Meant to Be

By Linda Brown <CIMSCA@aol.com>

Rated: PG

Submitted March 21, 1998

Summary: Lois and Clark help each other recover from the disappointment of being told that they can't have children. But, a few months later, Lois has some very special news for her husband. Perhaps destiny doesn't agree with Dr. Klein's findings...

I wrote this, my first fanfic, shortly after Family Hour aired. No villain, no A-plot, just lots of Lois and Clark, and lots of WAFFs. Feedback, positive and negative, is welcome.

***

Lois Lane-Kent was deep in thought, sitting next to Clark's baby bassinet. Clark's parents had the baby bed sent to Lois and Clark's town home. Lois had confided in Martha that she thought she just might be ready for motherhood. A lot had happened since the bassinet arrived. The most devastating news being the results from Dr. Klein's tests on Superman that concluded that he indeed was biologically incompatible with an Earth woman when it came to making babies.

Clark had been so gentle and supportive when he broke the news to Lois. Although he must have been totally devastated himself, he said all the right words to her. "Every time, *every time* we make love, we *make love*. That's the strongest life force there is. And whether or not that results in another little person... for me, it *is* creation. You fill me with life."

Lois knew without a doubt that he meant every word he said. That was so much like Clark, to protect her feelings above his own. She loved that about him. That and so much more. That he could love her so completely and unconditionally meant everything to her. How could she be so lucky to have found him? So entrenched in her thoughts was Lois that she did not hear the familiar whoosh when Clark entered the room as Superman and changed instantly into regular clothing.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She jumped, startled by the sound of his voice. "Oh, hi. You're back? That didn't take long."

"False alarm. I got to the bank and nothing unusual was happening. Lois, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think we should send this thing back to Smallville, don't you? We really don't need it, and storage space is at a premium around here," she said, nodding toward the bassinet.

Clark could see the unshed tears in her eyes. His heart was breaking for her. Hell, it was breaking for himself, too. He had come so far toward everything he had ever wanted. A normal life (well, as normal as life could be for someone who moonlights in tights), a job, meeting someone, having a family...

Well, he *did* have a family. Lois and he were a terrific family of two. He had told her that the day at the Planet after Miss Bailey told them that she couldn't recommend the Kents as adoptive parents because of Lois' propensity toward placing herself in danger. He meant it, too. Anyway, there was always the private adoption option, but he wanted to wait a little while before broaching that subject with Lois. She needed time to recover from the emotional trauma of learning that they could not have children of their own.

"Okay" he said softly. "I'll fly it back tomorrow. But right now, you need some sleep. Let's go to bed."

She gave him no argument on that point. They walked silently upstairs, holding hands. They took such great comfort in each other. They truly were soul mates. Nothing, not even the news that they could not conceive, would ever change that fact.

***

Lois sat on her side of the bed holding the case that contained her diaphragm. "I guess we don't need to worry about using 'precautions' any more," she said sarcastically, with a hint of sadness, too.

"Lois, do you want to talk about this? Because I think we should. We're both feeling so devastated by this, it would help to share our feelings."

So he *was* devastated. That was the first time he mentioned anything about the way he was feeling. "Oh, Clark. I know this is *so* hard on you. Hard on both of us. You were so strong for me the other day when we found out. I want to be strong for you, but it's really difficult for me right now. And it's okay if you are feeling sad, too. I know you're hurting. We can hurt together and still get through this."

He walked to her side of the bed and sat down. He pulled her into a tight embrace and just held on to her. He could feel tears seeping through his shirt and he began to cry, too. They hung on to each other for the longest time, just sharing their grief. They were giving each other exactly what each needed.

***

The next morning, Lois awoke to the aroma of fresh coffee and blueberry muffins. She found Clark in the kitchen as he was taking the muffins out of the oven. "You're up early for a Saturday."

"Good morning, Lois."

"Morning," she said as she closed in for a brief but sensual kiss on his lips.

"Well, I've already delivered the bassinet back to Mom and Dad's, and I decided that blueberry muffins would be a wonderful way to start our weekend."

"Sounds great. Thanks. So, no more bassinet, huh?" She had a rather sad look on her face when she said it.

"Lois, I thought that's what we agreed upon."

"It is. It's fine. I'm starved. Let's eat!"

***

Clark cleaned the kitchen while Lois showered and dressed. He was taking his time rather than using super-speed because he wanted to think over the events of the last week. He *was* devastated and disappointed when Dr. Klein told him the results of the fertility testing he had undergone. He was so sure that the results would show that he and Lois could have children of their own. So sure that it had to be a possibility because of the intense love the two of them shared. He wanted to disregard the news as erroneous, an impossibility. But, reality quickly set in and he knew he had to share the bad news with Lois.

The intensity of her grief surprised him at first. Lois herself had told him that she wasn't even sure she wanted kids. She told him that day in the conference room that she was sad and disappointed because she knew how much having children meant to *him*. But her reaction told him that she really wanted to be a parent as much as he did. This revelation had only served to make the truth that much more difficult for him to take.

"So, what do you want to do today?"

He spun around to see Lois enter the kitchen. As usual, the sight of her took his breath away. Even in denim jeans and a white T-shirt (and a tight-fitting one at that) she looked gorgeous. "How about we head back upstairs and go to bed!"

"That sounds great" she giggled as she responded. "But why don't we save *that* for later?" She had a sexy little grin on her face that made Clark realize just how difficult it would be to wait for 'later.'

"Okay, then. How 'bout we go to the zoo?"

"The zoo? Well, I guess that would be fun. Let's go."

***

Lois wasn't really too keen on going to the zoo, but she knew it was one of Clark's favorite places to spend some free time. He had been so supportive and understanding lately (well, okay, he was that way most of the time) that she wanted this to be his day.

They were enjoying the antics of the monkeys in their cages when a young couple walked by them. The husband was pushing a baby stroller and stopped right in front of Lois and Clark while his wife moved closer to the cage to take pictures.

The young man smiled at Lois and Clark and said, "Hi." Lois was admiring the little boy in the stroller and asked the father how old the baby was. "Oh, he just turned six months. Do you two have any children?"

Lois and Clark shared a quick glance and Clark responded, "No, we don't."

"Well, just you wait," the father quipped, "there's nothing more special in the world than having kids of your own." He smiled and waved good-bye as his wife motioned for him to rejoin her.

Lois and Clark followed the stroller as it moved away and both had a longing look in their eyes. "Lois. I think I've had enough of the zoo. Do you mind if we go home?"

"Me too," she smiled up at him as she grabbed onto his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go." She noticed the glimmer of tears in his eyes.

***

There was total silence on the ride back from the zoo to the town house. The couple knew exactly what each other were experiencing, because each was feeling the same sense of loss and sadness. They did not have to exchange words to know that.

Once inside, Lois and Clark turned to each other and just shrugged. "Now what do we do?" they asked simultaneously.

They looked at each other, not knowing whether to burst out laughing or to cry in each other's arms. They opted to laugh.

"Clark, look at us. We're wallowing. This isn't like us. We need to just get on with our lives. And we have a great life here. We're in love. We're together. We have great careers. We have each other. So let's just be -- happy!"

"Lois, you're right. And I am happy. *You* make me happy. Life is -- wonderful. As long as you're in it. Now, let's go to bed!"

"Clark, it's 1:30 in the afternoon!"

"True..." he replied with a lascivious grin, "but did I say anything about going to sleep?"

Lois smiled *that* smile and grabbed Clark's hand and pulled him anxiously up the stairs to their bedroom.

***

They lay in bed in each other's arms enjoying the afterglow of their love-making. <This is perfect> Clark thought, <lying in the arms of the woman I love, my wife, after sharing the most intimate gift two people can give each other.>

"I love you, Clark." She was looking deeply into his eyes, obviously enjoying the view.

"I love you, too, Lois."

***

Two months later...

<Where *is* she?> Clark was more than a little concerned when Lois didn't return from the one o'clock interview she had with a source for the story they were currently working on. She had left around noon, saying that she was hungry and was going to stop for a bite to eat. He had offered to take her to lunch but she said she wasn't that hungry and would just get a frozen yogurt and do some window shopping. That was four hours ago, and he hadn't heard from her since.

"Phone for you, CK!" Jimmy shouted from across the room.

"Hello?"

"Hi, sweetheart!"

"Lois! Where are you? I've been worried sick. Do you realize what time it is?"

"Four o'clock. Clark, it's not late at all. What are you worried about?"

"I know it's not that late. It's just that you haven't been feeling all that well lately and you were gone so long and I let my imagination run away with me and... Lois, where are you!"

"Clark, you're babbling! And I'm at home. I decided not to come back to work after the interview. I stopped at the grocery store and I'm making a special dinner for you."

"You're cooking?"

"Yes. I'm cooking, and you are going to enjoy it! But I don't want you home until six o'clock."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Clark, I'm fine. In fact, I'm perfect. Life is perfect. Now, six o'clock. Okay?"

"All right. Six o'clock. Love you."

"Me, too. Bye." Clark could hear her giggle as she hung up the phone.

"Everything okay, Clark?" Perry noticed the puzzled look on Clark's face.

"Sure, Chief. That was Lois on the phone. She warned me about the dinner she's making me." Perry's eyebrows raised. "I mean, she warned me about not showing up for dinner until at least six."

Clark had a rather silly grin on his face when he said that, but he didn't quite know why.

***

Planning and cooking a meal was usually not a source of great joy for Lois. But, somehow, tonight was different. Tonight was going to be one of the most special nights of her life.

And Clark. She was ecstatic for Clark. She would give him the gift she thought she never could after hearing Dr. Klein's fertility results.

She was carrying Clark's child. She still couldn't believe it herself. For several weeks now, she had been feeling very tired. No matter how much sleep she got, she could barely make it through the day. There were times when she felt a little queasy, too. Nothing really bad, but she just didn't feel right, either. Lois thought she was maybe working too hard and not eating the way she should. She tried to hide her fatigue and other symptoms from Clark. She didn't want to worry him. But, from his reaction to her on the phone this afternoon, he must have noticed that she had not been feeling up to par for the past several weeks.

She had finally decided to see her doctor today. She couldn't really remember the last time she had a physical, so now seemed like a good time for a check-up. When Dr. Conrad asked her when her last period was, she suddenly realized it had been almost two and a half months ago.

"Well, I guess it's been a while. I'm not really good at keeping track of those things, you know."

"Lois, have you and your husband been using any type of birth control?"

"Well, no, but we can't -- I mean, ah, Dr. Conrad, trust me, I can't possibly be pregnant," she said with conviction.

Dr. Conrad looked gently at Lois. "My dear, if you haven't been using precautions, there most certainly is a chance of pregnancy. Let's just take a quick test and we'll find out soon enough."

As Lois handed the nurse her specimen she was very nervous. <Get a grip, Lois. You know the test will come back negative. Then why do I have these butterflies? Could I really be... pregnant?>

The test results were ready within 30 minutes. "Congratulations, Mrs. Kent. You're going to be a mommy!" Dr. Conrad gave her a prescription for pre-natal vitamins and gave her a referral to an obstetrician, one of the best in Metropolis.

***

It was 6:30 when Clark finally came through the town house doors. Lois wasn't a bit upset that he was thirty minutes late. Knowing that he would not always be home on time was just one of those things about being married to Superman she had learned to live with. She was a little more anxious than usual for him to come home tonight, though, but the extra thirty minutes gave her the time to put the finishing touches on dinner.

She had opted for something fairly simple, yet romantic, to make. After all, as Clark correctly pointed out on more than one occasion, there were other rooms in the house where she rated higher in than the kitchen. But, in the ten months they had been married, her culinary skills had improved somewhat.

Tonight, it was penne pasta with a vodka tomato cream sauce, but she omitted the vodka from the recipe. A salad with a light olive oil vinaigrette dressing was the only side dish necessary (well, if he really needed another side dish, he had her). Garlic bread and a nice Chianti rounded out the menu.

When Clark entered the house, he was surprised at how delicious the food smelled. He found Lois in the kitchen tossing the salad. He strolled over to her, put his arms around her waist and feathered light kisses along the back of her neck.

"You keep that up, mister, and I'm sending you to bed without your supper."

"Mmmm. Sounds okay to me."

"What! And miss this gourmet meal I prepared just for the most wonderful husband in the world?"

"It does smell delicious. What's the special occasion, baby?"

<Oh, no! Don't call me 'baby'. You *know* what that does to me!> She turned and answered him with a soft, sensual kiss and said, "Who needs a special occasion to enjoy a romantic, candle-lit dinner with the man she loves?"

The only response to that he had was a deep, lingering kiss. Their kisses became more passionate and their tongues met as Lois nearly forgot the objective of tonight's romantic dinner.

"Clark, hold on here. You don't want to miss this wonderful meal I slaved over all afternoon, do you?"

"You're right. I'm hungry, let's eat."

Clark pulled out a chair for Lois and began to pour the wine. They gazed into each other's eyes with smoldering passion as Clark took his seat next to hers. He lifted his wineglass to hers and toasted: "To our perfect life together." He sampled the wine as she put her glass down without tasting it and she dished up the pasta.

***

"Honey, that was really great."

"You're surprised, aren't you?"

"No. No, I'm not," he said convincingly, "I knew, once you set your mind to it, you'd master this cooking stuff. That's my Lois. Tenacious. Determined. Brilliant -- "

"Pregnant."

"Pregnant," he echoed, not really grasping the reality of what she just said. "Pregnant?" This time he heard himself say the word. "Did you say *pregnant*?"

She smiled that warm, tender smile that she reserved just for him. He was still looking at her, dumbfounded. Finally, he stood and pulled her up into his arms. The look he gave her was one of such love and adoration that it brought tears to her eyes. Tears of sheer joy and happiness. "How... how did this happen?" he finally said after what seemed like forever.

She laughed as she said, "Clark, how do you *think* it happened?"

"Dr. Klein. The tests. He said it couldn't happen."

"Well, I'm happy to say that, for once, Dr. Klein was wrong. Clark, we're going to have a baby! Our very own baby."

"A baby? A baby! Lois, I'm going to be a father? You're pr... pregnant?" Clark was stunned.

"Yes, Clark. Yes to all of those things."

"So, that's why you were gone so long this afternoon. You were at the doctor's office. And that's why this special dinner. And," the thought suddenly occurred to him, "that's why you didn't even touch your wine. Lois, you're pregnant!"

"*Yes*. And I didn't put vodka in the vodka tomato cream sauce, either. Alcohol is *not* good for babies -- not even super babies."

Clark's mind was reeling. A slew of emotions was descending upon him all at once. He was happy; no, he was ecstatic, exhilarated. But he was scared, too. Not for him. He was more than ready for parenthood. And he had no doubt that Lois was, too. But Lois? What would this pregnancy be like for her? After all, there was no other way to put it, she was pregnant with an alien's child. As far as he knew, that had never happened before. Maybe there was a very good reason that Dr. Klein's research concluded that he was biologically incompatible with an Earth woman. The thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Clark, are you okay? You look... worried." Lois' voice was tender but concerned. He just stared back at her. Horrible thoughts racing through his mind. He couldn't bear for anything to hurt his wife. He couldn't lose her. "Lois, I'm -- fine. It's just, I'm shocked. I didn't expect this. I'm really, really happy, though."

"But you're worried, too, aren't you?"

She knew him so well. She knew exactly what was on his mind. He was concerned with what this pregnancy would do to her. Well, she had thought about that too. The fear of the unknown was a concern to her. After her initial reaction of joy and elation she felt fear as well. She was experiencing what no other woman, *Earth* woman, had been through before. She was carrying a Kryptonian man's child.

"Clark, honey, I know what you're thinking." She looked at him with such love that he thought his heart would melt.

He moved closer and took her in his arms. "Lois, if I ever lost you..." His voice was shaking.

"Clark, this baby is a miracle. My carrying our child is the most precious gift that we could ever be given. When we found out we *couldn't* have children, we were both devastated. Remember the great sense of loss we both felt? And now, now, Clark, we've been given what I know we both so desperately want, our own baby. Clark, something this precious has got to be right. Everything is going to be fine. *I'll* be fine. We have to believe that, Clark. This was just meant to be."

Clark looked at his wife through his tears. "This baby is going to be the luckiest kid alive, to have *you* as his mother."

"*His* mother?" She had a suspicious grin on her face.

"Well, maybe I peeked." He had a wonderful smile on his face when he said that. Obviously he was more relaxed. <Lois was right,> he thought to himself. <This baby was meant to be. Everything will be fine.>

"You better not peek, mister. I don't want you knowing the sex of this child before I do. Got it?"

"Got it. Lois, I love you. Thank you."

"Thank you?"

"For making me the happiest man in the universe, even before the baby."

Clark moved closer to Lois and started nibbling on her neck. "Clark?" she murmured seductively.

"Yessss?" he moaned.

"Don't you think you should call your mom and dad and tell them we're going to need that bassinet after all?"

***

Two weeks later...

The team of Lane and Kent were hard at work at the Planet when Perry White came storming out of his office. He had just finished a conference call with the top brass of the paper, and the subject was money. In particular, the subject was the over-budget numbers related to the expense accounts of the Planet's reporting staff. Of course, Perry had taken the brunt of the tirade from the powers that be. "Listen up, people!" he screamed. "There's going to be a mandatory staff meeting at 4 p.m. today and everybody, and I mean *everybody*, better be there." With that said, he hurried back to his office.

Lois looked up at Clark with a pleading expression on her face. "Clark, we can't go to that meeting! We'll miss my first appointment with my obstetrician."

"Don't worry, honey. Let's go talk to him. He'll understand why we have to miss the staff meeting." Clark gently took her hand and led her towards Perry's office.

The Kents hadn't told anybody other than their parents about Lois' pregnancy. For one thing, it was another secret they wanted to keep to themselves for just a little longer. That, and they wanted to make at least one visit to the obstetrician to make sure everything was progressing normally, whatever normal was in their case. As they entered Perry's office, it was clear that they had to let him in on their little secret.

"Perry, can we talk to you?" Clark said as they walked toward the Chief.

"If you're going to ask to be excused from the meeting, forget it. I said everybody!" It was obvious Perry was in an uncompromising mood.

Clark and Lois looked at each other expectantly. "Well, you see, Chief, Lois has a doctor's appointment she really shouldn't miss. And I'd stay for the meeting and fill her in on the details later, but it's really, really important for me to go with her." Clark nervously waited for the Chief's response.

"Doctor? Lois, I can't remember you ever asking for time off to go to the doctor. Lois, is something wrong?" Perry was truly concerned. Lois was like a daughter to him and he couldn't bear anything happening to her.

"No, Chief. Really, I'm fine. It's just that..." She looked up at her husband and smiled. "Perry, Clark and I are going to have a baby."

"Ah, kids, that's wonderful news. I'm, well I'm happier than a preacher in a month of Sundays. Nobody deserves happiness more than you two. Of course you can take off to go to your appointment. As long as you name the baby after me." Perry's mood had lightened dramatically and he laughed heartily at his own joke.

Lois moved in to give her boss a big hug. "Thanks, Chief. You're the best."

"Well, the only topic on the agenda is the escalating expenses of the reporting team. Doesn't really apply to you two, though. Your expenses are the lowest of the bunch. Especially your travel expenses. What do you two do, have Superman fly you to all your stories?" Lois and Clark just glanced at each other with a knowing smile on both of their faces.

***

Clark and Lois arrived at the doctor's office five minutes before their 4 o'clock appointment. Lois had called ahead of time and told the office manager in no uncertain terms that her time was valuable and she had no intention of sitting in the waiting room for any more than five minutes waiting to be called in to see the doctor.

She and Clark were led into the doctor's office at precisely 4 p.m.

The nurse handed the expectant parents each a questionnaire to fill out as she sat them in two large leather chairs adjacent to the doctor's large oak desk. "The doctor will be in shortly to talk to you before he examines you. While you're waiting, you can answer these questions about your medical histories." The nurse then left the couple to themselves.

"Lois, I can't answer any of these questions. At least, not without making the doctor suspicious about me." Clark was looking very flustered.

"Clark, just answer the questions as honestly as you can without giving anything away. When it comes to answering the questions about your family's medical history, well, just say you were adopted and you don't know anything, or much anyway, about your birth parents. That's really the truth." Clark just shook his head and started writing.

Dr. Hunter walked into his office and introduced himself to the handsome couple sitting next to his desk. Lois and Clark needed no introduction. Dr. Hunter was quite a fan of the Planet's star reporting team. He greeted them warmly and got right down to business. "Well, Mrs. Kent, I have your medical records here. Dr. Conrad was kind enough to send them to me along with the results of the pregnancy test. Congratulations, by the way. I take it this was happy news for you. Were you trying to get pregnant."

"We weren't trying *not* to. And yes, we are very happy." She grabbed Clark's hand as she spoke and he squeezed hers gently.

"That's good. Well, let's take a look at your questionnaires. Looks like you're fairly healthy, Mrs. Kent; nothing unusual in your family history."

<At least not in the physical sense, anyway> Lois thought to herself.

"And Mr. Kent... Seems you have left a lot of blank spaces here. You don't have any information about your family?" The doctor cast a quizzical look toward Clark that made him squirm a little in his seat.

"Um, well, no. Actually, I was adopted as a baby, and nobody really knows much at all about my biological parents. But I've been extremely healthy all my life, so I don't think we have anything to worry about. Related to the baby, I mean." Clark was getting very nervous. Lois calmed him by gently placing her hand on his knee.

"Trust me, Dr. Hunter. If this baby is half as healthy as his father, we won't have any need for a pediatrician." Lois looked up lovingly at her husband.

"Well then, the only other thing I need to know about dad then, is his blood type," the doctor said matter-of-factly.

"My blood type?" Clark was suddenly very uncomfortable. He strained his super-hearing, hoping there would be a cry for help so he could think of an excuse to leave. Nothing.

"Yes, you know. A, B, O?" the doctor asked.

Lois came to the rescue. "You know, Clark, I bet your parents have that information. We'll give them a call tonight."

That seemed to satisfy Dr. Hunter. "Very well," he said. "There's no hurry, but we definitely need to know before this little critter is born. Lois, you are O negative. If Clark is Rh positive, then we have to be prepared to give you an Rh injection immediately after delivery."

"Rh injection?" Clark asked.

"Yes, nothing to worry about. It's called Rh incompatibility. Lois has a negative Rh factor. If you have a positive Rh Factor and the baby is also Rh positive, then Lois' body can produce antibodies against the baby's blood. Antibody production does not begin until after delivery so the first baby is rarely affected. However, unless the mother is sensitized after each delivery, there's a very strong chance that the antibodies will adversely affect subsequent babies. So, as you can see, it is important that we know your blood type, Mr. Kent."

"Of course. I'll get the information to you, Doctor."

"Okay, let's get to the exam room and see how everything is progressing."

Lois' exam went well. The pregnancy so far was perfectly normal. Lois and Clark were relieved with the doctor's reassurances. But the issue about Clark's blood type had caught them both off-guard. They walked silently to the Jeep.

"Lois, how am I going to find out about my blood type? My skin is invulnerable. And even if a specimen could be taken, I'm sure my blood type will be unlike any *human* type." Clark looked quite forlorn.

"Sweetheart, I'm sure we'll think of something. Wait a minute -- didn't Dr. Klein get some of your blood one time after you had been exposed to Kryptonite?"

"That's right! I almost forgot about that. I guess I better make a visit to STAR Labs." He was gone in a blur of red and blue.

***

Superman found Dr. Klein intent on his current experiment at STAR Labs. "Dr. Klein?"

"Superman! What can I do for you?" Dr. Klein was always glad to see the Man of Steel. Not only was Superman a scientific marvel, but Dr. Klein considered him a friend, too.

"Well, Dr. Klein. I need your help. Do you remember when you took a blood sample from me after I had been exposed to Kryptonite? I need to know what you found out about my blood. I need to know my blood type."

"You *need* to know? This sounds rather urgent. Is something wrong, Superman?"

"No, there's nothing wrong, Dr. Klein. And it's not really urgent, yet. I'm just sort of... curious, that's all."

"Well, you certainly have a right to know, Superman. I'm sorry I didn't go over the results with you at the time. Let me just get your file so I can refresh my memory." Dr. Klein unlocked his file cabinet. "Yes, here it is. Really quite interesting, actually. I ran every conceivable test on your blood. After all, how many scientists get a chance to study super serum? Fascinating, really fascinating." Dr. Klein was totally absorbed in Superman's file, forgetting that Clark was even in the lab.

Clark cleared his throat, "Dr. Klein, the results?"

"Oh, yes. You see, Superman, your blood is remarkably similar to human blood, really. There are certain types of cells that couldn't be classified. However, you do have components that are found in human blood, such as erythrocytes and lymphocytes. And I can't really be sure, but if I had to call it a certain type, it would be closest to human blood type O."

"'O'... That's great. What about the Rh factor?"

Dr. Klein looked up at Superman, surprised. "You know about that? Well, I did test for the Rh factor and it was negative. However, there was a factor present that didn't match any human component. I call it the K factor, you know, like in 'Kryptonian' factor. Other than that, I'd say your blood is pretty normal."

Clark wanted to ask if the K factor would be dangerous if a human -- if *Lois* -- were exposed to it, but he didn't want to make Dr. Klein any more suspicious than he probably was already.

"So, you'd say that I'm O negative -- I mean, if anybody were to ask?"

"Yes, yes, I would."

"Dr. Klein, thank you. Thank you so much." With that, Superman was gone.

***

Lois was sitting on the sofa reading some pamphlets the doctor had given her when Clark flew into the room. He spun into his normal clothes and sat down next to Lois. He was deep in thought when Lois snuggled closer and pulled his arm up over her shoulder. "Don't I even get a hello kiss?" she asked as she nuzzled into his neck.

Clark snapped out of his trance and smiled appreciatively at his wife. "I'm sorry, honey. I was just thinking about my visit with Dr. Klein." He kissed her briefly on the lips.

"Was he able to help with the blood type issue?" She had been dying for Clark to return with some answers.

"Actually, he had good news, sort of."

"Sort of?" Lois could tell he was still worried.

"Well, it seems I am O negative. At least, the Kryptonian equivalent of O negative. That's the *good* news."

"And the *bad* news?" Somehow Lois knew it wasn't going to be this simple.

"Well, I'm not sure it's really bad news, but apparently my blood also has what Dr. Klein has dubbed the K factor. You know..."

"K factor? Like in Kryptonian factor?" she replied, raising her eyebrows. "Well, that makes sense. Do you think that's anything to worry about, Clark?"

"I don't know, Lois." There was a hint of frustration, maybe even guilt, in his voice. "I mean, maybe it's the same kind of deal as the Rh factor. You know, like Dr. Hunter explained. If I have it in my blood and you don't -- and *obviously*, you don't -- maybe that could have repercussions for any future children we might have. Worse yet, maybe *you* could have some terrible reaction after you deliver."

Lois could see the fear building in her husband's eyes the more he thought out loud about the possibilities. She cupped his face in her hands and looked deeply into his eyes. "Clark, sweetheart, calm down. Maybe you're right about the similarities between this K factor and the Rh factor. But that doesn't mean *I'm* in any danger here."

"Lois, we don't know that. And I just don't think we can figure it out on our own. We just don't know enough, anything really, about any of this."

"Did you ask Dr. Klein if the K factor would harm me if I was exposed to it? Oh, what am I saying? You couldn't do that." Now it was Lois' turn to be frustrated and worried.

Clark saw that he had to be strong for his wife's sake. "Lois, it's okay. I do need to ask, for your sake as well as the baby's. I just have to figure out a way to do it without raising his suspicions."

"Clark, I know this sounds drastic, but maybe it's time to confide in Dr. Klein about you being, you know, Superman." Lois looked at Clark expectantly.

"I don't know, Lois. I mean, that seems like it may be our only option, but we really need to think this through."

"You're right. We can't rush into anything. Why don't we talk to Jonathan and Martha about this and get their opinion on the matter. Maybe they can look at this a little more objectively than we can. But right now, I'm tired, and I just want to go to bed and be held by my husband. Okay?"

"Okay. We're going to figure something out, Lois. I know we will. After all, this baby, our family, it's just meant to be." He picked her up and carried her off to bed, kissing her passionately as he walked up the stairs.

***

Clark flew Jonathan and Martha Kent to Metropolis the next morning. Lois and Clark had thought about flying to Smallville via Superman Express. They had finally decided against it until they could ask *somebody* with medical authority how flying without benefit of an airplane would affect the baby.

When they arrived, the senior Kents both embraced the mother of their grandchild affectionately. Both Martha and Jonathan had been overjoyed with the news that Lois and Clark had conceived. They had always wanted for Clark to be happy, and they both knew without a doubt that having Lois Lane as his wife and mother of his children was the epitome of happiness for Clark Jerome Kent.

Martha was not at all surprised when Clark had called them and ask if he could bring his parents to Metropolis to ask their "opinion about something important." Martha knew that the "something" had to do with a dilemma related to the pregnancy. In her infinite wisdom, she knew that there would come a point when Lois and Clark would have some very tough decisions to make. She was honored that the young couple valued Martha and Jonathan's advice so highly.

"So, son, what's this all about?" Jonathan came right to the point, being the ever-practical man that he was.

"Mom, Dad," Clark began, nervously, "Lois and I need your advice. Some important issues have come up regarding Lois' pregnancy. Issues that we can't deal with on our own. It involves a possible blood incompatibility between Lois and me."

Clark proceeded to tell his parents about everything he and Lois had learned about the whole blood incompatibility matter. Martha was somewhat familiar with what Clark was talking about because it had been explained to her and Jonathan years before when they were contemplating a family. However, Martha let Clark continue uninterrupted. She sensed that he needed to hear it again himself to help him think this through more clearly. She listened more carefully as Clark spoke of Dr. Klein's research results about his blood type.

"So, that's where we are now. We just don't know where to go from here," Clark finished. Lois moved closer to her husband and they put their arms around each other's waist.

Lois looked at her in-laws. "One of our options is to confide in Dr. Klein about Clark's... secret. But we need to talk to you two about that." Both Lois and Clark looked at Martha and Jonathan with a look of helplessness and frustration.

"Well, son, Lois, I think you might be right about telling Dr. Klein the truth. There's nothing more important than Lois' health, and that of the baby." Jonathan was the first to break the uncomfortable silence in the room.

"He's right," Martha chimed in, "and I think that Dr. Klein has proven himself to be trustworthy over the years. It's a risk, I know. But Clark, don't you think it's a risk worth taking for the well-being of Lois and your child?"

Lois looked up at Clark. "Mom, you're absolutely right," he said with a sigh of relief. "What's there even to think about? Lois, I think you and Superman need to go tell Dr. Klein that we're having a baby."

"Boy, is he going to be shocked. In more ways than one!" Lois laughed at the thought of Dr. Klein's reaction. Lois and Clark walked over to Martha and Jonathan and gave each a big bear hug. There were tears in more than one set of eyes in the room.

***

Lois and Clark decided that it would be best to have Dr. Klein meet them at their home. After all, their town home afforded much more privacy than the busy STAR Labs facility. They had arranged for Dr. Klein to meet them shortly after 5 p.m. Lois had considered asking him if he wanted to plan on staying for dinner but thought that perhaps he would need time alone to digest the revelation he was about to hear.

The doorbell rang at exactly 5 o'clock. Lois and Clark looked nervously at each other as Clark opened the door to greet their guest. The usual pleasantries were exchanged as Lois led Dr. Klein to the sofa in the living room. "Would you like a glass of wine?" she offered cordially.

"Yes, I think I would. After all, I'm off duty now, and it was kind of a rough day at the lab." He accepted the glass with an appreciative smile.

Lois and Clark sat on the couch opposite Dr. Klein. They looked nervously at the scientist. Klein looked back with a questioning look. "Is there something wrong? Oh, I knew I shouldn't have accepted the wine. It probably doesn't look very professional. I'm sorry..."

"No, Dr. Klein. Please, it's not that. It's just, that, well, Lois and I have something very important to share with you. And, what you learn hear tonight has to be kept secret. If the truth got out, it could be very dangerous for everyone in this room." Clark looked at Dr. Klein, unable to read what was going through his mind.

"Secret? Dangerous? I can't imagine what you're talking about, Clark." There was a troubled expression on his face.

Clark looked at Lois for help. "Dr. Klein," Lois started, "do you recall a few months ago when Superman asked you to do fertility testing on him?"

"Of course. Boy, did that surprise me. Who would have thought it? Wait a minute -- you *knew* about that?"

"Yes, I did," Lois replied shyly.

"Dr. Klein..." Clark took it from here. "...you need to know that your test results on Superman were wrong. He *has* fathered a child... uh, with an Earth woman."

"No! Well, I'll be. I must say, though, the tests were pretty reliable. But, as with any scientific testing, there is always a margin of error. So, who's the lucky woman, if I may ask?" He began to sip his wine as he was awaiting an answer, not really expecting one.

"Me," Lois replied simply.

Wine spattered everywhere as Dr. Klein gasped at her response. "Clark, you know about this? How can you sit there so calmly while your wife admits that she is pregnant with Superman's child? And why are you telling..." He stopped in mid-sentence as the truth suddenly hit him.

"Wait a minute! Are you two telling me that *you*..." He was looking curiously at Clark. "...that Clark is Super... is Superman?"

To answer that, Clark simply stood up and spun into the suit. He stood with folded arms starring down at his new confidante. "Wow!" Dr. Klein said, stunned.

Lois smiled, remembering her first reaction at the sight of Clark spinning into his alter ego.

"Dr. Klein. As you can imagine, there are some complicating issues involved with Lois carrying Super -- " He hesitated. " -- *my* child. That's why I was asking you about my blood type the other day. We need your help figuring out how we can best protect Lois and the baby from any... complications." Clark was hoping that he and Lois had not made a mistake in letting Dr. Klein in on the secret.

"Of course, complications. Well, the only worry I would have is the K factor in your blood and how that might affect Lois. The baby may very well be K factor positive. Even if it's not, there shouldn't be any problems with the first child." Dr. Klein was beginning to feel more comfortable with this whole situation. Lois and Clark had obviously confided in him because they knew he could help, and because they trusted him as well. He was deeply touched.

"Listen, Superman, I mean, ah..." He was looking confused. "I don't know what I should call you."

"It's best to call me Superman when I'm in the suit. Otherwise, I insist that you call me Clark. That's who I am."

Lois was looking proudly at her husband when she began to speak. "Dr. Klein, we wouldn't have confided in you had we not considered you a dear friend, one we can trust... completely."

"Thank you. And don't worry. I know how important Superman's secret identity is, and I would never betray your trust." He looked warmly at his friends.

"So, Dr. Klein. About those complications... Lois, the baby?" Clark needed some answers.

"I'll get on it first thing tomorrow. Lois, I'll need a sample of your blood to analyze and compare it to your husband's. Don't worry, as long as we know what we're dealing with, I am confident that I can come up with an antidote, if necessary."

"I'll drop by STAR Labs tomorrow. And Dr. Klein, thank you." She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed as he said good-bye.

After Dr. Klein left, Lois and Clark gave each other a giant, relieved hug, a large weight having just been lifted from their collective shoulders.

***

Lois was entering her eighth month of pregnancy and everything continued to progress without incident. Dr. Klein had finished his research on the K factor and how it might affect the baby and/or Lois. He had formulated an antidote to give to Lois after the delivery if, in fact, the baby was K positive.

Lois and Clark, along with Dr. Klein, had decided that there was no need to tell Dr. Hunter their big secret. The doctor had accepted Clark at his word that his blood type was O negative. As long as there appeared to be nothing unusual about the pregnancy, Lois and Clark did not think it was necessary to risk telling Dr. Hunter the truth.

The only foreseeable problem was how to determine the baby's blood type after the birth. Surely the hospital would run all the usual blood tests, but Lois and Clark couldn't just come out and ask if the blood contained the K factor. Dr. Klein definitely needed to know if the baby was K positive so that he could decide if Lois needed to take the antidote.

Finally, the trio decided that Clark should just ask the hospital staff directly about the blood results. After all, it was a legitimate question from the concerned new father. Clark could ask for a copy of the results, 'for the baby book', and then show them to Dr. Klein. Of course, there would be no K factor results, but surely any unidentifiable blood component would be mentioned.

Lois was getting bigger every day, but was right where she should be as far as her weight was concerned. She had wisely stopped her habit of daily helpings of ice cream and made sure she was eating properly. Clark had wanted her to take off work at the beginning of her seventh month, but Lois would have nothing to do with that nonsense. They had argued for days about this until finally Lois made a deal with Clark. As long as she was feeling well and her obstetrician gave the okay, she would continue to work. If Clark agreed to that, then she would stop working at the beginning of her ninth month. They had sealed their pact with a passionate kiss, followed by a leisurely, uninterrupted night of love-making.

***

It was Monday morning and Lois was sitting at her desk at the Planet. Clark was in the conference room with Jimmy discussing some research he wanted Jimmy to do. Lois was eight and a half months pregnant, and she was tired. She and Clark had spent the entire weekend finishing up the nursery for its soon-to-be occupant. They were pleased with how the room turned out. It was painted in a neutral yellow tone and had a wallpaper border of pastel-colored moons and stars. Clark assembled the crib without too much trouble, considering Lois would not allow him to do it at super-speed. She wanted to watch him put the crib together the 'regular' way; she thought it would be a 'bonding' experience. Clark had to admit that it was.

Lois wanted to get up and join Clark and Jimmy in the conference room but her body wasn't cooperating. Her ankles were swollen, so she discarded her shoes and propped both feet on her desk. As Clark was returning to his workspace, he noticed his wife puff her cheeks and let out a loud sigh. He walked over to her and knelt down beside her. She looked sadly into his eyes.

"Lois, what is it?" he asked tenderly. "You look kinda... depressed."

"You win, Clark. I'm exhausted. I don't think I can make it another two weeks -- working, I mean."

Clark gave her a sympathetic grin. He knew how difficult it was for Lois to admit defeat. "Oh, Honey." He gathered her in his arms and gave her a brief but tender kiss. "I'm really proud of you for making it this far. I know *I* couldn't have. And I'm... Superman." He whispered the last word so no one could hear. "Listen, I'll go tell Perry, and then I'm taking you home. I'm asking him for the rest of the day off, too. I need to spend some quality time with my beautiful, and very pregnant, wife."

Lois had tears in her eyes as she looked at this wonderful man. He was so understanding, so concerned for her. He knew that she would have difficulty spending her first day at home, alone. She didn't even have to ask him to stay with her. He took such good care of her.

***

Clark insisted upon carrying Lois from the Jeep to the house. She had begun to resist at first then decided that she would humor the about-to-be father. Besides, she was really enjoying the pampering.

Clark set Lois gently down on the couch. "Do you want me to fix you some tea or something?"

"No, I just want to sit with me. I really need to be close to you right now." Tears were welling up in her eyes once again. <Damn, why am I so emotional all of a sudden?> she scolded herself.

Clark sat next to his wife and pulled her close and into his arms. They sat silently for several minutes, neither one feeling the need to talk. They were communicating plenty. Somehow both knew that this might be one of the last moments they would have alone together for quite some time.

Clark turned Lois around so that she was now laying in his lap, looking up at him. "You are *so* beautiful, Lois. Do you know how completely in love with you I am?" She truly did take his breath away.

"Oh, Clark. Look at me. I'm, I'm... fat! And I've been swelling up like a balloon lately. How can you even think I look so beautiful right now?" The last thing she wanted to do was cry, but she began sobbing the minute she stopped talking.

Clark brushed her tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Because it's true, Lois. You are beautiful. More beautiful than the day I first met you. And you're not fat. You're pregnant. Know what else?" he asked with a playful grin.

"What?" she sniffled.

"You're really sexy, too. I have this irresistible urge to have my way with you."

She laughed at that and said, "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to fly yourself straight to the Arctic Circle and cool yourself off, because the doctor says no more of *that* for a while."

It was good to see her smile again. "Ouch! Okay, I guess I'll settle for a cup of hot tea. Join me?"

"Sure. And Clark, thank you." She put her arms around his neck and brought him down for a soft kiss.

"For what?"

"Just, thanks."

***

That evening, Clark fixed a light dinner for himself and Lois, as Lois just didn't have room any more for big meals. After dinner, Lois and Clark were sitting on the living room sofa in front of a nice fire and enjoying one of their favorite CDs. Lois was in a pensive mood while she gazed into the fire. "Clark?" she finally said.

"Yes?"

Lois turned to face her husband. "You know, we haven't decided on a name for the baby yet, and I think we're kind of running out of time here."

"Right. Any ideas?"

"Well, I'm having trouble coming up with something special, meaningful. I mean, I know you don't want a 'Junior'."

"No, no junior. But I was thinking of -- Lois, what do you think of Jordan? I mean, it's similar to Jor-El -- a little, anyway -- and it would mean a lot to mean to remember my birth father in that small but special way."

Clark waited expectantly for Lois' reaction. "Jordan?" she mused aloud. "Jordan. I like it. A lot. But I get to choose the middle name, okay?"

"Sure." Clark replied with a smile on his face. "Go ahead."

"Well, I want to name him after his father, too."

"Jordan Clark? Lois, that just doesn't flow right," Clark said as he tried the name.

"No, not Clark." Clark had a troubled look on his face. "Jordan Kal-El. Jordan Kal-El Kent."

Clark arched his eyebrows, obviously liking what he was hearing. "Jordan Kal-El Kent. It's perfect. But Lois, don't you think people might wonder why we're naming our child after Superman?"

"No, Clark, I don't. And so what if they do? Everybody knows that Superman is a friend of ours and has saved my hide a few times."

"A few hundred times," Clark corrected his wife.

"All right, a few *hundred* times. Even more of a reason to honor Superman this way. So, what do you think?"

"I think it's perfect." Clark gave Lois a little hug. "So, how about for a girl?"

"Clark, we don't need to choose a girl's name," she said matter-of-factly.

"We don't?"

"No. It's a boy," Lois replied with an air of certainty.

"Lois, did the doctor tell you this? Why didn't you tell me?" Clark was getting rather upset at the fact that Lois would keep something like this from him.

"Clark, nobody told me anything. I just know I'm carrying your son. Call it mother's intuition. And I'm not keeping anything from you. I just got this feeling, that it's a boy, today."

"So, you're sure? It's a boy?" Clark was truly amused now.

Lois sat up straight suddenly with a surprised look on her face. "Well, I guess we're going to find out sooner than we thought. Clark, my water just broke!"

"It did? Are you having any pains?"

"No." There was a hint of panic in Lois' voice.

Clark smiled tenderly at his wife. "Honey, calm down. Everything is fine. I'll just give Dr. Hunter a call and tell him that your water broke and see what he says. Okay?" He cupped her cheek with one hand and looked lovingly into her eyes.

"Okay. Clark?" she called after him as he was heading to the phone. He turned to look at her. "Do you think we're ready for this, this whole parenthood thing? Oh, I know you are, but what about me? I don't know if I can do this, Clark!"

He wanted to chuckle at her statement but thought better of it. Suddenly he realized that her insecurities about motherhood, the insecurities she had hidden so well these past eight months, were coming to the surface as she was faced with the immediate prospect of delivering their child, of becoming a mother.

Clark walked over to his wife and sat back down beside her to gather her in his arms. "Lois. There is no doubt in my mind that you are ready for this, that we're *both* ready." He tipped her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "Do you realize how much joy and happiness you have brought into my life? Lois, before I met you, I was lost, feeling like I didn't belong here. Feeling like an alien in a strange land. But loving you, you loving me, has given me a purpose, made me realize that I do belong here, because I belong with you. You have given me so much love and so much nurturing. You've made me complete. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you will love and nurture our child, our son, in a way that nobody else ever could. You're ready."

The tears were flowing freely from Lois' eyes as Clark finished his sweet, comforting words. She felt so loved and so complete at that moment. And she knew. She knew that Clark was absolutely right. She was ready for this. As long as she had Clark by her side she was ready for anything. She held Clark's face in her hands and caressed him gently and then pulled his lips to hers for a kiss that was warm and tender and full of promise of the exciting, wonderful journey before them.

***

Jordan Kal-El Kent was born at 11:05 p.m. on February 9, 1998. He weighed in at 8 lb. 7 oz, and was 22 inches long. He had a great set of lungs and a very strong grip. Otherwise, a very healthy, very normal, very cute little guy.

Lois had a fairly easy labor, though she did yell out a few choice words at Clark, which he decided not to take personally. Immediately after the delivery, Clark was allowed to cut the umbilical cord and hand his newborn son to Lois.

As Lois accepted their child from Clark and put him to nurse at her breast, she had this incredible feeling of connection to him. She immediately felt an overwhelming, complete and unconditional love toward her son and she knew. Oh, yes, she was definitely ready for this.

She looked up at Clark and smiled. He placed his hand on the back of his son's head and leaned down to kiss Lois. There were tears in his eyes when he said, "I love you, Lois." He then looked at his son. "I love you, Jordan Kal-El." And then again to his wife. "Thank you."

Clark sat up again and looked down at his family. His family that was meant to be.

THE END

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