Chp 12 – Shock



-- Smallville – August 2010 --

Clark paced back and forth across the kitchen, stalking past Cole as he sat on the floor playing. His father stood in the doorway leading to the den, and his mother was leaning against the counter near the oven. They both wore sympathetic expressions.

"There's no way I can delay the FBI from going public now," Clark sighed. "My leaving town already set them back two weeks."

"Clark, you knew Africa was a long shot as it was," Jonathan remarked.

"Yeah, but it was my only shot." Clark ran a hand through his hair and continued to pace.

"Maybe it's time to start looking to the future," Martha soothed. Her gaze was drawn to the small child on the floor. "It's been over a year…"

"I know how long it's been!" Clark stopped pacing and sent an apologetic glance to his mother. "I didn't mean to shout. I just… I don't think I can stop. Not yet."

A knock called everyone's attention to the porch door. Since Clark's pacing had placed him near it, he reached out to grab the handle and pulled it open.

As he recognized the visitor, shock drained all emotion from his voice. "Lois."


"Clark," Lois said in surprise. Her thoughts scattered in a number of different directions.

She hadn't expected him to be the one who answered the door. She told herself that she was being silly. Of course she should have considered the possibility that he would be there. It was his family's farm after all. Still, it was unexpected.

They stood staring at one another for what seemed to be an eternity before Lois's gaze flicked to the room behind him. His parents were staring in wonder. Glancing downward, Lois saw something that made her heart miss a beat.

Cole. Her baby.

With a gasp, she hurriedly stepped past Clark's frozen figure and into the kitchen. "Cole!" she exclaimed rushing toward him.

With wide eyes, the child jumped to his feet and ran to his grandfather, inserting himself between Jonathan's legs.

Lois stopped short, realizing that she had scared him. Closing her eyes, Lois raised a hand to cover her mouth as she inhaled deeply to compose herself. With a forced smile, she opened her eyes and held a hand out in supplication.

"Hey, Cole," she tried again.

In response, Cole disappeared behind Jonathan into the den.

"I'll go," Jonathan said, taking a final bewildered look at the kitchen's occupants.

Martha was the first to break out of her shock-induced reverie. She immediately felt sympathy for how Lois must have been feeling after Cole's reaction. She walked over to her and led her to the stool next to the kitchen island.

"Here, Lois, sit down." Martha fought the impulse to launch into a barrage of questions. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Lois smiled gratefully at the older woman. "Water, please. Thanks."

Martha nodded and turned to get a class from the cabinet. She took note of how thin and tired Lois looked.

Lois studied her hands and sighed. "I guess you're wondering where I've been," she started. "I was working on a story and was on my way to check out a tip from one of my sources…"

At that moment, Clark finally snapped out of his daze and he spun away from the door, knocking it closed with the movement. Martha's head turned sharply at the motion.

"A story! God, Lois, do you ever think before you do anything?" Clark shouted, his tone matching that of his earlier outburst. He had been looking for her for what seemed to be forever. And just when he was at the point of giving up, she had nonchalantly walked back into his life. "How could you put yourself in a position like this? You have a child! Don't you think that for his sake you could have been responsible for once in your life?"

"Clark," Martha said in a cautionary tone.

Lois's face had turned red in the midst of his verbal attack, and her expression was becoming dangerously livid. Her emotions were fragile, and the leap from deeply hurt to frighteningly angry was quite fast.

"Oh, that's just great! Same old farm boy, right? Always quick with the moral high horse. Do I even get a chance to say anything, or are you not interested in the truth? You know what," Lois scoffed as she jumped from the stool. "I don't need this…"

Her rant stopped abruptly as the room spun and tilted before her eyes.

"Lois!" Martha called worriedly, seeing her stumble.

Lois raised a hand to show she was okay and reached for the counter for stability. She must have misjudged the distance, though, because she missed it by half a foot.

She was barely aware of the pair of arms that enveloped her as she fainted and fell to the floor.


tbc