Over the next few weeks Lois began to understand how a laboratory rat must
feel. She had been poked and prodded, had blood taken from her, given
numerous urine samples and been subjected to several internal examinations.
Her gynaecologist confirmed that all was well with her and the baby, at
which Lois was very relieved.

She had had serious doubts about going to see her doctor about the
pregnancy; as she'd thought about the tests which would certainly be
conducted, she had realised that there was a possibility that the baby's
unusual parentage might well be detected. At the very least, if the baby
had Superman's invulnerability, it might not be possible to conduct some of
the normal prenatal tests.

But all had seemed well so far. So far... Lois crossed her fingers. She was
still undecided about telling Superman he was to be a father; after all,
not only did he have the right to know, she conceded reluctantly, but if
there *were* things she should know about carrying a half-Kryptonian baby,
he was the only one who could tell her.

But it wasn't as simple as just telling him. He still obviously remembered
nothing about the night they had spent together. A week or so after Lois
had discovered she was pregnant, she had covered a building collapse in the
Hobbs Bay area of the city. Once he had done all he could to bring trapped
people out of the building and to secure the structure so that the
emergency services could get in, Superman had strolled over to the press
representatives to answer a couple of questions. He had answered one from
Lois, giving her a brief and very impersonal smile as he'd invited her to
contribute. Later, when most of the other reporters had gone off to file
their stories, Lois had been looking around at some of the debris, as usual
trying to find that vital clue which had been missed by everyone else...

Superman had strolled up to her.

"Lois? Looking for something?"

She had spun around to face him, her heart in her mouth. Here was her
chance; if he gave the slightest sign that he wanted to talk...

She had smiled, a genuine, broad smile indicating how pleased she was to
see him.

"Superman! It's been a while since we talked... how are you?"

His voice had been distant, formal. "I'm fine, Lois. How are you?
Indefatigable as ever, I see."

"Oh well...," she'd said, dismissing his reference to what Clark called her
terrier-like tenacity when it came to her work. "But are you really OK? I
was worried, you know... after that asteroid, when you disappeared..."

His expression wasn't encouraging. Giving her a polite smile, he said, "You
were at the press conference, I noticed. I was fine, just tired - it was a
long journey. I must have slept for hours after I got back, though I still
don't remember getting back." He inclined his head at her and added, "You
take care, Lois. I must go."

With that, he had swung his cape around him and taken off, flying up and
over the ruins of the collapsed building.

<Not like a lover at all> Lois thought. <If anything, he's even more
distant than he was before it happened> Struck by a thought suddenly, she
went rigid. <What if he does remember, and he's behaving like this so that
I won't get any ideas about repeating the experience?>

On reflection, she had later decided that this was unlikely. Superman had
always been clear about his moral standards. He believed in honesty and
fairness; if he had done something which he regretted and which involved
someone else, Lois was sure that he would say something, explain that it
was a mistake, not simply expect the person to understand from his
behaviour that he had changed his mind. <At least, I hope so...> she
thought.

Clark wouldn't. The thought appeared from nowhere and planted itself in
Lois's brain. Clark would tell her how he felt in such circumstances, even
if it was difficult for him.

But then, Clark was just about the last decent, honest man alive. Lois was
well aware of that. He had been so good to her in the past few weeks. He
had kept his promise; the morning after she had discovered her pregnancy he
had arrived at her apartment with several types of herbal tea, and insisted
on making her a cup each day now while she got dressed. He continually
distracted her with his bad jokes when she was feeling down. It *had* all
helped, she had acknowledged.

He had also been incredibly protective of her. She had told him off for it,
insisted that she was pregnant, not an invalid, but secretly she enjoyed
his solicitousness. No-one had ever treated her like that before, as if she
was something precious which needed to be cherished. He had never again
raised the subject of the baby's father, recognising that it was a subject
Lois did not want to discuss and respecting her privacy.

Instead, Clark quietly and unassumingly set about making Lois's life
easier. A few days after she had done the test, he had bought her several
books on pregnancy, which had been very helpful in explaining the changes
her body was undergoing, how to cope with backache and morning sickness,
and what to expect in the later stages. He also, without a word, started to
bring her decaffeinated coffee at work, and when he went out for food for
them, either at work or on the occasions they spent evenings together at
one or other's apartment, he avoided ingredients inadvisable for pregnant
women.

Clark could hardly be more caring if it was *his* baby I'm carrying, Lois
found herself thinking one evening. It suddenly occurred to her that he
would make an excellent father. Unlike her own father, Clark would love his
children unconditionally. It wouldn't matter to Clark whether they were
male or female, intelligent or not; he would love them and care for them
regardless. He would make time for them, take them out for treats, play
with them, talk to them... She sat up abruptly as she realised where her
thoughts were taking her. *Clark* would be a terrific dad to her baby...

**************

"Lois, oh God, Lois..."

Clark's eyes shot open suddenly as his mumblings woke him from his dream.
And what a dream it had been. He couldn't understand it. He had had the
same dream at least five times in the last few weeks, but he had no idea
why, or what had triggered it.

In his dream, he was making love to Lois. Mad, crazy, passionate love. They
were naked together in bed - her bed, he thought - although he had no idea
how they had got there. One thing he was sure of, though: in his dream,
Lois loved him every bit as much as he loved her.

But it was only a dream, and much as Clark wanted it to be true and had
dreamt of making love with Lois in the past, he couldn't understand why
*this* dream was so vivid, nor why it had recurred so frequently. Staring
up at the ceiling now, he puzzled over the situation. Lois's pregnancy had
definitely unsettled him, he knew. He had been able to deal with his
unrequited love for her and had been perfectly happy for her to regard him
as a friend as long as there was no-one else on the scene. He hadn't
counted Lex Luthor as a significant rival for Lois's affections; she had
been out with him a couple of times, but although she appeared to have been
impressed by his power and status, she still regarded him as a challenge.
As she had told Clark several times, Lois Lane was determined to get that
first definitive Lex Luthor interview.

So while Lois was still single and heart-whole, Clark had been prepared to
wait in the background. But now she was pregnant. Suddenly there was a
large part of her life which was not open to him. *Who* had she been
seeing? Who was this mysterious 'one-night-stand'? - the whole idea sounded
completely alien to his image of Lois. But one thing was clear to Clark
now: Lois's pregnancy appeared to have heightened his awareness of her as a
sexual being. Being pregnant seemed to suit her: she looked even more
beautiful than before, if that was possible, the changes to her body having
softened her shape and given her features a more translucent appearance.
Perhaps it was this increased awareness which had prompted his dreams.

He was jealous. He was well aware of that.

But on the other hand, he couldn't help thinking, selfish as it might be, a
Lois Lane who was pregnant and alone might represent a potential
opportunity. Perhaps, at last, she would *notice* Clark Kent. Not as a work
partner and friend, but as a potential *life* partner. With that thought in
mind, Clark had changed his behaviour towards Lois. As himself, Clark, he
tried to be as helpful and considerate as possible, without making a
nuisance of himself. But as Superman, he was distancing himself. He had
been well aware that Lois was in danger of falling in love with the
super-hero - with a character who doesn't even exist, Clark had muttered to
himself a number of times in the past when witnessing evidence of Lois's
attitude towards his *alter ego*. But he had also noticed her strange
remarks about Superman the day after the asteroid crisis. Perhaps she was
finally beginning to outgrow the crush? At any rate, Clark had decided that
the less encouragement Lois received from the Man of Steel the better. So
he had subtly withdrawn from her. He had not visited her at her apartment
for about three months now, and when he encountered her in public as
Superman, he was polite but distant. He had suspected that she was a little
surprised at this behaviour, but he thought it worthwhile if it meant that
Lois was no longer distracted by the red-and-blue suit. Perhaps in the
absence of a super-hero to focus upon, she might begin to pay a little more
attention to the man in glasses and a business suit who was in love with
her.

***************

"Clark, can I ask you a favour?" Lois barely waited until Clark had let
himself in the door of her apartment before making her request.

Clark had been coming over to Lois's apartment first thing every morning
ever since she'd told him that the herbal tea and some dry toast made the
morning sickness easier to bear. She had given him her spare key, and he
had developed a routine of simply letting himself in, making breakfast and
carrying it in to her in her bedroom. She would drink and nibble in bed
while he read aloud to her from some of the day's headlines, and then he
would wait while she got up.

Now that she was into her fifth month, the morning sickness had eased off,
but Clark continued to arrive at her apartment and accompany her to the
Planet. Lois liked it, though she felt a little guilty that she hadn't told
Clark she could manage by herself in the morning now; she could have given
him the choice as to whether he wanted to continue or not. Instead, she
said nothing, aware that Clark's strong sense of responsibility would
ensure that as long as he thought she needed him, he would come. Now,
though, she would join him in the kitchen for breakfast, and complain that
she was fed up with toast and wanted a danish or a chocolate doughnut
instead.

Lois found that pregnancy, now that the morning sickness had receded, was
actually not an unpleasant state. The weight gain and some tiredness apart,
Lois's body and hair felt extremely healthy; she supposed that the stories
about pregnant women glowing were not so far from the truth. She was in
excellent health, and in spite of her fears, was beginning to enjoy being
pregnant. She did therefore feel guilty about continuing to take advantage
of Clark's good nature in so many ways, but he had on so many occasions
insisted that he liked being able to do things for her, and it did feel
good.

"Sure, Lois, what is it?" Clark's voice burst in upon her thoughts, forcing
her to concentrate on him again.

"Oh... you know I saw my doctor yesterday?" she began to explain.

"Yeah. Is everything OK?" Clark's concern was evident to Lois from his tone
and his expression.

"Fine, no problems," Lois reassured him. "But I've got an appointment for
an ultrasound in a couple of days. I should have had one before now, but
anyway... It sounds pretty exciting - I'll be able to see my baby! But it
will also show if there are any problems... deformities, anything like
that..." for an instant, her face was clouded "... and I can bring someone
with me. Most women go with their partners, but..." She paused. "Anyway,
Clark, I was wondering... would you come with me?"

Clark's eyes widened. Lois could have asked her mother, her sister - both
knew she was pregnant and were being supportive, although Ellen's support
occasionally managed to irritate Lois. But she had chosen him! "Lois, I'd
be delighted - and honoured."

Lois grinned at him and said, "Great - I'll have someone to scream at if I
get carried away." She hooked her arm through his and added, "So, you
driving us in today?"

***************

At the Planet later that day, Lois knocked at Perry White's door. She had
decided that, while she wasn't ready for the entire newsroom to know about
her pregnancy yet, her editor deserved to be told.

She had reckoned without Perry White's reporter instincts. As she told him,
she saw with astonishment that his expression showed no surprise.

"Aw, Lois, do you think I don't notice anything? Like the way you rub your
back from time to time? Or the fact that you've been looking a little green
around the gills in the mornings for a while? I figured that any time now
you'd be in here asking me about the Planet's maternity leave
arrangements." Perry gave her a straight look. "Anyway, I remember what
Alice was like when she was pregnant, and it wasn't too difficult to spot
the signs."

Lois was taken aback; she hadn't realised it had been so obvious. "Does...
everyone know?"

"Aw, no, I don't think so," her editor replied. "Most people around here
are too busy getting on with their own lives to notice. And people are in
and out of the newsroom all the time. I'm about the only one who's here all
day, and anyway, I've been in this business a long time. I guess I see
things most other people wouldn't."

<Like Clark Kent> Perry thought to himself after Lois had left. <Does she
really think she can fool me with that ridiculous story about the baby's
father being no-one we know and none of anyone's business? It's as plain as
the nose on Elvis's face that Clark's the daddy-to-be, the way he looks out
for Lois these days. Solicitous... there's no other word for it. That boy's
on the way to being a father, and he knows it.>

<So why in the Sam Hill aren't they moving in together or at least being
open about their relationship?> Perry scratched his head in bemusement.

****************

"...and it was absolutely miraculous, Mom! We could see the baby moving
around - it looked so tiny and perfect, and Lois just cried and held my
hand." Clark's expression was ecstatic as he told his parents about the
ultrasound Lois had had earlier that day. As he spoke, he recalled Lois's
reaction, and the expression on her face. Rarely had he seen his
hard-bitten newswoman of a partner so moved by any experience.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged glances, and Jonathan approached his son.
Placing a hand on Clark's arm, he spoke in a concerned voice. "Now Clark, I
don't want you to think that we're not pleased for Lois. We're glad she's
well and the baby's all right. But your mom and I are worried about you.
Clark, you know this isn't your baby Lois is carrying, yet you're starting
to talk and behave as if... well, as if you want it to be."

Feeling as if he'd just been slapped in the face, Clark jerked away from
his father's grasp. "I *know* it's not my child!" he retorted angrily. "But
I promised Lois I'd be there to help her and support her, and that's what
I'm doing. It's what I *want* to do. The baby's - parentage - isn't
important."

Martha moved across the kitchen towards Clark. "Clark, honey, you know your
father and I only have your interests at heart. We know you love Lois, and
we know that you would bring up her child as your own if she wanted you to.
And we don't object to that - as long as it was for the right reasons. As
long as Lois loved you too."

"But son," Jonathan added, "that's not on the agenda, is it? Lois hasn't
said anything about what happens after the baby is born - or about wanting
you as more than a friend. Has she?" Clark didn't reply. Jonathan
continued, "We have to remember that the baby's father is still out there
somewhere, and whatever Lois says now, she may well decide later that she
wants him involved - and where will that leave you?"

Clark remained silent, aware that his parents were only raising questions
which were also uppermost in his mind, much as he tried to ignore them. He
*was* worried that closer to the birth, or after the baby was born, Lois
would want to tell the father and give him a chance of knowing his child.
Then it would be "thanks for all your help, Clark," and back to being
partners and friends, and a permanent role of "Uncle Clark" to her child.
And years upon years of pretending that his feelings for Lois were no
stronger than that of one friend for another.

But regardless of all this, he was still determined to carry on doing
whatever he could to help Lois. He faced his parents at last. "Mom, Dad, I
appreciate your concern. Really, I do. But Lois is... special to me, and
even if I wasn't in love with her I'd want to help her. What happens after
the baby's born..." he shrugged, "who knows?"

Martha and Jonathan exchanged glances again; they knew their son, and they
were well aware that in this instance he had made up his mind. Their only
concern was for his happiness, and silently they shared their hope that,
whatever happened, Clark would not ultimately be hurt by whatever course of
action Lois chose to take.

****************

In her apartment, Lois was on the telephone, fielding her mother's more and
more insistent questions about her pregnancy. She had phoned her mother
because Ellen had made Lois promise to let her know how the ultrasound had
gone, but she was now beginning to regret making the call...

"Yes, Mother, I am taking folic acid and vitamin supplements..."

"Yes, Mother, I am watching what I eat..."

"Yes, Mother, it was very thorough - the baby's healthy and as developed as
it should be at this stage..."

"No, I don't know whether it's a boy or a girl. It wasn't positioned right
for the technician to be able to tell, but anyway I'm not sure I want to
know now..."

She listened to her mother again, inserting 'yes' and 'uh-huh' at what she
hoped were appropriate points as Ellen rambled on about friends of hers who
had hoped for a baby of one particular sex and then were disappointed after
the birth to discover that the baby was not what had been desired. Lois,
who was well aware of how it felt to have been a child of the 'wrong' sex,
was determined that she would have no expectations of her baby in that
respect.

She was disturbed in this musing by the realisation that Ellen had moved on
to another bone of contention: the fact that Lois had chosen to ask Clark
to accompany her to the scan, and not her mother. <You fuss too much!
That's why I didn't want you to come> Lois muttered to herself silently.
<I'd like to have you there, but I couldn't bear all the questions,
comments, criticisms...>

"Clark's a close friend, Mother, and he's been very good to me," she
explained patiently.

"Well, I suppose it was less embarrassing for you, turning up with a man,"
Ellen replied with a resigned sigh. "I hope you were sensible enough to let
the staff think he's the father?"

"Why would I need to do that?" Lois exclaimed, finally feeling herself
losing her battle for control over her patience. "It's not as if there's
anything unusual or shameful about single parenthood these days."

"Well, Lois, I still think that every child needs its father - that's why I
stayed with your father for so long," Ellen retorted in a critical tone.
"And I still don't understand why you won't tell anyone who the father is.
It's as if you've got something to hide, or you're protecting someone," she
finished.

<How true that is!> Lois thought, listening to her mother warm to a theme
which had been the subject of many conversations over the past couple of
months. "Look, Mother - " she began, but was interrupted by Ellen.

"In fact, given the way Clark Kent fusses over you - and the way you let
him! - I'm sure everyone must think he's the father. In fact," she added
triumphantly, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was! I'd just like to
know why he won't admit responsibility like any decent man ought to."

"Mother!!" Lois exclaimed, now genuinely angry. "Clark is *not* my baby's
father! And don't you go suggesting to *anyone* that he might be!" Lois was
appalled at the thought; Clark certainly did not deserve anyone's
condemnation. And what if Ellen happened to visit Lois when Clark was with
her - would she accuse him outright?

"Lois Lane, how dare you speak to your mother like that!"

The knock on the door came as a welcome relief to Lois. Speaking loudly to
be heard over her mother's continued complaints about ungrateful and
disrespectful daughters, Lois said firmly that she had to go, and replaced
the receiver.

Glancing through her spy-hole before opening the front door of her
apartment, Lois saw that her visitor was in fact Clark. Although he
possessed a key to her apartment, he was sensitive to Lois's privacy and
only used the key when he came over each morning. As she let Clark in, Lois
noticed that he was carrying some files, and he explained that he'd had
some further thoughts about their long-running investigation into Intergang
and wanted to discuss his ideas with her. Grateful for the distraction,
Lois helped him to spread out the papers on her dining table, and they got
to work. However, Lois found it difficult to give her full concentration to
the investigation; her thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation with
her mother. Of course Lois wasn't surprised that people should speculate on
the identity of her baby's father; it was disturbing, however, to find the
speculation focusing on Clark. Not only was Lois concerned as to how Clark
might feel if he discovered that he was under suspicion, but the idea also
brought to mind thoughts of Clark, not as a friend and partner, but as a
lover. To Lois's great surprise, the images running through her mind were
having a strange - and not at all unwelcome - effect on her.

As they took a break some time later, Clark looked across at Lois. He had
been aware that there was something troubling her; he had noticed as soon
as he had arrived that she was attempting to calm herself down, but as time
had gone by the apparent anger had died away, to be replaced by some other
emotion which he couldn't quite identify. Deciding that this was as good a
time as any to see whether he could help, he smiled across at his partner
and friend.

"I'm kinda thirsty, Lois - can I get you a drink while I'm making myself one?"

Lois started to get to her feet. "I'll do it, Clark." His hand on her
shoulder pressed her gently into her seat again.

"I think I know my way around your kitchen by now, Lois - I'm certainly
capable of making myself coffee." He threw her a grin as he sauntered into
the kitchen area. "Anyway, I think I prefer my coffee to yours..." He
ducked as Lois aimed a screwed-up piece of paper at him, smiling to himself
in the realisation that his little barb had had the effect of distracting
her from her thoughts, as he'd thought it would.

A couple of minutes later, Clark placed a cup of jasmine tea in front of
Lois, and, sipping his own coffee, he gave her a direct stare. "So, Lois,
what's on your mind?"

Startled, Lois stared back at Clark, eyes wide. She was aware that at times
he was far more astute than he was often given credit for, but she hadn't
expected him to pick up on her mood this evening. She debated fobbing him
off with an excuse, but then realised that it was very possible that he
would see through that as well. And anyway, it was really only fair to
Clark that he should know what her mother had said...

Taking a deep breath, Lois began nervously, "Clark, I think you should know
that my mother thinks you're my baby's father." She kept her eyes focused
on his face. To her surprise, instead of the shock and horror that she had
expected, Clark smiled wryly.

"That makes two, I guess," he murmured.

"Two?" Lois exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure Perry thinks that way too," Clark explained. "I seem to
have fallen out of favour suddenly, and he's given me some pretty
judgmental looks in the last few days. You know how protective he is of
you..."

"But Clark, I *told* Perry that the father... that it was no-one anyone at
the Planet knows and... you know, Clark, what I've told you," Lois
protested.

"Yeah, I guess so, but it looks like Perry doesn't believe it," Clark
replied, musing silently that he wasn't actually sure he believed her story
about a one-night stand either. It seemed to be so out of character for
Lois, he had realised once he had had time to think it over, and after a
week or so he had decided that he just didn't find it convincing.

"Oh Clark!" Lois wailed despairingly. "I never meant to do this to you -
you've been so kind and supportive and really, really great... and all you
get in return is for my mother and Perry to see you as a deadbeat dad! I'm
so sorry -"

"I'm not, Lois," Clark interjected insistently. "You know I'm happy to be
here for you. I don't care what anyone else thinks - as far as I'm
concerned Perry can believe what he wants."

"I'll tell him you're not responsible," Lois insisted. "In fact, I'll
announce it to the entire newsroom, if they're so interested. 'Clark Kent
is not the father of my baby. Clark and I have never even kissed each
other, let alone engaged in that kind of intimacy' -"

"Now Lois, you know that's not true," Clark interrupted with a knowing
grin. "We have kissed - a few times, if my memory serves me correctly." He
watched with amusement as Lois's expression turned from indignation to
blushing embarrassment.

"But... well, they don't count. They weren't proper kisses," Lois
protested. "Once was to distract Trask when he wanted to push me out of
that plane; then you kissed me to say goodbye that time you left
Metropolis... and you can't possibly count when I was under the influence
of that dratted pheromone!"

"And of course, in the honeymoon suite at the Lexor," Clark added softly,
observing Lois's face flush again as the memory of that particular kiss
came back to her. It had been extremely passionate, and completely unlike
anything she had expected from Clark... Her own reaction had also taken her
by surprise, and she had been almost disappointed to discover that Clark
had only kissed her to maintain their cover in front of the chambermaid.

That had been quite a kiss, Clark mused. Regardless of his original
motives, he had very quickly become carried away with the passion of the
moment, as, he suspected, had Lois. That incident had made him wonder a
little about Lois's claimed indifference to him.

"Well, never mind that!" Lois said hurriedly, trying to disguise her
embarrassment and the growing suspicion that she would be more than happy
if Clark decided to kiss her again. She dipped her head, allowing her dark
hair to obscure her features, and added quickly, "We have to deal with a
more important issue here. We can't have everyone assuming you're
responsible..."

"Lois, I've already told you, I don't care what people think. You should
know that by now," Clark insisted, getting up from his seat and crossing to
crouch in front of Lois. He took her hands in his. "You can tell people
whatever you want. It doesn't bother me if you'd rather say nothing and
simply let them assume what they like." He wondered idly why he had made
that offer; was he somehow hoping that Lois would become accustomed to the
idea of Clark as a father to her baby? That if other people thought of them
as a couple about to become parents, Lois might find it easier simply to
allow perception to become reality?

Lois smiled in relief at Clark. She had been worried that he might be angry
to think that her pregnancy was being attributed to him, especially as he'd
done nothing but help her since he'd found out. "You're so sweet, Clark,"
she replied softly. "But I couldn't take advantage of your good nature like
that. Everyone would want to know why we weren't moving in together, or..."
She broke off as the other logical option occurred to her.

"Or getting married," Clark finished for her in a quiet tone.

*Married.* To Clark? Lois was shocked at her reaction: the thought wasn't
at all unpleasant.. <But that's impossible - how *can* I... - I love
*Superman*! Maybe it's just because Clark's been so good to me, and the
thought of being alone... *No*!> she told herself angrily. <I will *not*
use Clark like that!!> She stood up, pulling her hands away from Clark's,
and walked across the room, her heart beating at a furious rate. <What am I
thinking of?> she asked herself, as she tried to calm herself sufficiently
to resume the discussion.

Clark, meanwhile, had been weighing in his mind the idea of actually
proposing to Lois. He had no idea whether she would be likely to accept,
but he wondered, given that they had been getting much closer of late and
that Lois had barely mentioned Superman for weeks, if there was a
possibility that she was beginning to care for him, for Clark rather than
the super-hero. Even if she was willing to see him as a safe haven in the
storm... that would be a start; successful marriages had been made out of
less...

But when Lois pulled away from him, he sighed. <Not a good idea - it's
obvious that she hates the very thought of it. It's too soon, in any
case...> Grimacing, he got to his feet, took their cups into the kitchen
and busied himself washing them, and then returned to the table to collect
the papers he had brought with him.

Lois turned, hearing the shuffling of papers, and exclaimed in surprise,
"Clark? You're not leaving? We haven't finished discussing..."

"I don't think we're going to get much further with Intergang this evening,
Lois - you're tired, and I'm not sure I can give it my full attention,"
Clark replied. "I'll go and let you get some rest." <Better to leave now
before she realises that I was about to ask her...>

Lois crossed to him, placing her hand on his arm. This was a topic, she
felt, which needed to be dealt with *now*; she couldn't let Clark leave
yet. Besides, he now seemed to be preoccupied with something; if he was
really concerned that he was being identified as the man who had made her
pregnant, she needed to reassure him. "Clark, I meant that we need to talk
about what we're going to do. I can't let you be blamed for..." she
hesitated, raising her brown eyes to Clark's face, "this," she finished,
gesturing to her stomach.

"'Blame' sounds such a censorious word, Lois," Clark commented, letting the
papers fall to the table again. "I know you didn't exactly want to be
pregnant, but do you really feel that hostile to the guy who made the baby
with you?" His deep brown eyes held hers. Clark wasn't sure why he'd asked
that question; was he trying to torture himself with the knowledge that
Lois had *enjoyed* sleeping with the baby's father, that she still cared
for him? Or was he genuinely trying to ensure that she didn't feel
resentful towards the baby?

He watched the expressions cross Lois's face: a wistful smile, as if at
some distant memory; then puzzlement, disillusionment; finally, a
determined expression. He flinched, now wishing he hadn't raised the
subject.

"No, Clark, *I* don't blame him; I don't regret the experience at all!" she
replied at last, insistently. "I do wish that some things could have been
different, though..." she added, thinking of Superman's apparent complete
loss of memory where that fateful night was concerned, and his altered
attitude towards her ever since. Why had he appeared to go out of his way
to create a distance between them...? Shaking her head, she pushed such
thoughts from her mind; there was no point in dwelling on something which
couldn't be altered. "It's not me who looks at it in terms of blame: it's
my mother, and maybe Perry, and maybe other people. And I don't want people
thinking badly of you, especially when you've been so good to me."

"That's up to you, Lois - though I want you to know that I really don't
mind," Clark assured her, trying to put out of his mind the hurt he'd felt
at realising how much Lois clearly cared for her mysterious lover.

Still touching Clark's arm, Lois's expression silently asked him why he was
willing to be thought responsible for her pregnancy. He met her gaze and
shrugged lightly, covering her hand briefly with his. "If it stops people
pestering you, trying to find out who..." He left the sentence unfinished,
then added, "Well anyway, it doesn't bother me if Perry or anyone else
makes assumptions, so don't feel you have to put anyone straight unless you
really want to."

Lois grimaced. "It would certainly stop my mother asking interminable
questions!" she commented, half-laughing. "But you certainly don't want her
demanding to know why you haven't done the decent thing by her daughter,
Clark! *No-one* deserves that!"

"You can always tell her you turned me down, Lois," Clark suggested with a
wry smile. "I can get down on one knee now if you'd like...?" Again, he
wondered why he was torturing himself. If Lois only knew that he was aching
to propose to her for real...

"Don't, Clark. You never know - I might just say yes and then where would
you be?" Lois teased. <And right at this moment, if he asked me I probably
would say yes> she admitted to herself. <But would it be for the right
reasons? What *would* be the right reasons?>

Before Clark could reply, before he could even decide what to say, Lois
moved away, deliberately breaking the mood. The conversation this evening,
she felt, was moving onto dangerous territory. The subject of marriage had
come up twice, and there had been the discussion about kisses they had
shared; the memories which that had brought up had disturbed Lois more than
she cared to admit. *Why* was she suddenly feeling this... strange
attraction... to Clark? Was she simply looking for an easy way out of her
situation?

<It's because I'm pregnant. My hormones are shot to pieces> she insisted to
herself. Deliberately, Lois yawned. "You're right, Clark; I am tired. Do
you mind if we call it a night?" She moved towards the door of her
apartment in a further subtle hint. As Clark exited, she reached for him
and hugged him lightly, a gesture which he returned warmly.

"Thanks, Clark... for - you know, everything..." Lois murmured softly
against his shoulder.

Clark, unseen by Lois, grimaced, but gently patted her back in a reassuring
manner. "Sure, Lois. You sleep well. See you tomorrow."

Clark was quite grateful for the excuse to leave. As he exited the
building, his thoughts drifted back again to Lois's expression and her
words when he had asked her about the baby's father. He was now very sure
that Lois's story about the one-night stand was a fiction: it just sounded
so unconvincing. He was well aware that - unlike himself! - Lois was
sexually experienced, but from what he had seen of her in the year and a
bit they had known each other, she was certainly not promiscuous.

But he also felt that, whatever she claimed, she was in love with the man,
whoever he was. Her expression when he had asked her about the baby's
conception had shown her feelings clearly, whether or not Lois realised it.
The relationship, whatever it had been, was obviously over, but Lois's
feelings had not died. So he must have abandoned her... and if he changed
his mind, if he came back into her life, Lois would welcome him with open
arms.

And where would that leave Clark?

The same place as always, he reflected, ducking into an alley and spinning
into his super-suit. Good old Clark, great friend, always there to help
when needed.

He took off, shooting directly upwards into the night sky. <What if I'm
*not* there?> he asked himself. After all, why should he continue to do
everything she wanted, be there when she needed him, even be prepared to
take on the responsibility of someone else's child, when she was never
likely to care for him in the way he wanted?

<Because you *are* her friend> his conscience pointed out to him. <Are you
really only helping her because you think she'll fall into your arms with
gratitude and marry you?>

<I don't want her gratitude. I want her love!> Clark replied to the
taunting voice inside his head.

<If you really love her, you will be her friend regardless of whether you
get anything in return.>

And I'll watch her go off with her ex-lover one of these days, too, Clark
mused. It might well come to that, he knew. But he had no choice. He did
love Lois; and however hurt and bitter he felt at the thought that she was
in love with someone else, he would not abandon her. He would arrive at her
apartment at 7 am the following morning to make breakfast for her, as
usual, and the next day and the day after that. Because she needed him.

But there was still the mystery of her ex-lover's identity. It clearly had
to be someone she was, or had been, very close to. And Clark, who had spent
most of his waking hours in the past year with Lois, could only think of
two people with whom Lois might have had that kind of relationship. One was
Superman, the other Lex Luthor.

<And she told me it wasn't Luthor> he recalled in relief. But that leaves...

<Don't be ridiculous!> he chided himself in disbelief. <Of course it wasn't
me! How could it have been?>

<If you weren't Superman, he would be the obvious choice> his conscience
pointed out.

<Maybe, but as I *am* Superman, that rules that one out, wouldn't you say?>
Clark retorted to himself. His conscience had no answer to that one.

As he touched down on the balcony of his own apartment a few moments later,
he remembered the last couple of minutes of their conversation, and it
occurred to him to wonder why Lois had warned him to be careful about
proposing to her: "Don't, Clark, I might just say yes..."

<No. She was just joking. She didn't mean it> he damped down the faint
stirring of excitement which had dared to rise in his heart. Leaving the
files which he had brought home with him from Lois's apartment on a table,
he flew off into the night again, looking for someone to help, something to
take his mind off Lois.

**************

<What was I thinking of!> Lois exclaimed silently as she prepared for bed.
<I practically begged Clark to ask me to marry him!>

Memories of the conversation flooded insistently through Lois's brain; she
simply couldn't put it out of her mind. The subject of marriage had come up
twice, and on both occasions it had been her fault. She didn't *want* to
marry Clark, and he certainly didn't want to marry her... but she couldn't
understand just what she was feeling for him.

<Clark's a friend - my best friend. That's all!> she insisted to herself,
as she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. But the unwelcome reminder of
her reaction as she had remembered their kisses invaded her thoughts. And
then there was the pheromone spray... they had worked out that the spray
only caused a reaction where there was an underlying attraction to begin
with. Which meant that she *was* in some way attracted to Clark. Well,
okay, he was quite an attractive man, she admitted. In a conservative sort
of way. For someone who likes that type of guy.

<That kiss, in the Lexor hotel... where did he learn to kiss like that?!>
Lois wondered, as her body grew heated at the memory. <Probably behind the
dairy-freeze with some corn queen> she mocked herself, attempting to ignore
the growing conviction that she *did* feel more for Clark than platonic
friendship.

<I love Superman! And I know I'm attracted to him - that night proved just
how good we were together> she insisted to herself, sitting up as she
realised that sleep was not going to come easily tonight. <But Superman
doesn't want you...> a voice taunted.

"So that means I settle for Clark, does it?" she muttered. "Is that fair to
Clark? And how do I know he's even interested? He'd run a mile in the
opposite direction if he thought he was going to be lumbered with me and a
baby." Lois sighed. <I'd just better make sure he knows he isn't going to
be trapped into any situation he doesn't want.>

****************

Over the next few days, Perry White noticed that both Lois and Clark
appeared constrained in their dealings with one another. This in some ways
was a state of affairs to which he was not unused; while his top reporters
really were turning into 'the best team in town' within a year of his
teaming them up permanently, they did have a tendency to argue from time to
time, and occasionally those arguments turned into full-scale wars.
Sometimes the aftermath of these arguments dragged on for days; frequently
one of them (usually Lois) would appear to be the injured party and would
act as if she or he was simply oblivious to the other's presence, while the
other (usually Clark) would try to apologise, only to retreat in the face
of being ignored and ridiculed. Sometimes both felt aggrieved and believed
that whatever actions or words on their part had led to the argument had
been fully justified, and so both behaved towards each other with an
exaggerated politeness which masked their seething emotions.

But over the past four months or so there had been no such rows. Clark had
been noticeably solicitous towards Lois, while she appeared to appreciate
and enjoy his assistance and concern. For some weeks now, they had taken to
arriving in the newsroom together; while this was not exactly unheard of,
Lois having occasionally in the past offered Clark, who did not drive, a
ride to work, their simultaneous arrival each day was new. When Clark was
absent from the office, as he still tended to be from time to time - and
Perry still had not managed to obtain a satisfactory explanation for these
sudden disappearances - Lois could occasionally be observed staring over at
the empty desk as if attempting to conjure up her absent partner. The
confirmation of Lois's pregnancy had appeared to Perry to explain these
changes in their relationship, although he was still baffled as to why the
two of them appeared to be pretending that Lois's condition had nothing to
do with Clark. That story Lois had spun him about some man she barely knew
was as phoney as a party of Elvis impersonators.

But now the two of them were walking on eggshells around each other again.
Clark was still very protective in his behaviour towards Lois, that much
was obvious, but instead of the warm smiles and gestures which had been in
evidence over the previous several weeks, his manner was much more
tentative. It was as if he was afraid of rejection. This was an unusual
response from Clark; in his early days at the Planet he had continually
faced rejection and rebuffs from Lois, but this had never appeared to deter
him. On the contrary, it had simply made him more determined to pursue her.
Then had come the period in which Lois had accepted him as a friend, and
their relationship had altered, become much closer and exhibited clear
signs of mutual liking and respect. And of course more recently they had
been behaving like an established couple, but for the oddity of the aura of
secrecy surrounding Lois's pregnancy.

Lois was also noticeably awkward in Clark's company, Perry thought, and
over the last couple of days she had seemed to avoid meeting Clark's eyes.
When he spoke to her, her acknowledgement was usually low-voiced,
constrained - although not unfriendly, it did not encourage further
conversation.

But this new behaviour, Perry was aware, was not the same as on previous
occasions when Lois and Clark had rowed. There was not the same suppressed
anger or hurt in the atmosphere. On this occasion, it was as if they were
both embarrassed by something which had happened, and were both so afraid
that the other would refer to it that they were almost avoiding all
possible contact and conversation other than what was necessary to do their
jobs. Clark's protectiveness towards Lois did continue, but in a less
obvious way.

This state of affairs worried Perry, and not only because he was afraid
that it would affect their work. He genuinely cared about the staff at the
Planet, and in particular, he had felt for some years that Lois Lane and
Jimmy Olsen were in many ways closer to him than members of his own family.
The more recent arrival at the Planet, Clark Kent, had also quietly and
unassumingly taken his own place in Perry's affections. Perry had for some
time nursed the secret hope that the older two, his star reporters, would
form a partnership outside work as well as professionally, and it had
seemed as if this was finally happening. But now... this change in their
behaviour towards each other was not good.

So when Lois approached Perry to ask if she could be given some solo
assignments, he thought for some moments before replying. Would some time
on her own, away from Clark, allow Lois the opportunity to reflect on the
situation and her true feelings and help her to see that, whatever had
happened between the two of them, it wasn't worth the loss of the
relationship?

Or would Clark see Lois's desire to work alone as a final rejection of him
and everything he might have meant to her?

Perry hesitated, then decided that peace was more likely to break out if
Lois was forced to remain in close proximity to Clark. He assumed his
sternest editorial manner, telling Lois that he needed the two of them
working together, for the good of the paper. Using the most combative of
his usual lines in such situations, he pointed out that the working
arrangements at the Planet were designed for the most effective producing
of news stories, not for the convenience of its reporters. And since sales
were beginning to slide thanks to the tactics of their competitors, Lane
and Kent were needed more than ever to get out there and get the news -
together. Journalists were hired to work on assignments given to them by
the editor, and if Lois was not happy with that, she should know what
options were available to her. And while he, Perry, was certainly happy to
make whatever allowances were necessary for her pregnancy, where
appropriate, he didn't think that solo assignments - unless she was asking
to cover the Metropolis Cat Show and similar fluff pieces - were what was
currently required.

***************

Lois exited Perry White's office wondering, as she occasionally did, just
what side of bed her editor had got out on that morning. All she had done
was to make a simple request, that she work on her own for a bit. It wasn't
as if she had pitched him a story which wouldn't stand up, or which needed
vast amounts of expenses, or indeed if she'd asked to start her maternity
leave now instead of in three months' time. No, all she wanted was some
assignments on her own. It wasn't even as if she was incapable of working
alone - what on earth had she been doing before Clark came to the Planet,
for heaven's sake? She even had three Kerth awards for her own work. And
Clark was also a good journalist, so surely Perry could see that if she
worked solo there should be twice as many good stories coming in.

And it wasn't as if she had asked to break up the Lane-Kent partnership
permanently, anyway. She had just suggested a couple of weeks, one or two
investigations, that was all. Just to give her time and space to put these
strange feelings and embarrassing memories out of her head - not that she
had told Perry that. Yet Perry had insisted that she carry on working with
Clark as normal, and made it clear that if she wasn't happy about that she
could look for another job or find herself covering no-brain stories until
her maternity leave. She, Lois Lane, an award-winning investigative
journalist!

Lois stalked back over to her desk and threw herself into her chair with a
loud sigh.

Clark, who had seen Lois enter Perry's office and had noticed her
gesticulating and looking annoyed during the discussion, got up and
strolled across to Lois. He had with difficulty restrained himself from
listening to the conversation with his super-hearing; he suspected that it
might have had something to do with him, but he'd had no proof and in any
case it was none of his business.

He approached Lois's desk, noticing with amusement the frenzied way in
which she was introducing a pencil to a sheet of paper. He touched her
shoulder lightly; she jumped.

"Clark! Do you have to creep up on people like that?"

"Sorry, Lois, I didn't mean to startle you," he apologised, wondering why
he still felt that he was tiptoeing on thin ice around Lois. That awkward
discussion, when he had very nearly made it patently obvious how he felt
about her, had been several days ago now. He tried a more light-hearted
approach. "What's that pencil done to annoy you?"

"Huh?"

Clark moved to perch on the edge of Lois's desk. "You're stabbing it into
that page as if you were trying to kill something." He reached out and
gently but firmly removed the pencil from Lois's grasp, glancing at the
page as he did so. The only words on the page appeared to be a shopping
list, with 'Rocky Road ice-cream' and 'Double Fudge Crunch bars' heading
the list.

"Going shopping on your way home, huh?" he remarked.

Lois grunted. "Maybe," she replied without looking up at Clark. She sat
rigidly in her chair, willing him to go away and leave her alone. She felt
oddly uncomfortable with him so close to her.

Clark was well aware that his presence was considered unnecessary and
perhaps even unwelcome, but he had not enjoyed the difference in their
relationship over the previous few days. He decided that it was time to try
to get things back to normal. "Lois, tell me it's none of my business if
you like, but has Perry upset you?"

Lois sighed, contemplated telling Clark to mind his own business, then
decided against it. After all, what had Clark done to deserve that? All he
had done was to try to make her life easier; he hadn't asked her to start
thinking of him as... a potential lover. It wasn't his fault that she had
started dreaming about a lover who appeared to be a curious amalgam of
Superman and Clark.

And anyway, whatever the state of her turbulent emotions, she *needed*
Clark right now. Not for what he was willing to do for her, but because
even with Clark's calm, good-natured concern there had been many occasions
over the past weeks when Lois had felt ready to scream the place down. She
couldn't have contemplated coping with two months of morning sickness
without Clark's kind, unassuming presence in her apartment, and he also
seemed to know just how to help her calm down after conversations with her
mother. Her mother... Ellen was being generally supportive, but Lois did
wish that her mother could offer support and encouragement in a manner more
like Martha Kent's non-judgemental style.

Lois thought for about the thousandth time that Clark was extremely
fortunate in his parents. And the Kents had always been very kind to her;
Martha Kent had been particularly supportive about the baby on occasions
when she had seen Clark's parents or spoken to them on the phone. Lois had,
however, sensed a slight degree of reserve in Jonathan lately, and guessed
that there was some unhappiness about Clark's involvement in the situation;
she wasn't entirely surprised at this, and was grateful that the Kents
weren't allowing their feelings to get in the way of their relationship
with Clark.

"Lois?" Clark prompted.

"Oh - sorry, Clark," she responded, leaning back in her chair and
stretching her back. "Oh, you know how Perry can be sometimes - I put an
idea to him, and you'd have thought it was completely off the wall by the
way he reacted. But I guess it doesn't matter."

"Want to talk about it?" Clark enquired, his eyes studying Lois's face and
noticing the dark shadows under her eyes.

"No, there's no point." She met Clark's eyes and smiled hesitantly. "Look,
Clark, I'm sorry about the other night..."

He shook his head, relieved and very pleased that she had raised the
subject; also a little ashamed that he himself had not had the courage to
do so. "What about? You didn't do anything to apologise for - it's not your
fault if people are jumping to the wrong conclusion about us, and you have
no obligation to explain either."

Lois dipped her head, allowing her glossy dark hair to obscure her face.
Maybe he hadn't read anything into her strange behaviour after all? She
took a deep breath. "No, I meant... well, things have been a bit strained
between us since then..."

Clark sighed. "Yeah, I know. I wondered whether... well, if I'd spoken out
of turn by asking about - " He hesitated, gesturing with his hand towards
Lois's developing bump.

Lois reached out towards Clark, and touched his hand where it rested on his
knee. "No, you didn't. I'm not surprised you're curious, and I guess with
all you've done for me, you have more right to be than anyone else."

Clark turned his hand over and curled his fingers around Lois's much
smaller one. "You're perfectly entitled to say nothing to anyone."

"I know, Clark, and there are... good reasons why I'm not saying anything,"
she replied softly, so quietly that he almost had to use his super-hearing
to hear her. "I promise you, if I ever do want... or *need*... to tell
anyone his identity, it'd be you I'd tell." <And one of these days I may
have to!> she thought to herself. <This isn't going to be just any baby,
and sometime in the next few months I'll have to decide what to do about
that...>

Clark became conscious that a number of newsroom colleagues were watching
them curiously. He stood up and dropped Lois's hand, murmuring that this
was not perhaps the best place for this discussion.

"We should get to work anyway," Lois agreed, grateful for the opportunity
to change the subject, now that the air appeared to have been cleared. "If
Perry's on the warpath, I don't want him demanding to know why we're
socialising on Planet time."

"Well, I was going to talk to you about that before you disappeared in
there," Clark replied, nodding towards the editor's office. "I got a
tip-off this morning that those arson attacks on small merchants in the
north of the city are linked, and that it's connected with a planning
application for a new shopping mall in the area. I think we should check it
out."

Her journalistic instincts aroused, Lois instantly switched into
professional mode. "A reliable source, Clark? We don't want to waste our
time following up cranks."

"Very reliable," Clark answered. "A phone call from someone who's given me
a couple of tip-offs in the past, and they've turned out to be dead on. And
remember, both Superman and the fire department commented that the methods
used were similar, although there hasn't been any forensic evidence so far
to prove a link."

"OK," Lois agreed. "We should get onto it - as long as Perry doesn't think
that Anna should take it? She wrote the reports on the fires originally."

"True," Clark agreed, "but that was when everyone thought they were
isolated incidents. She hasn't been following them up, and you know Perry
wouldn't give her this kind of investigation yet. I'll let him know we're
on it - he shouldn't object since we've just about finished that series on
the city council."

Part 3