The force of the impact snatches her from Nell's grasp. It feels just like flying. It is flying. She's a fairy princess. She spreads her wings, hovers on gossamer. Brandishes her wand. The sky is breaking but she has her wand, so everything's going to be okay. The road will come together. The truck will unbuckle. Glass will melt together. Smoke will retreat. Flames will burn backwards, restoring color, restoring life. Daddy will get up. Mommy will hold out her arms. Everything will be right again. Lana waves her wand.

The world burns away in a flash of green.

Abracadabra.

II. Twenty-Twenty Vision

Sometimes, she sees it again. Sometimes she blinks and afterimages flare brightly and fade away. Sometimes she's turns her head quickly and catches glimpses of a halo around a place or a person or a thing. Her other eternal green companion. She tells herself she's just seeing reflections of the first, hanging in the hollow of her throat. Knows she isn't. She touches it constantly. Sometimes she thinks the stone hums. Sometimes. Now.

Just a reflection, she thinks, seeing green flicker around a racing Porsche, and does not look down to see the meteor fragment hidden inside her tight fist.

III. Other People's Children

"This is Clark," says Martha.

The boy has black hair, is wearing a blue T-shirt and red shorts, and is hiding behind Martha's legs and peering at her with very large green eyes.

"Say hello to Lana, Clark," prompts Martha, trying to pull him out.

He shakes his head, refusing to move.

"I'm sorry, Lana," says Martha. "He's a little shy around new people."

Lana nods, chewing at a strand of hair. Eventually, she tugs at Martha's cardigan until Martha kneels down, then leans in, so her lips are brushing Martha's ear.

"I'm glad you got your wish," Lana whispers.

IV. These Things I Believe

Lex learns she likes poetry, tells her she can peruse the Manor's library whenever she wants. She does. She's surprised by the library's sheer inclusiveness. She isn't surprised how often Clark happens to be there playing pool at the same time she is. She doesn't tell them how obvious they are, or that she's moved from poetry to science, that she's found Dr. Hamilton's research on the meteors. She reads psychology papers. She reads Crowley.

Magick is just Change enacted by Will.

Lana clutches her necklace. She hates surprises. She wonders if she hates them enough. The stone glows.

Abracadabra.

V. At the Heart of It

Clark's staring again. It should probably bother her but Lana finds it reassuring. The regularity of his routine is somehow comforting: stare, blush, look away, grin into his coffee.

The Talon's just crowded enough to be fun. Sean's telling his 'heroic, last-minute rescue from certain icy death' story again. Jody's hanging off his shoulder, sipping no-fat latte. Chloe's holed up in a corner, typing nineteen to the dozen on her laptop.

Lana hands a cup to Pete and nudges him towards her. Pete blinks, grins in sudden comprehension. Lana watches him hurry away, then smiles at Clark. He blushes.

Perfect.

VI. Exceptions to the Rule

Whitney enters with two Clarks. Lana says "Hello, Tina" to the second who, turning blonde, laughs.

"Told you she'd know."

Clark fakes a smile. "How's therapy going?"

"Down to once a month," grins Whitney, proudly hugging Tina who leans in, giggling, idly playing with his suit's lapel.

They talk some more and Lana doesn't ask Tina how inhuman flexibility somehow also effects hair, doesn't ask Clark if he sees the green, even when she catches him doing that thousand-yard stare, doesn't ask Whitney whose face Tina's wearing when he takes hir to bed.

Some things she doesn't need to know.

VII. Bless the Child

"I didn't see anything," says Lana.

"It was all a blur, really," agrees Clark.

"Perhaps there was something in the dirt," suggests Lana.

"The tires looked quite old," muses Clark.

"And you know what Smallville roads are like," puts in Lana.

"The explosion must have thrown you clear," adds Clark.

"How is it you're always around at just the right moment?" Lex asks, amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Just lucky, I guess," they say and exchange secretive grins.

Because it's easy when you know how. The hand's faster than the eye and Clark's faster than both.

Abracadabra.

VIII. Collect the Whole Set

"Lana," says Lex. "I wanted to thank you for recommending Whitney. He has a good head for business."

"My pleasure."

"You've met my brother, of course."

"Of course." Lana blushes when Lucas takes her hand, presses his lips to her knuckles. "Looking forward to your mother's wedding?"

"I'm not sure if I'm a Luthor, a Dunleavy, or a Sullivan," laughs Lucas. "I've gone from no family to too many."

Lana shakes her head. "You can never have too much family."

"Perhaps so," says Lex. "Hello, Clark."

"Hey, Lex. You guys wanna join us?"

"Sure." Lucas smiles at Lana. "We'll stay."

IX. All Together Now

The Talon's fast becoming the centre of the town. Normally rain would keep people away but they've all been a little sky shy since the big twisters and now bad weather days bring them to her seats and her coffee and her choice selection of Martha's pies. She happily serves drink and conversation until, out of the corner of her eye, she catches a green flash and, looking up, sees her reflection in the window. It looks just like she's crying. And she knows something's wrong even before her Aunt breezes into the Talon, diamonds glinting on her ring finger.

X. Perfect World

It's a cool night and Lana's back in the graveyard again. Maybe it helps. Maybe she's kidding herself. Maybe she's just playing the lead in some by the numbers gothic romance. Lana doesn't want there to be a maybe. Lana doesn't want Nell to be unhappy. Lana doesn't want to be unhappy either.

More than anything in the world, Lana doesn't want to leave Smallville.

Laura, sitting translucent on her headstone, arms crossed over the green silk blouse, says, "Lana, there's something I think you should know. About Henry Small."

Lana smiles to herself and, leaning forward, listens earnestly.

Abracadabra.