Fic: I Still Believe (15/?)
Title: I Still Believe (15/?)
Author: babettew54
Category: Superman Returns, Batman Comics
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Joanne/Samuel, Bruce/Diana, Lex Luthor II, Jason, Connor, Martha/Ben
Rating: T
Word Count: 4,700
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: In this next chapter which will end Act II, the search for Damian begins, Clark receives unsettling news, a decision is made about what to do about Alex, and later, Bruce gets his hopes up of finally meeting his son. My favorite chapters are piling up! I hope you enjoy it too. Please read and review. Thanks guys! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)( Chapter 5)
( Chapter 6)( Chapter 7)( Chapter 8)( Chapter 9)( Chapter 10)
( Chapter 11)( Chapter 12)( Chapter 13)( Chapter 14)
x-posted to: (AO3); (FFN)
Chapter 15: Against All Odds
Later that same night, on Diana's invisible jet:
"Yes, what did you find out?" Diana was on the cellphone on her way to find Damian. Her government communication in D.C. was helping her with the search. Apparently, Talia had left the country and was headed back to Casablanca, and Diana was now on her trail.
Diana listened closely, but then she heard something that should have shocked her but considering everything Bruce had told her about the pits and that Talia's father was of an advanced age, she still gasped at the news.
Damian was actually alive and living with foster parents. Talia was behind keeping Bruce in the dark about his son, not her father. It was all Talia's doing, telling Bruce lies, that he had died, but Diana knew that Talia still cared for Bruce, so why all the secrecy?
"Yes, thank you for your help. I'll be in touch in a few days." She sighed and decided to call Bruce with the news.
"Diana, where are you?" He had returned to his apartment expecting to see her, but she wasn't there. He did get a message stating that she was on the quest to find Damian and that it was the least she could do after ruining everything and scaring Talia off.
"I'll be in Casablanca in an hour," Diana responded and waited for the inevitably blow-up.
"Diana … I thought I told you not to …" He began but she stopped him.
"He's alive, Bruce. I have proof." A minute or two of silence then, "Did you hear me Bruce?"
Bruce thought about that. "I hope this isn't some wild goose chase." But then he thought what if it isn't? "Give me your coordinates."
She gave them to him. "I have a hotel room reserved at the Kenzi Tower." Smiling she said. "I'll see you in … five hours." She paused. "I … ummm … I'll see you soon." Biting her tongue, she almost said those words.
"Diana … thank you."
Inwardly smiling, she murmurred, "You're welcome."
~o~o~
Meanwhile, in a hotel in downtown Casablanca:
A knock came at the door and Talia opened it, knowing who it was … her Father. She thought it better they meet at a hotel instead of their own residence.
"Now what have you done?" Her Father Ra Ghul asked, not in the mood for her dramatics.
"I haven't done anything. I did everything you told me."
"So why are you back? What happened?"
"Diana Prince, that's what happened. I was not expecting her to be involved with Bruce."
"Oh, I see, so you couldn't handle her?"
"I did handle her, but she got too close. I had to tell her a few lies about … Damian."
He frowned. "What exactly did you tell her?"
"I told her he was in Hay-Hassani, Morocco."
"Not far enough away." He began to walk. "And she believed you?"
She looked away. "Probably not."
"Why wouldn't she believe you?"
"She used that lasso of truth on me and I got confused, so she's probably on her way here as we speak. She knows about Alex and that I had brought him here, so this will probably be the first place she looks."
Still pacing he said, "Well, this is unexpected, but we may have a window to fix this."
"What can we do?"
"Only one thing we can do, move him."
"But Father, he's of age, we can't keep moving him all over the country. He will have a say in this, and the last time I talked to him, he said he had suspicions about who his real father was."
"He never said a word to me," Ra Ghul was upset about this.
"I'm sorry, but … when he asked me about it, I told him the truth. I didn't see any harm in it," Talia admitted then she winced at her Father's countenance.
"No harm? Are you kidding me?" He paused then he thought about it. "You want Bruce back, don't you? You couldn't leave well enough alone. Now, everything is in jeopardy. We could lose him forever now. You do realize that, don't you?"
Tears sprang into her eyes. "I know and I'm sorry, Father."
He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. "Come with me."
~o~o~
Earlier that evening at Watchtower:
Kara stared around the table at her fellow superheroes and waited for someone to say something.
"That is not going to happen," Bruce finally spoke up.
"Now, before you make a decision, hear me out," Kara tried to explain after her advice about releasing Alex from jail.
"Kara, they can't release him. He had a loaded gun, he fired it and he almost killed someone. The police can't let him go. It's not an option," Clark explained.
"But if we tell them what happened, why he was acting that way, they'll release him."
"No, they won't. If we tell them about the pits, that he was temporarily insane, they'll look at us as if we were crazy. The pits are a myth, no one really believes they exist." Bruce also tried to explain it to her.
Clark then watched her closely trying to figure out why this was so important to her. "Is there something else you want to tell us, Kara? Why this urgent need to release him from jail? Is there more to it?"
"No, I just hate to see someone put away because of someone's manipulations. Talia did this to him."
Bruce stood up then and began to pace. He wanted to tell them about Talia disappearing but he couldn't without telling them why.
"Is there nothing we can do? I told him I would help him," Kara admitted.
"You really should not have done that, Kara," J'onn spoke up then.
"I see that now, but there must be something."
"Well, if Talia would confess, which is highly unlikely at this point," Hal suggested.
"Yes, that's it!" Kara exclaimed.
"Kara, it was only a suggestion. Talia has manipulated all of us, not just Alex, but if we could convince her to help him, maybe a deal could be reached," J'onn suggested.
"What kind of a deal?" Bruce asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Well, we need to find out why she did it? Why did she save his life? Why all these schemes and manipulations? What's the real reason behind all of her actions? I just don't get it." Hal was concerned.
"All good questions," Bruce murmured, knowing the answers to most of those questions. He then decided he would tell Clark everything. Maybe they could get a deal with Talia, but she would have to be found first.
~o~o~
Back in Metropolis, the Kent house, later that same evening:
"Lois, I'm home!" Clark called as he entered the house.
"Clark, I'm upstairs!" Lois called back.
Lois took Jo's hand. "I'll do all the talking, honey."
Jo nodded her head. Lois thought it best that Sam not be there for this.
"Oh, hi, Jo," Clark greeted his daughter first. After his conversation with Bruce, she was on his mind and he was still quite worried about her.
"Hi, Dad," Jo greeted her Father.
"Honey, it's late," he said to his wife. Clark suddenly realized that something was off. He looked between his wife and daughter. Frowning, he stared at Jo and she did look somehow different but what was it?
"Clark, sit down for a minute. Jo and I have something to say to you."
He stiffened and then it hit him … hard. He shook his head unbelieving. "Jo … why …?"
"Daddy, I …"
"Clark, please sit down." Lois was firm with him.
Clark sat down and put his head in his hands.
Lois sighed as she glanced at Jo. "It's not the end the world, Clark," Lois began.
He raised his head and stared at Jo, then his wife. "Of course, you would say that."
"Clark, don't get upset. Jo and Sam …"
He wanted to support them, he did, but he just couldn't do it. "Oh, I know … they're in love."
"Dad, we are in love and there's nothing wrong with what we did. Please try and understand." Jo knew he could understand and accept them but something was holding him back, but what was it?
"Clark, Jo and Sam have been moving towards this their entire lives. I support them. I know you do too."
Clark tried to hold back his doubts and fears, but he couldn't do it anymore. "I do support them, I do, but …"
"Clark, what is it? Please tell us so we can understand," Lois asked, as she came over to him and took his hand.
He stared at Jo. "It's … Sam." There he said it.
Jo gasped. "What about Sam?" Then it dawned on her. "It's because he's a Luthor, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I can't believe this."
"Honey, I just don't want you to go through what your Mother and I went through. He was always there between us, hurting us, our family and everything about him makes me sick. He … he almost killed me, your Mother and your brother, all of us… "
"But Sam is not his Father. He was raised by Aunt Kitty and Uncle Emil. He's nothing like him," Jo was losing it; she wanted to cry. "Please, Daddy, I love him so much. Please, don't do this to me, please ..." Jo covered her eyes then she burst into tears.
Lois was so upset. She had no idea he felt this way. She grabbed his arm. "Clark, that's enough! Sam is nothing like Lex and you know it. Did you forget that he saved her life and Conner's life as well?" She paused then she pointed to Jo. "Do you see what you're doing to her? You're breaking your daughter's heart. Look at her!"
Clark stared at his weeping daughter then he went to her and tried to comfort her. She tried to pull away from him but he held her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Jo. I didn't mean that about Sam. He's a good man." He rocked her and until she quieted down after a few minutes.
Jo pulled back, her face wet with tears. "Please Dad, don't make me choose between you. I can't do it, please."
That woke him up as he stared at her, his eyes wide, and then he realized his mistake. He was making her choose and that was not his intention at all. "Come and sit down for a minute, sweetie. I need to clarify a few things." She hesitated. "Please Jo."
Lois got a tissue and gave it to her. Jo blew her nose then Lois hugged her tightly. "It's going to alright honey."
Jo wasn't so sure about that. They both sat down and Clark pulled up a chair. He took Jo's hands in his. Lois put her arm around Jo's shoulder to show her support.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I guess my feelings were buried way down deep inside me because I saw how happy you were to be with him." He paused to collect his thoughts. "For a long time, I thought you would get over him, move on, but that never happened for either of you." He paused again as he thought about it. "You must have some idea what I'm feeling. I remember our talks about Lex and why he did those terrible things to us, and you said he needed help. You felt sorry for him. That's you, Jo, so full of compassion, but I don't feel that way not about him. He's done a lot of terrible things to our family for one reason … because we're aliens, different from everyone else on the planet."
"Dad, I appreciate your feelings, I do, but all of that was in the past." She paused as she stared at him. "You know Sam is not like that and … he's a part of me. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. He would never hurt me or do any of those terrible things to me or anyone else. He's a good person and I trust him."
He squeezed her hands again. "I know you do." He paused. "Just be careful and if you don't feel safe for a minute or even a second, you can come home, no questions asked."
"You don't have to worry about me. Sam loves me and I love him. We're going to be alright." She paused. "Tell me you trust him. I want to hear you say that. Please Dad." She paused again. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do," Clark quickly replied.
"You can trust Sam too." She turned to her Mother. "Mom trusts him, don't you Mom?"
"You know I do, honey," Lois replied, firm in her answer.
Jo turned back to her Father. "Dad?"
Clark suddenly looked back at all the years he'd known Sam and there was not a single moment when he could not be trusted. In fact, he'd proven that he could be trusted over and over again. "I do trust him, Jo."
"Thank you, Dad," Jo held up her arms and Clark picked up his little girl, truly happy for her.
Clark sat her down after a minute or two. He smoothed her hair away from her face. "You found someone you can trust, who loves you more than anything else in this world and that's what I want for you honey … always."
Jo smiled, so very happy. "He's all of those things, and more."
Lois was so relieved. "Honey, Sam must be crawling up the walls wondering what's happening over here," Lois said, joking a little.
"Can he come over, Dad, just for a few minutes?"
"Sure, give him a call," Clark replied, glad to see her smiling again.
Ten minutes later, Sam was knocking at the door. Jo had not said much over the phone just that her Father was willing to talk to him.
Jo opened the front door then she flew into his arms.
"Whoa, is everything ok?" Sam asked, still worried.
Jo pulled back and smiled at him.
He touched her cheek. "You're smiling, but I can see you've been crying." He stiffened. "What did he say to you to make you cry?"
"Sam, we should talk," Clark said as he and Lois came down the stairs.
"What did you say to her to make her cry?" Sam hated to see her like this.
"Sam, its ok, just listen to what he has to say," Jo said, hoping to calm him down.
"Please come inside and we'll talk," Clark said. He held out his arm for them to enter into the living room.
"It's Ok, Sam," Lois said, hoping to smooth the way for him.
Sam and Jo sat down on the sofa, Lois sat in the side chair, but Clark was also worried that he may say the wrong thing and hurt them. They had run away from him before but he couldn't let that happen again.
"Clark?" Lois encouraged him.
"First off, I wanted to apologize for everything that happened on the space station. I apologized to Jo for spying on you two and not trusting you. Jo, her Mother and I talked about you and everything that our family has been through over the years, and yes, we even talked about your biological father."
"But why would you be talking about him? He's gone and buried," Sam said, wondering what he was getting at.
"That's right Sam, but the sadness, the pain, and suffering that he caused this family will last a long time."
"Mr. Kent, I can't change the past. All I can do is be a better person than he ever was, to treat Jo with respect, to respect your family and most of all, to keep her safe. I've tried to do that." He paused then he squeezed her hand. "I would die for her Sir, you know that," Sam said, getting upset.
Jo squeezed his hand. "You have done that, Sam, and that's what my Father is trying to say. Go on, Dad."
"Thank you, honey. What I'm trying to say is this. We do trust you Sam, Lois and I, and we would be delighted to call you son, if you would allow us."
"Really, Sir?" Sam was elated.
"Really," Clark replied then he gave him a smile then he held out his hand.
Sam stood up and came over to him, but instead of giving Sam a handshake, he gave Sam a hug. Sam was startled at first then he hugged him back.
"Thank you, Sir."
Lois also gave Sam a hug, and of course, Jo wanted her share.
The phone rang. It was Kitty and Emil.
"Hi, Kitty. Yes, everything is fine. Yes, I'll call you in the morning. Of course, we'll have lunch. Good night, Kitty."
"Why don't you two go into the den and say your goodnights? In the next day or two, your Father and I will sit everyone down because he has some exciting news to tell us," Lois said then smiled at their curious faces. "It's a surprise; go on now."
"Thanks Mom," Jo said then they went into the den.
Once the door had closed, Sam whispered. "This room is pretty familiar to me now," he teased.
Jo giggled. "I know what you mean." She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I love you, Samuel James Hamilton."
He turned around and pulled her close. "I love you too, Joanne Josephine Kent."
They both smiled and then they were kissing, sweet kisses, and tender caresses. "I'm so glad that's over."
"Me too."
He pulled back. "It was hard, wasn't it?"
"It was pretty bad, but it's all behind us now."
~o~o~
"Clark, we have to tell Sam about Alex and what you plan to do about him," Lois urgently whispered.
"I think we should talk to Kitty and Emil first," Lois suggested
"I agree. We'll talk to them tomorrow, but they are not going to be happy about this."
"It's up to the courts now, but they should be told, I agree."
~o~o~
Hours later in Casablanca, Morocco, the Kenzi Tower Hotel:
Diana had landed in Casablanca and immediately checked into her room. She decided to wait for Bruce in the lobby. He should be arriving within the hour so she decided to get a bite to eat first, but when she exited the elevator and headed to the dining room, she spotted Talia and an older gentleman leaving the hotel. It must be her Father. She decided to follow them.
Several hours later, she returned to the hotel. She could not believe her luck. They had led her straight to Damian. She had even seen him at the front door and he looked so much like Bruce that it stunned her. He had the same build, height, but his eyes were remarkable, exotic, which only added to his striking features. Bruce will be thrilled.
After returning to the hotel, she realized that Bruce must have checked in by now. She had left specific instructions at the concierge, meaning she had added his name to the registration so he would be given a key. She called him on her cellphone to make sure he was there, he picked up.
"Diana, I'm all checked in. Where are you?" He suddenly heard the key in the lock. He turned and there she was and she looked amazing, stunning actually. Her hair was long and flowing about her shoulders, she was wearing an elegant black dress, one-shouldered, high heels and her makeup was immaculate. "Wow," he couldn't say much else. He was simply stunned.
"It's good to see you too!" She smiled, closed her phone and then they were holding each other close.
He kissed her deeply, amazed at how much he had missed her. He was also worried about her, being halfway around the globe away from him, not to mention way too close to Talia. Who knew what she was planning?
He pulled away after a minute.
"Wow is right. That was some hello," she commented and smiled.
"Sorry," he said and smiled back. "I missed you."
She touched his cheek. "I missed you too."
"So, tell me, what's happening?"
"I have great news. I found him."
He shook his head amazed. "So where is he?"
"Not far, only about ten miles south of here in a town called El-Maarif."
"That's a different address than what she told you while under the influence of the lasso. Let's go." He took her hand.
"Wait a minute I have to tell you something."
"Can't you tell me on the way? I have a feeling we should hurry."
"Ok, let's hurry. We don't want to miss this chance."
On the cab ride over, Diana wanted to tell him that she loved him and how much Damian resembled him, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back at Damian's home, but he was gone. The house looked deserted.
"Oh no, I can't believe he's gone," Diana stated as she peeked through the window.
"Damnit! So close," Bruce exclaimed then he shook his head.
She touched his shoulder. "Bruce, we won't give up, we won't!"
They got back inside the cab, but just as they were about to pull away from the curb, someone came out of the house with a suitcase. It was him. It was Damian.
They stopped the cab, Bruce and Diana slowly got out and walked toward the house.
Damian stared at the two people coming towards his home, and he could not believe his eyes. He immediately recognized his real Father.
It was so, his Mother and his Grandmother wanted to keep his Father away from him. He never understood why but he was done with running and hiding. He was an adult, nearly twenty years old, and he was adamant that he did not want to leave his home. His foster parents were deceased and he rarely saw his Mother or Grandmother. He had felt deserted by the people who should be looking out for him, taking care of him, but then there was him. Damian had decided to find his real Father on his own, but there he was standing there looking at him. His Father had found him.
Bruce didn't know what to say. He came forward. "Damian?"
He managed to reply. "Yes, I'm Damian."
Bruce's eyes filled with tears. "I'm … I'm your Father."
Damian held out his hand. "It's … it's nice to meet you."
Bruce stared at his hand, but that was not how he wanted to acknowledge his only son. He held out his arms.
Damian hesitated but only for a moment, then they were clutching each other close. Neither saying anything, too moved to say anything, but both their eyes were bright.
Diana reached inside her purse and pulled out a tissue. She wiped at her eyes then blew her nose. "Sorry."
Damian and Bruce pulled back at the sound. Both smiling at her, everyone laughed a bit awkwardly. Bruce made the introductions. "Damian, my name is …"
He interrupted him. "I know your name. It's Bruce Wayne."
He smiled. "Yes, that's my name, and this is … Diana, Diana Prince. She's … ummm…"
Diana shook her head at Bruce. "It's nice to meet you, Damian." She had to ask him as she glanced at his suitcase. "Were you going somewhere?"
"Oh, well, believe it or not, I was coming to find you," he replied staring at his Father.
"Really?" Bruce was surprised and very pleased to hear that.
"Yes, my Mother and Grandfather wanted me to run away with them, but I wanted to stay here, but there's nothing for me here, so I was headed to America … to find you, but …"
"I found you, or rather Diana found you," Bruce smiled at her.
Diana smiled back, warmed by his approval.
Damian caught their looks. "You're in love, aren't you?" He suddenly realized what he had said. "I'm sorry, that's not any of my business."
Diana didn't know what to say. She stared at Bruce. They had never said that word to each other before, not that it wasn't on her mind.
Bruce held out his hand, resigned to his feelings. Diana took it.
"Yes, yes we are," he finally admitted it then he smiled and winked at her.
Diana ducked her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Bruce squeezed her hand.
He turned back to Damian. "Are you ready to go, son?"
"Yes, Father, I'm ready," Damian replied firmly, ready to begin his new life.
Bruce nodded his head. "Let's go home."
~o~o~
The next day, Bruce's flying ship in route to Gotham:
"Diana, are you there?" Bruce whispered hoping to talk to her. Diana was on her invisible jet. Damian was asleep beside him.
"Yes, Bruce, I'm here." She grinned at his silly question. "Are you nervous about something?"
"No, but I wanted to explain about what I said you know, the question Damian asked us?"
"Oh, that," Diana replied, but she acted as if it didn't matter. He had admitted it under pressure so it didn't really matter as far she was concerned. "Let's talk after we get Damian settled and …"
"And …?" He prompted.
"Father, is everything alright?" That was Damian a bit drowsy from sleep.
"Yes, everything is fine, son. Go back to sleep."
"We'll talk later, Bruce."
Sighing, he said, "Alright, we'll talk later."
"Wonder Woman, out."
"Wonder Woman?" That was Damian, who was wide awake now.
Bruce inwardly groaned then he couldn't help but smile.
End of ACT II: When You Believe
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Against All Odds, Mariah Carey.
A/N: *wipes eyes* I had to make this happen for Bruce, I had to, and I didn't want to drag it out looking for his son chapter after chapter. Now, Clark's reaction to Jo and Sam having sex was so hard to write. I knew he would come around and realize that Sam and Lex are two different people, not the same at all. You know, I just realized Clark and Bruce both gained sons in this chapter. *sigh* Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews are love, guys!
Oh and one more thing, if you were wondering why Clark held back his feelings about Sam and never said anything, just look at Jo's reaction. I think he knew that she would be terribly upset, and that's the last thing he wanted. Now whether it was dormant or not, I think he did the right thing by finally telling her how he felt. Suppose he had said this 'after' their maybe, thinking about it, wedding! *smiles* It would have been a lot worse and I don't think Jo would have forgiven him for a long while.
ACT III: A Moment Like This, the final Act will appear in two weeks. Stay tuned!
Author: babettew54
Category: Superman Returns, Batman Comics
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lois, Joanne/Samuel, Bruce/Diana, Lex Luthor II, Jason, Connor, Martha/Ben
Rating: T
Word Count: 4,700
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: In this next chapter which will end Act II, the search for Damian begins, Clark receives unsettling news, a decision is made about what to do about Alex, and later, Bruce gets his hopes up of finally meeting his son. My favorite chapters are piling up! I hope you enjoy it too. Please read and review. Thanks guys! :D
Banner by hanakt
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3)( Chapter 4)( Chapter 5)
( Chapter 6)( Chapter 7)( Chapter 8)( Chapter 9)( Chapter 10)
( Chapter 11)( Chapter 12)( Chapter 13)( Chapter 14)
x-posted to: (AO3); (FFN)
Chapter 15: Against All Odds
Later that same night, on Diana's invisible jet:
"Yes, what did you find out?" Diana was on the cellphone on her way to find Damian. Her government communication in D.C. was helping her with the search. Apparently, Talia had left the country and was headed back to Casablanca, and Diana was now on her trail.
Diana listened closely, but then she heard something that should have shocked her but considering everything Bruce had told her about the pits and that Talia's father was of an advanced age, she still gasped at the news.
Damian was actually alive and living with foster parents. Talia was behind keeping Bruce in the dark about his son, not her father. It was all Talia's doing, telling Bruce lies, that he had died, but Diana knew that Talia still cared for Bruce, so why all the secrecy?
"Yes, thank you for your help. I'll be in touch in a few days." She sighed and decided to call Bruce with the news.
"Diana, where are you?" He had returned to his apartment expecting to see her, but she wasn't there. He did get a message stating that she was on the quest to find Damian and that it was the least she could do after ruining everything and scaring Talia off.
"I'll be in Casablanca in an hour," Diana responded and waited for the inevitably blow-up.
"Diana … I thought I told you not to …" He began but she stopped him.
"He's alive, Bruce. I have proof." A minute or two of silence then, "Did you hear me Bruce?"
Bruce thought about that. "I hope this isn't some wild goose chase." But then he thought what if it isn't? "Give me your coordinates."
She gave them to him. "I have a hotel room reserved at the Kenzi Tower." Smiling she said. "I'll see you in … five hours." She paused. "I … ummm … I'll see you soon." Biting her tongue, she almost said those words.
"Diana … thank you."
Inwardly smiling, she murmurred, "You're welcome."
~o~o~
Meanwhile, in a hotel in downtown Casablanca:
A knock came at the door and Talia opened it, knowing who it was … her Father. She thought it better they meet at a hotel instead of their own residence.
"Now what have you done?" Her Father Ra Ghul asked, not in the mood for her dramatics.
"I haven't done anything. I did everything you told me."
"So why are you back? What happened?"
"Diana Prince, that's what happened. I was not expecting her to be involved with Bruce."
"Oh, I see, so you couldn't handle her?"
"I did handle her, but she got too close. I had to tell her a few lies about … Damian."
He frowned. "What exactly did you tell her?"
"I told her he was in Hay-Hassani, Morocco."
"Not far enough away." He began to walk. "And she believed you?"
She looked away. "Probably not."
"Why wouldn't she believe you?"
"She used that lasso of truth on me and I got confused, so she's probably on her way here as we speak. She knows about Alex and that I had brought him here, so this will probably be the first place she looks."
Still pacing he said, "Well, this is unexpected, but we may have a window to fix this."
"What can we do?"
"Only one thing we can do, move him."
"But Father, he's of age, we can't keep moving him all over the country. He will have a say in this, and the last time I talked to him, he said he had suspicions about who his real father was."
"He never said a word to me," Ra Ghul was upset about this.
"I'm sorry, but … when he asked me about it, I told him the truth. I didn't see any harm in it," Talia admitted then she winced at her Father's countenance.
"No harm? Are you kidding me?" He paused then he thought about it. "You want Bruce back, don't you? You couldn't leave well enough alone. Now, everything is in jeopardy. We could lose him forever now. You do realize that, don't you?"
Tears sprang into her eyes. "I know and I'm sorry, Father."
He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. "Come with me."
~o~o~
Earlier that evening at Watchtower:
Kara stared around the table at her fellow superheroes and waited for someone to say something.
"That is not going to happen," Bruce finally spoke up.
"Now, before you make a decision, hear me out," Kara tried to explain after her advice about releasing Alex from jail.
"Kara, they can't release him. He had a loaded gun, he fired it and he almost killed someone. The police can't let him go. It's not an option," Clark explained.
"But if we tell them what happened, why he was acting that way, they'll release him."
"No, they won't. If we tell them about the pits, that he was temporarily insane, they'll look at us as if we were crazy. The pits are a myth, no one really believes they exist." Bruce also tried to explain it to her.
Clark then watched her closely trying to figure out why this was so important to her. "Is there something else you want to tell us, Kara? Why this urgent need to release him from jail? Is there more to it?"
"No, I just hate to see someone put away because of someone's manipulations. Talia did this to him."
Bruce stood up then and began to pace. He wanted to tell them about Talia disappearing but he couldn't without telling them why.
"Is there nothing we can do? I told him I would help him," Kara admitted.
"You really should not have done that, Kara," J'onn spoke up then.
"I see that now, but there must be something."
"Well, if Talia would confess, which is highly unlikely at this point," Hal suggested.
"Yes, that's it!" Kara exclaimed.
"Kara, it was only a suggestion. Talia has manipulated all of us, not just Alex, but if we could convince her to help him, maybe a deal could be reached," J'onn suggested.
"What kind of a deal?" Bruce asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Well, we need to find out why she did it? Why did she save his life? Why all these schemes and manipulations? What's the real reason behind all of her actions? I just don't get it." Hal was concerned.
"All good questions," Bruce murmured, knowing the answers to most of those questions. He then decided he would tell Clark everything. Maybe they could get a deal with Talia, but she would have to be found first.
~o~o~
Back in Metropolis, the Kent house, later that same evening:
"Lois, I'm home!" Clark called as he entered the house.
"Clark, I'm upstairs!" Lois called back.
Lois took Jo's hand. "I'll do all the talking, honey."
Jo nodded her head. Lois thought it best that Sam not be there for this.
"Oh, hi, Jo," Clark greeted his daughter first. After his conversation with Bruce, she was on his mind and he was still quite worried about her.
"Hi, Dad," Jo greeted her Father.
"Honey, it's late," he said to his wife. Clark suddenly realized that something was off. He looked between his wife and daughter. Frowning, he stared at Jo and she did look somehow different but what was it?
"Clark, sit down for a minute. Jo and I have something to say to you."
He stiffened and then it hit him … hard. He shook his head unbelieving. "Jo … why …?"
"Daddy, I …"
"Clark, please sit down." Lois was firm with him.
Clark sat down and put his head in his hands.
Lois sighed as she glanced at Jo. "It's not the end the world, Clark," Lois began.
He raised his head and stared at Jo, then his wife. "Of course, you would say that."
"Clark, don't get upset. Jo and Sam …"
He wanted to support them, he did, but he just couldn't do it. "Oh, I know … they're in love."
"Dad, we are in love and there's nothing wrong with what we did. Please try and understand." Jo knew he could understand and accept them but something was holding him back, but what was it?
"Clark, Jo and Sam have been moving towards this their entire lives. I support them. I know you do too."
Clark tried to hold back his doubts and fears, but he couldn't do it anymore. "I do support them, I do, but …"
"Clark, what is it? Please tell us so we can understand," Lois asked, as she came over to him and took his hand.
He stared at Jo. "It's … Sam." There he said it.
Jo gasped. "What about Sam?" Then it dawned on her. "It's because he's a Luthor, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I can't believe this."
"Honey, I just don't want you to go through what your Mother and I went through. He was always there between us, hurting us, our family and everything about him makes me sick. He … he almost killed me, your Mother and your brother, all of us… "
"But Sam is not his Father. He was raised by Aunt Kitty and Uncle Emil. He's nothing like him," Jo was losing it; she wanted to cry. "Please, Daddy, I love him so much. Please, don't do this to me, please ..." Jo covered her eyes then she burst into tears.
Lois was so upset. She had no idea he felt this way. She grabbed his arm. "Clark, that's enough! Sam is nothing like Lex and you know it. Did you forget that he saved her life and Conner's life as well?" She paused then she pointed to Jo. "Do you see what you're doing to her? You're breaking your daughter's heart. Look at her!"
Clark stared at his weeping daughter then he went to her and tried to comfort her. She tried to pull away from him but he held her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Jo. I didn't mean that about Sam. He's a good man." He rocked her and until she quieted down after a few minutes.
Jo pulled back, her face wet with tears. "Please Dad, don't make me choose between you. I can't do it, please."
That woke him up as he stared at her, his eyes wide, and then he realized his mistake. He was making her choose and that was not his intention at all. "Come and sit down for a minute, sweetie. I need to clarify a few things." She hesitated. "Please Jo."
Lois got a tissue and gave it to her. Jo blew her nose then Lois hugged her tightly. "It's going to alright honey."
Jo wasn't so sure about that. They both sat down and Clark pulled up a chair. He took Jo's hands in his. Lois put her arm around Jo's shoulder to show her support.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I guess my feelings were buried way down deep inside me because I saw how happy you were to be with him." He paused to collect his thoughts. "For a long time, I thought you would get over him, move on, but that never happened for either of you." He paused again as he thought about it. "You must have some idea what I'm feeling. I remember our talks about Lex and why he did those terrible things to us, and you said he needed help. You felt sorry for him. That's you, Jo, so full of compassion, but I don't feel that way not about him. He's done a lot of terrible things to our family for one reason … because we're aliens, different from everyone else on the planet."
"Dad, I appreciate your feelings, I do, but all of that was in the past." She paused as she stared at him. "You know Sam is not like that and … he's a part of me. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. He would never hurt me or do any of those terrible things to me or anyone else. He's a good person and I trust him."
He squeezed her hands again. "I know you do." He paused. "Just be careful and if you don't feel safe for a minute or even a second, you can come home, no questions asked."
"You don't have to worry about me. Sam loves me and I love him. We're going to be alright." She paused. "Tell me you trust him. I want to hear you say that. Please Dad." She paused again. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do," Clark quickly replied.
"You can trust Sam too." She turned to her Mother. "Mom trusts him, don't you Mom?"
"You know I do, honey," Lois replied, firm in her answer.
Jo turned back to her Father. "Dad?"
Clark suddenly looked back at all the years he'd known Sam and there was not a single moment when he could not be trusted. In fact, he'd proven that he could be trusted over and over again. "I do trust him, Jo."
"Thank you, Dad," Jo held up her arms and Clark picked up his little girl, truly happy for her.
Clark sat her down after a minute or two. He smoothed her hair away from her face. "You found someone you can trust, who loves you more than anything else in this world and that's what I want for you honey … always."
Jo smiled, so very happy. "He's all of those things, and more."
Lois was so relieved. "Honey, Sam must be crawling up the walls wondering what's happening over here," Lois said, joking a little.
"Can he come over, Dad, just for a few minutes?"
"Sure, give him a call," Clark replied, glad to see her smiling again.
Ten minutes later, Sam was knocking at the door. Jo had not said much over the phone just that her Father was willing to talk to him.
Jo opened the front door then she flew into his arms.
"Whoa, is everything ok?" Sam asked, still worried.
Jo pulled back and smiled at him.
He touched her cheek. "You're smiling, but I can see you've been crying." He stiffened. "What did he say to you to make you cry?"
"Sam, we should talk," Clark said as he and Lois came down the stairs.
"What did you say to her to make her cry?" Sam hated to see her like this.
"Sam, its ok, just listen to what he has to say," Jo said, hoping to calm him down.
"Please come inside and we'll talk," Clark said. He held out his arm for them to enter into the living room.
"It's Ok, Sam," Lois said, hoping to smooth the way for him.
Sam and Jo sat down on the sofa, Lois sat in the side chair, but Clark was also worried that he may say the wrong thing and hurt them. They had run away from him before but he couldn't let that happen again.
"Clark?" Lois encouraged him.
"First off, I wanted to apologize for everything that happened on the space station. I apologized to Jo for spying on you two and not trusting you. Jo, her Mother and I talked about you and everything that our family has been through over the years, and yes, we even talked about your biological father."
"But why would you be talking about him? He's gone and buried," Sam said, wondering what he was getting at.
"That's right Sam, but the sadness, the pain, and suffering that he caused this family will last a long time."
"Mr. Kent, I can't change the past. All I can do is be a better person than he ever was, to treat Jo with respect, to respect your family and most of all, to keep her safe. I've tried to do that." He paused then he squeezed her hand. "I would die for her Sir, you know that," Sam said, getting upset.
Jo squeezed his hand. "You have done that, Sam, and that's what my Father is trying to say. Go on, Dad."
"Thank you, honey. What I'm trying to say is this. We do trust you Sam, Lois and I, and we would be delighted to call you son, if you would allow us."
"Really, Sir?" Sam was elated.
"Really," Clark replied then he gave him a smile then he held out his hand.
Sam stood up and came over to him, but instead of giving Sam a handshake, he gave Sam a hug. Sam was startled at first then he hugged him back.
"Thank you, Sir."
Lois also gave Sam a hug, and of course, Jo wanted her share.
The phone rang. It was Kitty and Emil.
"Hi, Kitty. Yes, everything is fine. Yes, I'll call you in the morning. Of course, we'll have lunch. Good night, Kitty."
"Why don't you two go into the den and say your goodnights? In the next day or two, your Father and I will sit everyone down because he has some exciting news to tell us," Lois said then smiled at their curious faces. "It's a surprise; go on now."
"Thanks Mom," Jo said then they went into the den.
Once the door had closed, Sam whispered. "This room is pretty familiar to me now," he teased.
Jo giggled. "I know what you mean." She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I love you, Samuel James Hamilton."
He turned around and pulled her close. "I love you too, Joanne Josephine Kent."
They both smiled and then they were kissing, sweet kisses, and tender caresses. "I'm so glad that's over."
"Me too."
He pulled back. "It was hard, wasn't it?"
"It was pretty bad, but it's all behind us now."
~o~o~
"Clark, we have to tell Sam about Alex and what you plan to do about him," Lois urgently whispered.
"I think we should talk to Kitty and Emil first," Lois suggested
"I agree. We'll talk to them tomorrow, but they are not going to be happy about this."
"It's up to the courts now, but they should be told, I agree."
~o~o~
Hours later in Casablanca, Morocco, the Kenzi Tower Hotel:
Diana had landed in Casablanca and immediately checked into her room. She decided to wait for Bruce in the lobby. He should be arriving within the hour so she decided to get a bite to eat first, but when she exited the elevator and headed to the dining room, she spotted Talia and an older gentleman leaving the hotel. It must be her Father. She decided to follow them.
Several hours later, she returned to the hotel. She could not believe her luck. They had led her straight to Damian. She had even seen him at the front door and he looked so much like Bruce that it stunned her. He had the same build, height, but his eyes were remarkable, exotic, which only added to his striking features. Bruce will be thrilled.
After returning to the hotel, she realized that Bruce must have checked in by now. She had left specific instructions at the concierge, meaning she had added his name to the registration so he would be given a key. She called him on her cellphone to make sure he was there, he picked up.
"Diana, I'm all checked in. Where are you?" He suddenly heard the key in the lock. He turned and there she was and she looked amazing, stunning actually. Her hair was long and flowing about her shoulders, she was wearing an elegant black dress, one-shouldered, high heels and her makeup was immaculate. "Wow," he couldn't say much else. He was simply stunned.
"It's good to see you too!" She smiled, closed her phone and then they were holding each other close.
He kissed her deeply, amazed at how much he had missed her. He was also worried about her, being halfway around the globe away from him, not to mention way too close to Talia. Who knew what she was planning?
He pulled away after a minute.
"Wow is right. That was some hello," she commented and smiled.
"Sorry," he said and smiled back. "I missed you."
She touched his cheek. "I missed you too."
"So, tell me, what's happening?"
"I have great news. I found him."
He shook his head amazed. "So where is he?"
"Not far, only about ten miles south of here in a town called El-Maarif."
"That's a different address than what she told you while under the influence of the lasso. Let's go." He took her hand.
"Wait a minute I have to tell you something."
"Can't you tell me on the way? I have a feeling we should hurry."
"Ok, let's hurry. We don't want to miss this chance."
On the cab ride over, Diana wanted to tell him that she loved him and how much Damian resembled him, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived back at Damian's home, but he was gone. The house looked deserted.
"Oh no, I can't believe he's gone," Diana stated as she peeked through the window.
"Damnit! So close," Bruce exclaimed then he shook his head.
She touched his shoulder. "Bruce, we won't give up, we won't!"
They got back inside the cab, but just as they were about to pull away from the curb, someone came out of the house with a suitcase. It was him. It was Damian.
They stopped the cab, Bruce and Diana slowly got out and walked toward the house.
Damian stared at the two people coming towards his home, and he could not believe his eyes. He immediately recognized his real Father.
It was so, his Mother and his Grandmother wanted to keep his Father away from him. He never understood why but he was done with running and hiding. He was an adult, nearly twenty years old, and he was adamant that he did not want to leave his home. His foster parents were deceased and he rarely saw his Mother or Grandmother. He had felt deserted by the people who should be looking out for him, taking care of him, but then there was him. Damian had decided to find his real Father on his own, but there he was standing there looking at him. His Father had found him.
Bruce didn't know what to say. He came forward. "Damian?"
He managed to reply. "Yes, I'm Damian."
Bruce's eyes filled with tears. "I'm … I'm your Father."
Damian held out his hand. "It's … it's nice to meet you."
Bruce stared at his hand, but that was not how he wanted to acknowledge his only son. He held out his arms.
Damian hesitated but only for a moment, then they were clutching each other close. Neither saying anything, too moved to say anything, but both their eyes were bright.
Diana reached inside her purse and pulled out a tissue. She wiped at her eyes then blew her nose. "Sorry."
Damian and Bruce pulled back at the sound. Both smiling at her, everyone laughed a bit awkwardly. Bruce made the introductions. "Damian, my name is …"
He interrupted him. "I know your name. It's Bruce Wayne."
He smiled. "Yes, that's my name, and this is … Diana, Diana Prince. She's … ummm…"
Diana shook her head at Bruce. "It's nice to meet you, Damian." She had to ask him as she glanced at his suitcase. "Were you going somewhere?"
"Oh, well, believe it or not, I was coming to find you," he replied staring at his Father.
"Really?" Bruce was surprised and very pleased to hear that.
"Yes, my Mother and Grandfather wanted me to run away with them, but I wanted to stay here, but there's nothing for me here, so I was headed to America … to find you, but …"
"I found you, or rather Diana found you," Bruce smiled at her.
Diana smiled back, warmed by his approval.
Damian caught their looks. "You're in love, aren't you?" He suddenly realized what he had said. "I'm sorry, that's not any of my business."
Diana didn't know what to say. She stared at Bruce. They had never said that word to each other before, not that it wasn't on her mind.
Bruce held out his hand, resigned to his feelings. Diana took it.
"Yes, yes we are," he finally admitted it then he smiled and winked at her.
Diana ducked her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Bruce squeezed her hand.
He turned back to Damian. "Are you ready to go, son?"
"Yes, Father, I'm ready," Damian replied firmly, ready to begin his new life.
Bruce nodded his head. "Let's go home."
~o~o~
The next day, Bruce's flying ship in route to Gotham:
"Diana, are you there?" Bruce whispered hoping to talk to her. Diana was on her invisible jet. Damian was asleep beside him.
"Yes, Bruce, I'm here." She grinned at his silly question. "Are you nervous about something?"
"No, but I wanted to explain about what I said you know, the question Damian asked us?"
"Oh, that," Diana replied, but she acted as if it didn't matter. He had admitted it under pressure so it didn't really matter as far she was concerned. "Let's talk after we get Damian settled and …"
"And …?" He prompted.
"Father, is everything alright?" That was Damian a bit drowsy from sleep.
"Yes, everything is fine, son. Go back to sleep."
"We'll talk later, Bruce."
Sighing, he said, "Alright, we'll talk later."
"Wonder Woman, out."
"Wonder Woman?" That was Damian, who was wide awake now.
Bruce inwardly groaned then he couldn't help but smile.
End of ACT II: When You Believe
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: Against All Odds, Mariah Carey.
A/N: *wipes eyes* I had to make this happen for Bruce, I had to, and I didn't want to drag it out looking for his son chapter after chapter. Now, Clark's reaction to Jo and Sam having sex was so hard to write. I knew he would come around and realize that Sam and Lex are two different people, not the same at all. You know, I just realized Clark and Bruce both gained sons in this chapter. *sigh* Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews are love, guys!
Oh and one more thing, if you were wondering why Clark held back his feelings about Sam and never said anything, just look at Jo's reaction. I think he knew that she would be terribly upset, and that's the last thing he wanted. Now whether it was dormant or not, I think he did the right thing by finally telling her how he felt. Suppose he had said this 'after' their maybe, thinking about it, wedding! *smiles* It would have been a lot worse and I don't think Jo would have forgiven him for a long while.
ACT III: A Moment Like This, the final Act will appear in two weeks. Stay tuned!