The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

Flora Winters

I do not own Smallville or the Snow Queen, but my friends do call me the Snow Queen.

Summary: Winter has taken a life in Smallville and everyone thinks Clark has become colder than ice. MM, Language.

Chapter Four

When she embraces
Your heart turns to stone
She comes at night when you are all alone
And when she whispers
Your blood shall run cold
You better hide before she finds you
-Within Temptation (Ice Queen)

Martha was sitting on the sofa in front of the fire wondering if everything was okay at Lois’s when the phone laying next to her began to ring. She quickly picked it up and was relieved to hear that everything was alright.

“How could water suddenly freeze like that,” she asked in shock, “Could a meteor infected person be nearby?”

“Not sure,” Clark said, “But we’re going to try and figure it out. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” she said gazing over at the dying fire, “And Bart did that for you?”

“Yeah,” he said looking out the bathroom to see Bart sitting in front of Lois’s fireplace with Lana. Was he actually attempting to braid her hair?

“We’ll be home in a few hours,” he said, “Call if you need me.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” she said, “Be careful and look after Bart.”

“I will,” he said looking in the mirror at how pale he had become, “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too,” she said and hung up the phone just as the fire died.

She sat the phone down and went to get some more wood off the porch.

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Clark put his cell back in his pocket and stepped back out into the main room to see that Bart actually knew how to braid hair. He walked over and took a seat between Lois and Chloe on the couch.

Chloe had her laptop in her lap and her fingers were buzzing like bees across those keys. She was so happy that she was genius enough to of remembered to charge the battery.

Clark leaned over to see that she was looking up things on rapidly freezing water and who could possibly be behind it. They were so in the dark. They had nothing to go on…or did they?

What about his weird dream? Was it really a dream? Should he even mention it? It might have some leads. Would they even believe him?

Lana was possessed by a wicked countess with really powerful magic. Bart even knows how to use magic in order to hide his…scars. How much of a stretch would it be to actually believe that maybe a faerie or some god had him go outside this morning?

He told them.

Lois was looking at him as if she had discovered something else that grew on that farm of his and it rhymes with seed. Maybe this hadn’t been such a brilliant idea.

“And you said that this beautiful entity looked like Lex,” Chloe asked just breezing across those keys, “With hair the color of snow?”

Clark nodded, “Imagine the most beautiful person you know and multiply their beauty by…several million.”

“Wow,” Lois said with dreamy eyes, “I look so hot.”

Bart snorted and finished with Lana’s hair. She looked like Snow White.

“You said that this entity looked almost like ice,” Chloe asked again.

“Kind of,” Clark said not knowing how to describe how beautiful he, she, it had been, “The skin was like moonlight shining through glass, ice. It was perfect, flawless.”

“Pretty,” Lana said laying out in front of the fire with her head resting on Bart’s legs.

“Beautiful,” Clark corrected and looked at Bart.

“He was outside,” Bart said, “He’s lucky I woke up when I felt the cold or else he’d be in the bed with a cold.”

Clark nodded, “He wanted me to embrace him.”

“It might be your subconscious talking to you,” Chloe said reading over some articles, “Trying to work its way around…you know.”

“You can say it Chloe,” Clark told her, “He killed my dad and I’m fighting with myself over whether or not I should talk to him…but I don’t think I can ever forgive him.”

“You also said that there were no footprints in the snow,” she said trying to change the subject she had started.

“Maybe it controls the snow,” Lois said, “And didn’t want to leave any tracks.”

“The weather has been crazy,” Lana said remembering how cold she had been in that ice, “Angry even.”

“The only thing I’m getting is snow faeries,” Chloe said scrolling down the screen, “And Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Snow Queen.”

“That’s helpful,” Lois snorted.

“This coming from someone who was possessed by a wicked witch,” Clark said.

“We agreed that never happened,” Lois said and slapped his shoulder.

“Maybe I was just dreaming then,” he said rubbing where she had hit him, “And my mind took me outside.”

“Damn,” Chloe hissed which made them all jump as she slammed the lid shut, “It died.”

“It’s not like it was telling anything important,” Lois said smiling at her.

Clark just sat back and sighed. How in the world did that water freeze like that? Lana was so lucky that she did not freeze to death. Someone or something had to be the cause. Water just did not freeze in a matter of seconds.

“How is it possible for hot water to suddenly freeze solid like that,” Bart asked and Clark looked at him as if Bart had just read his mind.

“Not a clue,” Lois said and Lana just kept gazing into the fire trying to soak in a much warmth as her little body would allow.

Why would someone want to do that to her? She had done nothing wrong.

Chloe got up to go look out the window to see that it was snowing like crazy again. If this kept up, they would not be able to get the front door of the Talon to open. It had to be below thirty out because icicles were hanging down in front of the window like sharp teeth.

“The important thing is that Lana is alright,” Clark said and graced her with a small smile.

Bart nodded and turned to look at Chloe. She seemed to be off in her own little world. What was she thinking so hard about?

“Bart,” Clark said getting to his feet, “I think we need to get home. I have some more chores that need to be done.”

“Home,” Bart smiled and Lana lifted her head so he could move his legs to get up.

“Chores,” Lois asked in outrage, “In this weather? Are you crazy?”

“Its bad out, Clark,” Chloe said, “Call your mom and tell her you’re all staying until the weather calms down.”

Clark looked at her and then remembered that Bart might be fast but he was still human. The cold might make him sick again. Plus, there was the whole wheelbarrow thing.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell and called. He started to get worried after the third ring. Why wasn’t she answering? She always answered.

“The storm might be blocking her cell signal,” she said, “And the power is still off.”

Lois got up from the couch and asked, “Who wants to play scrabble?”

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“You’re cheating,” Clark exclaimed right in Lois’s face, “Bupu is not a word!”

“It’s a name,” Lois said, “From some book I read.”

Bart snickered, “Are they always like this?”

“All the time,” Lana said, “Ever since they met.”

“Its because they love each other,” Chloe said and pinched Clark’s cheek.

“Right,” Clark said under his breath, “Just like I love a headache.”

“I’ll give you one,” Lois yelled right into his ear, “Since you love them so much!”

“That was sarcasm,” he hissed and spelled his word out on the board.

“Bitch,” Lois asked looking at his word, “Are you calling me a bitch?”

“No,” Clark said meekly, “I just spelled it out at you.”

Bart scooted closer to Chloe when Lois drew in a deep breath only to explode into a fit of laughter. He looked at Clark who was actually smiling. He was actually having some fun. This was good. He loved it when Clark would smile.

Lana shook her head, “Good thing we’re not playing Monopoly.”

“Oh, god,” Chloe laughed, “We’d have to lock them in separate rooms.”

Lois and Clark glared at them and then hissed when Bart spelled out a word that earned him more points than them. They never lost, except to each other.

Clark rolled his eyes and turned to look out the window to see that the snow had stopped. He decided to allow Bart to win this game as he got to his feet to put his shoes back on.

Lois threw her head down on the table, “I can’t believe I lost to a newbie.”

Bart snickered, “If it make you feel any better…I cheated.”

“What,” She shrieked.

He showed her that he used his super speed to steal letters from the box.

She smacked his arm, “Next time, I’m tying your ankles together.”

He laughed and had his shoes on in a blink, “Ready, Clark?”

“Yeah,” he said just as the power came back on.

“Woo,” Lana cried and turned on the television to see that Metropolis had forty-four inches of snow and that it was four degrees out.

“You two be careful,” Chloe said as Clark dunked the snow out the wheelbarrow.

Bart held it up while Clark got on and they could hear Lois howling with laughter. He smiled and the two of them were off in a golden blur.

“Wow,” Lois said, “That is so cool.”

“Yeah,” Lana smiled, “I’m going to have him do that with me.”

“Get in line,” Chloe told them and closed the door to the cold.

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Clark could not help by yell in delight as the wind raced through his dark hair. He had never done this before. It was nice being able to move faster than anything on the planet and not be putting any effort into it. He could hear Bart laughing and he spun his head around to see the younger man smiling at him. He smiled back and there was warmth in it.

They were racing down the empty road when Bart’s feet suddenly hit a patch of ice. His feet slid out from under him and they crashed.

He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was laying in Clark’s arms in a big pile of cold snow. Clark was looking down into his eyes with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Bart said moving certain parts of his body to make sure that nothing was broken and then frowned.

“What,” Clark asked and was scared that he had broken something.

“My pride,” Bart cried in horror, “I broke my pride.”

Clark just looked at him and even though he was smiling, he used his x-ray vision just to make sure. This little crash could have been bad.

Clark helped him to his feet and they saw that the wheelbarrow was literally wrapped around a lone light pole. This definitely could have been bad. With the speed they were going, Bart could have really injured himself, or worse.

Clark gasped when he got a face full of snow. He ever so slowly wiped it away and saw that Bart had the biggest grin he had ever seen on his face.

“I’ll beat you,” Clark roared and jumped at him.

Bart yelped and did a lightning quick back flip just out of the taller man’s reach, “Uh huh.”

He got a face full of snow the moment the words escaped his mouth.

Clark couldn’t hold it in. Bart just looked too ridiculous with snow dripping off his scowling face. He snorted and then grabbed his stomach as he laughed out loud. The look on Bart’s pissed off face was priceless.

It was on.

A little while later the two of them collapsed in the snow taking deep breaths. Clark had finally given in. Bart was simply too fast with the constant ammunition, but that didn’t mean he didn’t kick some serious ass, too.

Bart looked over at him with a big smile on his face, “I won.”

“In your dreams, Flash,” Clark laughed.

Bart snorted, “Is that my nickname now?”

Clark pondered and then said, “Yeah.”

“Come on,” Bart said pulling the taller man to his feet, “Let’s get to the farm.”

The two of them took off again.

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The two of them stopped in front of the drive laughing up a storm. Bart was so happy. Clark was smiling and laughing. His friend was still here with him. He was so happy that he was able to hear Clark laugh and see him smile again. It was wonderful.

They walked across the drive and up to the porch freezing in their tracks. Bart wasn’t quite sure what it was he was looking at. His brain was not processing what his eyes were telling him they were seeing.

Clark let out a choked scream, “Mom!”

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He had not left the chapel at the hospital. He had not so much as moved an inch. Everything was so dark, empty, lifeless. He had been having fun while she had laid there and died in the snow. Had she called for him?

“Look after Bart,” she had said, “I love you, too.”

Pain stabbed his heart like a thousand ice shards and he squeezed the pew until her heard wood snapping. It was such a delightful sound.

She had must of gone out for some wood and slipped on the ice. All he could see was her laying there with a pool of frozen blood around her head. Her skin had been so white and her hair like fire. The blood had looked like a halo in all that snow.

Had she felt pain? Did she cry for him?

A sob escaped and he fell out of the pew to his knees punching his fist through the marble floor. His shoulders shook as the tears streamed from his glowing ruby eyes. Why weren’t they stopping?

“Not my Mommy,” he had cried at the doctors, but they had merely shook their heads in sadness, and then he had screamed like a lost child, “Not my Mommy, please!”

He fell over onto his side and curled up into the fetal position. The tears were not stopping and he couldn’t move. His body was frozen. He was frozen in pain.

“Clark,” a small voice asked.

“Not my Mommy,” he whispered and cringed as the tears fell harder, “Please, not my Mommy.”

Gentle hands pulled him up and Bart held the fallen angel in his arms. He squeezed Clark and lowered his head next to his so they rested together.

“Please,” Clark whispered and Bart’s heart shattered.

The three girls ran in and stopped in their tracks at what their eyes were seeing.

“No,” Chloe whispered.

She ran to the two of them and went down on her knees to throw her arms around Clark.

“I’m here,” she whispered,” You’re not alone.”

“We’re all here,” Lois said as she knelt down to get close to him. Not again…not again. She had lost them both. Clark had lost both his parents…in less than two weeks.

Lana just stood there over them not knowing what to do. Mr. Kent was gone and now Mrs. Kent was gone too. This wasn’t right. Clark didn’t deserve this pain. Nobody deserved this pain. It was too much to take all at once.

“He never listens,” Clark mumbled through the tears, “My prayers are never answered.”

“Clark,” Chloe gently cooed as she rubbed small circles on his back, “We’re here.”

He held onto Bart as if his sanity depended on it. His mom told him to look after him. Could he do that? His dad had told him to always look after his mom. He had failed.

“Mommy,” Clark called as if she would come pick him up any minute and tell him that everything was going to be okay, “Mommy?”

Lana fell to her knees beside Chloe and put her hand on Clark’s shoulder. The Clark she knew was gone. She had lost both her parents and now he had too. She had survived because she was little when it happened, but would Clark? Clark had always had his parents. Now, they were…memories. Happy memories that could slowly heal or drive one insane.

Nobody could hear his tears, but Clark could. He raised his head up over Bart’s shoulder to see Lex looking through the door at him, only him.

Lex let out a slow breath. He wanted so much to take Clark in his arms. He wanted so much to step inside. But, those eyes told him to do so at his own peril. The pain, the loss, the hate in them was terrible to look at. He lowered his head and slowly walked away.

Clark lowered his eyes and the pain swept through him again.

“Please,” he begged, “Make it stop…it hurts.”

Bart just squeezed him and Chloe simply rested her head against her best friend’s back. Their was nothing they could do or say to make him stop hurting. It was best to just keep quiet. Words would just upset him more.

“I’ve lost my family,” he mumbled over and over again, “Pete left me, Ryan left me, Dad left me, Mommy left me…they’ve all left me alone.”

“We’re here,” Lois said, “We’re your family, too.”

Tears just streamed from his eyes, “You’ll just leave me too…I’m always alone in the end.”

That endless graveyard flashed through his mind and he cried. They were all below him as he sat in the pouring rain. He was all alone in the world. He was endless and everybody else…ended.

Bart pulled him closer, “We’re here now.”

“But not forever,” Clark whispered.

“Love is forever,” Bart soothed, “The spirit is forever.”

Clark burrowed his head against his chest and Bart whispered softly, “We’re going to take you home.”

“Home,” Clark asked and then said with a faraway look in his lost eyes, “I have to bury that, too.”

“He’s slowly losing him mind,” Lana thought as a few tears fell and followed beside Chloe, “He can’t be left alone…and how did that hole get in the floor?”

Clark turned his head and looked back before the doors closed on him. They got to the car just as the fire alarm went off. Somehow, the cross in the chapel had mysteriously caught fire.

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He was standing in the doorway of his parent’s room looking at everything. The bed was made perfectly, the shades were open, everything was exactly the way his mom had left it. He committed it all to memory and sealed the door shut with his heat vision.

He turned around and went into his room to see that it was as messy as he left it.

“Clean that pigsty!”

A burning tear fell from a pale emerald orb to slide down a porcelain cheek. He would never hear his mom shout that again. What did he do to deserve this pain? He didn’t know. Was it because he was gay? Was it because he was an alien? Was it because of both?

“Look after Bart,” she had said and it must have been with a smile, “I love you, too.”

He got to tell her he loved her. That had been the last thing he had said to her.

“I love you, Mom.”

That was a good thing. That means she didn’t die wondering. She knew, because he told her and felt it. He told her he loved her. He told her.

“Clark,” a voice said which brought him out of his ramblings, “Bart’s fixing you some food.”

“Not hungry,” he said and threw himself down on his bed with a thump, “Sleepy…tired…hurt.”

Chloe frowned and she walked over to take a seat next to him. She ran her fingers through his shaggy dark hair. He was not even talking in complete sentences.

“Will you try and eat just a little, please?”

He buried his face into his pillow and muffled, “Fine.”

“I’ll send him up when its done,” she said and kissed the back of his head, “I love you, Clark.”

He turned his head over and looked at her through teary eyes, “I love you, too, Chloe.”

She smiled and left the room.

A few minutes later Bart came walking in with a sandwich plate and a glass of milk. Clark sat up and took them from him. He ate what he could and sat the rest on his nightstand.

Bart went to get them but Clark stopped him.

“Will you stay with me,” he whispered as he looked into Bart’s eyes, “I don’t want to be alone.”

Bart nodded and went over to the desk to pull up a chair but stopped when Clark asked, “With me?”

He turned around to see Clark scoot over to make room for him. He walked back over and laid down next to Clark who almost immediately had his arms around him like a teddy bear.

“I hate being alone,” he said with his face pressed into Bart’s side, “Everyone leaves me.”

“Clark,” Bart tried.

“I don’t want to live,” Clark whimpered as new tears fell, “If I have to always be alone.”

“You wont always be alone,” Bart said trying to soothe him.

“People with amazing sight have seen it, Flash,” Clark said, “I’m all alone. Night all around me with freezing rain. An endless graveyard is all I see.”

Bart shivered, “You’re special, amazing, you’re Superman, Clark.”

“I’m a gay alien,” Clark hissed, “And I’m being punished for it!”

“No,” Bart said and was suddenly on top of Clark with his hands on both sides of his face so he was looking into those pale green orbs, “You’re a good person who has done wonders for this world. You’re an angel that any god would kill for in order to have you in their heaven. You’re my friend and I love you.”

He felt the warm tears under his palms and Clark’s handsome face scrunched in pain, “I…hurt.”

“I know,” Bart whispered and got back down next to him, “I know.”

“Make it stop,” Clark whispered and Bart’s heart broke all over for him again, “Please, make it stop?”

Bart leaned up and looked down into his eyes, “I can help you sleep.”

Clark nodded, “Please…”

Bart raised his hand to his mouth and kissed it. Suddenly his hand burst into an aura of multiple colors that glowed from rosy scarlet to watery turquoise.

Clark watched in awe as that pretty hand touched his smooth forehead. It was so cool and soothing. Bart caressed a porcelain cheek lovingly, tenderly.

“Sleep,” Bart whispered and leaned down to plant a glowing golden kiss on his forehead. Bart’s kiss burned golden on his forehead before it vanished and Clark slowly closed his eyes.

Bart wrapped his arms around him and held him close. That should give him a couple hours of peace. If he had the power to take the pain away, he would do it in a heartbeat. He would even take all of Clark’s pain upon himself if that was the price in order for Clark to be happy again.

He closed his eyes, “Sleep Clark, dream of peace…happy…safe…loved.”

He opened his eyes to see Clark smiling in his sleep. It was worth any price to see Clark smile.

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Clark slowly opened his eyes and wondered where he was. Something was missing. What was missing? His bed. He was in his bed. Bart was holding him. Why was Bart holding him? He could hear Bart’s heartbeat, Chloe’s heartbeat, Lois’s heartbeat, and Lana’s. Why were they here? Where was his mom’s? Why couldn’t he hear his mom’s heartbeat?

An image of blood in the snow flashed through his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to see it. Make it go away!

A lovely pale face frozen in death with snow falling in that burning red hair. He squeezed his eyes tighter trying to turn the images off.

She was just laying there as if she was asleep and would simply wake up smiling at any moment. The tears fell.

Blood…frozen blood all against that white. His dad’s and his mom’s blood was in the snow.

He shook his head and gently removed Bart’s arm so he could get up. He stood over Bart looking down into his sleeping face. He had been so kind, so warm, so loving. Tears streamed from his eyes and he bent down and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

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He was standing on the dock at Crater Lake. He had easily snuck out of the house. Lana and Lois could sleep through an apocalypse. Chloe was another matter. He actually had to tip toe on his bare feet to get by her. But, it had been easy.

The lake actually looked frozen on the surface. Everything seemed to glow with a cold, silvery light.

He sniffed and put his pale hands in his jacket pockets. He wasn’t cold. He had not felt the cold in years. It was the whole being an alien thing.

The tears would not stop. He had not cried for his dad. He had refused to. Now he was crying for the both of them.

“Not my Mommy,” his voice seemed to echo inside of his mind and the pain was excruciating, “Not my Mommy, please!”

His knees gave out and he fell on them. He bent over with his hands over his ears and screamed. It echoed across the lake like a wounded animals cry. He wanted the images of his dad’s body and his mom’s body out of his head.

That was when he pulled out Lex’s lead box from his pocket. He looked it over with green eyes blinded by tears.

He turned his haunted eyes up to the sky and opened the lid. Instantly he felt all his power being drained.

He sat the box down and picked up the green rock with a shaky hand racked with pain. His skin and his blood felt like it was boiling. He positioned the sharp edge of the rock against the smooth flesh of his left wrist and sliced through it. He cried out in pain as he did it but the pain in his heart was worse. He was crying and fumbled twice but managed to do the same to his right wrist as well.

He dropped the rock into the snow at his lap and just fell flat on his back letting his blood flow ruby red into the white snow. He would die in the snow like his parents had. He didn’t want to be all alone in the world. Everybody was going to just leave him the end and he couldn’t stand it. Now he would die, and he wouldn’t be alone. He just wouldn’t be.

That was when he heard soft footsteps in the snow and he opened his eyes to see that it was snowing again. He was in so much pain from the kryptonite but it was not half as bad as the pain stabbing his heart over and over again with images of his dead parents.

The footsteps were getting closer and he slowly turned his head to the side to see what looked to be a snow white polar bear walking towards him.

Fear seized him. He wanted to die in the snow but not be eaten in it. Did Smallville even have polar bears? Maybe he was hallucinating. He was losing a lot of blood.

All of a sudden those warm black eyes were gazing down at him. He felt himself gulp but relaxed when it licked his face. It must of wanted his salty tears…maybe.

“Clark,” a soft voice called to him from somewhere. He was too weak and too racked with pain to turn his head to either side and look. Plus a polar bear was licking his face. It might bite his face off if he moved.

The white bear suddenly vanished like snow in the wind when the voice called out to him again.

“Here,” he managed to croak through the pain.

Someone knelt down next to him and he turned his face to almost pass out from the nausea that hit him from doing so. He blinked and saw Beauty herself gazing down at him with eyes like a roaring blizzard one second only to be gentle ocean waves the next.

“Are,” Clark whispered, “Are you an angel?”

“Something more,” she said and caressed his porcelain cheek, “My poor, little boy. You’re in so much pain.”

“Yes,” Clark said and the tears fell again, “I hurt.”

“Why would a little boy like you do this to yourself,” she asked and her beauty was blinding and her voice was hypnotic. She was so bright he had to squint in order to make out the edges of her cheeks. Her eyes seemed to burn into him.

“I hurt,” he said and could feel that he really was dying. It was getting harder to breathe.

“Will you make it stop?”

Her form seemed to shift with blinding light before his eyes and Bart was smiling down at him. He was a vision in white and his hair would make snow envious. It was spiky and it would put snow peaked mountains to shame.

“I can take the pain away from you,” she said and caressed his cheek, “Forever.”

“Forever,” Clark asked, “No more pain?”

“No more pain,” she said and all he could see was a beautiful and blinding Bart, “All you have to do is let me kiss you.”

“Please,” Clark cried and his tears were burning like acid, “Make my pain stop.”

The Snow Queen’s beauty suddenly became so much for him that he almost fainted. She bent over him and those lips of Winter took his.

The kiss was like a roaring avalanche and he was riding that snow white wave down a raging mountain side. It felt like a mighty ocean wave smacking an unsuspecting shore.

He smiled up into Bart’s radiant face and soothing whiteness too him.

The Snow Queen lifted him up into her glacial arms and kicked the green rock into the lake. She smiled down into his beautiful face as his jacket fell off of him and into the water.

Snow began to rage all around her and she held him to her tightly. She had her prize and to the heavens she soared. Winter would be over for a short while, but with Clark, she would be able to make the world as she is. On cold wings she flew to her great place in the North.

Her laughter filled the night sky like billowing snow clouds and Bart sat up in Clark’s bed, alone. That was when he saw the white rose laying on top of a piece of paper on Clark’s pillow. He scooted the rose to the side and picked up the note. He opened it and his eyes widened in horror.

“Chloe,” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

He dropped the note that simply said, “Goodbye,” and raced from the room. The rose lay on the pillow. Its snow white petals still dewy with Clark’s tears.

TBC…

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