It was well past midnight when Erin ventured into the living room and found her two guests curled together on the couch. Actually, Chloe was curled against Clark who was sprawled out across it, his larger frame covering the length of it. She chuckled softly at the sight. Things had turned out much better than even she had hoped.
Glancing at the blanket that rested on a nearby chair, she compelled it to float into the air, unfolding itself, before settling down over the sleeping teenagers. She watched them for another long moment, smiled again, and retreated into the kitchen.
There, she picked up the phone, consulted the directory for a number, then dialed the Kents'.
When a man's voice answered, she spoke softly. "Mr. Kent?"
-----
On the other end of the line, Jonathan frowned at the unfamiliar voice, glancing at Martha who stood nearby. "Yes..."
"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at this hour, sir." The English-accented woman replied, her voice still pitched low. "But I'm sure you're quite concerned as to where your son is."
He couldn't disagree there. Clark had gone in search of Chloe hours before and they hadn't heard from him since. It was starting to worry them. "We are...." He allowed reluctantly. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
"Oh..." The caller's embarrassment came across the line as she quickly remedied the oversight. "Erin Davies...I'm..."
"The new teacher at the school." Jonathan finished for her. "Clark mentioned you."
"I thought he might have." She agreed.
"And you know where he is?"
"Yes....here." The smile in her voice elicited a confused look from Jonathan but before he could comment, she explained. "I taught at the school Chloe attended for a while...in Westchester? She and I got to be rather good friends. I'm afraid after the...incident with Clark, she hid out here for a while. Mr. Sullivan directed him here when he went to their home."
"So they've talked?" Covering the mouthpiece with a hand, Jonathan murmured, "Clark's at Erin Davies' home. With Chloe."
"Yes, they talked." She affirmed. "And, if I'm to read the situation correctly, have reconciled."
"The situation?" He prompted as Martha sighed in relief.
"Well, at the moment they're asleep on the couch. I didn't have the heart to wake them...." Erin explained with a rueful laugh. "They looked too peaceful. But I knew it would be best to call you...tell you where he is."
"Out cold, huh?" Jonathan chuckled. "Well, thank you, Ms. Davies, for letting us know where he is."
"You're quite welcome, sir." She replied. "Good night."
"Good night." They both hung up and he turned to his wife. "Looks like Clark and Chloe have patched things up."
Martha beamed at him. "Oh that's fantastic!" She threw her arms about her husband, hugging him fiercely which had him laughing breathlessly.
"Careful, Honey." He teased. "My ribs break easier than Clark's."
"Very funny." She mock-groused, pulling back to look into his face. "So he's staying at this teacher's place?"
"On the couch." He nodded. "Apparently, Ms. Davies found them asleep on her couch and didn't have the heart to move them."
"What were they doing at this woman's home?" Martha questioned as they both began heading for the stairs.
"Chloe knew her from the school in Westchester. According to Ms. Davies, after she and Clark had their confrontation, Chloe went to her home to hide out. I get the feeling Chloe trusts her."
"The question is, can we?"
------
The familiar scent of coffee wafting under Chloe's nose brought the young mutant out of her sleep and she blinked lazily, rubbing at her eyes. "Huh?" Her vision cleared and she found Erin crouching beside the couch, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. "Oh, 'rin...morn'n..."
The Englishwoman laughed softly. "Good morning to you both."
"What time issit?" Clark mumbled from beneath the arm he'd tossed across his face.
"Six a.m., I let you sleep a little later than I expect you're used to." She smiled. "After the events of yesterday, I'm quite sure you needed the rest."
"SIX? My parents..." He nearly bolted up before remembering Chloe still lay against him. Not wanting to send her flying off the couch, and probably taking Erin with her, he settled back. "They must be frantic."
Erin shook her head. "No, I called them last night. I came in here after midnight, you were both sound asleep so I called your parents and Chloe's father to let them know where you were." She held out the mugs. "Now, drink up both of you. I'll give you both rides back to your house, you'll need to change before school." They accepted the mugs and she pushed to her feet, brushing the wrinkles from her slacks. "I've some things to get ready before we leave so just yell when you're ready."
With that, she retreated from the room.
"She thinks of everything." Clark noted with a sleepy chuckle.
"It's a survival skill." The young woman beside him replied, sitting up. "The whole hiding what you are thing...It gets complicated sometimes. We learn to cover every angle we can. Less chance of..."
"People figuring it out." He nodded. "I know."
She blushed lightly. "Sorry. I think I'm still adjusting to the 'real Clark Kent'." She slanted a mischevious glance at him over the rim of her coffee.
"What?"
"Anyone ever tell you that you're adorable when you first wake up?"
It was Clark's turn to flush and he looked down into the dark liquid in his mug. "Not lately."
"Well you are." She insisted with a smile then leaned forward, lightly brushing her lips against his.
The slight contact banished every trace of drowsiness that lingered in Clark's mind and focused his senses down to the feel of her mouth on his. The faint taste of coffee lingered on her lips and he could easily taste it intermingling with the natural taste that was Chloe. He liked this, he definitely liked this, seeing Chloe first thing in the morning, sharing a cup of coffee together...and there was the kissing. He could definitely get used to the kissing.
When they parted, she smiled at him, brushing her nose against his. "This isn't going to be easy, you know." She informed him after a moment, lowered her gaze. "Being together...with what I am. A lot of people really don't like mutants and it's not getting better, Clark. It'll get harder and harder as time passes."
"What you are has nothing to do with your abilities...you're Chloe. Just like you've always been," he brushed a hand along her cheek, cupping her face in his palm, "My Dad's always said nothing easy is worth doing. He's right. I don't care how hard this gets, I'm not going anywhere. None of the people who care about you are going to let you face this alone. You matter too much to us. If things get hard...we'll be with you. But you don't know if it will...the world can change for the better, Chloe, you just have to give it a chance." He smiled a little. "People can surprise you..."
"I know you did." She countered, leaning in to kiss him again. "I know you did."
Finis
Glancing at the blanket that rested on a nearby chair, she compelled it to float into the air, unfolding itself, before settling down over the sleeping teenagers. She watched them for another long moment, smiled again, and retreated into the kitchen.
There, she picked up the phone, consulted the directory for a number, then dialed the Kents'.
When a man's voice answered, she spoke softly. "Mr. Kent?"
-----
On the other end of the line, Jonathan frowned at the unfamiliar voice, glancing at Martha who stood nearby. "Yes..."
"I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at this hour, sir." The English-accented woman replied, her voice still pitched low. "But I'm sure you're quite concerned as to where your son is."
He couldn't disagree there. Clark had gone in search of Chloe hours before and they hadn't heard from him since. It was starting to worry them. "We are...." He allowed reluctantly. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"
"Oh..." The caller's embarrassment came across the line as she quickly remedied the oversight. "Erin Davies...I'm..."
"The new teacher at the school." Jonathan finished for her. "Clark mentioned you."
"I thought he might have." She agreed.
"And you know where he is?"
"Yes....here." The smile in her voice elicited a confused look from Jonathan but before he could comment, she explained. "I taught at the school Chloe attended for a while...in Westchester? She and I got to be rather good friends. I'm afraid after the...incident with Clark, she hid out here for a while. Mr. Sullivan directed him here when he went to their home."
"So they've talked?" Covering the mouthpiece with a hand, Jonathan murmured, "Clark's at Erin Davies' home. With Chloe."
"Yes, they talked." She affirmed. "And, if I'm to read the situation correctly, have reconciled."
"The situation?" He prompted as Martha sighed in relief.
"Well, at the moment they're asleep on the couch. I didn't have the heart to wake them...." Erin explained with a rueful laugh. "They looked too peaceful. But I knew it would be best to call you...tell you where he is."
"Out cold, huh?" Jonathan chuckled. "Well, thank you, Ms. Davies, for letting us know where he is."
"You're quite welcome, sir." She replied. "Good night."
"Good night." They both hung up and he turned to his wife. "Looks like Clark and Chloe have patched things up."
Martha beamed at him. "Oh that's fantastic!" She threw her arms about her husband, hugging him fiercely which had him laughing breathlessly.
"Careful, Honey." He teased. "My ribs break easier than Clark's."
"Very funny." She mock-groused, pulling back to look into his face. "So he's staying at this teacher's place?"
"On the couch." He nodded. "Apparently, Ms. Davies found them asleep on her couch and didn't have the heart to move them."
"What were they doing at this woman's home?" Martha questioned as they both began heading for the stairs.
"Chloe knew her from the school in Westchester. According to Ms. Davies, after she and Clark had their confrontation, Chloe went to her home to hide out. I get the feeling Chloe trusts her."
"The question is, can we?"
------
The familiar scent of coffee wafting under Chloe's nose brought the young mutant out of her sleep and she blinked lazily, rubbing at her eyes. "Huh?" Her vision cleared and she found Erin crouching beside the couch, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. "Oh, 'rin...morn'n..."
The Englishwoman laughed softly. "Good morning to you both."
"What time issit?" Clark mumbled from beneath the arm he'd tossed across his face.
"Six a.m., I let you sleep a little later than I expect you're used to." She smiled. "After the events of yesterday, I'm quite sure you needed the rest."
"SIX? My parents..." He nearly bolted up before remembering Chloe still lay against him. Not wanting to send her flying off the couch, and probably taking Erin with her, he settled back. "They must be frantic."
Erin shook her head. "No, I called them last night. I came in here after midnight, you were both sound asleep so I called your parents and Chloe's father to let them know where you were." She held out the mugs. "Now, drink up both of you. I'll give you both rides back to your house, you'll need to change before school." They accepted the mugs and she pushed to her feet, brushing the wrinkles from her slacks. "I've some things to get ready before we leave so just yell when you're ready."
With that, she retreated from the room.
"She thinks of everything." Clark noted with a sleepy chuckle.
"It's a survival skill." The young woman beside him replied, sitting up. "The whole hiding what you are thing...It gets complicated sometimes. We learn to cover every angle we can. Less chance of..."
"People figuring it out." He nodded. "I know."
She blushed lightly. "Sorry. I think I'm still adjusting to the 'real Clark Kent'." She slanted a mischevious glance at him over the rim of her coffee.
"What?"
"Anyone ever tell you that you're adorable when you first wake up?"
It was Clark's turn to flush and he looked down into the dark liquid in his mug. "Not lately."
"Well you are." She insisted with a smile then leaned forward, lightly brushing her lips against his.
The slight contact banished every trace of drowsiness that lingered in Clark's mind and focused his senses down to the feel of her mouth on his. The faint taste of coffee lingered on her lips and he could easily taste it intermingling with the natural taste that was Chloe. He liked this, he definitely liked this, seeing Chloe first thing in the morning, sharing a cup of coffee together...and there was the kissing. He could definitely get used to the kissing.
When they parted, she smiled at him, brushing her nose against his. "This isn't going to be easy, you know." She informed him after a moment, lowered her gaze. "Being together...with what I am. A lot of people really don't like mutants and it's not getting better, Clark. It'll get harder and harder as time passes."
"What you are has nothing to do with your abilities...you're Chloe. Just like you've always been," he brushed a hand along her cheek, cupping her face in his palm, "My Dad's always said nothing easy is worth doing. He's right. I don't care how hard this gets, I'm not going anywhere. None of the people who care about you are going to let you face this alone. You matter too much to us. If things get hard...we'll be with you. But you don't know if it will...the world can change for the better, Chloe, you just have to give it a chance." He smiled a little. "People can surprise you..."
"I know you did." She countered, leaning in to kiss him again. "I know you did."
Finis