It's A Kent family Tradition
Authors Note:
Hey guys. I had written this a few years ago for the 2006 Holiday Ficstravaganzaover at Divine Intervention. I always meant to post it here but I never got around for it, set roughly in season 6, the season after Jonathan Kent dies. Enjoy!
Oh and the lyrics do not belong to me. Instead they belong to the 98 degree Christmas song, "The perfect gift."
I thought I'd give you something shiny and new
I tried to find something worthy of you
But I realized when I looked inside
There's some things that money can't buy
I feel the magic whenever you're near
I feel it even more this time of the year
"Are you sure? We can wait to do it when you get home?" Inquired Lois into the phone, as Clark walked into the room, another large box in his arms. "Well if you're sure. Okay. Merry Christmas Martha. Drive safely. Bye"
"Mom hasn't left yet?" Placing his box down next to the others, Clark turned to Lois as she replaced the phone onto its cradle, turning down the sounds of 98 Degrees crooning about the perfect gift, on the radio.
"No, her meeting ran late, and she had a few last minute things to pick-up." Lois responded, as she made her way over to the tree, plugging in the lights she had just finished stringing. Standing back to admire them, and look for any bare spots, Lois reached for her egg nog. "She told us to go ahead, and finish the tree without her."
Surveying the numerous boxes surrounding the tree, Clark grimaced. "Okay, well let's get started then. Shall we?"
"Okay, where's the garland?" Lois asked as she set her egg nog back down, bending to rifle through the boxes closest to her.
"I think I saw it over here earlier, in the first boxes, with the lights." Clark replied, sifting his focus to the tattered boxes, lying at the foot of the huge lighted tree, that he and Lois had spend the day working on. Martha had been called into an emergency meeting today, and insisted that Lois and Clark carry on without her, picking out a tree as planned. Clark and Lois had protested, but when Martha Kent has decided on something, that was that. Not even Lois Lane could sway her, when the mood struck.
So Lois and Clark had bundled up and loaded themselves into Clark's truck and headed off to find the perfect tree. After what seemed like dozens of tree lots later, and a few arguments, Lois finally found what she deemed to be the perfect tree, and the two had returned to the farm. After a quick dinner of leftover ham sandwiches, they headed onto the living room to prepare the tree to be trimmed when Martha arrived home.
"Got it." Clark crowed victoriously as he pulled his hands from the box, the silver star garland, held clasped between his two large hands.
"Great, since you found it, you can string it on the tree." Lois announced, her smirk quickly turning into a genuine smile as she watched Clark's mouth move dangerously close to a pout. "Don't pout Smallville."
"I'm not pouting. I just don't like doing this part." Clark grumbled, the pout never leaving his face, as he started to drape the garland over the tree.
"What's this ornament from?" Lois asked, holding up a large bundle of twigs, tied together with bits of string and yarn.
Clark glanced over at Lois, his eyes widening as he saw which ornament she held.
"I don't remember." Clark hastily answered, quickly turning back to draping the garland over the tree.
"Yeah, sure, Clark." Responded a sarcastic Lois as she, turned the bunch of twigs around in her hands. " Ah-ha! What's this I see? Oh, it's a handwritten note, 'To mom.' Ring any bells, Smallville?" The smirk never leaving her face, as she watched Clark squirm in embarrassment.
"Okay, I made that for mom a long time ago, for Christmas. It's supposed to be a bird's nest."
"And where did you make this?" A laughing Lois asked, her suspicions confirmed when Clark's checks burned with his embarrassment.
"Imadeitasaboyscout." Clark mumbled, wishing his mother was here to save him from Lois and the further embarrassment that he was sure to suffer before the tree trimming was over.
"Pardon me, Clark?" Lois asked her mirth more then apparent.
"I made it when I was a boy scout. There are you happy?" Asked an annoyed Clark, answered only by peals of Lois' delighted laughter. Despite his best efforts not to, Clark felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards, with the infectious response to Lois' joy.
When she finally caught her breath, Lois reached into the box and pulled out another ornament. "What about this one? Did someone make it for you?"
Clark glanced over to see which ornament Lois was holding now, to see her tenderly cradling a wooden object in the palm of her palms. Balancing the remaining garland over a particularly strong branch, Clark walked closer, peering over Lois shoulder, to better see the treasure. Clearing his throat around the knot that had appeared with the cherished ornament, Clark reached passed her, plucking a similar ornament from the tissue depths of the box. This one an intricately chiseled MK, almost identical to the CK. ornament Lois was holding. "Yeah my dad did, for my first Christmas with him and mom." Clark's voice was horse with emotion, something that was not lost on Lois as she turned her head toward him, sending him a smile filled with understanding and concern. " It's a Kent Family tradition. The men always carve an initialized ornament for the new members of our family. My grandfather Kent made this for mom the first Christmas her and dad were married." Clark held the mentioned ornament closer to Lois so she could admire the beautiful piece of art.
"It's beautiful Clark." Breathed Lois, the floaty, soft tone captivating Clark, as she leaned closer to him, examining the wooden pieces in his hands. Without realizing what he was doing, Clark took a deep breath, inhaling the tantalizing aroma that was purely Lois Lane. Catching himself leaning forward, Clark pulled back, moving closer to the tree, hanging ornaments.
The next hour was spent in a similar pattern. Lois pulling out ornaments and Clark would tell her the stories and memories that accompanied it. Neither realizing how much they were truly enjoying themselves, free to laugh and talk, in a way they never had before. Lois started returning stories of her own Christmas' past. Finally they placed the last ornament on the tree, and stood back to admire it. Standing close to each other, both lost in their own thoughts of Christmas' past.
"One more item and we're finished Smallville." Lois states turning to look at Clark, her hazel eyes getting trapped in his piercing gaze. Feeling her walls start to crumble even more, Lois rips her eyes from his, and walks over to the remaining box, lifting the angel into her arms, fussing with the hair and dress hoping to give herself a moment to rebuilt the walls she hadn't even realized had crumbled.
Clark surprised as well by the shift of feelings within himself, stuffed his hands in his pockets, not wanting to ruin the wonderful night he and Lois were sharing, stepped forward, toward Lois and leans into her side. Surprised, Lois jumps ever so slightly, resulting in Clark smirking down at her, smiling even brighter when she in turn, rolls her eyes at him.
Clark reaches out with one hand, and ever so softly, runs a finger over the porcelain face of the angel.
Lois, surprised over the tender way Clark is caressing the angel, looks up into his face. Any snide comment she would have made, in a vain attempt to ease the mood, is lost as she sees the open pain in Clark's eyes. Without really thinking what she was doing, Lois leans into Clark and rests her head on his shoulder. "Tell me about this one?" Lois softly asks, as Clark's free arms, seems to naturally wrap its self around her shoulders.
"This is the Kent Angel, made by my great-great-grandmother for her new family, in a new world. The fabric and the porcelain face had been gifts from her new mother-in-law, so she could make her own Kent angel in the new world. Her mother-in-law told her, every Kent Christmas tree has always had an angel sitting on the top of their tree, blessing the home and family during the most magical time of year . . . "
"Magical Smallville?" Lois inquired, tilting her head on his shoulder so she could smirk up into his face. " I'm sure she didn't use the word, magical. That was kind of a burning offense in those days."
Clark rolled his eyes at her, but Lois was glad to see that most of the sadness had faded from his eyes.
"Do you want to hear the rest or not?" Clark asked, the scowl on his face ruined by the slight twitching of his lips.
Amused, Lois nodded her head, before laying it back on his shoulder."Sorry Daddy" she snickered, laughing louder at the slight growl Clark made, as he briefly tightened his arm around her.
"So, my great, great grandparents came over to America, settling here, on this very land. They worked side by side, tending the land, and trying to carve out a place for themselves. Eventually winter fell, and Christmas approached. My great, great-grandmother, would stay up every night working diligently on the angel, her mother-in-law had requested she make. As Christmas drew nearer, she worried that it wouldn't be done in time. Her husband tried to comfort her, telling her that it was a beautiful angel already and no one would notice if the stitching wasn't perfect, or the dress ill fitted. But she always responded that she would know. Then two days before Christmas a blizzard hit, and my great-great-grandfather was lost outside. Alone in the cabin, my great-great-grandmother was terrified for her husband, and she didn't know what to do."
Feeling Lois' head move on his shoulder, Clark looked down into her hazel eyes. "She was eight months' pregnant." He explained. "So she did the only thing that she could think of. She finished the angel. Then on Christmas Eve, she went to place the angel on the tree, when her husband came through the door. Luckily he had been near some trapper's cabin when the storm hit, and they offered him a safe place to wait out the storm. As soon as the storm broke, he hurried home to his wife, knowing she would be beside herself with fear. He then placed the angel on the tree that night, and every Christmas eve to fallow."
"So that is why, on every Christmas eve, we put the angel on top of our tree." Clark concluded, his eyes once again touched by a hint of sadness, as they touch upon the angel now cradled in his hand. "This year it's my turn."
Lois feeling tears prick her eyes, slides out of Clark arms, momentarily puzzled by the feeling of loss. But she pushes it to the back of her mind, promising herself that she will think about it later, but for now she just wanted to continue to enjoy the atmosphere her and Clark had been unknowingly creating all day.
Grabbing Clark's larger hand within hers, she gives it a squeeze then gently tugs him toward the tree. Smiling at him, she nods her head in the direction of the tree.
"Go ahead" She gentle prompts, once again giving his hand a squeeze of reassurance.
Smiling down at her, he reluctantly lets go of her hand, and steps even closer to the tree. Stretching up he settles the Angel on the top of the tree. Taking great care smoothing out her gown, before he steps back from the tree, unconsciously reaching out for Lois.
"It's beautiful." Lois sighed, resting her head once again against Clark's shoulder as she gazed up at the tree. "This is what a Christmas tree is suppose to look like, full of Lights, and family ornaments. This is what our tree used to look like when mom was still around." Clark looked down at Lois in surprise. Sure things seemed to be different between the two of them today. A sort of unspoken truce. One that seemed to strengthen the tender friendship they tried to shield from the rest of the world. But Lois, in all the years he had known her, had only voluntarily mention her mother a hand full of times.
"It's perfect." Lois breathed, her voice turning wishful, taking on a softer quality that Clark had never heard before. "And some day, I'm going to have a tree just like this. Put up with love, and filled with memories and promises of more."
Lifting her head off Clark's shoulder, her gaze left the tree, entangling its self in a silent, tender battle with Clark's. A hint of rose brushing over her checks as she realized what she had just confessed, and to whom. Her stomach settling as she realized, her secret could remain safe with Clark.
Smiling to himself as he noticed the blush climbing to Lois' face, Clark used his free hand to tenderly tuck a stray clump of hair behind her ear. "It's not quiet perfect yet." Clark told her, dropping his hand from his face and sliding his arm off her shoulders, as he made his way over to another set of boxes near the tree. Bending down, Clark rooted through it for a moment, before his hand emerged. A small, poorly, but brightly, wrapped present cradled in his palm. Standing up, he headed back to Lois.
"I was going to give this to you on Christmas, but I think you should open it now." Clark explained, handing the present over to Lois, who looked at the present with an inquisitive look upon her face.
"What is it?" Lois asked as she gently shook the gift near her ear.
"There's only one way to find out." Clark responded, his famous Kent grin splitting his face.
Lois hesitated only for a moment, before she ripped into the package. Opening the small box, Lois stilled, her eyes finally touching upon what was nestled on the bed of tissue paper.
Growing more nervous with every passing second, Clark intently watched her face, waiting for some reaction.
"Lois?" The silence finally gets to him, as he reaches out to lay a hand on her forearm. "Do you like it?" Clark nervously inquires, withdrawing his hand when Lois doesn't automatically respond. Instead he stuffs them in his pocket, and rocks back on his heels. "Lois?" When she still didn't respond, not even so much as a flicker, Clark felt his nerves double, and he felt the need to babble pour forth.
"Dad had mentioned last year when we were putting up our ornaments that he should have made you one. That he would make you one this year. Then . . . well you know what happened. And so I knew he wanted you to have one, so I made it for you. I know it is not as nice as he would have made, but it was the best I could do. But you don't need to keep it if you don't want it. I won't be offended. I didn't do a very good job, maybe I should just . . . "
"You made me this?" Lois asked in awe, breaking her silence as her fingers traced the delicate LL carving in the handmade ornament. "Why?"
"Well because as much as you love to annoy me sometimes, I do care about you. You're family. And as an honorary Kent, you deserve an ornament.
After all it's a Kent Family Tradition."