I'm still not sure exactly where this story is going so if anyone wants to step in. . .
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“Lois is pregnant,” Clark finally finished.
Martha and Jonathan looked shocked. Mariel uttered a surprised cry. Brian smirked unable to hide his amusement at his in-law’s shock.
“And who the hell is the father?” JC yelped.
“Me, of course,” Clark said calmly.
“I mean biologically,” JC clarified. “Just because Mom’s your wife doesn’t make you this kid’s father.”
“He’s my ex-husband and he is the biological father. Good grief, JC, I had no idea you had such a low opinion of me.”
JC instantly realized he had hurt his mother’s feelings. “Mom, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean.. . I mean you and Dad are divorced so it’s kind of surprising that you two would. . .this is just. . . well, a “super” surprise.”
“Nothing super about it,” Sam broke in. “It’s Ellen’s family curse, at least if you ask the women. Not so bad if you ask me, eh, Clark?”
Well, who knew Clark Kent could still blush?
“Okay, people,” Mariel said. “I just had a baby and that is *way* more information that I needed to know. Mom, when are you due?”
“The end of March. But at my age there’s a pretty good chance I won’t go full term.”
“Maybe this baby will be born on Clark’s birthday.” Martha must have recovered from the shock of becoming a great-grandparent and learning that she was going to be grandma again.
“That would be nice,” Jonathan commented.
*****
JC caught her arm and pulled her aside as they filed out of Mariel’s room when the nurse insisted that visiting hours were over.
“I’m really sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just didn’t know that you and Dad. . . you and Dad were. . .”
“We’re not. It just. . . happened. Until today I haven’t even seen him since. . . it happened.”
“I bet you were surprised!”
“Surprised, scared, embarrassed.”
“Mom, it’s okay. It’ll be fun.”
“JC, I know Grandpa said there was nothing super about this pregnancy but I know what you meant. And maybe it is about your dad being super. My chances of getting pregnant were incredibly small even with a, well, normal man. But with your father, according to the testing we had done before you guys were conceived, well, it really should have been impossible. I was suspicious that Mariel was fudging a little bit when she said that Laney was a surprise, but now I’m not sure. Perhaps she is “super” receptive. I’m. . . I’m just saying be careful, JC. I know you’re a man now and you don’t want me telling you this, but being half human, you are even more likely to be genetically able impregnate someone, and with super sperm. . .”
“Mom, don’t worry. I can be “very patient” too. And when the time comes, well, I promise to be careful.” JC took his mother’s embarrassing lecture graciously trying to make up for his thoughtless comment earlier.
“Good.”
“I need to get Gramps and Nanna back to the farm. Take care of yourself, okay? And take care of my little brother or sister. Wait, do you know yet which it is?”
“No. That’s something I need to discuss with your father.”
JC shook his head smiling, “You’d better re-marry him, Mom. This kid needs a dad.”
*****
Clark caught up to her as she was getting into her new Jeep Liberty.
“I think we have a lot to talk about.”
Lois nodded. “ We do, but I’m exhausted. Could we make it tomorrow afternoon?”
“Why not tomorrow morning?”
“Because I’m going to be hanging over the toilet. I’d rather not be throwing up while we try to sort through this.”
“Sorry. I forgot about that part for a minute.”
“Trust me. You forget about a lot of parts. Or no one would do this twice.”
“Tomorrow afternoon then. Why don’t we meet in Metropolis Park?”
“I’ll be there.”
*****
Lois liked the park. It was so peaceful and held such good memories. “They’re going to want to do genetic testing, Clark, because of the likelihood of abnormalities at our age. But I don’t think that is a good idea. Do you?”
“If someone was to notice the differences, and since they would be looking for abnormalities. . .”
“It’s not safe for JC and Mariel.”
“So, no testing then. Just tell them that the results would make no difference. We’re having this baby anyway.”
“I called a couple of the specialists that Dr. Streeter recommended. One of them has privileges at Metropolis General so I think that would be the best choice. I have an appointment next week. Will you. . . do you want to come?”
“I’ll be here as much as you’ll let me.”
“It’s your baby too, Clark. I want you to be there.”
*****
“Why is the gel always cold?” Lois muttered as the technician prepared her for the ultrasound.
Clark squeezed her hand. “It’ll be okay, Lois.”
Trust Clark to know that she was really just nervous about what the doctor might find.
*****
The doctor made lots of notes as she ran the sonogram over Lois abdomen.
“Is everything all right?” Lois finally asked.
“Everything looks fine at this point, Ms. Lane. Two arms, two legs, ten finger and toes. Heart looks good.”
“It’s just one, right?” asked Clark.
“Yes. Which since you’ve had twins in the past is kind of unusual. Statistically, at your age, you were more likely to conceive twins with this pregnancy than your prior one.” Dr. Groner looked intrigued at the thought.
“One is plenty,” assured Lois.
“I see that you’ve declined genetic screening?” the doctor asked a little disapprovingly.
“We’re keeping the baby anyway, so we don’t see the point,” Clark hurried to give their prepared explanation.
“Well, some couples would rather know one way or the other just so they know ahead of time what they are getting into.”
“Hah. No prospective parent knows what they are getting into,” Lois scoffed.
The doctor broke into a smile then. “You’re right about that. At least you’ve been through all this before and have a good idea of what to expect. Did you discuss a birthing plan with Dr. Streeter?”
“Dr. Streeter just confirmed the pregnancy and offered a little support to me in my shock. She did say that I might need a prescription for the nausea.”
“Bad?”
“It lasts until about 1:00 but it is every day and pretty severe. Dr. Streeter said to drink lots of fluids.”
“Continue doing that and I’ll send some samples home with you. You can see if they help. Are you contemplating a natural childbirth?”
“No way!” Lois said emphatically.
“Our daughter just gave birth,” Clark explained. “Lois was there for moral support.”
“Not sure how supportive I was, but I do know that I don’t want to go through that. I was thinking of a c-section.”
Dr. Groner nodded. “That’s a good plan. At your age the likelihood of you needing a c-section is at least forty percent anyway. By planning on it ahead of time, we can be in better control of the situation.”
“I’d like a hysterectomy at the same time. We can do it then, right?”
“We certainly can. It’s probably a good idea. At your age the chances of developing cancer are increased because of all the extra estrogen in your system.”
“Can we schedule it for February 28th? It’s Clark’s birthday.”
“That’s a little earlier than I was thinking, but if your pregnancy progresses normally I don’t see why not. I’ll have the nurse schedule it. I’m going to write you a prescription for some vitamins that will be more effective for you than the ones Dr. Streeter has you on and get those samples for you. Your sugars look good, but we need to continue to monitor them because you are at a higher risk for gestational diabetes at your age.” Dr. Groner left the room.
“I’m glad she’s gone. If she said ‘At your age’ one more time, I was going to slug her, Clark!
Clark chucked and helped her sit up.
“I’m not kidding!” she insisted.
*****
“Let me buy you dinner,” Clark said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Lois, just let me buy you dinner.”
She didn’t want to go home to her empty, lonely apartment anyway. “All right. No pasta though.”
Clark gave a great shout of laughter. “I promise. No pasta.”
*****
“It’s pretty amazing isn’t it? A baby.”
“If you dare say ‘at our age’, Clark, I swear I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“Well, it is, isn’t it? Was it me, was it you, was it both of us. . . just the right time and the right place.”
“Well, I don’t see how it could be me. I mean, yes, I’m fertile, but my eggs are just as old as any fifty year old’s. You’re the one with stabilized aging.”
“When we were trying to conceive the twins, I remember reading that abstaining could help. Do you think that could have something to do with it?”
“I don’t think that would make a difference for me, Clark. The eggs are either there or they’re not.”
“I meant me.”
“Well, I suppose. Do you remember how long it said? Had it been that long?”
Clark looked surprised. “Lois, I’ve never been with anyone but you. I’ve never wanted to.”
“Really? You’re, well, you’re you and you’re gorgeous and, well. . . really?”
“Lois, you may have divorced me, but I’m still in love with you.”
“We argue all the time.”
“We haven’t argued in,” he checked his watch, “two hours.”
“No wonder I’m tired.”
“From not arguing?”
Lois laughed. “No, from being up for so long. I think that I should take my ‘at my age’ body home to bed.”
There was a flash in Clark’s eyes and for a moment she thought Clark was going to make some sexy comment about her body. But he didn’t. Which was fine with her. Wasn’t it?
*****
“Lois, it’s Clark.”
“Obviously.”
“I was just wondering how you were feeling.”
“Fine.”
“I was thinking, wondering, about expenses. This is my baby too. I need to help cover any expenses.”
“Clark, it’s only ten in the morning. Tell me you weren’t up all night obsessing over this.”
“Well, not all night. I put out a fire in a warehouse in Hobbs Bay.”
“That’s good.”
“I gave Myerson the story. He writes pretty well.”
“Yes. Next to you, he was my best reporter.”
“Still, I was wondering-”
“Clark, my insurance will cover my medical costs.”
“What about clothes for you and the baby. And furniture. And where are you going to put the baby in your apartment? There’s only one bedroom.”
“The baby can my share my room. Wait a second. You’ve never been to my apartment, how did you know it is only a one bedroom? And don’t tell me that Mariel just happened to mention it.”
“Okay, so I check on you occasionally.”
“Clark, you cannot run my life!”
“Lois, I’m not trying to run your life! I was just checking up on you. Admit it. It has come in handy once in a while.”
“Okay, I admit it, but you-”
“Please, let’s not argue, Lois. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m not trying to run your life. I’m just trying to be responsible, do the right thing.”
“I think I have it covered. But if you really want to do something for me. . . “
“Anything.”
“Some of that Lindbergh cheese you got me when I was pregnant with the twins and some of those sausages from Germany would be great.”
“Cravings?”
“Yes. It seems like since I’ve had my pregnancy confirmed that all the symptoms have intensified as if trying to make up for lost time. Nausea, cravings. . .” and not just for food. But she wasn’t going to mention that one to Clark.
“Lindbergh and brats coming right up.”
Lois hung up the phone and dragged herself from the bed to unlock the front door. She had just settled in bed again when Superman tapped on her window.
“Aaagh. Why didn’t you just come to the door as Clark? Now I have to get up again.”
She unlocked the window.
“Sorry,” he said stepping in.
“You have the cheese and sausages?” Clark handed her the package. “Then you’re forgiven. Want some?”
Clark curled his lip. “I think I’ll pass.”
Lois began to un-wrap her snack.
“Lois, that cheese is an assault on super senses. How can you eat that stuff?”
“Normally I can’t stand it either, but I guess our babies like it.”
“Do you ever wonder if this one will be super powered like JC or more like Mariel?”
“It will be interesting to find out.”
“Have you seen Laney lately?”
“Mariel and I are going to lunch today.”
“Good. She’s a beautiful little girl.”
“They both are.”
“Mariel seems really happy.”
“I think she is.”
“Well, I guess I should go.”
“You can stay if you want. I. . . I get lonely sometimes. I thought maybe you did to. Unless you need to get back to work.”
Clark only nodded, “I can stay,” but his eyes said a lot more. He *was* lonely too.
*****
“I was kindof surprised to see Dad when I picked you up,” Mariel commented.
“Trust me, daughter, there is nothing like Superman’s fast food express when you have super-baby cravings. I think he needed to do something, so I let him.”
“Goodness, I remember those days. Pickles and ice-cream. And Brian. I could hardly keep my hands off him. It’s amazing that he passed his exams. I didn’t leave him much time to study!” She grinned in happy memory.
“Is my granddaughter sleeping through the night?” Lois asked to change the subject quickly.
“Not yet, but she only wakes up once or twice. Once I feed her I roll over and go back to sleep. Brian rocks her until she goes back to sleep while he studies. She doesn’t care what he’s saying so he recites to her. She’ll probably want to be a doctor too.”
“It sure would make her Grandpa Lane happy to have a doctor in the family.”
*****
It developed into a pattern. Not every day, but several days a week Clark would call and ask if she was craving anything. The nausea was beginning to fade so she felt a little guilty staying in bed until mid-morning in hopes that he would call and then bring over her breakfast order. It reminded her of when they were dating and while she had been rattling on about how he didn’t have to bring her chocolate and snow he had zipped out and gotten them for her. He still wanted to fulfill her every wish and she still just really wanted one thing- for Clark to love her and allow her to be who she really was. Lois truly believed that Clark had accepted that fact at the time, but over the years he had become accustomed to the comfort of knowing that the most danger that Lois would find herself in would be a car accident or food poisoning from her own cooking. She might be fifty years old but she was not ready for the old folk’s home. Lois Lane would never be the type to sit safely at home while the world rushed around her. Becoming a mother had already placed her in that role once before. It had been the right thing to do for her children. She knew that. And this pregnancy was keeping her tired enough that she hardly cared what was going on in the world around her. Why should she resist being served coffee and chocolate in bed by the handsomest man in the world, the man that made her blood sing thorough her veins, who made her feel . . . alive?
As she propped herself against the pillows leaning against he headboard, Clark tapped lightly on her open door. She looked up at him.
“I brought your box of Double Fudge Crunch bars from the Planet concession area. Honestly, Lois, is it really right to keep getting the Planet’s break on these when you don’t work there any more?”
“I had it written into my early retirement settlement,” she teased back reaching for the box. She groaned as she opened the wrapper on one of the bars. “That smells so good.”
Clark shook his head in amusement, “I’ve never understood why you like those so much. You can have the best chocolate in the world and you prefer the cheap stuff.”
“Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it is better. I like cheap chocolate. So what?”
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked sitting down on the side of the bed.
“Not bad. Must be the chocolate. Oh!” her hand flew to her stomach.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay, is the baby-”
Lois laughed. “You are so obsessive. Everything’s fine, but I wonder if this baby is a girl. She seems to like chocolate. That’s the first time I’ve been sure I felt her move.”
“You still don’t even look pregnant. It’s hard to believe she’s really there sometimes.”
“So that’s why you’ve been feeding me. You’re trying to fatten me up so you can watch me get as big as a whale.”
“You’re not going to get as big as a whale. Trust me, after that beaching in Australia, I have moved my share of whales so I know what I’m talking about. You have lost weight in the last two years though.”
“In Irrat we just ate when we could. Food’s not really plentiful there. And then with the nausea I lost a couple pounds, but Dr. Groner is encouraging me to try to keep my weight gain to a minimum. At my age, you know, carrying around an extra thirty pounds will be hard on my bone structure.”
“Dr. Groner is getting on my nerves. You’re a very young fifty, Lois, and Dr. Groner is no spring chicken herself.”
“Oh! There she goes again. Look and see what she’s doing.”
Clark pulled his glasses down. “She’s moving her legs. Now she stopped, just kindof hanging there, relaxing, and uh, Lois, did you want to know the sex?”
“Why, can you tell?”
“Well, the way the baby’s sitting, it’s kindof out there for anyone to see.”
“To anyone who’s super and can look anyway. I guess, since you know, you might as well tell me.”
“Well unless our kid has three legs-”
“A boy! I guess *he* likes chocolate.”
“Our little Pulitzer,” Clark said reaching to rub her barely there bump affectionately.
Lois couldn’t help but laugh.
Clark turned his head to look at her. “Lois, we need to talk about what we’re going to do about us. This baby deserves two parents.”
“Not today, Clark. I don’t want to fight. We just found out we’re having a boy. Let’s just enjoy that, okay?”
“Okay, as long as you realize we are going to have to talk about this sometime. And *before* Pulitzer here makes his appearance.”
*****
“I tried to talk to Lois about our relationship today,” Clark said, leaning back in his chair.
“And how did she respond?” Dr. Caroll queried in her calm therapist voice.
“That she didn’t want to fight.”
“And how did that make you feel?”
“How did I know you were going to ask that?” Clark sat forward earnestly. “It frustrates me. I want this settled.”
“And what does “settled” mean to you?”
“Me and Lois back together again. Married. Living in the same house. Back the way things were.”
“But Clark, from what you’ve told me, “the way things were” wasn’t actually so great.”
Clark sighed. When Lois had left him two years ago he had gotten horribly depressed. It was part of the reason that he had agreed to take Lois’ vacated position as editor of the Daily Planet. It required less of him emotionally than reporting did. But his kids were very worried about him and with the tenacity of Mad Dog Lane, Mariel convinced him to see a therapist that Brian recommended. Clark had argued that it was dangerous for him to confide in any one. He could not take the chance of his “super” secret slipping out.
“Who was married to Lois Lane, Dad? Clark Kent or Superman?”
“Clark Kent. Superman doesn’t have a wife.”
“And Clark Kent can find plenty to talk about without Superman ever entering the conversation. You’re scaring me, Dad. Mom is off in Irrat and I miss her and it’s almost like you’re all I have left and-” Mariel’s voice was thick with tears. Her emotions were real, but she also knew what would turn her dad into mush.
“Okay, okay, honey. I’ll go,” he assured her.
And that was why two years later he was still sitting across the desk from Dr. Caroll. Once he had come out of the depression of losing Lois, he still continued to see Dr. Caroll on an as needed basis.
“Clark?”
“Sorry, Dr. Caroll. I was a little lost in thought there. I guess I did think things were good at the time. But if things fell apart so quickly when the kids graduated then you’re right, they really weren’t as good as I thought.”
“Perhaps that is why Lois is hesitant to enter into a relationship with you again.”
“We’re already in a relationship. We’re having a baby. We’re parents and grandparents together. We’re in a relationship whether she likes it or not.”
“That is all true, Clark, but that’s not what you want, is it?”
“It’s not all I want. I’m trying to follow your advice and not pressure her, but it is so hard. I hate being in limbo.”
“Now that’s interesting. So when you and Lois were married, you felt that things were settled. That your life was complete.”
“Yes! Lois was always there for me.”
“And then suddenly she wasn’t. You had felt that you had finished, accomplished, completed your relationship. Clark, did you ever hear the theory that a relationship is like a tender plant that has to be nourished?”
“Of course.”
“Clark, I think that you and Lois started out with a good foundation. That is probably what kept your marriage together for so long. But somewhere along the line you let other things take the place of time that you should have been spending with Lois tending the plant of your relationship. Maybe your job, your children, some other outside pursuits?”
“I. . . yes, I stay pretty busy.”
“How do you think that made Lois feel?”
Clark squirmed. “Like she wasn’t the most important thing in my life. But she is! She knew that. But the. . . other things. . . that I do, those are important too. She knew about those obligations when we married.”
“Clark, your situation isn’t all that unusual. I feel that you and Lois still care for each other. I think her pregnancy is evidence of that. You need to court her, and when, *if* that brings about a remarriage, you need to continue to court her. Show her that no matter what your obligations, her wants and needs are important to you too.”
“She has said that she tried to tell me that she wanted to return to reporting but I wouldn’t listen. Everything just got so busy right then.”
“If you want your relationship to work, you’re going to have to make the time, Clark.”
“So noted, Dr. Caroll.”
“Now, let’s end on a good note. Tell me about that new granddaughter of yours.”
*****
Court Lois. Well, that shouldn’t be too hard. He saw her several times a week under the guise of satisfying her weird pregnancy cravings hoping to keep the morning sickness at bay. But his x-ray vision had told him that the past few times he come by, Lois had already been up and around and had fled into her bedroom and back into her bed as soon as she heard his key in the lock. His key that she hadn’t even asked how he had obtained. He had persuaded Mariel to let him make a copy of hers so that Lois wouldn’t have to get up to let him in. Mariel was anxious to see them back together and had risked her mother’s disapproval to aid the cause.
*****
“Are you busy tomorrow night?” Clark asked as he sat on Lois bed sharing her rocky-road ice-cream straight form the carton.
“Why?” Lois asked him, giving him a suspicious look.
“I’d like to take you and Pulitzer out to dinner.”
“You’ve *got* to quit calling our son Pulitzer, Clark! Someone is going to ask why.” But the way she grinned told him that she rather liked his pet name for the baby.
“If you’ll go out to dinner with me, I promise I won’t call him Pulitzer, not for a few hours anyway.”
“Why is it that ‘take me to dinner’ is now ‘go out to dinner with me’? Are you asking me out?”
“Well, I’m not asking you for money.” They both smiled remembering the first time he had tried asking her for a date and she thought he was asking for a loan.
“A date? You mean a real date? Like where I take out my best perfume, the one I bought after seeing 'Love Affair', the good one not the remake- or is it the re-remake now?, and put a dab behind my knee, even though I have no idea why?
Clark struggled to remember his lines from that life-changing conversation they had had so long ago. “Yeah... I guess that's what I'm saying.”
“Where is Jimmy when I need him?” Lois grumbled.
“Perhaps you’d like to think about it since I’ve already had time to think about it, plan what I wanted to say, what I’d say depending on what you say. . .”
Lois laughed before her expression grew sober. “What is this about, Clark?”
“This is about you and me. At the least, we need to have a very amicable relationship for the sakes of all our children, and at most, well, let’s just see what happens, okay?”
“Clark, I’m not sure I can do this again.”
“It won’t be *this*. I made mistakes, Lois. I can’t say I won’t worry about you. It isn’t possible for me to keep that promise, but I will try to remember that you have another identity than wife and mother just like I have another identity than Clark Kent, Editor Daily Planet. You’ve always allowed me to be Superman and I need to allow you to be Lois Lane, Super Reporter. I want to give you the same support that you have always given me. So we’re not going to do “this” again; I want to try for something better. Something that will make you feel fulfilled in all your identities.”
Wow. How could she refuse after a speech like that?
