"Hey Adam." Winn said noticing Cat's eldest son step out of the elevator and start walking through the office. But when he saw what Adam was carrying he scrunched his forehead in confusion and asked.
"Um, is that a baby?"
"Yeah." Adam said not stopping.
"How did you-? Is that yours?" Winn continued as she scampered after Adam.
"Is Kara around?" Adam asked worried she wasn't at her desk.
"No, she had to go out." Winn said still confused by the presence of the baby.
"Mom will do then." Adam said walking into his mother's office. The doorway seemingly acting as an invisible forcefield in repelling Winn who backed away and said to himself.
"Yeah, I'm going to go back to work."
"Hi." Adam said to Cat who had her nose down reading an article on her tablet.
"What do I owe this pleasure?" Cat asked not looking up from the article she was reading. "Pre-exam pep talk?"
"I need your help." Adam said as the baby in his arms gurgled.
"What was that?" Cat asked looking up with the noise. One seeing the baby in Adam's arms she stood and approached him. "Why are you carrying a baby? Is it yours?"
"Of course it's not mine. Don't you think you would have noticed if Kara had been pregnant?"
"I have no idea how long her gestation period would be." Cat said.
"Similar to humans." Adam said.
"Interesting that you know that." Cat commented before asking. "But I didn't mean I thought Kara was the mother. The baby looks a year old, which would be the right time frame for your previous relationship."
"There are no little Adams roaming round." Adam stated.
"If it is not yours why are you carrying it? Who does it belong to?"
"My cousin. Dad's, sister's youngest."
"And why have you got her baby?"
"Well she asked to meet for breakfast and then abandoned me with Lisa."
"For how long?"
"She was a little vague. She's always been a bit flakey."
"Like her mother then." Cat said.
"Here's your lunch Ms Grant. Hey Adam." Kara said before noticing the baby. "Have I missed something?"
"Amy abandoned her with me." Adam said as Kara stood next to him and looked down at the child.
"She's adorable."
"Glad you think so, I need you to look after her." Adam said.
"Me?" Kara asked the panic rising. "I can't."
"Why?"
"I'm working."
"And I have an exam in an hour."
"I haven't looked after a baby since Kal-El and then I was supervised." Kara said as the baby started crying.
"Adam, go to your exam. The baby can stay here with Kara and if she is called away I can take care of her."
"Thanks mom." Adam said handing the baby to her and kissing her cheek. "I see you all later."
"Good luck." Kara smiled.
"Thanks." Adam said leaving the office. Noticing Kara was backing towards the door Cat said.
"Back here, Kira. She's your responsibility." Cat said as she quietened the baby.
"I haven't held a baby in like over thirty years." Kara warned.
"Don't lie. You are only twenty four." Cat pointed out.
"I'm not lying. It's complicated." Kara said, on seeing Cat's glare she quickly added.. "And not relevant right now."
"Well babies aren't complicated." Cat said putting the baby in Kara's arms. "Gently support her head, that's it. Don't look so worried she won't bite, probably. Her grandmother used to be quite feral, but I am not sure that is genetic."
"Now what?"
"Don't drop her. Try to relax."
"What if I crush her?" Kara asked. "How do I know how tight to hold?"
"Just do what feels natural." Cat replied as she went back to her desk.
-00-
"Hey." Adam smiled as he entered Cat's office a few hours later.
"How did it go?"
"Not bad, I think. Just have to wait for the results." Adam smiled.
"I'm sure you did fine."
"Thanks. Where's Kara and Lisa?"
"On the balcony."
"Everything okay?" Adam asked staring out of the window smiling when he saw Kara playing with the baby.
"Everything's fine. Unsurprisingly, seeing she is an overgrown child at heart, she's a natural."
"Yes she is." Adam said transfixed on Kara. For a moment Cat watched smiling, her son watch Kara and Lisa before asking.
"Any news on her wayward mother?"
"A text message to say she'll pick her up at ten."
"Tonight?"
"That was ambiguous." Adam shrugged.
"Will you need any help tonight?"
"No, yes, I don't know. Will we?" He asked clearly unsure of himself.
"I have every confidence that you will be fine. However, you can phone if you have any issues." Cat said.
"Thank you."
"In the mean time why don't you take them home." Cat said.
"Because it is three in the afternoon and I hear Kara has a really mean boss who never gives her time off."
"Seeing your girlfriend has not actually done any work since you dropped Lisa off I doubt I would notice the difference if she wasn't here. Go."
"Thank you." Adam smiled.
-00-
"Hey Alex." Kara greeted that evening as she opened her front door.
"Hi. Sorry I'm late. I got stuck at the DEO."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's the monthly paperwork purge." Alex said before asking. "How did the exam go?"
"Good, he thinks." Kara said Alex as walked towards the lounge. When Alex saw Adam playing with a baby she abruptly stopped.
"Kara, is that a baby?"
"Yes."
"Why is there a baby?"
"We're just looking after her until her mother turns up." Kara shrugged.
"It's not a dog Kara." Alex warned. "You can't just rescue it and hold onto it until the parents show."
"I didn't rescue her. This was all Adam."
"By which she means my cousin abandoned me with her kid." Adam clarified as he held a toy above Lisa who waved her arms trying to reach it.
"For how long?"
"Another hour or so, probably." Adam said not looking away from Lisa.
"You want me to go?" Alex asked.
"Why would we want that?" Kara asked confused. "Come say hello." She said grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her over to the baby. "You want to hold her?"
"No." Alex said not getting too close.
"Okay. Lisa, this is Alex. Say hello Alex."
"Kara, she's a baby, she can't speak english. She won't understand anything anyone says." Alex pointed out.
"Just ignore mean auntie Alex." Adam said to Lisa as he continued to play with the baby.
"You are both nuts." Alex commented as she sat down on the chair furthest from the baby.
"Someone needs her diaper changed." Adam said scrunching his nose.
"You want me to?" Kara asked as Adam stood.
"No, it's fine. I've got it." He said carrying Lisa off to the bedroom as Alex sat shaking her head. When her phone buzzed she looked at her phone then started scrolling through the messages getting a sinking feeling.
"Please tell me you haven't." Alex pleaded.
"Haven't what?" Kara asked.
"You did. How could you?"
"Did what?" Kara asked confused.
"You posted a picture of you, Adam and the baby-"
"Lisa." Kara corrected.
"And Lisa, on Facebook."
"So?"
"So?" Alex repeated eyes wide. "So mom has seen it."
"So?"
"So now she is inundating me with text messages oscillating between criticising me for letting you get too attached and criticising me for you not already giving her grandkids."
"She is not." Kara said laughing whilst pulling a face.
"She is." Alex said handing Kara her phone.
"Wow, she is." Kara said. "But we've not even been dating a year and we don't even know it's possible."
"You've had that conversation with Adam?" Alex asked surprised as she picked up on what Kara had said.
"It kind of came up after the whole pregnancy scare." Kara shrugged before asking. "You know what would stop Eliza harassing you over this?"
"You getting married and having kids?" Alex suggested.
"You having a relationship." Kara said ignoring her. "It would give her something else to focus on."
"Yeah me. Not sure how that will help." Alex said as Adam re-emerged.
"I think she's hungry." He said passing the baby to Kara and walking over to the kitchen.
"Again?" Kara asked surprised.
"Apparently you have inspired her." Adam said as he searched for some more formula. Seeing him struggle to find it Kara stood and put the baby in Alex's unsuspecting arms.
"Kara, what are you doing? I don't know what to do with it." Alex protested.
"Her. Just hold her, I'll be back in a second." Kara said going to the kitchen to help Adam.
"Kara!" Alex called as she awkwardly held Lisa who seemed to detect Alex's discomfort and started screaming.
"Hey, it's okay." Kara said returning and lifting Lisa up, immediately silencing the baby just as Adam brought a bottle over.
"What?" Alex asked noticing Adam's smirk.
"I just find it funny that you can face down a killer alien hellbent on killing humanity, but give you an innocent baby and you panic."
"I did not panic and the baby will thank me in later life." Alex said as her phone buzzed. Fearing it was Eliza she grimaced before reading the message. As she read though she felt a surge of relief. "I have to go. Hank needs help."
-00-
"Hey." Alex said taking a seat opposite Kara in Noonan's
"Hey. How was your fake emergency?"
"It wasn't fake. Hank needed help." Alex said.
"At nine at night?" Kara asked suspiciously.
"He didn't exactly specify a time, just a list if what he needed doing." Alex shrugged before asking. "You get rid of the baby okay?"
"Amy picked Lisa up not long after you left." Kara said waving over at Adam who had just walked in.
"You two didn't come together?" Alex asked confused.
"No, there was a big crash this morning." Kara shrugged.
"Where is he?" Adam asked Alex as he dropped down in the seat next to Kara.
"Where's who?" Alex asked.
"Wilson. I know you have him." Adam said staring at Alex as Kara looked on confused.
"Well yeah, it was dangerous for him to be round the baby." Alex replied.
"I didn't think of that." Kara said, before asking clearly worried. "What if she had choked on his hair?"
"I actually meant dangerous for Wilson, you know with drool and vomit and other baby fluids." Alex said pulling a face.
"So he's safe? You've not taken him hostage in retaliation for my panic comment?" Adam asked.
"I'm kind of offended by that accusation. I would never take Wilson hostage." Alex said reaching into her bag and pulling him out.
"I'm sorry for doubting you." Adam apologised reaching out to take Wilson, only for Alex to move Wilson away from Adam and say.
"But I am tempted to keep him." Before looking at Kara and asking. "Can I?"
"Don't bring me into this." Kara replied.
"That's low even for you." Adam said.
"What do you mean, even for me?" Alex asked.
"I'm going to let Wilson answer that." Adam said as Alex's phone rang. Without giving up her hold on Wilson she answered the call.
When she eventually hung up she looked at Kara and said. "We're needed." She then passed Wilson back to Adam and added. "We'll finish this later."
TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.
