Chapter 13: From Now On

Same choreography in the song as in the movie.

Clark sat down on the steps of the now burned down building. He sighed as he looked around at the rumble. He then saw Mr. Bennett walking over to him.

"If you're here to boast I wouldn't," Clark said.

"They catch the thugs that started the fire," Mr. Bennett said. "Thought you'd like to know." He then sat down next to him on top of a paper he was holding. He handed him a flask but Clark shook his head. "I never liked your show. But I always thought the people did."

"They do," Clark responded.

"Mind you I wouldn't call it art," Mr. Bennett said.

"Yes, of course," Clark replied.

"But...." Mr. Bennett started. "Putting folks of all kind on stage with you. All colors, shapes, sizes, presenting them as equals. Another critic might have even called it the celebration of humanity."

"I like that," Clark said.

"Well, I hope you'll rebuild," Mr. Bennett stated.

"Well, we've got Jenny's tour profit," Clark said. "We can borrow some money from there." Mr. Bennett raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"You don't know?" Mr. Bennett questioned.

"Don't know what?" Clark asked. Mr. Bennett pulled the paper from underneath him and showed it to him. Clark saw that the heading said Jenny Quits and the picture was of her kissing him.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Bennett said.

"Charity," Clark muttered. He got up and ran towards home.

He ran into the house and saw Charity holding a briefcase. She looked angry.

"Charity I didn't...," Clark started.

"I don't want to talk about it," Charity responded.

"Charity nothing happened," Clark told her.

"Nothing happened?" Charity questioned. "It's on the cover of every newspaper in New York."

"Charity I'm not in love with her," Clark responded.

"Of course you're not," Charity said. "Not with her. Not with me. Just you and your show."

"Where are you going?" Clark asked.

"I'm going home," Charity answered.

"But isn't this your home?" Clark said. Charity pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him.

"The bank," Charity said. He unfolded the piece of paper. "They're evicting us." She paused briefly. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have said yes. I never minded the risk but we always did it together." She then walked out of the house and slammed the door.

Clark found himself in a bar sitting at a lonely counter top head down. He sighed.

"What now?" Clark muttered. He didn't see John get up on the bar walk over to him and sit on his hat.

"We figured we'd find you here," John said. Clark looked up at him. Then the door opened and the entire troop, excluding Diana, came inside and sat or stood in a particular spot. Clark couldn't bare to look any of them in the eye.

"Guys I'm sorry," Clark said. "I really messed up and now..."

"Clark," Shayera interrupted. He turned his head to face her. She sighed. "We know it wasn't entirely you. And that it was unavoidable and scripted. But it still hurt."

"I know," Clark responded. "I regret it even though even if I wanted to stop it I couldn't. I'm sorry. I let you and the others down."

"Supes, we forgive you," Wally said. "We've all taken our act as these characters a little farther than we should have. I mean, come on, I almost hit someone with a metal pole earlier."

"I've actually gotten excited about toy soldiers," John added.

"I've actually let people get to me," Shayera said.

"I let my overprotective brother instinct go a little too far," Jonn' told him.

"But it's just an attitude it's not actually doing something you wouldn't normally do," Clark said.

"Well, what if I told you that Bruce got a little too much into character before you met him?" Wally told him. The others raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Clark responded.

"Well I overheard Bruce talking to Diana when they weren't on and he told her that actually got hung over and headaches from the time we started to when you picked him up," Wally informed him. Their jaws dropped.

"You're kidding?" Shayera said. Wally shook his head.

"Nope," Wally responded.

"No wonder he was mad at the bar," Clark said. Clark smiled as he turned to face them. "So Wally how much more of this film is there?"

"Not much," Wally responded. "We've probably got about ten minutes left to do and that's including a song and a song reprise."

"Is there suppose to be a song right now?" Clark asked.

"Yeah and Jonn' gives the cue line for it," Wally said.

"Is the cue line we want our home back?" Jonn' asked. Apparently it was cause music started playing and Clark felt a song rise up in him.

"I saw the sun begin to dim and felt that winter wind blow cold," Clark sang. "A man learns who is there for him, when the glitter fades and the walls won't hold. Cause from that rubble what remains can only be what's true. If all was lost there's more I gain. Cause it led me back. To you." He got up and started looking at the framed articles in the bar. "I drank champagne with kings and queens. The politicians praised my name. But those are someone else's dreams. The pitfalls of the man I became. For years and years. I chased their cheers. The crazy speed of always needing more. But when I stop and see you here. I remember who all this was for. And from now on. These eyes will not be blinded by the lights. From now on. What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight." The troop cheered. "It starts tonight. And let this promise in me start. Like an anthem in my heart. From now on. From now on. From now on."

"And we will come back home," the troop sang. "And we will come back home. Home again. And we will come back home. Home again. And we will come back home. Home again."

"From now on," Clark sang.

"We will come back home," the troop sang. "And we will come back home. Home again. And we will come back home. And we will come back home. Home again. And we will come back home. And we will come back home. Home again. And we will come back home."

"Yes," Clark exclaimed.

"And we will come home," the troop sang. "And we will come back home." Clark then noticed the picture of him, Charity, and the girls. Shayera motioned for him to leave. He hugged her before running off. "Home again. From now on."

"These eyes will not be blinded by the lights," Clark sang as he ran towards the train station.

"From now on," the troop sang.

"What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight," Clark sang. "It starts tonight. And let this promise in me start. Like an anthem in my heart. From now on!"

"And we will come back home," the troop sang. "And we will come back home. Home again."

"And we will come back home. And we will come back home. Home again." The troop faintly sang that. Diana was still holding Bruce's hand tightly in hers. Bruce's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi," Bruce said. Diana kissed him. Bruce hesitated at first but then fully responded. They stopped and Diana smiled.

"Love you too," Diana responded. She then pointed a finger at him. "Here's the deal though. You're not allowed to die on me after this, deal?"

"Deal," Bruce said. "I'm glad you're here." They then resumed kissing.

"From now on," three troop members sang quietly. "From now on. Home again." "From now on," the three sang. "From now on. Home again." Everyone else in the bar was asleep.

Clark was standing in front of Charity's parents' house. He marched up there and knocked on the door. Mr. Hallet opened the door.

"Sir, where is Charity?" Clark asked.

"She's not here," he told him.

"She's at the beach," Caroline said. Clark saw the girls leading against the railing and smiled.

He found himself on a beach area and walked up to stand next to Charity.

"I'm sorry," Clark started. "I brought ruin on you and our family. You tried to warn me but I wouldn't listen." Charity turned to face him.

"I never wanted anything more than the man I fell in love with," Charity answered.

"Let this promise in me start," Clark sang/spoke. "Like an anthem in my heart."

"However big, however small," Charity sang/spoke. Clark nodded.

"From now on," Clark said. He hugged her and he felt relief and comfort even though this woman wasn't his wife.

Clark walked up to the rubble where the other six were.

"Let me guess, the bank said no?" Bruce said.

"Emphatically and repeatedly," Clark answered. "Looks like we're shot. Sorry."

"Not entirely Kent," Bruce started.

"Wait!" Wally said. They turned to face him. "You have to say Phillip's lines in regard to the circus."

"No I don't," Bruce responded.

"Well now you have to," John said."Cause we don't know."

"Besides, you have to let the Irish giant say his line," Wally said. Bruce growled.

"Fine," Bruce said. "Before this I had inheritance, claim, and an invitation to every party in town. And now all that's gone. All that's left is friendship, love, and a work that I adore. You brought joy into my life."

"Into all of our lives," one lady said.

"Here, here," said the "Irish Giant".

"Now as I was saying," Bruce began. "I own ten percent of the show. And since I knew that this would happen I had the sense to take my cut weekly."

"Bruce I can't let you gamble it on me," Clark responded.

"Who says you can't?" John exclaimed.

"Don't turn sensible on us now," Shayera complained. Bruce held out his hand.

"Partners, fifty-fifty," Bruce said. Clark hesitated. "You're not gonna get a better offer Kent."

"Well then," Clark said. He shook his hand. "Partners."

"The only problem is we don't have enough money to afford a building," Bruce told him.

"Wait, but we don't need a building," Clark said. "Circus' aren't buildings. You get the equipment and other than that all we need is a tent."