Chapter Seven
Lois Lane had spent years enjoying the opportunity to sleep alone and wake up whenever she wanted to. It had been part of her young independence and knowing that she could protect herself. She knew that there was no man who could make her feel as safe as when she was alone. Or, that was what she had spent years telling herself before meeting Clark. Now, any time she dreamed without him there they were bad dreams which made her realize she needed him. The previous night she had slept happily curled up to the young man who her husband was inside.
"You sleep okay?" Clark asked as she kissed his shoulder, his cheek, and then his lips.
"Oooh yes," she laughed as she curled up to him. "Did you…you weren't moving a lot so I take it no bad dreams," she ran a few fingers through the blond hair.
"I couldn't sleep," Clark admitted, "Not really, I think I got maybe two hours."
"Mmm," Lois whispered before looking at him, "I'm sure your parents will come around, they have to, they will see that you are their son and then they'll rush to apologize. Trust me, but if you need some coffee I'll…"
"It's okay," Clark replied. "I'll make some, you should get some rest."
"Dear, it's okay, I was going to get up anyway. Let me take care of you this morning, alright," she said softly. She ran a hand down his jaw again and kissed him romantically on the lips. "I love you. Now I'm going to go get you that coffee and then take a shower, you're leaving tonight aren't you?" she asked in disappointment.
"Yes, tonight," Clark nodded before watching her, "It won't be for long until I can move in here permanently and then you are definitely going to help me pick out some clothes. I know you're much better at shopping than I am."
"Well, I do like to put clothes on you…and to take them off," Lois nodded. "I feel awful not having you at the Planet. It's like I can't do the same kind of work. Jimmy is amazing, but he's no Clark Kent. There's nobody like you."
Clark laughed, "Well get used to reading legal documents then because I'll still be writing, but it'll be different. I do feel the want to protect others and the need to speak up for those that can't speak for themselves. I'm excited about studying law."
"Even though lawyers are usually evil and self-involved?" Lois asked.
"Even if that is true. I'll just have to show that the stereotype doesn't work," he reached out for her hand and then kissed it. "I love you, I'm going to go start the coffee."
"Claark," Lois laughed.
At that point, the doorbell rang and Lois smiled to him. "I'll grab a robe and see who it is, you go sort to the coffee," she laughed. As they went downstairs, Lois made sure that Clark was in the kitchen before she opened the door and blinked in shock, "Martha?" she looked around, "It's so early, where's Jonathan, please tell me that everything is okay and he's okay."
Martha hugged her daughter in law before trying to peak in to see if anyone else was there. "Did Clark leave already?" she asked.
"Clark?" Lois asked, "He hasn't been home for days. I don't know when I'll next see him, I would try to get on the phone with him or wait until he contacts you. I'm sorry, Martha, I can't help you find him," Lois said quickly. She didn't want Clark to get hurt and Martha had already rejected him the previous day. She knew why he hadn't slept and she only wanted to protect him.
"I know dear," Martha said, "but I'm not looking for that Clark, I'm looking for my son."
Lois looked confused at her mother-in-law, "I don't understand. I just told you that Clark wasn't here."
Martha raised an eyebrow, "Cute dear, but I'd like to ask my son what is going on and I have the suspicion that if I listen to him this time I'll be able to help him. I am his mother. Now, no matter his age or hair color or even planet of birth, I am his mother and I…" she looked up at the blonde that had just exited the kitchen.
"Mom?" he asked, "I mean," he coughed, "Mrs. Kent, you're back…"
"You're not going to fool me again." Martha's voice showed her stubbornness and her trust in the man before her. She watched him, "Write down your answers to these questions," she said as Clark looked at her surprised. He took the list that she offered him and smiled, these were secret things that even Lois didn't know between him and his mother some of them a bit personal.
"I'll need something to write with," he said with hope in his voice. Was his mother going to accept him if he answered all these questions correctly. He was going to try, "I'll be right back," he said as he went to fill in the questions and finish with the coffee at the same time.
"I thought you didn't trust him and you didn't believe him," Lois said trying to protect the man she loved.
Martha looked down, "You know, I didn't naturally birth Clark, but I raised him from a tiny infant from space into the man he was. Every time he felt sad or defeated, I was there. There was a look of pain in his eyes yesterday, it was something that I was familiar with but I let him down. I didn't listen. If that is my son in there, my Clark, I need to know that because if he needs help, ever needs help, I want to be there for my little boy. You'll understand when you have your own children."
"You still see him as a little boy?" Lois asked with a pensive smile, she nodded, "I get it, you were there for him when he was at his most vulnerable, you were there when he relied on you. Maybe I don't fully understand, but I can imagine."
"I wanted to be the one to keep him safe and keep him protected. I never wanted him to end up as a lab experiment, I wanted him to have the best opportunities available and I fought to give that to him, but I'm not the person he needs, that's you," Martha said before seeing the young man enter the room again. She took the list and as she read the answers her eyes filled with tears and her hand shook.
She opened her arms as she folded the paper and put it in her pocket, "Please, Clark. Can I hold you? Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay, ma" Clark said as he made his way over to his mother and felt her hold him tight, pressing him closer to her so she could hold him and keep him as safe as possible. "I…I'm so thankful you're here. Do you need some coffee?"
"I just need you, my little superman," she said as she watched him. "You're so young," she commented as she wanted to hold him again. She didn't know what was going on but the way that her son and his wife were handling this made her feel that this wasn't a simply temporary issue. "I do need to ask you something?"
"Sure," Clark nodded as he looked at her, "Please let me get you something. I'd feel guilty if I couldn't do anything for you."
"Can I be your mother?" she asked, "I understand if it can't be the same and if I can't be your mother, I still want to be in your life. If I was unable to see you, to talk to you, to help you, I don't think I could survive like that. It doesn't matter what you look like Clark or what your name is -"
"Troy," Clark said quickly, "My new name is Troy."
"Troy," Martha smiled, "a very noble and heroic name. Troy, I would very much like to be a part of your life in any way I possibly can."
"Of course you're in my life," Clark grinned, "You're my mother. You will always be my mother even if it can't be public anymore." He went into his mother's open arms again and let her kiss him and run her fingers all over him trying to memorize this new body and the feel of taking care of him. "Is that okay?"
"That's fine," Martha smiled widely, "It's okay. I don't need the world to know that I'm your mother as long as we know that is all that is important to me."
"What about Dad?" Clark asked nervously, he wanted to hold onto some hope that his father would come around. He had grown up with his father being such a powerful and inspiring figure to him, a person he needed to be like and that he would often watch with such proud feelings that it would definitely hurt were he never to have any kind of relationship with the man.
"He'll come around," Martha replied, "Your father might be stubborn and protective, but he's a very good man, Clark. He just needs some time to get used to the idea. I'll do what I can."
Clark nodded, he felt a twist in his gut but at least things were starting to seem easier and get back to the normal more. He just had to take it slowly. At this moment though there was someone else running around in his body, making the decisions for Clark Kent. As much as he wanted to just release a deep breath and let it go, inside he felt that he couldn't. He had built his life in a certain way and followed certain morals and ethics, but now all of that work he had done was just getting undone.
As the three of them stood around trying to figure out the best step forward, there was another knock on the door.
"Would I be hoping too much for that to be Dad?" Clark asked his mother who was also caught by surprise.
As Lois opened the door though there was a cold chill throughout the room. Standing in the doorway were two police officers and Clark felt his heart beat quicken. Why were they here? Was it about the missing $100 bill? Was it something to do with why he had come here or his family was worried about him? How had they tracked him down here? He had to calm down and he looked up to see his mother watching him concerned.
"Hello, officers" Lois asked, "Little early for you, isn't it?"
Keep Calm. Deep Breaths.
Those were the two things that Clark kept telling himself. If he managed to act cool and calm and clueless, he could investigate what was going on at the same time. He waited to hear what the police were going to say before trying to inspect everything from whether their badges were legitimate to whether they were carrying anything that would be a threat to his family.
"I'm sorry to say but there's been a murder," one of the officers said.
"Murder?" Lois asked as she tried to go through all of the cases that she had investigated recently and anyone who might have been in danger. "Who was murdered?"
"I regret to inform you that the murder was of your husband, Mr. Clark Kent, although I don't know how. He did reveal himself to be Superman and Superman has never died before."
Lois blinked, trying to keep her eyes off of the blonde male to her right. She didn't know what he was going through, but the information about her husband haunted her a little. What was going on? Was this something that would affect Clark, or really Troy, as well.
"We'd like you to come with us and verify the body," the second officer said as Lois nodded.
There had to be a clue in this somewhere because there definitely was a story.