Title: Cernunnos
Written by: SaraC
Notes, disclaimers, etc. in Episode 1!
Cernunnos is the Celtic God symbolizing the power of nature
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I think it’s going to storm.”
“You always were a brilliant student, Natalie.” Nick Peterson smiled as the woman sitting next to him burst into delighted laughter. His-24-year old fiancée’s beauty never ceased to take his breath away. He still couldn’t believe that this vivacious woman could and would be willing to marry him. Despite the myriad number of objections from her family, the fact he was 37 years old and her college professor only a few short months ago high among them, she had readily agreed to run off to Las Vegas and elope with him.
“Well, I got you didn’t I?” Natalie Fox smiled at her fiancée. She knew there were times their nearly 13 year age difference bothered him, but thankfully, he was getting more and more secure with the idea that she could love him. It really wasn’t difficult considering he had one of the brightest minds she’d ever known.
And of course the fact that he was in extremely good shape, and did not look a day over 30 didn’t hurt either. Yes, it might be clichéd to fall in love with your professor, but she’d done it and had no regrets.
She just wished her family felt the same. Being the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Metropolis had its advantages and disadvantages. Certainly their protectiveness of her was welcome most times, but their need to control her life was not. She loved her family dearly, but there were times when she wished she wasn’t a part of the Fox clan. Times when she wished to be part of a family where the announcement of her engagement would not send the people who purported to love her into fits of outrage. Times when she wished she’d been born in someplace non-descript, someplace like the town they were passing through right now.
“Wonder how large Smallville really is.” Nick grinned as Natalie shrugged, motioning to the sign they’d just passed.
“Well, the population is 45,001 according to the billboard we just passed.”
Nick nodded, glancing in the rearview mirror, seeing a pair of headlights suddenly appear behind him. The sky was getting darker, the wind picking up, and for some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy. Looking ahead, he noticed nothing but cornfields around them. Not much in the way of civilization if something should go wrong.
“What’s worrying you? My family?” Natalie bit her lip as he shook his head. She knew him well enough to know when he was worried and his face expressed that he was concerned about something. She couldn’t help but wonder if it truly was her family that had him on edge. She wouldn’t blame him. Her parents had reasoned, bribed, even threatened him in their traditional way, but to her relief Nick had never backed down. It only made her love him even more.
“No, I just don’t like the isolation out here. Remind me again why we decided to take the back roads to Vegas?”
“Because we didn’t want my parents to figure out where we’d gone.”
Nodding, Nick eased his foot of the accelerator as rain suddenly began pouring down around them.
Natalie could feel his tension and reached over to squeeze his arm gently. “Do you need to pull over? It’s raining pretty hard.”
“It’s the idiot behind us I’m worried about.” Nick’s eyes widened as he saw the headlights growing closer at an alarmingly rapid pace. “Maybe I’ll just pull over-”
Before he could even steer the car towards the side of the road, he felt the impact of something hit them from behind. Natalie’s scream echoed in his ears as their car was forced off the road and into a flat, rocky field. Struggling to remain in control of the car’s skid … he felt the sickening jolt as the car hit what he could only assume was some type of boulder and rolled once before coming to land, remarkably, right side up.
Struggling to orient himself, feeling the weight of the car roof pressing down nearly on top of him his gaze flew to Natalie. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead but her eyes
were open although slightly dazed.
“Natalie! Are you okay?”
She groaned, realizing everything ached but so far, nothing seemed to be broken or seriously hurt. “I’m okay.” Managing to move her head carefully, her eyes widened as she took in the sight around them. “What happened?”
Nick shook his head, struggling with the door handle. His knee was most likely sprained and he could already feel the sting of the cuts and bruises on his body. When the door wouldn’t budge, he somehow managed to extract himself through the shattered window, wincing as the glass shards clung and dug into his skin. Finally free, he worked his way around to the other side of the car barely able to see through the pouring rain and helped Natalie out, careful as he noted her wince as she tried to stand.
“We’ve got to get help-”
“You’re not going anywhere but with us, Lady.”
They whirled around to see two burly men, one with a shotgun facing them.
“Who—who are you?” Natalie was proud her voice didn’t shake too much.
“We’re the people who are going to see to it you are returned safely to your family. Eventually.”
Nick felt fear run through him. He knew Natalie had always been a target, she’d candidly told him about her security precautions over the years. He only wished he’d listened a bit better.
“My parents aren’t happy with me right now. They’ve pretty much disowned me. They won’t pay you.” It was a slight exaggeration, but Natalie hoped it would buy some time.
“Oh, they’ll pay. They already have, they just don’t know that they’ve only paid the deposit, we still have to collect the rest.”
Natalie swallowed hard, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that it sounded as though her family had hired someone to take her from Nick. It made her angry and not a little scared.
“What are you going to do with us?” Nick didn’t like the look in the other man’s eye, clearly visible in the slowly decreasing patter of the rain. A bolt of lighting suddenly lit up the night sky, causing all of them to jump.
“She’s coming with us – you – well, we have no use for you. You’re expendable.”
Natalie was terrified, moving closer to Nick, trying hard not to be sick at the thought of what was going to happen to the man she loved. “Don’t hurt him, please.”
“Awww, pleading for your sugar daddy, ain’t that grand.” One of the men moved forward, dragging a protesting Natalie away while the other continued holding the gun on Nick.
“She’s feisty, but we can take care of that.”
Nick cried out in horror as the burly man hit Natalie on the side of the head, watching helplessly as she slid to the ground, unconscious. Anger and rage at the violent action tore through him and with a battle cry worthy of the gods themselves; he launched himself at their attackers.
The battle was sadly short and painful. Unable to match their strength, already injured from the crash, Nick knew he wasn’t going to make it. The last sight he saw before the bigger man’s fist connected with his face was Natalie’s slumped form, illuminated by the lightning.
“Come on, storms getting worse, we’ve got to go.”
The two men dragged Natalie off with them, leaving Nick’s unconscious body in the middle of the field. So intent on their getaway were both, neither noticed the strange green glow that began to shine from strange rock forms in the field as the dark storm clouds turned black. Neither man saw the bolt of lightning that struck straight into the ground, inches from where Nick lay unconscious. And neither man saw the strange green glow that encompassed the body.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Damn, the weather channel had nothing on this!”
Clark grinned as he watched another couple straggle into the Talon. The day had started out sunny and bright, typical for early October in Kansas, but a storm had quickly moved in, a torrential downpour and heavy winds setting in by mid afternoon. He’d headed straight to the Talon after school, not surprised to find it crowded. When bad weather hit, it was always great for the Talon’s business.
“Is it snowing?” Lana’s voice broke into his reverie and he turned to look out the front doors. His eyes widened as he noticed a film of white covering the ground.
“Must be some freak storm.” Clark, followed closely by Lana, walked over and pushed open the door, only to be forced back inside by a blast of icy arctic air.
“Freaky. But then again, this is the meteor capital of the world.”
Chloe’s voice brought them both around to face the blonde, who was peering out the doors in fascination. “My dad just called, he can’t get out of the plant. Apparently there’s already 4 inches on the ground.”
Clark frowned. Something wasn’t right. This was too freaky, even for Smallville.
“Clark!” His mother’s voice distracted him and apologizing to the girls he walked over to the counter. “Your father called, he’s going to try and make it here on foot. He’s over at Fordmans.”
Clark nodded. “You want me to make sure he gets here okay?”
Martha smiled at her son. “Just keep an ear out for him, okay?” She knew her son would be listening, knew Jonathan would call for him if something happened. It was one of the built in perks she’d found to her son’s special abilities.
“Okay, I didn’t think this town could get any freakier.”
Most everyone in the room turned at the brash voice, staring at the snow-dusted man that had just swept through the doors. Blinking at the lights, Lucas Luthor looked around him with little surprise. The Talon never changed, although he’d heard Martha Kent was doing a much better job managing it than his brother had, even part time.
“Lucas Luthor. What brings you to town?” Clark was wary as he approached the youngest Luthor. He was fully aware of what the man had put Lex through on his last visit and despite their still uncertain friendship, Clark was not going to let Lucas cause trouble for an already overworked and stressed Lex.
“Hey, Clark. Good to see you didn’t forget me.” Lucas couldn’t help but smile at the pretty brunette that stood behind Clark. He might be in town to visit Lex, but that wouldn’t stop him from having some fun.
“So the prodigal son returns again. You know you don’t look anything like Lionel.”
Chloe smiled in satisfaction as Lucas whirled around at her words. She’d recognized him immediately, as had Clark. She’d also felt an instinctive protectiveness of Lex as she watched him approach. She didn’t know much about the brothers’ relationship, but she knew Lucas could push Lex’s buttons as good as Lionel. She had to wonder why he was suddenly here, having been in “hiding” under Lex’s protection since his last visit. Something told her it had everything to do with Lionel’s incarceration.
“Chloe Sullivan. Hear you were the one that helped Lex put away Dad. I guess I owe you one.” Lucas gave the gorgeous blonde a knockout smile, the brunette forgotten. He’d read a lot about Chloe in the weeks after his father’s conviction and he was fascinated by everything he’d learned. The not so little fact that his brother trusted the girl, enough to risk everything by keeping her hidden, only added to the allure. While his primary reason for coming to Smallville was to visit Lex, he had to admit that some part of him had been hoping he would get the chance to meet the young woman who had helped take down a legend.
“You don’t owe me anything. Have you seen Lex yet?”
Lucas shook his head. “I was headed for the mansion when the snow hit. I can’t see and the roads are a mess. Figured I’d stop and wait it out.”
“Let me get you some coffee, Lucas.”
He turned to smile at Mrs. Kent, remembering how friendly she’d been, despite his background, the last time he’d met her. He remembered wistfully thinking how nice it would have been to have her as a mother instead of his own twisted childhood.
“I’d appreciate that. It looks like we’re going to be here a while.”
Walking over to the counter, he tried not to notice the way eyes followed him. He was
used to it, but it still felt a little unnerving sometimes.
“He’s up to something.”
Chloe and Clark turned to look at Lana. She was watching the younger Luthor with a curious expression.
“And where did that brilliant deduction come from Sherlock,” Chloe’s teasing tone held a note of sarcasm as Lana shot her a rueful grin.
“I needn’t point out, he’s a Luthor, so it stands to reason that he’s got some ulterior motive.”
Clark nodded and Chloe tried not to show her frustration at the remark. She knew how Lana and Clark felt about Lex, considering him a friend but still not quite trusting him, but it still annoyed her to hear Lex lumped in with his father and brother. Lex Luthor was an entity of his own – good and bad.
She was about to make an acerbic reply when the doors flew open again to admit a bruised, limping man. He looked to be in his mid 30’s fit and tan with a few wrinkle lines around his eyes. But the bloody cut on his forehead and the bruises on his cheeks sent an immediately concerned Chloe, Lana, Clark and Mrs. Kent to his side.
“Sir, are you all right?” Clark caught the man’s body as his leg buckled, helping him over to the counter, shooting his mother a worried look.
“Sit down, let me get the first aid kit.” Martha took charge, reaching under the counter and going into nurse mode. The man remained silent, trying to catch his breath, obviously in some pain.
“They took her.” The words were garbled and broken, but Clark heard them. Lana and Chloe’s wide-eyed expressions alerted him they had too. Even Lucas, sitting two stools over, was watching the man curiously.
“Took who?” Chloe sensed something wrong and moved closer.
“Natalie. Took Natalie. She’s gone.” The stark agony in the man’s voice coincided with a howling gust of wind that blew against the Talon doors, rattling them on their hinges. Startled at the noise, many of the patrons looked out the window to find hail and rain now mixed with the snow falling steadily, the sky almost totally black.
“Who’s Natalie? Who took her? Sir, you have to be more specific.” Lana’s cool voice broke the weather induced silence and it appeared the stranger was finally coherent enough to understand.
“Natalie is my fiancée. She was kidnapped after our car was forced off the road.” The tone was calmer; the words clear, but the agony in them evident to all who heard.
“Where?” Clark needed the details if he were going to help. Exchanging a look with his
mother, he waited for the man to reply.
“Some field, about two miles outside town. Less than a mile, I’d guess, past the Smallville town sign. They left me there, in the middle of the storm.”
“You walked two miles in your condition?” Martha’s voice was horrified as she pulled out a bottle of aspirin. Shock had obviously set in but she could tell from looking at the man that he would soon be a mass of aches and pains.
“Had to get help. We have to find her. I can’t lose her!”
Chloe bit her lip, feeling her own heart ache at the pain and loss in the man’s voice. It was obvious he truly loved his fiancée and she made a mental pledge to do whatever it took to help him.
“Well, I’m sure they haven’t gotten far, not in this weather.” She kept her voice level, sensing the man needed calm. When he looked up, his eyes a bit clearer, he nodded.
“I barely made it here, although it wasn’t snowing so badly until I arrived in town.” The man looked confused, as if remembering something, Clark noted, but it passed quickly. “I didn’t see the police station, and my cell is dead.”
“It’s a few blocks away, but I’m guessing they’re snowed in as well. I’m sorry, Mr.--.”
“Nick. Nick Peterson.”
“Mr. Peterson, I’m Chloe Sullivan. This is Martha Kent, her son Clark and Lana Lang.” She motioned as each person nodded. “Now let’s get you warmed up and we’ll start making some inquiries.” Chloe took charge without question, walking back to her table and booting up her laptop as she carried it back to where Nick sat.
“Clark, come help me find some warmer clothing for Mr. Peterson.”
Clark turned, following his mother to the back office, stopping as she turned and checked to make sure they were alone.
“You want to go check out the field, don’t you?”
Clark nodded. “The weather won’t hurt me--and if there’s any trace of them-”
“Okay. But you can’t just rush off in the middle of a storm.” She held up a hand as Clark began to protest. “What do we tell everyone? Just stick around a little longer, see if things let up, then we can come up with an excuse to get you out. Okay?”
Knowing his mother spoke the truth, but wanting to get out and search, Clark nodded, hoping the weather broke before it was too late.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Now, let’s start by getting the basics on your fiancée, Mr. Peterson. Her name is Natalie …”
“It’s Nick. And her last name is Fox. Natalie Sara Fox.”
Lucas, who had been observing quietly from his position nearby, suddenly became alert. “As in the Fox family of Metropolis?”
Nick looked over at the younger man and nodded wryly. “She’s the youngest daughter. And not in great favor with them right now for running away to marry her much older professor.”
Chloe bit her lip, not wanting to say anything as she watched the agony appear in Nick’s eyes. Age had never really been a concern to her in a relationship. Not that she’d ever really had much of one – unless you counted her one less than stellar encounter with an older Jimmy Olsen – but she didn’t want to dwell on that.
“So, you two were eloping?” Lana tried not to sound shocked as she looked at the picture Chloe had pulled up on the computer screen. Natalie was beautiful and actually looked to be only a few years older than herself and Chloe.
“Her parents forbid us to marry. Natalie stood up to them but when things got ugly, we left.” Nick looked slightly depressed at the memory. “Not that I wanted to take her from her family, I can’t blame them for being upset, especially with our age difference--”
“She’s 24, that’s not such a big age difference, Nick.”
Lana’s calm voice had the others looking at her and she shrugged. Jason was at least six years older than she was and it had never bothered her, as she knew it had some of their acquaintances in Paris.
“She convinced me of that, despite my worries about being an old man.” Nick’s voice took on a soft tone as he remembered. “She caught my eye the first day of spring quarter two years ago. I was lecturing on astrophysics and she hung on every word. Made a point to come up to me after class and ask questions that I didn’t think someone that age capable of.”
Chloe bit her lip as Nick got lost in the memories, her fingers flying across the keyboard, hoping to find something that might help. So far though, nothing had turned up. The sound of voices around her suddenly startled her.
“Hey, it’s letting up!”
“Look at that! Clear skies and the sun is trying to come out!”
Surprised, the group moved towards the door, noticing the weather was completely different, the snow coating the ground lit up brilliantly by the heat of the sun. And with the pushing open of the door, the area was hit with warmth strangely out of place, even for
fall in Smallville.
“Something isn’t right in this town.” Lucas’ voice echoed what she’d been thinking and she turned to find the younger Luthor at her back, staring intently outside.
“This is Smallville, something’s always wrong here.” Lana’s resigned voice interrupted them as they continued to marvel at the weather until a sad sigh refocused them on the man slumped over the counter.
“I’m going to try the police station see if I can at least get an officer out here to take your statement,” Clark volunteered. “Maybe they can start a search.”
“I should go with you-”
“No, you’re hurt. Stay here, I’ll be back with help. I promise.” Giving the man a small smile, he bolted out the door, leaving several faces staring curiously after him.
Sensing the misery building in their newest acquaintance, Lana returned to Nick’s side and tried to offer some reassurance. “She’s going to be fine. The kidnappers can’t have gotten far-”
Nick looked up, his eyes pained. “They’ll take her out of here as soon as it’s clear enough. I know it – she’ll be gone before we get near her.” His voice was morose, slightly hysterical as he rose and staggered towards the door.
Lucas caught him before he could push open the doors, feeling him sag against him. “You can’t go out there yet, the snow plows haven’t been through and there’s no sidewalks cleared-”
“I have to do something!” Nick nearly shouted the words, tears forming in his eyes as the others looked on in confusion. Everyone jumped as a crackle of thunder suddenly boomed around the building and with wide eyes, Chloe turned back to the doors to see a deluge of rain hail, and more snow pounding the pavement in front of them.
“This isn’t right.” Chloe’s voice was resigned as they all moved back towards the counter.
She noticed Lucas wore a contemplative expression and despite her worries over what he was there for, she felt the need to say something. Not to mention he seemed to know the Fox family, maybe he could help. Besides, she would admit to always being curious about the prodigal Luthor son.
“So, Lucas, do you know the Fox family?”
Lucas shook his head, noting all eyes were focused on him now. “Not really, I’ve heard of them, and not always good things-”
“Some of which are probably true,” Nick muttered, his voice hard and bitter. Sensing the
need to change topics for the moment, Chloe tried a different tactic.
“So, Lucas, are you going to tell Lex you’re stuck here?”
Lucas grinned at Chloe’s words, glad for the change of subject. He was beginning to feel uncomfortably sorry for the miserable looking man sitting two seats away. “I’m one for surprises. When it clears enough, I’ll drop in on him. Surprise is a key element when dealing with my brother.”
Chloe couldn’t help her grin, despite the imagined ire of Lex at being suddenly confronted with his younger brother. She was about to reply when the doors opened and a wet, bedraggled figure stumbled in.
“Jason!” Chloe recognized him first and immediately went over to him, seeing him smile as he shook off the rain. That smile, she noted, dimmed a bit at seeing Lana’s slightly ill at ease expression.
“I figured I could make it home from the store before the weather hit again, but it’s insane out there.” Jason was pleased his voice sounded normal, relieved to find it hurt less and less each time he ran into Lana. He was managing to move on in spite of the fact he still didn’t know where he wanted to move on to.
“Well, you could use some coffee to warm you up. I’ll get you some.” Lana offered a slightly uneasy smile glad when he nodded. It was strange running into him around town but she’d found it was getting easier as time passed. Chloe had explained to her that he wasn’t sure what to do or where to go and she’d decided to accept it, accept his presence, until he figured it out.
The door opened again as she moved towards the brewing coffee pots and a thoroughly drenched Clark Kent stumbled in.
“Clark! That was quick, what did the police say?” Chloe noted Nick’s eyes immediately sparked with hope as they focused on the younger man.
Clark looked uncomfortable for a moment, Chloe noted, but quickly recovered. “Sheriff Adams said all her deputies were stuck in various places, but as soon as she gets some help she will come get his statement and start looking.”
Chloe knew he wasn’t telling them something, but figured it could wait. Right now, they had other things to worry about—especially if the police were not going to help.
Clark walked over to where Nick sat, his expression glum again, and noticed Jason watching the scene quietly, wondering when he had arrived. Although his jealousy had decreased significantly as he’d spent more time being ‘friends’ with Lana, his heart still raced and he could still feel a spark of envy as he watched Lana return with a mug of coffee, smiling hesitantly as she handed it to Jason. He was confident Lana did not regret her decision but he couldn’t help wondering how long she might take to realize what she needed, before she could open up to him again.
Jason smiled gratefully, taking the coffee as he nodded to the man who pulled out the seat next to him. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn’t place what.
“I’m Lucas Luthor.” Lucas held out a hand, watching as the other man eyed him warily before taking it.
“Jason Teague. And I guess you’re the prodigal Luthor son.” The words had a slight tinge of bitterness that surprised Lucas. Not because Jason had apparently heard of him but because of the hint of camaraderie that lingered in the tone.
“That would be me. Returning home to see what’s in store for me in my brother’s kingdom.”
Chloe’s eyebrows raised, surprised that Lucas knew the parable of the prodigal son. Sometimes, she could still be amazed.
“Excuse me, you’re Jason Teague, of the Metropolis Teagues?”
Nick’s voice broke the moment and Jason looked over at the bedraggled man curiously. “That’s my family, yes.”
Nick moved closer, something strange in his eyes. “Your father was the lawyer the Fox’s hired to pry into my past, hoping to find something to take Natalie away from me.”
The growing anger in the voice startled Jason as well as those around him. Although, he thought bitterly, with his family, it figured.
“Jason isn’t working for his family, Nick.” Chloe jumped in sensing the building tension. She moved between them, surprised to find Lucas shifting a little to help. She filed the
information away for later.
Nick, suddenly realizing he’d advanced, wilted just as quickly, even as his eyes still shot fire. Outside, the wind howled and the rain beat down, climbing in volume and speed.
“Sorry, I just – I’m scared.” He sank back onto the stool, placing his head in his hands and wondering again if Natalie would ever be able to forgive him for putting them in this situation. If he hadn’t given into her pleas to elope—
“I don’t know Natalie, but I’m sure she wouldn’t want you beating yourself up over this.”
He looked up as the Chloe eyed him with determination. Something in her look reminded him a bit of Natalie and he took a sliver of hope from that. “You’re probably right, but I’ve done it for years. Natalie’s still trying to get me out of the habit of blaming everything on myself, or our age difference.”
“Age is nothing if love is true,” offered Mrs. Kent sagely, inserting herself into the group, handing Nick a steaming mug of coffee and offering her son a towel. She caught his gaze and he nodded slightly. She tilted her head in reply before turning back to the counter.
Nick remained quiet, his agony still evident as he sipped the coffee. Noting that Lucas and Jason were talking, Chloe moved back over to her computer. Settling onto the stool, she noted her email icon was flashing. Clicking on the blinking mailbox, she found herself facing an email from an unknown sender. However, the subject line caught her attention, making her eyes widen.
“Who’s Jane Smith?”
She jumped sky high at Clark’s words wondering how she could have missed his presence over her shoulder. Quickly turning while pushing the screen down, she gave him a small smile. “Just something for a story I’m working on, nothing important.”
Clark knew she wasn’t telling him something, but he wasn’t going to push. He had too much else to worry about now—but he’d make a point to ask Chloe about it later. He had a suspicion she’d been delving into the files they’d recovered from Doctor Carlton and he wasn’t all too sure that was of the good.
“Okay, I’m gonna go see if I can’t get more information out of Nick.” Something was odd about this entire situation and he was going to find out what. It didn’t help that he’d immediately been rendered weak by the meteor rocks in the empty field he’d just visited. Fortunately he was standing far enough away to keep the effects to a minimum.
However the knowledge of meteor rocks in the field combined with the strangely volatile weather and the visitor sitting at the Talon counter was too coincidental not to be connected.
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as Clark walked off, before turning and exiting her email. As much as she wanted to read the message, she decided it would be more prudent to do so when there weren’t so many people around.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“You know, you really should talk to Lex. Something tells me the two of you have a lot in common.”
Jason looked at Lucas as if he were crazy. “I met the man a few times, I really didn’t see we had much to talk about.”
Lucas shrugged. “From what I gleaned from your family situation, I figured you’re not the favored son either. Lex knows what standing up to a powerful father is like.” He knew if Lex heard him just now, he would be surprised at the roundabout praise. Despite their differences and their past, he did admire his older half-brother.
Jason shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Lucas nodded in understanding. “Talk to him if you get a chance.”
Jason nodded, looking out the windows and sighing. It was dreary, but the worst seemed to be over for the moment. “I hate to run, but while there’s a break, I should go.” He stood, laying a few bills on the counter.
“Actually, I should try and make it to the mansion as well—you need a lift?” Lucas wasn’t sure why he offered; normally he didn’t care too much for others. But he felt something, perhaps camaraderie with the man and the least he could do was offer a ride.
Jason though a moment, then nodded. “If it’s not out of your way, I won’t say no to avoiding walking in this weather.”
Paying his own bill, Lucas rose. Walking over to where Chloe still sat at the counter, fingers flying over the keyboard, he smiled.
“Chloe, its time for me to give my brother an ulcer. I have to say it was a pleasure to meet you.”
Chloe whirled around, quickly closing out her screen. Despite what she knew of him she had to admit Lucas Luthor had a smile to die for. Seeing Jason, also smiling behind him, she felt her heart kick into overdrive. Two gorgeous men, smiling at her. Would wonders never cease?
“Tell Lex I said hi. And try not to annoy him too much. He’s got a lot on his mind.”
Lucas raised a brow, hearing something that sounded like more than just friendly concern in her voice, but keeping quiet. It was something to think about.
“Will do. Good luck with your search for the missing fiancée.” He smiled grimly before turning back. “Jason, you ready?”
Jason nodded, offering Chloe another smile. “I’ll see you around, Chloe.”
Chloe smiled and shrugged. “You know where to find me. And that offer to come explore the Wall of Weird still stands.” She felt her heart do a small flip at the grin her words received.
“I might take you up on that soon.” In the back of his mind it occurred to him that he was actually flirting with the blonde. He felt something shift in him as he realized that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be as hard to move on as he’d thought.
He was still smiling as he followed Lucas out the door, Chloe’s eyes on them the whole way.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“That’s really all I can tell you about the men. They didn’t wear masks, so I’m guessing they’re not totally professional.” Nick looked worried as he spoke, something that did not go unnoticed by Clark or Lana, who were sitting with him at a table near the back corner of the Talon.
The weather was still miserable, but the hail and snow had died off, leaving only a heavy rain.
“So, tell me more about where you were forced off the road.” Clark figured since he couldn’t tell anyone he’d already been to the crash site, the best thing to do was to get Nick talking about what had happened. Maybe he could clarify a few things in his mind and get Lana and Chloe on the same track without wondering how he’d gotten there.
“I told you, it was right past the town sign. It was a flat field, no corn or anything. Just grass and rocks. It was storming so I couldn’t really orient myself except for what the lightening flashes revealed.”
Clark’s inner radar went on alert at hearing ‘rocks.’ Things were slowly becoming a bit clearer, giving him a farfetched theory he wasn’t ready to admit to yet – not until he could gather the evidence.
“So, Nick,” Lana continued, still hesitant to use his given name although he’d insisted. “Is there anything else you can think of, anything that might tell you where they’ve taken her?”
Nick grimaced in frustration. He knew they were trying to help, but really, they were teenagers, what could they do that the police weren’t already doing? Still, considering he felt so helpless, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“They made some comment about her family already paying and paying more, so it’s possible her father hired someone to stop us from eloping, but they got greedy and decided to hold onto Natalie for more.” He bit his lip, hating how mercenary it made Natalie’s family sound, but he remembered the anger in Gilbert Fox’s eyes as he’d informed him quite clearly that he and Natalie were getting married, no matter what the family felt.
“You two must really love each other.” Lana’s voice was wistful and she tried to harden it as she caught Clark glancing at her strangely. Still, despite the horror, she found herself sympathizing with Nick. Ages aside, it had to be hell knowing everyone important to the woman you loved, hated you. She wondered at the courage Natalie and Nick seemed to have, the depth of their love, to defy everything.
Looking over at Clark, she wondered if it came to it, if she could do the same.
“Natalie is the light of my life.” Nick sank back in the seat, his eyes growing unfocused, his voice soft. Outside, the rain tapered off and the sun began to peek through the clouds.
“After that first class, she was always in my office. Talking physics, asking questions, showing an interest that flattered me to no end. She was bright, beautiful, talented and seemed to be focused on me. An addicting quality to one of my age.”
Clark resisted making a comment that 13 years was not all that different and that Nick did not seem that old.
“I knew I’d fallen for her midway through the semester and I tried to distance myself.” There was bitterness now in his voice, agony as he relived the struggle to stay away from the woman he loved. Outside, the wind began to howl, the rain increasing, flakes of snow mixing in.
“She wouldn’t have it. When she finished the class, she had one semester until graduation. She came straight to me and informed me that we were going out to dinner the night she graduated.”
Nick’s voice, Lana noted, was softer now, filled with amazement and hope. She barely heard the oohs and ahhs from around her as the patrons looked out the windows --- seeing a brilliant rainbow through the now slowing rain.
Clark, however, had noticed, and his gaze was now flickering curiously between Nick and the Talon’s front windows.
“So, what happened?” Lana was curious and Clark had to admit, he was too. Nick smiled.
“The night she graduated, after dinner with her family, she showed up on my doorstep.” His grin widened and the love that filled his eyes warmed both Clark and Lana. “We’ve been together ever since, despite her family’s outrage.”
The smile disappeared and both Clark and Lana heard the pain seeping back in.
“She’s going to be fine. The police will find her, trust me.” Lana kept her voice soft, even as Nick began to get agitated again.
“I’m sure they’re doing what they can, but I need to be out there! I have to do something, anything, to find her!”
He was growing hysterical now and Lana looked in confusion at Clark, unsure what to say.
“Damn, there it goes again!”
Clark and Lana looked up at the exclamation, finding the snow, rain and hail had started up again, although the wind wasn’t as strong. It had, Clark thought to himself, almost a moaning quality – as if it sensed the turmoil and pain that Nick was in—
He stopped at the thought. His earlier suspicions suddenly surfaced again and he tried once more to put the pieces together. It almost made a strange sort of convoluted sense.
“Nick, the field you crashed in—you said it was bare but rocky. Did you happen to notice if the rocks had a strange color to them? Green perhaps?”
Lana raised an eyebrow at Clark’s question.
Nick frowned.
“No. I was disoriented from the crash and worried about getting Natalie out. Then, they beat me up pretty good and the last thing on my mind was noticing my surroundings. It was just wet, and dark, except for what the lightening lit up.”
Clark nodded, ideas beginning to take shape in his head. He caught Lana’s curious gaze and motioned for her to follow his lead.
“Nick, I’m going to get you another cup of coffee, and see if Chloe and her contacts have found anything out.”
Nick nodded, not holding much hope but pleased in some way that this small group was doing what they could to help. Even if it was only listening to him talk.
When they’d reached Chloe, Clark tapped her on the shoulder. “Chloe, in all your meteor research, have you ever seen anything weather related?”
Chloe, startled by Clark’s voice, whirled around to see a curious looking Lana and a musing Clark next to her. His question suddenly registered.
“Not that I can remember, but what are you looking for?”
Clark bit his lip, looking unsure. “I’m wondering if someone could possibly gain the power to control the weather from exposure to the rocks.”
Chloe’s eyebrows rose to her forehead. Lana, listening quietly, suddenly caught on, her eyes filled with surprise.
“You think Nick’s controlling this weather?” Even hearing the words sounded strange to her, not to mention Chloe, who was trying to wrap her mind around the idea.
“Well, Storm can do it in the X-Men and they never explain how,” she trailed off, looking intrigued. “I suppose it’s possible. We’ve all seen stranger things.”
“It’s just – I’ve noticed whenever Nick’s upset, the weather gets really bad,” Clark began, as Lana jumped in.
“Then when he’s remembering the good times, or talking about his love for Natalie, it clears up –as far fetched as it sounds, you might be onto something, Clark.”
Chloe perked up, suddenly turning back to the computer. A few clicks later and she motioned them over. “That field they crashed in, apparently LuthorCorp excavated it a few years ago … for meteor rock fragments.”
Clark nodded. “I figured that was the field when he mentioned it. And if there was lightening involved--” He trailed off, realizing no one knew about the ‘power transference’ he’d discovered thanks to Eric a few years ago.
“You think the lightening did something in combination with whatever rocks might still be there – giving him the power to control the weather.” Chloe’s voice was calm, although her eyes were wide.
“Well, it is Smallville.”
Lana’s resigned voice had them nodding. Chloe bit her lip, thinking. “Okay, say this theory is right – how are we going to fix things? If somehow we find Natalie and Nick gets happy – the theory is the weather clears, and things go back to normal. But what if they have a fight? Get angry? If Nick has no clue of this,” she stopped confusing herself.
“We can’t worry about that now. I think we’ve got to find Natalie, and get the worst of this weather over with before something more serious happens.” Clark’s voice was determined as Chloe and Lana nodded.
“You’ve got a point. Okay – I’m going to check a few more sources, and I might have something to go on.” She held up a hand at their looks. “Don’t ask, I can’t tell. Just go try and see what you can find out about your theory. But don’t let Nick know.”
Getting nods, and matching slightly confused expressions from them, she watched as they walked off. Sighing, she turned back to the computer, trying to focus on the task at hand, instead of the intriguing email she’d received earlier and was dying to read. Although a weather ‘meteor freak’ was certainly intriguing enough. Hadn’t there been an “X-Files” episode based on the same principle? Pondering the thought, she began to type.
She barely noticed as outside the storm built in fury again – while in the booth near the back of the Talon, a tear slipped down Nick Peterson’s face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Story continues in next post
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