----Chapter 21

Lois woke up with a start, looking around the room. Blinking a few times, she found dull light was peeking into the room, seeming to indicate a gray day outside. Sitting all the way up, she yawned and stretched, pushing the covers off and pulling herself towards the edge of the bed. She planted her feet on the floor and pushed herself up off the bed, stretching again as she did so. She heard the shower running, figuring that was where Clark was, and headed out of the room to go check on Jordan.

Peeking her head in, she found Jordan was still asleep, only half covered up with her legs splayed out at angles she thought might be physically impossible for anybody that didn't take yoga five times a week. She closed the door and headed back towards her room, not sure if she wanted to go back to sleep or eat some breakfast. Now that she was up, it was probably best she stayed up. Once Clark headed off, she'd have to be awake for Jordan anyway.

She didn't remember going to bed last night, but deduced she must have fallen asleep once the movie started. Clark had just plugged in the movie Ray but she couldn't recall seeing any of it once she'd snuggled into Clark's chest. The damn thing was better than sleeping pills!

Sitting on the bed and lost in thought, she'd failed to hear Clark walk out of the shower, clad in only a towel around his waist and looking very surprised to see her awake. Her eyes never made it as far as his face, traveling only slightly above his towel and locking on his abs. She knew her mouth was open for no good reason, but she lacked the brain power to shut it. Had she been able to talk, she doubted she would have uttered anything other than wow.

In the space of a blink, Clark went from nearly naked to in a suit, tightening his tie with his jacket folded over one of his arms. "Sorry about that. I thought you'd still be asleep. I wasn't going to get you up for another fifteen or twenty minutes."

Lois snapped her jaw shut as he spoke, trying to regain the use of her brain. "No, I ah... I woke up a couple minutes ago and went to check on Jordan. She's still asleep and in a position that can't be comfortable for an adult."

"Ok then. You want some breakfast?"

"Yeah." She wanted to put some butter on his abs and lick it off. A head shake banished that nonsense. "How about some buttered toast, scrambled eggs and bacon?"

"I like the sound of that. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it." She knew how he felt.

He offered her a hand to help her up, which she took, and they walked out into the kitchen. She leaned up against the counter and watched him go about making the food, his tie tucked into his shirt as he seasoned the eggs and checked on the bacon. How could a man look so good in a pair of pants? It just wasn't fair!

"Lo?"

"Yeah, what?"

"I asked you if you wanted milk or one of the various juices we have."

"Oh, uh, apple juice is fine."

He turned back around and she went back to thinking about how life apparently had plans for her that she didn't get to fight against. Not that she really wanted to fight against him when he looked like he did, but she still liked having some say, at least.

Things could be worse, though. She could have ended up in the marriage of convenience she figured she was destined for, living with a man half as good looking as Clark who lacked all his kindness and love. When it came right down to it, she knew that he loved her. He hadn't said it to her directly, at least not that she recalled, probably so as not to freak her out. But the way he acted and touched her, not to mention the way he spoke about the way she made him feel... she thought back to the diary saying Clark was her Jonathan, and the way he acted around her was the same way she'd seen Mr. & Mrs. Kent act.

He smiled at her as he placed a plate of eggs, toast and bacon in her hands and she sat down at the table, starting in on her food when he sat down next to her. For the first time in ages, she was able to be comfortable in a silence between the two of them. Clark was the first to speak.

"So, are you looking forward to coming back to the Planet tomorrow?"

"Definitely. I know that tomorrow is probably just going to be me getting acquainted with the new systems and maybe doing some research, but at least I'll have some idea of what's going on. I love Jordan, irrationally considering this is my fifth day of knowing she's my daughter, but I'm just making it up as I go with her. Motherhood comes much less naturally to me than journalism."

"As far as I'm concerned, Lo, you haven't missed a step with her. She's happy, knows that you love her, hasn't been hurt in any way and gets the leftovers from her three square meals a day finished off by you. Believe it or not, that's good because you've given yourself food poisoning previously by eating food you tried to reheat. It was quite the feat, really."

Lois swallowed her last slice of bacon and looked at him incredulously. "How could I possibly give myself food poisoning from reheating something?"

"Nobody knows. That's why it was quite the feat."

At that, they were greeted by a small but strong yawn as Jordan walked into the room. She walked straight to Lois and hugged herself to her lap. Lois looked at Clark, smirking. "She must be mine, she wakes up the same way. If she starts complaining about a lack of coffee, she'll be me."

She bent over and placed a kiss on top of Jordan's head, ruffling her hair a few times as Jordan rubbed her face into her lap. "I'm tired."

"Me too, baby girl. Maybe we'll take a nap together later, ok? I think you should have some of the breakfast daddy made right now, though, to help you wake up."

"Ok."

Lois moved Jordan over to Clark's lap, got up and scooped up some eggs on to a plate and was about to stick them in the microwave when she remembered what Clark said. "Uh, Clark, they could use a little bit more heat. How long should I warm them up?"

"Ten seconds ought to do it."

She gave them a ten second blast and they came out steaming. Blowing on them for a second, she grabbed a fork from the drawer and placed the plate in front of Jordan's spot at the table, where Clark was setting the sleepy child in her chair. At the smell of the food in front of her, she perked up, grabbed the fork and started digging in. Yet another eerie similarity. Had Clark donated any genes relating to her personality?

Lois went back over to the fridge, grabbing the milk, which smelled awful to her, and a glass and filling it up for Jordan, who smiled at her when she put it down next to the plate.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure, Jordan."

Lois sat down again, watching Jordan eat. She'd been surprised that once she'd embraced the fact that Jordan was in fact hers, that everything she did entranced her. She wanted to take in everything that she did, making note of how she would crinkle her nose whenever she was concentrating on coloring or drawing a picture. She would just smile whenever they locked eyes, and it made Lois wonder she could have not known this was her little girl at first sight.

When she felt Clark's hand on her shoulder, she snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him over her shoulder.

"I'm headed off to work. Should I stop by for lunch, or are you looking forward to a nice, long day free from the clutches of Clark, the husband that hovers in so many ways?"

"I can't speak for hovering that involves you not being on the ground, but as far as being around me, you're hovering just the right amount. I don't feel crowded, because all the attention you give me is out of love. I know that it hurts you to not say it and know I can't say it back..."

"Lo, please, don't worry about me. I'm not the one that's been through the severely traumatic experience. I'm fine because we have the kind of love that gets through this kind of thing like it's just another bump in the road. I don't say that to pressure you into feeling anything, that's just the way it is. The sky is blue, we have a daughter that enjoys giggling and our love can get through anything."

Lois smiled, looking down at the table before she could look back up at Clark. "If anybody else were to say something like that, I would just write it off as a cheesy line. With you, I actually believe it. I can see why it's so easy for me to fall in love with you whenever I lose my memory."

Her eyes went wide, realizing what she'd just insinuated. "Not that I... I mean, uh, you know..."

A hand over her mouth cut off her stumbling speech. "I understand what you mean, Lois. You think I'm sweet, cute and lovable but don't see me like that yet."

Oh God, she was seeing him like that. Why was she seeing him like that?

"There's no rush on this, Lois. I know that you're still adjusting and getting used to being a mother, so take your time. I'll always be here."

God she hoped her eyes weren't gazing at him longingly. He was too damn good for words and she needed to look away so her eyes would stop looking like they were speaking volumes. She couldn't pull away, though, and was about ready to jump up and lay one on him when he pulled his hand from her mouth and gave her an affectionate rub on the shoulder.

"I'll probably just eat lunch at the Planet today. Jordan, let's see how well you hug."

Lois watched him pull her into a hug for a moment before setting her back down on her chair. "I'll see you girls tonight. Jordan, only give your mom a little grief for me today."

"Ok, daddy."

The rest of the morning went smoothly, with Jordan keeping Lois busy enough so that Clark only entered her thoughts once every ten minutes or so. If he'd taken another second, she was scared to think about what Jordan would have seen them doing.

When she wasn't thinking about Clark or doing something with Jordan, her mind wandered to the bracelet. Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. She wanted to put it on and see Clark's biological mother, as implausible as that seemed. How could a bracelet have a function like that? She figured she probably wouldn't really believe it until she saw it.

The problem was, when would she get the chance try the thing? How long would this vision of Lara last? Jordan would probably go down for a nap little while after lunch, so maybe she could try it then. She just hoped that it wasn't going to be some drawn out thing that ended up giving her a concussion. She'd been over the limit on those things before getting beaten within an inch of her life and living a bunch of years she couldn't remember.

Lois and Jordan both inhaled lunch, though for separate reasons. They'd both been running around all morning, one working a big appetite up to voracious and the other just liked to eat, something she'd mostly inherited from her mother. They'd decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches, something Lois found she could actually handle, accompanied by some ice cream Lois found stashed in the back of the freezer.

Much like she had the last few days, Jordan followed lunch with a long series of yawns and droopy eyes after about an hour or two. Lois decided to swoop in. "Looks like you could use a nap, baby girl."

She picked her up, which was met with a few verbal protestations. "Not sleepy. Wanna..." She yawned widely, interrupting her sentence, "...play."

"Yeah, I'm not buying it, kiddo. But, I will cut you a deal. If you take a nap, I will help you write out the story for your princess drawings."

The only response was a halfhearted mumble and head nod into Lois's shoulder. She took Jordan into her room and laid her down gently on the bed, then covered her up with the sheets. She placed a light kiss on her head before walking out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She walked straight to the dresser, kicking it a couple times and hitting it once before the secret drawer opened, all the while fighting the urge to look skyward and say something about joining Elizabeth. She grabbed the bracelet, leaving the diary in there this time. If she passed out after it did its thing, she didn't want it found and rifled through by Clark. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but if 2017 Lois was keeping it just for her, she would try and do the same.

When Lois got back out into the living room, she went to put the bracelet on but hesitated. It was just a bracelet, for crying out loud! She must have been crazy in 2017, thinking that this thing was causing her to see a woman named Lara that said she was Clark's mother.

Her husband was from another planet and she couldn't believe this? Who was she trying to kid by pretending anything in her life was normal?

She slipped the bracelet on, holding her breath as she waited for it to do something, anything. After a few seconds, she started to breathe again. Maybe she had the wrong bracelet? It certainly didn't feel any different than any ordinary bracelet. Maybe a little warmer... ok, maybe strangely warm.

Lois looked down at her arm to find the thing glowing, which probably explained the strange warmth. It wasn't getting warmer, but the glow was getting bright enough that she had to close her eyes and turn her head away. She held her arm out straight, trying to get the bracelet as far away as possible, which was about a whole two feet.

The glow died down and she opened her eyes again to be greeted by the view of a tall woman with raven black hair smiling down at her. She was in a floor length shimmering dress, and seemed to have a benevolence in her stature. Lois stood up slowly from the chair she'd planted herself in.

"Hello, Lois. I am Lara, Kal-EL's mother."

Lois gawked. The diary had been right! She worked her jaw a couple times before she was able to speak. "You... you know my name?"

"I do. The connection the bracelet makes with the heart of Kal-El's true one allows me this information."

"But, but, you're dead! I know that sounds blunt, but it's true! How is this possible?"

"The life of the woman you see has passed, yes, but before she died she made this so that the woman he came to love as Jor-El loved Lara would know a little about where he comes from."

"O...Ok then. Well, uh, what do I need to hear?"

"Krypton was a world of good people, much as Earth is. We had our problems, and in the end over confidence was our undoing. Jor-El worked to fix the problems and warn people that Krypton was in danger of being destroyed, but when he found his efforts would be in vain designed a vessel so we could send our infant son to your people, in hopes he would be able to show your world to a better way than our end.

"Despite his amazing physical strengths on your world, he has the same feelings, the same emotional vulnerabilities as a human. Your love is a key to keep him strong enough to be a pinnacle of good. Love him and keep his heart safe, Lois, and your world shall be a better place than Krypton was."

"No pressure there," Lois mumbled.

"Your connection to Kal-El is beyond that of the physical world, Lois. You are a part of his destiny, a part of his soul that makes him complete." The face on the woman softened, surprising Lois. "Thank you for loving my son."

The image vanished, and Lois was left staring into space. She made him strong enough to be a pinnacle of good? Their connection went beyond that of the physical world?

There was one question that she couldn't stop from reverberating around in her head like crazy: How was she good enough for him?