Warning: In this story Clark Kent/Superman has been missing presumed dead for ten years. Not seen again after the Nightfall Asteroid incident.
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aftermath 6/?
Centennial Park, 2004, Late afternoon
From part 5
Jon froze absolutely still. Until that moment Rachel hadn't noticed that he had never really stopped moving. But now it was noticeable, now he was completely motionless.
"My father's parents?"
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"My father's parents?" He repeated in a very small choked voice.
Lois forced herself to look her son in the eyes "Jonathan & Martha Kent, from Smallville, Kansas."
Now it was Jon's turn to lick his lips before speaking "Jonathan? As in Jonathan Samuel Lane?"
Lois nodded as her son said his full name. She watched as he took several deep breaths, clearly fighting for control.
Rachel noted that for ten he was showing remarkable control. But he was ten and in spite of everything he could do his eyes filled up and tears appeared. He began to furiously wipe his face.
He looked at Rachel than back at his mother. She watched him as he cleared his throat and sucked in through his nose and than swallowed a few times before speaking again.
"My father?"
Lois stood up as she spoke and moved towards her son. "Mad Dog Lane, of course" she took a deep breath still holding his gaze, and in an even lower voice "Jon, I'm sorry, I should have, I" a pause, another deep breath "I'm so sorry."
The young man moved forward as Lois spoke and grabbed her in a tight bearhug, the tears now streaming down both faces.
Rachel interrupted "Ms. Lane",
Louder "Lois"
Lois looked up at her still holding her son.
"Lois, no one has seen Clark, no one at all." She strung the words out slowly, "He's been missing, completely missing, since the since the day Superman took on the Nightfall Asteroid."
Jon gave her a funny look and it suddenly occurred to Rachel that he'd been quite a distance away yet he had clearly heard part of what his mother had said, otherwise how had he known she was upset about someone flying in?
["Oh yes, definitely Clark's son"] with a sort of internal mental nod. How many times at ten had she and Clark and Lana and Pete gotten into trouble because of something they'd done that was caused by something Clark had heard that he should NOT have been able to hear.
As she watched the two Rachel Harris made a decision.
"Ms. Lane, I really think we need to talk somewhere a little more private."
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I do know that it is too short and broken up. I'll try to wait and put out a longer part that makes more sense next time.
Patrick
