Plutobaby494: I'm back!!! And have decided to update!! So I hope you enjoy!!

I would especially like to thank, winthjo for giving me the inspiration for this chapter!! You're suggestion spurred this chapter!! I would also like to thank all those others who gave me suggestions!! They were all taken into consideration!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman!! That honor remains belongs to DC comics!! Lucky bastards!!


ON WITH THE FICCIE

Chapter 3

Clark walked into the Daily planet the next week, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, humming a quiet tune of a song he heard on the radio this morning.

He nodded and waved to everyone he passed, giving them his goofy grin. He rode the elevator up to his floor and entered the bustling office. He inwardly gave a chuckle at the state of it.

Nothing had changed, even with the current events! The office was still active and lively each reporter bumping into each other as the made a mad dash for the printers and than went to sit in the small cubicle ticking away at the computer. After all, the news stopped for nothing.

He gave a wryly smile and walked casually towards his small desk, setting his brown briefcase down on it.

Perry Whites booming voice broke him out of revere, and he looked up at his boss.

"Kent, in my office" he called than shut the clear doors that lead to his office. Clark sighed and fixed his glasses before walking clumsily towards his boss, keeping his geeky reporter façade on.

"Yes, Mr. White" he called sticking his head into the office.

"Kent, I have a job for you" he said, not making eye contact, still working on something for the paper. His voice was slurred, as the cigar in his mouth made his words come out a bit jumbled. Jimmy Olsen came into the room and handed him a copy of what tomorrow's paper would look like.

"No make the words bigger, we have to make this pop" he said, briskly though his voice rang with excitement. He pushed Jimmy away after giving him orders to go fix it.

As Jimmy walked out, he passed Clark.

"Hey, Mr. Kent" he cried, but was already out of the doors before Clark could say anything. Clark held up his hand in a mid-wave, watching awkwardly as he watched him go.

Mr. White didn't give him second glance as he continued with the papers on his desk, absently looking at them. He jostled his cigar and removed it from his mouth, holding it between his forefingers.

"I didn't take you as smoking man Mr. White" Clark said, a disapproving frown on his face. White spared him a glance before turning back to the papers in his hand.

"Well it's not every day that you get a second chance at life, thanks to Superman we all do" he said, jovially. He stuck the cigar back into his mouth.

"I was standing under that Globe that fell, and if Superman had not flown in and caught it I'd be a puddle under someone's shoe. I am not going to waste this" he cried.

"We'll it's a good thing he was there wasn't he" Clark said in his geeky voice, inwardly smiling at the praise that White had inadvertently sent him.

White nodded, puffing on his cigar.

"What can I do for you, Kent" he said, forgetting he had called him in here.

"You said you had a job for me, Mr. White" Clark replied, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Oh, right. We have breaking news and I need to out in the field" White said, getting down to business.

Clark opened his mouth, but White cut him off.

"Lex Luther, the billionaire that swindled his way out of jail is still out there. I have sources in the police that say they've found him stranded on an abandoned island. They went in and arrested the fool for that giant rock that Superman disposed of, and I want you at his trial" White said, in his no nonsense 'I'm-your-boss' tone.

Clark groaned inwardly.

White said nothing, and Jimmy came back running in with a new copy of the paper. Clark zoomed in with his super vision and read the title.

"Superman Saves the Day, by Lois Lane" he read, looking at a picture of himself holding the Daily Planet Globe. He smiled wryly when he realized someone must have caught him on camera while he was trying to catch all the debris that was falling on the city.

He looked at Jimmy, with his large black camera hanging around his neck, and realized his friend's talent when he saw it.

"What are you still standing here for Kent, you've got work to do" White said, turning away from what Jimmy was telling him, to snap at Clark.

He jumped at being addressed so abruptly and started sputtering apologies, while heading for the door. White just sighed and turned back to Jimmy.

Clark walked over to his desk, and sat down. He couldn't help but notice Lois's empty one sitting across from his, and wondered where she was.

A sharp pulling on the sleeve of his suit caught his attention and he looked down into the brown eyes of his son. Clark smiled down at him.

"Hi Mr. Clark" Jason cried, happily.

"Hi, Jason. What are you doing here?" he said to the five year old.

"Mommy is talking with Daddy in his office, and told me to go so they could talk about grown up stuff" he said, climbing up into Clarks lap.

Clark was surprised and a little shocked at the kid's boldness. He wrapped his arms around his son, and felt warmth pool in the pit of his stomach. This was his son, his son that he could only be close to as Superman.

"He's Superman's son for all Lois knows" he thought, dejectedly. All she would ever know is that he's Superman's son, not Clark Kent's.

"Why are you sad, Mr. Clark" Jason said, turning his head to look at the frown that appeared on his Daddy's face.

He looked up at the picture of Superman that Perry had put up, and than back to the man who was holding him. They were the same. Clark opened his mouth to answer, but Lois cut him off coming back from Richard's office.

"Jason, please don't bother Clark. I am sure he has lots of work to do" she said, walking up to them.

"I don't mind Lois" Clark said, not ready to let go of his son. Lois gave him a wary glance but didn't make any move to stop them. Jason looked up at his mom.

"Mommy, Mr. Clark is sad"

Lois laughed, not sure how to respond. She looked at Clark for a second, a watched as he flashed her a goofy grin. Superman's face flashed before he eyes and she found herself staring at Clark longer than necessary. Once you got past his clumsiness and thick glasses, he had a nice face.

His grin faded, as he realized Lois was staring at him. And he ducked his head not wanting her realize the similarities between him and his counterpart.

Jason stared between them, wondering when his mommy was going to realize the obvious. The Clark and Superman were one in the same. He realized it the first moment that he saw Clark.

The moment was broken when Richard came out of his office and saw them.

"Lois, you forgo—

Everyone looked at him as he paused, and Richard shifted the folder he had in his hands.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked, sensing the silence. Lois quickly bushed it off, and Clark just ducked his head, not wanting to make a bad situation worse.

"You left this on my desk" Richard said, holding a folder out to Lois. She took it with a small thanks and than turned to her son.

"Come on, we'll go get some lunch Jason" Lois said, reaching out to take Jason out of Clarks lap.

Jason clung to Clarks arm, "Can Mr. Clark go with us?" he asked innocently. Lois bit her lip, and glanced at Clark.

Clark smiled, hiding the hurt he felt in his heart but turned to Jason.

"Actually I have to go to the court house for a trial" he said, as friendly as he could. Lois sighed in relief, and turned to her son.

"See Clark is very busy" Lois said, taking Jason into her arms.

Jason pouted but complied. "Than he can come next time" he said, confidently.

Lois nodded in reply. "Of course he can"

Clark smiled sadly as she walked away.

Jason turned so he was looking back at Clark over Lois's shoulder. He waved, with a large smile on his face.

Clark smiled, a real one, and waved.

They entered the elevator, and turned so Lois was facing Clark. She shot him an apologetic smile and mouth an apology, as the doors to the elevator closed.

He watched her ride down the elevator with Jason, with his x-ray vision. She shifted, hugging Jason closer, wrapping her thin arms around him.

"You ok, Clark" Richard asked, noticing his gaze.

"I'm fine" Clark answered monotonously, the sting of Lois's rejection weighing on his heart.

Richard clapped him on the shoulder, gripping it sympathetically.

"Looks like we both lost her to the man in tights" Richard said, thinking that Clark was mourning because of losing any chance he had with her. He had immediately noticed Clark's affection towards Lois, but never thought of him as competition. Now he felt sorry for the man. After all, he lost her to the same person.

"Yea" Clark agreed. Lois loved Superman, but she could never love Clark. He sighed, turning around and grabbing a bunch of things he would need for Lex's trial.

Richard didn't say anything as Clark left his desk, grabbing his reporting utensils and stuffing them into his brief case. He walked towards the elevator, and pushed the button.

He really didn't want to go to Lex's trial, he had rather hoped the man had drowned somewhere in the ocean. Getting pushed a giant rock filled with Kryptonite and having his thugs beat you up, did not leave your opinions of someone that great.

And to add to the fact that the police had asked Superman to speak at Lex's trial. They wanted just as badly as him, to send that slimy man back to prison.

He looked up when the elevator tinged, and stepped into the surprisingly empty cart. He sighed and pushed his gasses farther up his nose. This was going to be a long afternoon.

TO BE CONTINUED


Plutobaby494: I want to thank everyone in advance who reviews this chapter! I lost my muse for this story, but it's slowly coming back into the fold!! So thank you for being patient with me.

PLEASE R&R