Many people were a bit disappointed that the weather was so bad tonight. But since they were in South-East-Alaska, they were used to cold wind and rain. Especially at this time of the year…

The room was full of people, eagerly waiting for the big announcement. Everything was decorated with balloons, banners, and colorful lights. Outside the rain was splashing on the roof and against the windows. But the loud music overtones the noise from outside until it suddenly stopped, and a man entered the podium, accompanied by big applause of the present partygoers.

One of them, Connor Thompson, was standing behind the buffet. Looking around satisfied, that the people enjoyed the party he helped to organize over the past week. Despite his full schedule, his pregnant wife Janet (who was present, too) and a lot of other things that recently happened or were about to happen. He had no clue, that soon all eyes will be fixed on him.

"Well people… it is time for the moment you have all waited for!" the man on the podium start to tell into his microphone.

The people all turned to the stage. Connor noticed that his wife, her also present parents, her brother and his wife and some of his friends were starting to smile…

"The chamber of commerce has made a decision. Man-of-the-year… for his great work for the community, not only here in Ketchikan, but also in the whole region and probably in near future in many other places. Congratulations… Connor Johnson!"

Everyone began to applaud…

"What… me?" Connor exclaimed shocked and saw all eyes fixed on him. He looked over to his family immediately.

"Surprise!" they all exclaimed happily and joined the applause.

"Come up here, Connor! This is your moment!" the host said while suddenly a spotlight was shining on him.

Connor felt overwhelmed by all the attention and the applause, but he walked up the stairs to the small stage to get his price. After a brief handshake the host (an old friend of him) stepped aside to let him speak. Connor looked over the scene and saw a lot of familiar faces.

"Thank you!" he murmured abashed before he found his voice again. "Ehm… thank you! I am so honored about this, and I take this award with pride…"

Gosh, this is so overwhelming, Connor thought. He looked over to his wife who was smiling brightly and approving. Connor cleared his throat and continued to talk.

"I remember, when I came to this town, I was alone, homeless and had no perspective. And I doubted that I will ever get the chance to prove that I am more than just a runaway loser. And even though I was just some loser who got caught without valid ticket on the ferry you took me in in your community and welcomed me. I never thought about that I could be part of something again. I had never been before in my life, but the day I stranded here, was the day my life truly start. I… I can tell you I had so much luck to get caught here! Seriously, I love you guys. This award is for all of you!"

The people start to applause again after these kind words. With a bright smile, Connor left the stage and out of sight to not to cry in front of everyone…

A few minutes later, Connor's wife Janet found him outside under the canopy, glaring on his award in his hands and brooding. In his face she saw a weird mix of happiness and confusion…

"Hey…" she said to catch his attention. "…sorry, I know you don't like surprises!"

"It's okay… I know you guys all meant well…"

"Of course! We all love you. You have done so much for others. I wonder why you didn't win the previous five years?"

"Maybe because I took care that others win, who really deserved it."

"You deserve it, too, Connor!" she countered. "Because you are a great person! And you prove it every day!"

She kissed him while hugging him. He returned the hug and felt so cared again.

"Aww… What I have done to deserve you, Jan?" Connor asked with a bright smile.

"You have been just yourself!" she responded and kissed him again before she suddenly felt a kick in her abdomen. "OH…"

"What's wrong?"

"I think our daughter wants to congratulate, too?" Janet told, rubbing her baby bump.

Connor looked down and put his hands on it, too.

"Martha, we look forward to meet you soon!" Connor said to the baby bump and a bright smile appeared on his face again.

"What else is bothering you, Connor?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know this expression! I am married to you long enough to know when something is bothering you and that you still have the bad habit to keep something for you when it is bothering you. Tell me what's wrong? Is it about tomorrow?"

Connor took a deep breath and start to scratch his head…

"Well… Half an hour ago I couldn't get out of my head what will happen tomorrow. And now I wonder if I should tell him what happened tonight! But the only thing he would have to do is using Google to identify me. And since he is observed others would figure out, too. So, I think I won't!"

"I admit that the timing was not the best!" Janet confessed and blushed before she continued whispering. "But to my and everyone's defense, this party was planned for over a month, and you made the decision to meet your brother three weeks ago!"

"Yeah… I am not mad! I know it was my decision!"

"You doubt if it is a good idea, don't you?"

"The last time he saw me, he lost everything!" Connor murmured, thinking about what happened.

"You lost everything, too! But you said it yourself… you always hear how much he begs to see you again! And that he is happy to meet you again, tomorrow!"

"Yeah… you are right!" Connor said and smiled again before looking down on his award. "You know what…?"

"What?"

"I feel… as if am truly home!" Connor said. "As if I don't have to hide anymore! To be myself! Let's give a fuck on who I once was and what I am! I want to be just myself! Let's life..."

"Aww… That's great!" Janet said and put her arms around her shoulders. "You know… I know you don't like it to be in the focus! Let's get home! I could need some rest… and who knows what the babysitter does with our son?"

"Well…" Connor turned his head away to look into the direction of their house. "… I can tell you that she is not feeding him with cookies again. Joel sleeps and Lisa is playing on her smartphone."

"As long as she is not smooching with her boyfriend in our living-room again, that's fine!" Janet said and hugged her husband again. "Let's say goodbye to everyone and go home…"

Connor followed his wife back inside to tell everyone that Janet is not feeling well (due to her pregnancy) and that they leave the party early. For Connor a good opportunity to get some rest before tomorrow… A day he never dared would come but actually wanted for so long. But that had to come one day… since his real name was not Connor…

After this terrible event last month, Connor felt the urge to face his past… to get clearance… and to see his brother again… after being responsible for him losing the most important in life…

Unaware for everyone in Ketchikan, a woman stood on the deck of a cruise ship while it was shipping over the calm see between some Canadian Islands on its way to the next stop of its journey: Ketchikan, Alaska…

The woman just stood there, feeling the cold breeze over her skin while smelling the salty seawater all around them. The cloudy sky should normally be full of stars. But instead, everything she could see on the sky where the heavy raindrops that fell on the ship.

It was not the best weather to be out on deck now. All other passengers and crew were inside. But the woman needed a moment to be alone to sort her thoughts and to think about tomorrow, when she leaves the ship to visit him. Her son!

She knew, her son was having a great life! He was popular, successful, had many friends and a lot of potential to have a great future ahead of him and his family… a life she was not part of! A life she was not allowed to see and not even to know! A life she was risking with her visit!

She knew it was a huge risk! But after this weird event last month, when she felt like trapped in this weird ocean-fortress in this void, listening to the various versions of her son and their awful stories, she knew she couldn't wait anymore. She gave a fuck on her ex-husband! She gave a fuck on the DOD, the CIA, the FBI and God knows who was stalking her. She gave a fuck on the old bastard who forced his way into her journey and was sitting in their cabin now! She is not going to let him get even close to him! She is going to see her son! She faces him and speaks with him!

Will it end up in a disaster? Maybe! Will he reject her? Probably! Will he grab her and fly her to the desert to dump her there or maybe into a volcano? She would understand! Too much has happened between them! Too many mistakes were made! She knew, they all made mistakes! Some were truly unforgivable! But she is going to face him! Discreetly of course… to not to bust him in front of everyone. He wouldn't survive another public humiliation! She faces him, talks to him, and let him decide if he allows her to see her grandson! And who knows… maybe he allows her to stay until her granddaughter is born? If she manages to let everyone believe that her trip to Ketchikan is not more than a vacation…

"Ma'am, you should go inside! It's getting cold!"

Lois shuddered at the sound of the foreign male voice and turned around to see a crew member approaching her. For some reason, she thought if he could be one of the countless agents, who spied her out over the years. But she already saw him when boarding the ship in San Diego, so she guessed he was just a normal crew member, who was worried for the passenger's wellbeing.

"I just needed some air!" she responded and turned around again. "I am fine!"

"Ma'am, you should really go back inside! We expect worse weather conditions!"

"Fine… I go back!" she told before flinching in pain…

A piercing pain shot through her body and let her shiver. Her face turned pale and she start to tremble.

"Are you okay, ma'am?"

"I am! Sorry…" the woman lied and grabbed into her purse to look for her medicine. "…I just forgot to take my medicine!"

"Come inside! The bar is open! You can get some water there for your pills!"

"Yes… thank you!" she said and followed the man back inside.

Inside it was indeed much warmer, but also more crowded. But she couldn't afford to attract too much attention. She was incognito and couldn't risk anyone figuring out that her name was not Luna Ellis, like it was written on her ID and on the ticket. And that she was not just a normal tourist going on a cruise across the west coast to Alaska…

No… she was on the way to face her son. The son they let feel unwanted and unloved. The son everyone made fun about and disrespected. And that only for not having powers, that seemingly only his brother inherited. Powers she and her ex-husband once hoped that none of them would inherit. Powers, that gave everyone the reason to fully focus on the powered son while not seeing how much the unpowered was suffering under the whole situation.

"Take a seat, ma'am!" the friendly steward said before turning to the bartender. "Hey, Jack… get the woman some water for her medicine. She is not feeling well!"

The bartender just nodded and filled some sparkling water into a glass to place it in front of her. "Here you go, ma'am!"

The woman just nodded silently and put out the small orange dose with the pills. Keeping sure that her hand covers her real name, that was written on it, while taking one.

"Do you need a doctor?"

"No, I am fine!" she lied again. "I just forgot my pill! And I am leaving the ship anyway tomorrow in Ketchikan!"

She hoped to not to be forced to explain why she leaves the ship in Ketchikan and not like most passengers when the cruise ends. Nobody needed to know that she was on a mission, she shouldn't be and that could endanger everything her son build up since his third suicide-attempt, the boy only survived because of alien-technology, his father wanted to keep for himself and his brother…

"Have you ever been in Ketchikan before?" the bartender asked with a smile.

"Once!" the woman confessed. "I made this cruise about three years ago already!"

"You will like it! I know what I say, I am from Ketchikan!" the bartender said with a bright smile.

A smile appeared on her face. Yes, three years ago she went there. Around the time when Joel was born! Her only grandson! And she knew he was not named after Jor-El, but after a granduncle from his human side of his mother's family. And now a daughter was on the way, which let her smile. Wondering what they will call her? She could guess either Candice, Martha… or Lara?

"Thank you for your help! I am feeling much better!" the woman said and lift from her chair to walk away. "I go back to my cabin!"

"Stay inside! The weather is getting worse!" the steward told.

"I will!" she said and left before she had to talk to them more.

She couldn't risk it… nobody should know! Nobody is allowed to know that she is not Luna Ellis, but Lois Lane. The ex-wife of Clark Kent, alias Superman. And that she is on the way to Ketchikan to meet Connor Thompson. Or that Connor Thompson's name was once Jonathan Kent! Like Jonathan Kent, the infamous powerless son of Superman, they neglected and then treated like trash… and that only for not developing powers…

Lois, alias Luna, walked slowly through the quite corridors back to her cabin and shuddered at the thought of what might happen when they meet. She would understand if he grabbed her and flies her to the desert. She would understand if he lasers her to burn her into charcoal. For that too much has happened. Too many times they hurt him. Too many times, they let him down when he truly needed parents! And not just two adult who cared only about his brother's powers.

Jonathan was not the evil, useless, drug-taking nobody they let him feel like even before the X-K… no, he was desperate and confused teenager seeking for love and acceptance from his extraordinary family that he felt he didn't deserve to be part of. Lois shuddered again at the thought that they let everything fall apart. It was not Jon's fault, that they fall apart. They all were responsible for the inevitable. They all contributed something to it.

But after this weird event last month, Lois knew that she had to do it! She had to face him and her mistakes… And she felt the urge to see him again. To look him into the eyes and apologize on her own. Knowing that if she does not do it now… she might never get a chance to. To see him, her grandson, meet his extraordinary wife and maybe her granddaughter… The piercing pain that shot through her body again, was a constant reminder of that she ran out of time…