Months passed by, as Lois settled into a routine with Joel, which even allowed her to go back to work.
She’d drop Joel off at Watchtower three days a week, and since it was near the Planet, she’d come by on lunch breaks or in between investigating stories. She kept a picture of ‘her boys,’ as she deemed Clark and Joel, on her desk, and was mostly content.
However, Clark hadn’t mentioned the wedding, and Lois was loath to bring it up and sound insecure. She knew he had duties which kept him occupied, and he’d make as much time as he could for her and Joel. Still, so often when he came home, he’d appear distracted if not outright tired.
At The Planet, they’d work on stories together, but they didn’t spend too much time on personal matters. It seemed between work and the baby, they couldn’t catch a break.
Lois tried to make herself believe it didn’t bother her, but as Clark’s Blur duties got more and more demanding, she worried that Joel and herself would slip further into the background in Clark’s life. He had said that the ring was a promise – but was it one of convenience only?
Some days she’d talk to Clark about Joel, and while he seemed interested, he was also quite distracted. And when he’d finally have a little time, she’d be exhausted and would sometimes snap at him just out of sheer frustration. Clark started keeping his distance, perhaps thinking she needed a little space when in reality, she needed just the opposite.
She needed him to be there for her.
Just as Lois was about to give up on Clark though, he came through. Like the Blur, he saved her at the last possible minute.
~L&C~
It was lunchtime, and per usual, Clark was nowhere to be found. Lois sighed and took out her packed lunch, convincing herself that it was more efficient to eat at work, so she could get back to her story. Then she could wrap up earlier and pick up Joel at Watchtower.
There was a sudden gust of wind, and a blue and red note landed on her desk. Lois smiled to herself, curious as to why Clark was using this throwback.
Addressed to her, she looked on the back: “Meet me on the roof at 8 PM.”
“Interesting,” she said to herself, secretly thrilling at the idea of a ‘clandestine-like’ rendezvous with Clark. They hadn’t had much time for romance between his duties and Joel…
“Speaking of, who will look after him tonight?” Lois wondered aloud softly.
Lois called her cousin, who had done more than her fair share of babysitting duties. She felt bad for asking for one more little favor…
“Hey, cuz. How’s Joel?”
“He’s fine. Taking a nap. Really, he’s been no problem, Lois. How are things at work?”
“Fine,” Lois said in between taking a bite of her sandwich. “Um, just wanted to ask you… And feel free to say no. I know you’ve clocked in more babysitting hours than you can probably stomach, it’s just that—“
Chloe laughed. “Clark already asked me. It’s fine. Joel will stay with me tonight. You can pick him up in the morning.”
“I’ll make it up to you, Chloe. I promise!” Lois said, so grateful for such a wonderful cousin in her life.
“I’ll hold you to it,” Chloe joked. “You and Clark have been crazy busy… I know you need some time together.”
Lois found herself looking down at her ring once more, hoping it still meant to Clark what it meant to her. “Yeah… we do. Okay, Chlo. Thanks again. See you mañana.”
~L&C~
Lois finished up work early so she’d have time to run home and freshen up for her date with Clark. She tried not to pin too many hopes on this one rendezvous, but she was curious why he wanted to meet this way.
She got back to Metropolis around 7:30, which gave her enough time to hunt down a parking spot and double check her makeup. She wore a turquoise dress, with a fitted bodice and a cute, swishy skirt, just below her knees. It definitely wasn’t something she’d wear to work, and she hoped Clark would appreciate her extra effort.
Lois made her way to the roof, butterflies beginning to flutter in her stomach. She didn’t know why she was nervous. It was just Clark, after all…
As she stepped onto the roof, Lois let out an involuntary gasp at the splendor around her. Stringed lights crossed overhead, and candles were lit in various corners. It was a veritable fire hazard, but having a date with the Blur should limit those concerns.
She noticed a table set up where they could have a nice view over the city. A bottle of wine was being chilled, and two plates sat covered. The whole setting was gorgeous, but as Lois looked around, she realized one crucial thing was missing: her date.
Lois sat down at the little table with a sigh, fearing that Clark was called once again on Blur duties. She took out her phone to see if he had left her a message, disappointment settling over her.
Suddenly, she heard a ‘whoosh’ and looked up. “Sorry I’m late,” Clark said, handing her a small bouquet of roses.
She smiled. “I’m just glad you’re here,” she said, as he leaned down to give her a kiss.
Clark pulled out a vase from somewhere he had stashed, and set the roses in it. “I meant to have this all put together, but I ran out of time—“
She set her hand on his to still him. “Clark, it’s perfect.”
He smiled back shyly, and then took a seat opposite of her. He uncovered their dishes, to reveal a rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus, still hot.
“I didn’t cook it myself,” Clark admitted. “But I just picked it up shortly before you got here.”
Lois watched Clark, as he seemed to be as nervous as she felt. She held in her laugh, letting a smile settle on her lips, as she found it funny that after so much they could still act like it was a first date with each other.
Clark poured them some wine, and lifted his glass for a toast. “To us,” he said, tapping her glass.
They each took a sip and then started in on the lovely meal. The noisy streets below seemed a million miles away, as well as any worries or cares. Lois looked up at the sky, surprised to see so many stars in the city…
“Lois, the reason I asked you here tonight,” Clark began after a while. He paused to take a sip of wine, perhaps searching for courage to continue.
“Yeah?” Lois prodded.
“We haven’t talked about—the wedding since before Joel was born. And I was wondering—“
Lois felt her heart squeeze. What if he was calling off the engagement? He knew as well as she did that things had been difficult between them, trying to find a good work-life balance…
“Clark, it’s fine if you want to call it off… I know you’ve had a lot to do—“
She stopped herself before she went too far, seeing the look on Clark’s face.
“Lois, is that what you want?” he asked softly. “To call it off?”
Lois thought about it for a moment, what it would be like if they didn’t get married… Clark would have more freedom to do his Blur duties, and maybe that was what this was about. He would still want to be a part of Joel’s life, she was sure. But could she see Clark every day at the Planet and not wonder what could have been? Could she see him and not want to kiss him or flirt with him? Could she be the mother of his child and just be a friend?
“No, I don’t want to call it off, Clark,” she said at last. “It’s just—I haven’t seen you much lately…I know you’ve been busy being the Blur. But it’s not enough anymore for me to just write about it in the paper. I want to see you and—be there for you.”
“I’m really not good at this, am I?” Clark said, self-deprecatingly.
“To be fair, I haven’t done such a good job either. It’s just that between Joel and the Planet—“
“—and the Blur being needed—“
Lois nodded. “I just miss us… and doing things together.”
“Me too,” Clark sighed. “I work so hard at trying to protect you, that I forget that you would prefer to be a part of it all.”
“Clark, I just want to be a part of your life. Sure, I get a thrill hearing about the Blur saving us all from the bad guys. But I also know he needs a friend, a confidant. And I thought I was that.”
“You are, Lois. You absolutely are. I’m sorry.”
“Now, about the wedding?” Lois asked nervously.
“Whenever you want to do it, I’ll be there, Lois.”
Lois let out a breath. “Well, that’s a whole other thing as well, Clark. You see, I haven’t told the General about us… or Joel. And I have no idea how he’ll take it. I was thinking… what if we just had a small ceremony? Just you and I, your mom and Chloe and Oliver?”
“Lois, you’ll have to tell your father eventually.”
“I know… I just don’t want him to think I married you out of convenience. And I know the longer I wait, the harder it will be to tell him… I just—don’t know how, Clark.”
“Well, why don’t we invite him to the farm for dinner and tell him together?”
She brightened up at that idea. “Really? Even though he might yell at you and me both?”
“I think I can handle it, Lois. I’m a pretty strong guy,” he teased. “But are you prepared for that?”
She reached her hand across the table to his. “As long as you’re there, I’ll be fine…. I think,” she added with a shrug. “I mean – Joel’s his grandson. Even if we can’t explain all the circumstances, he has to come around. Right?”
~L&C~
Martha came into town the following weekend to meet her grandson and to give Lois and Clark moral support as they prepared to tell General Lane about Joel – and about getting married.
Lois was a flurry of nerves and even took Friday off at the Planet to ensure that everything was perfect for her father coming into town.
Martha arrived Friday afternoon, to help Lois get ready for dinner with the General that evening.
She entered the farmhouse, and the first thing she saw was Lois intently scrubbing the kitchen floor.
“Lois, honey, it’s going to be okay, I’m sure,” Martha said, immediately taking her future daughter-in-law into her arms for a hug.
Lois nodded, “I keep telling myself that, and then my stomach ties in knots again and I feel obligated to scrub the life out of something.” She peeled off her work gloves, and gestured towards the living room as she took Martha’s small suitcase.
“I’ll take this. You head on in there and meet your grandson,” Lois said, setting the suitcase on the stairs and then following behind Mrs. Kent.
Martha let out an involuntary gasp of delight as she came upon the small crib. Joel was almost six months old, and she couldn’t believe so much time had passed by already without her meeting her grandson.
“He’s already getting to be a big boy,” Lois said proudly, reaching in to pick up her son. “Come on, little guy. Time to meet Grandma.”
Joel gripped a small stuffed giraffe in his fist. It was a bit wet, as Joel had been gumming due to getting his first teeth.
Lois passed Joel to Martha. “Sorry about the soggy giraffe. He can’t seem to keep it out of his mouth.”
Martha was all smiles. “I don’t mind. Lois… he’s so precious!” she cooed, switching into a higher-pitched ‘baby voice.’ “Yes he is!” she said brightly, quickly rewarded by a smile from Joel.
“Do you mind watching him a minute? I need to start thawing the chicken,” Lois said, moving towards the kitchen.
“Go ahead, Lois. We’ll be just fine, I’m sure,” Martha said, smiling down at her grandson.
As Lois headed back into the kitchen, Martha marveled at the baby in her arms. She was so happy that Clark had Lois in his life, and this small miracle was an added bonus. She had worried for a long time that he wouldn’t be able to have any children given his heritage, and she knew from experience how painful that discovery can be.
Joel started making some noises like he might want to eat, so Martha took him into the kitchen. She was surprised by how natural it felt to her to hold a baby, and was overwhelmed by the feeling.
To hide her sudden emotion, she instead focused on the task at hand. “Lois? Do you have any bottles prepared? I think he’s hungry.”
“Oh?” Lois said, pulling one from the fridge. “I just need to warm it up a bit.”
Martha watched as Lois prepared the bottle and took Joel. She was a natural mother, and Martha was glad to see it. She hadn’t been worried about Lois, as she always suspected that Lois could handle pretty much anything. At least not about being a mother. But Martha could also see that Lois kept busying herself with small tasks. What Lois really feared was disapproval from her father.
“Have you managed to tell your father anything about Joel?” Martha ventured carefully.
Lois shook her head. “I can’t seem to find the right moment. That’s why I’m forcing myself to see him in person. The words keep getting stuck in my throat over the phone…”
“What are you afraid he’ll say, Lois? Surely he knew you and Clark were… dating?”
Lois nodded. “Kinda. I mean, last I talked to the General, he didn’t exactly ask about my love life. He was more concerned about where my career was headed – and why I keep writing stories about the Blur. He doesn’t exactly like non-traditional heroes,” Lois tried to explain. “And, well, I’ve always felt like the screw-up in the family. I mean, I practically raised my sister after Mom died, but it was never enough. Lucy had the brains, and I was too busy taking care of her to worry about my own grades.”
“But surely your father sees you as more than your high school accomplishments.”
Lois scoffed. “But see, that’s where it started. The measuring up to my sister, I mean. While I made sure Lucy got her homework done and had a packed lunch, I’d forget to finish assignments… and then, when Lucy went off to the best schools in Europe, it was too late for me. And I feel like I’ve been playing catch up ever since.”
“Oh, Lois, honey…” Martha said sympathetically, giving her a hug.
“And I’m just worried that the General will just see this as another mistake… I can’t explain to him all the details of why and how… all I can hope for is that the fact that Clark and I will get married will make it all right in his eyes. Cause I can’t explain the other parts, like Clark and I told you. About how it happened in the future. And how it’s a miracle at all that I even got pregnant.”
“And… Clark’s powers? Do you think Joel will have them too?”
Lois shrugged, looking guilty. “I don’t know, Mrs. K. And if he doesn’t, it likely will be my fault.”
“Why do you say that?”
Lois seamlessly passed Joel back to Martha as she began assembling ingredients for dinner.
“Because—I’m human. And I had to use blue k during the pregnancy, and to recover from it. And I breast feed Joel. Every day I basically poison my son with blue meteor rock – reducing his chances of having Clark’s abilities. And I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse.”
“Oh, Lois. You can’t blame yourself. I’m sure Clark doesn’t.”
“No, of course he doesn’t. I do though. But I don’t know… there have been—moments, when I think I saw him do something—special. But then, I don’t know if it is my over hopeful imagination. I guess time will tell,” Lois sighed, throwing some diced vegetables into a container to fry up later. “But meanwhile… I just hope the General will be okay with all this,” she finished quietly.
Martha put her free hand on Lois’ shoulder. “Well, I’m here. I’ll do what I can to help him understand.”
“Thanks, Mrs. K. I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”
~L&C~
Clark blurred in an hour before the General was supposed to arrive. He gave Lois a quick kiss and his mom a hug, then made a beeline to his son.
“Hey there,” he cooed, picking up Joel from his crib. Martha smiled at seeing her son and grandson together.
“You and Lois are natural parents,” she commented.
Lois and Clark exchanged smiles. “Well, Clark’s quite handy to have around. When he’s here, that is.”
Clark looked slightly abashed. “It’s been a bit difficult lately. But I’m trying.”
“Well, just remember that marriage is all about compromise. And while you two may have some more –complications than other couples, I know you can make it work,” Martha said.
Clark moved towards Lois and kissed her temple. “I think we know that.”
“We’re just trying to find our way,” Lois said, pulling the chicken out of the oven.
“I meant to ask, Lois. When did you learn how to cook?” Martha marveled.
Lois laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t put any high hopes on dinner. I’ve just watched a few videos and try to follow some recipes. But it should be edible.”
All three adults turned as lights flashed in the driveway, indicating that Sam Lane had arrived.
“Holy… it’s go-time,” Lois said, untying her small apron. She glanced around, unsure, the apron still in her hand. She turned towards Clark and then the door, and back to Clark again. “I don’t know how we should do this…” Clark gently took the apron from her hand and gave her a smile. Lois nodded and smiled back, seeming to take some courage from him. Her glance swung back to Martha. “Mrs. K? Maybe, could you give us a minute? Take Joel in the living room or something… and um, listen for a good time to make an appearance.”
Martha nodded, though she looked a little uncertain.
Clark turned to Lois, his hands resting gently on her shoulders. “It will be fine, Lois.”
She looked into his eyes, trying to feel reassured, but instead she wished her stomach would stop flipping about. “I hope so, Smallville.”
Sam Lane knocked on the door, and Lois took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”
~L&C~
General Sam Lane was indebted to the Kents, as they had looked after his little girl for so many years. He always knew there might be a chance that Lois was interested in that son of theirs, Clark, but he couldn’t see what Lois saw in him.
From what Sam knew, Clark worked in a basement of a newspaper and still lived in his mother’s house. He hadn’t gone out in the world and really made anything of himself. Sam thought his little Lo’ could do better. But then, her decisions weren’t always the best.
Sam knocked on the door of the Kents’, and saw his daughter with a bright smile on her face.
“Hi, Dad. Um, you know Clark?” she said, stepping aside to let the General in.
Sam gave Clark an appraising look, and seemed to find something wanting. “Yes, how do you do, son?”
Clark shook Sam’s hand, and then cleared his throat. “Um, fine, sir. Lois and I are glad that you were able to take some time out of your busy schedule to come by.”
Sam mumbled a “Hmm-hmm.”
“What Clark is trying to say is, we’re glad to see you. Make yourself at home, Daddy,” Lois said, reaching up to kiss her dad’s cheek.
Sam Lane was already assessing the situation and sizing up Clark. He nodded towards Clark, “So, nothing much appears to have changed around here. Does your mother still own the place?”
“It’s in her name, but I—“ Clark tried to explain but was cut off.
“I see. You live in your mother’s house, and work in a basement. Is that correct?” the General pushed.
Clark tried not to feel affronted. “Well, it is the bullpen of the Daily Planet. I work side by side with Lois.”
General Lane grunted with disapproval. “She seems to have more bylines than you do. What exactly do you do with your time, Clark?”
Seeing Clark struggle with how to answer, Lois jumped in. “Daddy, Clark and I work together a lot. He just gives me the byline sometimes.
That’s just how sweet he is,” she said, patting Clark’s shoulder.
“We look after each other,” Clark interjected.
Sam Lane nodded, “Good, because if Lois is going to be spending any time around here, there's a few things that are gonna have to be ensured they are up to code.”
“What?” Clark said under his breath, nervously.
“Like scrubbing the bathroom tile with a toothbrush?”
Sam handed Clark a list. “That’s number seventeen.”
“You’re not kidding,” Clark realized, as Lois gave him a helpless shrug.
“No I never do. Though I feel a little uncomfortable inspecting the enemy camp, your mother is my major opposition in the senate.”
“Oh, does that mean you’re finally running for office, Daddy?” Lois inquired, very much aware that Martha was probably listening very closely to their conversation.
Sam shook his head, “Ah no, sweetheart, I'm the senior military advisor on a new bill: the Vigilante Registration Act.”
Clark tried to bite his tongue. “And by ‘vigilante’ you mean—“ he said derisively, not liking where this was going.
“Vigilantes, weekend warriors of mass destruction, who run around inciting anarchy,” Sam clarified.
Lois glanced at Clark, and her eyes flickered towards the living room, as she thought he heard a faint baby gurgle.
Clark took a steadying breath, and tried to get Sam to see things his way. “Well I don't think they incite anarchy. They stop crime, protect people.”
Sam gave Clark a stern stare down. “And they commit acts of terrorism. Like the RAO tower in Metropolis, blown to kingdom come, no evidence of explosives, you wanna know why? Because one of those superfreaks did it.”
Just then, a loud baby cry cut through the tension in the room. “Is that a baby?” Sam asked.
Martha cautiously peeked around the corner, and Lois reached out to take her son. “Um, Daddy, I’d like you to meet your grandson, Joel.”
