Lois sits down with her older daughter Rachel to discuss the changes going on in her life. Meanwhile, her younger daughter Anna has a question of her own.

The Time Has Come
By Estrellita <estrellita5499@hotmail.com>
Rated PG-13
Submitted July 2003


Lois Lane Kent was in the kitchen, checking the Stouffer's lasagna she had put in the oven for her family for dinner that Friday night. Her husband, Clark, had given her their secret signal that meant he was called away on Superman duty, so she really had no idea when to expect him home.

"Mom?"

Lois jumped at the sound of her twelve-year-old daughter Rachel's voice. She was lost in thought and wasn't expecting her to come up behind her so silently.

"Rachel! You scared me!"

"Mom, can we talk?" she asked uncertainly.

"Sure, sweetie. Have a seat. What is it you want to talk about?" Lois asked as mother and daughter sat down at the kitchen table together.

"Well, something happened to me today..."

"Oh, no. Okay, I think I know what this is. Now, sweetheart, please don't get too mad. We were going to tell you, we just didn't know when the time was right..."

"Uh, Mom..."

"Rachel, it's not what you think. I know you've heard a lot of rumors about Superman and me and so it's only natural that you might wonder if I cheated on your father..."

"Mom!" Rachel practically shouted to get her mother's attention.

"What?"

"I've known Dad is Superman for quite some time now."

"Oh, really?" Lois replied, shocked. She bolted out of her seat to go check on the lasagna a second time.

"Of course! What do you think I am, galactically stupid?"

"Please, don't go there," Lois responded, rolling her eyes. She set the oven timer and fixed herself a cup of hot coffee.

"What?"

"Never mind. Remind me one day to tell you about a man from the future called Tempus. Anyway, how did you find out about your father?" Lois asked.

"Well," she explained, "you don't really think Dad would jump up in the middle of a Kansas game and miss the entire second half when the score was tied just to return a video, do you? Please! And, to be honest, the glasses aren't really that great a disguise, in my opinion."

Rachel seemed extremely nonchalant about the whole issue, which was rather unnerving to her mother. Lois was taken aback by just how smart and observant her little girl was. Yes, Rachel would definitely make a fantastic reporter.

Lois caught herself daydreaming of going into Perry White's office and asking if there was a position open for her little girl. All of a sudden, she remembered the crucial subject they were discussing and snapped out of it.

"All right, all right, I get your point. I really wish your dad were here. He could tell you all about what it was like growing up in Smallville and developing his special gifts..."

"Mom..."

All of a sudden the conversation stopped as the back door opened and five-year-old Anna Kent stalked angrily through the kitchen and into the living room to watch television. Lois wondered if maybe it wasn't on a little too loud for her, but realized that the volume of the television would keep her from hearing things a five-year-old just isn't ready to hear.

"What's with her?"

"Her friend Kristen, you know, next door? She's going to be a big sister soon, and Anna's just a little jealous. Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, your father always told me that he felt so alone because the only people he could talk to about these unique gifts were his parents. He never quite felt like he fit in..."

"Mom..."

"Of course, you're much younger than he was when this started happening to him..."

At this point, Rachel couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. She started laughing until she cried. Lois looked on in total confusion.

"What's so funny?"

"You are, Mom! I wanted to talk to you, but you wouldn't let me get a word in. If you had, you would have figured out by now that I haven't started getting any of Dad's powers yet."

"You haven't?"

"No!"

"Then what's going on?"

"My first period came today!" All of a sudden the smoke detector in the kitchen started going off.

"My lasagna," Lois screamed. She carefully pulled the severely burned dish out of the oven.

"Oh! Well, in that case, I think it's time we had another, different chat, about the birds and the bees..."

"Mom, please, no!"

"How does McDonald's sound for dinner tonight?" Lois asked with a sigh as she dumped the ruined lasagna into the garbage can and grimaced when she heard it land with a loud thump.

"Mommy?" a five-year-old voice called from the kitchen doorway.

"Yes, Anna," Lois replied to her younger daughter, Anna.

Anna smiled sweetly and asked, "Where do babies come from?"