10

"Nice," Chloe said, following Clark into what had been his apartment. "I expected it to have less bare walls and more pics of you and Lois actually. Oh and furniture, definitely furniture," she added, gesturing to the bean bag chairs left still on the floor. Most of the walls were a distorted color of blue, darker in some rectangular patches where art and other things had been.

Clark sighed and set his jacket on the kitchen counter. "Lois must have packed up during the week we were at the 'Tower and making arrangements. It's sort of fitting."

"How so?"

"I was gone for three weeks in some Phantom Zone time loop when she decorated this place to start. By the time I got home, it was pretty much as it was the whole seven years we lived here." He sighed and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of orange soda. "I don't think this was ever opened so it won't be flat."

Chloe shook her head and scrunched up her nose in a gesture Clark found adorable. "Um, I'll pass." With that, she plopped on a bean bag chair, and Clark was a bit disappointed that she was wearing jeans and not a skirt. "It's definitely a minimalist look, Clark. She can't have possibly taken everything to Africa with her. I figure she'd pack light there."

"Yeah, but it was stuff...she bought most of it and I did rent so I assume it's in storage for when it's her time, yanno?"

Chloe nodded. "So you have the plain life of a monk, one with Wolverine bean bags. It probably works for you."

"I'll be moving out too. I need to find a cheaper place on one salary in Metropolis and get some simple furniture. I'm not home that much and when I get home from patrol, I crash until it's time for work. Hell, I might not even waste the money on a bed."

Chloe quirked an eyebrow at him in a gesture he remembered from high school. All snark. "Do I want to know?"

Pouring himself some soda and flopping onto the Sharks bean bag, Clark shrugged. "Meh, I float in my sleep. Have for a while. I guess one day Christopher will too. Not much of a point for having a bed save if..."

"...someone's with you," she finished, and even her ears were flushed red.

"Chloe, you really don't have to make small talk by asking about my life with Lois. In case you hadn't noticed, I dumped her. She put her stuff in storage, and now she's living in Kenya. It's a done deal."

"You could fly to Africa in under a minute," she said glumly.

He set down his drink and took her hand in his, grateful when she let him. "I won't."

"Because I'm the mother of your child."

"You say that like it's a bad thing or a chore, like I used you as if you were a brood mare. As far as I remember, it was something we both wanted."

She sighed and squeezed his hand, still hesitating to withdraw her own. "I know. I just want things to be better than they are."

"They can be. I...we can figure this whole thing out. We don't have to get it right all at once or anything. I mean, you have to adjust to a whole new life. I have to move, and Christopher and George have to find their way as well. It's a lot that's shifting around here. I just thought you'd like to know I'll wait."

"Because I'm-"

He leaned forward and kissed her, cutting off her objections. "Not to sound harsh but if you even think of saying 'third choice' or 'just Christopher's mother,' I'll speed you to Antarctica and leave you there."

"That's charitable," she snarked, sweeping a dark lock behind her ear.

"Chloe, we can do this. I want to do this."

"I do too. I do, but I just hate being third. I know that's petty but this voice keeps telling me that if Lana were restored to normal tomorrow or if Christopher had turned out to be Lois's, I'd be kicked to the curb."

"But for all her talk, in ten years, Lana's never done a thing for the League or to save the world, even against Zod or the Kandorians. If she really were a hero, she'd have done something. She just wanted me to be human with added powers for, um..."

"Bed breaking?"

He blushed. "Yeah."

"And earthquakes?"

"It's not worth reliving all of it, but, yes, she liked that part of it."

"And Lois?"

"Dream future from a helmet," he said, rolling his eyes. "And I cannot believe that's part of why you ran. You could have told me!"

"Ahem."

"Anyway, that aside, she won't let me be Clark and I want to be myself again, I do."

"So 'one was too hot and one was too cold and-'"

"Chloe is just right and I was a galactically large moron not to see it."

"I'll work on not feeling like the runner up in the Clark Affection Sweepstakes."

He snorted and kissed her again, glad she let him do it. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of prize to be won or there was a competition with you three."

"There was always one between me and Lana, and I knew the day of the senior year carnival that there'd be one between me and Lois. I saw then what it took you all about five years to figure out, that there was an attraction there."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to feel like that."

"Well, like Lana said, 'it's just Chloe.' I'm sort of the always the bride's maid and never the bride, you know?"

Clark sighed. "Not this time."

"Alright, I'll think about believing that."

"Better than flat-out rejection," he said. "I sort of feel I struck out with Christopher. Today all he wanted was to go to see George, and, believe me, I was willing to leave him in The Talon basement. It just sucks to realize I have what I wanted most and he's not...I know I can't be his dad-dad, but one day I'd like to have him feel he can be relaxed with me. I know he liked me as his 'uncle' in the Watchtower, let me read to him, but I really can't see him ever letting me in his life the way George is. I came late ."

Chloe sniffled and finally withdrew her hand. "I made you do that. He might never be with you the way he is with George or you were with Jonathan. I think you can be in his life, you just have to carve out your own niche."

Clark snorted. "It's funny. George is jealous of me."

"Why wouldn't he be? You're the biological father."

"And Superman," Clark finished, hating Lois's moniker for him. He'd certainly never choose to coin something so egotistical. "It's really not as glamorous as it seems."

"Puh-lease. I was there in Watchtower with all of you and I still know all your growing pains, Diana and Bruce included from my year abroad. I know it's not what you assume it is, but to most people you're it. You're the guy ."

"The ironically All-American Hero."

"No one's more Kansasian than you, admit it," she said. "Or, I guess, the Clark I knew was like that."

"Point, Chlo?"

"George has a lot to live up to in your reputation and in your contributions to Christopher's life."

"And he was there for the first five years and there's nothing I can ever do to change that. He's the one Christopher will love the way I...how I felt about Jonathan until I worked so hard to embrace Jor-El."

Chloe stiffened at that. "Uh-huh. Remind me to travel to the 31st Century and kick Brainiac Five's ass, 'k?"

"Why?"

"We'll get to that. If you're going to really prove you love me and that you want me, I have stipulations."

"Intriguing," he said, still huffing a bit. "I just want Christopher to like me."

"He won't like you best. He'll probably learn as he gets older to like you and George in different ways, and that's how it is. I respect that you both are trying and didn't go all Alpha male for very long. It's super awkward but if you were both hating on each other in front of him or even in private, it'd be about impossible."

"I want him to be okay. I don't hate George; I barely know George. I just...I want ," he finished, floundering.

"Don't we all, Clark, don't we all? However, as far as Christopher goes, I think I have an idea."

"And what about you?" he asked, staring down at her and licking his lips slightly.

"We'll get to that, but how do you feel about passengers?"

"Huh?"

"You'll see."

With George's permission, Clark actually took the first Tuesday that both Chloe and Christopher were in school as the after school care provider. Chloe was getting into the running of the school newspaper and said she wouldn't be back to her new farm in Granville before six thirty. So now Clark had time alone with his son.

Who didn't look all that excited.

Christopher was sitting on the sofa (and that was still more furniture than Clark had as he was searching for a new place), staring half-heartedly at cartoons and, occasionally, munching on the bowl of Cap'n Crunch that he'd conned Clark into letting him have as a snack. Sugar was sugar and Clark figured it must be okay if Chloe gave it to him for breakfast, despite dubious nutritional value.

"Uh, so," Clark said, rocking back and forth a little on the balls of his feet by the TV.

"So what?" his son asked, setting down his bowl.

"Well did you have a good second day of school? Your mom said that you hadn't been before."

Christopher considered that and nodded. "I had to stay home because I'm so strong and mom was afraid I'd hurt someone. I guess that's good so I don't miss my school from Singapore. I never had one."

Clark frowned and sat next to his son on the couch. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I...I explained to your dad the other day that you get that stuff from me. Being strong and not being able to get hurt, that's me."

"But if I wasn't like that then the bomb would have exploded me! It's not so bad."

"I know, but you missed things like kindergarten until now or doing sports or cub scouts."

"What's a cub scout?"

Clark sighed. "Right, foreign consulate experience. It's a club where boys go hiking and camping and earn badges and things."

"Oh, camping?"

"Yeah, it's an outdoor thing."

Christopher shuddered. "Mommy says camping is all bugs and cold. I'll pass."

"You'd prefer video games or the computer?"

"Of course!" he said, grinning.

Clark nodded. "You are Chloe Sullivan's child. No, I mean it could be fun, but I guess you and me or you and your dad can do a tent thing in your backyard some day. I just know it has to be hard not to let anyone know you're so strong."

"I practiced since I was three. That's like two whole years, and that's like forever," he said. "Half my life!"

Clark smiled a little, amused at how many times Christopher exclaimed something. Such were the wonders of being five years old. "Then you have practiced a long time how to be strong."

"And hide," he admitted.

"Yeah and that's why I'm sorry."

"Mom said that you didn't know about me. I know there's not a stork or a cabbage patch."

"You're five!"

"I don't know how it works, just that you need a mommy and a daddy, but I know you need both ."

"That's true," Clark said, blushing a little.

"So if you didn't know, then it's not really your fault. You and mommy...I just happened, I guess. That's okay cause I like things mostly. Mommy taught me how to not break things and how not to let people know even my real daddy."

Clark flinched when Christopher gave that moniker to George. "About that-"

"Everyone says that daddy's still my daddy. You just said that," he defended.

"Yeah, I did say that on Saturday. I know, and I did mean it. I just was wondering if there was room for me in your life too. I get what it's like to have a dad, I did mean that too. I was wondering if maybe...we share a lot of things-our powers, our secrets-I thought we could start bonding over that."

"I'm not just powers. Mommy always says that."

"And she's right," Clark said softly. "It's not good for anyone. I had a long time where that's how I thought about it."

"When you were a kid too?"

"No, actually, about the last ten years."

"Wow! That's twice as much as me."

"Yeah. I'm not proud of it, exactly. I just thought it had to be all about my abilities and about saving people."

"Well, duh, that's what Superman does. He saves people. I mean, you do."

Clark laughed. "I get me and him confused too. Yeah, I do save people a lot with my abilities and because I'm Superman, but 'Clark Kent' needs to have things too. It took me a long, long time to learn that and I hope you never have to do it the hard way like I did."

"How did you learn it?"

Clark wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders, grateful when he didn't shrink or shy away. Squeezing gently he added, "Because I care about you and your mommy very much and I want to be family to both of you as much as I can. I mean all four of us, however we do it, you and your mommy, George and me. Having a family after my dad died and my mom moved away and got so busy...it's something I wanted so bad, but then I thought I shouldn't have it."

"Why?"

"Because I thought I had to save people all the time, but we're not gods. We're not all powerful even if we want to be and we can't save everyone. We need to have lives."

"Do I get to be a superhero? Can I have a cape and everything?" his son ask, eyes glittering.

Clark laughed and relaxed his grip a little. "You don't have to commit to anything at five, but I think we can find you a cape. I think we can find something better than just a red sheet or towel even if you ask your Grandma Martha about it."

"Cause she made yours?"

"Exactly. I know you can't even float yet."

His son's eyes got impossibly wide. "I will?"

"I don't know," Clark answered honestly. "You're a lot like me when I was your age, but I couldn't float until I was fourteen."

"That's like forever from now."

"It'll come faster than you think, but, until then, would you like to go flying with me?"

"Can I?"

"Your mom even suggested it," he said standing up and blurring into his uniform, gratified when his son looked up at him with awe. Okay, so he might be just a tad bit petty. Still, it was nice to have Christopher stare at him like that.

"Wow, okay," he said, getting up from the couch and taking Clark's hand. "But don't drop me. I don't want to test if I can get splatted."

Clark blanched. "I'd never do that. Besides," he said as they rose from the ground. "Your mom would find a way to splat me ."

Christopher giggled as they maneuvered out of the window and up through the backyard, as Clark prepared for superspeed. "Mommy's scary sometimes."

Slipping past the city and the clouds faster than a human could see, Clark laughed. "You have no idea."

"Mommy! Mommy!" Christopher called, running into her arms after Clark set him down.

Chloe rolled her eyes indulgently at The Suit until Clark realized how he was dressed and quickly changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and his hideous glasses. Well, at least two out of three things more or less normal wasn't so bad, even if the t-shirt were gray and not a primary color. Would even a little yellow hurt him?

Opening her arms, she gave her son a hug, thankful for the high fence her backyard had. She definitely believed that Dinah and Oliver had scoped out candidates and declared this house the winner specifically for that reason. When it came time for Christopher to practice his superspeed, they'd be more than thankful. "So my boys are back?"

Christopher pushed back and nodded. "Clark flew and we flew and it was soooo neat! I really liked it and it was fun and great and exciting and you have to go!"

Chloe blanched at that thought. She'd never flown with Clark. He'd mastered that ability after she'd married Oliver (or as close as married as a fake certificate with a dead woman's name on it could be), and it had never seemed appropriate, especially considering it was something Superman had done roughly a billion times to save Lois's life. Why her cousin was dumb enough to drool over Superman publicly but keep to a plan of barely knowing Clark at the DP, she'd never know. It would have been better to never have gotten the reputation as Superman's girlfriend. Chloe hoped there was a little more security in being Clark Kent's secret family in Granville than his obvious number one fan in Metropolis proper. They'd have to see.

Still, except for with Stephen Swift, she'd never flown. It had been fun and amazing and, to be honest, she'd considered asking J'onn over the years for a friendly spin to repeat it. The thought of doing it with Clark-not Superman and that stupid outfit she hated, crest and all-but with Clark, which was something her cousin had never done as far as she knew, well that was too good to be true. It wasn't something she got.

"Chlo?" Clark asked, blushing a little, and extending his left hand. "We could always go fast. I can call Bart or J'onn to watch Christopher, no problem. Heck, even Aunt Diana."

Chloe smiled despite herself. The lack of curse word was such a Martha Kentism. "'Heck,' huh?"

"Well I'm serious. If Christopher gets to do it, shouldn't you? You were always on me to learn."

"I think I wanted you to 'get on that one,'" she admitted. Shaking her head and dragging Christopher to the house, Chloe added, "Clark, I think we'll save that for another night."

"But mom! It's the funnest thing ever and it's really cool and he said one day I might be able to do that and we fly faster than airplanes and-"

"I know, sweetheart, but sometimes you need to get prepared for things."

"You're not scared, are you? It's real safe!" he shouted, clomping up the stairs with her.

Chloe sighed and looked back at Clark who was giving her his best puppy-eyed expression. "No, honey, sometimes it's not."

Christopher had bed time by eight pm. It left Chloe, Clark, and the remains of a pepperoni pizza chilling on either side of her sofa. She was also going to send Dinah and Oliver a thank you note for making it so long. It kept people from being thigh to thigh on it. Clark picked up a slice, considered it, and then set it back in the box. He settled instead for pulling off a pepperoni and chewing on it, mouth closed.

"Clark-" she started.

"Chlo?" he asked, after swallowing.

"Look, I have some sentence diagrams to grade and to review the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter for my tenth graders. It's sort of a jammed schedule during the week, you know?"

"Yes, it's a whopping eight fifteen. Chlo, you could have, you know?"

"Gone flying?" she laughed and shook her head. "I think it's a little early in whatever our relationship is for something like that."

"It's not sex!" Clark said, comically putting his hands over his mouth when he realized that Christopher was asleep upstairs and far too young for that type of language.

"No, I guess it's not, but I know when I did it with not-quite-Warrior-Angel that it was at least very intimate. It's like up there with sex as far as trusting you, if you can understand that."

"I do fly people all the time out of the way of chaos and of course with Christopher. Hell, it was your idea."

"Indeed it was but I meant...with Lois ."

He sighed and brought his elbows to his knees. "Are you always going to do that? Compare yourself to Lois? Compare us to me and her?"

"It's hard not to. She's better in some ways-taller, thinner, bigger breasts, better hair, and star reporter on Superman for the DP."

"And she wasn't as smart as you are and she didn't have a Pulitzer or love Clark Kent the way you do."

"I guess there are trade-offs," Chloe quipped.

"I'll take you when you're ready, then. The offer definitely stands. I mean, if I take Christopher when I'm around, I'd hardly be one to say you couldn't or to deny it."

She forced a smile. "Thank you. This is all just so much to get used to so fast. Two weeks ago I was a reporter in Singapore and with a daily life that involved my husband and the consulate frankly. Now I'm a teacher of all things, laying low in Granville and you're back in my life. I...flight or sex or anything intensely intimate...that has to wait."

"I understand," Clark said petulantly.

"You never were good at patience or waiting."

He nodded and patted her knee. "I'll work on it. Promise."

"Me too."