Author's Notes: My deepest apologies for the massive delay. I don't know what happened, but I hope I didn't run everyone off by my absence. Here is the next installment, and to refresh people's memories I'm starting the chapter off with the last segment of the previous chapter which transitions to the new one. Please review when you get the chance, I'm always grateful for the feedback.

Previously on Fallen

At the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor, Clark reluctantly moved one foot in front of the other. His hands started getting clammy and his breathing was erratic, and on top of that, he felt a nervous flutter at the pit of his stomach with his heart beating faster than he felt was normal.

"Lois," he called out to her softly. When she didn't answer, he walked up the steps and peaked above the leveled floor as soon as he reached it. "Lois," he said again. "Are you there?" The silence was unbearable until she finally replied.

"I'm here."

Clark relaxed and appeared fully in the room. "Hey," he greeted her with his normal friendliness. "Mom said you were up here. Is everything okay?"

With her back turned, Lois answered. "I don't know if anything is ever going to be okay."

Clark looked down, feeling responsible for hurting her even though he didn't know what he did to cause it. The only thing he knew with absolute certainty that something happened the moment his real identity came out that changed the way she looked at him.

Not knowing what else to say, he could only think of one thing and he gave everything he felt was real and true to it.

"I'm sorry."

Her first instinct was to slap him. After several minutes alone with nothing but her thoughts for company, she felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal, pain and above all, confusion. It was hard enough that she didn't know where either of them stood before discovering his identity, knowing Clark and Superman were one person made it all the more difficult to figure out.

It pained her most of all to know that both Clark and Superman, as separate people, were strangers to her.

"Is there anything I can do?" Clark asked with a helpless look in his eyes that made Lois want to forgive him anything, but her pride wouldn't allow her to.

In retrospect, she shouldn't be angry with him, not when he was just as confused as she was. She didn't know who had the better deal, Clark, for not having any memories, or she, for knowing too much but not enough.

"I'll be fine."

"You're upset," he deduced correctly. "Is it because of me?"

She didn't have the strength to lie to him, especially when there were so many lies between them as it is.

"Yes," she admitted finally. She looked up to find Clark's eyes water with unknowing guilt. Regardless of everything that's happened, she couldn't stand that look in his eyes and she spoke to explain in hopes to make him understand that there are other factors involved. "But it isn't just you. There are a lot of things… it's… it's hard to explain…"

"When you realized that I was Clark, you changed. All those things you said, back in Metropolis, you really didn't know it was me, didn't you?" The words were meant to be rhetorical but he needed to know for sure.

"Up until now, there were a lot of things about Clark… about Kal-El, which I didn't know."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said genuinely. "I can't have meant to hurt you."

Lois tried as hell not to let her emotions get away with her, not when she needed to be strong for the both of them if they were ever going to get through his amnesia and the sudden bout of revelations that came after it. She wanted too much just to hold him, tell him that everything was going to be okay, but another part of her was still very angry, and by God, bitter at the way things came out.

"I know you didn't," she managed to say, knowing that it was probably true.

Clark looked like he didn't know what to do, and after a dreadful silence, Lois decided it was best that they get inside.

"Come on, your mother must be wondering what's taking us so long."

The mention of his mom made him smile, even if it was slightly forced.

"Yeah. She's making meat loaf, I think. She's amazing in the kitchen, always had something different on the table growing up."

"She does come off as pretty amazing," Lois had to admit. She was also pretty thankful for the change of discussion. The one before it was laced with too much words that weren't said and tension that one of two of them didn't completely comprehend.

By the time they reached the house, Ben Hubbard had already returned and he was now helping Mrs. Kent in the kitchen while Richard's eyes were glued to the television set.

Lois immediately noticed what was showing.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"There was shootout at an American Embassy in South Africa, and two others in central Europe," Richard said, summarizing the news report. "I got a call from Perry, there were no suspects and even less witnesses. He wants us to check it out."

"What about Clark?"

"Perry said that he'll have to wait."

"Wait a second… you didn't tell your uncle that we found him?"

Richard felt the need to defend himself. "And tell him what? That we've had him all along except we didn't know that he was…"

Lois shut him up with a glare, warning him that this was not the time to argue about 'that' particular subject. Getting the hint, he buried his annoyance and began talking about what they were going to do now.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Clark's eyes remained transfixed at the news report on the screen. The destruction he saw in the various news footage bringing back memories that didn't quite make sense to him.

"Are you ready to eat?" Martha said, showing herself in the living as the three young adults stood. "Clark, sweetie, how do you feel?"

Clark blinked, his peripheral vision catching the sight of his mother. He turned his head to look at her and smiled warmly.

"Better, I guess."

Martha looked him over worriedly. "You look tired."

"I'm pretty sore, but other than that, I'll be okay," he assured her but Martha would have none of it. When she reached his side, she placed a hand to his forehead and gasped in surprise. "Dear lord, you're burning!"

"What?" Clark put his hand to his forehead and felt the heat on his skin. He gulped. "Maybe it's just a fever."

"You don't get fevers."

Lois and Richard exchanged worried glances. They had forgotten one key detail, and that was his powers. He didn't have any.

"Um… Mrs. Kent."

But Martha didn't quite hear her.

"Martha," she repeated, coming between her and her son. "Clark isn't himself." She eyed the other woman peculiarly, hoping to signal her that Clark was without his powers.

Martha shook her head. "I don't…" and then she understood. "Oh."

"What?" Clark asked.

"Let's get you upstairs," Martha recommended. "And get you something cool to drink. You're really burning up."

"But I feel fine."

"You should listen to your mother," Lois interceded.

Clark looked between the two women, curious as to why they were so adamant for him to get some rest. Sure he felt a little warm and the popping in his left ear wasn't was a bit uncomfortable, but other than that, he felt fine. He didn't feel like keeling over and throwing up or anything. But then when he looked at Lois and saw her eyes filled with concern for him, he relented.

"Fine."

Lois raised her eyebrows but then smiled. "Great," she said, relieved. Clark followed his mother up the stairs reluctantly leaving Lois's side.

Halfway up, Clark stopped and looked down.

"Lois?"

Lois looked spun around to look back at him.

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

The softness in his voice almost made her want to forgive him completely. Instead, she gave him soft smile.

"I'm not going anywhere."

When Clark disappeared from view, Richard looked at Lois sympathetically.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "Everything just got more complicated."

"Is it really?"

"Richard…"

"Everything you've ever wanted is a floor away, Lois." He didn't want to do this, but when all is said and done, in the end, Richard only ever wanted her to be happy. "For the longest time, even before I knew it was over, I wondered… I wondered how a God like him could possibly give you a life. And I just couldn't figure that out. Not until today."

Lois sighed, desperate to find answers that seemed light years from her grasp. Tonight though, he seemed to have the all the answers.

"He lied to me, Richard."

"And you lied to me about your feelings for Superman," he shot back, but he wasn't angry. He was simply stating a fact.

Feeling like a hypocrite, she apologized. "I'm sorry. This whole thing isn't fair to you."

"Nothing about this is fair, and caught in the middle of it all is a little boy who needs all three of us. I don't like what's happened between us, Lois, but I accept it, and I'm willing to work with you and Clark if you two would just stop with the two-stepping."

Surprised at his words, "I never thought I'd ever hear you advocate our pairing."

"I think I'm beginning to understand Clark more."

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Richard turned to the rows of pictures displayed throughout the living room. "These photos…"

It could be the weight of protecting Superman… Clark from his amnesia or the shock of discovering that he had a human identity, but beyond her sharp mind, she couldn't figure out what Richard was trying so hard for her to see.

"What about them?"

"He's alone."

"What?"

"The pictures. It's just him and his parents. There's no friends, or more family. It's just Clark and his parents… and the dog." Richard couldn't imagine not having his family around him growing up and it made him feel bad for the Man of Steel even more. "Before, I just thought of him as this invincible guy straight out of our imaginations… I never thought of him as anyone beyond a hero."

"But looking at these photos, seeing him as a kid, a teenager, I think I'm beginning to understand why he has two identities. Why he pretends to be Clark Kent."

"He is Clark Kent."

Startled, Richard and Lois turned to find Martha Kent at the bottom of the stairs. The two guests were afraid to look in her eyes in fear of what they'll find starting back at them.

"Don't misunderstand, Mr. White," Martha said, slowly approaching the two, her eyes set on a group of pictures. "Superman is very much a part of him, but deep down, buried beneath the colors of red and blue and the symbol that defines him, he's Clark Kent. He was Clark Kent long before he donned that suit, and he'll be Clark Kent long afterwards."

"Mrs. Kent, I didn't mean to…"

"No, I'm sure you didn't," Martha said with understanding. "When Clark finally went out on his own, he found it hard to help people and disguise his powers at the same time. You see, even when he was young, he was always trying to save people, and he blamed himself when he couldn't. And when he found the Fortress, and learned about his special heritage, he came to me to help him become someone else. Someone the world could see without knowing everything that lied beneath."

"Superman," Lois and Richard muttered.

Martha nodded. "In this farm, in this small little town, Clark can be just Clark. Not Superman, not the bumbling reporter that I so often hear him be described," off the guilty looks of Richard and Lois, Martha continued, "he's just Clark. My son." Then she smiled at the knowledge that she had a grandson. "I hope one day, I get to meet his."

Lois's eyes widen. "Of course you will."

Richard quickly agrees. "We wouldn't keep Jason from him, no matter what happens."

Martha held there gazes for a few seconds before reaching out and pulling them both in a hug that only she could accomplish. The look in her eyes showed complete trust to these two strangers.

"Thank you for being there for my son."

While Lois let herself go in the arms of Martha Kent, Richard felt a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders, and for once, since his life started crumbling, he felt like there was something to look forward to in the future.

"Now let's get you two something to eat before Ben calls in the cavalry to look for us."

Lois smiled and Richard chuckled, both quite taken with Superman's mom. For Lois, it was like she was truly getting to know Clark for the first time, and she was happy for it.

Upstairs, a single tear fell from Clark's eye as the voices from below became loud and clear for him to hear.

To be continued…