In some realm of remote consciousness Lois felt the bed move as her husband lifted off of it. The motion however did not so much as cause a ripple in the intricate scene unfolding before her.
First there was only blackness. Hallow, empty cold space. She realized that she could feel no surface beneath her feet, but she felt no sensation of falling either. Then gradually light began to filter through and the sounds of exotic birds peered through the darkness. Then almost instantly she looked up and realized that she was in a garden. Startled, she peered around and noticed that none of the plants looked familiar. The leaves were shaped different and the flowers were paler in color. Nothing looked familiar. Where was she?
"Come and sit, I've been expecting you." Lois whipped her head around and she noticed a little gazebo and a woman sitting inside it. She instantly felt a sense of recognition. Without hesitation Lois marched up the steps and sat in the chair the woman had motioned to. That was when she actually got the chance to really examine her company. The first thing she noticed was the peculiar color of the woman's hair. It appeared to be brown, but as the sun darted in and out of the clouds and the lighting changed her hair changed too. When the sun beat directly onto it, it shone a marvelous color of ruby red. As the light changed it fluctuated from brown, to blonde, to sometimes almost black.
Before she realized it, Lois reached out and gently took a lock of the woman's hair to examine it farther. She tilted the sample in every which direction and seemed mesmerized by the results. She glanced up and across the sky to study the light source itself and her heart jumped into her throat. Red. It was the sun, but it was definitely red.
OH
MY
GOD
Laughter that was warm and sweet like honey shifted Lois' attention from the sky to the woman's face. She appeared to be younger then Lois was. 20 maybe 21 and there was something very familiar in the way her eyes squinted when she laughed. The eyes themselves were big and deep brown, like a puppy dog. Lois flushed when she realized she had been staring.
"I'm so sorry," Lois apologized, "It's just, you're eyes look so familiar."
"They should." The woman stated matter-of-factly, "They are your husband's." Lois' mouth dropped open.
"You're-"
"Yes. I am Lara, and you are my son's wife." The woman picked up a cup of what Lois presumed to be tea and sipped in carefully. "I feel I should apologize for not coming sooner. But until recently my time has been occupied with keeping my husband alive so that he may descend to earth."
"So you know Jor is back?" Lara nodded.
"Yes and not a moment too soon, if you ask me." Lara set the tea down and to Lois' shock set her hand on Lois' abdomen. "Forgive me for sounding rushed, but there is much to say before your body stirs and the dream is lost."
"So I'm dreaming?" Lara nodded again.
"It is the easiest medium for me to manipulate. Lois, I am going to tell you something I want you to really take the time to hear everything I say." The two woman locked eyes and before her mother-in-law spoke farther Lois already felt a sense of relief wash over her. "There is a purpose to everything in life. There is meaning in every word and every action. It may not make sense now, or tomorrow, or eighty years from now, but one day, it will all come together. I know now is a time of turmoil. Jor's reentrance into Kal's life is causing a bit of chaos, but there is a reason he is alive. And there is a reason I am not."
"So you really are dead." Lois half questioned, half stated. Her expression grew sad, and Lara's bright eyes darkened slightly as she broke her gaze.
"Indeed. But that is not the point." She said firmly as if snapping out of a trance. "The point is everyone has made sacrifices in the name of Utopia." Before Lois could question farther Lara pushed ahead. "Jor and I took the first step by sending our only son, our miracle to earth. Martha and Jonathan took the next step in finding Kal and raising him as their own. Kal himself took step number three when Superman was created and now, with the help of your love and devotion, you both have taken yet another step in the direction of paradise. Your baby is strong, Lois, and he is healthy, but he needs help in order to be born."
"There's complications?" Lois' voice was shrill and panicky.
"No, no, relax. I meant that he is the first of his kind, and there are many questions in regards to the normalcy of his gestation. That is why Jor survived and I did not. Jor's a brilliant man who understands his species to the fullest, and what he does not know, he will readily find out."
"And you?"
"I am on the other side. Watching, planning and protecting. I told you there is a reason for all of it."
"I'm so scared Lara." Lois felt her lower lip tremble and she tried to blink back the prick of oncoming tears. Lara's face grew solemn.
"You are not your parents, Lois, the same way that Kal is neither I nor Jor, nor Jonathan nor Martha."
"How did you-"
"As I told you, I am here, watching always." A bright smile crept across Lara's face. "Although I admit there are times I wish I was not." Both women laughed and Lois let herself go, tears falling, modesty abandoned. "Lois, you will do wonders by my grandchild, do you know why?"
"No."
"Because you of all people know what children crave. You were denied certain things while you were growing up, and you saw the effect it had on you. You are determined not to repeat that cycle." Lois nodded, suddenly it all was so clear.
"Everything happens for a reason." She said softly and shifted her focus to the beautiful garden that surrounded them.
"You are beginning to understand." Then Lara's eyes squinted as if she was listening to a voice nobody else could hear. It was a look she'd seen on her husband's face millions of times, the resemblance was almost comical. "You must go now." Lara stated.
"Wait, one more thing, is this what Krypton really looked like?" Lois probed.
"It is hard to recreate a miracle."
The picture faded rapidly into darkness once again, and Lois resettled into a deep, dreamless sleep.
On some level of consciousness Lois felt the child growing inside her stir. It was more of a bubbling sensation then anything else, but it was comforting even in the realm of sleep. A soft smile played at the corner of Lois' lips and anyone who saw it would have been sure to smile too. She was feeling ridiculously good, and somehow she knew it would stay that way.
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Clark froze at the bottom of the stairs and tried to form a game plan. The ground floor of the Kent house was dark, save for the dying ambers of the evenings fire in the fireplace. However the scenery was a direct contrast to the picture playing out before him.
Jor-El lay on his back as he stirred in apparent restlessness on the couch. His eyes were closed and his expression was troubled. Every once in a while he'd swat at an invisible object and groan. Clark couldn't even begin to speculate as to what was causing this troubling dream; but it made him uneasy nonetheless and he plotted an escape quickly.
He rose a good foot in the air and hovered down the last few stairs. From there he made his way across the living room and began to round the couch. He was almost there, destination in sight, but suddenly, violently, he was caught off guard and fell to the floor. Jor-El sat up straight, his eyes wide and wild, a cry for help still lingering on his lips. Immediately he found himself soaking in a cold sweat. He heard Clark groan for the floor and he mumbled something that sounded like an apology in response.
"Are you okay?" Clark asked as he stood to his feet.
"I'm fine. You?"
"Fine. You were doing an awful lot of groaning in your sleep. Must have been one hell of a dream." Jor rubbed his forehead in exasperation and squeezed his eyes tight as if he were trying to remove some image from his minds eye.
"Yes. I seem to have developed that habit." He took a few deep breaths and stood to stretch his tight muscles. "I don't remember having that problem before coming here, you know? I was always such a sound sleeper, and now look at me. Mumbling incoherently and thrashing around like some sort of drugged out teenager." Clark couldn't help but laugh. "It must be your planets atmosphere. Some excess gas that doesn't agree with me." Clark mulled the conclusion around in his head for a moment, his expression growing distant.
"I doubt that." He finally said. Jor quirked an eyebrow in his direction and Clark obediently continued. "I think a lot has happened in the last few days, everyone has been under a lot of pressure and it's normal for the stress to manifest itself into vivid and unpleasant dreams."
"Wow."
"What?"
"And I thought your mother was annoyingly rational."
"What?" Jor giggled softly.
"Nothing, I'm just teasing you. You see your mother used to tease me about being the only scientist who blissfully lacked common sense. She used to... she would say... she... Lara" Clark froze in place as his father broke down. For a few minutes Jor stood there, his knees on the verge of buckling as streams of hot tears and pain filled sobs threatened to consume him. All at once he'd sunk into the all-consuming swamp of grief. Once out of shock Clark realized that he really ought to try a comfort him. So slowly he approached his father and wrapped his arms around him. Jor responded by resting his forehead on his sons shoulder and weeping softly. After a moment he pulled away and wiped his eyes bitterly. His posture told Clark that he was trying to regain composure. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, honestly."
"Don't apologize. God knows I've done my fair share in the last few days."
"You've cried?" Clark's cheeks turned pink and he nodded. "Oh.. I'm so sorry, for everything. I... the last thing I ever wanted to do was to make you cry."
"You didn't- err... Well, not directly anyway." Clark sat down on the couch and his father sat beside him. "Father, what's the first clear memory you have of being on this planet?" Jor thought for a moment.
"There are a lot of scattered voices. Blurry images. But I suppose the first clear memory I have is of waking up in the hospital surrounded by your family."
"I thought so."
"Why do you ask?"
"You woke up before that. Twice actually. The second time I was in the room, only me nobody else. You said my name and then your heart stopped. I thought sure you'd died right there in my arms. I, I freaked out and went screaming into the hall. You pulled through obviously, but I was a basket case until you woke up the next day. I even burst out crying in my workplace." Jor was stunned silent.
"I don't remember." He said after a while. His voice was small and shaken. "How could I not remember something like that? Clark, I'm so sorry. I, I don't know what to say."
"You were in really rough shape. It wasn't your fault."
"No, no, you don't understand. I, I never wanted to hurt you or cause you pain. I never wanted to make you worry about me. Clark, I love you. You're a part of me. The BEST part of me. I don't want to change your life, I don't want to be a burden."
"First off, you ARE NOT a burden so don't be ridiculous. Second, I WANT you to change my life. You already have! I wouldn't go back to way things were if you paid me a billion dollars. Having you here, alive in the flesh is one of the best things that has ever happened to me."
"It is?"
"YES! For the first time I have someone I can go to with my questions. Someone who understands, who has the answers. God, there's so much, so much questions, concerns, theories that I have and only you can help me with that. I love you so much it hurts. I don't want that to go away."
"You know Clark, when I sent you here I hoped that you would find people who would love and welcome you. I hoped you'd feel like you're a part of this planet, this culture, and you've done that so effortlessly. I was frightened that perhaps you would see me as a painful reminder that you are an outsider." Jor sighed, partly from stressed, partly for exhaustion. "Clark, Krypton is where you are from, Earth is your home. I know that and I'm glad for it. If I was against you loving, and feeling connected to another world I wouldn't have sent you away."
"Why can't I have both? Why can't I love Earth and Krypton? Why can't I be part of both cultures, know both ways of thinking?" Clark asked sadly.
"You can. I just don't want to force you into anything."
"Then you'll teach me?"
"Of course." From upstairs Clark could hear Lois stirring.
"We both should probably get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning." Clark turned in his seat and hugged is father and then rose to exit the room. When he reached the stairs however he turned back around and cleared his throat. Jor stopped straitening the blankets and pillows on the couch and faced his son. "Do you need anything?" He asked.
"I just have a quick question." Clark stated. "What's the Kryptonian word for Dad?"
"I don't believe we have a direct translation for "Dad" but Beaio means Father"
"Beaio... Goodnight."
"Goodnight Son."
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Everyone at the Kent house spent the rest of the night in blissful slumber and awoke to the sound of the Thompson's Rooster crowing and the smell of fresh coffee.
Lois had awoken bright and early. She felt better then she had in months. Rested, zesty, full of hope and a baby to boot. She brewed a pot of coffee and then made a cup of decaffeinated for herself and then sat on the porch to watch the sun rise over the treetops. The fresh country air was exactly the confidence builder she needed to cement her decision. Today was the day. Today Clark was going to learn that he was going to be a father.
At some point she heard Jonathan and Martha make their way into the kitchen and help themselves to coffee. Items were whisked out of the refrigerator and before Lois knew it a good old-fashioned country breakfast was in the works. Eventually Jor joined them and soon the conversation turned lively and animated. Lois did not stir. Instead she contented herself with the crisp dewy haze of morning and a happy memory.
Clark on the other hand awoke to find his bed cold and empty. He tuned into the conversation downstairs and was puzzled to find that his wife was somehow absent of it. Where was she? Clark quickly got dressed and then he realized that something about the room was different.
On the nightstand sat a very old book. Well wore, it's pages yellow it appeared to be some sort of instructional guide. Clark flipped through the pages and found it out to be a Kryptonian to English language book. It had a section about the Kryptonian alphabet, a writing guide, and a reading guide, even a pronunciation chart. Clark laughed to himself as he tried to figure out how in the world his old man had managed to sneak it into his room without him knowing.
"You are a crafty little devil." He muttered to himself while succumbing to a round of giggles. Then he fallowed the fabulous smell of fresh bacon and joined his family for breakfast.
