Summary: A short two or three-part fluff piece following SR allowing Clark a chance for some R&R with his new, favorite little guy.

A/N: Thanks again to htbthomas and Alamo Girl for the beta work on this. Also, I extend my sincere and most humble gratitude to those of you who took the time to leave a review. It's been wonderful to hear from you! Only one more piece to this little story remains; enjoy Part Two!

Accidental Nanny

Part Two

Clark pulled into the designated visitor's parking space in front of Rising Star Elementary, cutting the engine to Lois' car and reaching under the passenger seat for an umbrella. The steady rain had dissipated to a thick mist, but the wind continued to blow and he wanted to protect Jason from the elements as much as possible.

Even though Lois assured him that the school knew he was coming and why, Clark felt a sudden wave of nervousness wash over him. He did not have the first clue as to what he was doing; in his haste, all he had thought about was taking care of his boy. Now, as he signed in for a visitor's badge and a member of the administrative staff lead him to the nurse's cubby, he realized he was seriously under qualified for this little job.

He paused at the doorway and observed the nurse, Janice, dispensing Ritalin to a third-grade girl with curly brown pigtails. "Here you go, Melanie," she said, handing the girl a small Dixie cup of water and watching her to make sure the medication went down. "Good girl. I'll see you in the morning, sugar!"

Janice, a beautiful and robust woman with dark skin and a striking weave of hair piled on her head, rose when Clark entered the room. She wore a wild pattern of Scooby Doo scrubs and brightly colored tennis shoes. He had a feeling students invented numerous clever ailments just to visit this jovial woman. She smiled and nodded as Clark pointed toward the cot in the corner.

"Jason? Mr. Kent is here to pick you up, sweetheart," Janice gently informed the little boy curled up there.

Jason stirred beneath the gray wool blanket and sat up, looking towards the doorway. Clark's heart nearly broke in two when those little blue eyes, glassy but otherwise so like his own, landed on him. Nerves momentarily forgotten, he took two strides of his long legs into the room and hiked his pants up before squatting in front of the little boy.

"Hey there, kiddo. Sorry I'm not your mom."

Jason nodded and looked away. "It's okay."

Now what, Clark wondered, feeling his panic returning. Sick little boys wanted their mothers, not strange sort-of-friends from their mothers' place of employment!

Then Jason's tiny voice surprised him. "But you're here," he continued, and Clark found that he was suddenly being scrutinized by the little boy's stare.

"Uh, yes!" Clark squeaked, sitting back on his heels and habitually shoving his glasses up impossibly further on his nose. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yes, I'm here. Would you like to go home now?"

Jason sniffled, biting his lower lip before looking back at Clark through his mop of bangs and nodding timidly. There was a beat of silence as Jason seemed to study him once more before he suddenly scooted forward and reached out to wrap his arms around Clark's neck.

Clark stifled a surprised gasp, bringing his hand up to cradle Jason's head, now lying on his shoulder. He's so warm! Too warm. Rising to his feet, he secured Jason in one arm and reached out to take the backpack that Janice retrieved from the floor and handed to him with his other.

"I'll get the door for you, Mr. Kent," Janice offered, leading the way back out into the hallway and towards the main entrance. Glancing over her shoulder as they followed, she had to smile. For as apprehensive as this man had seemed upon entering her office, the unusually protective embrace he held on little Jason was down right … paternal. He did not even struggle to open the umbrella single-handedly, despite the cargo he carried. And as she sent get-well wishes and bid them farewell, she noticed that the boy continued to loll trustingly, vulnerably, against Clark's shoulder.

Clark took great pains to gently situate Jason in the back of the car and buckle him into his car seat. Then, giving him as reassuring a grin as he could possibly muster—despite feeling concern—he rounded the bumper and climbed behind the wheel.

"Uh, you know," he began hesitantly, turning the key in the ignition and backing out of the parking space, "I bet we'll be back at your house in plenty of time to catch—" Cripes, what do kids watch on television nowadays? He quickly thought back to the row of backpacks hanging from the coat racks outside one of the classrooms he passed at school. "—uh, SpongeBob, is it? He looks pretty goofy."

Jason was silent for a moment, looking as if he was grappling with his decision whether or not to muster the energy and answer. Silence won out and Clark was once again at a loss.

"I—Is there anything you want on the way home? I'd be more than happy, you know, to stop…"

This time Jason was shaking his head slightly.

Clark swallowed. I'm not very good at this. "Just home?"

A nod in the affirmative.

"Okay. Home."

The drive to Lois and Richard's riverfront house only took about twenty minutes, but Clark found it difficult to keep his eyes off the rear-view mirror every time he heard a cough or the slightest sigh from his passenger. Drumming his long fingers against the steering wheel while waiting for a light, Clark bit his lip and was struggling to come up with some further interesting topic of conversation for a five-year old when he noticed, again looking in the mirror, that Jason's eyes were closing heavily and he was drifting off. Clark felt his chest expand with the deep breath he sucked in, earnestly trying not to well-up at the sight.

By the time they arrived at the house Jason was sound asleep, leaving Clark with the dilemma of how to get him inside without waking him. I can smash through buildings and lift big rigs, but I cannot figure out how to get a child out of the car and into the house…Going for broke, Clark carefully eased the door open and began gently unbuckling the seatbelt. He had just reached beneath Jason's arms to lift him up when the boy whimpered and then began to whine.

"I know," Clark muttered helplessly, easing a now crying Jason into his grasp. "I'm sorry, but I don't think your mommy would appreciate me leaving you in the car."

Juggling his way to the rear door with dead-weight, a backpack between his teeth, and fumbling in his pocket for the key Lois had given him, Clark couldn't help but roll his eyes at his own ineptness. Finally managing to get in, he kicked off his shoes and hung up the backpack in the mudroom before quickly heading up the stairs and into Jason's bedroom. Finding his pajamas hanging on the back of the closet door, Clark helped him change and crawl into his bed.

"Sit tight for a second while I go find your medicine, okay?"

Jason nodded forlornly and Clark was back in an instant, a bottle of Children's Liquid Tylenol, cough syrup, and an inhaler in hand. Clark could feel the boy's eyes on him as he fumbled with the containers, reading the dosage instructions and consulting Lois' notes. After staring at them for what seemed like forever, he set the two bottles on the bookshelf next to the bed, cracked them open and carefully poured the recommended amount into each plastic cup before handing the inhaler to Jason.

"Okay, Albuterol…check," he murmured, trading Jason the first cup for his inhaler. He watched his son dutifully drain it before handing him the last of the medicine. "Tylenol…and cough syrup, check."

Jason's little features twisted in a grimace and Clark had to stifle the urge to ruffle his hair. Instead, he busied his hands by reaching for the covers and beginning to tuck Jason in. He had just walked around the foot of the bed to shut off the overhead light, unsurprisingly shaped like an airplane, when that little voice stopped him.

"Mister Clark," Jason ventured almost inaudibly, trying not to aggravate his throat and begin coughing again.

Clark paused, his hand over the light switch, looking back towards the bed. "Yes?" he asked, just as quietly.

"Could you…would you read me a story?"

Clark blinked, dropping his hand and shoving it in his pocket. "Uh, sure!" he replied, swallowing and reaching up with his free hand to adjust his glasses. He stooped to pick up a Hot Wheels car as he moved back to the bed and perched carefully on its edge.
"What, uh…" he took a deep breath. This seemed a daunting experience. "…What would you like to hear?"

Jason dropped his gaze listlessly for a moment, then pointed to the book on top of the shelf, next to the medicine bottles.

"This one?" Clark verified, sliding the book into his hands, holding it up for Jason to see. When Jason finally nodded, Clark smiled gently. "Okay," he replied, setting the book aside on the comforter.

He stood momentarily to shrug out of his suit coat and vest, draping it over the armchair near the window. Bending one leg beneath him, he settled back against the headboard and reached up to loosen his tie before cracking open the book. He paused a moment to glance down at Jason. He cleared his throat softly, uncertainly, and began to read…

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TBC