Epilogue
Fifty years after
On a clear bright spring night, shafts of moonlights shone down from the heavens onto the rooftops of the great city of Metropolis. In Nayland Heights, one of the most august and celebrated sections of the city, situated among similar townhouses on Hyperion Avenue, sat a home to a rather unique family. On this particular evening, that building’s rooms rang with cheerful voices, some young some old, but all raised in celebration of a very special and much awaited wedding anniversary. Lois and Clark Kent were entertaining numerous friends and an extensive family as they commemorated the special occasion.
Clark lifted up CJ’s latest grandchild and gently propelled him through the air. The infant shrieked merrily as he ‘flew’ with Great Grandpa. By the fireplace, his daughter Lara sat reading stories to the fourth generation of Kents as her husband looked on. Her brother, James, was in the kitchen, whipping up one of his famous meals. Lois smiled contentedly as she observed the family and guests settle into a pleasant evening of good food, sumptuous desserts, games, and stories.
Eventually, the evening festivities died down and the exhausted but happy guests departed; some through the front door, but all three Kent children and their offspring took leave from the garden - their flight covered by darkness and the Italian cypress ever-so-great Grandpa Jonathan had planted so very long ago. Clark and his youngest grandson Jon remained downstairs in the living room having a quiet chat before the fireplace. The young man was about to take up the mantle of Superman and wanted to take advantage of his grandfather’s experience and advice. Lois stood on tiptoes and kissed Jon good night. <He looks so much like Clark at that age!> she thought. Then she excused herself and went upstairs to her study.
***
As she entered the room, the first thing to catch her eye was the beautiful picture of their wedding day perched on the bookshelf. A more magnificent day she had never known. <He was so handsome! I was so nervous! Honestly, with all the barriers that presented themselves between engagement and wedding, I did not believe we would ever exchange vows!>
Nevertheless, despite all the problems and delays leading up to their special day, every detail had come together flawlessly. Lying beside the picture was a thick red leather photo album stencilled on the front: Lane/Kent Wedding.
Aged, delicate, but still strong hands picked up the photograph encased in a hand-carved wooden frame and gazed at it lovingly. She put it back in its place, only to pick up the wedding album. It had been quite awhile since she had last run her fingers over its pages.
Lois sat down on the thick comfortable couch cushions, allowing them to conform perfectly with her derriere. Sighing inwardly with pleasure, she allowed the familiar sights and scents of her surroundings to relax ancient muscles.
Glancing around the study, Lois Kent remembered the different appearances of this space. On their wedding day, the room was jammed with gifts and presents from well-wishers and odd items from Lois’ apartment they had not yet been able to locate a proper place for. Upon return from their delicious Honeymoon in Hawaii, it had become a guest room for Clark’s parents. Two years later happy, expectant parents had transformed it into a nursery for CJ and he kept the room as his own until he went to college.
For a brief span of years, it was once again a guest room as their children often brought friends over for long weekend visits.
As is inevitable with every family, the Kent children moved out, married, and had their own families.
Lois had turned the room into her home office, and upon retirement as Managing Editor of the Daily Planet, it became the focal point of her still considerable energies to write biographies of famous women such as scientist Madame Curie and Britain’s former Prime Minister “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher. Those books were worlds away from her trashy “Wanda Detroit” romance/mystery story.
***
Jon ran his slender fingers through long night black hair, “I want to do the family proud Grandpa Clark. After all, following in yours and Dad’s footsteps *is* a tall order. There are not nearly as many criminals today as in your time, but the ones who do appear are a little…”
“Intimidating?” Clark asked.
“Yeah,” the young man agreed with a slight grimace.
“Each era has its own villains; Lex Luthor, Tempus, the Prankster. Each had to be defeated in a unique way. Just as your father, CJ defeated Chronos and The Prism during his long career. I had to learn by hard won trial and error. You are fortunate having *two* generations of superhero experience to call on and don’t forget your aunt, uncle and cousins. After all, this is the family business!” Clark said with a wry grin.
The younger man shook his head in amazement and respect. “Our family *is* quite unique in that respect.”
“Yes, but never forget, we are only as special as the mental and emotion support we have at home, without Mom and Dad’s love and guidance, being Superman would have been extremely lonely.”
“Not to mention a little bit of assistance from Grandma Lois.” Jon said with a broad smile.
Clark’s face crinkled into that magnificent smile he reserved for his wife and partner. “*That*, young man, goes without saying.”
“Good night, Grandpa Clark. Thanks for the great advice.” Jon stood.
“Anytime, remember the door is always open,” his grandfather said in a voice cloaked in pride. Together they walked to the French doors, shook hands, and then swiftly, with ease borne of practice, Jon lifted into the inky starlit night sky, waved his hand once and then vanished.
Clark stepped through the French doors, listened intently to the bones of the house as its ancient beams, and stone facade settled down for the night. The day had been filled with sweet family noises; now all he wanted to do now was sit beside Lois and soak up a little quiet time with his best friend and partner. He walked easily across the room with the assured movements of a younger man, reached the staircase, and called out, “Hey honey!”
“In my study, Clark”, she answered.
***
A slight breeze caressed her face as her husband entered the study at super speed and took a seat by her side.
“How did the conversation with Jon go?” She looked up at her husband, patiently awaiting his answer.
She watched as Clark snuggled up to her on the plush couch. “Very well, Jon is eager to prove himself as he takes on the Superman mantle. He will make mistakes and each one shall tear at his heart, but he’ll learn.”
“Just as you did, and for a brief time, just as I did - as UltraWoman. Being Superman is not for the faint of heart.” Lois smiled, thinking about her grandson and the challenges he would soon face.
***
Clark, sensing the atmosphere was getting a little tense said, “You know, this couch is really comfortable, but not as memorable as those stiff settees we used to write our investigative stories on in your old apartment. They hurt my butt!”
“Hey!” She answered, laughing. “I used to like those settees… and since when does an invulnerable man feel pain?”
“They were *very* uncomfortable!”
“Yeah, but we broke a lot of great stories on those things… no matter how uncomfortable they were,” she countered. “Not to mention three Kerth awards for me!”
“I, for one, am very glad they went to your sister’s new apartment and not this townhouse.”
“Well, Lucy did need furniture,” she smiled.
“I’m glad you came to the house. Pepper and I got lonely rattling around in this place by ourselves.”
“Oh, don’t mention the little furball. I still miss him terribly.” She suddenly switched the subject and asked in a low voice. “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“Of course! I love it when we all get together. The grands get a little rambunctious, but that’s a big part of family life. You know, the part that makes being a family so wonderful,” Clark said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.
Lois face took on a bemused expression. “I don’t remember you being so easygoing when the kids were teething.”
Her husband put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Guilty as charged! I see you came up to look over the wedding album?”
“Yeah, it has been awhile.”
The Kent family and a good number of close friends had been celebrating Lois and Clark’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. Not surprisingly, Lois was feeling particularly nostalgic and as each delicate page of the album came under her fingertips; decades seemed to not only roll backwards, but forwards as well. As joyful faces of the wedding guests looked up from the pages, so many were no longer with them; Perry and dear Alice were both gone, a mere ten and five years respectively after these photographs were taken. Following Perry’s death, it was on the behest of Franklin Stern’s son that she had become the Managing Editor of the Daily Planet.
Both her parents and Clark’s had also passed away, but happily not before they had had a chance to hold their grandchildren. She and Clark missed them terribly. Not a month had passed since than that either she or Clark reflected on some bit of wisdom or gentle saying. Martha and Jonathan Kent might be gone, but all the memories of their love, support and wisdom came shining through the grief.
More pages passed under her fingertips, photos of Bill Henderson, Eduardo and so many others, all of whom had succumbed to the storms of time.
Michael Lane married Grace Chen three months after Lois and Clark’s wedding. The older couple exchanged vows in a quiet, private ceremony at City Hall followed by an intimate reception in the banquet room of Mike’s restaurant.
The quick marriage came as no surprise to anyone who knew Mike Lane; he had been smitten by his gentle business neighbor for years. However, once he had asked her to accompany him to his niece’s wedding, their own romance blossomed swiftly to its happy conclusion.
Uncle Mike had continued to give Lois cooking lesson long after his niece had mastered the art of doing more than just boiling water. The family gatherings planned around those ‘lessons’ were some of the most memorable in the townhouse on Hyperion Avenue.
But sadly, Mike, with his twinkling eyes and gentle humor was gone as well as his wife.
***
Clark, sensing his wife’s thoughts, decided it was time to ‘lighten the mood’. “I’m so glad not all of our wedding guests have passed away; Cat and George still visit Metropolis several times a year to catch up and for George to spend time with ‘his egghead scientist friends’, as Cat would put it. Oh yeah, let’s not forget Jimmy and Lucy! These candid pictures are a hoot!” Clark continued, as he looked at a shot of them dancing the twist. “It was great to be best man at their wedding.” He noticed the watery smile tugging at his wife lips and stopped talking.
***
“Yeah, it only took *four* years before they got married. Lucy really had a hard time explaining to Mother and Daddy that they wanted to establish their separate careers without distractions before getting married. I certainly appreciate such wisdom, after all, hadn’t I developed a successful journalistic career *before* a certain dark-haired young reporter appeared in the newsroom?”
“But your Dad was funny when he said ‘It’s about time they got engaged, otherwise I might be too old to walk her down the aisle.’ Somehow, that argument just did not hold up, especially since Sam was the first one on the dance floor and the last one off at the reception."
Lois squeezed Clark’s hand, gazing into those dark brown eyes and drawing strength from their depths of wisdom. How grateful she was to have reconciled with her parents. Images flashed in her mind of Sam and Ellen playing with their grandchildren - Happily spending the last years of their lives as respected senior members of a close-knit family, not as strangers who happened to share the same name.
Another gift she owed her husband.
She emerged slowly out of her contemplative thoughts and flipped another page, which brought them to several photos of Jack Verne, working the sound system while he masterfully performed his duties as determined DJ at the wedding. “It is still hard to believe the brash young man who had broken into your apartment and stole the globe would someday become Constance Hunter’s successor to helming the Superman Foundation.” She laughed.
“Jack has been very fortunate, even in his choice of wife. Stacy is perfect for him, after all these years, it still surprises me she did not remain with the Daily Planet after college,” Clark said, picking up the conversational ball.
“She made a good career move to work for Earth magazine. It gave her time to write, then polish up her novel. After all, that was her dream. Imagine, she actually won a Pulitzer Prize for it, who knew life on a small ranch in Wyoming at the turn of the 20th century could be so compelling?” Lois smiled, shaking her head.
She had re-read the insightful novel recently and could not help but be pleased to know she had had a hand in nurturing such a tender lyrical writing style.
Clark started flipping through the pages. “The missing photographs of the people who did not attend, such as Aykira and Lex Luthor, Dr. Emil Hamilton and Molly Flynn always sadden me. Seeing their faces would have made the reception more complete.”
“Yeah, but Farmboy, we couldn’t invite everybody! Maybe it was for the best they declined the invitation, especially since Lex was in desperate need of a rest.” She recalled the couple had flown to their villa on the island of Santorini. However, Lois knew better and she understood the real reason why. Their relationship with Lex and Aykira as a couple was not an easy one, despite Lex’s resolve to change. They never moved beyond acquaintances. Still, she had to admit because of Lex’s actions combined with Franklin Stern’s determination, the Daily Planet survived another twenty years as the leading hard copy newspaper in the world. She always lamented its loss, instead of being printed on paper, the ‘newspaper’ was available exclusively on the internet.
Sad. There was something of intrinsic value about picking up a newspaper in the morning, to feel the coarse texture of paper in your hands, to inhale fresh ink and work a crossword puzzle with freshly sharpened number 2 pencils, ruffling the stiff pages while imbibing a low-fat mocha and nibbling on a warm chocolate croissant… flown in fresh from Paris. Both she and Clark had tried reading the news while leaning over a hard flat screen monitor. Unfortunately something was lost in the experience.
She also thought about the global events that seemed to have resonated after their wedding.
The use of Harmonic crystals was rapidly embraced by every nation on the planet. Their existence had been acknowledged and utilized by her children as the internet had been by her generation.
With the advent of crystal technology, humanity had stepped out to explore beyond the blue sphere known as Earth. Numerous satellites and space platforms ringed the planet, flights to Mars colony were now routine. Her great grandson, Joel, was on the first mission to Europa; one of Jupiter’s moons.
As humanity exploded into the solar system like champagne from a bottle, so they had come to realize the serious importance of being the Earth’s stewards. Humanity as a whole had begun to take greater care of its environment and inhabitants. Through the efforts of the Superman Foundation and LexCorp, the effects of years of pollution and neglect were turned backwards; deserts had been reclaimed through skillful irrigation techniques and turned into lush, verdant farmland, oceans were once again teeming with life, and through it all, there had been Superman and his descendents, who were always willing to help wherever needed.
Dear Dr. Klein had made an amazing breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Because of that success, many were able to live and realize their full potential.
Although Lois had not been there for the first part of Lex’s illness , she did contact Aykira a few months after her wedding and the two women made it a point to have lunch together every few days. In time, those brief get togethers built the foundation for a warm, enduring friendship. Lois was happy to say when Lex died, she provided a firm shoulder for his widow to lean upon. In order to cope with her loss, Aykira immersed herself with work, under her careful guidance LexCorp had turned its mission statement around and now the corporation was a force for good. The mysterious Mrs. Luthor eventually returned to her world five years after Lex’s death, and Lois sorely missed her friend, but wished her well.
So many changes…
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Clark clearing his throat. “Uh, Earth to Lois Kent!”
Lois looked up, guessed his meaning, and smiled. “Oh no, I’m fine. This has been a fantastic day. Looking over our wedding album and indulging in some very happy memories got me a little misty-eyed, that’s all. Oh Clark, has it really been fifty years?” She extended her hand to him.
He took the offered hand and snuggled beside her on the couch. “Yes, I’m afraid it has, but honey, I have loved every minute of it,” he said, his voice a gentle rumble.
I’m so glad we travelled this road together. Imagine, of all the people… strangers on this planet, we found each other. Who could have thought it all those years ago?” Lois looked off into the distance, as a quiet expression of contentment played on her lips.
“Well, Mrs. Kent, I’m all for us staying on this road… wherever it leads ... for another fifty years.”
She moved in closer, laying her head on his broard chest. The roaring passionate fires of youth had died down years before, but there was still a strong ardour between them that was rarely denied. She ran her fingers over his chest and whispered. “No matter what road I’m on, no matter how many strangers surround me, *we* will always find our way to each other.”
***
Clark gazed lovingly into those incredible eyes and saw so much of the woman he loved; reporter, friend, daughter, but most of all he beheld his partner, wife, lover and mother of his children. Yet above all these things, the woman beside him was his best friend and complement, without Lois there would be no Clark… no Superman.
“I love you, Lois, now and always.” He bent over, caressed her cheek, then sweetly kissed her.
“I love you, Clark, forever.” His wife responded with a kiss of her own, sighing with contentment and deep satisfaction only she could know.
