Cherished Treasure

Drabble

Disclaimer: This is an AU. I do not own anything. They all belong to the CW and all other related enterprises. I do not make any profit.

It was a sweltering August day in Smallville, Kansas, and there was no cloud in sight. The kind of day that you could fry eggs on the ground if you wanted. While some people may be swimming or enjoying a nice cold glass of lemonade by the pool, a black-haired, blue-eyed, plaid-wearing, muscular youth was flipping through television channels. Clark was bored. He had completed his summer classes at the local community college. Chloe wasn't hounding him with the next biggest story for the "Torch", Smallville High's award-winning newspaper. Lana was in Paris and Lois was 'visiting' Lucy in Metropolis, which probably meant that she was hot on the trail of some story. That left Clark by himself.

Martha watched Clark. She knew he needed a distraction. So, she asked him to clean out the loft and promised him one of her famous apple pies for his efforts.

While Clark was cleaning the loft, he found an old chest. Curious, he opened the chest only to discover two letters (one of which was addressed: To whom it may concern and the other was for him.)

Who would write to him?

The chest also contained a locket, two crystals and a piece of red and blue fabric emblazoned with a yellow S on the front.

Better yet, who was To Whom It May Concern and why would it be up in the loft?

Clark reasoned that To Whom It May Concern could be anybody and that the letters would hold the answers to his questions.

So, he opened the To Whom It May Concern letter first.

The letter said:

Dear Whoever or Whatever Finds My Baby,

Congratulations! You found my little boy. His name is Kal-El. Please take care of him. Give him the love of a family. Tell him that his father and I love him very much and that he is our future. We are not abandoning him. Our death is imminent and we hope to save our son.

I guess I need to start from the beginning. My husband and I are scientists. We have recently discovered that our planet's red sun is ready to explode and that Krypton, our planet, is in the direct path of the explosion. The blast will blow our planet to pieces. We have pleaded with the council to evacuate our people, but they will not heed our warning.

So, we are sending our son in a space capsule. We have provided him with a crystal that will teach him about our history, culture and values. We have also given him the colors of our house. May he wear them well? In addition, I have enclosed a recording of his favorite bedtime lullaby. His father always said I couldn't sing even if my life depended on it, but Kal-El seems to enjoy the melody. That's all that matters. I have also enclosed a letter for Kal-El. Give it to him when he is of age (I leave 'of age' up to your discretion.). I have also included a locket containing a picture of my husband and me and a picture of all three of us as a family. Farewell and thank you.

Lara-El

After reading the first line, Clark laughed.

Clark thought whoever or whatever finds the baby was funny, but he also realized that the letter writer must be an intergalactic traveler like himself. Only an intergalactic traveler would know that there are other beings other than human beings.

The next two lines floored him, though. "My little boy' and 'Kal-El' seemed to repeat over and over in his mind.

If Clark didn't know that the only thing that could kill him was Kryptonite, he might have died from a heart attack. He couldn't believe it. His biological mother had written this letter. Not Martha but Lara. Lara-El had written a letter even though time was of the essence. He had always resented Jor-El for trading his father's life for Lana's life and manipulating him and felt as though Lara had abandoned him. He always thought of Martha and Jonathan as his parents, but Lara had called him 'my little boy.'

Curious, he read the rest of the letter and opened the letter addressed to him.

The letter said:

My darling Kal-El,

If you are reading this letter, then it means that your father and I have died and that you are safe. I hope that you know the love of a family. I wish I could have been there when you took your first steps or said your first word or when you had your first kiss, but circumstances took the choice away from me. Sometimes, I wish the Council wasn't so stubborn.

If the council had listened to us, maybe there would be more survivors. Krypton would have blown up, but at least many lives would have been spared.

You must have also found two crystals: a white crystal and a red crystal. The white crystal can be used to find information about Krypton. Your father has created a copy of himself to guide you. Your father could not anticipate every question or answer you may have, so the AI will choose a proper response from what has been programmed into it. It has no feelings, unlike your father. So, do not equate your father with the AI. Your father is a warm caring person when he is not obsessed with his research. The red crystal has a recording of your favorite bedtime lullaby. Please excuse my singing. If you want to talk with me, just tap on the crystal twice.

Also, I have enclosed a locket. The locket contains a photograph of your father and me and another photograph of all three of us.

Along with the locket, there is some fabric. These are the colors of the House of El. Wear them well. Use the fabric as a disguise when you go out to save people with the aid of your powers. The powers are your gifts. I do not know the extent of your powers, since different worlds and conditions affect you differently, but I hope you remember that love is the most powerful power you can have.

As I watch you now, I can't help marvel at you. You are a miracle and Krypton's last hope.

Love from the depths of my heart,

Mom

When Clark finished reading the letter, he had tears in his eyes. He had made the mistake his mother had feared. He thought the AI was his father. He was also interested in the red crystal and was eager to hear his mother's voice, even though she claimed she couldn't hold a note to save her life. However, he couldn't do it in the loft. He needed to go to the Kawatche Caves.

Meanwhile, Martha was busy making her apple pies. She quietly hummed to herself. She knew the aroma of the apple pies would lure Clark down from the loft. She patiently waited for him to come down the stairs and enter the kitchen. However, two hours had passed and Clark still had not come.

What was taking Clark so long?

So, she called, "Clark, honey, the apple pies are ready."

Hearing Martha's voice, Clark realized that he had been spending too much time up in the loft. So, he carefully placed the locket, crystals and letters in the chest; put the chest away and shouted down the stairs that he was coming. Then, he finished cleaning up the loft using his super speed and grabbed the chest.

When Clark entered the kitchen, Martha smiled at him, but Clark didn't return the smile. He was still preoccupied with the contents of the chest.

Seeing his frown, Martha asked, "Clark, honey, what is wrong?"

Clark showed Martha the chest and said, "Open it."

Martha opened the chest and found the letters and other things Lara-El had left for Clark. Martha then said, "Oh, Clark. I didn't mean for you to find this chest, yet. It was going to be your birthday present."

Clark was angry at first, but the letter had said that he had to be of age and that 'of age' had to be determined by whomever or whatever found him.

To show that he had no hard feelings, he asked, "Mom, would you come to the Kawatche caves with me?

I want to listen to this lullaby and possibly meet my biological mother."

Martha agreed and Clark super sped them to the caves.

When Martha and Clark arrived at the Kawatche caves, Martha was stunned by the markings on the cave wall.

Clark explained, the markings on the wall say that a savior will come and save the world.

Apparently, I am that savior."

As Clark talked, he led Martha to the portal that would take them to the Artic Circle and what Clark termed the Fortress of Solitude.

Upon reaching the Fortress of Solitude, Clark said, "Mom, this is what Krypton was. "It's beautiful," Martha breathed as she took in the crystal chamber.

There were stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. She even saw an altar grow out of the ground. She watched Clark push the red crystal into the altar and patiently waited for something to happen. What she heard was a very melodious voice singing. She heard Clark say, "She isn't that bad at all."

When the song ended, Clark tapped on the red crystal twice and a tall lady dressed in white appeared. She had blonde curly hair and wore a silver tiara.

The lady took one look at Clark and ran to him and said, "Oh, my darling. Is it really you? I have been waiting for this moment for so long. I thought I would never see you again."

Clark returned the hug and said, "Yes, mom, it really is me." "Well, let's have a look at you", Lara said, as she turned him around.

"Uh, Mom, you're embarrassing me," Clark said.

"I'm seeing you for the first time in forever and I'm embarrassing you? Who is our audience?" Lara asked.

That's when a chuckling Martha cleared her throat and said, "Ahem, I think he means me."

Lara turned toward the voice and noticed Martha for the first time. Before Lara could say something, Clark cut in and said, "Lara, this is Martha, my adoptive mother, and mom this is Lara, my biological mother and before you fight, I want both of you to know that both of you are mom to me and I love you both."

After Clark's speech, Lara said, "Martha, thank you for taking care of my Kal-El. He has grown up into such a handsome man. Was he a lot of trouble?" "Trouble?" Martha said. "You have no idea," she continued.

Martha, Clark and Lara bonded that day and whenever Clark needed advice or an extra ear, he would travel to the Fortress of Solitude and tap on the red crystal twice and talk to Lara. Clark also kept the chest and its contents and passed them onto his children so that the Krypton and the House of El would remain alive.