Chapter 23

Five days later Lois was back at work with the help of what she referred to as a temporary nanny. She had interviewed the many nannies she'd been researching during her lunch break every day. Clark was there with her every step of the way, but she ran the show, as usual. She was putting a lot of strain on herself trying to do everything, and he tried to take on some of the burden, but whenever he tried, she brushed him away and acted like he would mess things up.

Granted, there was nothing she didn't include him on, but she was panicked that one day a nanny might see the children display their powers, so she wanted a nanny with a certain personality that was something Lois was sure only she could comprehend. Clark could definitely see the mama lion in Lois these days and when necessary, gave her his input. He felt like she didn't need to be panicking at this stage, or any. And she certainly couldn't put her life on hold, just as Chloe had said, on the off chance that something may happen one day.

Her father, Chloe, and everyone else were right. She had to go back to work. So Clark let her do the interviews her way because that's what she needed to feel secure to fulfill her own destiny. And every night, they went home to their babies.

Within two weeks, Lois had found a nanny she would hire on a temporary basis, relieving the baby-sitter of her exhausting duties. Lois and Clark still wanted to find someone they liked enough to trust with their children on a long term basis. That would take real time. But for now, Lois liked this woman enough that she felt she could breathe.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chloe called her at work, informing her that she had a book she was writing, gaining Lois's instant approval. She wanted to finally have a real night out with Lois and Clark, leaving the children at home with the nanny, all as working adults again. Life had all been about Lois as a new mother of twins for three and a half months, Chloe wanted to celebrate that Lois was back at work and her own recent career path.

"I'd love to," Lois said into the phone, typing as she spoke, always the multi-tasker. "The four of us out at dinner sounds great, but I don't know that I can get the nanny to work at night. I may have to find an actual sitter again."

"Hey, you found the nanny, let Clark find the sitter. He is the father, he can pitch in."

"Now there's my cousin," Lois smiled into the phone.

"I don't care what you two do, just come out with us on Saturday night. It'll almost be like we were a year ago, before the fusion of Lois and Clark and the most precious twins in the world. You deserve that for one night."

"You're telling me. I have more work stacked on my desk than I've ever had in my life. So let me hang up with you before I get into something else! Marking Saturday, kiddo," and she hung up the phone.

XxX

"Lois! Get out of the baby's room! You've still got to get ready!"

"I am ready!" she called from across the hall.

"Then why is your dress still in here?"

"Because I wanted to scar my daughter by having her see me in a bra and underwear, Clark! Shut up and give me a minute!"

"You've been in there for more than fifteen minutes! I know you're just giving her attention and when you're done with her you'll go into Jonathan's room and we don't have time! The sitter will be here soon and you may want to have clothes on."

"Oh yeah?" she shouted back sarcastically.

"Tick tick!"

"Shut shut!"

Lois took three more minutes with Ellen, then five with Jonathan, and then did the fastest change into her white baby-doll dress ever. Slipping on gold heels, finally feeling that she could wear them again, and she was glad Clark towered over her so she could wear any size heel she wanted. She had just barely gotten her shoes on when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Why don't you get that?" Clark said, still in the bathroom.

Lois sighed. He was such a guy sometimes.

"Sure, I'm not doing anything."

Taking her heels off again, she made her way down the staircase to the front door. Opening it, she saw Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance.

"Hi," she said, put off a little. "Uh, are you coming out with us?"

"No, Clark called us. We're here to baby-sit."

Lois, with the door in her right hand, swayed it a little, not at all unhappy to see them, but momentarily irritated about being kept in the dark about her children's babysitters for the night.

"Clark!" she called up to the second floor.

"Take it you didn't know?" Dinah said with slight amusement.

"No, I never know. Come on in, good to have you as always. I know he chose you because it would make me know no one would keep my children safer, and I trust you both. You know that."

She served them drinks, giving them a run down of baby instructions as Clark came down the stairs holding Jonathan.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, he's just fussy," Clark said.

"What's wrong?" Lois asked, coming towards her son.

"No no no," Clark said, holding Jonathan back from her and then edging him over to Dinah. "If you take him we'll be here another twenty minutes," he told Lois. "And we're already behind schedule."

Lois sighed, knowing he was right. She saw her children less now, so the moments were more precious. Dinah easily took Jonathan, and Lois was calmed by that. Clark kissed the top of Lois's head and put a jacket over her shoulders.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

"We'll take care of them. Promise," Oliver said.

XxX

"Wow, my first night out at a nice restaurant with friends and family, post pregnancy. Jimmy, did you bring a camera?" Lois asked as Clark pushed her chair in, seating her beside Chloe.

"Was I supposed to? Taking the four thousand photos of the twins and hanging them all over the house isn't enough?"

Chloe smiled. "You enjoy that, Jimmy."

"I do make him work hard, I admit," Lois smiled.

"I do enjoy it, really," he grinned, reaching out for Chloe, who gladly took his hand in hers.

The waitress handed them their menus and began to take the beverage orders.

"I'd like to order a bottle of wine and champagne, so please bring us your full menu," Lois said. "Oh, and could I have a glass of water with lemon?"

Lois made everyone smile at her unique…was there even a word for Lois?

She turned back to Jimmy and Clark across from Chloe and herself, seeing Clark not in his seat.

"Where did Clark go?" she asked, looking around and feeling a tap on her shoulder and jumping slightly.

"Lois?" he asked, down on one knee, the ring box already out.

"Jimmy!" Chloe whispered, now upset that they hadn't brought the camera. Now they'd have to settle for the cell phone that he was now struggling to get out.

"Yes," Lois nodded, answering his unasked question without hesitation.

Clark smiled, looking down.

"Lois, let him ask the question," Chloe whispered, beside her.

"Sorry," she whispered and Clark grew serious again, taking her hand.

"I got this when I was away, always having the intention to be with you from the very first night we were together. I wanted to wait until you could believe it was for real, and not because of anything that wasn't just about you and me. I was naive for a long time, and I could've let go of the past and seen what was right in front of me. But I do now. I see everything I shouldn't be allowed to get within ten feet of because I'm not worthy. But if you'd stay with me, be with me, when you could literally have anyone else, I'd love you with all of my heart and everything else I possess."

He tipped the box open, revealing the four-karat pear shaped diamond ring with a platinum band inside. Lois placed a hand to her chest.

"Oh my God, is that real?"

Chloe and Jimmy burst out laughing.

"What?" she asked innocently. "What? Did I ruin the moment?" she asked, now feeling guilty.

"No," Clark grinned. "You just made it a 'Lois' moment."

He propped himself up so that he was at her height.

"Yes, yes it is real. It's not worth anything close to what you're worth, but it's yours."

He took her finger and slid the ring on gently, the butterflies in her stomach calming as he did so. She knew Clark, she could trust him. He tipped her face up and she met his baby blue eyes with her own.

"I love you," he said. "I won't hurt you."

His lips captured hers and the kiss quickly went from sweet to heated.

"Marry me, Lois."

"…yes…" she managed between succulent kisses.

Jimmy had gotten sixty-eight photos of the entire four minute event.

Clark pulled back, a thumb running over her swollen lower lip.

"I'm so moved by you," he told her honestly.

She didn't quite know how to reply, but she was touched that anyone could feel that way about her. She'd always felt like the screw-up, no matter what brave front she put on every day.

"I want to feel the way you make me feel," she replied.

He kissed her again. Chloe smiled, happy, and then saw the waitress.

"Uhh, the waitress is on her way back!"

When the waitress approached, Chloe took over.

"My cousin just got engaged! So we need a bit of a celebration."

"Yes, with the wine and champagne, of course! And congratulations."

"No, you don't understand," Chloe said. "The wine and champagne was before she got engaged," Chloe explained. "That'll be a starter round."

Clark couldn't take his eyes off Lois. She was actually too engrossed in what had happened to mind Chloe taking over. After ordering appetizers, Chloe excused herself and just as Clark was going to gush over his fiancé, Lois placed her napkin on the table.

"Hold on," she said, going after Chloe.

"Women, CK," Jimmy said, raising his glass to his lips.

Lois rushed after Chloe to the restroom, looking for her in the stalls.

"Chloe? You in here?"

Chloe came out then, confused.

"Yeah, I'm here. Something wrong?"

"That's what I'm here to ask."

Chloe quickly washed her hands and ringing them out, came over to Lois.

"What are you talking about? Shouldn't this be the happiest moments of your life?"

"I want to make sure you're okay. That you didn't leave at that moment because of this. Because of Clark."

"Clark?" Chloe questioned like it was the craziest thing in the world.

"Chloe!" Lois exclaimed. "Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about. The first time I was here in this crazy place you tried to kill me because of him. You said you went through this with Lana and you didn't want to go through it with me."

"Yeah, I was also on something at the time."

"Are you telling me there was no truth in that statement?"

She sighed. "Maybe in that moment, there was. But now I see the life you two have made. I saw almost immediately that it was either going to be you or Lana. I knew that. So please, don't stand here worrying about me because I am in love with the most wonderful man I have ever met."

Lois smiled, so happy for Chloe.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure about Jimmy for you. I didn't think he was good enough. But the way he stood by me throughout my pregnancy when I didn't have anyone to help me, he was there for me. He never let me down and he did that for you. So I stand by any relationship you want with him."

Chloe took Lois's hand. "Thank you. And look at you! So sure of love for once!"

Lois shrugged. "Well, I mean, it's my kids. There is no greater love than when you hold one of your children in your arms. It completes you. So everything after your love for your children, it's so much easier."

Lois exhaled, relieved that she finally felt that way.

XxX

Over food and wine, the future wedding was discussed.

"I want the children to be a part of it, able to walk, so that'll be a year from now at least, which is fine with me. That will give me more time to plan it."

"You want them to be able to walk at the wedding?" Clark asked.

"Well, don't you want them in little outfits participating as best they can? If we have to wait the usual six months, why not wait a year so they can be in the wedding party? Ellen could be a flower girl."

"Lois, she's not going to understand how to throw flowers down an aisle in that amount of time."

"I could walk with her," Chloe suggested.

"Yeah, it doesn't have to be perfect. But I'd like our children to have something to do with it besides sitting there doing nothing. I want them dressed up and being surrounded by it."

"Who else do you want in the wedding party? Bridesmaids?"

"I have to ask Lucy, obviously, and I have my girlfriends—"

"You going to have your dad walk you down the aisle?"

"HELL no!"

Chloe dropped her glass against the table and nearly spit out her wine.

"I guess that settles that," Clark said, looking at Chloe.

"Sorry," Lois said, pulling back a little. "But it's not like if I asked him he'd approve of it anyway. And after all the years of thinking I was a failure, you think he'd just magically want to do what a proud father would do? I don't think so. And honestly, I'm not sure he's earned the right."

"Well, who do you want to do that?"

Lois looked down, sadness taking over.

"What?" Chloe asked.

She shook her head sadly, dipping her head down. She pointed to Clark and then looked up.

"His dad," she said softly. "I mean his dad would've been the one I would've wanted."

"That would've been perfect," Clark nodded; he was missing his dad too. "I would've loved to have shared all of this with him. He'd be so overwhelmed, happy, and stunned that you could've made all of this happen. Yet he, more than anyone, trusted you to achieve big things in no time at all."

"I don't know, though, if he expected me to become a part of the family, but I really loved you all so much."

"Yeah, it was just me you couldn't stand," Clark teased.

"This is true," Lois nodded, teasing back.

"What are you going to do about Lucy?"

"What about her?" Lois said, drinking her wine.

"Not being maid of honor."

"Hey, I'm making her a bridesmaid, that's good enough. She's spent her life either competing with me, having me take care of her or having me get her out of the messes she got herself into. And, I've said it a thousand times, I do not want my daughter feeling the way she did, unwanted by her parents."

"Somehow I don't see that happening," Jimmy said.

Lois sliced a serving roll and Chloe could see her anger in the way she was cutting.

"I swear, one student or teacher that does one thing to my child, I'm going to storm in there and tear every hair out of their head, and that'll just be what I do to introduce myself. I want my kids to know I'm on their side no matter what."

"Well, yeah, that's great, but don't you think being so protective might shield your kids too much?" Jimmy asked.

Lois shook her head. "No, you don't understand. It's being taught all your life that you're worth nothing that makes you unable to truly stand up for yourself. Someone standing up for you, it makes all the difference in how you feel about yourself. I was lucky, though. My dad really did one thing right, which was to raise me to be strong in other ways. I just wish he could've also introduced love into that equation. I'm not going to make that same mistake."

"Just try not to get arrested either," Clark said, kissing her hand.

"She's already been arrested," Chloe remarked.

"How come I don't know this?" Jimmy said.

"Because I didn't know they were going to bring it up at the dinner table. See, the problem with them being best friends is that they bring up crap like that! Maybe I will make Lucy the maid of honor," Lois threatened.

"Ooh!" Chloe cooed. "Hey, it's a testament to you that you kept Lucy alive as long as you have."

"She wasn't always difficult," Lois said thoughtfully.

"Just most of the time," Clark added.

Lois tried not to agree, but she gave in.

"Yeah," she hesitated, and everyone laughed. "Well, hey, I was no princess either. I don't know why my daughter so far is such an easy baby."

"Lois, you're getting married," Chloe said.

Lois's eyes widened. "I know!"

"And what about your best friend?" Clark said to Chloe.

"You're marrying my cousin, Clark!" she cried. "Who would've thought after the way you two started?"

"Me," Jimmy said, raising his hand.

"And that's why you're the best man," Clark said.

Jimmy was stunned. "CK, you mean it?"

"You were good to Lois while I was gone—"

"He rubbed her feet," Chloe added in.

Clark looked at Lois, eyeing her a little.

"He did?"

"What? I was wearing pinching heels up until seven and a half months. Then I gave up and wore flat boots to work. My feet were killing me and he gave me foot massages. Chloe suggested it."

"You're responsible for another man touching her feet?" he said, looking at Chloe.

Lois rolled her eyes. "I was pregnant with twins, Clark, hardly the seduction scene."

"Did I just get booted out of the best man position?"

Clark smiled. "Of course not. But I'll be taking over massaging—"

"Clark!" Lois warned.

"Got it," he said, shutting up immediately.

Lois and Chloe laughed, Chloe more laughing at Lois, as a slightly tipsy Lois enjoyed driving her fiancé crazy.

"Are you going to be a nervous bride? Worrying about every little detail?"

"Probably obnoxious. Headstrong, detailed, but probably not nervous."

"Well, why don't you hire someone to take care of the details and you actually, I don't know, be the bride?" Clark asked.

"Uh, because it'll never get done the way it should if I don't do it myself?"

"You know, there are professionals who can do weddings."

"Yes, but this is my wedding, with our children and our friends. I'll have advice, but I can do events and it'll be cheaper if I do it."

"Yeah, but if you let someone help, you might enjoy your day."

"How long do you think they can actually go without arguing?" Chloe commented to Jimmy.

"I'm beginning to think it's foreplay for them."

"Dessert's on its way," Chloe said, slightly repulsed. "Could you refrain from talking about my cousin's sex life?"

"I'm just saying."

"You always thought it'd be them, didn't you?"

Jimmy tipped Chloe's face to him and kissed her. "And next, it'll be us."

Chloe smiled as dessert was served. They ate in celebration, and then Clark and Lois saw Jimmy and Chloe to their cars and drove home.

~~~~To Be Continued~~~~