Living With Superman

Chapter 5

"Heather?" Clark says, once he comes back from buying all the baby necessities. He places them on the island counter in the kitchen.

"Yes?" Heather comes in from the living room, hands-free and with tired eyes from taking care of the baby the whole day.

"Bought them." Clark says, pointing towards them.

"Thank you, Clark." Heather's face brightens and grabs the plastic bags. She walks towards the living room and places them on the couch. "Oh, what a day..." She lies down and rests. Clark feels almost bad for her. She's been taking care of the baby alone the whole day while Clark is out, looking for Chloe and evidence of where she could be.

Clark hears a car stop outside the house, he looks through the window but it's too dark outside to even make out anything. The car door opens and he can see a silhouette of a woman, carrying a baby and dragging a suitcase.

He opens the door and as the person approaches the light, he can see who it is. It's Jodie, her eyes puffy as if she was crying and she has gotten skinnier than he remembered.

"Hi... Clark..." Jodie greets him, with a weak voice. "Um... I hope Heather told you that I'm staying a few nights?"

"Oh..." Clark looks at Heather, who is fast asleep in the couch then back at Jodie. "I really don't know where you'll stay. I mean, we've gotten another part of the family."

Jodie smiles, like she has never smiled before. "Congratulations..."

Clark smiles and looks at the sleeping baby she's holding, "Same to you." He motions her to enter. She walks in, placing the suitcase beside the island counter. Jodie sees Heather asleep on the couch and can relate to her when Hannah came into her and Lex's lives.

"Where's Lex?" Clark asks, closing the door. He was hoping that his best friend would come, but it seems like there's something going on between the two. Clark studies Jodie for a moment and he thinks something suspicious. Had their relationship gone south?

"He's... Uh... Busy..." Jodie says but Clark can see right through her that she's lying. Then her baby starts crying and Heather jumps up from the couch, thinking it's baby Ashleigh. After a quick second, Ashleigh starts crying and the telephone starts ringing. The Kent house can't be more noisier than that.

Clark hurriedly picks up the phone.

"Clark, do you know where Chloe hides her key?" He hears Lois's voice on the other end. "And what on earth is happening in your house?!"

"Uh, nothing. Have you checked under the mat?"

"Yup."

"Doorframe?"

"Aha! Thanks, Smallville."

As soon as the call ends, there's no more noise and both babies are asleep.

"Who was that?" Heather asks, coming into the kitchen.

"Lois is back in town." Clark replies.

"Hi, Heather!" Jodie says, beaming a smile to Heather and they hug, but careful to not wake the baby again.

"Welcome back to Smallville!" Heather says, almost too loud and the racket comes again.

God damn it. They all think.

- - - - -

The sun rises and Jodie walks down the stairs from the bedroom. As she walks down, she is greeted by the smell of breakfast: Toast and scrambled eggs.

"Smells good." Jodie compliments once she reaches down the stairs.

Heather turns around from the stove. "Oh, thanks, Jodie."

"Hey, uh, thanks for letting me stay here..." Jodie leans on the island counter.

"Sure, no problem! Clark and I are glad to have you here as a guest. Besides, we don't mind you using our bedroom while we sleep at his parents's bedroom." Heather turns around with the frying pan in hand and transfers the scrambled eggs almost evenly onto the two plates.

"What about Clark?" Jodie asks, picking up both plates and placing them on the dining table.

Heather sighs. "He's at the Daily Planet, doing some work..." Heather walks over the dining table a pitcher of juice in hand then placing them on the table. They both sit down and start eating.

"How was Hannah's sleep?" Heather asks.

"She slept amazingly. And Ashleigh?"

"Sound asleep like never before."

They both chuckle because they both know how hard it is to raise a baby and not have enough sleep for the first couple of years.

"Where's Martha?" Jodie asks.

Heather explains that Martha has run for Senator in Metropolis and is now living there, but visiting them from the time to time. And then also explains about Jonathan's death a few years ago from a heart attack. Heather says that it could have been Lionel, but the rumors weren't said to be true.

After that dreadful back story, they both eat their breakfast in silence, afraid to bring up horrible memories.

- - - - -

The siren goes off in one of the stores nearby the Daily Planet and Clark can hear it from his super-hearing. He looks around and nobody would seem to notice that he would be gone for a few seconds, while taking out the criminals.

Clark super-speeds towards where the sound is coming, but it suspiciously disappears. He arrives at the place, and he can see a note, taped on the window of the store.

I heard you needed help finding a friend.

Is what the note says.

Wouldn't a nice phone call be enough? Clark thinks to himself as he super-speeds towards the Luthor Corp with their new boss.