Lois Lane is irritated; and cranky; and exhausted, and it's not even six o'clock yet.

For three whole hours she had the back of her seat kicked by a six year old; Smallville's six year old. Then, the little monster suddenly disappeared when she turned her back for a second. She spent several minutes (which felt like hours) looking for the kid; hoping she was just playing some kind of hide and seek game, and that she wasn't lost or…or taken away before telling her cousin she was missing; only to discover Clark had her the whole time. Which, by the way, ticked her off more than it relieved her. Seriously, All that worrying, and for nothing.

And now, her legs are nearly numb because for three long, hot, miserable hours the kid has been sitting in her lap. She had every intention of carefully putting her into her booster seat once she fell asleep; but she didn't fall asleep. For nearly three hours she talked to Oliver about absolutely everything and nothing at the same time.

"Okay. Bye Uncle Ollie," Jo'an hangs up just as they pass the 'Welcome to Smallville' sign. "Uncle Ollie's out of the hospital now," she smiles brightly.

"That's great," Lois mutters before snatching her phone away. "Smallville, you're helping me with my phone bill next month."

Clark frowns at her through the rearview mirror. "Lois, you have unlimited talk."

"We'll call it a convenience fee."

Clark just smiles and shakes his head in amusement. He has no intention of helping her with her cell phone bill, and she doesn't really expect him to. Lois just needs to vent her frustrations out on someone, and Clark just so happens to be her favorite punching bag.

When Clark finally pulls into the Kent farm, Lois breathes a sigh of relief. She needs to stretch her legs. Bad.

"Up," Lois commands and opens the door before Clark can make a complete stop. Jo'an climbs out of the car quickly, apparently not affected by the long care ride in the least. Lois isn't so lucky.

"You're moving really slow," Jo'an observes.

"Yeah well, my feet are asleep. Both of them."

"Really?"

"That's what happens when a spoiled brat sits on you for a long time," She mutters under her breath.

A spoiled brat huh? Jo'an frowns to herself. She's not spoiled, and she's not a brat.

Jo'an suddenly kicks one of Lois's feet; just hard enough to 'wake it up', and then she runs.

"Shit!" Lois yells loudly.

"Lois!" Clark reprimands.

She ignores him and runs after the kid, screaming the whole time.

"I'm going to kill you, you little brat!"

"Not if you can't catch me," Jo'an teases.

"Get back here!"

"Aren't they cute?" Chloe teases.

Clark frowns at her. Cute is not how he would describe this situation.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I can't just send her home," He sighs heavily.

"Why not?"

"Jor-el said"-

"When'd you speak to Jo- Oh, when we were on our way to the hospital. Three hour gap, plenty of time. Right. Sorry. So, Jor-el said…"

"He wants me to send her back, alone," Clark sighs.

"As in…"

"As in by herself. Without me. And soon."

"Why?"

"Jor-el," He takes another deep breath. "Jor-el says that by Jo'an being here, she's changing things. Maybe for the better, probably for the worse."

"What, Like the 'butterfly effect'?"

"Exactly, and I figured as much, but when I told him I'd take her home,He said…I can't. The future we'd travel to; it would be like I was gone for seven years. Everything would be different. I wouldn't be taking her back to the home she knows."

"Whereas if you send her alone…"

"Most things would be the same; but I can't do that Chloe. What if she doesn't end up in her time? What if she ends up, I don't know, too far into the future or something?"

"Which leads me back to 'what are you going to do?'"

"I don't know yet." He glances over at Jo'an and Lois. "I didn't know if I would be able to have children," he confesses.

"Well, looks like you can big guy," Chloe smirks.

He gives her a look; a 'that's not funny' look.

"What? At least she's cute," She adds before getting into her car. "I'll see you later; I have some thingsto catch up on."

"Okay, see you later," Clark says distractedly. His gaze is trained on the huge puzzle before him. He and Lois, Lois and Clark, have a child together. How did that happen?

Jo'an let's her mother catch her eventually; just to make things fair.

"Okay, Okay!" Jo'an squeals when Lois wrestles her down and puts her in a loose headlock. She laughs and squirms a little. "I'm sorry!"

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be."

"Not the noogie! Daddy! Daddy, help me!"

Clark smiles. She is cute.

"Stay where you are Smallville. This is between me and the little rugrat."

Clark grins and jogs over to them. "Now Lois, what kind of father would I be if I ignored my child's cry for help?"

Effortlessly he separates the two and flips Lois over onto her stomach. "Your turn to get Lois Jo'an," he announces as he holds Lois's wrists firmly so that she can't defend herself from the child.

"Smallville; you let me go right now or I'll-what the hell are you doing?" She turns her head and glares at Jo'an.

"Playing your bum drums," she answers and begins to hum along to the beat she's creating on her mother's rear.

"Well, stop that!"

"Actually Lois, it looks kinda fun," Clark teases.

"It is. You wanna try Daddy?"

"Hey, what did I say would happen to you if you ever touched my ass again?" Lois warns.

"Again?"

"Lana!" Clark exclaims, quickly letting go of Lois and standing to his feet.

Lois takes her time getting up, brushing dirt and leaves off of her clothes.

"Don't worry about it Lana. It didn't mean anything," Lois offers.

Lana raises her eyebrows.

"I mean, He was in shock, you know; because he thought you were dead," she continues.

Lana works her jaw a little and gives Lois a tight smile, letting her know she'd just made it worse.

"Okaaaay, well, I'm going to head on home. We'll see you, wait," She looks around. "Where's Chloe?"

"She left," Clark answers.

"Without me?"

"You came in separate cars, Lois."

"Yeah but, She could've said something."

"She did, you were busy," He says, inclining his head toward Jo'an.

"Oh, right, well, I'll see you guys later," she says and heads for her car. Lois doesn't like uncomfortable situations; and Clark and Lana are almost always uncomfortable to be around. Add the kid to the mix; and well, she just doesn't want to stick around to see how much more awkward it could be.

Apparently neither does Jo'an, because she follows behind Lois.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lois asks when Jo'an opens the back door.

"With you," she answers simply.

"No. you're not," Lois says as she shuts the door for emphasis.

"Yes I am."

"No. You're staying here with your daddy and you're soon-to-be stepmother."

"But"-

"Smallville! Come get your kid," Lois interrupts.

Clark walks over to the pair and grabs Jo'an's hand.

"But I want to go with Mo"-

"Jo'an!" Clark calls in alarm. "We've talked about that already."

"Talked about what?" Lois asks; her curiosity piqued. She's sure she's missing something because what he just said made no sense given their current situation.

"It's nothing Lois; something between me and my daughter," he answers while pulling Jo'an toward the house.

Lois stares at his retreating back, fuming. Not that she wants anything to do with the kid, but the way he said my daughter irked her. It was like he'd told her to mind her own business; and she'd be damned if she let him talk to her that way and get away with it.

"Actually Junior, I'd love for you to come with me," She speaks up.

"Really!" Jo'an exclaims.

Lois smiles at Clark brightly. "Really," she answers.

He scowls back at her and tighten his hold on Jo'an's hand. "I don't think"-

"Clark," Lana speaks up. No one even noticed her make her way toward the group. "I think you should let her go tonight."

"You do?" Lois and Clark ask simultaneously.

It irritates Lana. She doesn't want them doing anything together. Not having a kid, not sharing a soda, not even saying the same thing at the same time.

She takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"Where we're going tonight, we can't take her with us," She tells Clark. He understands immediately. They're supposed to go take a look at whatever's left from the bombing during Oliver's meeting today. Together. Because Lana's got it in her head that if they share every aspect of their life together, there won't be any room for Lois, or a future Jo'an.

"No way. I'm not taking her so that you two can indulge in a little hanky panky," Lois says firmly.

"Hanky panky?" Jo'an asks.

"It's a grown up game," Lois answers before Clark cans start with the stuttering.

"Oh. How old do I have to be to play?"

"Thirty," Clark and Lois say simultaneously; then they frown at each other, but not as much as Lana is frowning at the both of them. Now what are the chances of them saying the same number at the same time?

"And we're not"- Clark tries to explain but Lois cuts him off.

"Of course you're not. I just like to see you blush Smallville." She winks at him and opens the door for Jo'an.

"I'm not sitting in that."

"Great," Lois mumbles. "The brat is back."

"I"-

"And I don't care if you heard me. Just, crap what did Chloe say…Just follow the rules and you won't get hurt."

"That's not what Aunt Chloe said," Jo'an says before arching an eyebrow in disbelief. She's used to being able to remember more than her mommy; but this mommy can't remember anything right.

"Oh just get in the damn booster seat."