TOCPart 13After Lois and Clark got back to their temporary home, Lois decided she needed to make some phone calls while Clark went to work on the farm.
Lois took the cordless phone and decided to sit on the porch and call Perry because she hadn’t talked to him since she’d arrived in Smallville almost a week ago. Now she had to inform him of the upcoming wedding and other details she had. She had so much wedding planning to finish with Martha. Plus she wanted to help Clark with some chores on the farm.
“Daily Planet,” Jimmy answered.
“Jimmy, it’s Lois. Can I speak to Perry?”
“Lois! You wouldn’t believe what has been going on here!” Jimmy said so fast that Lois wasn’t sure he’d taken a breath.
“Is Perry busy? I don’t have long to talk,” Lois responded.
“With Superman missing, there has been a crime wave!” Jimmy said excitedly.
“Jimmy!”
“Okay, I get it, you want to speak to the Chief,” Jimmy said. “Hang on.”
A few seconds later, Perry answered. “Lois?” Perry asked, “Is that you, darlin?”
“I know I should have called sooner, but it’s been kinda crazy here,” Lois said, feeling guilty about all she was missing in Metropolis and how Perry must be doing with now both his top reporters out of the office. The scene in front of her seemed anything but crazy — the clear blue skies, trees and animals and crops, and the sound of Clark starting the new tractor off in the distance — but their emotions sure seemed that way.
“Do you have any idea where Superman is?” Perry asked, sounding a bit frantic. “He hasn’t been seen since the apartment fire a couple of weeks ago. The crime rate has gone up like crazy!”
“I’m sure he needed to recharge after he couldn’t get to that family in time,” Lois said, her heart hurting as she remembered how hard it had been for Clark.
“The autopsies came back. Lois, they didn’t die from the fire. The family died of carbon monoxide poisoning, then the apartment was set on fire. This was murder, not an accident,” Perry explained. “I sure wish you and Clark were here to get to the bottom of this.”
“Who’s on the story?” Lois’ heartbeat started racing at the implications of murder. Even as her mind started switching over to reporter mode, a big part of her was relieved that Clark didn’t have anything to feel guilty about as far as the fire was concerned.
“Nancy,” Perry answered. “She already found out the father had money problems and that Carmine Falcone was involved.”
“You mean Carmine Falcone from Gotham? The police have been trying for months to find evidence on him! I leave Metropolis for a couple of weeks and you get one of the biggest stories in months,” Lois said with an excited huff. Suddenly her feelings of the wedding and the peaceful scenery disappeared. She started thinking of how she could get back to Metropolis as fast as she could.
But as soon as she had the thought, she saw Jonathan exiting the house and walking down the steps toward the barn. She had to calm herself and remember why she was here. It wasn’t only her life now; she had to think of Clark and his parents.
“I hope Nancy realizes the opportunity she has,” Lois grumbled, struggling with the words and a different kind of jealousy rising in her chest.
“How is everything there?” Perry asked, guessing correctly that Lois needed a change of topic. “Is Clark’s dad out of the hospital?”
“Jonathan was released yesterday, and he seems good other than needing reminders to take it easy. But Perry, I have some news of my own. You and Jimmy might want to take a couple of days off — Clark and I are getting married in three days here at the farm,” Lois said with a bit of glee in her voice.
“Great shades of Elvis!” Perry exclaimed. “You’re not joking, are you?”
“Nope. With everything that happened with his dad, we decided it was time. There’s something about this place, Perry. I can’t explain it, it has me actually slowing down and enjoying the moment instead of always being in a rush. I’ve even learned to cook a few things.”
“You? Lois, you hate to cook,” Perry said with a hearty laugh.
“I know. Martha taught me a few things, and now I can actually make a decent breakfast and even a decent dinner.”
“You are going to have to prove what you can do once you get back. Any idea when that will be now?” Perry asked.
“We might take one a two days after the wedding, but after that, I’m hoping to be back to work. I have to check with Clark, though” Lois said.
Lois knew she had to talk more with Clark. They hadn’t really discussed when he was going back to Metropolis. Well, they hadn’t discussed when either of them were, but he had to realize she wasn’t going to stay here for too much longer. Lois knew Clark had reservations about leaving his parents alone. They had a lot to talk about.
***
Clark knew he had to clear some of these crops before the wedding in a couple of days. He had a few other things on his to-do list for the day, but when he noticed a figure walking the fence line — he had to stop. He drove the tractor over toward the figure and shook his head when he saw it was his dad. The man was so stubborn. He had never slowed down, and now it seemed even worse since the doctor had ordered him to rest.
Clark stopped about twenty feet from his dad on the other side of the fence and turned off the tractor. “Dad, aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Clark asked.
His dad leaned over the fence with his arms folded in front of him. Jonathan had a look of wonder on his face, yet a bit of sadness also.
“I’m just taking a walk, Clark,” Jonathan answered. “The doctor said walking around a bit was okay.”
“I just don’t want you to over do it, Dad,” Clark said, jumping down off the tractor.
Jonathan just nodded and changed the subject and nodded over at the new piece of equipment. “How is the new tractor?”
“It’s easier to start and maneuver than the other one.”
“Good. I can’t believe Lois did this, though. We didn’t ask for the help,” Jonathan said angrily.
Clark couldn’t believe what he was hearing! They may not have asked for the help, but they’d needed it. Not asking for help all these years is what got his parents in the bind they were now in. How could his dad not see that?
“Just like I didn’t ask for help with college,” Clark retorted, looking over at him and trying not to let his own anger surface.
Realizing all of those years in college his parents had paid for his college, while he was fine working a part-time job and getting good grades. Clark knew if he’d had to, he could have worked two part-time jobs and still had time to study. But no! His parents had told him they were going to help.
“That was different, son, and you know it,” Jonathan replied.
Lois was right, Clark thought. All of this time, he hadn’t been asking for help trying to fix the farm, he was acting just like his dad.
“No, it’s not, Dad. Lois is part of this family. She saw a problem and helped where she could. Nothing is wrong with that, and I should have asked her for help sooner. Just like you and mom should have told me about the struggles here on the farm,” Clark explained, leaning his back against the fence with a sigh.
Both Kent men slipped into silence for a moment, thinking as they looked out upon the fields of corn as a slight breeze made the cornstalks sway. The blue skies and mild temperature made it seem warmer than it really was. This farm meant everything to his dad; why did he let it get so bad?
“Dad, how many times do I fly out here for dinner a month?” Clark asked.
“Depends on how busy you get with your other job, but at least three times a month,” Jonathan answered, then took a deep breath.
“Then, if I’m here three or more times a month, why didn’t you ask me to fix the chicken coop or the broken shingles on the barn? I could have fixed this fence in a couple of minutes even if I wasn’t at full speed.”
“Why would I ask you to help? You come here to visit, Clark, not to work. Your mom and I love hearing about your Daily Planet adventures and what you and Lois have been up to,” Jonathan said the frustration clear in his voice.
Clark noticed his dad’s heart rate begin to rise. Maybe this conversation would go better if he talked to his mom.
After a couple moments of silence that seemed to go on for a lot longer, Jonathan stood tall again and shook his head. “You know when I was a teenager, I didn’t want to be a farmer. But Grandpa Kent wanted one of his boys to take over the farm. I was the oldest, so it was my responsibility. My brothers ran away from here right after graduating high school. Neither of them wanted farm life, and at that point, neither did I. It wasn’t until I met your mother that things in my life started to fall into place,” Jonathan said with a bit of sadness.
Clark listened in stunned silence. He’d never heard this from his dad before.
“My buddy Bruce and I were going to the Corn Festival to meet up with his girl, Annie. It had to be about a year and half after I had taken over full-time here at the farm. I was miserable. Bruce figured I needed a break. So we went to the festival and met up with Annie. What I didn’t know at the time was Annie was bringing a friend — Martha Clark. Your mom and I hit it off instantly and within days, she wanted to move here. Annie and her stayed in Smallville for the summer at Annie’s uncle’s place. After the summer was over, your mother stayed.”
“She didn’t want to leave?” Clark said quietly, remembering the story of how his parents had met, but not necessarily all they’d been feeling at the time, especially the fact that his dad hadn’t wanted this life.
“No, she didn’t. Clark, your mother was raised in a different environment. She had lost so much so young, and her own mom made it very difficult for her. Here, on the farm, she was spunky, helpful to your Grandma Kent in the house, and even wanted to learn what she could do to help me out here. Your Grandma and Grandpa Kent were crazy about her, but I knew she wanted to see more of the world. She had dreams too, yet, this farm held her back.”
“No, Dad. This farm means more to mom than you think. And she would never leave it now or then because she knows leaving it would mean leaving you,” Clark said, hoping he could enlighten his dad with what Lois had taught him, that love meant that no matter how many dreams you had, if you couldn’t do it with the person you loved — those dreams weren’t worth it.
But his dad wasn’t hearing him. “I don’t want you to worry about this farm, Clark. You were meant for bigger and brighter things.”
“How could you say that, Dad? I might not be a Kent by blood, but I was raised as one. You and Mom are the only parents I have known,” Clark retorted. He knew he was different, but he didn’t want this place to be forgotten after his parents died.
“Clark, we knew the first time you lifted the sofa and ran through the cornfields in seconds that you were meant to help everyone, not just us,” Jonathan said. “I might have worried about people finding out about your abilities and wanting to dissect you like a frog, but once you created Superman, that stopped.”
“Lois and I can still keep this place going. I don’t want to be the last generation raised on this farm,” Clark pointed out. “Lois loves it here. She has even told me how peaceful it is.”
Clark turned around to his dad and looked at him. Could Clark give up being a reporter and staying on the farm?
“No, Clark, the two of you need to go back to Metropolis. Your life is there, and neither of you should give up your dream because of this place,” he said, waving his hand to indicate the farm. “We paid for you to go to college because we knew you were never going to stay here. Your life is out there, saving people either by writing about it or rescuing them. So, I think after the wedding, the two of you should go back to Metropolis.”
“Dad, there’s still so much to do,” Clark angrily shot back. “I’m not letting you work yourself into an early grave.”
How could his dad be so stubborn? What was he thinking? Clark could help. Lois was helping also. No, he had to stay.
“Clark, I have help. Your mother hasn’t just been working on wedding plans. She has hired Jolene Snyder’s brother to help. He is going to start next week. He knows we can’t pay him much, but he is willing to learn.”
“Dad, didn’t he get into trouble for stealing a couple of years ago?” Clark asked.
“Yeah, he went to jail for nine months for breaking into Mrs. McClusky’s home. But he was desperate at the time, and he has paid his dues. Plus we’ll have Wayne’s grandson. Things will get better, Clark.”
Clark looked up at the house, seeing Lois and Martha come outside. Jonathan turned around next as their women started walking toward them. “Plus I’ve learned my lesson about skipping doctors appointments. I can’t push myself like I used to,” Jonathan admitted before the ladies reached them.
As Lois and Martha walked closer, Clark took a deep breath. He smiled at Lois and realized maybe his dad was right. How was it that everyone he loved knew what was best other than him?
“Hi,” Lois said quietly, leaning over the fence. “Your mom and I were going to go into town to grab a couple of things.”
“Jonathan, let’s leave the lovebirds alone for a few.
***
Lois reached out for Clark’s hand. She needed to tell him what she found out from Perry. Looking at his face, she could tell that something had happened, but whether it was a good thing or not, she couldn’t determine yet.
“You were out here talking to your dad for a bit. Is everything okay?” she asked him as she slightly squeezed his hand.
His head dipped down to look at the ground and Lois’ heart broke. She knew it wasn’t good.
“He wants us to go back to Metropolis right after the wedding,” Clark said, the hurt evident in his voice.
“Clark, I know you are worried about this place. I get it. It’s a noble idea to give up our busy lives in Metropolis and move here. I mean the slow pace takes some getting used to, but I can see the appeal now,” Lois explained as she tried to get closer to him, at least as close as the a fence between them would allow. “The only problem is our whole lives are in Metropolis — our careers, our friends.”
“I know. I guess Mom found someone else to help out on the farm. Someone that needs a second chance and a job.”
“Yeah, Bo Snyder,” Lois interrupted. “I met him the other day at the supermarket with your mom. “Clark, he seems to be a good man. And I guess you know his sister grew up with your mom or something.”
“Jolene was a grade ahead of me and now runs the hardware store. I never met her brother. What I don’t understand is why they want to hire someone when they can’t even afford the feed for the cows,” he replied.
“Well, that is taken care of. I guess Wayne did it to help out your parents. He didn’t know it had gotten so bad either. This town has been helping your parents out a lot the past week. Once everyone heard about your dad’s health issues, they went into help mode.”
“Yeah, it’s what they do here. When anyone needs help, they get a group together to pitch in. It’s what this town has always done. I just wish dad would have asked for help sooner,” Clark said, looking wistfully out over the farm.
Lois turned around and noticed the older Kents in an embrace on the porch.
“So you wanted your dad to ask for help. Is that before or after you ask for help?” Lois questioned. “Did you ask me to help you when you decided to come here without me? Or ignore my calls to come help you?”
“Clark didn’t answer right away. The silence between them stretched, not uncomfortable, but heavy with everything unsaid. He let go of Lois’s hand gently and stepped around the fence, closing the distance between them.
His eyes were glassy, not from tears exactly, but from the weight of realization. He looked back at the porch, at his parents wrapped in quiet comfort, then out at the fields that had shaped him. The soil, the sky, the rhythm of this place—it was all in his bones. But so was the ache of trying to carry too much alone.
“I thought I was protecting everyone,” he said finally, voice low. “Protecting you from the mess, protecting my parents from the truth, protecting myself from feeling like I failed.”
Lois reached up and brushed a bit of hay from his shoulder, her touch grounding.
“But I didn’t protect anything. I just shut people out.”
He exhaled, the sound shaky but freeing.
“I see it now. The way this town shows up. The way you showed up. I didn’t ask for help because I didn’t want to need it. But I do. I need you. I need all of it.”
Lois nodded, her expression softening. “Then let’s stop pretending we’re supposed to do this alone.”
Clark gave a small, grateful smile. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.”
And in that moment, with the sun dipping low and the porch light flickering on behind them, Clark Kent let go of the burden he’d been gripping too tightly—and let love, community, and partnership take its place.
Lois turned back around and covered her hand over his cheek. She frowned a bit, but then a smile appeared as he leaned into her hand.
“I love you, Clark Kent. And you are more like your parents than you think, even if you’re not from around here. I know you want to help and you have. In the past week, you have done so much around here. No one would fault you for returning to Metropolis,” Lois explained, letting her hand fall away.
She looked away from him for a moment, watching the cornstalks sway in the wind. It was a beauty she never thought she would enjoy, although now things were different.
“I talked to Perry earlier. I wanted to invite him and Jimmy out for the wedding,” she said, finally turning back to Clark. “I want them to be here.”
“I know. Me too,” he agreed. “It wouldn’t be right without them.”
“They were there from the beginning. Without Perry, who knows if I would have even given you a chance,” Lois said, smiling.
“You would have… eventually.”
Lois looked down to the ground, kicking the dirt around, and she stepped away from Clark. “There’s a bit of an issue in Metropolis though.”
“What is it?” Clark asked.
“Without Superman around anymore, crime rates have skyrocketed,” Lois admitted, looking up and putting her hand on his forearm. “Clark, Superman has to return to Metropolis. He can’t stay hidden anymore.”
Clark ran his hand through his hair. “I know, Lois. I just don’t know how to just return. People are going to have questions and after what happened, I don’t know if I can.”
She took a breath and remembered what Perry had told her. Lois needed to tell Clark the truth. “The family didn’t die from you not getting to them in time, Clark. They were murdered,” she admitted, then took a breath.
Lois watched as Clark stepped away and turned around, his left hand curled into a fist. She’d thought that Clark knowing the true cause of death would have helped alleviate the sadness he had felt. Had it just been guilt or was it something else?
“Clark, talk to me,” Lois begged. She tried to reach for him, but he was just too far away from the fence now. She watched as his shoulders went up a couple of times like he was trying to center himself. His fist released, then he turned around. “Should their death not matter? I still didn’t get to them in time,” Clark said.
“That isn’t what I’m saying! The fire was set to cover up the murder,” Lois emphasized as she tried, to climb over the fence.
“But I still didn’t get to my dad in time,” Clark said, turning around with perfect timing to grab Lois’ hand as her feet landed on the ground.
“He got to the hospital in time, and he is right over there,” Lois said, wrapping her arms around Clark’s waist.
“But ev—”
“No, you do everything you can to help. The whole world does not rest on your shoulders. Stop trying to do it all. We have a life back home. I’m not saying we don’t come back here, because I think it’s a good way to de-stress after a crazy week.”
“You’re right, Lois. But going home will be more difficult for me than for you.”
“Really? You think so? You think leaving this tranquil place will not bother me? Watching you work with your hands and do what you love? Listening to your mom’s stories about her life and what you were like growing up? Just slowing down, Clark. I’ve enjoyed it!” Lois explained. She stepped away and waved her hands, indicating the fields and animals.
“But this isn’t what you’re used to,” he pointed out.
“I’m used to being on the move constantly and you disappearing on me all the time,” she replied, stilling for a moment and looking up at him. “We haven’t shared all of our meals together day after day like we have here. I haven’t woken up next to you either until this place.”
She saw his breath catching for a second, and then a smile appeared on his face.
“That’s been nice.”
“And by this time next week, we will be doing it for the rest of our lives,” Lois stated. “We can do this.”
He cupped her cheek and then dipped down to kiss her lightly. “Okay, we're going back to Metropolis after the wedding,” he said in a low voice.
She couldn’t help but smile at the man she loved. In four days, they would go back to Metropolis and start their life anew as a married couple.
