Epilogue

Seven years later. . .

The sun filtered in through the curtains and Clark shifted the newspaper more into it's light. He held the newspaper out and then brought it in. Groaning, he reached over and grabbed the reading glasses he kept on the end table by the couch. Sliding them onto his nose, the fine print of the Daily Planet came into clear view.

"My eyes just aren't what they used to be," Clark muttered as he read. A few years ago, Clark had the Blue Kryptonite rock formed into three watch faces and set into platinum bands for him and his sons, along with two pretty pendants on matching chains for his daughters. Since then, Clark had taken to wearing his watch when he wasn't on duty. As a trade off, he was aging at a human pace it seemed, needing glasses now for reading, working on the computer and driving. Clark was completely fine with that. He'd been a little frightened by the thought of being stuck in an ageless stasis while Chloe and his children got older.

"I think you look adorably nerdy," Chloe had told him the first time he put them on to watch a movie with her.

"Nerdy as in sexy, right?" Clark clarified.

"Sure," Chloe said with a sly smile.

Lois had given him hell the next day.

"No one will recognize you now. Super disguise, Clark!" She whispered across their desks with a sarcastic thumbs-up sign.

Clark thought back to when he and Chloe told Lois. A smile graced his face as he thought of the hours and hours of questions Lois asked him that night. She was still going strong when Chloe put the boys to bed and curled up on the sofa next to Clark. He had to admit, after they'd told Lois, his job and life had become much easier. He no longer had to hide anything from the people closest to him. Lois covered easily for him at the Planet, easier than he ever could have. Clark was now able to slip quietly away, pull the switch and save the day. He would then appear beside Lois as the commotion died down, bumbling, dorky Clark Kent who, as usual, missed the action. He also gave Lois Superman's first interview, reinvigorating her career. These days, she split her time between Star City and Metropolis, between the Planet and Mayor Oliver Queen of Star City. They weren't married and didn't plan on getting married, both of them blissfully happy in their co-independence.

The League had since spread out, only coming together in dire crisis or when any of the members needed back-up. Chloe now single-handedly ran the operation, stepping up when Oliver decided to run for Mayor. She kept track of all their schedules, enemies, the crime rates in the each of the citys they manned and their paychecks. Oliver and Bruce Wayne had joined forces, funneling a good percentage of their own fortunes to keeping the League up and running. AC and Dinah had called it quits about a year ago but still remained good friends, AC moving back to Coast City and Dinah taking a job at the Washington Post. Lana and Davis were still going strong in Baltimore. Davis was working as an EMT under the name of Robert Burrow and Lana was running the Isis Branch during the day and patrolling the streets at night, going by the codename Stilletto now, an homage to the Super-Ego Lois created once to draw out the Red Blue Blur. Lois had been quite pleased when Lana had taken the suggestion. Bart and Victor had moved to San Francisco. Victor had a few steady girlfriends, but always seemed happier by himself. Bart still dated like a college frat boy, seeing one girl after another, never for more than a couple of weeks. Both came in regularly to see Chloe; Victor helping with the technological upkeep of Isis and Chloe helping him de-bug every once in a while and Bart when he needed to be coddled. Of course, come Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Kent Farm was over-run as all heroes, old and new, gathered to see each other and catch up and to celebrate with their surrogate family.

Clark flipped a couple of pages over, trying to find the article his mother had been so excited about. Martha Kent had recently been awarded the Senate Humanitarian title. She was still in the Senate, still turning down the party's invitation to run for President and still one of the highest rated Senators in the house. A few months ago, though, when she was out for the Connor and Kaid's fifteenth birthday, she hinted to Clark and Chloe she was ready to slow down. Clark knew she was getting ready to retire and knew this would probably be her last term in office. He and Chloe had already discussed building her a house close to theirs on the family land, or maybe a bigger one for them and letting Martha move back into the Kent Farm House. As Gabby and Suzy got older, their fights for space got bigger. Connor and Kaid solved the problem just fine, taking turns having the room or the loft to themselves. In a couple of years, though, they would be leaving for college and Gabby or Suzy could have their old room, moving out of the third bedroom Clark had had built on when Chloe told him she was pregnant for the second time.

Clark couldn't believe the two girls were about to turn seven. Clark couldn't believe he and Chloe were the parents of two fifteen year old boys! They still felt like kids themselves at times instead of the close to forty year old married adults to two sets of twins they actually were. Although, when the credit card bills for the grocery shopping and the clothes shopping came in, Clark could believe it. Connor and Kaid had just gone through their second growth spurt. At fifteen, each of them were now six feet tall and able to wear Clark's jeans and boots. They also ate like Clark had when he was their age, times two. Chloe had to take them shopping for new clothes again last year, all their pants about two inches short and their sleeves hitting the middle of their arms. Along with the growth spurts, new abilities were starting to appear as Clark expected. Last year, the two had developed x-ray vision. They'd gotten faster and stronger, their powers now lasting into the night. They no longer could get hurt, but instead hurt things around them. When Connor accidentally dented his locker at school one day and Kaid took off the top of the desk, Clark suggested they wear the watches at school. They'd found Blue Kryptonite had the same effect on them as it did Clark, Chloe thinking it had something to do with the way they were conceived. So during the school day, Connor and Kaid were as normal as any of the other boys but at night, they practiced their abilities with Clark. Gabby and Suzy also inherited Clark's super powers and like their brother's, they were to wear their necklaces out in public, but at home they could do what they wanted.

Clark and Chloe had decided when the kids got old enough, they could decide on their own what they wanted to do. They could either wear the Blue K and live life normally or they could go without it, using their abilities to help others like Clark and the League did. It came as no surprise that Connor and Kaid were starting to follow in Clark's footsteps, handling their powers as mature men and becoming Smallville's secret heroes when evil came to town. Clark now understood how hard it was on his father watching Clark making decisions he shouldn't have had to at such a young age. Even though Clark could physically match his sons in anything, Clark chose to stand back, giving his sons the same space and respect his father had given him. Clark wished, as he did everyday, that Jonathon Kent was still alive, able to see the family Clark and Chloe had created and the men his sons were growing up to be. Clark finally felt his father would be proud of him.

Another father was, too. Jor-El and Clark had called a truce. Clark knew that Jor-El would never come close to matching what Jonathon Kent had been but he was still a father figure and Jor-El knew Clark would never be a true Kryptonian, but maybe something this world needed even more. Clark and Chloe had decided that when Connor and Kaid were eighteen, they would take them to the Fortress. If they wanted to, Connor and Kaid could learn all they could about Krypton and go through training with Jor-El. Until then, they would live as normal a teenage American life as they could, free from the complications of any Kryptonian legacy.

The end of the section came and Clark hadn't found the article. He flipped to the front and started again. Glancing at the front of the Planet, Clark came face to face with Lex Luthor. Clark stopped and looked at the picture. Lex was at large once again. Clark wasn't surprised. If Lex wasn't so deranged, Clark would almost admire the guy. Every time they put him back in prison, he somehow managed to break free again. Lex Luthor had become one of Superman's greatest enemies. Only a year after he'd been thrown back jail after the Weimar Distillery incident, he broke out again. Through the years, Lex had gotten sneakier but Clark, with help from his friends, always defeated him. When Lex had broken out the second time, the League took up residence at the Kent Farm. But he never came after Clark personally again and never touched his family. Lex went after Superman. And as long as he continued going after Superman, Clark could rest assured his family was safe. Clark wondered what the man was up to now. Chloe had been trying to track his movements, but it was slow and exasperating work. Sighing, Clark wondered what would happen to Lex. How would it all go down when, not if, Lex crossed the line?

Giggles were heard coming down the stairs and Clark set the newspaper aside and got up, going to the foot of the stairs.

"Well, if it isn't the prettiest girls in Smallville!" Clark teased as Gabby and Suzy, followed by Chloe tromped down the stairs.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Gabby cried, launching herself into his arms. Clark caught her easily.

"Whoa!" Clark said in surprise. He hefted her up, the diamond shaped blue stone glinting in the light. Suzy wore a matching one over her yellow shirt. Suzy skipped down the rest of the stairs, landing at Clark's feet. She stepped up on one of his feet and hung on to his thigh. Playing their favorite game, Clark lifted his leg and tried to shake her off.

"Come on, girls. We don't want to keep Aunt Lo waiting," Chloe said, stepping down and running her hand through Gabby's dark brown hair.

"When will you be home?" Clark asked, letting Gabby down.

"Daddy, where are Connor and Kaid?" Gabby asked.

"In the barn. Go say bye," Clark ordered. Taking each other's hands, Gabriella Moira and Martha Suzanne, or Gabby and Suzy, skipped to the kitchen and out the door, zooming to the barn to see their older brothers.

"When will you be home?" Clark asked again, wrapping a long arm around his wife's trim waist.

Chloe turned. She'd allowed her hair to grow out again, letting it darken to it's natural honey colored hue. It flowed over her shoulders now, almost to her waist and she wore it in a low ponytail today.

"Probably late," she answered, leaning against Clark. "You and the boys will be on your own for dinner. Think you handle it?"

"You better stop by the store on your way home. You know we'll clean out the fridge," Clark told her.

Chloe smiled at him, patting his chest affectionately. "I'll go tomorrow. You sure you guys don't want to join us in the city?"

"I'm with Connor and Kaid. I think we can get into enough trouble around here," Clark answered.

Clark walked Chloe out to the car.

"Guys! Your mom's leaving!" Clark yelled.

Connor and Kaid came out of the loft, one sister one each of their shoulders. The two older twins put their little sisters in the back seat of the SUV before going to stand with Clark.

"I'll see you boys later. Try not to burn down the house," Chloe teased, kissing each teenager on the cheek.

"Bye, mom." The boys took off, loping back to the loft on their long legs.

"Wake me when you get in tonight?" Clark asked, letting his hands settle on Chloe's hips.

"I thought you couldn't sleep without me?" Chloe whispered.

"Not at all. Your snoring lulls me to sleep."

Chloe punched him. "You've been spending too much time with Lois."

"That hurt," Clark replied.

"I'll see you tonight." Chloe kissed him quickly.

"Be safe," Clark whispered against her lips.

"Don't worry. I love you."

"I love you, too." Clark released her and watched her get into the driver seat of the SUV. All three girls waved as Chloe pulled away and drove down the driveway. Clark waved back and stood and watched until the vehicle turned onto Hickory Lane and kicked up dust on the old country road. He turned and went back in the house. Looking at the clock, he saw it was only ten in the morning. With a shrug of his wide shoulders, Clark laid down on the couch and kicked off his shoes, closing his eyes and dozing off.

Feeling as if he hadn't been asleep for even a couple of minutes, Clark sat straight up when the door slammed shut and one of his sons called frantically, "Dad!"

Clark jumped off the couch and headed into the kitchen. He saw Connor, almost shaking as he paced the kitchen. "Connor, what's wrong?"

"Dad!" Connor met him halfway. Clark immediately reached out and put his hands on the boy's quivering shoulders. "Is Mom back yet?"

Clark glanced at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. He shook his head, wondering how he'd slept so long. "No, she's still in Metropolis. She won't be back until late tonight. Is everything all right?"

"No," Connor answered. "Something happened, Dad."

"What happened? Tell me what happened, Connor. Is it your brother? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He went over to Logan's house for lunch," Connor told Clark.

"Connor," Clark said, gripping the boy's shoulders tighter.

Connor swallowed. His hazel eyes bored into Clark's. "I set the barn on fire."

Clark glanced out the window. The barn still stood and he couldn't see any damage. "Did you put it out?"

"Yes, sir, but that's not the problem!" Connor exclaimed, swinging away from Clark and looking out the window.

Clark had a pretty good suspicion. "How did you set the barn on fire?"

Connor hung his head. "It came out of my eyes," he answered quietly.

Clark stepped up and laid an arm around Connor's shoulders. "What were you doing when it happened?"

"Nothing!" Connor cried. "I swear!"

"Okay. What had you been doing?"

Connor looked over at his father. "Well, Kaid had left to go to Logan's and a few minutes later, Claire came over. She said she wanted to see if I wanted to go to the movies with her tonight."

Clark knew exactly where this was going. Claire Hubbard, Marcus' oldest daughter was Connor's best friend. Her and Connor had been spending a lot of time together lately, more time than usual. She was a cute little girl, reminding him a lot of Chloe when he and Chloe were their age, right down to the blonde cropped hair cut she'd been sporting since last year.

"Come on, son," Clark said, keeping his arm around Connor's shoulders as he took a step toward the door. "Let's go get the Scarecrow while you tell me exactly what happened. . ."