On Monday morning, Clark came into the kitchen to find his parents having breakfast and talking
quietly. "Morning guys."

"Morning honey," His mother replied as he sat down next to her. "Sleep well?"

"Great." He answered, reaching past her for the juice. "Where're Aunt Mary and Becky?"

"Still asleep." His father grinned over the rim of his coffee cup. "Which reminds me, you better
go wake Rebecca up, she'll miss the bus if you don't."

Martha looked from her husband to her son and rolled her eyes. "Men." Sighing, she stood up. "Just
don't pour water on her, Clark..."

"Mom," He looked up with the very essence of innocence on his face. "Would I do something like that?"

With a long-suffering look at her husband, his mother smiled wryly. "Knowing the both of you...yes."

----

She was having the dream again.

The sad woman was about to speak when another voice intruded into her slumber.

"Becky! Up and at'em!" Clark's voice was accompanied by a firm knock on the door and Rebecca's eyes
flew open.

"Oh god."

The teenage girl looked down to find her bed several inches beneath her. Desperately, she looked
from the mattress to the door. "I'm awake, Clark, I'll be right out!"

"You ok, Beck?" He asked through the door. "You sound kind of strange."

She coughed loudly. "Nothing serious, just a little tickle in my throat. I'll be out in a minute!"
Lowering her voice, she muttered. "Providing I can get down."

No sooner had she said the words than she dropped with a thud onto the mattress, grabbing a pillow,
she covered her head. "God, I hate my life."

----

The one ability Rebecca had never complained about having was her greatly enhanced speed. On mornings
like the one she was having, it was literally a godsend.

Moments after she'd spoken to Clark, she was emerging from the bedroom, bag tossed over one shoulder,
her hair and makeup completely done. "Told you I'd be right out."

He gave her an odd look. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm *fine*." She insisted. "Just a little nervous, the idea of starting over from scratch in a new
school? Not exactly my idea of a great way to start off the week."

"Well, you are starting fresh." Clark grinned. "Who knows, you may end up queen of Smallville high."

Rebecca snorted lightly. "Not likely. I'm not exactly the popular type."

"Oh I don't know about that," he led her down the stairs. "New girl moving in from Gotham City?
Believe me, you're big news around school."

"Oh man..." She closed her eyes briefly. "Did you have to tell me *that*?"

"Of course I did." He replied with a laugh. "It's my solemn duty as your cousin to torture you to
no end."

"Ha ha." She countered dryly. "But your day's coming, Clark Kent, and I will be there to enjoy it
to the very fullest I can."

Clark looked back at her and the duo laughed. "It's good to have you here, Beck." He said, honestly.
"Really."

Rebecca's smile was small but genuine. "It's good to be here, Clark...Really."

----

"Morning Rebecca." Jonathan smiled at his niece as she leaned past him to grab a slice of toast.
"How'd you sleep?"

"Really well, actually." She replied, leaving out the dream and the fact she'd woken up floating.
Those little details weren't exactly necessary to tell him right? He was just asking about how she'd
slept. Not what she'd experienced in the midst of it. "It's nice out here. Very quiet."

"Bit of a change from Gotham." Martha commented automatically, regretting the words as soon as they
were out of her mouth.

"A bit." Rebecca agreed with a nod. "But still nice. Is Mom up?"

"Not hon, we thought she could use the rest, so we let her sleep."

"She could." The teen returned. "She's been *way* stressed lately." Her voice dropped slightly and
she became inordinately fascinated with pouring a glass of juice. "It's the divorce and everything."

It was the 'and everything' that caught Martha's attention. Something was wrong with this situation.
She and Mary had always been close as sisters but raising Clark had required a certain level of
secrecy and she knew that had come between the two of them but...looking back, she had to wonder if
she was the only one hiding things.

Both Mary and Rebecca seemed far more upset than a seemingly amicable divorce would require. Though
it was understandable for Rebecca to be upset at the break up of her family, she didn't have a
reason, really, to blame herself yet...she was. The guilt was quite easily readable in her eyes.

With a resolute sigh, Martha pushed her worries to the back of her mind and chose to focus instead
on lighter subjects. "That's a lovely necklace. What kind of stone is it?"

Immediately, her niece's hand flew to clutch at the stone, holding it protectively against her shirt.
"I'm not sure..." She stammered, caught off guard. "I've never really asked. I don't..."

"Who gave it to you?" Standing, Martha moved closer to look and was shocked when Becky backed away a
little, bumping into Clark. "Rebecca? Are you all right?"

The teen lifted eyes that were almost scared to hers and she smiled shakily. "Of course, I'm fine.
I..." She paused and looked down. "I think my Mom gave it to me. I was really young." She looked
over her shoulder at her cousin. "What time does the bus get here?"

It took a moment for Clark to pull his brain out of the scene that had just played out before him
but when he did, he looked at the clock and then at Rebecca. "Umm...now."

"Eek." She countered with a small, nervous giggle. "Where's my coat?"

"Right here." he moved to grab her denim jacket from the peg as well as his own coat. "We'll see
you later, Mom, Dad."

"Bye, Aunt Martha, Uncle Jonathan." Sliding into her coat, Rebecca shouldered her bag again and
followed her cousin out the door.

Immediately, Martha pivoted to look at her husband. "What on Earth was that all about?!"

Jonathan shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea...but we're going to find out."

TBC