Maddie froze, her foot lightly touching the first step. Her hand slipped from the rail, resting at her side as she squeezed her eyes shut. The resolve she labored to build started to crumble. "So what if I am?"

"Where are you going?" The baritone voice was casual, as though they were talking over a cup of coffee, rather than on a dark, wet street corner.

Maddie wrapped her good arm around her stomach, as though the physical act of holding herself together would keep her from breaking down. "Back to Georgia."

"Why?"

"Why the hell do you think?" She snapped, her hands squeezing into fists and her chin falling to her chest.

"I truly have no idea," he replied earnestly.

Maddie's eyes opened, blinking away the tears and rain clinging to her eyelashes. "You can't be serious," she said incredulously, her voice edged with anger. "Kal, I almost got you killed."

He didn't speak, but she could feel his stare boring into the back of her head. Minutes seemed to pass, but she refused to look at him. "Kal, please go," she whispered.

A hand softly touched her shoulder, and Maddie jumped. She wouldn't meet his gaze as she turned around; instead, her eyes quickly dropped to his chest, to the shining "S" on his chest. Maddie stared; his suit was dark blue, no longer the soft azure that matched his eyes. Sleek and smooth, the material hugged his body in ways his old one never did. Underneath the dim streetlights, he seemed bigger, more demanding of space and attention than before.

Clark hesitated for a moment before reaching up and placing his hand under her chin. Gently, he lifted it until her face was turned upwards towards his. Their eyes finally met, for the first time in days. Maddie's heart throbbed at the exhaustion that darkened his features, at the sadness that seemed to water down his blue irises.

Maddie jerked away from his touch, her heart pounding as she took a few steps back. "Kal, stop! You c-can't touch me. I-I'm st-"

"Maddie, stop." Clark said in low, forceful tone. Maddie's eyes widened as she froze in place. The dufflebag on her shoulder slipped to the ground, splashing in a puddle near her feet.

He held his hand out to her. "We need to talk." Maddie didn't move, staring at his hand in horror. Clark sighed and stepped forward, bending to pick up her bag. "Maddie, it's pouring, it's cold, and you just got out of the hospital. Can we go back inside?"

They stood in silence again as Maddie's mind raced to find an excuse to run again.

"Please?" A weak smile crossed Clark's lips as he gestured towards her apartment. "Lurking in the shadows isn't my thing. Just hear me out, then you can decide whether or not you want to run away again."

A moment passed as Maddie considered her options. She could run, but she wouldn't have any of her things. She could scream lies about how she hated him and didn't never wanted to see him again. But what if…

Finally, she lowered her eyes to his boots and nodded. Clark's smile relaxed, widening in relief. "Thank you, Maddie. I'll see you there. You'll have to let me in." With a sniffle and another nod, Maddie slowly turned away from him and shuffled down the sidewalk.

Clark stepped back towards the shadows, watching her carefully until she disappeared into the building. He leapt to her balcony, touching down gently in front of the glass doors. He leaned against the railing, listening intently to Maddie's clumsy movements throughout the apartment. Minutes passed before he heard the lock click open, and he slipped quickly inside.

Maddie stood in the middle of the dark room, arms cradled over her stomach. Clark slid the door shut and dropped her bag to the floor. Her soaked clothing hung heavily on her thin frame, and she was shivering from its chill. His chest ached at the sight of her, and he crossed the room to turn on the light. Her eyes squinted in the light, and she avoided his gaze. He cautiously took a few steps towards Maddie, but she kept the distance between them by walking backwards.

Clark sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Maddie, please. I'm not going to hurt you." Maddie opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop her. "And you're not going to hurt me."

"Clark, you saw what happened," Maddie protested. "And I saw what happened to you back in that... that barn. You were fallin' apart right in front of me, and it was all my fault."

"It wasn't because of you, Maddie." Clark struggled to keep his tone gentle, to keep his emotions under control. "You didn't go out looking for Lex. You didn't ask to get poisoned, or to get shot…"

Maddie's eyes stared blankly at him as he felt his hands start shaking. "I should've known better, Maddie. I should've stopped all of this before it happened. I could've let you go to live your life without risk. You could've been safe with someone else, but I was selfish."

"I was tired of living like… like an alien on this planet. I was tired of having no attachment to humanity other than being a hero. I wanted someone to care about me the way I cared about them." Before she could back away, he crossed the room and grasped her hands. Maddie stiffened and tried to pull her hands away, but Clark held fast. "And I met you, and I felt closer to being human than ever before. Out of the billions of voices on this planet, yours is the only one I need to hear to feel at peace."

"Clark, let go," Maddie whimpered, straining against his grip. She winced as her shoulder wrenched back and forth.

"No, Maddie, I won't," he insisted. "I can't let you get away. I need you in my life, and I need to know you'll be safe. I can't keep you safe if you go back to Dixie Union, but if you're here with me, I can. Everyone knows who you are now, especially the people who want to hurt me. How can I protect you from them if I don't have you by my side?"

"Maddie, look at me." She stilled, letting his large hands envelope hers. Her eyes widened as she felt the familiar warmth spreading from their palms. A small smile turned the corners of her lips. Clark watched as her entire body relaxed, as though a great load had been taken off of her shoulders.

Maddie slid her hand from his and reached up to trace his jaw. Clark's eyes closed and he hummed happily. The heat trailed from her fingertips across his skin. "I was so afraid I'd never be able to do this again without hurtin' you," Maddie whispered. "I can't believe it actually worked."

"Bruce sometimes knows what he's talking about," Clark admitted. "It was killing me to not be able to see you in the hospital, but it was worth it."

"I would've been madder than hell if you'd showed up," Maddie said with a weak chuckle. "But I knew you were safe... the nurses told me everythin' 'bout what you did. I guess I never did thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Clark dismissed. "I got you into this mess, the least I could do was get you out of it."

"I heard you went back," Maddie probed after a moment of silence. "You grabbed Lex and dragged him straight to the Metropolis jail."

"Yeah, that was more personal than anything." His voice was cold, and he opened his eyes. "I wasn't going to lose him for a third time, especially when..." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, I had to give a statement. It'll make it easier when you go to court."

"I'm not lookin' forward to that," she replied quietly. "But I'll feel better when he's gone for good."

"Me too," Clark admitted. "Maddie... were you really going to just take off?"

Maddie's hand and eyes fell. "I didn't know what else to do, Clark. I couldn't let you get hurt. People need you."

"People need you too, Maddie." Clark gathered her hands again and held them to his chest. "I wish you realized how empty I'd be if I didn't have you. If I lost you in that barn, if I didn't catch you before you got on the train."

"Clark-"

"Maddie, I'm serious. All the fighting, all the rescues... I used to just do it because I felt like I owed it to the world. It was exhausting. But now," he brought her hands to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against them. "Now that I can come back after a run, and I can hold you in my arms... it's like I'm closer to humanity."

Maddie closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his lips, but she started to shiver again from her drenched clothing. "I'm just a girl, Clark. I ain't that special."

"You're my girl, Maddie," Clark smiled. "You are. Now come on," he lowered their hands slowly. "Let's get changed into some dry clothes, I don't want you getting sick."

Was it worth the wait? :) Thanks again to everyone who is still reading and following. These last couple of chapters have been agonizing to write; I've been going over them time and time again to try to get the details just write, hence, the weeks it takes to get them out. SO. Hang in there, we're getting to the close, and I promise, I'm trying to make it worth it.