Prologue

"Relax Mrs. Kent. I know it's difficult but just try. You have to resist..."

She tuned her out. The room smelled of anti-bacterial cleanser. Monitors beeped and thumped. Lois looked at faces in the dimly-lit room and none of them was the face she desperately needed to see. He was not there. She didn't know where he was exactly and that made the situation all the more frightening. She needed him and he wasn't there. He had always been there in the past; sometimes at the last minute but always there.

God, she loved him. She loved him more than life itself. Even after twelve years of marriage, she never grew tired of him; never took him for granted and always worried about him when he was gone. He always had returned to her and the next day there were always amazing stories of feats performed by Superman. And she knew unequivocally that he felt the same way about her. He often told her how he felt but he never really had to; he proved the way he felt by the things he did for her.

Pain wracked her body in waves that rose and subsided. Long before she had promised herself that she would not scream and show her pain; she would not succumb to it. She would not make a spectacle of herself but it was harder than she ever imagined; harder because she was suffering it alone. She clenched her teeth as the next wave of pain hit hard.

"…the urge to push. You're not ready." The doctor was kind and she certainly was competent. "I am going to recommend an epidural. If it's not administered now, it may be too late."

"I don't want our baby drugged on arrival," Lois replied, the contraction having subsided and now fading.

"Lois, we discussed this already. Only you will be affected; not the baby. It will actually cut down on the trauma to the baby. Your body will not feel the contractions so you won't be nearly as tense," she explained patiently. "I strongly suggest it but it's your choice."

"It won't make me loopy, will it?"

"No, Lois. It simply blunts the pain caused by the contractions."

Lois considered it. She had not even begun to deliver their baby but she was already exhausted. The contractions had wrung the spunk from her and she was running on a combination of nervous adrenaline and fear. She looked up into the kind eyes of the doctor and nodded. "As long as it won't affect the baby."

The doctor smiled. "I assure you, it won't," she replied. She turned to the labor and delivery nurse and told her to summon the on-call anesthesiologist. The nurse quickly left and the doctor took Lois' hand. She smiled sadly. "Where is Mr. Kent, Lois?"

"On assignment," she said. "A big story."

"This is the biggest story of his life and he's going to miss it," the doctor replied. "I can't believe that there is any story more important than the one you two are going to make tonight." On her face, the doctor wore her disapproval of Clark working on the night their child would be born. Lois wished she could tell her doctor the truth but she could not. The doctor would forever consider Clark a terrible husband; that saddened Lois.

Tears formed in her eyes. "He would be here if he could," Lois replied. She knew it was the truth but she also knew that it was the one aspect of her life she regretted. Clark was gone at important times in their lives. Anniversaries, birthdays, parties, and even award ceremonies had been missed because of his call to duty. It was the life she signed up for but their child had not. And now what she feared most was the question, would Clark be there for their child as it grew up?

She didn't know the sex of the child. She suspected Clark had snuck a peek at some point but he denied it. They didn't want to know whether it was a boy or girl. Too many secrets had cluttered their in the past. Those secrets had made them both say and do things they regretted. But this was a good secret that neither of them knew; it would be a joyous surprise for both of them. That was unless Clark peeked; which Lois believed he had.

She knew he wanted a son. Emil had told them that the baby would be part human, part Kryptonian and she knew Clark hoped their child would take his place someday; a boy to carry on the Kent name. But that might be years after she died and that thought was very unsettling to her: that her child would take his or her father's place as mankind's greatest protector and she would not live long enough to see it. She worried that their child would spend hundreds of years without it's mother; raised by a father that was absent at critical moments in his or her life.

The anesthesiologist arrived with the labor and delivery nurse. He was a tall man, with thinning hair that was graying at the temples. He smiled as he entered the room. The nurse wheeled in a cart with a variety of items covered with a white cloth. Her doctor rose and spoke the specialist in quiet tones.

"We need to do this quickly, then," she heard him say. He looked at her. "Mrs. Kent, my name is Doctor Wambier. I'll be administering the epidural. I'd like you to turn on your side and curl up as best as you can, okay?"

Lois complied and winced at the unpleasantly sharp pain in her spine followed by stinging warmth. "That's it," the doctor said. "You can lay back now. It will take a few minutes to work."

Lois rolled back. "And this isn't going to make me loopy or not in control, right? Because, if it does; you need to just put me out completely. I must be aware of what's going on; I can't lose control and start blabbering. I don't want to start talking about things I shouldn't be talking about…you know, my sources and stuff."

The doctor smiled. "That only happens when I miss and rather than traveling down, the anesthesia travels up. You'll know if that happens if you start feeling fuzzy." He patted her arm. "But I seldom miss." He turned and left the room. "Good luck with the delivery, Mrs. Kent," he said as he departed.

She felt a painful wave begin to build but it suddenly diminished. "Is it working?" Lois asked.

"Yes," her doctor replied. "You're having a contraction right now; a big one."

"I really don't feel it at all," Lois said, relieved that the excruciating cramping sensation was now under control.

"And that's the beauty of the epidural," her doctor replied. "You won't really feel the pain; just a little pressure from time to time." She looked at the monitors and frowned. She turned back to Lois. "I want to check the monitor; it seems that it may have shifted when you had the epidural and I'm not getting much of a reading on the baby's heartbeat." She pulled back the covers and lifted Lois' gown.

Lois looked down and her belly seemed smaller than it had before. "Has the baby moved?"

"Um, maybe," the doctor said as she adjusted the fetal monitor band that wrapped around Lois' stomach. "Something has happened." The doctor adjusted the band repeatedly, trying to find the heartbeat. The concern was visible in her face but she tried not to expose it. Instead, she feverishly began shifting the position of the fetal monitor. Lois then noticed that only the beeping of the machine measuring her heartbeat could be heard. The muffled thumping of the baby's heart was no long audible.

Lois grew alarmed. "Is everything okay? Why can't I hear my baby's heartbeat?"

"It's the monitor, Lois," the doctor tried to say convincingly. "I'm sure it's the monitor. Everything is going to be okay; please just relax." She kept glancing between the fetal monitor display and Lois' stomach as she shifted the monitor around. "Your baby is strong and healthy, Lois," the doctor reassured.

"Then why can't I hear its heartbeat?"

"It's this monitor," the doctor replied. She pulled a stethoscope from her lab coat pocket and put them up to her ears. "Breathe normally, Lois."

Lois tried breathing normally but felt a wave of panic rising in her. The device monitoring her heartbeat began beeping more quickly. Clark, she thought, Ineedyou.Hurry! She looked down and her stomach appeared even smaller than before. "What's happening?" she cried.

"I don't know," the doctor replied. "Just be calm. I'm trying to find the baby's heartbeat, Lois. Calm down."

The labor and delivery nurse moved in to assist the doctor. She threw back the sheets that were only draped across Lois' pelvis for modesty reasons. "No bleeding, Doctor," she said evenly. "But…" she began and halted in mid-sentence.

"But what? Doctor!" Lois barked and grabbed the woman's arm so tightly that she winced from the pressure. "Tell me what's happening!"

"I don't know, Lois…I can't seem to find…" The doctor who seemed so competent and confident moments before now abandoned her calm façade and began to panic.

"Find what…the baby? How is that possible?" Lois scanned the room for answers but found none. All she found was a birthing room that seemed pleasant and comforting hours ago but now invoked feelings of dread. The air now seemed stale, hot and cloying. The soothing pale blue color of walls now appeared gray and drab; prison walls. The gentle lighting now seemed sinisterly insufficient; conspiring silently to hide the truth from her. The wallpaper border of smiling, hand-stitched teddy bears no longer seemed cute. Their black dead eyes peered down at Lois; their grins now sneering maws and their hand-stitching reminiscent of the way corpses were sutured after autopsies.

She cried for Clark but to no avail. Fear became convulsions that wracked her body and sent her into a full-blown panic attack. "Clark!" she screamed but no sound came from her throat. She looked down. Her stomach was now flat and taught as it was when she was a teenager.

The doctor tried to comfort her; to tell her that everything was okay but Lois could see the truth and see the deception in the kind woman's eyes. She knew the truth: her baby was dead but more to the point, it was gone. It had vanished somehow and her fear turned into overwhelming sorrow. She sobbed at the pain of losing the baby without ever seeing it; without even knowing its gender. Clark had been so happy and excited upon learning they were going to have a baby and now…now there was nothing but pain and emptiness. She sobbed uncontrollably until the seeds of guilt took hold. She killed their baby; it was the anesthesia. Had she not taken the epidural, the baby would be alive and fine. She would finally be a mother and…

Chapter One

Lois bolted upright out of her dream. It was still early and the new day's sunlight had just begun to lighten the eastern horizon beyond the silhouetted buildings of Metropolis, standing like resolute sentries against the coming day. The hot stagnant air was gone; replaced by cool, dry air and the faint fragrance of eucalyptus that was ever-present in their apartment.

She found herself in the bedroom of the terrace apartment they had moved to ten years earlier. Martha had returned to Smallville after opting against a second term in the Senate and was now caring for the farm. After living together for seven years, Lois and Clark finally found the time to get married and bought their terrace apartment when the building was converted to condominiums. The farm always felt like going home but the terrace apartment had become their home. It was where they had put down roots and it was a place close to the Daily Planet.

"Lois; are you okay?" Clark whispered and rolled over to face her.

"Yeah," she replied unsteadily. She tasted the salty tears in her throat and softly cleared them away. "Bad dream." She lay back down and found her pillow moist from her tears. She rose up, flipped the pillow over and looked sadly at Clark. She smiled weakly at him. "Same bad dream," she murmured.

"I thought so," Clark replied, reaching out and pulling her close to him. He stroked her hair. "You're all I've ever needed, Lois. You know that, right?" he said softly, accentuating his words with a kiss on her forehead. "I'm thankful for every moment I have you."

"I know that Clark." She paused and then added, "And I feel the same. But I also know what you've always wanted, too. You deserve to get things you want. After everything that you have done for us, you deserve more than just the things you need." Tears came to her eyes and her throat tightened. "You deserve so much more…" she said and buried her head in his chest, softly weeping.

"Lois," he said, "There's nothing you can do; nothing anyone can do. It's just biology and that's bigger than both of us." He hugged her gently and kissed the top of her head. "Our legacy will be a remarkably better world and that is something that very few people leave behind." He held her as her gentle sobs subsided, inhaling the scent of shampoo in her hair and the residual aroma from the perfume she dabbed on the sides of her neck. "And as long as I have you, I truly want for nothing," he whispered.

Clark held Lois until her breathing became normal and then settled into a slow, rhythmic pace. He listened to her heartbeat slow and then settle into its sweet, soothing melody. He closed his eyes and sleep returned to him, aided by the comforting sounds and scents of the woman he loved.

Lois usually spent her Saturdays doing the weekly grocery shopping and more often than not, taking a stroll in the business district window shopping before settling down in front of the TV to watch college football games or NASCAR races. It was a routine she had grown comfortable with throughout 12 years of marriage. But today was not a normal Saturday. Today she sat on the terrace, sipping a cup of coffee and listlessly staring at the city while Clark read the paper.

Clark knew that she was suffering the after-effects of her dream. He'd noticed Lois' first marked change almost two years ago. It began after Lucy had asked them to watch her two-year old son, Sam for a weekend. He noticed Lois acting differently and wondered to himself if little Sam had carried an illness that Lois contracted.

That had been a wonderful weekend for both of them. Clark marveled at the little man that Sam seemed to be and took great delight in doing things that made the toddler laugh. Frolicking with Little Sam, Lois saw a side of Clark she had never before seen and it made her begin to think. Things that never crossed her mind before or never seemed very important now seemed urgent. She felt a stirring inside her when she held the boy in her lap or bathed him at night. She marveled at the chubby little hands, the delicate fingers and toes, and the way his eyes lit up as he splashed in the tub.

They had taken Little Sam to a nearby playground; Clark carrying him on his shoulders while the little boy squealed with excitement and grabbed Clark's hair in his tiny fists. Pushing an empty stroller along side of the two, Lois caught the smiles of passers-by looking at the sight of Sam on Clark's shoulders. She watched Clark gently push Sam in the toddlers' swing and when their eyes met, a sad smile passed between them.

After Lucy arrived and took Sam back home, Lois fell into quiet introspection. Her muted persona was broken when she remarked how fun it was having Little Sam spend the weekend with them and asked if Clark had ever wondered what it would be like to have kids.

"I thought about it a few times this weekend when we had Sam with us," he admitted.

"Really? What thoughts ran through your head?"

He smiled. "Watching you with Little Sam I thought what a great mother you would be and honestly, I felt bad about it." He looked down and then back into her eyes. "Jor-El told me years ago that it would not be possible to have an heir because of the differences in human and Kryptonian physiology; Emil later confirmed that." Clark paused and noticed a shadow cross Lois' face. He reached out and took her hand. "I asked because I was worried about you, Lois," he added. "I was worried what it might do to you if you got pregnant with a Kryptonian baby. Haven't you ever wondered about it?"

She shrugged and cocked her head. "Does it sound terrible to you if I said I never even considered it possible? I just assumed we never could…for probably the same reason that Emil told you we couldn't. I just sort of dismissed the possibility from the beginning." She emitted a soft sigh. "I guess I just wish that I could give you a child; you really seemed to have a good time with Sam and I know you'd be an amazing father."

Since that weekend two years ago, Lois had begun to have other moments of quiet reflection but they were not tied to any visit by Little Sam. When Clark had asked her what was troubling her, she told him that she had simply had a bad dream. They were never exactly the same but they always ended the same: Lois awakening in tears with a profound sense of loss.

Clark tried to talk to her about the dreams but she often brushed aside his attempts by saying they were just bad dreams. But when the dreams began to take on a more sinister tone, Lois did reveal the theme. At first they were dreams were mysterious: a child that she knew was their child but she could never see the baby's face. Later on, the dream became more frightening: the child whose face she never saw had become lost in a crowd and because she could not recognize the child, she could not find it. Those dreams were overtaken with horrifying dreams: a still-born child that the delivery nurses would not show her before taking it to the morgue or, in its latest incarnation, a child that vanished from the womb in the midst of delivery.

The one constant in her dream was that Clark was never there. She was alone facing the tragedy without him at her side.

Her current mood told him that the early morning dream had affected her and he offered to take her out for lunch and that afterwards, they could go visit Martha at the Kent farm in Smallville. Visiting Martha was always a treat for Lois and the suggestion brightened her mood.

He called his Mom and asked if she could stand some company for the day. Martha laughed. "Do you think you need to ask me that, Sweetheart? You two need to get out of that dreary old city and come spend the weekend with me," she said. "Get some fresh air for a change; take a walk in the fields. It will do you both wonders!"

"I'll see what Lois has planned and let you know, Mom," Clark replied. "But I think it's a safe bet that spending the weekend with you would be just fine with her," he added.

Chapter Two

Clark set Lois down on her feet in the driveway of the Kent Farm. Before he could make another move, Lois grabbed Clark's hand and stared at the neat, sturdy yellow farmhouse. She sighed contentedly. "God, this has always been home to me," Lois said. "The place never changes. There's something nice about that, don't you think? It's a sense of continuity that you just don't get living in the city. Something in Metropolis is always being built or torn down or remodeled. Here; time seems to stand still and not in a bad way, you know?"

He nodded. "It's always been home to me but I know what you mean."

"It's where we started, Clark…this is our first home," she said wistfully.

"Well technically, we started in a field just about half a mile from here," Clark corrected.

"I hate that we had to move to the city from this place." Lois snorted. "Can you believe I just said that?" She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders a bit.

"Sure I can believe it; I feel that way too. I loved living here with you."

"You feel that way, too?"

"Sure! You're my home, Lois and wherever you are I'm happy just being there. But this place is special and always will be."

Lois smiled. "Aren't you just the sentimental one!"

"I hated to leave here but we had to do something once we were asked about driving back and forth to Metropolis every day." Clark looked at Lois with an arched eyebrow. "Do I need to remind you what you said at Lucy's engagement party?"

Lois exhaled audibly, annoyed by the reminder. She turned to face Clark with cocked head. "You know that sooner or later, someone was bound to ask that question anyway, Farmer John."

He smiled. "I suppose. But answering that question by saying you took the 'Kent Express' every day left Lucy and Ron with the impression that I drive like a maniac. It's a small wonder they trust us watching Little Sam!"

She blushed. "Admittedly, not my finest moment but it wasn't as bad as Chloe's engagement party guffaw!" Lois hip-checked Clark and they began to walk toward the farmhouse. "I don't know what it is with me and engagement parties? It's a good thing we've run out of relatives to marry off!"

"True. But," he conceded, "we needed a place of our own too, Lois. With Mom living here again, we couldn't…"

"Yeah," Lois interrupted, "I know we couldn't." She put her arm around his waist and grinned. "And we didn't…not like we did before at least; which is about the only advantage to having our own place in the city."

Before they reached the porch, the front door flew open and Martha stepped through it. "I thought I heard someone talking out here!" she exclaimed. "Get up here you two so I can give you a hug!"

Lois went first; almost leaping up the steps and into Martha's arms. "Hi Mom; it's so good to see you," Lois murmured in Martha's ear, holding the embrace to make her point.

Clark stepped up on the porch and hugged Martha after Lois released her. "Hi Mom," he said and Martha kissed him on the cheek and then quickly rubbed the trace of lipstick off it with her thumb, causing Lois to grin.

"I've been great," she replied. "Although, I'd be even greater if I saw my son and daughter a little more often!" She stepped back. "Where are your bags? Oh, don't tell me you aren't staying the weekend?"

"Oh, we're staying, Mom," Lois replied emphatically. "Clark is going back for them once it gets dark. He doesn't like carrying everything in one trip." She winked at Clark.

"Well, it's not like there aren't clothes and things for you to wear here anyway. Come on inside," Martha said motioning them in. "I've got your room all made up for you and I just took a sheet of chocolate chunk cookies out of the oven."

Lois' eyes lit up. "I'll see you in the kitchen, Clark," she said and disappeared. "I'll get a pot of coffee going too" she called out.

"Thanks, Mom," Clark said quietly, standing just inside the door. "She really needed to get out of the city today."

"No need to thank me, Clark. I wish you two would come here more often." She took Clark's hand. "Is something troubling her, Sweetheart?"

"The same thing, Mom," he replied softly. "She has those terrible dreams and they really seem to take it out of her. The one she had last night must have been really bad because I knew there was nothing in the city that would help get her mind off it. But once she gets here, everything changes for her."

"She seems like the same ole Lois I've always known." Martha smiled. "If you want, I'll talk to her. I went through the same thing when I learned your Dad and I couldn't have children."

"Only if she brings it up, Mom," Clark replied. "Maybe just changing the scenery more often is what she needs."

Martha patted the top of his hand. "Okay, Dear; I'll just play it by ear, then. But you know that's just treating the symptoms not the problem." Clark nodded.

They walked into the kitchen to find Lois bent over the sheet of warm cookies. "They smell wonderful, Mom," Clark said. "How do they taste, Lois?"

She spun around with a mouthful of cookie, punctuated by a small glob of chocolate in the corner of her mouth. She raised her eyebrows and made an "okay" sign with her finger and thumb. Martha chucked. "Just okay?"

Lois rolled her eyes and then shook her head. Then clearing most of the mouthful she had, she exclaimed, "They're wonderful." She swallowed the rest and continued. "You should send these to the FDA. They have to be a cure for something besides hunger! If these can't cure cancer, they have to cure something."

Martha beamed. "Well take as many as you like, Lois. I can't eat all these; I made them for the both of you and there are more on the way."

"God, Mom; if I took as many as I'd like, I'd weigh 500 pounds by the end of the weekend." She picked up another one and waved it at Clark. "Even as strong as he is, I think he'd draw the line at toting me around like that."

Clark grinned and moved to pour some coffee. "Lois; you eat like a horse and I don't think you've gained an ounce since I met you. Your metabolism has to be off the charts."

Lois made a face. "I'm not sure if I should thank you or kick you for that comment." She shrugged and picked out another cookie.

"Well," Martha grinned, "if I could eat like a horse and not gain an ounce, I'd be thrilled. Then I could be like Clark…or you." She paused and regarded Lois for a moment. "You know what? I think Clark is right, Sweetheart. I'll bet you could wear the same clothes you did when you first arrived in Smallville. How long ago was that; about fourteen or fifteen years ago?"

"Nineteen; going on twenty," Clark replied, handing a mug of coffee to Lois and one to his mother.

"Nineteen!" Martha exclaimed. "Oh my Lord how time flies! But I swear that you've hardly changed a bit since then." She squint her eyes. "It's almost eery, Lois."

"What can I say, Mom? It must be good genes and a healthy diet."

Clark frowned and cocked his head.

She snickered and picked up another cookie. "Okay, well at least the genes part must be true," she added and took a big bite of it.

"I mean it, Lois. I remember when you first showed up in Smallville," Martha began. "I thought you were older than you really were. You looked and seemed older than 18 at the time. And now…well now you look like you're in your mid-twenties. It's like you've matured but not aged." She laughed. "Oh Lord, that didn't make a lot of sense, did it?"

The sun was setting and it cast a golden hue on the fields. They walked silently, hand-in-hand along the fence line that delineated the boundary of the Kent Farm. All that could be heard was the rustling of the stalks caused by the gentle warm breeze and the occasional sound of some small creature darting for cover.

The cornfields played so many roles. They were the economic engine for the farm; the profits from the sale of its harvests had kept food on the table and the bills paid for four generations. They were the source of hard work and the strong values that hard work engendered. The fields connected their caretaker to the Earth, producing a deep-seated respect for it and a sense of purpose. And today they served as a sanctuary; a place where the burdens of an urban existence could be left behind, replaced by the simple joys created by the earthy smells of rich soil and corn plants.

"Are you getting worn out?"

"No," Lois replied. "But I think I've walked off those cookies by now." She paused. "I love being out here. We need to come here more often. I guess I told you that before but it's like you're in a different world when you're here. It's simple and honest, you know?"

"Uh huh."

"I used to think that living in the country was so…"

"Corny?" he suggested.

Lois chuckled. "Yeah; corny! Like living outside of a metropolitan area somehow made you less civilized or less sophisticated."

Clark put his arm around her waist. "And that coming from an urban Monster Truck enthusiast!"

She laughed. "Yeah; go figure. But the truth is I think only the truly sane people in this world live in the country. The movies like to portray people out here as hicks and rubes. But you know what, Smallville? There's a big difference between living a simple, honest life and being ignorant or gullible. You come out here and it's like this is what life is all about."

"Well," Clark began, "It's an honest living but there is also a lot of hard physical work and worrying that goes with living on a farm. Sure, there isn't the noise, the crowds, and the hustle and bustle of a city. But I remember many years when my Mom and Dad were stressed out over the crop and whether they could make ends meet." They walked a little farther and he added, "It's just one form of stress replaced by another."

"I'm sure it is," Lois replied. She stopped and turned to face Clark. "But someday; when we're through working at the Planet, I'd like to come back here and live out our lives."

Clark frowned. "That's a long time off. What's making you think about that?"

"I don't know," she replied and her eyes glistened. "I guess because it just feels so right being here. This is where I want to be…with you. It will always be just you and me and when it ends, I want it to end here."

He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. "That's what I want too," Clark said softly. "But that's not going to happen for a long, long time." He paused, staring out at the fields and took a deep breath. "I know the dreams you've had really bother you, Lois. But I wish you knew just how full you've made my life. Having children would be great but as long as I have you, I don't feel like anything is missing in my life. With you, I'll always be satisfied that I had the best life that this world could offer."

The sun had set and the sky had turned from a glorious golden blaze into a rich purple and indigo. The air began to feel cooler as they reached the end of the fields and the farmhouse was in sight. They walked slowly, arms around each other's waist, and set a course for the back porch.

"I'm sure Mom has dinner just about ready," Clark said.

"It's a wonder we can't smell it out here," Lois replied. "It's part of the magic of this place. If it's not the serenity, it's the wonderful smells that come from your Mom's kitchen. I don't know which one is best but together, it's the total package. They should sell excursions from Metropolis out here for stressed out city-dwellers."

Clark grinned. "I can remember working with Dad out in the fields or in the barn. Mom would call us for dinner and before we could get halfway to the house, we could smell what she had made. Dad would bet me that he could guess what she had cooked for dinner and about every time, he was right."

"So what's for dinner?" Lois asked.

He took a deep breath and stared at the house. "Let's see…"

"You're cheating, Smallville," she cried, pushing away from him. "You're peeking."

He laughed. "Looks like pot roast and…"

Lois waited and a few seconds later said, "And what?"

"And it seems like we are not going to be eating alone," he replied, picking up the pace.

"Someone's there?" Lois replied. "Who?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I can only see his back."

They reached the back porch and walked through the door into the kitchen, shocked by who they saw in the kitchen talking to Martha.

Chapter Three

"Conner?" Clark said and the boy turned around. He stepped forward and put his teenaged clone in a bear hug. "Where did you come from? I haven't seen you for such a long time."

He let Kon-El go and the boy stepped to embrace Lois. "Hi Lois," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He released Lois and turned back to Clark. "I've been here and there," he replied. "Mostly I was spending time in Europe with Tim Drake."

Clark frowned. "Tim Drake? I thought you two had parted ways."

"We did for a while but he's a good guy and probably my best friend; we buried the hatchet."

"What in the world were you two doing in Europe?" Lois asked.

"It was my idea," Conner began. "I asked Tim to come over and help me look for someone."

Clark's eyes narrowed. "Lex?"

"Yeah," Conner replied reluctantly. "I heard he was over there somewhere and we tried to find him." He paused and then added, "It didn't pan out though."

Lois made a face. "Why would you want to…"

"Find him?" Kon-El finished and Lois nodded. "I guess it has to do with trying to figure him out. He's a part of me and I felt like I needed to understand him to figure out some things about me." The boy looked at Clark. "I was worried that might piss you off Clark, but I just need to see for myself."

"You never found him though," Martha said. "Did that tell you anything, Kon?"

"It told me a lot more than I think meeting him would have told me," he replied. "I mean, if he was purposely keeping away from me, that's all I really needed to know." He looked at Clark. "Don't you think?"

Clark nodded silently and then changed the subject. "So what are you doing back here?"

"Well, I came back to finish my last year of high school at Smallville High," he replied, turning to Martha. "That is if Aunt Martha will let me stay here?"

"Heaven's yes!" Martha exclaimed. "Of course you can, Kon…Conner. I guess if you're going to be staying here, I need to get used to calling you that again," she said. "But I would be thrilled to have another Kent man living here again." She looked at Clark and then back at Conner. "Of course, for the weekend you're going to have to sleep in the barn loft. That's Clark old hideaway but it's pretty comfortable. I'll give you some sheets and a blanket to take up there after dinner."

"Speaking of which," Lois interjected, "is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh…well," she replied, "I'm pretty well done with dinner, Dear. It's almost ready; probably another fifteen minutes or so. You can help me pull it all out when it's done and set the table if you like."

"Sure," Lois replied.

"Clark, why don't you and Conner go sit in the living room and catch up," Martha said, ushering them both to the doorway. The two disappeared into the living room and Martha spun around. "So, did you two have a nice walk?"

"We sure did. We walked all the way to the back property line," Lois replied. "Those cookies are long gone," she added, patting her stomach.

"Good. I wouldn't want them to spoil your dinner."

"Nothing could spoil your dinners, Mom." She paused. "Walking out there gave us some time to talk. You know, Clark and I talk a lot and I think we communicate as a couple better than anyone we know. But we never seem to have a long time to talk. Everything is in quick bursts." She grabbed some plates out of the cupboard. "I guess it's a fact of living in a busy city and Clark's other job, we rarely get time to just spend a long time talking."

"Life's slower in the country; that's for sure," Martha replied. "When I was in DC, I scheduled my day in fifteen minute increments. Can you imagine that? Other than some committee meeting where my colleagues just loved hearing the sound of their own voices, to actually talk to a constituent or another colleague meant having to schedule it in increments of fifteen minutes. It was ridiculous!" Martha stalled, wondering if she should ask what they talked about. She concluded with, "The nice thing about being out here is that you do have time to talk about serious things; not just the immediate things. That's so important in a relationship."

"It is," Lois agreed. "We talked about our life together today; it's something we rarely do. I told Clark that when we're finished at the Planet, I'd like to move back here because this place is the only place I really consider home." She sighed. "And, it will just be the two of us so there will be plenty of time to enjoy our 'golden years' together."

"I will pass away a happy person if I knew that you and Clark were going to come back here to live out your life together."

"Well, that's the plan. I think we locked that in today."

"Jonathan and I talked about it too. I was a city girl, as you know, but after a while living out here, I couldn't imagine living any where else. Of course, for me it was hard thinking that I'd have no one to leave it to when we were gone." Martha opened the oven door and checked the pot roast. "I think it needs about five more minutes," she said and shut the door.

Lois remained silent for a moment and then opened up. "That's really been bothering me lately, too."

"What has, Sweetheart?"

"The fact that we'll have no one to leave it to when we're gone." She stood at the kitchen window looking out at the blackness. "I keep thinking about how much fun it would be having a kid or kids; I know Clark would be a wonderful father."

"What does Clark think?"

"He says that I'm all he needs and that it's no one's fault that we can't have kids. I know that he's right but it still bothers me." She turned to Martha. "I have a recurring dream that just gets more and more bizarre about being pregnant or having a child whose face I can never see." She looked down and then back up. "I had one just last night. And it affects me." She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I imagine that was the reason Clark decided to visit this weekend. He knows when I need to be redirected."

Martha smiled knowingly. "You don't need a reason like that to visit me, Lois. I love seeing you two; I wish you'd come every weekend."

"And I didn't mean it to sound like that, Mom," she added. "I just meant that he knows when…"

"I didn't even think of it that way, Sweetheart." She paused. "But you know, Jonathan and I had given up hope for having children. We looked into adopting but that wasn't practical. Then we talked about having foster children and we may have done that but then Clark came along." She stepped over to Lois and took her hands. "All I'm trying to say is that while there are options, God has a plan for all of us and you never know what that plan is. Give it time, Sweetheart and don't dwell on it. Don't let it control your life; just let it unfold the way it's planned."

She smiled. "Clark would make a wonderful father and you would make a wonderful mother but you know, maybe that's not what the plan is for either of you. He inspires so many people but he couldn't have done that without your love. Maybe that's the plan for both of you." Her eyes grew misty. "We raised Clark as our son but we always knew that he wasn't ours, Sweetheart; we always knew that he was given to us to raise for a reason. But we were pretty sure that reason was not to fulfill our wants. I truly believe it was to raise him for the world; to give him the values and inner strength to do what he does now." She paused. "Maybe God gave you to Clark for the same sort of reason: you're the only thing he needs to keep being what he has become to the world."

Lois hugged Martha and a tear trickled down her cheek. "Oh Mom," she whispered and cleared her throat. "Thanks for being so wonderful. You're right as usual." She let go of her but stood close. "Clark is all I ever needed or wanted. I don't regret that we can't have children; I just regret that Clark won't have a child to raise the same way he was raised and to follow in his footsteps."

"Lois," she replied, "Maybe the reason is that there won't be a need for another like him to follow in his footsteps." She winked. "Maybe having a son or daughter would throw him off the path he's on and making the world a safe and wonderful place to live for everyone would take longer." She smiled. "Just something to think about," she concluded and turned back to the oven. "I think this is about ready to come out now."

Lois awoke to the sound of a basketball bouncing outside and some good-natured ribbing. She looked at the clock and it was eleven twenty-six. The morning sun was nearly gone and it appeared to be a beautiful day. She could smell the aroma of brewed coffee and fried bacon that hung in the air, taunting her to get downstairs.

She slid out of bed, slipped her feet into her usual bunny slippers and stood at the window watching Clark and Conner play one-on-one basketball. She smiled at the sight of the older El playing with the teen El.

She had never seen Clark play pickup basketball in her life. Lois had watched him play football in high school; he was a football god but now she understood why. Suddenly, something that had never made sense to her before now made sense: why Jonathan was so opposed to Clark playing football.

Standing by the window, she could see him smiling and dribbling, taunting Kon-El. He faked a shot, drawing Conner to extend and when the boy recovered, Clark leapt over the boy and slam-dunked the ball.

"Hey!" Conner cried, "What happened to no powers? That's not fair."

Clark just grinned; Lois threw open the window and stuck her head out. "Quit cheating, Smallville!" she shouted and Clark turned around with a sheepish grin.

"Look who's up!" he exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Morning, Sweetheart." He bounced the ball back to Conner. "I'll come in after I finish beating Kon here," he said with a grin.

"Like Hell you will unless you keep cheating," the boy replied. "You may as well go in right now because we'll be here until the end of time if you think you can beat me in basketball." Conner slowly dribbled and then leapt over Clark, did two somersaults and finished with his own slam-dunk. "Of course, you're not the only one who can play that game," he added.

Lois cheered for Conner. "That's what I'm talking about!" she shouted. "Go Kon." Clark looked back up at her feigning a wounded look. She giggled. "I'm gonna go downstairs get something to eat 'Shaq-El'," she said and he grinned.

She padded downstairs to find Martha sitting at the table sipping coffee. "Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning, Dear," she replied. "I guess you needed to catch up on your sleep." Martha stood up and took a hug from Lois. "Are you ready for some breakfast?"

"Yes, but you don't have to wait on me. I can…"

"Nonsense," Martha interrupted. "Grab some coffee and sit down. It'll just take a second."

Lois poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, legs folded up beneath her. "I've never seen Clark play basketball before. I didn't even think he liked it."

"Oh no; Clark used to play basketball nonstop with Pete after school. Those two would get off the bus, walk up here and the basketball came out. Jonathan used to have to climb all over Clark to get his chores done because he and Pete were always shooting baskets until it got dark." She chuckled. "Of course, it would take Clark about five minutes to get his chores done but Pete never knew that…well, not until much later."

"Wow," Lois said absently. "It's sort of hard to think of Clark having normal afternoons after school. Since I've known him, he's been so busy saving people or saving the world that it's hard to think of him as a teenager playing hoops with a friend."

Martha cracked some eggs and began frying them. "Oh, for as different as Clark is, he had a pretty average childhood until he reached about fourteen. Then his powers really kicked in and a lot of things changed."

"He told me that but I just never envisioned him shooting baskets or hanging out doing nothing with his friends." She paused. "He looked like he was enjoying himself this morning."

"Oh yes! The problem now is that since he developed his powers, there really is no competition for him so it probably isn't much fun. He used to race Bart all the time but other than that, I don't think he's competed with anyone since he got his powers."

"What about football?" Lois asked. "Didn't he have his powers then?"

"Yes!" Martha exclaimed. "And Jonathan and I were scared to death that he would hurt someone or lose focus and do something that would expose them. It's why Jonathan was always so against him playing sports. It wasn't just the fairness aspect of it, it was we didn't want him drawing attention to himself in any way; especially a sports endeavor." She chuckled. "It caused quite a lot of commotion around here when Clark announced he was joining the football team."

"But you and Mr. Kent let him play anyway."

"We were torn. Clark wanted so desperately to be like everyone else. It killed us that he couldn't have a normal adolescence and high school experience so we caved on that." She smiled sadly. "Of course, it ended up with some kid breaking his shoulder trying to tackle Clark and I think that was the end of Clark's exploration of high school sports."

"Well," Lois replied, sipping her coffee, "It was cute watching him down there with Conner. It looked like a big brother playing with a little brother. Other than him leaping over the poor kid to dunk, he looked like a normal guy just having fun."

Chapter Four

The basement bullpen was alive with activity. Every time Lois went down to the basement, it brought back a sense of familiarity and sense of origin for her. It had all started there and after six years of being in the basement, she was promoted out of it. Perry White had wanted her close by. Lois' only demand upon being promoted to her current office was that Clark accompany her. It was an easy demand for Perry to meet because he had planned to move them both. He simply had told Lois of the promotion first; fully intending to tell Clark afterwards.

The Kents were a team on and off the clock and Perry would have been a fool to separate them. They were the hottest reporting team in Metropolis and their collaborations had received national circulation on numerous occasions. The only thing that worried Perry about their success was the fear of losing them to network newscasts; something Lois had repeatedly told Perry was not in either of their futures.

She loved the sounds and smells of the basement bullpen. Newsprint, copier ink and coffee, mixed with old wooden furniture. The basement of the Daily Planet was the birthing room of journalists in Metropolis.

"Olsen!" Lois shouted, standing in the doorway of the basement bullpen where Jimmy Olsen had his desk. "Where's the picture for my article? Weren't you supposed to email it to me like first thing this morning?"

"Sorry Mrs. Kent," Jimmy replied, scurrying up to Lois. "I got in late this morning; I had a late night. Miss Grant needed me to go with her to get some pictures of Congressman Knowles leaving this woman's apartment…"

Lois made a face. "Jimmy…let me guess: the congressman never emerged from said bimbo's apartment, right? And after a long night of allegedly staking out some girl's apartment, you ended up with nothing except having a drink with Cat afterwards…maybe something to eat?"

Jimmy frowned. "How did you know that?"

"Because I know Cat. You've worked here for eight years, right?" He nodded. "How old are you again, Jimmy?"

"Twenty-five."

"And Cat is what…thirty seven?"

"Thirty-one, I think," Jimmy replied. "That's what she told me."

Lois rolled her eyes. "She's thirty-seven, Jimmy…maybe thirty-six at best." Lois exhaled annoyed at his naivety and clapped him on the shoulder. "Jimbo, you're never going to be a great reporter if you believe everything you're told. That goes double when it's coming out of Cat Grant's mouth."

"But she's the best at what she does," he pleaded. "She received journalism awards for things she's uncovered. She's worked for the network and…"

"Jimmy!" Lois barked. "Listen to me. The only thing that Cat is interested in uncovering is you." She cocked her head and arched her eyebrows. "Get it? Next time, let one of the 'less young' photographers go with Cat on some late night adventure, okay? Now send me that picture so I can finish my article."

Jimmy turned red. "Sorry, Mrs. Kent. I…I'll send it to you right now." He stood still, staring oddly at Lois.

"What?" Lois demanded. "Are you sending it to me telepathically or something?"

"No," Jimmy replied. "Are you feeling okay, Mrs. K?"

"Yeah, I feel fine except that I'm one picture short of getting my article turned in on time." She made a face. "Why?"

"You just look a little pale; I thought that maybe you weren't feeling well," Jimmy answered.

"Maybe the thought of Cat Grant getting her claws into you made the blood drain from my face," she quipped.

Jimmy snickered. "Okay, then," he said. "I'll email that picture right now." He turned and headed toward his desk.

"Thanks, Jimmy," Lois called and started back to the elevators. "Thirty-one," she mumbled and shook her head.

Clark returned to their office carrying two sandwiches in a bag. He set it on his desk and opened it up, fishing out Lois' ham and Swiss on whole wheat and handing it to her.

"Thanks, Honey," she said absently, staring at her monitor and typing.

He pulled out a Tuna sandwich and then crumpled the bag and threw it in the trash can sitting next to his desk. "What are you working on?" he said and unwrapped his sandwich.

"Just getting the last edits done on this article," she replied. "Perry returned it with some…" she paused and looked at him. "Jeez Clark," Lois exclaimed. "Are you sure it's okay to eat that sandwich?"

He frowned. "What?"

"It's kind of fishy-smelling, don't you think? Did they run out of tuna and substitute sardines?" She fanned her hand in front of her face. "Gross! How old was the tuna salad there?"

"The sign said it was made today, Lois." Clark leaned down and sniffed the sandwich and sat back up. "It seems fine to me. Does it smell bad to you?"

"Bad's an understatement! It smells like bait that's been sitting in the sun too long!" She turned back to her computer and put the finishing touches on her article. She hit 'save' and then submitted the story. She turned, unwrapped her sandwich and peeked beneath the bread. "Mine looks good," she said.

Clark carefully bit in to his sandwich, taking a sample bite and chewing it well before swallowing. "It tastes like it always does," he announced.

She arched her eyebrows. "Whatever you say, Captain; it's good you have a stomach made of steel."

He took a large bite and chewed. "I got a text message from Oliver while I was at the sandwich shop."

Lois perked up. "You did? What did he say?"

"He and Dinah are coming in from Star City for a few days and wondered if we wanted to go out to dinner with them tonight."

"Did you reply?"

"Not yet; I wanted to ask you first," he answered, taking another bite of his fishy sandwich.

"I'm always up for eating out. It saves me the trouble of cooking or you getting takeout." She swallowed. "I'm curious to see how they're doing," Lois added. "I thought we had overcome some hurdles on the way to the altar but those two easily took the gold medal in that event."

Clark frowned. "You and Dinah have never gotten along, have you?"

"It's more of an uneasy truce," she replied. "I admire what she does with Ollie and the gang but I'm not so keen on her professional job. A lot of her comments rub me the wrong way." She snorted. "There are times that she reminds me of that guy Godfrey a long time ago."

"Lois!" Clark cried. "That's pretty harsh, don't you think? Godfrey was possessed by Darkseid."

"I know. At least he had an excuse," she snarked. "What's Dinah's?"

"So because you two disagree politically, you can't be friends?"

"We can be friendly; it's just her little jabs now and then. She really enjoys pushing my buttons," she replied, finishing the rest of her sandwich.

Clark smirked. "It's a good thing you don't enjoy pushing hers."

Lois grinned. "You know, the truth is I hardly ever disagree with the things she says; just with the way she says them." Lois took another bite of her sandwich and chewed it a bit. "I guess," she said, forcing a swallow, "she thinks I'm some bleeding heart liberal because I work at a newspaper and she works in talk radio." She chuckled. "I think she knows me better than that but she enjoys needling anyone in the mainstream media."

"Well, I'll reply to his message and we'll set something up."

"Sounds fun." Lois washed her sandwich down with the remainder of her coffee. "It will be good to see Ollie again. I hope he's finally found what he's looking for in Dinah."

"Me too," Clark replied. "But I'll admit; their relationship has had its moments!"

"Any place in particular?" he asked, pulling his phone out.

"Anything but fish," Lois said, making a disgusted face. "Hey, how about The Arabian Nights? We haven't had Middle Eastern food in ages. That place is only about six blocks from home and the weather's been really nice. We can walk for a change."

"That sounds great, Lois. I'll ask them to meet us at the apartment and we'll go from there."

"Ollie!" Lois cried as Oliver came through the door and immediately gave him a warm embrace and kiss on the cheek. "We're so glad you told us you were coming." Clark stood behind her with a welcoming smile. She released Oliver and welcomed Dinah with less gusto; an awkward hug and some rote pleasantries.

Once their guests were inside the apartment, Lois offered everyone some wine and the four of them sat on the terrace talking for half an hour. During the cocktails, Dinah and Lois seemed to be tolerating each other's presence without incident. Lois remarked at how beautiful Dinah's wedding set was and that seemed to take the edge off of the less-than-warm greeting. After that, Dinah seemed to include Lois in her conversations.

Clark looked at his watch and suggested they start heading over to the restaurant. "We're on foot," he declared. ""We hope you don't mind. It's easier that way; no need to compete for parking spaces."

Oliver and Dinah registered no complaints. They left the apartment and headed to the restaurant, casually talking along the way. Once inside, they sat at a table close to an area set up to resemble a Bedouin camp, complete with draped sheer curtains formed to look like a tent, pillows and large hookah pipe. It was dark and Oliver had grown a goatee and mustache since he left Metropolis so no one recognized him anymore.

They had eaten about half of their meal when Oliver paused and looked at Dinah. Lois noticed Mrs. Queen shrugging slightly and then nodding. At that point, Oliver put down his fork. "Well," he began, "one of the reasons we came here was we have some pretty big news that I wanted you to hear from us personally."

Lois eyes widened and looked at Dinah in surprise. "You're having a baby?"

Oliver chuckled and Dinah frowned. "Why? Does it look like I'm having a baby?" she snapped.

Lois cocked her head and began to say something when Clark intervened. "No, Dinah," he said quickly. "It's just whenever someone starts out with, 'We have some big news', the announcement of a baby usually follows."

"No, Clark. Oliver already took care of producing an heir a long time ago," Dinah said sullenly.

"What I was about to announce," Oliver interjected, "is I'm running for mayor of Star City."

Lois blinked. "And I thought having a baby was jolting!"

"Mayor?" Clark asked. "What about your night job?"

"I'm hanging up the crossbow, my friend," he replied. "I'm over forty now and I'm getting a little old to be fighting bad guys like that anymore. I figured that I can do more good these days by being the mayor." He looked at Dinah. "I'm married now and I want to spend my evenings with Dinah; not with some low-lifes who don't respect the law or other people's rights."

"And you don't think your stint as 'GA' will affect your candidacy? I mean, Star City isn't exactly the epicenter of conservatism," Lois remarked, looking at Dinah.

"Well that's true," she admitted. "It's a good thing my show is syndicated because I doubt that the Dinah Lance Show would survive on the Star City demos alone."

"I'm not running as a conservative, Lois. I'm running on a progressive liberal platform."

"You?" she replied. "'Mr. Shoot-them-all-and-let-God-sort-them-out'?" Clark grinned and coughed to stifle a laugh. She looked at Dinah. "When did this happen?"

"It's like a tumor, Lois; it started small and has grown," she said flatly. She looked at Oliver. "I do support him running but it's going to be hard to pull that lever for him when I get in the voting booth."

Oliver smiled. "Like everyone else, I'll win her over."

"Well," Clark added, "Congratulations, Oliver; we wish you the best."

Lois nodded. "Both of you; I mean that," she added, reaching out and patting Oliver on the hand while nodding at Dinah. "I know that…" and she trailed off and made a face. "I mean, I'm sure that…" She swallowed hard and quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, I need to go to the…"

Clark stood up too. "Lois? Are you okay?" he asked, alarmed at her sudden change. Lois nodded, pushed past him and then scurried to the ladies room.

Dinah looked at Clark. "Do you want me to go after her; make sure she's okay?"

He sat back down. "Maybe if she's not back in a few minutes it would be nice if you checked on her," he replied. He paused for a moment. "It sounds like she's sick to her stomach," he said in a low tone.

"What did she order; the lamb kabobs, right?" Oliver asked and Dinah nodded. He pushed his dinner plate away from in front of him. "I think I'll pass on the rest of this lamb chop then."

A few minutes later Lois emerged from the bathroom and returned to the table. "Are you okay?" Clark asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Something I ate obviously disagreed with me but I feel okay now." She looked at Oliver's plate and then up at him with a pained expression. "Oh Ollie; did I ruin your dinner?"

Chapter Five

Lois and Clark awoke the next morning and prepared for work. Clark made a half a pot of coffee as Lois showered. She felt no ill-effects from the incident at the restaurant. In fact, she felt good. She was energetic and just opposite of what Clark expected.

On the way to work, the chatted about Oliver's decision to run for mayor; somewhat shocked that he had decided to hang up the crossbow and leave the JL a member short. But he had also committed to continue supporting it financially as the need arose.

The Justice League was not hurting for money though. Between Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne, there was no shortage of funds to keep the space-borne Watchtower operating. It had been operating for the last nine years without a hitch. J'onn J'onzz manned it; relishing the chance to return to space where he felt fully invigorated after a long period on Earth without his powers. Although Dr. Fate had restored most of his powers, it wasn't until he was space-borne that he fully recovered.

"It's a good thing that most of the tough stuff was already done before Ollie decided to quit the team," Lois commented. "All you've got left is Lex and he's hiding half the time since his failed bid for President."

"Yeah but don't count Lex out," Clark replied. "He may have lost the battle but I don't think the war is over for him yet. I fully expect he'll reappear and make another run. It was close last time so I think that once he polishes his public image a bit more, he'll feel like he can overcome the negative ads next time."

"True," she agreed. "Maybe he's waiting for us to retire from the Planet so we don't keep undercutting his campaign." He held her hand as they walked and she sipped her coffee.

"You mean 'you' undercut his campaign," he amended and smiled. "I had little to do with it. It was your exposes that really got people looking at his past. I was just along for the ride."

They entered the Planet and rode the elevator upstairs to their office. Perry burst in before they even got settled. "Don't get comfortable! There's an elevated train that just derailed on the Southside line and a couple cars are hanging off the rail bridge with people trapped inside. Fire department can't get to them. Get over there ASAP! Take Olsen with you!"

"Right, Chief," Clark replied as they grabbed their belongings. "You get Jimmy and I'll get the car; we'll meet in the garage."

Perry stood in the hallway outside of the door that was painted with "Lane – Kent" as they scurried past, smiling and nodding. "Go get 'em!" he hollered.

Fifteen minutes later, Lois pulled up with Jimmy at the scene. She shoved through the crowd that had assembled and used their press passes to slip beneath the police line. Jimmy snapped pictures as Superman descended, safely lowering the last seven riders to the ground, two at a time. He then flew up and lifted the dangling train cars and set them back on the track. The crowd applauded as he waved and flew out of sight.

Lois smiled. "You know, Jimmy; I've watched him do things like that for twelve years now and I still don't get tired of seeing it."

"Me neither," Jimmy replied. "Moments like these really give me some good shots for the paper too." He looked around. "We even beat the TV crews today."

Lois looked around, noticed TV trucks pulling up and she smiled. "The print media isn't dead yet, Jimmy." From the throng of crowd came Clark with a notebook in his hand.

"You missed it, CK," Jimmy declared.

"No, Jimmy," Clark replied. "I was on the other side of the rails. I got a quote from the Metrorail supervisor and a couple people who saw what happened."

"Jimmy," Lois said, flipping him the keys to the car. "We're going to hang around here and interview some of the train riders; you head back to the Planet. We'll catch a cab back." He nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

"Nice work, as always," Lois said quietly. "Come on. Let's get some quotes."

They had filed their story on the train derailment and were awaiting Perry's edits. Lois dug out a huge accordion file from under her desk and began leafing through it.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking back at some Lex stuff," she replied, not looking up. "After our conversation on the way to work this morning, I thought it might be a good idea to make sure I have my stuff in order." She began moving sheets of paper from one divider to another. "I think youi're right; he'll run again. In fact, with the next election cycle quickly approaching, we'll know soon whether or not he's planning another run."

Once the edits were returned, Clark took them, made the edits and then filed the story. He looked at his watch. 4:07 PM. Lois had finished arranging her resource material and moved on to researching something on the internet. "Are you about ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep," she replied, locked her computer, snapped off the monitor and stood up. "Let's go."

They passed Cat in the hallway. Clark smiled and Lois stopped, taking the opportunity to mention her stakeout with Jimmy two nights earlier.

"So Cat," she began, "I heard you had some bad luck the other night with the Congressman Knowles piece."

Smiling seductively, "Yes, I whiffed on that piece but I'm pretty sure it will present itself again. I'll bag him next time."

"We are still talking about the Congressman, right?" Lois chided.

She cocked her head. "Wasn't that the point of your question?"

"Not exactly," she replied sharply. "I think you know what I'm talking about."

"Why Lois," Cat answered, "since when did you become such a fan of my stories?"

Lois bristled. "Is that what you're calling them now; stories? Just lay off the one you were working on two nights ago. He doesn't deserve that."

Cat smiled. "You two have a nice evening," she said as she continued on. "I plan to."

Clark frowned. "What was that all about?"

"I'll tell you in the elevator. Come on; let's get home," Lois replied, pulling on his arm. "I'm really tired."

They changed in to casual clothes once they got home and Lois commented that she was too tired to cook. "I'll do the cooking tonight," Clark replied. "Do you want some wine before dinner?"

"No thanks; I'm just going to lie down for a while," she replied. "I'm just exhausted. Call me when dinner's ready."

Dinner never took Clark long to prepare and he never minded preparing it. Over the years, Lois had improved her culinary abilities from their early days and had become pretty accomplished in the kitchen when she set her mind to it. But when her mind was elsewhere, some of the meals she made were close to inedible.

After fifteen minutes, he called her but there was no answer. He looked into the bedroom from the kitchen and saw her fast asleep. Clark wondered if the purging that happened the night before was the onset of some illness. He worried. Other than an occasional infrequent cold, he had never seen her truly sick before. She always seemed to have energy right up until the end of the day and then dropped off almost immediately once they settled in to sleep. He looked at the meal and back at Lois. He twisted a leg quarter off of the roasted chicken he had cooked, set it on a plate, then wrapped everything in aluminum foil and put it away in the refrigerator.

He watched the news channel as he ate the roasted chicken. When the time reached 10:30 PM, Clark turned in. Lois woke briefly and mumbled something about dinner being ready and then fell back asleep.

At 1:15 AM, Clark was awakened by the sound of Lois throwing up in the bathroom. He went in to check on her, worried that she had contracted the flu or some other virus. He felt her forehead but it seemed normal albeit a little moist from perspiration. "Do you want me to call Dr. Hamilton?"

"No, I'll be fine," she replied, almost annoyed with his concern. "I think all the coffee I drank soured my stomach," she added.

"This is two nights in a row, Lois. I'm worried about you."

Lois stood a few moments later. She rinsed out her mouth with water and then brushed her teeth. She turned around and kissed a worried-looking Clark. "I'm fine now. I just needed to get that coffee off my stomach I think."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," she said. "But I'm starving. What's for dinner?" she asked with a goofy wide grin.

"It's just past one in the morning; are you sure you want to eat right now?" he asked, leading her back to the bedroom.

"You're leading me to the bed, Clark?" Lois asked pointedly. "I'm hungry and yes, I'm sure I want dinner. I feel like I could eat a horse. We'll have time after dinner to come back to bed." She swatted him on the backside. "Now that I've had my rest, maybe we'll do more than just fall asleep," she added with arched eyebrows. "That is unless you're too tired."

"Guess again," he replied and led her to the kitchen.

Over the next seven days, Lois threw up only three more time. One time was after lunch, when a hectic day and a very greasy order of Buffalo wings turned on Lois. Only this time, Clark was not around to notice. He was away handling some incident in the city and by the time he returned, Lois was fine. The other times Superman had been busy in the city.

She wondered whether she had contracted some illness or had some intestinal infection. Her stomach seemed fine the rest of the time so Lois chalked it up to bad luck with food. But she also decided to get a check up anyway. She was past due on her ob-gyn appointment and been pestered by her gynecologist's office to schedule one. Lois decided that while at the appointment she would ask her doctor about the possibility of a food-borne bacterial infection or possibly an ulcer.

When the day of her appointment rolled around, Lois informed Clark she was getting her annual checkup. She told him that she would ask the doctor about her recent spate of vomiting. Lois knew that if she didn't, he would ask Emil Hamilton about it and make it into a bigger issue than it warranted.

Emil would want to run a full battery of tests on Lois like he did after she contracted a mild case of dengue fever while on assignment in Haiti ten years ago. After that assignment, she had made the mistake of telling Clark that she had a bit of a low-grade fever and headache. Alarmed, he called Emil who asked her to come in for some simple tests. Lois did and after three separate visits and a full battery of tests, he concluded that it was dengue fever and that it would pass in a week. He suggested any over-the-counter pain and fever medications to deal with the discomfort.

Lois didn't have the time or patience to put up with another situation like that. By reassuring Clark that she would talk to her doctor about the occasional vomiting, she knew she could ward off another round of tests with Emil.

She sat in the waiting room of her doctor catching up on magazines that contained stories that would be of more interest to Cat than they were to her. She laughed at some of the cover articles the magazines displayed; particularly Cosmopolitan. Their attention-grabbing cover articles always implied that women must have a difficult time sexually satisfying their partner or needed advice to keep their man interested in bed. Morewildcherry;lesssweetvanilla, she thought and chuckled to herself. Her sex life with Clark was never dull and never failed to satisfy either of them. If it weren't for his special heritage, she would write an article for Cosmo suggesting a few special outfits and techniques that were 'can't lose' ideas for a better sex life.

She put the magazine away and was reaching for an old issue of People when the doctor's nurse called her in. She was directed into a private dressing room where she slipped out of her clothes and into a gown. She walked out and into the examination room, sitting on the table like it was a fence rail at the Kent Farm.

Dr. Walker appeared through the door. She was an older woman in her late forties that Lois had seen for six years. After the pleasantries, she instructed Lois to put her feet in the stirrups and lay back. After the internal exam, the doctor conducted a breast exam.

"Ouch," Lois squeaked.

"Tender?" her doctor asked.

"Yep."

"Sorry," the woman replied. "Are you close to your period?"

"I think it should be pretty soon; about a week," Lois replied, not very certain of the response. "Oooo!" she cried out and flinched.

"Your breast is that tender?" the doctor asked.

Lois emitted a humorless chuckle. "It is today," she replied and exhaled loudly.

The doctor frowned. "Lois, are you on birth control pills?"

She stifled a real laugh. "No. My husband and I can't have kids. He's sterile so there's no need for them." She saw the doctor's expression. "Why do you ask?"

"Sometimes they make breasts more tender than usual," the doctor replied. "It's the hormones in the pill. The longer you take them the more those hormones tend to cause breast discomfort, particularly near menstruation." The doctor finished her breast exam and smiled. "Either that or your pregnant. You can get up now."

"Do I get a clean bill of health?" Lois asked.

"I'm sure everything is fine, Lois. I'll send you the results of the PAP smear if you like."

"Only if there's a problem," she answered. "If I get mail from a doctor, Clark starts to worry."

"Well, I guess you're good for another year then," the doctor said. "Anything else before you go?"

She rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "I promised Clark that I'd ask. I had a bout of repeated vomiting over the last ten days. Is there anything going around that I could have caught that would cause that?"

The doctor shook her head. "Not that I know of. It's not flu season. Could it be something you ate?"

"Yes," Lois replied. "In fact, that's what I think caused it. But I promised him I'd ask if there was a bug going around or anything."

The doctor began to leave but stopped and turned around. She cocked her head. "Lois, are you sure that you and your husband can't have children?"

She smiled sadly. "Absolutely sure," she replied. "Two different sources told us that it was impossible for us to have children."

"Anyone that I would know?"

"Doctor Emil Hamilton was one; the other you wouldn't know. He's not from around here."

The name raised her eyebrows. "Doctor Hamilton's brilliant! Is he your family practice physician? I didn't know he took on patients."

"More like my husband's," Lois replied. "They were buddies in school or something." She smirked. "I guess back then it was the case of a couple of nerds bonding so he sees Clark when he's ill; which is hardly ever."

The doctor smiled knowingly. "Okay," she replied. "Well, everything seems normal, Lois. I'll let you know if I happen to find anything different." She left Lois to dress and leave the exam. She returned to the Planet and found Clark working on a story about a security breach at the Metropolis airport.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yep. And," she added, "the doctor thinks it was probably food poisoning that was making me throw up. So, no need to worry anymore Clarkie."

Chapter Six

The mall was crowded with Christmas shoppers. The coats and scarves were opened and unfurled from around necks as the warm air inside the crowded mall had eliminated the need for warm clothing. In fact, Lois noted, it was downright hot in there.

She sat and watched as her child was safely seated in a toddler train that ran along a large circular track. The child's wavy black hair covered their collar.

With all the children safely in place, the attendant moved to the 'train station' to start the train moving. Lois held up her pocket camera to take a picture. She called out, "Turn around, Sweetie!" and the child started to turn their head just as the train began to move, prompting it to look forward.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed. Something told her not to do it but she did it anyway. She looked away for a second to see if Clark had arrived. She knew that Clark would love watching their child take its first train ride in a mall. She knew that she should keep her eyes on their child but she was unable to resist scanning the crowd for Clark. He was nowhere in sight.

Turning back to the train, she noticed that the track was no longer a large circle. Instead, the route extended out of the atrium and into the walkway along one of the wings of the mall. She could not see the train anymore; just the track leading through a throng of people.

Panic overtook Lois and she jumped up and pushed her way through the crowd of people, all carrying colorful bags and packages wrapped with festive ribbons and bows. She began following the track as it led toward one of the large anchor stores at the end of the mall. People coming toward her and those walking in the same direction were maddeningly slow and obstructive. Lois began pushing and shoving people out of the way, bulling her way through.

She caught sight of the rear of the train but it was quickly obscured again by the crowd of shoppers filing in behind it. She tried running along the tiny rails and stumbled. Before she fell to the ground, Lois reached out to stop her fall, grasping an arm in a white suit coat.

"Sorry," she said, regaining her balance. She looked up and saw Lex Luthor's face smirking at her.

"Lois Lane. It's not the first time I've kept you on your feet, Muffin-Peddler," Lex quipped. "You have no business raising a child!" he sneered and then turned back around and continued walking.

Fearful of what Lex might have planned for their child, she pushed past him and continued racing along the tracks. "There's a reason you don't have children, Lane," Lex shouted from behind.

Where was Clark, she wondered. Was he trying to find Lex? She needed him and screamed his name but the only sound she could emit was a hoarse croaking noise, like the final breath escaping from a corpse. Lois knew he was in the mall somewhere; why wasn't he with her?

The crowd ahead had parted and she saw the train. It had stopped and parents were standing there collecting their children. She caught a glimpse of the back of her child's head as a dark-haired woman reached down and picked the child up. The toddler clutched the woman and buried its head on her shoulder.

"Stop!" Lois screamed but no one responded. From the crowd ahead, a man whose face she could not see though from behind was obviously Clark, suddenly appeared and put his arm around the woman. She transferred the child to him. "Clark!" she cried out and the woman looked back. It was Lana Lang. She smiled, turned back around and the three of them disappeared into the crowd of shoppers.

She began to sob and she struggled to move forward but someone from behind grabbed the arm of her jacket to stop her. It was Lex; she just knew it had to be him. She tried to rip her arm free but couldn't. She turned…

Lois jerked awake. Her heart was racing and she felt queasy. Clark was not in bed and she was shivering uncontrollably. The air was no longer stale or cloying but she scurried to the bathroom and began to vomit. After emptying the contents of her stomach, she collapsed next to the bathtub and began to cry. What the hell is wrong with me? Lois was less concerned with her frequent regurgitating than she was with the dreams. She tried to seize upon what Martha had told her: "Maybe God gave you to Clark for the same sort of reason: you're the only thing he needs to continue being what he has become to the world."

As beautiful as that thought was, she still cried. Why was she being haunted with these dreams?

After crying herself out, Lois stood up, rinsed out her mouth and brushed her teeth. She padded into the kitchen. The clock on the microwave displayed 12:34. She yawned, opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jar of salsa. Studying the jar, Lois wondered if she should tempt fate with the salsa after just throwing up. She put it back in the refrigerator and opened the freezer. A tub of rocky road ice cream was positioned at eye level, begging her to pull it out and dig in. But the idea of ice cream was unappealing at the moment.

The fear of further upsetting her stomach took a back seat to a craving for something salty and flavorful. She shut the freezer, retrieved the salsa from the refrigerator and found an open bag of tortilla chips in the pantry. She dipped the first chip in the salsa and shoved it in her mouth. Flavors exploded and it tasted better than ever before. Lois waited impatiently to see if her stomach rejected the chip and salsa. Confident that she would be able to handle them, she dug in.

Clark returned at 1:12 to find Lois sleeping on the couch. The television was on and some Lifetime feature was playing. On the coffee table sat an empty tortilla chip bag and an empty jar of salsa. He smiled and wondered if he had awakened her when he left.

He took the empty jar and bag into the kitchen and deposited them in the trash can. When he came out, Lois stirred and awakened. "Hey!" she slurred.

"Are you ready for bed?" he asked. She nodded, sleepily. He snapped off the television, lifted her from the couch and carried her to the bedroom. A sleepy smile of contentment appeared on her face as he lovingly laid her in bed and covered her with a thin blanket. Clark bent down and kissed her, changed and climbed in bed next to her.

"Dr. Emil Hamilton, please; this is Dr. Joyce Walker." Lois' gynecologist waited until Emil answered. "Hello Dr. Hamilton; my name is Dr. Joyce Walker. I'm Lois Lane-Kent's gynecologist."

"Yes, how can I help you, Joyce?"

"Mrs. Kent told me that you were her family practice physician; is that correct?"

"I am," Emil replied. "I've been her primary care physician for about thirteen years; not that I see her professionally very often. But I see her socially quite often."

"Yes," Joyce replied, "Mrs.Kent told me that you and her husband were old friends from college or something."

He suppressed a laugh. "Yes, Mr. Kent and I go way back."

"She was in here last week for her annual exam," the doctor continued, "and I sent her PAP smear to the lab. I'm perplexed at the results and I wanted to talk to you before I contacted her. I thought maybe you could shed some light on something."

Emil frowned. "I'll be happy to try, Dr. Walker."

"Thank you," Joyce said. "I've looked and looked at the analysis but I can't seem to put my finger on what's happening and I'm a bit concerned. The results indicate some type of abnormality and I'm not comfortable approaching Mrs. Kent with that news until I have more information."

"What is the form of the abnormality?"

"It's at the cellular level. I was going to send it to an oncologist but I thought that I'd contact you first."

"Cancer?" Emil replied, experiencing a tightening in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, that's what I'm thinking," Dr. Walker replied solemnly. "But it's unlike other cancers I've seen or even read about. May I send the results from the most recent test as well as results from her previous exams for you to look at?"

"Please do, Joyce. I will give it top priority. If it's cancer, perhaps we can catch it early." He paused. "I know her mother died of cancer so she does have a family history with the disease."

"Thank you, Doctor. I will send it over immediately." The woman paused and then continued. "One other thing if I might, Dr. Hamilton; Mrs. Kent told me that her husband is sterile and they cannot conceive. Is this true?"

"Correct," Emil replied. "They cannot reproduce. May I ask why?"

"Well, I only asked because she complained of some recurring vomiting recently and she had tenderness in her breasts. I didn't order a pregnancy test because of what she told me; there's no point in it." Joyce paused. "She was within a week of her period so painful breasts are not uncommon."

"Of course. She could have suffered from a virus or a bout of food poisoning too," Emil added. He was going to say 'a self-inflicted bout of food poisoning' but in the last five or six years, Lois had vastly improved her culinary skills.

"Oh yes. And in fact, that's what she believed it was but asked about any bug going around right now because I guess Mr. Kent is a worrier."

Emil nodded. "He's a world-class worrier."

"Well I told her I was unaware of any such virus and she concluded it was simply some gastrointestinal discomfort from something she ate." Dr. Walker concluded the conversation with, "Thank you again for your time doctor. I look forward to hearing from you."

"I'll call you as soon as I have something for you," Emil replied and hung up. He ran his hands through his hair. Cancer! He felt his stomach churn and his breathing felt constricted. The thought of Lois having developed some exotic form of cervical cancer was chilling.

He had very little in common with Lois but he so thoroughly enjoyed being in her company. She was the funniest person he knew and the only person who consistently understood his sense of humor. But apart from being funny, Lois was kind and warm and she was the center of Clark's universe. The thought of her developing cancer was devastating to him and he knew the effect it would have on Clark.

Emil began clearing his desk of ongoing research project materials in anticipation of receiving the test results from Dr. Walker. He wanted no distractions and vowed that he would work nonstop to determine what form of cancer she might have and the most effective treatment for it.

Within an hour, a courier brought the packet to Emil that Dr. Walker had promised. He had ordered lunch two hours earlier than he normally did and alerted his staff that he was not to be interrupted. Behind closed doors in his office, Emil began reviewing the test results.

Five hours later, he picked up the phone and called Dr. Walker. He informed her that with her permission, he would contact Mrs. Kent and have her come in for some additional tests.

"Is it cancer, doctor?" the gynecologist asked.

"It's a cell mutation that is consistent with a rare form of cervical cancer," Emil replied. "You were right to send it to me Dr. Walker. In form, it appears quite similar to something that I have seen only once before but I need to run some additional tests to diagnose it properly. Do you have any objection to me contacting your patient for these tests?"

"Not at all, Dr. Hamilton," Joyce replied. "Is it treatable?"

"If it is what I think it might be, there is no approved cure but I may be able to offer some treatment. It is extremely exotic and as far as I know, there is insufficient evidence to even suggest an approved treatment." A small sigh whispered through the phone. "Yes, my feelings exactly," Emil added. "I will contact Mrs. Kent immediately and ask her to come in for tests. I'll keep you informed of the results, Doctor." He disconnected the call and dialed Lois' desk phone. She answered on the third ring.

"Emil, if you're looking for Clark; he's not here," she said brightly. "There's that little problem in Honduras," she said quietly, "with the rain and mudslides. I don't know when he'll be back but I don't think it will be soon. Last time it took him more than a day to…"

"Lois, I was actually calling to speak to you," he began. "I received a call from Dr. Walker around 8 this morning asking me to take a look at your PAP smear results from the lab. I want to run a few…" He heard an audible groan. "Lois; are you okay? Are you in any discomfort right now?"

"No, not exactly, Emil. I'm fine. Go ahead," she replied.

"Good. I want to run some additional tests at the office. Would you be available to come in?"

After a short pause, Lois said, "What day would you like me to come in? I may have to reschedule some things in my calendar."

"What's on it for the next couple hours?" he asked.

"Right now? Um," she stalled but couldn't come up with anything to postpone the inevitable. She knew that if she didn't go now, he would pester her until she did and by then, Clark might be back and it would make things ten times worse. "Yeah, I think I can do that. Give me a half hour and I'll be there."

It was almost 10 AM the following day when the door to the office opened and Lois looked up hoping to see Clark walk in. After a day of being poked and prodded by Emil, she couldn't wait to see him. She loved the quirky doctor but hated to see him professionally.

He was the funniest person she knew and didn't understand why others never found his remarks so humorous. When gatherings got dull for her, all she ever had to do was sidle up next to Emil and listen to him and within minutes, she would be laughing. He was so intelligent and engaging but members of the team seemed to avoid him at group functions and it made her sad. Partly because of that, she made a point of always trying to sit near Emil.

But seeing him professionally was a whole other matter. She reminded herself that his thoroughness was his way of showing genuine concern for her well-being. But having blood drawn, hair samples, saliva samples, urine samples and tissue samples being taken in addition to an EKG and an MRI seemed way over the top for a case of food poisoning. Lois knew the instant that she had mentioned it to Dr. Walker that she was making a big mistake.

As the door to their office opened, she was disappointed it didn't find her husband standing there. "Where's Clark?" Perry asked, standing in the doorway scowling.

"I believe he's down at the Honduran consulate trying to find some sources on a tip we got about kickbacks contributing to the problem with those mudslides, Chief. Is there something you need?"

He cocked his head. "You know, I quit assigning you stories everyday about nine years ago because you two seem to break more stories before I even knew there was a story. But about half of the times when I come in here, Clark's out somewhere but you two still seem to get more big news than the rest of the staff combined."

Lois grinned. "Is that a question or an observation, Perry?"

"Both! How do you two do it?" He leaned up against the door frame. "I mean, half the time Clark is out wandering around without you when there are more resources at his fingertips than he'll find in the streets."

She shrugged. "He's just good out in the street, Chief. He knows how to talk to people and get them to spill what they know. He'll call me, I'll run the info and we'll build a story like that."

Perry nodded. "Reminds me of the old days," he mused. "Before computers, cell phones and the internet; he's old school…I like that," he added. "But I wish I could find him when I needed him."

Lois picked up her phone. "Do you want me to have him drop what he's doing and come back here to see you, Perry?"

"No," he said. "I just wanted to shoot the breeze with him a little about farming. We wanted to try our hand at it."

Stifling a laugh, "Farming?"

"Oh nothing big!" her editor said, pushing himself off the door frame. "Alice wants to start a garden out back and I just wanted to get some ideas from him. No one else around here seems to know anything about it."

"Well," she began, "when he returns…if he returns to the office…I'll tell him you want to talk to him."

"Okay, thanks, Lois." Perry nodded and left the office.

She was sending a text message to Clark about Perry's inquiry when her phone rang. The caller was Emil and she sighed. She picked it up. "Hi Emil," she said in her most casual voice. "What's up?"

"I need you to come to the office again, Lois," he said. "It's urgent."

His tone was different; serious and she didn't like the sound of it. Her face burned. "Is there something wrong with me, Emil? I mean, more serious than just some stupid food poisoning?"

"Lois, I need to talk to you in person; not over the phone. Please come right away, okay? This is urgent."

Her heart sunk. Something was wrong; something very serious. It was something that required immediate treatment. This is urgent sounded dire. She chewed on her bottom lip, took a deep breath, got up and headed out the door.

Chapter Seven

She finished her text message to Clark while stopped at a red light on her way to Emil's office. Lois added something to the end of the message that she knew she never said often enough: I love you.

Ten minutes after sending the message, Lois entered Emil's office and was immediately shown in. The haste with which she was ushered in raised her anxiety level higher than it had been during the drive over.

"Sit down, Lois," Emil said, gesturing to a chair next to his desk. "I'm glad you came right away."

"Well, when you said it was urgent, I started thinking life or death. The General always said if you're not bleeding, you're malingering but you made it sound pretty serious."

"Precisely. It is serious," Emil replied and the blood drained from Lois' face. "Lois, I began looking at the results that Dr. Walker sent me and then worked through the night with the samples that we took yesterday. Dr. Walker was concerned with some anomaly that existed in the cellular structure observed following the PAP smear. Her opinion was it was a form of cancer."

At the word 'cancer', she felt her mouth go dry. She took a deep breath.

"But it wasn't," Emil quickly added. "There is, however, evidence of minute cell mutation that infers the nominal biological regenerative process occurring in you at the cellular level is far outside normal human parameters." He paused, staring at her intensely.

Lois stared back with equal intensity, recounting the words he just told her and an uncomfortable moment of silence passed between them. She broke the silence by saying, "Okay, does that mean I don't have cancer or I have something worse than cancer?"

He cocked his head. "Neither. But something is happening to you, Lois. You're body is changing."

"Believe it or not; I had that class in 5th grade, Doc," Lois quipped and Emil raised an eyebrow.

He smiled shrewdly, stood up and walked over to a credenza upon which a coffee maker sat. From his pocket, he extracted a set of keys and opened the center door, revealing four narrow drawers, all with locks on them. Working through the keys, he stopped at one and unlocked to bottom drawer. To her amazement, the four drawers were in fact another door front that opened to reveal a safe.

"Cool!" Lois exclaimed.

"Very cool," he replied. "Courtesy of Mr. Wayne," he added. "The safe itself is actually welded onto the steel I-beam inside the wall." He touched several lighted keys and then placed his left thumb on a pad. "That makes it impossible to steal but a little difficult to thoroughly shampoo the carpet," he quipped and Lois laughed. Two seconds later, a mechanism activated and the safe door opened. "Can't be too careful with this," he replied. He produced a file, closed all the doors and carried it to his desk.

"This is Clark's medical file," he announced, sitting back down. He went through it and pulled out a photograph taken through the lens of an electron microscope. He held it up. "This is Clark's DNA. This is your DNA." He placed them side-by-side and Lois looked at them closely.

"Okay, his is neater," Lois quipped. She looked up at Emil and he smiled. "They don't look a thing alike; nor would I expect them to." She looked back down at the photos and then back up at him. "Where are we going with this, Emil?"

The smile on Emil's face faded. "You don't see it?"

"See what?"

He frowned and turned the photo around to look at it himself. He turned it back around on the desk. Leaning over to his left, he opened a desk drawer, rummaged around and pulled out a similar picture taken with an electron microscope of human DNA. He laid the picture next to that of Lois' DNA. "See the difference?"

The difference was striking. She had seen the typical double helix structure of a normal human DNA strand before but like calculus, she didn't know exactly how it applied to the real world. Her DNA looked like three normal DNAs overlaid on top of one another and twisted together. Lois looked up at Emil with a puzzled look. "I see the difference now. What does it mean?"

"It means, Lois; you're becoming like him. Your body is changing its structure at the cellular level becoming more and more like his cell structure."

She shook her head to clear it. "What; am I going to start shooting fire out of my eyes now?"

Emil smiled. "Hardly," he said, chuckling.

"Well, that's a relief because my cooking has improved and that would set me right back to where I started." She grinned and Emil looked puzzled. "Nothing? Really?" she exclaimed. "Okay, never mind. So anyway, my DNA is changing; is that change life threatening?"

"I don't think so, Lois. It just means that because you and Clark have, um," he paused, cleared his throat and continued, "er, exchanged bodily fluids for thirteen years and his DNA is dominant, it has begun altering yours. It means you are now becoming more impervious to normal human afflictions and conditions."

She winced. "Can you flesh that out for me a little more, Doc? I understood everything up to the part about exchanging bodily fluids."

"Lois, DNA is the building block of the cell; it is like a set of instructions for the way a cell is developed; your genetic codes."

"Eleventh grade Biology class," Lois interjected. "I remember this part."

Emil grunted. "Unlike human DNA, Clark's cannot be destroyed by normal human processes. Between humans, exchanging bodily fluids has no effect on each other's DNA because they are the same form and the human bodily processes of, um…" he cleared his throat again, "uh, digestion and antibodies destroy foreign DNA." Lois pinched back a smile at Emil's discomfort. "But because your bodily processes cannot destroy his DNA and you cannot evacuate it very fast. It resides in you and begins to create cells based on its set of instructions."

She nodded. "So what you're saying is," Lois began, intending to have some fun at Emil's expense, "if I had, say, swallowed some of his DNA somehow, my body could not destroy it?"

Emil blushed, then squirmed and absently tugged at the collar of his shirt while trying to act detached. "Precisely!" he replied.

"So it would remain there like the chewing gum my Mom told me about when I was five?"

He smirked this time. "Now your body cannot naturally recreate the same cell structure as his immediately but over time, they begin to mutate. Cells are created and destroyed billions of times over and those new cells carry this altered set of instructions. Your cells are being altered by Clark's DNA and they carry a hybrid DNA. This hybrid DNA," he pointed at the picture of Lois' DNA, "creates hybrid or mutated cells. Between his DNA residing in you and your own transformed DNA, it's why your cell structure has changed over time. Your DNA has become more like his so your cells are regenerating more like his."

"But bullets won't ever bounce off me, right?"

Emil chuckled. "No, but from the stories I've heard I imagine if that happened it would free up a lot of Clark's time." Lois grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "His cells are crystalline-based; extremely dense. Yours will always be carbon-based so you won't deflect bullets. But Clark is immune to human disease and his dense molecular structure makes him impervious to heat, cold and injury." He paused. "While you'll never be impervious to those things you will be far less vulnerable to them than the average human. Does that clear it up?"

Lois cocked her head. "But you said what you had to tell me is a matter of life and death. It sounds like all good news so far. I mean, as long as this doesn't kill me, then it's all good, isn't it?"

He cocked his head to mimic hers. "Lois, I said it was urgent; not life and death. And yes, it is good news so far," Emil said with a quick smile, "but there's more. Your altered DNA and cellular structure means that all of the old rules have changed, Lois."

She arched her eyebrows and thought for a moment. "Well, I'm pretty sure you're not talking about Lois Lane's Rules of Reporting so what old rules are you referring to?"

Emil sat back in his chair. "Let me put this file away first," he said, taking the photographs of both Lois and Clark's DNA and shoving them into the file folder. "You understand now why I couldn't discuss this over the phone and asked you to come in, right?" Lois nodded.

He got up and placed the file back to the safe, secured it and returned to his desk. "Yesterday, you mentioned to me that you thought that you'd had a case of food poisoning recently; is that right?" he asked as he sat down in his chair.

"Yes."

"Food poisoning is caused by harmful bacterium which exists in spoiled or improperly sanitized food. That harmful bacteria attacks and your body responds through its natural immune system to kill and eliminate the attacking bacteria. That process causes you to experience gastrointestinal problems, fever; a whole host of problems." Emil raised an eyebrow. "So after what I just told you about your body becoming more impervious to disease and injury, do you have any other explanation for your frequent vomiting?"

"Um, let's see. It's not food poisoning," she said slowly.

He nodded. "Go on," Emil prompted.

She narrowed her eyes. "It's…the changes occurring in my body that are making me sick." Lois sat back with a pleased smile on her face.

"In a manner of speaking; yes. There is a big change occurring, Lois, and it's one we have to address pretty quickly." A strange expression appeared on his face. "Lois, when was the last time you had your period?"

"I don't know; I guess about, um…" she suddenly stopped, now understanding what Emil might be implying. She blinked. Suddenly her breath caught in her chest and her throat burned. "Wait," she croaked as tears began to pool in her eyes. "Are you saying I may be…pregnant?"

"No, Lois." He sat back and laced his fingers behind his head looking amused. "I'm saying that you are pregnant." He raised an eyebrow. "I'll bet they didn't include that part in your 5th grade class, did they?"

For the next hour, Lois was frequently beset by tears of joy, interspersed with feelings of dread. As wonderful as the news had been, Emil warned her not to get too excited because the pregnancy was extraordinary and there was no telling whether Lois would successfully carry the baby to term or not. He also warned that the baby would be part Kryptonian and said that if she carried it beyond six months, it may begin to kick like a normal child except that its strength could potentially cause internal injuries and even be life-threatening to her.

Together, they developed a plan for Lois to continue seeing Dr. Walker. Emil called her and explained that Lois had the exotic viral infection that he had seen once before in Haiti and had prescribed a developmental treatment that was isolated to the infected area. He ordered that no further tissue specimens should be taken for Mrs. Kent under any circumstances for fear of it disrupting the treatment. Dr. Walker agreed to comply with Emil's order and thanked him for his efforts, then spoke with Lois to set up a prenatal examination schedule.

Lois hugged Emil and kissed him on the cheek as she left his office, leaving him somewhat stunned but glad that he could deliver such happy, albeit complex news to her. He was relieved that she was excited to be pregnant because he had feared the opposite response. If she had wanted to abort the pregnancy, he would have obliged but was quite unsure of how to achieve that safely.

Driving back to the Planet she began to consider how she would tell Clark that they were going to be parents. She knew he would be happy and excited but as Emil said, there was a strong potential for her body to reject the fetus.

Lois toyed with the idea of waiting until she was a little more secure in the knowledge that she could carry the baby to term. Then a more gripping thought occurred to her: would Clark become more overprotective of her than he already was?

His over-protectiveness was an endearing trait but had also been a major source of disagreement over the last thirteen years. Ever since she learned his secret, Lois periodically had to tell Clark to back off and let her be herself. Over the years he had gotten much better about it but would knowing that she was carrying their child resurrect that?

"Mrs. K," Jimmy called as she stepped in to the elevator in the lobby. She saw Jimmy coming in from the street holding a bundle of bags from a photography store in each hand. "Could you hold the elevator please?"

"Sure," she replied. He climbed in and asked for the fifth floor. "Wow! Are you opening your own studio, Jimbo?"

"Not on my salary," he replied. "I got to use the Planet charge card to upgrade our photography equipment." He held up the bags. "We're finally going to be able to put our own video on the Planet website now. I convinced Mr. White that having our own video clips could help lure people back to the newspaper instead of just watching the TV news broadcasts."

She patted him on the back. "Good thinking, Olsen."

He beamed. "That's what Mr. White said. Now, I hope it works," he said with a sheepish grin. "Hey, next time you see Superman, would you ask him if he would do a video interview with you at some point? We could put it on the web as an exclusive."

"I don't see why not, Jimmy."

"The lunchtime news said Superman was over in Honduras helping free people trapped by the mudslides; maybe he could give you an exclusive about that!"

"I'll see, Jimmy. I don't know when he'll be free and it might be old news by then. If it isn't, I'll ask."

"Great! There isn't much newsworthy around here these days, is there?" Jimmy asked.

Lois pinched off a smile. "Let me think. Nope; no front page material at least," she replied.

"Mrs. Kent, you've got your color back," Jimmy observed.

"I didn't know that I had lost it in the first place, Jimmy," she replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "I appreciate you saying it but on the other hand, it sort of gives me the creeps to think you're staring at me enough to notice."

"Oh; I didn't mean to sound like I've been staring at you Mrs. Kent. I only meant that you look a lot better today than a couple weeks ago in the basement. I was only…"

"Relax, Jimmy," she interrupted. "I'm just pulling your leg. It's nice to know that someone other than Clark notices when I'm not quite myself."

"Oh. Well you look better than your normal self today; you look really different…in a good way."

"Glowing?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, now that you mention it; yes," Jimmy said. "You look happy and like you're in a better mood than usual."

"Thanks." Lois shifted her eyes back and forth. "Wait, what did you mean by that last part?"

Jimmy's face turned red. "I didn't mean it like that…"

"Olsen; maybe you should just…"

"Drop it?"

"Yes," she concluded.

"Right," Jimmy said and an uncomfortably silence built. As the elevator stopped, he added, "But you do."

Lois rolled her eyes and the door opened onto the fifth floor. Jimmy scurried out.

"See you later Mrs. K," he called.

Once the door closed, Lois smiled.

Chapter Eight

Lois watched the news reports from Honduras where mudslides had taken the lives of over 2,000 men, women and children in several remote villages. The rains had ended and recovery efforts were in full swing. Superman was credited with saving tens of thousands of people by transforming several large slides into solid sheets of displaced earth using his heat vision and by strategically carving out four huge reservoirs where rain and mud accumulated. Those reservoirs prevented the walls of earth and water from leveling at least thirty-seven small towns and villages located in valleys throughout the mountainous country.

His efforts continued, according to the reports, helping rescue several hundred people trapped in collapsed houses that had been engulfed by the mud and rain. Despite his efforts, the number of dead or presumed dead had been heart-wrenching.

International relief agencies had arrived and more help was on the way. Temporary housing, medical facilities, and food supplies were arriving every hour as the Honduran government...

Lois turned the television off, picked up her purse, and prepared herself for another night alone. She checked her cell phone to see if Clark had responded to her text from earlier in the day. He had not. After what she had just seen she was not surprised. Lois knew that Clark was probably exhausted from two days of nonstop work saving as many people as he could.

Seeing the tragedy and suffering that had occurred in Honduras made Lois reassess her worries. Seeing glimpses of him and hearing of his efforts to save people he never met made her feel small. She felt ashamed for worrying about whether Clark would be hyper-protective when whole families had been lost; generations wiped out in minutes. Children were left without parents and parents without children despite his best efforts. It gave Lois a new perspective.

After arriving at their apartment, she shed her clothes and took a long, hot bath while a pan of frozen lasagna cooked in the microwave. It had been a hell of a day and while she soaked in the soothing hot water, she alternated between wide smiles and tears. Her heart raced with excitement that was mixed with a healthy dose of fear. She looked at her stomach and wondered when she would start seeing the bump.

Dr. Walker had estimated the baby would arrive in late April or early May, saying that a sonogram could better predict the date at her first exam. She wondered how close to Clark's birthday the child would be born. Emil warned her not to place much stock in Dr. Walker's estimate because her pregnancy could not be compared to a normal human pregnancy. There was no way to estimate the Kryptonian gestation period or its influence, if any, on human fetal development.

Lois began to think about the order in which she should tell people. She couldn't wait to tell Martha. She knew that the elder Mrs. Kent would be as excited as she was and would be a big help to her. Perry would be next. Then Lucy would be next, followed by the General. Lois would want Clark to tell Oliver and Dinah given Dinah's response to the mention of children a couple weeks earlier. She was sure that Clark would also tell Bruce, the two were like brothers now, but she wanted to tell Diana.

Reaching up with her foot, she turned the hot water knob to warm up the water. With the weather getting cooler, longer hot baths were in her future and she loved lounging in the large soaking tub Clark had installed two years ago.

After her bath, she re-heated the lasagna. She had lounged in the tub so long that her meal had heated and then cooled. As Lois ate, she felt so much better about her pregnancy. Soaking had given her time to reflect without the distractions of the world around her. No matter what cautions had been given, she knew in her heart that the baby would be born and they would have a son or daughter together. Their legacy would be more than just a chapter in the world's history; it would be a child to carry their endeavors forward.

Her phone rang and she picked it up and saw Martha's name on the display. "Hi Mom," she answered.

"Hello Sweetheart. Has Clark gotten home yet?"

"No," she replied, surprised by the disappointment in her voice. "He's still down there. I haven't heard from him but I saw what he's been up to so I'm not surprised."

"Yes, I saw it on the news too. What a horrible tragedy!" she said and then paused. "Howareyoudoing?"

"Well, other than missing Clark I'm doing fine, Mom. Actually, I'm doing better than fine; I'm…" she paused. Lois wanted to tell Martha their big news so badly but she wanted Clark to be the first to know. She grimaced. "…I'm absolutely great!"

"I'm so relieved to hear that, Lois. I've been thinking about you a lot after your last visit. I was hoping that some of the things we talked about helped."

"They definitely did. I have a whole new outlook on things right now."

"That's so wonderful to hear, Sweetheart. I know how heart-wrenching that issue can be and I'd hoped that sharing some of our experiences with the same situation would help make you understand that you're not alone."

Lois felt her eyes pooling. "Mom, you're the best."

They talked a little longer before Martha said she was ready to turn in for the night. Lois thanked her again for the call and hung up. She put the remainder of the frozen lasagna in a plastic contained and stored it away in the refrigerator. She turned out the lights, brushed her teeth and went to bed.

When Lois got off the elevator the next morning, she heard Perry's voice. As she rounded the corner, she saw his back in the doorway and her heart leapt in her chest when she heard Clark's voice.

"Excuse me, Perry," she said as she slipped past him.

Clark smiled. "Good morning, Sleepyhead," he said to her and looked back at Perry. "Start small, Chief. Rent a tiller, lay down some of that organic fertilizer I suggested, and then till it again to mix it in good. Do it before the first freeze. Then go with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash in the early Spring; they're the easiest to grow when you're getting started."

"Thanks Clark. That's just the type of information I was looking for." He looked at Lois. "I told Lois yesterday, no one else around here seems to have a clue about things like this."

Clark smiled. "No problem, Perry. If you want some help with a fence, just let me know. I'd be happy to stop by some weekend and give you a hand."

"He means that, Chief," Lois added, snapping on her monitor and sitting down.

"Well I'll leave you two alone to finish whatever you have going on," Perry said and left the office.

Once he was a safe distance away, Lois jumped up and raced around her desk and caught Clark getting to his feet. She gave him a long passionate kiss and he held her tightly, taking full advantage of her soft, full lips and breathing in the intoxicating fragrance of her perfume. "God I've missed you," he said when they broke.

"I've been so lonely without you," she replied. "I thought you'd never get back."

He pulled her back into a hug and held it, eyes closed and head laid against hers. He wanted to listen to her heartbeat, to feel her body pressed against him and to be enveloped by the comforting love she provided.

It didn't happen often but the times it had were burned like brands on her mind. Clark was passionate and he loved touching her. But just holding her like he was doing then was more than passion; it was therapy. He had experienced tragedy and human suffering that he could not prevent; people had died that he wished he could have saved. It happened before and his embrace told her that it had happened again in Honduras. Beneath the usual demeanor that he displayed for Perry moments earlier was a grief-stricken Superman; one that had worked nonstop for two days to prevent further tragedy and save lives but was full of regret that he had not been able to save them all. Holding her helped. It was one of the most important roles she played for him. She was his rock in the storm and he was clinging to her now.

When he finally released her he whispered how much he had thought about her during his absence and just how lucky he knew he was that she would be waiting for him when he got home.

"When did you get home?" she asked.

"About four this morning. I didn't want to wake you so I grabbed some clothes and left. I got cleaned up here." He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "I told Perry that I had to come in early to finish something up when he saw that I was here."

"Did you get my text yesterday?"

"Yes; thanks. When he popped in, I said that you told me about his interest in doing a little farming and that's where the conversation started." He attempted a smile.

"Good. I also told him that you were following up on a tip at the Honduran embassy that alleged the problems the mudslides caused were the result of some kickbacks in the Honduran government. So if he asks, that's where you were yesterday; trying to get a source."

"Okay; thanks." He leaned forward and kissed her chastely.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee, Honey?" Lois asked, moving to the small coffee maker they had in their office.

He looked at his cup. "Sure, thanks," he replied, staring out the window at the Metropolis cityscape. "It was pitiful, Lois. Those people have so little and in an instant, they lost so much. They are good, decent people and it's horrible to see them suffering the way they are."

"Honey, you saved tens of thousands of people," she began, handing him a clean cup. "You inspired governments around the world to send help. You can't blame yourself or feel bad because you couldn't save them all. No one expects you to save them all. They are simply inspired by all that you did to save those you saved and that prevented those cities and villages from being leveled."

He gave her a weak smile but did not respond. Instead he sipped his coffee and gazed again out the window.

"You have to be exhausted," Lois said.

"I think I'm past being tired; I'm just kind of numb right now."

"What about food? Have you had anything to eat today?"

He shook his head. "I didn't feel like eating, Lois. I did all I could do down there and I just needed to come back and be with you." He turned and faced her. "You were sleeping so soundly and I didn't want to wake you."

"I wish you had," Lois replied.

"Anything new happen around here that I missed?"

She suppressed a smile. "Well, let's see. I finished up my story on the bank executive that Superman caught stealing from the vault after the bank closed; thank you very much. Jimmy bought a whole lot of new photography equipment and wants Superman to do a video interview about Honduras that he can put on the Planet website. I talked to Mom last night; she was asking about you." Lois paused. "Let's see, is there anything else? Oh yeah," she said, "Emil called."

He frowned. "Emil called? What did he want?"

"Oh, after I had my annual female exam and I mentioned to her that I had been throwing up, my doctor called him."

He set his coffee cup down and leaned forward. "Why would she do that?"

"I guess one of the tissue samples she took during the exam came back with some abnormality and she wanted Emil to look at it since he was our family practice doctor."

Clark expression turned from curious to alarm. "Abnormality? Lois, is everything okay?"

"I think so," she replied. "Emil just wanted to do run some tests to make sure that the abnormality was not some disease. My doctor thought it might be the beginning of cervical cancer."

He leaned forward. "And I take it that she was wrong?"

"Of course she was, Clark. If I had cervical cancer, don't you think I would have told you that by now?"

"I would like to think so." He sat back and swallowed the last bit of coffee left in his cup. "So," he began playfully, "Emil called you in for some tests, did he?"

He grinned and it was the smile that Lois had been waiting to see. It was his grin that told her that he had begun to put away the grief and pain his time in Honduras had caused and was ready to accept the fact that he did everything in his power to help and save those unfortunate people. His grin told her that he was in a frame of mind that could fully embrace the rest of the story that she had to tell him.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Two days ago and it took almost all afternoon."

"I know how much you enjoy his company, Lois. It must have been a real treat for you to spend the whole afternoon with Emil," he teased.

"My God, Clark; it was awful. Under any other circumstances I love being around Emil. But to see him professionally?" she said, exhaling audibly, "It just sucks and you know it."

Clark couldn't help but chuckle. He knew how much Lois hated seeing Emil because he would perform every diagnostic test he could no matter how insignificant the complaint. "So I take it Emil cleared up the confusion?"

"Oh yes," Lois replied. "After a million tests, he concluded positively that I was not stricken with cervical cancer…or any other affliction previously known to man."

Clark was now wearing a wide smile at Lois' tale of her visit to see Emil. "Previously known to man? Do you have something wrong with you that is not previously known to man?" he said, jokingly.

"Not wrong, exactly," Lois replied. "I have something."

The smiled faded from his face. "What do you mean? You're not sick or anything, are you?"

Lois suppressed a smile. "You know Emil," she began. "It's difficult to get a simple answer from such an intelligent man. But when you ask him to explain it in layman terms, then he gives you a lecture that is probably worth credit hours at some colleges. It's not an illness or an affliction." She paused, "It's more like a growth."

"I don't like the way that sounds," Clark said warily. "What did he mean by a growth?"

Lois walked over and sat on the corner of his desk. "Well, the whole thing is rather complicated. Do you want the brilliant Emil version or the Lois Lane-Kent simple version?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Clark stood and stepped to her, taking her by the shoulders. "Lois; tell me that whatever it is that Emil found, you're going to be okay."

"There's nothing to be worried about, Honey. I'm going to be fine and so are you." She smiled and tears began to pool in her eyes.

"Lois?" he said, anxiety building in the pit of his stomach at the sight of her tears. "What is wr..."

"Nothing," she interrupted, putting a finger to his lips. She stroked the hair on the side of his head and a tear streaked down her right cheek. "In fact," she continued, staring lovingly into his eyes, "after what Emil found we're going to be more than just fine, Smallville. We're going to be parents."

Chapter Nine

"In fact," she continued, staring lovingly into his eyes, "after what Emil found we're going to be more than just fine, Smallville. We're going to be parents."

Clark stared at Lois for an instant longer, processing the words she had just spoken. Her eyes had overflowed and now more tears traced down her cheeks. She was giggling and crying at the same time. He pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Parents?" he asked. Lois nodded, too emotional to speak. His throat began to tighten, finding it difficult to swallow. He thought he had misunderstood. "How is that even possible?" he exclaimed, stunned. "Is he sure?"

"Yes," she croaked.

He pulled her close against him and felt her chest heave with laughter and sobs. Tears formed in his eyes at the thought of having a child with Lois. He held her, taking in the moment and the world seemed to spin before him. Hundreds of thoughts flashed through his head and none were complete. I'mgoingtobeafather. It was something he never even imagined thinking.

"How is…it possible?" Lois replied as she began to gain her composure. "Do you want to the Lois Lane-Kent simpleton version…or…do you want Emil's 5th grade honors course version on how a girl's body changes?" she asked, laughing.

Clark wiped the moisture from his eyes and chuckled incredulously. "This is unbelievable," he exclaimed. "We're going to be parents!" He let her go and she sat back on the corner of his desk. "Who knows?"

"Emil, Dr. Walker, you and I,' she replied, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"And when did you find out?"

"Yesterday afternoon." She paused. "I was going to call you and tell you but I knew you were busy and I wanted to tell you in person."

"I'm glad you waited," Clark replied.

Her smile flickered. "I wanted to tell Mom last night but I wanted you to be there or be the one to tell her. I think we should go tonight and see her just for an hour or so to tell her the news."

"She's going to be on Cloud Nine when she hears this," he replied.

"But before we tell anyone else, there are some things you need to know," Lois said in a more serious tone. "First, even though I'm pregnant, Emil says there's no guarantee that I'll be able to carry the baby to full term. He didn't say I wouldn't, Clark;" she added quickly, "it's just there's no track record on this type of thing with people and he said my body could end up rejecting the baby."

Clark nodded. "How do you feel about it?"

"Oh, there's no question about it; I'm having this baby," Lois said resolutely. "I'm going to deliver our child sometime next year. He said it's going to be half Kryptonian and half human. Duh!" Clark smiled. "He also said that since Kryptonian gestation periods aren't exactly a matter of scientific record, the baby could come sooner than nine months or later and we won't know. Again, no track record on this." She ended it with a smile.

"Is that it?"

"That's all the important stuff."

He shook his head in amazement. "I don't understand how it happened. Jor-El and Emil both told me it wasn't possible."

"Emil said, 'the old rules have changed' and then went in to some long dissertation about my DNA being altered." She snorted. "If you want anything more concrete than that, you'll definitely have to ask Emil. He wore me out with it."

He frowned. "He didn't say how my DNA has altered yours?"

"Well, he was so uncomfortable explaining exactly how that could have occurred," she said with a wink. "It was hilarious."

Clark smiled visualizing Emil trying to explain it. "But altering your DNA, Lois; that's a little scary."

"What; do you think I'm a mutant now?" she asked playfully, cocking her head.

He chuckled. "No. But I was worried about the effects on you that altered DNA may have."

She pushed herself off the desk. "He said that my body was becoming more like yours," she said, plopping down on his lap, "but don't worry, Smallville; I won't be growing any new appendages."

Clark grinned. "That's reassuring."

She laughed. "It is, isn't it? He said my body would become more resistant to disease, illness and, I quote, 'the human condition'; whatever in the hell that means. It all sounded good." She put her arms around his neck. "I'd just be happy with being able to eat as many maple donuts as I want without having to worry about getting fat!"

Clark sat holding Lois, letting it all register. She leaned up against him, putting her head in the cove of his shoulder. "I'm so excited, Honey. All the stuff that's been happening to me with the dreams and getting sick; it all makes sense now."

"And how do you feel now?"

"I feel wonderful. The morning sickness will pass and I don't think I'll have those dreams anymore. I think they were my mind telling me my body was changing and to get ready! But even if I do have more, they won't bother me."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I feel like we should be celebrating but it's only 8:50 in the morning."

"I know. I was hoping you'd fly back last night so we could celebrate properly. A little non-alcoholic bubbly, a bath for two with just some candles, and then a little nocturnal aerobics," she whispered. Lois paused and then said, "I have an idea; let's skip out after lunch. I'm all caught up; I'll ask Perry." She sat up. "After a romantic afternoon, we'll go see Mom and tell her the good news."

"Sure; I'm in," Clark replied. "I'm looking forward to seeing Mom's reaction."

"But she's it. I don't want to tell anyone else right away." She grimaced. "Well, I guess we should tell Perry in case there are complications." She paused. "Oh, and I'll have to tell Lucy of course; and the General, too." She rolled her eyes upward and then back and forth. "Yeah, that's it. I don't want to jinx this pregnancy in any way. We can let the rest know once I'm a little further along."

Their afternoon was therapeutic for Clark. Following Lois' plan, they went home, slipped into a warm bath together and then spent two hours making love. Given the news, their lovemaking was less recreational and more passionate than usual, leaving both exhausted. They lay in a heap of twisted sheets and tangled limbs, blissfully staring at one another until Clark dozed off.

Lois gingerly untangled herself, showered and dressed. It was 4:25 PM when she called Martha telling her they were coming for a visit if she was free.

Martha sounded guardedly happy that they were visiting her so soon and stopped short of asking if there was a problem. Lois could hear Martha's concern in her voice. "Mom, don't worry. Clark just got back and he needs to come out to the farm this time," she said. "We'll be out just after dark. But Clark wants to see you and after everything that has happened, it would be better that he talks to you in person rather than just on the phone."

Martha asked them to stay for dinner but Lois said that they already had plans and this was just going to be a quick visit. "Whataboutsomedessertthen?" Martha asked. "I baked a few pies this afternoon. Conner loves pie!" she said, chuckling.

"Who doesn't?" Lois exclaimed and then compromised, telling Martha that they would have dinner in the city and come out to Smallville for dessert afterwards.

At 6:00 PM, she awakened Clark with a kiss. "It's dinnertime, Honey. I'm eating for two now."

He took a deep breath and smiled, then opened his eyes. He stared at her for a moment. "You know what's the best part of taking an afternoon nap?"

"For me it's waking up to find I turned it in to a whole night's sleep," she replied.

He smiled. "For me, it's waking up to see you twice in the same day."

She bit on her lower lip as she smiled and kissed him again. He pulled her on top of him and deepened the kiss. She ran her hands through the side of his hair, falling deeper into the moment before she abruptly stopped. "Nice try, Romeo. You almost had me there," she said. "But my stomach threw the yellow flag for illegal use of hands and told me it's time to eat." She raised herself off Clark and slid off the bed. "So chop, chop, Smallville. We're going to have dessert at Mom's afterwards." She winked. "We'll pick it up from here when we get back from the farm."

They dressed and ate dinner at an expensive, intimate bistro not far from their apartment that they had reserved only for special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, and when Grave Digger beat Bigfoot at last year's Monster Truck Rally. After a brief discussion ending with Lois warning Clark about being overprotective, they split a glass of red wine and toasted their good news. Lois ordered a large New York strip, medium rare, with a fully-loaded baked potato and steamed vegetables. Clark had the same.

"This tastes so wonderful," she exclaimed through a mouthful of the juicy steak. "It's like I've never eaten a steak before," she added.

"You were probably just hungry. Everything tastes better when you're really hungry," Clark replied. "I think we should go up North sometime soon and talk with my father. He may be able to provide some information that will be useful to Emil."

"That's a good idea." Then Lois laughed. "He'll short-circuit when you tell him. It wouldn't be the first time he was wrong and he seems to get a little snippy when that happens."

"Snippy?"

She snorted. "Yeah; snippy!" She held her fork out with a piece of steak skewered, "It's not like he's the warmest person on the face of the Earth to begin with but you can hear how his tone changes when his facts are proven wrong. Remember what he said about Kara and how he sounded when that never panned out?"

Clark scratched his head. "I never noticed, I guess."

"Well, wait until you tell him the news," she replied with a big grin. "There will be crystals shattering and lights flashing…and not in a good way! And he'll take on this snippy tone. I hope you know where the fuse box is for that place."

They finished their meal and left the restaurant around 7:30 PM. It was dark and Lois called Martha telling her they would be there shortly. After returning to their apartment, they went to the terrace and Clark flew Lois to the Kent Farm, arriving just before 7:40 PM.

"Oh good," Martha exclaimed, "The coffee just finished brewing. Come on in and let's have some dessert." They exchanged hugs and kisses in the foyer and moved to the kitchen.

They had not discussed exactly how to break the news to Martha but had agreed that if Conner was there, they'd ask him for some privacy. They both felt that the moment belonged to the three of them.

In the kitchen, Conner was huddled over a large slice of cherry pie. "Hi Clark; Lois," he said. He stood up, hugged them and then went back to work on his piece of pie. "These pies are worth coming here from Metropolis to eat. Heck, I'd travel halfway around the globe for a slice of this!"

"Oh," Martha exclaimed, "it's just a pie, Conner, but thank you for the compliment. It's just wonderful seeing someone enjoy something you've created."

Lois snorted and Martha spun around, giving her a quizzical look. "Your pies aren't 'just a pie', Mom," she recovered. "They're world-class delicacies. Kon is right."

After blushing a bit, Martha returned to the cupboard and pull out some clean mugs. "Well, they're made with love and I guess that always makes things better," she declared, pulling two plates out.

Clark looked at Lois and grinned. "A lot of things are like that, Mom," he added. "Conner, Lois and I need to talk to Mom in private. Would you…"

"Aw man," Lois groaned. She looked at Clark. "I'll be right back," she said and dashed off up the stairs.

Conner rose. "I'll take this to my room," he said. He looked at Martha. "If this is going to take a while, can I take the whole thing, Aunt Martha? I don't want to interrupt you guys."

She gave him an exasperated look. "Yes, Conner; I have others," she said, "But I can't be making pies everyday so you have to slow down on them."

"I will; I promise. Thanks," he said, grabbing his plate and the rest of the pie. He went upstairs and then came downstairs quickly. "Lois is throwing up in the bathroom, Clark."

"Okay, thanks Conner." The boy looked surprised but went back to his room.

Martha looked distressed. "Clark, don't you think you should go up there and see what's wrong?"

"I know what's wrong, Mom. She'll be fine in a few minutes," he added.

"Clark Jerome Kent! Your wife needs you and you need to…"

Martha was interrupted by the toilet flushing upstairs and Clark gave her an 'I told you so' look but Martha scowled at him. The water in the sink ran for a few moments and then Lois came bounding down the stairs.

"Sorry, sorry," she said. "God; and that was such a good meal!" she complained.

"Are you okay, Dear?" Martha asked. "Did the flight upset your stomach?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Now you probably don't feel like eating dessert," she remarked, handing Lois a cup of coffee.

"Are you kidding? Pie on an empty stomach sounds wonderful," she replied, handing her coffee to Clark. "I'm starving again…and maybe a glass of milk would be better on my stomach, Mom."

"That's fine, Dear; it's in the refrigerator. Now, I have strawberry, cherry and apple pie. Which would you like, Sweetheart?" she asked, purposely snubbing Clark.

"Strawberry!" Lois said excitedly and Martha grabbed her mittens.

"I'll get it Mom," Clark said, reaching into the warm oven and pulling it out. He put it on a trivet and moved it to the table.

Martha cut the pie, put pieces on plates and distributed them. She sat, looking at Lois. "Are you sure you feel like eating with an upset stomach and all, Sweetheart? I won't be offended."

"It's not what you think," Lois replied, patting Martha's hand and looking at Clark. He nodded slightly. Her eyes began to glisten. "That wasn't motion-sickness, Mom; it's morning sickness. You're going to be a grandmother."

Martha's mouth gaped. She looked at Clark who was smiling at her and she looked back at Lois whose eyes were pooling. Martha tried to speak but couldn't and tears flowed from her eyes. She got up and moved to Lois who rose to accept her embrace.

Clark stood up and walked to the two of them. The two women were crying and muttering things to one another that he couldn't comprehend. Clark grew emotional seeing his mother so happy.

Eventually, Martha turned to Clark and hugged him fiercely. He kissed her on the cheek. "We wanted to tell you in person, Mom. I'm sorry if we made you worry."

She tried to reply but couldn't get the words out for a few moments. Finally she recovered. "After news like that, no amount of worrying would ever bother me, Son. I'm so happy for the both of you…and for me, too," she laughed, wiping tears from her face. "My Lord! I never dreamed I'd be a grandmother."

Chapter 10

Clark was finishing his follow up article on the Metrorail derailment with findings by the Metropolis City Engineer. Faulty speed inhibitors on the engine pulling the train had been the root cause of the accident. A further investigation by the State Department of Transportation was underway to determine if it was an isolated incident or if there were any additional engines that posed a threat. His article was nearly completed when Perry burst in to his office.

"Congratulations, Clark!" he said in a boisterous tone that was usually reserved for a major scoop. "Lois just told me the good news and I'm truly very happy for both of you!"

Clark stood up. "Thank you, Chief." Perry moved in and began pumping his hand. "I guess Lois told you that we were planning to keep it low-key until she's a little more secure in the pregnancy, right?"

"Yes, yes!" Perry replied. "I just couldn't help myself. The Planet is a family and when families grow from here, I just get excited. But your secret's safe with me; I never betray a source," he added, chuckling.

"Well, thank you." Clark wrenched his hand free. 'I know Lois was so excited and she wanted you to be the first to know here at the Planet."

He nodded excitedly. "And I told her that if she needs time off to rest or go to appointments or whatever; she doesn't have to ask. Same goes with you. If you need to take her somewhere or make her go home and lay down, then by all means you do it! She's like a daughter to me, Clark." He scowled. "I want you to take good care of her and I don't want this job interfering with that; you got that? You two mean more to me than some headline stories for a few months…at least until that baby's born," he added, grinning, "and then there may be someone else who takes your place!" He chortled.

"That's very kind of you, Perry. I'll take care of Lois but you'll have to help me slow her down. She accuses me of being overprotective of her and if I try, she gets pretty adamant."

"Say no more! I'm on it like Woodward and Bernstein on Watergate!" He beamed. "Lord almighty it feels like I'm having a grandchild," he said wistfully. "You know, Alice and I were too old to start a family when we got hitched. I always felt like Lois was my daughter for some reason. I think it's because she has ink in her blood, Clark." He laughed. "Now I feel like my own flesh and blood is going to have a child and I want her to have the time she needs." He lowered his voice. "She told me there may be complications though," he said with a troubled look.

"Chief, I think that's the doctor just being cautious. It may not be the most normal pregnancy…given her age that is…but I don't think there's that much to worry about."

"That's good to hear, Son. I would hate for anything to happen to her or that baby."

"Well, if we have to cut out early some days, I'll try to let you know when we do, Chief," Clark reassured Perry.

"That's fine but she's your first priority, Clark. Okay?"

"Yes sir," he replied.

"Okay, I'll let you get back to what you're doing. I just couldn't wait to tell you how happy I am for you…for us!" he bellowed and laughed.

"Thanks, Chief," Clark said as Perry left the office. He smiled to himself; Perry seemed almost as excited as he had been.

"I wish Chloe was still around," Lois said, staring out the window at Metropolis. "Don't you know she would have been excited? She would have been a great aunt for our baby to have. She could have taught her niece or nephew everything it needed to know about computers." Lois chuckled. "Then the kid could have taught me."

Clark smiled. He had hated to see Chloe go too. He would have enjoyed seeing her light up at the news and later watching her play 'auntie' to their child.

They had some turbulent years that had strained their friendship but he would always consider her a friend and be grateful for the role she played in helping him reach his destiny. In fact, he mused, had it not been for Chloe, he may never have met Lois. But she had her own destiny to pursue.

"Have you called Lucy or the General yet?"

"Not yet. I think I'll hold off a little while longer. I'm dying to tell Lucy and the General will be thrilled but I just want to make sure everything's going to be okay first, ya know? I don't want the General asking too many questions if this train goes off the rails."

"Sure; I understand completely. But I do think we need to take a trip up North. There are questions that can be answered that I think can make things a little clearer."

Lois smiled. "He's gonna get snippy."

Clark blurred Lois out of Metropolis after she got her coat. Once they were out of sight, he flew the rest of the way. She enjoyed flying because it was a slower pace and she could look around. But in broad daylight, Clark taking off with Lois within the confines of Metropolis was not practical.

They walked into the main chamber of the Fortress. Over the years, Clark had worked to make the Fortress a little less desolate and more hospitable for the times they went there together. It remained cool but the outside arctic temperatures were greatly moderated by the stored solar energy inside the crystalline structure and heat radiated from the stored energy.

Activating the console, the lights in the main chamber dimmed and Jor-El's image appeared. "Welcome,Kal-El.Whatisitthatyouseek,mySon?"

"Father, I came to ask you about the Kryptonian birth cycle. In Earth-months, how long would a Kryptonian fetus take to develop from conception to birth?"

"In Earth months, a Kryptonian fetus developed into a fully viable lifeform within five and one-half Earth months. Once fully viable, the infant would be typically born within the equivalent of one and a half additional Earth months. This is an odd topic, Kal-El. What motivates you to make such an inquiry?"

"Father, Lois and I are going to have a child."

"That is not possible, Kal-El. I have told you this on several occasions. You cannot extend our race with a human mate. Our biology is incompatible with humans."

"It is possible, Father. Lois is proof of that possibility. She is pregnant with a child; our child."

"Kal-El, countless Kryptonians traveled to Earth throughout our race's existence as a rite of passage. Many of those Kryptonians had physical encounters with one or more humans and those encounters never led to offspring. Humans lack the correct physiology to successfully mate with a Kryptonian."

"Father, in the past Kryptonians had a single contact with a human and it was insufficient to alter human DNA. But over time the human DNA can be altered by the more dominant Kryptonian DNA. It takes years, Father but once it is altered sufficiently, our DNA becomes compatible."

"Human DNA cannot be altered by introduction of Kryptonian DNA, Kal-El. The condition your mate experiences is a result of a psychological phenomenon arising from an unfulfilled desire to bear offspring. It is not uncommon in humans."

"Father, her cell structure has changed. Her DNA has mutated to the extent that her cells have begun to mimic Kryptonian cells."

A long silence ensued. "A mistake has been made or you have been purposely misled,Kal-El. However, I cannot make you believe that which you will not accept. I suggest you seek further answers for the condition of your mate. Now, are there any other matters of importance you wish to discuss?"

Lois nudged Clark, smiled and mouthed the words, 'I told you'. She rolled her eyes.

"Would a Kryptonian fetus, if carried by a human female, be capable of injuring her? Could it cause internal damage in the human by involuntary movements or spasms?"

"The source of a Kryptonian's powers on Earth is the yellow sun of that solar system, Kal-El. You know these things. Devoid of the influence of the Earth's yellow sun, no Kryptonian could acquire the powers one acquires when exposed to that sun. A Kryptonian fetus is still merely a fetus."

"Thank you, Father." Clark reached for the crystal but before he removed it, Jor-El's voice filled the chamber.

"Kal-El," the voice said softly. "I have told you before that you have chosen a worthy and noble mate to share the joys and sorrows of your life. No one would be pleased more than I to know that our lineage could continue on Earth beyond your lifespan. But scientifically, it is simply not possible to procreate outside of the Kryptonian race, my Son. I sense in you the desire for this not to be true but I assure you, it is and an heir with your human companion is not to be."

The chamber lit up when Clark removed the crystal. He turned to Lois. "Well, I think we got the answers we needed."

"Boy; is he going to be surprised in about eight months," she replied with a wink.

A month had passed since Clark and Lois visited the Fortress and spoke with Jor-El. The information that they had attained was passed on to Emil. He was relieved by the knowledge that the child growing inside Lois could do no internal damage to her. However, he continued to temper their expectations of a viable pregnancy.

Lois attended her first obstetric appointment with Dr. Walker alone because Superman was occupied in Wellington, New Zealand where he was being honored at an annual awards ceremony for his charitable service to humanity.

The result of the visit was uplifting; the baby appeared to be developing normally and Dr. Walker predicted the baby would be born in late April based on extrapolation.

A fetal monitor placed on Lois' abdomen detected the faint second heartbeat which brought tears to Lois' eyes. "Everything seems fine, Mrs. Kent," Dr. Walker declared. "Your baby appears to be healthy and developing normally. At your next appointment, we'll do a sonogram and take a look at your child, okay?" Dr. Walker hesitated. "One thing I needed to ask you though. You've been my patient for about six years, haven't you?"

"Um, yes; I think so," Lois replied while getting dressed.

"I don't know why I never noticed this in your file before but I think the date of birth is wrong. It lists you as 38 years old, not 28."

"I am 38," Lois replied, slipping on her pants.

"You are?" the doctor asked, surprised.

"Yes; why?"

"Oh," the doctor replied, "I thought you were younger than that. Being older means that you're going to have to take some additional precautions. I don't mean to imply that there are any dangers, Lois. But your age puts your pregnancy in a moderately higher risk category than I originally believed."

Lois came out from behind the modesty screen, adjusting the sweater she wore. "What does that mean exactly?"

"Well, nothing very restrictive," Joyce began. "But I'll want to prescribe you some different prenatal vitamins and set some limits on physical activities that you may or may not currently participate in."

Lois made a face. "Physical activities? Are you talking about sex or playing rugby?"

Joyce laughed. "You play rugby?"

"No, but I was just outlining the field for you." Lois said as she was putting on her coat.

"I mean limiting the amount of time on your feet; limiting any long-distance running you may do. Anything that might have a repetitive, jarring effect is not good for the baby." She paused. "I'm not talking about sex though," she quickly amended. "Sex is still on the table for you. In fact, sex is safe up to the moment of delivery but you will be the one who decides when that is taken off the table."

Lois smiled, "You don't know our sex life then," she quipped absently and then blushed, not intending to say it out loud. "Oops!" she said with a grimace.

Dr. Walker smiled as she wrote the prescription for the vitamins. "I assume any morning sickness you had has passed by now."

"Um hm."

She ripped the prescription from the pad and handed it to Lois. "Are there any questions you have for me, Mrs. Kent?"

"When should I expect to start showing?"

"By the end of the third month you should definitely notice a swelling."

"Well, the only things swelling right now are 'the Lane twins'. Clark seemed to notice that right away," she replied, grinning.

"And I doubt he complained," Joyce replied. "If he did, he would be the first." The doctor stood up. "Anything else?"

"I think that's it," Lois answered.

"Well, my assistant Janet will give you the updated care instructions if you'll wait a few minutes. I'll see you next month." Dr. Walker left the examination room and Lois followed, turning to head to the lobby.

Instructions in hand, Lois returned to the Planet. "You're just in time," Clark said as she came through the door. "Perry is having a meeting in ten minutes. How did everything go?"

"Great!" Lois replied. "The doctor said everything appears to be right on track. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat!" she said excitedly. "The baby's fine; I'm fine – even if I am old."

Clark frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because I'm 38, not 28, I'm in a moderately higher risk group so I can't play rugby anymore." She removed her coat and then chuckled. "You wouldn't believe what popped out of my mouth! I was so embarrassed."

"You? Embarrassed? It must have been pretty bad."

She sat and looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "Let's just say she's going to look at you differently when you come with me next month. She's going to do a sonogram."

They chatted for a while longer and then left for Perry's staff meeting. The meeting lasted for twenty-five minutes during which Perry went around from department chiefs to lead reporters asking each what their lead stories were and discussing them. He alternated between barking orders, giving praise, giving biting criticism, and motivational lines. Although the weather had signaled an early winter outside of the building, the crowded conference room was stifling by the end of the meeting.

When Perry dismissed group, they rose to leave when Lois' head began to spin and her knees buckled. A notebook she carried hit the floor and papers that had been stuffed in it flew out. Clark caught her as she swooned and gently set her down in the nearest chair. Her near-faint caused several people to gasp and cry out.

Lois was so light-headed that she felt limp and Clark began fanning her with a sheath of papers he had brought to the meeting. "Get her some water!" Perry shouted, sending nearly everyone scurrying. "Give her some air!"

Jimmy had just gotten off the elevator with a flower arrangement intended for a woman in the advertising department that had been delivered to the front desk in the lobby. As he rounded the corner the commotion caught his attention. "What happened?" he asked one of the reporters Perry had scattered.

"Lois Kent fainted; where's the nearest water cooler?"

"One floor down," he replied. Jimmy hurried to a vending machine a few steps from the elevator, set the flower arrangement down, bought a bottle of spring water and raced to the conference room; first to arrive with something for Lois to drink. "Here, CK!" Jimmy called out, tossing the plastic bottle to Clark.

"Nice work, Jimmy!" Perry shouted as he craned to see if Lois was okay; his concern evident. "How is she, Clark?"

Lois had regained her senses. "I'm okay, Perry," she said. "I just…I felt like I was blacking out." Clark had her sip the water and Jimmy wet a handkerchief with it and handed it to Lois. She used it to dampen her face which helped revive her. She blinked, took a few swallows of water and then a few deep breaths. "I'm okay now, Chief." She tried to stand but Clark told her to wait a moment.

Only a few members of the staff were left in the conference room, including Jimmy and Cat. She walked over and knelt beside Lois. "Are you okay, Lois?" she asked condescendingly, feigning concern. Lois glared at her but didn't reply.

Lois took another swallow of water and Jimmy picked up her notebook and papers. Among the papers were her prenatal care instructions. Jimmy quickly scanned it, smiled and stuffed it in with the rest of the strewn papers.

"I'll get back to work unless you need something else, Chief. I'll leave this on her desk, CK," he announced, holding up the notebook.

"No…good work again, Son," Perry said.

"Thanks Jimmy," Clark called as Jimmy left the room and headed directly to Lois' desk to deposit the notebook there. He looked at Lois. "You ready to stand up?"

"Yes, Clark," she replied in an irritated tone. "I was ready a few moments ago."

"Let me help you, Clark," Cat offered and before he could reply, positioned herself at Lois' side, gripping an arm. "Ready, Lois? Up!" she said.

"I felt dizzy, Cat; I'm not an invalid," Lois carped and shook free of Cat's grip. Clark slowly walked her to the hallway; Cat followed.

"If she needs to take the rest of the day off Clark, it's fine," Perry yelled out.

"I'm fine, Chief," Lois called back and Perry chortled.

Cat followed them to the elevator. "So Lois," she began, "Passing out in the middle of the day? What's the matter; did you skip breakfast or are you expecting?" she jabbed.

Lois turned. "Why yes, Cat; I am expecting," she replied matter-of-factly. She frowned. "You didn't know that already?"

The elevator doors opened and Clark followed Lois in, leaving Cat flummoxed in the hallway. When the doors closed Lois turned to Clark and shrugged. "Well, there goes our secret." They got off on their floor and went to their office. "By this time tomorrow," Lois began, "the whole building will know it."

They exited the elevator and headed for their office. "Maybe it's time you told Lucy and the General," Clark suggested. "You never know if it will end up in Cat's column or not," he added.

"You're probably right," she replied. Lois went through the door first and immediately stopped. She turned around and looked oddly at Clark. "When did you have time to do that?"

Clark peered around Lois' head and saw a single white rose on her desk. He looked at her. "I didn't do that," he admitted.

She turned back around, went to her desk and picked up the rose that was laid on top of her notebook. She smelled it and saw a folded note, written on a pink Post-It note that had been placed beneath the flower. She opened the piece of paper and smiled. "Maybe sooner than tomorrow," she said and read it aloud:

Congratulations, Mrs. Kent!

- Jimmy

"Word travels fast around here," she declared. Lois looked questioningly at Clark. He shrugged and shook his head. She sat down, smelled the rose once more and smiled.

End of Story

Read "Sanguine", the continuation of Gravidity.