PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
SUMMARY: Clark and Lois' daughter has yet to take her first step.
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: None.
DISCLAIMER: This is a future AU story and is not based on any one episode. It was inspired by a song from the animated special Santa Claus is coming to town.
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door
"Why is she not walking yet?"
Clark looks up from his paper when he hears the concern in his wife's voice. "She'll walk when she's ready," he replies with a smile.
"But she's-"
He lays his paper down on the coffee table and walks over to her. "Honey, she's fine," taking her hands in his.
"But what if she never walks?" she asks with a worried tone in her voice. "How is she ever gonna get anywhere if she can't walk?"
"Emil said there's nothing physically wrong with her."
"I know that," rolling her eyes slightly. "She's already floating yet she's not walking."
You never will get where you're going
if you never get up on your feet
come on, there's a good tail wind blowing
a fast walking man is hard to beat
"I didn't float until my freshman year of high school," a proud grin on his face.
"Yeah, and we both know why you floated in the first place," her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I was a teenage boy with raging hormones," he says in defense of his younger self. "Now I'm a grown-up man with raging hormones," pulling her close to him.
"We're supposed to be having a serious discussion about our daughter," pulling away from him and punching him on the shoulder.
"If I recall, I'm not the one who brought up that subject," arching one of his brows.
"Fine. Point taken," she says as she plops down on the couch with a sigh.
He sits down next to her and wraps his arm around her shoulder as his fingers gently rub her shoulder. "I know you're worried, Lois, but you'll just have to trust me on this. Okay?"
She turns her head and looks into his sparkling blue eyes. "I believe it coming from you," she smiles at last.
"Before you know it, she'll be putting one foot in front of the other and walking out that front door so fast that you won't be able to keep up with her," smiling back at her.
"You're right, I know you're right," she replies as she snuggles up to him and rests her head on his shoulder.
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door
They continue to sit there in front of the roaring fire while the sounds of Christmas music waft through the air. "So how about we pick up a Christmas tree before all the good ones are taken?" she asks suddenly.
"We don't have to worry about that," he replies. "We can get one from the back forty."
"But didn't your father sell that acreage to Ben Hubbard years ago?" looking at him with a curious expression.
"Ben told me the other day to help myself," he tells her.
"He did?" a curious look on her face.
"Yes," he replies. "He told me to pick out the best tree for my beautiful wife," caressing her cheek with his finger.
"He's a smart man," she quips as she rises to her feet. "So what are we waiting for, Smallville?" she says as she promptly walks over to the coat rack to put her coat on.
He slips on his own coat while she's bundling up their daughter in warm winter gear. "Let's go," she says as she holds her in one arm and uses the other to open the front door.
"Yes, dear," he chuckles as he follows her out the door and into the lightly falling snow. "Looks like it's going to be a white Christmas," he remarks as Lois secures their daughter in her car seat.
"Christmas is not for another week," Lois replies as she climbs into their four-wheel drive Yukon while he slides behind the wheel and fastens his seatbelt. "Who knows what'll happen between now and then," she continues as she fastens her own seatbelt.
"I checked the weather forecast and it said that there would be more snow at the end of the week – which means it will be a white Christmas," he grins as he starts the car.
She sticks her tongue out at him as he pulls out of the driveway. Once they're on the main road, she switches on the radio and twirls the tuning button until she finds a station with Christmas music.
If you want to change your direction
if your time of life is at hand
well don't be the rule be the exception
a good way to start is to stand
"I don't recognize that song," Clark remarks as he makes a right onto the road that leads to the back forty.
"It's from Santa Claus is coming to town," she replies as the song continues to play.
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door
"You're right," he says as he pulls to a stop and shuts the engine off. "Do you want to leave Leanne in the car?" he asks as they both hop out.
"No," she replies as she opens the back door and takes her daughter out of the car seat. "I want her to have this experience," she says as they walk towards the forest of evergreens.
They start walking among the trees until Lois suddenly stops in front of one of them. "Now this is absolutely perfect!" she exclaims as she gently thrusts her daughter into her husband's arms and slowly walks around the tree examining it. "What do you think?" turning to him.
"I think it's perfect too," he replies with a smile.
"What about you, Missy?" Lois asks her daughter. "Do you like it?"
"Yes, Mommy," Leanne responds by bobbing her head up and down while giggling at the same time.
"That's my girl," Lois says with a smile as she takes her out of Clark's arms. "Chop, chop," she tells Clark.
"Yes, dear," he laughs as he walks back to the truck.
"What do you need that for?" she asks as he pulls the axe from the floor of the back seat. "Can't you just pull the tree out of the ground with your bare hands?"
"No," he replies. "The bottom of the trunk needs to be even before I can place it in the tree stand. If I just pull it out, then it would be uneven and wouldn't stand up straight," he explains as he walks back to the tree. "Now stand back because I don't want either one of you getting hurt."
"You don't have to tell me twice," she quips and immediately walks over to stand near the truck while Clark aims the blade at the base of the tree.
"Timber!" he yells out as the tree falls down to the ground with a crashing thud.
"Timber!" Leanne giggles again while clapping her hands excitedly.
"That's right," Clark calls out to her with a smile. He then lifts the tree up above his head and proceeds to tie it securely to the roof of the car. "Do you need to stop anywhere else before we go home?" he asks as they get back in the car.
Lois shakes her head. "No. I just want to go home so that we can decorate the tree," she replies.
"Alright," he smiles as he starts the car and heads for home.
If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
you mean that it's just my election
to vote for a chance to be reborn
"This goes on top of the tree," Lois tells Clark.
He takes the porcelain angel and secures it to the top. "I like it," he declares as he plugs in the lights. "Now that's a beautiful tree," he declares as he tosses on a few more icicles.
"I have one more ornament," Lois says and holds it out towards him. "It goes right there," pointing to a spot in the middle of the tree.
He takes it from her. "Baby's first Christmas," he reads.
"You gave that to me last year, remember?" Lois says softly as he places it in the spot she indicated.
"I remember," he whispers as he pulls his wife into his arms and softly kisses her.
"Mommy, Daddy."
They both turn around at the sound of Leanne's voice; their jaws dropping with astonishment as she slowly stands up and takes one small step forward.
"She's walking! She's walking!" Lois cries out with happiness as she drops to her knees and pulls out her camera.
"You can do it, sweetie," Clark says while kneeling down next to his wife as Leanne takes another hesitant step.
"Listen to Daddy, Sweetheart," Lois tells her daughter as she begins to start taking pictures.
"Just put one foot in front of the other," he says with encouragement.
Leanne continues to take small steps while Lois snaps picture after picture. "You're doing wonderful, sweetie," a huge smile on her face as Leanne finally comes up to where they were both kneeling.
"You were amazing!" Lois whispers with glistening eyes as she sweeps her daughter into her arms and stands up.
Clark stands up and turns to his daughter. "You will be taking many steps in your life, Leanne, but the ones you just took will be the ones your Mommy and I will never forget for as long as we live," he whispers with a voice full of emotion.
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door
The tears are now rolling freely down Lois' cheeks. "This is the best Christmas ever," she declares as Clark wraps his arms around the two of them and holds them tight. "I can't wait to tell everybody," she whispers as she carefully steps onto his feet and they begin to dance.
"We'll tell them tomorrow," he replies. "But just for now, can we leave tomorrow…until tomorrow and just have this?" he asks softly.
"Uh huh," she whispers and rests her head on his chest as the three of them slowly begin to float above the floor.
THE END
FYI:
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Animated)
(ABC) December 13, 1970
New Music by Maury Laws
New Lyrics by Jules Bass
Teleplay by Romeo Muller
Voices: Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Paul Frees
Inspired by the popular 1934 Christmas song, this is a fanciful tale of how a family of toy maker elves (the Kringles) find baby Kris abandoned on their doorstep and raise him. As a young man, Kris defies the evil Burgermeister of Sombertown and brings forbidden toys to children. Now outlaws, he and his followers retreat to the North Pole for safety . . . and so the legend of Santa is born. The score has some great numbers ("Put one foot in front of the other" is a catchy standout), and the voices of MGM legends Rooney (as Kris) and Astaire (as the narrator postman) lend tremendous charm. Repeated annually, this is especially recommended for kids - adults will enjoy the casting.