Note: Thanks again for the comments! I would like to inform you guys that
this fic is only 2 chapters away from its end. I already know how this
story would close, before I even started it (can't wait!). So, for the
meantime enjoy Chapter 20! Cheers everyone!
Additional: Special thanks to Supergurl for telling me about the Fortress of Solitude bit and to General Failure for the inspiring words! In fact thanks to everyone who praised my work! Ahehehe! Review please!
Chapter Twenty
"Sometimes, I could still hear their voices inside my head." Linda relayed to Clark as she sat with him on his bed, tears threatened to fall from her glassy blue eyes. "And for a moment I actually thought I was going crazy."
He closed his hands on Linda's, sensing how deeply troubled her thoughts were at that time.
It's been nearly an hour since they left the foundry. Lex had taken Lena back to the Smallville General while the Kent's drove home to the farm with Linda. On the way there, she told them everything there is to know about her. How she got to Earth, the Omegahedron, and her quest to find her fellow Kryptonian - Kal-El.
"I can't believe I was trying to get rid of my own kind back there." She muttered giving a small laugh, running her hand on the Sushi printed sleeve of her cotton pajamas. "I was trying to kill the guy I was looking for all this time."
"You didn't know." Clark reminded, pressing his lips together in a smile as he brushed away a falling tear down Linda's cheek, using his thumb.
They fixed their eyes directly on one another. Blue eyes assessed blue eyes. For a moment both Linda and Clark felt lost in each other's intense stare.
"You have no idea how much this means to me, Clark." Linda's teary eyes glued on Clark's face like she doesn't want to forget how he looked like tonight. She touched his flawless face. "To actually have you in front of me. Feeling you. Touching you. Knowing that I'm no longer alone in this world."
"I know how you feel, 'cause I'm feeling the same way right now." He uttered softly with his eyes looking back at her. "All that time I had growing up, I thought that I was the sole survivor of Krypton. That I'm the only one left. But now,"
Clark took Linda's hand and pressed it to his soft young lips in a kiss. He finished, "Now I've got you."
When he released her hand, Linda could no longer control herself and enveloped Clark in a tight hug. Clark hugged her back. He was actually hoping that it'd be a kiss, but a hug would do just fine, for now.
The tears subsided and she asked him a lot of questions about him growing up in Smallville. By the end of that part of their conversation, Linda realized that Clark's life here isn't that different from her life as a super powered teenager from outer space in Leesburg.
He fights mutated town people, she fights mutated town people. She's got friends, he's got friends, his parents know about his secret, her parents know about her secret too.
Everything in their lives are pretty much the same. Except for the part where Linda blames herself for Argo City's destruction.
She also told Clark about that problem of hers. As expected he tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault. A part of Linda wanted to believe that, heck her parents, Lena and the Nuns in Leesburg told her the same thing. Though a bigger part in her insisted that it was her fault.
If she hadn't created that metallic insect it wouldn't had come to life. It wouldn't have punctured a hole in Argo's dome, causing the Omegahedron to be lost. Her parents and Zaltar would still be alive if it wasn't for her.
Clark noticed that Linda's face grew sad when he asked her to tell him something about Argo City. He clearly knew that she was thinking of her lost loved ones when she paused and looked away.
"It's the most magical place." She mumbled returning her eyes on him. "Tall crystal structures, wonderful people,"
He was beginning to form an image inside his head when suddenly Linda asked him to wait for a second. She climbed out of Clark's comfy bed, exited the door and out into the corridor.
When she returned she was already holding a large pink sketchpad.
"What's that?" He queried propping a pillow on his back as he lay down. Clark was intrigued by what she retrieved from her room.
"You'll see." The sadness on Linda's face was instantly gone. She walked around the bed and sat next to Clark with an excited grin.
Clark moved closer as Linda commenced to open the first page of her sketchpad.
"This is Argo City." She informed proudly, tucking a few strands of her silky blonde hair behind her left ear.
"Wow. This is amazing." He let out in astonishment. Not only because of how dream like the city looked but also because of Linda's incredible drawing/sketching skills.
"I didn't know you could draw like this." Clark retorted marveling at Linda's sketch of Argo.
"Now you know."
"It's beyond beautiful." He praised.
"Thank you." Linda answered humbly with a smile to Clark.
She pointed out the different high rising crystal structures within the city's dome and told them their purpose. As Clark learned, they were used just like the modern buildings here on Earth.
"Ones I asked my father what Krypton looked like," She said tracing her finger along the lines of the drawing. "And I remember him saying that Argo City is Krypton itself. Only smaller."
"A mini Krypton." Clark was visualizing the drawing.
He imagined how it'd look if Argo City's round and a thousand times bigger, kinda like how an ordinary planet would appear. Then, by doing that he had a picturesque image of his home planet of Krypton at last. Clark envisioned it as sorta like an ice planet orbiting with it's other neighboring planets around the powerful red sun.
No doubt, Krypton truly is breath taking.
Then Linda flipped through the other pages of the sketchpad. She showed him how the Omegahedron used to look like. The next three pages that followed the Omegahedron's sketch were the most special for Linda.
They were sketches of her real parents and Zaltar. Their faces were already embossed permanently on her thoughts thus it was easier for her to draw them down. The details on each of the drawing were unbelievable. They were almost life like.
Clark especially concentrated on the face of Linda's father, Zor -El. Looking at it he reckoned that the intelligent looking man must probably resembled his real father Jor -El. After all they were related. They were both cousins.
Zor- El's portrait was the last one Linda's willing to show Clark. She accidentally turned the page half way when she remembered that she wasn't supposed to let Clark see the unfinished portrait.
Linda closed it quickly before Clark could have a look at it.
"What's on the last page?" He inquired, confused why she immediately closed the sketchpad.
"Nothing." She piped in placing the pad on her lap.
"Cool. Then let me see it." Clark prodded reaching for it with a grin.
"Ok it's just a crazy doodle." Linda lied holding out the sketchpad away from Clark.
"Doodle of what?"
"Its-Its-." She racked her brains to come up with something. Finally she did. "It's an abstract! Right! That's it! It's a horrible abstract!"
"I love abstracts!"
"No you don't!"
"Since when did you became an expert on what I like and what I don't like?" Said Clark with a small giggle, amused with how Linda's acting. The more Linda refuses to show him the portrait, the more he wanted to see it. "Now let me see, please?"
He looked like a little boy when he made a face.
"Oh Clark trust me on this one!" Placing her other hand on Clark's chest, Linda tried to push him away gently. His arms were longer so it would be possible for him to easily snatch the sketchpad from her. "It's horrible! In fact it's so horrible that y-you'd probably throw up when you see it!"
He laughed when he heard that hilarious excuse. He realized that Linda would say anything to prevent him from seeing the last portrait. "No I won't, now hand it over!"
"Ok! Ok! Geez Clark!" Alas she gave in to Clark's request. Linda stood up and walked right at the foot of his bed.
Just as she was about to turn it open, a wicked idea brewed inside her thoughts.
"Not a chance!" Linda swiftly ran out of the room with Clark running after her.
She instantly found refuge inside her own room and locked the doors shut to hinder Clark from getting in.
"That's not fair!" Clark complained with a laugh, somewhat like a small child cheated on a game.
Linda had her back pressed against the other side of the door, also laughing from what she did to Clark.
The couple, Martha and Jonathan Kent heard Clark and Linda's loud laughter. They got out of bed and poked their heads out of their door.
"Clark what's going on?" Mrs. Kent queried when she saw her son with his forehead pressed on Linda's door. Baffled why both Clark and Linda were laughing at that time of the night.
Clark coughed. Embarrassed that they had wakened up his parents. He tried to get rid of that grin present on his face as he muttered. "N-nothing. We we're just-."
"Playing?" Mr. Kent automatically jumped in before his son could finish his sentence.
At this embarrassing situation, Clark wanted the ground to open and swallow him whole. The last time he remembered running around, laughing in the middle of the night is when he got that robot toy for his 7th birthday.
"Y-yeah-." He replied uneasily, gazing down at the floor while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
Linda heard the conversation. Throwing her sketchpad on her bed, she pushed the door open. She saw the Kent couple with their eyes fixed on her all of a sudden.
"I-I'm sorry." She stuttered stepping out of her room to join Clark at the corridor.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent studied the two for a while. Their stare travelling from Clark and then to Linda then back to Clark. They could sense a difference in Clark. With Linda around, he seemed to be more blissful than the usual and extra sweet to top that.
"You two," Mrs. Kent pointed to both them. "Go back to bed."
They didn't need to respond to that. Linda started to go back to her room while Clark was about to do the same. The couple watched them as they entered their rooms.
"Wait." Clark called out as he approached his parents.
Linda left her door ajar as she peeked waiting for what Clark was about to do. He was talking to his parents in a hushed tone. Clark's trying to convince his mom and dad into saying yes to something he came up with. An idea.
"Ok, but go back to sleep after." She heard Mr. Kent spoke gazing to his son and Linda. "You still have classes tomorrow."
"Will do." His son answered, nodding.
Jonathan disappeared back into their room. When he came back he handed Clark a bunch of old keys in a ring. The couple went to their room after Clark kissed his mom goodnight.
"Come on." Clark jogged towards Linda, excited.
"Come where?"
"It's a surprise." He advised holding her hand as they started to descend down the stairs.
Linda furrowed her eyebrows, bewildered and just basically went with what Clark asked her to do. The two exited the front door of the house with Clark dragging Linda behind.
They came around the house until they finally reached the storm cellar. Clark released his hold on Linda's hand as he knelt down to unlock the doors. Ones the lock snapped off, he began removing the chains and placed them aside.
"What's down there?" She asked moving close to Clark.
"You'll find out." Clark plainly responded with a smile.
He swung open the doors and it revealed a flight of hay littered steps heading underground of the Kent house.
"Come on." Clark prodded again, taking her hand as he led her down the dark cellar.
Clark switched on a light bulb, which illuminated the whole room in an instant. At the far end corner of the cellar, is where Clark took her next.
He pulled off the tarp that exposed a tiny metallic space ship.
"There it is." Clark told a surprised Linda as he crossed his arms proudly over his chest. "That's the bad boy that took me here."
Linda was speechless. She covered her mouth with both hands and started to check on Clark's ship. Pressing her hand on the cold metal surface, she noted that Kryptonian codes were etched at strategic sides of the craft.
The code tells of Krypton's history and a brief information about Clark's parents and their lives in Krypton.
What caught Linda's attention was a small encryption at the left side of the object.
"Betrothed to the daughter of Zor -El."
She couldn't help herself but smile upon reading that. Kal -El's parents were proud to say that their son's gonna marry her. Kara Zor-El of Argo City.
"What's wrong?" Clark noticed that tears started to well up again in Linda's eyes. He rested a hand on her shoulders, affectionately.
"Nothing." Mumbled Linda to Clark, wiping the tears away. "I'm just happy that your parents managed to keep this ship down here."
"Why, didn't the nun that found you ever kept your ship?"
"She did. They hid it inside the orphanage. But it was stolen a year after I got adopted."
Clark lowered his gaze, saddened with the fate of Linda's ship. He was hoping to see it in the future. That would have been great.
"You love it?" He started to inquire to her, as he gestured his hand referring to his ship.
Linda bit her lower lip and returned her stare at Clark's towering form.
"No." She replied seriously, slowly shaking her head.
Clark was a bit stunned when he heard her say that. He bent his head down, disappointed.
"Because I love you even more." Linda added, walking closer to Clark.
He felt even more stunned this time. Linda Danvers has just confessed her love for Clark Kent. Even she was surprised with it.
"I love you too." Clark found himself saying back those sweet little words.
With that he leaned forward, angling his head towards Linda. She anchored her arms over his broad shoulders while Clark rested his hands behind her slender back, where it truly belonged. When their lips met it felt like heaven for both of them. His soft lips meeting her cherry flavored ones in a passionate and intense kiss unlike they had never experienced.
It felt right. It felt like this is how things really should be.
He thought that his lips and his heart were only created for Linda. It doesn't belong to Lana Lang, not to Chloe Sullivan or any other girls in the whole wide world.
Clark Kent and Linda Danvers were born solely for each other.
Additional: Special thanks to Supergurl for telling me about the Fortress of Solitude bit and to General Failure for the inspiring words! In fact thanks to everyone who praised my work! Ahehehe! Review please!
Chapter Twenty
"Sometimes, I could still hear their voices inside my head." Linda relayed to Clark as she sat with him on his bed, tears threatened to fall from her glassy blue eyes. "And for a moment I actually thought I was going crazy."
He closed his hands on Linda's, sensing how deeply troubled her thoughts were at that time.
It's been nearly an hour since they left the foundry. Lex had taken Lena back to the Smallville General while the Kent's drove home to the farm with Linda. On the way there, she told them everything there is to know about her. How she got to Earth, the Omegahedron, and her quest to find her fellow Kryptonian - Kal-El.
"I can't believe I was trying to get rid of my own kind back there." She muttered giving a small laugh, running her hand on the Sushi printed sleeve of her cotton pajamas. "I was trying to kill the guy I was looking for all this time."
"You didn't know." Clark reminded, pressing his lips together in a smile as he brushed away a falling tear down Linda's cheek, using his thumb.
They fixed their eyes directly on one another. Blue eyes assessed blue eyes. For a moment both Linda and Clark felt lost in each other's intense stare.
"You have no idea how much this means to me, Clark." Linda's teary eyes glued on Clark's face like she doesn't want to forget how he looked like tonight. She touched his flawless face. "To actually have you in front of me. Feeling you. Touching you. Knowing that I'm no longer alone in this world."
"I know how you feel, 'cause I'm feeling the same way right now." He uttered softly with his eyes looking back at her. "All that time I had growing up, I thought that I was the sole survivor of Krypton. That I'm the only one left. But now,"
Clark took Linda's hand and pressed it to his soft young lips in a kiss. He finished, "Now I've got you."
When he released her hand, Linda could no longer control herself and enveloped Clark in a tight hug. Clark hugged her back. He was actually hoping that it'd be a kiss, but a hug would do just fine, for now.
The tears subsided and she asked him a lot of questions about him growing up in Smallville. By the end of that part of their conversation, Linda realized that Clark's life here isn't that different from her life as a super powered teenager from outer space in Leesburg.
He fights mutated town people, she fights mutated town people. She's got friends, he's got friends, his parents know about his secret, her parents know about her secret too.
Everything in their lives are pretty much the same. Except for the part where Linda blames herself for Argo City's destruction.
She also told Clark about that problem of hers. As expected he tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault. A part of Linda wanted to believe that, heck her parents, Lena and the Nuns in Leesburg told her the same thing. Though a bigger part in her insisted that it was her fault.
If she hadn't created that metallic insect it wouldn't had come to life. It wouldn't have punctured a hole in Argo's dome, causing the Omegahedron to be lost. Her parents and Zaltar would still be alive if it wasn't for her.
Clark noticed that Linda's face grew sad when he asked her to tell him something about Argo City. He clearly knew that she was thinking of her lost loved ones when she paused and looked away.
"It's the most magical place." She mumbled returning her eyes on him. "Tall crystal structures, wonderful people,"
He was beginning to form an image inside his head when suddenly Linda asked him to wait for a second. She climbed out of Clark's comfy bed, exited the door and out into the corridor.
When she returned she was already holding a large pink sketchpad.
"What's that?" He queried propping a pillow on his back as he lay down. Clark was intrigued by what she retrieved from her room.
"You'll see." The sadness on Linda's face was instantly gone. She walked around the bed and sat next to Clark with an excited grin.
Clark moved closer as Linda commenced to open the first page of her sketchpad.
"This is Argo City." She informed proudly, tucking a few strands of her silky blonde hair behind her left ear.
"Wow. This is amazing." He let out in astonishment. Not only because of how dream like the city looked but also because of Linda's incredible drawing/sketching skills.
"I didn't know you could draw like this." Clark retorted marveling at Linda's sketch of Argo.
"Now you know."
"It's beyond beautiful." He praised.
"Thank you." Linda answered humbly with a smile to Clark.
She pointed out the different high rising crystal structures within the city's dome and told them their purpose. As Clark learned, they were used just like the modern buildings here on Earth.
"Ones I asked my father what Krypton looked like," She said tracing her finger along the lines of the drawing. "And I remember him saying that Argo City is Krypton itself. Only smaller."
"A mini Krypton." Clark was visualizing the drawing.
He imagined how it'd look if Argo City's round and a thousand times bigger, kinda like how an ordinary planet would appear. Then, by doing that he had a picturesque image of his home planet of Krypton at last. Clark envisioned it as sorta like an ice planet orbiting with it's other neighboring planets around the powerful red sun.
No doubt, Krypton truly is breath taking.
Then Linda flipped through the other pages of the sketchpad. She showed him how the Omegahedron used to look like. The next three pages that followed the Omegahedron's sketch were the most special for Linda.
They were sketches of her real parents and Zaltar. Their faces were already embossed permanently on her thoughts thus it was easier for her to draw them down. The details on each of the drawing were unbelievable. They were almost life like.
Clark especially concentrated on the face of Linda's father, Zor -El. Looking at it he reckoned that the intelligent looking man must probably resembled his real father Jor -El. After all they were related. They were both cousins.
Zor- El's portrait was the last one Linda's willing to show Clark. She accidentally turned the page half way when she remembered that she wasn't supposed to let Clark see the unfinished portrait.
Linda closed it quickly before Clark could have a look at it.
"What's on the last page?" He inquired, confused why she immediately closed the sketchpad.
"Nothing." She piped in placing the pad on her lap.
"Cool. Then let me see it." Clark prodded reaching for it with a grin.
"Ok it's just a crazy doodle." Linda lied holding out the sketchpad away from Clark.
"Doodle of what?"
"Its-Its-." She racked her brains to come up with something. Finally she did. "It's an abstract! Right! That's it! It's a horrible abstract!"
"I love abstracts!"
"No you don't!"
"Since when did you became an expert on what I like and what I don't like?" Said Clark with a small giggle, amused with how Linda's acting. The more Linda refuses to show him the portrait, the more he wanted to see it. "Now let me see, please?"
He looked like a little boy when he made a face.
"Oh Clark trust me on this one!" Placing her other hand on Clark's chest, Linda tried to push him away gently. His arms were longer so it would be possible for him to easily snatch the sketchpad from her. "It's horrible! In fact it's so horrible that y-you'd probably throw up when you see it!"
He laughed when he heard that hilarious excuse. He realized that Linda would say anything to prevent him from seeing the last portrait. "No I won't, now hand it over!"
"Ok! Ok! Geez Clark!" Alas she gave in to Clark's request. Linda stood up and walked right at the foot of his bed.
Just as she was about to turn it open, a wicked idea brewed inside her thoughts.
"Not a chance!" Linda swiftly ran out of the room with Clark running after her.
She instantly found refuge inside her own room and locked the doors shut to hinder Clark from getting in.
"That's not fair!" Clark complained with a laugh, somewhat like a small child cheated on a game.
Linda had her back pressed against the other side of the door, also laughing from what she did to Clark.
The couple, Martha and Jonathan Kent heard Clark and Linda's loud laughter. They got out of bed and poked their heads out of their door.
"Clark what's going on?" Mrs. Kent queried when she saw her son with his forehead pressed on Linda's door. Baffled why both Clark and Linda were laughing at that time of the night.
Clark coughed. Embarrassed that they had wakened up his parents. He tried to get rid of that grin present on his face as he muttered. "N-nothing. We we're just-."
"Playing?" Mr. Kent automatically jumped in before his son could finish his sentence.
At this embarrassing situation, Clark wanted the ground to open and swallow him whole. The last time he remembered running around, laughing in the middle of the night is when he got that robot toy for his 7th birthday.
"Y-yeah-." He replied uneasily, gazing down at the floor while rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
Linda heard the conversation. Throwing her sketchpad on her bed, she pushed the door open. She saw the Kent couple with their eyes fixed on her all of a sudden.
"I-I'm sorry." She stuttered stepping out of her room to join Clark at the corridor.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent studied the two for a while. Their stare travelling from Clark and then to Linda then back to Clark. They could sense a difference in Clark. With Linda around, he seemed to be more blissful than the usual and extra sweet to top that.
"You two," Mrs. Kent pointed to both them. "Go back to bed."
They didn't need to respond to that. Linda started to go back to her room while Clark was about to do the same. The couple watched them as they entered their rooms.
"Wait." Clark called out as he approached his parents.
Linda left her door ajar as she peeked waiting for what Clark was about to do. He was talking to his parents in a hushed tone. Clark's trying to convince his mom and dad into saying yes to something he came up with. An idea.
"Ok, but go back to sleep after." She heard Mr. Kent spoke gazing to his son and Linda. "You still have classes tomorrow."
"Will do." His son answered, nodding.
Jonathan disappeared back into their room. When he came back he handed Clark a bunch of old keys in a ring. The couple went to their room after Clark kissed his mom goodnight.
"Come on." Clark jogged towards Linda, excited.
"Come where?"
"It's a surprise." He advised holding her hand as they started to descend down the stairs.
Linda furrowed her eyebrows, bewildered and just basically went with what Clark asked her to do. The two exited the front door of the house with Clark dragging Linda behind.
They came around the house until they finally reached the storm cellar. Clark released his hold on Linda's hand as he knelt down to unlock the doors. Ones the lock snapped off, he began removing the chains and placed them aside.
"What's down there?" She asked moving close to Clark.
"You'll find out." Clark plainly responded with a smile.
He swung open the doors and it revealed a flight of hay littered steps heading underground of the Kent house.
"Come on." Clark prodded again, taking her hand as he led her down the dark cellar.
Clark switched on a light bulb, which illuminated the whole room in an instant. At the far end corner of the cellar, is where Clark took her next.
He pulled off the tarp that exposed a tiny metallic space ship.
"There it is." Clark told a surprised Linda as he crossed his arms proudly over his chest. "That's the bad boy that took me here."
Linda was speechless. She covered her mouth with both hands and started to check on Clark's ship. Pressing her hand on the cold metal surface, she noted that Kryptonian codes were etched at strategic sides of the craft.
The code tells of Krypton's history and a brief information about Clark's parents and their lives in Krypton.
What caught Linda's attention was a small encryption at the left side of the object.
"Betrothed to the daughter of Zor -El."
She couldn't help herself but smile upon reading that. Kal -El's parents were proud to say that their son's gonna marry her. Kara Zor-El of Argo City.
"What's wrong?" Clark noticed that tears started to well up again in Linda's eyes. He rested a hand on her shoulders, affectionately.
"Nothing." Mumbled Linda to Clark, wiping the tears away. "I'm just happy that your parents managed to keep this ship down here."
"Why, didn't the nun that found you ever kept your ship?"
"She did. They hid it inside the orphanage. But it was stolen a year after I got adopted."
Clark lowered his gaze, saddened with the fate of Linda's ship. He was hoping to see it in the future. That would have been great.
"You love it?" He started to inquire to her, as he gestured his hand referring to his ship.
Linda bit her lower lip and returned her stare at Clark's towering form.
"No." She replied seriously, slowly shaking her head.
Clark was a bit stunned when he heard her say that. He bent his head down, disappointed.
"Because I love you even more." Linda added, walking closer to Clark.
He felt even more stunned this time. Linda Danvers has just confessed her love for Clark Kent. Even she was surprised with it.
"I love you too." Clark found himself saying back those sweet little words.
With that he leaned forward, angling his head towards Linda. She anchored her arms over his broad shoulders while Clark rested his hands behind her slender back, where it truly belonged. When their lips met it felt like heaven for both of them. His soft lips meeting her cherry flavored ones in a passionate and intense kiss unlike they had never experienced.
It felt right. It felt like this is how things really should be.
He thought that his lips and his heart were only created for Linda. It doesn't belong to Lana Lang, not to Chloe Sullivan or any other girls in the whole wide world.
Clark Kent and Linda Danvers were born solely for each other.