Love’s Labors (Super Lana 32)
DJ Dubois
July 2007
Rating: T (Teen--some language)
Notes: Smallville belongs to DC and the WB. All other characters are mine.
Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com .
Chapter 1 [Kent Farm]
Clark stood on the back of his father’s pick up truck and flexed his arms. The
mid-November day meant cool and crisp days with a hint of winter in the air. He
glanced about at the brown grass and fallow fields—both awaiting winter’s
onslaught. Bracing himself against some hay bales, he shifted his line of sight
toward the barn’s top door, clearly enjoying the fact that he could see
everything again.
When Lana stuck her head out and waved to him, his grin spread even wider. Yeah,
it’s great to see everything again!
[“It would be better if I saw those hay bales flying in my direction, Mr.
Kent,”] she teased him.
[“It would be, huh?”] he retorted while rolling his eyes and grabbing a bale.
“Catch!” He flung it toward her.
She caught it while scanning the road for signs of possible spies or curious
passersby. [“About time!”] She let the bale slide across the Loft floor and
braced herself for the next one.
[“Says you!”] he cracked while flinging one and then another at her in
rapid-fire succession. [“That fast enough for you?”]
She caught and dealt with each one. [“You’ll have to go a lot faster than that,
Clark.”]
Taking the bait, he flung the remaining ones at super speed. To the naked eye,
it appeared like a machine gun’s spitting hail fire as the bales flew through
the air.
She, of course, didn’t back down. In fact, she caught each one in sequence,
letting it slide into the mini-pile by the stairs.
[“How we doing up there?”] he called over the link.
[“Come up and find out,”] she invited.
He shrugged and walked into the barn at a normal human pace. As he cleared the
barn doors, he felt her arms yank him off to the side and out of view of anyone
else. “Feeling frisky?”
“Is there a problem with frisky? I’m just enjoying life,” she supposed.
“Problem? No problem here,” he agreed while pulling her closer to himself and
engaging in a very romantic kiss. “Hay’s under cover so what now?”
“I have an idea. Upstairs,” she indicated while motioning to the Loft with her
eyes.
“I love how it sounds already,” he agreed while following her up the stairs.
****
[Two hours later]
Clark relaxed on the still unstacked hay bales, enjoying his wife’s breathing
against his side and the old comforter’s softness over them both. “I could stay
here like this for a while.”
“We could, you know, but Dad’s expecting this stuff piled up,” she muttered
while rolling over to face the ceiling. “Rain check?”
“Try getting out of it,” he concurred while super speeding around the room,
finding his scattered clothes and getting dressed. After she’d done the same, he
added, “Let’s get these stacked. Then we can meet the others over at the Talon.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she concurred after matching his pace.
He took in the plaid flannel shirt and blue jeans. “Like the look on you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I borrowed the shirt from Mom. Don’t get any ideas of
influencing my wardrobe.”
“Who me? Maybe you and Chloe could have a fire sale for shoes. Between the two
of you, you’d finance the new flower display for downtown by yourselves,” he
declared impishly.
She chuckled, knowing that he was playing with her. “Maybe we’ll do that…after
you sell off the plaid stuff, Clark.” She smiled at him, letting her eyes
sparkle at him. “Seriously, I like you just the way you are.”
He grabbed a couple of bales and slid them into position. I’m definitely going
to want that rain check!
Chapter 2 [Talon—an hour later]
Byron sat in the corner, focusing on his new edition of Poe’s stories. Although
Smallville’s resident Poet Laureate enjoyed a varied reading diet, he enjoyed
this author the most.
Besides, it didn’t hurt that his girlfriend had given it to him for his birthday
either.
Never more. Never more. He scratched his chin, considering the raven’s
assessment yet again. Wonder if Poe knew about the darkness we’re facing?
“Engrossed, are we?” Miranda queried while refilling his coffee cup.
“Good poetry inspires the Muse. Besides, Sandra’s got something coming if you
catch my drift?” he informed her.
“Heaven help I stand in the way of that,” she retorted with a bit of mirth and
humor in her voice. After the training sessions of the past two weeks, Sandra’s
happy mood from his poetry lightened things up for everyone else. “Speaking of
standing in the way of love, I’m wondering where Lana is.” She glanced at her
watch.
“She and Clark were out by his Dad’s barn, I think,” he informed her.
The sensei rolled her eyes. “Mr. Kent had asked them to unload the hay into the
barn loft.” She chuckled. “It figures.”
“Now, Miranda, when love blooms, passion soon rules,” he quipped.
“Passion may rule but we still have a café to run,” she retorted, trying not to
sound too much like an old maid schoolteacher.
Before he could respond, Lana hustled into the café and headed for the back.
“I suppose you have your answer?” he offered.
“Seems that way,” Miranda concurred. “Glad to see you’re enjoying your book. I
can tell you that Sandra loves the poems.”
His eyes sparkled at her. “I know but it’s good to hear it from someone else. If
you’ll excuse me?” With that, he went back to his reading.
Miranda turned and headed back for the counter to find her best friend tying on
her apron. Seeing the other’s flannel shirt, she teased, “Picking up fashion
tips from the Farm Boy, are we?”
“Don’t start, Miri,” the former cheerleader sighed while checking the coffee
pots and changing some of the filters out. “Clark and I took longer than I
figured with the stacking.”
“Uh huh.” The sensei smiled. “I never knew chores could be so much fun. Grab a
tray. More fun out there too.” She chuckled while heading for the floor.
“Smart aleck,” Lana groused albeit with some playfulness.
Chapter 3
[Woodland Trail]
Even as everyone else either directly or indirectly enjoyed love’s labors, Pete
sat under a tree worrying about his relationship and how it affected everything
around him. Granted, his life had been so much better since he and Sam had
started dating. He actually enjoyed classes and homework. Better yet, the old
need to check out the girls was gone. Thinking of the sandy haired co-ed made
him smile.
However, there were still issues. His father still didn’t approve of the
relationship due to interracial issues. He had his own nerves about having a
steady girlfriend. And that didn’t even begin to touch on his feelings
concerning her developing abilities. Sam’s cool but should it matter that I’m
normal and she isn’t? How do I define normal? He scratched his head. Clark had
issues with dating Lana until she had powers and all of that.
A burst of wind from down the trail reminded him of that very fact.
He turned to see his girlfriend walking slowly in his direction. Despite his
(and everyone else’s) admonitions about training too hard, she was determined to
be up to snuff when the ghost returned. “You okay?”
She slumped against the tree, joining him in sitting there. “Sorry. I overdid
it. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
He waved it off. “Nah. Just a little breeze down the path is all. Look, Sam, I
don’t want you killing yourself.”
“I have to be ready, Pete,” she insisted, recalling Therese’s invasion of their
class at WKTU. “Besides there’s another reason.” She squeezed his hand. “I
almost lost you. That’s not happening again.”
“Hey. I ain’t going anywhere,” he insisted. “I’m not saying to back off of the
practicing and all of that. I just want you around after this is all over with.”
She hugged him. “Are you saying that you want me around, Pete?”
He grinned at her. “Just try getting rid of me.” He kissed her and felt a warm
rush coursing through himself. As it happened, he found the answer he was
looking for earlier.
Normal, it seemed, was definitely overrated…….
****
[Talon—Upstairs Apartment]
Having finished a shift on the Talon’s register, Dave sat at his desk and
studied his old research notes concerning the upcoming threat with particular
intensity. From Steve and Lex, he knew that Therese’s body lay in a secure
facility with certain safeguards—both scientific and religious—around it.
There’s got to be some edge I’ve missed. He sighed. Hearing a knock at the door,
he got up and answered it. “Martha?”
She smiled anxiously. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”
“Of course not. Please come in,” he invited, ushering her into the room and
closing it behind her. “I was just putting some coffee on. Can I offer you one?”
“That French roast of yours would hit the spot,” she agreed.
“Thank Heloise for it. She brought it with her before the wedding. I just keep
it chilled,” he indicated while taking the can out of the refrigerator and
spooning out some grinds into a filter. Then he set up the coffee maker and
started it. “But you didn’t come over here to talk coffee.”
He sat down across from her. “Martha, what is it?”
She replied honestly, “The kids. I’m worried about them.”
He nodded. “Me too. They shouldn’t have to face this stuff right now.” He got up
and paced about the room. Then he glanced toward the bedroom where the baby
twins slept peacefully. “April and I talk about this constantly.”
“She must be a barrel of nerves,” Martha supposed.
“As always. Can’t say I blame her. The kids are at stake too.” He came back over
to the counter where the coffee pot beeped at them. Pouring two cups, he handed
one to her. Then he brought some milk and sugar to the table. “I’m not taking
anything for granted this time.”
“Spoken like a father and a teacher,” she assessed. “It’s always about the kids,
David, but I don’t have to tell you that.”
“Not after what happened to Laura and Lewis,” he recalled sadly. “I want them to
be ready but they need to enjoy their lives too. Everything’s a balance.
Frankly, I’m worried about Alicia and Samantha. They want to help but I can’t
convince them that they’re ready.”
“They’ve both seen the ghost. I think that’s driving them. Clark and Lana have
noted that you could be a lot harder. Frankly, you and Heloise deserve credit
for training them to work as a group. At least our friends are a help,” she
complimented.
“They are that. That facility of theirs is second to none for prep work. Still,
it’s not the same as facing the real thing. At some point, they’ll need to do
that. I just hope they can work together when the time comes,” he explained.
“They will. Have faith,” she assured him. “You learned that lesson. If you can,
they can.”
“Hopefully, not at the same cost,” he wished while taking a sip of his coffee.
“As I said, balance.”
“Leave that to Jonathan and me,” she proposed. “It’ll be a surprise for
everyone.”
He quirked an eyebrow wondering where she was going with that comment. She
should know what she’s doing. Just have faith, Dave. He sipped again on his
coffee and continued the conversation with his guest for a while longer.
Chapter 4 [That night—Cowache Caves]
After finishing dinner and the accompanying chores, Clark and Lana ran over to
the caves for a talk with Jor-El. Combining their instincts along with their
developing Kryptonian telepathy, they quickly found their way in the central
chamber.
Well done, my Children. Jor-El appeared in front of them in his glowing spectral
state. What is troubling you?
The teens looked anxiously at each other before Clark indicated, [“The blinding
thing. If we’re vulnerable to magic, then how can we fight the ghost and pilgrim
guy?”]
Alone, you cannot win, Kal-El. However, have you learned nothing of team work
from the ‘practice sessions’?
[“We’ve fought alongside the others. But we’re still tougher than they are,”]
she assumed.
While your skills and talents are developing well, Lana, do not overestimate
yourselves. While your peers may not have the same skills as you both, they have
others to compensate. You both are just beginning to scratch the surface of your
own abilities.
[“There are more abilities?”] Clark wondered.
Think to your counterparts, Kal-El. Yes, there’s much more but that’s a matter
for another time. For now, develop the telepathic bond between yourselves and
the others. As with the hive, you must all move as one and attack in like
manner. Jor-El’s eyes glowed red at them. The enemy will attack without
hesitation. You must defend yourselves in the same way.
[“But isn’t that what got us blinded?”] she queried.
I said without hesitation not rashly. There is a difference, Lana. While I
admire your desire to protect your friends, you need a strategy the next time
you both and the others face our adversaries. When you do have the ‘practice
sessions’, use them to sharpen your fighting skills on several levels. You both
fight what’s in front of you. Reality is more than that. Be ready to use the
sensitivity you learned during your disability. It can save you. With that, he
vanished.
“What do you suppose he meant by that?” she inquired.
He shrugged. “Come on. Mom and Dad are waiting.” With that, they took off,
rushing at super speed for the farm.
Conclusion [Two Days Later]
After the usual round of chores around the farm, Clark and Lana took advantage
of an unseasonably warm and sunny day to enjoy a picnic down by the shores of
Crater Lake. After the usual race over there (by way of Denver and back of
course), they settled onto the grassy shoreline and enjoyed their lunch of
chicken salad sandwiches accompanied by a macaroni salad and a can of soda each.
All around themselves, they sensed nature’s daily routine—the sensations of life
progressing along.
As if floating along in a strong river current, they basked in it.
“Think this is what Jor-El was talking about?” she asked.
“Knowing him, I’d say so,” he surmised. “There’s a lot to what he said. I guess
we’ve been missing a lot.”
“I’ve been practicing at the Talon. It’s hard to respect people’s privacy but I
manage. I never would’ve imagined all of the stuff going on when a lot of people
are in the room,” she agreed.
“So I’ve seen through our link,” he revealed. “I’ve practiced with that too.”
“Is that so?” She smirked at him. “That’ll cost you.” She kissed him. “There.”
“Wow.”
“That’s the deposit. You owe me more later,” she noted with a wickedly
suggestive expression on her face.
“How about a snuggle for now then? Will that count?” he suggested while snaking
his arm around her shoulders.
“I could be convinced,” she concurred while leaning up against his side. “Much
better. Still doesn’t cover it but I can definitely enjoy this.”
Clark didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply listened to nature all around
them. Occasionally, he turned to take in her beauty on several levels. Yes, he
was glad that they had their sight back.
She smiled warmly and kissed him tenderly.
They both relished the moment of bliss and tranquility. Perhaps the storm would
be soon in coming. However, as with their friends, they could enjoy a moment of
bliss for themselves….
THE END (for now)