Fanfiction for legendarytobes: The Singapore Shell Game
Title: The Singapore Shell Game
Pairing: Chlark
Warnings: Mentions of Clois but not in a conventional way
Rating: G/PG
Summary: AU: Set eight years after the finale, Chloe is living in Singapore and Clark arrives with an interesting opportunity
For: legendarytobes
Three things you'd like in a fic: post-series where Jonathan/Chloe's kid is a Chlark kid due to Fortune and champagne, AU based on the episode Delete ie more on Chloe publishing as "Lois Lane," season
seven - Clark actually helping Chloe master her powers in Offscreenville
Three things you do NOT want in a fic: too much angst, chlollie/clois, anything set in season 9
“Clark! Clark! Clark!” The seven year old bounded across the room as Clark Kent entered the Singapore apartment. The apartment was “cozy” but inviting, decorated in warm earth tones and pictures of smiling faces from the past propped up on small coffee tables.
“Hey kiddo,” He replied as the boy grabbed his hand and pulled him eagerly toward the kitchen.
“Jonathan Gabriel Sullivan Connors, let him at least take his hat and jacket off!” Chloe smiled as she rounded the small kitchen island where a PB&J was in the works. She greeted her best friend with a wide smile and huge hug. “Welcome back to Singapore Mr. Kent,” she beamed.
“Good to be back Ms. Sullivan.” Clark smiled back.
The blond boy rolled his eyes and tugged again on the hand of the bespectacled dark haired reporter. “I want to show him mom! I’ve been practicing!”
Chloe nodded and Clark followed the eager kid into the kitchen. He rummaged in the slim fridge for an egg and set it on the island. Then he scampered across the kitchen to the pantry where he grabbed a foot long length of iron rebar and brought it back and placed it beside the egg. Jonathan pulled up a wooden stool and crawled up with a big grin on his face.
Chloe leaned into Clark and watched as her son picked up the piece of rebar and twisted it effortlessly into a horseshoe shape. Then he picked up the egg immediately and made a show of squeezing it as hard as he could but the egg didn’t even crack.
“See!” he all but squealed.
“Great job, bud!” Clark said as Jonathan ran around and jumped into his arms. Clark hugged him tight and cradled his face against his shoulder. Chloe ran her fingers through her son’s hair as he grinned from ear to ear.
“I’m so proud of my little man.”
“Do you think we can go flying, Clark?” Jonathan asked, “I did good right? Can we go flying, just for a little bit?” He followed up his plea with a pair of bright blue puppy dog eyes that mirrored Clark’s own.
“I don’t know sport, I think you have to ask your mom on that one.” He teased.
“Please mom, please?” He begged, drawing out the last word for an eternity.
“Maybe in a little while, but for right now how about you take your snack to your room, and then get started on your homework.”
“Aww, bummer.” Jonathan groused as Clark put him down. He grabbed his sandwich from the table and started back for his room.
Clark tousled his shaggy hair as he went by, “Get that homework done while your mom and I catch up and we’ll see about a trip around the city tonight, okay.”
“You got it, Clark.” He said through a mouthful of PB&J, pulling his door closed behind him.
“He really is a great kid.”
“I know,” Chloe said as she put away the sandwich fixings away.
She felt his arms slide around her stomach and she nestled her blond head back against his chest with a low humming noise, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” He replied, kissing the top of her head. “I’m just so sorry you’ve been stuck here for the last six years.”
“It’s not that bad. ‘Chloe Connors’ is still writing abroad for The Register, and between the two of us and the school here Jonathan is getting a good education. And J’onn chose this place so I could keep an eye on some burgeoning super powered beings he can’t quite get a read on. We have a pretty good life going.”
“I know, but it isn’t home.” Clark said.
“No, but it’s what we all decided was best for Jonathan. When we realized that he was your son, after the drama, Lois agreed to keep being Superman’s personal reporter, and Clark Kent’s fiancée.” She tried, not all that successfully, to keep bitterness from entering her voice.
“I know, I know Chloe but…”
“But,” she interrupted, “if the Legion of Superheroes finds out that you don’t marry Lois Lane they’ll come back in time and try to fix it. Because history says that you two live happily ever after,” After all the times they had come back to this conversation in the last seven years Chloe wished she could keep the tears away.
“Actually, it just says that ‘Lois Lane’ and Clark Kent live happily ever after. But doesn’t exactly specify who that Lois Lane is,” Clark said, with an impish grin, “That’s one of the reason’s I came here in the middle of the week.”
“What are you talking about?” She asked, wiping away the few tears that had formed.
“Well it seems that the General has been ordered to form a task force to start tracking and assessing the dangers of super powered beings. Apparently as much as the President trusts Superman there are others in the government that think the surge in ‘heroes’ over the last few years is getting out of hand. Especially since the Batman came on the scene and started leaving a wake of broken bones and one guy paralyzed.”
“And he’s trying to recruit Lois?”
“Yeah, seems he thinks she will have some special insight having such a close relationship with the “strange visitor from another world”. His words not mine. And Lois is seriously thinking about it, apparently living in what has become a sham relationship despite the career boost is not that fulfilling.”
“Yeah, I can relate.” Chloe sighed.
Clark squeezed her tighter and led her over to the couch. She curled into him as he continued, “She also figured she might be able to be an insider for us, let us know if they become more of a kill squad than a watch group.”
“Which is always handy to have.” Chloe said solemnly.
“The catch is that the program is essentially a Men in Black type deal. Once you’re recruited, you get a whole new identity. So Lois asked him for a condition if she took him up on the offer.”
“What condition?”
“That you come home, and take over the identity of ‘Lois Lane’.” Clark said smiling.
“Are you serious?” Chloe asked, her face quirked in a mix of disbelief and intrigue.
“Yeah. I know it isn’t ideal, but you’d be able to come back to Metropolis and we could all be together, as a family.” Clark said, almost pleading.
“I… that’s just a lot to take in.” She said, laying her head back against his chest. He didn’t say anything, only stroked her hair while she cuddled against him thinking.
They stayed that way for a little over an hour. Clark patiently praying that she would see the sense in it all while stroking her hair or rubbing her back. She didn’t say a word, only held on to him tightly.
“How exactly would it work? Lois is pretty famous, I can’t just dye my hair and walk up to people and say ‘Hi, I’m New Lois’” She finally asked.
“Sam would take care of what he could. Anything in government databases with a photo, kind of like a reverse witness protection, I guess? But for face to face stuff J’onn can implant a trace psychic projection that will make any memory of Lois match up, as long as you have a close enough resemblance.”
“Really? That’s a bit creepy, Clark.”
“It kind of is. He tried it for me and the Superman thing, but apparently Kryptonian brainwaves operate differently than humans. Hence these,” He said tapping the horn rimmed glasses of uselessness that sat on his face.
“J’onn said he could even do some compartmentalized factual memory transfer if need be, but I’ll leave that for you and Lois to discuss. I’ve learned my lessons when it comes to messing with people’s memories,” He said sheepishly.
“I know, but that might be necessary. It’s a lot, but ‘Chloe Sullivan’ has been gone for so long no matter how much I try to hang on to her.
The life Lois has been trying to lead for us, if I’m honest with myself I was always jealous of it because it was everything I always wanted. From the first day I walked into the Daily Planet basement, I’ve yearned to be under the tiffany lamps. And if Lois isn’t satisfied with it anymore then I want that life back.” Chloe said looking up at him.
“Does this mean we get to go to Metropolis?” Asked a small voice from the doorway of his room. He was standing there with a small smile on his face, holding one of the Smallvillecomics she had made him.
“Jonathan, baby?” Chloe asked.
“I tried not to listen, but you were so loud.” He said walking around and crawling into his mother’s lap.
Clark eyed his son with the suspicion that his super hearing may be developing sooner than expected too. Something in the mix of he and Chloe’s genetics had caused Jonathan’s abilities to develop much more rapidly than his own. Perhaps gestation in Earth’s yellow sun bathed environment, or some remnants of Chloe’s own powers.
“It’s okay kiddo. What would you think about moving to Metropolis?”
He waved his comic at Clark, “It looks like lots of fun, and seeing Aunt Lois and Uncle Perry and just everybody! And I want to milk a cow Daddy!”
Jonathan clamped his hand down over his mouth as both Chloe and Clark’s mouth fell open a little.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried as a tears began to well in his eyes, “I’m not supposed to call you that cause maybe bad men will come try to get me or something.”
Clark pulled Jonathan into his arms and hugged him as tight as he dared, “It’s okay Jon, it’s perfectly okay. How long have you known I’m your Daddy, baby?”
“I,” he sniffed deeply, still crying, “I don’t know, just I… I can do things like you can, and you love Mommy, and the comic books had bad men trying to take you away from your Mommy too, so I thought maybe you didn’t want me to call you daddy so you could hide me from bad men. Please don’t go away.”
“I’m not going away, I’ll never ever leave you.” Clark hugged him tight as Chloe hugged both of them tight.
“Yes baby, this means we’re moving to Metropolis. We are going to go live with Daddy and be a family all the time.” Chloe said through happy tears.
“And I get to milk a cow?” he asked.
“Yes slugger, you can milk a cow.”
xxxxxxxxxx
The End.
Pairing: Chlark
Warnings: Mentions of Clois but not in a conventional way
Rating: G/PG
Summary: AU: Set eight years after the finale, Chloe is living in Singapore and Clark arrives with an interesting opportunity
For: legendarytobes
Three things you'd like in a fic: post-series where Jonathan/Chloe's kid is a Chlark kid due to Fortune and champagne, AU based on the episode Delete ie more on Chloe publishing as "Lois Lane," season
seven - Clark actually helping Chloe master her powers in Offscreenville
Three things you do NOT want in a fic: too much angst, chlollie/clois, anything set in season 9
“Clark! Clark! Clark!” The seven year old bounded across the room as Clark Kent entered the Singapore apartment. The apartment was “cozy” but inviting, decorated in warm earth tones and pictures of smiling faces from the past propped up on small coffee tables.
“Hey kiddo,” He replied as the boy grabbed his hand and pulled him eagerly toward the kitchen.
“Jonathan Gabriel Sullivan Connors, let him at least take his hat and jacket off!” Chloe smiled as she rounded the small kitchen island where a PB&J was in the works. She greeted her best friend with a wide smile and huge hug. “Welcome back to Singapore Mr. Kent,” she beamed.
“Good to be back Ms. Sullivan.” Clark smiled back.
The blond boy rolled his eyes and tugged again on the hand of the bespectacled dark haired reporter. “I want to show him mom! I’ve been practicing!”
Chloe nodded and Clark followed the eager kid into the kitchen. He rummaged in the slim fridge for an egg and set it on the island. Then he scampered across the kitchen to the pantry where he grabbed a foot long length of iron rebar and brought it back and placed it beside the egg. Jonathan pulled up a wooden stool and crawled up with a big grin on his face.
Chloe leaned into Clark and watched as her son picked up the piece of rebar and twisted it effortlessly into a horseshoe shape. Then he picked up the egg immediately and made a show of squeezing it as hard as he could but the egg didn’t even crack.
“See!” he all but squealed.
“Great job, bud!” Clark said as Jonathan ran around and jumped into his arms. Clark hugged him tight and cradled his face against his shoulder. Chloe ran her fingers through her son’s hair as he grinned from ear to ear.
“I’m so proud of my little man.”
“Do you think we can go flying, Clark?” Jonathan asked, “I did good right? Can we go flying, just for a little bit?” He followed up his plea with a pair of bright blue puppy dog eyes that mirrored Clark’s own.
“I don’t know sport, I think you have to ask your mom on that one.” He teased.
“Please mom, please?” He begged, drawing out the last word for an eternity.
“Maybe in a little while, but for right now how about you take your snack to your room, and then get started on your homework.”
“Aww, bummer.” Jonathan groused as Clark put him down. He grabbed his sandwich from the table and started back for his room.
Clark tousled his shaggy hair as he went by, “Get that homework done while your mom and I catch up and we’ll see about a trip around the city tonight, okay.”
“You got it, Clark.” He said through a mouthful of PB&J, pulling his door closed behind him.
“He really is a great kid.”
“I know,” Chloe said as she put away the sandwich fixings away.
She felt his arms slide around her stomach and she nestled her blond head back against his chest with a low humming noise, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” He replied, kissing the top of her head. “I’m just so sorry you’ve been stuck here for the last six years.”
“It’s not that bad. ‘Chloe Connors’ is still writing abroad for The Register, and between the two of us and the school here Jonathan is getting a good education. And J’onn chose this place so I could keep an eye on some burgeoning super powered beings he can’t quite get a read on. We have a pretty good life going.”
“I know, but it isn’t home.” Clark said.
“No, but it’s what we all decided was best for Jonathan. When we realized that he was your son, after the drama, Lois agreed to keep being Superman’s personal reporter, and Clark Kent’s fiancée.” She tried, not all that successfully, to keep bitterness from entering her voice.
“I know, I know Chloe but…”
“But,” she interrupted, “if the Legion of Superheroes finds out that you don’t marry Lois Lane they’ll come back in time and try to fix it. Because history says that you two live happily ever after,” After all the times they had come back to this conversation in the last seven years Chloe wished she could keep the tears away.
“Actually, it just says that ‘Lois Lane’ and Clark Kent live happily ever after. But doesn’t exactly specify who that Lois Lane is,” Clark said, with an impish grin, “That’s one of the reason’s I came here in the middle of the week.”
“What are you talking about?” She asked, wiping away the few tears that had formed.
“Well it seems that the General has been ordered to form a task force to start tracking and assessing the dangers of super powered beings. Apparently as much as the President trusts Superman there are others in the government that think the surge in ‘heroes’ over the last few years is getting out of hand. Especially since the Batman came on the scene and started leaving a wake of broken bones and one guy paralyzed.”
“And he’s trying to recruit Lois?”
“Yeah, seems he thinks she will have some special insight having such a close relationship with the “strange visitor from another world”. His words not mine. And Lois is seriously thinking about it, apparently living in what has become a sham relationship despite the career boost is not that fulfilling.”
“Yeah, I can relate.” Chloe sighed.
Clark squeezed her tighter and led her over to the couch. She curled into him as he continued, “She also figured she might be able to be an insider for us, let us know if they become more of a kill squad than a watch group.”
“Which is always handy to have.” Chloe said solemnly.
“The catch is that the program is essentially a Men in Black type deal. Once you’re recruited, you get a whole new identity. So Lois asked him for a condition if she took him up on the offer.”
“What condition?”
“That you come home, and take over the identity of ‘Lois Lane’.” Clark said smiling.
“Are you serious?” Chloe asked, her face quirked in a mix of disbelief and intrigue.
“Yeah. I know it isn’t ideal, but you’d be able to come back to Metropolis and we could all be together, as a family.” Clark said, almost pleading.
“I… that’s just a lot to take in.” She said, laying her head back against his chest. He didn’t say anything, only stroked her hair while she cuddled against him thinking.
They stayed that way for a little over an hour. Clark patiently praying that she would see the sense in it all while stroking her hair or rubbing her back. She didn’t say a word, only held on to him tightly.
“How exactly would it work? Lois is pretty famous, I can’t just dye my hair and walk up to people and say ‘Hi, I’m New Lois’” She finally asked.
“Sam would take care of what he could. Anything in government databases with a photo, kind of like a reverse witness protection, I guess? But for face to face stuff J’onn can implant a trace psychic projection that will make any memory of Lois match up, as long as you have a close enough resemblance.”
“Really? That’s a bit creepy, Clark.”
“It kind of is. He tried it for me and the Superman thing, but apparently Kryptonian brainwaves operate differently than humans. Hence these,” He said tapping the horn rimmed glasses of uselessness that sat on his face.
“J’onn said he could even do some compartmentalized factual memory transfer if need be, but I’ll leave that for you and Lois to discuss. I’ve learned my lessons when it comes to messing with people’s memories,” He said sheepishly.
“I know, but that might be necessary. It’s a lot, but ‘Chloe Sullivan’ has been gone for so long no matter how much I try to hang on to her.
The life Lois has been trying to lead for us, if I’m honest with myself I was always jealous of it because it was everything I always wanted. From the first day I walked into the Daily Planet basement, I’ve yearned to be under the tiffany lamps. And if Lois isn’t satisfied with it anymore then I want that life back.” Chloe said looking up at him.
“Does this mean we get to go to Metropolis?” Asked a small voice from the doorway of his room. He was standing there with a small smile on his face, holding one of the Smallvillecomics she had made him.
“Jonathan, baby?” Chloe asked.
“I tried not to listen, but you were so loud.” He said walking around and crawling into his mother’s lap.
Clark eyed his son with the suspicion that his super hearing may be developing sooner than expected too. Something in the mix of he and Chloe’s genetics had caused Jonathan’s abilities to develop much more rapidly than his own. Perhaps gestation in Earth’s yellow sun bathed environment, or some remnants of Chloe’s own powers.
“It’s okay kiddo. What would you think about moving to Metropolis?”
He waved his comic at Clark, “It looks like lots of fun, and seeing Aunt Lois and Uncle Perry and just everybody! And I want to milk a cow Daddy!”
Jonathan clamped his hand down over his mouth as both Chloe and Clark’s mouth fell open a little.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried as a tears began to well in his eyes, “I’m not supposed to call you that cause maybe bad men will come try to get me or something.”
Clark pulled Jonathan into his arms and hugged him as tight as he dared, “It’s okay Jon, it’s perfectly okay. How long have you known I’m your Daddy, baby?”
“I,” he sniffed deeply, still crying, “I don’t know, just I… I can do things like you can, and you love Mommy, and the comic books had bad men trying to take you away from your Mommy too, so I thought maybe you didn’t want me to call you daddy so you could hide me from bad men. Please don’t go away.”
“I’m not going away, I’ll never ever leave you.” Clark hugged him tight as Chloe hugged both of them tight.
“Yes baby, this means we’re moving to Metropolis. We are going to go live with Daddy and be a family all the time.” Chloe said through happy tears.
“And I get to milk a cow?” he asked.
“Yes slugger, you can milk a cow.”
xxxxxxxxxx
The End.