Chapter 6

Crack. Clark was woken by the sound of breaking wood. He flung out of bed, running to the source of the noise. Jonathan's room. He swung the door open with such force that it nearly fell of its hinges, looking for the noise's source. And he found it.

Jonathan sat in the middle of the room with two wood bars from his cot in his hands. He looked up with pleading eyes, a little frightened of the commotion. "Dada."

Clark calmed immediately, relieved there was no intruder and everyone was safe. It was only his super powered son getting into mischief. He'd pulled enough bars off his cot that he was able to crawl through the hole and escape. Clark picked him and put Jonathan back in his cot. "If this is what you're like now, you're gonna be a handful when you're a teenager aren't you?"

Jonathan gave him an innocent smile and reached for his father. "Dada. Story."

"No. Jonathan sleep." Clark mimicked his son's baby talk. It wasn't doing anything to improve Jonathan's speech development, probably damaging it, but it was fun.

"Story," He demanded, pouting. Jonathan had proved to be as stubborn and strong willed as his parents. There was no compromising when he was like this.

Clark sighed and sat in the chair put next to the cot for this reason. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess-"

"Essa!" Jonathan chimed in.

Clark chuckled. "A beautiful princess called Princess Essa," he stressed the words and Jonathan giggled. "And she was locked up by her evil stepmother and forced to work as…"

At dawn, Clark woke with a start. He'd fallen asleep telling the story. He rolled his neck, working out the kinks and realised something was amiss. It was too quiet. Clark looked over to see that his son's cot was empty. "The stealthy little…" He x-rayed the room to check if Jonathan was hiding there but it was empty.

Clark checked all of the upstairs rooms before he heard the patter of little footsteps downstairs. Found you.

He took the stairs slowly, not wanting to surprise the boy into screaming. Tess would kill him for scaring her like that. Clark rounded the corner in time to see Jonathan disappear into Tess' room. Crap.

Clark rushed into the room, trying to avert his son from waking the woman. Nightmares made Tess volatile to wake at night. He stopped, knowing he was too late, watching Jonathan cautiously climb up onto the bed. The boy crawled up to the head of the bed and nestled next to Tess. Clark held his breath but she didn't stir. He exhaled, relieved and started to smile. The scene before him was endearing; they looked like a family.

"You do realise you're staring." Tess spoke up, startling him out of his thoughts. She bit back a smile when he jumped.

"He woke you."

"Well he's not exactly stealthy is he?" She ran a hand through Jonathan's dark baby hair. Tess caught Clark's embarrassed expression. "He got passed you though."

"Yeah," Clark admitted. He had super-hearing, how did he not hear?

"Don't beat yourself up. I'm used to being woken up by little noises. You're not."

Clark changed the subject. "What are you doing today?"

"Oliver wants me to drop by the office and help him with some things. What about you? Chasing any hot stories?" She said, using the vernacular she learnt at the Planet.

"Cat wants me to help her on one. Probably do that." Clark shrugged nonchalantly.

"Want me to come by at lunch and save you from overdosing on saccharine sweet?" Tess asked with a glint of humour in her eyes. She remembered the blonde reporter and her amusing and somewhat irritating antics well.

"I'll call you if I do." Clark smiled and leant against the door frame. He nodded at Jonathan. "He's asleep again."

"He'll sleep anywhere." Tess said. "Yesterday he fell asleep at the mall."

"Really? I wish I could do that." Sleep was evading him at the moment.

"I know, it would make everything easier."

"It would." Clark looked out the bay window to the lightening sky. "I should do a fly over before Cat ties me down."

"You could always point out a squirrel and she'll run away screaming. She's terrified of them." Tess suggested lightly.

"Maybe." He leant over and kissed Jonathan on the head. Clark zoomed out the door and Tess watched a red-blue blur streak skywards.

5 hours later and Clark was seriously considering taking up Tess' offer. Cat was chugging caffeine like it was water in a desert and speaking so fast he was starting to have trouble understanding her. "So what," he asked. "You want to go undercover to catch this senator in the act?"

"Yep." She nodded confidently. "And I want you to be there in case anything goes wrong. Which it won't, cos I'm totally prepared. I've been reading this how to guide for acting and it's really helping. I think I'm better than Jennifer Anniston, which honestly isn't that hard."

Clark resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This was going to be a disaster. "So where are we going undercover again?"

"A strip club." Upon seeing Clark's face fall, she continued. "But I don't plan on doing anything like that. I'll just get my photos and vamoose…."

Clark didn't hear her. Images of stars and strips were floating through his head. Lois…. A phone's shrill ring interrupted Cats monologue and Clark from his reverie. Clark snatched it up quickly. "Kent."

"Jonathan's gone." Tess said, panic obvious in her voice.

"Sorry Cat, I've got to take this." He walked out of earshot. "What do you mean gone?" Clark's voice dropped low. This can't be happening, he thought starting to panic. I can't loose him too.

Tess spoke fast, anxiety speeding up her words. "He was throwing a tantrum and he ran out through the door. I can't find him anywhere in the yard."

"I'll be right there." Clark hung up and ducked into a copy room before zooming to the farm. It looked like a war zone. There was a Jonathan sized hole in the front door and through it Clark could see the mess inside. The TV was lying on the floor, its screen shattered, books littered the floor and the lamps had been tossed aside like sticks.

Tess ran out to meet him, pale faced. "I'm so sorry."

"When did he go?"

"4, maybe 5 minutes ago. I thought he'd just gone to the barn but he wasn't there." Tess answered quickly. "Clark I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Clark told her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Now stay here in case he comes back." He launched skywards, eyes looking for his missing son. Tess was right; Jonathan wasn't in the yard. Clark flew south, checking the river first then the highway. His heart was racing, adrenaline flowing. I can't loose him. He spotted a familiar red shirt amidst a sea of corn and swooped down. "Jonathan!" Relief swept through him.

"Dada!" Jonathan cried, running to him.

Clark caught him and held him tight, spinning in a circle. He started laughing with relief and joy. "I love you Buddy. Don't do that ever again."

"Sowie." Jonathan said into his shoulder.

Clark leant back so he could see his son's tear stained face. "We should get you back. Tess is really worried." Which may be an understatement. I've never seen her like that, he added silently.

Jonathan's bottom lip started quivering. "Essa mad."

"A bit," Clark said honestly. "But she will be very, very happy to see you. You gotta say sorry though and never run away like that again."

He was too young to understand the consequences of his actions. "Dada."

"Let's get you home." Clark flew home, his pulse slowly going back to normal. That was something he never wanted to go through again. "Tess!" He yelled as he landed. "I found him!"

She sprinted out of the broken front door. "Jonathan!"

Clark passed him over to the relieved woman. "He was out in Miller's field about 20 miles away."

She sighed, hugging the boy close. "Don't do that again." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Jonathan wiped at it. "Essa sad?"

"No. Essa happy." Tess gave a watery smile. "Essa very happy."

Clark smiled. Rarely did he see Tess openly displaying this kind of emotion. She really did love his son. "Everyone's happy."

"But I am seriously considering lojacking you." Tess told Jonathan seriously. He laughed and poked her in the face. "You scared me."

"I think he scared everyone." Clark said, "We're going to have to be more careful now."

"I know."

"I'll run to the hardware store to get something to fix up the door, can you keep him occupied in there?"

"I won't let him out of my sight." Tess promised.

Clark nodded and ran to the store, returning 3 minutes later with plaster board under his arm. He fixed up the door and walked inside. "Tess?" He called.

"In here." Her reply came from her bedroom. Clark opened the door to find them lying on her bed reading Sleeping Beauty. "All fixed?"

"Except for the mess in the lounge room." Clark sat on the edge of the bed; Jonathan crawled over and sat in his lap. "Did he break the TV?"

Tess nodded. "Put his fist through it and threw it on the floor when I said he couldn't watch it."

"I guess no one's watching it tonight." Clark ran a hand through Jonathan's hair, still coming to terms with what he almost lost.

"Obviously." Tess said dryly, watching them.

"Play ball." Jonathan demanded, speaking up suddenly. He shimmed down off Clark's lap and onto the floor. Standing, he looked up expectantly at his father and Tess.

"Maybe later," Clark said. "I've got to go back to work. Cat will be wondering where I am." Jonathan's bottom lip started quivering.

Tess quickly intervened. They had survived one tantrum, they didn't need another one. "How about we finish the story?"

Jonathan thought about it for a moment. "Kay." He agreed reluctantly before grabbing hold of one of Tess' hands and climbing back on the bed.

Clark didn't miss her miniscule wince at the sudden pressure. "What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?" She replied, looking up with an expression that Clark hadn't seen in years. She was hiding something.

"That wince. Are you hurt?"

"Clark, I'm fine. You should get back to work." Tess picked up the book and started to read.

Clark snatched the book away. Two pairs of green eyes looked at him, one in curiosity and the other in anger. "I can tell your hiding something."

"I'm hiding a lot of things. I'm hiding what I got Jonathan for Christmas."

"Stop deflecting the question." Clark told her sternly.

"There's nothing to deflect from Clark." Tess replied coolly. "Now if you don't mind giving me the book back, your son wants his story."

Clark held out the book and Tess reached for it. He grabbed her arm lightly and pulled up her sleave. There was a bruise forming already. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tess snatched her hand away. "It's nothing. I've had worse."

Clark gave her a hard look. "Tess, you could die and say you've had worse."

"It's nothing. I can handle it." She repeated. "I'm not fragile."

"I know that. It's nothing to be ashamed of Tess, Jonathan's strength is increasing. It's not your fault."

"I know it's not my fault." She was about to add something then looked down at Jonathan who was watching them like the conversation was a tennis match. "We shouldn't be discussing this in front of him."

"Yes you're right." Clark stood to leave and saw the relief in her eyes. He picked up Jonathan and zoomed upstairs, putting him in holey cot. "Don't move." He said and left the room. He sat down on the bed, opposite Tess. "Now we can talk."

"That's not what I meant." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"I know. I'm not leaving until you tell me why you didn't tell me you were hurt. I need to know Tess. I can't have you getting hurt on my watch."

"I'm not your responsibility."

"No, you're my friend." Clark told her gently.

"And friends let friends keep their secrets." Tess retorted, standing up. "I've got to go clean up."

Clark grabbed her uninjured wrist and held her back. "We don't have any secrets anymore."

"Everyone has secrets Clark." Tess told him.

"At least let me strap that wrist. That bruise is bone deep."

She sighed. "Fine." Tess led the way to the kitchen, jumped on a chair and sullenly held out her wrist.

Clark grabbed the first aid kit and removed the bandages. "We have white, brown and the wiggles. Personally, I'd take the Wiggles"

Tess rolled her eyes. "White please."

Clark complied, reaching over and started slowly wrapping her wrist. "Is what Lex said bothering you?"

Tess looked up, surprised. "No."

"Because if you wanted to go back to…"

She cut him off. "I never want to go back." The fervour in her voice shocked him and he worked out why she was hiding the injury.

"You thought that if you got hurt, I would make you leave." The downward glance let him know he was right. "Well I won't." She looked up. "You love Jonathan, anyone can see that and he loves you. Last night I was made up a story for him and he called the princess 'Essa'." He smiled, lifting up her chin with a finger. "You're a part of our lives. I don't care if you're more fragile than us. I do care that you don't tell me when you're hurt."

"Clark, I –"

Clark held up a hand, silencing her. "I know that you're past isn't exactly congruent with trust but trust me when I say that I need you. You're the only other person Jonathan listens too; the only other person who could raise him. Like it or not, you're stuck with us."

Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."

Clark put the bandage clip on, securing the bandage. "Now that that's cleared up, how about I go to Japan and grab some sushi and we can have an early dinner before we clean up this mess. Cat can wait for another day."

Tess nodded, still smiling.

"See you soon." Clark left in a blur, leaving a content Tess behind.