"I can't believe this. What am I going to do?" Kara asked as Clark flew them both home. They were the first words she'd spoken since they'd left the fortress.
He landed on Oliver's balcony and let her down. She made no attempt to go inside, instead she stood next to the wall and gazed out over the city, wrapping her arms around herself. She didn't look at him, she just stood there in silence, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.
"What do you mean?" He asked, standing near the doors to allow her the space she needed. This was as much of a shock to him as it no doubt was to her. When Jor-El had told her that she was pregnant, Clark had barely been able to believe it.
He knew that it was possible obviously, because Phoebe wouldn't be in his life if it weren't. But there was a small part of him that had wondered if Kara would even be able to conceive a human's child since her body was so strong. Evidently, she was.
When she offered no reply, Clark took one step closer. "Kara, what are you thinking?"
He was worried about her. Not only was she now having to face the fact that she was carrying a child, she also had to deal with the loss of her powers, and she may or may not lose them all. Jor-El simply didn't know how this was going to work. He hadn't been able to give them any answers at all except to say that he would continue to monitor her closely.
"I want this baby." She said abruptly, both hands going to her flat stomach. Her eyes widened for a second, as if the revelation was a surprise to her.
"That's good…"
"But I don't know how to feel about it Clark." She turned to him then, and the look of fear in her eyes had him moving closer, wrapping her up in a big brotherly hug.
"Are you happy?"
He felt her nod her head as she tucked it into his broad chest. "But I'm so scared."
"I know, right now it's scary and you don't know what's gonna happen. I was the same."
"How did you get through it?"
He frowned, remembering the way he'd acted when he'd found out Lois was pregnant. "I didn't handle it well when I first found out. In my fear of not knowing what could happen to Lois, I inadvertently pushed her away and she was left having to go through it on her own. I didn't mean to, but I didn't know how to deal with it all. I never even thought having a child was possible so that was a shock but then having to face it, really face the possibility of losing Lois…" He shook his head.
"I couldn't handle that, so I went with her to all the appointments, went through the motions without really letting it in. Trying not to get too attached because I figured it would hurt less if something ever happened to the baby. And I hurt her by doing that,"
He tightened his hold on his cousin, his red cape wrapping around them in a protective blanket. "But you know what? As soon as I saw that sonogram and heard my baby's heart beating with my own ears…there's nothing like that feeling Kara. And when she was born, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried."
He smiled to himself as he leaned his chin on top of her head. "She was only born three days ago yet I can't remember what my life was like before her. She's the most precious thing in my world and I would do anything for her. You'll see, in time, you'll see what it's really like. And you'll know…as soon as you see your baby, it'll just come to you and the love you'll feel, well…let's just say it has a way of really hitting you."
"That does sound nice." She muttered, burrowing deeper into his chest and he felt a shudder go through her. "But what if I don't feel the kind of love you're talking about?"
"Kara, you love Oliver right?" She nodded. "And I've seen how you are with Phoebe, you love that little girl with your whole heart."
"I do."
"But you have an advantage here Kara, you have what Lois and I didn't."
"And what's that?"
"The knowledge that Phoebe is here and she's happy and healthy. That a half human-half Kryptonian baby can be born safe and sound. So it doesn't have to be scary."
"Its not that I'm scared of." She murmured, stepping away from him. "I'm scared of me."
"Why?" As Kara returned to her pose of wrapping her arms around herself, Clark wondered what was going through the young woman's mind.
"I thought I had done so well living here, becoming accustomed to everything that comes naturally to you because you were raised here."
"You have, I'm proud of the way you've turned out…"
Kara carried on as if he hadn't even spoken. "I had learned the hard way about some human emotions, and felt things that I never thought could be so good, and its almost like second nature now. But this, this is different. How do I even go about being a mother to someone, let alone a human baby?"
Clark let out a soft chuckle. "You and Lois are so alike it's actually kinda scary. She said the same thing when she found out she was pregnant. She didn't know how she was going to do it either, and just look at her now."
Kara nodded. "I guess it helps that Lois has been through it, at least I'll have someone to talk to when my body starts changing." One side of her mouth tilted up. "She is an amazing mom."
"Yeah she is. And you'll be the same. I don't know much about being a mother obviously but I do know what it's like to be scared about becoming a parent. But it's not something that can be taught, you have to find your own way of doing it and I'd be lying if I said that I'm not scared even now."
"But I'm losing my powers Clark, what if I lose them all? How will I be able to protect myself and my baby?"
"Do you honestly think Oliver would let anything happen to you? Or me for that matter?"
"No, but Lois had increased strength when she was pregnant, you didn't have to worry about her so much.
"Doesn't mean I didn't. And look at what happened, she was still kidnapped, and besides, the strength was really only a way of making sure that her body was strong enough to give birth." He replied, his brow furrowing at the dark memory of Lois being taken. He didn't allow himself to think of it too much, but when he did, he still felt the anger flare up at Toby for what he'd done.
The fact that he'd been bailed out of jail by someone he knew had to be Lex was even further cause for concern. And in true Lex Luthor style, Toby was now missing, the police unable to track him down. Which in turn, had resulted in Clark never leaving Lois alone for too long. He didn't care if she felt cramped by him, he was taking no chances with her or his daughter.
Kara frowned in thought. "Does she still have the strength?"
"Yeah but it's fading. Though our race's ways may still be affecting her. She pretty much went back to being her regular size in three days after giving birth."
"Yeah I noticed that." Kara nodded. "So you really think I can do this? It's such a big thing…and I don't know, I mean I'm just not sure if…"
Poor Kara, she looked so nervous, like a deer caught in the headlights of a rather large vehicle and he knew there was nothing he could say or do to make this any easier on her.
He grasped her shoulders and smiled. "Kara, give yourself a break here, you've only really just found out. You need some time to come to terms with the fact that your life is gonna change. Once you've done that, you can focus on everything else. But no I don't think you can do this…" He smiled when her mouth fell open. "I know you can. And you're not alone, you have your husband."
"That's true, I do have Ollie. But will you help me? You and Lois are the only ones who can really understand what this is like."
"Well not completely since I'm not a woman." He chuckled and was pleased when she did the same. "But yes, of course I'll help you. I'm always here for you Kara, you're more like a sister to me than a cousin. But right now, I really think you should call your husband home and tell him he's gonna be a dad."
"Oliver." She whispered, closing her eyes. "I bet he's freaking out right now."
"All the more reason to call him."
As she took her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the time, she gasped. "I'm so sorry Clark, I've made you miss Lois' party."
"Hey, don't worry about that. Lois won't mind and neither do I. There'll be plenty more parties in the future. And just think, soon Phoebe will have a little cousin of her own."
Kara openly grinned at that idea. "Okay, I'm sold."
"Good," He chuckled. "Now call."
As she dialled Oliver's number, Kara looked over at him and smiled, a warmth flooding her gaze. "Thanks Clark,"
He stepped over to her, kissed her on top of her head and then took off into he skies, allowing her some alone time to think before Oliver came home. Boy was he in for a shock.
Lex stood outside taking in the fresh cool air from the breeze that surrounded him. He'd rarely ever taken the time to appreciate the beauty of his gardens at the mansion when he'd lived there before but lately, even though the cold winter weather should've deterred him, he found himself taking long walks, with only his thoughts for company.
He sighed as he glanced up at the greying sky. Rain was on the way again. The mansion was quiet, dead quiet. He only had a few staff around him now and his own personal physician was live-in but he only saw her on appointments. He was getting much better.
His body was now back to full strength, a feeling he had missed greatly. His scars would always be with him, but he didn't mind. He'd grown accustomed to the lines on his face, they were a constant reminder of the showdown he'd had with Clark a lifetime ago.
"Mr Luthor?" A voice said behind him, clearing his throat nervously as if he knew better than to interrupt Lex when he was here.
"Yes?" Lex answered, without turning around. He kept his face turned up towards the sky, his eyes scanning the vast clouds as they drifted by.
"Everything is set Mr Luthor, your jet is ready and waiting for you."
He turned to face his assistant, a tall, red headed man with a lot of potential. Lex had hired him as a bodyguard originally and while that was still his main title, he also doubled as a personal assistant too.
"Are my bags packed?"
"Yes sir, I took care of it myself."
"Good," Lex turned back to his garden, thinking that it would be some time before he saw it again. Strange, now that he was leaving, he would actually come to miss this the most.
His business was now thriving once again, though the shares that Oliver Queen still owned were unattainable. He'd tried every legal way he could think of to get them back, and when that hadn't worked he'd tried a few illegal ones. But those hadn't worked either, Oliver was a smart man and he knew what to be on the lookout for.
So Lex was stuck sharing a business that his father had built, a business that he himself had spent a great deal of his life developing too, with a man he hated deeply. He would get it back, but not today. Sometime in the future, he would have what was his.
"And Toby?"
"He's all set up where you asked sir."
Toby was a liability and a nutcase for sure, but Lex couldn't afford to get rid of him just yet. But the fact that Toby was in love with Lois and had kidnapped her, definitely made Lex wary. He hadn't been aware that Toby had been sending Lois expensive gifts for the baby and he didn't know that Toby had planned to raise Clark and Lois' baby himself. How had he not seen that coming.
If it wasn't for the fact that Toby was pretty nifty getting in and out of locked places, he'd have gotten rid of him a long time ago. Lex smiled to himself as he thought of Helen, lying in a coma, near death. That was retribution enough, but knowing that Clark blamed her for Lex getting a hold of Lois' blood was icing on the cake. And as far as he was aware, Clark still hadn't made the connection of the break in at Oliver's apartment to Toby.
"Then I guess it's time to go."
Lex let out a quiet sigh, his plan to get the blood of the Kent baby may have failed. But he was a man who always thought ahead. As he turned around and started heading back with his bodyguard, he thought of his next one, it would be a while coming.
But like they say, good things come to those who wait. He needed to let the dust settle for a while before he tried again. He would have that baby, one way or another.
"Lois?" Clark called as he walked in the farm house that afternoon. The house was fairly silent, the only sound of the grandfather clock ticking away.
"Up here." He heard her voice come from upstairs so he quickly changed into his jeans and a white t-shirt and headed up.
He found her in the bathroom, sitting in a tub full of bubbles with Phoebe asleep in her basket across from her. There was a glass on the side next to her filled with what he knew had to be the non alcoholic champagne that Chloe had bought for her. She didn't appear to have touched it yet though since the vibrant pink coloured liquid was still full to the top of the glass. He idly wondered if it were a new brand, he'd never seen champagne that pink before.
"Hey," He murmured as he walked in, bending down to kiss her.
The scent of jasmine filled the air and as he looked at his wife, he could see she was feeling relaxed. She was obviously trying out some of her new gifts and he was happy to see that. He crouched down in front of her and held her face in his hands, just taking a moment to drink in her beauty.
She was amazingly gorgeous today, her face was flushed from the warmth of the water, her cheeks had a rosy glow that was adorable and her skin was slick and glistening and as he caught a glimpse of the swell of her breasts just under the suds, he had to fight with himself not to reach out and begin something he knew he shouldn't. He knew that they weren't able to do anything yet, even though Lois had appeared to heal pretty well, he still knew he should wait.
"Hey yourself, where on earth did you get to? I was starting to get worried."
"I'm sorry I missed the party but…it's been a interesting afternoon." He replied, getting up and turning to his sleeping daughter. Running a tender hand over Phoebe's dark, thick hair, he asked. "Where's mom anyway?"
"She's still at the Talon, she wanted to stay and help clean up."
"Did Lucy and your father get off to the airport okay?"
"Yup, and I made her promise to call me at least once a week." Lois narrowed her eyes as he sat down on the toilet and sighed. "So?"
"Hmm?"
She rolled her eyes. "How's Kara? Did Jor-El find out what's causing the loss of her flight?"
"In a way yes."
"What's that supposed to mean? Come on Smallville, spill it." She said impatiently.
"Well, it's not just the flight, she lost her strength too." As Lois shook her head, he smiled. "And…she's pregnant." You could've heard a pin drop in the room as Lois fell completely silent. Her eyes widened before a grin broke out on her face.
"That's great! Isn't it?" She asked, when Clark didn't respond.
"Hmm?" He snapped his attention away from Phoebe. "Oh yeah, it's fantastic news. She's a little freaked out right now but I think once she's told Oliver and they get used to the idea, she'll be ecstatic."
"I can't believe it, Kara's gonna be a mom. Wow that's weird huh?" She chuckled, glancing at Phoebe. "Well no weirder than me being one I guess."
"You're a great mom Lo."
"Thanks but I think we all know who her favourite is. She's a daddy's girl."
His heart kicked in his chest and he felt a warm fuzzy feeling fill him. "You think so?"
She leaned back in the tub, letting her head tilt to the side as she watched him with such love in her eyes. "I know so. But then, what's not to love about her daddy. He's an amazing person."
He reached forward and took her hand, smoothing his thumb over the back of it. "Thanks Lo."
They sat there, each staring into the other's eyes for the longest time when a soft snuffling noise broke the connection. Clark looked over as Phoebe's eyes fluttered open and landed on him.
"Hey there baby girl…how you doing?" He asked softly and then…his heart stopped.
Phoebe, his three day old daughter, was smiling, as she kicked her little legs about, knocking the blanket off her. The corners of her mouth were tilted up much like when she had wind, but somehow Clark knew this was different.
Her eyes were locked on his, and the smile still stayed. She was smiling…at him. It was a strange sensation, knowing that she shouldn't be able to do that yet and wondering exactly how much of his Kryptonian side had been passed down, but he couldn't help but smile back.
Carefully, he lifted her out and cradled her against his chest, holding her head against his chin. "Lois…she smiled at me."
He expected Lois to say the same thing he'd told Kara earlier, that it wasn't possible and that it was probably just gas but Lois only grinned. "See? Told you she's a daddy's girl. And a smart one too."
Clark felt his eyes water up as Phoebe started wriggling and crying letting him know that she was hungry and this little father-daughter bonding session was going to have to be put on hold. He glanced at Lois as she started getting up and he didn't want her to cut her relaxation time short just yet.
"No, stay there Lo. We still have some milk left from the party remember? I'll go feed her."
"You sure?" She asked and he could see that while she would get out and feed their daughter in a heartbeat, she was enjoying her bath too much to really want to get out.
"I'm sure. Just relax and come down when you're ready. Now then, what do you say we go get your tummy filled huh?" He cooed to his daughter as he walked out the door.
Lois sat back down and leaned against the bath, the warmth of the water once again surrounding her entire body. She smiled to herself, Clark was an amazing father as she knew he would be. But the way he was with Lois took her breath away sometimes.
Often she would catch him looking at her, with a gleam in his eye as if she were the only thing in his world. And she had never before felt so loved. But the way he was with Phoebe was just…it made her life complete. It was definitely something that she loved seeing. A man as big and as strong as Clark who was so gentle with his little baby cradled in his arms.
She sank a little lower into the water, letting it flow over her shoulders and up to her chin. Closing her eyes she let out a contented sigh. Life was good. She had a family she loved beyond measure, and soon Kara would get to know what that was like. She was so happy for Kara and Oliver, they deserved this. There was only one dark shadow that remained. Lex. But she wouldn't allow herself to think of him.
Reaching out, she took the glass of pink bubbly from the side and sipped it slowly, feeling the liquid warm her from the inside. After her second sip, she shook her head. Man, for non alcoholic stuff it sure had a kick.
######
As much as he loved watching his wife nurse their daughter, Clark realised that he loved feeding her too. He was sitting on the sofa with Phoebe cradled in one arm as his other held the bottle to her mouth. She was guzzling like she hadn't been fed for days and her little fingers were grasping onto one of his.
"I love you so much baby girl." He murmured, watching as her little eyes began to droop.
"I guess it'll soon be time for mommy and me to be looking for our own place huh? Would you like that? Your own room with lots of toys and things. Don't worry though, you'll still see grandma as much as possible because she loves you too. You have so many people who love you Phoebe, you'll never be alone sweetheart."
Taking the bottle out of her mouth, he leaned her forward and started rubbing her back. He chuckled as she let out a little burp and then settled her back again. She was asleep before the bottle was even empty so he got up and placed her in her basket, thinking it was a good thing that they had two around the house, one to be kept downstairs and one upstairs as well as her crib in their bedroom.
He placed the little stuffed giraffe next to her, a present he had picked up from New Zealand when he'd been dealing with a crisis there, and then walked into the kitchen to begin making dinner. His mom would no doubt be annoyed at being deprived of the chance but he wanted it to be ready for when she got home.
"Now there's a sight for sore eyes." He turned to the voice on the stairs and as he caught sight of his wife, the spoon he'd been holding fell from his hand, landing with a loud clank on the floor. He stood there, frozen, mouth hanging open as he stared at her.
Standing on the bottom step, Lois was dressed in a short denim shirt that reached up to just about half way up her slender thighs. Her black calf length boots accentuated the length of her legs. A cream coloured sleeveless blouse that had only three buttons on it, giving him a wonderful view of her cleavage, also gave him a glimpse of the delicate creamy skin of her abdomen. Man she really was back in shape, he thought.
Her chocolate brown hair fell in long, luscious waves over her shoulders and she was looking at him with a hunger in her eyes that he'd never seen before. As he felt something stirring within him, he watched as she walked over to him, slow and with purpose as her eyes held his.
"I uh…could say the same." He said, aware that his voice barely came out as more than a whisper. "Lois, what are you doing?"
She smiled, letting her fingers walk their way up his broad chest, leaning her head in close to his ear. "What? A girl can't get all dressed up to please the man she loves?"
She wrapped both hands around the back of his neck and just before she started attacking his throat, he caught a brief glimpse of red flash through her eyes.
"Lois…" He murmured, closing his eyes as she kissed her way down his throat. Her hands began stroking his torso, going lower and for a moment he didn't know what to do. He knew he should stop her, but his body was so not agreeing with that at the moment. As her hands snaked under his shirt, he hissed when they made contact with the bare skin of his chest.
"Lois, stop…"
She nuzzled her nose against his cheek while she carried on smoothing her hands all over him. "What's the matter Clark? Don't you want me?"
He licked his suddenly dry lips, and cleared his throat, this woman had a power over him that even green kryptonite couldn't match up to. "You know I do."
"Then what's the problem?" She asked, reaching her arms around him to cup his butt. He jumped a little at the sudden contact.
"Lois, what about Phoebe?"
For a second her smile faltered and she glanced into the living room, then back at Clark. "She's asleep. So we have the place to ourselves." Without warning, she pushed him back against the counter and launched another attack.
"Lois stop." He said again, a little stronger this time and she did, but only for a moment. A seductive smile appeared, making his knees go a little weak, but he knew he had to stand his ground. Something wasn't right here.
"Lois are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling great, for the first time in my life I have everything I ever wanted, and now…I want you." She placed her hands on his pecs. "Come on Clark, live a little huh?"
"We can't, you're not…"
"Sshh, I am so ready."
Clark grimaced, though it went against every feeling he had, he stepped away. "No Lois, we can't. I don't want to hurt you."
Lois rolled her eyes. "That again? Come on Clark, I think we both know by now that you won't. I just had your baby…"
"Exactly, you just had a baby, three days ago Lois. You need time to…"
Phoebe let out a wail and Clark glanced around to see her kicking furiously in her basket.
"Lois, what happened? Did you come into contact with anything red?" He asked, knowing what this must be but it was impossible. Red kryptonite only affected him and Kara, so how could it work on Lois. He couldn't think of any other explanation though, it just had to be.
"I had a great day with my family, and even though you took off for a very good reason, I just want to be close to you. I miss you." She replied quietly and Clark felt like the world's biggest jackass for turning her down. Especially when his own body was screaming at him to get with the program already. No, he had to stay focused here, this wasn't Lois. He needed to figure out exactly what happened to her.
As Phoebe's cries became louder, Clark went into the living room and lifted her up. Walking back into the kitchen, he saw Lois still standing in the same place, one hand on her hip as she leaned against the counter and his body gave him another shot of what the heck are you thinking, get in there.
Her gaze softened a little when she glanced down at Phoebe but when her eyes met his, he could see the lust return.
"Lois, why don't you hold your daughter." He said, hoping maybe that would be enough to snap her out of it.
Her bravado wavered for a moment, and he saw her take a small step towards him, but then she stopped. "I can't, not like this."
She crossed her arms in front of herself. "Clark, when did we become an old couple?"
"Old? Lois, we're only in our twenties."
"But we don't do anything anymore, we're always either here or at work or…I just needed to know that you still wanted me…that way."
He walked over to her, and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her body in close to his as he held Phoebe on his other side. "Lois, I always want you. Every second I'm with you. Never doubt that. But we're not old, we're just growing up. And we have this little one now."
"Yeah." She smiled and placed a loving hand on her daughter's back as she cried.
"I think she needs changing, don't move, I'll be right back."
He headed into the living room and laid Phoebe down on her changing mat, changing her diaper as quickly as he could. When he was finished, he picked her back up and turned around.
"Lois?" He glanced around the kitchen, but it was empty and the back door was open. "Oh no."
He made it outside just in time to see Lois' car pulling out of the driveway. Glancing down at his daughter, Clark frowned. "Well, what are we gonna do now huh?"
To Be Continued...