Thanks to Beth, Carol, and Mark for all of their suggestions that made this suitable for general consumption.
And I should mention that I read Ann's comment on Carol's story about Martha being born in Boston the other day. I used that in my next story, but this was written long ago and I decided not to change it. It's a different universe – so this Martha was born somewhere different. That's okay, right?
From Chapter 35
“I had it under control, Clark,” Lois said. This was one of those moments where she found his protectiveness a bit much.
Clark nodded, seeming to understand that she did not appreciate his tone, and then spoke again in a softer, gentler voice, “I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself, Lois. I just… I guess I don't want anything to happen to you.” He blushed when he finished and Lois thought he must have realized it as he turned away from her.
“Thanks for staying here, Jimmy,” he said.
“I'm sorry I wasn't much help,” Jimmy said, getting up to put his jacket on. “Good night, guys.”
Lois stood up as well. “Are you coming?” she asked Clark.
“Where?”
“Aren't you going to walk me home?” Lois asked.
“I…um… do you want me to?” Clark asked.
“I think I do,” Lois smiled at him. She was not sure why, but his blushing earlier had melted her annoyance at him.
Clark escorted her to the elevator and as they stepped inside, Lois linked her arm through his. She supposed there were worse things in the world than an over-protective partner.
Chapter 36
“Let's do something,” Superman suggested. It had been a relatively calm night in Metropolis and Clark and Lois were between stories, so Clark and Superman had both arrived home in the late afternoon with no plans for the evening.
“What?” Clark asked.
“I'm not sure, but I'm going stir-crazy,” Superman said.
“Smallville to play hoops? Or just the park?” Clark suggested.
Superman shook his head. “No, not tonight.”
“Is everything okay, Clark?” Clark asked.
“Yeah, everything's fine,” Superman responded, but with no conviction in his words.
“Okay, let's go somewhere,” Clark said, not wanting to push, but hoping to find a way to cheer Superman up. “Alaska? China?”
“The Great Wall?” Superman said.
Clark looked at the clock, “It will be quiet now.”
Superman shrugged. “I think I want something busier.”
“Okay, so Asia's out,” Clark said.
“Right. Or maybe… The Tsukiji Fish Market?”
“The what?”
“The fish market in Tokyo,” Superman said.
“I've never been,” Clark said. “Is it open at this time? It's about four in the morning there now.”
“Now's the best time,” Superman smiled.
“Okay,” Clark replied. He went to his bedroom to change into less conspicuous clothes for flying.
A little while later, and they were standing in Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market. Despite the fact that it was early morning in Tokyo, the market was bustling and numerous tourists were milling around waiting to watch the tuna auction.
Superman had borrowed some of Clark's clothes and was enjoying the feeling of being a person and not a superhero for a few minutes. While some of the tourists were American, and Superman had made appearances in Japan before anyway, he doubted anyone would recognize him without his suit. Hopefully, they would just assume he was Clark's older brother.
He and Clark wandered through the market for an hour or so before the auction started. Superman could feel himself start to relax while they walked around. Here the workmen yelled at him to get out of the way and the men at the stalls cutting the fish into chunks to be sold to restaurants gave him a dirty look. It felt good to blend in with the other tourists, to not stand out, to just be Clark for a few minutes.
By the time they got to the auction, Superman was feeling downright giddy – that was the only explanation he could come up with for what happened next anyway. He and Clark watched the purchasers walk around prior to the auction, making small cuts in the surface of the frozen tuna and checking out the color of the meat. For those that looked good, they broke a small piece off and rolled it around their fingers until it defrosted before popping it into their mouth to make sure the taste matched the quality of the color.
Watching this, Clark pointed out a rather small tuna off to the side. The meat inside was red and tender looking and when the purchaser placed it into his mouth, he smiled. “I think it's a hidden gem,” Clark whispered to Superman and Superman smiled.
“None of the other purchasers have even looked at it,” he agreed.
A few minutes later, the auction started, and things happened quickly. Some of the Americans walked away, as not understanding Japanese, there was not much to see. Clark and Superman, however, remained, listening to what was going on. Sure enough, when the small tuna Clark had pointed out came up, only that one man bid on it. He was about to take it away for a low price when Superman piped up and bid on it, too. For a moment, the two were in a bidding war, but then his opponent looked at him and said, “Wait! You are a tourist! You can't bid on the tuna!” A minute later, Clark and Superman were ushered out of the auction with a firm suggestion to leave the fish market altogether.
Superman tried to feel embarrassed. He knew only the merchants in the market could purchase a fish, but he had gotten caught up in the moment. Still, he could not work up the proper level of embarrassment. It had been too good a day.
As they got closer to the apartment, though, Superman sobered. “What?” Clark asked, and then following Superman's eyes, he glanced into their apartment. “What's Dad doing here?” he asked.
“I need to do a fast circuit around Metropolis to make sure everything's okay,” Superman replied. “You go ahead.”
Clark glanced at him, but not feeling in the mood to quiz Superman about what was about to happen, he let it go.
“Dad?” he asked as he landed.
“Clark,” his father replied tonelessly.
“Is something wrong Dad?” Clark asked. When Jonathan did not reply, Clark added, “Is it Mom?”
“I think… I think your mother is having an affair with a younger man,” Jonathan said.
Clark started to laugh, but caught himself when he realized his father was serious. “Dad, Mom would never…”
“I saw them,” Jonathan said.
“You saw them together?” Clark asked.
Jonathan nodded. “They were having lunch together after one of her classes. I had finished the planting early and drove into town to surprise her for lunch, but she was already eating with someone else.”
Clark shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “So they were just eating?”
When Jonathan looked up at him, though, he had anguish in his eyes. “She was all lit up and laughing at something he said and he was gazing at her… he's in love with her. I know he is.”
“Dad, just because some guy is in love with Mom doesn't mean…”
“How could she resist, Clark? He looked to be in his late thirties. He has no grey hair, no extra…” Jonathan trailed off, patting the extra layer of fat around his middle. “And, to top it off, he's an artist. He shares her passion. How could I even hope to compete?”
“Dad, Mom loves you,” Clark insisted.
Jonathan nodded, “I know she does, but after thirty years, Clark, the mystery is gone. I'm boring and predictable. He's new and exciting.”
“Dad…” Clark tried to get his father to understand how unlikely it was that his mother would have an affair, but Jonathan cut him off again.
“I saw her place her hand on his arm. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen your mother touch a man besides me?”
***********************
“Morning,” Superman yawned as he came into the kitchen.
“Morning. Breakfast?” Jonathan asked.
Superman nodded. “Sure. But uh… I need to get my morning patrol done first. It seems pretty quiet this morning, though, so I should be back before Clark gets up.”
“Sure,” Jonathan said as he went back to the skillet.
The phone rang a few minutes later, waking Clark up.
“'ello,” he said sleepily into the receiver.
“Clark,” his mother's voice came from the other end of the line. “Sorry to wake you.”
“Mom, what's going on?” Clark asked, yawning.
Martha sighed. “It's complicated, Clark, but tell your father I'm coming to Metropolis in a couple of days.”
“A couple of days?” Clark said surprised. “Mom, he's in pain here.”
“I know. And I'm sorry about that, but… just tell him, okay?”
“Sure, Mom,” Clark said, hanging up the phone. He looked at it in wonderment after he placed it down. Yesterday he had thought his father was crazy, but now he was not so sure. Why was she waiting a couple of days to come?
“Breakfast, Clark?” his father called from the kitchen.
“Just a second, Dad,” Clark called back before jumping into the shower.
By the time he finished, Superman was back from his patrol and the three men sat at the table. Jonathan served them hash browns, eggs, and bacon and Clark looked at his father in surprise.
“I didn't know you knew how to cook,” he said.
“Well, I'm not your mother, but I can make a few things. Since she's started her art thing, I need to make some of my own meals,” he explained.
“Mom called this morning,” Clark said as he ate.
“She did?” Jonathan asked and neither Clark nor Superman could miss the eager look in his eye.
“She said to tell you she'd be here in a few days,” Clark relayed the message.
“In a few days?” Jonathan repeated.
Clark shrugged. “I'm sorry. That's what she said.”
“Probably doesn't want to miss her class,” Jonathan said bitterly, going back to moving food around his plate.
***********************
“Clark?” Clark called as he entered Superman's room.
“Hi, Clark,” Superman said as he ironed another suit. Jonathan had gone for a walk a few minutes earlier and Clark was due to leave for work any minute.
“Can I ask you a question?” Clark asked, sounding unsure of himself.
“Of course, but you know I won't be able to answer everything.”
“Right,” Clark nodded, “but this one's not about me. Or not really….” Clark's voice faded off as he tried to find the right words for asking this question; though, in the end, he just blurted out what he was thinking. “Is my mom having an affair?”
Superman stopped ironing for a moment. He should have expected this question, but it had not occurred to him that Clark would ask. Recently, Clark had started to understand that there was little he was willing to share about what was going to happen here. “Clark,” he said gently, “you know I can't….”
“Can't or won't?” Clark interrupted and his voice was hard when he did. “My dad is hurting and if my mom isn't having an affair you could tell him and put the whole thing to rest. How does it matter if he knows? Will it do anything other than make him feel better?”
The two men watched each other in silence for a few moments. “Is it true then? Is the reason you're not saying anything because she is having an affair?” Clark asked.
“Clark,” Superman tried to make his voice gentle and calming, but it did not have the desired effect.
“This is insane!” Clark exploded. “Tell me, is the timeline really that important? Does it really come before everything else?”
When Superman said nothing, Clark stalked off and a minute later, Superman could hear the door slamming shut.
***********************
Superman flew in lazy circles over Metropolis. He was beginning to think Clark was right. What harm would it cause to tell Jonathan that Martha was not having an affair? Jonathan was hurting and if it was within Superman's power to make it better, then he should, shouldn't he?
Superman headed back towards the apartment on Clinton when he realized – what if this was one of those little things that was different in this world. With a sudden movement, he was off in the other direction.
***********************
“Superman, how good to see you,” Martha said without turning around from her painting.
“Hi, Martha,” Superman said quietly so he would not break her concentration. A moment later, she had stroked her brush against the canvas in a thoughtful fashion, and then moved to the sink.
“I just have to wash this out or it will be ruined,” Martha said to him. “Just give me a moment.”
Superman took a seat in living room, suddenly feeling somewhat uncomfortable. This woman had promised to be there for him, to help him when things were difficult and now he was going to accuse her of having an affair? That was not true, though. He had no intention of accusing her – he did not even think it was true. Still, the potential that this would hurt her certainly existed.
“How's Jonathan?” she asked as she came into the living room.
Superman smiled. She was not having an affair. That was clear.
“He's okay. Scared, I guess.”
Martha shook her head. “Silly man.”
“He just…”
“When you met your Lois was it like it was for Clark? She burst in on your job interview at the Planet and you were in love?” Martha asked.
Clark smiled. “Pretty much. And like Clark I spent the next two years trying to get her to see me with just some of the same awe I saw her.”
“It took two years?” Martha asked, surprised to hear it.
“Well, no, it took a week,” Superman smiled. “But that was awe for Superman. It took two years for her to feel that way about Clark. Or at least to admit she felt that way.”
“I was more like Lois,” Martha said softly.
“What?”
“When I met Jonathan, I was more like Lois than you. Oh, I wasn't as scared as that poor girl is,” Martha rushed to clarify. “But I was young – I was still in high school.
“Jonathan and I met at a party. My folks lived two towns over in Gates and I had come to spend the weekend with my cousin. I was eighteen years old and was graduating in a few months. I had been on lots of dates before, but nothing serious. Jonathan told me he was smitten with me after our first dance. It seemed sweet at the time and I didn't think anything of it.
“I had these grand plans for myself,” Martha laughed. “I thought I was going to move to Kansas City and start a career. I had no idea what career that might be, but I knew that I was cut out for more than my mother was. I was not going to just be a homemaker.”
Superman smiled. “You're not just a homemaker,” he said softly.
“No,” Martha smiled. “I'm not. And being a homemaker is a much harder and more fulfilling job than I thought when I was that age. Anyway, you can imagine with ideas like that, Jonathan Kent seemed like a nice boy, but no one I was going to get serious about.
“I knew from the day I met him, that he wanted to be a farmer and live on the outskirts of Smallville. He had already started saving to buy a plot of land.
“When he started courting me, coming into town one day a week to take me to dinner, calling me random nights during the week, it was flattering. He seemed very grown up, very focused. Still, he was just a boy and I had no intention of changing my plans for a boy.
“We were dating for six months when he proposed. I laughed. I was sure he was joking. I wasn't even in love with him, why would he propose? After I realized he was serious, I felt awful about laughing, but I had to tell him no. I told him about my grand dreams for my life and he took my hand in his and told me that that was fine with him. If I could give up the Kansas City part and be a career girl in Smallville, that was fine.
“I said no. I knew what Jonathan wanted was a farmer's wife. He was insistent, swore up and down that what he wanted was me, but in the end, I did what I knew was right, and I broke up with him.
“It was the hardest three months of my life. I nearly called him every night. Sometimes to tell him what a fool I was, sometimes just because I felt so awful, and he was the person who was best at cheering me up. Still, I was convinced that I couldn't change my mind and so never made the call.
“Jonathan called all the time during those three months, but I never spoke to him. I felt like I had to be strong. He sent me notes, love letters, promises that he did not need me to give up my dreams for him. I ignored all of them.
“But then one morning I realized that I was not feeling any better, that the thought of going to Kansas City and never bumping into Jonathan again was making me miserable. I realized just like that that I was in love with him. I called him that afternoon and we were engaged that night.
“We waited two years to get married. And for two years, Jonathan did everything he could to show me that I could have the life I wanted while I was married to him. He drove me into Kansas City on weekends to see shows, he helped me study for exams while I took courses at the college in Granton, he was…wonderful.
“By the time we got married, he had bought this land, closer to town so I could continue taking courses if I wanted, and had made a success of the farm, or as much as you can in two years. I had helped him with it while I studied, and found that I liked it. So, it was no hardship to give up the "career girl' dreams when we got married.
“I still took classes at the community college in Smallville, but more for fun, and when we found Clark, I stopped that. And that was fine – I loved my life. But now… I feel like I need it again.
“I'm not… I could never cheat on Jonathan. He's my life. I've never met another man who makes me feel the way I do when I'm with him – complete, safe, happy. But that doesn't mean I have to stop growing.
“I think Jonathan just forgot that or something. His life is this farm. And that sustains him. I need a little something more than the farm, though. But not a replacement for Jonathan. There is no replacement for him.” Martha stared off into space as she finished her monologue.
Superman smiled. “I think he just needs to hear that.”
“I know,” Martha said softly.
“Can I ask you something?” Superman asked, wanting to know the answer to a question he had been dying to ask his own mother when this happened.
Martha swung her head around to look at him.
“Why are you waiting a couple of days to come to Metropolis? Why not come today and tell him now?”
Martha smiled, “I'm angry at him for not trusting me. For not knowing better how I feel. Maybe it's unfair, but I need a few days so I can tell him this without making it worse by getting upset.”
Superman nodded his head. “Can I tell him? That you're not having an affair, I mean?”
Martha nodded. “Of course. I don't like the idea of him hurting. I'm just… so angry at him for needing to be told.”
“Everyone needs some reassurance sometimes,” Superman said softly.
Martha smiled at him. “Thank you for listening to me, Clark,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “Really. I appreciate it.”
Superman smiled, then he headed back to Metropolis.
