Chapter 11

Smallville, the next day…

Andrea sits on the porch swing at the Kent farm watching Mia play. At her feet Clark's dog Shelby lies sleeping. After yesterday's trauma Clark had insisted they stay the night at the farm and Andrea was just too emotionally and physically exhausted to argue with him.

She was still physically exhausted. Her powers had yet to return and she was nowhere close to mentally processing that. Nor just how close she came to losing everything yesterday.

She hadn't seen her adult daughter. Clark has said that she comes and goes as she pleases since he's not keeping her a prisoner. The most she had seen of Mia is reports of her on the news, seemingly showing up all across the globe.

Clark, himself, was at work but promised to try and get away early if he could. The approaching rush of wind might just signal he's managed to do that.

"Mister Clark! Mister Clark!" Mia bounces up and down happily upon his arrival, seemingly no worse for wear from yesterday's events. Then again what is that saying about how children always bounce back quickly from these things.

"Hello," Clark says, happiness in his tone at seeing his daughter and a smile on his face.

"Where have you been?!" the little girl demands to know, this deathly serious expression on her face.

"Mia," Andrea says warningly at her daughter's cheek.

Clark chuckles. "It's alright, Andrea," he tells her before answering his daughter. "I was making sure those bad people from yesterday got what they deserved."

"Oh, I didn't like them," Mia says, frowning hard.

"No. Me neither," Clark says, playing down how he really feels. Almost sacrificing his daughter…they're just lucky he's a nice guy or he may well have burned that village to the ground. "Now, don't you worry about them anymore, ok? Just go play," he tells her, not wishing for her to be burdened by any of it.

"Will you join me?"

"In a little bit. I need to speak to your mother first. Now off you go," he encourages her and smiles as she does so. Glad she seems to have not been too adversely affected by yesterday's events.

"What happened?" Andrea asks, intrigued to know.

Clark hands over a copy of the Daily Planet he is carrying.

Andrea takes it and sees Clark has written a whole exposé on that bunch of lunatics. "Front page," she notes. "Congratulations," she says genuinely, knowing as a former reporter herself what a big deal that is.

Clark, naturally, is rather modest about his achievement. "Yeah, well, Cat wasn't happy. Her piece on the anti-vigilante rally was bumped off to page 3."

"Is that the only reason she isn't happy?"

"What else could it be?"

"Clark, you've made mention she isn't exactly subtle in her…advances towards you."

Clark mutters something under his breath. Since Lois left Cat has gotten more aggressive. Seeing Lois' absence as her opportunity to 'woo' him. "I'm not interested," he makes clear.

"Because of the other woman you mentioned? The one you wanted to get together with?"

Clark colours. He had avoided talking full stop about Lois to Andrea, not wanting to be in a sour mood for his daughter's first visit to Smallville. "I checked in with my contacts. The Feds swooped in to the village first thing this morning," he says instead.

Andrea isn't missing he just changed subject but since it's a topic she's very interested in she'll let him off. "Good," she says with no small amount of malice.

"Partially. Apparently, they were on no-one's radar. Every year for 20 years," he says, feeling regret for all those other women and girls that must have died.

That just raises Andrea's temper back up. "I swear to God, if I could get my hands on them…"

Clark steps over and takes her hands into his, rubbing them. "I share your anger, Andrea but please, don't let it consume you. I'd rather not fail at that again."

Andrea looks up into his eyes before averting her gaze. "It's…I haven't felt that weak and vulnerable. Not in a long time. Not since…"

"Your mother?" he guesses.

Andrea nods, feeling embarrassed at letting herself show her vulnerability. Normally she wouldn't but with Clark…she's always felt a connection to him since the day they met. That he understood.

Clark sits down beside her and places an arm across her shoulder. "I was afraid too, you know. Afraid I would be too late to save you and Mia. And I think it goes without saying that I'm not use to being that weak and powerless," he confesses to her.

"But you came through for us. Even without your powers you were willing to go through that entire town. And you saved us from the fire. I won't forget that, Clark," she promises. She must confess to being secretly in awe that he endured that for them.

"And I won't forget your quick thinking in the square that got them to back up."

"I guess it goes to show that perhaps the both of us are more than merely the power we possess…or at least use to," she says, sounding bereft at the loss of her powers.

"Like I said, I know a doctor that can be trusted."

"Maybe. I'm just…tired after yesterday."

"Ok," Clark accepts. The two sit in comfortable silence for a little bit in each other's company until he says, "You were wrong you know."

"Wrong?"

"That you weren't strong enough. I believe you are."

"You're just saying that to be nice."

"Me? The corn-fed farmboy? Nah," he says in jovial tones.

Andrea actually releases a small laugh making Clark officially one of the very few people who can make her laugh. "Can I ask you something about yesterday?"

Clark takes a breath before answering. "Sure," he agrees.

"I thought you were dead?" she inquiries and she hasn't even begun to process just how much that hurt when she thought he was killed.

"They buried me and then walked away. Once they were far enough away my powers returned and healed me."

"Clark…don't take this the wrong way but what the hell are you?" she asks and feels him tense up. Perhaps someone else would stop there but she keeps pushing. "Because you see it doesn't make sense that someone given abilities by the meteors would then be 'allergic' to them. And just the sheer range of abilities you possess. The raw power. You're not one of the regular metahumans (she recalls him wanting her to use that word) this place creates, are you?"

Clark abruptly gets to his feet and walks forward to lean on the fence.

Andrea joins him. "I'm pushing aren't I," she realises. "Sorry. I guess the reporter part of me is still there."

Clark closes his eyes briefly. "Don't apologise for being yourself, Andrea," he tells her. "Truth is I've been wondering how to tell you because you have a right to know what I am. What our daughter is."

Andrea looks at him, seeing emotions wrought deep on his face. It's something she's seen before when it's just the two of them.

Clark looks down and shakes his head briefly. "You know, you'd think I would have come up with a way by now to say this but nope," he says more to himself than her. He then turns to face her. "All my life this has been the hardest thing for me to say because I was afraid of how people would react. Afraid of rejection but I accepted you needed to be told. Doesn't make it easier though. To answer your point; no. I'm not a regular metahuman. In fact, I'm not one at all. I wasn't even born in Smallville. In fact, I wasn't born on this planet. I come from a world called Krypton," he lays it out.

Andrea's face adopts a comical look of shock.

"Andrea?" Clark queries at her ongoing silence.

"You're an alien?"

"Yes."

"I slept with an alien?!"

"Uh…yes."

"My daughter is half-alien?!"

"Yes."

"You definitely didn't look or feel alien up on that rooftop."

"Outwardly Kryptonians and Humans are identical."

"So, you really look like this?" she asks, gesturing at him.

Clark adopts a small smile of amusement because he can't help it. He never imagined this would be her reaction. "Yes."

"I have questions," she says, as her brain tries to process this and fails miserably.

"Well, luckily for you I talked Tess into giving me the rest of the day off so I'm all yours."

Andrea snorts with a half-strangled laugh. "Don't tempt me, farmboy."

"Not remotely what I meant."

"Says you. How do I know you didn't use me as part of some cross-breeding experiment, huh?"

"Wow. That's somewhere I would have expected Chloe's strangely wired brain to go. Not you though."

"I think I'm in shock."

"Just wait until I start answering questions," Clark murmurs.

Andrea's response is to give him a quizzical look.

"Again! Again!" one excited 4-year-old chirps up as she literally bounces within her father's arms.

"Oh no. Five times is more than enough," Andrea determines to put an end to the fun.

"But Mamá!" the whiny voice begins.

"Don't 'but Mamá' me, young lady," she warns her offspring off of even trying it.

"Mister Clark!" she pouts.

Oh boy. Clark is so tempted to give in to that look but doesn't think Andrea will appreciate it. "I'm sorry, Mia but your mother is right."

'Thank you,' said mother mouths at him.

"Besides, it's almost time for dinner and it won't get made if we keep taking little trips over the barn."

Mia's eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Dinner?"

"Yes, so go get cleaned up," Andrea instructs her.

"No problemo, Mamá!" she promises as she squirms until Clark puts her down and she runs off towards the house.

Her parents follow her.

"Is this going to cause a problem?"

"What is?"

"Mia knowing you have abilities."

"What is done is done," he phrases it. After all he had to use his abilities to save the two of them yesterday. Something he would do again in a heartbeat. Regret doesn't come into the equation.

"Still, I think taking leaps over the barn with her is indulging her."

"Well, I would take her flying…if I ever figure out how to do it."

"Can't adult Mia help you there?"

Clark sighs. "It's more a psychological thing. A mental block. No-one but me can overcome that."

"Or you're just embarrassed to ask your daughter about something she can do that you can't," Andrea teases.

"I liked you better when you were all serious and brooding," he retorts.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" she asks, chuckling.

She's at least closer to one than Clark would care to admit.

"Good Doggie!" Mia giggles as Shelby takes some food from her hands and starts licking her fingers which makes her giggle more.

"She's going to be asking for one of her own next, just you watch," Andrea mutters from across the table, not looking forward to having to say no because they just can't afford a pet.

Clark smiles slightly. He isn't around as much as he used to be so is more just glad that Shelby is getting some company.

After dinner Andrea thinks it is time to try and explain a few things to her daughter so she, Clark and Mia sit in the lounge.

"Mia. You like Clark, don't you?"

Mia nods enthusiastically.

"You don't want to see him in trouble, do you?"

This time the little girl shakes her head.

"Then I need you to not ever tell anyone that he has powers. I need you to promise me you won't."

"Por qué?"

"Um…" Andrea looks to Clark for help.

Clark reaches back into his comic book fandom for the answer. "You know that superheroes have secret identities. Why do they do that, Mia?"

"To keep their families safe from the bad guys?"

Clark smiles brightly. "That's right. Very good," he praises her.

"Just like those bad people from yesterday. You don't want them coming for Clark or us again, do you?" Andrea asks her daughter.

"No."

"Then you have to promise, sweetheart, that you'll never mention Clark has powers."

"Because he's a superhero?"

Clark doesn't quite think of himself in those terms. "I suppose," he says, willing to play along if it aids the situation here.

"So, do you understand, Mia?" Andrea pushes her daughter. "You have to promise never to tell anyone."

"Ok. I promise, Mister Clark. I'll be good," Mia says.

"I know you will, Mia. I trust you," Clark says without hesitation.

Andrea takes in a breath. That's probably the best they were ever going to manage here. If she ever does say anything, hopefully people will just think it's the result of an overactive imagination.

Later that night Clark is sitting on the couch when Andrea returns from upstairs.

"She's asleep," the brunette announces in reference to Mia as she unconsciously sits herself down next to Clark. "Thank you. For letting us stay."

"As you recall I had no problem with you staying when you first suggested coming to visit," he reminds her.

"That…was asking too much," Andrea responds. She had turned down his offer and insisted on staying in a hotel. Why? Right now it beats her. She leans back and closes her eyes. "You know one of the reasons I wanted to come back to Kansas was to take Mia to visit my mother's grave. I haven't been to visit her since the day I left. Some grieving daughter huh?" she berates herself.

"We move on with our lives, Andrea. It's what I believe my dad would have wanted. I would think your mother would be the same."

"I don't know how Mamá did all of it. Raising me alone. Running her charity. Standing up to all the gangs, thugs and corrupt businessmen who wanted to exploit our little corner of Suicide Slums."

"Sounds like quite a woman…or how did you put it again? Badass?"

Andrea laughs, a real, happy genuine one. "She was."

"Just like her daughter then."

"Thanks but I'm not sure I can live up to Mamá."

"I realised recently that it's not about living up to our parents. It's about fulfilling the potential they always saw in us."

"A philosopher and a superhero."

"Hardly."

"Was your dad a badass?"

Clark chuckles. "In his way, yeah. There was nothing more important to him than protecting his family. He gave his life trying to do that."

Clark finds Andrea's hand finding its way into his and squeezing.

"Is it lonely?" she asks.

"Without him? Yes."

"Not just that. Being the last of your kind?"

"Well technically I'm not. They're just living on another planet…somewhere," he says in reference to the Kandorians. Though he might as well be the last all over again since he has no idea where that portal sent them.

"Huh?"

"Long story. Trust me we've barely touched on all my stories," he says. Sure, he's told her a lot of things over the course of the day but nowhere near everything.

"Maybe tomorrow. I'm beat," she says yawning as her head droops off to the side to rest on Clark's shoulder.

"Until then, thank you for not freaking out about the whole alien thing."

"I'm a mother, Clark. Takes a lot to freak us out but honestly I have seen evil close up and you're just about the farthest thing from it. I think what I'm saying is I'm judging you on what type of person you are, not what species you are."

"And what type of person am I?"

"The weirdest one I know and trust me I know some weird ones. My neighbours up the stairs wouldn't be out of place in a mental institution."

"I'm not sure that was a compliment in any way," he remarks.

"Hey, I'm still here, talking to you, aren't I?"

"Yes. You are. You're also using me as a pillow."

"You're comfy," she says, yawning.

"Tired?"

"Haven't felt this drained…well since before I got my heart."

"Since before you got your powers," Clark says, his brow furrowing in concern for her. "I really think we should get you checked out."

"Probably," she says, sleepily.

"Tomorrow?"

"Ok," she says, clearly too tired to argue.

"I think we should get you to bed," he suggests.

Her response is to wraps her arms around him. "No. Stay here. Here's good," she says, losing the battle to stay awake as she snuggles into Clark's warmth.

Clark wraps her arms around her as she pulls her legs up and cuddles into him. "Hmm…you're comfy," she repeats her earlier remark in a drawl, now almost asleep.

"Thanks," he says, amused by her drowsy ramblings.

"She's lucky."

"Who?"

"The woman you love."

Clark's face tightens up in pain. "Go to sleep, Andrea."

"Andi."

"Hmm?"

"Friends get to call me Andi."

That means a lot to him, that even after the reveal she is allowing him to be her friend. He has to say she has taken it a lot better than some people who have found out. He looks down at her, gently brushing her hair back and realises that she's now out like a light. He can't help but notice how lovely she is in repose. "Sweet dreams, Andi," he says softly as he closes his own eyes, just meaning to rest them but he soon joins her in drifting away to dreamland.

Sometime later that night Mia returns for doing her heroics from across the globe. How much of that has been a way to avoid bumping into her Mamá and younger self? More than she cares to admit especially when it comes to her Mamá. She's not ready for that meeting. Not considering what happened. The last time she saw her Mamá…

Mia shakes her head and tries not to think about it. Instead she enters the farm house and is stopped in utter shock. She covers her mouth trying to hold back the gasp. There, on the couch, cuddled up together are her parents.

The brunette then cocks her head to the side slightly as she suddenly notices that her parents are just ever so slightly moving and up and down…and that is when she spots it. The gap beneath them. They're hovering a few inches above the couch.

Or at least her Papá is. Her Mamá is just along for the ride.

The time travelling woman breaks into a smile while at the same time she can feel the sting of tears welling up in her eyes. For so long she had dreamed of what might have been. Of her parents being together and them being a family.

After all what do you think her main motivation was for travelling back in time.

And now, right there, in front of her eyes is the sight she dreamed of.

But she also knows how it ends. After all she saw that in front of her eyes too.

No. It won't happen again. She won't let it.

Mia burns this image in her brain determined to use it as motivation. She's going to find that little psycho bitch that is the cause of all her pain and she's going to end her. Whatever it takes.

Author's Note: After the events of Harvest seemed obvious to me Clark couldn't put off telling Andrea the truth of himself any longer. Thanks to everyone who has written reviews.