As the sun set on the Kansas horizon, long time farmer, Jonathan Kent rose up from his final chore of the day and wiped his forearm against his sweat slicked brow. The next crop of radishes had been planted and the hay delivered to the animals pens for the last feeding of the day until morning dawned.
Dusk fell across the landscape, and the bright blazing blue sky of a Kansas Summer turned dark as the sun disappeared from view - only a tinge of pink on the horizon an indicator of where the sun had gone as the Earth continued to turn. A sight worthy of admiration to which he never grew tired. Yet for him, there was one sight more beautiful, and he turned to watch her approach in her plaid dress and white apron.
"Jonathan!" She called out to him and he grinned in her direction. "Are you finished, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just admiring the view, Martha."
She blinked, smiled, and shook her head. And he could not help but think her hair as the color of early dawn.
"Well, dear, I've got dinner on the table and there's a pie with your name on it."
Setting the shovel on the back of the old red pickup truck he walked over to her, "I still don't know how I was lucky enough to have an omega like you choose me."
Her nose wrinkled and she shook her head with a smile. "I'm the lucky one, Jonathan, for an Alpha like you is rare to find in this day and age, and even I suspect in the centuries past."
Lifting a hand, he used a single finger to tilt her head back by her chin and lowered his own head to press his lips to hers out on the open field beneath the wide Kansas sky.
A streak of light lit the night and the two broke the kiss to gaze up at a sky full of stars.
"Look, Jonathan, a shooting star. It's beautiful."
He gazed at her wide glittering eyes. "That it is, Martha, that it is." Not even the stars themselves outshone her beauty, not ever in his mind.
Then she gasped, "Jonathan! Something... something fell! It's... it's not a star."
His brows furrowed and he gazed in the direction where something hit the ground and shook the earth within a mile radius of impact. Smoke billowed on the wind.
"I'm going to go see what that was. It looks like it fell in the back of the corn field."
Martha placed her hands akimbo on her hips. "Don't imagine you'll be going alone, I'm coming with." She grabbed hold of the passenger side door and swung it open to climb up into the truck seat.
Jonathan knew as he knew the farm like the back of his hand, that there was no dissuading her from tagging along. Where other Alpha's may have used their Voice to order her around so that she stayed safe and sound in their house, he had never used his own to take away her autonomy. He was proud to have her at his side and had no need of the Alpha's Voice to protect her. She could not only protect herself, for they both knew how to use a shot gun, he'd be there with her.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Martha." He grinned as he rounded the truck and stepped up to sit down behind the wheel. Once their doors were shut and they were buckled in he drove them in the direction that the smoke had begun to ebb.
Down the quiet country road they went, over bumpy terrain of gravel and grit.
Martha took hold of his right shoulder. "Jonathan, there!" She pointed off to the left and he turned the truck off the road and onto the grass that was in need of cutting, but he didn't think it time to mention that nor plan in any case.
Unbuckling, he slipped out of the truck. "Martha, hand me the flashlight in the glove box, please."
Martha nodded and opened the glove box on the dashboard. Reached in and pulled out a small red flashlight which she placed in his outstretched hand.
Once he had the flashlight he turned in the direction that whatever had fallen from the sky had landed. Behind him he heard the slow movement of a truck door being opened and then the soft click of it carefully being shut.
Martha caught up to him and pressed up against his side. Together they forged ahead, their steps slow, but sure as they went to investigate the cause of the short lived quaking of the surrounding land.
"At least there was no fire stared, Jonathan."
"Lucky, that was, Martha. We need to make sure whatever it is won't be causing no trouble." He turned the flashlight on as even the small light of dusk was swallowed up by the dark of night.
His brows furrowed as his something in front of them lit up. Lighter green reflected off of dark green. There was no plant there last he'd looked in the fallow field around the corn crops of their farmland.
Martha titled her head back and gasped and squeezed his arm. "Jonathan!" She said, voice pitched a decibel or so higher than usual. He could hear and scent her distress.
Tilting his head back and lifting the light he gazed up and up and up for what felt like forever. What stood before them was no ordinary creature. For a moment he wondered if he were back home asleep in his bed beside his wife as the scaled creature with vegetation dangling from its horns locked it's gaze upon him.
He managed to swallow down over the lump that had formed in his throat. And placed a hand behind him as he stepped up, warding his omega wife against nearing the monster of myths that stood there before them.
Together, they stepped back as the gigantic reptile lowered it's head. And then, from above, a voice.
"Fear not the dragon, Rad-Shaj, dear human. He shall not harm you long as you are of a worthy in heart and in soul and do not intend to let harm befall us."
Martha glanced around his shoulder. "Who are you?" She asked even when he could not find words with which to speak, so rattled as he was by the creature that should not exist. He'd only heard of them in passing when people, mostly children, spoke of the tales they had read of knights and dragon slayers.
"I, madam, am Zor-El, brother of the King of Krypton, Jor-El."
"Krypton?" Jonathan managed to get out as he'd shaken himself from his stupor. He could not let his omega down. Not when there was danger afoot.
"A Kingdom hidden by a veil placed there by ancient magic so that our people went undetected by those born of the Earth be they human, Themysciran, or Atlantean."
"Themyscirian? Atlantean?"
"Atlantis below the ocean's surface. Themyscira also hidden from the rest of the world much like Krypton."
"Why are you here, now?"
Zor-El sighed above upon the back of the dragon. Jonathan watched as the dragon, Rad-Shaj lifted a wing and then once Zor-El was upon it, holding two infants in blue blankets he slid off and stood in front of them. "It is a sad tale. Once you've heard it, you may not wish to accept my proposition, and you'd be well within your rights."
Martha stared at the twins, with longing in her gaze, lashes wet with grief as Jonathan knew she imagined the many miscarriages she had suffered throughout the years of their marriage. "Jonathan, we... we should hear Mr. El out."
Jonathan nodded and holding his wife's hand glanced once more upon the man, who claimed to be of the Earth and yet was not human. How could his people have hidden from the world and kept the dragons so long a secret? But then, perhaps some tales of the ancient past were not so much myth as they were legends of true heroes and heroic feats lost to time and altered over the many centuries to the point the true history was lost. "We will hear you out, Zor-El of Krypton."
Zor-El dipped his head. "Krypton thanks you, even if at this moment a battle wages. My brother, King Jor-El, and his wife, Queen Lara Lor-Van remained at the keep for my sister-in-law had just given birth. She could not keep up with us and was determined to remain behind. But Jor-El could not allow it without trying to hide her and himself away before the assassins reached them. I know not if either or both will survive. Swords were drawn in the courtyard and the halls even as Rad-Shaj took off with I, my wife Allura In-Ze, our daughter Kara Zor-El, and the twins of the King and his Queen."
Martha had placed a hand over her mouth as she listened to the tale, while he processed the information.
"That does not explain why you're here in this field, Mr. El."
"I and my dear wife, we cannot keep the twins with us. If we are found they too shall be in danger. Lord General Dru-Zod has offered great reward for the death of the members of the House of El. And Rad-Shaj spoke to me through our telepathic connection of a pair who would love the children as if they were their own while I and my dear Allura In-Ze gather forces to rebel against the false king who would try to usurp it's rightful heir."
Martha blinked, "You wish us... to raise the twin princes?"
"I am not sure it wise for you to care for both. It is well known that my sister-in-law was expectant with twin sons."
A woman, who Jonathan suspected was Zor-El's wife, Allura In-Ze, called from above on the back of the green dragon. "Zor-El, our daughter too shall need guardians. With us she shall be in danger and as a descendent of the House of El, her fate may well be the same as her cousins with a bounty on her head."
Zor-El smiled up at his wife. "Ah, Allura, my love, you think of everything."
A young girl, about five, give or take a year or so, slid down the dragon's wing to land beside her sire. "Mother says I cannot stay with her, or you Father."
Zor-El, still holding the twins, carefully knelt before his child and pressed his forehead to hers. "Kara, my darling daughter, it is too dangerous for you to be with us. This is for your protection and that of the future King of Krypton. The true future King and his twin."
"Is this my fault, Father?"
"No. Never. Nor is it Jor-El's, Lara Lor-Van's, or the twins fault. The fault lies with Dru-Zod. The General who was once our friend has turned enemy and wishes to kill all those who bear the El name and shield."
Kara frowned, blue eyes shining with tears that soon fell. "It's not fair!"
"I know, but you are a princess, and so you need to be brave for your people and for your future liege. Or our world might yet be lost to us."
The blonde child took a deep breath and sighed it all out, "Brave... I'm brave, Father."
"Then prove it to your Mother and I, Kara."
She nodded and watched as her father stood.
Jonathan wondered how painful it must be to have to say such words to one's child. To have to be separated from them due to treason and war so that they were out of reach of their assassinators. The children were clear targets, but so innocent that he could not turn them away. Less so when he looked into his wife's gaze and saw how her eyes lit upon the young.
"If we do this, Martha, you realize that someday they will return to their people and their biological family should they survive the turmoil of their war."
"I know, but I cannot turn them away."
Jonathan turned back to Zor-El and asked, "Which of the children will you entrust us with?"
"Only one. It will be less suspect that way. Into your care, I give you the heir to the throne, Kal-El. His name is too conspicuous for him to use, but it was the name his mother gave him as she lay on the bed she gave birth to him and his twin, Kar-El."
Martha stepped up and took the infant wrapped in a dark blue blanket. To his forehead she pressed a kiss and whispered, "I shall take care of you, for as long as I'm allowed."
Jonathan knew she'd love him as if he were their own even if they might not be able to keep him forever. Already he had a soft spot as the young one's eyes fluttered open and gazed up at them with eyes as blue as the ocean and bright as the sunlight reflecting off the water's surface.
"Is there anyone who you know who might care for Kar-El?"
"My own sire, William Clark" Martha proclaimed, "that way they might be able to visit each other, even though they will not be under one roof." Jonathan figured she was hoping that it would bring them all closer together, but if it didn't work out, there were others they knew who could care for the younger of the twins even though he knew she'd be sore tempted to keep him with them as well. Until she was reminded of how dangerous it was not only for them, but for the three royal children of Krypton.
"Then to your father, I shall entrust Kar-El and Kara Zor-El." He placed the infant in the lighter blue blanket into Kara's arms. Jonathan watched as she placed a hand on the back of Kar-El's head and her arm underneath his bottom. She must have come into contact with infants before.
Allura, above, wiped away tears that fell. "Be brave my daughter and look after your cousin well."
Zor-El, onced the dragon lowered itself to the ground, climbed back up onto it's back behind the woman that was his wife.
Kara called out. "I love you Mother! I love you Father!"
Zor-El as the dragon lifted up off the ground called down to them. "And we love you, Kara Zor-El. One day we will be reuinted, no matter how many years it might take."
Jonathan and Martha, with Kara, watched the dragon and its riders rise further into the skies above until they were but a speck flying farther and father away.
"We're going to have to call your Father, Martha," he said with a frown.
"Jonathan, I know you and he don't get along and never have, but he's my Dad and you're my husband. I love you both. Still, I'd never let him come between you and I."
Martha placed a hand on Kara's shoulder. "Come with us, Kara."
The child glanced up at her and sniffed. "I miss Mother and Father."
"I know, sweetie, but this is for the best. For now anyway." She carefully held onto Kal-El and supported him at the back of his head and neck.
Jonathan followed them, Martha carrying Kal-El and Kara Zor-El carrying Kar-El.
He took hold of Kar-El from Kara and helped her into the truck. Placed the young prince back in her arms and slid in beside her and Martha on her other side.
Shutting the door, he buckled Kara in. "We're going to need to get a car seat for the pup, Martha."
"I know. But the stores are closed and the one's that are open are too far out of the way at this time."
Once they were all buckled in he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the field. Turned the truck and headed for home.
"We're going to need papers saying that we legally adopted Kal-El... what are we going to call him? Zor-El mentioned that we shouldn't use their names."
"What about... Clark, Jonathan? Clark Joseph Kent?"
He chuckled and felt his eyes sting, if but for a moment, "We always wanted to call a son of ours that."
Kara looked up at them, first at Martha, then Jonathan, and back again. "I don't want a different name."
"Well, Kara is a human sounding name, you can keep that part, but you can't be called Kara Zor-El. If Martha's Father agrees to take you and Kar-El, I imagine you'll just be known as Cara Clark."
"Oh... I guess that's okay." She sighed and stared down at the quiet infant in her arms. And then she wrinkled her nose. "Kar-El's stinky."
Martha chuckled. "Well, we don't have any diapers at the house, but I'm sure we can make do with cloth and safety pins until we can visit the stores come morning."
They rolled the windows down a crack until they arrived outside the farm house. Jonathan got down onto the ground and took young Kar-El. Kara Zor-El floated down to land upon the moss covered ground.
He followed Martha inside the house where she quickly set the boys on the coffee table and had him fetch small cloths from the small linin closet across the hall from the bathroom. He returned with four - just in case there was a mishap. He'd also gotten a few wash cloths and some toilet paper. They didn't have baby wipes after all as they'd been in no way prepared to be so suddenly saddled with great responsibility.
"Thank you, Jonathan. Could you get the safety pins from the junk drawer?"
He nodded and went to the kitchen. Pulling out the drawer he found exactly what he was looking for and picked eight of them up. It was a good thing Martha kept things, even if their dreams had been dashed time and time again when they suffered the loss of an unborn child.
Turning around he nearly ran into the little girl. "Kara, why are you in here?"
"I wanted to get away from the smell."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "No one goes through life without getting a bit of stink on themselves, or causing it. All young pups stink."
"Not me!"
Another chuckle and a shake of his head, he moved around her to return to the coffee table and handed his wife what she'd asked for. "Here you are Martha."
She'd quickly cleaned up the boys, tossed their diapers in the bin, and with the safety pins now in hand adjusted the make-shift cloth diapers and pinned their ends.
"This'll have to do until tomorrow," she sighed, "but they're not even meant to be used as cloth diapers."
"We'll pick some up at the store. Car seats too."
He saw Martha glance at the clock.
"Father should still be up another hour." She lifted one of the boys up and handed the young Prince of Krypton to him.
He noticed a dark blue tiny bracelet of some kind around his wrist. "Why's he wearing a bracelet, Martha?"
"They're identical and we don't want them getting mixed up. He's Kal-El... Clark Joseph Kent."
He nodded and then saw her pick up Kar-El who as yet did not have an alias to go by and then kiss his brow.
"It'll take too long to get to your sire in the main city. We'll have to be up early in the morning to get to his place. Nothing else for it."
"I know. Best not to send a messenger." She rocked the youngster in her arms to and fro and he followed suit with little Kal-El.
"They need to eat, Jonathan."
"I'll warm up some of the goat's milk in the fridge. We can get formula in the morning as well."
Kara stared up at them as she entered the room. "I'm hungry," she murmured as her stomach rumbled.
Martha smiled and glanced toward the kitchen. "I'll reheat our dinners over the fire and then we'll split some of ours with you Kara."
"Thank you," she curtsied. She was as yet too young to have the grace of a member of the royal court, daughter of a King's brother. There was so much she'd be missing out on if the strife in her country went on too long a stretch of time. But her safety and that of her cousins was of far more importance than learning proper etiquette and other things required of them - especially the heir to the throne. Just because Jonathan weren't no royal didn't mean he didn't have some inkling of what went into running a kingdom. And it sounded like this Jor-El, King of Krypton, might be a far better man than the King of Metropolis, Lionel Luthor, whose territory included Smallville and therefor by extension the Kent family Farm.
"We're really going to need William Clark's help in regard to legal documents, but do you think he can get them forged so that they all appear on the straight and narrow?"
"Of course, dear. He's a lawyer and a fair one at that."
"Just not when it comes to you."
"I know. Now, shush, dear, the boys have fallen asleep." She brushed her fingers through Kar-El's hair and then lightly touched Kal-El's cheek. "I guess we'll wait till they wake again to feed them."
She handed him the infant without a bracelet and he took them both upstairs to the room they'd closed off three years ago when last they'd lost an unborn child. He stepped inside and moved a sheet off of the crib in one corner and lay the boys down, each at one end.
The scent of dinner being re-heated hit his nostrils as he descended the stairs where he found Martha over the fireplace and Kara sat on one of the cushioned chairs he'd constructed himself some years prior when he'd had more time and less chores to get through in a day - back when they'd been able to afford extra hands even during part of the year.
Kara asked them, "Is William Clark a good person?"
Martha turned and smiled. "He's my Father. I've never thought him to be bad. But sometimes his expectations for his family, well, it was too much. He doesn't care much for my husband, Jonathan Kent, but I love my Alpha and wouldn't trade him, or this life, for the world."
Jonathan himself grunted. "I still doubt he'll want a couple of pups that aren't his to take care of. Especially without..." he trailed off, not wanting to bring up his wife's mother whom had disappeared about a decade ago, along with several other Omega's, a few Beta's, and a couple of Alpha's. Some had been found dead, and others had never been found. They didn't talk about it anymore, it was too painful.
"I think they're exactly what he needs to cheer him up. He was a good Father to me."
"Until you fell for me."
"Well, Father's want what's best for their pups, no matter there age. But what's done is done and he should not hold a grudge." With oven mitts she pulled out the tray over the fire and placed it on a protective barrier atop the table. "Now, let's all say our prayers and settle down to eat."
Kara blinked, "What is prayer?"
He caught Martha's eyes as she looked up at him with wide eyes. Krypton was not the rest of the world and parts of their world did not have the same religion.
"We'll explain it after dinner, Kara, it's a part of our life, and Martha's Father's life too. It may not be what you're used to or even what those of Krypton believe or do, but doing so will help you blend in." And he and his wife weren't about to stop their daily rituals, nor give up their beliefs. And while he would not press the matter upon the children, they could not just leave the young pups out of it altogether - it'd look suspicious.
"Okay," the young blonde pup said as she took the plate that Martha had given her. Once he and Martha had their plates and drinks filled before them, Martha led them in a prayer which Kara mimicked. After, she picked up fork and spoon. Which she stared at with furrowed brow, but seemed to get the hang of it. Perhaps the Kingdom of Krypton had similar utensils if not wholly the same, or she was a good study and simply had learned from watching them. Being a quick study, of course, would come in handy for her to blend into the Kingdom of Metropolis until the day she could return to her own Kingdom of birth.
Author Note: Thanks for reading. I do appreciate comments/reviews and learning what you (general) readers thought of the story thus far, or the current chapter in general.