Past Imperfect

Author: EllaBlue

Rating: K+ (for now)

Warning: Mild Spoilers up to Stiletto

Pairing: Clark/Lois

Disclaimer: I do not own Clark nor Lois (though that doesn't mean I don't want to be her) nor any other Smallville character. Although I think I do own Cira.

A/N: I got this wave of inspiration while reading a random spoiler from a Superman comic. The idea is basically, what would happen if the Lois and Clark we know (as in season 8) were faced with their 5-year old daughter from the future. So, what started out as drabbles on a page has now evolved into chapter one. Enjoy...

Chapter One

Saturday, November 12 2018 - 07:22

"Lois, this is the last time, I promise." Clark shrugged off his jacket revealing the bright red material under his shirt. He guessed that changing at super-speed while she was yelling at him would not garner her affection.

"If I had a penny for every time you 'promised' me something, I'd be a givin' Ollie a run for his money." Lois stood in front of him half dressed for work. Perry had called an urgent Saturday morning meeting to discuss budget cuts with the staff and she figured she could get some work done before that afternoon's festivities began. Her skirt was zipped up but she'd yet to put on her shirt. Her cheeks her still flushed from the shower and now from rage, no doubt. Clark wondered how she could look so outrageously sexy and dangerously murderous at the same time.

"You swore that you'd be here for this. I can't manage a room full of screaming kids on my own."

He stripped off the pants he had put on just moments ago, and was now standing in his full costume, minus the cape. "You won't be alone. Chloe's coming over to help with the arrangements remember? Besides, how hard could it be? They're just kids."

Lois narrowed her eyes. "Just kids? Dare I remind you of last year's party and the great birthday cake incident? Frosting does not wash out easily."

Clark wisely suppressed his smile. "Look, Bruce said it'll just take a couple of hours. I'll be back in time for the cake." Clark walked towards her and cupped her face. "Once she sees all those gifts, she won't even notice I'm missing," he said tenderly.

Lois shrugged his hand away, not quite ready to forgive him. "But I will."

Clark sighed, "Lo..."

"Just go, Clark." She stood up and began to fold up his work clothes which he had tossed on the bed. "You're needed elsewhere."

He reached for his cape and took a step towards the window. Lois looked at him questioningly when he hesitated. "Forget something Superman?"

"Yeah, I did." He turned suddenly and pulled her towards him, leaning down for a kiss. Despite her anger, Lois pushed up against him, feeling her resentment slowly melt away. Half of her cursed him and his red and blue hotness, the other half wanted to tell the world to wait while she ravaged her husband. When they eventually pulled apart, Lois was breathless. Clark grinned and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, than with you, Mrs Lane-Kent, but right now, I've got to help save it."

Lois' eyes softened and she shook her head. "If you think you can use your charm to get out of this one, Smallville, you're wrong. You're gonna have to find some way to make it up to me." She winked at him and Clark's heart experienced a familiar flutter.

"Looking forward to it," he replied, before he stepped out of the window if their twelve storey apartment and flew into the clouds.

Saturday, November 12 2018 – 14:22

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Chloe raised her eyebrows at her cousin.

"I'm just..." Lois' eyes darted around the large garden and into the house. "Jeez, Chlo, I need to pee. That against the law?"

"It is when you're just using the bathroom to hide out in. The last time to went to 'pee'," Chloe wriggled her fingers as quotation marks, "You stayed in there for forty minutes."

Lois sighed. "Fine, you got me. I hate this." She looked around the garden at the dozen or so kids who were running, screaming and jumping around. A huge bouncy house acted as the main attraction in the middle of the grass. Some of the parents who had stayed to watch were chatting under a large canopy. Although Lois doubted that they were much help.

Suddenly a cheesy puff was hurled across the lawn and landed smack bang against Lois' forehead. "Hey, no throwing," she yelled at a little blonde boy with his fingers in a bowl. Apparently finding her reaction amusing, he threw, with surprisingly good aim, another puff which landed against her cheek. "That's it," Lois muttered, walking towards the boy. Without ceremony, Lois scooped him up, pulled the bowl away from him and, when his lip began to do the wobble which all parents have come to recognise as trouble, she thrust a lollipop into his mouth and directed him towards the parents' table.

"There, now the little monster can bug someone else."

Chloe laughed, "Wow, Lo, you maternal skills have really kicked in."

"Ha, ha, laugh it up, cuz. But don't say I didn't warn you. Soon it'll be bottles and diapers and birthday cake frosting that stays in your hair for months." Lois patted Chloe's baby bump with affection. "Once he's out there's no going back."

"I can't wait." Chloe replied with a glowing smile. "But I'm serious, Lois. You're a great mom."

"You think?" Lois looked across the garden at her daughter who was practically screaming in delight as she bounced up and down. "Sometimes I'm not so sure."

Chloe frowned. "What are you talking about? Cira adores you. She's a really lucky little girl."

"Thanks, Chlo," Lois said with a smile. "It means a lot."

As if on cue a small, the dark haired little girl bounded towards them. "Momeeeee!"

Lois bent down and scooped up her daughter. "Hey there peanut. You having a good time?"

Cira nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh. I bounced so high I was flying. Did you see, mommy?"

"I sure did," Lois said with laugh. "Hey, did you thank Aunt Chloe for your gift?"

The little girl gave Chloe a wide grin. "Thanks for the tallyscope Aunt Chloe. Now me and daddy can see all the stars and the planets and the moons. Aunt Chloe did you know the sun is also a star?"

Chloe feigned surprise. "It is? Wow, it must be pretty far away then huh?"

Cira nodded excitedly. "Yep. Daddy said its even farther away than from my house to your house."

Both women chuckled. "That is far," Chloe said.

"Look, the magician's here!!" Cira wriggled out of Lois' arms and ran towards the tall man in a rainbow coloured cloak. His long dark hair was pulled back in a pony tail which made him look like a gypsy.

Chloe frowned. "I thought Zatanna was doing the show?"

"She was," Lois replied. "I'll be right back." The magician smiled as Lois approached.

"Mrs Lane-Kent I presume?"

Lois eyed him carefully. "You presume correctly. Who the hell are you?"

He whipped out his card and presented it to her. "The name's Alakazam. Zatanna sent me."

Lois studied the card. The Amazing Alakazam. You've never seen ANYTHING like it.

She looked back at him. "So, Zatanna sent you here in her place?"

He nodded. "It seems she had some urgent business to take care of."

Lois' realised that she was probably called in for the same reason Clark was. A tugging on her jeans caused her to look down.

Cira stared up at her with impatient eyes. "Mommy, can we see the magic now?"

"Sure, honey." She looked back to Alakazam and smiled, "I guess this is where you come in."

He returned her smile and began to gather the children together.

"Everything alright?" Chloe asked as Lois returned with a glass of iced-tea in one hand and an orange juice with a little something extra thrown in it in the other.

"Fine," she replied handing Chloe the tea. "Zatanna was called in for League stuff, so she sent this guy in her place."

"Strange isn't it?" Chloe commented.

Lois took a sip from her glass, "What is?"

"Well, he doesn't have anything with him. I mean, no bag of tricks or a hat to pull a rabbit out of."

"Hmmm," Lois looked back to where Alakazam was asking for a volunteer. Cira's hand shot up.

"Lois, I think you're vibrating." Chloe motioned to her pocket. Lois pulled her phone out and answered.

"Hello? Zatanna, hi. What do you mean you're stuck in traffic? No, your replacement's doing fine."

Lois' eyes roamed back to where her daughter was standing. Alakazam had his wand pointed straight at her.

"Zatanna, tell me you sent this guy over here?" Panic bubbled up in her throat. She threw down her phone and raced over to Cira just in time to see a bright blue light erupt from the magician's wand and her daughter disappear.

Saturday, November 12 2009

Lois Lane sighed as she stepped into her apartment. She'd just spent the majority of her Saturday in the basement of the Daily Planet, waiting for the possibility of a phone call from Metropolis's resident super-hero. She knew it was silly to think that he'd call her at work, especially after he had gone to so much trouble arranging their first, and in her mind epic , telephone conversation, but the thought of him calling and her not being around to answer bothered her more than she'd have liked to admit. To further complicate matters, a certain plaid wearing farm-boy had decided that he had nothing better to do on a Saturday than catch up on work. Between denying her feelings for Clark Kent and her growing feelings for the primary coloured wonder boy, Lois was exhausted.

She threw her bag down on the kitchen counter and turned on the kettle. There was nothing a good cuppa Joe couldn't fix. She was reaching for a mug when she heard it. A tiny sound, barely perceptible, coming from her bedroom. Before living in Smallville, Lois would have dismissed it as the wind or something, but years of being kidnapped, attacked and almost killed taught her to be extra vigilant. Reaching for a steak knife, Lois angled her head to see into her room. It was too dark to really make anything out. Slowly, she made her way out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. Knife in hand, Lois flipped on the light switch, ready for attack.

"What the hell?!" she muttered, staring at the tiny person curled up and sleeping in the middle of her bed.

A/N: Reviews, good, constructive or just plain bad are greatly appreciated