Almost Lovers (Chapter 15)

Banner by Summerstar882

PREVIOUS CHAPTER


Chapter Fifteen

It had been just what he’d wanted at the end of his day – a day filled with sneaky thugs, one bossy Martian and one incorrigibly flirty waitress. But he got through it for this.

Tomorrow, he’d have to plot with Jones, take orders from Rocco and Tiny, and put up with Cat turning even the most innocuous phrase into a sexual innuendo, but he could do it every day if this was how it ended. 

It was perfect, even if it was nothing more than a start. A start... and maybe the end. Maybe that could be the end of every day -- with her. He had to be so many things and so many people right now but, with her, he could just be. 

That had been the end of most days with her, even before he knew what she meant to him. He’d taken that for granted for too long not to appreciate it now.

He only hope she felt a fraction of this, of how right this felt, flying with her, holding her, landing with her in a dark, windy alleyway that somehow felt balmy and sunlit as she lifted her head. Whatever she felt, he was letting her set the pace. He wouldn’t make a move unless she gave him the go-ahead.

“So,” he started, not even sure what to finish it with. He ended up extending the word sort of stupidly and ending on an involuntary laugh when he finally remembered something he’d asked in New York. “What do people talk about on a first date when they pretty much know everything?”

“Huh?”

“You started to answer back there,” he clarified, suddenly realizing she wasn’t in on every thought he had, no matter how much it seemed like she should be.

“Oh.” She smiled and shook head, letting out a vapory mist of a laugh. “I forget what I was going to say.”

“Well, maybe they plan second dates,” he tried, feeling almost afraid to say it. How was he supposed to top figuring out the best pizza in America? It had been kind of a spur-of-the-moment idea, but it had turned out kind of inspired. He took her arm as they walked down her street, waiting for inspiration to strike again. “So maybe tomorrow, if you’re free and… uh…” Damn it. What would they do? Was Mount Rushmore impressive… not just for patriots, but for a date?

“Barring some catastrophe. I know,” she cut him off, saving him from having an actual plan. “I think you might warrant just one more date. I haven’t decided yet, though.” 

She stilled and so did he, wondering if she expected him to have it planned right now. Maybe he could just say it would be a surprise, buy some time to think about it. 

“I mean, this date isn’t over yet,” she finished.

Good. Okay. Still time. “Well, I didn’t say it was. I was only…” Locking you down because I probably need the thought of you to get through my next day. Is that pathetic? 

“Anyway, I just remembered my answer,” she whispered. He felt something pulling at him and had pretty much no objection when he realized it was her hands on his lapels. “About that first date,” she went on, “what people talk about when they know it all.”

“Oh.” He gasped at the closeness. Just there, all of a sudden. “Yeah. The… I was wondering…”

“Maybe they stop talking.”

Then her lips were… not on his. He madly wondered why they weren’t on his. But they were close, so close they could be. If she wanted them to be, that is. He shouldn’t assume she wanted them to be. “Talking stopped. Yeah,” he breathed, trying to figure out what to do here. Maybe complete a thought? “I mean talking is… You know, at some point, you just stop,” he said, cringing inwardly at how stupid he must sound. But how was he supposed to talk with her lips just right there? It’s her move, he told himself. Her move. She sets the pace. She gives the go-ahead.

“I mean, there’s no second date if there’s no chemistry, no attraction,” he heard her saying, felt her saying in light puffs of air against his chin.

His eyelids became heavy at the feel of it. “Yeah. You need that.” And they had it. They always had. Every touch screamed it. He felt her touch now, even through a shirt, a tie, and a spandex suit, as if it were right on his skin.

“So… if it’s not there, there’s no point.”

“Definitely. Pointless. Talking.” He should probably do more than parrot her own words back at her, but she was touching him. This was a date and she was touching him. There was no confusion about what it meant and she was touching him. And he wanted to kiss her so badly, he almost didn’t care about that pace and who was setting it.

“Okay, then.” And she was touching him some more. Her hand was on his chest and… Was she patting him? “See you around, I guess.”

It took him another dumbfounded second to realize she was walking away and that, damn it, that was the go-ahead! And he’d just stood there and now the moment was gone and… It only took another nanosecond to realize that he didn’t care. He was taking it back!

He strode to her, spun her around and… God, he’d missed this. It had only been a few days since the last time he kissed her and he really couldn’t let that happen again. He needed to end every day like this – with her arms wound tight around his neck, her hips in his hands, her breathy laugh against his lips…

He pulled away, but only enough to slide his lips to her chin. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. It just took you long enough to make a move.” She sighed against his cheek.

“I was kind of waiting for you to make a move,” he said, between nipping kisses.

“Can’t do that. It’s our first date, so I decided I’m a demure health nut and rock-climbing enthusiast. I’d never kiss on the first date unless I was coerced into it.”

He chuckled. “You really are tricky.”

“No. I’m delightfully mysterious. Now shut up and kiss me some more.”

“Very demure,” he whispered. But he did and it convinced him that, no matter what, he was going to do all he could to end every day like this, end every day with her. He’d do this right. He could wait.

*****************

No waiting. She’d gone back and forth and sideways on this and had firmly decided they could skip all the waiting.

Then again, there were all those feelings. Not her hazy ones, but his perfectly clear, put-down-in-writing ones. Wasn’t waiting the thing to do when you aren’t sure how to feel? But, then again, his lips were on her neck now and that… she wasn’t sure how that was a counter-argument, it just felt like one.

Hadn’t they had sex five or six times already? The sex is pretty much out of the bag or on the table or… wherever you wanted to put it and, if you think about it… God! He was nibbling.

Okay, then. Not waiting. What was the point, really?

Wasn’t all the waiting just to make sure there was something there besides sex? It seemed, to her, like there was plenty there and not enough sex. Except there was more there for him than for her, which was kind of…

“So tomorrow night?”

“Huh?” He’d stopped nibbling. “Oh… tomorrow. Yeah. That’s fine.” Good idea, getting that date plan out of the way. She backed toward her steps, then up one, before pulling him back in, nice and level now. 

“I’m not off work till ten,” he said against her lips. “Is that too late or…”

“It’s fine. I’m a night owl, anyway,” she said quickly, moving up another step and pulling him after. “You know, it’s cold out here…”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” She turned and hurried up the last few steps. “I’ll just get this open and we can…”

“You might have to wait till ten-thirty, actually. I mean, with side work and restocking…”

“Ten thirty’s fine. Probably better because…” She wasn’t sure why. She just really wanted to get all talking portions of the night over with. She pushed open the entryway door. “I mean, we’re all set.” She turned to him. “So…”

“Good.” He nodded. “See you then. Goodnight.” And he was gone. 

And she was left staring at the empty space he’d been standing in. “Goodnight?”

**********************

Clark paced Luthorcorp’s graveled rooftop. The sun wasn’t up just yet and he was kind of glad of the dark and the cold -- not that he could truly feel it, but something about the wind, probably freezing to anyone else, was cooling him off. 

He was annoyed, annoyed that Jones was late, annoyed that Luthorcorp was their meeting place, though he hoped to change that today, annoyed at having to wait till tomorrow to be done with this, annoyed at having to wait for Lois – no. He wasn’t annoyed at that waiting. Not at all. Because it was the right thing. The right way. He was doing this the right way this time.Right.

A little blue balls was just fine. Right, even. That’s what dating was all about. Right?

“You’ll pace right through the roof if you’re not careful,” he heard.

He turned to scowl at Jones. “Well, you’re… late.”

“Well, I thought you’d be late, so I took my time. Had a nice little stroll past a few bakeries just opening,” he said, holding up a pink box. “Cookies. I thought they were good out of a package, but fresh from the oven is even…”

“Will you focus?”

Jones only chuckled. “I suppose the date didn’t go so well.”

“What? Of course not. It was perfect. I just… I really want this over, okay? I’m sick of waking up in a fleabag motel and I want my identities back down to a nice manageable two and I don’t see why we can’t just…”

“Here, I thought you’d grown up. Have some patience. Have a cookie.” He held out the box.

“Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not. They’re amazing and they’re likely to put you in a better mood and maybe you’ll listen if your mouth’s full.”

Clark took one begrudgingly. Stupid, delicious cookies. “Can’t we just rob the place?" he said around a mouthful. "We could do it right now. I bet they’re all asleep and, even if they have someone guarding, you can just put on Mannheim’s face and…”

“It would be pointless. We need to get Goodness out of this world or she’ll never stop trying to bring her master into it.”

Clark sighed. “And Desaad.”

“Yeah, him too,” John said darkly.

“Then maybe we need more people in on this. I have a team that’s pulled off…”

“No,” Jones broke in. “The less people involved, the better.”

“That’s not always true, you know. I even used to think that way. But the guys I work with have…”

“Yes. I met one of the guys you work with when I was trying to track you down.” Jones rolled his eyes. “If this Flash is representative of your team, I'm underwhelmed."

“Bart only comes off a little… irritating at first. But he always comes through when you need him. And the rest--”

“That may be so, but I think it’s best we leave the humans out of it.”

“You sound like Jor-El,” Clark muttered. “And they’re not all human, just so you know.”

“Regardless, this is not their affair. If we want to finish the work your father and I started, then it’s best to keep this between us. We’re going to need somewhere better to meet than a windy rooftop…”

Clark pursed his lips. “My team has a headquarters in…”

“I told you, the less involved…”

“Would you let me finish? They’re currently working out of a penthouse apartment behind the clocktower now, but they’ve started on a cave in Rhode Island. Happy Harbor. It’s nowhere near finished, but it’s deserted for now.”

Jones nodded. “Fair enough. Tonight, after your work…”

“Um… I was thinking tomorrow…”

“Another date?”

“You know, I…

“Yes, yes,” Jones said, waving a hand, “Your life is very stressful and you need this one thing and your soulmate must be courted…”

“What?” Clark gasped.

“Well, you’ve released her, but I assume that’s only for now.”

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve spoken to your father. I was rather annoyed at this date of yours until he explained things properly.”

“Well, that was…”

“A time-saver,” Jones broke in. “Now, listen… I’ve made a rudimentary inventory of this room. Besides a rather large supply of kryptonite, they have a mother box, a device with a symbol for mirror, which I’ve yet to figure out the purpose of, several daggers of Apokaliptian nature, several other unknown devices, a collection of Lionel’s writings…” 

“So I was right about…”

“Don’t gloat. I read over everything and it’s all vague at best and mostly refers to events that have already passed. But they led them to the caves at one point and we can only be grateful they lacked the key to the portal and your fortress.”

“Oh, God,” Clark groaned. To think that all this had been going on around him and he never knew.

“There’s no need to panic, just to plan. Now here’s what happens today…”

******************

Today wasn’t a good day to be on the freeway. Lois suspected the traffic would clear up once she passed the airport, where she supposed the last remaining holiday visitors were going back to wherever they came from. Why couldn’t they have gone somewhere sunny for winter instead of invading her city?

She shook off the annoyance. Only five interminable miles and she’d be past it and in Smallville with an hour to spare. She’d hoped for two hours, though. She rather missed Martha. Now she’d have barely any time to catch up and possibly ask her why her son was so infuriating… No. She wouldn’t have asked that, anyway. This was all business, even if it was under the surface of a friendly drop-in. 

She needed more insight into Lorna Leery and her pastel medical scrubs. Some days they were pink, some they were purple, sometimes mint green. The only constant was that they always went to Belle Reve. Except for today. Today, they were taking a jaunt to Smallville. Not coincidentally, so was Lois.

And Martha might have some answers about more than her stupid son… which Lois was not going to ask about as this was unconnected to Clark. Just as her early morning visit to his hero pals was unconnected to Clark. Though she supposed they were her pals, too, even if she wasn’t of the secret vigilante persuasion. 

It was all about work, she told herself, almost as much as she told Perry. He’d been getting a little annoyed at her frequent field trips, but she told him she was onto something. And she was. But was this in any way a story? And, if it wasn’t, why couldn’t she just drop it?

It was her damned gut. It wouldn’t let her and she knew, by now, that ignoring it would only make things worse. She just couldn’t figure out how it all fit yet, but she had to let that go for now and treat it like a story, just keep gathering the facts. 

That’s what she told Victor she was doing early this morning, when she “borrowed” some very tiny surveillance equipment and made him give her a mini hacking refresher course. Just gathering some facts for a story. Nothing to see here. That was how she gathered that Doctor Emmet Carson had a little house call at Luthor Manor with Nurse Leery at two. Whatever Lana was doing, she was getting bolder about it and Lois dared not speculate just what, not until she’d gathered more.

She also gathered a few facts at Luthorcorp before coming this way, dragged out of the terminally silly Eve Tessmacher, who was still exiled to actual secretarial work – the horror! Lois, with some fake sympathy for her plight and a gift certificate for a mani/pedi Linda had slipped in her stocking, gathered that the board would be meeting next week to vote on what Lex’s future in the company would be in the new year.

And damn, if she wasn’t itching to play with some theories right this second, but she was holding that urge in check, along with some other urges. Second date tonight. Second date and he wasn’t running off on her with nothing more than a goodnight if she could help it, the stupid…

She pushed it away and picked up speed as she passed the airport’s exit. Back to business. She could feel herself unclenching as the factories began to give way to farmland. She checked her dashboard’s clock and subtracted twenty, wondering why she bothered setting it ahead when she always remembered by how much. She should do it blind next time and resist looking at her watch.

It was easier to trick herself when she could leave her watch off, back when that awful bracelet was taking up her left wrist.Stupid bracelet. Where was it now, anyway? Not that she cared. But it still rankled her, not understanding what…

“Damn it, Lois, focus,” she muttered. Didn’t she have enough mystery to deal with for now? With any luck, she’d have a little more than an hour to kill before two, clear some of those question marks up. 

Of course, by the time she was sitting with Martha, she couldn’t seem to bring Lana up. It was hard to grill someone who made not one, but two kinds of pies just because she was stopping by.

“It’s up on Monday,” Martha was saying. “I just can’t wait till it’s over.”

“And you win,” Lois added.

“Oh, don’t say that.”

“Well, Linda told me it’s almost in the bag. She’s had her interns going door-to-door.”

Martha covered her eyes. “She’s doing too much. Everywhere I go, I’m staring back at myself from every post and bulletin board. I don’t deserve all this free labor.”

“Of course you do. Besides, they’re all getting college credit. When you win, everyone wins.”

“If I win…”

“Fine. If. Afraid of jinxing it?”

“I’m too old to be superstitious.” She sighed. “But yes. I didn’t realize how much I cared, but the closer it gets, the more I want this. I may have just adopted this town, but it’s become mine and I care what happens to it. Lana isn’t helping, though.”

Lois tried not to jump on that. “Lana? Is she still around?” She took a very long sip of her coffee, hoping her tone didn’t sound too eager.

Martha was too busy nervously shredding a napkin to notice if it did. “She’s still postponing going back to Florida. Says she wants to see how things turn out.”

“Turn out how?”

“Well, with the election, I suppose. She always did love this town, too, but I wish she wouldn’t…”

“What?” Lois tried to keep her voice neutral.

“Well, she keeps calling with these ideas. She says, even if I don’t win, that she could help plan these lavish events and festivals and fundraisers and I just worry she’s kidding herself. Am I supposed to pass these ideas off as mine? And who’s going to pay for all of it? The town coffers are light, which is why this mall idea’s been gaining ground in the first place and… She has to realize that she can’t stay.”

Or maybe she doesn’t. Maybe this is all part of the plan, Lois thought, but didn’t say. “Have you talked to her about that?”

“I actually don’t have the heart to. It’s a shame I can’t contact Clark right now. Then again, I can’t give out her number. And maybe it’s just as well. I guess he’d have as much luck as I have. He’s always had a soft spot for poor Lana.”

“Yeah. Huge crush. Everyone’s gone on about how madly he…”

“Oh, no. Not because of that. The crush was just a symptom of the real issue with them. I’ve always had a theory.” 

Lois leaned back. Two birds here. Play it cool. “Theory?” Lois tried for another long sip.

“Boy, you really want to know.” Martha laughed.

Lois slapped down her cup. “What?”

“Oh, stop pretending. You’ve been dragging that same cup of coffee out for half an hour, letting me do all the talking, and no one drives two hours to Smallville in this weather for a friendly visit.”

She shrugged. “Maybe I came for the pie.”

“With a hefty side of my son’s history with Lana?” 

Well... close enough. Besides, she’d already gathered enough about poor Lana’s solo efforts for now. 

“I’ve tried to be patient,” Martha went on, “and I’ve been trying not to meddle, but…” She took a deep breath. “I know there’s something between you. There always was and there always will be and, no matter how many times you try it, you two will never be just friends and that’s all there is to it. Okay?”

Who was in charge of this conversation now? Should she spill it all? The notebook? The date? The meetings? The fact that there was a way to get a hold of Clark? No. Not even to Martha. “I… have no idea what to say to that,” she finally decided.

“Well, you could start by admitting I’m right.”

Lois weighed her words carefully. “I will admit… that… I might be interested in what your theory is about the whole… Lana thing. Maybe.”

Martha peered closely at her. “Close enough.” She leaned in. “See, I care about Lana, I really do. I’ve known her since… well, before Clark came into our lives. And, obviously, I love my son. That’s what made it so hard, watching two people you care for make the same mistake over and over.” She sighed. “It was the exact opposite of watching you two. They should have been friends, but they kept trying to make it work and never realizing why it wouldn’t. And you two just wouldn’t even start and… You need to let your kids grow, realize things on their own, but it’s never easy. But I knew. I think I knew from the start.”

“What did you know?”

“That it wouldn’t be love. Oh, he had a crush. She was the prettiest girl in town. Who didn’t? He would have gotten over it if it weren’t for those other feelings… or maybe just that one.” She shook her head. “One big feeling that’s always been worse than kryptonite for him. It eats him up inside, but he can never resist it.” 

Lois knew what she was going to say, but she waited.

“Guilt,” Martha said sadly. “I remember the day we told him, when he first put it together, that he was the cause of the first meteor shower and… Well, that was how Lana lost her parents. Strangely, that was when he started talking to her, despite the obstacles, the shyness, despite the fact that she was with someone else. Like it was a push, that guilt. Suddenly, day in, day out, it's all about Lana, everything he did was about impressing her or getting closer to her as if he could make up for killing her parents.”

“What? But he couldn’t have been more than a baby. He had no control over…”

“Of course he didn’t. But try telling him that. They kept trying and failing, over and over, on and on… for years longer than two healthy people would. Lana was searching for someone who’d never leave and Clark was… It was like he could fix it somehow. Maybe if he saved her enough, made her happy somehow, it would all be forgiven, even if she didn't know what she was forgiving. He thought he was chasing after love, but it was really absolution he wanted, acceptance. And then there was you. That must have been terrifying for him.”

“Me?”

“You were crazy about him, about everything you knew and everything you didn’t.” She gripped Lois’ hand. “Oh, don’t worry. You played it reasonably cool, if a bit passive-aggressively at times, but a woman knows.” She smiled. “You accepted him and that must have been terrifying to a boy who could barely accept himself. I think, to him, it was almost easier to chase after the wrong girl than to open his eyes to the right one. But Lois…” She squeezed her hand harder. “He’s not that boy anymore and you’re not that girl. You’re adults now and…” She gave Lois’ hand another squeeze before releasing it. “And that’s all the meddling I’m going to do. The rest is up to you.”

Those words seemed to be on replay in her head as she waited on the side of the road and she wished they’d stop as she had to concentrate. She trained her binoculars on that front door. It had been a full hour since that dark blue BMW had passed her and gone through Luthor’s gates and she needed to be ready when it came out again -- if ever.

But it was “up to her.” Whether this was just a few dates or a committed relationship was pretty much completely her decision as she knew, by now, where Clark stood. But Martha was right about another thing. She wasn’t that girl anymore. Chloe Sullivan might have been crazy about Clark Kent, but Lois Lane was only... intensely attracted to him, missed him whenever he wasn’t around, and wanted to jump on him every time he was. 

Damn it, maybe she was crazy about him! But how could she be sure that it would last? Not just for her, but for him. She’d read enough mea culpas in that book and in his eyes to worry her. What if she was just one more guilty, little project of his?

And damn it again! She had her own project and only a very small window of opportunity to get it right. She looked down at her receiver, making sure the very tiny transmitter was charged and synched, but not recording. Victor said it was just a failed test model and would only transmit for an hour due to its size. That would have to be enough. She trained her binoculars again, trying to look past the gates to that front door she just had in her sights a minute ago. If they came out before…

“No!” They had come out. They were getting in the car. “No, no, no…” She pulled onto the street, then the lane. She had to get to that gate before they did or this whole trip was a waste of time.

Luckily, she squealed up just as the gate was opening, just in time to block their way, hoping that entrance would only help deny her entrance. She didn’t need or even want to get in. She only needed to get close… and not to Lex, not even to Lana.

She tucked the transmitter between two fingers and grabbed her purse, strolling up to the tiny guard house. “Excuse me, Lois Lane here to see Mister…”

The BMW beeped long and loud behind the closed gate as the guard came out, looking annoyed. The man behind the wheel looked annoyed, too, while his brunette companion seemed to be hiding behind a curtain of hair. Good to see you, too, Lana.“Hey, just a second,” she called out to the good doctor before turning to the guard. “Lois Lane here to see Lex Luthor, please.”

“Mr. Luthor doesn’t see anyone without an appointment. Now would you…”

“Are you sure? It’s really important.”

“Excuse me, we’re trying to leave.” The doctor stuck his head out the window, which was close, but not enough.

The guard held up a hand. “Ma’am, you’re blocking the exit. I need you to get back in your vehicle and…”

“Well, I will, if you could just tell him I’m here and that I have a few questions about Luthorcorp and his status as…”

“Mr. Luthor has no comment about any of Luthorcorp’s affairs. Now, get…”

“Tell me about it. It’s like the guy’s been playing hookey all year, which is exactly why I wanted to…” She heard a door slam.Gotcha! 

“I do have other places to be,” the good doctor said, looking none too pleased as he marched up to the guard.

“Tell this one,” he grumbled.

Lois moved to him. “Well, I’m sorry, Mister…” She gripped his name tag through his open coat, took her time reading it. “Oh, a doctor. Doctor Carson. And what brings you here? Flu shot?” She brought her hand, empty now, away.

“He has no comment, either,” the guard growled. “Now, would you please clear the entrance?”

“Fine,” she groaned loudly. “I’ll back up, but this isn’t over.” She got back in her car and chanced another glance through the BMW’s the windshield. Lana was hiding behind a file now. How precious.

She looked down at her receiver, seeing green bars and hearing heavy breathing and a chorus of “Oh, no. No, no, no.”

“Oh, yes,” she whispered, feeling nearly giddy as she backed up and let them pass, Lana still hiding, though she wasn’t whispering “no” anymore. That was replaced by the doctor muttering about freeways and his all-important schedule. She hoped that noise didn’t fill up her entire hour.

She hit record, anyway, but quickly turned the volume down and shoved the receiver in her pocket as the guard stomped up to her window. 

“Now, listen…”

“Hey, if your boss wants to stay holed up in there, that’s his affair. Just know that the Howard Hughes comparison will be made and not only by me. Happy new year." She smiled before rolling up and driving off.

She giggled, feeling kind of exhilarated, looking at the dumbfounded guard in her rearview and the hazy BMW some ways ahead of her. As long as it was still transmitting, that was just fine. She drove on, debating on whether to turn the receiver up. Maybe it was best to get home first, listen when it was all recorded and she wasn’t driving on a freeway. If something earth shattering was said, she might just…

“Jesus!” She slammed on the brakes as a scantily clad woman stepped into the road ahead and just stood there. By the time she skidded to a stop, she was less shocked and more annoyed. Only one person would wear that in this weather. “Diana?” She put it in park and got out. “You’re lucky the snow’s cleared. I could have…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t have let you crash,” she said calmly, even a little coldly. “Just wondering what you’re doing here.”

“Well… I was… What are you…”

“Save it for the sherrif, Sweetcheeks,” she heard to her right. She turned to find Bart getting into her car.

“Why are you…”

Diana stepped closer. “You’re not going to give me a hard time, are you?”

“But I…”

“Bart can take your car.”

“Wait just a…”

“Hey, can I use my ipod in here?” Bart asked, revving the engine. “This town gets about zero good radio stations unless you like blue grass.”

“Deal with it,” Diana sighed, then turned to Lois. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.”


CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I borrowed a little of that Clana theory from another fic of mine. It’s still my best possible explanation for Clana. 

If you're thinking I'm referring to the mirror box from season 10's Luthor, then you'd be right. It won't have any huge bearing on this story, but I'm counting it among the things Lionel collected as I'm sort of saving it for later. See, I plan on writing little stories in this universe after I'm done and maybe play with a parallel universe, maybe even sending this story's Clark to Smallville season nine or ten and seeing what he makes of it. 

I can't promise I'll definitely do it, but I'd like to have the option ready for me.

I've got to update my Chlollie fic now, but I'll be back for another three soon!