Chapter 6

"Your dad started asking questions didn't he?" Natasha asked when Clark knocked on her door ten minutes after leaving the Kent farm. It was a rhetorical question, but Clark nodded nonetheless.

"He didn't really ask questions. He accused you of teaching me to fight, and then said that nothing could justify what I did."

Natasha closed her eyes and took a breath, resisting the urge to go and strangle Jonathan Kent. She knew that he didn't have any experience in dealing with a hostage crisis, but the same thing that allowed Natasha to understand his reaction also made her want to strangle him. He had no business judging Clark for doing what was necessary.

"He's wrong you know. You did what was necessary Clark. You saved all of our lives. You shouldn't have had to."

The last sentence was said so softly that Clark didn't think he was meant to hear it, but he did.

"Hey, don't say that. If you had stopped Earl then people would have asked way too many questions. Since I stopped him, people will think that some kid was trying to play hero. Besides, don't think I didn't notice the lack of security footage on the news." He told her, and she smiled.

"It was the least I could do. Although it's a good thing you stopped Earl when you did. Fordman kept wanting to try something. He even suggested that we try and make a run for it once you had gotten Earl out of the room. Idiot." She finished, and Clark nodded.

"He probably wanted to impress you." Clark replied, and she snorted.

"There's nothing impressive about amateur's nearly getting themselves killed."

"Does that mean you think I'm an amateur?" He asked softly.

"No. You know what you're doing. And you don't have to do something stupid to impress me." She replied with a smile.

"Are you okay Natasha?" He asked.

"I'm fine Clark. This was hardly the most dangerous situation I've ever been in. But thank you for caring enough to ask. It's sweet."

"Great, make me feel like I'm eight years old why don't you?" He said, and Natasha laughed while simultaneously looking him from head to toe.

"Trust me, I don't think anyone could mistake you for eight years old." She replied, and he blushed.

"I think you need to talk to Chloe." He said, and she just stood there, waiting for him to elaborate.

"She's concerned about you. She seems to think you're dangerous."

"I am dangerous."

"You know what I mean. She asked me what was going on between us."

"And what did you tell her?" Natasha asked, her face and voice betraying nothing.

"That you're my teacher. I mean I can't very well tell her that you're my best friend now can I?" He asked.

"You really mean that?" She asked, and he nodded.

"I do. Pete and Chloe... they're family, but there are some things that I can't tell them, things that they couldn't handle. With you...with you I can be myself. There are no secrets, no lies just..."

"Acceptance." She finished softly. He nodded, before he embraced her. Natasha leaned her head on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. There was nothing sexual about it, but if anyone had walked through Natasha's door at that moment they would have thought they were interrupting a pair of lovers. For in that moment, there were no walls. Both were completely open, completely vulnerable, every secret, sin and desire laid bare. Natasha raised her head and looked into Clark's eyes, seeing her deepest desire reflected in his eyes. The desire to have someone to love and to be loved in return. All it would take was for her to lean up or for him to lean down. Just the smallest of movements that could fulfill the deepest desires of both of their hearts.

But as they looked into each others eyes, both knew that they weren't ready. It was too soon, their friendship too new. Neither wanted to rush into something and regret it later. Instead, both silently agreed to wait. They would wait, and allow their friendship to grow. Then when they were ready, Natasha Romanoff and Clark Kent would allow their desires to be fulfilled.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Natasha asked as she stepped back from his embrace, and Clark just smiled.

"I'd love to."

Two hours later Natasha was helping Clark to his feet, smiling with pride at his progress. In two days he had done better than most recruits did in two months. At this rate, he would be her equal in a matter of weeks. The thought caused her smile to fall from her face, something Clark was quick to notice.

"What's wrong?"

"That's just it. There's nothing wrong. In fact, you're doing better than any recruit I ever trained."

"And that has you worried."

It was a statement not a question, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. It means that you'll wind up on someone's radar a lot more quickly than I first thought. Unless you want to stop being a hero?"

"You know I can't do that Natasha. The meteor infected are my responsibility."

She just smiled and nodded. She had known that would be his answer, and in truth she wouldn't have it any other way. His good heart and his need to put the lives of others before his own were some of his best qualities. Which made what she had to tell him even worse.

"When you wind up on someone's radar, we're going to have to run. We're going to have to disappear. Do you understand what that means?"

"It means keeping my friends and family safe." He said, and she smiled sadly. Trust Clark to see the best of the situation.

"It means that Clark Kent and Natasha Romanoff cease to exist. It means that we leave Smallville and don't come back. Not until whoever is looking into you is dead. It means that we cut all ties with our old lives."

"It means I never see my family again." He finished softly. She nodded, resisting the urge to take his hand. As much as she cared for him, as much as she wanted more than his friendship, she needed him to understand the gravity of the situation they would eventually find themselves in. Because she knew that they would eventually have to run. It was not a question of if they would have to run, but when. There were too many people who had an interest in people with his skills and abilities. As much as she wanted to believe that her friend would be able to spend the next decade or two on his farm, Natasha knew that wasn't the case. Eventually someone would get curious and then they would come for him. And it wouldn't be like when she went to find Dr. Banner. These people...Hydra, the imbeciles who believed that her old friend Phil Colson had no business running SHIELD, and General Ross just to name a few...these people would come with weapons and promises of death for Clark's loved ones when he refused to be a tool in their war. As she looked at her friend sitting beside her on the sofa, Natasha made a silent promise. Anyone who came for Clark would die, no matter the cost.

"I'll see you later Natasha. Thank you...for everything." He said before walking out the door.

The Following Morning -Smallville High

Clark shook his head as he climbed up the rope beside Pete, trying to ignore the headache that had been troubling him since he woke this morning. That in itself was strange. He never got headaches. He had never so much as sneezed before. He just sighed before continuing up the rope, writing his headache off as a one-time thing brought on by the stress of the last day and the nightmares that had visited him the previous night.

In addition to being tied up in the cornfield, Clark now found himself back in the Luthorcorp plant. Only this time he heard Earl scream as Clark struck him, followed by his father's voice, condemnation in every word.

"Nothing can justify-"

Clark shook his head again, willing the ghosts that haunted his nightmares to fade.

"Are you okay Clark?" Pete asked from beside him.

"I'm fine Pete. Just didn't sleep well that's all." He replied, without turning to look at his friend. In truth the last night he had slept well was when he had fallen asleep next to Natasha. However, he knew that couldn't become a regular thing. Not only would his parents start to ask questions, but falling asleep next to the beautiful redhead offered far too much temptation. He had looked into her eyes last night and seen his deepest desire reflected there. But it was too soon. Neither of them were ready to take that step in their relationship and so both had silently agreed to wait.

"Are you-"

"I said I'm fine Pete." Clark said, turning to glare at his friend. What he saw caused him to lose his grip on the rope. He wasn't looking at his friend. He was looking right through him. Clark could see every bone and organ in Pete's body, see every beat of his heart.

At least he could until he fell to the floor, silently thanking whatever God there was for his invulnerable skin. He lifted his head, looking up at the wall even as he heard Coach Walt and Pete asking if he was okay.

"Yeah...I'm fine." He replied, barely hearing the Coach tell him to go get checked out by the nurse. In truth he was anything but fine.

"Class dismissed." Natasha said as she heard her phone buzz. There was only one person who would be trying to talk to her and that was Clark. And if he was trying to call her during classes it meant that something had happened.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she answered her phone.

"Not really. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure why don't you-Come in." She finished as Clark opened her door.

"What happened?" She asked and he hesitated before he spoke.

"I kind of...looked through a wall." He finished weakly, making her raise an eyebrow. So now they could add enhanced vision to his list of abilities. But that still didn't explain why he was so nervous. Unless...

"What wall did you look through exactly?" She asked, and he blushed.

"The girl's locker room." He said and she laughed. He just glared at her, which made her laugh all the harder.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing." He told her, but she shook her head.

"I do, but not for the reason's you think. I just find it ironic that of all the men in the world to get x-ray vision it goes to the one man who dosen't want to abuse it."

"Well that's all well and good, but it dosen't matter if I can't control it." He said before proceeding to tell her what had happened when he was on the climbing rope.

"You'll get the hang of it. You just have to practice that's all."

"Any ideas?" He asked.

"A few. Tell me what's in here." She said, indicating the top drawer of her desk. Clark looked at the desk, shaking his head a moment later.

"Close your eyes and take a deep breath." She told him. He raised an eyebrow in question, but Natasha just looked at him. He sighed before doing as she said.

"Now breathe out slowly." She told him.

"Good. Now open your eyes and try again. But this time don't try to force it. Let it come naturally."

Clark focused on the desk drawer, the wood seeming to vanish underneath his gaze.

"You keep a Glock in your desk drawer?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"Old habits are hard to break. You didn't survive long in my former profession unless you kept a weapon within easy reach." She replied, and he nodded.

"You should get going. Your next class starts in ten minutes." She said and he smiled before heading out the door.

The Torch-4 p.m.

"I would knock, but your door was open." Natasha said as she walked into the office, shutting the door behind her.

"If you're looking for Clark, he's not here." Chloe replied without looking up from what she was doing.

"I came to talk to you actually." She replied, her words causing the younger woman to look up.

"Okay, so talk. What could the Black Widow possibly want with me?" Chloe asked.

"How did you find my SHIELD file?"

"It wasn't hard. After you released your secrets on the internet any halfway decent hacker could have found your file. It made for quite the read."

"You showed it to Clark?"

"Yeah...Turns out I shouldn't have."

"Because he made you swear not to tell anyone else?"

"No. I wouldn't tell anyone anyway. If I did I would most likely end up dead. I shouldn't have shown Clark that file because he thinks you're some kind of a hero. Either that or he just thinks you're hot." She replied, and Natasha smirked.

"But none of that would matter...Except that of all the places you could have gone you came here. And now Clark's infatuated with you."

"So is every other male in this school. What's your point?"

"My point is that he's a good person and I don't want to see him hurt. And with a name like the Black Widow, what else can you give to anyone but hurt? Now, if you don't mind I've got work to do." Chloe said, turning her attention back to her computer screen.

Natasha just walked out of the office, knowing two things with absolute certainty. First, that Chloe was wrong. Clark had shown her that she could be more than an assassin, more than the Black Widow. And second, that her hunch about Chloe Sullivan had been right.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review and the next chapter will be up soon!