fandomtownies | Selkie Cove: Tuesday Afternoon

Whitney took a seat beside her. "I loved you, Lana. Loved you more than life itself. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

She refused to look at him, hoping that maybe if she ignored him he would go away.

"I'm sorry for what I said about your parents yesterday. You know that's not true. They love you." He moved a little closer to her, letting himself touch her hair. "I love you too, Lana. It's why I jumped at the chance to come here. Thought maybe I could convince you to come back with me."

She turned to look at him then. "Come back with you? What...? How...?"

"Think about it, Lana. We could be together again. Your parents would be there. And you'd never have to worry about hurting anyone again. I know you worry that you're cursed in some way. That that's why the people around you die or leave."

He draped one ghostly arm around her. "That could all be over, Lana. All you have to do is die."

She backed away from him in horror. "What?! My God, are you here to -?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, Lana, don't be ridiculous. I would never hurt you physically. I couldn't. But don't tell me it's not something you've thought about before. I know you too well. You've thought about it. Considered it."

He smiled at her. "And why not? It would make all of this end. Everyone here leaves you. On the Other Side we could all be together forever. I could help. Make it easier for you. All I'm asking is that you think about it."

He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'll leave you alone for now."

And he was gone.

She stared at the empty space where he'd been, touched her cheek where he'd kissed her.

She couldn't. She would never.

Never.

She put her face in her hands again and cried.

Phoebe had been looking for Lana and finally she had decided to go to their favourite spot.

That's when she felt a lot of sadness and despair. Getting closer, she heard her best friend sobbing.

She climbed up on the rocks to get to her. "Lana?"

Lana couldn't even make herself raise her head. She heard Phoebe's voice as if it came from very far away, but she couldn't respond to it. She felt numb, frozen, half-dead already.

Phoebe didn't like what she was feeling from Lana so she sat beside her and put her arms around her.

"What's happened?"

"Whitney," Lana said. "He... he wants me to... Oh god... He says if I were dead..." She couldn't finish.

No one was going to make Lana dead.

She stroked her hair. "Who is Whitney?"

"My old boyfriend," Lana said quietly. "My old dead boyfriend."

Phoebe nodded. Bad things tended not to stay dead around here.

"He's back?"

Lana nodded. "He came back yesterday. Said terrible things. And today...

She stared out at the water, not able to meet Phoebe's eyes. "He said if I went with him I could be with him and my parents again. And that I wouldn't hurt anyone again. No one else would die or have to go away because of me."

She was quiet for a moment. "And I wouldn't hurt any more"

Phoebe felt the pain in those words... and she heard it, too.

"Lana, no," she said quietly. "It's not because of you that people have died or went away."

Lana shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But they die. People die around me."

"People die and get hurt around me, but that doesn't make it my fault. It doesn't make it yours, either."

"He said such terrible things. Asked if Shep was dead yet - if I'd sent him..." Lana broke off, tears springing up again before she could stop them.

Phoebe tightened her arms around Lana. "That was a despicable thing for him to say, Lana. Shep isn't going to die on you."

Maybe he won't, Whitney admitted. After all, he was smart enough to leave you. It took months before he finally managed to screw you and then after a week of it he'd had enough and left you. Do you think the Pegasus Galaxy is far enough away to avoid your curse? Because just going overseas clearly wasn't far enough. Not that you ever had sex with me. Noooo... Good little Lana said she wasn't 'ready' yet.

"I wasn't," Lana said tearfully. "I did everything else you wanted, but I just... wasn't ready for that. Really."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. That phrase alone made her aware of what he had to be saying to her.

She tightened her hold on her friend. "He sounds mean."

Lana shook her head. "He was always good to me. But he... had a mean streak sometimes. I never saw it directly, but Clark... Whitney was always jealous of Clark."

This made Phoebe curious as Clark was her boss at the hotel. "Why?"

"He knew Clark had a crush on me," Lana said quietly.

"How could anyone not have a crush on you, Lana?" She said with a smile. "You're kind and pretty and brave. When you give your friendship, it's unshakeable, no matter how many stupid mistakes those friends make."

Lana actually managed a smile. "You're so sweet, Phoebe."

And dead before long if she hangs out with you.

"I'm honest," she said softly.

Lana nodded. "It's kind of hard for me to accept that sort of stuff, but I know you wouldn't lie to me. You call it like you see it."

Phoebe nodded. "I do. Hell, if there was one thing I learned from Crowley and then from being kidnapped and almost killed by Cole's mother... you always say what you mean."

"I just think it makes everything so much easier," Lana said. "You don't have to try and remember what you've told to whom. Besides, I've always hated being lied to."

That's right. And Clark loves to lie to you, doesn't he?

Phoebe looked down. She felt that Cole was hiding something from her and that was like lying.

"Being lied to is horrid," Phoebe agreed.

"So... what would you call what you did to me, Lana? When you pretended you loved me, pretended you cared? When you told me there was nothing going on with you and Clark? What would you call that?"

Lana turned to him. "I did love you. I just... wasn't sure if I was ready as a freshman in high school to commit myself to you forever. So I hedged. And I'm sorry about that. I tried to fix it."

He shook his head. "Great way of showing it, Lana. Sending a Dear John letter as I was on my way into battle. No way I could keep my mind on the mission then. But you could make it up to me now. Make it up to all of us. Just send your friend on home, tell her you're fine. Then all you'd have to do is walk out into the ocean. Just walk out and let yourself go. I'd be with you, holding your hand the whole time."

Phoebe felt Lana's anxiety getting higher and she tightened her arms around her friend.

"Lana...whatever he's saying no. Don't listen to him."

"I know, I know," Lana said. "I won't do it, but... He just... won't stop. I almost want to do what he says just to make him stop."

"No! Lana, please, no!"

"I won't."

Phoebe is relieved and nodded. "Let's go to Caritas."

Lana nodded, looking exhausted. "I'm so tired I'd rather go home and sleep, but I doubt he'd let me. And people - lots of people being around - would probably be a good thing."

Phoebe pulled her to her feet and walked with her back to town.

Selkie Cove: Tuesday Afternoon

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