Hi! This is part 5 of my "SuperTwins" series. I guess it can be read separated, but anyway, you should know.

I only borrow DC's characters. Except for Claire. She's all mine.


Meeting the Kents

It was near the end of August when Clark finally managed the time to clear his schedule at the Daily Planet and on the Justice League monitor duty roster to take his children to the farm.

He had talked to his parents about Conner earlier, of course, and they almost travelled all the way to Metropolis to see their new grandson, but Clark managed (barely) to keep them in Smallville for the time being. Conner still needed to adjust to the world in some ways, and Clark thought it would be best if he just stayed with him and Claire for a while, before getting to know his grandparents.

The last weekend of August was the finally the time. On Wednesday, Clark made sure with Batman that the Team wasn't going to have any mission, and fortunately, it didn't. That made things easier to plan. He called his parents to tell them about the trip, and when Conner and Claire got home that evening from their little social gathering (Claire had taken Conner to a reunion with a few of her friends from school), he told them the news.

Claire couldn't possibly be more excited for it.

"I was wondering when you'd take us there." She said. "I miss grandma and grandpa."

"They miss you too." He smiled. "What about you, Conner?"

His son seemed a little green. Clark frowned.

"I don't know." He answered before Clark could ask. "What if they don't like me? I'm your clone, not your son…"

Claire was about to speak, but Clark silent her with just a look.

"Conner, they will love you. They already do. The only reason they didn't met you yet was because I was trying to keep you at least a little comfortable with us first. It wouldn't do you any good getting to know the whole family at once. But trust me with this: they can't wait to meet you."

Conner looked at him with bright blue eyes – exactly like him and Claire – and there was so much uncertainty there that Clark couldn't help but get closer and hug his son, tight.

"Are you sure?" Conner asked, his voice low and full of anxiety.

"I'm sure." He promised. "You'll be fine. They love you already. Just like Claire and I do."

Conner hugged him back, just as tight. He was getting better at hugging, thanks to Claire.

They parted with a small smile at Conner's lips, and Clark hoped that his anxiety had subsided. He couldn't wait to introduce him to his parents. And now it was closer than ever.

~.~

"Claire, come on! If we don't hurry, we're going to get stuck in traffic!" Clark should have known that Claire was going to get late, even with a few hours to spare.

Conner was ready, in simple blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a black hoodie, right beside Clark at the hallway, with his duffel bag full of clothes for the weekend. He was quiet, presumably still anxious about meeting the Kents, but Clark was prepared to be by his side all of the time.

Claire, on the contrary, was so excited that she left everything for last, and now was hurrying through her clothes trying to find something to wear to the trip.

"I still don't know why we can't just fly over there!" She mumbled, knowing full well Clark and Conner would be able to hear.

"Because part of the reason I'm taking you there is to spend some time with you both. That's why we're driving. Now hurry up! Conner and I are going downstairs!"

"Okay, okay, give me five minutes!" She promised, and Clark sighed.

"Not a second more, got it?" she didn't answer, but he knew she had heard. "Come on, Kon, let's get to the car. It might make her faster."

Conner giggled and followed him through the hallway of their floor, and then down the elevator to the garage.

Clark disabled the alarm and opened the trunk of his car, a thing he barely used, but owned for the sake of his secret identity. He and Conner put the bags into it, and looked into his watch.

"Five minutes. Where is she?"

The elevator opened and Claire came almost dancing, juggling her bag of clothes and a small backpack, walking towards them in sneakers, black jeans, a blue shirt and a small white coat that Ma had knitted for her last Christmas.

"Finally! Come on, we're late."

She rolled her eyes, but put her bags into the trunk and got into the car, in the backseat, leaving the passenger's seat to Conner.

"It's a great view." She said while Clark started the engine. "You'll see it better from there. I know the path already, so I don't need it."

He smiled, appreciating the thought, but didn't said anything. Still nervous, Clark noticed.

Luckily for them, Claire was a chatter. And he knew she wouldn't let Conner alone the whole trip to Smallville, and would probably make him forget all about his anxiety.

~.~

And Clark was right. Claire talked the whole drive from Metropolis to Kansas, and eventually, Conner's anxiety started to melt, and he talked back. They talked about everything: the weather, the cars passing them, the traffic, the people, the sun, the sky, the highway, how it was ridiculous that Superman was driving, and so on.

His two children were already so close that sometimes Clark started to wonder how it would be if they had grown up together, like real twins. He could only dream about it, unfortunately, but at least, they were really good friends now. He glanced from time to time to them, smiling softly every time at their closeness. Conner seemed amazed by the view, changing from the big city to farm-like, and Claire chatted away happily about the joys of going to Grandma's house.

It made the trip faster, even though it was hours of driving. They arrived in Smallville at the end of the afternoon, passing by the city quickly and taking the route to the Kent farm. That brought Conner's anxiety back, unfortunately.

Claire tried to distract him with riddles and jokes, but Conner was getting more and more nervous with every passing mile. Eventually, they crossed the arch of the farm, and it was palpable how much this made the little boy beside him nervous.

"I really don't want to disappoint them." He whispered as Clark drove to the front yard, already listening to his father and mother moving inside the house to go greet them.

He parked and killed the engine, turning to look at Conner, who had his eyes down, his heart beating fast.

"You won't." He said. "And even if you do, they'll love you regardless. It's what family does."

Conner looked at him for a moment and visibly steeled himself, before he nodded. Claire opened the door and got out of the car, walking to the front porch, where Ma had just gone out, and was waiting for them with a warm smile and open arms.

"Come on, or Claire's going to eat all the pie Ma made us." Clark smiled to his son, and both got out of the car, following Claire's steps.

"You grew up, sweetie!" Ma was saying, almost squeezing Claire in her arms. "You're so beautiful and tall. Gorgeous!"

"Thanks, grandma. I missed you!"

"We missed you too, Claire." Pa said, smiling. And then they looked at Clark and Conner coming to join them. "Son! It's been a while."

"Too long," Ma said, a small reproving glare in her eyes, but her smile still in place. "you know I don't like when you stay away for so long."

Clark hugged Jonathan briefly before hugging his mother a little tighter.

"Sorry, Ma. I was just really busy. It took me a while to take some appropriate time off."

"As long as you come, dear." She smiled to him, and then looked past his shoulder, to Conner, who was staring them awkwardly from the steps in the porch.

"You look just like him…" Ma whispered with wonder, her eyes getting a little misty and wide. Jonathan was with the same awed expression, and Clark coughed to summon their attention.

"Ma, Pa… This is Conner. My son." Turning to Conner, he said: "Conner, these are Martha and Jonathan Kent. My parents."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Conner said, slow and a little unsure, but he stepped a little closer to offer his hand in greeting, just like Claire had taught him on his first week with them.

"Oh, my boy… You look exactly like Clark when he was your age." Said Martha, going for a hug instead of a hand shake like Conner was certainly expecting. The startled look in his eyes with the hug was almost comic. "Welcome home, honey."

"Thanks, Mrs. Kent…" he said when the hug was over, which prompted another response.

"Oh no, nothing of that. Call me grandma, dear."

Conner's cheeks got a little pink, and he smiled. "Ok, grandma."

Martha brighted at that, and Jonathan repeated the hug and the request.

"I've always wanted a grandson." He said.

"Now you have one, Pa." Clark said, smiling, happy to see Conner had relaxed almost completely after the greetings.

"Okay, now let's all come inside. Dinner's almost ready for you." Ma said, ushering them all to the small and cozy living room in the house.

Clark stayed to pick up their bags, but soon joined them in the couch, where Conner sat, listening Jonathan talk about the farm and the chores, and he saw with joy that his son was already welcomed here. He sat by his side, squeezing his son's hand a little bit, earning a small but happy smile in return.

That made him whisper something, very low, so only Conner could hear.

"I told you they already loved you."

Conner only smiled, listening to his grandfather talk. Soon Claire called them to the dinner table, and they ate, talking about the farm, Metropolis, Smallville, the League and the Team, getting to know each other, and making Conner feel like he always belonged. Even if he had less than two months of existence.

That, the feeling that Conner was fitting in with his family - the most important people of his life - made Clark sleep a lot better, knowing that whatever happened next, he could count on all of them by his side. No matter what.


I really don't know about this ending, but there you have it. It took me more than I wanted to get here, but real life got me under arrest for a time.

I promise the next chapter of The Team should be out within the week.

Don't forget to review telling me your thoughts. As usual, tell me if you see any mistakes so I can fix it.

See you soon.