Chapter 2: Scene 1:
July, 2055Clark sat quietly in his car in the middle of the full parking lot. His face was tucked in his hands as the images from his past loomed through his mind again. Images he almost let slip from him throughout the course of his life. The same images that urged him to continue on this journey, on this path that pulled him along by love alone. And as Clark lifted his eyes to look outside his windshield, a new strength surged through his veins. A strength brought on by everything he wanted to remember and everything he couldn't forget. The good and the bad would be mixed, but both were important in the end. Neither could come without the other - a truth he accepted long ago.
The sun took his darkness away a little as it stretched its rays into the car, and Clark was suddenly surrounded by the sounds of life as each nostalgic memory faded from him - one after the next. In the silence he heard the soft hum of the car engine. He turned to gaze out his driver's side window to see a small family unloading suitcases from their car. Both parents struggled to keep their children calm as the imminent new experience of travel drifted closer with every second. In the far distant he heard a loud whoosh that signaled the arrival of an airplane.
Clark sighed and opened his door, knowing if he stopped to dwell he would never make it to his destination. He stepped out and closed the door, and then opened the trunk to his sedan. There was only one bag inside, but that's all Clark needed for this trip. He was still a simple guy, despite his fame as reporter and super hero. Though only a few knew those roles resided in the same person.
The family a few parking spots down continued to struggle with their numerous bags and children. Clark felt a pang of sympathy for them as he grabbed his suitcase and shut his trunk. The car beeped as he locked it, then he began to walk towards them. Assisting people was a trait he would never get rid of, especially when he considered the many years he spent saving people's lives. He still did a little bit today, but mental fatigue had made it much more difficult for him.
Above all, Clark felt this trip would give him a chance to gain back everything he has lost due to his own family and the obligations that came with it. Not that he ever regretted the decision to marry or have children, but even Superman could not fight the feeling of exhaustion after doing so many things in life.
Clark forced a smile as he walked towards the family. The man had a kind face, kind eyes, but clearly overshadowed by the intense responsibility of being a father. There were two children, and both were small. The mother, who he now noticed was pregnant, held the one on her hip as it cried at the top of her lungs, while the other ran around the parents in a circle, flailing as if trying to fly.
The scene felt oddly familiar, and Clark could not help but laugh as he recalled a similar incident of his own. Children were never easy.
"Need some help?" he asked as he approached, bending down to catch the running child as it passed him.
The father shook his head as he juggled the suitcases in his grip. "No, but thank you. I think we can handle it."
But that was clearly not the case. Clark stood and looked to him, and saw the initial fear in the man's eyes. It was expected considering that Clark was a stranger to them. He might react the same way if he were in their position. Distantly, he sensed if swooped in wearing a red cape and tights they might not hesitate a bit to let him help.
And just as he was about to reassure him, the mother suddenly replied with a glint of excitement, "Wait a minute ... you're that reporter from the Planet ... ."
Clark smiled. "Yeah ... ".
"You're, um ... " she began again, searching her mind for the name. Then her eyes flashed a bright smile as she replied triumphantly, "Clark Kent! That's right. I knew I would remember you. I read your articles all the time."
Clark nodded sheepishly. Though he enjoyed the attention, he also felt it was unwarranted. As far as he was concerned, he just did what he had to do. Being a reporter was a heavy responsibility, one that required stepping into problems that no one else would. And without warning, Chloe's face flashed in his head at the thought - because God knows how many times she dragged him along on a dangerous case.
He smiled and felt his heart warm and tingle at the memory.
Clark then turned to them and asked them their names; Jim and Kate Larson. Kate, the mother, seemed especially impressed by his presence as she explained her devotion to The Daily Planet. Then further about how nice it was to have a newspaper unthreatened by the likes of criminals such as Lex Luthor. But then her face turned soft with concern. "Oh, and ... " she said, her tone dripped in sorrow, "I am so sorry about your wife. Such a tragic loss."
Clark swallowed hard. "Thanks," he whispered. Refusing to let the sadness overshadow him again, Clark bent down and picked up their son, lifting him high in the air. "You trying to cause trouble?" he asked him with a bright smile, making the child laugh.
The man shook his head, insisting, "It's okay, Mr. Kent. You don't have to help us."
"No, really," Clark said. "It's no trouble." He shifted the child in his arms, and carried his bag and one of their suitcases in his other hand. Just that help alone allowed the father to carry the rest of the bags with ease. Clark felt good about his role here, knowing it probably made the parents' day to have someone come and help.
The front doors to the airport were still some good distance away. Clark looked to the small child in his arms, who seemed perplexed by the sight of another airplane soaring in for a safe landing just past the huge airport ahead of them. Such amazement in the child's eyes caused Clark to think of his own children, of their mother, and of every joy that came with each memory.
Kate and Jim continued to make conversation with him as the automatic doors finally appeared ahead of them. They were kind people, and they reminded him why he saved so many people in his life. But despite how often he tried to respond to their questions and comments, Clark could not keep his mind from drifting to the past he kept in his soul, to his wife he lost only a few months ago, and the promises he made and would never forget. The memories quickly overcame his consciousness, blending into his current world to make it difficult to distinguish one from the other.
Distant images of her, the reason for his trip, invaded him now – many of which were so deep in the back of his mind that he had to dust them off to see them clearly again. Moments he almost forgot existed, but now pounded through his veins with a love deeper than any ocean, stronger than any super man, and more eternal than space itself.
And Clark knew the picture of her face, the image he buried in his heart and kept with him all the time, would not only haunt him, but also be his companion until the journey's end.
