Chapter Nine:
He was in the kitchen. For a second he stood there, completely disorientated. Then he realised that he was back at The Talon, loading up the dishwasher, right before the attempted robbery happened. Adrenaline coursed through him. He strode out of the kitchen and saw his mother behind the counter cashing up. She looked up.
"Finished loading the dishwasher already? That's quick even for you" she smiled and despite the situation, he allowed himself to smile briefly in return. He was back in Smallville.
"Just making sure I haven't forgotten anything" he walked through the main area, making out that he was checking all the tables even though he knew they were cleared. A shadow appeared at the door and Clark paused and stiffened. His heart thumped loudly in his chest. He turned and looked at his mother.
"Mom, I think I've got everything here, why don't you check in the kitchen just to make sure?" he suggested. The shadow at the door hadn't moved. Martha frowned.
"I'm cashing up, can't you do it?" Clark made himself smile at her.
"I can do that. Just humour me, okay?" Martha gave him a strange look and stopped what she was doing.
"Alright. But don't mess up, okay?"
"I won't. Thanks mom" He let out a sigh of relief as she disappeared from behind the counter into the kitchen. He turned his attention back to the door as it slowly opened. He'd have to remind his mom of the benefits of locking the door at closing time. He braced himself, he knew what was coming, and he knew what was in the gun.
He slid into view, his eyes observant, his manner careful but Clark recognised him instantly. Then he saw Clark standing there and he flinched, obviously startled. Clark watched him stand just inside of the door, his whole stance was awkward and Clark didn't need to use his X-Ray vision to know he carried a weapon, the radiation waves from the kryptonite emanated from him and he could feel his stomach begin to churn in protest.
"We're closed" Clark told him.
"I'm not here for the coffee" he walked towards him and started to pull something out from beneath his coat and it was at that moment in time that the door began to open again. The prospective thief turned. Clark recognised the blond head and his eyes widened.
"Dad!" he yelled and he dived. He caught his father around the waist and they both went down. The sound of the explosion was deafening and Clark felt the burn of the radiation as the bullet sailed over both their heads and embedded itself into the wall in an explosion of plaster and brickwork. Silence followed. All Clark could hear was the sound of his heart beating, his breathing as he dragged oxygen into his lungs and the warm solidness of his father against him.
"Clark? …. Jonathan! Oh my God, what happened?" Clark heard Martha's panicked voice and it was then that he allowed himself to open his eyes. His dad lay beside him on the ground, half stunned. Clark sat up, turned and looked around. The prospective thief was gone. He looked down at his chest and all he saw was the shirt he'd pulled on that day, no blood. He smiled. He then looked up at his mom and smiled some more.
"I don't know, it all happened so fast, but I think Clark just saved my life" Jonathan replied, sitting up beside his son. Martha's concerned gaze returned to her son.
"Are you okay?" Clark got to his feet, turned and helped his father upright.
"Someone tried to rob the Talon. Dad walked in and I think scared him off" Again Clark looked around, but there was no one else in the store. Martha sighed raggedly. She wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him tightly.
"I could've lost you both" she breathed.