Clark had been fourteen years old the last time he had gotten a lecture like that from his mother. For the last fifteen minutes, he had barely been able to get a word in edgewise, other than a feeble "I didn't know." At one point he tried to beg off to go save the world, but Martha quickly vetoed that, saying he wasn't going anywhere until she was done with him. Clark couldn't help but observe the irony that the most physically powerful being on the planet was powerless to escape his mother's scolding. He felt like he was about to get grounded.
Martha took a deep breath, and was silent for a moment, letting Clark know that the lecture had come to an end, and that they'd finally be able to discuss what he had come here to talk about. Finally, his mother sat down beside him on the couch, and looked up at him. "So, when am I going to get to see my grandson?"
"Soon, I hope," Clark answered. "He knows my secret, so it shouldn't be a problem bringing him here, once I get something worked out with Lois."
Martha's eyes narrowed, as she replied "You insist on keeping this secret from Ben, yet you waste no time telling a five year old son that you barely know?"
Clark couldn't help but smile at that. "He figured me out on his own. The adults in the office see me as Clark the Klutz, but he just sees me as Clark, and just knew that I was Superman." He paused for a moment before looking up at his mother, realizing how hard it must have been for her keeping that secret during his absence. "You can tell Ben. You, Ben and Jason are the only ones who'll know my secret, if you exclude that lunatic from Gotham."
"Lois doesn't know?" Martha asked. Clark shook his head. Martha pondered that quietly for a moment before continuing. "Do you want to tell me what really happened five years ago?"
Clark took a deep breath before stating simply, "It's a long story."
"Then you'd better get started," was Martha's quick response. Clark nodded, and began to retell the story of Lois' discovery at Niagara Falls, through the amnesia kiss after his battle with the Kryptonian criminals, Zod, Ursa and Non, this time telling the full story, though glossing over his night with Lois.
Martha observed, "You left out a few details the last time you spoke of this." Clark nodded, saying nothing. Five years ago, he had told an extremely abridged version, saying only that he'd fallen in love with Lois, but that the ghosts of his Kryptonian parents had forced him to choose between being Superman or being with Lois. He had chosen Lois and was stripped of his powers, but was forced to reconsider after Zod took over the world.
His mother continued, "I have a question for you. Same question that I tried to ask five years ago, but you were too emotionally exhausted to talk about it. Why the choice?"
"Despite recent opinions to the contrary, the world needed Superman," Clark answered sadly.
Tipping her head to the side as she looked at him, she explained, "That's really not what I meant, Clark. Why was the choice forced upon you? Why did you have to choose between being Superman and being with Lois?"
"I don't know," was his simply answer, "I never asked."
Martha shook her head, "You'd think that with both of you being journalists, that one of you would have thought to ask why..."
"I'm not sure that matters much now," Clark noted.
"Of course it matters!" his mother objected. "There had to be a reason for it, some problem that they were trying to solve. Maybe there are other solutions to that problem, where you could still be Superman, and also a husband to Lois, and father to Jason."
Clark had faith in his Kryptonian parents and didn't believe the question would provide any useful information. "It's too late for that now," Clark responded. "She's with Richard, and he's the only father Jason's ever known. Besides, Lex Luthor stole every last crystal from my fortress, and I haven't had a chance to regenerate them yet. There's nothing there to ask questions of at the moment."
"What about the crystals in the ship buried under our cornfields?" Martha countered. "Isn't that Green one from your original ship in there with it? That's all you had to begin with." Clark exhaled deeply, and looked up again at his mother. He nodded his head in affirmation. "Then I think you have a duty to yourself, Lois, and Jason to answer that question," she said firmly. "As for Richard... his devotion to your son does not absolve you from parental responsibility. You are still his father."
Clark responded with conviction, "You are my mother. Jonathan Kent was my father. I am who I am today because of the two of you, not because of the biological parents who gave me life." He paused before adding sadly, "It'll be the same way with Jason."
Martha's anger returned as she spoke. "Clark Jerome Kent, in the years since we found you, and brought you into this family, we've been patient with you through your challenges, and proud of you as you overcame them. In all that time, I have never been ashamed of you...until now! Not so much because Jason was born out of wedlock, but because you are not doing right by him or his mother. When your biological parents sacrificed themselves to send you to us, they didn't just wash their hands of you. They went to great pains to make sure you would have guidance as things came up that your father and I would not be able to help you with. They weren't here because they died getting you here. You don't have that excuse. You have to do right by Jason and Lois."
"I don't know what to do," Clark admitted quietly. "That's why I came here." That simple statement diffused Martha's anger with her son. He was relieved to see the anger melt from her face and see the love and sympathy replace it in her face.
"Is there anything else I should know about this, before we figure this out together?" his mother asked. Clark smiled, and told her what he knew of Lois' ordeal aboard Lex Luthor's boat. He told her what he knew about Richard, and he told her his concerns about the Paparazzi. Martha was quiet for awhile, staring into her lap as she quietly considered that information.
"Mom?" Clark inquired tentatively.
Martha exhaled heavily, and stated simply. "You have to tell her."
"I can't..." Clark started.
"She's earned the right!" Martha shot back. "Can her memories be restored?"
"I don't know," Clark answered honestly.
"Well, you can ask about that while you're asking why you were asked to give up your powers to be with her," she responded curtly. Her features softened again as she spoke, "You also have to be prepared for the worst… If things get out of hand, you can always bring them here." She paused for a moment before continuing, "You can't just wait for something to happen, either. You'll have to be ready, and for God's sake find some way of warning yourself if there's kryptonite around! I don't want another vigil outside the hospital. My God, Clark, I was so afraid that we were going to lose you..."
Clark reached over, and gave his mother a hug. Martha broke from the hug, looked up into his face, and again insisted, "You have to tell her everything. Promise me that you'll do that."
"But Mom..." Clark began, before noticing the glare he got from his mother, and compromised.. "I'll think about it."
"Clark..." his mother began.
"That's all I can promise," he answered tiredly. He stood up, and glanced up at the clock on the wall, observing that it was close to ten o'clock. They'd been discussing the situation for close to three hours. "Well, the world needs Superman. I should --"
"Oh, no you don't. The world can wait. Your family comes first. The world can get by without Superman for one night. Before saving the rest of the world, you need to do right by Jason and Lois, and you can start by digging that green crystal out of that ship. Once your family is safe, then you can check up on the rest of the world!"
Clark nodded. He had known that his mother's clarity would help him work through his concerns. "Thanks, Mom. I knew you'd help me figure this out." He paused a moment before adding, "I don't know how I could possibly tell her about all this..."
"I may have a few suggestions on that," Martha answered, with a gleam in her eye.
Author's Note:
This was hard to write, and I'm not entirely satisfied with it. I wanted to portray Martha as disappointed in the circumstances of Jason's birth, but fully supportive of Clark (after helping him pull his head out of his rear), and anxious to see her grandson. Constructive Criticism is welcome.