“So, besides Perry, are you going to tell anyone else about the baby?”
She shook her head. She wasn’t ready for that. It was her moment. Clark’s moment. Maybe she wouldn’t have to wait that long and it still could be his. But probably not. Even still, she didn’t want everyone else to know just yet. She couldn’t handle that. “No. I’d rather wait…I…think we need a little time to adjust to our situation first.”
He nodded. If he’d known what she was thinking, he didn’t let on. And she was grateful for that. She grabbed his hand. “Come on, there’s somewhere we need to go.”
Part 3
***
Lois picked up the receiver of the pay phone Clark had stopped them at somewhere outside of Smallville and dialed the Kent’s number.
“Hello?”
“Martha, it’s me, Lois.”
“Lois, it’s so good to hear from you, Sweetie. How are you holding up?”
“I’m alright. Look, I didn’t want to just come without calling first, would you mind if I stopped by for a visit?”
“Of course not, Lois. We’d love to see you. Just let us know what time your flight comes into Wichita and I’ll come pick you up.”
“Um, well, I’m already here, in Smallville.”
“Really? Then what on Earth are you on the phone for? You know you’re family, Lois. You’re welcome anytime. So when shall I expect you?”
“About five minutes?”
“Okay, Hon. I’ll see you then.”
She replaced the receiver and turned to Clark. “So, you ready to meet Clark’s parents?”
He just nodded and scooped her up into his arms. He glanced around the deserted lot and lifted them up in the air, heading towards Smallville and the farmhouse. She could feel his nervousness. It was still weird, that feeling of connection, and she didn’t think she’d ever get used to it like she had with her Clark. It was always there, faint, then stronger when one or both of them were emotional. It was only a shadow of what she’d felt with Clark, but it was there nonetheless.
She saw the farmhouse come into view and Clark slowed. She could feel him shaking ever so slightly, so she touched his shoulder. “It’s okay, Clark. You’ll be fine.”
“What if they hate me? For…for taking their son’s place? For butting in?”
“No, Clark. They won’t. They’ll be grateful, just like I am.”
He landed them a short distance from the porch and set her down gently.
“Now, you’ll be okay for a few minutes here while I explain?”
He nodded.
“Then I’ll call for you. So don’t wander too far, Flyboy.” She gave him a wink and was glad when he smiled at her teasing. “See you in a few,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way up to the door of the farmhouse and knocked.
Martha answered and seemed thrilled to see her and before she knew it, she found herself in the older woman’s arms. It felt so good to be hugged, so comforting. It was such a relief to be here. Martha was a lifesaver.
“Come in, Honey, come in.” Martha ushered her inside and sat her at the table where fresh baked cookies and cold milk awaited her. “Help yourself, Dear. How are you doing?”
Suddenly it was all too much to handle. The dam she’d built so carefully over the last few hours broke, and the tears came in a flood. “Oh, Martha! Everything’s a mess.”
She felt Martha collect her in her arms once again and she shushed her. “There, there, Lois. It’s okay. Let it all out, Sweetie.”
She just sobbed in her arms for a long moment before she caught her breath. Martha guided her into a chair and grabbed a box of tissues from the counter, handing Lois one as she sat. “Now, Dear, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Well,” she tried a watery smile as she dabbed at her eyes. “It’s actually good news if you think about it…it’s just.” She smoothed out the tissue in her hands and stared at it for a moment. “Well…I’m pregnant.”
She smiled again when she saw Martha’s face light up. “Oh, Lois, that’s wonderful!”
“I know.” She sniffed. “I just wish Clark were here.”
“Oh, Honey, I do too.”
For a moment, Lois wished she could end it right there. It wasn’t right. The other Clark was waiting outside, ready to intrude on her family. Her moment. She didn’t fault him for it. She knew he felt guilty already, but it wasn’t his fault. He’d come to help and she was grateful for that. She sniffled. “Actually, Martha, there’s something else.”
“Oh?”
“Remember when Clark and I told you about the parallel universe and how I’d been stranded there for a few days?”
Martha nodded in recognition.
“And that universe had a Clark just like ours?”
“Yes?”
“Well…” She folded the tissue in half, then in half again before she looked back up at Martha. She wasn’t sure how she would handle it. “That Clark is here.”
“What? How?”
“H.G. Wells brought him here to sort of…stand in for Clark while he’s gone. He said Clark’s identity was in jeopardy. Something about Utopia and the future.”
***
Lois looked worried, like there was something else she wasn’t saying. “Lois?”
“Martha, he wouldn’t say if Clark was coming home or not. What if he never comes back?”
Martha didn’t want to think about it. She’d never tell Lois, but she’d been having those thoughts for the past few weeks. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she simply gathered Lois in her arms again. She’d always thought of this woman as her daughter. Now, the mother of her grandchild. “Oh, Lois.” They both sobbed in each other’s arms for a while.
This wasn’t right. They shouldn’t be blubbering about like this. She pulled back from Lois gently and wiped at the tears on her face. Something else, they had to talk about something else. “So this other Clark is here in this universe? Where is he?”
Lois looked sheepish. “Outside.”
“Lois! All this time?”
“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t want to shock you, Martha. I didn’t want to give you false hope. I’ll get him.” She raised her voice slightly. “Clark, you can come in now.”
Martha waited for the whoosh and the appearance of her “son,” but instead there was a knock at the door. Wordlessly, she got up to answer it.
When she opened the door, she gasped inwardly. Even though Lois had told her, it was still a bit of shock to actually see him. When she looked closely, though, she could pick out the little differences that told her that this man was not her son. “Clark, please come in. I’m Martha, but you knew that.”
He held out a hand, but he looked so lost and so much like her son, she simply pulled him into her arms instead. After a moment, he seemed to collapse into her and to her surprise, he started trembling. He was crying. “Oh, Clark. There, there, don’t cry.”
***
He’d been caught off guard at first by the hug, but he relaxed quickly. It felt so good to be in this woman’s arms, his mother in so many ways. He could pretend for a little bit. Couldn’t he? He hadn’t seen his mom in twenty years and he hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until this moment. He’d never gotten to say goodbye, and now she was here…
But this wasn’t his mom. He straightened abruptly, embarrassed by his display of emotions. He wiped the tears away quickly and composed his face. “Sorry. I just…ah…sorry.”
“No, no, Dear. It’s okay.”
He knew she must think he was crazy. The surprise was evident in her face, though he could tell she was trying to hide it. He just stared at her, dumbfounded. She was older, obviously, than his mom had been, but she still had the same caring eyes.
“Why don’t you join Lois and me in the kitchen?”
He nodded, still struck silent by the moment. Silently, he followed her into the kitchen where Lois was seated. She looked concerned.
“Clark? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Really. It was just a little more…emotional than I’d expected, seeing my mo...seeing her.”
Martha looked a little baffled and thankfully Lois stepped in to do the explaining. “His parents died in a car accident when he was ten.”
“Oh my! You poor thing! No wonder.”
Before he knew what was happening, this woman was hugging him again. It was a brief hug this time, but still comforting.
“Here, Clark, have a seat. Lois.” He sat as he watched her give Lois a look. “Would you go out to the barn and see if Jonathan needs any help?”
“Sure.”
Lois left him alone with Martha. The woman looked at him and reminded him so much of his mother. She had the same look on her face that his mother had had when she’d sensed something was wrong. She’d always get it out of him, make him tell her what was bothering him. And he knew instinctively, this woman was no different. She sat down next to him in the chair Lois had vacated.
“Talk to me, Clark. Tell me about your life.”
He looked at his hands and then back up at her. “I don’t know where to start.”
“You could start with your parents.”
“Well,” he hesitated before he started. “Up until they died, they were great parents. We got along great. A lot of the other kids would always complain about their parents, but not me. I think it might have been something to do with how they found me.” He hesitated for a moment. He’d never told anyone but Lana the story of how his parents had found him. Though the woman in front of him probably already knew . was there really a point in telling her?
She must have sensed his uncertainty. “Go ahead, Clark, I want to hear you tell it.”
He gave her a weak smile and continued. “They weren’t able to have kids and then I show up out of nowh…well the sky. They didn’t take me for granted and I didn’t take them for granted either. Especially when my powers started to develop. By the time I was ten, I was pretty strong and getting pretty fast.” But not fast enough.
He knew better than to blame himself now, but still, he couldn’t help but feel that it was his fault. He should have been able to do something. He looked back up at Martha. There were those eyes again.
“Go on, Sweetie.”
He took a heavy breath and continued. “We didn’t know that I was from Krypton then. We weren’t sure. Mom and Dad thought maybe I had been some kind of Russian experiment, but they didn’t treat me any different. They didn’t think I was a freak like…well, like Lana did when I told her.”
“Lana Lang?”
“Yeah. We were friends and after mom and dad died, we got real close. She was my only friend. It was hard to keep any ‘cause I kept getting bumped from foster home to foster home. They thought I had behavior problems, but I was just trying to hide my powers. I was real quiet, but they thought I was being destructive, rebelling. I accidentally broke a lot of things and it only got worse when I started setting fires with my eyes.”
“Oh, you poor dear.”
“I survived.” He said quietly. He tried not to think about how it had been. “Lana was a real rock for me. She always said, ‘No one will ever love you more than I do and no one understands you better.’ I guess looking back, she didn’t really understand me at all, but that was why I thought I could trust her with my secret. When I told her, she was shocked and I could tell she was a little scared of me. She hid her reaction quickly though, and didn’t mention it again. I didn’t either. She did her best to treat me normally after that. We stayed friends and up until last year, we were even engaged.”
“What happened?”
“Uh…Lois happened.”
“Oh.”
“No, it was for the best. I wasn’t really happy with Lana. She was always yelling at me when she’d find out that I used my powers in public. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t just stand by when I knew I could help.”
“Of course not, Dear.”
“I’d told her what my dad had always said and she never let me forget it. Every time she caught me, she’d tell me, ‘Clark, they’ll lock you up and dissect you like a frog.’”
Martha chuckled. “Sorry, it’s just that Jonathan used the same thing on Clark.”
He smiled at that. “Funny how much is the same, huh?”
“Yeah. And it’s funny how much is different too. So what happened with Lois?”
“Didn’t Lois tell you?”
“Yeah, but I want to hear it from you. How did *you* feel?”
No one had ever asked him how he’d felt about the situation. Not that anyone could have, but who would’ve believed him anyway? They would have all thought he was crazy. He looked at the older version of his mom. The only person he could’ve told, had she still been alive. He’d been plagued by it ever since it’d happened, having to hold everything inside. Clark sighed, half with relief, half with trepidation, and began to tell his ‘mom’ of the day his world had turned upside down.
“Well, I was at the Planet when this woman came out of nowhere and kissed me.” He smiled at the memory, the moment his life had changed forever. “It shocked me to say the least and then Lana came up behind us, introduced herself and that was the first time we met. It wasn’t too much later that Mr. White told me she was my new partner and no sooner did she pull me into the conference room and turn my world upside down. She scared the hell outta me when she told me she knew who and what I was. She told me all about this parallel Metropolis, this other Clark Kent. I knew I shouldn’t have talked to her. I should have just walked away, but I couldn’t. I felt this weird sort of connection. I mean, the way she looked at me when I told her my parents had died. It was just, well, she was so sad for me. Here was this crazy woman, telling me all these crazy things and amidst it all, she showed me her heart, her compassion. No one had ever done that except for my parents.
“She showed me a picture of both of you, with him. He looked so happy. It was hard to see that. I didn’t get to have that…what he has with you.” He paused, swallowing the pain. “Anyway, she also showed me a picture of him in this funny looking costume.”
Martha was smiling again.
“What?”
“I made it for him.”
He felt his cheeks getting red. “Oh, yeah. Lois told me that, sorry. I mean, it looked ridiculous at first, but Lois made the one I wear now.”
“Lois made a suit for you?!”
“Yeah, the same one you did. Why?”
“Well, Lois isn’t exactly the domestic type. I love her dearly, but she can’ t cook to save her life. I never dreamed she knew how to sew.” She grinned at him with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Now that I know, I’ll have to make her sew Clark’s suits from now on.”
“He has more than one?”
“Of course, Honey. You don…you wouldn’t, would you? I’ll make you some.”
“You would?”
“Absolutely.”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“No, no. No trouble at all. I’d be glad to.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go on.”
“Well, Lois made the suit for me and convinced me to go out as this ‘Superman’ and help people.”
She smiled at him and he realized he was smiling too.
“It felt so good, Martha. I’d never felt more free in my life. And it made me feel…” He didn’t want to say it. He was embarrassed by his misplaced feelings for Lois. He wasn’t sure how Martha would react. This was her son’s fiancé he was talking about.
“How did it make you feel, Clark?”
He couldn’t say it. What if she thought he was some kind of pervert?
“It’s okay. Nothing leaves this room.”
Somehow he knew it was the truth. He could trust her. And he saw in her eyes that she wouldn’t judge him. He sighed and continued. “It made me feel…well, ever since that first moment I met Lois, I felt so many things. It was like I’d known her all my life. For the first time since my parents died, I felt like everything was going to be okay. I know it sounds stupid, but I…I think I fell in love with her. There was…still is, this connection. Crazy, huh?” He looked into the older woman’s eyes and didn’t find any ridicule.
***
“It doesn’t sound crazy at all, Clark.”
“I had a lot of time to think about that. This insane notion that I could love someone at first sight, someone that I didn’t even know. I got to thinking that maybe my feelings for Lois were meant for the Lois in my universe.”
“What happened to her?”
“I don’t know. She was on an assignment in the Congo. Some gunrunning story. And…she never came back. I actually never met her. She was presumed dead. It’s stupid, I know, to love someone I don’t even know, who’s most likely dead. I looked for her, but all my powers, all my abilities didn’t help when it really mattered…just like with my parents.”
She watched him try to hold it in. Just like her boy, always trying to be too strong for his own good. “It’s okay, Clark. Let it out.” She moved her chair closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
He buried his head in his hands to hide his tears. “I wasn’t fast enough. I’d always watch from the porch for them to come home. That night, they were driving home from a town meeting. I started running when I saw the semi heading towards them. I was pretty fast, even then, but I didn’t make it in time. I was too late. The examiner said they died instantly. No pain.” He sniffled and the tears were streaming down his face now. “I wasn’t fast enough. I let them die.”
She gathered him into her arms, her heart aching for him. “Shh, Clark. It wasn’t your fault. There wasn’t anything you could do. It’s not your fault.” He cried harder in her arms, the sobs wracking his body. She comforted him the best she could and thanked God that the same fate hadn’t fallen upon her and Jonathan. This poor boy had been through so much. She held him until he’d cried himself out.
He sat up slowly, embarrassed. “I’m sorry…I…I never told anyone before. Not everything.”
She smoothed his hair back and looked at him, nudging the box of tissues towards him. “You’re so brave, Clark. It must have taken a lot of courage to survive after something like that, especially alone.”
“Th…thanks. I think I needed that.” He blew his nose and wiped at his eyes.
“You sure did. And you’re welcome. What do you say we go find Lois and Jonathan.”
“Sure.” He wiped the tears from his face and sniffled. “I’d like to meet him.”
***
Lois was in the barn with Jonathan. She’d told him everything.
“So, this other Clark is talking with Martha right now?”
She nodded. She hoped Clark was okay. She’d felt him suffering. It seemed to have lessened now, but the force of it had almost been overwhelming. “I think they might be done now.”
He cocked his head. “Oh?”
“Well, he and I…kinda have this connection. I can feel his emotions and he can feel mine. It’s the same with me and Clark, only stronger. I think that’s how Clark’s managed to save me so many times. He could feel when I was in danger.”
“That’s amazing.”
“I know.” She smiled wistfully. She wished she could feel Clark now.
Just then, Martha entered the barn with Clark right behind her. “Jonathan, Honey, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Clark stepped forward. “Jonathan, this is Clark Kent. Clark, this is my husband, Jonathan.”
Clark extended a hand and Jonathan took it with both of his. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
Lois could feel Clark’s heart skip a beat when he shook his hand. “Likewise.”
“Thank you for everything you’re doing for Lois. And my boy.”
He didn’t respond at first and she could feel his modesty. “You’re welcome, sir.”
“Oh please, call me Jonathan.”
“Jonathan.”
The moment got awkward. Clark stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and kicked some of the hay around on the floor. Jonathan cleared his throat. Lois was glad when Martha piped in.
“Who’s hungry? I can have lunch ready in a few minutes.”
***
tbc...
