I made a mistake it is Jeremy Bentham not Jeremey sorry, as for the quote I know the actual real quote is "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong" I was just trying to make it fit better for that moment as I imagined Alicia would have, but I will take that on me. I always welcome people calling me out.
Again, things will be changing, so together we shall roll though this.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Atlanta Georgia, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Parking Lot, 4 Days Later
Friday Afternoon
Alicia just finished strapping Grace into her car seat when her thoughts began to come to the forefront of her mind, 'Clark seemed a little nervous earlier today I hope everything is okay. I know he said he didn't want to worry me about the things happening over there because he wants to keep his real life separate from his work life, but he has to know I worry regardless." Alicia closed the door and opened the driver's side door and entered. She clicked her seatbelt in and looked back to Grace giving her a quick tickle saying, "Are you ready to head home sweety?" Grace gave a giggle of appreciation at seeing her mom playing with her. Alicia started the car and began the drive back to her apartment while saying "Mama" to Grace in hopes that those would be her first words.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Atlanta Georgia, Highland Square
Grace began squirming in her mother's grip as Alicia brought her into the apartment. Alicia brought her up to her eyelevel and asked "What wrong? Why are you so fidgety" Alicia went to get her bottle and it worked like a charm Grace was a happy as she could be as long as she was being fed. Alicia just let out a sigh before saying "Okay well I'll give you a bath in about an hour so once your finished we can get you and myself changed and ready for bath time." Grace couldn't care less as to what her mom was saying a she was focusing more on her bottle.
Alicia quickly changed herself and brought Grace to the living room and placed her on her play mat. Alicia had been trying to get her to learn how to crawl. Grace was getting better at it however whenever she would get excited over chasing her mother around, she would slip and usually drop on her face. When it first began happening, she would wail uncontrollably and it would take Alicia many minutes of kisses, tickles and funny faces before she would calm down. Some time she wouldn't truly calm her down until Clark came back home and would start playing with her.
Alicia was lying down in front of Grace thinking, 'Clark said he doesn't get sick so theoretically Grace shouldn't get sick either. With our unique anatomy's I don't think taking her to normal doctors is going to be an option. Hopefully Clark has an opinion on all this, he should have a better understanding.' She was brought out of her thoughts when Grace began pulling on her nose and cheek. Alicia didn't stop her since it didn't hurt and just said "Having fun there missy." Grace just let go of her mom and started laughing and bouncing. Alicia played with her for about another thirty minutes before Alicia got up with Grace and said, "Alright it's bathe time for you young lady." Grace having no idea what was happening just stared at her mother while she got everything ready.
It only took about ten minutes for Alicia to finish showering Grace while being doused by water from the energetic baby. Alicia changed Grace into her sleeping clothes and dried herself off. Alicia rocked Grace to sleep and lied her down in the crib before heading to the kitchen to prepare some dinner for her and Clark. She finished cooking dinner and began eating while thinking 'It is getting pretty late usually he's home by now. I hope everything is okay.' She finished her meal and began doing the dishes.
As she finished drying the dishes, she placed them all in their respective cabinets and drawers and headed to the couch with a book. She got comfortable and began reading from where she left off deciding she will just read until Clark came home. She was about halfway through the book when she looked at the clock and noticed that it was almost eleven. Alicia thought, "I'll give him about another thirty before heading to bead." The time quickly passed, and the clock was now showing eleven thirty
Alicia heard Grace starting to get restless and picked her up from her crib. Alicia began rocking her up and down lightly to get her back to sleep. Once she was fully asleep again, she brought her to their bed and lied down with Grace on top of her. Alicia began rubbing soothing circles into her back. She looked towards the clock and noticed that it was almost one in the morning and thought 'I hope to god nothing really bad happened to him. He has never been this late before and I don't have an easy way to contact him and it's not like I can just teleport to Metropolis, I'm really wishing I had my powers now. No even if I had them, I don't know where in Metropolis he is and I can't just leave Grace on her own and taking her would be dangerous. Maybe I should just try to get some sleep he probably wouldn't want me staying up and worrying about him.' Even though that's what she intended she found herself still awake at close to two.
She found herself starting to slip into a semi sleep state, but all of a sudden, she heard the doorknob rattling and jolted awake. She heaved a sigh of relief before saying, "Looks like your daddy is home." She wrapped Grace in her little blanket and lied her on the bed hoping she wouldn't make a fit due to them not being there and headed out the room.
She made her way to the living room and upon entering she immediately smelt a mix of smells but the most noticeable being the strong waft of blood. As she turned on the lights, she saw Clark just leaking blood from every part of his body with large gashes around his chest. She immediately ran over to him not understanding how he was even still standing. She hadn't realized but tears were already staining her voice as she asked "Clark! What the hell happened. Oh my god we need to get you to a hospital, but we can't take you to hospital. Maybe Mrs. Kent will know how to help." Before she could move Clark used his mangled hands to cup her face. Alicia stopped on a dime as she looked into his eyes and Clark tried to wipe her tears which were only falling harder now. Clark just looked into her eyes before saying "So how was your day?" Alicia scoffed at him before giving him a light slap on the chest to which he lightly cringed back from. Alicia noticed this but decided to continue with she wanted to say, "My day is just perfect Clark. You have me worrying the entire night only to come home looking like you're a second away from death and the first thing you say to me is how was your day like everything is as normal as can be." Clark tilted his head down while saying, "I'm sorry." Alicia decided that getting angry wasn't going to help anyone and instead asked, "What can I do to help? I can't you dying on me before we talk in the morning and trust me, we will be having a talk." Clark brought his head back up and gave a light chuckle before saying "I'm really sorry that I had you worried so much but I'm really thankful to know how much you care. As for my injuries they are mostly healed I'm just extremely exhausted the run back here drained everything I had left, so I need to take a shower to get all this blood and grime off me and I probably need to burn those clothes and once I get some rest and some sunlight I'll be good as new." Alicia let out a sigh of relief at hearing that he should be okay.
They both stayed like that position until the sound of crying broke them out of their haze and Alicia gave him a quick kiss before heading to Grace saying, "I understood what I was signing up for so I'm not mad, we just need to work on a better communication system. Did you want me to help you clean up?" Clark simply replied, "No I should be good." Alicia nodded and said, "Okay we will be waiting for you to go to bed." She exited the room as Clark left for the shower.
Alicia picked up Grace began saying soothing words to her, "Oh its okay sweety mommy is right here and daddy is finally home and safe and we love you." A few minutes later Grace had fallen back to sleep on her mother as Alicia waited for Clark to come to bed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Clark came in wearing a new set of clothes. Clark came into the bed and Alicia scooted right next to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before saying, "I'm really happy you're safe and home and I'm sure she is as well now lets get some rest its been a long for us both I assume." Clark couldn't agree more and said, "I'm sorry to have put you through that." Alicia rested her head on his chest and said, "You can make it up to me with some of your special Kent family recipe pancakes in the morning." Clark finally wore a smile as he said, "As many as you would like." All three began to drift off to sleep in a matter of seconds.