12

Describing dinner as unpleasant was kind of like describing the Fortress as a little chilly. His mother was cheerful enough, quite the hostess, trading pleasantries with Lana and asking about how her latest bout of fundraising was going. Kara and Chloe hadn't said anything during the entire meal. Chloe was glaring at Lana as if she were the one with heat vision and his cousin had already crushed two forks in her grip and was working on mangling a third.

If he'd had any doubt that Kara had overheard Lana's remark, he didn't now.

"Heh, well I think we're all getting close to done." He said. "Hey Kara, do you want to help me-"

Just like that, all the dishes were gone and the kitchen counter was spotless. Well, he'd seen her do all the pick-up but mom, Chloe, and Lana had all blinked at how fast everything had been cleared.

"Alright then. That went well."

"More than happy to help, Kal-El." She said, glaring pointedly at Lana.

Oh man and the in-law situation was about to get really ugly.

"Kara, sit down." He said patiently.

"I'd love to." She replied in Kryptonian, while keeping her gaze focused on the other girl.

"Is something wrong, Kara?" She asked, her voice as sweet and sincere as it had been during their pancake breakfasts.

"No, everything is just fine." She said and then, adding again in Kryptonian. "I'm just pissed off that my nephew's half-lying bitch."

"Oh God." Clark said.

Lana narrowed her eyes at him. "What did she say?"

"You don't want to know."

"Oh, I want to tell her." Kara replied so that Lana, Chloe, and his mom could follow her. "How stupid are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I was speaking in English this time, keep up. How stupid are you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kara crossed her arms over her chest. "If I concentrate, I can hear Jimmy talking to Lois over a coffee break in the Planet's basement when I'm at The Talon. I can certainly hear you whisper through the pathetically thin walls of this old house, and Kal can hear you even better when it's his chest your pressed up against."

"What are you getting at."

Chloe exchanged a look with Kara and it occurred to him that they'd set this up together while he'd been helping his mom with dinner. "We know what you said about the baby."

"I don't." Martha said, and her irate tone scared him more than anything. "Clark, what are they talking about?"

"It's nothing mom, really."

"Oh, it's a whole lot of something." His cousin corrected. "Lana mentioned last night that she'd love the baby more if he were a hundred percent human, like that's so fucking great."

"Kara Kent! Don't swear at my table." His mom scolded. "But that's something worth hearing." She turned and glared at Lana. "Is that true?"

Lana was startling pale and it reminded him of how she'd looked when he'd shown up in the middle of her almost Parisian dinner with the Phantom. "I...no."

"I heard you, Lana. You and Kal were fighting and it was keeping me up and then you said it before you fell asleep. I don't know why you said that out loud. I don't even know how you could think it." And her voice was wavering. "Don't you like us?"

Clark shot a helpless glance at his mom who, with complete understanding, patted his cousin's shoulder. Kara had latched on to Lana very quickly as a surrogate big sister and was closer to her than she was with either Lois or Chloe. Of course, after the last few months of Lana never being delayed at ISIS and her comment last night, he had feeling that was no longer the case.

"Of course I like you." Lana said sweetly. The syrupy sweetness in her tone, made him nauseous in a way that had nothing to do with the morning sickness he no longer had.

"But you don't like the baby?" Kara asked.

"No, of course I love him. I...you took what I said out of context."

"There's a context that can make that xenophobic statement better?" Chloe asked bitterly.

"It's not xenophobic." She defended, taking his hand and he let her. He promised his mom he'd try and take care of himself and the baby, and he'd promised himself that he'd try and make things work with Lana. Chloe and Kara both frowned at him but kept their attention focused on Lana.

"Then what was it?" His mom prodded calmly.

"I just meant that it would be easier overall. I wouldn't have to worry as much if the baby was healthy or safe. If you'd been listening, Kara, you'd have heard both me and Clark worrying about all the complications. If we could go to a regular doctor, if this were with precedent, it would be less stressful. That's all I meant."

"I don't believe you." Kara said stiffly.

"You didn't phrase it that way." Chloe countered.

"Well maybe Clark remembered wrong."

"We never remember wrong."

"Then maybe you should just listen to me now. I love Clark and I love the baby and I'm doing the best I can for both of them."

"Right, with even more doctors to poke at him and me."

"Lana," his mom added wearily. "What does she mean?"

"I'm bringing in a physicist to help measure Clark and Kara's strength. I think the baby might make Clark weaker by the end of all of this. He's already sleeping more than he used to."

Which was true but still a relative term. He usually averaged about four hours a night and now he was up to six, which was still less than most humans. "She has a point," he offered meekly.

"I don't want any more tests." Kara replied. "I gave blood for six weeks. They got all the hormone levels they needed and I hate ISIS. It sucks there."

"But it could be helpful," She countered.

"It could be helpful until it gets to the point where neither of them are allowed to leave." Chloe replied. "We talked about this, Lana. I went by ISIS specifically after you hired the chemists."

"You did?" He asked.

"Of course, I have boundaries but I also have things that I believe shouldn't happen to my nephew."

"He's not your nephew," Lana said.

"Yes, he is." Clark countered, still holding her hand in his. "Chloe's my best friend and she's kept my secret for years. She gave Kara her identity, and I have no doubt she'll protect him just as fiercely. Stop saying she's not."

"Clark!"

"I mean it. Everyone at this table matters. We're it. This is all we have in the whole world because, frankly, that team of crooks you have working for you don't care at all about me or the baby. They're just thrilled to be working on an alien. Or maybe they're just thrilled not to be in jail."

"They're not as bad as you say."

"The AMA doesn't threaten to take away licenses for no reason." Chloe said.

"So are you all against me now?"

"No, we're not, but we're concerned and we have a right to be. Six people outside of the family know about Clark and Kara now and you've already briefed a seventh. The ones you've found aren't reliable and the only thing buying their silence is the offers you've made them. If someone makes a better one..." His mom said, trailing off.

Kara exchanged a nervous look with him. They knew what would happen to the both of them, if the information at ISIS was leaked.

"But somehow that's not the worst of it. Labs and everything else we can deal with. Arrow can fix a lot of things and I'd bet so could the Manhunter if it came to it." Chloe supplied. "But the way your behaving is unacceptable. If you have a problem with this family, if you have a problem with who Clark and Kara and the baby are, then you need to admit it."

"I don't."

"Then stop saying the things you do, and stop treating Clark like he's a fool or deformed."

He flinched. "I wouldn't say it like that, Chlo." Except, with the way Lana had been avoiding touching or looking at him, it very much did feel that way.

"I don't."

"It feels like it." Kara said, surprisingly quiet. "You're never home anymore, and you don't talk to the baby or spend time with Kal like you used to."

"I see both of you all the time."

"In the lab," his mother reminded her. "That's not the same."

"You two don't even do it like bunnies anymore."

Everyone at the table turned to gape at his cousin. Well, almost everyone. Lana looked like she was constipated and his mother looked horrified. Chloe looked like she was fighting very hard not to erupt into a fit of giggles. Well, she had Lois. She was more used to blunt than the rest of them.

"Excuse me?" Lana asked.

"I used to hear you two all the time. It was loud and annoying and kind of scarring because, frankly, Kal's kind of ugly. No offense."

"Um, none taken?"

"It's just that he's all broad-shouldered and athletic and boring. On Krypton, we used to go for the intellectual thing. Nothing says hot like pasty and scrawny."

Huh, that explained a lot about her attraction to Jimmy. Plus, he was really glad his cousin had never thought about him like that. Of course, he wasn't that bad looking. He was certainly better looking than Jimmy Freaking Olsen, even if Chloe apparently liked him too (or had).

"Kara? There's a point here?" He asked.

"Oh Rao yes. You're being a bitch, Lana. So get the Hell over it."

"Kara, that was rude," His mother replied.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent. I didn't like having her tell me what to do either."

"Oh, I'm not objecting to her opinion. I'm just objecting to her language. Lana, I'm trying, but you have to do better. I can't say I'm very happy with the way you've been treating either my son or grandson. The doctors are bad enough, but the avoidance is unforgivable. This is the time they both need you around home the most."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder." Chloe said tersely.

"So I can be more like you?" Lana asked pointedly and Clark swore he felt the temperature in the room drop by twenty degrees.

Chloe, did not rise to the bait. "So you can be the mother you're supposed to be. If I make you so uncomfortable, then maybe you should ask yourself why he's coming to me or to Kara in the first place."

"You're thrilled he's coming to you."

"Well, I do enjoy a nice tuna on rye shared with his stupid ham sandwiches in the basement. I want him to be able to go to you." She said. "They both deserve for the mother in this deal to be more involved than she currently is."

"I...Chlo," He floundered.

"I promised I'd try. I told him that last night. We're doing better." She replied, squeezing his hand. "Aren't we, Clark?"

God, he was so glad he was having a boy. There were just too many really scary women in his life right now. Sighing, he responded to his cue. "Chlo, I told you that I'm going to try harder. It's fine."

"It's not." His mother said calmly. "Lana, I've known you since before I ever met Clark. I've always liked you and I'm glad you've made Clark happy," her hesitation over that last word didn't escape his or Kara's sharp notice, "and, despite the circumstances, I'm glad you've given me a grandson, but everything's conditional."

"Excuse me?"

"Membership in this family is conditional. Not for Clark and Kara, because they'd have to kill me before I ever let either of them go, but it's conditional for everyone else. If you can't secret keep, if you can't support them, you can't stay. I'd like to get to the naming, if we could, but we'll be talking later. I have things to say to you that I don't want the girls and Clark overhearing."

"Mrs. Kent-"

"No, Lana, we'll do this later, and I'm sure you'll understand my points when I bring them up." She replied, sighing and trying to smile. "Lana, I'm sorry if that came out as harsh. Chloe and Kara mean well, they're just not as delicate as we can be."

"Oh, I'll show her delicate." Kara said.

"Chill out, Supergirl," Chloe replied. "It's fine. Sometimes families argue. Even Lois and I butt heads. It happens. We're not holding grudges here. Lana. We're all trying to make this work for the baby, but I can't tolerate you upsetting Clark either."

"He wasn't upset."

"Yeah, I'm totally fine, honest." He replied, ignoring the sad, bright green eyes boring into him. "Chlo, it's all a big misunderstanding and I'm overly sensitive right now anyway."

"I don't like being put down for not being human, either, and I'm not even pregnant." Kara countered.

Clark sighed and, standing up, walked over to the window sill and pulled the cooling pies off of it and onto the counter. He cut the apple into several slices and laid them out on plates. "If anyone wants any-"

"I'm fine." Lana said.

"I'm not feeling very hungry right now, sweetie." His mom replied.

Kara was already seated back at the table with her slice. "I'm good, Kal."

"Chlo?"

Chloe eyed Lana for a second and then glanced down at her lap. Through the table, Clark could make out her pinching her thigh. "I shouldn't."

"You like pie."

"Are you having yours?"

And Chloe meant that literally. The whole cherry pie was for him.

"Oh jeez."

"I'll have my slice if you have all of yours."

He rolled his eyes. "Lois is going to have no problem noticing the weight gain even with a sweatshirt if I keep having pies." He groaned a little, but still carried his tin and her slice back to the table with him.

Chloe shrugged and bit into her slice. "Meh, it's winter soon. God bless sweaters."

"Sympathy eating," he replied. "Cool."

"Quite." Lana said. "So, I have to admit that I'm just dying to see what you all have come up with."

"You have names don't you?" Kara asked.

"Of course, I have one I've become very attached to. I just wanted to hear what you all were thinking about."

"Okay then." Kara said. "I like Kon-El. It's a family name from our great grandfather. He was one of the most respected council members of his age."

"Council member?" Clark asked, confused.

"'House of...' is a title, Kal. We're a council family. I thought you new that."

"Kind of, but I was fuzzy on the details."

"Well it's like with Aunt Martha now being a senator, but it's even more highly respected."

Lana leaned forward. "Like royalty?"

"Not exactly, just well-respected and powerful. It wasn't inherited, but it's kind of like being a Kennedy here. Once you had the name and the clout...your family kind of stayed powerful."

"Wow."

Clark narrowed his eyes. He'd rarely seen Lana more interested in Kryptonian things. "Heh, well here I just muck out horse stalls."

"Double yuck." Kara replied. "It's a good name. Lara brought it up once, but I liked Kal so much better, like our sun."

"Oh." He wasn't feeling very articulate at the moment.

"We can't give him a Kryptonian name." Lana countered.

"Not that shit again. Didn't we just go over the non-xenophobia thing?"

"It's not what I meant, Kara. We can't put a name that unusual on a birth certificate."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid. I know that, but just because it's not on some document somewhere, won't make it any less of his name. I mean, Kal's name isn't written down anywhere either, but it's still his."

Clark blushed at that. "I...my name's Clark."

"But you let me call you the real one." Kara countered and then frowned at his mother. "No offense. I mean, Clark's a nice name and you did a good job picking it out. It's just that he's been Kal to me since he was younger than the little one is now."

His mother smiled at her. "I understand, Kara. I think it's a nice gesture, Clark. I'm sure that Lara would have approved."

Clark smiled at her. He wanted very much to hug her then. He knew it couldn't be easy for his mother to bring up his birth one. She'd been so supportive of him trying to learn about Lara through Kara and even way back in the loft after Summerholt. But, as much as he loved Lara, and as grateful as he was to her for saving his life, he loved his real mother so much more.

He hoped she never forgot that.

"Thanks mom. That means a lot. I like the name, Kara. You know, the Fortress sucks."

"No really? I thought I was the only one who hated freezing to death." Chloe quipped.

"Or getting mind-raped." Kara added.

"Or power stripped." He finished. "Right. So we all hate the Fortress and the AI, but you're here and I met Lara, mostly, and I think it's important that we make part of his name Kryptonian. I...it seems right."

Lana nodded, but he could feel her hand stiffen in his grasp. "Of course, but we can't call him 'Kon.'"

"I call Clark, 'Kal.'" Kara countered. "It sounds like a human name and so does 'Kara.'"

"But he needs a real name."

"Real?" Chloe countered.

"Legal, you know what I mean."

"Then why not just give him a name that can be shortened to be Kon, something that can bleed easily into that as a nickname?" His mom asked.

"What?"

Chloe's eyes twinkled. "I've got it."

"Got what?"

"The name, dooofus," she said. "But you have to eat more before I tell you. You've barely touched anything."

"Fine," he said and slipping into superspeed, finished up half the pie. "Are you happy now?"

"Much more so. Okay, ready for the Sullivan brilliance?"

"And modesty," Kara quipped.

"That too." She said. "How about 'Connor?'"

"Connor?"

She nodded. "Connor. You could call him 'Kon' and no one would ever know the difference. Besides, it's a nice, stalwart Irish name. Every kid should be so lucky."

Clark chuckled for what felt like the first time in a week. He couldn't help smiling back at her. "I like that."

"Yeah, that's perfect, Chloe. No one would ever know. Plus it has that whole alliteration thing that Kal, Lana, and I are so good at anyway." Kara replied.

"Connor Kent," his mom repeated. "That's lovely."

"Lana?" He asked hesitantly. He couldn't imagine that after having Chloe find out about the baby and his sex first, that Lana would be happy to have her offering up a name. But it did mesh well with Kara's and his cousin had named him too. He felt like she was pretty good at it.

Lana offered him a tight smile. "I think that's nice. I also think it will fit well with the name I've been considering."

"Which is?"

"I want his middle name to be 'Joseph.'"

His mother frowned at that and he knew why. She was trying to figure out why that name sounded so familiar. It should sound familiar, she'd heard at Lana and Lex's wedding. Chloe, who'd been keeping files on Alexander Joseph Luthor since she got to Smallville knew exactly where the name had come from.

"Excuse me?" Chloe huffed.

"I said Joseph."

"Connor Joseph Kent," Kara said speculatively. "I like that, plus he'd have your initials, Kal."

"I...well that's one way of putting it," he said.

"It has a nice ring to it," his mother said noncommittally. "But there's something familiar about it that I don't quite like."

"I can tell you what's familiar about it." Chloe said angrily and Lana was so lucky that the other girl didn't have heat vision.

"Chlo, don't."

"Why the Hell not?"

"I..." he hesitated and then he felt it. Lana had slipped her hand out from his grasp and placed it firmly on his stomach. It was the first time she'd ever reached out for their son. Maybe the talks had gotten to her. Lithe fingers stroked over the slight bulge he'd been cultivating.

"Clark, I think it's a great name. If Chloe and Kara can pick out a name, certainly I should be allowed to. I'm the mom, aren't I?" As she said that, she drove home her point home by pressing a little against his midsection, against the child that should be in her body.

When she said it that way, it would have been really selfish of him to deny her this. Besides, she was really trying.

"I think it's a great name." He choked out, feeling slightly nauseous at the thought of naming his kid in part after Lex.

"Clark!" Chloe said, her eyes blazing.

"Clark," Lana echoed, her voice sweet and gentle and her warm palm flush against his midsection. "You really mean it?"

"I...of course," he replied and then she smiled more happily than she had since he'd told her he was pregnant.

"Connor Joseph Kent," Kara repeated. "I really like it."

"I don't." Chloe snarked.

"Well, Connor's not yours , Chloe." Lana replied tartly. "You know, it's been a long day and I think I'd like to get some sleep." She emphasized her point by letting her hand slip lower to something that was definitely not his stomach but that she'd touched even less in the last two months.

Clark blushed and stood up. "I, uh, good point. Mom, can we go?"

"Sure honey."

It was all it took for him to speed her up to their room.