Chapter 24

She nearly knocked him over when he came through the door. The first rays of dawn filtered through the eastern facing windows, setting dust motes floating around and casting a warm glow across the kitchen and around Lois.

"Lo, I told you not to wait up for me."

"I know, but I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you and your mom. I saw the news, and I saw you helping to bring those people out of the building. Finally I saw your mom being interviewed, and that made me a little less crazy, but I still couldn't sleep until I actually saw you face-to-face." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him again. "Until I actually touched you and knew that you were safe."

He placed his hand under her chin and raised her face up until her eyes locked with his. He looked in her eyes and saw the unshed tears pooling there, threatening to spill over pink-tinged rims.

"Hey, it's okay. Mom's fine. Everybody's fine." He kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

She nodded and leaned her head against his chest. He smelled of smoke.

"Why don't you go take a shower? I'll make you some breakfast."

"What about you? "

"You go first. I can wait."

"But, I thought you said I use up all the hot water. You'll have to take a cold shower."

"It's okay, I 'm beginning to get used to taking cold showers." She gave him a timid smile, and he smiled at her warmly in return.

"Et-hem." Chloe cleared her throat to alert them to her presence.

"Chloe. Hi." Clark disentangled himself from Lois' embrace. "Lois, go get dressed. I'll start breakfast." Lois nodded and climbed the stairs, as Clark walked to the sink to wash his hands.

"And the Emmy goes to Clark Kent in the role of Husband of the Year." Snarked Chloe.

"What do you want from me? And thanks for filling me on the 'big secret' I'd been keeping." He put water on for coffee, and then grabbed a mixing bowl from the cupboard.

"That was Jimmy's idea, but yeah, sorry about that. That's actually why I came over this morning. But, then, y'know, . . . crisis. How's your mom?"

Clark sighed and nodded. "She's okay. She's tough. A building collapse, after everything she's been through--piece of cake."

Chloe nodded. She knew that Martha Kent was one of the strongest women she had ever met.

"I am glad that you're here. I'd like to ask a favor. Lionel Luthor approached me last night about a neurology consult for Lois. I had a chance to talk to my mom about it and she agreed that we should take him up on his offer."

"Sounds like a good idea. What do you need from me? "

"Lionel told me that he'd overheard Lana complaining to her Aunt about Lois and me. He seemed to think that Lana might try to stir up trouble and he was concerned about my mom's name being tied to any scandal. Can you just talk to her? Find out if there is anything to worry about. Maybe she was reacting out of shock more than anything else."

"Alright, I'm on it." Chloe chewed her lip in thought. "So, now do we talk about the cat that Jimmy let out of the bag?"

"There's more?" Clark asked incredulously, but then checked himself and said simply; "After we finish breakfast and I've had a chance to get cleaned up, then we'll talk and you tell me what new trouble I'm into, okay?"