Title: Fait Accompli - Chapter One: Peering Into Darkness
Author: brdwaybebe
Spoilers: SII and then it goes AU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,175 words
Notes: Well. Here we go! The first of many thanks to![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1)
saavikam77 for being my long suffering tense wrangling beta. She has the patience of Job and a limitless capacity to support and it is so appreciated. Also thanks to ![[info]](http://l-files.livejournal.net/userhead/555?v=1322058945)
kalalanekent & anissa7118 for evenings of hand holding and ledge coaxing lol. You guys are amazing.
As I publish each chapter, I'll pick the review that was the most insightful/helpful and I'll be sending that person the new chapter before I post it publically. With this story being so far out of my comfort zone, I can use all the feedback I can get to guide me as this story stretches me as a writer.
I find myself wanting to blurt out the entire plot and squee about what is coming eons down the road so I think this is a good time for me to stop typing. I sincerely hope you enjoy this story as much as my muse enjoyed tormenting me with it lol.
(*squee*)
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
The vast arena of infinite space is a limitless gulf of contradictions. Earthly technology has not yet found a way to outlast the punishing conditions of its beautiful and unforgiving breadth.
For the most part, it was silent. The only sounds were the low hum of energy that coursed through crystal machinery and his deep, controlled breath. Every so often the darkness would explode into a riot of brilliant colors as reacting gases and chemicals clashed violently together. A thunderous roar had accompanied them as a hail of meteorites screamed past the small craft. But even the unprecedented glory of the cosmos had done little to lift his spirits.
The cold was indescribable. With no source of warmth, the murderous chill of unending space found its way through crystal and into bone. And yet this was preferable to the burning swelter that sent his system into shock, as every so often the small craft entered into the heat of a nearby star. The heat of the brilliant light is immeasurable. Beautiful and deadly, it caused the iridescent surfaces of the ship to glow with life and fire, the light cascading in an ornate and hypnotizing dance all around him. This self-same same light had washed his every nerve in pain and fear, as he wondered if this will be the time the luminescent material of his home world will buckle under the relentless force of the heat.
He sometimes felt as if his very blood had begun to boil and then as quickly as it had come, the incineration receded, no longer fueled by its cosmic source.
The inky blackness is oppressive. A thin stream of light stretched timidly into the darkness only to be overcome and swallowed up in the depths. In the far off distance ahead, pinpricks of light twinkled a promise of hope that would reward one with enough fortitude to reach them.
In particularly difficult moments, his weary eyes scrape across the hulking expanse outside the windows of the ship to search out the yellow sun of the only home he’s ever known. Inevitably, just as he was about to lose hope, his lifelong companion would wink at him from the immense distance that separated them, and for a moment, he remembered the energy and strength that seemed such a distant memory.
He has no food on this journey. There had been no need for it. The Earth's sun had sustained him as he made his way across the limitless expanse. The rays of the yellow star, called 'Sol' by Jor-El, followed him, providing constant nourishment, lending strength to his body and protecting him from physical harm.
But the golden sentinel of Earth had long ago surrendered its size, its light blended with that of the constellations around it. Before too long it had disappeared altogether. The stars twinkling around him now are cold, distant and unfamiliar.
Now that the distance had grown and the source of his power faded, so too did his great strength. And wit the loss of power a ravenous hunger emerges. Strong muscles became themselves weak and unsupported. Lungs that once knew no limits struggled to pluck the oxygen from the filtered air. The most brilliant mind to grace the surface of earth was now cloudy and forgetful. His eyes dimmed and filled with a sorrow that occasionally escalated into tears. The power usually found in their cerulean perception is absent and what was once boundless, was stifled in taunting limitation.
He was alone. His forehead rested against the clear cooling surface of the crystal. He exhaled, a sigh born of pure despondence.
I chose this. This was my decision. He reminded himself again.
It is the solitude he found the most punishing of all. The irony struck him that he at once upon a time felt alone in a world full of sunlight and people, lively sights and organic sounds. It was a place that held people who loved him, who cared for, and respected him. He turned his back on what was for what could be, and in those moments, his own decision mocked him.
A weak, trembling hand closed around a quilt that was never out of reach. Weary fingers traced over the patches and tidy, precise stitches. He lifted it to his face and inhaled, even his diminished senses were nearly overwhelmed by the scent of home.
His mother spent the better part of his last month on Earth working on the quilt. She insisted he would need it in the chill of the atmosphere. Despite his seeming invincibility, he found it is this woman who contains the greater strength. Her age had done little to dampen the spark of tenacity burning behind the pale blue of her eyes. She's loved him with that same fire, and for all his power, it's she that has protected him in a thousand different ways over his lifetime. This quilt was her hand extended and her way of covering him, even over such an immeasurable distance.
Author: brdwaybebe
Spoilers: SII and then it goes AU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,175 words
Notes: Well. Here we go! The first of many thanks to
saavikam77 for being my long suffering tense wrangling beta. She has the patience of Job and a limitless capacity to support and it is so appreciated. Also thanks to anissa7118 for evenings of hand holding and ledge coaxing lol. You guys are amazing. As I publish each chapter, I'll pick the review that was the most insightful/helpful and I'll be sending that person the new chapter before I post it publically. With this story being so far out of my comfort zone, I can use all the feedback I can get to guide me as this story stretches me as a writer.
I find myself wanting to blurt out the entire plot and squee about what is coming eons down the road so I think this is a good time for me to stop typing. I sincerely hope you enjoy this story as much as my muse enjoyed tormenting me with it lol.
(*squee*)
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
The vast arena of infinite space is a limitless gulf of contradictions. Earthly technology has not yet found a way to outlast the punishing conditions of its beautiful and unforgiving breadth.
For the most part, it was silent. The only sounds were the low hum of energy that coursed through crystal machinery and his deep, controlled breath. Every so often the darkness would explode into a riot of brilliant colors as reacting gases and chemicals clashed violently together. A thunderous roar had accompanied them as a hail of meteorites screamed past the small craft. But even the unprecedented glory of the cosmos had done little to lift his spirits.
The cold was indescribable. With no source of warmth, the murderous chill of unending space found its way through crystal and into bone. And yet this was preferable to the burning swelter that sent his system into shock, as every so often the small craft entered into the heat of a nearby star. The heat of the brilliant light is immeasurable. Beautiful and deadly, it caused the iridescent surfaces of the ship to glow with life and fire, the light cascading in an ornate and hypnotizing dance all around him. This self-same same light had washed his every nerve in pain and fear, as he wondered if this will be the time the luminescent material of his home world will buckle under the relentless force of the heat.
He sometimes felt as if his very blood had begun to boil and then as quickly as it had come, the incineration receded, no longer fueled by its cosmic source.
The inky blackness is oppressive. A thin stream of light stretched timidly into the darkness only to be overcome and swallowed up in the depths. In the far off distance ahead, pinpricks of light twinkled a promise of hope that would reward one with enough fortitude to reach them.
In particularly difficult moments, his weary eyes scrape across the hulking expanse outside the windows of the ship to search out the yellow sun of the only home he’s ever known. Inevitably, just as he was about to lose hope, his lifelong companion would wink at him from the immense distance that separated them, and for a moment, he remembered the energy and strength that seemed such a distant memory.
He has no food on this journey. There had been no need for it. The Earth's sun had sustained him as he made his way across the limitless expanse. The rays of the yellow star, called 'Sol' by Jor-El, followed him, providing constant nourishment, lending strength to his body and protecting him from physical harm.
But the golden sentinel of Earth had long ago surrendered its size, its light blended with that of the constellations around it. Before too long it had disappeared altogether. The stars twinkling around him now are cold, distant and unfamiliar.
Now that the distance had grown and the source of his power faded, so too did his great strength. And wit the loss of power a ravenous hunger emerges. Strong muscles became themselves weak and unsupported. Lungs that once knew no limits struggled to pluck the oxygen from the filtered air. The most brilliant mind to grace the surface of earth was now cloudy and forgetful. His eyes dimmed and filled with a sorrow that occasionally escalated into tears. The power usually found in their cerulean perception is absent and what was once boundless, was stifled in taunting limitation.
He was alone. His forehead rested against the clear cooling surface of the crystal. He exhaled, a sigh born of pure despondence.
I chose this. This was my decision. He reminded himself again.
It is the solitude he found the most punishing of all. The irony struck him that he at once upon a time felt alone in a world full of sunlight and people, lively sights and organic sounds. It was a place that held people who loved him, who cared for, and respected him. He turned his back on what was for what could be, and in those moments, his own decision mocked him.
A weak, trembling hand closed around a quilt that was never out of reach. Weary fingers traced over the patches and tidy, precise stitches. He lifted it to his face and inhaled, even his diminished senses were nearly overwhelmed by the scent of home.
His mother spent the better part of his last month on Earth working on the quilt. She insisted he would need it in the chill of the atmosphere. Despite his seeming invincibility, he found it is this woman who contains the greater strength. Her age had done little to dampen the spark of tenacity burning behind the pale blue of her eyes. She's loved him with that same fire, and for all his power, it's she that has protected him in a thousand different ways over his lifetime. This quilt was her hand extended and her way of covering him, even over such an immeasurable distance.
In the chill of space, as he wrapped it around his shoulders, it was the love of his mother that warmed him far more than the softness of the material.
It was the only token he allowed himself. There were no other domestic comforts, no photographs. Reminders of home only proved painful and hindered the purpose he’d set out to accomplish. His resolve had become so fragile. If the specters that haunted his mind found their way into tangibility... he feared he would be undone. The mission would end one way or another. He would turn back, or his heart would fail, broken by sorrow as he's swallowed up into the onyx gulf of space.
He chuckled humorlessly. And it’s not as if he needs a photograph to remember her…
He'd specifically sought to forbid himself to think of her, but the mind, he has found, is a disobedient child. The more desperately he sought to place focus elsewhere, the more thoroughly she invaded his thoughts. The sparkle of her eyes shone from every distant star. Impossibly, the scent of her manifested out of the halls of memory until he's sure he's breathing her in. His heart swelled, aching with longing in his chest.
He turned away from the transparent surface and focused his attention on the chaotic organization of star charts on the small makeshift counter. He poured over them, determined to deftly navigate his course.
Wickedly, his heart had wondered to evenings among the clouds. He could feel her petite frame folded in his arms as they swirled together, somewhere between earth and sky, gazing languidly into each other’s eyes as the heavens flicker innocently above them.
Her name was a cunning siren that caressed his consciousness, bidding him to dash himself on the rocks of futility. His fingers slid down the surface of the crystal and for a moment he was touching her face. He wondered as he gazed into the past, if she was thinking of him… if she missed him…
Lois…
The surface of his lips tingled with the thought of their parting kiss. Her memories mingling with his own, doubling his perception as well as his suffering. Her voice echoed in the hallways of his mind, he closed his eyes momentarily surrendering to her siren’s call.
“Clark…“
He shook his head forcefully, stabbing a key on the control panel in a frantic attempt to escape his mind’s rebellious musings. For a moment he could almost hear the sound of her voice as if she was beside him, within him…
“Scanning…” a disembodied female voice blared, chasing away the haunting sound of Lois’s voice. After a moment… “External Life Force Scan... Negative...” The voice said flatly, lacking any warmth.
He snorted. The answer could be reliably predicted at this point. Months of travel, and the only variation was the view outside his window. An anguished sigh roses from his very core and expelled with a small opaque puff of cold air.
His body would not tolerate the journey without the light of the yellow sun. He needed to sleep, to rest, but his mind refused to find the restoration of slumber. Instead it prowled like a caged lion throughout the night, leaving him to awaken more drained than before he lay down.
Behind a gossamer curtain, a small encasement waited for him just feet from the main control panel. Long hollow cylinders lined the walls and ceiling waiting for the battery reserved power to be engaged and provide the life-giving light that has been harnessed for this very purpose.
A pod was nestled beneath the tubing, designed to hold him secure through the chaotic journey. It was here he would enter the final stasis that should carry him through the remainder of his journey, floating in a organically induced oblivion until either he reached his destination or an event interrupted the programmed course of events.
But there was uneasiness in sleep. There was no control should something happen, defenseless even more so than he was before. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes. But he must rest. The harsh physical conditions have only contributed to his mental deterioration. Lois seemed to coat his every thought, his every action. Should his consciousness remain, his sanity, he feared, would not.
After a few keystrokes, he set the ship to complete the journey on automatic pilot. He wrapped the quilt more securely around his shoulders and dragged himself into the waiting stasis chamber and surrendered himself to the promise of untormented oblivion..
*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*
“Lois…”
Lois bolted awake in bed, her body catapulting forward into a seated position. Her eyes were wide, peering into the darkness wildly before the waking overcame the reality of dreams. She wrapped her arms around herself, a feeling of anxious foreboding thrumming through her bloodstream.
Clark…
Lois shook her head to clear out the cobwebs of the dream. For a moment… Reality descended aggressively casting out images of reverie and once again Lois was reminded of her situation, and her solitude.
Her fingers slid down her arms and gingerly traced their way to her belly. Even from beneath the concealing warmth of the bedclothes it rose in a graceful curve, evidencing the baby growing inside her. Lois gently smoothed the blankets over her midsection, resting her hands protectively across its expanse.
Echoes of a dream tempted her eyes to lift to the window beside her bed inviting her to peer into the night outside. A complex mix of emotions washed over her as her eyes followed the riotous pattern of stars, uncomforted by the grandeur of the sparkling tapestry.
Every star seemed to wink smugly at her as if it knew something she didn’t. As she had every night, she scanned the heavens hoping in vain to catch a glimpse, of a ship, a cape, she cared not which. Something to chase away the uncertainty that taunted her every hour of every day. Lois exhaled and lifted the covers from her legs before swinging them over the side of the bed.
Her heartbeat pulsed rhythmically in the soles of her swollen feet as she slid them into the comforting warmth of the slippers Clark had bought for her two Christmases ago. She paused to revel in their softness for a moment before dragging her feet, one after the other toward the window.
It didn’t matter which star he was hidden behind, she supposed. One light year or one hundred were equally as imposing and vast from her perspective. Still, she never stopped looking, hoping that one day she’d see a fiery streak across the sky and could begin to count the moments until she found herself once again in his arms.
Time, as it turned out, was an excellent mediator. The passion of anger had cooled, leaving behind the glowing embers of betrayal that even now had begun to settle into the cold and numb void of loneliness.
She was reasonably sure she had forgiven him, of course pregnancy had assaulted her hormones in a way she could not fully express. Earlier that week she had been reasonably sure she’d been justified in making Jimmy cry. In the stillness with only her overactive hormone-injected mind for company, she wasn’t sure of much anymore.
She did know however, that when her thoughts turned to Clark, inevitably the tiny life inside her would flutter charmingly, coaxing her away from anger and plucking at the golden strands of affection for the man that had aided in its creation.
Despite the passage of time, over these past few months, her mind still hummed with the love revealed in the memories Clark had shared with her before he’d left. That day and its events had begun to lose their ability to stoke the fire of her anger. Increasingly, Lois found herself leaning an ever more attentive ear to the dulcet tones of an ethereal whisper that spoke of undying love that could overcome even the basest of betrayals.
Clark’s thoughts and feelings floated languidly through her mind, mingling together with hers, intertwining, wrapping around her, much as he had done on their numerous flights together. It were those very thoughts that wooed her away from outrage and compelled her toward the benefit of doubt.
Lois had a way of letting her emotions get the best of her, however when it truly mattered, pertinent facts rose to the surface, causing her to ferret out the ultimately truthful conclusion with all the verve in which she pursued her headlines. As much as her aching heart longed to slip into a respite of bitterness and hatred, the presentation of facts and the overwhelming evidence of his love pulled her away from the gaping abyss into forgiveness.
The virtue, though powerful, did not seem to be a remedy for the pain solitude brought, however. Without her rage to keep her more tender emotions at bay, she regularly found herself given to tears she couldn't entirely blame on the sensitivity brought by expecting a child.
A cool finger of wind spirited into the room through the open window and caressed a tendril of chestnut hair away from her face, drawing her eyes to close at the memory of a strong warm hand doing the same. How she missed him.
Her eyes once again lifted to the heaven's wondering if they could be trusted with the precious cargo they possessed. Lois didn't know much about deep space but she imagined cold, dark, and dangerous were a few accurate descriptions. Her teeth worried at her lip as her thoughts turned toward what he could be enduring at this very moment.
She leaned her forehead against the window pane as a thread of worry slithered once again over the worn path it had created across her heart. The fear was ever present. The mission was a dangerous one, the distance unimaginable, and her intimate knowledge of the make up of a Kryptonian body taunted her with the fact that he would be just as vulnerable out there as any human once he left the strengthening light of the yellow sun.
Her sharp mind which served her well in the journalism field was her worst enemy as every day a new and exceedingly horrifying scenario formulated in her imagination. Visions of failing equipment and errant meteors flooded her days, and cobalt eyes filled with pain and sorrow haunted her nightmares.
Lois pushed off the glass and rocked back onto her heels before turning toward her computer. She reached for the lamp and snapped on the light. Her exhausted eyes scanned through stacks of source files and data in an attempt to replace the tormenting visions with the busyness of work.
In a world adjusting the absence of its protector, she had no shortage of stories to focus on. And she took advantage of that, seeking to further the cause of justice through words in an attempt to somehow fill the yawning chasm created by Superman’s disappearance.
*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*
A shrill persistent tone echoed off the sensitive tunnels of his ears, ricocheting to the very heart of his nervous system, catapulting him from oblivion into consciousness with all the gentleness of an atom bomb.
He shot to a sitting position. Every muscle in his body seemed to groan out in protest all at once and he winced at the pain. Disoriented, he cracked open bleary eyes that were met with a veil of hazy white that for a brief moment caused him to wonder if he was seeing anything at all. With considerable effort he dragged a palm over one throbbing eye. The noise. Has. To. Stop. His ears clamored, ignoring the plight of the rest of his body.
Through a fog of disorientation and pain, he lifted himself from the confines of his bed… No. Not bed. Chamber. The ship. How long have I... His current situation bubbled into his consciousness. The journey, his decision, and Lois all came flooding back to his mind with as much agonizing clarity as the shrieking tone assaulting ears. He lurched forward, freeing himself of the silken confines. I don’t remember setting the alarm to ‘torture’ , he thought wryly as his rubbery legs almost immediately gave way, sending him forward in a painful impact with the jagged surface of the crystalline wall. He bit the inside of his cheek and breathed through the newest arrival to his festival of pain.
As he braced himself against the door frame, waiting for the objections of his leg muscles to quiet, a slow realization dawned; That wasn’t a wake up call. It’s an alarm. A dagger of fear sliced its way into his heart, lending strength to his muscles as adrenaline surged through his veins. He threw himself forward toward the control panel that glowed to life at his approach. One by one the signal was echoed by the various crystal shards around him until the entire ship was bathed in an amber light that tried and failed to offer solace.
His eyes flew over the blinking panels, his fist slamming down on a small indentation that stopped the alarm and brought a merciful silence to the vessel save for the ringing in his ears.
A flat, opaque screen flashed in the corner of his vision, insisting on his attention. He turned his head, wincing slightly at the crick in his neck that only extended time in stasis could bring, and focused blurred eyes on the monitor. A hail of Kryptonian symbols swirled across the screen in a frantic dance.
He extended his hand and entered a few keystrokes that sparked to life the familiar if not underwhelmed voice of the ship's programming.
"Repeating scan sequence...
Life Support Chamber. At. 35. percent.
Elapsed time; Point six Earth years.
Percentage of completion 78. percent..."
Ebony eyebrows gathered together in confusion. Not nearly enough time had passed nor distance traveled...
"Scanning..." the monotonous voice continued, interrupting his thoughts with a declaration that caused time to stop.
"External Scan...
Positive...
Life. Located."< Prelude |Index| Chapter 02 >
It was the only token he allowed himself. There were no other domestic comforts, no photographs. Reminders of home only proved painful and hindered the purpose he’d set out to accomplish. His resolve had become so fragile. If the specters that haunted his mind found their way into tangibility... he feared he would be undone. The mission would end one way or another. He would turn back, or his heart would fail, broken by sorrow as he's swallowed up into the onyx gulf of space.
He chuckled humorlessly. And it’s not as if he needs a photograph to remember her…
He'd specifically sought to forbid himself to think of her, but the mind, he has found, is a disobedient child. The more desperately he sought to place focus elsewhere, the more thoroughly she invaded his thoughts. The sparkle of her eyes shone from every distant star. Impossibly, the scent of her manifested out of the halls of memory until he's sure he's breathing her in. His heart swelled, aching with longing in his chest.
He turned away from the transparent surface and focused his attention on the chaotic organization of star charts on the small makeshift counter. He poured over them, determined to deftly navigate his course.
Wickedly, his heart had wondered to evenings among the clouds. He could feel her petite frame folded in his arms as they swirled together, somewhere between earth and sky, gazing languidly into each other’s eyes as the heavens flicker innocently above them.
Her name was a cunning siren that caressed his consciousness, bidding him to dash himself on the rocks of futility. His fingers slid down the surface of the crystal and for a moment he was touching her face. He wondered as he gazed into the past, if she was thinking of him… if she missed him…
Lois…
The surface of his lips tingled with the thought of their parting kiss. Her memories mingling with his own, doubling his perception as well as his suffering. Her voice echoed in the hallways of his mind, he closed his eyes momentarily surrendering to her siren’s call.
“Clark…“
He shook his head forcefully, stabbing a key on the control panel in a frantic attempt to escape his mind’s rebellious musings. For a moment he could almost hear the sound of her voice as if she was beside him, within him…
“Scanning…” a disembodied female voice blared, chasing away the haunting sound of Lois’s voice. After a moment… “External Life Force Scan... Negative...” The voice said flatly, lacking any warmth.
He snorted. The answer could be reliably predicted at this point. Months of travel, and the only variation was the view outside his window. An anguished sigh roses from his very core and expelled with a small opaque puff of cold air.
His body would not tolerate the journey without the light of the yellow sun. He needed to sleep, to rest, but his mind refused to find the restoration of slumber. Instead it prowled like a caged lion throughout the night, leaving him to awaken more drained than before he lay down.
Behind a gossamer curtain, a small encasement waited for him just feet from the main control panel. Long hollow cylinders lined the walls and ceiling waiting for the battery reserved power to be engaged and provide the life-giving light that has been harnessed for this very purpose.
A pod was nestled beneath the tubing, designed to hold him secure through the chaotic journey. It was here he would enter the final stasis that should carry him through the remainder of his journey, floating in a organically induced oblivion until either he reached his destination or an event interrupted the programmed course of events.
But there was uneasiness in sleep. There was no control should something happen, defenseless even more so than he was before. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes. But he must rest. The harsh physical conditions have only contributed to his mental deterioration. Lois seemed to coat his every thought, his every action. Should his consciousness remain, his sanity, he feared, would not.
After a few keystrokes, he set the ship to complete the journey on automatic pilot. He wrapped the quilt more securely around his shoulders and dragged himself into the waiting stasis chamber and surrendered himself to the promise of untormented oblivion..
“Lois…”
Lois bolted awake in bed, her body catapulting forward into a seated position. Her eyes were wide, peering into the darkness wildly before the waking overcame the reality of dreams. She wrapped her arms around herself, a feeling of anxious foreboding thrumming through her bloodstream.
Clark…
Lois shook her head to clear out the cobwebs of the dream. For a moment… Reality descended aggressively casting out images of reverie and once again Lois was reminded of her situation, and her solitude.
Her fingers slid down her arms and gingerly traced their way to her belly. Even from beneath the concealing warmth of the bedclothes it rose in a graceful curve, evidencing the baby growing inside her. Lois gently smoothed the blankets over her midsection, resting her hands protectively across its expanse.
Echoes of a dream tempted her eyes to lift to the window beside her bed inviting her to peer into the night outside. A complex mix of emotions washed over her as her eyes followed the riotous pattern of stars, uncomforted by the grandeur of the sparkling tapestry.
Every star seemed to wink smugly at her as if it knew something she didn’t. As she had every night, she scanned the heavens hoping in vain to catch a glimpse, of a ship, a cape, she cared not which. Something to chase away the uncertainty that taunted her every hour of every day. Lois exhaled and lifted the covers from her legs before swinging them over the side of the bed.
Her heartbeat pulsed rhythmically in the soles of her swollen feet as she slid them into the comforting warmth of the slippers Clark had bought for her two Christmases ago. She paused to revel in their softness for a moment before dragging her feet, one after the other toward the window.
It didn’t matter which star he was hidden behind, she supposed. One light year or one hundred were equally as imposing and vast from her perspective. Still, she never stopped looking, hoping that one day she’d see a fiery streak across the sky and could begin to count the moments until she found herself once again in his arms.
Time, as it turned out, was an excellent mediator. The passion of anger had cooled, leaving behind the glowing embers of betrayal that even now had begun to settle into the cold and numb void of loneliness.
She was reasonably sure she had forgiven him, of course pregnancy had assaulted her hormones in a way she could not fully express. Earlier that week she had been reasonably sure she’d been justified in making Jimmy cry. In the stillness with only her overactive hormone-injected mind for company, she wasn’t sure of much anymore.
She did know however, that when her thoughts turned to Clark, inevitably the tiny life inside her would flutter charmingly, coaxing her away from anger and plucking at the golden strands of affection for the man that had aided in its creation.
Despite the passage of time, over these past few months, her mind still hummed with the love revealed in the memories Clark had shared with her before he’d left. That day and its events had begun to lose their ability to stoke the fire of her anger. Increasingly, Lois found herself leaning an ever more attentive ear to the dulcet tones of an ethereal whisper that spoke of undying love that could overcome even the basest of betrayals.
Clark’s thoughts and feelings floated languidly through her mind, mingling together with hers, intertwining, wrapping around her, much as he had done on their numerous flights together. It were those very thoughts that wooed her away from outrage and compelled her toward the benefit of doubt.
Lois had a way of letting her emotions get the best of her, however when it truly mattered, pertinent facts rose to the surface, causing her to ferret out the ultimately truthful conclusion with all the verve in which she pursued her headlines. As much as her aching heart longed to slip into a respite of bitterness and hatred, the presentation of facts and the overwhelming evidence of his love pulled her away from the gaping abyss into forgiveness.
The virtue, though powerful, did not seem to be a remedy for the pain solitude brought, however. Without her rage to keep her more tender emotions at bay, she regularly found herself given to tears she couldn't entirely blame on the sensitivity brought by expecting a child.
A cool finger of wind spirited into the room through the open window and caressed a tendril of chestnut hair away from her face, drawing her eyes to close at the memory of a strong warm hand doing the same. How she missed him.
Her eyes once again lifted to the heaven's wondering if they could be trusted with the precious cargo they possessed. Lois didn't know much about deep space but she imagined cold, dark, and dangerous were a few accurate descriptions. Her teeth worried at her lip as her thoughts turned toward what he could be enduring at this very moment.
She leaned her forehead against the window pane as a thread of worry slithered once again over the worn path it had created across her heart. The fear was ever present. The mission was a dangerous one, the distance unimaginable, and her intimate knowledge of the make up of a Kryptonian body taunted her with the fact that he would be just as vulnerable out there as any human once he left the strengthening light of the yellow sun.
Her sharp mind which served her well in the journalism field was her worst enemy as every day a new and exceedingly horrifying scenario formulated in her imagination. Visions of failing equipment and errant meteors flooded her days, and cobalt eyes filled with pain and sorrow haunted her nightmares.
Lois pushed off the glass and rocked back onto her heels before turning toward her computer. She reached for the lamp and snapped on the light. Her exhausted eyes scanned through stacks of source files and data in an attempt to replace the tormenting visions with the busyness of work.
In a world adjusting the absence of its protector, she had no shortage of stories to focus on. And she took advantage of that, seeking to further the cause of justice through words in an attempt to somehow fill the yawning chasm created by Superman’s disappearance.
A shrill persistent tone echoed off the sensitive tunnels of his ears, ricocheting to the very heart of his nervous system, catapulting him from oblivion into consciousness with all the gentleness of an atom bomb.
He shot to a sitting position. Every muscle in his body seemed to groan out in protest all at once and he winced at the pain. Disoriented, he cracked open bleary eyes that were met with a veil of hazy white that for a brief moment caused him to wonder if he was seeing anything at all. With considerable effort he dragged a palm over one throbbing eye. The noise. Has. To. Stop. His ears clamored, ignoring the plight of the rest of his body.
Through a fog of disorientation and pain, he lifted himself from the confines of his bed… No. Not bed. Chamber. The ship. How long have I... His current situation bubbled into his consciousness. The journey, his decision, and Lois all came flooding back to his mind with as much agonizing clarity as the shrieking tone assaulting ears. He lurched forward, freeing himself of the silken confines. I don’t remember setting the alarm to ‘torture’ , he thought wryly as his rubbery legs almost immediately gave way, sending him forward in a painful impact with the jagged surface of the crystalline wall. He bit the inside of his cheek and breathed through the newest arrival to his festival of pain.
As he braced himself against the door frame, waiting for the objections of his leg muscles to quiet, a slow realization dawned; That wasn’t a wake up call. It’s an alarm. A dagger of fear sliced its way into his heart, lending strength to his muscles as adrenaline surged through his veins. He threw himself forward toward the control panel that glowed to life at his approach. One by one the signal was echoed by the various crystal shards around him until the entire ship was bathed in an amber light that tried and failed to offer solace.
His eyes flew over the blinking panels, his fist slamming down on a small indentation that stopped the alarm and brought a merciful silence to the vessel save for the ringing in his ears.
A flat, opaque screen flashed in the corner of his vision, insisting on his attention. He turned his head, wincing slightly at the crick in his neck that only extended time in stasis could bring, and focused blurred eyes on the monitor. A hail of Kryptonian symbols swirled across the screen in a frantic dance.
He extended his hand and entered a few keystrokes that sparked to life the familiar if not underwhelmed voice of the ship's programming.
"Repeating scan sequence...
Life Support Chamber. At. 35. percent.
Elapsed time; Point six Earth years.
Percentage of completion 78. percent..."
Ebony eyebrows gathered together in confusion. Not nearly enough time had passed nor distance traveled...
"Scanning..." the monotonous voice continued, interrupting his thoughts with a declaration that caused time to stop.
"External Scan...
Positive...
Life. Located."
Current Mood: 
hungry
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