21

Clark's mind wouldn't stop replaying the letter she'd written him over in his mind. He'd been such an idiot, taken her for granted for too damn long. He wasn't sleeping. He was barely eating. It took him until Saturday to break down and take Lex's offer (with his mother's blessing of all people) to Geneva. He wasn't even sure if he'd get back in time for Chris's birth or if his plan would work. If he humiliated himself, well, there was always the red eye back home.

He knew that slipping into Chloe's room at night was marginally stalkery, but if this worked he was hopeful that she'd forgive him.

Taking in a deep breath, he knelt by her bed and pulled out the paper he'd been holding. His voice barely a whisper, Clark began:

I want you to let you in on a secret. I'm not who you think I am either. Mostly, I'm an idiot. I should have seen you earlier. I wish to God I had. I was never hiding anything or trying to be in a masquerade with you, but I know I hurt you so much when I couldn't decide between you and Lana. Lois Lane or Chloe Sullivan, I love you both equally and I want you by my side. I'd never settle for anyone else. You're my partner, my guardian angel, and the girl of my dreams and I'm so sorry it took me this long to see it.

Chloe rolled over and yawned. "Hmm, Jimmy, I'm tired."

"Oh you have to be kidding me," Clark hissed setting down the paper.

Chloe opened her eyes and winked up at him. Sitting up, she threaded her arms around his neck and kissed him, long and hard. "Yeah, I am."

He pulled back, frowning. "So you want to try?"

"You can win a girl over with words sometimes. I'll try but I'm skittish about everything, after what happened to me. I...you'll need to take time with me."

Clark nodded and kissed her again. "That's fine because I think you're worth the wait."
_

Later in the Spring

Christopher Gene Kent was born on Tuesday, the 22nd of April.

Clark and Lois both had flown back to New York for everything and, while both might never get over Swann's lies of omission, both couldn't help smiling at the new addition to the Kent family. The miracle child-despite how he got there and there was another thing that Clark couldn't reconcile-whom no one expected, but everyone, even his dad, wanted.

He was long for a newborn and it made Clark smile a little, thinking that his brother might be as tall as he, if not bigger. It made him think of so many things, of fishing trips and Sharks games, of learning about the stars and their heritage, of teaching him all about their abilities, should Chris get them. He found himself rocking him in his arms, staring down at his mom.

She smiled. "Someone's going to make a good big brother."

Lois, who was watching all of it from a chair across the spacious room, grinned. "After Ryan was there really any doubt?"

Epilogue

Not everything was perfect. Clark was still nervous that Pete would break his promise and reveal his secret. He'd been feeling that way, if he were honest, since he'd been slipped the red K by Pete, himself, during the cave parasite fiasco. Clark hoped his friend's admission he wanted no one to be cut up, even Clark, would be enough to save him. He just didn't know. Alicia and Lois got along most of the time, as bright as they were, as many secrets has they shared, he noticed them butting heads over The Torch and, sometimes, he felt even over him, but his heart was firmly taken by one Lois Lane, and that was never going to change.

Still, after a long patrol in Granville, where he'd been amazed to watch his girlfriend in action even now, even after four months of knowing about her ability and her hidden strengths, she seemed preoccupied.

Strolling through the city, her leather coat wrapped around her waist by its sleeves for it was too hot in June to wear it when not protecting one's self from knife wounds, she sighed up at him.

"What?"

"You know you can't hide from the other 'travelers' on Earth forever."

"True."

"And you know if those stones are for you, you'll have to find them."

He sighed himself and shoved his hands in the pockets of his red jacket, swearing when it tore a little. "I have a lot on my plate right now, between worrying about Pete's big mouth and the fact Chris's growth really isn't slowing down. I don't think a treasure hunt is on my docket."

"Lex said he'd help. You could consider it."

He nodded, wrapping his arm around her, and kissing her deeply, feeling the warmth of her love flow through him as a familiar glow lit up the night.

"I promise I will when some of the chaos dies down and we get a handle on things. I'll find the stones and figure out how to trust J'onn again and learn more about my planet. I owe Chris that much. However-"

"However what, Superboy?"

"Well, Nightingale, I think that's a mission for another time."

She kissed him again and, pulling back, laughed. "It's Lane, Lois Lane, and don't you forget it,"

Grinning back at her, he nodded. "Not ever."

And with that, he picked her up and sped her back home.