Chapter 5

"So what you're telling me is that you feel lonely without your father, even though you think you hate him."

Clark nodded. "Yeah."

"And that you want to be like your father, because you've heard all these wonderful things about him. Yet, you don't want to be like you father, because he deserted your family."

"Yes. Why are you repeating everything I'm saying?"

"That's a child therapist's job, Clark. We have to make sure that we haven't gotten any of your confusions twisted in our own heads. If we did, we might diagnose your treatment wrong."

"So," Clark stated. "Is there anything else you need to ask me?"

"Yes. Just a few more things."

Clark sighed. "Ok. Shoot."

"Have you ever done anything that seemed unordinary to you? I need an honest answer now; otherwise the diagnosis might be wrong."

"Other than the freaky hearing that my mom told you about, you mean? No, nothing."

The shrink nodded his head. "All right, then Clark. We're done."

"Can I see my dad?"

"Not yet, Clark."

"Please, Doctor. I've only seen my dad once in my entire life. Please, let me see him!"

"Clark, I can't let you. He's being examined."

"For what? Is he ok?"

"Clark, he's blind. For him, that shouldn't be possible."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that, either, Clark. Ask you mother. It's her place."

"But – "

"Lois, we're done," The doctor called.

The office door opened to reveal his mother. "Clark, I need you to wait outside with your sister, all right?"

He sighed and resentfully and passed his mother, letting himself out into the hall, the door closing behind him.

"What's wrong with him, Eric?"

"He's a troubled kid, Lois."

"I know."

"I do have some good news, though. The dyslexia that he supposedly has is not really dyslexia. He has a need to be like his father, yet a need to be unlike him. I'm going to take this as a need to be special, but not in the same way as his namesake. That's the origin of it."

"I don't follow. I mean, I do, with the whole 'special' thing, but how does that bring on the dyslexia?"

"It's a psychological condition. He's literally made himself be abnormal. In his subconscious, I do believe that he knows his of his father's abilities, as does his sister. Chloe, however, is not near as bad with her stuttering.She's got a mother, and Clark doesn't have a father. He has no one to talk with about his problems. Yes, he has you and Bruce, but it's not the same thing. So, his effort to be closer to his father was the dyslexia. Chloe's effort was the stuttering. Not nearly as bad, again, because she had you to talk to and relate to."

"But there are cases around the world where parents leave their families. Why my kids? Is it because they're Kryptonian?"

"I believe so. The make up of the Kryptonian body flourishes under a yellow sun, which makes the body more powerful, so it stands to reason that the mind does as well."

"So if Clark gets to know his father better, will the problem go away?"

"I don't know. He feels estranged from his father, not to mention angry with him. And I can't tell you whether Clark will ever get over it. He may have already gotten over it, or it may happen next week. Maybe next month, or next year, or it may never happen. That's entirely up to him."

"What about Chloe?"

"Chloe just has the need to be close to her father. That's why she stutters occasionally. That will go away when she feels like she's got her dad back. She's not angry at him, like Clark is, but subconsciously she knows that about her father's abilities just like her brother, and has made herself 'special' just like her brother has."

"Thanks Eric."

"No, problem, Lois. Next time something like that comes up, you bring the kids to one of Bruce's doctors, not some guy in Smallville. Okay?"

Lois laughed. "Okay, Eric. Thanks again."

"It's my pleasure, Lois."

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"Clark, I need to know what happened."

The man on the examining table sighed. "I got a stone from Lana and one from Lex's mansion and united them.There was a lot of blinding light and it took me to a place a ton of snow - the Artic, I think - and the stone started to shinein my hand, so I just threw it. I had no clue what I was doing, but it seemed to make sense. When the stone touched the snow, a crater appeared and a big ice castle looking thing appeared from the snow. I was young, and my naiveativity took over, so I went inside. The second I stepped inside the door, an onslaught of information hit me. I woke up a few hours later on a table, being peered at by robots. I tried to leave, but something called 'The Eradicator' stopped me. It told me that if I went outside of the Fortress that I'd die. It said that its programming was to preserve all Kryptonian life, and it knew what was best for me.

"So one day after about a week of trying to escape, I just pulled the circuits out of it. It told me as it was 'dying', and that – and I quote – "Instead of me, Kal-El, you will be the one to kill those that you love". So I stayed away from you, Lois, my children, Chloe, and my parents. All the ones that meant the entire world to me."

"Clark, you're not Kal-El."

"But I could become him. You know that."

"Clark, even as Kal-El, you won't kill anybody. The only difference between you and him is that Kal-El is a Clark Kent that has accepted his Kryptonain destiny."

"But I'd do anything to follow it."

"I don't think you'd kill people. You still hold the same morals."

"Bruce, I shoved my own mother to the ground."

"No, when you accept your Kryptonain destiny, that means you accept your birth parents as well. Martha wasn't your mother. She was a stranger."

Clark nodded grudgingly.

"Okay, so, what about the mark on your temple?" Bruce asked.

"I was in Idaho, wandering around. Team Luthor must have been tracking me, because before I knew it, I had collapsed. They must have kept the Kryptonite far enough away, because I was like that for a half hour - until Lex showed up. He punched me here," Clark ran his hand over the green oval shaped area, "and I blacked out. The next thing I know, I'm here."

"Blind, and without powers," Bruce added.

"Yeah."

"Doctor," Bruce called from behind him. "See if you can find out what's wrong with him, all right? I need to talk to Lois."

"Sure thing, Mr. Wayne."

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"That's it?" Lois asked.

"Yeah," Bruce responded. "Just problems from his past that he didn't want resurfacing in the first place."

Lois sighed. "Thanks, Bruce. When will he be finished with his exam?"

"He should be done right…about…now." Bruce said as the examination room door opened and the doctor came out.

Lois turned to Chloe and Clark. "You want to see him?"

Chloe stood up eagerly, while Clark followed suit albeit reluctantly.

"We can see him Mom? Now?" her daughter asked.

"Yeah," she told her.

Without another word, Chloe walked towards the door of the room that her fatherwas in.

"Dad?" she asked hesitantly as she breached the room's boundaries.

"Chloe?" he questioned, the side of his head turned toward the door, his blank eyes' gaze thrown towards the corner of the room.

"Yeah," she said awkwardly.

"I'm sorry I've been gone so long, Chloe. I didn't want to miss this much."

"Oh, Daddy," Chloe said as she flung herself towards him, wrapping herself around his broad frame. "I've missed you so much."

His arms hesitantly wrapped around her waist, returning her hug. "I've missed you too. So much. I won't leave again, I promise."

"Never ever again?" she asked, her fourteen years sounding like three.

"Never again," he said, hugging her tighter.

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A/N: Well, I liked that chapter…for once. Anyway, I hope some of your questions were answered and some of you answers were questioned. Remember, reviews are what gets you your chapter faster. ;) Oh, and early Merry Christmas!