Title: Kill Me or Kiss Me?

Author: CaptainTightPants12

Rating: K

Pairing: Clois, One-sided Clana (but not bashing)

Disclaimer: If I owned Smallville or it's characters, I'd be saving this for the spring and you'd be watching it on TV, not posting it here.

Summary: Lana returns to Metropolis wanting to rekindle things with Clark.

Author's Note: This is an excerpt of a much larger story I've been working on for a while and I thought it would be appropriate as we wonder if Lana might return for the final season, though her interview comments don't give me hope she will.

All you really need to know here is that Clark and Lois are currently in a fight, but it doesn't have to do with Lana returning. Clark has also become Superman at this point in time, so I guess it probably wouldn't take place during Season 10 (I think that might be the final line of the show, Lois calling him Superman as he flies away in the suit for the first time), but lets pretend it is. Also, Jimmy Olson is present, but it's not Chloe's Jimmy. Like I said, it's part of a longer story that would see Jimmy's young brother step into the iconic role of Jimmy Olson.

Clark always liked the Daily Planet at night.

It afforded him the cover of listening for a breaking story when he was actually waiting for trouble. Before their fight, Clark and Lois would spend most of their nights here. It was so peaceful. That all of course, was before Jimmy Olson came to the Daily Planet.

"You just have to take Lois by the shoulders and kiss her 'til she can't stand, CK. Women love that kind of thing, I saw 'the Notebook' with James and Chloe one time, girls swoon over that kind of thing. Swoon, CK, swoon," explained Jimmy.

The young intern had only been working there for a few weeks, but he had seemingly latched onto his big brother's friend 'CK' and Clark really couldn't find it in himself to send him away. He reminded him of his old friend too much. Clark would normally just smile and throw in the occasional chuckle before letting him ramble on about whatever little thing crossed his mind.

That was his plan before he looked up past Jimmy's shoulder. That was before he saw Lana Lang.

Somehow, someway, she had cured herself of the radiation that drove them apart. She didn't hesitate to come back looking for Clark. In fact, the only reason she cared to find a cure was so she could come back and live her life along side him as a crime-fighting team again.

She had shown up at the Daily Planet looking for him a few days ago. He honestly hadn't thought she'd ever return, but there she was. Her hair was a little longer, but it was the same Lana that ran out of his loft just a couple years ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago. And despite explaining that he was engaged to Lois, she didn't seem waver in her desire to get back together.

"Uh, Jimmy, do you think you could give me a minute?"

Jimmy's eyebrows shot up into his hanging orange hair before he turning to see 'Ms. Lang' as he referred to her. He knew his buddy was going to have to let her down. Ms. Lang sure was pretty, but Jimmy learned pretty quick who Clark Kent belonged to.

Jimmy leaned up from his chair and patted Clark on the shoulder before leaving. Clark stood nervously, trying to find a way to begin this conversation.

"Hi."

Clark ran his hand through his hair nervously, but quickly patted in back down. Apart from his trademark glasses, he knew keeping his hair down and shaggy was the most important part of his disguise at the Planet. No need for that trouble again, Lois liked to scold when he forgot his glasses or put his hands on his hips or when that curl didn't quite stay up with the rest of his hair. Truth is, Lois just likes the inevitable banter.

"Lana-"

"Clark, I want our life back. We can have everything we always wanted. I can help you be the hero you want to be," said Lana.

Something about that statement sparked something within Clark. A memory. A memory from a part of his past that seemed like a lifetime ago.

'She would never let me live this down if she heard this,' Clark thought with a smile.

"That's the thing, Lana. You're right. I did want that," Clark began.

"Did?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I wanted it, more than anything. Like a bike, a bike you couldn't quite afford. And you work and save up. But when that day comes and you finally crack open the piggybank to buy it, you realize you haven't been saving for a bike," he said.

Clark smirked, barley containing a chuckle.

"You've been saving for a Harley," he finished.

Lana looked at him confused. What do bikes and motorcycles have to do with this?

"I wanted that in a different life. Us? We never quite worked. When you looked at me, you were so focused on the secrets. You couldn't see me."

She shook her head.

"Clark, that's not true. And when you finally told me? We were so happy together."

"Even then, you saw the powers. You saw the Blur. Even now, you see me as Superman. I honestly can't blame you. That's the way everyone sees me, one way or the other. Superman and Clark Kent."

A tear streamed down Lana's cheek, this was not the way she wanted this to go.

"They either only see me as this red and blue streak across the sky, or they see me as the bumbling farm boy turned mild-mannered reporter."

Clark struggled to say the next part. He never wanted to hurt Lana. But if I don't, she will never understand. She will never be able to completely move on.

"That's why Lois is the one for me."

Lana looks up.

"But she can't do the things that I can, Clark. You know that."

Clark shakes his head, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"That's what you don't understand. That's why we could never work." Clark looks down at the ground to compose himself while Lana silently cries. "Lois has always been able to see me. Even before she knew everything about me, she knew me better than anyone."

Clark walks over to her and takes Lana's hand.

"She is the only person who knows my secret, yet brushes it off like an endearing quirk and keeps on seeing me as Clark. I remember how my parents looked at me. They didn't see me as the boy who could lift the tractor over his head, they saw their son."

Brushing a tear off her cheek, he raises her chin to look him in the eye.

"Deep down, you know that you don't see me that way."

She closes her eyes, unwilling to accept the fact that she has always been attracted to him for the mystery. She came back to fight along side of him, when she thought of him, she never truly thought about just standing along side of him as Clark Kent.

"I'm not Superman because of my powers. I'm Superman, because Lois gives me a strength that the Yellow Sun never could. She makes me feel like I can fly. As long as I have her, I know that I can be the hero I need to be."

Lana wipes her tears away and nods. Trying to find the strength to respond. Trying to find the strength not to completely breakdown.

"I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but I can't give you what you're looking for."

"I understand. I have always loved you, Clark. It's hard to let go of the past, I always wanted to get it right with us. You really have become the hero that I always hoped that you would be. I hope that Lois knows how lucky she is."

From behind the former couple, a very tall and very conflicted brunette watched the scene.

"She does."

Lana looked over Clark's shoulder to see Lois Lane standing with her hands on her hips and an interesting look on her face. It looked almost like a cross between a glare and a smile. Clark didn't have to turn around. He knew that voice.

He knew that tone too. It was her 'kill him or kiss him?' tone as he liked to call it.

Lana said a quite goodbye, leaving Clark and Lois in the middle of a vacant newsroom that was rather ideal for either one of those scenarios.

"Interesting speech there, Smallville. Thinking about trading in your press badge in for a podium?"

"How long were you listening?" he ventured, bracing himself.

She smirked. He hoped she didn't hear the part-

"Enough to hear that what you really wanna buy, is a Harley."

Yep. She heard that part. And the smirk? Well, he knew it wasn't the last time he'd hear about it.

Clark walked slowly over towards her. He knew that smirk just as he knew her tone. He knew every little thing about her just like she knew every little thing about him. So, he also knew that smirk meant she was melting. And if he played his cards right, she was going to forgive him.

Not that she'd put it in those exact words. 'Let him live' might be more appropriate.

"Well, I guess the only thing left to ask is," he paused dramatically as he stood closely to her.

Their eyes flickered to each other's lips before back to each other's eyes.

"Are you going to kill me, or kiss me?" he asked.

Lois Lane gave him her best stare. Most wouldn't know what she was thinking, but then again, most people weren't Clark Kent and couldn't hear her heart on the verge of beating out of her chest. He really liked being an alien at times like this.

"Oh you know, the usual," she paused and leaned in. "Both."

As their lips met, he knew she wasn't lying.

She was going to kill him. Very, very slowly over the rest of their lives, and he was going to love every minute of it.

Author's Note: So, I threw in some call-backs to some of my favorite Clois moments. Some of you might recognize the 'Harley Speech' and the 'Endearing Quirk' comment as classic moments from 'Oracle' and 'Hydro' respectively.

While I will be the first to admit, I not-so-secretly plead for Clark to be just a few seconds later every time Lana's life was on the line from Season 4 on in hopes of more Lois Lane in his life and on the screen, I think they do need to bring back Lana and tie up that storyline in a nice way. Her running away to keep from hurting him is hardly the way to end things definitively. Even in 'Homecoming', Lois looked a little worried. It'd be nice to have a 'I pick Lois' moment without having to bash Lana, it's not her fault she isn't as awesome as Lois Lane. But like I said above, doesn't sound like Kristin Kreuk wants to come back.

Oh well, I think I can live with more Erica Durance on my TV. Liked it? Write a review. Hated it? Flame on, won't hurt my feelings. Just say something.