Title: Only Human

Author: Nursie

E-mail: Nursie1126@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville... WB does... Only original characters and storyline are mine.

Rating: PG-14

Characters: Clark and the gang plus original characters.

Spoilers: Any and ALL Smallville eppies up to Nicodemus and possibly future eppies once they air and I keep up with the story.

ONLY HUMAN: SMALLVILLE FANFIC

BY: NURSIE

Part One-"At First Sight"

"Earth to Clark Kent... come in Clark... can you hear me?" Chloe Sullivan cooed as she snapped her fingers in front of her handsome friend's face. Clark blinked twice before finally acknowledging Chloe. He shook his head to finish his journey back to reality.

"What is it Chloe?" Clark asked more than a little irritated.

"Um... I dunno Clark... maybe I was trying to get your attention."

"Clark man can't help it he's in wuv..." Pete Ross teased as he took a drink of his latte, the whipped cream clinging to his nose.

Clark put his hand to his mouth trying not to laugh. "Err... um where were we?" Clark asked as he shuffled the notes he was reviewing before he was distracted. He flashed a quick glance at his distraction as she flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

Chloe rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I do believe we were trying to figure out what to put on the front page of the current Torch issue." Chloe chimed.

"Sounds like the job of the editor." Clark retorted.

"Clark... if you didn't like to write so much... then I wouldn't have a difficult time deciding which story of yours to print." Chloe said exasperated.

Clark shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know where it came from Chlo... I just like to write."

Chloe looked down at the paperwork. In her head she cursed Lana Lang for being so damned perfect. All she ever had to do was mutter the name Clark and he would come running. He could be a hundred miles away... and he would still come running. Chloe hated Lana for that. She had tried to be friends with the girl... lord had she tried. But the obvious stared her in the face daily and she just couldn't keep her heart in the right place. She flashed a secret dirty look in Lana's locality and resumed her work.

The little bell on the Beanery door to greet a new customer echoed through the small coffee house. Clark looked up and saw the tall thin frame of his friend. He gave a lopsided grin as he rose from his seat. Chloe looked at him questionably then saw Lex Luthor halfway in and halfway out of the doorway.

She smiled. She knew that Clark hadn't seen Lex in a few weeks; he had been away on business. Or at least that was his excuse this time. Chloe had a gutt feeling it was something else. And that gutt feeling she knew would cause trouble with her feelings for Clark. She loved him. GOD did she love him. For years she harbored the guilt of being in love with ones best friend. Since middle school in fact and through high school... up until now... their junior year. It was late in the year, the first week of May to be exact. The seniors would be graduating soon and her and Clark would be preparing for what should be the last hooray of their high school career. She smiled at herself. Pete caught her face and shook his head menacingly. Pete knew about Chloe's undying love... but he kept it to himself. He knew Clark did not return her feelings... and if he found out... he would try to console Chloe... but it would be awkward.

Clark watched Lex enter the coffee house holding the hand of someone. He watched as he saw Lex pull the arm of someone through the door. From a distance,it looked like the arm of one of Lex's debutant girlfriends. As Lex pulled the girl's arm further through the doorway, Clark could see the small frame of a girl. He did a double take finally seeing the girl Lex guided into the room. She was more than pretty. A little pale, but beautiful. She was around five foot five, shoulder length golden brown hair that fell in long layers with blonde highlights. Her face was adorned with high cheekbones and large hazel eyes no one but Clark could have been able to see from that distance. Clark almost lost his footing,and his pulse shot up to a rate he was sure was unhealthy even for him. His eyes traced the contours of her curvy body and he scolded himself for eyeing Lex's girlfriend with such animal tendencies. He shrugged off his hormones and took a step towards his friend and his companion.

"Clark!" Lex greeted him with a bit of surprise turning to the counter and ordering two lattes. Lex turned back to Clark while his company stood there nervously, a half eaten fingernail in her mouth as she nibbled away obviously uncomfortable. Seeing her discomfort, Clark flashed her his smile. The one that made Chloe's knees grow weak and the one he thought Lana deserved. He didn't know that he was doing it, he just sorta did it, his eyes fell on the girl and she caught his obvious perusal of her face. She shifted under his gaze gently tugging on Lex's coat sleeve. Turning at the gesture, Lex smiled noticing the exchange. Feeling the attraction radiating from both of the two people standing next to him, Lex cleared his throat.

"Hey Lex..." Clark said after a few inept seconds.

After clearing his throat, Lex smiled in his way. The one that oozed charm... the one that showed his true nature. "This is Alissa Luthor..." Lex paused for the effect before he added something that would ultimately shock Clark "My sister."

Clark released the breath he hadn't known he was holding. His expression showed every emotion he was having... all of them... even the ones he was telling himself he wasn't. He smiled even bigger in a failed attempt to keep his heart off his sleeve.

Alissa's face suddenly became friendly. She held out her hand, the one she had been chewing on to Clark. "Alissa Luthor." She turned red when she realized that Lex had already told him her name...So she improvised. "But my friends call me Lis."

"Like Lex's name is Alexander... we call him Lex... you are Alissa but we can call you Lis." Clark's smile did not waver. He was enjoying her company. More than he wanted to. "I'm Clark... Clark Kent."

"Well... Clark... Clark Kent... it was nice to meet you."

Lex took the two lattes and stepped away from the counter. "Do you care to join us?" He asked.

Clark looked down at the ground. Honestly, he couldn't think of anything better he'd rather do... but his friends were at the other end of the room waiting for him. His smile turned downwards and he shook his head regretfully. "I can't. Chloe has us going over the current issue of the Torch. She's like a mad woman on a mission." With that, the smile returned to Clark's face, and Lis Luthor thought her legs would turn to jello.

"Next time then." Lex offered as he put a hand on Lis's back after he handed her the coffee.

"Count on it." Clark replied as he turned to go. He stopped. "It been really nice meeting you..." He glanced up at Lex. "Funny... Lex never mentioned a sister. I guess we are all keeping some sort of secrets."

Lex shifted uncomfortably. He had caught the double meaning behind the words. His expression only dawdled for a moment then it was back to the normal one he usually wore. He smiled his goodbye to Clark as Alissa Luthor watched his backside walk away. Her eyes traced down his broad wide shoulders down the navy blue sweater he wore, past the red stripe across the middle and then to where it hung just below his bottom. She smiled to herself as she imagined what was behind curtain number one.

Lex slapped her on the arm bringing her back from her fantasy. "Don't waste your time... he's got a thing for the cheerleader in the corner." Lex pointed in Lana's vicinity.

"A thing? Is that what they are calling it these days?" Her eyes fell on the pretty brunette in the corner laughing with some blonde guy wearing a letterman's jacket. ~ That must be the boyfriend...~ She grimaced for an instant then her features lightened. "I can look can't I? Why is it you never mention your friends to me big bro... Especially Clark Kent...he's quite fetching." She cooed.

********

Clark rejoined his friends with the goofy smile on his face. He started to sit down when he noticed the looks he was getting from his friends.

"Whoa Clark bar... what gives. You're cheesin worse than the Cheshire cat."

"Yah... what's with the trip to wonderland?" Pete voice dripped with the laughter just behind his eyes.

Clark suddenly became defensive."You guys are seeing things." He bit his lower lip.

"I know I saw that... mmm... mmm... Lex's new flava of the week is hot!" Pete exclaimed. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me Clark actually saw past the cheerleader in the corner and thought there was another woman on this planet?" Chloe added more sarcastic than she wanted it to sound.

"She's not the flava of the week, as you so colorfully put it Pete." Clark replied. "She's Lex's sister."

Chloe arched an eyebrow and shot a glance towards Lex in the corner. She could see the back of this sister's head. Whoever she was... Lex was definitely into the conversation. "How odd...Lex never mentioned a sister." Chloe wondered out loud, still watching Lex and his sister curiously.

"I don't know... but I plan to ask him about it." Clark said as he began to shift through the layout of the Torch once again. "Maybe we could do a story or something on her. Principal Kwan always likes those human interest stories about Lex... especially since he practically funded the rebuilding Smallville High year before last when one of your meteor mutants went on a rampage Chlo." Clark added nonchalantly then winked at her smiling flawlessly. "There has to be something interesting about her to make Lex so secretive." He tried to make himself look uninterested... he tried to convince himself that he wasn't. He shrugged for good measure. "What do you thonk about doing an interview?" He added trying desperately not to sound obvious.

Chloe brightened. She heard the words interview... and anything to do with the Torch made her face shine. The conversation had bounced back to the topic she loved, she didn't hadn't really thought about how it included another new roadblock in her quest for Clark's affection.

"I could do it." Clark cried. He had tried not to be so obvious about it, but truth was, he wanted to do it. He liked the idea of doing an interview... asking her questions that she in turn would answer. Clark fumbled on his words. "I'm Lex's friend... I could do the interview." He added so that he didn't sound so obvious. His eyes caught a quick glimpse at Lana from the corner... some how, it was different and Clark felt nothing when he looked at her. His brain cried out to him. ~What's happening to me?~

Later that evening, Clark sat in his loft trying to work on some homework. He sat on the wooden floor speckled with hay; trying to figure out the trigonometry paper he was working on. Clark hated math although he was very good at it, if he tapped into his abilities. He didn't have the energy right then to do that even. He didn't even have the energy to do anything actually. He stood up and strolled over to his telescope, strategically pointed at a certain someone's house. He looked through the lens in time to see Whitney dropping off Lana. He caught the kiss goodnight, and usually it sent a hollow sick feeling of jealous though his veins... but tonight he felt nothing. He actually saw them for what they were... a cute couple. He shook his head in disbelief as he went over to the red couch sitting down. He yawned because of boredom, with his abilities he never really got tired.

"What is with you Clark?" He said to himself out loud. He looked over at his homework. Deciding to let it slide until study hall tomorrow... he quickly picked up his books and headed into the house. A thought crossed his mind as he made his way through the yard on that warm starry night, one that Clark wasn't expecting. The image of a girl, with golden brown hair and chewed on fingernails crossed his brain and sent an all too familiar shot to his heart. He wanted to ignore it, but he couldn't much the same as he tried to ignore it when he saw Lana. He opened the screen door to the kitchen. ~Maybe I'm finally getting over Lana...~ He thought to himself. He sprinted up the stairs and to his bedroom. Throwing his books on the desk, he glanced at the clock. It was close to eleven. His dad and mom would be in bed. Stripping off his shirt and then his pants, he pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms then pulled down the covers on his bed. When Clark drifted off to sleep, it wasn't Lana on his mind for a change. This time, a pretty little thing with golden brown hair and a half eaten fingernail replaced her.

********

Alissa Luthor closed the door to the Jag XJR and proceeded to head towards Luthor Manor. Lex followed her as she opened the huge oak doors. He closed them behind him as Lis slipped out of her leather jacket.

"I'm going to go to bed." Lex said as he walked past her hanging his long leather jacket in the coat closet. "You should think about doing the same."He looked at her closely for any sign she might be tired.

"Lex you're such a party pooper... It's my first night back in Smallville... I don't wanna just go to bed." She pouted playfully her eyes dancing.

"You do realize where you are don't you? This is Smallville not Metropolis... what is there for you to do? We go to bed at sundown here." Lex laughed at the truth. His old friends... the one's in Metropolis and Club Zero would have thought he'd gone soft...

Lis gave a small real pout but relented to Lex's explanation. "Oh alright... I guess you are right... You have lived here longer than me." She shrugged. "So Lex... tell me about your friend...that Kent boy. He seems really nice."

"He's seventeen... " Lex commented flatly stifling a yawn.

"I realize that... but still... you never talk about your friends here."

"There really isn't much to tell... Clark is one of my best friends... he comes here often. He's saved my life a few times."

"He's the one that pulled you out of the river isn't he?"Admiration filled her voice. Her lips curled into a full fledged smile although she had no clue as to what she was smiling at.

"Yes..." Lex replied.

"Sounds like he's a regular saint. He's definitly the Luthor guardian angel." She lowered her tone to a whisper. "He sure's hell got a heavenly body." She giggled at the image popping into her head.

"He is." Lex told her. "But he has his secrets."

"Don't we all..." Lis said meekly

"Yes... how are you feeling anyhow... you came to visit on such short notice. I didn't have time to check for any condition changes."

"I am feeling a whole lot better... especially getting out of Gotham City. That place is really dark." She smiled at him.

"As long as you're alright." Lex said.

"I'm fine Lex... no need to worry about you lil sis." Lis lied about the feeling fine once again. "I think this is just what I needed... time to relax."

Lex smiled at her making his way up the staircase. "I'm glad to see you again... especially here."

"I'm not going anywhere Lex..." She smiled at him.

"You can stay as long as you want to... it gets lonely here in this big castle. Does dad know you are visiting?"

"Like that man cares what I do... he's more interested in your contributions to the Luthor name... you know he hasn't had much interest in me."

"I would give anything to be you." Lex said as he stopped midway up the stairs.

"No... no you wouldn't." She said sadly. "You don't want to be me."

"You're a strong woman Lis... I'm glad you are here."

Lis took a deep breath. "Would it be alright if I go to the clinic and do a little work?"

"I still don't understand why you feel you need to work."

"Lex... that's the end of this conversation... I've been around hospitals most my life... the nurse thing is my way of giving back."

"Ah yes... but who would of thought my sister would work for a living. Especially as a nurse."

"I'm very good at my job."

"You should take care of yourself the way you do you patients." Lex replied.

"Enough... I said I was fine." She grimaced as she watched him go the rest of the way up the stairs. She heard him say good night and disappear behind the banister. When he was out of view, Lis placed a hand on her stomach as she made her way towards the bathroom. She wasn't about to let Lex see her sick... no one could see her sick. She wanted a normal life in Smallville for as long as she had left. "Sorry brother dear... if I told you... you would just make me go back to that god forsaken place. I can't go and await my fate... I can't watch another friend die." She whispered as she made her way out of the downstairs bathroom and up the stairs to her room.

To Be Continued...

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Part 2-"The Interview..."

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