True Colors

"Wow, your date must have ended very well! I've never seen you so happy before." The two were in the middle of an insane twenty-four hour shift. They were resting after the first twelve hours and preparing to check in with their respective supervisors. "It's been days and you're still beaming. I'm so happy for you, Ms. Mom!"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Alana grinned. "I haven't even seen Nick since our date."

"You like him. Admit it," Gloria said in a sing-song voice.

"I do, Gloria. I really, truly do! Is it okay to feel this way after only one date? I mean, maybe I should-"

"Oh no. You are not going to talk yourself out of your happiness, girl. This isn't high school and you, my dear, are allowed to be as happy as you want to be about a great guy showing you a great time. Did you two-"

"No," she said loudly. Blushing as people turned to look at her, Alana lowered her voice. "He just got me home via cab and went to his car. He didn't even come back to the apartment with me."

"Well, something must have happened on that cab ride, because you, my dear, have been in an awfully good mood. Everyone's noticed that spring in your step."

The mother's cheeks warmed. "Well…"

"Oh my gosh, he kissed you again, didn't he?" Her cheeks flamed. "That is so cool! I can't believe that jackass never even kissed you. What a loser! If I'd known that, I would have hooked you up with the Lion much earlier. The word is that he is a master of the sensual arts. Even if you didn't end up-"

"Gloria!" Alana blushed. "We're at work right now. We're not supposed to-"

"Hello, ladies," Corbin called from down the hall. Nicholas was trailing behind him, so instead of berating the resident for being too loud in the hospital as she normally would have, she blushed hard. Nicholas noticed this and smiled, slinging a friendly arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead sweetly.

"How's Mama Bear doing today?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm… I'm fine," she said, looking at the floor.

"Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional," Nicholas quoted one of her favorite movies. The residents all laughed at this and Alana relaxed in his arms.

"I'm just… it's the normal nerves. Dr. Fairbanks is about to quiz me on my patients and I want to make sure I have all the necessary information, and even the unnecessary information just in case he asks." Her suitor squeezed her shoulders again.

"You're too hard on yourself, Mama Bear," the man said firmly. "You know that these talks are informal. You are a brilliant doctor and I know you're going to knock Dr. Fairbanks' socks off today."

"Thank you… Teddy," she grinned in embarrassment, turning in his one-armed hug.

"Any time. What is your position on funnel cake?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Nicholas grinned.

"There's a fair just outside of town this weekend. I thought I might take you and Jackson to see it. If you two are available to hang out and you are not opposed to carnival food. What do you say?"

"Are you kidding? I - we - have an obsession with cotton candy and fried Oreos! That sounds… I mean, I'd have to ask Jackson, but…"

"Relax, Alana. It's just a little date," Corbin grinned with a flirtatious smile at Gloria. Gloria cocked a perfectly-shaped eyebrow at him.

"Her second date ever," she said forcefully. "Don't be too hard on her."

"Really? No one ever took a hottie like you out on a date?" Corbin said with a sly wink at the mother. Alana shifted uncomfortably, grateful when her suitor squeezed her shoulders, forcing her to focus on him once more.

"I'll have to ask if Action is up for it, but tentatively yes," she answered his question. Her pager went off just then. "I gotta go. Dr. Fairbanks is here and my patient on unit 76 is having bloody stools again. Catch up with you guys later." She shyly kissed Nicholas' cheek before walking towards her supervisor.

"Damn man. You sure a carnival is second date material? And inviting her kid along? Bold move."

"He's been making all the right moves since their first date. Don't think I haven't noticed how happy she was after the club. You two move well together. Oh! Gotta go. It's my turn on the hot seat. See you tonight, Corbin baby." Gloria winked at him before heading off to Dr. Gibbons for a similar interrogation to Alana's. Corbin turned to his brown-haired companion and nodded that they should head out since neither of them had a reason to be at the hospital right now.

"Darren said you and mama were getting cozy on the dance floor the day before yesterday. You finally making some progress on that front?" Nicholas looked at him in annoyance, but finally answered when they hit the street.

"I'm making progress."

"What's she like in-"

"I don't know," he huffed. "Yet."

"You know, I'd be careful if I were you," Corbin suddenly said. "Word on the grapevine is that Clark Kent is staking his claim. He looks like he works out." Both men got dark looks on their faces. Clark Kent was an Alpha in the city, even if he didn't act like it until recently. Nicholas was in a position to directly cross an Alpha and, remembering the lost look on his woman's face when she admitted that the father of her child hadn't even bothered to kiss her when he knocked her up, he was suddenly looking forward to the confrontation.

"Fuck him. He's already got an old lady. Besides, he messed her up big time, man. Gave her some bullshit ideas about her worth. That bastard doesn't deserve my woman." Corbin took in his furious visage and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure, man? You know we'll back you if needed," he said, referring to their classmates and friends, "but you better be serious about this bitch and her kid. We'll take it out on your ass if you suddenly change your mind."

"Got it," Nicholas said, spotting Clark Kent heading towards their hospital and moving to intercept. "Stub your toe, Kent?" The man had a bouquet of red roses and a box of expensive chocolates. "Your wife aware that you're trying to court another woman?"

Clark gave a guilty start, then raised his chin. "Stay out of my business, Lyons."

"Alana Brighton is my business now, Kent. You've done enough damage to her over the years. I'm repairing your screw-ups."

"I don't need your help fixing my mistakes, Lyons. Alana is the mother of my-"

"And that means what exactly, Kent? You're a married man. Unless divorce is on your agenda, leave my woman alone. You had your chance and you threw her away. My turn. And unlike you, I keep what I'm given." The reporter dropped his gifts and made to attack Nicholas, but Corbin came between the two.

"Back to your corners. You wanna start shit on a public street? Go ahead and bring Superman down on our heads." Kent looked annoyed for a moment before leaning down to pick up the gifts, glaring at his rival the whole time.

"This isn't over, Lyons."

"Anytime, bitch," Nicholas growled, still looking ready for a fight. Clark walked away, thinking of all the ways to separate the worm from his woman. This was Krypton business and none of Lyons'. He needed to make Alana see that, but not right now. He would come back later. In the meantime, he headed back to the Daily Planet.

"Oh, Clark. For me? They're beautiful!" Clark handed the gifts to his wife with a fake smile and a sigh. This wasn't fair to Lois. She was his best friend and had been since they were kids. By rights, he should divorce her to make room in his life for his family, but he didn't want to lose her. This was the real problem, he wanted everything. The love of his life. The mother of his child. He didn't want to choose, he wanted them both.

"So, I was looking at some adoption sites and brochures. I think we could-"

"Adoption?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, Clark. Adoption. Before all this Alana crap started, we were talking about adoption, remember?" Clark did remember. He'd been ready to start the next chapter in his life, ready to be a father when he was rudely introduced to the fact that he was already a father. He sighed heavily and gave his wife his full attention.

Lois grinned, secretly pleased to have distracted her husband from that harlot. As far as she was concerned, this whole situation was that slut's fault. Lois' life had been perfect, with her notable exception of her lack of children. Then that whore had to… But it had been thirteen years ago. She'd known about Alana's feelings for Clark. Everyone did. The pranks and jokes about her unrequited love were things of legend. Then they'd slept together and she'd somehow convinced her parents to move to Metropolis within a week of graduation. That part of their life was supposed to be over, yet here that slut was, ensnaring her husband again! Or was it the other way around? She certainly didn't act like she was enjoying being the other woman. When she'd called two days ago, she'd almost sounded scared.

Serves her right, the vindictive, petty part of her rejoiced. The more logical part of her, the part that knew exactly what Clark was, was desperate to distract the man from his newest obsession. She wanted things back to the way they were, when he loved only her and lived for her happiness. That night they made love for the first time since he'd found out about his son. It was good, it always was. But she could sense his restlessness, his distraction before, during, and after. It made her want to cry, but she stubbornly acted like everything was normal for them.

Monday morning rolled around like any other day. She got the paper while her husband made them breakfast. As she skimmed the headlines, her eyes froze on the top article in the gossip section.

Clark Kent Gets Lost on the Way to Give Flowers to Wife

Seems that Clark Kent was spotted outside Shuster General Hospital with flowers and chocolates in hand. After a heated discussion with an unknown male, he was later seen giving those same flowers and chocolates to his wife of eight years, Lois Kent. Is our local Boy Scout having a delayed seven year itch?

Lois crushed the paper and went to confront her husband. "Clark! Where did you get these flowers?" she yelled loudly. She'd been convinced that things were moving in the right direction when he'd shown up with her favorite gifts in hand. Looking at the article though…

"I got them at the usual spot," the man said, wondering where this was coming from first thing in the morning. His wife slammed the paper down on the table, the article headline prominently displayed.

"Are you trying to humiliate me, Clark Kent? I can ignore you running around talking to Alana. She's the mother of your child. But bringing her flowers and chocolates is another thing altogether. I-" She snatched the phone off the wall when it rang again. "What?"

"Lois, is that you?" Martha Kent asked timidly. The reporter immediately reined in her anger, not wanting to take it out on her wonderful in-laws.

"I'm sorry, Martha. It's just been a trying morning. Was there something you needed?"

"Well, with news like this in the paper, it's a wonder that you aren't in a better mood. Where is that two-timing son of mine?" Lois repressed a laugh as she handed the phone to her husband. She'd almost forgotten that Jonathan and Martha Kent subscribed to the Daily Planet. She went to get a glass of juice out of the fridge and giggled to see her Boy Scout husband trying to justify himself to his parents. Well, good. Maybe this would snap him out of any further designs on the lovely Ms. Brighton!

… …

Alana's awakening was much ruder. She heard the insistent knocking on her door at seven something in the morning. She'd just finished her shift at four, so she was not pleased. Pulling a nightshirt on, she grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen on her way to the door. Yawning hugely, she swung the door open to a barrage of reporters and camera crews yelling questions at her. Temporarily blinded by the flashes and deafened by the shouting, she covered her face with the pan.

"What is going on here? Who are you people?"

"Ms. Brighton, is it true that you're having an affair with Clark Kent?" Susan Mallory yelled out over the others.

"What? Ew!" she said automatically. She lowered the pan to see the eager media listening to her and recording her every word. "I am not involved with Clark Kent. I want nothing to do with him and I've made that very clear to both him and his wife."

"Oh, please. The two of you have been seen together-"

"He shows up at my places of business, bothering me. Whoever saw us must also have noticed that I am only civil with the man and not friendly. I don't want his attention."

Jackson appeared in the doorway just then, ready for school. He glared at the reporters but didn't attempt to cover his face. "I'll see you after practice, Mom," he told his mother before pushing through the crowd. People kept getting in his way, trying to ask him questions.

"My son is trying to get to his bus so that he isn't late for school," Alana said loudly over all the noise in the hall. "I would appreciate it if you did not impede his progress." After that, the crowd parted for the boy. He turned back around at the end of the hall and whispered 'thank you' to her. Alana gave the boy a half-smile and he was gone. Once he was gone, the shouting started up again.

"Is there a reason you people are being so loud? It's seven in the morning. People are trying to start their days. I was asleep!"

"Why would you be asleep at-"

"I just finished a twenty-four-hour shift for my residency. I'm exhausted. And you people coming around being loud and inaccurate first thing in the morning is not helping."

"If you'll forgive me, Ms. Brighton, your son looks an awful lot like Clark Kent."

"He'd better! He's the father." The shouting started up immediately as people screamed out questions about this new development. "Shut UP!" the mother bellowed over the noise. This stopped the barrage of questions and accusations. "Yes, Clark is the father, it was a one-time thing thirteen years ago. Yes, he is aware as of a week ago. No, he is not involved in raising my son. It is my choice to be a single parent. No, I will not be taking legal action against the Kents. I want nothing to do with them and neither does my son. Yes, that is why he has been coming around to talk to me. Now, if you'll excuse me - and even if you won't - I'm going to bed."

"What about the flowers and chocolates?" someone called from the back of the crowd. A ripple of agreement passed through the chastened crowd.

"What flowers and chocolates?" the woman asked in confusion. One of the reporters near the front of the crowd passed her the article. She scanned it quickly, and a few of the reporters at the front of the crowd actually backed up at the storm clouds forming in her face.

"He WHAT?" She crushed the paper furiously. "He has been trying to get me to agree to allow him into my son's life. Jackson wants nothing to do with him. I want nothing to do with him."

"You have to admit that it's pretty damning evidence, though," Walter Greens called out.

"Dude, I'm allergic to chocolate! So, unless he was trying to kill me - this was not a romantic gesture!"

"You're allergic-"

"Yes. I'm deathly allergic to chocolate and I have been all my life. Halloween was an almost fruitless endeavor for me. That's something that the actual people in my life would know. But Clark is not a part of my life. He's never been a part of my life, not really. Good night." She slammed the door, not giving anyone the chance to question her further. The crowd dispersed, everyone running to report their findings.

'What? Ew!' was the tagline on every paper that evening. The articles were full of information about the young doctor and mother. There was a special emphasis on her chocolate allergy, painting the romantic gesture as a possible murder attempt.

The quote at the beginning of the chapter is from The Italian Job - an excellent heist movie from back in the day. Points to you if you guessed it right off the bat! As for the rest of it, it seems that the scandal has broken. We'll have to see what comes of that, not to mention Clark's disturbed mind. See ya next time! :D