It would be the following summer when Clark would see Lizzie again. He had been working on the fishing boat for a while. He was amazed that he had survived so long on it. He was always being a liability. He couldn't stand it anymore. He asked for time off and it was happily given to him. Clark knew that term time at Lizzie's university would be coming to an end. He intended to take a plane over there and see her, demanding for the reasons why she had never wrote back to him.

Two years had passed and he had not heard from her. Not one day went past where he didn't think of her. He thought of the life he had left back in Kansas. The life which had taken hold of him when he was a seventeen year old boy, spending the summer with Lizzie.

He wanted a bit of that back for a while. He had saved enough money for a return ticket, choosing to spend most of his wages on it and live off of toast. He knew that he looked a mess as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror of the airport. His beard had grown out of control and his face had become more defined as a twenty year old man. He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and left the arrival lounge, looking around JFK airport.

New York seemed bigger than Clark had thought it would be. He truthfully didn't know what he had expected from it. Lizzie had always told him tales of the city that never sleeps. He tried to hail a cab, holding his hand and waiting for an answer. He got nothing. Yellow vehicles drove straight past him, ignoring him as if he was invisible.

It took ten minutes before one stopped for him, informing Clark that he could tell that 'he was not from around here.' Clark listened to the mindless chatter of the driver after telling him where he wanted to go.

Finding New York University was not a problem, navigating the campus was. Clark looked for the main reception before asking where Elizabeth Lowe was staying. The woman looked at him hesitantly, knowing that she shouldn't give out names and addresses. Clark lied, saying that he was related to her and needed to see her immediately. The woman mellowed then, telling the boy that a member of security would walk him to her dorm.

But he had no need for that to happen.

As soon as they were outside Clark saw her. In the midst of the concrete jungle he saw her walking by. The guard asked if something was the matter and Clark shook his head, telling him that he had found his sister.

The guard nodded and let him be.

Clark's eyes widened as he saw her walking, a different satchel hung on her shoulder. She wore a flowing pink skirt, a sheer white blouse tucked into it. Her blonde hair had been cut, allowing it to hang nicely on her shoulders. Clark could tell that she had put on a bit of weight, her hips and chest seemed more prominent. She was still small with stumpy legs now.

He watched as she laughed, her face lighting up and Clark felt his pulse race at the sight. She walked by the side of another boy. He was tall and blonde, his face sporting a large nose and plump lips. A book was stuffed under his arm. He wore simple jeans and a tight fitted shirt.

But it was not his appearance which got to Clark.

It was the way he was looking at Lizzie. He was smiling down at her as if she was the best thing he had seen. He was looking at her with clear devotion.

He was looking at her like Clark once had done.

A lump formed in Clark's throat and he felt himself wondering what to do. Should he go and interrupt them? Should he go and present himself. He felt out of place in the college.

"Lizzie," Clark whispered her name, the sound foreign on his tongue after two years.

She continued to walk by, moving straight past him on the other side of the grass which separated them. Clark watched as she adjusted her satchel on her shoulder. Maybe they were just friends. Maybe there was nothing between them. Clark didn't want to believe it.

But he couldn't help but think it.

She hadn't written to him in over two years. She hadn't replied to his letters. And he had sent multiple ones to her college and to her home. It had been two years. What had Clark expected? Did he expect her to wait for him? Did he expect her to spend her time mourning over him?

No, he supposed not.

He just didn't expect this.

A small flurry of hope joined in with his longing as she moved to run a hand down her hair, tucking it behind her ear like she normally did. It was when she lowered her hand did the hope evaporate from Clark. The boy next to her grabbed her hand; entwining his fingers into hers and bending down to quickly kiss her on the cheek.

And she smiled back.

She looked back at him with a grin. She looked back at him like she had done with Clark.

He watched as they rounded the corner and he shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. She'd moved on from him. She'd found someone else.

Clark placed a hand over his mouth, walking in the opposite direction back to the main street. He pushed past the people there, his mind a blur with activity. He didn't know what to think. He had gone to New York to find out the truth from her.

And now he couldn't look at her without feeling pain.

After finding a quiet spot, he bent down on the ground, launching himself into the daytime sky before flying back to the one place he knew he could find comfort.

...

Martha Kent had gone the past two years without seeing her son. She couldn't deny the pain which she felt when she realised how alone she was in the house. She had Hank, of course, but he was hardly much company in his growing age.

Her days were filled with routine. Go to work, come home, clean and cook. She waited for the day until Clark returned to her. So when she saw him walking up her path on that morning, she couldn't hide the joy which pulled at her face. She dropped the ball she had been throwing to Hank and rushed forwards, knowing full well that it was her son.

Clark forgot about Lizzie after seeing his mom rush towards him. He held his duffel bag and opened one arm, allowing her to wrap both of hers around him. He felt content for a moment, closing his eyes as she held him tightly.

"Oh, Clark," she whispered. "Clark, my baby boy...you've come home..."

"I had to see you, mom," Clark admitted to her. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Martha said. "More than you can even know."

She pulled back after a moment, running her hand down the beard which sat on his chin. She clearly wasn't impressed with it.

"Oh, Clark, why do you have that thing growing on your chin?" she wondered. "You look a mess, you know that?"

Clark smirked for a moment, running his hand over it.

"I thought I looked manlier," he challenged her.

She scoffed at that. "You look a mess."

Clark said nothing as Hank began to scratch at his legs. Clark took a few moments to pet the dog, rubbing its soft spot behind its ear as his mother watched him with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" she wondered. "I thought that you were busy at work."

"I was," Clark said. "I got some time off and saved for a plane ticket."

"You should have said," his mother said. "I would have picked you up from the airport."

Clark shook his head at her. "No, I...well...I flew...I got the ticket to New York."

Martha took a few moments to put two and two together as Clark continued stroking Hank, who had now rolled on his back to receive a belly rub.

"You went to see Lizzie," she declared.

"That was the intention. I managed to get a cab to the University."

"Then what happened?" Martha wondered from him. "I bet she was happy to see you, wasn't she?"

Clark kept his head down, unable to look at his mother for fear of allowing tears to roll down his cheek. He wanted to cry, he really did. But crying would achieve nothing. It would not make anything better.

"I didn't talk to her...I...I saw her with someone else, mom."

Martha sighed loudly, shaking her head and resting her hand on her forehead. "She found another boy?"

"Looks like it," Clark said. "They were holding hands, and she never wrote to me. What did I expect? I can hardly lock her in a tower until I come back from my journey...I might never come back..."

"You should have asked her why she never replied to you," Martha scolded her son lightly. "You should have waited for her to be alone. She would have spoken to you, Clark. You know that. You need to speak with her. Maybe there is a reason why she isn't getting her letters?"

"I thought that at first," Clark admitted. "I thought that maybe her parents would give her them...but...well...they're not honest people, are they? I think they've kept them. But...you checked on her New York address and she has never written back to them. That makes no sense, mom."

"I know," Martha admitted, biting down on her bottom lip. "I could go and speak to Mr and Mrs Lowe...tell them not to be so cruel..."

"No," Clark said. "I need to know if they have been keeping them from her; or if she doesn't want to know me."

"Okay," Martha agreed to that request. "You go on and talk to them. It will put your mind at ease."

"Hopefully," Clark agreed.

His mother took the bag he was holding from him, slinging it over her own shoulder and groaning under the weight.

"You can drive the car," she told him. "I'll make dinner for you...potato and beef...is that okay?"

"Whatever you cook is fine by me," Clark promised his mother as she dug the car keys from her pocket. She passed them to her son as he kissed her on the cheek.

She watched as he drove away and she couldn't help but smile a sad smile. Her son was home for a small amount of time, but he was conflicted. She didn't know what to think.

...

Clark pulled up outside Lizzie's house, locking the truck and making sure that he had not dented it. The bumps around it showed that his mother had managed to damage it enough. He looked up her garden path again, slowly walking to the door before he knocked on it. He kept his head down; making sure that no one recognised him. He doubted they would now. His appearance had changed quite a bit.

But Clark recognised Mr Lowe as soon as he opened the door. He hadn't aged a day. Daniel Lowe stood at the door, studying the man who was in front of him. It took him a few moments to see the boy who Lizzie had been friends with.

"Kent?" he checked.

"Yes, Mr Lowe," Clark replied, his voice gruff as he did so. "I need to speak to you about Elizabeth."

"Who is it?" Mrs Lowe called out to her husband. "Daniel, you're letting a draft in."

Clark inwardly groaned as he saw Ellie Lowe appear at the door. She hadn't changed either. She still looked like the stern faced woman who had disliked Clark from the moment Lizzie invited him home and she heard the rumours about him. She frowned, taking in his dishevelled appearance.

"Clark," she spoke, shock apparent in her tone. "What are you doing here? Elizabeth is at college. She is making something of her life."

Clark heard the swipe from the woman, but he did not flinch. He did not move. He simply ground his teeth together and continued to watch her.

"I know that, Mrs Lowe," he said. "She will have finished her second year. I haven't heard from her in a while though. I wrote to her. I wrote to her every three weeks."

"We know," Mrs Lowe said. She didn't even try to deny the truth. What was the point? She wouldn't let him anywhere near her daughter. She had managed not to for a long time. "Lizzie has moved on, Clark. We didn't need you writing to her and messing with her mind."

"I wrote to her in New York," Clark replied. "She never replied to those letters."

"Well, no," Mrs Lowe said with a shake of her head. "We had those letters kept from her too. She was a wreck over the summer. She kept herself alone in her room...crying over you...we didn't want you to write to her and keep her waiting for you. She deserves someone better. She needs to move on with her life."

"You had no right to keep the letters from her," Clark shook his head. "I thought that she had forgotten about me. I thought..."

"No," Mr Lowe stepped in, seeing the anguish on the boy's face. "Lizzie has never forgotten about you. She never will. We just wanted her to move on, Clark. We couldn't stand to see her moping around the house. University has given her a new wave of life."

"I respect that," Clark said. "I just wanted to make sure that she was alright."

"She's doing well," Ellie stepped in. "She's one of the top of her class in politics. She has a social life. She has everything which she needs. She also has a loving boyfriend."

Clark tried to feign a look of surprise on his face, but it didn't come naturally to him. Mr Lowe turned to his wife, shaking his head back and forth as he did so.

"Is now the time, El?" he wondered.

"Yes," she snarled back to her husband, still disapproving of being overruled. "Now is the time. He needs to know that she has moved on. She has found someone else, and he is good for her. He isn't the talk of the town, he doesn't slack at school, he doesn't have abnormal qualities. James is good for Elizabeth. The pair of them will go far, I am sure of it. She deserves that, doesn't she? She deserves someone stable in her life." She turned her glare back to Clark. "Your changed her, and not for the better. There was a day in summer when she came home with a black eye. She was hit for defending you."

"Who would do that?" Clark whispered.

"Everyone who had something against you," Mrs Lowe said.

"Honey, that's the phone," Mr Lowe suddenly spoke as a ringing sound came from the living room. "Go and answer it, would you? I will show Clark out."

"You stay away from my daughter. She's moved on from you. She's happy now; she doesn't need you messing with her mind."

"Okay, go," Daniel spoke, pushing her from the door as he closed it behind him. Clark walked by Daniel's side, his eyes lowered as he thought about what he had just heard.

"Is it true?"

"What part?" Daniel wondered.

"She was beaten up?"

Daniel sighed, running a hand through his receding hairline. He would never forget the moment his daughter had walked in with a blooded lip and a black eye.

"Whitney Fordman had her cornered," Daniel admitted. "People began to doubt what you had done to him. He demanded her to say that you had smashed the wall. He wanted you ousted as a freak. Lizzie refused to tell them. She said that Whitney had hit her around until an old woman threatened to call the police."

Clark couldn't believe what he had just heard. He shouldn't have left her.

"She came home and put on a brave face in front of her mom," Daniel said, looking to the sky as he placed his hands into his trouser pockets. Clark studied him with intent. "I took her a glass of water up later. She was crying, saying how she couldn't wait to leave Smallville. She couldn't wait to get away from Whitney. But she was scared that you would come back and she wouldn't be here. She was scared of never seeing you again. Her mom told her to grow up...I told her that she needed to move on."

Clark gulped loudly. "I told her that I would come back."

"I don't doubt your honesty," Daniel said, looking back at Clark. "But she is my daughter, Clark. She is my little girl. I didn't want her to wait for you. I didn't want her to live her life through you. She's bright, beautiful and has potential. She doesn't deserve to spend her time looking out a window for you, does she?"

"No," Clark whispered. "But...why did you not give her my letters?"

"Because she would still be reading them at this moment in time. She would never have let go. She would never have moved on...and...we needed to see her happy again. She had to put you behind her. You just left, Clark. You didn't tell her how long you would be. We still don't know why you left."

"Personal reasons," Clark grunted out.

"And do you intend to come back to Smallville?"

"Probably not," Clark admitted to him.

"You don't know what you are doing with your life, Clark, and that is fine. Just don't drag Lizzie into your mess. Don't make her give up her life for you."

Clark had nothing to say in response to that. What could he say? He could see their reasons for doing what they did. Their daughter had been hurt and depressed. Clark had never thought of it like that before. He had never thought that she would be so depressed by his leaving.

"She has a boyfriend," Clark whispered.

"James," Daniel nodded. "He's a good kid. He's a psychology student. She brought him home at Christmas...he...he loves her, Clark."

"Does she love him?" Clark wondered.

"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "In time, she could. In time she could come to love him, I have no doubt. He is good for her, Clark. He is stable. You're not. If you go to her now, you won't stay with her. You'll leave her, won't you?"

Clark couldn't answer that, knowing full well that he had no choice but to leave her. He preferred places where there was a lack of human interaction. New York wasn't that place for him. He still needed to find out what he was for his father and himself. But he could find a job near her. He could be with her again. But would she want him? It had been too long. Could he stay put for that amount of time? In a city so big?

Daniel listened to Clark's silence. "If you go to her and leave her again, I don't know if she would cope. I don't know how much she could take. She pretends to be strong, but you know Lizzie. She's all front. You want her to be happy, don't you, Clark?"

"More than anything," Clark replied in a whisper.

"Then leave her be," Daniel begged. "Please, son, leave her be."

"I...I do miss her..."

"I understand that," Daniel said with a nod. "But she has been through enough with you. You will find someone else, Clark. I do not doubt it. You can move on, just like she has done. You're both young. There is more to life, trust me."

Clark questioned that statement at that moment in time. He nodded at Daniel, running a hand down his beard as he reached for his car keys.

"Go back to your mother," Daniel urged him, "and leave Liz alone. Leave her to her degree, please."

Clark could say no more for fear of breaking down in front of Lizzie's father. Daniel stepped back as Clark climbed into the car and drove off down the street, only then allowing a tear to spill down his cheek.

...

A/N: Another chapter for today! Hope you enjoy it! Slowly move into Man of Steel soon!