sorry for the delay. life and sickness got in the way. thanks always for the feedback. you know i love it.

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Author: Alison

Disclaimer: Characters belong to DC, CW, AlMiles, etc., etc., etc. My cat visited Keith Urban in rehab. He's writing a special song just for her. Nicole is jealous.

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Part 2

The car pulled up to the bright little farmhouse. She cut the engine and stepped out, opening the back door and removing the empty boxes and bags. She'd cleaned most of the house that morning and later she took the leftover food, what could be salvaged from sitting out most of the night, to the local orphanage. They needed it worse than her and Clark.

She didn't feel rested, but she didn't feel tired either. She really just felt numb. It'd already been a long day, and it was only a quarter to ten o'clock in the morning as she walked up the creaky old wooden porch steps into the house.

She'd rolled on her back that morning in the dimness, staring at the ceiling. Well, not really at it, so much as through it.

She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Five o'clock. She laughed softly to herself and closed her eyes.

He would've been kissing her as he left to do his morning chores. He would've been telling her to go back to sleep. He just…would've been there.

But he wasn't.

She had slowly opened her eyes, focusing on the swirled pattern of the ceiling in the darkness of the early morning. He was gone and wasn't coming back. She knew that.

It was also clear to her that life goes on, even when you wish it wouldn't.

She sighed and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She'd cried herself to sleep at some point during the night because she was still wearing her funeral clothes. She rose off the bed and walked to the bedroom door, opening it.

That's when she saw them. Whether or not he'd meant for her to see, she did. She probably would've been able to figure it out anyway, mother's intuition and all. She kind of already had an inkling that something was going on, judging by how much time they'd spent together in the weeks prior to Jonathan's death.

Clark barely glanced her way as he carried a sleeping Lois into his bedroom. They both looked worn out. She watched as he laid Lois on his bed, removed her boots and set them in the floor. He slowly pulled the covers over her. He still didn't look up at his mother as he removed his shoes and also let them drop to the floor. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

Her heart sank as he reached for Lois's hand and gently held it in his own, lightly stroking her hair with his other hand. It reminded her so much of…

She sighed.

At least they had each other, even if neither realized it.

She shook her head of her thoughts and reached for the cleaner and sponge under the kitchen sink. Spraying the stovetop, she glanced up momentarily and saw it there. She didn't mean to, but there it was in plain sight.

It would've never been given a second glance or thought before. It was nothing out of the ordinary.

But now, his old brown barn coat hung on the hall tree in the living room as a reminder that he'd never reach for it again as he went out to feed the cows or haul the hay.

She really had no idea she was scrubbing the stove. In fact, she could barely remember cleaning the house that morning. It was just keeping her occupied. It was something to do. If she was cleaning, she didn't have to think about him…that much.

But she never heard Lois until she was standing right in front of her.

"Mrs. Kent?"

She quickly glanced up and smiled faintly at the younger girl.

"Oh, good morning, Lois. Would you like something to eat? I can whip up some pancakes for you, if you like?"

It'd be something else to keep her busy. Anything to keep her busy. She just didn't want to have that lull where the thoughts could come creeping in. She was getting tired of all the crying.

"Oh, no thanks, Mrs. Kent." Martha continued to scrub the stove, rubbing spots she knew had been there for years, but maybe with a little extra elbow grease, some determination and frustration, they'd finally come out. "You know, I don't think it's gonna get any shinier." It's not that she didn't hear Lois talking. But, she was just…in her own world at the moment, and it was difficult to answer the girl. "Mrs. Kent?" Lois paused. "Okay, I'm sure Mr. Clean would be proud, but this has gotta stop." She took the sponge out of Mrs. Kent's hand and threw it in the nearby kitchen sink.

Martha sighed as she placed her hand to her head.

"I'm sorry, Lois. It's just…" She paused, sighed and looked just inside the living room. Lois followed her gaze to his old brown barn coat. "...everything here reminds me. It's not that I don't want to remember. I guess, now that he's gone, I'm just afraid I'm going to forget."

She turned and walked to the end of the island, sitting on one of the bar stools and placing her head in her hands.

Jonathan would tell her she's overreacting. He'd say you never forget those you love and that they'll see each other again some day.

But the past tense of those statements only reminded her that it's what he would have said…if he only were there.

She felt Lois's hand rest on her shoulder.

"Mrs. Kent, I promise you'll never forget. No matter what happens…you will never forget."

She tried hard to hold them back. But the harder she held in the tears, the more they wanted to flow.

Lois was right. Her words were so true and sounded just like something he would've said. No wonder Clark wanted to stay with her so much. She could see now just how much he needed her.

Martha looked up and met Lois's comforting gaze. She briefly glanced down and nodded. She needed to cry, but, oh, how she didn't want to. Not anymore. She was sick of the tears. They'd been flowing for nearly a week now.

Lois must've noticed. The young girl slowly reached out to Martha and drew her into a hug. Martha slid off the bar stool and embraced her. She hugged her tightly for a moment, and then pulled away.

She quickly wiped her eyes, keeping her head down as she sniffed back the few remaining tears that wanted to fall.

"Have you seen Clark this morning?"

She could tell Lois probably wanted to ask it sooner. He'd left as she was packing up the food to take to the orphanage. Lois must've still been asleep.

"He finished up his chores earlier this morning, then he said he had somewhere he needed to go to think about some things. I'm not too sure where that is though."

She kind of had an idea of where it was, but she couldn't be sure.

"Mrs. Kent, are you going to be okay? I mean, I need to run some errands, but I can come back later and help you around here if you--"

"No, Lois." Martha smiled appreciatively. "It's okay. I'll be fine." Lois smiled and nodded as Martha reached for her cup of coffee on the island from earlier in the morning. She watched as Lois removed her coat from the hall tree and threw it on as she walked to the door. Lois grasped the doorknob, but hesitated briefly as she took her keys out of her pocket. "Besides, Clark needs you more than I do right now."

Lois froze in the doorway.

And there it was.

She knew neither of them realized it.

Martha smiled, crossed her ankles and leaned against the kitchen island as she sipped her coffee.

"Uh…whatd'ya mean?"

As if the girl didn't know. She knew Lois was smarter than that. Or maybe she just didn't want to admit it. She was pretty sure Clark probably didn't either. But they seemed to bring something out in each other. Lois definitely brought something out in Clark that no other girl was able to do.

Martha sighed. She wouldn't push. She'd just nudge.

"Just go to him, Lois. You may be the only one that can get through."

Lois stared at Martha briefly, then dropped her gaze and slowly walked out the door. She was sure her words would ring through Lois's head for the rest of the day, perhaps longer.

But it was the truth. When Clark carried Lois into his bedroom, his demeanor was entirely different from the night before. Martha had tried to reach for his hand in the car on the way home from the funeral, but he pulled away.

But he'd held Lois's hand as she slept. Somehow, she'd cracked his wall and gotten through.

There was something about that girl. There was something about that boy, too. She wondered if someone else close to the two of them had noticed. She'd have to make a phone call.

Because two people who have that kind of effect on one another, who can break seemingly unbreakable walls around a heart, well, those people have something most only dream of, but never realize.

She glanced once more at his coat in the living room. His absence was unbearable at times. She missed him like she'd never thought she could. He'd laugh at the thought of Lois and Clark. But, if he'd seen them that morning, and witnessed the change in his son, then maybe he would've agreed with her.

She sighed as she sipped her coffee and picked up the phone. She would never push. But a slight nudge never hurt, especially when it was in the best interest of those you love.

After all, as they used to tell each other during difficult and unpredictable times, quoting one of her favorite songs, "all will be well. You could ask me how, but only time will tell."