Superman Movieverse Forum

Title: Family Reunion
Author: Mr. Beeto
Rating: PG-13
Beta: htbthomas and Shado Librarian
Summary: AU Twist on Donner/Singer Movieverse: Tie the three films together into a cohesive whole, and provide a more credible and interesting reason for Superman to have returned to Krypton.

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Author's Notes:

Thanks again to the remarkable beta team of htbthomas and Shado Librarian.

Chapter 10 - Shifting Priorities

Sunday, September 17, 2006 1:00 PM CDT

Tom Hayden led his guests to the south pen closest to the house where their mare and foal were frolicking. He left Clark and Kara outside the fence with his daughter, Becky, and instructed them, "Wait here while I take Hera to the other pen. She gets nervous when strangers get too close to her foal."

"Why does she get nervous?" Kara asked. "We won't hurt her."

"She doesn't know that, honey," Clark explained. "She'd rather be wrong about us than risk someone hurting her foal."

Tom led the foal over to the group at the fence a moment later. "She should be okay now," Tom assured them. He gave some small carrot pieces to Kara and explained, "Just hold your hand out flat with the carrots on top, and slowly lift your hand to her mouth... Don't look her in the eyes yet - you might scare her."

Kara slowly approached the foal, and giggled gleefully when the filly grabbed the carrots with her lips. They continued the exercise to introduce the foal to Kara, and eventually, Lily was tolerating Kara's light petting, with Becky joining in.

Martha Kent observed the scene from the Hayden's porch, where she sat with Ben and Sarah. "It looks like Kara's made another friend," Ben commented.

Martha nodded and cheerfully informed her hosts, "She really seems to love the animals. She and Shelby have been inseparable since they got to town."

"How's she doing?" Sarah asked sympathetically.

Martha shook her head. "It's hard to say, given the circumstances, and I-" Remembering the girl's hearing, Martha immediately fell silent. She sighed deeply, looked up at Sarah and stated simply, "I'd really rather not spoil the moment. Kara's having a good time, and that's all that matters right now."

Back at the fence, Clark couldn't help but smile at Kara's excitement over the foal. Her new friend, Becky, was chattering away, telling her all about their other horses.

"You have more horses?" Kara asked incredulously, her eyes wide.

"That's right," Tom confirmed for them. "Besides Hera and Lily, we have three more mares: Clotho, Lachesis and Atrophos. They're gentle riding horses."

"I'm not sure I'd want to ride the whims of fate," Clark joked.

"You ride horses, too?" Kara asked in amazement, momentarily forgetting the foal. "Can I try?" Clark looked over at Tom, who nodded cheerfully at the suggestion. Ten minutes later, Hera was reunited with Lily, and Tom was leading his guests on horseback, trotting down the back trails of Smallville. Kara had been disappointed to learn that she'd have to share the saddle with Clark, but forgot her displeasure as soon as they were underway. Looks like we're going to have another good day, Clark thought. I wonder how long we'll be able to keep that up...



The ninety minute ride had passed too quickly for Kara's tastes, and it was only after they explained that the horses were tired and needed to rest that she reluctantly allowed Clark to lift her off the horse and went with the others back into the house. Her discontent didn't last long, with Becky leading her new friend to her room to show off her collection of Barbie dolls. Clark eavesdropped on the girls from the Hayden's living room, while he socialized with the other adults. He determined that Kara was enjoying herself, but still found himself unable to relax.

Martha noticed his distraction, and decided it was his turn to be rescued. She turned to their hosts, telling them, "I hope you don't think us rude, but we've been putting in long days lately, and it's starting to catch up with me."

"Oh, we understand completely," Sarah assured them. She eyed the stairs up to Becky's room and added, "The girls seem to be having such fun... I hate to interrupt them."

"I think you both probably need a break," Ben suggested. "Why not let Kara stay and play with Becky, and I'll bring her home after supper?"

"What a wonderful idea," Martha answered quickly.

"Ma, I'd really hate to trouble them," Clark started anxiously.

"It's no bother," Sarah insisted. "Becky's having fun, too."

Clark reluctantly consented to the decision, and they called the girls down to say their good-byes before heading out the door. On the way home, he sat silently in the passenger seat, focusing his hearing on the two little girls playing in the east bedroom of the Hayden homestead. "She needs normal things like this," Martha reminded him. "She'll be fine." Clark simply nodded his response and continued his vigil.

Martha glanced over at her son as she drove, again noticing the worry in his eyes. Martha guessed that there was more to it than Kara's control. He's been a bit distracted and withdrawn all day, she noted. Something's bothering him. She broke the silence, gently asking, "Is everything all right?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," he replied unexcitedly.

"You haven't been yourself today," she pointed out. "What's bothering you?" Clark sighed deeply, but remained silent. After a moment's pause, Martha prodded, "Clark?"

"How are we going to pull this off?" he whispered.

"If you talking about Kara, I think you've got a good start on it."

"Even with the documents I planted in Europe, there are so many loose ends and I'm just not sure how to tie them off," he admitted. "We need DNA tests to prove she's mine, booster shots for her school, she has psychological issues and our hands are tied because of the secrets we keep. I just don't know what we're going to do."

"Well, let's take these things one at a time," Martha suggested quietly. "Let's start with the DNA. What are your options?"

"Theoretically, I should be able to use the Fortress, but I'm not sure we'd have the power for it," Clark answered, turning to look at his mother as he spoke. "We depleted most of it for the new ship. Even after recharging these past six years, it still won't have enough juice for remote genetic manipulation."

"Why remote?" Martha asked simply. "Can't you manipulate your DNA samples at the Fortress beforehand and swap them out with what Sue takes from you at the clinic?" At Clark's stubborn expression, Martha pressed further. "You're avoiding the Fortress, aren't you?"

Clark sighed deeply and returned his gaze out the passenger window. "I worry that it would do more harm than good to bring Kara there - that it would remind her too much of what was lost."

"What's stopping you from going up there alone?" Martha asked pointedly.

Clark was silent for a beat before quietly answering, "Jor-El has some rather strong opinions on how I should live my life here on Earth, and by extension, Kara - to him, it's just duty and the mission. He never considers the emotional aspect of things, he wouldn't understand what we're doing, and I doubt he'd approve. It's best not to involve him."

"Even if it meant that you could hide the non-human attributes of your DNA, and make it look like Kara really was biologically yours?" Martha countered. "Is your problem that you can't find a solution or that you don't like the solutions you see?"

Clark didn't answer, and Martha gave him a moment to consider her words. Finally, she offered, "Well, if you don't want to face Jor-El, there is another solution." Clark turned to look at her as she spoke, "You could share the truth with some of our friends and ask for their help. I'm sure Ben and Sarah would be happy to provide their DNA to swap for yours and Kara's, if you explained the situation to them."

"You can't be serious," Clark stated incredulously.

"Why not?" Martha asked simply. "Do you really think that your father and I managed all of your documentation ourselves? We had help from trusted friends, like Tom Evans. Granted, we didn't tell him everything, but we did tell him enough to get his help. Maybe you need to do the same. Clark, we both know that Ben and Sarah could be trusted, if it came to it... And if you don't like the other option."

"I think I'd rather talk to Jor-El," Clark stated quietly.

"Then talk to him," Martha insisted. "The next problem was immunizations?"

"Yes."

Martha returned her gaze to the road ahead of her as she pondered the problem. "Tom Evans took care of that with you," Martha reminded him. "When we asked him to, he signed off on the immunizations without giving you the shots. He never questioned us on the matter. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was a staunch libertarian who didn't think the government should involve itself in family medical decisions."

"Doc Rivers is no libertarian," Clark commented.

"No, but she is good people and she takes that doctor/patient confidentiality very seriously," Martha replied. "If we explained things to her..."

"Ma, I can't ask people to take that risk for us," Clark insisted.

"Well, that complicates things, because I've been assuming all along that we'd have Susan Rivers in our corner," Martha commented. "If you don't want to involve her, then we're going to have to find someone else we can trust enough to get Kara exempted from the immunizations."

"Maybe 'Charlie King' can talk to a school nurse in another district?" Clark suggested.

"That's not a solution, but I suppose we can come back to that one," Martha decided. "Now, about getting Kara psychological help..."

"Ma, we can't trust a stranger with this secret," Clark said emphatically. "And without knowing that, how can someone help her? Besides, I've already promised that I'd read up on it."

"Reading all those books may help you understand what she's going through, but it doesn't make you a psychologist," Martha pointed out. "The Hollands went through half a dozen of them before they found the one in Kansas City that was actually able to help, and all of them were highly trained and experienced professionals. Clark, maybe you don't have to tell them everything. Maybe but you can tell them just enough to be helpful."

"What are you suggesting?" Clark probed.

"You don't make the appointment for Kara Kent," she explained. "You make the appointment for Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin. We'll keep our name and town secret, but anything else is fair game."

"That's still too risky," Clark insisted. "Especially if the Hollands had to go through a half dozen of them."

Martha sighed and held her tongue as she considered the matter. A few minutes later, she quietly noted, "I suppose your reticence shouldn't be surprising, given how emphatically your father and I drilled it into your skull that nobody could ever know. However, I think it's distorted your priorities where Kara is concerned. You've made it your priority to keep the secret to yourself - to do everything yourself - rather than to do what is in the best interest of your child. You can't do this alone, Clark. Your father and I didn't, not completely... Son, you're going to need to trust other people to help you help her. Now, as far as Sue Rivers and Ben and Sarah go, we've known these people for decades. You know that they can be trusted, and you know that they'd gladly share the burden of these secrets. You probably have friends in Metropolis that you could trust to help, too."

"Ma, if anyone ever found out that they knew -" Clark began.

"You're rationalizing," Martha interrupted sternly. "Nobody is going to associate Smallville with Superman." They finally reached the farm, and Martha pulled in the drive, parking her truck into its usual spot beside the house. Clark got out and walked slowly towards the rail fence in front, but stopped when Martha called out to him. "Clark? ...You need to think about this. Please try to remember that there are solutions to these problems. They may be complicated, and they may not be the ones that you'd like, but there are things we can do." Clark simply nodded and his mother went into the house, leaving him to continue his contemplation.



Sunday, September 17, 2006 5:30 PM CDT

"Clark?" Martha called. She stepped out the front door, and her son turned around to face her from his vigil at the fence. "Are you getting hungry?"

"I'm fine, Ma."

"Well, you're not going to gain back the weight you lost in space by fasting," Martha countered. "I'm warming up the stew from last night. Please get cleaned up for dinner."

Clark took one last look across the fence in the direction of the Hayden place, before turning back towards the house and following his mother inside. Martha already had a bowl of stew set out for him when he arrived at the table, and he took his seat across from her. "Did you spend the entire time out there spying on Kara?" Martha asked.

"If she should forget herself, I have to be able to respond in a hurry," he explained. He paused for a beat, and asked quietly, "Did you and Dad worry like this with me?"

"We sure did," Martha confirmed. "It got easier as you got older, but, yes, we worried. I still do."

"I can handle myself, Ma," Clark answered defensively.

"I know, but I'm your mother, and I'll worry about you," she explained. "It's what mothers do - what parents do."

Clark nodded as he took a bite from the bread, and silently continued his meal. A short while later, he quietly stated, "I thought about what you said earlier and you're right: We'll need help pulling this off. But if we're going to risk trusting others with this, we have to limit the number of people who know."

"Well, I wasn't planning on running an ad in The Torch," Martha joked. "We only need to share this with a few trusted friends."

"Maybe just Doc Rivers," Clark suggested. "I won't ask her to lie for us or to forge documents, but she can advise us on how to deal with some of these issues."

"Well, that's a start," Martha muttered. "Though, sooner or later, we're going to have to tell Ben, too."

"Why?"

"Ben and I have... grown close," Martha admitted, dropping her gaze to her meal. "He spends a lot of time over here."

Clark took note of his mother's suddenly elevated heartbeat and nervous demeanor, and his eyes flew wide open. "How close?" he asked suspiciously. "Mom? ...Are you two dating?"

"Clark, nobody will ever replace your father," she assured him. "But Ben and I... well, it's really no different than what you've been telling Kara: that we mustn't dwell on our loss, but instead continue with our lives. Ben has become an important part of my life..."

"How important?" Clark probed warily.

Martha sighed deeply, and looked her son in the eyes. "He's proposed," she revealed. "We'll exchange our vows November fourth."

"What?" Clark exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down," Martha admonished. "Kara has your hearing, and I don't want you upsetting her."

"But, Mom..." Clark began insistently.

"Would you rather I spend the time I have left sitting around and waiting to join your father in death?" Martha interrupted.

"Wha-" Clark asked, abashed. "No, of course not."

"That's not what your father would have wanted, either," Martha explained. "We talked about it. He knew he had a bad heart. He wanted me... and you... to be happy and live our lives to the fullest. That's what I've tried to do, Clark, and Ben's become an important part of that. I'd have gone out of my mind these past few years without him."

Clark stared at his lap and muttered, "I guess a lot changed while I was gone."

"Clark, not even you can stop the world from spinning," Martha counseled him. She reached over to him and firmly gripped his hand. "Clark?" she called gently. When he looked up at her, she continued, "Ben will have to be told. If you tell Sarah, too, I think you'll have a couple volunteers for those DNA samples you need."

"Are you sure about this, Mom?" Clark asked seriously. "I know you must have been lonely..."

"Well, yes, but this isn't about loneliness," Martha told him emphatically. "I have plenty of friends in this town, and plenty to do if I choose to. Ben's a good man, and he'd been good to us for years before either of us ever considered this possibility. Neither of us was looking for a romance. We fell in love quite unexpectedly... Will we have your blessing?"

"Of course," he sincerely assured her. "Congratulations, I guess... This is really going to take some getting used to."

"I know," Martha told him gently. "But I think in time you'll agree that this is a good thing."

"Where will you be living?" Clark asked numbly.

"Ben's suggested retiring up to Montana," Martha informed him.

"Montana?"

"We like the fly fishing up there," she explained. "Though, I don't think Ben has stopped to consider what Montana winters would be like. Besides, he'd never really be able to leave Smallville. His roots run too deep with all his kids and grandkids here. It's different for me. I could be living anywhere in the world, and you could still show up for dinner at a moment's notice."

"Do you have it figured out yet?" Clark wondered.

"I have an idea, but I haven't run it by Ben, yet," Martha revealed. "His son, Matt, needs a bigger place with the three kids, and the baby on the way, and Ben's place is way too big for him. Matt can have Ben's place, and Ben and I can take Matt's old place. It'll be more than big enough for the two of us."

"What about our house?"

"It'll be here for you and Kara," Martha assured him.

"It won't be the same without you," Clark muttered. He eyes wandered the room, as the memories poured over him. He had been just a little bit older than Kara, sitting in the same chair, when Jonathan Kent had explained how they'd found him, a premature necessity after he'd found the ship in the barn cellar. It was here that he had first experienced controlled flight, after jumping a quarter-mile over the corn fields and crashing through the barn roof, falling to hover a foot above the barn floor - and then patching the roof with his father later that day. It was here that his father had him practicing carrying eggs to control his strength. As he grew and the new powers emerged, Jonathan had always come up with an exercise to help Clark control it. Kara was now using many of those same exercises to learn control over her gifts. God, I miss him, Clark thought. He always seemed to know what to do, no matter what came up.

Martha interrupted Clark's ruminations, telling him gently, "It's not the lumber that makes a house a home, it's the people, and you'll be creating childhood memories for Kara to reminisce about someday." Martha took her dishes to the sink, and left Clark alone with his thoughts as he replayed all the memories from the only place he'd ever truly called home.
Author's Notes:

Thanks again to the remarkable beta team of htbthomas and Shado Librarian.

Chapter 10 - Shifting Priorities

Sunday, September 17, 2006 1:00 PM CDT

Tom Hayden led his guests to the south pen closest to the house where their mare and foal were frolicking. He left Clark and Kara outside the fence with his daughter, Becky, and instructed them, "Wait here while I take Hera to the other pen. She gets nervous when strangers get too close to her foal."

"Why does she get nervous?" Kara asked. "We won't hurt her."

"She doesn't know that, honey," Clark explained. "She'd rather be wrong about us than risk someone hurting her foal."

Tom led the foal over to the group at the fence a moment later. "She should be okay now," Tom assured them. He gave some small carrot pieces to Kara and explained, "Just hold your hand out flat with the carrots on top, and slowly lift your hand to her mouth... Don't look her in the eyes yet - you might scare her."

Kara slowly approached the foal, and giggled gleefully when the filly grabbed the carrots with her lips. They continued the exercise to introduce the foal to Kara, and eventually, Lily was tolerating Kara's light petting, with Becky joining in.

Martha Kent observed the scene from the Hayden's porch, where she sat with Ben and Sarah. "It looks like Kara's made another friend," Ben commented.

Martha nodded and cheerfully informed her hosts, "She really seems to love the animals. She and Shelby have been inseparable since they got to town."

"How's she doing?" Sarah asked sympathetically.

Martha shook her head. "It's hard to say, given the circumstances, and I-" Remembering the girl's hearing, Martha immediately fell silent. She sighed deeply, looked up at Sarah and stated simply, "I'd really rather not spoil the moment. Kara's having a good time, and that's all that matters right now."

Back at the fence, Clark couldn't help but smile at Kara's excitement over the foal. Her new friend, Becky, was chattering away, telling her all about their other horses.

"You have more horses?" Kara asked incredulously, her eyes wide.

"That's right," Tom confirmed for them. "Besides Hera and Lily, we have three more mares: Clotho, Lachesis and Atrophos. They're gentle riding horses."

"I'm not sure I'd want to ride the whims of fate," Clark joked.

"You ride horses, too?" Kara asked in amazement, momentarily forgetting the foal. "Can I try?" Clark looked over at Tom, who nodded cheerfully at the suggestion. Ten minutes later, Hera was reunited with Lily, and Tom was leading his guests on horseback, trotting down the back trails of Smallville. Kara had been disappointed to learn that she'd have to share the saddle with Clark, but forgot her displeasure as soon as they were underway. Looks like we're going to have another good day, Clark thought. I wonder how long we'll be able to keep that up...



The ninety minute ride had passed too quickly for Kara's tastes, and it was only after they explained that the horses were tired and needed to rest that she reluctantly allowed Clark to lift her off the horse and went with the others back into the house. Her discontent didn't last long, with Becky leading her new friend to her room to show off her collection of Barbie dolls. Clark eavesdropped on the girls from the Hayden's living room, while he socialized with the other adults. He determined that Kara was enjoying herself, but still found himself unable to relax.

Martha noticed his distraction, and decided it was his turn to be rescued. She turned to their hosts, telling them, "I hope you don't think us rude, but we've been putting in long days lately, and it's starting to catch up with me."

"Oh, we understand completely," Sarah assured them. She eyed the stairs up to Becky's room and added, "The girls seem to be having such fun... I hate to interrupt them."

"I think you both probably need a break," Ben suggested. "Why not let Kara stay and play with Becky, and I'll bring her home after supper?"

"What a wonderful idea," Martha answered quickly.

"Ma, I'd really hate to trouble them," Clark started anxiously.

"It's no bother," Sarah insisted. "Becky's having fun, too."

Clark reluctantly consented to the decision, and they called the girls down to say their good-byes before heading out the door. On the way home, he sat silently in the passenger seat, focusing his hearing on the two little girls playing in the east bedroom of the Hayden homestead. "She needs normal things like this," Martha reminded him. "She'll be fine." Clark simply nodded his response and continued his vigil.

Martha glanced over at her son as she drove, again noticing the worry in his eyes. Martha guessed that there was more to it than Kara's control. He's been a bit distracted and withdrawn all day, she noted. Something's bothering him. She broke the silence, gently asking, "Is everything all right?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," he replied unexcitedly.

"You haven't been yourself today," she pointed out. "What's bothering you?" Clark sighed deeply, but remained silent. After a moment's pause, Martha prodded, "Clark?"

"How are we going to pull this off?" he whispered.

"If you talking about Kara, I think you've got a good start on it."

"Even with the documents I planted in Europe, there are so many loose ends and I'm just not sure how to tie them off," he admitted. "We need DNA tests to prove she's mine, booster shots for her school, she has psychological issues and our hands are tied because of the secrets we keep. I just don't know what we're going to do."

"Well, let's take these things one at a time," Martha suggested quietly. "Let's start with the DNA. What are your options?"

"Theoretically, I should be able to use the Fortress, but I'm not sure we'd have the power for it," Clark answered, turning to look at his mother as he spoke. "We depleted most of it for the new ship. Even after recharging these past six years, it still won't have enough juice for remote genetic manipulation."

"Why remote?" Martha asked simply. "Can't you manipulate your DNA samples at the Fortress beforehand and swap them out with what Sue takes from you at the clinic?" At Clark's stubborn expression, Martha pressed further. "You're avoiding the Fortress, aren't you?"

Clark sighed deeply and returned his gaze out the passenger window. "I worry that it would do more harm than good to bring Kara there - that it would remind her too much of what was lost."

"What's stopping you from going up there alone?" Martha asked pointedly.

Clark was silent for a beat before quietly answering, "Jor-El has some rather strong opinions on how I should live my life here on Earth, and by extension, Kara - to him, it's just duty and the mission. He never considers the emotional aspect of things, he wouldn't understand what we're doing, and I doubt he'd approve. It's best not to involve him."

"Even if it meant that you could hide the non-human attributes of your DNA, and make it look like Kara really was biologically yours?" Martha countered. "Is your problem that you can't find a solution or that you don't like the solutions you see?"

Clark didn't answer, and Martha gave him a moment to consider her words. Finally, she offered, "Well, if you don't want to face Jor-El, there is another solution." Clark turned to look at her as she spoke, "You could share the truth with some of our friends and ask for their help. I'm sure Ben and Sarah would be happy to provide their DNA to swap for yours and Kara's, if you explained the situation to them."

"You can't be serious," Clark stated incredulously.

"Why not?" Martha asked simply. "Do you really think that your father and I managed all of your documentation ourselves? We had help from trusted friends, like Tom Evans. Granted, we didn't tell him everything, but we did tell him enough to get his help. Maybe you need to do the same. Clark, we both know that Ben and Sarah could be trusted, if it came to it... And if you don't like the other option."

"I think I'd rather talk to Jor-El," Clark stated quietly.

"Then talk to him," Martha insisted. "The next problem was immunizations?"

"Yes."

Martha returned her gaze to the road ahead of her as she pondered the problem. "Tom Evans took care of that with you," Martha reminded him. "When we asked him to, he signed off on the immunizations without giving you the shots. He never questioned us on the matter. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was a staunch libertarian who didn't think the government should involve itself in family medical decisions."

"Doc Rivers is no libertarian," Clark commented.

"No, but she is good people and she takes that doctor/patient confidentiality very seriously," Martha replied. "If we explained things to her..."

"Ma, I can't ask people to take that risk for us," Clark insisted.

"Well, that complicates things, because I've been assuming all along that we'd have Susan Rivers in our corner," Martha commented. "If you don't want to involve her, then we're going to have to find someone else we can trust enough to get Kara exempted from the immunizations."

"Maybe 'Charlie King' can talk to a school nurse in another district?" Clark suggested.

"That's not a solution, but I suppose we can come back to that one," Martha decided. "Now, about getting Kara psychological help..."

"Ma, we can't trust a stranger with this secret," Clark said emphatically. "And without knowing that, how can someone help her? Besides, I've already promised that I'd read up on it."

"Reading all those books may help you understand what she's going through, but it doesn't make you a psychologist," Martha pointed out. "The Hollands went through half a dozen of them before they found the one in Kansas City that was actually able to help, and all of them were highly trained and experienced professionals. Clark, maybe you don't have to tell them everything. Maybe but you can tell them just enough to be helpful."

"What are you suggesting?" Clark probed.

"You don't make the appointment for Kara Kent," she explained. "You make the appointment for Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin. We'll keep our name and town secret, but anything else is fair game."

"That's still too risky," Clark insisted. "Especially if the Hollands had to go through a half dozen of them."

Martha sighed and held her tongue as she considered the matter. A few minutes later, she quietly noted, "I suppose your reticence shouldn't be surprising, given how emphatically your father and I drilled it into your skull that nobody could ever know. However, I think it's distorted your priorities where Kara is concerned. You've made it your priority to keep the secret to yourself - to do everything yourself - rather than to do what is in the best interest of your child. You can't do this alone, Clark. Your father and I didn't, not completely... Son, you're going to need to trust other people to help you help her. Now, as far as Sue Rivers and Ben and Sarah go, we've known these people for decades. You know that they can be trusted, and you know that they'd gladly share the burden of these secrets. You probably have friends in Metropolis that you could trust to help, too."

"Ma, if anyone ever found out that they knew -" Clark began.

"You're rationalizing," Martha interrupted sternly. "Nobody is going to associate Smallville with Superman." They finally reached the farm, and Martha pulled in the drive, parking her truck into its usual spot beside the house. Clark got out and walked slowly towards the rail fence in front, but stopped when Martha called out to him. "Clark? ...You need to think about this. Please try to remember that there are solutions to these problems. They may be complicated, and they may not be the ones that you'd like, but there are things we can do." Clark simply nodded and his mother went into the house, leaving him to continue his contemplation.



Sunday, September 17, 2006 5:30 PM CDT

"Clark?" Martha called. She stepped out the front door, and her son turned around to face her from his vigil at the fence. "Are you getting hungry?"

"I'm fine, Ma."

"Well, you're not going to gain back the weight you lost in space by fasting," Martha countered. "I'm warming up the stew from last night. Please get cleaned up for dinner."

Clark took one last look across the fence in the direction of the Hayden place, before turning back towards the house and following his mother inside. Martha already had a bowl of stew set out for him when he arrived at the table, and he took his seat across from her. "Did you spend the entire time out there spying on Kara?" Martha asked.

"If she should forget herself, I have to be able to respond in a hurry," he explained. He paused for a beat, and asked quietly, "Did you and Dad worry like this with me?"

"We sure did," Martha confirmed. "It got easier as you got older, but, yes, we worried. I still do."

"I can handle myself, Ma," Clark answered defensively.

"I know, but I'm your mother, and I'll worry about you," she explained. "It's what mothers do - what parents do."

Clark nodded as he took a bite from the bread, and silently continued his meal. A short while later, he quietly stated, "I thought about what you said earlier and you're right: We'll need help pulling this off. But if we're going to risk trusting others with this, we have to limit the number of people who know."

"Well, I wasn't planning on running an ad in The Torch," Martha joked. "We only need to share this with a few trusted friends."

"Maybe just Doc Rivers," Clark suggested. "I won't ask her to lie for us or to forge documents, but she can advise us on how to deal with some of these issues."

"Well, that's a start," Martha muttered. "Though, sooner or later, we're going to have to tell Ben, too."

"Why?"

"Ben and I have... grown close," Martha admitted, dropping her gaze to her meal. "He spends a lot of time over here."

Clark took note of his mother's suddenly elevated heartbeat and nervous demeanor, and his eyes flew wide open. "How close?" he asked suspiciously. "Mom? ...Are you two dating?"

"Clark, nobody will ever replace your father," she assured him. "But Ben and I... well, it's really no different than what you've been telling Kara: that we mustn't dwell on our loss, but instead continue with our lives. Ben has become an important part of my life..."

"How important?" Clark probed warily.

Martha sighed deeply, and looked her son in the eyes. "He's proposed," she revealed. "We'll exchange our vows November fourth."

"What?" Clark exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down," Martha admonished. "Kara has your hearing, and I don't want you upsetting her."

"But, Mom..." Clark began insistently.

"Would you rather I spend the time I have left sitting around and waiting to join your father in death?" Martha interrupted.

"Wha-" Clark asked, abashed. "No, of course not."

"That's not what your father would have wanted, either," Martha explained. "We talked about it. He knew he had a bad heart. He wanted me... and you... to be happy and live our lives to the fullest. That's what I've tried to do, Clark, and Ben's become an important part of that. I'd have gone out of my mind these past few years without him."

Clark stared at his lap and muttered, "I guess a lot changed while I was gone."

"Clark, not even you can stop the world from spinning," Martha counseled him. She reached over to him and firmly gripped his hand. "Clark?" she called gently. When he looked up at her, she continued, "Ben will have to be told. If you tell Sarah, too, I think you'll have a couple volunteers for those DNA samples you need."

"Are you sure about this, Mom?" Clark asked seriously. "I know you must have been lonely..."

"Well, yes, but this isn't about loneliness," Martha told him emphatically. "I have plenty of friends in this town, and plenty to do if I choose to. Ben's a good man, and he'd been good to us for years before either of us ever considered this possibility. Neither of us was looking for a romance. We fell in love quite unexpectedly... Will we have your blessing?"

"Of course," he sincerely assured her. "Congratulations, I guess... This is really going to take some getting used to."

"I know," Martha told him gently. "But I think in time you'll agree that this is a good thing."

"Where will you be living?" Clark asked numbly.

"Ben's suggested retiring up to Montana," Martha informed him.

"Montana?"

"We like the fly fishing up there," she explained. "Though, I don't think Ben has stopped to consider what Montana winters would be like. Besides, he'd never really be able to leave Smallville. His roots run too deep with all his kids and grandkids here. It's different for me. I could be living anywhere in the world, and you could still show up for dinner at a moment's notice."

"Do you have it figured out yet?" Clark wondered.

"I have an idea, but I haven't run it by Ben, yet," Martha revealed. "His son, Matt, needs a bigger place with the three kids, and the baby on the way, and Ben's place is way too big for him. Matt can have Ben's place, and Ben and I can take Matt's old place. It'll be more than big enough for the two of us."

"What about our house?"

"It'll be here for you and Kara," Martha assured him.

"It won't be the same without you," Clark muttered. He eyes wandered the room, as the memories poured over him. He had been just a little bit older than Kara, sitting in the same chair, when Jonathan Kent had explained how they'd found him, a premature necessity after he'd found the ship in the barn cellar. It was here that he had first experienced controlled flight, after jumping a quarter-mile over the corn fields and crashing through the barn roof, falling to hover a foot above the barn floor - and then patching the roof with his father later that day. It was here that his father had him practicing carrying eggs to control his strength. As he grew and the new powers emerged, Jonathan had always come up with an exercise to help Clark control it. Kara was now using many of those same exercises to learn control over her gifts. God, I miss him, Clark thought. He always seemed to know what to do, no matter what came up.

Martha interrupted Clark's ruminations, telling him gently, "It's not the lumber that makes a house a home, it's the people, and you'll be creating childhood memories for Kara to reminisce about someday." Martha took her dishes to the sink, and left Clark alone with his thoughts as he replayed all the memories from the only place he'd ever truly called home.

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