DISCLAIMER:Once again: Smallville or Buffy are so not mine.
Author's Note:Transitional chapters are always the worst to write. I hope this one is good enough not to turn you off the story!
He stood in front of a long mirror in the Magic Box training room and like he had a thousand times before wondered if he looked like his parents. This time, he knew that he did. Knew he did enough someone recognized him on sight. He tried to imagine himself a little taller, with blue eyes and an older look.
After some major prodding and a promise he hoped he could keep, Anya had explained her reluctance to help him was because she was uncomfortable. She had really liked his father, and wanted to do him justice and for some reason, she felt that was shameful and went against everything that she was. From what Clark had gotten out of her, he had to assume she had ‘been’ with Jor-El before his mother was in the picture.
The fact that all he could learn about them were secondhand tales from a self-professed vengeance demon didn’t hold back his joy at finding something he never thought he would get: Information. Maybe she could even have someone draw him a picture!
He didn’t want to think his birth parents were dead. He just wanted this moment. He felt such joy; he wanted to share it with the world! He really came from somewhere. Until now, the thought was nothing more than abstract. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell the Kents right away, but he wanted to be with someone who knew him and his secret. He wanted to talk with Lex...
It was already late though, and Buffy had been pacing behind him for a long time, clearly uncomfortable.
He turned to face her.
She was looking at him strangely.
He searched her visage.
“You think I’m a freak.” Clark realized. His father had told him that’s how people would perceive him if he’d ever told. He understood, but it still hurt him deeply.
“No, Clark, I don’t, it’s not that,” she reassured him.
“Then what is it?” He asked, ball in his throat.
“I don’t know. I’m just not that comfy with the turn of events.”
“You’re afraid of me,” he stated.
“Well, no… Yes. God, I don’t know! Maybe I’m just paranoid. I don’t want to sound pessimistic here, because you’ve been a really nice guy, really Clark, but you could do a lot of damage if-” she let it hang in the air. It wasn’t that she wanted Clark to feel bad, but she was stating the obvious. “Ah, it’s coming out wrong.”
“What makes you think I would do anyone harm? I haven’t hurt anyone here, have I?” He asked, a little indignant, the way he answered his father’s concerns.
Buffy inhaled deeply, searching. “All of us, our group… Some things sort of…happened,” she tried to find the right words, the right way to explain; she got exasperated with herself. “We’ve done some pretty bad things, okay? Even I’ve, on occasion, tried to kill my friends,” she said, scrunching up her face at how it sounded.
“What?”
“I know I don’t make any sense to you right now, but you have to trust me.”
“What can I do?”
“Fight me?”
“I can’t fight you! You’ll get hurt!” He exclaimed.
“Don’t be so sure. I held my own against a God once. I won too, a little too late but I did. Come on, Clark, indulge me,” she challenged, standing up and rolling up her sleeves.
“I don’t…”
“Well, how about you just stand there?” She offered.
Clark nodded slowly and planted his feet.
Buffy hit him with everything she had. Everything. Punches, round-house kicks, sweeping moves, two by fours, knives, swords, arrows, chairs, tables… It all just broke, including a few bones in her left hand.
She finally stopped, panting, backed herself up against the wall and sat down. Clark was sad. She looked sad too. He sat next to her on the floor.
“Hey, come on. It doesn’t mean that you’re not super strong, Buffy. It just means that I’m stronger.”
“It’s my job to save the world Clark. Mine.”
“My parents, my human parents; I think they would say that if you knew me you would know there’s no reason to be scared,” he offered, knowing deep down that despite his best intentions his parents had been afraid of him, or more accurately his powers, on occasion.
“I feel bad. Maybe I’m just jealous that I found someone better suited for world save-age.”
“Explain it to me?”
“I’m the Chosen one. I ‘alone’ am supposed to have the power to fight vampires and demons and Hellgods and what-have-you… It’s my sacred duty. I’ve been doing it since my Freshman year of High School. When my parents divorced, Mom, Dawn and I moved here, where I thought I could have a fresh start. Color me annoyed when I found out that the High School was built on top of a Hellmouth and that there was more paranormal activity in this sleepy little town than anywhere else in the world. Giles, our Librarian, was really my Watcher; sent to guide me. Xander and Willow found out pretty much the day I got here and they began helping me. There was Cordelia too, and OZ. Then my mom and Dawn found out and my focus was to keep Dawn safe, I know now that that probably wasn’t as necessary as I thought.” She sighed. “That’s the short-short version. Still the idea is this: I didn’t want the job, I never did. But I’ve gone through a lot for it and maybe I’m a little threatened by you. It’s pretty clear that I’ll never even get married and have kids. Well, expect for Dawn. She’s sort of mine, magically. Some monks made her out of me, my blood. Long story. Anyway, I’ve sent someone I loved to Hell, I’ve died twice, clawed my way out of my grave … And that doesn’t even color the highlights. Really you name it, I’ve done it, and it’s all related to this destiny I have. You, in my place you would have been able to- I’ve had so much to deal with… And I don’t know how to get over it. How do you get over that? Therapy? Repression? One day at a time?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe we should start a support group,” the blond offered, half-joking.
“It’s hard sometimes, isn’t it?”
“You mean to be different?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah. I sure didn’t ask for it… Maybe if the council started paying me, I could get somewhere, I mean, DoubleMeat girl by day, Vampire Slayer by night, mom, sister, friend… There just aren’t enough hours. And the bills, my God, we’re drowning in debt.”
Clark stayed silent, lost in thought.
“Ugh. And here I thought I was doing well…” She sighed, wiping a stray tear.” I shouldn’t be complaining. I’ve got all my limbs, my friends are great, Dawn has been so happy this summer I think she might turn out okay and I have friends. Other Slayers, they don’t have friends. Really, we’ve been doing a good job this summer, keeping things light. I think I might even be able to get a few nights sleep-“ she smiled at the prospect.
“I didn’t ask to be different. I’m not made to be on Earth, but I think, I know, seeing you, seeing what’s out there…I’ll be using my gifts for good. It would be too much of a waste if I didn’t and I don’t think I could live with myself. You think… Do you think it’s possible to do both, have a normal life and do what we do?”
“I don’t know. I went to college before, maybe you could do better than I did. I mean, I got good grades and everything, but I tend to disappear-“
“I do too,” Clark said, realizing he should probably begin thinking about what was more important to him.
“It might work.”
“Yeah, maybe I can find a job where running away doesn’t get you fired.”
“That rules out being a doctor, a sales clerk and a chemist.”
“And I can’t be a pilot or an astronaut,” he mused. “Or a farmer.” He added sadly.
“No. Plus you don’t want to be responsible for a villain wiping out your herd of cows in retaliation for a plan you foiled.”
“Right,” Clark said uneasily.
“I’m sorry I’m wigging. You’re a good guy Clark,” Buffy said, turning to him and taking his hand.
Clark squeezed her hand comfortingly. “You think you could use some help? I mean; the world is pretty big.”
“It is, isn’t it? I keep forgetting. I haven’t been farther than L.A. in… Well, since I was 9 and even in L.A. I don’t exactly get happy fun time…”
They were silent for a few minutes, and Clark finally decided to move.
“So, we can be friends?”
“Are friends aloud to check out each other’s butts?” She asked, lightening the mood. “You know, ‘cause if Anya’s right you’re not technically a minor,” the blond hurried to explain.
“Of course.”
“Good, ‘cause it’s like, spectacular,” she teased. Buffy turned to leave the blushing alien.
“The meteor rocks,” the brunette whispered.
“What?”
“The fragments of the meteors that fell to Earth at the same time I did; they make me weak, they make me sick. I think they might even kill me if I was exposed too long… They’re everywhere in Smallville.”
“Why?”
“Just in case; things happen.”
He got up, walked to the door and added, “and I can’t see through led.”
Buffy was dumbstruck.
Clark was gone. He ran, and ran and ran enjoying the cool air against his skin. Less than two hours later, he was in Smallville. He thought of only one person that could be up and it was exactly who he wanted to see. Lex.
He jumped up to catch the bottom of the balcony to his room and hoisted himself up.
Sadly, the castle was eerily quiet, and Lex’s room was empty. He decided that since he had broken in, the least he could do was write a note.
Dear Lex, I learned something new today, and I wanted to share it with you. I hope we can see each other soon.
Clark.
P.S. Met your biggest fan.
He was about to leave when he heard a muffled footsteps from the hall. He covered himself with some drapes.
“Clark?”
Clark breathed a sigh of relief and came out of his hiding place.
“How did you know it was me?”
“I was hoping.”
Clark took in his friend’s appearance: purple terry cloth robe and leather slippers. He had a mug in hand and was moving to take his place on a sofa. Normally, when Lex entered a room, he commanded it; all were mesmerized by his presence, whether they liked him or not. Not the case tonight. Probably for the first time in his life, he looked like a guy. A weary, exhausted, conflicted, headache-y guy. The man took a sip of the hot liquid and set down the mug. It smelled like hot chocolate.
Clark took a seat next to him.
“You look tired.”
“I’m always tired Clark. I rarely sleep,” the bald man said off-handedly.
“How’s your father doing?”
“You know better than to ask me that, Clark,” he chastises, putting his feet up on the short table in front of him.
“Sorry.”
“He’s doing better. Planning a counter attack as we speak I’m sure. It’s only a matter of time before I’m fighting for my life, figuratively speaking.”
“So he didn’t take it well?”
“That I declared him incompetent and got power of attorney over him and all his holdings?” Lex asked, eyebrow raised.
“Guess not.”
“Well, the plant is running smoothly and turning a profit, just like it did before he closed it. Gabe Sullivan has agreed to come back and run it again, so your Chloe should be back for the school year. I sold Bruce Wayne the Smallville Savings and Loan this afternoon, so the workers are safe, and I have almost finalized the employee led buyout. I’ve got about another week.”
“That’s great Lex.”
“Well, the townspeople have stopped throwing rotting vegetables at my cars.”
“That’s a plus.”
“Yeah, except by doing all of this, I’m leaving Metropolis wide open for him or someone else to take over. I should be over there running things; I might have had a shot at taking over permanently.”
“So why are you here? Why did you do all of this when you could have gone for the brass ring?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“You’re my only real friend Clark. Sure, I know a lot of people, and I’ve got Bruce and some clubbing buddies that I really like, but they aren’t constant, and they don’t know me like you do, they don’t believe in me like you do. I don’t even believe in me like you do,” he explained.
“Come on Lex. You’re a good man.”
“I am today.”
Clark didn’t know what to say. He chose to see the best in people, but he was starting to think it might take years for Lex to overcome the darkness inside him, constantly tugging at him.
Clark trusted Lex. He couldn’t help it, and he wanted to tell him about his new friends, regardless of if he believed him or not. He wanted to share about his birth parents, and construction work and Sunnydale.
They talked for about two hours before Clark took his leave. He had not been completely believed, but he was happy he could make his friend laugh. He knew how most of what came from his mouth had sounded. He hadn’t dared ask for the favor he owed Anya, though; he would do that by phone. It was sort of embarrassing.
Clark walked around his darkened hometown for about and hour. It was sort of eerie in the night; sort of bizarre, now that he was spending time elsewhere. He checked to see if his parents were in one piece. They were.
After a lot of reflecting, he ran back to Sunnydale, and Xander’s house.
He watched the sun rise on Xander’s front steps, re-invigorated from the thinking he had done, and relieved the town was getting back on it’s feet.
He waited for Willow and Xander to awaken. When they had been milling about for a few minutes, he knocked and was told to let himself in.
Xander was wearing an old brown robe and flip-flops and passed him a cup of coffee.
“Hey man.”
“Hey.”
“So, do aliens drink coffee?”
“Sure.”
“So, Willow’s off to England this afternoon. The fight was a little too much to handle.”
“Yeah,” Clark acquiesced, feeling sad that he was partly responsible for last night’s display.
“How are you?”
“Yesterday… it’s like yesterday the Earth was flat and now it’s round?” Clark tried to explain.
“I get that. So I take it you’ve never met any vamps or demons?”
“No. I mean, the meteors… When I… got here, some meteors fell and exploded into fragments. They, uh, did stuff to some people. Lex was caught in the shower and lost all his hair and he hasn’t gotten sick since. Like, the coach of our football team could start fires. And some guys tattoo-ed themselves with this stuff and they could walk through walls.”
“Cool.”
“Yeah, hypothetically,” the younger man agreed, indicating that in practice it was far from good. “This older lady got blinded and could see the future. This guy would like, suck body-heat away from girls when he kissed them, one girl died,” he croaked, trying not to shudder.
“I had a girlfriend once; turns out she was a mummy. She would kiss people and drain the life right out of them.”
Clark smiled back at Xander. They took a sip of coffee and waved back to Willow as she disappeared into the bathroom.
“Are you scared of me?” Clark asked the question he had been meaning to since he walked in.
“Should I be?”
“No. I’m just a guy, Xander.”
“Buffy already filled me in on what you said last night. Must be rough. She understands you though. Finding out you’re different like that. She didn’t take it very well. Got herself committed talking about it. She’s even more your fan now than she was before she knew about you, so that makes you okay in my book. Plus you were my friend first and you were always decent with me. You hungry?”
“Always.”
“Cold pizza?”
“Lay it on me.”
“So, anything ‘alien’ about you?” Xander asked, looking his friend up and down with raised eyebrows.
“Everything’s in the right place and in working order. I think. I lost my powers for a bit, and got hurt. Doctors didn’t see anything weird with me. Kinda hard to check anything internal now though, you couldn’t get a needle in me with a sledge hammer.”
“Lucky bastard. I got hurt so much as a kid I had most of the hospital staff’s name committed to memory. Even knew the shifts of the prettiest nurses. I hate hospitals though. I hate them,” he shook his head.
“I guess my heritage does have its perks.”
“Yeah. Like the X-Ray vision! Hello! You’ve got what every man on the planet would die for.”
“Yeah. But I only use it when I have to.”
“When you have to?”
“To help people,” the teenager explained.
“Helping shmelping, I’d be standing in front of a woman’s gym all day. Or I’d find Linda Evangelista’s house…”
Clark was extremely happy about his talk with Xander. It had taken a while before Xander stopped asking him what the neighbors were doing or the color of the cars passing on the street, but he finally did. They shot the breeze for a while, and then helped Willow pack the rest of her things.
He had watched the tearful goodbyes between Willow and her friends from a short distance. Xander’s eyes were red. The redhead had assured the group many times that she would be back just as soon as she could, *with souvenirs*, but the girls had cried openly anyway.
Willow was glued to her friend Xander, and it looked physically painful when she pried herself away and walked to the gate, looking back one last time and cracking a smile, waving bravely.
Watching them Clark knew without a shadow of a doubt that good would triumph over evil; he wasn’t sure why, but he knew it.
They hadn’t seen Anya, but Xander, Dawn and Buffy took Clark to the Multi-Plex to see a movie. Sadly, the only movie that was playing at the time they wanted was Men in Black two. They went in anyway, but didn’t really get into the story. They debated the merits of the movie and it’s stars all the way to the Bronze.
“But why couldn’t they get and actress with real cleavage?”
“I don’t know Xan, but she was scary. I mean, not her role, just her.”
“Yeah,” Dawn chimed in. “Still, was I the only one who thought it was sweet that the Princess was Kay’s kid?”
“YES!” Buffy exclaimed. “It was so lame. It was so predictable, I almost hurled in my popcorn.”
“Buffy, don’t take it the wrong way, they were just setting up for the sequel,” Xander explained.
“I know, but is it that hard to find good writers? It’s not like they have to pay them much. I mean, what’s wrong with having a decent plot to drive your movie? Some dialogue? What do you think Clark?”
“I think as far as alien movies go, I like ET better. He wanted to go home, and he got to go. This was just…”
“A debacle?” Xander chimed in.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“So did we hate it?” Buffy aksed.
“No.”
“No.”
“No. Hate is such a strong word; it would imply we care much more than we actually do. Don’t you think Buff?”
“Yeah. But don’t you think that when they get all the millions of dollars together to make a film, if they see that it sucks, they should like, feed an African country for like, 10 years?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Yes. Wish the world worked like that,” Dawn expressed as they walked up to the club.
All of them realized that they hadn’t been accosted by one single creature of the night. Dawn was the only one that seemed genuinely disappointed.
When they stepped in, Buffy had Dawn check for vampires, as an exercise, and she spotted only one, drinking alone. Clark did an ex-ray sweep of the room to make sure, and the girl had been right. They kept an eye out, but started enjoying themselves. The ladies were a tad less rabid with the guys this time around, because the group stuck closer together.
They danced, they teased each other, and when the conversation turned to Lex Clark realized he hadn’t turned his phone on all day. He had 5 messages.
He stepped outside to retrieve them.
“Hey Clark, it’s me. Saturday afternoon, I’m going to New York for about a week on business. I’ll call you later.”
“Hey Clark, it’s me. I’m in New York at the Mayflower. Call you later.”
“Hey Clark. It’s Chloe. Look, I got White to give me the weekend plus Monday off. Pete got your address from your mom. Surprise! Oh, gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
“Hey Clark. It’s us, we’re on the road. Barring my car breaking down, we are flying to see you. You are going to love what I’ve got planned. It’s going to be so fun. I get to see you, and get a story at the same time. That town you live in… Let’s just say that more than a few things don’t add up. Thanks for turning me on to it.”
“Hey Clark, it’s us. No one was at the address your mom gave us so we came straight here. Pete’s a little freaked but he’s a big baby. It is so cool. We’ve set up a tent in a cemetery! There are like, 12 I know, but it’s near the main street, there’s a clearing next to a row of crypts… I’ve loaded up on coffee. We’ve got music. We’re getting a fire going. We bought marshmallows. Pete even got some liquor he thinks we should drink. I’m all set for an all-nighter, got my note pad, got my Dictaphone. Should be great! Can’t wait to see you! Call us, and hurry over.”
Transitional, I know. Was it okay anyway?
