The Memoirs

Pete was... trying not to think about his girlfriend--well, ex-girlfriend now. But that was part of what he was trying not to think about while he cleaned up his room.

Which was a sign of the impending apocalypse in and of itself, Pete voluntarily cleaning his room within an inch of it's life. There were no more dirty clothes on the floor, his comics had been alphabetized, his CDs had been reorganized, his telephone was finally mounted on the wall instead of just laying haphazardly wherever Pete had dropped it last, and...

Well, he was running out of things to do, which made him really thrilled when the phone rang. "Yo," he said, picking it up and flopping on the bed.

Dominic was... well, he was making a face. He couldn't help it.

After physical therapy had ended early (mostly because Jonathan had to get back to the farm for an emergency with Martha), Dominic had decided, since he was rested and he didn't want to think about anything happening with Lionel right now, he needed to keep busy.

And that was how he found himself rolling down the hall leading to Shayla's room, the only room occupied in the wing, and he saw immediately how Shayla had...made it her own. There were posters of Orlando and Viggo everywhere, several of rock bands, half strewn, naked young men in fetching poses.

Dominic made a face at a particular one of the young Legolas chap, and muttered to himself, "Bloody hell, not I'm that effeminate," before he opened Shay's door.

Stared in horror.

And picked up her phone, dialing the young buck she was dating. "Pete? Dominic, Shayla's brother. Hi, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you had an hour or two free? I'm about to go through her bedroom and clean out her stashes and I thought since you know her right now better then I, you'd know where she hid half her things."

Pete swallowed. "Um. Hey, Mr. Senatori. I... um, sure, I'd help but um... I don't think she'd want me to do that right now."

"Now, that's a lie. I know she's a bit too much to handle right now, but I do honestly need a hand."

Shit. Pete thudded his head gently against the wall. "I know you do, Mr. Senatori, but... we broke up today at the hospital. I don't think she'd want me goin' through her stuff with you. Or... you know, at all."

Oh.

...shit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Are you all right?"

"It's okay," Pete said, dragging his hand over his face. "I don't think anyone knows, except maybe Shayla's doctors cause I'm sure she's told them." Was he all right? Not by a long shot, but the last thing he needed or wanted was anybody's pity. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just... tryin' not to think about it too much."

"I understand." And now, Dominic was feeling uncomfortable, as well. "Well... take care, Pete."

"Maybe you c'n call Clark." Or that bald bastard. "I know she likes them, and probably a lot better'n she likes me right now. They'd help you, I know."

"I will. Thank you. Bye," and he hung up, setting the slightly sticky pink phone back down.

He sighed, instead, looked around the room, and pinched the bridge of his nose before he rolled over to the bed. His sister's favorite jeans were in a ball on the floor--in fact, most of her wardrobe was. "Since when did the carpet become the closet?" he muttered to himself. He picked the jeans up, shook them out a bit, and finding them clean but wrinkled, set them on his lap. He had the most hilarious image of Ms. Bird opening the door a crack, throwing the laundry in and closing it again, and snickered to himself a little as he picked up a pink t-shirt and some sneakers. He set them all on his lap, and knowing he wouldn't need anything else, turned from the room, rolled out, and closed the door behind him.

He rolled across the hallways to his, Lionel's, Clark and Lex's wing, hearing Clark screaming and shuddered, rolling his eyes. He rolled past their bedroom, thumping a fist on the door, bellowing, "Keep it down!" before going to his bedroom. There, he grabbed a small, empty overnight bag, put Shayla's clothes in it, and the movies he was taking her too.

After that was done, and Freddie had jumped on his lap, he rolled to the elevators and went down a floor to the kitchens. "Ms. Bird, is Phillip--ahh, hello," he said, and smiled up at the driver, having a cup of coffee at the counter. "It's been an age. How are you, Phillip?"

Phillip looked up. "I'm doing just fine, sir. How can I help you this afternoon?" he asked with a smile, and he held out his hands for the bag and the furball. "And is your little furry friend coming with us?"

"Ahh, no. He hitched a ride, supposedly to come back downstairs to romance Ms. Bird's cat," he said, with an amused glance at the old lady in question. "Ms. Bird, let Lionel know I'm at the hospital before he comes home and has kittens over finding me gone, all right? I'll only be gone for a few hours."

Ms. Bird just huffed. "De lady in queschun has already bin fixed, so dey can have quite a goot time together." She held her hands out for Freddie. "I vill tell Mr. Luthor where you are gone."

Freddie kneaded Dominic's lap with his paws and yawned lazily. Yeah. Like he was moving.

Dominic lifted the kitty up, gave him a rub on the ears, and handed him over to Ms. Bird, scritching his velveteen ears gently. "Thanks, Ms. Bird." He looked up at Phillip as he took the wheels of his chair and led them out the door. "How are you liking Smallville?"

"Smallville... is much quieter than I'd expected, sir," he said, following Dominic out to the garage. "From the way Mr. Lex spoke of the place, I expected to suffer a head injury my first day on the job. But it's been... quite a pleasant place to live, actually." He held the door open for Dominic, and then locked the door behind them. "Which car would you like to take, sir, and where are we going?"

"Whichever you think will fit this monstrosity I'm riding, and to the hospital, to visit my sister. Lionel's been able to get her discharged by Saturday, thank God." He glanced up, though, amused. "it's a sleepy town, even with LuthorCorp taking up home, here. It's been rather nice."

Phillip laughed softly. "Mr. Luthor had me check the dimensions of the wheelchair and it will fit in the trunk of every sedan that is in the garage, as well as the limo, the Bentley Azure, and the Cayenne," he continued.

"Of course he did. But what he didn't tell you what a bitch it is to get it into every sedan in the garage," Dominic said, and grinned. "Whatever's easiest for you is fine." he rolled into the garage, bumping down the little ramp until he was at the bottom, and sighed.

"It's quite all right, sir." Phillip surveyed the garage. "How about we take the Azure? It's even got a convertible top that we can let down for you on the way to the hospital," he continued. "Get you some nice fresh air and some sunshine."

"Sounds fine," Dominic said, and rolled over to it as Phillip got the keys. He opened the passenger door, and after a little struggle to get the wheelchair the way he needed, he grasped the door, the seat, and was able to get himself up enough to slide into the seat alone.

Phillip waited calmly until Dominic was situated, and he quickly collapsed the wheelchair and slipped it into the trunk before climbing into the driver's seat and putting the top down as he cranked. "Would you like the radio, sir?"

"That's fine," Dominic said, and he fell silent, buckling his seat belt as Phillip drove. The drive to the hospital was uneventful--the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and it felt...well, it was a nice day, and he needed the air he got from the collapsed top.

When he got to the hospital, Phillip helped him into the wheel chair, and after doing so, he told him, "I'll be quite a while, and its likely Lionel will be coming by, so you can go. Thank you."

"If Mr. Luthor doesn't come by in time to pick you up before you leave, please feel free to give me a call and I will come and take you wherever you'd like to go," Phillip offered.

"I will. Thank you, Phillip," he said, and smiled, turning with the bag on his lap, and rolled into the hospital. He went through the long halls to the elevators he needed, went up the floors to the psyche ward he'd been to a few times before, and went down the hall where he knew Shay was staying.

After talking to the nurse at the nurses station, he wheeled to Shay's room, quietly knocked, and opened the door before rolling in.

"Sorry, I'm fresh out of blood, go and suck someone else," she said, without looking up from the computer.

Dominic arched a brow. "I didn't know I'd become one of the undead. Though I'm sure if I had, at least I'd be a sexy vampire. Better then that skinny bastard you've got on your door--Orlando Bloom would look better in a dress. He'd do fabulous drag."

Shayla couldn't help the wide grin or the squeal as she slammed her laptop shut. "Morgan!! I thought you were one of the orderlies coming for more blood!" She nearly bowled him over as she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Dominic smiled a little as he hugged her, very gently, giving her a little squeeze. "No blood, though I bring clothes. If I could go to the store yet I'd have brought flowers, so rain check on roses, okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine, roses later, brother now!" She plopped onto the bed and grinned at him. "I'm glad to see you!!!! I didn't know you were up and moving around!"

He arched a brow, almost all the way to his hairline. "I didn't know they were giving out Prozac in the water. I knew I should have asked for some."

"I'm not on Prozac," she said with a bounce. "I'm just glad to see you!"

Well, all right. He gave her a grin, and set the bag on the bed, as he settled in his chair beside her bed comfortably. "How are you feeling, baby?"

"Better now that you're here." She tossed her hair over her shoulders. "Seriously considering a haircut." She stretched her arms. "I... I've got to tell you something, but you can't like, bust a gasket or anything."

Every time Dominic had used those words on his mother, she'd cuffed him around the head.

He promised himself he'd be more lenient about it.

"What?"

"I broke up with Pete today. I... it was for the best. It wasn't working, for either of us, he couldn't cope with a lot of what was happening, and I felt like he wasn't... he wasn't understanding me or anything. So I told him that we had to take a break from each other for a while."

"Ah." He arched a brow, not telling her he'd already talked to Pete, but simply looking at her. "Is that why you're in such a good mood, then?"

"No!!!" She protested. "It's not... well... not really, anyway. I mean... a little. I'm not holding Pete back any longer, and I think he's going to be happier now too, because he's not having to deal with stuff he doesn't understand and can't deal with. But, no. I'm happy because you're here and doing better, I hear?" she asked with a big beam.

He didn't like it. In fact, he'd go so far as to say Shayla's creepy mood was...well, creepy. But he didn't respond for a moment, thinking, before saying, "Whatever you feel is best, Shayla. However, I know the young man is a very good young man, better then Clark or Lex anyway." But other then that he didn't speak, just... nodding a little. "I'm fine."

Shay nodded. "He is a good man, Morgan. He really is. But... he's just not... he's not able to handle me right now. And if we'd stayed together, then we'd just be hurting each other. And I told him that I thought we could try it again in a few months or whatever, if he was still interested. Because... it's not that I don't love him, cause I do. It's just... he can't handle me right now, and I don't need that."

"What is it you want, then? Do you know?"

Shay nodded. "Yeah. I want to get out of here. I want to get back in the swing of things. I want to hang out with my friends again, and get all the jokes about Shayla being crazy out of the way, and..." she sighed. "I want to figure out who I've turned into lately." She held her brother's hand tightly. "Ever since you got sick and almost died, I don't feel like... myself. I don't feel like the Shay I used to be. I think that I'm someone different now, but I don't know because I'm trying to be the Shay that everyone expects, and that's part of what was making me sick," she explained. "Elaine helped me see that."

At that, Dominic finally smiled. "She's a way with words, that one. I told you she was good, if you took a moment to listen to what she's got to say. I'm glad you want to... re-invent yourself, in a way, though I'm sorry it was my problems that caused it. Nothing would have made me happier to be here for you, Shayla."

"No, Morgan. It's not your problems that caused it. You being sick caused the change. I had to start worrying about growing up and my brother dying and missing part of my family and thinking about adult things, which I'd never really had to before, because you and Mama and Graham and Lindy and Megan and Riley and... well, you get the picture. You guys were always there for me protecting me, but this was something that you guys couldn't protect me from. I kind of realized that when I was with Chloe while she was having her baby. Because Gabe was there, and he was so upset that he couldn't stop Chloe being in pain, but in the end, it was worth it, because there was something very beautiful that came out of it. In Chloe's case, it was John." She stopped to think for a second, to frame her thoughts. "In my case, it was having my brother back, getting well."

Dominic tipped his head as he listened to her, and smiled, quietly. "How is Chloe, anyhow? I've rainchecked her on flowers, too." But he squeezed Shay's hand, very gently. "I think you were past due for growing up, love. I'm glad you feel that you're a young lady now, and I hope to help you. I also hope that this... eating problem is working itself out of your system. If I was strong enough, I swear I'd put you over my knee and spank it out of you."

"She's... swearing that Whitney's going to be attending John's college graduation before he gets laid again," she snickered. "but she's tired, happy, and thrilled that John's all right. Lex and Clark were around earlier too, but I had to leave before they came out. I haven't seen John yet, either, but I'm hoping I can go down and see him tonight."

"Clark and Lex are having spectacular sex at the mansion right now." Dominic's face twisted into one of disgust, but he waved a hand at it, anyway. "I'm glad little John was born without complications. How was Chloe? Too many stitches?"

"She was... loud," Shayla said with a grin. "But I think she came through it okay. No stitches or complications that I've heard of."

"Excellent. I've heard horror stories," at that, he shuddered, "from mama and Gran both."

"For all the yelling and all, I think it was fairly easy, all things considered." She grinned. "You never did say what you think about the idea of me cutting my hair."

"I....think you should wait, until you've had some time to recuperate," Dominic said, eyebrow arched as he leaned more comfortably back in his chair.

"Spoilsport." She picked up the longish mass her hair had grown into, and twisted it into a quick ponytail, then used the straw she'd been given at lunchtime to stab through it and hold it off her neck. "That'll do for now." She smiled. "Okay. So, what about you? What's Morgan been doing since I've been locked up in Crazyworld?"

How to explain that so an eighteen year old girl could understand. "All right, I suppose."

She frowned. "What's wrong, Morg?"

"Everything, Shayla." He smiled a little, but shook his head. "Not anything you're doing, or Lionel's doing, or anyone. It's just difficult to reinsert oneself into his or her life again. I don't think I can explain it beyond that, but I'm glad you're here. You've given me something to worry about, after all."

She nodded. "I know the feeling," she said softly. "Feel like everything's passin' you by while you're locked up somewhere, and when you finally make it out... you don't know what you're gonna do, who you're gonna be, and where you're gonna fit in anybody's life."

"Yes. That's exactly it--and no matter what you try to do to get back into life, it just eludes you all the more." He watched her face. "Like standing at a great precipice, where life is going on down below, but you can't climb down to the people you love because it's too steep a fall." He shook his head again, and looked down at her hands, which he took in his own. "People like Pete don't understand that because they've never felt it, my love."

She nodded as she squeezed his hands. "Yeah. And they don't get why you don't just take that jump. Because they know they'll be there to catch you, but you're not quite so sure."

He smiled at her. "Its a matter of getting over that fear, though, love. No amount of haircuts will do it, nor will asking for sex, in my part. Lionel's frustrated with me. I don't know if you've ever been on the end of Luthor frustration, but it's just about scarier then being on the end of their anger."

"Nah, I just piss AJ off. I don't frustrate him--at least, I haven't yet." She grinned at that. "Though now, I'll try not to, so thanks for the warning." She leaned forward and put her head on his shoulder, even though it meant she was bent double on the side of the bed. "We're both gonna get over it, you know. That fear. Cause, we're Senatoris. We're the things that other people are afraid of."

"It's not fear, Shayla." Dominic reached up, tugged on her hips, and hauled her skinny butt onto his lap, just like she did when she was a little girl, her legs swinging off his left leg. "It's absolute, mind numbing terror. But we can do it--we are strong," he said, and smoothed her hair gently to tuck her head under his chin. The smile slid away when he did, though, and instead he kissed the top of her head, gently.

She nodded. "Well, whatever it is, we're gonna get over it. Cause... there's not really anything else left for us if we don't. I mean... you're stuck in that chair, and I'm stuck... well, here. Because they won't let me out until they think I'm normal again--or Saturday, thanks to whatever strings you and big Daddy pulled--and I don't want that. For either of us."

"Lionel did it. He wants you home, and I must agree," Dominic murmured, and set his cheek on her head. "Sweetheart, I won't be in this chair much longer. Your step-uncle is a mother fucking bastard, pardon my French."

She perked up a little bit. "You mean Jonathan? That big, handsome, bicep-laden hay-hauler?"

He glared down at her.

"Whaaaaat?"

"He's my physical therapist."

Shayla blinked. "What, Big Daddy didn't want to shell out the big money for Eddie any longer?"

"No. Eddie left on a technicality. And believe me, my body is crying for what its had to endure at Jonathan's hands," Dominic said, a little darkly.

Shayla perked up even more. "Do you think he'd consider leaving his wife and dating someone young enough to be in his adopted son's high school class?" Then she winked. "...and suddenly I'm realizing that's not what you meant about working your body at his hands."

Dominic arched a brow nearly to his hairline, and frowned down at her. "Heel, vile skittle."

"Hey, a girl's got to have something to keep her warm in here." She just LOVED teasing her brother. "Seriously, though, if Jonathan's really doing it for you--" and here she winked again-- "then I can't really complain."

He glared. "Jonathan is most certainly not doing anything for me, and do you want to make my skin crawl on purpose?!" he shuddered. "In all seriousness, he's helping me." He had enough man in Lionel, though he had a feeling Lionel didn't want to talk about that, or be close to it, at all, if their last conversation was indication at all. He sighed, and set his head on her shoulder. "Let's watch a movie. I've had enough of real life talk."

She giggled at that, and kissed his nose. "Yes, I love making you wiggle like a worm on a hook." She looked at her laptop. "That's pretty much what we've got for movies, but if you roll up to the bed, I can set it on the table here and we can both watch it." She looked at the little pile that Clark and Lex had brought her. "What do you want to watch? I'm sure I could even get popcorn, cause the doctors here would break out in assholes and shit themselves to death if they thought I was going to eat it."

"You have such a way with words," Dominic said warmly, but nodded as he gave her an unceremonious shove off his lap, before turning his wheel chair and rounding it toward the bed. He set the brakes, and with a firm grasp on the bedside bars and his own wheel chair arm rest, lifted himself up onto the side of the bed with only a moment of trembling struggle. "Oh... that... hurts."

"YOW!" Shay yelled as she hit the ground on her bony butt, and then jumped up, rubbing it. "Serves you right, for hurting my ass like that!!" She dragged the little table with her computer over, and turned the laptop on, and then picked up the stack of ten DVDs that were sitting beside it. "Pick."

He settled on the mattress after a moments shifting and looked at the DVD's, peering at them. "Hmm. Something... to get our minds off our lives... something... with..."

"Fun? Verve? Style? Panache? Comedy?" She dangled one in front of him. "Underage wizards?"

A grin split Dominic's face from ear to ear. "I'm such a freak. I don't even need a Malfoy of my own, I live with one." He preened it cheerfully.

"And I swear I used to date a Weasley," she muttered with a grin. "What with all the brothers and all running around. Bear and Dogwood? Charlie and Bill. With Dogwood being Bill, the cool one. Then you've got CJ, who's like, Fred and George rolled into one. Then Pete, who's the Ronniest one of the bunch, and then you've got Andy and Sam who are Ginny and the twins."

Dominic smiled at her, though it was a little sad, and he leaned back against the pillows and blankets, making room for Shayla. "Agreed. And I hate to say it, but Lex is Draco. He just... he is, you know. You're a bit like Hermione."

Shayla stuck the movie into the laptop's DVD ROM drive, and then stuck her tongue out at Dominic. "Don't insult me like that, bro. I am not some kinky-haired know-it-all. I'm more... Luna Lovegood-y."

"That you are. So, what? That makes Clark Harry? And what of Hermione, then?"

"Chloe," she piped up instantly. "Chloe's like, the blondest know-it-all of know-it-alls," she continued. "And yes, that makes Clark be Harry. And Lex is Draco, you're right. And oh! Whitney! Neville!!! Cause... he's sweet, but kind of on the doofus side."

"I like Neville," Dominic said, proudly, with a frown. "He's a handsome chap. Sorely underused."

"Kind of like Whitney is under-appreciated by everybody but his girlfriend," Shay pointed out. "And possibly Lex and Clark, who are boinking him."

Dominic gagged, and shuddered all over again. "Shayla Marie!"

"Morgan Dominic!" she grinned as she snuggled up to him on the little hospital bed.

"He's my son. I have enough with having to hear them chorusing," Dominic said, and he yawned as the DVD began. He made room for her, shifting to cuddle her to his shoulder.

She giggled. "Wonder if they'd have room for me since Chloe's out of commission for a few weeks?"

At that, Dominic's eyes widened, his skin paled, and he glared at her as he tensed. "You had better be joking," he said, in his authority voice.

She beamed up at him under her bangs. "I love to wind you up."

He glared all the more fiercely before relaxing. ...In stages. "You'd better be. They're boys--among themselves I don't care what they do. But when you or Chloe get involved, I get upset. I don't care what they say, they could still hurt you."

"Hey, Chloe gets involved all the time and she never complains!" Shayla pointed out.

Dominic glared.

Shayla beamed back as the movie started. "She's told me all about it," she said in a stage whisper. "Apparently, Clark and Whitney are hung like horses, and Lex isn't far behind."

And Dominic cheerfully changed the subject. "You know, Dumbledore is quite a manipulative old fart. I don't like him in the first film, not all together too much, anyway."

Shayla just laughed as she leaned back against her brother and grinned at him over her shoulder. "I love you too, Morgan."

He glanced at her, his dimples winking. "You only say that because I'm closest and can fast forward through the boring scenes."

"Well... yeah. Duh." A matching grin with matching dimples. "But it's also true."

"And because you want to know if I've read any good Harry Potter porn lately." His brow arched. "Don't deny it."

"No, I just want to make sure you're not reading the porn that Clark is making me write," she said, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Pairing?"

"I haven't got there yet, but I think it's going to be Snape. And Harry, I think. But I'll let you know when I make it that far. I've also got a Xander/Spike he's making me write too."

"Good boy. He knows how to get the writing flame under your skinny butt." Dominic tipped his head at the TV, getting a better view, and coincidently resting his head against Shayla's. "As long as you don't have the younger Malfoy involved. Nauseating."

"I don't know, I think he's kind of hot. There is this one about Draco, I don't know who wrote it, cause I haven't read it yet, but it's Draco, Harry, and a corset. Which... yeah."

Dominic made a face. "Give me Snape, Harry, coercion and deceit."

Shayla pondered. "Can do, bro."

His lips quirked, as he eyed her. "Really? I don't think I could write it to save my life, even if I did have the time."

"Yeah, it's easy. I bet you could do it too, no problem." She wiggled again. "But, yeah. I can do it."

"Thank you," Dominic said, lips twitching as he turned to look at her, eyebrow arching the smallest bit. "You're a very good writer."

"Not as good as Clark," she said with a sigh.

"I love you dearly, my darling, but Clark's got a type or raw talent not even Lionel can beat." he shook his head, and squeezed her hand, after linking his fingers through her own.

Shayla nodded. "Yeah, he does, and it makes me want to kick his ass for it," she grumped as she squeezed his fingers. "But, it's good that he does. I'm glad he does, because Morgan... Clark needs something that he's good at that's not related to... you know. Cause... okay, I've been having WAY too much time to think in here, cause I keep thinking that Clark's never really done anything that he can be noticed for or judged on that didn't have to do with... that. And it's not fair to him."

"That? What's that? Being Lex's boy toy?" Dominic asked, an eyebrow arched. "Beloved, I'm in a wheelchair, not of delicate sensibilities."

"Clark being... special," she clarified.

"Ahh. Well, of course. It becomes too much for him too much, I think," Dominic said. He was deathly glad he hadn't mentioned Mar-El when Shayla was first being dreadfully obscure, because he didn't want to think about the dead baby on such a day as today. "He's a good lad--best thing that could have ever happened for Lex."

Shayla nodded. "Of course. But still, even Lex aside, Clark needs to be seen for Clark and not an extension of his specialness or even as an extension of Lex."

"Why do you think he's not?" Dominic said, turning her a slightly rumpled, confused brow. "Not seen that way, I mean? I always have, and I'm sure Lex does as well."

Shay gave a little wiggle to get comfortable. "I don't know. It's just this... vibe I've been getting lately. Like, all Clark does is worry about his friends and his family. He takes in us weirdo stray people and... I don't know. It's like he doesn't really do anything Clarky. Pete calls him Clark-like, but that's not the same thing. Clark's always just... there."

Dominic frowned in earnest, now. "Clark worries about his friends and family because he's a better person then any of us. He takes in strays because he loves. And what do you mean, Clarky?"

"That's just it. I know what I mean, I just can't explain it. It's like... all his hobbies and stuff center around his friends or his family--even like, the astronomy thing, because of where he's from and all that. He doesn't have anything that is just his, because he likes it. Nothing's a real Clarky habit. I mean... okay. Look at the writing. He only started working at the Torch because of Chloe and she was his friend and all that. But it's finally something he is good at and is getting recognized as Hey, that's Clark Kent, the guy who did this, not, hey, that's Clark Kent, Lex's new boyfriend or Hey, that's Clark, the one who hangs out with that pink-haired nutjob."

Dominic stared at her. "Shayla, you're a strange girl. What you think is a shame for him, he finds great pride in. His community is who he is, the people he loves are his life. Don't you ever tell him any of this--you will offend him, very deeply."

"No, no, not like that." She sighed. "Like I said, I know what I mean, I can't explain it. It's just... he's not defined just by his friends any longer. Now he has his own thing, that's completely his, and has nothing to do with his specialness. It's a Clark thing."

Yeah well, Dominic had gotten a little offended, because Clark was as much his step son as Shayla was his sister, and it was an alien feeling, being so quick to defend--he normally wasn't like that, but he frowned and decided to contemplate it later. "I suppose so."

"I know. It's weird. And I'm not explaining it right." She sighed. "I told you I had too much time to think in here."

"Obviously," he said, but he smiled when he said it. "Clark is his own man, Shayla. He loves his community more than even Lex understands. I see what you're saying, in a way--Clark has always been about other people, not himself. But you see, that's what sets him apart, because he's one of the most wholly unselfish people I've ever met."

She nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Haystack's always been like that, hell, even I've seen that and I've known him less than a year. But, still. It's gotta be nice to have your own thing."

"Perhaps, but perhaps not. There is a great deal of comfort to be had in helping others."

"Mmmf," she said, making the little noise sound thoughtful. "Once they let me out of this hellhole, maybe I'll look into it."

His lips twitched. "Shayla, I love you dearly my darling skittle, but I don't see you wearing a Red Cross hat and pin."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ew. No, me neither. But there's gotta be somethin' around here that needs help, even if it is offered by a skittle."

"You could volunteer at the Y," as young Mr. Ross has been doing, "maybe with crafts?"

Another nose wrinkle. "Ew. No. Me and kids that aren't related? Don't mix."

"I'll hate to see how neglected John is," Dominic teased.

"John's related. He's like, my nephew-by-proxy," she said proudly.

At that, Dominic did laugh. "You're a weird one, Shayla. Now hush, and let me watch my movie."

She crinkled her nose one more time, thankful that he hadn't called her on her lie about not being good with kids. "Yes, I am, but it's why you love me," she grinned, and then hushed as she'd been ordered.

 

-fin-

go on to the next part