Thanks to my B-Reader Linda
Part Two
When Lois arrived back at the Planet, she looked over at Clark’s desk, but he wasn’t there.
“Jimmy!” she called
“Yeah?” he called as he went to join her at her desk.
“Have you seen Clark?”
“He came back an hour ago, but had to go somewhere.”
“Right thanks.”
***
Clark didn’t return to the Planet that day. It was reported that Superman had stopped a bank robbery; Clark had phoned in the story but had to go to China where a volcano had erupted.
Lois was watching an old movie when Clark arrived home. He looking tired and worn, and his suit and skin were covered in ash and dirt.
“Hey,” Lois said watching him as he closed the windows. “Was it bad?”
“Yeah.” He spoke like it was an effort.
“Sit down and I’ll draw you a bath.”
“OK,” he nodded and lay on the couch while Lois went to run him a bath. She returned twenty minutes later and found him asleep. She stroked his hair as she brushed her lips against his. His eyes slowly drifted open.
“Hey handsome.” A smile spread across his lips and he lifted his head to kiss her fully. “Mmm. Bath’s ready.”
“Hum.” He moaned at the loss of contact. “OK, but I’m tired. I’ll need help to wash my back,” he said smiling.
“Alright,” she smiled back and pulled him to his feet, and then they went upstairs and got into the bath together. Clark was resting against her while she washed his chest. “So how was your lunch?”
“Fine. Chloe’s moving to metropolis. She got a transfer.”
“Oh, what is it that she does?”
“She’s an architect. You two will get on really well.”
“How close were you?”
“How do you mean?”
“Well like you and Jimmy close or you and me close.”
“Well I did share a bath with her once.”
“What?”
“We were two.”
“Oh! So how close were you?”
“Well Chloe, Pete and I were inseparable until I was about ten. Our birthdays were close together, and our dads were all on the football team together.”
“What happened when you were ten?”
“Well… my powers started to show, and I was scared that I would hurt them or that they would think I was a freak if they found out. We were still friends but I made excuses that I had to help my dad around the farm. Pete understood because his dad had a farm too. He knew how much work had to be done, but he had four older brothers to share the work with, so he had more free time than me. I never told him that it took me half the time to do my chores.”
“So what did you do with your free time?” Lois asked.
Clark shrugged. “Built the tree house, read a lot, wrote stories. I still played with them sometimes.” Clark heard Lois let out a sad sigh. “But I’m not lonely anymore.” He took her hand and kissed it.
“Does Chloe have somewhere to stay?”
“Yeah. You’ll never believe this, but she bought a house on this street. I think it must be the one two doors down because it’s the only one I know that’s up for sale.”
“It’s a big house for one person,” Lois said as she poured some water over Clark’s hair to wash it.
“Well she may not be one for long. She’s trying to have a baby.”
“Oh!” Lois tried not to sound bitter or jealous, but every time she heard someone was pregnant or saw a newborn baby, she felt the ache in her heart that she new was in Clark’s too. “I thought you said she wasn’t married?”
“No she isn’t. She’s been artificially inseminated.”
Lois was about to pour more water over his hair, but poured it over his face. She hadn’t realized what she’d done until he coughed and spluttered. “Oh God! I’m sorry.”
“It’s OK,” Clark replied with a chuckle. “I had a similar reaction and spat my coffee at her.”
“You didn’t?”
“I did.”
“What made her decide this?” Lois asked.
Clark shrugged again. “She wanted a baby and didn’t want to wait for Mr. Right?”
“Well he’s taken.”
“He is?”
“Uh huh. I married him.” She kissed the sensitive spot behind his ear. He quickly turned to face her sloshing the water on to the floor. She giggled. “I thought you were tired?”
“You give me energy.” He kissed her.
“Um, Clark? There’s not enough room.” Lois moaned and Clark floated them both out the bath and onto the floor where they made love.
“Wow!” Lois said while Clark kissed and nibbled her neck.
“Mmm. Yeah,” he agreed, his voice muffled by her neck. “Suddenly I’m not so tired. How about we take this to the bed room?”
“I’m hungry,” she said and felt him chuckle.
“What do you want?” he asked before capturing her lips.
“Surprise me.”
“Okay.” He got up and was gone in a blur.
***
Clark returned, twenty minutes later, with Mexican food. They ate as they lay on the bed wearing matching white terry cloth robes (Clarks had CK embroidered in gold thread on the Lois had LL on hers).
Lois was watching him carefully. She could sense that he had something on his mind. “What is it?” she asked.
Clark looked up at her puzzled. “I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but I can tell you’re obsessing over something, so spill.” Clark’s jaw dropped. “I can read you like a book Kent.”
“I was just thinking about Chloe.”
“Brave thing she’s doing, having a baby on her own. I couldn’t do it.”
“You could do anything you put your mind to, Lois.” He kissed her but then became lost in thought again.
“So what were you thinking?” she asked about.
“Hum?” he looked back up at her. “Well, um, Chloe was saying, that sometimes married couples use artificial insemination, you know, if the man is sterile.”
“But, Clark, you’re not sterile.”
Clark ignored her. “We could try it, Chloe said…”
“Are you serious? You want to try that?”
“Why not? It may be our only chance to have a baby.” Clark could see the skeptical look on Lois’ face. “Just listen to me for a minute. Chloe said that you’re given profiles of donors; so we could chose someone similar to me…”
“What, a dark haired, brown eyed last son of an advanced planet?”
“Forget it, Lois,” Clark snapped. “If you’re not going to take me seriously….”
Lois now realized just how serious he was. “This isn’t a joke is it? You’re… you’re really considering this?”
“Yes!”
“For me to have another man’s child?” Clark tried not to flinch when she said that, but Lois caught it.
“Don’t say it like that,” he mumbled.
“Why?” she looked at him. “Does it bother you?”
“No!”
Lois searched his eyes but he was avoiding eye contact. “Don’t lie to me,” she said. “I can tell.”
“Really, it doesn’t bother me because it would be ours.”
“You’d really feel that way?”
“Yes! I would love it like my own because it would be part of you.” He stared at her. “I thought you wanted children?”
“I do…”
“Well?”
“Oh Clark. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this. I need to think about it?”
“OK.” Lois got up. “Where are you going?”
“I need some chocolate ice cream.” Lois went down stairs while Clark tidied up the room.
***
The following day, nothing more was said about the previous night’s conversation. Lois wasn’t about to bring it up; she wasn’t convinced that Clark wanted this. She knew how she felt, but if he didn’t press the issue, she wasn’t going to.
They decided to go to Smallville for the weekend. Clark teased Lois about how much she hated her first visit. Now they tried to have dinner with his parents at least once a week. They also spent at least one weekend a month and one week a year there.
Lois was happy to be in Smallville she wanted to talk to Martha when Clark and Jonathan went on there evening walk.
***
It was past eight when Clark and Jonathan left. Lois and Martha were sitting in the kitchen.
“So!” Martha looked at Lois. “What’s wrong?”
“What makes you think…” Lois didn’t finish her sentence. It wasn’t worth the pretence; Martha could always tell when Clark had something on his mind, and over time, Martha had learned to tell when Lois was troubled too.
“Did Clark get the results back from Dr. Klein?” Martha could read the answer on Lois’ face. “Oh! I take it from your look that it wasn’t what you were hoping for?”
“We can’t have children together,” Lois said sadly.
“Oh honey. I’m so sorry. I know how much you both wanted a baby.”
“It just seems… Oh, I don’t know. All my life I was never interested in babies. Lucy could get excited about new babies, but I would rather sit with my daddy and hear about the war.” Now I feel…”
“Like you’ve had something taken from you that you never really had?”
“Yes!” Lois breathed. “See, I can talk to you. I couldn’t speak to my mother about this.”
“I thought you had gotten closer?”
“Well, we have, but I don’t think her idea of support would be very supportive. She’d probably say it was a blessing. She still hasn’t really forgiven daddy, and well, she doesn’t trust Clark.” Lois sighed. “She’d probably say it’s a blessing that I won’t be tied to him. Daddy, he would drop hints about a grandson.” Lois looked at Martha and sighed again. “How did you do it?”
“I won’t say it was easy. But we got lucky,” she smiled.
“Yeah me too,” Lois said smiling back.
“Have you thought about adopting?”
Lois let out a frustrated sigh. “The woman who interviewed us said I was unsuitable because of my job and the number of times Superman has had to save me.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Well, that was the end of that. But now Clark met up with his friend Chloe um…”
“Sullivan.”
“Yes. She’s been transferred to Metropolis, and they had lunch together.”
“Yes I heard.”
“Did you know she’s trying to have a baby?”
“No! I didn’t know she was seeing anyone.”
“She’s not. She’s been artificially inseminated.”
“Oh! Oh well, Chloe was never one for doing the conventional. You two will get on very well.” Martha smiled.
“Clark thinks we should try it?”
“Oh?”
“Yeah he said he would love it just the same.”
“I’m sure he would.”
“I’m not sure I would. I want Clark’s baby, not some *cups*.” Martha tried to hide her laugh but Lois caught it and laughed herself.
“You have to do what you think is right, and don’t let him bully you… Well, I guess I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Thanks Martha.”
***
A few days later, Lois came home from work to find Clark sitting at the computer. “Hey what are you doing?” she asked, putting her hands on his shoulders and sliding them down his chest. He was wearing a grey fitted t-shirt that showed off his chest well.
“I was looking into sperm donors on the Internet and… Lois had begun kissing his neck. “Lois, are you listing to me?”
“Make love to me, Clark.”
“Lois look, you said you’d think about this?” he said with a frustrated sigh, and stood up and backed away.
Lois turned abruptly. “I’m going to get changed,” she said over her shoulder as the proceeded up the stairs.
Clark followed her. “Lois, what’s the matter? I thought you were going to think about this.”
“And I have. I even talked it over with your mom.”
“You told my mom?” Clark exclaimed.
“Yes! I needed to speak to some one about it.” Lois’ voice was tense and frustrated.
“Yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry. So?”
“So? What?”
“Have you decided?”
“Clark…” she replied. Her frustration was becoming more evident.
“If your worried, that I wouldn’t feel the same about a child conceived this way, don’t! I would love the child just the same.”
Lois looked at him. “OK! Let’s look into it,” she quipped.
TBC
Part 3 Monday
