Come HomeSummary: Rewrite of the Pilot episode of Superman & Lois. One decision and all of life changes. What if Clark had made a different decision after the barn incident?
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Chapter 1: Explanation"You're saying all we have are mild concussions?" Jonathan asked.
"You were both very lucky," Clark said, doing his best to ignore how Lois' eyes were staring into him.
She was thinking exactly what he was.
One of the twins, perhaps both of them, was like him. The fact they were not more severely hurt. . . . It was the only explanation.
Clark glanced at her, finding her expression determined but wary. Their eyes met.
He pursed his lips as his thoughts continued to spin. There was so much to say, but a look between them could express a conversation.
His eyes answered hers.
After tonight, things would never be the same.
It was time.
"Little rest, should be fine," the paramedic said, pulling Clark from their silent conversation and his inner panic.
"Thanks, Benny," Clark said, standing up as the ambulance crew finished packing.
"Anytime. I'm sorry for your loss," Benny said, and he meant it.
So many had loved his mom.
"Thanks," Clark said, walking Benny and his team to the front door.
All too soon, the door closed and Clark knew he couldn't postpone what was coming. What he needed to do.
His pulse roared in his ears.
Clark looked at Lois and quickly received her calm, encouraging nod.
He was both terrified and heartened.
How would they take this?
Would they accept it? Accept him? How would Jordan take it? Honestly, he was most concerned about how this might impact Jordan's anxiety.
But hiding the truth now. . . .
Just thinking about continuing the secret after tonight screamed future disaster. If he thought his relationship was rough with his sons before today, how much worse would it become if they eventually learned the truth after this point?
No. It was time. Likely long past time.
No more secrets.
Soon, there would be no more hiding.
The tension in his shoulders eased.
After tonight, he would be allowed to fully be himself around his whole family, not just Lois. No more worrying about how he would explain his most recent disappearance. How he would have to grit out a lie explaining why he missed another important event or gathering. They would know and, hopefully, they would understand.
And. . . .
He'd be able to take them to the Fortress and introduce his father to them. Their grandfather. He could tell them about Krypton, and show them their family history. He could share everything and impart what was also theirs. After all, he wasn't the last El.
He blinked, suddenly aware of tears gathering in his eyes.
"Dad, we're sorry," Jon said earnestly.
"We only wanted to fix the wifi. We didn't mean for anything to happen, Dad. We're sorry!" Jordan clasped his hands together, anxious and at a loss.
"But we're okay. Like they said, nothing major," Jon added, trying to reassure him.
Clark shook his head, trying to collect himself as he wiped away his tears.
Jon and Jordan panned their attention to Lois, both clearly bewildered and more than a little concerned. Lois silently sat down in the chair nearest Jordan.
"Boys, I have. . . ." Clark began, only for his throat to seize up with emotion.
Why was this so hard?
He took in a shuddering, deep breath and went forward, sitting back down on the couch beside Jon who was next to Jordan. Processing his next words, he looked at them.
His and Lois' miracles.
"What?" Jon and Jordan both said.
Twin stereos.
"Dad has something he wants to tell you," Lois gently said, giving Clark a bit more time.
Clark nodded and took another deep breath, this one more successful in calming him.
Jon and Jordan shot each other a look, wary, before looking back at Clark.
"You weren't just lucky," he managed, forcing his voice to work. "At least, I don't think it was just luck."
"What do you mean, Dad?" Jon asked.
"We haven't been sure when to tell you . . . my secret. Well, our family secret. It's really big, one not for kids really, but you two are no longer little kids, and after what's happened. . . ." He glanced at Lois.
"Boys, this is the biggest secret on Earth. It's a huge responsibility to know it, but–" Lois put in.
"It's time you two know," Clark finished. "The thing is . . . I'm not from here."
"'Here' as in Smallville?" Jordan asked, confused.
Clark shook his head.
"Just listen, honey. It'll be clear soon," Lois promised.
"I came to Earth as a baby," Clark said.
Jon and Jordan blinked, baffled.
"My ship crashed in the cornfields behind the house. I was sent here when my planet . . . Krypton was destroyed."
"Krypton?" Jon whispered, astounded.
"Yes. And your grandparents, they took me in. They raised me. And because I wasn’t from here, I had certain . . . powers. They taught me how to control my abilities – how to blend in – until the day I was ready to leave and become who I was sent here to be," he said, hoping he didn't sound as overwhelmed as he felt.
"You’re saying you’re Superman?" Jon breathed in disbelief.
"When your father first told me, I didn’t understand it either," Lois admitted.
Jordan’s eyes were wide before he frowned, confused. "But you fall off of ladders."
Clark blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's sometimes easier to just let gravity take over. And since it helps hide me. . . ."
"You'll have to show them something, Clark," Lois prompted.
"Okay, what power do you want to see?" Clark asked them.
"Heat vision!" Jordan answered, clearly deciding that one was the hardest to fake.
"Strength!" Jon said, leaning forward.
Clark smiled nervously and took off his glasses, setting them on the coffee table. "Alright."
He got up and walked to Lois before leaning down. He took hold of the front leg of her chair and stood up, hoisting it and her up with one arm as he let his eyes glow red with his power, though he released no beam.
"Holy Shhh…..oot!" Jon exclaimed, jumping up as Jordan pushed back against the couch with a shout, just as astonished and admittedly alarmed.
Clark quickly extinguished the glowing red in and around his eyes and put Lois and the chair down.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to freak you two out," Clark said, lifting his hands.
"You really are Superman," Jordan whispered.
Clark nodded sheepishly.
"I can't believe it," Jon said, staring at him.
"It . . . makes sense though," Jordan said after a long moment, though still staring at him with wide eyes. "All the excuses. All the times you were gone."
Clark nodded again, this time sad and apologetic.
"You were out . . . saving people," Jon said, his eyes widening further in realization.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jordan asked.
"Yeah? I mean, I get not saying anything when we were little, but. . . . Did you not trust us?" Jon asked.
Clark went and sat on the coffee table so he could face and be level with them both. "It's not about trust. At least, it hasn't really been about that for a few years. It's about the burden. This isn't an easy secret to keep. It makes you . . . have to lie."
Lois nodded. "We didn’t want you two to have to worry about this aspect of our lives sooner than necessary, but we also didn’t want to hide it from you for too long. Powers or not, you have a heritage you deserve to know about. So we had decided a long time ago that we would tell you one day. We just . . . didn't know when."
"So, why now? Is it because. . . ." Jon trailed off and looked at Jordan.
"The only way that both of you survived that accident is for one or both of you to at least be a little like me," Clark stated. "Hiding that truth from you after that would have been wrong and . . . dangerous."
"Who do you think . . . ?" Jordan asked anxiously.
"I don't know. Like I said, could be both, but even if it's just one of you, the fact remains that you both need to know now and . . . you should know, powers or not, you're still half-kryptonian. And . . . our people, when on Krypton, didn't have superpowers," Clark said.
Jordan straightened. "Oh yeah, the powers come from the yellow sun."
Clark nodded before smiling. "I have so much I want to show and teach you both. And I can't wait to introduce my father to you."
Jon and Jordan’s eyes widened once more, though this time in excitement and not merely shock.
“Your father?!" they asked.
"Clark," Lois said pointedly.
"But that can wait. It's late and you probably shouldn't be flown anywhere right after getting a concussion anyway," Clark said, quickly back-peddling.
"Dad! You can't just say something like that and not explain!" Jon complained.
"Oh, sorry. My father, Jor-El – who, by the way, you're named after, Jordan – is . . . well, I'll be introducing you to the A.I. hologram of him. He's not technically my father, you see, but he has all of his memories and was the one who taught me after I left Smallville, so even though he's not alive, he sorta is?"
Jon and Jordan blinked.
"Dad, that just gave us more questions," Jon pointed out.
"I'm named after your father?" Jordan asked, amazed.
"Yeah. Just like Jon is named after my dad. Your mother and I liked the idea of you both being namesakes of the men who made me me," Clark explained. "You already know a fair amount about my dad, Jonathan, but Jor-El was a head scientist on Krypton. With help from my mother, Lara, he crafted the ship that brought me here and programmed the ship's navigation system. He was also the one who discovered Krypton's core was becoming unstable and warned the Council – not that they listened."
Jordan looked down, overwhelmed.
"Jordan?" Clark asked, confused.
Jordan looked up and tried to force down the tears.
"Jordan, what's wrong?!" Clark moved to reach out, but hesitated. He didn't want to make things worse. Sometimes Jordan didn't react well to touch. His touch, anyway.
"I don't know," Jordan sniffled.
"This is a lot to take in," Lois said calmly. "It's going to take some time to really process."
Jordan shook his head. "I always thought I was a nobody, the weakling, but now I'm suddenly . . ." He made frantic motions with his hands. "I'm named after Superman’s dad! I'm not good enough for that! I'm on pills, for crying out loud!"
"Jordan!" Clark cried, horrified. "You're not a weakling! And it's not about being good enough or not. I don't expect you to be anything more than who you are, my son. As long as you do your best and are a better Jordan than Jordan of last year, that is plenty, and you are! I know I haven’t been around as much as you needed, as either of you needed, but I've seen how much you've both worked through things, often without me." Clark took a chance and gripped Jordan’s shoulder and then gripped Jon's as well. "I'm sorry. I convinced myself that you two would be fine and that it was okay for me to be gone so much, but . . . I was wrong."
"Dad," Jon said softly, his eyes wide.
"When I entered the barn and looked through the poles and saw . . . I have never been more scared." He pulled them into a bearhug, the scene so raw in his heart that he felt tears burn behind his eyes. He took in a shuddering breath as Jon and Jordan both fervently returned the hug. "Things are going to be different now. I promise I'll be a better dad than I have been."
He pulled back after a moment and Jon and Jordan both nodded their understanding.
"Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Fortress, okay?" Clark said.
"Okay!" they both agreed, thrilled.
"And we'll really get to fly?!" Jon asked.
Clark beamed. "Yeah, I'll fly you there. It's really the only way."
"Where is it, anyway?" Jordan asked.
"The Arctic, so dress warmly tomorrow morning," Clark said, standing up.
The twins looked at Lois, as if seeking verification.
She smirked, amused. "Head to bed, boys."
O o O
A/N: Once again, a bunny bit me and had babies, spawning a series. Hope you all enjoy
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