Perry woke early the next morning, as was his habit. Before, when he'd been drinking, he'd been a heavy sleeper, reluctant to get up and face the day. Now, when he wasn't waking up with a hangover, he found himself eager to arise.
He threw on some casual clothing and padded quietly down the stairs. He stepped outdoors into the fading darkness of the pre-dawn. The sun had not yet risen, and a light mist hovered over the ground from last night's rain. One early-waking bird gave a call, but there was no response. Perry breathed in the gentle moisture of the air, moisture which would bake away later in the hot Kansas sun.
He stood, just a moment, marveling at the sight of the world, thanking God that he was able to live and be sober for another day. He set off on a walk, hoping to get in his exercise, and at the same time, doing his daily meditation.
Perry had tramped most of a mile and was headed back to the house when he saw two figures descend from the sky and land near a grove of trees. They were scarcely visible and Perry only saw them because they were silhouetted against the eastern horizon, where the sky was just turning a beautiful amber-red.
Perry thought wryly that at a previous time in his life, he'd have found a flying couple very newsworthy, but not anymore. He ambled his way towards the couple. As expected (and who else could it be, really?), it was Lois and Clark.
Clark let go of Lois, and she stretched like a cat. Then she leaned forward and impishly kissed him, a kiss that turned deep as he pulled her closer.
Perry walked closer as the two continued their kiss. As he neared, Clark broke off his kiss and turned to greet Perry. Lois's languorous contentment and Clark's sappy smile confirmed Perry's supposition that their "date" had not gone beyond the confines of Clark's apartment.
He shrugged. They'd burned for each other for years and finally the stars had aligned. Perry hoped Richard wasn't expecting to get back together with Lois – the casual affection, the deep love shown between Clark and Lois only emphasized how complete their relationship was. Perry had never seen that attachment between Lois and Richard.
"Good morning," Perry said quietly, not wanting to disturb the early morning stillness.
Clark and Lois greeted him with similarly quiet "Good mornings," apparently feeling the same way. Nothing more was said and nothing needed to be said. The three walked back to the house quietly.
Once indoors, Clark took on the role of host. "Breakfast?" he asked Perry and Lois.
"Coffee first," said Lois, and Perry had to agree. Clark quickly set a pot to brewing, when Martha came down the stairs. Perry had to admire her – even in casual clothing, she looked darn good first thing in the morning.
"Morning, Mom," Clark said, and Perry and Lois echoed him. Martha smiled to see her kitchen full of guests and returned their greetings cheerfully. "Clark will be cooking breakfast," she said. "He takes orders."
Clark smiled and his hands blurred. Before Perry could inhale, Clark held a whisk and spatula, and eggs, pancake batter, and cut fruit sat on the counter. "Yep, just call me Mr. Short Order Cook," Clark said. "Mom? What'll you have? Omelet? Pancakes? Toast?"
"Cheese omelet for me," Martha said, relaxing back with a cup of coffee. She smiled as Clark assembled ingredients and started cooking at normal human speed. "You know, there were so many mornings when I had to get up early and cook for Jonathan and him….it's nice to get cooked for, now."
"Just want to show that I can cook," Clark said.
Lois sighed. "It's good that one of us can." Perry chuckled inwardly; Lois' contention that a woman who cooked just didn't have enough gumption to call for carryout was well known around the Planet newsroom.
Perry watched Clark cook the omelet with savoir faire. Clark didn't have a special omelet pan, so he carefully folded the egg crust over the filling, then deftly flipped the omelet in the air, catching it in the pan, with the uncooked side now down for the final browning. A last-minute blur, and a plate with omelet, toast, and cut strawberries was placed in front of Martha, along with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Next?" Clark said, looking at Perry.
"Lois first," Perry said.
"Oh, go ahead, Perry," Lois said. "I always have to get my coffee in before I can eat anything."
"Well, OK then," Perry said, and put in his request for pancakes, sausage, with two eggs over easy, and hash browns. (He put that last in out of curiosity and just to be difficult – there were no potatoes to be seen. It didn't matter – in less time than he would have thought possible, his plate slid in front of him.)
A car pulling up in the driveway interrupted Lois' breakfast order (something along the lines of coffee and a croissant – Perry hoped she'd order a more substantial breakfast. Lois never seemed to eat enough, especially when on the trail of a story, and Perry wondered if part of her famous temper was that she was hungry.)
It was Richard and Jason, and Jason slammed into the kitchen in excitement. He chattered a mile a minute about spending the evening with Daddy, and the motel, and staying up late to watch the movie, and how he drew pictures, and…"
"Did you have a good time, Jason?" Lois asked.
"It was great!" her son replied.
"Mr. Clark is cooking breakfast – what would you like?" Lois asked.
"Can I have the waffle with strawberries and whipped cream?" Jason asked eagerly.
Clark glanced at Lois, got her unspoken permission, and nodded. "Sure. Why don't you help me pour the batter in the waffle iron?" Jason came eagerly across the room.
"What about his allergies?" Richard said quietly to Lois as he sat next to Perry, joining the group at the kitchen table. Perry thought it seemed a very natural thing to do. Martha Kent was the heart and soul of their group, and her kitchen was naturally friendly and welcoming. Even Richard, lost, lonely, heartsick, confused, had relaxed in its camaraderie last night.
"He seems to have gotten over his allergies," Lois replied, equally quietly.
"Oh." Richard looked around, belatedly made his greetings. "Good morning. Perry. Martha."
"Good morning," they replied, and Clark too.
Clark slid a full plate of scrambled eggs and fruit in front of Lois, dressing it proudly with a croissant on the side. Perry idly wondered if he'd actually gone to France to get it. Probably not. Clark hadn't had it last night, and Perry knew for a fact that Clark and Lois had been….busy…since then. It had probably been in the freezer. Of course, he might have gotten it the day before. So actual French croissants were a real possibility.
"Clark is making breakfasts," Martha said. "Richard, what would you like?"
Clark nodded as he got Jason set with his waffle at the kitchen table.
Richard looked acutely uncomfortable. "Just coffee for me, thanks," he said.
"Oh, you'll need more than that," Martha said. "You and Clark have to check the fence line today, and that takes fuel."
"We do?" Richard asked.
"You do," Martha said firmly.
Perry, awed at the sight of the master at work, only quirked his lips as he saw that Richard realize resistance was futile. Richard, giving in with good grace, said, "Well, in that case, load me up. What've you got?"
"Eggs, any style," Clark said. "Omelets. Pancakes or waffles. Sausage or bacon. Hash browns. Croissants. Toast – rye, white, or whole wheat. No biscuits and gravy handy, but I can make them if you want them. Strawberries. Mixed fruit. Cold cereal or hot oatmeal. Orange juice. Coffee."
"I might as well be at the Metropolis Diner," Richard said, not quite teasingly, but with some humor in it. "If everyone else has had theirs…"
Everyone made noises of agreement and pointed to their plates.
"Well, then, how about two eggs over easy with bacon, toast, and a side of mixed fruit?"
"No problem." Clark put the breakfast together with deft sureness, then made a plate for himself, joining the group at the table.
"You ever been a short order cook?" Perry asked, impressed by Clark's juggling of everyone's order and his ability to have everything come out hot at the same time.
"Actually, I did do some undercover work as a cook in one of my investigations," Clark mused. "It's come in handy more than once."
"And here I thought you were going to say your mother taught you everything," Martha teased.
"I was going to say," Clark parroted, "that I could never have made it in the diner without the strong foundation of basic cookery that I learned at my mother's knee." Everyone laughed at his tone.
Eventually Martha sat back in her chair and began issuing directives. What Perry found interesting was that everyone obeyed. He wondered if Clark had copied his "Superman voice" from Martha.
"Clark, you and Richard need to check the fence line. I think there are some problems in the stretch by the pond."
The two men nodded, Richard looking a little uneasy, but conceding he was in for a penny, in for a pound.
"Lois and I will take Jason shopping, and Perry?"
"Yes?"
"You said you had some Planet work to do?"
"Yeah, the assistant editors can handle most of it, but since I left, um, somewhat unexpectedly, there's some things I have to do. If I can get on to your internet…"
"We'll get you set up." Martha cast a look at the assembled breakfasters. "Richard, Lois, if you can get Jason cleaned up..."
The boy in question had somehow managed to get whipped cream into his hair.
Richard chuckled. "I've got him." He got up. "Come with me, sport." He took Jason down the hall for a cleanup.
Perry sat back and sipped his coffee. Martha looked sternly at the mess in the kitchen. "Clark?"
"Mom," Clark fake-whined, "I did the cooking!"
"And you can clean up too," Martha said, mock sternly.
Clark laughed, and then the blur descended on the kitchen, ending with things back in spotless order. Perry didn't even blink. Perhaps he was growing blasé.
"You know, I like watching that," he mused.
"Super-speed cleanups?" Lois asked.
"No, actually, just somebody else cooking and doing the dishes. Why do you think I eat out all the time when Alice is away?"
Lois's reply was cut off by Richard and Jason returning to the kitchen. Perry almost laughed at Richard's amazed expression that turned into realization with a little bitterness.
"Well, I guess things are OK here," Richard muttered.
"Thanks for getting Jason cleaned up," Martha began. "Now, Richard, you're dressed OK, but Ben Hubbard and his son left some spare boots here, and I really think you'll want to wear boots instead of those nice shoes."
Richard only nodded. Perry had to give him credit – or maybe he should give Lois credit? Richard seemed well-trained in going along with suggestions when it was obvious there was no alternative. Clark, Perry noticed, was already dressed in flannel shirt, jeans, and work boots.
"Now, we'll be going…." A confused scrum, everyone ended up on the front porch, Richard kissing Jason goodbye and Lois doing the same thing with Clark. Richard's eyes narrowed. Martha waved to Perry and marched off to her car, Lois and Jason in tow. Clark gestured to Richard and pointed to a two-wheeled cart, laden with fence posts, a sledgehammer, a post-hole digger, and a cooler with water bottles in it. The two men headed for the cart, and Perry went back indoors.
