Fate
August, 2017
The sun shined high in the blue sky as the Kent family walked around downtown Washington D.C. The family had travelled there for an overdue family vacation and to help Martha move some of her belongings back to Smallville as she planned ahead for her return once her term was over. Remodeling work was currently being done to accommodate two more bedrooms at the farmhouse and was moving along nicely with the help of some deep pocketed friends.
Clark breathed in the fresh air as they passed another museum. Lois slowly eyed him as he adjusted the red backpack hanging off his left shoulder and wondered if he was going to drag them in there. As they continued to walk past she sighed in relief. She could only take so many museums. She loved him, but sometimes her husband could be such a nerd.
Between them was Callie, clasping both of their hands. She made a little jump, hanging from them with her feet in the air. They swung her a bit until her feet touched back to the ground.
Suddenly her eyes lit up when they rounded the corner.
"Playground! Can I play? Can I?" She asked, tugging at both sides of her.
Lois gave a little shrug and Clark was fine with it, as well. They didn't have to meet his mother right away and taking a little break to rest everyone's feet, mostly Lois', seemed to be a good plan.
"Yaaaaaaay!" Callie yelled as she let go of their hands and ran into the play area. There were some other children at the park and Callie immediately ran up to them and introduced herself.
As the slightly apprehensive parents sat on the park bench facing the equipment, Clark couldn't help but be impressed with Callie's outgoing personality. She certainly had inherited that from her mother.
"Look at her already making friends." Lois commented, as if reading his mind. She did that often.
He smiled and looked around the area. An eerie sense of deja vu hit him. He had travelled and visited Washington D.C. with his parents when he was around six years old. His father took great pride in showing him the sites and teaching him the history. After a long day of walking they happened upon a playground, too. He had asked his mother if he could play for a little while and his parents nervously let him.
He looked over at the monkey bars. Beyond them his mind conjured up a seesaw that seemed to have fit in that spot once upon a time. He remembered sitting on it by himself until a couple of boys approached him.
A young Clark Kent, in a red plaid and a blue T-shirt pushed his work boots from the ground as he sat on the seesaw without a partner. He was used to this back home in Smallville and it made no difference being in another city. Gravity brought him back down and he stared at the empty seat that stuck up in the air. He looked high above the trees at the blue sky and wondered if he could go up there instead. No one would be able to see him, but he would be able to see everything. He wasn't sure if that would make him feel better or more lonely.
"Hey, do you want to play Turtles with us?" A small blond boy asked as he appeared beside Clark. Then a larger brown haired boy followed. They wore faded jean jackets and high-top sneakers. The blond had an orange headband on, while the darker haired boy wore a purple one. They looked older and cool. He couldn't believe they wanted to play with him.
Unsure of what to do, he just stared at the boys. His parents warned him to be very careful when he played with other kids and it was always fresh in his mind. He knew some of the boys in Smallville and felt comfortable with them, like Pete, but these boys were strangers. So, he stayed silent.
"Hey, we said, do you want to play Turtles with us?" The brown haired boy echoed.
Clark blinked and gave no reply.
"This kid is weird. Let's go." The blond haired boy said and the two left him.
Clark regretted not saying anything and just pushed himself on the seesaw. He hated that he felt different; that he was afraid he would do something wrong and his parents would get upset. Or that the kids he was playing with would see his unusual strength or speed and run away from him screaming. So, he kept his distance. It was safer that way.
"Hey, you give that back!" He heard a girl yell.
Clark stopped and turned towards the voice. The same two boys who had approached him were now taunting a girl who looked around his age. They were over by the swings, waving something in the air. The girl was wearing jean shorts with a yellow shirt and boots like his. The ponytail held by a royal blue scrunchy in her dirty blonde hair waved in the air as she jumped and tried to retrieve what the boys had taken from her.
Clark rose up and started walking over to them. When he reached the group he stood staring at the boys, angry at how they were treating the girl. He couldn't understand the behavior. He could feel some heat behind his eyes, which surprised him as he had never felt that sensation before, yet it subsided when the boys realized he was there.
"Why is he staring at us all funny?" The small blond boy asked.
"Why don't you talk? Don't you know how?"
Clark remained silent.
"I asked you a question!" The larger brown haired boy said and went to shove Clark.
Clark knew that the boy would hurt himself more than him, but before he could do anything the girl stepped in front and blocked his path, protecting him.
"Leave him alone!" She demanded.
"Why should I?"
Her ponytail swayed as she pointed at him. "Because I'll beat you up if you don't!"
"Get beaten up by a girl? Yeah, right!"
"I bet I can!" She said with confidence, her hands on her hips.
"I bet you can't even beat me in a race!"
You're on!"
"Okay, April." He taunted and she gave him a dirty look. "Once around the playground, the last one across the monkey bars wins."
"Got it." She said, determination written all over her face. "And if I win you leave him alone and give me back my bracelet."
"Fine."
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
Clark watched as the two started the race. He quietly rooted for this strong girl. He couldn't believe she was sticking up for him and she didn't even know him. It made his heart happy that people like her existed. Back home he would watch Lana Lang from afar. She was kind and pretty, but he couldn't see her reacting the way this girl was. He was more nervous for the trouble she might get into than he was about himself and his secret at that moment.
Just as the two competitors made it to the merry-go round, the orange headband boy took hold and ran in a circle, making it go faster. Clark smiled to himself, knowing that he could do a better job. He quickly let the thought go, knowing his parents would not be happy.
As it started to slow down, the large boy jumped and then the girl. She landed awkwardly on her knee. He knew she was in some pain, but she raced on. She picked up the pace and the dark haired boy started to lose his footing, possibly from being dizzy, his purple headband falling over his eyes. The girl climbed and held onto the first bar. She skillfully reached for the second and beyond. Clark ran over to the end and met her when she finished. Her challenger huffed, as he had been three rungs behind her.
She smiled triumphantly. "See! I beat you!"
"You got lucky!"
"Nuh uh. Now, hand it over." She said, extending her hand.
"Whatever," he said and threw the bracelet.
It landed in a puddle and Clark went over and retrieved it. He used the bottom of his blue t-shirt to wipe it dry. Once it was clean he handed it over to the girl.
"Thanks." She said taking it from him.
He nodded his head and watched her.
She tilted her head at him. "Can you talk? Not that it matters, I'm just wondering."
Clark nodded his head again.
"Yeah, sometimes I don't like to talk to people either. You never know what they'll be like. Or even if you do know them, they talk to you but don't tell you important things. When I grow up I'm going to make sure I get a job where I never have to talk to anyone." She shook her head. "Those boys kept calling be April from their stupid game. Like I would ever be like her."
For someone who didn't want to talk to people she sure talked a lot.
The girl stared at the bracelet and he noticed it had the initials E.L. on it.
"It's my mom's." She explained.
She seemed sad, a watery look in her hazel eyes, and he wondered where her mom was. She shook her head and started to walk away, but then grabbed her knee.
"Ow."
There was a cut right below her knee, bleeding. Clark's aqua eyes widened. He grabbed the girl's arm and guided her over a few feet to the bench.
"Stay." He said.
As he started to leave he heard her say, "What am I, a dog?"
Clark smirked at her reply and ran up to his mother.
"Clark, did you make a friend?" She asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "She fell before and has a cut. Do you have a band aid?"
Even though he didn't get cuts, his mother was always prepared. She opened her purse and handed Clark the bandage and a cleansing towelette.
"Thanks."
Clark ran back over to the impatient girl, who had her arms crossed across her chest. Clark bent down, one knee on the ground, and ripped open the towelette. He then started to clean her wound.
"Ow. Careful." She complained, her knee jerking at the sting she felt.
"Sorry."
He worked gentler and when he was satisfied the wound was clear, he opened the band-aid. He slowly placed it over the cut until it was completely covered. When he was done he stood up. The girl inspected the work and bent her leg to make sure it would move.
"Not bad." She looked back at him. "Those boys were jerks before. Don't let anyone try to push you around like that."
He shook his head. "They don't scare me."
"Maybe not, but you didn't say anything. You're just lucky I was here." She said with a shrug.
Even though Clark knew he could take care of himself, that he was a little stronger and faster than the other kids, he did feel intimidated by the girl before him. He hadn't met a girl quite like her. She was different and so was he. He suddenly didn't feel so alone.
She then looked beyond him, as if she saw someone.
"Anyway, thanks." She hopped off the bench and started to run away, but then stopped. She turned around and ran back at him. When she stopped they were face to face. She quickly kissed him on his cheek, the weight off her injured knee as it was suspended in the air. She started to giggle and turn red and then ran away. He watched her leave, dumbfounded, his hand cupping his cheek.
They had never exchanged names. The only thing that he knew was that she wore the letters of E.L. on a bracelet that belonged to her mother. She was the first kid who didn't make him feel alone, but now she was gone. He wondered if he'd ever meet anyone like her again.
"Earth to Clark." Lois sang, watching him deep in his thoughts.
Clark blinked out of his memory and turned to his wife. He smiled at her, wishing that the little boy could know that he wouldn't be alone and would find someone even more special.
"Where were you just now?" She smiled.
"Sorry, I was just thinking how when I was a kid, I visited D.C. and I'm pretty sure I came to this very playground."
Her head tilted to the side. "No kidding."
"Yeah, it just brought back a memory." He took her hand and squeezed it. "And I'm happy I get to create new ones, with you and our family."
She could see the sensitivity in his eyes behind the glasses he wore. She wondered what Clark was like as a little kid, especially one who had to hide how unique he was. His worry about Callie and his revelation about how he had grown up made her wish she could have been there for him long before finding him in a cornfield.
Suddenly her brain thrust her back in time to when she was younger, a familiarity hitting her.
"Come to think of it, my dad would come to Washington for briefings. Usually we didn't go with him, but one summer we did. He had this woman who was like Mary Poppins watching us. I of course took my own tour of the capital."
He raised an eyebrow. "You ran away from your babysitter?"
"I casually wandered until I found a playground." She defended.
Clark laughed. "Casually doesn't sound like you."
Clark's eyes glanced back over to the playground and watched over Callie to make sure she was okay. She looked over, as if feeling his stare, and waved her little hand before following a little girl under the geometric dome climber.
"I did. Just walking and minding my own business in the park." She rolled her eyes and stated, "Then these little twerps stole my bracelet."
Clark's eyes widened at the detail and snapped back to her. He inquired further. "Your bracelet?"
"Yeah, it was my mom's. And these boys were also bullying this other kid on the playground. It really pissed me off. Here was this cute little boy, who was harmless, trying to stand up for me and they were going to try and push him or something. Ugh, those boys got what was coming to them. Humiliation by having a girl beat them. Teenage mutant ninja wusses."
Clark's breath caught in his chest. How could it be? That all this time the mystery girl had been...Lois? He slowly began to grin.
Seeing his expression, she arched an eyebrow, "What? Impressed?"
"Always." He finally breathed.
Clark's hand left hers and traveled down until it was on top of her left knee. He rubbed it in a circle, comfortingly.
"What are you doing?" She asked, not necessarily complaining.
"You hurt your knee." He said softly.
She shook her head confused, "No, I didn't."
"That day you did."
She thought for a moment. "Oh, right. I did. Then that little boy got me a band aid. But, wait, how did you-?"
"Tweety bird." He supplied, cutting her off.
"What?" She asked, thinking about the details of that moment.
"The band aid was yellow and blue, with Tweety Bird."
He was right. "Clark…" She stared at him and he smiled brightly back at her behind his glasses. She saw the little boy's face materialize then it was her husband realization dawned on her. "That was you?"
He silently nodded his head, reminiscent of how he had acted back then.
"It's a small world after all? I mean to think that I-" she stopped and cupped her right hand over her mouth. She dropped her hand and said, "Oh my god, I kissed you."
He smiled wider, very amused. "Yes, you did, Miss Lane. My first one."
"I can't believe that first kiss I ever gave a guy was you, Smallville."
Both eyebrows rose high on his forehead. "That was your first kiss?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yes. I mean it was the cheek and I was seven, maybe eight?" She thought for a moment. "Hey, wait. I always thought Chloe was your first kiss."
"That was on the lips. The playground? That was the first kiss I had ever received."
She leaned in closer to him. "So, technically, I was your first kiss?"
He nodded in confirmation. "I would say so."
She lifted a shoulder. "Who would have thought?"
Clark stared into her hazel eyes. "Destiny."
"You hate that word."
"Not when it applies to you."
Lois bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm destined to always save Clark Kent's butt, huh?"
"One save at a time." He replied, using words she had said to him long ago. He glanced at her wrist and asked, "Whatever happened to the bracelet?"
He had never seen it since knowing her as a teen and adult.
"I had given it to Lucy. So she had something from our mom."
"That was really nice of you."
She shrugged one shoulder, starting to feel emotional thinking about her mother. "She didn't have many memories. I had more. The least I could do was let her have a piece of my mom when she was responsible enough to take care of it."
Clark took her hand again. "She'd be really proud of you. Of everything you've accomplished. How amazing you are with our daughter."
Lois glanced at Callie playing and brushed away some tears. " Don't make me cry, Smallville."
"Sorry." He said, squeezing her hand.
They both watched as Callie ran around playing with the small group of children, heading toward new equipment. She then was ahead, leading them, as she climbed up and ran across a little bridge to a slide.
"I'm happy she doesn't worry like I did." He commented.
"Is that why you were so quiet?" She wondered aloud.
"Don't talk to strangers." He recited. "I didn't make friends easily back then, my parents being overprotective and all. I would just stay silent around new people."
"You talked to me."
"You defended me. I wasn't worried so much." His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "You made me feel normal."
She gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Your birthday is in two days." He commented, feeling compelled to give her her present now under the circumstances. He had been carrying it around in his backpack. He and Callie were supposed to give it to her together, but it seemed that this moment was begging for it to be revealed.
"I know that and you hid my present very well this year."
He smiled and let the bag fall off his shoulder. He placed it on the ground and dug into it, pulling out an ill wrapped box. The paper was pretty though, a white background with sunflowers peppered all over it. Callie had picked it out.
"I feel like I should give this to you now."
She quickly snatched it from him. "I see you didn't get any help wrapping it."
He smiled sheepishly.
"Callie did it?" He offered.
"Ha, don't throw the three year old under the bus. I know your skills, remember?" She tore the paper away and stared at the object. "An old wooden box. You shouldn't have, Smallville."
"Open it." He encouraged her.
Lois opened the box and pulled out a chunky bracelet. It looked like it was Native American style, vintage, with etchings on its broad metal band and a turquoise diamond shaped stone in the middle. She had seen the design somewhere before.
Clark's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"I was given that bracelet a long time ago with specific instructions."
"Regifting, hmm?"
He laughed. "Technically it isn't mine." he cleared his throat. "I wanted to give it to you on our wedding night, but when that got postponed I just kept waiting for that day. I was looking at it last month…"
"When we had to postpone again?" She filled in. It was annoying and was almost a game at this point to have a wedding, she mused. But it didn't change their status one bit.
He gave her a regretful grin as he remembered a blackout of the city caused by a LexCorp project had pulled him away yet again. It was just another hurdle. They would get through a ceremony eventually without any interruptions. He was sure of it.
"The point is, Callie caught me looking at it and asked me about it. When I said what my plan was, about a special day, she asked if it was for your birthday. And she was right. Why keep waiting when that's the most special day."
"So, what are the specific instructions? Do I rub the center stone and get three wishes?"
He shook his head and began to explain, "Do you remember after I told you my secret I took you down to the Kawatche Caves? I told you the story on the wall?"
"I do. It was romantic. Red blanket, candlelight, and all."
It had been Clark Kent's tour of the Cave of Wonders. She had only been in there once before when she was possessed by a witch. However, Clark had opened up to her, taking gentle caution and wanting to make sure she was okay with everything. She had a lot of questions for him, mostly trying to clear up the hiccups in her memory banks over the years, but when he told her the story on the wall there were no questions. She just listened to him. He was like Indiana Jones, which made him even sexier to her. If he had the glasses on then she wouldn't have lasted. Thankfully, the tour of the galaxy had been the following week.
"Do you remember how I showed you the dark haired woman?"
"That drawing of me was not the most flattering." She joked. Now that she looked at the bracelet the familiarity of the design clicked. She had seen it on the wall under the depiction of the woman.
He laughed. He then pointed to the bracelet. "The story is that this bracelet belongs to her. Naman's 'true one'. And if I am to believe that's me...then this belongs to you. My soulmate."
"Clark..."
His head fell forward, a bit. "I'm just sorry it took me so long to give it to you."
Lois took her left hand and placed it under his chin, propping it back up so he was looking at her.
"Thank you," she whispered as her eyes sparkled.
He lost his breath for a moment, lost in her eyes. He could see them change slightly as a thought crossed her mind and he wondered what it was.
Lois, being as forward as she was, spoke exactly what was on her mind.
"I'm kind of surprised that another dark haired woman wasn't the recipient of this, to be honest, if you got this back in high school and all."
He knew what and who she was alluding to. In those years he had surprised himself, as well. The truth was it never felt right to give it to anyone...until Lois.
"The story of Naman is something I denied had anything to do with me. And when it came to the bracelet, it meant a great deal to the person who gave it to me. I wanted to be true to it if I decided to give it to someone. I needed to be unequivocally certain. And for a long time I wasn't. Until I knew you were the one that I needed. The one who completed me. You're the 'true one' and you always will be."
Lois inspected the front of the bracelet again and turned it around. She gasped.
"What is it?"
He looked over and carved inside were the letters E and L.
"Did you know about this?"
"No, I didn't." His mind then made the connection. It really had belonged to his family, however far it went back. It also connected perfectly with the recipient. "The girl who wore the letters E.L. when she was younger wears the same letters again."
"And that same boy, in the same place, giving me a bracelet with the same letters? Are you sure you didn't plan this?"
He chuckled, "No, I didn't."
"Clark, this is amazing."
"I know it might not be exactly your style…."
"Hey, If I can rock a macaroni necklace at work, I think I'll find an outfit for this." She said putting it on her wrist. The aquamarine stone held a faint glow when the cuff hit her skin.
"And don't worry, this isn't the only present you're getting."
He turned back to look at Callie and found her coming down the slide. He then felt lips on his cheek. He turned quickly as Lois moved back in her seat with a faint giggle. He cupped his cheek the same he did when he was six.
He dropped his hand and he grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. His other hand went to her cheek and he dipped his head down, capturing his lips with hers. She responded to his deep kiss and then pulled back.
"It's always the silent ones…" she remarked, catching her breath.
"So, you really thought that little boy was cute, huh?" He asked, reminding her of her previous comment, his lips hovering over hers.
"Well, the only thing I liked about him was that his mom had cool band aids." She smirked.
He let out a chuckle and was about to kiss her again when their daughter's voice broke through.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
The couple looked over to see Callie was running toward them, her pigtails flopping at her ears.
"What's up, lovebug?"
Her eyes zeroed in on the bracelet on her mother's wrist.
"Hey, you gave her that without me!" She said accusingly at her father, shaking her finger.
"Sorry, it was just the perfect moment."
"But what about the Whi-mmhmmmhmmm?" pulled his daughter over to him and put his hand over her mouth muffling the rest of the question.
"Not yet." He said then dropped his hand.
"The what now?" Lois asked, her interest definitely piqued.
"Nothing." He said, shaking his head.
His daughter looking at him then followed suit, "Yeah, nothing."
"I know you're lying."
He simply nodded his head, but not giving anything away.
"And you know how I feel about lying." Lois said, her eyes on her daughter.
Callie swallowed back nervously. Her eyes then darted over her shoulder to her father then back to her mother.
"But you told me not tell Daddy about the -mmmhmmhmm." Lois pulled her daughter over to her and put her hand over her mouth muffling the rest of the comment.
"What was that now?" Clark asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a surprise." She emphasized, dropping her hand from Callie's mouth.
"For what Lois?"
"You'll find out." She smirked.
"When?"
She shrugged and took Callie by the hand.
"I think it's time to go see Grandma."
"Yaaaaay!" Callie exclaimed and did a little dance.
The couple laughed at her antics, but it wasn't enough to distract Clark from the secret surprise that almost spilled.
"When, Lois?" Clark pressed again, taking Callie's other hand.
She rolled her eyes and hid a little smile. Acting as if she were exasperated, she replied, "You're so nosy."
He smirked. "Look who's talking."
They continued their playful banter until Callie called out, "Swing me! Swing me!"
The parents followed the command, swinging their daughter between them as they walked down the street. Her giggles masked the noise of the typical city. It was just them. Clark and Lois glanced at each other, both with the same thing on their minds. While they believed in the fate they made happen, they couldn't deny that their lives had been more entwined than they had realized. From the start it seemed that it had always been Lois and Clark.
They both looked at their daughter, who was carefree as her legs dangled in the air. They held a tight grip on her, never wanting to let her go.
The sun started to shift in the sky, basking them in more light as they moved from the shade of the trees. Lois smiled as the lines from the framed note on her desk popped into her head.
'They say you never know what fate has in store for us, but I say you can see some happy endings coming from a mile away.'
Though Clark and Lois might not have been aware of it, and then in too much denial to see it, others over the years would also recount how they predicted the love story that would unfold between them. The power and strength exuded from their relationship was undeniable and indestructible. It was what got them through any darkness and produced a little light of their own.
And as the years moved along it would only continue... because their happy ending wasn't over yet.
