Don't know if anyone's still interested in this one, but here it is. I'm sorry about the horribly long delay. I've been recovering from a bout of food poisoning, barely able to move let alone make it to the computer. Then of course the car broke down and the new floor in the hallway had to be finished and the kids... You don't want to hear all of that!
Anyway, onward! I hope to get this all posted within the next week or so. Would that make up for lost time? Enjoy!
++++
Clark was roused from sleep by the knocking on the door. He and Lois had given in to the tension release and slept for the last hour in each other’s arms. When he straightened, she awoke as well. He offered her a sad smile before rising to answer the door.
“Good evening, Mr. Kent,” Ms. Grange told him when he opened the door.
“Good evening. Please, come in.” He stood aside to allow her entry. He didn’t miss the fact that she seemed to be inspecting her surroundings.
Dana stepped down into the living room toward the chair. “Nice to see you, Ms. Lane.”
Lois nodded, but didn’t speak. She rubbed her hand over her neck to loosen the tight muscles from her nap.
Clark gestured the social worker to another seat, then jumped straight to the point. “Ms. Grange, I hate to be rude, but please just tell us,” Clark told her as he settled back beside Lois on the sofa. He didn’t miss the fact that Lois seemed to have pulled away from him emotionally. Their earlier connection was completely gone.
Dana removed a file from her briefcase and held it out to Clark. “The child is, without a doubt, your son, Mr. Kent.”
Lois wanted to scream. This was exactly what she was expecting, but it hurt beyond belief.
Clark couldn’t say a word as he reached for the file and read over the contents. There was no doubt his DNA profile matched that of the child’s. He wasn’t remotely inclined in this area, but he could see the matching lines and scribbles.
“I’m sorry this is such shocking news. It pains me to have to disrupt your lives, but I had no choice. You were named as the child’s potential father. My office had to follow up.” Dana had done this so many times over the years. But in her experience, it was a positive sign that Lois was seated next to Clark. It meant they'd discussed possibilities for the future. With any luck, this couple would provide a loving home for the child. She was also certain, that given time, happiness would replace all the surprise and pain.
“Ah, yes. I know you did,” Clark said as he finally found his voice. He glanced back over the file just to be sure there was nothing that could link him to Superman. There were comments about his apparently healthy system, but nothing more. He felt satisfied that only the most superficial tests needed to ascertain paternity had been conducted on the sample he'd provided.
“Mr. Kent, I understand this is a lot to process. However, we need to move ahead with some kind of formal arrangements for the child," Ms. Grange told him.
Clark sat in silence for a long moment before glancing at Lois. She was staring at a spot on the coffee table without making a sound. With Lois, one could never tell if that was dangerous or not. In this instance, Clark knew all too well. He'd hoped he'd been wrong in his assessment of her feelings toward this situation. Obviously that wasn't the case. By the way she refused to speak and from her withdrawal from him, Lois was definitely unable to accept these results. Not for the first time in his life, Clark knew what it felt like to feel sick to his stomach. This was compariable to how he'd felt watching Lois accept Lex Luthor's proposal of marriage so long ago.
Dana finally decided to share information on the child to see if it would provoke Clark into making a decision one way or another. “His name is…”
“You know, Ms. Grange,” Clark interrupted her. He'd surprised even himself when he'd spoken up. The words that followed were just as much of a shock. “I don’t know this child. I wouldn’t even know where to start to be his father. If your office is satisfied that those foster parents are good people, then I feel…” He took a breath to muster up the courage do this painful thing. “I feel I should at least hear about them. Are they good people? Does he want to stay with them? Maybe I shouldn't disrupt his life further.” His voice broke on the last word. He felt as if he'd stepped from his body and watched while another man said those words. Had he just told Ms. Grange that he wanted to give his son up for adoption? Shouldn't he at least meet this child, find out what *he* thinks? Maybe he should politely tell Ms. Grange that he and Lois should discuss things from here and get back in touch? There was so much to consider. Would this child possess any of his super genes? And if so, what would happen some day when those started to manifest themselves? He now knew exactly what Lois felt. Overwhelming confusion, fear, and uncertainty.
Dana sighed in frustration. This same thing happened over and over. But she knew this man already had feelings for his son. She could clearly see the delimma playing itself out in Clark's expressions. Why was he choosing not to even look at the file on him? “Very well. I do think you should look at this.” She intentionly placed the folder on the table in front of Lois as she went back into her case to retrieve the file on the Sanders. If her guess was correct, Lois Lane had become an award winning reporter because of an insatiable curiosity. Maybe Lois would venture a look and convince Clark that adoption wasn't the best decision after all.
Lois’ mind pushed out the sound of Dana’s voice, her eyes firmly glued to the manila file before her. She'd been so surprised when Clark spoke up that she couldn't find her voice. She knew the only reason he was entertaining the thought of adoption was because of her. Had her reaction led him to believe that this situation was too overwhelming? Did he really feel he had to choose between her and his son? That she would demand such a thing of him? Knowing Clark, he probably felt this was simply too much to ask of her. Why couldn't he just tell Ms. Grange that they needed time to discuss things?
As Clark was shown various papers about the people that wished to adopt his son, Lois become entranced by the information held in the folder lying before her. Curiosity won out and she reached for the file. Intent on her task, she failed to see the slight smile that graced Dana's lips.
Lois' hand covered her mouth as she got her first look at the gorgeous little boy in the photo attached to the top of the first page. His light brown hair and blue-gray eyes reminded her nothing of his father, but that smile was unmistakable. Brilliant white teeth glistened in the light just as Clark’s did when he wore a full smile. Was she so hurt that she couldn't support Clark at a time when he needed her most?
"The Sanders seem like good people," Clark remarked, even though he'd only half listened to Dana's introduction to the people he was seriously considering allowing to raise his son. His mind was already looking ahead to living without the boy.
"They are exceptional individuals," Dana assured him.
"And the little fellow likes them?" Clark asked again. She'd told him once that his son liked the Sanders and wanted to live with them.
"Yes, Mr. Kent, but..." Dana's voice trailed away as she glanced at Lois. The reporter was fully engrossed in her perusal of the file she held. The social worker wished the other woman would bail her out here. She wasn't quite sure what she could say to convince Clark to at least look at the information on his son. "I've talked extensively with Mrs. Davies about this case. While the child was comfortable with the Sanders, he'd also asked many, many questions since he was told that we might have found his father."
Clark looked up at Dana. "Ms. Grange, I'll be honest and tell you that's one of the reasons I'm considering allowing the Sanders to adopt him."
"I don't understand, Mr. Kent." Her soft features furrowed in confusion.
"This child has already been moved from place to place, and he was told he didn't have a father. We don't know each other. But he knows the Sanders; he's used to them." Clark glanced quickly at Lois, who wasn't saying a word, then lifted the papers before him again. "I just... I think maybe it would be best not to disrupt him anymore."
Dana nodded slowly. “Very well." She retrieved more papers from her case, then handed them across to Clark. "All you have to do is sign these papers and the adoption process will be started,” Dana told Clark, even as she kept a careful eye on Lois.
He took the papers and read them over quickly before reaching for the pen Dana offered.
<<Forgive me!>>
He lowered the pen to the first page. A few strokes and this would be over. He and Lois could get back to their lives; try to put this behind them.
<<Hah! This will never be over. You’ll always wonder about him.>>
<<Yeah, but I’ll have Lois and we’ll make lots of babies.>>
He couldn’t help but counter his own thoughts to defend his decision. This felt so wrong.
<<Losing Lois would feel worse though.>> He had to command his hand to stop shaking. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before focusing on the papers again.
<<This is the best thing. The boy doesn't know you. He likes these people and he wants to be with them.>>
With a final resolve, he took a deep breath and demanded his hand to stop shaking. He was about to start the stroke to put his name on the paper, when Lois covered his hand.
“Clark, don’t.”
He looked over at her with a questioning expression.
Across from them Dana released a shaky breath. Maybe there was still hope things would work out.
She placed the file in front of Clark. “Look at him, Clark. He has your smile.”
Clark’s eyes filled with tears as he got his first look at the child he never knew existed. Lois turned the page to show him more.
“His name is Robin Douglas. He was born November 16, 1988. He loves baseball and Superman.” She had to laugh at that one. “Look how cute he is in his costume.” She leaned into Clark’s side. “Like father, like son,” she whispered for his ears only.
A small chuckle escaped Clark’s lips as he lifted his finger to smooth over the image of his son. Robin had his arms crossed over his chest and looked like a pint sized Superman.
“And chocolate. He loves chocolate,” Lois finished on a sob before she fled the room.
Clark put down the file and got up to follow. “Excuse us for a moment,” he shot at Dana as he hurried after Lois, who leaned across the balcony wall, looking up at the stars. “Lois?” Had he completely misinterpreted what she'd meant during their discussion at the Planet? She'd never come right and told him that adoption would be best, but she hadn't denied it either. "I was under the impression that maybe you thought this might be the wisest decision for us."
Unable to argue, she gulped before she whispered, “I did… until I saw him.” And she really had... She'd been worried that having this child turn out to be Clark's son would affect their relationship beyond repair. For the briefest of moments she'd allowed her selfishness to lead Clark to believe he'd have to make a choice between her and Robin. Her pain had stopped her from correcting that mistake. Listening to Clark talk about adoption, then seeing him about to sign away a child he'd never met, all because he felt it was what *she* wanted, slammed home the reality of her actions since discovering this child existed. This child was part of Clark and no matter what decision he made, that would never change. And if she loved Clark, really loved him, there was no way she could allow him to make such a choice.
She faced Clark. “I’m still hurt and confused and I have no idea where to go from here. I’m scared I’ll let this come between us. What if I resent him, just like my dad resented the fact I wasn’t a boy? I’m scared he’ll end up hating me and hold a grudge against you. What if he doesn’t like the city? What if he cries all the time? What if he throws temper tantrums and refuses to eat? I don't know what to do if he gets sick. How do I handle all his needs? I don't even know how to cook!
For a second Clark wanted to remind her that she wasn't alone in this situation. They'd face tomorrow together and share the work, but he wisely allowed her to finish her rant, knowing she needed to let it out.
"And what if…” She stopped as more tears came. “What if I fall as completely in love with him as I did his father?”
Clark’s heart swelled with love for this woman.
“Clark, I don’t know what to do with a boy. But I do know I can’t let you give him up for me. You love me enough to do it and I love you enough not to let you.”
His hand came up to cup her face gently. “You’re everything to me, Lois. Without you, I’d be lost.”
“I know that now.” She covered his hand on her face. “I can't believe how selfish I've been acting. I'm terrified of what tomorrow will bring. I don't know what kind of mother I'll be, but if you did this, I'd never forgive myself. We can’t give him up,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” he told her. He hadn’t realized just how relieved he was until this moment. He leaned his head to rest against hers and closed his eyes to catch his breath. It felt so good not to have to say good-bye to Robin before he’d even said hello.
Lois lifted his face and kissed him softly. “I love you, Clark, so much... all of you.”
“And I love you.” He pulled her against him for a comforting hug they both needed at the moment as another thought occurred to him. "Lois," he said as he drew back to look at her. "You heard what Ms. Grange said. Robin really liked the Sanders. We can't be sure he'll like it here with us at all. Everything will be just as new to him as it is to us."
"I know," Lois admitted reluctantly. "What if he comes here and doesn't like it and still wants to live with the Sanders?" She had to force the lump down her throat.
Clark sighed heavily. He couldn't find the words to say what he was thinking. How would he ever give the child up once he'd met the little guy?
Lois pulled him back down for another hug. "Why don't we cross that bridge when and *if* it comes?"
"Okay," he whispered against her shoulder, squeezing just a little tighter. Having the assurance that Lois would be by his side no matter what soothed his fears... for now.
Lois was first to withdraw. “I guess we should get back.”
“Yeah.” Clark smiled when she took his hand to lead him back inside. “Ms. Grange…”
She held up her hand with a smile. “No need, Mr. Kent. Your reaction is typical of the fathers I see daily. I’ll contact Mrs. Davies immediately. Robin will be put on a plane tonight and should arrive by early morning.”
“A plane? Alone?” Lois spoke up, her protective nature quickly replacing her hurt and fears. “Can’t we go out to get him?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Lane. We have to follow procedure. Once he’s here, he and Mr. Kent will be introduced and observed for a period of time before we relinquish custody. And as you will be heavily involved in his life, Robin should meet with you as well.”
“Good,” Clark said. “I intend for Lois to be a huge part of his life.”
Dana smiled brightly. Yes, her first assessment had been dead on. Robin was a lucky little fellow. “The meeting will last about three hours. If all goes well, and Mr. Kent still wants to assume custody, you will be allowed to bring him home.”
Lois and Clark exchanged a glance before turning back to Dana.
She rose with a notepad in hand. “I have to look around your apartment.”
“It’s not very big,” Clark told her regretfully.
“It’s fine, Mr. Kent. Besides, I think Robin needs you much more than an apartment.” She offered him a smile before inspecting the rest of the place. Satisfied that the child would have adequate provisions, she returned her notepad to her briefcase. “Mr. Kent, I know this is an incredibly strenuous situation to deal with, but I have faith you and Ms. Lane will be able to adjust quickly.”
"It's not so much us I'm worried about," Clark voiced his fears aloud.
"I've been involved with hundreds of cases like this, Mr. Kent," Dana told him. "An overwhelming majority work out even better than anticipated. I know you're worried how this child will react, but don't. As I've said, Mrs. Davies told me that Robin has stated more than once that he's always wished that someday is real father would come for him. Yes, he liked it at the Sanders, but that was before, when he thought no one else in the world wanted him. More than anything that's what kids really want; someone to love them and want them. You'll see. Things will work out just fine." She smiled at Clark, then lifted her briefcase and looked at the couple one final time. “I’ll call you as soon as we know something.”
“I’ll be looking forward to your call.” Clark showed Dana to the door before going back to join Lois on the sofa. “Lois, are you sure about this?”
“Did you really feel I'd put you in a position to choose between us?”
He met her gaze with absolute conviction. "Lois, you are so important to me. I'm not sure I know how to breathe without you.”
"And you'd have given up a son you've never met..." Her words drifted off as the implication hit her fully. Again, she felt horrible for putting Clark in a position where he felt as if he had to choose. "I'm so sorry, Clark," she whispered through tears. "I never meant for you to feel that way. I was just so hurt and confused. Then I let my fears take over, and I never tried to explain..." She choked on a sob, unble to continue.
"Lois..." His hand lifted to her face, overcome with emotion.
"Loving someone means loving *all* of them," she told him when she'd regained control. "I forgot that for a while." She reached out to push his hair off his forehead. "I love you," she told him again, wanting to be certain he understood that.
"I love you," he said with a smile.
Lois smiled through more tears before she rose to her feet.
“Where are you going?”
“Shopping. We need to turn your loft into a bedroom and you need to fly out to get your parents. They’d kill you if you didn’t.”
“Let’s just hope they don’t kill me anyway.”
“Clark, they’ll be thrilled to find out they have a grandson.”
“Yeah.” He stared at a spot on the table.
She reached out to lift his chin so she could see his eyes. “We’ll make it. You’ll see.”
His hands lifted to grasp her thighs. “Lois, you have no idea what your support means to me.”
She ran a hand through his hair. “I have a pretty good idea.” They shared a tender kiss, which escalated into an all out assault on the other’s senses before they stopped. The past twelve hours had been so emotionally charged that this basic instinct to reconnect had taken over. It was as if each needed some kind of reassurance that things really would be alright.
Lois was gasping for air as she looked down into Clark’s eyes. “As much as I’d love to stay here and do this, we really need to get going. Barker’s closes at ten o’clock.”
Clark smiled up at her. “Yes, ma’am.” He let Lois pull him to his feet. “But can we do more of that when we get back?”
Lois just laughed as she handed him his jacket and they left the apartment.
****
Lois traded favors with the manager at Barker’s department store to have a twin bed and dresser delivered to Clark’s apartment right away. A baseball themed décor was added in the form of a matching bed set, a table that looked like a ball sitting on bats for legs, several pictures, and a shelf to hang on the wall. Lois had to go one step further and buy a new mitt, ball, and bat. She insisted Clark couldn’t meet his son for the first time without a gift.
Clark opted to be more practical. He’d scanned over the file before they left the apartment and judging from Robin’s height and weight, he'd picked out a few essentials such as underwear and socks. A couple of jogging suits were purchased as well so the child would have enough until they could buy him new clothes. He and Lois both were pretty sure Robin wouldn’t have a large amount of things, being as he’d travel cross country on plane. They were also unsure of how much the child would possess since he'd been bounced around the foster care system for so long.
Around midnight, and with a little super help, the couple had finally finished their chores of transforming the small loft into a suitable bedroom. Neither had mentioned the possibility that Robin might decided he didn't like it here at all. They were convinced that if they showed the child he was indeed wanted, he'd never consider leaving. And having a bedroom ready and waiting would go a long way to proving their case. Besides, Robin needed these things. Satisfied to have a starting point, the couple finally left the room to turn in for the night.
Lois yawned as they descended the stairs of the spiral case. Clark’s hands came up to rub her shoulders. “I’m sorry, honey. I kept you up way too late.”
She stopped once they were off the steps and turned to grin at Clark. “What did you say?”
“I said I kept you up late.” Clark’s hands fell back to his side.
“Before that?”
“I’m sorry?” He wasn’t sure what she was after.
“The other word?” Her grin had spread across her face.
Clark furrowed his brows, but realized what she meant. “Honey?” he asked uncertainly.
“Honey… I never thought of myself as a honey.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh, I do,” she said as she stared up at him. “Got any more names to call me?”
“Mmm...” Clark contemplated that thought as he lightly rubbed her back and shoulders. “Sweetheart… darling… my little tornado.”
Lois giggled up at him. “This is sick.”
“Yeah,” was his answer before he pulled her into a hug. “So, Ms. Lane, are you going to let Superman fly you home since it’s so late?”
“Actually, I was thinking Superman would let me stay with him tonight.” She drew out of their embrace and looked up at him anxiously.
His brows rose with her suggestion. “You want to stay here? With me?”
“Well, who else am I going to stay with? Robin’s not here yet.”
Clark shrugged a little, but kept his hold around her waist. “I just thought… we were going to… let that happen?”
“We are. And as much as I want it to happen, it won't be tonight. Today has been so emotionally charged that I think we need to reconnect. I just want to stay here with you; sleep in your arms.” She hugged him tighter and laid her head on his chest. “I think we both need the reassurance of each other’s closeness.”
Clark smoothed her hair back so he could place a kiss on her forehead. “I’d like that.”
“Good,” she replied with a smile when she pulled back. “Give me your shirt.” Her hand was waiting patiently for the item.
“What?”
“I want to sleep in your shirt. I don't have anything else,” she added for reasoning.
Clark had to stifle a groan at the image she'd created. How was he ever going to survive the night just holding her? He shrugged from his shirt and chuckled when she ran into the bathroom.
Five minutes later, she crawled into bed next to him, snuggling up to his side.
“This is nice,” she said after a while.
Clark’s fingers stroked her shoulder and the arm that was wrapped across his stomach. “It is.”
“Although… if we’re going to do this often, you may want to consider adding a wall and door to the loft.”
“What do you think he’s like?” Clark had been lost in thoughts of his son for quite a while.
“I don’t know. What kind of person was his mother?”
“Kim was… a little wild. She liked to party and hang out with friends. Brilliant woman though. Scored out the roof on her SAT’s. She was labeled a genius by several institutions in the country. I never could understand why she didn’t use it.”
Lois lifted her head to look at Clark in the pale light from the window. “She didn’t do well in school?”
“Oh yeah. She could sleep through class and still ace a test. But, Lois, this girl was really gifted. She seemed to know everything about everything. Even though I comprehend at a much quicker rate than most people, this girl made me look slow. If I’d been like that, I would have started my own business or invented something. Kim just shrugged it off and went to the next party.”
“So, how did you get hooked up with her?” Lois moved her hands up to Clark's chest and settled her chin on top so she could look at him while they talked.
His fingers began idly playing with her hair. “I met her in one of my study groups. She tutored everyone. She was a free spirit; open, outgoing, passionate; everything I wasn’t. To a boy fresh off the farm, that was an exciting thing. She told me she liked my Kansas charm.” Clark grinned at Lois.
“Yeah, well, that definitely goes a long way for you.”
“I guess I was attracted and she didn’t mind. We went out as friends for a while before we ever thought of being anything more. Things just kind of happened from there.”
“What about your powers? Weren’t you ever worried about her finding out about them? I mean, she didn’t know, did she?”
“No. She didn’t know. By that time, I’d learned to control most of my powers. So, I was pretty good at hiding them. And for a boy who’d spent a lot of time alone, her attention seemed a little more important than anything I could do. It was nice to spend time with her.”
Lois smiled with him. “I suppose she had to be a pretty decent person for you to spend time with her.”
“She was. Kim was great and I fell pretty hard. I realized later that all it had ever been was a caring friendship, not love at all. But at the time... well...” He trailed off as he remembered his time with Kim.
“How did you take it when she was attacked?”
“I was devastated. You know me. I thought I should have been able to help her. I blamed myself for a long time before I realized what I was doing was only hurting her more. We didn’t stay together long after that. She couldn’t seem to get herself together, so she went back home to her dad’s. That broke my heart, but I thought her well-being was more important at the time. We wrote to each other a few times, but lost contact after a year or so.”
“And you never had an inclination that she was keeping such a secret from you?”
“None. She and I had discussed the possibility of a pregnancy resulting from the attack early on. She’d taken her pills religiously since she was in high school, so we both figured she would be protected.”
“Maybe not from super sperm.” Lois grinned and stretched up to kiss his chin.
Clark stilled and pushed her back. “Lois, what if that’s it? What if my sperm is super? How can we make sure you don't become pregnant the first we make love? Or every time?!"
Lois reached up to smooth his hair behind his ear. “Clark, I’m sure you’re not overly potent. There could be all sorts of things that resulted in the pregnancy for Kim. Her system could have been off, she could have been taking another medication that offset the birth control’s effectiveness, or she simply could have been one of those unfortunate women whose system is stimulated by hormones. Besides that, you said you'd had another sexual relationship that *didn't* result in pregnancy. So, you can't be all that super. And even you were the one that pointed out no form of protection is one hundred percent effective.”
“I sure hope so. I’d hate to have to spend our whole lives worrying about having too many children.”
She kissed his chest lightly. “Well, I think we have a few more things to think about right now.”
Clark cupped her cheek in his large hand. “I love you, Lois.”
“And I love you.” She kissed him softly before settling back down against him. He pulled her just a tad closer as they drifted to sleep. Neither knew where tomorrow would take them, but they knew they’d face it together.
****
Robin made his way slowly out of the terminal from the plane he’d just gotten off of. It was his first time on a jet and he’d really enjoyed it, though he wished it could have been daytime so he could have seen more. But the lights over Metropolis were pretty, so he’d been entranced.
He walked silently beside his escort from the Oregon Children's Home. They stopped before a young woman that was waiting for them when they entered the expanse of the airport. She smiled down at him and held out her hand.
“Hello, Robin. I’m Dana Grange.”
“Hi.” He shook her hand as his eyes drifted around him. This place sure was big.
“Are you ready?”
He nodded and lifted the pack over his shoulder to make the journey easier. He waved quickly at the man who'd flown with him and waited for Ms. Grange to finish speaking before he was led toward the exit. This time they’d told him they'd found his dad. He was excited and incredibly scared. He didn’t know this man. What’s his name? What’s he like? And was he anything like the man in his dreams?
Dana looked down at the boy with a smile. “Don’t worry, Robin. I’ll let you know what we know about your father. Mrs. Davies said this was something that you’ve always wanted.”
“Yeah,” he agreed as he kept pace with the woman. He hoped this social worker would be as nice as Mrs. Davies. *She* was the only constant he’d known since his mother’s death. But his thoughts drifted quickly back to his father. His mom had always avoided answering his questions about a 'daddy', stating they were all the family the other needed.
That hadn't been true though. His mom had died and left him with his grandfather. Then Grandpa had passed away and he was alone. He'd been so scared when the county workers had taken him into that first group home. He'd cried a lot back then, wishing his mom were still alive to take him back home. She hadn't come though and he'd had to live with so many different people. After a while, he'd decided that he was all the family he'd ever have and it was time to take care of himself. So he'd stopped all that crying and went with the flow. He'd made some really good friends, only to have to say good-bye each time that he'd been moved. Then he'd moved to the Sanders. He'd really liked it there and wanted them to keep him for always. Only there was this man, this one last man that might be his father. He'd been told that before. Only this time it was true. He really did have a father, just like Billy Patterson had told him once.
Billy had been a kid he met in a group home. He was older and had been around. Billy told him that even if he didn't know him, somewhere there was a man that was his father. Or at least there had been 'cause kids have to have one. Now he was about to meet that father, the one he hadn't known. He was so scared. What if this man didn't like him? What if he didn't like this man? He'd decided on the plane trip to be on his best behavior so his father wouldn't want to send him back to another home. He'd also decided to give the guy a chance. Maybe his father was just as scared as he was like Mrs. Davies had suggested. He was told this man hadn't known about him at all, but was very eager to meet him. Well, he was eager too. Scared, but eager.
Why didn't Mom ever tell me about him? Robin thought as he obdiently followed Ms. Grange through the exit and toward a parked car.
Dana rubbed his shoulder as they approached her sedan. By day’s end, this child would have a reason to smile again.
Since it was still very early when Robin arrived in Metropolis, Dana took the boy home with her. With only a few hours of sleep, they left for the DFCS office around mid-morning. There was a lot of paperwork to be done before Robin could meet his dad. He waited patiently in one of the large chairs in Ms. Grange’s office, content to watch the hum of action in the outer office. He'd learned a long time ago that it was better if you just behaved and kept quiet. Besides, you could learn a lot when adults thought you weren't listening.
Dana smiled over at him as she dialed the Daily Planet. After finally meeting Robin face-to-face, Dana was sure Lois and Clark would be thrilled with the decision they'd made.
Robin's head whipped around when he heard Ms. Grange say his father's name.
<She's talking to him!> He watched intently until she replaced the receiver.
"You're all set to meet your father," Dana told the anxious little boy before her.
"'Kay," Robin said, then turned his head back toward the doorway.
"How would you like to see some pictures of him?" She had to do something to relieve some of this child's apprehension. It was easy to see the small boy was frightened by the whole situation, but she could also see the twinkle in his eyes every time Clark Kent's name was mentioned.
Robin turned back to the woman and nodded quickly. That's exactly what he wanted. Maybe he would feel better if he knew what his father looked like. He made his way over to the desk slowly when Dana pulled out a file and opened it. With a deep breath, he stepped over to Ms. Grange's side and prepared himself for his first look at the image of his father.
