Lois stared unseeing into the darkness, silent tears
slipping down her face as a sleeping Clark held her close.
His promise a few days earlier to protect her and their
children now seemed a bit ominous as they faced his
imminent departure. They had taken the children to the
zoo; their favorite place. The normal everyday rituals of
their small household had seemed comforting, as if their
lives were not being slowly, inexorably ripped apart by a
world light years away from their own.

She rolled over and stroked Clark's hair away from his face
as he murmured incoherently in his sleep. They had made
love frantically that night as if by loving each other they
could delay the inevitable. Worn out, Clark had finally
fallen asleep, but she remained awake. Carefully, she
slipped out of her lover's embrace, threw on a robe, and
walked over to her jewelry box. She opened it and pulled
out an heirloom that was an inheritance from her great-
grandmother. She had never had a use for it... until now.
Lois opened it, pulled out the original contents, and put
them away carefully for later. She had to do this while
Clark was asleep; she didn't want him to find out until the
time was right.

Quietly, she picked up the scissors and snuck in the
children's rooms to accomplish her purpose. She added her
gleanings to a little pile of plastic bags that she then
hid in her jewelry box along with a miniature family
portrait that had been taken in Smallville the month
before. She was determined that Clark would have something
with him to remind him of what he left behind... what he
had to come home to. With that thought in mind, she took
off her robe and slipped back into Clark's warm embrace.
She had three days and three nights left with her beloved
before he had to leave for who knew how long. Lois was
determined to make them count.

****

Kiley bounced up and down in between her parents as they
entered the newsroom. She loved coming to the Daily Planet
and was triply excited when her mother had mentioned
something about a news conference there this morning. As
they walked down into the bullpen, Kiley spotted someone
she hadn't seen for a few weeks. She pulled away from her
mother and ran toward him happily. "Grandpa Perry!" she
called as she jumped into his arms.

"Catling!" Perry said laughingly as he swung her around and
hugged her tightly. "I hear that you had an adventure this
week and got to meet Superman... want to tell me about it,
darlin'?"

Kiley threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the
cheek. "Okay, Grandpa Perry... but can we stay in here an'
watch the press comfrense? I want to see."

"We sure can, catling," Perry said with a broad smile as he
tickled her gently. He was very thankful that his small
granddaughter had come through her ordeal safely and very
grateful that he now held her in his arms. He sincerely
hoped that her father's absence wouldn't be too hard on
her; she was a sensitive child and liable to blame herself
if she thought he had left them for good. He hadn't really
been there for his own children growing up, but when Kiley
was born, he vowed to try and make it up to the only
'grandchildren' still within reach. He would be there as
much as he could for the two precious little ones that
belonged to his heart-children.

Kiley leaned her head against Perry's shoulder. She was
content to let him carry her; it wasn't often that she got
the chance to come to the Planet, and even less often that
she got to see a press conference. She tightened her arms
around her grandpa's neck; she was lucky. Most of her
friends only had two sets of grandparents while she had
three. She hoped that she could go to visit Grandpa Perry
and Grandma Alice soon... Grandma Alice always had warm
chocolate chip cookies for her during visits and Grandpa
Perry had a little typewriter there for her to play with.
Someday she would work for the Daily Planet and be an
investigative reporter like her parents... or editor like
Grandpa Perry.

Perry walked over to Clark's desk and sat down in the chair
behind it, settling his little girl in his lap. He smiled
at her interested look as reporters from all over the city
began to gather in the bullpen in front of the podium set
up on the second level. He hugged her tightly and dropped
a kiss on the top of her head. It was his fondest wish
that she might follow in her parents' footsteps; newsprint
was in her blood, printer's ink ran through her veins.

Kiley spotted Jimmy across the room and began squirming to
get down. "Is it okay if I go see Uncle Jimmy, Grandpa
Perry?"

"Of course, catling," Perry said as he set her down and
kissed her on her forehead.

Kiley dashed off. "!" she
called as she ran towards him.

Jimmy turned around and laughed as he saw her running
toward him. He leaned down and scooped her up for a hug.
"How are you punkin'?" he asked with a big smile.

Kiley smiled. "I'm ok. How's Aunt Lucy?"

"She's fine; she told me to tell you that as soon as she
can get away from the hospital next week she's going to
come and see you."

Kiley grinned. "Yay! I miss her." She quieted as
Superman flew in, settled behind the podium, and began to
make a speech.

"Although I have loved life here on Earth, and have called
it my home for the past nine years, I have another home as
well... one that needs me now." Superman looked over the
crowd, a small measure of sadness discernable in his face.
"But wherever I am, I'll carry the best of Earth with me.
And while I'm gone, I ask each one of you to look to
yourselves for the strength, decency, and compassion that
each one of you has inside. Emerson said that self-trust
is the essence of heroism. Inside each one of you is a
hero. And so I leave, knowing that a world full of heroes
has nothing to fear." Superman stepped down from the
microphones and with a single backward glance at the crowd,
took off through the window.

Kiley squirmed in Jimmy's arms. "Uncle Jimmy," she began,
"I need to talk to Mommy. Let me down, please?"

"Sure, sweetheart." Jimmy put the little girl on her feet
and smiled as she again took off through the crowd.

Kiley wound her way through the crowd looking for her
mother. After a bit of searching, she found her near the
conference room. Kiley walked over and threw her arms
around her mother's legs. "Mommy?" she began tentatively.

Lois brought her hand down to her daughter's head and
stroked the soft, brown curls that grew there. "Yes,
punkin'?"

Kiley looked up at her mom, fear shining in her eyes.
"Mommy, is Daddy leaving?"

Lois crouched down to her daughter's level. "Punkin',
Daddy *does* have to go away for a little while on a
business trip. We were planning on telling you and Joseph
tonight." Lois reached out and hugged her daughter. She
hated having to even tell her a half-truth, but they had
decided that Kiley was too young to be let in on the
secret.

Kiley hugged her mother back thoughtfully. She knew that
her mom wasn't telling her everything; after all her mother
didn't know... She needed to talk to Grandpa Perry. Her
parents had enough to deal with right now without her
adding to it. "Mommy, I'm going to see Grandpa Perry
okay?"

"Sure, punkin'" Lois said and released her. She had a
feeling that she needed to talk to her daughter fairly
soon; something was on the child's mind and she needed to
find out what it was. Sometimes Kiley was enough like
Clark that the resemblance was a tad scary.

****

Kiley walked softly into Perry's office. "Grandpa Perry?"
she said, a question evident in her voice.

"Yes, darlin'," Perry answered absently as he set down the
paper. It was one headline he had never wanted to see; a
picture of Superman graced the front page with the headline
'A World Without Superman'. He looked down at the little
girl and was saddened to see a look of unchildlike woe
written all over her face. He carefully got up and shut the
door before he settled down on the couch and held out his
arms in a silent invitation.

Without hesitation, Kiley climbed into her surrogate
grandfather's lap. She knew that her Grandpa Perry was to
be trusted. Knowing what she did about the true state of
things, she had to talk to a grown-up person about it. She
had almost told her mother what she knew, but her small
heart told her that her parents were having enough
difficulties with daddy going away without her adding to
them by asking this all-important question. "Grandpa
Perry," she began, "I know why Daddy is going away. It's
because he's Superman, isn't it?"

Perry looked at Kiley in astonishment. This tiny scrap of
a girl had figured out something that, in nine years, the
rest of the world was in ignorance of. "Catling," he
began, using his own special pet name for her, "how did you
figure it out?"

Kiley looked trustingly up at Perry. "I saw Superman kiss
Mommy. An' she didn't slap him like she slapped Ralph when
he tried to kiss her at the Planet's Avinursery party. The
only person allowed to kiss Mommy is Daddy." Kiley smiled
impishly, all the sadness clearing off her face like the
sun after rain. "I started looking around an' I found
where Daddy keeps his Superman clothes. So since Daddy has
Superman clothes and Superman was kissing Mommy, it means
that my Daddy is Superman." Kiley finished triumphantly.
She had been proud of herself for figuring out such an
important secret.

Perry hugged his granddaughter tightly before looking down
at her sweet little face and smiling. "Darlin', you're
right... and my nickname for you has just proven itself to
be true; you *are* as curious as a little cat!" He held
Lois and Clark's daughter closely for a few moments before
continuing. "Catling, you have to remember something very
important for your parents, brother, grandparents, and me,
okay?" Kiley looked up at him through serious brown eyes
and nodded. "You can't tell anyone who your daddy really
is; you can't tell anyone your family's secret."

"I know," Kiley said. "Grandma Kent told me about people
who might want to hurt Joseph an' me 'cause we're Mommy's
and Daddy's kids..." her little voice trailed off as she
looked up at Perry anxiously.

Upon seeing the look on Kiley's face, Perry hastily moved
to reassure her. "Catling, it's okay. Nothing's gonna
happen to you or Joseph if we can prevent it. Now,
shouldn't your Mom and Dad know what you just told me?"

Kiley hesitated for a moment before she nodded her assent
and climbed out of Perry's lap. Perry reached wordlessly
for her hand and walked over to the door. "Lois, Clark in
my office *now*!" he called.

Lois and Clark hurried into Perry's office and shut the
door behind them. "Yes, Chief?" Clark asked.

"My little catling here has something to tell y'all," Perry
sat down and pulled Kiley back into his lap.

Kiley squirmed a little before looking up at her parents.
"Daddy," she began hesitantly, "You're leaving because
you're Superman, aren't you?" At the look of shock on her
parents' faces she reiterated her earlier story of how she
had figured out the big secret.

Clark felt a swell of pride as he listened to *his*
daughter relate how she had discovered a truth that most of
the reporters in the world would give their eyeteeth to
know. He smiled; joy and pride welled up inside of him.
He went over, picked up his baby girl and swung her around
in the air, laughing at her squeals of delight. "My little
investigative reporter!" Clark said joyfully as he brought
her down and hugged her.

Lois came up in front of him and put her arms around both
of them, sandwiching Kiley in between the adults. "We are
so *proud* of you!" she said as she kissed her daughter on
the forehead. They stood like that for a few minutes
before coming back to Earth and the knowledge that their
small family would soon be separated for an unknown amount
of time. The rational part of Lois reminded her that if
Clark was unable to stop the civil war, there was a very
real chance that he would never make it back to her.
Resolutely, she pushed the knowledge of his imminent
departure to the back of her head. She had two and a half
days and three nights left with him to last until his
return.

****

Lois and Clark stood in the park, watching their children
play. Together, they had decided to spend as much time
with the kids as possible instead of taking their planned
anniversary trip. It was more important that they spend
time together as a family at this moment than spend time
alone. They still planned to spend Sunday night together
before Clark had to fly off into the unknown. Lois smiled
as Clark slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around
her. She leaned back into his embrace for a few minutes;
it always felt wonderful to feel his arms surround her and
she didn't know what she would do without him there to rely
on. Reluctantly, she broke the embrace. Lois took her
beloved's hand and they walked over to play with their
children.

Moments like these had always been precious, Clark
reflected, but now they were doubly so. In a few short
days, he would be leaving everything he ever wanted behind
to face an unknown. He knew he had no choice but to go,
but every fiber of his being protested leaving his pregnant
wife and their two small children behind.

He had often wondered how soldiers of past wars felt... Now
he understood what they had gone through. He felt that his
situation was a bit worse; after all, they at least got to
stay on the same *planet* as their loved ones. As Clark
looked at his Lois and their children, emotions threatened
to overwhelm him. How could he leave them? Despite the
fact that the only decision possible had been reached, a
large part of him protested that he *could not* leave them
behind. Resolutely, he crammed the knowledge of his...
desertion in the back corners of his heart and mind and
concentrated on spending some time with his babies.

The next two days were spent in much the same way, spending
time together as a family, desperately attempting to hide
their distress over their impending sacrifice while
cramming in as much family time as they could. From talks
with Zara and Ching, they knew that even at hyperlight
speed, New Krypton was a month away. Even if the succession
problems were quickly and easily solved, it would be months
before they were together again. Much of their evenings
were spent cuddled together on the couch, reading stories
and singing songs to Kiley and Joseph until they fell
asleep.

Clark leaned over Joseph's newly transformed toddler bed
and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy," the
little boy said sleepily. He had taken the news of Clark's
'business trip' rather well and Clark hoped that his
continued absence wouldn't hurt his little boy. Kiley, due
to her knowledge of his alter ego, understood slightly
better. As Clark smoothed Joseph's hair away from his
face, he noticed, for the first time, a small place on the
child's head that had been cropped closely to his scalp.
Mentally, he shrugged. Most likely, he thought, Joseph got
his hands on Kiley's scissors and gave himself a haircut
before someone stopped him.

Quietly, he got up and went down the hall to tuck Kiley in.
She held out her arms as he walked in the room. He walked
over and hugged her gently. "I'll miss you, Daddy," she
said, her big brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Hey," he said softly, "don't cry, punkin'! I'll be back,
sweetheart, I promise! This isn't a time for tears. I'll
still be here when you wake up... and it isn't goodbye,
it's just a 'see you later' until I get back." Clark
hugged his little girl once more before continuing.
"Kiley, can you do something for me?" Kiley nodded; she
would do whatever she could for her daddy. "Punkin' I need
you to be a brave little girl and take care of your Mommy
for me when I'm gone okay?"

Kiley threw her arms around Clark and hugged him fiercely.
"I promise, Daddy. I'll take care of Mommy."

"Ready to go to bed now?" he asked quietly. Kiley nodded
as Clark put her down on the bed and tucked the covers
securely around her and Clarkie-bear. He leaned over and
kissed her on the forehead before walking to the door,
plugging in the nightlight, and turning off the light.
"Goodnight, punkin'. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy... 'night," a little voice answered
sleepily.

Clark smiled sadly as he gently shut the door and made his
way to the master bedroom where Lois was waiting for him.
As he came into the room, Lois stood and put her arms
around him. She trembled slightly in his embrace. "I
don't know what to do here," she said quietly, her voice
filled with pain. "I can't even write you. We haven't
been separated for any length of time for six years; I
don't know if I can stand it."

"That makes two of us," he said miserably, "I don't know if
I can do this."

"You can. You will... and then you will come home to us,"
she asserted softly, fighting back tears.

"I just want to take you and the kids and fly away where
they'll never find us," Clark confessed.

"And do what? Spend the rest of our lives hiding from
assassins? We will be here, waiting for you, Clark. And
*when* you return, you and I can start working on getting
the rest of that big family we decided on." Lois reached up
and traced his lips with her finger.

Clark kissed her finger gently. "You have such faith in
me," he said quietly.

"My faith and my love for you are all I have," she said
raggedly, "I think they're what's keeping me standing here,
because when I think of tomorrow without you, I start to
shake."

Clark took her into his arms and held her to him tightly.
"Lois, I wish I could take you with me; if there were any
way, I would."

Lois took his face in her hands. "I know," she said
softly. She moved out of his embrace and pulled a small
box out of the dresser. She turned to face him, clutching
the box in her hand. "My great-grandmother died when I was
14," she began, "and she left me this with a note saying
that I might need it someday. It was her mother's. My
great-great grandfather took it with him when he fought in
the Civil War, my great-grandfather had it during World War
I, and my grandfather had it with him in World War II."
Lois opened the box and pulled out an antique, silver,
oval-shaped locket out of it. She opened it hand handed it
to him.

Five small braids of hair were twined together and coiled
in one side under glass. A family portrait that had been
taken the month before resided in the other side. "The
hair belongs to all of us; Jonathan, Martha, Kiley, Joseph,
and I each contributed some," Lois said quietly. She
gently removed it from his hand and clasped the locket's
chain around his neck. "I was hoping that you'd keep it
for me."

"I'll keep this as safe as I keep my love for you and for
our family," Clark said as he dropped a kiss on her palm.
"Lois, I have loved you from the beginning. I have loved
you and will love you forever."

Lois swallowed against the lump in her throat before
replying. "And I will love you until the end... through all
eternity." Lois tugged him over to the window. "Which
star is yours?"

"I'm not sure if you can see it...it's right *there*."
Clark pointed out a bright star to the north.

"I see it," she said quietly, "I'll watch it every night...
Now I only have one problem," Lois said as she slid her
hands underneath his shirt.

"What's that?" Clark asked as he leaned down and captured
her lips with his.

After a few moments, Lois broke off the kiss and looked at
him breathlessly. "I need to make tonight so
unforgettable..." He raised his arms so she could finish
the task of divesting him of his shirt. "...that the minute
you defeat Nor," she slowly began to layer warm kisses on
his neck and across the sleek muscles of his chest,
"...you'll come flying back to me." She pulled his face
close to hers and kissed him before she led him over to the
bed.

Clark threaded his hands through her beautiful, long brown
hair and brought her face up to his for a soul-shattering
kiss. "I love you, Lois" Clark said, kissing her
passionately.

"I love you too, Clark" Lois said softly. Their lovemaking
that night was bittersweet as they each strove to commit to
memory every touch, every kiss, every breathless sigh. It
was many hours later that the two lay, spent, in one
another's arms.

Lois clung to him tightly, stroking his hair as he slept.
Lying awake in the darkness, she prayed that he would be
returned to her whole; his mind, body, and soul still in
one piece. She had never been one for praying; her early
experiences with religion hadn't been all that good. But
she'd reached the point where she knew that her prayers and
her love were the only things she could send with her
beloved. Lois hoped that it would be enough to keep him
safe.

****

Lois woke early the next morning. She slept very little
the night before; after all, Clark's dreaded departure was
imminent. She propped her head on her hand as she began to
run a finger over Clark's face, as if committing his
features to memory. She drew in a shaky breath, knowing
that this would be the last time for months, at best, that
she would wake with Clark beside her... where he belonged.
She refused to contemplate the thought that death might
await him on New Krypton; that would mean that last night
would have been the last night she would ever... Lois shook
her head, refusing to allow the intolerable thought to
fully surface.

He looked so innocent, so vulnerable in sleep; she wondered
how long it would be before she would again behold the
sight of *her* Clark asleep in their bed. How long would
she be without his teasing, without his unflagging support,
without his love? She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that
he loved their family; would do anything for them, but a
small part of her was afraid that time with his own people
would change him from the gentle, loving man she knew. Her
fingers brushed his lips as his eyes began to flutter open.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said softly. Lois kissed
him gently and moaned as he pulled her closer to him,
deepening the kiss. A few moments later, the kiss ended
and they drew apart, breathless.

"What time is it, honey?" Clark asked softly.

"We have time enough," Lois answered quietly, as she pulled
him toward her for another kiss. "Make love to me, Clark,"
she said, the sadness of his departure clouding her eyes.

Clark reached for her and cupped her cheek in his large
hand in an old, familiar caress. Slowly, he kissed her.
Without words, he told her how much he, too, dreaded
leaving and how much he would miss her presence. He took
his time, savoring every caress. He knew that being
separated from her would be akin to losing his right arm;
the memory of the last time spent alone with her would have
to carry him through many a long day and night to come. He
swore to himself that whatever it took, he would come back
to her; three years of being best friends and partners
coupled with six years of marriage simply wasn't enough
time. He took his wedding vows seriously; he had promised,
above all else, that he would be there for her as her
father had not. He didn't intend to break his sworn word
now.

Desperately, they clung to one another, savoring this last
moment of togetherness before going into the backyard for
their final goodbyes. Clark kissed her deeply and brought
his hand to rest on her gravid belly. "I love you," he
said quietly. He started when he felt a small, fluttering
sensation against his palm. He looked at his wife with
wonderment on his face. "Lois, did you feel that?"

Lois placed her hand over his. "Our baby knows his
father's touch," she said softly. "I love you; we love
you." She reached out and grabbed him by the arm.
"Promise me, Clark. Promise me that you won't take any
foolish risks; you're not invulnerable there-you could
*die*. Promise me that you'll come home."

"Honey, this is me. I *always* come back. I swear that I
will come back to you and our family." Clark grabbed her
hand and dropped a kiss in her palm. Slowly, they pulled
apart to rise and dress. Both drew comfort from the
other's presence, but knew that it was short lived. A
scant few hours later, Clark would be on a spaceship bound
for New Krypton where Lois and their children could not
follow. He drew on clothes quickly, picking his favorite
old jeans and a worn flannel shirt to leave in. By mutual
decision, the children would not be in the backyard when he
left; their goodbyes would be in the living room.

Clark kissed his Lois once more before heading into
Joseph's room to get the toddler dressed. It was early
yet, but the earlier they got up, the more time that he
would have with his family before the final farewell. He
carefully picked up the sleeping child and dressed him in
clothes identical to his own. He settled Joseph on his
shoulder, walked downstairs, and laid him on the couch.
Clark pushed his baby's hair off his forehead, gently
smoothing it back from his little face. He leaned over and
dropped a kiss on the top of Joseph's head for what might
be last time he could for months. His heart ached as he
gazed at the sleeping form of his child, doing his best to
memorize his little boy's face.

Clark sighed heavily and straightened up. He walked slowly
up the stairs and entered Kiley's room. He stood near the
doorway to watch his daughter sleep. She lay tangled in
the sheets, curled around the bear he had won for Lois so
long ago. Her long brown curls lay fanned out against the
pillow while her long eyelashes kissed her cheeks. His
firstborn. Clark crossed the room and carefully untangled
her from the sheets. He gently pulled off her pajamas and
dressed the sleeping child in her favorite dress before he
picked her up and carried her downstairs. He picked Joseph
up with his other arm and walked over to the double rocking
chair they had placed in the living room after Kiley's
birth. He sat down and held them close to him as he slowly
rocked back and forth. To leave was unthinkable; but it
would be infinitely worse for his family to perish at the
hands of assassins because of his carelessness.

Clark ruthlessly shoved back the tears that threatened to
overwhelm him. He clasped his babies to him and kissed
them on the tops of their heads fiercely. If he could help
it, no one would hurt them. It was in his power to stop
the assassins from being sent after his family. Despite
the fact he knew that his departure had become necessary,
his heart ached at the thought of abandoning his family.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on remembering how his
kids felt in his arms. They would be forever changed when
he returned, children grew so fast at their ages...

Not for the first time, he bitterly cursed the parents who
had birthed him. How could they have saved his life only
to put his family through such hell? Just because they
hadn't lived long enough to watch him grow up and to meet
their grandchildren was no reason to ensure that his own
family would be split up by circumstances beyond their
control.

Mentally, he shook himself out of his self-enforced funk.
He couldn't afford to wallow; he had to do what they needed
him to do so that he could come home. The goal of
returning home was the only thing that truly mattered. He
laid his cheek on the top of his daughter's head and began
to pray for his family's safety in his absence. His
parents had taught him to pray as a boy. He had long since
fallen out of the habit, but sometimes faith and love were
all a man had to sustain him.

He smiled painfully as he heard Lois's familiar footstep on
the stair. He listened to her heartbeat as she crossed the
room and sat beside him in the chair. She slipped her arms
around him and so they sat, the four of them cuddled
together. Jonathan and Martha came downstairs a few
minutes later to find them in that position. They pulled
up chairs and sat as close to their son, daughter-in-law,
and grandchildren as they could.

Martha felt the need for a physical connection to her son,
so she quietly laid her hand on his arm. She cared not
where he originally came from, he was her son and she hurt
with him over this imposed separation. Her baby sat
holding his babies and his wife; he was obviously in pain
and she wished she could make it go away. Sad experience
had taught her, however, that as much as she wished to
spare her only child pain, it could not be so.

She had always been grateful to Jor-El and Lara for gifting
her with her son, but now she felt only anger toward them.
She almost wished they were still alive so that she could
give them a piece of her mind. Martha hated feeling
helpless, and there was nothing she could do to ease her
family's pain. Her mouth twisted in a wry smile as she
remembered a simpler time when every problem would
disappear with a slice of warm pie and a glass of
buttermilk. Her free hand found Jonathan's as she
instinctively reached for the comfort and support that had
been her constant for almost forty-one years.

Jonathan laced his fingers through his wife's as he leaned
forward to push a lock of curly hair out of his
granddaughter's face. He wanted nothing more than to fix
this whole mess so that his boy could stay home. Jonathan
reached out again and put his free arm around his daughter-
in-law. He, too felt a sense of helplessness, but knew the
only thing he could do was to offer his support now and in
the aftermath. He vowed to himself to do what he could to
see to the well being of his family. Lois would need them;
being a single mother was hard enough with a regular nine
to five job... with their third child on its way, and her
demanding career, he knew their help would be needed.

He started as the doorbell rang. He carefully extricated
himself from his loved ones and made his way to the door to
answer it. He opened the door to find Perry and Jimmy
standing on the doorstep.

Perry spoke first, "We wanted a chance to say goodbye," he
said softly. "If this weren't so serious, I might try to
equate this with Elvis having to go and join the army,
but..." Perry shook his head. As much as he loved telling
Elvis stories, he simply couldn't bring himself use yet
another metaphor when his almost-son had to leave for what
might become a war.

"I thought you guys could use somebody to keep and eye on
Kiley and Joseph while Clark leaves," Jimmy said quietly.
The two men entered the house and walked over to where Lois
and Clark sat.

Just as they arrived, Kiley woke and rubbed a sleepy hand
across her eyes. "Daddy?" she questioned sleepily.

"I'm here, punkin'," Clark said as he pressed a kiss to her
cheek.

Kiley threw her arms around his neck and hugged him
tightly. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered. Her little
voice caught in a muffled sob, "I'll miss you."

Clark patted her back soothingly. "Shh, punkin', it's
okay. I'll be back before you know it. Sweetheart,
whenever you miss me, just close your eyes and think about
me real hard; I'll do the same." He gently gathered his
daughter in the crook of his arm and regarded her
seriously. "Punkin', I'll be missing you all the time,
because you're my little girl and I love you. Now, you be
my big girl and help Mommy while I'm gone, okay?"

Kiley nodded seriously. "Daddy, promise that you'll come
home?" she said with a tremor in her voice.

"I promise, punkin'," Clark answered. He hugged her
tightly and desperately wished that he didn't have to go.

Kiley kissed his cheek solemnly and gave him a hug. "I
love you," she said softly. She hugged him one final time
before she extricated herself and moved to Lois's lap. She
wrapped her little arms around her mother and held her
tight, sensing somehow that Lois needed a hug.

Joseph opened a sleepy, chocolate brown eye and smiled.
"Daddy!" he said joyfully. The little boy looked puzzled
for a moment. "Daddy go bye-bye?" he asked hesitantly.
"Daddy come back to Jo'eph?"

"Yeah, scout. Daddy has to go on a trip for a little while
and then I'm coming home." Clark smiled stiffly,
desperately trying to hold back the flood of tears that
threatened to come.

Joseph threw his arms around Clark's neck. "I love you,
Daddy." Joseph kissed him on the cheek wetly. "Daddy blow
on Jo'eph's tummy," the little boy demanded.

Clark lifted Joseph's shirt and gently blew on his tummy.
He smiled as his baby laughed in delight from the funny
sound it produced. He hugged Joseph tightly and kissed him
on the cheek. "I love you, scout," he said softly.

Joseph looked around the room for a minute until he spotted
Jimmy. "Up, Uncle Jimmy," he said with a sunny smile on
his face as he held out his arms to be picked up.

Jimmy stepped forward and picked up Joseph. "I'll miss ya,
CK," he said quietly. "Be careful and come back to us in
one piece, ok?" The younger man held out his hand to Clark
who reached out and grabbed it as one might grab a
lifeline.

"I promise, Jimmy. Would you take care of Lois and the
kids for me?" Clark looked pleadingly at his friend.

"Sure, CK," Jimmy said around the lump in his throat. He
turned to look at Kiley. "C'mon, kiddo," he began, "let's
go get you some breakfast." He held out his hand to the
little girl, who reluctantly climbed off Lois's lap and
took his hand as he led her toward the kitchen. Kiley
glanced back once with an expression on her face that would
make a stone weep. "Goodbye, Daddy," she whispered, "I
love you."

Blindly, Clark fumbled for Lois's hand. She slipped her
small hand into his large one, lacing her fingers through
his. Together, the couple stood up and walked out into the
backyard with everyone else following behind. Pain and
sorrow settled over Lois and Clark like a blanket. They
turned towards Clark's parents and he reached out his free
hand to take his mother's. "You're the only parents I've
ever known," he began softly. "The only parents I've ever
wanted. Whatever good I bring to New Krypton will be
because of you."

Martha, unable to hold back the tears any longer, began to
cry. She threw her arms around him and hugged him; hard.
"I love you," she whispered through her tears.

"I love you too, Momma," he said softly as he returned her
embrace with his free arm. He had given up calling her
'Momma' in junior high school, but at this moment, the name
he had called his mother throughout his childhood slipped
out. Reluctantly, he let her go and went to talk to Perry.

Perry held his hand out to Clark, his eyes bright with
unshed tears. "I'm proud of you, son," he said quietly.
"I'll watch out for Lois and the kids for you; come back to
us quickly." Clark took Perry's hand and simply nodded,
unable to speak around the lump in his throat. Perry
pulled him into an embrace, attempting to let this heart
son of his know that the people who loved him best would be
waiting for him when he returned.

After the embrace broke, Clark turned to his father. "You
take care of yourself, son," Jonathan said quietly. He
stepped forward and gave him one last hug. "I love you," he
murmured.

"I will, Daddy. I love you, too." He choked out.

Perry, Martha, and Jonathan stepped away, giving Lois and
Clark some much-needed space. They had said their private
goodbye the night before and early that morning, but this
was their final chance to talk for months to come. Lois
carefully pulled the locket out from under his shirt and
looked at it once more before tucking it back where she had
found it. "Be careful, Lois," Clark said quietly. "I
couldn't bear it if something happened to you while I'm
gone." His lips brushed across hers in a whisper of a
kiss.

"I will," Lois promised through a haze of tears. She freed
her hand to wrap her arms around him. As his arms came up
around her, she buried her face in his chest. "You come
back to me, Clark. Don't you dare get yourself killed; if
you do, I swear that I'll find a way to bring you back from
the dead so that I can kill you myself."

Clark kissed her, deeply, passionately, once more before
Ching and Zara flew into the secluded backyard. He
dropped to his knees and planted a kiss on her abdomen.
"You be good for your Mommy," he said softly, "Don't give
her any trouble. I love you, Baby Kent." He got up from
the ground and pulled Lois back into his arms.

"It's time," Lois said as a single tear ran down her face.
"Go before I can't bear to let you. I love you,
sweetheart." Ching and Zara beckoned to him as they flew
straight up into the air.

Reluctantly, Clark released her and stepped back. "I love
you," he whispered as he slowly began to fly after the New
Kryptonians. He stopped at the high fence for one last,
lingering look back at his family before following them at
superspeed.

Lois fell to her knees and began to sob. "Why?" came the
tortured whisper, "Why did they have to take him away?"

Perry dropped to his knees beside her and pulled her into a
tight embrace. "Shh. Honey, I don't know. But I do know
Clark. That boy will move Heaven and Earth to make it back
to you." A ghost of a smile passed over Perry's features
as Jonathan joined them.

Jonathan gently pushed her long hair away from her face and
clasped her hand in his. "He'll be back, Lois; you two
have always found a way-you always will." Jonathan stood,
helped his daughter-in-law up, and led her inside.

****

Upon their arrival to the ship, Ching showed Kal-El to his
quarters and handed him a set of practice clothes.
"Milord," he began, "I'm sorry. I never wanted to do this
to you and your family," he concluded quietly.

Clark looked at Ching measuringly, somehow, he knew that
not only was Ching telling the truth, but that he could be
trusted. "I know," he said quietly, "But what I don't know
is *why*. Why are you on my family's side? Zara certainly
isn't."

Ching grimaced. If he told Kal-El the truth, it would be
perilously close to opening old wounds better left
undisturbed. Lying, however, was unthinkable. Kal-El was
his lord, and he owed him the absolute truth. "I was
married for a brief time years ago," he began. "Her name
was Hesa... We'd grown up together; she was my childhood
sweetheart, and we married rather young. I joined the
military to provide for the two of us... We hadn't been
married for very long when she discovered that she was
pregnant and they sent me off to be stationed at Seraulk.
We had planned for her to join me in a few months...but she
died." Ching looked at Clark with sadness in his eyes.
"If I had been there... she wouldn't have gotten into the
accident; she wouldn't have even been there."

Clark reached out to clasp the other man's arm in sympathy,
but Ching shrugged it off. "It was a long time ago... and
that's not the only reason," he said quietly. "Anyway,
before we leave the solar system, there are a few things
you need to learn..."

****

Lois sat on the couch, staring numbly into space. One week
ago, they had been happy. One week ago, they had been
ignorant of the New Kryptonians' existence. She sighed
heavily and brushed back yet more tears as they rolled down
her cheeks. She wanted Clark back. She wanted to come
home to find him waiting for her in their bed. She wanted
to feel his arms surround her, holding her close. She
wanted her husband back where he belonged; with her and
their kids.

She got up and began to pace back and forth restlessly.
Lois wished that Perry hadn't insisted that she stay home
for the day. He had said that she needed some time... he
was wrong; she needed work... to be busy, to... forget.
Who am I trying to kid? she thought, swallowing the large
lump that had formed in her throat. Work held only more
memories of Clark and herself. Jimmy had whisked the kids
off to the park for a few hours... maybe she should go and
find them. Suddenly, she knew it was exactly what she
needed; to hold their little ones in her arms... to once
again feel a physical connection with her Clark, her
soulmate. Lois grabbed her coat and purse and hurried
toward the door. She needed their kids; more importantly,
she knew that they needed her.

****

Kiley clutched Jimmy's hand tightly. He'd asked her if she
wanted to go play, but playing was the last thing on her
mind. As she watched Joseph play in the sandbox, she
wondered how he could be so carefree. Daddy was gone. He
had left to protect them, but she wanted him to be at home.
Daddies weren't supposed to have to go away. She scrubbed
the back of her hand across her eyes, trying to erase her
tears.

"Uncle Jimmy?" She asked quietly.

"What is it, punkin'?" Jimmy asked absently. He couldn't
believe that Clark had been forced to leave; it simply
wasn't fair. How could anyone be so callous as to make a
good man like Clark Kent abandon what was most important to
him? The Kents deserved better; they deserved to stay
together. Lois and Clark had been through so much
already... surely they should be allowed to raise their
children together! He shook himself out of his reverie,
leaned down, and scooped Kiley up.

"Is Daddy going to come home?" she asked tremulously.

Jimmy hugged her tightly. "Of course he is sweetheart!" he
exclaimed. "He loves you. Do you know how your mommy has
a baby brother or a baby sister growing inside her tummy?"
Kiley nodded seriously. "Well, when you were growing in
her tummy, he told me that he had never been happier when
your mommy told him that they were going to have you. When
you were born, I've never seen anybody happier than your
daddy was."

Jimmy embraced her again before he walked over to a nearby
bench, sat down, and deposited her in his lap. He held her
gently, suddenly angry at the New Kryptonians for making it
impossible for Clark to stay at home. Kiley didn't deserve
to experience this kind of sadness. She was only four and
a half years old dammit! He knew that pain was a part of
life, but at her age, she should be well insulated from it.
He took a deep breath, pushing the anger away to be dealt
with later.

Kiley cuddled close to her 'uncle', reassured that her
father would come home. She remembered what her dad had
told her to do when she missed him, so she closed her eyes
and thought of him-hard. In her head, an image began to
form, she saw a strange room in which a straight line was
nowhere to be found. Puzzled, she opened her eyes to find
herself back on Jimmy's lap in the park. She smiled in
sudden joy as she saw a familiar figure approach them.
"Mommy!" she called as she propelled herself off of Jimmy's
lap and wrapped herself around Lois's legs.
Lois smiled at her daughter's enthusiastic greeting. She
had been right; her children needed her as much as she
needed them. "Thank you for watching them this morning,
Jimmy," she said quietly.

"No problem, Lois. I'm happy to do anything I can do to
help while CK is gone. Call me if you need help ok?"
Jimmy stood up and began to stroll away. He knew that Lois
had the kids well in hand; he had seen the expression on
her face at Kiley's greeting and knew that the best thing
for the kids was to be with their mother. He turned around
and smiled wistfully as he watched Lois walk over to the
sandbox with Kiley in tow and collect Joseph.

He fingered the ring in his pocket and wondered if Lucy
would accept his proposal. After all, she was Dr. Lucy
Lane while he was still a photographer. Granted, he had
achieved some success in his chosen field in the past few
years, but would she want to spend the rest of her life
with him? Seeing Clark's departure had made him aware how
short and fleeting happiness could be; he resolved to ask
Lucy to marry him that very night.

Lois walked over to the sandbox and watched her son play in
the sand. "It's time to go home, Joseph," she said
quietly.

Joseph looked up at her with a sunny smile and pushed
himself up. "Okay, Mommy," he said, sporting one of
Clark's wide grins. Lois leaned over and picked him up,
her heart contracting at the sight of that particular smile
on her son's face. She hugged him close to her with one
arm and took Kiley's hand with the other. "Let's go home,
kids," she said softly, fighting back tears. She walked
over to the car, strapped them in, and drove home. It
would be dark soon... bedtime for the children. She
shivered as the realization hit her that Clark would not be
at home waiting for them. Clark would not be there to hold
her that night or for many nights to come.

****

Clark sat in a featureless white room and attempted to
concentrate on Ching's instructions.

"Kal-El, clear your mind. The control you learned on Earth
is purely instinctual. It will not be enough on New
Krypton. Block out everything coming in from the outside.
This room is shielded; the only people in existence right
now are you and I. You must bring your abilities under
conscious control lest Nor will try and overpower your
half-trained mind." Ching half-closed his eyes and invoked
his gifts to see Kal-El's attempt. "Relax, Clark. You can
do this. In order to build a wall around your mind to keep
others out, you must first have a solid base from which to
build. Clear your mind of all outside thoughts. Look
inside yourself and find your center-the still spot that
is who you are."

Clark wearily took a deep breath and turned inward. They
had been at this for hours and he had yet to 'center' as
Ching wanted him to. He closed his eyes and began once
more to look for his center. Deep inside himself he found
the quiet of the farm he grew up on, a treehouse called the
Fortress of Solitude, and an image of his soulmate and
their children.

Ching watched as Kal-El finally located his center. With
the sound of a dislocated joint being popped into place,
Kal-El's gifts turned inward and fused into one. "Very
good," he said approvingly, "Now, there is a floor below
you. Anchor yourself into it; create a hook with your mind
and clip it into the rock. This gives you a solid base to
build your shields on," he finished matter-of-factly. He
had not expected to be giving his Lord the basics of
controlling his abilities, but in hindsight, he thought he
should have.

Zara was unsuited for such a task; patience did not come
easily for her. As a ruler, she was used to having her
orders obeyed instantly. It was a good thing that she had
been so carefully trained, he reflected soberly as he
continued to watch Kal-El. She always put her people
first... otherwise she was inclined to be a bit selfish and
stubborn... but when it came to being First Lady, she was
brilliant.

Because of the secrecy that cloaked this mission, only the
two of them had been sent. The people were secure in the
knowledge that their Lady was off visiting relatives until
they returned with their First Lord. He was the obvious
choice to teach Kal-El the necessary skills to survive in
their society. Today it was necessary to teach him to
control his mind gifts. Tomorrow it would be necessary to
begin to teach him to defend himself. As First Lord, a
corps of bodyguards would surround Kal-El, but anything
could happen. Ching felt that his promise to Kal-El's wife
necessitated more extensive defensive training than was
usually given to men in Kal-El's position; he was
determined to keep his word.

Clark took another deep breath and mentally thrust a hook
into the ground, anchoring himself there.

Ching smiled. "Very good!" he began, "Now, imagine a wall
around your mind. It can be as thin as a piece of sheer
cloth or as strong and fast as a stone wall."

Brick by brick, Clark built up an imaginary wall around his
mind. He finished quickly and looked at Ching expectantly.

You have it! Can you hear me? Ching sent.

Wordlessly, Clark nodded.

Now, try and send your thoughts back to me. You did it
once without thinking to Zara.

Clark took a deep breath and pushed his thought to Ching.
Like this? he asked tentatively.

Well done! You are a quick learner Kal-El! Ching smiled
teasingly. If this is what life on Earth has done for you,
perhaps we should send more children there! He grinned
broadly and explained how to keep his new shields in place
without thinking about them. "You can now have speech with
anyone without making audible speech; there is some psychic
residue left behind, but I will teach you how to mask
that." Ching looked at him thoughtfully.

He was more than strong enough to use this particular
trick... it just might take some convincing. "You can have
speech with those who do not share our gifts... if you are
emotionally close to them and have a focus; it is possible.
Kal-El, that's enough for today; come, let's get you
cleaned up and get you some food. Now that we're moving
farther away from the yellow sun, you will get hungry
sooner than you would on Earth."

Ching reached out and helped Clark up before turning toward
the door. He hoped that he might be able to do as the Lady
Lois wished and become Kal-El's friend, but he knew if Kal-
El was to learn some necessary skills, he must maintain a
distance while he taught his Lord.

Wearily, Clark followed him toward the door. He wanted his
life back. He believed that what Ching now taught him was
necessary, but it felt alien, unnatural. He wanted to be
home... with Lois.

****

Lois huddled in the corner of the couch, tears coursing
down her face. The children had been asleep for hours and
Martha and Jonathan were set to go back to Smallville the
next morning. They had offered to stay, but the farm still
needed looking after and as much as she loved them, Lois
wanted to be alone with her memories. Everywhere she
looked, memories of Clark followed her. Presents he had
given her over the years, furniture and decorations they
had picked out, his scent on the bedclothes; these things
taunted her. Rebelliously, she had taken one of his
bathrobes out of the closet and put it on, taking comfort
from his smell on it. She cuddled into the warm flannel of
the bathrobe; it almost felt as if his arms were around
her.

A few minutes later, she got up and began to pace
restively; occasionally stopping to pick up an object that
held some special memory. Lois stopped in front of the
bookcase and restlessly picked up a book of poetry that he
had jokingly given her a few years ago. She began to flip
through it, but it wasn't long before she had to put it
down. Anne Bradstreet's love poems had always seemed to
express her feelings for Clark, but one of them now seemed
particularly apt.

Her breath caught in a sob as she dropped the book as if it
were a hot coal and stumbled blindly over to the couch. She
collapsed into its soft embrace, clutching Clark's robe
close to her body. She knew that the decision they made
had been the best one; the only one under the
circumstances, but why did it have to be so hard?

****

Clark followed Ching to his room. He hadn't yet managed to
learn his way around the ship, so it was necessary to have
Ching as a guide. Ching opened the door and scouted around
before he let Clark enter. It was unlikely that Nor would
have planted an assassin on board their ship, but it never
hurt to be careful. Ching rummaged in the closet and
pulled out some appropriate clothes for Kal-El to wear and
laid them out on the bed. He purposely avoided the
ceremonial robes that Zara had carefully hung there. After
seeing Kal-El's world, he knew what his lord would most
likely think of them.

"I'll be outside to show you the way to the common area,"
Ching said quietly on his way to the door.

Clark picked up the clothing and grimaced. It was much
more ornate than he liked; he'd rather be wearing *normal*
clothes; not black tunics and slacks completely covered in
embroidered renditions of the El shield. While most of the
symbols were sewn in matching black thread, one of them had
been sewn in silver over the chest of the tunic. He placed
the clothes back on the bed and hurried to the sonic shower
in the corner. After a three second shower, Clark stepped
out and dressed, wishing for hot water. With a purely
internal sigh, he walked out into the corridor and followed
Ching to the common area.

He pushed past the tapestries and a fierce blush stole over
his face as he met Zara's approving glance. The clothing
they had provided for him fit a bit more closely than he
would have liked, and Zara's almost... proprietary air
towards him was bothersome. He walked over to the table
and sat down, pulling the locket out from under the collar
of his tunic. He turned it over in his hand and began to
apply the lesson he had learned from Ching a few hours
earlier...

****

Lois curled herself in a tighter ball in the corner of the
couch. She pulled one of Clark's handkerchiefs from the
pocket of his robe and wiped her eyes again. She had been
crying for what seemed like hours and she knew she needed
to pull herself together. She rubbed her red-rimmed eyes
once more and took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered shut
as she imagined Clark in front of her. Lois's head snapped
up as she heard a faint voice in her head. If she didn't
know better, she would have sworn it was... Clark.

"Lois," she heard again, "Lois." Lois stood up and walked
over to the window. A bright light shot across the sky and
disappeared quickly. "I love you," the voice said, "Kiss
Kiley and Joseph for me..." Clark's voice trailed off as
her eyes again filled with tears. She stood for a moment,
staring up at the stars before dashing the tears out of her
eyes. She wasn't sure how he had managed to speak to her,
but for right now, it didn't really matter... except... her
mind jumped into overdrive as she considered the
possibilities in HG Well's assertion that they were
soulmates.

While it was true that she always knew when he was upset or
in danger and vice versa, it had never occurred to her that
there could be anything more to it. There was a way to
find out; surely if something like this was possible, Jor-
El and Lara had left him a message? Lois resolutely walked
over to the basement door and descended the stairs. She
hurried over to the panel, hit the catch that swung it open
and entered the room where Clark's ship was stored. She
examined it carefully and remembered what had happened the
week before when Clark's and Zara's hands had come into
contact with the depressions on the front.

Feeling foolish, she laid her hand in the depression where
Zara's hand had been; Clark was *her* husband after all...
Upon her touch, an image of a slender, auburn-haired woman
emitted itself from the nose of the space ship. Startled,
Lois almost jumped back, but she knew if she removed her
hand, the image would disappear.

"My daughter," the image began, "you must wonder how this
image has activated. I am Lara, wife of Jor-El and mother
of Kal-El. I recorded this message and a few more on the
globe in hope that my son would find you. It was
programmed to recognize my son's Kreh'kle'vshta... in your
language that would be 'soulmate'."

"The Kreh'kle'vshta bond is the most precious, most rare,
most sacred thing on our world. You, my daughter, are the
other half of my son; without each other neither of you are
whole. The two of you are bonded - soul, mind, and
hopefully-heart."

"You may have noticed that you can communicate without
words. This ability may be expanded; I have left other
messages upon the globe explaining how. My beloved
daughter, I wish that we might have been able to meet, but
even now, time grows short. Krypton could explode at any
time. I give my son into your keeping. No matter what
happens, you cannot be truly separated... you are
Kreh'kle'vshta."

The image faded from view and Lois carefully removed her
hand from the tiny vessel. Thoughtfully, she exited the
room and closed the panel that hid it from view. Clark's
communication and Lara's message were like a balm for her
soul, yet weariness settled over her like a blanket.
Crawling into their bed upstairs suddenly held great
appeal. Before Clark left, he had wisely placed the globe
in their safety deposit box at the bank. The bank had been
closed for hours, so she could not retrieve it until the
next morning, Lois decided to follow the insistent urgings
of her body and went to bed. Comforted, she hugged Clark's
pillow to her chest and drifted off to sleep.

****

TBC in Forever and All Eternity II: Kismet