Title: Little Wonders
Summary: Years ago he made a decision that took away the one he loved and left him alone to raise their daughter. Now suddenly he returns to Metropolis with a new job at the Daily Planet and a secret identity as the city's hero all the while struggling to be a good father. But Clark Kent gets more then he bargained for when he's partnered with Lois Lane.
Rated: PG-13
A/N: I watched Jersey Girl a couple months back which gave me the inspiration for this story but also it was the song Little Wonders by Rob Thomas that kind set the mood for it, hence the title.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything all rights belong to those who own them; the only thing I do own is the little one I'm sure you'll all adore.
Chapter One:
The old red pickup tried to navigate through the busy streets of Metropolis while Clark Kent sat in the driver's side listening to his father's old Fleetwood Mac CDs waiting for the light to turn green.
To his right sat his daughter Maggie Kent, a light brown haired and greenish blue eyed little girl that was currently enjoying a book on Native American Mythology and Symbolism written by Professor Joseph Willowbrook.
"Why are you reading that? Isn't your fairy tale book in your backpack?" Clark asks looking at her briefly before turning his attention back on the road and that pesky red light.
Maggie smiled the same Kent smile she had inherited from her father and adjusted the giant glasses she had borrowed from him when he wasn't looking as she always did out of sheer fun, "Yes but this is much more interesting then reading Sleeping Beauty for the hundredth time."
"I'll buy you a new book after we settle into the new place but for now I think that book is a little too big for a seven year old to be reading."
"I'm 7 ½." she corrects him before diving back into her reading, "Grandpa Jor-El says that I have an above average IQ and it's important for me to expand my knowledge base."
He shakes his head and seems to let out sigh of relief when the light goes from red to green, "Does this mean that you've outgrown being read to every night and having the monsters scared away because I can stop doing that."
To her it appeared that her father was saddened by the idea of her growing up oblivious to the fact that he was trying to hide a smirk knowing that she would crack as soon as he got to three.
"I still need you to do all those things for me daddy otherwise I wouldn't be your little girl." she says with sincerity and an innocent smile that soon grew larger when she saw the rotating globe that shined like a beacon over the city of Metropolis, "Look at that Daddy!" she points at the building and Clark cant help but be reminded of the child's mother as the pick up turns into the parking lot across from the Daily Planet.
When the elevator doors opened Maggie rushed out ignoring her father's orders as she ran past each cubicle and easily maneuvered around people that got in her way while her father tried to keep up with her only to end up running head first into an intern sporting a bow tie.
Maggie stops when she sees her aunt helping out one of the reporters unfreeze their computer screen, "Auntie Chloe!"
The blonde haired woman looked up and excused herself from the desk as she wrapped the little girl in her arms, "I wasn't expecting to see you for another week or so…" she notices the other piece of the Kent family missing and looked back towards her niece asking, "Where's you father?"
Maggie points over towards the chaos where Clark had finished helping the intern with the mess before looking towards them, "Daddy said that grandma and grandpa wanted to go on a second honeymoon so we thought we'd surprise you….Surprise!" she exclaims with a large smile on her face.
Chloe chuckled and set the child down just as Clark appeared in front of them with a concerned look on his face, "You know better then to run off by yourself" he pauses to make sure she wasn't injured, "This city isn't like Smallville, there's a lot of things that could happen to you when I'm not looking."
"Don't be such a worrywart Clark, this place is pretty much the safest place you want to be in all of Metropolis aside from the county jail and LuthorCorp."
He whispers something to Maggie and watches her walk into one of the empty conference room where she pulled out a few things from her backpack, "I know I worry too much about her safety but I can't help it she's my daughter."
She looks on towards the little girl with a small smile and turns her attention back to her friend, "Has she shown any signs that she has your abilities?"
"No and I'm starting to think she never will."
"What about Jor-El? Isn't there something he can do?" Chloe asks out of concern.
"He thinks that it could have something to do with a mutation in her DNA." He watches his daughter one more time before looking back towards his friend, "In a way I'm kind of glad she won't have to go through all the things I had to go through." He pauses and is quick to change the subject, "Mom told me about your promotion to system administrator, I guess this means congratulations are in order."
Chloe wanted to say something about his eagerness to change their discussion but decided against it, "Its no big deal, I just step in and help people with their computer needs." Someone calls out her name and she looks over his shoulder, "Duty calls." She smiles, "Why don't I take you and Maggie out for dinner later that way we can both celebrate Clark Kent's triumphant return to the big city."
He doesn't have a chance to respond when the agitated reporter calls out for Chloe causing the kryptonian to suppress a chuckle at the look that crosses his friend's face, "I better go before Lombard throws a hissy fit."
She walks away leaving Clark to shake his head and laugh as he turned and headed towards the empty conference room where he saw his daughter coloring in one of her giant puzzle books his mother had gotten her for Easter, "Maggie?" she looks up at him and squats down in front of her with his typical concerned father face, "While I'm in Mr. White's office I want you on your best behavior. That means no running around like the bullpen is your own personal playground and if you need something just find Aunt Chloe. Understand?"
Maggie just nods with a smile and Clark kisses her forehead before rising to his feet, "I'll only be a few minutes." He smoothes her hair and starts to walk away when she calls him back and he turns around to see her gesturing with her hands in the shape of glasses causing the kryptonian to pat his coat pockets until he pulled out the frames and slipped them on with a look of relief on his face and gave her thumbs up before heading toward the main office.
Minutes turned to hours and Maggie began to grow bored after finishing her sixth connect the dots page until she finally gave up and closed the book with a huff as she sat in the chair contemplating what to do next while biting the nail of her thumb out of a habit she had been forming to help her think despite her father and grandparent's protest.
Suddenly the door opened followed by a loud female voice shouting across the bullpen, "I don't care what the chief wants Olsen just get me those damn prints before I decide to get a new photographer!" she turns around and locks eyes with the little girl surprised, "Oh, Hello."
Maggie's greenish blue eyes looked up the woman's hazel and suddenly became frozen with fear, "Are you one of Perry's grandkids?" the woman asks standing in the doorway not sure how to handle approaching the child who just stared at the woman with hauntingly familiar eyes she couldn't quite place, "I'm Lois." She extends her hands towards the little girl with a smile on her face.
The girl shied away from the hand and turned back to her coloring book where she pretended to occupy herself, "You're not very talkative are you?" Lois inquires still trying to figure out who those eyes remind her of, "I wasn't very talkative at your age either."
"She's just shy"
The familiarity in the voice from behind caused her body to warm up suddenly and the butterflies in her stomach to flop around violently when she felt the voice's owner brush past her skin to squat down in front of the little girl where they engaged in a hushed conversation.
Right before her very eyes stood the man she had not seen for nearly four years, "Lane!" the sound of the chief's voice knocked her out of the daze and she turned around to see her boss standing right outside his office door oblivious to the sudden change in the man behind her at the sudden mention of her last name, "I want you to show our new recruit around the bullpen then find him a desk." She nods despite the fact that her subconscious was telling her to run and hide in the bathroom stall rather than face him.
TBC
What do you guys think of the newest member of the Kent family? What do you guys think of her not having any powers like her father? Do you guys think Clark is too overprotective? I really want to know your opinions, questions, comments. As the story progresses we'll start to see different parts of Maggie's personality traits that make her very unique I think but when parts of Lois start rubbing off on her it makes for great entertainment at Clark's expense lol.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS MAY CAUSE FASTER UPDATES!