Title: Charade
Author: LiseDevi
Pairing: Clois, Chimmy later on
Spoilers: 5.12 Reckoning (haven't seen any of season 5 so going by what I've heard/read)
Summary: A frantic call in the middle of the night leads Lois on a journey that forever changes her life.
Authors note: this is my first fanfic of any sort. I know the characters are probably seriously OoC so I majorly apologise. Constructive criticism would be appreciated
The first chapter is unbeta-ed but all other chapters have been beta-ed by the talented Kelly.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just borrowing…hope I don't do too much damage.
Chapter1:
APARTMENT ABOVE THE TALON:
A sharp shrill of a cell phone slices through the peaceful apartment. The apartment's sole occupant sighing in disgust and placing her head under her worn out pillow. The shrill ceases and the woman's body relaxes under the covers. She snuggles in closer, preparing for deep sleep.
The high-pitched shrill breaks the silence once again. "Oh, come on!" the woman groggily lets out as she looks at her bed-side clock. It's 2:43 am, who calls at 2:43 in the friggin' morning?
The woman snatches the offensive device from her bed-side table, "This better be good!" she answers snappily. Silence. She wishes she had of looked at the caller ID first. "Hello, this better not be a joke because so help me God, I will hunt you down and…"
"Lois, I…it's…"a woman's teary voice finally replies and dies away.
"Mrs Kent, is everything alright? What happened?" her anger replaced with concern.
"It's Clark…" the rest of what she says is garbled as she breaks down in violent sobs leaving her breathless.
"Where are you?"
"Smallville Med Centre." The distraught Martha Kent practically squeaks.
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Lois answers and hangs up as she tries to jump out of bed.
Having not properly thrown the bedding back she falls flat on her face. "Such an idiot." She chastises herself as she readies for her impromptu trip to the Smallville Med Centre.
SMALLVILLE MEDICAL CENTRE:
Almost 10 minutes later Lois Lane bursts through the Smallville Medical Centre doors, slightly unkempt, she glances from left to right searching for the front desk. Her eyes narrow as she spies a lone woman sitting behind the aforementioned desk.
Lois strides towards the desk, "Hi, do you have a Clark Kent here?"
"Sorry lady but visitors hours are from 9 am to noon and then from 3pm to 8pm. You'll have to come back then."
Lois tries a different tact. Bringing tears to her eyes, "I'm his sister, Mom rang almost an hour ago saying something about Clarkie and then I got straight in my car and drove here from Metropolis and… and…"Lois covers her face with her hands and makes sobbing sounds.
"I'm sorry, what was the name again?"
Lois grins, then lowers her hands as she sniffs, "Kent, Clark Kent."
The nurse taps a few keys on the keyboard. "I'm sorry but the only Kent we have here is Martha."
Lois shakes her head disbelieving of what she just hear. "Mis…Mom!" Lois quickly
corrects herself, almost blowing her cover.
"Room 308." The nurse supplies as she points to the elevator.
Lois walks in that direction, "Thanks." She calls out as she jabs at the up button. A million thoughts racing through her head, but first and foremost, 'why am I here?'
'BECAUSE MRS KENT IS LIKE A MOM TO YOU BONE-HEAD.' Lois mentally chastises herself.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. Lois emerges from the cold steel box. The sterile hospital smell invades her nostrils as she searches for room 308. So typical that she's on the opposite end of the floor.
Lois locates the door, knocks once and enters. In the dim light Lois makes out the form of the small red-head. "Mrs Kent?"
The figure rolls over, now facing the younger and taller Lois Lane. Lois gasps as she takes in the slight bruising around Martha's jaw and the whopping huge cast on her right arm.
"Oh, Lois." Martha says as she pushes herself into a sitting position and puts her arms out for a hug.
Lois instantly crosses the room and tightly embraces the aging red-head. Martha lets out a slight gasp as Lois squeezes her tender ribs. "I'm so sorry." Lois apologizes as she quickly slides away from the woman.
"It's okay Lois." Martha answers, forever the mother Lois wishes she had, envying Clark for his blessings.
"Wh-what happened?" Lois asks, emotion forming a lump in her throat.
Martha doesn't answer straight away, visibly warring with something deep within her. Martha reaches for Lois' right hand with her good left one, gently tugging Lois towards the bed. Lois sits down on the edge of the bed, her hand now cradled between Martha's. Martha still appears to be warring with something deep inside of her. Lois remains silent, giving the older woman time that she so obviously needs.
Lois closes her eyes, tilting her head from side to side as she stretches the muscles in her neck. She breathes deep and re-opens her eyes. Lois is startled as she meets Martha's gaze, vulnerability replaced with an unwavering strength. Lois is once again amazed by the woman in front of her.
"Lois, I have something very important to tell you but this isn't the appropriate place, and, I need you to promise me that you won't tell a soul."
Lois is so taken aback by Martha's statement that she only manages a nod with a wide-eyed stare. "Lois, I really need you to promise me that what I tell you back at the farm stays between us."
"Okay." Lois replies.
"I don't mean to be pushy but now is not the time to be speechless."
"Yes, yes I promise. Cross my heart." Lois replies, crossing her heart with her right hand. Martha smiles slightly and leans back into the bed, suddenly feeling her age.
"So…"Lois glances around the room, the silence growing uncomfortable, "when do we fly this coop?"
"When the doctor comes around, he was supposed to be her 15 minutes after I rang you."
"Okay Mrs Kent, I'll go see what I can do about speeding this up." Lois stands and flees the room, unable to bear the tense silence.
KENT FARM 3 HOURS LATER:
Lois guides Martha up the front steps of the Kent's back porch, fumbling with Martha's keys. After several attempts she unlocks the back door, sneezing as Shelby flees the house. Lois flicks a few lights on and guides an unsteady Martha to the dining room table. "Can I get you anything?"
Martha's pangs of hunger are quelled when she remembers Lois' last attempt at cooking, "Just some water thanks."
"Okie-dokie." Lois replies as she busies herself grabbing 2 glasses and the pitcher of water from the fridge. Lois a bit roughly puts the glasses on the table, reminding Martha of why she called Lois back to Smallville.
"Lois, honey?" Martha again reaches out to the young woman with her left arm. Lois immediately takes the seat opposite Martha. "What I'm about to tell you may sound completely crazy and you're not going to like it but you need to believe me."
"Sure." Lois replies, an uneasy feeling overwhelms her.
Martha takes a deep breath, reassuring herself that she's doing the right thing.
"As you know, 16 years ago there was a meteor shower, "Lois nods her head and continues, "well that day we found Clark wandering around in the cornfields."
Lois nods again, already knowing about Clark's adoption. "Well, here's the unbelievable part. With Clark was a spaceship."
Lois immediately adds, "So, Clark's some alien from out of space with some sort of super powers. I'll buy that. Sure makes everything a lot more clearer."
Martha is dumb-founded and amazed by the young woman in front of her. "Just like that?"
"Yep, explains all the secretiveness, all Clark's disappearing acts and his uncanny ability to be involved in every major happening in Smallville. But one question?"
"Yes?" Martha asks hesitantly, completely unable to read Lois.
"What's Clark got to do with your injuries?" A pained expression instantly crosses Martha's face and Lois regrets asking.
"Ear-earlier tonight, I mean last night, Clark came home acting more than weird. Naturally, I questioned him regarding his strange behaviour and he snapped at me. So I pushed a little harder and he told me I was just an unimportant little woman and he was leaving this pathetic tiny town for good." Martha pauses and takes a deep breath, "I couldn't just let him go so I grabbed his arm. He turned around and slapped me in the mouth. I moved towards him again and he grabbed my right arm. He squeezed it so hard I heard the bone break and he flung me against the wall like a rag doll." Martha pointed to a dent in the wall near the staircase. "I've never seen such hatred and disconcern in my little boys' eyes before." Tears that were welling in Martha's eyes begin to overflow as she fiddles with her cast.
Lois once again takes Martha in her arms. Again wondering how this woman got through all of her barriers. Lois squeezed Martha a little tighter and takes the seat next to her.
"So, what powers or abilities or whatever does Clark possess?"
"Um, where to start?" Lois' eyebrows raise, "He's got super speed, invulnerability, amazing strength, been known to fly on occasion, acute hearing and vision, oh and x-ray vision."
"He has what! You're kidding me right?"
"Clark's a responsible person and he…"
"He's a warm-blooded male still feeling the effects of puberty." Lois cuts in.
Martha nods her head and rebuts, "That may be, but, Clark is different to any other man on this planet and he can't be judged according to the 'typical male'!"
"True. I guess." Lois sits still, mulling over all the time she has spent in Smallville.
"There's more to the mystery that is Clark Kent though, isn't there?"
'Oh boy!' Martha sighs and begins to tell Lois all she knows of Clark's Kryptonian heritage, Jor-El's influence and the effects of the meteor rocks.
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