Here's part 26. If part of it is sad, blame it on Ann. She wanted to see Clark express grief over Lois. I hope I've succeeded.
<Around words denoted telepathic thought.>
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From Part 25
Caitlyn left and Clark looked over to his still sleeping son. He bit back another sob. It would happen soon. Why did it have to be this way? Yes, yes, he'd been given some long explanation, but he didn't like it, no, not at all. It just didn't seem fair. He took a deep breath and collected himself. He absolutely could not break down.
It was then that she slipped behind the curtain. Ah, she was so beautiful. He dropped his head and pretended to take great interest in the sheet that was pulled to his waist.
~~~~~
When she had left, Caitlyn bent down to him and whispered, "Kal, who was that? Why did she call you Clark?"
He didn't answer right away. As he watched her, pondering over whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that part of his special vision skills had returned, she entered a housekeeping closet and vanished.
Caitlyn touched him on the arm. "Superman?"
Clark took a deep breath. "That was Lois." He brought his arm up and laid it over his face. He said flatly, "Are all my tests back? I want to go home now."
~~~~~
Jon was exhausted. He was so tired. But he wanted to see Hannah. His dad made him realize something that he guessed he had known subconsciously for a very long time. He loved Hannah more than life itself. He still wasn't ready to to do 'everything' with Hannah, but he had the sudden need to tell her how he felt. She was in the makeshift guest room of the den. He had been hoping Hannah might be awake, but she wasn't. She was sleeping peacefully. She looked so beautiful. He decided it would be enough to be with her right now. He smiled and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs. He pulled his legs up underneath of him. He sat there and watched Hannah for a while then eventually started to become sleepy.
~~~~~
Clark took a deep breath. "Well.. I.. Yes. I do. I love her very much."
Brook pursed her lips and asked suggestively, "Are you going to marry her?"
Brook knew exactly how to get to the point. Clark rubbed his forehead. He was a bit disconcerted. How was he going to answer this? "Well.. I.. I don't know. But... maybe."
"Probably?"
"Oh, Brook... I... " He decided he may as well be honest with her. "Probably."
~~~~~
"You heard Brook's and my conversation, didn't you?"
"Every bit of it. I've been awake for at least thirty minutes."
She was done with her exam, and Clark sat back up. He quietly said, "Oh." He didn't speak for moment, then said brightly, "Well, I'm hungry. I bet you are, too. Come on, let's go downstairs and get something to eat."
She sighed and looked a little disappointed. "Well, okay. But we still need to talk ...about some things."
"I know." He put his arms around her and he pulled her close. "I love you, Caitlyn." He smiled and kissed her hair.
"I love you, too, Clark. Over the past week, I've fallen totally, helplessly in love with you. I'm beyond all help."
He turned his head sideways. "And do you need help with that?"
She smiled and laid her head against Clark's chest. "No, Clark. Being hopelessly in love with you isn't a problem. Not at all."
"No, being head over heels in love isn't a problem at all, is it, Caitlyn?"
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A New Hero Part 25 Jon didn't wake up until 2:00 pm. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept that late. But then, of course, he hadn't gone to bed until 6:30 am. He supposed that did make the difference. Hannah was no longer in bed with him, and he wondered where she was. He found himself missing her. <Hannah?>
"Oh, I'm right here, handsome."
He sat up, stretched, and yawned. He smiled. "How did you get out of bed without crawling over me? I mean, it is a daybed, and it has rails on three sides."
She smiled and said enthusiastically, "Well, I didn't want to wake you up, but I had to go to the bathroom. So I decided to try floating over you. I figured the worst that could happen would be that I would fall on you." She grinned like the cat who had eaten the canary. "I did it!"
"Congratulations! I don't think we can today, but we'll go flying soon."
"Oh, goody!" She flashed him a radiant smile. "You know, I've been sitting here thinking about this hero stuff. I talked to Martha, too, a bit ago. She showed me a suit that she said she thought was at the farmhouse. She found it in the laundry room with some Halloween costumes. She called it the leopard suit. I kind of liked it, and I've been thinking of something like that for me. I mean, I can't imagine you or your dad, or any guy for that matter, in it, but it's different for a woman, you know?" Jon nodded. She continued excitedly. "It gave me another idea. I like tigers and thought of something along that line. I thought I'd call myself 'White Tiger'."
"You've already thought that far ahead?" Jon said surprised.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, it seems inevitable, doesn't it?"
He smiled at her. "Yes, it does. And it matches you perfectly. My little tiger. Boy, I can't wait to see the outfit." He allowed his eyes to roam over her body. "Enhancing every curve... Mmmm..." His thoughts and the vision of beauty sitting in front of him began to affect other parts of his body. The smile on his face broadened.
"Who says I'll go with a tight suit?"
He cocked his head and said suggestively, "Well, I'd surely like it if you did. Mmmm..... Hmmm....."
"Jon!" Hannah feigned embarrassment. "You are incorrigible!"
Jon wasn't fooled. He'd known Hannah for far too long. He rolled his eyes. "You aren't fooling me, Ms. Wayne. I know you too well to know whether you are embarrassed or not!" He smiled at her. "Do you know how much I love you, Hannah?"
She smiled back and batted her lashes. "If it's half as much as I love you, then it's... it's... a lot. I mean a *lot*."
"I know what you mean. Hannah, do you think that because I'm not ready for... 'everything', that you are going to lose me?" Jon swallowed hard then said, "Dad told me you want to get married. What's up? I'm not even legal yet. It was an accident by the way. He didn't mean to tell me."
"Well, Jenni isn't legal yet." She frowned. "I don't know, Jon. I'm just so confused. We've been friends for a long time. I guess in a way I'm afraid of losing you. We've always shared everything."
"Why would you lose me? Surely you know that we will get married eventually. It's like we have a... a bond." He paused and took a deep breath. "But Hannah, we have only been dating a few months. We've shared things in the last few months that we never talked about before, and that's saying a lot because we've talked about nearly everything." He looked up at the ceiling. "And seen everything. Do you know your dad knows about the skinny-dipping?"
"I'm not surprised. He's..." She rolled her eyes.
"Well, yeah, about that. Dad suggested I tell you something. Don't get mad at me for not telling you earlier. Just remember the family I come from. I thought it important to keep it a secret. I've never told anyone. The reason Dad knows about it is because your dad told him that I know." He fidgeted and clasped his hands together. "Anyway, I found the Batcave about three and a half years ago."
Hannah was speechless. Finally she said quietly, "I guess I should be mad but considering your understanding of the importance of secrets, I guess I can't get mad. I just found out yesterday." Then she pouted. "*I've* never even seen the Batcave."
"I wondered when you found out. Dad didn't say, but I assumed from what he said that you knew." He paused then pursed his lips. "Do you think that because we've seen each other naked that it would just be natural to do everything?"
"I don't know." She thought for a minute, then said, "Yeah, I guess it does. We've just... well... We've done so many things together. I've just been so confused, and so much has been going on in my life. And then my college roommates teased me incessantly about not having had sex." She shrugged and said quietly, "I guess I shouldn't be worried about what they think, should I?"
"No, not really. Are you going to live on campus here?"
"Yeah, I think so. At least for a semester. Dad seems to think it builds character."
"I suppose."
Then she smiled and said suggestively, "You want to be my roomie?"
"Different schools. And I have to live on campus my first year at MetSA, anyway. Even if I'm married, I have to live on campus. I hear the first year is tough. They try to weed people out. At least I'll still be close to home, so I won't have to fight for a piano to practice on."
"What happens if you are married?" She said with concern.
"If the spouse can't live on campus, then you live apart. They really encourage you to live on campus the entire time you are enrolled, but a lot of people don't, and I don't know if I'll do that, either, since I live so close. Even with a scholarship, it's still going to be expensive. I doubt I'll be able to really work much, either. They discourage that, too." He took a deep breath. "We are getting off subject. We need to talk about us."
"Yes, I know. You know I was teasing about being my roomie, don't you?"
He cocked his head. "You were sort of teasing." Then he smiled. "My dad is something. He wants us to really talk about sex and be prepared. He suggested we both see a doctor first. Well, not just any doctor - Bernie or Caitlyn. He especially thinks you need to see a doctor that has experience treating Kryptonian-Humans. That's pretty much Bernie and Caitlyn. Since for you that would involve a pelvic exam, I figure you would be more comfortable with Caitlyn."
She was a little surprised. "Wow, you and your dad can talk about almost anything, can't you?" She shrugged, "Okay, I'll talk to Caitlyn."
"Pretty much. I guess I need to see one of them, too. I thought it had slipped past dad that I didn't keep my last two appointments, but he pretty much let me know that he is aware that I missed them. I imagine Bernie told him though. Or maybe Caitlyn. My last one was actually supposed to be with her."
"Jon, you need to take care of yourself. Just because you are invulnerable now doesn't necessarily mean you still can't have problems. And I noticed you rubbing your back last night. Are you having kidney problems again?" She put her hand on his shoulder and looked upset. "You don't think that's my fault, do you?"
He sighed and looked perplexed. "I was rubbing my back?" He shrugged. "I'm fine. Hopefully since I'm older now, I won't have any more problems." Then he put his head down and seemed a bit troubled. "I guess we really don't know, though, since there is still so much to be learned about Kryptonian-Humans - or Krypterrans as Jenni keeps saying."
Hannah's face was full of worry. "Are you sure, Jon? I remember seeing you pretty sick."
Jon didn't know what to say to reassure her. "I'm fine. Really. But... I'll see Bernie or Caitlyn right away if it will make you happy."
She gave him a slight smile. "Yes, that would make me happy." She was shaking her head yes as she spoke.
"You worry too much, Hannah - just like your mom." He looked at his watch and smiled. "Well, I'd love to talk longer, but the wedding is at 6:00 pm. I need to help set things up. You gonna help?"
"No, I'm helping Jenni get ready." She chewed her fingernails and wasn't sure whether to say what she was thinking. "Jon...Umm... You know if you need help with school... I mean.. I'm pretty... rich. I can help."
Jon grinned. "I know, Hannah, but Dad and I have talked about it. He's told me not to worry. He has planned well for our education. And... Dad's no billionaire, but he's... well, rich, too, you know."
She nodded. They shared a quick kiss and parted.
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On her way to see Jenni, Hannah ran into Zared. She smiled at him. "Hey, Zared. Are you excited?"
"Yeah, but be quiet," he said conspiratorially. "Brat's home."
<Oh... When are you going to tell her?> Hannah thought.
<You've just picked right up on that, haven't you? If I have my way, about five minutes before the wedding. Dad says we have to tell her before that so she can get prettied up.>
<Makes sense. Yeah, I think this telepathy thing is just wonderful.>
Zared rolled his eyes and gave her a look like he thought she was crazy. "Have you seen Jenni?"
"No, I imagine she's hiding."
Zared didn't understand. "Why would she hide?"
Hannah just shook her head in disbelief. <Men! You can't see her before the wedding.>
Zared said huffily, "Oh, well, that's just stupid!!"
Hannah answered as if she was speaking to a child. "It's tradition, Zared. Tradition!"
He rolled his eyes and shook his head like he thought this was ridiculous. <Let me guess. There will be something old, new, borrowed, and blue, too, right?>
Hannah smiled, "Now you're getting it, Zared. We might get you trained yet!!" She walked off towards the room that Jenni had sequestered herself in. "See you later!"
Zared said with frustration, "But I need to talk to Jenni...." He was speaking to Hannah's retreating form, and she just shrugged.
Clark had heard the spoken part of the conversation, and from that had figured out what was going on. He walked up to Zared, put his arm around him and smiled. "You might as well give it up, Zared. It's not gonna happen! I can take her a message if it's really important."
Zared just grumbled in disappointment, "Guess not."
"Well, okay, then. Do you want to tell Brook, or do you want me to? I imagine I can keep her quiet better than you."
Zared rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You can have the honors. She'll rail on me."
Clark gave his son a hug and whispered, "Congratulations." Then he smiled and suddenly felt mischievous. He whispered, "I hear Jenni knows about the barn." With that he turned and walked away while lightly chuckling. He left Zared with his mouth hanging open. Clark could only think how very unusual it was for Zared to be totally speechless.
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Clark finally found Brook in the upstairs sitting room. She, Lara, and Jama were playing with Legos. Jama and Brook were instructing Lara on the finer points of Lego construction. Clark smiled at his daughters and thought how lucky he was to have such a wonderful family. He looked at Jama. <Jama, I need to talk to Brook and Lara. Okay?>
Jama looked up at her Daddy with adoration. <Okay. Have fun with the fireworks. I'm going to take a nap.>
Lara had also not been told of the wedding because at four-years-old she could not be expected to keep a secret from her sister Brook. Clark sat down in the floor and started helping with their elaborate Lego building. He leaned forward and kissed each of the girls on their cheeks.
Brook barely gave her dad a glance. She was intent on their work of art. "Whassup?"
He raised an eyebrow and wondered if Brook was going to get mad. He knew Lara would take it all in stride. "Girls," he said to get their attention. They both looked at him. "Zared and Jenni are getting married today. You both have new dresses for the occasion. They are in my room. You'll need to start getting ready in a couple of hours."
Lara smiled up at her beloved Daddy. "I like Jenni. Will this make her my sister?"
Clark hugged her and said, "Well, in a way. She will be your sister-in-law."
"Mm-kay." Lara was happy and went back to playing with the Legos.
Brook, on the other hand was pouting. She hung her head and softly said, "Did you really think I'd tell everybody?"
He hugged her and pulled her into his lap. "You've learned a lot about keeping certain secrets in the last week or so, haven't you?" She nodded. "Well, while you have been known to keep secrets, you have also told some you shouldn't have, right?"
She nodded and said in a very small voice. "I'm sorry."
He hugged her again and smoothed his fingers through her hair. "Jenni and Zared want this to be a very small wedding. Most of their friends don't even know. Only Jenni's friend Maggie and Martin know, and Martin didn't know until yesterday. We couldn't take a chance that you would tell a lot of people. And we still have a few hours. Can you promise not to tell anyone?"
"I promise, Daddy. I promise."
"My girl's growing up, isn't she?" She nodded, got off her dad's lap and went back to playing with the Legos.
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Clark walked back to the master suite and opened the door. He sat down on the bed rubbed his head. He thought about the 'thingy' as Lois called it. The device was still in his personal hyperspace. It was supposed to alert him when the time was right, but thus far the Telepathically-Tuned Time Transport Teleporter or T-5 had been silent. His thoughts turned to Lois. Oh, how he loved her. He loved her so much. And he missed her. He had been so touched by what she had said to Caitlyn. But it also made him see that she knew she was going to die. For five years before her death she had known she was going to die. A tear slipped down his face as he thought about how hard that must have been. He had not been able to talk to Caitlyn about this earlier this morning. It was just too painful. He was relatively sure that Caitlyn had also understood the implications of Lois' statements.
Then he smiled and thought that from Lois' point of view, Brook had been a baby. She was a verbal baby, but she was so sweet. He remembered how lovingly Lois held her. She remembered that shortly after this time, Lois starting making DVD's for all her children. Now it was so obvious why she was doing that. She'd just told him it was a wonderful thing to do. He'd agreed and they had done a few of the recordings together. He never in his wildest dreams could have imagined why she was doing this.
Then his thoughts turned to Lara. Lara had been an 'accident', and Lois had been angry, but the anger hadn't lasted long. It was almost as if she knew about Lara. Perhaps she had. After the anger had subsided, she had become joyous. She also recorded many tapes for Lara and addressed her by name in the tapes. He smiled and thought that it was a darn good thing that the ultrasound had been correct when they had decided on naming her Lara. Ah, Lara was a such a sweet child. More tears spilled down his face as he thought about how much Lois had missed. Oh, god, he missed Lois so much.
A knock at the door shook him out of his reverie. He shook his head to collect himself. "Who is it?"
"Caitlyn. May I come in?"
"Yeah. Come in, honey."
She smiled and went to sit beside him. She put her arm around him. "Thinking about what happened?"
He sniffed and took a ragged breath. "Yeah." He took another breath - a very deep breath.
Caitlyn said understandingly, "You miss her a lot, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. And I love her so much. When she died, I felt like my heart was ripped out. Have I told you what happened?" His eyes took on a glassy look.
"No. You've just said it was complications from childbirth," she said softly.
"She had an amniotic fluid embolism. She survived the.. the ensuing... cardiopulmonary arrest. She was on a ventilator, and I hoped..." He started crying. Caitlyn squeezed his arm. He bit his lip and continued. "She seemed like she was doing a little better, but then she developed something called disseminated intravascular coagulation. It's a big fancy diagnosis, and I've read about it, but basically it means she was bleeding. Everywhere. Fast and furious. Despite everything the doctors could do, my Lois basically bled to death." He started sobbing. "The doctors suggested I bring the kids to see her, but before that could happen, she died." He brought his hands up and covered his face. "The hardest thing I've ever done in my life is tell my children that their mother was dead." He took a deep breath and said sadly, "We celebrated Lara's new life at 8:01 pm on April fifteenth. At 1:08 am, my life shattered. Kind of ironic isn't it? 8:01? 1:08?" He shook himself. "I have to stop this. I have a wedding to get ready for."
Caitlyn felt so sad. What could she say? "I'm sorry, Clark. I'm so, so sorry."
He smiled a little. "You know, I guess I've been waiting on Lois to come. I guess I didn't know how I would handle it or if I even thought our relationship could survive. But now..." He smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'm not holding back anymore, Caitlyn. But I... I..."
"It's okay, Clark. What?"
"Well, I know you... I... mean... I know we've..." He blew out his breath. "Okay, I know we've dallied a little, but I really don't want to... do.. that... unless we are married. I mean, I really messed up with Candy. That happened a year after Lois died, and I had been so depressed. Even though she wanted to mold me into something I wasn't, she flattered me. She made me laugh. She was fun. She had pushed and pushed for sex, and I finally gave in. It was... stupid. I wish it had never happened... but it did, and I can't change that."
Caitlyn ran her fingers through his hair. "Well, I was wondering about that. It... seems so unlike you."
"Well, I did a lot of things that weren't quite like me then. I was a little rougher with criminals. I even broke one guy's arm, and... it wasn't really an accident. I partied. Just stupid stuff like that. I guess if I could have gotten drunk, I would have done that, too. I finally came to realize what an idiot I was being." He smiled. "Do you understand why I don't want..."
Caitlyn said, "Clark, actually I'm more inclined to feel that way, too." She bowed her head. "I'm really an old fashioned girl at heart. I guess I just thought... it was expected. You know?"
"Yes, I know. I completely understand." Clark cocked his head. "So, are we agreed? Nothing really more than what we've already done... until... well...until... "
Caitlyn grinned, "Until what, Clark?"
"Well, let me get this whole time thing over with, and then... Ummm.... I..."
Caitlyn decided to rescue Clark. "Clark, I haven't asked because I didn't think you would be up to it, but if you continue to do well, I think you will be. So, anyway, next weekend, my family is having a big reunion in Kentucky. I'd love to go. I mean... I am going." She said hesitantly, "I'd love for you to go with me." She bit her lip and looked at him hopefuly.
Clark gave her a big smile. "I'd love to go. I hear there are some great cooks in Kentucky. I'd love to meet your family. Do you go to Kentucky often? I know you moved here when you a little girl. How old were you when you moved here?"
"I was eleven." She paused. "Wow, Clark. You actually seem excited by the prospect. You think you can fit in in the country?"
Clark laughed. "I'm a farm boy from Kansas, remember?"
"Big city, famous reporter and novelist who also likes to fly around in a cape." She teased.
He teased back. "Farm boy from Kansas, Caitlyn." Then he put his arms around her and kissed her sweetly and tenderly. He whispered, "I love you, Caitlyn."
She looked at him with love and respect. "I love you too, Clark." She paused. "And, Clark, if you need to talk... about anything, I'm here. Okay?"
He nodded. "I know, Caitlyn. I know."
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As Clark was dressing in his tuxedo, he thought about what was ahead for Zared. He wasn't sure how much Zared would find out on his part of the journey, but Clark knew that they would be able to talk then. He had so many things that he wanted to share with his son. And mostly he wanted to share the secret. It was the secret he had only shared with Lois, and then only after several years. He hadn't been sure she would take it well - and she hadn't. Not at all. He smiled, but it was a sad smile. He was so glad that Zared was here with him, but still... He sighed wistfully. Oh, well, he had a wedding to attend! His son was getting married!
Clark opened the door to this bedroom and ran into a nervous Zared. His hands were shaky. "Dad. I can't... I... this.... uhh...." He took a deep breath. "Oh, darn!" He motioned to his bow tie. "Can you tie this thing for me?"
Clark smiled and steered his son back into his bedroom. He stood behind Zared with both of them in front of a mirror as he tied Zared's tie. "There. All done." Clark encircled him in a bear hug. "Hmmm... My baby is getting married."
"Uhh... Yeah. Nervous. I guess that's normal, huh?" Clark smiled and nodded. "Dad, you don't think *they* are going to come back some day and try to tell me I've got a birth wife do you?"
Clark was surprised. "You don't have a birth wife, Zared. What would make you ask that?"
Zared was uncertain. "Are you sure? I mean... All day, I've been having these... strange... like... dreams or visions or something. I just keep seeing Zara. It's like I can really see her. I... don't... understand..."
"Well, I don't either, Zared, but you may be having memories of her. If I concentrate really, really hard I can remember Lara and Jor-El putting me in the space capsule. She did give birth to you, and she held you, and she loved you."
Zared smiled a little. "Don't get me wrong with this question, but then why am I here? I mean what makes you think she loved me?"
Clark took a deep breath and thought a moment. "You were meant to be here, Zared."
Zared pursed his lips. "I know. I know. I just wonder sometimes."
Clark smiled at him. "Come on, we've got a wedding to go to."
They walked down the stairs and then into Clark's office. Jon, the best man, was waiting there. "Wow, Zared! You look fantastic!" Then he grinned broadly and teased a little. "Fifteen more minutes and you are going to be a married man."
It was then that the T-5 decided to speak to Clark's mind telling him it was time....
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(Sorry, guys, I couldn't resist! =}
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