A/N: Hi again. I'm sorry for the long wait. I've taken a long break from fanfic writing, but now I'm back. So I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 3: Waiting

Clark walked into the waiting room; all of Chloe's family were gathered there: Lois, Chloe's dad, who had just arrived, Martha and surprisingly Lionel too.

The second Lois laid eyes on Clark she was out of her chair and ambushing him. "Clark, what's happening? What's going on?"

With Lois's exclamation of his arrival, all stood up around him to get a full report.

"The doctor is going to deliver the baby," Clark told them.

"But it's too soon!" Martha exclaimed.

"They say it's her best chance, but…" Clark began to explain.

"This is ridiculous!" Lionel burst out. "One of the countries best hospitals and they can't do anything. I'm going to call some of the best doctors I know." He took out his phone and started dialling. "I'll be right back."

They all watched him leave with surprised expressions.

"Clark can we go see her?" Mr. Sullivan asked.

"Of course," Clark quickly obliged. "You can all see her before the surgery."

Martha and Mr. Sullivan exited the room in a hurry.

Clark watched them go and then turned around to see Lois still standing there.

"You better go, they'll be prepping her for surgery soon," Clark told her.

She nodded. "I know, I'll go in a second. I just… I can't-"

Clark sighed, running a shaky hand through his hair. "It's unbelievable isn't it?"

"It is! I mean who would want to do this to her?" Lois said in outrage.

"I don't know," Clark replied, slumping down into a waiting room chair. "But if I didn't get there too late, we would have known."

"Don't do this to yourself Clark…. Just don't. It's not your fault!" Lois told him, as she came to sit next to him.

"I've got all these amazing abilities," Clark started, bitterness in his voice. "But when it really counts, when I'm really needed, I fail. How could that be?" He looked away.

"Clark, look at me, look at me!" she urged. He looked her in the eyes. She put her hand to his cheek. "You are amazing. And you do amazing things everyday. You save peoples lives. But I know you can't do everything. There are billions of people in this world. You can't save them all."

"I don't care about the world. I just wanted to save Chloe!" Clark exclaimed. "I'm no Superman," he whispered. He let his tears fall and Lois wrapped her arms around him and let them fall with her own.

"Lex, are you sure… are you sure this is safe?" Chloe asked.

Lex grasped her hands in his. "Chloe, the doctors assured me it's perfectly safe. It's our best bet."

Chloe closed her eyes, looking as if she was in pain. Lex noticed the tear that squeezed out of her closed lids. He reached out and very gently, very carefully wiped it away.

Chloe opened her eyes and gave her husband a watery smile. "I don't care about me. I ju- just want my baby to live."

Lex was quick to hush that line of thinking. "Shh… Don't talk that way, you're both gong to make it through this. You'll be holding our beautiful baby boy-"

"Or girl," Chloe interjected.

Lex smiled, "Or girl, in your arms."

"I hope so, Lex." Her smile turned into a frown. "But-"

"No," Lex stopped.

"But," Chloe persisted. "If that doesn't happen, if I- If I'm not here. Promise me, that you'll love and take care of our baby." Chloe couldn't help the tears that fell as she spoke.

"Chloe-" Lex was finding it hard to hold back his emotion as well. He wiped at a loose tear.

"Promise me," Chloe sobbed.

Lex nodded. "Of course I promise."

"Mr. and Mrs. Luthor?"

Lex turned around to see the Doctor standing there with a nurse. "It's time."

Lex turned back to Chloe. "Ready to be parents?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Chloe answered.

"Is the baby out?" Chloe asked faintly.

Lex looked at his pale wife and tried hard not to frown at her soft spoken words. He really wanted to believe that her pallor was the mixed result of the labour by C-section and the drugs they had given her. He refused to think at all of the other possibility.

"Not yet, we're almost there," Lex assured her, squeezing her hand tight.

"I… I want to see my baby. I… I want to," Chloe said frantically.

This time Lex did frown at her panicked and urgent tone. Lex shared a look with the doctor and immediately looked away. He didn't want to see what the doctor thought. Lex knew he was wrong, he had to be.

"Don't worry Chloe, you will," Lex assured, smoothing down her hair to try calm her.

A few seconds later, crying filled the room.

"It's a baby girl!" the doctor announced.

The nurses took the baby from his hands and immediately went to work on cleaning her up.

"Did you hear that, Chloe, we have a baby girl," Lex exclaimed to his wife.

"A… girl," Chloe practically whispered. "Can I see her?"

"Here she is," the doctor replied, bringing the little girl over and putting her in Chloe's arms.

Lex looked down at their baby girl and smiled a watery smile. "She's beautiful."

"Oh my sweet little girl…" Chloe cooed. "My sweet little Diana."

"Diana?" Lex said. "That's a beautiful name."

"I'm so… tired. I need sleep," Chloe faltered and went unconscious.

Seconds later monitors started blaring.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"Nurse, take the baby!" The doctor demanded.

"Take her where? What's happening to my wife?" Lex yelled.

Diana started to cry again as she was taken from her mother's arms.

"Mr. Luthor, we need you to step outside," the doctor told him.

"No," Lex stated incredulously.

"Step out, so we can do our job," the doctor said adamantly.

A nurse was suddenly at his side, leading him out of the room.

"Save her!" he yelled. "Don't let her die!"

Finally outside, the nurse turned to him, "Mr. Luthor the doctor will do all he can."

He stood outside the room watching as they did all manners of things to his wife. He was never the praying sort of man- he was, after all, taught to believe in what he could see- but he started to pray hard right then.

He prayed that his wife's life wouldn't be cut short. He prayed that his daughter wouldn't be left motherless. But he prayed hardest of all that Chloe wouldn't leave him.

Well, that's it. Next chapter, find out if Chloe lives or dies.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading so far. And thanks to my 3 reviewers: Malu1; Red Magic; and MSCIBET.

Keep the reviews coming. And I'll try my hardest to update really soon.