Chapter 20 [Next Day—Kent Farm]
Martha puttered around the kitchen while watching the sun come up on that morning. Despite their efforts to keep quiet, she heard Clark and Lana coming into the house from her bedroom. She'd spent a great deal of time on that previous evening trying to get Chloe and Oliver to understand how badly the situation had degenerated. She also wanted to convince them that they could help if they remained positive and supportive.
The guest couple remained split in their views on the situation. Yet they promised to do what they could before leaving.
I guess we have lots of lunch. She wished that they could've eaten more of the feast. Still Clark and Lana would be sure to get some at the right time. She heard an insistent rapping on the door. "Now who would visit at this hour?" She walked up to the door to find a slender yet well-built blonde girl standing there in a white blouse and a pair of blue jeans. "Yes? Can I help you?"
"Hi. You must be Martha Kent, Clark's mother?" the visitor queried expectantly.
"That's right. And you are?" Martha inquired guardedly.
"I'm Kara, Clark's cousin. I was living here while you were in Washington. May I come in?" Kara requested.
Martha opened the door slowly considering the visitor carefully. She knew Jonathan and she didn't have any nieces that matched the girl's appearance. And the only other Kara she'd known was the one Jor-El tried to use to get Clark to return to his Kryptonian duty years earlier. "Promise not to push him back to being Kal-El?"
"I'm not Jor-El, Mrs. Kent. I'm here to offer some assistance if that's okay? Kal…Clark gave me a place to live and room to get started when I needed it. I want to help him and Lana now if that's okay?" Kara explained earnestly.
"That would be most welcome right now, Kara. Thank you. I'm sorry. They were both out late last night in Colorado. Lana had some sort of attack. Clark took her to a clinic to be checked over," Martha explained. "Would you like some breakfast? I was just fixing myself something to eat."
"Clark always said your cooking was to die for. I'd appreciate that. Thank you," the guest accepted.
Martha arched an eyebrow at the pleasant demeanor in the other woman. Why can't Jor-El be more like this? She headed for the coffee maker. "If you'd like to wash up, sink's over there."
"I was going to use the bathroom upstairs. Clark should be up pretty soon." Kara cast a knowing eye upstairs. She wasn't going to tell Martha but she'd felt the range of her cousin's feelings from the previous evening. While she wasn't sure where the elation had come from at the end, she knew something had been resolved between them. "I'll be quiet." She floated up the stairs.
"Unreal. At least they have one ally on the Kryptonian side," Martha assessed while sectioning oranges for the juicer.
[Clark's Bedroom]
For once the early morning sun and the rooster's crowing hadn't awakened Clark at the start. Instead the morning had continued on its way without him…at least to that point.
He finally stirred and allowed his eyes to blur back into focus. He was back in his bedroom after the traumatically busy day. It seemed like a week had been compacted into the single solar cycle….talking with Perry White…the picnic…the aborted dinner…the checkup and the proposal. I can't believe it all happened! How will Mom take it? How will Lana deal with it? Then he glanced over to his right.
Beside him Lana slept a troubled slumber. Several times she'd awakened during the night and cried out before he embraced her again taking away her concerns. On her hand the ring glistened beautifully.
"I meant what I said last night," he vowed again while kissing her cheek softly. "I don't care." He slid out of bed slowly so as not to disturb her. Then he dressed in a red plaid shirt and jeans for chores.
["Glad to see some things don't change,"] a familiar voice teased. ["I'm out in the hall, Clark. It's okay."]
His ear perked to the telepathic summons. He stepped out of the room and shut the door quietly to find Kara waiting for him out there. "Good to see you too." He embraced her. "Sorry it's been a rough week."
"So I've heard. I figured you all could use a hand if that's okay?" she offered.
"I'd love that. Thank you," he accepted. "Sorry but I wanted Lana to sleep a little more. She didn't get much last night."
"So you two are sharing a room again? Moving pretty fast even for you there," she presumed with a bit of mischief in her voice.
"Use the x-ray vision and look at her hand," he noted.
Kara did so and quirked an eyebrow at the ring glittering in the morning sunshine. "That has to be a record…even for you. Still it is Lana we're talking about here. Whatever did you see in that other tramp?"
"I don't know. Guess Lois was the place filler. We just kept drifting apart. She chose her career over me. Who cares? That's over and I'm back with Lana," he postulated.
"Jor-El's not happy about this. I just came from the Fortress. He and I argued for a couple of hours about it. I told him to deal with it. Lana was as strong if not stronger than her Aunt Louise. We can help her," she clarified.
"He can get over it," he groused as they both came down the stairs. "Mom? Good morning!"
"Good morning, Clark. Did you find out anything in Denver?" Martha wondered from where she was frying up some bacon on the skillet.
"Lana's tumors have taken her sight and partially paralyzed her. One of the doctors up there suggested some physical therapy for her upper body so that she can dress herself and get around in a wheelchair. Remember what we did when I lost my sight?"
"I do. We can arrange everything so that she can know where it is. Good idea, Clark." Martha studied his features closely and could tell something was going on. "Is there something else I need to know?"
"I'm staying out of this one," Kara noted while stepping away from mother and son.
"Clark, what's going on?" Martha asked pointedly.
"Mom, umm, last night I almost didn't get to hear Lana's prognosis or check her out of there. She has no next of kin with her aunt gone. She needs someone who can sign off on her papers and frankly love her…." Clark started to explain.
"Clark, I know we want to help her but you didn't propose, did you?" Martha pressed.
"I did and she accepted. Mom, she's only got a short time. Dr. Dubois said it was a month or two at most. I want to give her a great life for that. What's six weeks in a lifetime if you giving back to the people you love?" he clarified.
Martha exhaled sharply. "At least this isn't like Vegas and it is Lana we're talking about here. I just hope you can prepare for when she does pass on. That time will come a lot faster than you think."
"I know. I just need to take one day at a time in between the crime fighting and reporting here," he insisted.
"Just the reporting, Clark. That's one of the reasons I'm here," Kara interjected. "I'm filling in for you while you're doing this. Jor-El and the Justice League may not like it but you're family. I just need to find myself a place to stay and I'm good."
"Given that Clark and Lana are committed, her old guest room's open, I guess. Please, Kara, feel free to stay here since you're wanting to help us. I'd like that," Martha invited as she moved the bacon onto a plate and cracked some eggs onto the skillet in its place.
"I would really appreciate that," Kara accepted with a smile. "I can do some chores to help out too."
"No problem," Martha assured the new guest with a smile of her own. "It's nice to see you wanting to help, Kara."
"Clark?" he heard Lana call from upstairs.
"Lana's awake. I'll be right back down," he told them before rushing back up the stairs. In the blink of an eye, he rapped at the door. "Lana, it's me. I'm coming in." He cracked the door open to find his fiancée sitting up in bed with a blue t-shirt and sweats covering herself. "You look great this morning."
"Wish I could agree but I'll take that," she replied half-seriously. "I know it's daylight because of the sun's warmth. I just wish I could see it for myself."
"You've got me to see it for you. All you have to do is ask," he offered.
"I'll definitely need to take you up on that. Can I get a hand downstairs please? I'd like to let your Mom know I'm okay." Lana hesitated for a second. "I should get a robe too, I guess."
"Your purple one's in the closet. Just a sec," he indicated while getting it for her. "Stretch your arms out." He slid the robe over her arms and cinched it at the waist. "There!"
"And the ring's on my finger. I thought that was just a dream," she revealed. "Sorry, Clark, that I doubted you."
"Given our past history, I can see why. We're in a new era now. In fact our fellow boarder's got some great news," he assured her while cradling her in his arms.
"Boarder? Who?" She admittedly felt shy and embarrassed by her new state of affairs. "Clark, I'd rather keep this low key."
"Oh she knows. You two know each other although it's been a few years," he soothed her fears. He cradled her in his arms again. "It's okay, Lana. She's helping both of us."
"She?" Lana felt anxious while trying to recall all of Clark's female allies who'd be in a position to help. Still she remained at a loss as they descended the stairs and he walked her across the oak floor. As he set her down on one of the kitchen table's chairs, she asked, "Who would want to help us?"
"I do, Lana. I don't know if you remember me. We lived here with Clark for a while. You helped to save me from Lex when I lost my memory," Kara affirmed.
"Kara! Of course! Sorry Clark was being all secretive and making me guess. It's great that you're here. Sorry I'm such a sight," Lana apologized sheepishly.
"You're like that because of your sacrifices to the greater good and duty, Lana. There's no need to be ashamed. Besides I believe I should be welcoming you to the family," Kara assured her with a big smile.
"I can't believe Jor-El didn't forbid you to do this," Lana doubted.
"Oh he tried. I told him where he could stick his objections under the circumstances," Kara indicated. "There are some things we can do to make it easier for you. We'll start this afternoon. Okay?"
"Okay. Why? What's going on?" Clark wondered.
"I need to talk to Oliver about things. You and Lana have something to apply for at the town hall. Don't you?" Kara declared with a sharp not-so-suggestion at the end for him.
"We do indeed," he concurred while giving Lana's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'd like to pick her out a wheelchair too so she has some mobility at least."
"Nice to see we're all on the same page," Martha agreed while setting the breakfast out for them. "Let's have that family feast, shall we?"
With that the quartet sat down not just as family and friends but as a true unified family….
…and in that they could deal with anything….