"No, I don't want to hold." Lois spat into the phone. "Look, Councilman Morris said he needed some of Senator Kents time, and I'm calling to set that up, but I won't….oh, great." She rolled her eyes. "They put me on hold." Lois looked up at Martha Kent, and shook her head. "This fundraiser better be worthwhile, because I'm wasting more taxpayer dollars doing this. I could just write him a check."
Martha smiled. "Preserving Kansas history is always a worthwhile cause. The Frontier project is one that I know Jonathan would have supported." Looking out the window, Martha could see Kara giving Krypto another bath in the yard, Shelby keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings. "I think Kara might like the fundraiser, too."
Lois raised a finger. "Yeah, Councilman Morris? Oh, you're his secretary. Okay, well, Senator Kent said she'll be there, with her niece. What? No, they've never been to the Kiwatchee Reservation." Lois raised an eyebrow. "Saturday, ten o'clock. Wonderful. Yes, she's very excited, too. Will I come?" Lois looked beseechingly at Martha, who smiled and shrugged. "Yes, I'll be there. Okay, goodbye."
'The Frontier Project thanks you, Lois." Martha said, laughing. "I'm sure you could probably get Wayne Industries to contribute."
"Conflict of interest." Lois said, folding her arms. "He's interested, I'm conflicted about it."
"You've been seeing enough of Bruce. What's wrong?" Martha rolled out pastry dough while she went over her official calendar with Lois. With Kara around, they went through sweets like crazy. But baking was when Martha had her best ideas, and
today was no exception. When Lois left, Martha would call Bruce Wayne and invite him to the benefit. Martha smiled, watching Lois hover over the table, as if sure she would find the answers she sought in the flour tin or in the sugar bowl.
"I don't know." Lois moaned, taking a spiced, sugared piece of apple from the bowl of apple pie filling. "He's so weird. I mean, one minute you think you have a handle on the guy, and the next, " She popped the apple slice into her mouth. "he's taking you completely by surprise."
"Who's taking who by surprise?" Clark asked, and Lois turned, eyes wide.
"How much did you hear?" Lois demanded, quickly swallowing her apple. "It's none of your business, Smallville."
"None of my business, huh?" Clark grinned evilly, and Lois scowled at him. "It's not like I don't know you and Bruce Wayne are dating. Was it supposed to be a secret?"
"Clark." Martha chided softly, and Lois' shrugged.
"No, it's fine." Lois squared her shoulders. "I could use a man's point of view. In this case, since there are no actual men around, Clarkie here will do just fine."
"Do you want my help, or not?" Clark asked, washing his hands in the sink. "I do have a farm to run."
"And finals to study for.." Martha reminded him, and Clark laughed.
"I'm a busy guy, Lois. It's now or never." Clark turned, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.
"Okay. What does it mean when a man won't take no for answer." Lois began, and noting Clark's darkened expression, she held up her hands. "Whoa there, bruiser, it's not like that. Bruce just keeps calling, keeps taking me out, even when I tell him I'm not interested."
Clark shrugged. "Stop going. Don't take his calls. Otherwise, Lois, I'll see you at the wedding." He grinned brightly, tossing the dishtowel at her. "I can't wait to see YOU in a white dress. You won't get struck by lightning or anything that day, wearing white, I mean?"
'Shut up, idiot." Lois snapped throwing the towel back at Clark, who laughed at her discomfiture. "That's your big advice? Just stop going out with him?"
"Um, yeah, Lois. It's called 'breaking it off." Clark took a cookie from the cooling rack and went back outside. "Thanks, Mom!"
"Tell Kara to come in for some.." Martha called out as the screen door slammed back into its frame. "Lois, you know, Clark was teasing, but he is right. You're not going to get Bruce to take you seriously if you keep going out with him when you don't want to see him anymore."
'I guess." Lois took a cookie off the cooling rack too, and bit into it. "Except, I really do like Bruce. I just don't know if it's going to work out."
Martha smiled sympathetically. "All you can do it give it a try, Lois. Bruce is a nice man."
"I haven't met many of those." Lois said sadly, looking down at the floor. "I don't know what to do with them."
Chloe got into her car after making her appointment for that weekend with Dr. Willowbrook and sat quietly, gathering her thoughts. So much had gone on lately, that it was getting harder to keep her grip on what was what. She and Clark were not making a public announcement of their Kryptonian betrothal, which was fine. But the time spent connected to Lara through the crystal had left Chloe in a kind of pain she thought she'd left behind a long time ago. Suddenly, Chloe missed her mother terribly; the homesick feeling in her stomach as fresh as the day her mother first left. Chloe wiped the tears away impatiently, and started the car. If she told anyone at all about this whole business with Clark, it would be her mother.
She drove purposefully, not paying attention to her cell phone or her ever - present MP3 player. Chloe's mind was on other things. Gabe was too far away, Lois too out of the loop and Lana, well, the less Lana knew about anything, the better. And Clark had enough on his plate right now, with Kara and the farm. The private hospital was not that far from Smallville, which was ironic, since Chloe had spent so much time searching between heaven and earth to find her mother. But it seemed that Chloe would somehow find the answers to her questions just by sitting with her mother watching the light change across the manicured gardens of the hospital. Pulling into the parking lot, Chloe was surprised to see her Uncle Sam just getting into his large SUV. She honked her horn at him, waving.
"Chloe! How are you, kid? She'll be glad to see you." Uncle Sam slipped his unlit cigar back in his pocket and leaned into Chloe's open window. "You want me to wait? I have plans with Lois to get some dinner. You can come too. After seeing your mom, I could use the company." Sam Lane shook his head, looking up at the impressive façade of the hospital. "Still can't believe she's in there. My little sister."
"I know, Uncle Sam." Suddenly, the idea of going to see her mother became very heavy. Chloe looked back at her uncle. "I'm going to the Kent farm after this, so I'll pass on dinner. I promised Clark's cousin I'd help her with some homework. Her old school was heavy in math and science, so I told her I'd work with her on her book report."
"Ah, cute kid." Sam nodded, thinking of Kara. "Alright then, buttercup, I'll see you on the next trip through. Stay out of trouble." Sam gave Chloe a little tap on the end of her nose, and smiled. "Tell your old man to call me."
"Will do, Uncle Sam." Chloe smiled and the General nodded, giving her car door a quick tap before getting into his truck and driving off.
Chloe pulled into her uncle's vacated space and then headed up the sloping lawns to the hospital entrance, thinking about her family. When the General had first met his wife, they were forced to take Ella's younger brother, Gabriel with them as a chaperone. The next time, Sam had brought his baby sister, Sarah, as a companion for Gabe. It caused no end of joy in both the Lane and Sullivan homes when both couples decided marriage was the next step. The close family ties helped the three girls, Lois, Lucy and Chloe through the hard times that had come with their childhood – losing Sarah Lane-Sullivan to her mental illness, and then Ella Sullivan-Lane to cancer a few years later. Chloe saw her mother's face in the window of the sun room, and for a moment, she could swear she saw a flicker of emotion cross the woman's face as Sarah looked down at her daughter. Chloe raised a hand, but Sarah did not respond.
"Hi, Mom." Chloe said, softly as she approached Sarah. "It's been awhile, I know."
Sarah turned, and a hint of a smile hovered around her lips. A delicate white hand darted up and hesitantly cupped Chloe's cheek, gentle as a kiss. "You remember who I am, don't you?" Chloe asked, and Sarah's mouth curved a little more in reply.
"I need to talk, Mom. I can't have these conversations with Dad, he just doesn't get it."
Chloe sat down, and patted the bench beside her. Sarah sat, taking Chloe's hand.
"Mom, there's been so many weird things happening lately. I don't even know where to start, and I'm kind of an expert about that stuff. I have the spirit of a Kitwachee shaman trying to contact me from beyond the grave, still having dreams about a planet that blew up years ago, and I've been betrothed to my boyfriend in some alien ritual that makes me a member of his family. I used to think I had it all together, Mom." Chloe reached up and smoothed some of her mother's faded hair behind her ear. "Now I just wonder if I ever did."
Sarah turned and looked at her daughter, and her mouth moved, sketching words with her lips but making no sound. Tears filled her hazel eyes, and she shook her head, taking Chloe's hand in her own. Her daughter gasped, and Chloe held her breath, waiting for her mother to speak. After a moment, Sarah closed her eyes in frustration and turned away, staring out the window again.
"It's okay, Mom." Chloe said, swallowing her disappointment. "I know you'll tell me what you want to say soon enough." She rose, and kissed her mother's cheek. "I love you, Mom. I'll be back sooner next time, I promise."
Sarah looked back at Chloe, and she grabbed her daughter's hand again, her grip tight and protective, panic flasing in her eyes. "Nnnnooonnnooowwwaaaaaiiiiiittt…"
Chloe staggered back, dropping her bag on the floor, and Sarah clutched at her, reaching for the pendant Clark had given Chloe after their dream sojourn in Krypton. Her hand closed around the crystal, and Chloe felt a jolt race through her, from her feet to her forehead. Sarah felt it too - she suddenly seemed to be focused, conscious and aware. She held the stone so tightly that Chloe could feel the white gold chain cutting into the back of her neck.
"Angel heart…." Sarah rasped, blinking. "My Angel." She smiled, and nodded. "Trust him….Angel….love always….Gabe…." Sarah released the stone and fell back onto the bench, looking down at her hand, in surprise, rocking in her seat. Eyes wide, Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth, crying both from shock and fear.
"Oh!" A young nurse ran to them, and knelt before Sarah. "Sarah?" She looked up at Chloe. "Are you okay, hon? I've never seen her do anything like that, not ever."
"I'm fine." Chloe said, in spite of the cold shivers that made her skin crawl. "She talked to me. Did you hear her? She spoke to me."
The nurse stood, and looked at Chloe carefully. "I know it seemed that way, and I understand why you'd want to believe that. But she didn't say a word…just gibberish."