Martha came back into the house later on; the sight which greeted her was one of surprise. She didn't really know how she thought Elizabeth would handle Clark's sudden revelation to her. She initially suspected that she would be understanding, much like she and Jonathan had been. But then she had been shocked to see Lizzie's face when Clark had brought her back inside.
She had been dumbfounded, almost resentful. Martha had feared the worst. It was only when she walked into the kitchen did she realise that there was no point in being worried.
Lizzie was sat on top of the worktop with Clark beside her. She held a diet coke in her hands, draining it from the can as Clark held the milk bottle. A small smile was on her face and she wore one of Clark's old shirts, along with his pyjama bottoms. She looked an absolute mess, but she was smiling. She was sat there, smiling with Clark.
"Is everything okay?" Martha dared to ask, her hands on her hips.
"Yeah," Clark said. "I told Lizzie, mom. She knows everything."
"I see," Martha said, waiting for Lizzie to say something in response to that. But she didn't. She simply turned her eyes to the side and looked at Clark with a small smile.
"I always knew there was something odd with him," Lizzie teased and Clark rolled his eyes. He reached over to nudge her lightly as she laughed again. Martha couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Lizzie hit Clark across the shoulder before turning her attention back to his mother;
"My dress is in the washing machine, Mrs Kent, I hope you don't mind," Lizzie said.
"Not at all, Liz," she promised her. "I'm surprised Clark knew how to work it."
"He didn't," Lizzie said. "I put it in. He stood there and looked confused."
"I do know how to work it," Clark replied. "Anyway, Lizzie phoned her mom and said that she'd be back before dinner tonight."
"No problem," Martha held her hand up as she looked at the pair of them. She couldn't help but think about what she was seeing. Elizabeth had accepted Clark. She knew everything, and she still cared for him. Perhaps there was hope for her son, if he simply opened his mouth and admitted his feelings to the girl.
"Mom, you look as though you're about to cry," Clark commented to his mother.
She waved a hand nonchalantly. "No. I'm fine...well...I should be going out to help your father tidy up...you two have fun..."
Martha turned on her heel and walked away. Clark kept a frown on his face as his brows furrowed together.
"That was strange," Lizzie was the one to comment. She drank some more of the sweet drink, allowing it to fall down her throat in large gulps. Clark heard the noise and arched a brow before looking at her. She pulled the can from her mouth and ran a hand over her lips.
"What?" she wondered.
"Could you gulp any louder?" Clark enquired from her.
"I'll have another go and we can see," she teased him, bringing the can back to her mouth. Clark used his ability to catch her wrist before the can could even make it a third of the journey. Lizzie froze in shock as he smirked at her;
"Super speed," he reminded her.
"Doesn't mean you have to show off," she replied lamely. "It will become tiresome eventually."
"Will it?" Clark wondered, placing the milk carton back in the fridge. Lizzie dropped down from the counter and placed the can into the bin before folding her arms. She looked at Clark with a wide gaze, wondering where he had come from. Who was he? Did he not want to know?
"You said that you have no idea where you came from," Lizzie commented and the washing machine finished its spin. She dragged her dress from it, placing it over the clothes horse which Martha kept by the back door.
"I don't," Clark clarified.
"Do you not want to find out?"
Clark looked at her as if she was insane.
"Of course I do," Clark replied. "I just don't know how to find out, Lizzie. What can I do? Where can I go?"
"I don't know," Lizzie admitted. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She remained in the kitchen as Clark pulled out an apple from the fruit basket. He ate it quickly as Lizzie tugged at the shirt which she wore. She bent down to grab a glass from a cupboard as Clark watched her, unashamedly staring as the gaps between the buttons on his shirt widened, giving him a nice view of her bra covered chest.
No. What was he doing? He couldn't be thinking like that. Lizzie had almost died. She didn't need him ogling her. She was his friend, nothing more. She didn't want anything more, Clark knew that much. She was determined to move away...and he was not part of her plans.
She stood up again; placing the glass underneath the tap, turning the cold water on and watching the glass fill up. She drained the water and turned back to look at him.
"Do you think you will ever know?" Lizzie asked him. "I mean, do you think anything will ever present itself? If you came from somewhere else then there has to be others like you. There has to be more of you."
"Can you imagine?" Clark wondered. "More of me."
"It fills me with dread," she joked back. "But seriously, Clark, it has to be possible."
"I suppose so," Clark spoke back. "There is nothing I can at the moment, Lizzie. I need to finish school first."
"You'll have finished school before you know it." Lizzie replied. "The rate the weeks are going, it will be Christmas again."
...
And Elizabeth Lowe was never wrong. The Christmas holiday soon came around, as did the last day of school. Clark had managed to dig his bike out from the snow once the school bell had rung. Lizzie walked out soon after, seeing that he had waited for her, leant against the seat of his bike. The snow had fallen during the afternoon again and hadn't been cleared away from the school grounds. Clark knew it was going to be a struggle to get home.
Lizzie stood beside him in her large duffel coat. She was pulling a second pair of gloves over her hands as she shook in the cold. Her teeth chattered as she looked at Clark.
"How are we going to bike home in this?" she complained to him. "I was sat in Biology during seventh period and the snow just fell."
"We'll have to walk," Clark said to her.
"It's times like these when I wish you could use you strength."
"Lizzie," Clark hissed at her and she shrugged, looking around the bike shelter.
"What? There is no one here."
"That's not the point," Clark warned her. "The point is that we are out in the open."
"Okay," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'll keep my big mouth shut from now on."
"Is that a promise?" Clark said; the teasing back in his tone as she rolled her eyes and undid her bike from the bike lock.
"Hey, Lizzie!"
Clark groaned and allowed his hands to ball into fists as he turned around to see Whitney striding towards them. His gaze was set firmly on Lizzie as he moved closer to her, his eyes full of mischief.
"What do you want?" Lizzie snapped. "I'm a bit busy here."
"I just wanted to make sure you saved your first dance for me tonight," he winked at her. "Besides, I am driving in tonight. The roads should be clear...and you know what they say about the backseats of cars."
Elizabeth moved to stand in front of Clark, stopping him from moving closer to Whitney. She folded her arms as she arched a brow, her own smirk forming on her lips.
"Unfortunately for you, I won't be in attendance tonight. I have better things to do than attend the Christmas Ball. I am sure some other lucky girl would love your offer...actually...if she had any sense, she would stay miles away from you."
Whitney didn't even look perplexed by her comeback to him. If anything, his smirk seemed to widen in front of them. Clark could feel his anger boiling up inside of him. His hatred for Whitney was known to most, and it was obvious why. He had a way of getting under his skin.
"You'd be singing a different tune if you got in the backseat of my car," he grinned. "I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't mind...would you, Kent?"
"Get lost, Whitney," Lizzie was the one to snap. "I'm not interested. Not now, not ever."
"It's your loss, Lizzie," he told her. "I knew you were too attached to the freak. Don't tell me he's had you already? I never had you down for a slut."
This time Lizzie couldn't stop Clark. He brushed past her and strode towards Whitney, wrapping his hand around his shirt. Lizzie felt fear rise up inside of her as she rushed forwards, moving her hand to Clark's arm and trying to haul it back. She couldn't let him do this.
"You don't talk to her like that," Clark spoke, his eyes glaring into Whitney's. Lizzie thought that the boy was scared. She thought that he was petrified, but the smirk on his face told her otherwise. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to get a rise out of Clark. He was trying to prove that he was a freak.
"Why?" Whitney wondered. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing," Lizzie said as Clark kept his hands around Whitney's collar. "You're not worth it."
"Am I not?" Whitney asked her. "You wouldn't be saying that if I was in between those legs of yours."
Clark pushed Whitney against the wall of the bike stand then, keeping him pinned there as he did his best not to hurt him too much. Lizzie shook her head and moved both of her hands onto one of Clark's arms, using all of her might to move him from Whitney. She came to no prevail, groaning as she urged for Clark to stop.
"Clark!" Elizabeth snapped. "He wants you to hit him! He wants you to beat him up...he's only doing it to provoke you."
Lizzie's words sunk in, Clark's face turning from one of anger to understanding. He dropped Whitney as if he was dirt and turned his back on him, facing Lizzie as she nodded once. Her cheeks were red and her chest was heaving at what she had just witnessed.
"Your slut's stopped you from getting into trouble." Whitney spoke.
This time Clark did react. He balled his fingers into a fist and used as little strength as possible to turn around and punch Whitney in the nose. Lizzie gasped at the sight, a small chuckle escaping her as she saw Whitney hold onto his blooded nose. She snorted once, watching as Clark backed away and took her by the hand, dragging her back to their bikes.
"That was assault!" Whitney snapped.
"Yeah," Lizzie agreed. "And if you don't shut up then you'll have a nice black eye to go with the bloody nose."
Whitney scampered off, knowing full well that his plan hadn't worked. He could have punched better than Kent. He'd been holding back, Whitney knew that much. He hobbled off, his hand covering his nose as Clark ripped his bike from its stand, tearing the lock off completely and destroying the metal the bike had been attached to.
"Whoa!" Lizzie snapped at him, looking around. "What happened to keeping the alien thing a secret?"
"He's pissed me off."
Lizzie's eyes widened as she heard Clark swear. Clark rarely swore, unless he was really peeved off. She moved closer to him as he leant his hands on the handlebars of the bike, his head hunched over as he took a deep breath.
"He's really not worth it, Clark." Lizzie assured him. "I don't care what Whitney says. His opinion is irrelevant to everyone."
"He shouldn't have said those things," Clark said. "I really don't trust him, Lizzie."
"He'll never come good on his threats," Lizzie shook her head. "That's why they're just threats. He only does it to get a rise out of you, and it worked this time. You can't let it happen again, Clark."
"I know," Clark sighed in agreement.
"Besides," Lizzie said, standing tall again and punching Clark around the shoulder. "You standing up for my honour was quite cute...like some kind of film or something."
Clark said nothing in response to her as she pulled her bike out the snow.
"Apart from the fact I can completely handle myself and all that." She shrugged back at him, winking softly before dragging her bike out of the snow. She picked it up, looking for any sign of clear pathway in the distance.
"Whatever," Clark replied. "He deserved what he got; regardless of if you can handle yourself."
"If you say so," Lizzie spoke and continued to fall about in the snow. Clark walked beside her, watching as she slipped about.
"Do you need help?" Clark wondered.
"I thought you didn't want to use your powers?" she wondered from him.
He shrugged. "I can push both bikes, Lizzie. It doesn't take strength to do that."
"If you insist."
"Besides, you need to focus on one task," Clark smirked, "Making sure you can stand up."
She watched on as Clark held one handle of her bike and the other handle of his own. She juggled her satchel on her shoulder, focusing on the snow to make sure she didn't slip over.
"Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?" Lizzie asked Clark. "My parents aren't going to be gone for the next day. They've travelled to some business meeting and left me alone. Apparently eighteen is old enough to stay home alone."
"You've only just turned eighteen," Clark reminded her. "Don't tell me you're still scared of being home alone?"
She bit down on her bottom lip, pushing her gloved hands into her pockets. "Maybe. Besides, being eighteen doesn't mean you feel any different to being seventeen. I haven't matured, have I?"
"Definitely not," Clark agreed with that analysis.
"Anyway, you're just jealous that I'm older than you."
"Why would I be jealous?" Clark wondered as they stepped onto the main road. He stood still as she took her bike from him, looking at the cleared sidewalk as the snow plough moved down the street. "You're going to be wrinkly before me."
"Don't be mean," Lizzie warned him, walking with her bike as Clark chuckled.
"So what are you going to cook for dinner?" Clark asked her. "You should know that I have quite the appetite."
"Do you think that is anything to do with your powers?" Lizzie asked him. "I mean, you never get full, do you?"
"I think that's just because I am a growing boy," he replied. "You're not bothered about not going to this dance tonight, are you?"
Yes. She wanted to say how she was completely bothered by it. She didn't want to admit it to him. Clark had been adamant about not going. He had protested about staying at home and keeping his distance. The thought of wearing a tuxedo had filled him with dread. Lizzie had limply agreed. She would have no one to go with if Clark didn't go.
"No," Lizzie muttered, looking to the ground as they continued to walk.
Clark picked up on her lie in a moment.
"Lizzie," he groaned. She knew he had caught her out.
"What?" she replied. "You were so adamant about not going. I was hardly going to turn up by myself, was I?"
"You should have said something," Clark responded. "I'd have...well...maybe..."
"You wouldn't have gone," Lizzie shook her head. "I know you, Clark Kent, you would have hated it."
"And now I feel guilty," Clark complained to her.
"No," she shook her head as they rounded the corner to her house. "You don't have to feel guilty. It really doesn't matter, Clark. I'll be just as content sat inside with a Chinese takeaway."
"I thought you were cooking?" Clark said; a small amount of teasing in his tone.
She shook her head and snorted. "Mom and dad left me money. Why would I cook when I don't have to?"
"Good point."
The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence for the rest of the journey home. They dumped their bikes in Lizzie's backyard before entering the house, shedding their winter gear at the door. Clark watched Lizzie move around her small kitchen, pulling out two diet cokes and handing him one.
"At least Winter break is here," she said.
Clark looked around her kitchen with intrigue. He rarely came into her house, her parents preferring for him not to be near their little girl. Lizzie normally spent most of her time at his house, and so spending time at her house was a rarity. It was modern with all the latest gadgets, but it seemed cold. There were only a few family photos, most of them with Lizzie being a small child.
"Come on," Lizzie said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "We'll go and watch TV for a while before ordering the food."
Clark obediently followed her into her living room, sitting beside her on the sofa as he finished off his drink. He placed the empty can on the coffee table as Lizzie curled into the corner. Clark looked at her from the corner of his eye as she reached for the remote.
"Don't you want to revise tonight?"
"Very droll," she drawled. "It is the holidays, Clark. I can have one night off, can't I?"
"I suppose so," Clark said.
"Well, thank you for your permission," she replied with a smug look. She flipped channels, wondering what she could do to pass the time.
"I'll make you a deal," Clark suddenly blurted out to her. She turned her head to look at him, her brow arched on her forehead. "Seeing as how you're missing out on tonight-"
"-I told you-"
"-You lied to me," Clark interrupted. "You are bothered, Lizzie. Anyway, can you keep your mouth shut for one minute?"
She pushed her lips together, feeling them quirk upwards whilst Clark entwined his fingers.
"I'll take you to the prom after graduation."
Elizabeth could have sworn she felt her blood begin to race. Her mouth dropped open as Clark looked at her with hesitance. Why hadn't she agreed with him? Why hadn't she jumped at the opportunity? He thought he was being nice.
"You're serious?" she checked.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"You have to wear a tux."
"I know."
"You have to dance."
"I'll stand on your feet, but I know."
"You'll have to listen to me all night?"
"I do that on a regular basis," Clark said with a smirk. "I think I can stand one more night. Besides, after prom you're intending on becoming the first female President. I might not see you for a while."
"Then I agree, but only if you're serious," Lizzie warned him.
He snorted once. "Of course I am serious. I wouldn't have mentioned it if I wasn't."
"Then I agree," Lizzie spoke with a nod and a smile. She moved over the nudge him on the shoulder, resting against his side as she spoke. "I'll even buy you dinner to prove how much it means."
"So, you're going to spend...what? Ten dollars?" Clark checked. "Ten dollars to put me through an evening of hell."
"Hey, you agreed to it," she reminded him simply. "Besides, you might even have fun."
"Don't hold your breath," Clark warned her before she stood up.
"I don't intend to," she spoke. "Anyway, I'll grab the menus out from the drawer to decide what to get."
"Do you think they'll be delivering in this weather?" he called to her, remaining sat on the sofa as she stood by the sideboard in the hallway.
"Can't you fly?" she wondered from him. "That would be an amazing power to have...anyway...I'm sure they will...the roads are clear, it's just the pathways. Hey, do you think there..."
Clark stopped listening the Lizzie for a moment then, the thought of flying coming into his mind.
...
A/N: So many followers for this story! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read it so far! Anyway, thanks to Alexstarlight18, Carlypso, FirstBorn, Sarsun04, Becxx96, MarieeSalvatorelover, and SilverFireStorm (I admit that it is a pretty creepy coincidence!) for reviewing. Do let me know what y'all think!