Thank you for the reviews. I actually didn't realise that Lionel had sent Martha his Regards in the episode prodigal, since I wasnt going to reuse the character of Lucas I didn't rewatch that episode. It was interesting to know though.
Hope this chapter is worth the wait you all had.
"You should be on your way by now," Martha scolded her son good naturedly. "I know you like to run close to the wire, but as best man you should make the effort to early."
Clark managed a smile, watching as his Mom searched for her clutch bag amongst the chaos of the kitchen counter. "Your bag's through there," he told her.
"Ah!" She grabbed it triumphantly, kissing Clark's cheek as she rushed back through. "Thank you. I knew I kept you around here for a reason." She stepped back and looked at him, asking, "Now do you want a lift?"
Clark shook his head. "No, don't worry, I'll make it in time."
"You better," she warned him.
"Lana's coming to get me." He gave another small smile, "She's going to be my date."
"Finally," Martha smiled. Despite what she thought about Lana's fickleness when it came to matters of the heart, she knew how much this would mean to her son and she was happy for him. That and perhaps selfishly she hoped that having the girl he had pined for for the last three years would soften her own news. "I still expect a dance later tonight," she warned him. "I don't care if you have landed yourself your dream date."
"I'll do my best," he replied. His voice took on a solemn tone as he told her, "You look really good, Mom." When he saw the flash of concern that crossed her eyes at his expression he added quickly, "It can't be easy for you, first wedding after Dad..." He gave a shrug. "The dress suits you."
Her face relaxed, she didn't tell him that she'd been slightly concerned that she was going to have to sew herself into the damn thing. "Thank you Clark, you know I could get used to all these compliments." Still she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was bothering her son. She touched his hand as she asked him, "Are you sure that everything is ok? I would have thought you'd be doing victory laps around the farm now that you've won the girl."
Clark managed a smile. "I've still got time for that, remember I can run pretty fast."
"You didn't answer my question," she prompted him.
"I'm fine, just nervous about my speech and my first proper date with Lana."
"Ok," Martha gave a nod, she wasn't entirely convinced by Clark's explanation but he clearly wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. "Well I suppose that I'll see you there then."
"On time, front and centre," he confirmed with a smile.
"Good." Hesitating slightly, Martha tapped her clutch bag against the palm of her hand for a few seconds before she added, "I thought that maybe tomorrow I could cook dinner, whatever you wanted and we could catch up. I know how busy we've both been recently..." She tailed off, she couldn't force herself to continue, knowing that really although she was presenting this as positively as she could, she was going to rip Clark's perception of her apart tomorrow.
"I'd like that." He gave her a sudden hug, his head pressing into her shoulder. "Have a good time today, Mom."
She kissed the top of his head, in moments like this she felt as though he was still just the little boy she had opened her heart to all those years ago. "You know if there's something bothering you that you can speak to me about it?"
"I know. Tomorrow," he told her, pulling away from the hug, straightening up. He glanced up at the clock and told her teasingly, "But you better get going, or you'll be late."
Martha smiled, "I should be saying that to you." She lifted her hand in a wave before turning to leave the house, turning at the door to give him a last minute reassurance, "You will be fine, I've heard you practicing your speech and you're going to do Lex proud."
"I hope so." Clark watched his Mom go, he felt terrible for hiding what he was about to do from her but he just couldn't tell her.
He listened to the truck pulling out of the drive and began moving towards the barn. He felt sick at the thought of the kryptonite key but it needed to be done,, he had run out of options. Jor El was determined that he conquer Earth and it wasn't what he wanted, he wanted to stay here with his family, his friends and Lana. He didn't want to be a symbol of fear. His chest burned with his scar, a reminder that he had to do this, he had to; it was the only way.
Lionel sat back in his town car, his long fingers tapping impatiently against his thigh as he waited outside the church. He shouldn't be here, he thought to himself; Lex had made his decision and had been clear that he wasn't wanted. Really his time would be better spent trying to find that missing disc, a scowl feel across his face, it was infuriating to know that it had slipped from his grasp for a second time. It was tied to Clark Kent, that he was sure of.
What he wanted to do was instruct Seth to turn the car around, take him back to the caves, allow him to find answers and yet here he was. It was her influence. He struggled to explain it, but her words about Lex, about their relationship stuck with him. Often he would wait for Lex to come round to his way of thinking, but a wife would switch his loyalty, his allegiances and he couldn't stand by and watch Lex through himself away to this particular woman. Lionel had dealt with woman like Helen, fortune hunters, but even he had to admit that she had managed this game better than most. Her calling off the wedding and then suddenly deciding to forgive Lex and stand by him hadn't escaped his notice, but it had been an inspired power play by her. Lex had been spared a humiliation and would think himself lucky to have her, she held Lex right where she wanted him.
He watched as Helen's wedding car finally pulled into the church parking lot and he swung himself out of his car, striding over to her as she made to climb out. Lionel stood to the side and held out his hand to her. Not realising it was him, her hand slipped into his and she used the leverage to pull herself up and out. Helen glanced up, her smile of thanks sliding from her face when she saw him. "What are you going here?"
"It's my son's wedding day, where else would I be?" He asked smoothly. "Especially as it looked unlikely it would even go ahead. Lex would have needed support."
She bristled. "Lionel Luthor and the word support don't exactly go hand in hand." Her eyes narrowed as she added, "And I feel it's prudent to point out that as you weren't actually invited then it's unlikely that Lex would even have welcome your particular brand of support." She looked agitatedly past him, towards the church. "Anyway as you can see the wedding is going ahead, so you aren't needed here."
"Hmmm, is it really though?"
Her shoulders drew back at the amusement in his tone, it was what she hated most about him, that she felt he had never taken her seriously, that he dismissed her as joke, as someone unworthy of his effort and concern. Although, she thought with a smirk, he was here, trying to persuade her to walk away, so perhaps he was finally taking note. Feeling bolder, she gestured to her dress, "Obviously."
"I wonder if perhaps there isn't something that would convince you that marrying Lex isn't in your best interest." His eyes narrowed. "How much?" He asked bluntly.
Helen laughed, her head tilting back as she let out the mirthless sound. "You still think you can make me walk away from Lex by offering me money?"
"I can think of no other motive for this wedding."
"I love him," she stated defiantly.
Lionel sighed, his eyes rolling in derision. "Yes so you've claimed."
Helen's jaw set in terse determination as she took a step towards Lionel, telling him "You seem determined to make out that the only reason I'm marrying Lex is for his money, and yet I have no doubt that you'll have the seen the iron clad pre-nup that Lex has had me sign. So..." She let the last word out on a hiss, glaring up at Lionel. "Explain to me just how I'm marrying him to strip him of his fortune."
Lionel chuckled at her display of indignation. "Not all gold diggers are aiming for divorce. You have managed to quite successfully, I admit, maneuver Lex right where you want him to be, but you can't fool me."
"I'm sure you think that no woman could." Helen needed him out of her way, she was too close to everything she had planned to let him ruin it now. And as she spotted Martha Kent rushing out of the church she saw her opportunity, her steely gaze landing on her pointedly as she told him, "And yet, I can think of one woman who has most definitely managed to do just that. Perhaps instead of interrogating me you should be turning your attention to her, because I assure you that my marriage to Lex is a done deal." With that she stormed past him as elegantly as she could manage in her dress and made a beeline for the church, a triumphant smile on her face when she realised that it wasn't her Lionel Luthor had decided to pursue; it was Martha.
Her hand was on the door handle of the truck when she heard her name. His tone sharp, demanding, "Martha."
She felt a flash of panic, she didn't have time, she had to get to Clark before he did something he'd regret. Glancing over her shoulder she saw him approaching fast and called back, "I don't have time to talk just now."
Lionel was quicker than she was, his hand pressing the door shut just as she'd wrenches it open. "Make time," he instructed her.
Martha bristled instantly at his words. "You don't get to order me around Lionel," she told him, turning to confront him. "I'm not your employee anymore."
"That I'm aware of." His eyes met hers, his mouth set into a firm line. "Where are you rushing off too?"
"I'm going to get Clark, he must have been caught up. I don't want him to miss this."
Just as the words left her mouth, the organ music started and Lionel commented, "Well as it appears that ship has sailed, you have time after all."
"You need to learn to take no for an answer. I've already told you I need to go," she snapped.
His hand stayed pressed against the truck. "Where's the disc?" He asked, his tone terse, demanding.
"Really? We're back to this again?"
"I find it too much of a coincidence that your son's friends were causing a disturbance in the caves and that after that I discovered that yet another disc has gone missing."
"Another disc?" Martha echoed.
"Don't play coy Martha, it doesn't suit you," he chided her. "The disc made out of the meoteor rocks. Where is it?"
A flash of realisation hit her, Clark was going to destroy the ship, he thought that would rid him of Jor El, of the pressure he felt. She forced herself to look calm to sound controlled. "I don't know anything about your second disc and as unfortunate as it may be, I doubt that it should be your priority today." She glanced meaningfully back at the church.
Lionel smiled humourlessly. "You're so very convincing," he told her, his voice dropping to a low murmur, stepping closer to her still, crowding in on her, his gaze never leaving hers. "But there's always that momentary flash in your eyes that gives you away, I never used to notice it, but now that I know you so well, I do."
"Is this really how you want to spend your son's wedding day Lionel? Questioning me about some lost disc?" She changed her attack, hoping to throw him off guard.
"Well as I wasn't invited I had to find something else to do."
"Your time would be better spent making amends with your son, because I assure you Lionel that there is nothing for you to find out about Clark." She met his stare head on as she continued, "When you look back on today you're going to regret not being in that church, invited or not."
"I very much doubt that I'll regret not watching Lex tie himself to that millstone," he snapped back. "She's using him."
"And if she isn't? Then you've lost him." Martha looked at him in exasperation "And what if she is? Do you think he'll come back to you? Look to you for advice when you've done nothing to support him?"
Lionel's temper flared. "I have tried to help Lex."
"You offering her money to leave him isn't a form of help!" Martha snapped back.
He looked momentarily surprised before remarking, "I assume that Lex's discretion around that event failed him."
"Why would he have to be discreet? You haven't been," she pointed out. "You're going to chase him away, you expect him to defer to you and that's not how parenthood works; not when they're adults." Martha shook her head. "For Gods sake, Lionel, let this odd theory you have about Clark and I go and focus on your son!"
"That would be convenient for you both, I'm sure."
"Think what you want," she replied. "Waste your time but I won't let you waste mine." Her hand pressed firmly against his arm, relieved when it fell away from the truck door. "Now as I said, I have somewhere to be, and so do you."
Lionel leaned in close to her, his mouth next to her ear as he whispered to her, "I will find out your secret and I'm not going to stop until I do."
"Why do you care so much?" Martha challenged him.
There was an almost imperceptible widening of his eyes and he chose not to answer her, instead turning to walk away, making for his own car.
Martha climbed into her own truck, her hands shaking. She clenched her fists together for a moment, breathing deeply. She watched his car drive smoothly away and she pressed her hands against her stomach. What was she going to do? This baby put her even more in his path and for some reason he was determined to strip all of her secrets bare, especially the one concerning Clark.
Clark, the thought of him shook her into action. He was going to use the kryptonite key, she knew it. She started the ignition and pulled quickly out onto the main road, just in time to feel the ground shake under her wheels. She braked, the car skidding to a halt, dust from the road coating the windows, but it had stopped as quickly as it started and it was only as she glanced in the direction of the farm and saw the smoke billowing into the air that she realised in horror that she was too late.
Clark lay on his bed, listening to his Mom on the phone, to her protestations to the insurance company. It all sounded fruitless to his ears.
The scar on his chest burned as badly as ever, she had seen it early when she'd arrived home, stumbling out of the car to find him covered in dirt and staring into the crater he'd just climbed out of. Her look had been one of horror as she'd checked him for any other marks and it had been a few minutes before she'd even realised that the barn was no more.
Now he listened to her try and fix that mess, the mess he'd created, again. She'd quizzed him about what had happened, about why he'd done it, why he hadn't come to her and he hadn't been able to find the words.
Slowly, he swung his legs off the bed and made his way to the top of the stairs. Maybe he should try now, try to tell her everything. He reached the top of the stairs in time to hear her slam the phone down, to hear her frustrated sobs.
He crept softly down the first few steps, pausing when he saw pick up the photo of his Dad that she kept on the side table. "You should be here," he heard her whisper. "You should be here with us! Why did you have to do it Jonathan? Why did you have to chase that damn journalist. If you'd just stayed where you were, safe with me in the shelter then Clark would have had you to talk to." She slammed down the photo, sobbing bitterly into her hands.
Clark turned, not making his presence known. He'd not told his Mom just how much his hearing had improved, she wouldn't have know he could hear her. He swallowed heavily as he processed her words. His Dad has been in the shelter, he'd been safe and he'd left to chase that journalist, the journalist who knew about him because he'd been careless. He'd been careless today as well. If his Mom had been five minutes earlier she might have been caught in the blast, she hadn't said it but he'd done the maths. He could have lost her as well and it would have been his own fault. All he'd wanted was to stay with his family, to keep them safe and yet he was the cause of all their misery.
Digging through his drawer, he pulled out the red kryptonite ring, a sheet of paper and a pen and sat down at his desk to write.
Martha rubbed her eyes blearily as she made her way down the stairs, her eyes stinging from tiredness. She tried to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead, for another round of arguments with the insurers. Still at least Clark wasn't injured, quiet and out of sorts but she would speak to him today. Help him work through that, make him understand that she wasn't angry.
As she yawned, a flash of white on the side table caught her eye. She picked up the letter and opened it, her world suddenly crumbling.
Lionel flicked through the sheets of papers across his desk as he took a mouthful of coffee. Picking one up, he swung his desk chair around to look down at the hustle and bustle of Metropolis as he scanned the document.
The knock at his office door broke his concentration. He scowled, ready to scold his assistant for disturbing him when he realised she wasn't alone, instead two uniformed officers accompanied her.
They took their hats from their heads and as they spoke Lionel felt his world shatter.