Jor-El

Jor-El

Lois made her way outside and Clark followed. Inside the Talon was heaving
with seniors having a final fling before they would have to knuckle down for
their final exams.

She stood outside the door and lit a cigarette.

"Lois I thought you'd given up," Clark exclaimed with a clear note of
disapproval in his voice.

"This time nicotine gum wasn't enough".

"What's wrong?"

"Well it might have something to do with my sister and her new career as a
fugitive, what do you care anyway?"

"I care about everyone," Clark said and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well you're just Jesus and Santa Claus all rolled into one," Lois remarked
sarcastically as an elderly gentleman came walking towards them, he took a pipe
out of his pocket.

"Could I trouble you for a light my dear?" he asked and Clark smiled. Was that
over the top British accent for real?

"Sure knock yourself out," Lois replied handing the man her lighter. He lit
his pipe and began smoking.

"You know smoking can't be very good for your asthma," the man said. "Then
again in my day we didn't know any better".

Clark and Lois both wondered if this guy had been to a costume party. He was
dressed in a costume reminiscent of Victorian England - a black suit, a little
bowler type hat, and a pocket watch well in his pocket.

"I don't have asthma," Lois said.

"Yet," the man added under his breath. "I'm afraid I am in need of some
assistance. I need to tell you but I am quite sure you won't believe me".

"What is it?" Clark asked.

Not too far away a man dressed in trousers and a shirt made completely of
unbleached cotton with long brown hair and a beard was running across a field,
his flip flops and the knife in his pocket were making things rather difficult
for him. However as he nearly injured his foot on another rock this particular
rock made him smile. Tempus knew if he had looked for long enough in
Smallville he would find what he was looking for but wasn't expecting his
search to be so easy. What history had said was true - Smallville had once
been the meteor capital of the world - quite literally.

He put the Kryptonite in his pocket, he was quite sure it was Kryptonite as he
had used it before, or at least he was going to over ten years from now, time
travelling was rather confusing. The young man smiled to himself and made his
way back across the fields.

"You see I have come from the past with a man from the future, three thousand
years in the future to be exact. He is a most awful evil man hell bent on
destroying all that is good in the future and I have to take him back so that
he can do no more harm to - anyway," the man said. "The trouble is while I
wasn't looking, it's rather embarrassing, but this man - Tempus changed the
setting on my time machine so we have ended up here in 2005 and now we have run
out of fuel".

"Fuel?" Clark asked, this man sounded crazy but they may as well listen to his
story.

"Pure 24 carrot gold".

"Wow that's a good one," Lois cried smiling at the ridiculousness of it all.
"You need gold for your time machine, well you picked the wrong people mister
because we are broke".

"Mr-," Clark began.

"Wells my boy, Herbert George Wells," the old man said smiling. He had been
here before. He pulled Clark to his side and barely whispered. "My boy I know
you are Superman and I need your help".

"Superman?" Clark cried. "Who?"

Lois at this point was just stood smoking her cigarette and had not heard what
Mr Wells had said.

"Of course - you are not wearing your glasses," Mr Wells said. "Can you fly
yet?"

Clark looked immediately shocked. He had flown - once. He knew his biological
father Jor-El had flown in his visions of 1961.

"Wait," Lois cried. "Herbert George Wells, HG Wells, the science fiction
writer?"

"That's me," Mr Wells said looking at Clark in the eyes. Who was this guy?

"HG Wells wrote a book about a time machine - he never actually made one," Lois
said stubbing her cigarette out on the floor. "Come on Clark this guy is
obviously crazy".

"Mr Wells can you show us your time machine?" Clark asked.

"Why my boy we've parked just around the back of this coffee emporium, the man
I told you about - I left him tied up to the machine".

"We might as well have a look Lois," Clark said and Lois laughed a short brash
laugh.

"No way," she said. "The man is obviously a lunatic, I mean how can you have
seen the future and be from the past at the same time?"

"Suit yourself Miss Lane," Mr Wells said and Clark followed the old man around
the side of the building.

"Miss Lane," Lois whispered to herself and she ran after the two men shouting.
"Wait I never told you my name!"

She followed Mr Wells and Clark as they came round to the back of the Talon
building. And there it stood - the time machine. Just as it had been depicted
in films - a big umbrella, brass knobs and a big red seat.

"Well that's a good model," Lois said. "Just like in the films, did you get
this from a movie set or something?"

"He's gone," Mr Wells said. "Tempus has escaped". He looked to see the ropes
still attached to the machine had been cut.

"This is creepy Clark," Lois said quietly pulling down on his arm. "What if
this Mr Wells kidnapped this man, what if he's just some crazy guy who kidnaps
people and tries to lure them with his stupid time machine story. I mean this
thing is supposed to run on gold, why not something that isn't valuable like
chicken crap or something?"

"You need to help me find him," Mr Wells cried. "If Tempus comes into contact
with anyone he could hurt them. He is evil and he won't stop until he's
reached his goal".

"Which is?" Lois asked.

"To kill Clark," Mr Wells replied quite seriously.

"Smallville? Clark is just a boy," Lois cried laughing nervously at the same
time. "Why would anyone want to kill him?"

"Why Miss Lane you would be surprised". Lois, Clark and Mr Wells turned to see
where the American voice came from. It was Tempus - stood behind a dumpster.
"Lois, Clark - how nice to see you again".

"How do you know our names?" Lois asked and she turned to Mr Wells. "How did
you know our names, are you two in this together, if you are I wouldn't bother.
I'm a college student and Clark is still in High School. We don't have any
money".

Tempus stood up on the chair of the time machine.

"Get down from there," Mr Wells cried taking hold of his arm and Tempus whacked
him in the face sending him to the ground.

"You know Lois you look a bit thinner than when I last saw you and Clark you
are in dire need of a haircut," Tempus said.

"I've never met you before," Clark said angrily, he ignored the fact he was
feeling a bit strange as he bent down to attend to Mr Wells who, lying on the
floor, opened his eyes.

"You have to stop him," Mr Wells said.

Clark stood up and went to grab Tempus, at that moment Clark suddenly felt sick
and Tempus took the lump of Kryptonite out of his pocket, leaned closer towards
Clark and he fell to the floor in pain. Lois looked on confused, was Clark
some how allergic to the meteor rocks? This wasn't the first time she had seen
him acting in this way around the meteor rocks if she thought about.

Tempus began adjusting the time on the time machine clock, Lois reached out to
stop him though from what she wasn't sure, and he clenched hard on her hand and
hearing cracking Lois cried out in pain and moved away. Tempus sat down in the
chair and made the final adjustments. He put the gold knife from his other
pocket into the hatch next to the lever.

"A gold knife so that's how you escaped?" Mr Wells cried.

"And I'm afraid Herb that's also how I'm going to get away," Tempus said.
"Let's hope your aversion to Kryptonite runs in the family Clark." Tempus
pulled the Kryptonite away from Clark. He pulled down the lever and Mr Wells
got up and moved Clark away from the machine. Lois stood away wondering what
was going to happen. As Clark's strength returned to him the time machine had
gone in a wave of blue light.

"Wow," Lois cried. "Where did he go?"

Clark stood up and straightened his plaid shirt.

"Are you OK Clark?" Mr Wells asked.

"I'm fine," Clark said.

"I didn't know you were allergic to the meteor rocks," Lois said, concerned.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"We have to go after him," Mr Wells said. "The whole world is in danger".

"What exactly is going on here?" Lois said, she was starting to get annoyed.
"This all seems a bit elaborate for a con job. I can't believe that Tempus man
has actually disappeared in that machine to travel through time, time travel
isn't possible".

"It is unfortunately though sometimes I wish it wasn't," Mr Wells said.
"Thankfully the time machine isn't the only way to travel through time".

"Where would Tempus go, that's if I believe this time travel stuff?" Clark
asked. He was starting to believe it. The mention of Kryptonite, that man
knowing it would hurt Clark, Mr Wells and Tempus knowing their names.

"Well he already tried to kill you as a child in 1989 and in the future several
times, the only other option would be to kill you before you were born," Mr
Wells said.

"But why would anyone want to kill Clark?" Lois asked though she noticed Clark
didn't seem too surprised.

"Yes," Mr Wells continued. "He said he hoped your aversion to Kryptonite runs
in the family, he must be going to kill your mother or wait - more likely your
father".

"Kryptonite? That Tempus man - he called the meteor rocks Kryptonite," Lois
said thinking out loud. "Have you ever heard them called that Clark?"

Clark shrugged his shoulders.

"My father was on Ear-," Clark began looking at Lois. "I mean he was in
Smallville in 1961. Maybe Tempus has gone back to 1961".

"Clark you can't seriously believe this tripe?" Lois exclaimed emphatically.
"Come on, why would someone go to all the trouble of time travelling to kill
you? You're just a farmer's son. All this is just special effects, has this
got something to do with my father?"

Mr Wells took a small device out of his pocket.

"This window will take us wherever or whenever we want to go," he said. Lois
rolled her eyes at Clark. She wanted to go but at the same time she wanted to
know where this was leading.

"My father was in Smallville around the time of a murder, in June 1961, would
Tempus know that?" Clark said, thinking as fast as he could.

"The history books state that Jor-El was on Earth from May 10th 1961 till June
17th - the day of the murder". Mr Wells began pressing a few buttons on the
device. "I can track the resonance trail left by the time machine. He has
gone back to June 13th 1961".

"Where did you get that?" Lois asked. "From the future?"

"Yes," Mr Wells said. "The Kryptonians gave it to me".

Clark felt a knot forming in his stomach. He thought they were all dead.

Mr Wells pressed the red button on the device and a blue window appeared.

"Come on," he cried. "We don't have much time".

"What is that?" Lois asked.

"That is our gateway to the past," Mr Wells replied. "Come on - we need to
walk through it".

"OK," Lois said. "I guess this is the only way to find out if you are telling
the truth".

Louise could not stop thinking about the man who had rescued her in the street
earlier that day. He was gorgeous like James Dean and just as mysterious. It
was as though someone from a movie had appeared to her in real life. She could
not stop thinking about him and it seemed ridiculous. She had only just met
Joe - they had not really had a proper conversation.

"You not hungry sweetheart?" her husband Dexter said. He was sat across the
kitchen table from her and had nearly finished his cold ham, cabbage and mashed
potato.

Louise looked down at her plate. She had been mashing her potato with her fork
and mixing it in with the cabbage for about ten minutes and had made a bit of a
mess.

"I guess not," she said.

Dexter finished the last of his dinner and stood up.

"I'll leave you to do the washing up," he said.

"I cooked dinner," Louise replied trying not to sound too annoyed.

"Sweetheart I've been at work all day - what have you been doing?"

Food shopping, washing clothes without an automatic washing machine, hanging
the washing on the line, ironing, cleaning the house, gardening, baking cakes
for the upcoming Founders Day festival, nearly getting shot- not much.

Louise smiled.

"You're right," she said. "You go sit in the den and I'll bring you a beer
when I've finished".

Jor-El was sat on a bench down on Main Street drinking coca cola out of a glass
bottle. It was dark and the street was quiet - the only activity was coming
from the movie theatre across the street from where he was sat. Jor-El
wondered how humans could drink something so acidic and so obviously better
suited to being a cleaning product. He guessed it was the sugar which made it
palatable and the caffeine which made them go back for more. Then again he was
enjoying food and drink on Earth. He could eat copious amounts without
suffering any harmful effects at all. The humans complained of gas and things
repeating on them. On Krypton they had specially formulated drinks and bars
which gave them all the sustenance they required. The bars were rather chewy
so they made use of their teeth and kept them strong. Jor-El had heard his
people had given up eating real food centuries ago as it seemed once food was
in abundance the people could no longer control themselves and were inclined to
become obese and experience all manner of health problems.

"Aren't you cold sir?"

Jor-El's trail of thought broke as he heard the words of a bearded man, just a
bit older than himself he estimated, stood near to him.

"I could say the same about you," Jor-El said smiling. He felt nauseas all of
a sudden - perhaps he could get gas after all. "What are those on your
feet?"

Jor-El looked at the man closer. He wasn't dressed like the other people in
America or anywhere he had visited.

"These are my slippers," Tempus said smiling. "I've never seen you in
Smallville before".

"I'm just passing through".

"What's your name?"

"Joe".

"Joe," Tempus said and he took the green rock out of his pocket and moved
closer to Jor-El. "Short for Jor-El".

Jor-El looked at Tempus in the face and at the rock and began blinking. He
looked at his hand and the veins in it turned black. He felt sick for the
first time since he had left Krypton.

Dexter had fallen asleep on the sofa as he always did after dinner. Louise put
her coat on and grabbed her handbag and decided to do what she always did after
dinner - go for a walk by the movie theatre. They were showing Splendor in the
Grass at The Talon and Louise, after meeting Joe, was in the right mood to
fantasise about Clark Gable.

Jor-El fell off of the bench and onto the floor.

"Who are you?" Jor-El cried. "How do you know my name? What is that green
thing?"

"I'm surprised you don't recognise this little bit of home," Tempus said
smiling menacingly.

"What do you know about where I'm from?" Jor-El exclaimed angrily.

"Just as dignified in defeat as your son is I see Jor-El, so strong". Tempus
found great joy in mocking Jor-El and waving the Kryptonite around in his
face.

"I don't have a son," Jor-El cried.

"You will do or at least you would do if I wasn't killing you," Tempus said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why there's no point in telling you now none of it is going to happen".

"I don't understand, where did you get that rock, why can it hurt me and not
you?"

"Well the radiation coming from this rock is only harmful to Kryptonians though
it has been known to cause some mutations in humans," Tempus said. "You know
as much as I love to see you suffer this is taking far too long".

Jor-El groaned and vomited onto the pavement.

Louise looked into the distance and the green glow immediately caught her eye.
As she walked closer she saw what looked like Joe laying on the pavement with
another man who looked like an escaped mental patient waving the green rock at
him. It looked like Joe was hurt.

"What are you doing?" Louise cried loudly and quite impressed she managed to
sound aggressive.

"Louise - no," Jor-El cried. "He'll hurt you".

"I'd listen to him Louise," Tempus said smiling. He knew full well that she
would be dead soon enough.

She swung her handbag and whacked Tempus in the face. It was enough to startle
him and he dropped the green rock on the floor. Louise took hold of it and
seeing Joe's pain at its presence threw it across the ground.

"You stupid bitch," Tempus said and he took hold of Louise by the wrist.
Jor-El blew at the Kryptonite and managed to get the rock a bit more of a
distance away and he stood up hoping Louise had not noticed the sudden gust of
wind.

"Get off her," Jor-El said and Tempus looked around for a moment for the rock.
Where had it gone?

"You do anything and I'll hurt her," Tempus replied still looking around for
the rock.

"With what?" Jor-El asked. "You don't have any weapons".

Tempus almost threw Louise at Jor-El and decided to cut his losses for the
moment and run.

Louise fell to the ground and Jor-El helped her off of the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Jor-El said seeing the graze on Louise's knee.

"It's OK," she said rubbing her wrist which looked bruised. "Who was that man?"

"I don't know," Jor-El replied. "I honestly don't have any idea though I don't
think he's from Smallville".

"At least I still have my handbag," Louise said picking it up off the floor. "
You know I was on my way to see a movie, do you feel like coming with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Jor-El replied smiling. He had not actually seen a movie yet.

Lois stumbled out of the blue door and fell to the ground.

"Are you OK?" Clark asked.

"Lois has never time travelled before - her body will take a while to get used
to it," Mr Wells said smiling as Clark helped her up onto her feet.

"I just felt woozy all of a sudden," Lois said. "Are you all right Clark?"

"I'm fine," Clark said looking around him. They were still round the back of
The Talon near the dustbins which did look a little different but not so much
any of them noticed.

"So this is 1961," Lois remarked sarcastically. "Looks a little like 2005".

"Well we're still round the back of The Talon Lois," Clark said. "That hasn't
changed much - except it used to be a movie theatre".

"Well I figured that from the front of it," Lois replied. "OK let's go".

"It's still dark," Clark said. "If this is 1961 where are we going to sleep
tonight?"

"If this is 1961 I'm not so sure I'm going to want to sleep". Lois stumbled
over as the thin heel of her shoe hit a piece of glass on the floor. She
regretted wearing heels that night. Clark caught her and they walked around
the side of the building. At that point the three saw the movie theatre empty
as a couple of dozen people exited the building.

"Wow look at the clothes," Lois said stepping forward.

"Stay back miss," Mr Wells said. "You especially are going to stick out like a
sore thumb if we just step out there in the middle of the night".

"Me?" Lois cried and looking at Clark in his plaid farmer gear and Mr Wells in
his suit figured she did look a little out of place for 1961. If it was 1961.
Maybe this was all a dream, maybe someone had slipped her some drugs in The
Talon or maybe her cigarette had been funny.

"My God," Clark cried, his mouth remained wide open. "There he is".

Lois and Mr Wells looked to see a man who could have easily been Clark's twin
with a woman who looked remarkably like Lana Lang.

"Is that your dad Clark?" Lois cried. "You look so alike, who's the girl with
him? She looks just like-"

"It's Lana Lang's great aunt Louise," Mr Wells explained. Clark was still
looking shocked as he watched the couple laughing arm in arm walking down the
street. "I suggest we follow them".

The three waited for the crowd to disperse and began following Jor-El and
Louise down the street.

"I better get back, Dex will be worried if he wakes up and I'm not there,"
Louise said smiling.

"Is your knee and wrist OK now?" Jor-El asked.

"I cleaned my knee up in the restroom it should be fine and my wrist will be
fine too. Thank you," Louise replied. "That man was strong".

"Yeh," Jor-El said. "Will you be OK to walk home?"

"I'll be fine, if my husband sees me with you-".

"I understand. I'll see you around".

"Bye". Louise walked away and Jor-El began walking to the place he was
staying. The only bed and breakfast in Smallville.

"She's gone," Lois cried. "Let's go up to him".

"In a minute," Clark replied. It was interesting watching his father when he
didn't know anyone was looking. "Gross".

"What?" Lois asked.

"Nothing," Clark replied visibly cringing and Mr Wells smiled. He had wondered
how long the Kryptonian telepathy would take to kick in though Clark wasn't
sure what it was at the moment.

Jor-El too consumed with thoughts of Louise walked up to the Smallville Inn.
He saw the sign `closed at 10' and realised though he didn't have a watch he
had obviously missed his curfew. Naughty boy.

He walked around the side of the building still unaware of Lois, Clark and Mr
Wells behind him. He looked up at his window on the third floor of the
building, looked around him and floated up into the air and alongside the side
of the building making sure to avoid any windows.

"Clark, Clark - you're Dad is flying!" Lois cried in a loud whisper.

Clark buried his head in his hands. Oh God.

"Did your birth mom get knocked up by an alien or something?"

"Actually Lois," Clark said smiling nervously. "My birth mom was an alien too".

"So you're-," Lois said and she laughed a short manic laugh. "Now I know this
is a dream. The Talon being a movie theatre, those people dressed in funny
clothes, the old cars we saw walking down here, your Dad, not to mention the
dead writer here - it's all a dream".

"Lois this is just as crazy for me too - that's my biological father up there,"
Clark said looking her in the eye an earnest expression on his face. "My
father is supposed to be dead".

They watched as Jor-El forced open the window and flew into the house. As he
looked out of the window he saw a sight which would have made him go pale if it
wasn't for the fact it was biologically impossible.

Clark caught site of Jor-El looking at him and his mind flooded with his
father's thoughts. So Kryptonians were telepathic. Well that wasn't too much
of a surprise considering the way the caves worked and the visions Clark had
had of 1961.

"He saw me," Clark said and he all of a sudden felt angry. Jor-El may look
like him but he wasn't like him. What Jor-El had done to Clark in death was
unforgivable. He immediately thought of his mother, being caught in the cave
wall, all the threats of a dead man. Now this dead man was here.

"Well go on then Smallville, fly us up there," Lois said in a challenging tone.

"I can't fly yet," Clark said. Jor-El was still staring at him.

"Can't fly? What kind of alien are you?" Lois remarked smiling. She might as
well enjoy her dream while it lasted.

Jor-El moved his head to the side.

"He's going to let us in through the front door," Clark said and they went
round the front of the building and Jor-El let them in. Without a word they
went up to his room and Jor-El closed the door. Clark had thought about this
carefully.

"Jor-El of Krypton?" Clark said and Jor-El looked at him a confused expression
on his face. Clark formed his hand into a fist and smacked Jor-El in the face
and he landed on the bed.

"Clark," Lois cried shocked. Mr Wells watched rather amused though a little
disgusted by the violence. He had expected this.

"Meet the last son of Krypton," Clark said smiling menacingly as he rubbed his
sore hand.

"Are you OK?" Lois asked running to Jor-El's aid. Jor-El sat up and looked at
Clark.

"You are my son. The one that other man mentioned," he said. "Only question
is when are you from?"

"What other man?" Mr Wells asked.

"A man dressed strangely with facial hair said I took defeat as dignified as my
son did. I said I didn't have a son. He said I would have except he was
trying to stop that from happening," Jor-El replied. "Then I come up here and
see you people and you, you hit me. I guess I'm not a good father. What year
are you people from?"

"Well by all rights I should already be dead," Mr Wells said smiling. "I am
from a time before now but in my time I invented a time machine and since my
supposed death I have been travelling throughout time and the universe".

"You must be very clever indeed to invent a time machine," Jor-El said and Mr
Wells laughed.

"I had some help," he said. "From one of your people".

"That explains it," Jor-El said. "I mean humans are one step away from living
in caves. So you two must be from a few decades in the future".

"2005," Lois said looking at the newspaper on Jor-El's bed stand. "Wow this
paper is really detailed for a dream. It's amazing what the mind can come up
with".

Jor-El looked at Lois and then at Clark.

"She thinks she's in a dream," Clark said and he took a vase with some flowers
in off of the desk by the left wall and poured the water in it over the top of
Lois's head.

"You bastard," Lois cried.

"Just trying to wake you up Lois," Clark said. "Would a dream feel so wet or
so cold?"

Lois looked at Clark, Jor-El and Mr Wells and felt sick all of a sudden.

She looked out of the window and saw old cars, old style street lights. The
dcor, the furniture, she turned the radio on which itself looked rather retro
and was met with a hiss and a whine.

"There's no broadcasts at this time of night," Jor-El said. "None that can be
picked up round here".

"This is real isn't it?" Lois cried as she stood in the reality of her sopping
wet hair and see through white top. Her jeans were also a little wet.

"I see the human women of 2005 are a little more robust though still just as
crazy," Jor-El remarked.

"Fuck you," Lois said.

Jor-El went out into the hall and came back with a towel which he handed to
Lois. He closed the door again.

"We best be quiet or Mrs Coleman will wake up and she won't take too kindly to
me having guests", he said.

"You better be able to get us back," Lois snapped at Mr Wells. "I mean these
people don't even have microwaves, the contraceptive pill isn't available yet, Bohemian Rhapsody and Star Wars are over ten years away".

"I'm sure Mr Wells can get us back the way we came," Clark said.

"Well it's all right for you Clark you probably live for like a thousand
years," Lois snapped. "If we have to stay here I'll be all wrinkly and
disgusting by the turn of the century".

"Shh," Mr Wells snapped. "For Gods sakes calm down. The whole world is at
stake here".

"The world?" Jor-El asked.

"Jor-El," Mr Wells began.

"You can call me Joe".

"Joe your son is very important to the future of this planet," Mr Wells said
seriously.

"This planet, what about Krypton?" Jor-El asked and he looked over at Clark and
felt immediately sick. "There isn't going to be a Krypton is there? That's
why you were raised here among humans I thought maybe something had happened
which meant I had to stay here but not that".

"That is not what is important now," Mr Wells said. "We are here to stop
Tempus from killing you Joe. If you die now then Clark will never be born and
then the future that exists will not be and the whole future of Earth will be
at stake".

"Should you be telling us all this?" Lois cried suddenly. "I mean if we go
back to 2005 knowing this stuff what if we end up changing things we shouldn't
be changing like in that film-"

"Back to the future," Clark said thinking out loud.

"Don't worry about that," Mr Wells said.

"My biological father - you," Clark said looking at Jor-El. It was hard to
remember the young man was the same man whose voice had haunted him in the
caves. "You left a message in my ship saying you wanted me to rule the human
race with strength and you said a lot about my destiny and how I couldn't fight
it".

"Sounds like my father," Jor-El remarked.

"This isn't about ruling with strength or destiny. You make it possible Joe,
you and your people, to ensure the human race survives and that the ideals of
the Kryptonian race live on," Mr Wells said.

Tempus having lost the Kryptonite knew getting some more was now his priority.
However in 1961 Kryptonite did not exist at least not on Earth. He would have
to travel in the time machine again but he could not do that without gold. The
gold knife had been ingenious and had acted as both fuel and weapon but now it
was gone. Smallville did have an antiques store but not a jewellers
unfortunately, so he would have to go to another town nearby or perhaps rob
someone's home. He could not imagine anyone in Smallville at this time being
wealthy enough to own any pure 24 carrot gold not even a gold engagement ring
and it was unlikely any of the antiques in the antiques store were made of
solid gold. He would also need another weapon. A gun with Kryptonite bullets
would be ideal but he didn't have time to make Kryptonite bullets - Jor-El
would be leaving Earth in two days. Tempus smiled to himself. He suddenly
remembered he had a time machine which meant he had all the time in the
world.

Tempus went behind the bushes at the back of `The Talon' where he had managed
to hide the time machine. It was still there thankfully. Now he knew the time
machine was OK Tempus went back out into the street. The only car parked on
main street was outside Fordman's store. Mr Fordman must either be working
late doing a stock take or perhaps the car belonged to someone who lived in a
room above the store. It didn't matter. He took off his shirt and wrapped it
around his fist. Something then caught his eye. Whoever owned the car wasn't
very bright as they had left one of the windows open just a few cm at the top.
He knew from previous experience these particular transport vehicles could be
opened by sliding the window down if there was a gap at the top.

Once the window was down Tempus opened the car door and got in and sat in the
driving seat. He put his shirt back on and decided another thing he would need
to get is some decent clothes. He had seen people in movies do something to
start cars called `hot wiring'. Since Tempus had been made familiar with
technical processes since childhood hotwiring a car took him a matter of
minutes though he had never done it before. Driving, however, as the car
stopped and started, would prove a little more difficult.

Jor-El went to the window.

"I just heard something," Clark said.

"It's Louise," Jor-El cried and he smiled slightly. "She's knocked over one of
Mrs Coleman's trash tins".

"Cans," Clark said - Jor-El looked at Clark and smiled.

"Still not bad for someone who only learned English a couple of weeks ago," he
said and he noticed Lois still wrapped in a towel over her clothes was hugging
herself and shivering. "There are some spare clothes in my suitcase - they
won't fit your small frame but they are dry. I better see what Louise wants".
Jor-El whooshed out of the room and Clark looked amazed - he still could not
quite believe what was happening.

Lois still shivering a bit opened the brown leather suitcase in the right hand
corner of the room by the window.

Jor-El came out of the side door of the bed and breakfast where the kitchen was.

"Louise," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you again," Louise replied in a soft tone and smiling. "I
know it sounds silly, I hardly know you but I had a really great time at the
movies and when you rescued me from that armed robber I knew you were
special".

"You rescued me too Louise".

"So can I see your room from here?"

"It's that one up there," Jor-El said realising the curtains weren't closed and
that the light was on. He assumed Mrs Coleman had taken her Valium that night
otherwise she would be awake now and yelling at him like she yelled at others
for making a noise.

"Who's that girl?" Louise asked spotting Lois stood by the window.

"That's Lois," Jor-El replied. "I err - don't know her that well actually".

"Do you make a habit of having girls in your room that you don't know?" Louise
cried, annoyed.

"She's up there with my future son and-"

"You got her pregnant?" Louise exclaimed absolutely flabbergasted at the
attitude of this man.

"No not that type of future son, it's hard to explain Louise and I don't know
if I should tell you. I wouldn't want you to get involved with something that
might be dangerous".

"Does it have something to do with that man in the street earlier and the green
rock that was hurting you?" Louise asked and Jor-El nodded. "Then shouldn't it
be my decision whether I get involved or not?"

"I guess," Jor-El said smiling and he took Louise's hand and pulled her close
to him.

"What are you doing?" she snapped.

"Trust me," Jor-El said smiling and they began to float in the air. Louise
looked up at Jor-El and smiled not realising at first what was happening.

"How are you?" she cried almost out of breath as they came up to the window.
Jor-El slid open the large window and threw Louise on the bed which Clark was
laying on. Seeing an almost identical man laying beneath her Louise screamed -
how had Joe done that? He had flown and then he was here before her - it was
so confusing. Jor-El flew in the window and closed it behind him.

Lois took hold of Louise then and put her hand over her mouth.

"It's OK," Jor-El said. "Shhh".

Louise stopped screaming and Lois let go of her. Louise looked at Lois and
Lois held up her hands as if to say `it's OK'. "I'm sorry," Louise said. "I thought Joe had some how got in the room before
me - I was scared. I didn't realise you were twins".

"Twins," Lois said and she laughed a little.

"Do you think we should be getting Louise involved in this?" Clark said to
Jor-El quietly. "You've only just met".

"You're soaking," Louise said to Lois. "Why are you wearing jeans? Are you in
the army?"

"No," Lois replied. "This is what people wear where I'm from".

"Are you from Africa?" Louise cried excitedly.

"Africa?"

"Well I'd imagine you'd have to wear pants trawling through the jungle all day".

"Louise this is Lois," Jor-El said. "This is Mr Wells and this is Clark.
Clark is my future son".

"Son - but he looks the same age as you do," Louise said frowning.

"Clark and Lois are from the future - they and Mr Wells have come in a time
machine to stop that man we saw from killing me," Jor-El said with such a
seriousness that made Louise want to laugh but she couldn't.

"I know it's hard to believe," Lois said. "Clark poured a vase of water over
me so I knew I wasn't dreaming - though a pinch would have done it".

"Are you from this time?" Louise asked Joe.

"Yes but as you may have guessed I am not from Earth," Jor-El replied.

"So that's why you can fly," Louise said and she sat down on the bed. "This
does feel like a dream I mean men don't fly".

"Louise you can help us," Mr Wells said. "We could do with a native from this
time to help us go unnoticed among the townsfolk of Smallville".

"You're English," Louise exclaimed surprised. "What do you have to do with all
of this?"

"It was my time machine".

"Are you from the future?"

"I am from the past - I was a writer in the late 19th, early 20th century. I
wrote scientific romances, now I suppose I live them".

"Mr Wells, you mean you are HG Wells who wrote War of the Worlds and The Time
Machine?" For Louise things seemed to be getting weirder. Wasn't he dead?

Mr Wells nodded.

"Mr Wells invented a real time machine with the help of a Kryptonian -
Kryptonian is what Clark and I are. Clark was raised on Earth though," Jor-El
explained.

"Smallville," Clark added.

"Really?" Jor-El replied raising his eyebrows slightly. "This place must have
really left an impression on me".

"It's like being in a movie," Louise said excitedly. "Men from outer space,
time travelling, an evil villain that the good guys have to stop at all
costs".

Lois hugged her self again shivering. "It's freezing in here".

"Right now everyone knows what's going on, sort of, we should work out a plan.
Louise can you get us some clothes?" Clark said. He tried to repress what he
knew about Louise's future but could not help looking at her in a certain way -
with a pained expression on his face.

"Sure," Louise said smiling.

"I think you should go home for now and come back in the morning. Then we'll
get ourselves a room - we don't know how long we're going to be here for".

"And what about this Tempus guy?" Lois cried. "Shouldn't we be going after
him?"

"He could be anywhere," Mr Wells added. "He has the time machine".

"And we have Jor-El," Clark replied. "And me - in the same place. I would
imagine that would be irresistible to him".

"Jor-El?" Louise said.

"My full name".

"Oh".

"I'll walk you home," Jor-El replied.

Tempus smashed the car through the window of the Grandville Jewellers knocking
the security guard over in the process. And he had his gold. He had forgotten
about the slightly larger town only an hours drive away till he had seen the
sign driving along the famous route 8. Every school child knew the story of
how a young Clark Kent had been sleep flying, well no one was certain it was
flying, and had ended up asleep on route 8 where his childhood friend and
future enemy Lex Luthor had found him.

Thankfully the windscreen had not broken but the cases holding the gold had
done. Tempus did not even get out of the car and simply reached his hand for a
fistful of gold chains. Then he remembered he wouldn't only need to travel
into the future but that he would need to travel back again to the past as
well. He got out of the car and began filling the back seat with anything
containing anything that looked like gold. As a police man approached Tempus
got back in the car and drove off narrowly avoiding knocking the police man
over too. Within an hour Tempus was back in Smallville and he left the car in
front of the Talon building looking pretty smashed up. He loaded all the gold
in the back seat of the time machine, got in the seat and set the dial for
2015.

2015 was as good a year as any. The weapons were fairly sophisticated. Also
he knew though the clean up process would be underway in Smallville there would
still be some Kryptonite around.

He put some gold in the hatch and pulled the lever but nothing happened. He
took the "gold" out and looked at it realising it must have been gold plated.
He took a selection of some rings and put them in the hatch and pulled the
lever down and the familiar blue light hit his eyes. At least some of the
jewellery he had stolen was real gold he thought, though he knew he may have to
make another robbery in the future.

Jor-El and Louise were coming closer to the front of Louise and Dexter's house
- one of the few homes relatively close to Smallville's main street.

"It must be really strange for you to see how your son will be in the future,"
Louise said.

"Well that's an underestimate - I mean I don't know who his mother is or if
I've met her yet. I can't even imagine being a father," Jor-El replied
awkwardly. "I didn't know I was going to have a son. I've always avoided time
travel at all costs, I had a friend who went into that field and he well it's
not important I just wish you and I could have met in nicer circumstances
instead of me having to drag you into all of this".

"If it wasn't for you Joe I could have been seriously hurt today".

"I know but this isn't something someone like you should have to worry about".

"What do you mean someone like me?" Louise asked as they stopped outside the
front gate of her house.

"You seem like a good person Louise I, it's just I don't want to get you into
any trouble," Jor-El said.

"Joe this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me," Louise
cried. "I mean I'm just a girl from Smallville who was living an average small
town life and now I've met you and I might actually get to make a
difference".

Jor-El touched Louise's face, her skin was so soft and she looked so innocent.
But he knew that she was special. She was one of the few people on this world
who could ever imagine there was more. She had aspirations to change her life
and despite the fact he suspected she had been raised to achieve little and to
spend her time serving others she was special.

Louise stood on tip toes and kissed Jor-El on the lips and moved away. He
smiled.

"What was that for?" he asked. Kissing was something very special on Krypton
and he knew it meant something on Earth too.

"Good night space man," Louise replied simply and she let herself through the
gate and before she let herself in the front door she took a glimpse of Jor-El
and went inside.

Lois lay asleep in the bed in one of Jor-El's shirts. The bed had a nice scent
to it after he had slept in it. Jor-El and Clark didn't sweat like human men
and Lois had to admit Clark was one of the few people she had noticed who
didn't get sweaty from exercise still had a nice "manly" smell. She slept
remarkably well for a few hours, the bed was clean and comfortable and she was
tired. Mr Wells had taken the arm chair in the corner and Clark and Jor-El
needing the least comfort had taken the floor.

Lois stirred a little and felt a presence - a person near her. She opened her
eyes to see Clark floating in the air next to her level with the bed. She sat
up and gawped at him amazed. She noticed Jor-El was floating the other side of
her though a little higher up.

"Amazing isn't it," Mr Wells said smiling with his device in his hand. "I've
been watching them for hours".

"Can't you sleep?"

"I haven't slept in years my dear. A side effect of the time travelling.
Don't worry you have to do it a good many years before it will effect you".

"Don't you ever sleep then?" Lois asked watching with child like awe as Clark
floated further up. Now he and Jor-El were parallel. "That is amazing".

"I haven't slept in fifteen years," Mr Wells said. "Thankfully there's plenty
for me to do or I would go mad with it".

"So Clark will be able to fly one day?" Lois said and Mr Wells nodded.

"I'm a bit worried what's going to happen when they wake up," he said and Lois
looked at him with a quizzical look. "Well Joe is all right but Clark, he
doesn't know how to control his floating yet. He may crash down through the
ceiling".

Lois looked up at the boys and felt too paranoid to sleep all of a sudden
though she lay back down. She lightly slept for another half an hour and was
woken by a cock crowing in the distance.

Clark opened his eyes and knowing he was close to the ceiling he tried his best
to stay afloat but alas gravity took its hold. Thankfully so did Jor-El who
woke up at the same time and he grabbed Clark's arm and placed Clark on the
floor and stood up on the floor himself.

"Show off," Clark remarked under his breath.

"If I wanted to show off I'd fly to the southern hemisphere and get our
breakfast," Jor-El replied smiling.

"It's 5 am," Lois said sitting up and looking at her watch. "Wait is my watch
set to 1961 time?"

"We arrived in Smallville 1961 the exact same time we left Smallville 2005," Mr
Wells said. "So your watch is correct unless it has the date on it as well of
course".

Who was that girl you were dreaming about last night? She looked just like
Louise. Jor-El thought looking at Clark in the eyes and Clark felt immediately
embarrassed.

"You're looking in my dreams now," Clark exclaimed angrily out loud. "I think
we need to set some ground rules with this telepathy thing like - don't do it
maybe".

Jor-El smiled in a way that immediately annoyed Clark.

"I wonder what time Louise will be here," Jor-El said. "We can't really book
some extra rooms here without some clothes for Lois".

"Plus its 5 am," Lois reiterated.

"Breakfast starts at 6," Jor-El said. "I'll speak to Mrs Coleman then".

"Just one thing," Clark said. "We don't have any money".

"Don't we," Jor-El said opening a brown bag he had on the floor to display a
large amount of American notes.

"Now Lois I figured you would want some clean underwear so I put some in here,"
Louise said softly handing Lois a blue cloth bag and she whispered. "Including
a brassiere".

Lois took the bra out of the bag and Clark laughed like he had done when Lois's
father had told her she hadn't passed high school. He always laughed at Lois
like that. The bra was made from nylon by the looks of it, was white and had
a sort of conical look to the cups. It reminded Lois of something her
grandmother would wear, maybe her grandmother did wear it! There was no wiring
in it by the looks of it either. Lois looked at the label.

"A 34B, I'm a 32D. How am I supposed to wear this?" she exclaimed annoyed and
Mr Wells embarrassed decided to move out into the corridor and began tinkering
with the time window device. Louise stood amazed at Lois's lack of shame at
discussing undergarments in front of Clark, Jor-El and Mr Wells. "I think I'd
rather wash my one in the sink or something".

Clark held up a pair of white y-fronts Jor-El had given him.

"Cute," Lois remarked with raised eyebrows.

"Mr Wells," Jor-El cried and the old man walked into the doorway. "You're in
the room to the right of this one". Jor-El gave Mr Wells a key. "Lois and
Clark you are further down the hall". He handed Clark a key.

"Where's mine?" Lois asked.

"They only had one room left".

"It's all right Lois you can have the bed," Clark said.

"Oh no you'll do that floaty thing again. Can't Mr Wells share with Clark?"

"We can't have you in a room alone Lois," Jor-El said. "Besides Clark was a
bit disturbed that Mr Wells just sat and watched us all night".

"I didn't say that," Clark said Jor-El looked at him as if to say `come on
now'. "Oh right I didn't have to".

"I did not stare at you all night," Mr Wells said. "I also did some reading".

"Reading?" Clark said.

"This device that opened the time window also acts as a data base. It has more
information in it than you can imagine - stories, history, science".

"Like the Internet".

"Oh yes the Internet," Mr Wells cried. For a moment he had forgotten what the
boy was talking about. "Well my boy the Internet doesn't contain the world's
history from when it began till the year 5008 does it?"

"That thing contains the future - let's see," Lois cried going to snatch it
from Mr Wells. "Does it say who won sporting events?"

"Lois," Clark cried in a disapproving tone and he smiled. "Does it?"

"You two are not to touch this without my permission," Mr Wells said sternly.

Half an hour later Lois and Clark were walking across the fields of Smallville.
Mr Wells could not track down Tempus using the device and so they had all
decided Mr Wells should work on the device and wait and see if Tempus came
looking for them at the Smallville Inn. Lois and Clark and Louise and Jor-El
had decided to start a search party.

"I feel a bit dirty not being able to have a shower," Lois said. "My hair must
look so greasy".

"I didn't think you thought looks were important," Clark replied as he looked
around him as far as his super eyes would allow and he x-rayed the
vicinity.

"Well I like to feel clean".

"You look pretty," Clark said smiling.

"I feel like Sandra Dee from Grease". Lois pulled at her light blue puffy
skirt.

Clark suddenly swooped Lois up in his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"This'll be faster if I run and I carry you".

"Well how fast can you run?"

"Just tell me if you need me to slow down?" Clark cried as he began running at
normal speed.

"Is this dangerous?"

"Well normally when I run at superspeed the person is unconscious and I'm
taking them to hospital," Clark cried as they began to speed up. Lois clung to
his brown leather jacket and screamed.

"I think I'm going to be sick - don't stop," Lois cried as she experienced the
rush of her life. It was like a theme park ride where you would suddenly drop
or go at g-force speeds but this was constant. Her vision blurred and she felt
sick, maybe parts of her body were being left behind but she felt safe.
Clark's arms were strong, his legs were so powerful - now she couldn't see his
legs. This was amazing, Clark turned it up a notch and Lois screamed out and
Clark stopped slowly returning to normal speed.

"Lois are you OK?" he asked, concerned still holding her in his arms.

"I felt weird Clark," she said still feeling a little woozy. "I guess we know
how fast you can go with a human in tow huh".

Clark looked around him and he noticed the Kent farm in the distance. Had he
come this way on purpose?

"Maybe Tempus is there," he said placing Lois gently on the floor. She fell
backwards and Clark caught her. "Do you wanna sit down?"

Lois stood up straight.

"I'll be OK," she said and she felt her hair which felt fluffy and tangly. "No
wonder your hair is always so messy".

"Home," Clark said to Lois looking towards the familiar sign in the distance.

"Oh yeh," Lois cried. "I suppose Tempus might think you'd come here".

"Let's go and see."

"You know I could fly us around Smallville a lot faster," Jor-El said to Louise
as they drove along in her light blue car.

"We'll be able to see a lot more from the ground," Louise replied.

"You don't think it's really weird I can fly do you?"

"Of course I do," Louise said smiling and looking at Jor-El. "But it doesn't
matter Joe. I like that you can fly".

"I'm sorry I dragged you into all this stuff". Louise turned her attention
back to the road.

"It was my decision to help you Joe," she said swallowing hard. "Ever since I
met you well I don't know what it is but before when I was with Dexter and just
living my life I felt like screaming every day of my life. I wanted to cut
myself or do something crazy like dance naked in the rain-"

"I prefer the second option," Jor-El said smiling.

"I shouldn't really be talking to you like this - you're just a stranger. But
there's something about you and it's like I'm being pulled against my
will".

"Stop the car," Jor-El said suddenly and Louise braked slowly at the side of
the road.
"Did you see something?" Louise cried quite innocently and Jor-El leaned across
and kissed her on the lips gently at first. A little startled something in her
gut reacted instantly and Louise pulled Joe closer to her by the scruff of his
jacket and she kissed him back passionately. They were a mass of clumsy lips
and tongues at one point she bit him quite hard but he liked it. Louise found
herself moaning a little. She never moaned. Joe was breathing deeply and he
suddenly pulled away.

There was another knock at the window.

"Hey you two lovebirds". Louise leant across and wound down the window nearest
to Joe and saw Billy Tate staring back at them.

"Louise," he cried shocked and he opened the car door and pulled at Joe to try
and drag him out of the car. "Get out of the car".

Joe got out of the car and Billy stood across from him in a seemingly
authoritarian stance.

"You know Louise is a married woman" Billy cried trying to sound as aggressive
as possible but he was a little scared of Joe who just stood and stared at him.

"I don't know what business it is of yours," Joe said.

Billy raised his fist to Joe's face.

"Billy no," Louise cried and she got out of the car. "Don't be so stupid. We
weren't doing anything wrong".

"Mr Tate," Joe began.

"It's Sheriff Tate".

"Billy I was just helping him-," Louise began and Billy got back into his
police car.

"I hope this is what you want Louise, personally I think you're making a big
mistake".

Billy drove off in his police car and Joe and Louise looked at each other
silently for a moment.

"We should get back in the car," Louise said.

"Do you love your husband?" Joe asked.

"Come on Joe, we've wasted enough time as it is".

"What on Earth do you think you are doing in my hay barn?"

Lois and Clark turned around startled to see an old looking man holding a pitch
fork in the entrance way of the barn. Clark was in one corner searching for
any sign that Tempus had been there while Lois had been struck by the presence
of a pig feeding her young. In another corner a goat was sat half asleep.

"Er - your barn," Lois said smiling nervously. Clark turned around - he
recognised the man immediately.

"Sorry sir," Clark said trying not to gawp at the man. "We were looking for
signs that someone had been here".

"Someone has been here - you two".

"Who we're looking for - he's dangerous," Lois said.

"Are you police officers?" Hiram asked.

"Yes, sort of".

"This hasn't got anything to do with the young man in my kitchen with a face
covered in blood?"

"What young man?" Clark asked.

"Follow me," Hiram said. He put his fork down in the hay and Lois and Clark
followed him into the farmhouse.

Both amazed Lois and Clark tried to hide the fact. The house was obviously
decorated differently but the layout was the same and the place was even more
familiar to Clark due to his visions he had experienced previously of 1961.
For the first time since they had arrived in 1961 Clark missed his parents.

A young fair haired woman, heavily pregnant, was stood attending to a wound on
a young black mans forehead. His face was covered in bruises.

"Boy, these two are police officers," Hiram said.

The boy looked up at Lois and Clark who stood to Hiram's left.

"They don't look like police officers," the boy said. Clark had to stop
himself from smiling. The boy looked scaringly like Peter Ross. There was
only one man this could be. Pete's grandfather Benjamin.

"Who did this to you?" Clark asked.

"The same people who always do".

"Why?" Lois asked.

"Are you blind miss - I'm coloured".

"So you're black so what?" Lois cried and then she suddenly remembered where
they were.

"Black - that must be some new city word for it".

"What's your name?" Clark asked lowering his voice slightly.

"Benjamin Ross".

"I'm Clark Lane," Clark said suddenly realising he couldn't be a Kent. "And
this is my wife Lois".

Lois shot Clark a dirty look and then smiled softly at Ben.

"Have you seen a kinda skinny white guy with long brown hair and a beard? He
was last seen wearing beige clothes and sandals," she said and Ben shook his
head.

"We haven't seen him either," Hiram said. "I'm Hiram Kent by the way and this
is my wife".

Clark looked at Mrs Kent's bump.

"May I?" he asked.

"Sure why not?" she cried and she laughed in a warm and pleasant way. "Some
people don't even ask it's like I'm a bump with a woman attached to it".

Clark touched the bump and x-rayed it at the same time. Hi dad, he thought.

"Hiram wants to call him Gene, I think Jonathan would be better, we're still
deciding".

Clark stood up straight and Ben winced as Mrs Kent dabbed the cut on his face
with a wet cloth.

"Does this happen a lot?" Clark asked him.

"There's nothing you can do".

"Has the civil rights movement started yet?" Lois whispered to Clark and he
shrugged his shoulders.

"I think it started in the 50's but I doubt any modern attitudes have reached
Smallville yet," Clark replied whispering too. As much as he loved his home
town he doubted anyone here cared about, what were to them, current events.

"It's been nice meeting you Mr Kent," Clark said and he and Hiram shook hands.
"We better be on our way".

"I've heard about what you just said - civil rights," Ben said suddenly. "I
know what people are trying to do going on marches, sit-ins and things. If
more people were more like Mr and Mrs Kent we wouldn't need to march to get
accepted".

"We're really sorry," Lois said. "Maybe you should report what happened to the
sheriff - you don't have to take this".

"It was his brother and his brother's friends who did this," he said and Lois
and Clark feeling a little sad for Ben said their goodbyes and left the
farmhouse.

"That was weird," Clark said.

"So was that guy your grandfather?" Lois asked. "And the woman must be your
grandmother. Did you ever meet them?"

"No," Clark replied. "Hiram Kent died before I could meet him. That black guy
was my friend Pete's grandfather I do know him in the present day".

"Wow and that bump, that baby in Mrs Kent's womb is your Dad - wild," Lois said
smiling. "No one has ever got to see when their grandmother is pregnant with
their own father".

"That and I literally saw him in the womb". Lois looked confused.

"I have x-ray vision - I can see through things".

"Wild," Lois cried and she began laughing.

Louise let herself in the back door that evening and got straight to making the
dinner. Dexter walked into the kitchen on hearing the door open and close.

"Oh you're back," he said. "Good I'm starving".

"Poor people are starving Dexter," Louise said in an annoyed tone and she began
peeling some potatoes.

"So where have you been?"

"Helping Mrs Small with the founders day festival preparations, what else?"
Louise said smiling falsely.

"So what's for dinner?" Dexter asked.

"My day was great, we got a lot of work done," Louise replied and Dexter looked
confused.

"What?"

"You don't even ask how my day is," Louise snapped.

"Sorry sweetheart," Dexter said putting his arms around Louise from behind as
she carried on peeling. "It's just I've been out all day ploughing those
fields, you know I'm just tired".

"Well I get tired too," Louise said. "It's just as hard work cooking and
looking after you and all the women in the town wanting favours all the time".
Dexter laughed.

"You're too nice Louise, you don't need to run around for people like Mrs Small
all the time, you should be running after some kids," Dexter said and he began
kissing her neck. Louise felt the butterflies form in her stomach - not from
pleasure or anticipation but from guilt. Joe. She missed him already and
wished she could go back to his room in the Smallville Inn but she was married
and it wouldn't be right - unfortunately.

"Whose kids?" Louise asked, innocently. She didn't want children, at least not
with Dexter. Children seemed like a lot of hard work when you were poor. A
Hollywood actress would have a nanny to take care of all the horrible stuff and
then she could just stick to the fun things like playing games.

"Ours of course - we've been married over a year now. People are going to
start thinking I'm not up to it".

"Well we shouldn't have kids just to prove you know that your little man is
working," Louise said embarrassed.

"Little man, less of the little," Dexter said pushing himself against the back
of her so she could feel the hardness of his erect penis through their clothes.
"Put the knife down".

"Aren't you hungry?" Louise asked feeling sick to the stomach. She would have
to - he was her husband. Dexter shook his head and she put the knife and
potato down. Louise turned around to face Dexter and he kissed her hard on the
lips. Her body could not help responding and somehow Louise was excited.
Maybe because she could not help thinking about Joe. She knew Dexter would be
quick - he always was. After he took down his trousers and underwear he pushed
her against the kitchen table, lifted her skirt and she slid out of her
underwear which fell to the floor. Dexter touched her between her legs and
then shoved his cock inside her. It was a little painful but not entirely
unpleasant and Louise wishing she could touch herself kept her hands flat on
the table as Dexter got on with relieving himself. Louise had tried touching
herself during sex once and Dexter was horrified she would ever do something
like that in private let alone in front of her husband. Once Dexter had
finished with a grunt he got up kind of embarrassed, dressed and left the
kitchen without another word. Louise wanted to touch herself, even more she
wanted Joe but instead she pulled her underwear up again, washed her hands and
got on with the cooking.

Jor-El looked out of the window of his room. There wasn't much to see just a
patch of dirt ground where a couple of cars were parked, some trash cans and
beyond that a stretch of cornfields. Still the natural landscape of Earth was
beautiful. Krypton had few areas of natural beauty left.

"Mrs Coleman is serving up dinner," Clark said breaking his father's train of
thought. "It's fish".

"I'm not sure I can eat a dead sea animal," Jor-El said. Though he had already
eaten beef and chicken. He knew it had been protein of some kind but had never
tasted meat so didn't realise what it was until Mrs Coleman had told him. He
had felt a little sick at the thought of him but it couldn't do him any harm.
Nothing could on Earth - except for that green rock.

"Do you miss Krypton?" Clark asked breaking the brief silence.

"You know I do, why ask me?"

"Here people's thoughts are private. I'm used to talking".

"I can tell you're already learning to block your thoughts from me".

"Is that bad?"

"No, all Kryptonian children learn to do that from an early age".

"Is it weird for you coming to another planet like Earth?" Clark asked.

"It's weirder for me that my son who hasn't even been born yet is asking me
that question," Jor-El replied turning away from the window to look at Clark.
"Who is your mother?"

"Her name was Lara". Clark felt sad just saying her name.

"It looks like my father gets his way then after all," Jor-El said smiling to
himself.

"Do you know her?" Clark cried a hopeful expression on his face.

"We were married at birth".

"Oh".

"It was an arranged marriage, don't you like that idea?"

"Some people on Earth have arranged marriages but the people I know, like my
parents, they married because they love each other".

"And so do people on Krypton except those of noble blood".

"Noble blood?" Clark asked, frowning.

"Well you didn't think any average Kryptonian would be able to send you across
the galaxy in a space ship like I did?"

"I don't know".

"You still seem angry with me," Jor-El said. "You know I can't help anything
I've yet to do".

"I know," Clark said softly but Jor-El was not convinced.

"We better get to the dinner table and try some of these dead sea animals,"
Jor-El said.

Clark, Jor-El, Louise, Lois and Mr Wells all sat in Jor-El's room later that
evening. Lois was fiddling with her 60's bra under her blouse uncomfortably
while Mr Wells was tinkering with the time travel device.

"It's been two days," Clark said. "Where is he?"

"Why doesn't he go back in time to when he was trying to kill Joe and stop
Louise from rescuing him?" Lois added, frowning and she put her hands in her
lap.

"Because then we would go back to stop him and he would go back to stop us - we
would end up in a loop. It's happened before my dear - very confusing," Mr
Wells said.

"Then if he's gone somewhere else in time why didn't he reappear a few moments
after he left?"

"Because he likes to see us squirm - probably," Clark said.

"He'll show up soon enough," Mr Wells said. "Like Clark said you and Jor-El
being in the same place is irresistible to him oh and Lois".

"Lois?" Clark asked.

"Well he never liked Lois either".

"Why not?" Lois cried - she was almost offended.

"If it wasn't for you Lois then Superman's descendants wouldn't have formed the
world Tempus so detests".

"Superman - you mentioned him before," Clark said.

"Superman - what kind of dumb name is that?" Lois cried.

Mr Wells passed her the device.

"Here's a picture," he said.

"He's hot - not sure about the Lycra though".

"That's me!" Clark exclaimed snatching the device.

"No way is that you".

"It looks like Clark," Louise said looking over Clark's shoulder.

"What the hell am I doing dressed like that?"

"I thought they weren't allowed to look at the device," Jor-El said taking it
from Clark and handing it back to Mr Wells.

"I said as long as they had my permission it was all right".

"Wait if it wasn't for me, Superman's descendants - oh no," Lois cried and she
briefly buried her head in her hands. "No way".

"What?" Clark cried, annoyed.

"Me and you have children together, that's what you're saying isn't it?" Lois
cried and Mr Wells nodded his head.

"Why would Tempus care if Lois and Clark have children or not?" Louise asked.

"Because it is their children who unite the humans and Kryptonians in the new
world".

"You and me?" Clark said pointing at himself and then Lois. "No way".

"Hey I'm not exactly thrilled I'm going to be popping out alien babies - your
alien babies. Is that even possible?"

"Wait did you say Kryptonians and humans would unite in the new world?" Clark
said. "The other Kryptonians are all dead".

"Not all of them Clark," Mr Wells said smiling knowingly.

The Founders Day Festival was in full swing as the country band played folksy
country music, there were stalls selling homemade jam and cakes and stalls
running various games where you could win a prize. Later on the local school
children were going to do a play telling the story of how the town of
Smallville was founded. There were some of the younger people stood around
looking bored including the ones who were occupied by helping their mothers on
their stalls. Lois smiled - they probably would have preferred The Beatles
though Lois wasn't sure The Beatles had arrived in America yet. Sam Cooke?
Bill Hailey and the Comets? Lois knew quite a bit about music but her
knowledge wasn't that extensive as to know what was in the charts at the
moment. Elvis Presley was probably a safe bet. The older festival goers were square dancing and Lois was amused by the
hokey-ness of it all. Still the boys took care of themselves in this time. No
pale computer nerds or fat beer drinkers here (well maybe some of the over
forties) - but did they have a brain? A young blonde man in a blue plaid shirt
and beige trousers smiled at Lois. His teeth weren't great.

"Who's that?" Clark asked.

"I don't know I guess he's just being friendly," Lois replied. "In this time
people courted didn't they? Kissing was knee trembling experience, people went
steady and made out in their cars - a girl could slap her boyfriend for making
a move and then he would apologise profusely".

"Lois Lane isn't getting all romantic is she?" Clark teased.

"No I know the 60's may seem romantic, more innocent times maybe but in 2005 I
can say no or I can say yes and more importantly I'm not expected to bake or
sow". Lois twirled around in her big skirt and Clark smiled.

"That's my girl," he said, surprised he said it in fact and Lois feeling a
little queasy turned around and continued walking. "Are you OK?"

"Yeh I'm just hungry - let's get some burgers or a hot dog. Do you want a hot
dog?"

Lois was doing that crazy babbling thing again. Clark guessed a woman would
have to be crazy to marry him and have his children. Still a life time with
Lois wasn't disturbing him as much as he thought it would. In fact not being
disturbed was more disturbing.

Jor-El and Mr Wells were walking behind Lois and Clark and Mr Wells was still
playing with the time window device. Jor-El noticed Louise stood with Dexter
and Sheriff Tate by the lemonade stall.

"Louise is over there - I'm going to get some lemonade," he said and Mr Wells
nodded barely noticing Jor-El was speaking to him.

Lois and Clark sat down on a bench away from the dancing eating some burgers
and fries.

"Oh my," Mr Wells said.

"Is everything all right HG?" Clark asked, a mouthful of beef.

"You should have some of this," Lois cried smothering her fries in ketchup.

"According to this the time machine is back in this time frame," Mr Wells said.
"I can track its chronoton field to a mile away from here".

"Hi," Jor-El said to Louise and he took a sip of his lemonade. It was an
improvement on the coke but that was probably because it was actually comprised
of something organic.

"Hi," she replied as she looked over to see Dexter and Billy deep in
conversation. "Do you think Billy will tell Dex that he saw us?"

"I don't know, let me listen".

"Louise hasn't been around much these past few days. She's been so busy with
the preparations for the festival," Dexter said. "She doesn't seem happy
either".

"Dex don't worry - Louise seems fine to me. Maybe she's been tired - she seems
perfectly happy talking to that guy".

"That's Joe he saved Louise from that robber a few days ago. I thought he
would have moved on by now".

"Maybe he's found a reason to stay," Billy said in a suggestive tone.

"Not my Louise," Dexter cried, worried.

"Of course not Louise isn't that type of girl," Jor-El said reporting back to
Louise what Billy had just said.

"How can you hear what they are saying?" Louise asked, impressed.

"Enhanced hearing faculties," Jor-El replied. "Now they are talking about some
girl over there with large breasts personally I don't think she looks as
beautiful as you".

"Joe, breasts indeed - I". Louise blushed and Jor-El found it amusing that
Lois said words ruder than that and didn't even blink. How women would change
over the next forty years was certainly amazing though Jor-El did think perhaps
Lois would be like that wherever she was. Lois was more like the women of
Krypton - Louise had something different about her perhaps it was innocence.
And perhaps innocence was not such a bad thing.

"Mrs Small are you going to let me have my wife back now?" Dexter cried smiling
and Louise and Jor-El turned their attention to the middle aged woman.

"I don't know what you mean Mr McCallum," she said it a little quieter and
Jor-El had to translate for Louise.

"Well she's been helping you so much with the festival-"

"Your wife hasn't been helping at all Mr McCallum - she said she's been too
busy with things at home," Mrs Small said and she walked off without another
word. She was far too busy.

Louise and Jor-El looked at each other a little worried as Dexter glared at
Louise.

"Let's dance?" Louise cried nervously. "Come on".

She dragged Jor-El over to the square and Clark watched from a distance
confused.

"Something's going on," he said.

"Something is now," Lois cried. "He's back".

Jor-El turned around as he tried to keep up with the dancing. He wasn't doing
too badly since he had never square danced before. As he turned around and
went to clap he saw Tempus stood to the right of the band dressed in jeans, a
blue shirt, a black Stetson cowboy hat and matching black boots. Jor-El
x-rayed him - he had something made of lead in the inside pocket of the brown
jacket he was wearing.

"Joe be careful," Louise said, she had also spotted Tempus. He was staring at
them.

The song finished, people stopped dancing and started clapping. Tempus
approached Louise and Jor-El.

"Care to dance?" he asked Louise smiling inanely.

"There isn't any music playing," Louise replied and just as she finished that
sentence the band started playing another song.

Tempus held out his hand.

"I don't think so," Louise said and she turned to walk off and Tempus grabbed
her shoulder.

"Hey let go of her," Jor-El cried.

"Get out of the way if you're not dancing," an annoyed grey haired woman said
and Louise continued walking and Jor-El and Tempus followed.

"What do you want?" Louise asked, her eyes were almost burning with anger.

"I only wanted a dance".

"What are you doing here?" Jor-El asked.

"You don't know?"

"If you're going to kill me-"

"That wouldn't be very clever of me would it, not here with the town's law
enforcement just over there and your son?" There was an arrogant tone to
Tempus's voice that made Jor-El just want to punch him in the face right at
that moment but Jor-El knew he could punch his head right off like a football -
he had to control himself.

"So what are you going to follow me around all day?"

Jor-El didn't know what Mr Wells had been worrying about. How was this man any
threat? He was a pest more than anything.

"I know you could be gone from my sight in a second if you wanted to be that's
why I need to keep a hold of the girl," Tempus said taking a hold of Louise by
the wrist.

"Get off me".

"You heard her," Jor-El said and he pulled Tempus's arm and Tempus turned
sharply knocking Louise to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Jor-El cried. Louise nodded her head. Sheriff Tate,
Dexter, Mr Wells, Clark and Lois noticing what was going on began walking over
to the scene.

"Tempus why don't you just go back with Mr Wells to your own time and forget
about this vendetta of yours?" Jor-El cried.

"Vendetta? Is that what you call it? I think something's been lost in
translation between English and Kryptonian. This is more than a vendetta - I
hate you, you and your son and all of you self righteous arrogant bastards".
Tempus shouted the last four words and he lifted Louise off of the floor.

"Let go of her," Dexter and Jor-El said at the same time.

"OK, what's going on here?" Billy exclaimed attempting a deep authoritative
voice.

"Tempus, let her go, you've attracted attention to us," Jor-El said and he
added more quietly. "Don't you people have a time directive?"

Tempus let Louise go and she bumped her bottom on the grass.

Lois helped her up.

"One thing I always wondered about you people, if you are so advanced why
didn't you go back in time to stop your planet exploding instead of inflicting
that freak son of yours on all of us?" Tempus exclaimed and a small crowd began
gathering around them.

"You insignificant insect," Jor-El cried and he shoved Tempus. Tempus reached
for the gun inside his jacket pocket and Billy and two local police officers,
one blonde and one extremely tall, took out the guns from their pockets. In
Smallville the force was so small the police were usually always on duty in
some way and they always carried their guns - though they usually didn't need
to use them.

"I would stop right there if I were you," Billy said. "These men are clearly
intoxicated, planets exploding? I think you should both go home".

"Joe didn't do anything," Louise cried and Clark was about to step forward when
Lois put a hand on his chest.

"Stay out of this Clark," she said.

Tempus whacked the Sheriff around the head with his gun, Billy fell to the
floor knocked out cold and Tempus tried to run when the blonde officer fired a
shot into the air. He nodded at the other officer and they wrestled Tempus to
the floor and one of them placed a set of handcuffs on him. By now most of the
town were watching including Hiram Kent and his wife.

Jor-El went to pick up the gun and the blonde police officer held Tempus and
the other pointed his gun at Jor-El.

"Put that down", he said and Jor-El held up his hands, the blonde officer put
Tempus's gun in his pocket.

"Why are you doing that, that gun can't hurt you," Tempus cried. "Why are you
accepting the law of this world?"

"I think he's on LDS Barney," the tall officer said.

"LDS," Lois said and she sneered.

"I'd shut your mouth missy," the tall officer said and he put Jor-El in
handcuffs. The Sheriff still on the ground stirred from his
unconsciousness.

"Billy are you OK?" Louise cried bending down to see if he was OK.

"Do you need a hand?" Dexter asked Barney and the other officer.

"Thanks Dex," Barney said and Dexter took hold of Jor-El.

Mr Wells looked at Lois and Clark a concerned expression on his face. A couple
of the towns men helped Billy up and Jor-El and Tempus were taken off to the
Sheriff Station. Jor-El looked back at Louise and she looked at him the pained
expression on her face mirroring his. Billy rubbing his head with one hand
shoved Jor-El forward with the barrel of his gun.

"We can't just let them take Jor-El away," Clark said.

"Shh," Mr Wells said. "Jor-El can't get hurt in the prison cell, Tempus has
had his gun taken away from him".

"How long do you think they will lock them up for?" Lois asked.

"Well it's not illegal in America to possess a gun is it?" Mr Wells replied.

"Well it is if you try and use it on someone," Clark said. "But Jor-El hasn't
done anything really so they should release him soon but that's besides the
point. With Tempus in jail it will be easier to capture him ourselves and take
him back to the future".

"Louise are you OK?" Lois said as Louise stood there staring at the dot that
Jor-El had become on the horizon.

"This is all my fault," she whimpered. "I, I'm sorry"

"It's OK," Clark said a sympathetic tone in his voice. "Joe will be fine -
we're going to get him out and take Tempus back to the future".

"And Joe will leave me and marry your Mom," Louise said a bitter tone in her
voice. "And my marriage is ruined and well either way things aren't looking
that great for me".

Clark couldn't think of what to say, well later tonight Lachlan Luthor is going
to shoot you dead? Clark could only hope that now the timeline had been
changed that wasn't going to happen but that wouldn't stop something worse
happening instead.

"So what do we do? Wait until tonight and Clark just breaks them out the
joint?" Lois said.

The band started playing music again and the group began making their way back
to the Smallville Inn. The residents of Smallville were now more excited about the two men being arrested now though rather than square dancing and homemade
jam.

"We can't break them out - the minute Tempus is released he'll get his gun back
and try and kill Jor-El again," Mr Wells said.

"I'm assuming that gun has Kryptonite in it," Clark said and Mr Wells nodded.
Clark looked suddenly anxious.

"Well now you're in as much danger as the rest of us," Lois said. "What if we
just tie Tempus up as soon as we nab him?"

"It's too risky, Tempus is very clever and manipulative, he could easily trick
us somehow and Jor-El will end up in danger. We're safer if he stays where he
is"

"And my father?" Clark cried. "We can't just leave them in there, they could
be in there for weeks - what if they charge Jor-El with something or they send
Tempus off to a prison?"

"Fine, we'll wait till its dark and then you can get them," Mr Wells said and
he sighed. "But if it goes wrong".

"Clark's right we can't sit around forever," Lois said.

"I agree," Louise added. Louise spoke a little incoherently and her voice
shook. "Joe doesn't belong in prison and the sooner you take that horrible man
away we can all get back to normal".

Jor-El looked over at Tempus through the bars and Tempus looked back at him.
They were in separate cells, there were only two in the sheriff station but
they could easily touch each other through the bars if they wanted to.

"What you staring at?" Tempus said in an annoyed tone.

"I wasn't staring," Jor-El replied.

There was a silence, Jor-El placed his hands on the bars staring at the wall in
front of him and Tempus continued to pace up and down.

"Why don't you just break yourself out? You could lift this whole cell up and
throw it into the sun and just fly away," Tempus remarked in a frustrated
manner.

"With you in it?" Jor-El quipped.

"So you do have a sense of humour".

"What exactly is it that you have against my son?" Jor-El asked.

"Just because we're locked up together doesn't mean you can use this time to
psychoanalyse me, I would rather you threw me into the sun than tried to be
nice to me. Once I have my gun back you're gone," Tempus said and he held up
his hands like a gun and pointed at Jor-El. "Pow".

"I'm guessing there's Kryptonite bullets in that gun".

"You guessed right".

"But it's made out of lead".

"Yeh but once the bullets leave the gun the lead in it can't neutralise the
Kryptonite".

"Isn't it kind of heavy?"

"Well it's not lead lead, it's a lead alloy".

"From the future?"

"Yes, what's with all the questions about the gun? Does it somehow make you
feel better knowing exactly how the weapon that's going to kill you is going to
work?"

"Well I'm a scientist".

"Oh yes and so clever you couldn't save your own planet from destruction but
you had enough time to send your bastard son to come and lord it over us mere
mortals on Earth".

"Clark wasn't a bastard, I thought his mother and I were married".

"He's a bastard in a different way".

"I still don't understand what Clark can have done to you, what year are you
from?"

"The year 5008," Tempus said. "That's when I left the future with Herb and
went back to 1989 to kill Clark as a child, unfortunately Lois and Clark turned
up then to stop me but not this time, this time I've gone straight to the
source - you. For years my hatred was focussed on Clark and Superman-".

"Clark is Superman".

"Now I know it wasn't really his fault. I mean he was only on Earth because of
you, wasn't he?" Tempus smiled and then cackled almost, he had suddenly come to
a realisation. "For years I hated Superman, I spat on his statue if I could, I
have hated Kryptonians with a passion but Clark was just a soldier sent on a
mission - you gave the orders. You orchestrated it all".

"What exactly did I do?" Jor-El cried, he almost felt guilty. "This is
ridiculous, I haven't done anything, Clark isn't even born yet".

"Your son has created a future where humans like myself, pure Humans are made
to feel like second class citizens. In my time Kryptonians live with humans on
Earth. After the Great War at the end of the twenty first century the
Kryptonians came to visit Clark. He had suggested to them before that they
could live among humans but they didn't want to integrate with Human society.
After the war there was no society so they and Clark and those children of his
took it upon themselves to resurrect humanity and the humans welcomed the
Kryptonians with open arms lured by their technology, and for centuries now
Humans and Kryptonians have co-existed even after Clark's death".

"How did Clark die?"

"Of old age, aged between 800 and 1000 a gene kicks in which means Kryptonians
start to follow the ageing pattern they would experience in a red star
system".
"The future you describe sounds quite peaceful, two dying worlds coming
together like that".

"Huh. You don't live then, ever since I was a child I have been made to feel
inferior, the Kryptonian or part Kryptonian children were always better in
school, always get the better work assignments, the better life partners,
everything for them is just perfect. For pure humans like myself we were
outcast. Kryptonians say they make allowances for us, their arrogance makes me
sick. It's like we are their stupid children or something but they soon come
running to us when some other alien race is trying to use Kryptonite against
them, it's their own fault for keeping some of it in labs. Some Kryptonians
even use human DNA to protect themselves against Kryptonian virus's. It's like
we're just genetic material - our women are just baby factories".

"How do Kryptonian virus's exist on Earth?"

"Well the Kryptonians brought them with them when they settled of course,"
Tempus said, contempt in his voice. His hands were shaking but he felt some
release being able to say this to Jor-El.

"So you think if you stop Clark from being born that you can stop the current
future from happening, what if it turns out you erase your own existence,
haven't you thought about that?"

"My parents were both human and lived on a human farm commune".

"How do you know your great grandparents weren't Kryptonian, you say yourself
they have settled together for centuries and from what I've seen of you you're
a pretty strong guy?" Jor-El turned away from the bars and walked towards the
wall facing Tempus's cell.

"I work out, humans are generally stronger these days".

"Because of an improvement in living conditions or because of an infusion of
Kryptonian DNA," Jor-El said with a wicked smile on his face.

"You bastard," Tempus said and he reached through the bars and Jor-El scuttled
away laughing.

"Didn't you ever think maybe your inadequacy would have been a part of you
whether Kryptonians were on Earth or not? Are your insecurities really worth
killing someone for?"

"I'm not the only one who hates your people, I'm not working alone, there's a
movement of us," Tempus cried and he laughed at the worried expression creeping
across Jor-El's face. "See the perfect future your son and Lois created isn't
perfect. It's a battle of Human DNA versus Kryptonian DNA and even though the
Kryptonians maybe more superior in some ways Human DNA is relatively young and
you know what happens, well it's like the dinosaurs on Earth, one day a
mutation will occur, a virus, maybe the other aliens in the galaxy will just
get sick of your arrogant flying asses, whatever, something will happen and
you'll all be wiped out forever. Nothing lasts for ever, you had your turn,
Krypton blew up and that should have been the end of it, you've had your final
grip on life, I and my people are going to make sure that you will let go".

At that moment Billy Tate came walking along the corridor swinging his keys.

"Glad to see you gentleman have been behaving yourselves," he said.

Lois, Clark, Mr Wells and Louise made there way to the Sheriff station as it
got dark that evening. They stood behind a row of bushes.

"Right do we have a plan?" Lois asked.

"Well I can just whip in there and get Jor-El out in a second," Clark replied.

"And how about Tempus?" Louise cried.

"The girls right, we need to capture Tempus now while we know where he is," Mr
Wells said.

"Right well Louise can distract Billy, I'll break open the bars obviously and
we'll get Tempus out first, Lois and HG you can keep hold of him, I'll get
Jor-El out and then we take Tempus back to the future," Clark said. "And then
HG can take Lois and I home and Louise and Jor-El well they can do what they
were going to do before we arrived".

"I don't know what you mean," Louise said, blushing.

"I didn't mean that," Clark said and he felt a bit grossed out. "I don't want
to think about my Dad doing that".

"Right so we all know what we're doing," Lois said and everyone nodded. "Let's
go".

Louise walked up to one of the town police officers who was manning the front
desk area. He was smoking a cigarette and looking at a girly magazine he had
slipped inside a hardback book about cars. He looked up to see who had walked
into the station and upon seeing Louise suddenly put his book down and stubbed
out his cigarette.

Louise looked behind her to see Lois stood by the doorway.

"Mrs McCallum," the officer cried, he was surprised to see her.

"Dick, where's Sheriff Tate?" Louise asked, an urgency in her voice.

"He's busy - what are you doing out alone when it's dark?"

"I need to speak to Sheriff Tate about something".

Billy came walking into the front desk area with Jor-El and locked the metal
door which lead to the cells behind him.

"Joe," Louise cried. She could not help it - he smiled at her warmly.

"What are you doing here Louise? It's almost 10 o'clock" Billy said. He had
an angry frown on his face which made Louise feel a bit nervous. She had
always thought he was too aggressive.

"I wanted to know if you are OK after your head injury".

"I'm fine - you didn't need to come all the way to see me to ask me that".

"Dex and I were concerned".

"I doubt Dex even knows you are here".

Lois, Clark and Mr Wells moved away from the entrance and down the steps.

"Joe's been released," Lois said.

"The sheriff may just be moving him elsewhere I wouldn't get too excited," Mr
Wells said.

"No, he's been released," Clark said.

"Are you releasing Joe?" Louise asked.

"After questioning Mr Rel I am releasing him without charge".

"Well that's good".

"I really am sorry," Jor-El said seriously. "I was just trying to stop Tempus
from causing trouble".

"Just keep yourself out of trouble in future and I suggest you leave Smallville
as soon as you can", Billy said in a threatening manner. "This is a nice town
we don't need men like you coming here and causing trouble".

"I'll do what I please," Jor-El said and Louise realised that she found
Jor-El's commanding presence really attractive. He was humble enough to
apologise to the Sheriff even though Earth law was really not something he
needed to take notice of and yet at the same time he wasn't going to take any
of Billy's posturing. "Goodbye Sheriff".

"Bye Billy," Louise said and she followed Jor-El out of the station.

Mrs Coleman walked out of the kitchen smiling to herself.

"Thanks Mrs Coleman," Clark shouted after her and Jor-El walked in.

"Hey," Clark said. He began devouring a plate of fried eggs, bacon, hash
browns and fried mushrooms.

"Hey what?" Jor-El said.

"Nothing," Clark said with his mouthful. "It's just a greeting like hello".

There was a silence for a moment between them and all the two men could hear
was Clark's chewing noises magnified.

"We haven't really had a chance to talk much with everything that's been going
on," Jor-El said sitting down at the kitchen table opposite Clark.

"Well to be honest I'm a bit scared of you," Clark said. He felt a bit stupid
admitting it but this could be the only proper conversation he could have with
his father ever.

"That's only natural - it's been weird for me meeting my son that's not even
born yet".

"I've always been scared of you".

"Why?"

"Well you told me I had to leave Smallville forever, when I didn't you said you
would hurt everyone I cared about so I blew up the ship and-"

"What ship?"

"The ship you sent me to Earth in as a baby".

"Clark I haven't sent you to Earth yet".

"But to me you have, this, what we are in now is the past to me".

"And to me it's the present".

"Can it be both?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know I haven't been brought up knowing time travel is possible like
you have - to me it is just a theory. Some scientists say it's against the law
of physics".

"The human laws of physics are a good grounding - things an adolescent on
Krypton would know".

"So what it does it mean if I look at you and I think of all the things you've
done to me or that you've yet to do and I can't forget them and just talk to
you?"

"It means you're only Kryptonian, nobodies perfect. What am I going to do
that's so bad? I mean surely it's your fault you blew up the ship?"

"I was scared, I thought if I destroyed it you would leave me alone".

"My memory can't be destroyed Clark".

"Well I didn't know that, my Mum, she lost her baby because of the explosion".

"I know it's hard for you Clark and you feel guilty but maybe that baby just
wasn't meant to be, maybe all that happened to teach you something".

"I went to Metropolis for three months, stole and hurt people - I was under the
influence of Red Kryptonite".

"Never heard of it".

"Had you seen green Kryptonite before Tempus used it against you?" Clark put
his fork down on the table.

"I had heard of it, we don't know much about it, only that fragments of
Krypton's surrounding moons when they do travel as far as the yellow star
systems become irradiated and dangerous for us when we are in this solar
system. We used to have laboratories in this system but they've been inactive
for years and we make a policy of not carrying out our work on planets which
aren't ours".

"I don't understand, you seem so smart, you were smart enough to send me to
Earth, smart enough to leave your memory in the caves".

"Clark I didn't leave the memory in the caves".

"Well you're going to".

"Clark I left my memory in you, it's what Kryptonians do so when we die our
families can be comforted by us".

"This doesn't make sense, you obviously loved me so much and yet the way you
treated me," Clark said, his hands shaking a little. "You used a young girl to
entrap me into going into the caves, my father went into a coma for three
months and my Mum was left alone while I was in that place. You stripped me of
all my humanity!"

"You're not human".

"I wish I was human," Clark said and he stood up and could feel the rage
pulsating through his blood. "I wish I wasn't your son, that I didn't have to
be anything that I am. I want to be able to get drunk, smoke weed, sleep with
girls, have a hangover - I just want to be normal".

"You want to be small and you are not small" Jor-El snapped and he stood up too
and grabbed Clark by the shoulders.

"Now you're sounding more like him," Clark said, a bitter tone in his voice.

"Clark I am not your father, your father doesn't exist yet. You have to
understand that whatever I've done I can't justify it because I haven't done it
yet".

"I just want to know why".

Jor-El let go of Clark's shoulders and went over to the kitchen window and
looked out.

"Maybe I was scared. I feel it now, dread that Krypton will be gone, dread
that all we've achieved will be turned into dust, that the only trace of us in
history will be the tales of nomadic aliens who may have heard of us, maybe I
did what I did because I was scared that if you forgot us, well, we might as
well have never existed at all".

"I can't forget," Clark said and he half smiled. "Just because I play football
and watch TV, I drive a car and eat pork chops - all the things you don't get
to do every day. It doesn't mean I don't think about Krypton, wonder what it's
like and wonder what you and Mom were like".

"At the moment I don't know what your Mom is like," Jor-El said and he smiled.
"I've seen a picture of her and she is very beautiful. I met her but we were
about six at the time. She's a philosopher and an artist - she's written award
winning papers well we have little data devices not actual paper. To be honest
Lara has always sounded a bit stuck up to me".

"Well I'm supposed to be marrying Lois - I can't imagine that".

"Lois seems like a good person and courageous," Jor-El said.

"But she's so annoying," Clark said and he began heating up his food with his
eyes. "Do you want some?"

"Louise is waiting for me upstairs," Jor-El said.

"Keep her safe tonight," Clark said.

"You don't have to worry Clark".

Lois looked at the clock, it was only five past eleven. There was a knock on
the door.

"I'm decent Clark," Lois cried and Clark entered the room. Lois was laying on
the bed in one of his shirts. "You look wiped".

"Thanks Lois".

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really".

"I can't pretend to understand what you're going through Clark, if I imagine
going back in time and spending time with my Mom well it freaks me out to be
honest".

"We should be out finding Tempus," Clark said.

"Why aren't we?"

"Tonight's the night of what was Louise's murder - I'm not sure now that we've
changed the time line if it'll still happen".

"You didn't tell me Louise is going to be murdered," Lois said, suddenly
concerned.

"Well I didn't want you feeling like I've been feeling the past few days -
sometimes knowing what's going to happen really sucks".

"Yeh well I'm surprised Mr Wells has told us as much as he has about our
future. I mean that must be going against some rule of time travel telling us
we're going to get married and I'm going to have your children and that our
descendents are going to unite a society of humans and Kryptonians. I mean I
didn't even know what a Kryptonian was a couple of days ago let alone that
you're one".

"You've been pretty cool about it," Clark said about to sit on the floor and
Lois patted the bed.

"You can share with me if you want Clark, I feel bad you sleeping on the floor
like that. I didn't feel so bad when I thought you floated the whole time but
I kind of noticed you only do that part of the night".

"When I'm dreaming," Clark said and he took off his shirt, shoes, trousers and
socks and got in the opposite end of the bed to Lois. "This is how me and Pete
used to sleep when we were kids".

"Chloe told me about Pete, that he was in love with her and she didn't notice
because she had her Clark goggles on".

"What about Chloe?" Clark cried. He was sat up in the bed and Lois had her
head resting against the headboard and wiggled her toes in Clark's face.

"I'm hoping by the time you and I get married she'll have got over you by then".

"I just don't understand how we get together". Clark frowned and Lois smiled
and patted him on the leg.

"Well you've got your Lana goggles on".

"And how about you?"

"I'm terminally single".

"Actually I haven't thought about Lana that much I mean with Louise here it's
like she's here too. It's weird".

"Well they do look extraordinarily alike - like you and Joe".

"We don't even like each other at the moment," Clark said.

"So we're not attracted to each other now - doesn't mean we couldn't be. You
know there's that classic thing that some people who are attracted to each
other can mask that attraction with hostility".

"I don't think we have any chemistry. The thought of us kissing or something
is just weird".

"Well how do we know if we don't try it?" Lois asked, teasingly kicking her
feet in Clark's face. "Go on kiss me".

"I can't just kiss you like that?"

"What do you want? An orchestra playing Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata in the
background?"

"I don't want to kiss you".

"In the interests of science, you're not scared you might like it are you?"

"No way".

"Come on then," Lois said kicking her feet in Clark's face again. He didn't
blink.

"Can't you kiss me?"

"Oh for God's sake". Lois got up and grabbed Clark's shoulders, tried pulling
him on top of her and she kissed him. Clark clumsily moved up to her end of
the bed and rested his weight on his arms so he didn't press on Lois too hard
his lips still on hers but she moved away before he could kiss her back.

"I wasn't ready," Clark said and he lay on his side and Lois lay facing him.
Clark placed his large right hand on her cheek- her skin was soft and he put
his left hand through her hair which was also soft. Lois put her hand on
Clark's chest - for an 18 year old his body had always amazed her. She
remembered when she had first met Clark in that field. She had seen it all and
it would be all hers one day. She had never thought she would be attracted to
someone as obviously good looking as Clark. And he would one day be this great
man. But none of this impressed her. Right now he was just the gentle hand
coming down to rest upon her waist.
Lois looked into Clark's eyes. Her body was shaky, her lip quivered, her eyes
were open so wide. Clark stared intently his eyes lingering for a few
moments.

Clark leaned forward and kissed Lois moving his other hand down to her waist
and she kissed him - his top lip, his bottom lip, pulling him closer with her
arms. He could feel her nipples through her shirt against his chest. Clark
opened his mouth and Lois followed slowly their tongues delicately brushing
against each others and briefly, teasingly, touching gums and teeth.

Lois pulled away and breathed deeply. She looked startled.

"Maybe we should go to sleep now," she said.

"Uh-huh," Clark said grateful Lois either hadn't noticed or was ignoring his
obvious erection. "I just need to go to the bathroom".

Louise looked at the clock - it was just about eleven o' clock. Jor-El walked
into the room and closed the door behind him. Louise smiled warmly at him and
then her expression became tense.

"You know I really thought Billy would keep you and Tempus locked up all
night," she said. "I was so worried he would hurt you".

"It's OK," Jor-El said as he noticed Louise's eyes becoming wet.

"I didn't even know you two days ago - I don't understand what I'm feeling".

"I know - I've never felt this way about anyone before". Jor-El kneeled down
by the bed and took Louise's hand.

"Me neither," Louise said softly.

"Not even your husband?"

"I never wanted to marry Dexter. Don't get me wrong, he's--he's a nice man,
he's just... safe. I made the mistake of telling my father my dreams. I want to
go to Hollywood, become a star. The next thing I know, he's putting me together
with Dex, saying what a great wife I'd make. I finally gave in. And here I
am".

"Sounds like my father and yours would have got along and from what Clark says
I'm going to repeat the cycle with him".

"Maybe now you know you can change things," Louise said.

"No I don't think Mr Wells is going to let us do that".

"What do you mean?"

"It's to do with time infractions, it's very complicated".

"I just wish someone could take me away from all this".

Jor-El stood up and kissed Louise's hand.

"Then come with me," he said smiling.

"This is so amazing," Louise cried as the wind beat against her dress and her
hair. There she was thirty or forty feet up, in the sky, the houses and trees
small beneath them and she had never felt safer. She clung to Jor-El's arms as
he flew as though it required no effort at all. And it didn't.

They flew silently for a few minutes just taking in the air and the view
looking at each other.

"Joe do you ever think why you end up leaving me? I mean you must do because
you go back to Krypton and marry Clark's Mom," Louise said breaking the
silence.

"See this is the trouble with time travel," Jor-El replied, an annoyed tone in
his voice. "We shouldn't know any of this - we should be able to just enjoy
this moment for what it is".

"I also think about how this was supposed to turn out - I mean before Clark,
Lois and Mr Wells showed up".

"Me too".

"Do you think we fell in love then?"

"You love me?" Jor-El cried surprised. As he said that the wind picked up and
the heavens opened - the rain began to fall upon them.

"We're going to get soaked," Louise cried bending her head down.

"It's OK I can fly above the clouds".

"No, let's go and shelter in that barn down there". Louise pointed down at the
building, she could just about see it.

"OK," Jor-El replied. The place seemed pretty deserted so Jor-El swooped down
and they walked into the barn.

"I thought I recognised it from up here, it's my barn!" Louise said and she
giggled. "It looked different from up there".

"Come here," Jor-El said and he pulled Louise towards him and kissed her
passionately, she kissed him back this time more slowly than she had done
before. She bit his top lip gently and opened her mouth and Jor-El opened his.
He had never kissed like this before teasing her tongue with his, he pulled
away from Louise and pulled her towards the car.

"I love you," Louise said almost finding it hard to breath as Jor-El lifted her
gently onto the car bonnet and lifted her blouse off over her head. Underneath
she wore a camisole top which was almost as soft as the skin underneath it. He
kissed Louise on the lips again quickly and pulled her skirt up. Louise pulled
her underwear down and threw it into the hay.

"I love you too," Jor-El replied. His hand swept down her body and he touched
Louise's clitoris with two fingers. She amazingly responded exactly in the
same way when that was touched as a Kryptonian woman would. Louise shuddered a
bit and Jor-El took her camisole off to reveal her small pert breasts. He
leaned on her and kissed her right nipple and placed his hand on her left
breast. Louise moaned and placed her hand under Jor-El's shirt. He took it
and his leather jacket off quickly and pressed the top half of his body against
hers, he could feel her hard nipples against his smooth chest and he kissed her
again. He took her skirt off and then realised she would need to lay on it to
protect the skin of her backside.

Joe quickly lifted Louise and placed her on top of the skirt. She was
completely naked now apart from her shoes which she quickly kicked off onto the
floor. Joe kissed Louise's stomach and moved his kisses lower down until he
kissed her clitoris. Hair tickled his nose. Comparisons were no longer on his
mind as Louise's thighs pushed on him and she moaned. All Louise could think
was how Dex had never done that!

Louise clasped onto the side of the car and writhed her nipples growing harder.
It was so pleasurable and yet painful in some ways like she couldn't bear to
feel so good, she wanted to let go now but something stopped her - thankfully
Joe didn't stop. He licked, he rubbed his nose against it - quite hard and he
kissed it until Louise felt herself get wetter and then there was the release.
She gasped and suddenly felt her whole body tingle.

Jor-El wiped his mouth on his hand and pulled his pants down quickly. Louise
looked at the size of erection with anticipation. She felt so open he could
try and stick a house up there and she wouldn't be the least bit worried. He
didn't ask but pushed his penis into her quite violently. It had been
throbbing in his pants for nearly fifteen minutes and now he couldn't believe
the feeling of it being inside her. Louise gasped and grabbed Joe's buttocks
digging her well manicured and rather sharp nails in. Joe came after less than
two minutes had passed and after a moment he pulled off of Louise and stood up
his penis still semi erect.

"Sorry I was rubbing myself against the car," he said in explanation for coming
so quickly. He pulled his pants up after wiping his penis with his shirt. He
put his shirt on and then his jacket.

"Don't apologise," Louise cried as she stood up and wiped herself with her
camisole. She put her blouse on over her bare breasts and hid the camisole
under a bale of hay. "Had you done that before?"

"I've only had one lover before you - we only did this a couple of times".

"Who was she?"

"Her name is Lara - Clark's mother".

"So you know her already?" Louise asked, the disappointment in her tone was
clear. She pulled on her underwear.

"I told Clark I'd only met her when we were children but that isn't true. To
be honest Lara is a bit stuck up as you humans would say" Jor-El said and he
frowned and rubbed his forehead. "Louise I was supposed to go tonight".
Louise pulled her skirt up.

"And hopefully you still will," a voice from the entrance of the barn cried.

Clark walked along the hall five minutes after he had left Lois with his
erection. He x-rayed Mr Wells room, he was reading as usual. He wondered if he
dared x-ray Louise and Jor-El's room knowing what they might be getting up to.
Clark walked up to the door. He couldn't hear anything - he couldn't feel his
father's presence either. He x-rayed the room - it was empty.

"Lois!" he cried. "HG".

Louise and Jor-El turned to see Tempus stood in the entrance to the barn
pointing the barrel of in the direction of Jor-El's chest.

"As history dictates I knew I would find you two in here," he said and he fired
the gun three times in succession.

"No," Louise screamed as the bullets flew through the air. She jumped in front
of Jor-El taking the full blow of them and the blood began to soak through her
shirt. "Oh God no," Jor-El cried as Louise fell to the floor.

"This wasn't meant to happen," Tempus said, he stared as Jor-El cradled Louise
in his arms the tears streaming down his face.

"Louise don't leave me," he cried. "Please".

"I'll never leave you. I love you," Louise said and her eyes rolled into the
back of her head.

"This wasn't meant to happen," Tempus said and he held up the gun and Lois
whacked him with a spade over the head and he fell to the floor.

Mr Wells began tying his arms and legs.

"Louise," Lois cried and Clark followed her over to where she lay in Jor-El's
arms.

"Dexter's going to be here any minute," Clark said.

"You knew this was going to happen," Jor-El cried, his hands shook. "Why
didn't you stop it?"

"The same reason you won't stop the destruction of Krypton," Mr Wells said.
"Your people tried and failed because it was meant to happen. It's tragic but
Louise has to die".

"But we changed history," Lois cried kneeling down next to Jor-El and patting
him on the shoulder.

"Clark said we should all stay in tonight to rest, said Tempus could wait till
morning so we would all stay in the Smallville Inn and the night of Louise's
murder could then pass. But it has been proven time and time again that we
can try and change destiny and it doesn't always work. Sometimes things are
rigidly fixed in place. Call it the will of God or fate but some things will
happen whatever you try and do to change them," Mr Wells said. "I know it's no
comfort to you now my boy but whatever version of history we visit Louise is
meant to die whether it is at the hands of Lachlan Luthor or Tempus".

Jor-El went to touch the wound.

"Don't it will burn your skin - they are Kryptonite bullets remember," Mr Wells snapped. "Now Tempus must be taken back to the future and time must be put
right".

Jor-El wasn't listening he just stared at the glowing wound in Louise's chest.

The time machine re-appeared in front of Lois, Clark and Jor-El a second after
it had disappeared. Mr Wells looked at the three young people, Clark and Lois
were dressed in the clothes they had been wearing when they had left 2005.

"That's Tempus taken care of," he said.

"That was quick," Lois said slowly, as the words had popped out she realised
how stupid she sounded.

"So what do we do now?" Clark asked.

"You and Lois will go back to 2005, Clark will go to the senior prom and
graduate from high school and you my dear will get on with whatever it is you
do, history is a bit sketchy about this period other than you were in
Smallville we don't know much".

"I'm not doing very well so I probably wanted that kept out of the history
books".

"Did Tempus say why he was so intent on killing me?" Clark said.

"He said the future you and Lois created left a lot of humans as second class
citizens," Jor-El replied and Lois and Clark looked concerned. "Maybe it was
just him that felt that way".

"There was a small movement of people like Tempus but they were generally
embittered and small minded. They purposely shunned Kryptonian ways wanting to
keep to their human ways just as some Kryptonians didn't like human ways. But
what Tempus doesn't know is the future that I have seen. Far far into the
future Kryptonians and Humans are no longer two separate races - they are one
people spread throughout the galaxy long after the Earth is dead," Mr Wells
said.

"When is that?" Lois asked, nervously.

"As science predicts about 5 billion years from now," Mr Wells said smiling.
"Don't look so worried dear".

"And what about me?" Jor-El asked.

"You will go back to Krypton but not before you have a wonderful romantic
relationship with a certain Louise McCallum".

"What?" Clark asked.

"Time must be put right - you didn't think I was going to let you two go back
to the future knowing what you know did you? I'm going to take you back to the
moment just before I arrived and Lois lit my pipe".

"What about Jor-El?" Clark asked. "Will he remember me?"

"I'll need to take Jor-El back to the moment before Tempus arrived and
threatened him. The memory is an odd thing but all any three of you may
experience are some odd dreams but you will not remember what happened here not
really".

"What about Tempus?" Lois said. "Won't he still be in 2005 and 1961?"

"I've already taken Tempus back to before the point he actually cut himself
free from the time machine, the two me's were able to take both Tempus's back
to the future since one of the Tempus's was still injured from you hitting
him".

"This is so complicated," Clark said.

"All perfectly logical," Jor-El said with half a smile and Clark smiled too.
"You know Clark I would give you some wise words now but you won't remember
them. Just remember that the future me must have loved to save your life. I'm
sure it wasn't all about preserving Kryptonian heritage - I mean there were
other Kryptonians in space that could do that".

"Thanks - I'm sorry I punched you in the face," Clark said and he put his arms
around Jor-El, Jor-El confused put his arms around Clark. "I know you won't
remember this but this is the only chance I get to hug my biological father".
Clark pulled away from Jor-El and looked at Lois.

"Right back to the future you two, Jor-El I shall see you in a second. Come on
you two get in," Mr Wells said.

"See you in the future Smallville," Lois said and she hugged Clark too and he
kissed her on the lips.

"I won't get to do that for a while," Clark said and he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Lois cried and she punched Clark lightly on the shoulder.

"I still find the thought of you and I together absolutely incredible".

"And that's what it'll be incredible," Mr Wells said quickly. "Now get in".

Lois and Clark climbed into the time machine and waved at Jor-El and took one
glance at each other before it was gone.

"Lois I thought you'd given up," Clark exclaimed with a clear note of
disapproval in his voice.

"This time nicotine gum wasn't enough".

"What's wrong?"

"Well it might have something to do with my sister and her new career as a
fugitive, what do you care anyway?"

"I care about everyone," Clark said and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Ooh you're Jesus and Santa Claus all rolled into one," Lois remarked
sarcastically. "Mmm just had a sense of deja vu then".

"Me too," Clark said. "Glitch in the Matrix?"

"You're weird Smallville".

"Come on Lois put that out you don't need it," Clark said and Lois sighed and
stubbed her cigarette out on the wall.

"Who can resist those puppy dog eyes?" she said.

Mr Wells smiled as he stood in the doorway of the Talon and he quietly snuck
back round the side of the building to the time machine.

The time machine re-materialised in Smallville 1961. Mr Wells looked at the
empty space where Jor-El should have been.

"Where did he go?" Mr Wells said to himself out loud. "Joe, Jor-El".

Mr Wells hit the side of the time machine in disappointment for a moment and
then suddenly his face lit up. Of course.

The big elaborate plan for Clark's destiny.

Before Krypton was at the brink of destruction Jor-El had seem it coming. Now
Mr Wells knew why. But just like Louise's murder the destruction of Krypton
had been inevitable.

### The End ###