Hey, guys!

So, this one's for you, Ali! Happy birthday! Sorry this took MONTHS. Love you so, so much! (Thanks for letting me borrow Lady Terror!)

I hope you all enjoy!


Adventures in Babysitting

Tal-Rho let out a happy sigh as he basked in the warm and energizing light of the yellow sun.

He had been free from his infernal red-sun prison at the Department of Defense for almost a month now, but he still found himself craving the sun's light every chance he got.

There were, of course, downsides to the whole situation. Though he was free, he was required to wear a tracking bracelet at all times. At the moment, he was only allowed at his house, his brother's house with permission, and his desert fortress.

But being able to feel the sun on his face again? It was worth it.

Tal had a book in his hands, but he was hardly paying attention to it. It had been so quiet inside of the cell, but now he could hear everything again. He could hear the blades of grass blowing in the wind, a siren from a city over, and his neighbor's bamboo wind chimes banging against themselves.

He could also hear something else as well. At first, he thought it was a plane, but after another second, he knew what it was. It was his brother.

Kal had come by multiple times since he had been released, and he had always come in his ridiculous civilian disguise. Tal had always known humans were stupid, but he had never realized that all it took was a pair of glasses to fool the world.

This time though, when his brother landed, Tal found himself frowning. Unlike the usual dress-up Kal played, he was wearing the suit and crest. If he was being honest, it sent a small spike of anxiety into Tal.

Tal stood up, but when Kal took a step closer Tal realized there were other discrepancies as well. Not only was Kal in his suit, but there was an extra heartbeat…

Coming from the young, blond-haired child that was in Kal's arms.

Tal stiffened at the sight. "Brother, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Kal shook his head, then walked inside without a word. He didn't even ask to be let in. Tal followed behind him, though he couldn't suppress an eye roll at his younger brother's behavior.

"What is this?" Tal demanded as soon as they were both inside. He barely let the door behind him shut before he asked.

The young child in Kal's arms whined and Kal began to bounce him. "You're okay…" he soothed.

"Brother…" Tal said. His voice was filled with annoyance, but if he was being honest with himself, he was filled with anxiety.

There was a child in his house, and his brother had shown up as Superman. This wasn't normal. None of this was normal.

Kal sighed, but he continued to bounce the child in his arms. It seemed to be effective in keeping the boy soothed, but Tal wasn't sure how much longer it would last.

"Lady Terror used one of her powers on Jon," Kal said.

Tal frowned. That couldn't be good. Jon was powerless. Human.

"Is he alright?" Tal asked.

Kal looked from Tal to the child in his arms, then back at Tal. "Um… I think so."

Wait… Things weren't starting to make sense, but they were starting to come together.

"Kal, who are you holding?" Tal asked. There was no way.

Kal cleared his throat and eyed Tal nervously. "Tal, this is Jon."


Tal still couldn't believe that he had agreed to babysitting his de-aged nephew.

He followed Jon closely as he toddled around the kitchen. Every once in a while, Jon would open a cabinet and peer into it, but he hadn't taken anything out yet.

If Tal was being honest, he was still in a bit of shock that the child in his kitchen was one of his nephews. Perhaps that shock was the reason why Jon had made it to the kitchen in the first place…

"Is there something you are looking for?" Tal asked.

Jon opened another cabinet. "Food."

Tal frowned. It was barely mid-morning. If Jon had eaten a decent breakfast, then he shouldn't need more food already.

"Did you have breakfast?" He asked.

Jon shook his head. "No…" He replied. "Uncle Morgan, I'm hungry…"

Tal's nose wrinkled at the usage of his Earthan name and title. He knew that Kal wished to keep his identity a secret from the people of Earth, but he could have at least taught the boys some Kryptonian.

"It's Inuy Tal," he corrected, then asked. "What would you like to eat?"

Jon shrugged and then climbed into the chair at the table. He was just barely tall enough to eat at the table without a high chair.

Tal sighed. This was why he didn't have any children. They were so indecisive.

He walked over to the pantry and pulled out the peanut butter and a loaf of bread. He inspected the bread for a moment to make sure it hadn't molded.

Admittedly, Tal didn't eat often. He didn't need to with the yellow sun, the only time he ever really ate was with Kal and his family.

"Whatcha makin'?" Jon asked as Tal began to spread the peanut butter onto the bread.

"I'm making you a sandwich," he said.

Jon stood up in his chair and leaned over the table. "No crusts?"

"Only if you sit down in your chair before you fall into the floor and hurt yourself," he told him.

Jon nodded, then sat back down in his chair as Tal cut the crusts off of the sandwich. "Mama eats those," he said.

"I see," Tal said, then pushed the plate over to his nephew. He wasn't sure that he had any interest in eating the crusts. "There."

Tal watched as Jon looked at the sandwich for a second, but made no move to eat it. Didn't he just say that he was hungry?

"What is it?" Tal asked.

Jon looked up at him with the biggest eyes that he had ever seen. "Cut them into triangles?"

Tal frowned. "Why on Earth do you need your sandwich cut into triangles?" he asked. "You have all of your teeth and your motor skills are fine. You can eat the sandwich in one piece."

"Mama ALWAYS makes triangles." Jon said as he crossed his arms and slouched in his chair. "Daddy too."

Tal sighed. If it was going to be this way the whole time, then Kal really was going to owe him for babysitting... "Fine," he relented. "Triangles it is."


After Jon was done eating, Tal decided to take him outside to play for a bit.

His yard wasn't as big as the farm and he didn't have any children's toys, but the sun was shining and the weather was warm. It would be good for Jon to get out some of his energy.

He sat down on the porch and watched as the child ran around and chased bugs and wildlife. Tal had never seen a boy so small filled with so much energy.

For the first time since his nephew had arrived, Tal allowed himself to relax. He closed his eyes and let the warm sun fill him.

Then suddenly, Jon was wailing.

Tal jumped out of the chair and rushed towards him. "Jonathan!" He cried.

Jon was on his hands and knees. Sobs shook his tiny body.

"Are you alright?" Tal asked as he knelt beside the boy. After a moment of hesitation, he placed his hand on the child's back.

Jon sniffed loudly. "Tripped." He said, then showed Tal his hands.

Both of his hands, and his left knee were scraped. A quick x-ray showed that nothing was broken, but his knee was bleeding and his hands had sharp pieces of gravel pressed onto the skin.

"Oh, child…" Tal said.

Jon wiped at his eyes and let out another small sob. "I want mamaaa."

Unsure of what else to do, Tal picked up the child and carried him inside of the house. He placed him on one of the kitchen chairs and began to look for medical supplies.

By some miracle, there was a box of bandaids hiding in his bathroom. He wasn't sure why he had them. It had been awhile since he was last vulnerable enough that the sun couldn't heal his wounds quick enough to render a bandage useless.

While he was in the bathroom, he also grabbed a washcloth.

When Tal got back to the kitchen, his nephew was still sitting in the chair he had left him in.

Tal turned on the water from the kitchen sink and ran the washcloth under it. After a second, he wrung it out, then brought it and the bandaids over to where Jon was sitting.

"I want JoJo," Jon told him pitifully.

Tal nodded. He guessed that JoJo was actually Jon's twin brother, but he also knew that Jordan was fighting alongside Kal right now. He couldn't come help Jon with his scraped knee.

Tal gently cleaned the wound with the washcloth, making sure that all of the dirt and gravel from his driveway was out of it, then he placed the bandaid on top of it.

"There you go," Tal said.

Jon looked up at Tal expectantly with those big blue eyes of his. They were still watery, but the sobbing had stopped.

"You're s'possed to kiss it," Jon said.

Tal's eyes widened as he looked down at the bandaged scrape, then back up at the child. "What?"

"Mama ALWAYS kisses my ouchies," Jon explained in his little matter-of-fact voice. "Don't hurt after."

Tal suppressed a scoff. He doubted that his sister-in-law's kisses had anything to do with that. If he was to blame anything, it would be the accelerated healing from Kal.

"I'm not your Mother," he told Jon, though he tried to keep his voice gentle. He patted the child's head. "Now go play."

"No," Jon said as he crossed his arms. "I want Mama!"

Tal took a deep breath. "She's busy, Jonathan."

The tears were back in Jon's eyes. "She's always busy…" he whimpered, then started to cry again. "I want my mamaaaa."

Tal suddenly did what he never thought he would do. He picked the child up and held him tightly to his chest. He knew what it was like to want his mother and not be able to have her. Jon didn't understand what was going on. All he knew was that he wanted his mother, and Tal couldn't blame him for that.

"Shhh…" he found himself saying as he rocked the child. "You're alright."

Jon's sobs grew louder. "No I'm not!" he wailed.

Tal hesitated. He had no idea what to do. He had barely any experience with children, and even less experience with crying children.

After a moment though, he had an idea.

He scooped Jon into his arms, then sped towards the Kent farm. He knew he would be questioned about his trip later, but he needed to stop his nephew's crying.

He held Jon close, making sure that his nephew's little face was against his chest and away from the wind. It was no secret to him that Jon did not have powers and could not be protected from the harsh wind that came with running this fast.

When Tal finally got to the house, he adjusted his hold on Jon and placed him on his hip as he walked in the front door. Admittedly, he was more than a little surprised that his brother kept the house unlocked when no one was around. Even if Smallville Kansas was safe, the rest of the world was not.

He stepped inside, then walked over to the freezer and pulled out a popsicle. He had often heard of this remedy for the tears of toddlers, but he had never had one of his own.

Once he grabbed it, he sped back to his house.

"Jonathan," he said once he gently put his nephew on the ground. "Would you like a popsicle?"

Jon looked up at Tal like he had offered him gold. His eyes were so big, so wide. Tal noted that the crying had stopped as well.

Jon nodded. "Uh huh," he said, then sniffled.

Tal nodded as he handed it to him. "There you go."

"Thank you!" Jon exclaimed, then opened the popsicle wrapper and began to lick it.

Tal chuckled and shook his head. If only most problems could be solved with a frozen treat.


When the sun had reached its peak, Tal knew that the moment he was dreading had come.

Somewhere in the midst of all of the papers and books that had piled up in Tal's mostly useless office, he had managed to find some supplies for Jon to color with. Ever since then, Jon had been happily coloring.

But… It was nap time now.

Tal walked up to Jon, then lowered himself to the child's level. "Jonathan," he began. "Are you tired?"

He already knew the answer to this. He had seen Jon yawning multiple times since he had first arrived. The child clearly needed a nap.

Jon looked up at Tal, his eyes wide. He shook his head. "No."

"But aren't you tired?" he asked.

"No," Jon whined.

Tal sighed. At this point, he wanted a nap. "And why is that?"

"The sun's awake," Jon explained as he crossed his arms and pouted.

Tal's head snapped towards the window. It was midday and the sun was shining brightly overhead. In fact, he himself was feeling rather energized. Perhaps the sun's rays had something to do with this. Sure, Jon didn't have any powers, but perhaps his cells were still affected by yellow sun anyway. That would explain why he was being such a little pain.

Or perhaps it was because he was the child of Lois Lane and Kal-El, stubbornness was in his genes.

"I don't wanna nap…" Jon said as he crossed his arms.

Tal sighed, then picked Jon up. He carried him to his bed. "I'll make a deal with you," he said.

Jon tilted his head, but seemed interested. Tal took that as a win.

"You stay in here and try to rest, and I will come back in here in a little bit," he said. "If you're asleep, then you can take a nap. But if you're awake, we'll play together for the rest of the afternoon. How does that sound?"

Jon hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay…"

Tal nodded. "Good boy," he told Jon, then helped him under the covers and ruffled his hair.

He turned off the light and shut the door, then he went to his living room and picked up his book.

Tal found it hard to get into the book's content though. Instead, he found himself using his enhanced hearing to check in on Jon. The boy had stayed in bed, but he tossed and turned often.

After about fifteen minutes, Tal heard the sound of tiny feet against the wooden floor. When he looked up, Jon had walked into the room.

"Uncle Morgan?" Jon said.

"It's Inuy Tal," Tal corrected again, then frowned. Jon's little eyes were filled with tears. Suddenly, Tal's whole demeanor changed. "Is everything alright?"

Jon shook his head, then climbed up onto Tal's lap. It was something that Tal had not been expecting, but he found himself wrapping his arms around the child.

"What's wrong?"

Jon sniffled. "I miss JoJo…"

Tal pulled Jon in closer. He couldn't bring Jordan here… His help was needed with the ongoing fight.

"Is that why you couldn't sleep?" Tal asked. He rubbed Jon's back gently.

Jon nodded. "Uh huh."

"Hmmm…" Tal hummed as he tried to think of something that he could do to distract his young nephew. "Would you like a story?"

At that, Jon seemed to perk up. "A story?" he asked, then nodded. "Uh huh!"

Tal grinned. He didn't know many children's stories or nursery rhymes, but he knew something much more important. A story his nephew had long been denied.

"A long time ago in a place far away from here, there was a grand planet called Krypton," he began.

He told his nephew the story of Krypton, of its destruction, of Jon's people. He told it in great detail too, not leaving a single one to be forgotten by time.

About the time he reached the eradication of all diseases, he stopped. Only then did he notice that Jon had fallen asleep against him.

Tal smiled and brought the child a little closer. How was it so possible for a human to be so adorable? Why did this child seem to tug at his heartstrings and melt him?

He picked up his book and continued to read. They could continue the history lessons at a later date.


The lack of food in the kitchen once again proved to be a nightmare by the time dinner rolled around.

Tal realized that he was going to have to get more food in the house. Especially if his nephews were going to be over more often. It was one thing if he didn't eat more than an apple, but Lois would expect her children to be fed.

As if it were some sort of miracle though, Tal was able to throw together a meal for the two of them. Some steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

"Jonathan!" He called. "It's time to eat."

Jon ran in from the living room where he had been coloring. "Food?" He asked excitedly.

Tal nodded. "Yes," he said. "I made you dinner."

He portioned out a small amount of food for the child, then cut the steak into small enough bites that Jon wouldn't choke.

The two of them sat down and began to eat.

The meal was mostly quiet, aside from the loud chewing from the toddler in the room. It made Tal want to remove his own ears.

"Done!" Jon said, and Tal looked up from his own meal.

He frowned when he saw Jon's plate. While the steak and potatoes had been eaten, the green beans remained untouched.

"You didn't eat your vegetables," Tal stated.

Jon wrinkled his nose as he looked down at the offending vegetables. "They're yucky."

"They're good for you."

"No they're not," Jon said.

Tal opened his mouth to tell his nephew about all of the vitamins and minerals inside of the green beans, but then he shut his mouth. After spending most of a day with the child, he knew that a lesson was exactly what would make this worse.

So he went with a different tactic.

"If you don't eat any, you won't get dessert."

Jon looked up at Tal with one of the most shocked and hurt expressions he had ever seen.

"But I don't like them!"

"You only have to eat one," Tal offered. Technically, he didn't really care if Jon ate any of them, but he was sure that Lois and Kal did care.

Jon huffed, then picked the green bean up with his fingers and put it into his mouth.

"Ewwwwieeeee," Jon whined after he swallowed it.

Tal sat there shocked for a moment. He couldn't believe that it had actually worked. He had been certain that Jon was going to throw a fit and not eat it, but he had.

"Can I have dessert now?" Jon asked.

Tal laughed out loud. "Of course you can."


"I'm gonna get you!" Tal shouted as he chased Jon around the backyard.

Jon squealed and tried to run faster, but Tal scooped him into his arms.

"Noooo!" Jon cried as he tried to squirm out of his uncle's grasp.

Tal tickled Jon's stomach and held tighter. If he was being honest, he had enjoyed spending the day with this younger version of his nephew. It had been one of the best days he had experienced in a long time.

"What do you say?" Tal asked.

"Let me go!"

"Hmmm…" Tal said. "Well, not normally, but that is the magic word tonight."

Tal placed Jon on the ground, then looked up as he heard the familiar sound of his brother flying towards the house.

He looked over at Jon, then sighed. It had been so nice to have a companion for the day. He would have to talk to Kal about visiting more often.

"Your father will be here soon," Tal said, but as soon as the words were out, Kal landed in front of them.

Jon grinned and his eyes sparkled. "Daddy!" he exclaimed as he ran over to Kal and hugged him.

Kal grinned and picked up Jon. "Hey, buddy!" he greeted. "Were you good for Uncle Morgan?"

Tal wrinkled his nose at the usage of his Earth name, but then nodded. "Yes," he said. "He was very well behaved.

Kal tickled Jon's stomach, earning a giggle from the child. "Good."

Tal took a good look at his brother. He looked tired and worn, but he was still in one piece. "I take it you defeated Lady Terror?"

Kal nodded. "We did," he said. "She's in DoD custody now."

"And the effects of her blast?"

As much as Tal enjoyed this toddler version of his nephew, he doubted that anyone wanted Jon to have to relive his childhood.

Kal smiled. "They'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon."

Tal let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. Perhaps he was more attached to his nephew than he had originally thought.

"Thank you for this," Kal said, then turned his head towards Jon. "Tell Uncle Morgan bye, Jon."

Jon looked over at Tal and grinned. "Bye, Inuy Tal!"

and Tal's heart melted.


I hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for reading!