Good to have you back with this, Nancy.
“I know you haven’t said so, but I can’t help but think that that Healer Zor-Te person delayed your surgery for some nefarious reason.”
It seems like all of Krypton is conspiring against Los.
<We don’t know if it *is* possible. But if it’s possible for me to go, then I will go. I will go where you go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people.>
This is so beautiful. It's interesting that these words were spoken by a woman (Ruth) to another woman (her mother-in-law, Noomi). Nothing like that is said by a woman to a man in the Bible. That's probably because a marriage was hardly a union between equals in Biblical times.
“I… know we used protection before, but… I… Give me a baby… your baby. I have an idea you can assure that would happen.” She looked at him hopefully.
<You… want to have my baby? Even if it means I might not be here?>
She nodded solemnly. <Yes, I do.>
He kissed her. “Yes, I can assure a pregnancy… with our baby.”
So that is how David came to be?
Well, he wasn't conceived in this chapter.
The person in the shadows moved slightly and very nearly spoke. And that person was quite frustrated because they kept switching from spoken to telepathic speech, and Los was very effectively keeping any other telepathic person from ‘hearing’ their unvoiced conversation.
He looked up. “Did you hear something?”
Marisol smiled. “Just my thundering heartbeat.” She laid her head against his chest and sighed contentedly.
Imagine that Zara is spying on Los (and Mari) at a time like this.
“I love you, too.” She kissed him and put her arms around him. His hand drifted to her breast. She then pulled back from him and put her hand over his as if asking to him to keep her heart safe from all harm.
Adorable...*sigh*
“Her father is Ching… my mother’s husband.”
<~I’ll *kill* him!~>
Los’ head snapped up. “~Mother!~” He looked at Mari with fear. “My mother is here…”
What a way for Zara to reveal her presence!
“Well, it seems that when we strip searched him that we found some nasty scars on one of his thighs. I asked him about it and he begrudgingly told me that he was in a dirt bike accident about four years ago out in Kansas. Said he landed in an area with a bunch of… as he called it ‘damn green and red crystals that were… very sharp’. But ‘very’ was not the word he used. It was crudely descriptive. He told me that some of those crystals are still embedded his leg. I have an idea that it’s probably kryptonite.”
Oh, my God! The nasty Alex is a walking Kryptonite weapon!
Clark sighed heavily. “I would say that if I could get close enough to him that I could tell you if it’s kryptonite, but if some of it is red, it’s hard to tell what it will do to me.”
Red
and green Kryptonite. Damn.
“Euphoria. I wonder… Claire told me that when she got around Alex she felt like she was in love and that he was the most wonderful person in the world. She even went out with him a couple of times after he raped her. If that’s what happened to her… that would explain it. The effects usually wear off, but… if she kept getting re-exposed...”
Ooohh!! So that's why Claire thought she was in love with him!
And Caitlyn is sort of connected everywhere. Now she is Hannah's aunt.
“~Mak. Mak took care of you when you lost the baby? She barely has any experience. She’s not even through school and her education has progressed somewhat slowly. I don’t think she’s even taken her test to be called a Healer yet. Why wasn’t there someone with more experience with you?~”
This feels like more conspiracy against the House of El. (Or maybe against the house that Zara belongs to.)
“~Not you, too. *Lord* K’al-El is threatening to *make* me marry her. You *promised* that I could pick my own mate.~”
Zara sighed. “~Edrika has told me that she knows what K’al and Rya did and that she also knows of your subterfuge. And, even though she may have been bluffing, you have now confirmed that what she has said is true.~”
Los stood up and angrily said, “~So you are telling me that I have to pay for K’al’s impropriety?
Don't you just love the ways of Krypton?
“~A mere concubine,~” Zara quietly thought. She closed her eyes tightly feeling her son’s pain. But she would do what she had to do. Sometimes duty extracted a high price.
Yes, well, isn't it nice to feel so noble when you are sacrificing the happiness of others in the name of your own selfless duty and the best interests of your clan?
Normally there wouldn’t be anything really wrong with marrying someone from another planet, but… you are a Lord. You must behave in a certain manner. And she could never return with you. She would not be able to survive.~”
Why wouldn't Maribe able to survive on Krypton? Because her constitution isn't sturdy enough for her to survive on that world, due to her human genes? Or because she would be assassinated if she married Los and went to Krypton to live with him there?
Zara was shocked. “Drull’s daughter?” Her eyes were sad. “~As you said, Ching is no rapist. I suspect that Lord Nor did this to undermine my faith in Ching. You know how you were conceived. This is probably how this other girl was conceived also. The rape was probably a cover.~”
Was Mari conceived the way Los was conceived?
Zara smiled sympathetically. She understood being in love with someone that you might not be able to be with. And she doubted that Marisol and Los could ever be together.
Are you saying that Zara could be in love with Clark?
Hannah flew off to Gotham City to see her mom. She walked in Wayne Manor to find Marilyn in the study reading a book. “Hey, mom. Dad out being batty again?”
Los thought forcefully, <I’m not interested. What is this all about, K’al?> He paused and said softly, “I told you that I plan on furthering my relationship with Marisol. She is the Queen of Wheat.”
“The…” K’al paused in thought. He was both happy and sad. Happy that his brother had found love. Sad that Edrika was potentially a venomous snake that was going to cause the House of El no small amount of problems. <Marisol is royalty?>
<Yes, she is. Do I have your blessing?>
Lying to your brother, Los?
“Father. Claire’s tests were okay. She does not have the defect. The cyst is probably nothing to worry about.”
Oh, good.
Well, interesting chapter, Nancy! I'm looking forward to see more of Claire, in particular. And, hmmm... her twin sister has been up to something, yes?
Ann
