Contingency Plan

by Brine224

An AU twist of the pregnancy storyline and an alternate introduction to Raya... Clois, Epilogue added

4. Chapter 4

AN: I'm posting this hoping that some of you are still interested….it's been a long time coming but I wanted to see this story completed. Thanks for all the great response thus far.

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Part 4

Back at the caves, Lois was forced to rush to catch up with Raya who was striding for the entrance. Moving as though on auto-pilot, she followed the determined blonde where the waning light of day framed the eroded rock. So caught up in putting one foot in front of the other, she didn't notice that Raya had stopped short of the opening, causing her to collide against the solid mass of the Kryptonian woman's back and bounce off.

For the second time that day, Raya moved quickly enough to catch Lois before she hit the dirt.

"Are you alright?" She asked Lois.

"Yeah, but I'm obviously not making much of a first impression," Lois rolled her eyes at herself. "I'm not usually this…" she made a gesture of fluttered hands around her head, at a loss for actual words, "but you know, it's just a bit much all at once." She self-consciously tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "And I thought finding out I was pregnant was the shock of my lifetime, but finding out Clark's from another planet – well that's got to beat out just about anything," she said candidly.

Raya frowned then realization dawned, "You didn't know about Kal-El."

Pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows in a show of innocence, Lois petered out a response, "Well, not exactly but don't worry I'm fine with all of it – well as soon as I process all of this I'll be fine with it." Lois smiled but Raya simply looked distraught. "Hey, maybe I should be asking you if you're alright." She touched the other woman on the shoulder in order to draw her eyes up from their inspection of the dirt floor.

"I'm sorry Lois," the amount of sadness visible in her eyes was striking, "you didn't deserve to be used to fulfill Jor-El's agenda. You should have never had your choices taken from you; it's reprehensible."

With the fighting spirit she prided herself on; Lois shrugged and flippantly said, "I'll survive." Though, that bore an entirely new concern for her, "I will survive right? I mean with the baby not being completely human and-"

Raya stopped her before she could get herself worked up, "You'll be perfectly healthy."

Lois sighed in relief, "Good to know." One side of her mouth twitched at the reassurance.

"It doesn't change the fact that you were violated and forced into a situation without consent," blonde hair swished back and forth with the power of her argument.

"Look, I'm not in any imminent danger but from what you've said, Clark is. We can talk about what I'm going to do to this Jor-El character – computer…" she rolled her eyes sky-ward, "whatever, after we make sure Clark's alright. Jor-El will just have to fix whatever he's done and I have a feeling he'll be more inclined to do so if we come back with Smallville in tow."

Confusion registered on Raya's face at the use of the nickname again.

"Clark – I mean Clark," Lois sighed. "Now let's see how good Mac Daddy is with coordinates." Once again she felt compelled to explain when she saw Raya's furrowed brow. "Get it? Mac as is the computer brand – Mac Daddy cause he's a computer…."

No recognition.

"That was genius and what do I get?" Lois spoke to herself. "Nothing. Nada. Can you pretend to get my jokes – it's really not that difficult…I do it for Clark all the time."

"We didn't talk this much on Krypton," Raya moved closer to hold Lois again while she ran.

"That explains so much about Clark," Lois muttered.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was silenced by the rush of blood to her head caused by the extreme speed Raya traveled. When the run tapered off at their coordinates, Lois shook away the sensation, swallowing back the motion induced queasiness.

"I could totally use the Raya Express for my commutes to work every day," Lois ran a hand over her head hoping her hair wasn't in complete disarray.

"If we encounter one of the prisoners you're going to have to use the crystal," Raya explained.

"Can't I just let Clark do the honours once we find him?"

"The crystal only recognizes you."

"What'm I supposed to do with it?" Lois looked down at the bulge the crystal made in her pocket.

"You have already successfully called it to yourself twice – when the time comes, you'll know what to do," Raya took a few steps away from her traveling partner.

"Real helpful you Kryptonians," Lois grumbled, following Raya's example and surveying their destination.

They had halted at an abandoned train-car lot; the stench of rusting steal sitting heavy in the air. Towering boxes of metal blocked much of the remaining light of the day and cast shadows in whatever managed to sneak through. A crash had both women turning to their right in time to see Clark fall onto the roof of one of the cars. The steel whined in protest, buckling in the middle from the impact.

Chanting a silent mantra of 'get up', Lois almost wished Clark hadn't when a beast of a man appeared on top of the box-car beside him. The muscled creature with claw-like fingers jumped to the car where Clark was still struggling to get his feet under him and let loose a vicious right hook that sent Clark backward off the car and sliding into the gravel ground.

With the subject of their search only meters from her feet, Lois was able to see that claw marks gauged into her friend's chest, back and thighs. His t-shirt and jacket hung in a sheered mess off his battered frame; blood soaking the pieces of fabric that had managed to stay in tact. Most worrisome for Lois was seen as he shifted on the ground in the effort to get up once more: three wounds in his abdomen where his enemy had impaled him.

Watching Clark trying to simply hold his shoulders off the ground shook Lois to her core. When Raya had expressed her concern for Clark, Lois had admittedly taken it lightly. Since arriving in Smallville there had been no shortage of dire situations and none that they had been unable to walk away from. But as she looked upon her battered best friend struggling to lift his head, she realized an urgency and fear she had never before known.

The creature he was fighting was no angst addled teen in a fit of confusion; he was bound and determined to kill Clark. She had seen the glint in the creature's eyes in a handful of men who had fought in the wars and developed the one thing all soldiers strived to avoid – unmitigated lust for blood.

The creature jumped down off the box-car a foot from Clark's fallen body, sending a tremor through the packed dirt underfoot. Heedless of his spectators he raised his arm, preparing to bring down his claws in a final blow. Though her military upbringing sung the value of a surprise attack, the mortified friend in Lois screamed out, "Clark!"

Her impulsive shout had two effects; the first was to draw the fearful eyes of Clark her way, silently begging her not to interfere and be hurt in the process; the other effect was the momentary distraction of Clark's attacker and the opening it provided Raya to speed toward the creature and deliver a powerful push.

Seeing the creature fall back shook Lois from her surprised stupor, sending her sprinting toward the fray and her friend.

"Lois." The cracked voice that only slightly resembled Clark made her heart ache. "No, don't!" He frowned the closer she got. "Run!" he ordered and Lois obeyed…only she was running in the wrong direction.

The creature was back on its feet before Lois could reach Clark. One large clawed hand swatted at Raya like she was an insect, carrying her to the ground a distance from where she had originally stood.

Lois froze – the creature's intense black gaze boring into her. Slowly, though as not to attract the attention of the beast, she reached inside her pocket to grasp the crystal. As soon as her hand settled on it a sense of calm intention suffused her. Compelled by instinct, she lifted the crystal out in front of her, simultaneously calling it into action.

Prisms of light danced, refracting off the stone; it knocked her back causing her to stumble before she could widened her stance for better balance against the approaching energy. Lois didn't know how she knew it but the crystal was draining the creature of its life, trapping and storing it somewhere else. But it didn't stop the beast from fighting to stay free.

Drawing closer to the human woman he lifted a lethargic arm and succeeded in knocking the crystal from her hand. "I will not go back," he snarled at her.

Over the beast's shoulder Lois could see Raya had risen and was fast moving toward herself and the creature protectively. "Lois!" She called in earnest.

But Lois was distracted by the sudden sting of claws ripping across her left side. The creature came down with his other arm but Lois was able to duck, tuck and roll herself into a somersault in the direction of the crystal. Holding the object tight, she sprung up to meet the approaching off-worlder and with the stone in her fist, met him with a jab to his throat.

Her arms shaking with the effort of holding the crystal in front on her, she watched the creature drop to his knees. The stone was doing its job – until all that was left of her beastly attacker was a light within the crystal and the fallen few who had fought him.

Lois dropped onto her side, spent from the effort of wielding the crystal. A long, slow blink and she was willing strength back to her limbs in order to sit up. Small hands pressed into her back, steadying and keeping her upright.

"Are you hurt?" Raya didn't wait for Lois' answer, finding it for herself. "You're bleeding," she gasped.

"It's just a scratch – I'm okay," Lois protested turning to survey the area. "Clark!" She battled to stand on her own two feet when she saw that Clark was still lying prone on the ground. Heedless of her own injury, she rushed ungracefully to his side. "What's wrong with him?"

"Moldox's kind can secrete a toxin through their claws that is lethal to Kryptonians," Raya explained.

"What does that mean for Clark?" Lois' eyes widened with fear.

"Clark will heal; your yellow sun will ensure it. The toxin will slow his recovery time but it will soon work itself out of his body and he should be fine."

"We need to get out of here," Lois pressed a hand to Clark's chest to find his breathing laboured. "He needs help."

"There is nothing your medical professionals can do for him," Raya shook her head regretfully.

"Then we should at least take him back to the farm. He'll be more comfortable there," Lois swallowed hard against the pain in her side.

Raya hefted Clark's large frame over her shoulder, drawing a moan from him, and raced back to the farm. Lois didn't even have a chance to miss her before she was back and tossing mused blonde hair behind her shoulders.

"I've returned Kal-El to his house – his body needs time to heal now."

"But he's going to be fine right," Lois eyed her speculatively.

"Moldox's toxin will leave no lasting effects," Raya assured.

"Well, with Clark recuperating you and I will have plenty of time to talk about this whole Krypton thing," Lois smirked in triumph at getting the name right, "and I still have a conversation to finish with the Artic computer. Now, not that I think you're lying or anything but I want to get back to the farm and check on Clark. So hop to it Roadrunner," Lois smirked again when Raya only sighed at the pop culture reference.

The spinning landscape did nothing to slow Lois' gait to the house once they reached the farm. As though she were able to sense Clark's breathing, she headed straight for the living room where Raya had deposited the injured farmboy's frame.

Seating herself on the coffee table gave her the best angle to watch the rise and fall of Clark's chest and Raya's progress into the house. Eager fingers glanced over skin bared by the tatters of his t-shirt, feeling the stickiness of drying blood with no evidence of wounds.

"He's doesn't have any marks on him," Lois whispered in awe. "I saw that…thing stab him – this is his blood but there isn't as much as a scratch."

"Kryptonians heal quickly under the yellow sun. Although I would guess that Kal-El isn't nearly as healed internally yet."

"It's amazing," Lois continued to trace around the sites she knew to have been wide open only minutes before.

"You unfortunately don't have the same power. There is a medical centre here in Smallville – I should take you there now," Raya nodded toward the clawed gashes on Lois' side.

It took Lois a few seconds to realize what Raya was talking about. In her rush to check on Clark's health, she had forgotten about her own injuries.

"I'll be fine. Mrs. Kent keeps a first aid kit upstairs in the bathroom….there's antiseptic and gauze." She brushed off Raya's concern.

"I would feel better if you had a medical professional look you over," Raya argued.

Cringing at the pain she was suddenly acknowledging, Lois admitted, "They're called doctors and trust me when I say no one at the hospital is going to be too happy to see me after yesterday." She recalled the fuss she made about the pregnancy tests and ultrasound. "I'm fine. It's just a deep scratch."

"Alright," Raya turned to head for the stairs to retrieve the supplies.

"You're just going to let me get off that easily," Lois was equal parts surprised and suspect.

Raya shrugged and responded, "I assume you know the state of your health better than I do."

A smiled blossomed across Lois' lips, "I knew there as a reason I was starting to like you."

Keeping one arm tight to her side so as not to pull at the wound, the other passed through Clark's dusty locks. He could definitely use a shower – she had the sudden thought that Mrs. Kent would be aghast at the state of her couch when she returned. The absurdity of that particular thought was an obvious sign that her brain was beginning to overload from the day's events.

Hazel eyes traversed the length of the restless frame on the couch. Who was Clark Kent? Lois had been asking herself that question since arriving in Smallville. Was he a mild mannered farmboy? Was he a co-dependent lover? Was he the dependable friend? The unlikely hero? And the most recent question of all… was he even human?

She would never admit it to him or anyone else but as often as she felt she could read Clark like a book, there were times when he was a complete mystery. It was one of things she liked about him; people who were not easily pegged were always more interesting to know. Perhaps it was due to her transient upbringing or her eclectic tastes but she couldn't appreciate the idea of being summed up in a handful of words.

Did it really even matter who Clark Kent was?

The three years she had known him said it didn't.

But what did it mean for her if it was true? A miraculous pregnancy was shock enough to deal with but now she was facing a pregnancy tied to aliens and more specifically, Clark. A groan slipped passed her lips as even more questions and speculative thoughts assailed her.

A matching groan came from the man she was watching, jolting Lois from her thoughts and causing her to jerk her hand away from him – the hand she didn't realize was still in contact with him.

Clark's face transformed into a grimace as he tried to move his body; Lois copied his expression from the sudden movement.

"Lois," it came out garbled and low; his eyes not able to focus on her.

"Hey Clark," she leaned forward, "I'm right here."

"Okay?" He rasped out.

Lois smiled sadly; he was still the kind of guy who worried more for others than himself. "Yeah Smallville, I'm fine. And you're going to be too." Her hand hovered a half-second over Clark's arm before she resigned herself to caring and let it fall gently against him in silent support. "You know, if you wanted to laze around on your ass for a couple days you didn't have to go and get yourself beat up to do it."

She was disappointed when Clark couldn't muster even a smile at her tease. Unable to stay conscious any longer, his eyelids dropped closed and his body sunk into the couch cushions.

"Clark seems like he's in a lot of pain," Lois said when her eye caught Raya's return.

"It's the toxin. It won't last much longer but he will be significantly weaker until he can absorb some of tomorrow's sunlight.

Lois stood up, grimacing as she tried to remove her top. Finally getting it over her head, she was left in her bra in the middle of the living room with only Raya to help her wrap her wounds.

"So now that we've averted the crisis of the day, think you could fill me in a little about what the hell is going on?" Lois held two large squares of gauze over her side so Raya could wrap a pressure bandage around her middle.

"The man we fought tonight is named Moldox."

"That thing was a man?" Lois' eyes widened.

Raya nodded, "The toxin he secretes weakens Kryptonians; in that state he was able to kill them. The Science Council sentenced him to eternity in the Phantom Zone."

"I feel like I'm playing twenty questions," Lois muttered. "What's the Science Council? And for that matter, I still have no idea what the Phantom Zone is."

"The Science Council ruled Krypton. We were dependent on science and technology – so much so that many believed technology would be able to save our planet. Jor-El sat on the Science Council as one of the ruling families on Krypton; he tried to tell them that science could do nothing to reverse the path we were on but no one would listen." Raya taped down the bandage and was silent for a moment as she thought back to the fateful days leading up to the destruction of her home. "Years before we were even aware the planet was in danger the Science Council commissioned the use of the Phantom Zone for containment of the most dangerous criminals…no one was confident that Krypton's conventional prisons would be able to hold them."

"Is that where Maalox went?" Lois nodded her thanks when Raya produced one of Clark's plaid shirts to wear since her t-shirt had been ruin beyond repair.

"Moldox," Raya corrected, "and yes."

"What exactly happened to Krypton?"

"The planet's core was unstable and it eventually exploded taking everyone with it."

Lois was floored by the idea that an entire population of people had lived and died with no one on earth the wiser. It was enough of a revelation to make her want to distract herself and Raya with another topic for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" She asked the other woman with all the finesse of a bulldozer.

"I don't actually need to eat," Raya informed her.

Lois smirked, "You may not need to but it's definitely not something you want to pass up. I'll order us a pizza 'cause cooking for you would just be cruel and unusual punishment." Lois headed for the kitchen and motioned Raya to join her.

"What about Clark? How'd he survive?" Lois asked as soon as she hung up the phone.

Despite being of a superior intellectual race, Raya was finding it difficult to keep up with Lois' rapid thought processes. "Jor-El and Lara crafted an escape pod for Kal-El."

"Lara?" Lois interrupted at the introduction of a new name.

"Kal-El's mother. There was not enough time to build a pod large enough for all of them that was capable of traveling the distance to Earth."

"How long ago did all this happen?" Lois was genuinely interested, unable to grasp that the dramatic tale Raya was weaving was a factual account. She figured that if the information had sunk in she wouldn't have been anywhere near as calm about it all.

"I can only guess based on Kal-El's age that it was about nineteen years ago. In the Phantom Zone time is suspended. I have not aged physically a day since entering the zone," Raya explained. "Kal-El arrived with a meteor shower over a decade ago."

Lois nodded along as that explanation made sense. "What about me? How do I fit into all of this?" Lois glanced down at her abdomen.

Raya was distressed and her face was telegraphing the emotion, "I don't know," she admitted. "The Jor-El I knew would have never abused you in such a way. He wasn't a violent man; he didn't even condone killing the most vicious criminals. It's why he created the Phantom Zone to begin with. Krypton and his family were the most important things to him."

"Obviously family was a little too important…he programmed his computer generated self to make sure he got a grandchild no matter what." Lois crossed her arms and rested her hip on the kitchen island. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now. This baby is being foisted on me and even if I wanted a baby my life is not baby friendly." She paused for a moment to run a hand through her hair.

"Is the baby even going to be okay – I mean it's a mix of two entirely different species and what if it's not alright; how do I explain that to the doctors? And what about this destiny that Jor-El kept talking about? How am I supposed to prepare a kid for that? How am I supposed to prepare myself – and what happens if I don't do a good enough job? Jor-El – or the disembodied voice formally known as Jor-El has already proven the lengths he'll go to, to get what he wants."

"I wish I had the answers for you Lois," Raya's eyes studied the floor, "This should not have happened to you. Jor-El should have found another way. And now you're embroiled in our confrontation with the Phantom Zone prisoners. It's my fault – I should have found a way to get Kal-El back to Earth sooner. Maybe then Jor-El would not have taken such drastic measures to ensure the word of Krypton would be heard on this planet."

"What is it with you Krypton people and the guilt trips? Is it coded directly into your DNA? At least now I know that Clark's gotta be one of you 'cause you both think everything's your fault." Lois railed with flare from her hands. "Look…if you're telling the truth then you weren't in any position to stop Jor-El from doing this," she pointed to her stomach. "Feeling guilty doesn't change what's happened and it sure as hell doesn't help me now," Lois finished her tirade in a huff. "What we have to do is figure out a way to fix this. I can't have a baby – and I certainly can't have Clark's baby," she stated resolutely.

"Why are you opposed to it being his child?" Raya was intrigued.

"Where do you want to start? I mean, it's Clark," she said it as though it was the most logical of answers. "There's also the fact that I'm not in a relationship with him."

"You have no relationship with Clark?" Raya furrowed her brow.

Rolling her head around on her neck in a flummoxed motion gave her time to piece together a response, though it was hardly articulate. "Sure we have a relationship. We're friends…sometimes – well always but we like to pretend that we're not. But Smallville and I do not have the kind of relationship I think you're talking about. I mean he's cute and everything but on the compatibility scale I'm say he and I rank about even with lava and a bare feet."

"And this Smallville you're talking about is a name you have for Kal-El and not the town," Raya clarified.

"Right," Lois paced around to the kitchen table. "Not that I think that your boss thought too much about who Clark was dating when he decided to give himself a grandchild. I mean Mrs. Kent and I just happened to be in the neighbourhood – lucky me, having the closest available womb," she said sardonically.

"Perhaps that wasn't the case. The Fortress of Knowledge could have transported anyone on Earth to the Arctic in order for the procedure to take place. It is possible that Jor-El didn't need anyone else as the woman he was looking for arrived of her own volition," Raya's tone was thoughtful as she worked through the possible reasons for the outcome. She did not want to believe that Jor-El would have programmed himself to be unmerciful and brash, completely unmoved by the lives and plight of the people on Earth. It went against everything she knew of him and everything he had wished for his son to accomplish on the planet.

"Is this designed to make me feel better because I gotta tell you, being impregnated against my will with my friend's child - even if I was the 'chosen one' to carry on the people of Krypton and not just the first passer by - doesn't make me feel any better." Her arms cast out to her sides in a show of dramatic action.

"I merely find it hard to believe that you and Clark are not more than friends. When he spoke of you yesterday there was such familiarity and comfort in his voice. There is always tension in his body as though coiled in ready of an attack…except with you. When he was near you the tension disappeared," Raya shared.

"It was most likely that he wasn't tense because he was home," Lois argued. She then shrugged and raised her eyebrows innocently, "Or it could have been because I was asleep when he saw me."

Raya shook her head at Lois' comment.

"What?" The human crossed her arms defensively.

"When you're uncomfortable you make a joke; you use humour to mask your emotions. It's a defense mechanism much like your posture," she nodded to Lois' arms.

Looking down at herself and dropping her arms immediately, Lois opened her mouth to protest. "What? You're here a few days and already a pop psychologist."

"It was just an observation," Raya shrugged.

"A misconstrued one," Lois snorted.

"I saw your reaction when Moldox was fighting Kal-El and his when he thought Moldox would kill you."

"Like I said, we're friends. I don't know about you but I get a little upset when I think my friends are about to be killed," Lois shot back without thinking. The second the words were out of her mouth she saw Raya's face contort and a churning feeling sink into her stomach. "Oh God…I'm sorry. You know exactly what that's like and there wasn't anything you could do about it," Lois passed a hand over her face regretfully. "I shouldn't have said that...sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain." Silence. "Good one Lois," she muttered to herself harshly.

"But it's for that reason that I know what it looks like when someone is entertaining the possibility of losing a friend or someone who is more than a friend. Maybe I was looking through the eyes of a romantic but I saw more than friendship," she said softly.

"Maybe on some level you're right," Lois couldn't believe what she was about to admit but after her insensitive words to the woman she felt honesty was the least she could give her. "Maybe I've always been a little bit in love with Clark Kent but anything other than friendship has never been an option." She sat down at the kitchen table with the weight of her admission.

"Why not?" Raya followed her example and sat across from her.

"For a long time my cousin had a crush on him. I don't know how things worked on Krypton but here you don't betray your family." Lois played with the buttons on the plaid shirt she wore, cringing a little at the pain in her side. "But also….Clark's been in love with Lana Lang since…well….forever. I don't think he's been or ever will be interested in anyone but Lana." She made a face, "Well except for that one time when he got married to Alicia but that only lasted like five minutes."

Raya frowned in confusion.

"Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Clark isn't interested in anyone but Lana," Lois sighed.

"I wonder then why the Fortress of Knowledge didn't transport Lana," the blonde titled her head, emulating Lois' mannerisms.

Shifting in her seat to find a more comfortable position away from the pain in her side, Lois admitted, "Lana's not exactly with Clark right now. She's dating Lex."

"Lex…that name's familiar," Raya thought for a moment, "He was the human form Zod used on Earth….I must say that keeping all these relationship entanglements is trying."

"You're telling me," Lois rolled her eyes. "Now you see why I don't even let myself think about Clark that way. It keeps things so much easier to deal with." Dropping her head to look down at herself, "Or at least it used to make things easier."

"Lois?" Raya waited for Lois' full attention. "Does that mean that if you let yourself, you'd be in love with Kal-El?"

The inquiry stunned Lois. Her mouth worked soundlessly and her head drifted forward as all of her energy was funneled to her brain in hopes of formulating a response.

"I – I ah…Clark's an amazing guy. There aren't many out there like him and I'm not blind, he's gorgeous on top of it all but – um…." She was interrupted by the sweetest sound she could ever recall hearing, the doorbell. "That's dinner. I'll get it."

With the pizza on plates in front of both girls, Raya hesitated, eyeing the food from all angles. Lois watched her puzzle out what she was going to do with the meal and with a chuckle decided she would put the woman out of her misery.

"Pick it up with your hands and take a bite," Lois demonstrated, happy to have something other than any potential feelings she had for Clark to think about.

"It's an interesting way to eat," Raya didn't seem convinced but copied Lois' example and took a bite. She was surprised at the taste – it was much better than she had been expecting.

"It's good isn't," Lois smiled at Raya's enjoyment. "If it weren't for Mrs. Kent I would still likely be living off the stuff." There was a pregnant pause in the conversation as both women turned their attention to the food. "So tell me more about Krypton. What was it like? Did everyone there look like you and Clark?"

Lois' inquiry surprised Raya; Kal-El had not shown much of an interest in Krypton outside of getting rid of the Phantom Zone prisoners. Though she still did not agree with Jor-El's methods for ensuring a Kryptonian on Earth, she was beginning to understand his choice in Lois Lane. Her Earthen tour guide reminded her of someone from Krypton, she just couldn't place who it was.

"The planet was not green and lush like this one. The Fortress of Knowledge was built in the image of Krypton's terrain. Your Artic Polars are the best representation of Krypton's climate." In the course of her description, Raya became the most animated Lois had seen her – her face was aglow as memories no doubt played behind her eyes.

"What about the actual Fortress – it's not made out of ice. It's like glass or something," Lois recalled.

"Crystal. Everything is made out of crystal. In fact one crystal can be coded to form an entire structure. Our crystals were the life blood of our society as they are the life blood of the Fortress. There were many crystals in the consol at the Fortress; each one of them serves a different purpose. On Krypton, Kal-El's mother Lara was responsible for all of the educational crystals. The closest translation on Earth for her occupation is librarian."

A smile lit Raya's lips as she finally connected who it was Lois reminded her of.

Lara.

They shared the same thirst for knowledge and understanding; both were headstrong and opinionated when they believed in something and they valued their family and friends above all; their loyalty and devotion for ones held dear would remain steadfast in the face of any foe. Yes, it would appear that Jor-El had chosen with deliberate intent and proven that his wisdom survived the destruction of the planet.

"What was she like?" Lois leaned forward as she was pulled into the story.

Raya's smile widened as the question followed her line of thinking. "She was a quiet woman to most. Until you got to know her she didn't say much. But once she was comfortable with you she was quite opinionated. I know that Jor-El depended on her council on numerous occasions."

"What about Jor-E? You worked with him so you must have known him well."

"He was consumed with making Krypton better. He was a scientist and sat on the Science Council but he was always inventing, researching – doing everything he could to improve life on Krypton. It broke his heart to know that there was nothing he could do to stop the planet from being destroyed."

"On Krypton did you have your abilities?"

"No. Krypton orbited a red sun. It was older and didn't emit as much radiation. I believe the source of the abilities is the yellow sun – it's a younger star and has much more energy to emit. Our bodies must absorb the extra energy and convert it into the abilities."

Lois was entranced by the picture Raya was painting of a distance people who were just as concerned with making a good life for themselves and their families as humans were. An entire race of people existed now only in the two people….three if she were brave enough to count the baby growing in her.

"All Kryptonians are like humans in appearance. We have different features from one another but otherwise are the same. I believe it's part of the reason Jor-El chose Earth as his son's final destination."

Lois shook her head in astonishment, "It's just amazing to think that a people have lived and died and we didn't know about it. Has Clark always known where he came from?" All of a sudden it truly clicked that the people Raya spoke of were a part of Clark. It was his history, his legacy to carry – an amazing concept in Lois' mind.

"Kal-El told me that many of his abilities didn't start appearing until adolescence. And the Fortress was not built until a year or so ago. The Kents kept the ship he arrived in and it provided him with some information about his origins but as he has told it, many of his meetings with Jor-El have not been amicable."

"Apparently he and I have something in common where the Kryptonian Dad is concerned," Lois snorted.

"Kal-El isn't aware of your pregnancy yet I presume," Raya glanced behind her to the living room where Clark still lay.

"No. Until you took me to the Fortress I didn't even know how I got pregnant. And just so you know, I may very well wake up tomorrow morning and not believe any of what's happened today. Immaculate conceptions and visitors from above aren't exactly an every day occurrence for me – I mean I'm many things, but the Virgin Mary I am not and this," she pointed to her stomach, "sure as hell isn't Jesus Christ. Even if Jor-El thinks this kid is going to be some kind of savior."

There was a pause while Lois let her words reverberated back to her; the point of recognition was accompanied by a scrunching of her face. "My life has become a really bad religious satire," she sighed heavily, dropping her head into her arms atop the table. "So what powers do you have? I mean, obviously you're fast but you keep saying 'abilities' is in, more than one, so what are the others?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Raya commented.

"I'm trying to distract myself. Amazingly finding out Clark and you are from another planet that no longer exists is not the most shocking news I've received in the last twenty-four hours," Lois quipped.

"I haven't had cause to use all of my abilities yet but Kal-El has told me of all of them. I have an overwhelming strength, can create fire with my eyes, x-ray anything, a powerful lung capacity superior hearing. Kal-El says that on occasion he's been able to fly but he's only managed it a few times." Lois was silent and the change in the norm rattled Raya's confidence. "I'm not going to hurt you Lois," she assured.

"What?" Lois was startled, "I know you're not going to hurt me. You've been trying to protect me since you met me…which I have to tell you is a little annoying. And anyway, if you're anything like Clark – which your protective streak tells me you are – I have nothing to worry about. I was just thinking that a lot of situations Clark and I have been in are starting to make sense. Times when I thought we were realllly lucky probably had more to do with Clark's abilities than divine favours." Smiling at the other woman, Lois added, "I totally expect a ride once you get the whole flying thing down."

Somewhere beyond the kitchen a cell phone chirped insistently. The ring tone was the manufacturer's standard so Lois knew it wasn't hers and she doubted that Raya had a phone of her own, leaving only Clark's phone as the likely culprit. Hauling herself from the table, she stalked to the living room in search of the annoying device. There was nothing on the floor or table and the longer it rang the more sure she was that it was coming from Clark's pants.

"Wonderful," she huffed.

Clark moaned and grimaced in response to the noise. Lois noticed the sweat that bathed his face and chest, wondering if there was anything else they could do to make him more comfortable. But first she had to stop the phone from ringing.

"You better not wake up for this Smallville or I'll kick your ass," she warned. "Okay, maybe I won't," she amended, "but I'll get Raya to." Carefully she reached into the front of Clark's jeans, all the while watching his face and hoping he wouldn't wake up. A little thrill coursed through her at the prospect of Clark waking up and the possible reactions he would have to finding Lois with her hand down his pants pocket.

"Chloe, of course, who else would be calling you. I'm right here." She rolled her eyes at the name on the phone's screen. "Hello," she said into the cell.

"Lois?" Chloe's surprise manifested itself in a shrill version of her name.

"That's me Chlo."

"What are you doing answering Clark's phone?"

"It was ringing," Lois answered sardonically. After the day she'd had, her patience for small town drama was worn thin.

"Where's Clark? Where are you for that matter?"

"I'm at the farm. And Clark….he's around," she bit the inside of her cheek and leaned down to smooth the hair back from his forehead.

"But he's there right?"

"Yeah, look Chloe I'm entertaining a guest right now so I can't talk. I'll see you later though. Bye," with that she ended the call.

Dropping the phone on the table, Lois took a harder look at Clark and once more began to worry. He didn't appear to be getting better despite what Raya had promised.

"Are you sure that there's nothing else we can do for him?"

"Like humans, Kryptonians expel toxins through sweat. It's a good sign – we should see significant improvements soon."

"So you wanna tell me more about Krypton while sleeping beauty rests up?" Lois quirked an eyebrow at the other woman, eager to hear more about the planet and people Clark came from.

SSSSS

Muted voices were the first sound that Clark recognized when he came to shortly after; the next was the sound of his own laboured breathing. Testing out his limbs brought forth a soft grown as his entire body protested at the movement.

Choosing to lay still a while longer, Clark tried to focus on the nearby voices. He identified Lois' right away – he would be able to pick out her lower clipped tone anywhere. But the other was throwing him for a loop. It was a woman but not Chloe or his mother. For a second he even mused over the possibility that she was talking to Lana but that voice didn't quite fit either.

Memories of the afternoon drifted back to him and with them an answer to whom the other voice was. He remembered fighting the Phantom and realizing that he wasn't going to be able to defeat him on his own. Then Raya was speeding toward them but met with as much success as he had.

So how had he ended up back at home?

Where was the Phantom?

The final image filtering in left him more worried than sated. Lois had been there – and that beast had attacked her. He remembered seeing Lois hurt and fall and then….. then he wasn't sure what he saw. He thought he saw his family's crystal – but in Lois' hand?

Steeling himself against the ache and lethargy that came with movement, he lifted up off the couch. Once he was standing he noticed his tattered t-shirt; he lifted the ruins over his head and dropped them on the table next to his cell phone. Walking slowly, he made his way into the kitchen.

"Lois?"

She glanced up at the gravelly utterance from across the room.

"Whoa there Smallville, better to stand before you walk," Lois chide him. She was careful rising out of her chair, more aware of the pain in her side than before, as she made her way to Clark's side. "How are you feeling? Raya promised that the toxin would leave your body and you'd be better than new in no time."

Ignoring her inquiries about his health he asked, "Lois, are you okay?" Clark frowned, surveying her to check for injury and stopping when he caught sight of his plaid shirt.

"Just peachy," she smiled brightly at him. "How are you feeling? You took some hard knocks there today." She went to look him over when she realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"I feel sore," he shot a worried look toward Raya.

"Moldox carries a substance in their bodies that's toxic to Kryptonians. It's already begun to leave your body but you might be a little sluggish until you can absorb ultra violet energy tomorrow," Raya rose from the table.

Clark's eyes went wide with a mix of shock and fear at Raya's explanation, heedless of Lois' presence in the room. He opened his mouth to protest, or excuse away Raya's comments, hoping Lois wouldn't ask too many questions about her reference to the sun and Kryptonians.

"Oh don't look so scared Smallville," Lois shook her head at him. "I know all about Krypton – who do you think sent that thing back to the Phantom Zone."

She wouldn't have thought it was possible but Clark's eyes widened further when he jerked his head to stare at her.

"H – how did you manage that Lois?" Clark was beginning to feel very hot.

"Jor-El's crystal," she stated with a matter of fact air.

"Jo – Jor-El?"

"When did you develop a stutter Smallville?" Lois raised an eyebrow. For the first time since yesterday, she was not on the receiving end of being shocked – it felt good. "I used the crystal to trap Murdock-"

Raya interrupted to correct her, "Moldox."

"Right," Lois nodded, "So I used it to trap him back in the Phantom Zone. So you can thank me for saving your life anytime." She patted his chest in jest but ended up lingering on the hard warmth of his skin for beat longer.

"How did you know where I was?" It wasn't the most prudent question but it was all Clark could come up with as his brain tried desperately to catch up.

"The Fortress was able to locate you," Raya answered when she realized Lois was too busy acting as though she wasn't affected by Clark's physique.

"You fixed it?" He cast a sideways look at Lois as they continued the conversation.

"Lois did," Raya's response stunned Clark once more. "In fact there was nothing wrong with it to begin with; the Fortress had shut itself down as a means of protection."

"Letting me think your Artic Castle was Heaven was sooooo uncool Smallville," Lois shook her head back and forth in mock disappointment. "At least now I know I wasn't losing my mind." Her eyes drifted to Clark's chest of their own volition one time too many causing her to jerk back a bit to breath. "I'm going to go grab you a shirt that still has a hem. You kids talk amongst yourselves," and she was up the stairs like a shot.

With Lois gone, Clark whirled to face Raya, abject fear plain on his face. "Raya, what have you told Lois about me?" He was shaking with the effort to reign in his desire to grab the woman by the shoulders and shake the information out of her.

"I explained what she needed to know so that we could help you defeat Moldox and since then, we have been talking about life on Krypton before the implosion. She's very interested in where we come from and the abilities Earth's yellow sun give us." Raya straightened her shoulders as Clark's eyes narrowed to bore his gaze into her.

"You told her everything!" He whispered harshly.

"She deserved to know," Raya defended hotly.

"That's not your decision to make!" Clark fired back.

Tilting her chin up in defiance, "Well, the decision has already been made. And I think once you learn the circumstances you'll agree with it."

"You didn't need Lois to help with the Phantom. You could have located me and brought me the crystal. You put her in danger by bringing her along," Clark glanced to the stairs to make sure Lois wasn't on her way down.

"Is this about me telling her about Krypton or putting her in danger?"

"You shouldn't have done either!" Clark exclaimed.

"Without Lois the crystal would have been useless and there was very little chance she would have let me go without her," Raya's annoyance was showing through – she wasn't used to having to deal with others. For years she had been in control of her own survival but Kal-El's overbearing was infringing on that control.

"You're faster and stronger than her – you could have left without her," he glowered.

"First of all I take offense to that," Lois announced from the stairs. "Second, that's no way to talk to someone who helped save your life Smallville. I'm pretty sure your Mom would be disappointed." Descending the final few steps, she move up beside Clark. "Here," she pushed a balled up t-shirt into his chest.

"You and Kal-El have important matters to discuss," Raya shared a knowing look with Lois that had Clark feeling a little left out. "I think I'll head out to the barn and take a better look around the farm."

Clark frowned at the escape tactic while Lois simply panicked. "Are you sure you want to go out to the barn? I mean it is really dusty and it can get chilly at night…"

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Raya did her best to stifle the smile that threatened at her lips and left the house.

"Thanks a lot," Lois muttered under her breath when she was left alone with Clark. Putting some space between she and Clark, Lois moved to the sink before turning to face him again. "Are you going to tell me why you were yelling at Raya or just stand there looking like an idiot." Sexy idiot floated through Lois' thoughts causing her to curse Raya and her observations of their relationship.

Using the time it took to pull the t-shirt over his head, Clark tried in desperation to order his errant mind. He wasn't even sure where to begin; so much had happened that he had missed in a couple of hours. Lois knew everything. How was he going to deal with this? What was he going to say? What was she going to say? Why did she have her arms crossed and a look of annoyance on her face?

"What?" His brow creased in confusion.

Rolling her eyes, Lois discreetly favoured her injured side. "Are you sure you're Kryptonian? 'Cause Raya said they were a highly intelligent people."

"How did you find out?" Clark finally asked her, leaning against the wall.

"Look, Raya kinda came speeding into the barn while I was there. At the beginning I thought she was a total quack – she was talking about Krypton and aliens and crystals. But she was definitely one of the nicer crazy people I'd met in Smallville. So we talked…I may have led her to believe I knew what she was talking about." Clark pursed his lips. "Hey! Don't look at me like that! I thought she was out of her mind; I wasn't about to do something to set her off!"

"How did she convince you she wasn't Belle Reeve bound?" Clark wasn't expecting Lois to appear so uncomfortable at the question but her quick dropping eyes and fiddling fingers said more than words ever could. "What happened Lois?"

"Before I tell you that, I need you to know that I think it's pretty awesome that you're from Krypton. They sounded like an amazing people – a people that humans could learn a lot from," Lois met Clark's eyes so he could see her sincerity.

"They destroyed themselves," was Clark's bitter response.

"No, they had a hand in their own destruction. But it doesn't change the fact that we can learn from them; their greatest achievements and their failures. You should be proud to be part of that heritage Clark. Although so far I'm not a big far of your biological father's but I hear there's a lot of that going around." Though moved by Lois' words, he didn't seem convinced. But she didn't have time to dwell on that – there were more important issues to discuss than Clark's ego. "Your secret is safe Clark; I'll never tell another soul," she assured him.

"I didn't think you would Lois," Clark was surprised that it was the truth. "And I understand if you want some distance-"

"Clark! Are you hearing me? You're a good natured super-powered alien….I can think of worse things," she sighed at her own incompetence at communicating. "Look, I've known you for three years; we've been friends for about that. I like the guy I've been friends with… as it turns out that guy wasn't from Earth. It's not something new to you or who you are, just new to me." She stopped abruptly, rubbing her eyes, "I'm getting off topic. My point….I know. It's cool with me. Deal with it. Let's move on."

"How is it possible that you're annoying even about this?" Clark shook his head while moving closer to her.

"Around you Smallville, it comes naturally," she quipped. Before she could say anything further the conversation was interrupted by Clark's low chuckles. He was keeping his mouth closed so as to temper them but it was having little effect. "What are you laughing at? She sent a pre-emptive glare his way if he was laughing at her.

"Nothing," he got out around the laughter, "it's just that after getting a bomb dropped on you as big as 'I'm an alien' you're still the same Lois. Don't you have questions or concerns?"

"Raya's answered most of my questions about Krypton and what it means to be from there; the kind of abilities you have. You managed to sleep through that part," she reminded him. "And on the Richter scale of information bombs this was only about a 5. Since I'm coming off experiencing an 8, it's got the surprise value of an aftershock."

"Does this have something to do with you staying here last night?" Clark took another few steps in her direction, suddenly filled with concern.

A sharp nod was all Lois could muster; the rest of her energy was being conserved for the declaration. "I found out yesterday that I'm eight weeks pregnant."

Clark wasn't sure what he was expecting to hear but it definitely wasn't that. His body began tipping forward as though he no longer had control of it, before he caught himself and straightened. Seeing that Lois was waiting for his reaction, he swallowed a few times, trying to get rid of the bitter lump that had appeared abruptly in his throat. The news sadden him; he didn't know why – it made absolutely no sense. Lois was his friend, he should be happy for her, supporting her. When instead….instead he was distraught, it was one more thing that would mean he would see less of her.

"Um…congratulations," it came out more as a question than statement. "Oliver must be ecstatic," he knew how much family meant to the other man. However, it also meant that his escapades as Green Arrow had greater potential to endanger Lois and now her child. His fists tightened at his side anticipating the persuasive conversation he would be having with Oliver soon. There was no way he could let the other man, friend or not, get away with leaving Lois in the dark about his job after dark.

"Okay, now I'm more convinced than ever that Raya's got the wrong guy. I'm really not seeing any of the Kryptonian intelligence Kal-El," she huffed.

A muscle at Clark's jaw jumped, "Please don't call me that," his was a soft plea, one that Lois would heed and note to question later.

"Alright then Smallville, you wanna tell me what Oliver has to do with this? And last I saw him, he wasn't too ecstatic considering I had just dumped him." Lois crossed her arms then uncrossed them, cursing Raya and her comments about it being a defensive posture.

"But he's – you're having a baby," Clark replied.

"Yes, we covered that part," she drawled.

"What I mean is you and he are having a baby, don't you want to try and make it work?"

"And once more I'm back to questioning this superior intelligence claim or Raya's. Oliver's and I haven't slept together. But besides that, Oliver and I only met a bit over a month ago. I'm eight weeks pregnant…." Lois wound her hand around in the air a few times for effect, "Are you with me Smallville?"

"You were pregnant before you and Oliver met," he concluded. At that conclusion he was stumped for something to say. Should he ask who the father was? That seemed a little uncouth. Maybe he would wait for Lois to say something.

"Apparently," she shot him a tight lips grin without any good humour behind it. "When the doctor told me I was….pregnant," the word wasn't getting easier to say, "I didn't believe her." Clark opened his mouth to add something but she headed him off, "No, I wasn't just being stubborn. There was no possible way that I could be pregnant – I mean it would be defying all kinds of scientific laws if I were. So you can imagine that I was unnerved when test after test proved I was in fact pregnant."

The wheels were beginning to spin in Clark's head while Lois was consumed with laying out her story as clearly and organized as her tired psyche could muster. But the day had been long and the rope that had been tethering her sanity was beginning to fray.

"Okay, so I was totally freaked out – so much for abstinence being the safest sex to practice. I was walking around thinking that someone had slipped me a mickey so I came here."

Again the muscles at Clark's jaw rippled, his hands tightening on the stool in front of him until it split apart into most dust. Lois' eyes went wide at the show of strength while Clark only blushed a little.

"You're definitely Kryptonian….you probably would have ridden the short bus to school though."

The tease was brushed off by Clark as he focused on the former statement. "Who was it?"

"Who was what?"

"Who drugged you?" He ground out through his teeth.

"No one," she could see Clark wasn't buying it, "seriously Smallville, no one drugged me. I thought that's what had happened but then Raya and I began talking and she seemed to think she knew how I ended up with a freeloader."

"Raya?" The story was taking another unexpected turn but Clark knew he should have anticipated it after everything else that had happened that day.

"Here, I'll show you." She moved into the living room more gingerly than normal but Clark with too distracted to notice. "Your family's crystal is imprinted with the genetic code of its keeper. It's a security measure to ensure no one but the keeper can control the crystal and the Fortress and probably the Phantom Zone as well." Clark watched her with opened mouth surprise. "Yeah, I know, I gained an entire vocabulary in one day," Lois shrugged.

"When you were imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, the Jor-El erased your genetic imprints from the Fortress and subsequently the crystal. He thought you were lost to the prison forever so he needed to find another Kryptonian to complete a destiny of some kind."

"But there aren't any more Kryptonians…except for Raya but she was in the Zone with me," Clark was growing increasingly wary.

"True. But Jor-El's doesn't exactly seem the type to give up without a fight," Lois said intuitively. "Here, watch this," she placed the crystal on the counter top and stepped back a few feet. "Now go pick it up," she directed.

Wondering where this was going to get them, Clark reached for his family stone. A hairs breath away from making contact the crystal was flying through the air almost as fast as Clark could move. It landed gently in the palm of Lois' hand, glowing as though angry for the trespass on Clark's part.

"The crystal is imprinted for me Clark," Lois told him softly, still in awe herself. "It's why you couldn't return power to the Fortress and why Raya needed to bring me along tonight." She paused a moment. "You were right; there are no more Kryptonians so Jor-El saw fit to create his own. Eight weeks ago the plane your mother and I were on went down. I thought I saw Heaven. What I didn't know was that your mother took us to the Fortress for shelter and to beg Jor-El for help. He did help us – he sent us back to Smallville so that we could get to a hospital but not before helping himself first. The crystal is imprinted with my signature until your son was of age to complete his father's destiny." With a trembling free hand, Lois touched her abdomen as a last confirmation of the events for Clark.

"My son?" Clark breathed, eyes dropping to scrutinize Lois' stomach.

"Ours actually. If the computer claiming to be your father can be believed," she watched his face for a noticeable reaction but he spun around so his back was to her. "Refusing to believe it doesn't make it go away – trust me, I've tried," Lois hoped that if she kept talking to him it would keep him grounded in the moment. The last thing she needed was for Clark to react like she had; they had things to do and she didn't want to be wasting a day while he processed everything.

With his back to Lois, Clark's face betrayed his emotion. His eyes squeezed shut in a valiant effort to keep his tears locked away, only his attempts were in vain. A tear slipped passed the final line of defense and caught on the bridge of his nose before continuing down. In no time his brothers were chasing after him in rivets down his rosy cheeks.

He was a menace to his family and friends, a poison in their lives tainting everything that was good. Memories assailed him, sweeping him back to another time in the not so distant past when Jor-El had displayed a similar act of omniscience and the destruction that had been left in its wake. His mother had paid the price for his heritage, his father most definitely had as well and now Lois was paying the price. Used in Jor-El's Machiavellian plays to expedite a destiny that Clark was not inclined to partake in.

What did this mean for Lois besides the obvious trauma? Would she survive his father's nefarious meddling? Would the child? A son. Would she be expected to raise the child? Would he be taken from her? And what about now that he was back from the Zone? How could he and Lois have a child together?

"Clark," Lois called in a tone that commanded him to face her.

Stalling to wipe his face clear of tears, Clark slowly turned around. Despite his best efforts the remnants of his emotion clung to his lashes, telling Lois a story of his torment. Glassy blue eyes met and locked with hers in the artificial light of the house and Lois imagined she could see all the questions Clark longed to ask swirling in light orbs and every fear that accompanied an answer.

"I'm healthy Clark. Raya tells me that the pregnancy will advance normally and I'll be fine through and after it all. Not that I would know what a normal pregnancy would be like," she added.

Clark was bowled over. Lois was standing before him doing her best to assuage his fears, to assure him, comfort him and trust him, when she should have been running as fast as should could in the opposite direction. He had a flash from earlier in the evening when he had told Lois to run. She had run – toward the fight – toward him. Even when faced with every reason to turn and flee, she held her ground, even advanced into danger for those she cared about. All at once Clark was thunderstruck by the amazing woman standing before him; he didn't think he could ever recall recognizing perfection in another human being but in that instance he saw it in Lois.

"I'm so sorry," he rasped out, hampered still by the lump in his throat. "I'm so sorry he did this to you." The whispered words were only heard by Lois as she was moving closer to Clark while they were being spoken.

Clark reached for her and pulled her into his embrace. They had shared the occasional hug of congratulations and comfort in the passed but none as drawn out or emotional as the one they shared then. As the seconds dragged on, neither was sure who was the comforter and who was being comforted. It didn't matter; they both needed the tactile security the others' arms possessed. Clark just held Lois a little tighter, wishing he could protect her from the dangers of the world… wishing he could protect her from himself.

"Clark, you have nothing to be sorry for," Lois murmured against the cotton of his t-shirt. "I don't think it was your intension to end up in an alien prison, just like your mom had no intension of this happening when she took us to the Fortress for protection. There's only one architect of all this and he's not beating himself up about it," she pulled back, bracing her hands on his biceps. "I'll tell you like I told Raya: feeling guilty for what's happened doesn't change it – it serves no purpose – so pull yourself together soldier," she said in the best imitation of her father she was able.

Clark nodded his compliance, watching Lois back away to a respectable distance. "Do you know what you're going to do about it?" He navigated carefully.

"About what?" Lois frowned in confusion.

"The baby. What are you going to do about the baby?"

Lois parted her lips to respond but found she didn't have an answer. "I uh…I don't actually know," she shifted nervously. "Up until earlier today I was more concerned with figuring out how I ended up…pregnant." Lois paused thoughtful, "I guess adoption's out; the paternal medical history would raise a few eyebrows, if not then, for sure when the kid started winning drag races without a car."

"What about…uh…" Clark trailed off.

"Termination?" Lois finished for him.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. To be honest I never planned on having kids. And now to be face with it… I think I still might be too selfish to have a baby," her admission perplexed Clark.

"How do you mean?"

"I mean that a baby is a lifetime commitment. As soon as they're born, you become the second most important person – they get first ranking. And if you're not prepared to be number two the child suffers." Clark's eyes were glowing with a little too much admiration for Lois' liking, so she quickly plowed onward. "What about you? Don't think just because you missed out on the fun part of the baby making that you get a free pass on the rest."

"I never thought I'd be able to have children," he divulged. "I doubt I'd be compatible with a human woman. But I think I could raise a child."

Lois snorted, "Don't get me wrong Smallville, I know we could raise this child, the question is, how well? What kind of custody arrangement would we have? Would we be able to afford everything he'll need? And what would this mean for us, we would essentially be making a commitment to each other…how does that work?"

"I don't know. I don't have answers for anything right now Lois, except that I'll support you no matter what you decide." He took a risk and grabbed her hand, squeezing it for emphasis.

"Even if this is your only chance to be a father?"

Clark nodded his head, "Even then. You're my friend; I never want to see you hurt but I'm afraid this is hurting you more than you'd ever let on."

"Smallville, when have I ever been less than brutally honest with you," she quirked an eyebrow, hoping to inject some levity into the atmosphere.

"That's right, 'cause you pour your emotions out," he said facetiously.

"We just deal with our emotions differently. You like to consume yourself with them, brood and talk endlessly about them – analyzing every aspect, while I prefer to keep busy and chip away a bit at a time." She cringed a little at a sharp pain in her side but covered it neatly. "If there's one thing you should know about me by now Smallville, it's that I don't do drama."

"Look," she sighed, "we don't even know if termination is a viable option so there's not much point in discussing this until we have some answers."

"What do you mean 'viable option'?"

"If you haven't notice Clarkie, Daddy Jor-El is pulling the strings here. He was obviously pretty determined to have this baby created and considering nothing seems to hurt you it's possible that the same'll be true for Junior here," she pressed a hand on her stomach, stunned at the ease with which the motion had become common place. Maybe she already knew what she was going to do…. Maybe she had known all along.

"You think we should go talk to Jor-El?"

"I think that the Fortress and whatever destiny he has in mind are rightfully yours so it'd be a good idea to turn ownership back over to you. A little interrogating of the Wizard of Oz wanna-be might be in order while were there."

Had Clark not known Lois like he did, he would have missed the sharp edge to her words and emerald flash in her eyes. Whether she was dealing with the pregnancy or not, there was no doubt that she wasn't over being mad as hell at Jor-El.

Before he could suggest they retrieve Raya and head to the Fortress he caught Lois cringe. She did a good job of masking it but it was too late, he'd seen the crack in the veneer.

"Lois, are you okay?"

"Right as rain Smallville," she wasn't as convincing as she had been earlier and she knew it.

Rather than calling her on it, Clark took a step toward her and watched as her left arm braced itself tighter to her side. Focusing on the red plaid shirt she was wearing, he was able to make out a blotched pattern of red that didn't match the fabric.

"You're bleeding," he closed the remaining distance between them before she could blink. A beat later he was lifting the hem of the shirt on the left side to find blood soaked bandages.

"Dammit," Lois groaned.

"What happened?"

"The friendly neighbourhood escaped prisoner." She laid her hand on Clark's to subdue the firestorm of anxiety he was radiating. "It's worse than it looks. I've always been a bleeder….good blood circulation, gives me my rosy complexion."

"You need stitches Lois," Clark's brow furrowed with worry.

"And what exactly am I supposed to tell the doctor?"

"A mountain lion attacked you," he came up with quickly.

"A mountain lion," Lois reiterated and Clark nodded, "in Kansas….the flattest state in the country." Rolling her eyes at him, she pushed down the shirt, "How you've managed to keep your secret a secret for this long I'll never know."

"I'm taking you to the hospital," he insisted.

"Raya's quickly becoming my favourite Kryptonian Smallville. I just need to double up the pressure bandages and maybe slap a little glue on there," she shrugged.

"What!"

"Glue Clarkie, used in hospitals all over the world…it actually minimized scarring to use it over stitches," she said. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy, doctors have used it on me before."

"Are you sure they weren't just hoping some of it would drip and seal up your mouth?"

"Ha ha," Lois mocked dryly. "Glue Smallville, go find me some glue," she shoed him away. When he was out of site, she lowered her body carefully to the remaining intact stool in the kitchen. She was feeling a little heady from the blood loss but it was the pain sitting front and center in her mind.

A knock sounded at the kitchen door and not wanting risk another sharp pain, Lois stayed seated, "Come on in." She assumed Raya was returning from her 'exploration' of the farm. So when a shorter blonde barreled through the door she was taken aback but no more than the newly arrive Chloe.

"Lois!" Again it was tinged with a high pitch squeak.

Cringing at the shrill sound, she rolled her head from side to side slowly, "Do you have to say my name with that level of bewilderment? You knew I was here; I told you when you called," Lois really wasn't in any mood to deal with Chloe's bizarre new attitude.

"Is Clark out in the barn?" Chloe stood at the door, prepared to head that way.

"I'm great, thanks for asking," Lois bit out.

Chloe signed impatiently, "Lois, I live with you I know how you're doing. Now, I have to talk to Clark about something important…where is he?"

"I asked him to find me some glue – so he better be around here somewhere finding me glue," she shrugged as much as her injury would allow.

Chloe stared at her incredulously before shaking her head, "Your show and tell project for the Inquisitor is gonna have to wait cause I'm working on a story and I need some help from Clark."

Lois loved her cousin she really did….and she kept reminding herself of that as the urge to go a few rounds with her drifted across her mind. "Chloe, for my sanity and your safety I suggest you wait in the barn for Smallville," she said in a deep halting voice.

"What the hell is up with you lately?" She frowned at her older cousin.

Disbelief raced across Lois' features, "What's up with me?" It came out with greater volume than she had anticipated.

"Yeah, you've been acting strange for weeks! First with the whole reporter act and then taking up with a billionaire – and let's not forget your obsession with Green Arrow. I mean, come on Lois, what are you trying to accomplish with it all? You're out there flitting about while the rest of us are dealing with real problems that actually impact the world – some of us have to make the tough decisions," Chloe explained as though speaking to a small child.

"Wanting to be a reporter is not an act; apparently it's too much to ask that my own family support me. It's not about usurping your goals – it's about me finally finding something I love to do and I'm good at. Because I am. I'm a dammed good writer and I'm not going to let the fact that you found journalism first deter me. I have every right you do – the profession was around long before you came along and it'll be around long after you're gone," Lois said vehemently.

"As for Oliver, I didn't 'take up with him'. I was dating a nice guy, next time I'll be sure to check with up to make sure he isn't too rich. I'm not even going to discuss Green Arrow with you because the only word I can think of right now is hypocrite. And don't deceive yourself… you may help Clark out, research things, work behind the scenes but when it comes down to it, it's Clark who's putting himself on the line. He's the one making life or death decisions, risking exposure, so don't you dare stand there and lecture me on real problems and tough decisions." Her tone was even, casting an ominous shadow on every word.

"What are you talking about?" Lois saw genuine fear in Chloe's eyes.

"Don't play dumb Chloe, you don't wear it well. I know Clark's secret and considering all the looks the two of you share, I know you know it too," Lois stood up, adrenalin masking the pain she had previously felt.

"Whatever you think you know about Clark, you don't have a clue," Chloe fired back.

Lois gritted her teeth and flared her nostrils, "Oh cousin, I'm about five minutes away from giving you a clue."

"Are you going to hit me Lois," Chloe taunted with a sneer.

"I don't know Chloe, do you have any more topically relevant insults about my job you want to sling my way?"

The door burst open before either girl could continue, "I heard yelling, are you alright Lois?" Raya stood in the doorway; blue eyes wide as she surveyed Lois then turned her gaze on the new face.

"Everything's fine Raya. Sorry about the yelling." Tilting her head to one side she appraised the woman. "How'd you hear yelling Raya – we weren't that loud and you were out in the barn?"

"You're Raya?" Chloe tore her eyes from her cousin to stare at the tall blonde.

"Eavesdropping is not cool Raya… unless you're doing it on someone who's not me," Lois admonished, wavering slightly on her feet from her sudden shift to a standing position. Instinctively she pressed a hand to her side; her breath hitched when she felt something damp coat her fingers. Pulling it away, she glanced down surreptitiously to find her hand stained in her own blood.

The sound of Clark's booted feet on the wooden stairs drew the attention of the other two women in the room.

"Will Elmer's do Lo-" he stopped talking and walking abruptly at the look on Lois' face. The stairs obstructed his view of everyone else. "Lois?" His face contorted with hers. When her knees began to buckle he was already speeding to catch her.

Lois' heavy lidded eyes looked up at Clark's concerned features. "I think maybe the hospital's a good idea after all," she whispered, then promptly passed out. Clark was out the door and racing at full tilt to the emergency room with an unconscious Lois cradled in his arms.

"She needs a doctor!" He yelled to anyone who was listening as soon as he was through the doors.

An orderly swung a gurney in front of him so he could place Lois down and a nurse appeared at his elbow.

"She's bleeding badly from her left side," Clark told the woman who was motioning for the orderly to follow her to a cubicle. Before she could get too far, Clark grabbed her arm to add something, "She's pregnant."

And then she was wheeled off.

Back at the farm Martha was pulling up the drive at the same time that Chloe was pulling out. Rolling down her window, she motioned for the young woman to do the same.

"Chloe, Raya," she acknowledged both blondes. "Where are you two headed?"

"To the hospital. Clark just took Lois – she was bleeding and fainted," Chloe explained.

"She lost consciousness," Raya corrected and had two sets of eyes scrutinizing her for her trouble. "Lois doesn't faint," she clarified.

Martha's mouth worked soundlessly a moment before uttering, "Go ahead, I'll follow behind."

"It would be faster for me to run us there," Raya said once the window had been closed and the car was moving again.

"And I told you, I'd rather have my car at the hospital if I need it," Chloe gripped the wheel tighter as she simultaneously pressed on the accelerator with a little more weight.

When they reached the hospital, Chloe barely had the car in park before she was rushing into the building. Against a far wall in the emergency room sat Clark, his knees bouncing erratically with building anxiety.

"Clark, where is she?"

Like a shot he was out of the chair and striding to meet Chloe's rapid approach. "The doctor's in with her right now."

"What the hell happened Clark?" Chloe demanded. "I'm feeling really Twilight Zoney right now."

By that time Raya had appeared with Martha hot on her heels. "Clark what happened to Lois?"

"Lois knows," Clark told them all.

"Lois knows what?" Chloe frowned.

"About me. Lois knows about me Chloe."

"What!" Her yelp turned a few heads around the emergency room so she made an effort to tone it down. "What does she know?"

"Everything," Clark answered simply.

"You told her everything," she whispered harshly.

"Not exactly," Clark shot a furtive look at Raya.

"I told her," the other Kryptonian jumped in. "Under the circumstances it seemed only right." Martha immediately understood the meaning of that comment and tried to keep her breathing even as a result of it. Her suspicions about Jor-El's roll in the pregnancy confirmed.

"Under what circumstan-"

Martha cut her off with a gentle question, "Clark, how did this end up with Lois in the hospital?"

"Chloe and I have been tracking one of the Phantoms that was released from the Zone. Earlier today she called me with coordinates of a sighting. I left Raya at the Fortress, hoping she could get the power back. She met Lois back at the farm and told her everything before she knew Lois hadn't known anything to begin with, then they both followed me to the Zoner's location. Lois got injured in the fight," he dropped his head, ashamed that he wasn't able to protect her.

"The claw marks weren't too deep," Raya interjected.

Martha mouthed 'claw' to herself.

"Lois was more concerned with Clark recovering than her own injuries. I don't think she actually remembered until I pointed them out to her." Raya watched Clark's face transform into a picture of astonishment. "She ordered pizza and we talked for a while; she showed no signs of being in distress," she added.

That bit of information garnered Raya the astonished scrutiny of all three of her companions.

"Why was Lois with you looking for the Zoner anyway?" Chloe grilled Raya.

A day with Lois Lane had taught Raya to infer many things when in came to language and not to infer anything when it came to secrets. In this case she knew Chloe and Martha Kent were aware of Kal-El's origins and she inferred that 'Zoners' was in reference to the Phantom Zone prisoners.

"Without Lois, Kal-" she stopped when Clark shot her a withering look. "Clark and I would not have been able to send Moldox back to the Phantom Zone."

"What does Lois have to do with the Phantom Zone?" Chloe's brow furrowed contemplatively.

"During Clark's imprisonment, Lois was entrusted with the Fortress and all the crystals it controls. Until Clark's signature can be imprinted on the crystals once again, Lois will continue to be Krypton's emissary to Earth."

"I think I need to sit down," Chloe announce with a shaken timbre, "but I don't think I can get my legs to work."

"Lois Lane?" A gruff voice read off a chart.

"We're here for Lois," Martha was the first to reply.

Chloe wasn't far behind, "Is she okay?"

"She lost a fair bit of blood which was the cause of the unconsciousness." Raya smiled triumphantly at the proclamation. "The wound on her side looked as though an animal had attacked her – do you know if there's any chance of rabies or tetanus?" He asked the group.

Clark floundered at the inquiry. The only explanation that was running through his mind was a mountain lion and he knew that Lois would kill him if he said it. So instead he kept quiet and waited for someone else to respond.

"We were at the Kent farm – she cut herself on a four pronged till," she answered with ease.

The doctor seemed satisfied, "Do you know if she's up to date on her tetanus booster?"

This time it was Chloe who responded, "She's up to date on all her shots."

"Alright then," he made a notation in the chart. "There's someone in there with her now stitching up the deeper points of the cut. I've ordered a unit of blood; in her condition I'd like to be on the safe side. Everything else looks good; the wound was mostly superficial, there was no trauma to any vital organs or the baby. She should regain consciousness any time now." He turned to walk down the hall amid thank yous from the group but stopped for one parting remark. "Oh and when she wakes up, tell Miss Lane she's met her quota of second opinions for the month so she'll just have to live with my diagnosis and treatment."

"Thanks Raya," Clark acknowledged her quick thinking.

"I sure as hell am asking for a second opinion!" Chloe exclaimed. "I don't know what that guy's been smoking but it can't be legal in this country. What baby was he talking about? Did he even have the right patient? Lois is NOT pregnant."

Chloe watched as her words had an interesting effect on the people she was with. Raya quickly looked down at the ground, Martha swallowed visibly and Clark…well Clark was pretty much the epitome of deer-in-headlights.

"Actually Chloe," Clark cleared his throat, "Lois is pregnant."

"She found out yesterday Sweetheart," Martha added.

"Who---wha----how----she, why did, why didn't she tell me," Chloe ultimately got out.

"I don't-" Martha started.

"Oh God! Ohgodohgodohgod," Chloe covered her face with her hands. "She came home yesterday and said she needed to talk to me. I completely blew her off….made some crack about the Inquisitor." The pallor of her face spoke volumes of her remorse, "And then….Oh I am going to find that Son of a Bitch and kick his ass!" She vowed. Martha's stunned expression gave cause to a greater explanation. "I called Oliver this afternoon to let him know Lois wasn't home to meet his limo. And you know what that jackass said?!! He said he forgot to cancel it that he and Lois had broken up that afternoon. That son of a bitch thinks he can just split! When I find him – and I will – he's going to-"

"Chloe!" Clark interrupted her rant. "The baby's not Oliver's."

"What?" The information eventually sunk into her angry tirade. "Well then whose is it?" She placed her hands on her hips in a very intimidating stance for a person of her height.

Clark cleared his throat again, "It's um….it's mine."

Despite her earlier suspicions, Clark's response floored Martha along with Chloe. Until a moment prior, she hadn't even been certain that Clark knew Lois was pregnant. At least she found some consolation in the fact that neither Clark nor Lois would be going through everything on their own.

"But you two have never – you've never – you know…" Chloe stammered then her eyes widened, "have you?!"

"No!" Clark rushed to assure her. "We haven't. This was Jor-El's doing."

"Where are a pair of ruby slippers when you need them," Chloe grumbled.

"Do you want to sit down Sweetheart?" Martha touched her arm gently.

"I'm okay," she stared straight ahead. "Just….this is big. Really big….like….like….like so big I can't even think of a simile that does it justice, big." She glanced at the other three people in the waiting room. "You all knew."

They nodded.

Behind them another doctor emerged from Lois' room. "She's all stitched up – I'll have a nurse in there in a few minutes to bandage her and hang the blood the attending ordered. You can go in there now if you want, she's starting to come around," he told the group.

"I think I'll stay out here a bit longer…..my mind's still wrapping itself around 'a pregnant Lois'," Chloe leaned against the wall.

"You should go in Clark," Raya said with authority.

Too tired from the day's events to argue, he nodded and headed to the room, noting that it was already after midnight.

Pulling a chair up to the side of the bed, he leaned over and gripped the hand resting on the mattress. The blanket was pulled down on the left and her hospital gown pulled up where the doctor had been working on her wound. Tightening his grip on her hand, he felt his stomach churn at the ghastly marks marring her smooth skin. It was a reminder of the burden he carried with him….now Lois had a reminder of her own.

A nurse appeared on the other side of the bed and started an IV for the blood. When that task was complete she moved to bandage the cuts. As she cut the pieces of tape to the correct size, Clark noticed that some areas of the cut were stitched and others looked like they had a glaze over them.

"How come the entire cut hasn't been stitched?" He asked the nurse.

"They only stitched the deep portions of the wounds. For the rest of it the edges of skin have been glued together," she answered succinctly.

"Told ya," came a groggy voice at the head of the bed.

"No one likes a know it all Lois," he smiled tenderly. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I'm beginning to hate that question….and tired."

"The doctor's ordered a unit of blood for you," the nurse said. "Before you know it you'll be feeling like you could leap over buildings."

Lois eyed the hand Clark was holding, "I'm suddenly feeling Déjà vu-ish," she smirked at him.

Rather than pull his hand away, Clark stood up from his chair and sat on the side of the bed, all the while keeping her hand in his. "Maybe if you stopped ending up in the hospital the feeling of repetition would go away."

"Raya can crack a better joke than you Smallville," Lois rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but can Raya provide you with unlimited sources of plaid?" He raised his eyebrows high on his forehead.

Lois laugh then quickly groan when the action pulled at her injured side. "Yeah, sorry about ruining your shirt. I'm pretty sure they cut it off me," she glanced remorsefully at the wadded up remains of the shirt next to the bed. "So what's the verdict, am I going to live to torment you another day?" She smiled cheekily at him.

"I could only be so lucky," was Clark's dry reply. Together they watched the nurse pack up and leave the room.

"Nothing happened to the baby right?"

Fear coloured the hazel orbs Clark was so used to exuding confidence. "The baby's fine," he soothed. "Chloe on the other hand….she might need some CPR."

Lois groaned nosily, "Who told her?"

"It was a team effort," Clark admitted, "The doctor, me, Raya and my mom."

"Your mom's here?"

"Yep, they're all outside waiting to see you."

"Does she know about the whole Jor-El saga?"

"That the baby's ours?" Clark clarified. "Yeah, I kinda had to tell Chloe – I think she was already plotting Oliver's murder….you didn't tell me that you two had broken up."

"Smallville, on the totem pole of pressing matters to be discussed, don't you think that one sits a little low for us." Clark didn't respond. "Oh stop pouting; I was going to tell you but a case of severe blood loss got in my way," her sarcasm missed the mark.

"It's not funny Lois. If you had gone home and fallen asleep you could have bled to death," he said angrily.

"Clark, it really wasn't that bad," she persuaded.

"And you don't seem to realize the danger you're in now that you know about me," he countered.

"You told Chloe and she doesn't seem any worse for wear."

"I didn't tell Chloe, she found out on her own. But when I finally did sit down and talk to her about it, she was in a hospital bed. What does that tell you Lois?"

Sitting up, Lois smiled slightly when she found that the local freezing hadn't worn off yet. "I know this is a blow to that enormous ego of yours Clarkie, but every time someone ends up in the hospital it's not your fault." Pulling on his hand to get him to look at her, she continued, "I don't do melodrama. I know the cuts were more serious than I thought – but if you can't change it, learn from it. I know next time an escaped prisoner from an alien alternate-dimensional cell slashes me with his claws…I should come to the hospital."

Shaking his head at her, "I think those life lessons of yours need a larger scope."

The hospital room door behind them opened to emit the rest of their wayward group. Martha managed to push her way to the front and be the first to Lois' bedside.

"Are you okay Honey?" When she saw the joined hands of her son and surrogate daughter, she didn't nudge him out of the way like she'd originally intended.

"I'm okay Mrs. Kent. A bit tired but as soon as that blood bag runs dry I'll be ready for a marathon."

"Lois," Chloe said quietly from her spot at the foot of the bed.

"Hey Chlo, Clark tells me you heard the news," Lois smirked facetiously.

Chloe's mouth work but nothing came out.

"I'm sorry Lois," Raya spoke up when Chloe didn't, "it's my fault you're here. I should have brought you to the hospital right away."

"Stupid Kryptonian guilt," Lois muttered under her breath. "For all your technological advances, don't you think your scientists could have chopped that nucleotide combination out of your DNA?" She dropped her head back against the pillows. "Raya, short of knocking me on my ass and dragging me here, I wouldn't have come. It's a well known fact that it's near impossible to get a Lane to do something they don't want to do."

"I wasn't aware of this fact," Raya frowned.

"Well now you are. So please, don't feel guilty on my account – this was not your fault." Lois made sure Raya understood her. "I should just tape a loop of that and give it to you and Smallville," she told the woman.

Martha ran a hand over Lois' head. "Well, I for one don't care who's at fault, I'm just happy you're okay….and feeling better?" Lois saw the question Martha was asking with her eyes and nodded. With the mystery surrounding how she became pregnant having disappeared, so had some of the fear that had accompanied it.

"Good. I'm going to head home if you're going to be okay here." Martha waited for another nod from Lois. "Call me if you need anything Sweetheart," she leaned down, dropping a kiss on Lois' forehead.

Seeing the looks between Lois, Clark and Chloe, Raya made a quick decision. "If you don't mind Mrs. Kent, I'll come with you." Smiling down at Lois, Raya said goodbye, "Thank you for our talk today Lois. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to speak about my home."

"I had fun Raya. Thanks for looking out for me," Lois' smile split her face.

"I'm gonna go walk them out," Clark glanced at Chloe surreptitiously. "I'll be back in a bit."

"You don't have to hang around here Smallville," Lois called out to him.

"I know," he winked.

"That was smooth," Lois said dryly.

"So umm how're you doing?" Chloe started haltingly.

"Look, couz, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was outta line," Lois began.

"You! Trust me Lois, you have nothing to apologize for," Chloe moved to the side of the bed. "I don't know why I've been acting the way I have but I probably deserved that dose of reality weeks ago. I guess I have been jealous."

"Of the Inquisitor?" Lois' eyebrows flew up.

"Of the fact that you're writing and I'm in the basement. And you're right Lois; you are a good writer – great actually….and it's natural for you. I've been working my whole life at this and I still don't have the flare you do." She shook her head, disappointed with herself. "But I should have supported you. I know that if the roles had been reversed you would've supported me."

"We're family Chlo, next time you're upset about something, even if it's with me, you can talk to me. You know, I have a no judgment policy."

"I am sorry though. I been so wrapped up in feeling sorry for myself I wasn't there for you when you needed me. Finding out you're having Clark Kent's baby would have warranted a total raid of the ice cream and chocolate isles at the grocery store."

"We can do it tomorrow night," Lois smiled. "But actually, knowing it's Clark is a relief compared to not having any clue how I ended up this way," she revealed.

"You mean you and Oliver…?" Chloe made a gesture.

"Nope."

"Seriously?"

Lois chuckled, "Seriously. Wouldn't matter anyway, I'm eight weeks along… the day of the plane crash."

"Wow," Chloe breathed.

"You're telling me."

"Do you know if you're going to have it?" The blonde peeked out from under her lashes.

"Clark and I have talked about it but nothing's been decided."

"You two are really dealing with this together aren't you," Chloe was impressed.

"That's the plan," Lois shifted, trying to get comfortable as the freezing wore off.

A knock sounded on the door and Clark poked his head in. "Is it alright to come in now or should I take another walk around the building?"

"You're such a nerd Smallville," Lois waved him in.

Chloe smiled wide, "And you were worried people would treat you differently if they found out."

"Lois isn't people," Clark smirked. "She's in a class all her own."

"Cute Clarkie," her eyelids sagged under the weight of her fatigue. "I thought this transfusion was supposed to give me a lift."

"It's one in the morning….and from what I hear you've had a reallllly long day," Chloe shared a smirk with Clark.

"We have to go to the Ice Fortress though," Lois protested.

"Not tonight we don't," Clark retook his seat in the chair beside the bed. "And it's the Fortress of Solitude."

"Raya said it was the Fortress of Knowledge," argued Lois with closed eyes.

"We'll argue about it in the morning – get some sleep."

"I'm gonna get going then. I'll see you tomorrow," Chloe bent and hugged her cousin tightly. She knew she didn't deserve Lois' unwavering faith and forgiveness but she was grateful for it all the same.

"Ummmhummm," Lois answered.

"Are you coming Clark?" Chloe asked when she realized Lois was almost out completely.

He shook his head negatively, "I'm going to stick around for a bit."

"Okay, night," Chloe hid her smile until she was facing the door.

"Night Chloe."

Through the glass window in the door she watched her best friend pick up her cousin's hand and hold it in both of his own. She didn't know what the action meant but it spread a warmth in her chest she had long been missing. Nurses and orderlies on the graveyard shift at the hospital that night stopped to stare at the petite blonde with the blindingly joyful smile.

---

"Are you ready to go?" Clark stood in the doorway to Lois' hospital room.

Tossing the toiletry kit into the bag Chloe had packed for her, she nodded, "I was ready as soon as they stitched me up." She turned around, glaring at Clark when he shouldered the bag before she could. "I can carry my own bag."

"And rip out your stitches," Clark admonished. "Are you and Chloe competing to see who can get the most hospital visits?" Rolling his eyes at her while they walked out.

"We would be but there's really no point. Lana would have us both beat." Lois cringed and bit her tongue. Mentioning Lana opened up an entirely new can of worms she knew they weren't ready to discuss. "Clark," she drew out warily.

"You can say her name Lois," he smiled gently to let her know he was okay. "Lana and I are done – she's with Lex now."

"You don't honestly think that relationship's gonna last," Lois turned incredulous eyes on him.

"For her sake I hope it doesn't. Lex has a dark side and whether I'm with her or not, I don't want to see her hurt." Clark pushed open the outer hospital door, ushering Lois out ahead of himself.

"I hate to be the one to tell you Smallville but the only sides to Lex are dark; anything else you see is a manipulation," Lois said sadly.

"I'm beginning to see that," he agreed.

Lois made another face when Clark opened the truck door and helped her in but she kept her snarky remarks to herself.

"You know Lana would leave the Ferrari life for a Ford if you told her the truth about yourself. She made such a big deal of trust and honesty when you were together, it would be a sure fire way of getting her back," Lois shrugged.

"Chloe's been telling me the same thing all year," he kept his eyes on the road.

"So what're you waiting for?"

"There's a little more to the truth now than just my abilities and where I'm from. I'm not sure how she'd take it when I told her you're pregnant with my son," his lips pressed together as he shot her a knowing look. He wasn't even aware that he was already speaking possessively about the child she carried.

"Oh please," Lois brushed it off, "I'll explain it to her if you want. If she loves you enough, an immaculately conceived illegitimate child should be something she can get passed."

Clark laughed aloud at Lois' take on recent events. "You know there's no one else on Earth quite like you Lois," he said around his mirth.

"Damn straight there isn't," she capitulated.

"Don't ever change okay," he said with sudden sincerity.

Casting him a sidelong look to find he was staring at her, she was without a voice, until he needed to refocus on the road. "I wasn't planning on it," she winked when he glanced over again. "But don't think you can deter me that easily – we were talking about Lana. And you should appreciate it because unlike everyone else in this town, Lana's not a favourite subject of mine."

"The thing is…" Clark started thoughtfully, "I'm not sure that I care about her enough to risk myself." He continued at Lois' confused silence. "For most of my life I've wanted exactly what my parents had. They epitomized a happy successful relationship and since I can remember I thought Lana would be the one I shared that with," he paused and Lois waited for him to gather his thoughts and continue. "And I don't know if it's because I'm older or I'm just more willing to see things the way they really are, but recently…. recently I've realized a couple things about relationships. The first is that my parents' marriage wasn't perfect but they were able to be honest with one another and talk things out. They just cared about each other and me enough to not fight when I was around."

He sighed, "My secret aside, I struggle to be honest with Lana on a daily basis. She says she wants honesty but most of the time she's hurt by it and runs from the resulting confrontation. As a child I wanted the relationship my parents had and Lana fit perfectly in that image – but what does it mean when you realize that the relationship you saw growing up was only superficial. I only got to see the final product, not what went into it."

The silence lasted a stretch longer than Lois liked so she prompted Clark's continuation, "And the second?"

"I'm not normal," he stated.

Lois opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. "No, I don't mean that the way it sounded. But it's the truth. I'm not a human farmer running a farm like my father. I have a responsibility to do more and it'll be a factor in any relationship I hope to maintain. If I don't feel comfortable or confident in telling Lana now, how could I hope to live that part of my life with her?"

Lois stared at Clark with a mix of wonder, respect and pride. "Hey Clark," she got his attention with his rarely used name.

"Hmmm?" He hummed in response.

"Don't ever change either okay."

Something passed between them when he turned his head to hers.

"Wouldn't dream of it," his cheeky smile lightened the mood of the vehicle until they reached the caves. "Raya's waiting for us here," Clark got out and met Lois around the other side of the truck.

"Oh wait, I forgot something," Lois said, remembering the crystal. Visualizing the object where she had left it in the house, she switched the image and imagined it in her hand. A short few seconds later it was flying into her palm. "This thing responds better than Shelby."

"How'd you do that?" Clark's surprise pulled a smile from her.

"I called it to me. Raya says I've been doing it since yesterday without realizing. It would figure that as soon as I get the hang of this I won't be using it."

"Are you both ready?" Raya asked the new arrivals.

Clark withdrew the octagonal key then hesitated, "Lois, you're not dressed for the Fortress. I forgot to tell Chloe to pack winter stuff," he cursed himself.

"I'm fine Smallville. The Fortress will adjust to maintain my body temperature," she patted him on the arm encouragingly.

As Clark dropped the key into the circular stone, he wondered how much Lois knew about Krypton and the messages left for him. She had been spouting knowledge he knew nothing of despite the years he'd had to obtain it. It was the first time he had ever regretted knowing so little about where he came from.

Moments later they arrived in the center of the Fortress, which adjusted the temperature suitably for Lois immediately. Without hesitation Lois was striding to the consol and pulling out a crystal.

"Welcome back Lois Lane," Jor-El's voice thundered around them.

"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before Jory. A warm welcome's not going to make up for the violation of my body – you're going to have to work hard for that," she yelled with carefully injected disinterest.

"I apologize for any offense but the action I took was obligatory. Earth needed Kal-El and without him, your son will be the planet's only hope. It is what is destined to be," came the reply.

"You keeping talking about destiny but if our lives are pre-ordained what's the point of experiencing life?" She called back.

"You have misunderstood Lois Lane. There are many paths one life can take – what is destined are the things and people we meet on the journey. On one path an encounter may be as vital as a bond of friendship, while on another path with the same two individuals the interaction by merely be a polite smile passing on the street. Kal-El had many experiences that were destined to lead him to a path of greatness. His life with Jonathan and Martha Kent, the friendships he has made and the introduction to his Kryptonian heritage; together it had the potential to mold him into a figure of great importance in the world. Your son will have a similar destiny should you chose to guide him toward it and in the end should he chose to embrace it."

Clark listened with keen interest, surprised at the tone Jor-El was taking with Lois. He was direct but somehow softer in his approach. Perhaps he was remorseful on some level for the transgressions against her.

"Why me?" Lois asked suddenly. She had been wondering since speaking it aloud to Raya the night before.

"Of all the females in Kal-El's life, you were chosen to carry the future. Must it be questioned?" Jor-El preached.

"You must not know me too well," Lois snorted.

"On the contrary Lois Lane, I know you quite well. It is because of what I know about you that you were chosen. You Lois Lane, embody the spirit of a warrior, the mind of a tactician, the soul of a prophet and most importantly the heart of a mother. You are the counterpoint to Kal-El on every path."

Lois took in a gasp of air. She had been forced into enough years of piano lessons to know the symbolism of the counterpoint. Two distinct notes, interdependent on one another to form the all important harmony; a mating of two tones in the holiest of unions. The literature it was given a different name – soul-mate.

She turned back to look at Clark; his face alight with confusion as he watched her speak to his father. It was over now. She had her answers – it was time for Clark to take the reigns once more.

"Clark is here, he's ready to resume his role," Lois announced Clark's presence.

"My Son," Jor-El acknowledge with a brush of emotion in his tone.

"I'm here Jor-El. How could you take Lois and use her. You wonder why I refuse to listen to your teaching. If exerting my power over others is what you're teaching, I want no part of it. You've hurt my friends and family enough and put Lois' life in danger; now she's forced to have a child for YOUR selfish reasons," his anger boiled over.

"It is no longer an issue Kal-El. You have returned," Jor-El soothed.

"I may have control over the Fortress again but I haven't returned. You have bullied the people I love one time too many," he roared.

"The matter has already been corrected and is of no consequence," Jor-El promised.

"You're playing with peoples' lives and you-" Clark was cut off by Lois' loud groan. The sight of her keeling over sent him rushing to her side. "Lois, what's wrong? Is it your side?"

"No, I think it's the baby. God, I'm cramping. Something's wrong Clark," she whispered with tears in her eyes from the pain.

"Jor-El help her! What's happening?"

"What must Kal-El. There is nothing I can do to stop what has been set in motion. You have returned; the child is no longer needed."

"What!" Lois yelled hoarsely. "No…. no, no, no. You can't do that. I'm sorry alright; I never wanted to terminate the pregnancy. You have to stop."

"There is nothing-"

"Son of a Bitch!" Lois screamed both from the pain and at the voice. "You can't do this. You can't give him to me and then take him away. He's mine now!"

Raya stood to the side watching everything unfold. She had known this was the likely outcome when she had brought Lois there the day before. It was why she had asked Clark to meet her at the caves; she wasn't sure if she would be able to look at either of her new friends in the eye and lie.

Seeing them now, Clark supporting Lois through the pain, she knew she had made the right decision.

"There is a way to stop this," Raya told them.

"Raya?" Clark's brow furrowed.

"Hello Raya," Jor-El said with a measure of affection.

"I offer my essence for the child Jor-El," Raya stood tall with confidence.

"What?" Clark's eyes widened. "No."

"No Raya," Lois protested.

"It's the only way. I was never meant to live out my days on Earth. But I will forever be grateful to have been given the chance to see the planet and meet the both of you. My friends and family died a long time ago, I want to rejoin them now. Please, let me give you this gift; you have both given me so many in the short time I've known you."

"Are you sure of this decision Raya – once it is done there is no going back," Jor-El boomed.

"I'm sure," she smiled at Lois and Clark. "Bring greatness to the world…both of you."

Raya was no more, vanishing in a blinding flash of light that caused Lois and Clark to shield their eyes. Immediately the cramping stopped, there was no more pain…not even the throb Lois had been dealing with from the injury in her side. Lifting up the side of her shirt she found the wound was gone and nothing but a subtle pink to the skin as proof it had ever been there.

"She's gone," Lois whispered bleakly.

"Are you okay?" Clark checked her over visually.

The lump forming in her throat had Lois nodding.

"Your son has been spared," Jor-El stated.

"She gave her life – she just," Lois looked around the Fortress dazed.

"I know," Clark pulled Lois closer, shaken by Raya's decision to give up her life for their child.

"I – I," Lois blinked back tears, no longer from pain, "I wanna go home now Clark."

"Okay," he stood them both up, replaced the crystal Lois had in her hand and sent them back home.

---

Clark stared out the window in his loft, watching how the light bounced off the crystal Raya had given him. He had never thought someone you had known for such a little time could make such a large impact in your life….but Raya had done that and more. What had surprised him the most was Lois; she had told him in detail how she and Raya had spent the day and night when they'd met. What they had spoken of, what they had shared. Lois had lost a friend and he had lost a connection to a part of himself he was beginning to wish he knew.

"Hey there Smallville, the view change at all since the last time you checked on it," Lois asked from behind him.

"Not really looking at it actually," he turned around and showed her the crystal.

"Ah," she said in understanding. "So I've been thinking," she started after a bit of silence where both she and Clark sat on the couch. "I know we've got seven months to go but I wanted to try a name out on you."

"Shoot," Clark placed the crystal on the table and leaned back to brush shoulders with her.

"What do you think about…Ryan?" She asked nervously.

Clark smiled at the suggestion. It was more meaningful to him than Lois was even aware. "I think it's great. She would have been honoured."

"Yeah," Lois breathed, relaxing now that she had gotten passed that hurdle. 'Does that mean if you let yourself, you've be in love with him?' "Hum," she hummed to herself.

"What?" Clark turned to look at her.

"I was just thinking about something Raya said – well actually Raya and Jor-El," she shrugged.

"What'd they say?"

"It's not important right now," she turned her head and met his light eyes.

Letting go of the self-imposed restraints, she leaned in and kissed him tenderly. It didn't last more than a few seconds but it made an impression on both of them.

"What just happened?" Clark whispered when they parted.

"Just checking," Lois smiled.

"Checking what," he was bewildered.

"Checking to see what happens when I let myself," she answered coyly.

"Let yourself what?"

She didn't answer him that day, just smiled so bright he thought the sun would weep with jealousy and pressed her lips against his once more.

4/4 (Or The End)

Please R&R if you get the chance.