Chapter 16: Of Confessions and Ice Cream

a/n:- so its been a while since i've updated but uni is getting pretty busy (who knew?) and so i figured now would be a good time to finish this story because otherwise i can't see it being updated til this semester is over. so here is the second last chapter just the epilogue to go. thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

Chapter 16: Of Confessions and Ice Cream

Clark stood in front of the freezer staring blankly forward, his eyes focused on something no one else could see. In this case he was focused on the events of the past few weeks and was not using his x-ray vision to scope the back of the freezer for the good flavors of ice cream as Lois was constantly asking him to do. No, Clark was feeling the need to reflect. It was after hanging up on Lois, he new he'd pay for it later but really after the third phone call he'd gotten the idea that she wanted as many different kinds of chocolate as you could combine into one form of ice cream that he took his moment to reflect…

'I'm an alien.'

A moment of silence followed his proclamation and he watched uneasily as the doctor blinked at him strangely. Then she spoke and he felt like he had stepped in to another world, he'd never dreamed there would be so many people willing to understand.

'That is so cool!'

It is kind of nice to know that you can reduce a sophisticated new mother, wife and doctor extraordinaire to babbling school girl with a simple announcement. He new, of course, that he was clearly surrounded by very understanding and brilliant people but still the idea that he could confide in people was so foreign.

'That's it? No questioning of our sanity? No threats to call the government so they can cart me away and experiment?'

Had Clark known the thoughts the word experiment brought up in the doctors mind he would have been blushing furiously. As it were she couldn't refrain from making one teeny tiny comment.

'I'm sure Lois is doing enough experimenting.'

Lois snorted. Clark rolled his eyes.

It was only their first meeting with Sam Callen but Lois had definitely made the right choice. She had been able to handle everything they'd thrown at her including Lois' very unique type of experimenting with Kryptonite…

'You okay in there, Lo?' Clark really hoped she couldn't hear his amusement in his voice.

While it had been happening the whole thing was terrifying but now, with Lois in the bathroom throwing up her breakfast and brunch, he could see the funny side of it.

'Peachy,' came the muffled reply.

Clark rolled is eyes and pushed the door open. Really it was her own fault. She knew perfectly well the affect Kryptonite had on him why she thought it would make for an excellent way to judge their baby's genetics was beyond him. He'd come in to find her in the kitchen intently studying the lead box his mother kept the small piece of meteor rock in. she was toying with the lock and before he could ask what the heck she was doing she had the damn thing open. The unbearable wave of nausea had her slamming the lid shut almost instantly but for one horrifying moment Clark was terrified she had hurt the baby. Mostly it just made Lois sick. It also kind of made her happy. This was after Clark finished berating her for her own stupidity and Sam had run a few routine checks.

Clark was drifting more deeply into his thoughts about Lois and a meeting with the memory of Jor-El when the sound of someone calling his name registered. Turning down the aisle of the supermarket he noticed Lana moving toward him, a small basket in her hands. Clark tried not to pretend he hadn't heard her and run in the opposite direction. Somehow, in all the chaos of life with a pregnant Lois, Lana had slipped his mind entirely and while they were no longer keeping Lois' pregnancy a secret the news had somehow escaped Lana completely. Clark was sure Lana didn't even know they were together. Tonight Clark simply didn't have the time to deal with Lana, mostly because Lois was craving ice cream and would most likely attempt to cause him some form of physical injury should he fail to return home quick enough. That and he had promised all the head strong women in his life, Sam Callen somehow sneaking onto this particular party train, that he would come clean with Lana the next time he saw her.

Awkward weight lifting conversation with the ex-girlfriend who still wanted to be his girlfriend or go home to his current, pregnant, girlfriend who was mood swinging like nobody's business? Clark felt bad for thinking about Lois that way and tried to look at it another way. Have long overdue conversation with ex-girlfriend or go home to beautiful pregnant current girlfriend who will most likely hit you for being a chicken? Clark sighed heavily and resigned himself to facing the wrath of two women. Lana, who would not take this news too well, and then home to Lois, who was craving ice cream like it was going out of style but was also kind of sexy when she was mad.

Another deep sigh.

'Hi, Lana.'

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She really, really, really wanted ice cream. The kind with three different kinds of chocolate. Of course, having been waiting for fifteen minutes for Clark to get the damn stuff, her ice cream craving had evolved. Now, Lois was considering all the yummy things you can dip in ice cream. This warranted another call to Clark. She really hoped he picked up and didn't just ignore her considering in the time he had left she had already called him three times, each call adding a bit more chocolate into her order. Now, now she wanted marshmallows, chocolate fudge sauce, strawberries and the possibility of banana was drifting across her mind. And now she was imagining a giant chocolate sundae with all the extra toppings, none of which she had in her kitchen. This definitely called for another call to Clark.

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'Hey, Clark!'

'Lana.'

'What are you doing here so late?'

It was the best opening he could have asked for, seriously, it was like someone up there had paved the way perfectly and all he had to do was answer the question honestly. A simple "hey my pregnant girlfriend sent me for ice cream" probably was a bit blunt but at least then it would be out there. Deciding to phrase his actual response a bit gentler, he was just spitting out the opening words of his explanation when his cell phone rang.

Clark rolled his eyes.

'Hold that thought,' he told Lana before answering his phone.

'I've changed my mind,' was Lois' less than stellar opening.

'Again?'

'Quit complaining, Smallville, and bring your loving girlfriend, incubator of your alien spawn, some marshmallows, strawberries, bananas and some chocolate fudge.'

Incubator of your alien spawn? That was a new one even for Lois.

'So now you're craving sundaes?'

'The longer you take the more I want.'

'I'll be sure to get right on that.'

'You do that.'

'Goodbye, Lois.'

He ignored Lois' shout to wait and hung up on her. Lana smiled hesitantly at him. When it came to her relationship with Clark she was a bit on the dumb side, not that you can blame her really love makes you do very stupid things. Still she wasn't dumb enough not to gather from Clark's side of the conversation that he was out getting supplies for Lois to make sundaes.

'You're hanging out with Lois tonight?'

Right, so he was back to the awkward part of this evening. The explanations to Lana, not that he really owed her any explanations, but it was the right thing to do to tell her he had managed to knock Lois up, maybe leave out the part where it happened the night before they broke up, before Lois really started to show and it became slap-you-in-the-face obvious.

'Yeah, about that,' Clark started.

Showing those stunning skills of deduction that no one really felt necessary when it came to the obvious attraction between Lois and Clark, Lana smiled sadly. She knew what he was going to say. It may break her heart but she had been relegated to the place of friend.

'Its okay, Clark. I understand, really, I should have seen this coming. Chloe did try to warn me.'

He may be an alien but he was still a man. And in true male fashion it went right over his head that tricky little thing known to some as woman's intuition and others as rather blunt obviousness.

'Huh?'

'You're dating Lois. You are dating Lois right? Cause if you're not please stop me now being I make a fool of myself.'

He didn't stop her.

'So it's true.'

'I'm sorry, Lana.'

'Don't be,' she told him, despite the lump that had just formed itself in her throat and the tears that she was refusing to let fall. 'I had my time now it's Lois'.'

'Lana.'

'Just,' she sniffled, 'just be happy.'

She turned to go as the tears started to fall but she didn't get far enough that she didn't hear him call out to her. She stopped but refused to turn around; she didn't want him to see how much it hurt that he had moved on while she was still waiting for him.

'There's something else you should know.'

She turned around at the serious tone of his voice. Despite herself she was curious to hear what he had to say, what had put that heavy lilt into his voice.

'Lois is pregnant.'

Her whole world effectively shattered and for the first time since she and Clark had started this whole thing she understood just how over it really was. She couldn't help the choked sob that escaped her and she couldn't stand the look of pity in his eyes. She turned and walked away, refusing even in her pain to run. She paused and the end of the aisle.

'Congratulations, Clark.'

And she was gone.