Epilogue

Friday afternoon - Smallville Stables

A week and a half had passed since Clark had left The Daily Planet. In the interim, he had moved his belongings to Smallville where they currently took the form of a pile of boxes that were stacked on the floor of Lana's barn. His furniture had already been sold since even Clark knew that nothing from his apartment would go with the décor of Lana's house.

Clark himself had already moved in, but his belongings would have to stay where they were until after the wedding, since Lana was too busy planning the quickie wedding to have time to help decide what of his things would be kept and what would go where. For his part, Clark knew that any decisions he made by himself regarding redecorating while Lana was otherwise occupied would have to be reviewed by her and, likely, redone, so why bother.

Today, Lana had brought him to the Smallville stables for the final preparation for their wedding. They were here to pick out two horses to use for the ceremony. Clark, who had not ridden a horse since he moved away, was somewhat apprehensive about riding again. Not out of fear of injury, obviously, but he was not sure how well he would be able to control a horse. With other people around them during the wedding, that could pose a problem, so he said, "Umm…Lana?"

"Yes, Clark?"

"Are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean, we could postpone the wedding for a couple of weeks so I could become a better rider."

"Yes, Clark, this is exactly what I want and if you think I'm waiting even one more day to marry you after all the time I've waited already, then you've got a screw loose somewhere." Shooing him off with a rapid backhand flip of her hand, Lana said, "So go pick out a horse already."

Not completely happy with this, Clark walked up and down the stables, looking at the horses, while thinking, Maybe a nice, slow, and above all, gentle horse. The kind of horse that is always called Buttermilk in the movies. I want a horse that is old and bored out of its mind. A horse that is just days away from the glue factory would be just fine with…

"Today, Clark! If you want to take the horse for a practice ride, you need to make a choice." Suiting her actions to her words, Lana was already having a horse saddled down at the other end of the stable they were in. When she walked down to see what Clark was doing, she found him immobilized with laughter in front of one particular stall. There, on a small brass nameplate next to that stall, was the horse's name: Buttermilk. Lana looked into the stall, and looking back at her was a placid-seeming mare.

"I didn't actually think they'd have a horse by this name," Clark said, "but this has got to be a sign. I'll take this one."

When Clark explained that in the old westerns he used to like to watch with his dad, the gentlest horse always seemed to be named Buttermilk, Lana cracked a smile and said, "Well, this Buttermilk looks positively sleepy. She should be perfect for you."

Quirking an eyebrow at Lana, Clark asked, "And I suppose you're going to ride some fire-breathing stallion?"

Lana got a devilish look in her eye as she said, "No. The only stallion I intend to ride tomorrow has fire coming out of his eyes, not his mouth."

When the meaning behind Lana's words sank in, Clark's entire face turned a bright red and Lana clapped her hands in delight. "It's nice to see that, with all of the things you have seen and done in your life, you can still be embarrassed. It's soooooo cute!"

"I just keep forgetting you're not exactly the Lana I left behind all those years ago, and some of the differences, like you being so forward with me, take me by surprise."

Lana looked back down the stable to make sure the groom was still busy with her horse, and then said, "Well, I'd call that payback, Clark. You can't know how much of a surprise it was for me to be watching a story on the evening news about a train wreck that was narrowly averted by Superman, and then seeing a video of him for the first time and realizing it was you. I almost choked to death on the iced tea I was drinking."

Clark smiled faintly and said, "I remember that save. It took too long to slow that train down. That allowed someone to get a video of me with a digital camcorder. It was the first time anyone had gotten anything more than a blurry snapshot of me in the Superman suit."

When the obviously smitten stablehand shyly brought Lana's horse to her, Clark realized that it was larger than his horse which was good since it would put them at eye level as they rode. Lana began familiarizing herself with her chosen horse while the groom readied Buttermilk for Clark. After Buttermilk was saddled, the groom would not let them out of the stable until both of them were wearing a horse-riding helmet.

Finally, helmets properly affixed, Clark and Lana headed their horses out of the stables at a walk. Besides getting Clark used to riding again, this ride also allowed them to make sure there was still an open route to the site of their outdoor wedding, which was under a lone shade tree on a low hill not too far from the stables.

The tree had special significance for them, being the site of their first real date as a couple during their sophomore year in high school. No one else knew that, however, and that was one detail that Clark and Lana intended to keep to themselves. To anyone that asked, they would only say, 'We think it's a picturesque location.'

Being physically gifted, as only a Kryptonian could be, it took very little time before Clark was riding easily with the reins almost forgotten in his hands. One thing became clear to them both once they rode within sight of 'their tree.' The tree, which had been an impressive shade tree twenty-plus years ago, had become even larger, with a broader spread of branches.

With one look at each other, they knew they were having the same thought. They climbed down off of their horses and tied the two sets of reins to a sturdy branch on the other side of the tree's massive trunk. Having secured their transportation, Clark and Lana walked to 'their side' of 'their tree' and cuddled at the base of it, talking of their plans for the future.

By the time they left to return the horses to the Smallville Stables, they had discussed children and the very real need to get started on that right away since women have a decreased chance of having children after age 35. As an alternative to children of their own, they agreed they could adopt if necessary. As Lana put it, "After all, it turned out pretty well for both of us."

Clark had agreed with that, smiling as he remembered his parents. That led him to thoughts of the kind of parents he and Lana would make. He could see her fixing lunches while he got the kids ready and then the both of them walking out to the car and getting the kids settled into car seats for the short drive to school. He could see family vacations, school plays and art shows, dance recitals, first dates, proms, college, and marriages. The marriages would, of course, be followed by grandkids, which Clark was sure he and Lana would spoil rotten.

Lana enjoyed being wrapped in Clark's strong arms as they laid back against the trunk of the tree, but when he fell silent, she asked for his thoughts. As Clark let her in on his hopes for their future, Lana nearly cried. She had similar thoughts of her own, but hearing the man she loved so very deeply articulate them seemed to make them more real, as if she could reach out and touch them.

Beyond children, they had discussed various employment opportunities for Clark in Smallville. Besides ones they already considered like writing for the Ledger or penning Superman's authorized biography, Lana had come up with a new idea: Clark could become certified to teach and could teach Journalism and English at Smallville High if a position opened. She knew for a fact that at least two members of the English department were close to retirement

Unsure if he really wanted to teach, Clark did like the fact that it would help him spend more time with Lana which, to his mind, was always a good thing. For her part, Lana thought Clark would be a natural teacher. His patience and persistence would stand him in good stead, and the fact that he had gone out into the real world and been a huge success as a reporter would give him what the kids refer to as 'cred.'

On the way back to the stables, they practiced riding side-by-side so they would be able to hold hands after they were married. Lana rode with the ease of a born horsewoman and Clark was quickly catching up to her level of comfort. As the stables came into view, Clark said, "I never did learn, what is your horse's name?"

Coloring slightly, Lana said, "Umm…it's…it's Superman."

Clark laughed so hard that he almost spooked Buttermilk.

When Clark's wheezing laughter subsided, Lana said defensively, "I picked him for the same reason you picked Buttermilk, I figured a sign that obvious was too hard to ignore."

"Whatever you say, Lana. I just think it's funny that Superman gets the first ride on our wedding day."

That comment set Clark off again, and Lana, seeing the humor, finally joined in.

Saturday morning - Lana's house

Waking up with Clark spooned in behind her was the warmest, safest feeling Lana could possibly imagine. Knowing she would be doing that for the rest of her life gave Lana more joy than she knew how to express.

Having just woken up, she stayed in his embrace and enjoyed the simple pleasure of hearing her man breathe the slow, deep breaths of sleep. It was a pleasure she did not often get to enjoy because Clark tended to wake up before she did. Today, however, she was too excited to stay asleep and, quite frankly, was amazed she had slept at all.

Finally, her Prince Charming woke with an undignified grunt and a forceful exhalation of breath that tickled the side of her neck before making its way to her nose and announcing itself as 'morning breath.' Lana wriggled her nose in distaste at the reminder that his super powers did not include minty morning breath, but she giggled when he dipped his head to nibble on her neck before climbing out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

Once he had scoured his mouth with a toothbrush, he felt human enough to come back out and greet his fiancée properly. Lazily plopping down on the bed next to Lana, who had by now propped her herself up into a sitting position, Clark greeted his soon-to-be wife.

"Good morning, Miss Lang," Clark said.

"Good morning yourself, Mr. Kent," Lana replied. "You'd better get all of the 'Miss Lang' stuff out of your system this morning, because as of tonight, I'll be Mrs. Kent."

Giving her a mock salute, Clark said, "Yes, Ma'am!"

"Where's my morning kiss?"

As Clark leaned in for a kiss, Lana turned to him and opened her mouth. Quick as a wink, Clark slid a Listerine Breath Strip in her mouth, which dissolved almost instantly.

"What the heck was that?" Lana asked.

Clark closed for the kiss and, after finally coming up for air, he said, "A breath strip. You didn't honestly expect me to give you the kind of kiss you so clearly deserve with either one of us having morning breath, did you?"

"Well, no. But it was a surprise. What if I had choked?"

"Breath strips dissolve instantly, so there's no chance of choking, and if you had managed to choke on the breath strip, I would be right here to save you one more time."

Curious now, Lana asked, "Heimlich?"

"Nope," Clark answered as he grinned, "mouth-to-mouth resuscitation all the way."

"Mouth-to-mouth, huh? How good at that are you, Mr. Kent?"

"Well…I think I'm pretty good at it, Miss Lang, but from the tone of your voice, it sounds like I'll have to prove it to you."

Clark rolled over and straddled Lana and they had a makeout session that left them both panting.

"How…was that?" Clark asked, as he gasped for air.

After she collected herself, Lana said, "Oh, I think you've earned a merit badge, but you better save something for tonight. I want to have something to look forward to."

Clark stretched just enough to place his mouth at her ear and began whispering.

All Lana could do was fan herself with her hand and say, "Oh my! That's quite some promise. You'd better be able to keep it or I'm going to be severely disappointed."

"Don't worry about me, just don't wear yourself out today. As long as you are going to be gone driving here and there getting ready for the wedding, I half expect you to be asleep five minutes after we come home.

"And as far as running all over town to have a facial, get your nails done, have your hair done, etc., I don't really understand it. One hour of work by Evangeline and you looked like a goddess to me when we went to the reunion dance."

"A goddess?" Lana inquired.

"The goddess of my idolatry."

"Paraphrasing Shakespeare? You did learn a few new tricks in the big city, didn't you?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet."

Saturday afternoon - Smallville Stables

"Perry is not going to show up for the wedding," Clark said. "That old man is still mad at me for quitting."

"I don't think he's as mad as you believe he is, Clark," Lana said, "and Lois swore she'd get him to show up."

"Lois does a lot of swearing. I thought you might have noticed that by now."

"Well, if you're so sure he won't show, how about you putting your money where your mouth is."

"A bet?" Clark asked. "Why would we bet? As soon as we get married, my money is yours anyway."

Lana shifted position on the stall door she was leaning on and said, "You're right about that…how about we bet forfeits?"

"What are forfeits?"

"Simple. The loser has to do anything the winner tells him to. Just one thing for one forfeit, but you can't refuse."

"Tells him to do, huh?" Clark asked, "You sound awfully confident there Sweetcheeks."

"I'm so confident that I'm already considering what to do with my prize."

"Okay, it's a deal. On one condition, the forfeit has to be used before sunrise tomorrow. If I do lose, I don't want this thing hanging over me for weeks."

"Okay," Lana said, "you're on."

Clark looked at his watch and, seeing it was time, moved to mount his horse. When Lana followed suit, Clark said, "Do you have any idea how many people have lost money betting that Perry has a heart?"

"I'm not betting on Perry," Lana countered, "I'm betting on Lois."

Saturday late afternoon - 'The Tree'

A small knot of friends and family, not numbering more than three dozen, waited for Clark and Lana in a small semi-circle a few feet down from the top of the hill. A local judge had been coaxed into performing the ceremony by none other than Congressman Pete Ross.

The assembled onlookers had just caught sight of Clark and Lana making their way toward them. A few minutes more brought the happy couple to the edge of the semi-circle. Lana wheeled Superman around to the left end of the crowd, while Clark nudged Buttermilk to the right end of the line. The sun had just begun to set in earnest and both Clark and Lana smiled to see how well the timing had worked out.

They dismounted with their horses facing each other and, as they walked to meet up in the middle, both of them made a quick visual sweep of the crowd. There, standing near to where Lois waited as Clark's Best Person, was Perry White. Lana did not know him by sight, but when Clark's dazzling smile turned briefly into a mask of disgust, she knew she had won.

To Clark, seeing Perry was like biting into what you thought was an apple and finding out that it was instead a lemon. He quickly recovered and smiled at everyone.

When Clark and Lana met in the middle, Evangeline stepped up behind Lana's left shoulder and Lois took her place behind Clark's right shoulder.

The ceremony was short and to the point. Quickly, the judge came to the vows.

"Clark," the judge said, "as you look at Lana, repeat these words after me."

Following along as the judge read, Clark said, "I, Clark Joseph Kent, take you, Lana Elizabeth Lang, to be my partner in life. Whatever life throws at us, I promise to face it with you, by your side. Your triumphs are my triumphs, your sorrows are my sorrows, and thus will they ever be, for as long as we both shall live."

The judge turned to Lana and said, "Lana," the judge said, "as you look at Clark, repeat these words after me."

Just like Clark, Lana followed the judge's words and repeated the vow as read:

"I, Lana Elizabeth Lang, take you, Clark Joseph Kent, to be my husband, my best friend, the father of my children, and my life-long lover. I will never be able to fully express the depths of my love for you, but I vow to spend the rest of my life in the attempt."

After that, the rings were exchanged, and the judge said, "Now, by the power invested in me by the State of Kansas, I do hereby pronounce you Man and Wife." Looking at Clark, she said, "You may kiss your bride."

Clark wasted no time and the two newlyweds were deep in the first kiss of their married life by the time the judge said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent."

The horses had been brought together at the back of the crowd, and the onlookers split down the middle to make way for the happy couple. Someone pressed play on a small CD player that was just loud enough to be heard plainly by all. The song was "Two Less Lonely People" by Air Supply, and it played as Clark and Lana walked through a rain of birdseed to their horses, mounted, and rode back down the hill, side by side, hand in hand, into a blazing sunset.

"Two Less Lonely People" - Air Supply

I was down my dreams were wearing thin
When you're lost where do you begin
My heart always seemed to drift from day to day
Looking for the love than never came my way

Then you smiled and I reached out to you
I could tell you were lonely too
One look then it all began for you and me
The moment that we touched I knew that there would be

Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight

Just to think what I might have missed
Looking back how did I exist
I dreamed, still I never thought I'd come this far
But miracles come true, I know 'cause here we are

Two less lonely people in the world
And it's gonna be fine
Out of all the people in the world
I just can't believe you're mine
In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight