Author: De Duchess
Season:7
Rating: PG/PG13
Spoilers: This is AU for season 7 and takes place between Gemini and Persona. Just pretend that the whole Bizarro thing has been resolved and that Kara is back and has regained her memory… 'kay thanks!
Disclaimer: Characters used don't belong to me. I make no profit off this fic and this is purely entertainment.
Summary: Clark has a list he needs to get through before Christmas. But as the Holiday approaches he finds that it's the one thing he wants to accomplish more then anything, that he just can't manage to do. And the one thing he didn't even think about, is the one thing he needs.
Written for the Divine Intervention Christmas ficstravaganza of 2007
prompt: List
To Do before Christmas:
1. Buy Presents for:
- Lana
- Mom [done]
- Kara [done]
- Chloe
- Lois [done]
- Jimmy
2. Mail moms present
3. Send Christmas cards to:
- Ollie
- Pete
- uncle Jack
- Maddie
- Ben Hubbard
- Victor
- Bart
- AC
4. Pick up the presents mom sent at the post office on 22nd
5. Get a tree [done]
6. Decorate the tree
7. Decorate the house
8. Buy turkey and chicken for Christmas dinner
9. Make sure Kara's first Christmas is great [done]
10. Make sure first Christmas with Lana is great
~*~*~*~ ~ December 20th
Clark carefully made his way down the stairs and groaned as he heard Kara singing 'Jingle Bell Rock'. It wasn't that Kara had a bad voice, on the contrary. His cousin had quite a good one in fact. The problem was that Lois had given Kara an early Christmas present; a CD with Christmas songs. Unfortunately, rather then the traditional lyrics, these songs all had somewhat more… interesting words. And Kara had the CD on repeat - for the past two days. There were only so many times he could hear 'Jingle bells, Santa smells, Rudolph is a pain' before he was reduced to tears.
As if on cue the front door opened and Lois barrelled into the house. "Hey Smallville!" she greeted with a grin.
Clark eyed her cautiously. "Lois." He greeted.
Lois unwound her scarf and glanced around. "Kara!" she called. "Come here!"
Clark lowered the box of decorations to the floor slowly. "What's going on Lois?" he asked.
Lois grinned as she unbuttoned her coat. "I got you an early present." She told him.
Clark grimaced as Kara joined them. "That's really nice Lois." He said hesitantly. Because if Kara's present was anything to go by, then he wasn't sure he wanted his present. And the giant smile on her face couldn't be anything good.
Lois shrugged off her coat and draped it over the couch. "Ready?" she asked.
Kara nodded excitedly. So far she'd been thoroughly enjoying her first Christmas experience. Lois' eyebrows rose at his lack of response and he quickly mustered up a smile. "Ready."
Lois was still grinning as she turned back to the door and pulled it open with a flourish. Cold wind spilled into the house along with, -
"Mom?"
Martha Kent quickly entered the house, pulling her small suitcase with her. "Hi sweetie."
Clark moved forward and wrapped Martha in a hug. "You're here." He whispered. He began to laugh as he pulled back. "You said you had to stay in Washington for the annual Christmas party!"
Martha smiled as she smoothed down his hair. "As if I'd pass over Christmas with my family to spend it with a couple of drunk politicians." She grinned. "I wanted to surprise you."
Clark's smile widened as he bent down to hug her once more. "You did mom."
Over his moms shoulder he could see Lois smiling fondly at them and he pulled away. "You told Lois?" he accused playfully.
Martha smiled as shook her head and stepped back. "She found out by accident when she called me last week."
"Actually, " Lois piped up. "My experience as an investigative journalist has helped me to determine when someone is trying to avoid a subject. And your chief of staff was definitely trying to avoid the subject."
Martha stepped over to Kara and smiled. "Hi Kara."
Kara returned the smile shyly. "Hi aunt Martha." She said.
Martha wrapped the young girl in a hug and Clark smiled. They'd spoken on the phone a few times, but this was the first time his mom and cousin had met face to face. Martha stepped back and released a breath. "Well, it looks like the house isn't quit ready for Christmas yet."
Clark ducked his head. "Yeah, we haven't really gotten around to decorating because of everything. We only bought the tree this morning."
Martha nodded and took off her coat, "Then I got here just in time." She winked.
Clark grinned and turned back to Lois - who wasn't there. He glanced into the kitchen before walking over to the door and peering outside. She was making her way to her car and he quickly grabbed his coat. "I'll be right back." He called over his shoulder as he exited the house.
He jumped the steps and hurried over to her as he pulled on his jacket. "Lois!"
Lois turned around and frowned as he jogged over to her. "Clark you haven't seen your mom in months, you should be inside." She admonished.
Clark skidded to a stop in front of her. "So should you."
Lois shook her head. "Thanks Clark, but that's okay."
Clark's eyebrows rose. "Are you saying you didn't miss my mom?" he asked. "Or that you don't want to spend Christmas with us?"
Lois glared at him. "I'm saying that I don't want to intrude."
Clark snorted. "Lois, mom would love it if you spent Christmas with us and so would Kara. And with Chloe spending Christmas with her dad, there's no reason you should spend it alone."
Lois contemplated him for a moment. "And you don't mind me spending Christmas with you guys?" she asked doubtfully.
"I wouldn't be asking you if I did." Clark replied impatiently. "You love Christmas, why are you passing up the chance to spend it with us." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You've been avoiding me lately."
Lois rolled her eyes. "I have not. But unlike you I have a job."
"I run the farm!" Clark protested. "And you had a job before and you still managed to come by every now and then. This is the first time you've been here in weeks."
Lois shrugged. "Well believe it or not, I haven't been avoiding you. And we've talked plenty."
"Fine." Clark admitted. "We've talked, but just barely. Only when I was meeting Chloe at the Planet or you and Kara were hanging out."
Lois smirked. "Why Clark, are you saying that you missed me?"
Clark gave her a pointed look. "I'm saying that it's been forever since we did anything and now you're passing up the chance to spend Christmas with me. Despite the fact that then you're also passing up Christmas with my mom." He searched her face. "Even if you didn't even notice that we haven't hung out, you can't tell me you didn't miss my mom."
Lois bit her lip, he had her there. "I call your mom every week Smallville." She finally said.
"Uh huh, and you haven't seen her for the past five months. Are you going to disappoint her by not spending Christmas with us?"
Lois glared at him. "That's blackmail Clark." She told him.
Clark nodded. "Yes it is. And the fact that I had to resort to blackmail, when there was a time when you would've invited [i]yourself[/i] over, tells me that something isn't right."
Lois crossed her arms. "I don't want to intrude." She repeated.
Clark scoffed. "Kara thinks you're the second coolest person on the planet, my mom likes you more then she likes me, and I'm inviting you. How could you be intruding when we all want you here?"
Lois regarded him thoughtfully. "Who's my competition for coolest person on the planet?" she finally asked.
Clark gritted his teeth, "Jimmy and you're avoiding the subject."
A car pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the farmhouse. The drivers door opened and Lana stepped out, staring at them for a moment before closing the door and making her way over to them.
Clark glanced back at Lois and caught the look she was giving him. "Lana won't mind." He said.
Lois' eyebrows rose but she didn't answer and Clark found himself debating that for a moment. He hadn't missed the look on Lana's face when she stepped out of the car. It had only been there for a moment, but long enough for him to see it. It was a look he'd seen before. The same look she'd given him when she first saw Kara in the farm. And the same look she'd had when he'd shown her the picture of his birthmother, before he'd explained who she was.
It was a look of accusation and betrayal. Maybe even of anger. It was a look that plainly said 'how dare you' and that had made him want to apologise at once. For what, he wasn't sure. It had disappeared the moment he'd explained who they were, to be replaced with a kind smile and warm reception.
But it had been there.
Now it was gone as she joined them next to Lois' car, standing next to him. "Hey Lois, what brings you out here?" she asked sweetly.
Lois smiled brightly. "I was just bringing an early Christmas present." She answered.
"I invited Lois for Christmas." Clark said without preface.
Lana glanced at him –with the look- before smiling at Lois. "Yeah, you should Lois. I'm sure Kara would like to have you and since Chloe is with her dad you must be lonely."
Lois' eyes narrowed and Clark jumped in hastily. "Actually Lana I kinda had to insist, but she finally agreed."
Lana nodded and looped her arm through his, leaning into his side.
"You know what?" Lois said. "I'm gonna go and uhm, I'll just call later and see what you need me to get or bring or whatever. I'll see you guys later."
"Okay." Lana answered.
Clark raised his hand. "Bye Lois."
She nodded at them and got into her car. They watched her drive away in silence before Lana turned to him, both eyebrows raised. "An early Christmas present?" she asked.
Clark smiled and tugged her back to the house. "Yeah, you know Kara's Christmas CD? It's better then that. Much better."
He opened the door to the house and ushered her inside. "Surprise!"
Lana froze for a moment at the sight of Martha and Kara going through ornaments, but quickly recovered. "Mrs Kent."
Martha looked up with a smile. "Lana, honey it's good to see you."
Lana walked forward and smiled. "You too. I didn't know you were coming down."
"It was a surprise." Kara explained happily. "Clark had the best look on his face."
Clark chuckled. "I invited Lois over for Christmas." He said as Lana moved back to hang up her coat.
Martha glanced up at him in confusion. "Wasn't she going to spend it with us?" she asked. "I thought that was a given."
Clark shrugged as he picked up the Christmas lights and began to untangle them. "We didn't really talk about it. With Kara lost and with amnesia and Bizarro impersonating me, there was a lot going on. I mean we only just got everything straightened out."
Martha nodded. "I know sweetie, but when I told her I was coming down for Christmas, I told her I wanted to spend it with my family. She knows that includes her."
Beside him Lana stiffened and he winced. "Yeah, but she didn't want to intrude." He mumbled.
Martha laughed as she held up the star. "As if she ever could."
~To be continued
~*~*~*~*~*~
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