An Assistant's Assistance

[SVsleuth]

A fitting ending to a wonderful story, Cardinal. Let the Clana love begin! And thanks to Raya, no more life exchange needed. Now we await the epilogue.

[Nemu]

2nd?

Well... that was a very good last chapter (before the epilogue )

So i get it that Jonathan never left to meet with Lionel...

PPMS

[Cardinal]

Originally posted by Nemu
2nd?
So i get it that Jonathan never left to meet with Lionel...

PPMS

Nope, but Lionel will find him sometime and the Kents (all four of them) will have to deal with his blackmail attempts.

[NYC300Z]

Great job wrapping it all up! Can't wait for the epilogue or ur updates on ur long neglected fics

[happycamper]

Yay! I like this ending! Great job, Card!!

And a future epilogue? Can't wait (but I guess I'm getting used to that on this board by now).

Re: Lionel. Is it really blackmail? I thought he had already turned to the light by then, and was going to offer help?

Thanks again Card for a great short story!


hc

[Cardinal]

Some of us think he's always been a bad guy in sheep's clothing.

To me, his attitude in the barn reeked of, "Do as I say, or else!"

Doesn't matter anyway since I'm not going to write that.

[ClanaLover]

Whoa!! That was very unlike you to write! lol But it was still very good. Awesome story Card!!

[C.A.chick]

Ooh la la. Another update for me to devour. Yay! Hmm, Raya's choice was very much appreciated, by all. Selfless, indeed. I am glad to see that the Kents, all of them, are happy. And altough it took three times, they finally got it right.

Clark seems like a new man, with his fiancee. It makes many of us wish that we could experience the great bond that Clark shares with Lana. I'm happy he has finally seen the light. The light of love.

Lana made the right decisions everytime this time around. A very tedious and important task. She definitely lived up to her full potential, for which I am eternally grateful.

Great writing Card! As always. Nothing short of fantastic! Thank you.

With Kindest Regards,
C.A.chick

[Dr. Jeckyll]

This was a great story, Card.

I always love when you guys try to fix what TPTB did wrong. You've done it in fics before and together with SV's Alt. Clana Scenes that are some of the best stuff around here. I truly thank you both for that!

Can't wait for your Broken Road update!!

[SVsleuth]

~bump~

time for the epilogue?

[Nemu]

Originally posted by SVsleuth
~bump~

time for the epilogue?

I agree with you SV..

PPMS Card!!

[Cardinal]

Epilogue

Lana and Clark strolled along the beach hand-in-hand, enjoying the warmth of a Jamaican January. Off in the distance, close to where the family’s belongings were arrayed on the sand, were their two children: Raya, who was eight years old and Clark, Jr., who was five.

The two children were industriously building…something…with brightly-colored plastic shovels and buckets to use as tools, though Clark wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was supposed to be. Upon closer inspection, he thought they might be making yet another sandcastle. When he suggested as much to his wife, she elbowed him lightly in the gut and said, “Of course they are, Honey. That’s all Junior has been talking about since before we left home. This is just a really big sandbox for him, with the added bonus of cool water nearby.”

“Kind of like our pool, huh? Except here, Junior doesn’t have to shower off before he can go from the sandbox to the pool.”

“Exactly. And of course, his daddy has been able to play with him more than usual.”

At the reminder of the undeniable toll that his duties as Superman took on his family, Clark grimaced. He knew he’d missed many special occasions, and hadn’t been able to spend the time with his wife and kids that he, and they, would’ve liked.

Lana didn’t even have to look up to know how Clark was reacting. She had always been able to read him like a book, and now, after ten happy years of marriage, that ability had advanced to the point that he swore it was her superpower. He couldn’t successfully hide anything from her, so he had quit trying to years ago, which made them both happier. He liked being able to share anything with her, which was good, since she loved it when he did. They considered their open communication to be the bedrock of their marriage, the one thing upon which all else is based.

Lana squeezed Clark’s hand and said, “Clark, don’t start beating yourself up again because you can’t be there for us 24/7. We both knew there’d be sacrifices involved when you started your second life. You are a wonderful husband and father. You’re there for me and for each of our kids as much as is humanly, and even Kryptonianly, possible.”

Clark squeezed her hand in reply and gave a rueful smile. I should’ve known better than to indulge in self-pity around Lana, not when I know she won’t let me get away with it. She never has.

“Well,” Clark said, “I’m sure we’ve all been enjoying the warm weather. I called Mom this morning. She said it was well below freezing in Smallville all day long yesterday.”

“The warm weather is nice, but what I’m enjoying most is the chance to spend some serious time alone with you. With all of the supervised children’s activities here at the resort, we’ve actually had several entire afternoons alone.”

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for dinner, I don’t think I would’ve ever left that double hammock we were in yesterday.” As they came close to where their kids were playing, Clark’s thoughts turned to the next day‘s trip home, and he said, “This has been a wonderful vacation, Lana, too bad it‘s almost over.” Looking over at her, he added, “I’m sorry it’s been so long since our last real getaway. Next year, we’ll do this again…I promise.”

Lana leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder and said, “I’m glad to hear it, and the kids will be, too.”

When Junior finally looked up from his work and saw his parents, the sandcastle was momentarily forgotten as he stood up and ran over to them, yelling, “Mommy! Daddy!” As Junior reached out to latch his arms around his daddy’s leg, Clark swooped down, pulled his squealing son into the air, and spun the boy around like he was flying. Clark, Jr. was already a big fan of Superman, which Lana knew Clark found to be very gratifying. When Junior made his own flying sound effects and declared that he was Superman, Clark began to tear up.

Clark and Lana shared a special smile and then headed over to the somewhat misshapen sandcastle. “Whatcha doin’, Sugarplum?” he asked his daughter.

Raya rolled her eyes as if to ask, ‘How obvious can it be?’ and then reluctantly said, “It’s Cinderella’s castle, Daddy!”

“Well, would you and Junior like some help making your castle?” Clark asked.

Raya’s eyes lit up as she asked, “You and Mommy are going to help us?” And when she received affirming nods from both parents, Raya said, “Cool! Come on, Clark, Mom and Dad are going to help us finish.”

Clark, Jr. started to squirm as his signal that he wanted to be let down. Clark obliged his son, and the four Kents spent the next hour working under Raya’s direction to complete Cinderella’s castle. After lunch and a reapplication of heavy-duty sunscreen for everyone, they spent a good part of their last afternoon in paradise splashing around in the surf.

The next day, their lengthy vacation was over and they were flying home from the Jamaican capital, Kingston, to Metropolis with a short layover in Miami. After a day at home to rest up from the trip, the Kents drove out to Smallville to visit Grandpa and Grandma Kent at the farm.

Clark’s parents always had some small gift for each of the children, but this time, the kids were proud to have something for their grandparents. They brought back souvenirs they had made in a crafts class for kids at the resort. While Martha and Jonathan oohed and aahed over their gifts, Clark and Lana were watching from the doorway.

“I love our kids,” Clark whispered.

“Me, too,” Lana said.

As Clark’s hand traced lazy circles in the small of Lana’s back, he turned to face her and said, “I’ve been thinking about what you said in Jamaica, and I agree. I think we can handle one more child, and this is a good time for another one.”

“Really? Do you mean it?” Lana didn’t really have to ask. She knew if he said it, he meant it. She was so excited, that she hugged Clark tightly and pulled him down for a lingering kiss.

Late that afternoon, after a day spent in various activities around the farm, including Clark, Jr.’s first tractor ride with his Grandpa, Martha put young Clark down for a nap in his daddy’s old bedroom. Raya thought herself to be too old for naps, even when she had been busy all day long.

Unbeknownst to the children, this trip had been prearranged. After months of debate, they had finally decided that Raya was old enough to start learning the family secrets, from what causes her daddy to work such long hours, to where her daddy is from, to who she’s really named after. Grandpa had been given the task of wearing out his grandson, so Clark could safely get away for a long one-on-one talk with his daughter.

Clark looked at Lana and said, “Now’s as good a time as ever.”

Lana nodded her head in agreement and Clark headed to the closet to collect his daughter’s carnation pink winter coat as Lana asked, “Raya? Would you like to go outside with your daddy for a while? He has something important to talk to you about.”

Raya had her nose buried in a book, but this request was so out of the ordinary, that she leapt at the chance. What does Dad need to talk to me about? I can’t be in trouble, I was good the whole time we were gone.

After being helped into her coat by Clark, Raya headed outside where she was scooped into the air and placed on her dad’s shoulders in one smooth motion. He then gave her a piggyback ride across the tightly packed earth of the driveway, into the barn, and up the loft steps. She was giggling madly by the time he had set her down and turned on the lights, but something in his expression sobered her up quickly.

“What’s up, Daddy?” Raya asked, sounding concerned.

Clark pointed his daughter to a seat on the old red couch and said, “Your mother and I have been watching you closely recently, Raya, and we think you’re ready to handle some important secrets. What I’m about to tell you can’t be talked about with anyone. That includes your little brother. He‘s too young and he likes to talk too much to too many people.”

Raya was naturally a cautious child, one of the reasons her parents thought she was ready, so she said nothing and waited. Clark looked down as he pawed at the worn boards of the loft floor with the toe of one shoe while he searched for the right way to say ‘Guess what? Your dad’s Superman!’

Finally, he said, “You know there have been many times when I haven’t been able to be around for your mother, you, and Junior. We’ve always told you it was work related. I’m not offering excuses, but today, I’m going tell you exactly what I do that keeps me away…I have a second job.”

Confused just a bit, Raya asked, “You mean like Tommy Jackson’s mom? She has two part-time jobs.”

“Well…no, not exactly. My two jobs are more like full-time jobs. The one you know about is as a reporter for the Daily Planet. My second, very secret job, is that…” Clark disappeared in a blur and winked back into existence a split-second later, wearing his full Superman suit, and finished, “…I am Superman, and there’s a lot for us to talk about. It will take us a long time to go over everything, but you can handle it. After all, you’re named after the bravest woman I ever knew.”

[SVsleuth]

Aw... that is so perfect. They named their daughter after Raya - how wondeful! I wonder what little Raya's reaction is to learning her daddy's big secrets.

Thanks for the sweet Clana epilogue, Card.

[happycamper]

2

I’m glad they named their daughter after Raya. They can honestly tell her she was named after the bravest (and most selfless) woman they had ever known.

I’m also glad that Lana seems so willing to share her man with the rest of the world!

Now is this the end or is there more?






Congrats - World Series Champs!

[NYC300Z]

great epilogue! very cute and Clark's still as corny as ever.