Visit to a Small Town

by margroks

Clark goes hiking and pays a visit to a small Colorado town.

Visit to a Small Town

The rights to the characters of Smallville belong to its producers, the WB Network and DC Comics.  The rights to the characters of Everwood belong to its producers and the WB Network.  I own them not.

Clark Kent sat wedged into the old side car, his long legs sharply bent, his knees up under his chin.  His shoulders were hunched up around his ears and his long arms hung down, his hands wrapped around his ankles for lack of anywhere else to put them.  The lady to his right, one Edna Harper, had driven her vintage motorcycle like a bat out of Hell, practically flying down the mountain roads on her way into town.  Once a nurse who'd served with distinction during the Vietnam War, Edna had refused to take no for an answer when she'd found Clark wandering wet and alone in the forest during a snowstorm.  She'd insisted he return with her before he got lost, froze to death, was attacked by a mountain lion or got eaten by a bear and he'd run out of excuses.  It had seemed easier just to go along until he could reasonably and politely escape her good intentions.  He should have fled when he had the chance.

            They had entered the quaint little community of Everwood, Colorado and as she pulled to a stop outside a doctor's office there, Clark, who was feeling increasingly ridiculous, was glaring at no one in particular.  He felt like setting something on fire and was now in a full-fledged pout.  A man in a white lab coat, about his dad's age, came bounding out of the office toward them.  Clark focused his glare on him and muttered, "I was sent to rule the Earth," under his breath.  His lower lip protruded dangerously outward.

            The man looked at him oddly, not sure what he'd said, before turning his attention to the motorcycle's driver.  "Edna!  We were worried when you didn't come in.  Irv said you'd gone for an early ride but he thought you'd have been here by now-"  He stopped, taking a closer look at her passenger and smiled at this tall fellow who barely fit into Edna's sidecar.  "Who's your hitchhiker?"

            "Found him wandering around up in the state forest.  Helped me change a flat so I figured I owed him a ride.  Didn't wanna come; had to persuade him."  She glanced back at her reluctant passenger.  "Come on, Sport.  Time to disembark!"

            Clark sighed and asked, "Is this your son?" as he carefully pried himself out of the tight confines of the sidecar, making only a few dents and one small tear in the metal edging which he managed to surreptitiously smooth out as he leaned over to retrieve his backpack.  Clark had heard quite a bit from Edna about her son, the doctor.

            Edna laughed out loud.  "Naw, Junior's over there," she pointed.  This is-"

            The doctor extended a hand.  "Andy Brown; I'm the new doctor in town.  Come on in and have a cup of coffee and dry off.  Hot chocolate, if you'd prefer."

            Clark shook the proffered hand.  "Clark Kent.  And I was just passing through, actually."  Leaning close, he lowered his voice.  "I just stopped to help with the tire and she insisted I come with her."

            Doctor Brown just laughed.  "Nobody says, 'No,' to Edna; least of all, me."

            The three of them trooped up the steps and inside to a cozy waiting room.  After much stomping of boots, they removed their coats and hung them on the old tree in the corner.  Clark looked around and saw a homey, cheerful place, far different from the sterile corridors of other medical facilities he'd seen.  "This is nice…"

            "Used to be the train station.  I'd better call Irv so he won't worry.  Help yourself to the coffee."  With that, she strode off purposefully into an office at the end of a short hallway. 

            The doctor smiled after her.  "She's the best nurse I've ever had," he said quietly.  "And does she ever run a tight ship."  Doctor Brown held out a cup of coffee.  "Coffee, Clark?  Cream or sugar?"

Clark took the cup from him.  "This is fine; thank you, Dr. Brown." 

"Please, call me Andy."  Unexpectedly, he lurched forward and Clark braced him to keep him from falling.  "Whoa!  Delia!"  He was laughing again.  A pair of small arms was wrapped around his legs and a young dark haired girl was peering out from behind him, shyly examining the tall stranger in their midst.  "Delia, I'd like you to meet Clark Kent."

Delia slowly loosened her grip on her dad and came around, holding her hand out.  "Hi, Clark."  She smiled, staring at Clark with an intensity unusual even for Delia.

"She's not usually this shy…she had a scare this morning; she fell into Looking Glass Lake trying to catch a duck and almost drowned.  Apparently some passing Good Samaritan pulled her out and brought her here.  We didn't even see who it was."

Clark help up his hand in a little wave then reached down to shake Delia's.  "Um, hi, Delia." 

From somewhere in the rear of the building, came a loud quacking.  Someone shouted and a baby Canada goose flew out into the waiting room.  Delia made a grab for it but it sailed above her.  Clark, however, leaped up into the air, a little higher and faster than a human could and easily caught the creature as it passed overhead.  He handed it to Delia, who smiled brightly at him.

"Thank you, Clark."  She walked off down the hall, glancing back at Clark several times, as though fascinated by him, until she went into the back office and closed the door behind her.

"She managed to hold on to the goose in spite of her close call."

The front door opened, letting in a wave of cold air before it closed again.  A voice said, "Great jump.  You should be on the 'A' string." 

Dr. Brown and Clark turned simultaneously.  "Clark, this is my son, Ephram."

Ephram gave Clark only a passing glance, "Hi," and turned back, pinning his dad with an accusatory look.  Why didn't you call me?  I had to hear from Amy that Delia had been in an accident.  Is she okay?  What happened?"

"Ephram, she's fine.  She tried to catch a duck, well, goose, in Looking Glass Lake and fell in.  Someone brought her to the office."

"Who brought her?"

"We don't know.  Delia said she'd never seen him before.  She fell off the footbridge near the-"

"The footbridge?  That's the deepest part of the lake!  What was she doing there?"  Ephram's mother hen instincts were kicking in now.  He'd always been protective of his little sister and more than just a big brother to her since the untimely death of their mother, a little over a year ago.  With a curt nod to Clark, he stalked past his father, frowning and headed down the hallway in search of Delia.

Dr. Brown winced as Ephram walked by.  Turning to Clark, he tried to apologize.  "I'm sorry; Ephram didn't mean to be rude…at least to you."  Andy Brown smiled ruefully.  "He's had a hard time since my wife died last year.  He can be quite a mother hen where Delia's concerned.  Ephram's really a fine boy; we just don't see eye to eye most of the time."

"Losing a parent is…a hard thing to get over."  Being the last survivor of a lost race is even tougher.  Clark's eyes followed Ephram and watched through the walls as Delia threw herself into his arms; he hugged her back, fiercely.

Andy Brown looked at Clark more closely.  "You…sound as though you speak from experience."

"I'm adopted.  My parents both died."  When their planet was destroyed.

"I'm sorry."

Clark was quiet for a moment.  "It was a long time ago.  I don't remember them, really; just some vague things."  Be firm; rule the Earth.  He took another sip of his coffee, momentarily lost in thought.

"So…what brings you to Everwood, Clark?" 

"I was just out hiking and got a bit far from home."  Clark had toyed with the idea of camping out in the Garden of the Gods, near Colorado Springs, but he'd kept going and ended up on the shores of a pristine mountain lake that touched the town of Everwood.  He'd been heading back in the direction of home when he ran into Edna fussing with a rusty bolt on her motorcycle and stopped to help.

"Where's home?"  Andy watched him carefully, wondering what his story was.  Clark couldn't have been much older than Ephram.  The thought had crossed his mind that he might be a runaway.

"Um…"  Clark scratched his head, nervously.  I'm…from Kansas, actually."

Andy was silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully.  "Clark, if you're in any kind of trouble…I'd like to help…"

"Trouble?  I think you've got the wrong idea…"

"Really.  It can be tough out on your own…  I'm not trying to judge; if you need a place to stay, maybe …or if you'd like to get in touch with your folks-"

"Oh," he realized now what Dr. Brown was thinking.  "It's nothing like that," he smiled.  "I didn't run away.  I really am just hiking."

"The weather can get pretty nasty up here even in the summer.  You should pick a warmer month to hike or camp in the mountains.  Do you mind if I ask where in Kansas you're from?"

"Smallville."  He waited; this was when most people said, "That's where all those meteors fell back in '89…"

"That's-" here it comes, "quite a ways from here, isn't it?  Look, call your parents and we'll find a place for you to stay.  Use my office phone," he pointed, "Back there."

Clark stared; he could be home in no time if he wanted but he was trapped.  "Um…thanks.  But I have my mom's cell phone."  He pulled it out and tried unsuccessfully to get a connection.  "Be right back."  Clark walked out and moved down the sidewalk, feeling a bit like he was making a commercial. 

Dr. Brown watched through the front window as Clark walked up and down the street, doing the all too common cell phone dance.  Up a ways, circle around, back the other way, turning back and forth as you go searching for the best reception.  His next patient wasn't scheduled for a while so he stood and watched, amused to see Clark help little old Mrs. Jankovich across the street after she stumbled in front of him as he stood at the corner, even carrying her grocery bag until she was safely behind the wheel of her old red falcon.  Clark looked a bit morose, for a moment, as he watched her start the old heap.  He had to jump back suddenly when Mrs. Jankovich backed up over the curb and nearly ran over his foot before tearing off down the road like Mario Andretti at the Indy 500.  By all accounts, Mrs. J. had always had a lead foot. 

 Clark crossed back to the near side of the street and walked past the front window again.  Andy could hear him saying, "Mom?  Can you hear me?  Mom?  Can you hear me now?  That kid should be in a cell phone commercial.  He came closer to the window when he thought he heard someone crying.  Outside, Evelyn Woodson, one of Delia's classmates, came running up behind Clark just as he turned in the other direction and started yanking on his pant leg.  Clark stopped, looked down at her, closed his phone and said something.  Evelyn wailed loudly and pointed to a large oak tree that grew at the edge of the old train station.  Andy stepped to the door and cracked it, to hear what she was saying.

"Buffy's stuck in a tree, Mister.  I can't reach her.  Will you get her down?  Please, Mister?" 

Andy Brown laughed; Buffy was Evelyn's elderly Himalayan cat, ill tempered at the best of times with razor-like claws she used without remorse.   He thought perhaps he should warn Clark but as he walked onto the front step, he saw Clark was already high up in the tree.  Amazing that he could move that fast…  Loud sounds of spitting and hissing were intermixed with Clark's soothing words as he tried to calm the angry feline. 

"Nice kitty…it's okay…pretty girl…"  Clark came down quickly, jumped from the lowest limb, holding Buffy close; she was a twisting, angry demon, all bared teeth and slashing claws, now growling in that low register cats use when they are truly incensed.  A woman holding a cat carrier ran up to Clark, thanking him profusely as he eased Buffy into her cage.  The cage rocked back and forth, scooting around on the sidewalk as if the Tasmanian Dust Devil himself was inside while Evelyn and her mother hugged Clark and thanked him again.  After they walked away, Clark looked down at his chest, frowning and as came back toward the doorway, Andy could see his shirtfront had been shredded; one sleeve was ripped to the elbow, hanging loose.

"Clark, she really nailed you-"

"She just got my shirt.  Only a couple of scratches; I'm fine."  Sometimes, it disturbed Clark how easily the lies came.  It was a necessary evil, he supposed but it bothered him, nonetheless.

"Buffy's pretty old and cranky.  She goes up a tree at least once a week.  You sure you don't want me to look-"

"I'm okay.  My shirt's had it, though; I really liked this shirt, too."  Clark looked down again and sighed.  "I go through a lot of clothes…"

"I think I have something you can wear in the closet.  Did you get hold of your mom?"

"Yeah, but I got disconnected.  I'll try again."  Clark headed off, this time in the opposite direction and Andy went back inside to search for a shirt. 

From one of the offices, Delia watched him walking away and ran out the back door after him.  She ran into the side street thinking she saw Clark through the gap between two cars. Clark turned back, trying to find a spot where he could make his words understood.  Clearly, the man in those commercials needed to come to Everwood to do some checking.  He turned around yet again and rounded the corner onto the side street.  His head snapped up as screeching tires and squealing brakes caught his attention; a monstrous SUV was bearing down on Delia who had wandered into the street.  Delia was looking the other way, oblivious to the danger but she turned at the sound, her small face terrified.    

Through the rear window, Ephram Brown saw it happen; he watched, helpless as his little sister stepped in front of the speeding car only to see the fellow he'd just met make an impossible dash across the street, scooping her up and turning his back to it so the SUV slammed into him rather than her.  They were both knocked into the air then disappeared from sight behind the car as it skidded down the street and came to an abrupt halt.  

Ephram ran out the back door just as the driver, an idiot upperclassman named Duane Davis, jumped out.  He was standing on the sidewalk in front of his car, saying, "Oh, man, I'm sorry!  I didn't see her!  I didn't see her!" 

Bracing himself for the horror he would see, Ephram shoved Duane out of the way.  He was stunned to see Clark sitting calmly in the street, still holding Delia in his arms; she was hugging him tightly around the neck, saying, "Thanks again, Clark."

"Delia, you have to be more careful," Clark said, quietly. 

He started to stand, the little girl still in his arms but Ephram yelled, "Don't move!  Delia!" he choked, "Where are you hurt?"  Behind him, he heard running feet; he hoped it was his father.

Delia stepped onto the pavement as Clark gently released her.  "I'm not."  She turned back to Clark, looking very serious.  "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine.  He just bumped me."  Clark rose, casually brushing off his jeans; they were rather the worse for wear in back where he'd hit the pavement.  

Ephram's brain froze for a moment as he tried to process this bit of information that made no sense.  Man hit by big SUV, flies through the air and lands without a scratch?  "You're in shock.  I saw him hit you.  My dad'll-"

"Ephram!  Delia!  What happened?  Clark-"  Ephram, Delia and Duane all started talking at once.  "Quiet!  Is anyone hurt?" 

Everyone shook their heads except Ephram, who mumbled, "Clark was hit," although he sounded unsure.

Andy Brown turned to the boy next to him.  "Duane, were you driving that car?"

Meekly, he admitted it, "Yes…I didn't see her.  I'm so sorry…"  He looked at Clark and muttered, "Man, I could have sworn I hit you…  I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to-"

Clark spoke softly but his gaze was piecing, "You're lucky she's okay; you were driving way too fast!  You…need to be more careful."

"Alright; everyone seems to be okay but I want to check Clark and Delia out, anyway.  You," he pointed at the boy, "go into the office and call your dad and tell him what happened; Tell him I'll call him later.  Clark-"

"Honest.  I'm fine." 

While they spoke, Ephram walked away and casually circled the SUV.  There was a deep dent on the front driver's side where something had obviously impacted.  The car was deformed back almost to the wheel well; Ephram looked over at Clark who was trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing while at the same time edging away from the scene.  Like he wanted to melt away.  Delia had moved away from her dad who was still talking to Duane Davis and moved up next to Clark.  She was saying something and looking up at Clark with total admiration.  Clark put his fingers to his lips, begging for silence and she acquiesced.

As Duane took off for the doctor's office, Clark yelled, "Drive slower!" 

Delia held his hand as they walked back to the office.  Duane came out just as they got to the front door and gave Clark an odd look as he went to his car to talk to the town marshal who'd just arrived.  Once inside, Delia ran back to Edna who was just coming in the rear door with an armload of supplies and gave her a rundown of her latest miraculous escape from harm. 

"Well," she called out to Clark, "seems you're quite the hero."

Clark ducked his head.  "Not really."

Andy came up, handing Clark a t-shirt and sweater.  "Here; I'm still looking for a jacket."  He saw Edna looking at Clark's shredded shirt and jacket and smiled.  "Clark climbed the train station oak to rescue Buffy.  I guarantee no one would willingly do that!"

"That settles it; you definitely get the Good Samaritan Award.  Buffy's the meanest cat in Everwood."  Edna eyed Clark for a moment then said, "Wait right there," and disappeared.  From a closet at the far end of the hall came sounds of something falling; a heavy thump could be heard as something hit the floor. 

Andy and Ephram started down the hall when Edna came back into view holding an old and well-worn leather jacket, the kind worn by aviators early in the century.   

"Here.  This belonged to Hal Senior.  It was headed to the Goodwill Store but you look like you could use it."  She smirked at the memory.  "He thought he was another Charles Lindbergh."

Clark hesitantly took it from her.  "Thanks…Edna."  

She pointed to a room off the hallway, "You can change in there," and turned away, stomping up front when the door opened.

"Clark.  Just use my office phone to call home; cell reception's been awful lately.  Tell your parents we can put you up for the night; it's the least we can do."  Andy Brown stepped closer and shook Clark's hand warmly.  "Thank you for saving my daughter's life."

"Clark, feeling shy once more, said simply, "You're welcome.  And thanks; I'll…go call."  It seemed he would be spending the night here.

Later, after a lively dinner in the Brown household where Clark was catered to at every turn, he was shooed away when he tried to help clean up.  He slipped outside, walking out into the darkness until he came to an old swing set in a far corner of the back yard.  Above him, the stars appeared in all their glory, twinkling like diamond dust in the clear mountain air of the Colorado Rockies.  Once the stars had been his home; he wondered if he would ever return there.  Clark rocked gently on one long leg, back and forth, in quiet contemplation, the creak of the rusty chain a counterpoint to his thoughts. 

Clark's huge frame hunched over in the small seat made Ephram chuckle as he came near.  Clark twisted around to see who it was.  Ephram pointed toward the sky.  "Star gazing?"

"Yeah…I just wanted to get some air."  He twisted back around and stared up at the sky.

"You could never see the stars like this in the big city; they're beautiful here.  But I still miss New York."

"Why'd you move here?"

"We…my dad moved us here after…after my mom died; she was killed in an accident.  My dad just left his practice and brought us here to the middle of nowhere."

"Must've been tough."

"It's still tough.  I was really angry with him; I'd just lost my mom and my dad and I were practically strangers and he took us away from everything familiar."  Ephram was silent for a moment.  "But it's better now.  I feel like I'm finally starting to know my dad, a little, anyway.  Delia's adjusted better than me."  Now it was Clark's turn to be silent.  "Dad said your parents died…"

"Yeah.  When I was little.  I don't remember them much."  Except in holograms. 

"An accident…?"

After few seconds, Clark said, "I'm not sure what happened, exactly.  It might have been." 

Small, light footsteps came running up from the house.  "Ephram!  Amy's on the phone; she can't find Bright; he was supposed to be home a couple of hours ago and no one's heard from him.  Come on!"  She turned and ran back to the house.  Clark jumped up and headed back, Ephram following, working to keep up with his long stride.

He was halfway back before he even asked, "Who's Bright?"

"Bright Abbott, Amy's brother.  Edna's grandson."

"You've mentioned Amy…she's your…"

"Friend.  We're…just friends.  I think.  It's…really complicated."

Clark winced and muttered, "I know exactly how you feel," as they trooped up the steps.

Andy Brown was on the phone when the boys came in.  He hung up and pointed to his son.  "Ephram, take Delia over to stay with Nina; we're going to search the mountain beyond the Boy Scout Camp.  Amy says he was supposed to meet some friends there earlier; his truck's in the parking lot but they couldn't find him."  Ephram hustled Delia out the door and over to the next door neighbor's. 

Clark grabbed his jacket and Andy placed a hand on his shoulder.  "You don't have to go, Clark; you've saved one life already, today.  And I know you say you're fine but maybe you should take it easy.  No one would think less of you for staying behind."

"I would." 

"Clark…it's cold up there, the terrain's rough and it could be dangerous-"

"Then we'd better find him quickly.  You need me and I'm going."  He walked away and stood by the front door, arms crossed and face firm with resolve until Ephram returned.  Andy snagged his own jacket from the coat rack and the three of them piled into the car, heading off to join the search party as rapidly as the winding mountain roads would allow.

As they wound their way up the mountain road, Clark could see there was still a lot of snow at higher elevations.  A dense fog began to roll in as they approached the camp area and the ground was rain soaked and muddy from recent downpours.  People were already fanning out into the woods and Edna was there giving orders.  She waved them over as they got out of the car.  Amy Abbott stood next to her, looking scared.  Ephram walked over and put his arm around Amy's shoulders, saying, "We'll find him." 

"First wave just left; Harold and Irv went with 'em, heading south.  Now that you're here, I'm going with the Marshal to the east of the camp and Doc, you can take the area on the north side of the lake.  Come on.  Amy, you're with me."

The Marshal was giving instructions to his group as they got closer.  "I want you all to be careful; stay close to your partner and don't lose track of the rest of your party.  One lost person is enough.  Be especially cautious if you're going to the north; those slopes are saturated and there've already been some mudslides between here and Colorado Springs.  Leave your phones on and keep in touch with the other parties.  If I tell you to get out, do it and don't wait.  Now, let's go!"  Edna's party left and Andy, Ephram and Clark fell in with the smaller group going up and directly behind the camp itself.  The ground was deep with mud and looked every bit as treacherous as the Marshal had predicted.  Rain had started again and it was quickly becoming a heavy downpour.

Clark dropped back a bit, trying to tune out the voices and concentrate with his own extraordinary hearing but there were too many people in the woods, all making noise.  He tried looking around with his exceptional sight but nothing was apparent so he tried using his x-ray vision.  Still nothing; he began to distance himself even further from the group.  Clark waited until everyone was over the next little rise and stopped, closing his eyes, holding still and trying to listen for anything unusual that might give him a clue…  His eyes popped open when he heard the sound of someone sliding down the hill.  Ephram yelped as he bounced along a row of small saplings upslope, careening downward until he slammed into Clark's legs. 

Clark reached down and lifted Ephram to his feet.  "You okay?"

"Yeah; nothing hurt but my manly pride."  He tried to brush off some of the mud but gave up, realizing it was a lost cause.  "Man, hitting you hurt worse than hitting those trees…  You should really keep up; it's easy to get lost up here."

"I…couldn't hear anything with all those people yelling."  He closed his eyes again.

"Listen, if you need to go back to the car-" 

"Quiet!  I thought I heard something."  After a moment, Clark opened his eyes and stared intently into the distance for a moment.  He turned to Ephram.  "I think the Marshal's right about the danger here; you should go on and tell them to move that way, to the east.  The ground's more stable there; tell them to head around the other side of the lake.  Don't come back this way."  Clark started to move off but Ephram grabbed his sleeve.

"If it's dangerous, you'd better…  And how do you know, anyway-"

Clark shook his hand off and started to say something then thought better of it.  He sighed and grabbed Ephram's arm.  "Okay, let's go.  But hurry; this ground is really unstable."  He held onto Ephram, steadying him as they traversed the slippery hill.  He let go when they reached the ridge top.

Ephram stopped for a moment to get his breath and looked around for his dad.  "I think I see 'em over there.  Come on."  The going was much easier on the rockier ground above and he took off running.

"Make sure they don't come back this way!" 

Ephram was halfway to his father when Clark's words hit home.  He stopped and turned back but Clark was nowhere to be seen.  Behind him, where Clark had been, dirt and small rocks began to trickle down the hillside as he watched.  Ephram sprinted to catch up to his dad and the entire party headed for the more solid ground of the eastern half of the valley.

*** 

On another ridge top, some distance away from the search party, Clark stood, looking halfway down the slope.  He thought he'd heard a low moan and his x-ray vision allowed him to see an old wooden structure beneath the vegetation and sodden earth, an old tunnel or a mineshaft, perhaps.  Inside, he could see a human skeleton.  He was at the entrance in a heartbeat.  A tree trunk had fallen across the opening and brush and debris had already slid down the rain soaked hillside, largely blocking it.  Clark moved as little of it as possible, fearing a further collapse and edged his way inside.  He leaned over the unconscious form looking for injuries.  Gently he shook him.  "Hey.  Bright?"

The boy started awake and tried to focus his bleary eyes at Clark.  "Ow…my head hurts…oh, ah, my ankle…"

"Yeah, it…might be broken so don't try to walk."

"Old mine shaft; I slipped and fell through the entrance and a lot of stuff came down on top of it."  He blinked, trying to get a better look at his rescuer.  "Who're you?"

"I'm Clark; a lot of people are out looking for you.  But we need to get out of here; this whole mountainside is about to come down.  Here."  Clark picked him up as carefully as he could and picked his way back through the entrance.  Rocks and trees were starting to slide as he cleared the entrance and Clark took off, actually skimming over the top of the descending mudslide until he reached a stable ridge some distance away.  Bright had been unconscious again as he stepped from the mine entrance; mercifully, Clark wouldn't have to explain their miraculous run from danger.  He'd just have to pick out a reasonable lie for the rest of the search party. 

***  

The search party had made it to relative safety on a rocky ridge away from the dangerous north slope.  Now they looked on in horror as the mudslide poured down into the valley below.  Ephram stood, stunned, as tons of rock and mud buried anything that might have been on that slope, tears welling up in his eyes.  "He knew.  Clark told me not to go back that way."  Andy Brown watched as the slide finally slowed and put a hand on his son's shoulder.  Ephram was saying softly, "Maybe…maybe he got away…" 

"Ephram…come on…  We need to go; it's still too dangerous here…"  The somber group headed farther east, each man lost in his own thoughts.  Andy tried to raise the other searchers on his cell phone without success; all he could hear was static as they hurried away from the area of the slide.  Ephram looked back a couple of times, knowing in his heart there was little chance Clark had survived.

After a good twenty minute walk, they saw some people in the distance.  As they got closer, someone shouted, "Over here!  We found him; he's okay!"

"Did you hear that?"  Ephram ran ahead, despite his father's admonition to be careful.  Shortly, he came to the members of the other search party, all huddled around Bright Abbott who was stretched out on the ground, muddy and shivering.  His head was pillowed on a shirt, he'd been covered with the old jacket Clark had been wearing and his ankle was splinted.  Edna was kneeling over him, checking his condition.  Behind them, Clark stood, watching quietly.  He had apparently sacrificed his t-shirt for Bright's splint and was bare to the waist in the cold night air.

Edna barked out, "Someone get that boy a jacket!" 

Dr. Brown broke into a run when he got near enough to see he had a patient.  He glanced back at Clark, smiling as he turned his attention back to Bright.  Someone offered Clark a jacket just as the other search party arrived and Bright's father, Harold Abbott, raced over to examine his son.  Blankets were produced and a litter was made with which to carry Bright back down the mountainside.  Clark tried to help but Edna put her foot down and others took over.

Ephram fell in beside Clark as they made their way down to the Scout Camp.  "I thought we'd lost you.  What happened to you?  I was sure you'd been caught in the slide-"

"I…lost sight of you and I…guess I got turned around and headed in the wrong direction.  After I'd walked for a few minutes, I heard Bright calling out for help."

"How'd you get away?"

"After I got him out we took off in the other direction.  Must have just missed us."  Clark waved his hand dismissively.  "We were lucky."

"I'll say!" 

Clark just shrugged and walked on in silence.

When Bright was finally loaded into the car for the trip back to Everwood, Dr. Abbott came over to Clark and shook his hand.  "Clark…Dr. Brown tells me you found Bright.  Thank you; it sounds like you put yourself at great risk for my son and we'll never forget it."

Across the parking lot, Edna bellowed, "Come on, Junior!  Let's get this show on the road!" 

With a wry smile, Dr. Abbott said, "Mother never was a patient woman.  Thank you, again, Clark."  With that, he turned and went to his car.

Andy Brown smiled, too, as he watched them leave.  "Come on guys.  Let's head home."  As they drove off, Andy looked over at Ephram, who was already leaning over as though he would fall asleep any moment.  He glanced in the rearview mirror at Clark and was surprised to find him seemingly wide awake, staring out the window, lost in thought.  "Weird day, long night, huh, Clark?"

Clark muttered, "Not as weird as you might think." He shut his eyes, wishing he could fall asleep as easily as Ephram.

*** 

The next morning, everyone slept in except Ephram, who awakened early and fixed a huge breakfast.  As the meal was winding down, the phone rang and Andy Brown answered.  He turned to Clark.  "It's Edna; she says she ran into a couple of people in Mama Jo's diner who say they're friends of yours.  A Lex Luthor and a Helen Bryce; you know them, Clark?"

"Yeah.  I know' em.  But I don't know why they'd be here." 

Andy told Edna they were indeed Clark's friends and she could send them over.  A few minutes later, a stretch limousine pulled up in front of the Brown house.

***  

Lex looked down at the little girl who met them at the front door.  "Hi, I'm Lex and this is Helen.  We're looking for-"

"Clark, your friends are here!"  She turned as Clark came to the door and hugged him.

Andy appeared and offered a hand to Lex.  "Hi, I'm Andy Brown; please come in.  We're just finishing breakfast; would you like something?"

Lex smiled. "Thanks, but we ate at the diner."

"Clark saved Bright last night!" she added.

"So we heard.  At least, we heard a tall dark haired fellow rescued someone who was lost.  When the lady behind the counter said she thought his name was Clark, I just had to know.  I mean, what are the odds…"

"Delia, come on…everyone was trying to find Bright…I just got lucky." 

Helen grinned, knowingly.  "You were the main topic of conversation at Mama Jo's, Clark."

Clark lowered his head, his cheeks reddening faintly.  "It really wasn't any big deal…"  He rubbed his hands together and looked back at Lex.  "How'd you end up in Everwood, Lex?" 

"Helen wanted to see the mountains so we drove to Denver for the medical conference.  We were coming back last night when we ran into a roadblock; the state police had closed off the main highway because of mudslides.  We got diverted so many times, I was beginning to think we'd never make it back to civilization.  Quite a coincidence we ended up here."

Ephram piped up, "Well, depends on your definition of civilization whether you've actually made it back."

"Ephram misses New York City."  Andy raised his eyebrows at his son.  "So…you're both doctors…"

"Helen is; I'm just a businessman."  Clark stifled a laugh. 

"I'm a physician at Smallville Medical Center."

"Any relation to the plastic surgeon-"

"My father."

"Followed in his footsteps?"

"Not really.  We had something of a falling out when I decided not to."

"Sorry to hear that."

Helen looked at him for a moment as though trying to place him.  "You're the Dr. Brown…the neurosurgeon?"

 "I left my practice in New York after my wife died."

"I'm sorry.  You practice…here now?"

"Only on occasion; mainly, I run a free clinic in Everwood."

"Must've been quite a change from the big city."

"Oh, yeah," Ephram interjected. 

"Ephram wasn't exactly thrilled with the change of scenery.  You folks sure you won't come in for some coffee or something?"

"We really should be going.  We just thought we'd come offer you a ride.  I remain ever hopeful that we'll find a way back to Smallville.  Sometime soon, if we're lucky."

"Yeah, um…thanks Lex."  He was trapped again.  "Except…maybe I should help clean up…"

"Don't be silly; go on."

"Let me get my backpack.  I'll just be a minute."  He walked down the hall and into the den.  Delia was waiting for him.

"Delia; I have to go."  She threw herself at Clark and wrapped her arms around him one last time.  "Promise me you'll be more careful, okay?"

"I promise, Clark."  Delia followed him down the hall to the front door.

Clark shook hands all around.  "Thanks for everything.  And tell Edna, 'Goodbye' for me.  If you're ever in Smallville, stop by…"

 "Clark; thank you.  And you're always welcome here if you're ever back this way."

Clark made his way down the walk and with one last wave, got into the limo and was gone.

Andy Brown sighed as the limousine disappeared from sight.  "I have the oddest feeling that we just met someone extraordinary."

"I just realized where I'd seen him before.  That was the Lex Luthor; of the Metropolis Luthors."

"Oh, yeah, that's who he was; I thought I'd seen him somewhere.  Well, he seemed nice enough but I didn't mean him.  I meant Clark.  I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something about Clark…"  Andy Brown stood lost in thought for a time, then turned and headed to the kitchen.  "I'll finish up in here; why don't you two go do something."

Delia ran squealing around the house and Ephram gave chase, all the way to the old swing set out back.  He pushed her for a while until she'd had her fill then they sat in silence, Delia pushing the sand around with the toe of her shoe.  After a bit she sighed.  "I miss Clark.  Dad's right; he was special."

"I kinda do, too.  We're lucky he was here.  And while we're on the subject, why'd you run into the street without looking?"

"Dad already gave me this lecture."

"Delia…"

"Okay, okay…I thought he was leaving and I wanted to thank him again for saving me-" She stopped suddenly and jumped up out of the swing.

"Whoa…wait a minute…what…what are you talking about?  Clark…Delia, did Clark pull you out of the lake, too?"

She lowered her head.  "Clark didn't want me to say anything.  He said he didn't want people to make a big deal out of it."

Ephram was stunned.  "But it was a big deal-"

"Promise you won't tell.  Besides…"

"What?  Besides what?"

"I think he was afraid I saw what he did before he pulled me out."

"Uh…what was that?"    

"Promise you won't say anything?"

"Delia!  What did he do?"

"He…was sort of…walking on water…"

Ephram's mouth quirked upward in surprise.  "Walking…walking…on water…"  He shook his head.  "Delia…are you…people can't walk on water!  You're kidding."

She stomped her foot.  "Ephram!  I am too serious and it happened just like I said!  I saw a guy standing out a few feet from the bridge; he was holding his arms out like he was balancing on a tightrope except he was on the surface of the water.  He was taking little steps and looking down at his feet and he didn't see me until I hit the water.  The next thing I knew, he was pulling me up and he carried me to shore.  He even went back for the goose."

"You didn't ask him about the…water walking?"

"As soon as he got me to shore, he asked if I would please not say anything about him.  I said okay and then I asked if he would take me to my dad in Everwood and I told him where.  He said he would but I had to close my eyes tight and not peek.  I did and I felt a lot of wind blowing on me like when you run fast and then we were all the way in town at the back door of dad's office when he said I could open my eyes.  He asked me if I was okay and when I said I was, he told me he had to go and I should go inside and get warm then he just disappeared."

"Disappeared?  What do you mean?  He walked off?"

"Um…he just wasn't there any more.  I reached for the door knob and looked back and he wasn't there anymore.  He wasn't walking away, he just vanished."  Ephram was silent for a long time, mulling over what his sister had just told him.  Delia was young but not known to tell tall tales and this was a whopper.

"Ephram…"  He was still trying to process this new information and didn't answer.  "Ephram!"

"What?  I'm sorry, what?"

"Do you think Clark was magic?" 

He looked at his young sister, wondering if she'd really seen what she thought.  After a moment, he finally said, "Delia, there's probably a rational explanation; but he could still see Clark sprinting across the street faster than a man could run.  "I…don't think…" he stopped, remembering Bright Abbott, safe against all odds on that rainy, miserable night, and Clark, trying to fade quietly into the background, stepping forward only to offer his help, once more.  Who or what had he really been?  "I don't know, Delia…I don't know.  I do know he was a good friend while he was here and I think we should keep his secret, whatever it is.  I promise, I won't tell."

"Okay." 

"Ephram?  Do you think Dad'll go into the office today?"

"Maybe, why?"

"We could play that video game he hates."

Ephram laughed, "Okay, you're on." 

"Let's go!"  Delia raced back to the house ahead of him. 

From the back door, his dad was yelling something.  "What?"  Ephram walked toward the house.

"I have to go into the office and I need you to take care of Delia.  Mrs. Janovich has a sprained wrist."

When Ephram reached the back steps, he asked, "What happened?"

"Mrs. J. backed into someone's truck and sprained her wrist when she tried to clobber the other driver with her umbrella."  Andy was chuckling softly as he held the door open for Ephram.

"Who'd she hit?"

"Apparently, some doctor from Montana who was taking the scenic route back home when he got detoured because of the mudslides.  Mrs. J. insists I look at her wrist right away."

"Did she hurt the guy?"

"I don't think so but from the sound of it, he'll need a new hat."  As he walked away, he added, "I'll bring back something from Mama Jo's for lunch."

Ephram and Delia watched as their dad drove away then looked at each other for a moment.  They both raced for the TV.  But it was hard to concentrate and after a while they just sat, deep in thought.  They would be thinking about Clark Kent for a long time to come.

***  

One summer, some years later, when Delia was home from college and Ephram was visiting with his family, they stood in the old familiar kitchen preparing a salad for dinner while Andy Brown played with his grandchildren.  As the evening news began the grandchildren began screaming with excitement when the news anchor said Superman was in the news although they watched, mesmerized, when the footage began to roll.

"Superman, who normally calls Metropolis, Kansas home, was busy elsewhere, today.  He rescued several mountain climbers, one of them seriously injured, off Mt. McKinley in Alaska, brought a damaged cruise ship back to shore after it got too close to a calving glacier off the coast and helped a killer whale back out to sea when it became stranded on a beach in Washington State.   He later thwarted a robbery at the Federal Reserve Bank in Seattle, saved a group of campers from a rock slide in Yosemite National Park and even found the time to rescue a cat from a tree in the Redwood Forest north of San Francisco.  Granted, it was a very big tree."     

A shot of Crater Lake, Oregon came next.  "But our best film was shot at Crater Lake, Oregon, where Superman rescued a young girl who fell from a tour boat there.  The event happened relatively close to shore and a man from WQRK in Eugene, Oregon, who was at Crater Lake making a documentary, managed to capture part of the rescue."  The film showed a red cape covering the broad shoulders of a tall dark haired man as he handed the little girl off to her startled and grateful parents aboard the boat.  He seemed to be standing on the water of the deep lake and he took a couple of steps backward before he turned slightly and casually rose up into the air, giving the girl a little wave as he went.  The camera followed him until he was gone and the passengers of the boat screamed and cheered wildly after him.

The evening co-anchor said, "We also have some film of the people on that boat as they came ashore.  There's the little girl being carried off by her parents…and here's a great shot: a man fell off the back of the boat when someone bumped him in all the excitement after Superman flew off and he turned out to be none other than Clark Kent of the Daily Planet."  A man was walking down the ramp, hunched over, dripping wet and covered with a blanket.  His wet locks hung limp over his forehead and his glasses were covered with water droplets.  A dark haired woman walked beside him.  "That's his partner, Lois Lane, next to him.  They've both covered Superman's exploits from the beginning; quite a coincidence!"    

"Daddy!  Daddy!  It's Superman!  Didja see?  Superman!  Ephram's son leaped onto the couch and dove off, Andy just barely managing to catch him as he yelled, "I'm Superman!" but his grandfather's eyes quickly returned to the TV where the man holding the camera was trying to interview the man who'd fallen in.

Andy said quietly, "Hush, let's listen."

The cameraman was asking Clark, "How'd you get all wet?"

"Someone backed into me and I fell over the railing."  The man sneezed loudly and the woman next to him handed him a tissue.  "Say…you look familiar…aren't you that reporter from Metropolis?  Clark Kent!  That's it!" He looked more closely at his companion and shouted, "And aren't you Lois Lane?  Don't you two know Superman-" 

Clark said "We've met," and sneezed again.  "Sorry…I'd really like to get dried off, if you'll excuse me." 

He walked away and the cameraman said, "Well, I guess you can't always be the one to get the scoops."  The camera dipped suddenly and the guy holding it yelled, "OW!"  The camera swung around a little wildly and caught what might have been a smirk on Lois Lane's face as she turned around and hurried up the ramp beside Clark. 

"Well," the anchor laughed, this time, the Daily Planet's star reporters made the news instead of reporting it.  Now, back to you…" 

The film clip ended and Andy Brown smiled, thinking, oh, he's good.

Delia stood transfixed for a moment then glanced at her brother and whispered, "See.  'Told you.  Did too walk on water."

Ephram looked over at his sister.  "Yeah, guess he did." 

Their father, still holding his grandson whose arms were held out in perfect Superman flying position, overheard.  Smiling, Andy sat his grandson down and pointed a finger, "No more jumping!  Now go upstairs and wash up for dinner."  He came over to Ephram and Delia and leaned in, lowering his voice.  "I told you Clark was special."

Ephram stared at his father, shocked.  "You…you…how did you know?"

Andy Brown thought back to that night, long ago.  "The night Bright was lost on the mountain, I'd tried to dissuade Clark from going with us but he insisted.  Later, when I saw the mudslide, I had a terrible feeling they'd both been there when it hit; I was sure we'd lost them both yet they both survived.  Sometime later, I asked Bright if he knew where he'd fallen and his description placed him on the steepest slope, where the main entrance to the old gold mine was located.  They were definitely right in the middle of it.   Bright told me he had a vague memory of rocks and dirt rolling down the mountainside as Clark carried him out; he even said he'd had the oddest feeling, almost like he was floating and that everything looked like a blur before he passed out again.  At the time, I thought that was just Bright's delirium but some years later, when Superman first burst onto the scene and I kept hearing about all those miraculous rescues, against impossible odds, I thought back and I began to wonder.  I kept thinking about how determined Clark had been to go that night; absolutely insistent that we needed him on the search.  He stood by the front door, arms crossed, with a look that said, 'I'm going and there's nothing that will keep me from it.'  I saw that same look on Superman's face when he was being interviewed before he left for space to destroy the asteroid.  I certainly suspected; when I saw that video clip tonight, I was positive."      

"I…wasn't sure at first, either, but it didn't take long before I was convinced."  Ephram stared into the distance for a moment.  "Think about it.  A being from another world sat right there and ate with us.  How cool was that?  And he seemed so normal…except for the heroic part."

Andy winced, "Good thing you did most of the cooking…" 

Ephram was suddenly aware of the lack of noise.  He walked to the stairs and called out but no one answered.   A glance into the living room revealed it was empty, the front door slightly ajar.  "Where'd they get to now?"  He went to the front door and yelled for them but still got no response.  Walking back to the kitchen he looked through the back windows into the yard and saw, along with Delia and his dad, the two kids high up in the ancient oak, tall and wide, which grew in one far corner of the yard.

The children, Harry and Andrea, had been forbidden to climb it but in their exuberance at seeing Superman on TV, the rule had been forgotten; it had seemed like the perfect place to pretend you were Superman flying high over the Earth in defense of all that was good.  Now they both hung from one of the uppermost branches, clinging together in fear.  The youngest, Andrea, was slipping as they watched.  Harry made a grab for his sister and they both fell, their small hands unable to hold on.  Suddenly, in a flash of blue and red, a man appeared in the air beneath the old tree, catching them both with ease.

Looks of horror turned to wonder when they realized who had appeared.  As they ran out the back door, they could hear Andrea and Harry squealing with delight at coming face to face with the object of their adulation.  Superman slowly lowered them to the ground, laughing as he gently pried Andrea's arms away from around his neck.  He stood with his back to the house, leaning down and saying something to the children, who stared back up at him, eyes big as saucers.  They both nodded in unison, agreeing with whatever Superman had said. 

He started to rise up into the air when he heard the adults come running up behind him and turned slightly, thinking to wave and disappear as he so often did.  But he stopped and hung a few feet off the ground, quite surprised to see the Brown family here after so long.  Superman quirked one dark brow at them and wondered if they knew.  Slowly, he descended again.  Delia ran up and threw her arms around him and Andy and Ephram were right behind her, laughing until she let go. 

She whispered, "I knew it was you!  But I never told; none of us did."

"You all…"  Superman looked back at Andy and Ephram, both brows now raised in surrender.  "It's been a long time; I was just passing by and thinking of you all when I saw the kids fall."

Ephram grabbed Superman's hand and shook it with heartfelt thanks.  "Thank you, thank you; the kids…they snuck out the front door; they're not supposed to climb that tree and they were in it before we even knew they'd gone outside…"

"That's what they said when I caught them.  I made them promise never to do that again unless they get an okay…yours, Ephram?"

"Yeah, they're mine, alright."

Andy added, "They saw you on the news, earlier, saving the little girl in Oregon and they've been wild ever since.  That was…amazing."

At that moment, Ephram's wife, the former Amy Abbott, came racing around the side of the house yelling, "Ephram!  I heard on the radio that Superman was in the area!  I-"  She stopped short, stunned to see Superman standing in the Brown's backyard carrying on a seemingly casual conversation with her husband and his family. 

"Amy!  Come here and meet someone."  Ephram laughed out loud at the expression on her face and leaned over to Superman and whispered, "Big fan." 

Andrea and Harry both started screaming.  "Mommy!  Mommy!  Superman saved us!"

Harry added, "We fell out of the oak tree and Superman caught us-"

A look of horror crossed her face and she knelt down, pulling them close.  "You know you're not supposed to climb that tree!"  Amy looked up at Superman, tears in her eyes.  "Thank you, thank you…" then she paused, narrowing her eyes at the American icon standing before her.  She tilted her head first one way and then another.  "You know…" then she stood suddenly.  "Oh!  Just after the guy on the radio said you'd been spotted here in Everwood, he said there were some people being held hostage at a place called Star Labs in Metropolis and that reporter, Lois Lane was one of them!  I'm sorry, I-"

A look of alarm crossed his face.  "Thanks!  I've got to go!  Lois and Clark were supposed to interview someone there and she obviously went-"  He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.  "Lois does not listen.  Well, nice meeting you."  Superman lifted off, waving and saying, "Take care!" and a moment later he was out of sight.

Andy Brown hugged Delia and together, they ushered his grandchildren back toward the house.  Ephram put his arm around his wife and they looked up into the sky where Superman had disappeared.  "So…was that exciting?  Bet you never thought you'd meet Superman in our backyard."

Amy laid her head over onto Ephram's shoulder as they slowly walked back toward the house.  "Yeah, I gotta admit, I never expected that!  But you know, Ephram, I really got the weirdest feeling that I'd seen him before…"

"Well, the guy's on the news all the time."

"I know that…I mean…that I'd met him before.  I don't know…I guess it was just one of those déjà vu kinds of experiences." 

As they walked up the steps and into the kitchen, another news report flashed on the screen.  Superman had already arrived, the hostage situation had been resolved and Superman and Lois Lane could be seen having a discussion inside the foyer of the Star Labs building, into which the camera crew was not allowed.  Lois stamped her foot and Superman, arms crossed and looking…exasperated, leaned over towards her then a hand appeared in front of the lens and a voice asked the crew to leave.  Andy Brown burst out laughing and leaned over to Ephram.  "Fifty bucks says wedding bells within the year."

"Ephram quietly replied, "You're on.  I say six months, at the outside."

Four months and one day later, a wedding invitation arrived in the mail.  

***