Clark Jr. smiled up at his daddy. "So, *Daddy*, did you and Mom… talk last night?"

Clark stared open mouthed at the boy. "And what business is it of yours?" he asked as Clark Jr. eased from his lap to retake his seat.

The boy turned fully to his dad to answer him. "Well, up until yesterday I was the man of the house. I have the right to know if someone is making plays on my mother." He crossed his arms over his chest and shot Clark a stern glare.

Clark laughed out loud. "If you had a suit, you'd look just like a miniature Superman."

Clark Jr. smiled but didn't relax his stance. "Don't change the subject, mister."

"Show me who you are."

"That's the problem. I don't know."

"Then let's find out together." She pushed forward and kissed him softly.

Clark Jr. smiled but didn't relax his stance. "Don't change the subject, mister."

Clark held up his hands in defeat. "Clark, I told your mom I loved her and she asked me to come stay with you guys."

"Way to go, Dad!" He dropped his arms and jumped onto his father's lap. "You best be good to her or you'll answer to me."

"Yes sir." Clark ruffled his hair. "You need a haircut."

"So do you."

Lois tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she slid to the edge of the bed. She reached for her robe, not able to stamp down the disappointment at Clark's reaction to their neglect of birth control the night before. Intelligently she knew they didn't need another complication right now, but emotionally her heart didn't agree. She'd be ecstatic to carry another child of Clark's.

"Let's put him to bed."

Clark almost jumped up, carefully cradling the Clark Jr. Lois laughed softly as she led the way to the stairs and up to the boy's room.

"But you're not. You're here and you're clean, safe, and you always will be. Please, don't say you're going to leave me. I'd die. I can't lose you again."

"Oh, Lois." Clark lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "And I can't lose you. I just want you to realize that life with me won't be easy. So maybe we should slow this down. Maybe I could get a place and we could spend time together…"

"No, Clark!" He flinched at the tone of her voice. "You've been gone from me for ten years… ten long years. Each night I go to sleep aching to hold you. I wake up each morning aching to see you. You're here now and I don't think I'd survive if you lived even in the next apartment."

Clark drew back, unsure what to say.

"You don't have to… sleep in the same room with me and if you're not comfortable with starting a relationship right away, I understand. But this is your home and I'll be damned if I'll let you leave again."

Clark's brows rose. She was gasping to catch her breath, obviously this was a very serious matter to her. "Damn!" (

She moaned and leaned forward to kiss him softly. Clark surrendered and deepened the kiss. In a matter of only a few moments, both were surfacing from their encounter. Their clothes hadn't even been completely disposed of in their rush to reunite. He was looking down at her, his breathing heavy.

Clark lifted his hand to drag a gentle thumb across her cheek. "I won't apologize for that. It was incredible."

"It was... short, but awesome," Lois agreed with a satisfied purr. "Let's do it again."

Clark grinned down at her. "And again." He kissed her lips, then her neck. "And again."

"And again," she said with a giggle. Several hours passed before they fell asleep.

He once again stopped her by gripping her head and lifting it until their eyes met. "I'm not him any more."

"Show me who you are."

"That's the problem. I don't know."

"Then let's find out together." She pushed forward and kissed him softly.

She let her brush stop and took a deep breath. "I don't take birth control. There was no need. The only man I ever wanted to sleep with again was gone."

Clark's eyes widened at that. "There hasn't been…"

"There was no one, Clark." She looked down at him. "My heart wouldn't allow me to do something like that."

"It would have been okay."

"Not in here," she told him with a hand over her heart.

The boy turned fully to his dad to answer him. "Well, up until yesterday I was the man of the house. I have the right to know if someone is making plays on my mother." He crossed his arms over his chest and shot Clark a stern glare.

Clark laughed out loud. "If you had a suit, you'd look just like a miniature Superman."

Clark threw the boy over his shoulder effortlessly before turning to Edward. "Good morning, Edward. Isn't it a lovely morning?" Clark's grin widened at the man's puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, I guess there are a few things I need to discuss with you."

"Only if you wish to, sir."

Clark patted his son's bottom before lowering him to the floor. He settled at the table and began to tell Edward an abridged version of his story. Needless to say the man was surprised.

"You're welcome," Edward told the boy before rising. "I must attend to business now. We proceed with the take-over as planned?"

"Yes."

"Very good." Edward smiled and turned to go. "Nice meeting you, Miss Lane," he told Lois as he passed her.

Hurry, hurry, post next part please. Where are you? It's been too long without my Purgatory fix.