Pieces

Essence

A/N: I don't own Smallville or any characters and places in the DC universe. Nor do I own the episodes that these chapters are based on and contained from.

I also don't claim to be a writer. My inspiration is simply to get a creative outlet going.

I only own Tyla Nevin and what pertains to her character story.

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Tyla's two weeks of recovery were a slow uphill battle. The bruises were lightening. The cuts were closing. But the Kents were careful not to push her until the doctor had cleared her from anything taxing. Instead, the word was that she wouldn't be cleared until the end of the month which discouraged her physically and emotionally. Her thoughts were constantly on Lex, whether he felt remorse, whether all he said was true, whether they could come back from this. It dampened her spirits further when she realized that having the normal, safe, and boring life she wanted in Kansas was not going to happen. What her life did bear at the moment was Xander and Shelby lying on the couch with her as she flipped the channels on the television screen. She rested on Moulin Rouge and settled with a water bottle along with popcorn that Clark happily gave her before he left for school.

"Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up, all you need is love," Ewan McGregor said on the screen.

"Liar!" Tyla scolded, tossing the empty water bottle on the screen, just as Lois walked in.

"Wow...I knew that you and Lex were having trouble but-" Lois glanced at the dogs and sniffed. She was allergic to Shelby. With Xander in the house now, she might as well switched places with Clark, who was currently sleeping in the barn.

The blonde looked over, sheepishly. "It's a process," she said, simply.

"A process like...a breakup?" She instantly regretted it as the tears started to well up in the woman's eyes. "Geez, okay...um...dogs shoo?" She was no good at this. Tyla looked over at the two dogs before she snapped her fingers. The dogs looked up and then hopped off the couch, letting Lois come closer and grab a tissue from the tissue box. She gave it to Tyla who started to batt her eyes. "No one tells me what goes on here, but it sounds like your billionaire boy toy did a number on you. I'm sorry."

Tyla shook her head. "I don't think he meant it. I don't know really," she started to say, watching as the two actors started to sing the duet. "I'm trying to figure it out."

"Well, I used to tell this to my sister. If you don't talk to them for at least a couple of weeks, your head will be clearer by the end of it."

"I suppose," she sniffed. "I just don't know what to think."

"Well...what do you think about love?" Lois asked as she sat at the arm of the couch. She knew she had to go to work at the Talon, but she didn't want to leave Tyla feeling sorry about the world. So far, they exchanged brief moments of interaction, but the woman seemed like one of the more sensible women of Smallville, except the fact that she was placed in the town at her own accord. She couldn't understand why she wanted to be here but Lex being one of the reasons made some sense.

Tyla blew out a breath. "I believe in it still." It was the hopeless romantic in her. "I believe that it's something to fight for. I just don't know if what I have right now is something to believe in." She believed her own feelings, but she didn't believe in Lex's. That was the problem. She didn't know how to boil it down to something so simple for Lois. Unless she was there, she couldn't understand. It seemed like it was only the Kents who did.

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If she needed to keep away from the prying questions of Lois, then she found refuge in the farm. If she needed to avoid Clark's constant check-ins, then she would surrender herself to the guest room. But it only worked so well as both Martha and Jonathan Kent worried when she was reclusive. So then, she took it upon herself to walk Xander and Shelby every morning and every evening. Which was precisely was she was doing at the moment. Clark was coming back from school. Lois was taking a late shift at the Talon. Jonathan was finishing up duties around the farm and Martha...turned a corner and ignored her completely as she walked the dogs. Tyla frowned. Maybe it was a bad day of work.