A/N: Hello! Just wanted to let you know that I will be returning to "Clark vs Lex" story soon (as I have just had an epiphany of EPIC proportions) and so hopefully I can finish that and then get back to this. I will not leave anything unfinished! I like both of these stories too much to torture you so- but they're just so different, and it really depends if I'm feeling angsty or ironic that day to determine which one I will add to. XD

Disclaimer: {*sniff sniff*} no ownership of Superman- in either the franchise or the man himself. . . . .

The moment the elevator doors closed behind Clark and Lois, Josie, Hannah and Lindsey exchanged a quick glance.

"Well that was. . . interesting," Hannah remarked.

"I'll say," snorted Lindsey. "He didn't seem very comfortable with the topic, now did he? And come to think of it neither did Lois."

"I don't think Lois heard, but Clark sure was relieved to have gotten out of here. It all seems very suspicious."

"Do you think what he said was true? About Richard not knowing Lois before he left? Or anyone knowing him, for that matter?" Josie asked. "I mean, he did work at the London Branch, and I don't think he transferred over here until almost exactly five years ago. He could have not known her- and frankly, I'm not so sure that Jason really looks anything like Richard. That's my own personal opionon, of course-"

Lindsey cut in. "I totally agree with you! He's never looked like him to me, either! So either Lois lied to him, Richard and Lois lied to everyone, or Lois only recently became aware of the fact that Jason was really someone else's kid. Which I highly doubt, by the way."

"But who?" Hannah asked. "I mean, no offense to Lois, but she's kind of a prude, and she's a very stuck-up, no-nonsense kind of girl. The only other man I ever heard rumors about her being in love with was Superman."

"Omigosh. Superman?" Josie's eyes went wide. "That totally makes sense- can't you see it? Knocks Lois up, travels across the universe, comes back to find she's with Richard and separates them to be with his son. . . besides, if you think about it, Jason kind of looks like Superman. Brown hair, blue eyes-"

"Are you kidding me? Superman? You don't think people would have heard about something like that happening? Besides, he's an alien- I'm not sure he can even have kids. Not to mention Jason would have some sort of superpowers- and that kid's way too sickly for that!"

"But he does look a lot like him- I can definitely see Superman in him. Naughty Lois," Lindsey quirked her mouth at the thought. "There's not a girl in the world who wouldn't want to get into that man's tights. Lucky."

"Guys, come on, be realistic here. Lots of people have brown hair and blue eyes. Lois has brown hair. Richard has both brown hair and blue eyes. So does Greg Neilson from accounting, though he's much too young, and Clark Kent, and also my ex-boyfriend Frank-"

Suddenly they all stopped, quieting down as they realized it. Everything- and that meant everything- made so much sense that way. Clark. Clark Kent. Forget about Superman. Clark had to be the boy's father- there was no doubt about that.

"Of course," Josie murmured. "How did we not see it before?"

"I know- they look practically the same. He has Clark's eyes and facial structure, though his hair is lighter like Lois's. And that would explain his sickly state- and his slight clumsiness. The kid's already accident prone," Hannah added mindlessly.

They stood gawking in silence for a while. It was one thing to gossip about something, make conjectures about people you worked with. It was an entirely different thing when you realized you'd stumbled onto the truth.

Josie tried too place it all in some type of logical order. Clark works with Lois. Clark falls in love with Lois- or maybe they had a one night stand? Either way, Clark made love to Lois, and they had created a child. Then Clark left- though for what reasons it was anyone's guess. She had never supposed someone like Clark would be the type to run out on his pregnant girlfriend- but appearances could be deceiving, after all.

At some point they decided to go back to their jobs, and for the next hour and a half only spoke in fragments to each other. No complete, very obvious sentences that explicitly mentioned Clark as Jason's father, but rather more roundabout ones. Questions such as, "does Richard know?" and "is that why he left?" were tossed around between them. They were completely ignorant that other members of the office staff were listening in on them.

Hannah wasn't aware that they had unintentionally spread the rumor any further until she heard Steve Lombard from sports mention something about someone being a "deadbeat dad". Curious, she had turned her ear to listen in, and let a small gasp escape her as she heard Clark's name mentioned next. Uh-oh. They had never meant for it to get out like this- after all, they didn't even know if it was true yet (though the guilty, sinking feeling in her gut told her otherwise). What if they hadn't wanted the truth to come out? They had kept it secret for a reason? What if there was something else that had happened, that went on that they weren't aware of? How could things get so out of hand in less than two hours?

The elevator dinged, and Lindsey found herself cringing, hoping against hope that it wasn't who she thought it was. Please don't be Lois and Clark, please don't be Lois and Clark, please. . .

It was.

The doors opened up to reveal Lois holding Jason's hand, and Clark standing a foot or so behind them. The office fell silent as everyone's eyes seemed to rest on the threesome, the almost-family. One quick, irritated glance from Mad Dog Lane sent people scurrying back to their corners, keeping an ear out for anything suspicious, or newsworthy. Even gossip-worthy. They walked back to their respective desks, and Clark smiled at Josie politely as he set his briefcase down, but with an arched eyebrow. His expression was quizzical, as though it were to say "why is everyone staring at us?"

She flushed and turned away, hoping he wouldn't read too much into her guilt. Walking away quickly, she only stopped when she was sure he wouldn't hear her heart pounding straight through her chest. Then, once again, she heard stupid Steve Lombard's loud whisper. "Unbelievable. You were right; the resemblance is remarkable. There's no doubt in my mind: Clark Kent is-" She quickly pressed a hand over his big fat mouth and shushed him, praying silently that Clark hadn't heard, that he didn't know the whole office knew his dirty little secret. Glancing back nervously she winced at his expression.

Clark looked positively horrified.

They knew. They all knew, except for Lois. They knew and he hadn't told them.

Crap.