Here you go... I seriously hope that I will manage to wrap Clark and Becca's story up now. It really is about time, I think.
So Becca's story... that means that this is only a part of a series, starting with "Secret Fears".
The whole thing is here: TOC
Thanks to LaraMooon for being my beta-reader. You really do a great job, girl!
Disclaimers as usual...
Ohh, and would you please leave feedback after reading? Please???? 
Serendipitous Infinityby bakasi
Smallville, July 1966Daylight was fading and the warm, early summer air was gradually cooling down. But the little town was still full of life on this Friday evening. People were returning from work or buying a last couple of things for the long weekend to come. Monday was Independence Day and most people were excitedly preparing the celebration. Young couples enjoyed walking in the mild air; others just stood in hidden corners, kissing passionately.
Martha and Jonathan Kent were strolling down the streets of their town. They held each other’s hands and were alternately glancing at the shop windows and their sleeping son in the baby carriage. Whenever their glance slid over to the small child, a smile appeared on their faces. In fact, they had hardly stopped smiling since the moment they had seen the meteor, on that miraculous night. Though the baby boy had been with them for a little over a month, both still couldn’t really believe their luck. Neither of them had dared to keep hoping that their deepest wish would come true some day. But it had and this was just incredible. They both had promised themselves to protect their son. Since his arrival in their little family had been a bit off-the-record, Jonathan and Martha were now anxiously watching the big dark vans that were driving down Smallville’s main street.
All these vans had darkened windows but for the windshield. However, the driver was hardly visible because the sun reflected in the glass. It wasn’t the kind of vehicles that were usually seen around Smallville. They looked a bit too mysterious and official. Martha and Jonathan wondered what kind of people would travel in such vans. Martha’s grip on her husband’s hand became stronger, searching for support as they watched the strange vans pass. The vans headed out of town again, driving straight in the direction of Shuster’s field. Or was that just their imagination? Martha and Jonathan looked at each other, unsure what to think of the strangers.
They weren’t the only ones. Several people stopped on the streets, glancing at the vehicles. Confusion was written all over their faces. As soon as the vans were gone, a soft murmur started all over the street and it didn’t take long until the wildest speculations as to who the strangers were had started circulating in every corner of Smallville.
* * *
Henry Meadows didn’t care about the rumors that his arrival had caused. He was just excited. It had taken him a full month to get the authorization to research the meteorite that had smashed into a field in Kansas. At first, there had been an epic discussion via the hotline as to what the radar had detected. The governments of the USA and the Soviet Union had needed two weeks to assure each other that neither of them was responsible for it. When they had finally agreed to find out what was there anyway, the place had been unobtrusive but for a few glowing stones.
That had been the exact description: ‘glowing stones’. Henry Meadows couldn’t believe it. Who on earth was so ignorant to any kind of science that he wasn’t able to tell more about them? Well, that was a stupid question, since whoever had been on the particular field hadn’t even bothered to bring samples. There weren’t any weapons or national secrets to detect in the middle of nowhere, and so Henry had finally been informed of the incident. It took him an agonizing amount of time to gather the money and the piece of paper that enabled him to go there. Sometimes he envied the tomb raiders that didn’t bother with rules but just went to get what they wanted.
As soon as Henry reached the reported place of impact, he forgot about the problems he had had in the run-up. He even forgot about his two co-workers who had accompanied him. Frantically, his eyes started searching the field for something that corresponded approximately to the description of a ‘glowing stone’. It took him some time since he didn’t even know the color it was supposed to have. He used metal detectors; Henry knew that most meteors consisted at least of a fair amount of metal, but it was to no avail. The meteor was either not where he searched for it or it wasn’t detectable by his equipment.
After hours of searching, one of Henry Meadows’ co-workers was finally successful. The ‘glowing stone’ proved to be an unknown crystalline substance. It emitted an eerie green glow and didn’t quite resemble anything Henry had ever seen. It was fascinating and Henry gathered as much samples as possible. They would take them to the Smithsonian Institute in Metropolis. He could hardly wait to study the crystals. What if it was a yet unknown compound? Or even better… a new element? He would be able to name it. Meadownium… The prospect was tempting.
* * *
Present DayLois sighed as she had a look at her bank statement. Her apartment hadn’t been especially cheap, but that was nothing compared to the money the hotel was costing. She had to find something soon, else her savings would melt like snow in the sun. She sighed again. Not even Christmas had changed the fact that no landlord in Metropolis seemed to be willing to rent out an apartment to her.
“What is it, Lois?” Clark asked, as Lois sighed yet again. Concern was written all over his face. Obviously, he had already guessed that she hadn’t received good news.
“Living in a hotel is charging my financial limits. I didn’t think it would be so long,” Lois replied sadly. “I only wish I had a new apartment. Do you know someone who has a place to rent?”
Clark shrugged and smiled apologetically. “Uhh, I don’t think so. I guess I was kind of lucky with the one that I got. But I promise I’ll tell you if I hear of anything.”
Clark fell silent and for some reason he seemed to become absent-minded. Lois thought briefly that he would soon mumble something about a forgotten book or a video he hadn’t returned yet. That would be typical for him and she often couldn’t help but wonder about Clark Kent. He was perfectly able to keep his life with a seven-year-old girl under control yet, at the same time he was at a complete loss of organization concerning the rest of his life. But somehow he managed and that wasn’t just Lois’ impression. She heard him talking about parent-teacher conferences that he had attended. And his daughter Rebecca had never complained that he didn’t have enough time for her. Simultaneously, Clark wrote an inordinate amount of articles for the newspaper.
Lois watched Clark until the absent-minded expression on his face vanished. For once, he didn’t make any excuses, but looked at her like nothing had happened. Lois put the bank statement in her handbag and she and Clark continued on their way back to the Planet. Her mind was still busy with the possibilities she had now. Honestly, there weren’t many. She could continue trying to find an apartment in Metropolis or she could extend her search to the suburbs. But that wasn’t really an option for her, only a last resort before her money was completely gone.
It didn’t take long to get to the newsroom and as soon as Lois and Clark entered it, Jimmy came running towards them. He was waving a folder that had the alarming proportions of the Metropolis phone directory. Clark and Lois both gasped at the sight, wondering which of Jimmy’s recent researches could have led to this result.
“C.K, Lois!” Jimmy shouted, almost panting. “Here’s the list!”
“What list?” Clark asked, confused. He looked at the younger man, who proudly pointed at the huge pack in his hand.
“The list of victims,” Jimmy replied, grinning contently.
“Jimmy, that was three weeks ago!” Lois complained. “You didn’t get it ready and I made that list myself.”
“The background research took some time,” Jimmy explained, obviously disappointed that Lois didn’t thank him for his efforts.
“The *background* research?” Clark asked, startled. He took the folder that Jimmy held out and flipped through it. “Jimmy, two people died in that hotel, three if you count Henry Meadows at the docks. What on earth did you research about?”
Jimmy blushed. He didn’t answer, but that wasn’t necessary. Clark and Lois had agreed on the assumption that only the three dead people had been the real targets of the arsonists. The preliminary report on the fire had established that both victims in the hotel had been dead before the fire had even started. Lois patted Jimmy’s shoulder, comfortingly.
“Next time, you concentrate on the *victims*,” she said. “But thank you anyway, I guess there are a lot of things in there we could still use.”
Clark, too, said something encouraging to Jimmy and then he followed Lois to their desks. Lois noticed a woman who was sitting in front of Clark’s desk. She seemed rather impatient, looking at her wristwatch every now and then. Her eyes were examining both Clark’s desk and the newsroom. There was something scary about her and the most unfriendly look Lois had ever seen on someone. She wondered what kind of business Clark might have with her. Maybe she was a source that Lois didn’t know yet? On the other hand, he had been working for the Planet for only about a month, where would he have met sources?
Lois glanced over to Clark, who strolled towards his desk, still flipping through the folder. She shook her head. Where was the point in that? Was it a strange habit of his? There was no way he could read any of the words that fast. Having almost reached his desk, he looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. Clark turned incredibly pale at the sight of the unfriendly woman seated in front of his desk. Lois could have sworn that sweat appeared on his face, but she had never actually seen him sweating apart from that one night of sickness back on the 23rd of December.
to be continued...
