“Life – No Choice!”

Kayla Jor-El Else World Squared

Rated PG-13

1/28/2006

1======

Chloe Ross saw Clark Kent heading towards the front door with four suitcases.  When she noticed that his face was wet she placed herself directly in his path.  She asked, “Exactly what is going on here?”

Clark said, “Not that it’s your business, but I can’t stay here anymore and not be with her.  I’m going back to the farm.”

Chloe said, “I’ll get Kayla out here and we can work this out.  You two were made for each other.  What you have should last forever … not end four months after your wedding!”

Clark said, “She won’t talk about it.  She won’t even let me touch her.  She even painted the walls of our bedroom with something to keep me from checking on her with my X-ray vision.  She installed shutters over the windows that I can’t see through either.  When I tell her I want to fix whatever’s wrong she shouts at me that she doesn’t have a choice and that she doesn’t want one.  She keeps telling me not to look at her because she says she’s ugly.  Nothing I say or do reassures her.  Something is definitely wrong.  She just keeps pushing me away!  She’s binging and purging and wearing her baggy Goodwill clothes again.  She’s even more compulsive about keeping things clean than she ever was before.  She’s become a stranger to me … a silent stranger.  It hurts to see her and remember how things were just a couple days ago … and to not have that same kind of bond that we had from the first moment we saw each other.”

Chloe said, “Don’t read anything into her silence.  You know she’s not big on talking.  She probably says more to you in ten minutes than she has said to me in all the time I’ve known her.”

Clark said, “Not anymore.  She stays clear of me … as if she is terrified of me.  I’m never even thought about hurting her in any way, but she looks at me as if I’m going to hit her!”

Chloe asked, “How did all this start?  She’s been so happy.”

Clark said, “I haven’t got a clue.  I thought it might be this “Superman” thing.  But she didn’t seem at all jealous of the attention ‘he’ has been getting … or mind the amount of time my activities keep me away from home.  She always seems to enjoy the stories I tell her about what I’ve done … and likes to help me be more effective by showing me different ways for me to use my powers.  I really have no idea why she is acting like this … and I really don’t want to talk about it anymore.  If she tells you what is wrong and if there is something I can do to fix it, call me at the farm.”

Chloe said, “I’m really sorry Clark!  If it was anyone but you, I would think that you had done something.  But how could she have such a happy marriage with Lionel Luthor of all people then have a problem with a sweet guy like you?!”

Clark said, “Jeeze thanks, Sis!  I really needed that!”

Chloe said, “Sorry!”

Clark said, “I’ll be calling for updates on how she’s doing.  Take care of yourself.”

Chloe gave Clark a big hug and said, “You too, Clark!  You’ll be back soon!”

Clark quietly left the mansion.  He looked like the weight of the world was on him – but this was a man who could easily bear the weight of the world.  The failure of his marriage to a woman he still dearly loved was a far greater burden.

As soon as the door closed, Kayla ran into the front foyer.  She looked blankly at Chloe and asked, “Clark gone?”

Chloe said, “Yes he is.”

Kayla yelled, “GOOD!”  She burst into tears and ran up the stairs and headed for her bedroom.  Chloe followed her at a normal human pace.  She went into Kayla’s bedroom and found her laying face down on the bed.

Chloe asked, “So what’s all this nonsense about?”

Kayla didn’t turn to look at Chloe.  She continued to sob as she said, “Don’t want him here!  Don’t want him to see me like this!  Don’t want him to tell me what to do!”

Chloe asked, “What did he tell you to do?”

Kayla said, “Nothing.”

Chloe said, “Come on.  You can talk to me about it.”

Kayla said, “Nothing … he told me nothing … but he would tell me if he stays … and I DON’T want him too!”

Chloe said, “Okay, I’ll try to decipher that one later.  So, you said you don’t want him to see you?  What’s the matter with him looking at you?”

Kayla said, “I’m ugly!”

Chloe asked, “Says who?”

Kayla said, “The mirror!”

Chloe looked around and said, “Where are the mirrors?”

Kayla said, “All gone now.”

Chloe said, “So you’re ugly?  Do you think I’m ugly?  Because if you’re ugly, I’m hideous.”

Kayla said, “No.  My sister Chloe is beautiful.”

Chloe said, “I’ll admit I’m hot stuff.  But if I’m beautiful, you are gorgeous!”

Kayla shouted into her pillow, “NO!  Fat, FAT, FAT!!!”

Chloe said, “I think you have a serious self-image problem.  And I suggest you get your super vision checked for throwing Superman out of your bed!  No woman with a properly working set of eyeballs would push that man away!  … And another thing … from talking to Clark, it sounds like you have an eating disorder.”

Kayla said, “I eat fine.”

Chloe said, “Then throw up.”  Kayla didn’t say anything, she just continued crying into her pillow.  Chloe said, “Clark loves you very much.  I know you’re smarter than to give up something like that.  I always thought that you would be willing to do anything for him.”  Kayla wailed and began crying even louder.  Chloe said, “I’m sure Clark will come back if you ask him to.”

Kayla said, “NO!  Don’t WANT him here now!”

Chloe said, “Even though you aren’t acting the part right now, you’re a grown woman.  If you don’t want him, it’s your choice to end it!”

Kayla rolled over and sat up.  Her eyes were glowing red.  Chloe had never seen her look so angry.  Kayla shouted, “NO CHOICE!  Don’t WANT a CHOICE!  I want LIFE!  I WANT LIFE!!!”

Chloe said, “Sister, I certainly love you, but a lot of the time, I just can’t understand you.  Men like Clark don’t come along every day.  What a shame.  What a damned, rotten shame!”

2======

A week passed before Chloe answered the front door to find Martha Kent standing there.  Chloe said, “Go ahead.  Take a turn at her if you think it will do any good.  I tried to get to the bottom of it but she won’t even talk to me anymore.  The only thing I get out of her is the new grocery list that she sticks to the refrigerator every morning.”

Martha said, “Thanks, I’ll give it my best shot.”

Chloe asked, “Oh!  How’s Clark holding up?”

Martha said, “He’s hardly ever around.  He’s plunged himself into Superman.  When he is home, I look at him and I don’t even see Clark anymore.  My little boy has disappeared.  He must be hurting.  He may be doing the world a heck of a lot of good as Superman, but if we can’t get him back together with Kayla soon, I think my Clark will be gone for good.”

Chloe said, “I’m really sacred.  Kayla’s lost in her own world again.  She is so paranoid.  She still plays dolls with Patricia and sings lullabies for Josephine, but I can’t get anywhere near her.  Good luck getting through to her!”

Martha said, “It sounds like I will need it.”

Martha got to the top of the stairs and saw Kayla standing at the in the hallway.  Kayla smiled brightly and raised her hand to wave, but suddenly got a scared expression on her face.  She hunched forward and wrapped her arms around herself before ducking down the corridor that led to her bedroom.  Martha followed her and found Kayla face down on her bed.  Martha sat down on the bed next to her and started to gently rub her back.  She asked, “What’s wrong, Honey?”

Kayla whispered, “Nothing Momma.”

Martha said, “It’s okay sweetie.  You can tell me anything.  Clark’s my son but you are like a daughter to me.  I’ve been married a really long time and I know what men can be like.  Don’t be afraid to tell me if he said or did something to upset you.”

Kayla said, “Momma … I still love Clark … but men don’t want the same thing that women want … what I want.”

Martha said, “It’s true that every person wants different things.  It’s also true that there is a lot of willingness to compromise in any good marriage.  But you must know that … usually a man can have what he wants … and a woman can have what she wants … and both can be happy.”

Kayla said, “I won’t be happy if any man gets what he wants and tries to make me do what I won’t!  I want what I want and I’ll get what I want this time.  No matter what Clark says.  No matter what ANYBODY says!”

Martha said, “I’ve never known you to be selfish.  You are the least selfish person I know.”

Kayla said, “I AM selfish!  I will have what I want!”

Martha asked, “Did you tell Clark what you want?  I’m sure he’d do whatever he has to so that you can have whatever it is that your heart desires.”

Kayla said, “Didn’t ask.  Won’t ask!  I won’t have Clark say NO to me!  Real men say no … and Clark is a REAL man and he will say no and make me have a choice.  I don’t want a choice and I don’t want to give Clark a chance to say no.  Clark is strong.  He could make me do what I won’t do!”

Martha said, “Don’t you trust Clark?”

Kayla said, “NO!  Not now.  Can’t risk trusting Clark.  Can’t risk trusting ANYBODY!”

Martha said, “But you still love Clark?”  Kayla burst out crying.  Martha continued to rub Kayla’s back.  She said, “Clark loves you very much.  You can trust him.  He would do almost anything for you if you would let him know what it is you want.”

Kayla cried, “I’m fat!  I’M UGLY!”

Martha said, “You’re NOT ugly.  I know that Clark thinks that you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Kayla said, “That’s ‘cause I don’t let him see me now.”

Martha said, “If you’re gaining weight, I could probably help you with that.  I’m sure that we could do something to make that extra weight disappear.  There is a program called “Healthy Choice” that ….”

Kayla shrieked, “No!  You WON’T do that!  NOBODY will do THAT!  GET OUT AND DON’T COME BACK!”

Martha said, “Kayla, darling, I’m sorry I upset you.  I’ll go away … if you really want me to.  I love you.”

Kayla gasped, “Go away … sorry … but … go away.”

3======

Another five months had passed and Kayla continued to isolate herself from everyone and act paranoid.  She began locking herself inside her bedroom and wouldn’t let anyone inside.  She only came out to get food from the kitchen.

One day Patricia Ross asked Chloe, “Mom, why doesn’t Auntie Kayla come out of her room anymore?”

Chloe said, “I don’t know, Honey.  I think she is very sad and misses Uncle Clark.”

Patricia said, “So do I!  … Is it okay for me to sit outside her door and listen to her sing those songs?  It’s not an retraction on her privacy, is it?”

Chloe said, “It’s ‘intrusion’ on her privacy and no, I don’t think she would mind very much.”

Patricia said, “Are you sure?  Because you tell me wrong things about Auntie Kayla sometimes.”

Chloe asked, “What did I tell you that was wrong?”

Patricia said, “You said she can’t get hurt like we can.”

Chloe said, “She can’t.”

Patricia asked, “Then why did she hold her sides sometimes and make noises like she is hurt … like when I eat too much pizza only 50 billion times worser!”

Chloe asked, “When did she do that?”

Patricia said, “Lots of times … well not anymore … but back when she was too big to have a lap anymore.”

Chloe said, “It must have been sadness pain, not physical pain.  She’s not like you or me that way.”

Patricia said, “That’s wrong!  She was just like you!  Like back when you said silly stuff like that Josephine was kicking you when she hadn’t even been borned yet!  Auntie Kayla acted just like that and rubbed the side of her big belly just like you did!  Auntie Kayla is JUST like you!  I bet you are real sisters not adopted and don’t even know it!”

Chloe was about to question Patricia a little more when the conversation was interrupted by a shriek that sounded like it came from somewhere near Kayla’s room.  Chloe and Patricia ran upstairs to find out what was wrong.  They found Kayla in the hallway staring towards a wall … looking in the direction of Metropolis.  Chloe asked, “Kayla, what’s wrong?  Please talk to me!”

Kayla said, “Clark is hurt!  He’s bleeding.  He needs help!”

Chloe said, “Then go help him!”

Kayla said, “I can’t!”

Chloe said, “Why not?  No matter what problem you have with Clark, if he needs you, you have to help him!”

Patricia said, “Please help Uncle Clark, Auntie Kayla!  PLEASE!”

Kayla shouted, “CAN’T!”  She ran into her bedroom.

Chloe and Patricia followed her.  Chloe said, “For God’s sake, please tell me why you can’t help Clark!”

Kayla stood frozen for a moment looking at Chloe.  She began to tremble.  She looked frightened and sad.  Suddenly she turned and pulled back her bed sheet.  There were four baby boys lying in a neat row on the bed.  Patricia and Chloe’s mouths dropped open.  Patrician ran forward and turned her head in an arc to look at each of the babies before making a circle and running out of the room shouting, “Daddy!  Grampa!  Kayla has babies!  Kayla has BABIES!”

Chloe said, “My God!  They’re beautiful!”

Kayla shouted, “DON’T TAKE THEM!  I WON’T LET YOU!  THEY’RE MINE!  And I want to keep them!  ALL OT THEM!”

Chloe said, “No one will take them away!”

Kayla said,  “No!  I know!  Women want and men want!  Women want choice to kill babies and men don’t want babies … want women to use their choice!  Clark would tell me NO BABIES!  If Clark knew that I had babies he would want me to KILL them!”

Chloe shouted back, “THAT IS … is … TOTAL … RUBBISH!!!  I CHOSE to have my babies.  You know that!  Pete wanted and loves both of them.  He even wants a couple more!  What the HELL made you think that people would try to stop you from having babies?!”

Kayla said, “I heard it!  Lots and lots of people said they don’t want babies!”

Chloe said, “What people?”

Kayla said,  “The same people that say men get grossed out by pregnant women and want them to not be pregnant!”

Chloe shouted, “WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!”

Kayla said, “On the TV show!”

Chloe said, “You don’t watch TV.”

Kayla said, “I hear it when Andrea the cleaning lady watches.”

Chloe asked, “What TV show was it?”

Kayla said, “Jerry Springer.”

Chloe said, “OH MY GOD!  You BELIEVED that CRAP?!”

Kayla said, “Couldn’t take any chance.  I love my babies!  No one will take them.  Not even Clark.  Not even you!”

Chloe said, “No one wants to take them away.  Why couldn’t you have trusted me enough to talk with me about this?  Most people believe that babies belong with their Mother.  Your babies belong with you … and with their Father.  I’m sure that Clark will be a very good father.  He is their father, right?  They look two or three months old … I thought you guys waited ….”

Kayla said, “We waited.  Babies only take eight months on Krypton and get big fast.”

Chloe said, “I’m sure that Clark will be thrilled.  Shocked but thrilled to ….”

Kayla screamed, “CLARK!”  She disappeared from sight and reappeared a second later dressed in a tight, one-piece white bathing suit.

Chloe asked, “Why are you dressed like that?”

Kayla said, “Not strong enough to fight what’s hurting Clark.  Need sun bath.  If I go help Clark,  promise not to take my babies away!  Promise to take care of them if I don’t come back!”

Chloe said, “Your babies will be fine and they’ll be right here when you get back.  Go help your husband get out of whatever mess he’s in.”

Kayla vanished from Chloe’s view and was deep in space before Chloe even knew she was gone.  Within five minutes of leaving Smallville and somehow exceeding the speed of light, Kayla had flown into the sun and looped back.  A ball of intense light was seen descending on Metropolis.  A giant figure that had been looming over Superman and using him as a punching bag was distracted by the light that approached and then hovered beside it.  After pausing to evaluate it as a possible threat, the creature noticed a humanoid figure at the center of the light and impulsively swung its fist.  The second it impacted the source of the light, the creature disintegrated into a cloud of fowl-smelling smoke.  The woman in the ball of light floated to the ground and knelt next to Superman.  He looked up at her and said, “Kalya … Darling … I’m … glad that you are here … in time.”

Kayla asked, “Do you like babies?”

Superman said, “Very much.  Didn’t you know?”

Kayla said, “Do you want to be the Father of my babies?”

Superman said, “Kayla, I would … like that more than … anything … but I can’t.”

Kayla’s back stiffened.  She pulled back from Superman and said, “You don’t want them.  Springer people were right.”

Superman said, “Honey, I’m all broken up inside.  I’m dying.  It’s too late for us to make any babies now.  I’m sorry I left you.  If I had stayed, maybe we could have found a way to work out the problem … whatever it was.”

Kayla leaned over until she was practically laying on him and said, “When you get better, will you be the Father of my babies?”

Superman said, “I would love nothing more that to be the Father of your babies, but ….”

Kayla interrupted Superman’s words by covering his mouth with hers.  She laid herself fully on top of him, slid a leg across his and squeezed his legs together between her knees.  She put her arms under his then put her hands on both sides of his head and pulled their lips together as tightly as she could.  As she kissed him as the aura of light around her collapsed in upon her and disappeared.  She relaxed her grip on him then put her face next to her husband’s ear and whispered, “I … I … never stopped loving you Clark.”

Her body went limp as she passed out.  Superman pulled Kayla’s arms out from under his, grabbed her around the waist and held her close.  He carefully got to his feet and lifted her at the same time.  He cradled her in his arms and stared at her.  He watched her as she breathed gently.  He thought of the nights he had spent watching her as she slept in those few short months they had spent together.  A big smile broke out on his face.  Then someone shouted, “Who is she, Superman?”

Startled, he turned to see the photographers snapping pictures and without thinking said, “Super Woman, … of course.”  Then he held out her hand and smiled as the photographers got pictures of their matched wedding rings.  A second later, he leapt into the air carrying his wife.

4======

Superman softly landed on the balcony outside the bedroom that he had shared with Kayla.  He shifted Kayla slightly to get his hand free, slid the door open and carried her inside.  He had learned to use his powers to prepare himself for whatever might be ahead of him, so he wasn’t startled to find his Mother, Father, Sister-in-law and Brother-in-law in the bedroom rocking crying babies.  But he was amazed and curious.  Strangely, the crying diminished then stopped as if orchestrated as Superman walked in.

Chloe said, “Oh my God!  Is Kayla okay?”

Clark said, “She’ll be fine.  She’s just a little … drained right now.”

Chloe said, “She’d better not be drained!  These babies are acting like they’re hungry and they won’t take a bottle!  They bit the nipples off every bottle we tried to give them!”

Clark asked, “I don’t think she’ll be up to helping you with those kids.  Mom, what are you doing here?”

Martha said, “Babysitting.”

Clark said, “I can see that.  But why are you doing it here … in our bedroom?  Who are they?  Where did they come from?”

Martha said, “We don’t know their names yet … except their last name.  And if you don’t know where they came from, your Father wasn’t detailed enough with your little pre-wedding talk.”

Kayla lifted her head and said, “They are MY babies.”

Clark asked, “WHAT?!”

Kayla said, “MINE!!!”

Clark said, “I certainly hope that you mean OURS!”

Kayla stared at Clark blankly for a couple seconds before her face broke out in a big smile.  She put her arms around Clark’s neck and pulled herself closer to him as she quietly repeated, “Ours.”

Martha said, “Kayla, don’t keep us in suspense.  What are their names?”

Kayla let go of Clark with one arm and he began to put her down.  She said, “No Clark!  Hold me!”  Then she turned to look at the children and pointed at each child as she said, “One … Two … Three … and the small one is Four.  Two came second but he is biggest because at feeding time he tries harder!”

Chloe said, “That’s kind of unusual.”

Kayla said, “I thought about John, Paul, George and Ringo but I don’t know if my babies can sing.  They like me to sing to them, but they are quiet like I am.  They don’t even cry.”

Jon said, “Like hell!”

Kayla said, “Papa Jon, don’t say words like that in front of the babies!”

Chloe said, “Those babies started crying like wounded animals a few seconds after you left … and didn’t stop until Clark brought you back inside!”

Kayla said, “Awwww!  I never left them before … and I never will again!”

Clark said, “I’ll never leave you again either … Ma Kent.”

Kayla said, “Am I Ma Kent now?  I guess I am.  I love you Pa Kent!”  Kayla pulled Clark’s head to hers and gave him a passionate kiss.”

Martha said, “How about Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?”

Chloe said, “I see someone is trying to sneak in a Jon Kent – first John Lennon Kent and now Saint John Kent … and “Mark Kent” sounds familiar in a rhymy kind of way.  Kayla, is there a book of Gabriel in the Bible?  Kayla?”  Kayla ignored her and kept kissing Clark.  Chloe said, “It looks like there will be plenty of baby naming opportunities, so I won’t try to influence any decision Kayla might make.  Martha, it looks like we’ll be doing a lot of babysitting in the foreseeable future!”

THE END