“As soon as we get to Metropolis, I’ll head to the fabric store and pick us up some sample materials!” Martha yelled into the wind.

Lois winced slightly, hefting Martha a little higher under her left arm. “You don’t need to yell, Martha, superhearing, remember?” She gave Clark’s mother a small smile.

“Right, sorry, dear,” Martha said in a much lower tone, giving Lois a sheepish grin and patting her lightly on her back.

“We should let Lois concentrate on flying!” Jonathan yelled to his wife from the other side of Lois.

Lois winced again and turned her head to look at Jonathan, whom she had tucked under her right arm.

“Sorry,” he whispered, giving her an apologetic smile.

“It’s fine, you guys. I just haven’t quite figured out how to turn my superhearing on and off.”

“You’ll catch on.” Martha smiled encouragingly.

Lois nodded, silently hoping she wouldn’t have to. That they could figure out how to get Clark’s powers back before she had time to get used to any of this.

Lois felt the wind pick up and looked ahead, trying to get her enhanced vision to work as she heard the rumbles of thunder in the distance.

“It looks like a bad storm ahead. You guys better hold on.” She tried not to sound nervous. Martha and Jonathan tightened their grip on her as she did the same, tucking them tighter under each of her arms.

A flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder, amplified by her superhearing, caused Lois to lose altitude, and the trio began a rapid plummet toward Earth. Martha let out a squeal, while Jonathan clawed at Lois’s back, desperate to hold on.

Lois’s stomach lurched, and she panicked as she tried to right herself and maintain her hold on her passengers.

“Oh god!” They tumbled through the air, and Lois finally regained control after a two-hundred-foot drop. She came to a halt midair, finally upright, her almost in-laws looking terrified on either side of her as she tried to calm herself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she apologized. She felt like she was going to hyperventilate. “Are you guys okay?” she asked them urgently. “The thunder scared me!”

“Just a little turbulence.” Martha let out a nervous laugh.

“We’re fine, Lois, you’re… doing a great job.” Jonathan gave her a breathless chuckle.

Lois rolled her eyes but appreciated the encouragement. “Yeah, right! My first two passengers, and I almost kill you both!” She tightened her grip on the pair again and looked ahead into the storm-filled sky. “I’m going to fly around the storm,” she decided.

Martha and Jonathan nodded, clinging to her.

“Here we go.” Lois forged ahead, her speed increasing as she flew wide around the storm. She breathed a sigh of relief as the city came into focus and the sky cleared, and then she slowed down a little as Clark’s apartment finally came into view.

After quickly glancing around his apartment to make sure no one was watching, she carefully began lowering her passengers onto Clark’s balcony.

“Thank you for flying Lois Airlines,” she said with a shaky laugh, feeling her knees wobble as her feet hit the ground. “I feel like I might throw up a little.” She held her churning stomach as she led Martha and Jonathan into the empty apartment.

“I feel invigorated.” Martha laughed, shaking out her windswept hair, and Jonathan nodded in agreement.

Lois chuckled, still holding her tumbling belly. “Nothing really fazes you two, does it?”

“Not really.” Jonathan shrugged. “Come on, let’s make some tea to settle your stomach. Then you and Martha can get started on the costume-making.”

“Yes!” Martha nodded excitedly, taking Lois’s hands and following Jonathan into the kitchen.

Lois smiled. “Okay, but can we not mention to Clark how I almost dropped you both?”

“It will be our secret.”

“Won’t say a word.”

The end