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who: Clark, Lois, and Jon.
what: Family meeting.
when: The day Jon arrives.
where: Communal housing.
warnings: None.

( continued from here )

[ On the way back to the communal housing building with Jon, Clark sends Lois a quick text message to say they need to talk and it can't wait. He had been on his way into the forest to practice with his abilities and she'd been planning to explore the city and meet some local contacts. Now, they have a ten year old son neither of them ever dreamed could exist. Clark's still reeling. This isn't like meeting Dick, who's a friend. Jon's his own flesh and blood.

He leaves Jon upstairs on the sixth floor with Taako. It's still in range of Jon's super-hearing but Clark trusts he won't eavesdrop. Taako will keep him busy.

Clark makes a beeline for her. He knocks before he enters the room she's in. ]

Lois.

[ He reaches out to take her hand. Now that he's not in front of Jon, he can finally frown in worry. ]

You're not going to believe what just happened.

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Ten. [ lois echoes, her thoughts following along similar lines as clark's. they must have been together for a long time. ten years alone is a lot; longer than lois has ever been with anyone. it's commitment and family and lois' experiences with family haven't always been the best.

lois doesn't believe in fate, in being destined to be with someone. she knows that she likes clark a lot, that she'd like to see where it takes them, that for the first time in a while, she's willing to compromise to make it work with someone else instead of putting her career first. ]

I should meet him. [ whatever else she's feeling, however confused she might be, he's a child. he's probably here alone. the two of them are adults; they have a certain responsibility even if he isn't their son in their universe.

but a moment later, softer, she adds: ] I don't know what this means. [ for her. for them. ]

[ It's longer than Clark has stayed anywhere besides the farm.

He couldn't see himself with anyone for that long before Lois. Clark had never connected with any other person like this and always disappeared before the possibility existed. Lois was in her own category from the moment he met her. Neither of them can see that far ahead to know if it means stability for them both.

Clark doesn't believe in fate. He can sense they're going somewhere together and feels it should be their choice. ]

I know.

[ Clark swallows heavily. ]

I'll go get him? Then... we'll talk.

[ it's a lot all at once: arriving here, trying to figure out this place, trying to figure out where she's going with clark, and now this. but lois has handled a lot before and she'll handle this, too—it's just that usually, the "lot" she handles isn't quite so personal.

but she nods. ]

Yeah. I'll be here.

[ it'll give her a moment to mentally compose herself, even if it won't be long enough to make sense of this, she's pretty sure. ]

[ He's doing his best to keep a lid on it too.

Clark wishes the portal had at least warned them. If there's Jon, there might be others. He doesn't want to get caught up in possibilities and forget who's actually here with him.

That's besides people who mean them harm that they don't know about. ]

I'll be right back.

[ He's going up to the sixth floor to get Jon, coming back ten minutes later with him in tow. Clark nudges him forward. ]

[ Jon steps forward tentatively, resisting the urge to look down. He's never met an alternate version of his mom before and that possibility was even more gut-wrenching than meeting other Clark Kents. For all his life, his mother had always been there, a constant steady presence in Jon's life. Endured his anger, his rants, his woes . . . and had always pulled him out of them as well. He runs a hand through his hand before dropping his hand awkwardly. ]

Hi . . . ma'am. My name is Jon.

[ lois waits, mind running in circles, and in the end, she gets up from the couch after just a minute to make some coffee, just to have something to do and because maybe, just maybe, caffeine will make her help sense of all this. (it's wishful thinking, she knows.)

and then clark comes back, nudging forward a little boy who looks like he's clark just several years younger, how lois imagines clark must have looked as a boy. he looks nervous, a little awkward, and he calls her ma'am and just like that, lois knows that her confusion doesn't matter. it won't go away, not yet and probably not any time soon, and she still doesn't know what clark is to her or she to him, where they're going, but she's the closest thing to this boy's mother in this place and whatever else might be going on, whatever else she might feel, that means something.

he doesn't deserve to suffer because she's confused, so she'll just have to force it aside and figure things out in her own time where he can't see, where he isn't affected by it. she isn't his mother, but— she still has a responsibility and she wants to make this right for him. she wants to get to know him, too. ]

Hi Jon. Why don't you call me Lois? [ she asks, tone softer than usual while she crouches down so she's closer to his height. now he's a bit taller, even. ]

Clark tells me you just got here? [ it's a question for jon, but she glances at clark as she says it. lois has interviewed children before, but that's not the same thing as this at all and she doesn't know what she's doing. ]

[ Jon's face briefly scrunches up at the idea of calling his mom Lois, but it smooths itself out quickly with a nod. Obviously he can't call her mom, especially when she's still reeling with all this . . . stuff. So he smiles, loosening a little. ]

Yeah. Riverview has me staying at the Communal Housing. They're sending me to school too.

[ He glances at Clark and back to Lois. ]

So I'll be okay, really. You don't have to do anything special for me.

[ lois is nowhere near ready to let anyone call her mom, but surely lois is better than ma'am, isn't it? ]

Your parents - [ another glance at clark. they're jon's parents, and they're not. ] The two of us from another universe, they're not here, are they?

[ she doesn't know what she's doing, so she goes by instinct, reaching out to put a hand on jon's arm. ] That makes us the closest thing to family you have here, and I don't think I can replace your mom, but I'm not going to ignore you, either. All right?

[ "you don't have to do anything special". if she'd had any doubt that he's clark's son, that's gone now. ]

[ Clark nudges them towards the kitchen counter. Having this conversation sitting down helps him feel less off-balance, especially when there's coffee. He's not sure if he should sit next to Lois. It might look too much like an interrogation.

Instead, he takes a seat at the side, so Lois and Jon can be opposite each other. As the seasoned reporter, she's more precise with her questions. ]

Why don't you tell us about yourself?

[ They're not Jon's parents but that doesn't make them not family. Clark has only one person left in that category. He'd treasure any opportunity to increase that number. ]

[ Jon shakes his head in response to Lois' question. He's not too worried. They'll come. They've always come for him. And Jon can wait. Even if there is a small kernel of doubt, now's not the time to show it. He needs to have faith in his parents.

I'm not letting you go, ever, his dad had said once, as Jon flickered away. His dad always kept his promises. ]

Uhm, so . . . I go to Hamilton County. I think it's kind of like Smallville? That's what Mom always says. Lots of corn. Cows. Farm stuff.

I help out on the farm too. Dad makes me mow the lawn but — [ And here he brightens ] — I know how to use the tractor too!

[ He looks at Lois, trying to imagine them on a farm.

Jon's obviously happy there. ]

Do we have to hide who we are?

[ For most of his life, Jon thought his parents kept secrets from him because he was too young. Because he didn't deserve to know. It wasn't even close to the truth, but even now, Jon struggles with the secrets. He feels intrinsically linked, like he forces his parents to play a role because they need to look out for his safety. ]

Yeah. I mean, a few of the superheroes know us, but no one else. Mom sometimes works under an alias.

[ And Kathy, but Jon doesn't know how his dad would feel about that. ]

[ The same way Clark felt about the Kents. They were always so afraid for him that someone would find out and he'd be taken away.

Now that he has someone he feels the same way about, Clark understands that fear completely. He's already disturbed that the Portal brought Jon here without his family. At least Lois and him are both adults. They can handle it. ]

How far along are your powers?

[ lois can't imagine herself on a farm, but then, unti a few moments ago she couldn't really imagine herself having a child, either, and here's the living proof that some version of her does both of these things and is probably happy with it, too.

at least she still works. she couldn't imagine a version of herself that's a stay at home mom.

this is a line of inquiry she can't really contribute to, so she stays quiet for now, watching jon and clark. ]

[ Jon looks down at that part. He knew that question was coming but Jon hated talking about his powers. He appreciated them, knew they made him strong. But their inconsistency, the late night talks with Batman . . . his encounter with Damian.

His mother's cat Goldie. ]

They don't work as well as yours. We don't know why. I can't fly yet but I've got the strength, x-ray vision, heat vision, ice breath . . .

But they come and go. Sometimes I'm Super and other times I'm just . . . not.

[ what the heck is ICE BREATH ]

We'll figure it out.

[ He reaches across the table to touch Jon's hand. ]

Does your father take you along when he's wearing the S?

[ He smiles, clear hero worship in his eyes. ]

A few times. Dad said I need to figure out what the S means for myself. But I'm allowed to be Superboy.

[ Though he pauses and amends. ]

But I'm not allowed on school nights.

[ He hides how uncomfortable he feels at being on the receiving end of that. Clark's not there. He can't call himself a hero, let alone see this legacy.

He squeezes Jon's hand and withdraws. ]

Lois?

Yeah.

[ clark might not see himself as a hero, but lois understands a little of that hero worship. she might not feel it herself, but clark kent is the best man she's ever known and following his trail across the country, learning of all the people he's helped, she can see where jon is coming from. ]

That's a sensible rule. [ she looks at clark again, smiling in what is hopefully a calm and collected manner. they're both fumbling their way through this conversation blind, it seems, but maybe they can lead each other, lean on each other. ] I think you should stick to it.

Have you been telling people here about your powers, or have you kept them secret?

Edited 2017-04-08 10:06 (UTC)

[ Jon frowns lightly at that. But it's clear this is still early for both of them. He sighs. ]

I can't tell anyone about my powers. Or who I am. I promised.

[ It's clear from his tone that it's an issue of mixed feelings. At least, for Jon. ]

[ He's reassured by Lois's glance at him. Clark speaks softly and seriously. ]

Lois is right. We're not your parents but we're who you have here. Some people already know about me, so they'll know about you. The rules might need to be more flexible.

[ Jon hesitates. The promise was a big part of his life. It dictated every action Jon took. Restraint, keeping his head low . . . He's never forgotten that night when Batman and Wonder Woman showed up on their lawn and he could hear the whispers.

He's a threat. He's dangerous.

Jon can't even blame them. After what he did to Goldie. He hunches his shoulders, defensive. ]

Yes, sir.

[ But he adds in a frail whisper. ]

. . . You won't let them take me, will you? Because I can't control my powers?

No.

[ His sudden conviction surprises him. Clark gets up and comes over to hug Jon. ]

I won't let them. I promise.

[ He went through this himself as a boy, so Clark can't let Jon go through it feeling afraid and unsure of himself. ]

We won't let anyone take you.

[ lois isn't sure it's a promise she can make, but she'll be damned if she stays quiet and let's him wonder. not being able to control his abilities is a reason to teach him, not a reason to take him away. ]

[ Jon leans into the hug like he's done his entire life, his head resting on his dad's shoulder, firm and steady. But Jon also stretches his hand out to reach for his mom. An irreplaceable part of his life. ]

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