A/N: For the next couple of chapters, the focus will be on Clark and Lee.
However, I like to give the other side of the story, so other characters
will be featured.
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning, Lee dressed in a pair of jeans shorts, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt that Clark had bought her the day before. She put on her sneakers and headed out of her bedroom. She heard Clark talking on the phone.
"Yeah, we went shopping last night. You didn't pack her any clothes for the month." Pause. "Yeah, I know it was spur of the moment." Pause. "No, you don't have to pay me back. I was happy to do her the favor." Pause. "Yeah, I still got to work." Pause. "No, Lee's coming with me. I think that it'd be good for her." Pause. "Right, three weeks. Bye." Clark hung up the phone.
Clark turned to see Lee standing there. "Was that mommy?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, it was. I thought that you were still sleeping. What do you want for breakfast?" Clark replied.
"Are you cooking?" Lee asked.
"Yes."
"Then, water please."
Clark chuckled. "Okay, I get the picture. We'll grab something on the way to work."
"Work?"
"Yeah, I'm taking you to work with me."
"Mommy never takes me to work with her."
"Well, there's no one else for you to stay with so you have no choice but to come with me. Don't you want to come with me?" Clark said.
"I guess."
Clark put on his suit jacket and grabbed his briefcase from the counter. He held out his free hand to Lee and she took it. Clark led her out the door, letting Lee grab the keys off of the stand and lock the door behind them.
Clark and Lee made their way through the busy streets of Metropolis. Lee gripped Clark's hand tightly, afraid of the larger people hustling around her. Clark squeezed her hand to let her know that he was still with her. Clark and Lee finally stopped in front of the doors of The Daily Planet.
Lee's face lit up with the awe that only an innocent child could possess. "This is where you work?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, come on."
Lee ran in front of Clark, pulling him along with her. They made it through the clusters of people with no problem until they got to Clark's desk. Perry White was waiting there for him.
"Kent, when I told you to leave and get your head together for awhile, I didn't mean get a kid. Who is she anyway?" Perry said, his stance full of demands.
"Remember that old friend I told you about? Well, she was in Smallville- living there actually-and I told her that I would take care of her daughter," Clark answered.
"Really? Listen, Kent, I don't care if you promised the Virgin Mother, this is no place for a four-year-old kid," Perry said. Lee pulled on Perry's hand and when he looked down, she waved her hand at him for him to come closer. "What is it?"
"I'm five almost six and I'll be good if I stay," Lee whispered.
"You will?"
"Hm-m. I don't cause that much trouble and I'm small so no one will see me," Lee whispered again.
Perry straightened and looked at Clark. "Get Jimmy to watch her. If he won't, she goes home," Perry ordered, obviously softened by Lee's words.
Clark looked down at Lee's grinning face and asked, "How exactly do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make people change their minds so easily."
"Magic," was her simple reply.
"Magic," Clark repeated under his breath.
"Hey, who's the kid?" Jimmy asked, a stack of papers in his arms.
"Your new baby-sitting job," Clark announced.
"My what?"
"Jimmy, this is Lee. She's the daughter of an old friend who's staying with me for the month. You get to watch her," Clark introduced him.
"I got to work. I can't be looking after a kid while I'm running all over the office," Jimmy said.
Lee stuck her lip out and put the puppy dogface on. "Oh, please Mr. Jimmy sir. I don't want to go home and I'll have to if you can't watch me," Lee said, giving him a guilt trip.
Clark saw exactly what Lee was doing-she was Chloe's daughter after all-and joined in by saying, "Yeah, Jimmy, you don't want me to have to send the girl back to Smallville. Not after I had to beg her mother to let her stay."
Jimmy sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll watch her. But only because she's a cute kid."
Lee squealed in delight and followed Jimmy away. Clark chuckled as he sat down. He did not worry; he knew that the two of them were to become fast friends.
That little girl is something, Clark thought, I swear I see her mother every time I look at her face and hear her voice. I wonder what she inherited from her father, besides the auburn hair of course.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
The telephone at the edge of her desk in her classroom in Smallville High School blared loudly, knocking Chloe out of her reverie. "Hello," Chloe answered half-heartedly.
"Chloe," replied the icy tone of one Amelia Quinton.
"Why, Amelia, how very nice of you to call. Is this a social call or a chance to criticize some other aspect of my wretched life," Chloe said with mock sweetness.
"Do not take that tone with me young lady. I refuse to be talked down to by a gold digger like you," Amelia told her, disdain evident in her voice.
"I'm sorry, did you forget to take your hormones with your coffee this morning? Or did you find out that they cancelled another fundraiser and the thousand dollar dress in your closet will only be seen by the gardener?" Chloe snapped.
"I would like to speak to my granddaughter."
"I'm sorry, who?"
"My granddaughter."
"Looking for a name. Like, the one I'd call you would be Icy Bi-"
"Leona! I am looking for Leona, which you very well knew," Amelia said sternly.
"She's not here, Amelia, because this is my classroom line. And for your information, Lee is staying with a friend for the time being," Chloe replied.
"Not that man that you had in your house with you. Are you sleeping with him?" Amelia demanded.
"Yes, that man. And what kind of sleeping are you talking about? The fully clothed, sweet dreams kind, or the totally nude, wake-your-neighbors- up kind? Because I could go either way," Chloe answered, trying her best not to laugh.
"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard in my life. How dare you do that to my son!" Amelia exclaimed.
"Hey, you asked. Didn't you get the memo that said my personal life is just that? If you didn't, here it is. I will choose to sleep or not sleep with whomever I want, whenever I want and it will remain none of your business! So, I was with your son. News flash, Mrs. Quinton, Jay has been dead for six years and I'm not going to become a nun just because I was with him! If you have a problem with the way I'm leading my life and raising my daughter, you can stick your head up your rear as far as it will go because I don't give a crap what you think! If you have a problem with that, seek counseling!" Chloe screamed, slamming the phone down.
She had a feeling that nobody in Smallville would ever hear from Amelia Quinton again.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning, Lee dressed in a pair of jeans shorts, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt that Clark had bought her the day before. She put on her sneakers and headed out of her bedroom. She heard Clark talking on the phone.
"Yeah, we went shopping last night. You didn't pack her any clothes for the month." Pause. "Yeah, I know it was spur of the moment." Pause. "No, you don't have to pay me back. I was happy to do her the favor." Pause. "Yeah, I still got to work." Pause. "No, Lee's coming with me. I think that it'd be good for her." Pause. "Right, three weeks. Bye." Clark hung up the phone.
Clark turned to see Lee standing there. "Was that mommy?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, it was. I thought that you were still sleeping. What do you want for breakfast?" Clark replied.
"Are you cooking?" Lee asked.
"Yes."
"Then, water please."
Clark chuckled. "Okay, I get the picture. We'll grab something on the way to work."
"Work?"
"Yeah, I'm taking you to work with me."
"Mommy never takes me to work with her."
"Well, there's no one else for you to stay with so you have no choice but to come with me. Don't you want to come with me?" Clark said.
"I guess."
Clark put on his suit jacket and grabbed his briefcase from the counter. He held out his free hand to Lee and she took it. Clark led her out the door, letting Lee grab the keys off of the stand and lock the door behind them.
Clark and Lee made their way through the busy streets of Metropolis. Lee gripped Clark's hand tightly, afraid of the larger people hustling around her. Clark squeezed her hand to let her know that he was still with her. Clark and Lee finally stopped in front of the doors of The Daily Planet.
Lee's face lit up with the awe that only an innocent child could possess. "This is where you work?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, come on."
Lee ran in front of Clark, pulling him along with her. They made it through the clusters of people with no problem until they got to Clark's desk. Perry White was waiting there for him.
"Kent, when I told you to leave and get your head together for awhile, I didn't mean get a kid. Who is she anyway?" Perry said, his stance full of demands.
"Remember that old friend I told you about? Well, she was in Smallville- living there actually-and I told her that I would take care of her daughter," Clark answered.
"Really? Listen, Kent, I don't care if you promised the Virgin Mother, this is no place for a four-year-old kid," Perry said. Lee pulled on Perry's hand and when he looked down, she waved her hand at him for him to come closer. "What is it?"
"I'm five almost six and I'll be good if I stay," Lee whispered.
"You will?"
"Hm-m. I don't cause that much trouble and I'm small so no one will see me," Lee whispered again.
Perry straightened and looked at Clark. "Get Jimmy to watch her. If he won't, she goes home," Perry ordered, obviously softened by Lee's words.
Clark looked down at Lee's grinning face and asked, "How exactly do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make people change their minds so easily."
"Magic," was her simple reply.
"Magic," Clark repeated under his breath.
"Hey, who's the kid?" Jimmy asked, a stack of papers in his arms.
"Your new baby-sitting job," Clark announced.
"My what?"
"Jimmy, this is Lee. She's the daughter of an old friend who's staying with me for the month. You get to watch her," Clark introduced him.
"I got to work. I can't be looking after a kid while I'm running all over the office," Jimmy said.
Lee stuck her lip out and put the puppy dogface on. "Oh, please Mr. Jimmy sir. I don't want to go home and I'll have to if you can't watch me," Lee said, giving him a guilt trip.
Clark saw exactly what Lee was doing-she was Chloe's daughter after all-and joined in by saying, "Yeah, Jimmy, you don't want me to have to send the girl back to Smallville. Not after I had to beg her mother to let her stay."
Jimmy sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll watch her. But only because she's a cute kid."
Lee squealed in delight and followed Jimmy away. Clark chuckled as he sat down. He did not worry; he knew that the two of them were to become fast friends.
That little girl is something, Clark thought, I swear I see her mother every time I look at her face and hear her voice. I wonder what she inherited from her father, besides the auburn hair of course.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
The telephone at the edge of her desk in her classroom in Smallville High School blared loudly, knocking Chloe out of her reverie. "Hello," Chloe answered half-heartedly.
"Chloe," replied the icy tone of one Amelia Quinton.
"Why, Amelia, how very nice of you to call. Is this a social call or a chance to criticize some other aspect of my wretched life," Chloe said with mock sweetness.
"Do not take that tone with me young lady. I refuse to be talked down to by a gold digger like you," Amelia told her, disdain evident in her voice.
"I'm sorry, did you forget to take your hormones with your coffee this morning? Or did you find out that they cancelled another fundraiser and the thousand dollar dress in your closet will only be seen by the gardener?" Chloe snapped.
"I would like to speak to my granddaughter."
"I'm sorry, who?"
"My granddaughter."
"Looking for a name. Like, the one I'd call you would be Icy Bi-"
"Leona! I am looking for Leona, which you very well knew," Amelia said sternly.
"She's not here, Amelia, because this is my classroom line. And for your information, Lee is staying with a friend for the time being," Chloe replied.
"Not that man that you had in your house with you. Are you sleeping with him?" Amelia demanded.
"Yes, that man. And what kind of sleeping are you talking about? The fully clothed, sweet dreams kind, or the totally nude, wake-your-neighbors- up kind? Because I could go either way," Chloe answered, trying her best not to laugh.
"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard in my life. How dare you do that to my son!" Amelia exclaimed.
"Hey, you asked. Didn't you get the memo that said my personal life is just that? If you didn't, here it is. I will choose to sleep or not sleep with whomever I want, whenever I want and it will remain none of your business! So, I was with your son. News flash, Mrs. Quinton, Jay has been dead for six years and I'm not going to become a nun just because I was with him! If you have a problem with the way I'm leading my life and raising my daughter, you can stick your head up your rear as far as it will go because I don't give a crap what you think! If you have a problem with that, seek counseling!" Chloe screamed, slamming the phone down.
She had a feeling that nobody in Smallville would ever hear from Amelia Quinton again.