Lionel's brief telephone call to Clark that morning got right to the point; to tell him and Lois he'd been to see Lex. He'd explained to his son about their predicament and Lex assured him it would be made clear to Lana to leave the Kent's be. Lionel also mentioned Lex wanted to see him. He wanted to set the record straight on the matter of Lois being shot at all those months ago.
"Give me one good reason why I should drive all the way up to the state penitentiary just to hear him tell me he was responsible for someone shooting at my wife." Clark demanded, even though he and Lois hadn't yet been married.
"Just hear him out, son." Lionel requested patiently. "I have the feeling his information might surprise you."
"Can't you tell me?"
"I'd like to; but he refused to go into any of the particulars with me. All he would say is; you probably wouldn't believe it unless you heard it directly from him."
Clark reluctantly agreed to meet with Lex the coming Monday and after hanging up with Lionel he called the Planet, in hopes Perry White would be there, even for a short time. When the line picked up Clark explained the situation to the editor and in turn, told to do what he needed to do.
"But if you can find an angle and get a story out of it, I think our readers would be very interested in reading about one Mr. Alexander Luthor in the big house." Mr. White suggested. "Any reporter worth his salt can always find a story if he looks hard enough."
"I'll see what I can do."
"I know you will." He replied. "However, the safety of your family is more important than any story."
They were more important than anything.
"Kent, have you given any serious thought to changing careers?" It wasn't the first time Mr. White had asked and it probably wouldn't be the last. "You've turned out to be a damn fine reporter and I sure could use you around my newsroom."
But for the first time, it actually held some appeal.
"I wouldn't rule it out." He finally replied after thinking about it for a few long moments.
"You're not joshin' with me, are you?" The surprise in his voice made Clark smile.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Mr. White; honest," And he meant it. "My life has changed in ways I wouldn't have dreamed of a couple of years ago and my job may need to change because of it."
"You'd consider leaving the FBI?"
"Not right now; we have a war to win first," He sighed. "But after that-"
"This damn war seems to be puttin' everything on hold." He growled for a moment before it softened into a chuckle. "But it didn't seem to stop you."
"It didn't stop my wife." He felt his face flush. Lois would probably accuse him of being a Neanderthal, but he loved being able to say it because it made her, his. "When she puts her mind to something, nothing can stop it."
"Like that little one she's carrying?" Mr. White laughed again and Clark felt his ears burn with a self-conscious blush.
"She didn't- we didn't plan on having a baby so soon." He just couldn't keep his hands off of her. "It just happened."
And they'd had a grand time of it, too.
"Don't noise this around, Kent." Mr. White lowered his voice, as though imparting a long-kept secret. "But after we took our vows, Alice and I partook in the joys of marriage in a way we were told we weren't supposed to."
"Sir?" Clark wasn't sure he understood, or that he particularly wanted to know.
"Duty, son," He suddenly sounded embarrassed for having revealed something so personal. "Our folks told us what their folks told them; the marriage bed was only meant for duty, for havin' kids. In those days, it still wasn't proper for husbands and wives to anticipate the weddin' night; it was somethin' to endure."
"Times were different." He offered cautiously.
"That they were." The older man agreed. "And that was why we couldn't tell them that we were lookin' forward to our weddin' night."
He cleared his throat, twice; clearly embarrassed and fell silent.
Clark tried to rescue him from the awkward moment. "I'll let you go, Mr. White; I don't imagine you want to spend too much more of your day at the office."
"I wouldn't have been here today at all; but my wife is in Missouri visiting her sister for a few days. Her youngest just left for boot camp and asked Alice to come keep her company. She's feelin' the effects of an empty nest, I expect."
"When is she coming back?"
"Tomorrow, if the trains aren't crowded with soldiers. If they are, it might be another day or two," He sighed. "With our own boys away at college, the house is too damn quiet without her."
"You miss her." It wasn't a question.
"Damn right I do," He replied. "I don't like living like a bachelor."
"I know the feeling."
"Once you've got the right woman in your life, there's no goin' back; at least not for me."
"Or me," Clark made his own admission. "Being here with her and my parents, instead of alone in a rooming house in Washington is how I like living."
"You're still a country boy at heart, Kent," Mr. White told him. "If you weren't, you would have lived in Metropolis while you were here on your assignment instead of your parent's farm and once you were done, you would've high-tailed back to Washington, pronto."
And maybe if he'd lived in Metropolis he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in an affair with Lana Luthor, either.
Everything happens for a reason; Mom used to tell him and when he'd begun to fall for Lois, he finally understood what she meant.
The two men said their goodbyes and Clark found his mind wandering back to the night Lois had joined him in Kansas City where he'd been recalled to the field office, cutting short their honeymoon. After she'd arrived, he couldn't get her to the hotel room Mr. Kelly had reserved for them fast enough, so they could pick up where they'd had to leave off.
And he blushed at the memory of just how they'd resumed their honeymoon.
"With a smile on your face like that, you'd better be thinking about me, buster." The low voice of his wife brushed his ear.
"Always," He replied as Lois' arms wound around his shoulders and Clark clasped her hands in his.
"I can't believe we're going to have the house to ourselves for thirty-six hours." She pressed her cheek to his. "What do you suppose we could do with all of that time?"
"I have at least one idea I think you'll like," His face flushed in spite of himself.
"Just one?" She teased him and his face grew warmer. "With no parents and all these rooms for almost a day and a half, I have several."
If Clark didn't know better, he'd swear Lois had begun to purr.
"Look at this, Martha. We're not even out of the house yet and they're already spooning." Dad chuckled as he came down the kitchen stairs with his and Mom's suitcases and set them down at the bottom of the staircase.
"Jonathan." Mom gently chided him as she followed behind, trying not to smile. "Remember, we were newlyweds once."
"And my father didn't hesitate in teasing us either, when we had an opportunity to be alone," He shrugged unapologetically. "And when Clark and Lois find themselves in a similar situation with their newlywed son or daughter, I imagine he'll do the same thing."
"Starting a family tradition, are you?" Clark asked good-naturedly as he kissed Lois' fingers before getting up from the kitchen table. "Don't worry about things around here while you're gone, just have a nice time; we'll take good care of the place."
"We know you will, son."
"But don't forget to take time for yourselves, too," Mom reminded them. "The baby will be here soon enough and then you won't have it. It's always important to remember as much as you're going to be this child's parents; you were husband and wife first."
"Just barely," Lois quipped and when she blushed, his mother laughed.
"Newlyweds and new parents in less than a year; you wouldn't be the first," She patted Lois' cheek before she looked at Clark. "I heard the telephone ring when we were upstairs."
"It was Lionel." He glanced at Lois and then his parents. "Lex wants to see me."
"What does the cueball want with you?" The worry in her voice was unmistakable.
"Lionel says he wants to set the record straight on your being shot at."
"Loose lips," Mom commented with a sigh.
"Do you suppose Mrs. Luthor admitted to it?" Dad speculated with a frown as he looked at Clark. "You did say that she didn't keep things from her husband."
"As if he ever cared about the way she carried on." Lois commented. "I never did understand what she thought she was gaining by being so indescreet."
"A divorce," Clark stated flatly. "It was why she made sure he knew about her and me."
"And he only refused to spite her?" His mother asked, a troubled look creasing her brow when he nodded in the affirmative.
"Not exactly a marriage made in heaven, is it?" His father shook his head in disbelief and then took the hand of his wife. "Unlike a certain red-haired beauty I married." His father chuckled, lightly kissing Mom's cheek before he picked up the suitcases and walked out of the kitchen. "I'll put these by the front door."
"I don't suppose I need to tell either one of you not to overdue?" His mother fussed. "It's different trying to do things on your own, instead of working with someone. And carrying a child, even this early, can make things a little more challenging."
"I promise I won't overdue," Lois put her arms around Clark's mother and hugged her. "Thank you for caring so much."
"I know I sound like a mother hen, but my only chick-"
"And his chickadee?" She joked and Clark tried not to laugh.
"Are having one of their own," Mom shook her head with amusement and it appeared she struggled to keep a straight face as she continued. "I just want my chicks to be careful with their chick."
"We will, Martha," Lois hugged her again. "You just have a nice time with your-"
"Don't say it." Dad had grin on his face as he walked back into the kitchen and put an arm around Mom's shoulders. "Husband will do just fine."
Clark shook his head with amusement; he was certain Lois would have said 'Rooster' if his father hadn't stopped her.
"And you won't have two kids underfoot for a day and a half, so I suggest making the most of it," She smiled back at him.
"I wouldn't count on it, Lois," He laughed. "She'll be worried about the two of you the whole time."
"Not worried, Jonathan; just concerned." She patted his father's hand and then glanced at her wristwatch. "And I'm concerned about the time, too. We should have left fifteen minutes ago."
"We would have," Dad laughed. But with a warning look from his mother, even though he continued to smile; it dissolved into a badly disguised cough. "If you hadn't insisted we stay until we found out what the telephone call was all about."
"And now we know, so it's time to get going." He'd never seen his mother so flustered or his father so amused. She gave Clark and Lois a hug and headed for the door.
"I surely do love that woman," Clark's father grinned as he watched her retreating back. "She's my ray of sunshine on a stormy day."
"I have the feeling she feels the same way about you," Lois giggled and her hand moved to her abdomen; she was doing that a lot. "You're the only man I know who can ruffle her feathers."
"Practice, honey," He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and shook Clark's hand before he turned for the living room; the front door already open. "Lots and lots of practice; see you tomorrow afternoon."
"Don't hurry back," Lois laughed again and Dad chuckled in reply.
"Don't burn the house down," He tossed back as he picked up the suitcases and stepped outside. After setting the luggage down, he closed the door behind him.
"Oh, I plan to at least twice before breakfast tomorrow," Lois leaned up and kissed his cheek. "What do you say?"
"I say, you bring the kindling and I'll provide the matches," Clark answered with a kiss to her lips. "But before we can even consider starting any fires, we've got chores to do."
"Right," She agreed with a nod. "You take care of the mid-day milking while I hang the wash and make us lunch."
"You mean carrying a basket of wet clothes?" Clark shot a look at her; his overprotective instincts suddenly aroused, even knowing how they annoyed his wife.
"Only sheets and pillowcases," She assured him with a hand on his arm. "It isn't very heavy, I promise."
"No." He wasn't about to let her do it and ignored her look of surprise at his inflexible tone. "When you're ready, I'll carry it for you."
"You most certainly will not." Lois' hands rose quickly, coming to rest defiantly on her hips while the look of surprise quickly became vexation. "If your mother and Dr. Francis think it's all right for me to carry a basket full of wet sheets, then I can."
They were hurtling toward an argument, with him pressing down on the accelerator as he pointed to the slight swell of her body. "Well, I'm your husband and the father of that child you're carrying and I'm telling you that I'll do it."
"Then do it, you big jerk!" She shoved at his chest and made a beeline for the service porch door.
"Where are you going?" If he'd stopped for a moment to take a breath and think, he would have realized his query should have come out as a simple question; but it came out sounding as though he were demanding information. Good one, Clark.
"I'm going where you aren't!" She barked at him before opening the door and then slamming it shut behind her.
He deserved that; he knew it even before the glass inset in the door rattled in protest.
As much as she loved him, she didn't like being coddled and Mom had always been there to diffuse things when he started in with his 'Me, Tarzan; you, Jane' behavior; but she wasn't there now.
It was the first time they'd been alone for more than a few hours since finding out about the baby and neither of them had the reassuring presence of his parents to turn to for guidance.
"Sometimes you're a real dope, Kent." Clark chided himself with a sigh and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He owed her an apology; a big one.
He sighed again, squared his shoulders and headed toward the service porch door hoping Lois hadn't gotten too far away. As he shut it behind him and stepped off the porch,he found her sitting under the walnut tree on a bench swing he and Dad had made and rigged up a couple of weeks earlier.
They'd found the thickest and sturdiest limbs to support the bench wide enough to accommodate two people. Mom had requested it for Lois because the farther along she got, the months would be moving into the hot summer.
She wanted a shady place for her daughter-in-law to go when the heat got to be too much. Lois had cried when he and his parents surprised her with it and even though she blamed her emotional outburst on hormones; he could see how much their thoughtful gesture meant to her.
There was a soft breeze blowing that late morning as he headed toward her and he could see lazy dust devils touch down along the dusty road running through their property.
"Clark, when are you going to get it through your thick skull I don't need to be coddled?" Lois asked; a weary tone in her voice, calmly rocking and rubbing the gentle swell of her abdomen. "When you do, it makes me feel like you don't trust me to take care of this little guy here."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He came to a stop next to the bench as the gentle breeze caught her hair and she pushed it away impatiently from her face with her free hand. "I honestly don't mean to make you feel that way; I just can't seem to help it. I am overprotective because the both of you mean more to me than anything."
"I know we do." Lois patted the space next to her. "Sit."
Clark sat down with as much distance between them as he could manage, but she scoot next to him to close that distance and took his hand. With her other hand, she cupped his cheek to keep his attention.
"I do love you for wanting to take care of us, but you have to trust I'm not overdoing it. Dr. Francis and your mom are already making sure I don't, so what I need from you is to love and support me as you always have. And if by chance I want a little bit of coddling, I'll ask for it."
That was fair.
"Okay?" She brushed her thumb across his cheek and he couldn't help but curl his hand around hers and turn his face into her touch.
"Okay." He nodded and then kissed her palm.
"Okay." She repeated and he couldn't help but smile at the breathless sound in her voice. "How is it that I can never stay mad at you?"
"Because you know I'm not trying to drive you crazy," He laughed softly and took her hand into his. "It just works out that way."
"I know." And her faced burned bright. "There is another way you drive me crazy though, but I don't mind."
"If you'll allow me to bring the wash basket out here to you," He put up a gentle hand to ward off any objections he was sure were about to come. "Only to save time; I'll get the midday milking done and meet you in the kitchen for lunch before we go upstairs." He held out his hand. "Agreed?"
"Agreed," Lois slipped her hand into his and they shook. "And since you're being so sweet, I'll be sure to give you an extra special thank you."
"Which means it's only fair that I return it twofold." He kissed the back of her fingers. "Don't you think?"
"Until we got married, I never would have dreamed you could be so good at seducing a woman." She had to clear her throat before she could get the words out and Clark felt his face flush as he leaned close.
"That's because," He brushed his lips lightly over the shell of her ear. "No other woman before you was worth the effort."
To be truthful; it had never occurred to him to really try. But the way his beautiful, fiercely independent and expectant bride reacted when he did something she thought so out of character for him, it made him much bolder than he would otherwise be.
"I suppose I should be flattered," Her breathy voice dropped to a whisper. "Your wanting to make love to me in the middle of the day?"
"I was hoping," His lips brushed lightly over her temple and traveled down to her cheek. "You'd feel that way."
She answered with a nod, apparently having lost her power of speech. She was putty in his hands; for the moment. However, it could all swing in her favor before he even realized it. "Laundry."
He shook his head slightly, "Kiss."
And without a word of protest she agreed again; passionately.
He wasn't exactly sure how Lois ended up in his lap, but Clark wasn't about to complain. The feel of her arms around his neck; her soft, warm skin scented with his mother's handmade soap as damp lips caressed his were intoxicating, while he skimmed his hands the length and breadth of her back.
When one of his roaming hands rounded her bottom and skimmed down a leg unencumbered with a stocking and garter, Lois shook her head. "Laundry and milking first, Handsome; we agreed."
"I changed my mind." He smoothly worked his hand under her dress and her slip, moving fingers up toward her hip, until a firm touch stopped him.
"I haven't." She pressed her cheek to his and when he tried to advance a little more, Lois shook her head and caught his eye; grasping his questing fingers. "Work always comes before play; you know that better than I do. And seeing as how we're going to be upstairs for awhile, the three of us need to eat."
She was right, of course and he laughed. "I guess one of us needs to be the voice of reason."
"And it's usually you." She brushed a kiss over his lips and a hand over his cheek. "But seeing as how I am carrying our little bundle of joy here; this time it has to be me."
Clark pulled his hand out from under her dress so he could rest it on the evidence of that precious bundle. "I'm so glad it's you."
With that said he set Lois on her feet, stood up and she smiled at him.
"You mentioned something about a basket?"
"Whatever my lady wife wishes," He took her hand in his and kissed her fingers; the roses blooming across her bemused features as her eyes sparkled at him.
"Lady Wife, I like that," She admitted with a soft smile. "I like the whole notion of chivalry and courting and winning a lady's favor."
"Are you telling me that I missed one of those?" He smiled back with a teasing grin. "I'll admit our courtship wasn't exactly traditional, but I did think I'd won your favor."
"Oh, you most certainly did." Lois put her free hand on his chest; over his heart. "And I won this."
"It didn't put up much of a struggle." Clark made an admission of his own and covered her hand with his. "It was yours the night we met; it just took my head a while to stop arguing about it."
"Because you had to tie up loose ends first," She reminded him gently, brushing a light hand against the soft fabric of his tee shirt. "That was where the chivalry came in." And she giggled. "So no, G-man; you didn't miss any of them."
"I wouldn't be your knight in shining armor if I had." He laughed softly at the slightly silly path their conversation had taken before Lois leaned up and kissed him.
"But I'm no damsel in distress; remember that." She laughed again. "I'm just a lady-in-waiting."
"I'll remember." He promised her. "And as difficult as it'll be, I promise no more coddling; unless you ask."
"I'll get you trained yet." Lois brought her hand up to grasp his chin. "Whether you realize it or not, you're putty in my hands."
Favor shifts to Lois Kent.
An unexpectedly strong gust of wind got Clark to look up and he frowned at the sight of gray clouds developing on the far horizon. It looked as though they might be in for a storm later on in the day and he hoped it wouldn't spoil his parent's time in Granville.
"What do you see?" Lois had turned to see what had gotten his attention.
"Those clouds coming in," He pointed out the dark formations to her. "We could be getting some rain later."
"And it could help the crops or hurt them," She touched his arm. "Is that it?"
"Or wreck Mom and Dad's trip." He looked at her and sighed.
"That, too," She looked back at the clouds and frowned. "Would you mind helping me hang the sheets then? It's a warm day, so it shouldn't take them long to dry. That way, I should be able to get them in before it starts to rain."
"I'll be happy to." Clark leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Between the two of them, the freshly laundered sheets and pillowcases were hung in no time. After she'd cast a critical eye on the job they'd done and declared herself satisfied, Lois carried the empty basket inside.
Clark jogged around the side of the house and headed for the barn to milk Bessie, who had already begun to protest his late arrival. "Sorry, girl; my wife is a little distracting." He apologized with a smile and gently patted her flank before he grabbed the milking stool and set the pail underneath her teats. "And she always wants to prove it."
By the time he'd finished and was carrying the full bucket to the service porch, Lois stepped out the front door and called to him that lunch was ready. Then she added with a laugh, "Hurry it up, buster; we've got things to do."
They had all the time in the world.