"Becky! Time to get up!"
"Becky! Breakfast!"
"Rebecca Linda Lee! Wake up!"
From beneath the covers, a muffled voice yelled. "I'm UP!"
"Breakfast!" Mary Elizabeth Lee continued on as if she hadn't heard her
daughter speak, but both knew she had.
Rebecca groaned, throwing back the downy comforter, glaring balefully at the
teddy bear clock by her bed. "What's the point of taking a sick day if you
don't get to rest?"
The little clock had no answer, it merely kept on with it's ticking.
Yawning, the teen pushed her feet into her slippers and shuffled over to
peer into the mirror. "Well, no antennae or anything at least. Plus, I didn't
wake up floating this time. That's a plus."
With quick movements, she pulled a brush through her strawberry red hair, then
turned and left her bedroom.
Her mother had just finished the pancakes when Rebecca entered the kitchen.
"Morning honey."
"Morning." Pouring a glass of juice, Rebecca hopped up onto a stool next to
the island and promptly helped herself to a blueberry from her mother's plate.
"I had the dream again."
Mary Elizabeth's eyes filled with empathy and she reached out to touch her
daughter's cheek. "Did you see anything new?"
"No." The teen shook her head. "The woman cried, gave me her necklace, called
me Kara and I woke up." Reaching for her own plate, she forced the frustration
from her face. "I just wish I knew what's dream and what's memory."
With a smile, her mother touched the pendant that hung from her daughter's
neck. "Well, we know the necklace is real, perhaps all of it is memory."
"Perhaps." Rebecca replied her tone noncommittal, then quickly changed the
subject. "Did you get enough boxes?"
Her mother's mouth pressed into a line as she held in the flash of pain at
the sadness in her child's eyes. She'd debated long and hard about leaving
Gotham after the divorce. It was the only home Rebecca had known - on Earth
at least - and she was loathe to take her from it.
Her daughter's life had never been easy, so much upheaval, worry, and fear.
The few bright spots in Gotham had been a godsend in Mary Elizabeth's eyes.
Taking Rebecca away from those bright spots hadn't been something she'd
wanted but...but when she thought about what awaited them in Smallville. Her
family.
It was worth the risk.
"They're in the front hall."" She answered with a nod in that direction.
"After you've eaten and dressed, you can get started on your room. Once we're
packed, we can leave."
And the sooner they got to Smallville, the sooner they could start over.
—
"They're here!" Martha's voice echoed through the house as she hurried for
the door, eager to greet her sister and niece. "CLARK! JONATHAN! They're here!!"
The other two Kents emerged from the kitchen with bemused expressions on
their face.
"Think she's just a little excited?" Clark asked of his father who chuckled.
"She hasn't seen her sister in a while. You know how those two get."
"Do I ever." He commiserated.
"Excited about seeing Becky again?" Jonathan prompted.
"Yeah." The teenager nodded. "We keep in touch with email and everything..."
He looked somewhat guilty. "But it's not the same...she's upset, Dad. And
about something big."
"Something to do with the divorce?" His father asked, concerned.
"She hasn't said. She didn't even tell me about the divorce." Clark shoved
his hands into his pockets. "But there's an undercurrent to everything she
says. I haven't been able to figure out what yet...But she's hurting, Dad.
Big time."
Jonathan draped an arm across his son's shoulders and gave him a quick hug.
"Well, now that she's here....we can help, right?"
"Right."
----
The physical resemblance between the Clark sisters was strong and to look at
Mary Elizabeth was to see Martha a few years older. When they separated from
their hug, the two women smiled tearfully at each other.
"How are you doing?" Martha asked softly, mindful of the teenage girl still
sitting in the car parked next to them.
"It's hard." Her sister confessed, tears glimmering in her eyes. "Especially
on Rebecca. It's tearing her apart Martha..." She inhaled then added. "She
blames herself."
"Why on earth would she do that?"
Mary Elizabeth looked guilty. "We'll talk about that later."
Martha tilted her head slightly, staring into her sister's face, trying to
discern by her expression just what she meant by that statement but the
elder of the two kept her secrets well. Her face revealed nothing but the
sadness of her divorce and worry about her daughter. "All right." Turning,
she smiled at the teenager waiting in the car.
Seeing her aunt looking at her, Rebecca Lee managed a faint smile and opened
the door. "Hi Aunt Martha."
At the soft greeting, Martha smiled, barely holding back her tears and held
out her arms to hug her niece tightly. "How are you doing, honey?"
The slim teen clung to her aunt, hiding her face against her shoulder. "Fine."
'Not likely.' Martha thought to herself before pulling back to look into the
girl's face. "You look beautiful, Becky, you've really grown since I saw you
last."
"Growth spurts will do that to you." She replied with a twist of her mouth.
"But thank you anyway." Her gaze traveled to a point beyond her aunt's shoulder.
"Hi Uncle Jonathan...Clark." When they got close enough, she dutifully submitted
to the expected hugs before stepping back to her original position.
With a worried look in Rebecca's direction, Clark moved to hug his aunt. "Hi
Aunt Mary."
"My goodness, Clark!" Mary Elizabeth stared up at him with a laugh. "I'll get
neck strain talking to you. When did you get so tall?"
"We're not sure." Her sister interjected with an grin. "I'm sure he went to
bed one night and between then and the next day, shot up a foot."
"Only a foot?" Becky questioned, tilting her head back to look into her cousin's
face. "I'm pretty sure he's taller than a few of the buildings in Gotham."
He grinned down at her. "You do something different with your hair, Beck?
The part looks different from up here."
"Ha ha." She returned dryly, giving him a light shove. "Very funny, Clark,
puberty's done wonders for your sense of humor."
"It's the rarified air up there." Jonathan put in, grinning. "Not enough
oxygen getting to his brain."
"Thanks for the support, Dad." Clark countered with a roll of his eyes.
"You're welcome son." He replied immediately, deadpan.
A soft sound escaped Rebecca's lips and though it was muffled, there was no
mistaking what it was. She giggled.
A triumphant look flashed in Clark's eyes and he immediately looked in his
aunt's direction. The expression of gratitude on Mary Elizabeth's face was
almost heart-breaking as she mouthed 'Thank You.'
TBC
"Becky! Breakfast!"
"Rebecca Linda Lee! Wake up!"
From beneath the covers, a muffled voice yelled. "I'm UP!"
"Breakfast!" Mary Elizabeth Lee continued on as if she hadn't heard her
daughter speak, but both knew she had.
Rebecca groaned, throwing back the downy comforter, glaring balefully at the
teddy bear clock by her bed. "What's the point of taking a sick day if you
don't get to rest?"
The little clock had no answer, it merely kept on with it's ticking.
Yawning, the teen pushed her feet into her slippers and shuffled over to
peer into the mirror. "Well, no antennae or anything at least. Plus, I didn't
wake up floating this time. That's a plus."
With quick movements, she pulled a brush through her strawberry red hair, then
turned and left her bedroom.
Her mother had just finished the pancakes when Rebecca entered the kitchen.
"Morning honey."
"Morning." Pouring a glass of juice, Rebecca hopped up onto a stool next to
the island and promptly helped herself to a blueberry from her mother's plate.
"I had the dream again."
Mary Elizabeth's eyes filled with empathy and she reached out to touch her
daughter's cheek. "Did you see anything new?"
"No." The teen shook her head. "The woman cried, gave me her necklace, called
me Kara and I woke up." Reaching for her own plate, she forced the frustration
from her face. "I just wish I knew what's dream and what's memory."
With a smile, her mother touched the pendant that hung from her daughter's
neck. "Well, we know the necklace is real, perhaps all of it is memory."
"Perhaps." Rebecca replied her tone noncommittal, then quickly changed the
subject. "Did you get enough boxes?"
Her mother's mouth pressed into a line as she held in the flash of pain at
the sadness in her child's eyes. She'd debated long and hard about leaving
Gotham after the divorce. It was the only home Rebecca had known - on Earth
at least - and she was loathe to take her from it.
Her daughter's life had never been easy, so much upheaval, worry, and fear.
The few bright spots in Gotham had been a godsend in Mary Elizabeth's eyes.
Taking Rebecca away from those bright spots hadn't been something she'd
wanted but...but when she thought about what awaited them in Smallville. Her
family.
It was worth the risk.
"They're in the front hall."" She answered with a nod in that direction.
"After you've eaten and dressed, you can get started on your room. Once we're
packed, we can leave."
And the sooner they got to Smallville, the sooner they could start over.
—
"They're here!" Martha's voice echoed through the house as she hurried for
the door, eager to greet her sister and niece. "CLARK! JONATHAN! They're here!!"
The other two Kents emerged from the kitchen with bemused expressions on
their face.
"Think she's just a little excited?" Clark asked of his father who chuckled.
"She hasn't seen her sister in a while. You know how those two get."
"Do I ever." He commiserated.
"Excited about seeing Becky again?" Jonathan prompted.
"Yeah." The teenager nodded. "We keep in touch with email and everything..."
He looked somewhat guilty. "But it's not the same...she's upset, Dad. And
about something big."
"Something to do with the divorce?" His father asked, concerned.
"She hasn't said. She didn't even tell me about the divorce." Clark shoved
his hands into his pockets. "But there's an undercurrent to everything she
says. I haven't been able to figure out what yet...But she's hurting, Dad.
Big time."
Jonathan draped an arm across his son's shoulders and gave him a quick hug.
"Well, now that she's here....we can help, right?"
"Right."
----
The physical resemblance between the Clark sisters was strong and to look at
Mary Elizabeth was to see Martha a few years older. When they separated from
their hug, the two women smiled tearfully at each other.
"How are you doing?" Martha asked softly, mindful of the teenage girl still
sitting in the car parked next to them.
"It's hard." Her sister confessed, tears glimmering in her eyes. "Especially
on Rebecca. It's tearing her apart Martha..." She inhaled then added. "She
blames herself."
"Why on earth would she do that?"
Mary Elizabeth looked guilty. "We'll talk about that later."
Martha tilted her head slightly, staring into her sister's face, trying to
discern by her expression just what she meant by that statement but the
elder of the two kept her secrets well. Her face revealed nothing but the
sadness of her divorce and worry about her daughter. "All right." Turning,
she smiled at the teenager waiting in the car.
Seeing her aunt looking at her, Rebecca Lee managed a faint smile and opened
the door. "Hi Aunt Martha."
At the soft greeting, Martha smiled, barely holding back her tears and held
out her arms to hug her niece tightly. "How are you doing, honey?"
The slim teen clung to her aunt, hiding her face against her shoulder. "Fine."
'Not likely.' Martha thought to herself before pulling back to look into the
girl's face. "You look beautiful, Becky, you've really grown since I saw you
last."
"Growth spurts will do that to you." She replied with a twist of her mouth.
"But thank you anyway." Her gaze traveled to a point beyond her aunt's shoulder.
"Hi Uncle Jonathan...Clark." When they got close enough, she dutifully submitted
to the expected hugs before stepping back to her original position.
With a worried look in Rebecca's direction, Clark moved to hug his aunt. "Hi
Aunt Mary."
"My goodness, Clark!" Mary Elizabeth stared up at him with a laugh. "I'll get
neck strain talking to you. When did you get so tall?"
"We're not sure." Her sister interjected with an grin. "I'm sure he went to
bed one night and between then and the next day, shot up a foot."
"Only a foot?" Becky questioned, tilting her head back to look into her cousin's
face. "I'm pretty sure he's taller than a few of the buildings in Gotham."
He grinned down at her. "You do something different with your hair, Beck?
The part looks different from up here."
"Ha ha." She returned dryly, giving him a light shove. "Very funny, Clark,
puberty's done wonders for your sense of humor."
"It's the rarified air up there." Jonathan put in, grinning. "Not enough
oxygen getting to his brain."
"Thanks for the support, Dad." Clark countered with a roll of his eyes.
"You're welcome son." He replied immediately, deadpan.
A soft sound escaped Rebecca's lips and though it was muffled, there was no
mistaking what it was. She giggled.
A triumphant look flashed in Clark's eyes and he immediately looked in his
aunt's direction. The expression of gratitude on Mary Elizabeth's face was
almost heart-breaking as she mouthed 'Thank You.'
TBC