Title: Legacy

Pairing: Clark/Tess

Setting: about 5 years after season 10 finishes. Clark and Lois are married with a one year old boy – Jonathan. Oliver splits his time between Star City and Metropolis, managing Queen Industries and is still the Green Arrow. Martha is still a senator in Washington DC but comes home semi regularly. Lex is back and is the President Elect at the moment. Tess lost her job when Lex returned but helps Oliver run Queen Industries, and sometimes acts as Watchtower when needed. Queen Industries and Luthorcorp are no longer a conglomerate. And Clark is finally superman.

Synopsis: Lois dies leaving Clark to pick up the pieces and look after their baby boy. Tess helps him and sparks fly.

Chapter 1

The words reverberated around his head. She was dead. She was dead.

Clark Kent watched as the wood casket was lowered into the ground. But he didn't see. He hadn't seen much of anything over the last week. He didn't believe this was happening. It was too soon. They hadn't had enough time.

I wish we had more time.

Next to him, his mother let out a quite sob and he wrapped an arm around her. A habit his wife teased him about but secretly adored. Clark almost smiled. If she could see him now… Clark stopped that thought. His wife wouldn't be seeing anything anymore. She was dead.

Martha Kent wrapped her arms around her son, holding him close, desperately trying to stifle her sobs. Her son had just lost his wife; Clark needed her to be strong. Her grandson needed her to be strong.

Clark felt his mother's touch but it didn't register. He felt the cold snow fall on his face, caressing his skin as once she did. He closed his eyes, wishing it was her touch. But it was too cold. She was always so warm, even to him, warm like the fire that ignited her spirit, her passion.

I love you Smallville.

A memory danced through his mind. A smile shimmered in front of him, disappearing as he opened his eyes. The minister was speaking now; words that Clark had heard a thousand times as Oliver struggled to find the words to describe someone was unique. How do you sum up a life? A life like hers?

She's bossy… She's stuck up, she's rude. I can't stand her.

You can't, Clark thought. You can't sum up her life in a few words, like the headlines she created. His green eyes moved to the casket, seeing through the wood of their own volition. He saw her. She was still, silent. His wife was never silent. She always had to have the last word.

Because I'm me, hello.

Clark looked passed the casket to where Oliver Queen, best man at their wedding and friend, stood. The proud man had tears flowing freely down his face for the woman he regarded as his best friend. Clark looked passed Oliver to the crowd gathered behind him. He realised how much she was loved. There was easily a hundred people gathered. She would have loved it. If she was here…

A tear fell from Clark's eye. She was gone. Forever. The revelation he'd been avoiding for a week hit him hard. She was gone. She was dead. She was never coming home again.

He heard the casket hit the bottom of the grave and wanted to yell at someone to be more careful. She was fragile; she was his wife. A baby's cry stopped him. His son. Their son.

We'll name him Jonathan after your father.

Shushing followed immediately. But the red-haired woman that held him wasn't his mother. Clark took his arm away from his mother and reached out to Tess Mercer. She carefully passed the one-year-old over to his father and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Clark turned his attention to Jonathan. The baby squirmed in his fathers arms, trying to get comfortable but still crying loudly. He glared at Clark with his mother's green eyes as if everything was his father's fault. Clark merely starred back. Jonathan looked so much like his mother. The eyes, the nose, the defiance all like her in miniature.

He's so adorable. He looks just like you, Honey.

This was all he had left of her. This small person was all she left. Why did she have to die? Why did she have to give up? Jonathan sensed his father's sadness and squirmed even more. He let out a pained whimper and Clark realised he was holding him too tight.

He couldn't do this. Not alone. Why did she have to abandon him? Clark passed Jonathan to a surprised Tess. "Take him."

She complied, looking at him curiously. "Don't do anything you'll regret." She said so softly only he could hear her. She looked back to the minister as he started the final blessing. Tess took Jonathan's small hand in hers. "Your Mommy loves you." She whispered to him. "We won't let you forget her."

Clark turned and walked through the crowd. They parted like the red sea, allowing the grieving widower through. As soon was he was out of range of curious eyes, Clark launched skyward, flying out of the atmosphere.

Hovering in orbit over the Earth, he let out an anguished scream. "Why did you have to go? Why didn't you tell me you were dying? Why didn't you let me say goodbye?"

The empty vacuum of space gave him no answers.