FROM THE END OF DESTINY'S ROAD:
As Clark reached the inner part of the caves, he was confronted by the last person he expected to see there. "Hey Smallville! What are you doing here"
"Lois? I could ask you the same question."
"My, aren't we defensive!"
"Well, I used to come down here as a teenager. I spent the night in Smallville last night and thought I'd stop by. Your turn!"
"It's kinda silly, but I had a dream that Superman was hiding here. The dream was so vivid. I figured I'd better check it out. Guess I was wrong."
Just then light filled the room. Jor-el's voice resounded like thunder. "Kal-el, your destiny has almost been fulfilled. There is only one more part of your destiny, that has yet to be fulfilled. It's time you disconvered it!"
Before Lois or Clark could speak, a wall in the cave opened up and both Lois and Clark were pulled in.
AND NOW "FULFILLMENT"
Clark couldn't tell how much time had passed, but shortly after being pulled into the cave wall he felt himself, with Lois close behind him, fall several feet to the ground. Clark heard Lois let out a loud grunt. "Lois, you okay?" Clark said, still laying face down on the ground.
Lois started to get up. "Yeah, I'm fine!" Lois said, almost spitting the words out. "Care to explain what just happened?"
Clark got off the ground and looked around to try and figure out where they were. "To be honest Lois, I'm as in the dark as you are!"
Lois clenched her fists and gave Clark the dirtiest look he'd ever gotten from her. "That's a load of crap and you know it!"
"Lois, what are you talking about?" Clark was doing his best to play dumb, but deep down he knew he couldn't fool Lois Lane. She was the best investigative reporter he knew, and he also knew her investigative talents didn't stop with the newspaper and her interviews.
"Don't play innocent with me Kent! You've been..."
"Did you say Kent?" Lois was interrupted by someone behind her.
Clark looked over Lois' shoulder to see who it was. An older gentleman, looking like he was at least in his sixties or seventies, and his wife. The man had obviously spoken. He decided he might as well introduce himself. His brief look around where they were had told him that he was definitely on a farm. Only one idea passed through his mind, but he was having a hard time believing it. "Yeah, she did. I'm Clark Kent. This is..."
Lois punch Clark in the arm. "And don't act like that hurt! I can introduce my self. I'm Lois, Lois Lane! And you are?"
The older couple appeared to be in shock. But the older man spoke up confidently. "I'm the owner of this land. That's my son's old treehouse. We saw lightning strike it moments before you arrived. We came out here and there the two of you were..." he chuckled. "Acting like Clark Kent and Lois Lane!"
At that moment, Clark realised he was right. He knew exactly where they were. There were just a few things he needed to confirm. "That's your son's old treehouse? Might you call it his "Fortress of Solitude"? "
The woman gasped. "How did you know that?"
"If you are who I think you are and we are where I think we are. I know a lot about your son and who he is. I think your husband has figured out who I am. There's a globe in that treehouse. It showed your son who he really was and where he was from. He can do extaordinary things. And he recently came back from an exciting journey."
"Wait," the older man spoke up. "Did you say recently came back?"
"Well, yeah, maybe a year and a half or two years ago."
"Son, I'm sorry to tell you but, if we're talking about the same thing, that trip happened over six and a half years ago!"
"Six and a half years!" Clark couldn't believe it. Where had Jor-el sent them, or more accurately, when?
Lois spoke up after exercising as much restraint as any Lane could. "Would somebody please let me know what's going on!"
Clark turned to Lois. "I know where we are. And who these people are."
"Well...I'm waiting!"
"We're in Smallville. And these kind people are Jonathan and Martha Kent!"
At that moment, Lois' mind must have overloaded at all the new information she'd received in such a short time, because before Clark knew it, he was keeping Lois from hitting the ground after fainting.
Clark carried Lois into the Kent's home and laid her down on the couch. Thinking Lois would be out for some time, Clark decided to get some answers from who he assumed were actually Jerry's parents.
At Martha Kent's invitation, Clark sat down at their kitchen table. She poured him a cup of tea and both her and Jonathan joined him. There was silence for a bit before Jonathan spoke up. "So, you're the young man who needed to fulfill his destiny?"
"Yeah, I guess. I take it Jerry...Clark told you all about what happened?"
"As best he could." Martha said.
"What I can't figure out, is why it's been six and a half years for you, and just over a year and a half for me. Do you have a newspaper?"
Martha went and got her copy of the morning edition of the Daily Planet. "Clark dropped it off this morning before going into work. He does his best to get us an early copy. Otherwise we wouldn't get it until supper time!" Martha chuckled.
Clark looked at the front page and read the date. "This is today's date!" Clark saw the confused look on Jonathan and Martha's faces. "I mean, it's the same day as it is where I'm from. When your son came to my Smallville, he said it was five years earlier where he was from. Jor-el seems to have brought me to the same day, but in your world. So it's been over six and a half years for him, and only one and a half for me."
"That seems to be the case." Martha said. "Jonathan, I'm going to call Clark and let him know. Maybe he and Lois will have some ideas. I suggest you fill in Clark here on what's happened the past few years."
"Why, what's happened?"
"Well..." Jonathan began. "Shortly after Clark came back from your dimension, we found out Lois was pregnant. A doctor at Star Labs had told Superman that human and Kryptonian DNA wouldn't be compatible, but turned out he was wrong. Their oldest son CJ is four years old."
"Wow! Do they still work at the Daily Planet?"
"Of course! You can take Lois out of the newspaper but you can't take the reporter out of Lois! She managed to write a few stories while she was on Maternity leave!" Jonathan chuckled. "So, did you..." Jonathan looked into the living room to make sure Lois was still out. "fulfill your destiny?" Jonathan asked, moving his hand in a flying motion.
"Well, I'm not sure. I've accepted it, I've done what I can to fulfill it." Clark made the same flying motion with his hand. "But just before Lois and I were sent here, Jor-el said there was a part to my destiny that hadn't been fulfilled, that needed to be. He didn't say what it was though!"
"Well, if anyone can help you figure it out, it's my son and daughter-in-law!"
Just then, Martha came back into the kitchen. "I just got off the phone with Clark. He said he's dropping off CJ with Jimmy and his wife Angela, then he'll fly here with Lois as quick as he can."
"Man, it's going to be great to see Jerry again!"
"I'm sure he didn't expect to see you again." Martha said.
"Well, I didn't expect to see him again either. I just hope we can figure out what's going on. There's one other thing. I should tell you..." Just then Lois walked into the room. "Hi Lois!" Clark said, changing the subject. "How are feeling?"
Lois shook her head and continued to look down at the floor. "I'm okay, I think. I had this weird dream that we were pulled into a cave wall and ran into a couple old farmers who you claimed were your parents and..." Lois looked up and almost fainted again. She steadied herself using a nearby kitchen counter. "It wasn't a dream. Mr. and Mrs. Kent?"
Martha got up and took Lois by the hand. "Come sit down honey. It'll be all right."
Lois hesitantly followed Martha's lead to the table and sat down, burying her head in her hands. "Clark what's going on?" Just then everyone turned at the sound of the door opening.
"Mom, dad?"
"In the kitchen!" Martha called out.
Lois turned around to see a slightly familiar face. "Wait a second. I know you! You're that guy...Jerry right?" Lois shook her head. "Okay, now I'm confused."
"Hi Lois." Jerry said. "Clark, it's good to see you!"
Clark got up to shake Jerry's hand. "Good to see you too Jer...I mean Clark. I guess I can call you that now that I'm on your turf." Clark chuckled.
Jerry laughed too. "It's okay." Jerry turned to his wife beside him. "Lois, I'd like you to meet...Clark Kent and Lois Lane."
Clark reached out to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your husband spoke very highly of you."
The older Lois smiled. "Well...he does that. It's nice to meet you." She turned to Lois. "It's nice to meet another Lois Lane. Strange, but nice to meet one that doesn't look like me and isn't a clone and...I'm babbling. Sorry, nervous habbit."
Lois just stared. "Uh, it's okay. Clark? You seem to know what's going on, but I don't. There's also that whole thing about you being called "Kal-el" by that voice in the caves! You've got a lot of explaining to do. I suggest you start...now!"
The older Clark inhaled through his teeth and almost chuckled at the familarity of the situation. "Better tell her Clark. She might as well know now. She'll find out sooner or later on her own!"
Clark inhaled deeply then let out a loud sigh. "I guess you're right." He turned to Lois. "Lois, do you remember the last time you saw me without glasses?"
Lois appeared to think for a minute. "Now that you mention it, it was before you left. I haven't see you without them since."
"Actually Lois," Clark removed his glasses and looked into Lois' eyes. "You have."
A/N I'm justifying Lois finding out so soon after Superman's appearance by the fact that her and Clark have known each other for years already. Please read and review.