Lois waited until they got back to Smallville before taking out the blue k again. Clark headed to Watchtower on what Lois now deemed ‘Super-Secret Hero Business,’ giving Lois a chance to relax… and also to quietly freak out.
Throughout the pregnancy, the blue kryptonite had helped her feel more normal. And yet, the perks of super blood running through her veins have been hard to ignore. She wondered what she should do when it came time for the birth itself. Might it help to have blue k nearby to counteract the intensity of having a super baby? Births in normal circumstances could be pretty scary… but in this case, what did she have more to fear?
The fact that she was human, or the fact that her child was part Kryptonian?
And if she used the blue k, could it hurt their baby during the birth? Clark had attested to the fact that blue kryptonite did not hurt him, and the baby had doses of it all through her pregnancy… yet still, Lois was worried.
She was tempted to take out her laptop and try to google ‘strange pregnancies,’ but she knew it would be fruitless. Her case was pretty unique.
Lois fixed herself an iced tea and went outside to sit on the porch swing, hoping to absorb some afternoon sun after having dosing herself with a bit of the blue k. Obviously the sun had saved both her and her son’s life today. And while she could feel a sort of power surge through her with the rays of the sun, it also made her dizzy and a little nauseous.
She took deep breaths, sort of like what she imagined Lamaze breathing to be like, as she rubbed her ever growing stomach. The sun seemed to be good for the baby – but what was good for her?
She really didn’t want to worry Clark, but they were getting closer to the birth. They needed a plan… and they needed to figure out how she could safely deliver the baby.
Needing at least some answers, Lois took out her laptop anyway and googled about first time pregnancies. She would at least have an idea what she was getting into from a human perspective.
She just hoped that Clark could help her sort out what to do about the Kryptonian side of things.
~L&C~
Clark came home to find Lois perched at the kitchen table with her laptop and a yellow pad scribbled with notes. He smirked to himself.
Leave it to Lois to have all the technology in the world at her fingertips and yet still use a pad and pencil to write it all down.
“Whatcha working on?” he asked casually, coming behind her to gently massage her shoulders.
“Mmmm, that feels nice, Smallville,” she said, shutting her laptop. “I’ve just been… researching.”
“Oh? About what? Working on a story?”
She handed him her pad, three pages of which were filled with barely legible notes. “No, just researching pregnancies… Clark, we have no idea what we’re dealing with here. I mean, at least I don’t. And I’m the one who will be having the baby.” She turned to look at him. “If this were a normal pregnancy, we’d have all the doctors we’d need, and all the advice we could ask for… but what if it is… different?” She sighed, pensive.
“And dangerous?”
Clark sighed, looking worried. “I’ve been giving it some thought as well, Lois. However amazing having a child with you will be, I don’t want to risk losing you. So, I asked Jor-El about it,” he admitted.
“Well, what did ol’ ice pappy say?” Lois prodded.
“That you should have the baby at the Fortress. Which means no medical care… no pain killers. And without the blue meteor rock… and that is the part that worries me.”
Lois looked pensive. “Why?”
“Probably for the same reasons you’re nervous, Lois. With the blue k, you render the baby powerless, yet without it, you have some powers… yet what will that do to you through the birthing process? We have no idea… And I’ve thought about you wearing the blue k bracelet and going to a normal hospital, but if there are any problems or blood tests—“
He didn’t need to finish. Lois understood. Though it didn’t stop Clark from looking terribly guilty.
“The one thing I fear is putting you in danger. But I can’t seem to avoid that.”
Lois took his hands in hers, her voice imbued with a courage that made Clark love her all the more. “But we’re in this together, Clark. And we’ll get through it together… our baby—he will be amazing, Clark. I just know it.”
~L&C~
Martha came home to the farm the next weekend excited, but surprised, by Clark’s news about the baby.
“Well you always do things – uniquely, Clark,” she had said on the phone a few nights before, when Clark had told her the news.
Lois held his hand through the phone call, for moral support. Clark smiled at something his mother said, and kissed Lois’ hand. “That she is, Mom. Okay, we’ll see you Friday. Love you.”
So with Martha’s arrival there was a flurry of action around the farmhouse. Lois and Clark shared a laugh, recognizing that they both wanted to show Martha that they could handle this.
“I was thinking, we could make your old room the nursery,” Clark suggested, after a spontaneous shopping trip with Lois for random baby things.
Hoisting a bag full of diapers, baby powder, and toys, Lois nodded. “Yeah, I guess we should have thought of that before buying all this stuff, huh?”
They headed up the stairs to drop off the bags in the spare room. It still looked basically as Lois had left it, and they knew there was a lot of work to be done before the baby came – which was only a few weeks away.
Clark stood in the doorframe, looking thoughtful. Lois leaned into his side, giving him a half hug. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked.
“Oh? Nothing… Just, even my mom doesn’t have much experience with this, you know? I was about two when they found me.” He sighed, hugging Lois to him. “You know, we’ve been through so much. And yet, I think this is the most exciting and most scariest thing we’ve ever done. I hope we’re ready.”
“Well, we better be,” Lois said practically, moving to stand in the room and assess the possibilities. “That old dresser will do to start with…. But we should get rid of the bed and buy a bassinet.”
Clark watched Lois as she considered the size of the room, and different possibilities for furniture. He loved watching her, especially beautiful with the glow of motherhood. She smiled at him, asking if he would mind if she hired someone to paint some Winnie the Pooh characters on the wall.
He shook his head, smiling back at her.
It was so simple, and yet so amazing that they had come to this point together… Clark may have come from another planet and dealt with impossible tasks on a daily basis. But he thought, right here and now, with Lois – this was where he was best suited.
Here, with her, was home.
~L&C~
That night at dinner, Martha Kent was the encouraging mother figure Lois had always admired.
"You know I'll help you two however much I can, however much you want me around," Martha said with a slightly self-deprecating laugh. "I mean, Johnathan and I always wanted a baby in the house. And as amazing a son as you've been Clark--" she said, reaching across the dinner table to squeeze his hand. "-we found you when you were almost two. I'm excited to have a baby in this house!"
"We're thinking of using my old room as a nursery. Chloe was going to come over tomorrow and help me decide on a paint scheme. If you have some time, I'd love your input," Lois said, reaching for another helping of pasta.
"Oh! I always thought that room would make a lovely nursery! It gets the morning sun, you know. That room is always so cheery..." Martha glanced between Lois and Clark, hesitating.
"Was is it, Mrs. K?" Lois asked, noticing Martha's reluctance.
"Well, Clark told me that you are having a boy. Have you thought of a name?"
"Mom, we--" Clark interjected, knowing he and Lois hadn't gotten that far yet. But Lois laid a hand on his forearm to stop him.
"Actually, I have thought about it. Though Clark and I haven't discussed it yet." Lois glanced at Clark and gave him a smile. "I haven't decided on a middle name yet... But, I thought we should call him Johnathan."
Martha smiled warmly, a sudden sheen of tears in her eyes. "Lois... I-- I think it's perfect."
"I wish Dad was here with us now," Clark said sadly. "I could use his advice on so many things..."
Martha looked at her son, her eyes full of warm understanding. "I know, Clark. But he has given us so much... and to see the man you've become, I know he would be very proud."
~L&C~
Clark found Lois on the porch swing after he finished helping his mother with the dishes.
It was a warm night, and the crickets were noisy in the fields.
Lois smiled at him and he sat next to her as they gently rocked under the porch light.
"You know, I've been so busy with all this -- I have barely thought about the Planet. Have you talked to Tess?" she asked.
"Yeah... I told her about the baby, Lois. I had to. She was going to fire you!” he said, worried how Lois would take his meddling. “I was wondering when you were going to ask about that."
"Well, I turned in a few stories that I had been working on before-- all this," she said, gesturing at her belly. "But I hadn't had a call from Tess in weeks. And? How will it work do you think after the baby? Cause as much as I'm excited about this little adventure, I do sort of miss my day job."
"Well, I talked to Tess about that as well. She said you could freelance until the baby is old enough for daycare. I know it will mean less investigating--"
"--and less getting into trouble," she grinned.
"Yeah, that too. But hopefully, it will be enough?" Clark asked, uncertain.
Lois leaned into Clark's side, looking out at the stars all around them. "Smallville, we're about to embark on a great adventure, probably fraught with its own perils... I'm sure I'll find a way to work at the Planet... who knows? Maybe I'll teach little Johnathan how to investigate like his momma," she laughed quietly. Then she looked up at Clark, suddenly a little unsure. "Are you okay that I told your mother about the name before talking with you about it? Only, we hadn't had time to discuss it, and then she brought it up--"
Clark patted her hand on his arm. "Lois, it's fine. I'm -- touched. And I know Mom was as well. But Lois, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about?"
"Oh?" she said, curious.
"I was going to wait, but the more I thought about it, the more I worried--" he began nervously. "What I am trying to say is... we don't know what will happen with the baby. I'm thrilled beyond words that we are having a little one of our own -- but I need you to know that I am with you because of you, Lois. Not because of the baby."
"What are you saying, Clark?" she asked in a whisper, wondering where he was going with this.
"I'm saying that though things seemed to have happened -- out of order, they were inevitable. Always were... You and I -- our futures are linked. No matter what. And to prove I believe that--"
Clark got down on one knee, and took a small box out of his pocket. Lois let out an involuntary gasp and waited for him to continue. "Part of believing that we are meant to be together, no matter what pushes us forward -- or holds us back -- is acknowledging that bond, that love between us. Lois, this ring isn't an obligation, but a promise. It represents us, that we belong to each other -- in the past, present -- and future. Lois Lane, will you marry me?” he asked formally.
Lois was too stunned for words, and simply stared at him. Her heart was full, though, and she hoped Clark could see what she couldn’t yet articulate.
Clark went on, trying to diffuse his offer if she wasn’t ready. “You don't have to say 'yes' now or tomorrow or the day after that... just promise me that you acknowledge it, too. Whatever we have between us Lois, this bond -- it's forever."
"Smallville," she began, her fingers playing over the small velvet box. "Of course my answer is 'yes.' It always was... always will be," she whispered, as tears clogged her throat.
Clark took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger, a large grin on his face. She reached to kiss him, and thanks to her awkward proportions, promptly knocked him on his back. "Sorry," she said, kneeling over him between kisses. "Didn't mean to knock the wind out of you."
He gently brushed her hair back from her face. "Don't worry, Lois,” he answered softly. “You've been doing that since the day I met you."
~L&C~
Over the next few weeks, Lois and Clark settled into a routine of sorts, getting ready for the baby.
Lois would either shop online or go into Metropolis with Clark when shopping for baby things. On days when they’d head into Metropolis, she'd try to ignore the wistful feeling of longing to be back at the Planet. Instead, she comforted herself that she was about to embark on an even greater adventure: motherhood.
On days she stayed at the farmhouse she'd sit on the porch on sunny mornings, taking in the rays for the little one. Inevitably, after about an hour, she'd begin to feel nauseated and would have to use the blue k. She always opened the box a little regretfully, hoping it wasn’t hurting the baby in any way. Clark had reassured her on a number of occasions, after using his special x-ray vision, that the baby was fine. Still, Lois wished she was strong enough to absorb the power of the sun for the entire pregnancy.
After reading that morning’s edition of The Daily Planet, Lois would take whatever packages had arrived the day before and begin setting up little Jonathan's room. She saved the strenuous tasks, or things that required a ladder, for Clark. Lois hummed along to Whitesnake CDs, telling her son that he'd love the band as much as his momma did, if he'd only give it a chance.
Then, in the evenings, Lois would either try to cook something or order in. Clark tried to be home by six, but sometimes other duties called him away. Lois knew it was part of the sacrifice of their life together, but she couldn't help but feel some regret that, down the road, he might miss some important moments of their son's life.
When Clark finally made it home, he would often find Lois in front of the TV with her feet propped up or sitting at the kitchen table, working at her laptop.
One evening when Clark came home, he had a large grin on his face.
"What's made you so happy?" Lois asked, stretching after working on her laptop for a few hours.
Clark came over to her and gave her a kiss. "What? You mean besides the fact that I am marrying the woman I love and she's having my baby?"
Lois grinned back, accepting another kiss. "Yeah, besides that."
"Well, I'll show you," he said, scooping her up in his arms. "I've got a surprise for you."
In a matter of moments, Clark had whisked them off to Watchtower. "Why are we here?" Lois asked, puzzled.
Clark opened the doors to Watchtower, where Chloe was waiting for her with a huge smile on her face.
"Surprise!" said Chloe, coming over to give Lois a hug.
Lois looked around at the streamers and cute baby balloons in awe. "Chloe! This is so sweet! You didn't have to do all this!"
"Yes I did! But the decorations are only part of it. Clark? Would you do the honors?"
Clark headed to a particular corner of Watchtower, where a large sheet was covering up something in the corner. Chloe came to stand by Clark, as they got ready for their reveal. "Lois, as we all know, you are an intrepid reporter, and probably will want to get back to the Planet as soon as baby feedings and sleep schedules will allow it."
"Well--" Lois began, but Chloe put up her hand to stop her.
"Clark and I were both thinking, that once you get back on your feet--"
"We could alternate days who takes care of the baby," Clark interjected.
"And when Blur duties call," Chloe said, nodding to Clark to pull down the makeshift 'curtain,' "I can babysit here at Watchtower!"
Clark and Chloe had set up a mini nursery, complete with diaper changing table, a small crib, a playpen, and a wall of just about every toy and accessory they could possibly need.
Lois wiped the happy tears from her eyes, and encircled the people she loved best in her embrace. "You guys are amazing! Thank you!"
~L&C~
A few nights later, Lois couldn't sleep.
Clark was out on Blur duties, and it was after 1 AM. Usually he was back by now. Lois reached over to check her cell phone, but there were no messages from him.
She tried not to worry, knowing he'd be home when he could. Except, her back was stiff, and she couldn't get comfortable in bed. Usually, Clark could help get her to sleep, either with a massage or a bit of cuddling...
She rolled from side to side, feeling like a turtle on its back, unable to maneuver out of bed. Lois scooted to the edge of the mattress, until at last her feet touched the floor. Maybe if she walked around a bit, the tension in her back would lessen and she could finally get to sleep.
Lois decided she wanted a glass of water, or maybe that she just needed to move a bit, feeling uncomfortable and heavy.
She held onto the hand rail, feeling a little dizzy and unsteady on her feet. She stood there a moment, until the dizzy spell passed. Lois started walking back towards the bedroom when a pain seized her gut. Grabbing onto the railing, the bedroom now seeming like a million miles away. She felt panicked, unsure if something was going wrong with the baby. Or, what if there was nothing wrong. What if this is it?
After a few moments, the pain passed and she took a deep breath. "Okay, that wasn't too bad," she said aloud, hoping that was normal. Cautiously, she started walking back towards the bedroom to get her cell phone, keeping herself steady by holding onto the wall and the small table in the hallway.
"Where the hell are you, Clark Kent?" she muttered to herself.
Slowly she made her way back to the bedroom. She grabbed her ‘What to Expect when Expecting’ book and her cellphone. Lois eased herself onto the bed, propping herself up with some pillows. She turned to the pages she had marked on contractions. What she read sounded pretty normal, confirming her suspicions when she read the description as a deep, aching muscle cramp. She smiled in relief as everything sounded pretty normal, and that she had a lot of time still. Her water hadn’t broke either.
Still, Lois didn’t like feeling so alone. She really wished she had Clark there. She might have hours to wait yet, and she couldn’t be certain that everything was all right just because the book said so. For one thing, the book was talking about normal human pregnancies. She lifted her phone and hit speed dial to call Clark but there was no answer. Lois felt herself tear up, and took a steadying breath as she settled in to what she assumed would be a long night.
Lois flipped through some TV channels, hoping to find something to distract herself. She stopped on one news channel, which was reporting a save by the Blur. At least she knew what was keeping Clark out late.
Lois glanced at the clock. It was almost 2 AM. She debated calling Mrs. K, knowing that she’d want to know what was going on with the baby, yet needing to work in the morning. If she called Chloe, she’d get a million questions and not be able to answer any of them. It had been almost an hour and no other signs of labor. Maybe it was a false labor start… like she had read about Braxton-Hicks in the book. What she really needed was sleep… the baby would come soon enough and she’d need all her strength for it.
Lois tried to get comfortable on the bed, lying on her side with the body pillow she had picked up to ease the pain in her back. She turned off the TV and forced herself to close her eyes. Just breathe.
At first, she could hear just her breaths, and then her heartbeat. Then, she thought she could hear her baby’s heartbeat, nearly twice as fast as her own. Her eyes flew open at that revelation, and she was suddenly wide awake. Other sounds, from the farmhouse creaking to Shelby digging something up in the yard came to her. She sat up, now closing her eyes as her hearing honed in on noises all around. The more focused she became, the more intense they got, until it all became too much. She put her hand over her ears as if she could block out the sounds of a random car passing, or the hoot of an owl, or the murmur of crickets…
A rush of wind sounded very nearby, and she glanced up, seeing Clark standing there in front of her with a concerned look on his face.
“Lois, are you all right?”
She wouldn’t answer him at first, her hands covering her ears. Clark took off his Blur jacket and sat next to her on the bed. “Is it the baby? Lois, what is it?”
“The sounds… they were coming from everywhere!” she exclaimed, a mix of awe and fear in her voice.
Clark took her in his arms, “Just try to listen to one thing… listen to my breathing. In and out.” He took a few steadying breaths, holding her close as she tried to focus.
When she seemed calm enough, she sat back up, her eyes bright. “Clark, how do you do it? All of a sudden, I could hear everything around me… it was too much!”
Clark continued to hold her close, rubbing her back. “You learn to focus,” he began, searching for how to explain. He sat back to look at her, but kept her hands in his. “I forget that you weren’t there for the development of my powers… or if you were, you didn’t know about it,” he admitted shyly. “But every time a power emerged, I had difficulty at first dealing with it. And yours, they are likely only temporary because of the baby. But I know it can be scary.”
“So what do I do? How do I manage it when it gets too overwhelming?”
“You just choose one thing to focus on. You isolate one noise… like the sound of our son’s heartbeat. You should focus on that. Especially when things start feeling overwhelming,” he suggested gently, moving her hair out of her face.
“What if the powers intensify when—“ she stopped talking, squeezing his hand as another pain wracked her body.
“Lois! What is it? Are you all right? Is it the baby?” Clark asked fretfully.
Lois nodded, not quite able to speak for a moment. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “That’s the second contraction tonight.”
“Second? When did they start? Why didn’t you call me?” Clark asked in rapid succession.
Lois laughed, “No wonder you make a good reporter, Smallville. Always asking for the details,” she teased. “The first one was about… an hour ago, maybe?”
That information didn’t calm Clark one bit. “So what do we do? Should we go to the Fortress?”
She patted his hand. “Relax, Smallville,” she said, holding up her ‘What to Expect’ book. “According to this, we still have lots of time. Best we can do is settle in for the night and monitor the contractions.”
Clark nodded, still looking uncertain. “Do you need me to get you anything? Cause I can be back in a flash. Well, maybe not quite a flash. But Bart says I am moving faster—“
Lois laughed and Clark stopped rambling. “I think my babbling is beginning to wear off on you,” she chuckled. She reached for his hand, and gently pulled him down to sit next to her.
“All I need is you, Smallville,” she said simply.
Clark sighed and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Sorry. I’m just not sure what to do. I mean, we don’t really know how this is going to happen…”
She reached up to cup his cheek. “All I need to know, Clark, is that you will be there… and that your strength flows through me. Literally and… well, this ring you gave me?” she said, holding it up. “You said it was a promise, not an obligation. Same here. I promise to love you and to love our son… and that love is what will get me through.”
