Rated: PG-13 or T
Genre: Drama/Family
Summary: Set during Blast to the Past. Lois gives birth to the twins, but some minor complications arise and the Kents have to deal with telling family and friends why the twins were premature.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lois and Clark or anything that involves the Superman franchise. I'm just a fan who likes to write and add on to their story.
A/N: Originally, I had this between Chapter 12 and the Epilogue, but it was too long and really had nothing to do with the initial plot to Blast to the Past. So I decided that this was better off standing alone. I would read Blast first to get an idea what Lois' pregnancy was like and to understand some of the background info, but you could pretty much pick up on it without reading it.
A/A/N: The title of the story roughly translates Birth and Secrets in Latin. Just in case anyone was curious.
Ortus and Secretum
By: Erik'sTrueAngel
The device took Lois and Clark right to S.T.A.R Labs, giving Dr. Klein the shock of his life. The scientist dropped the test tubes he was holding, crying out his astonishment.
Carrying his wife, Clark said, "No time to explain. Lois is in labor."
"Now? Oh dear!" Dr. Klein choked, grabbing his bowtie. "Okay. Calm down."
"Kind of hard to," Lois grunted.
"I mean myself. All right, follow me." He paused and added, "Are you sure it isn't Braxton-Hicks?"
"NO!" Clark and Lois shouted in unison. He jumped. "Only checking! Good thing we have the room all set up. It's right around the corner. Take her in there and get her ready and Carolyn and I will be there in a jiffy."
"Breathe Lois," Clark told her, whisking her into the room as fast as he could. "We made it."
"I'll say," Lois gritted through her teeth.
Another contraction came as Lois gripped her husband's hand, a long strand of explicit words flowing from her petite mouth. "Listen to me carefully. I want drugs. And I want them NOW!"
On cue, both doctors were rolling in with the proper tools and the beds to place the twins in. The tall strawberry-blonde approached Lois with a cheerful smile. "I know you want the anesthetics, but since this hasn't been a normal pregnancy I don't want to take that chance. However, feel free to scream whatever you want and it's a good thing your husband is invulnerable."
"Not for long," Lois snarled. "I'm going to kill you Kent!"
"Don't take anything she says to heart," Dr. Klein told Clark, clapping him on the back.
Clark nervously chuckled. At this moment, Lois could make good on any threat. For now, he had to settle for being her punching bag, which he didn't mind in the least bit. Sitting right behind her, Clark rubbed her shoulders and lower back to ease the discomfort as best as he could while she was digging her nails into his thigh.
"She's fully dilated," Carolyn announced. "Okay Lois. When I tell you to, I want you to push as hard as you can. Ready Honeybunch?" She turned to her husband as he slapped on his gloves.
"Ready as I ever can be Pumpkin," he replied. Raising a brow to Clark, he said, "I'm forewarning you. If I should start screaming or faint, it's no offense to your children."
"Dr. Klein." Lois' eyes glittered dangerously.
"Push Lois!" Carolyn interjected.
With all her might, Lois pushed. Sweat was pouring out of every inch of her skin, her hair plastered to her face. "Good… good… keep going Lois," Clark murmured in her ear, his hand covering her clenched fist. "Breathe."
Lois was panting hard but she managed to get out, "If I make it out of this… you better pray there's no kryptonite lying around and knives. AH!"
"I see a head, almost there Lois!" the female doctor informed her. "Now the shoulders… give me one more big push!"
Lois squeezed Clark's hand in a deathly grip as she used what strength she could muster to push the baby out. A deafening wail filled the room as the first twin made its entrance.
She collapsed against her husband's chest, her breathing slowing down as she watched Carolyn hand her baby girl to Dr. Klein to wash up and take her measurements.
"Lara," Lois murmured and giggled. "Oh Clark."
"You did it Lois," he whispered, kissing her.
"Yeah… I'm so tired."
"Well, don't get too comfortable Lois. You have one more," Carolyn told her. "So far you're doing a great job."
"Clark, do you think you could do this?" she asked.
"Sorry honey," he said. "I would if I could."
"Spoken like a true male," Lois grumbled, and then she tensed up. "Okay. I think he's ready."
Using her husband as support, Lois started to push but she stopped when she spotted Carolyn's frown. "What's wrong?"
"He's breeched," Clark answered for the female scientist. He took another look and his heart almost ceased. "Oh no…"
"What? What's going on!? What is it Clark?!" Lois' voice rose, her tone verging on panic. "Tell me!"
"The umbilical cord. It's wrapped around Clark's throat," her husband told her, terror reaching his brown eyes.
"We need to operate. Now." Carolyn quickly turned to Bernie who already had Lara wrapped in a blanket and laying in her makeshift bed. "Hon, get me the epidermal."
"Oh God!" Lois sobbed. "No. No."
"I've seen this before," Carolyn assured her. "Everything's going to be okay. All right?"
"I'm here Lois," Clark whispered, folding his arms over her. "Think of this as another test."
"On our baby?" she hissed. "This is unacceptable."
Whatever Clark was going to say next was cut off as the anesthetic was given to the mother. The speed of the drug quickly took affect thanks to the Kryptonian residue. Her entire waist down was completely numb, which made it all the more real to her.
Pleadingly, Lois gazed up at her husband's face. "Tell me everything that happens and don't sugarcoat it. I need to know. Please."
"Lois," Clark said.
"No Clark." She was firm. "Do not protect me from this. This is our child and I have to know."
"Clark," the older scientist said. "We need you to lift Lois onto this table."
The Man of Steel trembled, actually trembled, as he lifted his wife and set her carefully on the cool surface. It was all surreal as the Kleins worked around him. Part of him couldn't believe this was actually happening. He hadn't had his wife back for twenty-four hours when something else had to happen. Another notch to the list of grievances Fate decided to throw in. Yet, nothing prepared him for this curveball.
"Clark." The soft spoken name snapped him back as Lois kept her eyes on him. She was relying on him for the strength now and he couldn't let her down. He was Superman; he couldn't afford to lose his nerve.
Carolyn made the vertical incision, her thin brow furrowing, as she intently focused on doing her best to deliver this baby. Clark had to swallow hard at how easy it was for the skin to break away as it did. Even though he had seen things far worst than this, the sight of his wife's blood made him seriously ill.
Lois saw how pale her husband became, easily reading the thoughts that were running through his mind. "Talk to me Clark."
He ran his tongue over his chapped lips, swallowing whatever saliva he had to keep his mouth moistened. At first, the words were difficult to voice, but the more he talked the more the words were beginning to flow, building the confidence in his tone.
"She's doing the C-section, and she's separating the skin and muscle, I see him Lois. She's trying to take him out and I see his face, his mouth is open, and his coloring is turning purple. The cord is slowly being slipped over his head and he's regaining a pinkish hue and his eyes are opening up. He has your eyes Lois. God, he's so beautiful."
The awe that was radiating from Clark brought tears to her eyes. Then their son's cries echoed in the adults' ears. Clark Jonathan Kent was all right. He was going to be fine.
Clark turned to his wife, his face was shining wet, and he bent down to brush his lips with hers. "Thank God…" He rested his forehead against hers as they both cried silently in joy.
"Can we see them?" Lois asked, her voice weak and breathless, but anxious all the same.
Carolyn smiled, nodding, as she carried Lara over to them as Bernie followed with baby Clark. Sniffling, the proud parents each took one infant in their arms. Lois couldn't stop grinning as she peered down into the face of her son, her finger delicately tracing his tiny nose and mouth down to his fist. He was calmly staring up at her with his large brown eyes, his demeanor curious and quiet.
"You're wrong Clark. He has your eyes," Lois corrected, laughing softly.
"But Lara has yours," he said, as his daughter wriggled in his arms. "And I think I know who she might take after."
"We did it Clark. We really did it," she said, breaking her gaze from her son to the love of her life. "Everything did turn out all right."
The afterglow quickly faded when Lois gasped. "Please tell me there is not another one!"
Lara was taken away by Bernie as Carolyn checked to find what was causing the discomfort. The color nearly drained from her face. "Her uterus is rupturing. We need to get her to a hospital now!"
Lois wanted to object, but she could barely speak as the pain engulfed her. The scientists were doing their best to stop the bleeding. "Clark! We need you to cauterize the incisions!" Carolyn shouted, clenching her teeth as she applied pressure. "Hurry!"
Two short red beams aimed at its target, quickly sealing the tissue, as the bleeding slowed down but not completely.
"Clark you need to take her now. I did all I can, but S.T.A.R. Labs isn't exactly equipped to handle this kind of emergency. I don't have the proper tools."
"I'm not leaving my babies," Lois said, her demand coming out strained and winded.
"They'll be fine here Lois," Bernie said. "Carolyn and I want to run a couple of tests on them like we did with Jordan. To make sure that both human and Kryptonian are in sync. We can't do much for you right now. I'm sorry." His wife nodded along in sympathy.
Lois was able to glance at her babies once more before her husband, now in his Suit, gingerly cradled her as to not cause any further damage.
"Thank you for all your help," Clark told them sincerely, even though every inch of him was verging on the edge of panic. For Lois' sake he had to be calm. She was going to pull through this. She always did. Oh God… don't take her away from me.
xxXXxx
Fortunately, the bleeding did stop and the doctors were able to replenish the fluids that Lois lost. It took several IV bags, but she was going to make it out all right.
However, the damage that was done did put her body through too much stress. Despite the babies being full-term, their birth was still premature by human standards and there were the consequences to be considered under that range. Lois knew in her gut that something was wrong and she had a feeling that it would be at the cost of any potential future pregnancies.
She waited until her husband was allowed in so she could tell him the grim news. She tried telling herself that it wasn't too bad. After all, she gave birth to two beautiful babies who were healthy, despite the scare that followed. And they had Jordan who was just as healthy and bubbly. What more could either one ask for? However, the thought of "more" pained her.
Taking a seat at the edge of her bed, Clark took her hand in his. Running his thumb over her knuckles, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes.
"T-the doctors said you had something to tell me," he spoke quietly.
"Yes… Clark." Lois bit her quivering lip, forcing herself not to cry. "The complications… well, the doctors think its best that I—they don't think I should risk another pregnancy. I was lucky that myself and baby Clark survived, but the odds are against me if we tried again." Her last word was cut by a choke as Clark embraced her, her tears muffled against his shoulder.
Clark couldn't contain his own tears. While the doctors were with Lois, he had been on the phone with Carolyn who was prepping him for the worst case scenarios. He knew about such complications of cesareans, reading about everything and anything when it came to pregnancy and birth. He wanted to be prepared for whatever birth procedure would occur. Yet, all that information fled his mind and he almost forgot that he could use his hearing and vision abilities to find out what was taking place behind the closed doors. The only godsend was the twins appeared to be doing all right, but more examinations had to be done before anything was conclusive.
And Lois was fine. His wife made it. But at a cost too…
"I'm so sorry Lois," he whispered in her hair. "This is my fault."
"What?" She looked up at him with her tear-stained face. "What are you talking about?"
"Me Lois." He closed his eyes so she wouldn't see the guilt that was certainly reflecting in them. "Were it not for my biology…"
"Clark Kent," Lois growled. "This is no one's fault, you hear me? This has nothing to do with your Kryptonian blood. This happens. If you want to put blame on someone, then put it on nature. But don't ever ever dare think you're to blame for something that was completely out of our control."
"I get that Lois, but I unintentionally hurt you. Hurt us! Do you get what I mean?"
"Yes, I do." She took a deep breath. "And I'm telling you that we have two more beautiful children in our lives. I'm just as upset as you are, but I'm trying to look at the bigger picture. We have the family that we talked about, dreamt about. If I had to go back and do this all over again, I would. I wouldn't think twice because I love you and I wanted to have your children. Will I ever be thoroughly happy knowing I couldn't do this again? No. But look what we have now and I'm happy with that. It's not fair that we should risk a life because of our selfish desires. I know what it would do to me and you if we lost… its better this way Clark."
Shakily, he met her gaze. "So we're going to do this?"
Lois nodded, gripping his hand. "Yes. But before… could I see Jordan?"
"Yeah. He's with my parents. Do you want me to bring them too?"
"I would like that." Unlike most in-laws, Lois was close to hers and they were the greatest sources of comfort and wisdom. She could really use their support as well since they went through a similar situation.
"I'll be back," Clark whispered, kissing her forehead. In a matter of minutes, Superman returned with an excited toddler. Jordan practically leapt into his mother's arms, telling her how much he missed her and that his past mommy was nice but he wanted his mommy more.
Lois clung to her son, looking over his head as her husband gave her a shrug about the "past mommy." Then he was gone to retrieve his parents. Lois took this moment to soak in her little miracle, her firstborn. She may not be his birth mother, but he was her life all the same. She listened to his innocent chatter about his new siblings and when he could see them.
"Soon," she told him. "Dr. Klein is going to do a check-up on them like he does with you."
"Oh." Jordan scrunched up his nose. "He's not gonna tell them his monkey jokes is he?"
Lois laughed. "I don't think so sweetie. At least not until they're older."
"Okay. Mommy? Is Daddy okay?" Jordan asked. "He looked sad."
Always the inquisitive one, Lois knew her and Clark couldn't hide this from their son, but the time hadn't come to explain it. And it would be better coming from both her and Clark. For now, she settled on a vague answer, which seemed to satisfy Jordan for the time being.
"Well, hon. Daddy and I had to make a decision today. A tough one, but don't worry. Everything's okay. Your brother and sister are healthy and they're just as eager to meet you too."
This pleased him greatly.
"Lois?"
The Kents were there with Clark. In fact, they had been there for a couple minutes, but no one wanted to interrupt the tender moment between mother and son. Jordan took one look at his grandparents and scampered over to them, tugging on their pant legs.
"Guess what! Guess what! Mommy says my brother and sister want to meet me!"
"That's wonderful!" Martha said her face all smiles but her grayish green eyes were saying something else. On the flight over, Clark explained to his parents what had happened and their decision for Lois to undergo a total hysterectomy. It was terrible news, but they understood knowing the position it was putting the young couple in.
Martha darted to her daughter-in-law to hug her. "Oh honey!" she exclaimed, trying to keep it in her not to cry. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Lois returned the loving gesture. "I'm okay Martha. Like I told Clark, this is for the best."
"I know. But—" the older woman shivered not able to finish. No one had to say anything. To Martha, this was a horrible flashback to when she was told she could never have children. And for it to repeat again, except this time, it was her daughter and son who had to suffer now.
"Why is everyone sad?" Jordan asked, frowning. "The babies are okay."
"Yes they are," Jonathan said. "Come on Jordan. Let's leave your parents be for a few minutes. Martha?"
"Right, right." Martha sniffed, giving Lois a teary smile. "We love you and we'll be here if you need anything."
"Thank you," Lois told her appreciatively. The older Kents left with Jordan in hand. Clark looked at his wife, his fingers interlaced. "No rescues today. I'm staying."
"Clark."
"I mean it Lois. Superman is taking a break. I'll be waiting for you, we'll go home, and we'll take each day as it comes."
"Sounds like a plan." Lois smiled. "I love you."
"And I love you with all my heart."
xxXXxx
The surgery was a success. Lois thought for sure she would have this empty feeling inside, and she did somewhat, but it wasn't overruling. She knew the decision was the right one to make and it was a tough sacrifice, but she didn't regret it. If she and Clark wanted more children, they could always adopt. That had been the initial plan in the beginning and they have Jordan because of it.
So while Lois was recuperating, the Kent clan gathered around in her room for the next frightening step: telling the Lanes.
The story for the hospital and the Lanes was that Lois and Clark were at S.T.A.R. Labs for a story when she suddenly went into labor. Luckily, someone on staff had some experience with delivery and she was able to assist in the birth. When C.J. (a nickname that Jordan christened) was breeched, an emergency cesarean was performed. And further complications led for the couple to call for Superman to take Lois to the hospital, instead of calling the paramedics.
It was pretty much the truth, except for a couple tidbits, but the health of the preemie twins was a concern. The hospital wanted to make sure they were all right and if they needed to be monitored, but it was at Superman's insistence that the twins were in good hands and were doing extremely well. Again, it was true since they were full-term coming at about six-seven pounds respectively. Yet, this was going to be difficult for the Lanes once they see that the preemies weren't so preemie.
Lois was dreading it. She begged her husband not to call her parents. Give them a few years before telling the truth about the hysterectomy and the twins.
"Lo-is," Clark said. "We have to tell them. It would be disrespectful if we don't."
"Yeah… but could we wait a little longer? I'm not ready."
"Lois, dear, Clark's right," Martha told her. "You can't hide this from them forever. They would be devastated."
"We won't be hiding it forever. I'll tell them… when they start asking why I'm not pregnant."
"You know, telling them might not be as scary as you might think. They could surprise you by being completely understanding," Jonathan added.
All four adults looked at each other and then shook their heads. The concept of understanding did not exist in the brains of the Lane family, in particular Ellen Lane.
"Fine. But no one leaves the room, got it?" Lois demanded, pointing. "If I'm going down, then we're all going down."
"We wouldn't dream of leaving you alone." Martha winked.
"Good. I guess we should call them. But first, could we call Dr. Klein about the twins?"
"Don't bother!" Coming into the room was Bernie and Carolyn, each holding a precious bundle. "They were missing their parents terribly and we couldn't keep them any longer."
The parents couldn't help themselves from beaming with joy at the sight of their babies. The twins were certainly the light needed to uplift everyone's spirits in the room. Even Jordan couldn't be stopped from exclaiming his delight of finally seeing his brother and sister.
"Can I hold them?" he asked, jumping up and down.
"You can but over here by me," Lois told her son, patting the empty space next to her. Jordan ran over and sat down, his little body squirming around with anticipation. Carolyn brought Lara over, handing her to Lois first. The latter then brought Jordan closer to her side so she could still hold Lara while Jordan held her too.
The toddler studied his sister intently who was sleeping. "She doesn't do much does she?" At the sound of his voice, her eyelids popped opened to reveal two wide hazel orbs. Lara didn't make a sound as she stared right back into Jordan's cerulean eyes, as if challenging him to say something else about her.
"Oo… looks like she's got your number," Lois teased.
Jordan blinked, then laughed. "I like her. She's my favorite!"
"Jordan!" his mother cried. "You haven't even met your brother. And favorites don't seem fair."
He shrugged. "I guess… C.J. can be my favorite too."
"Oh boy," Lois sighed. "I can already smell future sibling arguments."
Clark brought C.J. over so Jordan could hold him too so Lara could be passed to her grandparents. The older brother gazed at his younger brother and declared, "He's my favorite!"
Lois and Clark exchanged looks, laughing quietly. Meanwhile, Martha and Jonathan were babbling and fawning over the baby girl. Yes, indeed. Having their family together like this really did help them forget the pain for awhile.
Standing off in the distance, Bernie put his arm around his wife's waist. "This is almost like a Kodak moment."
"Yeah. I'm glad we were able to help our friends," Carolyn said, kissing her husband's cheek.
"So docs. How are the twins?" Clark inquired.
"Well, we're going to have to wait a few weeks for the lab results, but the physical exams came out excellent. The only difference is that Clark's—"
"C.J.," Jordan corrected.
Bernie grinned. "C.J.'s body temperature isn't the same as Lara's. But not too worry. Jordan was the same too so it will probably take some time for C.J. to reach the Kryptonian temp. Plenty of sunlight should do the trick."
"Good, good," Clark said, nodding.
"I'll tell ya," Bernie went on. "I still can't get over how quickly the twins developed."
"Yeah about that," Lois said dryly. "I thought I was only seven months along."
"You were. The Kryptonian genes must have kicked in and sped the process up after our last appointment."
"I get that," she replied. "But why me? This didn't happen to Celeste."
"Well… it's just a theory but you know how anything within a few millimeters from Clark's skin is affected by his aura? The closer the contact you have with him, a bit of his aura passes through you, temporarily giving you a Kryptonian boost of energy. The influence is even greater when you two are, uh, intimate. And I guess it was a lot to really speed up—"
"We get it Dr. Klein," Clark interrupted.
The scientist's cheeks reddened. "Right. Well, this energy must have activated the twins' DNA; otherwise it would have lain dormant until the sunlight touches them after they were born."
"But the sunlight also affected me," Lois pointed out.
"As nourishment," Dr. Klein corrected. "Celeste experienced the same thing, but since she normally is a morning person she didn't notice a difference. You see, the sun's rays powers Superman, just like it will do for Jordan and the twins. But it takes time for the Kryptonian blood to absorb and react. That's why Clark didn't start experiencing his powers until he was older. However, add to the mix, some human DNA who knows the possibilities that can exist—"
"I think we get the point," Lois interrupted this time before the scientist went off on a tangent. Off on his dejected look, Carolyn laughed and squeezed his hand. "Another time Honeybunch," she cooed.
"They are simply perfect," Martha said, gazing at her son and daughter-in-law.
"And we can't wait to spoil them like Jordan," her husband added.
The Kleins stayed a few minutes longer before they left for the lab. "Science never rests," Bernie told them. "And neither does demands from the government."
And it left both sets of Kents to figure out what to tell their friends and the Lanes. It was getting late so the elder Kents took Jordan back to the brownstone, leaving Lois and Clark with the twins. A doctor had come around to check on Lois and see that the twins weren't in any form of danger. He had asked about taking them to the nursery, but Lois refused. She wanted the twins to stay in the room with her. Using her and her husband's celebrity status they were able to get into a private room and it wasn't difficult to have a couple beds for the twins to be sent up.
As Lara and C.J. slept, Clark had stayed true to his word and hardly ever left his wife's side. From what he could hear out in the city, nothing completely major or disastrous happened, and Superman was gifted with those rare occasions of having the day off. However, when visiting hours were over, for appearance's sake, Clark "left" to go home only to fly back in through the window.
"You rebel," Lois joked as her husband came back. "Breaking the rules. Isn't that also breaking one of Superman's codes to obey the law?"
"I like to think visiting hours are more along the lines of guidelines," he teased back. "No one gets hurt by staying later."
Clark climbed on the bed next to Lois, lying on top of the sheets, while sliding his arm behind her neck. Being careful of her stitches, Lois scooted closer to her husband's warmth, dipping her head underneath his chin. Playing with the folds of the bed-sheet, she whispered, "I've been thinking about what we should tell Perry, Alice, Jimmy, and my parents."
"What?"
"Well…" Lois smoothed out the creases she was making. "I don't know how you're going to take this. It could go either way."
"Lo-is."
"It could be a really good thing or it might not. Depends on the person actually. I like to think that this could be pretty beneficial to all sides. No awkward situations and no more lies. Could really work when we have to run off somewhere for something and the kids might have an accident. Save a lot of trouble."
"Lo-is. You're babbling."
"I think we should tell them about…" She made the 'S' over her chest. "You know who."
Clark sighed. "Lois—"
"Wait! Before you say anything, hear me out," she said quickly. "I know we discussed telling Perry and the others for a while and I think now is the best time. We know we can trust our friends. We don't have to worry about them selling us out. How many times did Perry and Jimmy come to our rescue in some way? And since Jimmy is Jordan's godfather and the Whites are practically the third grandparents, I think it's pretty fair that they should be in on the family secret."
"Yes—"
"But my parents on the other hand," Lois continued. "I know we told Daddy once and he ended up forgetting… but I think it was because we were newly married. It's been a few years so he should see that nothing extremely bad has happened since then. Plus, he has the time to get to know you better. I never told you this before, but Daddy hadn't been too crazy about us since we worked together and things ended badly for him and Mother that he didn't want the same to happen to me. That and he didn't think you were good enough. None of my boyfriends were ever good enough to be honest. But that changed. He has seen how good you are to me and how wonderful of a father you are to Jordan that he really admires you and respects you a lot. Trust me, that is huge for my father. He's even seen how you changed me to become a better person. I'm not as wild or high-strung as I used to be. Grant it, Mad Dog Lane may have her moments, but it's not like before. And he's proud that his daughter happened to marry one of the few good men out there.
"Now my mother… well, you know how she is. I'm happy that she and Daddy are making amends and are living together and things have been pretty good between them. Even my relationship with her has been improving and I hate having to keep this a secret from her. It was secrets that destroyed my family and I don't want to have another repeat. I know she'll be hurt, but she has mellowed out so she won't be too wounded. And she was a nurse. She'll know we're lying, the same with Daddy. The truth can be hard, but I think we reached the point where the truth counts more than ever.
"I think we should tell them. But this affects you more because this is you and your secret. You should choose. But before you make up your mind, just take what I said into consideration."
Clark gaped at her, then began to chuckle. Lois narrowed her eyes at him. "This isn't a laughing matter Clark. I think there is a lot of validity to what I said."
"There is," he told her, giving her a solemn look. "I'm only laughing because you didn't have to explain all that. I agree that we should tell them."
"Really?"
"Yes. I think Perry has his suspicions about me for a long time now. He hasn't said or hinted at anything, but think how patient he's been when there was a terrible disaster and I was late on a deadline. He'll still give me his usual threat of being fired, but he doesn't pressure me. And Jimmy… he's the brother I never had. So I have no problem in telling them."
"I'm sensing a but," Lois said.
"But," Clark went on, smiling. "I agree what you said about your parents, but I'm worried how they'll handle it. Maybe your father forgetting had something to do with us being newlyweds, yet think how torn apart they would be, knowing we kept this from them since we were engaged and after. I don't want them to unintentionally hurt you because of me."
"Oh Clark."
"Lois, I love you more than anything in this world. You are everything to me and if you got hurt… I don't know how I can forgive myself knowing I was responsible for wrecking your family's reconciliation. I know how you want things between them and you to work out, as do I, but what if it falls apart because of my secret? You may say you're fine, but I know you Lois. I know how distraught you'll be. And the kids will pick up on it and I don't want there to be any pain."
"But there will be pain no matter what," Lois pointed out. "Yeah, Daddy and Mother might not talk to me for a while, but I'm a big girl. I can handle it. Eventually, they'll get over it and everything will be all right. They love Jordan more than anything and the twins are more grandchildren for them to love. They would want to be there for them. They wouldn't punish the children because of us."
"I don't know Lois."
"I do Clark," she whispered. "I won't pressure you. This is your decision to make. Just think about it. For me. I'll back you up no matter what you decide."
"That's not really fair, honey. I'm getting the guilt trip."
"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I want you to be happy and okay with this decision. If it doesn't make me happy, then I'll get over it. I'm not going to push you to do what I want you to do. Think about it. If you want, we'll tell Perry and Jimmy tomorrow. We'll hold off on telling my parents."
"Okay—wait; this isn't a distraction to get you from talking to your parents?"
"Of course not!" Lois opened her mouth in shock. "They'll be demanding answers if they're here. And we lie then later tell the truth think about how that would look. They'll wonder why we didn't say the truth in the first place when we had the chance."
"They should still come. First, we'll have the Whites and Jimmy here, then we'll call your parents. Deal?"
"I guess so," Lois grumbled. "You're doing the talking by the way."
Clark grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
xxXXxx
In the morning, the Whites and Jimmy dropped by to visit. When Lois and Clark didn't show up for work, Perry became worried. First, Lois didn't show up to pick up Jordan from his wife, which was a few days ago. Then there was something off about the famous reporter the last couple days. Clark assured him that Lois was all right and that she was feeling a little stressed with the twins. The editor-in-chief knew there was more to it, but he let it go for the time being. However, Lane and Kent were no shows and when Perry called Clark's cell; never in a million years did he expect to hear that Lois was in the hospital.
The first thing he did was call his wife to tell her what happened, then Jimmy came bustling into his office about a story he was working on. The younger man was informed about his friends, which alarmed Jimmy. Right now, the main concern was Lois and the babies. The paper could wait.
Alice met them in the lobby and all three made the trek to Lois' room. Clark was there while Lois ate what passed as scrambled eggs and sausage with orange juice. Lara was already up while C.J. slept peacefully.
At first, no one said anything. Then, after a moment or two, it was Jimmy Olsen who took the step forward.
"How're you doing?"
And everyone began talking at once.
"My god Lois! Why didn't either of you call us earlier?"
"Are you all right? How are the twins doing?"
"You scared us to death! I thought the worst happened when you didn't get Jordan."
"Great shades of Elvis. Nearly gave me a heart attack."
"You shouldn't have waited. I would have been there in a heartbeat."
"Thank god you're fine. The twins look really good for preemies."
C.J. chose that moment to wake, crying at once. Clark was holding Lara, but Alice went over and picked up the fussing infant. Almost immediately, C.J. settled down, yet he was pushing his head against her chest.
"I think he's hungry," she said, handing him over to his mother. "Oh, he's so beautiful! I can definitely see Clark in him."
"Yeah, my two Clark Kents," Lois said cheekily. "As you can see, we're all doing just fine."
"And we're glad you made it here," Clark added. "There's something important we want to tell you."
"What is it? You know, Lois, your hair seems a bit shorter than it was yesterday," Perry remarked.
"Ah, that would be best to save for later," she replied, chuckling uneasily.
Jimmy gazed at the twins, then frowned. "Can you really go into labor at seven months? Seems too early but the twins look—"
"Yeah, see, that's what we need to tell you. Apparently, Lois was nine months along not seven."
"That's some mistake to make! How could Dr. Lombard be far off?"
"Actually, there is no Dr. Lombard," Lois said. "I saw Dr. Klein."
"Dr. Klein?" Jimmy repeated. "As in S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"Yeah."
The young man laughed. "Why in the world would you go to a lab?"
"And why would you make up a doctor?" Alice questioned.
"Wait a second," Perry intervened. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What do you think?" Lois asked, eyeing her boss.
"I'm thinking this is about a big something that I'm not supposed to know but I might know. And I'm guessing that it is in fact what I know that no one else should know."
"You know?" Clark said.
"Yeah, I know. I've known for years."
"Why didn't you say something?" Lois said.
Perry shrugged. "Figured you would tell me when it was right. Of course, there were times when I thought that maybe I didn't know and that I must have looked too deep into it. Then again, I didn't become editor-in-chief of a great metropolitan newspaper because I knew how to yodel. This old hound-dog knew something was up. And this pretty much seals the deal on what I know is in fact what I know."
"I'm confused," Jimmy announced as Alice looked at her husband as if he had a second head.
"Clark." Perry motioned with his hand. "Go on."
Looking to his wife for support, Clark drew in a deep breath. "I guess there is no other way to say this but to be blunt. I'm Superman."
Jimmy's response was to laugh. "Superman? C'mon C.K! If you were Superman, then why would you need glasses?"
"It's true Jimmy," Lois spoke up. "Clark is Superman."
His laughter began to subside. "O-okay. Great joke but really—"
"Jimmy. They're telling the truth," Perry told him, crossing his arms.
"B-but Superman is Kryptonian and—"
"The twins are half-Kryptonian. Why do you think I went into labor so soon? The gestation sped up."
"My word…" Alice breathed.
Jimmy was too stunned for words as he looked back and forth to the two people who were his best friends and who he thought he knew everything about them…
Clark dove into the explanation right away. "Lois and I are so sorry we kept this from telling you for so long. Actually, Lois didn't know until four years ago. She figured it out, but that's beside the point. The only reason I never told anyone was that I was afraid of what that knowledge would do to you and how I would change in your eyes. Plus, I didn't want you to become a target if anyone knew how close I was to you. You guys have a right to be angry with me. I'm not looking for contrition or your forgiveness. It was about time you knew the truth about me and Superman. Lois and I talked about it and after what happened with the twins' birth—"
"What exactly happened?" Alice asked quietly.
Staring into her husband's eyes, Lois took over. "There were some complications with C.J. The damage was too great that the doctors didn't want to risk another pregnancy in fear that it could either kill me or the baby. So—"
"We took the steps to ensure it won't happen," Clark finished with a tinge of remorse and guilt. "It was the only way."
"We're not sure how much the twins will take after Clark, but seeing how quickly the pregnancy had been and how receptive they are to sunlight… I have no doubt in mind that they'll turn out to be super."
"Jordan is half-Kryptonian too. His birth mother went through a normal pregnancy, but she was lacking a Kryptonian influence that Lois had. And Jordan's genes are beginning to kick in. He's always up at the crack of dawn. It probably won't be long until he begins to show some kind of super feat."
"So you see, you guys are like family to us, and you'll have a big part in the kids' lives that we felt it was only right for you to know the truth."
"We understand the pressure this now puts you in. But we know we can trust you with our family and our lives. Rest assured, I would do everything in my power to make sure you don't regret knowing this. And if you're mad, then don't take it out on Lois. She deserves more than I do."
"Clark!" Lois rolled her eyes.
"Well?" Clark ignored her, looking at his friends and trying to read their expressions. Perry seemed okay since he "knew" all along, but it was Jimmy and Alice who were impassive.
Finally, Alice burst with smiles. "This is wonderful! I always wished that Superman had someone since he has such a good heart, but to know it's really you! I'm truly touched that you would entrust me with this secret. Why didn't you tell me?" The last was thrown to her husband. "After all this time I told you that maybe we should help Superman find a girlfriend since you, Lois, and Clark were such good friends with him. Peregrine White, I could simply shake, rattle, and roll you!"
Jimmy snickered as his boss got scolded.
Clark gaped. "You're… you're not mad?"
"Mad C.K?" Jimmy shook his head. "You know, I kind of knew too. With you disappearing all the time. Totally makes sense."
"Jimmy." Perry laughed.
"Honestly. I did," he repeated, looking to his friends for back-up.
"Well, I'm glad it's out in the open," Lois said.
"Hey C.K, do you think you could help me get a date? 'Cause I think if Superman tells girls how great a guy I am they might be more inclined to give me a chance."
"Jimmy, Superman is not in the business of playing matchmaker," Perry said.
"It could work!" Jimmy protested.
Clark chuckled with relief. That was easy. It went a lot better than he thought it would. He got himself worried over nothing.
Until Jimmy spoiled the moment.
"So Lois, how did your parents take it, knowing Clark is Superman?"
xxXXxx
The plan.
First, Dr. Sam and Ellen Lane would see their new grandchildren. Hopefully, the sight and the presence of the twins would soften them to the point where they would be lulled into a pleasant mood.
Second, Clark would use his charms to put the Lanes further at ease.
And third, Lois would calmly tell them that their son-in-law was a superhero.
With these three simple steps, the screaming would be kept at a minimum and the curses will certainly be cut out. Wouldn't want to upset the babies. It was flawless. It was perfect.
It would be a disaster.
Lois scowled as her husband called her parents. Once their friends left, Lois and Clark argued over who would tell the Lanes.
Lois because they were her parents. Clark because it was his secret. But Clark told Jimmy and the Whites so it was only fair that Lois had a turn. She scoffed, calling the Man of Steel a big baby for not being brave enough to tell his in-laws. Clark didn't deny it.
Terrorists, nuclear warfare, and natural disasters he could handle. The Lanes were far worse.
As luck would have it, Lois lost at Paper, Scissors, Rock. So she was stuck in telling the truth.
While they waited for them to arrive, Lois rehearsed her speech in her head over and over. She even imagined the possible reactions and responses that her parents would have, including her own rebuttals to counteract.
Lying on the hospital bed, Lois fidgeted with her thumbs then her hair then her blanket. She was now chewing on her thumbnail when Clark took her hand in his own.
"Honey. Relax."
"Easy for you to say. I'm the one who has to tell them."
"Yeah but you're making me nervous all the same."
"These are my parents. I shouldn't be this scared, right? Tell me I'm being silly."
"You're being silly."
"Oh God," Lois moaned. "It's going to backfire. I know it will. Why couldn't I be unconscious or something? Do you think if I tell the nurse that I'm in a lot of pain they would—"
"Lo-is."
"Why in the world didn't you tell us you had the twins!?"
Lois blew out air. "Here it goes. Mother, Daddy!"
Clark sidestepped out of the way as Ellen Lane embraced her daughter. "I can't believe I missed the birth of my grandchildren! You should have called me! Or you!" Ellen turned to Clark, glaring at her son-in-law. "How difficult is it to pick up a phone?"
He had his mouth open to answer, but Ellen brushed him off and looked at Lois. "You cut your hair! I thought the long style suited you much better."
"Ellen," Dr. Sam Lane warned, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Remember what we talked about in the car?"
"Fine." She threw her hands in the air in defeat. "I won't say another word. I want to see the babies."
"They're over here Mrs. Lane," Clark told her, pushing the beds closer to his mother-in-law. While Ellen was busy gushing over the infants, Sam raised his brow to his daughter.
"I spoke to your doctor before coming in. What's this about you going in labor at S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"Y-you spoke to my doctor?" Lois choked.
Her father nodded. "He told me everything."
"Everything—?"
"What are their names?" Ellen interrupted.
"Uh, Lara Lucille and Clark Jonathan," answered Clark.
"Oh." Ellen bounced little C.J. "I see."
Hearing the tone in her mother's voice, Lois groaned. "What is it Mother?"
"Nothing! Nothing. Well, I get your son's name and Lucille for your sister, but Lara? It's like when you adopted Jordan. Whatever made you come up with his name? Don't answer it! These are your children. You can name them whatever you want. I just thought you would name the girl Beatrice for my mother. You know, when we were discussing baby names."
"Mother, you wanted Beatrice and I said it was an okay name, but ultimately it was mine and Clark's decision."
"You don't have to explain it to me," Ellen continued. "Lara is a pretty name. Maybe next time."
"Um, Mother…"
"There won't be another next time Ellen," Sam said.
Ellen froze. "What?"
"Lois had to have an emergency hysterectomy. One of the twins was breeched and had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck."
"Oh… my poor baby!" Ellen carefully set C.J. down and ran back over to Lois. "I'm so sorry! I can only imagine how this must feel for you and Clark! All these years trying to get pregnant and now no more! I told you, you should have used a surrogate."
Lois beseeched her husband with a 'help me' look. Clark went to her side and grabbed her free hand. "We're okay, Mrs. Lane. Lois and I talked it over and we felt it was for the best."
"I knew this job of yours was dangerous. Bad enough Superman has to save you from time to time, but to be on a story that led you into premature labor? I knew I should have fought harder to stay with you to make sure you took it easy. Boy, I would love to have a 'chat' with your editor for putting my pregnant daughter in harm's way."
"It wasn't like that—" Lois said.
"Now you have the children to think about. Clark, I hope you talked to your wife about quitting. It's the only way to make sure Lois doesn't do something foolish and bone-headed."
"WHAT!? I am not quitting the Planet!"
"You're overreacting Mrs. Lane. You're getting it all wrong—"
"You know," Sam said, gazing at the twins. "These guys don't look like typical preemies to me. Grant it, I've never practiced obstetrics, but I have friends who do and these two looked as if they were carried to full-term."
Distracted from scolding her daughter, Ellen ran to her ex-husband's side and looked. "Oh my God Sam! You're right! I can't believe I didn't notice before."
Lois put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. This got her parents' attention as they turned their heads in their directions.
"Thank you!" Lois exclaimed. "Can I finally get a word in?"
Ellen wrapped her arms around herself. "You only had to say so."
"Yeah, right," she muttered to herself. "Look. Clark and I have something very important to tell you. I know we should have called before, but at the moment, being on the phone didn't cross my mind. And now that things have settled somewhat, you need to know the truth."
"I think it's best if you two have a seat," Clark suggested.
"Lord. Don't tell me you're getting a divorce."
"Mother," Lois clenched.
"This is going to come off as a shock, but in a way, you already kind of knew and then you forgot it."
"Son, you're not making sense," Sam told Clark.
"Daddy. Mother. This is a matter of life and death. Not only for you, but for your grandchildren's sake. And what we tell you, you can never never tell anyone about this."
"Oh dear. This is serious." Ellen gazed at her. "You're not dying, are you?"
Lois growled out of frustration. "Clark!"
"Okay, okay. You see, the twins appear to be full-term because they are full-term. They're half-Kryptonian."
"You had an affair with Superman!" Ellen cried. "Lois! What were you thinking? And Clark stuck by you this whole time? I can't believe this…"
"Mother. I. Did. Not. Have. An. Affair," Lois punctuated each word with a clipped tone.
"Is this a cover-up? Clark is pretending to be married to you when it is really Superman then?"
"Ellen. That's not what they're saying."
"What then Sam? What are they saying?"
"Clark is Superman."
"Clark is Supe—no…" Ellen gasped.
"It's true. Let me show you." Clark spun into the Suit, his jet black hair slicked back in its traditional fashion.
Both Lanes stared at their son-in-law with open mouths.
"Now do you see?" Lois pointed out.
"I—I—you said we knew?" Sam said, not taking his eyes off of Clark.
"When Clark and I were trying to get pregnant, we asked you to look over Clark's files from S.T.A.R. Labs to make sure there weren't any mistakes about us being compatible. That's when we told you Daddy."
"I… see," he said slowly. "And—?"
"Your lab partner injected you with truth serum, which revealed I was your daughter's husband. And Fathead broke into your lab, taking both you and my parents as hostages. One of your inventions turned on to erase any awful memories you might have had."
"The Bummer-Be-Gone," Sam responded.
"That one. And you forgot that I was… well Superman."
"How did I take it?" Sam asked Lois.
She smiled timidly. "Speechless. But you took it in stride."
"And… did I help you?"
"You couldn't find anything wrong, but it's a moot point now. The twins and Jordan are proof enough."
"Jordan… he's…" Sam turned a sharply gaze to Clark.
"Not mine," Clark amended quickly. "But his father was a Kryptonian. When they invaded Metropolis and his mother…"
"Oh. Well, I'm glad he's not yours. Ah, you know what I mean."
"I do sir." Clark smiled.
"Is this bringing anything back?" Lois ventured to ask.
Sam shook his head. "Sorry pumpkin. But I'm glad you told us. I'm sorry I didn't take it as well as I appeared since I-uh forgot. I guess its all water under the bridge now. You can't change it."
"No. Will you be okay Daddy?"
He gave her a tight smile. "I'll be fine. Just give me some time to adjust to the fact that my son-in-law is… well… Superman."
"Mother?"
This whole time Ellen did not say a word, let alone interrupt anyone. She was dumbstruck. Her lower jaw was moving, but nothing was coming out. Of course, this made everyone worried since this was uncharacteristic for Ellen Lane. Usually she would be bursting with some kind of opinion. Her silence was certainly foreboding and unnerving.
"Ellen?" Sam took the chance to gently shake her.
That seemed to snap her out of her trance. "So you're saying that your father knew and I didn't?"
"It was wrong to keep it from you, I know, but you had to underst—"
"Oh, I understand," Ellen said coolly. "Apparently, I wasn't trusted enough to be in the loop. Did you think I would blab it to the news or something?"
"Mrs. Lane, no—" Clark started.
"No, no." She held up her hand. "I don't want to hear your excuses or your explanations. I see how you two feel about me. Crazy Ellen Lane who doesn't know when or how to shut her big mouth. How little the both of you know me. I may like to spread gossip once in a while, but I would never ever break a promise as big as this. Lois, you're my daughter. Clark, you're my son-in-law. Family. Family! I would never do or say anything that would hurt my family or put them in an uncomfortable situation."
"We know that Mother. We do trust you. It was just—"
"You have a funny way of showing it! What? I wasn't 'trusted' enough to be told when you got in engaged? Or when you married that clone? Or how about that psycho woman… the Wedding Destroyer? Or when you got pregnant? None of those times were good enough to tell me that this whole time you happened to be married to Superman?!"
"Ellen. Keep it down. You're getting loud."
"Hell Sam! I'll get as loud as I want!" she began shouting. "You! You knew and you didn't tell me?! I don't care you ended up forgetting! You could have told me before! Whatever happened to 'no more secrets Ellen.' 'I promise to keep nothing from you Ellen.' What was that Sam?! Just tell the truth whenever you feel like it!?"
Her shouts were starting to upset the twins as both began to whimper. Lois turned to Clark, tears swimming in her eyes. This wasn't what she had planned. She hadn't expected her mother to react this badly.
Clark, still in his costume, walked towards his irate mother-in-law in an attempt to calm her down. "Mrs.—Ellen," he said. "You have every right to be upset at us. We're not going to say you're not, but it was done. I'm sorry you feel like you were distrusted. That was never our intent. It was our secret that we had to protect and letting you know would be putting you at risk. We tried to do what seemed best for our families."
"Maybe on Krypton it was the norm to keep secrets, but not here on Earth," Ellen spat. "My God… my daughter married an alien."
That stopped Clark cold. Maybe it was naïve of him, but over the past few years, Clark forgot how different he was. Yeah, he had superpowers and that didn't change one bit, but he felt more like a normal man than anything when Lois agreed to be his wife and when she announced she was having his children. And to have "alien" thrown in his face…
"Mother," Lois gritted through her teeth. "You can say anything you want about how wrong we were to keep this from you. You can insult me all you want. But don't you ever call my husband that. Despite everything that he has done to help the people in this world and for making me happier than any woman could ever be… I am ashamed that you would say that. After how you brought me up to be respectful and tolerant towards others and you would turn around and you slur the man I love? It's despicable."
Ellen bit her lower lip. "I don't know you anymore Lois." With that, she turned her back and walked out the door.
Sam regretfully looked at his daughter and his son-in-law. "I'm sorry kids. Your… your mother… give her time. She'll come around. I love you."
He kissed the top of Lois' head and shook Clark's hand. "Son. I'm grateful that you're the one my daughter ended up with. There could be no other better man. I mean it."
"Thank you Daddy…"
"Call me when you can go home. Okay?"
"Yes sir."
Sam looked at his grandchildren once more, and then, he too, left. The quiet shut of the door sent the twins sobbing. All Lois and Clark could do was comfort their children and hoped that things would get better with Ellen Lane.
The End