Chapter 36

The following day, Diana was usually in the library looking over petitions. Kal agreed to watch Helena for the day as she was clearly busy. Nara and Lor slept a few rooms away from Lara and Jor's bedroom. Lara had stayed up late with Jor talking about everything that has happened and everything that WILL happen.

Nara and Lor explored the House of El and noticed nothing had really changed since they left except Jor's parents were no longer living here as they passed away a few years ago. Lara's parents weren't much older than Jor or Lara herself, but old enough.

In the late afternoon they all decided to gather in the sitting area and talk more. Everyone needed their space from the previous evening. It was all such a life changing moment. Lara's life had completely turned around in a matter of minutes hitting her all at once. It was a lot to take in.

Lara stood and opened the shutters to the windows, letting the sun's red light beam into the room creating a soothing atmosphere. Diana joined them later. She wore a burgundy skirt with a halter top showing off her midsection again. The Van's constantly stared at Diana like she was something not to be living on Krypton. They couldn't believe their grandson had married this woman.

Kal noticed his grandparents staring at Diana as she walked around and sat. Diana seemed oblivious, as he remembered many Amazons on Themyscira wore these types of clothing around their island. He didn't seem to mind and often he saw his mother wear suits that exposed her midsection. Although that was the only flesh she would show, her neck was covered as was her hair sometimes.

Diana sat down next to Kal and placed her hand on his thigh caressing it gently. She smiled sipping her drink. He felt a little uncomfortable as his grandparents were watching their every move.

"So ah, I don't know what to call you both," Kal lamented gently squeezing Diana's hand and she laced her fingers in between his. Nara and Lor still stared intently.

"You may call us whatever you like Kal," Nara said calmly.

"Forgive me, but, I really haven't met you, I mean as a baby yes, but I don't remember that. It seems a bit formal for me to call you Nara and Lor as you are my grandparents."

Lor nodded his head sipping his juice, "Yes that's true," he turned towards his daughter, "Lara do you have anything stronger?"

Lara paused, "you mean…like alcohol?" he nodded his head smiling. "Yes, but we don't drink it often."

Diana smiled, "Oh I wish we could make wine on Krypton, but your soil is so different. Perhaps when Themyscira is done being rebuilt on Ammos I should send some wine over. It is very good."

"Wine?" Lor inquired.

"Yes, it is very sweet, but you must be careful with it, seriously I have had some nights when…"

She was cut off by Kal shaking his head not to continue any of her stories. She stopped and held her words.

"Nights when what, Diana?" Nara asked a bit more curious now.

Diana looked to Kal for answers but he had none, "They were…adventurous nights," she thought that would be a good thing to say. Nara and Lor simply nodded with blank faces. Lara exchanged her father's flute of juice for a more suitable drink he was asking for. It was a deep red and Diana smiled.

"May I try some?" Diana asked Lara and she smiled.

"Of course." She poured the Kryptonian wine-like alcohol in Diana's flute and she sipped it letting it swish around in her mouth. Finally swallowing she tried to grasp the flavor.

"Unusual fruity taste and it is quite bitter." Her eyebrows rose at the bitterness of the drink. Kal tried to hold in his laugh at Diana's puckered lips and wide eyes. She handed the glass to Kal and he kindly refused.

Nara and Lor were surprised Diana offered to share her glass. Most married couples on Krypton did not share the same glass or share each other's foods off the same plate.

"So Diana, you were married to Amayn right?" Nara asked, "I mean that is what we were told."

She sighed, "Yes, it was an arranged marriage but did not end well. I ended up getting pregnant and living here with the Els. It was a struggle at first, but all seems to be calmed down."

Nara nodded taking in the information. "You conceived the natural way, correct?" Diana nodded. "That is illegal here on Krypton as far as I know."

Lara finally came back into the room and sat next to Jor. Interrupting her mother, "Actually I have changed that law and many others since Diana has come here."

Lor narrowed his eyes, "You changed the laws because of some tribal alien princess?"

"She is not some tribal alien, she is my wife!" Kal came to Diana's defense. Diana put her hand on his shoulder.

"Kal, it's alright."

"No, it wasn't alright when my mother said it, so it's not right when my grandparents say it either. You are an El now; you are part of the family and shouldn't be treated like an outsider just because you're not a Kryptonian." He was getting a bit heated as the conversation carried on.

Lor put his hand up, "My apologies, I did not mean to offend."

Kal creased his eyebrows, "Yes you did. You don't like the fact that Diana is in our family. You have been gone all these years; you have no right to judge her or my decisions."

Lara thought she should intervene, "Kal, please, enough." Kal looked to his mother and she had a stern look on her face. He calmed down and leaned back in his seat next to Diana.

"Please, it has been stressful enough with all this new stuff happening, nobody needs the extra tension. There is already enough of it in the room." Lara spoke for everyone. A few silent minutes passed with no conversation.

"Father, I've wanted to ask you what happened and why did mother give me her crown? I never knew…I just wanted to know."

Nara sighed and explained everything from the beginning. She explained about Jax turning them in for distrubiting the red Kryptonite, but they really didn't do it, he did. She figured out that there was red Kryptonite in her crown and asked Lara to keep it so nobody will find it. Lara had told her she had been wearing it ever since she gave it to her.

"You've been wearing it all these years?" Nara shook her head.

"You…you gave me a red Kryptonite crown and…and," she was at a loss for words. "You gave it to me and it has harmed me and possibly my baby!" she stood irate.

Everyone in the room stopped and looked over at her. Nara set her flute on the table. "Baby?"

Kal and Diana exchanged glances and he used his enhanced vision to look inside his mother's body.

"Well, I think I hear Helena calling," he stood setting his glass down on the table. Diana stayed seated a bit confused.

"I thought you put her down for a nap. I don't hear her," not catching the hint. He grabbed her hand.

"Sure you do," they left the room quickly and an awkward silence filled the room.

Lor coughed, "You're pregnant?" his eyes widened.

Lara sighed, she didn't want to tell them this way but it just slipped out in her rage. "Yes."

Jor put his hand on her arm and she was frozen standing. Nara and Lor sat speechless. "You, but, how is it possible? Is this law legal for every Kryptonian woman?"

"Yes it is. I made sure it was. It was legal many centuries ago, but Diana had argued with the council on this matter. She is right it is not lawful to prosecute a pregnant woman so I plead to our council to have the bill passed. It has passed and legal for any Kryptonian woman to conceive children the natural way." Finally taking a seat next to her concerned husband.

"Well," Nara chose her words carefully, "There is a first time for everything I suppose." She smiled nervously.

Lara's father had nothing to say as he was still in shock. Nara nudged him a bit to get him out of his daze, "Oh, um," he rubbed the back of his head. "Lara, it is your choice and we will be here with you as much as you'd like."

Lara's nerves calmed at her father finally saying something positive while being here. "That would mean a lot to me, thank you."

When Kal and Diana finally reached their room Diana most definitely did not hear Helena calling for them. "Kal, what the hell was that about?"

"Trouble rising that's what that was. My mother is pregnant."

Diana's jaw dropped, "What!"

"I saw," he gestured to his vision. Sitting on the bed he was listening to his parents and grandparents talk and at first it was awkward but they seemed alright with it. "My mother's parents accept it as far as I can hear."

She sat next to him, "Oh Kal, you're going to be a big brother," she teased ruffling his hair with her fingers.

He knocked her flat on the bed and she laughed out loud. "Yeah, well, I hope my mother will have more sympathy for you now."

"Oh she will find out soon enough what the experience is like. I'm not expert, but I do believe I kind of already knew she was when you asked me to check up on her. She looked rather peaked and I heard her in the bathroom. It reminded me of when I was pregnant with Helena."

Kal sighed, "Ah yes, poor thing. I remember," he kissed her hand. "It just seems like yesterday that happened, but it has been a year and a very stressful year."

"A very stressful two years yes it has been, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world." She smiled.

He nodded agreeing with her, "I wouldn't either." His eyes had a playfully glee in them, "So."

"Kal I'm not going to have sex with your grandparents here. That's just weird."

"My parents are here, what's the difference?" he kissed her bare midsection and it was making her squirm and having trouble concentrating.

"Oh no, no, no. you are not going to do this again!"

He laughed, "You're just mad because you lost last time. You screamed!"

"I did not lose! I let you win," Diana folded her arms staring up at the ceiling.

"Uh huh," he kissed her arm.

"Don't do this to me," Diana gulped as he went lower on her body. "Kal…" he smiled cupping one of her breasts and her hips sunk into the mattress. "Kal!" he stopped at her forceful tone. "Can we…perhaps go somewhere else to do this?"

Kal thought for a moment realizing she was obviously really uncomfortable doing this with all these elders were in the house. He grabbed her hand helping her off the bed. "I have a place."

"Oh what about Helena?"

"I'll tell mother to watch her or better yet…my grandmother," his grin turned into a devious one. "Wait here."

"Alright." She did as told and waited in their room.

"Ah I don't mean to interrupt this fond moment," Kal walked into the room and everyone stared at him. He went up to Nara and Lor. "Could you perhaps watch Helena for a few hours? I'm taking Diana somewhere."

Jor and Lara knew where this was going and they were surprised he had asked his grandparents to watch his daughter.

Nara's his eyes widened. "Us? Well I…"

"Only for a few hours. She needs to get to be familiar with you now that the both of you will be coming and going from Daxam to here." He thought this would make a good argument and plus she was adorable it was hard to refuse Helena.

Lor nodded his head. Nara agreed as well. "Alright."

Kal smiled satisfied. Before he left he reached over the sofa his parents sat on and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Congratulations, mother." Lara smiled looking up at her son before he made his exit.

Making it back to his room he grabbed Diana's hand and went to a private sector of the palace that nobody used. Opening the doors with his DNA only Diana looked around and saw crystals everywhere and many computers.

"What is this?" She was tempted to start touching stuff.

"My parents built this for me when they realized I was causing a lot of problems for the chambermaids. I was becoming bored and got into a lot of trouble. This room is only opened through my DNA and is soundproof. I used to play in here as a child as well as come in here as a teenager to build new silly inventions. I come here for solitude basically."

Diana nodded at his explanation. The crystals parted and they walked through one of the rooms. It had a large bed that looked incredibly softer than theirs upstairs. "Wow! Can we live here instead?"

He laughed and lay on the bed. She ran her fingers across the material and the bed was soft. She sprawled across the bed feeling the soft material on her skin.

"So nobody will hear us or see us," he arched an eyebrow.

"Oh really now?" she smiled kissing his lips forcefully. "Round two?"

"Of course, princess."

"Don't you dare start with that crap," she hit him and he laughed ignoring her simply tossing her in the middle of the bed already stripping her from her clothes.

"You have a trashy mouth you know?"

"Just shut up and kiss me already, Kal, you talk too much," she smiled playfully.

Six Months Later

Nara and Lor had visited twice since their last visit and decided to stay for the birth of their daughter's child. Not to mention Helena's second birthday was approaching so they stayed. Lara was getting annoyed at her mother's constant nagging. She was always checking up on her, more than Jor was, but he had his moments as well. Diana had answered any questions Lara might have, but usually she looked up her questions or asked their physician if she was really unsure about something.

Lara sat in bed reading on her tablet when Jor came to join her. He rubbed her arm lovingly, "How do you feel?"

"Fat, really fat," she smirked still focused on reading.

He smiled getting more comfortable on their bed. "Don't worry, only a few weeks left." He placed his hand on their baby.

She put the tablet down on a table nearby, "Three weeks and four days to be exact."

Jor's eyes widened and she laughed at his shocked face. "I have been counting down the days. I am rather impatient at this point." She sat up leaning her back against a pillow she sighed. "I am growing tired of him constantly kicking and beating me up during my sleep. I can't stand eating at the table because I get so distracted and I can hardly concentrate in our meetings at the science guild with all the somersaults he does inside me." She tapped her thigh in slight irritation. "I mean what does he think he is doing? Preparing for Kryptonian warfare?"

Jor laughed at his wife's mild frustration and she smiled slipping down more comfortably in the bed crossing one ankle over the other. "I think you can put up with it a little while longer."

Lara shook her head yawning as she was tired, but suffered from insomnia most of the time. Fixing her sleeves on her black dress she positioned herself to what felt at least comfortable on her back. Just as she was ready to calm down for the rest of the evening she felt Jor prodding at the baby.

"What are you doing?" she looked up at him arching a brow.

He smiled, "Trying to get him to move. He hasn't for the last half hour since I have been checking on you."

"Please don't rile him up. I really hate when you do that before I try to go to sleep."

Jor skimmed his hand over their son waiting for him to make his presence known, but no luck yet. "He is being lazy tonight."

"Let him be lazy, I am exhausted," she yawned closing her eyes.

He rubbed her belly profusely several times trying to get the baby to move, but wouldn't. "He is as stubborn as you sometimes. Either he is sleeping or is upset that I keep bothering him." He teased.

Lara smiled still with her eyes closed, "I don't think he minds the rubbing, but maybe the prodding aggravates him. It irritates me sometimes because then he just won't stop moving after that!"

Jor gently pushed his palm against the side of his wife's abdomen and she opened one of her eyes and he seemed to be in his only little world completely forgetting she was there.

"Jor, whatever you're doing to the baby I can feel it too, you know this right?"

He gazed down at Lara a bit nervous to continue, "Does it hurt you?"

She shook her head, "No." he proceeded tapping on their baby and she laughed grabbing his hand. "But don't do that, it tickles."

"Sorry," he smiled.

Suddenly she jolted up leaning on her elbows trying to breathe. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What's the matter?"

"Little fiend!" she groaned sitting up all the way. "He punched me in my ribs!" glaring at her bump she wished she could sleep soundly for one night but knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. "I am so done being pregnant."

Jor put his arm around Lara and kissed her temple, "If it makes you feel any better I like you pregnant." He received a crazed look from his wife. He touched her cheek and chuckled at her expression. He admired her fuller figure, fuller face and glossier raven hair.

"Why would you think such a thing?" Lara asked a bit shocked and maybe disgusted.

"It makes you more motherly."

"So it's just a nicer way of saying you like me being fat?" she said with a straight face.

"Oh no, no, no. I mean, I like the way you before too, I…ah…" he wasn't going to win. Lara had her tease and laugh for the night. She smiled wearily and kissed his lips.

"Goodnight Jor, I'm going to try and go to sleep," she turned on her side and closing her eyes slowly inhaling and exhaling. Jor watched her breathing slow and soon she was fast asleep. His eyes drifted downward at their son and he was moving freely but gentler this time with Lara's hand on top of him. Smiling he turned off the lights and laid in bed wide awake just thinking.

The following morning Jor always awoke before Lara these days and he quietly left the room to greet the others.

Helena was able to sneak her way passed her mother and father and grandparents. She opened the door to Lara and Jor's bedroom and saw her grandmother sleeping soundly in bed. The toddler walked up to the side of the bed and saw Lara's lips parted and she was breathing heavily in her sleep. Her hair was sprawled across the pillows and her cheek resting on her palm.

The green eyed child reached up and grabbed her grandmother's arm and shook it gently trying to wake her from her slumber. "Grandma," she whispered. Shaking her arm harder her voice rose, "Grandmaaaa,"

Lara's eyes shot open and she stretched her arm looking down at the sweet Helena. Her hair was now shoulder length and very sandy colored. She smiled stroking the child's head. "Hello little one."

"Good morning!" she beamed and climbed on top of the bed. Lara rolled over onto her back and sat up yawning.

"Good morning yourself," she smiled and kissed the top of Helena's head. "Happy Birthday, dear."

"Thank you," the now two year old made her way over to snuggle into her grandmother's arm. A knock came to the door and Lara looked up.

"Come in," she called out softly. Kal came in to see Helena leaning against his mother and she looked quite comfy. He made his way over to the side of the bed and his daughter crawled over Lara's legs now sitting on her father's lap.

"I told you not to come in here. You know she was sleeping," he whispered in her ear. Helena put a hand over her mouth.

"It's alright Kal. I need to get up anyway," she uncovered herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"How are you feeling today?"

"The same as I was yesterday," her sarcastic tone was unnerving to Kal. He wasn't sure if she was being serious or not. Lara detangled her hair with her brush and started wrapping it up in a bun.

"Mother," he set Helena down and told her to go back to her mother. She closed the door and padded down the hall back to Diana. "That's not what I meant."

She sighed sitting down slowly in her chair, "Your brother seems to enjoy beating me up from the inside,"

Kal smiled and knelt down at his mother's belly. "Squirt, I'll have to teach you some manners." He stood back up and Lara looked a tad amused at her elder son conversing with his baby brother.

"I will be out in a few minutes, Kal," she stood walking to her closet to grab something else to change into.

"I will make sure to tell them," he slid the door closed and found Diana standing right there. "Rao, Diana, you really know how to scare someone."

She hit him, "Kal you can hear me a mile away. Helena is dying to open her gifts. Mother and Donna are trying to keep her occupied. Your grandparents are guarding the presents." She stifled a laugh. "Is Lara alright?"

He nodded his head, "Yes she's fine. She will be out in a few minutes she said."

Diana eyed him skeptically.

"No really she said that."

"I see." She turned on her heel and walked down the hall.

Lara came out in ten minutes as she promised wearing a black and gold floor length batwing gown and her hair in a tight bun with a head wrap on and also covering her neck wearing a gold crown. Jor saw her and went to her holding out his hand for her to lightly step down the stairs. Helena ran towards Lara and hugged her legs.

"You're here!"

Lara gripped onto Jor tighter afraid she'd fall, "Of course I am, little one."

"I'm not little anymore."

She heartily laughed, "You think you're such a big girl now, do you not?" Helena nodded her head, not really sure what her grandmother was talking about but agreed. Lara sat next to Hippolyta and Donna as Helena sat in the middle of the floor opening her gifts that were handed to her by Nara and Diana.

Donna smiled sitting on the floor watching her two year old niece open her gifts. Some she helped her with but she seemed to handle herself very well.

Diana sat with Kal watching Helena play with Donna after she received all her gifts for her birthday. "I will be going off world soon." He held onto his hand. "I decided to leave her in the care of my mother and sister."

By now Themyscira was fully rebuilt on Ammos, but they lacked in food, which was still provided by Krypton until they were able to grow their own again.

"On Ammos? That is so far, why don't you leave her here?"

Diana shook her head, "Your mother is about to have her baby, I think that is too much to handle. I already settled everything with my mother, besides I think Lara may need you." She smiled. He looked over at his mother leaning forward in her seat to see what gift Helena was showing her.

"I know I don't say this too often, and don't you dare say anything about this, but I think she is nervous and is too stubborn to admit it, even to herself."

Diana looked over at Lara who had her legs crossed smiling at Helena who was now sitting in between Hippolyta and Lara. She was making sure both her grandmothers were paying attention to her. She shook her head at the child.

"It is natural to be nervous, Kal. I didn't know what to do and neither will she."

"She will try to look at it from a scientific perspective I think," chuckling at his mother's thought process.

"Oh Kal I believe she won't know what to think when that moment comes. I thought I would be so calm; instead I broke two of your fingers. So much for that," she laughed.

He looked over at her one more time and saw her eyes widen as Helena was explaining a story. She seemed very amused, or at least putting on a good act of being amused.

"I suppose we will have to see what happens."

Diana sighed, "Donna has been trying to touch Lara all week. I don't know if she has tried and Lara yelled at her or she might be too scared," giggling she saw the itch her sister had. "She has a soft spot for babies."

"I remember," Kal sneered.

"Grandma Polly look!" Helena held up a necklace in the shape of a sun.

Hippolyta smiled and picked up the child setting her on her lap. "That is my gift to you. Your name means 'shining light' and even when I am far away from you I, Donna and all your aunts will always be with you."

Helena awed over the gold necklace and Hippolyta put it around her neck examining it carefully this time. Kal had taught her to control her strength when dealing with breakables.

Helena was handed a smaller crystal box from Lara and she opened it carefully. It was a small bracelet with the El crest on it. She 'oohed' and 'awed' over the bracelet. Lara clasped the bracelet on her small little wrist.

"Until you are old enough to wear a crown of your own I give this to you, Helena," Lara cupped the toddler's cheeks and kissed her forehead.

Diana saw the exchange in gifts between the two brunette mothers. "What do you say, dear?"

"Thank you," the auburn headed child hugged Hippolyta then hugged Lara and climbed off the sofa to come show her parents her gifts.

Later in the day Helena started to become overwhelmed with her gifts and people around her she started to get fussy. Diana put her down for a nap while all the adults stayed in the living room talking amongst themselves.

Lara sighed sitting next to Hippolyta and Donna still. She peered over at Donna's eager face and she smiled. "What is with your face?"

Hippolyta's eyes enlarged at Lara's blunt words.

"My face?" Donna touched her cheek feeling a bit self-conscious. It's not that she was afraid of Lara, maybe a little intimidated by her, kind of like she was intimated by her mother as a child. Lara had that certain attitude about her that if you upset her she will surely tell you how it is.

"Yes your face. You have had a silly smile on your face all day and looking at me strangely all week."

"Oh," Donna reddened, "Sorry, I was just curious about your baby is all."

Lara blinked, "Is that why you kept staring at me?"

Donna wasn't sure if she was angry or not because her face was unreadable. "Yes…?"

Lara finally grinned letting her guard down a bit. Diana looked over and saw Donna placing her hand on Lara's stomach. She nudged Kal and he rubbed his ribcage, "Ouch, Rao, Diana. What is it?"

"Look at your mother and my sister," she said softly.

Peering over at the two his mother had a warm smile on her face.

"Well isn't that a sight to see," he smirked leaning back in his seat and Diana rolled her eyes.

AN: I lied…maybe another chapter after this lol. I'm really tired, so sorry for the grammar mistakes. I've been up too long to be alive. I might just crash in a minute!