I wouldn't leave without telling you the story about Becca's Christmas Morning, would I?
You only have time to read vignettes and don't know Becca yet? Hang on...
This is part of a Pilot rewrite in which Clark already has "almost" a daughter, seven-year-old Rebecca Kent. He's not her biological father, but that's not really important. He and Becca have met Season 1 Lois and she has behaved even bitchier than she usually does. The girl had had a rough week.
Anyway, Becca was convinced that Clark wanted to get rid of Lois (which he doesn't want because he's head over heels, but whom do I tell that?) and has asked Santa Claus to help her.
That's pretty much all you need to know...
Thanks to my amazing beta-reader, LaraMoon. Here you go with the last bit of Christmas that I've got for you. Enjoy! Just in case you want to read the whole thing, here's the
TOC .
Seeking Santa’s Presents Becca blinks. It is still pitch dark in her room. She opens her eyes, excitedly. This is the day! She knows it. Just to be sure, Becca thinks of yesterday. Yes, they bought a Christmas tree. She decorated it with Lois. The adults had mentioned it a few times. Yesterday was Christmas Eve. This meant that today was Christmas. *Presents!* She thinks and starts to grin. Santa always left them under the tree when she was with her Grandparents. Surely he knows that they hadn’t made it to Smallville this year.
Becca gets up; she doesn’t even feel cold, like she usually feels when she gets out of bed. Her dad was very keen on opening the windows. No, she just wants to get downstairs. Her heart beats rapidly. She’s curious to find out what Santa’s brought her. The staircase seems endless. But she knows that there are only a few steps left. The apartment is dark, dawn hasn’t broken yet. Daddy’s surely still asleep. Becca cannot really understand how he’s able to sleep on such a morning. But he is and there’s not much she can do about that. With every step, she can feel her heart beating faster. Becca bites her lips. No, she cannot wait any longer and she jumps down the last couple of steps. Daddy has told her not to do that, but he’s asleep, isn’t he?
Nothing happens… Becca doesn’t hurt herself and her Daddy doesn’t wake up. She looks over to the beautiful tree, admiring the result of her work for a second, before her glance wanders down, to the bottom of the tree. Becca blinks. There is…*nothing*. It can’t be! Maybe Santa hasn’t gotten their change of address? Or she isn’t looking closely enough, really. Becca steps closer to the tree, she kneels down, examines the floor. But it remains as it was…not a single, tiny present under the Christmas tree. They could be in Smallville, perhaps…
But then it hits Becca. She has asked for Lois to disappear and in return she has told Santa that she wouldn’t need presents for three years. Oh, no! She has made a monumental mistake. Becca looks over to the sofa, but there is no one there. Lois is really gone. What will Daddy say? They were friends now. And honestly, Becca isn’t so sure anymore that Lois was really a witch. Playing with her had been fun.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Claus.” Becca whispers into the dark apartment. “I don’t want her to disappear anymore. Please, Mr. Claus, it was a mistake.” Becca listens to the darkness. But she doesn’t get an answer. She hadn’t gotten one in that night, either.
She can hear her heart thundering in her ears. She knows that this was terribly wrong. And there is only one person who can help her. She has to tell him, but she knows that he will be mad at her. Becca suddenly notices that it is cold in the apartment. She shivers. She has to do it now. Daddy will find out, anyway. He will know when he sees that she hasn’t gotten any presents. And he will know when he sees that Lois is gone.
Becca swallows hard and tries to gather her courage. He will probably forgive her more easily if she tells him right away. The way to him is difficult. When has it ever been that difficult, Becca wonders? But she is afraid. She doesn’t want to see the disappointment in his face. He wouldn’t shout, he wouldn’t lash out at her, but he would meet her gaze with this utterly disappointed look. Her daddy will be sad because of her. Becca stops in her tracks, not knowing how to go on. But she has to. If she waits, it will only be worse.
When she enters the bedroom, she can see he’s sleeping. She doesn’t really dare wake him, but she has to. All her own disappointment, her feelings of guilt and shame well up inside her. It forms a lump in her throat and suddenly, of its own volition, it escapes her as a huge sob. Tears fall down her cheeks and she cannot hold them back. She looks at her daddy. He stirs and opens his eyes.
“Becky – honey, what’s the matter?” he asks, gently but shocked. He sits up at once and turns towards her. Becca sobs again, this time even louder. “Oh, come here, honey. Tell me, please tell me,” he whispers and takes her arm in his hand to draw her closer. Becca feels the comfortable warmth of his strong arms and leans against his chest, as another sob shakes her. He embraces her, strong and solid as her daddy has always been.
“I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry,” she mutters between sobs.
“What for, honey?” His voice is still so gentle and caring. He pulls her even closer, lifts her up on his lap and kisses the tears away.
And slowly, she tells him. Becca tells her daddy everything about that evening on Sunday, three weeks earlier. He keeps stroking her back. When she is finished, he doesn’t look disappointed.
“And that’s why you think you didn’t get presents?” he asks softly.
Somehow Becca gets the impression that he’s trying not to laugh. But why should he want to laugh?
Her daddy gets up and sets her back down onto the floor. He takes her hand and drags her with him. “Come on, pumpkin. Let’s have a closer look!”
They return into the living room, but her daddy doesn’t stop at the tree. He walks over to the staircase and gives her a soft push to go upstairs. Becca obeys. Going upstairs is somehow quicker than it had been on her way downstairs. It’s still dark in her room.
“Oh, pumpkin. I really thought you would have turned on the light,” Clark says and switches it on.
The room looks different. It’s brighter. There are pictures on the wall, of her mother, her grandparents and her daddy. Others show flowery fields and mythical creatures. There is also a huge poster of Aladdin. Next to her bed, there is a new nightstand. A small carpet covers the floor and she sees a shelf with a few books that she doesn’t recognize. A garland of flowers is hanging from the shelf. On a desk in a corner of the room, there is a little jewelry box. It is open and a small ballerina smiles at Becca. She seems to wink. Next to the ballerina there is a set of small plastic cups and there sits a fluffy teddy bear with a little golden crown on his head. Becca’s mouth gapes open.
“Oh, daddy!” she whispers, happily, not able to recall any Christmas present that had been better than this.
“It wasn’t something Santa could have placed under the tree. He didn’t expect that you would be so excited that you’d forget the light. Merry Christmas, honey.”
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