Lizzie woke up the next morning with a stiff neck. She could vaguely remember speaking to Clark whilst she was sleeping. Turning over, she allowed her arm to hit the empty pillow next to her. And then she remembered how Clark had run off before they could have a proper conversation. She said nothing for a moment, pushing her body out from bed before she went to the bathroom to shower.

She changed with haste, covering her face in foundation before she heard a knock at the door. She hastily finished rubbing the remainder of the brown liquid on her cheek before running her hands along a spare towel as another knock sounded. She moved quickly, pulling at her uniform as she went.

"Clark," Lizzie greeted him when she opened the door.

He was stood in a pale blue shirt with a dark tie and jeans on his body. The glasses were already set on his face as she held the door open for him. He entered with a soft smile, watching as Lizzie walked back into the kitchen.

"You came here last night, didn't you?" she checked with him. "I vaguely remember speaking to you before you flew off. How did you get in here?"

Clark allowed the smirk to grown on the corners of his lips, watching her with an arched brow as she pulled out a loaf of bread.

"I am Superman, Liz," he reminded her. "I can do many things which you don't know about."

"Well...next time...knock," Lizzie mumbled, putting enough toast in for him too. She knew that Clark never tired of food. She didn't think he could blame it on his male teenage hormones now. "Anyway, why are you here this morning?"

"I'm walking you to work," Clark curtly nodded at her.

"I don't need an escort."

"I'm not-"

"-Yes, you are," Lizzie interrupted. "I assume you'll be there to pick me up tonight?"

"Possibly," Clark said. "What is so wrong with me wanting to keep you safe?"

"Nothing," Lizzie assured him. "There is nothing wrong with you wanting that. I just don't need you escorting me everywhere. Bill has done a lot worse, Clark. Honestly, you don't need to be so wound up."

She pulled a glass from her cupboard and grabbed hold of the orange juice which sat in the door of the fridge. She poured a glass as Clark came to the kitchen, leaning against the worktop as she patiently waited for the toast to finish.

"How can I help it?" Clark wondered. "He was laying claim to you as if you were his possession."

"That's all it was," Lizzie replied. "Clark, just stop this, okay? I can handle myself. Some lewd man won't change that."

"Irrelevant," Clark spoke back. "I'm taking you to work and picking you back up."

"Fine," Lizzie huffed as the toast popped up. She pulled one out and began to butter it, handing it on a plate to Clark. He chewed on it with haste, not realising how hungry he had been until he had smelt the food.

"I'm glad we've settled that." Clark nodded briskly.

Lizzie chewed on the toast as she leant next to Clark, her arm bumping against his as he finished eating and placed his plate down.

"You know you were in Superman mode then," Lizzie told him, gathering up the dishes and placing them in the washing up bowl. "You go all bossy when you're in Superman mode."

"I don't."

"Yeah, you do," Lizzie retorted. "You're much more forceful."

"I don't mean to be," Clark replied, scratching the back of his head before picking his messenger bag up from where he had left it. He flung it over his shoulder and Lizzie grabbed her own satchel.

"No...I kind of like it," she said flirtatiously before grabbing her keys.

Clark arched his brow, his mind clouding over for a moment before he dropped his hand to the small of her back and led her from her apartment block. He took hold of his bike with one hand and Lizzie's with the other, both of them walking slowly down the streets as Clark recalled what had happened the previous night to her.

He bid her goodbye when they stood outside the diner, bending down to kiss her quickly. She rested her hands on his shoulders as his forehead leant against hers and she smiled up at him, still struggling to believe that they were together. It was an odd thing.

"I'll see you tonight," Clark told her, kissing her again once more before he let her go to work.

Clark spent most of his morning doing tedious jobs. He wasn't allowed to write just yet. He needed to get an understanding of how things worked in the Daily Planet. He was pretty sure he could work his way up in time. Only then could he be a top reporter. He was stood in the photocopying room for a while during lunch break. It was only then when he saw Lois Lane again.

"Nice glasses."

Clark looked up from the machine as it continued to make a racket into his ears. He said nothing for a moment, just allowing a smirk onto his face before he pushed the glasses further onto his nose.

"I'd like to think so," Clark replied.

She went to her own machine and began to photocopy her articles on the mysterious Superman.

"Did you see Superman last night?" Lois wondered from him. "He certainly did his best to get those people out of the fire."

"Well, he has to do his job, doesn't he?" Clark replied; the smirk still on his face as he caught Lois's eyes. She laughed once then, running a hand down her hair and leaning against the wall. She looked back out to the open office area from the window to the photocopying room. Everyone seemed to have gone for lunch.

"How do you like the internship?" Lois decided to wonder.

Clark stood opposite her, rocking back and forth on his heels before sticking his hands into his pockets.

"It's good," he admitted. "I admit that I was lucky to get it straight away."

"Perry said your interview was good," Lois shrugged. "That's what got you the job here. Anyway, it's a good job...well...it will be. Even award winning journalists still have to photocopy."

"I imagine that's tiresome," Clark said with a grin. "No, I know my interview went well."

"Why do I sense there is a 'but' to this statement?" Lois wondered from Clark. "You sound particularly hesitant. Reporters have to pick up on that."

"You're smart," Clark nodded, placing another page in to photocopy twenty times. He fiddled with the machine whilst speaking to her. "It's just that Elizabeth applied her. Twice, may I add. She never got anything, and I waltz in and get a job straight away."

"I didn't know she was a journalist," Lois replied.

"She hasn't been for a long time. The company shut down and she had to find work somewhere. Waitressing seemed to be her only option," Clark said. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Something will come up for her, I'm sure of it."

"Perhaps," Lois numbly agreed. "So, you're still seeing her?"

Clark shuffled slightly then, pulling at the collar to his shirt before he nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "We're together."

"I saw it coming," Lois commented, forcing herself to smirk. What did she really know about Clark Kent, anyway? She'd met him briefly. She didn't love him, and he certainly didn't love her. No, he was too infatuated with his little waitress.

"I never did," Clark replied. "Anyway, she's fine with me having the job here...I think...she resents me a bit..."

"That's going to happen," Lois said. "You're more successful than she is."

"I'm not," Clark shook his head. "She was the one who was always intelligent. I've had my fair share of down and out jobs."

"We all have," Lois scoffed. "She has to want it. Obviously Perry didn't see a spark in her. Who really knows what Perry White looks for though? So long as the Planet doesn't shut down then I'll be happy."

Clark bit down on his bottom lip then, pulling out his photocopying as Lois spoke again;

"So, how is it adjusting to normal life?"

"Not as hard as I thought," Clark admitted. "I mean, I've only been in Metropolis for a few months, but it's going well. How have you been, anyway? I haven't seen you since...well..."

"Good," Lois said, remembering the last time she had really seen him.

She'd made the mistake of kissing him and growing far too attached to him.

"That's good then," Clark said after a small cough.

"Kent!"

Clark moved his gaze up from the photocopier as someone called his name. He arched a brow as another reporter came in, a sticky note in his hand as he read the message which had been left for Kent. He didn't know if Clark had been in the office. It was only as he moved to reception when he saw him with Lois.

"Yeah?" Clark wondered back.

"There's been a phone call for you. Apparently your girlfriend's in hospital."

Clark felt his blood freeze as he moved away, leaving the photocopying behind him. Lois stood over his shoulder, her eyes widening as she saw Clark fidget, waiting for more information to be given to him.

"Apparently some guys beat her up whilst she was on her break."

"Which hospital?"

"Metropolis General," he replied. "Do you want me to tell Perry you've gone?"

"What else is he going to do?" Lois snapped back. "He's not going to sit here."

Clark didn't listen to the pair of them bicker as he left the Daily Planet, his messenger bag over his shoulder. He grabbed his bike and rode as fast as he could towards the hospital without breaking a sweat. He dumped his bike outside the ER and waited at reception for someone to tell him what had happened. No one seemed to be very helpful as they escorted him down the long room, pulling the curtain back to reveal Lizzie sat on the bed.

He watched her for a second before pulling the curtain shut again.

"Who did this to you?" Clark asked her.

"Who do you think?" Lizzie snapped back, pulling her leather jacket tighter around her. The buttons holding her uniform had been together and that jacket was the only thing protecting her modesty. Clark perched himself on the side of the bed, leaning closer to her to wipe her hair from her face.

"Why?"

"Apparently I've been playing coy too long," Lizzie rolled her eyes as Clark cupped her cheek. "Bill...I was on my way to get a refill of my birth control...and he cornered me...I don't know what happened. He knocked me unconscious as soon as possible."

"Lizzie," Clark said her name hastily. "He didn't...he didn't..."

"No," Lizzie shook her head. "Someone found him before he could try to. He's been arrested and interviewed now."

"Thank God," Clark whispered, kissing her on the forehead. She leaned in closer to him before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Everything will be okay...everything will be fine..."

"I know," Lizzie replied in a whisper. "Do you think you can take the rest of the day off?"

"Consider it done," Clark said, pulling back to smile at her.

He saw a cut by her chin and a small bruise by her cheek. She looked relatively unharmed. Clark couldn't help but thank whoever had found her. And then he wondered what kind of a man he was to let this happen to her. He was supposed to be Superman. He was supposed to save people like Lizzie. It was his duty, but he couldn't save the one who he cared the most about.

"The nurse was just going to get the discharge papers," Lizzie explained. "She said I should take the rest of the day off. I suppose I'm lucky it is just a few cuts and bruises. There's no lasting damage."

"Hm," Clark numbly replied, not too sure what he thought of this entire situation. He kept quiet, his hand holding Lizzie's as she was discharged from hospital. He walked with his arm around her waist, grabbing his bike and sitting her on it.

"Just put your arm around my shoulders," Clark instructed her as he took hold of the middle of the handlebars and began to push her along. She sat on his seat, doing her best to keep her dress down her legs as Clark pushed her back to her apartment.

"Clark, I can walk up to the second floor," Lizzie protested as he shook his head at her protests, insisting that he be the one to carry her to her apartment. He called work and explained what had happened. Lois had been the one to answer, telling him that she had his back. He remained grateful for that before he made Lizzie a coffee.

She had changed into her oversized jumper and leggings, folding her legs up off the floor as Clark handed her the mug.

"I need to quit," Lizzie decided suddenly to Clark.

She had brought her laptop out of her room and was already searching for a new job. Clark took a seat next to her, looking at the available jobs as he sipped his own drink.

"I've known that for a while," Clark replied gruffly.

"I do have an interview. I found out this morning. LexCorp are looking for a new Personal Assistant. Apparently there have been over one hundred applicants," Lizzie said. "Maybe that will be useful."

"Maybe," Clark agreed with her. "I'm sure it will. You're intelligent enough, Lizzie. Just see what happens, but quit at the diner, for my sanity and yours."

"I will," Lizzie promised and he kissed the top of her head. "LexCorp is supposed to be the kingdom of the Metropolis. If I get in there then I can work my way up. Maybe I can even rival your internship."

"I don't doubt it," Clark assured her.

If only he had known the implications of Lizzie taking a job at LexCorp then. Maybe he wouldn't have been so happy as he sat beside her on the sofa.

...

A/N: So thanks to anyone who is still reading and I really do hope you will let me know if you still are! Thanks very much!