Relative History, Part 6
By: C. Leuch
Clark sighed as he closed the townhouse door behind Lois. “I’m beginning to think that Jon was on to something when he mentioned that my problems might be caused by red kryptonite,” he said, and Lois greeted him with an impatient gaze.
“Oh?” she said. She had spent a good part of the day researching associates of Gene Newtrich – family, friends, former business partners, cell mates – trying to track down the red kryptonite and who might profit from Superman’s powers going haywire. Clark, though, had remained skeptical and not all that concerned. Sure, his powers hadn’t been quite as responsive as he would like of late, and turning them off had proven to be a little difficult, but no real harm had come of it. That afternoon after trying to foil a robbery he had managed to overshoot the perpetrators by a few miles, but the only negative consequence, besides some embarrassment, had been a couple of friction burns on the pavement where he stopped. Still, partly to appease Lois, he had gone to Dr. Klein to get himself checked out and to see if they could formulate any other theories about what was going on. After a thorough examination, the doctor had mentioned a couple of potential maladies that sounded rather dire and much more serious than temporary exposure to kryptonite, and Clark found himself starting to wonder if Jon had been right all along.
“Doctor Klein was stumped, and I have to admit that it’s possible that I was exposed to red kryptonite without being aware of it. In the heat of the moment I haven’t exactly been careful about checking my surroundings, and all my symptoms seem to manifest themselves immediately after responding to some sort of robbery or attempted robbery.”
“So how do you feel now?” Lois took a step forward and laid her hand on his arm. “Aren’t you worried about what else could happen? What if this goes on? So far nobody’s gotten hurt, but if you can’t control yourself, sooner or later someone might.”
The thought had crossed his mind, and when he was in the midst of one of his episodes, he did find himself frightened about what might happen if he couldn’t stop himself. At the same time, though, he had managed to use his powers normally after each episode, either to travel back to work or home, and he felt himself bristling a little at the insinuation that his actions could hurt innocent people, intentionally or not. “Superman can’t afford to be worried,” he said. “There’s too much at stake. If the criminal element sees me pulling back, they will have a field day.” Lois looked at him with an expression that he knew well, one that told him that she thought he was being stubborn, but she didn’t say anything. “Did you find anything with your research?” he asked, attempting to change the subject.
She gave him a long look, then shrugged off her jacket. “I have a lot of data, I just need to sort through it and look for patterns,” she said. “Fortunately the Newtriches aren’t especially popular.”
He smiled at her encouragingly, but before he could continue there was a knock at the door. A quick glance with his x-ray vision, which seemed to be working fine, revealed their visitors. “It’s Perry,” he said.
A panicked expression passed over Lois’s face. “I forgot all about him,” she said as she lunged for the door. “We don’t even have crackers and cheese whiz!” She put her hand on the handle and composed herself, then pulled it open. “Perry, Jerry, hi!” she said, ushering them inside.
Jerry offered a bottle of wine as he entered. “It was really nice of you to invite us, Lois. I hope you didn’t go to a lot of trouble.”
Clark stepped behind Lois and put a hand on her shoulder. “Nope, no trouble at all. In fact, while you make yourself comfortable, we should go check on dinner.”
Lois nodded and gestured toward the living room, then went with Clark toward the kitchen. As soon as they entered, she made a bee line for the pantry, looking for a few moments. She then headed toward the refrigerator, pulling the door open, closing it, and looking in the freezer. “Oh, this is fabulous. We have two bottles of water, a jar of mustard, and a half-eaten sandwich. Even that emergency roast we had in the freezer, which you made last night, is gone. At least if that were here I would have something to beat myself to death with.”
Clark smiled reassuringly at her. “We aren’t completely without our resources. I could always run out and get something…some of my favorite takeout places are good enough that nobody would guess the food’s not homemade.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, considering?” she said, and his earlier annoyance flashed briefly.
“Honey, we don’t have anything else to feed the boss. Besides, it’s only takeout. What harm can I do going to a restaurant?”
She sighed as she conceded. “Fine, go,” she said. “But…be careful?”
He nodded, then quickly changed into a suit and took off. Almost immediately, he found himself traveling much faster than he intended, and a loud boom echoed through the neighborhood, shattering windows. He tried to hold in a yell as the earth sped up below him, but after a moment, the frustration got the better of him. He couldn’t stop and couldn’t slow down; the only thing he could control was his bearing, and although he considered heading out to sea to limit the disruption from his sonic boom, he set his sights for Kansas, and the one person who might be able to help him.
---
The sun was just slipping below the horizon as Jon joined his grandparents on their front porch. The day been a practically flown by, and he had kept himself busy helping his grandparents. With his assistance they fixed some bad spots in the barn roof, repaired fences throughout the entire farmstead, did some landscaping work, and he even went to help out in the neighboring towns hit by storms the night before. His day had been full, but he had spent the whole time looking over his shoulder, searching for someone or something to arrive and help him get home. It had made him somewhat distant, he knew, but his grandparents had understood. As dinnertime had come and gone, what had started as distraction began to morph into anxiety, and he began to wonder how much time would have to pass before he would have to start building a life in the present. It made his heart ache to think about waiting 28 years to see his family again…to experience true happiness again. It was a long time to be alone, a long time to keep a secret, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold back for that long.
“I’m beginning to think the cavalry’s not coming,” he said as he leaned against the support post. His grandparents looked at him with concern from the porch swing.
“It’s only been a day. It’s still too early to lose faith,” Martha said, and Jon smiled.
“You’re right,” he said, then turned toward the technicolor sky.
“Besides, maybe there’s a reason you’re here, some purpose you are meant to fulfil. You made a difference last night when you tackled mother nature. Maybe there’s something else waiting on the horizon that you need to help with, too.”
Jon shrugged and pondered the statement. It was possible that something more than random chance brought him to this moment. But time was a fragile thing, and small changes now could lead to monumental changes in his time. He was terrified of the potential destruction to his time that his intervention here could cause.
“The opposite could very well be true, too,” he said. “What if the people I saved yesterday were meant to die? What if one of those people goes on to become a serial killer?”
“Or cure cancer?” his grandfather said. Jon looked at them for a long moment, then nodded.
“It’s scary. I hate the idea that the very future of my world depends on what I do, and I don’t even know the rules. I just want to get home before I screw anything up.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you for as long as you need,” his grandmother said, and they settled into companionable silence for a while. The sounds of spring surrounded them, from the croaking of frogs at the pond in the distance to wind in the trees. He had always found the country to be so pleasant and relaxing, so completely different from the bustle of humanity that was everywhere in Metropolis. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the peace and quiet, and let his mind wander. It occurred to him that he wasn’t as helpless as he thought, that there were possibilities for getting home even without intervention from the future. He was pretty sure that more shenanigans from Tempus were looming in the near future, which would bring the appearance of H. G. Wells. There was something else, too, he thought, opening his eyes and looking in the direction of Central City, surprised that it hadn’t occurred to him earlier. Maybe he would take a little trip tomorrow to see what the Flash was up to these days.
The thought caused some of his anxiety to melt away, and he found his mood improving. It was nice to just be able to enjoy the moment – the beautiful sunset, the company, the quiet – but his contentment only lasted for a few minutes. Gradually, became aware of a distance sound, something similar to thunder, although the sky was cloudless. No, he amended, not thunder. That had to be a sonic boom, and with it was a voice yelling for help. There was only one thing that could be, he thought, standing up straighter and searching the sky, quickly locating the source of the sound and confirming his suspicions. “I’ll be right back,” he said to his grandparents, then jumped into the sky, not bothering to change into uniform.
He quickly caught up to his father, matching his speed and flying alongside him. Clark was concentrating so hard on the airspace in front of him that he didn’t even look at Jon, though he obviously sensed his presence. “What’s wrong?” Jon asked.
“I can’t stop!” Clark said, and as his eyes met Jon’s, Jon found himself at a loss for words for a moment. The look of terror in those eyes was entirely new and frightening. His dad had always been a pillar of strength and wisdom, and even at his most vulnerable, he had always seemed composed…fatherly. And right now he was anything but. “Please help,” Clark said, almost pleading, and Jon mentally shook himself into action. Without another thought, he wrapped his arms around Clark and willed them both to stop, which was no easy task. He had never tried to match his dad in full out combat, and had certainly never been asked to try and counter his speed. It was akin to trying to stop a freight train, and at first nothing happened. But after a few long moments their momentum began to slow, then, suddenly, it was like someone had flipped a switch, and there was no resistance at all. Jon forced them to a complete stop.
“Are you okay now?” Jon asked, his arms still around Clark. He looked around, noting that they appeared to be in upstate Oregon now. Clark nodded weakly, breathing heavily. “Do you want to fly yourself back?” Jon asked.
Clark hung his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” he said, his voice small. Jon shifted into a looser grip, then began to guide them back toward the Kent farm.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened,” Jon said, though Clark really didn’t have much to say. Despite the probable exposure to red kryptonite, he had still donned the suit and tried to get takeout from one of his famous out-of-town locales as if nothing was wrong. It was incredibly reckless and stubborn, Jon thought, wondering for the first time if he maybe hadn’t traveled to a different universe altogether. The Clark Kent that Jon knew was never reckless, and though he could be stubborn, he was also well aware of his limits and failings. As Jon set them down on his grandparents’ porch, he felt the desire to tell Clark what he thought, but looking at him again, seeing the defeat on his face, he couldn’t do it. But it was obvious that he would need someone to watch over him, to help in make the correct decisions, at least until the effects of the kryptonite wore off.
As Jon let go of Clark, Jonathan and Martha crowded him to show their concern. Jon backed away and watched in silence for a minute, then announced that he was going back to Metropolis with Clark. “And I’m staying,” he added, setting his stance to let them know that there would be no argument.
“I don’t really think that’s necessary,” Clark said. “I appreciate the help in getting home, but after that…I can take care of myself.” Even through his defeat, a spark of determination burned in Clark’s eyes.
“Now, son, I think Jon has a good idea,” Jonathan said, and Martha nodded. “These episodes seem unpredictable. At least if he’s there, he can keep an eye on you and limit any damage that might come from this.”
“Let me help you,” Jon said, taking a step forward. “Let me help Metropolis. You can’t go out there like this, but I can take your place – I can be Superman.” Clark set his chin as if he was going to protest, but Jon could tell he was getting to him. “If you go out while your powers are on the fritz, you may cause some damage, and even if that damage doesn’t result in someone getting injured or, God forbid, dying, it will frighten people. It’s scary to think of the world’s most powerful man as being out of control, and fear causes people to do irrational things sometimes. Who’s to say what someone might do to stop you and get rid of the threat that you pose.” As Jon spoke, he could see Clark’s resolve melt, and he finally conceded with a nod. Jon smiled, although he never doubted that the speech would work. After all, the words were very similar to something that Clark had told once him during his teenaged years. It was surreal to think that they had somehow switched roles, that Jon had suddenly become the steady voice of reason and Clark was the inexperienced hothead. One of the constants in Jon’s life had always been his father, and for the longest time Jon had seen him as someone who could do no wrong, the man who had all the answers. But at this point in time he was very much capable of doing the wrong thing, and apparently didn’t have all the answers yet. Knowledge was something gained through experience, and at this point in their lives, Jon actually had more experience as a superhero than Clark did.
Jon blinked a few times and cleared the thoughts away. For now none of that mattered; for now, he needed to get Clark home safely. “Let’s go,” Jon said, offering his arm to Clark. He gave a look of apology to his grandparents. “I’ll be sure to stop by before I leave…if I leave.” They gave him sympathetic nods, and with that he took off for Metropolis. He had intended to drop Clark off at home, but Clark reminded him that he and Lois had company, and he still needed to pick up some takeout. Jon was pretty sure that most of his favorite restaurants were years from coming into existence, so he had Clark direct him to his favorite spot in Metropolis, then bummed some money off him before going in to order. Jon stashed Clark in the alley and went in himself. It only took a few minutes for everything to be prepared, then they were back in the air for a brief trip to his parents’ brownstone.
Jon landed on the back patio, gaining the attention of Lois, who was still in the kitchen. “Jon? Clark?” she said, rising from her spot on a stool and quickly making her way toward them. “Did something happen?” she looked pointedly at Clark.
“I, uh, lost control again, this time while flying. I was able to angle toward Smallville, where Jon intercepted me and brought me home.” Clark seemed embarrassed, and Jon knew Lois well enough to read the unsaid words in her expression.
Lois sighed, then turned to Jon. “Thank you. I don’t know what we would do if you weren’t around.”
Jon smiled at her and made his way into the kitchen to deposit the food on the counter. “It’s no problem,” he said. He pointed at Clark, noting that he was still in the suit. “You better change, and at normal speed,” he said, then looked at himself. He was dressed in another outfit from his dad’s closet in Smallville, and to call it casual would be an understatement. He also hadn’t cleaned up since helping his grandfather, and it showed. “Do you mind if I borrow some clothes? I think I’m a little underdressed for socializing.”
Lois looked questioningly at him, then at Clark. “Jon’s going to stay and help me out with my…issues,” Clark said, and Lois nodded, turning back toward Jon with an appraising eye. After a moment she smiled, and Jon knew he had her blessing.
“We’d be honored to have you. And take what you need from the bedroom.”
“What about you?” Jon asked Clark. “Do you need me to get you something?” Clark shook his head and then gestured toward the patio. In a darkened corner sat a pile of clothing that Jon hadn’t noticed earlier. “Okay, well…I’ll see you in a little bit.”
With that, he shifted into superspeed and grabbed some clothes, putting them on without making a sound before leaving the brownstone and setting down in an alley a block or two away. He walked slowly, taking a long look at the neighborhood, trying to jog his memory of this place, but not really having any success. After he was sure that he had given his father enough time to get presentable, he ascended the brownstone steps and rang the buzzer. Lois greeted him after a moment, escorting him into the house, where he came face to face with someone he hadn’t expected to see.
“Perry, I’d like to introduce you to Jon, one of Clark’s friends from the gym. We, uh accidentally double booked our dinner tonight,” she said with the appropriate amount of embarrassment. “Jon, this Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Plant, and his son Jerry.”
Jon reached out and shook hands with both men. “Mr. White, it’s an honor,” he said, and it was true. Perry had passed away when Jon was quite young, and he didn’t really have many memories of him. He had heard plenty of stories, though, and his parents liked to bring up his name or his words of wisdom quite often, including odd stories that referenced the life of Elvis Presley. Jon had always seen him as being larger than life, an image that was buoyed by his memories of Perry’s jovial laughter and loud, booming voice. But now, from his perspective as an adult and a peer, Perry White seemed very human and not quite so intimidating, though Jon could see mischief in his eyes.
Jerry White, on the other hand, rubbed Jon the wrong way right off the bat. While outwardly charming and outgoing, he was also fidgety and looked nervous. His smile never seemed to reach his eyes, and there was something calculating in his expression that Jon just didn’t trust. He tried to summon memories of Jerry, or of times when his parents had mentioned him, but nothing was forthcoming. It was almost as if Jerry White didn’t exist, which was odd considering his parents’ affection for Perry. There had to be something more to the story, and he made a note to ask his parents when…if he got back home.
Aside from some awkwardness with Jerry, the evening was a success. Jon let it slip that he was also a writer, which led to some more in-depth conversation than he had intended, though it was definitely engaging and interesting. He wished he could have more time to pick Perry’s brain, but soon enough the Whites were saying their goodbyes, and Jon was alone again with Lois and Clark. He busied himself helping with the cleanup, volunteering to do the dishes while his parents relaxed. It was nearing bedtime, and he was afraid that his presence there wouldn’t be entirely welcome. The last thing he wanted was to feel like an intruder in his parents’ home, but he also had no intention of going anywhere. It was uncomfortable, but he supposed in that sense it mirrored his trip to 1997 in general.
Lois took that moment to poke her head into the kitchen. “I think we’re going to get to bed. Clark will put a pillow and blanket on the couch for you, if that’s okay.” Jon nodded, grateful. “Did you need anything else?”
“Shorts and a t-shirt?” Jon said, and Lois nodded.
“Clark will get you those, too,” she said, then left him alone. He wandered into the living room and made himself comfortable on the couch, amusing himself with the offerings on the television. He was flipping through channels when Clark brought down the promised items before quickly leaving him alone again, and tuned into Jay Leno out of sheer curiosity. He lost himself in the show for a while, though soon enough he began to feel himself nodding off, and he turned off the television and spread out on the couch. He had just closed his eyes when he sensed movement, and looked over to see Clark descending the stairs.
Jon sat up again and furrowed his brow. There was something dark in Clark’s expression, something that spoke of hurt and caused a small shiver to work its way down Jon’s spine. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Clark sat on the other couch, pointedly not looking at Jon. “I…hurt Lois today. Unintentionally. I thought it would be best to get as far from her as I could.” Clark sighed. “This has to stop. I can’t go on like this.”
“I know how you can stop it,” Jon said. “But you’re not going to like it.”
Clark’s head snapped up, and he looked at Jon with intensity. “You do?” he asked.
Jon laid back down and looked toward the ceiling. “Ask yourself what normally makes your powers go away,” he said, glancing back toward Clark, who now seemed shocked. “Chances are that a small exposure will set things right, and with any luck, you won’t even end up powerless.”
“Kryptonite,” Clark whispered, then shook his head. “It makes sense. You’re right though – I’m not looking forward to that.”
“Is it really worse than that bruise on Mo—Lois’s arm?” Jon asked with a knowing glance, then yawned. “On the other hand, this could resolve itself after a while without any intervention. But the wait…that can be its own form of torture.”
“Right,” Clark said, thoughtful, laying down. Silence descended upon the room, and for a moment Jon thought that Clark would take the opportunity to get some sleep, and he found his eyelids getting heavy at the thought. “Do we spend a lot of time talking, where you’re from?” Clark asked, interrupting the quiet.
“We do,” Jon said. “We’ve spent more late nights atop the Trade Tower or floating over the city than I could count.”
“And what do we talk about?”
“Life, family, work…”
Suddenly a new voice spoke, one that was faint and feminine. “Football,” it said, though Clark didn’t seem to hear.
Jon’s heart began to beat faster and his eyes widened as he activated his x-ray vision, searching the night sky. “…football,” he repeated absently.
“Please tell me that I hold my half of the conversation,” Clark said with humor in his voice, which was just startling enough to divert Jon’s eyes from their search of the sky.
“Easily,” Jon said with a half smile. “In fact, for a long time you did most of the talking. Believe it or not, I was pretty shy when I first started my superhero career.”
“Liar,” Jon heard from above, bringing his attention back to the sky outside. He sat bolt upright as he finally noticed his sister floating directly above in the sky. She waved as their eyes made contact.
Jon’s action seemed to startle Clark, who sat up tentatively. “Something up?” he asked. Jon looked back up in the sky, and before he knew it, his sister’s voice came again.
“Unit 1, this is base. We have a 2-0-2-5 at the Lexcorp Tower,” she said, and Jon could tell by Clark’s expression that he heard her this time, too. “Requesting backup. Over.”
“Sounds like there’s something I need to check out,” Jon said, standing. “Could I, ah, borrow a suit? I’d use mine, but…”
“You don’t want to bring unwanted attention, I get it,” Clark said, then gestured toward the wet bar. “The wall rotates and the suits are on the backside. The switch is under the counter.”
“Right,” Jon said, hustling over and opening the compartment. In a matter of moments he was ready to go. As he exited the house, he noticed an expression on his Dad’s face that bordered on helplessness, causing a stab of pity. Jon hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should say. “Hopefully it’s nothing. I’ll be back shortly,” he said with his most reassuring smile, then left.
Rather than fly directly up toward Laura, Jon angled toward downtown, gesturing for her to follow. Since she mentioned the Lexcorp Tower, he decided that was as good of a place as any to talk. It only took a moment for her to land beside him. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you,” he said, wrapping her in a tight embrace as soon as her feet hit the roof.
“Oof,” she said with a small laugh, returning the embrace. “I, uh, have some idea,” she said. “So what are you doing in Metropolis, in Dad’s suit no less? Your letter made it sound like you’d be in Smallville.”
“Well, it’s a long story.”
“I have 28 years,” Laura said, sitting down and dangling her feet over the edge.
Jon gave her a smile, then pushed the cape away and sat down next to her. “It’s all about red kryptonite, and Dad’s stubborn refusal to realize that even Superman has his limits.”
Laura raised her eyebrows in question, and Jon proceeded to tell her everything that happened in the last couple days. “So now I’m babysitting, I guess, until this whole thing resolves itself,” he finished.
Laura stared out over the city and shook her head. “I just have a hard time believing that Dad would ever be that guy. You know the one – the guy who never thinks there’s anything wrong with him, and who would rather put people in danger than admit he has a problem.”
“It’s been eye-opening, let me tell you,” Jon said. “But nobody is born knowing everything, and maybe it took experiences like this to turn him into the person we know. Anyway, I promised to cover the city in his absence, to BE him until he’s back to normal. Which means I’m going to get a little more familiar with 1997. It gives me a better appreciation of how good we have it on our time, I suppose.”
“I’ve only been here a couple hours, but I think I kind of like this time in history,” Laura said. “I don’t think I’ve seen a single Starbucks since I got here. I mean, there should be one per block, but none? Is this really Metropolis? People in this time might actually not go broke buying coffee.”
Jon laughed. “I guess I hadn’t noticed. Though, now that you mention it, I see what you mean. Seem to be a lot more Mom and Pop shops around in their place.”
“People actually talk to each other here, too,” Laura said. “I haven’t seen a single person walk into traffic because they’re staring at a cell phone. And how is it that I’ve never heard of the Spice Girls before?”
“If I had to go out on a limb, I’d have to say it’s because they’re terrible,” he said, making a face. She nudged him playfully. “So I have to ask, how DID you get here, anyway? And why send you back instead of sending a message or simply opening another porthole?”
“I guess the short answer is expediency.” Laura told Jon about the death they uncovered that was potentially connected to the porthole bandits, the device that the police located on the dead guy, and how CJ had managed to get it operational after borrowing it from the evidence locker. “Turns out that the reason you were able to travel back in time was because you were moving very quickly when you entered the porthole. But even with that knowledge, we still aren’t exactly sure how your speed and the time jump are related, and we’re working out how the positioning works, too. And, might I add, we only managed to send items backward in time. Sending things forward via the porthole could require a completely different action, if it’s even possible at all. So rather than drive CJ crazy trying to figure this all out in a timely fashion, we sought out the one guy we know who can travel through time…”
“Flash,” Jon said, drawing a nod from Laura. “Ha! I knew it! I was going to go see him tomorrow.”
“Well, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get you home without my help,” Laura said, patting the bag she was wearing. “Turns out the cosmic treadmill works differently now than it does in our time, and you wouldn’t have been able to stay in the future, only visit, without modifying it. Fortunately, our Barry was available to tell this era’s Barry how to make it work like it should. He gave himself a message on my phone.” She shrugged. “Plus, I have to admit that the opportunity to visit Grandma and Grandpa again was too good to pass up.”
“I can understand that. You hardly knew them when they….” He looked down and shook his head, trying to keep positive. “So you don’t mind sticking around a little longer than intended, then?” Jon asked
“Absolutely not. If it means I’ll get to hang out long enough to have some real conversation with them, then I’m all in. Grandma can help clear up some of the notes on her recipes, and maybe I could get some advice, too.”
“Advice?” Jon was suddenly very curious. “On what? Boyfriend troubles?”
She narrowed her eyes momentarily, then put on her most neutral expression. “Girl things. You wouldn’t understand. And sometimes it’s nice to have some perspective other than Mom’s.”
“Uh huh,” Jon said skeptically, but he didn’t have the heart to pursue the discussion any further. “Have you stopped by the farm yet?”
“I flew over just to see if you were there. When I saw that you weren’t I came right to Metropolis. Took me a few minutes to track you down, though. Even though I knew Mom and Dad hadn’t always lived in the same house that they do now, it was still weird to see another family there when I flew over.”
“I bet,” Jon said. Truthfully he hadn’t really looked around Metropolis much outside of those few panicked minutes after he first arrived. Since then, he’d been actively avoiding the familiar places he had known, even if there really wasn’t any reason to do so. It helped him keep things straight in his mind, he supposed.
“How about I take you to Smallville and introduce you?” he asked, and Laura smiled and nodded. “Come on,” he said, standing up, and soon enough they were airborne. It was getting late in Metropolis, but Kansas was a time zone behind, and the hour, while still not exactly respectable, wasn’t terrible. Given Jon’s experience from the night before, he guessed that his grandpa would probably be watching the late local news in his recliner, eyes at half mast, while his grandma got ready for bed. Peeking inside the house as they approached, Jon found that his hunch hadn’t been too far off.
The pair landed on the walk just in front of the porch stairs, and as Jon approached the house, he noticed that Laura seemed to lag behind. A quick glance over his shoulder showed that she had suddenly become apprehensive, which he supposed he could understand. It had only been a day since he had been in her position, after all. She was about to meet people who were living legends, the basis for so many stories and family lore, but were barely more than ghosts of memories to her. She had probably built up this meeting in her head ever since she realized it was going to happen, and now that she was faced with it, she was probably worried that it wouldn’t meet up with expectations. He gave her his most reassuring smile, then turned and knocked on the door before opening it. “Hello?” he said, poking his head inside. “It’s Jon.”
From the living room, Jonathan’s breath caught in his throat for a moment as woke from the semi-sleep that he had been in. “Jon? Oh come in, boy,” he said as Martha descended the stairs in a nightgown and robe.
“Sorry I’m so late,” he said, taking a few steps into the house. “I wasn’t planning on coming back tonight, but…” he gestured for Laura to come in. “My personal rescue squad finally showed up.”
Laura finally stepped in the door, pulling off her uniform mask as she did. Her normally long hair was gathered onto her head, making her look quite different from the videos that Jon had shown from the previous Christmas, but there was no mistaking her face nor her feminine form. Immediately Jonathan and Martha’s faces lit up, and they quickly approached with open arms. “Laura?” Martha asked. Laura beamed at the recognition.
“Grandma!” she said, stepping into her embrace. After a few long moments, she let Martha go and embraced Jonathan. “Grandpa! I really missed you guys,” she said.
Jon stood back and watched as they exchanged pleasantries, and smiled in amusement as Laura showered them with gifts from home – photos, a drawing from Adam, and a whole phone loaded with videos. “I need the phone back, though,” she said, then something seemed to occur to her. “Oh, I brought something for you, too,” she said, handing Jon a phone charger.
“It’s just like Christmas!” Jon said, gratefully taking the charger. Truthfully, it was probably better than Christmas, because he had assumed that even seeing one would remain just a wish until he got home. He had switched his phone to airplane mode to save whatever battery he could, but a day spent looking at photos and videos had put his phone on the verge of death. He took a couple of steps toward the end table and grabbed his phone, deciding to take it with him to Metropolis to discreetly charge up at his parents’ brownstone. “I, uh, should be getting back to Metropolis,” Jon said, drawing their attention again. “You don’t mind if Laura stays here? I really don’t think she should be interacting with anyone else in this time if we can avoid it. It’s bad enough that I’m here playing Superman….”
“It’s no problem at all,” said Martha enthusiastically. In a family overloaded with men, she was probably giddy to have another woman around to talk to.
“Hopefully everything will clear up tomorrow. I’ll be in touch.” With a nod, he backed out the door, then pivoted once he was on the porch and leapt into the air, bound for Metropolis. It was hard to stop smiling as he though again about the care package that Laura had brought with her, permanent reminders of the family that Jonathan and Martha Kent created. It might be awkward for them to try and hide the photos from his parents, but they could just as easily be explained away as pictures of friends, or of the children of friends. He was glad they could have that.
Approaching the brownstone, he saw that his Dad was still awake, staring at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought. Jon landed on the back porch and entered the house, changing back into a t-shirt and shorts. He scanned the house at superpeed, locating an extension cord that he plugged into a corner outlet in the kitchen, running it into a cabinet that contained Tupperware and other items that Lois Lane had no use for, and plugging in his phone, all before Clark was even aware of his presence. He then slowed down to a human pace and made his way to the couch. As he laid down, Clark asked how things went, and from there they resumed their discussion where it had left off, transitioning to other topics, things like sports and childhood experiences. It was nice, and personal in a way that their discussions hadn’t been when Lois was around the previous night. It was different discussing childhood experiences with his father, someone who had been there for almost every important moment in his life, than it was discussing them with a friend, a virtual stranger, who nevertheless could appreciate his experiences. Even though a lot of the stories were similar to ones that he’d heard before, the difference in perspective made them seem new. After a while, once the hour got decidedly late, the discussions ceased, and both Clark and Jon slipped into deep sleep.
