l&c fanfic2

Chapter 2: She Can't Know I'm Superman

Lois held tightly to Superman as he flew her from Metropolis to Smallville at as fast of pace as he would dare. She could only imagine how Clark must feel, to have his beloved father clinging to like when just yesterday, he had been fine. Clark had seemed so stoic, so unaffected by the news though. Perhaps, he was putting up a front for her, or perhaps, he was preparing himself to be strong for his mother.

"How did Clark seem to you, Superman?"

"He seemed shocked, Lois. I don't think it really hit him yet," Superman said, as he touched down in front of the hospital. "You should see about, Mrs. Kent. I'll be back soon with Clark."

Lois entered the hospital and spoke to the nurse at the desk. When she learned which floor to go to, Lois wasted no time. What she wanted to do was hold Clark and tell him that everything was going to be all right. But, until Superman got back with him, she couldn't do that, so she had to help him in another way, by comforting his mother.

"Martha?" she said when she approached the older woman, "How is he?"

Martha Kent didn't answer her. She rose and with tears streaming down her cheeks threw her arms around Lois and sobbed. Neither woman said anything for a moment, then Martha asked, "Where's Clark?"

"Superman just went to get him. That's how I…"

"Mom!" Clark called and rushed to his mother, arms open wide. He caught her and held her close. There was nothing for Lois to do but stand in the sidelines and watch Clark and Martha. It was beautiful, the bond they shared, the comfort that one's presence brought the other.

When Clark released his mother and they moved toward Lois, she reached out for his hand. He was trembling, but his countenance betrayed no emotion. There was nothing to indicate the fear or the anguish he must be feeling, then she looked a little deeper, and saw it in his eyes.

Clark was so strong. He had his emotions in the liquid brown of his eyes, so that neither Lois nor his mother could see them without taking time to look behind the mask. If not for the way he clung to her hand, she'd think he didn't care.

Martha reached the waiting room before Lois and Clark and sat down on the sofa. Clark sat beside her, leaving Lois to sit in a chair across from her.

"He's had a very serious heart attack. Even if he makes it, he will never be able to do all of the things that he used to do." The fear and the pain in Martha's voice was evident. Clark set his arm around her shoulders and Lois reached out to hold her hand.

Lois could only think of one time when she'd felt as awful as Martha must feel. It was the time when Capone and his gang had "killed" Clark. She owed Superman for bringing him back to her.

No, Lois never had to sit vigil at Clark's bedside, even with all of the scrapes she and he had been through.

True she'd sat with Superman once or twice when he was weak from Kryptonite, but never had she come close to loosing her true love.

"Martha," Lois said, "Before you called, Clark and I were having a very serious discussion before you called. He asked me something, and I never got a chance to answer him. Clark…"

"Lois, please. I can't take anymore right now."

"Clark, I think you need to hear this, and I need to say it. I love you and to the answer to your question is yes."

"Yes?" Martha looked at Clark, bewildered.

"Oh, Lois," Clark breathed, "Mom, before you called, I asked Lois to marry me and she's just accepted."

For the first time since Jonathan collapsed on the lawn, Martha smiled, "Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Mrs. Kent," a young female said, as she entered, "Mr. Kent has regained consciousness."

"Can I see him?"

"He's asked to see Lois."

"Lois, how did he…"

"Miss Lane. Come this way."

Lois glanced at Clark and followed the nurse to Jonathan's room. He was hooked up to a whole orchestra of machines monitoring his heart beat, pulse, and blood pressure. He looked gray and old lying there, and when she approached his bedside, he spole her name weakly, "Lois…sit."

"Sssh. Don't try to talk, Jonathan. Rest, I'm here with Clark and Martha."

"Need to tell you something."

"What? I'm listening."

"Don't think I'm gonna make it. Clark, Martha, need your strength. Take care of them."

As if the simple request was too much, he fell into unconsciousness again. Lois couldn't keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks. No, she couldn't let Clark see her like this, Jonathan was right, Martha and Clark would need her strength to get through this, Clark even more so than his mother, because she would have her son.

Before the doctor told Lois she'd have to leave, she lifted Jonathan's hand and whispered, "I'll take care of everything."

The doctors let Martha and Clark have a few minutes with Jonathan, before Lois convinced them that there was nothing else they could do there and that they should go home. Martha told Clark to make up the couch and let Lois sleep in his old room before she went up to bed.

"Do you think she'll sleep?"

"Not likely. She hasn't slept without my father in forty years, except one time when I was ten and he went to this convention for farming. But then, she didn't sleep at all, she just cleaned over and over again," Clark laughed at the memory, then sat down heavily on the couch, placing his head in his hands. Lois sat next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Lois, what you said before, about marrying me, is that true?"

"Oh, Clark, of course it's true. I was about to say yes when your mother called and told us about your dad."

"I love you, Lois," Clark said, his voice filled with so much emotion that it brought tears to her eyes. Lois let Clark hold her to him, her face buried in his neck, because she knew he needed that closeness.

"I love you , too, Clark."

As Clark held her to him, Lois could feel the tears on her hair that he was just beginning to shed.

"Oh, Clark, honey, no. Don't cry, please."

"I can't lose him, Lois. I can't."

"I know, darling. I know."

It was an hour later when Lois finally went to bed. Clark lay, or rather levitated over the sofa, trying to relax. He couldn't sleep for now he was realizing how fragile life really was and how vulnerable his invulnerability made him. When you can't be hurt, you take it for granted that those around you can't either, then something like this happens and all of that fades away, and you realize the bitter truth, no powers nor words can present the inevitability of losing those you love.

Five a.m., the rooster crowed. Clark could hear his mother in the kitchen, starting breakfast.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked.

"Not much. About an hour. I heard you and Lois talking last night. Are you really getting married?"

"Yeah, mom. Yesterday should have been the happiest day of my life, but…"

"I know, honey. But this made your dad so happy. So I'm assuming she knows, everything."

Clark averted his mother's gaze and shook his head. " I was going to tell her, but it all happened so fast. I don't even want to think about what happens when she finds out. I love Lois, Mom, and if Dad… I can't lose her, too. The way things stand now, she can't know. She can't know I'm Superman."

Lois heard voices in the kitchen, so she pulled on her robe and headed downstairs. Something compelled her to pause as she heard Clark say, "I can't lose her, too. The way things stand right now, she can't know. She can't know I'm Superman."

Lois' breath caught, just as the phone rang she heard unmistakable sound of grief as Martha Kent began to cry.