Perry saw that Lois did try over the next few weeks. She and Clark worked together professionally. At first, their conversation was stilted and purely work-related. As the days went on, Perry assumed that Clark talked to Lois and that she regained more lost memories. He noticed that Lois gradually became more easy with Clark, that she started laughing at his corny jokes, and she relaxed her previous tight posture. Clark didn't change. When Lois wasn't watching, Perry caught Clark looking at Lois like a man in a desert looking at a frosty pitcher of cool water.

Perry wondered what memories Lois regained. From what the two of them had said, they'd had quite a history together before Lois' memory had been stolen. He wondered what she felt now, remembering that distant past, and also remembering the more recent past where she hadn't known Clark Kent's other identity. Was it strange for her to be reconciling the two faces of Lois?

At least she didn't try to keep Jason from Clark anymore. The child often spent time in the newsroom. He was well-trained for a four-and-a-half-year-old, usually drawing pictures, or more often now, practicing his reading on simple words and large headlines. (He devoured print, now that he was learning to read, and Clark was often found reading to Jason. Jason's vocabulary and comprehension increased daily.) Lois and Richard had been careful to teach Jason to not bother the busy reporters who were trying to get out stories before deadline.

But Jason often approached Clark, and no matter what the large reporter was doing, he always set it aside at Jason's approach. Clark often pulled up a separate chair, for Jason to sit next to Clark at Clark's desk. Perry laughed silently at times to see Jason standing in the chair in his excitement, leaning over to show Clark a particularly engrossing drawing.

Perry noticed that Clark never held Jason in his lap in the newsroom anymore. After he'd told Clark that that was what alerted him to Jason's paternity, Perry felt that Clark wanted to avoid that situation again. It didn't help, in Perry's eyes. For those with eyes to see, the body shape, the lines of the face proclaimed who Jason's biological father was. Fortunately, thought Perry, in the newsroom most of the people didn't notice – they were too busy focusing on their own tasks.

He knew Clark wouldn't send Jason away – Clark would take the chance of someone else noticing. The time with his son, even an unacknowledged son, was too precious to Clark.

In fact, Perry wondered if Richard had noticed. He saw his nephew staring one day at Jason, talking excitedly to Clark at Clark's desk, and Clark leaning over to examine a crayoned opening sentence of a play article meant to be delivered to Uncle Perry for editing.

"You know, Lois has been spending a lot of time with Clark lately," Richard observed, watching Clark and Jason from inside Perry's office.

"I assigned them together," Perry said shortly. "If anyone can find Lex Luthor, it'll be those two."

"I didn't know they were that close partners," Richard persisted, his voice even.

"What? You mean that Clark can make Lois back down? He can make her think twice about jumping in without checking the water level? And Lois can make Clark get out of his cautious, check-everything-three-times mindset?" Perry challenged his nephew. "They're a good team, Richard. They complement each other. I'd be a fool to not put them together."

"Um," Richard said noncommittally.

"They're going to win a Pulitzer for the Planet," Perry said. Silence.

"Lois missed dinner three times this week," Richard said.

Perry sighed mentally. He had no desire to get involved. In fact, he already knew too much.

"Richard, I'm a busy editor. I'm not Dear Abby. If you have issues with Lois, then talk to her about it." His tone was clipped. Perry knew a train wreck was approaching and he desperately wanted to avoid the flying debris. The love triangle – a classic plot for years in all genres, from opera to soap opera. Except it wasn't as fun to watch when it involved people in your own family, or people you really cared about. Someone was going to get hurt here, no matter what.

It was up to Lois, Clark, and Richard to talk it all out and settle things. Perry had never had to do anything like that. He'd never officially cheated on Alice. His love affair was with the bottle.

He sighed, audibly this time. "Richard," Perry said, "I assigned them the story. They're working as hard as they feel they need to on it. You knew Lois was like that. She tends to overwork." He took a deep breath. "Don't let her forget that she has a family and a son."

"OK, Perry," Richard said quietly. He wasn't going to go without a fight, Perry could tell. Yep, the train wreck was coming.

***************************

Two weeks later

"Lois, do you want to go out for coffee again?" Perry asked her, obliquely referring to their unique situation. Clark was out, presumably at some rescue or other.

Lois raised her eyebrows. "Do we need to?"

"I don't know. Do we?" Perry retorted.

"I don't think we need a coffee meeting this week, Perry," Lois said. "Clark told me he was sorry so many times that I made him stop apologizing," she added, regaining a bit of the verve she'd had weeks ago. "I'm still making him grovel, though."

Perry couldn't help but smile. "How is he, with the grovel?"

"No challenge," Lois said smartly. "He actually grovels quite well."

Perry chuckled noiselessly, then turned serious. "Really, Lois, how are things coming along?"

Lois sat down in the big chair and took on her own serious tone. "I think we're doing….OK, Chief."

"OK?"

"Yeah. OK." Lois drummed her fingers on the chair arm. "I'm still a little mad at him." She took a deep breath. "I think I have started trusting him again, though."

Perry raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.

"He apologized so nicely, he said he hadn't meant to do it….repeat that fifty times and I'm beginning to think he might actually be sincere," Lois said.

"And you?" Perry asked her sharply.

"I'm remembering a lot more," Lois said, in the strange almost-telepathy that she shared with Perry, built up over their long years together. She could almost finish his sentences sometimes, and it was eerie how their thoughts often ran on the same wavelength. The only person Perry had seen Lois be more attuned to was, of course, Clark. They did finish each other's sentences.

"And?" Perry asked.

"It's harder to hate him now," Lois whispered. A wealth of meaning unspoken.

"You know you can ask me for help if you need anything," Perry offered uncertainly. Then, more confidently, he added, "An ass-kicking, maybe?"

Lois laughed. "I think I already took care of that, Perry."

Perry laughed too. "Well, don't do it too hard or too often, because then, what would I do?"

"Ah, you'd be fine," Lois teased him.

"OK, then, I'm OK to tell you and Clark to get moving on the Lex Luthor story, then?" Perry asked. "You're OK with working together? Getting better?"

"Yes."

"OK," Perry said flatly. "Get moving on the Lex Luthor story." He breathed in. "Not just for the story, but to protect you. Not just you and Jason, but Clark too."

"I know that," Lois said. "I think we're getting somewhere on it – I've got that feeling, you know…"

"I know," Perry replied. He did know that feeling –he got it when a story was just about to come together, trembling on the cusp of completion. "Be careful, Lois."

"I will, Perry." Lois got up and walked out of his office.

*******************************

Perry looked away from Richard, who had come to his office for a quick discussion on the best way to lay out the news of the latest altercation in the Middle East. He saw Lois leaning back in her chair, curiously relaxed. Clark stood next to her, bending down to whisper something in her ear, a cautious smile on his face. He reached down and took her hand. She didn't pull it away. They squeezed hands together in a comradely moment. Perry saw Richard catch the moment and stiffen slightly.

Actually, for the last day and a half, Richard had been casting curious glances at Clark. It had started after Perry, in the newsroom with Richard, had gazed out through the windows to see Jason sitting in Clark's lap, the tall reporter bent over the small boy. At that moment, the two had looked so much alike that Perry had almost gasped. He wondered if Richard had seen it, too – it seemed likely. Richard had been acting very stiffly towards Clark since then, and only slightly less so around Lois. He'd made excuses to get away from the reporting partners. Perry very much feared that Richard had seen what was becoming more and more obvious, and was just taking some time to decide how to broach the subject with Lois. Perry wasn't looking forward to the upcoming soap opera in his newsroom.

After a moment, Lois stood up and walked to Perry's office. She knocked.

"Come."

"Hey, Perry," she said, "you'll be happy to hear – oh, hi, Richard." Apparently she hadn't seen her fiancé in the corner.

"Lois," Richard said evenly.

Perry turned his gaze from the awkward pair and back onto the newsroom. Jason, apparently tiring of coloring at Clark's desk, got up and scampered over to Clark, who was sitting at Lois' desk. He held some pictures in his hand and began showing them to Clark, who perused them with solemn attention.

"Anyway, Perry," Lois said, regaining Perry's attention, "you'll be happy to hear that –" a tinge of pride in her voice. " – Clark and I think we know where Lex Luthor is hiding out."

Perry eyebrows raised in surprise. He looked over at Richard – his nephew was just as flabbergasted.

"Whoa! Lois! That's good news!" Perry said. "Wait a minute…" as the implications came to him.

"Don't worry, Chief," Lois said. "We've already contacted Inspector Henderson privately. We don't know how many moles Luthor has in the Metropolis P.D. Henderson got a team together – a trustworthy team – and they should be arresting Luthor right about now."

"I don't think that Lex Luthor is one to go quietly," Richard interjected, worriedly. Perry nodded – he'd been thinking the same thing.

"I think Henderson might be calling on Maggie Sawyer and the Special Crimes Unit," Lois said. "I'm pretty sure she's clean. And the SCU is known for handling stuff like that."

"You're not going?" Perry asked. "This is your story, Lois. I'd expect you to be there at the takedown."

"I wanted to," she admitted. Then her eyes flicked to Jason, now tugging at Clark's hand in the newsroom, urging him to do something. "But Henderson asked me specifically not to."

I bet Clark asked you not to as well, Perry thought.

"You think Superman will be there?" asked Richard. "Did you tell him?" A little jealousy in the tone, Perry judged, but well-disguised.

"Clark was able to get in contact with him," Lois said after an infinitesimal pause. "But Luthor has kryptonite. I think Superman will be watching, but he'll let the SCU handle it."

As if prompted by her words, her cell phone rang. She viewed the display. "Henderson," Lois said. Silence for a few minutes. Lois' face broke into a smile. "They got him," she said. She collapsed into Perry's office chair. Perry thought he knew why – the release of unbearable tension at last.

"Lois!" Perry said.

"What?"

"You've known all this time – "

"Only yesterday and today."

" – and you didn't tell us?" Perry said, aggrieved. From his view of Richard, the younger man felt the same way.

"Chief, I didn't dare." She sat up in the chair, put an earnest tone into her voice. "I can trust you two," she said. "But this office? Everyone who works here? Are there recording devices around? With Lex Luthor, you don't take any chances."

Perry fought back indignant words. Of course, Lois was right. Luthor fully deserved the epithet of Evil Genius.

"Lois…" Richard said quietly.

"Can't you be happy for me?" she burst out. "We just finished a story that's going to win the Pulitzer, and all you can think about is that I didn't keep you updated on it?"

Perry saw Clark's head turn toward the office. He stood up, Jason hastily gathering up his crayon drawings and following the tall reporter's action.

"Honey," Richard said placatingly, "You did the right thing. I know it'll be a great story." He was in full soothing mode here, Perry thought.

"I'm sorry, Richard," Lois said wearily. "I've been working on this like a maniac for weeks. And it's finally over…"

"I know, Lois," Richard said quietly. He took a deep breath and pasted a cheerful expression on his face. "This calls for some celebration."

"Nothing too big," Lois warned. She was collapsed tiredly into the chair.

Richard looked over at Perry. "Perry, Alice is out for the night again, isn't she?"

"It's that darn women's club meeting again," Perry said grumpily.

Lois gave a tiny smile at Perry's irritation.

The door to the office opened, and Clark and Jason stepped in. The young boy held the reporter's hand confidently.

Before Richard saw the two, he said to Perry, "Well, why don't you come over for dinner with us tonight? We can celebrate Lois' story."

"Yay!" Jason screeched, causing Richard and Perry to flinch. "Uncle Perry and Mr. Clark are coming over for dinner!" Jason's smile surprised Perry with the way it changed the boy's face. That's because you haven't seen him smile since he was kidnapped by Luthor, Perry realized.

Then Perry almost laughed as he caught the inadvertent glance between Richard and Clark, and the fleeting expression of dismay on both faces. It was obvious that Richard didn't want to have Clark over for dinner, and that Clark didn't want to come to dinner with Richard.

"Uh…." Clark mumbled.

"Please, Mommy?" Jason persisted, as the tense silence in Perry's office persisted.

Lois looked down at her son, and Perry saw that she was thinking the same thing about Jason's smile as he had – that it was a long time since Jason had smiled this broadly.

"Sure," Lois said. "Perry?" Perry nodded.

"Clark?"

Clark's eyes skittered from Lois to Richard (who had assumed a poker face) down to Jason. A slow smile softened his lips as he saw Jason barely restraining himself from jumping up and down.

"I'd like that very much," Clark said softly.

Silence again.

"Well, then," Richard said awkwardly, "I guess I'd better leave now and pick up some food on the way. Come on, sport," he gestured to Jason. "You can help me at the store."

Jason ran eagerly to Richard. "Can we have that lasagna again?" he asked.

"I'll think about it," Richard said. "Perry, since I'm taking our car, can you drive Lois and Clark to the house?" And chaperone them, he carefully didn't say. "It'll take me about an hour to get things going."

"Sure," Perry said.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" Jason said. Obviously, dinner with the important adults in his life was a major thrill.

"Come on, sport," Richard said. He took Jason's hand and the two left Perry's office.

Perry gave Lois and Clark a hard glare. "You couldn't have told me?"

Clark sat down wearily as well. "We were trying to protect you," he said quietly. "And also, I'm not too sure about the security here at the Planet. I know we're OK here in your office, Perry," and here Clark casually pulled down his glasses just a bit, giving Perry a significant glance, "but the rest of the newsroom – I think even Superman would have trouble keeping up on it sometimes."

Perry sat down himself, considering. "Why wasn't Superman there at the Luthor arrest?" he demanded.

"Superman was there," Clark said. "He was flying above, ready to step in if anything went wrong." He smiled. "Lois just got the official call, but actually the arrest was done about an hour ago. It went like clockwork. Bill Henderson is a good cop," he added.

"And Superman told me that Luthor did have kryptonite," Lois said firmly. "So it's a good thing that Superman wasn't, you know, involved in the arrest."

"Lois…" Clark said pleadingly.

"I mean it!" Lois snapped. "Superman thinks he has to do everything." She got up and started pacing. "When will he learn that there are a lot of other people who can do their jobs and do them right, and stuff will get handled?" Perry hadn't seen her ranting this hard for a long time.

"Everybody else delegates!" Lois continued. "Perry delegates! I delegate research to Jimmy!" She reached down and pulled Clark's tie so that he was forced to look into her eyes. "If Superman doesn't stop doing stuff that other people could do, he won't have any time! He won't have a life!" Lois said significantly. She released his grip on his tie and Clark fell back into the chair.

"Um, good point, Lois," Perry said, playing the peacemaker. "Maybe the next time you see Superman, you could tell him that." He winked at Clark. "I've always thought that ever since he came back, Superman has been burning the candle at both ends. Maybe he does need to kick back a little and let the emergency services handle what they can."

Clark sat up. "Well, Perry, Lois, I think what you're saying has some truth in it. But you know, there are so many things that only Superman can do, so many times that someone would be hurt without him responding…."

Perry saw Lois inhaling for further argument and hurriedly stepped in. "I'm sure you're right, Clark." Lois forestalled momentarily, Perry added, "Now about this Luthor arrest…."

"We remembered some stuff from our Smallville days," Lois said, attention diverted. "Clark knew Lex really well then, and he was able to make some guesses as to Lex's pattern of behavior now."

"Even with…" Perry indicated Clark's glasses, and by implication, the Kryptonian memory-erasing technology.

"It doesn't change who he really is, underneath," Clark rumbled. "I think we are the only ones, though, from those early days. The only ones who knew him before Lex became what he is today." The big man sounded sad and weary.

"You can't save everyone, Clark," Lois said softly, putting her hand on top of his.

"It still hurts," Clark said equally softly, reaching to clasp her hand between his.

"Well, you two, I'm assuming you've got the story written?" Perry said in a businesslike tone. He'd spent too much time already.

"Uh, yeah, Chief," Lois replied. "We just have to add a couple of quotes from Henderson and Sawyer. Since we gave them the tip, I don't think we'll have any trouble there."

"OK, back to work, then," Perry said briskly. The two stood up. "And make sure you're all set, because when somebody else is cooking, I don't want to be late for dinner." He smiled. "The bus is leaving in about forty-five minutes. Be on time."