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Title: Lane Kent

Summary: All's well that ends well! In the last part of the series Between One Lane and Another, Lois faces the hardest day of her life, Clark wishes he were a seahorse (well, kind of), and an inside joke comes true.

Author's notes:
1. This is the last part of the series – I promise! I think I've been cluttering up the forum too much with my disorganized posts and with my replies as well XD I also didn't know that FDK was supposed to be answered all at once, so I replied individually, the way I do on AO3. But now that I know, I'll be less inconvenient in the future, in case you want to leave comments for me (please do! *puppy dog eyes* If I'm doing something wrong, I'd like to know too! I'm not averse to constructive criticism, I actually find it very useful :D).
2. I didn't mention this before, but the idea for this whole Lane Lane thing was born years ago when I looked at the L&C:TNAoS cast and saw that the actors who played Perry and Tempus were named Lane. At the time, I didn't even know it was anything more than a last name. But anyway, the actual storyline for the series was only born this year, in January.
3. Enough with notes! This story is part of a series. In the previous part, Clark reveals his origins to Lois. If you missed that one or any other part, see here: TOC





"Aaaaaaagh!"

That was turning out to be the hardest day of Lois Lane's life.

Harder than dealing with a flying cockroach. Harder than putting Lex Luthor behind bars. Harder than going a week without Rocky Road. Harder than restraining herself from punching Ralph in the middle of the bullpen.

She wondered, through the fog of agony in her mind, why people subjected themselves to this kind of torture, and if this was the moment when death would finally claim her, after she had escaped it too many times.

Clark, I love you, she wanted to say as a farewell, but she could do nothing except scream and hold her husband’s hand, who tried to encourage her despite his own nervousness.

Soon, the despair faded and gave way to relief when a loud cry rang out.

"There we are!" Dr. Price smiled as he supported the baby. Then he handed the child to the nurse on his left, who was waiting with a small towel unfolded. "I can already tell those are well-developed lungs. Congratulations, Lois. Daisy and Rachel, will you take care of them while I call Dr. Tarly to help? I need to rush over to assist with Mrs. Annesley's delivery now."

"Sure," Daisy agreed. Then she let out a surprised little laugh. "Dr. Price, it looks like John from sonography got it wrong this time. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. You have a strong, perfect baby boy!"

In response, Lois, Clark, and Dr. Price, who was hurriedly removing his gloves, all looked at her at the same time.

“A boy?"

***

"That's all we needed! Of course the ultrasound result would be wrong on our turn! Good thing we bought most of the baby items in yellow, or we'd be dealing with a sea of pink at home. That actually reminds me, something very similar happened to a friend of my mother's. Or rather, the neighbor of the cousin of the coworker of..."

Sitting beside his wife, Clark watched, fascinated, as the tiny being in her arms nursed lazily. It was also fascinating how Lois seemed to have fully recovered from what she had described as the most painful experience of her life. If it weren't for her disheveled hair and the slight dark circles under her eyes, no one would have guessed she had given birth just two hours ago. But if there was anyone in the world who could defy all of Clark's expectations, it was his wife. As for him, he was still recovering from the experience of watching her scream in pain without being able to do anything to help. It had been terrifying.

"Clark! Are you listening to me?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. You were telling me about your mother's friend?"

Lois tilted her head. "Are you still in shock from the delivery? Relax, honey. I didn't die."

"Don't joke about that," he scolded, shuddering. "Don't ever joke about that. It was terrible. You were screaming, and I couldn't do anything. If it were possible, I would have gone through all that pain in your place."

"Cute, Kent. Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that it's not possible. In a fairer world, male Kryptonians would be the ones to get pregnant, like seahorses, and then I'd be off the hook. But we live in an unfair world – an unfair universe, actually, given the context. That's my biggest disappointment with you, by the way."

"What, that I can't get pregnant?"

"Exactly. I mean, you being an alien had to be useful for something..."

"I thought it already was useful for something. Like saving your life every two weeks."

While Lois protested that it wasn't that frequent, Clark leaned in to observe his son's face, who was now dozing peacefully. As is often the case with parents, his baby was the most beautiful in the world in his eyes (though in reality he looked like a squashed knee).

"You're half-Kryptonian," Clark whispered to the child. "Half-alien. But it's a secret. You can't tell anyone." Raising his voice, he turned to Lois. "There. I've already told him. That'll save me a big headache when he's a teenager."

Lois tucked her breast into her hospital gown. "Hmph. Let no one ever say Clark Kent is an irresponsible man."

"And speaking of which..." Clark reached for something in a large bag that was on the chair beside the bed. "The next step is for me to tell him that he already has a pet to take care of."

"Did you really bring Juvenilia here?" The baby started to whimper. "Uh-oh, he doesn't seem to like it."

"Of course I brought her," he corrected. Then, to his son, he said, "Don't look down on Juvenilia, young man, she's practically the reason you exist." Clark rocked the plush chicken – well-preserved, even after five years – and put on a high-pitched voice to dub it. "Hi, baby! Don't be afraid of me! I can't get close to you right now because of your health, but I still came just to introduce myself from afar. I hope you grow up soon so you can take care of me. And your future vegetable garden. And Mommy's fish. And even Grandpa and Grandma Kent's cows. We love you!"

Lois rolled her eyes as she gently rocked her son, who was now quiet again. "Look, I don't mean to disrepect Juvenilia, but I wouldn't say she's exactly the reason he exists..."

"Yes, she is. You started falling in love with me the night I got her."

"Are you saying I melted all over just because I saw you win the strength tester on the second try, Superman? If that's the case, you should have brought my washing machine here instead. The day you fixed it was one of your finest moments."

Clark smiled and left Juvenilia on top of the bag. "The day you didn't pay me for the repair and distracted me with a kiss."

Thinking about their first kiss made him look at his son again. He was the result of a night with many kisses, caresses, and more. Having the fruit of their intimacy and love right there, visible and tangible, was beautiful. Wonderful. Something he had never thought possible, just like so many other things in his life. Working at the Daily Planet. Finding the love of his life. Being able to use his powers to help others without risking his privacy or his parents' safety. Making a difference. Discovering his origins. Winning a Kerth. Marrying Lois. Belonging. He thought things couldn't get any better than that, except maybe if they could adopt a child. Then Lois got pregnant. And Clark loved the idea of adopting, but having someone – the only person on Earth – who shared his blood was extraordinary. He couldn't wait to learn to love his son in a thousand ways more than he already loved him.

"Three kisses," Lois corrected, unaware of his musings. "And I took you to the movies afterward."

"And we kissed more." He gave her a peck on the lips.

"And you told the cleaning lady that my nosy son wouldn't leave us alone at home."

"I know, it was disrespectful to Lane Lane, but it was the perfect excuse. I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by."

"And that brings us back to the starting point of this conversation." Lois made a dramatic pause. "We were all set to receive a girl! And even then, we were unsure about the name. Now that it's a boy, we have to start from scratch!"

"From scratch? I don’t think so." Clark gently took his son in his arms and lifted him up. "After spending years talking about you, we've finally met. It's an honor to be your father, Lane Lane. Or rather... Lane Kent."

Lois took a deep breath, feeling a sudden tightness in her throat. A missing piece of the puzzle seemed to fall into place. It was like writing a final line that fit perfectly with the rest of the article – there was a certainty that no editor would touch it, because there was nothing that needed to be changed.

She watched her husband smile like a fool at the little miracle they had created together. Clark Kent, who had once been a challenge, someone interesting, an opponent, a coworker, a partner, an almost-boyfriend. Clark Kent, who was now her husband, her best friend, the father of her son. Her son. The most precious thing Lois had ever received – and coming from someone who had won a Pulitzer, that meant a lot. The physical manifestation of all the happiness she had been experiencing over the past few years. Someone she would make sure never felt unwanted for a single day of his life. Their son. Someone whose existence defied all the biological and mathematical probabilities she thought she knew. Someone who was half her and half Clark, but who at the same time would grow up to be someone completely different.

You’ve been with me my whole life, did you know that?, Lois wanted to say to her baby. A woman produces all the eggs she will ever have while she is still in her mother’s womb. You were just waiting for a man from another planet to show up and give you an alien inheritance with possible superpowers included and a proper last name. Lane Kent. Yes. She also smiled like a fool. "There's no other option, is there?"

Clark laughed, cradling his son against his chest. "There never was." He inhaled deeply, wanting to hold onto everything about that moment forever – all the smells, the colors, the mingled sounds of the heartbeats of the two people he loved most in the world, the feel and warmth of his baby's tiny body against his own. "The perfect name for the perfect child."

"Well." Lois swallowed the lump in her throat and composed herself, blinking several times to fight back the tears. "But when we have our girl, I'm the one who'll decide her name."

Clark tried to suppress a shiver. Just imagining Lois going through another labor made him nervous. Wisely, he decided to leave future problems in the future. "That's unfair, considering it was you who chose the name Lane."

"I said my son’s name was Samuel on our first date," she retorted, crossing her arms.

"Don't even try to use that as an argument. And you have to admit that to match her brother's name, the best name for our daughter would be Lana."

"Oh, you can bet I'll name my daughter after your ex! Only over my dead body."

"You said exactly the same thing about having a chicken in your apartment..."

Lois clicked her tongue. "Invalid argument. Juvenilia's stuffed." Before Clark could remind his wife of the time she tried to keep a real chicken in her apartment (an adventure that lasted only two days and left several rooms full of droppings), she continued: "Give it up. If you really wanted there to be a Lana Kent, you should have married your ex!"

Clark laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. "I don't think there’s a single universe in which I'm not married to you, Lois Lane."

Lois snuggled up to her husband, but not without a huff of protest. "Hmph. We’re feeling pretty confident today, aren’t we? So you're saying that in every universe, you managed that feat?"

"I hope so, honey." He smiled, looking at their son and then kissing his wife’s forehead. "For the sake of the Clark Kents from other dimensions, I hope so."





Final notes: This ending could be a cliffhanger to tease my next story... Buuut as much as I'd love to, I can't promise anything for now. I'll have to spend a few months buried in university trying not to die there, so writing my new projects is temporarily on hold. I hope you enjoyed this small pink universe I created, and I thank everyone who followed along and encouraged me with comments. Without your support, I don't know if I would have been able to finish the story, because posting makes me really anxious... I keep wondering if anyone will like it and comment, if anyone will hate it, or even if anyone will read it at all. So thank you all very much <3 Maybe in the future I'll write an epilogue so we can see how Lane Lane – oops, Lane Kent – is doing, but the series is officially concluded. What was your favorite part? Mine was part 2!

What a sweet ending to your series! I've really enjoyed following it. I won't chose a favourite, they're all special in their own ways. Thanks for sharing.

What a wonderful conclusion to this sweet story. Love the time jump. Thanks for sharing.

It's fun how they are still using the same in-jokes after all these years. You portray a very fun, supportive, joyous relationship!

The ending was very sweet! I’m glad that Lane Kent is finally real. I wonder if they’ll ever tell him the in joke. Thanks for a wonderful
series! Great job!

Thank you all for following my story - and for your comments as well! I'm really glad you've been enjoying it. Lois and Clark will definitely build up plenty of in-jokes as their relationship goes on, and Lane² will for sure find out that he was the first one XD

That was a perfect ending! Lane Kent is finally real after being 5 years in the making.

I loved the whole series! It was fun and sweet.

Did you say a tease for a next story? Woohoo!

Andreia

Hi peixinho


Nah, all good. In the classic days, each posted part got a separate FDK thread to collect stuff. And as for individual vs bulk replies: Most authors just don’t want to inflate their FDK thread posting counters too much, so they only reply in a single post every so often. There’s also the aspect of how much there is to reply to in an individual FDK. Do short replies in a bulk post and then the longer ones separately, for instance.


It’s best to mention that sort of thing in the author notes. Some reader-writer relationships have developed enough that the reader knows what’s expected, but for the most part, FoLCs are skittish with constructive criticism / pointing out grammar and spelling issues or plot holes. Some writers also prefer to get beta-reader-like feedback privately.


Frustrated Lois? Did Clark once again fail to reveal himself to her due to super obligations?


Now I’m wondering if she had to abstain while putting Lex behind bars.


Yes, but he can still fall. Stumble into an open drawer. Get himself locked in the supply closet.


Oh, it’s a contraction scream! Duh!


Oops? I guess the pink and teal romper needs an update.


Yes, threatening the persons in the same room as his screaming wife as he does during lo-nappings isn’t really helpful in this particular situation.


In medieval societies, it was a coinflip.


Lois! Maybe they should have experimented with the power-transfer?


That being a conservative number?


Right. Also, Clark will have to explain to him how to not use those big eyes of his when he’s a teenager.


Oh, was little Lane Kent not planned?


Yeah, probably needs to get a good washing.


Cute! But you aren’t supposed to let a baby play with the washing machine!


Yes, “Lanie” is no longer on the table and neither is Juvenilla the Younger.


From the title, I assume he’s for real. Not sure if Lois agrees, though.


I was gonna ask about her Kerths. Also, we have a story where Lois plans on naming their son “Pulitzer”.


Awwwwwwww...


Umm… he does realize there’s certain preconditions that need to be satisfied before there can be a little girl. And him suggesting they use his high school girlfriend’s name might result in him forfeiting those preconditions.


See?





Umm… are we now suggesting they get a stuffed Lana?


Then she had to move out and moved in with Clark while the chicken moved to his parents’ farm.


/hides various fanfics in dark recesses of the Archive/


He’s a persistent one.


Yes. One Lois-less Alt Clark is enough.


For me, it was part 4 I think. Mainly because I’m a sucker for a good mix of UST and revelations.

Thank you for joining our little corner of the world and giving us new stories to read!

Michael

What a cool way to end the series! Thanks so much.

Part One was my favorite. Hope to read something from you again soon!

A stork has never taken so long to make a delivery! Thank you for commenting, Ultra Woman!


Thank you so much, Morgana! Comments like this mean a lot to me, truly.


Michael,
Thank you for the tips. I feel like I'm going to feel like a newbie here for a looong time, simply because I'm not very good with technology and I'm not the best at interacting with people online (despite being Gen Z). I'm sociable and pretty good at getting by in real life, but that's because I have the invaluable help of facial expressions, body language and tone of voice, and I've been actively studying and practicing for years to get better at connecting with people (fortunately, it's been working). But online, without those tools to help me, I always feel lost, or like I'm doing something wrong haha. Even more so in another language, of course.

Ouch, poor man.



TYRION, DAENERYS, JON, EDMURE TULLY and 500 other characters: True



This reminded me of that scene from an animated movie whose name I can't remember, where Lois said: "If he develops X-ray vision, I'm taking him out of school!" or something like that

LANE LANE KENT, possibly a workaholic just like his mother: And who said I'm playing?



Well, considering it's the surname of the man who established the award, that's not so absurd, right?

Someone should have warned him about that. But it seems these individuals don't learn much even when we leave them unsupervised for five years to give them more freedom...

I think a Funko Pop would be a reasonable middle ground? After all, you can't hug a Funko Pop... That already helps, I guess.

Ta-da! And that's how Lois and Clark decided to move in together. It's already been accepted as canon in this universe.

ME AND HG WELLS: Oh, yes, the variants.

Interestingly, part 4 was the last one I planned. I think I was halfway through writing "part 5" when I realized that summarizing "part 4" in a few paragraphs at the beginning wasn't working and that I needed to write it out in full instead.

And I thank you for reading and for the wonderful comments! I love receiving comments, but for some reason, lately I've been having trouble reading any compliments about my work. I think it might have something to do with impostor syndrome, among other things... But anyway, better late than never, right?

Hi peixinho!


So glad you feel safe enough to step out of your shell here, too. Everyone here tries to work hard to making it a welcoming place. Please, always feel free to ask if you are uncertain about something!


A fellow Game of Thrones fan!





Yep, it’s a wonder Lois even survived that long.

LOIS: Hey! I’ve always been very capable in keeping myself alive. Keeping a good boyfried, on the other hand…

CLARK: Which is why I married her. She does much better with a husband. She didn’t forget me even once after we got married.


Large bobbing head and tiny body. I can see that for Lana!


Yeah. I… let’s say I know what happens when you plan on not extolling the UST and then end up with a 20+ parts story filled with UST… (and some FFST)


This is all very common! I hope it helps that most of the comments are shaped as funny asides instead of a deep dissertation on how each individual sentence of the story inspired a very particular feeling.



what can I say? It’s not like I’m not behind on my reading

Michael

How considerate of him.

Oh no! How cruel!

I love all kinds of comments, honestly!

I have reading to catch up on too, and even more things to write. Good luck to us both