Chapter 15

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The Spring Formal was a disaster. Abigail had helped Chloe look for Clark for many hours. After hearing about the tornados, Clark had disappeared to save Lana Lang. The latter was at the bus station saying her goodbyes to her boyfriend, Whitney. Chloe was clearly hurt that Clark had bailed on her. And Abby could not blame her for this. But she could not really be mad at Clark for doing the right thing.

The tornados had left Smallville in utter chaos. Abby's parents had come to get her from the dance. The drive to her home was slow. Streets were filled with debris of all sorts. Her home had not been spared by the chaos. But she was glad to see that no one had been hurt during the tornados. Her parents had called Patricia in Metropolis to reassure her. Abby knew that those tornadoes did nothing in her favor. Her parents had wanted to take her back to Metropolis. And that was final. And the tornadoes may have confirmed that Smallville was not the better place for her to stay.

"Hey, Dorothy, back from Oz?" Chloe asked Lana.

She and Abby had come to the hospital to see her as soon as they heard. The hospital was filled with the wounded. There were many beds in the hallways. The doctors and nurses were overwhelmed.

"Chloe. Abby." Lana smiled at them. Abby smiled back at her.

"What are you doing?" Chloe frowned at her. "Shouldn't you be in bed, for like a month?"

"I'm okay. The doctor says it's just a mild concussion." Lana answered. "Besides, a lot of people need this bed a lot more than I do."

"Well, we're glad you're okay." Abby said. "Let me take this." She took Lana's bag.

"Oh, Abby, you don't have to. Really." Lana protested.

"You just survived a tornado, Lang. Let me carry your bag." Abby put her arm around Lana's shoulders and led her out of the room.

"What happened?" Chloe asked her.

"Well, um, I was driving back after dropping Whitney off when the wind picked up." Lana started to tell them. "And this, um, mailbox slammed against my windshield and I went off the road. That's when I saw the twisters. Before I knew it, the truck was being sucked up."

"God! And you walked away with a small bump on your head." Chloe commented. "That's amazing, even by Smallville standards."

"No, it's impossible." Lana said.

"What?" Chloe turned to her.

"Nothing." Lana sighed. But it wasn't nothing, Abby had heard her. Lana had seen something and she thought it was impossible. Abby knew better. "Uh, the next thing I knew I was waking up here."

"So, you clicked your heels, said, 'there's no place like home' and ended up in Smallville Medical Center?"

"Apparently Clark brought me in." Lana told them. Needless, Abby was not surprised by this bit of news.

"Clark?" Chloe repeated.

"Yeah, um, have you seen him?"

"No, not since the dance." Abby shook her head.

"We spent like three hours looking for him." Chloe added.

"Guess the Spring Formal was kind of a bust, huh?" Lana commented.

"Yeah, well, at least now I know where he disappeared to." Chloe shrugged sadly.

"If it's any consolation, you guys look great together." Lana smiled at her.

"It's not, but thanks."

Abby couldn't help but feel sorry for Chloe. Her friend had been so excited about the dance. It all was ruined in minutes. Chloe was hurt that in the end Clark had chosen Lana over her. Abby knew the truth, Clark had not just brought Lana in. He had saved her from the twister. But he couldn't tell them the truth. Telling them the truth would mean revealing his secret.

"Abby?" Her mom called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"Yes." Abby walked into the kitchen.

"How's Lana?" Her mother asked her. Margaret Jackson was packing some supplies. Food, drinks, anything useful for the people who needed it.

"She's doing fine. She got out of the hospital." Abby put down her bag. "Any word on Mr. Kent?"

"No, still missing." Margaret answered as Abby grabbed a bag and started to pack some supplies. "Your dad is out there to help in the search."

"Good." Abby nodded. She took a deep breath. "I don't want to go back to Metropolis."

"What?" Her mother froze.

"I want to stay in Smallville." Abby said.

"Abby, we've talked about this—" Margaret exhaled.

"No, you've talked about this. Just not with me." Abby shook her head.

"Abigail, your father and I just want our family back together." Margaret simply said.

"Really?" Abby stopped what she was doing. "You sent me here because you were afraid someone would find out about me. And now, you want me back in Metropolis. What changed?"

"Smallville is a dangerous place." Her father stepped into the kitchen. "The meteor infected are legion in this town. And worst of all, Lex Luthor is in this town. I don't want you anywhere near him."

"But I belong here." Abby argued.

"We're going back to Metropolis, you're coming with us and that's final." Her father said sternly.

Abby glared at her father and stormed out of kitchen. She couldn't believe this. They sent her here, in Smallville, to keep her safe. And now, they wanted to take her back to Metropolis to keep her safe. What were they really doing? She hated this. She didn't want to move every time her parents felt as though she was in danger of being discovered. Why couldn't they trust her with her own secret? It was hers to keep. Hers to carry. Not theirs.

"Mr. Kent!" Abby called as she, Chloe, Pete and Clark were looking for Jonathan Kent in the woods.

"Dad!" Clark called in hopes his father would answer.

"Well, this is the edge of the grid." Chloe said after checking her map.

"There are no structures marked on the map." Pete sighed as Abby stopped next to him. "Sorry, Clark."

"Wait, what's that?" Chloe walked to what looked like a house.

"The twister must have dropped it here." Pete said.

"Most likely." Abby agreed.

"He's not in here." Clark said defeated.

"What are you, part bloodhound?" Chloe frowned at his back.

"Yeah. How do you know?" Pete turned to his right and started calling again. "Mr. Kent!"

"Dad!"

"Mr. Kent!" Abby called going around the house.

"Did you hear something?" Chloe asked them. Abby stopped calling and waited but there was no sound.

"Come on, let's start again." Clark suggested and they followed him.

"Hey, you're okay?" Pete asked Abby as they were still looking for Mr. Kent.

"Yeah, why?" Abby turned to him.

"Oh, I don't know. You look kind of upset." Pete shrugged.

"It's my parents." Abby let out a long breath. "They insist on taking me back to Metropolis."

"And you don't like that, do you?"

"No, I don't." Abby turned around. "I really don't want to move back to Metropolis."

Pete threw his arm around her shoulders. "Maybe you should just tell them that."

She looked up at him, he was smiling at her. She didn't have the heart that she already did, a few times. And it seemed her parents won't be changing their minds. She didn't have the heart to tell him that this could be the last time, they'd see each other. So, she didn't.

"You're right, maybe they'll listen." She smiled back.

"That's better." Peter squeezed her left shoulder. "Come on."

The search had not been successful. Mr. Kent was nowhere to be found. But they had not given up. Abby had decided to spent the rest of the day with Pete. She'd rather stay with him than go home for now. When they arrived at his place, his mother had borrowed old maps that could help the Kent. So, together they brought it over at the Farm.

"Pete, where'd you get these maps?" Clark asked.

"My mom borrowed them from the county planner's office." Pete answered.

"They list every zoning change going back to 1920." Abby explained.

"Look, the plans from 1988 show an old church near Hobson's Pond." Clark said, Abby stood up to look at his map.

"I've never seen a church near there." Pete remarked.

"That's because it was destroyed in the meteor shower." Mrs. Kent explained.

"Well, according to this there's a crypt in the basement." Clark told them.

"Your dad could have known about it." Mrs. Kent suggested.

"We were right there." Abby said. "The motor home must have been concealing the entrance." Clark stood up and started for the door.

"Clark!" Pete called. "You can't dig him out on your own."

"Um, Clark, Pete, Abby and I'll go into town." Martha came to her son's rescue. "We'll get a rescue team and we'll meet you out there."

"I'm going with Clark." Abby said quickly.

"Okay!" Clark didn't wait for his mom's reply as he pulled Abby behind him.

Clark carried Abby bridal style and ran at full speed to Hobson's Pond. He let her down when they reached their destination.

"You see anything?" Abby asked him.

"No!" He walked to the motor home and lifted it off the ground as though it was nothing. The motor home completely collapsed in ruins.

Abby saw the entrance and rushed to it while Clark sped run into the crypt. "Clark!" Abby called as she walked down the steps that led into the crypt. And she froze. Mr. Kent was buried under rocks but breathing. Clark was now on the ground, laying on his back. A third party moved up to Clark.

"I don't need the tape. I got all the evidence I need right here." The man groaned under the effort as he started to pull Clark.

"I don't think so." Abby said from behind him.

He let down Clark and turned around to face her. "Get out of my way, kid, before you get hurt."

"Trust me, someone's gonna get hurt." Abby took a step towards him. "But it won't be me." She grabbed the lapel of his jacket. "You're not taking him anywhere." She lifted him off of the ground and sent him flying against one of the walls, away from Clark and Mr. Kent.

"Abby…" Mr. Kent groaned. "Get him out of here, please."

Abby carried Clark slung over her shoulders. She climbed the two flight of stairs that led her out of the crypt. Once outside, she placed Clark on the ground carefully. And went back inside to get Mr. Kent. She pulled him out from under the rocks. He didn't need to be carried. But Abby let him leaned on her as they both walked out of the crypt. Clark was on the ground still. Not reacting to anything.

"What's wrong with him?" Abby asked worriedly as Mr. Kent knelt by his son's side.

"It's the meteor rocks, they're making him sick." He pulled Clark's jacket off of him and threw it away. "Clark, are you okay?"

"I'll survive." Clark replied.

"Nixon! NO!" Mr. Kent shouted looking over her shoulder.

Abby turned around; Nixon stood behind her. Holding an iron bar, ready to strike her down. "I did warn you, kid." He said as Abby took a step back, away from him. "You shouldn't have stand in my way."

And Nixon thrust his iron bar forward, to stab her. But before his weapon made contact with her flesh, there was a loud bang. A blood stain appeared on his jacket and he fell to the ground. Behind him stood Lex Luthor, a gun in his hand.

"Abby, are you okay?" Lex walked up to her.

"Yeah." Abby nodded quickly as they both stared at the body on the ground.

Nixon's dead body was taken away. The cops and the paramedics were now on the crime scene. Mr. Kent was being taken care of. Martha and Clark had joined him. Lex was talking to the cops.

"Are you listening to us, young lady?" Her father, Leroy, brought her back to reality.

"Yes. I heard every word." Abby sighed. "It was reckless and dangerous, I know."

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Leroy said sternly.

"Sorry." Abby said quietly. "I was just helping Clark."

Her father exhaled. "I know." He pulled her in a tight hug. "I know." Her mother laid a kiss on top of her head.

"Let's go home." Margaret suggested.

"I'm just going to say goodbye to Clark." Abby said quickly.

"Sure." Leroy nodded. "We'll wait for you by the car."

"Okay." Abby walked up to the Kent family. "Mr. Kent, you look better."

"Much better now that I'm with my family." He pulled Martha into his side. "Abby…" Mr. Kent rested a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Abby shook her. "I was only helping a friend." She gave Clark a quick smile.

"Abby…" Mr. Kent started.

"Don't worry." Abby said quickly. "Clark's secret is safe with me." She looked between him and his wife. "And I would appreciate it if…"

"Of course." Mrs. Kent nodded. "Of course, we will."

"Thank you." Abby smiled gratefully at them. "My parents are waiting for me, so—talk to you later."

She waved goodbye and walked away from the Kent. Mr. and Mrs. Kent knew about her now. She trusted them to keep her secret. Abby knew it was safe with them. They knew the responsibility that came with it. They knew how heavy a secret such as this could be. And now, she had to leave it all behind.

"Abby!" Lex called her.

"Lex." Abby turned to face him.

"Look…" Lex started and Abby hugged him.

"Thank you." She said, "Thank you for saving my life." Lex slowly hugged her back. "Make no mistake, though. You're in probation."

"Probation?" Lex repeated as Abby pulled away.

"Yes." Abby nodded. "Let's give this friendship a second chance."

"I like that." Lex smiled at her.

"I bet you do." Abby chuckled. "Just don't ruin it this time."

"I won't."

Abby put her suitcase in the trunk. She looked at her home one last time. It was funny to think that she was scared to come in Smallville. Scared to be away from her family, in a world of which she knew nothing or knew no one. And now, almost a year later, she was afraid she would never come back. That she would never see her friends again. Smallville was where she belonged. She knew it. She was convinced of this. Her home was here.

Abigail Jackson would come back home. She knew it. She would come back where she belonged.