"Man, I have never seen your dad so mad before." Pete glanced over at Clark in the passenger seat. "Remind me never to tick him off."
Clark nodded his head. He didn't think he had ever seen him that mad either.
"So, your new friend" Pete said changing the subject. "You said he knew. Does he know the whole ET story?"
Clark shook his head. "No, he doesn't know about what used to be in the storm shelter. He just thinks I'm a meteor freak."
Pete nodded his head in understanding. It would've really surprised him if Mr. Kent readily accepted letting someone else in on the family secret. "How'd he find out?"
"He kinda saw me do something, or heard me do something."
Pete shook his head. "Okay, I'm going to need more of an explanation than that."
Clark took a breath before starting. "The day I met Jarod he was running from some people from the Centre that had tracked him here. They were chasing after him and he got shot."
"You heard it and stepped into rescue mode." Pete smiled slightly knowing his friend would do just that.
"Well, sorta." Clark said before continuing. "I took him and brought him here. I thought he had passed out but he heard me telling my dad that the bullet wasn't in him anymore and there were no broken bones."
"So, he thinks you're a walking X-ray machine?"
"I don't know what he thinks really." Clark shrugged, his tone turning serious. "He said he read about the town and knew about people being different. That I should be real careful, because the Centre would love to get a hold of me."
"Good thing they aren't going to get the chance again" Pete said trying to lighten the mood. "Which reminds me, there's someone who was really worried about you."
"Who?"
"Chloe."
"She was?"
Pete felt like shaking his head at his friend, for someone who could see through almost anything, sometimes he was really blind. "Yeah. I just about had to literally pry her away from the Torch office yesterday. She was determined to find out something…. about that Centre place, not you."
"Why does she think I was kidnapped?"
"Your parents told her it was because you had helped Jarod and that place was now using you as bait to get him back."
"She believed that?"
"I guess so. She didn't really question it."
"That isn't really like Chloe."
"Yeah, I know. Like I said I think she had other things on her mind."
Chloe stood in the Torch office like a General inspecting his troops. She didn't find out anything about the Centre that would be helpful but she couldn't just sit at home doing nothing either. So, she was cleaning up the Torch office, and taking no prisoners. Normally, she would be more careful about what she threw away, making sure she wouldn't need the object later. Now, she didn't care. She needed someway of getting rid of her pent of frustration. She had two very full trashcans to show for it.
"Chloe"
Chloe didn't turn around of the sound of Pete's voice, she just continued gathering up papers. "Unless you are dropping off some caffeine I'm not really in the mood to talk right now. I'd rather just be alone." She knew she sounded snappy, and Pete was probably just coming by to help, but right now she just wasn't going to be good company and didn't want to have to try and be nice.
"I've got something better than caffeine."
Chloe called out over her shoulder. "Oh, really? Right now, what could be better than caffeine?"
"Hi, Chloe."
Chloe dropped all the papers in her hand at the sound of the voice. She turned around slowly making sure she wasn't just hearing things. He was really there, standing in the doorway. "Clark!" She rushed over giving him a big hug. She lingered for just a moment, before backing up reassuring herself that he was real.
"Don't do that to me again!" She pulled back from him waving her finger at him sternly. "When did you get back? Are you okay?" Her face softened as she asked the final question.
Clark smiled down at her. "I won't. Just now and Yes."
"What about Jarod? Is he okay?" She was having a harder time than normal getting out the questions. She was just enjoying seeing Clark smile, and trying to keep her brain focused.
"Yeah, he's fine too. He's visiting his mom right now."
"That's good." Chloe smiled up at him. "I'm really glad you're back, Clark."
"Me too."
Pete piped in. "Me three."
Chloe looked over at Pete and smiled before looking back at Clark. "So, do you know why they took you or does Jarod?"
Clark shrugged his shoulders. "Not really Chloe, except to get at him somehow."
Chloe seemed to think about that for a moment before apparently deciding to drop the subject. "You have to let me buy you something from the Talon."
"What about your cleaning project you're in the middle of?"
Chloe looked back at the now almost bare office before turning back to Clark. "Oh, that was more out of frustration than anything else. I'm probably really going to be looking for stuff later." And then realizing that Clark may not want to go into the Talon, Chloe offered "I can even bring you something from the Talon out to the farm if you don't feel like going in."
"I'd really like that."
Chloe smiled again as she turned back to the office. "Let me get my keys."
Margaret watched the unknown vehicle pull up into her yard and couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness go through her along with her happiness. Jarod had called her and let her know that he had arrived safely at the Kents with Clark and would be seeing her shortly. But, after so many years of hiding she had become very cautious. She saw the familiar form of her son appear from the car and a smile instantly graced her weary features.
She didn't even wait for him to come up the porch steps before she hurried over to the door to open it for him. He stepped inside the house and she immediately hugged him. A few moments later, after reassuring herself that her son had really escaped once again from that evil place, she stepped back to examine her son.
"You look exhausted." She said as she brushed a stray hair away from his face.
Jarod didn't realize just had tired he really was. He had been running pretty much on adrenaline since finding out about Clark 's capture the previous afternoon. "I'm okay, mom." He smiled as he said it, grateful for the worry while trying to allay it at the same time.
"Well, you are not going anywhere until you get some rest here." Margaret gave her son the sternest look she could muster.
Jarod didn't protest. The lack of sleep was definitely catching up with him now. "Yes, ma'am."
Margaret placed her hand on Jarod's arm leading him into the kitchen. "You come in here and sit down. I'm going to fix us something to eat and I want to know about everything that happened."