37

Kon?" Clark called, frowning at his son. Jax was conked out on a far sofa. Clark tried not to think about what or whom had been done on that couch over the years of Oliver's playboy life style.

His son startled and glanced back at him. "What?"

"Are you alright. I mean, outside of the obvious?" he added, patting Mo. "You seem distracted."

Kon, who had one hand firmly shoved into his pocket, blinked. "I'm fine."

Clark sighed. "I know it's been a rough week. I know you feel bad about everything we've said regarding Lana."

"I didn't talk about mom."

"No, I know, but I do understand what it's like to want to know your biological parents. When I was a little older than you, I searched out the AI. I can't even begin to explain the how or whys of it, maybe Dax-Ur could have, but it lived in the caves before it settled in the Arctic."

"Huh."

"It's confusing. It's part of why the AI is so scary. I have no idea how it works, but I was drawn to the caves cause I knew it was part of my other family and it made Grandpa Jonathan upset."

"Did you stop?"

"No, but then the Fortress wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Jor-El, whatever it is, is cruel and cold. It tricked me, tested me, branded me like an animal-"

"You don't have a scar."

"Not now, no, but I did. Ask your Grandmother or Uncle Pete."

"But Lana's not an alien supercomputer."

"No, but I am just saying I wanted to connect with my other family so bad that I didn't listen to the warnings grandma and grandpa kept giving me and I made a huge mistake. I...the AI killed Granpa Jonathan because of it, weakened his heart and killed him. I've never forgiven myself for it."

Kon frowned and leaned forward towards him. "It what?"

"It said I had to have a 'balance' cause the Fortress saved my life, a heartbeat for a heartbeat, basically. It chose to take your mother-and I mean Lana-the first time and I begged for a do over, for it to turn back time. The second time over, it took my dad and refused to give him back."

"I...he had a heart attack."

"Because the Fortress set it all up for its own machinations. It's extremely dangerous, Kon, and it's merciless without the final stone. I'm not comparing your bio mom exactly to something that can block out the sun or open windows to prison dimensions-"

"Holy shit."

"Basically. It's why it scares even J'onn and Grandpa Lionel who is the 'oracle' for the Fortress. But what I am saying is after pressing so hard to know my 'father,'" he said, making air quotes with his fingers. "I met someone I didn't like and it ruined a huge part of my life. I can't trust Lana; I simply cannot after she slapped locked me away like a lab rat-locked us away. I know you'll try seeing her again."

"Batman knows," Kon huffed. "Did you ask him to watch me?"

Clark sighed. "I knew Bruce would try talking to you. Chloe threatened him twice to leave you alone. She doesn't want the League near you."

He snorted. "She had Batman tail me."

"She's scared for you. The League's a democracy. Kara, Chloe and I aren't the bulk of it. Even if you threw in your aunts and uncles, there are so many members now. If they deemed you a threat, they wouldn't kill you-we don't do that-but they would..."

" Contain me. I know. The Batman was clear on that. What does that even mean?"

Clark shuddered and felt his throat go dry. How could he even be discussing this with his son. His boy was a freshman, wasn't even fifteen. "I don't know. He asked Chloe for blue Kryptonite. If things became severe enough, I think they'd take some from Jax or from the bracelet Lana tried once on me."

"I...they'd make me like Jax?"

Clark bristled. "There's nothing wrong with him."

"He's handicapped."

"I thought you didn't want your powers," he countered. "There's nothing wrong with Jax. He's just...unreliable. I just am saying, if you're not careful, the League will outvote your family and take care of you and you'll never have your powers. Emil will find a way to even dampen the telekinesis. I never underestimate him, never."

Kon shivered and Clark reached out to grab his shoulder. His son jerked away. "I bet you'd like that!"

"What?"

"Let the Batman take me away, so you can just have the perfect family with Chloe you want, pretend my mom never existed and you never fucked her."

"Language," he reprimanded. "Kon, I don't...I died the day you were born."

"What?"

Clark breathed deeply and clutched Mo as he spoke. Four more months and there'd be a repeat performance. "I died the day you were born. A human if they're given temporary powers can carry a Kryptonian baby to term safely, if the pregnant parent is Kryptonian, then it's always fatal to both the baby and the parent."

Kon did not double take. He just nodded. "Chloe went away when Alura was born. She said that it was going to make Aunt Kara sick."

"If your real mother weren't as powerful as she were, we'd both be dead and Alura wouldn't be here."

"Is she powerful enough to handle Mo?"

"Yes," Clark replied adamantly. "But I wanted you. I can't want you more than to die for you, do you understand that?"

Kon paused for a second and Clark could almost see him relax his posture for the first time in months. Then he slumped back in his seat. "Whatever, kangaroo, whatever."

Clark sighed and held his stomach tight, Kents really were stubborn.

The best part of coming home from a trip was having Chloe's arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

He smiled and spun her around a bit, still amused after all these years at the disparity in their heights. "I was gone for three days."

She kissed him and squealed a bit until he set her back down. "Three days is a long time. That's 72 whole hours and then it's...well it's a lot of minutes."

"259,200 seconds," Jax replied. "Calculators are for the weak."

Chloe smiled and kissed Jax's cheek. "Did you take care of my boys?"

"Most of the time but Chloe, you should have seen Iceland. Those-"

"-girls were hot. I know, Jax. You're a broken record some days."

"But," Jax replied, pulling a bouquet of sunflowers out from God knew where. "I'm your favorite."

Chloe laughed and took the flowers. "You did look after them?"

He nodded. "Kon's ears rang a lot in the airport and I think he's got puppy love-itis bad, but he's his usual sunny self."

"He's still in the limo?"

"Bruce and Oliver had uncle advice to give to him. I, on the other hand, have a test in quantum mechanics tomorrow and a lecture to prep for my undergrads. Say, Fawkes, what should I invent for you next?"

Chloe rolled her eyes tolerantly. "How about something that improves teenagers' moods?"

"Don't do soft sciences," Jax said, laughing. "Clark, man, always a pleasure. I'll see you in Boston next week with the squirt?"

Clark nodded, a little overwhelmed by the scene before him. Somehow, he had a feeling that the tricks Jax had pulled to make Chloe smile-the superspeed, the math-were things he'd longed to show off for Mary Donovan. Maybe he had once, but Clark knew her response would never mirror Chloe's. "Of course, now don't-"

"-be a 'cad,' gotcha."

"I am not that old."

"You're like superold, like over thirty old!" Jax quipped, before slipping away in superspeed.

Chloe grinned and sniffed her sunflowers. "I like him."

"I can give you flowers."

"No, he makes you flustered. I like to see you moderately on your toes."

"And Kon?"

"Makes blood pressure rise, which is bad for the baby. Jax is...colorful."

"Manwhore?"

"Totally," she replied, giggling. "Did you explain to him where Kryptonian-human babies come from?"

"Repeatedly and Mo's an object lesson. He's sure the human cancels it out."

Chloe laughed again and he'd missed that sound. "I bet he does. It'll be even funnier than with you and Kon when Jax gets pregnant. No one in history will have earned it more."

Clark gasped. "I'm not cute with Mo?"

Chloe sighed and put a hand to his chest. "You're not waddling like a penguin."

"I...can we talk about this later? Kon's home and we should try just...things were tense."

"They often are," Chloe replied, frowning when Oliver stepped out of the car. "Ollie?"

"Hey, I was thinking. I can take Kon to the city tonight. Dinah and I will hang out with him, show him the penthouse. He'll like that."

"Oh Oliver," he said. "You really don't have to do that."

Chloe's eyes widened and she nudged him in the ribs until he clued into it. "That'll be fine. Bring him back in the morning."

Oliver grinned lasciviously at both of them and Clark felt his cheeks heat up. "Fawkes, Ghost, see you tomorrow. Try not to do anything I wouldn't do."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "That include things not legal in the lower forty-eight?"

"You know it."

Clark didn't have Chloe straddling him enough lately, although, when they were trying for Mo, that had happened two or three times a night. It was a nice return to form. She leaned down and kissed him, reaching low and tugging at his shirt tail. Leaning in, she whispered into his ear, "You know what I want."

Clark's eyes widened. Mopey teenagers and world saving really had cut into quality time. Sitting up, he obliged. He leaned forward to kiss her and frowned when she pulled back. "Chlo?"

"I knew it!" She said, putting a hand on his clearly prominent hip bone.

"Excuse me?"

"You're completely skin and bones."

"You tricked me into taking off my shirt?" he huffed, about to slip his shirt back on until she sat on it.

"No more than you did me. I haven't seen you shirtless in a month and it's no wonder why. Clark, you look horrible."

"Jax said like shit."

"Either is true," she finished, stroking over his stomach. "Either both of you aren't getting enough or Mo's getting it all and neither explanation is acceptable, did you know that?"

"Chlo," he started, trying to squirm away.

"Clark, I talked to Emil. We both think giving you a feeding tube would really help you."

"I'm fine! I just need to eat more!"

Chloe sighed and took a small object out of her pocket. "I don't think you are."

"Is that a safety pin?"

"Clark, it's forty outside and you were shivering. I know you're not at four months yet, but I don't think this is like with Kon."

"I...you won't be able to get a tube in me and I won't have blue K on with Mo. I just have to eat even more."

Chloe frowned. "Give me your finger."

He rolled his eyes. Sure, if she needed proof he was still fine. "I'm telling you," he started, giving her his forefinger. "It's not gonna...ow!" Chloe's eyes watered a little as they both stared at the drop of red welling up on his finger. "I...that's not possible. I have a lot longer before I glitch, like three weeks. I didn't even notice it."

"It's Mo."

"It's both of us," he said, pulling her close to him. "I'll do it, you know. I'll put in the feeding tube if you think it'll help her."

"Help both of you."

"But she matters the most, you have to promise, if...she goes first."

"I can't."

"Promise or I won't put in the tube. If it comes down to it, you take care of Mo. Do you understand?"

Chloe was crying now, the tears freely flowing. "I understand. I just wish I didn't."