A Holly Jolly Christmas

Santa Baby

With one final backwards glance at Lois, who had picked up the sponge again and was once more attacking the counter, he went to the door and opened it to find his cousin and her girlfriend standing on the porch together, hand in hand.

"You guys arrived just in time," he beamed, stepping back to let them in. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, baby cousin," Kara said as she unloaded a pile of presents and engulfed Clark in a hug that would have literally been bone crushing to a human.

"Clark." Lena nodded. "Why are we here just in time? Is everything alright?"

"Lois is having a bit of a panic in the kitchen," Clark replied, stepping back from Kara after a moment and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "She keeps telling me that Lena is Lena. I think maybe it's hormones? But I don't really know."

"Probably the lack of alcohol," Lena said as she breezed past Clark, laying a gentle hand on his upper arm as she passed. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling at the nervous looking brunette with the remains of a strangled sponge in her hand. "Lois, is everything alright?"

"Lenny!" Lois squeaked, dropping the sponge on the floor in her haste to get to the other woman and throw her arms around her. "Thank fuck you're here! Do you know how many times I've nearly blurted it out to Clark? It's been torture!"

Lena grunted and squeaked as she swatted frantically at Lois' back, her hands practically a blur in her panic.

"Seriously!" Lois carried on, oblivious. "What the hell took you so long! I've been going full on nuclear meltdown and couldn't even tell Clark why!"

"Lois, put the poor CEO down," Clark sighed as he walked into the kitchen and pried his wife's hands away from Lena gently but firmly.

Lena hit the ground with a thud, her expensive heels landing solidly, and then she took in a deep breath of desperately missed air. "Oh, thank God." Bent over slightly, she reached out and grabbed Clark's forearm to steady herself. "She's getting stronger, isn't she?"

"She actually is," Clark agreed. "When she hugs me now, it's starting to hurt, which is saying something."

"Don't be such a big baby, Smallville," Lois scowled. "And go away so I can talk to my human friend in peace." She made a shooing motion with both hands.

"Where's the wine?" Lena asked and began to look through cabinets. "I think I need a drink."

"There's the General's scotch if you wanted something stronger?" Clark smirked as he walked past, and this time it was his turn to pat Lena gently on the shoulder.

"Perfect." Lena grabbed a tumbler from a cabinet and the bottle from where it was kept, pouring herself three fingers. "Drinking for two is quite the responsibility, you know."

"And it's very much appreciated," Lois nodded as she picked up her mug of green tea, took a sip, realised it was stone cold and set it back down again in disgust.

As she sipped the scotch and it ran down causing a pleasant burning from her throat to stomach, Lena relaxed visibly. "Besides the anxiety of keeping my Christmas gift a secret, how are you feeling?"

"Sick," Lois replied as she leaned against the counter she'd been frantically scrubbing just a few minutes earlier. Then she picked up her mug of tea again. "Why is it called morning sickness? It's not limited to just mornings, you know." She sipped the tea, then scowled. "For the love of God, take this thing away from me!"

Lena reached out, gently taking the offered mug from Lois' hands and placing it on the counter. "Are you sure that's all it is? Even for you, and I say this with all of the considerable love I have in my heart for you, you're cranky."