Summary:When one of Lois and Clark's kids goes missing, can Superman find them in time or will it be the one person, he can't save.
by Jenna <Jracergirl82@gmail.com>
Rated PG (PG-13 later)
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It was Friday morning and the Kent household was gearing up for morning rituals. Clark dutifully cooked breakfast. He was dressed for work in a smart-looking gray suit, his tie tucked between the first two buttons so as not to get it dirty. His jacket was draped carefully over the side of a kitchen chair.
Kelsey came into the kitchen wearing her red and gold swimming suit and black shorts. Kelsey Lara Kent was Lois and Clark's first child.
At sixteen, Kels, as everyone affectionately called her, was growing to be quite a beauty. She had the body of a supermodel, and her long dark hair and dark eyes with a slight Asian cast, gave her an exotic look that caught the attention of many of the young men at her school; much to her father's dismay.
Kelsey was very athletic and involved in many school activities. Honor-student, cheer-leading in the fall, swimming in the winter, and gymnastics and volleyball in the spring. Kelsey had a summer job as a lifeguard at one of the local swimming pools.
"Good morning, Kels." Clark said as he watched Kelsey begin to get out the plates, cups, and forks to set the table for breakfast.
"Morning Dad."
"Hey Kels, wanna help me by beginning to mix some more batter." Clark asked as he poured the last of the pancake batter in the skillet. Although Clark could cook at super speed if he wanted to, it was one of the things he enjoyed doing as an ordinary person.
Besides it had almost become a morning ritual that he and Kelsey make breakfast together; and Clark wasn't going to do anything that would shorten his one-on-one time with his eldest.
"Sure." Kelsey said taking the bowl from him. Kelsey, they joked, had to be the first person in Lois's bloodline that could actually cook anything that didn't include chocolate.
Lois and Clark had been discussing having a family, and what it would mean to their careers and lives, when they found out the choice had already been made for them--resulting in their first-born, Kelsey.
Two years after Kelsey's birth, Lois discovered that she was pregnant again. After a great deal of discomfort, and a hard labor, Lois and Clark were surprised to learn that Lois had been pregnant with identical twin boys: Samuel Jerome and Jonathan Kyle. Amazingly, the twin boys' heartbeats had actually synchronized to each others; which was why even Clark hadn't noticed the second heartbeat.
Now at fourteen, Sammy and Jon-Kyle were two very different individuals. While they were both honor-students: Sammy was a basketball star, he played first string center; and had his mother's attitude and disposition. Jon-Kyle loves football, he played quarterback; and had Clark's quiet countenance.
Both boys; however, had a love of electronics, machinery, and gadgets that often caused them to begin taking things apart and try putting things back together in different ways to see if they would work.
Since the twins' birth had been so hard on Lois, the doctors had advised that Clark and Lois to not have anymore children. It had been a hard choice, but Lois and Clark agreed that was the best course of action; since they had their hands full with their three children.
They had been careful to not get pregnant again. But accidents happen, and along came Brooke. Brooke Ciara Kent had the most turbulent entry into the world. Lois had developed preeclampsia, and the doctors couldn't get her blood pressure to go down; creating a very unstable environment for the baby.
The baby had to be delivered by emergency C-section three months early. Brooke was in the hospital for over two months. But like her siblings, there was nothing to indicate Brooke's Kryptonian origins. She was a normal preemie.
So tiny and frail, Brooke could almost fit in the palm of her father's strong hand. Clark could remember the many times he had brought his older children to the hospital to see their mother and baby sister. He had held each of them, in turn, to look into the window into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Now at twelve, it was hard to believe that Brooke had ever been such a frail little girl. Brooke is pure spirit and spunk. She has the same attractive features as her older sister and was beginning to turn heads of the local boys. The first time that Clark noticed a young man looking at his youngest daughter, he had been tempted to launch the boy to the moon.
Following in the footsteps of her older siblings, Brooke excelled in both academics and sports; though she had yet to find place on a sports team. Clark had the feeling though that Brooke would probably join either the soccer or softball team as her way to shine outside the shadow of her older siblings.
Lois and Clark loved all of their children greatly. They were constantly in amazement of these little people that were such a mixture of themselves. Lois and Clark were more than happy with their brood, even though there was never a dull moment. One day Clark had commented on this to his wife. Lois had replied by giving her husband a long meaningful kiss."Clark, since we met there has not been a single dull moment."
As Clark and Kelsey came out of the kitchen to the dinning room; Lois was herding the younger children into the dinning room from upstairs.
"Clark, did you remember to RSVP for the mayor's ball tonight?" Lois asked as she moved towards her chair.
"Yes, everything is set." Clark answered giving Lois a quick peck on the check. Eighteen years of marriage and four kids had done little to extinguish the passion between them.
"Ok guys, remember that you're on your own tonight. So we'll need you all to come home by 5 o'clock. There is food in the refrigerator, so don't order pizza. Also no friends over, last time it got a little wild.” Lois said, stopping when she noticed Kelsey had her iPod earphones in her ears."Kels, can you give me any indication that you heard me?"
"Home too early, nuclear leftovers, no fun, and feed the midgets to the wolves. Is that about right?" Kelsey said, an impish smile teasing at her lips.
"Close enough. And no headphones at the table." Kelsey turned off the iPod and removed the headphones, only to drape the cord around her neck.
The rest of the morning ran like a well-oiled machine until time for Lois and Clark to leave for work.
"Are you sure you don't want us to drop you off on our way to work, Kelsey?" Lois asked her daughter as she went around the kitchen preparing her work bag at a normal girl's hyper pace.
"Got it covered." Kelsey said turning to reveal that she had her roller-blades tucked in her bag.
"Ok, remember to be home by five, Kels." Clark reminded her as the family walked out the door. The twins and Brooke getting in the back of Lois's jeep to be dropped off at various places on Lois and Clark's way to work.
Kelsey stopped at the bottom step to put on her roller-blades, before heading off in the opposite direction. towards the swim park.
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Once Kelsey arrived at work, she went directly to the lifeguard's locker room.
Kelsey logged in for her shift on the computer at the pool's lifeguard room. She checked her rotation stations for the day.
She stored her shorts, after-work clothes, and other supplies in her locker in the lifeguard room. Kelsey grabbed her flip-flops and whistle that she kept in her locker. She then got one of the megaphones, walkies-talkie, and lifeguards life preserver.
As Kelsey left the lifeguard's locker room and went to her first station; she was unaware of a pair of eyes watching her every movement.
