Eleusinian Mystery

Disclaimer: I still own nothing from Smallville. All characters are property of DC Comics, The WB and The CW. Please don't sue me!

A/N: I want to thank Jenna (Angels Blue Eyed Girl) for her fantastic Beta work. She takes the crap I send her and makes it amazing! Thank you girl…Love ya!

A/N 2: Wow the reviews this is getting are totally spurring me on. I've actually added more to this fic. The epilogue is done…everything is done and I'm making some scenes longer and more intense. You are all inspiring me with your thoughtful comments and feedback. Thank you. :)

I want to give a couple of special shout outs to (of course) LoisNClark4Ever for your wonderful and always inspiring reviews. Girl, you just make me feel good whenever I get your feedback. It's like chocolate...I savor every word, hon. Thank you!

I also wanted to thank clarkfan325 for the thought provoking comments you left. I love it when someone asks questions, because it keeps me honest and true to the story. Thank you. I will be revealing what happened with Lois, but I can't do it too soon...Jor-El would probably make Clark send her back or something-right? ;)

And to madcloisfan...who left another interesting review. I liked the comment you made about Lex only marrying Lana to make Clark unhappy and (if you don't mind?) I would like to incorporate that idea into this fic. It's sheer brilliance and (lol) it knocks the pink princess down a peg or two! ;) :)

Okay…I know, I need to send out my pm's and a thank you to everyone...ugh...I am sadly slacking, but I wanted to get this chapter pre-edited and sent to Jen for beta editing... Hope you guys will forgive me, but I promise...tonight, I will get on thanking everyone individually. You're feedback means so much, I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. :)

Okay, now on with the show: This is a big chapter guys...settle in and enjoy. :)

******************************************Clois*** ************************************

Part 4

Kent Farm:

While Lois was in the shower, Clark explained to his mother how he was going to tell Lois everything. He also told her what he'd learned from Jor-El earlier.

The Kent matriarch couldn't agree more. Lois needed to know the truth. She was having Clark's child—with that came a slew of complications a normal pregnancy didn't have. She also believed (as Clark did) that Lois would keep his secret—after all it was kind of *their* secret now. However, Martha was a little worried about Clark bringing Lois to his Kryptonian father. Jor-El had hurt Jonathan years ago and he'd hurt Clark too, (many times actually) and all in the name of giving Clark a trial to test his worthiness. Who knew what he might do to Lois? She was carrying the first (ever) Human-Kryptonian child. Martha was worried how Jor-El might react to that.

Martha's expression showed her trepidation with that part of Clark's plan. "Sweetheart, I understand you wanting the answers that Jor-El might be able to provide, but you don't think he'd try and keep her there or do anything to her, do you?"

Clark pondered that for a moment, because truthfully, it had been something he'd debated too. After a moment he shook his head. "No. I don't think so, but I'll be careful, mom."

Suddenly Martha stopped and her worried expression made her features tighten with anxiety. "Clark, you didn't tell Jor-El that you don't remember creating the baby, did you?"

He shook his head. "No. I thought about it, hoping he could answer my questions about it, but I decided not to. I was afraid he might take that as a reason to make Lois into a test subject for one of his Kryptonian trials." Clark made a face. "We both know what Jor-El is capable of, and I would never want to put Lois through that."

Martha breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I know he says he wants to help, but I still find it hard to trust him."

"I know, mom. That's why I didn't mention it," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Trust me. As far as Jor-El knows Lois is my…um…girlfriend." As he said those words for the first time, Clark couldn't help but chuckle.

"What? Why are you grinning like that?" Martha asked, smiling in response to his infectious grin, despite not knowing *why* he was grinning.

"Nothing," he replied, but he was still smiling. "It's just…saying that…Lois, and…my girlfriend…in the same sentence... I never would have thought those words would ever come out of my mouth," he said with another chuckle.

Martha laughed softly too. "I can imagine, but things change. You said it yourself."

Clark sighed and shook his head again as if still amazed. "Yeah, they certainly have." Then, as if remembering what they had been talking about, his face became serious again. "But, one thing that hasn't changed is Jor-El. I want his help to make sure Lois will be safe having my baby, but I will not let him take Lois or my child from me, mom. I can promise you that."

Martha nodded. "I know you won't, sweetheart. Lois is carrying my grandchild and the last thing I want to see happen is for Jor-El to decide Lois needs to be put through some kind of trial or that the child should be raised Kryptonian or something along those lines. I still remember what he did to you all those years ago—branding your chest with that symbol…" Martha shuddered. "Your father never really trusted him and I just want you to be cautious, sweetheart. Lois and your child's lives may depend on it."

All of a sudden, Clark and Martha's hair blew back and there was Lois, standing right next to them. Clark jumped a bit, and in that instant, he had a clear picture of how unnerving his sudden appearances could be.

Lois saw their looks of shock and shrugged. "Sorry, I heard you talking about me upstairs and next thing I knew—I was here." She glanced at Clark. "How long does it take to get a hang on this super-speed thing anyways? Coz it's kind of weird when my feet start moving before I'm even conscious I'm going anywhere!"

Clark couldn't help but grin. He remembered that too. "I'll help you get control of it," he told her. "So…you could…um…hear us from upstairs?" he asked, glancing at his mother knowingly.

"Yeah," Lois answered, a frown marring her brow. "That's weird huh? So, I guess this another super-power I'm getting because of the baby?"

Clark shifted uncomfortably. He'd had a couple of years to deal with his powers…Lois was getting them all in a rush and he felt guilt close in on him. His face went blank as he tried to come up with an easy way to tell Lois what she was in store for.

Martha, recognizing Clark's empty stare and knowing it meant he had no answer to offer up, got up from her seat and offered Lois a distraction. "Lois, I saved you a plate for lunch…I thought you might be hungry after your…uh…adventure."

Immediately Lois's entire demeanor changed and a huge smile infused her pretty face. "Did you? Oh thank you, Mrs. K. I'm starved! I feel like I could eat a horse or even half the corn in Kansas right about now!" she joked.

Lois took the chair Martha had vacated and turned to Clark, not sidetracked after all. "Since we seem to be bypassing the whole 'why am I super-powered' question," she said, leaning her elbows on the table and meeting Clark's gaze head on. "How about you tell me what you mean when you say me and my baby's life depends on something this Joe-El person decides? Something like what, Clark? What else aren't you telling me?"

Clark swallowed hard. It was time. Do or die. Lois might reject him right now and decide she'd be crazy to have his child…but she needed to know the truth. He took a deep breath, trying to fortify himself to actually tell her all about himself.

"His name is Jor-El, Lois, and I'm not by-passing the super-powered question," he started, "It' just…I'm really trying to figure out *how* to tell you."

"How about you start at the beginning," she suggested.

Clark sighed, but nodded his head in agreement. "Okay. Well…" he floundered and then he thought about something she'd said to him once. "Do you remember how you once told me you wouldn't mind if Oliver was from Mars—?"

"Okay Smallville, I said start at the beginning of *your* story. What does something I said about Oliver have to do with you or what's happening to me?"

"Nothing," he said, "It's just…what you said that day… You said 'he could be from Mars and you'd probably find it an endearing quirk'."

"Yeah and…" Lois prompted, "Still waiting for you to tie that into you and me and now."

"Well, it ties in because…you see, Lois, I'm not from around here…" Clark started hesitantly. He nervously wiped his palms on his jean clad thighs. "As a matter of fact I'm—"

"Don't tell me you're from another planet, Clark," Lois cut in, snorting with laughter. "I mean I knew you were weird, but an alien? C'mon! I think you're taking 'Men are from Mars and Women from Venus' a little too literally."

Clark's jaw tightened and he looked away. "You know what…never mind," he growled.

Lois stared, as if realizing she'd just insulted him somehow. "Clark…?"

Martha jumped in to ease the tension as she placed Lois's plate in front of her. "Maybe it'd be easier if I started the story," she said softly. Before Clark could answer, Martha turned to Lois. "You see Lois, Clark is serious when he says he isn't from around here. He wasn't adopted normally. We found him or…I guess you could say," she glanced down at her son and smiled lovingly at him, "he found us the day of the meteor shower."

Lois froze as she was taking a bite of the roast beef sandwich Martha had served her. "So…wait…you're meteor infected?"

Clark could see her fear and understood it. Nearly every meteor infected person they had met had turned into some kind of homicidal maniac. "Not exactly," he said.

"No, Lois, Clark wasn't infected by the meteors. He arrived with them… In a ship."

Lois set her sandwich back on her plate and gaped at Clark. "You're serious? You're really an alien from another planet?!" She leaned back in her seat, her sandwich all but forgotten. "Whoa."

Clark fidgeted restlessly, unsure what to make of the flustered look on Lois's expressive face. "I uh…kind of prefer Intergalactic Traveler," Clark said, "but yeah, I'm from a planet called Krypton." Lois still hadn't responded. "Lois, are you okay?"

She snapped her gaze back to him. "Uh…yeah…sorry, just kind of spacing out on the whole my baby is an alien thing." She waved a hand. "Okay…so you were saying…you came here on a space ship…"

Martha smirked at Lois's flippant, yet honest reply. "Yes. You see Lois, Clark's planet exploded when he was a baby," Martha explained, "and the meteors were part of his planet that came with him when his biological parents sent him here…to Earth."

Lois's gaze went back and forth between Martha and Clark for a moment. "Wow! That's…crazy and…totally amazing," she said, a slow smile curling her lips upwards. "So, our baby is like the last child of this planet?" Her gaze went to Clark, and he was happy to see she wasn't scared or horrified. If anything she looked…excited.

Clark shook his head, a slow smile curling his lips at her reactions so far. "Actually, that would be me. I am the last full Kryptonian son, but our baby will be the first child born between a Human and a Kryptonian. I never even thought it was possible," Clark added quietly, staring intently at Lois.

Shifting uncomfortably under his scrutiny, Lois looked at Martha instead. "So you and Mr. K. found Clark when he was a baby and decided to take him home?"

Martha smiled fondly at the memory. "Well, actually he was three years old…apparently it takes three years to reach Earth from where Krypton was…and like I said before, Clark kind of found us. Jonathan and I had an accident when the meteors started coming down. Our truck was upside down in a ditch with only our seat belts keeping us in our seats…and then we looked over and there was this precious little boy kneeling next to the window, staring inside." She glanced at Clark and the love between them was obvious. Martha chuckled softly. "He was naked and just wandering around in the corn fields. He was so sweet and innocent…Jonathan and I decided then and there we had to take care of him."

Chuckling softly, Lois shot Clark a sly grin. "Jeez Smallville, is this a trend with you? Coz I seem to remember finding you in a cornfield in pretty much the same condition, except you were *definitely* full grown then!" she chortled.

At Lois's unfiltered comment, Clark went beet red, and when Lois realized how that might sound to Martha, she flushed too. "I—oh God, Mrs. K., I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I kept my eyes glued to his face! I swear!" she assured in a mad rush that made Clark groan out loud with embarrassment.

It was rare to see Lois flustered. She was usually so unrepentantly brazen, and Martha found she couldn't resist teasing the younger woman a bit—after all she *was* family now. "Lois. You're having Clark's baby. I think we're past the 'have you ever seen my son naked?' question. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Mom!" Clark yelped, eyes bulging and if possible turning an even brighter hue of scarlet.

He'd have never believed his mother would say something like that!

Lois, on the other hand, laughed uproariously. "Well, touché Mrs. K.," she said, leaning back in her seat and openly giving the older woman props for handling her off-color comment the way she had. "How about…I promise to keep my foot out of my mouth and you continue the story?"

Martha agreed and Clark breathed a sigh of relief as the conversation moved on from anything having to do with him naked.

Martha went on to tell Lois how she and Jonathan brought Clark and his space ship home. She also explained how he started developing powers at an early age and that's when they knew they had to be extra careful with him because of his abilities. She told Lois how they'd revealed the truth of his origins to Clark when he was fourteen and then made sure he understood to always protect his secret or else someone could come and take him away.

Clark cut in then and made sure Lois understood how important it had always been for him to hide his powers. He told her how hard it had been at times, because the people closest to him—besides his parents—were always questioning him on how he did the things he did. He reminded her that she would have to be careful too.

"Lois, if someone catches you using your powers—they'll take you and the baby. Maybe even me too." He reached across the table and took her hand. "You have to be careful, but I promise…I'll be here to help you every step of the way."

Lois nodded. "You better," she teased, but inside she was quaking in anxiety as she started to get the gist of what a *huge* change to her life this baby was really going to make. And not just in the 'Oh my God-me and Smallville are having a kid together' kind of way. Clark was some kind of Super-Hero; an alien from another planet who helped people, instead of using his powers to control those around him. It astounded Lois, and she was a bit embarrassed at all the times she'd teased him for having no purpose in life.

"I never saw it. I should have and I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, frowning.

"For making things so difficult for you," she told him, biting her lip. "Having me here…invading your space…always mocking you and teasing you…" She looked sad and Clark's frown deepened. "That must have been really hard on you. You couldn't really be yourself," she said softly. "And yet… you still protected me, didn't you?" Clark nodded and Lois sighed as (in hindsight) it became clear. "All those times…when I got myself into one scrape after another, but somehow made it out alive…" She shook her head slowly, amazed. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"I couldn't let anything happen to you," he told her, confirming her suspicions.

"Clark, you're incredible. I'm sorry I never got that before, but I do now."

Clark blushed shyly. He was uncomfortable at being called incredible, but Martha's beaming expression said she was more than pleased at Lois's acceptance of her son. It was exactly what she'd hoped for.

"Yes, he is," the elder woman agreed. "Jonathan and I used to worry about him. He wanted to save everyone, but he couldn't. And, as he got older, it became harder and harder to keep people from finding out about him."

Lois nodded in understanding; seeing Clark with new eyes. "I can't even imagine it."

Still uncomfortable with the awe in Lois's eyes, Clark shifted in his seat. "It was, but it wasn't that bad. I mean, I had my parents and then Pete…"

"But still…you had to think you'd never be able to really share who you were," Lois said. "Did you ever tell Lana?" she asked curiously.

Clark hesitated, but decided against telling her the story of 'the day that wasn't'. "No. It never seemed right. And then, I just kind of started to accept that I might always be alone."

Lois took his hand. "You're not alone, Clark. You never have been and you never will be."

Martha watched her son's face change from one of melancholy to one of relief and then happiness. His eyes sparkled and his smile just lit up his face.

"Thank you," he said huskily.

At that point, Martha made up an excuse to go upstairs and give them some privacy.

******************************Clois*************** ****************

Once his mother was out of the room, Clark turned his hand in hers, lacing their fingers and holding Lois's hand in his much larger one. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked, studying her face for her reaction. "It's got to be a lot for you to take in. The fact that I'm from another planet and that our baby is going to have the same abilities as me…always having to hide who he or she is?"

Clark sighed softly. "Lois, I'd understand if this was too much or if you were completely freaked out."

Lois shook her head. "Strangely enough, I'm not as freaked about it as I was. Not anymore." She gave him a teasing smile, "Actually it's kind of cool. My baby's daddy is an Intergalactic Powerhouse—it's like dating David Coverdale, or something."

Clark grinned. He'd never been more grateful for Lois's 'take no prisoners' approach to life and he'd also never wanted to kiss her more, so he did. He leaned across the kitchen counter and pressed his lips gently against hers. For a moment, Lois was frozen in shock and then she opened her mouth to him and they tentatively started to explore each other. It started out slow, but there had always been so much sexual tension between them, all it took was a spark, or in this instance, a kiss…and their passion exploded quickly. Clark's tongue swept into her mouth and Lois moaned, her tongue entangling with his while scooting up to reach across the table and take hold of his jacket. She pulled him closer, angling her head to give him better access to her lips. Clark groaned and got to his feet, tunneling his fingers through her hair as he deepened the kiss further. Lips meshed, teeth clashed and tongues dueled for dominance as they kissed over and over, neither of them coming up for air while their mouths mated hotly.

It was exquisitely profound, for both of them.

Finally, Lois broke away and collapsed back onto her chair. She fanned herself, breathing heavily. "Wow! Give a girl some warning before laying one on me like that," she joked, but there was a flush to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled playfully. Her lashes lowered and she looked down and then up at him again, as if judging how that kiss had affected him, too.

Clark licked his lips. His heart was racing and he wanted more. He wanted to carry her upstairs to his room and…well, recapture the lost memories of their night together…but he couldn't do that. So he settled for starting over and making new memories. He reached for her hand again, his eyes gazing heavily into hers. "Lois, I know we've done all this backwards, but..."

Lois let him hold her hand, barely managing to ignore the sizzle that zinged up her spine when he touched her again. "But what?" she asked, clearing her throat to rid it of the breathless huskiness she could hear there.

Clark was terrified. What if she shot him down? "But…" he said, gathering up all his courage, "can I take you out…you know…for a…date?" When Lois hesitated, Clark rushed on, his words coming out at warp speed in one long breathless sentence. "I just—well you've accepted my secret and we're having a baby together so I think we should get to know each other better and a date seems like a good place to start."

Lois was quiet for so long, Clark began to squirm in his seat. "Please say something."

"Are you sure?"

"Lois…" Clark began, but Lois cut him off.

Lois pulled her hand from his—it was easier to think when he wasn't touching her. "No. Hear me out, Clark. Yeah, we're having a baby, but we can stay friends and do that without adding anything else to our relationship, *but*," she emphasized the word. "If we start dating...we'll be crossing the friendship line. You get that, right?"

Clark's lips quirked, "Uh…Lois, I think we already did that when I got you pregnant," he reminded her teasingly.

Lois rolled her eyes in return. "Point noted," she admitted dryly. "But, if I say yes and it ends badly or is all awkward and weird… Will we still be okay? I don't want us to lose this…quasi-friendship we have, Smallville. We can't hate each other and raise a baby together."

Sensing her defenses were crumbling, Clark took hold of her hand again. "Just go on one date with me. If you decide you just want to stay friends…we can do that, and it'll be okay," he told her softly.

Lois gave in with a sigh. "Alright, Smallville," she said, "I'll go on a date with you, but you're gonna have to take me somewhere nice so I can dress up while I still have the figure to pull off looking hot!"

Clark visibly sagged in relief at her reply and he nodded eagerly. "Wherever you want," he said, flashing his boyish grin.

He'd been so scared she'd reject him, but she hadn't. She hadn't even really grilled him for answers when he'd been telling her about himself. Clark had never had anyone accept him so easily. Maybe, with Lois, he might find something better than he'd ever imagined. And not just about the baby. In Lois—he might actually have a partner that *truly* accepted him for what he was and didn't demand answers from him in order to be with her.

It was liberating.

They set a date for Friday night. And later, when Clark went to bed that night, it was the first time, in a very long time, that not one thought of Lana Lang crossed his mind.

**********************Clois********************

March 27th, 2007

The week before their date passed quickly. Clark took Lois to see Jor-El a few days after he revealed all to her. He was looking forward to finding out if all was good with Lois, but dreading it in equal measures. What if Jor-El said she couldn't carry his child? Clark didn't know what he would do. He was already excited about the baby—more than excited actually, but before he became any more attached…he had to know Lois would be safe. Truthfully, the examination was as much for his self-preservation, as it was for Lois's. If Jor-El said the baby would kill Lois—that just might destroy him if he was too invested.

Clark had to be sure.

The morning he was to take her, he instructed Lois to dress warm, and after breakfast, he whisked her away to the fortress.

They entered the chamber hand in hand. "Jor-El," Clark called out, announcing his presence.

"Kal-El, I see you have brought your mate with you," Jor-El's voice said, rebounding off the crystals and making Lois look around as she tried to figure out where it was coming from.

"Smallville," she whispered, "where is he? And what is it with this whole 'mate' thing? That freak at the fight club said that too. And why is he calling you Kal-El? Who's Kal-El?"

Clark grinned as Lois fired off her questions like a machine gun spitting bullets.

When he didn't answer right away, she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well…?"

"Well, what?" he replied. "Which of those would you like answered first?"

Lois started tapping her foot impatiently and Clark chuckled. He still enjoyed pushing her buttons. She looked like she was about to get hostile though, so he went on with the explanation. "Lois, I'm kidding. Kal-El is me. It's my Kryptonian name. And, as for the mate thing…well, we aren't married, so…"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Whatever, but don't even think you can get away with calling me that!" She took in the crystals of the ice structure. "So…this is where your father is?" Clark nodded. "Where exactly?" she asked, turning in a circle as she looked around. She pointed to a huge column of ice. "Hiding behind one of those crystals?"

Clark laughed softly, but before he could explain, Jor-El's voice interrupted, answering her question.

"I am not technically here, Lois Lane; at least not in the physical sense. I am a mind construct here to guide Kal-El on his journey."

Lois turned to Clark. "Huh?"

"He's an Artificial Intelligence," Clark explained. "A symbol and voice of Jor-El, my Kryptonian father…when I need guidance I come here for it."

"Alrighty-then," Lois said looking around. "This place…it looks familiar. Why do I recognize—?" Lois suddenly gasped. "This is Heaven!" She rounded on Clark and poked him in the chest. "You knew I wasn't hallucinating when I told you I'd been here! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Clark cringed. He had totally forgotten Lois had been here before.

"Lois Lane," Jor-El said, interrupting her tirade, much to Clark's relief. "I remember you. I brought you and Martha Kent here to heal after your plane crashed. You are a worthy mate for my son. You helped to save the life of his Earth mother. Without you, Martha Kent would have perished after the crash."

Clark was stunned at that. "Lois…what does he mean?" he asked, wondering why she'd never said anything.

"Hey don't look at me. All I remember about that night was trying to get the oxygen masks to release and then waking up here. It was your mom that saved us, not me!"

Clark could see she was telling the truth, except, Jor-El rarely gave out compliments—and never those that weren't earned. If Lois didn't remember it—then how did she save his mother?

Jor-El answered that with his next words. "Lois Lane, you completed your mission and provided Martha Kent with the oxygen she needed to breathe. It was only after you both survived the crash that Martha Kent brought you to me."

Clark stared down at Lois with newfound respect and awe, unsure of what to say at this startling new development. He'd never known…

Jor-El didn't give him a chance to say anything however. "Kal-El," he said, interrupting Clark's thoughts, "you are letting your human emotions gain control again. Your mate is strong for a human, but we must discover if she carries a true Kryptonian child, and if so, we must determine if she can carry the child."

"The child is mine," Clark stated firmly. "My blood is affecting Lois's. A human doctor has already done a DNA match. The child carries Kryptonian DNA."

"I do not have the same faith in human technology that you have, my son. I will tell you today whether she carries your child."

The console started to glow and Lois's eyes were drawn to it.

"Um…Smallville…what is that?"

One crystal went hot pink and Clark pulled it from the console. "This is the crystal that will open a medical chamber," he said, nervously glancing at Lois to gauge her reaction to all this.

Her eyes went wide as the cylindrical tube appeared out of the icy wall.

"Step into the chamber Lois Lane and I will examine you now," Jor-El said.

"Okay, hold up a minute…" She turned to Clark, "just what does he mean by examine me?" Lois asked, backing away, her expression wary.

"Lois…you have to do this," Clark said, trying to lead her to the chamber.

However, Lois wasn't having it and dug her heels in. "No, I don't Kal-El!" She stressed his Kryptonian name. "At least not until you tell me what he means. You said we were coming here to meet your father. Not be examined by him." She crossed her arms and shot him a dirty look. "I'm not getting probed, Smallville! Not even for you!"

Clark couldn't help the small chuckle that burst forth. "Lois…it's not like that. I promise."

Lois still looked suspicious, so to ease both her apprehensions, Clark indulged in rare form of flirting by winking at her mischievously. "You're not going to be probed, Lois." He leaned down so that his mouth was right by her ear. "That is…unless you want me to later!"

Lois's jaw dropped, but then she started to chuckle huskily. "Okay, who are you? And what have you done with Clark Kent?" she teased, giggling with Clark as they played their usual game of bantering with each other.

Suddenly Jor-El's voice boomed out. "Lois Lane. My son has human feelings for you, and because of that he has been remiss in telling you that carrying his child could kill your human body."

Lois and Clark's laughter died a quick and brutal death.

"What is he talking about?" Lois gasped, and a shiver, that had nothing to do with the temperature, raced through her.

"Jor-El!" Clark shouted, infuriated that his father would scare Lois like that.

"If she is carrying the last heir to Krypton, Kal-El, then she must be prepared," Jor-El replied calmly. "Lois Lane. I would like to ensure that you do indeed carry my son's child, and if it is safe for you to do so, but I cannot perform this procedure without your consent. Do you give so now?"

Lois swallowed and her eyes went to Clark's. He grabbed her hand and squeezed, giving her his silent support. Lois nodded. "Yeah…okay, I consent, but…" She worried her bottom lip, "this isn't gonna hurt is it…Mr. um…Jor-El?"

"You may simply call me Jor-El, Lois Lane. And to answer your question, no, your body will feel no pain during the procedure."

Lois looked immensely relieved. "Well…that's promising," she said softly. "And you can just call me Lois. Lois Lane is for my by-line, not my um…what would you be? My baby's artificial grandpa?"

Clark rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He was pretty sure Jor-El had never met anyone like Lois.

"Very well then, Lois," Jor-El said, interrupting the moment. "Please step into the medical chamber."

Lois allowed Clark lead her to the chamber and stepped inside. She took a deep breath and gave Clark one last look. "I swear if anything is inserted or withdrawn from me, Smallville…you're so dead!"

Clark chuckled, but inside he was nervous too. So many things could go wrong. Jor-El could say Lois couldn't carry his child. Or, as Martha feared, he could say he wanted Lois to perform a test or keep her to monitor her or something… Clark was edgy and apprehensive, and he just hoped this situation didn't go wrong, like so many others he'd had where his biological father was concerned.

The tube slid closed with a soft swish, and while the procedure took less than a minute, Clark still paced back and forth in front of the chamber like a caged tiger the entire time Lois was inside.

Once the examination was completed, and Lois was given a clean bill of health, Jor-El confirmed the baby was indeed half Kryptonian.

"The child is yours Kal-El," his biological father said and for a moment, Clark could have sworn he heard a hint of pride or (dare he think it) affection in that clinical voice.

"Will having my child harm her?" Clark asked softly, his entire body tensing up as he waited for his father to answer. Lois slipped her hand in his and squeezed. Clark gave her a grateful look as he squeezed back.

"I have found no physiological reasoning to tell me that Lois cannot carry your son to full term," Jor-El answered. "He is receiving the powers from the yellow sun, and although his powers will affect Lois while he is in her womb, I do not see any damage to her internally."

Both Clark and Lois had faded out for a moment when Jor-El had said 'Your son'.

"It's a boy?" Clark asked softly, eyes wide with awe and relief.

"Way to ruin the surprise…" Lois muttered softly, even though she was smiling, too.

Just then another voice came from the console; a woman's voice. "Kal-El…my son…I am so happy for you."

Lois and Clark stared in shock as a holographic image of a beautiful blonde woman suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Mother?" Clark asked, stumbling a bit as he took a step forward, towards the image.

Lois let go of his hand, sensing this was something totally unexpected.

The woman smiled lovingly. "Yes, my son. I am Lara Von-El and I am your mother."

Lois took a quick look around the ice structure. "Clark, have you got any other relatives lurking around here you might want to tell me about?"

"Lois!" Clark hissed, embarrassed.

But, Lara chuckled softly, her image glancing towards Lois. "Lois Lane. It is good to meet you. You are good for Kal-El. Thank you for giving us this gift. You will make a good life partner for my son and through you and Kal-El'…Krypton will live on. It is more than Jor-El and I had hoped when we sent our son to Earth. My husband has not said it, but we are honored you are giving us a grandchild."

Lois nodded. "Thank you…um…"

"Please call me Lara," the image said.

"Okay Lara," Lois said nervously. "It's an honor to meet you…" She fidgeted a second, before speaking her mind. "But, you have to understand this is kind of weird for me. It's been a lot to comprehend over the last few days and finding out my baby is actually half alien—well, it was a shock, but if he's anything like Clark…" She glanced up at him and smiled, "then I'm sure he's going to be sweet and kind." She bit her lip and sighed, "But I do have a couple questions and maybe you can answer them for me."

"I will do my best, Lois. What are your concerns?" Lara replied.

"Well, here's the thing…when Clark…or Kal-El was born…he looked normal, right? I mean, my baby…he's not going to born with flippers or anything, is he?"

"Lois!" Clark exclaimed, rolling his eyes at her question.

"What Clark? Just because you look normal now, doesn't mean you were born that way. Maybe you had other parts that came off during your space trip." He gave her a look and Lois shrugged. "It could happen."

Lara Von-El's image smiled. "It could, but it did not, Lois. Kal-El looked like any other human child. That we are so close in physical appearances was one of the reasons Jor-El and I sent him to Earth. We knew he could blend in."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief and Clark realized this was something that had been worrying her.

"Lois, why didn't you tell me that you were worried about this?"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings, Smallville. Plus, I mean yeah, I'd wondered, but it wasn't like I was obsessing over it or anything."

Lara watched indulgently for a moment, before interrupting them. "Lois, I have a request—well two requests, actually. One: that you come here once a month and learn the ways of Kal-El's Kryptonian ancestors and two: that you allow Jor-El to examine you during that visit, so that we may be assured that all is well with our grandchild. Would that be agreeable to you?"

Clark looked to Lois and she nodded, not finding Lara's request untoward.

"If Lois does this…" Clark said, needing to make sure there was no hidden agenda in the seemingly innocent request. "Will she be put through any kind of trials or tests? Will she be questioned to see if she has learned the Kryptonian ways? And if she doesn't will that threaten us raising our son as a human-here on Earth?"

"No," Lara said. "I would be instructing her, Kal-El. Any tests she would be given would simply be me asking her questions to see if she remembered what we studied for the day. I would never ask of her what your father has asked of you, my son. I give you my word."

Lois believed her, but she still wanted the same assurances from Jor-El. She'd realized that he would be the stickler for things to be handled in the 'Kryptonian' ways. "Jor-El…" she called out like Clark did, "I'll agree to Lara's requests and I would even agree to allow you and her to meet our son…as long as nothing you ask of me, my son or Cla—um…Kal-El will hurt any of us. Just because I'm having your grandchild doesn't mean I'll let you hurt me or my family. As long as that's clear…I have no problem popping in here once a month for a physical and a history lesson."

Clark had never felt more proud of the woman standing by his side. He looked down at Lois and smiled broadly.

"You have chosen well, Kal-El," Jor-El's voice said, and then an image of a man with silver hair was there, standing beside Lara. He smiled at both Clark and Lois. "Lois Lane is bright and inquisitive. The type of mind we appreciated on Krypton. She will serve you well in helping you reach your destiny."

Chills raced up Clark's spine as he stared at the image of his biological father for the first time. Seeing him standing there, together with his mother was…amazing. But, it was also upsetting to Clark. "Why have you never showed yourself to me?" he asked.

Jor-El had always been somewhat of a cruel enigma—a voice that made demands. Maybe, had he been able to look at his father throughout some of his tribulations with him…he wouldn't have resented him so much.

Lara answered for her husband. "Kal-El, your father designed the construct for the sole purpose of being here to guide you in our ways, but in creating it…he focused on the mind and all things rational. He left out the heart."

Clark was stunned to see the image of his father gaze down at the blonde visage of his mother with adoration. "Your mother is the heart," he said softly, placing his arm around Lara's trim waist. "It was never my intention to leave that out in your studies."

Lara lovingly gazed up at her husband and they shared a small smile between them, before she turned back to her son. "Yes. I am, but your father programmed the construct to begin your Kryptonian trials before my lessons, Kal-El, and in order to access my image…it had to be for another reason besides your Kryptonian training." She smiled at Clark tenderly. "I know you have not welcomed your training, but it is necessary, Kal-El. You have truly turned into a man that I can be proud of, my son."

Clark took a step forward, but when he reached for her…his hand went right through her image. "I wish…" Clark swallowed thick. "I never got to know you…I wish I could have," he said quietly.

Lois took his hand in hers to console him. Clark held on to it tightly, grateful for her support.

"You can now. You may not be able to touch me, Kal-El, but I am here in spirit. I always have been. And now, you are making me a grandmother. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here and to share this news with you."

Jor-El and Lara Von-El smiled at their son and Lois. "You will be a symbol for peace and hope, Kal-El. With Lois Lane by your side…you will reach your destiny and fly. We are proud of you."

Clark's throat felt itchy and he blinked back a sudden wetness in his eyes. This day had turned out *far* differently than he had imagined. "Thank you," he said to both his parents.

"Good bye my son," Jor-El said.

"We love you," Lara said.

Just then two crystals within the console started to glow and Lara told Clark he could access their images through those crystals.

Clark almost reached for them immediately, wanting to keep them there, but he stopped himself, and their images faded.

The silence was deafening as Clark was left standing with Lois, just the two of them in the fortress. They were both quiet for a moment, Lois (for once) biting back any words she wanted to let go to fill the void, because she knew Clark needed a moment to absorb what had just happened.

"She was so…beautiful," he said softly, still staring at the spot where his mother's image had been. "And he said he was proud of me. He's never said that before."

Lois gave him an impulsive hug and Clark clung to her for a moment.

"Lois, thank you," he whispered against her hair, hugging her tight.

"That's what I'm here for Smallville. One save at a time," she quipped and then shivered form the cold.

Clark realized she was getting chilled and zipped her away from the Fortress and back to Metropolis, where they had lunch at a small outdoor café, and talking a bit about what had happened earlier with Clark's biological parents.

Clark told Lois a little bit about some of the tests Jor-El had put him through…

"See, that's why I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to make you prove yourself or something like that," he said. "He can be unpredictable. Jor-El isn't like Lara."

"So, today was the first time she's ever shown herself?"

"Yes," Clark nodded, a slow smile creeping across his face. "You know, I thought about meeting her so many times and I always believed she could never live up to the expectations I had of her…but she did."

"Clark, it's obvious she loves you and is proud of you."

"But she came to us today because of you, Lois." He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. "Thank you."

"No Clark," Lois refuted, holding his hand and squeezing it in support. "She came because you were ready to meet her and it was time. I'm just glad I was there and got to be a part of that." She rubbed her thumb along his palm, allowing the closeness between them to flow naturally. "For the record…I think your father is proud of you too. I just think he has a harder time expressing it than your mother does."

Her words soothed him and Clark barely resisted the urge to kiss her again. He wanted her, but he didn't want to rush her. So, instead he held her hand as they finished their lunch.

The next appointment Clark had lined up for Lois was Dr. Emil Hamilton; who had, for obvious reasons, agreed to see Lois throughout her pregnancy since she couldn't go to a normal OBGYN.

On that first visit, Dr. Hamilton did an initial sonogram, allowing Clark and Lois to actually hear their son's heartbeat and see his image on screen. It was a monumental experience for them both. Granted he was just a tiny fetus, but Clark couldn't keep the grin off his face as he stared at the image of his son on the monitor. Emil confirmed the baby appeared completely normal so far, though he was surprised they already knew the sex of the baby, since the sonogram couldn't pick that up—it was too soon. Clark explained how Jor-El had told them, and Lois and Clark shared a tender smile between the two of them as they listened to the strong thwap-thwap-thwap of their son's heartbeat.

****************************************Clois***** **********************************

Okay...now I know the date didn't happen and Lex wasn't in this chapter. *But* Jen reminded me of how Lana got the first meet and greet with Lara and we decided to give that to Lois in this fic. So...I added that entire part with Lara Von-El *after* I first sent this chapter to Jen for beta editing. I loved it, hope you did too. I also added the sonogram scene with Emil...I thought it should be seen-Lois and Clark's first reaction to hearing their son's heartbeat.

If anyone reading has had children-they know how incredible that is. My heart melted the 1st time I heard my son's heartbeat and it hasn't stopped since! ;)

Sneak peek. Next chapter: Lois and Clark clear the air about Lana and a lot of things. Lex gets suspicious. Lois and Clark *finally* have their date and Chloe comes around...

Stay tuned and remember...reviews are love people. :)