Always Hold Onto Smallville Novels & Stories

"You come back to me. Because I am right here. I have been right here this whole time and I am not moving." The lantern flickers again. This time when the edges of my vision blur I do not fully blink them back. The only thing I can still feel with complete certainty is her heartbeat under my palm and the bond between us, thin and strained but unbroken, pulsing in the dark like something that refuses to go quiet. I hold onto both of them. I hold onto her. "Don't give up on me," I whisper. "Don't you dare give up on me, June." ***

It was about us. He reached for his jacket, shrugging it on, and I moved toward him instinctively, tightening the strap on his arm holster without him asking. The small, familiar ritual grounded us both. “Promise me one thing,” I said. He waited. “No matter what happens today… don’t disappear.” He brushed his thumb across my wrist, the smallest ghost of a smile in his eyes. “Only if you don’t.” It wasn’t a promise either of us could truly make, but it was enough.

Then his voice broke the silence. “Never take this off.” His tone was cold. Serious. The sudden command snapped me out of my thoughts. I nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.” I expected him to walk away after that. But he didn’t. Instead, his gaze remained on my reflection. Then he spoke again. “If you ever get scared… hold onto this necklace.” His voice was quieter this time. “If you ever get into any trouble just hold on to this necklace and I would surely come for you.” I blinked slowly.

Lyra Lilly had put an extra place setting at the table by the time we all entered. Willow, Atlas’s mother had not let my hand go all the way to the dining room, she gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I don't know why but that small act of kindness gave me strength i needed. Maddox’s hand never leaves the small of my back, I can feel him pouring love down through our bond. Dollar gives both sets of parents a hug and introduces them to his mate. Atlas’s parents are just as loving and warm towards Demitri, this I am glad of.

Only to be. So, I held him. One hand at the nape of his neck. The other circling his spine in slow, grounding strokes. I didn’t know if he understood what I gave. But he didn’t move away. And I let him stay. And the one who always watched… finally let himself be held. He wasn’t empty. Just waiting for someone to stop trying to fill him.

Just for a few more minutes. Just to feel the weight of his arm, the steady thud of his heart, the quiet safety of being held like I was something worth keeping. The crack was wider now. And I didn’t want to seal it shut.

"Shall I vent your anger a little more for you?" He grabbed a coffee cup from the table and flung it carelessly into the lily pond. "Go fetch my cup, and everything will be negotiable," Mr. Clark said coldly. Jean wavered, her gaze clinging to me. "Seth, c-could you help me just this once—" "No." I ran my fingers along the rim of the coffee cup in my hand, the memory of Mom's humiliation flashing before my eyes, stoking the flames of anger burning brighter in my chest.

He puts it in his satchel. I will find her, he says. I will find her before she tries again. I will not let her take your daughter. I have never lost a case. I am not going to start now. He leaves. The door closes. The lock clicks. The apartment is quiet. I hold Eleanor tighter. The locket is warm against my chest. Her heartbeat is steady. Nathaniel pulls me close. He holds me. We will get through this, he says. Together. I nod. I do not speak.

This wasn't a straightforward kidnapping. Why have a grudge against such a young child? I couldn’t even imagine what Ava is going through right now. Tears blurred my vision as I looked at Atlas, whispering, "Who are they? What do they want?" Atlas tightened his arm around me and said, "Don't be afraid. They won't get away. We're going to get Ava back. Trust me!" What more could I say? If I couldn’t trust him, who could I trust? At this moment, he once again became my sole pillar of strength. His hand tightened, patting my back as he held me close, his eyes fixed coldly on the screen showing the car's movements.

And yet, here it is… wrapped around us like warm sunlight. "Do you ever think about how close we came to losing this?" I say softly. He doesn't say anything right away. But rather he turns me to him carefully. His eyes, those deep, steady eyes that once scared me, then saved me, lock with mine. "I think about it," he says. "That's why I am holding on to you like this." He cups my cheek; his thumb brushes my skin in slow, loving circles. "I don't take one moment for granted. Not you. Not him. Not life."