Clark was back from having coffee with Rachel in plenty of time to get changed into slacks and a sports coat. Not that he needed much time. She knew he could change clothes in the blink of an eye.
It was only a ten minute drive from the Kent farm to Riverbend Park, where Martha had arranged a belated wedding reception for them. Lois had been told it was going to be potluck and was glad she hadn’t been asked to bring anything. She had a suspicion she and Clark would never live it down if it were found out that Clark’s new wife could burn water. Oh, she wasn't nearly as bad in the kitchen as she had been when Jason was first born, but her personal cookbook was still made up of the phone numbers to take-away places.
The car rounded a copse of trees and Lois caught sight of the ‘reception’ party. A large banner had been hung from the covered cooking area. It read ‘Congratulations Lois and Clark.’
A large crowd was already present, and Lois could see Martha, dressed smartly in a beige suit, bustling around, obviously in charge. The weather was perfect. Not too hot, only slightly overcast. Brightly colored balloons decorated the tables. An awning had been set up over two of the tables and under it was a simple wedding cake.
Lois’s mind went back to the reception her mother had thrown them a week after their return from Napa. That party had been a major production, even though Lois had tried to reject nearly all of her mother’s suggestions. It had all fallen on deaf ears. It was Ellen Lane’s show from start to finish. Both she and Clark been miserable, even though Clark refused to admit it.
Lois decided she was going to enjoy this party a lot more. Even if she only knew a handful of people here, at least these were Clark’s friends and acquaintances. People he and Martha knew and didn’t need to impress.
She and Clark waved to Martha as they crossed the gravel parking area to the grassy picnic area. Jason walked between them, holding their hands.
Lois noticed a small playground close by with several other children playing on the climbing structure. She pointed it out to Jason, who took off running.
“Jason,” Clark called. “Stay away from the river, okay?”
Jason simply nodded as he started for the climbing structure. Lois looked out past the green of the park to the river Clark had warned Jason about. It wasn’t especially large, but it was deep and wide enough for boating, as evidenced by the teenagers waterskiing behind a powerboat. Waterskiing in Kansas? Whodathunk it?
“Show time,” Clark murmured as he took Lois’s hand and headed toward his mother and Ben in the midst of the gathering.
* * *
Clark had forgotten how ‘small town’ Smallville really was. The disconnect he’d felt at the Pizza Joint the night before was finally dissipating. This was the Smallville he remembered.
They’d been introduced to what felt like half the town. Clark knew it wasn't, but he’d been surprised by the turn-out nonetheless. Mayor Hatcher had shown up, along with Police Chief Parker. Sheriff Harris was around somewhere as well as John Fordman, the sheriff before Rachel.
“I keep expecting to hear the dirt on you,” Lois commented.
“With Clark what you see is what you get,” Maisie from the café near city hall told her with a grin. She reached up and kissed Clark on the cheek, chuckling. “Ya done good, kid. Now, don’t be such a stranger.” Clark felt his cheeks grow warm as Lois laughed.
“Time to cut the cake,” Martha announced. Clark led Lois over to the table with the cake. He saw Lois scanning the crowd, looking for Jason. The boy had been ducking in and out of the crowd with several other kids his age playing and sampling the food that had been brought for the potluck. He knew what he was allowed to eat was good at staying away from the food that bothered him. With this many adults – most of them parents – around, it was unlikely he could have gotten into too much trouble.
“Jason!” Lois yelled. Clark focused his hearing on finding his son’s heartbeat. Jason was beyond the trees on the bank of the river, near the wooden pier. He was climbing into a small boat with two other children, a boy and girl he didn’t recognize. Then he heard the motorboat making a turn. One of the skiers caught the little boat then hit the water screaming. The little wooden boat overturned. Jason and the girl were thrown into the water but he didn’t see the other boy. Correction – the missing child was beneath the overturned boat.
Clark acted without really thinking. “Call rescue!” he yelled at Lois, who seemed momentarily frozen as he ran toward the trees, throwing off his jacket. Jason was in the water with the girl. Both appeared frightened but unharmed as they made their way to shore. The motorboat was stopped dead in the water, the teenage driver looking for something in the river, eyes wide in horror. Clark spotted what the teenager was looking for – the skier who had fallen.
Clark dove into the water, pushing the small boat away. The trapped child was badly hurt – fractured skull, broken ribs, internal injuries as well as water in his lungs. Clark cradled the boy against his body as he made his way to the pier.
There was more splashing in the water and he looked up to see Lois and several men waded toward them. Clark set the boy down on the small wooden pier. “Skull fracture, broken ribs,” Clark murmured to Lois before diving into the water again after the fallen skier.
The fallen teenager in the deepest part of the river. She wasn't moving and her right leg was bent in an unnatural angle. Again, he cradled the injured person against him, using his chest as a backboard as he swam on his back toward the pier and the rescue team that he’d heard arriving. Then, the rescue team was in the water beside him, transferring the teen onto a backboard and then pulling her from the water as they began resuscitation.
“Clark, are you okay?” Rachel asked. He looked up to see her standing beside Lois and Jason. He nodded, brushing wet hair out of his eyes. He realized he had no idea where his glasses had disappeared to.
“Jason, are you okay?” he managed to ask, making a show of catching his breath as he stood up and waded out of the river. He wasn't sure how long he’d been under the water. Hopefully not long enough to raise questions.
Jason watched him, wide-eyed, wet, tears running down his face. “I’m sorry…”
“Jason, the accident wasn't your fault. But I did tell you not to go near the river,” Clark said. “And you did it anyway.”
Lois crouched down next to Jason. “Jason. Your father and I have been trying to take this slow and easy and I know it's been hard. But when he tells you something, that’s me talking too. Understand?”
Clark caught the confusion that crossed Rachel’s face as she watched Lois and Jason.
Mom hasn’t told anyone that Jason’s mine? Rachel gave Clark a questioning look and he nodded. “I didn’t know until I came back to the states,” he said quietly.
Jason was crying harder. “Last night the other kids called me a baby and they said Clark was a big sports guy and he wouldn’t want to be around a baby and then he’s gone all the time and forgets to get me from school so he doesn’t really want to be my daddy ‘cause I’m such a baby.”
Clark scooped Jason into his arms. “Jason, nothing is going to change the fact that you are my son and I love you. I’m sorry that work gets in the way sometimes. I’m new to this father thing, you know. You gotta cut me some slack here,” Clark said, trying to keep his tone light. Jason was still sniffling, brushing his tears away.
“But if you really want to be my daddy, why don’t I have your name?” Jason asked.
“Your mommy and I were told it would be better to wait,” Clark said. “But we don’t have to. You can be Jason Kent starting right now, if you want.”
“Then everybody will know you’re really my daddy,” Jason stated. “And you’re not embarrassed that I’m a baby and not a big sports guy.”
“Jason, I would be proud for everybody to know I’m your dad,” Clark said. “And I don’t think you’re a baby at all and being a big sports guy isn’t as important as other people think. But will you please stay away from the river from now on?”
“Okay, Dad,” Jason said, hugging Clark’s neck.
He called me ‘Dad’. Maybe it’s going to be okay after all.----------------------------------------
It's currently at the word limit of 6000 words
and nobody died. 
There will be a major rewrite before it goes to LJ.
