Chapter 3

Lois could barely sleep that night, and when she did, she found herself lost in a dream. A nice dream that felt so warm and pleasant she almost didn't want to wake up. In it she and Clark were celebrating their daughter's 5th birthday. They had just told her that she was going to be a big sister, and she was so excited that she jumped into her grandfather's arms and smashed cake all over his face. Jonathan just laughed and started tickling her while Martha snapped a picture. She and Clark were cuddling together in the corner. Lois had never felt so happy and at peace in her entire life. It felt like she was in heaven, or paradise --- and with that, she woke up gasping.

"Crazy stupid photograph," she cursed under her breath. "Putting all these stupid nice warm happy thoughts in my head!"

So she called Chloe in a panic and asked her to come to Smallville, right away. There was something she needed to speak to her about. Chloe could hear the anguish in Lois' voice and promised she would be there in the morning. After her phone call, Lois felt a little more relaxed, so she had a shower and got back into bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. This time, when the dream came, she was too tired to try to wake herself out of it. And that's how Chloe found her in the morning, still in bed, with a goofy smile on her face.

"Lois," Chloe softly shook her. "Wakey-wakey Lois . . . rise and shine!"

Lois slowly opened her eyes. "Chloe? What are you doing here? Where's Clark?" Obviously her subconscious was still stuck in her dream.

"Um. You called me last night in a panic. Demanded I come right away. I had to promise you a nice hot mocha latte so you would let me sleep and just come in the morning," Chloe explained, giving her a strange look. "And Clark is at the farm. Because he lives there."

That definitely woke Lois up. "Right. Thanks for coming," she said giving Chloe a hug."

"Well by the sounds of your phone call last night it sounded important. And why were you asking for Clark when you woke up?"

"Oh . . . it's important alright," she said crawling out of bed. "And well, let's just forget about the Clark thing."

"Well what is it?" Chloe asked.

"I found this last night when I was heading up the stairs," Lois said handing Chloe the photo, while she headed for the bathroom.

"Somebody probably just dropped it."

"Chloe look at it. This isn't just any photo," she said as she walked out of the bathroom. "It's a strange photo." Chloe looked the photograph again.

"What the . . . hell."

"Those were exactly my words."

Chloe was still studying the photo, and when she saw Clark and Lois wrapped in each other's arms she burst into laughter.

"Chloe! Stop laughing! This is SO not funny!" Lois said and gave her a light punch in the arm.

"Actually it is . . . when you think about it. You and Clark together . . . in love . . . probably married with kids? That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time." She managed to say in between giggles. Once she had stopped laughing she got serious, "Alright first we have to figure out who the little girl is."

"Well that's simple just look on the back." Chloe turned the photo over and saw the writing. "Apparently she's mine and Clark's. Our daughter."

"Holy crap," Chloe let out a snort. "Hey, is this why you woke up asking for Clark? Was someone dreaming about Clark? About being married to him . . . and having his kids?" she teased.

"Chloe, that is not the point. The point is we have to find out where this came from and what to do with it."

"All right. I think I know a couple people who might be able to help."

"And who would that be, as if I don't already know?"

"Clark and Mrs Kent. Come on lets go over there now and the four of us can figure all this out." So they walked out of Lois's apartment and headed to the Kent farm.

Christina was standing in a field across the road watching her father do his morning chores. She had spent all night with Jor-El learning how to control the crystal. She walked slowly across the field and up the driveway. Clark had just walked back inside the barn with another bale of hay. When he turned around he came face to face with Christina.

"Can I help you?" he asked curiously.

"Actually, yes you can." Christina reached in and pulled the crystal out of her pocket and pointed it at Clark. A bright blue light shined out of the crystal and into Clark's eyes. Christina put the crystal back in her pocket walked up to Clark and waved her hand in front of his face. But Clark just stood there in one spot in a trance. I can't believe it worked . . . it really worked!

"Clark you won't remember anything I ask you or that you told me anything," she started. "First of all, tell me who Jor-El is."

"He is my biological father. He is from a planet called krypton. He and my mother Lara put me in a spaceship and sent me to earth, to the Kents, just before the planet exploded."

"Were you happy living with the Kents?"

"Yes. They are wonderful people. They loved me very much."

"Has anything drastically happened to you the in the last couple of months?"

"Yes, I was shot and died."

"But you can't be shot, or die. You're not human."

"True. But I betrayed my father Jor-El and lost my powers and became human."

"What happened when you died?"

"Jor-El possessed Lionel Luthor. He took me to the fortress and healed me. Then he told me, that because he healed me and gave me my powers back someone close to me would die."

"So then Jonathan Kent died?"

"No, Lana did. But I changed time to save her, then Jonathan died."

"Thank you dad, you just told me everything I needed to know," she whispered. Christina looked at Clark tearfully. She reached into her pocket pulled the crystal out. A bright blue light shined out of Clark's eyes and into the crystal. As Christina super sped away to the fortress she said to herself I'll find a way to change it all back, I have to.

Chloe and Lois had pulled into the driveway not too long after Christina left and parked just outside of the barn. When Lois got out she saw Clark just standing inside the barn staring into space and not moving. They slowly approached him calling out to him.

"Clark?"

"Hey Smallville snap out of it." Lois said snapping her fingers.

Clark started shaking his head and was shocked to see Chloe and Lois in front of him.

"Chloe . . . Lois . . . when did you two get here?" He asked still feeling a little dazed.

"Just a few minutes ago. Are you alright Clark?" Chloe asked looking at him concerned.

"I don't know . . . I was outside . . . then I walked inside . . . and now you two are standing in front of me. I don't know what happened," he said as he walked upstairs to his loft.

"Well don't worry Smallville, at least you still know who you are. So we know it's not amnesia." Lois said behind him smiling.

"Lois!" Chloe exclaimed nudging her in the shoulder. Chloe could see Clark was very frustrated about it.

"Don't worry Clark you'll figure it out." Chloe said.

Clark suddenly turned around.

"Wait I remember . . . when I walked inside the barn I turned around and there was a girl . . . and then I don't remember anything else."

"Do you think maybe she did something to you Clark?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know but it's certainly strange . . ."

"You'll figure it out Smallville, somehow you always do. Now can we get to our other problem please?"

"What problem?" Clark asked curiously. Lois told him about finding the weird picture at the Talon. "So, it's just a photo." Clark shrugged.

"Not just any photo Smallville, your dad's in this photo . . . alive. But what's weirder . . . well . . . here just look at it." She said handing him the photo.

Clark took the photo and his eyes grew wide. His father was there, and he seemed older somehow. He was holding a little girl, laughing. And in the background he saw himself and Lois in a loving embrace. He looked at Lois in shock and saw her gesturing with her hand telling him to turn it over. And when he saw the words my 5th birthday with mummy and daddy and grandpa his breath caught in his throat. He looked at Chloe and Lois and collapsed on the couch. Lois and I have a daughter? We're married? My dad's alive? So many questions were going through his head. He looked to his side and saw Lois sitting next to him.

"Now you can understand my problem Smallville," she said patting him on the back. "Want to help us solve it?" she said smirking at him.

"Yeah . . . but I think we should show my mum," he said getting up from the couch. Clark put the photo in his pocket and the three of them walked down the stairs and walked towards the house, all wondering the same thing. Where did the picture come from?

TBC