Clark was looking through his telescope, down towards Lana. She was outside in the porch where she had been for about 20 minutes. Clark was wondering what was on her mind so much that she stayed in the same place for 20 minutes. He decided he would go down and see her. When Clark came out of his house he looked over at Lana's porch again and saw she wasn't there. Instead she was walking round the Kent farm and seemed to be heading in Clark's way. She had her head down so it looked as if she didn't notice Clark was there.

"Lana." Lana looked up at Clark. "Lana are you okay?" Clark ran over to her.

"Have you ever had that feeling where your in a dead in relationship?" She asked him intently.

"Actually..... no. I haven't been in a relationship to deem it as dead end" He said sarcastically. Lana managed a small grin on her face.

"Something has happened with Whitney?" He looked at Lana hoping secretly that the answer would be yes.

"You see that's just it. Nothing has happened. I just got home from school today and thought to myself 'where is this going?'". Clark nodded sympathetically.

"Listen Lana, I am meeting Lex in the Talon in ten minutes do you wanna come?."

"I can't Clark, I am supposed to be working there today. I just couldn't go in there."

"I will cover for you."

"What, so you are going to wear an apron and serve people coffee while you talk business with Lex Luthor?" Another small grin came on Lana's face.

"No, I meant I will tell Lex you were at the doctors or something" Clark said trying to uplift her spirit a bit.

"Clark, I think it would be better off If I just stayed here."

"Lana why did you come over here in the first place?"Clark asked curiousley

"I guess I just needed someone to talk too."

"I tell you what. I'll tell Lex I'll meet him in Talon in about an hour. That we we can talk for a while." Lana nodded in aprooval. Clark knew that Lex wouldn't be too happy, but he just couldn't leave Lana in the state she was.

Clark and Lana went into his house where he picked up the phonr and dialed Lex

"Hi Lex, its Clark."

"Clark. Didn't expect to hear from you just now. Are you still meeting me here at the Talon?"

"Yeah, but I will have to push it back 1 hour. Is that OK?"

"Yeah I suppose. But why do you have to push it back?"

"I have a family emergency"

"I thought your parents were out of town this week." Lex said carefully.

"Its a different kind of emergency."

"Oh. OK" Lex knew what was going on." Well I guess I will see you there?"

"Yeah. Bye Lex". Clark put the phone down.

Lana was up in the loft scoping around. The first thing she noticed was the telescope. She noticed it was tilted downwards and thought to herself 'I thought the stars were in the sky'. She was about to look in it when she heard Clark shout her name. She replied by shouting back softly "Up here Clark". When Clark got up in the loft he looked at Lana for a minute.

"So Lana what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know Clark. I mean I think with Graduation coming round the corner and then there is college and having to all go to different schools. I mean I just don't think I am ready for this big a change".Clark and Lana exchanged glances for a while. Never had she felt so comfortable just talking to someone. She could try to talk to Whitney but his mind would always be on other things.
Lana started to cry. Clark went over and hugged her. Clark knew that saying that she thought she was in a dead end relationship was a decoy. A cover plan. He never wanted to let go of Lana.

"Clark" Lana looked up into his eyes. "Are you in love with me?" Clark knew he had to take his oportunity. He went in for the kiss. There lips were touching very briefly. Clark went to seal the deal but as they went deeper into the kiss they heard the sirens of a fire truck in the distance.

"What is that?" Lana asked "I don't know. I think it is coming from the town." With no hesitation the two ran downstairs and ran towards the town. It doesn't matter how small Smallville is, it takes longer than expected to get into town.

About 5 minutes later Clark and Lana reached the town center but couldn't see anything because of all the ambulances, fire trucks and police cars. There was smoke everywhere. Clark asked an old man who was watching what had happened. He told them that there had been an explosion near the Talon. Lana was almost in hysterics. She tried to get past the the police officers saying that she worked at the talon. This, however was not a reason to let her in to see the site. Right now Clark was worried about Lex. He wondered whether he was still in the Talon at the time of the explosion. Then Clark seen a Porsche pull up behind them. Clark couldn't remember a time where he had been more releaved.

"Lex. Thank god you are all right. I thought you were in there"

"Thank god you pushed our meeting time back or I would have been in there."

Lana was silent. She had never said anything for 5 minutes. Clark was worried about her. While Clark was worrying about Lana, Lex was talking to the police officers and trying to get through to see what damage had been done to his bar.

"Sorry Mr Luthor but you are not authorised to see the place"

"I own the Talon. Now I think I am entitled to see what damage has been done to my business don't you?" The cop looked at him and then promptly let him through. "That'll will cost you" Lex said as he walked past the cop.

Clark then asked the cop how many people were injuured. The cop said it was too early to predict.

"Clark" Said a sharp voice behind him.

"Hi Chloe" Clark replied.

Chloe started taking pictures of the massacre.

"Do you know what caused the explosion Clark?" Chloe asked anxiousley.

"No. I haven't asked." Clark then turned to Lana and asked her what was wrong. She couldn't reply. "Lana. What's wrong?" He said insistingly. "I think Whitney was in there. I was supposed to meet him tonight......."

"Do you think he is......dead?"

"He can't be." Lana starts to cry again. She dries her eyes quickly and asks another cop if he has seen a Whitney Fordman.

"I am sorry ma'am I am not authorised at this point to give out any information of any of the injured.."

"So he is in there."

"I dont know ma'am" The cop said impatiently.

Lana then turned her attention to a medic bringing a stretcher towards the ambluance. Lana screams. Its Whitney

Whitney's parents surrounded his bedside in the hospital as he lay there motionless with a few bruises on his head. The doctor walked in and Whitney's parents stood up anxiousley waiting for what the doctor had to say.

"Well?" said Whitney's mom.

"Mrs Fordman, your son's condition is a bit milder than we thought" Mrs Fordman's face dropped.

"It appears that your son was never injured by the actual explosion itself. It seems that he was affected by the impact of the explosion".

"What do you mean doctor?" Said Mr Fordman impatiently.

"Well your son has no burns or injuries that could have been inflicted by the explosion. It would appear that your son banged his head on something."

"How bad is it?" Mrs Fordman asked..

"He has taken a really bad fall. He has some serious head trauma which, for now, is relativley harmless. Your son will be fine just now. He will wake up in a few hours with nothing more than a really sore head. But it is in the future that this head trauma will affect him in his life. In a few months your son may experience memory loss, vision disorders and some attitude change."

"But he will be all right?" Mrs Fordman asked with her hopes high

"For now........yes." The faces of Mr and Mrs Fordman lit up.

"But we will have to keep him in here for a while so we can run some further tests."

~scene change to Lana's bedroom~

Back at Nell's house, Lana was asleep in Clark's arms. Clark was feeling guilty. Whitney was lying in some hospital bed and for all Clark knew could be dead. Yet all he could think of was the circumstances that occured before the explosion. He was wondering whether Lana knew what she was doing when they were (almost) kissing. Clark had never felt so safe with anyone in his whole life. And thinking about being safe Clark remembered when he had asked her why she was with Whitney, and she said because he made her feel safe. This made Clark flashback to all the important times he had with Lana like the first time he met her, and the first time he asked her out to the concert. Then he remembered when Lana told him they were just friends. 'Is that all we will ever be' he thought to himself. But worst of all was that when Lana woke up he would never be able to confront her about what had happened between them, not after what had happened with Whitney.

Lana started mumbling in her sleep. Clark couldn't make out what she was saying. He looked at her with the most passionate eyes and knew that this was the girl he wanted to grow up old with. This is the girl that would be first to learn his secret. This is the girl who would fulfil his every needs.

Clark then closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. About a second later he opened his eyes in agony and looked at his skin. He was feeling that feeling that he only got when Kryptonite was around. Quickly he picked up Lana and threw her on the bed and then turned his attention to her wardrobe. He had the sudden urge to go into it. He opened it up furiousley and raked through it until he found a box. When he opened it it had Lana's kryptonite necklace. Clark shrieked when he seen it and dropped the box. The pain started in his chest was getting worse. His skin was turning into the green veins he was used to when he was near krypton. He quickly shoved the necklace back into the box and threw it back into the wardrobe. The pain had stopped. Clark closed his eyes in relief. He stood up steadily with his eyes still closed. Then he opened them to see a red laser beam shooting from both eyes. He hastily closed them again. He tried to concentrate. When he had done this for a few moments he carefully opened his eyes. There was no red laser shooting from his eyes. The only thing that was different in the room was the curtain that was mildly on fire. Clark was a bit scared by his new found power but none the less he tested it again. He looked at a the bit of the curtain where he had first used the laser then focused on it again. About 3 seconds later the red laser beam shot out from his eyes again. He was so entranced by what he was doing he didn't notice that the curtain was beginning to catch fire. Eventually he stopped and threw the water in a vase he found over the fire. When it stopped he sat down in the chair and glanced at Lana then wondered if his parents had got back from Metropolis.

Clark closed his eyes and thought of Lana as he tried to get to sleep.........




Clark wakes up in a slumped position on the chair. He barely remebers what happened on the night before. He looks over at where Lana was sleeping and noticed she was gone. Then he heard Lana's voice conversing with Nell downstairs. It sounded a bit like an argument so Clark quickly got up and headed down stairs. He started slowing down as he reached the kitchen where it seemed Lana and Nell were arguing. When he walked in Lana stopped talking and Nell had a sour look on her face.

"Well Clark how are you feeling?" Nell said in a forced manner

"Fine thanks" Clark replied equally as dry. "How's Whitney?" He asked Nell.

"We're not sure. The hospital can't give out any information yet." Nell answered. Then she added "Clark I phoned your parents when I got in this morning they asked if you could come over as soon as you wake up. They were really worried Clark". Clark wasn't really paying attention to Nell. He was looking at Lana. She had been looking down at the floor since he came in and had never moved since. "CLARK? Are you listening to me?" Nell asked him icyly? Clark nodded then Nell led him to the doorway. Clark left the house without getting a goodbye from Nell. He knew that she didn't like him. She wanted Lana to be with a big high school jock who was really popular. Clark thought the main reason Nell wanted Lana to be like that was because that was the way she was when she was at school.
Clark reached his house a minute later then walked in. Martha Kent came running at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank god your all right Clark." She whaled. "We were so worried about you." Clark tried to calm his mom down.

"Mom, Nell phoned a while ago so you knew Lana and I were OK."

"Yes son, but we were up all night worrying. I mean one minute your ready to do some farmwork then the next your gone. Then when we turnt on the news and saw what had happened, well we didn't know what to think. Why did you not bother to call us?" Clark started looking and feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry mom I just wasn't thinking straight and anyway you were supposed to be out of town. I didn't think you'd be back"

"Come on Martha give Clark a break. He has been through a lot." Jonathan said. Martha nodded.

"How is Whitney?" Martha asked.

"How'd you know about that?" Clark asked curiousley.

"Nell told us. We were wondering whether there were any updates?"

"I'm not sure." Clark answered. "Do you guys know what caused the explosion?".

"No. They haven't found out but a full scale investigation is taking place because they think it might have been a bomb." Jonathan replied.

"Do they have a clue as to how many people are injured?"

"No."

There was an akward silence for a moment. Martha again hugged her son. When Clark got away from his mother she began making him a sandwhich. Clark got a can of Coke out the fridge and then sat down at the table as his dad began reading an old newspaper. Clark finished the juice in a few miliseconds. When he finished it he put it on the table. He started focusing on it. Then all of a sudden the red laser beam came out of his eyes and started burning the can. Martha jumped at the noise and turned around to see what was happening. She stood in disbelief. Jonathan she blurted out. Jonathan put his paper down and also was in disbelief at what he saw.

"What....Wha..What are you doing son". He asked nervousley. Clark stopped the laser because it had cut right through the can and was beginning to slice through the table.

"It's like a laser beam or heat vision".

"When did this happen?" Martha asked still in shock.

"Last night. It was weird. When I was in Lana's bedroom I suddenly got the feeling as if I was near kryptonite. So I suddenly went into Lana's wardrobe and got her kryptonite necklace until I was nearly dead. I was closing my eyes so hard because of the pain and when I opened them this was happening."

"Well this is another one of your powers you'll have to hide. This one is pretty cool though" Jonathan said trying not to make it seem is if it was a bad thing.

"Yeah Clark it is only one more tiny thing you will have to hide" Martha said to support her son.

"You mean one more thing to brand me a freak" Both the Kent's looked at their son angrily after this statement.

~Scene Change to Luthor mansion~

Lex Luthor was in his mansion sipping on some expensive brandy.

He sat down in a desk and begin typing in some word program.

Well last nights goal was a failure. Clark never showed up so we can't be sure of anything yet. If he was there we might of been able to proove something. Now the situation is blown away. We won't be able to try something like this for a while now because the people are already suspicious another thing like that could lead to other things that we won't be able to discuss. If only I could find something out about him that could tell me something about the REAL him. Am I overeacting ? No, I was dead. How could he just.........save me? I should be dead. I need to know how he was able. I owe my life to Clark Kent, and I need to know who he really is.

TBC