Disclaimer: All rights reserved to the CW, Smallville and Warner Brothers.

Chapter One

January 8th 2012

Clark

Clark found the corner of his lip tug into a smirk. He pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose reflexively, religiously, blinked and continued to proof read the article in hand. He heard the tail end of Lois Lane's: 'Got it Chief.' And like clockwork Perry's bellow followed Lois into the bull room: 'Don't call me chief!'

Slender long fingers, one encased around a white gold band with two clusters of diamonds formed around a small opal, snatched the bunch of papers from him. He levelled his blue orbs on a usually brown pair that danced with overpowering green flecks in their sockets, at him.

Lois lane's accompanying smile was as disarming and wonderful as the feel of her arm loop into his own.

She whirled him around towards the elevator, leaving the hustle and bustle of the bull pen.

'Thanks doll, you're a peach,' she began in her best civil war re-enactment. She stabbed the call button pointing upwards, and then sent him a grave look, 'but give it to me straight, how many mistakes did you pick out, because I worked really hard to smooth out all the nooks and crannies. And you know after four plus years on the job if I haven't improved under your tutelage by now; then I'm reporting you to the police, sir.'

Clark closed lipped shook with mirth as they walked into the empty elevator. The urge to roll his eyes teetered on his person. As the brown doors closed he felt the arm once looped around his, intertwine their fingers together. They had a few seconds of privacy before it was expanded onto the floor of their shared office. She knocked shoulders with him, rested there and waited in expectant silence.

He leaned in conspiratorially, his hot breath brushed the curve of her ear leaving a shudder to vibrate through the both of them. 'And what use would Superman be in jail, just because Clark Kent skipped over the word 'maleficent' for the word 'malcontent'?' The elevator pinged open. Clark's shoulders relaxed as they stepped onto the floor. 'If I didn't know any better Miss Lane, I'd think you had a personal vendetta against me?'

Lois released his hand and opened the door labelled "Lois Lane and Clark Kent" on it, sat down in her swivel chair and twirled.

'Looks like it Smallville. You better avoid news report announcements saying, Clark Kent's made one glaring mistake."

'Is that right?'

'Uh yeah,' she said, and brandished the first page at him across their desks pointing a finger at the offensive error.

Clark's zeroed in on the by-line: Lois Lane – Kent, Daily Planet (The prettiest Kent of them all).

She snorted, and kicked off to rotate in a circle. 'I'm kind of offended Clark, I thought we all agreed the mutt with his brown eyes was the true looker in the family.'

By the time she faced him and stopped, she had full access to his opulent azure eyes gleaming with unabashed triumph.

She offered him – if possible for Mad dog Lane – a demure shrug of the shoulder.

'Lois Lane- Kent, huh? It does have a nice ring to it.'

'Wearing one of the two rings that accompanies the title, does bring a smile to a girl's lips. '

He booted his laptop on, typed his password and—

'Clark!' Lois yelled, the article fluttered to the floor and she slammed her palms on her desk. And though her eyes scanned wildly over their desks, the man sat in the empty chair was gone.

If he had been a lesser man — a human — the whiplash of being moved one place to another would have, he was very sure, made him vomit. Instead he staggered slightly, grateful for the support of the ice pillar that caught his fall.

An autonomous voice bounced off the ice walls of the fortress with mechanical familiarity: 'Welcome my son.'

Clark moved off the pillar, straightened, and moved to slip his glasses into his back pocket when his fingers ran down the bridge of his nose. Of course — he thought absently to himself— he'd left them on his desk at the planet … along with Lois.

'Father…why have you brought me here?' he voiced, his mind very much on the teasing eyes of Lois Lane saying she could live with the hyphenated badge of "Lois Lane – Kent".

'Kal-El, an anomaly has occurred in our timeline, to the casual human eye it is but another incident within the moving sphere of criminal activity. For you and your league of Justice—' Clark thought rather bitingly, (that Oliver would have a cow if he ever heard the name re-associated by the disembodied voice of his father. At least the name 'Super friends' hadn't been used or then he and Bruce would have shared a similar look of displeasure on their faces). 'This singular blip could cause, dare I say it, a world saving scale of catastrophe.'

While Clark's eyes cast down with grave solemnity, his curious mind jumped from the thought that Jor-El must have been spending too much time educating Lois on their Kryptonian history and she was finally rubbing off on him; and swiftly moved succinctly to the dire consequence that could bring upon world destruction.

'What is this problem Jor-El? What's gone wrong?'

'Six months into the future, in Keystone City, a gang of three teenagers will gun down a heavily pregnant woman leaving her shift at the coffee shop called Jitters.'

Clark's jaw clenched and unclenched in time with his fists.

'The unidentified woman will be identified by CSI Raymond Thawne as Lori Strauss, the mother to the successor of the helmet of Nabu.'

Stood in the artic, shoes and baggy trousers drenched in snow, Clark heard the pounding of his heart accelerate at an exceptional pace. If he'd been human, he'd suspected he'd be suffering a heart attack.

'Doctor fate—'

'Nabu has lain dormant for over a year for his successor to be born. It would be best to send you back, so you can save Kent Nelson.'

A twinge of annoyance welled up in his throat at being cut off. But having lived and worked with Lois for most of his life, he focused on what his father had said.

'Send me back? Why would you send me back in time, wouldn't sending me forwards be better? More practical?'

'The birth has been set in date, but even then, if you save the woman and child from their untimely demise, the child would be at a loss when Nabu confronts him; without proper guidance, the young Strauss could very easily be corrupted with power or implode due to the powers of Nabu into the equivalent mass of an atomic bomb.'

'And no reasoning… '

'It would be better to not chance something like that, Kal-El.'

Clark nodded distractedly looking off further into the fortress.

'Nelson was killed by Icicle and maybe I wasn't there at the time, Clark Kent circa 2010 was, what if I inadvertently cross paths with my doppelgänger?'

Jor-El – Clark was very sure now had been spending too much time with Lois, because — he felt the voice with no face smirk at him.

In response Clark rolled his eyes as Jor-El who answered him in an all to knowing tone, said: 'You would take his place, the body of Kal-El aged twenty- three would become your own, mind aged twenty -four and all its foreknowledge intact.'

A sigh escaped Clark's lips as he absorbed all his father had said, he would be travelling back in time. Leaving ... a life he had forged as Clark Kent, bumbling reporter at the Daily Planet; fiancée to Pulitzer prize winner Lois Lane; son of senator Kent and his well-constructed alter ego: Superman, red cape, broad shoulders, and the ability to fly (probably) behind, to save Doctor Fate.

When he'd last talked to Kent— and the irony was not lost on him — Kent Nelson had told Clark that he would bring about the age of silver aged heroes and finally reveal himself to the world. And he had. The league was recruiting new members at a rapid pace — two weeks ago, he and Bruce had, had an encounter with an Amazonian princess, gone head to head with her and faired rather well against her. Superman was being accepted by not only the citizens of Metropolis but the world. And all the while in the back crevices of his mind Nelson's words echoed there. And now there was a chance to save him and bring him too into this world Clark and the others like Chloe, Oliver, Bruce were forming into shape.

'So, I'll be going back a year from now?'

That wouldn't be so bad. Maybe after saving Nelson, he could speed the process of Lois finding out about him, deal with the Kandorians faster, preserve the Kandorian version of his father's life, and not get stabbed. The world would still have Superman but faster, he could figure out how Lex Luthor was walking around without a daylight ring. (He reminded himself to tell Lois, that watching Vampire Diaries was dissolving his brain cells at a rapid rate and because of this, he would have to stop watching immediately).

'Further, younger I believe.' Said Jor-El breaking through his thoughts.

Clark blinked owlishly at the voice and soon a frown marred his features.

'Earlier?' he repeated, now sounding like a parrot.

'The earlier you meet Kent Nelson, the safer he will be. Kent Nelson much like Carter Hall after the death of his wife became a recluse. With little people to interact with and only the power of Nabu to keep him company, his human mind began to take a toll. The tumour back then was sustainable and treatable. But then too, a friend, an ally would do him well.'

An image of a young boy with too bright green eyes twinkling up at him, with a mop of brown hair and freckles; with the beginnings of adoration and love bore into Clark's mind. As Clark blinked back the moisture in his eyes; Ryan, whose story was not to dissimilar from Nelson's had died in a cold hospital bed from cancer. And Kent Nelson, with the sword of Damocles hung over his head could be taken out by cancer too. The image of Ryan, Kent Nelson and dare he say it — his dad — flashed in quick succession in his mind.

'How old will I be when I go back?'

'Fourteen, the beginning. It would be the most prudent time to situate you my son.'

'I could save a lot of lives, couldn't I?' there was an echo in his words, an incessant tinny in his own voice that reminded him of the fourteen-year-old who had begun their journey not so long ago. Of the boy — if he agreed to this new journey his father had set forth — he'd be returning too.

Jor-El knew as he almost ever did what he was thinking, though know where near as omniscient as Clark had once suspected in his younger years, (with the exception of this moment and his ominous announcement about Lori Strauss), Clark was sure in his artificial state that Jor-El had the ability to X-ray his thoughts.

Jor-El telescoped in on the different people — who weren't Kent Nelson—flashing in Clark's mind. He rather easily projected the images of Whitney Fordman, Alicia Baker, Lionel Luthor, Jimmy Olsen and Carter Hall in front of him. Despite his imperviousness towards the cold, he felt a chill roll down his spine. He knew who would appear next, Jor-El did too, and yet the A.I seemed to hesistate, (static flickered in front of Clark's solem gaze).

'Jonathan Kent — yes. Yes, in this new time line there would be a greater possibility to retain a long life for him.' Maybe Clark just wanted to hear it, but Jor-El almost sounded guilty. There were no eyes to ascertain this, but he knew in his secret of hearts — that Jor-El knew that having lost one father, that the loss of his second one left him with a feeling of … abandonment.

Clark shook his head, it was a stupid thought, Jonathan Kent; blue eyed, dirty blond hair, fond of worn jeans, work boots and thick jackets they swapped between all three occupants of the Kent household, had loved him fiercely. And probably still did, and would once Clark met him in his afterlife abode.

'Lois — in the new timeline would I still end up… or … I mean, could I take —' his own inquisitions startled him, he blinked rather violently before fixing his eyes down on the crystals.

'What about Mrs. Lane- Kent?'

Jor-El truly was full of surprises today, Clark worked hard on schooling his features so that surprise did not take precedence. He still felt the collective flush of embarrassment and pleasure blot his cheeks. Reporter Clark Kent reared his curious head as Clark rubbed the back of his neck, his left hand absent of any ring that announced to the world that Lois Lane had added the suffix of his surname.

'Lois and I aren't married.'

If Jor-El could blink, Clark would have laughed at his expression. Instead Jor-El said: 'According to my records Kal- El, Mrs Lane-Kent is set to enter in a life partnership with you.'

Clark nodded. Though just not yet. The reason Lois had even been in Perry's office was as a ploy, in conquest for another by-line hog on an article about Superman, when in fact she'd been asking him to walk her down the aisle as a back-up in case the General was pulled away, by the government. Lois hating awkward silences — especially self-induced ones — had cracked her: 'Good Chief' or 'Sure Chief,', one of those variants to ease the air. But the wedding that wasn't for another …

'Lois Lane… Kent, Kal-El according to my scans of several timelines has been primarily known to go by either Lois Lane-Kent, or Lois Kent… loving wife of Clark 'Kal-El' Kent, mother of –-'

'Mo-Mother…' he stuttered. When had he last stuttered … (Clark the reporter, had this morning, when ordering a solid caffeine imbued cup of coffee from he and Lois' favourite shop), he wished Jor-El would stop throwing him for a loop.

It had always been a worry for them, his alien physiology might have granted him special abilities, but Clark to his core was what he'd been made: the guy who'd fashioned himself worthy of a wife, two kids, a home and a white picket fence.

He'd veered too far off the traditional route when he'd hoped Lana could fulfil the role as wife. But Lois … his Lois … she'd let him reach for her, she continued to gleam and glow in front of him (like the green light in Gatsby) and allowed him to capture her some years ago, with no apology or shame in her eyes. He was touched that in the new future, perhaps they could complete their picture of the American dream, with a kid or two.

Clark's indulgent smile faded as he remembered their whole conversation had originated in talk of the past … not the future.

'She couldn't come with me.'

'No, Kal-El. Though she is destined to bore your children and continue the House of El, she is still human; her physiology can only withstand so much. I'm afraid my son that this would be a journey you'd have to take on your own.'

'So, I'd be alone again?' a bitter laugh escaped his lips. It seemed he could never win, even being able to retain his memories and personality of this time by his father, he'd be keeping two secrets this time around. At least he knew he would be able to share his original secret about being an alien with those he trusted faster. But this new secret: being a time traveller … that would be a new burden to carry.

'What about you, you're not human, would you remember … could I tell you, or would that be breaking some cardinal time travel rule?'

The artic wind tickled the hairs on the back of his neck, whistled between the crystals on the console and reminded him, how his life, despite the inclusion of Lois, the Planet, his mom, Chloe, Oliver, Bruce and the growing league — could still leave him feeling alone.

'Much like the internet, once information has been uploaded the ability to retrieve information would never be out of reach. I would be able to remember this timeline … I would be able to converse with you, though absent of flesh and blood. This version of myself, I hope my son will inspire an ease and confidence in you that I lacked during our first two runs of this timeline.'

Clark nodded. Then shook his head and made quick sense of his actions: 'My parents will have to know who I am, that I'm Clark Kent circa 2012, it would be too confusing and tiresome to act like me at fourteen, they'd be able to sense something different in how I act. Do I have your permission?'

He and Jor-El ignore the underlying demand in his words and forwarded on.

'It would be the best approach, too much responsibility of your shoulders would damage you, and we have already seen how that strain can affect you.'

Clark nodded, feeling a flutter of ease encompass him.

He had one last question to ask.

'My powers … will I have to relearn them all over again — I mean I will remember everything, but will I take my abilities with me or…'

He felt like a child asking his father if he could take his favourite dog —

Shelby — with them on their road trip to Central city. He'd grown fond of his powers over the years, thanks to the encouragement of his friends and family … and it'd make everything so damn easier. But of course, even Clark 'Kal-El' Kent, just couldn't have it easy.

'You'd still have to relearn your powers, they developed with your body, your extra-terrestrial form of puberty.' Clark refused to believe the expression currently on his face was a sulk. 'However, your ability to fly, was always with you at fourteen. I believe you once told me you floated once at that age. Whatever your trigger was then, use it the same when there.'

A slow smile filled with serenity pulled at his lips: 'Lois.' he breathed. And since Jor-El had all but told him he would always find her, he would be able to go back, and know that they would get back to this day (or some form of it) teasing her about her additional suffix of Kent.

'Okay, when do I go… or do I get to say goodbye?' he knew his last wish was unlikely to occur but Clark could hope.

In answer a swirl of white light appeared four strides away from him.

'It is time, Kal-El.'

It was time and still as Clark walked slowly forwards he wanted to say goodbye to his mother, Chloe, Oliver, Bruce and most of all Lois as he felt the surprisingly warm licks of the portal consume him. But then he realised he'd be saying hello to them all too very soon.

Author's Note:

Hi, I usually write Vampire diaries fan fiction, but this idea popped into my head and I had to 'pen this down'. I'm a huge Clois fan since I was a kid, and continue to be. I don't know how you guys will take to this but I will try and get an update to you soon. Of course, this is an AU time travel fiction so a lot of things will be shaken up, with light of the new DCTV universe, I will incorporate some of those changes to this new timeline.

Please review, fave and follow.

I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter.

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