Chapter 29: Home for the Holidays

His long nights spent away from his family, while difficult to endure, had started to pay off. The house was finally coming together, and Clark was reasonably sure that he would have them moved in a few days before Christmas. He knew how much Lois wanted to be in her own place, and he agreed with that. Bruce had done more than enough to help them and even though they still had those moments in the past where neither one of them could agree on their various beliefs of handling the common criminal for the most part, lately they were getting along and agreeing. With Bruce's help, Clark now had a way to keep his family safe, and the new house would insure privacy for them. In turn, Clark had launched Wayne Station into space, and had also helped Wayne Coal and Refining by digging and putting up the supports for a few new mines in West Virginia. He knew that there was more he owed Bruce, but for now his friend seemed satisfied.

While Clark worked on the house and at the Daily Planet, as well as helping those people in need, Bruce spent his time trying to track Luthor down. He knew that should Superman find him first, the challenge of controlling his temper after what his family had been put through would be a real test for him. Bruce also realized what a threat Luthor was, not only to Clark and his family, but to the rest of the world. At night, Batman had been spending his time in the poorer part of Gotham watching over the criminals in that part of town. He had been listening in to conversations hoping that someone would say something about Lex Luthor, but so far there hadn't been any such luck. He was also busy trying to track down the rest of the inmates who had escaped Arkham Asylum when the League of Shadows had tried to take over, and reduce crime, but it was an on going battle for him to do that.

Lois was in her twenty third week of pregnancy, and was still working at the Planet, though only half days. She was showing and most of her co-workers were now aware of both the pregnancy and the rings she and Clark had on their fingers. Clark's mom and Ben had returned to help look after Jason who was still fighting off the congestion in his lungs, but was also full of energy as he should be. The big coverage at work was the trial against the DA, which was slow, because of the evidence against him, and she and Clark were working hard to try and clear him of the involvement. As part of her investigation, Lois had gotten files on the Cult that had plagued the city at the beginning of the year, and as well the jewelry store robberies. Her gut feeling told her that somehow all of this tied together but so far she had not been able to make any progress.


In his room, Jason was on his belly resting his arms against his pillow on the bed while he watched Frosty the Snowman. His Granny and Pappa had come back and had brought him that DVD as well as a few other Christmas Classics. The little boy was excited because in 12 more days it would be Christmas. Today had not been a very good day for him. He had taken a nap and had woken up with a slight fever. His Granny had called his mommy and she and his daddy would be home soon. As his movie ended, his Granny turned off the TV, and Jason protested. "I wanted to watch another one, Granny."

Martha took the DVD out of the player and put it back in its case before she put it down on the small stand where Jason's TV sat. Her grandson was limited to two movies a day, and not right in a row. "I know you do, Jason, but we need to practice your reading," she said gently as she walked over to his bedside table and got one of his readers from school.

"I don't want to read!" Jason exclaimed as he got down off of the bed and ran into his bathroom. He shut the door and locked it and sat down on the floor. All Jason wanted to do was to play outside, but it was too cold and his mommy told him that it was not good for his lungs. He missed Lucky, and he missed talking to Rebecca. His daddy told him they would try and find a way to call her but so far that had not happened. He heard a knock on the door and didn't answer.

Standing in front of the bathroom door connected to her grandson's bedroom, Martha tried to get him to talk to her but he wouldn't. She knew he was frustrated and tired of having to stay inside, and wondered if her son could take him someplace warm even if only for an hour to let him get some fresh air. "Jason, will you please tell me that you are alright so I won't worry about you?" Martha called out as she tapped on the door again.

"I don't want to," he said loud enough for her to hear him. He rested his chins on his knees which he had drawn up against his chest and wished he could just run away.

Martha waited by the door for a moment longer before she walked over to the sofa she had been sitting in while Jason watched his movie. She knew he needed time to pout and resumed her knitting, hoping that her son and daughter-in-law would be home soon.


As soon as they arrived home, in the privacy of their bathroom, Clark and Lois shared a shower. They still had to get clean after being around everyone in the office, to keep Jason from getting sick, and it was hard being together to focus on just getting clean. The couple also shared a few kisses and some passionate caresses before they finally finished getting cleaned off. Once they were out of the shower they made fast work of drying off and getting dressed and headed across the hall to see Jason., Clark and Lois entered their son's room finding his mom knitting with Jason no where to be seen. "Mom?" Clark asked as he walked over to her.

"I tried to get him to read today but he wouldn't and he has been pouting in the bathroom for the past half hour, I'm afraid."

Clark used his x-ray vision and found his son sitting with his back to the door. Jason was pouting, but it was time to put a stop to it. He let go of Lois's hand and walked to the door. "Jason, I need you to come out here, please," he said in a firm tone.

Jason knew better than to tell his father 'no', and stood up. He opened the door but kept his eyes on his feet. "I miss my friends and my dog," he said as his voice trembled.

Clark's features softened as he knelt down in front of his little boy and hugged him close. "I know you do, and I know you don't like having to stay inside, but you need to listen to Granny when she tells you that it is time to do something." Jason was still warm and Clark looked past his son asking his mom when the last dose of Motrin was given to him.

"It has been a few hours, not long enough to give him any more," Martha replied. She had her things gathered up and headed down the hall to find Ben and spend some time with her husband. Ben was back to full health and had been working on a surprise for their grandson for Christmas.

As Clark stood up, he picked Jason up and held him close. "Are you hungry?" he asked as Lois came over to them.

"I had a bowl of apples for a snack. My belly hurts," he mumbled as he rested his left cheek against his father's shoulder.

Lois looked at her husband in concern and knew they needed to call either Fox or Dr. Klein and have them come out to see Jason. He was scheduled to see Becky in a few days but the fever had her worried. "Why don't the two of you rest," she suggested giving her husband a knowing look. When he caught on to what she was going to do he agreed that it would be a good idea and was putting Jason down in his bed when she left.


Marcus sat in his car across from the Daily Planet waiting for everyone to clear out. Tonight he was supposed to go in and put a tap in on Lois Lane's phone. His boss had given him coder to break into the alarm system and he was looking forward to getting paid for this. It had been a long day already, but Marcus had been prepared for the wait and had brought along some catalogs. The one he was currently viewing was various types of guns. The one he was most interested in was the Smith and Wesson 29 model which had been reissued a few years back. As he ran his fingers over the page his cell phone began to ring. "Yeah," he said.

"Are you paying attention?" Lex asked from his end. The stakes for him were high and he had to be certain that his men stayed in focus.

Marcus dropped the magazine and looked across the street. "Not everyone is gone," he said. I think the guy who runs the paper stays late."

"Then you wait for him to leave and don't even think about putting a bullet in him. I need you to tap into their lines. Don't disappoint me." Lex hung up sitting back in his recliner as he flipped on the TV. He hated his having to hide but some of his informants said that the Batman had even begun to look for him and he couldn't have any mistakes in his grand plan.


Seated on the edge of her son's bed, Lois rubbed her hand over his back. Dr. Klein had come by and found that he had a minor ear infection in the right ear. She had prescribed ear drops along with the antibiotics he was already taking for the infection in his lungs. Her little boy had endured the exam all right but had not liked the ear drops. Clark was the one who had to hold him still while she put three drops in and had to keep holding him long enough for the medicine to do its job. Jason's breathing was steady now, and silently, Lois stood up and walked out of the room.

Clark was looking over more files in the room that he shared with Lois. Jason had been angry with him and Clark had gone out of the room upon his son's request. His mind was not on his work, so he put the files away and as he walked over to the bed and began to pull the covers down, Lois came into their room.

"He's out," she said as she walked over to her husband's side. As she arrived next to him, the baby started to kick, and Lois reached out and moved Clark's hand over her belly as he turned around. "I think this one likes playing soccer," she teased making him smile. Lois knew how hard it was to have their son's anger directed at him, and was glad to see Clark smile. When he knelt down on his knees and lifted the long baggy sweat shirt she had on, Lois reached out and raked her fingers through his hair.

Gently, Clark placed a kiss on her belly and rested his cheek there for a moment. "You need to let your mommy rest," he said directly at her belly. Incredibly as he began to talk the movement stopped and he looked up at Lois before looking back at her belly. "We are excited for you to come and see us, but you have to wait a while," he said as he rubbed his right hand over her belly.

"I think our baby likes hearing you talk," Lois said as he gave her belly one more kiss before he pulled her shirt back down. He stood up and she tilted her head up as he brought his down. The taste of his lips on hers was intoxicating as always and Lois missed being able to spend time with the man she loved. Dr. Sanderson had already advised against making love, though they had found other ways to pleasure one another. This time she was the first to break the kiss, and put her hand on his chest. He backed up against the bed and when he sat down; Lois reached out and pulled his shirt up. Clark's eyes were on her as she leaned in. Lois kissed his chest, and then began to work her way down his abdomen. She heard his intake of breath when her lips brushed over his belly button and evidence of his desire was already pushing against the sweat pants he had on.


The coder did the job he needed it to do, and Marcus entered the building when there wasn't anyone around to see him. He walked through the lobby to the elevators and found a plaque which told him where the news room was. As he pressed the button for the elevator he whistled a tune from an opera he had heard at his boss's house the other day, and then stopped when he realize what he was doing.

As Marcus waited for the elevator, a silent alarm went off and was picked up at Wayne Tower. Frances Adams had nearly been asleep when he heard the beep and after looking at the work being done on the Kent's house, and finding that it was still safe, he focused on the model screen for the Planet. The building was lit up as he heard a beeping sound, which meant someone had used a coder to get in. Frances got on the phone and dialed Metropolis PD. "Yes this is Mr. Adam's with Wayne Security. A silent alarm has been set off at the Daily Planet." Adams gave the PD what they needed and when he finished there he contacted his boss, who would in turn call Bruce and let him know what was going on.

Finding Lois's desk wasn't hard. Marcus remembered the kid and there were pictures of him all over the place. He finished with the phone in record time and as he was getting his gear put in his bag, the lights went on. After dropping the bag, Marcus grabbed his hand gun and turned toward the Lobby. No one was there so he made a run for it. He avoided the elevator and took the stairs going up. The boss would kill him if he got caught and would likely kill him even if he didn't. Taking three stairs at a time, Marcus arrived on the roof top out of breath. He looked around and finally spotted the fire escape on the eastern end of the roof. So far he had not encountered the police or Superman and as he began to climb down the escape he began to feel relieved. He was midway down the escape when he heard someone shout up for him to stop moving and to drop his weapon. Marcus stopped moving but reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out two grenades. He pulled out the pins and threw them down and then huddled down on the plat form he was on. After five seconds he looked up and standing on the platform above him was Superman. "Try this," he said as he pulled out his gun and began to fire. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't kill Superman with bullets and would suggest to the boss the next time to supply him with kryptonite bullets.

It was very easy for him to catch every bullet fired at him, and once the barrel of the gun had been emptied, Superman moved fast. He lifted the man off the fire escape and flew him down to the waiting police force, handing him over to Officer Martinez. "I didn't see anyone else in the building," the man of Steel told the officer. Superman wanted to ask this man what he had been doing but he heard a report over one of the radios in a patrol car that a bank robbery was taking place a few blocks away, and already he knew it was going to be a busy night.


When Batman arrived at the Planet, the police had gone. He parked in the alley between the Daily Planet building and the parking structure and used the grappling hook to get to the roof. Batman had the right code to get in the building and once he was inside he headed for the news rooms. The man the police caught had been here for a reason, and Batman had a feeling it wasn't to rob the safe.

Upon his arrival at the news room, he found Superman at Lois's desk. "What did you find?" he asked not surprised to find his friend here.

"I listening device," replied Superman as he turned around and showed what remained of the devise to Batman. "He works for Luthor, there is no other explanation, and now Lois is a target. Someone should go in and interview him to see if that is the case," Superman said referring to Clark Kent.

Batman could tell his friend was angry. "Do you think Clark can be objective?" he asked after a moment of silence. "This man works for the one who wants to hurt his family?" Ordinarily Bruce wouldn't ask but now he wasn't sure.

His anger was simmering and Superman shut his eyes. "He would have to be objective if he is to find Luthor and put a stop to all of this. Do you have any other suggestions?" Superman asked as he opened his eyes.

"Let me see if I can get him moved to Gotham City. I know someone who might be able to pull a few strings. I think it would be to dangerous to leave him here given that he might work for Luthor," Batman stated.

Superman agreed to that and after both of them spent an hour going over the building they both went their separate ways.

Flying high above the countryside, Superman kept thinking about that man, wondering if he was the one who had taken his son. Bruce had been right about his anger, and again, he thought about how he was supposed to respect all human life. At the moment, he wanted to kill both that man and Luthor, and those thoughts were alien to him. Suddenly, he stopped flying and descended rapidly from the sky, into the Fortress of Solitude. It had been a long time since he had been there to visit, and even now he wasn't sure if coming here was what he should do. When he landed on the cool crystal surface, a platform leading to the control consol, Superman took four steps and held out his hands. The room darkened and suddenly the floor in front of him lit up and came to life. Crystals began to grow out of the floor until the console stood before him. He was grateful that Lois had reminded him about the green crystal that had grown this fortress, and it was thanks to her and that crystal that he now had all of this back. Taking out the largest crystal, the one called the Father Crystal, Superman put it into the proper slot and in a moment the hologram of his father came to life before him.

"My son you have not been here in a long time," Jor El stated.

"I know father. There has been so much that has happened to me." Kal El didn't know where to start, but then his father asked a question.

"You have a son now. A son who has faced sickness most of his life." When Jason had first started to show signs of the deadly illness, Superman had come here before needing advice and then there wasn't much either of his parents could or would do for him. It was that reason why he was weary of being here now.

"Yes, but this new sickness was created by my enemy who wants to harm him to place revenge on me." The Hologram before him was silent, and Superman waited.

"This enemy, the one you speak of has let greed eclipse his heart. How do you feel about this man?"

Superman looked away from the Hologram and then back. "Angered, father. It is one thing to go after me, and another to hurt a child who has done nothing more than to exist."

Jor-El took in to consideration what his son had just told him. "This woman has made you happy?" he asked.

"Yes. I know I am not human, not one of them, but I was raised here, Father, I love her. It has been a struggle not to love her and now that we have a son, I can't ignore what is in front of me."

"This life you have chosen will be a struggle for you, but if it is what you want, and as long as you remember why we sent you to earth, then I give you my blessing."

"Thank you, Father." Superman watched as the hologram faded, and for some reason he felt better.


A gentle kiss against her lips woke Lois and when she opened her eyes she saw the man she loved and smiled. "Is everything alright?" she asked as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Yes," Clark replied. It was still early in the morning and he hadn't meant to wake her, but he needed to touch her, and show her his love for her.

"What happened?" she asked realizing that something was on his mind.

He knew if he told her she wouldn't get back to sleep, but he also knew as his wife, she had a right to know who had been caught today. They had not talked to the man, but he was reasonably sure who he worked for. "The Planet was broken into. I caught a man who had placed a listening device on your phone. Bruce and I think that he works for Luthor."

Now fully awake, Lois rolled on her side and sat up. "This could be what we need to find that bastard," she said ready to get up get dressed and go find out what he was doing.

"I hope that you are right. Bruce is pulling some strings and having him transferred over here. He believes as do I that Lex will try to eliminate him."

Lois sighed. She knew that they couldn't go down there right now and felt dizzy. "I need to lie back down," she said.

Clark reached behind her and helped her settle back against the pillows. "Do you need me to bring you anything?" When she smiled at him he knew she was up to something.

"To be honest with you, Thai noodles in peanut sauce sounds wonderful." After Clark kissed her she watched as he got into his suit and when he left through their window, it was her turn to wonder. As she waited, her thoughts turned to the man that Clark had told her about, and she wondered if he would hold the answers to their questions about the DA, the Cult, the robberies, and the new site going up at the east docks. Fifteen minutes later, her husband returned with what she had been craving. The noodles were in a package made out of bamboo, and she eyed him as he put the food in front of her. "What did you do, Mr. Kent?" She asked as he lifted the lid away from the noodles. Her stomach rumbled and Lois took up the chopsticks and took a bite shutting her eyes as the flavor of the food washed over her. "Forgot what I just asked, this is wonderful," she said as she swallowed the first bite.

Superman had flown to Bangkok and after hovering high above the city for five minutes, he found what he had come to get. Using great care, Superman had descended rapidly into an alley behind a tall stack of wooden crates. Once he had changed into civilian attire consisting of a pair of dress slacks, as well as a coat dress shirt and tie, he stepped out of the alley blending in with the crowd. Clark crossed the street and went into the restaurant he had seen from far above the city, where he had heard someone ordering Thai noodles with Peanut Sauce. Once he had what he needed he got back to that same Alley and headed for home all without anyone knowing he had been there. Seeing his wife happy made him realize that he had chosen the right place to go. At her request, he went downstairs and got her a glass of water, and then the two of them shared the rest of the noodles even though it was two o'clock in the morning.


The next morning, Lois woke up realizing that she wouldn't be able to go with Clark down to the police station. If the man her husband and Bruce caught were to somehow get away, he could tell Luthor about the baby, and she wasn't willing to put her unborn child in that sort of danger. Once Clark had gone, Lois got dressed and went in to Jason's room to get his day started.

The 21st precinct was one of the busiest precincts in Gotham City, and when Clark walked into the main lobby of the building, there were all sorts of people there. A few people sat quietly on wooden benches against the left wall waiting for something but most people were yelling or crying, and he could tell the officers here had their hands full. Walking up to the main desk, Clark caught the attention of a woman named Julie Franklin and asked, "Is Lieutenant Gordon here?"

"He is in his office, but I can already tell yah that he's not going to have time for a visit today."

"My name is Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne set up a meeting with him." As soon as he said those words, Julie called back to his office, and Clark realized what a pull his friend had in this city, or at least with this department. Bruce once told him that it was Officer Gordon who had taken care of him that night after his parents were killed and he guessed that was why his friend was able to pull strings.

"If you will follow me," the young officer said.

Clark followed her into the back of the large building, down a darkened hall to an office on the end.

Lieutenant Gordon stood up and greeted him and then led him personally into a meeting room not far from his office. As soon as Clark walked in and saw the man seated at the metal table he took a breath and let it out. He could not let this man see his anger or emotions and hoped that somehow he could get him to talk. Bruce had offered using his way, but Clark wanted to try this first. "Hello," Clark said as he sat down.

Marcus looked at the man seated in front of him and yawned. "You the reporter?" he asked.

"Yes, my name is Clark Kent."

"You're wasting you time, Kent. I don't got noth'n to tell you so you might as well get out of here and go on about your business." Marcus had been surprised to be transferred here and wondered what was going on. He knew the boss would likely kill him now that he was in custody, and didn't care one way or the other what happened.

"They found a listening device placed in a phone," Clark began. He listened to the man's heart beat and heard it beat faster.

"Is that right, must have already been there," Marcus said feeling his palms start to sweat.

Clark could tell he wasn't going to get much out of him and decided to cut to the chase. "Do you work for Lex Luthor?" He knew he was taking a marginal risk but at this point he needed to know. Even though he didn't get an answer, the fact that sweat beaded up on Marcus's forehead and that his heart rate increased greatly told Clark what he needed to know.

"GUARD, GET ME OUT OF HERE." Marcus yelled as he stood up.

The guard came a moment later, and as Marcus was led out, another officer arrived to guide Clark back to the lobby.


Spending time with her son was something Lois loved and as they sat on his bed playing checkers, she wondered how things were going for her husband.

"Mommy, it is your turn now," Jason stated. He shook his head as she looked at the board and could tell she was thinking about something. "Are you worried about my fever?" Jason asked as his mommy jumped one of his red checker pieces.

Lois smiled at her little boy. "A little bit, but those ear drops and the medicine you are taking should help you," Lois replied. She forced herself not to think about Clark and the interview and after she and Jason finished their game of chess, Alfred arrived with their lunch.

"Mommy, are we going to have Christmas here with Bruce?" asked Jason after he swallowed a bite of the homemade chicken soup. The soup didn't have noodles but rice instead because Jason was allergic.

Lois finished a bite of her chicken salad sandwich and offered her little boy a smile. "I think we might, but that will be alright. All of us will be together and we will have a good time," she said, wishing that Jason could see his friends and spend Christmas with the rest of the family. Her parents were starting to be supportive and that was unusual but welcome at the same time. After lunch was finished, Lois got Jason settled in his bed and read from a new book called Eragon. As she read, her son settled against her right side and didn't say a word as the tale unfolded. The book was about a young boy who finds a dragons egg. The mere fact that it was about dragons had captured Jason's attention and Lois read two chapters before she shut the book much to Jason's chagrin.

"Mommy read more," he said through a yawn.

"Not right now. We both need to have a rest," Lois whispered as she held Jason closer kissing the top of his head.

"If we have a brother for me can we name him Eragon?"

Lois smiled. "I don't know about that. It is a good name for a book character, but not so much for a child," she replied gently. Lois rubbed her hand over his back and stayed with Jason until he was asleep. It took more effort than she wanted, but Lois got up out of Jason's bed and after putting a warm blanket over him, she walked across the hall to her room. Clark was there changing out of his work cloths and she could tell things had not gone well at the interview. Before she even asked about that, Lois walked up to him and in a moment they were sharing a kiss and as much of a hug as they could get with her expanding belly. Lois held on to him even after they broke the kiss, hoping that soon this would all be over with.

"Have you eaten?" He asked as he pressed a kiss on top of her head.

"Jason and I ate in his room. I had chicken salad, and it was wonderful. What about you?" Lois asked. She knew that he didn't need to eat as much as other men, but was relieved when he nodded his head.

"That man works for Luthor. I didn't get him to confess it but his body language told me all I needed to know," Clark offered as he led her over to the small sofa across from their bed. Clark helped her sit down realizing that it was becoming difficult for her to do that on her own. Once she was seated he sat next to her and she began to ask him what they should do. "Right now keeping him safe from Luther's grasp is paramount. When we catch Lex, we can offer Marcus a bargain for what he knows, or at least that is what Bruce's friend Miss Dawes believes. I met her at the station and Marcus does have a criminal record which will keep him incarcerated for a while, but we need to focus our efforts on Luthor."

It was good that they had someone connected to Luthor, and Lois was happy about that, but the mere fact that they had not caught him bothered her. "How do we find Luthor? I worry about the safety of our family even when we move into the new house, and after he is caught what will keep him from telling what he knows, which is that our son is Superman's child?" She was suddenly frustrated but she didn't move from the embrace of Clark's arms.

"I am going to do a memory wipe, one that he won't recover from. I will let him remember his hate for Superman and everything else, even you. What he will not remember is Jason or his suspicions about us. I want to be able to wipe everything away, but if somehow his memory about you is triggered, like yours was with me, that could be a disaster."

Lois nodded her head. She wished they could be rid of Lex for good, but she would not ask her husband to be the executioner, and she understood why he spared human life. As Superman, he was an example of what all of them could be, and by killing someone even as vile as Lex Luthor, he would shatter that example.

After their talk, they spent the rest of the afternoon going over the files Clark had brought home with him and spending time with their son.


The construction phase of the house was completed on December 16, 2007. Superman wanted to surprise Lois, and did not tell her that the house was completed. He knew from the designs what she wanted for each room and in between helping people around the world he spent his nights painting and wallpapering each room.

In addition to preparing the house for his family, Superman had also met with Bruce who had given him a Kryptonite detector, which was imbedded in a watch. In addition to the new detector, the new watch was also linked to one of the Satellites Wayne Enterprises had in orbit, and was equipped with GPS technology. That Technology would allow him to know when Jason or Lois was in danger, by the bracelets both of them now wore. The technology there was more complex and would respond to their changes in stress levels, and would not be as obvious if someone tried to take them. When the baby was eventually born, they would find a way to keep him or her safe as well.

While her husband worked half days and most of the night, Lois focused on Christmas for Jason. She had been online and ordered most of his gifts under an alias, and once the packages began to arrive at Wayne Tower, one of Bruce's associates would put them through the irradiation process before they were brought to the house. In addition to preparing for Christmas, Lois was also working to help Clark clear the DA. The case was slow going, which bought them time, but there was not one thing in the material they had which pointed a finger to Lex Luthor. Lois had finally decided to focus on the company itself, VGM, though not being able go to in to work and get around impeded her progress.

Sitting at the mahogany desk in her room, Lois was finishing up on some files when someone knocked at the door. "Come in," she called out. As she turned around and the door opened she found Dr. Sanderson there, and remembered the appointment she had put off for far too long. "I completely forgot," she said as she slowly struggled to her feet.

Dr. Sanderson offered her a smile. "I knew that you had, which is why I came to you. How are you feeling?"

Lois sat down on the edge of her bed and removed the shirt she had been wearing. "Not bad. I've been a little tired and it's not very comfortable sleeping at night but that happened the last time with Jason." A chill went through her body as Dr. Sanderson pressed the stethoscope against her chest, and a moment later the stethoscope was against her belly. Lois watched the doctor's face and when she saw a smile she knew everything was alright or hoped at any rate.

"Here have a listen." Dr. Sanderson said giving Lois the Stethoscope. Lois put the ear pieces in and after a moment she could here the fast heart beat of her baby and wished Clark was here to experience it, but then again she knew he could likely hear it without the help of this instrument. The next part of the exam was to measure the size of the baby, and Lois rested against the mattress as that was done.

Dr. Sanderson finished with that and took down a few notes. "I still need you to come in for an ultrasound." Next, Dr. Sanderson took Lois's blood pressure and again wrote on her chart. "Your blood pressure is a little high. Have you had any swelling in the ankles and feet, or any dizzy spells?"

"No. Since getting Jason back, I've been eating well and I haven't felt bad, just a little tired. What do you think it is?" Lois asked praying that this baby would stay put until its due date in March.

"It may be a combination of things. Most likely the stress you were under and not getting enough rest, or it might be mild toxemia. I really need your promise that you will come in tomorrow." When Lois agreed, Dr. Sanderson told her to try and get some rest today and then saw herself out.


It was just past one in the afternoon when Clark arrived home from work. Alfred greeted him at the door taking his coat for him, and Clark headed upstairs to check on his wife and his son. He found their room empty but showered first and after changing into jeans and an old sweatshirt, Clark crossed the hall to Jason's room. There he found his son watching TV in bed resting against Lois who was sound asleep. When Jason started to say something, Clark put his finger to his lips. He quietly walked to Jason's side of the bed and leaned over his son placing a kiss on his head. "Shh," he whispered as he went to the other side. Clark carefully slid his arms under his wife's sleeping form and easily lifted her into his arms without waking her up. Lois had called earlier that day, worried about the visit from her doctor, and Clark was glad that she was sleeping. He crossed the hall with his son trailing behind and in their room he laid Lois down after Jason pulled the covers back, but not before she woke up.

"I must have dozed off," she said as she yawned and stretched.

"It looks like…" Clark paused a moment as Jason moved past him and watched as his son climbed in bed to rest next to his mother. He could tell that this time was good for both of them and once Jason was settled he continued. "It looks like you needed the rest.

Jason rested his head on his mom's pillow with his back facing her as she held him as close as she could. He yawned listening to them, and tried to fight going to sleep but lost the battle fairly quickly.

"He's out," Clark said lowering his voice to a whisper.

"He's had a long day. I had to put him in time out because he threw a DVD case at me when I told him it was time to turn it off, and your mom put him in the corner because he went sneaking around again. What he needs is a house where wondering around won't cause him harm," Lois told him, wishing that their own house could be done. She had already picked out the new furniture for the baby's room, as well as a new bedroom suite for them and for the guest bedroom. All they needed now was a house to put it all in.

It was hard not to tell her about how quickly the house was coming together, and they had drawn up plans for each room using a program she got from their last realtor which gave him a basic idea of where to put things once the walls dried. "I told Perry today that I needed to go in to the doctor with you," Clark said gently changing the subject.

Thought of the baby, brought up something else for her, and Lois said, "We need to figure out where this baby will be born. I don't think it would be safe to deliver in the hospital, and…" Lois stopped when Jason shook his head, and smiled as his father carried him out of the room much they way he had her just a few minutes ago. When he returned she continued. "I'm not keen on the hospital, nor am I having the baby at home. But there isn't anywhere else safe enough," Lois finished.

"Star Labs. Enough people there know Superman, and the Kleins' know about our son."

Lois thought about that but even then there was still a risk. "I guess that is our safest bet. Do they have what is needed for a delivery, and if need be, a C Section?" she asked. She had given birth to Jason naturally and hoped that this one would be born the same way, but they had to be prepared for an emergency."

"When Becky comes tomorrow, we can discuss it with her, but I'm sure they can get everything we would need."

Now that they had talked it out, Lois felt better, and again tired. Clark settled in bed behind her and soon she went to sleep trying to keep her worrying down to a minimum.


Five days before Christmas, at three thirty in the morning, Superman inspected the house one last time. Everything was in its place including an artificial tree and ornaments which had gone through the irradiation process. He hoped Lois wouldn't be angry by his work, but he wanted this to be a surprise for both his wife and his son. Jason's room was bigger than his last and there was plenty of room for all of his toys old and new. Everything in the house had been cleaned thoroughly and the new Heating A/C unit was running filtering the remaining germs out of the house. The Man of Steel was pleased with what he saw and he only hoped Lois would feel the same.

Clark was busy at work covering the trial against the DA. He and Jimmy had been down to the courthouse everyday, interviewing as many people as they could and even sitting in on the trial when they could. Both sides were fighting it out and there would not be any sort of verdict until the beginning of they year. Lois was working from home using one of the work laptops to write smaller reports. It was tough on her, being back on bed rest, but her blood pressure would not go down and they were talking about doing an amniocentesis, which just added to her worry. Jason wasn't feeling bad anymore but he was still really tired. Fox told them that the strain had been reintroduced into his body, and was giving him medicines to fight it off, but it seemed a race against time with him, and while there was no illness, the tiredness he was feeling was a result of the strain.

Her focus was gone, and after putting the computer aside, Lois shut her eyes and took in some deep breaths and let them out. Her life felt like it had been turned upside down and she wanted to fight but that would possibly harm the baby she was trying so hard to keep safe.

"Hey," said Clark as he entered the room with her lunch. He could tell she was worried and after putting the tray down over her lap he went to his side of the bed and joined her. "After you eat we need to wake Jason. I have something I need to show both of you." He had watched Lois struggling with her worries for long enough and hoped that by giving them an early Christmas present that at least the worry of being in their own home would disappear.

Lois took a bite of roasted turkey and sighed. "What are you going to show us? Did Bruce find another way to keep him safe?" Lois asked, always the curious one, which served her well as a reporter.

"No, not exactly," he said as he kissed her. "I'll get Jason." He knew if she had her way, she would get it out of him and he didn't want that.


Riding in a car with a blindfold over his eyes was a little scary even with his mommy holding him. Both he and his mommy had blind folds on, and his daddy would only tell them that it was part of the surprise. It was still really cold outside but after being in the house for several weeks, Jason was glad to be going out again. "Daddy, where is Mr. Alfred taking us?" Jason asked.

"It is a surprise," Clark said. They turned onto the country highway which led to the house and Clark couldn't help but to grin as Lois began to ask him more questions. "If I had to describe it, I would say that it is very comfortable," he told his wife making her groan. His mom and Ben had gone on ahead of them with the Audi and Clark's red truck, taking all of their cloths from the old house and Bruce's with them.

When they finally arrived, Clark opened the door for Jason and after getting his hood pulled up and tied he picked up him and draped a blanket over him. With his free hand he helped Lois out of the car and held her hand helped her along the path leading to the front porch and told her to take two steps up.

Lois began to get a feeling of what was about to happen and clung to Clark hardly believing that this could be real. They stepped inside a place and she heard a door shut. Wherever they were smelled new and when Clark took of her blindfold and she opened her eyes she put her left hand over her mouth. "Clark Kent, what did you do?" she asked as he helped Jason with his hood and then the blindfold. Jason screeched and wanted down instantly.

"Is this my new house?"

"It sure is," Martha said as she and Ben came down a hallway to the right of the back end of the stair case.

Clark knew Lois couldn't be on her feet to much longer and lifted her into his arms. He lowered his head smiling at her a moment before he took her lips in a gentle kiss. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kent," he said as they parted.

"Mommy, Daddy. Come and look at my room!" Jason yelled out from upstairs. How he had gotten away so fast was beyond them but Clark carried Lois up the stairs followed by his parents. They found Jason getting out a few of his old cars that he hadn't seen in a long while and watched as he began to play.

Clark put Lois on her feet and put his hand over her eyes. "Now tell me what you think," he said as he led her into the bedroom right next to Jason's.

When Clark moved his hand away and she saw where she was, Lois had a hard time not blubbering like a baby. The nursery had turned out better than she could have thought. The walls were painted a soft pastel yellow and there was a border up of baby animals. The crib she had ordered rested against the far wall, and a little out from that was the glider that went with it. The dresser, complete with a dressing table on top rested against the outer wall below one of three picture frame windows. Against the inner wall was a small bookshelf waiting for books and toys to be placed there, and next to that was a small toy chess. "This is so beautiful," said Lois as she walked over to the glider and sat down.

Clark was pleased to see her so happy and as he walked over to her about to give her a kiss, Jason walked into the room.

"Wow, this is for the baby?" he asked as he moved past his daddy to stand by the side of the glider. "Mommy, do we get to stay here forever now?"

Again, Lois couldn't contain her smile as she reached out and took her little boy's hand. "Yes Jason, we do," she told him.


AN: I have to thank Beeto for helping me with the ideas to keep Clark's family safe. I would not have been able to do it on my own so Thank you, Thank you. Thanks to all of those who continue to read the story and feel free to review.

Eviefan