Clark woke up on the couch in the living room at home.

He sat up slowly. His stomach and head still hurt a little—he was not used to that—but other than that, he was okay. He barely remembered what had happened the night before.

"Morning, Clark."

Clark sat up, pushing the covers aside, as Lex came into the room. There was something different about Lex, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then it hit him—Lex wasn't wearing his cap.

"Good morning," Clark said. He looked around, trying to remember what had happened. "Did I fall asleep in here?"

"You passed out and fell off your horse by the warehouse. Your dad had to come out and find you, and your mom wanted to keep an eye on you, so they put you on the couch."

Clark's heart skipped. He was supposed to get back by dark. "Are they mad?"

"No, but I don't think he's going to let you ride horses by yourself until you're older."

Clark let his breath out. That was sad, but fair.

"Sounds like you took a nasty fall. Are you sure you're okay?"

Clark nodded, squinting a little. He could have sworn he remembered someone grabbing him and pulling him off the horse, but it must have just been his imagination.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," Lex said. "Mom told me to call you in for breakfast."

"Um, you mean my mom?"

"Mine, too. My dad's not making me leave."

Clark sat up straighter. "Really?"

Lex smiled. "Really."

"But aren't you going to miss him?"

"Honestly, he was horrible to me. Your parents are so much nicer."

"So, we're going to be, like, real brothers?"

"Yep."

Clark shot up off the couch and threw his arms around Lex, almost forgetting to be mindful of his strength. Lex hesitated, but then wrapped his arms around Clark as well.

Lex patted Clark's back. "Come on. Breakfast time."

Clark grinned and let go, then he followed Lex to the table. Sam and Dean were already there, dishing up blueberry pancakes. Those were Clark's favorite. His mom reached out and gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the head before he sat down—normally, Clark would have been embarrassed that she did that in front of the older boys, but he figured she couldn't help it, since she'd probably been worried about him the night before.

"So, Sam and Dean," Clark's dad said as he poured milk into his coffee, "I got a call from your dad today."

Dean sat up straight, and Sam's eyes widened. "Is he okay?" Sam asked.

"Yes, he's fine. But he's caught up in work, and he asked if it would be alright if you stayed here for the rest of the summer."

Dean's breath caught. "Mr. Kent, I—I don't want to impose—"

"I already told him you boys are welcome to stay for as long as you want. He's glad you two have a safe place to be, so if it's alright with you two, he'll be leaving you here a lot more often."

"Wow." Dean's eyes widened. "I don't know what to say."

Clark's mom smiled. "Welcome to the family, boys. All three of you."

Clark grinned. He had no idea how he had gotten so lucky. It was almost too good to be true.

After breakfast. Clark stayed inside to help his mom do the dishes. "Now that Lex and Sam and Dean are family, can I tell them my secret?"

"I don't see why not."

He bounced on his toes. "Can I tell them right now?"

"Let's finish the dishes first."

Clark groaned and used his super speed to finish the cleanup in less than five seconds. "There. Now can I go?"

"Clark Kent, you know you don't use your powers without permission."

"Mo-om, I'm just excited about my new brothers!"

"I know you are, but that's no excuse to break house rules."

Clark lowered his head. "Sorry, Mom."

She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Go."

Clark reached up and kissed her cheek as well, then super-sped out to the barn.

Sam was the first to see him coming. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Clark? How—how did you do that?"

"I've been wanting to tell you guys," Clark said, and Lex and Dean's eyes turned toward him as well. "I have superpowers."

"Superpowers?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I'm really fast, and really strong."

"I just saw it," Sam said. "He was faster than a car."

Clark sped around the house and barn, and he was back to his starting place a few seconds later. When he returned, both Dean and Lex were staring at him in awe.

"That's amazing, Clark," Lex said, but Dean couldn't speak. His jaw hung open.

"Oh, do you want to see my strength?"

"If you're willing," Lex said.

Clark glanced around the yard, and his eyes fell on his dad's truck. He walked over and braced a hand under it, then, after a few deep breaths, he lifted the front of it over his head.

"Whoa!" Sam cried.

Clark grinned and lowered it down, then returned to his friends. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"It's okay, Clark," Lex said. "You're right to keep it a secret. That kind of information could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"But I can trust you guys?"

All of them nodded emphatically. Dean looked him right in the eyes and said, "But we're going to keep an eye on you. Those are some pretty powerful gifts. If you ever use your abilities to hurt anyone—"

"I won't, I promise!" Clark shook his head.

Dean nodded solemnly. "I know you won't."

Sam was still smiling. "This is so cool, Clark. We should play basketball later, but three against one."

Clark laughed. "Sounds like fun!"

"Boys!" Clark's dad called from the barn. "Come on, what's taking you?"

The older boys started immediately toward the barn, but Lex headed toward Clark instead. He ruffled his hair and proudly whispered, "My little brother's a superhero," before heading over to follow Sam and Dean.

Clark looked away, his eyes feeling watery. This was everything he had wished for.

It was hard to believe he wasn't dreaming . . .