Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Seed of Doubt (30/30)

Previously on Seed of Doubt...





"Well...in looking at Julia's genetic breakdown...what I saw didn't look right."

Instantly, the cold dagger of worry was back in Clark's heart and chest. "What do you mean? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, but uh...her DNA doesn't quite look like any Earth-born human I've ever seen."

Earth-born human. Clark liked the sound of that descriptor. It acknowledged the alien part of his being as something that was truly human, though it set him apart from normal Earthlings.

"What are you getting at?" Lois asked, shifting Julia in her arms, holding her closer.

"I may be sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong but...if I didn't know better, I would say that she's...well...the product of a night spent with Superman."

"I....uh..." Lois sputtered.

Luckily, Dr. Klein was too engrossed in telling his story to catch Lois' stammer. "I know, I know. How can I possibly know what Superman's genetic makeup looks like? It so happens that I've been working with it, breaking his DNA down to read the genetic coding. I've been doing it at his request, so that we can both better understand how his body functions and how I can best treat him as a doctor. Anyway, an Earthling's DNA has four major elements. Adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine, as you might remember from high school biology."

"Right," Clark agreed, nodding, encouraging Dr. Klein to continue.

"Superman has an extra building block in his genetic code. I've just been calling it K, for now. You know, for Kryptonian. And the others...well, they are a little different from the AGTC that make up our DNA."

"A trillion to one," Clark breathed before he could catch himself from speaking it aloud.

Dr. Klein nodded. "For recombining with an Earthling's DNA, yes. How did you...?"

"It doesn't matter," Lois cut in.

"Anyway," the doctor said, clearing his throat and fidgeting with his handkerchief. "I'm not saying that Julia's the daughter of Superman. Just that...I found the same anomalies in her DNA as I did in Superman's." He cast his eyes down, perhaps ashamed by what he was saying.

Lois and Clark shared a look. It lasted a mere second, but an entire conversation - questions and answers all - took place within it. Clark looked back at Dr. Klein.

"Will...?" He almost couldn't ask it. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Will the court be informed of Julia's...uh...uniqueness?"

"You mean the specifics of her genes?" Dr. Klein shook his head. "No. They don't want to know or care about the specifics. They just want official paperwork telling them if Luthor has a case against you or not. In this case, no, he doesn't, because the paperwork will state that Julia and he share absolutely no genes in common."

Clark's body physically sagged in relief. He'd been worried about that, in the slim chance that something like this came to pass, as astronomically impossible as it had once seemed.

"They won't care if you or Superman or even if I am the father, not that I'm suggesting that he is. Uh, Superman, that is. At least, they won't care unless and until one of you files a suit requesting that he take a paternity test."

"That won't be happening," Clark said confidently.

Dr. Klein nodded distractedly, clearly not convinced. He looked uncomfortable, unsure of if he should say anything more, to them or to Superman. Clark looked again to Lois, a silent question in his features. She returned the look, as if telling him that the decision was his and his alone. Clark closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, trying to make up his mind. Coming to a sudden decision, he opened his eyes and met Dr. Klein's confused look.

"A trillion to one chance of ever having a child," he said, more to himself than to the doctor. "That's what you said."

Dr. Klein nodded. "Yes..."

"And you were wrong."

"I...guess so. Are you saying...?"

"That she's Superman's? That she's mine?" Clark nodded.

"His..? Yours....?" Confusion spread like wildfire across the man's features.

Clark nodded again. "Dr. Klein...are you in a rush to get back to the lab?"

"No. I took the rest of the day off. Why?"

Clark smiled. "Good. You might be here for a while. It's long past the time when you and I need to have a little talk." He pulled his glasses off as he spoke. "Because now, not only will you be looking after Superman's...my...health, you're also the only one I can trust with my daughter's health."

Dr. Klein's lips moved but no sound issued forth. It reminded Clark of how a fish would gape when pulled out of water on his dad's favorite fishing pole. He felt bad for the man.

"I know you have a lot of questions," Clark added gently. "And I...we," he amended, taking Lois' free hand, "are prepared to answer them all."

After a moment, Dr. Klein shook his head, as if clearing it. "One in a trillion." He laughed. "One in a trillion!" He laughed harder, slapping at his knee.

Lois and Clark couldn't help but join in, their mirth finally spilling over. Never before had they been so thrilled to find out that Dr. Klein had been wrong about something so important.


***


Clark rocked on his heels, trying to will the minutes away. He strained his hearing, listening for Lois, but found nothing yet. He guessed she had to still be pretty far, if he couldn't at least hear the sound of her voice. He severed the use of his powers, jolting himself into the realm of normal, human hearing. He tried not to tap his toes in impatience. Discreetly sneaking a glance at his watch, he saw that he still had time before Lois was supposed to arrive. He could barely wait.

This was it. The day he'd been hoping and praying for his whole life. The day he'd wished upon stars for in his youth. The day he'd feared might never come once Lois discovered his secret.

Today was the day when he would become Lois Lane's husband.

He saw his parents sitting in the front pew of the quaint little chapel Lois had chosen for them to exchange their vows in. His father nodded at him when Clark caught his eye. His mother was busily chatting away with Perry's wife, Alice. Jimmy, his best man, was leaning a hip against one of the pews. From his stance, Clark guessed he was flirting with Lois' high school friend, Fran. That made Clark smile inwardly. And yet, his heart ached for the younger man. Jimmy was forever hooking up with the wrong girls. His last girlfriend of five months had dumped him out of the blue just a few short weeks ago, and had moved in with her new boyfriend less than a week after their breakup. At first, Jimmy had been heartbroken. But that had soon turned to pure anger over having been cheated on. Clark wished his friend would find the woman he was supposed to be with.

Clark's heart was nearly bursting with love for Lois. He wanted Jimmy to know what that was truly like. The man deserved it. Not only was he Clark's brother-of-the-heart, but he was also the most reliable, hardworking person among Clark's coworkers. He could always depend on Jimmy to find exactly what he needed, and in short order.

Clark silently observed the rest of the people who'd gathered in the chapel to witness as he and Lois exchanged vows and became husband and wife. Perry was laughing it up with Lois' uncle, Mike. Ellen was fussing with the way the flowers in Lucy's bouquet sat - no doubt complaining about Lois and Clark's absolute refusal to use a wedding planner. Clark's high school and college friends sat together, talking and laughing. Pete was pointing out something to his pregnant wife. Clark thought it might have been the stained glass window that was behind the altar. Asher, one of his college football teammates, was reenacting - in slow motion - a game winning touchdown he'd made, albeit in a small, quiet way to Thomas.

The organist played her music, filling the stone space with sweet melodies. Lois had requested all classical music to be played while their guests sat in the chapel, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Clark had loved the idea from the moment she'd suggested it. Now, listening to the beautiful melodies, he was even happier to have agreed to the decision, especially as Pachelbel's Canon in D began. He'd always loved that one, and knew Lois did too.

He saw Lucy take her leave of Ellen and disappear through the heavy oaken doors which separated the inner part of the chapel from the foyer area. He snuck a peek at his watch again, checking to see how close he was to becoming a married man. At the same moment, his super hearing picked up Lois' racing heartbeat. Concern instantly flooded him. Was she okay? He fine tuned his hearing to find her voice, which was always like a beacon of light in an otherwise dark storm of sound. He heard her huff as she mounted the final step up from the sidewalk into the chapel.

"I can't believe this day is really here," he heard Sam say as he opened the door to the chapel. He sounded awestruck and maybe even a little sad.

"Me neither," Lois said softly. Clark could imagine well enough the smile that would be playing at the edges of her mouth.

It was tempting to sneak a peek through the doors to see how Lois looked. She'd teased him about the dress, but hadn't allowed him to see it, even going so far as to have the dress stored at Lucy's apartment until this morning. He sighed so softly it was almost inaudible. He'd made it this long without seeing the dress. He could wait a few more minutes. More importantly, he would respect Lois' wish to surprise him when she walked in.

"You look beautiful, Princess," Sam said.

That made Clark ache to see her even more. He bowed his head and studied the pattern in the marble floor instead. It was better than staring at the plain wooden doors, he supposed.

"Thanks, Daddy," he heard Lois reply.

"I always did dream that one day I'd be able to walk my girls down the aisle at their weddings," Sam said, a bit wistfully.

That surprised Clark. Lois had made it quite clear from early on in their working relationship that Sam had always resented the fact that he'd never had any sons. Clark hadn't been able to understand that viewpoint from the moment Lois had confessed it. He understood it even less now that he himself was the father of a little girl. He was completely enamored with his daughter and often thought that there was no better feeling on the planet than that of being a parent of a child - any child, be it a boy or a girl.

Nothing compares to it, he thought to himself. No rescue I've ever made, no 'victory' I've ever had as Superman or as Clark, has ever compared to what it feels like to be Julia's daddy. Being with Lois is the only thing that rivals the feeling of having a child.

Just the very thought of Julia made Clark smile to himself. Each day when he woke, he was thankful to be a father. Each night when he lay in bed before drifting off to sleep, he was grateful to have spent another day with his daughter. Each moment in between, as he watched his daughter grow and learn, he felt so blessed that Dr. Klein had been wrong about his ability to create a child with a human woman.

Earth-born human, he thought to himself with a grin.

Ever since Dr. Klein had used that description, Clark had kept it tucked away in the back of his mind. He appreciated the way the doctor had separated Superman from Earthlings while still acknowledging that the alien was a human being. Since that day, when Dr. Klein had given Lois and Clark the DNA results and Clark had divulged his secret to the man responsible for saving Superman whenever the hero was ill, the doctor had proven his friendship as well as his trustworthiness over and over again. Clark had been infinitely glad that Dr. Klein had full disclosure of things as they had worked together not only to monitor Clark's health, but also as Lois and Clark had turned to the doctor for assistance in their stories for the Planet.

He was a good man, Dr. Klein. Clark couldn't have picked a better doctor and friend if he'd tried.

"Are you ready?" Clark heard Sam ask Lois after a moment.

It startled him to hear the voice in his ears. He'd been so preoccupied thinking about Julia and Dr. Klein that he'd forgotten to sever the connection to his super hearing.

"More than you know," was Lois' honest reply.

"In that case, your fiancé is waiting," Sam told her. "Shall we get started?"

Lois didn't reply verbally, so Clark guessed that she had just nodded instead. A moment later, he heard a creak as the wooden doors at the rear of the chapel opened. He saw Lucy stick her head in for just long enough for the organist to see her. Abruptly, the woman broke off what she'd been playing - Clark hadn't been paying much attention to the music and couldn't recall what the song had been - and shifted to Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. A minute later, the doors once more opened and the bridal party walked in. It was a small party - just one of Lois' cousins, a friend from high school, a friend from college, and Lucy, who came in last carrying Julia in a mostly plain white dress with a hint of sparkles in the tulle of the skirt. Clark had been the one to find that dress for her.

She was in stark contrast to the teal dresses of the bridesmaids, but in a way that was pleasing to the eye, Clark thought. Then again, he had to admit that he was also the type who thought the clash of primary colors on his Superman costume also looked good. She was smiling widely as her aunt Lucy carried her down the center aisle. Clark heard more than a few "awws" ripple through the gathered guests. At one point, about halfway down the aisle, she spotted her daddy and kicked her legs joyfully, squealing with delight, her smile somehow growing even brighter.

That smile never ceased to swell Clark's heart with pride and love. And, even more amazingly, he saw his own smile in hers. In most ways, she was the spitting image of Lois. But there were some subtle features and characteristics that reminded Clark of himself when he looked at Julia. It was the icing on the cake of his life, as he saw it, to be blessed with a child who actually shared his Kryptonian blood and some of his physical traits.

Lucy reached the end of the aisle. Clark couldn't help but wave just a little at his daughter, just before Lucy gently placed Julia in the arms of Clark's mother. Of course, the child was still far too young to understand the gesture, but she did know who her daddy was and her face lit up when she saw him. It made Clark grin from ear to ear.

My daughter.

Every single day, that same thought had run through his mind, more than once. It never failed to fill him with awe.

My daughter.

The door opened one last time. Clark's attention immediately swerved to where the doors stood wide, giving him his first look at Lois. His heart failed to beat for a moment. His breath was stolen away. His knees nearly faltered, threatening to send him crashing to the floor in absolute wonderment.

He'd always thought of Lois as a beautiful woman. But seeing her in her wedding gown brought that beauty to a level he'd never seen before. There was a sophisticated, other worldly look to her as she walked, her arm linked with her father's, down the narrow chapel aisle. Clark had always thought of Lois being at the peak of her beauty each time she interacted with Julia, regardless of the baby food stains on her shirt or the messy bun she'd pulled her hair into, or the dark circles around her eyes from a particularly bad night when Julia had barely slept, keeping them both up all night long. But now - seeing her in her wedding dress, knowing that in mere minutes they would be bonded together for life - he saw her natural attractiveness in a new way.

The dress she had picked was spellbinding, if not something Clark had ever imagined she'd wear. The entire bodice was covered in an elaborate pattern of sparkling crystals. Most of the skirt was plain, save for around the bottom, where the pattern reemerged, coming to a high point right in front that reached nearly to her knees. Clark wasn't sure of the right word for the style of dress. All he knew was that it was mostly formfitting with a skirt that flared just a little and that it was strapless. But, most importantly, Lois looked absolutely radiant in it.

He knew that he was simply beaming as he watched Lois steadily grow nearer to him. His heels lifted off the floor just a little. He willed himself back to Earth and thanked his lucky stars that everyone had been looking at Lois and not him. She caught his eye and smiled at him. Clark tried, but could not make his own smile any bigger or brighter than it already was.

At long last, she and Sam finally reached the small marble altar. Sam lifted Lois' veil, kissed her cheek, and placed her hand in Clark's. He gave Clark a smile that spoke volumes about his approval of Lois' choice in a husband. Clark was glad to see it. Though he got along well with Lois' father and felt that the man approved of him, it was still nice to see the small gestures that reinforced such feelings.

"Hi," Lois murmured in a near whisper.

"Hi," Clark returned in the same tone and volume. "You look gorgeous."

"So do you," she grinned back.

"Dearly beloved," Perry began as the music faded into the air, bringing the small space into a respectful silence. "We are gathered here today for a very special occasion. We are called to witness the union of Lois and Clark in the sacrament of holy matrimony. As all of us here can attest to, Lois and Clark are two very special people."

Perry had surprised them both when he'd confided to them that he could marry them, if they so wished. Clark hadn't even known that the Church of Blue Suede Deliverance even existed, let alone that it was a legitimate group who actually did have the legal right to marry people. But a quick search had proven Perry's claim to be real. He and Lois had been thrilled to accept their boss' generous offer. In many ways, he was not just their boss, but a friend and father-figure as well. Having him officiate their wedding had just seemed like the only logical decision.

"I've known these two for a long time. Lois was just a college senior looking for an internship when I first met her. She's been one of my best reporters ever since, and, well, like a daughter to me. And Clark here...well, I don't know him quite as long, but I do know what kind of man he is. Selfless. Caring. Devoted. Passionate. All qualities which, I believe, fit perfectly with Lois. There is no doubt in my mind that the marriage between these two will be the kind that will not only last a lifetime but will only grow stronger with each passing day."

Clark caught the smile that pulled at the corners of Lois' mouth. He couldn't agree more with Perry, and, apparently, neither could Lois.

"Lois, Clark, I understand you've written your own vows?" Perry asked.

Clark nodded. "We have."

"Jimmy? The rings?" Perry prompted.

"Oh, right," Jimmy said in a hushed voice that Clark knew the gathered witnesses couldn't hear. He patted his jacket pocket, reached in, and extracted the rings. In the next minute, Clark gently took up the one he was to give Lois.

"Go on, son," Perry prompted him.

"Lois, I love you," he told her, looking deeply into her eyes - eyes which had lit up his world since the moment he'd first met her. "You are my heart and soul. I can't imagine ever going through life without you by my side. Since the moment we met, you alone have held my heart. You know me better than I know myself. You know every dream of mine, every joy, every desire, every secret. If someone had told me, years ago when I was so lonely and traveling the world, that I would meet you and of the wonderful family we'd create together, I don't know if I would have believed them, because it would have sounded too good to be true. You would have sounded too good to be real."


He smiled at her. "Take this ring," he continued. "I know it isn't much, but it's all I have left to give. You already have my respect, my fidelity, my unending love." He slipped the delicate gold band over her finger. "You make me complete. You make me happy. And I pledge to spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel as good as you make me feel."

When Clark fell silent, Perry nodded to Lois. "Lois?"

Lois dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement, but her eyes never strayed from Clark's. She blindly took the ring that Jimmy held in his palm. For just a moment, her eyes flickered down to the thicker golden band, which so perfectly matched her own. But a second later, she was once more focused only on Clark.

"Clark," she said, her voice quavering with emotion. "I never used to believe that soul mates existed. I thought that, sure, some people were better matches for each other than others. But the idea of finding one, perfect person in this whole, huge world seemed...farcical, at best. And then, one day when I least expected it, Perry teamed me up with the newest member of the Daily Planet staff - you. You made me believe in soul mates. You made me believe in love, even if it took me some time to realize it."

She blushed at that, probably remembering how their relationship had started out. "Once I learned that love was real - once I came to love you - everything in my life changed for the better. You've made me a better person, simply by knowing you. Today, I gladly bind myself to you as your wife and eagerly look forward to whatever our future brings. My heart is yours, as is my love, respect, loyalty, and soul."

A small, shy smile ghosted across her lips. "I know that our relationship hasn't exactly been conventional - after all, our daughter is here, attending our wedding. But, then again, when has conventional ever been normal for us?" Clark heard a few scattered, half-suppressed laughs at that. "And for that, I'm glad. I love you, Clark, and I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together, facing whatever life throws our way." She slid the polished gold ring over Clark's finger until it came to rest against his knuckle. "In you, I found my partner, my best friend, and my soul mate."

Perry waited until he knew for certain that Lois was finished speaking. He turned back to Clark.

"Clark? Do you take Lois to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Clark said solemnly, looking at nothing and no one except Lois. He gave her a smile.

"And Lois? Do you take Clark to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Her voice sounded reverent in Clark's trained ears.

"Then, by the powers vested in me by the state of New Troy and the Church of Blue Suede Deliverance, I'm thrilled to pronounce you husband and wife. Clark, you may now kiss your lovely bride."

Lois' arms were around Clark almost before Perry was finished speaking. Clark encircled her with his own arms and drew her close.

"I love you," he whispered to her, just before their lips met.

He'd kissed Lois hundreds of times before. And each time had stolen his breath away, even the few which has been ruses meant to deceive others. But kissing her now, as husband and wife, was somehow different. It felt deeper and more sensual, more bonding and more loving. He felt connected to her in a way that went beyond words, as if their two hearts and souls had actually recombined into one. It sent a thrilling rush through Clark's body and he wondered if she'd felt the same thing.

Reluctantly, he withdrew his lips from Lois'. While he'd been kissing her, the outside world had ceased to exist. No sound, no sights, no other people but the two of them. But now, as the contact with her lips faded, the world once more came crashing in around them. Their guests applauded thunderously. Jonathan beamed with pride as Clark's eyes swept the chapel. Martha was smiling from ear to ear, holding Julia and wiping tears from her eyes. Ellen's eyes was glassy and wet with unshed tears and Sam's smile couldn't have been any bigger. Lucy pulled a tissue from where she'd hidden it amongst the flowers she carried in her bouquet. Jimmy, standing behind Clark, thumped him on the shoulder and back in a congratulatory way.

"Shall we?" Clark asked Lois, uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, even if the day really was all about the newly married couple.

"Lead on, husband," she teased him.

"As you wish, wife," he tossed back easily.

He took her arm in his and led the way down the center aisle to the heavy doors at the back of the church. They hadn't been closed since Sam had escorted Lois to her husband, so they stood open wide. Clark was thankful for that. He hadn't wanted to have to stop to pull the doors open. There was no place for them to receive their guests at the chapel, so they headed directly for the limousine which would whisk them away to the reception.

Once the car started moving, Clark finally allowed himself to relax. He sank back into the leather seat, his arm around Lois. He sighed in contentment.

"We made it," he mused aloud. "We're finally married."

"Good thing too," Lois sighed while snuggling deeper into his side. "I already love being Mrs. Kent."

"I love it too," Clark said. "Uh, that you're Mrs. Kent." He chuckled. In his mind, it had sounded like he enjoyed being Mrs. Kent.

"You don't mind if I keep Lane for professional purposes though, do you?" Lois asked, as though it were a sudden thought in her mind.

Clark shrugged. "It doesn't make any difference to me if you want to keep it for that."

"It's just that it's taken me years to establish myself in the reporting world and although we're one of the hottest reporting teams in the country, I don't want people to just associate us with each other. You have your stories. I have mine. We don't always need..."

"Lois, honey," Clark said soothingly to her, cutting off her babble before it could go full force. "I love Lois Lane. I love her as a person. I love what her name symbolizes - the struggle she's always fought for the side of justice, years before anyone ever really knew who Clark Kent was. Or knew Superman existed," he added as a whisper in her ear. Her body trembled a little at the intimacy of the moment.

"The truth is," Clark continued, "it doesn't bother me at all what your - or our - byline says. Lane and Kent. Kent and Kent. So long as we go home with each other to our daughter at the end of the day, the ink can form whatever letters you want it to."

"Really?"

"Really," he assured her. He took her left hand in his own. "All that matters is what this ring symbolizes - our unending love for each other."

Lois smiled and kissed his lips. "I love you, husband."

"I love you, wife," he replied with a grin. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying that."

"Good. Because I love the sound of it," Lois said, her eyes sparkling with playfulness.


***


"Hey, Julia-bear!" Clark said as his mother brought the baby over at the reception, to where he sat in his chair at the dais with Lois.

He and Lois had finally gotten a chance to sit down after all of their professional wedding photos and meeting and greeting each of their guests as they entered the reception space. It had been great seeing everyone, even if briefly. Clark had taken a special delight in seeing his old Smallville High and Midwestern University friends. He didn't often get a chance to visit with them. Usually, when he was back home in Smallville, it was impromptu visits with his parents for advice or dinner. He couldn't just call up his friends and say he was in town. It would look too suspicious. And as for his college friends, they were flung far and wide over the country. Two of his football teammates had been signed by different professional teams, and rarely had time away from the field anyway.

Julia smiled to see her father. Clark took her in eager arms and kissed her all over, making her squeal with laughter. That, in turn, made Clark laugh. His daughter's giggles had always been infectious to him. He simply had no resistance to those peals of laughter.

"Careful. I might get jealous," Lois teased as she slid her arms around Clark while she stood behind him.

"Sorry, honey," Clark said with an unapologetic shrug. "But there's more than one woman in my life." He craned his neck back to look at her and grinned. He looked back to Julia. "Look, sweetie. Mommy's here!" He bounced the little girl on his knee, eliciting further laughter.

"Hi, baby," Lois said, stretching over Clark's shoulder to kiss Julia's nose. The baby scrunched up her face in a smile. "Can you watch Daddy for me?" she asked the infant. Then, to Clark, "My great aunt is demanding photos of me outside of the hall, by the flower garden and waterfall. Even though I've explained to her five times that the photographer already got those shots. Yes, before you ask, the entire Lane family does have the personality of a steam-roller."

Clark chuckled. "Go on. Make her happy. She's what? Ninety?"

"Ninety-one as of last Tuesday," Lois corrected him. Though she sighed, he could detect a hint of pride in her that the woman had lived as long as she had thus far.

"Ninety-one," Clark reflexively corrected himself. "Don't worry, I'm sure Julia will take great care of me while you're gone. And if dinner arrives before you're back, well, I have ways to ensure that it's piping hot when you do return."

Lois grinned and shook her head. "I know you do." She kissed his cheek lightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Or once she runs out of disposable cameras."

Clark watched her walk away, then stood from his seat. He worked his way around the room, chatting with various guests and catching up as best he could with his old friends. He had to pull Jimmy to the side at one point, to warn the man about Lana Lang, Clark's old high school girlfriend. Not only didn't he want to see Jimmy get hurt again - and Clark knew that was inevitable with Lana - but she had unexpectedly attended as his friend Paul's newest girlfriend, much to Lois' ire. Clark had reassured her several times that he hadn't known that she was the guest Paul had decided to bring, considering how messy Clark's breakup with her had been at the end of senior year and the fact that the two hadn't spoken since.

As the minutes slipped by, Julia grew increasingly fussy. She began to wail, complete with big, fat tears which raced down her chubby cheeks. Clark shifted her in his arms so that her head rested more comfortably on his shoulder. He began to rock and sway as he spoke with people. Julia struggled against him for a moment, then started to calm down. Her arms went to either side of his neck, not quite encircling it, though she did cling to him tightly. Clark heard her yawn softly into his ear. In another minute, as Clark's heart continued to melt and it became harder to concentrate on the conversation at hand, he heard her breathing change in a way that he knew all too well.

Little Julia was fast asleep on her father's shoulder.

"Everything go okay?" Lois asked as she came up alongside Clark.

"Just fine," Clark replied. "Although, someone didn't take her job of keeping her daddy out of trouble seriously and fell asleep at her post."

Lois snuck a peek at where Julia's head was burrowed into Clark's neck. "She's had a long and exciting day," she defended her daughter with a shrug. "It's not everyday that she gets to see her mom and dad pledge their lives to one another."

Clark resisted the urge to point out that Julia saw that everyday of her life, just not in a formal setting. He opted, instead, to steer Lois to the bar. She looked like she could use something cold to drink. When she chose a cream soda with ice, he knew he'd been right.

"Clarkie!" Lana cried out as she weaved through a small knot of dancing guests as a slow song played.

Clark internally cringed. He'd been trying to avoid speaking with her as much as possible. Judging from the way Lois was clenching her teeth, he guessed she was about as enthused by the idea of speaking with Lana as he was.

"Clarkie! There you are!" the woman said in a sugar-sweet tone that put Clark's teeth on edge. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry," he apologized, hoping he at least sounded genuinely sorry. "It's been a bit crazy today. Uh, Lois, this is Lana Lang." He knew he didn't have to introduce them formally, but it seemed awkward not to. At the very least, it gave him something to say.

"Hi," Lois managed. "So glad you could come."

Clark's ear was trained enough to hear how forced the pleasantry was, through the heavy veneer of happiness Lois put into her voice. Lana seemed not to notice.

"So, someone finally got Mr. Uptight here to loosen up," Lana said, nodding toward Clark and his sleeping daughter. "Clark was always so skittish about relationships in general that, after we broke up, I figured he'd never settle down. You must tell me your secret," she said, winking at Lois.

Lois' grip on her glass of soda was so tight that Clark feared that if she squeezed any harder, the whole thing would shatter into a million pieces.

"There's no secret involved," Lois countered. "Just a mutual love and respect between us."

Clark wondered if that struck home for Lana. He'd told Lois everything about his prior relationships, especially how, while he'd been with Lana, he'd never been given a chance to feel comfortable in his own skin. There had always been some push for him to be something and someone he wasn't.

Lana glared at Lois for a moment.

Yep, Clark thought. That comment hit home.

After a silent moment where both women appeared to appraise one another, Lana nodded. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck," she told Lois. She didn't need to say it, but her tone implied that the statement was meant to end with being married to him.

"Thanks," Lois said with more feigned politeness. "I already consider myself pretty lucky to have found Clark."

Luckily, Paul appeared, seeking Lana to dance with to his favorite song. As he led her toward the middle of the dance floor, Clark breathed a sigh of relief.

"You realize, of course, that she hates you," he told Lois.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Oh, darn. I was really looking forward to exchanging Christmas cards with her this year too," she replied, sarcasm dripping heavily from her words. Clark could only chuckle and put his free arm around his wife's shoulders. "I'm beginning to understand more and more why you've always said it was a relief to break up with her," Lois added after a moment. "And why your sweet mother calls Lana a 'hateful' woman."

"Mom said that?" he asked in surprise. Martha rarely spoke poorly about anyone, let alone people who had once been so involved in the family.

Lois nodded solemnly. "Oh yeah. She had a few more choice terms that she used too. But it's not important." She dismissed the idea with a casual wave of her hand.

"No," Clark agreed, "it isn't."

There was a lot of truth to those words. He'd long ago decided that Lana wasn't worth thinking about if he didn't have to. The only reason why he'd ever talked to Lois about her was in an honest attempt to fully disclose everything about his past to her. Lana was simply a part of his past that he preferred to keep in his past - way, way in his past. Lois was his true past, his present, and his only future.

"Are you okay with her?" Lois asked.

It took Clark a moment to pull himself out of his thoughts to realize that Lois was talking about the sleeping baby on his shoulder and not Lana. He pulled Lois a little closer with the arm he'd threaded around her.

"Are you kidding? This moment, right now, having my wife and my daughter in my arms is, without a doubt, the best moment of the day," he responded with complete honesty. He bent his neck slightly to kiss the top of Lois' head. "For me, this is absolute perfection."


***


"Come on, Lois!" Clark called out excitedly, bright and early the next morning.

"Coming!" Lois called back, Martha and Julia hard on her heels. A piece of luggage was slung across Lois' right shoulder.

"Don't worry about a thing," Martha was telling Lois. "Jonathan and I will be fine looking after Julia. You just go on and enjoy your honeymoon. God knows you two deserve a vacation and some time alone together."

"Thanks, Martha," Lois said.

Clark knew there was a lot of truth to what Martha was saying. She and Jonathan had often watched Julia for a night or two while he and Lois worked late or just snuck out for dinner and a movie. He didn't doubt that they would be just fine for the two weeks he and Lois would be spending in Hawaii. Still, like Lois, he had his reservations about leaving his daughter for so long. Foremost among those reasons was how much he was going to miss his little girl, particularly her giggles and smiles.

"Mom's right you know," he told Lois, trying to convince himself fully at the same time.

"I know," Lois sighed, looking at her daughter's smiling, happy face. "I'm just going to miss her so much!"

"We can come home for a visit any time you want," Clark reminded her, gently putting a hand on her back.

"I know," Lois repeated, still sounding saddened at the thought of leaving her baby behind.

As Clark helped her lift the luggage from where it rested on her shoulder, a thought struck him. "How about we make it a point to come home for her bedtime routine? We'll still get to change her into her pajamas, read her a story or two, and get her all settled into bed. That way, we'll be the last faces she sees before she goes off to sleep."

Lois immediately nodded. "I'd like that."

Clark grinned, pleased with himself. "I thought you might. Ready to go? We don't want to be late."

"Late? I thought that the Superman Express wasn't bound by a timetable," Lois teased, making an S on his chest as she mentioned Superman.

"Well...no, it isn't," he had to admit. "But I did book some spa activities for us for this afternoon. I don't think you'd want to miss that."

"You did?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded. "I wanted to keep it a surprise until we got to the hotel, but..." He shrugged as his voice trailed off.

"You are an amazing husband," Lois declared, kissing his lips with butterfly lightness.

He sighed exaggeratedly. "I try," he teased, shrugging again.

"Bye-bye, Julia," Lois said, turning back to the little girl. She took her from Martha's arms and kissed the baby several times. "Mommy is going to miss you so much! Be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay? I'll see you tonight, I promise."

When Lois had her fill of their daughter, it was Clark's turn to say goodbye. He, like Lois, took Julia in his arms and kissed her all over her face, making the girl laugh hard. "I love you, kiddo," he told her. "Daddy's going to miss you, but I'll see you soon, okay? In the meantime, you're going to have a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. I promise. You won't even know that we're gone." He kissed her once more for good measure. "Love you, sweetie."

He looked to Lois once Martha had hold of the infant again. "Ready?"

Lois appeared to swallow around a lump in her throat as she nodded. "As I'll ever be."

Clark lovingly scooped Lois up in his arms, unconcerned with the luggage. He'd make another trip or two to get it once Lois got started with checking in at the hotel. Then, finally, they could have some much needed time alone with each other. Though Martha and Jonathan had taken Julia overnight so they could enjoy their wedding night, it would be nice to finally be able to lounge around in bed for as long as they wished. And, considering that he and Lois hadn't been physical with one another since the night Julia had been conceived - barring the night before as they'd consummated their marriage - Clark was greatly looking forward to having the option to stay in bed and take his time with Lois, without the ever-present threat of a baby crying at a key moment.


***


"Clark? Are you still awake?" Lois called out from the bathroom.

"Yeah, honey," Clark said, putting his book down on his lap. He grabbed his bookmark - handmade by this three year old daughter during arts and crafts time with Grandma Kent - and placed it between the pages before putting the book on his night stand.

"Good," Lois said, coming out of the bathroom, a thin, loose satin robe tied around her.

"What's on your mind?" Clark asked. As he did so, he peeled back the covers of their bed for her, inviting her in.

She sat, but didn't pull the covers up just yet. She pulled off the robe and let it fall to the floor, revealing Clark's favorite lacy red teddy. He growled his appreciation. Lois gave him a wicked smile as she pulled the covers up.

"Not so fast, Superman," she teased him, putting one finger to his chest when he moved in to kiss her. "We'll get to that, but, first, I want to talk to you about something."

"Something good, I hope?" he asked optimistically.

"Well, I guess that depends on what you think about it, but, yeah, I would say it's something good."

She was being deliberately vague, Clark knew, and trying to keep him guessing. He decided to play along. "Well, you know that mind reading is not one of my abilities," he teased. "If it was, we could have avoided a lot of misunderstandings through the years."

Lois rolled her eyes in a good-natured way, though she didn't argue. "The thing is...I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. A lot of thinking."

"About?" he coaxed when she paused.

"I want another baby."

Clark blinked as the words rushed out of Lois' mouth. Had he really heard her correctly?

"What?" he asked, feeling almost breathless.

"It's true," Lois confirmed. "I want to try to have another baby." She cringed a little, perhaps somehow embarrassed by the admission.

Clark kissed her forehead. "I want another baby too. I have, for a while now. I just didn't want to say anything until I had an idea of where you stood on the subject."

"You...do?" Lois asked, sounding surprised by how quickly he'd agreed with her desire to try for a second child.

He shrugged. "Well, yeah. I adore being a father. I would absolutely love for Julia to have a little brother or sister. Being an only child is nice, but having that sibling relationship...it's special. But, ah, you do know that Dr. Klein still believes that our ability to conceive is still a trillion to one, right? That he thinks it was a fluke thing that Julia was ever conceived."

Lois nodded. "I know. But I don't believe it. We've already beaten the odds."

"I know that, Lois. But that very well could have been a fluke."

Lois shook her head. "You once told me that nothing is impossible for the two of us. That our love is stronger than any odds."

"And I believe that," he affirmed. "I just...think we need to be realistic about our potential chances. It might not be a one in a trillion chance exactly, but we're still people born of different worlds, with differences in our DNA that may make it harder for us to have another child. That's all."

"Believe me, Clark, I've thought about that every day since we found out that Julia is your biological daughter. Every time I look at her, I'm reminded of how lucky we are."

Clark nodded. "So, uh, when did you, uh, want to start trying?" he asked instead.

"Well, tonight would be good," Lois said with a wicked grin.

"Tonight, huh? Tonight sounds good."


***


Lois rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned. Clark heard her push the covers aside. He felt the warmth of her body leave as she stood up. She must have stretched - he could hear the slight popping of her bones and joints. She padded across the bedroom and went into the bathroom. A moment later, Clark heard the shower turn on.

Begrudgingly, he pushed himself out of bed, hitting the button on the alarm clock mere seconds before it could start blaring its wake-up request at him. He too stood and stretched, trying to shake the sleep out of him. It was going to be a long, probably exhausting day, but he was looking forward to it. Today they were going to take five and a half year old Julia to the Metropolis Zoo. True, they'd been there before, but Clark always enjoyed the look of wonderment in his daughter's eyes when they went on "an adventure," as she was so fond of calling their day trips.

He only wished that he and Lois could have given their little girl a brother or sister. For two years, they had tried. For two years, Lois had dutifully charted her temperature. For two years, she had religiously used ovulation predictor kits. For two years, she had taken home pregnancy tests, only to cry on Clark's shoulder when they came back with mocking, stark white negatives. For two years, she had again cried in her pillow when her menstrual cycle had begun, especially the times when it came late and there had been the smallest sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, they would be welcoming a new family member in the near future. She had tried to hide those tears, but Clark had always heard the hitch in her breathing, had felt the small shudders of her body against the mattress as she wept, had smelled the salt of her tears. He'd always done his best to console her, but the truth was, he too was torn and bleeding inside.

Of course they had known that their chances of success were infinitesimally slim. Dr. Klein's theory of "one in a trillion" was ever gnawing at the back of Clark's mind. But they had both felt that, after having the surprise of Julia, perhaps the man had simply been wrong. How could they have beaten odds so vast on that one and only night of intimacy prior to their marriage, when their daughter had been conceived? For a time, Clark had wondered if, perhaps, his exposure to that bafflingly new chunk of red Kryptonite had somehow altered his body chemistry enough to allow his seed to fertilize Lois' egg. He'd considered subjecting himself to the harmful stone again if it would increase their chances of success, consequences for his own body and possible pain be damned.

Dr. Klein had swiftly dashed even that small glimmer of hope to pieces after he'd run another battery of tests on another "sample" that Clark had given him. The Kryptonite had no effect on it at all, and it certainly had no bearing on Clark's ability to create a child. Feeling hopeless, they had both mutually agreed to stop actively trying. They wouldn't do anything to prevent a pregnancy, but the charting and timed intimacy would stop. After all, for a time there, even with the burning love they had for one another, intimacy had ceased to be fun, and, instead, had come to feel like a chore.

Even the road to adoption had been filled with potholes. The first two agencies they contacted had assigned social workers to meet with them after their applications had been reviewed. In both cases, the women had gushed to them about what fans they were of their work, had complimented them on what "outstanding" citizens they were, but ultimately felt that their job put them in far too much danger on a regular basis for their agency to consider placing a child with them. A third agency had so many hidden fees that Lois and Clark had mutually decided not to pursue them, fearful that they would run themselves into deep debt with the agency. The fourth one had seemed extremely promising at first, but, as they'd gotten further down the road with them, red flags started popping up with alarming frequency. So they had begun to dig a little deeper, eventually working with the police to bring down the entire agency, which had been a front for child trafficking. They had won a Pulitzer for the coverage they had provided for the Planet after the ordeal was over, but the entire experience had left them emotionally drained and too scared of the adoption process to try again.

Like it or not, they'd been forced to accept the fact that their family would never be more than three. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but the worst part was trying to explain to their daughter why most of her friends had siblings while she did not. They had simply told her that sometimes, families were meant to be smaller, and their family of three was perfect. She had accepted the explanation, but Clark knew that more questions would probably come in the future.

Giving up - acknowledging their failure, as Clark sometimes thought of it - on trying to expand their family was simultaneously excruciating and freeing. Stresses fell away from them that they hadn't even been fully aware that they were carrying. Though neither one felt that their marriage had suffered along with their hearts from their infertility, they both admitted to feeling closer once they stopped trying for a baby. Intimacy had regained its fun and spontaneity again.

Still, each day, Clark cursed the differences of his alien DNA for robbing Lois of the chance to have more children.

While Lois showered, Clark chose his clothing for the day, then checked in with Julia, rousing her from her bed. She awoke bright-eyed and ready for the day, giving him the wide, excited smile she'd always given him since she was a baby just learning how to smile for the first time. She hugged him tightly around the neck and they spent a few minutes playing together before Clark helped her pick out of her outfit for the day. He left her to get dressed and was about to go downstairs to make them all some breakfast, as well as pack some snacks for the afternoon, when he heard Lois calling to him.

"Clark?"

Instantly, he changed his path to return to the bedroom. He found Lois standing by her side of the bed, already dressed but with her hair hanging still limp and damp. But what concerned him was her face. It was somehow completely blank, devoid of any kind of emotion or hint as to what she might have been thinking.

"Lois? Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, his level of concern skyrocketing.

He rounded the bed to get to her side.

"I'm fine," she replied, almost hollowly, looking down, never meeting his eyes.

"You look anything but fine, honey," he told her. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Lois said, and Clark thought that hollow wasn't really the right word for the timbre of her voice. More like thunderstruck. "Look."

For the first time, Clark realized that she was cradling something in her hands. He peered over her shoulder to get a better look at what she so reverently held. He was surprised to see a pregnancy test in her hands. He was more surprised to see but one word displayed on the digital screen.

Pregnant.

Tears leaked from his eyes, matching his wife's. He couldn't speak. There simply were no words. All he could do was hug Lois tightly. As soon as his arms encircled her, she began to cry hysterically, uncontrollably. He furrowed his brow, concerned. Wasn't this something they had both wanted for so long?

"Are you okay?" he whispered into her ear.

She nodded, her head buried into his chest. "Better than okay."

"You're crying pretty hard," he observed.

"I know." Her voice was muffled by his t-shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm just...I can't believe this is happening. I'd pretty much given up all hope."

"I had too," he confided to her, holding her just a little closer. "Thank you, Lois."

"Thank you?" she asked, puzzled, as if it was some foreign phrase she did not recognize.

"For this new baby," Clark explained. "For our life together. For Julia."

Lois pulled out of his embrace to look him in the eyes. "You know that nothing is certain yet, right? We still have to make sure that this is a viable pregnancy."

"It doesn't matter. For today, we're a family of four," Clark told her, "no matter what may or may not come in the future."

"We can't say anything yet to Julia either," she warned him.

"My lips are sealed," he promised her, miming zipping his lips shut. "I love you."

"And I love you," she replied, stretching up to kiss him.

Clark eagerly kissed her back, his entire focus on Lois. Nothing else mattered. What would come, would come. He wasn't going to worry about anything. He was simply going to enjoy today - the love of his family, the hope in his heart, and the absence of doubt within him.



The End.