Chapter 65
"Well, this can't be right." Martha shook her head in disbelief.
"What?" Lois was still making notes on her pad from some of the more technical pages before her. Clark had left them to go off to save someone somewhere as Superman, so it was just the two of them.
"It says here the hydraulic machinery was calibrated for a force of …oh my…this isn't pounds. It's in tons! And Clark lifted it 'easily.'"
Lois took the paper and peered at it for a second. "Yeah, that's probably right. They can't test him any longer for strength. That's essentially what Dr. Kline said. He's broken all the machines and they can't really go any higher without bringing in things like cranes to help with …oh, I forget what he said about that. A lot of physics babble. But I had to laugh when Kline mentioned going to NASA for help."
"NASA? Oh no, Clark's never going to—"
"—Let the government anywhere near these tests." Lois leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, although it might be a good idea. Who better to figure out how his body is dealing with gravitational fields? And it's this bioelectric field they say he puts out around his body that seems to be the answer to a lot of the puzzles about him."
"I thought the whole point of letting Oliver Queen do this was that Clark didn't feel so much like he was being lab tested with his friend in charge. No, I have to agree with Clark. No government involvement. Governments change. It is just not a good idea. Lois, it really was our greatest fear when he was a child that he'd be taken away from us and put in a lab. I know we transferred that fear to him. If he starts feeling trapped—"
"I know. He'll end the tests faster than the General loses his temper." She looked up to see Martha Kent deep in thought. "But, you know, he really is getting stronger," Lois said quietly, as she chewed the end of the pencil. "He's worried about it too. I can tell."
"Worried?"
"Yeah…the 'when's it all going to stop' kind of worrying."
"Thank God he stopped playing football before this started happening," Martha said thankfully.
"You know, I still can't believe he ever did that. Chloe told me it surprised her too. She and I both think it was almost cheating," Lois made a face, "except we all know Clark would never do anything like that."
"Yes." Martha laughed softly. "I'm sure he still feels a little guilt over all that. He kept telling us how he felt like he was handicapping himself while he played enough to offset the powers. He said he did things like taking a sack at the merest touch or purposely making an imperfect pass whenever he saw a receiver was not really going to make it to the exact spot where he was supposed to catch the ball. Hundreds of little things no one else would have ever had to think about while playing a football game." She smiled.
"Just by doing that much mental calculating while playing was using his powers though," Lois suggested.
Still," Martha nodded, "I'm glad he did it. Jonathan was so against him playing, but I really think that one season helped him grow so much. Being a part of a team, making more male friends, and finally able to let people appreciate something he could do well, without having to hide it – that had to be good for him."
"Hm."
For the next ten minutes, Lois didn't make any further comments but sat there deep in thought. It was not a comfortable silence, for there were hardly ever any silences at all, much less comfortable ones, around Lois. After several stealthy looks in her direction, noting the worry lines etched across Lois' forehead, Martha finally spoke.
"Lois?" Martha put down the paper that had caused so much thought. "Lois, what is it?" She watched as a small, inaudible war played itself out in Lois' eyes. "Lois?"
Then, Lois stood up, the decision made to let down her defenses to the woman she trusted more than any other. Lois began pacing and rattling off her thoughts at an unbelievable rate as if there was a race to get it all out there once and for all before she changed her mind.
"It's Clark. No, it's me. No, it's really Clark. He … he … he said the word…no, he didn't exactly say the word. He was going to say the word, but I stopped him. He would've said the word, but no, I had to go and stop him and now he's out there thinking I don't want — but I do want — I just don't know that I want it yet, you know? I mean, how could I know that I want it now? Because I've only just now gotten used to the idea that he wants it. Crap, why didn't I know that that's how his mind would work? It's really how you raised him, isn't it?"
She finally stopped to draw a breath and Martha jumped in, taking her chance to stem the flow of words. "Lois, what did Clark say?"
"But he didn't say it! That's just it. I didn't let him." Lois wailed, plopping back down in the chair.
Martha could tell she was about to cry.
"The big, bad, dreaded 'M' word!"
An hour later, the two women had just about exhausted the subject of Lois' inexplicable fear of the one thing she supposedly wanted more than anything – marriage to Clark. It had taken her a long time to even say the word, but hearing Martha views of her own marriage to Jonathan Kent had finally caused Lois to be almost eager to broach the subject with Clark.
Then Clark arrived.
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Author's notes: Callista Update, er, I mean, Callista Wolfwood – so sorry, I'm getting so behind in updates. And I promised to be up to the interesting chapter before CloisHarley returns too. I better get to work! X-Your Worst Nightmare-X – oh gosh…I think you just described my worst nightmare. Surely this thing will end before then. I'm not even sure how many chapters you're allowed on .
Ily 18 – Thanks for the reviews! I love long ones! And something you mentioned is coming soon! And to everyone else, thanks so much. I'm sorry for such a short chapter. If my back will cooperate this week, I'll post more! That's what has been limiting my writing of late.
