FIC: "Interim" (1/1), Reunion'verse
“Interim” (1/1)
Part of the Unexpected Guests/Reunion’verse
Takes place during Reunion (end of May/beginning of June 2005)
AN: Can you imagine that this tiny little fic went through ten different titles?
Summary: It was a relief to know what had happened, to know that Kara had not simply acted out. She had responded inappropriately, but few could blame her.
Of the many things Alura In-Ze Zor-El imagined having to do on her own while her husband was away, visiting the counselor because her daughter had misbehaved in class had not even made the list.
Primarily because the idea that Kara would do such a thing was nigh on unimaginable.
“Nulim-na?” she called, entering the counselor’s office. She had been there before - everyone had; the loss of Krypton had made itself known in the hearts and minds of every Kryptonian who survived - and was glad to see Livi Lar-Nur emerge from the inner, more private room. “Ah, Alura,” Livi said. “Thank you for coming. Please come with me.”
Alura followed Livi into a third room, glancing into the second room as she did so. As expected, she saw Kara, curled up on a cushioned seat, her long blonde hair hanging over her face. Whatever had happened, it had truly upset her daughter, and that took some doing.
Livi gestured for her to sit down, so Alura did so and waited for the counselor to speak.
“The situation is as follows,” Livi began. “Another student was making inappropriate remarks about the House of El in general. As appropriate, Kara ignored this and tried to concentrate on her work, until these remarks escalated to specifics about Jor-El. She appropriately countered the remarks with calm words; knowing Jor-El, he would have been very proud of his niece. Finally, the remarks became out-and-out taunting and Kara lost her temper and slapped the student.”
Alura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Do I even want to know what this child said that provoked her so greatly?”
“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, actually,” Livi told her. “Rumor has it that this trip that your husband is on has the primary purpose of finding Kal-El. Now, I know this to be true; Jor-El and Lara each told me, separately, but I also know that this is something that was meant to be kept in confidence in case nothing came of it. I don’t know how the rumor got started, how someone found out or put enough clues together to deduce it on their own, but the teachers tell me that this is not the first time that students have asked Kara about the possibility, though for the most part those questions have been put more positively. As far as I know, this is the first…incident to result from the situation.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me,” Alura admitted. “I admit that fact concerns me. She’s not usually so reticent to share such things with me.”
“She is an adolescent,” Livi replied. “Perhaps that is the only reason.”
Alura nodded. Kara was certainly at that age; she supposed she should consider herself lucky that her daughter spoke to her at all. “Has she been punished for this?”
“No,” Livi said. “I think this was simply a stressed situation, between knowing the truth of her father’s absence and missing him. It’s not been often that Zor-El has gone anywhere for more than a day or two; if it were you who had gone with Jor-El and Lara, she might have handled it a little better. She’s accustomed to you leaving for a week or two at a time. And adding in what the boy said to her…I would have been tempted to slap him myself, especially at that age.”
Alura frowned, realizing that Livi had not yet told her what the student had actually said. “What exactly did he say to her?”
Livi took a deep breath. “He said that even if Kal-El was still alive, he was probably being raised on a barbarian planet and would never be able to rejoin Kryptonian society. And that knowing the House of El, he was probably dead and the effort to send him away had been a waste of resources.”
“Great Rao.”
“Now, bear with me, Alura,” Livi said. “There is some small truth to what the boy said, namely that none of us know exactly where Jor-El sent the child and what kind of upbringing that place would have produced for him. We must be prepared that if Kal-El does return with his parents, there may be problems, either on his part or on the part of others not handling his differences well.”
“Livi-”
“But,” Livi interrupted, “the boy who said this to Kara is from one of the colonies and has only been here a few weeks. This is not the first time he’s caused trouble in class. Not understanding fully the role the House of El played in saving so many of us from Krypton’s fate, Kara’s family became an easy target of inappropriate comments, especially with the rumor of ‘rescuing’ Kal-El. He was lashing out; like so many, he lost family when Krypton was destroyed. He has never known his father as a result. You can understand the boy’s problems.”
“Of course,” Alura assured her, sitting back in her chair. It was a relief to know what had happened, to know that Kara had not simply acted out. She had responded inappropriately, but few could blame her.
Especially knowing how attached Kara was to the idea of finally meeting her long-lost cousin.
“The boy will be punished, and his counseling sessions will increase, but that is between his mother and I,” Livi told her, “provided this does not happen again with Kara or the House of El as specific targets. You can take Kara home. She’s been excused from her classes for the rest of the day.”
“Thank you.”
Livi smiled. “I truly do wish the House of El luck in this endeavor. I think finding Kal-El could be a great sign of hope for all of us, not just your family.”
Kara was silent on the walk back to their quarters, staring at her feet, or out the windows at the twinkling stars against the black of the universe. And the silence continued as she helped Alura prepare the midday meal. But the moment they were sitting, ready to eat, she spoke.
“I miss Dad,” Kara finally said.
“So do I, beloved, so do I.”
Kara stirred her soup. “This place Uncle Jor-El sent Kal-El to…Erth…it isn’t a barbaric planet, is it?”
“No,” Alura told her. “In fact, your Uncle Jor-El speaks quite highly of it. Technologically, they aren’t as advanced as we are, but he has always said that the people of that planet have great potential.”
Kara ate a few bites of her food before speaking again. “Do you think Kal-El will come back with them?”
“Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know what his situation is like. Maybe he won’t want to leave the parents and family he has there. He probably doesn’t even remember Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara.”
Kara nodded and then turned to stare out the window as she chewed. After a few moments, she whispered, “I miss Dad.”
This time, Alura reached out and took Kara’s hand in her own. “I know. So do I.”
[END]
Part of the Unexpected Guests/Reunion’verse
Takes place during Reunion (end of May/beginning of June 2005)
AN: Can you imagine that this tiny little fic went through ten different titles?
Summary: It was a relief to know what had happened, to know that Kara had not simply acted out. She had responded inappropriately, but few could blame her.
Of the many things Alura In-Ze Zor-El imagined having to do on her own while her husband was away, visiting the counselor because her daughter had misbehaved in class had not even made the list.
Primarily because the idea that Kara would do such a thing was nigh on unimaginable.
“Nulim-na?” she called, entering the counselor’s office. She had been there before - everyone had; the loss of Krypton had made itself known in the hearts and minds of every Kryptonian who survived - and was glad to see Livi Lar-Nur emerge from the inner, more private room. “Ah, Alura,” Livi said. “Thank you for coming. Please come with me.”
Alura followed Livi into a third room, glancing into the second room as she did so. As expected, she saw Kara, curled up on a cushioned seat, her long blonde hair hanging over her face. Whatever had happened, it had truly upset her daughter, and that took some doing.
Livi gestured for her to sit down, so Alura did so and waited for the counselor to speak.
“The situation is as follows,” Livi began. “Another student was making inappropriate remarks about the House of El in general. As appropriate, Kara ignored this and tried to concentrate on her work, until these remarks escalated to specifics about Jor-El. She appropriately countered the remarks with calm words; knowing Jor-El, he would have been very proud of his niece. Finally, the remarks became out-and-out taunting and Kara lost her temper and slapped the student.”
Alura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Do I even want to know what this child said that provoked her so greatly?”
“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, actually,” Livi told her. “Rumor has it that this trip that your husband is on has the primary purpose of finding Kal-El. Now, I know this to be true; Jor-El and Lara each told me, separately, but I also know that this is something that was meant to be kept in confidence in case nothing came of it. I don’t know how the rumor got started, how someone found out or put enough clues together to deduce it on their own, but the teachers tell me that this is not the first time that students have asked Kara about the possibility, though for the most part those questions have been put more positively. As far as I know, this is the first…incident to result from the situation.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me,” Alura admitted. “I admit that fact concerns me. She’s not usually so reticent to share such things with me.”
“She is an adolescent,” Livi replied. “Perhaps that is the only reason.”
Alura nodded. Kara was certainly at that age; she supposed she should consider herself lucky that her daughter spoke to her at all. “Has she been punished for this?”
“No,” Livi said. “I think this was simply a stressed situation, between knowing the truth of her father’s absence and missing him. It’s not been often that Zor-El has gone anywhere for more than a day or two; if it were you who had gone with Jor-El and Lara, she might have handled it a little better. She’s accustomed to you leaving for a week or two at a time. And adding in what the boy said to her…I would have been tempted to slap him myself, especially at that age.”
Alura frowned, realizing that Livi had not yet told her what the student had actually said. “What exactly did he say to her?”
Livi took a deep breath. “He said that even if Kal-El was still alive, he was probably being raised on a barbarian planet and would never be able to rejoin Kryptonian society. And that knowing the House of El, he was probably dead and the effort to send him away had been a waste of resources.”
“Great Rao.”
“Now, bear with me, Alura,” Livi said. “There is some small truth to what the boy said, namely that none of us know exactly where Jor-El sent the child and what kind of upbringing that place would have produced for him. We must be prepared that if Kal-El does return with his parents, there may be problems, either on his part or on the part of others not handling his differences well.”
“Livi-”
“But,” Livi interrupted, “the boy who said this to Kara is from one of the colonies and has only been here a few weeks. This is not the first time he’s caused trouble in class. Not understanding fully the role the House of El played in saving so many of us from Krypton’s fate, Kara’s family became an easy target of inappropriate comments, especially with the rumor of ‘rescuing’ Kal-El. He was lashing out; like so many, he lost family when Krypton was destroyed. He has never known his father as a result. You can understand the boy’s problems.”
“Of course,” Alura assured her, sitting back in her chair. It was a relief to know what had happened, to know that Kara had not simply acted out. She had responded inappropriately, but few could blame her.
Especially knowing how attached Kara was to the idea of finally meeting her long-lost cousin.
“The boy will be punished, and his counseling sessions will increase, but that is between his mother and I,” Livi told her, “provided this does not happen again with Kara or the House of El as specific targets. You can take Kara home. She’s been excused from her classes for the rest of the day.”
“Thank you.”
Livi smiled. “I truly do wish the House of El luck in this endeavor. I think finding Kal-El could be a great sign of hope for all of us, not just your family.”
Kara was silent on the walk back to their quarters, staring at her feet, or out the windows at the twinkling stars against the black of the universe. And the silence continued as she helped Alura prepare the midday meal. But the moment they were sitting, ready to eat, she spoke.
“I miss Dad,” Kara finally said.
“So do I, beloved, so do I.”
Kara stirred her soup. “This place Uncle Jor-El sent Kal-El to…Erth…it isn’t a barbaric planet, is it?”
“No,” Alura told her. “In fact, your Uncle Jor-El speaks quite highly of it. Technologically, they aren’t as advanced as we are, but he has always said that the people of that planet have great potential.”
Kara ate a few bites of her food before speaking again. “Do you think Kal-El will come back with them?”
“Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know what his situation is like. Maybe he won’t want to leave the parents and family he has there. He probably doesn’t even remember Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara.”
Kara nodded and then turned to stare out the window as she chewed. After a few moments, she whispered, “I miss Dad.”
This time, Alura reached out and took Kara’s hand in her own. “I know. So do I.”
[END]