From last time:
Enza has asked to meet with you to discuss legal matters of some sort. I would attend as well, but I have to meet with Lok Dei and Fet Ri.”
Clark recognized the names of the two councilors who were considered to still be on the fence as to whom to support. They both represented an outlying area to the south of the main colony. It was a rugged area, vulnerable to attacks and both councilors had expressed their concern that the government could not protect the region. It was a delicate situation and Clark knew that Zara’s experience and understanding would be essential in negotiating with the councilors. “Be careful,” Clark advised her.
“I will. Alon has agreed to be present. The other councilors trust him and respect his opinion. He may prove a key ally in negotiations.”
“I hope so,” Clark replied.
********
New Stuff:
Martha stepped back away from the tree and put her hands on her hips. She eyed the tree critically. “It looks good,” she said at last. The tall fir tree was covered not in designer department store ornaments but in a lifetime’s worth of precious memories; the ornament from her and Jonathan’s first Christmas tree, ornaments Clark had made out of Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners as a child, mementos he’d sent from his travels all around the world, as well as some Martha had designed more recently after her art class in glasswork.
“And we have lights!” Jonathan declared as he plugged in the lights. The bright bulbs twinkled, lighting up the tree and the entire living room. The fire crackled in the background and the smell of gingerbread cookies filled the air. From the garlands on the banister to the stockings over the fireplace, everything in the house spoke of Christmas on the farm, but this year was still very different from the dozens of Christmases past that had been enjoyed here.
Martha dug into the final box of decorations. “Angel or star, Lois?” she asked as she held up the two tree toppers.
Lois hesitated for a moment before selecting the star. She floated up to the top of the tree and carefully attached the star.
“Perfect,” Martha said. Her daughter-in-law floated down and stood beside her. Martha put an arm around Lois. “Merry Christmas,” she said.
“Merry Christmas,” Lois replied, a slight waver in her voice.
The phone rang, interrupting their silent admiration of the tree. Jonathan picked up the cordless handset. “Hello?” A frown formed at the corners of Jonathan’s mouth. “Merry Christmas, Ellen,” he continued.
Martha glanced at Lois and saw the younger woman bite her lip, probably in resignation.
“Let me check and see if she’s around…” Jonathan said. He put his hand over the phone and looked at Lois. After a long moment, Lois nodded. Jonathan handed her the handset.
“Hello Mother,” Lois began. “Merry Christmas…” Lois drifted toward the kitchen.
Martha moved closer to her husband and he draped an arm around her. She was relieved that Lois had worked up the courage to talk to her mother, but she knew it wouldn’t be an easy conversation. The fact that she hadn’t been getting along with her family had been a strain on Lois, even though the younger woman carried the burden with remarkable strength. From the moment she’d met Lois, Martha had known that she was an incredible person, but she’d never known just how strong Lois was until this long series of trials and tribulations had forced Lois to learn just what exactly she was made of.
********
Lois set her jaw as the tension built. She knew that her mother was trying her best, but apologizing was never Ellen Lane’s strong point. “I know you’re upset with us Lois, and perhaps we overreacted, but you’re causing us to worry half to death…” Ellen continued. Lois felt herself tuning out, catching only one or two words in each sentence and letting her brain fill in the rest from familiar turns of phrases she’d heard a billion times before. Headstrong, independent, inherited those awful traits from her father – check, check, check.
“…and have you stopped to think about how we feel about this?” Lois braced herself for the mind numbing onslaught. “I don’t…” her mother’s voice seemed to falter. “I don’t even know if I’m going to have a granddaughter or grandson…”
Lois felt her own consternation waver. She cleared her throat. “It’s a boy,” she said softly.
“A boy,” Ellen repeated quietly. Lois could have sworn that her mother was crying. “Have you picked out a name yet?”
Lois felt tears prick at her eyes. “Not yet,” she said. “I wanted to wait…in case…Clark comes home before the baby’s born.” She found herself holding his wedding band between her thumb and forefinger, playing with it absently. It killed her to think of picking out a name without him, of him not being there to see his son born. By delaying the decision for as long as possible, she held out hope that he’d be home in time. She looked down at her protruding abdomen. She was well into her third trimester and it showed, Bernie’s initial fears about her slow weight gain notwithstanding.
Several months ago, she’d made a conscious choice. She’d decided that no matter how hard it was, no matter how much she missed her husband and no matter how afraid she was of doing this without him, she had to keep going. She had to be strong and she had to keep living, one day to the next. She needed to do it for her son. The only thing that kept her going at times, that kept her from becoming catatonic, was the fact that her child needed her.
But as dedicated as she was to doing her best for her baby, the thought of bringing him into the world without Clark there with her filled her with dread. Thinking of her son growing up without knowing his father made her tremble. So she stubbornly refused to think about it. Clark would be home. The logical part of her mind told her that time was running out and that junior would be here soon. The logical part of her mind had a bad habit of being really annoying like that. Now that she could blame hormones, she was inclined to ignore logic on occasion.
Stubbornness and hope got her through each day. But that meant a certain degree of denial, like refusing to even consider choosing a name for the baby without Clark there. Martha and Jonathan had both tried to delicately bring up the subject of names but she’d begged off on each occasion and they quickly ceased pursuing the issue.
“I know you love him,” Ellen said, cutting through Lois’s ruminations.
“My son?” Lois asked.
“Clark. I know you love him and...I do hope he comes home soon.”
“I know he’ll be back as soon as he possibly can. Not all men run away.” She realized that she’d repeated a promise that Clark had made to her.
“I guess not,” Ellen replied.
********
Clark walked down the empty corridors alone, save for his escort. He followed the complex, but now familiar, path to the conference room. The door to the conference room slid open as he approached. As he entered, he noticed Enza’s niece slide off Enza’s lap. Enza stood to salute, the young child hiding behind her aunt.
“Sir,” Enza greeted him with a polite bow.
“Good evening, Lieutenant,” he replied. The little girl peeked out at him curiously. Enza took the child’s hand.
“I’m sorry, sir, I will call for someone to wait with her.”
“No,” the child said softly. “I want to stay with you.”
“Thia,” Enza began patiently. “I need to work.”
“You just returned from a deployment, didn’t you, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir,” Enza replied.
“When?”
“Just this evening, sir.”
“When was the last time you saw your niece?” he asked.
“Ten days ago, sir,” she replied.
“I imagine she missed you a lot.”
“It is very difficult for her,” Enza admitted.
“Then perhaps she should stay,” Clark said. “If that is all right with you.”
Enza looked relieved. “Thank you, sir.”
Clark squatted down next to Thia. “Hello,” he said. “My name is Kal El.”
Thia immediately took to hiding behind her aunt again. “It is all right,” Enza encouraged her. “Say hello.”
Hesitantly, the green-eyed little girl looked up at him. “Hello, Kal El,” she said in a small voice. Clark smiled.
“Now can you play quietly while we work?” Enza asked. The little girl nodded.
For several hours Clark was briefed on the prosecutions of the rebels who had been captured in various attacks and the attempts to link the rebels and their crimes back to Nor. The rebels had all sworn allegiance to petty, local warlords, but their attacks and their behaviors were far too coordinated to truly be the work of unaffiliated groups. Someone at the top was clearly pulling the strings. Nor claimed that his movement was purely political and that he did not seek the support of the warlords or their forces, but there was no doubt in Clark’s mind that Nor was personally directing the attacks. At the moment, however, nailing Nor seemed about as difficult as nailing Luthor had been.
“Setting aside the military aspects, the political ones are equally troubling. The problem of secession is a complex issue,” Enza explained. “Secession under the colony’s charter is illegal unless by consent of both the council and seceding parties, but if one of the outlying regions attempts to secede, it will likely tear the council apart.”
“And I’m pretty sure that there are people out there who are counting on that scenario,” Clark replied. He glanced over at the other end of the table, where Thia had fallen asleep in one of the large chairs. Enza herself looked quite weary; lines of worry seemed to form on her young face. He figured that she had been working for the last week and a half without respite. “It is getting late; we should continue this tomorrow,” he said.
“Aye, sir,” Enza replied.
********
Clark tried to keep his mind on the many tasks spread out before him, but found it difficult to concentrate His mind was about several hundred million miles away from New Krypton. He pulled the chain out from under his tunic and looked down at the ring he held between his fingers for a long moment. As he often did, he wondered what Lois was doing. She wouldn’t have been at work today. She had enough seniority to guarantee a few days off for Christmas. He imagined that she was with his parents. He would have given just about anything to be spending Christmas with them.
Stifling a wistful sigh, he tucked the chain back under his uniform and turned his attention to the stacks of papers that surrounded him. He immersed himself in the reports on every subject and from every corner of the planet that had piled up. Behind him, he heard a door open. “Good morning,” Clark said absently without looking up from the papers spread across the table in front of him.
“Good morning,” Zara replied, stifling a yawn.
“How was the meeting with the councilors?” Clark asked.
“Long,” she said simply. “I am not certain if it was productive, but it was certainly long.”
“Well they haven’t threatened to secede yet, have they?” Clark asked, looking up at last at his friend. Dark circles had formed under Zara’s eyes.
“No.”
“Well, that’s victory enough for now,” Clark concluded.
“The entire Belaar Valley is vulnerable,” Zara said.
“What do you think of Lok Dei and Fet Ri? Are they honest?”
“I am not certain. I do not want to cast aspersions on members of the council in good standing.”
“This isn’t gossip, Zara,” Clark replied. “If their purpose is to undermine us, we need to know.”
“I know,” Zara said wearily. “If their intentions are ill, though, they hide them behind concern for their people. I honestly do not know what to think of these two.”
“Who are we certain is against us?” Clark tried to approach the question from another angle.
“Jen Mai is clearly loyal to Nor. He does not bother to hide his feelings,” Zara mused aloud.
“And Ryle and Zell Thon seem to be sympathetic to his position,” Clark added.
“Several others seem to blow with the wind. It is difficult to gauge their positions,” Zara said.
Clark frowned. “Like Lok Dei and Fet Ri.”
“Indeed. I will speak with Shai. He has always been a loyal advisor and my father trusts him entirely.”
“What about Alon?” Clark asked.
“He seems thoroughly dedicated to preserving the peace and keeping New Krypton’s society intact. He is also supportive of our leadership.”
“It’s good to know that we have a few allies,” Clark replied.
********
Lois stared out at the snow covered fields that stretched out all around her. She leaned against an upright beam on the porch, quietly taking in the world around her. It was cold, but the air was still and the snow seemed spread out like a soft blanket over a sleeping world. It was late afternoon and getting quite dark. The sky was a deep violet and the first stars were shining overhead. She heard the door open behind her and heavy footsteps fall on the wood of the porch.
Jonathan came to stand next to her. He silently held out a steaming cup, which she took gratefully. Lois took a sip of Martha’s wonderful hot chocolate. “Thanks,” she said.
Neither said anything for a long while. “Nice night,” Jonathan remarked at last, taking a sip from his own cup of cocoa. He cleared his throat. “Martha and I, well, we’re glad that you’re here with us. It’s been so good to have you here.”
Lois turned to her father-in-law with a tremulous smile. “I don’t think I can thank you and Martha enough for everything you’ve done for me. I could never have managed any of this without you.”
“We’re family, we take care of each other,” Jonathan said simply and she knew that he meant it. It was just that easy, but it meant so much to her. Jonathan put his arm around her. “And don’t sell yourself short, Lois. You’re probably the strongest person that I know and I’m not talking about the superpowers. Like Clark, you’re strong where it counts.”
Lois felt the tears threaten to fall. “I don’t know about that,” she whispered.
“Never doubt it,” Jonathan said.
********
Zara walked briskly down the corridors, late to yet another meeting. Each day seemed to bleed into the next – endless meetings, often futile and frustrating, that stretched from dawn until the middle of the night. The pace was exhausting, but there was nothing that could be done about that. Her escort detail marched quickly to keep up with her.
“First Minister!” She heard a familiar voice call out. She stopped and turn to see Alon, standing in the doorway to a conference room. He jogged toward her.
“Might I have a moment of your time, ma’am?” he asked deferentially.
“Good afternoon, Councilor. I am late,” Zara replied. “But please walk with me, and explain what it is I can do for you.” Zara continued toward her next meeting, Alon now struggling to keep up. The elderly man paused in mid thought to breathe heavily as he explained the situation.
“Negotiations are going quite slowly with the representatives of the Belaar Valley,” he explained. “I do not believe anything short of more forces and more resources will convince them of the government’s good will.”
“What they are asking for is impossible,” Zara replied as they rounded a corner.
“They claim that they are asking for the bare minimum for subsistence, ma’am.”
“And we are receiving requests for additional aid from all of the outlying settlements. Every one of the local leaders is demanding greater protection from the rebels. Kal El and I are dedicated to doing all that we can to protect each and every corner of this world, but we need them to be willing to compromise on certain issues,” Zara explained.
“If it would be of assistance to you, I can try to speak with them again,” Alon offered.
“I do appreciate it,” Zara replied. She came to a halt and turned to face the elder statesman. “Your efforts have been most helpful, Councilor.”
Alon bowed humbly. “I am honored to be able to help.” Zara and her escorts continued down the hall, leaving Alon behind.
********
“Is this the last of it?” Lois asked quietly as she picked up another awkward and large piece of equipment.
“Yes, this is it,” Bernie replied, looking around the lab nervously.
“Relax Bernie,” Lois assured him. “There’s no one there. If there was, I’d know.”
“Right,” Bernie said with a nod.
“Are you sure no one is going to notice that this stuff is gone?”
“Dr. Goodridge used to test fertility drugs on orangutans, but let’s see, it’s been about seven years since she kept live subjects in the lab, and Dr. Wakely’s wombats are too small to need these fetal heart monitors and their litters are just too big anyway…”
“Bernie,” Lois tried to steer the absent minded doctor back on track.
“Sorry, right. This stuff has never even been used. It was ordered a few years ago, but we’ve never had any need for it.”
“Good. I’ll take this back to Clark’s apartment and come get you. Are you sure you know how to use these things?” While she’d hoped to have the baby at the farmhouse, they had decided it would be too difficult to get Bernie to where he needed to be once she went into labor. Instead, a few weeks before her due date, she’d fly the Kents out to Metropolis and they’d stay at Clark’s until the baby was born.
“I’ve overseen the delivery of more than two dozen chimpanzees,” Bernie said with pride.
Lois arched an eyebrow. “That was supposed to be reassuring, right?”
“It’ll be fine,” Bernie assured her. “But like you said, a hospital delivery for an invulnerable mom is out of the question. We’ll have to deliver at the house and I’m no midwife. The monitors and the equipment will be a lot of help.”
“Thanks,” Lois replied. “I’ll be back in a few.”
********
Clark rubbed his temples as he quietly stepped away from the briefing room. Zara was still inside, discussing with Rab Dun and her crew of engineers the rebuilding of the main colony. He’d stepped out, claiming other matters which required his attention. It wasn’t a lie, there were about million things on his plate and he was struggling to think about them all at once. He felt like he was treading water and only barely keeping his head above the surface. He was exhausted and not making any progress and the water level just seemed to keep rising.
He walked down the hall with a folder of files on troop strength and possible deployment orders under his arm. He opened the door to a little caucus room and stepped inside, surprised to find Enza’s niece, Thia, sitting alone at the table. An assortment of papers covered in a child’s drawings was scattered across the table.
“Hello,” he said, a half smile on his face.
She looked up at him before turning back to her drawings. “Hello Kal El.”
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked.
“No. Aunt Enza said I had to stay here and not get into trouble, but I do not think she would mind if you stayed, too.”
He grinned. “I promise we won’t get in any trouble.”
Thia resumed drawing and he turned to the documents he had brought with him. After a long while, the little girl broke the silence. “Aunt Enza said you came here from another world.”
“That’s right,” Clark replied, looking up from his papers.
“What was it like?” she asked, her green eyes wide with quiet wonder.
“Well, it is very big,” he began. “When I was a little boy, I lived on a farm, but some people live in the mountains and the deserts, and in great big cities.” He patiently explained to the fascinated young child what his world was like: how children there went to school, just like in her world, but that the sky was blue and the sun was yellow.
“I want to see your world,” she whispered quietly.
Clark smiled sadly. He wanted to see it again, too. Behind him, the door opened and Enza entered.
“Greetings, sir,” she said, seeming surprised to see him. “I did not expect to find you here.”
“Hello, Lieutenant,” Clark replied. “Thia and I were just keeping each other company.” He had appreciated the company, even more than he’d expected. Clark had always loved children. Their wonder and their honesty were so refreshing. For months, he’d worked day and night, under intense stress and with little sleep. It had been easy to lose sense of what this fight was about. Especially in recent weeks, the battle had not been about people, but abstract concepts. He dealt with strategy and diplomacy and negotiations.
He hated being away from home and his family, but he realized that the other thing that bothered him about being here was how lonely it was. He felt isolated from people. Life on Earth hadn’t been like that. Even though he was an outsider, even when he felt like he didn’t really belong, he’d always been connected to people. He was part of their lives, and they were a part of his. Here, he didn’t have that. There was something inherently aloof and distant about the position of First Minister. Compounding that, Kryptonian society wasn’t exactly open and affectionate.
“I hope she has not kept you from your work, sir,” Enza said.
Clark smiled. “Not at all.”
Enza allowed a smile to break her stoic expression and turned to her little niece. “Thia, are you ready to go now?”
“Yes,” Thia replied, collecting her papers in her small hands. She slid out of her chair and allowed Enza to pick her up.
“Say goodbye,” Enza instructed.
“Goodbye, Kal El. Thank you for telling me stories.”
“Goodbye, Thia,” Clark replied as he watched the two leave the room.
********
Lois stood in the middle of the nursery, a small teddy bear nestled in the crook of her arm, her other hand on her protruding abdomen, feeling her son kick enthusiastically. “I’m not sure Daddy will make it back for your big day,” she said softly. “If there was any way he could, he would. He’d do anything for you.”
She heard footsteps approaching behind her. Jonathan appeared in the doorway to the nursery. She turned around and smiled at her father-in-law, hoping to hide the tears brimming in her eyes. “I still can’t believe what a wonderful job you and Martha did with this room,” she said hastily.
Jonathan chuckled softly. “Well, we just did the easy stuff. We were lucky to have someone with superpowers do all the hard work.” He tapped the doorframe slightly. “You turned out to be quite the carpenter. I didn’t know you had it in you, though I shouldn’t have been surprised.”
“I had a good teacher,” Lois replied. She shifted her hand on her stomach to the place where the baby had just kicked. “He’s been pretty active today,” she explained. She walked toward Jonathan. “Here,” she said, showing him where to place his hand on her stomach. The baby kicked obligingly and she saw her father-in-law’s eyes light up.
“He’s going to be a soccer player,” Jonathan said with a grin.
“You have no idea how nice it is to be invulnerable right now,” Lois replied, smiling. “Otherwise, I think this kid would have had me all black and blue on the inside.”
“We’re all very excited to meet you, little guy,” Jonathan said. “We can’t wait for you to get here.”
