Title: Destiny's Cross

Author: ryogirl

Rating: PG

Summary: Clark Kent and Lex Luthor: the stuff of legends. But their meeting didn't happen by accident - a lot had to happen for two people in two different galaxies to meet.

June 1961 - Smallville, Kansas

Riding in Hiram Kent's rickety old vehicle was very different from riding in his family's various transportation crafts, Jor-El reflected dully, but he wasn't going to complain if it got him safely to the caves before the police showed up and tried to arrest him.

Arrest him for murdering the love of his life. He'd wanted to make a life with her, have children with her…and now she was dead, for no reason at all. Dead because the bullets meant for him had killed her instead.

Jor-El just barely held in a sob. His father was right – he was far too emotional. He had come here to Earth to witness what living one's life without thinking, by just following one's emotions, wrought. The people of Earth went through their lives on an emotional roller coaster, and they suffered for their lack of planning.

Jor-El would never be like that again. He'd known better than to fall in love with a human woman. If he'd only listened to his head instead of following his heart, none of this would have happened.

The truck slowed to a stop outside the caves, and Jor-El got out, Hiram following.

"Are you sure you want me to stop here?"

"I have friends who know this place. They're already on their way here," Jor-El lied, leading Hiram deeper into the caves. Hiram didn't seem too bothered by any of the symbols on the cave walls, so Jor-El pulled out the pendant his father had given him.

"What are you doing with that thing?" Hiram asked him, looking at the pendant curiously. Jor-El's fingers tightened on it briefly before he answered.

"I was supposed to return it to my father, but there's too many bad memories attached." The pendant would remain here, hidden where he would never have to see it again.

"Thank you, Hiram," Jor-El said, turning to the man and shaking his hand.

Hiram offered a friendly smile. "I can usually tell an honest man when I see one. I'm sorry you ran into trouble here. There's plenty of good folks in Smallville." Jor-El smiled back, but he wasn't exactly in agreement - amongst the other humans Jor-El had met, Hiram stood out as an exception, not a rule. He was a good man, an honest one –and men like that were hard to come by on any planet.

"I'll remember that," Jor-El said. "Congratulations on the baby. He's lucky to have you as parents." Hiram's face lit up with fatherly pride – he was clearly a man who was excited that he was about to be a father. He'd once felt the same way, excited at the prospect of starting a family.

He wasn't sure he'd ever feel like that again.

"If there's anything you ever need, you know where to find me," Hiram told him, slipping his hat on and turning to go. Jor-El watched him, and then looked at the pendant in his hand. If he had the choice, he would never come back to this planet. There was nothing here for him anymore.

It was time to go home.

July 12, 1985

7:30 AM

Martha Kent stood in her kitchen, adding the finished touches to the roast that had been in the refrigerator. Jonathan was out in the barn, doing the morning's chores.

It had been two days since they'd gotten the results of their tests back from the doctor's office, and neither of them was taking the news well.

She couldn't give her husband a child.

They'd been trying for years, but the thought had never crossed either of their minds that they would never be able to have kids. There had never been fertility problems on either side of the family.

They'd already looked into different sorts of treatments – all too expensive for them to afford, even if the farm had a good year. They had tried all the natural supplements they could find, had prayed and prayed. Nothing had worked.

She'd dreamed of children since she was old enough to understand that being a girl meant she could be somebody's mommy. She'd sat in her room, dressing up her dolls, imagining what her husband would look like –dark hair and green eyes – and how many kids they'd have. They would live in a big house, and he would come home from a hard day at work to her every day.

It turned out that her prince was a blond-haired, blue-eyed farmer who had a 24-hour job that she helped with, too. And she was so happy with him – she loved getting up with him every morning, watching him work, making him breakfast, taking lunch out to him so they could sit outside in the cool afternoon breeze and have impromptu picnics.

But there wouldn't be any children to add to those picnics. The empty office would remain that – any empty office. Jonathan's carved crib would never be used.

Martha held in a sob and continued chopping. She dealt with it better on some days than others, but it was still hard.

Jonathan's arms came around her waist and he kissed the back of her head. She sighed and leaned back against him, thankful. How many men left their wives when they found out she wouldn't be able to provide him with children?

Jonathan wasn't like them. He was hurting like she was, but he was trying so hard to be strong, to make sure she never felt guilty. His strength made it easier to deal with, because not once had she worried that he'd leave her.

"It'll be okay," Jonathan whispered, turning her around and kissing her gently. "You'll see. Things are tough now, but we'll get through them, and come out stronger for it."

"I know," Martha sighed. "It's just…it's not fair. I know life isn't supposed to be fair, but there are so many people who have kids and get abortions, or who give them up because they don't want them…and it just doesn't seem fair that I want a child so badly and can't have one."

"I know, sweetheart," Jonathan sighed. "I know. But things will get better."

"I hope so," Martha said, tears starting to fall now.

"They will, I promise. Never give up hope. Miracles happen every day. We just have to wait for ours."

Martha finally smiled, looking up at her husband. He smiled back and kissed her forehead gently, wiping away her tears.

"Come on, we'd better hurry or we'll be late and have to sit in the back," Jonathan teased. Martha laughed and picked up the roast, settling it in the oven so it would be ready for an early dinner.

They were going to church – where better to pray for a miracle?

8:15 AM

It was dangerous, to be here right now. Lara knew that. But she had to see for herself the place Jor-El had spoken of – the home of the people her husband had chosen to raise their son, if his efforts to stop the war on Krypton failed.

The sun was a different color, she noted, and things seemed so…primitive, compared to what she was used to; but every inch of the building she was in was well cared for, despite its age. The creatures that were housed there were gently, with great large eyes and beautifully formed bodies. It seemed Earth made up for its lack of technology with sheer beauty and peacefulness.

Lara turned to go down the steps and paused in shock. Her niece, Kara, was inspecting the building, perplexed.

"Kara?"

Kara offered her a brilliant smile. "Hi, aunt Lara."

"You followed me?" Zor-El would not be pleased to learn that his daughter had snuck through the portal; he had forbidden Kara from leaving Krypton's capital, Kandor.

Kara wrinkled her nose and confessed, "I had go get out of Kandor. The war's been getting so bad that I can hear the bombs going off."

Lara sighed. Even a year ago, she never would have imagined bombs detonating so close to the capital; now, if Jor-El's predictions were right, they would be lucky if any part of the city escaped the war undamaged.

"Why are you here?" Kara asked suddenly. Lara paused, wondering if she could tell Kara her exciting news – she didn't want it getting back to Zor-El until Jor-El was ready to make a formal announcement.

But Kara was her niece; it wasn't fair to hold her father's delusions against her. She would be hurt if she had to find out at the same time as everyone else.

"I wanted to see where my son may grow up," Lara said simply.

Kara frowned at her and said, "But you don't have –" Realization flashed across her face and she smiled widely again, hugging her aunt tightly. "You're pregnant? I'm so happy for you! I know how much you and Jor-El wanted this!"

They'd been trying to so long to get pregnant; with the war on, she hadn't felt right using any of the planet's resources on trying to conceive. Besides, there was a kind of romanticism that came with conceiving a child naturally. Krypton relied so heavily on science for everything, and she wanted the conception of her child to be a natural, romantic experience – one that didn't involve tests and needles.

She had made Jor-El promise to let them try once more to conceive, and then she would take treatments. She'd tested positive only a few days before. The news seemed to melt the years off of her husband for an instant; he was that handsome man who had proposed to her again, the man with excitement in his eyes and a thousand plans for their planet's future again.

Lara smiled. "He's our miracle baby."

Suddenly Kara pulled away. "I don't understand – why would he grow up here?"

Lara sighed and considered her niece again, before saying, "Krypton may never see the end of this war. Jor-El's brain-interactive construct

may very well save us, but...I won't risk my son's life on that chance."

"I'll be there, and I'll protect him," Kara said, youthful bravado shining through her words. So many on Krypton were like Kara; they simply refused to believe that a civilization as advance as Krypton's would ever be in any real danger.

"I can't let the destiny of my child let be dictated by the fate of our planet." She couldn't stop the war on Krypton, and she was beginning to think Jor-El couldn't either; but she couldensure that, no matter what happened to her or her planet, her son would be safe.

"But aren't you worried about your son growing up with humans?" The last word was laced with just the edge of disgust; Kara had nowhere near her father's superiority complex, but there were still moments when her father's voice came from her mouth.

"Jor-El visited Earth many years ago, and he chose this family because he was impressed with their capacity for love." Lara's voice was slightly chiding, but Kara didn't seem to notice.

"I hope it's more impressive than the way they live." Kara looked at the building around them, but apparently she didn't see what Lara saw.

"It's one of many structures, Kara, and it's not the residence," Lara told her. "Come, let me show you."

Lara led her niece to the back door of the house, finding it unlocked. She wasn't surprised; nothing was locked on this property, a testament to how safe the surrounding area was.

"What if they're here, Aunt Lara?" Kara whispered.

The people were gone; she'd seen their vehicle pull out of the drive, and there were only two of them.

"They're attending a spiritual celebration called church. It's one of their traditions," Lara explained, stroking her hand along all the house's decorations. There were no signs of any children in the house, and she had only ever seen the handsome blond man and his pretty red-haired wife.

Red hair was all but extinct on Krypton; it never occurred naturally anymore, so she'd been quite shocked when she'd first seen the woman from afar.

"Sure smells a lot better in here," Kara noted, her own hands wandering as well.

"I believe they're cooking," Lara said, pulling open the cooking device known as an oven. "Sunday roast." It did indeed smell very good. She thought maybe 'roast' was made of some of the animals out in the fields, the spotted ones called 'cows.'

"It's so peaceful here compared to Krypton," Lara noted, relaxing in the quiet of the house. "It's a true home." There were pictures on the walls; older items that were obviously family heirlooms; even blankets that had to have been made by hand.

"I don't know," Kara frowned. "It's kind of small and cluttered." Kara picked up one of the various decorations, obviously unimpressed.

"Careful, Kara," Lara warned. "We must leave no trace of our visit. I don't want to influence them in any way. They're destined to raise my child. It's important that they feel secure."

Coming home to a house that had obviously been walked through would make the family here uneasy; she didn't want to do anything to upset them. The family that raised her child would already have enough on their plates, taking in a child of unknown origin.

"Have you given your baby a name yet?" Kara asked suddenly, looking excited.

They hadn't, yet. "With everything happening on Krypton, Jor-El and I haven't had time to discuss one."

"He'll be so far from home," Kara said softly. Lara looked at her thoughtfully; Kara had a wonderful heart, and it was obviously upsetting that she might not get to see her cousin grow up with her. "Our sun will be nothing but a distant star."

Lara smiled sadly, her heart aching with the knowledge that it was more than likely that her child would grow up far away from the planet of his birth.

"Maybe you could name him Kal-El," Kara offered. "And that way, when he looks up at the sky, he can think of us."

"Kal-El," Lara tried it out, seeing how it felt. Star-child."It's a beautiful name." She liked that name a lot, actually.

Lara's eyes drifted to the pictures strewn around the house and she reached for one of a woman with deep read hair.

"This must be her," Lara said. The woman was very pretty, and better yet, her eyes were soft, almost dreamy. "She'll make a good mother."

A sudden flash blinded her, and she looked up to see Kara pull a smaller version of the pictures that hung on the walls out of the machine that had flashed.

"Kara," she chided. The girl smiled charmingly at her.

"Don't you want your son to have a picture of you?"

Oh, did she want that. She wanted her baby to know what she looked like, what her name was. She wanted him to know what she had loved him, wanted him more than anything.

The picture went behind the one of the red-haired woman, but before she could do anything else, the door to the house crashed open.

On the other side stood Zor-El.

"Zor-El!"

"Father!" Kara said, shocked.

"Kara, I told you not to leave Kandor!" Zor-El yelled, furious. His eyes, always cold, moved to Lara, who felt a shiver go down her spine.

"It's my fault," Lara cut in. "I thought Kara could learn something about the world by coming here."

When Kara tried to protest, Zor-El ordered her outside, then after she had gone, moved closer to Lara.

"You know Kara is safe with me," Lara told Zor-El angrily.

"You always did watch out for her," Zor-El agreed. "In fact, I'm glad you're here. We both know your planet could be destroyed soon. With the end so near, there's no reason to return. Stay here, with me, on Earth. We could rule this planet with strength, as a family."

Zor-El reached out and put his hands on her waist. Lara had made a very big mistake when she'd been younger: she'd dated Zor-El briefly. Things hadn't gone well; Zor-El's temper had soon emerged, never directed at her, but it was frightening all the same, and she had refused to marry him when he'd asked.

Then, she'd been introduced to his older brother, Jor-El. He'd been so handsome, already an important man, and she'd wanted him fiercely when she first saw him. It had taken her awhile to break through the ice that had surrounded him since his journey to Earth; but underneath the ice, she'd found an immensely passionate man whose devotion to his people was unequalled. His capacity for love was surprising, but looking at how hard he was working to save Krypton and its inhabitants, it probably shouldn't have been.

She had fallen deeply in love with him; and she had never given his brother a second glance again.

"No!" Lara told Zor-El, trying to wrench away from him. "Jor-El – he'smy husband! We're having a child…a son."

Zor-El froze for a second, jaw tightening, before he spat, "Jor-El's blood runs too cold to be a father."

And yours runs too hot, Lara thought. "You tried to kill him," she pointed out. "What does that make you?"

"Passionate!" Zor-El insisted. "My brother stole you from me! He took away my life."

"Jor-El didn't steal me," Lara scoffed. Zor-El had deluded himself into thinking he would have been able to win Lara back if she hadn't met Jor-El, and he had hated his brother for the imagined slight ever since.

"He'll never feel the same way I feel about you," Zor-El pleaded. "I know you love Kara. I'll love your son as my own." He leaned in, breath hot, trying to kiss her, before she yanked herself away.

"Zor-El, stop! You're delusional!"

"We will be together, Lara," Zor-El said ominously, eyes glittering in anger. "If not here today, then one day through my science."

"Your science?" Lara demanded in disbelief. There was no way he had – "You…you stole my DNA?"

"Your strands are safely stored within a crystal that, like you, is full of light and beauty." Zor-El no doubt thought the sentence romantic, but Lara gasped in horror.

"I refuse to be your next science experiment!"

"Oh, you're much more than that, Lara," Zor-El leered, leaning forward again.

"Father!" Kara's shocked voice made Jor-El jerk back. "How could you!"

Zor-El's face twisted into a snarl and he started towards Kara, hand already digging for the pendant she knew was in there. "I told you to wait outside!"

"What are you doing!" Lara demanded. "Stop!"

Zor-El pulled the pendant out and activated it, the sign for the House of El glowing as he did so. "You will forget everything you saw here today!"

Kara slumped to the floor, unconscious, and Lara hurried to her side. There would be no side-effects from the memory tampering, but Lara was horrified all the same. She knew Zor-El had no qualms about using his intelligence against others, but against his daughter…

She turned back to Zor-El, who was watching her. Seeing the horror in her eyes, he grimaced and backed away, heading towards the door.

"She'll be fine," he insisted. "Make sure she gets back to Krypton."

And then he was out the door, no doubt heading towards the portal. Lara stroked Kara's hair gently and waited, wanting to put distance between herself and Zor-El. Then she would take Kara home, and find her husband. She suddenly needed him to hold her.

There would be one benefit to her son being raised here: the politics of Krypton would never touch him. He would never feel the pressure of being the only son of Jor-El, and all the dangers and pressures it would bring.

He would just be Kal-El, free to choose his own destiny.

A/N: I wrote another story, Lineage, which isn't up anymore, because there were some elements that I just didn't like. This is the original idea that I changed around when writing Lineage, so I'm writing it now. This entire story will be set from pre-series.