Last time
Clark stared at Lois' hand that he held within his own for a long moment before speaking. "My father left messages on the globe saying Krypton's core was unstable. The holograms showed the planet exploding as my ship left."
Trey's brow furrowed. "It did, milord?"
Clark nodded. "Yeah, it did."
Trey hesitated again.
"What is it?" Lois asked.
Trey took a deep breath. "Milord... Krypton never exploded."
*~*32*~*
Clark stared at him, mouth ajar.
"Would you repeat that?" Lois finally said.
"Krypton never exploded," Trey repeated. He finally sank into one of the other chairs. "I did not know that you had been told it had. And further, who told you we now live on *New* Krypton?"
"Zara and Ching," Clark told him quietly. "Though pretty much everything else was either a lie or a convenient truth, so why not that?" He looked at Trey, tears in his eyes. "My parents?" he whispered.
Trey shook his head. "What your father did not know..." He sighed sadly. "He was not told because we were not certain it would work. Not long after your ship was launched, there was a breakthrough. The core was restabilized but part of that restabilization led to the most massive tremor of all. Unfortunately, the lab where your parents were still working was destroyed with your parents and several of their assistants inside. We were able to ascertain the general direction in which your ship had launched, but half the universe was in that direction. We feared we would never find you. Recent technological advances enabled us to reconstruct enough of the data to determine what galaxy you were in. Probes searched for habitable planets and, a little over a year ago, we discovered this planet – and you."
Clark's grip on Lois' hand had tightened to the point that she was becoming uncomfortable and she whispered his name.
"Sorry," he said quietly, loosening his grip. "So my parents are... dead?"
"Yes, milord," Trey answered quietly. "I wish I could tell you otherwise..."
"But if they weren't dead, they would have come after me a long time ago?" It was more a question than a statement.
"Yes, milord. Visible emotions are not common among Kryptonians, but everyone could see how much they loved you. There was a failsafe built into your ship so it could be recalled if necessary, but the controls for that were also destroyed in the last tremor. Nearly ten percent of our population was killed in the last few tremors – including Lord Nor's birthwife, who was one of your cousins on your mother's side, Lord Kal-El. That is another reason why Nor was acceptable as First Lord, even though she was dead and of the House of Lo, she was a relative of the First Family."
Clark closed his eyes as it all sank in. "So I do have family on Krypton?" he finally asked.
"Some distant relatives." Trey waited a few seconds before going on. "None of them would think any less of you for choosing to remain here, milord. You have a family and a life in this world."
"Who would become First Lord if I abdicate and Nor doesn't pull through?"
"I am not certain. We would have to go through the genealogical charts and determine if there are any relatives who are related by blood to the House of El – your great-great-grandfather, for instance, had one son and one daughter. For a number of reasons, each successive generation has had only one child. Fortunately, for the purposes of succession, each of them had sons. We would have to determine which of that daughter's descendents would have the rightful claim as a descendent of the House of El."
"Would there be any... civil war type repercussions?" Clark asked.
"Unlikely. Though it is possible that there would be several descendents with... nearly equal claim due to birth order, birth dates, and so on and there may be some squabbling, but it is unlikely to lead to war." Trey stood. "I will take my leave, milord. I am certain you need time to rest and recover as well as to absorb all that I have said this evening. We will be in touch tomorrow." He bowed, the deepest bow either of them could remember seeing from any of the Kryptonians. "Milord, milady. May your rest be peaceful and your recuperation swift."
"Thank you, Lord Trey."
Lois and Clark watched as he disappeared from their sight.
"That was interesting," Lois finally whispered a minute later.
"That's the understatement of the year." Clark rested his cheek against her head. "What do you think?"
"I think we should go to bed, get some sleep and deal with it in the morning. Talk to our parents and Gramps and go from there."
Clark nodded. Lois stood and held out a hand to him, helping him up. He winced, but was able to walk to the bed under his own power.
"You're feeling better?" Lois asked as they situated the covers.
"Some. Or maybe I'm just getting more used to moving while in pain."
Lois rested her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her, his fingers playing lightly with the hair at her temple.
"Would you have gone if we weren't already married?" Lois asked suddenly.
"What?"
"If we hadn't listened to Star... would you have gone?"
Clark took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know. I wouldn't have to pay Zara twenty bucks, though."
"I'm still against that on principle."
He chuckled. "I know." He turned serious. "I can't say for sure what I would have done if we weren't already married. If we were dating? Engaged? I just don't know. I still wouldn't have *wanted* to go, but I don't know if I would have or not. As it turned out now, I didn't have to. All I should have had to do was abdicate."
Lois sighed and snuggled closer to him. "I don't want to think about it anymore tonight." She yawned. "We both need some sleep."
He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "One thing's for sure though. We're not moving to Krypton unless they have the stuff for you to make me cookies sometimes."
Lois smiled. "Yes, milord."
He chuckled and held her a bit tighter.
Wrapped in each other's arms, they drifted off to sleep.
Together.
*****
The transport ship had landed behind Gramps' house. Everyone had gathered there to say good bye to those headed towards Krypton.
Lois and Clark stood together, looking out the window. Clark's arm rested on Lois' shoulder and hers was around his waist as the transport ship lifted into the air. They watched until it was out of sight of the house in Pittsdale.
Satisfied, they turned from the window, settling into the couch designated for them, chatting amiably with those around them. Clark pressed a light kiss against her hair and she turned to smile at him as the conversation flowed around them.
They had made their decision and they were at peace with it.
Together.
