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Another awesome chapter that I'll have to review properly tomorrow. I will however, say that the line about Bruce's hand crawling up her thigh will likely follow me into my dreams! 
Well done, Leanne!
Well done, Leanne!
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February 22
Lex and Clark have had a huge fight. And it was apparently over a guy that Clark knew when he played football for Smallville High. Well, that’s how it started anyway. Here’s what happened.
Chloe was driving in the city when she literally ran into this guy, Victor Stone. He was from Met High and played football his senior year, like Clark . But he was apparently killed in a car crash with his family. But it turns out, he was part of an experiment in cybernetics by this research facility, SynTechnics. Anyway, they turned him into this cyborg, with bionic parts, rather like that tv programme which I remember vaguely from when I was a little kid. Only this cost a lot more than six million dollars.
Victor escaped from the facility, with the help of a doctor there and that’s when Chloe hit him with her car. Only her car came off second best. So did Chloe. Victor helped her to the hospital and then took off. But Chloe called Clark and he immediately came running and fund Victor. So he decided to help him. Just in time, too, as some of the security people from SynTechnics tracked him down.
Long story short, Chloe found out that the facility was owned by Luthorcorp and that they’d taken it over six months earlier. Clark confronted Lex about it. I ‘d just got home from a business trip when I heard Lex and Clark arguing in the study.
“You knew about this but you did nothing!”
“ Clark , I’m sorry, but I just don’t see this the way you do. Think about the applications this kind of research could have. People who have lost limbs – they could have new lives. They could be fully functional.”
“I get that, Lex. But that’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“Victor didn’t ask for this. He didn’t consent to it. You played God with his life.”
“ Clark , I didn’t know that Kreig had done it without Victor’s consent. But don’t you think, if given a choice, that Victor would have gone for it?”
“
You don’t know that because you never asked!”
“ Clark , you don’t understand!”
“You know, just because someone isn’t capable of giving consent, it doesn’t give you the right. It makes me wonder what other things you’ve done without people’s consents.”
That was when I walked in. Clark was looking at Lex, an accusatory expression on his face. Lex was beginning to shift uncomfortably under the weight of Clark ’s stare. Clark ’s super powers aren’t the only powers he has. All he has to do is look at you with that withering stare of his and you’re history.
“I’m waiting,” Clark said to Lex.
“Clark … I ….”
“Lex!”
Lex had to confess that he’d been keeping people with meteor abilities in a facility that he’d called 33.1. Originally based on level three of the Smallville plant, he’d had a purpose-built facility created as there were so many of them and they needed to be contained in a more secure environment. But it wasn’t just built for containment. Lex had a team of scientists researching the effects of the Kryptonite, trying to find a way to reverse the effects. Or a way to help those with mutations adapt, and use their powers constructively.
Clark’s voice was like ice as he asked quietly:
“And how many of those gave you their consent?”
“ Clark …”
Clark just nodded when Lex stood there, lips tight. He turned, walking out, shooting me a look of such anguish that my heart broke. Lex called after him as he left, and flinched as the door slammed.
I looked at him for a long moment.
“You idiot!” I hissed.
“He doesn’t understand. I …”
“I don’t either, Lex. How could you do this?”
“I thought … Callie, some of those people are dangerous. They’re mentally unstable. You know some people have been badly hurt because of those meteors and what they can do to people.”
“And you know how Clark feels about all this,” I reminded him. “You know he blames himself for all the problems with the meteors.”
The colour drained from Lex’s face.
“Oh god, I didn’t think.”
“You should have told him. He needed to know, Lex. Damn it, of all the stupid things you’ve done, this has to be one of the worst.”
“I should … I have to talk to him,” Lex said, starting to walk past me. I reached out and grabbed his arm.
“No, leave him be.”
“Callie!”
“No, Lex. Give him a chance to cool off. Let him calm down.”
Lex nodded, knowing I was right. But when Clark didn’t appear for over a week, I started to worry. I knew he loved Lex, but this fight had been really bad. Lex, meanwhile, buried himself in work. Not coming home until fairly late at night. He was unwilling to admit he had screwed up royally, but unable to face the house without Clark . He wasn’t sleeping. I could hear him tossing and turning.
After that week, I decided to go to the farm myself, just to see how Clark was doing. At least, that was what I told myself. Truth is, I was sick of Lex moping. Not that he would admit to that.
Martha and Jonathan were home from Topeka for the weekend.
“Can I come in?” I asked when Jonathan answered my knock. Jonathan smiled at me.
“You know you’re always welcome here Callie,” he said. “But as for your idiot brother …”
“Oh, we all know he’s an idiot,” I smiled back. “At least it’s not genetic.”
“He didn’t send you, did he?”
“You know better than that,” I said. “I never let Lex tell me what to do. Is Clark home?”
I didn’t have to ask.. Clark was coming down the stairs, looking as depressed as Lex. I pulled him into a hug.
“How are you doing sweetie?” I said.
He sighed, just holding me tight, his head on my shoulder. When we broke apart, I could see he hadn’t been sleeping either. There were dark circles under his eyes. I told him we needed to talk and he held my hand and let me lead him outside.
We stood leaning against the fence, watching the animals in the pasture.
“Look, Lex is an idiot,” I said.
“That’s a given.”
“ Clark , he’s really sorry. The past week, he’s just buried himself in work. He hasn’t talked to anyone, not Lionel, not even me.”
“That’s not good for him,” Clark said sadly.
“I think you both need to talk this out.”
“You know what he did Callie.”
“I know hon. It’s stupid and he should have told you right from the start. But did you ever think that maybe he was trying to protect you?”
“Protect me from what? Callie, I’ve been de ali ng with this since I was fourteen. And I know. A lot of the people who get changed by the meteors end up mentally unstable. Even psychotic. I know Lex thought he was doing the right thing, but …”
“There’s the consent issue. I get that. But I looked at those files Lex’s people did get consent. From the families. Maybe not in Victor’s case. But that’s not his fault. It was Kreig. He’s got a history of doing unethical research without going through normal channels. And you know if Lex had got wind of it before that had happened that he would never have condoned it.”
“I know,” Clark said.
“The thing that bothers you the most is that Lex didn’t tell you. Right?”
Clark nodded.
“And you want to know why that is? Because he didn’t want you to feel more burdened than you already are. Come on, Clark , admit it. Ever since you found out who you really were, you’ve felt responsible. For Lex’s health, for Lana’s parents. For all the mutations.”
“That’s because it’s my fault. The meteors came with me.”
“It doesn’t make any sense, Clark .” He looked as if he was going to argue and I stopped him. “Listen to me for a moment and think logically about this. How can you be responsible. The meteors were pieces of Krypton from the explosion. I mean, unless you somehow managed to go back in time and cause Krypton to blow up.”
Clark snickered. “Yeah, right.”
“Can you see how illogical it is?”
“Callie, the meteors came with the ship.”
“But you weren’t controlling them. Look, Clark , your parents put you in that ship to save you. It wasn’t their fault either. I mean, how could they have possibly known the meteors would be attracted to the magnetic field of your pod?”
“Wait. How do you know that?”
“Lex. He had one of his scientists do a simulation of the event.”
“What?”
“Relax, Clark . The research is totally confidential. He only showed it to me because I asked him to. And the guy that did it has no idea you were involved in any way, shape or form.”
From the look of him, Clark didn’t feel any better about that.
“ Clark , feeling guilty for something you had no control over isn’t going to change what happened. But you can change the way you feel about it. Now repeat after me. It’s not my fault.”
Clark looked at me like I was nuts.
“ Clark !”
“No. It’s stupid.”
“Do it, Clark , or I’ll goose you.”
“Like to see you try.”
Of course, I did try jabbing him in the ribs, not that it worked.
”It is not my fault. Say it, Clark.”
“It is not my fault,” he said quietly.
I cupped a hand around my ear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t quite hear that.”
“It is not my fault,” he said, a little louder.
“Louder! Make me believe it!”
“It is not my fault,” he shouted.
“Geez Clark,” I said, sticking a finger in my ear. “Deafen a girl
why don’t you?”
Clark looked at me, then growled teasingly. I started backing away, seeing the look on his face.
“No, Clark. Don’t you dare!” I squealed.
I scooted backwards, then turned and ran. I knew there wasn’t much point in running, since he could use super speed, but I did anyway. He caught me before we made it to the yard, tackling me and starting to tickle the life out of me.
The sound of a car engine made him stop. Lex got out of the black Porsche, his face a picture of misery. Clark looked at him.
“Lex.”
“I’m sorry, Clark . You were right. I should have told you. I just …”
“You were trying to protect me. I get it. Callie explained,” he added, when Lex frowned.. He then looked at me.
“You did?”
“Yeah, I did,” I said. “You may be an idiot, but you’re my brother. Besides, someone had to knock some sense into you. Both of you,” I said with a look at Clark . Clark smiled at me, then pulled Lex into a hug.
“I’m sorry too,” he said.
“I love you,” Lex said, his voice muffled against Clark ’s jacket.
“I love you too.”
I had to turn away when they started kissing.
“Urgh, get a room,” I grumbled. I turned and went into the house, only to find the Kents watching the two men with loving expressions. They looked so intimate, and I was feeling a little left out.
“Aw geez.”
“Aw, poor Callie,” Clark said behind me. “Come here.”
He wrapped me in a bear hug and it wasn’t long before Lex joined in the love fest.
“Guh, need to breathe here, guys,” I said. I couldn’t help laughing though.
Anyway, that was a couple of days ago. Since then, Lex and Clark have been talking about the 33.1 project and how they can help those affected. Lex is also helping Clark work through his guilt issues. In fact, they’re in their bedroom, working through those issues right now, judging from the moans I could hear as I walked past their door.
Time for another trip to Gotham I think.Comment
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You finally updated this one. Now I'm happy.In fact, they’re in their bedroom, working through those issues right now, judging from the moans I could hear as I walked past their door.
Time for another trip to Gotham I think.
I like the way you wrote Callie telling Clark how the meteor shower wasn't his fault. I felt that was really well done. And it's interesting that it was Chloe who hit Victor with the car. I like the way you twist things around - yet it still feels familiar at the same time.
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I'm glad I made your day Mary Ellen. Yeah, the confrontation was something that was a long time coming. Someone had to hit him upside the head and make him see sense.You finally updated this one. Now I'm happy. I like the way you wrote Callie telling Clark how the meteor shower wasn't his fault. I felt that was really well done. And it's interesting that it was Chloe who hit Victor with the car. I like the way you twist things around - yet it still feels familiar at the same time.
I've really enjoyed turning the events of the seasons into my own twisted version.Comment
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March
More Smallville weirdness. This woman came to town and somehow she managed to turn the whole place upside down. She actually had Clark convinced he was in love with her and got him to try to kill Lex. It’s lucky for Lex that he and Clark had had contingency plans for just this sort of thing. Well, Lex would think of something like that, especially since a woman called Desiree Atkins. And that is apparently a long story that he is not going to tell me.
Well, Lex, with Chloe’s help, figured out that the woman was the daughter of a doctor and hypnotist, and that he had a huge amulet which Simone now wore. It had been stolen in a robbery. Lex believed that Simone had stolen it, and she might have been planning to hypnotise Clark into stealing from Lex. But once Clark had shown her his abilities, it was clear she had changed her mind and wanted Clark for herself.
Anyway, Lex had meteor rock, I mean, Kryptonite, and he did try to use it on Clark. But it seems the hypnosis wasn’t strong enough anyway, because one look into Lex’s eyes and Clark just stopped. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill Lex. And I guess that says a lot about their relationship.
Bruce used to say I’m too much of a romantic, but I think it’s kind of nice to have that kind of love. It makes me think that you can weather any storm as long as you have that. Bruce would just roll his eyes. He’s such a cynic. It annoyedme sometimes, that he would get like that.
And he could be weird too, especially when it came to public displays of affection. Like this one sunny afternoon, I was out in the garden and Bruce came to visit. I hadn’t seen him in a while and I practically jumped him. Well, I jumped up to hug him and he frowned and pulled away. God, it wasn’t like it was in front of the whole world. It was only Lex! But he got really weird about it .
So we had this horrible fight over it.
“What’s with you?” I said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bruce said.
“Bruce, you totally blew me off just then.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“What are you? Twelve?”
“Like you can talk. You acted like I had ... I don’t know, but some kind of contagious disease!”
“Just because I wouldn’t hug you? Callie, you know how I feel about public displays.”
“Well, excuse me for wanting to show my boyfriend some affection.”
“I don’t mind that. In private!”
“Jesus, we’re at home. It was just Lex!”
“What’s your point?”
“Bruce, you were all over me at Christmas. And now you don’t like showing your feelings in front of Lex?”
“That’s different!”
“How is it different?”
Bruce stared at me silently for a moment, chewing on his lip.
“Callie, I just think you want more from this than I’m prepared to give.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that this is too fast. We got too serious too fast.”
I broke out in a cold sweat, and I could feel nausea in my stomach, threatening to bubble up into my throat. Bruce was breaking up with me.
“You bastard!”
I turned and looked at Lex, wide-eyed, unaware that he’d been standing by all this time. Lex looked as if he wanted to hit Bruce. Knock him cold. If Clark had been there I’m sure Bruce would have been extremely lucky to get out of there alive.
“How dare you treat my sister like this. She loves you. And I know for a fact that she is not the type of woman to just jump into bed with someone just for the hell of it. You know, I should have known better. I should have just kept you away from her.”
“Callie isn’t a child that needs protecting.”
“Well, obviously she does. From you. Get out Bruce before I throw you out.”
I just stared at Lex, tears threatening. Immediately, he wrapped me in his arms. I didn’t even hear Bruce walk out the door. I was already sobbing.
I spent the next couple of weeks just hiding out in my room. Lex and Clark tried to draw me out, but I just lay in bed, unable to even contemplate facing the world. Bruce broke my heart into a million pieces, then stomped on it. And I didn’t want to go out there and see the sympathy on their faces.
Anyway, after those two weeks, Clark threatened to break down the door if I didn’t come out. There was a little karaoke night at the Talon and he kept telling me in no uncertain terms that he was going to make me come and enjoy myself if it killed me.
But you know something? I did. I did enjoy myself.
The karaoke had already started and I was greeted with hugs and kisses. Of course, Chloe and Lois had heard all about Bruce and they kept trying to make me laugh by thinking up all the evil things they were going to do to him. By the time they were done I really was laughing.
Of course, then Clark made Lex get up for a duet, and oh my god, the look on Lex’s face when he saw what Clark had chosen was so funny I just about split my sides laughing. It would have been even funnier if Clark had somehow managed to find the Sonny outfit to go with it. Yep, they were singing Sonny and Cher.
And let me tell you, Clark is one seriously bad singer. He can do a lot of things, but sing? Nuh-uh. Okay, so imagine this. Clark singing the first line from the song:
They say we’re young and we don’t know
We won’t find out until we grow
We were all laughing pretty hard at that. I love Clark. I do. But he has the kind of voice that could shatter a window. And not in a good way like those famous opera singers whose high pitched notes could shatter crystal. And Lex was giving him these dark looks like he was soo going to suffer for it when they got home.
Well I don’t know if all that’s true
‘Cause you got me and baby I got you
Well, then I was just about falling out of my seat laughing, especially when they did the chorus.
Babe, I got you babe, I got you babe
After the song was finished, Lex glared at me, then dragged me up.
“Oh no, no way,” I said.
“Sorry sis, but I have to get my kicks somehow.”
Sighing, I picked a song. And yes, I picked a Split Enz song. It’s kind of depressing, but I don’t care.
I fall apart when you’re around
When you’re here I’m nowhere
I can’t pretend that I’m not down
I show it I know it
I’ve been a fool, more than once, more than twice
I’m gonna move to a new town where the people are nice
I hope I never, I hope I never have to sigh again
I hope I never, I hope I never have to cry again
I still want to beam and smile
Happiness is back in style
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Of course, after that I got booed off the stage.
“Too depressing,” Lois yelled out.
“Yeah, sing something with a bit of ‘bounce’ in it.” He watches far too many old Disney movies. Of course, he only pretends it’s because Clark likes them. Yeah right.Lex’s blue-grey eyes were gleaming with mischief. He can be so evil when he wants to be.
“You want it, little brother, you got it.”
So I decided to sing something else which got them throwing pillows at me. I can be just as evil too, when I want to be.
Here’s a little song I wrote,
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy ...
Well, then Clark had to come and practically carry me off the stage. Hey, I’m a Luthor, what do you expect? Anyway, they wanted to cheer me up, so I guess they did. And I know just how to get the two of them back when they do something to annoy me. I just break out into a chorus of the song. Haha.
I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher
They say we're young and we don't know,
We won't find out until we grow
Well, I don't know if all that's true
'Cause you got me and, baby, I got you
(Chorus):
Babe
I got you, babe
I got you, babe
They say our love won't pay the rent,
Before it's earned our money's all been spent
I guess that's so, we don't have a pot
But at least I'm sure of all the things we got
(Chorus)
I got flowers in the Spring
I got you to wear my ring
And when I'm sad, you're a clown
And if I get scared, you're always around
So, let them say your hair's too long
'Cause I don't care, with you I can't do wrong
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb
(Chorus)
I got you to hold my hand
I got you to understand
I got you to walk with me
I got you to talk with me
I got you to kiss goodnight
I got you to hold me tight
I got you, I won't let go
I got you to love me so
I got you, babe
I got you, babe
I got you, babe
I Hope I Never - Split Enz
I fall apart when you're around
When you're here, I'm nowhere
I can't pretend that I'm not down
I show it I know it
I've been a fool - more than once, more than twice
I'm gonna move to a new town where the people are nice
I hope I never, I hope I never have to sigh again
I hope I never, I hope I never have to cry again
I still want to beam and smile yah
Happiness is back in style yeah
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Again, oh oh oh oh
It should be possible I know
To see you without stress
But I can see I'll have to go
I'm changing my address
My urge to cry I have failed to conceal
Life - it's no fun when your hunted by the things that you feel
I hope I never, I hope I never have to sigh again
I hope I never, I hope I never have to cry again
I'm for living while you can
I'm an optimistic man
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Again, oh oh oh oh...
I hope I never
I hope I never
I hope I never, never, never...
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Again.
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Lood at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....
There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happyComment
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The moment I saw this word I KNEW that it was over between Callie and Bruce. But I guess that was the point. I'm not a person who gives affection easily. For some reason, it's very difficult for me. But if I were in love? Well, I would want to show them affection. It would take some getting used to, but it would be worth it in the long run.Bruce used to say I’m too much of a romantic, but I think it’s kind of nice to have that kind of love.
I really enjoyed this update. In fact, I'm enjoying this story very much. It was funny reading about Clark and Lex singing the Sonny and Cher song.
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Why oh why did Bruce break up with Callie?
I'm sure he'll come grovelling back to her, though.
Clark and Lex singing karaoke made me laugh my head off, though.
Great update!
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Yeah, that was kind of the point of me using the past tense. As for the karaoke, well, Lex will do anything to cheer up his sister.
The moment I saw this word I KNEW that it was over between Callie and Bruce. But I guess that was the point. I'm not a person who gives affection easily. For some reason, it's very difficult for me. But if I were in love? Well, I would want to show them affection. It would take some getting used to, but it would be worth it in the long run.
I really enjoyed this update. In fact, I'm enjoying this story very much. It was funny reading about Clark and Lex singing the Sonny and Cher song.Comment
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There is a good reason for the break-up, at least in Bruce's screwed up mind. The truth will come out eventually.
Yeah, I was laughing at the karaoke myself.Comment
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May
It has been horrendous here. Damn, where do I start? Oh, well, the thing with Brainiac is over. Thank god. I guess I’ll start with that.
Lionel’s plan seemed to be working. Let me tell you, Brainiac might be an artificial intelligence, but at the end of the day he’s a computer. And an alien one at that. So he/it/whatever knows nothing about the human mind. Or how stubborn we can be.
Anyway, Lionel was coming off well as the ruthless businessman bent on owning the world. It kind of helped that it looked like he and Lex were not getting along at all. He’s always made it look like he didn’t approve of Lex and Clark’s relationship. That he preferred it if Lex settled down, married (a woman of course) and produced an heir.
And I had certainly turned out to be a bitter disappointment. Lionel kept mouthing off to anyone who would listen just how disappointed he was with me for throwing away my relationship with the heir to the Wayne fortune, hence any potential business deals.
So, Fine – I’m gonna stick to calling him that because it’s just easier to write than Brainiac, began making overtures of ‘friendship’ toward Lionel, telling him all sorts of stories about how he was some kind of government agent. I guess he assumed that Clark would confide in Lex, but Lex wouldn’t confide in Lionel. And then Fine began talking about trying to ‘help’ humanity by researching and creating an antidote to some of the world’s deadliest viruses.
Clark and Lex, meanwhile, had been making trips to the Fortress to talk to Jor-El (and doesn’t that do my head in, I mean the man is dead!). And they worked together to come up with a device which, if they can get it close enough to Fine, can shut him down for good.
How Fine didn’t detect that Lionel was the vessel for Jor-El I don’t know, but anyway the plan was working. We all kept expecting it to go horribly wrong, but it didn’t.
Anyway, Lionel let it play long enough for the virus antidotes to be developed. But Fine was not amused when Lionel had the researchers develop more than one serum. With one swoop, Fine destroyed the whole lot.
I tell you, when I saw that security footage, Lionel gave me the chills. He should have been an actor. Even I believed the shocked look on his face when Fine did his thing.
“What are you?” he cried.
“You’ll find out,” Fine smirked before grabbing the injector gun and injecting Lionel with the serum.
“I don’t understand,” Lionel said.
“You will.”
Fine left before Lionel could do anything. I’m guessing Jor-El was ‘dormant’ at that moment.
The next day was when everything came together. Lionel got some kind of signal. He described it as something similar to the sound he heard when Jor-El took him over. When he was clutching the stone. And he felt the compulsion. He had to go.
Lex and Clark followed him, wondering what was going on. Lionel drove to a field near the Kent farm, running out to the middle of the field. Then, Lex says, it was like he was waiting for something.
That something arrived within moments. A ship. And Lionel vanished.
Lex and Clark waited for over four hours before Lionel returned. He was confused. And it looked like he had powers. And this I didn’t get. If Fine was part of the ship, why didn’t he/it realise then that Lionel was not alone in his head? But then again, it looked like Jor-El had the power to turn that on and off at will, so maybe that was just part of the plan to suck Fine in.
Anyway, I know I’m kind of letting the story drag on. But I’m coming to the end. After Lionel got the abilities, he made his way to the barn. And Fine showed up, expecting some sort of confrontation between Clark and Lionel.
“Any idea what he plans next?” Clark was asking Lionel when Fine showed up.
“No.”
“What is this?” Fine snarled.
Clark and Lionel turned to him. “Exactly what it looks like.”
“Did you really think you could fool me, Kal-El,” Fine smirked. “You’re too late. He is the vessel.”
Clark immediately understood.
“So, I wouldn’t do what you wanted and you decided Lionel should be the vessel for Zod? The one to bring him back to Earth?”
“Well as humans go, he seemed more suited to the task.”
“Clark, get out of here,” Lionel hissed. “This is no longer your fight.”
“That is where you are wrong,” Fine said. “Because once Zod has taken over your body, he will take over your world. And the only thing standing in the way is Kal-El. But even he can be useful to us. After all, we will need to repopulate the planet once the Earth is enslaved. One Kryptonian cannot take these humans alone.”
“Repopulate?” Lionel echoed.
“I’m sure some of your women will be most willing ... especially if it is in exchange for their lives. Callie, for example.”
“You leave Callie out of this,” Clark growled.
Fine shook his head. “For a human, she is quite attractive. I’m sure she will make fine-looking heirs for Zod.”
Even Lionel apparently looked sick at that.
“She’s my daughter. My flesh and blood.”
“That’s of no consequence,” Fine said smoothly.
With a snarl, Clark sprang toward him, like a wild animal, but Fine was more than ready for him, tossing him easily so he hit the wall, stunned.
Lionel turned to Fine. “You will not harm the humans. You will not destroy this planet as you once did Krypton.”
Fine stared in shock. Jor-El had made his presence felt. With a vengeance.
“No, I couldn’t be wrong,” he exclaimed.
Clark struggled to his feet as Lionel approached Fine, reaching out to touch him. Fine shrank back, looking as terrified as it was possible to look for a computer. Moving behind him, Clark took the crystal from his pocket and slammed it into Fine’s back. The thing gave an unearthly scream as the crystal glowed, lighting up the whole structure. Then Fine was gone, leaving only a dark puddle.
Clark, who had only just learned to use super-breath, blew on the puddle, freezing it.
I have to say that moment – Clark freezing the thing with his breath, kind of reminded me of the scene in Terminator 2 when the T-1000 is frozen by liquid nitrogen. I know, I know, Lex calls me a geek too. But it did!
So, hopefully that’s the end of Brainiac. Lex keeps it in a constant frozen state so it can’t thaw and reform. Good riddance.
Anyway, that’s one of the major things that has been happening. The second is, well, I got kind of sick of moping about the house and also running into Clark and Lex all the time. I love them. I do. And I’m really happy that they’re happy and that they have this great relationship. But since Bruce broke up with me, I haven’t really felt like ... well, okay, I’ve been miserable.
So, when Oliver Queen asked me out, like on a date, I accepted. And we’ve kind of been seeing each other for the last month or so. And yes, we are sleeping together. I mean, it took a few dates before I’d let him, you know, but still ...
The thing is, we went to this party together and there was Bruce. And he kept glaring daggers at us. Like Oliver had no right to have his arm around me, or pay me attention. Like I’m Bruce Wayne’s exclusive property or something. Well, I’ve got news for him!
“Are you sleeping with him?” Bruce asked. He’d just pulled me aside. And quite rudely, if you ask me, and just confronted me.
“What business is it of yours?”
“Damn it Callie, answer the question.”
“Why should I? In case you forgot, Bruce Wayne, you broke up with me. And don’t think I didn’t figure it out.”
Alfred told me the truth, in the end. Bruce had done it because his enemies (those he had as Batman) had threatened to dig in to every aspect of his life and destroy everything and everyone he cared about. So in his own screwed-up way, he was trying to protect me. But newsflash, Batman. I don't need that kind of protection. And he is such a hypocrite. I mean, on the one hand, he decides I'm big enough and ugly enough to take care of myself. Then he decides I should be protected. Grr!
“You don’t know anything!” he said sharply.
“Oh, whatever Bruce. You know, I get that you’re a commitment-phobe. I realise that in your line of work that you don’t want to form attachments just in case, but you are entitled to have a life. And just because you’re too much of a stubborn ******* to see that, well that’s not my problem. I decided that rather than mope about how you broke my heart, I decided to move on. So screw you. You don’t own me.”
Bruce Wayne has always been the type of person who doesn’t like sharing his toys. And I guess he included me in that of things he doesn’t like sharing with anyone. Because right after I said all that, he kissed me. And well, then the kiss led to groping, then it led to ... aw hell, you know what it led to. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Oliver realised after I managed to get away that Bruce still had feelings for me and I still had feelings for him and we kind of broke it off. It was a mutual thing. And I hear he’s dating Lois Lane now. Which is fine by me. They'll probably be good for each other.
So, as the song says, ob la di, ob la da, life goes on.
June
Oh crap!
And miz Scarlett?
I know nothin’ about birthin’ babies.Comment
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That was certainly an interesting take on the whole Brainiac/Lex story. I like what you came up with. And Callie and Bruce are back together? That's great. He needs a woman like her. And she's pregnant? Hummm....Comment
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June 20 (one week later) 1am
Urgh! It’s the middle of the night and I’m throwing up? I hate morning sickness. Can this technically be called morning sickness? Well, I guess so. I mean, it is almost one in the morning.
Okay, so I had it confirmed by the doc. I’m about eight weeks, give or take. Which puts it right about the time I saw Bruce at the party. The only trouble is, there’s Oliver too.
Like mother, like daughter, huh?
Hang on, knock on the door.
Okay, I’m back. Clark and his super-hearing. He heard me throwing up and came to check I was okay. Damn. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it from them. (Yawn) I need to get some sleep.
11am
Well, they know now. I never thought I’d be having that kind of conversation with my brother, his partner and my birth father. Here’s how it went.
“Pregnant? How could this happen?”
“Well, generally Lex, it’s usually when a man and a woman, you know ...” I made a gesture with my hands and he scowled.
“Not funny Callie.”
“Excuse me for wanting to find something funny about this situation.”
“So what are you going to tell Oliver?” Clark said.
Lex looked at him.
“She was sleeping with Oliver?”
“Er, yes, where have you been?” I asked him. I turned back to Clark. “Uh, the problem is, I’m not, uh, I ran into Bruce and we, uh, you know.”
“So Bruce is the father?” Lex said.
I blushed. Clark saw it and his eyes widened.
“Oh!” Lex looked at him, then at me.
“Oh!” Then he glared. “What the hell, Callie. You’re supposed to be smarter than this. Didn’t you use protection?”
Lionel, meanwhile, had been very quiet. He’s been maintaining a low profile since the whole Brainiac thing. I think it took a lot out of him. He’s just been staying at the mansion, out of everybody’s way. But he spoke up. Although I have to say that since we were all assuming he would end up being killed by Brainiac, it’s kind of a relief that he didn’t.
“Lex, I hardly think shouting at your sister is going to make the situation any better.” Then he looked at me. “What happened?”
“Well, Ollie and I went to this party and Bruce was there and we just ended up having this huge fight which, well, obviously became more and ... The thing is, we did use protection. Bruce always did.”
“And Ollie?”
“Of course.”
“But the problem is, they’re not completely infallible,” Clark said. Lex made an odd noise and Clark sent him a comforting look. “Well, it’s true,” he insisted.
Lex just sighed.
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to tell them?”
“I don’t know,” I said quietly.
“Why?”
I shook my head. This was something that had been at the back of my mind since the doc had confirmed it. There were no issues with the transplant, as far as I knew. So it wasn’t like I couldn’t carry a baby to full term. But ...
“I’m not even sure I want this baby,” I said. “I don’t know if I ever wanted to be a mother.”
Well, of course, that started a major uproar. Lex got upset and walked out, Clark had to go after him to calm him down. And Lionel just sat there. Then I just broke down and he came over and he held me, patting my back while I cried.
Well, later, when Lex calmed down, he came back in and tried to talk to me a bit more calmly. But he was still thinking that I actually wanted to get rid of the baby, which went against everything we both believe in. Lionel finally told him to just stop and let me have my say. With a grateful smile to my father, I took a deep breath and told Lex all the things I had been thinking.
“Lex, I know what you think. But look at it from my point of view. Out of the two of us, I inherited the liver disease. I almost died. This baby has a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting it too. What kind of life would I be condemning this child to if it did get the disease?”
“It’s still fifty percent,” Lex said.
“I know. And that’s a decision that I know is not going to be easy.”
“But you can’t just have an abortion on the basis of what might happen.”
“It’s not just that, Lex. I have a career. What kind of mother would I be if I was never there for the child?”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. You have us.”
Clark nodded in agreement. “He or she will have uncles. Lots of uncles. Three - three uncles.”
I realised that they were right. How could I even consider what I was considering on the basis of a disease it might or might not have? And they would always be there for me. No matter what.
“I’ll settle for two uncles and a grandfather,” I said with a little smile at Lionel. He looked surprised but pleased.
“So, are you going to tell them? Oliver and Bruce.”
“Do I have to?”
Lionel spoke up. “They have a right to know Callie. God knows, I would have wanted to know about you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly, realising now the impact my appearance in his life had had on him.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “And I’m grateful, at least, that we have had the chance to get to know each other. If you had died before I knew …”
So Lex and I are going to have meetings with both Bruce and Oliver. They’ll have to agree to a paternity test. Well, one of them, at least. Just so we know.
June 22
Oliver had just moved to Metropolis, so we went to see him first. And this conversation was just as awkward.
“Take a seat,” he said, when we got to the penthouse apartment. He looked at me questioningly. “Everything okay?”
Oh boy!
“Uh, not exactly, Ollie. Something has come up.”
“What is it?”
“Callie’s pregnant.”
Way to go, Lex. Way to spill the beans.
Ollie looked at me. “Oh!” Then he thought about the implications. “Is it mine? Is that why you’re here?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. It could be Bruce’s.”
He nodded. “There’s only one way to tell, presumably. You want to do a paternity test?”
“Yes. I mean, this in no way means I’m asking for ... I mean I won’t be asking for child support, if it, you know, turns out positive.”
“Just tell me what I have to do,” he said, with a reassuring smile.
Well,, that was unexpected! Oliver surprised me with how supportive he was. He promised that whatever the outcome of the test, he would do what he could to help.
Bruce, on the other hand, was the opposite. He refused to have anything to do with the test, or with the baby. That was kind of expected. And I can even see his reasons. If people, ie, his enemies found out Batman was a father, then the baby would become a target. But he was kind of cold.
“You dick!” Lex said angrily.
“Lex … “I began.
“No, Callie. He has no right to treat you this way.”
“We don’t even know if he’s …”
“That’s not the point,” Lex raged. He glared at Bruce. “Even if it does turn out it’s yours, I’ll let you near it over my dead body!”
I know Lex was trying to be supportive, but it does take two to tango, as the saying goes. Not that we didn’t use protection. Bruce was always careful about that.
Anyway, we ended up leaving the meeting with Lex still ranting and raving about Bruce and his ‘issues’. I actually felt sympathy for Bruce. He and Lex had had the beginnings of a tentative friendship, and were in line for some very profitable business deals, but Lex is so angry, I don’t think he’ll be interested in working with Bruce now.
I managed to calm him down in the end and Clark, who understood Bruce better than anyone, quietly explained why Bruce was acting that way. I won’t say it didn’t hurt, because it did. I did love the man, and I know he loved me. But I guess he just couldn’t get over the way he lost his parents, or Rachel. She’d been killed because he was Batman. Not that his enemies knew his real identity, but still, I can see why.
July
The test result is in. It’s negative. Which means Bruce is the father. I’m kind of relieved for Ollie. He’s become a good friend.
I called Bruce’s mansion and got Alfred, of course. Bruce wouldn’t take my call.
“Just tell him that the test was negative.”
“Of course, Miss Callie. Is there any other message?”
“Um, just let him know that I won’t be asking him for anything. If he wants to act like an ******* over this, well it’s his loss.”
Alfred didn’t say anything. But his silence spoke volumes. He was not happy with Bruce and was most likely going to tell him so. I love that about him.
Anyway, now I have to prepare for the baby. I know it’s still roughly six months away, but Lex says there’s no time like the present and he and Clark have already started getting stuff for the nursery. You’d think it was their baby, the way they were going on. Not that I mind. I mean, it’s not like they’ll ever be able to have a child together. Not unless Lex’s scientists come up with a way for them to combine their DNA and create some kind of clone of them both.
Hmm, I wonder if Jor-El could help with that. After all, Krypton was apparently way ahead on cloning techniques.
August
Oh my god, I felt the baby move for the first time. Awesome!
August 20
I’m getting fat! Seriously, I have a bump. Ollie laughs at me, telling me I’ll look like a beached whale soon. Funny guy. Not! Some friend! Would it be considered murder if I asked Clark to toss Ollie off his penthouse balcony? Maybe it would.
August 30
Damn it, I’m crying all the time lately. At the drop of a hat. Stupid hormones!
September 15
Lex and Clark have finished the nursery. Seriously! Lex didn’t want anyone to do it but him and Clark. And it’s beautiful. Of course, I started crying the moment I saw it. Happy tears, honest. Bloody hormones!
Anyway, the nursery is painted in creams and yellows – no red and blue, thank goodness. And there’s this huge teddy bear in the corner. Supposedly for decoration. Lionel laughed when he saw it, teasing Lex that he’d found his second childhood.
It’s funny how Lionel seems to be more mellow these days. Maybe it’s the prospect of being a grandfather. I don’t know. But maybe being Jor-El’s vessel has something to do with it too. Anyway, he and Lex are getting on better than they apparently have in years. It’s nice.
Four months to go!Comment
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You know Leanne, I knew that Callie would end up keeping the baby. I think it's more interesting that Bruce is the father. He is definitely being a jerk. And that's being too kind. At least she has Lex, Clark, and Oliver to be there for her. And even Lionel too. As usual, I enjoyed the update. Two thumbs up.
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You're right, he is being a jerk. Hence the call to Alfred. If anyone can make him see what he's losing, Alfred can. There may be a few more surprises left before this story concludes.You know Leanne, I knew that Callie would end up keeping the baby. I think it's more interesting that Bruce is the father. He is definitely being a jerk. And that's being too kind. At least she has Lex, Clark, and Oliver to be there for her. And even Lionel too. As usual, I enjoyed the update. Two thumbs up.
And don't you just love how the family, and Oliver, rally round to support her?Comment
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