The Homecoming

By Brian Wilson (kaleljr@flash.net)

Summary: Now that Clark has returned from New Krypton, his biggest problem is to explain his "disappearance." A sequel to the fanfic "The Return."

Hello again. This story is "The Homecoming" and it's a sequel/continuation of my first story, "The Return". It begins with the last scene of "The Return", only with Lois's point of view. I hope you enjoy it. DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately for me, and every other FOLC, Lois, Clark, and the gang don't belong to me. If they did, Lois and Clark would be married already and the marriage/clone/amnesia saga never would have occurred. Instead, they belong to Warner Bros., or something like that. If it's in ' ' then it's a thought. If it's in < > then it's telepathy.

***

Lois awoke on the couch to the sound of a light tapping on her window. For a while, this meant that Clark was outside. For the past two months, however, it meant that a bird had a sick sense of humor. For a while, this tapping raised her spirits, made her feel alive. For the past two months, however, this dropped her spirits, and made her feel dead inside.

"That's it. The bird that's out there THIS time is going to die," Lois grumbled, crawling out from under the blanket and stumbling over to the window. This whole time, however, she felt something in the back of her mind, in the back of her soul, nagging at her, and she knew something was different this time. She threw open the curtains, to find herself staring directly at … a big, red S. She had no doubts, no thoughts. She was out the window and into his arms … faster than a speeding bullet. When she finally broke the kiss, he was so full of joy that his subconscious had sent him soaring. They were over the highest buildings in Metropolis.

"Hello to you, too." Clark said, his eyes sparkling.

"Clark." She whispered, barely audible, even to his ears.

"Yes?"

"Clark."

"Is something wrong, Lois?"

"Clark."

'I can see where this conversation is going.' Clark thought.

'Huh?' Lois thought. 'Did I just hear him, in my HEAD?'

<Lois?!?>

<Clark?>

<Don't start that again.>

<Funny.>

<Lois?>

<Yes?>

<No, really?>

***

"Clark, did you call your parents?" Lois called into the bathroom, where she could hear him in the shower.

"I called them while you were showering. Mom cried for at least five minutes. I told them I'd fly out sometime soon to tell them everything that happened."

"That's right! You never told me. After we … said hello, I fell asleep."

"Don't worry, Lois, I'll tell you everything. I've been meaning to ask something since I got back last night. What happened to Metropolis? Buildings are gone, rubble everywhere. It looks like there was a small war."

At first Lois was surprised to hear someone ask about it, but then remembered that he was gone when it happened. "Lex Luthor happened. He came back. Apparently he had some sonic missiles hidden underground."

Clark came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "Sonic missiles? What the heck are those?"

Lois stared at him for a moment, unable to take her eyes off him in the towel. 'Man, I missed him.'

"Lois?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Apparently, these missiles had some device in their nose that put out some sonic vibrations or something that turned the earth around them to mush. This way they could dig through the ground until they reach the surface, come out of the ground, and hit their target. They couldn't be detected or stopped. They took out half the city before he was found."

"Oh my god." 'How could I have let this happen to Metropolis? Lois could have been killed. My god, Lois could have be-'

<Clark, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known.>

"Lois? Did you just talk to my mind again?"

"I, I think so. How is this happening? And why doesn't it happen all the time?"

"I think it's because of that telepathic power Kryptonians have. Zara once told me that it seemed like it worked better for me when I got emotional." Clark said, dumbfounded.

"I thought it was only between Kryptonians, not between Kryptonians and humans."

"Don't ask me. Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

"It's okay. I'm in mourning."

"What do you mea-" Realization donned on Clark. "Oh man."

"Geez, I forgot, too. You're dead! Or at least Clark Kent is *presumed* dead. He's one of the 337 people missing from Lex's attack." For the first time since opening the window the night before, Lois was getting worried.

"Okay, don't worry. I've done this sort of thing before. Just not this complicated. How about I got hit on the head, got amnesia, and have been working as a farm hand?"

"For who? You're the most famous missing person since Amelia Earhart! And do you really want to bring amnesia into our lives AGAIN?!?" Lois shuddered at the thought of what happened the time she got amnesia.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Well, it looks like Metropolis flooded, so how about I got swept up in the currents and got pulled out to sea?"

"And bobbed around on the ocean for the past two months?"

"Well, how about being kidnapped by aliens?" Clark asked, smiling.

"Clark!"

"Well, it's true!"

"Grr." Clark smiled at this. He loved it when she "grr"ed at him. It was so cute! "No offense, honey, but who would fall for such stupid stories?"

Clark began to blush, and worry about what her reaction would be to his next comment. "Um, you did, Lois. All the time."

"That's it! That cost you an exclusive interview and a tickle tackle!" Lois shouted, jumping on him and mercilessly tickling the spot she knew was sensitive to this attack.

"Hahahahaha! Lois, stop!" Clark then pulled her off him, hearing something in the distance. "Uh oh. There's some trouble at the bank on Fourth and Elm. I'll be back as soon as I can."

'For once I wish he wasn't Superman.' Lois thought, sighing.

***

The woman and three men holding up the bank were a little surprised to see Superman.

"I thought he was gone!"

"Same here!"

"Stop talking and waste him!" The woman yelled, and then pulled the trigger on her submachine gun.

Superman sighed, bullets from all their guns flying off his chest. "Why don't you just let your hostages go? Here, let me help." He then burned through the ropes holding the hostages using his heat vision.

"#*&@$!"

"Now, now. Watch your language. There are ladies present." Superman then moved forward at superspeed and knocked the men out. "Oh, they must have been tired. They just took a nap right here in the bank." He walked over to the woman.

"Um, you wouldn't hit a lady, right?"

Superman took off her sunglasses. "No, I'd never hit a lady." He then flicked her in the forehead with his finger and caught her as she fell. Her coat fell open, revealing the sticks of dynamite strapped to her chest. "But then, I've never met a lady who carries around dynamite. I guess she wanted some insurance that she would get away." He then zapped the detonator of the bomb with his heat vision, to make sure it wouldn't go off. Police Commissioner Henderson walked over to Superman after seeing that the situation had been taken care of. "Superman?"

"Yes, Commissioner?"

"I thought you were on New Krypton."

"Not anymore. I'm back."

As Superman flew off, a rookie cop walked up to Commissioner Henderson. "He's back?"

"Yup, he's back … with a vengeance."

***

"This is Tana Moon, reporting for WGBS. I'm here at the waterfront district, a part of town that was severely damaged by Luthor's missiles, the perfect place to mark the return of the man all of Metropolis has hoped would return. And that man is … "

"SUPERMAN!! SUPERMAN!!" The crowd cried. The man in question was lifting a broken-up van out of the bay.

"Superman!" Jimmy shouted from the middle of the crowd, Perry and Lois right beside him. "Aw, he can't hear me. I wish I still had that signal waAAAAHHH!!"

"You don't need it, Jimmy. I can pick your voice out of any screaming crowd," Superman said to his friend, who was being held up in the air by Superman's arms.

"All right! The whole gang's here! Except CK, that is. He-" "I heard Jimmy. One of the 337 people missing. But Clark's tough. I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he got hit in the head, or got swept out to sea, or-" Superman got cut off.

"Someone broke through the police line!" someone in the crowd cried.

"That's right!" the person replied. "Ain't no one gonna keep me away from my fav'rit!"

"Bibbo?" Superman asked as the man threw a bear hug on him. He knew Bibbo practically worshipped him, but it sometimes got a little out of hand. Then he noticed the dog barking at him.

"Oh, this is Krypto. He's sorta named in yer honor. And he's housebroken … mostly."

"Bibbo, I don't know what to say."

Krypto was barking up a storm at some rubble. "Now what's that mutt's problem?"

"Probably just a cat. Let me scan it with my X-ra- my god." Superman was standing in the rubble and moving it in less than a second. "Someone call an ambulance!!"

"What's wrong, Superman? Is someone alive in there?" Lois asked.

"God willing," he whispered, his eyes falling on a girl, who couldn't be older than ten, holding a little boy, who was sleeping in her lap.

"Superman?" she managed to choke out. "I knew you'd find us. I told Tommy. He's asleep now. He's been doin' that a lot lately. I knew you wouldn't let us die."

"Never. I'd rather die myself." He gently picked up the children and carried them out of the old bomb shelter. "Medic!" He set them down on a stable piece of rubble, where the medics could examine them.

"They must've had some water and food down there. They're suffering from dehydration and malnutrition, but they should be okay. You got to them in time, Superman."

Jimmy turned to Superman and said, "Hey! If those kids were in one of those, then maybe some more people are. Maybe even CK!"

Superman stood there a moment, then replied, glancing over at Lois, "I hadn't thought of that, Jimmy!"

***

"This is Tana Moon, reporting for WGBS. I'm here at the site of the third rescue attempt made by Superman in the past 24 hours. He is clearing away the debris covering the bomb shelter. Hopefully someone will be alive inside."

Superman threw the last bit of rubble aside. "Well, now that it's clear, I'll leave it up to the rest of you. I have to search for more of these shelters." With that, he took off into the air.

The rescue workers started climbing over the rubble to get to the shelter. As they moved toward it, one of them shivered as a breeze suddenly kicked up, but he ignored it.

"There's someone in here! Give me your hand." The men walked out of the shelter, supporting a very ragged … Clark Kent.

"Clark!" Lois cried, running over to her fiance.

"Lois! God, I missed you!" he said, giving her a kiss.

"Mr. Kent? My name is Tana Moon. I'm a reporter for WGBS. Are you glad to be out of there?"

"Yeah! I am *so* glad to be out of there. I've got to get back to my life, plan my wedding."

"Wedding? You two are engaged?" "We sure are," Lois replied, staring at Clark. "And I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

***

Superman flew over Kansas, carrying Lois, who was wrapped up in his cape.

"Do you think they'll be glad to see me?"

"Clark, they're your parents. Of course they'll be glad to see you!"

"Well, I guess we'll see. There's their farmhouse."

They landed. Clark spun, changing into his normal clothes at superspeed. Adjusting his glasses, he knocked on the door.

Martha answered the door. "Clark!" She hugged him, never wanting to let him go.

"Son!" Jonathan came up behind them and gave his son a great big bear hug once Martha let go.

"Hey Mom, Dad. What's up?"

"Clark, be serious! Tell us what happened."

Clark sat them down and told them all what happened on New Krypton. He told them about the war, Lord Nor's defeat, the trial, his cousin Kara, and about how he and Lois were somehow able to communicate telepathically.

"Why do you think we can do this?"

Martha already knew exactly why. "Well, honey, I think it's pretty obvious why you can. Because you love each other unconditionally. As Zara said, your love for each other knows no restrictions. Clark, you have a small amount of telepathy and a great amount of love for Lois. The two work together to let you talk telepathically with each other once in a while. You two have always been in synch, and now more so. I'm not at all surprised that you two can do this."

Once again, Clark admired his mother's high intelligence and great insight. "Mom, did I ever tell you that you are probably the smartest woman I have ever met?"

Martha blushed. "Only when you were a kid and wanted something. So, what do you want?"

"I want to stay on Earth forever."

Martha smiled. "I guess that's okay with me."

Suddenly, Lois could hear Clark's voice in her head, and knew that it was something he wanted to say to her and her alone. <I have loved you from the beginning.>

Lois smiled. <And I'll love you till the end.>

Clark made a huge grin and pulled everyone into a gigantic group hug. They stayed this way for a good thirty minutes, none of them wanting to let go of the rest, afraid that if they did, they would lose that person forever.

"I'm home. At last, I'm home," Clark said through tears of joy.

THE END

(homecmng.txt)