Chapter 12

"Morning. Sleep well?" Clark asks Andrea as she shuffles into the kitchen.

"Coffee. Need Coffee," is all the Latino woman can manage.

Clark smiles warmly at her as he pours her a cup and hands it over. He finds himself watching her in amusement as she savours the coffee. He had found himself watching her for quite awhile when he woke up this morning to find them still cuddled up together on the couch. Well actually, hovering above the couch, much to Clark's surprise. It had actually been awhile since he had woken up like that.

"Ah, that's better," Andrea says as the caffeine hit starts to work its magic. "Where's Mia?"

"Which one?"

Andrea groans. "Too early," she complains for that headache.

"Well, our daughter has been up and about for an hour. She's outside. I'm keeping my eye on her."

Andrea looks up at him, arching an eyebrow. "Still getting use to that," she remarks about Clark's array of abilities.

"Me too. Course that could be because new ones kept appearing as I got older. Been awhile since the last one appeared though."

"Uh huh," she says, drinking down her coffee.

"As for adult Mia, she left a post-it note on the fridge," he points at the sticky yellow note stuck on the fridge door.

Andrea wanders over and plucks it off before reading it aloud. "Didn't want to disturb you. Grabbed some food. Schway you later." She looks up at the father of her child. "Schway?" she queries.

"A slang word from the future. It's like cool. She's making a joke, a play on words."

"Ah."

"So, about seeing that doctor…" he raises.

Andrea makes a noise of annoyance. "You're not letting that go, are you?"

Clark gives her a look before his expression softens. "There were stories, rumours for years, around Smallville that the meteors changed people. Chloe had this entire wall in the school paper office plastered with stories but I guess it really started when I was 15 that I started meeting people who were changed. And it wasn't just the physical changes. Often the changes would affect their psyches and I would need to stop them from hurting people."

"How is this relevant to me?" she asks, not seeing it.

"Because that was all I could do. Stop them. I couldn't help them learn to control their abilities or in the extreme cases reverse what was done to them."

"You feel guilty?"

"In a roundabout way I am partially responsible."

"You have to know that isn't true," she argues.

"That's what Chloe use to keep telling me," he says with a little bit of sadness at his missing BFF before getting back to his point. "But my point is now I finally have friends who have access to the resources that can help people." He steps forward and places his hands on her shoulders. "Andi, it hasn't escaped my notice that you've been almost constantly tired since we escaped the village. You try to hide it but I'm not quite as oblivious as certain people seem to think I am. I'm worried about you."

Andrea wishes she could deny it but she can't. She feels wiped out…and it's not improving. Even though she slept great last night she still feels like she could drop off again any second. Still some part of her, use to doing things for herself, keep resisting. "Don't you have work?"

"I was nearly killed by some insane cult the other day. I'm pretty sure that entitles me to a sick day," he snarks.

Andrea's resolve is wavering. "Do you really trust this doctor?"

"Yes…with even my alien origin secret."

"Alright. Arrange it," she concedes.

The Watchtower…

"How can it be this hard to find one psychotic bitch?" Mia complains aloud, frowning hard as she just sits there. Every lead she's followed has been a dead-end. If you're wondering what she does when she's not at the farm, doing heroics or spending time with her father that is what she is doing.

Mia types on the keyboard and gets…nothing.

"Argh!" she screams in frustration as she ends up throwing the computer across the room. She finds herself breathing hard as her pent-up frustration threatens to get the better of her. She takes several minutes to calm down.

"Slag!" she swears as she realises what she did, staring the shattered remains of the computer.

Mia slumps down in a chair, feeling deflated. One of the main reasons she came back in time and she's failing. If she can't find this person than what prevents her life going to hell just as it did the first-time round?

This isn't working.

She can't find the psycho bitch and even trying to find the bitch's father is getting nowhere…except he's going to out in the public conscious soon anyway.

Patience.

That's what Mia needs. When the father steps out into the light then she'll have a direct link to follow.

Until then she'll bide her time. Play hero.

Short-term plan in mind Mia moves to the window and flies out into the city.

Metropolis…

Clark, Andrea and Mia arrive at Swann Technologies and Research Labs to be greeted by Dr Emil Hamilton. This entire company had been Dr Virgil Swann's last gift to Clark before he died. Dr Swann had set it up to aid the Traveller. Course he only got that story out of Dr Hamilton very recently.

Probably because he should have gotten that story out of Dr Swann's daughter Patricia except she was murdered. Most likely by Lex, not that Clark has a prayer of ever proving that.

While Andrea undergoes tests, Clark takes on the onerous task of keeping a 4-year-old entertained. He ends up taking Mia for a little trip round Metropolis.

"Clark?"

Clark's eyes go wide at that voice as he turns round to find, "Cat?"

"You don't look very sick," the blond remarks.

Clark internally winces. "I think after what happened to me I'm entitled to a day or two off, Cat," he argues.

"Well, if you're needing to share, a sympathetic ear to listen, I'm certain I can rearrange my schedule. Find a babysitter so it's just the two of us," she says, being very obvious about what she is meaning. After all with Lane out of the way she figures she has a clear shot at Clark now.

"If I ever need something like that, Cat, your name will be on the list," he replies diplomatically. Way, way down the list. Like, last, maybe.

"I'm glad to hear it," she purrs.

"Mister Clark, shouldn't we go see Mamá?" Mia insists, pulling at his sleeve.

"And who is this?" Cat asks, bending down slightly to look at the girl.

"This is Mia. She's the daughter of a friend. I'm watching her while her mother is at the doctor's."

"You're a super sweet guy, Clark. And good with kids too I'm betting," she remarks, which just makes him better and better in Cat's view.

Clark picks Mia up. "I'm too modest to say."

"Of course you are."

"Mia, this is Cat Grant. I work with her," Clark makes the introductions.

"Hello, sweetie. You know I have a kid too. A little boy."

"Boys are smelly," Mia insists, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, there goes my credibility," Clark jests.

Cat chuckles. God, she's so hot for him. "That may be true but they have other assets that make up for it."

Yeah, Clark so needs to get out of here. "We really need to be going. I'll see you at work, Cat," he says, beating a hasty retreat.

"Bye, Clark!" she says sweetly. It's only after he's gone that it'll strike her. The eyes. Clark and that little girl have the same eyes.

"How is she?" Clark asks Emil in relation to Andrea as the two men stand outside the room while within Andrea catches up with Mia.

"Lucky you insisted she came here," Emil replies.

Clark looks at the man intently, concerned over her.

"A little over 5 years ago she received a heart transplant from a patient killed in the 2nd meteor shower."

"I know that."

"If you'll let me tell the story," Emil requests he not be interrupted.

"Sorry."

"Shortly afterwards she developed extreme strength and durability. My guess would be that her new heart acted as a source of kryptonite which was then pumped round her entire body. In essence, through the circulatory system, minute traces permeated every cell in her body."

"And now?"

"Ms Rojas mentioned you speculated that the blue variety neutralised the green kryptonite in her body. It was an astute guess. That is what seems to have happened. Though there are still low-level amounts present in the tissues of her heart."

"So, her powers are gone?"

"More or less completely. Since I never had a chance to examine her before this incident, I cannot say how they worked nor if they will ever return."

"And you were saying, about her being lucky?" Clark returns to that.

"As you are aware the biggest issue with any organ transplant is preventing rejection."

"You have to take drugs to suppress the immune system, right?"

"Correct. In Ms Rojas' case she hasn't taken them in 5 years."

Clark looks at the doctor in astonishment. "Then how is she…"

"That I am unsure of. As with many aspects of kryptonite mutation it is a mystery. However, the neutralisation of the green kryptonite in her blood has changed the situation. Her blood work shows many of the early symptoms of organ rejection."

Something unsettling forms in Clark's stomach at hearing this news. "Can you help her?"

"I can start her on a regiment of immuno-suppressants. It takes a little while to get the balance correct and she'll need regular check-ups but I see no reason that she can't have a very good chance of a successful outcome."

"Thank you."

"You care quite a bit for Ms Rojas and her daughter," Emil had observed.

"You could say that." A beat. "She's mine."

"I'm sorry."

"Mia. I'm the father."

Emil takes a moment to get over that shock. "I wasn't aware you were genetically compatible with humans."

Clark snorts lightly in amusement. "Neither did I. I only found out a couple of months ago. Andrea didn't tell me," he says, the hurt of that bleeding through a little. "Though she did mention that Mia was quite ill when she was born and still suffers from allergies which…if she comes from me, I don't understand how that is possible. I'm never sick."

"Clark, I can't even begin to imagine how your genes and a human's would combine. If you want me to run tests on your daughter I will."

"I would need to discuss that with Andrea. Probably another day," he says.

"Very well. If you'll excuse me I will go get the necessary drugs Ms Rojas needs."

Clark nods and enters the room as Emil departs.

"Hello Mamá. I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long," Andrea says to the gravestone that marks where her mother is buried as she lays a small bunch of flowers down. "A lot has happened since the last time I came. You see I'm a mother myself now. You're a grandmother. This is Mia. Say hello to your Abuela, honey."

Mia looks up at her mother, slightly confused but complies. "Hello."

Andrea draws in a breath. The last time she had been here she had almost choked on her own grief. It had been almost unbearable to stand here and remember what had happened but that wound was not as deep as it was. Time had healed it. Well time and the greatest gift she had ever received. Her precious daughter.

She looks down at Mia before bending down to her height. "I haven't spoken of your Abuela much have I," she realises.

In return Mia simply looks at her with those inquisitive blue eyes she inherited from her father. So mesmerizingly blue…especially that night up on the rooftop. Of all her memories of the night her daughter was conceived the one that sticks out the strongest were those eyes and all the emotions playing out within.

"From now on I will, Mia. You should know who your Abuela was. How amazing she was," Andrea vows.

"What happened to her, Mamá?"

A pained expression comes to the brunette's face. "Some bad men took her away from me." She strokes her daughter's hair. "One day, when you're older, I'll explain but don't dwell on it, sweetie. Why don't you speak to Abuela. I'm sure she would love to know her nieta."

Clark returns to the farm after seeing Andrea off at the airport. He could have run her and Mia back to Coast City himself but she turned him down citing it may be quick but it is not the most practical way to get around for a 'mere mortal'.

Clark had not missed she had said those two words with a little bit of…sadness. He had gently enquired whether she was ok and she said she was fine. Clark gets the feeling she may not be 'fine' but clearly she was not going to talk about it.

"Oh, hola Papá!"

Clark stops to find the adult version of his daughter in the kitchen, cooking.

"Did Mamá get off alright?" she asks.

Clark's eyebrows drop slightly. "Yeah, fine. Where have you been?" he would dearly like to know.

"Around," Mia answers vaguely.

The dark-haired man folds his arms across his chest. "Around, where?"

Mia stops her machinations and looks at her father and spots a rather stern expression on his face. "What's going on?"

"That's my question for you. Along with why you just spent the last week avoiding seeing your mother?"

"I wasn't avoiding her," Mia tries and laughs it off. "I was just busy."

It's a poor lie because since Andrea's been here, like he said, for a week, you would actively have to go about avoiding her. "Mia," he speaks her name in a sterner tone.

She turns her back to him and resumes her cooking efforts. "So, I was thinking of making us some Discada for dinner. I got this recipe from my 2nd cousin when I went visiting my extended family down in Mexico after I graduated…"

"Mia," he stops her. "Talk to me," he requests, his voice full of concern.

Mia stops, her whole posture rigid. For several moments she says nothing until, "She's dead." She turns round, her face bleak with pain and grief. "Mamá," she clarifies. "She…died and I don't know…"

"How you would cope with seeing her," Clark finishes for here.

The woman nods.

"Come here," Clark opens his arms and she falls into his hug as he comforts her. "I get it. I do. I lost my dad and I'm not sure how I would cope either. On the other hand I would give almost anything just to spend an extra minute with him. Mostly so I could introduce him to you."

That makes Mia smile.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Mia's face screws up. "I'm sorry. No. I can't," she replies for more reasons than it is just too painful.

"It doesn't have to do with her losing her powers, does it?"

Mia pulls back suddenly and looks at her father, utterly perplexed. "What do you mean?" she asks.

Clark summarises what she missed, with what happened to him, Andrea and her younger self and how now her mother's powers are gone.

"That never happened. She never lost her powers," Mia argues, clearly in a state of shock.

"I'm afraid it did," he has to contradict her.

"I've changed it, haven't I. The future I come from," she is beginning to comprehend.

Clark sighs. "As you will recall Mia, I did warn you, that time travel can have severe consequences."

Mia nods dumbly.

Clark sighs again. Well, this was…kinda inevitable. Has been from the very second Mia showed up. It's also on him for not sending her back but his reasons for not doing so seem to him to be just as valid now as when he first made the decision. "Do you want me to finish making dinner?" he asks her, since he's not sure what else to say here.

She shakes her head. "No. I got it," she insists.

Clark nods and leaves her to it. Strange thing is though he's not sure how to take the news that Andrea dies. His emotions are so mixed up right now, what with Lois leaving, he can't process it. One thing is certain though he's going to have to chalk it down as yet another aspect of the man he saw in his future self that he cannot be. He cannot be the man who lets Andi die.

Mia turns back to her cooking, her emotions raw. She certainly did not want to drag up the memory of losing her mother but that was now a different version of her mother. She came back in time to change the future and now she has absolute proof that she has succeeded to some degree. Question is, is this change for the better or the worse?

Author's Note: I thought the taking away of Andrea's powers would really illustrate to Mia that her presence has real tangible consequences. Whether they return or not we'll get to. Also with the reveal that Andrea dies we're getting closer to the real reason Mia travelled back in time. Eventually I do plan to do a whole bit on Mia's backstory. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews.