Collateral Damage

Folc4evernaday | Rated: M | Chapter 12


"Where is Smith?" Angela spat as she dialed the number once more. "So much for a partnership – he can't even hold his end of the bargain when the President won't cooperate."

"Do you want me to pay him a visit, Ms. Cross?" one of her goons asked.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "I want you to launch the satellite and blow the President of the United States out of the water! Nobody and I mean, NOBODY rejects me!"

"You got it." He left to attend to his business.


Bill Henderson hesitantly entered the Daily Planet. He scarcely came into this building. The last time he had been here was when Lex Luthor Sr. had destroyed it. Police weren't supposed to work with the press, but he had found Lois and Clark to be an exception to the rule. He spotted Jimmy Olsen sitting at his desk with a young blonde. He approached them hesitantly. "Jimmy?"

"Inspector Henderson? What are you doing here?" Jimmy asked, standing up to greet the man.

"I – I have some news." His face was grim.

"What's wrong? Why do you got that face?"

"What face?"

"That face that cops get whenever they're about to break some horrible news," Jimmy shot back. "Oh, God... it's bad, isn't it? You never come in here."

"Jimmy, something happened earlier... to Superman... and Lois."

"What?" Jimmy's face went pale as Henderson continued to relay the events that had transpired earlier.

"Superman was exposed to a lethal substance." He wasn't sure how much this young man knew about Kryptonite, but he didn't want to divulge too much information with his girlfriend sitting right next to him. "He's going to be okay, but he's still unconscious."

"What happened to Lois? She's okay, right? The baby? She and the baby are okay? You know she had this high-risk pregnancy… It's lethal? Oh, God... please don't tell me. She's not dead, right?" His desperate expression pleaded with Henderson as tears fell from his eyes. He looked around the room in a panic. "Where's CK?"

"He's at the hospital with Lois," Henderson replied hesitantly. He still wasn't sure how much Jimmy knew about Lois and Clark.

"What happened?"

"Luthor. When the newscast had broadcast about the ransom and transfer of power, Superman went looking for him, knowing he was behind it. Lois came and found me to help then got herself kidnapped."

"What? Why can't she stay out of trouble?"

"Jimmy, she did the best she could, but you and I both know it doesn't matter how good her intentions are. She's a magnet for trouble. She said she was worried about Superman going after Luthor right after an attack from..." He trailed off, unsure of Jimmy's knowledge of kryptonite once more. Jimmy nodded and he continued, "Anyway, after I got my team together I got a bit lost in those subway tunnels. So, when I finally caught up to where Superman was Leslie had grabbed Lois and was..." He paused, unable to finish. "I'm sorry. I'm trying. I really am; it's just really hard."

Jimmy nodded and grabbed his coat. "Why don't we go for a walk, Inspector?" He turned to Penny. "Can you stay here for me? Take a message if anyone calls? Let me know what comes back on that research into Cross Industries?"

"Sure," Penny agreed, nodding.


Jimmy left with Henderson, and they made their way toward the hospital. "Bill, how much do you know about CK?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I know a lot of things that people don't realize I know," he began. "I kinda feel like I'm invisible sometimes. I hear things I'm not supposed to hear, and I see things I'm not supposed to see. I know CK has a lot of talents that keep him pretty busy. Do you?" The question was subtle and to the point, but evasive enough to not give away any information if Henderson was out of the loop.

"How long have you known?" He smirked at the young man.

"Since that news story came out claiming CK was Superman. I know Lois and CK have dabbled in time travel and alternate dimensions. I did my own research on Tempus when everything went down. CK looks exactly like Superman." Jimmy raked a hand through his hair as he spoke. His apprehension of discussing this topic was evident.

"Do they know you know?" he asked.

"No," Jimmy replied coldly. "And you're not going to tell them either. It's safer this way. I pretend to be clueless, and no one realizes I'm Superman's best friend. It's a win-win situation."

"Don't you think you should tell them, though?"

"They're not ready to tell me," Jimmy replied flatly. "CK is one of my best friends. I don't want to push him or Lois away by bringing this up before they're ready." Jimmy sighed then turned to face Henderson. "Now, what happened in the subway station?"

"You don't give up, do you?"

"I was trained by the best."

"Yeah, no kidding." Henderson sighed. "Like I said, Leslie had kidnapped Lois and was taunting Superman. They had… Kryptonite," he whispered. "They were threatening to kill the baby then kill Lois in front of him... as revenge for Lex Luthor's death."

"What?" Jimmy demanded, outraged. "Where the hell is that son of a... I'll kill him myself," he muttered bitterly.

"Clark fought them with everything he had. Even with the kryptonite right there, it was evident he was in pain, but his good nature got the better of him. Luthor pretended to be drowning..."

"Oh, no." Jimmy shook his head.

"And he tried to help him up. He was met with a blow to the head... with a chunk of Kryptonite. Luthor then turned the gun on Leslie and shot him. He's dead. I ended up shooting Luthor before he could shoot Clark. The kryptonite is back at STAR Labs now. They said exposure to sunlight should help Clark heal. Dr. Klein is with him right now."

"What about Lois?"

"She's in ICU," Henderson replied remorsefully. "I figured since her husband couldn't be here; it might help to have a friendly face with her."

"Yeah." Jimmy pushed open the doors to the hospital entrance. "I hate hospitals. I couldn't even visit Perry when he had his heart attack, because I couldn't see him like that, but I'll deal with it. Like I said, CK's my best friend; I'd do anything for him."


"What is all of this?" Detective Wolf studied the data that they had retrieved from Luthor's hideout. There were plans for creating a super-powered robot, along with a satellite weapon of some sort that had been converted to a handheld form. He wasn't sure what all this meant, but he was certain Inspector Henderson would be interested in this.


"Ms. Cross? There's police all over the place. What do you want me to do?" the goon asked over the phone, hesitantly.

"Get back over here! I need to get out of town before anyone begins to put the pieces together," she replied. She hung up the phone and headed towards her office; she had to pack.


"Lois? NO! LOIS!" Clark cried, sitting upright with a jolt. He looked around the room; it was familiar but not. He looked down at himself and found he had been stripped to a hospital gown; a monitor stood next to his bed, beeping. He felt his face for his glasses and found none. He wasn't sure, but it looked like he was in a hospital of some sort. The question was: was he here as Clark or Superman?

"Clark?" Dr. Klein's voice penetrated his thoughts. "Clark, how are you feeling?"

He sighed with relief, immediately recognizing Dr. Klein as he entered the room. "Where's Lois?" he asked.

"She's at the hospital," Dr. Klein began.

"What?" He climbed off the bed and stood shakily. The monitors began beeping in protest, but he ignored the sound. Instead, he removed the monitor tags one by one.

"Whoa!" Dr. Klein pushed him back on the bed. "Not so fast!"

"Dr. Klein, I have to see Lois," he argued, standing up once more. This time, however, his action was met with a slight case of dizziness.

"Clark, you've just had two very close calls with kryptonite back to back; you need to rest."

Clark paced around the room, searching for his clothes. "I need to get out of here; I need to see Lois. The baby? Is the baby okay? Why is she in the hospital?"

"Clark, please, can't you just rest for a minute? You've been unconscious for hours!"

"Dr. Klein, I need to see Lois now! I don't care how long I've been unconscious, or how many times I've been exposed to kryptonite. Please, I need to see my wife. I need to make sure she's okay," he pleaded.

Dr. Klein saw the intensity behind Clark's gaze and relented. He knew no one would be able to keep him from leaving. In times like this, he realized that Superman was often more stubborn than Lois Lane. "Fine, but no flying. I'll drive," he insisted, sighing.


"I never thought I'd see this day: Perry White confined to a hospital bed. This is why you need to watch your stress level, old man," Franklin Stern joked, entering Perry's room.

Perry laughed, happy to see his old friend. "Who are you calling an old man?"

"The ugly guy sitting on the hospital bed." Mr. Stern smiled, letting Perry know he was just kidding.

"You're no prize yourself," Perry retorted.

"How are you doing?" He was concerned for Perry's health. Over the years, he and Perry had become good friends; he didn't want to lose that.

"I'm good. I'd be even better if I could get out of this darn hospital bed." Perry winked at Mr. Stern. "It gives me an excuse not to deal with Luthor though."

"Oh, you won't be dealing with him anymore."

"What do you mean?" Perry asked curiously.

"He lied on those contracts when he purchased the Planet. That makes the contract void. I'm still the owner." Mr. Stern couldn't hide the grin on his face. He looked like the cat that had just swallowed the canary.

"You mean…"

"I'm still the owner of the Planet. I was so mad when I found out Luthor had tricked me. I decked him one!"

Perry laughed. "You didn't!"

"Afraid so…" He rubbed his knuckles gently, recalling the incident.

"Oh, man, I would have paid money to see that!" Perry teased, chuckling.

"See what?" Alice asked, entering the room with two cups of coffee.

"Hello, Alice, how are you?" Franklin asked.

"I'm doing well," Alice acknowledged. She looked at Mr. Stern apprehensively. She hoped he wasn't going to try and drag Perry back to work.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, Perry," Mr. Stern began. He glanced warily between Alice and Perry. It had saddened him to hear of their separation. He hoped this idea would help make things easier between the two of them. "I'm hiring an assistant editor."

"WHAT?" Perry exclaimed in outrage.

"Hear me out."

"Oh, no…The last time someone tried to make me share my job was when Lex Luthor hired that featherbrained, snot-nosed, pimply-faced, under-aged cow, Chip! I don't need help. I'm doing just fine running the bullpen how it is."

"Really? You could have fooled me!" Mr. Stern retorted. "Perry, you're not a young man anymore. You can't keep working these kinds of hours without it taking a toll on you. You got lucky this time. I'm cutting your load a bit. I know it'll be hard, but it'll be worth it." He nodded towards Alice. "Besides, this way you can find other ways to fill your time that are more…. fulfilling. We'll talk about this later." Before Perry could protest further, he was gone.

Perry scowled after the man. He knew Franklin Stern was right, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to let go. He had lived and breathed the Daily Planet for so long; it was like second nature to pull an all-nighter. He didn't know if he could work regular hours and handle a lighter load.

"I think you should do it," Alice insisted, interrupting his thoughts.

"What?"

"I think you should take on an assistant editor, Perry." At his dubious look, she continued. "You just had a heart attack. You're not going to be able to do everything you used to do. You're going to need help."

Perry was quiet a moment; then he nodded. "I know. I just don't know how I'm going to adjust."

"Well, maybe I can help." Alice smiled at him warmly.

Perry returned the smile. "I don't know. It might be a full-time job."

"We'll take it a day at a time," Alice promised.


"Jimmy?" Penny knocked lightly on the STAR labs door. Lois was sleeping on the bed motionless. The only sound in the room was the monotonous beeping of the many monitors attached to Lois.

Jimmy looked up, slightly dazed. "Hi, Penny," he croaked. He smiled lightly at her.

"I thought you could use some company," Penny said as she took a seat next to him.

Jimmy smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just worried about everyone," Jimmy admitted.

"No change?"

"Nah. The doctors said… the exposure to the kryptonite could affect the baby. It's not good to be exposed to radioactive substances when you're pregnant. That along with the abdominal pains… They're keeping her under observation to be safe."

"She's a really good friend of yours, isn't she?"

"Yeah, Lois has always been a good friend of mine. Everyone always saw me as this big nobody, but she took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew… her and CK both."

Penny flinched at his bitter tone as he called himself a nobody. He had used the same tone the night that she had confronted him about his supposed alter ego. "Jimmy, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Just everything… I was too busy chasing some fantasy to realize what was right in front of me. I called you a schmoe." She noticed Jimmy wince at that description. "I'm so sorry."

Jimmy put an arm around her and smiled. "I know."

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Penny asked with pleading eyes.

Jimmy opened his mouth to speak, but he cut himself short when he saw Clark enter the room. He looked nothing like the Clark Kent he knew. He wore an untucked gray dress shirt, faded blue jeans, and a leather jacket. His forehead still had a shadow of a bruise from his earlier fight with Luthor Jr. and Leslie. "CK!" He jumped up and fiercely hugged his friend. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you. What happened to your head?"

"Uh, it's nothing." Clark gently returned his embrace. "It's good to see you too, Jimmy." He broke free of the young man's embrace and moved toward the unconscious figure of his wife. "How is she?"

Jimmy watched as Clark took a seat next to Lois' bed. Clark held Lois' hand as he kissed her forehead. "She's been unconscious since I got here. The doctor said they think her body is trying to over compensate for the trauma she's been through. They're surprised she didn't have a seizure from all the stress," Jimmy finished quietly. He knew that was the last thing Clark wanted to hear right now, but he knew Clark appreciated complete honesty.

"What about the baby?" Clark asked in concern, gently pushing a strand of hair out of Lois' eyes.

"Everything seems to be normal, but it's too soon to tell," Jimmy explained remorsefully.

"Thank you for being here, Jimmy."

"No problem." He gently patted Clark on the shoulder. "Hey, you guys will pull through this. You always do."

"I hope so."

Jimmy's phone vibrated and he turned to read it. "It's the office. CK, I'll be back later. I've got to get back to the Planet."

"Sure," Clark agreed, nodding.

"Keep me posted. Let me know if you need anything?"

"I will; thanks, Jimmy." Clark nodded as Jimmy and Penny left. He sighed with relief once he finally found himself alone with Lois. "I almost lost you," he whispered hoarsely, holding back tears. "I can't believe I almost lost everything."


"What's the big emergency, Wolf?" Henderson asked, approaching the detective's desk.

"This." Detective Wolf retrieved the files that he had found in Luthor's hideout. "Everything from this Pulse Converter to Vixen is all here."

"So, Luthor was behind this the whole time?" Henderson mused. "Doesn't surprise me."

"There's more." Wolf pulled out a contract.

"What?"

"Cross Industries was footing the bill for most of this stuff."

"Who runs Cross Industries?" Henderson asked, confused.


"Jimmy! I've been paging and texting you for over an hour!" Brian exclaimed as Jimmy and Penny stepped off the elevator.

"I can only move so fast, Brian. What's up?" Jimmy asked.

"Here's that research you wanted on Cross Industries." Brian shoved the box of files in Jimmy's direction. "Have fun."


Clark lay on the bed with Lois, holding her close to him. "I love you so much," he whispered, kissing her lightly. He hadn't been able to sleep after he had woken up. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Luthor and Leslie with the kryptonite. It had unnerved him; the lengths at which they had been willing to go to seek revenge for Lex Luthor's death.

His family had nearly been destroyed tonight. If it hadn't been for Inspector Henderson, both he and Lois could have easily been killed. He lightly stroked the small bump on her abdomen – the home enabling their child to grow. He had dreamed of this for many nights, having a family of his own… a child of his own. In one split second, he had nearly lost all everything. He couldn't understand why Lois had followed him into the subway tunnels. If she had just stayed out of danger…

"Cla…" The whisper that escaped her lips was barely audible for him to hear.

"Lois?" He turned to face her, gently stroking her cheek as he did so. "Lois, honey?"

"Clark," she whispered hoarsely, slightly louder than the last time.

He saw her eyelashes flutter as she opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Lois…" He pulled her closer to him. "I was so afraid…"

"You're hurt." She reached up to touch the light bruise on his forehead that remained after his encounter with the kryptonite.

"It's nothing…" Clark shrugged it off, leaning in to capture her mouth. She smiled against his mouth. He slowly broke off the kiss, reveling in the fact that she was okay. They were both going to be okay.

"What happened?" Lois asked. "The last thing I remember was Bill telling me not to move."

"Yeah, he saved both of our lives," Clark mused.

"I still can't believe you went after Luthor right after being exposed to kryptonite like that," Lois scolded.

"Me? I can't believe you followed me down there like that," Clark retorted.

Lois smacked him lightly on the chest. "I didn't! I went to Henderson to go help you then got grabbed when I was getting into my Jeep."

Clark lowered his head and stroked her cheek. "They nearly killed you."

"Clark, I'm fine." She reached up to caress his cheek.

"Lois…" She had scared him. That much was evident in the look he gave her.

Lois tried to change the subject once more. "What about the baby? Is the baby okay?"

Clark sighed. "The doctors told Jimmy everything looked normal, but it was too soon to tell."

"Jimmy?" Lois asked in confusion.

"He was sitting with you until I was able to make it down here. Dr. Klein said I had been unconscious for a couple hours," Clark explained, averting her gaze. "I'm fine," he reassured, unconvincingly. "I was so worried about you. Are you sure you're okay? Can I get you anything?"

"Clark, I'm fine, really." She passionately kissed him, knowing that words wouldn't get through to him right now.

He groaned in approval when he felt her tongue lightly trace the outline of his lips. "Mmmm," he moaned as she dipped her tongue inside his mouth. He moved to pull her closer to him. "I love you," he whispered before recapturing her mouth. She moaned her approval, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms once more.


"This is insane," Jimmy muttered to himself. They had been so close to exposing Intergang so many times in the past, but now they had the proof. The financial reports of Cross Industries intersected with Cost Mart, Caribbean Imports, and LexCorp. All the pieces were coming together. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Inspector Henderson. Mindy Church was going to see justice this time if he had anything to say about it.


"Alice, are you sure?" Perry asked, his voice deepening with concern.

"I'm positive." Alice evaded his gaze slightly; then, releasing a shallow breath, she met his eyes with her own. "We're only given one life, so why waste it being miserable." She smiled at him through her tears. It had taken a long time for her to realize what she wanted. Now that she knew she wasn't about to let Perry walk out of her life again. She wanted to make this work. She had to. She'd be miserable otherwise, and she had a feeling he would be too. Didn't they owe it to themselves to try and be happy?


"Let me get this straight," Bill Henderson began, eyeing Jimmy Olsen critically from across his desk. "You want me to take a team of officers down to the abandoned air strip and stake this place out for an undetermined amount of time, because you THINK Angela Cross is Mindy Church – the head of Intergang? Does that about sum it up?"

"Well, Bill, when you put it that way it does sound a bit far-fetched," Jimmy admitted.

"A little?" Henderson snorted. He leaned back in his chair as he contemplated the idea Jimmy had just presented to him. "What you're asking me to do is against all regulations. You don't have any hard evidence."

"But everything we have on Intergang matches up with Cross Industries perfectly," Jimmy argued.

"Circumstantial," Henderson countered.

"Can't you just trust me on this, Inspector?" Jimmy pleaded.

Henderson searched the young man's pleading eyes. He knew there was a 50-50 chance this hunch could pan out. Was he willing to take the risk?


The silence in the room haunted Sam Lane. Several scenarios of the what-ifs ran throughout his mind. "You okay?" Dr. Klein asked, breaking Sam from his reverie, while handing him a cup of coffee. "Here. You looked like you could use this."

"Thank you," Sam replied, gratefully taking the cup. Dr. Klein once more broke the silence.

"Clark's had several bouts with kryptonite in the last few months. Lois has been exposed too. I just hope they can stay out of danger long enough for her to deliver that baby. It's a true miracle," Dr. Klein said quietly.

"Hmm." Sam snorted. "Lois has always been a danger-junkie. She seems to attract danger. Now, she'll do her best to stay out of danger, but trouble just seems to find her." He was quiet for a moment before continuing, "I wish she didn't have to go through this. Is there nothing in all your research that could get rid of this condition?"

"I'm afraid not. I've done my fair bit of research on the condition after Lois and Clark told me of the situation, but I haven't found anything –experimental or otherwise – that could cure preeclampsia."

"What if she has the more serious condition? She could die." Sam felt the tears building in the corners of his eyes. He did his best not to let his emotions show. "I've just begun to get to know her again you know. We didn't really get along that well when she was growing up. I was always working. You know how it is?"

"Not really," Dr. Klein apologized. "I don't have a family, so I can't really relate there. I'm kinda married to my work."

"I just can't believe she went after him like that." Sam shook his head. Dr. Klein patted Sam on the shoulder in support, unsure of what to say or do.


Dr. Pierce studied the blood work in front of her, confused. "I have never seen anything like this in my life. How is this even possible?" She retrieved a stack of paperwork from her desk and began filling out the forms for one more test. Preeclampsia didn't just disappear. It just didn't happen unless the mother had given birth. This, of course, hadn't happened yet, so what had happened here? She needed a second opinion.

She picked up the phone and dialed her assistant. "Angela? Could you get me in touch with Research and Development over at STAR Labs?"


"All right, Ms. Cross, everything's packed," the pilot announced. He wore all black. His dark shades hid his face well from the outside observer. His dark black and silver hair poked out from the sides of the baseball cap he wore.

"Have you got the satellite loaded up?" Angela inquired. "You have to be extremely careful with it. It was a gift." She pointed at the large cargo that sat next to the aircraft; he peered at the equipment covered with a tarp.

"Of course, Ms. Cross." The man hesitated a moment then spoke once more. "Ms. Cross? If you don't mind my asking. Who gave that to you? I've never seen anything like it in my life. Its design is... unusual. Is this a new type of satellite overseas?"

"No, hunky, I had this one made special," she replied sweetly, her voice transforming into a perfected blonde bimbo act as she spoke. "Mr. Grady had these plans that his company had inherited, and it just seemed like such a waste to let them go to waste. So, I contracted with the right people to have it built. We used it to clean up Metropolis a bit," she explained, lightly tracing the strong jaw line of the man before her.

"That's a very interesting story, Ms. Cross," the man drawled, taking his hat off and pulling out his wallet. "Or should I say, Mrs. Church?"

"What?" She noticed the plain clothes officers that were surrounding her. "What are you talking about?"

"Mindy G. Church aka Angela Cross, you are under arrest!" A policeman slapped the handcuffs around her wrist before she could fully comprehend what was happening.

"You-you-you tricked me!" she accused angrily. "I'll have your pilot's license for this...You… you…"

"The name is Henderson. Inspector Bill Henderson, and I don't have a pilot's license, so good luck with that."


Dr. Pierce watched carefully as Allison Wise, the ultrasound technician, performed the ultrasound on Lois. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. The protein spots on her bladder were no longer there. The ultrasound appeared to be perfectly normal. How was this possible? A week ago, she had had a strong case of preeclampsia. What had happened?

"Okay, everything appears to be normal. You should be back to your normal self in a few days. Just try and relax. Take care of yourself; that sort of thing. If you have any spotting of any kind, let us know." Allison handed Lois a wipe to clean her abdomen.

She couldn't tell them yet. She had to be sure before she told the Kents that the preeclampsia had disappeared. She smiled warmly as Allison left the room. "Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"Exactly how much rest are we talking about?" Lois asked as soon as Dr. Pierce had closed the door behind Allison Wise.

"I'm sorry?"

"What if I'm in bed, but not resting. Is that okay or will it hurt the baby?" Lois really didn't want to come right out and ask if it was okay for her to jump her husband. It was still a bit awkward to talk about her sex life with anyone.

"Oh." She noticed the pink flush that had crept up Clark Kent's neck and immediately realized what Lois was referring to. "OH, yes, that's fine. Just don't overdo it. I'm going to want to get a blood sample from you, and then we'll release you to go home."

"That's great," Lois replied cheerfully.

"But I'm putting you on bed rest for a few weeks."

"What!?" Lois nearly shouted.

"Aside from the preeclampsia, your body has gone through a tremendous amount of stress..."

"Is there anything we can be doing to help Lois heal faster?" Clark asked.

"Just make sure you continue to take your medications. Hopefully, this baby will make it to full term. Even in a normal pregnancy, things like this can trigger premature labor."

Lois and Clark fell silent, unsure of what to say in response.


"So, you played a hunch and it panned out, huh? I'm really proud of you, Jimmy." Perry smiled at the young man; Jimmy had really grown over the past few years. The eager to please attitude was still there, but he had matured quite a bit from the days he had been able to bully the young man into cleaning his office out on a Saturday night.

"Thanks, Chief," Jimmy replied quietly. He was glad to hear the praise from Perry. He had always looked up to him. "So, when are they letting you out of here?"

"He'll be going home at the end of the week," Alice said as she entered the room with several cups of coffee.

"Alice, it's good to see you." Jimmy took the coffee from her and placed the cups on the tray by Perry's bed. "Chief, why didn't you tell me you had company. I would have come back later."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Jimmy. He's been worried about you, wondering if you'd ever come and see him." Alice winked at Jimmy. "I told him his bad habits have worn off on you."

"I told her that was something I highly doubted. I figured something big had to have happened to keep you from coming by," Perry replied dryly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Chief. I was kinda in shock when Lois and CK told me what happened to you. I don't really like hospitals... They make me claustrophobic. I guess I kinda took the chicken way out."

"Hey, no hard feelings." Perry worriedly studied the young man's ashamed expression. "What made you change your mind about the hospital if you don't mind my asking?"

Jimmy didn't meet Perry's eyes as he disclosed this information. "Seeing everything Lois and CK have been going through and then that Luthor guy trying to kill Superman. I guess I figured being there for friends is more important than anxiety about a hospital."

"Oh, my word! Is everyone alright?" Alice asked in concern. Perry stared at the wall solemnly, unable to voice the emotions running through him.

"Lois and CK are fine. Superman's okay. He's just sore from what Dr. Klein said."

"But they're okay?" Perry asked.

"For the most part; yeah," Jimmy replied solemnly. "This has been a tough week. CK said Lois' pregnancy is high risk so…" He sighed.

Alice let the news register. "Lois is pregnant?"

Jimmy smiled broadly. "Yeah. She's pregnant."

Alice's face lit up. She and Perry both had always thought of Lois as the daughter they never had. Lois was going to have a baby. That was hard to imagine with how hectic her and Clark's lives were, but she was sure they would make it work.

"It'll be a miracle if she's able to deliver the baby full term with the way things have been going lately," Jimmy remarked sadly. "It's just been one thing after another."

"She'll be fine, Jimmy. Lois is the most stubborn woman I have ever met." Perry grinned. "I think Clark's the male equal to her in that regard." Jimmy couldn't help but laugh. He and Perry had watched the courtship of Lane and Kent from a distance, speculating the outcome. Clark was a perfect match for Lois. "Once Lois puts her mind to something, there is no talking her out of it. She won't let anything happen to her or that baby if she can help it. You know how pig-headed she can be."

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I hope you're right, Chief."

"Of course, I'm right," Perry drawled, beaming. "I'm the Chief ain't I?"


"I just don't understand," Dr. Pierce remarked as Dr. Klein examined the blood sample through a microscope. "I've never seen any case like this before."

"Well, Ms. Lane has always had a tendency to test the laws of nature. She and her husband have always found themselves in impossible situations usually by impossible means," Dr. Klein responded dryly. "She was exposed to that meteorite, kryptonite; maybe that could explain it. We still don't know all the effects it has on the human body," he explained. Dr. Pierce continued to look at him apprehensively.

"Should I tell them that the preeclampsia is gone?" she asked nervously. "What if it comes back?"

Dr. Klein smiled. "I want to run a few more tests before we get ahead of ourselves."

"I just… I've never seen anything like this in my life. The fetus is growing normally. It's almost like her body is healing itself. There should have been scarring. There should have been bruising on her uterus. There's nothing." Dr. Pierce nervously ran a hand through her hair. "What in the world could explain such a phenomenon?"


"Lois, honey..." Clark mumbled as Lois showered his face with kisses. "Let me close the door."

Lois pulled away for a moment and allowed him to close the door; then once the front door of their brownstone shut securely, she launched herself into his arms once more. "No excuses. Dr. Pierce said it was perfectly acceptable for us to make love... No harm to the baby." She tugged at his dress shirt as they made their way towards the couch, tangling themselves in one another's arms.

Clark allowed Lois to push him back on the couch. She moved to straddle him, while continuing her assault on his body. Her lips only left his for a few seconds as she caught her breath. She swiftly stripped herself of her blouse, tossing it across the room and marveling at the feel of his skin against her own. "Mmmm… too much drama.," she whispered, unbuttoning the last button on his dress shirt.

"Tell me about it," he whispered back, shedding himself out of his dress shirt and tossing it to the ground. She moaned in pleasure as she felt his hands explore her body. The warmth from his hands created a heated path up and down her back as he trailed his mouth up her chest.

"Oh, God. Clark," she moaned in pleasure, arching her back into his supportive arms. The heat radiating from his mouth sent shivers of pleasure down her spine.

"Lois.." he whispered against her skin, gently massaging her flesh mounds with his hands. She allowed him to pull her closer to him, rubbing his rigid hardness against her core. She moaned in pleasure once more.

She slipped her hand beneath the waistband of his jeans, eliciting a moan of pleasure from him as she did so. "Clark..." she moaned, wrapping her hand around his engorged member. She needed him. She moved quickly to unfasten his jeans as he worked on removing her bra. She hissed in pleasure when she felt his mouth capture her erect bud in his mouth, tugging at it lightly with his teeth. She tightened her grasp around him, eliciting a moan from him once more.


He pulled away from her slightly and looked up at her with a broad grin on his face. He lifted her up from his lap and pushed his jeans off; kicking them to the floor. He then turned his attention back to her; unfastening the skirt she wore and sighed as it pooled around her ankles. Once all their clothing was removed he then repositioned her on his lap, recapturing her erect bud with his mouth. She smiled warmly back at him. In a matter of two minutes, he had unclothed them both and continued his ministrations.

She moaned in pleasure, running her hands through his dark, silky hair; encouraging his ministrations. The tightness in her belly began to throb with each touch from him. "Oh, Clark..." she moaned, closing her eyes and allowing them to roll into the back of her head.

He smiled up at her. He knew what kind of effect he was having on her. He gently slipped a hand down to caress her dark curls. He moaned inwardly; feeling the moisture on his fingers. She was ready for him. He gently pulled back from her and looked into her eyes for the sign that she was ready. At her nod, he moved to position her over his member. "Oh, Lois..." he moaned in pleasure as she took him in inch by inch. The moisture enveloped him. The heat against him...The tightness he felt ...He took a moment to regain control of his senses before he thrust his hips against hers.


"Clark..." she moaned in pleasure as he moved inside of her. His hands held her steady as he began to move inside of her. He rained a trail of open-mouthed kisses up and down her chest as he moved inside of her.

She met each thrust with enthusiasm; bucking her hips against his. She moved in a frantic rhythm, attempting to bring on her completion. She needed him. She needed that feeling of ecstasy that she only felt when she was with him. She tightened her inner muscles around him with each movement; bringing him to completion along with her.


"Oh, God, Lo-isss..." he moaned as he felt her inner muscles begin to convulse around him. The heat from her body, the intimate scent of her arousal..enveloped him as he felt himself coming undone. He continued to thrust inside of her; helping to bring her to full completion as he emptied his seed inside of her.

"Cl…" she cried out. The sweet echo of his name rang in his ears as he reached completion.


Dr. Klein stared at the results in front of him. His focus alternated between the sonogram in front of him and the blood tests he had been examining for the past hour. This was good news. Lois was no longer at risk, but how could he explain this to Dr. Pierce without giving away Clark's secret? He didn't know what to do. He sighed to himself. He now understood the chaos Lois and Clark had to deal with every day.

Their willingness to share their secret with him was commendable. He knew it must have been a hard decision for the couple. He felt honored to have such good friends. He would talk to Lois and Clark in the morning – a conversation between confidants would likely provide the most effective solution. Surely, they would have a better idea of how to explain this than he did.


The next morning, Jimmy entered the newsroom and found everyone waiting patiently by the elevator doors. "What's going on?" he asked Brian, one of his co-workers.

"Franklin Stern said he had an announcement to make. He wants everyone here."

"Everyone? Lois and CK aren't going to be able to make it here."

"I'm sure they're the exception along with Perry," Brian reassured, smiling.

The elevator door opened. The owner, Franklin Stern, exited the elevator swiftly, making his way to the edge of the balcony. "Can I have everyone's attention?"

"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me," Mr. Stern began. "I'm sure you all have heard of the circumstances surrounding Mr. White's condition. If you haven't, then shame on you. You're obviously in the wrong profession." Everyone laughed at the man's joke. "I'm making some changes to the way things are run in the newsroom to help Mr. White and you all. I'd like to introduce you to your new assistant editor-in-chief, Mr. James Olsen."

There was a murmur of both protest and approval at this announcement. Jimmy wasn't sure how to feel about the news. Was this what the Chief wanted? He grew thoughtful for a moment. He had just been promoted. He would be working side by side with Perry White – his mentor. This was great news.


"Dr. Klein? You wanted to see us?" Lois asked as she and Clark entered the office hesitantly, searching for the doctor. Lois smiled when she spotted Dr. Klein sitting at his desk, jotting down various formulas as he muttered incoherently to himself.

"Dr. Klein?" Clark asked a little louder.

Dr. Klein looked up, finally noticing the couple, and stood to greet them. "Lois, Clark, how are you feeling?" he inquired warmly.

"Good. We're still a bit sore, but you know how it is," Lois replied, shrugging.

"Yes." Dr. Klein couldn't help but broaden his smile. This was big news. It wasn't every day that he got to deliver good news to the couple. "I've discovered something about your pregnancy, Lois... concerning the baby."

Lois and Clark's faces grew apprehensive. "What is it?" Clark asked, placing a supportive arm around Lois.

"Well, Clark, you know how your body has a healing aura around itself? Anything within a few millimeters of your skin is invulnerable?" He still couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He was trying. He really was, but this was just such good news.

"Yeah," Clark began slowly.

"Well, your son seems to have inherited that trait," Dr. Klein revealed. "Lois, you no longer have preeclampsia."

Lois and Clark looked like they had just been hit with a ton of bricks. "What?" they asked in unison.

"Your child's aura has healed your body. There's no scarring. No protein build up. It's as if you never had it." Dr. Klein continued to grin as he watched the couple embrace, reveling in their relief. He cleared his throat to remind them of his presence when the clinch started to last longer than necessary. "But this is what brings me to my dilemma."

"Dilemma?" Clark asked curiously.

"Yes, Dr. Pierce is very concerned about how Lois' preeclampsia disappeared. I'm not sure how to explain this to her."

"Hmmm... I don't suppose leaving it as an unexplainable phenomenon will work?" Lois mused thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure she'll buy that," Dr. Klein remarked dryly.

"We can check with my father and see if he can come up with a good medical explanation," Lois began. "I still need to talk to him about all of this." She was still in shock slightly. The weight that had been on her and Clark's shoulders for the past month was gone. She didn't have preeclampsia. Their baby would be okay. She sighed in relief, reveling in the newfound freedom of being an expectant mother without a life-threatening medical condition. It felt good.


The next two weeks flew by. Lois and Clark began adjusting to life as impending parents. Mr. Stern had ordered them to not show their faces in the office for at least two weeks, so they took advantage of the free time to enjoy one another's company in various ways. They cleared out the extra boxes that had been stored in their spare bedroom to make room for the furniture. Martha and Jonathan had sent Clark's old bassinet to them as an addition to the new nursery.

Both sets of grandparents were relieved to discover that Lois' condition of preeclampsia was gone. Ellen still didn't quite understand how her body had healed, but she wasn't pushing the issue too much. She was grateful that her daughter was healthy and her grandchild was no longer at risk.

Sam was equally grateful and had worked hard with Dr. Klein to formulate a probable reason for Lois' miraculous recovery. Given the fact that Lois had been exposed to kryptonite, an unknown substance, he and Dr. Klein used that as an excuse. Dr. Pierce still wasn't sure how the combination of medicine and kryptonite radiation had healed Lois' body, but she seemed somewhat satisfied.

As Inspector Henderson began digging deeper into Mindy Church's assets, he discovered her payroll had extended to many of the previous criminals who were arrested for attempts to take over Metropolis. Caribbean Imports went out of business and the courts froze all the company's assets. Similarly, the legal forces dismantled Cross Industries piece by piece, leaving Mindy Church penniless by the time of her court date. She was sent to trial with no hope of receiving a bond. In the men's prison, both Bill Church Senior and Junior found it amusing that she was finally getting what she deserved.


"Jimmy?" Penny stood in front of Jimmy's desk, nervously toying with a strand of her hair.

"Penny! What are you doing here?" Jimmy asked. He hadn't seen her since the fiasco with Luthor. He wasn't sure what to make of his relationship with her. He knew he cared about her, but he didn't know if she cared about him in the same way.

"I-I didn't mean to intrude on you at work, but I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"I know we didn't exactly start out… 'dating' under the best circumstances." She flushed slightly, recalling the way she had thrown herself at him. "I guess I was just hoping or wondering, rather, do you still like me? I mean, it's been like two weeks since I've heard from you. I thought we had reconciled the whole me thinking you were Superman thing, but I would completely understand if you didn't… I just…" She stopped for a moment and laughed. "I'm sorry. I kinda ramble like crazy when I'm nervous."

Jimmy smiled. She was nervous. It was kinda cute. He liked it. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Penny. I've just been really busy here at the Planet. Everything's changed since Mr. Stern promoted me to help the Chief out. With Lois and CK gone, everyone else has been juggling more than their fair share of the load… trying to get the paper out," he explained, laughing nervously. "I guess we've been playing it hit and miss these past few weeks, huh?" She nodded shyly at him. "Listen, why don't we go to dinner and talk? Chinese?"

"I'd like that."

"I have to warn you though; it'll actually be in Metropolis. I can't fly to China to get food for you," he joked.

Penny smiled. "Personally, I think being able to fly all over the world is overrated."

"Good." Jimmy was on cloud nine. She liked him. He liked her. This was always a good sign.

He was interrupted from his reverie by the sound of people cheering. He looked up and saw Perry White step off the elevator with Alice by his side. He smiled to himself, watching the happy couple. Perry and Alice had obviously worked out their differences. Ever since he had met Perry, he had been in awe of the way he loved Alice. He had always wanted to find someone he could love like that. Was Penny that person? Only time would tell. He looked around the newsroom anxiously; Lois and Clark weren't here yet.


Lois and Clark strolled through the lobby, hand-in-hand. They were running late… again. Today, Perry would return to work. This was their first day back on the job as well. Clark had regained his powers a few days after the attack with Luthor and was back to his super self. Lois had recalled Clark's slow recovery following Randy Goode's kryptonite attack, and she secretly worried that he would encounter the same problem. Therefore, she had been grateful to hear that his powers had returned normally.

Her body had changed even more over the past few weeks. It was as if she had awoken and suddenly, a huge baby bump had appeared. It amazed both her and Clark to watch her shape change as their child grew.

"We're late," Lois muttered, pressing the call button as they stepped on the elevator.

"We're always late," Clark teased, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her.

"Don't start something you can't finish," Lois whispered against his lips, linking her arms around his neck.

"Who says I can't finish?" he whispered back, deepening their kiss. Lois moaned in pleasure, reveling in the feeling of him in her arms.

The elevator's ding interrupted the heat of the moment. They reluctantly pulled away from one another once their consciousness registered that they were receiving cat calls. "Hey, haven't you two had enough alone time? You've been gone for two weeks! Sheesh!" Ralph hollered across the newsroom.

Lois and Clark ignored the statement as they walked down the ramp to the newsroom together. "Lois, CK!" Jimmy bounded up to them. "It's great to have you back!"

"It's good to be back, Jimmy," Lois replied warmly.

"So, how have things been?" Clark asked. They hadn't been at the Planet in two weeks, so he was curious how the transition back to Mr. Stern's management had affected everyone.

"It's been interesting. You two are our main city beat journalists, so everyone's been kinda juggling everything. Mr. Stern said he's looking to hire some new people for the city beat," Jimmy announced, sighing.

"Lois, Clark, it's good to see you!" Perry approached them, wearing a big smile on his face. He looked down at Lois and noticed the growth of her abdomen. His smile broadened. "Motherhood suits you, Lois."

Lois blushed. "Thank you, Perry. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I'm very good. I'm on cloud nine." He couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face. "I have some news for you three." He motioned for Lois, Clark, and Jimmy to follow him into his office.

Lois and Clark looked at Jimmy quizzically who just shrugged. They followed Perry to his office and closed the door behind them.

"What's up, Perry?" Lois asked.

"Lois, I'm going to take you off the actual city beat for a while," Perry began.

"What? Why?" Lois was upset; she didn't want to be stuck doing desk work all the time, especially when she had recently discovered that her pregnancy would progress normally. She was looking forward to diving into a good story with Clark.

"I'm going to have you helping Jimmy." Jimmy beamed, knowing where Perry was going with this. "He was promoted to my assistant Editor-In-Chief and I want you to help him transition. You won't be able to keep up your regular schedule the further along you get, and this way we can put your mind to good use. You'll be back on the city beat when you return from maternity leave. I promise."

"Assistant editor?" Clark and Lois asked Perry in unison. They both knew Perry well enough to know that couldn't have gone over well with him.

"Orders of Mr. Stern. He doesn't want me keeling over anytime soon, so I have to delegate."

"You? Delegate?" Lois asked.

"I didn't say it was gonna be easy," Perry admitted shyly.

"That is great news. Of course, I'll help. Jimmy, I'm so happy for you," Lois gushed.

"Well, this oughta make things interesting," Perry mused.


One Year Later…

The soft cries of a baby emanated from the brownstone on Hyperion Avenue. Clark Kent held his son close to him as he tried to calm his cries. "Shh, it's okay. Mommy's coming. See?" He positioned his son in his arms, so he could see Lois in the rocking chair, preparing herself to nurse.

"Let me see him." Lois held her arms out, and Clark handed their little boy to her mother. He smiled, watching the love in his wife's eyes as she nursed their child. They represented everything that he had ever wanted – a family of his own. Lois noticed his stare and looked up at him curiously. "What?"

"Nothing. I've just never seen anything so beautiful… so perfect in all my life," he said, wrapping his arms around her as he continued watching them. "Can you believe everything we've been through from the time we've met up until now?"

"I know. It seems like ages ago when Perry first introduced us. If someone had told me five years ago that I'd one day be married with a baby – and happy about it – I'd have thought they were crazy. Now, I can't imagine my life without you or CJ." She smiled at the sleeping baby in her arms. "He's asleep."

Clark looked down at the sleeping figure in his wife's arms. Their child. Their miracle. It was hard to take in sometimes, but he couldn't be happier. The last year had been a struggle. He had to cut back on his Superman activities to help Lois during the end of her pregnancy. They had experienced a couple of close calls, and they had feared that the baby would come early, but he still managed to stay put until thirty-eight weeks.

Dr. Klein said that he seemed to be normal. The only thing that had appeared unusual about him was his keen awareness of his surroundings in comparison to normal babies, but they weren't worried about that. Life was changing rapidly and for the better.

After Cross Industries, LexCorp, and Caribbean Imports had been dismantled, a new businessman from Gotham City had approached Superman about merging the foundations to help more people and protect the cities against organized crime. He had been a bit skeptical at first because of the man's reputation. Bruce Wayne was a well-known playboy, but he was also an acute businessman with a strong sense of justice.

The establishments that had taken over the previous organized crime now worked with the foundations to help better both Metropolis and Gotham. It felt good to find someone willing to help without a hidden agenda. It was refreshing. After five years in Metropolis, Clark had developed a sense of skepticism towards entrepreneurs and philanthropists who claimed to be wholesome well-meaning individuals.

He had hope for the future. His son's future. Maybe one day Superman would only be needed for natural disasters. He prayed that day would come, but in the meantime, he enjoyed the sense of peace that he felt holding his family. He had come so close to losing everything. It still shook him to the core, but he had survived. He had learned who his true friends were during a time of true adversity. He would never have imagined that Jimmy was capable of such courage, or that Bill Henderson would willingly sneak kryptonite out of a crime scene. However, they had surprised him. He would forever be grateful for their help in defeating Luthor.

He watched Lois lay CJ down in his crib. She was such a natural mother. He would never understand why she had ever doubted herself. Her natural instincts had taken over the moment she had held CJ for the first time. He had fallen in love with her all over again every time he saw her with him.

"I love watching him sleep," Lois whispered.

"Yeah. He's so cute. I wish I could just hold him forever." He smiled at Lois as she walked over to him, seating herself in his lap.

"What time do we have to leave?" Lois asked.

"Uh, in about three hours," Clark said, looking at the clock. It was four thirty. Penny and Jimmy's engagement party was at seven thirty that night. Her parents were watching CJ for them while they attended. It amazed him how quickly things had changed between Jimmy and Penny once they had settled the whole 'Not being Superman' fiasco. It appeared Jimmy had found the right girl. He was happy for his friend. Everyone around them had mended their relationships. Perry and Alice had remarried about three months ago, and Jimmy was engaged.

"Well, I guess, we should start getting ready." Lois entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. It took him a moment to realize that was an invitation. They didn't need to leave for another couple of hours…

Lois poked her head out of the bathroom, "Are you coming?" She squealed in delight when he super-sped them into the shower stall.

'Yes, life was definitely very good,' he thought to himself as his mouth crashed against Lois' lips. The End

The End