Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville
Big thanks to my beta reader Hanabi's Biggest Fan
2001 – Smallville, Kansas
It was finally time to open the way into the Kawatchi caves and see what Jor-El was up to. Clark collected the key and the three Elements being careful not to join them together for fear of what they might trigger along the way if they weren't shielded within the caves.
It was late at night, his parents were both sound asleep so it was no major feat to float out his window into the open night sky, his destination set. Clark took his time flying there, just enjoying the air and being at peace in the moment despite his underlying worry for Lois' condition.
Clark landed at the entrance to the cave system and walked inside, careful not to trip lest he accidentally bring down the entire cave system at once.
"So here's the wall that blocks the path to the main chamber, the question now is how to I open it without collapsing the entire thing?" he questioned himself out loud.
Clark ended up focusing his heat vision on the rock wall trying to just heat the rock by restricting its range so it wouldn't punch through too deeply and possibly damage the other side. It was slow progress as the rock wall melted into molten slag. Once he'd cut through, he focus the heat on the surface inside of the hole and melted downwards to the floor of the cave. Once that was done he used his freezing breath to cool the magma into a solid cave floor. It looked artificial but given that the Kawatchi people would attribute it to Naman he didn't really mind so much.
Inside the cavern's main chamber everything looked exactly as he remembered it including the octagonal recess in the wall. Clark took a final breath before he inserted the key causing the surrounding rings to light up and rotate.
Clark pushed the corresponding symbols that pair with the three Elements. A moment later a gap in the cave wall behind him opened. He retrieved the key and walked into the ante-chamber.
"Kal-El, my son. I am surprised you have found your way here already."
"Something happened in the future and time was turned back," explained Clark.
"I can see from your memories. It is a most unusual event. Are you capable of using this knowledge without endangering the safety of the world?"
"I believe so. I don't know what destiny you planned for me but I know I want to use my abilities to help," said Clark. "What I know of the future can be used to help people."
"That is a good beginning, Kal-El."
"I've collected the Elements," said Clark, placing each piece, one by one on the dais.
"You have done well, my son. You know what to do now, I will speak with you again shortly."
Clark grasped the newly reformed crystal and was transported instantly to the arctic just as he remembered except for the fact it was currently night and there were so many stars in the sky. It was beyond beautiful.
Clark threw the crystal just as he remembered. He watched in awe as once again the crystal stopped and plummeted into the icy wilderness. The fortress built itself, crystal pillar by crystal pillar in a matter of seconds.
When it finally settled, Clark floated up above the snow and entered the fortress.
"Welcome, Kal-El, to your Fortress of Solitude," greeted Jor-El. "Are you now prepared to begin your training?"
"What is this training? I never understood what it was you wished me to learn?"
"You have gained a great deal of mastery over your abilities both in the future and in the current time line but there is still knowledge available to you that you would not find on Earth. There is the history of an entire race for you to learn. Knowledge, my son, is power."
"What if I don't want more power?"
"You will face many challenges on this planet as you already know. The power of knowledge offered here will allow you to face those challenges with less risk to humanity, especially those you love."
"I'm willing to learn but it has to be on my terms. I have a human life and family that I want and need to be a part of. The meteors that came with me to Earth have caused numerous mutations to people throughout Smallville that normal people are not capable of dealing with," explained Clark carefully. He did not want to upset Jor-El as he could be rather fickle if pushed.
"You have matured a great deal, Kal-El. You have managed for seven years without strict training from the knowledge within this fortress, however, Doomsday is still out there waiting for you."
"You said I have seven years, would I be able to learn enough if I were to come here for a little time each day so that I could still protect the people?"
"Your body is capable of subsisting on less than four hours of rest per twenty-four hour cycle. If you can come here to this fortress every day for at least six hours then the knowledge deemed necessary could be learned inside of four years."
"And if I miss a day on occasion, will you punish me for it?"
"No, Kal-El, but I would ask for explanation and for you to make up that time."
"Then I believe we have a deal, father."
"Return to Smallville and inform you human family. Return tomorrow evening and we will begin."
"Before I go, I have to ask. Did you harm Lois Lane to punish me for altering time?"
"I have not. I am unaware of this Lois Lane. But I can see from your memories that she gave you strength and freed your spirit that allowed you to fly. I would not punish such a woman but thank her."
Clark felt an ounce of relief but at the same time sadness because this meant that Chloe had suffered through this alone in the previous time line and he'd been too caught up in himself to notice.
"I should go now, thank you for everything, Jor-El."
"Be safe, my son."
2001 – Landstuhl, Germany – Landstuhl Medical Center
It had been three excruciating long weeks since Lois had been admitted to the hospital. Sam had grown used to sleeping on the small cot they had setup in his daughter's room. It wasn't much worse than a field cot he used years ago as an enlisted man.
A grunt in the room stirred Sam from his sleep, his eyes snapping wide open. First looking for an enemy but not seeing any. Then he saw Lois was thrashing a bit and making some noise.
Sam stood quickly from the cot and rushed to the door to hit the blue hospital call button. It was linked to the hospital and directly to a dedicated pager Dr. Hamilton's carried at all times.
Sam flipped the light switch next then moved quickly to his daughter's side.
"Lois, it's okay soldier. The doctor's on the way," he spoke quickly as began to attempt holding her down so that she didn't hurt herself.
Lois started thrashing even more, seeming to try and defend herself, scratching and pushing at her father as he tried to restrain her.
Dr. Hamilton entered the room only moments later followed by a nurse.
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Sam as he tried to calm his daughter.
"She's trying to come out of," said Emil, he moved next to her and also began trying to retrain her.
"Can you give her something to calm her down?" asked Sam.
"If I do, she may go right back into her coma. Right now, this is good if unpleasant for us."
Just as he said it the nurse that came with him got kicked in the side of the head knocking the poor woman to the floor and unconscious at the same time for trying to restrain Lois' feet.
The General wanted to cheer a little for his daughter being so tough but right now he was more concerned with not getting hurt himself.
Finally, Lois' back spasmed hard causing her to arch suddenly and with a lot of force knocking both Emil and Sam away momentarily before she fell limply back to the bed breathing heavily.
Sam approached slowly just in case Lois started up again. What he saw was Lois blinking a few times and looking at him slightly confused. "Daddy?" Then she looked around. "Where am I?"
Sam smiled slightly. "You're okay. You're in the hospital. You stole my flask again."
"Two stars," she mumbled looking even more confused before she dozed off completely.
Emil checked her vitals and charts including her brain wave scan, all of which appeared normal for the first time in weeks. "Everything is good," Emil finally said breathing his own sigh of relief. "We'll have to run some follow up test over the next few days but once that's done she should be okay to leave. She'll probably be tired and sore for a few days while she gets used to moving again but otherwise there should be no issues."
"Thank you, Dr. Hamilton," said Sam. "I owe you."
"Just doing my job, sir."
"Are you really going to turn down a solid IOU from a two star general?"
Emil smiled awkwardly for moment. "Well, when you put it like that. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, you said she'll be a little stiff and sore. Will she require any PT?"
"Not likely, not unless she really wants it but given the way she knocked out that nurse and fought the both of us off, I really don't think she needs it."
The General chuckled slightly at that and a small proud smile adorned his face as he looked at her. "That's my girl."
2001 – Smallville, Kansas
"Yay! I just got word that Lois finally woke up," cheered Chloe, she read the text message on her phone again to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"I'm happy for you, Chloe," said Clark, breathing a small private sigh of relief of his own.
"She has to stay a few days in the hospital so they can run some tests and then she'll be out," said Chloe excitedly.
"That's really great," said Clark, equally happy but doing his best to hide it. The last thing he needed was for Chloe to get suspicious of him, especially considering it was her cousin who he had never met... yet? He was still trying to figure all this time travel mess out but when he did he would breathe another sigh of relief.
"Well, now that the Lois crisis has been averted, where are you at with the Sean Kelvin article?" asked Chloe, an obvious bounce in her proverbial step that wasn't there five minutes prior.
"Coming off the printer now," said Clark, reaching back to grab the article then passing it to Chloe.
Chloe read it, then reread it, then read it again. "This is really good, Clark. I may make a reporter of you yet."
"I've discovered I like it. Digging for the truth and giving justice a chance. It fits me a lot better than I thought it would," said Clark.
"Okay, so what have you got for next week?" asked Chloe, giving Clark a chance to pick his own article.
"I'll be volunteering at the Smallville Retirement Center all next week with Pete. I was thinking about doing a piece on the history of Smallville and how it's changed from their perspective," explained Clark.
"I like it," said Chloe. "Now make it happen."
"You got it, chief." Clark smiled at Chloe's enthusiasm that seemed to be contagious.
2001 – Landstuhl, Germany – Landstuhl Medical Center
"So let me get this straight. Someone put some kind of hallucinogenic nerve agent on the General's flask which I swiped as part of my plans to celebrate Lucy starting at boarding school so instead of the General getting dosed, I did?"
"That is correct," said Emil.
"So weird," said Lois. "I feel like I lived seven more years of my life. I distinctly remember having bigger boobs." She grabbed her chest to accentuate that point.
Emil coughed uncomfortably. "Yes, well, you're still young and developing."
Lois narrowed her eyes at the man smelling fresh blood in the water and was about to pounce when her father coughed having recognized the look on her face.
"But I remember living in Smallville, Kansas for god's sake. With Chloe and a bunch of other people," protested Lois, still doubting the story she was being fed.
"Well, from what I've pieced together your subconscious picked up on your father's conversation with your uncle Gabe which directed your mind to it. As for the people you met, they were all people mentioned at one time or another by your cousin Chloe so while you didn't pay attention at the time, your sub-conscience did which it in turn built into the hallucination," explained Emil.
"And the time travel and alien thing?" asked Lois uncomfortably.
"Fantasy," said Emil.
It was friendly enough but still felt like he was placating her. "I'll reserve judgment for now. So what's next?"
"Well, you've been given a clean bill of health so you're free to go—"
"Yes!"
"—with your father," Emil finished, feeling the slightest bit of satisfaction at seeing the girl deflate.
"Come on, Lo, let's get you packed up. You're on a C130 to Fort Riley at seventeen hundred hours tomorrow," said Sam.
"Just so you understand, General. If you do this, if you send me to Smallville for high school, you don't get to pull me out or make me move back to a base with you. This is it, no take backs," said Lois firmly, as she walked along side her father.
"I understand, Lois. This will be good for you," said Sam steadily, hiding the pang in his heart with his standard gruff exterior.
"This also means a change in the chain in command. I will no longer be Lucy's commanding officer, she's entirely your responsibility now."
"Yes, Lois, I understand," said Sam, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Since when was his daughter this demanding and pushy.
"Good, then let's pack," said Lois without any further comment. The memories that nerve agent left her with needed to be cleared up and verified as false. Especially the memory of the farm boy from heaven that involuntarily made her toes curl and her womanhood ache just thinking about him.
"Lois, are you okay?" her dad asked, seeing the reddening of her face.
"Fine," said Lois roughly, trying to hide her embarrassment at having such a thought with her father nearby.
2001 – Smallville, Kansas
Clark, Jonathan, and Martha were all annoyed by the damned phone ringing off the hook at two in the morning. Clark had just fallen asleep after returning home from training with Jor-El. Jonathan and Martha were sleeping soundly as well though they had already been asleep for some time. It didn't make it any better.
Jonathan finally answered the phone. "Somebody important better be dead," he groused, basically still asleep.
"I'm sorry to wake you Mr. Kent but Clark isn't answering his Cell and I really need his help," she rushed out.
"Jonathan, who is it?" Martha asked, having been woken up herself.
"It's Chloe, she needs Clark for something," explained Jonathan, passing the phone to her and then pulling the covers over his head and resuming snoring within seconds.
"Chloe, you know it's two in the morning don't you?"
"I know and I wouldn't call except it's urgent and I really need Clark's help," rushed Chloe.
Martha sighed. "I'll go wake him up."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she rushed out several times.
Martha zombie-walked out of her room and into Clark's. "Clark, phone, wake up Clark, you have a phone call."
"Tired, go away," he mumbled.
"It's Chloe, she has some kind of emergency she needs your help for," explained Martha, holding out the phone to him.
He perked up slightly hearing it was an emergency but was still reluctant to grab the phone. Finally sighing and sitting up he took the phone from his mother. "If you're not dying, I will not be a happy camper."
"I know it's super later or super early but I had no one else to call," explained Chloe in a rush.
"Okay, fine, so what's the emergency?"
"There was some kind of accident at the Luthorcorp plant and my dad got called in but that leaves me with no transportation to Fort Riley to pick up my cousin," explained Chloe in a rush.
All Clark's sleep deprived mind picked up was ride to Fort Riley in his pick-up. Clark wanted to cry, he was so tired. "Fine, I'll pick you up soon. I just need to put some pants on."
"Thank you so much, Clark. I appreciate it so much, you don't even know," said Chloe, hanging up the phone before he could even respond.
Clark sighed and stood up and started looking for his pants before he realized he was still wearing them. "You so owe me for this, Chloe," he mumbled to himself as he stumbled downstairs.
He entered the kitchen first for some coffee cause if he didn't he'd fall asleep at the wheel inside of two minutes. He poured the left over cold coffee from the pot into a mug then heated it up quickly with his heat vision until it steamed. It tasted awful but he downed it quickly if only to wake himself up.
Clark grabbed the keys off the key ring by the back door as he marched himself outside to the truck sans shirt or shoes ignoring the frost or the bite to the late fall air, not that he would haven noticed anyway.
Clark started the engine and let it idle for a minute before he shifted it into gear. The drive was quiet into town to pick up Chloe. The roads were mostly deserted at this time of night except for a few well known speed traps.
Clark pulled up outside Chloe's still not fully awake and hit the horn a few times before laying his head back and closing his eyes for a minute.
Chloe rushed out of the house wearing a thick fall jacket, her breath clearly visible in the cool night air. She did a tiptoeing jog to the truck so as not to slip on any of the frost decorating her front walk.
She opened the door and froze seeing Clark's state.
"Clark!" she shouted, disbelief in her voice.
"Huh, what? I'm up, I'm up," he repeated, slapping himself a few times before looking at Chloe.
"Aren't you freezing? Did you really leave your house without a shirt or jacket- and where are your shoes?"
Clark looked himself over through his sleep deprived mind and shrugged. "I was up all night studying. I barely had fifteen minutes of sleep when you called. Now get in, you're letting in more cold air."
Chloe seemed to snap out of her stupor and jumped in the truck and closed the door with a metallic thud.
"Where are we going again?"
"Fort Riley," said Chloe.
Clark nodded not really caring to know more. "Right, you told me that already didn't you."
"Are you sure you're good to drive?" asked Chloe cautiously.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," said Clark through a yawn. He shifted the truck back into drive and set out with Chloe chattering in his ear. What she said, he had no idea but he'd occasionally answer 'yes' or 'no' when she prompted him.
About an hour later they finally pulled up to the main gate of Fort Riley. Clark slowed the truck to a stop as the approached the barrier putting it in park and rolling down his window.
"Photo ID please," requested the guard from the window next to him.
Clark reached into his back pocket and pulled out the first thing found and handed it to the guard.
"What the hell is this?" asked the guard.
Clark looked again and blanched slightly, he'd handed the guard the Kryptonian key. "Sorry, I'm a bit out of it," Clark said taking the key back and fishing again in his pockets for his photo ID. Finally he found his driver's license and handed it to the guard.
"Reason for visiting? It's not exactly normal hours," said the guard.
"We're here for a pick up," said Chloe, answering the question before Clark could. She reached across handing the guard a folded piece of paper.
"Okay," said the guard, finishing reading the paper and handing it back to Chloe. "You're going straight in. After you pass the third building turn left. You're looking for the fifth hangar on the right. Don't deviate or mess around."
Clark nodded and shifted the truck back in gear as the gate lifted allowing them access.
"What are we picking up again?" asked Clark, waking up a bit more after his mistake with the key. He couldn't really afford to make another mistake like that.
"You really are out of it tonight, aren't you?" asked Chloe.
"You woke me up from an exhausted sleep after only fifteen minutes, how tired would you be if I did this to you?"
"Fair enough, what were you studying anyway?"
"I'm preparing to take an entrance exam for Central Kansas. I'm going to take a few summer school courses to get some college credits but because I don't have a high school diploma I have to take an entrance exam," explained Clark. For a last-second lie, it worked out really well.
"Since when are you an over achiever?" asked Chloe.
"It's a recent thing," explained Clark. "Besides, it's just summer school. We're only talking about twelve credit hours."
"That's an entire semester, Clark," said Chloe.
"I know, and I'm only doing my prerequisites. Math, science, English rhetoric, and language courses, that kind of thing."
"Clark, that's it," said Chloe pointing to a hanger they were about to drive past.
Clark hit the brakes a bit harder than necessary jerking himself and Chloe forward slightly.
"Doesn't look like anyone is here," said Clark looking at the closed up building.
"I'll go knock. When they open the doors, just back in. It'll make it easier to load the truck," said Chloe quickly, hopping out of the truck. She trotted to the door to the hangar and banged on it a few times. It opened a minute later.
2001 – Fort Riley, Kansas
Lois was annoyed as she tried to work out all her strange memories that hadn't happened. She had a fifteen hour flight from Germany to think about it and she was still no closer to understanding exactly what happened. So, she went with her old standby when she didn't know what to do. Get drunk and gamble.
Sitting inside a hanger with the four flight crew members of the C130 she flew in on, Lois was drinking German schnapps and playing poker, making a killing too.
"We're getting robbed," complained PFC Stentzel. He was the flight cargo officer meaning that he was responsible for any cargo and its onloading and offloading.
"Stop your whining," ordered the pilot, Captain Barns. He'd lost more than he cared for but he'd be damned if he listened to his flight crew complain. He would be dealing with enough of that when he got home to his wife.
First Lieutenant Rivers was quiet through the exchange. He'd been slowly amassing winnings by flying under any of the others' radar. Thankfully the general's daughter hadn't noticed either.
A banging on the hangar door interrupted the game momentarily.
Corporal Johns stood, "I'll get it. I'm pretty much tapped already as it is."
"That is probably my ride gentlemen," said Lois, stacking the cash she'd taken them all for. "Thank you for the donations."
The three remaining men scoffed.
Rivers poured another round of shots.
Lois took her shot in hand and raised it in a mock-salute to the soldiers and downed it easily enough.
"Lois," cheered the happy voice of her cousin Chloe as she came into view.
"Hey cous," said Lois with a little bit sloppy grin.
Chloe hugged her tightly. "It's so good to see you."
Lois returned the hug though not as fiercely. "It's been too long, cuz."
"Woah, have you been drinking?" asked Chloe, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Only a little," said Lois. "It smells stronger than it is."
"You ready to go?" asked Chloe.
"Yeah, we just need to load my stuff into uncle Gabe's car," said Lois.
"Dad got called into an emergency at work. I got a friend to drive me. He brought his truck too so if your stuff is on a pallet and I'm hoping it is, you can just load the pallet into the back of his truck directly," explained Chloe.
Lois turned back the soldiers. "Any of you guys sober enough to drive a fork lift for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, I'll do it," said PFC Stentzel.
"Let me open the hangar," said Corporal Johns, still near the hangar door. The man walked a few feet in from the door to one of the support beams that sported a control panel of some kind. He pushed and held a button down that activated the mechanics on the hangar door causing the large doors to split and slide open slowly and loudly as the rattling sound of metal on metal filled the hanger.
Lois saw an old beat up pick-up she didn't recognize. The tail lights lit up as the truck reversed and backed up to just inside the entrance to the hangar.
"So who did you con into giving you a ride to come pick me up?"
"Clark, I've told you about him before," said Chloe, the girl focused on watching the fork lift and not Lois. If she had been paying attention to Lois she would have seen the girl blush slightly.
"Farm boy right?" asked Lois.
"Yep," answered Chloe.
"The one you're crushing on, right?"
"Lois, shh. I don't want him to hear that," said Chloe defensively.
"Oh, so he is that one," Lois grinned.
"Not that he sees me. Heck, he doesn't really see anyone anymore. He used to have a huge crush on Lana Lang and the 'BOOM' nothing," said Chloe. "I actually hardly ever see him anymore. He's always busy with something and then tonight I find out he's been studying to take the Central Kansas University entrance exam so he can start taking summer school classes to start building up college credit hours. I'm starting to feel like I don't even know my best friend anymore."
"While I like his idea of going to summer school and may borrow the idea, but I'm sorry he's done that, cuz. Life has a way of getting in the way," Lois pulled Chloe into a rough one armed hug.
"Thanks, cuz."
"Okay, you're all loaded up," shouted the PFC.
"Thanks guys. Brush up on your poker skills and I might come back for a rematch."
"It'll be a cold day in hell," groused the pilot. "Now get out of here."
Lois grinned and walked to the passenger door of the truck where Chloe was waiting, a small grin at the corner of her mouth. "I'm guessing that grin is your way of saying I'm riding bitch."
Chloe grinned a little bigger and nodded.
Lois sighed and turned to look in the truck and froze as her mind blanked. Sitting behind the wheel was the Greek god she'd spent the better part of three weeks dreaming about in her coma. Worse, he was shirtless and had a silly grin for her when he saw her, almost as if he recognized her but then surely Chloe had shown him pictures of her. Suddenly that familiar ache crept into her body setting her skin on fire as heat filled her ever so briefly.
"Hi," he said in the all to familiar voice she'd dreamed of, lived for years.
Lois toughened herself instantly to deal with the man who had the gall to come pick her up half naked. "Drop the goofy grin, Smallville. You're my chauffeur tonight so I expect professionalism, that mean no ogling me and eyes forward buddy."