Chapter 56
"What have I left out? Quite a bit," he said sadly. "But I can hear Mom in the kitchen, and from the sound of things, she's got supper almost ready. Why don't we leave this until later tonight?" He grabbed her hand and led her back to the house.
"But—"
"I know, you want to hear it all now, but, Lois, it will take a while. I hadn't realized…" she felt him sigh while they walked hand in hand down the driveway, "that I've actually told those doctors more about my heritage than I have told you. That's just not right."
She smiled in triumph. "About time you realized stuff like that, soldier!"
"Well, maybe it's because they aren't as scary as you are." He smiled, opened the door, and pushed her inside, hoping she wouldn't want to make some kind of smart remark in front of his mother.
"There you two are!" Martha greeted them warmly, but her eyes darted back and forth between them as she tried to figure out how their conversation had gone from their faces. "I was just about to decide I was eating alone tonight."
"Sorry, mom, we—"
"You can relax, Mrs. Kent, I've decided not to kill your son."
Martha laughed. "Well, I should hope so. Then everything's worked out?"
"Not quite." She shot Clark a warning glance. "We're observing a cease-fire truce for dinner. What is that wonderful smell?"
"Just some soup and corn bread."
"Just some soup and corn bread?" Lois repeated. "Now, why do I suspect that's not quite enough description for what we're about to have?"
Clark laughed. "Sounds like Lois has caught on to your style of cooking, mom."
"Now, if it doesn't fill you up, there's peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert," Martha said as she handed bowls to both of them. "Lois, we usually just use the ladle to serve oursel—" She stopped and grinned, because Lois had already made her way to the soup pot still on the stove to do exactly that.
The meal went pretty much as usual with Lois showing and exclaiming her obvious enjoyment of the down-home fare, Clark helping himself to seconds and thirds, and Martha listening with delight to the constant, playful banter between them.
It all came to a screeching halt though when Lois announced happily, "I can't wait to get back to the Planet tomorrow!"
"What?" Clark asked sharply.
"Well, there's no need to hide out here anymore, so I need to get back to work," she said flatly, taking another spoonful of the sweet, sticky dessert.
"Lois, you can't…Lex is still out there. He is the one who wants you dead!" He pushed back from the table and looked over at his mother. "Mom, can you reason with her? I don't know if I have the strength." He got up and threw up his hands.
"Lois, perhaps a few more days—"
"No, my mind is made up. I'm going back to the Planet and you," she pointed to Clark, "may or may not be right there by my side to protect me if you like, but I'm ready to clear up this mess about my so-called death and get back to my life."
"Lois—"
"No. You're not changing my mind. It's been wonderful just staying here, and," she looked down at the empty plates, "the food has been to die for, but no, I need to get back and we really need to work on the story so Lex can be found and prosecuted for his crimes. Besides, if we wait much longer, my daddy is going to be storming through that doorway, hell-bent on wringing your neck for letting his baby girl get killed!"
Clark chuckled. "Do you seriously think I didn't contact your father and your sister before the story appeared in the paper? Come on, Lois, give me some credit."
"You talked to daddy?" Lois was impressed and couldn't hide it. "What did he—"
"He said," Clark came around behind her chair and leaned down to speak very carefully into her ear, "as long as I protected 'his baby girl,' he had no problem with it. And I have done that, haven't I?"
"Let me guess, you didn't tell him the little part about your being Superman?"
"Well, no, but I did imply that I would have Superman's help. He seemed fine with that. But I don't think he'd be so fine with you traipsing back through the bull pen before the threat to your safety is completely gone."
"Traipsing? I'll have you know I do not traips!"
