Previously on Seed of Doubt...
"Clark?" she asked some time later, as an old movie played on the television. Her voice was heavy with sleepiness.
"Hmm?" he asked, half asleep himself.
"Will you stay tonight?"
"Only if you want me to," he murmured into her hair, hoping she would say yes.
He always loved when he was invited to stay the night at Lois' apartment or when she accepted his invitation to stay at his place. They always shared the same bed now, though they had agreed not to take things any further than cuddling, kisses, and actual sleep. He knew that Lois was still working through some strong feelings caused by Luthor's attack. In fact, she was speaking with a therapist once a week. According to Lois, Dr. Friskin was simply amazing. He was just happy that Lois was beginning to feel like she was putting some distance between herself and that singularly traumatic night. He still kicked himself for making an earlier than normal patrol that night, and for being at home at the time of Luthor's assault. He still felt like he should have been able to do something to prevent Lois from going through such a frightening and scarring experience.
"I really do," Lois said. "It's so nice when I get to fall asleep in your arms."
"I do too," he replied.
Lois yawned and stretched. "I'm going to get ready for bed."
"I'll get everything in here shut down," he promised, flicking the television off with the remote control.
As Lois moved off to the bathroom, he double checked the locks on the windows and door, then turned out the lights. After a few minutes, Lois emerged from the bathroom and slipped beneath the bed's soft sheets, allowing Clark to get himself ready for sleep. He'd long ago left a set of necessary toiletries at her place along with some spare changes of clothing, and she at his, so he brushed his teeth, used the toilet, then followed Lois' lead in climbing into bed. Once settled next to her, he placed his hand over the rounded and now unmistakable bump of her belly.
"Baby's moving a lot right now," Lois informed him.
Clark nodded mutely, unable to feel that movement yet, though he knew it would be coming soon enough.
"Our baby," he said after a moment. "Sometimes, I still can't believe it."
"Me too." She placed her hand over his. "I guess I still wonder if we're doing the right thing, if I'll be a good mom. I know you'll be a good dad. And then this little one will kick me and it's like he or she is telling me that it'll be okay." She paused for a moment. "Does that make me sound as crazy as I think it does?"
Clark smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "Not at all. And you'll be a fantastic mom."
"Thanks. So, what's your guess on the baby? Boy or girl?"
Clark shook his head. "No idea. I'll be happy no matter what. What do you think?"
"I don't know. I feel like...I know so many men who want a son, but so many others whose daughters have them wrapped around their little fingers. And, while I'd love a son, the bigger part of me wants a daughter so I can have that mother-daughter relationship. Especially since the relationship with my mother is...well, what it is."
"I guess I can understand that," Clark said, pulling his hand from Lois' belly to brush a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.
"Promise me something?" Lois asked.
"Anything. Uh, what, exactly, am I promising?"
"You'll let me know if you ever see me turning into my mother, regardless of if we have a son or daughter?"
"Absolutely," Clark said with a laugh.
Lois wagged a playful finger at him. "I'll hold you to that."
"So, uh, I was wondering if you'd given any more thought to names," Clark said after a few minutes of silence. His hand went back to her stomach.
"A little. It turns out there are more names that I hate than that I like. What about you?"
"I have a few that I like. I started to highlight ones that I like in a baby name book I found at a library sale."
"Tell me some of them?"
Clark started to rattle off some of the top names and was a little surprised when Lois enthusiastically jumped into the conversation, offering up some names that she liked, or letting him know if she liked or disliked the ones he was suggesting. In a way, it was the most peaceful night they had spent together in the recent weeks, even if it was of the more important discussions in his mind. In the end, they agreed on a few potential names for both a boy and a girl, but also agreed to keep subject open for further discussions.
Soon, Lois dropped off to sleep in his arms, half turned into his body. Clark cuddled her closer and eased himself further down into the blankets. He was tired, but sleep would not come right away. He lay, instead, just listening to the sound of Lois' even breathing as she slept, and the steady, comforting sound of her heartbeat. He listened, for a time, to the baby's heart as well, faster than any resting adult, though Clark had come to learn that that was perfectly normal for any child. He guessed the baby was also sleeping, from the barely changing rhythm of his or her heart.
How did I ever get this lucky? he wondered for what felt the billionth time in the five short months he'd been dating Lois. A woman who loves me, the real me, not the super me. A child on the way. Somehow, I almost feel like I'm not worthy of all these wonderful developments in my life. All I need now is to live with Lois full time, as her husband, if she'll have me. Being apart from her...and eventually being apart from this baby...it hurts. I'm lonelier in my apartment after she goes home for the night than I've ever been in my entire life, even when my differences made me the most isolated person on the planet.
He sighed and placed a careful kiss into Lois' hair, taking every caution not to wake her. Maybe my dad was right. Maybe I should use the check he gave me to put a down payment on a new place for us. Assuming Lois wants to move in together. I mean, we're practically living together as it is. On any given week, about half the nights she's sleeping over at my place or I'm sleeping at hers. And with the baby coming, it makes more sense for us to have one place, right? Or am I crazy in considering this?
His mind turned to thoughts of the ring he'd long since picked out for her. Tomorrow, I'll buy that ring, he decided. I'll hold onto it until I'm sure a proposal would be welcome. But, in the meantime, at least I'll have it. Even if it takes us years to get to the point where I know Lois would be okay with my asking her to marry me, at least I'll know that I'll have the perfect ring for her.
God, she's so beautiful, he thought as he continued to gaze at her peacefully sleeping form. Never in my wildest dreams growing up did I ever dare to imagine that I'd wind up with someone like her. Her smile. Her features. Her mind. She's the most gorgeous woman in the world.
He kissed her once again before shutting his eyes. Finally, thankfully, sleep took him to a deep, dreamless place where only healing rest took place, though even then, he still felt happy.
***
"Good afternoon, sir," a cheery, almost too skinny blonde woman bubbled as Clark walked into Mazik's Jewelry Shoppe. "Can I help you with anything? Or do you need some time?"
"Actually, I'm here for an engagement ring," Clark said, feeling very confident.
"Oh, congratulations!" the perky woman gushed. "Over here is our engagement ring section." She swept her hand over the pristinely polished glass counter.
Clark looked over, confused. "I thought it was on this side," he said, gesturing.
The woman, Tara, he could see written on her nametag, giggled. "Oh, we changed things up about, oh, a week or two ago. Did you have a ring in mind, or did you want to browse the selection?"
"I have one in mind," he answered as he approached the display case. "I just hope it's still here," he added as an afterthought.
"I hope so," Tara said in an agreeable manner.
Clark held his breath as he scanned the sizable collection of rings. He had to force himself to slow down and not to sweep the case with his eyes as quickly as his heart was pounding. His stomach clenched in knots and his heart managed to wedge itself into his throat, making it hard to swallow. He forced himself to take a breath and start again at the leftmost edge of the engagement ring collection. He carefully and deliberately brought his eyes to each ring, steadily working his way from the left of the case to the right. About three-quarters of the way in, he finally spotted the ring, and a breath of air whooshed out of his lungs in a grateful sigh.
"That one," he said, pointing.
Tara unlocked the back of the case and reached in. "This one here?" she asked about a yellow princess cut diamond.
"No, the one beneath it and to the right," he directed her. "That's the one."
"Here you are," she said as she pulled the ring from the padded display.
Clark accepted it as she handed it over for his inspection. The white diamond center stone shone like a perfectly gleaming star. He slipped his glasses down a tad, allowing himself to telescope in on the one and a half caret diamond. He swiftly, but methodically, checked for any flaws within the stone, and found it to be as close to perfect as he was likely to find and be able to afford. Three small sapphires trailed down the sides of the silver band on either side of the round cut diamond, and he checked them as well, only to deem them perfectly acceptable gems as well. He guessed the overall weight of all the stones together was about two carets.
Satisfied with the integrity of the stones, Clark pushed his glasses back up and pretended to continue to inspect the surface of the ring. He checked the price tag that was looped about the bottom of the band. It hadn't changed since the last time he'd been in the store. Tara saw him checking the tag.
"Oh, I should mention, we're running a sale right now."
"Really?" Clark asked, though he'd briefly glanced at a sale sign when he'd walked in.
Tara nodded. "Engagement rings are twenty-five percent off right now. Actually, that's a Logan Collection piece, right?"
Clark checked the price tag again. "Looks like it," he said, seeing the shorthand description written there.
"You picked a good one. We're offering an additional five percent off those."
"Any particular reason why?" Clark asked, now slightly suspicious.
Tara shrugged. "They aren't big sellers. Mr. Mazik wants to move some of the inventory so he can get other designers showcased here."
"How come they don't sell well?" Clark asked, curious.
"The Logan Collection is pretty small and relatively unknown. A lot of the people coming in here want bigger, more well known brand names. They pay more for it, that's true, but it doesn't deter most of them."
Clark could understand that to a certain extent. He'd interviewed people of every economic class and standing. One thing that remained a near constant was the proud and unashamed name dropping done by most of the super-wealthy. And yet, he could still never understand paying more for something that was basically the same thing as a less expensive version.
He did the math quickly in his head as he handed the woman back the ring. "I'll take it."
Tara smiled broadly. "Excellent choice, sir! Is there anything else I can help you with before I ring this up for you?"
"No, just that. Looks like just the right size too," Clark said. He followed as she went to the register.
"So, do you have a whole plan on how you'll be asking your lucky lady to marry you?" she asked, making small talk as she punched the numbers into the computer, and taking the discount off.
"Not yet," Clark said with a shake of his head. He didn't want to get into the fact that he wasn't even sure if this ring would be sitting in his sock drawer for months or years. "I just wanted to make sure that I got the perfect ring before someone else could snatch it up."
"Well, it's a great choice," Tara said as Clark handed her his credit card. "I know that I would love a ring like it."
"Thanks," he said, watching as she swiped his card, then tore the receipt off the paper roll so that he could sign it.
He signed his name, thankful that the ring was now safely in his possession. It put his mind at ease, knowing that he hadn't missed his window of opportunity to get Lois the perfect engagement ring. He only hoped that she would love it as much as he did, when the time came to give it to her.
"Would you like a bag?" Tara asked, as he handed her back the receipt he'd signed and the pen he'd used.
"No, thanks," Clark said, smiling.
"Good luck to you," Tara said. She handed him the ring box, which he pocketed, along with the receipt. "And thank you for shopping at Mazik's. Have a great day."
"You too," Clark said as he headed for the door.
***
Weeks passed, flying by with Superman's speed. Lois' midsection continued to grow as the child within put on weight and inches. The ring Clark had purchased remained hidden in his apartment, stashed away in a safe in the bottom of his closet. And the court date had inexorably drawn nearer, leaving them both on edge and in a constant state of dread as they met with Constance Hunter, their lawyer, to go over what would happen and their fight against the paternity test that Lex Luthor was demanding. Clark often reflected that this should have been the happiest time of their lives - picking out names, thinking about baby furniture, wondering who the baby would be as his or her personality would become apparent - but it was overshadowed by Luthor's reach and the uncertainty of how the DNA test might change things.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Clark asked Lois, the night before they were due in court.
Lois sighed nosily. "No. Are you?"
He sighed in turn. "No."
"Can I admit that I'm scared?" Lois asked.
Clark pulled her a little tighter, enjoying the solid feel of her head on his chest as they lay together in his bed. "You're allowed," he said, trying to make light of things. "The truth is, I'm worried too. Let's face it, we know that it's almost certain that Luthor is the biological father. And we know he can't possibly be interested in having a say in this child's life. So, I question the motive. Does he hope this kid isn't his, and he wants to be cleared? Does he hope it's his so he can deny me the legal right to adopt the baby as my own? Is he just doing this to torment us for exposing him for the criminal that he is?"
"And what happens if this child is really yours and the blood work shows it as something more than human?" Lois added in a soft voice.
Clark nodded out of habit. The thought had crossed his mind more than once, wishful thinking as it was.
"I'm sorry this is happening," she said after a moment.
"Hey, this is not your fault, Lois. It's just...one of those little parenting details to work out before the baby comes," he joked. Then, turning more serious, "If getting through this means we can finally put Luthor behind us, I'll gladly endure whatever happens tomorrow. I just want to focus on you and the baby."
"Speaking of which," Lois said, taking his hand and pressing it to her stomach, "our little one must be throwing a party in there."
"Whoa!" Clark exclaimed as a particularly hard kick thumped into his palm. His hand jerked back a centimeter in a surprised reflex. "I felt that!" he cried out excitedly. "I actually felt that!"
Lois smiled at him, her face almost glowing in pride and happiness. "Really?"
"Yeah. That was incredible." His grin spread from ear to ear. "And again!" he said as another kick glanced his outspread fingertips.
"That's the first time for you," Lois said. Before that night, despite how hard Clark wanted to, he hadn't been able to feel the baby's movements. "He's strong, like his daddy."
"Like her mommy," Clark countered playfully.
"Mmm," Lois mused. She sighed contentedly. "This is nice," she murmured after a while.
"I agree. In fact, I could stay like this forever," Clark said. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep, relaxed breath, as if he could inhale the peaceful essence of the moment.
"Me too."
"I love you, Lois."
Lois turned a little and kissed him on the lips with the lightest touch, like butterfly wings against his sensitive flesh. "And I love you."
"You know that this love...it's the kind that lasts forever," Clark said, the words spilling out of his mouth before he knew it.
Lois nodded. "I know. These past several months...I've come to learn so much about you. I know you'd never say anything you didn't completely mean. Not intentionally. I think it took me a while to really get used to that. I've been so used to people lying to me all my life - people I've interviewed, boyfriends who've only wanted my stories and a good time out of me, even my parents to some degree. But, ever since I've known you, you've always been honest with me, even when you were hiding the truth about Superman."
"It killed me inside to keep that from you."
"I know that too. It's funny. I love you even more because of it."
"You do?"
"I do. Forever."
A sudden decision came to Clark's mind. "Close your eyes," he instructed her gently. "Please."
"Why?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Just...trust me and do it," he replied with a mischievous grin.
"Okay," she relented, closing her eyes. "You know I hate surprises though, right?"
"No peeking," Clark said, ignoring her last statement.
He could imagine her rolling her eyes beneath her lids. But he was already on the move, streaking out of the bedroom. In seconds, he'd done what he needed to do and was back at her side. He gently lifted her in his arms, asking her once more to keep her eyes shut until he gave her the word to open them. He took her as far as the terrace, the late September night still holding more than a note of warmth within it. He brought her over to the wall and sat her down.
"Open your eyes," he told her in a soft voice that held all of his love for her.
Candles sparkled in the night, scattered around the terrace - some on the wall, others on the ground, and still others on the small table he kept there. As for Clark, he was down on one knee before her, the ring box open in his palm. He smiled at her as she gaped, looking around and processing what she was seeing.
"Lois, you make me the happiest I've ever been in my life. Happier than I ever dared to believe I could be. You're my heart and soul, my reason for being. If there's one thing that I've learned in the past seven months or so of being with you as your boyfriend, it's that I cannot live without you."
"Clark, I..."
"I'm already the luckiest guy in the world to have you, Lois. Please, say you'll marry me."
"I...I..." Lois stammered. She cleared her throat. "I will. I love you, Clark. I can't imagine going through life without you as my husband."
Clark pushed himself up enough to kiss Lois. She threw her arms about his neck, hugging him with an iron grip that only made his heart swell with even greater happiness. After a minute, the two parted. Clark sat next to her on the wall and with hands shaking from his excitement, he took the ring out of the box and slipped it easily over her delicate finger. Lois looked down at the ring with what seemed to be a mix of love and admiration.
"It's beautiful," she said. She brought her hand to her chest and covered it with her free hand, as though she was trying to hug the stones on her finger. "I love it. But when...?"
"I've had it a while. I was just waiting for the right moment, when I knew for sure that you would appreciate the proposal. Lois, the truth is, I would have asked you to marry me the day I met you, if it had been appropriate. Something about us together always just clicked for me. I just...when you found out that you were pregnant, I didn't want it to seem like I was asking you just because a baby is coming. I wanted you to know that my feelings for you have nothing to do with our baby. So, I waited, until I was sure that you would understand."
"I do understand," she replied in a voice that seemed to be bursting with love for him. "And I appreciate that you did so." She looked down again at the ring. "It really is gorgeous."
"I'm glad you like it."
"Like it? I love it. I love the sapphires too. It reminds me of just how 'super' my fiancé really is."
Clark chuckled. He hadn't thought of that when he'd fallen in love with the ring. "Does it fit well? I can get it resized if need be."
"It's a perfect fit," Lois said, patting his knee affectionately. "How'd you know my size?"
"I didn't," he admitted. "I just sort of eye-balled it and thought it looked like it might fit you."
"Well, you did a great job."
Clark smiled, then glanced around helplessly at his terrace. He gestured. "I wish I would have done more for this," he admitted. "I didn't really think it through. It just sort of...happened...in the moment. I always thought I would take you to some romantic spot - a walk on the beach in Greece at sunset or at a cafe overlooking the Eiffel Tower or at the base of Mount Fuji or...I don't know. Something more than this." He gestured again.
Lois kissed his cheek while cupping the other with her hand. She gently forced him to look at her. "Clark, this was perfect. Do you know why?"
"Why?" he asked, knowing she would tell him anyway.
"Because it was just so...you. So...comfortable and low-key and heartfelt. It was all the things I love about you." She kissed his cheek again for good measure. "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
"Even if you'd had an opportunity to not be in your pajamas?" he couldn't help but to tease.
"And miss out on that extra bit of comfort? Especially with this huge belly?" Lois scoffed. "I think not."
Clark took a moment to tenderly caress her stomach. "Your belly isn't huge," he said. "It's beautiful because it is housing our child."
"Mmm," Lois said in what sounded like agreement.
"It's still early," Clark said after silence reigned for several long minutes. "Did you want to call anyone and tell them the good news?"
Lois shook her head, her dark tresses bouncing with the movement. "No way. I'd like for it to just be you and me sharing the news together for a while. Err...well, you can let your folks in on the secret. They aren't insane like my family."
"Your family isn't insane, Lois. A little...intense, maybe."
"Are you serious, Clark? I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen. Mom will want to know if we're going to get married before the baby comes, because how else is she going to save face before her friends? Or she'll rant and rave about how a wedding is a waste of time and money because look at how my father cheated on her and left her as a single mother raising two kids. Or she'll take over the wedding planning and..."
"Lois," Clark said, cutting off her tangent before it could gather any more speed. "It's okay. You can tell your family whenever you want. And you don't have to do anything you don't want to for the wedding. If you want us to get married before the baby comes, I'm more than okay with that. And if you prefer to wait, I'm okay with that too. I want you to be comfortable. Not your mom, not your dad, not even Lucy, as much as I like her."
"So...you wouldn't mind, waiting?"
"No," he said, the truth making his voice soft. "I'll wait until you're ready, no matter how long that takes."
"It's not that I'm not ready to marry you," Lois said, fidgeting with the ring on her finger. "It's just...we only have a few months until the baby is born. It's overwhelming enough, the prospect of parenthood looming so close. I want us to be able to really focus on our wedding, that's all."
"I agree," Clark said. "Lois, I've waited my entire life to meet you, to be able to share everything with you. I can wait a little longer before saying my vows. I'm not going anywhere, even if you decide that you don't want to get married until our child is in high school. I hope that's not the case," he teased, "but if it was, I would be right beside you, counting down the days."
"It definitely won't be that long," Lois said with a grin. "But I do want to wait until after the baby comes and those first few months are over. From what people have been telling me, we may never sleep again."
***
Clark sat holding Lois' hand in the small, nearly unpopulated court room. She nervously squeezed his hand from time to time, seeking reassurance. He squeezed back, hoping to impart some comfort, though his own stomach was roiling in his own nervousness. He could taste the tang of bile in the back of his throat.
"Don't worry," Constance Hunter, their lawyer, told them.
"It's kind of hard not to," Lois retorted, using her free hand to protectively embrace her stomach.
Clark reached over with his own free hand, putting it atop Lois'. "No matter what happens," he whispered to her, "just remember that Luthor is in jail and can never lay his hands on our child. Okay?"
Lois nodded, but Clark could see that she wasn't convinced. "Sure," she said, half-heartedly.
Clark wasn't sure what else to say to her. The truth was, he was just as scared as she was. He drummed his fingers on the table before him, aimlessly tapping out a tune. A few minutes later, Lex Luthor was escorted in to the courtroom, his orange inmate clothing having been swapped out for one of the specially tailored Italian suits that seemed to be eternally associated with him, even though he'd fallen from the height of his power and influence. Two burly policemen walked to either side of him, and a third trailed behind. Luthor sat at a second dark cherry table and began to whisper to his lawyer, Sheldon Bender, but not before tossing a meaningful glance at Lois and Clark, one which Clark thought held a hint of malice and more than a pinch of gloating.
Lois must have seen the look as well. She ever so slightly shuddered, as though Luthor's very presence in the room was making her skin crawl. The movement was slight though, and Clark thought that it was likely that only he had seen it, and only because of his enhanced visual abilities. He squeezed her hand again to let her know that he was there for her.
Not more than two minutes later, the judge entered from a door off to the side of the witness stand. He seated himself with a strained huff of air, caused from the stress of moving his more than ponderous body the thirty or so feet he'd walked. He introduced himself as Judge Bennett. Clark knew him and was far from pleased. He'd covered a number of cases that Matthew Bennett had presided over and thought of the man as very likely sexist and always more inclined to be on the side of the rich. Things definitely didn't bode well for them. He could see by the faces of Constance and Lois that they thought so too.
"We're here today at the request of Mr. Luthor, is that correct?" Judge Bennett asked, barely looking up from the papers before him.
"That's correct," Sheldon Bender said, nodding. "My client is requesting a DNA test for the child that Miss Lane is carrying. If the child is indeed his, my client is willing to put two million dollars in a trust fund for the child to mature on the child's eighteenth birthday. If the child is not the biological offspring of my client, he wishes to have it on record so that none may seek child support from him."
"What makes you think I want that two million?" Lois asked, standing with her fists clenched. Clark gently took her wrist to make her sit again.
"I'll not have it said that I ever failed to provide for a child of mine," Luthor replied coolly.
"So, that's what this is all about?" Clark asked, grinding his teeth. "Saving your already destroyed reputation?"
Luthor's smug face was all the answer Clark needed.
"Do you agree to this?" the judge asked in Lois and Constance's general direction.
"No," Constance said with conviction. "My clients neither want nor need Mr. Luthor's money. They are willing to sign an agreement stating that they will never seek any sort of support - monetary or otherwise."
"How do we even know you have the money you're promising anyway?" Lois asked defiantly.
Bender stood and handed Constance a paper before handing one to the judge. Clark craned his neck to peer over at the paper to see what it said. It appeared that all sensitive information had been blacked out before the paper had been photocopied, but the basic gist of it was intact nonetheless. It was a bank account in Luthor's name - obviously a legitimate account from his legitimate business dealings - worth in excess of a hundred million dollars.
"Satisfied?" Luthor asked, not bothering to hide the delight in his eyes at shutting down their argument. "You see, Miss Lane, the empire that I built with my own two hands still endures, despite what you and Mr. Kent did to try and destroy me." He put his hands up before him and wiggled his fingers at the mention of his own hands.
The judge grunted. Clark couldn't tell if it was in agreement or in acknowledgement, or even if it was just a random noise that meant nothing at all. He forced himself not to float in his anxiety as he waited to see what the judge would say.
"Everything looks legitimate," he said after a lengthy silence, rubbing his multiple chins as he looked the paper over again. "I'm inclined to grant Mr. Luthor's request. A man should know if he's fathered a child, and should be given an opportunity to provide for that child. I'm ordering DNA test to be performed. When the results are in, we'll meet back here to sign any paperwork to either prove that the money was exchanged or that Miss Lane has terminated her right to pursue monetary compensation for the child. I expect the tests to be performed by the time the child is born."
"No!" Lois blurted out, her voice hardened but still showing the evidence of her fear. "I am not putting my child at risk by having an amniocenteses done."
"Miss Lane, I assure you that the risks are minimal," the judge said, taking his glasses off to wipe away a smudge.
"I don't care," Lois said, slapping the top of the table as she pushed herself to her feet. "This is my child and I refuse to put him or her at risk. You want to force a paternity test on me, fine. But it'll be done after the baby is born."
Clark didn't bother to hide the impressed smile on his face. Leave it to Lois to argue with a judge. He just hoped that Judge Bennett was as impressed with her protective mother's instincts.
For a long moment, the judge appeared to appraise her, no emotion showing at all on his face. Then, finally, he shrugged. "Fine," he said in a flat, neutral tone. "You have until the baby turns one month old to have the test performed."
"One last thing," Constance said. "If it is proven that Mr. Luthor is, in fact, the father, my client wishes to have his paternal rights terminated, in the best interest of a child. Mr. Kent here is more than willing to legally adopt the child as his own, whereas Mr. Luthor is serving a jail sentence for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole, for crimes too heinous to rehash."
Luthor bent and whispered something into Bender's ear, that Clark didn't quite catch. He was too busy trying to read the judge's expression to remember to tune in with his super hearing.
"My client declines that offer," Bender said after a minute.
Of course he would decline, Clark thought. He hates me. He'll do anything to prevent me from having whatever he thinks will make me happy.
"Termination of legal rights once the money is exchanged," the judge said, much to Clark's shock.
"You can't order that!" Luthor objected with a roar. "Don't you know who I am?"
Judge Bennett gave him a cold, hard look. "I do, Mr. Luthor. I also know that you are buying this woman off, if this child is yours. Mr. Kent? Should the blood test prove that Mr. Luthor is indeed the father, we can fill out the paperwork for the legal adoption after the test results are read, if you so choose."
"I do," Clark said with confidence. He glanced at Lois. "But neither of us want any of Luthor's blood money."
"So be it. We'll discuss the details once the DNA results are in. I will have my secretary get in contact with you about when you should return, after the results come in. Dismissed." The judge pushed his generously proportioned body from his seat and waddled his way back across the room to his private chambers.
Lois and Clark watched as Luthor was escorted away by the police offers who'd brought him in. Once he was out of the room, Lois' shoulders slumped. She buried her face in her hands. Clark could smell the salty tang of her tears. Gently, he enveloped her in his arms and hugged her.
He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, but he knew that such empty platitudes would only make her feel worse.
"I'm sorry, honey," he murmured into her hair before planting a kiss there. "I really am."
"I'm sorry too," Lois said, her words hitching in her throat. "All I wanted was an uneventful pregnancy. Just you, me, and our baby. And now...now..."
"Shh," Clark said, attempting to soothe her. "It's okay. It's not ideal, I'll admit to that. But Luthor cannot lay a hand on our baby. His rights are going to be terminated when the blood results come back. If he's the father," he added, more for Constance's benefit that anything else. She didn't know that Clark already knew that he could never father a child of his own.
"I know," Lois sighed, sagging against him. "It just...enrages me that we even have to do this. I don't want anything to do with Luthor or his blood-money. Why can't he just leave us alone?"
"Because he's Luthor," Clark replied. "Because we're the ones whose work got him put behind bars where he belongs."
Lois nodded. "Makes sense," she conceded.
"Come on. Let's get out of here. Did you want me to call Perry and tell him that we're not up for coming in today?"
Lois seemed to think about it for a minute. "No," she said at last. "I need to keep busy."
"Okay then. To the Planet it is."
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more," Constance said as she placed her papers back in her briefcase. "But the truth is, I know this judge. I've never seen him not mandate a paternity test."
"We understand," Lois said, composing herself. "And we appreciate the fact that you tried."
"Thank you," Clark said, extending a hand to the lawyer, which she shook.
***
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Cat Grant said as Lois and Clark made their way through the bullpen. She sauntered over to Lois' desk to meet them, leaning against the side and filing her nails with a hot pink emery board, the back of which was bejeweled with darker and lighter pink crystals.
Lois observed for a moment while Cat sharpened her claws. "Chasing mice again?" she retorted.
"Men, Lois. Men. Or have you forgotten the thrill of the hunt? Oh, wait, that's right. You never knew it with how sad your life was." She pointed at Lois with the nail file as she spoke. "Poor Clark, feeling obligated being with you, now that you're pregnant."
"I'm not obligated to do anything," Clark wearily defended. He felt like it was nearly a lost cause, arguing with Cat. "I love her."
"That's because you don't know what else is out there. All the other flavors of the world," Cat said, winking at him. "Why stick with chocolate ice cream when there are so many other, richer, desserts out there?"
"Because I happen to think that chocolate ice cream is the perfect dessert," Clark said.
"Wait a second," Cat said, catching sight of Lois' ring. She grabbed Lois' hand for a better look. "What is this?"
"Some of us don't want to span the world looking for other flavors when we're in love with the one we already have," Lois said, grinning wolfishly.
"So you two..."
"Are engaged," Clark finished for Cat.
"It took getting knocked up for a guy to want to marry you?" Cat needled Lois.
"Jealous much?" Lois asked, arching an eyebrow, overriding the defense Clark was trying to make.
"Jealous?" Cat asked, as if the word held no known meaning.
"Well, it's just that you're older than me. I've never seen you with a steady boyfriend. Clark here rejected your advances how many times in favor of being with me? Yeah, jealous." Lois crossed her arms, a smug look on her face, knowing she'd scored a point in the bizarre game between them that Clark still didn't fully understand, and probably never would, if he was any judge.
Cat's mouth flapped open for a moment. Clearly she hadn't been expecting Lois' retort. Clark though he saw a small, remote, but very real flash of hurt in Cat's eyes. It was there and gone within seconds, but it did make him feel badly. Lois must have seen the same thing.
"Cat, I..." she began.
Cat put her hand up before her face to silence Lois. "No. Congratulations. You've won."
"Cat, I didn't win anything," Lois protested. "Clark and I just...fit, that's all. I'm sure, someday, you'll find someone."
"Oh, I know I will. In fact, I'm going out with Arthur Chow tonight."
"Going...out?" Clark asked. "Like a date?"
Cat nodded in a satisfied manner.
"How'd you manage that?" Lois asked, crossing her arms incredulously.
"Oh, Arthur and I belong to the same fund raising committee for the downtown modern art museum."
"You?" Lois asked, her voice clearly showing Cat her disbelief in such a thing. "But that place is so...so...cultured," she ended weakly.
"I do have interests outside of the gossip circuit," Cat snorted.
"We know that, Cat," Clark said, trying to smooth things between the two women. "It's just...well, Arthur Chow is known to be pretty straight-laced and conservative. And you're...uh...free-spirited."
Cat snorted and filed a pinky nail. "Oh, I can play the part Arthur wants to see."
"CK? Lois?" Jimmy said, interrupting. "The Chief's asking for you. Said he wanted to talk to you about some meeting today?" he informed them, clearly confused.
"Right," Lois covered smoothly. "Our interview. Come on, Clark."
She took Clark by the hand and led him away toward Perry's office before he could utter a word.
To Be Continued...
