Ever since the incident with the bus, Clark had refused to use public transport to get to school. He often biked in, or his father would sometimes take him. He preferred it when the summer was long. It wasn't so much fun in the rain, but he had managed to get used to it. The fresh air did him some good before he entered the purgatory which was known as school.

He took a deep breath and moved his rucksack further onto his shoulder before he parked his bike in the bike stand, looking down the rows to see Elizabeth stood there and doing the same thing. She didn't look up for a few moments as she struggled with her bike lock and juggling her satchel.

"You know he's a freak, don't you?"

Clark recognised the voice and winced inwardly. He looked across the rows to Elizabeth who was still bent over her bike.

"I know that you'll look like a freak if you don't get away from me," Lizzie responded before standing tall, dropping her hands to her hips as she glared at Whitney Fordman. "It would give me nothing more than pleasure to rearrange your face."

"Baby," Whitney laughed once, "you wound me." He held his hand over his heart to show his mocking. Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she saw him.

"Go away, Whitney," she demanded. "Don't you have fourteen year olds to pick on?"

"I'd much rather spend my time here with you," he assured her. "Besides, I am only trying to warn you of Clark Kent. He isn't right for you."

"There is nothing wrong with Clark," she defended him.

"You're new. You wouldn't know anything. Here I am, trying to protect you, and you throw it in my face. Honestly, Lizzie, you could so much better than Kent."

"Could I?" she wondered from him. "I suppose you are referring to yourself."

"Hey, it isn't every day a boy like me offers a swot like you such an opportunity," he assured her.

Clark felt his fingers inwardly curl around the metal which held his bike in place. He couldn't go over there just yet. He was too angry, and everyone knew what happened when Clark was angry. He watched on for a few moments, knowing full well that Lizzie could handle herself. The moment he made a move would be the moment Clark would move.

"Honestly, I have never felt so honoured," Elizabeth promised him. "I can only imagine how this offer is a once in a lifetime thing...unfortunately...I think I would rather die alone than be seen with you."

"You'll regret that," Whitney promised her, stepping closer to her. She jutted her chin out, refusing to back away from him as Clark finally made his move from his hiding spot.

Whitney noticed the hulking figure behind Elizabeth's back and instantly stepped back a space. She looked behind her to see Clark stood there, his glare fixed on Whitney.

"Is there something wrong?" Clark asked.

"You mean apart from you?" Whitney wondered.

Clark took another step forward, wanting to do nothing more than scare him. He knew that he couldn't lay a finger on Whitney. He couldn't do anything to give people room to doubt him even more. That had happened enough so far. Elizabeth was quicker than Whitney, placing her hand on Clark's chest to stop him from doing anything brash.

Clark looked down at the contact of her palm against his plain black shirt as she looked up to him.

"Don't," she urged him. "He's not worth anyone's time."

"You'll come to regret it one day," Whitney assured her. "You'll see that."

"Get out of here," Elizabeth demanded him. "We have better things to do with our time."

"You'll regret it, Lizzie," Whitney promised her.

She rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, her hand wrapping around Clark's arm as she dragged him away from Whitney. Clark took another final moment to glare at him before walking beside Lizzie. She dropped her hand from his arm and adjusted her satchel on her shoulder.

"He's persistent," Clark grumbled down to her. "I don't think he's ever been rejected by a girl."

"There is a first time for everything," Lizzie responded nonchalantly. "Besides, he shouldn't be so cruel, should he? Everyone knows he is a bully, but they don't do anything about it. He's not worth anyone's time."

Clark allowed a small smile to grace his features. "Don't let Whitney hear you speak like that."

"I don't care what he hears," she replied. "Besides, I had him covered before you suddenly appeared."

"I don't trust him," Clark replied. "I don't like the way he looks at you. It isn't right or nice."

"I suppose I am lucky that I have you to thank for saving me then," she teased him, bumping her shoulder into his upper arm as she laughed. He looked down at her and smiled before they heard the bell ring.

"What class do you have first?" he asked her.

"Biology," she complained. "I don't see any use in it whatsoever. What do you have?"

"Math," Clark spoke. "So...I will see you in History."

"Did you do your homework?" she wondered before entering the corridors and moving past all the lockers. Students flocked to get to class in time before a berating was handed to them by the professors. Clark took a moment to move into his rucksack and pull out the crumpled paper.

"Clark, you could put it in a file. It looks more presentable."

"Believe me, appearance will not matter as soon as Mrs Murphy reads this," he assured her. "I told you that you should have left me your work."

"And how will you pass exams then?" she wondered. "Anyway, go to lesson and I will meet you later."

"Try to keep the microscope intact this time," Clark called out to her as she backed away down the corridor. She tossed her head over her shoulder to look at him and grinned whilst rolling her eyes.

Clark stifled a laugh as he watched her almost walk into the water fountain. He ran a hand through his hair and made his way for his own class, counting down the minutes until the school day would finish.

...

"Clark!"

Martha shouted her son's name as soon as she saw the forecast on the television. Clark looked up to the porch where his mother stood, her gaze set on him and Lizzie as she watched the sun slowly disappear behind clouds. The two of them had returned from school together to the Clark residence. Lizzie had told Clark how she didn't want to particularly go home for a while due to her parents being out and she hated staying at home alone.

They were always working, Clark knew that much. They barely had time for Lizzie.

"What?" Clark wondered from his mother.

"You two need to get in here. We're about to get the tail end of a hurricane from the coast. You need to get inside."

"Fine," Clark said. Weather like thunderstorms and tornados were a regular occurrence in Kansas. He pushed himself to stand up whilst Elizabeth did the same, her hands wiping her dress to make sure she hadn't dirtied it.

"I saw about the hurricane on the news last night," she informed Clark as Hank barked around the pair of them. "It's hit pretty bad. I suppose we're lucky we just get the end of it."

"I suppose," Clark said. "I wonder how long this one will last."

"I don't know," Lizzie replied. "Do you think I have a chance to get home before it hits? I didn't think it would be that bad seeing as how it was dying down yesterday. As soon as its water source is cut then hurricanes become weak."

"You pay far too much attention in Geography."

"And you pay far too little," she retorted and looked to the sky as she stood by the door to his house, her gaze focused on the clouds above her.

"No," Clark said in answer to her earlier question. "You're not biking home in this. Phone your parents before we lose electricity."

"Fine," Elizabeth agreed weakly as a large gust of wind blew through the pair of them. Clark held the door open for her and she walked into the residence, noticing Mrs Kent securing the windows as her husband did the same.

"Mom," Clark called out, "can Lizzie borrow the phone to let her parents know she isn't going home tonight?"

"Of course," Martha replied. "Odd weather this is. I didn't think we would have this hit us. I'd hoped it would die down before Smallville received it."

"When it comes to the weather then we should be prepared for anything," Jonathan replied to his wife. "Hopefully we won't lose the electric this time."

"You know as well as I do that those cables aren't secure out there, Jonathan," Martha said.

Clark rolled his eyes and walked Elizabeth into the kitchen and motioned to the phone. She picked it up, the sound of Martha and Jonathan's bickering entering her ears as she held the phone close to her. She twirled the cord around her finger as Clark grabbed the milk carton from the fridge and drained it.

"Mom," Lizzie said after the fourth ring. "No, everything is fine...yes, I've seen the hurricane...no, we didn't think it would hit either...anyway...I'm staying at Clark's house tonight...no, tell dad that I will be fine. I don't want him out in this weather...yes...I'm sure...okay...I'll call you tomorrow...fine...I love you, too."

"What did she say?" Clark asked as soon as she had secured the phone against the wall.

"The usual," Lizzie said, not bothering to go into detail. "Anyway, at least school will be cancelled tomorrow."

Clark grinned. "There's always a plus side to these storms."

She rolled her eyes before following him back into the living room. Jonathan and Martha made sure all the shutters had been shut and the house was bathed in darkness until they turned all the lights on. Elizabeth looked around for a few moments, wondering if she would ever get used to the weather which Kansas suffered. She knew New York could be unpredictable, but never as much as Kansas.

She kept quiet as she sat on the sofa beside Clark. He had picked the remote for the television up and had begun to flip through channels.

"We still have work to do," Lizzie reminded him before she heard the first flurry of rain hit against the house. The wind continued to roar outside as she felt her heartbeat rise.

Clark looked across to her, seeing how her eyes were set on the closed window. He knew she was scared, he could see it etched across her face.

"There's nothing to be scared of."

"I'm not scared."

"You're also a terrible liar," Clark said back to her. "Honestly, I've lived here all my life. There is nothing to be scared of. I promise you."

"I guess," she agreed limply, running her hands up and down her bare arms. Clark saw how goose pimples had begun to prickle on her skin and he grabbed the blanket which sat on the other chair. He passed it to her and she smiled at him in gratitude.

"Anyway, we can't study when you're in such a state."

"You could study," she replied to him.

"Could being the operative word," Clark spoke and watched the weather channel for a few moments. Elizabeth joined in, leaving her textbooks in her satchel which sat by the door. She kept her arms hooked around her legs as the blanket remained firmly over her body.

A flash of lightning struck before thunder boomed out around them. She winced inwardly as Clark remained calm and collected.

"God, this is some terrible weather," Martha complained, moving out from the kitchen and to the living room. "Are you okay, Lizzie? You're as pale as a ghost."

"I'm fine," she assured her. "I'm just not too used to thunderstorms."

"There's nothing to worry about, sweetie," Martha assured her. "We still have electricity and I've got some leftover lasagne to warm up for dinner. You two can come and set the table."

Clark jumped up from the sofa as Martha wandered back to the kitchen. Lizzie stood up too and followed Clark, leaving the blanket on the sofa as he handed her cutlery to lay out. He set about filling a jug of water as Jonathan grabbed a flashlight from the drawer by the sink, just in case the power did go out.

Elizabeth sat beside Clark at the small table for four. Martha was the one who made the most conversation, Clark and Jonathan seemed too intent on filling their faces, and Lizzie was picking at her food slowly.

"You haven't finished your food," Martha pointed out. "Are you sure you're feeling okay, Lizzie? I thought lasagne was your favourite?"

"It is, Mrs Kent," she assured her. "I'm just not too hungry tonight."

"I'll finish it off, mom," Clark replied, swapping his plate for Lizzie's. The young girl rolled her eyes.

"Do you ever stop grazing?" she asked Clark.

"I'm a boy," He replied. "It is what we do."

Lizzie supposed she had no comeback to that response. She helped Mrs Kent to wash the dishes whilst Clark put the cutlery away once Lizzie had dried it off.

"I'll grab you a duvet and pillows," Martha said once she had emptied the dishwater. "You can sleep on the sofa tonight...the pull out bed should still be in good condition. Jonathan will pull it out."

"Thank you, Mrs Kent," Lizzie said as the woman rushed off and she and Clark continued to dry the dishes. Clark watched her for a few moments as she tried to control her breathing as another rumble of thunder struck. He said nothing, taking the things she handed him before putting them away.

Before he knew it the clock had struck ten and Martha was informing them that it was bed time. She had made up the sofa bed for Lizzie, covering it in blankets and duvets. The young woman had smiled in gratitude after being bid goodnight by the entire family.

Clark ruffled her hair ruefully as she slapped him away from her and he grinned as he moved up the stairs. Lizzie kicked off her flat pumps and dragged a bobble from her satchel, trying her hair from her face as she looked around the eerily quiet living space.

She turned off most of the lights, apart from the lamp which sat beside the sofa. She had to admit that the sofa bed was quite comfortable. She hadn't been expecting it to be so nice. She pulled the duvet up to her chin and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

But sleep didn't come to her. She groaned and grabbed her textbook from her bag, flicking through it until the room was suddenly bathed in darkness. She jumped back at the sudden shock of a lack of light, but said nothing, choosing to keep herself quiet and calm. There was no electric. She dropped the book to the floor beside her and tried to let unconsciousness find her.

...

Clark looked around his dark room, unable to see anything clearly. He had heard Lizzie downstairs with thanks to his super hearing. She had finally settled down, but he doubted she could sleep. The storm was loud against his window, the shutters unable to block out any of the noise. He could only imagine how Elizabeth was faring.

He picked himself out of bed and walked down the stairs, keeping as quiet as possible so that he didn't disturb anyone. He could make out the outline of the sofa as he walked towards it.

"Lizzie," he whispered her name.

She shrieked loudly, the verge of sleep had just come to her until Clark had whispered her name. Clark moved quickly then, sitting on the edge of the bed as she sat up and moved her hands out.

"It's me," Clark said. "Jesus, Lizzie, calm down."

"It's a bit hard to do that when you try to scare me to death," she snapped at him, her voice harsh as his hands caught her flailing wrists. She relaxed in his grip, just about able to make out his outline.

"I thought you would be awake anyway," Clark told her.

"I am," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would come and see how you are," Clark said. "And don't say that you're fine. You're a terrible liar."

"No, I'm not fine," she whispered, sitting up and pulling the duvet with her. She leant her back against the cushions before moving up to allow Clark a bit more room. "I can hear it...and...well...you study Geography. You know what hurricanes can do."

"Only when you're in the middle of one," Clark said to her. "You're pretty safe here, Lizzie. You know that."

"I know. I just have an overactive brain."

"Just try to calm down," Clark urged her. "Look...try and sleep..."

She watched as he stood up, her brows furrowing as she watched him.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to bed," Clark said.

She bit down on her lip for a moment. If only he could visibly see what a wreck she was. He would laugh at her. She would laugh at herself if she wasn't so terrified.

"Can you not stay for a while?" she wondered. "It's just...well..."

"I'll stay," Clark assured her, stopping her from making some kind of feeble excuse as to why she wanted him to be with her. She forced herself to smile and she moved up more, allowing Clark to sit beside her on the bed. He remained on top of the duvet as he listened to the thunder strike again.

He closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to find him as Lizzie lay with her back facing him. He listened intently, noticing how her breathing had calmed down and she was finally managing to fall to sleep. He said nothing as she turned to face him and he moved his fingers, tentatively reaching out to brush some hair from her face. She didn't wake, nor did she stir as the bobble she wore fell from her hair.

Clark remained sat up, Lizzie's soft snores eventually causing him to sleep.

...

A/N: Thank you to Smartlooks (sorry about the blonde thing!), Carlypso, SuzanofSouthern and yruniwylio for reviewing. A lot of follows too! Thanks guys! Please do let me know what you think! I have so many idea as to where I am going to take this story.