A:N: Thank you! Thank You all for the reviews, follows, likes, etc.!
Here it is a new chapter for the new year! Happy New Year, 2019, everyone!
This is a rather long one so get comfy, grab a bowl of popcorn, something to drink and R&R! Enjoy!
Warning: Rating Teen-Mature for some adult events.
Chapter 10: So, now you know...Now what?
The Watch Tower...
"I do love this color on you." A kiss descended beneath her ear at the crook of her neck, causing shivers and goosebumps to spread along her creamy skin. The pink illuminated on her creamy skin spreading along where he touched with each lick of electricity from his fingertips.
He wasn't finish yet as he slid his lips down the column of her neck to exposed collarbone. Hands brushing the fabric over the edges of her shoulders baring them to the cool air. Chloe smiled keeping the front edges of her robe closed shut over small breast and slight naked body beneath.
"I thought you loved seeing me in green? Hence the green robe." She asked playfully, eyes rolling to the back of her head as he found a most sensitive spot on her skin as his teasing hands toyed with the opening of her plush robe. Fingertips skimming against nipples that became little pebbles from the friction of his touch and taunt stomach that shuddered and quake from rising temperatures.
"I've changed my mind, seeing you with nothing on is what I definitely love more." Oliver's playboy voice deep and sultry.
Chloe giggled with amusement and hunger. "Really, again? The three times in the shower wasn't enough?"
Oliver shrugged an unrepented grin on his face. "What can I say? I'm a man with a huge appetite and with you, never."
The pixie-haired blonde leaned in to receive kiss from blonde billionaire. His Adam's apple bobbing as he watched Chloe let go of the robe and it slid down her body to pool around their feet. His hands of their own landing on her bare waist to squeeze his strong fingers into the small of her back, before freeing one hand to dip down low between slightly parted thighs.
"Oh, my God!" Lois let out in a loud shriek with the scene before her. Nude cousin and ex with tenting boxers embracing and kissing in the middle of Watch Tower.
"Lois!" "Legs!" The two cried-out simultaneously as they comically scrambled to make theirselves decent.
"Hey Cuz, you know what Lois likes to see?" Lois smirked with playful grin as she turned away to give some privacy and proceeded to cover her son's little blue eyes. "Pants! Pants on everyone!"
The tall reporter cleared her throat and looked her son in the blue eyes and whispered. "That, I'll tell you about when you get older...Much older."
"The door was unlocked?"
"No, I'm sure I locked it."
"Lois...does have a key."
She giggled to herself at the hushed whispers and turned around at the tap on her shoulder. Baby cousin red all over and arms folded over her chest, hugging the huge, plush green robe to her body as if shielding away what no doubt was seen only seconds ago. Behind her an even more embarrassed Oliver held his arms crossed awkwardly over his body as if he didn't know what to do with them.
"Lois, this...this..." He began, but didn't quite know what to say.
"Isn't what it looks like? Oliver please even my three month old can come up with something more half way decent." Lois teased, she wasn't upset about the situation at all, but wasn't going to make it easy for them, either. If anything she saw it coming a mile away and was happy that they could finally see it as well.
"Lois, I'm so sorry, this isn't how we wanted to tell you." Chloe's pained expression had Lois dropping the façade.
"Sorry for what, Chlo, that you guys are happy? I couldn't be more happy if it was me right now. Which I'm glad it's not but you know what I'm trying to say."
"So it's jealousy over the deed, not the...person?" Chloe asked lightly to be certain where her older cousin's feelings stood with her and Oliver being a couple.
"Definitely little Cuz, and if not for this afternoon I would say you're batting two for two with the answers..." Lois bemoaned, shoulders slumping forward as a derailed expression came over her. She was totally at a lost with everything that had happened to her in so few short hours.
Chloe's eyes went wide with understanding after a few seconds. Her mouth in an "O" shape before she swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder to Oliver who'd shown he understood as well. Lois and Clark went around that merry-go-round again and knowing Lois with the secret she was keeping, she had to really be feeling in the slumps right about now.
Oliver seeing his cue to leave walked in front of Lois to grab the baby from her arms. "Sounds like a Cousin Crisis, so, I'm just gonna take the Lil Man and go do..." He cleared his throat as he cradled the baby on his side."...manly things."
He kissed Lois on the cheek, she giving him an appreciative smile in return before he walked over to Chloe laying out a steamy kiss on her lips. The two pulling apart and laughing along with Lois as baby John-John playfully slapped his hands on their faces as if trying to break them up. Chloe fake-munched on his chubby little fingers to his squealing delight before Oliver gave one last tap of his lips upon hers and left the cousins alone.
"So, what's the 411 on the front page story, Cus?" Chloe asked with concern as she walked over to a still shaken Lois who had herself wrapped in her arms.
Lois took a placating breath and blew it out. "Where do I begin?"
Chloe climbed the metal spiraled stairs to the second level of Watch Tower, a sort of sanctuary to all those who found their paths here. It was a mission control center for their little team of merry band, as well as home to the same band of heroes. They were a family of sorts, a crew of outcasts, but she couldn't see herself anywhere else. This place had seen it's share of tears, fights and struggles. All part of the memories fond and not so fond this place captured within.
What Lois had just told her over the past couple hours was no surprise with the lives they lived. Yet, it definitely called for coffee. The blonde cousin held two piping mugs in hand, sitting down next to older and taller cousin on the stairs and handed her one. Moon light from the sole huge circle window of Watch Tower, bathed them in luminescent white light.
Older cousin smiled up thankfully to baby cousin taking hot mug in hand and just staring into the golden-brown murky depths as if it held the answer to all her problems. Chloe's heart went out to Lois, feeling helpless to do anything but be a shoulder for her to cry on and an ear to listen as they sat for the past ten minutes in unusual silence.
Before, not surprisingly, Lois broke her short vow with the nonverbals. "Chloe, do you think I'm a bad person?"
"Lois..." The older brunette could hear the protest in Chloe's tone, but she didn't need comfort right now, she needed the truth.
"I kept his son away from him, Chlo. I kept my son's father away, I'm a terrible mom." Lois berated herself roughly, eyes not straying from the light brown coffee she yet to taste.
"You're not a bad mom, Lois...You're not." Chloe reaffirmed with the condescending look Lois gave. "Look, you already know I don't agree with what you did, and I know there's more to why then you let on. I think...I think you did what was best for everyone at the time and you are doing so good on your own with raising, Jae. But the thing is, Lois, you don't have to do it alone anymore. Clark loves you and yea he's understandably going to blow an atomic fuse when he finds out. But you told him you loved him...You are in love with him, Lois. You need to fix this, make this right, and put your family together. For that little baby's sake. That's really all that matters now."
Lois swiped at the tears freely falling down her cheeks, her hand close to Chloe being swooped up in the smaller woman's own in comfort. "I love you Lois like a sister, and I know Clark loves you too, very much. Despite that confession coming out in a back alley somewhere in the throes of passion...You have to have faith in him to handle this...he's stronger than you think."
The brunette peered down through the openings of the metal stairs from where they sat perched, sprawled out on a couch below on the bottom floor. Oliver laid asleep with godson royal blue onesie sleeping soundly on his bare, ripped chest with a pair of pajama bottoms covering his legs.
"Moments like those, I've pictured Clark being the one there instead...I took that away, I've kept him away. How do you expect him to forgive me of that?" Lois asked fed-up with the guilt she alone was responsible for.
"Because I know Clark...He needs you, Lois. And you need him and I know together you guys can make it."
"I have dinner with him tonight...Yea, I know perfect opportunity, I guess to let him know." Lois shook her head, a quick sip to the coffee just to do something and to steel her nerves. "I'm scared."
Chloe sighed in resolution, it's been a long time Lois harbored this guilt and since everything was out on the table, she might as well finish baring her soul. With soft squeeze to her older cousin's hand. "Lois, why didn't you tell him then?"
Lois knew it was only a matter of time before she had to let that proverbial cat out of the bag. "Look, Chlo, I know this is going to sound crazy but with all the weird crap we've dealt with in the past in our lives. I hope that open, genius-mind of yours can believe me when I say I was visited by...an angel."
"An angel, Lois? Like the virgin-Mary, visited by an angel?" Chloe questioned with a little cough as coffee went down windpipe.
Lois' face dropped and pointed look toward Chloe's tease, who held her hands up in surrender. "Angel, alien, sentient being, Chlo…..God...who knows! What I do know is at the time I was catching up on some credits for my online Journalism class, half dead from lack of sleep and working too many OTs at the Inquisitor when I wasn't standing any longer in our bathroom after puking up my dinner from yet another predawn morning sickness..."
"Where were you?" Chloe asked cautiously and a bit unnerved by Lois' ramblings.
The tall reporter got a far away, pained look on her face as mind went back to that day 8 months ago. "I remember it...it was the same place I crashed landed with Mrs Kent during her Senate campaigns years ago. The place I described as heaven, white all around, huge crystal columns...same place, I could recognize it anywhere."
Chloe pressed her on, curious with hearing this for the first time. "And you saw God?"
"I heard a voice, booming, but it wasn't malicious or scary. It reminded me of the General or Mr Kent, a father giving a warning about his son. He told me Clark was special that what he would become a light in the darkness. That the world needed him..." Lois stopped and shook her head as her mouth tried to get out all that she experienced at lightspeed. "I knew Smallville was something different, I mean someone as good hearted and selfless as him just couldn't be naturally made from this planet..."
"Lois, what are you saying?"
The brunette wiped the non-stop of the salty drops from her burning cheeks. "I saw visions...I dunno of what Clark is destined to be and it was amazing, Chlo. He does so many amazing things...good things...to help this world." Her head shook again in disbelief. "And at first I'm like no, not Clark, anyone but him because he already feels such incredible guilt over things and seemly holds the weight of the world on his shoulders. Who can deal with such a heavy burden like that? But the more I saw, the more I was so very proud of him, proud of the person he would become, of the things he would do. He does so much and asks for nothing, nothing at all in return."
Chloe's own blue-grey eyes are leaking with tears as Lois continued on. "All that I saw...I didn't see a place for me or my own baggage. I couldn't get in the way of what was needed of him."
"Lois, are you sure? You yourself said you were pretty out of it." Chloe asked lightly but knowing deep inside that this wasn't Lois ambiguous from a hard day. Jor-El took Lois to the ice Fortress. The Fortress of Solitude as Clark so dubbed it and shown her Clark's future with the new events to unfold; Lois having his grandson.
"I know what I saw, it wasn't a breakdown or mommy-hormonal-overload...or-" Lois came to a stop from her defensive tirade with the touch of Chloe's hand over hers with comforting squeeze.
"I believe you, Lo." Chloe's face so sincere and imploring, she felt relief enough to start up where she left off in her story. "I had to make a choice...The world needs someone like him to show them the way and I mean come on, who am I to think, after seeing what Clark would become, that I could possibly even stand in his shadow-"
"Not his shadow. By his side." Chloe whispered in fierce determination, as hazel eyes connected with her own. "You are Lois Joanne Lane, damnit! You've taken on mob bosses, corrupt cops, Lex Luthor by breakfast! And yet you still come home to be an amazing mommy to a son when you couldn't possibly still stand on your own two feet from exhaustion. And you don't do it to see your name in the byline on the front page, I've seen your smile of pride for stories on page 12, the 22nd, because you just don't get their stories, Lo. You help those people, no matter how small or the great lengths you have to go through, despite my overbearing protests..." This causing a teary laugh from the big-hearted reporter, seeing her self-worth through fresh eyes.
"...You make a difference in this city and your stories touch the world. So, you might not wear a fancy cape or have superpowers Lo, but you are a pretty super person, even if it's just in my book and I assure you I'm not the only one who thinks it. I'm pretty sure all those people you gave a voice of chance too feel the same."
By now Lois is balling like a baby, head leaning on Chloe's shoulder as she tired to hide the waterworks but couldn't quite keep it from her voice. "Thanks Babe...you're pretty amazing yourself, you know?"
Chloe chuckled along with her own tears, and leaned her head against Lois, when a thought came to her. "Lois, what if whoever showed you those visions about Clark was because of you being by his side and not away from it?"
Lois's head instantly pop up, a look of realized regret on her face. "I didn't think about that...I just assumed Clark would want to get hitched and settle down in Smallville if I told him I was knocked up with his kid. I couldn't let that be the end of it with what I know he's capable of now...The world needing him and all...Uggh, Chloe, I really made a mess of things!"
The blonde cousin gave a warming smile. "There's still time to make it right."
"To be by Clark's side and help him become the man he's destined to be." Lois thought it over, a small smile touching her lips, she could do this. For her son and Clark, she could be the woman they needed; mom and partner.
Chloe practically seeing her thoughts let a coy smile play on her face, wondering if Lois knew now that her crush on the Blur and love Clark Kent were one in the same person. "So alien from another planet, huh? Or angel from heaven?"
Lois shrugged, beaming smile. "I have to hand it to him, he had a lot of people fooled, but it's not like it's something easy to tell anyone...I know. I'm sure the Kent's knew and understandably kept quiet. John-John is half whatever and I would take on the world to keep his secret from anyone."
Her hazel eyes closely studying her little cousin. "Did you know?"
"So, another thing you can discuss with Clark tonight, that you finally know who he is." Chloe ringed in, purposefully avoiding the questioning and Lois' scrutinizing stare.
"Whoa, I wouldn't say know exactly..." Lois preened, letting Chloe avoid for now. "I'm still having a hard time believing the whole alien from another planet thing but I guess it beats being a psycho meteor freak any day. I just can't wait to hear his story and there finally being nothing to hide between us anymore."
Chloe shook her head, Lois didn't know, she really didn't figure it out that Clark is actually the blur. "Lois, you kno-"
"What?" Lois asked when Chloe stopped in the middle of her sentence and didn't look like she would continue.
Another slow shake again and incredulous wide smile just claimed the blonde's features instead, something for them to work out. "Nothing, only that you're the most perceptively blind person I ever met."
"I'll take that as a complement, I guess!" Lois laughed and smacked her cousin's arm as she playfully yelled out, "Hey!" and rubbed the sting from the whack on her skin.
"There's something else." Lois became solemn again, rubbing the heels of her palm roughly into her eyes to wipe away the last of dried up tears. "Lana knows about John-John."
"Lana?"
"She uses the daycare at the Planet for her and Lex's son." Lois huffed out in irritation.
"They had a kid?!" The eye-bug and dropped jaw on the blonde looked genuine enough of being in shock.
"So you didn't know about that?" Lois asked a bit suspiciously knowing Chloe probably knows something about Clark but wasn't telling. She couldn't blame her either, she made Chloe swear to keep her secret she couldn't fault her for doing the same for someone else.
"Well, we're not exactly best-friend-bracelets type pals lately. I care about Lana a lot, she's one of my oldest friends but she knows I didn't really agree with how she hurt Clark by getting involved with Lex. And because of the Lane baby-drama circumstances I wasn't really there for the celebrations. I didn't even make it to the wedding...Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing or your fault." Chloe added at the end with the look she was being given.
A noncommittal nod came to the reporter's head and she started biting on her bottom lip. "We also kind of got into it."
Chloe wasn't surprised in the least about that tidbit with Lana not exactly being Lois' favorite person, not even making it on her top ten list of people she tolerated. The way the raven haired girl kept Clark in her back pocket with on again off again relational drama and an intrepid Lois battling feelings toward the Boy Scout, it wasn't hard to see Lois' point of distaste against the now Mrs Luthor.
"She was chewing out the poor teen worker at "Tiny Tikes", she looked like she was going to piss herself any second." Lois shook her head hotly thinking back on said event earlier ago. "I mean I knew Lana was no saint, but being married to Lex is really doing a number in turning her into the bride of Frankenstein's monster. Anyway one thing lead to another and ended with me putting her in a tactical defense hold."
"She knows Clark is the father." Chloe guessed and received Lois' conformational, yet irritated grunt in reply. "All the more reason for you to speak to Clark tonight. I hate to think of Lana really turning to the dark side being married to the monster that is Lex but I don't know for sure if she'd keep her mouth shut on this one."
Her big cousin let out a deep sigh, deflating before her grey eyes. Not allowing the older woman to take one of Clark Kent's brooding sessions. "All the more reason you guys need to talk over dinner tonight." She reaffirmed with a set It's going to all be ok, I have faith in you guys."
Lois nodded, resolved at least for the moment, before getting to her feet and giving wink to baby cousin about to descent the spiral stairs. "Right. Well then, I have a date with tall, dark and handsome to get ready for. Wish me luck?"
Chloe smiled warmly, a squeeze of comfort to the brunette's hanging hand before she walked down. "Luck."
Luthor Mansion...
Doors burst apart with a loud bang as Lana Luthor barged in angrily "Lex, I'm tired of these games!"
Lex looked up from his business desk with a little annoyed mixed with amused grin on his lips as he finished speaking with an associate on the phone. "Excuse me, we'll pick up this conversation later. The little woman has finally made her presence known."
Lana rolled her brown eyes and pushed her hair behind one ear in agitation as she watched her dear husband hang up the phone. "So here you are, I was beginning to think I've suddenly become a widow. If not for the overhaul of cashflow from your account I'd thought you dead."
She knew he could care less of her warefair anymore, the honeymoon phase for them ended way before that walk down the aisle to marriage. He wasn't the man he offered to be during her time of weakness and pain dealing with heartbreak from Clark who just would tell her his secrets!
"Cut the shit, Lex, you gave me that account and money to do with as I wanted. I've built Isis to help meteor infected victims that's what I want!" Lana seethed, foot stomping to the ground in a tantrum to the irate emotion of the bald billionaire.
If he knew he would be dealing with such a child for a wife, he would have begged his dad just to let her go back to the manure shoveling farm boy. Yet here the raven-haired beauty pouted with anger enough barely to scare a mouse. Though her genetics proved of a little more worth than what the woman they turned into.
It was enough to keep his experiment alive and birthed...Meager as it was, she had some value.
Lex smiled evilly and raised from expensive leather chair, rounding to the front of the desk to step up close behind his fuming wife. Chest came to press closely to her pliant backside, feeling the undulating of shivers cascade from her. He knew her body's response wasn't from desire, not like before, she couldn't stomach him. Nor he, her, but it didn't mean he couldn't find some pleasure in the doe-eyed beauty.
He slid her hair back over one shoulder, revealing the long taunt skin of her neck as he pressed lips into the crook where neck and collarbone met . "How you do vex me so, dear wife, but I have to admit I have been quite lacking in my husbandly duties...Forgive me."
The doe-eyed princess tried to pull away from his touch with a grimace, but his firm arm wrapped around her middle kept her in place. Her skin crawled feeling the brush of his lips against her exposed neck. Delight in seeing gooseflesh crawl over satiny skin, even if it wasn't from pleasure. She trying valiantly to keep the sound of disgust at bay as his lips slid down lower to shoulder his fingers bared to him. Pulling away plush, cashmere neck line of her fancy sweater. Lana's heart racing at the direction her manipulative husband was taking things.
"I'm tired, Lex." She grumbled, a notion she had often used before to get her out successfully from his pursuits, but his advances continued. Hands rubbing down her sides to smooth over narrow hips and slowly inch lower, rasping down the length of long thighs covered in a pencil-flared skirt. She bit her lip, wishing she just kept her simmering anger to herself then to enter into his presence, the lion's den, it only asked for trouble. When would she learn? "I-I didn't come here for this."
The bald billionaire pressed thin lips into the outer shell of her ear and grated in a rough voice. "My wife, it would appear neither of us has come in quite some time."
Lana turned her head away, a corner she couldn't back herself out of this time as eyes closed at his implications. Not one to give up so easily, though. "My money, Lex?"
"In the morning, we'll discuss the possible return of your assets." His voice sounding as though other things than the green paper occupied his thoughts and he showed her just so. He pressed his hips into her soft round bottom to feel the hard length eager against his thigh. With one hand pressed between the shoulder blades of her back, he applied enough force to let her know what he wanted. Guiding her down forward over the expanse of his glass desk top, Lana laid her cheek against the hard cold surface. Reminding her of the man pressed carelessly between her thighs.
Eyes off in the distance, in the black recesses of her head, she went to a state of mind where Clark was who she thought about during these times. Her happy place where His hands being the ones, exposing her-bunching her black skirt and dragging it up and over to pool around her waist. The black lace of fabric barely covering her trimmed mound on sight for his vile greedy eyes. Mouth dry and swallowing hard at the grating sound of a zipper sliding down...
Lana sat in creamy-beige, plush robe at lavish vanity after the scrub from head to toe she gave herself until skin practically shined red from all the harsh rubbing on her limbs. She always tried to wash away Lex's imprint from her body after the few couplings she had to endure being married to him. Her wifely duties, she sickly thought, as stomach rolled in sour knots. He was no Clark Kent, that's for sure.
Speaking of which...
The raven-haired wife of a billionaire, dipped her shaky hand into bottom drawer into a undisclosed opening where she kept her private cell phone. A thorough glance around as if she could see whatever hidden devices Lex could have possibly stole away, wired around her private quarters. Finger tapped on contact list icon before pressing on the initials CK.
Dinner Date: Lois & Clark...
Clark stood nervously in the lobby of fancy five star restaurant, hand fumbling with watch on wrist to check the hour for the thousandth time. If he didn't know Lois like he did, he would have mistaken her usual lateness as standing him up. At least with the way things happened in the alley this afternoon, he hoped that wasn't the case. His hands going to neck tie to straighten it out then smoothing out the lapels of front black dress jacket.
He felt like a shaky mess inside, leave it to Lois to have him feeling like his old insecure farm boy self. He swayed his head side to side, small grin on his face thinking of the feisty brunette and how once again she carved a path in his life that told him who exactly it was he was dealing with. It wasn't entirely a bad thing either as his body burned with remembrance of their little tete-a-tete in the alley just hours earlier. God, how he wanted her again!
The shakes wouldn't leave and he realized it wasn't his body trembling but his inside coat pocket vibrating from his cell phone. It better not be Lois cancelling on our date, his thoughts as he quickly glanced on screen to see a text message from unknown sender.
000x0000000
8:39pm
Clark, it's Lana, in case you no longer have my number stored.
Of which, I can't really blame you. I know it's been awhile but
I really must speak with you. Please, it's urgent.
His brows creased as he read the surprising and unwanted message, fingers going in place to text back a quick reply when they halted in position as his blue eyes caught sight of the Lady of the Hour. Forgetting all of what he was just about to do as in a trance, he slipped phone back into coat pocket. While in form-fitting, sparkling red dress that seemed painted on then actual fabric, hugging and accentuating every curve, peak and valley. Lois stood feet away a model of Noir loveliness that could of landed her any role in a 1920's cinema. Her chocolate-molten hair hung in a waterfall of curls around bare shoulders, stopping mid way at her back and so teasingly taunting, his fingers begged to swim through and feel every spiral cascade. Clark's eyes roamed from head down to shapely hips, he didn't know what happened, but he loved the flare of her midsection and thighs that made her ass more plump than he remembered.
A part of him was aching horribly with such a vision and his literal breath caught in his throat as eyes didn't see anything but the woman standing somewhat shyly before him as she held matching clutch purse in hand.
"Wow...Lois...you look amazing!" He was gawking, he could feel it, but he really couldn't help it. She was just so beautiful!
"You like?" Lois asked flirtishly, not like she needed an answer with the way his aqua-blue eyes greedily took her in and the slack of his hanging jaw.
Like moth to flame his body erased the remaining space between them as he moved closer leaving only scant inches between them. His hands a mind of their own reached out to trace the outline of her face. Watching as her eyes flutter closed with the contact of his heavenly skin, rubbing her cheek more into his touch.
"Yes, very much." He whispered roughly as if pained from her beauty, having her hazel eyes smile warmly into his.
Forgetting themselves and feeling like they were the only ones in the universe, Clark bent down and brushed his lips against soft petals. An internal smile brightening with hearing the hitch in her breath and moan from her mouth. But before things could get heated up or any more embarrassing caught in a PDA. A rough clearing of the throat broke the two apart and brought them back to reality with burning red cheeks.
The maitre'd stood before them, polite smile with one arm bent behind him as the other directed toward their seats. "Monsieur? Mademoiselle? Your table is ready."
Lois let out a small snort of laughter at their awkward moment, Clark gave a humor-filled glare toward her before returning polite if a little embarrassed smile to the host. "Yes of course."
The men nodded to each other before the maitre'd turned and walked ahead to show them to their table. "Lois." Clark hissed out to his giggling partner, he couldn't even try to be stern with her really at the moment, as they followed behind.
Lois sat at the seat held out for her from the host while Clark took his own across from her at the small round white-linen cloth table. Adorned in the middle a single long stem candle above quaint floral arrangement. Their lips still in wide smile with amusement and contentment at being here with each other right now.
The hour passing with laughter and easy conversations as if the year of their life apart never even happened. They were back to their old banter if yet more flirtier and personal space all but evaporating as they sat close, feeding and taking from each other's dinner plates. Not public etiquette in such a fine establishment but Clark and Lois was in their own little world, their own bubble, and they could care less about the envious stares or huffs from the other patrons.
They just dared anyone to try to keep them apart longer then themselves already had!
"You have a little something there." Clark snickered, his fingers resting under her chin and thumb smoothing over bottom lip to wipe at the bit of sauce from her burger. Leave it to Lois to be taken to a five star restaurant and order something as mundane as burger and fries. He was in love!
She saw through his distraction as his other fingers stole away a few of her thick cut steak fries from her plate. "Hey! If you wanted that you should have ordered it instead of something that looked like it came from the senior's meal section."
Clark placed the wide fry in his still amused mouth making Lois laugh and jab out her hand to punch his shoulder in usual fashion. Before she could land the light blow, he caught it effortlessly and stared at it and all that it meant between them. He listened at the speeding of her heart and the heaviness of her breath while his thumb pressed into her palm eliciting soft pants only he could hear.
She could read in his darkening blues that he wanted to kiss her, they've done more than that earlier so it wasn't any surprise what she could read it on his face. Hunger and desire, because it was the same two things she felt roaring inside. Despite being affectionate openly, now, no care for who saw or would know that Clark and Lois was something more than squabbling partners. There was something she had to fix first before she could allow them to move ahead to their happily ever after. She hoped there was still one after the egg she was about to crack wide open.
Lois softly sighed and gently pulled away her arm, and him allowing her too. The kiss he landed, barely skimming her lips with her interruption and his voice carried worry for her change in mood as he returned back upright to his seat.
"Lois?"
"This is a lot to take in...I'm a little nervous, this is our first public outing as kind of like a couple." She gave way as explanation, knowing he was waiting for one, and it only being half the truth of her sudden rain down on their parade..
"Emphasis on kind of?" Clark inquired trying to keep a light tone but his worry still shone through.
"Well, it's a lot to wrap your head around, Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Who knew?"
The dark and hansom reporter gave a charming smile, melting her insides and all doubts away. "I did."
The dark brunette reporter turned to goo at his words, caught pleasantly off guard as he picked up from earlier. Lips melding over hers with the sweetness of his mouth giving and taking until her breath came close to being lost. A hand to his chest and pulling away with red cheeks as others around them gave disapproving looks. Not that she was really concerned about other people. Let them gawk! Only one thing truly matter at this time. Finally telling him the truth.
As hard as it was to get the words off her tongue.
"Ok then, that was PDA number 100 on date one..." She rushed on with the amused brow-raise he sported toward her. "Not that I'm keeping tract, I just don't want to ruin things like I've done before."
"Lois, you're not going to ruin anything."
Her chocolate curls swaying with the shake of her head and half whispered to herself. "I'm not so sure..." shaking her head again as his brows puckered like he had somehow heard. "It's just this is the one. You're the one I want to get it right with, okay? So for us to do that, for me to do that, I need to tell you something I should have a long time ago."
The crease lines of confusion not lasting long upon hansom face. Clark's head whipped to the side, a loud noise catching his ears as sirens from police, ambulance and other first responders barreled down to the scene of what sounded like an implosion some distance away, clear across town. Then a familiar cry for help catching his ears that had him torn in wanting to be two people at that moment. For there was a cave in and a close friend of the Justice League was stuck and desperately running out of air.
"Bart." Clark said to himself and quickly got to his feet, a look of distress capturing his features as he faced Lois who looked on at him with concern.
"I have to go."
"Wh-What do you mean you have to go? Go where?" Lois taken aback, laughed a little like it was some joke. Very bad joke. Then shook her head not understanding his sudden antsy behavior when she was finally ready to tell him about his son, their son. Finally, the courage to bring it all out in the open. Stares their way going unnoticed of the spectacle they were making, her eyes only giving those around eyeballing a seconds glance before her whole attention came back to him.
"There's really something I need to take care of." The hero was desperate, Bart's urgent cries were pulling at his gut. Yet,his heart was torn to leave Lois who looked on the verge of a melt down when she saw he was serious about leaving. The flushed skin and hazel eyes begging him to make her understand as he seemed to be pulling away all the more.
The chocolate-haired brunette shook her head in disbelief, he couldn't be running out, not now. Not when she'd come so close to telling him the truth. "I'm trying here Clark, I'm really trying..."
"Look, Lois, I'm sorry this has nothing to do with you. I promise it's just..."
"What Clark? What could possibly be more important than us...than what I'm trying to pour my heart out to you..."
"Believe me I wish I could stay...You don't know how bad I want to stay..."
"Then stay, please..." Lois begged, a feat she'd never succumbed to before as her own desperation clawed out gouges of her insides. She didn't know the shadows of the future she saw, him being a hero had already begun in his life. His secret identity of being the blur not known to her; they, one and the same person, Clark Kent. He couldn't be doing this not now, when she'd come some close to letting him know about his son. " I need to tell you-."
"I can't. I'm sorry." Feeling the pressure of time at it's limit, Bart's life being squeezed from him with every second lost, Clark hurried off, running quickly in humanly speed as possible until it was safe for him to super-speed away.
"-about your son." Lois whispered dejectedly to the empty spot before her. Eyes shiny, wet with tears, that she refused to let fall as she dug in her purse to throw down a few bills upon the table for the tab.
With pride, a bitter lump in her throat, head high she raised to feet despite the quiet glances "What are you looking at?!" She muttered murderously to the faces who pretend not to stare and whisper among themselves. Embarrassed and hurt Lois sniffed as her heels clanked with her departure, passing by the spectators who pretend to be enjoying their meals. "Shows over, people."
Watch Tower...
Lois sat slumped against the high-tech computer table that showed a readout of the JLA members' locations. The bold red dots pinpointing their underground locale as the team gave another go at infiltrating one of Lex's hidden experimental labs after their botched mission when Bart almost didn't make it from a collapsed tunnel. All a setup, no doubt.
"B12 to your M4. That's your battleship, guys!" Lois groaned, her head barely there with the miserable night her date turned out. Clark rushing off because of God knows what, and stiffing her with the bill. She hate to say she waited in the lobby hoping he'd return any minute but by the second hour, any hope was long since squashed leaving her to walk the line of shame home. Pouring heart into a tub of rocky road ice cream and ignoring the 20 or so calls he made and at least a half more in texts, all unread. Even trying to get Chloe to get her to talk to him on the house phone when he would call but the death glare in her eyes had baby cousin just shake her head and hang up phone on the receiver.
"Come on, heroes, you're letting all the blue dots find your red dots!" Lois whined in an irritated huff.
'This isn't a game, Lois! Wh-Where's Chloe?' Oliver complained as he grunted with the punch he laid out to one of Lex's goons who almost caught him off guard. Thanks to Lois half-witted mind being else where than helping them to navigate the maze of halls of Lex's underground facility.
"Hey! If you don't like my directions, find your own way in the dark, Greenbean!" Lois hissed, hands pounding down on top of the high-tech table making it glitch for a second before it returned to it's previous working screen.
"I'm back, guys. Sorry, diaper duty called." Chloe hurriedly clicked over control from Lois' headset onto her own, walking down spiraled stairs with godson and handing him over to his mommy. Chloe's blue-grey eyes giving a chastising look toward older cousin who just proceeded to ignore it in her usual Lois fashion and just shrugged, not repented at all.
Lois taking son happily in arms, a much more enjoyment than dealing with four bigger babies she thought with a roll of her eyes. Face plastering with happiness having son in her embrace. "There's mommy's lil man. So much more better to deal with then your whiny uncles, yes you are!"
'Senorita loca is in rare form today, isn't she?'
"I heard that shrimp! Next time, I'll just let the three guards find you around the corner of that hall."
'Dude, you did! If not for superspeed I would have 20 bullets in me by now.'
"I shouted 6' o clock!"
'What does the time have to do with anything!'
"It means behind you, Bart." Chloe supplied helpfully after having to restrain the headset from Lois' gripping fingers who was going to majorly chew him out or break the rather expensive gear.
Lois rolled her eyes drastically and heaved out a breath at the silence that followed when Bart didn't have a comeback reply to his obvious idiotic mistake.
"Anyway..." Chloe butted in with the corner of her lips up in a smirk at Lois' attitude toward the smallest member of their crew. "There's two coming in hot, you're way AC."
"Aquaman on it!"
"More like fishstick." Lois clicked between her teeth, Chloe couldn't help the bemused shake to her head. Lois was definitely on a all men are stupid or should die streak after date night last night. Not that it was in anyway Clark's fault, if he didn't show up when he did, their motley crew would be minus one. But since Lois was still unwise to the fact that Clark was the blur, everyone, herself included had to deal with sourpuss Lane and the fallout afterwards. Especially, since she didn't even want to hear mention of her four-eyed partner right now.
"How's that system treating, ya, Vic?" Oliver called out over headset to his half machine friend, his hands reaching back in holster to nab two arrows. The unmistakable swish in air hitting their marks and knocking out the guards cold.
"Just a few more seconds...Ok, got it! I'm in the computer mainframe." Cyborg announced, computer code and data surging through his brain. "There's a backup firewall in place. Going to need that download, Tower."
"On it." Chloe's smug lips drawn up in the corner, fingers effortlessly glided over the keyboard to send a boost to hack through the security system in place. "Download commencing, that should help tare down the walls of Jericho."
Victor watched as Watch Tower's programing took apart the fire wall, breaching the security mainframe code and allowing him access into the 0's and 1's of the matrix. "I'm in!" Finding what was needed from the mass of information on the cyber highway. "Target acquired, and loaded."
"Tincan has done something!" Lois blurted in a fake cheer down to her son, a second later jumped in seat as Chloe tossed a crumbled paper at her with a roll of eyes as Lois glared her way for scarring her half way out of her skin.
"You almost hit the baby!" The reporter snipped, Chloe shook her head, it wasn't even close.
"Good job, everyone." Oliver's deep, modified voice rung out on all headsets. "Lose all tails and rondevu back at the Tower in twenty."
The blonde listened as her crew one by one signed off before she was the last to pull out from communication. "Watch Tower, over and out."
Chloe turned from computer screen, her scrutinizing eyes going to older cousin trying to look busy playing with baby son. "You Mrs Lane-"
The words dying on tongue as her phone's notification rung indicating a text. Stern gaze looking up from phone to cousin. "Stay there, I'm not through with you yet."
"Yes, mom!" Lois quipped to her irate cousin's nerves, she should know better, the General couldn't properly scold the outspoken one so she was seriously mistaken if her blonde cousin thought she could.
Chloe heaved a heavy sigh knowing that fact all too well as she brought her attention back to text message.
Clark K.
2:32pm
I thought about our talk last night.
I'm ready to take the offer and join the League.
I'll be there later to talk it over with you guys.
In about 20 mins, if that's ok?
Chloe nibbled on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, as she read, reread and then read once more the words sent from her best friend. Her gaze skipping over to Lois who was holding son over her head, smiling up at him with silly baby talk. Then bringing him down to blow raspberries on his tummy and hear him squeal with delight with the mommy-baby play. His joyous squeaks tightening the fist of guilt to its breaking point, that Chloe felt a final snap and just couldn't keep up the façade any longer. Her fingers all ready to type out the words, 'No, another time would be better', knowing that Lois would be spending the whole day here with her at Tower, helping, if you could call it that.
But before she knew it, her mind did a 180, forcing fingers to type out a different reply instead and pressing send before she knew to stop herself. The blonde Watch Tower breaking out in a cold sweat as she saw message sending and then notification of delivered next to her text.
Clark K.
2:32pm
I thought about our talk last night.
My mom even convincing me of it
So, I'm ready to take the offer and join the League.
I'll be there later to talk it over with you guys.
In about 20 mins, if that's ok?
Chloe S.
2:35pm
Yea, that'll be great!
Clark K.
2:36pm
Good! BTW have you seen Lois?
Boy, did she? Chloe swallowed hard, once again looking to older cousin and child tossed lightly in air and caught in hands that would never let him fall. Love and joy shinning in eyes for her small package with the dark curls and bluest of eyes, smiling down to his mommy as he slobbered on tiny fisted hand. The blonde Tower felt faint as she grab behind her onto standing computer stand for support. She could already feel the severed lines between her and Lois as sisters for her betrayal. What had she done?
Watch Tower...Some time later..
A swish of air and color of red and yellow tunneled around the sitting area of the Watch Tower, whipping around the two women's hair in a frenzy and scattering a few loose papers around. The wind storm dying down as a peel of baby laughter toward the small member of the Justice League appeared laying head on Chloe's lap as he held the tiny tike up in the air, after snatching the wee one from her hands.
"Whose baby Clarks' favorite tio?" Bart cooed to the bouncy baby boy.
"About to be dead uncle." Lois growled for mentioning her partner, slash boyfriend or maybe he was an ex now. Friend? Name. She made a threaten move toward him to wring his neck but of course being the Flash, in a blink of an eye he supersped baby in mother's arms and when the two women turned their heads toward the tiny kitchen that the living area shared room with. Bart was already on barstool at the kitchen island chowing down on a burrito with three more piled on plate.
"What?" He said with the glares given his way. "This amigo is muy hungry."
Lois rolled her eyes and Chloe chuckled as the other members made their way into Watch Tower. In forefront fearless leader decked in dark greens and black leather, taking off hood and tinted glasses from his face. JC in green and orange leather to Oliver's right, hair damp and spiky as if he just left out of water, and knowing him, he had. To Oliver's left stood half machine, half man, his attire cool silver metal and black
"Ahh, Thanks to my help you guys are alive to see another day." Lois smugly proclaimed, though teasing, smiled even wider at the scoffs and complaints that rung from the men as they made themselves comfortable around the room. She had to bust someone's chops since her go-to-boy, wasn't around. She heaved a sigh, she so didn't want to think about him right now.
"Thanks..." Oliver began and dipped down to place a heated kiss on Chloe's lips who reciprocated in turn. A pang of jealousy ripping through Lois, wishing things were right between her and Clark to do that around friends and not care. But quickly cooling her features and plastering on smile as the other guys around finished Oliver's words.
"...but no thanks!" The others chimed together and laughted to one annoyed reporter's expense.
"Whatever, see if I show face around here anymore." Lois huffed, everyone knew she wasn't serious.
"Legs, we'll hate to see you go." Oliver teased walking over to her with hand placed over his heart and leaned over to kiss the top of the baby boy's curly head and patting one hand against Lois' cheek.
"Just leave the baby on the way out." Lois face scrunched up in fake anger and pushed his hand away as he and the others laughed again. She laughing too when baby started tearing up and crying with gum-less mouth chewing on chubby fingers.
"Oooh, what's wrong with my lil man?" Lois cooed to son, placing him up higher on her body so she could peer into his tiny face and wipe away the stray tears.
Everyone watching the heartwarming scene of mother and baby and still not believing it to be Lois Lane as momma bear to babe. Her hazel eyes looking toward the silent room when she noticed the lack of verbals or anything . "What?"
Everyone just shook their head side to side, smiling at the scene, except Bart who said the one thing on everyone's mind, around a mouthful of burrito. "You're such a mom!"
She just cut her eyes at him and picked up nursing blanket, about to cover herself and bust out a teet to feed son but there was too much testosterone in the room to do that comfortably. "Come on, Sammy, lets go get you some yum-yum."
"Pick a name already!" Oliver yelled up to Lois as she ascended the spiral staircase.
"Screw you, Queen!"
"I don't think your cousin or Clark would approve!" Oliver yelled up to her on the second floor balcony and braced himself as a high heel was launched at his head.
Through double glass doors, the hero/reporter walked in at that moment, the Justice League lounging about the small sitting area laughing. Donned in black attire, trench coat, pants and shirt with his Kryptonian family symbol in bold white. All eyes bugged and heads turned his way in shock as they settled down and noticed him standing there.
"Yo, amigo!" Bart greeted with wide smile and sped over to his friend, pulling him into a one arm bro hug before pulling back.
Clark's face beaming a smile to his pint-sized friend as the others made their way over to him, some in pleasant shock as one Chloe Sullivan looked apprehensive- expected his arrival and one other, standing next to her, knowing this wasn't going to end very well.
"Bro, nice to see you know more than primary colors." AC teased about his dark attire and they shook hands good-naturedly.
Before a hard pat to his shoulder had him stumbling a step forward from the other 'man of steel' amongst them. The naturally dark skinned man giving a playful smile as Clark shook his head returning same smile. "Victor."
"The one and only." He returned with a cross of muscular flesh and metal arm over his chest.
The others making their way over to him in greeting and surprised to see him. A glance from the green archer to Chloe catching her eye as if questioning about knowing about the sudden appearance of their blurry friend. She swallowed hard and just gave him a meek look before giving her attention to best friend with a wide smile and welcoming hug.
They pulling apart at the hard sound in Oliver's voice that he couldn't quite keep out, or was even trying to. "Not that you're not a welcomed sight, Clark, but what the hell are you doing here?"
Chloe knew he was feeling defensive of Lois, she appointed him godfather of her child and the only father figure Jae really even knew. He had to be feeling a bit territorial and protective and she couldn't fault him for it. She knew what she had done was beyond forgiving but it was beyond time to correct all her sins of the past.
"Oliver." Clark greeted with a nod before turning content eyes to his blonde female friend and to his other friends of the JLA. His smile still in place if just a bit rougher as he looked back to the blonde, billionaire archer. "I know I've turned down the offer plenty of times before, but if you'll have me now. I'd like to join."
The blonde billionaire let out a mirthless laugh in stunned apprehension as the rest of the League gave their comments of approval on the idea. Did they not realize who was upstairs and with what that made this situation an atomic bomb ready to detonate? Lois was just feet away with a son he new nothing about. A son he felt more rights to then the lug of an alien standing in black before them. Yet, he knew Clark wasn't the one at fault for not fulfilling daddy duties, but it didn't burn any less to give up a position he put his heart and all too.
"Excellente!" "Bro!" Came a few replies as Victor gave a nod of approval and giant grin, knowing how great of an asset he could be on their team.
"Kind of sudden, don't you think?"
The dark haired alien, slanted his blue eyes just a bit at the billionaire he still considered a friend. If, but a shaky friendship at best. He just hoped that whatever feelings the archer had for Lois still weren't at heart. That he wasn't playing his blonde female best friend, stringing her along. He gave himself a mental shake, their conversations over the weeks hinted at how he was beyond happy with Chloe and that there was no hard feelings for his wanting to pursue Lois despite her pigheadedness. Yet, the intergalactic traveler always felt there was more he wanted to spill during their talks, something he was protecting in a way and he felt that now as Oliver stood glaring at him. What that was, he hadn't figured out.
"Better late then never. If you'll have me, Oliver?" Clark implored of his friend, a feature of confidence on face no matter what answer was given.
"I don't think it's up to just me, Clark." The blonde spiky-haired man gave a tight smile, referring to the other members around and the main one who was an unofficial part of their group.
"Yo, superdudes, mind keeping it down. I'm trying to put Jr down for a nap and I swear anyone wakes this kid is seriously doing diaper duty for a wee-" Lois came to an abrupt stop, her footing almost faltering as she stepped down the stairs. Her heart, on the other hand, froze instantly in her chest and so did the working compacity of her lungs.
The forgotten woman, always one to know how to make an entrance was the center of attention as all eyes and heads swiveled her way. A beaming smile stuttering and then disappearing on her partner's face who was wearing unmistakably the clothing of the one hero she had secret conversations with over months now. The Blur. Seeing nothing but his clothing many times before and little of his features to make out who he was, but as shock-ridden as his identity revealed was. Being none other then her farmboy himself, the bane of her existence, the one she busted chops on a daily basis and man she have come to love. Nothing drenched the fact that his fallen countenance took front and center stage, and was due to the pint-sized version of himself settled on hip and wrapped in her arms.
She bit her lip and swore she tasted blood as she stood frozen in spot, unable to move, unable to breath. Hell unable to think after all this time, finally being caught. This so wasn't how she wanted this to go, not being able to do anything as she stared at him and so did it seem everyone else as Clark took a tentative step closer. His eyes bouncing over the baby boy's features, noting the dark curls and the most incriminating factor, those ever changing blue-green eyes that waved the red flag.
"Lo-Lois? You ha-have a ba-baby, a son?" His wretched look of knowing but needing to hear the words of confirmation battled with the hope that this was just a misunderstanding that it all was just a mistake. His eyes couldn't possibly be seeing what they were looking at this moment. She was a mommy; a kid in Lois arms, a kid that looked too familiar to himself to be anything but...It just couldn't be true.
His ever forward moving feet, that he didn't realize were bringing him closer to her frozen state on the metal staircase. Stumbled him back some as he fought to accept the reality that was blaring it's horn thunderously at him. His hand scrubbing down the side of his face as he couldn't take his eyes from the scene presented before him. Shock not allowing him to see the confirmation in the way Lois held herself stock-still as if breathing would shatter the moment into a dark abyss of chaos. His mind already heading into that direction as it seem the world tilted on its axis, pitching beneath his feet until he felt he would meet the floor.
The brunette reporter slowly shook her head as a pained expression came over her face, eyes glassy with tears she fought to keep at bay, began to travel in rivulets down her red cheeks. Swallowing the thick lump, the Sahara, her throat became and squeaked out in a rough breath. "No, Clark...Our son."
A/N: Finally he knows! Sorry for leaving it there but this chapter was just becoming too long to continue to write and I have so much more to add, especially the rest of this scene and Clark's reaction. I say I'll have it out by sometime 2mrw or in two days or so, depending how well the muses treat me. Also things are getting strange in the Luthor household. Plz R&R! Thanks!
Until Next Time...