Chapter 25
At the Institute...
Later, after the X-Men return, the first thing that happens is that Rogue and Wanda are frogmarched down to the infirmary so Beast can examine them and see how much worse for wear they are after their ghostly possession. Neither of them is happy about it as it means being stuck in those awful dresses for longer than either of them wish to be.
The first thing Clark found himself doing upon his return was standing with the Professor, as Superman, in the Professor's office having to tell Lex(who had come round while they were away in Smallville) about Lana. Believe Clark when he says he isn't enjoying this at all. In fact he is as far away from enjoyment as it is possible to be.
Lex's eyes are filled with anger. "You failed," he states the simple truth of the matter. It doesn't help his anger that he was knocked out by that uncouth barbarian of a man.
"We tried our best Lex," Charles says apologetically.
"Which wasn't good enough," Lex states coldly. "I told you I could help and instead your thug attacked me." Lex doesn't raise his voice. He was never a man to lose his cool but his anger is clear.
"I have already apologised for Logan's actions," Charles reminds Lex. That was the first thing he said to the bald man. "We will not stop looking for Lana," Charles promises. It is true. They shall not but at the moment they have no leads to follow as to even guess where she might have gone.
"I will not hold my breath," Lex says with close to contempt. He then fixes his glare upon Superman. "I guess we found out today what your promises are worth," he says venomously.
Clark's face is filled with sorrow. He cared for Lana, deeply, once. "I am sorry Mr Luthor."
"Spare me," Lex says, his face twisted in disgust at what he sees as fawned expressions of sympathy, acted out only for his benefit. "Where is the stone?" he demands to know.
"Somewhere safe."
"I want it."
Clark's gaze, which was filled with sorrow, hardens at Lex's almost petulant demand. "No. It is not meant for you. As I told Colonel Fury it is too dangerous for anyone but me to possess them."
"And do you think that really worked? Do you think he has stopped?"
"I know he has not. It does not alter the truth."
"The truth?" Lex scoffs. "The truth is you claim ownership of objects that have been on Earth for centuries before you were even born. Why is that?"
"I can't answer that."
"Of course not," Lex says with a sardonic smile. "The other truth is you go around playing hero but when it really matters you fail to live up to your word and save Lana. You cause nothing but destruction. I saw it with my own eyes in the desert."
"Lex," Charles tries to intervene. What happened in the desert was not Clark's fault.
"Spare me a defence of him Professor. Spare me a defence of what has transpired here today. The truth is you failed. You said to Congress you would work for peace yet all I saw today was conflict and destruction. I saw that in Smallville until I brought order there. The truth I have learned today is not to rely on anyone but myself. I hold you...all of you responsible for what has happened to Lana and what might happen to her in the future. I'll find her and I will do it without the help of superpowered so-called heroes." he finishes off, giving Superman a look of disdain as he does.
Lex then stomps towards the door. "Don't bother yourselves. I shall see myself out," he says before he exits slamming the door behind him.
Charles sighs. That could have gone better. He looks up and can see the pained expression on Clark's face. Before he can say anything Clark is gone from the room. He lets out another sigh.
Clark goes to a window and sees Lex storm off up the mansion driveway. He can hear him ordering a cab on his phone from here.
"I take it Lex didn't take the news well."
Clark turns his head to see Chloe standing there. By now the story of what had happened had gotten around and she knew about Lana. He says nothing and resumes looking out. Chloe comes up to stand next to him. "You did your best Clark," she tries to reassure him.
"Wasn't enough. I gave my word and I broke it Chloe. For once in my life I broke a promise. He's right to hate me."
Chloe knows this bit. This is where Clark takes all the responsibility upon his own shoulders. "Clark," she starts to say but Clark cuts her off.
"He didn't even say goodbye you know. Not to you or Lois or Clark. He just left," Clark says sadly at what this must mean for the state of their friendship.
"It is not your fault Clark," Chloe tries to make him listen to her. "Hell if anything it's mine."
Clark looks down at the diminutive blonde with puzzlement. "What?"
"I was in Lana's company for days Clark and I never spotted one thing was off. What kind of reporter am I?" she berates herself for that failure.
"Lex did."
"What?"
"He noticed something was off."
"And as per usual instead of doing something he stood back and let it play out. He's as bad as his father playing these manipulation games!" Chloe snaps, now totally pissed at Lex. She takes a breath. "It's still not your fault Clark. You can't be blamed for what some witch did 400 years ago."
"The stones..."
"Were not left here by you," she argues. "If you never came here they would still be here. Only difference is you wouldn't be around to make sure no-one else finds them and misuses them."
"How did you know what I was going to say?"
"What? You blaming yourself? Saying how things would be better if you weren't here?"
"Yeah."
"Clark you always say that. Really you've got to stop beating yourself up for things that are beyond your control. Besides things wouldn't be better they would be worst. How many people have you saved that would have died otherwise?"
"I don't keep score Chlo."
"No but I'm guessing it's a lot. Including me by the way. So really stop beating yourself up or I'll sic Lois on ya."
"You wouldn't," Clark says with terror at that idea.
"Try me," Chloe dares him with a resolute expression.
"But Lana," he protests.
"I didn't say don't feel bad or worry for her. I said don't blame the whole thing on yourself. There's a difference. There's a lot of blame to go around Clark for not spotting what was amiss with Lana. I take my share but unlike you I won't dissolve into a whole, formerly barn spent, mope-a-thon."
"Now you're just making words up," he complains.
"I call them as I sees them."
"I don't know how you're a reporter."
"My mad hacking skills which I'm hoping to improve with a few tips from Kitty before I leave."
Clark rolls his eyes.
"Besides," she says more seriously. "If Lana or Isobel or whoever she is at the minute is after the stones, sooner or later, she'll be back to get the one she knows you have. You'll get another shot at rescuing her Clark."
Clark's brow draws closer together. He sort of knew that but hadn't phrased it the way Chloe had. He can get another shot at this. "Thank you Chloe," he says truly grateful she is his friend.
"That's what friends are for."
"So Lex?" he asks after as in what do they do.
Chloe sighs. "I'm not sure there really is anything more to do Clark. He obviously doesn't want to talk to us and we can't make him," she describes the situation as she sees it.
"Isobel claimed if I knew what he was really up to I would never call him my friend. I can't decide whether that was just her trying to stir it up or if it is true but we do know he's working with SHIELD. Do you know anything?"
"Lex always has his secret little projects Clark. You know that as well as I do despite claiming they were all his father's doing but as for anything specific I don't have any leads at the minute. I'll look into it when I get home but Lex is good...perhaps even better than Lionel at covering his tracks. I'll do what I can."
"As long as you're careful," Clark warns her off getting in over her head.
"Yes mom," Chloe snarks with a smirk.
Clark rolls his eyes. "By the way how did you end up in Bobby's bed this morning?" he suddenly asks her.
Chloe looks at him aghast. She hadn't mentioned that to anyone. Not even Lois. "How did you know that?"
"X-ray vision. I scanned the mansion this morning when I was looking for the missing girls and saw you."
"Oh. I...you know just found him funny and he was showing me tricks with his powers in his room and then I got really really tried all of a sudden and fell asleep there," Chloe tells him what she can remember now.
Clark cocks his head with a curious expression on his face. "That's what happened to me as well. I wonder if it was part of the spell."
"The falling asleep bit?"
"Yeah."
"Possibly. I'll ask around and see if it was the same for the others."
"Always the reporter," Clark comments.
Chloe grins unapologetically for what she is. "Takes one to know one farmboy," she retorts.
Clark smiles at that. "Where is Lois?" he asks because she wasn't here.
"Oh she got bored and decided to go find a bar," Chloe explains where Lois got to. Sitting around do nothing while they were all away had not sat easily with Lois nor had it really sat easily with Chloe. Oh she gets why she wasn't invited along and believe her she had tried to but was politely refused to be allowed to do so. Doesn't mean she has to like it and she didn't. She's a journalist. Her instinct always drives her to be at the heart of a story. Not to mention it involved her friend Lana being in trouble but Professor Xavier said no...very politely.
"Right. Do you want me to check up on her?" Clark asks in relation to Lois. Not for Lois' sake but he knows Chloe might be concerned about her cousin.
"Nah. She'll be fine but thanks for the offer. Truthfully it's the bar owner I feel sorry for. You've never seen Lois drunk."
"Kinda have actually."
"Oh yeah," Chloe realises as she remembers Lois' intoxicated state thanks to Isobel's spell. "So care to explain how you and Lois ended up in bed together?"
"Nothing happened," Clark instantly says.
"Never asked that,"
"Your cousin has a big mouth," Clark complains because he was planning to keep that secret but obviously Lois told Chloe.
"Yeah but what can I do. She's family," Chloe just has to accept what Lois is like. "And you're avoiding the question," she accuses Clark.
"I've not avoiding it. I'm refusing to answer it. There's a difference."
"Yeah you going to refuse to answer it when your girlfriend asks it."
"No. I...just need the correct way to break it to her."
"Good luck with that."
"I'm dead aren't I?"
"I'll say something nice at your funeral."
"Thanks Chlo. You're such a good friend," he mutters sarcastically when she could be giving him help in thinking of how to explain it to Rogue.
"I know," she says with a little smirking grin.
"I should just phone Pete," Clark suggests as someone to ask for advice. Pete hadn't come to Chloe's party since he is living in Wichita with his mother now after his parent's divorce.
Chloe scoffs at that idea. "Puh-lease Clark. Pete? The man who can't get past a 3rd date. You can't be that desperate?"
"You've never seen Rogue angry," Clark says in his defence.
"You're invulnerable."
"You've never seen Rogue angry," Clark repeats.
"You said nothing happened."
"Nothing did happen but you know me Chlo. I'll mess up the explanation. I know I will."
"Ok you've got a point there," Chloe agrees. "I'll help you," she offers.
"Thanks," Clark says with a sigh of relief because he really doesn't know how to explain it to Rogue.
"Is this normal for you guys?" Taryn asks Jean. She and Paul had stayed until their friends returned and now Taryn wanted to know whether days like this were normal for them just before they head home.
"Well the witches, ghostly possessions and magic are new features but more or less yeah," Jean had to sadly admit about the state of their lives.
"Well I have to say you guys really know how to throw a party," Paul says a grin.
Scott has to reluctantly laugh. There was little else to do in the face of what he knows is coming in regards to everything everyone now remembers about the party.
"See you at school tomorrow?" Taryn inquires after Jean.
"Assuming there aren't any more 17th century witches planning to enchant us yes."
Taryn leans in and whispers to Jean. "By the way we will be having a chat about you know what," she says, shifting her gaze to Scott and smiling in a certain way to refer to the fact Jean is sleeping with Scott and Taryn wants details!
Jean deflates slightly. She should have known that was coming.
Scott and Jean say their farewells as Paul and Taryn leave. Scott suddenly notices them holding hands and points it out to Jean.
Jean smiles. "When they were under the spell they acted on their feelings. They have been crushing on each other for awhile," she explains. In other words they kissed.
Scott scratches his head. "I don't remember that."
"I caught it out of the corner of my eye when we were leaving to...you know, snuggle."
"Oh. Still I didn't know they had feelings for each other."
"I've been at Taryn for months to just go for it. Paul's...well he's good at hiding it but I am a telepath."
"You've been encouraging Taryn?"
Jean shrugs. "I wanted her to be happy and Paul's a nice guy."
"Yeah he is," Scott agrees. "And you Ms Grey are a good friend," he compliments her.
Jean smiles lightly. "Thank you Mr Summers," she says back in kind and kisses him gently as he slips his arm around her waist.
"Ugh! Get a room already! Oh wait you already did that!"
Jean and Scott scowl. "Tabby!" they both complain together at the smirking blond.
Tabby laughs as she continues walking by.
Jean closes her eyes. "We are doomed. You know that right," she says to her boyfriend.
"Just one more year and we're going to college. We can move out. Go live on campus," Scott suggests as the way to escape the teasing that is coming.
Jean looks up at him with another brilliant smile. "Ah there's that brilliant mind I love so much."
"Is that all you love about me?" Scott asks with a mock pout.
Jean grins a little wickedly and winks. "Ask me that later when we're alone."
After getting changed Clark's 1st task was to go check on Rogue before they had the debrief. His acute hearing and focus on her heartbeat told him she was up in her room. He knocks on her door and finds her changed into her favourite green top, black skirt with leggings and combat boots. She is just giving herself a once over in the mirror and smiling a little at what she sees.
"Happy to be out of that dress huh," Clark remarks.
Rogue's smile grows larger at seeing her boyfriend. "Definitely," she confirms.
Clark steps in to the room up to her and starts rubbing her arms a little. "What did Mr McCoy say?"
"He couldn't find anything wrong with meh," she can happily report the result of her medical examination.
"How's the memory?" he wonders.
Rogue's face tightens in concentration. "Ah can remember up ta being possessed but ah can't seem ta remember anything past that until ah 'woke up' in tha jet."
Which was odd because from what Wanda was saying to Kurt on the flight back she seemed to remember almost all of it, Clark can recall.
"Maybeh it's for tha best," Rogue decides because those are memories she could probably do without.
"Maybe," Clark says in partial agreement with her.
"Ah still can't believe magic is real," she says with a shake of her head, having a hard time letting that sink in.
"Trust me it is. I have the several hours of being powerless and strung up like meat on a hook to prove it," he says in a rather acerbic tone.
Rogue looks up at him with concern. She wonders what that witch who took her over did to him precisely. She stands on her toes and kisses him on the lips.
Clark smiles thinly. "Still have no idea what Madeleine has done to the memory of me," he mentions. So far all he knows is that Lex's memory of him was altered. Chloe could remember just fine as did anyone else he has managed to talk to since he got back.
"We'll figure it out," Rogue says.
"I'm sorry," he says.
"Sorry? For what?"
"You only got possessed because Isobel wanted to get information from me and thought you would be an easy mark."
"Well she was obviously an idiot," Rogue ascribes her opinion to Isobel. "Ya said ah managed ta keep mah memories hidden."
"You did and I never questioned for a minute that you would. Still feel like I should apologise though."
Rogue decides to accept his apology just to avoid an argument. Clark spends far too much time blaming himself for things that aren't his fault and she's really too tired to rehash a debate they've had before. She spots him rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She puts her hands on her hips. "Alright Clark. Spill it."
"Spill what?"
"Ya want ta tell meh something. Ah know that gesture," she says pointing at his hand behind his head.
Clark does want to tell her but, despite Chloe's help, he is still worried how Rogue will take it. "It's about what happened when I was intoxicated," he nervously says.
Rogue arches an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"Ah...you see the thing is...I sorta...wokeupinbedwithLois," he rushes out and then instantly knows that was exactly how not he was suppose to tell her.
Rogue's eye twitches. "Run that by meh again," she says in a tense voice.
"It's not how it sounds!" he protests.
"Oh really?"
"I can explain!"
"Ya have 5 seconds."
"It was...remember after you and I...you know."
"Had sex," Rogue states it bluntly.
"Yeah. Lana...Isobel, I'm guessing it was now, showed up just after we were finished and took you away saying she needed you for something."
"That's when ah ended up possessed. She got meh ta drink something lahke a potion ah'm guessin and that's mah last memory."
"Well yes exactly. Anyway after you left me all alone I was just wandering along the corridor passing Kitty's room when I heard crying from inside."
Rogue's brows draw closer together. Her temper is simmering but she is holding it at bay. "Go on."
"Well it was Lois."
"Lois was crying?" Rogue says with some surprise because from what she knew of the brunette she didn't seem like the crying type.
"Yeah. Turns out she's a weepy drunk...even if it we weren't drunk exactly. Anyway I couldn't just leave her like that. She was sitting there all alone in the dark...and I can't stand to see women cry. Even Lois," he justifies himself.
"So ya went ta comfort her?"
"Not like that!" he protests at her insinuation.
"Clark mah patience is running low," Rogue warns him.
Clark almost cracks the joke 'What patience?' but stops himself. He continues his explanation of how he ended up in bed with Lois. "I comforted her, yes, in that I let her cry on my shoulder. Turns out she has a lot of issues to lament in her life but that's it. That's all I did and then suddenly I just felt really tried and so did Lois and we fell asleep right there on Kitty's bed...fully clothed. I think it was part of the spell."
"What was?"
"The falling asleep thing. Chloe says the same happened to her and she and I asked around and everyone says the same thing happened to them too. Must have been Isobel's way of making sure we were out of the way."
"That everything that happened?"
Clark looks Rogue square in the eye. "Yes. I swear. Anna I promise you that is all," he says using her name to let her see he means it.
Rogue takes a moment. Clark wouldn't lie to her. Doesn't mean she's happy that he woke up with another woman but she believes him that nothing happened and at least he came to her and didn't try to lie about it. He gets bonus marks for that. "Ok," she decides.
"Really?"
"Ah'm not thrilled at tha image Clark but ah know ya wouldn't cheat on meh," she accepts his explanation although it can be heard in her voice how not thrilled she is.
Clark tentatively reaches out and takes Rogue's hand. She doesn't resist. He rubs the back of it with his thumb. "Anna. I love you. I would never hurt you."
Rogue smiles. "Ah know. Ah love ya too sugah." Her smile then slips. "Howevah ah will beh killin' Lois."
"You're joking right?" Clark asks unable to tell.
Rogue grins evilly. "Ah'm famished. Ah'm goin ta get something ta eat," she says before she turns smartly and walks off.
"She's joking," Clark tells himself and then an unsure expression comes to his face as he adds, "I think."
Amanda knocks on the door to Kurt's room and steps inside when he beckons her. She pushes a few locks of hair back behind her ear in a nervous gesture. "So...how was the mission?"
"It could have gone better. Ve failed to save Lana," Kurt says. He'll remember to say a prayer for her tonight.
"Oh sorry," Amanda says.
Kurt takes a moment to sit on his bed. Amanda sits next to him. "You're here to talk about us...about vhat happened aren't you?" he says in an intuitive moment.
"Yeah. D-do you remember it all?" she asks, her cheeks heating up at the memory of the two of them down to their underwear making out.
Kurt's cheeks flush under his fur. "Ja," he says in a quiet voice.
"We...we didn't do it then," she says in reference to having sex. They never went that far.
Kurt is relieved about that in the sense that when they do decide they are ready for sex he wants them to be in full control of their faculties.
"We will have to tell my parents Kurt," Amanda repeats the assertions she made this morning. "You'll have to meet them and...show them the real you," she says with a momentary hesitation knowing how hard that is for Kurt.
Kurt is extremely unsure of that. What if Mr and Mrs Sefton see him and decide the demon looking boy is not for their daughter.
Amanda sensing Kurt's worry takes hold of his hand. "Kurt," she says softly. "What's your answer?"
"It's up to you Mandi."
"Kurt it doesn't matter what they say. I care for you...a lot. I...just don't like lying to them when they ask about you."
Honour thy father and they mother. The 5th Commandment slips into Kurt's head. Amanda shouldn't be lying to her parents for him. "I'll meet zhem. For you," he says.
Amanda smiles and gives him a kiss. "It won't be tomorrow or anything Kurt. I'll need a few days at least to arrange something but thank you for doing this."
"I'd do anyzhing for you Mandi," Kurt says earnestly.
Amanda's heart swells so much it feels like it will burst out of her chest. Kurt is best thing that has ever happened to her and her parents have to see that. If they don't...well then they're just being dense!
After the mission debrief there is still a short wait until dinner so mostly everyone is still milling around trying to process it all in relation to what happened and their restored memories. Peter's way of coping is to talk Clark's ear off. Peter was staying for dinner and then Clark would run him home to New York.
"There was dancing. I, Peter Parker, danced. Have you seen me dance? I'm just terrible at it. I have all the co-ordination of a drunken jock," Peter babbles on about what he now remembers doing.
Clark rolls his eyes. He enjoys bantering with Peter but he really wasn't in the mood after the day he has had losing Lana. His usual reaction to events like this was to brood. Peter's is to babble apparently.
Peter continues with his long story of how bad his dancing is as the two enter the room down in the lower levels where Clark, along with his friends, have been using to store all the clues they have found so far in the hunt for the locations of the stones.
"Whoa. Obsessive much," Peter remarks at how the walls are covered in pinned up pieces of paper.
"Not obsessive," Clark objects to that. "This is our research in the hunt for the stones. You were asking about them on the way back after all weren't you."
"Well yeah," Peter concedes. He did ask so he could understand what it was that was so important about them. He got the summary from Clark about his race leaving the stones on earth and their purpose as some sort of repository of his people's history.
"Well then here we are," Clark says gesturing at all the research they have done.
Peter takes a moment to look over everything he sees. His eyes get drawn to a map with pins stuck in it. "What's that about?" he asks.
"Every pin represents roughly where a story about the stone comes from. My thinking on it was that there would be more of them the closer to the location of the stones you got," Clark explains.
And from what Peter can see it's not bad thinking at all. There is a big cluster of pins in Asia. "China?" he asks pointing at the biggest cluster.
"That seems to be where one is located but where do you start looking? China's not a small country and the clue Jor-El gave me makes no sense," Clark complains. "Buried at the root of the branch of the river that is not a river," he quotes part of the clue to the stone. " Can anyone please explain to me what that means?"
"I'm stumped," Peter admits.
"So am I. Does it mean a dried up river? A river that has moved course as they tend to do over centuries. The time-scale is over thousands of years."
"Do you have anything to go on?"
Clark moves over and pulls a bit of paper off the wall and hands it to Peter. "Just this one reference to when the stone was buried by a chronicler who served the Chinese Emperor of the time. This is what I translated it to be."
Peter reads out loud what it says. "And so the God descended from the heavens and commanded that the stone, that held power over the elemental air, be hidden beneath the earth, for all time, from those whose greed would corrupt its purity until the God himself returned to reclaim what is his. Only one record of this location was made for, the sole possession of, the great Emperor. One map drawn on and then hidden by the magic parchment of the God. None who witnessed it spoke of this moment again out of fear of angering the God, whose wrath none would dare risk for he would burn his foes with fire from his eyes."
Peter looks up at Clark. "You're a God?" he asks with a quirk of his eyebrow since the description could apply to Clark.
"No," Clark says with a frown. "It was one of my race certainly and I guess it can be easy to understand why people in ancient times would see one of them as a God but no I am not a God," he rejects any attempt to label him as such.
"You translated this?" Peter asks Clark to confirm.
"I learnt some Mandarin," Clark says with a shrug. "Now I may not know every nuance of the language but that's basically the gist of it."
"So if I'm reading this right there's a map?"
"Apparently and if it was written on some document made by the Kryptonian in the story there is no reason why it can't have survived but again where do you start looking for one document from hundreds of years ago? It could be in some museum's collection or in the hands of a private collector or buried in some tomb for all I know. I'm starting to think it's hopeless."
"What about the other stone?" Peter asks.
"Oh don't even ask," Clark pleads pathetically.
"Why not?"
"Look at the other cluster of pins," Clark instructs Peter to do.
Peter does. "Rome," he says where that cluster is.
"There are stories of the stone being in the city, in a temple, as an object of worship right up to the Fall of Rome."
"Ah," Peter says in sudden understanding.
"Ah, indeed. Who knows where it ended up in the chaos that followed the end of the Western Empire," Clark says in hopeless exasperation at the impossibility of the task Jor-El has given him.
"What is the clue you have for that one?" Peter asks.
"In the shadow of a lost empire lies that which transfers the spirit of life from the sky to the ocean. Surrounded by the depths and buried in fire you shall find a truth long hidden."
"We can assume the lost empire is Rome," Peter says.
"Yes but what does 'In the shadow' mean? I'm working off the assumption the rest of it refers to an island but there were lots of islands that were part of the Roman empire. Needle in haystack," Clark describes the task as.
"You'll figure it out," Peter says trying to be reassuring.
Clark hopes so but at the moment that isn't looking likely.
After dinner Amanda says her goodbyes to everyone before Kurt teleports her home. Peter also says his goodbyes to everyone. He steps outside to wait for Clark to take him home. Clark was helping his mother wash up the dishes first. It was his turn.
"You're leaving then."
Peter turns round at that soft voice as Kitty phases out of the front door of the mansion. "Yeah. Spoke to my aunt and told her I'd be a little late. She worries about me."
"She must be a nice lady."
"She is. The best," Peter says with a fond smile as he thinks on Aunt May.
Kitty plays with her bangs a little and bites her lower lip nervously. "So...uh...we never like talked about what happened yesterday."
Peter was sort of hoping to avoid that talk. "Yeah...about that."
"Did you mean it?" Kitty suddenly asks.
"Mean?"
"About wanting to date me?" she asks hopefully.
Peter can see the hope in her eyes along with a nervous shy smile. Lovely smile it is too. Peter scratches his head. "Um..." he struggles to find an answer. In the end he decides to be honest. "Yeah. I did. You're...a great person Kitty."
Kitty's smile grows. "So how about it then."
"Huh?"
"Date."
"Well..."
"We don't have to call it that," Kitty suddenly says, realising that perhaps she is being way too forward. "We could, you know, just say we're going to go and have fun together."
Fun. Peter's life has certainly not been that lately. He looks at Kitty still looking nervous as hell but expectant. He doesn't want to disappoint her. After all he has enjoyed her company this last two days. What harm would it be just to spend a night out having fun. Is that too much to ask for his life. "Yeah."
"Yeah?" Kitty asks uncertain what he means.
"Yeah, yeah," Peter says.
Kitty's starts to beam. "Really?"
"Yeah," Peter says with a warm smile.
"Ok great!" Kitty says cheerfully before her face becomes serious. "Uh...this won't cause a problem with anyone...like a girlfriend or anything will it?"
"I guess Clark didn't mention my perpetual single status."
"Clark's good at keeping secrets," Kitty has to compliment him when it comes to personal things.
"I have no girlfriend. We broke up months ago," Peter says and you can still hear the lingering sadness about that.
"Ok. I'm sorry to ask...it's just...my last boyfriend wasn't exactly Mr reliable or honest."
"You mentioned that."
"Oh yeah," Kitty laughs nervously.
"So when?"
"When?"
"When would we do this?"
"Oh right!" Kitty cottons on to what Peter is asking. "Uh...can I call you about that. There's like a million things we still have to clear up around here after this weekend. Ugh I swear it's always something," she complains.
"It really is," Peter shares the same complaint because the same is true about Spider-Man's life.
"So I'll call you," Kitty determines.
"Sure," Peter agrees to that. "Uh...do you have my number?"
"Clark does."
"Right. Of course he does. I'm being totally stupid."
"You're not," Kitty assures him in a warm tone. She moves closer to him and pats him on his arm. "You're never stupid."
Peter smiles at her and their eyes lock. They're quite close together now. Unconsciously their heads drift towards each other, their lips drawing closer and closer...
"Sorry I'm late!" Clark announces his arrival with his usual gust of wind.
Kitty and Peter jump back away from each other.
Clark carries on, oblivious to what he just interrupted. "So ready to go?" he asks Peter.
Kitty's cheeks are flushed red as she turns round and runs through the door, shouting as she does so, "Bye!"
Peter waves at the door. "Yeah. Bye," he says to the flat piece of wood. "You know that wood doesn't look all that old for a house like that," Peter remarks trying to avoid bringing Clark's attention to whatever was just about to happen there with Kitty. Was he about to kiss her?
"It isn't. Mansion blew up remember," Clark explains the newness of the door.
"Right. I read about that."
"And really we replace that door like once a month because someone wrecks it."
Peter looks at Clark with an arched eyebrow.
"I have never wrecked that door," Clark insists, denying what Peter's look is implying.
"Sure you haven't Clark. Only demolished half a forest," Peter says with a large amused grin.
"I'm killing Kitty," Clark swears because that remark is referring to first flying attempt and the only person Peter spent that much time around to learn that is Kitty. "So shall we go?" he asks, changing subjects.
"Sure. Home Jeeves!" Peter orders Clark around like he's a butler.
"You know I can throw you all the way there instead," Clark jokily threatens as he picks Peter up.
"Yeah but then what would you do without your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man for company?"
"I'd manage. Dom would fill in the lame joke quota."
"Ooh, ooh you wound me," Peter says faking pain as he holds his hand over his heart.
Clark rolls his eyes. Maybe that throwing idea isn't such a bad one he ponders as he zips off towards New York.
Author's Note: So many loose ends to tie up. This is going to take awhile but at least Kitty's getting a date out of it. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Rogue and Jean finally come face to face with their nightmare and an unexpected stranger shows up at the door.