Beyond the Sun

34

"What do you mean by compromised?"

Annie hung her head and sighed as she sat in Emil's office. She'd been putting this moment off for a while. She returned to work the next day and had been like a ghost. She did her work without needing to cross paths with him. Only, that couldn't last for too long. It'd be too much to ask for if it could. So of course, eventually the two crossed paths and he had called her into his office, and she'd been here ever since.

He'd phoned repeatedly to see where she was, naturally he was worried seeing as how she had disappeared in the Arctic. "Annie?" He prompted, she sighed again and looked up at him. "You disappeared, and-"

"I know, I know...I'm sorry, it's just..." Annie said awkwardly, these were also the first words she had blurted out when she came through the door and she shut it behind herself, she'd more or less come out with; "I need to have a time out, I'm compromised, Doctor." Which led to him asking for an explanation.

"You know, don't you?" Emil leaned against his desk and looked to her with a small frown. Annie looked at him sadly, "You know what's going on here, don't you?"

"I can't say, exactly...just...I've got an inkling...and, because of this inkling, I can't work on this with you; not right now. I need a time out, like I said. I've not taken more than two weeks off since I started, and as much as I know it isn't ideal, and that it is short notice, I would like to put in for at least that time off now...at least until this blows over. Doctor, listen, stop looking at me like that...I can't tell you anything, I really can't. If I did, I'd be...I'll come back, I promise, just...I can't work on this, I just can't." Annie said awkwardly and in a soft voice, this was harder than she thought. "I'm sorry. Just let me go..." And that's exactly how that meeting ended really, and how she soon found herself speedily packing and leaving her ridiculous apartment and rushing to the first taxi she found and slid in and speeded to the airport.

She wasn't an idiot. Though Emil seemed to allow her to go, he believed her it seemed, though to be honest she hadn't really told him anything that could be believed, but she knew that he'd report whatever was up with her to a higher power. And that higher power would come for her. And that higher power would have no qualms about locking her up and interrogating her for information. Hell, no was she staying around for that. She was going to Smallville, to the only person she knew who would be able to help her out if things did really take a turn for the worse.

Yet, that seemed like a catch twenty-two seeing as how she'd lead whoever straight to Clark. It was infuriating. Yet, as she sat on the plane staring out of the window, Annie couldn't help but smile. She was going home! Okay, sure, she'd never particularly liked Smallville, but she loved it better than any other home she had had.

When she stepped off the plane, she grabbed her lone bag and trudged towards the taxi rank. Sliding into the vehicle she sat back and watched the familiar places speed past before the car stopped outside of a familiar apartment complex. Jumping out and paying the fare, she walked over to the door. Reaching up she pushed the doorbell and waited. Stepping back and looking at the windows, she sighed. Surely someone was in? Just as she was about to turn and go to the shop, she looked back when the door opened.

Wincing when there was a scream, Annie didn't have time to react before she was gripped onto and pulled inside. "Mum!" She shouted over her mother's over enthusiastic ramblings. "Mum!" She tried again and winced when Rebecca shouted for Robert, he came out from one of the back rooms and smiled at the pair.

Unlike her mother, Robert's greeting was a lot more casual. He wrapped an arm around her and held her loosely before stepping back and smiling at her. "Good to see you, Annie."

"Thanks!"

"Hm..." Annie turned and looked to Rebecca who was looking at her sceptically. "Why are you here?"