Iris

Morning of Pain

8 yrs earlier

"Lana, are you sure about this? It's a long drive. I don't want you overdoing it. Honey, you've been sick."

"Mom, you're overreacting. It was just a cold, I'm completely over it. I'll be back before

dinner, promise. I'll take my cell phone and call every three hours until I get back," Lana smiled up at the red haired woman standing next to the jeep.

"I still think that you should just get something in town."

"But there is nothing there. I want a special present for Clark. He might be back for Christmas and I want something waiting for him under the tree."

"Lana you got him something last Christmas."

"And I'll get him something next Christmas too."

Martha looked at her son's girlfriend and couldn't help smiling and giving in. It was just something didn't feel right. She just wanted to keep Lana safe, because Lana was Clark's heart. She was worse than a new mother.

"Okay, just drive safely. We love you," she hugged the petite girl and then reluctantly let her go.

"I'll be back before you even know that I am gone," Lana jumped into the jeep and waved at Martha again.

She smiled as she pulled the car into the dusty road and never noticed the black truck with tinted windows that following her. If Martha had stood watching the jeep for just two seconds longer, she would have seen the truck follow her son's girlfriend.

Lana pushed her shades against the bridge of her nose and smiled again contentedly. She had been looking forward to this trip. She also wanted to get something special for Martha and Jonathan and that wasn't possible with Martha constantly hovering around her. She had deliberately picked a day that she knew that Martha would be busy baking stuff for the Talon. The older woman wouldn't have been able to leave the baking even if she had wanted to. She should have thought of asking Chloe. She yawned. Maybe Martha had been right, she felt so tired and this trip would take a lot out of her.

Clark

Maybe he would be back this Christmas. He had told her to keep watching their stars and she did, every single night. She would watch those stars until he came back, it didn't matter how long she had to wait. Two years, five years, ten years, she would wait however long it took. She would wait forever. Lana turned on her radio and laughed at the song that was playing.

Oceans apart day after day

And I slowly go insane

I hear your voice on the line

But it doesn't stop the pain 

How she missed him so much, that first year she had been the worst. If it hadn't been for Martha and Jonathan, she didn't think she would have survived it. The next few weeks had not been any better, the tears had refused to stop. Martha had slept with her in the Clark's room for the first few weeks. She had held her as she would have held her own daughter, comforting her and pushing away her own sorrow for another day. Martha and Lana had bonded during that time. It had become a mother and daughter bond and now it was much more.

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you 

It was going to be a long road, but she would never throw in the towel. Her heart did break every time the morning came and she knew that Clark hadn't come home that night. A few times the pain had been so bad she had wondered if it was worth it. Now she knew.