Fic: Embracing Destiny (5/?)
Title: Embracing Destiny (5/?)
Author: Babette babettew54
Category: Superman Movie-verse
Characters: Lois/Clark/Kal-El, Conner, Jason, Martha, Perry, Lex
Rating: T
Summary: Lois and Clark must fight harder than they’ve ever fought before to keep their family together.
Word Count: 3,000
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Brothers owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author’s Notes: In this next chapter, Conner and Lex face off, Lex’s plot is revealed, and later, Lois and Clark have some very important decisions to make. Please read and please leave a comment. A heads up! Things are moving along pretty swiftly, so if you don’t pop in now, you’re going to miss a lot!! Thanks and enjoy the ride! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1) ( Chapter 2) ( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)
Chapter 5: Targets
High over the skies of western Canada:
Not far away, Clark was scanning the skies with the tracking device still wondering what Luthor had planned for Conner. He was so worried for his son.
Conner was so special to him. He couldn't explain it. It's not as if he loved him more than his other children, but he was a very powerful young man … more powerful than he could ever be. And Clark was worried that with all that power, he may not be able to control his emotions. He could hurt a lot of people and that was something he never wanted for any of his children. It was a burden, having that kind of power and having to restrain your instincts to protect the ones you love, and he never wanted them to feel what he had felt countless times in the past.
Suddenly, he thought he heard the small plane in the distance. His burst of speed startled even himself.
~o~o~
An abandoned airstrip, somewhere in Canada:
The small jet had finally landed and Conner felt so alone. He didn't think he could take what they had planned for him. He suspected Luthor wanted to take his blood and replicate him, make soldiers like him or some other insane plot, but he couldn't allow that to happen.
"Don't come any closer!" Conner told Luthor's goons.
"Take him!" Luthor ordered.
"I mean it; don't come any closer!" Conner yelled at them then he backed his way into a corner. He began to wonder if he could really hurt these people, then he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"What is he doing? I knew this was a bad idea," Mercy murmured. "At least with the younger ones, we had some control. You don't know what this one is capable of doing, Lex," she continued, hoping they could abort this insane mission before anyone got hurt.
"You should listen to her!" Conner snapped. He didn't know how long he could keep this force field around him, so he inched his way toward the door, hoping to flee, but then he thought he heard a swishing sound. He knew his Father would be upset if anyone got hurt. He knew this without a shadow of a doubt, but he may not have a choice. He hated needles.
Suddenly, Superman appeared before them in the door of the plane, hands on his hips breathing heavily, cape flapping in the wind, then he commanded, "Let him go, Lex."
"Not on your life, Superman. He's mine," Luthor answered his demand then pointed a kryptonite gun at him.
Clark nodded his head at the pitiful man. "He was never 'yours' Lex," Superman told him and then he eyed the gun closely. The bullets were green and he was beginning to feel the effects of the green kryptonite inside the plane. He abruptly stopped moving forward.
Lex smirked feeling in control once again. "Yeah, I see you know what's going on here. I suggest you turn around and leave. Conner is not going with you," Lex told the shocked superhero.
"Father?" Conner whispered as he also saw the green kryptonite inside the gun and his Father could be killed. He couldn't let that happen. He then narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the gun in Luthor's hand.
Lex suddenly felt his hold on the gun start to lessen. "How are you doing that?" Lex murmured to him.
"What? What's going on?" Mercy asked. She watched as the gun slowly moved out of Lex's hand and it inexplicably fell to the floor and then it began to melt into a puddle of metal on the floor.
Clark saw his chance and lunged for Lex and tackled him to the floor.
Conner also saw his chance and tackled the goons and tied them up with rope. He turned his eyes on Mercy, raised his eyebrows with a silent question then she backed up and sat down with the goons. He tied her up as well.
Clark brought a stunned and defeated Lex over to the rest of them and tied him up too.
Both superheroes then exited the small plane when they heard voices and noises outside. It was the League.
Batman, Wonder Woman, J'onn Jonz and Jason, walked up to the twosome and smiled. "I see we're late … again!" He shook his head not surprised by this. "What happened in there?"
Conner spotted his brother and couldn't help but smile. "Jason … you came for me?" He asked his younger brother with a smile and walked over to him.
"Of course, knuckle-head," he replied and then they were holding each other close. "Thanks, Jas," Conner said truly moved.
They both pulled back feeling embarrassed by their show of affection. "Nice costume," Conner said and smiled as he looked him over.
Jason puffed up his chest. "I like it too," he said and smiled back.
Clark just shook his head and smiled at his sons. He turned to Batman and the others. "Luthor underestimated Conner's abilities."
"How so?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Conner's unique ability to move objects with his mind never even occurred to Lex, so when he pointed a gun at me loaded with green bullets," he began. He walked over to Conner and Jason. "He removed the gun from his hand and then it melted, and then we saw our chance. Lex and his accomplices are tied up inside."
"I'll go and get them," Wonder Woman said as she approached the small plane.
J'onn followed her for a moment. "Wait!" He exclaimed. J'onn stopped and then turned back and asked an important question. "Conner, did Lex tell you what his plans were while he was bringing you here?"
"No, he never said a word. I asked him, of course. I suspected some wild scheme of … cloning me … maybe, but I can't be sure."
"We'll get the answers we need," Wonder Woman said, as she removed her golden rope from her waist.
Batman and the others, except Superman, Conner and Jason, followed her inside. J'onn was still worried about Lex and what he could reveal to them. He pulled his friends aside once again before they boarded the plane. They then decided that his lady accomplice and Lex's goons would be removed first and only Lex would be questioned.
Lex watched as the League entered the small plane. He knew who they all were and what they were capable of because he had his sources.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, outside the plane, Superman heard cars approaching. It was the Canadian police. He counted at least five vehicles. They had come prepared. Clark assumed they remembered Luthor's mad plots from years ago when he had come there and caused death and destruction in his wake.
After the head car had stopped, Clark came forward. "Gentleman, please wait here for a moment," he said as he approached them. "My team is inside. Luthor is incapacitated but we need to know why he kidnapped Clark Kent's children and then Superboy. He won't be able to lie his way out of this. Please wait here," he stressed again.
The apparent leader of the police force considered this and decided to wait. "You have two minutes," the policeman replied. Clark thanked him and shook his hand.
~o~o~
After Luthor's accomplices had been removed from the jet, Wonder Woman meanwhile, wrapped her lasso around Lex and asked him a question. "Why did you kidnap Clark Kent's children and what were your plans for them?"
Luthor slowly raised his head and gave her the answer.
Diana had one more question. "Did you tell anyone else your suspicions?"
After Lex answered that question, her first instinct was not to believe him, but then she wanted to strangle the man.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, back in Smallville:
Lois Lane-Kent had just gotten the call that Conner had been rescued and that everything was fine. "Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you, Superman," she said hoping no one was listening. "When will they be home?"
"In a few hours," Clark replied. "Goodbye, Mrs. Kent."
"Goodbye, Superman," Lois told him, smiled and hung up.
"Mom?" JoJo wanted to know what was happening.
"Everything is fine, honey. Your Dad, Conner and Jason will be home in a few hours," she announced to the happy group.
JoJo went to her mother and held her close. "I can't wait to see them," she told her.
"Me too, sweetie, me too," Lois said holding her daughter tightly to her.
"What a relief," Martha said and hugged Ben.
"See, I wasn't worried," Ben told her.
Martha pulled back surprised by that statement, but she wouldn't call him on it. "I know you weren't, and thank you for being my rock," she told him, holding him close.
"Anytime, Martha, anytime," Ben told her, then he kissed her forehead.
Lois smiled at them. It seems Clark was right. We may be planning a wedding soon. "Hey, you know what? Can you imagine how hungry three superheroes are going to be once they get back?"
"I can just imagine," Martha replied chuckling.
"I want to help," JoJo told her mother.
Lois turned to her daughter, pushed her long dark hair out of her eyes, and she couldn't help but think. One day you will be out there in the world right beside your Father and brothers helping people, saving people and I couldn't be more proud when and if it happened.
"I know you do," Lois finally replied and smiled at her daughter's sparkling blue eyes.
~o~o~
Back in Canada:
Clark, Conner and Jason decided to ride back to Smallville inside the jet, but it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Well, is anyone going to tell me what Lex's plan was for my children?"
"You don't want to know," Wonder Woman responded. She then concentrated on the navigation equipment. "We should be landing in Smallville in an hour."
Agitated, Clark stood up. "Of course, I want to know. My imagination is probably far worse than anything you could tell me," he said raising his voice a bit.
Diana turned her head to J'onn and raised her eyebrows. He got the message.
"Alright, I'll tell you, but please keep in mind that Lex is insane," J'onn began.
"We know that," Clark replied then he turned to his two sons and spoke to them. "He didn't succeed and he won't, not ever."
Jason and Conner nodded and listened to what J'onn had to say.
J'onn stood up and began to pace, because he was getting upset just thinking about Lex's plans. "He wanted the younger children for their blood, but when Conner showed up he saw his chance to hurt all of you, because he knows Clark. He knows you're Superman."
Clark stiffened as he glanced at his sons. "What else did he say?"
He sighed then glanced at Conner. "You were right. He wanted you for your blood as well, but he wanted to build an army of Superman look-alikes to rule the world."
"How did he think he could control super-beings?" Jason asked confused.
"In his mind, they would have his blood as well, and maybe because they didn't have Clark's influence, he could control them somehow," Batman responded.
"He's a lunatic, Father," Conner told him then he stared at him with a fire in his eyes that Clark had never seen before. "I should have destroyed them all when I had the chance," he blurted out without thinking.
Jason gasped as he stared at his brother with something akin to shame.
Clark saw that look and he had to set Conner straight. He went to him, stood him up and clutched him to his chest. "No, Conner, destroying Lex or anyone else would not have changed anything."
He pulled back and stared at his Father. "Of course it would. He'd be dead and the secret along with him."
Clark inwardly sighed and realized that he needed to understand about killing and why it was wrong. They'd had numerous conversations with all his children about this, but Conner more than the others because he was the most powerful of his children.
"Sit down, son," he told him.
Conner was not in the mood. "Please, Dad, not another lecture. I know I'm right about this. Luthor made me. He knew what he was doing from the start. He knew that he was going to prison, and he suspected the truth back then, even though he didn't know it at the time. But now, he knows about us. He knows you're Clark Kent. He could tell the world, then what? That secret could destroy all of us."
Jason was thinking of his Mother and sister. He began to worry then. "He's right, Dad."
Clark listened to them and he knew it was true. There was no guarantee that Luthor would keep his mouth shut and then the secret could be out. But Clark believed that he wouldn't say a word. As long as Luthor was alive, he wouldn't say anything. He had known about Jason all these years and he hadn't told anyone.
"Clark?" Batman wanted to know what he was thinking.
"Did you ask him if he had told anyone else about me, that I'm Clark Kent?"
"No, he hadn't told anyone else."
"That's a relief, I guess," Clark thoughtfully said.
"But we can't trust him, Clark, not for a minute. If he could escape from a maximum security prison twice, who knows what he could do next," Batman told him.
But before he could come up with an answer to that, Wonder Woman spoke up.
"We're here," Wonder Woman announced. "Buckle up, everyone."
Clark turned to his sons. "We'll talk at the house," Clark said and sat down deep in thought as to what this could mean to his family.
~o~o~
The Kent Farm, a little while later:
Conner and Jason entered the farm house and were immediately surrounded with hugs and kisses and of course the inevitable questions, but Lois had only one, "Where's your Father?"
Conner and Jason glanced at each other but didn't reply.
Lois got the hint. Something must have happened. "Go upstairs and change and then we'll talk. Go on now," she stated firmly when they just stood there not saying anything.
"Mom, where's Dad?" JoJo asked concerned.
"He'll be here in a little while. Go and finish your dinner," Lois told her curious daughter.
Martha went to her daughter-in-law and put her arm around her, but she didn't say anything.
Lois held up her cell. "Should I call him?"
"Call him, honey. Just let him know you're here when he's ready to talk, and then he'll be home in no time. You'll see."
She squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Martha," Lois murmured truly grateful. Then she went out onto the porch and looked up at the sky. Sighing, she dialed his number. He didn't answer but she left him a message, hoping he was listening. "I know you. I know how your mind works … brooding and being alone … but I'm here waiting for you. We all are. We love you and need you. Please come home." She hung up and waited, then a call came through.
"I'm on my way," Clark told her then the phone went silent. Minutes later, he drifted down from the sky and walked up the stairs to the porch. He didn't say anything but took Lois into his arms. He kissed her and she kissed him back for a moment.
Lois pulled back and touched his cheek. "Everyone is safe. That's all that matters, and whatever is bothering you, we'll work it out."
He nodded, loving her so much in that moment. She took his hand as they entered the house.
TBC!
~o~o~
A/N: Oh, man, the family has some hard thinking to do. Come back in a week to find out what happens next. Thanks for reading. Reviews are love. I would really, really appreciate a note of … good job or update soon … just something to know you're reading. Thanks, everyone!
Author: Babette babettew54
Category: Superman Movie-verse
Characters: Lois/Clark/Kal-El, Conner, Jason, Martha, Perry, Lex
Rating: T
Summary: Lois and Clark must fight harder than they’ve ever fought before to keep their family together.
Word Count: 3,000
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Brothers owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author’s Notes: In this next chapter, Conner and Lex face off, Lex’s plot is revealed, and later, Lois and Clark have some very important decisions to make. Please read and please leave a comment. A heads up! Things are moving along pretty swiftly, so if you don’t pop in now, you’re going to miss a lot!! Thanks and enjoy the ride! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1) ( Chapter 2) ( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)
Chapter 5: Targets
High over the skies of western Canada:
Not far away, Clark was scanning the skies with the tracking device still wondering what Luthor had planned for Conner. He was so worried for his son.
Conner was so special to him. He couldn't explain it. It's not as if he loved him more than his other children, but he was a very powerful young man … more powerful than he could ever be. And Clark was worried that with all that power, he may not be able to control his emotions. He could hurt a lot of people and that was something he never wanted for any of his children. It was a burden, having that kind of power and having to restrain your instincts to protect the ones you love, and he never wanted them to feel what he had felt countless times in the past.
Suddenly, he thought he heard the small plane in the distance. His burst of speed startled even himself.
~o~o~
An abandoned airstrip, somewhere in Canada:
The small jet had finally landed and Conner felt so alone. He didn't think he could take what they had planned for him. He suspected Luthor wanted to take his blood and replicate him, make soldiers like him or some other insane plot, but he couldn't allow that to happen.
"Don't come any closer!" Conner told Luthor's goons.
"Take him!" Luthor ordered.
"I mean it; don't come any closer!" Conner yelled at them then he backed his way into a corner. He began to wonder if he could really hurt these people, then he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"What is he doing? I knew this was a bad idea," Mercy murmured. "At least with the younger ones, we had some control. You don't know what this one is capable of doing, Lex," she continued, hoping they could abort this insane mission before anyone got hurt.
"You should listen to her!" Conner snapped. He didn't know how long he could keep this force field around him, so he inched his way toward the door, hoping to flee, but then he thought he heard a swishing sound. He knew his Father would be upset if anyone got hurt. He knew this without a shadow of a doubt, but he may not have a choice. He hated needles.
Suddenly, Superman appeared before them in the door of the plane, hands on his hips breathing heavily, cape flapping in the wind, then he commanded, "Let him go, Lex."
"Not on your life, Superman. He's mine," Luthor answered his demand then pointed a kryptonite gun at him.
Clark nodded his head at the pitiful man. "He was never 'yours' Lex," Superman told him and then he eyed the gun closely. The bullets were green and he was beginning to feel the effects of the green kryptonite inside the plane. He abruptly stopped moving forward.
Lex smirked feeling in control once again. "Yeah, I see you know what's going on here. I suggest you turn around and leave. Conner is not going with you," Lex told the shocked superhero.
"Father?" Conner whispered as he also saw the green kryptonite inside the gun and his Father could be killed. He couldn't let that happen. He then narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the gun in Luthor's hand.
Lex suddenly felt his hold on the gun start to lessen. "How are you doing that?" Lex murmured to him.
"What? What's going on?" Mercy asked. She watched as the gun slowly moved out of Lex's hand and it inexplicably fell to the floor and then it began to melt into a puddle of metal on the floor.
Clark saw his chance and lunged for Lex and tackled him to the floor.
Conner also saw his chance and tackled the goons and tied them up with rope. He turned his eyes on Mercy, raised his eyebrows with a silent question then she backed up and sat down with the goons. He tied her up as well.
Clark brought a stunned and defeated Lex over to the rest of them and tied him up too.
Both superheroes then exited the small plane when they heard voices and noises outside. It was the League.
Batman, Wonder Woman, J'onn Jonz and Jason, walked up to the twosome and smiled. "I see we're late … again!" He shook his head not surprised by this. "What happened in there?"
Conner spotted his brother and couldn't help but smile. "Jason … you came for me?" He asked his younger brother with a smile and walked over to him.
"Of course, knuckle-head," he replied and then they were holding each other close. "Thanks, Jas," Conner said truly moved.
They both pulled back feeling embarrassed by their show of affection. "Nice costume," Conner said and smiled as he looked him over.
Jason puffed up his chest. "I like it too," he said and smiled back.
Clark just shook his head and smiled at his sons. He turned to Batman and the others. "Luthor underestimated Conner's abilities."
"How so?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Conner's unique ability to move objects with his mind never even occurred to Lex, so when he pointed a gun at me loaded with green bullets," he began. He walked over to Conner and Jason. "He removed the gun from his hand and then it melted, and then we saw our chance. Lex and his accomplices are tied up inside."
"I'll go and get them," Wonder Woman said as she approached the small plane.
J'onn followed her for a moment. "Wait!" He exclaimed. J'onn stopped and then turned back and asked an important question. "Conner, did Lex tell you what his plans were while he was bringing you here?"
"No, he never said a word. I asked him, of course. I suspected some wild scheme of … cloning me … maybe, but I can't be sure."
"We'll get the answers we need," Wonder Woman said, as she removed her golden rope from her waist.
Batman and the others, except Superman, Conner and Jason, followed her inside. J'onn was still worried about Lex and what he could reveal to them. He pulled his friends aside once again before they boarded the plane. They then decided that his lady accomplice and Lex's goons would be removed first and only Lex would be questioned.
Lex watched as the League entered the small plane. He knew who they all were and what they were capable of because he had his sources.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, outside the plane, Superman heard cars approaching. It was the Canadian police. He counted at least five vehicles. They had come prepared. Clark assumed they remembered Luthor's mad plots from years ago when he had come there and caused death and destruction in his wake.
After the head car had stopped, Clark came forward. "Gentleman, please wait here for a moment," he said as he approached them. "My team is inside. Luthor is incapacitated but we need to know why he kidnapped Clark Kent's children and then Superboy. He won't be able to lie his way out of this. Please wait here," he stressed again.
The apparent leader of the police force considered this and decided to wait. "You have two minutes," the policeman replied. Clark thanked him and shook his hand.
~o~o~
After Luthor's accomplices had been removed from the jet, Wonder Woman meanwhile, wrapped her lasso around Lex and asked him a question. "Why did you kidnap Clark Kent's children and what were your plans for them?"
Luthor slowly raised his head and gave her the answer.
Diana had one more question. "Did you tell anyone else your suspicions?"
After Lex answered that question, her first instinct was not to believe him, but then she wanted to strangle the man.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, back in Smallville:
Lois Lane-Kent had just gotten the call that Conner had been rescued and that everything was fine. "Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you, Superman," she said hoping no one was listening. "When will they be home?"
"In a few hours," Clark replied. "Goodbye, Mrs. Kent."
"Goodbye, Superman," Lois told him, smiled and hung up.
"Mom?" JoJo wanted to know what was happening.
"Everything is fine, honey. Your Dad, Conner and Jason will be home in a few hours," she announced to the happy group.
JoJo went to her mother and held her close. "I can't wait to see them," she told her.
"Me too, sweetie, me too," Lois said holding her daughter tightly to her.
"What a relief," Martha said and hugged Ben.
"See, I wasn't worried," Ben told her.
Martha pulled back surprised by that statement, but she wouldn't call him on it. "I know you weren't, and thank you for being my rock," she told him, holding him close.
"Anytime, Martha, anytime," Ben told her, then he kissed her forehead.
Lois smiled at them. It seems Clark was right. We may be planning a wedding soon. "Hey, you know what? Can you imagine how hungry three superheroes are going to be once they get back?"
"I can just imagine," Martha replied chuckling.
"I want to help," JoJo told her mother.
Lois turned to her daughter, pushed her long dark hair out of her eyes, and she couldn't help but think. One day you will be out there in the world right beside your Father and brothers helping people, saving people and I couldn't be more proud when and if it happened.
"I know you do," Lois finally replied and smiled at her daughter's sparkling blue eyes.
~o~o~
Back in Canada:
Clark, Conner and Jason decided to ride back to Smallville inside the jet, but it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Well, is anyone going to tell me what Lex's plan was for my children?"
"You don't want to know," Wonder Woman responded. She then concentrated on the navigation equipment. "We should be landing in Smallville in an hour."
Agitated, Clark stood up. "Of course, I want to know. My imagination is probably far worse than anything you could tell me," he said raising his voice a bit.
Diana turned her head to J'onn and raised her eyebrows. He got the message.
"Alright, I'll tell you, but please keep in mind that Lex is insane," J'onn began.
"We know that," Clark replied then he turned to his two sons and spoke to them. "He didn't succeed and he won't, not ever."
Jason and Conner nodded and listened to what J'onn had to say.
J'onn stood up and began to pace, because he was getting upset just thinking about Lex's plans. "He wanted the younger children for their blood, but when Conner showed up he saw his chance to hurt all of you, because he knows Clark. He knows you're Superman."
Clark stiffened as he glanced at his sons. "What else did he say?"
He sighed then glanced at Conner. "You were right. He wanted you for your blood as well, but he wanted to build an army of Superman look-alikes to rule the world."
"How did he think he could control super-beings?" Jason asked confused.
"In his mind, they would have his blood as well, and maybe because they didn't have Clark's influence, he could control them somehow," Batman responded.
"He's a lunatic, Father," Conner told him then he stared at him with a fire in his eyes that Clark had never seen before. "I should have destroyed them all when I had the chance," he blurted out without thinking.
Jason gasped as he stared at his brother with something akin to shame.
Clark saw that look and he had to set Conner straight. He went to him, stood him up and clutched him to his chest. "No, Conner, destroying Lex or anyone else would not have changed anything."
He pulled back and stared at his Father. "Of course it would. He'd be dead and the secret along with him."
Clark inwardly sighed and realized that he needed to understand about killing and why it was wrong. They'd had numerous conversations with all his children about this, but Conner more than the others because he was the most powerful of his children.
"Sit down, son," he told him.
Conner was not in the mood. "Please, Dad, not another lecture. I know I'm right about this. Luthor made me. He knew what he was doing from the start. He knew that he was going to prison, and he suspected the truth back then, even though he didn't know it at the time. But now, he knows about us. He knows you're Clark Kent. He could tell the world, then what? That secret could destroy all of us."
Jason was thinking of his Mother and sister. He began to worry then. "He's right, Dad."
Clark listened to them and he knew it was true. There was no guarantee that Luthor would keep his mouth shut and then the secret could be out. But Clark believed that he wouldn't say a word. As long as Luthor was alive, he wouldn't say anything. He had known about Jason all these years and he hadn't told anyone.
"Clark?" Batman wanted to know what he was thinking.
"Did you ask him if he had told anyone else about me, that I'm Clark Kent?"
"No, he hadn't told anyone else."
"That's a relief, I guess," Clark thoughtfully said.
"But we can't trust him, Clark, not for a minute. If he could escape from a maximum security prison twice, who knows what he could do next," Batman told him.
But before he could come up with an answer to that, Wonder Woman spoke up.
"We're here," Wonder Woman announced. "Buckle up, everyone."
Clark turned to his sons. "We'll talk at the house," Clark said and sat down deep in thought as to what this could mean to his family.
~o~o~
The Kent Farm, a little while later:
Conner and Jason entered the farm house and were immediately surrounded with hugs and kisses and of course the inevitable questions, but Lois had only one, "Where's your Father?"
Conner and Jason glanced at each other but didn't reply.
Lois got the hint. Something must have happened. "Go upstairs and change and then we'll talk. Go on now," she stated firmly when they just stood there not saying anything.
"Mom, where's Dad?" JoJo asked concerned.
"He'll be here in a little while. Go and finish your dinner," Lois told her curious daughter.
Martha went to her daughter-in-law and put her arm around her, but she didn't say anything.
Lois held up her cell. "Should I call him?"
"Call him, honey. Just let him know you're here when he's ready to talk, and then he'll be home in no time. You'll see."
She squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Martha," Lois murmured truly grateful. Then she went out onto the porch and looked up at the sky. Sighing, she dialed his number. He didn't answer but she left him a message, hoping he was listening. "I know you. I know how your mind works … brooding and being alone … but I'm here waiting for you. We all are. We love you and need you. Please come home." She hung up and waited, then a call came through.
"I'm on my way," Clark told her then the phone went silent. Minutes later, he drifted down from the sky and walked up the stairs to the porch. He didn't say anything but took Lois into his arms. He kissed her and she kissed him back for a moment.
Lois pulled back and touched his cheek. "Everyone is safe. That's all that matters, and whatever is bothering you, we'll work it out."
He nodded, loving her so much in that moment. She took his hand as they entered the house.
TBC!
~o~o~
A/N: Oh, man, the family has some hard thinking to do. Come back in a week to find out what happens next. Thanks for reading. Reviews are love. I would really, really appreciate a note of … good job or update soon … just something to know you're reading. Thanks, everyone!