Chapter 26 Kent Farm—Dinner time
Martha took the roast out of the oven and set the pan on a towel to cool off. She saw that the mashed potatoes and salad were already on the stove. Chloe, Miranda, Lana and their new friend had seen to bringing coffee and dessert. The corn would be ready in a couple of minutes. She heard a knock at the door and saw a tall slender blonde man standing there. "Yes?"
"Is this the Kent residence?" he asked hopefully. "My name's Oliver Queen."
"Yes. Please come in. I'm Clark's mother, Martha Kent. My husband and I wanted to thank you for your help over the past week to the kids."
"It was my pleasure," he accepted while shaking hands with her. "I would've brought something but Chloe said you'd take care of everything."
"Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Queen," Martha invited.
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent," he noted while walking over to Chloe. "Everything okay so far?"
"Just great!" she noted while hugging him. "School went okay for Bart and me."
"Just you two?" Oliver wondered while looking at Lana.
"Clark and I are suspended for the next week," Lana noted sadly. "There goes my gold tassel."
"Maybe not," Oliver assured her. "Let me talk to the principal. I can explain some of these things."
"I thought this stuff was super secret," Lana indicated.
"I can emphasize certain aspects. Enough for tonight, I'm looking forward to some great cooking," he declared.
"I hope you won't be disappointed," Martha expressed.
"I'm sure he won't, Martha," Jonathan assured her while coming in with Clark and Bart. "Good to meet you."
"And you. Thanks again. The kids told me how much you and Green Arrow helped. I appreciate that," the farmer noted.
"You're welcome. I just hope Bart's not too much trouble," Oliver commented.
"He's doing fine," Clark insisted. "Oliver, thanks for coming."
"My pleasure. Did you get to Lex's?"
"Yeah I did." Clark bowed his head. "That friendship's toast."
"The way he's going, I wouldn't doubt it would've been sooner or later," Oliver replied. "Just keep doing the right thing. All right?"
"Right," Clark concurred while watching Miranda and Jasmine enter the room. "Like your walk?"
"It's a wonderful place!" Jasmine exclaimed. "I am pleased at the hospitality."
"On that note, let's sit down and eat," Jonathan advised.
The group sat down and dug in, feeling happy to fill their stomachs.
Forty-five minutes later
After they'd finished off the fabulous meal and coffee, Jonathan looked around the table at his wife and then the others. He'd spent much of the day trying to figure out how to deliver his message without being too harsh. Still, after what had happened, something needed to be said.
"It's okay," Martha reassured him.
"I know but thanks," he expressed. "Okay, Kids. It's been quite a week all the way around. First of all, Mr. Queen, thank you and Bart for helping to get everyone back here safe and sound. We're glad to help give Bart a chance at some normalcy as well. Chloe, thank you for working with everyone to get people back safely." He took a sip of coffee while considering his next words. "While Mrs. Kent and I realize that Lex Luthor and Jason Teague instigated it, going off to China without letting us or anyone know was reckless. Sorry, Clark, but there are no buts about it. Besides, you let everything go around here. We can't have that. You know better than that."
"That's my fault," Lana indicated sadly.
"No, Lana, I should've made arrangements here before we left," Clark disagreed somberly. "I couldn't have let her go alone though."
"Clark, that's not the point. You have responsibilities here!" the farmer insisted.
"I have responsibilities to both here and Krypton too, Dad. That was something Dr. Swann told me. I have these gifts and I use them around here. I also have to work with Jor-El too," Clark countered. Seeing the looks on the others' faces, he added, "The ghost that worked with us in Javalastan to banish Isobel."
"Ah," Jasmine realized. "May I make an assessment? What you say is all well and good, Clark. However, one cannot simply abandon one's post due to haste even in the face of emergency. Nor should you rush into danger. Even with your abilities, you are vulnerable."
"Good luck on getting him to realize that," Chloe muttered.
Oliver nodded. "Clark, ever think that what happened in Javalastan was a good thing?"
"Huh?" Clark and Lana both asked.
"What Mr. Q's saying is that we all worked as a team. We watched each other's backs and kicked butt! You're tough and all that but if someone hits you with a certain something, you're toast, Dude," Bart reminded Clark and the others.
"While we'd rather Clark would forget about the whole Kryptonian thing, we understand his responsibility," Martha conceded wearily. "But that responsibility works both ways."
"Be responsible to everyone," Clark surmised.
"That's right, Son. Just like we discussed when you came back from Vegas, you can't just talk about responsibility and then flaunt it. You need to stay on the beam. Keep your focus. We just can't make up the rules hard and fast anymore especially if, as you say, Lionel Luthor's back to his old self," Jonathan asserted. "And, Lana, you can't go off half-thinking into situations either. That goes for everyone here including me. It's only fair that we all share in the credit and blame here."
"I understand," Clark agreed. "Hope it works for everyone."
"I could use some help too, Clark," Lana admitted. "We made a discovery at the Talon this afternoon."
"Discovery? That's one way of putting it," Chloe commented.
"Discovery?" Clark worried.
"Seems that I have my own gifts," Lana told them while waving her hand and making the coffee pot vanish from the coffee maker before it reappeared in her hand. "Even if Isobel's gone, seems I kept her abilities."
"You sure about that?" Jonathan wondered.
"That ghost banished Isobel," Miranda pointed out.
"And you just found out?" Clark queried anxiously.
"It wasn't anything deliberate. I somehow reached out and saved a kid from falling off the stairs," Lana pointed out. "I admit that I'm nervous."
Clark put a reassuring left arm around his love's shoulders and smiled at her. "I'd never let you go it alone." He kissed the top of her head for emphasis.
"I know but thanks, Clark," she expressed with a smile while laying her head on his shoulder.
"On that note, I think you two get the idea," Jonathan indicated. "Hopefully, the suspension will get the message across. I think that about does it. Thank you. Just make sure to be more careful, everyone."
"Anyone for more coffee?" Martha offered.
The group accepted, letting the hospitality brighten their spirits once again. Still they knew that Jonathan was right. With Clark's dual obligations, it was clear that he couldn't always do it alone.
Thus, they began to think of how to meet these responsibilities. What would come out of such musings would be interesting indeed…..