Chastity

Sitting in her home office, Barbara bent over her monthly personnel reports. Sighing loudly, she circled a typo in her first draft. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and stretched. With her eyes still closed, she rubbed the back of her neck. As she moaned from the pleasure, a sound from the doorway grabbed her attention. Opening her eyes quickly, she found Marty staring back at her, half hidden by the door jamb.

"Marty? Hi, honey."

Quietly, the young woman inched into the room looking for a moment like the little girl Barbara once knew. At sixteen, Marty was a marvel of beauty, intelligence and charm. Her blue-black hair fell in rolling curls down to the small of her back. Her big, icy-blue eyes, so filled at this moment with questions and fear, practically glowed, drawing people in almost against their will.

"Is something wrong?"

Tilting her head, she looked at the ground. Answering with a small nod, she seemed unable to meet Barbara's eye.

"Marty? Come here. It's okay. Just tell me what's wrong."

Taking one small step at a time, Marty stopped at the edge of the desk. Leaning against it, she said, "I wanted to talk to you, Barbara."

"About?"

"You know I've been seeing Warren for a while now."

"For about three months, right?"

"That's right. Well, we've been getting real close. We've been thinking of getting closer. The thing is... My dads have sheltered me a lot. They won't talk about things like this and, really, I want to talk to another woman about this sort of thing, y'know?"

"I think I understand what you're asking me," replied Barbara. Pushing away from her desk, she slowly stood up. Closing her files, she placed a hand on Marty's cheek. Smiling sadly, she whispered, "Follow me."

Together, they walked through the manor until they reached the main library. There, Barbara flashed one last remorseful look at Marty before opening the door to the library only to reveal Clark sitting in one of the room's many chairs. At the sight of her father holding a book, Marty turned on Barbara and asked, "Why?"

"The day is finally here, Clark," she announced without ever acknowledging Marty's question. For a moment, confusion filled his features. Then comprehension dawned. Setting his book aside, he quickly rose and crossed the room. As he closed in on them, Barbara turned to Marty and said, "I'm sorry, honey, but your father made me promise to bring you straight to him if you ever had questions of this nature."

Staring at flushed cheeks, Barbara didn't miss the menace in her eyes. Sighing loudly again, she nodded once at Clark before she said, "I'll be going, now."

Watching her leave, Marty felt tears sting her eyes. Clenching her hands into fists, she flinched when she heard her father speak.

"Marty come in and lock the door behind you."

For the next hour, Clark spoke and Marty listened. To his credit, he never blushed once. He explained Kryptonian physiology. He told her what to expect from the bond. He explained the limits it placed on her and the responsibility required to enter into it wisely. Finally, once he finished explaining, he gently asked if she had any questions.

In response, she laughed.

At first, the laughter was airy and contained a slight whine on the end. Slowly, it intensified from a titter to a giggle to a maniacal cackle. Just when Clark was beginning to get really worried, she flew to her feet and stood rigidly, not making a sound. Looking her father directly in the eyes, the words came out in a rush.

"Do I have any questions? Really, Pa? You tell me that in my whole life I will be allowed to be with one person. Only one person. All my life. You say it like it's so normal, but there's nothing normal about that. Then, you have the audacity to ask me if I have any questions. What are you saying? You want questions? Here's a question - Am I going to be trapped in the first relationship I ever have? What if I make a mistake? What if the first time doesn't last? What happens then?"

"You are Kryptonian, Marty," he answered after a significant pause. "You don't get to make a mistake where this is concerned."

"All my life, I've been warned. Be careful. Humans are fragile. Don't squeeze them too tightly. It's only a wall made of brick. Don't hit it too hard. Always warned of other's weaknesses, but you wait until now to tell me of the weakness lurking within me. My inability to love. My inability to be in a real relationship. How could you?"

"Your Dad wanted to tell you earlier, but he left the final decision up to me. I decided that you should be allowed some kind of a childhood. I didn't want to tell you such an adult truth. Not just this. There are powers you possess that I've never taught you to use. Mind control. Temporal manipulation. Perhaps, since you are ready for this, It's time for you to learn the rest as well," he explained. He stood up and approached her cautiously. As he came to stand directly in front of her, he added, "Is that fair? No. It isn't. Not much in life ever is, but this is what your life is. This is what it means to be a Kryptonian. Just like when you do gymnastics or hug your father, you have to be careful in a way others don't have to be."

"So what happens after "the one? What happens to you once Dad dies?"

"Marty, please calm down. I'm not saying you will have only one love of your life because I've had two so far. I'm just saying that you will have to have them one at a time. Our life spans are so much longer than any Human life could ever be. At some point, you will have to face the mortality of the ones you love. We both will. We will have to replace the ones we love or we will die, as well."

"Have you picked someone out already? Has someone caught your eye? What about Dad? What does he think about all this? Does he know the moment he's dead that you'll be hooking up with some replacement?"

"Marty!" came the growled response. Glaring down at his daughter, Clark found himself quickly losing his patience. "Your Father knows how this all works because he wasn't my first bondmate. As for what he thinks about this - you'd have to ask him about that."

Thrusting out her chin, Marty never looked away from her father's eyes. She stood toe to toe with him even after he shouted her name. Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrowed her eyes and coolly whispered, "I'll do that."

Taking a step back, she turned and fled the room.

Once out the door, she started to shake. Hugging herself desperately, she went in search of her dad. Setting the Grandfather clock to 8:25, she pulled the internal weights, triggering the door to the bat cave to open. Stepping inside, she found him sitting at the computer bay. On the screen, a map of Gotham City was dotted with multiple red dots, each one blinking rapidly. As she made her way over, the image was locked away behind a password enabled screensaver.

As she closed in behind him, he turned around. A question in his eyes, he took in her shattered eyes and her subdued body language. Once she leaned against the console, he asked, "Is something bothering you, Marty?"

"I just had a talk with Pa."

"A talk?"

"The Talk."

"I see," he whispered, softly. Taking her by the hand, he tugged at her until she came to sit on his lap. Gently, he stroked her hair as she rubbed her face in his shoulder. Patiently, he wrapped his arms around her and waited for her to speak. As she propped her feet on the arm of the chair, she mumbled something intelligible against his neck.

"What did you say, Marty?"

"I said," she repeated as she rested her temple on his shoulder, letting her arms curl against his chest. "I don't understand."

"What do you need help understanding?"

"What I don't get is... Did you know about the whole bond situation when you met Pa?"

"No."

"So, he hid it from you, too."

"Don't be so hard on him. It wasn't like that," he replied as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. "When we first met, he didn't know about it either. He learned about it from the Fortress after he married his first bondmate."

"Did you know her?"

"Yes, I did."

"What was she like?"

"She was unique. She was hard-headed, but she possessed an inner-strength that was very becoming."

"Did he tell her?"

"Yes."

"When did he tell you?"

"Before we were...," he began, but found it hard to finish. Swallowing hard, he glanced down at her curiously broken-hearted face "-Intimate."

"And you didn't run for the hills?"

"Obviously not."

Pushing away, she sat up. With her hands braced on his chest, she searched his eyes for the truth as she asked, "Does it bother you that he'll replace you as soon as you die?"

"Yes," answered Bruce in a steady voice. At the sight of her crestfallen face, he clarified his response. "But, the idea that he might die if he doesn't bothers me more."

"Has there ever been a time you wished you hadn't bonded with him?"

"Yes," he admitted. Meeting her inquisitive eyes, he sighed loudly before he continued, "Early on in our relationship, your father and I went through some hard times. Knowing that if I left, he would die, made that time very difficult."

"Then why did you do it? Why did you bond with him in the first place?"

"That's the easiest question you asked me so far. Marty, I stay with your Father for the same reason why I offered to bond with him in the first place - I love him. Even then, I loved him and, in all these years, that love has never wavered."

Gently, he brushed away the tears that fell down her cheeks. Cupping her face, he pulled her forward and looked her in the eyes. "Your time will come. You'll see. There's someone out there meant just for you. It probably won't be Warren, but there will be someone."

Weakly, she tried to pull away at the mention of her boyfriend. His hands grabbed her arms and refused to let go. Tilting his head from one side to the other, he tried to make her look at him. Instead, she shook her head, her hands covering her ears.

"Don't shake your head. I tell you it's true. That person will present themselves once you're ready. Don't worry. You're so young. You have all the time in the world to find that special person."

"Just promise me one thing," he whispered as he clutched her chin, lifting it until she once again met his eyes. "Before you do anything - know with a certainty that you love him and that he's worthy of you."

Nodding furiously, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him into a fierce hug, she carefully tightened her embrace so as to not hurt him. Her raging emotions made it so difficult, yet she still managed. Shaking uncontrollably, she drew in a ragged breath and pushed away from her father. Flashing a shy smile, she lifted into the air and flew away.

Outside the manor, she floated out over the grounds. She raced through the maze, darting around corners. Skimming over the duck pond, she let her left hand dangle toward the wet surface, her fingertips leaving thin ripples behind. Doing a slow circle eight, she flew over the gardens, plucking a glowing, white moonflower. Pausing to breathe in the heavy aroma of the bloom, she saw that J.B.'s window was still lit.

Tucking the flower behind her ear, she headed for his balcony.

Softly, she touched down. As a Kryptonian, she didn't feel the cold, but the prospect of once again going inside the manor, of facing all she learned that night, made her tremble. Knocking on the French doors, she hugged herself and waited.

Cautiously, J.B. opened his balcony doors. Finding Marty standing there, he jumped back. Opening the door wide, he ushered her in while making mental note of her pale skin, gooseflesh and hunched back. Lightly his arms wrapped around her, drawing her to his bed. Sitting her down gently, he looked at her closely - Only now did he notice her shimmering eyes.

Resting beside her, he flicked his finger at the flower in her hair. Running his knuckles down the side of her face, he watched the first tear fall. Pulling her close, he tucked her head beneath his chin and held her tightly. In his arms, she knew she was safe. If she squeezed back too tightly, he would never tell. It would be their secret. There would be no words. No questions. No explanations required.

It took several minutes, but she finally cried herself out. Meeting his curious gaze, she explained. She told him everything just as she always told him everything.

Patiently, he listened. Once she finished, he whistled. "Wow. That's a lot to take in, Marty. What are you going to do, now?"

"I don't know."

"Are you and Warren going to...going to?"

"No. I thought it was a gift I was giving him, but now I know it's really a curse. I can't do that to someone I care about."

"Don't be like that. It's not a curse," J.B assured her. Holding back his smile, he explained, "It's more than a gift. It's a miracle, really, because someone is going to get to be with you forever. Once he has you, he'll never be able to lose you. I can't think of anything better than that."

"Ahh, you're sweet."

"I'm right. We all know I'm smarter than you."

"Oh please, shrimp."

"I'm not a shrimp anymore," he replied as he watched her roll her eyes. Jumping to his feet, he stood as tall as possible before he issued his challenge, "Stand up, snob. We'll see who the shrimp is."

"You're on."

Standing beside him, she looked straight into his eyes. Her mouth dangled open as she realized they were the exact same height. Smiling sadly, she sighed, "I guess I can't call you shrimp, anymore."

"So long as I can still call you 'snob,' you can call me 'shrimp.' Deal?"

"Deal," she replied as she shook his hand.

Glancing at his alarm clock, she realized how late it was. Or, should she say early. The bright number two told her it was a bit of both. Facing him once again, she smiled warmly as she pulled him into one last hug before stealing away to her own room.