By Kelly Feenstra (76270.300@compuserve.com)
Summary: Lois and Clark can't reach a consensus on what to name their children, but they have four months to think of something.
All comments are welcome and greatly appreciated. :)
***
Clark smiled to himself as he sat at his desk, watching his pregnant wife. She was having the most difficult time trying to pick up a paper she had dropped. He could hear her groaning as she tried to reach over her bulging stomach to pick it up, but she couldn't reach low enough. He knew that if he got up to help she would protest, so instead, he blew softly at the paper and it flew up so that she could grab it. He quickly turned back to his screen and pretended to be deep in thought as Lois looked over at him suspiciously. He cleared his throat.
"Lois, honey. I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"
"Um, yeah."
"What do you want?"
"Surprise me. And don't try anything funny!" She looked up at him and grinned.
He laughed and said, "Don't worry. I'll bring you something."
"You'd better! We're hungry!" She motioned to her stomach.
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that's right! You're eating for four!" He smiled as he walked away.
Lois sat back in her chair and sighed. Only five months along and she was about ready to pop. She knew she wouldn't be able to work much longer. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a name book.
"How do parents do it?" she asked aloud. "It's hard enough to think of a name for _one_ baby, let alone _three_!"
"Uh oh, Jimmy. She's talking to herself again." Lois looked up to see her boss, Perry White, and her good friend, Jimmy Olsen, standing nearby with ridiculous smiles on their faces.
"What are you looking at?" She pretended to be mad.
"We can't help it, Lois. You're just fun to look at!" Jimmy laughed.
"Why do I have the feeling that you're not paying me a compliment?"
"I'm kidding, Lois. I'm sorry. You must be really uncomfortable." Jimmy looked at her sympathetically.
"Oh, it's not _that_ bad. I just… Ouch! Ow!!!" She cringed and closed her eyes tightly. Perry and Jimmy didn't know what to do.
"Uh, Lois? What's wrong?" Perry patted her on the shoulder gingerly.
"Um, Lois? Are you okay?" Jimmy stood there helplessly. When Clark appeared moments later, their faces registered relief.
"Clark, get over here!" Perry called loudly.
"What is it, Chief?" He looked at Lois' face and then went to her immediately. But instead of the panic and worry Perry and Jimmy expected to see from him, he smiled and knelt down next to her, taking her hand.
"Is it them?" he asked. She looked at him and nodded her head.
"They're all awake."
He gently placed his hand on her stomach. "They sure are!" he laughed. Jimmy looked confused.
"But, I thought… I thought…"
Lois spoke in a calm voice. "It's okay, Jimmy. Would you like to feel the babies kick?"
His eyes widened. "Oh! No! No. I… I can't."
Clark spoke up. "Go ahead, Jimmy! This is a rare occasion. They don't usually do this."
Jimmy stepped forward slowly and hesitantly put his hand out. Clark grabbed it and guided it all the way down to Lois' stomach.
"Can you feel them?" Clark asked.
"Wow! C.K., I can! That's incredible!" He looked at Lois in awe.
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"A little. Usually just at first because I'm not expecting it."
Perry, somewhat uncomfortable, broke the magic moment.
"Okay, kids. We've got a newspaper to write." The small crowd around Lois' desk quickly got back on task.
Alone again, Lois opened up the name book as she spoke softly to her children.
"Are you boys, or are you girls? Okay, I have an idea. If you are boys, kick now!" She felt nothing. "If you are girls, kick now." Still nothing.
"Thanks guys, you're a lot of help!" She flipped slowly through the pages.
"They have to sound good with the last name 'Kent'. Maybe they should rhyme or have some sort of theme. Yeah! Like Daisy, Rose, and Violet!" Lois giggled. "How cute! My little flowers. Clark would die!" She laughed again and looked over at him. Sensing her gaze, he looked at her sternly.
"No way, Lois."
"Clark, do you ever turn off your superhearing?"
"It's not like a hearing aid, Lois. I can't just turn it off."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, you're not helping much with the names."
"Lois! I'm working on a story!"
Lois sighed loudly. "You're no fun today." When he turned back to his work, she spoke softly, knowing he could hear her.
"Holly, Molly, and Dolly." Clark gave her a warning look.
"I'm kidding!" She laughed at how annoyed he was getting.
"Merry, Cherry, and Berry. Now _those_ are some bright names!"
"Lois, would you stop?"
"Oh! Okay, Clark." Her voice took on a sarcastic tone. "When we're walking through a store and someone comes up and says, 'Oh! What adorable babies! What are their names?' _you_ are going to be the one to tell them they don't _have_ names!"
"Give me a break, Lois."
"No, you give me a break!" Her voice grew louder and drew the attention of some people standing nearby.
"I am sitting here, trying to think of three names for our children! Six, including middle names. And all you can do is ridicule everything I say! Well, let me tell you something, Clark Kent. Until you can come up with some better suggestions, _I'm_ naming all three of them!" She grabbed the arms of her chair, preparing to stand up and storm out of the newsroom, but when she attempted to get up, her body decided it didn't want to and she fell back into her chair. Angry, and a little embarrassed, she buried her face in her arms and started crying.
Clark winced, realizing he had been careless of her mood swings. He rose and went over to her.
"I'm sorry, Lois." He placed his hand on her arm, but she pushed it away.
"Go away."
"Lois, I really am sorry. We shouldn't be arguing over their names. We still have four months to decide." He dared to touch her arm again, and she didn't push him away this time.
"I promise, I won't get mad at your ideas anymore." She sniffled and lifted her head. "Even if I choose Larry, Curly, and Moe?"
Clark laughed. "Even then." He kissed the top of her head and returned to his desk.
***
(FOUR MONTHS LATER)
Jimmy came running up the stairs of the fire escape and burst into the newsroom.
"They're on their way up the elevator!" Everyone gathered excitedly near the landing. The elevator dinged and the door slid open. There stood Lois, looking extremely tired and much thinner, and Clark, beaming radiantly, holding three small bundles in his arms and a huge diaper bag over his shoulder. The Daily Planet erupted into cheers at the sight.
"Here they are!" Clark announced proudly. "Let me introduce to you the newest members of the Kent family. He turned and handed Lois one of the babies so she could hold it up for all to see.
"Laura Marie." He handed the next baby over.
"Kayley Elise." and then held up the third. "And Jordan Ellis!" Another cheer erupted as Lois and Clark made their way down the stairs amongst choruses of 'oohs' and 'ahs'.
Perry approached his two star reporters and spoke so only they could hear.
"I couldn't have been more proud of them if they were my own grandchildren." His eyes were a little watery as he took Kayley in his arms.
"How did you finally come up with the names?" Lois glanced up at Clark and then looked back at Perry and smiled.
"Oh, we just thought they sounded nice." Clark laughed softly at Lois' response.
In reality, he and Lois had named their children in tribute to his Kryptonian heritage. Laura had been named for Clark's biological mother, Lara. Kayley Elise had been named after Clark's birth name, Kal-El, and Jordan Ellis had been named after Clark's biological father, Jor-El.
It had been very meaningful to Clark when Lois had suggested this only a week before the babies were born. After endless hours of reading through name books, they decided that this idea was the best either had thought of. Lois had told him that one day, he would be able to sit down with each of them and tell them about the planet of Krypton, and that they were the only three people on Earth who would carry on the legacy and life of that other world.
And as Laura, Kayley, and Jordan rested safely in the arms of their parents, they looked at each other with eyes that already knew. They already understood. They seemed to communicate with one another without words. Krypton would never be forgotten…
THE END
(aname.txt)