AN: Thanks to Brin and Mak for their excellent eyesight, and beta capabilities. Their comments made this chapter better than it was.
I don't own Superman, Clark, Lois, Jason....
Chapter 18
Clark arrived at the terminal just as Perry exited, waving to let him know he saw him. Drifting through the sea of humanity, Clark tried to connect with the older man, but was continually rebuffed by the tides of his fellow reporters seeking morsels of the story of day: The Death of Daily Planet Assistant Editor Richard White. None of the reporters surrounding Perry took note of the tall man who approached them. Clark was more invisible now than he had ever imagined being back in Metropolis.
"Mr. White, can you tell us what your nephew was doing here in Kansas?" One young reporter called out. Clark observed that he couldn't have been much older than 21 or 22, and was not at all intimidated by the prospect of interviewing the Editor-in-Chief of one of the most respected news organizations in the world. Perry looked at the young reporter, Clark noticed the wry smile on Perry's face: this kid would go far. Clark would be watching to see if he showed up in the bullpen of The Planet sometime in the near future.
"Visiting," the editor responded.
"What about the allegations that he is a CIA plant in your organization?" Another reporter tossed out.
Clark made his way through the crowd, "Please – Mr. White has had a long trip. His family will make a statement to the press later."
Clark's composure, his stance, evoked a sense of respect normally bestowed on Superman –though his attire claimed something completely different. Clark placed his hand on the elbow of his boss. "Do you have any luggage?"
"Just the carry-on."
"Let's get you out of here," Clark said as he quickly took hold of the bag from Perry's hand leaving him with just his laptop bag.
When they reached Clark's car Perry looked at his friend, surprise on his face. "You drove that?"
Clark shrugged as he opened the trunk to place Perry's luggage in it. "It has four wheels, and an engine." Clark smirked at the look on Perry's face. "It's my mom's, she bought it before she married my dad," Clark answered Perry's unasked question as he slid behind the wheel. "I learned how to drive in it. Well, it and an ancient pick-up."
*****
A well-worn path led the way to the old-fashioned kitchen garden. The garden was surrounded by a white picket fence. Dried stalks of sunflowers stood sentry at the fence, jays and crows picking the last bit of seed from the large disks. Scarlet runner beans clambered for dominance over the giant plants, hollyhocks unfurling the last of their colorful blooms between them. The fragrance of mint and thyme blended with oregano and basil overwhelmed the faint odor of alfalfa drying in a nearby field waiting for the combines to roll it into giant pinwheels.
Martha loved working in her garden. The scents, colors, and sounds took her back to happier, simpler times. Having her grandson join her made her task even more pleasant. The childhood joy of digging in the soil and finding out how fun it was to be dirty always brings enjoyment to those who grow up working the land.
Jason struggled to uproot a carrot that had been left in the ground a tad bit too long. His head popped up in an all too familiar imitation of his father; he must have heard something. The carrot finally surrendered to the young boy's efforts, and the victorious child trotted off towards the driveway, triumph gleaming in his eyes. 'Play is the first vocation of a child' Martha remembered reading years ago when Clark had first come to them.
"I thought I might find you back here." Ben Hubbard's teasing voice floated to her. She looked up to acknowledge her beau.
"Haven't heard from you since you got back from Metropolis. Is something wrong?" Hurt was evident in his voice.
"Just Clark's worlds colliding, and we are in the midst of the fallout."
Ben gave Martha a quizzical look.
"You've been different Martha. Ever since Clark got back from wherever it was he went, you've been, well, distant. Quiet. You've gone back to keeping to yourself. And then you insisted on flying out to Metropolis when the news come out that Superman fell from the sky. It was like you were in a panic. I've never seen you like that before."
"Ben, I told you then, I got news that Clark had been hurt and that he was in the hospital."
"Martha, when we got there you didn't even try to get in to see him. We just stood outside with the crowd."
"The city was in a shambles, Superman was in critical condition. Do you really think that some old lady from Kansas would have gotten in to see her son?"
"They let that reporter in to see Superman, didn't they?"
Martha smiled at the memory of the first time she saw her grandchild and his mother, she knew then that her boy would be fine. "I don't think they had a choice, Ms. Lane is a real spitfire, according to Clark."
"So are you, Martha. They would have let you in to see your son," he argued. "And before the whole Metropolis thing, there was the meteor that hit somewhere around here."
"Meteor? What on earth are you talking about, Ben Hubbard?" Martha was getting nervous now. Ben was starting to ask the right questions at the wrong time again.
"The last time I was here, the night we played Scrabble. On the way home I saw a bright light, a ball of fire fall from the sky. I swear it landed in one of your fields. Funny thing, when I went to take a look the next morning I couldn't find anything. But I swear Martha, that back field hadn't been tilled yet, but there it stands, as bare as can be: not a stalk, nor husk of corn to be seen, there aren't even any weeds. Its like everything was just burned off.
"Then lo and behold, that very same morning your errant son returns from who knows where, saying he flew in the night before."
*****
Clark steered the car down the dirt lane that led to the Kent Family farm when Perry finally found his voice, "Is this where you grew up?"
Clark looked over at his boss, "Uh huh, my parents adopted me when I was younger than Jason."
"That's right; you've mentioned that you were adopted. Your dad died when you were still in school. Do you know anything about your real parents?"
"The Kents are my real parents,"
"Oh, um, do you remember your birth parents?"
"I don't really have any memories from before Jonathon and Martha Kent brought me home." Clark shrugged. "My birth-parents died when I was very young. I had no other family. The Kents happened to be at the right place at the right time, so they adopted me. I do have a few trinkets and images from my birth-parents: things to remind me of them, of where I came from."
"And where exactly is that?"
"We're here," Clark ended the conversation, as he parked the car near the front porch of a quaint but aging farmhouse. Jason greeted his father and uncle, "Look what I found in Gramma's garden," He held up a huge carrot, then popped it in his mouth after rubbing the dirt off onto his jeans.
"Where's your mom?" Clark asked.
"She's in the house talking to the TV lady. Who's General Zod? I thought the General's name was Sam."
Clark squatted down so that he could look his son in the eye as he spoke. "Where did you hear about him?"
"The TV lady. Everyone is talking about him, and how mom and Superman are hiding something from him. Maybe a wig; they keep talking about Superman's hair. Is General Zod bald like the bad man on the boat?"
Perry laughed at the absurdity. "I think you mean heir, Jason. An heir is somebody who will get something special from someone when they die. Zod thinks that J–?" Perry looked at Clark and Jason, as the realization dawned on him. The urgency of the paternity tests they took yesterday, why they rushed to get them. Why it was so important to keep Clark's identity secret. The desperation in the young father's face told it all, he needed to protect his family: Lois, Jason, and the woman he called Mom.
"You know, I think I still have the copy of your marriage license you gave me to hold onto before you left. It's in the safe at my house. I'll have it sent here. You got married on June 14, Flag Day, if I remember correctly."
"Thank you, Perry." Clark looked stunned, then relieved.
"You go on in, I'll get your bags. I'm sure Kat would love to see you."
"Kat? As in Kathryn Grant?"
"The TV lady," Clark laughingly quoted his son. "She has graciously volunteered to be the spokesperson for the family. Lois agrees that it would be good."
Perry ascended the porch steps and entered into the surreal world of the Kent family and the multitude of secrets they harbored.
Kat had just hung up her phone as Perry entered into the house, young Jason bounding in behind him. Kat gave Perry a hug, "I'm sorry about what happened to Rich."
"I am too," Perry responded, returning the hug.
*****
Ben continued his inquisition; "Come to think of it, the basement in the barn. What do you have hidden down there? It must be something, Martha. You don't let anyone down there. You insist on putting stuff down there yourself. You keep it locked. Jon wouldn't let anyone down there either. He kept the door hidden under the hay, like in the stories of his great-great grandpa smuggling slaves north."
Martha was getting uncomfortable with the direction of her friend's questions, she wasn't ready to divulge Clark's secret to outsiders, and no matter how close she and Ben were, he was an outsider. She wondered how he would react if he knew the truth about the man strolling towards them with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Didn't they ever tell you? There's a spaceship in the basement. It's been there for years," Clark said, a hint of mirth in his voice. Sometimes it is better to just tell the truth. After all, who in their right mind would believe something as improbable as a farmer hiding a spaceship in his barn cellar? Martha covered her mouth to hold back a laugh.
"Clark, how are you? Your mother was so worried about you. She made us fly all the way to Metropolis to see you,"
"I'm fine, thank you. Coming home to recuperate after my injury was a very good idea. I'm glad that Mom suggested it. Unfortunately work has followed me here. We are about to be overcome with reporters, so if you both wouldn't mind, I think we should all head into the house. Some of my colleagues are not as considerate as they should be."
"Why is the press coming here?" Ben asked.
"There was an incident on the farm yesterday involving one of my coworkers from the Planet," Clark explained, "Richard White was here along with Lois Lane and our son. Richard's car exploded as he was getting ready to leave on his next assignment. His family is here until his remains are released for transport back to Metropolis," Clark stated, as unemotionally as possible.
"I heard about the explosion. I had no idea one of your coworkers was killed, I'm sorry."
"Richard was a good man. He and Lois did a great job raising Jason while I was gone."
"That's the boy – Jason? He's yours?" Ben was shocked. Of all the people in the world to abandon their child, he would have never expected it of Clark Kent.
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