Title: Storm
Author: Lisa
Email: lc7685@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Summary: A bit of M/J during Tempest and Vortex, Part One
"What are you smiling about?" Jonathan asked, coming inside and seeing his wife leaning against the kitchen sink, smiling to herself.
"Nothing," she replied, turning towards him. He laughed. "If you must know, I was thinking about our son."
"Scrubs up nice, that's for sure."
"He got it from you," Martha joked. Jonathan walked up behind her and kissed her neck gently, briefly.
"And you," he whispered, continuing to walk past her and opening the fridge, looking for something to tuck in to. "You're really glad he's gone with Chloe, aren't you?" Martha nodded, cocking her head to get a better look outside.
"Jonathan, the sky-"
"That's not answering my question," Jonathan replied, watching her walk up the stairs and into their room. He followed. Martha turned to him. "Weather is getting bad," Jonathan answered the question she'd asked him without speaking. "Is it because it's not Lana, or because it is Chloe?" Martha shook her head. "I wanna know."
"Why? Isn't it enough that we're both pleased he made a good choice-"
"Ahuh. I knew it." They laughed.
"Knew what?"
"You don't think, if the Fordham boy wasn't around, you'd want Clark with Lana?" Martha's lips pursed.
"Not like that, Jonathan. What's gotten you in this mood?"
"The rain," he replied.
"It's not raining."
"It will." Martha rolled her eyes. He raised his at her.
"It's not because I don't like Lana. I love Lana."
"Suure," Jonathan replied, moving towards her as she turned from him. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her back. Martha laughed.
"Jonathan, stop it! I need a shower-"
"Stop what?" Jonathan asked, kissing her neck. "This?" He changed sides and bent his forward finding, her collarbone and kissing it also. "Or this?" Martha turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm just teasing you," he began earnestly when he saw the tears in Martha's eyes. Jesus, he hadn't offended her, had he? "I'm sorry-"
"I'm glad Clark went with Chloe because I can see so much of myself in her, and so much of you in him." Her eyes searched his. "I know it sounds-" Jonathan shook his head, cutting her off, kissing her softly.
Martha pulled away from the kiss and looked up at her husband, smiling.
"You going to let me have a shower?" she asked. He nodded, eyes soft.
"Mm, but make it quick. I don't like the look of the weather out there." Martha's eyes widened.
"You think there'll be a touch down?" Ordinarily, Jonathan would have laughed, but his gaze didn't falter as he stared at Martha's pale face.
"Maybe. I'm gonna make a couple of calls." She nodded, moving off the door frame and stepping sideways into the threshold of the bathroom. They glanced warily at each other as they went in opposite directions.
*
Martha took a moment after she'd redressed to glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her jaw was set in quiet determination and her eyes were a steely blue. She was worried. She shook her head, trying to smile. She'd never been confident about this kind of weather. Not having grown up in the country, tornadoes were things that, as a child, she'd known about only because of news reports, and donations her class collected for families whose houses had been destroyed - Once she remembered it was almost a whole town. She remembered her first tornado; she'd been terrified, but they'd been safe. They had always managed to stay safe. That thought allowed her to smile, and she quickly brushed her hair back, glancing in the mirror one more time.
Please keep my family safe, she thought. With all that was going on at the moment. That man from the inquisitor, Lex holding a part of the ship, Clark at the formal and away from home, Jonathan downstairs working on securing the vulnerable parts of the house...
Then the power went out.
*
"Shit," Jonathan cursed as the phones went dead at the same time as the lights. He turned, his vision still blurred because of the sudden change. He found a torch he'd let rest on the dining room table and switched it on.
"Jonathan-" Martha called, trying to get her bearings. He flashed the torch towards her voice and caught her halfway down the stairs. They rushed together. "Did you-" Jonathan noticed she looked flushed, her cheeks a deep pink. He wanted to kiss her so urgently. Because he was worried, and he saw that she was too, and he needed them to be safe. Needed it more than anything.
"I got cut off. We have to get out of here." She nodded. "I just have to switch off the electricity. Stay here, all right?"
"No way. I'm coming with you. What about everything else?" Jonathan didn't reply, and Martha suddenly realised how windy it had become.
"No time." He took her hand and was surprised at how tightly she held it. "All right, come on."
*
Martha held the torch at the main electric panel at the side of the house as Jonathan switched it off. He turned to her and she handed him the torch. Jonathan watched her closely. She was worried about Clark, he knew, and this time he didn't repress the urge to hold her, pulling her to him for a brief but comforting hug.
"I hate tornadoes," he heard Martha say, and smiled reassuringly at her as they pulled apart and he took her hand again, leading her towards the storm cellar. She looked back at the house, a long, lingering stare. Jonathan tugged briefly and she complied, hurrying alongside him.
"There's nothing more we can do here! We gotta get to the storm cellar," he shouted against the wind.
***end part one***
"What are you smiling about?" Jonathan asked, coming inside and seeing his wife leaning against the kitchen sink, smiling to herself.
"Nothing," she replied, turning towards him. He laughed. "If you must know, I was thinking about our son."
"Scrubs up nice, that's for sure."
"He got it from you," Martha joked. Jonathan walked up behind her and kissed her neck gently, briefly.
"And you," he whispered, continuing to walk past her and opening the fridge, looking for something to tuck in to. "You're really glad he's gone with Chloe, aren't you?" Martha nodded, cocking her head to get a better look outside.
"Jonathan, the sky-"
"That's not answering my question," Jonathan replied, watching her walk up the stairs and into their room. He followed. Martha turned to him. "Weather is getting bad," Jonathan answered the question she'd asked him without speaking. "Is it because it's not Lana, or because it is Chloe?" Martha shook her head. "I wanna know."
"Why? Isn't it enough that we're both pleased he made a good choice-"
"Ahuh. I knew it." They laughed.
"Knew what?"
"You don't think, if the Fordham boy wasn't around, you'd want Clark with Lana?" Martha's lips pursed.
"Not like that, Jonathan. What's gotten you in this mood?"
"The rain," he replied.
"It's not raining."
"It will." Martha rolled her eyes. He raised his at her.
"It's not because I don't like Lana. I love Lana."
"Suure," Jonathan replied, moving towards her as she turned from him. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her back. Martha laughed.
"Jonathan, stop it! I need a shower-"
"Stop what?" Jonathan asked, kissing her neck. "This?" He changed sides and bent his forward finding, her collarbone and kissing it also. "Or this?" Martha turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm just teasing you," he began earnestly when he saw the tears in Martha's eyes. Jesus, he hadn't offended her, had he? "I'm sorry-"
"I'm glad Clark went with Chloe because I can see so much of myself in her, and so much of you in him." Her eyes searched his. "I know it sounds-" Jonathan shook his head, cutting her off, kissing her softly.
Martha pulled away from the kiss and looked up at her husband, smiling.
"You going to let me have a shower?" she asked. He nodded, eyes soft.
"Mm, but make it quick. I don't like the look of the weather out there." Martha's eyes widened.
"You think there'll be a touch down?" Ordinarily, Jonathan would have laughed, but his gaze didn't falter as he stared at Martha's pale face.
"Maybe. I'm gonna make a couple of calls." She nodded, moving off the door frame and stepping sideways into the threshold of the bathroom. They glanced warily at each other as they went in opposite directions.
*
Martha took a moment after she'd redressed to glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her jaw was set in quiet determination and her eyes were a steely blue. She was worried. She shook her head, trying to smile. She'd never been confident about this kind of weather. Not having grown up in the country, tornadoes were things that, as a child, she'd known about only because of news reports, and donations her class collected for families whose houses had been destroyed - Once she remembered it was almost a whole town. She remembered her first tornado; she'd been terrified, but they'd been safe. They had always managed to stay safe. That thought allowed her to smile, and she quickly brushed her hair back, glancing in the mirror one more time.
Please keep my family safe, she thought. With all that was going on at the moment. That man from the inquisitor, Lex holding a part of the ship, Clark at the formal and away from home, Jonathan downstairs working on securing the vulnerable parts of the house...
Then the power went out.
*
"Shit," Jonathan cursed as the phones went dead at the same time as the lights. He turned, his vision still blurred because of the sudden change. He found a torch he'd let rest on the dining room table and switched it on.
"Jonathan-" Martha called, trying to get her bearings. He flashed the torch towards her voice and caught her halfway down the stairs. They rushed together. "Did you-" Jonathan noticed she looked flushed, her cheeks a deep pink. He wanted to kiss her so urgently. Because he was worried, and he saw that she was too, and he needed them to be safe. Needed it more than anything.
"I got cut off. We have to get out of here." She nodded. "I just have to switch off the electricity. Stay here, all right?"
"No way. I'm coming with you. What about everything else?" Jonathan didn't reply, and Martha suddenly realised how windy it had become.
"No time." He took her hand and was surprised at how tightly she held it. "All right, come on."
*
Martha held the torch at the main electric panel at the side of the house as Jonathan switched it off. He turned to her and she handed him the torch. Jonathan watched her closely. She was worried about Clark, he knew, and this time he didn't repress the urge to hold her, pulling her to him for a brief but comforting hug.
"I hate tornadoes," he heard Martha say, and smiled reassuringly at her as they pulled apart and he took her hand again, leading her towards the storm cellar. She looked back at the house, a long, lingering stare. Jonathan tugged briefly and she complied, hurrying alongside him.
"There's nothing more we can do here! We gotta get to the storm cellar," he shouted against the wind.
***end part one***
