Earth-304d

by Takara Phoenix

A collection of stories about DC's greatest heroes, set on my own Earth. Origin stories, team line-ups and pairings changed to my liking, each chapter focusing on a different hero, or team-up.

3. Superman: First Flight

DC || Superman || DC || Superman || DC || First Flight || DC || Superman || DC || Superman || DC

Title: Superman: First Flight

Fandom: DC Comics / Arrowverse

Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Arrowverse reserved to Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, all rights for the comics reserved to DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: adoption, hurt/comfort, becoming a hero, fluff, found family, f/f, m/f

Main Relationship: Clark & Chloe & Cat & Lois & James

Side Pairings: Lois/Cat, James/Chloe, Lex/Lana, Jonathan/Martha

DC Characters: Clark Kent | Superman, Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent, Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan, James Olsen, Lois Lane, Catherine 'Cat' Grant, Alexander 'Lex' Luthor, Kara Danvers, J'onn J'onzz, Perry White, Arthur Curry | Aquaman, Diana Prince | Wonder Woman

Summary: A Kryptonian orphan crashes into a field in Kansas and changes the lives of two farmers and, many years later, of the entire world. The story of how Kal-El became Clark Kent and how Clark Kent became Superman, with the support of his family and friends.

Superman

First Flight

Of all the things Jonathan and Martha Kent expected to find in their fields, a spaceship with a baby in it had never even made the list. This was a miracle that could not be explained, but both knew it to be a blessing. They hid the spaceship in a secret room beneath their barn, hiding the entrance away so no one may ever find it. They took the child with them, bathed, clothed and named him.

Though Jonathan hated that he had to do it, he found himself forced to ask Lionel Luthor, of all people, for a favor. They needed the fake papers; birth certificate, adoption papers. How could they possibly explain their miracle son otherwise, after all? But every time Jonathan looked at his son, saw Clark laugh and reach out for him or for Martha, it was worth it. It was a miracle.

"You're doing amazing, my boy!" Jonathan called loudly, laughing.

He was outside, teaching Clark how to ride a bike. The boy had been nervous about it, without his training wheels, but here he was, racing down the street. Martha stood on the front-porch, watching. Every moment with their son was a precious gift and they were acutely aware of it.

"Look, pa! Look!", yelled Clark excitedly.

"That is gre—You need to slow down, Clark! Slow down, boy! Slow-"

Martha behind him screamed in fear as their son crashed into the barn. Both ran up to Clark, the bike bent, a hole in the barn's wall, but not a scratch on their son. The tears gathered in his eyes were more from the surprise than from pain. Both Martha and Jonathan exchanged a doubtful look at that. It seemed their miracle son was more of a miracle than originally expected.

Over the following years of his childhood, Jonathan and Martha often found themselves wishing for a manual of sorts. For someone able to help them, to guide them. Clark was a fish out of water, being raised by people who had no idea what a fish even was. Raising Clark was a trial and error phase, but for the most part, the Kents thought they were doing good. They were doing their best.

/2001\

Clark heaved a mournful sigh as he looked across the football field where the cheerleaders were practicing. Lana Lang, head of the squad, was laughing with her quarterback boyfriend.

"No sighing in my office, Kent", warned his best friend, throwing balled-up paper at him. "You're like a love-sick puppy. But it's kind of growing old, you know."

With just the smallest of pouts did Clark duck his head and turn away from the window and back to the computer in front of him. Quite honestly, when he had first joined the school newspaper, he had only done it because he couldn't join the football team. Which was all he had wanted when he got into high school, but his strength, his power – his dad thought it was too dangerous. Deep down, Clark knew that his dad was right. If he lost control in his excitement even for one second, he could snap someone's spine... and he would never be able to live with himself. Normal athletes, human athletes, already injured each other severely and in life-altering ways by accident, but with his alien strength, he could do far worse damage. Knowing that and acting responsible didn't change that he was a teenage boy who just... wanted to play football. Be part of a team. Instead, he stood at the sidelines and he watched the quarterback get together with the girl he had been in love with since he was about seven years old. Lana Lang. And of course did the quarterback get together with the head cheerleader. And of course did Lana Lang become head cheerleader. She was the most beautiful, the kindest, the most caring and also hard working and talented and-

"Stop waxing poetry about Lana in your head, Kent."

"I swear you can read minds, can't you?" Clark muttered beneath his breath.

Regardless, he quirked his lips a little. Chloe Sullivan was his best friend. She was brilliant and inquisitive and talented in her own ways. Cheerleading was... not one of them, as they had found out in their first year of high school. Sometimes, Clark still wondered why she had even joined the cheerleaders to begin with; she had spent all of middle school mocking them. Instead, she dusted off the school newspaper office that had been unused for years now. And after a major blowout with his father about the football team, Clark found himself joining her. Because he couldn't join a sports team and so he could at least support his best friend in her dreams.

"Come on, Clark. You said you'd be fine writing the article about Batman."

"I am fine with it. It's just... he's an urban legend, Chlo," Clark argued softly. "Do you really believe there's a man in Gotham City who... dresses like a... bat... to fight crime? Why not join the police department, or a security firm, or anything. Why become a vigilante? And... why become a furry?"

Chloe choked on her laughter. "Oh, please call Batman a furry in the article. I love it."

"What? Grown man, dressing up in a fancy animal-suit? That's a furry."

"How do you even know that word?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Pete and the deepest depths of the internet," Clark huffed a little. "Anyway. I just... I don't see this actually checking out. No one outside of Gotham has ever seen this guy."

"Because he is Gotham's vigilante. Not... Metropolis' vigilante," Chloe argued dismissively. "Listen, Clark. There are people with powers. You are not the only one. Why are you against this?"

Clark turned to glare at her, causing her to raise her hands and roll her eyes. She knew about his powers. She was his best friend, his oldest friend. He'd kept it a secret from her for years, because his dad sure was good at driving home the needed paranoia, but... he also needed people he could trust. He couldn't do everything alone, it had made him feel isolated. His mom had been the one to gently push him into telling Chloe. And while Chloe had majorly freaked out at first, her second reaction had been glee and excitement. She made him show off all the powers he had, which weren't that many so far. His super-strength, high jumping power, x-ray vision, heat vision. Okay, maybe they were many after all. Thankfully enough, they hadn't all kicked in at once.

"Chlo... I'm the last survivor," Clark whispered softly.

"Of Krypton," Chloe tagged on, eyebrows raised. "Which isn't even a planet known to mankind, Clark! Imagine how many more civilized planets must be out there. And even beyond that, who's to say we don't have superpowered people on Earth too, mh?"

"Nothing indicates this furry has powers," Clark argued. "I did do the research for the article and he just... throws bat-themed objects? He has a batcar and... batarangs. Everything is bat-themed. He seems just... a normal man, strangely obsessed with bats?"

"Still makes for a funny story then, Clark. And hey. It could have led us to more aliens."

Clark smiled faintly at that and nodded. He appreciated the effort. While she had always been obsessed with the supernatural and the thought of what she called meta humans, that obsession took a different turn when she learned her best friend was an alien. She wanted to find others like him, wanted him to not feel so alone anymore. While they hadn't found anyone yet, her hope gave him hope. Maybe, just maybe, she was right and there was someone else out there.

/2002\

Despite always having dreamed of going to prom with Lana Lang, Clark was oddly okay going with Chloe, as friends. She looked great in her purple dress, they drank punch and laughed and danced. Both were incredibly excited for what was yet to come.

"Go dance with her," ordered Chloe half-way into the evening, nudging him.

"For years, you have told me to get over my crush on Lana. And now, that we're only weeks from moving away from Smallville, you ask me to go dance with her on our prom?"

"Yes. Because we are going to leave Smallville behind. Clark, some things... need a proper ending."

There was something soft in her voice as she nudged him again. This time, he obliged, though he wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. Lana stood in a corner with some of her friends, laughing and talking. She was still beautiful and Clark was still in awe of it, but seeing her didn't make his whole world stop anymore. He smiled as he touched her arm to gain her attention.

"Clark! Oh, I am so glad to see you!" Lana engulfed him in a bear-hug. "Would you like to dance?"

He blinked a few times before smiling and nodding. For a few notes, the two simply swayed together, Lana in Clark's arms. Which was all he had been dreaming of for so long. There was a smile dancing in her eyes as Lana looked up at him.

"I heard you're going to Metropolis? With Chloe?"

"I... Yes. Yeah. We both applied for internships at the Daily Planet and... we actually got them. We get to work at the Planet during our studies. We even got a place close to campus, you know," Clark replied, grinning a little. "What about you? What's the next step for the great Lana Lang?"

At that, Lana laughed, throwing her head back a little. "Well, nothing too special, really. I'm going to Washington for college. I don't know where I'm headed yet though. I... hope that the city will just... sweep me away, show me where I belong."

"I'm sure it will," Clark said with full conviction. "You're Lana Lang, after all."

"I am, mh," Lana whispered, the look on her face softening. "And you. I expect to see your name on the front page of the Daily Planet one day."

That made Clark blush faintly, averting his eyes. "I don't know about that."

"But I do," Lana argued, poking Clark in the chest. "You're Clark Kent, after all."

/break\

"Thanks for helping with the move," Chloe said with a huff as she carried a heavy box.

"Of course. I'm really glad that Clark and you are moving in together," Martha replied.

She smiled and took Chloe's hand after Chloe put her box down on the counter. They all had known Chloe's life-plan for years. Her goal had been to work at the Daily Planet since she could read a newspaper. It was strange how her enthusiasm had pulled Clark along. Sure, he had at first only joined the school newspaper so she wouldn't be all on her own. The longer he stayed on though, the more articles he wrote, the more his own passion for it grew. By the time they graduated, he knew what he wanted in life. Or, at least he knew the next step of it. Following Chloe to the Daily Planet. He had applied for the internship more for fun, not expecting anything. Apparently, his application had gotten them interested enough to hire him. Clark wasn't fully sure if this was where he wanted to go in life, even though being a reporter was a lot of fun, he was only eighteen and there was a lot of life ahead of him. There was something else calling to him – something he couldn't quite name yet. And then there was the farm. His ma and pa were running it now, but at one point, they would get older, wouldn't be able to. And, admittedly, it was where Clark saw himself ultimately.

One day, he wanted to be married, he wanted children. And he wanted to raise them on the farm, where he had been raised. He wanted them to grow up in Smallville, he wanted the Kent Farm to remain in the family for many generations to come, wanted to raise his children with the values he had been raised with. Hard, honest work. The city life, he knew it wasn't where he wanted to ever raise children. Not that that was anywhere in the near future, he didn't even had anyone he liked.

For now, it was just the job. Him and Chloe were going to concentrate on their careers.

"You gotta be careful out here, my boy" Jonathan's face was set in hard lines.

The two men were in the kitchen, where Clark was just putting the fridge down. He forced a bit of a smile aimed at his father at that. This wasn't new; Jonathan had been careful and taught Clark to be as careful as humanly possible. They had had this conversation at least ten times since Clark had told his parents about his plans to go and live in Metropolis.

"I know, dad," Clark started. "I promise you, I'll be safe. But... this is where I... belong? Right now, anyway. I just, I can feel it. I want to see... more."

Jonathan offered him a crooked smile and rested a hand on Clark's shoulder, squeezing. "I know."

Clark appreciated the support he had from his parents. This was a great change. He was leaving everything he knew and everyone he knew – aside from Chloe – behind. And Metropolis was... not just so much bigger than Smallville, it was a whole different mentality.

"So, what's the game-plan next, kids?" Jonathan asked when Chloe and Martha joined them.

"We're not going to start our internship until Monday. My cousin Lois is working at the Planet, just... writing small announcements and stuff, but she agreed to show us around tomorrow."

"That's very kind of her," Martha noted with a pleased smile. "Lois. I think I remember her. She came visit one summer, when you children were still small, didn't she?"

"Ah. The big city girl. That sure was a culture shock for her," Jonathan laughed as he remembered.

"Well, seems like she's about to get pay-back," Clark muttered to himself.

"Man up, Clark. We're going to be fine," declared Chloe with a bright grin, slapping his back.

"I'm sure you are both going to be fine. I do expect a call once in a while with an update though."

"Ma, I'm gonna call every week," promised Clark earnestly.

He hugged her. There was no denying that he was going to miss his parents, his town. It was the only life he knew so far. Was it weird that Metropolis felt alien to him?

/break\

Yep, definitely alien. There was no building that tall in Smallville. The Daily Planet loomed over them as they stood in front of it the next day. Clark gulped. Was it silly to be intimidated by a building? Then again, it was so much more than just a building. What if the people inside wouldn't like him? What if working for a real newspaper was so much different from the school newspaper that it turned out Clark didn't enjoy it after all? What if he wasn't cut out for this?

"Rela—ax, Clark," Chloe advised gently, taking him by the arm. "Lois said she'd pick us up at the entrance. She should be down... soonish..."

Clark raised a skeptical eyebrow at that. Sounded like her cousin wasn't too reliable. The two of them waited for another couple of minutes before a pale brunette woman and a tall, bald black man exited the Daily Planet together, laughing with each other and heading toward Clark and Chloe.

"Ah! There she is! That's my cousin!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly.

She started waving until the two reached them. The two women hugged and squealed at each other high-pitched before launching into talking at each other. Clark wasn't so sure if they were actually holding a conversation, because both were talking at the same time, saying entirely unrelated things.

"You must be the friend. Clark, right? Hi. I'm James Olsen, a friend of Lois'."

"Ah. Yes, I am. Clark Kent, good to meet you," Clark replied as he shook the other man's hand.

He had a friendly aura to himself, warm eyes and one of those smiles that seemed contagious, the kind Clark had seen oh-so often in Smallville. Clark hoped they'd get along. Finally, the women next to them stopped talking and turned their attention toward them.

"Lois, my best friend Clark. Clark, my cousin Lois Lane," Chloe introduced them.

"You could have left the flannel at home, it screams small town boy," Lois noted amused.

Clark flushed and adjusted his glasses. One of the things those were useful for, aside from hiding his identity, it gave Clark something to fidget with in awkward situations. Lois laughed and offered him a hand to shake. Something told him she was going to give him a hard time.

"Come on inside and we'll show you around," offered James with a smile.

/break\

Clark's first impression of James Olsen seemed spot on; over the following first weeks of living in Metropolis, the two grew closer and became good friends. There was something fundamentally trustworthy about James. He was open, friendly and kind. While Metropolis was so large that Clark still hadn't seen all of it, James and Lois had shown him and Chloe their own favorite spots in the past weeks. Lois was a good person, a good woman, and her jibes were in good humor.

"What are you daydreaming about, Clark?" James asked amused.

The photographer stood leaning against Clark's desk. His dream was to take the shot – the one that would truly mean something, change something. So far, he mainly just covered small events and such, nothing the scale he dreamed of. Clark liked that, he liked that dream, that passion.

"I was just... wondering. Is... uh... Is Lois seeing someone?"

Clark couldn't help the flush covering his cheeks. This was daring, for him anyway. Maybe it was the big city life rubbing off on him, but something about Metropolis felt so – adventurous. Bigger than he was, bigger than anything he'd ever thought about.

"She is. She's dating my sister Kelly," James grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I regret the day I introduced them to each other. The flirting, the banter. The oversharing."

There was a playful smile on his lips as he said it. Clark wasn't overly surprised – well, he was a bit surprised that Lois was dating a woman, because he hadn't really met many (out) gay people; there probably had been in Smallville, in his old high school, but none had been out. What didn't surprise Clark was the fact that a woman like Lois had someone.

"Don't worry about it, man. I think Lois might be a bit too much for a mere mortal man like yourself," James joked lightly, patting him on the back. "She'd eat you alive."

That might actually be true. Clark quirked a small grin at that. The peaceful moment between the two men was interrupted by a nearly frantic Chloe, spreading a newspaper that was not the Daily Planet out in front of Clark on his desk. James, also curious, leaned over Clark's other shoulder.

"Are you... following conspiracy theories, Chloe?" James asked doubtfully.

Chloe on Clark's other side blinked slowly and turned to look at James long and hard. Heh. This was still new to Chloe; back home everybody knew of her obsession with meta-humans and aliens and all things different and powerful. Everyone was used to it. She blushed a bit, perhaps out of embarrassment, perhaps because she was developing a crush on James – Clark had picked up on the way her heart-rate spiked whenever James was around and how her glances did linger on him.

"I... uh... No. I mean yes. I mean, I don't think these are conspiracy theories. I think they're real."

"You... think Black Thunder is real?" James asked surprised.

"Lightning. He calls himself Black Lightning. And yes, yes, I do think they're real."

Chloe straightened up, glaring at him as she held her ground. There was admiration in James' eyes and the smallest smile on his lips. He liked her passion, that much he had already shared with Clark on the one or other night at a bar. James got a bit sappy when he had more than two beers.

"Okay. Pitch it to me," James prompted, raising one eyebrow.

"W... What?" Chloe blinked slowly.

"Pitch it to me. What convinces you they're real. What's... their goal? What's the angle?"

"There's meta-humans. People with strange powers. There have... always been. I mean, look at history. Whatever culture you're turning toward, there are stories of people with powers in their pasts. Heroes. Gods. Demons and monsters. All across the world. Dragons, nearly every culture has stories about dragons, how could that be if they were not real? The same goes for witches – or sorcerers. Magic is an ingrained part of so many so different cultures. So, honestly, the more logical conclusion for me is that it's real. Magic was just the easier word to call it for the people back then. But people with special powers have always been around. This – people like the Batman or now this Black Lightning – they are just... modern versions of Hercules and Robin Hood."

For a moment, James looked ready to argue. Quite frankly, Clark found it hard to argue with her on that. Countries so far apart from each other had mythologies that seemed to overlap in certain elements, elements of monsters, magic and powers. Considering that Clark was an alien with super-powers, it didn't seem that far a leap that people on this planet had powers too.

"Look, they overlap. The witness accounts. What would people gain from making these stories up? Five seconds of fame by being interviewed by a small-time local newspaper?" Chloe tapped the newspaper she had brought along. "I don't see it. There is no gain here."

While Chloe kept talking to James rather insistently, Clark scanned the article. Black Lightning. Unlike Gotham's furry, this one seemed to actually have powers. Electricity, hence his name. He seemed to be protecting his community, much like Batman protected his own city.

/break\

"What would you do?" A tipsy James asked that evening at the bar.

Clark smiled amused, lifting his own lemonade up to sip. Every Friday night, the four of them would go to a bar together, play darts, drink – well, Lois and James would drink, Clark and Chloe weren't old enough to legally drink yet. The other two had about three years on them.

"What would we do with what? Wanted Lois to know, stirring her own cocktail.

"With powers!" James clarified. "Chlo's been bringing up these... what do you call them? Mega-humans? Like that Lightning guy from Freeland."

"Meta-humans. Not mega-humans," Chloe corrected with a small laugh.

"Okay, then that," James huffed and stole a fry from Lois and waving it around a little to illustrate his point. "I mean, what would you do? If you had special powers like that? Would you do what he is doing? Going out, risking your own life, your safety, to protect others? Or would you hide it away, out of fear? Because... I've been thinking. And if these meta-humans are real, then I can't believe that Lightning Lad over there is the only meta-human in existence. There have to be others. And that would mean they're hiding. So, I started wondering, what... makes you brave – or stupid – enough to go out there, don a costume and fight criminals?"

"Mh... Good question," Lois admitted as she stole a chicken wing from James in retaliation for the fry. "I don't know, honestly. It'd depend on many other factors?"

"What... factors would they be and how would they influence you?" Clark grew more curious.

Admittedly, it was something he had been wondering himself for years now. When he had come into his first powers as a preteen, he saw a store being robbed and he knew he had the powers to help. But his father was more worried about keeping his secret. Not that that stopped Clark on the long run – he was fast, after all. He'd helped. Not on the city-saving level of Black Lightning, but he'd helped wherever he could help in Smallville. Here, in Metropolis, everything was on a whole different scale! Not just the buildings and city-size. The crimes too. Every time he read about a crime, he had to think about how he could have prevented it. Helped.

"For one, what kind of powers do I have?" Lois replied, counting off on her fingers. "If I am invulnerable, I'm more likely to go out there and put myself between the innocent and danger. If all I can do is... fly... then I don't quite see the point in this. I can't do much more than others, not much more that is helpful in saving lives."

"Kay. Yeah. Good point," James conceded with a nod.

"Another, what kind of dangers. If I can control fire, I might join the fire department and help put out fires. But I doubt that a volatile power like that would be helpful in say a robbery. Likewise, if I am invulnerable, putting myself in front of bullets seems reasonable, because they can't even hurt me anyway and I'd be able to protect people with that."

"...You actually put thought into that, huh?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Hey, I've known you all my life. Your obsession with these things rubbed off a little."

Lois grinned teasingly and nudged Chloe. Clark, however, still had other questions.

"And what about yourself?" Clark asked slowly. "I mean, this is a big secret. There is a reason so many must be hiding it. The government, the public, are already whispering dark rumors about the few we have here. Black Lightning inside Freeland is a celebrated hero, outside he is being feared like he is the second coming of the old Gods like Zeus or Thor. If you'd slip up, if they learn the truth, there would be a target – not just on your own back, but on those you love."

Chloe bit her lip at that and nodded. "There were two, before, you know. The earliest meta-humans I've been able to track down so far. Central City had two of those super-powered vigilantes in the 80s. The Flash and Liberty Belle is what they called themselves, both could run at super-human speed. They could outrun bullets, stopped robberies. They disappeared in the 90s. Just... left. There were rare, occasional sightings in the early 90s, but after that, just... gone. Completely disappeared. I don't think they just retired. Maybe they retired around 1990, but whatever happened after, during the 90s, I think they might both be dead."

"That's another factor," Lois agreed softly. "If it's just me, I can risk a lot more than if I have my parents, siblings, friends – maybe a partner, maybe even children. I would definitely not be able to do that kind of thing with children. On the other hand, if I'd have others like me? Others with power, others with the will to fight, I think that would encourage me to do it too."

"Ye—eah," James nodded, putting his beer down. "Dunno if I could be the first and only to do it. With a partner, or a team. You said those speedsters, there were two of them? I'm sure that helped them in coming out and doing what they did then. They weren't alone."

Clark pressed his lips together at that word. Alone. That was what it came back to, wasn't it? He was alone. Even if they would find more of these meta-humans, they were still human. Even if they would encounter other aliens. He'd always be the last Kryptonian. There would never be someone else like him around. And even though he wouldn't necessarily need someone exactly like himself – he'd never met one of those meta-humans Chloe tried to find. His own support-system? His dad wanted him to keep his head low, his mom wanted him to be happy whatever that meant, Chloe, she would probably sing his praises in the papers and at home.

"Ne—ext question!" James exclaimed, shifting the mood. "If you could have any kind of power, what would you want the most? What's the best super-power to have?"

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted, the serious conversation made way for light banter and quarreling over the best power to have. Laughter and camaraderie filled the room and distracted Clark from the more existential questions he had been asking himself.

/break\

While he had become very good friends with Lois and James, there was one co-worker he didn't entirely know what to do with. Catherine Grant. The woman was a lot. And she was also a flirt, which made him blush and not really know what to do with that. He'd never really been flirted with before, not like that. Sure, in high school he has had a girlfriend too – Alicia Baker, he had really loved her a lot, before she had moved away. And in that daring attitude, Cat did remind him of Alicia, but he didn't quite know how to deal with Cat Grant.

"Clarkie. I bought sushi. I figured you haven't eaten yet."

She smiled, batting her lashes at him as she put sushi down in front of him. Not entirely his thing. His city-friends liked to laugh that he had too much small-town in him, but he preferred a burger or a steak over sushi. That was about where Lois started calling him 'Smallville', which he didn't really mind, because he loved Smallville – so that was not an insult.

"Thank... you, Cat," Clark replied with a crooked smile.

He did appreciate the gesture though, that Cat thought of him. And it wasn't quite just the flirting that was a lot, he meant it, the woman herself was a lot. She was ambitious, in a manner Clark had never seen before. Her vision of her future was even more detailed and aimed higher than Chloe did. Chloe wanted to write for the Daily Planet; Cat wanted to own a newspaper like the Daily Planet, a better one even. The thing was, Clark knew she had it in her. No one worked harder than her, she never lost her goal out of her sight. But Clark wasn't entirely sure if a boyfriend even fit into that picture, or if flirting with him was simply some kind of pastime.

"Clark, man. You look like a deer caught in the headlights when it comes to Cat."

"She just... she knows what she wants in a way I've never seen before, I don't quite know what to do. Does she want me to ask her out? Would she be offended if I asked, because she's a 'self-made modern woman' – to quote her – and would ask me out herself if she even wanted to..."

Clark gestured a little, turning toward James in despair. His friend just laughed and then he picked up a piece of sushi, knowing Clark wasn't going to eat it anyway. While chewing, James hopped onto Clark's desk and got more comfortable. His eyes were on Cat, who had by now made her way toward Lois and Chloe. Clark also watched and made a face. Cat and Lois were like water and oil, they pushed each other, they competed with each other – each thinking they were the best this newspaper had (and, quite honestly, Clark wasn't yet sure which one was right, they were both amazing writers with good instincts for the right stories).

"She doesn't want you at all, Clark," James offered after a moment of watching the women. "If there is one thing I learned from growing up with a sister who's a lesbian, it's when two head-strong women are courting through rivalry. Kelly did that with her first girlfriend in science camp."

"...You... mean... Cat and Lois? But... what about, uh, me?"

"You and Lois are really close. You've been spending a lot of time, even alone. I think that Cat thinks the two of you are either dating or close to getting together and, being her territorial self, Cat is getting between you. She's just... I think she's not ready yet to admit that she likes Lois."

"But I'm not dating Lois. I mean. Lois is dating your sister, right?"

"Well. They broke it off a few months ago," James sighed. "Kelly joined the army. Lois... isn't up for that kind of long-distance relationship with that kind of worry. Also, she comes from a military family herself and she deliberately left that kind of life behind and chose something different."

Clark frowned at that, watching Cat and Lois bicker. "But they fight all the time?"

"It's more like... playful banter with the sharpest wires, I guess? And they... make each other better with it. That competitive nature they have, they make each other strive to better the other."

Well, looking at it from that angle... Shaking his head, Clark leaned back and took a sushi piece. He made a face at the taste. No, definitely not his thing. At least this did take one worry off his plate; whether or not he should act on Cat's flirting. Strangely enough, he didn't find himself too jealous or hopeful at the prospect of Lois being single. They had been friends for months now, she was dear to him like Chloe. Or maybe he had simply matured more, from the pining boy staring at the football field with jealous longing for a girl he couldn't have. He knew when to move on.

"...Do you think they would be better or worse if they're together? For us, I mean."

That made James laugh and shake his head. "I think those two would be a terrifying union that could change the world if they put their minds to it. But I also think they might find their equal match in each other. Who knows. Who knows if they'll even figure it out."

/break\

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Kent."

"Oh please, call me Martha, dear. I feel like I already know you. Clark speaks so highly of you."

Clark ducked his head as he watched his ma and Lois hug. It was Thanksgiving and somehow, everyone had ended up inviting themselves to the Kent home for Thanksgiving. Clark wasn't even sure how that had happened. It had started with Chloe, who had been coming over for every holiday with her aunt. Now though, her aunt had moved away from Smallville and given the choice, Chloe wanted to spend the holidays at home, in Smallville, in the very house she had spent all of her holidays. Her aunt didn't blame her for it, though she got a promise out of Chloe to come over between Christmas and New Year's for a few days. The two had talked about their plans in the office and James had heard. Being an orphan himself, and with Kelly currently deployed, he asked if he could join too. Curiosity about Smallville won out too, he'd heard so much about the Kents and Smallville by now, he wanted to see it for himself. The next one had been Lois, who would honestly take any chance to avoid family dinner with the Lanes. That was the one Cat had overheard and hearing that Lois was coming, she invited herself too; she too hated spending holidays with her mother. That seemed like something Lois and Cat had in common there.

"Though that is quite some more mouths to feed than normally," Jonathan commented.

He had a good-natured smile on his face though, indicating that he didn't mind. Clark went to him and engulfed him in a tight hug, lifting his dad off the ground a little. He had missed them so much. It was silly, wasn't it? It had only been half a year since he had moved out, but he was so used to seeing them every day of his life. Talking on the phone was just not the same and even with his super-speed, running over for visits, it wasn't enough either.

"Thank you for having us, that is incredibly generous of you," Lois said with a smile.

"It really is. And you're sure you got enough room for us?" James asked worried. "We really wouldn't want to impose, I'm sure there is some kind of inn or motel here-"

"Now, don't talk nonsense, kid," Jonathan interrupted him with a stern look, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're our guests. We can make the room for you. You don't need to go pay for a room."

"Yes. We prepared Clark's bedroom for you girls and the couches will do for you boys, right?"

"Sure thing, ma. Thank you," Clark assured her with a soft smile.

"How about, when you kids put your things away, Clark shows you around town? Take all of Smallville in before dinner's ready, mh. And tomorrow morning, you all can help make Thanksgiving dinner. There's plenty to do for everyone around."

He said it in a bit of a challenging tone, as though he wanted to test the city kids. Lois just laughed and lifted her arm, as though to show off her biceps.

"Sure thing, Mr. Kent. No slackers around here," she promised with a mirthful smile.

That in return made Jonathan laugh and pat her on the back. "We'll put that to the test tomorrow."

"That was a threat, not a promise," Chloe whispered. "You'll regret it tomorrow."

"No, you won't. Because you will get my ma's food in the evening and I am telling you, nothing beats my ma's Thanksgiving dinner," Clark declared with a puffed out chest.

"Oh my god, I knew you were a momma's boy," Cat cooed a little. "That's precious."

Clark flushed and ducked his head. Though he saw the fondness in his mother's eyes as she watched him and his friends. This was what she had worried most about, that he would be alone, wouldn't be able to make friends in Metropolis. A small-town boy, lost in the big city. To see him with friends, good friends, laughing and being happy, that was what she had hoped for.

"C'mon, pa's right. There is a lot of Smallville to be shown," Clark prompted eagerly.

"Seems like an oxymoron. A lot of Smallville," Cat countered teasingly.

She giggled a little as she ducked beneath Clark's arm, instructing him to lead the way.

/break\

About five hours later had the four of them sitting on the docks at the lake, shoes standing behind them as they dangled their feet in the water. It was too cold to swim, but the view was breathtaking as the sun was setting and painting everything in reds and oranges.

"Gotta admit, Smallville, your namesake is pretty," Lois said in a soft voice.

She sat leaning backward, supporting her weight with her hands. Next to her was James, one leg drawn up against his chest, the arm folded on top of it. Chloe was leaning against him, looking sleeping and pleased as she had her eyes closed and breathed deeply.

"The air's different," Chloe whispered. "Weird. Not something I thought I'd miss."

"Not that weird," threw James in. "The country side isn't as polluted as the big city so it figures at the air out here is clearer, fresher than it is in Metropolis."

"Don't ruin the mood with your logic, Jimmy," Chloe slapped him lightly on the arm.

The smile on Clark's lips was so bright and warm as he watched them. He was happy to share this with his friends. Just, this small moment, he knew he'd remember it in twenty years.

/break\

"Your mother must be a meta-human of sorts, that food was too good. And she tempted me into eating more than I physically should be able to with those powers of hers."

Cat joined Clark outside on the porch, sighing and patting her stomach for emphasis. After a big meal, Clark always needed a bit of fresh air, so after him, Chloe and Lois finished the dishes, he bowed out. Also because Lois, James and Jonathan were busy yelling at the football game.

"Do you actually like me, Cat?" Clark asked, straight out. "Not as a friend, I mean. As a more. You've been... aggressively flirting with me for months now, but at this point... We are friends, really are friends. So I think... I think it's time to clear the air on that."

"You're a kind-hearted hunk of a man, Clark Kent. I admit to having been... attracted to you. That's why I started flirting with you. But by now, you're too good for a one-night-stand hook up. And you were too pure to even understand that that's where I wanted to go. No, now... our friendship... actually does mean more to me than that. It's still fun to fluster you though, farm-boy."

She nudged him teasingly as she leaned against the railing. They both looked out over the fields of the Kent farm, the gentle wind whistling through the corn. Clark loved looking out at the farm, it was so peaceful, it made him feel like this was his place, where he belonged.

"You can take the farm-boy out of the farm but you can't take the farm out of the farm-boy," noted Cat as she side-eyed him curiously. "You this, mh? Regret moving to Metropolis?"

"No. Never. I... have to admit, I've come to love Metropolis too, but... I still miss Smallville, yes. I guess you really can't take that out of me. One day, I'm gonna come back here. I'm... my parents' only kid. Somewhere in the future... I will take over the farm."

"I can see that," Cat hummed and nodded to herself. "You, hefting logs around and mowing the... corn. I don't know how farming works, stop laughing at me."

She huffed, a pout on her face as he laughed loudly. "Sorry, sorry. Well, not too sorry. I think a bit of hard work in the fields would do you some good too. You're spoiled by the city."

The pout intensified at that. "What about you, Clark? You and Lois...?"

"No. No, not me and Lois. I mean, I thought at first—but no. She is... single and ready to mingle, I suppose, from what James told me," Clark noted a little pointedly.

"What. Why would you say it like that. We're talking about you," Cat sounded nearly defensively.

"You li—ike her. I admit, I didn't see it myself at first, but... I see it. And the thing I thought was an indicator for you not getting along... actually is what makes you work so well with each other."

"Oh really? And what would that be?" Cat wanted to know, narrowing her eyes.

"Your little rivalry. You work hard to beat each other, improving yourselves, your writing, on the way. What's the word Chloe used? Healthy competition."

At least, Cat had the decency to flush a little. "I don't know. Maybe I like her. But liking her wasn't on my life-plan. So it complicates things. I do not like when things don't go as planned."

"And... what was the plan?" Clark turned around, turning his back on the fields and tilting his head sideways to look at her curiously. "And I don't mean your work-plan. I know that. Your life-plan, our private life. I know I want children, one day, living here, on the farm with my wife and my kids – multiple ones, more than two would be great. Raising them on the farm. What's your plan? Where do you see Cat Grant in twenty years, aside from being the CEO of Cat's Planet?"

"That is an awful name," Cat huffed, elbowing him lightly. "But aside from work...? I'm going to be a mother by 25; not too young, not too old. Because I know that after that, CatCo is going to need my attention and having a baby then would not fit. If I don't do that before founding CatCo, I'll never do it and that's just not working out either. But... everything else? Will come together. Maybe. There is no one really... in the picture. Like, a big person-shaped hole that may or may not be filled. I don't define myself through finding a partner, they'd be like... a bonus. I know I want a family, of sorts, but I'd be okay if it was just me and a child."

Mh. That somehow made a ton of sense for Cat. She was a self-made woman, she'd make the family herself too, with or without a partner. Clark smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"C'mon. Ma made blueberry pie, I'm sure you can find some room for that too."

"I tell you, she has super-powers. I am ready to burst, but I do think a piece of pie might fit..."

They both laughed as they reentered the house and headed toward the kitchen.

/2003\

Clark stood outside on the balcony of his and Chloe's apartment, staring out at the snow-covered streets of Metropolis. It was early January, the first real snow Clark saw since moving here last summer. Snow was beautiful. The city looked so soft like this.

"Happy belated new year, Clark! I saw the pictures Chlo posted online. You had fun?"

"Happy New Year, Lana," Clark grinned and leaned back some, adjusting the phone against his ear. "Yeah, yeah we did. After Lois, Cat and Jim came to Smallville for Thanksgiving, Cat insisted on us celebrating New Year's the... big-city-way. I'm still not a fan of night-clubs and so many people, but it was kind of fun. The good company made it fun."

"I'm glad you're enjoying Metropolis. Not gonna lie, I was a bit worried about you, Clark. City life is quite different from Smallville. I'm reminded of that every single day."

"Yeah? How's Washington treating you?" He wanted to know, shifting his weight a little.

"Good, good. I think. College is hard. Not comparable to high school. The standards – not just at college. Just everything. I... am adjusting to it though."

"Yeah? That's good. What did you do for New Year's? Spent it with friends too?"

"Kind of... We went to a charity gala. I covered it for the newspaper – yes, I know. The irony of that, but... I needed something to do, besides classes. And I know how much fun you and Chloe used to have at the school newspaper, so when I saw a flier for the college newspaper... I signed up. Made some friends. I'm... having fun with that, you know."

"That's good. Heh. Imagine if you'd discovered that in high school," Clark wondered.

"No, I'm... I'm glad I did cheerleading, I wouldn't have the time or energy for that now. High school was my time for that and it meant a lot for me. I'm glad things played out the way they did."

Clark hummed, switching the phone to his other ear. "So the paper sent you to a gala for New Year's? That sounds fancy. That why you're only calling days after? I tried calling you, shortly after midnight. Figured I couldn't reach you because you were at a party too."

"Yes. I... I met someone at the gala. He... is special, Clark. Handsome, charming, witty. We... ended up talking through the entire night. Not just until midnight. In the end, he spontaneously asked me for a weekend getaway. It was ridiculous to agree, I know. But something about him... So I just got back from the Hamptons and I listened to your message on my voice mail."

"The Hamptons? Don't know if I would have said no," Clark chuckled, his eyebrows raised. "I... hope he was a perfect gentleman though. You had a good time?"

"He was. He absolutely was. We just... talked. Danced too, in the moonlight. How silly is that? Oh, he's... he's amazing, Clark. I never thought I'd meet someone like him."

Clark swallowed hard. "I'm... glad to hear that. You deserve to be happy, Lana."

"Thank you. That's sweet of you to say," he could practically hear her smile in her voice. "You do too, you know that, right? Deserve someone who matches your wits, who makes you smile and feel like you're the only important person in a whole room filled with objectively important people."

The wrinkle of his eyebrows creased harder at that. "I don't know if someone like that exists."

That was unusually honest of him. He felt so alone so very often. More often now than he was used to even before. The way Lois and Cat were dancing around each other ever closer, how James and Chloe started to share moments – lingering hands, longing glances, smiles that lasted long after the other looked away. Clark felt a bit like a fifth wheel. But then he also didn't know if there even was a woman to match him. Which sounded more arrogant than it was meant; Clark had to watch his strength every second of every day. Once when he was twelve, he had hugged his mom and accidentally broken her ribs. He hadn't dared touch anyone for two whole months.

What if in the throws of pleasure he lost control? It only took one second for him to lose control and seriously hurt someone. Not to mention, the secret. He'd been friends with Lois, James and Cat for months now, but he still wasn't sure about telling them the truth, probably wouldn't – maybe never. Because his father had taught him not to. When would he tell a girlfriend about his secret? What was the appropriate time to do such a thing? Can't spring that on the first date, it'd require a bond of trust but by the time that came around, wouldn't it be too late? And, a small part of him knew, he'd always feel like there was a rift. The same way he felt there was a rift between himself and his parents, or Chloe. He loved them, they loved him, but there were things about Clark they could never understand. It just... wasn't possible for them to understand what he felt like, with his powers.

"That's unusually dark of you, Clark. Don't say things like that. There's the perfect woman out there for you. You're an amazing guy. Just be patient and you'll meet her and she will be perfect for you."

"Let's hope you're speaking that into existence," Clark chuckled softly.

/break\

Clark's eyebrows were raised impossibly high, his mouth hanging a little open. He couldn't believe what he was looking at there. Without looking, he reached out for his ma for support, holding onto her. She clung onto him just as hard. This was impossible.

"I... h... how... I..." Clark couldn't form a full sentence.

"We don't know, son. We heard the crash, we came out here. We couldn't believe our eyes either. But we had to call you. What's the chances of this happening twice, to the same field?" Jonathan asked stunned. "But it's a ship alright. Bigger than yours, but the same. And a child in it."

"Not... Not just a child," Clark whispered, his voice wavering. "That's... K... Kara. I've seen her picture in the Fortress, when Jor-El showed me our family tree. Our fathers were brothers. But... she looks the exact same as she does in the files. Not a day older."

The blonde in front of them tilted her head and turned her head. She looked exactly as she had done in the holograms. Thirteen year old girl with blonde hair falling into her face, the same blue eyes as Clark's staring back at him. There... There was someone who had his eyes, because they both had their fathers' eyes. How was this possible? How was she here?

"I am... Kara Zor-El of the planet Krypton. I am looking for my cousin, Kal-El."

"I..." Clark paused, he had never spoken Kryptonian with someone – with a real person – before, only with his mother's hologram at the Fortress of Solitude. "I am Kal-El. I am your cousin. I arrived on Earth... nineteen years ago."

Her face changed into something between horror and confusion. "No. No, that's impossible. I can't—I was supposed to protect you! Help raise you. You are... I am... How..."

Without thinking about it, Clark wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "It's going to be okay, Kara. It's all going to be okay. Let's come home with us. Have something to... drink and eat? Rest. And then we'll figure everything else out, okay?"

/break\

Kara saw huddled together on the couch in the Kent house, a fuzzy blanket wrapped around herself like a cocoon. After a quick trip to the Arctic, Clark had retrieved a crystal. He'd requested a crystal with a learning program of the English language. Right now, Kara was engaging in it, soaking it all up, while the three Kents watched her from the doorway.

"What are we going to do, Clark?" Jonathan asked. "Martha and I, we... We can't do all of this again, son. We already weren't the youngest when we found you. But to raise another Kryptonian, at this point in our lives...? We surely can not send her away, that is out of the question too, but..."

"I know. I know, pa. I can't... ask you to adopt my cousin. I... I'll call J'onn."

"Is that a good idea? You know we can't trust the DEO," Martha argued concerned.

"We can't trust the DEO, but we can trust J'onn J'onzz," Clark's voice was filled with conviction.

He'd drawn attention, as a teenager. When he had started helping, rescuing people. A secret agency observing alien life on Earth had come to Smallville. They'd been monitoring Smallville since the meteor-shower, it seemed. The majority of the agents were shady. Clark knew the DEO was trying to use alien technology. He didn't trust them with it. One of them, Hank Henshaw, revealed himself to be like Clark – well, to be an alien like Clark. A Martian, a shapeshifter. He'd slipped Clark his number and had promised that if Clark was ever in trouble, he could call and J'onn (the man's real name) would come and help out. And then he had proceeded to cover Clark's tracks.

"Kal-El. I have given you this number six years ago and you never called. I assume it's serious."

"It is," Clark confirmed seriously. "Can you come over? I'd rather not talk on the phone."

"I am on my way", the line disconnected.

"Kal-El," a small voice called from the living room.

It was strange. To hear a real voice speak with a Kryptonian accent. He had learned with holograms. While Jor-El taught science well, the hologram of Lara had taught him their language. With kind smiles and warm patience. His birth-parents. They had uploaded AI programs of themselves, programs simulating the real Jor-El and Lara. It made him feel close to them, to his ancestry, but he also knew that it was fake. As well-programmed as they were, they were still just... programmed. They were approximations to how his parents would react to him, would answer his questions, there was no telling if those were truly the answers the real ones would have given him.

/break\

"She is Kryptonian alright," J'onn pointed out, needlessly. "Amazing. I never... I never thought I would meet another Kryptonian again, much less two."

"But how did this happen?" Martha asked, nervously playing with her hair. "I mean, Jonathan is right. What are the chances of us finding not one but two Kryptonian children in our fields?"

"Well, higher than you might think," J'onn offered. "It seems both their parents prepared the ships together, programmed them together, for the same destination. From what she said, hers got... adrift, it must have only recently been knocked free to get back on course. She was frozen in stasis, that's why she hasn't aged a day. She was supposed to arrive here with Kal-El."

"What... do we do with that?" Martha asked. "We... She seems like a lovely girl and I know she is Clark's family, she should be close. But... I... We can't do this again. We're too old to be parents."

"And Clark's too young to be one too. He's nineteen, we can't expect him to raise a teenager, all on his own. If this was just a couple years earlier or later, but..." Jonathan sighed.

"I... might know someone. Someone trustworthy," J'onn offered after a moment. "Back when I first came here, not all of us left again. A couple stayed behind, because while he is an agent – and agent I trust with my life – she is a brilliant scientist, who wished to study the meteoroid. She's been studying Kryptonite for years now. And they have both been keeping my secret. I think... that Kara would be safe with them. They have a daughter, about Kara's age."

"Do you think they would take her in?" Clark frowned, arms crossed over his chest.

"Who is it? You said here, in Smallville," Jonathan interrupted with a frown of his own.

"Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers. They're good people."

"Eliza? I know her. Oh, I baked them apple pie when they moved here! Their daughter, Alex – do you remember Alex? She must have entered high school just as you left it, Clark!"

Clark nodded at his mother's words. "Yeah. I... I do. I... would like it if Kara could stay here in Smallville, even if not with you guys, but so you could... keep an eye on her?"

"Oh of course. She is your cousin. She is family, whether she lives in this house or not," Jonathan's voice was firm as he said this. "She will always be family and always be welcomed here."

Clark smiled faintly as he turned toward his cousin. He just hoped she'd get along with the Danvers-family. He hoped she could have what he had – a normal childhood, loving parents, a home. Even if this was vastly different for her. She was thirteen and had only just lost her parents. To her, the explosion of Krypton had happened mere hours ago, not years. Clark, he had never known his birth parents, Jonathan and Martha were his parents, first and foremost.

"Kara," Clark called out, gaining the girl's attention. "My friend J'onn here, he knows someone... someone good, where you could... stay. Only if you like them. If there is anything, anything at all, that upsets you or that you dislike, you come back here with us and we'll figure something else out, okay? But I'd... like you to meet them. See for yourself?"

They had explained to her during their wait for J'onn that she couldn't stay here. She seemed to understand, she did see that Martha and Jonathan weren't the youngest anymore. They were both in their sixties now, a bit too old to raise a teenager, even Kara could see that. She also saw that while Clark was way too old – he was supposed to be an infant – he was also far too young to have her stay with him. She didn't like it, neither of them did, but she understood.

"I will... give them... chance," Kara promised, nodding solemnly.

/break\

Clark was a bit distracted. A bit exhausted. He'd recently taken up to helping people, saving those who needed saving. Ever since that day at the bar when they had talked about when to become a hero. While he wasn't an out hero, he didn't have a costume or name or stayed long enough for people to notice he had been there. He tuned into certain distress words, came running into a shop and smacking the guns out of the hands of robbers, taking the purses away from thieves and tying said thieves to the next garbage container. These kind of things. It was straining though, even with him being who he was – he had his job at the Daily Planet, he had a life to hold up and now he was running off at odd hours to help the people of Metropolis. He still needed to get used to this new routine. So he was a bit distracted that day at work, at least until Chloe yelled loudly.

"What... was that...?" Lois next to him asked, blinking surprised.

"I... am not entirely sure. That wasn't her usual meta-human discovery yell either."

"...Not even going to ask how you tell apart her yells," Cat grunted amused.

"Clark! Look! Lana is in the papers. In our paper!" Chloe exclaimed as she reached them.

She spread out the most recent issue of the Daily Planet, smoothing it down and slapping her hand down next to a photo. By now, she had also attracted the attention of James – and some others.

"Who is? Wait. That's Lex Luthor," James blinked a couple of times.

"That's Lana Lang," Chloe countered, pointing at the woman in the photo.

Clark was still busy blinking. That was Lana, looking absolutely beautiful, her hair done up, a smile on her lips, wearing an expensive looking purple dress. And she was in the arms of the Lex Luthor, one of the richest men in the world. A genius inventor, CEO of his own firm, LexCorp, at barely four years older than Clark. He looked handsome in his tux, with the sharp smile and eyes. The two of them, Lex and Lana, looked like a real power-couple like that.

"Did you know?" Chloe asked, again pointing at the image.

"I mean, I know she has a boyfriend. She told me she met him at a gala and he swept her away to the Hamptons, so I figured he is... well-off. She didn't mention his name though..."

"Hold on there, Kent. Sullivan. You're telling me you know the mystery woman at Luthor's side?"

They all turned toward their boss, Perry White, as the man came barreling down toward them. "I... Yes, Mister White. We grew up in the same town, went to school together."

Perry White laughed, a deep belly-laugh, patting Clark on the back in a way that would have knocked him flat on the desk if he was any other man. "Kent, if you get me an exclusive interview with the nameless woman and Lex Luthor about their relationship, you will go places."

"I... will?" Clark asked confused. "But-"

"No buts, it's the story of the week. Luthor has been the most sought-after bachelor for years now. Now some lady snatched him off and no one seems to know anything about her. You get me an exclusive, that's gonna be the story of the year, Kent. Don't let it slip from you!"

Clark looked doubtful as Perry left. "I don't know how I feel about that. She's my friend..."

"Clark, don't be so soft," Lois chuckled, her arms cross over her chest. "As a reporter, you need sources. If you have the sources, you use them. And he didn't ask you to write an article about your friend behind her back. You go to her, ask her flat-out. If she says no, you can tell Perry you didn't get anywhere. If she says yes, she knows what she's agreeing to."

Even though he had been working at the Daily Planet for nine months now, he was still getting used to how things were done. It wasn't like he had written a lot so far. The chance to write an actual article wasn't one he should let slip through his fingers. Clark nodded to himself.

"I'll give her a call tonight and see what she thinks," Clark said in consideration.

/break\

"Clark! I'm so happy to see you in person again!"

Lana laughed as she hugged him tightly. Smiling, he returned the hug and afterward let her lead him toward the living room. The apartment screamed Lana all over. Clark's smile grew as he passed the photos on the wall, little Lana smiling brightly, Lana and Whitney at the junior prom, even a picture of Clark, Lana, Chloe and Pete at the lake, laughing and having fun.

"You have a nice place here, Lana," Clark noted. "I'm sorry I haven't found the time to come over and visit you yet. Guess I'm still adjusting to life in the city and the Daily Planet."

"No need to apologize, Clark. I meant to visit Metropolis too and haven't found the time yet," Lana laughed a little. "And, well, now I'm kind of... adjusting to being in a new relationship."

"Speaking of, you did say he agreed to this too..." Clark drawled curiously.

"He's in the kitchen. I made pie," Lana offered with a smile. "Lex! Clark is here!"

"Ah. The famous Clark Kent. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

And there came Lex Luthor. The man Clark had seen on the cover of so many business magazines and newspapers, wearing fancy suits. Right now, he was wearing Lana's purple apron, carrying a pie. How fascinating. Offering the other man a polite smile, Clark held his hand out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Luthor. Thank you for agreeing to this."

"Please, Lana's friends get to call me Lex. And the pleasure is all mine. You feature in many of Lana's stories about Smallville," Lex replied, charming smile in place.

"Thank you for having me. I know you're a very private man..."

"I am. However, now that the cat's out of the bag, I am also the kind of man who wants to control the narrative. Lana trusts you, so you seem a better choice for our voice than most others, I suppose. I'd rather people hear her voice than make up awful rumors."

"Understandable. The rumor-mill is already going fast," Clark agreed.

He got his notepad and pen out, though his eyes stayed on the couple, watching them. Lana was smiling at Lex, a hand on his thigh, he was holding it, body turned toward her, focus on her.

"Now, the biggest question people do have is: How did you two meet? Lana already told me a little about it when we last spoke...," Clark started, tapping his paper with his pen.

"We met at a charity gala." Lex started, linking his fingers with Lana's. "There were many reporters, but none caught my eye like her. She was fierce about getting her time with me. And when we talked, we drifted off a little, she mentioned being from Smallville and, well. I grew up there too."

"Right, the Luthor Mansion," Clark remembered the looming castle-like building.

"Exactly. I admit, it's been many years since I was there last. But I have some fond memories of the town itself. We talked, talked for hours. Lana is... a wonderful conversation-partner and she doesn't sweeten up her words, she tells it how she means it, which is refreshing for me."

Clark was smiling to himself now. He could relate to that. Lana was amazing, even if he wasn't in love with her anymore, he could still see it, could also still remember how he used to feel about her. He'd always known she'd find a very special man to match her, but quite frankly even he was surprised to see her be with Lex Luthor. The billionaire philanthropist was a surprise.

/break\

Clark had thought about telling his friends, but he couldn't find the right time, the right words. James falling off a crumbling bridge after an earthquake was certainly not how he had pictured it. The two had been there to document the search and rescue after the earthquake, just for an after-shock to destroy the bridge even more. People fell and screamed and without thinking about it, Clark bolted down. He tore his shirt off, the buttons flying everywhere. He was wearing a blue shirt underneath with the symbol of the house of El printed on it. It had been a gift from Kara, who had gotten very excited when she learned that people could print whatever they wanted on shirts, so with the help of Alex, she had done a design of their family crest and printed it for Clark's birthday.

He zoomed down and caught James as the very first one. He stared at Clark, too surprised to speak. As soon as he put James down, he jumped back once more and picked people out of the water to bring them to safety. More and more people gathered around James, dripping wet but alive.

"Who is this? He saved us!"

Clark was particularly aware of his friend's eyes on him, watching him. It was only hours later, after everyone had been saved and James had gotten checked out in the hospital, that the two men had a moment of peace together. Jim's gaze seemed far more intense than normally.

"You're the Blue Blur!" James accused in a hissed voice.

With a flush did Clark duck his head. Blue Blur was what he was being called in the conspiracy news. A blurry blue spot that had been photographed near crime scenes that mysteriously disappeared; robbers that were tied up before the police could even arrive. Most people didn't take these too seriously though, thought it was some stunt. Manipulation. Some corners, of course, whispered about a meta-human in Metropolis. Chloe kept side-eyeing him about it, but he hadn't mustered the courage to tell her flat-out that yes, he was going out there and saving people.

"I don't like that name," was all Clark managed to say to that.

"That is just... I... how... Are you... You're a meta-human? Is that why Chloe is so obsessed with them? Because she—Wait, does she know and is that it, or does she not know and her having witnessed meta things from you without knowing it's you is what put her on the path?"

"...Both? In the beginning, she saw things and that sent her down a rabbit hole. But yes, she has known the truth for years now," Clark confirmed with a small now. "I... I'm sorry I haven't told you yet. I just... I don't know... When is the right time to tell someone you're an alien?"

"...You're a what...?" James asked, eyes widening.

Clark sighed and sat down on the chair next to James' hospital bed. "I am... an alien. From the planet of Krypton. When my planet... exploded... my parents sent me to Earth."

"I would laugh and think you're playing a prank on me but then you actually flew and saved my life today so I just... don't know what to say," James rubbed his face.

"That's another reason why," Clark offered with a half-smile. "It's... kind of scary. Being different and having to tell someone, having to wait whether or not they... can accept it."

At that, James' face softened. "I'm not... I just... It's just a lot, Clark, you know. You're still you. You're my best friend. And I accept you, wholly. I just gotta digest all of that."

That made Clark smile more genuinely. "Okay. Tell me when you digested it, because there's more."

"More? More like what? More than just that you can fly?" James asked startled.

At that, Clark paused. He couldn't fly. That hadn't even crossed his mind yet, he had been so swept up in everything. He couldn't fly. He had jumped after James in hopes of grabbing him and shielding him and being able to save him. Instead, he had grabbed James and – and he flew. Huh. Guess now Clark had something to digest himself too. As he let that sink in, the door burst open and Lois, Cat and Chloe came rushing in. Clark had the wisdom to quickly lean back and out of the way as much as possible, before Lois and Chloe threw themselves at James.

"Jimmy!" "We were so worried!" "What happened?!"

Clark wasn't even sure who said what, which also went for everything that followed as the three women talked at the same time, asking questions about the incident and the rescue. Smiling to himself, Clark just got more comfortable in his chair and watched them. While Lois got off the bed after a very tight hug that had James grunt in pain because of his bruised ribs, Chloe didn't look like she had any intentions of getting up, instead, she was gently cupping James' cheek.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked softly.

"Yeah. I'm... I'm fine. I really am, Chlo. No need to worry, believe me."

"I heard that the Blue Blur saved you," Cat stated, tapping her nails against the table. "That true? He real? Did you get a closer look? See his face? Or her face? Or does the Blur not have a face?"

That nearly made Clark choke on his laughter, but he quickly swallowed it down, which made Lois side-eye him curiously. This was going to change things for him. He had never shown himself fully, he had always been fast enough. This time however, he had been seen by people and this had been far more major than a robbery or something. There was no denying the Blur existed anymore.

/break\

"So you are the Blue Blur. Not that I hadn't suspected it, you know."

Oddly, Clark felt like a child being chastised by his mom. It didn't help that James sat next to him looking smug. This was somehow satisfying for him, having Clark chewed out for keeping a secret. After all, Clark had kept all the secrets from James until a few days ago. But James wasn't the kind of man to chew him out for it. He understood why Clark had kept it; Clark could see that in his eyes. James understood that it had been a tough call, deciding when to tell who such a deep and dangerous secret as this. If the secret got out, Clark would be in danger. Meta-humans were one thing, they were still human. Clark, he was proof that all of the conspiracy theories were true, that there was life out on other planets. He was an alien. Would he be seen as a threat? An invasion? Would he be looked at as less than human? Those were scary thoughts that haunted Clark every day.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Chlo," Clark sighed, looking at the floor. "I didn't want to drag you into this. This is dangerous than just... knowing I am who I am. What I do out there, I can do because I'm invincible. But I can't... I can't drag you into this."

"Oh, bull," Chloe huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't have to go out there with you to help you! I could help you in other ways. Even if it's just... knowing what you're doing. Being someone you can talk to about it. Don't always bottle everything up, dumbass."

"Okay. You're right with that, partially. Because we both know you wouldn't limit yourself to just listening. You like getting involved, Chloe. Don't deny it," Clark challenged pointedly.

Chloe had the decency to wiggle her nose a little and ruffle her hair. She'd gotten highlights recently, he noticed it more now that the light hit it like that. James was oddly quiet.

"What do you say to this, Jimmy?" Chloe wanted to know.

While Clark, Lois and Cat occasionally called James 'Jim', Chloe was the only one to call him Jimmy. It had been how the three of them had noticed that those two were dating.

"I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my best friend is from an alien planet. Him saving people? Sure. Why not. Seriously not the strangest part about this," James grunted.

Chloe huffed at that and walked over to the table, picking up the newspaper. Blue Blur Saves the Day, it said on the front-page. The Daily Planet issue from the morning after the bridge collapse.

"The Blue Blur isn't very blurry anymore though," Chloe pointed out. "You're wearing Kara's shirt. It... makes you look like a real super-hero. Like those two lightning bolts on Black Lightning's chest, or the one lightning bolt insignia that the Flash had back in the day, or the bat on Batman."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask, what's that S stand for anyway?"

"It's not an S, Jim," Clark made a small noise. "It's the symbol of my family, the house of El. It... It stands for hope. My cousin did this particular design of our symbol and she had it printed for me for my birthday. I really love the shirt, but since I can't explain the symbol, I only wear it at home."

"Wait. The... Kara is your cousin, as in also an alien?" James' eyes were wide.

He had told everyone about her – made a half-truth up about how she was his cousin, how her parents had recently died and they had tracked Clark down as her only living family. Everyone had been happy for him, Lana had hugged him so tightly, knowing how much family meant to him.

"I think your family crest is going to keep standing for hope," Chloe smiled faintly. "You saved all of those people and though the picture isn't very clear, they did capture that symbol."

That was... true. Strangely enough, it filled Clark with a certain sense of warmth to think that. Their family symbol, no longer hidden. Out in the open, representing hope for a whole new planet.

"I like that," Clark whispered. "I think I'll have to keep wearing the shirt when I go out."

"I think the primary colors are a bit tacky, but otherwise, sure," Chloe teased.

"Kara made the design so it's perfect," Clark argued with a glare.

The symbol itself in yellow, with red outlines, on a deep-blue shirt. Kara liked primary colors and why not? Clark thought it looked nice and the way her face had lit up when he had smiled at her and accepted the gift really made it perfect.

"You will need a proper name though," James offered. "I mean, Blue Blur is kind of... lame."

"Something like... Blue Lightning," Chloe suggested, earning a look from Clark.

"No. You say the symbol stands for hope, right? So let's take the naming scheme of the other one and go with like... Hopeman. That's good, right?" James countered, also earning a look.

"I'm not going to pick a name. That seems vain. Blue Blur does well for now, if the people want to pick a new name for me, I will accept that too."

/2004\

Superman. That had a ring to it. The tiny smile on Clark's face was bright and proud as he took yet another article about himself to put into his folder. Keeping them wasn't about ego, not by far. But his friends had written these words about him, kind and admiring and praising words. Pictures taken by James usually – occasionally, he admitted, he'd pose for James in particular. Articles about the lives Clark had saved, the good he had done, the hope he had brought to people.

For the first couple of weeks, Clark had worn the shirt Kara had made for him, because that was what he had been photographed in that day at the bridge. He posed and smiled. And no one... recognized him. Without his glasses, without the 'farm-boy flannel look' as Lois dubbed it, no one seemed to recognize him. And after a couple of weeks, he earned his name. Superman. Lois was the one to give it to him, based off the S on his chest, even if it wasn't an actual S. He'd take it.

After he got a proper name, James and Chloe insisted he needed a proper costume. Which was okay, he had by now gotten used to having them around as his backup. Chloe had become his voice in the ear, the three of them having bought ear-pieces for communication. She'd hack all nearby cameras in the street and became his voice in the ear. James always caught his best side and, unbeknownst even to herself, Lois became his voice in the press, usually the one to cover Superman, after she became the reporter who had given him that name she became closely associated with him.

Despite that, Clark hadn't told her or Cat the truth yet. Still didn't know if he should. It became more and more risky, more and more dangerous. Now he was an actual hero – a superhero, at that. A public figure. He was also making enemies out there. All the criminals he put away. This wasn't the kind of life he wanted to drag Lois or Cat into, especially not now.

"Clark. Are you daydreaming again? I swear, you really do have your head in the clouds!"

Clark grinned at Cat's words. These days, that was far more true than ever before. Flying was amazing. Well, once he got the hang of it. He was also very glad that he was invincible, because otherwise he would have broken a lot of bones on the way.

"What... are you doing, Cat?" Clark asked as he saw her flipping through a folder of her own.

"I am baby-daddy-shopping. Lois has been less than helpful," Cat heaved an exasperated sigh.

"We have been dating for three months! And you want me to pick out a baby daddy. I just."

Lois threw up her hands as she stalked up to them. Clark grinned amused. The two had gotten together shortly before Thanksgiving when debating what to do this Thanksgiving and talking about how much they had loved last Thanksgiving at the Kents, how much they both wanted that kind of family. In the end, everybody had ended up at the Kents' again, but somehow Lois complaining about her father and Cat complaining about her mother and both agreeing on the kind of life they wanted one day, that had finally pushed them over the edge.

"That's my life-plan, Lois. Pregnant by 25, so I do not miss all the big firsts of my child and the kid will be a bit older by the time I start my own business. I'm not expecting you to be a co-parent, I know that would be crazy at this stage of our relationship. But you could help me pick!"

Lois threw her hands up in the air again, rolling her eyes pointedly and giving Clark a look. Not that Lois hadn't known exactly what she had signed up for when getting together with Cat Grant. Before the two women could argue anymore about potential baby daddies (or Clark could be pulled into the actual decision making), Chloe came walking up to them in a quick pace.

"Clark. Clark, did you have this in your mail too?"

Why was it that everybody kept flocking to Clark's desk? The next moment, Chloe was right there, putting down a wedding invitation in front of Clark. He recognized it, he indeed had gotten an identical one himself. Alexander Luthor and Lana Lang invite you to their wedding! In golden, fancy lettering on thick, white paper. When opened, the card contained the date and location.

"Oh, are you kidding me! You two, of all people, get invited to the social event of the century! How is that any fair? Flannel doesn't match for a wedding," Cat complained.

"I mean, I can bring a plus one," Clark offered. "I'm assuming Chloe is taking her boyfriend, but seeing as I am very single, if you want to, you could be my plus one."

"O—Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Cat exclaimed, jumping up and down a little.

"It's okay," Lois drawled dryly. "I am not offended that my girlfriend is abandoning me to go to a fancy rich-people wedding with the man she used to flirt with."

"Oh, please. He's Clark," Cat waved her hand dismissively. "It's not like there's anything between us, Lo. He's like a brother. Sweet, harmless Smallville, right?"

"...If you keep talking, I will go and ask literally anybody else," Clark warned.

"A—aw, no, great and amazing Clark," Cat batted her eyelashes at him in exaggeration.

All Clark could do was sigh, shake his head and lock eyes with Lois, who was basically mirroring his motions. Cat Grant was special, that much was for sure. And it figured that Clark would be invited to his friends' wedding. Chloe, he admitted, was a bit more of a surprise. Then again, in the second half of high school, Chloe and Lana had become friends too – and Clark understood the desire to share such a big life-event with everyone.

/break\

"Congratulation! You look beautiful in that dress!" Chloe hugged Lana tightly.

The ceremony had been amazing. There were too many people here to make it feel comfortable though, at least for Clark. But it figured, a celebrity wedding like that. All out, Lex had booked the entire hotel for the wedding, all expenses paid for his guests. The ceremony itself had happened at the beach, on a cliff overseeing the ocean, the sun setting behind the bride and groom during the ceremony. While the women hugged, Clark stepped up to Lex, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"I'm happy for you two," Clark said warmly. "The two of you, you make each other happy."

"We do. We... really do," Lex replied, smiling as they parted. "Thank you, for coming."

"Of course. Wouldn't have missed it for the world, Lex."

Which was true. And not even just for Lana's sake. Ever since the interview, he had met up with Lex and Lana a couple times, occasionally business brought Lex to Metropolis and he would seek Clark out then. Somehow, Clark had managed to befriend Lex Luthor. That surely wasn't something his father ever had seen coming and while Jonathan had looked constipated when Clark told him, Clark had also reminded Jon that Lex wasn't his father and to blame the son for the father's sins was unfair to Lex. Which, after a pointed look from Martha, Jonathan had agreed to.

"Now, who is this beautiful lady at your side? Don't tell me you finally found someone."

"I'm so sorry to disappoint. Cat Grant, not his girlfriend. Just his friend. But was dying to dress up again so I gladly took his plus-one and left my girlfriend at home."

Lex laughed at that. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Grant. Clark has talked about you."

"It figures that we haven't met yet, busy business man like you and this one over there just does not have the manners to introduce people, does he," Cat countered with a smile.

Clark let his gaze wander as Cat engaged Lex in small-talk. There were so many people here, but he knew that most of them were just for the public perception. Not friends or family – not like either of them had a lot of that. Lana only had her aunt, who had brought Lana down the aisle. Lex was even worse off; his mother had died when he was a little boy, his father was currently in prison for all of his illegal activities – which was the reason that LuthorCorp had been rebranded into LexCorp by Lex years ago, to counter the public image. But that was it, no grandparents, siblings or aunts or uncles. Which only made Clark happier that the two had found each other. They had each other, were each other's home and family now.

"Have a drink with me," prompted Lex, resting a hand on Clark's back.

His other hand was on James', steering the both of them toward the bar. It wasn't like Lex had a lot of friends – not real friends. He had people who worked for him and people who worked with him. Most people were working some kind of angle when being with Lex. But Lex had befriended Clark and occasionally, when Lex was over in Metropolis, he had also run into James. The three had gone out for drinks a few times in the past.

"Congratulations, Lex," James offered with a crooked smile. "She made an honest man out of you."

"I wouldn't know about that," Lex laughed as he ordered their drinks. "But she sure made a better man out of me. I can't believe she said yes. Still feels unreal."

"She did. She also said 'I do'. You better believe it, you now have the certificate and the rings to prove it. Mister and Missus Luthor, giving the family-name a new meaning," Clark offered.

"What about you, James? You and Miss Sullivan have any plans any time soon?"

"Chloe and I? No. No, no, we've only just... just dating. We haven't been together that long."

James looked flustered as he ducked his head and quickly took a drink from the glass the barkeeper put down in front of him, just to have something else to do. Lex laughed at that reaction.

"Well, Lana and I have been together for not even two years too. But when you meet the right person, you just... you know. You know you never want to live without them again, you know you want to share your life with them. You don't need years to realize that," Lex pointed out.

The conviction in his voice was what made Clark smile to himself. That sounded so nice and also simple, in a way. You just know. He watched the way James' eyes drifted over toward where Chloe and Cat were dancing with Lana. James' eyes were so soft as he looked at Chloe.

"How's Metropolis treating you?" Lex asked as he put his drink down. "Now that the city has its very own meta-human. He definitely helps the Daily Planet's numbers."

"That he does," James agreed. "We're the top newspaper when it comes to covering Superman and the more often he sweeps in to save the day, the more attention he gains even outside Metropolis."

"I know. Word has reached Washington too," Lex hummed, eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Clark asked, laughing just a little. "Don't tell me you don't like Superman?"

Though he laughed, he also felt his heart jump a little in his throat. Talking about himself like that was still rather peculiar to him. Trying to separate himself from Superman, trying to not give away his secret as he spoke. And hearing. Hearing what people thought about him when they didn't know they were talking to him – when they didn't know Clark Kent was Superman.

"I think that people are dangerously quick to trust these people behind their masks."

"Care to elaborate on that, Mister Luthor?" James asked in his best reporter voice.

Though he offered a half-smirk, his eyes found Clark's in worry. A worry Clark tired to dismiss quickly. He could handle the truth and he wanted to know it too. Lex put down his glass, his fingers tapping the rim thoughtfully as he turned toward the two men on his right.

"The Black Lightning in Freeland. He is being compared to the old gods. You know what those gods did? They didn't just protect. They would also smite anyone who opposed them. The Bat of Gotham City? He has used excessive violence and force in the past. And now Metropolis' Superman? He seems to be the most powerful of them all. He is stronger, faster, seemingly invulnerable, he can fly. It seems as though there is nothing he can't do. They protect people now. They earn not just the cheer but also the adoration and flat-out devotion of many people. Who's to say what will come next though? When they decide that people who committed crimes aren't the only ones? When they overstep how much force is necessary? When they do decide to smite those who would oppose them, those voices who say that this is the police's job to do?"

James didn't answer; he knew this one was up to Clark. "That's... all fair points, Lex. I understand the worry this can give someone. But so far, they have only protected, not harmed, the innocent."

"It's the 'so far' that worries me, Clark," Lex countered, his voice soft and reasonable. "They're put en par with the old gods and not unreasonably so. But stories of old gods nearly always end in tragedy for the normal people who get involved with them. So far, it's all good. But no one knows what the future holds, what might tip them over the edge. Or if one of them is doing this as a long game. Gain the sympathy of the people and when protecting isn't enough anymore, rule them."

"I feel like you're slipping into conspiracy theory territory there, Lex,"James warned him.

"Perhaps so. But I think caution is not unreasonable when you deal with someone to whom we could very well be little more than ants," was all Lex had to reply.

"Boys. Are you talking politics? I don't agree with those serious faces of yours. Come and dance."

Lana had a bright, unknowing smile on her lips as she grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him along onto the dance-floor, soon followed by Cat and Chloe, who demanded a dance of their own. The serious conversation with Lex quickly slipped Clark's mind again as he laughed and enjoyed the evening with his friends like this, though the nagging doubt would remain for a long time to come, knowing that Lex had made very justified points. Still, not today. Today, they celebrated.

"Missus Lana Luthor. How's it feel?" Clark asked teasingly once they had a moment of peace.

They had gotten off the dance-floor a good hour ago and had eaten. Cat had run off, seeing a potential story she could chase. Which made sense, considering how many high-ranking and famous people were gathered here. Chloe and James had gone off to dance again and Lex had been stolen by some of his big investors to congratulate and involve him in small-talk.

"Exhausting," Lana admitted with a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I love Lex. I love him a lot. I even love LexCorp, I've been running the charity functions for months now. I'm doing good, helping people. What I don't love is the press, peering at me – no offense."

"Absolutely none taken," Clark assured her amused. "I don't consider those part of the press. We inform on important topics. They... try to take an unflattering picture of you and other celebrity women to tear them down for their choice in clothing or something."

"Agreed," Lana sighed, resting her head against his arm. "What about you? C'mon. Showing up here with your friend? Do you really not have anyone?"

Now even less than before. He was no longer just an alien, he was now a... super-hero. A term they had coined based on him. He was Superman and he was said to bring in the 'age of not heroes but super-heroes'. Those were a few too many secrets and things that put him apart from everyone else.

"I'll be fine, Lana," Clark promised, smiling weakly. "Go and dance with your husband, mh."

/break\

Clark's face was filled with awe and wonder as he carefully cradled the infant in his arms, afraid to break him. More so than any inexperienced human holding a baby for the very first time would, considering the strength Clark had. Yet what he held right now might just be the most precious and the most breakable he had ever held before. A tiny, vulnerable little human being. Cat's son.

Cat herself was laying in the hospital bed right next to Clark, exhausted and annoyed, though she seemed pacified by Lois laying next to her, gently caressing her hair. James and Chloe were hanging over Clark's shoulders from either side to look at the baby, Chloe gently stroking the baby's cheek while James seemed a bit too afraid to touch, probably with a similar train of thoughts in mind as Clark. Do not break the baby. Clark still kind of couldn't believe Cat had pulled through with this, with having her baby at twenty-five, partner or no partner. And she did have a partner, who had now more or less gotten roped into co-parenting, despite Cat saying she wouldn't have to. That just wasn't who Lois Lane was though; she had been there for Cat throughout the pregnancy, she wasn't going to just ignore the infant in the room, now that he was here.

"He's perfect, Cat," Clark noted.

"Of course he is. He's my son," Cat huffed offended.

"What... What's his name? Did you guys decide on something?" Chloe wanted to know.

"Carter. Carter Grant. Carter, meet your primary baby-sitters, uncle Jim, uncle Clark and auntie Chloe," Cat introduced, waving her hand weakly.

"At least she is upfront about this," Chloe muttered beneath her breath.

"Oh come on, like you're not going to eagerly agree when she asks you to babysit him. Look at this face, how could you possibly say no to that face?" James asked, pointing at the baby.

Carter blinked his large eyes up at them, cute chubby cheeks, blonde tuft of hair on his head. Clark smiled as he gently tickled Carter's stomach. The latest member of their family.

/break\

"How's being a parent treating you?"

Clark handed Lois her daily secret dose of coffee. Since Cat was still breastfeeding, she wasn't allowed to have coffee yet and since the two women had moved in together, no coffee for Lois either – at least not where Cat could see and smell her drink it. Which seemed fair enough to Clark, it'd be kind of mean to rub it in. Him, James and Chloe had come to consume their coffee in a safe distance from Cat too since the third trimester of the pregnancy.

"Weird," Lois offered after gulping down half the scolding-hot coffee. "Nectar of the gods."

"I... doubt that one..." Clark chuckled to himself, taking a considerably smaller sip of his coffee.

"Don't get me wrong, I might actually be in love with Carter. He's... perfect. I just. I never saw myself being a mom, at least not in this point in my life and certainly not like that."

"Well, Cat did warn you," Clark pointed out after a moment of weighting whether or not that was a wise thing to say to her. "When you guys got together. We all knew her life-plan."

"The heart's a fickle bastard, Smallville," Lois sighed, leaning forward against the balustrade. "I never expected to fall in love with Cat Grant. The woman has been driving me crazy since the day I started working at the Daily Planet. But... by now, she's driving me crazy in a... good way. And at first, I... I really was convinced I could pull this off. Being with Cat, but not... involved like that."

Clark snorted, loudly, glad that he was invulnerable because otherwise the hot coffee going down the wrong pipe would have seriously hurt. Lois shot him a dirty look as he kept coughing.

"Oh come on, you can't be serious," Clark argued. "You're you. You wouldn't date someone with a kid and just pretend the kid's not there. You get involved. It's what you do."

Lois simply glared at him some more, before turning toward the view in front of them. All of Metropolis was laid out beneath them. The view from their balcony at the Daily Planet sure was something. Something Clark doubted he'd ever grow tired of. It... kept him humble, in a way. Reminded him of Lex's words at the wedding, about the heroes who were only one step away from being gods. But when Clark looked down on the city, saw the life of the city – cars standing in traffic, moms with strollers, dads carrying their older kids on their shoulders, children laughing and chasing each other as they were on their way back home from school – Clark didn't feel like a god looking down on humanity from Olympus, all he did feel was the urge to protect. Protect their happiness and life, do everything in his powers to keep them safe.

"How's your cousin doing?" Lois asked suddenly. "What? Kids. She's the only other kid I know."

"At the point where she is acting offended when you call her a kid," Clark replied with a quirk of his lips. "She's fifteen now. And especially with how much she admires Alex, she doesn't want to be treated as a kid. She wants to be a grown up. I... try to tell her to cherish the childhood she has right now because adult life and responsibilities are... not that much fun, but she doesn't seem to want to hear any of it. She has big dreams and she wants to hurry along to get to them."

"Sounds a lot like Chloe, if you'd ask me," Lois chuckled to herself. "I think it's important for everyone to... go at life in their own pace. If fast is what feels right to her, maybe it actually is. Some people need more detours to find their destiny. And sometimes, people need to hurry along into the wrong direction to find the right path for them."

"Well, I do hope Kara can find it without detours. I just... want her happy."

Lois hummed in agreement, putting her empty coffee cup down. "What about you? You happy?"

"If this is about my love life again-" Clark grunted in warning.

"It's not!" Lois lifted her hands up in surrender. "I tried setting you up with Lisa. I know that fell apart. Like I just said, everyone needs their own pace. Pushing you was... wrong. That's why I'm asking: Are you happy? Because you don't need romance in your life to be happy."

Clark felt himself relax a little at that. He heaved a sigh. A few months ago, Lois had set him up with her friend Lisa Lasalle. She was... lovely. Beautiful, kind, sweet. But he couldn't handle it, couldn't handle being in a relationship and being Superman. If his dating life had been hard before – and it had been, he had only been on a handful of dates since coming to Metropolis prior to becoming Superman – it seemed impossible now. He kept disappearing, running late on dates and he couldn't explain it. Even though he had liked her, he hadn't known Lisa well enough to share his at this point very large and very impactful secret with her.

"Happy..." Clark echoed wondrously. "I think so, yes. My career is going well, I live with two of my best friends – though Jim never does the laundry and continues stealing my bagels – and I have you guys. You, Cat, Jim, Chloe, Lana, Lex. Now little Carter. I am... not ready to be a father yet, but I am very ready to be an uncle. I have Kara. My parents are in good health. I don't have anything more to ask for. Love, I think, will find me when it's ready. Or when I'm ready."

And he meant that. Lois might feel like she had pushed Clark, but if he was being honest with himself, he had been the one to push himself. He'd agreed to the date despite not knowing the woman just because he felt like he needed to be with someone too, in the aftermath of Lex and Lana's wedding. Now, with Carter born and Lana pregnant – joyous news the couple had shared with him when they had come over to Metropolis last week, just to tell him (for now simply as a friend, though they had promised him the scoop, once Lana was safely into the second trimester) – he felt a strange sense of peer pressure. Cat and Lois, James and Chloe, Lex and Lana, all of his friends were in happy and stable relationships. Two of them even married now. Meanwhile, he didn't even have anyone he really liked right now. But... he supposed his short-lived relationship with Lisa had taught him a lesson there. He couldn't force love. And if he looked at his friends now, he didn't see the pressure of being behind them in life, but more a hope for the future that love would find him once he was ready for it, once he was at the right point in his life.

As things stood now, he was happy. He had his friends and family, his job, and he was Superman.

/2005\

"Cat texted. Asked if someone can babysit Carter today so her and Lois can have a date-night."

James sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket, instead picking up his camera as they finally arrived at their destination. Clark chuckled as he parked the car and the two of them got out of it together. There had been a major incident at the coast of Maine, an oil-taker that was leaking – and the local meta hero was taking care of it. He had popped up a couple weeks ago, mostly just saving local fishermen. Not enough to put him on the Daily Planet's radar yet, but enough to put him on Chloe's radar. Seemed he had some water-related powers. A meta, she assumed. Got her all excited. Well, when they heard about the oil-tanker, it got more than just Chloe's attention. Clark and James had been sent to cover it. And the fact that there was a local meta-human hero who was already taking care of it was the only reason Clark was here as a reporter, not as Superman.

"Text her back that I'll pick him up when we get back from Maine. Don't look at me like that; Carter is adorable and I aim to become his favorite uncle. For that, I need more bonding time."

"Oh, it's like that?" James asked with a laugh. "Okay. I'll text her that we are babysitting him. You are definitely not going to beat me to this. I will be Carter's favorite uncle!"

Clark joined James in his laughter, at least until the two of them reached the side of the street, overseeing the ocean. That sure killed all joy. The oil-tanker, being held at bay by the man in green and orange. Tacky color-combination, but then Chloe had chided him that he was going all prime colors so he did not get to judge others. James was already taking pictures. And those were going to be powerful images, Clark could already tell. Because the image in front of him was overwhelmingly powerful; one man, stopping a devastating oil-spill all by himself.

"You know, Superman might be getting competition here," James teased. "Look at him, the way he stands there on top of the water, controlling it like a god from the depths. And—look at her."

James was busy taking pictures, now even faster, because someone else had joined the water-based hero. Clark stared, amazed, his eyes focusing in on the woman who was just flying up to the tanker. She was breathtaking – dark hair blowing in the wind, blue eyes sharp and focused as she returned from the tanker, holding a... golden-glowing rope from which five people were hanging. Five people that she was carrying without breaking a sweat.

"...So... you and Kara, you sure you're the last Kryptonians?" James asked slowly as he lowered his camera to look at her with his own two eyes. "Because so far, metas came with one set of powers. This woman can... fly and is clearly super-strong. That checks two Kryptonian boxes."

Clark grunted in reply, not knowing more words to answer that. She brought the crew to safety and returned to the ship to save more people, leaving a hole in the concrete as she pushed off the street. So those thighs did not simply look powerful, they actually were. Clark felt himself flush.

"Heh. Her outfit matches yours," James pointed out as he zoomed in for a close-up as she returned with another group of survivors. "Red, golden and blue. You could swap the yellow on yours out for gold too, could give you something more... prestigious too."

"I don't need to look prestigious," Clark muttered. "And I don't think I could pull this outfit off."

"I don't know, you have great legs. Not as great as hers, but still," Jim teased amused.

She did have great legs, poking out under the short blue Roman-uniform style skirt, a red top with a golden V-neck. Whoever she was, she looked like a goddess, more so than any other meta.

~*~ The End ~*~

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Author's note: Holy shit this was so much fun to write! I can't remember the last time I write a 25 pager, but there was so much about this that I wanted to say. Guess it shows that Superman is my favorite hero, huh. Bias.

Next up in the series, I have the meeting of Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman planned! (Gotta lay that Justice League foundation ;D)