Author's note- okay, w/ the last chapter, I guessed on the year Lucas was
born. In this one, is Martha's mother still alive? I assumed not, along
with both of Jonathan's parents. If any different, state it in a review.
Martha fell in and out of consciousness. She saw Jonathan crying in the chair, which only made her even more sad. But, as she drifted off into her dreams, she became happy again.
Martha was walking through a silver field. Behind her, Jonathan sat crying. But she did not go back to him; rather, she went further down the field. Cornstalks began to materialize once Jonathan was out of site. She walked among them, contentedly. Soon she came to a river, and across it she saw a group of people sitting among the grass. One quickly noticed her, and motioned to the others as she ran up to the bank of the river.
"Martha! Come sit with us! We have so much to tell you!" said the first one to reach the bank. Martha recognized the voice as being similar to Nell, but prettier. Suddenly she remembered. It was Laura Lang, Lana's mother.
"Yes, my dear, come across." A jovial young man's voice echoed through the air as he ran to stand next to Laura. This, she remembered was Lewis, Lana's father Slowly, another three figures came up to the edge. She recognized one instantly as her own mother.
"Mom! I'm so happy to see you! There is so much I should tell you! She ran up to the very edge of her side of the river.
"Martha, my dear, stay there for now, please. I am happy to see you too, sweetheart. I have been watching you, along with Jonathan's parents." Jonathan's parents came into view. Martha happily greeted them.
"Oh Martha, come across! We have so much to talk about!" Laura cried happily, as Lewis nodded. "Tell me all about Smallville, and Lana, and Nell. I hope she was never too awful in trying to win Jonathan over. She was just jealous, and very regretful of her high school days. I can see them of course, but it's always better to be told. Besides, they are only on the horizon. They look so far away. You have come the closest. Come over to us!" Behind the chattering Laura, Martha could make out the sixth figure, taking the seventh by the hand, slowly rise and make their way over to the river.
"But how do I come over?" Martha asked hastily. She desperately wanted to get over to her mother, Jonathan's parents, and Lana's parents. They had so much to talk about. Suddenly, she noticed a bundle in Lewis' arms. She asked him what it was.
"Oh, silly me! This would have been our second child, if we had not died. Laura had found out she was pregnant the day of the meteor shower. When we came here, he came with us. Martha, meet Lawrence." Lewis showed her the baby, and he smiled and waved at her from across the river.
"There is a bridge you can use to cross." Laura called. She pointed to Martha's right, where a stone bridge stood. Martha made her way toward it.
"No! Do not use the bridge. Find a shallow part and wade across." The sixth figure called, as it slowly came into view. Martha obeyed, and was able to walk across with barely wetting her feet. She came to the other side and embraced her family and friends.
"Oh Mom! I was so happy! I was going to have a baby of my very own! I was truly and honestly pregnant! Jonathan couldn't have been happier, and Clark was so pleased to learn he was going to be a big brother."
Suddenly, she heard a child's laughter. She turned and saw a young boy running toward her. With a tear and a smile, she instantly knew who it was.
"Ryan!" she cried as she got on her knees and gave the boy a big hug.
"Mrs. Kent! I am so happy to see you! How are you? How is Clark? How is Mr. Kent? How is your job?" He looked around. "Are you telling them, telling them about your secret?" he asked excitedly. Martha smiled.
"Yes Ryan, I am telling them about my secret. And you were right, Jonathan and Clark were so pleased when they found out. It really was good to share it." She smiled at him, then a look of concern crossed her face.
"No, don't worry, I'm not very telepathic anymore. Sometimes people's thoughts just jump into my head and I say them without knowing. I finish a lot of people's sentences around here." He smiled. Martha grinned again and gave him another hug.
'So, how is the baby?" he asked grinning. A shadow fell over Martha's face.
"Ryan, I never had the baby. The day of Lex Luthor's wedding, Jonathan and I were driving home because we were worried about Clark. Clark was the best man and hadn't shown up. When we were heading toward the farm, a power surge came and hit us hard. Jonathan lost control of the truck, and it tumbled and flipped,"
"Like in 1989, the day you found Clark." Ryan said.
"Yes, like that. Only this time, there was no Clark to rescue us right away. I was slightly injured, and had a concussion. But, because of the impact my body had gone through, the baby had died."
"But couldn't you just get another one?" Ryan asked. Martha noticed that Ryan was more carefree now, not as sad as before.
"No, Ryan, honey, we couldn't," she said, sniffling. "Because Clark's spaceship was what healed my body so that I could carry a baby. But, Clark destroyed the ship, so that destroyed the healing. That first one was the only one we had, and we lost it." She began to cry.
"Oh, Mrs. Kent, please don't cry." Ryan whined. "Tell us something wonderful, that you love. Like your job!" Martha smiled. Ryan turned to the others, who were now sitting comfortably on the grass, save the sixth.
"Now, I was in the world much more recently than the rest of you, and when I was there, Mrs. Kent was working for a big company, as the boss's assistant. The five nodded attentively, while the sixth gazed at two bundles in her arms and looked out away from them with her back turned. Martha nodded at Ryan, who continued telling the story.
"Now, Mr. Kent didn't like her working for the boss and neither did Clark. Clark didn't like it because the boss was mean to Lex, but Mr. Kent didn't like it because he hated her boss, and was always convinced he was up to no good. But Mrs. Kent liked and respected her boss. What was his name again Mrs. Kent? I forget, it was funny-sounding."
"His name is Lionel Luthor, and I worked for Luthorcorp." Martha told Ryan and the group. The company name registered no look of hatred on their faces, as it did for the residents of the town, for Luthorcorp was past their time. But, the sixth mysterious person turned around at the name of Lionel Luthor, and Luthorcorp. She paid brisk attention to the little boy.
"Well, we were in Lex's mansion, where Lionel also lived, and Martha had to go to his office, so I hung out with Lex. Now, Lex also thinks that Martha shouldn't be working for Lionel because he was afraid he was going to hurt her in some way, and hurt the Kents. Lionel is Lex's father. That's all I remember, about Martha anyway." Martha thanked the boy, and smiled as she sat down on the grass.
"Yes, I did work for Luthorcorp for awhile. I quit though, after a trip to Metropolis." The group murmured concern.
"But why dear? From what your little friend Ryan told us over his time here, and now, it seemed like the perfect job for you." Her mother asked.
" When we were in Metropolis, Lionel gave me a watch. I was going to return it to him, but then people who had broken into Lionel's vault took us hostage. We got out okay, but I had forgotten to return the watch to Lionel. I hid it in my dresser because I didn't want Jonathan to find it but, he found it."
"Tsk, tsk, do I want to know what my boy did next?" Jonathan's father asked. His mother nudged him, and smiled at Martha.
"Once he found out who it was from, and saw the inscription, he smashed it. I had no idea. Lionel had been shot, and Jonathan was framed. The person framing Jonathan used the watch as evidence. Once Jonathan was freed, that ended my time as a Luthorcorp employee."
They continued their chat about many different things, and people started to drift away. Ryan began to play with Lawrence, and the Langs moved on after hearing about Nell and Lana. Jonathan's parent's drifted away after hearing about their son and Clark. Soon the only people left in the circle were Martha's mother and the mysterious woman.
"Martha, dear, come find me before you leave, but I must go now." Her mother said to her as she kissed her on the head and left. It was just Martha, the woman, and the two bundles she was carrying. "Martha, do you know who I am?" she asked.
"I wish I did. It feels like I know you, but I can't put my finger on it." She admitted sheepishly. The lady handed her one of the bundles.
"This is your baby. Your baby was going to be a girl. She was going to grow up and become a teacher. She would live in Grandville for awhile, but always be nearby, unlike Clark." Martha looked at the bundle, and at the baby's perfect face, and began to cry again.
"But what will happen to Clark? Where will he go?' she asked.
"Hush, you must leave this place, and quickly. This is heaven, but you are not supposed to be dead. You must leave soon, or you will sacrifice your life prematurely. Say goodbye to whom you must. They will only delay you on your journey. Look, the river is getting higher. You must leave! The woman's deep red hair shone in the light. Martha hastily got up, and holding the baby in her arms made her way to her mother and Ryan.
"I must go now," she told them both. She embraced her mother one last time, and her mother nodded, and turned away. But Ryan would not let her leave.
"Why do you have to go? Everything was so perfect." He cried.
"Ryan, I must! But, don't worry, I will never forget you! And I will be back." With a tear, he let her go.
Martha ran back to the woman, who brought her down on the riverbank.
"You must go now." She said. Martha nodded,
"But, who are you? Please tell me." she pleaded. The lady smiled.
"My name is Lillian Luthor, and this is my son, Julian," she said, holding her bundle close, as she took Martha's baby away from her. Martha choked back a tear. "I believe you know my husband. Keep him safe and my son also. They know not what they do. Now go!" Lillian gave Martha a final hug, and pushed her to the water's edge. She slowly began to walk across. It was very high now, up to her neck, and it took all her might just to get to the middle. But she had no more strength.
"Think of Jonathan, and Clark. Think of Lionel and Lex! Think of the living, to get yourself across!" Lillian hollered at her. With the thought of her beloved husband, and her beloved friends, she made her way across.
"Now, Martha, listen. Run back the way you came. Do not stop running until you can see Jonathan in the chair. Godspeed. I will see you soon. Remember what I told you about Lionel and Lex. Forgive them. They know not what they do." Lillian called. Martha gave one last look over to her mother, Ryan, and Lillian. Then she began to run. She did not look back, and kept running and running. She finally reached Jonathan in the chair.
"Jonathan!" she cried, "Jonathan!"
Martha awoke with a start, and saw that she was in a different room, and hooked up to a whole lot of machines.
"Jonathan." She rasped. She saw him outside the door, and he saw her. He rushed in, and grasped her hand.
"Oh Martha!" he said, kissing her hand tenderly, "you almost died. You were asleep, and you almost died, and," he began to cry uncontrollably, "Oh God, I cannot lose you too. Please, I can't lose you too!" Martha smiled and held his hand.
"I love you Jonathan. I'm not going anywhere." She said, smiling. Then, she closed her eyes and slept, with Jonathan still at the side of the bed, grasping her hand, sobbing.
Martha fell in and out of consciousness. She saw Jonathan crying in the chair, which only made her even more sad. But, as she drifted off into her dreams, she became happy again.
Martha was walking through a silver field. Behind her, Jonathan sat crying. But she did not go back to him; rather, she went further down the field. Cornstalks began to materialize once Jonathan was out of site. She walked among them, contentedly. Soon she came to a river, and across it she saw a group of people sitting among the grass. One quickly noticed her, and motioned to the others as she ran up to the bank of the river.
"Martha! Come sit with us! We have so much to tell you!" said the first one to reach the bank. Martha recognized the voice as being similar to Nell, but prettier. Suddenly she remembered. It was Laura Lang, Lana's mother.
"Yes, my dear, come across." A jovial young man's voice echoed through the air as he ran to stand next to Laura. This, she remembered was Lewis, Lana's father Slowly, another three figures came up to the edge. She recognized one instantly as her own mother.
"Mom! I'm so happy to see you! There is so much I should tell you! She ran up to the very edge of her side of the river.
"Martha, my dear, stay there for now, please. I am happy to see you too, sweetheart. I have been watching you, along with Jonathan's parents." Jonathan's parents came into view. Martha happily greeted them.
"Oh Martha, come across! We have so much to talk about!" Laura cried happily, as Lewis nodded. "Tell me all about Smallville, and Lana, and Nell. I hope she was never too awful in trying to win Jonathan over. She was just jealous, and very regretful of her high school days. I can see them of course, but it's always better to be told. Besides, they are only on the horizon. They look so far away. You have come the closest. Come over to us!" Behind the chattering Laura, Martha could make out the sixth figure, taking the seventh by the hand, slowly rise and make their way over to the river.
"But how do I come over?" Martha asked hastily. She desperately wanted to get over to her mother, Jonathan's parents, and Lana's parents. They had so much to talk about. Suddenly, she noticed a bundle in Lewis' arms. She asked him what it was.
"Oh, silly me! This would have been our second child, if we had not died. Laura had found out she was pregnant the day of the meteor shower. When we came here, he came with us. Martha, meet Lawrence." Lewis showed her the baby, and he smiled and waved at her from across the river.
"There is a bridge you can use to cross." Laura called. She pointed to Martha's right, where a stone bridge stood. Martha made her way toward it.
"No! Do not use the bridge. Find a shallow part and wade across." The sixth figure called, as it slowly came into view. Martha obeyed, and was able to walk across with barely wetting her feet. She came to the other side and embraced her family and friends.
"Oh Mom! I was so happy! I was going to have a baby of my very own! I was truly and honestly pregnant! Jonathan couldn't have been happier, and Clark was so pleased to learn he was going to be a big brother."
Suddenly, she heard a child's laughter. She turned and saw a young boy running toward her. With a tear and a smile, she instantly knew who it was.
"Ryan!" she cried as she got on her knees and gave the boy a big hug.
"Mrs. Kent! I am so happy to see you! How are you? How is Clark? How is Mr. Kent? How is your job?" He looked around. "Are you telling them, telling them about your secret?" he asked excitedly. Martha smiled.
"Yes Ryan, I am telling them about my secret. And you were right, Jonathan and Clark were so pleased when they found out. It really was good to share it." She smiled at him, then a look of concern crossed her face.
"No, don't worry, I'm not very telepathic anymore. Sometimes people's thoughts just jump into my head and I say them without knowing. I finish a lot of people's sentences around here." He smiled. Martha grinned again and gave him another hug.
'So, how is the baby?" he asked grinning. A shadow fell over Martha's face.
"Ryan, I never had the baby. The day of Lex Luthor's wedding, Jonathan and I were driving home because we were worried about Clark. Clark was the best man and hadn't shown up. When we were heading toward the farm, a power surge came and hit us hard. Jonathan lost control of the truck, and it tumbled and flipped,"
"Like in 1989, the day you found Clark." Ryan said.
"Yes, like that. Only this time, there was no Clark to rescue us right away. I was slightly injured, and had a concussion. But, because of the impact my body had gone through, the baby had died."
"But couldn't you just get another one?" Ryan asked. Martha noticed that Ryan was more carefree now, not as sad as before.
"No, Ryan, honey, we couldn't," she said, sniffling. "Because Clark's spaceship was what healed my body so that I could carry a baby. But, Clark destroyed the ship, so that destroyed the healing. That first one was the only one we had, and we lost it." She began to cry.
"Oh, Mrs. Kent, please don't cry." Ryan whined. "Tell us something wonderful, that you love. Like your job!" Martha smiled. Ryan turned to the others, who were now sitting comfortably on the grass, save the sixth.
"Now, I was in the world much more recently than the rest of you, and when I was there, Mrs. Kent was working for a big company, as the boss's assistant. The five nodded attentively, while the sixth gazed at two bundles in her arms and looked out away from them with her back turned. Martha nodded at Ryan, who continued telling the story.
"Now, Mr. Kent didn't like her working for the boss and neither did Clark. Clark didn't like it because the boss was mean to Lex, but Mr. Kent didn't like it because he hated her boss, and was always convinced he was up to no good. But Mrs. Kent liked and respected her boss. What was his name again Mrs. Kent? I forget, it was funny-sounding."
"His name is Lionel Luthor, and I worked for Luthorcorp." Martha told Ryan and the group. The company name registered no look of hatred on their faces, as it did for the residents of the town, for Luthorcorp was past their time. But, the sixth mysterious person turned around at the name of Lionel Luthor, and Luthorcorp. She paid brisk attention to the little boy.
"Well, we were in Lex's mansion, where Lionel also lived, and Martha had to go to his office, so I hung out with Lex. Now, Lex also thinks that Martha shouldn't be working for Lionel because he was afraid he was going to hurt her in some way, and hurt the Kents. Lionel is Lex's father. That's all I remember, about Martha anyway." Martha thanked the boy, and smiled as she sat down on the grass.
"Yes, I did work for Luthorcorp for awhile. I quit though, after a trip to Metropolis." The group murmured concern.
"But why dear? From what your little friend Ryan told us over his time here, and now, it seemed like the perfect job for you." Her mother asked.
" When we were in Metropolis, Lionel gave me a watch. I was going to return it to him, but then people who had broken into Lionel's vault took us hostage. We got out okay, but I had forgotten to return the watch to Lionel. I hid it in my dresser because I didn't want Jonathan to find it but, he found it."
"Tsk, tsk, do I want to know what my boy did next?" Jonathan's father asked. His mother nudged him, and smiled at Martha.
"Once he found out who it was from, and saw the inscription, he smashed it. I had no idea. Lionel had been shot, and Jonathan was framed. The person framing Jonathan used the watch as evidence. Once Jonathan was freed, that ended my time as a Luthorcorp employee."
They continued their chat about many different things, and people started to drift away. Ryan began to play with Lawrence, and the Langs moved on after hearing about Nell and Lana. Jonathan's parent's drifted away after hearing about their son and Clark. Soon the only people left in the circle were Martha's mother and the mysterious woman.
"Martha, dear, come find me before you leave, but I must go now." Her mother said to her as she kissed her on the head and left. It was just Martha, the woman, and the two bundles she was carrying. "Martha, do you know who I am?" she asked.
"I wish I did. It feels like I know you, but I can't put my finger on it." She admitted sheepishly. The lady handed her one of the bundles.
"This is your baby. Your baby was going to be a girl. She was going to grow up and become a teacher. She would live in Grandville for awhile, but always be nearby, unlike Clark." Martha looked at the bundle, and at the baby's perfect face, and began to cry again.
"But what will happen to Clark? Where will he go?' she asked.
"Hush, you must leave this place, and quickly. This is heaven, but you are not supposed to be dead. You must leave soon, or you will sacrifice your life prematurely. Say goodbye to whom you must. They will only delay you on your journey. Look, the river is getting higher. You must leave! The woman's deep red hair shone in the light. Martha hastily got up, and holding the baby in her arms made her way to her mother and Ryan.
"I must go now," she told them both. She embraced her mother one last time, and her mother nodded, and turned away. But Ryan would not let her leave.
"Why do you have to go? Everything was so perfect." He cried.
"Ryan, I must! But, don't worry, I will never forget you! And I will be back." With a tear, he let her go.
Martha ran back to the woman, who brought her down on the riverbank.
"You must go now." She said. Martha nodded,
"But, who are you? Please tell me." she pleaded. The lady smiled.
"My name is Lillian Luthor, and this is my son, Julian," she said, holding her bundle close, as she took Martha's baby away from her. Martha choked back a tear. "I believe you know my husband. Keep him safe and my son also. They know not what they do. Now go!" Lillian gave Martha a final hug, and pushed her to the water's edge. She slowly began to walk across. It was very high now, up to her neck, and it took all her might just to get to the middle. But she had no more strength.
"Think of Jonathan, and Clark. Think of Lionel and Lex! Think of the living, to get yourself across!" Lillian hollered at her. With the thought of her beloved husband, and her beloved friends, she made her way across.
"Now, Martha, listen. Run back the way you came. Do not stop running until you can see Jonathan in the chair. Godspeed. I will see you soon. Remember what I told you about Lionel and Lex. Forgive them. They know not what they do." Lillian called. Martha gave one last look over to her mother, Ryan, and Lillian. Then she began to run. She did not look back, and kept running and running. She finally reached Jonathan in the chair.
"Jonathan!" she cried, "Jonathan!"
Martha awoke with a start, and saw that she was in a different room, and hooked up to a whole lot of machines.
"Jonathan." She rasped. She saw him outside the door, and he saw her. He rushed in, and grasped her hand.
"Oh Martha!" he said, kissing her hand tenderly, "you almost died. You were asleep, and you almost died, and," he began to cry uncontrollably, "Oh God, I cannot lose you too. Please, I can't lose you too!" Martha smiled and held his hand.
"I love you Jonathan. I'm not going anywhere." She said, smiling. Then, she closed her eyes and slept, with Jonathan still at the side of the bed, grasping her hand, sobbing.