I'd like to say it was easier that my mom and sister knew. That in some way it helped. It didn't. Now I just saw pity in their eyes. It had been a week since I had told them in that time I had avoided them. I had spent every moment I could at the DEO with Kara and Clark, what it had done is bring Clark and I closer together.
"You need to sleep." My eyes opened and I blinked slightly, I saw Kara standing in front of me and I let out a yawn.
"I'm fine."
"You're falling asleep as you're standing here, go home," Kara said shaking her head. "You aren't doing anyone any favours staying here. Barry and Oliver are working on their end back on Earth 1, we are working as hard as possible here. You cannot drain yourself."
"I got it Kara," I heard Clark say. He came over and wrapped his arms around me, "hold onto me," he whispered. I did as he said and he lifted into the air flying, I snuggled into his arms enjoying the feeling as we flew, this would never get old. We arrived at the fortress and I frowned slightly, "look nobody get you here."
"I'm not worr-"
"Yes you are," he interrupted. He sat down with me on the blanket and laid us both down, he rubbed my cheek and looked down at me. "Libby, this isn't like last time. You relived it and each version changed and affected you. But deep down I'm not even sure that's what your issue is this time? I mean part of it, but" he shrugged trailing off.
"All I see is pity," I whispered. "That's one thing I never saw in your eyes, I can't deal with that." I shook my head, I cuddled into him and he held me tighter. "I think it was easier for them to accept I was on a drug bender."
"Did your mom not wonder why you suddenly stopped doing drugs and started focusing at school?" Clark asked curiously.
"No," I shook my head. "She never asked, I never told."
"I think deep down your mom must have had an idea, just maybe not this bad," Clark said. I kicked my shoes off and pulled the blanket over us, he took his hand in mine and began to trace patterns on the palm of my hand.
"Tell me what did you have planned for our date?" I asked curiously.
"I was going to bring you to the fortress," he said. "We never did normal dates it was me flying you places and you loved seeing them, there wasn't a place we called ours. Only the fortress."
"Clark, why did you bring me here?"
"So you can get some sleep," he said.
I shook my head, "I mean the first time, any other person I'm sure you would have dropped off at the hospital, why was I different?"
"I don't really know," he admitted. "You reminded me of Kara when she first landed on Earth, lost and needing help. I didn't feel like the hospital was the right place, you were only 16." I nodded. "I just wanted to protect you, from the moment I met you I wanted to protect you. Despite everything that has happened I wouldn't change it because at the time it was the right thing to do."
"It was," I said. "I keep thinking back to that night when you left." Even as I said it the memory resurfaced. "I didn't realise when I agreed to the memory wipe I would feel so empty." I thought of my sketch pad and it appeared in front of us. He looked at me confused, I sat up and Clark did too."Whenever I sat down to draw I would draw the same person but I had no idea who that person was." He opened up the pad and looked through of them, "I had no idea who I was drawing just the same figure."
"Deep down you knew, just your memories were locked, I'm glad you never tried to cast a memory spell, because I'm not sure the affect that would have had with my memory trick," he admitted. "You are talented, I never understood why you didn't pursue your drawing."
"I'm not sure how I could explain this nameless face I couldn't stop drawing," I admitted. "Plus I didn't really want to draw for a career, I do it for fun and to try and figure shit out."
I pulled him to lie down and laid on his chest, "I love you Libby."
"I love you too Clark," I said kissing his neck. "Did that not bother you either?"
"What's with the questions?" He asked amused. I shrugged, "did what not bother me?"
"Not having sex," I said bluntly. "I mean you can have sex with humans right?"
"Yes," Clark nodded. "I can. No it didn't bother me, sometimes you aren't with someone for physical, sometimes it's just companionship and we fooled around. I follow your lead, and there is significant age difference if you think. I don't age fast." I nodded, he kissed me softly. "It'll happen when it does, now we need to focus on you." I raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping."
He stroked my face and I closed my eyes, "talk to me," I said softly. "About anything, just talk." He smiled and started talking, I found myself falling to sleep in his arms.
"You've seen her she's fine, now leave," I heard a voice say. My eyes fluttered open and I turned to see mom stood there with Clark. I quickly closed my eyes, I didn't want her to know I was awake.
"She needs to be at home where she is safe," mom snapped.
Clark laughed, "nothing can touch us here, it's the fortress of solitude," he said flatly. "I didn't let you in so you could take her, she's asleep for the first time in days. This isn't something you can fix."
"She's my baby, I should have protected her, I just thought she was selfish on a drug bender, I never thought," mom said.
"I'm not here to ease your guilt Lila," Clark said. "Libby has to deal with this herself, when it happened I brought her here and she healed slowly but she healed. She can do it again, she's not broken, and she definetely does not want your pity."
"She always was good at reading emotions, an empath in the making," mom said. "I can't help it."
"Yes you can, Libby is not a victim she is a survivor," Clark said. "Look what she's done since then, her powers, her job, and she's as stable as they come, she doesn't need pity, she needs you to accept it and move on."
"Why didn't you take her to the hospital, she wasn't your responsibility," mom said annoyed.
"It sounds to me you're bitter that you wasn't the one to care for her, she reminded me of Kara when I found her, she was lost and the look on her face. She's healthy and she's safe that is all that matters Lila be thankful I found her when I did."
"I love her I just I wish I could have stopped it, if she had her powers she wouldn't-"
"You can't control when she received her powers."
"I can and I did, I bound them until they were 21, figured have a normal childhood and college and then the powers. If she had them at 16."
"She could have destroyed the world, she is a powerhouse, she is part of the ultimate power, the Black Witch knows that, she knew Kelly wasn't that powerful one despite being the oldest. Libby is the one with the power."
"That's unusual," mom said. "The youngest are never the powerful when it comes to the ultimate power. It won't matter for much longer, the ultimate power won't exist. I'm working on a potion to relinquish their powers."
"Libby will never agree to that," Clark said. He was right I wouldn't despite the good and the bad I loved being a witch, it felt like I actually helped people.
"I won't tell her," mom said. "I'd rather love them as mortal daughter than as witches." Clark stayed silent, "tell her to message me when she wakes up."
I opened my eyes as my mom orbed out, "bitch," Clark muttered. I smiled a little, "I know you're awake, Libby." I opened my eyes and bit my lip as I looked at him. He came over and laid next to me, I leant up and rested my head on my hand. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"I did you were right I did need it," I smiled a little. "I can't believe mom would plan to relinquish our powers without consulting us. Thank you for trying to talk to her, it does no good but thank you."
"I think she's having a range of emotions and she doesn't know what to do," Clark said softly. I nodded, "we have to get back to the real world soon."
"So no 5 day sprint of being in the most beautiful fortress I've seen?"
"No," he said. "You still have a job remember."
My eyes widened I had completely forgotten about my job. "Shit!"
"It's fine, Kara has been covering for you, apparently you have enough letters backed up that she has managed," Clark said.
"I can't believe I forgot about my job," I groaned. I rubbed my face, "I was so focused on The Black Witch I forgot. I guess I should grow up a little bit and sort out my work life." I stroked his face and pressed my lips to his. "I love you. Now I best grow up and get back to my job. You are very welcomed distraction Clark Kent."
"Do you want me to fly you home?"
I picked up the sketch pad and shook my head, "I'll orb home, I'll see you at work?" I asked unsure.
"Yes, I am still on load to Cat, I'll be checking in over there but yes I shall be back over," he said. He kissed me softly.
I thought of my home and orbed, I tossed the sketchpad on the bed and changed into work clothes, I walked out and saw Liam and Kelly on the sofa. "Morning guys."
"Where have you been?"
"A date," I lied.
"For a week?"
"Oh for that I was at the DEO," I said. "Keeping in touch with Barry, Oliver, Caitlin and Cisco and everyone. You can sense me it's fine, you know I'm okay." She rolled her eyes and I grabbed a cup out the cupboard and made a quick cup of tea. "Look I appreciate you being concerned but you don't need to be."
"You're my sister I'm always concerned, even from a war zone," Kelly said. "Anyway I'm glad you're back it means I don't have to listen to mom."
"Speaking of her," I said. "She's planning to relinquish our powers." Kelly stared at me, "just thought you should know, although you never wanted them so I guess it'd be no different to you."
I grabbed my shoes slipping them on, "that's unfair," Kelly snapped. "I got my powers back to save you and you still do little jabs like that. I may have been without my powers but that doesn't mean I want them gone forever. I know there's a relinquish spell and potion why do you think I asked you to do binding potions spells? I'm not ready to lose them completely. I won't relinquish my powers."
I looked at her in surprise, "I'm sorry," this time I meant it. I was always quick to judge my sister. "I always figured you hated magic."
"I struggle with it, but I know the good our powers do," Kelly said. "When you need me, I'll be there, I promise."
