Family Ties
a Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - based fan fiction
by: Joycelyn Solo


Author's note: I present to you, what I hope to be, a series of stories set after the end of Season 4. This isn't necessarily a "Season 5" type of deal here, there are lots of other sites for that, but I wanted to try my own hand with the world of Lois & Clark and see how far I could get with the introduction of one of my favorite heros.
Disclaimer: Lois & Clark and associated characters are property of December 3rd Productions who, I believe, had them on loan from from DC Comics. Most any other character we'll run into later are property of DC Comics. I mean no copyright infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter Three

"By the end of the month, I may actually have the hang of this."

Looking over her daughter-in-law's shoulder, Martha nodded in approval at Lois' carrot cubing technique. "Keep cutting like that and I'll graduate you to stirring."

Lois laughed, not offended by the comment. How could she be? Over the past four nights helping with dinner, she had shared stories of the most horrendous cooking disasters experienced in her adult life.

She was surprised Martha allowed her to remain in the kitchen.

"When is Clark supposed to fly in?" The elder Mrs. Kent asked, adding the chopped celery and onions to the carrots.

Lois looked at the clock on the microwave. "Should be anytime, now, actually."

As if on cue, they heard the familiar "whoosh" associated with a high-speed landing onto the porch.

"Mom? Lois?"

"In the kitchen, Clark," Martha called, turning to greet her son. "I hope you're hungry. We made...oh, Superman, I..."

Lois turned at the surprise in Martha's voice, understanding her mother-in-law's behavior completely when she saw her husband.

Not that it was the sight of her husband that was surprising, actually. Even if he was still wearing the Suit.

No, the surprise was the girl standing uncertainly behind him.

"Superman?" Lois fell into her public role as one of Superman's closest friends. "We weren't expecting you."

A small smile settled on Superman's lips as his wife and mother covered to protect his secret. "It's alright. Kara knows."

"Kara?" Lois asked, her gaze resting on the slight blonde and the "S"-shield emblem on her white tunic. Three weeks away from the office must have dampened her reporter-sense more than she'd thought to have missed something like that. "Another visitor from New Krypton?"

He could hear the increase in Lois' heartbeat as she asked, assuming what the presence of a New Kryptonian could mean for her family -- nothing good.

"She's not from New Krypton, Lois. She hasn't come to take me away."

Though Lois visibly relaxed at his assurance, she was still curious about the strange girl with her husband. "Then who is she?"

His smile widening, Superman placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Mom, Lois, I want you to meet Kara Zor-El. My cousin."

Martha and Lois shared blank expressions.

"Your cousin?" Lois finally asked, eyeing the girl critically. Lois trusted Clark's judgment above any other's -- but to think this girl was related to him...

"Lois, I know that look." He admonished, derailing her thought process. "Trust me. I'll explain everything when Dad gets here. In the meantime," He looked down at the young girl who's blue eyes had been wide since the moment she set foot into the kitchen. "I'm sure Kara could use some food. She hasn't eaten in almost two years."

* * *

"It took two years to get to Earth?"

Kara nodded, unable to answer Jonathon Kent around the large piece of strawberry pie in her mouth. She never realized sustenance could taste -- at all. The food machines on Argo City provided daily nourishment for Krypton's survivors. The flavorless wafers were nothing compared to the glorious sensations her mouth was experiencing.

Her cousin, having removed the symbol of their House for a "pair of jeans" (which she did not understand as he was only wearing one) and a "tea-shirt," seemed to understand her preoccupation.

"She was in stasis, Dad. Asleep. For the people of Argo City it has been two years, but for Kara it seems she only left yesterday."

Jonathon nodded, taking it all in. He'd been more than a little surprised to walk into the kitchen to find his family sharing his dessert with a teenage girl he'd never met. As hard as he was trying to keep up with everything Clark and Kara were telling him...it was a lot to take in. "And you know this from the, um, the mind-meld?"

"Mind meld?" Kara asked, another forkful of pie hovering before her lips.

"The telepathic sharing. There's a television character who does something similar called a 'mind meld'." Clark explained, making a note to introduce Kara to popular culture. He could pick up some books from Metropolis tomorrow for her. If her powers were similar to his at that age, she could read most of the Smallville Library in less than a week.

There were so many things he wanted to share with his newfound cousin. In part because he didn't want to allow her too much time to dwell on her past, but also because he'd never had anyone to share the wonders of Earth with. Granted, he considered himself just as "earthy" as the next man...but there was no denying that he was different.

For the first time, he had someone to celebrate those differences with.

"And the mind meld is how you learned to speak English?" Lois, who'd been silent through most of the discussion, asked.

Satisfied beyond words with three pieces of strawberry pie -- causing Martha to wonder briefly what she was going to do about another Kryptonian stomach in the house -- Kara took her turn to explain.

"When I connected to Clark's mind to share my memory, I saw some of his own. Even without the contact of a..." she looked at Jonathon, "...a 'mind meld,' I can sense some of what he is thinking and feeling." She turned her attention back to Clark. "It is understandable that you would not have the proper shields in place to protect your thoughts."

"Zara and Ching didn't seem to have a problem with me broadcasting thoughts." At his cousin's questioning glance, he explained. "Lady Zara and her consort from New Krypton."

Kara nodded briefly in acknowledgment. Clark had told her about the New Kryptonians and their visit to Earth more than a year ago. "I'm sure they were more advanced with their own mind shields than I am. It is also possible that, since we are related, our minds would share similar thought patterns."

"Speaking of relations," Martha said as she picked up the empty pie plate and dishes. "And I don't want this to sound like I doubt you, Kara, but you look nothing like Clark."

A look of confusion crossed Kara's features. "It is genetic. Clark resembles my father, who resembled his brother and their father. Just as I take after my mother and she her mother before her." She looked at Lois. "Do you not resemble your mother?"

Clark grinned, knowing that Lois worked very hard not to be too much like her mother. Even she had to admit, though, that she did look a great deal like Ellen Lane.

Lois could tell by the grin Clark wasn't bothering to hide what he was thinking. Focused on Kara, she answered, "I look like my mother, but I also look like my father. It's more of a fifty-fifty genetic match in humans."

Kara folded her hands in her lap, staring intently at them and the white of her skirt and tunic. "There is much I will have to learn to live on Earth." she stated, her voice quiet.

At the despair in her voice, Martha came around the table and wrapped an arm around Kara's shoulders. "It's alright, honey. We're here to help you."

Kara lifted her head, those blue eyes of hers searching the older woman's face eagerly. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do." She glanced at her son, husband, and daughter-in-law before bestowing a wide smile on this girl who was quickly beginning to feel like a daughter to her. "I'm afraid you're stuck with us now. Any family of Clark's is family of ours."

Surprised by the warm acceptance of these people she did not know, the tears she had held since waking in Dr. Klein's lab spilled unbidden down her cheeks.

Tears of sorrow for her lost family and her lost world.

Tears of joy for her new family and her new world.

~~~~~~~~~~