Full Circle
by Crystal Wimmer <JCWimmer@aol.com>
Rated: PG-13
Submitted April 2, 1998

This is probably what would be considered an "Elseworlds" story.
It bears little resemblance to the series, except in the
characters; furthermore, I go off on a tangent with those. It is
one of those thoughts that just wouldn't go away until I wrote it
down, so after many months I gave in, and here is the result.

This story is quite different from anything I have ever written, or
seen written. Further, it differs in several respects:
-- This takes place in seasons 10, 20, and back into 4. It gives
what is, in my opinion, a different explanation for the baby that
Lois and Clark receive in the series finale, "Family Hour".
-- There is no villain, other than the emotions and life
situations of the characters themselves. I range through simple
development into major life trauma, and even I got confused at
times <g>.
-- At times, Lois and Clark become supporting characters to the
rest of the story. Fear not, they play a large role in the
majority of the story, but sometimes they seem to fade into the
background. As with any family, the same members are not always in
the limelight.
-- I took some liberties with exploring different levels of
emotional development, and even physical development, and some
aspects of lifetime friendships that have intrigued me for years.
This was a personal tangent, and I hope it doesn't confuse anyone.

Warning: There is a very serious WHAM in this story. I am a
believer in happy endings, but it is through testing that the
strength of the individual is developed, and the value of the
family is realized. I made this medically realistic, so be
forewarned.

As with many other authors, I chose the starting point and an idea
for the ending, and the characters took over from there. I spent
several months furiously trying to keep up with them, and every
time I got close they took off again! As a result of this process,
the story became a little long (almost as long as my explanation
for it <g>).

I believe in a world of infinite possibilities, but I have done my
best here to maintain a temporal stability. The bulk of this story
takes place over a two-year period, and has flashes into other
time periods as well. There is a great deal of change within the
characters, and this was inevitable.

With all of that said (and I am assuming some readers will make it
through that mess <bg>), I do hope you enjoy my interpretation of
the future of Lois and Clark. Comments are always welcome at:
JCWimmer@aol.com

---------------------
Prologue: March, 2002
---------------------

Lois glanced out the window of their new two-storey home. She
could still smell the paint in this room, so she struggled until
she was able to raise the window wide open. She enjoyed the fresh
air, the sound of birds, and the peace of this quiet neighborhood.
Raised in the city, Lois had her doubts about moving into the
suburbs, but Clark had for once been insistent.

"Lois, think of the crime rate," Clark had argued. "It would be
safer for CJ, and the schools are better. It's time we moved."

"Clark, no. I don't want to commute. We can't do our jobs from
forty minutes away. Besides, we have a good daycare here, and I
don't want to search for that again."

"Lois," Clark had pleaded, "his school is as important as his
daycare."

After months of argument, Lois had conceded defeat, more as a
measure of Clark's persistence than actual agreement. In truth, he
had some good points: the Metropolis School District had been
plagued with crime and accusations of apathetic teachers. There
were guns in the schools, and often in the teachers' desks. The
classrooms were overcrowded and children failed to receive the
individualized attention that they really needed.

The entire issue of drugs was another point of contention. While
Lois had difficulty believing it, drugs had been reported in the
*primary* grades. Art and Music had been dropped due to their
expense, and journalism training as well. The sports programs were
failing and, in general, the entire school system was a mess. No,
she didn't want her CJ there.

Finally, they had found a small land plot in the tiny suburban
area of Claremont, just outside of Metropolis. They had assisted in
the design for the building of this three-bedroom, two-bathroom
brick home with a full basement. It was beautiful. Lois was pleased
with the house, but still concerned with CJ. He had been despondent
since the move was initially discussed. He had looked forward to
starting kindergarten with his friends at the daycare center, and
was disappointed that he would not have the chance.

Lois and Clark had enrolled CJ in a before- and after-school
activity program, and he would begin school at Claremont Elementary
in a few days. Lois was confident that CJ would make friends
quickly. Although he had Clark's reserved nature, he was as
friendly as any child Lois had ever seen. The schools out here had
a better reputation, and she had less fear of the situation.

Just then, Lois heard CJ's voice drifting softly up to the window.
She couldn't make out the words, but she could hear the concern in
his voice. Peeking out the open window, she saw her son carefully
looking both ways to cross the street in front of the house. She
considered stopping him but, as she had an excellent view from
where she was, she elected to observe.

                    *         *         *

CJ looked carefully, left, right, and left again, before crossing
the small street. There were no cars to be seen or heard nearby,
so he figured he was pretty safe. His mom hated him to leave the
townhouse without permission, but things felt different here, and
she hadn't *told* him he had to stay at home.... He heard a
small voice, and it sounded as if it were crying, so he needed to
find out what was wrong. Approaching the house across the street,
a smaller and older version of their new house, CJ saw a little
girl sitting next to the steps leading to the porch.

"What's wrong?" CJ asked her.

"You're not a girl," the child sobbed softly.

"That's not something to cry about."

"My mama said that a girl might move into your house. But you're
not a girl. Now I'll never have anyone to play with."

"You can play with me," he assured her. "I'm CJ. What's your name?"

"I'm Katie. Well, my mama calls me Kathryn, but at school everyone
calls me Katie."

"What school do you go to?"

"I'm in kindergarten."

"I get to start kindergarten on Monday. My mom says I'll like it
better than daycare, but I don't think so."

"It's okay. At least there's someone to play with. There's no kids
on this street, just old people. My mama says that's why it's so
quiet, but I think it's just boring."

"Maybe we could be friends."

The little girl looked up at CJ from her seated position. Her huge
green eyes were obscured behind blond bangs that had become too
long, and her ponytail was on the verge of coming untied. "I'd like
a friend," she told him solemnly.

CJ smiled and sat down next to her, using the cement steps as a
backrest the way she did. "Good," he told her, "'cause if we're
the only kids here, we'd better stick together."

                    *         *         *

Lois witnessed the exchange from her perch at the window. CJ sat
next to the small girl. After a short conversation, they began
drawing in the dirt with sticks. She realized that she would have
to reprimand him later for crossing the street without asking, and
not telling her he was leaving, but that was for later. Now, it
appeared he had made a friend, and that was more important. There
were few children that she had seen in the neighborhood, and she
was glad that there was someone that CJ could talk to that was
around his own age. She hoped the child would be a friend to her
son. He seemed lonely lately, and it was a loneliness that a mother
couldn't breach. He needed friends, and this was a good start.

With a satisfied sigh, Lois left the window and went back to
shifting clothes from boxes into the dresser. She would find Clark
in a few minutes to tell him of CJ's new friend. She was feeling
slightly better about the move now, and she wanted to let him off
the hook. After all, this was really the first time that Clark had
insisted on making a major decision that Lois disagreed with.
Perhaps that was why she had let him sway her into this move; she
didn't want to leave the city, but she did know that Clark always
had their best interests at heart. He would never hurt their
family.

In addition, his arguments had been right. She had never questioned
his accuracy, just his insistence. At the moment, she was glad she
had deferred to him this time. The house was beautiful, and it was
theirs. CJ seemed to be adjusting, and that would steadily improve
when he entered school. It was with a light heart that Lois
flattened the box she had just emptied and carried it back to the
living room to get another.

-------------------
Ten years later....
-------------------

Kat smiled as she watched the ending to the movie. She loved this
sappy stuff, and CJ was the only person she knew who would
tolerate it with her. He was her best friend, and had been since
kindergarten. She probably knew more about him than was good for
her, but he didn't seem to mind. He was really sweet, and he seemed
to be good at everything. He had helped her with sports, math, and
even cooking. In addition to all this, his mom was the nicest mom
there was. Kat appreciated Lois Kent almost as much as she did CJ.
Kat's mom had died when she was young, and she missed having a
mother around. Lois made up for that. In fact, lately, Lois had
spent almost as much time with her as CJ did.

"That was really good," CJ said as he stopped the tape and hit the
"rewind" button on the VCR.

"Yeah, I love that one." Kat picked up the box for the tape, an old
VHS copy of "Highlander", and handed it to CJ. "I'm not sure that
immortality would be all it's cracked up to be, but I kind of think
it would be cool."

CJ ducked his head in a gesture that had become familiar to Kat. He
was hiding something, and she intended to find out what it was. He
had been this way for the last few months, shying away from her at
odd times, and the feeling made her uncomfortable.

"CJ, do you trust me?"

His head jerked up to look at Kat. "Of course I do! We've been
friends forever. Why?"

"I feel like you're hiding something from me. It's like you just
get quiet all of a sudden, and I can't reach you any more." Kat
vainly tried to explain her feelings, but after a moment she just
shrugged, looking rather sheepish and wishing she hadn't brought up
the subject.

CJ smiled gently. "Welcome to puberty," he commented softly as he
wrapped his arms around Kat. "You're a girl, and I'm a boy, and
there are some things that we just can't understand about each
other."

Kat snuggled into his arms for a moment, drawing comfort, then
leaned back with a grin. "So you mean this is a sex thing?"

"Not really," CJ said, returning her smile. "Just a growing thing.
Every day, I feel different to the day before. It's kind of weird.
Sometimes, I just... I don't know. It's like I can't relate to
anyone. I can't tell my parents; they'd think I'm crazy. I can't
tell my friends -- it's just too weird. I can't even tell you,
because you're not a guy." He smiled anew at the expression on her
face, "See what I mean? You already think I'm crazy."

"Nah. I tell *you* everything." She glanced at him with a wry
expression. "I even told you when I started my period."

CJ laughed at that. "Actually, you came over here screaming and
crying because you thought you were dying and you were afraid to
tell your dad."

Kat found it a little more difficult to laugh at the incident. She
had been terrified. She had run to the place she felt most safe,
to have them take care of her. She hadn't known what else to do. CJ
hadn't been nearly as frightened as she had, and had immediately
called for his mother. Lois had patiently explained the facts of a
maturing female reproductive system in a very matter-of-fact way.
Kat had felt better, and had even allowed Lois to walk her home and
explain the situation to her father. In retrospect, the only one
who had appeared uncomfortable that night had been Clark. He had
looked around the room, almost panicked, before announcing that
he had forgotten to do something and dashing out the back door.
But then, Clark did that a lot.

"Well, my point is that there isn't *anything* you don't know
about me."

"Frightening thought!"

"CJ! Be nice!" Kat yelled as she tackled him. The two of them
engaged in a short wrestling match, then sobered as CJ allowed Kat
to come out on top. "You never used to let me win."

CJ had that guarded look in his eyes once more. "I just don't want
to hurt you," he said simply. "I'm a lot stronger than I used to
be, and you might get hurt."

Kat looked puzzled at the thought. "You'd never hurt me."

"Not on purpose, no. But sometimes I do stuff I don't mean to. I
break stuff. I just want to be careful."

Kat noted the real concern in CJ's eyes and took his hand in hers.
"CJ, I never feel more safe than when I'm with you. You're my big
brother. You fight the bullies and charm the teachers, and I know
for a fact that you could never hurt me."

CJ smiled at Kat's confidence in him. The fact was, she was two
months older than he was, and nearly as tall. Sure, he was
protective of her, but that came from years of confiding in one
another and backing each other up in battle. Truth be told, he had
gained as much from her protectivness as she had gained from his.
She had defended him against numerous teachers who demanded that he
live up to his "potential", letting them know, in no uncertain
terms, that he deserved a life as well as an education.

Actually, what he had told her was more than true. He *could*
hurt her. It had been years since she could actually beat him in a
wrestling match, and he had just been beginning to get strong
then. His dad had explained the situation last year when CJ had
gotten mad and pulled off a doorknob that had been locked. CJ's
initial shock had been nothing compared to the surprise he had
received that evening....

                    *         *         *

CJ stood with the doorknob and a good-sized chunk of wood in his
hand, looking and feeling stunned. When he raised his brown eyes to
that of his father, expecting a serious verbal lashing, he was
surprised to see an amused understanding there.

"Son, we need to have a talk."

"I know I shouldn't have been mad, and I'm sorry I broke it, but it
isn't my fault this stupid thing broke. I mean, it's a door and it
should be able to keep out burglars, much less a
fourteen-year-old boy. I didn't even pull the thing that hard,
you know, I just pulled a little, and this happened. I'll pay for
it if you want, I just...."

"SON!"

CJ stopped in mid-sentence to look at his smiling father. "You
don't have to yell."

Clark broke into a full laugh. "Son, you remind me so much of your
mother when you get nervous. Nobody can babble like your mother,
but you sure come close." Once he was under control, he continued,
"I'm sorry for yelling, but we need to have a talk, and we need to
do it before you break anything else."

"I didn't mean to," CJ said sullenly.

"I know. Let's go into your room." Clark took the doorknob from
his son and placed it on the table as they passed through the
kitchen. He made a mental note to replace the door and knob as soon
as possible. Then, he led his reluctant son into the small but
colorful bedroom at the top of the stairway.

Once seated on the edge of the bed, Clark eased into the
conversation he needed to have. He had been rehearsing this since
he realized that the tiny baby entrusted into his and Lois's care
would be around for a while. The years of practice made little
difference, this was still going to be hard. "There's a reason you
can't control your strength. It's kind of a... hereditary thing."

"You mean I'm strong because you are?"

"Oh, yeah. But it's more than that. CJ, this is really hard, and
you might not believe me at first, but you know I could never lie
to you."

"Yeah, I know."

"This is ridiculous! You're my son, and I can tell you anything."
Clark was exasperated at his own difficulty to deal with this
subject. "First, though, I need you to promise that what I have to
say will not leave this room. Your mother knows, and your
grandparents, but nobody else can find out. Do you understand me?"

"Not really. What could be that bad, that you don't want anyone to
know about it?"

"It's not bad. Not exactly. Just watch." With that, Clark decided
that a picture could be worth a thousand words and he stood up to
spin. In a moment, Clark was standing before his son, wearing a
blue and red suit that had made him a household word for more than
a decade.

Wide-eyed, CJ watched his father transform into a super-hero.
Staring, he immediately saw the resemblance between the "two" men,
and wondered why he had been so blind. "Oh, wow!"

Clark stood with the suit on and his glasses in his hand. As he put
the glasses back on, he looked down into the stunned eyes of his
son. "Any questions?"

"You have *no* idea!" CJ replied.

Clark smiled and twirled back into his jeans and sweatshirt.
"Shoot."

CJ considered the first thought that came to mind. "Am I as strong
as you?"

"I'm not sure. Probably not, or at least not yet. I was about
thirteen when I started bench pressing cars, but you have your
mother's genes too, so it may take you longer, or you might not get
as strong at all. There isn't any way to be sure, except to wait
and see."

"What else can I do?" CJ's mind was reeling with the possibilities.

"That remains to be seen. You have always had really good hearing,
so I don't know if it's 'super' or not. The rest was mainly
concentration for me. Learning to control how much I see or hear,
or how much strength and speed I use are just a matter of really
concentrating. That should be the same for you, but I have no idea
what limits you will have, because of your mother."

Finally, a big thought jumped into CJ's mind. "Can I *fly*?"

Clark smiled. This was his son, but also a true boy. "I doubt it,"
he said. At CJ's crestfallen expression, he elaborated, "I was in
my late teens before that started for me, so it will probably be a
while before it starts -- *if* it starts -- for you.

CJ's eyes became unfocused a moment as he considered the
information. Deliberately, he focused his vision across the room
and onto one of his birthday cards. He had left the cards sitting
up on his dresser, and now he concentrated on the small image of a
basketball in one of the pictures. He concentrated as hard as he
could, focusing his energy on this one point. Gradually, he saw the
basketball begin to darken as the card started to smoke.

Clark watched his son focus his eyesight, and knew what he was
trying to do. He considered stopping the experiment, but decided
that this was a good time to evaluate just how much power CJ had
acquired. When the card began to smoke, Clark placed his cupped
hand before his son's eyes, effectively blocking the beam.

The sudden appearance of a hand before his face startled CJ from
his task. He looked up to see his father smiling. "You need to be
careful what you focus on," Clark told him. "You can do a lot of
damage that way."

"This is amazing!" CJ shouted. "What else can I do?"

"That's something that will take time to find out. It may be fun,
but we'll need to find a safe place to do it."

---------
Chapter 1
---------

It had begun that day. CJ had started experimenting with his
abilities and had rapidly found that they could be quite useful.
Suddenly he had that little extra for football, that great jump for
basketball, and a little more speed for track. It was fun, really.
He had a secret that made him different. On the other hand, it
bothered him that his family's safety was dependent on secrecy.
Clark had taught him from an early age that truth was to be honored
above all else, and he felt very much that he was violating the
good faith of his friends.

He kept his word to his father, and he told no one about his
abilities. He had to be cautious about using them so that he
wouldn't get caught. The hardest part was hiding himself from Kat.
She had always been his confidant. He could tell her anything, but
telling this would mean lying to his father. It felt unnatural to
keep something from Kat. He had shared with her every joy and every
hurt for as long as he could remember. Usually, he told her things
before even confiding in his parents. At first, it was easy to
hide the little changes. After all, unless he had been actively
looking for the abilities, he would probably have dismissed them
as a little extra athletic ability, or just really good senses.

As time progressed, it became harder to hide the differences. He
wasn't just a little stronger, he was a *lot* stronger. He wasn't
exactly able to control all of the powers, especially as teenage
hormones began coursing through his system, so the incidents where
he could be caught became more frequent. What worried him the most,
though, was that Kat was noticing changes. She mentioned frequently
that his improvement in sports seemed sudden, or his strength too
great. Lately, it was harder to make excuses when he could see
things that she couldn't, or when he heard things that she was
unable to hear.

She was suspicious, but it was more than that. She made him feel
like he was betraying her trust. This was the most exciting thing
in his life, and he wanted to share it. He wanted her to be excited
with him. He had wondered for nearly a year whether it was time to
share his secret, then he became frightened for a different
reason. His father had told him that Mom had flipped out when she
figured it out on her own. Mom had felt betrayed because he did let
her in on the secret. Would it have been different if Dad had told
her?

It was with these thoughts that he had gone to Lois, early on a
Saturday morning. Clark had been up and out early handling a fire
near a gas station, and he had not returned yet. "Mom," CJ began,
"I need to ask a question."

Lois was still far from June Cleaver, but she took some pride in
managing her kitchen. She set two slices of buttered toast in front
of her son, and wiped crumbs off the counter with the other hand.
"What's up?"

"It's kind of serious," CJ began.

The tone of his voice was the trigger. She looked at him sharply
before sitting and waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was
definitely the voice -- the exact same voice that Clark used when
he was about to tell her something she really didn't want to hear.
With a fifteen-year-old boy, this could not be good. Nightmare
images of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, drug
dependence, alcohol-induced stupors and failing grades flashed
through her mind in no particular order. This could *not* be
good. "Let's have it," she stated, with as much confidence as
twenty years of reporting could give her.

CJ saw the look on his mother's face and nearly smiled. She really
was expecting the worst. In a way, this would probably be a relief.
"It's not that bad, Mom. I just want to know something about you
and Dad."

"That doesn't sound terrible," Lois said with relief. Raising a
teenager was never easy, and CJ reminded her so much of Clark that
sometimes she just forgot he was a kid. "So, what do you need to
know?"

"Dad said you were mad when you found out about him." He didn't
have to elaborate on what Lois had found out. "Why were you mad?
Was it because of what he could do, or because he lied to you?"

Lois pondered the question for a moment, searching for why he
needed to know this, and hoping that the knowledge would help guide
her answer. "Is there someone that you want to tell about this?"

CJ's instant blush told her more than his hesitant words of
"...not really."

Lois smiled softly. She loved her son the most when he was so like
his father. They were linked in a way that they were just beginning
to understand, and she wondered how rocky that road would be. "He
never told me one of the most important things about his life, and
that hurt. I really think that it was more embarrassment than
anything else, though. I had said things to Superman that I never
wanted Clark to know, and that embarrassed me. When I'm on the
defensive, I do get angry. It's just a part of me."

"So, would you have been as mad if he told you?"

"I really don't know. Like I said, it had more to do with my
embarrassment than his dishonesty. What he did was wrong, but he
did it for all the right reasons. He wanted to protect me, and it's
hard to stay mad at someone who is trying to keep you safe."

"That really doesn't answer my question," CJ said with a sigh.

"It didn't answer mine, either. Who is it you want to tell?"

This time, CJ's sigh was long and loud. "How do moms always know
everything?"

"With you, it isn't hard. I have spent almost twenty years figuring
out your father, and you have his eyes. Sometimes, I swear I'm
looking at him -- especially when you have something to hide."
Lois smiled and sat down in the chair next to her son at their
breakfast bar. "Is it Kat?"

"You *do* know everything!" he said with surprise.

"Not everything, but I know *you*. You've known her for years,
and I know you tell her everything. This must be hard for you."

"Yeah, it is. We don't do secrets. We never have, not about
anything. This is the biggest thing in my life, and I can't tell my
best friend. I know all the reasons why, but this is still hard. I
mean, I know she would never tell anyone. I can trust her more than
she can trust me, now."

"It's more than a matter of trust, CJ. If you tell your secret, you
tell your dad's. That isn't really your place."

"I know that. That's what makes it so hard. It's like I'm in
between Kat and Dad, like a tug-of-war, and I'm losing." The
anguish on his face made Lois hurt for him. He had such a soft
heart, and it was easily bruised. He had Clark's sense of honor,
and her impulsivity. She often wondered just how volatile this
combination would become.

"I can't tell you what to do. Maybe I should, but I won't. I can
tell you what your dad said, but you already know that. All I can
say is, just go with your heart on this. Remember, though, that
if she knows, she becomes a target. You'll be making *that*
decision, too."

                    *         *         *

It was with all this in his mind that CJ faced Kat across his bed.
She wanted to know, she had said so, and this was as good a time as
any. With the feeling that what he was doing was right, but the
result would be bad anyway, CJ dove in.

"We're both growing up, Kat. You know how you learn new stuff about
your parents all the time? Well, I learned something, and it kind
of affects me. It has me worried. I want to tell you about it, but
my parents told me not to." There! It was out in the open, or sort
of, and he had been totally honest. That had been too easy.

"So, tell! You know all about *my* dysfunctional life. My dad had
an affair, my mom made herself sick and died, and my dad makes a
lousy mom. There's nothing you don't know about me. We just don't
have secrets."

"This is a big one, Kat. If I tell you, you might get hurt." She
needed to be forewarned.

"Oh, please! Quit with the melodramatics and just tell me what's
bugging you. It won't leave this room, I promise."

"Okay," CJ began. "You know how my folks are friends with
Superman?" That was a good start.

"Yeah, I got to meet him. So, what's the point?"

"My dad really *is* Superman."

"WHAT!"

"Don't shout! And don't tell anyone."

"Right, like I'd repeat *that*. CJ, come on, what's really
wrong? It's not like you to make things up, so I'll forgive this
whopper. But you need to tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not lying," CJ declared defensively.

"Right."

"My dad's Superman, and I have powers, too. Not like his. Not yet.
But they're getting better. I can outrun anyone except my dad, and
I can burn stuff by looking at it. And I can see through stuff,
too. My dad says I may be able to fly, but that comes later."

Kat was stunned. She had never heard CJ utter so much as a fib, and
this was ridiculous. She couldn't figure out his motivation. They
always told each other the truth. Her life had been one big soap
opera, and she had always told him about it. For him to make this
up was insulting and hurtful. Her emotions had been uncertain at
best, lately, and this set them off once more. "CJ, this isn't
funny," she said quietly.

"Tell me about it!" CJ said in an exasperated voice. "Can I just
show you?"

She looked at him quizzically. This was getting out of hand. This
was out of the fib zone and into delusion. "I don't think so."

Rolling his eyes, CJ did the first thing that came to the mind of
a fifteen-year-old boy. He concentrated and looked her over from
head to toe. "You have on a lacy pink bra and white underwear with
blue dots."

Kat's eyes flew open in shock. This was crazy! This couldn't be
right. Either he hadn't lied to her, or he had been peeking looks
in the girls' locker room. In  any case, she'd had enough. "CJ
Kent, I never want to see you again in my life!" With that, she
marched out of his room, through the house, and left, slamming the
door behind her. CJ just stood there gaping. It never occurred to
Kat that she had been more melodramatic that even CJ had seemed.

                    *         *         *

Life was not fair. CJ had learned that in a hurry. School was out,
he was finally old enough to drive, and he was miserable. Life was
really not fair.

CJ went back to the list his mom had given him of things to do, and
groaned. "Stop at the store, get milk, bread, and cake mix for
Grandma to make my cake, and remember to fill the car with gas." CJ
read the list aloud to be sure he wouldn't forget anything, then
grabbed his keys to the car on the way out the front door.

CJ had been driving for six months. Because he had a job, he had
received his driver's license at fifteen rather than sixteen, and
his parents gave him full access to the truck. He liked driving the
small pick-up truck that his dad had fixed up for him. His only
responsibilities were to keep it in gas and pay his own insurance.
It seemed reasonable to him, and much more fair than what most of
his friends were dealing with.

Kat had always liked driving around with him.

Kat... bad thought... and just when he was feeling almost normal
again.

Kat had spoken to him only briefly in the last several weeks. She
had explained that she did believe him, but she was no longer
comfortable having him for a friend. The entire "alien" issue had
her seriously confused, and she was still angry that he hadn't told
her the truth right away. This was part of the reason CJ just
didn't care about his birthday this weekend. What good was a party
when your best friend wasn't there?

He did look forward to the visit from his grandparents. He loved
Grandma Martha in a way that he couldn't put into words. She was
always on his side in any argument, and they had forged a bond that
he didn't begin to understand, but couldn't live without.

Grandpa Jon was a lot of fun. They could talk about anything, and
CJ never had to worry about it getting back to his parents. Maybe
he would ask to go back to Smallville this summer. He had helped
out on the farm a couple of summers, and he always enjoyed the
break from his parents. It would also get him away from the tension
of having Kat mad at him. He just couldn't deal with that. Yes,
that's what he would ask for on his birthday. He would miss some
work but, other than that, he had no reason to stay here this
summer.

After finishing the errands his mom had requested, and switching
out her car for his truck, he went back into the small town of
Claremont. He drove by the convenience mart where Kat worked,
twice, before he got up the nerve to stop. Entering the store, he
waited for Kat to finish with a customer before walking up to the
counter. "What's up?"

"Not much." Kat kept her eyes down. She had been avoiding him since
the incident in his bedroom. It really bothered her that CJ wasn't
entirely human. Like every other teenage girl on the planet, she
had a fair-sized crush on Superman, and realizing that the hero
was the father of her best friend had given her a major case of the
weirds. She had rarely given Mr. Kent more than a passing glance,
other than to consider him a better father than her own; thinking
of him in *that* way made her feel really uncomfortable.

"I wondered if you got the invitation to my party," CJ said
quietly.

"I got it," she replied. "I don't think I can come. I may have to
work."

"Okay. I get it." CJ turned to leave, then turned back around. He
scanned the store quickly to ensure that it was free of customers,
then he faced Kat once more. "Actually, I *don't* get it! You
have been my best friend since I can remember. You haven't missed
one of my birthdays since I turned six, and if you don't come, it
isn't because you have to work, it's because you don't *want* to
come! I'm sick of you being so damn polite when I talk to you. If
you're mad at me, then fine, but admit it! If you hate me, I'm
sorry, but I can't change what I said or didn't say. I'm doing my
best here to be a friend, and I can't change who I am just for
you." CJ finally ran out of steam and walked to the door. Before he
left the store, he fired a parting shot. "I may not have done
everything right, but I was always your friend. I really thought
you were mine."

Kat managed to watch CJ leave the store, get into his truck, and
drive away. Once he was out of sight, she calmly walked to the door
and locked it, and then returned to her place behind the counter.
It was with his words ringing in her ears that she began to cry,
sinking down to the floor behind the counter so nobody passing by
on the street would be able to see her.

                    *         *         *

CJ's sixteenth birthday was thoroughly depressing. He moped in his
room most of the day, coming out only when Martha served the cake
that she had made for him. CJ ate the cake, smiled politely when he
thanked her, and promptly went back to his room to mope. There had
been no party. CJ had only given out one invitation, and when that
had been refused, he had torn up the rest and decided not to
bother.

"I'm getting worried about him," Lois told Clark as they shared the
job of filling the dishwasher in the kitchen. CJ had refused to eat
dinner, and Lois had refused to listen to Clark's assurances that
CJ most likely would not suffer from one lost meal. For that
matter, they didn't even know if CJ required food. Clark didn't,
but Lois most certainly did. They assumed that CJ fell somewhere in
the middle, as he did with so many other things. "He won't eat, he
doesn't sleep. Clark, he's going to make himself sick."

"Lois, you need to relax. He's just a teenage boy who got his
feelings hurt. He'll bounce back; he always has."

"But he's always had Kat to run to. He needs her, now, and she's
the problem."

Clark looked at his wife with a wry grin. He smiled at her has he
lifted his palm to cup her cheek in a familiar gesture. "Lois,
she's reacting the same way you did."

Lois pressed her face against Clark's hand for a moment, then she
moved back. "I'm not proud of that, you know."

Clark expanded his grin into a true, heart-stopping smile. "I
realize that. I just think that we need to give Kat some time. You
came around, and so will she. Besides, this can't be easy on her.
It isn't just CJ that she has to get used to, it's me, too. The
few times I've run into her since this started, she can't even look
me in the eye."

Lois sighed, "At the very least, I think the secret is safe with
her. If she isn't willing to talk about it with us, I doubt she'll
spread it around. Besides, she thinks too much of CJ for that. She
may be hurt and angry, but she won't hurt him. I trust her."

"Now, that's something. You don't trust anyone," Clark said with
a smile.

Martha entered the kitchen carrying the remainder of the dinner
dishes for Lois and Clark to wash. "I know it's not my place, but
I really want to talk to you about CJ."

Jonathan and Martha had immediately noticed that their grandson was
not himself. While Clark had explained on the phone that CJ was "a
little depressed", and the reasons for that depression, Martha had
been unprepared for the desolation she saw in his face. CJ had been
a part of her heart from the moment she had held him. She had
always felt a strange attachment to the child, and she assumed that
it came from his resemblance to Clark. Jonathan, too, had been
drawn to the child more than one would have expected, even
considering that this was their only grandchild. Initially, they
had assumed that it was the fear of losing him to his own time
that had intensified their reactions to the child, but that thought
had been pushed to the back of their minds for years now. They had
given up waiting for the impending arrival of some time traveler
that would carry CJ away, and had learned to enjoy each moment as
it came. On the other hand, they had never entirely forgotten, and
their attachment to him had never lessened.

"Jonathan and I have been talking, and we were wondering if a
change in scenery might get CJ back to normal," Martha offered.

"You mean, take him back to Smallville?" Lois inquired.

"Well, yes. We've had him there before, and he seemed to enjoy the
time with us. He loves to explore the farm, and Jonathan could
really use the help." Martha frowned, wondering how to be more
convincing. The truth was, she just felt the need to spend some
time with her grandson. "I know that he's working now, but he can
write at our house as easily as here, and the stories might even be
better. He could always e-mail them to you."

Lois considered the suggestion carefully. CJ's column in the paper
was a teenage perspective section that was designed to increase the
circulation of the paper by reaching the younger audiences. He had
shown Clark's flair for words, and his writing was unbelievably
good, considering his lack of experience. It was true that he
could write from anywhere, and his comparisons of farm life to city
life could be as interesting as the series he had done last summer
on the differences of city life to suburban living. He had an
amazing analytical mind, and the potential for a good story was
always there. In addition, Martha was right about getting his mind
off Kat. The boy had lost his best friend, literally. Perhaps
removal from the immediate situation would be a good thing.

Clark's reasoning had followed the same pattern as his wife's. He
had watched her face run the gamut of emotions as she considered
sending their son away for the summer. This was always hard for
her. The first time, back when CJ had been only nine, they had sent
him to Smallville for purely occupational reasons. Lois had been
promoted to Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet after Perry's
failing health had mandated his retirement. While she was more than
capable of running the paper, the initial adjustment in time
management had threatened their marriage and undermined her
confidence in her ability to parent CJ. The two-month-long break
that the Kents had provided had allowed her to get together a
routine that did allow her time for family.

While Perry had insisted that it was impossible to have both, Lois
managed to do so with her determination to have it all. Within a
few weeks, she had established a daily pattern that included a home
computer, cellphone, and message system. She had also delegated
authority to two junior executives to eliminate the constant
nightly phone calls that had plagued her. Finally, when the system
she devised was working perfectly, they had brought CJ home to a
much happier arrangement and found that the whole family, Martha
and Jonathan included, had benefited from the situation.

CJ had spent two other summers, and one Christmas break, with his
grandparents. He loved the time with them, and he learned so much
from the older values that Martha and Jonathan instilled. This
really wouldn't be any different, Lois decided. He would spend a
few weeks with them, and by the time school started in September,
CJ would be back to normal. Hopefully, by then Kat would have
resolved this confusion she had, and they could go back to being
friends.

"That really may be a great idea, Martha," Lois said. Turning to
her husband, she inquired, "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect. Now we just have to talk him into it."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Jonathan said, as he walked into the
kitchen with CJ behind him. "CJ just asked me how to talk you guys
into letting him spend the summer with us."

"It's all I want for my birthday," CJ added.

"Well, then," Martha said with a smile, "it looks like you're
coming home with us."

                    *         *         *

Lois helped CJ to pack, and Clark and Jonathan loaded his things
into the car. Because CJ had wanted to take his truck, Clark had
offered to drive his parents' car for Martha, while Jonathan
would ride with CJ. Normally, Martha and Jonathan would have come
to Claremont by "Superman Express", but this time they had
impulsively decided to drive. The scenery as they traveled through
the mountains of West Virginia was beautiful along I-64, and they
had decided it would be fun to just drive. Under the circumstances,
they were glad for the decision. CJ would be happier taking his
truck to the farm, and this trip would provide Clark time to talk
with Martha, and Jonathan time to talk with CJ.

At the moment, however, Lois was feeling decidedly left out. As her
family piled into the vehicles, she regretted the responsibilities
that would keep her near the Daily Planet for the night. It was at
times like this she really wanted to skip being an editor, and go
back to just being a simple reporter. Odd, she had thought she had
worked through this. Yet here she was, having just celebrated her
sixth anniversary as Editor-in-Chief, and still having difficulty
with the responsibilities of the job. Some things would never
change.

"I'll be back before morning," Clark whispered in her ear as he
hugged her good-bye.

"I know," Lois smiled weakly. "I just feel like I'm missing
something, and I can't shake it."

"I'll miss you."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you too, Lois. I'll be back as soon as I can." With a last
lingering kiss, Clark left Lois standing on the porch, waving at
her family as they drove away.

Lois had said the rest of her good-byes in the house, so she was
surprised how bereft she felt at the moment. She knew they needed
her, and knew she was loved. At the Planet she was irreplaceable
(as they informed her frequently) but, at home, she often felt
like a fifth wheel. Perhaps it was because Clark and CJ had this
new bond from sharing powers that nobody else had, or maybe it was
just that CJ was growing up and needed less direct intervention.
She missed playing "mom" to Kat as well. Lately, she wondered just
how important she really was in the grand scheme of things. Oh
well, she decided, this mood could be cured by only one thing.
Moments later, she settled herself in front of the television
with a pint of cookie dough ice cream and put in a favorite video.
If she wasn't necessary, she would just have to enjoy herself.

---------
Chapter 2
---------

CJ had been on the farm for nearly three weeks when he finally
started opening up to his grandparents. It wasn't that he didn't
want to talk to them; he just couldn't seem to find a starting
point. They hadn't been kidding about the amount of help Jonathan
needed on the farm. CJ was constantly utilizing his powers to toss
hay bails and clean equipment. He lacked his father's skill with
repairs, but Jonathan gave good directions, and they even managed
to fix some of the larger pieces of equipment working together.

Time with Martha was also a joy. Despite CJ's lingering depression,
he couldn't help but feel better about life when he was with his
grandmother. She cooked and cleaned for him, and he was on his own
for finding ways to keep busy. When Jonathan wasn't around, he
often helped around the house with the heavier cleaning chores,
and even occasionally with cooking. He became adept at flipping
pancakes, and he gradually mastered the art of blueberry waffles.

CJ made another strange discovery. It seemed that, the more he
used his newfound strength and speed, the easier it became to
control the unique abilities. He was able to lift and carry greater
amounts on a daily basis, and he seemed to get faster by the day as
well. The wide open area of the farm allowed him more freedom to
experiment, and the experimentation resulted in increased
abilities. He discovered that his hearing was more than acute. He
was able to hear his grandparents' discussions in the house,
all the way from the barn. He could pick up their heartbeats if he
was close enough, and he never missed his grandmother calling him
in to dinner, wherever he was on the farm.

His vision continued to develop as well. He was able to find his
grandfather from quite a distance, and he was starting to be able
to see through walls. He could heat objects (which came in handy
for branding and welding), and only started a few accidental
fires in the process. His strength became easier to control with
practice. He was less apt to crush objects accidentally now, and
yet he was able to deliberately crush bricks, rocks and some
metals with more skill than before. He could outrun the horses on
a nearby farm, and had no difficulty catching the chickens to
remove them from the hen-house for cleaning.

CJ's comfort with his abilities was directly related to his
grandparents' encouragement of his learning to use them. They
seemed to naturally know what he needed, and when he needed it. He
supposed it came from raising his dad. They had been through this
once before, and Martha was the first to admit that the previous
experience was a help. They'd had no idea how to help Clark when he
began to differ from the children around him, but they had those
mistakes to learn from and were eager to use their knowledge to
help their only grandson.

When CJ finally felt ready to talk about his life, his grandmother
was more than willing to listen. She didn't interrupt as he told
her of his decade long friendship with Kat, and the pain involved
in losing that relationship. CJ eloquently expressed his fears
for the future, realizing that if he was unable to maintain an
established friendship, initiating new ones would be difficult. He
cried as he told Martha about Kat storming out of the house and
refusing to come to his party, then he cuddled in her arms as she
held him, crying with him as she had done with Clark many years
before, sittting on the floor of the "Fortress of Solitude."
Martha had been through this once before, but she realized now that
CJ had an advantage in the situation that Clark had never had. CJ
had Clark. Simply, he had the benefit of not being alone in the
world.

Martha was not so naive as to believe that Clark was the perfect
father. He certainly tried but, just as she and Jonathan had made
their fair share of mistakes, she was absolutely sure that Clark
had made his share of goofs along the way. Nevertheless, Clark and
CJ shared something that could be wonderful if they could breach
the father/son gap of generations and get together on this. Martha
told CJ as much, and was surprised when it initiated a fresh wave
of tears from the boy.

"I know he loves me and all," CJ told her through the tears. "But
this is my fault. He told me not to tell anyone because this could
happen. I did it anyway, and that makes it my fault."

"CJ, your father has never been one to hold a grudge. Was he that
angry when you told Kat?"

"He wasn't really mad, he just got this disappointed look, you
know. It was like he was too hurt to be mad, and that made it
worse."

"Oh, sweetie," Martha soothed. "Your father has been through so
much in his life. He was trying to save you that hurt, but he can't
protect you from everything. If he was hurt, it was because *you*
were hurting."

"But he never even talked to me about it."

"That's because he's a man," Martha said with some exasperation
at the male of the species. "He may be the sweetest boy in the
world, but he still expects everyone else to read his mind. He was
probably waiting for you to come to him -- and if I'm right, he's
just as disappointed that you haven't talked this out as you are."

CJ wiped his face and sat up straight. "You really think so? You
think he wants to talk about this."

"I'm sure of it. Honey, he loves you. You and your mother are the
most important things in his life, and you always will be. He wants
to know everything about you, and this is even more special because
it's something that only the two of you can share. Even your mother
can't quite be in on this, although she has some experience with
learning to use super-powers."

"What do you mean?"

Martha smiled, happy that she had apparently cheered her grandson,
"Now, *that* is something your mother will have to explain."

CJ conceded that argument with a smile, and kissed his grandmother
on the cheek before walking out into the yard to help his
grandfather with a tractor that had gotten stuck in the mud. CJ had
been trying to tighten the faucet handle enough to stop the
consistent drip that had formed an inconvenient puddle under the
faucet when the entire faucet had come off in his hand. By the time
he had found Jonathan, and the laughing twosome had turned off the
main water valve long enough for CJ to weld the faucet closed, the
entire front yard had been flooded. Yesterday, they had spent the
day installing a new pipe and faucet to replace the one that CJ had
destroyed inadvertently, and today they needed to get the tractor
out of the muddy yard and plant a new crop of grass to replace what
had been drowned by the incident.

Jonathan directed CJ as he carefully maneuvered the large piece of
farm equipment out of the mud hole and onto firmer ground. He was
not able to lift the entire unit, but he could pick up various
wheels on the tractor and tilt it while he shifted it out of the
water. He was extremely careful during the process, taking each of
his grandfather's suggestions to heart, and hoping that he would
not do any additional damage in the process.

For his part, Jonathan made sure that CJ maneuvered the tractor
onto hard-packed dirt, and that he didn't hurt himself in the
process. He kept up a running commentary on what CJ was doing,
interspersed with funny stories of Clark's similar accidents during
the initial development of his powers. CJ was relieved to see that
Jonathan had quite a sense of humor regarding the incident, and
was also relieved that his father had made mistakes, too.

It was a common misconception among teenagers that their parents
had never made mistakes. Jonathan realized that the awkwardness
that CJ was demonstrating was more than just an adjustment to
super-powers. He was in the unnatural state of being in between
adult and child and, regardless of his physical abilities, that
was a hard place to be. He was dealing with adolescence as well as
could be expected, Jonathan supposed, and he would handle the
situation better with time.

When Jonathan quizzed CJ on his conversations with Martha, he was
surprised at the answer he got. With a huge smile, his grandson
relayed Martha's ideas that Clark would be a wonderful resource for
him and that they shared something really special. It was a new
concept for CJ, the idea of "different" being a good thing. He
had spent most of his life learning to fit in, and  permission to
be different from those around him was a relief. He had taken a lot
of flak for being a writer when his athletic abilities were so
promising, and it had been hard to follow his heart on the matter.
Certainly his parents had been encouraging -- and, of course, Kat
-- but that was where the support had stopped.

Other students had always growled when he threw off the bell curve
with his test scores, and his true enjoyment of writing had earned
him condescending looks from even the teachers. Half of them seemed
to think he was simply trying to impress them, while the other half
spend so much time trying to make him live up to his imaginary
"potential" that they had devised that he had nearly begun to hate
school.

Kat had always seemed to be able to encourage him when the teachers
really got on his nerves. She had a way of understanding what he
needed, and when he needed it. Sometimes she had used jokes or
stories to pull him out of his bad moods, but more often she used
a rare sarcastic wit that challenged him on another level than
school. Keeping up with her mood swings lately had been an
additional challenge, yet he seemed to manage. If it hadn't been
for the Superman thing, he would most likely be with her now. They
always kept each other busy over the summers.

Two years ago, when he had come to visit his grandparents, Kat had
been allowed to come along. It had been that summer that Katie Lynn
had ceased to be, and Kat the tomboy had truly taken over. She had
changed that summer from the pristine little girl that her mother
had encouraged into a tough little scrapper who could play
baseball, football and even hockey. She had become his equal in
many ways, able to keep up with him on a physical level while
occasionally surpassing his mental abilities.

Little Katie had grown up. She had climbed trees, milked cows, and
ran through fields with no dress in sight. Martha had sewn her two
jumpers to replace the dresses she had ruined, and had bought her
the first pair of running shoes that she had owned. Kat had
abandoned the girlish nickname that had followed her since birth,
and decided that she was not yet ready for the formal "Kathryn"
that was on her birth certificate. It was that summer, when she
had barely turned fourteen, that she had truly captured the hearts
of the Kents. This little spitfire reminded them of Lois in her
spirit and energy, and they were touched by her presence.

CJ had loved that summer. He had been so afraid that he would
lose his best friend to the inevitable changes of puberty. Most
of his male friends seemed to fade away at the first sign of a
girlfriend, and the few friends that were girls were only
interested in a boyfriend. CJ wasn't ready for the whole boy-girl
relationship idea, and he was grateful to find that Kat shared his
ideas about staying friends. It wasn't that he didn't want a
girlfriend, just that he wasn't ready to deal with the concept yet.

CJ sighed loudly as he glanced over the yard. With the tractor out
of the way, it was impossible not to see how much damage had been
done to the grass. It was simply a muddy mess from where CJ stood.
He couldn't believe that he had done all of this in just a few
minutes. One second of misjudged strength would take weeks of
growth to repair.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa Jon. I didn't mean to do this."

"I know that, son. We'll get it fixed up soon. Why don't you use
that rake to even out the mud, and we'll let the sun dry it out for
the next couple of days. We can reseed it later, for now I just
want to get it level."

"Okay. I'll give it a try." With that, CJ quickly (very quickly)
raked out the worst of the hills and valleys of the yard, and left
a relatively even surface. It was still quite wet, but it would dry
quickly in the July heat. CJ stood back and surveyed his work.
"How's that?"

"Clark couldn't have done it any better."

CJ smiled at what was so obviously a compliment. He liked being
compared to his dad. He liked being *like* his dad. With pride in
his voice, he offered to bring his grandfather a drink. Jonathan
smiled at the boy and asked for some of the lemonade he had seen
Martha making earlier.

CJ came back from the kitchen with two large plastic tumblers of
lemonade. He was happy to help out his grandparents, even in
small ways. They were getting older, well into their seventies, and
it worried him that they might not always be here for him. He
always felt so safe here, so loved and accepted. It was a feeling
that he had always had, ever since he was a tiny child. There was
something about this couple that was also a part of him. Being with
them was just a pleasure. He simply could not understand the
friends he'd had who complained about their grandparents. His
were wonderful, and he was aware that this was a time to be
treasured.

"Good, lemonade. Thanks for bringing it out," Jonathan said as he
sat down on the porch steps.

"You're welcome."

"So, what's the deal with your girlfriend?"

"Well, she's not my girlfriend."

Jonathan turned to look at his grandson as he sat beside him on the
steps. "Is that the problem?"

"Nah. She has a problem with me being half alien."

Jonathan's eyes flew open at that remark. "Do you?"

CJ sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he replied, "I'm
not sure. I never really thought about it. I like being the same as
Dad, and it's cool to be able to do stuff, but I get tired of
having to hide everything that I can do."

Jonathan nodded in understanding. "Your dad used to feel the same
way."

"I'm already different than everyone else. I like to read and
write, and I'm better at sports without really trying. Some of the
kids don't like me because my grades are too good. It's like I just
can't win. The only person who ever really liked me -- the only
kid, I mean -- was Kat. Now she's not even talking to me. I feel
pretty alone."

"Your dad spent most of his life that way. In fact, until he met
your mother, I don't think he ever told anyone about his secret."

"I just really thought that Kat would understand. I knew she would
be mad because I didn't tell her right away, and maybe the way I
told her wasn't the best, but she was my best friend. Best friends
aren't supposed to just stop liking you when you do something
wrong." CJ paused before continuing. "Besides, it's not like I can
help the 'alien' thing. I can't make my dad from Earth any more
than she can make her dad stop drinking. You don't get to pick your
parents, and I'd rather have my dad than hers any day."

"It sounds like you and Kat need to talk this out."

"But I told you, she's not talking to me. She wouldn't even come to
my party."

"CJ, your party was over a month ago. Have you called her since you
came here?"

"No. I'm afraid to."

Jonathan looked up in surprise, and said, "Now, why would you be
afraid to talk to your best friend?"

CJ closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how to
put his fears into words, but he owed his grandfather some sort
of explanation. "As long as I don't talk to her, I guess I can
think she will talk to me someday. If I try, and she won't listen,
then I know I've lost her. I don't think I can stand to lose my
best friend."

Jonathan smiled at the sincerity in his grandson's voice. The child
apparently had thought of little else since he had come here, and
his thoughts were clearer than he realized. Unfortunately, denial
was not going to get him back together with his friend. "Go call
her, son. You need to know if you're going to move on. This way, if
she won't talk, you can have some time here to get used to the idea
before you have to go home. If she does talk to you, you can relax
and enjoy the rest of your summer."

"That makes too much sense," CJ told his grandfather. They met each
other's eyes, and then they both began to laugh. Sometimes, the
answer was just so simple.

---------
Chapter 3
---------

Kat was just walking into her bedroom when she heard the phone. She
flopped over the end of the bed, and answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"

There was silence on the line, then a small voice, "Uh, hi."

Kat was somehow not surprised to hear a voice all the way from
Kansas. "How's the vacation?"

"Quiet. Working some for Grandpa, but mostly just reading. He makes
me write every afternoon for an hour and send it in to Mom."

"What are you writing about?"

"Mostly the farm stuff. How to milk cows and clean chicken coops.
I'm putting together a story on country life for the column, but
that's about all."

"Sounds pretty good to me. Does your grandma still make those
blueberry waffles?"

Yeah. She taught me how, too."

With that, Kat made a decision that eased her mind and quelled her
conscience. "Maybe you could show me how when you get home?"

All the way from Kansas, the catch could be heard in CJ's voice
when he replied with a simple, "I'd really like that." He knew Kat
would probably hear the sniffles, but that really didn't matter to
him. She had seen him cry before, and most likely would again. "I
can't talk long. I don't want the bill too high for Grandma and
Grandpa."

"Okay. I just wanted to say that, well, I'm sorry. I'm really
sorry, CJ. I miss you."

He could hear that she was crying, too. In a small way, it made him
feel a little better that she missed him. He wouldn't tell her
that, of course, but he felt better just the same. "I miss you,
too, Kat."

"When are you coming home?"

"Soon. Maybe Grandpa will let me drive back next week. I really
want to talk to you."

"Me too, CJ. Me too."

"Good-bye, Kat."

"'Bye, CJ."

When CJ hung up the phone, he felt a thousand pounds lighter. He
had no idea what was going on in Kat's head at the moment, but she
missed him as much as he missed her, and that gave him hope.

                    *         *         *

CJ spent most of the next day cleaning up the room he had been
staying in (his father's old room) and  loading the cab of his
truck with the necessities for a long trip. His Grandmother
prepared him a huge batch of brownies to take home to his mother,
and several other tasty snacks for himself. Once the truck was
ready to go, he spent what was left of the day with his
grandfather.

CJ had always enjoyed spending time at the farm, and the last
several weeks had been fun, but he wanted to be back at home with
Kat. Now that he knew she didn't hate him, he was anxious to get
back into his relationship with his best friend. Jonathan
understood CJ's need, and tolerated the decision with good humor.
Frankly, Jonathan had expected CJ to become bored with the farm
before this time, and that would have happened if CJ hadn't spent
so much time developing his abilities while he was there.

Martha insisted that CJ wait until the next morning to leave for
Metropolis. She had a great deal of confidence in his driving
skills, and she was willing to allow him to make the drive alone,
but she did not want him making the drive in the dark. CJ was
disappointed that he would have to wait, but he was indeed proud
that his grandparents would let him make the drive without his
father at all. Martha and Jonathan had always been more supportive
of his independence than his parents, but he believed that this was
because they had already raised their child, and understood the
value of independence. It wasn't that Lois or Clark was stifling,
just that they were protective.

When the morning came, and all the good-byes were said, CJ drove
back to his home in Claremont. He was tired, but proud, when he
arrived at home just before dark, and he was also glad to see his
parents. He spent a great deal of time telling them about his
adventures on the farm, and explaining how his powers were
developing. Clark made a point to remind him of keeping the
abilities secret, but CJ was already learning to cover his
increasing strength and speed.

Once his parents were finished quizzing him, CJ made his way into
his bedroom. He spent a few minutes writing in his journal, then he
picked up his phone. He had been waiting all day to make this call,
and he couldn't wait any longer.

Kat answered on the third ring, "Hello?"

"Hey, Kat. I'm home now." CJ was stumbling over his words. He
suddenly felt so stupid.

"That's great. How was your trip?"

"It was cool," CJ stumbled. "I guess I'm tired, but it was fun
coming back by myself. I didn't feel so much like a baby."

"Is something wrong, CJ?"

CJ squirmed a bit more, "No. I don't think so. I'm just tired."

"Well, maybe you should get some sleep, then."

"I guess so. Good night, Kat."

"'Night, CJ."

CJ hung up the phone feeling confused and shaken. He had always
been able to talk to Kat, and he didn't know what the problem was.
It wasn't supposed to make a difference, this change in his life.
Kat had apparently dealt with it, and it wasn't bothering her any
more. At least, she hadn't mentioned it. *He* was the one who was
feeling uncomfortable and awkward. He supposed it was probably from
the argument as much as anything, but that didn't make sense,
either. They had argued many times in the last few years, usually
over small things, and when they were speaking again, things went
right back to normal. He couldn't figure out why this felt so
different.

He had been so anxious to get back to see her. It amazed him that
now, when he was here, he had no idea what to say. He didn't know
if he should bring up the subject, or work around it. He didn't
want to make her uncomfortable and, in the process, his caution
was making him miserable. She was his best friend, and he should be
able to talk to her. That was, after all, what had started this
whole mess in the beginning. He had just wanted to share this part
of his life with her. Now, he just wished it could all go away, and
go back to the way it had been. At the very least, he realized
why his father had kept secrets for so many years.

CJ finally managed to reign in his wandering thoughts enough to get
ready for bed. He brushed his teeth, found his shorts in his
suitcase, and dressed for bed. Before lying down, he crept out
into the hall and down to his parents' room. He paused a moment
at their closed door, considering, then he knocked quietly.

After a moment, his father's voice called out, rather breathless,
"What do you need, CJ?"

"I just wanted to say good night."

CJ heard rustling, then was startled when his mother opened the
door. She enveloped him in the kind of hug that he had loved as a
child, and tolerated as an adolescent. CJ hugged back, as much for
his own pleasure as for hers.

"I missed you, sweetie."

"I missed you, too, Mom."

"Good night, son," Clark called, still in the bed.

"'Night, Dad."

While CJ headed back to his room, Lois climbed back into her bed
next to Clark. "That was unusual," she remarked. "Usually, I have
to hold him down to get a hug -- or even a 'good night', for
that matter."

"Maybe he missed us," Clark mused, as he put his arm around his
wife's waist. He tugged gently, pulling her into the cradle of his
body. He sighed softly as she wiggled her bottom into his groin.
"You keep that up, and I'll have to finish what we started before
CJ came in."

"Well," Lois smiled, "you do what you have to do." She wiggled her
bottom against him once more for emphasis.

"You do know how to get into trouble, don't you?" Clark grinned
broadly as Lois looked over her shoulder at him.

"I do try," she assured him with a kiss. "I do try."

                    *         *         *

The next morning, CJ was up with the sun. He put away the clothes
that he had taken to Smallville, then he made his way into the
kitchen.

"You're early," Lois commented.

"I didn't eat much dinner," CJ replied as he grabbed an apple out
of the bowl on the table. "I figured if I got up early enough,
Dad might make breakfast."

"Sorry, sweetie. Your dad had to leave early."

"Is there a problem at the paper?"

Lois considered a moment before answering her son. They had never
liked lying to him about Clark's mysterious disappearances, but it
had become a habit. It would have been impossible to trust a
small child with the secret. CJ had an incredible pride in his
father to begin with; if they had added the knowledge that his
father was really Superman, it would have spread trough the sandbox
and into the schoolyard within days. They had begun making the
excuses quite early, and then it had been a matter of not knowing
when it would be appropriate to tell him the truth. When Clark had
finally revealed the truth to CJ, it had changed the situation.
They no longer had to lie to him, but Lois was still unsure how
much of the truth to tell him.

"There was a problem, but it wasn't with the paper," she explained.
"He heard something on the television that he heeded to check out."

"Oh," CJ said, quietly. He seemed to forget that his father was
Superman. He knew about his father's powers, that much was easy to
take, but he had thought about Superman as another person for so
long that he found it impossible to combine the two images in his
mind. "I guess that means I'm cooking breakfast, then."

"You and your father! You won't let me *near* a kitchen," Lois
said with a smile.

CJ returned her grin and replied, "That's because we value our
health."

Lois smacked her son playfully, marveling for a moment how much he
was like his father. He had the same sense of humor and the same
gentle manner. He was beginning to look like his father as well,
and, as he stood in front of the stove frying French toast, she
was stunned. Dressed only in the shorts he had slept in, he clearly
showed that his body was becoming more adult than she had realized.
She wondered just how long she would have to wait before she had to
really become worried about him.

He had always been a beautiful child. His wide brown eyes and wavy
dark hair should have looked decidedly average, but, on him, it
did not. He had grown quite handsome in the last few years, and she
was beginning to develop a motherly concern about his life. He was
a good boy, true, but he was just a boy. The challenges of
development were becoming greater by the day, and while she didn't
worry about drugs or alcohol, she *did* worry about girls. CJ had
excellent judgment, and was well able to decide what was not safe.
He had a wonderful rapport with his parents and was able to tell
them anything. But how would he react when girls started falling
all over him?

Lois had expressed her concern to Clark a few months ago, and he
had just shrugged it off. Clark had never had difficulty fielding
the advances of the women around him. He had been polite, but made
it clear that he wasn't really interested. Clark assumed that CJ
would have that same tact, combined with the knowledge of when and
where to use it. Lois wasn't quite so sure. She had fallen into
too many bad relationships, and she didn't want CJ to do the
same. While he normally did show good judgment, he *was* only a
boy.

Lois set her concern aside for a moment as she watched her son fix
the breakfast. Fortunately, he also had his father's ability in
the kitchen. Lois was certainly pleased with this as well. CJ was
going to be a wonderful man, just as wonderful as his father. She
was sure of it. She gratefully accepted the plate when he offered
it, and enjoyed the meal before getting dressed for work.

CJ accepted his mother's departure with good grace. Since he had
turned twelve, he had been what was termed as a "latch-key kid"
during the summers. He didn't mind the label, or the
responsibility. He enjoyed having the time alone to write, and,
if it was unusual that a young boy didn't look for ways to get into
trouble, CJ wasn't aware of it. He valued his parents' opinions,
and he worked hard to earn their respect. He had learned earlier
than most teenagers that respect was a two-way street, and if he
wanted his parents to allow him to do as he wished, he needed to
make his decisions responsibly.

CJ quickly cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the
dishwasher. Glancing at the clock, he saw that Kat should be awake
by now, and he went to his room to change. As he entered the room,
he saw Kat sliding his window open from the outside.

"Need something?"

Kat jumped at least a foot, hitting her head on the window. She
glared at CJ with a typically evil look. "You could warn a
person, you know." She pulled her other leg through the window and
up onto the window ledge, leaving behind the large tree limb that
had served as her ladder up into CJ's room.

"Maybe, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun." Somehow, seeing her
there, joking like she had always done, reassured him that their
relationship was not irrevocably damaged. It restored his comfort
with her as nothing else could.

CJ reached down to help her through the window. He placed his hands
on her sides, and just lifted. Kat came quickly through the window,
and found herself sitting on the ledge.

She studied her friend for a moment, vaguely surprised that he
looked the same as he always did. It wasn't that she had expected
him to grow horns or anything, but her perception of him had
changed enough that she almost expected to see a physical
difference.

"Thanks," she told him, "You really are strong."

"I guess I am," he answered, even though it really wasn't a
question. After a moment, with concern, he asked, "Does that
bother you?"

Kat shifted uncomfortably. She looked up at him, but failed to
allow her green eyes to meet his. He had been her best friend
forever, but she was still dealing with the fact that he had lied
to her. "How strong *are* you?" she asked.

"Well, I'm not bench pressing cars, yet. My dad says he could do
that at my age. I guess I'm pretty strong, though."

"But you can't fly?"

"Not yet."

Too bad," she offered. "That would be really neat."

"I guess it would. Maybe I'll have my dad take me. I never really
thought about it before." He moved to sit next to her on the window
ledge, and leaned his head back against the window.

"So, you don't even know what you can do yet?"

CJ sighed. He had known the questions were inevitable; he had even
looked forward to them at first. He liked the idea of sharing his
discoveries with a friend. His fear was that soon, the abilities
were all she would be able to see. It was his hope that discussing
this with Kat would help him sort it all out, but that just didn't
seem to be happening. In fact, the more she questioned, the less
sure of himself he became.

"My dad says that we have to learn as we go. I'm different than
anyone else because I'm only half from Krypton, so there's no way
to tell what I will turn out like."

Kat considered the information for a moment. She had to keep
reminding herself that this was her best friend. He kept throwing
out terms and ideas that had no place in her orderly life, and she
wasn't sure how to take it. CJ was not the person that she had
always known, and that would take some getting used to.

"Let's start with what you can do. What's the coolest thing, so
far?"

CJ thought about it for a moment. He had mixed feelings about his
abilities. He appreciated the strength and speed, of course, but he
wasn't sure that was the best thing. He liked being able to start
fires with his sight, and hear his mother calling from a mile away,
but they weren't the best thing, either. Further, he wasn't sure
he had explored all of his abilities yet, and the best might be yet
to come. "It's cool to see through things," he told her. "I can
tell who's on the other side of a door before I open it, and I can
see if there are fish in the water before I choose a place to set
up my fishing pole. Yeah, I guess the best is the vision."

"You can see through anything but lead, right?" Kat asked,
remembering what she had read about Superman.

"Yeah. But most metals give me a little trouble. Dad said that
might get better with time."

"Can you see like that all the time?" Kat asked as she stood and
crossed the room to sit on the edge of his bed.

"Not all the time," he answered. "I have to concentrate on it,
really think hard. Even then, if I'm tired, it kind of fades in and
out, like looking through a veil or something."

"So, you can't always see through my clothes?" Kat finally
addressed her primary area of concern. After all, it was
uncomfortable enough to have your best friend be a boy, without
wondering if he was literally undressing you all the time.

CJ smiled, then laughed, not realizing that Kat had developed an
angry expression on her face. "I only did it to prove a point, Kat.
I don't care what color girls' underwear are."

"It's not my underwear I'm worried about," Kat confided. "It
worries me that you can see *past* the underwear if you want to."

CJ's laugh softened into a gentle smile, a smile that would have
stunned his mother in its resemblance to his father. "You are my
best friend. I would never embarrass you like that. It would be
like sneaking into your bedroom or something, and I know that's
just wrong. My parents taught me better than that."

Kat smiled a little in return. She was both relived and a little
disappointed that CJ was such a sweet friend. As they had gotten
older, she knew that her friends thought CJ was really cute, and
she had begun to hope that, some day, they could be boyfriend and
girlfriend, but she wasn't ready for the concept of loving an
alien.

----------
Chapter 4
---------

Kat was just finishing up her shift at the convenience mart when
she heard an unfamiliar voice. When she looked up, she saw a
handsome boy -- really cute -- with huge blue eyes and a killer
smile.

"Hi, I'm Andy. I'm new here. My mom wanted me to pick up some
batteries, and I don't see any." He flashed the killer smile once
more, and Kat just stared.

After a moment of standing there, very much like an idiot, Kat
finally processed beyond the boy's looks, and his words began to
register. Andy failed to notice her glazed expression, or perhaps
was too polite to mention it, but he waited patiently until she
found her voice.

"Batteries... ummm... well, what size do you need? We keep them
behind the counter so no one will walk off with them. Not that you
would do that, but that's just what we do." Kat attempted to cover
her nervousness with babble, much as Lois would do, but she was
unaware of how poorly it served that purpose.

"Double A," Andy replied. He watched the girl nervously twirl her
hair and fidget. She was kind of pretty. She had wavy brown hair
that reached her shoulders and it had a pretty red shine to it. Her
eyes were an unusual green, and they were really wide. She wasn't
fat, but she wasn't really skinny either. She looked like she was
in shape; maybe she was a runner or something. In any case, she
seemed sweet, and she wasn't bad to look at. "Do you have a
boyfriend?"

Kat stopped in the act of reaching for the batteries located
beneath the counter. She thought briefly of CJ, but he wasn't
really a boyfriend. He was her friend, and he was a boy, but that
was about it. She wondered if he thought of her as a girlfriend,
and decided that he didn't. He had certainly never said anything
like that, and she didn't expect him to.

"No boyfriend," she told him. "Why?"

"I just wondered if you might want to go out. I don't know many
things to do around here, but maybe we could catch a movie or
something." He looked at her hopefully. She really was pretty, and
he would like to get to know her.

After a moment of thought, Kat decided that she had little to lose.
He was nice-looking, after all, and her dad had said that she
should spend time with people other than CJ. "I'll have to ask my
dad," she told him. "But, I would like to go out."

Andy flashed the killer smile once more. He gave her his telephone
number, and paid for the batteries before leaving the store. As
soon as he had left, Kat called her father at work. While he was a
little annoyed at being interrupted at work, he was pleased that
Kat was showing interest in another boy. He felt that she was much
too young to be getting serious about one boy, and while she
insisted that her relationship with CJ was purely friendship, he
had his doubts. He had little trust for teenage boys, vividly
remembering being one himself, and he was worried for his daughter.
It had been hard raising her alone, and if it had not been for the
Kents he might not have managed it, but that didn't mean that he
was ready to hand his daughter over to their son.

Kat was thrilled that her dad had given her permission to go out,
and she couldn't wait to call Andy. She waited on a few more
customers, and then decided that it had been long enough for him to
make it home. She dialed the number that he had given her, and was
surprised when he answered the phone. She told him of her father's
decision, and agreed to meet him at the small theater in town. She
reminded herself that she didn't know him, so she didn't give him
her home address.

It made her feel just a little guilty when she called CJ to tell
him that she would not be over to watch videotapes that night, but
she rationalized that he wasn't really a boyfriend, so she
shouldn't feel too bad. Oddly, he didn't ask her why she had to
change her plans, he just agreed and told her that he hoped they
might be able to do it soon.

Kat spent hours getting ready for the "date". It was the first time
that she had gone out with a boy when she wasn't part of a group,
so it was special. Her father said it was fine to give Andy their
address, as long as she didn't leave before he got home from
work.

When Andy arrived at her house to pick her up, she introduced him
to her father. They seemed to get along well enough, and the
meeting was short. Once that formality was taken care of, they left
the house in Andy's car. It wasn't as nice as CJ's truck, and
didn't look as well kept up. Nevertheless, it drove well, and Kat
soon found herself entering downtown Claremont and heading toward
the Ciniplex there. The little theatre specialized in older movies,
classics really, and it was less expensive than one of the larger
ones that showed the newest releases.

The movie was really good. Kat enjoyed the thriller about the
doomed ocean vessel, and, regardless of knowing what the ending
must be, and the fact that she had watched it a dozen times with
CJ, she still cried when so many people died. Andy was fascinated
with the special effects used in the movie and was still talking
about them with animation as they left the theater. Kat had liked
being able to watch a movie with a friend, and if she was a little
disappointed because the other girls in the audience had their
boyfriend's arm around them, she didn't think about it too much.

The return trip to her house was slightly more eventful. Just a few
miles outside of the city, just before reaching the little suburb
where she lived, Andy's car gave out. They pulled over at the side
of the road, and decided that they would walk together to the
nearest house. Andy didn't want to leave Kat alone in the car, so
he took her with him.

After several hundred yards, Kat twisted her ankle and fell on the
side of the road. The joke had always been that the potholes here
were big enough to eat a car, and while that might be an
exaggeration, they truly were big enough to give a girl wearing
high heels a bit of trouble.

Kat screamed when she fell, and she really did try not to cry, but
the pain was more than she could handle. She sobbed quietly as Andy
tried to comfort her, and tried to figure out what to do. He
couldn't leave her there, it was just as unsafe as leaving her in
the car would have been. He also couldn't get her into town when
she was crying so hard. He put his arms around her as she cried,
and he considered his options. The decision was taken from him,
though, as a very angry CJ pulled up in his truck, and stopped with
a squeal of tires.

CJ had heard Kat's scream. He didn't know how he had heard it and
known instantly that it was her, but he had. He had recognized her
gasp of pain instantly, and her sobs had torn at his heart. He had
barely remembered to get in his truck, rather than just running out
of the house at top speed. He had managed to get in the truck and
race to her rescue, without revealing his powers to the
neighborhood.

When the truck skidded to a stop, CJ leapt out quickly. What he saw
was Kat sitting on the ground with Andy crouched over her. Kat was
crying, and that was all CJ needed to know. As quickly as he could,
he tackled Andy over Kat's head. He took the larger boy to the
ground, and was proceeding to knock the stuffing out of him when a
deep voice called his name from behind him. CJ didn't hear the
voice, but he did feel the hands of Superman as the hero picked
the teenager up and relocated him a safe distance away from Andy.

Kat was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened. One
minute, she had been hurting, but otherwise safe with Andy, and the
next she was watching her best friend knock him senseless. Finally,
she realized that CJ must have realized that she was in trouble
and just mistaken what that trouble was. She attempted to go to
Andy's aid, but Superman's large hand held her back.

"Would you care to explain what is going on here, young man?" Clark
said in his sternest voice. In truth, the sternness wasn't only for
effect; he was furious that CJ had driven so recklessly.

"He hurt Kat!" CJ sputtered.

Both Kat and Andy looked at CJ with shocked expressions, and
quickly denied that this was the case.

It took several minutes of explaining to clear up the situation,
and apologies took several minutes more. CJ was caught between what
remained of his anger -- something he didn't understand -- and
embarrassment over what he had done. Clark, too, was angry, but
this was more due to his fear for his son's behavior than what
might have happened between Andy and Kat.

When the discussion finally ended, Clark flew Kat to the nearest
emergency room to have her ankle x-rayed, and CJ drove Andy to the
Claremont garage to arrange to have the car towed. The boys did
talk some on the way to the garage. CJ apologized sheepishly once
more, and Andy accepted the apology while rubbing the jaw that
would soon bruise. When the reached the garage, Andy spoke before
getting out of the truck. "Are you sure she's not your girlfriend?"
he asked.

CJ looked up in surprise. "Nah," he told him, "but she *is* my
best friend, and I'd do anything for her." The look he gave Andy
was still slightly threatening, and Andy took the hint. He nodded
briefly before exiting the vehicle.

CJ drove home slowly and carefully, and was quite relieved to see
that his father wasn't yet home. He slipped up the stairs and
entered his bedroom quietly. He turned off his television, which
was now showing a different program than what he had been watching
when Kat had screamed, and changed into some shorts to sleep in.

His last thought before drifting off to sleep was that Andy had
been lucky that Superman had shown up. He didn't really know how
much damage he could have done if he hadn't been stopped, and Andy
hadn't really had a chance. CJ was sure that his father would have
a good deal to say about what had happened. He had used his
strength carelessly, and someone could have been hurt. What's more,
he could have been revealed as an alien, and that would have put
the entire family in danger. CJ figured he was looking at least a
month of grounding, but he decided it was worth it. After all, Kat
had needed help. Maybe not the kind he had given, but the situation
had worked out for the best. Now, if only he could convince his
father of that.

                    *         *         *

Superman flew fairly quickly with his precious cargo. It wasn't
that he didn't want to spend time with the girl -- in fact, the
opposite was true, but he could tell from her accelerated heartbeat
that she was either in a great deal of pain or that she was very
nervous about the flight.

Within moments, he arrived at Metropolis General Hospital. He had
considered taking her to the small clinic in Claremont, but he
wasn't really sure that it was still open. While he didn't see a
break in her ankle, he wanted her to have the best care, and this
was the place to go.

After letting the receptionist know that she was injured, he seated
her in the waiting area for the emergency room. He knew that they
would not see her without parental concent, so he quietly told her
that he would be right back, and made his way to the nearest empty
restroom. He was grateful that it was late enough that the area was
relatively deserted. He checked to ensure that nobody was watching
him enter, and then closed himself into a small stall. With a quick
spin, he changed into the jeans and t-shirt that he had been
wearing when CJ had made his mad dash from the house. A loose
flannel shirt covered the sleeves of his suit. Once more scanning
the immediate area to ensure that nobody was around, he exited the
small bathroom, adjusting his glasses as he went.

When he arrived back in the waiting area, he found Kat looking both
alone and quite nervous. He introduced himself to the receptionist
at the front desk, and explained that Superman had located him and
sent him ahead because he possessed a power of attorney for Kat.
The receptionist confirmed this through Kat's records, then asked
Clark to have a seat.

As Clark approached Kat, she still didn't meet his eyes. She had
been avoiding him since CJ's revelation had come out, and this
appeared to be more of the same. With a sigh, he sat down next to
the teenage girl. The waiting area was unusually quiet, and they
were quite alone, so he decided that this would be as good a time
as any to get things out in the open.

"How's the ankle?" he began.

Kat shifted herself uncomfortably. "It hurts," she replied.

"Kat, I really think we need to talk."

Kat once more avoided Clark's eyes. "About what?"

"Well, for starters, we can discuss why you won't look at me," he
said in exasperation.

Kat finally looked up, her green eyes filled with fear and
embarrassment. "I guess I just don't know what to say."

Clark was surprised at the fear he saw in her eyes. Kat had never
been afraid of him, not even when he had disciplined her in her
father's absence years before. Carefully, he approached what he
thought was the matter. "I'm still the same person I was before,
you know. I'm still CJ's dad, and I'm still your friend. That
hasn't changed."

Kat lowered her eyes once more. It was easier to deal with this
when she wasn't looking at him. "I know," she replied cautiously.
"But, you aren't just Mr. Kent any more."

Clark sighed. "Yes, I am."

Kat looked up, and saw that he was just as uncomfortable as she
was. In a small way, that made her feel a little better. "Look," he
told her, "I know that things seem a little different now, but I
really *am* the same person. The other part of me is just
something I do to help out when I can."

Kat met his brown eyes, eyes that really reminded her of CJ, and
realized that it was true. He was still CJ's dad, still the dad she
had always wanted. As she looked at him, she decided that if she
was going to be embarrassed, he might as well hear it all. "I guess
every girl I know has a crush on Superman," she explained. "It's
kind of weird, knowing that he's really your best friend's dad."

Clark smiled. "Well, I'm just a regular guy that can do some
unusual things," he told her. "Like I can tell you that your ankle
isn't broken, or that you don't do as well in math as you could."

Kat smiled again at the reminder of the hours he had spent tutoring
her in math. That had been one of the reasons that she had always
liked him so well: Mr. Kent had the ability to see whether you
didn't understand something, or if you just weren't trying. He had
been the one to confront a math teacher who was letting her slide
through a class without learning, when even her own father hadn't
thought she was capable of the work. He had always been on her
side, and she suspected that he might still be, despite his extra
identity.

"I was pretty mad when CJ didn't tell me," she added.

"Well, that was mostly my fault," he explained. "It's a secret that
we *have* to keep. Anyone who knows is in danger. There are a lot
of people that would like to get to Superman. All the criminals
that he sent to prison -- even some scientists -- would like to
find out who he really is. If that were to happen, his family would
be in a lot of danger." Clark tried not to frighten the girl, but
he needed to ensure that she understood the seriousness of the
situation.

"I understand, Mr. Kent. If anyone found out that I knew, I could
be a target to get to him, too. I won't tell anyone," she assured
him. "I would never hurt you guys. You're my family, even more than
my real family is." She looked up into Clark's eyes once more. "I
guess I kind of forgot that for a while," she said sheepishly.

Clark smiled. He had always thought of this girl as though she were
his own, and he was glad to have her able to look at him once more.
Also, her heart rate had dropped back to near normal, so he was
less concerned about the amount of pain she must be in.

"Kathryn?" a nurse called, stepping from behind closed double doors
and into the waiting area.

"Here," Kat called, trying to stand.

Clark saw her difficulty, and quickly scooped the girl into his
arms. He carried her behind the nurse, following the white-clad
woman into a small exam room. As he sat Kat down on the exam table,
he looked down to see eyes that were at once trusting and open. It
was good to have her back again. He was sure that this discussion
wasn't completely over, but they had made a beginning.

He told Kat that he would be back, then he went back out to the
receptionist's desk to call her father. They would be able to see
her with Clark's consent, due to the medical power of attorney that
was kept in her records for emergencies, but the insurance
paperwork would have to be signed by her father. Once he had let
the other man know what was happening, he went back to the little
exam room to sit with Kat. Surprisingly, despite the empty waiting
room, the emergency room was really quite busy, and it was going to
be a long night. He settled in to wait with her until her father
arrived.

---------
Chapter 5
---------

When CJ awoke the next morning, he got the reaction he expected.
While his father had not pressed the issue with a tired and
frustrated child, Clark knew that he had to address the issues
presented by CJ's increasing strength. CJ opened his eyes and
stretched, and turned over groggily in bed. His eyes met that of
his father, who was perched on the edge of his night stand,
watching the boy sleep.

He smiled at CJ as their eyes met, and the smile was returned. "Is
this where I get the lecture on controlling my abilities?" CJ
asked.

"You've had that." Clark couldn't help but smile once more at the
boy. He was still a child, just as Clark had been when he had been
developing his unusual gifts. Jonathan and Martha had been far more
understanding than anyone would normally have been, and he intended
to pass along the benefits of accepting parents. He had an
advantage that his parents had not possessed, and that was the
first-hand knowledge of how to control the abilities, and when
controlling them was appropriate. Clark had been alone when he was
most vulnerable, and he didn't want CJ to feel the same way.

"I think it's time for some basic training," Clark told his
rapidly-waking child. "You have some things that need to be
controlled before you hurt someone." He remembered giving a similar
lecture to his wife years before, and was grateful that this time
around, he would have the advantage of being able to demonstrate,
rather than just observe and coach. "Get some shorts on, and we'll
get started."

"What about Mom?" CJ asked. His mother had been slightly withdrawn
lately, and he wasn't sure if she should be invited to the lessons
or not.

"I told your mom what we were going to do. She thinks it's a good
idea," Clark replied. In fact, he and Lois had discussed the pros
and cons of this at length and on several occasions in the last few
months. Last night's activities had just moved up the time line on
what they had already planned to do.

CJ nodded, and stood to dress as his father left the room. He
pulled on a sweatshirt without sleeves, similar to the ones his
father frequently wore, and a matching pair of running shorts. He
tugged on socks, and then his running shoes, before entering his
bathroom to brush his teeth.

Once he was ready, he walked downstairs and met his father in the
kitchen. Clark handed him a bagel and juice box, and then walked to
the back door. CJ took the hint. While his father was not obviously
angry, neither was he thrilled with the situation. CJ had nearly
hurt someone -- and, more than that, he had nearly revealed the
family secret. CJ didn't know why his father hadn't done this long
ago.

CJ followed his father out the back, and walked with him out into
the trees in the yard. "We chose this land for the house because it
backed up against these trees," Clark was telling him. "They
provide a natural cover for landings, although I do have to make
sure I take off fast so that no one catches me above the treeline.
They should also make a great hiding place for this." Clark moved
slightly beyond the nearest line of trees, to a small clearing.

The entire area was rather small. They owned only about an acre of
land, and it extended straight back into the wooded area behind the
house. From the street, only the houses and a few trees were
visible, but the area did extend for a short distance. There were
lines of trees, and it provided a good deal of cover for
take-offs and landings, but there was little area that could be
considered a clearing. Clark stopped within this small area, and
arranged some bottles he had carried out earlier into an uneven
line on the ground.

"Let's start with vision," he told CJ. "You seem to be most adept
at that, and it's relatively safe." CJ complied by taking a stance
as far from the bottles as possible within the clearing. He
concentrated firmly, and soon the first bottle exploded with a
flash of glass. Fortunately, both were invulnerable to the shards
that flew in their direction, and Clark couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, so I lied -- *nothing* is relatively safe!"

CJ gave him a sheepish grin, and a short apology. Clark took the
event in his stride, and proceeded to begin demonstrations on how
to control the beam of heat. For several hours, they worked
without pause, each so caught up in the new feeling of camaraderie
that was resulting that they were unaware of the time. Clark taught
CJ all the finer points that he had spent years discovering. He
aided him in the techniques of concentration that he had perfected
over decades of use. He taught him all that he knew, and learned a
few new things that CJ had discovered during his time of
experimentation in Smallville.

They worked through lunch, and by the time that Clark was convinced
that they could improve no more, it was nearly dinner time.
Fearing that Lois would attempt to cook them dinner, a torture that
neither was willing to deal with, they finally agreed to wait until
the next day to tackle additional abilities.

As predicted, they met Lois just as she was sticking her head into
the refrigerator and hoping for inspiration. Clark sneaked up
behind her, and encircled her waist with his hands. When she
shrieked and turned around quickly to punch her husband, he met her
with an energetic kiss that quickly accelerated into much more. CJ
was used to such displays from his parents. As a child, he had
assumed that all parents had their hands all over one another all
the time, and it had surprised him when Kat had mentioned it.
Lately, though, CJ found that watching his parents together made
him slightly uncomfortable, and he quickly left the room. He would
have to mention it to them later, he thought.

Lois and Clark finally remembered just where they were, and managed
to bring themselves back from the direction they had been headed.
With an acknowledging smile, Lois was first to break the silence
that had followed their mutual groping session. "Wow. That was
nice!"

"Liked that, did you?" he smiled. He ran his hands once again up
her sides and around to caress her back.

"Yeah, I liked it." Lois returned his smile. "What are you fixing
me for dinner?"

Clark sighed, briefly remembering a time when they would have
ignored that appetite and satisfied a different one without a
second thought. It had been a short period in their lives,
interrupted more quickly than even if Lois had gone through a
pregnancy. Having a child in the house limited the spontaneous sex,
but it had little effect on other demonstrations of affection. They
were a demonstrative couple, and always had been. Touching for them
was as natural as breathing.

Clark pulled Lois close and looked over her shoulder at the
contents of the refrigerator. He didn't see much, which let him
know that they had once again neglected the grocery shopping. He
did, however, see a full carton of eggs, and he knew that there
was a pound of bacon in the freezer. He reached around Lois for the
eggs and then, with a final kiss, separated himself from her
to begin making a large country "breakfast" for dinner.

Lois watched him work, impressed as always by his economy of
movement and natural grace. He was a joy to watch. He looked as
good to her now as he had when she had first fallen in love with
him, and the feeling had been reinforced by years of companionship
and sharing. She knew she couldn't live without him. At one point,
she had been concerned that her aging would be obvious next to his
lack of change, but there were differences in his appearance as
well as hers.

Lois had allowed her hair to grow back to one length and, while
it was longer then it had been when they met, it was in much the
same style. She had cut it several times over the years, but she
always came back to this versatile and simple style. There was a
sprinkling of gray strands among the brown, but nothing too
noticeable, and good skin care had kept wrinkles to a minimum. She
had gained a few pounds through the years as well, a testament to
Clark's regular cooking, but not enough to change her dress size
or her energy level. On the whole, she felt that she was much the
same as she had been when she married, at least in appearance.
Emotionally, she was very different. She was open and confident
in a way that came from being unconditionally loved for the first
time in her life. She was relaxed, even as she persisted in her
attempt to be her best professionally. Personally, she was already
there.

Close observation revealed subtle changes in Clark's appearance
as well. While his hair held no gray, there were a number of new
lines on his face that had come from both normal worry as a parent
and the enormous weight of being responsible for a planet. He was
able to keep the stress to a manageable level with Lois's help, but
it had added a certain cynicism to him that had not been present
years before. He consistently saw the worst that the world had to
offer, and it had made an impact. Lois and CJ reminded him of why
he bothered, why the world must be a better place for them to live
in. They kept him going.

Clark thawed the bacon and started it frying. Next, he quickly
mixed up a batch of pancake batter (his mother's recipe) and
heated the griddle by glaring at it before placing it over a burner
to keep it hot. His efforts were then divided between frying the
eggs and flipping the pancakes. As the eggs became solid, he
managed to flip them perfectly, even as he was reaching back into
the refrigerator for a carton of orange juice. Normally, breakfast
foods were Lois's forte, and he was surprised that she didn't offer
to help.

Glancing over at his wife, he found her still standing next to the
refrigerator, propped there to watch him cook. He looked himself
over carefully, and after determining that he had not spilled
anything on himself to earn her constant stare, he waved his hand
before her face and gained her attention. "Earth to Lois," he
announced.

She smiled up at him, still lost in her thoughts. Gradually, she
roused herself enough to realize that the look he was giving her
bordered between quizzical and exasperated. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Just enjoying the scenery."

He smiled back at her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then,
he handed her a small stack of plates with the silverware sitting
atop them and told her to "make herself useful for something
besides ogling the cook." Lois did so, slightly embarrassed at
being so obviously caught. She wasn't too upset, though. How many
woman could honestly still be stunned by the attractiveness of
their husband after fifteen years of marriage? She was lucky, and
she knew it. As soon as she had set the table, she jogged up the
stairs to tell CJ that it was time for dinner. She was already at
his door when she remembered that he most likely would have heard
her if she had stayed in the dining room. Shaking her head, she
knocked and let him know that food was waiting. She jogged back
down the stairs, eager to ogle her husband for a while longer.

                    *         *         *

Clark had taken a week of vacation from the Planet. Throughout that
time, he instructed CJ carefully on the use, and abuse, of his
powers. They spent time controlling breathing, testing strength,
working with large and small objects to ensure that CJ would be
less likely to misjudge his strength, and conducting speed drill
and races. Teaching CJ what he could do was easy, it was teaching
him what *not* to do that Clark was having trouble with.
Fortunately, CJ was not a child who placed a lot of weight on his
athletic abilities or popularity. This type of stress might have
made the issue of secrecy moot. Instead, CJ valued his intelligence
and his writing talent, and these were not really affected by the
developing physical abilities.

Clark found that he shared more with his son than strength. They
both used writing as a way to achieve a feeling of accomplishment
as they competed on equal footing with their peers. They both had
feelings of not fitting in that went beyond what they could do, and
had begun early in childhood. Clark was slightly concerned, if not
surprised, to find that CJ relied on Kat for his equilibrium in
much the same way that Clark had relied on Lois. It wasn't that he
didn't like Kat, but the emotions of a teenager were unpredictable,
and to place one's trust in that was a precarious thing.
Nevertheless, Clark understood CJ's need for a confidant, and was
not really angry that he had shared the truth with her.

They developed a special bond that week that went beyond father and
son, and entered into a special friendship -- or even a
brotherhood. They were alone against the world in many ways, and
they were able to share hopes, fears and experiences that no one
else could possibly understand. They shared so much, and enjoyed
joking about the mistakes they had made. They became friends.

It amazed Clark that his son had become so much like a man. They
were able to talk as equals, and this was something that took Clark
off guard. He was prepared to instruct, and to deal with his
child's needs, but being able to receive comfort and encouragement
from his son was a surprise.

"Don't feel bad, Dad," CJ had told him after Clark revealed a
particularly embarrassing incident that had occurred after he had
taken Rachel to the prom and then had to explain that he only
wanted to be friends. "At least you had a date for the dance. I
wouldn't have the slightest idea who to ask."

"What about Kat?" Clark asked, hoping to get a little more insight
into his son's relationship with the pretty girl.

"What about her?"

"Why not ask her to the dance?"

The look on CJ's face clearly told Clark that he had said the wrong
thing. "You've got to be kidding! She's my best friend."

Clark looked at his son for a moment before he answered, "Rachel
was a friend, too."

CJ sighed, and sat down Indian style on the ground. His feelings
for Kat were complicated, as he had realized in the last few weeks.
He wasn't sure he could put them into words. "I don't know where to
start. She's more than just a friend, she's my best friend. You
don't think of your friend like that, you just don't."

Clark sat down next to his son, and continued, "Think of her, how?"

"Like a girl. Like a girlfriend, I guess." He shook his head in
frustration, his own feelings muddled and confused, and certain
that his father must be even more lost. "Sometimes it's just like
it always was, and she's just Kat. But, sometimes, when I'm not
thinking about it, I see her and it's different. She's not just a
friend any more, and I wonder if she feels different, too. I'm
afraid that if she finds out, she won't be my friend, that it
would make her uncomfortable, and I don't want to lose her."

Clark felt a wave of empathy for his son. "I remember the first
time I asked your mom out," he began. "I was so in love with her,
and I was so sure that she didn't feel the same way." Clark
chuckled softly to himself, "I suppose she would have preferred for
me to ask for money, but I finally did it." Clark stopped when he
saw the confused look on CJ's face. "She got to babbling when I
told her than I needed to ask her something, and it kind of went
from there."

CJ nodded in understanding. His mother was notorious for babbling.
Most of the time, it made sense when it was sorted out, but the
thoughts that made their way randomly into speech frequently caused
more confusion that she ever realized. She still did it when she
was nervous or embarrassed, and CJ thought it was cute. It was
weird to think of your mom as a girl, but when she was babbling,
he could sure see that side of her. "But she went out with you.
She must have felt like you did."

"Not exactly, not at first," Clark explained. "She was afraid if we
started dating and it didn't work out, that we couldn't work
together any more. It took a  while for her to have enough
faith in our friendship to believe it would survive a break-up."

"How long?" CJ asked with feeling.

"*Too* long," his father replied. "We went back and forth for
months, but we always wound up together. We couldn't manage to stay
apart, even when we were mad. It was like a part of each of us
belonged to the other, and we had no choice but to make it work."
Clark wished he had always been so philosophical about his wife,
but it had been a long time coming. They had put one another
through a lot before they had come together, and it was a time in
his life he would have preferred not to dwell on. He would go
through this for his son, he would do anything to spare him some of
the pain and uncertainty that he had experienced.

"How did you know that you were supposed to be more than friends?"

Clark took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "It was more than
a feeling, I was just certain. Your mom was... well... she had been
in some really bad relationships, and she was afraid that ours
wouldn't work out either."

"Were you ever afraid that if you wanted more, you could lose what
you already had?" CJ voiced his greatest fear.

"Every day," Clark said with a sigh. "I think we would have been
together a lot sooner if we hadn't been so afraid to lose what we
had. Our friendship was very special; we could tell each other
most anything, and we knew we'd have the other person on our side.
That's a valuable thing, and it's not something you want to mess
with. On the other hand, having someone to really love is amazing.
It's worth taking a risk, even a big one. I guess you just have to
decide that if a friendship really is so valuable, it probably can
stand a little risk."

CJ considered the information for a moment, comparing this with his
knowledge of Kat. Were they strong enough to stand a risk? If they
weren't, was the friendship really so special after all? Aside
from his heritage, they really hadn't faced many challenges to the
friendship, so he had little to base his opinion on. With a sigh,
he allowed himself to acknowledge that the decision would not have
to be made today, and he could address it later. Unfortunately,
that wouldn't keep him from worrying about it in the meantime.

                    *         *         *

"What does it feel like to fly?"

Clark turned to look at his son, and was stunned to see the longing
in his eyes. He had deliberately never taken CJ flying as a child
because he didn't want him connected to Superman. They had allowed
him to attend functions where the super-hero was present, but
that had been the extent of the contact. When CJ had asked about
their friendship with the alien, both Lois and Clark had minimized
their involvement and hidden behind the disclaimers that all
reporters encountered him at one time or another, and it wasn't so
special after all. CJ had accepted the explanations, especially
since his friends had no contact with him either, and little had
been said about it.

Since finding out about his heritage, CJ was no longer content to
allow himself to have the same limitations as others where his
father was concerned. He intended to learn all there was to know.
He was well aware that his mother had gone flying on numerous
occasions, as she had written about it frequently during her
earliest Superman articles.

"It feels... There's nothing like it, CJ." Clark answered as simply
as he could. "Do you really want to know?"

CJ looked at his father, hope in his eyes. "Yeah," he answered. "I
want to go."

Clark stood and stepped a few paces away from his son. They had
been reclining in the sunshine after a picnic lunch, and he was
certain that they were very much alone. He spun quickly, coming to
a stop wearing the familiar blue and red suit, and looked down at
his son. CJ had watched the transformation with awe, as surprised
by it now as he had been the first time. While he could be fast,
rarely were his actions a blur. He simply wasn't confident enough
with his skills to take them at such speed.

When Clark reached out his hand to his son, CJ stood and linked
arms with his father. "This will be quick, at first. I don't want
the neighbors to see the take-off." With that, Clark tightened
his grip on CJ. Reminding him once more to keep his arm straight,
the two of them rose quickly into the air.

If Clark was a blur when he spun into the suit, that was what CJ
felt like as he was propelled into the sky. He tensed momentarily,
then reminded himself that this was his father and that he was
always safe with him. He finally allowed himself to relax as Clark
slowed his ascent and began to take CJ on a high tour of Claremont.
CJ was amazed at how natural it felt to be in the air. It was like
a memory, only he hadn't done it before. He felt as if he
*belonged*, in a way that was new and amazing to him.

After nearly an hour of flying over the local area, Clark flew CJ
to Metropolis. It was a short flight, only a couple of minutes, but
the change in scenery was enormous. They flew through the
buildings, admiring the architecture of the skyscrapers, and
finally came to a stop on the roof of the Daily Planet building. CJ
was speechless for a moment as he looked at the expanse of city
below them.

"This is amazing," he told his father. "Thanks. I'll never forget
this."

Impulsively, Clark reached over to hug his son. He truly hoped that
CJ would share this ability with him as well. It was amazing to be
able to go wherever you wanted whenever it suited you, and it was
something he wanted to share.

Reluctantly, Clark decided that he had to end their outing. He
locked arms with CJ once more, and they took to the air. Within
moments, they had arrived back at their home. CJ's head was still
spinning as he regained his balance after landing, and he gave his
father a bit of a dirty look.

Clark smiled, apologizing mildly for the speed of the landing, and
explaining once more the significance of landing too quickly to
attract attention in the neighborhood. CJ nodded that he
understood, but still wobbled slightly as he headed for the house.

---------
Chapter 6
---------

"Mother, you are going *where*?" Lois nearly dropped the telephone
as she plopped herself down onto the sofa. Her mother had come up
with some crazy schemes, but this was ridiculous! She sounded so
calm, and yet her words made no sense.

"Honey, we are going to Bichallsci. It's a very small area,
somewhere in some tiny Third World country; I really don't even
know what one. Your father will be working with the natives to
establish a medical training program."

Lois rolled her eyes. This was just one more item to add to an
already bad day. "How long will you be gone?" she asked in a voice
that did its best to be practical.

"Probably around three years."

For a moment, Lois couldn't speak. She had been so pleased when her
parents had remarried, and their togetherness had filled a hole
in her that she had never thought would be filled. In addition, her
father's retirement from one of a thousand unusual projects had led
him into the field of training others. He had found that he loved
to teach, and the money from his past projects had allowed both he
and her mother to travel and explore their relationship.

Perhaps Lois would have been more pleased if she had seen them more
often, but it had been just as well that their interests had led
them around the world instead of into the tiny community of
Claremont. Clark tolerated her parents, and would always be
grateful for Sam's assistance when he had been so ill many years
before, but he had little tolerance for her mother.

Ellen had always been the typical mother-in-law. She found fault,
complained, nagged, and generally criticized both Clark and Lois
until they were just as happy to know that the next visit would be
six months or a year away. Clark was always polite, and even CJ
tolerated the visits with as much good humor as possible, but
having the Lanes around was never easy.

"Mother! *Three years?*" While Lois didn't really spend a great
deal of time either talking with or visiting her mother, the
prospect of spending three years away from her still came as a
shock. "What on earth will you do there for three years?"

With a long suffering sigh that her daughter could be so difficult,
Ellen Lane continued her explanation. "Lois, it takes time to
establish medicine as a legitimate way to heal. These people are
used to religion and magic as their only weapons. Your father has
found men willing to learn basic medical care, but it will take
time to teach them the finer points of medication usage and wound
care. The country is at war, you know."

Lois returned her mother's sigh. "I realize that. That's why I have
no idea why you're going."

"I am not letting your father fall into the hands of some native
princess! It took me years to get him back, and even longer for him
to make up the years he had wasted. I'm going with him!"

Lois briefly wondered why it had bothered her that her mother was
leaving the country. She could be so difficult on the subject of
her past hurts. "Fine, Mother," she said with a sigh. "You go to
the Middle East, and I'll talk to you soon. Do you have a
cell-phone number yet?"

"Well, that's part of the reason that I'm calling. Your father
doesn't want to carry electronics with us that the tribesman won't
be comfortable with. It appears we will be without communication
for a while."

Lois considered arguing, she really did. Finally, she decided that
there was no point If she needed them, she could always send
Superman to fetch them, and deal with the yelling then rather than
now. "Fine, Mother. I'll see you in a few years." As usual, her
mother missed the sarcasm.

They chatted a few more minutes about inconsequential things, then
Lois made an excuse to get off the line. In truth, three years
without her mother's phone calls could really be a good thing.
After all, her mother was nearly eighty; if she wanted to go
traipsing off into another country to find some lost destiny, she
was certainly old enough to make that decision herself. Lois would
miss her -- and her father, too, for that matter -- but it
wouldn't directly impact her daily life. For now, her daily life
was about all that she could handle. It did concern her that she
had not been given an opportunity to say goodbye to her father, but
it was not unusual that he would leave Ellen to handle family
matters while he tended to business.

Lois glared back at the computer screen that was giving her so much
difficulty. They had a new writer on staff and, while he showed
potential, he was a long way from being perfect. Editing his copy
required more effort than she wanted to give at the moment, so she
searched through files until she found another story that was
nearly the same size, and much easier to proof, to insert in the
blank area.

There were days, and this was one of them, that she wished Clark
had taken the job of Editor. He was better at it, that was certain.
They had discussed the matter at length when both of them had been
up for promotion, and had decided that she was the one who should
accept. Clark had been dealing with several minor disasters as
Superman at the time, and he had realized that he just didn't have
the time to give to the position. Also, Lois did have both
seniority with the paper and experience in the editorial role.

She loved the job, but she had changed it markedly since she took
it over. Now, she took care of the final decisions, but Pat and
Andrew took care of the rest. She had decided to create the two
Assistant Editor positions when she realized that her job would be
impossible with the thirty-mile commute that she had to deal
with. Quite simply, she never made it home before she was paged
back to work. Her decision became whether to make changes in the
job description, or to move back to Metropolis. She had loved her
home too much to give it up. While she had been the one opposed to
the move so many years before, she was the one who now refused to
leave it.

Their little home in the suburbs allowed Clark some peace. While
Superman was still active in world affairs, he concentrated less of
his attention directly on Metropolis, and gave more time to their
family. He had been concerned that he would be connected with
Superman in the city, and that CJ would be put in danger. Lois had
been tired of his leaving in the middle of each night, off to save
someone else while she dealt with the struggles of raising a child
alone.

With the press of a key, Lois LANned the final set-up for the
evening edition of the paper to her assistants, and changed the
screen to allow her to work on tomorrow's editorial. She felt like
she never really had time to write, and what she did write was not
as good as it had been when she was reporting. Still, her editorial
responsibilities included this, and she was always living up to her
responsibilities.

Lois heard CJ and Clark come in from their flight. Clark had asked
her opinion on several occasions of taking CJ up, up, and away. Her
motherly concern was always countered by the knowledge that he
would never be safer than when he was with his father. She did
worry that Clark would have to leave him long enough to be Superman
during their flight time, so she had put off the decision as long
as possible. Finally, she had told him that if CJ asked, Clark
could take him, but that she didn't want him to bring up the
subject.

They had discussed the matter more over the last few days of
"training", and she realized that CJ deserved to enjoy the
pleasure of flying with his father. She certainly missed the
privilege, but her grounding had more to do with the increasing
responsibilities of her job and the need to separate Lois and
Superman in the public's eye. Having CJ had changed Lois's
perception of what danger was. She was no longer content to hope
than they would be safe; it had to be a certainty.

"Honey, I'm home," Clark called as he came into the kitchen through
the back door. He still loved the domestic stuff, even after all
these years. He had sent CJ up to his room to get ready for dinner,
and now he needed to figure something out to cook. After checking
the refrigerator, he decided that they really needed to make a
better plan for getting the grocery shopping done. The current idea
was that whoever was near a store would pick up a few things as
necessary, but it clearly wasn't working. It had been easy to do
when CJ was little, but now they just seemed too busy. Once
again, Clark reached for the telephone and called the local pizza
parlor.

With pizza on the way, Clark went in search of his wife. He knew
she was here, and had a good idea of where she would be. He found
her, as expected, growling at the screen of the laptop computer
that had become her constant companion in years past. She had it
hooked up to a modem, and was clearly patched in to the Planet's
computer.

Clark walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her. She
growled softly, clearly exasperated with whatever she was working
on, and leaned her head back to kiss him. Clark gave her an
upside-down kiss, briefly nibbling on her lower lip before
releasing her and sneaking a peek at the screen.

"Well, you certainly have an opinion about that," he remarked as he
read over her editorial regarding the elimination of creative
writing courses in the Metropolis High Schools.

"I'm not sure which makes me angrier," she told him. "I'm almost as
angry at not being able to color this with profanity as I am at
the high schools' new policies."

Clark smiled and kissed the top of her head. She still had most
definite ideas regarding journalism in the public school system.
She had fought for years to ensure that Claremont didn't lose its
writing program and, as a result, CJ was now reaping the benefits
of a full journalism program. Now, she was trying to do the same
thing for Metropolis.

"Pizza's on the way," he told her as he pulled up a chair and
seated himself slightly behind her.

"You forgot to shop again?" she asked as she glared once more at
the screen.

"Yep," he answered with a smile, "So did you". She considered
being angry at the oversight, but instead she realized that he was
right. They really needed to find a better way to divide the
household chores.

As Clark watched his wife work, admiring the line of her neck where
she had pulled her hair up into a pony-tail, and finally realized
what was wrong with this picture. "Why are you working on the
laptop?"

Lois turned her head and glared at her husband briefly before
turning back to her story. "Because I haven't taken time to put
the dumb thing on disk, okay?"

Clark laughed quietly at his wife's continued refusal to keep
back-ups of the work she did. He would have to transfer the files
to disk while she ate her dinner. She was notorious for losing
files due to power surges and missed keystrokes, and he didn't want
to deal with her temper again when that happened. This was one of
the little things that he did for her: backing up her work.

It wasn't that Clark needed to look for work. He was still
reporting for the Planet, although his stories had become less
investigative and more tame over the years. It was a natural
progression as his attention went more and more to his family and
less into his work. He had a novel going on the side, a continuing
project that allowed him to put the travels of his youth to
practical use, but this required little of his time. For the most
part, he assisted his wife in her duties at the Planet and assisted
the world as Superman. This, combined with being a parent, was
about all that any one man, even a superman, had time for.

Within a few more minutes, Lois had completed her editorial and run
a spell-check on it. She corrected as many grammatical errors as
she could find, and passed the laptop to her husband. Lost in
thought, he didn't realize exactly what she wanted at first.
Finally, Clark shook himself slightly and focused on his wife.
With a sheepish grin, he sped through the article and made a few
corrections. He then saved it to the hard drive, and reached around
her for a floppy disk that sat on the desk. Lois smiled at him
before kissing him on the forehead and promising him a more
thorough thank-you for later.

Clark was just about to attempt to collect on that promise, or at
least to get a preview, when he heard a knock at the door. He
reached for his wallet as he approached the door.

"Hi, Mr. Kent," Kat said as the door before her swung open.

Clark looked puzzled, but just for a moment. "Hi, Kat. Since when
do you deliver pizza?"

"Just since I was standing in the pizza parlor when you ordered,"
she said, returning his smile but not quite meeting his eyes. "My
dad didn't want to cook either, so we were getting one. I thought
maybe we could save the delivery boy a trip. He looked really
busy tonight."

Clark smiled once more as he took the pizzas from Kat. "How much do
we owe you?"

"I'm not sure," Kat said as she followed him through the door. She
was still limping slightly, but she no longer needed the crutches.
"I think it's written on the side of one of the boxes."

Clark nodded, tipping the boxes to the side to read the amount. He
then removed several bills from his wallet, and handed them to Kat.
"Be sure you tell your dad 'thanks' for us."

"I will."

Clark opened the top box to see an extra large pizza with
everything, just like he had ordered. He couldn't help but notice
that Kat was watching him over his shoulder. "What did you get?" he
asked her.

Kat sighed. "Dad's on a vegetarian kick this week. I think he got
tomato and pineapple."

Clark looked up to see the look of disgust on Kat's face. He had
always thought of this girl as another of his children. Maybe it
was because she spent so much time in their house when she was
growing up, or maybe it was because she and CJ had become so
inseparable that the two just seemed to be one. If he had ever had
a girl, he imagined that she would be just like Kat. "You know
teenagers can't live without pepperoni," he told her. "I think
you'd better grab a plate and eat here. Do you need to call your
dad?" It didn't occur to him that she might refuse.

"Thanks, Mr. Kent. That would be really great," she told him as she
took the paper plates that he offered her and carried them to the
dining room table. She had spent so many dinners here that it felt
more natural to be here than it did to stay home and listen to her
father's complaints about his day at work. For the moment, she even
fo