Chapter 9 ~ What The Hell:
Or
Just Another Day In The life:
Pete and Lana were laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their cheeks. In between laughing Pete was trying to get a handle on what happened the night before when Clark had proposed to Diana.
"Okay so tell me again why the two animals showed up," he tried to say and then cracked up all over again as he pictured Krypto and Kyp coming out of nowhere and the two heroes going from just plain Clark and Diana into full out battle readiness as Superman and Wonder Woman. "I swear I would have paid money to see that."
Lana hid the grin she was sporting and mock glared at the insensitivity of her husband and proceed to scold him, "It's not funny Pete, he was proposing to her, they just showed up and started to shower them both with affection and then they…they…..they…." That was it for Lana she lost it and started laughing so hard she dropped her fork into her plate of stew.
"Oh who am I kidding, that has to be the funniest proposal story ever and it figures it happened to Clark."
"Hey, I was there too," said a laughing Diana. "It was actually pretty funny."
Clark just shrugged and said, "Yeah, ha ha, you do realize she never answered me. She was too involved with playing with both Kyp and Krypto. I can't believe I took a back seat to those two."
Lana tilted her head at Diana and winked at her. "So are you going to answer his question?"
"I might if he does it again without the pets being there, they had us on full battle alert, and what with the sonic booms they created to signal their arrival, I thought we were being invaded. Then when I saw them I got so excited seeing the two playing like little kids, I mean, pets," She looked over at Clark and blushed saying innocently; "I meant pets."
Clark looked over at her narrowed his eyes playfully, "Kids huh?"
"Well they act like kids and they are so cute and…and…oh stop picking on me Clark Kal-El Kent."
Clark blushed at the use of his full name and sheepishly looked at Diana through hooded eyes. Then mouthed, "Love you, kitten."
"Yeah, yeah, just you watch it, buster, just remember there's a couch with your name on it."
"Oh yeah," said an amused Lana, "You definitely have to keep her, I like her, she's spunky."
Diana was blushing from all the attention and friendly banter. She turned her attention on Pete and asked, "So how was your night?"
"Boring compared to yours."
"Peter Frances Ross. So now spending time with your wife is boring?"
"I did not say you were boring, Oh god," he looked over at Clark for some help when he noticed the amused look on his face and immediately said, "and you Mr. Man of Steel over there, don't even start with me about my middle name. You did enough of that in High School. It's not my fault my folks named me Francis and you… you… Amazon Princess… stop giving my wife ideas."
"I didn't say anything," she defended.
"Yeah well you had a look in your eyes that said you were up to something."
"But I didn't say anything," she said like a kid might then added in her normal voice, "Frances."
Everyone started to laugh at the interplay and that is pretty much how the dinner went.
After eating the main course which consisted of a recipe that Clark had been taught by his mother, Martha Kent, which consisted of her famous beef stew, mashed potatoes, cooked broccoli, salad and her equally famous lemonade, the two couples adjourned to the living room for coffee and dessert.
"Man," said Pete, "that was almost as good as your mom's, Clark. Nice job. I'm stuffed."
Lana rolled her eyes at her husband and said playfully, "Really, you're stuffed Mr. Can I have a third helping, we wouldn't want it to go to waste? Please…it's a good thing we walked over; you can work it off on the way home."
Narrowing his eyes at his wife over his cup of coffee he said, "I never said that part about it going to waste."
She just looked at him like he his nose had grown two inches from lying as Clark and Diana said simultaneously, "Yes, you did."
"Okay fine," he huffed, "maybe I said it but come on that was great. I haven't eaten like that since…," seeing his wife narrow her eyes he promptly changed tactics, "Since the night before last when Lana made her Chicken Marsala, with the little red potatoes."
Clark chuckled and said, "Nice save buddy."
Lana just looked at him trying to figure out if he was on the level or not.
Looking at his wife he said, "What it was good in fact I think it was your best effort to date, hon."
"Best effort to date, really? I think you should quit while you're ahead, hon." Then she grumbled at him, "I'll show you my best effort to date, when we get home, you'll be lucky if you're not sleeping on the couch."
Diana hid her mouth behind her hand at the antics of the three friends; her face was red as she struggled not to laugh. They were just too funny.
"I see you laughing over there Miss, I'm an Amazon Princess, something you wanted to add," he asked wagging his eyebrows at her.
She lost it and buried her face in Clark's neck laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face as she tried to say, "No, I'm good."
Clark just held her against him till she calmed down. Then he said, "Who wants pie."
Pete was the first to put his hand up and of course Lana laughed at him as did Diana.
"Clark," Pete implored, "help me out here buddy, is it a crime to like to eat and really we are talking about pecan pie?"
Clark wasn't listening he was brushing his fingertips against Diana's cheek as she looked longingly into his eyes. The golden flecks in her eyes started to glow just enough for his vision to detect. She snuggled closer to him wanting to feel him against her. She angled her face up; she wanted him to kiss her. Not to disappoint and because he already knew that look he gladly captured her lips with his. The kiss ended too soon, it was more of a promise of what was to come. They had guests after all.
Lana had caught the whole thing and she knew Clark well enough to know, he wanted to ask Diana again but didn't want to offend his guests, so Lana decided it was her right to play match maker. She cleared her throat and said, "Clark why don't you show Diana your old room in the barn, you know the one, the loft, with the skyline that shows the stars and your telescope."
Wordlessly he rose from his place on the couch and took Diana with him; he nodded a grateful thanks to Lana and led her out.
Clueless as ever Pete said, "I thought we were having desert."
Lana gave him a look that he knew to mean, "REALLY."
"Oh… yeah you should totally show her that," as the clueless one finally got a clue.
Lana got up and stared down at her husband as she heard the front door close behind the couple.
"Do you even pay attention?"
"Sorry, I thought we were having pie."
"I can't believe you Peter, he wants to ask her again, were you not listening at dinner, they got interrupted by the animals last night and she wants him to ask her again without going all Superman and Wonder Woman. Sometimes you are so dense."
Pete looked sheepishly at his wife and said softly, "So we are going to do the best friend's thing and go ease drop aren't we?"
"Hell yes, it's what we do, come on, she said excitedly.
"Yes dear," he said laughing at her antics and his own as he said, "Race you."
She was out of the room in a flash; he heard the front door open, then the screen door and said loud enough for her to hear, "Cheater."
She waited for him on the swing and as he came out to join her she said, "Sit."
"I thought we were going to sneak in and listen."
"We are but I don't want them to know it, just sit with me a second."
He sat down and she turned into him as their lips came together in a searing kiss.
Meanwhile Clark led Diana into the barn. "Di, I want to show you something before I take you up stairs."
"Anything Clark," she said as her heart started to race.
He led her into the last horse stall on the left and leaned down. Using a fraction of his super breath he blew on a spot one foot in front of him and a door appeared out from under the dirt he had blown away. "I want to show you the rocket that brought me to Earth from Krypton."
"Clark," she said softly as her heart melted just a bit more.
He reached down and gripped the ring on the right side of the door and lifted it up revealing steps leading down into a cavernous underground cellar. As he descended the first two steps he held out his left hand she took it and followed. Half way down the lights came on and sitting in the middle of the cellar was a small starship, it was Crystalline in appearance. "Come on, I really want you to see this, it's important."
She nodded and smiled shyly at him.
"Watch Diana just in case you ever need to open it and I'm not with you."
"Clark I would never…"
"Di, never say never, you may need to access it someday."
She hugged him lovingly and then lifted up slightly, kissing him then she floated back down to stand on the solid ground.
"Ship recognize, Kal-El Last Son of Krypton."
"Identity confirmed Kal-El how may I be of service to the son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van."
"Scan the pattern of the female beside me, designation Princess Diana of Themyscira, Daughter of The Amazon Queen Hippolyte and Daughter of The King of The Gods Zeus," as he said all of her title he winked at her.
"Scanning," ten seconds later the voice of the A.I. said, "DNA scan complete, welcome Princess Diana of Themyscira."
Diana smiled at the formalities much like he had done in The Fortress and said, "Hello Ship."
"Voice recognition pattern laid in, will there be anything else Son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van?"
"Princess Diana is to be given unrestricted access to the ship and all within it. Confirm command."
"Command confirmed Princess Diana of Themyscira now has complete access to the ship and all within."
She looked at Clark and arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"Ask it to open, Di."
She still was not use to talking to an A.I.'s even though she had occasion to interact with the fortress A.I., so she shrugged a bit feeling self conscious and said, "Ship, please open."
Silently the top half of the starship rotated away from the body of the ship to reveal the inside. Within was contained a small infant sized birthing chamber, it looked to be filled with a white luminescence gel, where the baby would be able to lay down comfortably and continue to grow or be placed in suspended animation for his long trip from Krypton to Earth. On either side there appeared to be sealed panels with Kryptonian lettering on them. She looked from the inside of the chamber to Clark.
"This is how I arrived on Earth; the Kent's found me and took me in as their own. Martha and Jonathan Kent, my adopted parents, I was lucky it was them that found me, I didn't come into my powers until I hit puberty and if the government had found me. I shudder to think what would have happened. I would have probably ended up being dissected as a science project."
Her heart went out to him as she said softly, "Clark."
"It's okay Diana, I had loving parents who raised me and taught me the value of all life, they taught me to use my gifts to help those less fortunate. I was lucky really; I had twenty one wonderful years with them before a senseless automobile accident took their lives."
"I am so sorry, Clark," she said sadly as she hugged him to her.
"I know my mother; Martha Kent would have loved you, Diana. My dad too, but my mom, she would have thought of you as her daughter. I wish you could have met them. They were wonderful, loving parents."
She took his hands in hers and turned him so he was facing her. "I know you miss them, Clark, but you aren't alone, you have me and I will always be by your side I promise."
"I know you will. I have one more thing to ask of you."
"Anything Clark, you can ask me anything."
"I need to do it in the loft upstairs."
She bit her lip in silence, her heart was racing a mile a minute and she was sure he could hear it. She was afraid if she spoke he would know she was crying so she simply nodded and looked at him lovingly.
He gave her that half smile she loved so much and then released her hands as he turned back to the opening in the ship and touched one of the side panels. It slid open at his touch. He was blocking her view intentionally as he retrieved a small case and slipped it inside his pants pocket. Then he touched the side of the open panel and it soundlessly sealed. Once more he turned to her and took her hand saying, "Secure ship."
Wordlessly and soundlessly the top half of the ship rotated and aligning with the lower half sealing itself.
He smiled and took Diana's hand in his and led her out of the cellar, closing the door behind him. Then he turned to her, she was no longer the redheaded, pale freckled skinned woman. Standing before him, Diana had let the illusion fall so she was herself again, long black wavy hair and tanned skin. She was every bit the Goddess he had fallen in love with.
"You are beautiful."
"Thank you, Clark," she said blushing at the compliment.
"Want to see my old room?" he asked excitedly.
She bit at her lower lip and then said, "Yes, please."
Walking hand in hand they ascended the stairs leading to the loft above. He took her over to the window, the light from the moon and stars were streaming through and the two where silhouetted in the light.
Unknown to the young couple Lana and Pete where hiding in the shadows under the stairs that led up to the loft, they couldn't see anything but from there hiding place they could hear everything. They held each other's hands waiting silently for what they knew was going to be Clarks second and hopefully uninterrupted attempt to ask Diana to marry him.
Once more he got down on one knee, unseen by her, he moving his hand at super speed, he retrieved the box he had taken from the ship and was now hiding what had been within it in his closed left hand, with his right hand he took Diana's left hand and softly caressed the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb.
"Diana, I love you. I have always loved you from the first moment I saw you. While the outside world may say we are moving too fast, I think we have moved to slow for this moment. You are my other half, my soul mate. Before you came into my life, my life was incomplete; I had thought my destiny was to go through this life alone. Now I can't image going through life without you by my side. I'm not great with words Di, I don't have a pretty speech to give you, and so I am just going to ask from my heart. Will you marry me, Diana of Themyscira?"
Before the words died on his lips she leaped onto him and they fell in a heap on the floor she started peppering his face with kisses and saying in between each kiss, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…"
He captured her face in his hands and tilted her face so he could look into her eyes what he saw reflected back was unfettered love and a promise of a lifetime together and he knew in that moment a lifetime with her was not going to be enough. "I love you so much, Diana."
"I love you, Clark Kent," she was crying she was so happy. She initiated the kiss and clung to him. When they finally broke for air, both their hearts were pounding in perfect synchronization he pulled her up and took her left hand again in his right. He opened his left hand and as he was about to put the ring on her finger he said, "This belonged to my birth mother, Lara Lor-Van. It was placed in the rocket that brought me here. I like to think she would have wanted my future wife to wear it."
It was beautiful; it looked like it was made from a combination of platinum and gold, woven together, around the band where what looked to be small perfect diamonds with a bigger white blue stone in the center. To an Earthling it looked to be a sapphire, it was in fact cut from the fabled Jewel Mountains of Kandor. It was one of the most prized gems on the planet.
"I love it Clark. It's beautiful."
At that moment Lana and Pete shot out of their hiding place and pounded up the stairs, with Lana chanting, "Let me see, let me see."
Diana smiled and showed her the ring as Pete was congratulating Clark on his engagement and demanding to be the best man.
Lana of course was crying she was so happy as she hugged her new BFF tightly and congratulated her.
Just as Pete and Lana were going to trade places, twin sonic booms were once more heard and within five seconds A Kryptonian Dog and a Tiger native to the Orion Galaxy appeared before them. Sitting before them like it was the most natural thing in the world, it was almost as if they wanted to be in on the celebration.
Diana promptly got down on one knee and hugged Kryto and Kyp to her as both the animals licked at her face. She kept saying as she kissed Kyp on the side of her face, "Good girl, Kyp."
Krypto yelped at being left out and she laughed and grabbed his face shaking it from side to side playfully saying, "Good Krypto."
Lana and Pete backed up as soon as they saw the size of the two pet's they were huge each roughly the size of full grown cows and Diana was treating them like they were regular dogs and cats. "Oh My God," exclaimed Lana, as Pete instinctually put himself behind his wife, his eyes wide as he watched them play with Diana. They were all moving almost faster than the human eye could follow.
Clark stood stock still, in shock as he processed what was happening, AGAIN, before him and said, "WHAT THE HELL!"
In the background he could hear Diana laughing as she proceeded to once again play with her pets. She was not only going to get married but she had the best pets ever. She couldn't be happier.
To Be Continued:
Okay I need a show of hands. Who saw that coming?
Be here within the next 72 hours for
Chapter 10 ~ Seriously?
Anyone want to guess who said that and what he or she is referring too? If you want to find out more about Kyp be here in 72. Also I have to ask, how the hell is she getting out of The Fortress. She lives in a habitat behind a force field. So how is she escaping? (grins and holds up his hand jumping up and down) "I know, I know."
