Worth A Thousand Words
By: Lola
Author's Notes: This whole thing basically came to be because I wanted to get back into writing, but I was having trouble coming up with ideas. I had a bunch of little ideas or themes that I wanted to write about—we'll see how many I actually get down on paper—and then I remembered a Gilmore Girls fanfic that I read a long time ago that had the over arcing theme of using pictures to tell a story. So the drabbles are mine but the picture idea isn't!
Also, as of right now this is unbetaed. I'm pretty good with grammar, but there may be a few errors. If you see any major ones, please let me know so that I can correct them!
Hope you enjoy!
Although it is a little grainy, she is clearly sucking her thumb. Her fist is curled, but her fingers are loose as if she hasn't a care in the world. Her other arm is propped behind her head. She is leaning back and you can make out a small curl of hair across her forehead. Her eyes are closed, but it is obvious to anyone who is looking that once she opens them, she will have unforeseen power that will bring a certain man of steel to his knees.
"I wonder what color her hair will be." Lois mused as she looked at the picture of her unborn daughter for the hundredth time that day. "I mean it's very likely that she'll have dark hair like you and me, but my mother was a blonde. So I suppose it's possible."
"She could have blue hair for all I care," Clark replied as he continued flipping through a photo album from his childhood, "I just can't wait to meet her."
Clark pointed to picture of him when he was about seven. He was sitting in front of his dad on the tractor; both were grinning as he waved at the photographer.
"That's a good one, Smallville." Lois leaned over and pointed at the picture. "I especially like the look on your dad's face there. You can tell he's so proud to have you sitting there with him."
Clark gently pulled the photo out of the album and added them to the stack of pictures sitting next to Lois on the couch. "We've found a lot of pictures of me, but we still need some of you."
Lois picked up the stack of pictures that they had agreed upon and flipped through them smiling at one that depicted a six-year-old Clark dressed in a pirate costume ready to go trick-or-treating. The next one was of Chloe and him with their arms slung around each other smiling as they prepared to leave the farm for a middle school field trip. She paused at a picture from last Christmas that showed her sitting next to Clark and Mrs. K in front of the Christmas tree. "This one has me in it."
"We need more than one." When he saw her open her mouth to protest he added, "I'm not counting the wedding pictures we already have up." She closed her mouth and shot him a look that made it clear she did not find it nearly as cute as he did that he beat her to the punch. He reached around Lois' feet propped on the coffee table, effortlessly grabbing a hat box with the lid wobbling on top as the contents inside were about to overflow. "You're the one that decided we needed to put more family pictures around the house before the baby is born."
She sifted the pictures she was holding so that they stacked together in a neat pile. "Well, you can blame it on nesting." She swung her feet off of the coffee table and tossed the stack that she had just straightened on to the table causing them to form a curved line as they slide over one another.
Clark stopped her from rising off the couch by placing the large hat box on her knees. "Nice try. I've been telling you to put these pictures in albums for years." He pulled the top off careful not to dump the pictures out of the box. "Now you have an excuse."
"I like my system." Lois awkwardly moved the box off of what was left of her lap and set it beside her on the couch away from Clark. "It's fun. You reach in and have all these great memories in no particular order. I can go from kindergarten to college," she snapped her fingers, "just like that."
"But if you are looking for a particular picture, your way makes it almost impossible to find." Clark countered.
She patted his knee and said sweetly, Don't mock the system, Smallville. There are some pictures I'd rather forget." She picked up the top picture and groaned. "Like this one." She held up one from Chloe and Jimmy's wedding shower. She was standing on a table and holding a glass of champagne. She was grinning, but she was the only happy one in the picture; as you looked at the crowd around her several were frowning. Clark just looked concerned. He was reaching up, obviously trying to stop her from farther intoxicated embarrassment.
"I don't know," Clark grinned as he took the picture from her, "this picture brings back great memories for me. I got to watch you dance around my kitchen and take an hour to change from your dress into my football jersey. As I recall, you completed the tasks simultaneously."
"Was that before or after I puked all over your floor?" Lois asked wryly.
"Come on Lois. We have pictures of me in all stages of life to put around the house. I would really like some of you too."
Lois sighed, "Fine. Actually, there is one picture in here somewhere that I would like to display. It's my all time favorite picture of you."
"Lo-is!" Clark stretched her name out in an exasperated tone. "We are looking for pictures of you."
"Relax, Smallville. I'll make sure to pull a few of me from my childhood too."
Suddenly, Clark got the familiar faraway look on his face, signaling that he would be gone for a while.
Lois squeezed his hand. "Be careful."
He rose and brushed a kiss across her lips. "I will."
Lois set the hat box on the ground and shifted to stretch out on the couch. As much as she defended her system, she really wasn't too keen on completing the task before her. Some of the pictures in the box truly did evoke some painful memories. But she really wanted to find her favorite picture of Clark. Never one to back down from a challenge, she reached into the box and grabbed a small stack off the top.
