Chapter Ninety-Three
For the first time since Lillian's death, there was a party at the Luthor Mansion. Not a formal dinner held to impress corporate CEOs, but a real party with smiles and laughter. The guest list was small, and the dress code was flip-flops and swimsuits. Marci had presented Alex, Clark, and Mr. Kent with bags containing appropriate party clothes. The two Kent men were given matching blue Hawaiian shirts and swim trunks. Alex was given a purple tropical shirt spotted with pineapples, navy blue swim trunks, and black sandals.
Alex concluded Marci was punishing him.
Jeff was flown in by helicopter; Excelsior had started their school year and he was living in the Metropolis dorms. Marci had to call in special favors for the General to allow his daughter to be flown off base. Lois had called Zatanna to invite her, and the young sorceress arrived in a puff of smoke. Chloe came in her car.
Clark was the guest of honor and greeted warmly by all. Everyone surrounded him as Clark answered their questions of what had happened with Hamilton on the other side. Occasionally he would turn to Alex to fill in what he had missed.
"It's a good thing you came back." Lois punched Clark's arm when he finished his story. "We wouldn't have believed a word from that guy." She jerked a thumb in Alex's direction.
"Hey, Alex rescued me. If he hadn't made it over, no one would have I known I was still there."
Lois seemed annoyed and left the group.
"The true hero is Miss Griggs," Alex pointed out. "Without her, we never would have found Clark."
"I think a toast is in order." Lois came back with a tray filled with glasses of iced tea and began to hand them out.
"What shall we toast?" Alex asked.
"I was right all along." Lois raised her glass.
"To friends," Jeff said.
"Happy endings," Chloe said softly.
"To family," Clark said.
They all took a sip, but Alex hesitated. "I think this is as good a time as any for me to say again to everyone, especially Lois, how sorry I am for all the wrong things I did."
"Like…" Lois looked at him sweetly.
Alex sighed. He should have known she wouldn't make this easy for him. "I'm sorry I shot you with a tranquilizer."
"It's all in the past." Lois clinked his glass with her own. Her smile only grew wider after he took a sip.
"What?" Alex noticed everyone's attention had shifted to him.
"Lois," Clark groaned.
"You do kind of deserve that," Jeff laughed.
Alex looked down at his darkly tinted drink. "My teeth are black, aren't they?"
Lois laughed and confirmed by nodding yes.
After what he had done, black teeth seemed like an easy punishment. Clark and Marci gave him some pity stares; the rest of them laughed. But it wasn't the cruel laughter he remembered hearing during his school days when he was nothing more than a bald-headed freak. This seemed to be their way of forgiving him.
Alex lifted his glass in cheers and took another drink.
Pop music blared through the sound system as the guests began to spread out around the pool. Marci had worked her magic and made sure the pool was stocked with inflatable floats for all the guests. Two sets of cornhole were set up in the grass nearby. There was a buffet spread of shrimp cocktail, potato salad, guacamole and chips, fruit kebabs, veggie skewers, and four choices of lemonade: original, raspberry, strawberry basil, or ginger cucumber. Benji had been requested to man the grill, keeping everyone supplied with jerk chicken and corn on the cob. It was rumored dessert would be homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches.
Amid the games of cornhole and pool volleyball, Clark got to ask Jeff about Excelsior and how his rocket experiment had gone. Jeff couldn't stop talking about the science courses he was taking.
"That chemistry lab is awesome," Jeff shared. "The teacher seems a little uptight, but I volunteered to help clean up after classes. I'm hoping that'll let me get to use the equipment for my own experiments. When he's not looking."
"Made any friends yet?" Clark asked.
"No," Jeff confessed. "I don't really know how. Is there a spell for that?"
"Sadly, no. Tons of love spells that never work, but zero friendship spells," Zatanna shared. "Oh, hey, turns out my dad wanted to get near that comic book cause he cursed it. Once he started feeling guilty about using magic, he wanted to remove it."
The sun began to set, and the party slowly came to an end. Jeff had to return to school and Molly wanted to get back to her shop. Goodbyes and well wishes were said, and the only ones remaining were Alex, Marci, Mr. Kent, Clark, Chloe, and Lois.
"Hey, Lois," Clark said during a quiet moment, "I want to thank you for all the research you did. And apologize for not believing you."
"Don't worry about that part. I mean, you can't really be blamed for that."
"Still. You helped me get home. And you were right about my mom being pregnant. His name's Chris." Clark smiled as he showed Lois some photos.
"He's adorable."
"So, how is life without something weird to investigate?"
"I definitely feel a void. So, I've decided to write about it. Like, a novel."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm going to change the names, obviously. And the location. Maybe make it a romance." Her eyes drifted to where her cousin was standing, chatting with Clark's dad.
And Clark knew it was time for the one conversation he had been dreading.
"Hi, Chloe," Clark walked over to her. His dad got the hint and walked away. He took a deep breath in.
"Allow me," Chloe cut him off. "Clark, you're a great guy and all, but let's face it; long distance relationships are hard enough without adding another dimension to it. I think we should just stay friends."
"Dej a vu," was all Clark could say. "I remember a similar conversation I had with someone else."
"Yeah. Her." Chloe sighed. "Hey, do you mind giving this to me?" Chloe handed him a sealed envelope. "I don't expect a reply or anything, but I can't miss out on having something I write be sent to another universe."
"No problem." Clark accepted the letter and was unsure what to do next. Did he hug his ex-doppelganger girlfriend or shake her hand? Clark decided to kiss her farewell on the cheek. "I meant what I said. You, Chloe Sullivan, are an amazing person. And I wish you the best of luck. Goodbye, Chloe Sullivan."
"Goodbye, Clark Kent."
Clark held Chloe's hand until she walked far enough away her fingers trailed off his palm. A loneliness set over him as he felt her absence.
You will see her again, Clark reassured himself.
Alex came over, looking slightly pale. "I just spoke with Dr. Klein. He says he has news about Julian."
Maybe just one more twist…
