To Walk Away - August 24th
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 24
Title: To Walk Away
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Smallville/DC
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Smallville/Batman/DC people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Impulse leads to questions.
Notes: Follows Star-Crossed Friends
Word Count: 1280
“What’s wrong?” Clark said.
Athena shook her head. “Nothing.”
He frowned at her. “You have been quiet since you got back from Gotham…did something happen?”
“No. I just…not feeling the holiday.” She swallowed the bitter taste of lying to him. She wrapped her arms around her tightly, trying to keep warm.
“I’m sorry,” Clark said.
“No. I am. I…this is great, really.”
Athena gave him a smile as he leaned into her side, the action warming her.
“Do you ever want to see the world?” he asked.
She started. “Yes.”
“Where would you go?”
“I don’t know. I’d want to go someplace where I could get to know the people. Soak it in.”
He nodded.
They sat beneath the night sky in silence. The stars winked down on them.
Athena felt a strange anxiety well in her chest. An image flashed through her mind of a bat.
“I have to go,” she suddenly said as she stood.
“Athena,” Clark said following her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m…I love this,” she admitted. “Being here, with you, but there is something in me that won’t settle. I don’t know if its premonition or the Slayer itself, but I can’t shake this feeling that something bad is closing in on me.”
“How can I help?”
She closed her eyes and felt tears build behind them. “I’m sorry…I think I just need a good night of sleep.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
“No. I’ll run.” Athena started away from him and paused. She turned and took quick strides back to him and went up on her toes. She kissed him fully, trying to put into it some understanding that this was the last time.
Clark’s arms encircled her as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.
When she tore her mouth away to breathe, she turned quickly and started away. The tears escaped as she realized what she was doing.
She was walking away. She couldn’t wait for her father to grant it to her. She needed to seize it.
88888888
Lex knocked on Athena’s door. “Attie?”
There was no response. He frowned and put his hand on the handle. He pushed open the door and found it empty.
“She’s not here,” Clark said, worried.
“No,” Lex agreed. He stepped into the room and looked around. Nothing looked out of place. But something was…off.
Two envelopes caught his eye.
“Clark…” he said, reading on of them. His own name was on the other.
Clark reached forward and grabbed his.
Lex tried to control the sudden fear that quaked through him. He picked up the one that had Lexie scrawled on the front. He opened it.
Lexie,
I don’t know how to say this, except to say how sorry I am for what I’m about to do. I can’t wait around and be Father’s pawn. Smallville was my first taste of freedom and I cannot ever imagine going back to what I had before.
This seems the cowardly way out, but I need this in a way I cannot describe. I’m going to see the world, the real world. You are the best brother and you have saved me from our parents too many times. I may not be able to repay that, but I can tell you the truth.
I saved you from the Porsche when it went off the bridge. I’m a lot stronger than I look. I’m a superhero, Lexie. I hope you can understand why I hid it, but it is also why I’m going to be just fine. And you are going to be okay too, because you are good man, and I can’t wait to see what that looks like.
I love you, always.
Attie
Lex stared at the words as his brain played through the implications.
Clark sat heavily on the end of Athena’s bed. “She’s gone.”
“Maybe not,” Lex said. “She can’t just disappear, it takes time and money and a passport. Those things can be tracked.”
88888888
Athena knocked on the door of Wayne Manor. She took a deep breath and steeled herself.
Mister Pennyworth opened the door and a momentary wave of surprise crossed his face before he managed to smother it.
“Miss Athena,” he said. “This is unexpected.”
“Bruce made me an offer I don’t think I can refuse,” she replied.
“Well, please come in. Master Bruce will be eager to see you.”
She followed him into the house and down several halls to an office. The door stood open.
“Who was it, Alfred?” Bruce said, not looking up from what he was studying on his desk.
“A very old friend,” Athena said.
She was amused by the start Bruce had as his head snapped up and he took her in. “Athena,” he choked out. “What are you doing here?”
“I know its short notice, but I was hoping to join you.”
“Join me?” he repeated as Alfred discretely backed away.
“Seeing the world.”
His mouth dropped open. “It’s not exactly going to be a cruise.”
“I don’t care. I want to go. I need to go.”
Bruce rounded the desk and approached her. “What about your family? Your boyfriend? Your life?”
“My life is an illusion. I was only in Smallville because for a few years of freedom I traded the rest of my life, my future to my father. I don’t know what he wants from me, but I’m not interested in finding out. Lex…we hadn’t talked the last few years because he was trying to protect me while he fought with Father. If I leave, I’m no longer something that can be wielded against him.”
He blinked at her. “And the boyfriend?”
“Clark will be fine. More than anyone else, he’ll understand why I needed to do this.”
“So he’s just going to wait for you?”
“I’m not that cruel…I told him not to wait.” She swallowed. “I told no one where I was going, or with who. I figured when you told me you were leaving it was meant to be a secret.”
“It was,” Bruce said, “I’m still not sure why I told you.”
“If you can’t tell your oldest friend something, who can you tell?” she asked with a slightly teasing smile.
“This isn’t going to be a vacation, Athena. I plan to train and move around a lot.”
“So it wasn’t a sincere offer?”
Bruce’s throat tightened. Only Alfred knew the truth of his plans and most of them were unformed plans. Only his goal was set, an unmovable distant objective.
“Oh,” Athena said, “it’s that offer you make when you want to tell someone something but know they won’t actually accept.” She shook her head. “Of course.”
He grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Wait. That’s not it. I welcome your company, but this isn’t a trip that I’ve planned…I don’t even know how long I will be gone. I just know that there are things I have to learn and they are out there.”
“My life is planned for me, Bruce,” she told him. “Being here is the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done. I don’t care if nothing else is planned.”
“It could be years before I come back to Gotham.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I’d rather go with you than write e-mails you’d never answer.”
“Are you sure?”
Athena nodded. “Yes.”
“You can leave at any time. Just say the word and I’ll arrange for you to come ba-”
She placed a hand over his mouth. “I get it, really.”
He reached up and removed her hand. “We leave for England in the morning. Leave anything here with Alfred that you don’t want to lose.”
“Okay.”
Title: To Walk Away
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Smallville/DC
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Smallville/Batman/DC people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Impulse leads to questions.
Notes: Follows Star-Crossed Friends
Word Count: 1280
“What’s wrong?” Clark said.
Athena shook her head. “Nothing.”
He frowned at her. “You have been quiet since you got back from Gotham…did something happen?”
“No. I just…not feeling the holiday.” She swallowed the bitter taste of lying to him. She wrapped her arms around her tightly, trying to keep warm.
“I’m sorry,” Clark said.
“No. I am. I…this is great, really.”
Athena gave him a smile as he leaned into her side, the action warming her.
“Do you ever want to see the world?” he asked.
She started. “Yes.”
“Where would you go?”
“I don’t know. I’d want to go someplace where I could get to know the people. Soak it in.”
He nodded.
They sat beneath the night sky in silence. The stars winked down on them.
Athena felt a strange anxiety well in her chest. An image flashed through her mind of a bat.
“I have to go,” she suddenly said as she stood.
“Athena,” Clark said following her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m…I love this,” she admitted. “Being here, with you, but there is something in me that won’t settle. I don’t know if its premonition or the Slayer itself, but I can’t shake this feeling that something bad is closing in on me.”
“How can I help?”
She closed her eyes and felt tears build behind them. “I’m sorry…I think I just need a good night of sleep.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
“No. I’ll run.” Athena started away from him and paused. She turned and took quick strides back to him and went up on her toes. She kissed him fully, trying to put into it some understanding that this was the last time.
Clark’s arms encircled her as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.
When she tore her mouth away to breathe, she turned quickly and started away. The tears escaped as she realized what she was doing.
She was walking away. She couldn’t wait for her father to grant it to her. She needed to seize it.
88888888
Lex knocked on Athena’s door. “Attie?”
There was no response. He frowned and put his hand on the handle. He pushed open the door and found it empty.
“She’s not here,” Clark said, worried.
“No,” Lex agreed. He stepped into the room and looked around. Nothing looked out of place. But something was…off.
Two envelopes caught his eye.
“Clark…” he said, reading on of them. His own name was on the other.
Clark reached forward and grabbed his.
Lex tried to control the sudden fear that quaked through him. He picked up the one that had Lexie scrawled on the front. He opened it.
Lexie,
I don’t know how to say this, except to say how sorry I am for what I’m about to do. I can’t wait around and be Father’s pawn. Smallville was my first taste of freedom and I cannot ever imagine going back to what I had before.
This seems the cowardly way out, but I need this in a way I cannot describe. I’m going to see the world, the real world. You are the best brother and you have saved me from our parents too many times. I may not be able to repay that, but I can tell you the truth.
I saved you from the Porsche when it went off the bridge. I’m a lot stronger than I look. I’m a superhero, Lexie. I hope you can understand why I hid it, but it is also why I’m going to be just fine. And you are going to be okay too, because you are good man, and I can’t wait to see what that looks like.
I love you, always.
Attie
Lex stared at the words as his brain played through the implications.
Clark sat heavily on the end of Athena’s bed. “She’s gone.”
“Maybe not,” Lex said. “She can’t just disappear, it takes time and money and a passport. Those things can be tracked.”
88888888
Athena knocked on the door of Wayne Manor. She took a deep breath and steeled herself.
Mister Pennyworth opened the door and a momentary wave of surprise crossed his face before he managed to smother it.
“Miss Athena,” he said. “This is unexpected.”
“Bruce made me an offer I don’t think I can refuse,” she replied.
“Well, please come in. Master Bruce will be eager to see you.”
She followed him into the house and down several halls to an office. The door stood open.
“Who was it, Alfred?” Bruce said, not looking up from what he was studying on his desk.
“A very old friend,” Athena said.
She was amused by the start Bruce had as his head snapped up and he took her in. “Athena,” he choked out. “What are you doing here?”
“I know its short notice, but I was hoping to join you.”
“Join me?” he repeated as Alfred discretely backed away.
“Seeing the world.”
His mouth dropped open. “It’s not exactly going to be a cruise.”
“I don’t care. I want to go. I need to go.”
Bruce rounded the desk and approached her. “What about your family? Your boyfriend? Your life?”
“My life is an illusion. I was only in Smallville because for a few years of freedom I traded the rest of my life, my future to my father. I don’t know what he wants from me, but I’m not interested in finding out. Lex…we hadn’t talked the last few years because he was trying to protect me while he fought with Father. If I leave, I’m no longer something that can be wielded against him.”
He blinked at her. “And the boyfriend?”
“Clark will be fine. More than anyone else, he’ll understand why I needed to do this.”
“So he’s just going to wait for you?”
“I’m not that cruel…I told him not to wait.” She swallowed. “I told no one where I was going, or with who. I figured when you told me you were leaving it was meant to be a secret.”
“It was,” Bruce said, “I’m still not sure why I told you.”
“If you can’t tell your oldest friend something, who can you tell?” she asked with a slightly teasing smile.
“This isn’t going to be a vacation, Athena. I plan to train and move around a lot.”
“So it wasn’t a sincere offer?”
Bruce’s throat tightened. Only Alfred knew the truth of his plans and most of them were unformed plans. Only his goal was set, an unmovable distant objective.
“Oh,” Athena said, “it’s that offer you make when you want to tell someone something but know they won’t actually accept.” She shook her head. “Of course.”
He grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Wait. That’s not it. I welcome your company, but this isn’t a trip that I’ve planned…I don’t even know how long I will be gone. I just know that there are things I have to learn and they are out there.”
“My life is planned for me, Bruce,” she told him. “Being here is the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done. I don’t care if nothing else is planned.”
“It could be years before I come back to Gotham.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I’d rather go with you than write e-mails you’d never answer.”
“Are you sure?”
Athena nodded. “Yes.”
“You can leave at any time. Just say the word and I’ll arrange for you to come ba-”
She placed a hand over his mouth. “I get it, really.”
He reached up and removed her hand. “We leave for England in the morning. Leave anything here with Alfred that you don’t want to lose.”
“Okay.”