Hello, to everyone who has stuck with this story. I'm sorry my last post was so long ago, but I had placed this story on an indefinite Hiatus because I had thought of not continuing it. Too much to do sometimes and other projects I'm working on. But rest assured that, although I may not post often, I haven't abandoned this project and continue to work on it when time allows. This was supposed to be a 7 part series joining my favorite anime heroes with my all-time favorite super heroes, and will continue to be, except I won't make it that long. I've chosen to drop 3 other story ideas I had and make this a 4 part story. When this one is finished I will begin with the anime story that will tie into this one and the two crossovers. The other story is called Golden Aftertoon and is already begun. In it Sailor Moon and her friends will reappear and tell their story. I shall be posting it soon. Next is Super/Moon, the first of the two crossovers. The final one I haven't decided on a name. Stay tuned because They will be up soon along with other stories I'm writing.

Love

Sailor FoxFire

Chapter 13: A New Day

Finally arriving home, Clark was greeted on the porch by a playfully glaring Lois. "What took you so long?" she wondered, playfully.

Clark grinned, "It was a nice night so I decide to take the scenic route," he told her playfully as he walked in with Kala in his arms.

She glared, "Scenic route, right. And here I thought you'd decide to fly off again."

Clark grinned, "Nah, Kala doesn't have the right weather gear to take the trip to the Artic." She grinned back at him, their banter being whispered so as not to wake the little girl. Clark followed Lois to the guest room where she had set up her bed and carefully laid her down after she pulled back the covers. He kissed her goodnight on her soft baby cheek as he covered her up, then waited as Lois kissed her as well before walking out with her and closing the door behind them.

Once they were in their bedroom they picked Jason up and took him back to his room. The adults needing to talk. Once he was settled and the door was closed behind them, Clark locked it they needed to talk and couldn't take the risk of Jason or even Kala walking in. He'd heard them if they awoke. "This looks serious. Normally you don't lock the door."

He nodded. "We need to talk, and I don't want them to accidentally walk in."

She frowned. "What happened Clark?" she asked as she sat down on the bed.

Sighing Clark joined her. "I'm not sure where to begin." His face was grim, it was hard to recount the story for him. "I will never understand how things like this happen and I never want to." He shook his head. "When I got there, Kala was in the middle of an abandoned field standing in the headlights of a car. Her mother was sitting there yelling at her to shut up and stop asking for help all the while her boyfriend stalked towards Kala. His intent was clear… He was going to rape her." Lois gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "I got to her in the nick of time. I grabbed him as he tried to jump on her and tossed him away, then flew off with Kala, though I admit everything in me wanted to toss him into orbit. What kind of sick individual would do something like that to a child. It makes me sick." He got up and started to pace, his distress obvious. "I hear them you know, every day. I can hear their cries of pain and suffering as their parents hurt them. But I can do nothing to help. This isn't the first time I've pulled kids away from certain death at the hands of their parents like with Kala. I've lost track of how many times I have, and even more when I've been too late to help them. When I interfere is when for certain the kids aren't sent back, and usually they have files as long as I am tall or worse but no one does a blasted thing." He sighed. "I know that family's important. I am who I am because of the parents that raised me, and honestly I would have been a different man had I been in a situation like theirs. But in all honesty, with cases like this, something needs to be done. A lot of the times the child dies before Children and Family takes definitive action, always sending them back with their parents after they get false promises. It always goes the same way. I honestly believe that people can change when they want to, but with these cases, change may not be enough. So many people are desperate to have children and can't, those kids would be better off sent somewhere else. Even to live with wolves." He sighed. "I firmly believe that the criminals I deal with on a daily basis are, more often than not, a product of situations children should not be place in."

"Perhaps we can do something for it. They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Perhaps articles on the subject will at least raise awareness."

He shook his head. "Countless have been published, but it just gets worse."

She nodded. "We can talk to Perry tomorrow, who knows, maybe if Superman tells the world what you just told me, it will make a difference. But back to Kala, what happened?"

He handed her the package the doctor gave him. "She's got a long history of abuse and neglect. When I flew off with her I scanned her, with her permission, and saw the evidence of her abuse. She's had more broken bones than even I can count, so many head injuries it's honestly a wonder she's not brain damaged including a cracked skill because her mother threw her down a set of stairs." Lois gasped in shock and he nodded. "But what scared me the most was the knife. That a 7-year-old contemplated suicide as a means to escape her situation scared the living hell out of me. And though the knife was small, it would have been effective; a steak knife, the kind we use to cut thick pieces of meat. Small, but damaging. I really don't think she wants to die, Lois, I really don't, but she couldn't see another option when those that were sworn to protect her always sent her back. Up until I took off with her from the hospital, she still thought that's what would happen, and honestly I don't think she has let go of that notion just yet…" He shook his head. "But she will not go back, even if I have to kidnap her and hid her in the Fortress, she will not go back."

Lois nodded. "Agreed. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I've heard of your other rescues before… Those kids at least never get returned, never. And we could adopt her."

He nodded. "I want to. And I do have connections to help make that happen quickly, friends in powerful places that would help. They hate these cases with a vengeance."

"What friends?"

He smiled. "The other heroes, as well as others. Some of the heroes are very influential people in their public personas, and I do have friends in the government, not heroes. They'd be glad to help." She nodded but he could see the curiosity. He smiled. "No Lois, I can't tell you who they are. It's not that I don't trust you but the Justice League does have rules about the protection of secret identities, we all have people we care for that could get hurt if the wrong person found out, you know that. And since I along with the other original leaguers wrote those rules I can't break them. But perhaps in time something could happen. Actually, that's part of the reason I took so long. A few blocks away, I met up with Batman, Wonder Woman and the green Arrow. They were watching the house, probably waiting for me."

"They were?"

He laughed. "Chill out. It's what we do. It's not like they can knock the door at this hour in those costumes. Imagine what the neighbors would say? They just wanted to get back in touch and hand me the com systems that are being used now. I'll be meeting them for lunch at the Watchtower tomorrow, well I guess today since it's past three in the morning." He saw her eyes light up and he had to grin. "And no you can't come along. Sheesh, sometimes you're too curious for your own good. But the Watchtower's off limits without the proper clearance and I only have mine." He grinned. "But you wouldn't be the first spouse given access, but that would have to be later. I've been out of the loop for a while and don't really know what's change and what hasn't. It's possible that has."

"Why would the rules change in you clubhouse in space?"

"Things change. Anyway, that's not important right now. Kala is. Thankfully the results showed that she wasn't raped previously so she's okay that way." He shook his head. "We'll have to child proof the house. I'll get on that later."

"Why?"

He gestured to the package. "Kala's shown signs of being suicidal. Really I think, and so does the doctor and the social workers, that it's a case of circumstance but that ideology does not go away overnight so we would have to monitor her. The attending doctor gave me some information on what to do and what to look out for in the package since the signs tend to be a little different with young children than with adults and teenagers. But he did warn me that we had to make sure that she wouldn't get into anything that could possibly be dangerous. She's too young to be given anti-depressants and in all honesty, the main thing she needs is love and care, but we need to make sure she can't get into anything. We keep everything pretty safe since Jason can get to curious for his own good, but I was warned that anything sharp, or poisonous either has to be removed from the house of kept under lock and key and the medications as well. We'll also need to monitor her near the river and on the stairs to keep her safe." He opened the package and together they reviewed the contents. Lois held up the pages with the prescribed diet and an order for a psychiatrist. He nodded. "She's malnourished and underweight, I'd say she's a full 15 pounds under weight for her size. He told me he had prescribed her diet to help her regain her weight and health as well as giving us the prescriptions for her mild pain medication, calcium and vitamin D supplements and I see as well a child complete vitamin, here." He handed her the prescriptions. "I can take them to the pharmacy later and we'll give them to her in the morning."

"The diet's not that different than a normal child diet, just recommendations to make sure she eats well and ideas to make sure she gets all her nutrition if she's a picky eater," she told him as she read over the papers in her hand. "Only difference is the added supplements."

He nodded. "Honestly, my mother could put 15 pounds back on her in a weekend at the farm… Actually come to think of it, that may not be a bad idea. We could spend the weekend at the farm, it's a nice quiet place that would help her relax more and mom would love to meet her."

"She's going to be spoiled rotten in two days, guaranteed," Lois laughed.

"Two days, obviously you don't know my mother very well Lois. I'd say 5 minutes, and she deserves it. So you agree?" She nodded.

"We'll call the psychiatrist that was recommended to make her an appointment in the morning, but honestly I think just being in a loving environment will do wonders for her."

He nodded. "That reminds me that the social works will be by in the morning with the paperwork and we have to let the school know that her mother is not to go near her, though I don't think that'll be much of a problem. I saw Henderson arrest her and her boyfriend when I was flying home. Anyway, they gave Kala a tetanus shot because of the cuts and the social workers said they could get whatever she wanted or needed from her mother's house. Personally, I think she won't be needing anything. I'll call Perry in the morning and let him know we're taking the day off and why so that we can get everything sorted and get her what she needs as well."

She nodded. "Speaking of Perry. You have to hand in those articles you know."

He sighed. "I know. And to be honest I really don't want to get to work on them, but I know I have to. I'll get on that after I go to the pharmacy, need anything?"

She nodded, "Can you pick up some children's Tylenol in case she gets a fever from the shot?" He nodded and gave her a kiss before taking the prescriptions and walking out the door. Lois got ready for bed and, after checking on both kids went to sleep.

Clark flew to the nearby 24-hour pharmacy, landing in the trees before walking out onto the parking lot. It was a quiet night, no troubles so he thought he could get to writing and also prepare the house for Kala. Entering the pharmacy he went up to the counter and handed over the prescriptions to the tech. "Quiet night, eh?" the lady behind the counter mentioned.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's nice." And she didn't know how quiet. For once the world was letting Superman be.

"It's nice when the store's quiet like this. I take it you have kid right?"

He nodded and decided to tell the truth. "Two, a boy and a foster girl with just got tonight."

"Poor kid. Anyway, the medicines should be ready in 10 minutes and the vitamins are all in the over the counter isle. The supplements are prescribed so I'll dispatch them. And some advice, the vitamin the doctor prescribed is fairly large and thick but we also carry it in a chewable variety which is easier for a child to manage, although any complete multivitamin would work just as well."

He nodded and then headed up the isles to grab some things. He picked up the Tylenol as well as the supplements, then decided to go down the toy isle. He picked up some new coloring books for the kids as well as a large teddy bear for Kala. He also grabbed some of the supplemental drinks the diet advised them to have for her. He paid for his purchases and went home.

Once home and after checking on the kids and leaving the teddy bear and coloring books and crayons on Kala's bed. He sat in Lois's office and stared at the blank page for a while. He honestly didn't want to write the articles and began to wonder why he had agreed in the first place. He got up and walked out to the river, leaning against the railing to look over the dark water and think. This wasn't his home, he honestly like the house Lois lived in and had pretty much moved in here in the last few months, though he kept his apartment still. He owned it after all. He'd been surprised to see the change in his accounts upon his return. He'd given them to Batman and Arrow to play with them and they had really made killing for him in the markets. The farm boy in him had never seen so many zeros in his life, which was good since he had a family to provide for now. He'd have to talk to them about it, but the bottom line was that he could provide Lois and their growing family with a home of their own. Lois's house was beautiful, but he didn't like the notion of living in a house that another man had lived in with her previously, though she owned it. Besides, it just wasn't a safe house for a child with superpowers or for him to live in. It wasn't very private, for one thing, since it backed into a well traversed section of the river. In fact sometimes the paparazzi would try to sneak up to the house to watch them. Lois was a celebrity and her connection to Superman assured a following of paparazzi even though he hadn't been seen near her in months. In fact he could see one of their boats now, which had been anchored there for days, though he had made sure their equipment didn't work and didn't catch anything before he landed with Kala and the two men on board were sleeping. They had to move, but that was something best discussed at a later date. Sighing, he went back inside and to his computer. He repeated the cycle two more times before finally forcing himself to just sit down and write.

As the sun came up, Clark saved and emailed Perry both articles along with wrought draft on the series he and Lois wanted to do about child abuse and a note to let him know what happened last night. He'd intended to work on only one, but as he wrote, he ended up finishing both and felt as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Smiling he went outside to watch the sunrise. After a few minutes he heard pair of tiny bare feet paddling nearly silently on the porch. Turning around he smiled as a sleepy Kala came outside clutching the bear he'd gotten for her and held his arms out for her, picking her up.

"It's still very early sweetie, and you went to bed late."

She nodded. "I never really slept much. I always had to get up early, no matter how late I went to bed," she told him. He sighed, the more he learned, the more disgusted he felt because of the situation. "I liked watching the sunrise, though. It reminded me of the song from the movie Annie that my daddy had loved. It helped me cope and remember him."

Clark gave her a small smile and kissed her cheek as he held her, he knew the song she spoke. Little orphan Annie sang 'Tomorrow' to help her cope with her circumstances. It spoke of having hope for something better no matter what was happening at that moment. Fitting that it comforted this little angel as well. Clark held her tightly as they watched the sunrise together. Then he smiled an ides hitting him. "I happen to know of a better place to watch the sunrise, sweetie."

She looked at him curious. "Where?"

He grinned and, making sure no one saw, he took off into the sky. "Up here," Clark told her, now dressed as Superman. He settled her on his lap in his shadow so that she was protected from the stronger rays of light. "I come up here to bathe in the sunlight. It's what gives me my power, but also just to relax or think or watch the sunrise and sunset."

Kala's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Everything's so pretty," she said in wonder. "It's like we're a part of the sunrise." Clark smiled, looking around. He'd never thought of it that way but she was right. It was like being a part of sunrise when he perched in the sky as the sun came up. He watch as Kala took in the world spread out before her as he soaked in the early morning light. He was glad to see that, despite all she endured, she was still able to view the world innocence and wonder. It gave him hope. They perched in the sky for a while longer before he flew them back home.