Stars and Water

Chapter 23

Thank you for the reviews!! Sorry this chapter is shorter than I thought. I'll post another one soon. Promise…

Martha came out to the barn to tell Clark and Maria that dinner was ready. When she approached the loft she could hear Clark talking and she felt her heart wrench at the raw pain in his voice. She looked up and saw Maria holding him as he cried and she swallowed a lump in her throat. She was surprised and relieved he had opened up to Maria, she must be really special to him if he felt he could share this much of himself with her, Martha thought. Deciding to give them a moment she headed back to the house, dinner could wait in the oven.

Clark felt like a weight had been lifted off of him, and he relaxed at last. He felt Maria's hands stroking his back and heard her murmur his name and he bent his head and kissed her in a soft thank you. They walked back to the house with their arms draped around each other, neither of them ready to move apart.

Martha had settled in to watch the news while she waited for Clark and Maria. She looked up at the sound of the screen door and studied her son for any sign of the pain she had heard him expressing. Instead she saw peace and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Let me just pop dinner out of the oven and we'll eat" said Martha heading into the kitchen.

Later as they ate Martha decided it was time for a talk, she wanted to know more about this young woman her son was obviously deeply involved with. "So Maria are you headed back to College in the fall?" she asked, the way Clark looked up Martha knew he was as interested in the answer as she was.

"Umm, I'm not sure." said Maria, pushing her food around on her plate and glancing at Clark, "I was looking into the Peace Corps before we moved to Smallville. I wanted to do something that would make a difference in the world and it just felt like the right thing to do but now, I don't know." She caught his eyes and swallowed hard, once upon a time it had been her dream to go. Now, how on earth could she ever leave him and go halfway around the world?" I applied at Met U and although it was late I may get in."

"Really?" asked Clark, looking hopeful, "I thought it was too late to apply this year." Martha was happy to note he seemed interested in going back to school. Maybe Maria will be a good influence on him, she thought.

"Apparently they just repaired the campus after a really weird blackout, there was a lot of damage and some of the students were too scared to return, so there are openings." Maria noticed the expression on Clark's face when she mentioned the blackout, he looked so sad and oddly guilty. Then Martha had given him a look of sympathy and support. "I think if you want to go you could probably get in Clark," Maria said, struggling to sound casual and not to beg him to go with her.

Martha watched as the look of hope became excitement as he allowed himself to picture going to Met U with Maria. Then the look died and he clenched his jaw, Martha knew just what he was thinking. "Clark, someone else can take care of the farm. Please don't let that stop you from moving forward in your life." Clark nodded, he knew she was right but it was so hard to let go. He didn't want to leave the farm, he felt close to his father there, still he'd been feeling a pull to go, to do something more. Maybe it was time to go back to school and get that degree in journalism like he'd planned.

By the time dinner was over Martha had decided she really liked Maria. They'd had fun earlier in the kitchen together but now she had seen Maria interact more with Clark and she liked what she saw. Clark had become more relaxed as dinner progressed and Martha noticed that Maria tended to say things to make him smile or laugh. She picked on him in a gentle flirty way and Clark responded with his own sense of humor. Soon they were all laughing together and Martha realized she hadn't seen him like this in a very long time.

After pie and ice cream Maria and Clark insisted on cleaning up and Martha let them, relaxing in her favorite chair and reading a report on Agriculture and Free Trade as they worked together in the kitchen.

"Hey, no fair using super speed to wash!" came Maria's voice, "how can I possibly keep up?" Martha almost dropped the report.

"Well then I'll help you dry." said Clark.

"Wow, that must be handy, its amazing how accurate you can be with your heat vision." said Maria, "is it hard to do? Did you have to practice a lot?"

"Now that I've learned how to control it I can use it without thinking too much. I did start a few fires while learning." Clark found it a little hard to get used to talking so freely with someone about his powers. It felt good though, really good, to be open and not have to lie.

"Okay, I think we're done!" said Maria triumphantly, then she squealed and said giggling, "Clark Kent, put me down." followed by silence and then Maria said in a slightly breathless voice, "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?" asked Clark, "Fine, because you make me happy," and he kissed her, "because you're beautiful," followed by another kiss, "you taste good," and he kissed her again. There was a moment of silence and Martha tried to go back to reading her report but her head jerked up and her eyes opened wide when she heard what Clark said next. "Because I love you," he said softly.

Martha felt tears come into her eyes when she heard Maria respond "I love you too."

After thanking Martha and kissing Clark goodbye, and kissing Clark goodbye and making it to her car and kissing him goodbye through the window, Maria headed for home. She'd easily convinced him to come to Metropolis in a couple of days and check out Met U with her. She couldn't wait.

Clark stepped back inside and stood looking at his Mom. When she glanced up at him with a neutral expression on her face he came and sat on the couch. He rubbed his hands up and down his pant legs nervously and let out a breath giving her the chance to speak first if she had something she wanted to say. Martha decided to wait and see what he chose to tell her first. Silence filled the room and Clark's foot jiggled up and down.

"So you probably figured out I told Maria my secret…"Clark started out courageously and then lost steam, looking to see her reaction.

Martha was also struggling with how to respond. On the one hand she was glad he had found love, on the other she felt they hardly knew this girl and the danger to Clark frightened her deeply. She really missed Jonathan in moments like this. "I can tell you love and trust each other very much." she said, "I hope you aren't moving too fast."

Clark understood what she meant. "Mom, I can't say Maria is the one I'm going to spend my life with, but I know I love her and I want to see if maybe she is." Martha nodded. Clark stood up and gave his Mom a hug goodnight. She held him just a little longer than usual and then let him go and watched him walk easily up the stairs to bed.

To be continued…