His freshman year- that meant it was 2001, he'd gone back four years. Lex didn't know who he was yet. Pete's parents were still together and neither he nor Chloe knew Clark's secret. Whitney Fordman hadn't left to be a marine; he was still alive and dating Lana. Lana who had yet to hear two intelligent words from him was still alive. Along with countless others that still lived. Ryan was alive. Lois and he had never met. In a sense, nothing had happened. His parents hadn't even told him that he was an alien. Nothing had gone wrong yet.

"You alright Clark?" his dad asked him, coming in the house from doing chores and taking off his flannel jacket.

Clark blinked, than a grin stole across his face. "I'm great!"

Alright people: this is the first chapter of my first (published) fic. I pray, be kind. Feedback would be much appreciated.