By Michelle Kavanagh <michellekavanagh123456789@hotmail.com>
Rated: G
Submitted: April 2002
Summary: Clark and Lois's young daughter has some insecurities to sort out before she finds her niche in this vignette.
***
Lois Lane and Clark Kent were together for one year before they had their identical twin girls. Ashley-Jade-Lane-Kent was born on December 3rd 1995, at 1.08pm and, three minutes later, her identical twin sister Chloe-McKenzie-Lane-Kent was born.
Superman was still superman and Clark and Lois were still star reporters, their twins were now fifteen and all was good with the world- or was it?
Metropolis Park was full of young children playing football and baseball and there were the odd couple here and there having picnics. Two young girls, both wearing Nike hats, shorts and hoodys, were out jogging. They were identical. You couldn't tell the difference between them. The only thing you could tell about them was who their parents were, as they both had Clark's dark eyes and Lois's colour of hair and both of them were really tanned.
"Ashley, wait up, I can't keep up with you," Chloe said to her sister, who was sprinting in front of her."
"Chloe, you are so unfit, how are you expected to get on the football team if you are so unfit?"
Chloe looked up at her energetic sister and said, "Ok, Ash, I know you're older than me, but only by three minutes, not ten years. You are starting to sound like Mum, and, besides, I'm not the one with the super powers."
"Ok, fine. That's a bit of an excuse, but, still, you are so unfit, how about if I give you a head-start; we will see who gets around the track fastest!"
"Ok, fine. If I win you buy the milkshakes and if I lose you buy the milkshakes. Deal?"
The girls ran and Chloe lost, but Ashley put her arm around her breathless sister and said, "Let's go get some drinks, we have to meet Mum and Dad at six."
"Lois, Clark, get in here now," Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet shouted.
"What is it, Chief," Lois asked, with her hubby standing beside her.
"Nice work on that story you did. So who did murder Detective Redmond?"
Clark looked at Lois and Lois gave Clark the go ahead to tell Perry about the case.
"We found out that it was a past criminal who had just gotten out of jail. Redmond had testified against him and he got his revenge back by torturing the poor man to death.
***
Lois, Clark and Perry were chatting in his office when suddenly the elevator doors made a ding noise.
"Ashley, you are such a cheater. You're so going to pay for this!" Chloe ran after her sister as they raced around the room.
Lois and Clark looked at each other and then at Perry and Perry started to smile and said, "Teenagers, you can't live with them, you can't live without them!"
Ashley and Chloe knocked on Perry's office and both came in and saw their Parents.
"Hey, girls, what's with all that noise out there?" Clark asked them.
"Aww, it's your daughter. She's so unfit! I beat her at like every race today, and she called me a cheater. I guess she doesn't want to accept the fact that I'm the better athlete!"
Chloe gave her sister the eyes. "Well, duh, Ashley, that's because you got all the good genes. You got the good athlete gene, brainier gene, and not to mention the you- know-what gene."
Lois went over to her daughter and playfully hugged her saying, "Aw, Chlo, you and your sister are the same. You have the same qualities, except your sister is cleaner that you!"
"Yeah, I know, Mum. I don't have a problem with not been a good athlete etc, but, you know what, Ashley, I came with the good sense of fashion gene. Now, honey, no offence, but Nike shorts on a girl, very unattractive!"
Clark took Ashley outside and there was a sudden bad face on Chloe.
"What's the matter sweetie?" Lois asked her daughter.
"Aww, nothing, Mum, can we just go home, I'm really tired."
"Ok, I'll just go get your Dad and sister."
Lois and Chloe said goodbye to Perry and left his office. They looked for Ashley and Clark but they had gone. Lois saw a note on her desk saying,
"Honey, your daughter and I have gone to spend some time together.
Back soon,
Love, Clark."
Lois smiled to herself and put the note in the trashcan. "Chloe, your Dad and sister have gone already, they are away spending some "Super Time" together."
Chloe looked at her mum and said, "Oh, ok, he and Ashley are away spending time together. That's always happening now, Mum, does Dad not realise there are two of us?"
***
Lois and Chloe headed for her jeep and when they arrived home, they made a start on dinner.
"Mum, I'm going to go to my room for a second, I just want to change into something a bit more me!"
"Ok, sweetie, I'll call you when dinner is done," Lois said with a smile as she cooked the Spaghetti Bolognaise.
Clark and Ashley walked through the door and Clark went up behind his wife and started kissing her neck.
Ashley looked at them and said, "Ok, if anyone needs me I'll be in the bathroom throwing up!"
Lois and Clark laughed at each other, as whenever they started to get intimate the twins always came out with comments like that!
"Where were you and Ashley, tonight?" Lois asked.
"Aw, we went to England for a trip. You know, she's really getting good at this whole Supergirl thing. Tonight, she saved a member of the Royal Family. It feels so good to have a talented daughter like her," Clark said proudly as he set the table.
Chloe was on the stairs and she was nearly in tears. She ran up into her room and closed the door.
***
"Chlo, what's the matter, are you sick?" Ashley asked, going closer to Chloe.
"It's nothing, Ash, really, it's nothing. Shouldn't you be out saving the Royal Family or something?"
"How did you know about that? Ashley asked.
"Aww, I heard Dad telling Mum. Well done, Sis."
"Thanks, Chloe. It felt really good saving them."
Ashley was sitting on her bed throwing a ball at the wall, when suddenly she threw her ball too hard and it hit Chloe's Enrique Inglesis poster, causing a big rip down his face.
"ASHLEY," Chloe shouted.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I'm so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to do that."
Clark walked in saying, "Girls, dinner's ready. Wow, what happened to HeroBoy?"
"Aww, I was throwing this ball and I threw it too hard and it hit Enrique and I kind of broke his face," Ashley said trying not to laugh.
Clark started laughing. "Wow, good job, Ashley, it's nice to see you practising your strength."
"Yeah, good job, Ash. Never mind Enrique, his face will never get better, but just as long you get more powerful."
***
The family sat down to dinner, and after dinner the twins went to their room. Lois and Clark sat down on the couch and watched a movie together.
***
"Ashley, do you like having superpowers?" Chloe asked from her bed.
"Yeah, I do like helping people, but in all honesty I would love to be normal, cause I feel it's a big role to live up to. I mean, look at Dad. He is always out saving people, and he is everyone's hero, I don't know if I'll be able to do that."
"I'm sure you will, Ashley. Dad has a lot of faith in you. You're very lucky and considering he spends nearly all his free time taking you around the world saving people, I think you will be up to his speed in no time."
"Hey, Chloe, can I ask you a question?" Ashley sat up on her bed.
"Sure, shoot."
"How come you can get every boy and you're popular? What's wrong with me?"
"Ash, there is nothing wrong with you. You and I are no different. I have gangs of friends and I get on well with boys, you are popular and you do know that's there's always a place for you if you want to join our gang."
"Chloe, I'm really sorry about your Enrique poster."
"Aww, it's ok, Ash. I'm kind of going off him. He is going out with some tennis player, so I'm going to pick someone who's single. I now love Freddie Prinze Jr!"
They both started throwing their pillows at each other and they went to sleep eventually.
***
"Help, Superman. Help!" Clark spun into his superman outfit and flew out the window.
"Dad, I need you to come into school with me today cause you are my choice for Careers Day," Chloe said as she ran down the stairs. "Dad? Dad, where are you?" Chloe looked around the room and saw the window open. "Oh, you're out as Superman. Great!
Chloe ran out the door and arrived late at school. She walked in to the classroom full of people and her teacher asked her, "Chloe, where were you?"
Chloe looked at her sister and her mum, who was Ashley's careers choice.
"Aww, I'm sorry, Miss. I missed my ride this morning. "Where is your career person, Miss Kent?"
"Yeah he couldn't make it, he had something else to do," Chloe said to her teacher. The students started laughing and Lois noticed how upset Chloe was as she sat at the back of the classroom.
***
Chloe and Ashley walked in the door after school and Clark greeted them, asking them, "Hey, girls, how was school?"
"Great, I got an A in my Social Science class," Ashley said.
"Well done, Sweetie. What did you get, Chloe?" Clark asked his daughter.
"I got a B+," Chloe said.
"Only a B? Didn't you study like your sister?" Clark asked his daughter in a disappointed tone.
Chloe started to cry and ran up the stairs. Just as she did so, Lois walked in the door. "Hey, Chloe, what's the matter?" Lois asked her daughter.
Chloe didn't answer, she just ran up the stairs and slammed the door.
"What is with that girl? She is so hormonal. Ashley is never like that," Clark said.
***
Lois went up the stairs and into her daughters' bedroom; she noticed Chloe curled up with her teddy crying on the bed.
"Honey, what's the matter. You have been so upset recently. Is everything ok?" Lois asked her daughter.
"It's nothing, Mum. Really you wouldn't understand," Chloe said tearfully.
"Sweetie, you have got to tell me. I'll try to understand. Are you being bullied at school. Are you taking drugs? Are you and Ashley fighting?"
"Mum, that's not what's wrong! Jeez, drugs, what do you think I am? Ok I'll tell you but it's stupid. You are going to think I'm so selfish. Mum, I think Dad hates me," Chloe said, raising her face from her pillow.
"Sweetie, why would you think that? Your father loves you."
"I know he loves me, Mum, but I'm not good enough for him. I mean look at Ashley, she has super powers, she's smart, she's athletic and he does everything with her. I think he thinks I'm a burden. Ashley is his favourite one, she always has been and always will be."
Lois looked into her daughter's eyes and said, "Honey, that's so not true. I'm glad you don't have superpowers. If you all had superpowers I would be so alone and plus who would I do my shopping with?"
Chloe started to smile a little. "Mum, I know you'er trying to cheer me up, but he likes Ashley better. The other night, when he and Ashley went to London, he was talking to you and he said, "It's so good to have a talented daughter." Daughter, Mum, not daughters — daughter as in, "Awww, it's so good to have Ashley."
Lois looked at her daughter's eyes and started to wipe away her tears. Ashley walked in the door, going over to Chloe and her mum, saying, "Chloe, are you ok?"
Lois patted Chloe on the head and left the room. "Thanks, Mum, I'm feeling a lot better now," Chloe said as her mum closed the door.
Lois walked down the stairs and joined Clark in the living room. "What's wrong with Chloe?" Clark asked.
Lois cuddled up to Clark on the couch and said, "Honey, did you forget anything today?"
Clark looked at her and said, "No. Why, was I supposed to do something?"
Lois looked at her husband and said, "Yeah, you were supposed to be at Chloe's career day today."
"Aww, someone needed Superman, then I had to open a few stores. There will be other career days. Chloe will be fine."
Lois started to rise from Clark's arms. "Clark, do you have any idea how hard it was, watching the sadness on your young daughter's face when she was humiliated in front of her class? She was so upset when you didn't come. It was really important to her."
"Lois, what was I supposed to do. I was busy," Clark said.
"Clark, I just had the most horrible conversation with Chloe. She thinks you don't want her, she thinks you like Ashley better because Ashley has powers and Ashley is better at certain stuff."
"Lois, that's stupid. I love both girls the same," Clark said to Lois.
"Do you, Clark? Because I'm starting to wonder myself. You spend all your time with you're daughter taking her all around the world, how do you think that makes you're other daughter feel?"
"Lois, that's stupid. I spend time with Ashley because she's not like Chloe. She's…she's…"
"She's what, Clark? Special, is that the word you're looking for? Yeah, Ashley is special because she has powers. But, Clark, you have a daughter up there who is special too, but you don't know that because you are so busy with your other daughter. You're Chloe's Dad, Clark. Start acting it before we lose our daughter."
Lois left the room and Clark flew out the window in a bad mood.
***
The mood was very tense in the Kent household the next morning. Lois and Clark weren't talking, and Ashley and Chloe just looked at each other. On the way to school the next morning, Ashley and Chloe were talking about home when Ashley asked Chloe, "Hey, Chlo, are you ok? Recently you have been very cold to me, and I want to know are you mad at me for some reason?"
Chloe took Ashley by the hand and said, "Ash, I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at myself for not being good at anything. You heard Dad last night about the test. I studied so hard for that test and I only got a B. I don't think Dad's ever going to be proud of me."
"Chloe, that's not true. Of course he is proud of you. Just because you don't have powers doesn't mean he doesn't love you." Ashley looked at her sister.
"I know, Ash, but you and Dad have this special thing going on and, don't get me wrong, I love being like Mum. But I'm never going to make Dad proud. When you're older you will be saving lives and I'll be stuck at home spending Dad's money."
***
At Metropolis High School, Ashley and Chloe were in English when there was a big explosion. Before they could do anything, the place was filling up with smoke and the alarms were sounding and all the children were crying.
"Superman! Superman, Help!"
Clark jumped up out of his seat and Lois asked him what's the matter.
"Lois, there has been an explosion at Metropolis High School. I've got to go."
"Clark that's the twins school! Quick! I'll meet you there."
Lois shouted, "Perry, Jimmy, call the fire brigade and the ambulance. There is a fire at the high school. I've got to go. My girls are in there."
***
"Chloe, Chloe, where are you?" Ashley said looking around.
"Ashley, quick, I'm ok. Get these people out of here. I'll be fine."
Ashley put kids on her back and began to carry them out. When she got to the door there was another explosion. Ashley ducked and the fire hit her and not the kids.
"Ashley, are you ok?" Superman asked.
"Quick, Chloe is still in there, you have to get her out," Ashley said breathlessly.
Superman rushed into the burning building and saw all the kids lying on the ground. He took them out of the danger area and went back in looking for Chloe.
***
Lois ran towards Ashley. "Ashley, where's Chloe?" Lois asked.
"Mum!" Ashley ran into her mum's arms. "Mum, she's inside. I couldn't get her."
"HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE STILL TRAPPED IN THERE?" Lois shouted to the teachers.
"Ms Lane, there are fifteen more kids, including your daughter," the teacher said.
Superman came out of the school carrying four kids.
"Superman, where the hell is Chloe? Go look for our daughter and forget these kids," Lois said angrily.
Superman ran into the building as Ashley and Lois looked anxiously to see if there was any sign of Chloe.
"I have found five more kids," Superman said, giving them to the teacher. "There's six left."
Superman entered the blazing building and he used his X-Ray vision to look for any other survivors and his daughter Chloe. He couldn't find Chloe but he found three more kids and took them outside.
"CHLOE, CHLOE!" Ashley screamed as she dropped to her knees. Lois tried to comfort her, but couldn't hold in her tears.
Superman looked at his wife and child and was close to tears himself. He went to comfort his family but he couldn't control his emotions.
"I didn't even get to tell her I loved her," Superman said as his wife hugged him.
"Dad, where is she, she isn't gone, go look for her," Ashley said in tears.
"Ashley, I can't find her, I can't. I'm sorry," Clark said.
***
"Oh my God!"
The crowd gasped and started to applaud. There was a little girl limping out of the burning building with two kids on top of her shoulders.
The girl dropped to the ground and Superman ran over to see who the little girl was.
"CHLOE!" Superman shouted in joy. Lois and Ashley rose from the ground and ran over to the applauding crowd.
"Chloe," Ashley said running over to her sister. "Chloe, wake up, wake up!"
Chloe started to open her eyes and she said, "Did I save them? Did I save those kids?"
Lois leaned closer to her daughter and said, "Honey, you saved them."
"Ashley, I told you I'd make him proud of me, do you think I have?" Chloe asked weakly.
Ashley hugged her sister close and said, "Kent, you have no idea!"
***
Chloe woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by Ashley and Lois.
"Hey, Honey, how are you feeling?" Lois asked her daughter.
"I'm ok, Mum. Where's Dad" Chloe said.
"He had to go to work, he will be back soon," Ashley said to Chloe.
Chloe dropped a sad face and then there was a knock on the door and Clark walked in. Chloe started to smile and Clark handed her a present.
"This was what I was away doing, Pumpkin," Clark said, with a big grin on his face. Chloe opened up the present and inside was the daily edition of the Daily Planet. Chloe looked up at her dad and said, "Thanks, Dad, I needed something to read. Where they out of Pop News?"
"Look at the front page, Chlo," Clark said. Chloe looked at it and it said:
DAILY PLANET FEBRUARY 22ND 2010
LOIS LANE AND CLARK KENT'S YOUNG DAUGHTER IS NOW THE NEW SUPERHERO IN METROPOLIS
Chloe looked up at her father and had tears in her eyes.
"Thanks Dad, I really appreciate that," Chloe said.
"Chloe, I'm so, so, proud of you. I think it's great what you did. You don't have powers like Ashley or I, but that didn't stop you. You are a true hero and I'm sorry if I ever hurt you by liking Ashley more. I love both of you equally and that will never change. Group hug," Clark said, putting his arm around his family.
"By the way, Chloe, when you get home you really need to clean your room, it's such a mess," Lois said, interrupting the hug.
"Awww, somethings never change do they," Chloe said with a smile on her face.
The family all started laughing.
***
Later that day, the Kent family walked out of the hospital and were surrounded by television cameras and news reporters.
"Chloe Lane-Kent, you have been nominated for an award for being a hero. How do you feel about that?" a reporter asked her.
Chloe looked at her family with a surprised look. She answered, "I'm just glad everyone's ok. Who else is nominated?" Chloe asked the reporter.
The reporter replied, "Superman."
Chloe and Clark started laughing and made their way to their car.
***
It was on July 23rd that the Hero Awards were held.
The Kent family made their way to their table and when Chloe's category came up, everyone waited impatiently for the winner to be announced.
"And the winner of the best hero award is CHLOE-MCKENZIE- LANE-KENT!"
Chloe gasped in shock, looking at her competition — her Dad.
"Chloe, go up and get your prize," Ashley said.
Chloe walked up on the stage and collected her award. The crowd stood up as a mark of respect to their hero.
"SPEECH! SPEECH!" members of the crowd shouted.
Chloe looked at the cheering crowd and said, "I cant make a speech, I get really bad stage fright, but I will say this — If it wasn't for my family I don't think I would have had the courage to do what I did. I knew what I had to do in that fire, but it was my family that made me achieve my goal. I love you, Dad, Mum, and Ashley. Thanks for bringing me into this world, Mum and Dad, and thank you Ashley, for sharing a womb with me. I would have been lonely without you, even though you got all the good genes. I'm glad we are twins!"
The crowd laughed and some cried at the young, courageous girl. Her family joined Chloe on stage.
"Well done, Sis," Ashley said.
"Thanks, Ash," Chloe said.
"Sorry, you lost, Dad," Chloe said.
Clark started laughing and said, "That's ok, Honey, you are the real hero, and Hey, look at the bright side. It's still in the family!"
"Yeah, I guess," Chloe said laughing. She took Ashley's arm and said, "You owe me a milkshake!"
***
Clark took Lois's hand and led her onto the dance floor.
"I'm sorry about everything regarding Ashley and I. I promise to include Chloe next time, and thanks to you, I realised just how special Chloe is."
"Clark, I'm just glad she's okay. I feel sad now, because you have all done special things and have saved people's lives and I'm like the retard of the family." Lois said in a low voice.
"Lois, Honey, believe me, you have saved my life more than enough times. You married me, had my twins, and you are great at this," Clark said, pulling Lois into a passionate kiss.
***
Ashley and Chloe returned and looked at their parents.
"Mum, Dad, we are in public, please don't do that, we have reputations to protect!" the twins said together.
Lois and Clark looked at each other and started kissing again. "Aww, that's it. If anyone needs us we will be in the bathroom throwing up!" the twins said in disgust.
Lois and Clark started laughing and said, "Teenagers. You can't live with them, and you can't live without them!"
THE END