Chapter Text
Smallville, Kansas, 25 Years Ago
The night was young in Smallville, Kansas. The Wild Coyote, a bar nestled just outside of the rural farmtown, was currently alive with bustling activity. It was a party, an engagement party for Laura Lang and Henry Smalls. Laura Lang was a lively young woman who owned Morrison's Beanery, the local coffee shop. Henry Smalls, son of the mayor, was a construction worker. A humble guy, Henry naturally had a lot of friends and Jonathan Kent was one of them.
Ask anyone in Smallville and they all had good things to say about Jonathan Kent. Jonathan, like a lot of other guys in town, was a farmer. He had inherited his father's farm when he was twenty years old. Before his father died, he told Jonathan to always look after the farm. Now, at twenty seven, Jonathan made good on that promise. Kent Farm was one of the most successful farms in Smallville.
Jonathan and Henry were currently standing at the counter of the bar, knocking back shots of whiskey. Jonathan usually wasn't the drinking type but this was his best friend's special night. No way was he not going to pound booze like no tomorrow. Thank God Martha's driving us home, Jonathan thought to himself. It was probably the one sober thought he was going to have tonight.
"Jonny, I just want to thank you again for coming out here," Henry said. It sounded like he was on the verge of drunken tears. "It really warms my heart seeing my best friend here. It really does!"
Jonathan chuckled and patted him on the shoulder in a comforting way. "It's no problem, Henry, really."
"Wow. Martha is really tearing up the dance floor," Henry said suddenly.
Jonathan looked over and saw her. It was his wife, Martha, dancing with Laura. There were ribbons in Martha's coffee brown hair that bounced as she danced freely. Jonathan smiled. The two of them had met in college and for Jonathan, it was love at first sight and in no time they were dating. Soon dating turned into marriage and here they were.
"Do you feel lucky to have her?" Henry asked.
"Henry, she makes me feel like the luckiest man in Smallville. Sometimes I wonder how I managed to land a girl like her." Jonathan answered.
"Maybe it's your country bumpkin charm. Or maybe it's your hair. Just a guess." Henry said before downing another shot.
Jonathan thought about that for a moment before Martha ran over, a big smile on her face. She cutely ruffled Jonathan's chestnut colored hair before asking "Where can a girl get a drink around here?"
Henry smiled and poured her a shot of whiskey. Soon Laura came over too and they all had a shot of whiskey in hand. Jonathan raised his glass.
"I declare a toast. A toast to the second greastest night in Henry and Laura's lives. I say second because the night of the wedding will always be the first." Jonathan said with a light chuckle. The rest of them couldn't help but giggle.
Jonathan smiled before saying "But in all seriousness... Let's hope that Henry and Laura have a long and very prosperous marriage."
The four of them toasted to that and then downed their shots. Martha then pulled Jonathan over to the dance floor and they started dancing. Martha danced in a way that was wild and free. Jonathan thought looked a little stilted but he was giving it all of his effort. He really wasn't the kind of guy who could dance but damnit if he didn't try.
Later on in the night, Martha and Laura sat in a booth while Jonathan and the rest of the guys played pool.
"So how's Lana?" Martha asked.
"Oh Lana's doing great. Sometimes she wakes me and Henry up in the middle of the night but we try to be prepared, you know?"
"Heh. Right..." Martha said with a small smile. But Laura could see the sadness in Martha's eyes. Having a kid was a...testy subject for Martha. She held Martha's hand in a comforting way.
"Have...you and Jonathan had any luck having a baby?" She asked.
Martha shook her head. "Nope. We've been trying again and again but the doctors...the doctors are telling us that it just won't work. I don't know what to do, Laura..."
A few tears began to well up in Martha's eyes. She wanted to have a child more than anything in the world. Jonathan wanted one too and for the past few months, they had been trying for a child. But no matter what they did, it was always the same thing. The both of them felt hopeless. She quickly wiped the tears out of her eyes however, saying to Laura "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood down. This is your night."
Laura hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Martha. I know it's hard but I know you'll make it through. You're the strongest woman I know! And if it makes you feel any better, you can babysit Lana anytime you want."
Martha sniffled, smiling at her friend's kind offer. "That sounds like a damn fine deal to me."
Soon after that, it came time for everyone to go home. Jonathan stumbled a little as he walked down the steps of the bar. Martha hadn't drank as much and she definitley didn't feel drunk. As they walked to Jonathan's big blue pickup truck, Jonathan looked up to the horizon of the night sky and pointed towards the stars.
"Hey, look! It's a shooting star!"
Martha looked up to where he was pointing and sure enough there it was. A shooting star streaking through the night sky, its long white tail streaking behind it. Jonathan put his arm around Martha and said "Make a wish, honey."
Martha stared at the shooting star. She didn't really buy into the whole wishing on a shooting star thing but just once, just for one night, she decided to humor the universe. She closed her eyes and wished for one thing; a child. Once she was done making her wish, the two hopped in the truck and drove back to the farm.
They pulled into the driveway of their idealic farmhouse. It was white with blue shutters and a lovely red front door. The front porch was nice and big too. Martha had a rocking chair out there that she would sit in as she carved apples.
To the back of the house was a huge cornfield and next to the cornfield was a big red farm building. Kent Farm was one of the best farms in Smallville, Kansas.
Jonathan and Martha walked inside. Jonathan walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water. There were a few things that Jonathan despised in life and hangovers was one of them. He gulped down a big glass of water and took a shower with Martha. Once that was finished, they snuggled up in bed together. Jonathan smiled softly as the two drifted off to sleep, laying in each other's arms.
BOOOOOM!!!
Jonathan and Martha were awoken by a huge explosion that came from outside. It shook the house, sending nicnacks and other objects falling to the ground. "What the hell was that?!" Jonathan shouted, getting up out of bed.
Martha jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, Jonathan following close behind her. They bolted out of the backdoor and out into the backyard. Martha let out a shrill shriek; there was a huge dirt trail cutting straight through the cornfield! Small patches of fire singed fallen cornstalks.
"Oh sweet Jesus Christ!" Jonathan shouted. Half of the cornfield was completely destroyed! Martha looked out into the cornfield and saw a flashing light. Curious, she ran down the freshly made dirt path.
"Martha, wait!" Jonathan called, running after her. What had gotten into her? He kept running until he came to a small crater. Martha was already halfway into it, approaching something that nearly made him faint.
Nestled in the center of the crater...was what could only be described as some kind of pod. It was made out of a dark grey metal and had a sort of acorn shape to it. Alternating lights ran up and down its metallic body. It was as big as his pickup truck! Martha got closer to it.
"Get away from it!" Jonathan shouted. He dropped down into the crater and tried to stop her but then something happened. Something neither of them expected. A metal panel opened up in the front of the spacecraft and a white light poured out of it. Martha was completely enraptured by it. She reached into the spacecraft and gently pulled something out that Jonathan couldn't see at first.
The metal panel sealed shut as she turned around to show him. "Jonathan...it's a baby boy." She said breathlessly.
He looked down and sure enough, it was a baby boy. He had black hair and vibrant blue eyes that stared up at the two of them. Jonathan could hardly believe his eyes! "Where...did he come from?"
"I...I don't think he's from around here, honey." Martha answered. She looked down at the baby boy, sleeping away as he was wrapped in a huge red blanket. She inspected the blanket and found something interesting; a symbol that looked like an S sitting inside of a diamond. She had no idea what it meant. Maybe it was some kind of alien mark?
Jonathan put his arm around her, gazing down at the sleeping infant. Martha was smiling. It would seem that her wish had finally come true. They had a child now. They took him inside and cleaned him up.