Moments later, Chloe took a deep breath, and looked at Lara, who smiled at her peacefully. The tranquil feel of the earlier dreams had returned, and Chloe now knew why. She smiled, no longer afraid of what was behind the shimmering, watery doors. Whatever it was, she and Clark would handle it together. The procession of women walked toward the doors slowly, and the music flowed over them like cool air. They reached the doors, and Chloe felt a frisson of the fear she had felt earlier, and she looked over at Lara for reassurance.
"Today is not your wedding day, Chloe, I promise you. Our weddings are much more formal." Lara replied, her tone gently snarky, as if she herself found the rituals overbearing. "Imagine three days of ceremonies after days in seclusion, dancing, feasting and heavier gowns." Chloe rolled her eyes and Lara nodded in agreement. "But the Dedication will make you family, and Zor-El can no longer object to Kara escaping. She will leave in your care. As is proper." And then, Lara added softly, "For myself, I am glad to be here, to be part of the journey, even for this stolen time." Her eyes filled again, but she brushed them away with a brave tilt of her head.
"Me too." Chloe said, squaring her shoulders. "Let's go save the damsel in distress."
Lara nodded, raising her hand. In a voice that did not seem like her own, Lara began to speak. "Hark! Lara, daughter of the house of Lor-Van, wife of the house of El calls. I come with the intended bride of my only son, Cla – Kal-El." Lara smiled, casting Chloe a sidelong glance. "I ask to present her for Dedication."
The shimmering doors parted, the water receding in glistening waves into the elaborate doorframes. The room was ablaze with light that emanated from the walls, and the music that had drifted over them in the corridor continued to flow around them, drawing them forward to the center of the room. A circular platform stood in the middle, and there, Jor-El and Clark waited. Around them, members of the house of El, Jor-El's brothers and their families stood ready to bear witness. As they walked down the aisle toward the platform, Chloe could see a balcony, and in the balcony, eight men and women sat, ready to perform the ceremony of Dedication.
"Whoa." Chloe said under her breath, and Lara smiled.
. All around them, people smiled in approval. They took their final steps, and Chloe could see Clark, smiling at her. He was dressed in similar robes as Jor-El, in a rich blue that made his eyes look like emeralds. Clark had not taken his eyes off her from the moment she had walked into the room, Chloe glided up the steps, took Clark's hand, her eyes dancing.
"You take my breath away." Clark whispered, and Chloe smiled up at him.
"You look amazing, yourself. So much better than plaid." Chloe whispered back, and Clark grinned, a hand rising self consciously to collar of the long, cloaklike coat he wore.
"Jor-El, you bring this, girl," A male voice boomed from the balcony "before us for Dedication. It is unheard of for a young woman to come to us at this age. The absence of her parents is inexcusable, alien or not."
"The circumstances, I'm afraid, did not allow us another choice." Jor-El said, "Kal-El has fallen in love with this girl, and we have no other wish than to have her as our daughter We must insist upon it, in fact."
"We are all quite aware of your pet hysteria, Jor-El. I'm sure your haste derives from that particular source." The man cleared his throat. "Is this your wish, Lara Lor-Van, wife of Jor-El? Will you accept her into your home, teach her the history of your clans, give her the guidance she will need in raising the next generation of Kryptonians?" .
"It is my deepest and most cherished wish." Lara said, her voice quavering. "To see their children grow under our green skies. In the absence of her mother, I will do all I can to guide her, teach her and more than just accept her. I welcome her with my whole heart." Lara smiled and stepped back, Jor-El's arm sliding around her shoulders.
"And you, Kal-El," this voice, again a male one, "Do you wish this girl, alien though she may be, to share in your life, both in this Dedication and in the union of marriage that will be sure to follow? Understanding that marriage is an unbreakable vow of loyalty and trust, can you pledge your troth here and now?"
Clark looked at Chloe. He cleared his throat, and Chloe bit her lip. "I can't imagine my life without her. I love her, your honors."
"Most unusual." A woman spoke, rising from her seat in the balcony. "Kal-El, love is not something to be frivolous about. Do you trust in your parent's judgement, in choosing this girl to be Dedicated today? Can you know, in your youth and impetuousness what love actually is?"
"Yes. I trust them completely. I trust her completely." Clark smiled at Chloe again. "I know about love… I have had examples of it before me my whole life."
"Hmmph." The woman who had risen sat back down. "Good, this all is most unusual already."
"Chloe Suli-Van," a new woman spoke, and Chloe could see her rise. "You come among us from a distant star, a stranger among us, and yet you show no fear. The Dedication binds you forever to the House of El and to Krypton. Even away, you will become part of the tapestry of our world, a shining strand woven into our culture and society. Your commitment to the son of Jor-El is only the beginning. Will you be a faithful and loyal daughter to the House of El? Can you accept the newness of our ways, tolerate that which is not in keeping with the culture you are used to?"
"I have made my life's quest about new and unusual," Chloe said, confidently. "I am not afraid because I have Kal-El with me. Even when we are apart, I know he is there. I will honor his parents and his family, loving them as if they were my own flesh and blood. I can't do more than that." She looked up, at the people on the balcony. They spoke amongst themselves, and the leader of the group, a majestic looking man in black robes, rose.
"Chloe Suli-Van, you are ready." Clark stepped back, standing beside his father. "Today, before all of the House of El, I dedicate this girl to them. She is now kith and kin of yours, one of your blood and bone. The bond of matrimony will come in time, but today, she is yours, until the day she becomes the wife of Kal-El." He bowed his head. "Rao grant you many blessings." A shower of light poured down from the ceiling, and Chloe felt for all the world as if she were being baptized in starlight. The people on the balcony rose, and left the room, and Jor-El's family cheered as Clark took her in his arms.
"I'm not supposed to kiss you. They told me that it's just not done in public here" Clark whispered. "It's all I want to do though."
"Hey, I'm not from around here." Chloe grinned, standing on tiptoe to kiss him, wrapping her arms around him. The cheer grew louder, accompanied by bursts of laughter. "There. I don't think they minded." Clark leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. Married or not, this was a moment they would both treasure always.
"Come." Jor-El said, his hand on Clark's shoulder. "We should to speak to Zor now."
Zor-El stood a little away from the others, speaking in hushed tones with his wife, while his daughter stood nearby, holding a gift from her betrothed's family, a small, white puppy. When she saw Chloe, she grinned and ran to her.
"Now we are cousins. How exciting!" Kara exclaimed, looping her arm under Chloe's, She cuddled her puppy, and looked over at Chloe. "So, you really aren't from Krypton? I thought maybe you were from the colonies on the far side of the planet. They do things differently there." She turned to look at Clark. "I changed your swaddling just two nights ago. It's not fair that you are older than me now." Kara pouted beautifully, and Chloe was reminded of an angel in a Renaissance painting or sculpture. And looking around the room, Chloe had to admit, just as she wondered when seeing Zod in his terrible glory, yes, all of the inhabitants of Krypton were perfect.
Clark laughed. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about you changing my diapers, little cousin." Clark patted her on the head, teasing. Kara scowled charmingly at him , and punched his arm. Clark's face seemed to register the sensation, and then he turned to Chloe. "I FELT that. It actually ALMOST hurt." He grinned at Kara and she handed Chloe her puppy to chase after Clark, shrieking threats and laughter through the vaulted hall. Chloe looked at the small white dog, and pressed her cheek to its velvety head. Among his own, Clark seemed to become young and Chloe smiled watching him.
"You cannot know what a comfort it will be, knowing that she is safe." Kara's mother said, smiling at Chloe, distracting the younger girl from thoughts of Clark racing around Kent farm with their children someday. "Jor-El has my husband nearly convinced that it is the only way."
"I'm not sure if the state of Kansas is going to be big enough for the both of them." Chloe laughed, "Jor-El said your husband created some kind of time machine?"
"It's actually not a time machine at all." Kira replied. "It's actually an inter-dimensional warp creator. We will program in the coordinates we need and all Kara need do is step through and into your world. The process is, of course, more complicated than that, but the effect is the same."
"Amazing." Chloe's fingers itched to write that down, to even commit to paper the possibility of such a device. "I imagine that this is new technology, yes?"
"Oh, entirely new, highly controversial, and extremely experimental." Kira reached over to scratch the puppy's ear. "The warp creator has been brought from Argo City and assembled. I've gathered some of Kara's belongings for her to take with her." Clark's aunt turned to look at Chloe. "I can get some other things for you to wear, if you want. Every girl should keep her Dedication gown."
"I'm going to be able to take this back with me?" Chloe touched the skirt with her free hand. "Are you serious?"
"I see no reason why not." Zor-El said smoothly, as he stopped beside his wife, accompanied by Jor-El and Lara. "The portal will fit Kara and what she can carry."
His smile was large and white in his tanned face. "No one suspects that a scientist devoted to the study of weather control could develop such a thing."
Kira turned to look up at her husband. "You have decided?"
'Yes, my wife." Zor-El nodded solemnly. "My brother was correct. How can I argue with the evidence before me?" He gestured to where Clark and Kara playfully struggled, the girl's voice raised in exhilarated protest "Yesterday, my nephew was an infant, today, he comes from the future a man. He is strong, and well grown. My daughter will be safe in his care. But, we must do this soon, and quietly. The portal will only work the one time."
"We'd better not waste any more time then." Clark said, returning to the group with his cousin thrown over his shoulder, beating on his wide back with her fists.
"Come, the warp induction portal has been assembled in my laboratory." Jor-El told them. "Kal-El is correct, time is a commodity we do not have in abundance."
Later on, if Chloe tried to remember what Krypton was like, what she would remember the sky, the breathtaking greenness of it, and the diamond like perfection of the strange stars contained within it. From the balcony of Jor-El's lab, Chloe looked up into that perfect sky to find the star she called home.
"It's that one." Lara had come to stand beside Chloe at the balcony railing. She pointed to a bright, but faintly yellow star. "That is your solar system there.. We call it Terra."
"Terra." Chloe nodded. "What happens now, Lara? I know that the explosion does, but will Clark and I ever hear from you and Jor-El again?" She looked over at the older woman, who had not stopped looking up at the yellow star.
"It is my wish." Lara said softly. "To find a way to be with you and Kal-El always. A mothers love transcends all things, perhaps even time and disaster." She smiled at Chloe. "You must remember that, Chloe. When you are mother yourself."
"I will." Chloe took Lara's hand in her own. "I think I'm ready."
"The trip for you and Kal-El will be fairly simple." Lara said, leading Chloe back into the lab. They had all changed into more utilitarian garb, Clark was once again in denim and plaid, Kara wore a simple, form fitting green jumpsuit, and Chloe a similar one in deep blue. "You will simply wake up. We have used the crystal we gave you as a focusing beacon. Kara should be with you when you awaken." Lara squeezed Chloe's hand, and then turned to Clark.
"Kal-El." Lara hugged him. "You have exceeded all of my hopes for you. I know that you cannot possibly fail in achieving your destiny on Earth. Before, I when I put you in your little ship, my heart broke with despair. Now, it is full." Lara looked into Clark's eyes. "Full of hope and pride. Rao go with you, my son." Her eyes filled with tears but she raised her chin and smiled. Clark mirrored her smile, and reached a hand up to wipe away the tear that escaped from her eye.
"Lara, I don't know what to say." Clark's voice was low. "Except thank you."
Lara nodded, and touched his cheek. Quickly, she turned, and hugged Chloe.
"Goodbye, beautiful girl. Take care of my son."
Chloe smiled. "I already do." She gave Lara a squeeze, and found herself immediately embraced by Jor-El.
"Chloe Sullivan." He said, fatherly concern deeply ingrained in his voice. "I am sending you and Kal-El back first, so you will be there for Kara when she arrives. The challenges will be greater, because she will not have grown up on Earth, learning the effects of your sun as she matures. You will have an adolescent to guide." Jor-El looked down into Chloe's eyes. "I do not doubt that you are equal to the task."
"I'll do my best." Chloe gave him a brisk military salute. They both smiled at the same time, and Jor-El leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"I am blessed by Rao with such a daughter." Jor-El said, and then turned to Clark.
"Are you ready, Kal-El?"
"I am." Clark nodded. "Jor-El, over the years, there have been many times where I may have misjudged you, or misunderstood…"
"My son." Jor-El shook his head. "There has always been Zod between us. He has done what he could to try and twist you into his creature. There is no need to explain. If I could undo the damage he has wrought for you, I would. It is I that owe you the apology, Kal-El. I had thought imprisonment in the Phantom Zone would be enough. I mourn for Jonathan Kent. His father and mother were the best of humans I ever knew."
"The portal will not be able to be sustained for much longer. "Zor-El's deep voice echoed through the laboratory. "The time for Kal-El and Chloe Suli-Van to return has come."
Clark took Chloe's hand. "Ready?"
"I'm looking forward to seeing Kansas again." Chloe smiled.
Jor-El nodded, and took from his pocket the crystal that had drawn them to Krypton. Somberly, Lara placed her hand on the crystal, and raised her other in farewell. Chloe noticed that the air around her grew thin, the figures of Jor-El and Lara growing fainter.
"My love goes with you, Kal-El. Through time and space. My love is eternal." Lara's voice was soft in the darkness that had enveloped Chloe. She could feel Clark's hand in her own. They were going home.
Chloe opened her eyes. It was morning, and they were on the couch in the Kent's living room. She blinked twice, and looked up. Clark was still sleeping, his breathing deep and even. He sighed, and he spoke in his sleep, his voice a soft whisper.
"Goodbye, Mother." A single tear traced itself down Clark's cheek. "Father."
A large crash in the kitchen woke Clark up, and smiling, they both sat up, to find Kara sitting cross-legged on the Kent kitchen table, digging a spoon into one of Mrs. Kent's famous apple pies. Still clad in the dark green jumpsuit, her long white-blond hair spilled around her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled as she deeply inhaled, taking in the new scent of the fresh pie. For all appearances, she was a typical thirteen year old girl, but Chloe knew that it would not be long before her particular 'abilities' would bubble to the surface. And the exquisite ice-blue gown Chloe had worn for her Dedication was slung carefully over a chair, along with Kara's backpack.
"Good morning, sleepyheads." She grinned, shoveling a large spoonful of pie into her mouth. Closing her eyes in delight, Kara smiled while chewing the pie. Her words just about distinguishable around her overloaded mouth, the Kryptonian girl laughed. " I think I'm going to like it here." Another large crash rang out from the pantry, and a small, white puppy appeared, dragging with him a fresh, unopened 20lb sack of Shelby's dog food, his tail wagging furiously. Kara watched him with great amusement, and licked her lips.
"I'm naming him Krypto." Kara said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "I couldn't leave him to die…he's still so little. It'll be okay, right, Kal, er, I mean, Clark?"Kara smiled charmingly, heartbreakingly. The El family smile.
Clark and Chloe looked at each other in amazement, too overwhelmed to speak. It was going to be quite an adventure after all.