"What?!" Sophie responds. "How could you make a decision like that without me?"

"Because it's not your decision to make. We are your parents and we know what is best for you." Her dad tells her.

"What's best for me is Clark and I don't want to leave him." Sophie says and a few tears begin to fall. Clark notices this and squeezes her hand in an assuring way. Her dad walks back out of the room, but her mom stays.

"Sophie, please understand all we want is you to be safe." She says, looking sincerely sorry.

"Can't you see how much Clark means to me?" Sophie asks, almost pleading with her.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. But your safety is more important than your relationship with Clark."

"Don't tell me what is important in my life." Sophie says and then suddenly gets angry. "Just leave."

"Sophie…"

"Leave!" Sophie orders with anger in her eyes. Her mom sighs and leaves the room. Clark sits down on the edge of her hospital bed and she snuggles up to him as close as she can. "I'm sorry you had to see all that."

"Don't worry about me." Clark tells her and kisses her forehead.

"I just don't want to leave you. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." She tells him.

"Shhh." Clark shushes her and gives her a quick kiss. "We'll figure something out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sophie. I'm going to go home and get some rest. I just wanted to check on you." Clark tells her.

"Ok." Sophie hesitantly agrees. "I love you."

"Love you too, bye." Clark gives her another kiss.

------------------------------------------------------

Clark walks in the door and his parents are at the kitchen table with steaming mugs of something, probably tea.

"Clark, why did you leave? You need your rest." Martha tells him in a motherly way.

"I couldn't sleep. I had to see Sophie." Clark says and sits down at the table.

"Ok, you saw her. You want to get some sleep now?" Jonathon asks.

"Well, I definitely won't be able to sleep now."

"Anything wrong, son?" Jonathon asks, noticing a problem in Clark's voice.

"Her parents were there. And I already told you how much they don't like me after the Ohio trip." Clark tells them.

"Did they say something to you?" Martha asks.

"No, the problem is more like the argument they had with Sophie. I guess they were really concerned with her kidnapping and everything. They want to move out of state."

"Aw, hunny. I'm sorry." Martha comes over and hugs Clark. "Because of what happened?"

"Yeah, and I'm not talking just to Missouri or anything. Out of state as in New York." Clark says.

"That's understandable I guess. We would do the same thing to protect your safety." Jonathon admits.

"Yes, I don't blame them for that. I blame them for making a decision without even talking to her. And they said it like we're moving if you like it or not, you don't have a choice. They even called her naïve for wanting to be with someone that only brings her danger. The last thing I want to do is bring the girl I love danger! So now I just have to say goodbye to her, to never see her again?" Clark asks and gets up from the table.

"Clark, we know how much this hurts you. Actually, we don't know. Only you do, but believe us. We wish just as much as you do that you didn't have to go through all this stuff. Do you really want to see her get hurt again? Or even killed?" Jonathon asks Clark.

"So your saying I have to go along with this and be happy for her parent's decision?"

"No, you don't have to do anything. Just try to understand where they're coming from." Jonathon says.

"Ok. Thanks for listening, dad." Clark smiles, feeling a little better.

"It's what I'm here for, Clark." His dad tells him.

"I need to go some place to think about all of this, I'll be in the loft." Clark tells his parents and walks outside.

--------------------------------------------------