Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

March 25, 1943

FBI Special Agent Clark Jerome Kent sat quietly on his parent's parlor sofa next to his wife, her hand clasped firmly in his. They'd only been married for three short months, after a courtship that neither had anticipated. And while they were still adjusting to their new lives as husband and wife, she'd given him the unexpected, but happy news that they were expecting a baby.

For Clark, it was nothing short of a miracle. Lois's love had saved him from a life of solitude, which surely would have happened if the Bureau hadn't temporarily reassigned him to the field office in Kansas nearly fifteen months earlier.

That temporary duty, which eventually became permanent, had turned out to be much more than he'd bargained for when he met a feisty, opinionated, sarcastic, gorgeous and passionate woman who was the key to his investigation.

He had no idea how passionate she really was until they were married and she revealed that part of herself to him on their wedding night.

"Would you put me down, this is silly." Clark smiled at Lois' feigned protest as he stood up, deciding that the sofa wasn't where he wanted to be and got an arm under her knees; the other he got behind her back and picked her up. He knew how much she loved it when he carried her, even though she would never say it.

"Take advantage of it while you can, honey; because at some point I won't be able to this any more." He reminded her as he carried her toward the stairs and then added with a grin. "At least not for awhile."

"Oh, there's something I want to take advantage of all right." She smiled back as she looped her arms around his neck and raised an eyebrow at him. "A tall, handsome, blue eyed federal agent that I haven't seen in a month who would warm my bed very nicely."

"And there's a beautiful, brunette, nightclub manager that I haven't seen in a month who I wouldn't mind warming my bed either." He answered her and felt his face flush because only his wife could get him to say things like that. And then he thought about the baby; could they? "Lois, is it all right if we-" He couldn't bring himself to voice such an intimate thought and knew she understood what he meant when her own face flushed and she nodded.

"It'll be all right, for now." She reassured him. "But there will come a point when it won't be possible."

"And you'll let me know when that is, won't you?" It suddenly felt so odd to him, wanting to make love with the woman who was carrying their child.

"I think you'll get the hint when I'm pushing you out of our bed and sending you downstairs to the sofa." Lois smiled back at him and kissed his cheek as he took her up the stairs. "I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, so why don't you come with me and you can ask him all the questions you want?"

"Can I do that?" Clark had always assumed that husbands weren't welcome during those kinds of visits.

"Ask questions or go with me to the doctor?" Lois teased him.

"Lois." He frowned self-consciously and she laughed.

"We really should have Dad here for dinner tomorrow night so we can tell him and your parents."

Clark came to a stop in front of their bedroom door and nudged it open with his shoulder. And as he set Lois down on her feet by the bed, he chuckled. "You realize that if we'd made that bet with your dad about when we would be expecting, we would have lost."

"I'm not complaining, G-man; are you?" She leaned up and kissed his cheek again. "After all, it's whatwe did so we would find ourselves expecting that's important."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" He got his arms around her waist as her hands came to rest on his chest.

"You might want to take advantage of this, too." Lois smiled at him. "Before we know it, I'll be as big as a house and you won't be able to get your arms around me."

"As long as I get to kiss you, I won't complain too much." And to emphasis his point, he did just that.

"Is that all?"

"You are trying to tell me something." He couldn't help but laugh because he had a pretty good idea of what it was. He got confirmation of that when her hands moved to the lapels of his overcoat and as her gaze held his she pushed it off of his shoulders, showing him exactly what she had in mind. And not being the sort of fellow who would deny his wife anything, he let go of her long enough to shrug out of his coat and toss it onto the cedar chest that sat at the foot of their bed.

"At the moment, in case you hadn't noticed, we happen to have the whole house to ourselves." Lois put her arms around his neck and he caught her around her waist again. "And not being entirely sure when your parents are going to be home, we need to take advantage of the privacy."

"Kind of like the way you're taking advantage of me now?" Clark smiled. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Does it really matter, as long as we end up in that bed together?" She lifted an eyebrow at him and his face warmed in anticipation. Would she always be able to do that to him?

God, he hoped so.

"It doesn't really matter." He assured her as he pulled her close. "I just know that I've really missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Lois nodded in agreement. "And if you give me the chance, I'll show you how much."

"I'm all yours." He held her close and reveled in the feel of her in his arms again; a month was just too long to be away.

"More than you know." She promised him as she pressed her lips against his. "Clark, this is where you're supposed to show me how much you missed me."

"And how exactly should I do that?" He raised an eyebrow of his own. If it could work for her, it should work for him.

Shouldn't it?

"I think we've been married long enough that you shouldn't have to ask."

"You just stop me if I'm doing something you don't like." He brushed her lips with his. "All right?"

"Like that'll happen." Her face flushed and he smiled.

It was nice to be home.

As he held Lois close, an odd thought suddenly came to him. It had taken months before his parents were able to start their family. And now here he and Lois were, starting their own family within days of getting married.

"What are you smiling about?" The amused voice of his wife got his attention.

"I was just thinking how much our lives have changed in the last few months." He smiled at her. "And how much they'll change once the baby gets here."

The look on her face was dubious and he didn't doubt that Lois knew exactly what he'd been thinking. "Really. I was sure you were thinking about how we got our baby."

"That too." Clark admitted with a laugh and hugged her to him.

"It was worth the wait, wasn't it?" She asked him softly. Her question was without guile and he nodded. "So do you know how long you'll be home?"

"I'm sorry, honey; I don't." He caressed her back gently. "But since I was gone for so long, it's a pretty good bet that I'll be home for at least a week."

"Good." Lois said and he felt the vibration of her sudden, silent laugh against his chest before she leaned back and caught his eye. "Because we've got a whole month to make up for, buster."

"Then you need to stop talking." He admonished her as he brushed his lips against hers again and when he pulled away she followed him.

"You need to keep your lips right here." Lois stayed close and as he leaned in Clark saw her sudden glance over his shoulder before she put her hands on his chest to stop him cold. "Clark, would you get the door. Just in case?"

"Says the girl who didn't seem to care on our wedding night." He teased her.

"Only because I knew that your parents wouldn't be coming home." She countered. "They did give us the house for the night, remember?"

"That's true." He agreed and when he reached for her, she stepped back.

"You need to close that door first and then I'm all yours."

"Promise?" He grinned at her.

"Door." Lois pointed at the bedroom door, making it abundantly clear that there wouldn't be any kind of a reunion until he did as she asked.

So he did what any good husband would do, he obeyed his wife.

"Thank you." Her voice suddenly sounded nervous and he turned to face her.

"Lois, if you've changed your mind about doing this now I can wait." Clark approached her and took her hands. "I know it's not just the two of us anymore."

"I don't think it's ever just been the two of us, do you?" She laughed softly and he shook his head in puzzlement, not sure of what she meant. "Do you realize that except for last Christmas Eve and our wedding night, we've never really been alone together? We've always had your parents or my dad around and now with this little one here-" She put her hand over the slight swell of her abdomen and Clark's gaze followed the movement. "We won't be alone for at least the next eighteen years."

He stepped close and put his hand over hers, over their baby and commented quietly. "I'm not complaining."

"Clark, you never complain." She smiled and leaned up on her toes to give him a soft kiss. "You take after your parents that way and this one better do that, too. Otherwise, he or she will drive their mother crazy."

"Well their mother already drives me crazy. " Clark teased her and was rewarded with another kiss. "And the fact that we're still standing here and talking is proof."

"In case you hadn't noticed, G-man you're the one who's doing all the talking." She put her other hand over his. "So what are you going to do about that?"

He looked down at where their hands were resting and his face warmed. Because underneath those hands was the life they'd created together and he still couldn't quite believe what they'd done.

"Clark, is everything all right?" Lois soft voice got him to look up and into her eyes. "You look a little pensive."

"Not pensive, just stunned." He admitted to her. "It's just such a surprise."

"I know." She nodded. "I thought the doctor was pulling my leg when he told me."

"I'm sorry I wasn't with you when you found out." He sighed.

"It's all right, really." Lois put a hand on his cheek and caught his eye. "We couldn't have known it was going to happen so soon. But you have to promise me something."

'Never make a promise you can't keep.' Dad had always told him.

"That depends on what you're asking." Clark said carefully.

"Fair enough." She agreed and her other hand moved under his. "When the time comes for this little one to get here, I want you to try and be here."

"I'll try." He told her. "I don't want to promise more."

"I'll take it." Lois slipped her hand from under his and put her arms around his neck. "So now that we have that settled, why don't you let me welcome you home properly."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked her, trying to keep a straight face.

"Just try and stop me." She brought her body flush against his and Clark's face warmed in anticipation.

He'd really missed her.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He couldn't help but add and Lois rolled her eyes.

"I guess there's only one way to get you to stop talking." She sighed dramatically, just before she kissed him and got him to do just that.

oooooo

It was something she never thought she'd get used to.

Being loved, cherished, adored and married. Add to that, she was going to be a mother in about six months time and it left Lois's mind reeling.

Lois Kent.

Lois Joanne Lane Kent; it was something she found herself still adjusting to.

It had been nearly fourteen months since she'd met an overly serious FBI agent who had been sent out from Washington to protect her because of threats that had been made, unbeknownst to her, on her very life.

Lois had always had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the conversation she'd overheard between the Falcon's former owner and a now jailed and disgraced former United States Senator had put her life in peril.

What she didn't realize at the time was that Clark had been sent back just over a month before he came to talk to her because of that threat and he'd taken on his cover as a cub reporter at The Daily Planet.

It had been because of that and the fact that she couldn't just sit on her hands while he did all the legwork that she unexpectedly found herself a part of it, as his girl. And as a result, their relationship gently shifted from that of protector and protected, to a man and a woman falling deeply in love.

And that gentle shift in their relationship was the catalyst to their current situation.

She was curled up against his chest and felt his even breathing against her back as his cheek rest against her hair. She also felt his warm hand brushing against her slightly rounded tummy and she became acutely aware that he couldn't seem to get enough of touching her there. "How soon will it be before we can feel the baby move?"

His sleepy voice rumbled near her ear and she put her head back against his shoulder. "It'll be a while yet."

"Are you sure you don't mind if I come with you?" His hand continued to brush feather strokes against her bare skin and she arched against his touch, wanting him more than she should have.

"You're talking again." She sighed. "I thought we agreed not to do that."

"We didn't agree, Lois." He laughed softly. "You kissed me to shut me up."

"And it worked, for awhile." Lois took the hand that was low against her body and pulled it up around her waist. "So how about a little less talking and a lot more cuddling."

"That's all?" He laughed again and she smiled with contentment being in his arms again. It was where she felt most safe and it was where she knew their baby was safe, too.

She rolled over, his embrace loosening only long enough for her to do so before his arms closed back around her. And at the sight of his tousled hair, smiling face and flushed cheeks, she felt her own cheeks warm. "Haven't you had enough?"

"No." He shook his head as his eyes fairly sparkled in the moonlight pouring through the window next to the bed. "You said yourself that we have a month to make up for and I intend on taking advantage of an empty house while we can."

"I love you." Lois reached up to put her hand on his cheek. "And making love with you is just icing on the cake."

"I love you too, Lois and I really want to show you again." And to prove to her that he meant it, he drew her body against his to kiss her cheek and then her lips.

Lois threaded her fingers into his hair as his lips found all the places that he knew would drive her to distraction. And in answer to his roaming lips, her back arched again as her leg curled around his and she felt his heart rate accelerate at such a pace that she smiled.

She felt his unmistakable response to her gentle coaxing and just as she was getting ready to take his body into hers, everything came to a screeching halt. She heard the unmistakable sound from downstairs of the front door opening and her mother in law's call. "Lois, honey. We're home."

Clark's head dropped into the curve of her shoulder and he began to laugh, even though she felt him shaking, terribly. "It's a good thing I got home as early as I did." His voice was muffled against her skin.

"You're telling me." She kissed his hair and held him for a moment before he reluctantly let her go. She then heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs and it was Lois' turn to laugh. "Now you understand why I asked you to close the door."

"Where's your bathrobe?" Clark asked her as he boosted himself up on his elbow.

"The closet?"

"This means that one of us has to get out of bed." He glanced at her and from the look on his face; he knew who it was going to be.

"It's that, or your parents find us like this." She shrugged. "Which would be less awkward?"

"I guess it's me." He sighed and Lois grinned. He grabbed for the chenille bedspread as he slipped out of bed and wrapped it around himself; he was still so shy about that.

"That view isn't exactly what I had in mind." She teased him as she sat up, admiring the play of firm muscle across his back.

And it was all hers.

"Lois." He admonished and she laughed as he got their bathrobes from the closet. He tossed hers to her waiting hand and then struggled one handed as he held the spread, to get his on before she saw the spread drop.

"That really isn't the view I had in mind." Lois remarked with an appreciatively raised eyebrow as he cinched his robe and picked up the spread as he walked back to the bed and dropped it at the foot.

"Well it's all I want my parents to see, so you're just going to have to live with it." He told her.

"At least until they go to sleep." She quipped.

A soft knock on the door wiped the humorous looks off of Clark and Lois's faces as her heart squeezed in panic and she looked at her husband.

"Lois, are you in here?" Martha asked quietly as the door opened slowly.

There wasn't any time to present herself decently, so she pulled the covers over her head to hide and felt her face burn in embarrassment.

"Hi, Mom." She heard Clark's voice crack with equal embarrassment and she could just imagine the look on his mother's face.

"Oh my goodness." Lois heard a breath of surprise. "I'm sorry, honey. I saw your car out front and should have realized you'd be up here."

"I'm the one who's sorry." She heard him reply. "We should have said something."

"I'll be downstairs." And the door closed with a decisive thump.

"Well, that was fun." Lois pulled the covers back enough, so that her face peaked out and Clark's hands were shoved into the pockets of his bathrobe.

"I know it sounds silly because we are married, but it just feels so strange to know that my mother knows what we were doing." He sat down on the edge of the bed and took one of her hands.

"I think it's because in some ways, our parents always see us as kids." And then she smiled at him. "Even when we start having kids of our own."

"Since they know we're in here, do you want to go downstairs now?"

"Are you kidding? Go downstairs in our bathrobes?" She frowned. "If we do that, it'll just embarrass her even more."

"Good point." Clark nodded in agreement and then stood up. "I'll go get dressed in the bathroom and you can change in here."

"That's no fun."

She couldn't help it.

"Maybe not, but it'll be less distracting. And you are very distracting, Mrs. Kent." He smiled and then dropped a kiss on her lips. "Besides, the less time we spend getting down there the less awkward it'll be for all of us."

"That's true."

"I thought you'd see it my way."

"This time." Lois wouldn't let him have the last word as he walked to the dresser and pulled a pair of dungarees and a clean tee shirt out of one drawer and a pair of socks from another.

"I won't be long." He told her as he opened the door and glanced up and down the hallway before he stepped out and closed it behind him.

Twenty minutes later they were both dressed and downstairs, greeting her in laws in the parlor. It should have been ten, but Clark had walked in on her while she was fastening the garters to her stockings. And without a moment's hesitation had gotten her underneath him on the bed to finish what they'd started when his parents had walked in the front door.

Needless to say, Lois hadn't protested that he'd changed his mind.

Who knew that her handsome husband could satisfy her so completely without their usual preliminaries? And how terrible was it that as they stood in the parlor hand in hand, facing his parents, she was still feeling the after affects of his having loved her?

"I'd say welcome home, son; but I'd wager that Lois already did." Jonathan chuckled from behind the evening edition of The Daily Planet.

"Jonathan." Martha shook her head with a feigned frown and a barely concealed smile. "Honey, we already had dinner. But there are some leftovers in the icebox if you'd like to fix yourself something."

"Thanks, Mom. That sounds great." Lois heard next to her and then Clark's hand squeezed hers as he whispered. "Dinner."

"Speaking of dinner, I thought that since Clark is home we could have Dad over for dinner tomorrow night. It's been awhile since the four of us have eaten together." Lois spoke up as Jonathan and Martha looked at her and smiled.

"I think that's a nice idea, Lois." He nodded. "Your father would never admit it, but I think he likes coming out here."

"Sounds like a girl I know before I married her." Lois heard near her ear and she gave him a quick jab with her elbow, which only made him laugh.

"Why don't you call him before it gets too much later and see if he can come." Martha looked down, seeming to take a sudden interest in her knitting and trying to hide a smile.

"I'll do that, thanks." Lois grabbed Clark's hand and pulled him behind her. "Come on, troublemaker. We have a telephone call to make."

"Yes, ma'am." She caught his grin as they walked into the kitchen and she continued to the telephone. She picked up the receiver and waited for the operator.

"Good evening, where would you like to place your call?" The cheerful voice of the operator came on the line.

"Would you connect me with Fort Ryan, please?" Lois requested as she felt Clark's chin on her shoulder and she put her hand over the receiver. "Why don't you get something to eat? This won't take too long."

"I like where I am." He refused to budge and she tried not to smile. "I've missed you."

"Good evening. You've reached Fort Ryan, Kansas. How may I direct your call?" A young male voice asked her crisply and from the sound of him, Lois would bet that he was a PFC and no more than nineteen.

"Would you connect me to General Samuel Lane's quarters, please? This is his daughter."

"Yes ma'am." His calm demeanor seemed to suddenly desert him and Lois couldn't help but smile as he stammered. "H-Hold for General Lane."

"He sounds almost as nervous as the first time you talked to Dad." She leaned back and kissed his cheek.

"That's because we were being interrogated." He joked.

"Agent Kent, that was not an interrogation." Lois felt the need to enlighten him. "He wouldn't have been that calm if it were."

"Then I guess I got lucky?"

"Nooo, that was earlier." She laughed softly at her own joke, knowing her husband was probably blushing at the thought. "And if you play your cards right, you'll get lucky again later tonight too."

The vibration of his silent laughter against her back made her smile as her father came on the line. "General Lane."

"Hi, Dad. It's Lo." She felt Clark's hand slip down to rest where the baby was, something that was already becoming a habit and she put her head back against his shoulder, putting her free hand over his.

"I was just thinking about you." She heard the pleased response. "Is that wayward groom of yours home yet?"

"He is and if you're free for the evening, we'd like you to come out to the farm for dinner tomorrow." She asked him, knowing he would say yes if he could.

"I don't see why not." She'd bet he was checking the schedule he usually had posted in his kitchen. "I'll be gone on maneuvers for a few days after that, so tomorrow will be fine. Same time?"

"Same time." She nodded. "Martha or I will call you if that changes."

"Sounds like a plan then. See you for dinner."

"Good night, Dad." Lois felt the absurd need to smile because her father was going to be a grandfather. And at the moment, he didn't have a clue.

"Good night, Lo." And she heard a click on the other end of the line as he hung up.

"Well, we've got three parents for dinner tomorrow and one big announcement." She mentioned quietly and sighed.

"It'll be fine, honey." He held her close. "We'll tell them together."

"Dad's going to give us such a bad time about this." Lois rolled her eyes.

"We can take it." Clark reassured her with a kiss on her cheek. "After all, Dad just got his digs in about my being home already."

"You do realize that our dads are spending too much time together, because my dad's humor is rubbing off on yours." Lois pointed out the obvious. "It's not really fair to your mom."

"If it gets to be too much, she'll let him know."

"Clark, how are we going to do this?" She turned around to look at his face and he shrugged.

"I don't have a clue. I guess we wait for any kind of an opening in the conversation."

"Well, you're a big help." Lois frowned and Clark grasped her arms gently.

"Lois, when the time comes we'll know it and we'll find a way to tell them." His voice was soft. "In the meantime, why don't you share my dinner with me and then we can enjoy the rest of the evening with my parents."

"Do you think they'll be happy about this?"

"Well we are, so I know they will be." He continued to try and reassure her. "They'll probably be just as surprised, but they'll know how much we want this."

"Are you ready?" She asked him.

She was really asking him if he was ready to be a father.

"Are you?" Clark answered Lois' question with one of his own and she knew he probably understood what she was trying to say.

"As long as you're in this with me, I'm ready." Lois admitted with a hesitant smile and he pulled her to him.

"Good. Because as long as you're with me, I'm ready too."

"That's good." She sighed with relief. It was something she already knew in her heart, but it was nice to hear it just the same.

"You're going to be a wonderful mother." He added with a whisper, trying to reassure her.

And Lois whispered back in response. "And you're going to be a great dad."

"Thank you for giving me the chance."

"Thank you for letting me."

"You're welcome."

And for once, Clark got the last word in.