---- Chapter 42
Lois pushed herself up off the floor, cracking her neck as she walked over to greet Chloe. She ran into a swarm of children first, though, that all thought they should give her hugs as greetings. After each had been properly greeted, she finally got to say hello to Chloe.
"Hey, how was the tour?"
"Not too bad. The girls think it's exciting that they get to move. Jack is less enthusiastic, since he likes the school he's in. He asked if he can stay in Gotham and keep going to school there, but I get to break his heart. Well, I don't know if it will be that bad, but he isn't going to be happy about it in all likelihood. Probably as happy as I was when I originally moved to Smallville."
Lois smiled. She remembered Chloe complaining about that for hours on end. "You can't argue that the move didn't work out in your favor, though. You wouldn't have everything you do if you hadn't, and I probably wouldn't either."
"I don't know, Lois. Ever since you and Clark fell in love for the first time I've always thought you two had the look of a couple fated to be together, no matter what."
Lois opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again quickly, no reply coming. "The heck am I supposed to say to that?"
"Nothing. I'm correct, therefore you just accept it and bask in my awesomeness."
"Consider me basking. It won't be your traditional basking, but I will soak in the awesomeness that is my cousin. I might even have my daughter soak up some of it so she can grow up to be awesome, and I will definitely get Clark to soak some up. It'll make him stronger than the sun does."
Chloe smirked. "You done?"
"Yeah, that about covers it."
"Good. You have any fruit?"
"Fruit?"
"Yeah, I really feel like eating some fruit."
Lois eyed her cousin for a second. Apparently she was craving fruit. "I think there are some grapes in the fridge, apples too. Might be an orange, though it'd probably be old by now."
It became obvious Chloe wasn't listening as she walked away towards the kitchen without saying anything back to her, not even a thanks. She followed after a second and got there as Chloe was biting grapes off of the... vine? Stem? Whatever it was, it was hilarious and she started laughing. The laughter was quickly met with a glare.
"I can't believe I'm getting laughed at by a woman who was so eager to eat pie she couldn't wait for a plate and fork."
Lois's laughter turned into coughing as she did her best to cover the flush of embarrassment. She'd forgotten about that. And now she really, really wanted pie. Cherry pie. Stupid cravings.
Turning around, she walked over to Clark in the living room, who had a giggling twin on each of his shoulders as he told a story to the kids. It sounded oddly like an encounter they'd had with a meteor infected crackpot in Smallville, which didn't seem like something that should be told to young children. Of course, since none of them lived through it and Clark was telling it with all horrifying parts edited out, she figured it was fairly kid friendly. At least they'd never run out of interesting stories to tell the kids with a little editing.
"Smallville?"
He kept on telling the story, and she found it odd that a man that could hear trouble half a world away couldn't hear her because he was so engrossed in telling a story to the kids.
"Yo, Clarkie."
Nothing.
"Hey, Captain Plaid!"
Clark stopped and finally turned around. "What's up, Lo?"
"I was wondering if you'd do me a favor."
"Of course I will. Ask away."
"Can you go get me a cherry pie?"
Clark put the twins down on the ground, smiling at her in a way she thought was a little too calm. She'd just requested that he go get her a pie in the middle of his story to the kids like... like a pregnant woman with a craving, which is exactly what she was. The mere thought of a pie... God, she really wanted pie.
"Please, Clark?"
"I already said yes, Lo."
"Oh. Sorry, I kinda got lost in my thoughts for a second and wasn't listening."
"Let me guess... you were imagining eating one of mom's pies?"
Lois sighed. Now she didn't know if a regular pie was going to do the trick. "I wasn't thinking about Martha's pies until just now, Smallville. Now that's the kind I want. Stupid cravings. You think Martha will have any that she'd be willing to part with?"
"I'd say the odds are in your favor. Jordan is a big fan of cherry pie as well, one of the few things she did actually inherit from me, so mom usually has at least part of one around. I'll fly out and bring some back for you."
"Quickly, if you don't mind."
"You're lucky I'm a quick guy."
He bid a quick farewell to the children and slipped out the front door, giving her a quick smile as he went. Chloe walked up beside her, giving a questioning look.
"Where's he off to?"
"Quick errand. Shouldn't be long."
"You asked him to go get pie, didn't you?"
"It's your fault! I wasn't even thinking about food until you put pie into my head. Now it's all I can think about because I really, really want one of Martha's cherry pies." She whacked her cousin on the arm. "Thanks a lot."
"You going to make fun of me and my cravings anymore?"
Lois scowled at Chloe before looking at the children. "No."
"That's what I thought. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to eat an apple."
Lois followed Chloe back to the kitchen. "Why fruit? There are so many things in the world that you could have, could crave and get because of who you are married to or because your best friend can go anywhere very quickly. Yet, you want fruit. Regular, ordinary fruit. Why?"
Chloe was chewing a bite, looking at Lois with an eyebrow cocked. "Why pie?"
Why pie was an intriguing question. "I... I don't know, but at least I'm craving something interesting."
"Oh, good grief.. I have a theory on why you crave pie, if you want to hear it."
"Do tell, cousin."
"I blame the father of that little uterine dweller. The man may not be related to Jonathan by blood, but he certainly inherited his fathers love for Martha Kent's baked goods. I believe it's a trait that was passed on, and while there's no scientific basis in any of this, I believe that is why you crave pie."
Lois rubbed at her forehead, trying to digest what she'd been told. "Ok, I know you just said it, but I'm trying to figure out if you said what you said so let's rehash this. You think that because my son has possibly inherited the trait of liking pie from his father that I now crave pie too. This discounts the fact that I also enjoy pie, especially those made by Martha. Heck, everybody likes 'em!"
"What you liked and what you craved were two entirely different things when you were pregnant with Jordan. What have your feelings always been about milk?"
"Meh."
"Exactly. You were drinking so much milk last time you were round that Clark was actually making jokes about how you were going to be feeding Jordan 2 instead of breast milk for the first few days of her life. That brings us around to this pregnancy. Your favorite pie, last time I checked, was chocolate. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that today you were requesting Clark make a run for a cherry pie, which happens to be his favorite."
Lois looked away, scratching at her neck as she did so. "That can be neither proved nor disproved, Chloe Wayne, so your theory is nonsense."
"You do know that Clark will actually bring the pie back with him, right?"
"That is true, but I'm going to eat it all before you can get a look at it."
"That is the most ridiculous thing you've said in weeks."
"What can I say, you force me to be ridiculous by bring up theories that suggest I crave pie because my unborn son may have a predilection towards it once he's old enough to eat some and realize just how great it is. It's like saying you crave fruit because Bruce likes it when you like it too!"
"Hey, which of us is the one that heals a whole hell of a lot faster than she should?"
"Ok, yes, there are some extenuating factors in my pregnancy, like the fact that AJ is half kryptonian, but I seriously doubt that has any effect on my cravings."
Chloe held the apple in her mouth as she spread her arms out as if to say 'who knows' and shrugged. She grabbed the apple again and took a bite before speaking.
"Who's to say what is and isn't because you're carrying a kryptonian baby? Fact is, not even your doctor knows what happens and why because of Clark's genes in your passenger. He's said as much. The idea of why you get your new and improved healing is exactly that, an idea. You're dealing with so many unknowns because with all the progress made on figuring out what goes on with human babies in the womb, I don't think there will ever be research done on kryptonian babies in the womb."
"If they ever do start that research, I guess I won't need a secret identity anymore."
Both the women turned around and found Clark standing behind them, holding not just one pie in his hands, but three. Lois had to hold herself back from actually pouncing on her husband and the baked goods, but she also didn't take her time walking over at a normal pace. She grabbed the top pie, checking to make sure it was cherry before cutting a slice and placing it on a plate. She grabbed a fork and started digging in.
She couldn't hold back the moan of satisfaction that came with the first bite. "God, that's awesome... really hits the spot."
She smiled at Clark and Chloe, the latter of which was finishing off her apple as she smirked. The smirk soured after a moment and she looked up at Clark, frowning. "That's not what I look and sound like when I finally get something I crave, is it?"
Clark still hadn't taken his eyes off of Lois. "You should probably ask Bruce about that when you get back to the hotel." He paused a second before speaking again. "Is it wrong that watching my wife eat pie turns me on?"
"Not when she moans like that, no."
Lois heard and ignored what they were saying, enjoying her pie. When the slice was gone, she took to licking the fork while eyeing what was still on the counter. It was taunting her, asking to be eaten. She didn't feel all that hungry, but damn it, she wanted more pie! Finally, she jut gave in and went along with the theory that this was all the doing of AJ. Apparently her son was going to be as much of a pie lover as his father.
She cut herself another slice and started in on it, again moaning when she downed that first bite. Why was the first bite always so good?
"If all women are like that when they get something they crave, it goes a long way to explain why husbands find their wives so sexy when pregnant. You know, aside from actually being physically attracted to them."
Lois frowned at Chloe, speaking around her pie. "Can I help it that this pie is moan inducingly good?"
"I don't think inducingly is a word, cuz."
Rolling her eyes, Lois walked over and forked a bite of pie into Chloe's mouth. She waited a second, then grinned as Chloe let out the same moan she'd heard coming from herself. Her cousin looked like she'd melted a little bit as she had swallowed that bite.
"What the hell does Martha put in that?" After a quick glance at the children, she spoke in a hushed voice. "It's like eating sex!"
Lois looked over at the kids to make sure they were all still entranced by whatever it was they were doing before looking back to Chloe.
"I have no idea, but I can't get enough of it. I wasn't even hungry for the second slice, but the stuff is so damn addicting that I couldn't NOT have it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Lois watched as Chloe started walking over and got herself a slice of the pie, grabbing a fork from the drawer. She walked back over to them, eating as she did so. "Clark, any chance Martha could make a few of these for me?"
"I doubt she'll mind. She was in the process of making another when I was there, so I'll bring one back for you on Monday. Should I bring a fork along so you can just eat it in your office throughout the day, or will you provide your own?"
Chloe smiled sheepishly. "Bring one, if you don't mind. I tend to be forgetful these days. Had to ask Bruce where I was taking the kids today because I could not remember for the life of me. I hate pregnancy brain."
Clark shook his head. "Now that you've moved back to Metropolis, I'm going to be taking care of you almost as much as I will Lois, won't I?"
"I wouldn't... well, no... " She sighed. "Yeah, probably. I'm not going to be calling you to go get me anything in the middle of the night, though. That's asking a little too much of friendship."
"No, it's not. After everything you've done for me over the years, I won't mind doing the things Bruce can't always be around to do. I'm out helping people most nights as it is, so I'll probably be up anyway. And as you remember from your first two pregnancies, I am not limited in where I can go to get you stuff."
Lois looked up at him. "What do you mean by as she remembers?"
Clark smiled. "Chloe has somewhat more exotic cravings around her... seventh month, is it?"
"Yeah. Is it weird that you know that?"
"Nah, we're close enough that it's normal." He flashed a quick smile before turning back to Lois.
"In her seventh month she tends to crave things from very random places, always abroad. With Jack, she had to have some bread pudding straight from England, accept no substitutes. Bruce wanted to send Alfred on the jet, but since Chloe thought that would take too long they called me and asked me to go get it. Alfred knew of a place that had made great bread pudding the last time he was there, so he gave me an address and I went and got it for her."
Lois looked at Chloe. "Why bread pudding?"
"It's just my body, not like I would know anything about how it works."
"With Aly and Liz, I was actually sent to South Korea to get bulgogi."
"I love that stuff! When the General and I spent some time in South Korea I would eat it everyday. Couldn't get enough of it and I've never found any place in the states that can make it up to snuff compared with what I had there."
"That is exactly why I wanted it from Korea and not a Korean place in Gotham. It's always better from the source."
"So, any ideas on what it could be this time?"
"I'm sure I'll be letting Clark know here in about two and a half to three months from now. Let me tell you, I am really looking forward to randomly and overwhelmingly wanting some odd food and having to ask your husband to run off to who-knows-where to get it."
Lois grinned at the sarcasm dripping off of Chloe's syllables. "Well, you've sent him to Europe and Asia so far, so maybe it'll be something African or South American this time."
"Or Australian, who knows."
"Say," Lois said turning to Clark, who was now eating a slice of pie of his own, "what was my big craving during Jordan's pregnancy?"
"Milk. You drank so much of it I thought Jordan was going to get 2 instead of breast milk when she was born." Off her silence, he shrugged. "You thought it was annoyingly funny last time."
Lois turned back to Chloe. "I thought you were kidding about that!"
"Why would I kid about that? You really DID drink a ton of milk and Clark really DID make that joke! Did you think I just wanted to make things up about you now?"
"Well, no, but my big craving was milk? That's... disappointing!"
"Well, theory is some cravings have biological function behind them, like if a woman is low on protein she'll crave some steak or other red meat. You never had any blood tests, obviously, but maybe you were lacking calcium. Or, perhaps my theory is right and you are subject to the genetically passed on tastes of your children. Milk with Jordan, and so far pie with Almond Joy."
"I don't think there's a joke that goes with pie and what's going to come out of my breasts, so at least there's that."
"Pie filling." Clark paused a second before speaking again. "Wow, that's a weird mental picture."
Lois spun and leveled Clark with her best glare, causing him to cough as he attempted to swallow his pie. He gave her a small smile.
"Sorry, just saying."
"How about less 'just saying' and more 'thank you for carrying our child and being the butt of a bunch of unnecessary jokes.'"
"Thank you for carrying our child and being the butt of a bunch of unnecessary jokes. And I love you, very much." He walked over and kissed her, melting her annoyance in a pleasurable fashion. She wondered if she should be annoyed he could get rid of her annoyance so easily.
Very quickly the adults were joined by a couple of the children. Jordan was pulling on Lois's leg and Jack had come to stand between Clark and his mother. Lois sat her plate and fork down before picking Jordan up.
"What's up, baby girl?"
"We're hungry."
"Yeah. May we have some pie, mom? It smells really good."
"You may have pie after dinner, son of mine. If you had any before it would end up being your dinner and I would be a horrible mother for not getting something nutritional in your system."
"You could never be a horrible mother, mom."
Chloe hugged Jack to her slightly extended stomach and smiled down at him. "You remember that when you're a teenager and think I'm being unfair all the time."
"What about me, mommy? May I have pie?"
Lois looked down at Jordan. "What do you think?"
"I think yes."
"Think again, daughter of mine. You may also have pie after you have some dinner."
"What are we having for dinner?"
Four pairs of eyes all settled on Clark. He looked at all them, one eyebrow higher than the other. "How about we cook something instead of sending me out for take out?"
"I'll help, uncle Clark!"
Clark grinned and picked up Jack, throwing him over his shoulder. "Yeah, you will. We men have to go out and bring back meat for the women folk, don't we?"
"Yeah!"
"Clark Kent! What are trying to teach my son?"
"Nothing. We would never adhere to the outdated gender roles with which we joke, would we Jack?"
"Never, mom."
She gave him a light swat on the backside as he stayed splayed over Clark's shoulder. "See that you don't. Now, off with you two. We helpless women will stay here and gather things that grow on trees and in the ground while you hunt the meat."
They watched as Clark and Jack left, declaring how they were going to be the best hunters ever and come back with tons of meat to cook for the women. Jordan looked at Chloe. "We're helpless?"
"Hardly, but the joke makes them happy, so we forebear." Chloe winked at Jordan before turning around to get herself a glass of water.
Lois watched as Jordan did her best to wink, too, but ended up doing so with both eyes instead of just one. Lois kissed her on the side of the head then let her down back on the ground. She announced she was going to the bathroom, then took off back towards her hallway.
"So, since we are apparently in charge of the fruits and vegetables for dinner, what's your plan?"
"I actually make a mean salad now, Lo, for all the cooking skills I used to lack."
"I maintain that salad is just fancy leaf eating, even if I do like to have one occasionally."
"So I've heard year after year. Come on, you get to chop things while I do the real work of mixing it up."
An hour later, the salad was all made and Clark and Jack were on the patio grilling pork chops. Lois watched the interplay between them, allowing herself a smile as they started to sword fight with tongs. Chloe walked over and stood next to her, watching them as well.
"Clark has always been Jack's favorite, even when he was a baby."
"I'm not surprised. Even back in Smallville Clark seemed to have a way with children. They trust him right off the bat, because... because he's Clark. There's no other way to put it, really, and it's yet another endearing quality."
"I tried to be surprised the first time he held Jack and he stopped crying after five hours of loud displeasure at everything Bruce and I tried, but it didn't work. I tried to be surprised when Jack was completely against potty training and a few minutes of talking to Clark about it made him gung ho about using the toilet, but it was a fruitless venture. I think the man is a baby whisperer or something."
"Was he just as good with the twins?"
"Of course, but they don't go to him like Jack does. They're more shy with men, even their uncle Clark. He's basically a second father to Jack, though. I'm just happy Bruce and Clark are good enough friends that it doesn't create any friction. I'm sure there are men out there that would think they were being replaced."
Lois looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up and watching Clark and Jack again. "How was he with Jordan?"
"Better than he was with Jack."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He didn't hold a candle to you, though."
"What?"
"You lived and breathed Jordan for the first year of her life. She spent more waking time at the Planet with you than she did here. After she was born, you rarely let her out of your sight. If she looked like she might cry, you were there to comfort her. The only time you weren't with her was when you were asleep, and you had Clark with her then.
"Really, you were her world. First voice she heard when she woke up and last voice she heard when she went to sleep. In my opinion, Martha Kent couldn't have done a better job."
Lois sniffled and wiped away a few tears. That was the best compliment she could have ever imagined about being a mother.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me for the truth, Lo."
