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Disclaimer: I don't own anything when it comes to Smallville or its characters.
Hi there! I wrote this fan fiction over ten years ago. I use to post it in an old Clana site that I don't even know if exists anymore. I recently found it in an old HD and decided to rewrite it.
Its an AU story.
Here goes nothing.
Hope you like it.
**************************
"Stop the van." Madame Magali requested softly, pointing at a space near the curb, to which Jacob followed promptly. He turned the engine off and looked gloomily at the war like scene before them. The meteor shower had done unfathomable damage.
Madame Magali took a deep, saddened breath. "Let's go."
They stepped out of the van and were immediately hit by the burnt smell that filled the devastated city. They started walking, passing destroyed cars and ravaged buildings, trying to ignore the tragic number of corpses in sight.
"There Mag!" Jacob pointed to a woman, sitting at the sidewalk, leaning against a rumbled storefront.
They moved quickly to her side. Upon inspections they verified she had a broken leg and a few bruises. "Take her to the van." Mag charged. "I'll continue on"
Jacob took the woman in his arms and did what was asked of him. As he placed the woman inside the car he offered, "Stay here, I'll be right back."
As he turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me! Please!" she pleaded in fear.
He looked at her in understanding, this woman had gone through something unimaginable. He turned back to where he had left Mag, but could no longer see her through all the smoke and dust.
He offered the fearful woman a gentle smile and spoke. "Ok, I'm gonna drive you somewhere safe."
He hopped in behind the wheel and started the car. He moved very slowly, not only worried about hitting someone or something in this poor visibility, but also as to not worsen the condition of his passenger's broken leg.
After a few minutes he finally spotted a moving silhouette, and as he moved, he recognized it as being Mag. He peeked through the window. "Meg?! Did you find anyone?"
"Yes." She signaled with her hand for him to join her. "There, between the plants." she pointed as he walked to her.
Madame Magali had been walking down the street, eyes and ears on alert for any call for help when she heard whimpers coming from a dismantled hedge. At first she had a heard time placing exactly where the sound was coming from, but as she moved , she noticed the tip of a pink plastic crown poking out of the leaves.
She bent down and saw a little girl crouched in the dirt, dressed in a fairy costume, face buried in her knees. Just as she began to approach her, she heard Jacob calling. Now they were both crouching.
"Hey there." she called out.
The girl looked up startled.
"Don't be afraid." she continued "come out."
The little girl pouted her lips and reburied her face in her knees.
"It's okay little one" Jacob tried, "we are here to help"
The little girl didn't budge.
Madame Magali looked at Jason worriedly and kneeled down to try and move closer.
"Be careful, Mag!" Jacob said alarmed
Mag shrugged him off and continued crawling towards the little girl. "Hi there." she said as she reached her. "My name is Mag, what is your name?"
The little girl looked up, her hazel eyes bloodshot from crying, but didn't answer.
"Are you lost?" Mag tried
To that the little girl signaled positively
Mag offered her a gentle smile "How about you come with us, and we'll help you find you parents."
The little girl hesitated briefly, but started moving. Mag helped her, and as they reached Jacob and stood up, she jumped into Mag's arms.
"There, there, I've got you now." Mag comforted her.
They moved to the van and got in, the little girl still in her arms.
"Whats your name?" Mag asked the woman with the broken leg, as Jacob began to drive.
"Katie" she answered.
"Do you recognize this little girl?" Mag enquired.
"Yes, I've seen her with her parents, but I couldn't tell you her name."
Mag ran her hands down the little girl's hair in a comforting manner. "She's in shock." she stated. "We need to find a help center or a hospital." she turned to Jacob.
Jacob nodded, he was already looking for one.
"The hospital is a bit far" Katie noted, "They're probably gathering people at the church. That's the second right from here."
Jacob nodded and drove at the said direction.
Katie was right. As they approached the church they could hear the sound of frantic chatter and cries, as well as the loud sirens of the first responders.
The little girl stirred on her arms, bringing her hands to her ears as to muffle the loud sounds. Mag drew her closer "It's okay dear, we're nearly there." she offered
Jacob parked the car and went to find a paramedic to help Katie, while Mag, little girl in arms, went into the church.
The scene inside was just as heartbreaking and outside. There were rows upon rows of injured people sitting at the benches, there were people pleading for help to find lost family members, and finally there were those that had been brought in to be helped, but had not resisted the injuries, and now lay in the corner covered in blankets.
Mag said a silent prayer as she moved towards those who were looking for the missing people. In the middle of the small desperate crowd there was a policeman, with a notepad in one hand and a overwhelmed look in his face.
"Calm down m'am. I've already written down everything you said" he pleaded to the crying woman talking to him as he patted her back in an attempt to comfort her.
Mag approached him, "Hi there officer. My name is Magali, I found this little girl on the street, she seems to have lost her parents."
The officer looked at the little girl and back at her "Is that the Lang's little girl?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm from Greenville, I'm here to help." She replied
"Good. We are gonna need all the help we can get" he grimaced hopelessly and looked at the little girl again "I'm pretty sure that's Laura's and Lewis' little girl" The little girl didn't move to confirm nor deny the statement "Is she injured?"
"No, it doesn't seem so. Just in shock" Mag replied
"They're taking the children to that room over there" the officer pointed to a door near the altar.
Mag nodded and moved towards it. She was glad they were keeping the children away from all the madness, they didn't need to see any more then they had already seen. She opened the door to find a small room with a dozen children and two nuns.
"Hi there." She greeted as she stepped into the room
One of the nuns approached her and smiled sadly "Hello"
"I was told to bring lost children here" she said "the officer outside recognized her. Said she's probably the Lang's little girl."
The nun nodded and motioned for her to sit "Do we have any information on the Langs?" she asked the other nun, who was sitting at a desk.
She searched the papers in front of her and replied "No, not yet."
"Well, you can leave her here with us, or wait until we have more to go on" the first nun spoke
Mag looked at the little girl on her lap, "Can you stay here with these nice ladies? They will take good care of you. I'll come back in a little bit." She asked
The little girl pouted and shook her head negatively, burring herself deeper in Mag's lap.
"I'm afraid she is scared" she looked at the nuns "I'll just have a word with my son outside, and come right back. Is that alright?"
"Sure." they nodded
Mag walked to the church's entrance to find Jacob with two other kids "Jacob, oh my God!" she gasped sorrowfully
"Hey" he replied "found these two just around the corner. Where have you been?"
"Inside. They are gathering the children in a separate room." she explained "Come."
They went back into the church, but before they could reach the room by the altar, a woman screamed "Heather!" and charged in their direction.
The little girl holding Jacob's right hand ran to her arms "Mommy!"
They cried together before the woman turned her attention to Mag and Jacob "Thank you!" she said tearfully "Thank you so much"
Jacob and Mag smiled "No need to thank us." he said "we're here to help."
The hours passed as Mag stayed at the church with the little girl who had fallen asleep, while Jacob went out to try and help more people. It was almost nightfall when Jacob reentered the room. Almost all of the children had been taken back by family members. Lots of tears had been shed.
"Hi" he spoke as he closed the door behind him "things have quieted down outside. The church is almost empty. They took the seriously injured to the hospital, and sent everyone else home or to the shelters."
Mag was about to reply when the police officer from earlier came in "I've got a boy here, but no one recognizes him." The little boy holding the man's hand was absolutely striking. He had bright blue orbs, light tanned skin and an angelic expression. He looked so peaceful, that no one would say he'd just experienced a great catastrophe "He doesn't seem to know his name either, "the officer concluded
One of the nuns took him from the officer and sat him in one of the chairs "Any news?" she asked the man
"Yes. The worst." he said, signaling the little girl on Mag's lap and the other three kids
"Oh no" the nun weeped as she did the cross sign over her chest "may they rest in peace"
Mag looked at Jacob and he nodded. She passed the sleeping little girl to his arms and turned to the nuns and the officer. "There's a reason I came from Greenville today" she said as she reached inside her purse for her card "I own and run an foster home down there. I wound't mind taking these children with me."
"Thats great" said the officer "The social worker was here just a while ago, I'll go get her" he left the room
Mag nodded and sat back down to wait. "What about him?" she asked the nun, indicating the beautiful boy sitting across form her
"I don't know." the nun shrugged "You'll have to ask them." she pointed towards to where the officer had left.
Mag offered the boy a small smile, which he returned. He looked at everything as if he was seeing them for the first time, analyzing. He was truly mesmerizing.
Two hours later, Mag, Jacob, the little girl in the fairy costume, the fascinating little boy and one other boy named Timothy left towards the van. Mag had talked to the social worker, signed a lot of papers and agreed to get all the legal proceedings done by the next day. They hadn't let her take all the children, she just hoped they would take as good care of them as she would the one she had brought with her. They would forever be in her prayers. As for her new kids, all they needed now was a home cooked meal and a good night's sleep. They had been through something that would shape the rest of their lives. She just hoped she could make them feel a little bit better.
The drive took one hour. Greenville was fairly close to Smallville, but the streets were still full of rubble, and Jacob had to be very careful in his driving. They arrived at Mag's house and moved the kids inside. Mag's sister Marie, and Jacob helped her getting the kids showered and ready for supper. Aside from the new arrivals Mag had another five kids at her house, alongside herself, Marie and Jacob, the first kid she had ever fostered and now worked with her. She and Marie had inherited the mansion form their parents, and had devoted their lives into helping orphan kids.
As the last of the kids sat to eat she spoke "Good evening my little angels. Tonight we have three new siblings. So give them your warmest welcome and let us pray."
Supper passed through as expected. The new kids ate quietly, while the others chatted between bites. Towards the end Timothy had begun to loosen up, and answered some questions timidly. The other two, on the other hand, remained silent. However, something had changed, the little boy had stopped studying his surroundings and was now looking at the little girl, as if transfixed by her.
They moved into the main room, where the kids usually spent their time before going to bed. The little girl sat by the corner with her head down, and the little boy continued to eye her, almost without blinking. They stayed that way for a few minutes, when suddenly the little girl began to cry. Before Mag could do anything, the little boy stood up, walked towards the little girl and touched her hand. She looked up between her tears and Mag noticed her expression changing. The sadness in her eyes gave away to a peaceful look, as the boy smiled at her.
"Hi" The boy said, as if though the word was foreign to him.
"Hi" she replied in a low voice, wiping aways her tears
"What is your name?" he asked sympathetically, although almost mechanically, pronouncing every word
"Lana" she said, again in a very low voice
"Lana" he repeated in wonder, than looked back at her "please don't cry" he continued, wiping a tear that had run down her cheek
Lana nodded "What's your name?" she asked, her voice breaking a little
The mysterious boy tilted his head a little as a confused expression rested on his face.
"I do not know" he answered earnestly
Lana also tilted her head in confusion "Then what should I call you?"
"What's your favorite name?" he asked, his speech becoming more fluid
"I like Clark" she answered
"Then you can call me Clark" he smiled
Madame Magali watched their interaction in amusement. She didn't know at the time, but she was witnessing the beginning of one of the most beautiful friendships she would ever know.
Chapter 2
5 years later.
"I'm hungry, C." nine year old Lana said, rubbing her tummy
"But we just ate." Clark replied
"I know, but I'm still hungry." she insisted, pouting her lips a little
Clark rolled his eyes at her. They had sneaked out of bed once again to test Clark's newest ability. He had began developing super human abilities over a year ago and Lana was the only living soul that knew about it. His first ability was super speed. He was playing with Lana after school, running around the backyard when it first happened. He freaked out, but upon seeing Lana's excited face he changed his mind. He had just recently found out he had super strength, and they had been meeting after hours to test it.
As she insisted on eating they went into the kitchen to look for something. They saw a jar of cookies on top of the fridge. Clark used his new super strength to lift Lana above his head to get the jar.
"Cool" she said, as he put her down in front of him
Clark smiled excitedly as she rested the jar on the table and opened it, taking a cookie.
"This tastes gwad" Lana said, her mouth full
Clark laughed "You're weird" he teased
"I'm weird?" she looked at him in bewilderment "I'm not the one who can lift a couch over their head." she continued showing him her tongue
They laughed "Good point" he replied
"Do you want one?" she asked, taking another cookie from the jar
"No, I'm good, thanks." He shook his head
"You know you want it C." she insisted bringing a cookie close to his nose so he could smell it.
Just as he was about do bite it out of her hand, the light was switched on and Marie had caught them. As she finished lecturing them, she sent them to bed.
They walked up the stairs giggling mischievously and finally parted ways to their respective rooms.
******
Chapter 2
4 years later
"I cannot believe he kissed you" a furious Clark stomped rapidly. Dylan had been teasing Clark about being in love with Lana. Clark had shrugged him off because he didn't care about what other people thought about them. But Dylan, to prove his point, walked over to Lana and kissed her on the lips.
"I know" Lana said in disgust, trying to keep up with Clark "Lucky you were there to push him away"
Clark slowed his pace "So you didn't like it then?" he asked hopefully
"No!" Lana widened her eyes "It was gross. He drooled all over my face." she wiped her lips yet again
Clark smiled relieved "Lucky it wasn't a real kiss, like in the movies"
Lana giggled, Clark was so naive sometimes "They don't kiss for real in the movies"
"They don't?" he asked confused
She giggled again "No, they don't use their tongues."
"And they should?" he stopped walking, interested
"Yes" she said matter-of-factly, stopping in front of. "Like this." she pulled him to a kiss.
When their lips met, she realized she hadn't thought the whole thing through. She was just trying to explain a real kiss to him, but she had never kissed anyone before. She didn't have a clue what she was doing.
Clark was not expecting her to pull him for a kiss, so when their lips touched he froze. Lana was kissing him. Lana, his best friend, his most loyal companion, the girl he loved. Of course he loved her, and he'd known it for a long time. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was funny and intelligent. She made him laugh, and accepted every thing about him, even the unexplainable.
Lana was terrified. She had never seen Clark stand so still. She had begun to pull away when he finally moved, enveloping his arms around her, bringing her closer. The kiss was short, they didn't really know what they were doing. They parted timidly, resuming their walk in silence, both a little embarrassed about what had just happened.
They turned the corner to their street and were met by Jacob. "Lana, Clark, where have you been? You have a visitor. Your aunt is here." He eyed Lana.
She turned to Clark wide eyed, forgetting about everything that happened just a few minutes ago. He returned her worried look, remembering a conversation they'd had a few weeks ago.
"Hey." Clark knocked on her doorframe to announce his presence "May I?"
Lana looked up from the photo she was holding "Hey. Sure."
He moved inside and sat by the foot of her bed "You ok?" he rested his hand on one of her feet
Lana had learned about her aunt when they were around ten. Her aunt had called and asked Mag if she could keep contact with her niece via sporadic phone calls. Of course, Mag had to ask Lana if she agreed. She had told Lana that her aunt, named Nell, lived in Europe, due to her husband's work. When Lana's parents had died, she had told Mag that at the time she could't care for a child. But since she learned she was coming back to Smallville, she wanted to get back in touch.
Ever since than, every time Nell called, Lana would get pensive afterwards
"Yes" she answered, still holding the picture her aunt had sent her some time ago. Not really sure if she was ok or not.
Clark moved closer to her and took her hand. "Hey, you know you can talk to me."
Lana closed her eyes “She wants to meet me. She said she regrets her decision to not take me in. She said if I could forgive her, maybe I could come live with her.” Lana had been dreading telling Clark. Truth was she didn't know how she felt about the whole idea, she couldn't imagine how he would feel.
"Oh." Clark responded. He wasn't expecting anything like that. He had never allowed himself to think of a reality where he didn't have Lana around him. Truth be told, she was his whole world.
"Hey" Lana nudged him. He had been staring at the wall for a whole minute. She knew he would be in shock, but Clark had always had a word of comfort. "I don't even know if I want to meet her, let alone live with her."
Clark looked into her eyes. He loved her, loved her so much he could never take away her chance of having her family back. I mean this woman was her mother's sister.
"Of course you'll meet her" he squeezed her hand, "You have to. She is your aunt. Imagine all the things she knows about your mom, all the things she could tell you." He would like to know about his parents too, he had so many questions.
Lana smiled at him, welcoming his comforting words "I know, but she didn't want anything to do with me before."
"That was a long time ago." he assured her. "She's changed her mind."
Lana nodded, she knew how hard this must be for him to. If it was the other way around she'd be freaking out. It meant so much to her that he was putting his feelings aside to comfort her.
"What if she doesn't like me" she looked at him, fearful.
It was unlike Lana to feel so insecure. She was usually so strong. This really must be eating her up inside. Aside from the day they met, he had never seen her so vulnerable.
"That's impossible." he half smiled, "she'd have to be crazy"
They were still in the street corner, holding each other glance. Lana was looking at him, silently asking for guidance.
Clark took a deep breath, gave her a reassuring grin and extended his hand.
Lana took it without hesitation, and hand in hand they walked up to the house.
Clark saw a beautiful woman standing by the fireplace as they crossed the threshold into the main room of the house. That was no doubt this woman was Lana's relative. They shared the same hair color, the same skin tone and their eyes had almost the same hazel hue. As she saw Lana walking in, tears filled her orbs.
She took a couple of steps forward and stopped, not wanting to make Lana feel obliged to hug her. Instead she opened her arms and smiled through her tears, "May I?"
Lana looked at Clark for encouragement, which he replied by lightly squeezing her hand.
She took a timid step forward, into her aunts arms, hesitantly letting go of his hand. She felt something familiar about her aunt's embrace she couldn't quite place. But she slowly felt her muscles relax as tears also flooded her eyes.
Clark watched their interaction with a sad smile. He couldn't be happier for Lana, but he was terrified. Deep down he felt that his days living with Lana were counted. He kept watching them until he felt a soft hand touching his arm. Meg had approached him so quietly, he hadn't noticed. She nodded towards her office, motioning him to follow her, and give Lana and Nell some space.
Clark followed Meg into her office and sat down in one of her armchairs, staring aimlessly ahead. There were so many thought going through his mind that he felt himself going numb.
Mag watched her son. Just thirteen years old, but he seemed so much older. It was like that with most of her kids. The had to learn to be strong at such a young age. They had already experienced things most people don't in an entire life. She walked to him and ran her hands through his messy locks. "How are you feeling?" she asked gingerly
Clark shrugged, finally leaning back, letting Mag’s soothing touch comfort him. "I don’t know." He closed his eyes, as he felt hot tears surfacing. "I'm happy for her." he said honestly, "but I’m gonna miss her."
Mag continued her comforting caress, "we don’t even know if she’s gonna want to move."
He knew. He knew because he knew her better than anyone else. She had been looking at that picture Nell sent her. It was a picture of Lana's mother and Nell holding a newborn Lana in their arms. Nell was the closest thing to her mother Lana would ever have, she could miss this chance. He had caught her looking at that photo a few times the last couple of weeks. She always tried to tuck it away before he could see what it was, but he knew.
Clark wiped away his tears and stood up, "It doesn’t matter" she couldn’t see him like this "I have to be strong for her," he nodded "she needs me to be strong." he breathed out trying to control his emotions.
Mag looked at him in awe. How could this boy be so selfless, so giving. There was only one answer she could think of, he truly and deeply loved Lana. She smiled inwardly, it seemed he had so much more to teach than to learn. She was truly blessed to have these kids in her life.
Clark left Mags office and made his way upstairs to his room. He left his school stuff by his desk and went into the bathroom for a shower. He had to wash away his sadness, wash away his fear. He had to swallow his feelings and put on a brave face for her.
He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He cleaned the fogged up mirror and looked at his reflection. He did't know if it was part of his abilities, or if it was just genes, but he was fairly built for a young teenager. He wondered if Lana found him at all attractive. Or if she even thought of that stuff. He usually didn't, but today his head was a mess. So many things he had never thought about were crossing his mind. Like if it was too early to ask her to marry him. He rolled his eyes at himself.
It was about an hour after he had showered that he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in" he said, sitting on the bed and straightening himself up
Lana opened the door slowly, she didn't know how exactly what she would say, so she was buying time. When it finally revealed him, she couldn't do or say anything, she just looked at him. She stared into his beautiful eyes, his expression unreadable.
As she opened the door slowly, Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. He would not show her fear. When their eyes locked he really couldn't think of anything but how captivating she was.
They looked at each other for a long minute, when finally he stood up, walked to her, and pulled her to his arms for a long embrace.
Lana did't offer any kind of resistance. On the contrary, when she felt him pulling her, she let her body fall to his. Immediately upon feeling his warmth, the stream of tears started.
Clark held her tightly, closing the door behind her so no one would hear her moment of fragility. When her sobs turned to whimpers, Clark sat them down on the bed, her head resting on his shoulder.
He wiped away her tears, "Don't cry, please. Not for this. Not for me."
She looked at him through bloodshot eyes "But I'm…I'm m-" she hadn’t yet found the strength or the words to tell him.
"I know" he nodded, fighting the lump that was trying to make its back into his throat. "But this," he pointed between the two of them "this is forever."
Lana smiled and him and nodded through a fresh set of tears
"No matter where we are" he took her hand to his chest "I'll always be there for you."
"Promise?" she squeezed his hand
"Promise." He squeezed back
She wouldn’t leave until the Christmas holiday, which meant that they had a few weeks left. But to Clark time had never passed so fast, and before they knew it, it was the day of her departure.
They had spent every last second they could together, but it still wasn't enough to prepare him for this moment. They were standing in her empty room, all her stuff packed. It was just a plain room now. Ready to be occupied by someone else. When that thought crossed Clark's mind he had to shake his head. This would forever be her room in his mind. He was starring at her old bed, deep in thought, when he felt her hand on his arm.
"I'm ready" she said, pulling his attention
'I'm not' he thought to himself, as he offered her a sad smile
She looked at her feet "Promise your gonna visit me every day."
"I've already promised that." he reminded her. They had agreed he would super speed to Smallville every day after school to see her.
"Promise again." she pleaded looking up into his eyes
He would say anything she wanted when she looked at him like that. She had no idea the power she had over him. "I promise" he assured her
With that they walked town the stairs hand in hand. When they reached the main floor Lana let go of his hand to say her goodbyes to everyone else, before rejoining him to walk to Nell's car. He put her bags inside the car, and turned to her to say their final goodbye.
He pulled her into a hug "You go and be happy."
She squeezed him tightly "I love you, C."
"I love you too."
They let go of each other and she got into the passenger’s sit. The car started moving and their eyes locked. He waived, following her gaze "more than you’ll ever know" he concluded as the car turned the corner.
Hi there! I wrote this fan fiction over ten years ago. I use to post it in an old Clana site that I don't even know if exists anymore. I recently found it in an old HD and decided to rewrite it.
Its an AU story.
Here goes nothing.
Hope you like it.
**************************
"Stop the van." Madame Magali requested softly, pointing at a space near the curb, to which Jacob followed promptly. He turned the engine off and looked gloomily at the war like scene before them. The meteor shower had done unfathomable damage.
Madame Magali took a deep, saddened breath. "Let's go."
They stepped out of the van and were immediately hit by the burnt smell that filled the devastated city. They started walking, passing destroyed cars and ravaged buildings, trying to ignore the tragic number of corpses in sight.
"There Mag!" Jacob pointed to a woman, sitting at the sidewalk, leaning against a rumbled storefront.
They moved quickly to her side. Upon inspections they verified she had a broken leg and a few bruises. "Take her to the van." Mag charged. "I'll continue on"
Jacob took the woman in his arms and did what was asked of him. As he placed the woman inside the car he offered, "Stay here, I'll be right back."
As he turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me! Please!" she pleaded in fear.
He looked at her in understanding, this woman had gone through something unimaginable. He turned back to where he had left Mag, but could no longer see her through all the smoke and dust.
He offered the fearful woman a gentle smile and spoke. "Ok, I'm gonna drive you somewhere safe."
He hopped in behind the wheel and started the car. He moved very slowly, not only worried about hitting someone or something in this poor visibility, but also as to not worsen the condition of his passenger's broken leg.
After a few minutes he finally spotted a moving silhouette, and as he moved, he recognized it as being Mag. He peeked through the window. "Meg?! Did you find anyone?"
"Yes." She signaled with her hand for him to join her. "There, between the plants." she pointed as he walked to her.
Madame Magali had been walking down the street, eyes and ears on alert for any call for help when she heard whimpers coming from a dismantled hedge. At first she had a heard time placing exactly where the sound was coming from, but as she moved , she noticed the tip of a pink plastic crown poking out of the leaves.
She bent down and saw a little girl crouched in the dirt, dressed in a fairy costume, face buried in her knees. Just as she began to approach her, she heard Jacob calling. Now they were both crouching.
"Hey there." she called out.
The girl looked up startled.
"Don't be afraid." she continued "come out."
The little girl pouted her lips and reburied her face in her knees.
"It's okay little one" Jacob tried, "we are here to help"
The little girl didn't budge.
Madame Magali looked at Jason worriedly and kneeled down to try and move closer.
"Be careful, Mag!" Jacob said alarmed
Mag shrugged him off and continued crawling towards the little girl. "Hi there." she said as she reached her. "My name is Mag, what is your name?"
The little girl looked up, her hazel eyes bloodshot from crying, but didn't answer.
"Are you lost?" Mag tried
To that the little girl signaled positively
Mag offered her a gentle smile "How about you come with us, and we'll help you find you parents."
The little girl hesitated briefly, but started moving. Mag helped her, and as they reached Jacob and stood up, she jumped into Mag's arms.
"There, there, I've got you now." Mag comforted her.
They moved to the van and got in, the little girl still in her arms.
"Whats your name?" Mag asked the woman with the broken leg, as Jacob began to drive.
"Katie" she answered.
"Do you recognize this little girl?" Mag enquired.
"Yes, I've seen her with her parents, but I couldn't tell you her name."
Mag ran her hands down the little girl's hair in a comforting manner. "She's in shock." she stated. "We need to find a help center or a hospital." she turned to Jacob.
Jacob nodded, he was already looking for one.
"The hospital is a bit far" Katie noted, "They're probably gathering people at the church. That's the second right from here."
Jacob nodded and drove at the said direction.
Katie was right. As they approached the church they could hear the sound of frantic chatter and cries, as well as the loud sirens of the first responders.
The little girl stirred on her arms, bringing her hands to her ears as to muffle the loud sounds. Mag drew her closer "It's okay dear, we're nearly there." she offered
Jacob parked the car and went to find a paramedic to help Katie, while Mag, little girl in arms, went into the church.
The scene inside was just as heartbreaking and outside. There were rows upon rows of injured people sitting at the benches, there were people pleading for help to find lost family members, and finally there were those that had been brought in to be helped, but had not resisted the injuries, and now lay in the corner covered in blankets.
Mag said a silent prayer as she moved towards those who were looking for the missing people. In the middle of the small desperate crowd there was a policeman, with a notepad in one hand and a overwhelmed look in his face.
"Calm down m'am. I've already written down everything you said" he pleaded to the crying woman talking to him as he patted her back in an attempt to comfort her.
Mag approached him, "Hi there officer. My name is Magali, I found this little girl on the street, she seems to have lost her parents."
The officer looked at the little girl and back at her "Is that the Lang's little girl?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm from Greenville, I'm here to help." She replied
"Good. We are gonna need all the help we can get" he grimaced hopelessly and looked at the little girl again "I'm pretty sure that's Laura's and Lewis' little girl" The little girl didn't move to confirm nor deny the statement "Is she injured?"
"No, it doesn't seem so. Just in shock" Mag replied
"They're taking the children to that room over there" the officer pointed to a door near the altar.
Mag nodded and moved towards it. She was glad they were keeping the children away from all the madness, they didn't need to see any more then they had already seen. She opened the door to find a small room with a dozen children and two nuns.
"Hi there." She greeted as she stepped into the room
One of the nuns approached her and smiled sadly "Hello"
"I was told to bring lost children here" she said "the officer outside recognized her. Said she's probably the Lang's little girl."
The nun nodded and motioned for her to sit "Do we have any information on the Langs?" she asked the other nun, who was sitting at a desk.
She searched the papers in front of her and replied "No, not yet."
"Well, you can leave her here with us, or wait until we have more to go on" the first nun spoke
Mag looked at the little girl on her lap, "Can you stay here with these nice ladies? They will take good care of you. I'll come back in a little bit." She asked
The little girl pouted and shook her head negatively, burring herself deeper in Mag's lap.
"I'm afraid she is scared" she looked at the nuns "I'll just have a word with my son outside, and come right back. Is that alright?"
"Sure." they nodded
Mag walked to the church's entrance to find Jacob with two other kids "Jacob, oh my God!" she gasped sorrowfully
"Hey" he replied "found these two just around the corner. Where have you been?"
"Inside. They are gathering the children in a separate room." she explained "Come."
They went back into the church, but before they could reach the room by the altar, a woman screamed "Heather!" and charged in their direction.
The little girl holding Jacob's right hand ran to her arms "Mommy!"
They cried together before the woman turned her attention to Mag and Jacob "Thank you!" she said tearfully "Thank you so much"
Jacob and Mag smiled "No need to thank us." he said "we're here to help."
The hours passed as Mag stayed at the church with the little girl who had fallen asleep, while Jacob went out to try and help more people. It was almost nightfall when Jacob reentered the room. Almost all of the children had been taken back by family members. Lots of tears had been shed.
"Hi" he spoke as he closed the door behind him "things have quieted down outside. The church is almost empty. They took the seriously injured to the hospital, and sent everyone else home or to the shelters."
Mag was about to reply when the police officer from earlier came in "I've got a boy here, but no one recognizes him." The little boy holding the man's hand was absolutely striking. He had bright blue orbs, light tanned skin and an angelic expression. He looked so peaceful, that no one would say he'd just experienced a great catastrophe "He doesn't seem to know his name either, "the officer concluded
One of the nuns took him from the officer and sat him in one of the chairs "Any news?" she asked the man
"Yes. The worst." he said, signaling the little girl on Mag's lap and the other three kids
"Oh no" the nun weeped as she did the cross sign over her chest "may they rest in peace"
Mag looked at Jacob and he nodded. She passed the sleeping little girl to his arms and turned to the nuns and the officer. "There's a reason I came from Greenville today" she said as she reached inside her purse for her card "I own and run an foster home down there. I wound't mind taking these children with me."
"Thats great" said the officer "The social worker was here just a while ago, I'll go get her" he left the room
Mag nodded and sat back down to wait. "What about him?" she asked the nun, indicating the beautiful boy sitting across form her
"I don't know." the nun shrugged "You'll have to ask them." she pointed towards to where the officer had left.
Mag offered the boy a small smile, which he returned. He looked at everything as if he was seeing them for the first time, analyzing. He was truly mesmerizing.
Two hours later, Mag, Jacob, the little girl in the fairy costume, the fascinating little boy and one other boy named Timothy left towards the van. Mag had talked to the social worker, signed a lot of papers and agreed to get all the legal proceedings done by the next day. They hadn't let her take all the children, she just hoped they would take as good care of them as she would the one she had brought with her. They would forever be in her prayers. As for her new kids, all they needed now was a home cooked meal and a good night's sleep. They had been through something that would shape the rest of their lives. She just hoped she could make them feel a little bit better.
The drive took one hour. Greenville was fairly close to Smallville, but the streets were still full of rubble, and Jacob had to be very careful in his driving. They arrived at Mag's house and moved the kids inside. Mag's sister Marie, and Jacob helped her getting the kids showered and ready for supper. Aside from the new arrivals Mag had another five kids at her house, alongside herself, Marie and Jacob, the first kid she had ever fostered and now worked with her. She and Marie had inherited the mansion form their parents, and had devoted their lives into helping orphan kids.
As the last of the kids sat to eat she spoke "Good evening my little angels. Tonight we have three new siblings. So give them your warmest welcome and let us pray."
Supper passed through as expected. The new kids ate quietly, while the others chatted between bites. Towards the end Timothy had begun to loosen up, and answered some questions timidly. The other two, on the other hand, remained silent. However, something had changed, the little boy had stopped studying his surroundings and was now looking at the little girl, as if transfixed by her.
They moved into the main room, where the kids usually spent their time before going to bed. The little girl sat by the corner with her head down, and the little boy continued to eye her, almost without blinking. They stayed that way for a few minutes, when suddenly the little girl began to cry. Before Mag could do anything, the little boy stood up, walked towards the little girl and touched her hand. She looked up between her tears and Mag noticed her expression changing. The sadness in her eyes gave away to a peaceful look, as the boy smiled at her.
"Hi" The boy said, as if though the word was foreign to him.
"Hi" she replied in a low voice, wiping aways her tears
"What is your name?" he asked sympathetically, although almost mechanically, pronouncing every word
"Lana" she said, again in a very low voice
"Lana" he repeated in wonder, than looked back at her "please don't cry" he continued, wiping a tear that had run down her cheek
Lana nodded "What's your name?" she asked, her voice breaking a little
The mysterious boy tilted his head a little as a confused expression rested on his face.
"I do not know" he answered earnestly
Lana also tilted her head in confusion "Then what should I call you?"
"What's your favorite name?" he asked, his speech becoming more fluid
"I like Clark" she answered
"Then you can call me Clark" he smiled
Madame Magali watched their interaction in amusement. She didn't know at the time, but she was witnessing the beginning of one of the most beautiful friendships she would ever know.
Chapter 2
5 years later.
"I'm hungry, C." nine year old Lana said, rubbing her tummy
"But we just ate." Clark replied
"I know, but I'm still hungry." she insisted, pouting her lips a little
Clark rolled his eyes at her. They had sneaked out of bed once again to test Clark's newest ability. He had began developing super human abilities over a year ago and Lana was the only living soul that knew about it. His first ability was super speed. He was playing with Lana after school, running around the backyard when it first happened. He freaked out, but upon seeing Lana's excited face he changed his mind. He had just recently found out he had super strength, and they had been meeting after hours to test it.
As she insisted on eating they went into the kitchen to look for something. They saw a jar of cookies on top of the fridge. Clark used his new super strength to lift Lana above his head to get the jar.
"Cool" she said, as he put her down in front of him
Clark smiled excitedly as she rested the jar on the table and opened it, taking a cookie.
"This tastes gwad" Lana said, her mouth full
Clark laughed "You're weird" he teased
"I'm weird?" she looked at him in bewilderment "I'm not the one who can lift a couch over their head." she continued showing him her tongue
They laughed "Good point" he replied
"Do you want one?" she asked, taking another cookie from the jar
"No, I'm good, thanks." He shook his head
"You know you want it C." she insisted bringing a cookie close to his nose so he could smell it.
Just as he was about do bite it out of her hand, the light was switched on and Marie had caught them. As she finished lecturing them, she sent them to bed.
They walked up the stairs giggling mischievously and finally parted ways to their respective rooms.
******
Chapter 2
4 years later
"I cannot believe he kissed you" a furious Clark stomped rapidly. Dylan had been teasing Clark about being in love with Lana. Clark had shrugged him off because he didn't care about what other people thought about them. But Dylan, to prove his point, walked over to Lana and kissed her on the lips.
"I know" Lana said in disgust, trying to keep up with Clark "Lucky you were there to push him away"
Clark slowed his pace "So you didn't like it then?" he asked hopefully
"No!" Lana widened her eyes "It was gross. He drooled all over my face." she wiped her lips yet again
Clark smiled relieved "Lucky it wasn't a real kiss, like in the movies"
Lana giggled, Clark was so naive sometimes "They don't kiss for real in the movies"
"They don't?" he asked confused
She giggled again "No, they don't use their tongues."
"And they should?" he stopped walking, interested
"Yes" she said matter-of-factly, stopping in front of. "Like this." she pulled him to a kiss.
When their lips met, she realized she hadn't thought the whole thing through. She was just trying to explain a real kiss to him, but she had never kissed anyone before. She didn't have a clue what she was doing.
Clark was not expecting her to pull him for a kiss, so when their lips touched he froze. Lana was kissing him. Lana, his best friend, his most loyal companion, the girl he loved. Of course he loved her, and he'd known it for a long time. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was funny and intelligent. She made him laugh, and accepted every thing about him, even the unexplainable.
Lana was terrified. She had never seen Clark stand so still. She had begun to pull away when he finally moved, enveloping his arms around her, bringing her closer. The kiss was short, they didn't really know what they were doing. They parted timidly, resuming their walk in silence, both a little embarrassed about what had just happened.
They turned the corner to their street and were met by Jacob. "Lana, Clark, where have you been? You have a visitor. Your aunt is here." He eyed Lana.
She turned to Clark wide eyed, forgetting about everything that happened just a few minutes ago. He returned her worried look, remembering a conversation they'd had a few weeks ago.
"Hey." Clark knocked on her doorframe to announce his presence "May I?"
Lana looked up from the photo she was holding "Hey. Sure."
He moved inside and sat by the foot of her bed "You ok?" he rested his hand on one of her feet
Lana had learned about her aunt when they were around ten. Her aunt had called and asked Mag if she could keep contact with her niece via sporadic phone calls. Of course, Mag had to ask Lana if she agreed. She had told Lana that her aunt, named Nell, lived in Europe, due to her husband's work. When Lana's parents had died, she had told Mag that at the time she could't care for a child. But since she learned she was coming back to Smallville, she wanted to get back in touch.
Ever since than, every time Nell called, Lana would get pensive afterwards
"Yes" she answered, still holding the picture her aunt had sent her some time ago. Not really sure if she was ok or not.
Clark moved closer to her and took her hand. "Hey, you know you can talk to me."
Lana closed her eyes “She wants to meet me. She said she regrets her decision to not take me in. She said if I could forgive her, maybe I could come live with her.” Lana had been dreading telling Clark. Truth was she didn't know how she felt about the whole idea, she couldn't imagine how he would feel.
"Oh." Clark responded. He wasn't expecting anything like that. He had never allowed himself to think of a reality where he didn't have Lana around him. Truth be told, she was his whole world.
"Hey" Lana nudged him. He had been staring at the wall for a whole minute. She knew he would be in shock, but Clark had always had a word of comfort. "I don't even know if I want to meet her, let alone live with her."
Clark looked into her eyes. He loved her, loved her so much he could never take away her chance of having her family back. I mean this woman was her mother's sister.
"Of course you'll meet her" he squeezed her hand, "You have to. She is your aunt. Imagine all the things she knows about your mom, all the things she could tell you." He would like to know about his parents too, he had so many questions.
Lana smiled at him, welcoming his comforting words "I know, but she didn't want anything to do with me before."
"That was a long time ago." he assured her. "She's changed her mind."
Lana nodded, she knew how hard this must be for him to. If it was the other way around she'd be freaking out. It meant so much to her that he was putting his feelings aside to comfort her.
"What if she doesn't like me" she looked at him, fearful.
It was unlike Lana to feel so insecure. She was usually so strong. This really must be eating her up inside. Aside from the day they met, he had never seen her so vulnerable.
"That's impossible." he half smiled, "she'd have to be crazy"
They were still in the street corner, holding each other glance. Lana was looking at him, silently asking for guidance.
Clark took a deep breath, gave her a reassuring grin and extended his hand.
Lana took it without hesitation, and hand in hand they walked up to the house.
Clark saw a beautiful woman standing by the fireplace as they crossed the threshold into the main room of the house. That was no doubt this woman was Lana's relative. They shared the same hair color, the same skin tone and their eyes had almost the same hazel hue. As she saw Lana walking in, tears filled her orbs.
She took a couple of steps forward and stopped, not wanting to make Lana feel obliged to hug her. Instead she opened her arms and smiled through her tears, "May I?"
Lana looked at Clark for encouragement, which he replied by lightly squeezing her hand.
She took a timid step forward, into her aunts arms, hesitantly letting go of his hand. She felt something familiar about her aunt's embrace she couldn't quite place. But she slowly felt her muscles relax as tears also flooded her eyes.
Clark watched their interaction with a sad smile. He couldn't be happier for Lana, but he was terrified. Deep down he felt that his days living with Lana were counted. He kept watching them until he felt a soft hand touching his arm. Meg had approached him so quietly, he hadn't noticed. She nodded towards her office, motioning him to follow her, and give Lana and Nell some space.
Clark followed Meg into her office and sat down in one of her armchairs, staring aimlessly ahead. There were so many thought going through his mind that he felt himself going numb.
Mag watched her son. Just thirteen years old, but he seemed so much older. It was like that with most of her kids. The had to learn to be strong at such a young age. They had already experienced things most people don't in an entire life. She walked to him and ran her hands through his messy locks. "How are you feeling?" she asked gingerly
Clark shrugged, finally leaning back, letting Mag’s soothing touch comfort him. "I don’t know." He closed his eyes, as he felt hot tears surfacing. "I'm happy for her." he said honestly, "but I’m gonna miss her."
Mag continued her comforting caress, "we don’t even know if she’s gonna want to move."
He knew. He knew because he knew her better than anyone else. She had been looking at that picture Nell sent her. It was a picture of Lana's mother and Nell holding a newborn Lana in their arms. Nell was the closest thing to her mother Lana would ever have, she could miss this chance. He had caught her looking at that photo a few times the last couple of weeks. She always tried to tuck it away before he could see what it was, but he knew.
Clark wiped away his tears and stood up, "It doesn’t matter" she couldn’t see him like this "I have to be strong for her," he nodded "she needs me to be strong." he breathed out trying to control his emotions.
Mag looked at him in awe. How could this boy be so selfless, so giving. There was only one answer she could think of, he truly and deeply loved Lana. She smiled inwardly, it seemed he had so much more to teach than to learn. She was truly blessed to have these kids in her life.
Clark left Mags office and made his way upstairs to his room. He left his school stuff by his desk and went into the bathroom for a shower. He had to wash away his sadness, wash away his fear. He had to swallow his feelings and put on a brave face for her.
He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He cleaned the fogged up mirror and looked at his reflection. He did't know if it was part of his abilities, or if it was just genes, but he was fairly built for a young teenager. He wondered if Lana found him at all attractive. Or if she even thought of that stuff. He usually didn't, but today his head was a mess. So many things he had never thought about were crossing his mind. Like if it was too early to ask her to marry him. He rolled his eyes at himself.
It was about an hour after he had showered that he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in" he said, sitting on the bed and straightening himself up
Lana opened the door slowly, she didn't know how exactly what she would say, so she was buying time. When it finally revealed him, she couldn't do or say anything, she just looked at him. She stared into his beautiful eyes, his expression unreadable.
As she opened the door slowly, Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. He would not show her fear. When their eyes locked he really couldn't think of anything but how captivating she was.
They looked at each other for a long minute, when finally he stood up, walked to her, and pulled her to his arms for a long embrace.
Lana did't offer any kind of resistance. On the contrary, when she felt him pulling her, she let her body fall to his. Immediately upon feeling his warmth, the stream of tears started.
Clark held her tightly, closing the door behind her so no one would hear her moment of fragility. When her sobs turned to whimpers, Clark sat them down on the bed, her head resting on his shoulder.
He wiped away her tears, "Don't cry, please. Not for this. Not for me."
She looked at him through bloodshot eyes "But I'm…I'm m-" she hadn’t yet found the strength or the words to tell him.
"I know" he nodded, fighting the lump that was trying to make its back into his throat. "But this," he pointed between the two of them "this is forever."
Lana smiled and him and nodded through a fresh set of tears
"No matter where we are" he took her hand to his chest "I'll always be there for you."
"Promise?" she squeezed his hand
"Promise." He squeezed back
She wouldn’t leave until the Christmas holiday, which meant that they had a few weeks left. But to Clark time had never passed so fast, and before they knew it, it was the day of her departure.
They had spent every last second they could together, but it still wasn't enough to prepare him for this moment. They were standing in her empty room, all her stuff packed. It was just a plain room now. Ready to be occupied by someone else. When that thought crossed Clark's mind he had to shake his head. This would forever be her room in his mind. He was starring at her old bed, deep in thought, when he felt her hand on his arm.
"I'm ready" she said, pulling his attention
'I'm not' he thought to himself, as he offered her a sad smile
She looked at her feet "Promise your gonna visit me every day."
"I've already promised that." he reminded her. They had agreed he would super speed to Smallville every day after school to see her.
"Promise again." she pleaded looking up into his eyes
He would say anything she wanted when she looked at him like that. She had no idea the power she had over him. "I promise" he assured her
With that they walked town the stairs hand in hand. When they reached the main floor Lana let go of his hand to say her goodbyes to everyone else, before rejoining him to walk to Nell's car. He put her bags inside the car, and turned to her to say their final goodbye.
He pulled her into a hug "You go and be happy."
She squeezed him tightly "I love you, C."
"I love you too."
They let go of each other and she got into the passenger’s sit. The car started moving and their eyes locked. He waived, following her gaze "more than you’ll ever know" he concluded as the car turned the corner.
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