Clark looked around as he landed behind the barn, and chuckled as he put Jason on the ground, who promptly fell over giggling. "That was so much fun! We went so fast!" He shrieked; excitement evident in his eyes. "I want to do that again!
"We will, when I come to pick you up in the morning. You're going to have fun with Grandma, okay?" Clark took his hand and led him around towards the Kent home. The porch light was dim and cheerful, and Jason started skipping in place.
"Okay. Are you going somewhere with Aunt Abby?"
"We're working tonight. I would love to spend time with you, but I have to work."
"I forget you have the same job as Mommy and Daddy." Clark stopped and looked down at his son. He heard the sadness in his voice and in his tuxedo bent on one knee and still was almost a foot and a half taller than him.
"You know this week you're going to see me a lot."
"Really?"
"Really. You'll be over Abby's house and I will come over and see you."
"When she's sleep, right?" Jason's eyes twinkled. He loved it when he got visitors when he was supposed to be sleep.
"Then too, but when you're awake as well. I'll tell Abby I'm there to help her out."
"She doesn't need help. She knows how to make s'mores in the fireplace, and lets me eat fun stuff that I'm not allergic to." Jason nodded and started walking to the house. "What's Grandma doing tonight?"
"Watching you sweetie." Martha had come out onto the porch, enjoying watching her son and her son's son in the growing twilight. "I have puzzles just like you asked, and I made your favorite food."
"I'm hungry." Jason nodded and ran up the porch to give his grandmother a hug. "Can I go eat now?"
"That's what food is for." She laughed and kissed him on the forehead, watching him run into the house excitedly.
"Thank you Mom. I really appreciate it." Clark adjusted his glasses and sighed. Martha watched the emotions chase his face until they were gone.
"I know this is hard on you."
"I don't know how I can keep doing this. It's not fair to Jason; ultimately it's not fair to Lois. I don't think it's ever going to be fair to Richard or myself… I've accepted that. I just want a normal life for him. I want a normal life for everyone."
"Clark, your work causes you to have to make certain sacrifices, but your decision to continue to keep your identity from the people closest to you in your life is requiring harder sacrifices. At some point and time you're going to have to decide what you want in life." She took him into her arms, kissing him on the cheek. "I don't like to see you hurting."
"I don't know what to do about Lois Mom. I love her so much, and we have a son. A son who deduced from our second meeting that I was Superman. A child that has a tendency to lose control of his strength when he gets upset, which is blessedly rare. I'm in uncharted territory. I have no idea what I'm doing, and I love the fact that I'm a father… but I just don't know what I'm doing." Martha laughed.
"Do you think we knew what we were doing? When you wanted to help me vacuum you decided to lift the couch and broke it in three places. You were always strong. Always fast, but you became faster. And your heart was your most wonderful ability. Take care of that heart because that's what makes you a truly super man." Clark looked down at his watch, and frowned.
"I'm going to need to get back and I don't want to have to change clothes. Bye Jason!" He yelled, and the door swung open and his son launched himself into his arms.
"Bye!" Jason smiled and wiped the small pieces of corn from his face. "See you tomorrow." Clark grabbed his hand right before it made a nice juicy print on his lapel. They both laughed as Jason jumped down and ran back inside.
"Thanks again Mom."
"I just wish you could bring him around more."
> > > > >
> > > > >
"It's open!" Clark stuck his head in the door and stepped through, closing it behind him. "I'll be right out." Abby said, and he pushed his glasses further up his nose with his finger, looking around the foyer. It was a nice apartment, with a mahogany table to his left. On it sat a large lint roller and a couple of envelopes. One had his name on it.
"Are these the tickets?" He asked, picking them up.
"Yes, make sure you get those, or I'll forget." Abby called from the other room, and suddenly the sound of clicking on the marble floor rounded the corner, and in a blur of blond fur Clark looked down at the large dog that almost reached his waist. It looked up at him briefly before giving an equivalent to a smile and jumped up to lick his face. "I am so sorry. Down boy! Down Ryan!" She sighed and pulled him back. "Go lie down now!" Ryan gave a baleful bark before trotting back into the living room. "I am so sorry about that. For some reason he's usually barking his head off and trying to claim a body part for his own. He must really like you."
"That's a large dog. A mix?" Clark asked, wiping the slobber from his chin and trying to pry the long hair from his suit.
"Yes, part golden retriever and great Dane. That's why I keep this right next to the door." She smiled and started rolling the dog hair from his ensemble. "Thanks for stopping by. I didn't want to be late, but the tailor didn't get done with my dress until late. So what did you do with Jason?"
"He's with my mother."
"Oh, I didn't know she's in town. I'll have to meet her sometime." He blanched slightly and actually took a second to look at her. In her heels she was about five inches shorter than he was, and he looked down at the mass of curls that topped off the up do she wore. The lint roller in her hand smoothed away any evidence of Ryan, and he noticed that her nail polish was so red it was almost black, matching her velvet dress nicely.
"You look nice." Clark smiled back at her grin as she stepped back to take a look at him.
"You clean up very nicely Mr. Kent. You shouldn't hide yourself in your monochrome suits." Her eyes twinkled gently and she looked around. "Have you seen a small, inconveniently flashy clutch?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Right. I'll be back. Feel free to have a seat in the living room." Abby's heels clicked almost identically to her dogs paws as Clark went into the spaciously designed living room. The fireplace that Jason spoke of so reverently sat in an area of prominence, the room devoid of a television. Various photos were scattered on the piano and mantle, and a Lego block sat on top of the couch, no doubt a piece of his son's massive collection.
Peering at the photos, Clark stopped and smiled at Abby's graduation photo, with her two parents standing on either side of her. Her father was dressed in Officers best, a smile as large as he was tall. Her mother on the other hand was a shorter woman, but the spark in Abby's eyes she got from her. Both looked proud as their daughter held up her degree in her hand.
Another photo next to it was of Abby and another man he had yet to meet, but the familiarity in his grasp around her waist let him know this was the elusive Derek. He was a tall black man who looked more at home on the football field than in an operating room. She looked very happy, staring at someone behind the camera, a laugh frozen on her lips as she reached back for Derek. Must be nice to know you have someone that is yours, that you don't have to share, that is supposed to be there for you when they're needed. "Are you ready?" Her voice startled him out of his own thoughts, half grateful for the distraction.
"Looking at the photos… When is Derek supposed to be coming?" The sour expression on her face told him everything, and Clark cleared his throat nervously. "Uh… shouldn't we get going?" She blinked and nodded her head.
"Yes. Jimmy should be there already getting his photos. We supposed to have already arrived."
"If I know Jimmy, he's already gotten some great photos and is trying to get some numbers as well." Abby laughed as she locked the door.
> > > > >
> > > > >
Jason put the spoon down and sighed. "That was good." Martha grinned and picked up his plate.
"So you don't want another piece, right?"
"Please, can I have another?"He pleaded, eyes twinkling. Jason knew she'd keep them coming as long as he asked. She was the most awesome grownup ever.
"Where do you put it all?" His grandmother teased, placed the twice refilled plate in front of him and smoothing his hair. "Are you giving it to the dog?" He giggled and poked his finger in the pie filling.
"Nope! I love cherry pie."
"I thought you might." Jason watched Martha sit down with her own piece of pie and a cup of coffee. "Your father loves cherry pie too."
"Really…" She smiled as he started shoveling it in as if he'd never seen food before. "Mom doesn't let me eat cherry pie. She says it's full of sugar that could rot my teeth." The smile he gave was red.
"Well sweetie, I don't know about the pies in Metropolis, but mine have very little sugar in them. I don't deal with sugar all that well. And as for your teeth… I don't know if anything could rot them."
Jason nodded slowly, and Martha found herself comparing and contrasting Jason and Clark. The little boy before her was just as solemn, but there were differences. Same smile, different tilt to the head. Very loving, but Jason was far more restrained that Clark was at his age. Probably due to his intelligence. Jason was amazingly smart, with the steady gaze that sometimes unnerved her. He looked as if he could see right through your soul, with sense enough to judge what he saw. "Grandma?"
"Yes sweetie."
"What time do I have to go to bed?"
"What time does your mother have you go to sleep?" Martha smiled as an internal struggle was visible on his face before he decided to just tell the truth.
"Eight."
"Why don't we see how long you can stay up?" The room was immediately brighter as she was rewarded with the largest smile she could remember.
"Really!"
"Really." Martha smiled as he ran and gave her a hug, cherry smeared cheeks and all. She only felt slightly naughty at the way she was letting him run all over her… but that was a grandmother's prerogative.
"Man, this is as much fun as Aunt Abby's house!"
> > > > >
> > > > >
Jimmy felt a rare feeling of exultation. The atmosphere was perfect for him, a function where everyone wanted to be seen. Everyone posed for him, and he could fade in the background and get those good pictures. Like the pictures of Perry White and a few other high society types who ran multibillion dollar businesses, with their suits and ties and straight faces, laughing slightly when someone told a dry joke, toasting to things that had passed before he even went to elementary school.
He caught stoic Bruce Wayne with Abby… she was apparently interviewing him from the frown on his face, but a reporter from Abby's old paper told him that Bruce Wayne always looked like that. He snapped the picture and got a nice one of Abby laughing. She really was a pretty girl. Clark walked past him and almost dropped a flute of champagne on his shoes. "I'm sorry Jimmy; did I get your camera?"
"No, you just got my new shoes. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" He asked, trying not to spill the remaining liquid out of the three glasses he held.
"Yeah. I'll be back." Clark watched him walk off and joined Abby and Bruce with the drinks.
"Three glasses of champagne, as promised." He said, handing them out.
"Thank you Kent. I was just telling Ms. Daniels that she's lucky to have landed at such a prestigious circulation." She shook her head incredulously.
"Actually he was calling me a traitor for leaving the Inquisitor, and was trying to bribe me back."
"We won't let that happen." Clark smiled and Bruce blinked.
"If you don't mind, I have to make a phone call. The markets in Hong Kong just opened." He bowed slightly before disappearing into the crowd.
Clark watched his retreating back before turning to Abby. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
"No, he was acting strange as soon as he met you."
> > > > >
Details. Perry White was a man driven by details. The night lingered on with many little secrets uttered by the drunken elite that would keep him happy and connected for the next year. Watching people was the only reason why he came to these functions, because to tell the truth he could always just write a check. The food was alright, and the entertainment was hardly mediocre, but the point was to see and be seen… or so the rumor stated.
The inevitable portion of the evening arrived where people who had only a passing acquaintance with each other would make nice in time to the music on the dance floor. Perry declined the hand of a woman he could barely stand, much less trouble him to remember her name, and as the crowd made its way to the floor; he caught a glimpse of Clark and Abby sitting at their table. Having to move to a new table at the last minute he didn't get to go over the information that they should have collected, and the good scotch that the closest thing he could call a friend brought with him left his mood in a mellow place. He would check on it tomorrow.
He smiled slightly as Abby leaned closer to Clark, pointing at the pad she held with a slight frown on her face. Perry noticed things often, and was actually surprised he hadn't noted the way Clark and Abby interacted with each other. Clark was always the invisible reporter… that's why he was hired. He could be anywhere and most people wouldn't remember what he looked like, much less recall they spoke to him at all. Coupled with that and the amazing ability to type a full article in less than ten minutes, he was a valued member of his staff, and Perry was genuinely proud of his instincts.
Clark looked up and smiled goofily at Perry, knocking over his water goblet and causing Abby to back away from the table to avoid the liquid catching her dress. He shook his head. He had never seen a man so nervous all the time, but it was a severe contrast from when he thought no one was watching. His posture was different, the set of his jaw was stronger, and he never wasted movement… until he realized he was being watched, and then he dropped something, or tripped, or both, something to make you forget you ever saw anything but the bumbling Smallville reporter. Shaking his head, Perry turned to the waiter at his right and frowned. "Do you have anymore of those crab cake things?"
> > > > >
> > > > >
Superman took a brief look around for Ben anywhere on the property before landing in the yard of his childhood home. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but the dog was sitting on the porch, watching as he had for years at something that was a daily occurrence at one point in time. The clean air of the farm always brought good feelings rushing to the forefront, and he made his way on the porch and into the house. He found his mother at the kitchen sink, washing the coffee pot and staring out the window. "Hi Mom, how are you doing?"
"I'm great, it was a wonderful evening. I wish he could stay longer, but I know he has to get back." She sighed and turned to him. "He's an angel. Lois really did a good job."
"It wasn't just her, it was Richard too, and although I'm grateful for that, I want to have a chance to leave my mark on my son." Clark sat down at the table and accepted the glass of lemonade that his mother placed in his hands. "He wasn't any trouble, was he?"
"He was the spitting image of you, except he asked more questions. He's such a smart child."
"Yes, he gets that from his mother."
"Don't sell yourself short. You are highly intelligent as well… you were more… outgoing. More trusting as a child than Jason is. Do you have to go to work today?" He nodded and leaned back. It was a rare occasion to be able to relax as he did when he was on the farm, and was reluctant to rush back to the city. As if his problems lived there.
"I have long day ahead of me, and he's to be back with Abby by tonight. So he'll be spending the day at the Planet with us."
"Who's this Abby person I keep hearing about?" Martha took a seat next to her son and smiled. "Jason talks of her as if she walks on water."
"She's really great, and Jason does like her. She usually watches him when Lois and Richard goes out of town, or needs someone to watch him."
"Why don't they ask you? I mean, you've known Lois for longer, right?" He looked uncomfortable, and shrugged.
"I guess when someone goes away for five years you tend to have to learn them all over again. Besides, I still get to spend time with him as Clark, because he's almost always at the office."
"Well, whatever you decide, I'll back you up." Clark looked at her strangely.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm referring to whether or not you'll tell Lois your true identity. It's not fair to that boy to keep your secret."
"What else am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, that's not my place to say, but I do know that when you become a parent, every little lifestyle decision you make trickles down to their lives. You're going to have to make the concession that perhaps there is someone out there who is worth the world to you."
"I tried that before, to disastrous results. People died, I almost died because I chose. How can I do that now, when the stakes are even higher?" Martha nodded.
"I can't pretend to know everything that will influence your decision, but Jason has to know that he isn't the sole carrier of your secret. He's a child, and children love to talk. It's nothing malicious, it's just sharing. You loved to share." They both laughed, and Clark turned to the stairs, where Jason appeared a second later.
"Hi." He said sleepily, rubbing his face and walking into the kitchen. "I heard you two talking." He climbed into his father's lap and laid his head on his chest.
"Were we being loud?" Martha asked quizzically. The house always had thick walls, harking back to a time where architecture was built to last.
"Yes."He nodded slightly and closed his eyes. "Lots of sounds…." Jason yawned again and closed his eyes.
"He's exhausted…" Clark looked at his mother, who smiled and shrugged.
"He stayed up most of the night."
"Why?"
"Because we were playing scrabble, and eating ice cream."
"Mom."
"What, I'm a grandmother finally. What am I supposed to do?" She smiled and stood, kissing both Clark's, and Jason's foreheads. "You should get back." Clark nodded; staring down at his son's sleeping form. It was an addictive feeling, someone loving you. Requiring protection until they grew up to make their own mark on the world. Someone who would hopefully fly beside him one day… Moving slowly he walked out of the house and into the coming morning, Jason shifting in his grasp as soon as the light touched him. Smiling, Superman levitated gently, covering his son with his cape, and as soon as he was shielded, shot towards Metropolis.
> > > > >
> > > > >
She lied to him. What kind of person leads someone on and decides to dump them for the same person they cried about? Gathering his emotions, his hands relaxed on the latte before he took a deep breath. "Why?"
"Because he said he would change. I owe him that much. He's been in my life for over five years, and I need to make sure that it will or won't work."
"He dumped you."
"I know… look you're a great guy, and I want to stay friends with you… it's just complicated." He smiled tightly. She always did look nice in bright blue, contrasting beautifully with her long blond hair and green eyes.
"How about this. You go see Alan tomorrow, and on Friday we'll get together and talk about what happened. If sparks flew again, I will gladly step aside. If it didn't go as well as you wanted it to, then I'm going to be there for you to talk to. Deal?" She smiled again and touched his cheek, but inside he recoiled violently.
"That's what makes you so special. Alright, it's a deal. We'll have dinner at Chez Dumont, and figure things out."
"Of course."
> > > > >
> > > > >
Abby smiled and kissed the older man on the cheek. "It's nice to see you again Commissioner." He nodded and tucked her arm in his.
"Abby girl, you should have told me you were moving out of Gotham for good. I was told by your mother that it was only temporary." They walked out of the lobby of Metropolis' Convention Center, the large building occupied with police officers from all cities on the East Coast. She snagged the Commissioner earlier that day, hoping to get an interview with him that afternoon. Jason was left with the Commissioner's aide, what with Clark conducting his own interviews earlier that day, and back at the Planet finishing up his article.
"It's not temporary. I don't know why she told you that."
"What really intrigued me about your phone call was the reason you wanted to meet. Am I detecting a bit of your father in you?" He smiled at the pained expression on her face. "No pun intended."
"It never is. It's a bit of an interesting story I'm on, about a serial killer. You received the fax I sent right?"
"Looked over it during the boring morning panels."
"Great. What do you think?"
"He's a madman." Abby nodded.
"I see your instincts and insights are as sharp as ever."
"I couldn't resist." He frowned and adjusted his glasses. "From what I read it's actually comparable to an unsolved case we had in Gotham about a year ago. We never found the perp, and since then there has been no activity in the case. It's remained cold for almost eight months."
"Is it possible to get a look at the file?" Commissioner Gordon looked at her briefly.
"As much as I respected your father, I still feel funny leaking cases to the press."
"Does that mean you won't do it?"
"When I get back to Gotham, I'll have it sent over." She shook her head.
"If this is the same guy, I need to get as much information as possible before he strikes again. Couldn't your aide send for it now?"
"Perhaps. I guess that wouldn't be a problem."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it." He nodded graciously and looked around.
"No problem, now point me in the direction of some restaurant that I would like."
> > > > >
Jason looked up as Abby walked into the room, looking around for him. He stood up out of the corner and waved. "Here I am!" He giggled, looking around for the Aide that was playing hide and seek with him. "I'm playing a game."
"I see, but it's time to go. Did you say thank you to Ms. Candace?" She asked, holding out his coat for him. Jason shook his head and ran over to the woman who was smiling behind a table.
"I would have found you if the game wasn't over." She told him mock seriously, and he giggled again.
"I'm the best hider, but you're pretty good too. Thanks for playing with me."
"Anytime sweetie. I had the most fun I've had all day." Candace shook the hand he offered and looked up at Abby. "Is this kid for real? He's entirely too adorable."
"Yes, unfortunately he knows that. Come along Jason, I'm already late for the staff meeting." He took her hand as they made their way out of the building.
"Are we going to the Planet now?" Jason asked as he was strapped into the backseat. Abby nodded distractedly, looking for her keys and her phone at the same time before the meter expired.
"We sure are. I'll make sure it's not a long day, so we can go by the grocery store and pick up some more graham crackers and marshmallows."
"S'MORES!" Jason bellowed happily. He wished his mother and father would go somewhere more often. Abby nodded again and pulled off, trying to keep her eye on the road and dial a number at the same time. Traffic was moving pretty well for midday, and she hoped that she could make it back to the office in time to make the meeting. Putting her phone on speaker, she grimaced as Clark's voicemail came on. Waiting for the beep, she honked her horn at someone who was bogarting their way into her lane.
"Hey Clark, it's Abby. I just wanted to know what you found out from the Commissioner. I talked to Gordon, and he gave me some interesting information. I can't wait to tell you about it, and I wouldn't have to you if you would just pick up your phone… but you're in the meeting, so you wouldn't..." She clicked the phone off and swerved out of her lane just as the person in front of her slammed on the brakes last minute. "If I didn't have a kid in the car, I would really say something." She muttered, moving again out of her lane as the person in front of her didn't know whether or not they wanted to stop or go. Traffic was moving quickly in this lane, and as she made it to the bridge, the car in front of her braked, and there was nothing she could do.
> > > > >
Clark frowned and looked around one more time at the stragglers that made it in after Perry started talking. Abby was not among them. 'Where could she be? She knew this meeting was important…' He thought to himself, adjusting his glasses as the Editor in Chief droned on about what he expected for the next Sunday edition. Letting his mind wander, he allowed himself to pick up the sounds of the city; mostly the honking of horns and the screech of brakes, but something was different. There was urgency to the braking, and a sound that chilled him to his very bone drifted across his hearing. "DAD!" Clark's eyes widened as time slowed down for him. It was Jason calling him, and there was no thought… the next minute he was outside, flying towards the sound of his son, praying that he was fast enough.
> > > > >
Jason's grip on the seatbelt was turning his knuckles white. The first car hit them on the side, and the door crumpled on the front passenger's side. He saw Abby tossed against the window, and he put his hand on the seat in front of him to stop his sliding around. They were hit again, the spinning faster, and as his hands left the seatbelt, he was jerked violently to the right and looked up to see that they were in oncoming traffic. Just as the car came close enough for him to see the fear in the driver's eyes, they were suddenly floating, and the terror left him as he realized what happened. His daddy was here.
> > > > >
Abby turned painfully to see if Jason was okay. Apparently he was, because he unbuckled his seatbelt and pressed his forehead against the window, trying to find whatever was holding the car up. "Superman saved us!" He smiled, looking as if it were just a rollercoaster instead of a car accident. She swallowed hard, trying to get the taste of acid out of her mouth. The car gently floated to the ground, on the other side of town from the looks of it. As soon as she felt the tire's bounce she unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Jason, where are you going?" She yelled, trying to get her bearings as she opened her door. The tyke was already being looked over by Superman, and her eyes widened as she finally saw the superhero in the flesh. He was everything he was on paper, and at the same time, the pictures didn't do him justice. "Is he alright?" Abby said shakily, holding on to the car for support, her legs not feeling quite steady yet.
"He's fine. How are you doing?" He stood and she looked up at him, dizzy at the perspective shift. 'He is really tall' she mused, blinking to clear her head.
"I'm fine."
"Good. Young man, always wear you seatbelt, because it saved your life today." She watched him wink at Jason, who nodded enthusiastically. Rolling her eyes she walked around the front of her car, and groaned.
"My car…" She lamented, frowning at the headache that was forming right behind her eyes and on top of her head. She didn't know if it were from the banging she got in the accident, or the prospect of filing a claim with her insurance. The fender was totally gone, as for most of the passenger side door… unless you counted what was actually sitting in the passenger seat.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Superman asked worriedly. He didn't know if she was aware of the shaking.
"Yes, I'm fine." She waved him off, and promptly fell over in the grass. Jason looked at her briefly and looked back up at his father.
"I don't think she's fine."
> > > > >
> > > > >
Jason watched Abby sleep, sitting next to her on the bed, where he promised his father he would stay until he returned. The lock in the front door turned, and he smiled and hopped down, running into the foyer as Clark opened the door with a bag of groceries. "Is she awake yet?" He asked worriedly, closing his cell phone.
"Nope."
"She'll be okay. How are you doing?"
"Good. I knew you would come." Jason nodded, taking his father's hand and leading him into the kitchen. Clark smiled down at the small hand in his as he put down the bags in his arms. The child didn't let go, and he stopped and took another look at his son. Jason's heart rate was kind of high, indicating stress.
"Do you want to …talk about it?" He asked quietly, picking him up and wondering how one goes about comforting a child about what he just went through. Jason shook his head and laid it on Clark's shoulder.
"I want Mommy."
"I know. She comes home in a few days."
"I want her now."
"I know."
"I want Aunt Abby awake."
"I know." Clark rocked him back and forth, and it crossed his mind that he didn't make it in time after all.
> > > > >
Abby groaned and opened her eyes, staring at her curtains in confusion. Sitting up the last moments before she blacked out replayed in her head, and she gasped, jumping out of the bed and instantly regretting it. Staring over again, she walked out of her bedroom and down the hall to the guest bedroom. Jason lay curled on his side, dressed in pajamas. The suitcase he had was open in the corner, and from the looks of it he had to search for the night clothes he wanted. Walking softly into the room she pushed his hair back from his face, grateful that he was alright.
She closed the door and continued down the hall, suddenly finding her stomach was complaining that she hadn't eaten all day. The foyer came into sight first, and the long coat on the hook made her stop. It only took a second for her to realize who it belonged to. Smiling, Abby crossed into the foyer and took the three stairs down into the living room, where an arm was draped over the couch. She leaned over and Clark's prone form was squeezed onto the couch that she once thought of as large, but in comparison looked small.
He opened his eyes and blinked, shifting in one fluid motion to rise up and up in front of her, blue eyes full of concern. "Abby, you're awake."
"Yes. I don't know how I got here, but I can hazard a guess. I met Superman today. Very glad I did." She nodded, blinking at a brief memory while pulling off her green blazer and putting it on the back of the couch. "What time is it?"
"Nearly three in the morning. Are you okay?" He watched her nod as her eyes fell on the suit he brought for the next day.
"How did you know what happened?"
"Jason told him to find me. He also said that you would probably be out for the rest of the evening, and I should plan to stay over with him until you woke up. Since you're awake, I'll go home." Clark reached for his shoes but Abby stopped him.
"I'm very grateful that you're here, and wouldn't dream about sending you on your way at this time of night. What type of hostess would I be? Now that I'm awake that is." She smiled. "Does Perry know what happened?"
"I told him, and he said if you're up to it you can come in tomorrow." Clark followed her into the kitchen, where she opened the refrigerator and gasped. "What? What's wrong?"
"You even went shopping?" Abby straightened and looked at him. He blushed slightly and shrugged.
"You didn't have any food for Jason, so I went out and got him something." She pulled a list from the bulletin board on the wall and compared it to the contents in the fridge.
"You've gotten everything on the list…"
"He had a copy in his back pocket." Clark hastily offered, relieved when Abby seemed to believe him.
"I'm sure he did. Well, I'm starving, and am going to make an omelet. Do you want one?"
"Sure, I'm famished." She smiled and nodded.
"Of course you are."
> > > > >
> > > > >
Batman slipped down from his plane and landed on the balcony, testing the large handle and finding it predictably empty. It took a few days of surveillance to narrow down his prospects, and the only one left standing lived at this apartment. Walking in, there was a windy… smell to the place, the feeling that the space was always aired out. The sparse furnishings looked more like afterthoughts than used. A few pictures of family were on the bedroom dresser, neatly arraigned. The closet revealed a line of similar three piece suits and almost ten pairs of the same shoes lined the floor. He smiled. Thorough…
The small box in the back held about five or six pairs of glasses… and the lenses held no magnification. Why would someone need so many pairs of fake glasses? Could it be because they continuously lost them at random? It seemed that his research was correct. He would definitely be back.
> > > > >
> > > > >
Lois turned to look at Richard with a slight smile on her face. "And you thought it wouldn't be worth your while to stop at Victoria Secret's." He laughed and gathered her into his arms. They stood like that for a moment, watching the sun set on the water. They had just arrived an hour previous at home, and even though they loved the time they had together, they were both itching to get back to Jason, and back to work.
"I'm glad we took a week for ourselves. It was nice to be away with Jason too, but I think…" Richard left the statement hanging, and Lois nodded.
"We needed time for ourselves."
"You've been… stressed as of late."She really didn't want to go there, but Richard wanted to, and she had to come along for the ride. More than enough times she went where it was off limits, and expected him to follow her there, so the least she could do was listen.
"Life is forever interesting."
"More so than usual."
"Things are just starting to… sink in." Lois laughed bitterly. "But I don't know how to describe it…" What do you do when ghosts of memories start popping up? Things you know happened seeming to be… incomplete?
"I'm here for you Lois, remember that." Richard turned her around so he could look her in the eye. "I love you, What is it that you want to talk about?"
She smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek. "Nothing. I just want to enjoy this moment while it's quiet, before we go to get Jason."
"Fine… as long as you're sure."
"Absolutely."
> > > > >
Jason looked up from his coloring to watch his Mom and Dad walk into the office with smiles on their faces. He jumped up and waved. "Mom, Dad!" Clark looked up to watch his son launch himself into Richard's arms, leaning over to hug Lois. As many times as he's had to watch this scene play out in many different ways, it was never easier.
"I guess the little man is going back home."He turned to Abby, who handed him a folder. "I'm going to miss him at my house, but I'm sure we'll still see a lot of him around here." Clark nodded.
"Yes, that's always the case." Something he was eternally grateful for. "This is the file from Gotham?"
"Very interesting reading. A lot of it is just random clues, something people jotted down. My father used to do that when he was thinking while investigating a case. The thoughts ramble, a little disjointed and not in order, let alone all by the same person… but it might be worth handing over to Detective Andrews. Maybe something written here will remind him of something he found."
"But before we do that, we'll make a copy." Clark stood and tore his eyes away from the loving family long enough not to notice Jason point at him and Abby, and Lois marching over to them.
"Abby, can I talk to you for a minute?" Without waiting for a response she grabbed her arm and pulled her into Richard's office. Clark looked at Jason as Richard carried him in behind the women, and closed the door. For once he was glad a door and a couple of feet wouldn't stop him from hearing the conversation.
"When were you going to tell me?" Lois paced back and forth as Abby raised her hands in defense.
"When I got a chance to speak with you. You just walked in, Jason was saying hello… what was I supposed to do?"Richard looked back and forth between the two women and set Jason down on the floor, pointing towards the door. His son walked solemnly out, and briefly the sound within the room became more than two dimensional.
"Hey Jason, Whatcha doing?" He asked cheerfully, hating the look on the child's face. Jason shrugged and came over, pushing his chair away and climbing into his lap.
"Mommy's mad at Aunt Abby. It wasn't her fault."
"The car accident?"
"Yeah. I tried to tell them you came, but my other Dad told me to hush while Mommy was arguing." Clark nodded slightly.
"Usually that is wise." They both looked over at the office, where it seemed to have cooled off.
"I'm sorry… It's just scary to hear that from your child. I wasn't thinking."
"I know. I can appreciate your position."
"So as a thank you, Lois and I are inviting you over for dinner sometime this week. How does that sound?" Clark smiled stiffly. That was Richard, always the peacemaker, the levelheaded one.
"Sounds like fun. We'll see what our schedules are looking like when you get settled in." Abby nodded and walked out of the office, Lois closing the door behind her.
"I hope she knows I'm not mad at her."
"Dear, you almost didn't make that clear." Richard sat down behind his desk and Clark could hear his heart beat from where he sat. It was agitated "We both knew that being your son would put Jason in danger from people who would want to retaliate because of stories you wrote over the years… But we're going to have to understand that there are accidents left in this world…" He shrugged. "Besides, Superman was there to save them both."
"This time. But what happens next time? When he can't get away because of something else he's doing?"
"Mr. Clark, I'm bored." He tore himself away from the conversation he was eavesdropping on and looked down.
"What do you want to do?"
"Fly."
"We don't talk about that here Jason, remember?"
"I know, but you asked me what I wanted to do. Can you come over tonight?" Jason started whispering, smiling as he reached up to take a pen out of Clark's pen cup.
"I will try."
"Okay."
"Kiddo, I'm sure your parents are ready for you." Abby smiled and held out her hand. "Do you want to help me get your suitcase out of the car and carry it all the way up here on the stairs?" He giggled as Clark picked him up and pretended to drop him on the floor.
"Oops Jason." He faked rubbing his arms in pain. "You're getting too big."
"Like Superman!" Abby's smile faltered slightly before it was brightened.
"Just like him. So you're going to carry your suitcase then, right?"
"Nope!"
"Come on then. We have goodbye ice cream to eat." He skipped along beside her as Clark watched him go; sparing one look at the work he really should finish… Rolling his eyes, he glanced over his shoulder and finished the typing his article needed in four seconds flat. Looking up he saw Abby and Jason still waiting for the elevator. He grabbed his jacket and jogged out to meet them.
> > > > >
> > > > >
Clark walked into his apartment and tried not to crush the eggs as he pulled the keys out of his pocket and pushed them in the keyhole. The lock slid back as it usually did, and the totally dark apartment wasn't really dark to him as he walked into the daily homecoming routine. Put down the groceries that were supposed to last for at least three days, but he ended up burning through them every other day. Super metabolism to go with the super strength. Lightly throw the keys onto the table and hope it doesn't need to be replaced… again… Put away groceries in five seconds, and make sure that the glasses go in the coat pocket before it's hung up by the door. As soon as his hand touched the coat hanger he felt the change in the air.
"Whoever is there, come out now." He didn't bother to disguise his voice, calling on the deeper vibrations he usually disguised. Clark turned around and raised an eyebrow. Even with his super hearing he barely heard the swish of the cape… but from what he heard when he was in Gotham… he wasn't surprised.
The Caped Crusader smiled slightly. "Clark Kent, or should I say Superman? It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Clark smiled; an actual, genuine smile. "The pleasure is all mine…Mr. Wayne."