Storm Clouds

 

By Lori McElhaney

The Daily Planet bustled with its usual activity. Except for one
member of the newsroom. Lois stared pensively at the words on her
computer screen. Mayor Appoints New Parks Commissioner ... she
sighed - not exactly front page news. She rubbed her swollen
stomach, "Baby, you'd better get here soon or you'll be born in a
nice room with padded walls," she murmured.

Perry and Clark didn't want her charging into her usual stories
this late in her pregnancy. They thought she hadn't noticed the
whispered meetings, the stories Clark just "happened" to run
into. It had gotten worse lately. She almost never got out of the
newsroom. They were just going to have to get over it. She didn't
know why they worried so much, she'd cut back, become more
cautious. This baby was their miracle -- hers and Clark's. She
wouldn't jeopardize this baby for the world. But she felt she was
losing her edge ... needed some excitement in her life ... needed
to feel she was making a difference. She didn't have to be
falling off buildings or out of airplanes to do that. "I am still
Lois Lane - reporter, as well as Lois Kent -wife and soon-to be
mother, she thought. I've just got to make Clark and Perry
understand that. I need my partner, now more than ever."

Just then gentle hands rested on her shoulders and warm lips
caressed her neck. "I'm back," Clark said, "How's everybody
doing?" He patted her stomach.

"The baby's fine, but I'm going nuts stuck here, Clark - please
tell me you've got something "hot" we can work on together.
Partners - Lane & Kent - do these words ring any bells?" Lois
answered.

Clark nervously tugged on his tie - "Honey ... "

"Don't honey me, Clark, you know you've never been a good liar."
Lois interrupted.

"Nothing's confirmed yet, Lois besides we agreed -"

"You agreed, Perry agreed, - credit me with a little common
sense, Clark - I know my limits."

"Yeah, right," Clark muttered under his breath, running his hand
through his hair.

"I didn't need superhearing to hear that, Clark," Lois retorted.
"I'll make you a deal, Clark, one last story - TOGETHER- and I'll
start my leave of absence - no moaning, no complaining. Martha
and I will just relax and get ready for our new arrival."

"Well, that's too good a deal to pass up," Clark grinned. "Lois
Lane, hottest investigative reporter at the Planet, JUST
relaxing. Are you sure you won't find Nazi War Criminals hiding
out in Wayne's barn?" Clark laughed.

"Don't start with me, Kent," Lois admonished.

"Well forgive me if I get a little paranoid when you mention
relaxing," Clark said. "Let's see, remember when we took a
three-day weekend and went up to the lake -"

"Clark, it's not my fault those smugglers were using the cabin
across the lake as a base of operations." Clark continued, "Or
the day we "relaxed" on the beach, when you made the citizen's
arrest - "

"Clark, I saw that face on "Metropolis Most Wanted" - "

Clark looked at Lois and gave in. "OK, OK, Lois, you win. I'll
tell Perry we'll work on this story together. But after this
one's over, you'll go to Smallville, stay with my parents.
Right?"

"Right," Lois replied eagerly. "What've you got so far?"

"One of Perry's reliable sources may have a lead on the missiles
that were stolen from the military base last week. There's been
some recent activity in the warehouse district. The official word
is that they're doing some urban revitalization, but some of the
crews they've been hiring to do the work have some unsavory
backgrounds. This one warehouse in particular, has been left in
almost total disrepair on the outside. But when I scanned it with
my x-ray vision earlier, the inside has banks of computer
equipment and several rooms that I can't scan - they must be lead
lined. I've talked to the police, but they don't have enough
evidence to legally search the building. Having lead lined rooms
and computer equipment isn't against the law. The corporation
that holds the title to the building is a dead end. I have Jimmy
doing some research on it, but it looks like the real owners are
buried beneath layers of shell corporations. I've set up a meet
with one of the construction workers tonight. Maybe I'll have
more to tell you after that."

"I'm going with you tonight, Clark." Lois protested.

"Oh, no. " Clark said. "This is what I mean, there's no telling
if this guy is trustworthy at all. It could be a trap. I can't
protect you if I can't see what's around. The fact that they
bothered to lead line the rooms could mean they prepared for
Superman. Once I have the meeting, I'll come home and we'll plan
our next move."

***

Lois waited at home and watched the hours tick by. Clark should
have been home by now, she thought, looking out the window
anxiously. She paced, unable to shake her feelings of uneasiness,
of danger. She made a few quick phone calls and then she set her
shoulders and left the house to find him. Lois cut the headlights
on her Jeep as she approached the seemingly abandoned warehouse.
Parking the jeep, she crept as lightly as her condition allowed
around the back of the warehouse, looking for an entrance. The
moon illuminated the area, shadows dancing as the clouds passed
in front of it. She could hear no voices inside and decided to
try the door on the side of the building. It opened easily,
surprising her. Well, she thought, I'll just take a quick look
around. I've got to make sure Clark's okay. She had taken only a
few steps inside when the room flooded with light.

"I knew you'd come, Lois," a voice said. "Didn't I tell you,
Kent?"

Lois blinked as the bright lights blinded her briefly. "Who's
there?" she demanded.

A man with a strangely familiar face stepped in front of her.
"Don't you remember this body, Lois? You could have shared this
life with me."

" Lex!" Lois gasped.

" Yes, my dear, you didn't think I'd give up so easily, did you?
Asabi had made all the preparations, this body houses my spirit
now. I've been waiting, biding my time. And now I can destroy
Superman, and have you, too."

"Where's Clark?" Lois asked.

"Clark, Clark ... Over there, but don't go too close dear," Lex
gestured to his left.

Clark obviously in pain, was visible through a clear glass
panel.

Lois started towards Clark.

"Lois, no - stop," Clark gasped.

Suddenly Lois felt pain throughout her body, and the baby began
to kick.

Kryptonite!

Lex pulled Lois back away from the cell that imprisoned Clark. "I
warned you, my dear. You see, he's merely incapacitated at the
moment but with each click on this dial, his exposure increases.
It appears you are carrying his superbrat. Now you can appreciate
the slow, agonizing death he's going to experience." Lex's cold,
ruthless eyes burned into hers from his new face.

Lex slowly turned to face Clark. "How does it feel, Superman, to
know that Lois will be mine, and your child will be raised as my
own. Just think, my own superman, only using those wonderful
powers for my will, not this goody-two shoes, boy scout goodness.
You could have had the world, Superman, and you threw it away."

"It will never happen, Lex." Lois said through gritted teeth.
"I'll never stay with you."

"Oh yes you will my dear, refuse to cooperate with me and I'll
just lock you away and take superbrat with me anyway. You'll
never see him again. Maybe I'll torture Mr or Mrs Kent. You'll
cooperate all right, you'll be VERY cooperative, if you know what
I mean."

He looked at Clark and then at Lois. "Let's test my theory. Lois,
kiss me," Lex demanded.

Lois slapped his face. Lex just smirked ... and turned the dial
on the console in front of him two notches to the right. Clark
fell writhing to the floor. Lex turned to Lois and raised one
eyebrow. "Well, Lois, what's it going to be? "

Lois thought, "Clark forgive me ... I've got to buy some time to
get us out of this mess." She walked up to Lex and kissed him.

"Very good, Lois." Lex turned the dial back down. "We don't want
to finish him off too soon, do we?"

Clark closed his eyes and tried to concentrate past the pain.
"Think!" he commanded himself. "I've got to help Lois, got to get
out of here." He had been caught off guard, thinking that if they
were expecting Superman, Clark would be underestimated and could
quietly neutralize any threat. However, he hadn't counted on Lex
Luthor. Although the face was different, as soon as the supposed
informant had looked up at him and said, "the war continues,"
he'd realized Lex Luthor had managed to cheat death again.
Everyone who was close to him was in terrible danger. Then Lex
had sprung his trap, and the kryptonite had begun its deadly
assault. He had prayed that Lois wouldn't come alone - he'd
known, as Lex had known, that she would come to look for him.
Fearing that Lois would be affected by the Kryptonite because of
the baby, he had tried to reach her mentally, to warn her. But he
had failed ... the kryptonite had sapped that ability also. He
looked through the glass at her and tried to send his love and
strength toward her.

***

Perry looked at the clock and swore. He picked up the phone and
dialed Lois's number for the third time. The same message greeted
him again. He knew something was wrong. Lois had called over an
hour ago, asking if Clark had checked in with the warehouse
information. He hadn't been able to get in touch with her since.
Clark could have been off on an emergency, but he knew his
spitfire reporter had gone and gotten herself into trouble. Well,
I'll just have to nose around that warehouse myself, he thought.
Lois and Clark aren't the only people around here who can do some
investigating.

Perry drove his car into an alley about three blocks from the
warehouse. He was dressed all in black, and carried a small
flashlight. He located the warehouse from the address in Clark's
notes, and was about to approach it, when he noticed Lois's Jeep.
Well, I guess that answers my question, he frowned. He got Lois's
cell phone out of her car and dialed the police. He spoke to one
of the officers on duty. "I think I've got a situation with one
of my reporters here in the warehouse district... Not suspicious
my ***,... not missing unless gone for 24 hrs ... what do I pay
taxes for anyway?" Perry turned off the phone with a jab of his
finger. He looked at the warehouse, it was brightly lit up on one
end, but the back of the building was dark.. "I'll start there,
in the back, and see if I can find Lois." he murmured to
himself.

Perry jimmied open one of the back windows with his pocket knife
and slipped inside the warehouse. He put his hand over the end of
his flashlight and turned it on. The muted glow from the
flashlight illuminated boxes, crates and electronic parts. He saw
a door on the left wall and moved toward it. He pressed his ear
to the door and strained to hear any noises. He heard voices, but
they seemed faint as if coming from a distance. He decided to
open the door a crack and peek out into the hall. This hall was
dark also and seemed deserted. The voices seemed to be coming
from the end of the hall to his right. He crept slowly down the
hall checking the doors on either side as he went. The voices
were definitely coming from behind this door, Perry realized. He
listened quietly for a moment and gasped as he realized who the
voices belonged to. "Lex Luthor, I'd thought we'd seen the last
of him," he thought. "Got to get help," and started to turn to
leave when he heard Lois pleading with Lex and realized that
Clark was imprisoned, too. "It doesn't sound like I've got too
much time. I've got to try to do something now," he decided.

Perry looked around the warehouse. There was a ladder in the
corner attached to the wall - it seemed to go to a catwalk that
spanned the length of the warehouse. He cautiously climbed up and
looked down at the scene playing out below him. Maybe he could
distract Luthor long enough for Lois to free Clark. He climbed
back down and went back to the storeroom he had first entered.
While he called the police again, he played his flashlight around
the room. He spotted a medium sized gray block. It was heavy and
he realized it must be the lead that Luthor had used to line the
kryptonite cell. Perry picked it up and carried it down the hall.
Sweating with effort, he climbed back up and inched along the
catwalk until he was above Lex.

He could hear sirens in the distance, when suddenly Lex grabbed
Lois by the arm, saying, "Tell pretty-boy goodnight, Lois. It
looks like we'll have to make an early exit." He jammed the dial
on the console all the way to the right and Clark screamed in
agony.

"NO!" Lois shouted.

Perry took aim and threw the lead block at Luthor. It hit him on
the head, and he fell to the ground. Lois wretched away from him
and turned the dial off. She looked up, saw Perry, and smiled
with relief. "Come down, Chief and help me get Clark out of there
before the police come," she asked.

Perry climbed down and dragged Clark out of the cell. He was
barely conscious, his breathing labored, but he was alive.

"Thank you, Perry ... I ... don't know ... how to thank you,"
Lois said though tears.

Perry placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, The Planet can't be
losing its best reporting team, can it, pumpkin?"

Clark stirred, and looked up at Lois, "Lois, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Clark, can you sit up? The police will be here any
minute."

Clark looked up at Perry, just noticing him. "Perry, what are you
doing here?"

"Clark, Perry just saved you life - he hit Lex over the head with
a lead block. He dragged you out of the cell for me." Lois
touched his face lovingly. She searched his face with worried
eyes, seeing how weak he was. She couldn't imagine how he had
withstood the kryptonite assault. The taste of the pain she had
experienced still lingered in her mind. She caressed his face,
his arms, reassuring herself that he was here with her, safe.

"Thanks, Chief," Clark said weakly and struggled to get up.
"Perry, - I .... "

"It's OK, son, you don't have to say anymore. This all isn't
exactly breaking news to me. You've got to remember I was an
investigative reporter when you were still trying to figure out
how to walk. How long did you think you were going to put one
over on me, huh?" Lois and Clark looked at each other, not
knowing what to say.

"Enough said, let's get you guys home. I'll handle the police."
He looked over at Lex's prone figure. "I don't think Luthor's
going anywhere soon."

Clark leaned heavily on Perry and Lois as they walked out to the
car. "I'll call to check on you later, when I've finished giving
my statement to the police," Perry promised. "If they need
anything from you, they can get it tomorrow." Perry walked back
into the warehouse.

Lois watched as Lex was loaded into an ambulance. Clark seeing
her gaze, took her hand and gently said, "Let's go home, Lois.
Nothing more can hurt us tonight. I want to call my parents and
warn them to be careful, just in case Lex had a back up plan that
involved them."

Clark looked at the city, as Lois drove home. "I don't want to
leave Metropolis," he thought angrily. "My family doesn't deserve
to live in fear. If only Lex was dead ..." he rubbed his eyes
wearily. No, he wasn't going to let his hatred for Lex turn him
inside out. "Together, Lois and I will figure something out."

Clark was feeling much stronger by the time they reached home.
Although far from "super", he walked steadily into the house and
sat on the couch. He reached for the phone and called home.
Martha and Jonathan were upset, but promised they'd be careful.

Clark smiled at Lois as she brought him a cup of his favorite
tea. "Thanks, sweetheart, but I should be waiting on you."

"Clark, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. You've been through a lot
tonight. You need to rest."

I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Lois. I guess I was
overconfident. I figured they'd try spring any trap on Superman,
not Clark."

Lois leaned forward and brushed her lips against his in a soft
kiss. "But you were right, Clark. They did spring the trap on
Superman, my love. Anyone but Lex and it would have been okay.
Lois frowned, "What are we going to do, Clark? Lex was seriously
hurt, but once he recovers, he'll hound us forever. Even if he's
in jail, he can tell anyone about you."

"I know, Lois. I've always been afraid of this happening. If it
just affected me, it would be one thing. But this affects
everyone close to me ... You, Perry, Jimmy, my parents, our
child." They sat in silence, clinging to each other.

The phone rang, and Lois answered. "It's Perry," she told Clark.
She listened, and smiled. "Well," Clark said, "What did he say?"

"Lex is still unconscious, Clark. The doctor's don't believe that
he will recover; when the block hit his head there was a lot of
brain damage. They are going to keep him in the hospital for now,
but will move him to a nursing home if his condition doesn't
improve."

"Perry also said that the copy for this story had better be on
his desk by 10:00 am. Then he's got us tickets on the 11:00 plane
to Smallville. He said you've got a long weekend to get me
settled in at your parents." She smiled at Clark. " I guess I got
my big story, huh?" Lois leaned tiredly on Clark's broad
shoulders. She looked up into his eyes, "We've got some breathing
room, with Lex's condition. I can't help but hope this is the
end, Clark. Lex Luthor has threatened us for the last time."

Clark claimed Lois' lips in a long kiss. She lovingly looked up
at Clark, "I love you, Clark. Come on, let's go to bed. We can
write this up in the morning."

Clark looked down at Lois sleeping in his arms. He placed his
hand on her abdomen, feeling the baby move at his touch. "I'll
keep you safe," he whispered. He'd never felt more vulnerable, as
when he saw Lois doubling over in pain from the kryptonite. This
child was going to be his greatest joy, yet also his greatest
worry. If the baby inherited his superpowers, it was going to be
hard for them to hide it in Metropolis. At least in Smallville,
on the farm, he could practice and get used to his powers away
from prying eyes. Hopefully, this baby would get his powers
gradually, like he had. They would have some time to work things
out. Lois' old neighbor, Star, had offered to baby-sit while he
and Lois were working. He had been wary at first, but after he
and Lois had talked about it, he had decided it would be all
right. She was an unusual person, but had a loving heart. Also,
if the baby started showing any superpowers early, she wouldn't
be alarmed by it. Clark smiled at a thought ... Instead of,
"Lois, Clark, the baby took his first steps today , it would be -
Lois, Clark, the baby flew around the room today, isn't that
wonderful?" Clark gave Lois a gentle kiss on the forehead and
fell asleep.

***

As Lois and Clark stepped off the elevator, Perry greeted them -
"Where's the copy on that story ?"

Lois waved her laptop in Perry's direction -"It's all right here,
Perry, we finished it this morning."

"Great," Perry responded, "Download those files, and we'll get
started formatting the headlines for the next edition." Perry
spoke to Clark, "While Lois is doing that, come into my office
for a minute." Perry closed the door to his office and motioned
for Clark to sit down. "I want you to know, Clark, that you don't
have to worry about ... you know what I mean. Lois is like a
daughter to me, and nothing has made me happier than to see her
happy. The two of you belong together, and I'm glad the two of
you finally realized that."

Clark cleared his throat, "Thanks, Perry." He absently looked out
into the newsroom. "This paper, this life with Lois ... it's who
I really am. The other ... thing ... is just something I can do
...." He paused, "Last night reminded me of how vulnerable the
people closest to me are. If this ... other thing ... got out -
you would all be targets for every criminal. I can't protect
everyone ... be everywhere ...."

Perry walked around his desk and sat on the corner, "Look, son,
even an old news hound like myself knows when to shout news from
the rooftops and when to just look away. Metropolis needs you,
Lois needs you, and the Planet needs Lane & Kent. The secret is
safe with me. We don't need to talk about it again."

Perry stood up, "Are you all packed for Smallville? Here are your
tickets for the 11:00 flight."

Clark stood up and took the tickets from Perry. "Yeah, we're all
packed. I'm glad that Lois agreed to spend her leave of absence
with my parents. I know my mom will take good care of her. And
maybe I won't have to worry about her getting into trouble. But
I'm not holding my breath - with my luck the next criminal
mastermind is planning to use Smallville for something - and I'm
sure Lois will be right there."

Perry laughed, "Take care, Clark. I don't want to see you in
Metropolis until Wednesday. You got that? You need to rest too,
you look more worn out than Elvis after a long tour."

Clark smiled, "I will, see you next week, Perry. And thanks ...
for everything."

Clark left Perry's office and stopped by Lois' desk. "Ready to
go?" he asked Lois. "I guess so, the stories are turned in." She
looked over Clark's shoulder at Perry, "Is everything ... okay?"
she asked in a low voice.

He smiled, "Yeah, I think so. We'll talk later, at home. I've got
the tickets, the suitcases are here, let's tell everyone good-bye
and get to the airport." Lois went over to Perry and hugged him,
"Bye Perry, see you soon."

"You just take care of yourself, Honey. We'll all miss you,"
Perry said.

"Where's Jimmy?" Clark asked, looking around the newsroom.

"Out on assignment, he's supposed to be getting me some pictures
of the warehouse to go with your story." Perry replied.

***

Lois and Clark left the newsroom and went to the airport. As
Clark parked the car, Lois complained, "The flight to Smallville
is going to seem really long after our trips together."

"I love any excuse to sit next to you, Lois," Clark replied with
a kiss.

Lois melted under his loving eyes. "I'm sorry I've been so cranky
lately. I guess I'm just anxious for all this (she indicated her
stomach) to be over, and yet I'm a little scared, too. I don't do
pain very well, Clark."

"I won't leave you for a second, Lois. If you want to change your
mind and go to Smallville Hospital, it's fine by me. You know I'd
prefer it. Having the baby at home with the midwife - "

Lois looked at Clark, "I know for a fact you've delivered at
least three babies as Superman, why are you so nervous now?"

Clark leaned closer to Lois and said, "Those women were not the
love of my life delivering my child. It's just different. I'm
different, this birth could be dangerous for you . The doctor
you've been seeing here in Metropolis hasn't detected anything
unusual, it's probably safe for you to have the baby in the
hospital without them suspecting anything."

Lois lifted Clark's hand entwined with hers and kissed it. "After
last night, I'm not willing to take that chance, Clark. This baby
is a miracle, Clark. We can't risk any link between him and
Superman. What excuse could we give for them not doing the usual
blood tests? We've been over this and over this, Clark. Our only
hope for a normal life is to be extra careful. After the birth,
we'll take a blood sample to StarLabs for testing. If they don't
find anything out of the ordinary, then we'll know it's okay to
take the baby to a regular doctor. The midwife your mom
recommended is great. I know with all your help, I'll get through
this. Just don't expect me to suffer in silence."

"I love you, Lois," Clark whispered. He pulled her closer and
they kissed. As always, the taste and scent of Lois captivated
Clark. He lovingly explored her mouth and neck. Someone carrying
their luggage into the terminal bumped into the car. Lois looked
at her watch, "Clark we'd better go in, we'll miss our flight."
Clark grinned, " You're always distracting me, Lois."

***

Clark and Lois both rested on the flight to Kansas. Martha and
Jonathan greeted them at the airport with hugs and kisses. "I've
been so worried about you both," Martha said. "Let's get you
home."

Back at the farm Martha, Jonathan, Lois and Clark relaxed on the
porch as Clark told the Kents about the events of last night. "I
can't believe Lex survived again, Clark," Martha exclaimed.

"Me either, Mom, at least for now he's out of commission. But if
he recovers, our lives will never be the same. You might have to
leave Smallville, your friends .... "

"Clark, don't do this to yourself. Your father and I understood
the risks when you first put on the Suit. Lois understood the
risks when she married you. We'll all pull together and survive
that too, if it happens. Don't let "what if's" rule your life.
Let's focus on today, and the good things to come." Martha
smiled, "I can't wait to get the nursery finished. Lois, I got
some material for curtains in town today. Come in and see if you
like it. I can get started tomorrow."

Lois protested, "Martha, don't go to so much trouble."

"It's no trouble, dear. That's what grandparents are for ... we
spoil the grand-kids rotten, then give them back to their
parents. After we look at the material, I've got some double
chocolate brownies that I made yesterday. We can talk about all
the fun we'll have in the next few weeks, without the men
interrupting."

Jonathan said, "Hey, I thought you took the rest of those to the
church this morning." "I did," Martha smiled, "But I kept a
couple back for Lois. After last night, I thought she might need
a chocolate fix." Lois and Martha went inside to look at the
nursery, while Clark and Jonathan remained on the porch.

Jonathan smiled at Clark, "I don't think I've ever seen Martha so
excited. She's been making plans and baby shopping ever since you
mentioned bringing Lois here."

Clark looked at his father, a serious expression on his face, "I
think Lois is scared, Dad. I don't know how to help her ... I
guess I'm a little scared, too."

"Well, son, I never had to go through this with your mother, but
I think the best you can do is just be there for her. Let her
hold on to you, use your strength, I know I relied on your mother
that way when I was hurt. I know she was scared, too, but she was
there for me."

"Thanks, Dad, talking about it really helps." Clark replied. He
looked out across the landscape, scanning the sky. "Dad, do you
see those clouds, it looks like we're in for a storm. I wish I
could fly up there and see how bad it is, but my superpowers are
still not completely back. I was exposed to a concentrated dose
of kryptonite this time, it looks like it will be awhile before I
can fly. I keep trying, but all my powers are just - gone. It's
never been like this before. Usually when the kryptonite is
shielded, I recover quickly. Luthor must have done something
different."

"Well, give it some time, son. If it lingers, maybe the
scientists at StarLabs can suggest something. If your powers are
gone for good, Metropolis survived without Superman before.
You'll still have the Planet, still have Lois and the baby. We
don't love you for what you can do, and neither does Lois. Let's
go inside and check the news reports. Maybe they'll have some
news on the storm," Jonathan suggested.

***

Later that night, Lois and Clark lay in bed listening to the rain
beat down on the roof. "Some storm," Lois jumped as thunder
clapped in the sky.

"Yeah, my dad checked in with Wayne before the phone lines went
out. The road leading to the farm is flooded." Clark sighed in
frustration, "I wish I could help. I know there's going to be
accidents in a storm this severe."

"Clark," Lois voice was gentle, "You can't do it all. I'm going
to be selfish and be glad you're all mine tonight. Besides, your
wife needs a back rub, my back's been aching all night. I'm not
used to sitting so long in one place, ever since I got off the
plane my back's been hurting right here." Lois pointed to her
lower back.

Clark fought to keep his voice level, "Lois, why didn't you
mention this earlier?"

"I don't know, I guess I thought it would go away. Come on,
Clark, rub my back."

Clark absently rubbed Lois' lower back and thought to himself,
"Please, please, let this just be a backache, and not labor." He
remembered from birthing classes that labor sometimes starts out
as a backache. "It's three week early," he tried to reassure
himself.

Lois stretched and said, "Hmm, you've got magic hands, Clark."
She reached behind her and drew Clark down for a long kiss. She
looked at him and said, "Why so serious, Clark?"

"Nothing, Lois, let's get some sleep." Clark held Lois in his
arms, but although she fell asleep, the stress of the past days
finally catching up to her, she shifted restlessly in his arms.
Finally, a few hours later, she woke up with a start - "Clark!"
she whispered urgently. "I ... had ... a ... pain .... "

He looked out the window at the storm that still raged outside
and sighed, "What is it with us and rain?" He smiled reassuringly
down at Lois, "Well, I guess we're going to have to do this
together, sweetheart. There's no way for anyone to get here
tonight. Let's see how far apart the pains are and then I'll wake
up Mom and Dad."

Lois looked up at Clark, her eyes wide and unsure, "Clark ...."

Clark enfolded her in his strong arms and said, "I'm here, Lois,
I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Just hold on to me."
He held her and stroked her back, murmuring reassurances. Just
then Lois stiffened and Clark looked over at the bedside clock.
"About 10 minutes apart, he remarked. He laid Lois back on the
pillows, and told her, "I'll be right back, I'm going to wake my
parents." He kissed her gently and quickly walked down the hall
to his parents' room. "Mom, Dad," he knocked on the door.

Martha sat up groggily, "What is it, Clark?"

"It's time," Clark said quietly, "Lois is in labor."

Mother and son looked at each other across the room. "I've got to
get back to Lois," Clark said. "Can you bring the things the
midwife said to have ready?"

Martha and Jonathan got out of bed. Jonathan went downstairs,
while Martha stopped and put her arms around Clark. She hugged
him tightly, "Everything will be fine, Clark. You can do this,
Lois can do this."

"Mom, what if something goes wrong, I can't get her to the
hospital like we planned. With my superpowers still gone, and the
storm ...."

"Clark Jerome Kent, the last thing Lois needs right now are your
doubts. Let's concentrate on our love for Lois and the baby.
We'll bring this baby into the world."

Martha watched Clark go down the hallway back to Lois. She
silently closed her eyes, whispering a small prayer. Then she
followed Clark into his room.

***

The morning sun shone brightly in the clear sky. Both storms, the
ones that had raged both outside and inside the farmhouse had
passed. Clark, sitting in the rocking chair, looked over at Lois
sleeping in his bed. There were dark circles under her eyes, and
her hair was sticking out in every direction, but to Clark she
had never looked more beautiful. He looked down at the tiny
bundle in his arms. His son ... emotions washed over him as the
baby looked up trustingly at him. He was perfect, with his
mother's nose and his father's chin. "Jonathan Jor-El Kent, I'm
your Dad," he said softly. "I love you, son."

THE END