Lois creased her pillow against her own head.
When she first heard that high-pitched noise, she thought she was dreaming. Having a nightmare, most likely.
"Weeew!"
Lois rolled over.
The noise will go away. It's just your imagination.
"Weeeeeeeeew!"
You're hallucinating, it's just your head playing tricks on you.
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!!"
Damn.
Lois stood up, irritated. What the hell was that? It reminded her of an ambulance wail. She put her bunny slippers and tried to follow the noise.
She walked downstairs. The Talon, of course, was dark. But the noise wasn't coming from inside. It was coming from outside.
Opening the Talon's back door, Lois shivered. It was still dark, and really cold out there.
The thing that reminded her of an ambulance wail was louder now.
Though her body was really cold, she felt something warm and disturbing running through her veins. She could recognize the noise now. It wasn't an ambulance.
It was a baby's cry.
Crap.
And it was extremely stifled, as if...
Lois looked at the huge trash can in front of her.
"Oh no."
Lois ran toward the trash can and opened it quickly.
She felt her stomach twisting. It WAS a baby.
"Oh my God..."
She covered her mouth with her hand and frowned as she looked at the little child, crying her heart out, with her eyes closed.
Lois hesitated a little, then clumsily took the baby in her arms.
She ran to her apartment saying "Oh my God," nonstop. She wrapped some covers around the baby, who was freezing cold. He had stopped crying.
Lois, in panic, immediately picked up the phone, dialing the number she knew so well.
It rang. And it rang. And no one was answering.
Until a very sleepy and annoyed voice said "Hello..."
"Clark, thank God, you've gotta help me, we have a big..." She stopped, looking at the baby she held precariously on her arms. "Well, a little problem, actually."
"A baby. A little, tiny, poor baby. In a TRASH CAN." Lois put one shaking hand on her forehead, sitting at the Kent's kitchen, drinking her coffee. It was 9 a.m. already. "What kind of MONSTER would do such a thing?"
"Weeeeeeeeeew!"
"It's okay, the baby is safe now." said Martha, serving more coffee to Clark, who was sitting beside Lois.
"Probably a father or a mother who couldn't raise her." said Clark, shaking his own head. Lois glared at him.
"Oh, of course, and that's the reason for solving all the problems in the world, isn't it?" she said, sarcastically, trying to ignore the "Weeeew" in the background of the conversation. "You can't deal with the problem, you throw it in a trash can." She growled.
"I didn't say that. Do you really believe I think it's right to abandon a child?" replied Clark, frowning.
"Weeeeeew!"
Lois glared at him.
"Things like that just piss me off, that's all. I mean, you made it, you deal with the consequences."
"Weeeew!"
"Yeah. But we still have to find her parents, or whoever left her there." started Clark.
"All the lightening that hit long ago you fried your brain, Smallville? You're going to turn back the kid to her heartless parents?" asked Lois, exasperated.
"No, Mrs. Smart-One. We just have to find them to see if she actually has a family that can keep her."
"Weeeeew!"
"I was kinda hoping Chloe could help us out when she comes back from Metropolis." said Clark.
"You seem to have a lot of knowledge about lost kids, Farmboy." noticed Lois, raising her eyebrows.
"It's not the first time I find one." He smiled to his mother. Lois raised her eyebrows even more.
"God, Smallville should have an orphanage just for kids found by Clark Kent."
He was going to reply, but...
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!"
"Oh Gooood, for HEAVEN'S sake, somebody PLEASE feed that baby!" Lois exclaimed, covering her ears with her hands.
"I just did it!" said Clark. Lois raised the eyebrows to him.
"YOU did it? No wonder she's crying." Clark glared at her, then rolled his eyes, as Martha tried to hold back her laughter. "Where is that whining thing, after all?" Lois followed the cry and walked toward the living room, where Martha had made a little bed to the little girl, putting a kind of fence around it, so the baby wouldn't creep away.
Lois stopped at the door, watching the baby girl cry and struggle, as Clark and Martha walked toward the little bed. Martha promptly held her.
"There you go, sweetie..." she said. The baby continued to cry.
"Here, let me try it." said Clark, taking the girl from Martha. Clark started to bounce the baby from one side to another.
"Oh, come on, Clark, you're making her tipsy!" said Lois, moving forward.
The girl opened her eyes and looked at him for a moment.
Clark looked at Lois triumphantly.
"See?" he said. "That's how it's done."
But before he could swagger any more, the baby closed her eyes and started screaming again. Clark looked incredulous.
"Weeeeew!"
Lois smirked.
"What were you saying, Clarkie?"
"Oy, shut up."
"Oh, kids, I just have to go to work, I have an important meeting today..." complained Martha, looking at the little girl. "I wish I could stay to help you out..."
"It's okay, Mrs. Kent. I'm on my way too---" started Lois. But Martha cut her off.
"Oh, no, dear, that's okay. In fact, you know what? I'll give a 'chief-of-staff' break. You can stay here and help Clark with the girl."
"Weeeeeeeeeew!"
Lois gasped and walked toward the door to talk to Martha. "What? No, no no no, I'll go to work---"
"It's okay, dear. Really. Don't worry, stay here. Bye bye, then!" Martha smiled as Lois watched her go with an expression of absolute panic on her face.
When they heard Martha's car leaving, Lois turned to Clark, who was still holding the yelling baby.
Clark smirked when he saw Lois's face.
"Weeeeeeeeeeew!"
"You can come closer, she doesn't bite, you know, Lois."
Lois glared. "How funny you are, Smallville, I'm roaring with laughter."
"Weeeeew!"
"Oh my God! The girl is a crying-machine!" said Lois. Clark ignored her and watched the baby.
"So? What are we gonna call her?"
"What?" she looked at him exasperated.
"We can't call her baby girl forever."
"Weeeeeeeeeeeew!"
Lois shrugged.
"Oh, I dunno, 'Crying-Machine' sounds good to me." she said, smirking. Clark rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Let it be registered that you don't want to help me to find a name for her. So don't interfere." he said.
"I wasn't planning to."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Weeeeeeew!"
They stared at each other, irritated, for a second.
"Allright..." started Clark, talking to the little girl. "What can we call you? Do you already have a name? Do you?"
"Yes, Clark, because, you know, she's going to answer you."
Clark threw a pillow on Lois, who laughed. Clark focused on the baby again.
"Let's see... you sweet little thing, you look like---"
"You know you get really idiot around babies? Oh, no wait, that's all the time." she teased. Clark ignored her.
"I could call you---"
"Weeeeeeeeeew!"
"Maybe if we just called her 'Weeeew'---"
"LOIS!" said Clark.
The baby stopped, scared, for a second, then started to cry even louder.
"Oh, great, Clark!! You scared her!! Now if I go deaf, will be all your fault!!" complained Lois, angry.
"That wouldn't be so bad!" he shouted.
But before she could reply...
"Weeeeeew!"
"RIIIIIING!"
Oh, great. To join the crying, the ring of the phone. Lois growled.
"I'm seriously going deaf today."
"RIIIIIING!"
"Weeew!"
Clark laughed and walked toward the door.
"Here, Lois, hold her a little, I have to pick up the phone---"
Lois raised her arms, refusing the girl Clark offered to her.
"Wha-what?" she asked. "No, I can't, not me! You're not gonna make me babysit this high-pitched little kid---"
"What? Why??" asked Clark. "Are you afraid, or something?"
Lois's cheeks flushed a bit.
"Weeew!"
"RIIIIIING!"
"I just... I don't... I don't know. I don't like babies. They kinda give me the goosebumps." she said, hesitantly. Clark looked at her for a second then laughed hard.
"Oh my God, you are paranoid! How is that this little kid is going to harm you?" he said. Lois glared at him.
"You can laugh all of you want. You won't change my mind."
Clark faced her. "Lois, it's just a baby."
Lois looked at the little thing screaming on Clark's arms.
"RIIIIIIIIIIING!"
"Weeeeeeeeeeeew!"
"Lois, I need to pick up the phone!!" insisted Clark.
"I can pick it myself---"
"Oh, for Pity's sake, just take her."
Before she could stop him, Clark put the baby on Lois's arms and ran to answer the phone.
Well, at least one of the noises had stopped.
Wait.
Silence.
There wasn't noises anymore.
Had she gone deaf?
No, she could hear Clark's voice speaking to whoever was on the other side of the phone line, on the other room.
Lois looked cautiously to the little baby on her arms.
She was looking up at her, with her blue eyes wide open.
Dear God, I hope she doesn't attack me.
"What are you looking at?" asked Lois. But the girl kept examining every inch of Lois's face, with her little mouth a bit opened.
Lois also noticed that, with that covers all over her and that baby clothes, the girl she wasn't cold anymore. She was really warm.
"Hey, you stop staring at me like that." said Lois. "Do you hear me? Stop staring at me---and---hey! What are you doing---" The baby had raised one hand towards Lois's face. "No, don't do that-- hey-- I don't like babies, I don't like---"
And the little girl went for the kill. She grabbed Lois's cheek with her small hand. Lois stopped complaining and simply watched the baby, confused. What the hell was she doing? Then the girl raised her other hand, and grabbed the other cheek, holding Lois's face with those minuscule hands. Lois surprised herself when she felt her own smile.
"Hey, that was a very low play, you know that?" she whispered to the little girl. "You know that, you puny thing?" The baby let slip a wonderful laugh, and to her own horror, Lois could felt her walls melting, with her own heart. She held the baby more carefully. "Oh, you're laughing at my face, aren't you?" The girl kept laughing. Lois pointed one finger to the baby's face. "Hey, stop laughing, are you listening, baby girl? Stop laughing---" The baby now held Lois's hand with her both ones. Lois rolled her eyes to herself when that actually felt really good. "Allright. You won. What do you want from me, huh, you tiny thing?" The baby just faced Lois, a smile playing across her lips. "You want me to get caught by Clark when he arrives?" The girl said something unrecognizable – or tried to. "Yeah, I know, I think he's a jerk too. Something we have in common, after all." Lois sighed. That's why she didn't like babies. They made her feel weak. Vulnerable. Afraid. She was afraid of actually liking them. "I can't keep calling you 'tiny thing', can I?" she said, finally.
"Bawawa..." said the little girl.
"Yeah, that's what I imagined." said Lois, with a smile. "Now, what could we call you? You definately have a 'Weeew' face..." joked Lois. But something came into her mind.
Weew. Wind.
Wendy.
Lois grinned.
"Wendy." she said. "I'm gonna call you Wendy. Huh? What do you think of that, Wendy? Is it approved?"
"Bawawawa..." said the little girl.
"Allright. Wendy it is."
Wendy smiled.
Lois didn't even know what she was doing. She started to bounce her from one side to another, slowly. The girl laughed happily.
"I learned that from Clark-The-Jerk, you know?" Wendy laughed even more and faced Lois in her own way, with her eyes wide open, carefully. "You are a very low player, you know that, Wendy? You have two little warm hands..." Lois traced her little hands with her index finger. "And you have big baby blue eyes... yes you have..."
Lois was still bouncing Wendy when she turned around to find a grinning Clark at the living room's door.
Lois's smile faded.
She was caught.
There was a brief moment of silence, when they both faced each other.
"I like 'Wendy'." he finally said, still grinning.
"Stop mocking me, Farmboy." said Lois, angry, turning around.
"I'm not mocking you, Lois."
She turned to Clark.
He wasn't.
She gulped.
Another silence.
Lois looked at Wendy. Her eyes were closing slowly.
"I think she's going to sleep." said Clark, low, over Lois's shoulder. She jumped a bit.
"What a wise remark, Smallville." said Lois, as low as he did.
They stood in silence for a second, Clark over Lois's shoulder, both watching while Wendy fell asleep.
Lois laid Wendy down on her bed carefully. She kept sleeping. When she turned to Clark, he was grinning again.
"Stop smiling this way or I'm going to kick your butt." she said, annoyed, passing by Clark and walking into the kitchen. Clark followed her.
"Sorry. I just..." Clark shook his head. Everytime he thought he had her pegged... BAM. There she was, showing – or hiding – a whole new side of her. "I never knew you were good with kids."
Lois bit her lip.
"I'm not." she answered.
"Oh, then it was just one time thing?" he said, with a slight tone of teasing on his voice.
"Look, I just... I don't usually feel... confortable around babies." She was speaking quickly. "I feel... vulnerable. And I don't like it. And Wendy... she's so... she's so... tiny."
Clark smiled to her. Lois seemed taken aback, for telling him that. She grabbed a cookie and threw it on him.
"Hey!!! What did I do?" he asked, shocked.
"Why the hell do you always make me say too much?" she asked, exasperated.
After a moment, Clark smiled again.
"That's what friends are for, right?"
Lois hesitated a little, then smiled back.
"Come on, Lois, let me hold her a little..."
"No. If you hold her, she'll start crying, and I don't want hear all that 'weee' again."
Clark glared at her, but he was smiling.
"Come on, you're just using this as an excuse. I know that you're actually enjoying taking care of her."
"I am not!!" denied Lois. "I just don't want to go deaf, that's all! And you're just jealous because I'm better with kids than you are."
"Oh, you make her stop crying once and you already think you're an expert with children?"
"Hah! See? You're so jealous!"
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
"I am not!"
Lois grinned down at Wendy.
"See, Wendy? Smallville here is jealous! Can you believe him?"
"Bawawawee," said Wendy.
"You know, Clark, she thinks you're jealous too." said Lois. Clark rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smirking. "Now, Smallville, I'd warm her milk if I were you, I think she's hungry." But Clark was looking at Wendy, and he seemed to be between laughter and embarrassment. Lois frowned. "What are you staring at?"
"Looks like Wendy wants it fresh and right from the source." said Clark, awkwardly.
She looked down. Wendy was pressing Lois's... uh... front duo.
Lois took her hands off there.
"They gave you a false impression, huh?" said Lois, to Wendy. "Sorry, girl, but I don't have what you are looking for." Clark scratched his head, uncomfortable. Lois looked at him. "What are you waiting for? Go warm her milk and stop staring at my 'sources'."
Clark shook his head, blushing a bit and went to the kitchen.
"He's a pervert, isn't he, Wendy?" said Lois. From the kitchen, Lois could hear Clark's voice.
"AM NOT!"
Wendy laughed happily.
"Claaaaaaaaaaark!! Come here, you have to change her diaper! That girl is a crying AND a pooping-machine!!"
Clark walked irritated into the living room with a clean diaper – his mom had dropped by with a package full of them earlier.
He changed Wendy, and Lois made her sleep as quickly as she had woken.
"Okay, so basically, all you do is make her stop crying and making her asleep, and I'm the one who has to do the dirty-job?" he asked, indignant, as Lois walked back into the 'changing-Wendy-room'.
Lois smiled widely at him.
She patted his arm. "Basically... yeah!"
They walked toward the kitchen.
"Okay, you can warm MY milk too now, Smallville." demanded Lois, sitting at the table and carefully waiting.
"What do you think I am, your slave?" he asked, annoyed.
"No." she answered, simply. "My servant."
Clark threw a cookie on her while Lois laughed. "You want a milk, you go warm it by yourself."
He walked toward the door.
"Allright, fine, fine, what a bad mood." complained Lois, raising her hands. She climbed up on a chair and opened the highest cupboard, looking for a cup.
The chair trembled. Lois's foot stepped out of the chair.
She started to fall down and she ended up, with a shriek, right into Clark's waiting arms.
"Nice catch..." she said, hoarse and breathless.
"Thanks." he answered, looking at her eyes. Their faces were close. VERY close, actually.
He helped her to get on her feet, putting her in the floor, but his hands were still firmly wrapped around her waist.
"That was close." Lois said, as breathless as before, her heart racing. But now, she wasn't so sure it was because of the fall.
"Very close." completed Clark, his eyes locked on hers.
"You were on the other side of the door, how... how did you..." But her sentence died as he started to close the distance between them, being pulled by a magnetic force, something bigger than them. Lois found herself leaning in too.
What the hell was she doing? What the hell were they about to do? And why the HELL she wasn't being able to stop it?
When they lips brushed, the electricity that passed throught their bodies seemed to make Lois's brain work again.
She quickly let go of his grip on her waist.
"Um, I've gotta... I'll go check up on... on Wendy..."
"Yeah..." agreed Clark, who was frowning and really confused.
He watched her go, stunned.
Nothing had happened. Nothing. They had stopped right on time.
And that's what was bothering him. He wanted to continue. And it was freaking him out. It was Lois. He should have catched her and then let her go. But something made him stand there, with his arms around her waist, ready to do something he wasn't quite sure he was ready to do.
Or was he?
An accident. An accident had almost happened. And she wasn't thinking about the fall.
Lois was standing against the window, watching Wendy sleep.
Apparently babies weren't the only thing that made her feel weak. Vulnerable. Afraid.
He was leaning in first. He was. But then... she should have just backed away. Not lean in as well.
Good thing she got back to her senses and stepped away before it was too late and she wouldn't be able to step away anymore.
"Lois?"
She turned to face him, jumping.
"Shh, you're gonna wake her." said Lois, looking at Wendy.
Clark walked toward her side, looking at the little baby too.
They stood watching her for a moment.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" he asked.
"Yes, she is." answered Lois.
"We were a very good team today." said Clark.
"You know what? We really were." she said, looking at her side, really conscious of his hand that had just rested on her shoulder.
"Sorry about leaning in---" "Sorry for backing away---" they said together.
"What?" they both asked.
"You're sorry for backing away?" asked Clark, his heard racing again.
"You're sorry for leaning in?" Lois asked, raising her eyebrows.
They laughed.
"No." he answered. "I'm not."
They faced each other.
There was a part of them – a big part of them – that was wishing Lois hadn't stepped away. And that part was scaring them half to death. For a long time now.
Chloe opened the kitchen's door. There was nobody there. She walked toward the living room, and her eyebrows raised right in the moment.
Clark was holding Lois by her shoulder and both were smiling at each other and staring at a beautiful little baby, sleeping on a little bed.
"Okay," started Chloe, confused. "For how long was I in Metropolis?"
They jumped apart and quickly explained Wendy's story to Chloe.
"She's got the Golden Throat, that girl." was saying Lois.
"And we were, uh, just wondering if you could help us find her parents or family." said Clark.
"I sure will." said Chloe, with a smirk playing across her lips. "Just give me one day."
"'Kay." agreed Clark and Lois, together.
"Now, I'm off." said Chloe. "You two can keep watching her all night long if you want."
She smiled at them both and left.
Lois turned to Clark.
"I should go too. I'm tired, I haven't sleep much the past night, as you know, so... yeah."
She smiled curtly and was about to left when Clark held her arm.
"Lois..."
She looked from their arms to his face. They stared at each other for a second.
And Clark was amazed by how they could understand each other just by looking.
In a silent agreement, they decided not to do anything about what had almost happened between them. Yet. It was too soon.
They were not ready.
"Call me tomorrow to say if you found Wendy's heartless family." said Lois. Clark nodded. He squeezed her arm. "Goodnight, Clark." she said, now smiling at him for a few seconds, before letting go of his arm and leaving.
Clark smiled.
It was tiny things that made their friendship grow faster and brighter, and so did their relationship.
He knew that was a lot more behind Lois's than he could ever imagine. And he was not willing to give up on the fight to find out what those tiny things were.