Fic: I Still Believe (2/?)
Title: I Still Believe (2/?)
Author: babettew54
Category: Superman Returns, Superman/Batman Comics
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Joanne/Samuel, Bruce/Diana, Lex Luthor II, Jason, Connor, Martha/Ben
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,300
Summary: This is a story about secrets and lies how they always come out and usually at the worst possible time.
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment owns these characters, except for Joanne Kent and Samuel Hamilton; they’re mine. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author's Notes: Hello all! I’m back from vacation, and I’m so ready to get this story going. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There was a lot more I wanted to say, but then I thought, hold off on SammyJo’s big talk, so here it is and I hope you like it. Please leave a comment when you get a moment. Thanks guys! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1)
x-posted to: (AO3); (FFN)
Chapter 2: Home to Stay
The Kent house:
Lois and Clark quietly stood by and watched Sam and Jo stand remarkably still watching, just watching, both content just to stare, not saying a word.
After glancing at his wife’s raised eyebrows, meaning he should say something, Clark finally spoke up. “Umm, Sam, why don’t you take Jo for a walk so you can talk … in private?”
Sam finally tore his eyes away from Jo and sighing to himself, truly grateful for Mr. Kent’s suggestion, he said, “Thank you, Mr. Kent. Jo, would you mind taking a walk with me?” He walked over to the landing and tried to smile, hoping she would at least talk to him.
Jo felt so many emotions at the moment, it was hard to think when he was staring at her like that, as if to say, he would do anything if she would talk to him, but she truly wasn’t sure what to do.
“Please Jo,” Sam pleaded quietly.
Jo sighed heavily as if she were bored. “Alright but only for a minute; I have to study for finals.”
“Of course, only for a few minutes,” Sam replied, getting his hopes up that she at least agreed to talk to him.
“Alright, you two, we’ll see you back here in a little while.” Lois paused, neither one of them moved. “Go on now.”
After they had left, Clark turned to Lois. “Remind you of anyone?”’
She shook her head. “Yes, it does.”
Clark pulled her close and sighed against her hair. “I hope this works.”
“I hope so too.”
~o~o~
Sam followed Jo outside. “Jo, wait a minute. I have my parents’ car. Would you like to take a drive?”
Jo closed her eyes and sighed. She didn’t want to go for a drive. She wanted answers. “There’s a city park not far from here. I’d rather walk.”
“Sure, after you,” he agreed then followed her close behind for a few steps then came up beside her until their steps were in sync.
After a few blocks, Jo could not stand the silence anymore. “So, you came home. Why, now Sam?”
“I wanted to come home before now to see my parents, to see you, but …” He hesitated.
She touched his arm to stop him from walking. “What stopped you?”
He sighed and began walking again. “You must have some idea.”
She followed close behind. “It’s me, isn’t it?” It was a statement not a question.
He stopped walking. It was time to clear the air, time to set things right for both of them then he took her hand. They both stared at the joined hands, each breathing a bit easier.
“No, Jo, it wasn’t you.”
“Then why didn’t you come home? Please Sam.” She paused. “I missed you.”
In spite of his resolve to stay away from her because he knew he wasn’t worthy, her words warmed his heart. He grinned. “I missed you too.”
“Then why didn’t you come home or call me?”
“Things got busy at school, and …” he hesitated. He certainly could not tell her that he had spent countless hours finding out all he possibly could about his supposed Father and his illegal activities.
She frowned. “That’s not it. I want the truth, Sam.”
He turned slightly to hide his face. “The truth …? I don’t know what that is anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
He turned back to her then. “I don’t know who I am, and I couldn’t face you especially after the truth came out about … him.” He paused. “I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize, Sam, I understand.” She watched him closely. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Yes, I do,” he replied, with a hopeful expression. Jo was always so insightful and knew what to say to him, and he now knew that he should have come home sooner.
She pulled his hand and led him to the park where they sat down on the bench. “Sammy …?” She began.
“Sammy?” He chuckled.
She chuckled too. “Sometimes I think of us when we were younger, just Sammy and JoJo, but we’re not kids anymore, and I think that’s part of the problem.”
She amazed him as always. “Oh, I know it is,” he admitted. “When I look at you, Jo, I don’t see that little girl with pigtails, but a beautiful woman completely open to me, and I got scared.”
“We were both scared,” she finally admitted it.
Sam didn’t believe that. “You’re not afraid of anything, Jo. You and your family are invincible. I’m just a lowly follower hoping to get a glimpse of you, hoping to be in your circle of brilliant light if only for a little while.”
Jo could not believe what he had just said. “Is that what you honestly think of us? We’re not gods, Sam.”
“I didn’t mean …” He began, trying to explain.
Disappointed, she stood up to leave, as tears sprang into her eyes. She continued. “Don’t you remember what happened to Conner?”
“Of course, I remember.” He stood up and grabbed her arm. “Jo wait, please don’t go. That’s not what I meant at all.”
“There’s no need to explain.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand then she turned back to face him. “All this time, I thought you wanted to find yourself, so I made excuses in my mind. Oh, he’ll come back when he realizes that none of it mattered, that I don’t care who his father was, or any of that, but that wasn’t the reason at all. It was me, who and what I am.” She paused as she looked him in the eye. “Goodbye, Sam.”
He managed to catch up to her before she reached the house, but she pulled away from him when he grabbed her arm again. “Jo, you know how I feel about you. I’m just confused about a lot of things.”
She couldn’t look at him and didn’t know what to say to him, but he just admitted he had feelings for her. Jo couldn’t breathe but stood there and waited for him to say more.
“Look, you were right. You were the real reason why I stayed away. I didn’t come home because of my feelings for you. I’ve known for a long time.” He turned her to face him, but she wouldn’t look at him. He raised her chin. “I was confused about where I belong and how I fit in, but not about this, never about this.” He touched her cheek and wiped away a stray tear then he leaned down towards her. He closed his eyes, and she closed hers, as well, then they kissed for the first time, tentatively and sweetly and then he pulled her to him. She kissed him back in spite of his confusion and her worry of him accepting who she was inside, meaning her super abilities.
Sam pulled back after a minute or two. Smiling at the look on her face, he whispered, “Now that was undoubtedly worth the wait. I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”
Jo actually blushed. He stroked her cheek again. “Jo, I’ll understand if you say no, but I’d love to take you to your prom.”
“My prom, but …” She was shocked, but inwardly thrilled he would do that for her.
“Say yes Jo. It would give us more time to talk, to sort out our feelings, not that we won’t have more time.” He grinned at her confusion. “I haven’t even told my parents yet, but I’ll be transferring to MetU in the fall.” He paused as he looked into her eyes. “I’m home to stay.”
Jo tried to keep her composure and not burst into tears of happiness. He could see how happy she was with the news. He pulled her close. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“But, are you sure?” She asked as she closed her eyes, loving being in his arms.
He pulled back and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Let me reassure you this way,” he murmured and then he kissed her again.
After a few minutes, someone cleared their throat. It was Conner. “Hello, brother.”
~o~o~
Jo and Sam awkwardly jumped apart then sighed in relief that it wasn’t her Father. Conner sounded and looked so much like her Father that it was uncanny sometimes. Even though her Father seemed to accept Sam, he still treated her as if she were still too young to be dating or seeing boys.
“Where did you come from?” Jo asked her brother.
“Home for a visit.” He turned as Jason got out of the car and went to greet his sister and Sam.
“Welcome home, Sam,” Jason greeted him with a handshake. He also hugged his sister. Conner was not one for much affection.
“Thanks, Jason,” Sam said then he turned to Conner. He held out his hand. “Hello Conner. I know we haven’t had much time to get to know each other.”
“Well, how long are you here? We could remedy that,” Conner said, shook his hand and waited for an answer.
Jo spoke up then as she took Sam’s hand, and looked up into his face. “He’s here to stay, right Sam?”
“Yes, actually I am. I’ll be transferring to Metropolis University starting in September,” he replied, eyes only for Jo.
“That is terrific news. Wouldn’t you agree, Conner?” Jason asked his unusually quiet brother.
“Humm, if we could tear him away from our sister, I might agree with you,” Conner replied only half-joking.
Jo swatted Conner’s arm. “Just ignore him. Come on Sam, I wanted to show you something before you head home and give your parents the happy news.”
As they entered the house, Jason and Conner watched them for a moment. “Take it easy on him. Jo was miserable while he was away. We want her to be happy, Conner.”
“I know that Jason, but what was the real reason he stayed away? It’s obvious how much he cares about her.”
Jason thought about that. “That’s a good question.”
~o~o~
Upstairs in Jo’s bedroom:
“I shouldn’t be in here Jo,” Sam stated looking around a little afraid he may be burned alive by her brother’s heat vision or something.
“Don’t be silly, come here. I never showed you these before. I feel like a silly kid whenever I look at them, but I truly loved the wedding and how lovely it was.”
Sam sat down next to her on the bed and looked at the photos from over seven years ago. “Why would you want to look at these? Look at me,” he chuckled. “My suit was hanging all over me.”
“I liked your suit,” she stated with a straight face and tried not to laugh.
“Uh, huh, but you looked beautiful, Jo. Lavender certainly becomes you. Any color would look fantastic on you, but with me, no such luck. With my strange hair color, I have to be careful what I where.”
“I like black,” she encouraged him.
He chuckled. “Humm, now that you mention it, I do tend to lean toward that color.” He could tell she was teasing him. “If you want me to, I could try brown or beige or …?” He teased her back with a grin.
“Oh you!” She laughed at his teasing. It felt so nice to laugh.
Feeling bold, he touched her arm. “Jo, you never answered my question.”
“What question?”
He shook his head at her. “Will you let me take you to your prom?” A beat then, “Well?”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “It is short notice, only a week away, and I have had other offers. I’d have to think about it.”
He frowned at her, but then he saw a quirk to her lips as if she were trying really hard not to smile, so he decided to wait for her answer. “I’m not leaving until I get an answer … yes or no.”
After a minute or two of staring at photos, then she sighed. “Alright, I’ll go.”
“Was that so hard?”
“Actually it was,” she admitted.
“But why?”
She turned to stare at him. “Sam, you’ve been gone for almost a year, and in a matter of a what, an hour, I’m supposed to change all my plans and go out with you?”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What, what am I forgetting?”
“This,” he murmured and then he leaned in for another kiss.
Jo was in heaven. After a minute or two, she pulled back and smiled at his teasing eyes. “Hey, you don’t play fair,” she pouted prettily.
“You know what they say … all’s fair in love and war,” he quipped, but then his eyes became serious after he realized what he had said. “I have to go. I’ll call you later about our plans.” He hesitated, hoping she would initiate a kiss this time.
“Bye Sam,” she finally said then she leaned in and kissed him … a quick kiss, nothing too forward, just a kiss. “Welcome home, Sam.” She smiled at him.
“Thanks, Jo. It’s great to be home.” He stood up then as if he couldn’t bear to leave. “Bye,” he whispered then smiled.
“Bye,” she smiled back.
Then he was gone.
Jo couldn’t help it. She was so happy that she threw herself onto her bed, the photos went flying, but she did not care. Sam was home.
~o~o~
Lois and Clark could hear their daughter’s laughter. It had been a long while since they had heard that sound. “I think we did the right thing, Clark.”
“Yeah, I think so too.” He agreed then he thought, I may as well get this over with. “Lois, honey, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it Clark? Is it about Jo?”
“In a way, here, let’s go outside and talk. It’s a beautiful day.”
Lois frowned but did not reply as she held tightly to her husband’s hand. They sat down on the two-seater swing. Clark pulled his wife close to his side and looked up at the sky. They sat that way for a while then he pulled her closer and kissed her temple.
Now Lois was beginning to worry. “Clark, is something wrong?” He didn’t reply. “You’re scaring me. What is it?”
“It’s nothing, not really, but it’s kind of hard to talk about it. I never for a moment thought this would happen.”
“What happened? Tell me.” Lois feared the worst.
He sighed heavily. “Superman will have a statue built, and it will stand in Centennial Park for the entire city to stare at and to mock.” He wrinkled his nose not liking the idea at all.
“What did you just say? A statue built in your likeness? Clark, that’s wonderful.”
“How in the world could say that? It’s a terrible idea.” He stood up and ran his hands through his hair. He had thought that Lois would understand how he felt. He never wanted any recognition for any of it.
Lois stood up, went to him then turned him to face her. “Clark, this isn’t truly about you. It’s about what you stand for and what you believe in. You know that, don’t you?”
“I suppose, but …”
“Honey, think of it this way, your children and your children’s children will look up at you and know what you stand for and think about being a hero, someone who would never hurt anyone, who wants to do some good in this world and most of all that one man can make a difference. That is what this is all about.” She waited for him to say something.
“I never thought of it that way.”
“You should think long and hard about this, Clark.”
“I have thought about it for weeks now.”
Lois was shocked. “Did you say weeks? Why didn’t you tell me about it before?”
“Well … I,” he hesitated.
“Keeping secrets again? You know better than that, Mr. Kent.” She tried not to be angry at him.
“I’m sorry, Lois, but …”
“No buts, Clark. We are a family and your decision affects all of us.”
“You’re right, of course. We’ll have a family meeting in a few days.”
“I think the kids will be thrilled for you, just as I am.”
Clark was not so sure about that. “I hope so.”
~o~o~
Later that night at the Hamilton house:
It had been a long day. Sam was exhausted but so happy to be home. His room was exactly as he had left it. Nothing had changed, except one important thing. His feelings for Jo had increased tenfold if that were possible. From the moment he had returned home, a part of him had wondered if they could pick up from the past, but it appeared as if it were true. It thrilled and excited him in spite of his earlier doubts.
Once in bed, he climbed under the covers, but all too soon his inner doubts reared their ugly head in his dreams. He couldn’t fight those. They had become relentless in the past few weeks, but now there was no stopping them.
~o~o~
Somewhere in the mists of a dream:
It was him. He could hear his laughter, a laugh that haunted him even in his waking hours, but this time there was a scream … a bloodcurdling scream that caused his heart to stop beating. “Jo!”
“Sam!” Her voice came to him clear and in pain.
“Jo! Where are you?!” His mind screamed for her to come to him, but it was dark.
“Sam!”
He saw him then standing before him, still laughing and taunting him.
He woke up then as sweat poured from his body, the fear of losing Jo caused his heart to plummet to his knees.
What does it mean? Why am I having these dreams now when I’m so happy …why?
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Home to Stay, Josh Groban
A/N: I hope you enjoyed their talk. Stay tuned for more. Update in a week. Thanks for reading everyone, and reviews are love.
Author: babettew54
Category: Superman Returns, Superman/Batman Comics
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Joanne/Samuel, Bruce/Diana, Lex Luthor II, Jason, Connor, Martha/Ben
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,300
Summary: This is a story about secrets and lies how they always come out and usually at the worst possible time.
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment owns these characters, except for Joanne Kent and Samuel Hamilton; they’re mine. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author's Notes: Hello all! I’m back from vacation, and I’m so ready to get this story going. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There was a lot more I wanted to say, but then I thought, hold off on SammyJo’s big talk, so here it is and I hope you like it. Please leave a comment when you get a moment. Thanks guys! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1)
x-posted to: (AO3); (FFN)
Chapter 2: Home to Stay
The Kent house:
Lois and Clark quietly stood by and watched Sam and Jo stand remarkably still watching, just watching, both content just to stare, not saying a word.
After glancing at his wife’s raised eyebrows, meaning he should say something, Clark finally spoke up. “Umm, Sam, why don’t you take Jo for a walk so you can talk … in private?”
Sam finally tore his eyes away from Jo and sighing to himself, truly grateful for Mr. Kent’s suggestion, he said, “Thank you, Mr. Kent. Jo, would you mind taking a walk with me?” He walked over to the landing and tried to smile, hoping she would at least talk to him.
Jo felt so many emotions at the moment, it was hard to think when he was staring at her like that, as if to say, he would do anything if she would talk to him, but she truly wasn’t sure what to do.
“Please Jo,” Sam pleaded quietly.
Jo sighed heavily as if she were bored. “Alright but only for a minute; I have to study for finals.”
“Of course, only for a few minutes,” Sam replied, getting his hopes up that she at least agreed to talk to him.
“Alright, you two, we’ll see you back here in a little while.” Lois paused, neither one of them moved. “Go on now.”
After they had left, Clark turned to Lois. “Remind you of anyone?”’
She shook her head. “Yes, it does.”
Clark pulled her close and sighed against her hair. “I hope this works.”
“I hope so too.”
~o~o~
Sam followed Jo outside. “Jo, wait a minute. I have my parents’ car. Would you like to take a drive?”
Jo closed her eyes and sighed. She didn’t want to go for a drive. She wanted answers. “There’s a city park not far from here. I’d rather walk.”
“Sure, after you,” he agreed then followed her close behind for a few steps then came up beside her until their steps were in sync.
After a few blocks, Jo could not stand the silence anymore. “So, you came home. Why, now Sam?”
“I wanted to come home before now to see my parents, to see you, but …” He hesitated.
She touched his arm to stop him from walking. “What stopped you?”
He sighed and began walking again. “You must have some idea.”
She followed close behind. “It’s me, isn’t it?” It was a statement not a question.
He stopped walking. It was time to clear the air, time to set things right for both of them then he took her hand. They both stared at the joined hands, each breathing a bit easier.
“No, Jo, it wasn’t you.”
“Then why didn’t you come home? Please Sam.” She paused. “I missed you.”
In spite of his resolve to stay away from her because he knew he wasn’t worthy, her words warmed his heart. He grinned. “I missed you too.”
“Then why didn’t you come home or call me?”
“Things got busy at school, and …” he hesitated. He certainly could not tell her that he had spent countless hours finding out all he possibly could about his supposed Father and his illegal activities.
She frowned. “That’s not it. I want the truth, Sam.”
He turned slightly to hide his face. “The truth …? I don’t know what that is anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
He turned back to her then. “I don’t know who I am, and I couldn’t face you especially after the truth came out about … him.” He paused. “I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize, Sam, I understand.” She watched him closely. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Yes, I do,” he replied, with a hopeful expression. Jo was always so insightful and knew what to say to him, and he now knew that he should have come home sooner.
She pulled his hand and led him to the park where they sat down on the bench. “Sammy …?” She began.
“Sammy?” He chuckled.
She chuckled too. “Sometimes I think of us when we were younger, just Sammy and JoJo, but we’re not kids anymore, and I think that’s part of the problem.”
She amazed him as always. “Oh, I know it is,” he admitted. “When I look at you, Jo, I don’t see that little girl with pigtails, but a beautiful woman completely open to me, and I got scared.”
“We were both scared,” she finally admitted it.
Sam didn’t believe that. “You’re not afraid of anything, Jo. You and your family are invincible. I’m just a lowly follower hoping to get a glimpse of you, hoping to be in your circle of brilliant light if only for a little while.”
Jo could not believe what he had just said. “Is that what you honestly think of us? We’re not gods, Sam.”
“I didn’t mean …” He began, trying to explain.
Disappointed, she stood up to leave, as tears sprang into her eyes. She continued. “Don’t you remember what happened to Conner?”
“Of course, I remember.” He stood up and grabbed her arm. “Jo wait, please don’t go. That’s not what I meant at all.”
“There’s no need to explain.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand then she turned back to face him. “All this time, I thought you wanted to find yourself, so I made excuses in my mind. Oh, he’ll come back when he realizes that none of it mattered, that I don’t care who his father was, or any of that, but that wasn’t the reason at all. It was me, who and what I am.” She paused as she looked him in the eye. “Goodbye, Sam.”
He managed to catch up to her before she reached the house, but she pulled away from him when he grabbed her arm again. “Jo, you know how I feel about you. I’m just confused about a lot of things.”
She couldn’t look at him and didn’t know what to say to him, but he just admitted he had feelings for her. Jo couldn’t breathe but stood there and waited for him to say more.
“Look, you were right. You were the real reason why I stayed away. I didn’t come home because of my feelings for you. I’ve known for a long time.” He turned her to face him, but she wouldn’t look at him. He raised her chin. “I was confused about where I belong and how I fit in, but not about this, never about this.” He touched her cheek and wiped away a stray tear then he leaned down towards her. He closed his eyes, and she closed hers, as well, then they kissed for the first time, tentatively and sweetly and then he pulled her to him. She kissed him back in spite of his confusion and her worry of him accepting who she was inside, meaning her super abilities.
Sam pulled back after a minute or two. Smiling at the look on her face, he whispered, “Now that was undoubtedly worth the wait. I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”
Jo actually blushed. He stroked her cheek again. “Jo, I’ll understand if you say no, but I’d love to take you to your prom.”
“My prom, but …” She was shocked, but inwardly thrilled he would do that for her.
“Say yes Jo. It would give us more time to talk, to sort out our feelings, not that we won’t have more time.” He grinned at her confusion. “I haven’t even told my parents yet, but I’ll be transferring to MetU in the fall.” He paused as he looked into her eyes. “I’m home to stay.”
Jo tried to keep her composure and not burst into tears of happiness. He could see how happy she was with the news. He pulled her close. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“But, are you sure?” She asked as she closed her eyes, loving being in his arms.
He pulled back and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Let me reassure you this way,” he murmured and then he kissed her again.
After a few minutes, someone cleared their throat. It was Conner. “Hello, brother.”
~o~o~
Jo and Sam awkwardly jumped apart then sighed in relief that it wasn’t her Father. Conner sounded and looked so much like her Father that it was uncanny sometimes. Even though her Father seemed to accept Sam, he still treated her as if she were still too young to be dating or seeing boys.
“Where did you come from?” Jo asked her brother.
“Home for a visit.” He turned as Jason got out of the car and went to greet his sister and Sam.
“Welcome home, Sam,” Jason greeted him with a handshake. He also hugged his sister. Conner was not one for much affection.
“Thanks, Jason,” Sam said then he turned to Conner. He held out his hand. “Hello Conner. I know we haven’t had much time to get to know each other.”
“Well, how long are you here? We could remedy that,” Conner said, shook his hand and waited for an answer.
Jo spoke up then as she took Sam’s hand, and looked up into his face. “He’s here to stay, right Sam?”
“Yes, actually I am. I’ll be transferring to Metropolis University starting in September,” he replied, eyes only for Jo.
“That is terrific news. Wouldn’t you agree, Conner?” Jason asked his unusually quiet brother.
“Humm, if we could tear him away from our sister, I might agree with you,” Conner replied only half-joking.
Jo swatted Conner’s arm. “Just ignore him. Come on Sam, I wanted to show you something before you head home and give your parents the happy news.”
As they entered the house, Jason and Conner watched them for a moment. “Take it easy on him. Jo was miserable while he was away. We want her to be happy, Conner.”
“I know that Jason, but what was the real reason he stayed away? It’s obvious how much he cares about her.”
Jason thought about that. “That’s a good question.”
~o~o~
Upstairs in Jo’s bedroom:
“I shouldn’t be in here Jo,” Sam stated looking around a little afraid he may be burned alive by her brother’s heat vision or something.
“Don’t be silly, come here. I never showed you these before. I feel like a silly kid whenever I look at them, but I truly loved the wedding and how lovely it was.”
Sam sat down next to her on the bed and looked at the photos from over seven years ago. “Why would you want to look at these? Look at me,” he chuckled. “My suit was hanging all over me.”
“I liked your suit,” she stated with a straight face and tried not to laugh.
“Uh, huh, but you looked beautiful, Jo. Lavender certainly becomes you. Any color would look fantastic on you, but with me, no such luck. With my strange hair color, I have to be careful what I where.”
“I like black,” she encouraged him.
He chuckled. “Humm, now that you mention it, I do tend to lean toward that color.” He could tell she was teasing him. “If you want me to, I could try brown or beige or …?” He teased her back with a grin.
“Oh you!” She laughed at his teasing. It felt so nice to laugh.
Feeling bold, he touched her arm. “Jo, you never answered my question.”
“What question?”
He shook his head at her. “Will you let me take you to your prom?” A beat then, “Well?”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “It is short notice, only a week away, and I have had other offers. I’d have to think about it.”
He frowned at her, but then he saw a quirk to her lips as if she were trying really hard not to smile, so he decided to wait for her answer. “I’m not leaving until I get an answer … yes or no.”
After a minute or two of staring at photos, then she sighed. “Alright, I’ll go.”
“Was that so hard?”
“Actually it was,” she admitted.
“But why?”
She turned to stare at him. “Sam, you’ve been gone for almost a year, and in a matter of a what, an hour, I’m supposed to change all my plans and go out with you?”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What, what am I forgetting?”
“This,” he murmured and then he leaned in for another kiss.
Jo was in heaven. After a minute or two, she pulled back and smiled at his teasing eyes. “Hey, you don’t play fair,” she pouted prettily.
“You know what they say … all’s fair in love and war,” he quipped, but then his eyes became serious after he realized what he had said. “I have to go. I’ll call you later about our plans.” He hesitated, hoping she would initiate a kiss this time.
“Bye Sam,” she finally said then she leaned in and kissed him … a quick kiss, nothing too forward, just a kiss. “Welcome home, Sam.” She smiled at him.
“Thanks, Jo. It’s great to be home.” He stood up then as if he couldn’t bear to leave. “Bye,” he whispered then smiled.
“Bye,” she smiled back.
Then he was gone.
Jo couldn’t help it. She was so happy that she threw herself onto her bed, the photos went flying, but she did not care. Sam was home.
~o~o~
Lois and Clark could hear their daughter’s laughter. It had been a long while since they had heard that sound. “I think we did the right thing, Clark.”
“Yeah, I think so too.” He agreed then he thought, I may as well get this over with. “Lois, honey, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it Clark? Is it about Jo?”
“In a way, here, let’s go outside and talk. It’s a beautiful day.”
Lois frowned but did not reply as she held tightly to her husband’s hand. They sat down on the two-seater swing. Clark pulled his wife close to his side and looked up at the sky. They sat that way for a while then he pulled her closer and kissed her temple.
Now Lois was beginning to worry. “Clark, is something wrong?” He didn’t reply. “You’re scaring me. What is it?”
“It’s nothing, not really, but it’s kind of hard to talk about it. I never for a moment thought this would happen.”
“What happened? Tell me.” Lois feared the worst.
He sighed heavily. “Superman will have a statue built, and it will stand in Centennial Park for the entire city to stare at and to mock.” He wrinkled his nose not liking the idea at all.
“What did you just say? A statue built in your likeness? Clark, that’s wonderful.”
“How in the world could say that? It’s a terrible idea.” He stood up and ran his hands through his hair. He had thought that Lois would understand how he felt. He never wanted any recognition for any of it.
Lois stood up, went to him then turned him to face her. “Clark, this isn’t truly about you. It’s about what you stand for and what you believe in. You know that, don’t you?”
“I suppose, but …”
“Honey, think of it this way, your children and your children’s children will look up at you and know what you stand for and think about being a hero, someone who would never hurt anyone, who wants to do some good in this world and most of all that one man can make a difference. That is what this is all about.” She waited for him to say something.
“I never thought of it that way.”
“You should think long and hard about this, Clark.”
“I have thought about it for weeks now.”
Lois was shocked. “Did you say weeks? Why didn’t you tell me about it before?”
“Well … I,” he hesitated.
“Keeping secrets again? You know better than that, Mr. Kent.” She tried not to be angry at him.
“I’m sorry, Lois, but …”
“No buts, Clark. We are a family and your decision affects all of us.”
“You’re right, of course. We’ll have a family meeting in a few days.”
“I think the kids will be thrilled for you, just as I am.”
Clark was not so sure about that. “I hope so.”
~o~o~
Later that night at the Hamilton house:
It had been a long day. Sam was exhausted but so happy to be home. His room was exactly as he had left it. Nothing had changed, except one important thing. His feelings for Jo had increased tenfold if that were possible. From the moment he had returned home, a part of him had wondered if they could pick up from the past, but it appeared as if it were true. It thrilled and excited him in spite of his earlier doubts.
Once in bed, he climbed under the covers, but all too soon his inner doubts reared their ugly head in his dreams. He couldn’t fight those. They had become relentless in the past few weeks, but now there was no stopping them.
~o~o~
Somewhere in the mists of a dream:
It was him. He could hear his laughter, a laugh that haunted him even in his waking hours, but this time there was a scream … a bloodcurdling scream that caused his heart to stop beating. “Jo!”
“Sam!” Her voice came to him clear and in pain.
“Jo! Where are you?!” His mind screamed for her to come to him, but it was dark.
“Sam!”
He saw him then standing before him, still laughing and taunting him.
He woke up then as sweat poured from his body, the fear of losing Jo caused his heart to plummet to his knees.
What does it mean? Why am I having these dreams now when I’m so happy …why?
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Home to Stay, Josh Groban
A/N: I hope you enjoyed their talk. Stay tuned for more. Update in a week. Thanks for reading everyone, and reviews are love.