Hi everyone, first I want to say thanks again for all the reviews and to those who are still taking this ride with me. Also, one of my readers pointed something out to me, which I wanted to clear up. This fanfic as I have been saying several time is finished but not finished in the sense we are coming to end soon, no. Finished in the sense that I wrote this several months ago, this summer to be exact, and have now gotten the nerve to post it.
I love writing, but I hate, rushed or dragged out fanfics, where I have to read filler chapters and the story takes forever to get off ground.
My story, every chapter has a purpose, and is and will never be fillers. I will say again this is a three-part fanfic, and that is because it was the way it turned out. The story wanted to be told, I let my story come to life as it were met too. Please, if you have been reading so far, don't stop and don't be afraid to let me know your thoughts.
In Medias Res
"Into the middle of things"
"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." Kahlil Gibran
Chapter 10
Between Mother and Son
JJ shot a look down the hallway as he pulled out the cell phone his mother had given him for emergencies. He knew this would not count to others as an emergency but it was. She had not come back last night and even though his daddy had told him his mommy had spent the night at the Talon, he still felt the need to talk to her; he needed to hear her voice and get the conformation for himself that everything is fine.
It had been his silent responsibly to make sure she was safe. He knew she needed him, and he needed her. They were a team and on their team, no man gets left behind.
Lois groaned as the special ring tone began going off. It was the most annoying sound ever, but this morning with her head throbbing, it was torturous. She had needed a way to signal her when important calls from JJ were coming through. And what better than the sound of her son's voice calling mommy repeatedly.
" Mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,mom-"
She snatched the phone off the dresser.
"Mommy!" the child's voice came on the other line. Lois grunted.
"Mommy are you okay?"
"Oh God my head!" she groaned
JJ bit his lip, and switched the phone to the other ear.
"Mommy!" he called again.
Lois covered her face with her free hand.
"Are you okay?"
She asked groggy.
"Yes."
"Is there a fire?"
She asked again.
"No."
Is anyone hurt?" she asked going down the mental list.
"No."
She grunted, "then why JJ?" she whined.
"You didn't call to say goodnight, we always say goodnight."
He pointed out pressing the phone closer to his face. Lois groan as she suddenly realized, it had been their way of letting the other know they were safe when apart. She had been so wrapped up in her own feeling, in her own hurt she had completely forgot.
"Damn, I'm sorry."
JJ looked down at his feet.
"Daddy said you stayed the night at the Talon."
Lois dropped her hand from her face.
"Yes I did."
JJ nodded,
"I was worried." He pointed out softly his voice quivering a little.
Lois felt awful.
"I'm sorry JJ, I can't undo this, but it won't happen again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Four-Hour Car Ride
"So CK is back!" Exclaimed Jimmy tugging the seat belt strap.
"Yes, I thought we covered this last night."
He looked over at her.
"Actually no, you just said Clark is back and Lois is crashing at your place."
Chloe kept her eyes on the road.
"So what does this mean, is he staying?"
Chloe gripped the steering wheel.
"If he knows what's good for him."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow.
"This is not a friendly, hey welcome back, how you been, visit is it?"
She shot a look at him.
"Clark has been gone five years and in one day he has managed to set Lois back four years emotionally."
He stared at her,
"Oh come on Chloe, I don't think it's that bad."
She grunted and turned her attention back on the road ahead.
"You don't know what I know, so you can't tell me I'm over reacting."
He looked away,
"I don't need all the details to see that your feelings towards Clark are not just about how much he hurt Lois."
She looked over at him again,
"You really want to do this now?"
He looked over at her,
"I'm just trying to understand my role here Chloe. When your girl-friend wakes you up at the crack of dawn, and takes you on a four hour car ride to go confront her old boy-friend, you kinda have to wonder."
"This is not about us Jimmy!" She snapped.
"I never said it was."
She turned back to the road.
You have to understand something, Clark has a way of causing damage even if he doesn't mean to. I have spent years before he left under this veil of blind loyalty to him. He never saw or understood what kind of sacrifice that took."
She turned and looked at him,
"So yeah, this is about more than Lois and JJ. It's about all those who got caught up and swept away into the tsunami that is Clark Kent, just because he was too busy running from himself."