"Uh, would you like some coffee or something?" Clark still sounded jumpy and Lex couldn't really blame him.
"Thanks, I'd love some." He wondered if it was instinct or a conscious awareness of his brother's nervousness that made her voice slower and lower and her smile of thanks so gentle. Whatever it was, it seemed to work, since Clark returned the smile, though hesitantly, as he went into the kitchen. With him out of the room, Lex felt the tension decrease as perceptibly as if it were loud music that was turned down.
"You're looking well, Lex," she started, and he responded to the unasked question.
"It has been going pretty well. I think it's good for both of us to be away. From Dad," he clarified, seeing a hint of puzzlement.
She nodded and said, in a quieter tone, "I've heard only alarming things about Clark, but he seems about as dangerous and short-tempered as a newborn calf."
"That's entirely getting away from Dad. I don't think he was the best influence on someone with...extraordinary abilities."
Martha sighed. "I don't think extraordinary abilities are a good influence all by themselves. Somehow they always seem to end up in disasters."
"Monkey's Paw."
"Worse, I think."
"How so, Mrs. Kent?" He felt a grin creeping onto his face as she turned to face him, ready to debate.
"In the story, the wishes were the kinds of wishes somebody could say out loud. A hundred pounds, for a loved child to return. The meteors seem to have given abilities to the kinds of wishes we don't even want to admit to ourselves that we have."
"Such as?"
"Take Sasha, the bee girl. I knew her, Lex, she even came to me at the high school a few times. What she said was that she wanted to be popular. Liked. Of consequence. But what she really wanted was to dominate. To rule. To be the queen bee. That's what I mean."
Clark came back and Lex saw, with amusement, that he'd tried to make things nice for the guest, finding saucers to put underneath the mugs, making sure the spoons all matched, and even apologizing that the half-and-half was still in the carton.
He must have heard the end of what Martha said, as he carefully asked, in a perfectly level voice, "Oh? You're...interested in the people with abilities?"
She laughed. "Not particularly, but I'm a part-time counsellor at the high school and am the faculty sponsor for the student newspaper. The editor there gives 'obsession' a whole new depth of meaning. She collects meteor stories like Elton John collects glasses. The weirder the better."
Lex leaned forward. "I know I don't need to say this, but just in case, while I doubt she has our father's ear, please don't mention anything about Clark to her. Or anyone."
She nodded. "I do want to tell Jonathan that you're *you*, he was...disappointed in what he thought you were doing, but not a word to anyone else. You can trust us both." Her glance took in Clark, as well, and Lex saw him relax. "And you know, if you ever need anything, you can call on us. *Anything.*" Lex had to chuckle to himself as the effect that Clark's relieved smile had on her. Finishing her coffee, she stood up. "I have to go now, but give me your number. I want to stay in touch with you both."
She gave Lex a quick hug and turning to Clark, did the same. Lex caught a glimpse of his expression as he lowered his head slightly to her shoulder, and from the astonished gratitude and gratification there, saw that a Kent had again utterly enmeshed a Luthor, as Clark basked in the contact.
****
AN: Yup, I did rather shortcut in having Martha accept Clark's having special abilities, so tossed in a chapter that kinda fixed it--thanks for the catch!
Now the REAL question--is it more entertaining keeping the boys in a state of perpetual frustration when it comes to anything hormonal or should the revived ties to Smallville lead to something for one or both? There's always the possibility of C/L (Clark/Leviathan, the parrot), of course, they can both fly, that's something in common....
I think I'd pay somebody good money to get that mental image out of my brain.
"Thanks, I'd love some." He wondered if it was instinct or a conscious awareness of his brother's nervousness that made her voice slower and lower and her smile of thanks so gentle. Whatever it was, it seemed to work, since Clark returned the smile, though hesitantly, as he went into the kitchen. With him out of the room, Lex felt the tension decrease as perceptibly as if it were loud music that was turned down.
"You're looking well, Lex," she started, and he responded to the unasked question.
"It has been going pretty well. I think it's good for both of us to be away. From Dad," he clarified, seeing a hint of puzzlement.
She nodded and said, in a quieter tone, "I've heard only alarming things about Clark, but he seems about as dangerous and short-tempered as a newborn calf."
"That's entirely getting away from Dad. I don't think he was the best influence on someone with...extraordinary abilities."
Martha sighed. "I don't think extraordinary abilities are a good influence all by themselves. Somehow they always seem to end up in disasters."
"Monkey's Paw."
"Worse, I think."
"How so, Mrs. Kent?" He felt a grin creeping onto his face as she turned to face him, ready to debate.
"In the story, the wishes were the kinds of wishes somebody could say out loud. A hundred pounds, for a loved child to return. The meteors seem to have given abilities to the kinds of wishes we don't even want to admit to ourselves that we have."
"Such as?"
"Take Sasha, the bee girl. I knew her, Lex, she even came to me at the high school a few times. What she said was that she wanted to be popular. Liked. Of consequence. But what she really wanted was to dominate. To rule. To be the queen bee. That's what I mean."
Clark came back and Lex saw, with amusement, that he'd tried to make things nice for the guest, finding saucers to put underneath the mugs, making sure the spoons all matched, and even apologizing that the half-and-half was still in the carton.
He must have heard the end of what Martha said, as he carefully asked, in a perfectly level voice, "Oh? You're...interested in the people with abilities?"
She laughed. "Not particularly, but I'm a part-time counsellor at the high school and am the faculty sponsor for the student newspaper. The editor there gives 'obsession' a whole new depth of meaning. She collects meteor stories like Elton John collects glasses. The weirder the better."
Lex leaned forward. "I know I don't need to say this, but just in case, while I doubt she has our father's ear, please don't mention anything about Clark to her. Or anyone."
She nodded. "I do want to tell Jonathan that you're *you*, he was...disappointed in what he thought you were doing, but not a word to anyone else. You can trust us both." Her glance took in Clark, as well, and Lex saw him relax. "And you know, if you ever need anything, you can call on us. *Anything.*" Lex had to chuckle to himself as the effect that Clark's relieved smile had on her. Finishing her coffee, she stood up. "I have to go now, but give me your number. I want to stay in touch with you both."
She gave Lex a quick hug and turning to Clark, did the same. Lex caught a glimpse of his expression as he lowered his head slightly to her shoulder, and from the astonished gratitude and gratification there, saw that a Kent had again utterly enmeshed a Luthor, as Clark basked in the contact.
****
AN: Yup, I did rather shortcut in having Martha accept Clark's having special abilities, so tossed in a chapter that kinda fixed it--thanks for the catch!
Now the REAL question--is it more entertaining keeping the boys in a state of perpetual frustration when it comes to anything hormonal or should the revived ties to Smallville lead to something for one or both? There's always the possibility of C/L (Clark/Leviathan, the parrot), of course, they can both fly, that's something in common....
I think I'd pay somebody good money to get that mental image out of my brain.