Here it is, the grand finale! I hope you all like what I came up. Thanks so much for reviewing, reading, favoriting, and following this story. I've appreciated you time.

20: Home

Superman had begun to doze in his chair in the hospital. It had been a long day and he still hadn't fully recharged from his fight against the Avengers back in their universe. It didn't help that Jason had punched him so much either. He longed for the sun but he couldn't leave Lois alone. She freaked out earlier when he got up to get some water. After calming her down, he promised not to leave again and then she'd fallen asleep. This time she didn't hold his hand in a death grip. Superman closed his eyes but opened them when a brilliant light flashed over his lids.

"Clark?"

Superman stared. Lois, his Lois, lay in the hospital bed, her expression pale but her overall appearance healthy as a horse. "Lois?!"

A smile radiated from her face, her eyes spilling over with tears of relief and joy. She leapt from the bed into his arms, kissing him full on the mouth. He kissed her back. The void he'd felt with the parallel Lois was filled as his wife clung to him with all her strength. It was in that moment that Lois froze and leapt backward. Superman looked confused.

"You're in uniform," she hissed, staring out the inner windows of her hospital room.

Superman's eyes widened with fear. In the moment he had completely forgotten he was still in the suit. Looking around, he listened in on conversations all around them. After a moment's pause, he sighed in relief. "All clear," he assured.

Lois sighed too. "Good." She slumped back onto her pillows, suddenly looking rather pale.

"Lois, what's wrong?"

She opened her eyes and stared at him. A smile suddenly climbed from her lips to her eyes. "Kal-El, I have something to tell you," she whispered so only he could hear.

"What is it?" he asked.

Lois broke into a full smile. "I'm pregnant."

Superman's jaw dropped. His expression was so hilarious that Lois broke out in a fit of giggles. Her laughter rang in his ears and it was one of the most joyous sounds he'd ever heard. Grasping her hand, he squeezed it and with thick emotion muttered, "That's wonderful, Lois! Are you sure?"

She continued to chuckle. "I'm positive. When I was pregnant before, I had the exact same symptoms I'm experiencing now."

Superman looked around. "We need to go somewhere we can talk privately."

"Agreed."

Standing up, he found a paper and pen and left a note, promising to explain to the doctors what had occurred before taking Lois up in his arms and strolling to the window. Undoing the latch, he soared out into the open air. Lois breathed a sigh of relief as the rays of the sun hit her body.

"Where would you like to go, Miss Lane?" he asked.

Lois smiled. Just like old times. "Somewhere I can constantly be in the sun. It makes me feel better."

Superman raised an eyebrow but nodded, changing his course so they were flying straight for the clouds. He tried to avoid soaring through them so as to keep Lois dry. Once Metropolis was far below them and there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine, Superman came to a stop. Lying down in midair, he pulled Lois up so she was sitting on his stomach before placing his hands behind his head.

"Is this to your liking, Miss Lane?" he asked casually.

She grinned and bent down to kiss him. "It's perfect, Kal-El," she muttered against his lips.

After righting herself in the sitting position, Superman looked at her seriously. "Now, Lois, would you care to explain to me how you got back?"

"Sure if you'll explain why I showed up in a hospital bed with you dozing in a chair."

"I was watching over the parallel you," he answered.

Lois's eyes widened. "What? That's not possible. She died, Clark!"

"That's what everyone in her world thinks happened but I got the story from her."

"Spill," Lois commanded.

"In order for everything to make sense I need to start with when I disappeared."

"Fine; I need to hear everything anyway."

"Promise to tell me everything that happened to you?"

"Of course," she said. "It's only fair."

Superman nodded and then set to work telling his side of the story from the time he landed in the Avengers universe up to the moment when Lois appeared in the hospital bed.

Lois stared at him for a long moment. "So, Lex Luthor is dead?"

"Yes."

"And I killed him?"

"Technically it was the other you."

Lois looked at a cloud that was drifting lazily below them. She stared at it a long while. "What are we going to tell the press?"

Superman's countenance fell. "Oh golly, I completely forgot! Perry wants an article about all of this for the evening addition!"

Lois looked at the sun. It was positioned around four o'clock in the afternoon. "That gives you about an hour," she said.

"I can type the whole thing up in three minutes if I know what to type," Superman said.

Lois scowled. "I thought we agreed to no super typing when it came to work."

"Lois…"

She smiled. "Kidding, Clark. Okay, well, you need to know my side of the story and then we'll throw everything together at the end."

"Alright," Superman sighed.

Lois wasted no time jumping into her tale. She didn't go into all the deeper details but she gave him the information needed to compare and decide how best to pursue the article.

"Did the doctors fingerprint the other me?" Lois asked.

"Yes," Superman admitted. "They were running the tests to figure out her identity when you suddenly showed up."

"Great," Lois muttered, frustrated. "If the fingerprints match mine, everyone will know I killed Luthor! Clark, I can't stay out of the sunlight without getting sick. People will know! They'll find out!"

Superman grabbed her and rose to position her so she was sitting in his lap while he sat in the air. "Lois, calm down. Nobody is going to trace her prints to yours."

"Why?"

"Because I've been listening in," he said, tapping his ear. "I listened to you too," he added hastily. "I just didn't want to hear them call out your name."

"What did they say?"

"The woman's identity is unknown," Superman answered. "They're sending the prints to another facility but the fact of the matter is they're never going to find her."

"How is that possible?" Lois wondered.

"She's from a parallel universe, Lois. Her records are not going to be found in our world. As far as we know she'll always remain a mystery."

"Can we lie to the public though?" Lois wondered. "We know who it was."

"I don't have to disclose her identity, Lois. All I have to do is give the details that due to a constant threat from Luthor concerning her family, she became desperate and killed him while saving Superman in the process. People will drop the case after the next big news rolls into town."

"I hope you're right," Lois worried. "The last thing we need is for people to learn about the cylinder."

"They won't. It's been destroyed, Lois. Besides, Batman took it upon himself to destroy all of the security cameras in LexCorp. There's no footage to trace what happened except for an excerpt he kept showing your double shooting Luthor just before he could kill me. Don't worry; the camera angle doesn't reveal Jason or Thora at all."

Lois relaxed a little. "Alright, we have the facts. Now what?"

"Now I take you home, write that article for Perry, and then cook us some dinner. What are you in the mood for?"

"Chinese," Lois replied without hesitation.

"Stir fry it is then," Superman chuckled, holding his wife close to him as he began to fly towards their apartment complex.

"Clark, I need sunlamps," Lois suddenly remembered.

"Right," Superman muttered, thinking. "I have a couple back in Smallville. I stored them in the barn for safe keeping. I'll go and get those really quick."

"But, your article-"

"It's not as important as you. Besides, Perry knows that I might not be able to get it to him as quick as he would like."

"He does?" Lois asked, bewildered.

"Oh, I guess in the heat of the drama in our lives I forgot to tell you. Perry found out the secret."

"WHAT?!"

Superman flinched.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE FOUND OUT?! CLARK!"

"Lois, please, there's no need to shout. No, I didn't tell him. He put two and two together. And for your information, it worked in our favor."

"What do you mean?" she demanded sourly.

"Since Perry already knew the truth, he didn't print the information about us that Luthor sent him. Apparently Luthor planned to kill me and Jason and then have our identities revealed through the Daily Planet to the world. It would have been the last thing he could do to hurt me; kill me and then soil my memory by spreading who I really was, causing my mother grief from every person on the planet. That would have been the icing on the cake."

Lois blinked. "I didn't know."

"I forgot to share that detail," Superman admitted. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Just, wow, Perry knows. How long as he known?"

"A couple years," Superman answered, dodging several buildings as their apartment drew near. "He didn't say anything until it became a necessity. He's been covering for me for a while. It's worked out fine."

"Let's hope nobody else at the office figures it out," Lois grumbled.

Superman kissed her forehead. He touched down on their outdoor patio and swiftly brought Lois inside. "Nobody saw us," he confirmed.

Once the door was shut, Lois sank into a chair, her complexion immediately paling. The skyscrapers of Metropolis blocked out the sun entirely from their apartment. Already she was feeling her stomach churn. "Great," she muttered. Before Superman could come to her side, she rushed into the bathroom and threw up. He appeared a split second later to hold her hair out of her face. "Thanks," she muttered weakly. "Bet this wasn't the homecoming you were expecting?"

Superman didn't laugh. "Lois, will you be alright for ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes?"

"That's how long it will take me to get the sunlamps and return here."

Lois raised her eyebrows, impressed. "That's got to be a record. I thought it took you a couple hours to get from Kansas and back. Not to mention you'll be carrying heavy stuff."

"I don't usually fly as fast as I'm able," he confessed. "The last time I did, I turned back time."

Lois blushed, remembering the reason why he had. Kissing him tenderly on the cheek, she assured him she'd be fine until he got back. Someone cleared their throat in the doorway and Superman and Lois turned to see Green Arrow and Hawkgirl leaning against the doorframe.

"Sorry, didn't want to interrupt," said Green Arrow. "Wow, is this the same Lois you took to the hospital, Clark?"

"No," Superman answered. "This is my Lois."

Lois shivered at his words. She never thought she'd love to hear the possessiveness in his tone. It was wonderful and elated her despite the fact that her stomach was churning again. Another wave of nausea hit her and she threw up again. Superman held back her hair.

"What's wrong with her?" Hawkgirl asked.

"We're expecting," Superman answered distractedly.

"WHAT?!" Green Arrow and Hawkgirl gasped together.

Superman ignored them. "Lois, I'm going to get the sunlamps. I'll be back in ten." Lois nodded, wiping her mouth with a tissue. Superman kissed her temple and then stood up. "Oliver, Hawkgirl, I need you to watch over Lois until I get back."

"Sure, the others are watching over Jason. Looking after your wife won't be too difficult," Green Arrow said. "Where are you going?"

"Smallville. I'll be back in a bit."

He went into the hallway and found the other members of the League standing around the outside of Jason's room. They'd obviously heard what was going on but didn't question the situation; they knew that when he got back, Superman would have all the time in the world to fill them in on the details. He rushed to the window and leapt into the air, deciding it best not to fly at full strength until he'd left the city just to be safe; he didn't want to destroy any buildings from a sonic boom. The moment he was over the water, he let his speed loose and shot through the air so fast, he wasn't even a blur.

o0o0o

The flash of light in Superman's eyes caused his heart to sink. She was gone. The light disappeared only to have a woman that was practically a skeleton standing exactly where Lois had stood. She gasped and lost her strength, falling into his arms. The second her skin touched his, an electric current rocked through his whole body. He looked into her eyes; she looked back and then smiled.

"Clark," she whispered.

"Lois?!" he gasped.

Though frail, she flung her arms around him. "My Clark," she whispered and then brought her lips up to his.

If he hadn't trained himself to always be aware of keeping his feet planted on the ground, Superman would have shot into the sky. He kissed her back, reveling in the feel of her small frame once more in his arms, her sweet scent filling his nostrils. There was no mistaking it. This was his Lois. He didn't know how it was possible but somehow, she was alive and she was in his arms. His broken heart fused back together as he cleaved to his long lost love, thanking all the powers in heaven for returning her to him. For the first time in ten years, he was whole again.

o0o0o

Jason felt like some animal had decided to run rampant in his brain, scattering all his knowledge in different directions. His head pounded something fierce. Thinking it would be good to grab some Tylenol to dull the pain he opened his eyes and groaned. His vision swam slowly into focus, settling on the concerned faces of both his parents.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Jason! You're awake," his mother cried, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Yeah," Jason mumbled.

"How do you feel, son?" his dad asked.

"Like I've had someone playing with my brain and not putting the pieces back where they found them," Jason answered, sitting up. Then he froze. Images of Luthor dosing him with Kryptonite and ordering his doctors to place something in his brain; Thora and Robin lying unconscious on a table; him fighting his dad; a giant green monster and the League pinning him down to the ground. Jason groaned. "What happened? How did we get out of that alive? Luthor was about to kill you, Dad!"

Clark rested a hand on his son's shoulders. "He was about to but someone shot him."

"What?"

"He died son," Lois revealed, "shortly after you fell unconscious."

Jason blinked. Luthor was dead? "Who killed him?"

"Well, the world believes it to be an unknown woman with a grudge," his dad said, "But we know who it really was. Your mother disappeared to a parallel universe and her other self came here to ours. In her universe, Lex Luthor had abused her physically and emotionally for ten years. She showed up and shot him before he could kill me and overall she protected our secret by so doing."

Jason's eyes widened. "First other universes through a vortex and now there's parallel ones? My head hurts worse than it did when I first woke up."

"It's all pretty confusing," Lois comforted, rubbing her son's hand with her fingers.

"Wait, Thora! Where is she? Is Robin okay?"

"Robin's fine, son. He woke up two days ago. Thora returned to her universe with the Avengers shortly after Martian Manhunter removed Luthor's device from inside her."

Jason's face fell. "So…she's gone?"

"Yes," Clark muttered, noting his son's distress. "She needed to return to her own world, Jason. They couldn't keep the portals open much longer."

Jason tried not to feel like someone had taken his heart and stabbed it with a thousand needles. "I'm glad Robin's okay," he said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"He wanted you to call him after you woke up," Lois said. "However, I think it best to call Richard and Lana first. We filled them in on everything else but we promised to have you call them the moment you were awake."

Jason's eyebrows rose. "They know? Like, everything?"

Clark nodded. "So does your Uncle Perry."

Jason flopped back onto his pillows. "Looks like a lot happens when you leave the world for a while," he muttered.

"Well, here's another bombshell," his mother said with a hint of glee in her voice. "You're going to be a brother."

Jason's eyes bulged. "Excuse me?" he gasped, staring from one parent to the other. "Is this a joke?"

"Nope," Clark answered, grinning.

"Seriously," Jason said, staring around. "Is it April Fool's Day?"

Both Lois and Clark burst out laughing. "No it's not, Jason," Lois laughed. "I'm really pregnant. I'm due in nine months."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Wait, doesn't it take nine months? How can you know you're pregnant so early in the phase?"

Lois smiled. "Kryptonian pregnancies last longer than normal human ones. I found that out while living in the parallel universe. My pregnancy will last eleven months if all goes well."

"But, I was born in nine," Jason said.

"You were also premature and very sickly," Lois pointed out. "The doctors didn't know why you turned out so tiny and frail but I do. I didn't give you the proper amount of nutrition."

"I don't get it," Jason mumbled.

"I didn't have sunlight on me during the nights of your pregnancy, Jason. You only got half the nutrients you needed," Lois explained. "I learned in the other world that if I keep myself under the sun's rays, both real and artificial, that the baby will be healthy."

"But won't you get skin cancer?"

"Actually, since your mother became pregnant, she's been developing similar abilities to ours," Clark revealed. "She almost beat me in an arm wrestle last night and the other day she used x-ray vision."

"I also get really weak around Kryptonite," Lois added.

Jason swallowed. This wasn't a joke. His parents wouldn't have carried it on this long if it was. He stared at his mother's stomach and x rayed it. Sure enough, he saw it. He blinked and then looked at his parents. "I'm going to be a brother," he said, a sudden thrill surging through his heart.

Both Lois and Clark smiled widely at their son.

"Yes you are," Lois agreed, laughing happily.

"I think we need to celebrate," Clark said, standing up. "Son, how good do you feel? Are you well enough to travel?"

"You bet!" Jason said, suddenly feeling elated. The news of becoming a big brother was the perfect way to cure him. "Where are we going?"

Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out an ad displaying giant red letters: Smallville's Annual Corn Festival! Jason grinned. Clark returned the gesture.

"It's that time of year again, huh?" Jason asked.

"Yep. Noticed the sign when I went to pick up the sunlamps for your mother," Clark answered.

"Well, if we're going to this festival, we'd best get on," Lois pointed out. "Your mother's already sent ten text messages asking if we were coming."

Clark laughed. "She's just anxious to see us. I'm sure she'll be thrilled when we tell her she's going to be a grandmother again."

Lois walked out of her son's room out to the patio. Her boys followed her. "We'll probably have to gag her so as to keep her from blurting out that she's going to have another super in the family."

Jason and Superman laughed lightly.

"Jason, on the way make sure to call Richard and Lana," Superman reminded.

"I will," Jason said before rocketing into the air. "I'll see you in Smallville."

Superman placed his arms around Lois and gently flew into the clouds. He wasn't going to travel as fast as his son due to the condition of his wife. It was best to be safe than sorry.

Jason landed in Smallville on the Kent Farm two hours later. His grandmother rushed from the house at the sight of him, enveloping him in a hug. She demanded to know how he was doing and if he was alright. Once filling her in on several things for about half an hour, he excused himself, saying that he wanted to go up into the loft out in the barn for a while.

"Alright, honey," Martha said. "I have to make cookies anyway. When they're done, come and get some, okay?"

"Alright," Jason said before leaving the house. He walked over to the barn and up the stairs. His dad's loft still held the furniture it had all those years ago in his high school days. Jason flung himself onto the couch and put his arm over his eyes. Try as he might to forget her, Thora had been ever present in the back of his mind. "I didn't even get to say goodbye," he muttered. "I don't even know if she's okay. I was going to thank her for trying to save me. I wish she was here."

Someone cleared their throat. Jason jolted upright. Leaning against the railing of the loft, her hair cascading beautifully over her shoulders, was Thora. Jason's jaw dropped. The Asgardian princess wore a simple pair of jeans and a tee shirt with lightning designs printed in silver over the blue background. The color really brought out her eyes. Her hammer hung from her black studded belt. Smiling widely that she'd caught him off guard, Thora unfolded her arms and shrugged. "Well, you did just say you wished I was here, didn't you?"

Jason leapt off the couch and rushed over to give her a hug. Laughing, he pulled away and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "How are you here? Dad said the portals were closed."

"And they are," Thora said.

"But then, how-?"

"My grandfather pulled a few magic strings," Thora revealed, holding up her wrist. A bracelet of silver metal with gold alien letters glittered in the light. "All I have to do is say the words on this bracelet and it opens a Vortex that takes me right to where you are."

Jason's eyes widened. "But how?"

Thora shrugged. "I guess my grandpa figured out the code for the connection to both universes while he stood guard over the portal in my universe. He even said he had a chat with Dr. Fate while waiting for us to come back. When he found out that I –" Thora suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked. "What did he find out?"

A deep blush crept over Thora's face. "Well, he…he found out that…that…that I like you, Jason. A lot."

Jason's heart skipped a beat. "You do?" He hadn't realized how close they'd come. He could see his reflection in her eyes.

"Yeah, I do," Thora muttered.

Jason closed his eyes and leaned forward. Thora did the same. Their lips connected in a sweet and simple kiss but with that kiss came an undeniable desire for more. Jason snaked his arms around Thora's back, reveling at the way she shivered at his touch. She wound her fingers through his hair, pushing him further against her. Their kiss lasted for a full exhilarating ten seconds before the two broke away. Breathing heavily, their noses touching, both broke out in small laughter. Thora threw her arms around Jason's neck and he spun her around in a circle.

o0o0o

Above the barn, floating out of sight, were Jason's parents. They'd peeked in through the loft's open window only to find their son wrapped up in Thora's arms. Superman decided to fly above the barn to give them some privacy. Both parents were obviously pleased. Jason's mood was definitely lighter now than it had been when he'd tried to pretend that Thora's disappearance hadn't bothered him. Though they weren't sure how Thora had gotten there, they were rather happy for their son.

"We'll find out how she got here later," Lois muttered, leaning against her husband's chest, tracing the famous S with her finger.

Superman kissed the top of his wife's hair. "All in good time. I'm in no hurry."

"Hmmm, neither am I," Lois mused, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. "You know, I've never kissed you in the air while we've been in Smallville."

"Allow me to remedy that," Superman replied. Bringing her up to his lips, he kissed her tenderly and passionately in the rays of the Kansas sun. "I love you, Lois Lane," he whispered against her lips. "Forever and always."

"And I love you," Lois replied, kissing him gently, "now through the end of time." Kissing him again, she grinned. "Welcome home, Smallville."

Review one last time if you feel so inclined - I'd appreciate knowing if you liked the story as a whole. Check out my other stories if you're Superman/DC fans. I'm also writing a new story based off Disney's 2015 Cinderella. Take a look if you'd like! Thanks again for reading! :)