Title: Ornamental Truth
Author: Cyranothe2nd
Prompt: #7, Tree trimming--Written for 12 Days of Clois Xmas challenge
Category: Superman Returns
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2319
Summary: Three months after the events of SR. Lois' new Christmas ornament has an unexpected power.
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Clark Kent sighed out a weary breath as he stood back to admire his handiwork. When Lois asked him to come over and help him with her Christmas tree, he'd thought that she wanted some help getting it in the door or maybe help to string some lights on it. Four hours later he knew differently. Every bulb and bow had to be placed on just right, necessitating grueling hours on a step ladder while Lois shouted directions at him from across the room, where she had to stand so she could, "See the effect, Smallville."
"Looks pretty good," Lois said, coming up beside him. "But are you sure the star is just right? I think it might be-"
"Lois," Clark held up a warning hand. "I am not getting up on that ladder again."
"Oh fine," Lois huffed. She walked into the kitchen, gesturing Clark to follow. He did so bemusedly, reflecting on how much Lois had changed. The woman he'd known six years ago would never have let something go that easily. In many ways, being a mother had changed her, smoothed off the stubborn rough edges and evened out her hair-trigger temper. The new-found patience suited her, Clark thought.
Lois was setting a silver tea kettle to boil on the stove when Clark entered the kitchen. He found himself a seat at the table and cocked his head to the side. Outside he could hear a car pulling up and looked through the wall to see Richard's Land Rover plowing through the snow in the driveway. Clark said nothing as Lois poured water into two mugs. Footsteps crunched across the snow and the doorbell rang.
Lois set down a mug of Earl Grey in front of Clark and ran to answer it. Clark sipped the tea and tried not to listen in as Richard said goodbye to Jason and made small-talk with Lois. They had split up three months ago and, although Lois didn't talk about it at work, Clark believed it had something to do with his other self. In the months since Lex Luther's arrest he'd tried to stay away, tried to give Lois a chance to heal. He knew that she'd somehow figured out that Jason was him-Superman's-son. He could still remember the heat of her breath against his ear as she whispered the confession while he laid in a hospital bed, recovering from massive kryptonite exposure. And, although he had kept his promise to himself and had not visited Lois since that night, he could not stay away from his son.
Clark could hear Richard leaving. Richard--the man who was, for all intents and purposes, his son's father. Clark sighed and set down his mug, careful not to break the delicate glass with a swift movement. It had all gotten so complicated. Sometimes he wished he'd never left, never gone to Krypton, never taken Lois' memory. Then maybe he would have been able to be there for her. Maybe he would have been able to see Jason's birth and to be there to help him understand who he was. Clark shook his head. So much time wasted. So much he wish he could take back.
"Hey Mr. Clark," Jason's voice broke Clark out of his pensive thoughts.
"Hey buddy," Clark smiled at his son. "Did you have a good time with your dad?"
Jason tilted his head. "You mean my other dad?" he whispered. Clark gave him a warning look.
Somehow Jason had figured out immediately that Clark Kent and the Man of Steel were one and the same. Clark had spent the past several weeks stressing the importance of secrecy to Jason but deep down Clark felt more unsettled by it then ever. It was one thing to keep his secret from his co-workers, friends, and even Lois. It was another to ask a child to do the same. Clark didn't feel right about asking Jason to lie to his mother.
Still, he didn't know what else to do. Six years ago Lois had been unable to handle the everyday reality of a life with Superman. The aftermath had left them both bruised and hurting. He'd taken her memory in the hope that she would have a happier life and, while sometimes he regretted the decision, he also didn't know that the alternative would be any better.
"Sorry," Jason said in a small voice.
"It's okay," Clark said, sweeping the boy into a hug. "I know its hard."
"Hey Clark," Lois called from the living room.
"Coming," Clark called back. He set Jason back onto his feet and grabbed the two mugs from the table. They both emerged into the living room to see Lois holding up a small box with a triumphant look on her face.
"I can't believe I almost forgot this," Lois said, opening the top of the box and pulling out a tissue-wrapped package. She parted the paper to reveal a Christmas ornament of red crystal. "Isn't it great?" she crowed, holding it up for the both of them to see.
Clark set down the teacups on a nearby table and reached out. Lois put the delicate ornament into his hands. The crystal was smooth and surprisingly light, cut and polished into a gently oblong shape that curled over at the top and tapered to a point at the bottom. The curled end was threaded with a gold ribbon, doubled back on itself so that the ornament could be hung. As Clark held it, the scarlet crystal captured the overhead lights, seeming to shimmer in his hand.
"It's beautiful, Lois. Where'd you get it?"
"Chicago. While I was covering the presidential elections. I thought we could put it up there by the star," she said, pointing to a spot on the tree. "What do you think?"
Lois had been asking him that question for the past four hours--Clark, what do you think of these lights? Are you sure that garland is in the right place? What about that bow over there?-- and his answer was always the same. Whatever you like, Lois.
He opened his mouth to say just that but said instead: "No, I think it should go over here," Clark placed the ornament on a bare limb near the fireplace. "So that the light from the fire will reflect in the crystal."
"Oh. Okay," Lois said with mild surprise. Clark was a little surprised himself. It wasn't like him to go against Lois, particularly over something so trivial. But he'd only been stating his true opinion and she'd asked for it, after all.
"Hey buddy," Lois said, settling on the couch next to Jason. "Did you put your coat in the closet?"
Clark sat down, sipping at his now-tepid tea and watching Lois and their son. He felt a small smile tug at his lips as Lois asked if Jason had his homework done and ready for school the next day. Jason answered her with a hint of exasperation, as though she asked him about homework too often. Clark could see that it was getting darker outside. He would have to go soon. The precious times that he could spend with Lois and Jason were always over too quickly. Christmas was always a busy time for Superman. With the winter weather, fires from dry trees or heaters, car accidents and seasonal depression, even the Man of Steel had a full plate. Still Clark cherished these stolen moments, even though he knew he had no right to them.
Clark shook himself from his depressive thoughts. Twice now he'd allowed himself the languish in regret, something he usually quashed. Maybe the season was getting to him. Clark sat forward and pasted a brighter smile on his face.
Lois looked over at him and caught his smile. "Hey Clark," she said. "Jason's class is learning about Asia this week. Why don't you tell him about the time you spent in Tibet?"
"I've never been to Tibet."
Lois' brow furrowed. "Yes you have. You told me all about it a few months ago. You went there on your vacation, right?"
"No." Clark clamped him mouth shut. Why had he said that? It was true of course. He'd spent his vacation exploring Krypton, not the monasteries of central Asia, but he didn't want Lois to know that. Still, he'd felt a strange compulsion to answer honestly.
"Well, why'd you tell me you went to Tibet? Why'd you send me a postcard from there?" Clark could tell she was unsure if he was serious and unable to think he would lie to her intentionally. If only that were the case, Clark thought.
Clark opened his mouth to tell her he was only kidding or that he'd forgotten. He tried to get those words out but others took their place. "Because I wanted you to think that I'd been there. And I actually had a mail service send you the post card."
"What? Why would you do that?" Lois asked with a touch of incredulous anger.
"I didn't want you to know where I really went," he blurted out.
Clark stared at Lois helplessly, utterly unable to stop the words coming out of his mouth. Lois looked back, eyebrows knitted as she tried to take in this new information. Clark knew what her next question would be and he also knew that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from telling her the truth. He slid to the edge of his seat, willing himself to say something, make up any excuse to get out of there. But the words wouldn't come and Clark felt rooted to the spot.
"Um, mom. I think it's bedtime," Jason said, trying to dispel the tension that had suddenly sprung up between the two adults. Lois' eyes remained on Clark for a second before she turned with a smile to the boy. "Looks like. Upstairs you go," she said, shepherding the boy towards the staircase. At the bottom step she turned. "Don't you go anywhere, Smallville."
Clark nodded. He heard Lois go upstairs with their son and, minutes later, the sound of the bathroom faucet as Jason brushed his teeth. Clark could look through the walls and watch Lois put Jason to bed if he wanted to but he had something more pressing to do at the moment.
Clark slid off his seat and went over to the tree, eying the red crystal ornament. It seemed to be shimmering a warm scarlet that painted the nearby branches sunset colors. Clark reached out to touch it and, where it had been cool before, it was now radiating a gentle warmth. Clark withdrew his hand as he heard Lois coming down the stairs. He quickly scanned the crystal and found that, as he suspected, it was not made of any material known on Earth. But it was quite similar to something else that he'd had plenty of experience with just three short months ago.
Clark plucked the ornament from the tree and whirled as Lois entered the room. "Lois, you've got to get rid of this thing," he said, trying to hide the panic in his voice. If the crystal was what he surmised it was then it could be dangerous, not just to him but to Jason as well.
"Why?" Lois said, plucking it from his hand.
"Because I think its a form of kryptonite."
"What? How do you know that?"
"Because I can see it. Its not from Earth, Lois. And it could hurt Jason if it stays here."
"How in hell would you know it could hurt Jason?" Lois voice trembled now and Clark could tell that his behavior was making her furious and scared.
He had no choice but to answer. "Because Jason is the son of the Last Son of Krypton. It stands to reason that their weaknesses will be similar." Clark realized as he spoke that his voice had lost all of its Clark Kent stutter and was now quiet, self assured, too much like his other self.
"But..." Lois' eyes narrowed. She seemed to be struggling with an idea. "Clark," she said slowly. "You were gone for five years. The same amount of time that Superman was gone. The same."
She looked up at him and there was realization in her eyes. "Richard pointed that out once. He said you looked just like Superman and I laughed at him. But..." She shook her head. "I don't think this is kryptonite. I think its a truth serum."
"It's kryptonite," Clark answered, although she hadn't technically asked him a question. "But I think you may be right about its effects."
The truth laid between then, waiting for one of them to take the final step.
Lois drew in a long, shaky breath. "Clark, where did you go when you were gone?"
Clark felt the compulsion hit him. He drew himself up, straightened his shoulders. Felt relief and fear war within him.
"Krypton," he answered simply.
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A/N: In my research I read that red kryptonite affected Superman differently each time he is exposed to it. I am not following the Smallville premise that red kryptonite has a drug-like effect or the Lois and Clark premise that it makes him apathetic. Since this has not yet come up in the movie-verse I felt I could take some liberties as to the effects.