In case you weren't sure from the end of last time, this part is a bit WHAMmy...
BTW - I never actually mentioned his name but Vinnie is Sam's travel agent. I thought I had but when I looked back I hadn't.
As always, thanks to Alisha, Beth and Nancy.
Last time:
Lois
The phone rang, interrupting my contemplation of how delicious my husband looked and how there was nothing I could do about it. I grabbed the cordless phone next to me.
"Hello?"
"Lois, is Clark nearby?" It was Martha and something didn't sound right.
"Is everything okay?" I asked sitting up and motioning to Clark.
His eyes were wide as he sat next to me.
"Please?" she asked.
I handed him the phone.
"Mom?"
I couldn’t hear what Martha said, but the color left Clark's face and I was afraid he was going to break the phone if he didn't loosen his grip.
"What?" I whispered.
"He's gone," Clark said hoarsely. "He's gone."
*~*82*~*
~~~~~
Clark
~~~~~
I didn't really process what else Mom said after it started to sink in that he was gone.
One of the few constants in my life was gone.
Lois was biting her bottom lip and she looked a bit scared as she sat next to me. I couldn't make my voice work, but I found myself needing contact with her. I put an arm around her and pulled her closer to me.
Next Saturday. It was going to take that long to get the family to Smallville and arrangements made. It would give us time to make security arrangements, too, though that wasn't my main concern. I'd be there even if security couldn't be arranged for Lois and Christopher. In fact, it might be better to leave Christopher in Metropolis.
I barely heard Mom say she'd talk to me soon and I didn't realize I'd said good-bye until the phone started buzzing in my ear.
"Who is it?" Lois whispered hoarsely.
"Pop Pop," I whispered back. "Massive heart attack an hour ago. He was gone before he hit the ground – literally – Mom said. He was getting ready for bed and collapsed in the bathroom."
"Oh, Clark." She buried her head in my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
I didn't know how long we sat there, but it was a long time. I remembered her complaining about needing to use the bathroom as we'd walked up the stairs and apparently, the call of nature was too strong. She headed to the bathroom and came back to sit by me again. I vaguely realized that she was wearing a satin robe and one part of my brain realized that it was Saturday and I should have expected it.
I couldn't move. Pop Pop was the first dad I'd known. I didn't remember Jor-El or Chris, but Pop Pop had been there from the beginning. He taught me what it meant to be a man before Mom married Dad – at least, as much as a five-year-old could understand.
He was the first one to take me fishing. He was the one who showed me the best way to husk corn. When I was four, he helped me decorate my first scarecrow for the Scarecrow Contest at the Corn Festival.
What was I going to do without him?
What was Mom going to do without him?
What was Nana going to do without him?
Lois was saying something to me, but I had no idea what it was.
I felt her move my arms to take my jacket off and then she worked on my cuff links before taking off my shoes and socks. She tugged on my arm until I was standing and she unbuttoned my shirt as I stared unseeing through the wall towards the stars. I could feel her fingers brush against my skin as she helped me take my shirt off. I fumbled with my belt but couldn't make my fingers work right and she somehow managed that, too. Of course I was wearing a cummerbund so that's why I couldn't get the belt off – there wasn't one. She helped me take my pants off and urged me back towards the bed.
I couldn't let go of her as I lay down and I found myself burying my head in her chest as the tears finally came. I sobbed against her, soaking her nightgown – one part of my brain noted that she'd removed the robe at some point – and her skin.
She brushed my hair back from my temples and I could feel her tears on my face. She'd liked Pop Pop, too, I knew, though she wouldn't feel his loss as keenly as I would.
I didn't know how long she held me, but eventually, I fell asleep in her arms.
~~~~~
Lois
~~~~~
I woke up to find myself pressed against Clark's back, one arm wrapped around him.
I could tell my eyes were swollen and I had that 'morning after crying' headache coming on.
Why had I been crying again?
Pop Pop.
Martha had called and Pop Pop was gone.
Clark had been practically catatonic in his shock. It had been nearly an hour after he hung up the phone that I'd finally gotten him into bed. We'd sat there for probably fifteen or twenty minutes before my bladder just could not wait any longer. I'd changed into the nightgown I'd left in the bathroom closet. That took another fifteen minutes and he hadn't moved while I was gone. We'd sat there for another ten minutes before I started to encourage him to get ready for bed.
He still hadn't moved and I realized I was going to have to help him if he was going to get some sleep. Getting his jacket, cuff links, shoes and socks off had been easy. Even getting him to stand up hadn't been hard.
What had been hard was taking his shirt off.
He wasn't wearing an undershirt – but he didn't sweat so that wasn't an issue – and every button had uncovered more bronzed skin.
I would have loved to be able to hold him and kiss him and make him forget the horrible sadness that had brought him to this place, but I couldn't. I wasn't allowed to do those things.
He'd tried to help with his cummerbund and pants but he was all thumbs. I was reminded of the cabin and was glad I wasn't going to have to take his boxers off, too.
He'd put his arm around me as I walked him towards his side of the bed. He'd held me to him as we lay down and I found myself cradling his head against my chest as the tears finally flowed. I didn't know how long I'd held him. I did know I longed to tell him that I was falling in love with him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, even though I knew it was unlikely that he'd remember any of it in the light of day.
And now that it was day, I was glad I hadn't.
I snuggled closer to his back and held him a little tighter, letting out a small sigh.
"It really happened, didn't it?" he asked quietly, and I could feel his voice rumbling deep in his chest.
I nodded against him. "Yeah."
"How?"
"Heart attack while he was getting ready for bed."
"Right." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "When's the service?"
"You didn't say," I told him.
It seemed like he was thinking. "Saturday, I think."
"We'll be there," I promised.
"I know." He sighed. "Do you think we should leave Christopher here? I'm not sure..."
I knew what he meant. "Maybe Jessica will go with us and she can take care of him when we need her to – so he's not at the service maybe, but I think your Mom and Nana would both like to have him there."
He nodded. "That's a good idea."
I rolled away from him as he rolled towards me and then pulled me back to him. I settled in next to him as his hand rubbed up and down my arm.
"Thank you," he finally said.
"For what?"
"I was in shock. I wouldn't have been able to get myself ready for bed for a long time."
I gave a one-armed shrug. "I'm your wife. It's my job to take care of you when you need it."
"Still..."
I moved my head to look at him as he turned towards me – to kiss my forehead, I thought later.
Instead, our lips connected.
~~~~~
Clark
~~~~~
They were soft and supple and pliant under mine.
How had I never noticed what it was like to kiss Lois?
Lois.
Pop Pop.
I stilled my lips and my fingers that had tangled themselves in her hair. I rested my forehead against hers.
"Sorry," she mumbled, even though I knew she wasn't the one who initiated the kiss.
I could feel her tense and knew she was ready to move away from me. I gently kissed her forehead and released her.
She rolled away and headed for the bathroom.
I flopped back onto my back and stared at the ceiling, letting out a long breath.
The phone rang as Lois came back out of the bathroom in a pair of sweats and my John Deere T-shirt. When had she stolen it back?
I picked up the handset with a sigh. "Hello?"
"Hi, son."
"Hey, Dad. How's Mom? And Nana?"
He sighed. "I don't think either one of them slept at all. She stayed here last night and they were in the living room the whole night, I think."
"We'll be there as soon as we can make arrangements." I was even getting more comfortable with the whole metal tube thing. "I think Jessica may come with us to help with Christopher."
"That sounds good." He sighed again. "I know you were close to Pop Pop, Clark. He was your first real dad in most ways."
"I was just thinking that," I said softly. Lois was puttering around in the sitting area, getting out her school work. We were both going to have to get ahead if we were going to make the trip. "I miss him already and I've lived away from home for over two years now."
"We're all going to miss him. Your mom said she wasn't sure anything she said got through to you last night."
"It didn't. Lois had to help me out of my tux and everything. I was in shock."
"She had to help you, huh?" I could hear much needed amusement in Dad's voice, but chose to ignore it. "Tux? What was the occasion?"
"The Adoption Option fundraiser."
"Oh, right. How'd it go?"
"It went well. I'll email you some pictures of Christopher in his tux. I don't know how much money they raised but I'm sure they did very well. David Eckstein's parents were there and everything."
"Nice."
He filled me in on some of the details I'd either missed or the decisions hadn't been made yet when I'd talked to Mom and we hung up. "I'm going to go find your dad and let him know what's going on," I told Lois.
She nodded. "Let me know what I can do and when we're leaving. I emailed my professors to give them a head's up and that I'd know details later. Would you like me to email yours for you?"
I shook my head. "I'll do it in a bit. Thanks, though." I sighed again before heading to the closet to pull a shirt and shorts on before I headed out to find Sam.
~~~~~
Lois
~~~~~
I sighed. He'd kissed me. Really kissed me, but I chalked it up grief. He didn't know what he was doing and I was sure it was accidental.
Even if he had kissed me and I'd kissed him and neither of us pulled back immediately. I could still feel his hand tangled in my hair, his lips on mine.
I pulled my attention back to my laptop and my assignment. I pounded away on it until I heard Christopher stirring. It was Jessica's day off since Clark and I were going to be home all day. I heard her moving around in her room as I got him up. I knocked on her door and she opened it a minute later.
"Hey," she said, looking decidedly rumpled.
I sighed. "Change of plans for the week. We have to go to Smallville and I was hoping you could go with us."
"When?"
"Not sure yet," I told her. "Clark's grandpa died last night. The service is Saturday so probably... Thursday or Friday to Sunday."
She thought for a minute. "I had plans for Friday and Saturday nights, but it's no big deal to cancel."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I don't think we'll want to take him to the service, but I know Clark's mom and grandma and everyone will want him there."
She nodded. "I understand. And even if he does go to the service, I can go and take him if the need arises."
"Thank you."
"How's Clark?" she asked, moving to sit on the twin bed in Christopher's room.
I found a diaper and some clothes. "Better than last night. He was in shock last night. He's talking to Daddy right now. We're both going to have to get some serious schoolwork done this week. We both have big assignments due week after next and won't be able to work on them next weekend."
"I'm not going anywhere today. Want me to take him for a while so you can get some work done?"
I looked up at her. "Would you mind? It's not necessary but it would be a big help."
She smiled. "Not a problem. I love the little guy and it's supposed to be nice today so maybe we can go outside for a bit. We haven't been able to all week."
I finished tugging his pants up. "Okay, big guy. Let's go get some breakfast and then you get to hang out with Jess for a while."
"'Ess?" he said, looking her direction.
I smiled. "Yep. Jess. Want to eat?"
"Ee! Ee!" He bounced and clapped his hands.
I laughed. He loved to eat. I set him on the floor and held out my hand. "We'll see you in a bit. Thanks again."
"No problem," she said as she headed back to her room and Christopher and I headed towards the kitchen.
He held a finger as we went through the hallways and then sat to go down the stairs on his bottom, holding my finger again as we made our way through the downstairs.
Daddy and Clark were both eating bowls of cereal when we finally made it.
They raised their spoons in salute as they both had their mouths full.
I just shook my head. "Jessica said she'll watch Christopher today so we can get some schoolwork done and that she can come with us to Smallville."
Dad looked up. "Smallville? When are you going to Smallville?"
I looked at Clark, puzzled.
"He was on the phone," Clark said with a shrug.
I sighed. "Clark's grandpa died last night, Daddy."
Dad stopped, spoon halfway to his mouth, and turned to Clark. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Your mom's dad, right?"
Clark nodded. "Yeah. Service is Saturday. I was thinking we could go Wednesday or Thursday and come back Sunday." He looked at me for confirmation.
I winced. "I have a midterm on Wednesday I can't miss, but we could go after that."
He nodded. "That works if it's okay with your dad that Jessica goes."
"Of course," Daddy said. "Call Vinnie and he'll get the tickets and everything taken care of for you."
"Thanks, Daddy," I said, lifting Christopher into his high chair. "We appreciate it."
"It's the least I can do," Daddy said. "I'll notify the security guys, too."
"Thanks," Clark said.
We talked for a few more minutes and then headed our separate ways for the day.
*****
TBC
