Chapter 35

Waking up in Clark's bed, Lois yawned and stretched like a cat. The sunlight streamed in from the window and she blinked against the bright light. She looked about the room. It was so ordinary, so…like Clark.

Yet now, unlike the other times she had awoken in this very bed, she knew that wasn't really true. It was just an ordinary room, but now she knew that Clark was anything but ordinary.

Her eyes drifted over to the clock on the nightstand and she started.

"Holy crap!" Eleven fifteen! What is Mrs. Kent going to think?

She hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Still barefoot, she grabbed her sneakers, and raced down the stairs to find Martha Kent at the kitchen table, writing out recipes on some index cards.

"Mrs. K., I am so sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Lois, it's okay. I don't doubt my son kept you up until all hours talking last night. Don't worry about it. He can function just fine with a few hours of sleep. The rest of us tend to suffer when we get that little."

Lois looked over to the couch which bore no evidence that Clark had spent the night there. "Did he sleep at all?"

"Probably an hour or two. He got up early to do the chores and then headed off to Star Labs. He said to let you sleep. You two have had quite a week. Still working on that crooked senator story, I hear."

"Oh, yes." Lois gave her a very fake smile. "No offence."

"None taken. I did meet Senator Jergens once, but if he's guilty of all you claim, he needs to go to prison. End of story. And that poor boy…you really think he is innocent?"

"No doubt in my mind."

"Then he can't have anyone on his side better than you." She smiled. "Now, want to learn some cooking tips?"

"Yes. Ready and willing! The able part is still a big question mark though."

For the next several hours, the two women bonded as they had at no other time. Lois kept making self-deprecating comments and Martha kept trying to build up her confidence, until Lois began to think she could really do this. She might be able to conquer this evil thing that had so far eluded her – cooking.

The only times it was bittersweet were the moments that Jonathan Kent's name came up in the conversation. Martha's voice would sometimes catch at the name, and Lois knew to jump right in there with another silly question.

Every time there was some significant revelation given to her, Lois would dive for her date book so she could note some fine point of advice in the margins for later use. There were many of those.

"You should write a cookbook!"

Martha only laughed. "That's what Clark always says. But then what would be left to share with my future daughter-in-…"

Lois froze and her hands stopped kneading the bread dough in front of her.

"Lois, I'm sorry. Don't panic! I'm probably getting a bit ahead of things saying something like that. That is totally between you and Clark."

"No. No, it's not. If…and it's a big if, because Clark hasn't really said anything to do with that." She scoffed, "Heck, look how many years before he even figured out I had a thing for him. He is so clueless sometimes!" And she gave the dough a good punch.

Martha laughed. She knew full well that "clueless" described her son so well about certain subjects, his convoluted love life being the main one.

"But, you know, you would be one of the nicest parts of it. I'd have a mom again. There'd be a real tie to you."

"You're so sweet, but I think we've got a 'tie' no matter what happens," Martha said, and gave Lois a little side hug, before sniffing and saying, "I think you need to sprinkle in a little more flour. It's a little two sticky."

That's when it happened. Lois reached for the flour canister and picked it up, turning it sideways as she lifted the lid. The flour exploded onto Martha, covering her from mouth to shins in solid white.

"Oh, Mrs. K.! I'm so sorry!" Lois was horrified, but Martha only laughed again.

"I think I need to go change. Do you think you can manage to—"

"Oh, gosh, yes. I'll clean it all up. Don't worry!"

"No, I meant, can you finish the rolls? Just like I explained to you?"

"Yes." Then she continued a little more doubtfully, "I think so."

"And don't forget to brush them with the—"

"Right! Got it, yeah. No problem!" she finished brightly.

"It's not, Lois. It's not. And as soon as Clark gets back, we'll slide them in the oven and it will only take about twenty minutes until everything is ready. Clark is going to be so proud of you!" She gave her a little hug and went bounding up the stairs to change.

Author's notes: I keep posting the chapters before putting in the comments so I'm behind in doing them, so bear with me.

Chapter 31- I'm glad y'all didn't think the line was that bad. The person that did seemed to have a problem with that kind of testing because it made Superman too human. I thought it just showed him as caring – especially for Lois.

Cloisharley: Yeah, I meant the line about his "homework" to be that funny, but I think you're the only one to mention how Lois would react. We do know how her mind would seize upon it! Yes, Superman has total recall – at least he did in the Silver Age which is my reference, and SV has alluded to it on several occasions.

ColleenJoy- There was also the way he remembered that list of names that Chloe showed him for only a moment. He called it speed-reading, but he would cover it up. I think the show uses Chloe way to much as "his" brain so we can hear the processes, but it does take away from showing how smart he would truly have to be.

Agentinfinity – You changed your name! Yeah, not sure yet which villain to use, but I always tend to gravitate toward one in particular…

Thanks to all the others who comment, but I need to get this posted before Cloisharley's day falls apart!