Martha Kent had all the fortitude that makes up a farmer's wife. Farm-life is not for the weak, or the lazy, and, like her son, Martha was no slacker. Once she arrived in Metropolis she knew that her son would not have the time to look for a place to live, so she took the job upon herself.
When Clark had first arrived in Metropolis, he arranged to have half of his paycheck sent to her, thinking that she could use it to ease her burden. But Martha had other ideas, and put it aside for her self-sacrificing son, knowing a time would come when he would need it more than she. When she finally told Clark what she had done with the money, he was greatly impressed with this "simple farmer's wife," as she would call herself. With what she had invested from his wages, and the proceeds from leasing the fields, she could retire in comfort. Instead, she found a nice brownstone for her son and just finished the process of purchasing it. He would be able to move into it in a few weeks. Then he would finally have a place to call his own.
As Martha thought about her son's new home, she as was interrupted by the chirping of her cell-phone. "Martha Kent speaking," she answered hesitantly, as the number was not one she recognized.
"Oh, Mrs. Kent," the woman's voice on the other end said "Um, you don't know me, I, um, work with your son, Clark. I'm his partner, Lois Lane." Martha smiled at the nervousness in her son's friend's voice. She sounds as nervous as Clark. "I was wondering if you, if you and Clark would come to dinner tonight? We have a very important interview tomorrow, and we need to um, prepare for it. And I would very much like to meet you, and for you to meet somebody," Lois said.
Martha's face lit up with a smile as big as the Kansas sky. "Would this somebody happen to be around five years old, have messy brown hair, and his father's eyes?" Martha answered back. It was obvious where Clark got his investigative skills.
"Ahh, umm, so, he did tell you about Jason? I was hoping he did," Lois replied, trying to get a handle on the conversation.
"No, we haven't really had the time to talk." Martha said. "He's been busy doing what he does, and I've been trying to get him to slow down."
"Then how did you know?" Lois asked. "And, are you assuming that I know what else he does?"
"I saw you both as you were leaving the hospital. I would have known who that little one's father is no matter what. You don't know how happy you've made me. As for you knowing the truth, you wouldn't have invited me to dinner if you didn't, " Martha said
"I can see where he gets it from. I thought it was because of who he is, what he is, but it isn't, is it? You can see right through people, Martha Kent."
"So, about dinner?"
* * * *
Clark returned to his mother's hotel room just as she was locking the door on her way out. "Gee, Mom, even here in the big city, I can't get you to stay in for the evening, can I?" Clark quipped.
"Nope," she replied nonchalantly. "I have a big date tonight! I'm meeting with a very special young man. Perhaps you'd like to join us?" His mother teased back. Clark gave her a questioning look. "Lois invited us to dinner. She wants me to meet your son," she explained.
Clark felt his stomach squirm nervously. He had wondered how that conversation went, and when his mother was going to read him the riot act. He should have been the one who told her.
"That Lois is a very nice girl, Clark. I think I'm going to like her," Martha finished. "I have a cab waiting. You go ahead and clean up. I'll meet you at Lois's house. I'm sure you'll beat me, the way traffic is in these parts."
Clark entered the room, and looked at the luggage out of which he was still living. He was thankful that his mother was able to help him get a place. Picking out his best flannel shirt and khaki pants to change into, Clark returned to a chain of thoughts that had started as he was dealing with the earthquake in China. It was then that Clark came to the decision that he had to speak with Zod himself. It was a difficult choice, but the only choice in the long run. If Zod had specifically asked for Lois and Clark to interview him, after years of refusing to speak with anyone else, Clark came to the only conclusion there was: Zod had waited for him to return to the Planet. Zod already knew whom it was he wanted to talk to. Now if only he could convince Lois that this was the best way to proceed.
Martha's cab arrived at the Riverside Drive house, and Clark opened the door before his mother had a chance to even reach for the handle. Martha smiled at him as he held out his hand for her. He might be the most powerful man on the planet, but his mother raised a gentleman.
"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jason before. I just didn't know how to tell you," Clark admitted.
"Oh, Clark!" she exclaimed. "Your father and I raised you to know better, but that doesn't mean I'm angry with you. A little disappointed, maybe. But I do understand, these things happen. I know that you will do whatever needs to be done to take care of that little boy, and he will grow up to be as fine a man as his father." Clark blushed at his mother's complement. "As for now, Mr. Kent, I have date to meet my grandson, and I, for one, don't want to wait another minute." With that said, she walked to the front door and rang the bell.
Jason was the first to the door, running almost too fast. Clark smiled as he watched his son's antics through the door, and noticed Lois's not too pleased look as she realized just how fast her son had moved. Lois finally managed to move Jason to the side so she could open the door and properly greet their guests.
"Good evening, Mrs. Kent, Clark. Won't you please come in," Lois said as she escorted her guests into the foyer.
"Wow, this is some place you have here, Lois," Clark commented, clearly impressed with the house.
"Thank you, Clark. We really like it here, it's quiet, and there is room for Jason to play," Lois said while looking at her son. "Mrs. Kent, I'd like to introduce you to Jason, Jason this is Martha Kent, Clark's mother."
As Lois introduced the two, Clark wished that she had introduced her as his grandmother, but he knew that it was too soon to drop that on the boy. His mood was lifted as Lois continued speaking: "Jason, could you please take your grandmother and father to the living room, perhaps one of them would like to read to you or something?" Clark was surprised that she had already told their son of his paternity. He started wondering how much more this boy knew as he followed him into the next room.
Clark looked around the living room. It looked as it did the night he hovered nearby watching the family that lived here. Jason walked over to the sofa and picked up a book from a pile on the end table. Some of the books looked worn and well loved, as if they were handed down. Clark looked through the cover of one book and saw a sticker that said "Property of Lois Lane" and realized that these were some of the books she had read growing up. The fact that she still had them told him that, even as a child, she looked at her books as friends. It made sense, as much as she moved as a child, her books would give her a sense of continuity.
"This one is Mom's and my favorite." Jason said as he handed a book to his grandmother. The orange book was titled Miss Suzy. "It's about a little gray squirrel who lives in a big oak tree who was chased out of her home by a bunch of bad squirrels."
"Oh, dear!" Martha exclaimed in exaggerated horror. "Its okay, Gramma," Jason said, "she gets her house back." With that, he sat next to his grandmother and listened as she read the story. Clark watched contentedly as his mother and son bonded. He could get used to this.
Lois was finishing up with dinner in the kitchen as Richard entered. "Hey!" Lois exclaimed as Richard snatched a carrot off the vegetable platter. Richard smirked at her. Contrary to popular opinion, Lois could cook, she just didn't do it often. She hated the mess. She had decided to make a simple meal of corn chowder, breadsticks and a vegetable platter, that way she could get to know Mrs. Kent better. After Jason was sent to bed they could figure out how to handle the interview with Zod.
"Do you need any help?" Richard offered.
"No, I think I'm just about ready," she replied.
"So, Clark Kent, hmm? I always wondered why it was you had me get Jason's real birth certificate sealed and get one made with my name on it. Why not just let people know you had a thing with the guy? Why all the secrecy? Was it to protect his mother? I know you both made some pretty powerful people angry back in the day," Richard started to get into investigative mode. Lois had to distract him from this line of questioning, or things were going to get out of hand.
"Richard, you and I both have our secrets, and our reasons for doing what we do. We can't talk about it right now. We have guests."
"Yes, and one of those guests is your son's 'father.' Look Lois, I came onboard to protect you from the bad guys the two of you pissed off. I was told that I was protecting the famous Lois Lane from herself, that there was noise about using her as bait to get to Superman. That Lane and Kent uncovered some of the biggest political cover-ups out there, so big that Kent had to leave and go into hiding, but you refused. When I found out you were pregnant I figured that I really was protecting Superman's girlfriend, and soon his child. Do you really expect me to believe that this guy is J—"
"Excuse me." A deep voice interrupted from the doorway. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Richard turned to see a different side of Clark Kent – Jason's father. Clark stood in the doorway, his posture perfect, not slouching, hair out of his eyes, glasses in his hand. Richard had laughed it off before, but this time he saw the real Clark Kent or was he Superman?
Dinner wasn't quite what Lois had expected, but Clark revealing himself to Richard was sure to take the direction of the after-dinner discussion more to Lois's liking. She was sure that Clark was now noticing that Richard and her "relationship" was not what it seemed to the outside world. There was a reason why they were engaged for so long.
Jason and Martha spent most of the time discussing the squirrel bullies that chased poor Miss Suzy out of her house. Jason was sure that the captain of the tin soldiers who helped her get her home back had to be as good as Superman, and from the stories Clark had told him about his mom, he was sure that his Gramma was as kind as the little gray squirrel.
"Jason, put your plate away please, and kiss your father goodnight," Lois said.
Jason looked from Clark to Richard in confusion. "Which one?"
Lois smiled. "Both, sweetie."
Grabbing his plate and rushing to the kitchen, Jason screeched back into the dinning room and kissed the occupants of the room on the cheek.
"Night, Mommy," he said, pecking Lois on the cheek.
"Goodnight Jason… oh, and no running, you know I had to replace the carpet already."
Jason nodded, and walked awkwardly out of the room.
Martha chuckled. "I remember having to tell Clark that when he was young. Just wait till Jason starts shooting fire out of his eyes."
Clark looked at his mother in embarrassment. "We don't know what he'll be able to do, Mother." He said trying to console Lois, seeing the look of horror on her face.
Once Lois got Jason settled into bed, she joined the rest of the adults in the living room. Martha had been regaling Richard with stories about the joys of raising a Kryptonian child. "I don't think I was more frightened than the day Clark figured out he could fly. Well, hover was more like it. He was running through the fields jumping as high as he could. He ended up crashing through the barn roof and falling. I thought for sure that my boy was going to be splattered to smithereens. Instead he was just floating there, inches from the barn floor. I have seen many amazing things raising this one, but once I saw him floating there I knew there would be no holding him back. With him, even the sky wasn't the limit."
Lois was speechless as she listened to the woman who raised Superman. Though she was responsible for the upbringing of the child who would grow to be the strongest, fastest and more than likely the most respected man on Earth, she exuded the humbleness that Clark was known for. Lois suddenly felt inadequate for the job of raising his son. By listening a little longer, she was little comforted with the fact that Mrs. Kent had felt the same way while she was raising Clark.
"Shouldn't we get Perry the information he wanted on Zod," Clark asked Lois, pulling her out of her thoughts before she could start throwing herself a pity party. She nodded slightly, then turned to Martha asked if it would be possible for her to stay with her grandson while they went to interview Zod. Martha was more than happy to agree, then asked if someone would call a cab for her as she was getting tired, and wished to return to her hotel for a good nights sleep.