Chapter 17

Lois stood next to a village woman talking about the fabric that was between their hands, when a screech echoed through the trees. Lois looked up and smiled, heading towards Lex and Chloe's new wooden longhouse.

As soon as Lionel had heard Chloe was pregnant, he started the men of he village building. He had demanded that the wood be rubbed with sand, so that neither Chloe nor the children would get splinters. Lionel had also ordered it be large enough for six children. Lex had told him he was getting ahead of himself, and that six was not a number he and Chloe were aiming for; at most they had decided on four.

The longhouse, the longest in the village despite Chloe and Lex's objections, had been finished in a little over a month. The cracks had been stuffed with shredded tree bark, and the large fire had been placed to the side instead of in the middle, so the children could play in the main room. There was a main room, with the fire and most of their belongings, Lex and Chloe's bedroom which had it's own small fire, and two children's rooms, one for boys and one for girls. While Chloe and Lex had fought Lionel on most of his decisions, they eventually gave in to the excited grandfather. Lucas had moved out of Lionel's tepee and into Lex's once he and Chloe were in the new longhouse.

Lois had just come into the small clearing in front of the house, when the door tore open and Lex scrambled out. He ducked to the side just as another screech echoed and a pan zoomed out at him. The door slammed shut and Lex stared at it wide eyed as the pan bounced to a stop near his feet. Lex looked around and saw Lois, whom he gave a weary smile and rubbed the back of his neck in a bashful motion.

"Hey Lois… I suppose the whole village knows that Chloe is mad at me again…"

Lois laughed, "I think you might be right. What did you do this time?"

"NOTHING! I swear… I just asked her if it was normal for women to be so big at four months. Then she screamed at me and started throwing things. I ran…" Lex said the last part shamefully. Lois laughed and sat on a log that had been propped up as a sort of bench.

"Well Lex, I have to tell you, you didn't say the smartest thing in the world. It is never a good idea to call a woman fat, especially if she is pregnant."

"I didn't call her FAT! I was worried, that's all… And she just flew off into a rage." Lex grumbled under his breath and Lois patted his arm soothingly.

"Don't worry too much; she always forgives you by nightfall." Lois smiled. "It's not really your fault…"

"So it is her fault? I think you should go tell her that it is her…" Lex continued to rant excitedly at not being at fault but Lois interrupted him.

"AND it is not really her fault either. This is a difficult time for her, and so she is taking it out on you, because she blames you. You got her pregnant, so to her it is your fault if she has trouble bending down to pick up things,"

That had happened a few days ago, Lex had walked in on Chloe who was trying to pick up a piece of fabric she had dropped. Lex had laughed at the position she had to get into to reach it. Chloe had come after him with a needle, threatening to sew his mouth shut.

" it is your fault that her feet hurt,"

Lex had asked her to go for a walk with him and she had thrown a moccasin. The first one hit his head; the second was aimed somewhat lower, but had missed.

" and if she is fat, it is your fault. She knows that it really isn't your fault, but she is frustrated and her body is changing and it hurts. It is not just her you know, lots of women go through this. Glenna kicked Marcus out of the tepee when she was pregnant with their first child. Remember?" Lois nudged him and he sighed, dutifully nodding. Then he broke into a smile.

"I laughed at him so much then. I bet he is laughing at me now." Lex hung his head a slightly happier expression on his face, but still not very happy.

"Lex, I bet he is jealous. He was kicked out of his home for almost two weeks. Chloe forgives you and lets you in within a few hours. No matter what she says when she is mad, she loves you Lex, just like Glenna loves Marcus and they are now on their third child." Lois smiled.

"But now that you mention it, Chloe is large for a woman who is only four months along. If I didn't know better I would think that she was almost at six months." When Lex looked at her with an accusing scowl and she grinned, "What? I wasn't going to bring it up… I understand why you ran, Chloe is scary when she is mad, and I don't want her mad at me. Now I can bring it up and we won't have a problem.. I'll go check on her now, alright?" Lois smiled and Lex sighed, motioning for her to go ahead.

From the bench, Lex could see Lois knock, but didn't hear what she said. The door opened slowly, Lois stepped inside and the door closed. Lex leaned back and waited. About an hour later Lois came out and gave him a smile, motioning for him to come forward. Chloe stood in the doorway, her face sour as she watched him approach cautiously.

Lois walked past him and whispered for him to apologize, and just tell her that he was worried. Like he had told Lois he was. Lex swallowed and nodded. Walking up to Chloe he cleared his throat and spoke quickly and softly. When he was done Chloe smiled brightly, leaning up to give him a soft kiss. She spun and went back inside humming happily, Lex blinked and gave Lois a salute, closing the door behind him.