Disclaimer: Superman belongs to WB and DC Comics - it's not mine.
A/N: This is based on the movie, Superman Returns. I have no other knowledge of the previous movies nor the comic, sorry! The title is in homage to the name of the soundtrack music (06) that plays during this scene in the movie. You know the infamous rooftop & flying scene! Also, there is no way my scene would make sense in the movie - I'm dealing with way too many concepts here. But I think it's a fun alternative :) It's really sappy, which goes along with everything else I've been writing lately… Also, at this time I haven't seen the original movies, so I'm limited on my knowledge of the back story - bear with me. And about Superman's powers, I'm not really clear on those, so I just went with my own interpretations...
How Could You Leave Us?
Superman was already waiting for Lois when she escaped onto the roof of the Daily Planet tower. A myriad of emotions washed over the Planet's star journalist as she regarded her former lover - loathing, hurt, anger, betrayal...and hope? Don't be ridiculous, Lois chastised herself. I gave up hoping that he would return for me long ago. Now that he's here, things won't magically go back to the way they were before he left.
"Oh, it's you," Lois said simply. While her voice did not betray her feelings, her icy glare spoke volumes. "How did you find me?" Superman smiled, but regarded her carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was to anger her further.
"Today, or the day of the shuttle launch?" Ah, that voice! Lois craved it. His deep timbre was starting to soften her hostile feelings towards him, but she was determined not to let it.
"Both," she said quietly. "Or did you just know that the plane was in trouble, and not even realize that I happened to be on it?" He sighed, not wanting to reveal too much.
"I knew you were on the plane because I was watching your interview on television."
"You were watching me?" she asked, pleasantly surprised. He nodded.
"Yes. I had just returned to -" he paused. He almost said 'work', but caught himself just in time. This would not be the best time for Lois to discover his alias! "I'd just returned to Earth and I wanted to see you as soon as I could. The passengers' cries of distress had reached my ears long before the television had reported there had been a problem with the launch. Somehow, I was able to keep both the shuttle and the plane from crashing." Lois' mouth formed an 'oh' of understanding, and her eyes shone with gratitude.
"And what about today? How did you know I was up here?" she prodded him. His stormy eyes clouded over, as if he was debating exactly what to tell her. Then he spoke, deciding to tell her the truth.
"I have a sort of radar that helps me locate whomever I seek." He gazed at her tenderly. "But with you, it is a thousand times stronger than if it was just a person in distress."
"So it's sort of like an internal compass, it points you in the right direction?" Lois asked, not sure if she understood correctly. He grinned.
"Exactly." Her lower abdomen gave a small jolt, as she digested his caring smile. The long-dormant feelings that she had felt for Superman were now starting to surface, and she had no idea how to react. Just being in his awesome presence was - intimidating! Not to mention nerve-racking...
"Why are you here?" She spat out the question, it sounding more like an accusation than she had originally intended.
"Oh, I don't know," he answered, keeping his voice light. "I wanted to re-familiarize myself with Metropolis, and I thought a night flight was in order..." His implied invitation dangled in the air, and Lois fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"I can't just go flying around the city like old times!" she protested. "Things have changed since the last time we spent together; I'm a mother now." He gave her a nod of acknowledgement, but he didn't relent so easily.
"Come with me," Superman insisted, his captivating blue eyes capturing her gaze. "Please. I need to explain what happened, where I've been, and why I've returned. And I believe you have some explaining to do as well - for instance, about this Richard White..."
"I can't be gone long," she muttered, turning away from the heat of his gaze.
"You won't be," he promised. Kicking off her shoes, Lois let her feet breathe, and gently stepped atop his boots. Superman held her close to his toned form, making sure she would be secure during their flight.
"You know, Richard's a pilot." She regarded him slyly. "He takes me up all the time." He raised an eyebrow at her, a small smile gracing his lips.
"Not like this." Without warning, they ascended into the night sky. Lois gasped, not expecting the sudden jolt, and clutched his arms for support.
"I'd forgotten how warm you were," she murmured. Lois couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw his cheek twitch.
"Hey," he said softly. They locked eyes, and Lois forgot to breathe for a moment. She also started to feel lightheaded - but she blamed it on the high altitude. It certainly did not have anything to do with her being in close proximity to the only 'man' she'd ever loved.
"I'm not going to let you fall. Trust me." She narrowed her eyes at that last comment, and his face fell.
Trust him. How can I trust him when he left without saying goodbye? By this time, they'd reached a comfortable height - she could feel them leveling off. Lois was closer to the twinkling white stars than she'd ever been, and the towering Metropolis skyscrapers had shrunk to the size of Legos.
"So tell me, Superman." She spoke his name mockingly, and felt him tense. "Why did you leave?" He explained about Earth's astronomers finding what they thought to be Krypton, and that he had to see for himself if his homeworld still existed.
"And?" she prompted. "What did you find?"
"Nothing. Nothing but the remains of a once-prosperous civilization." His voice filled with anguish. "It was destroyed, just like my father had prophesized." He was silent, remembering the moment when he realized that Krypton was no more.
"I'm sorry," she comforted him, stroking his surprisingly soft cheek. "It must have been devastating for you to lose your home."
Her tone did not mock him this time - he could tell that her sympathy was genuine.
"Yes...it was," he admitted, the pain laced in his normally authoritative voice. "The loss of life was catastrophic. Now I am the only one left ..." She wrapped her lean arms around him as best she could. The hug fortified him - this was what he'd dreamed of on the return journey, what had kept him from taking his life. His Lois.
"I haven't been fair to you," she confessed, pushing a stray curl out of his eyes. "I thought you'd grown tired of me, and hadn't the courage to break it off."
"Never," he whispered, his breath hot in her ear. "How was I supposed to explain all that?" She shrugged.
"I see your point. But I still would've preferred that you'd told me that you were leaving." His cerulean eyes grew haunted.
"I know. I regret that everyday - but I made a mistake, and I'm here to rectify it the best I can." He watched her carefully for her response to the dreaded question. "You wrote that the world doesn't need Superman...it must have been a convincing argument if you won a Pulitzer." He paused, not wanting to go on, but knowing that he had to. "Am I too late?"
"No," she told him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I forgive you. I never really stopped loving you, or wishing that you would return. When I look at you, Richard barely exists - I know that sounds terrible!" He chucked.
"Actually, it sounds pretty good to me." They laughed. Then he couldn't help asking her,
"So you didn't really mean it? That the world doesn't need Superman anymore?" She shook her head know.
"I didn't…I mean I didn't believe in what I was writing. I was just so bitter; I didn't understand how you could've disappeared just like that. But now I do." They shared a smile. But then Lois' face darkened.
"But there is something you need to understand. Not only did you leave me at an inopportune moment, but you also left the world when they needed you most." Lois' eyes became troubled and her voice laced with pain. "Metropolis was…attacked. We haven't been the only target, either. London and Madrid have faced similar threats, although not in the same year." She spoke in a barely audible tone, but Superman could hear her perfectly.
"It happened three months after you left. We had no warning. Thick smoke choked the life out of the city. Thousands of people died, some of whom could have lived had you been there to save them." He held her tightly, but said nothing, wanting her to go on. Although he knew it pained her to talk, Superman needed to hear about the recent disaster from Lois' point of view.
"It was on that day, when I was running through the streets, frightened for my life, after being evacuated from the Daily Planet, that I met Richard. He saved me that day. He took me home, cleaned me up, and listened to my fears and dreams that night. Then we started dating, became engaged…"
"And then you had Jason," he finished. "I don't understand, Lois. You should've married Richard, for your son's sake." She shuddered in Superman's arms.
"I - I couldn't," she whispered. "I didn't love Richard, I still loved you." His heart almost broke at that moment.
"But why?" he breathed. "I had left you. You had ever right to never want to see me again."
"Because," she whispered. "It's you. You're a modern day knight in shining armor. You stand for justice and truth. You cannot lie, nor do evil. You choose to save people's lives, when you could be out flying around up there, just enjoying it. I guess you're someone I wish I could be. Someone who didn't need to depend on cigarettes to relieve stress. Someone who still believes in the good of humanity." She paused, as it was getting difficult to for her continue.
Her statement reminded Superman of Jor-El's words of wisdom. Even though you've been raised as a human being, you're not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El, when they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son. He kissed her forehead, willing her to finish. She spoke again, this time with more conviction.
"I wish I could be someone who didn't need to turn to another when they were really still in love with…" she trailed off, then found her voice again. "You had given me hope. If a good, noble being like you could love a troubled woman like me, then my life was worth living." He stared at her with a mix of love and admiration.
"How could I not love you?" That did it. Lois couldn't hold back any longer…their lips met in a fury of passion. After he deepened the kiss, Lois pulled back, gasping for air.
"I shouldn't have done that…I'm still with Richard," she said guiltily. "And my son Jason…I can't explain it all tonight…" she trailed off helplessly. "But I'll tell you soon, I promise." He nodded, accepting that for now.
"So are we together now?" Superman couldn't keep the anxiousness from his voice.
"We've always been together," she gently reminded him. "Even when we were billions of light years apart. But it will take me some time to tell Richard about all this. He's a good man, and he deserves an explanation."
"I understand." Superman hadn't expected anything less from Lois.
"It's getting late; I'd better take you back." She agreed. They sailed through the air once again, and they ended up on the roof of the Daily Planet tower. He set her down gently, hugging her once more.
"Goodnight, Lois." He bid her adieu, the love he felt for her evident in his voice.
"Superman, wait!" she called after him, preventing the superhero from taking off. "I still don't even know your name - your true name." He grinned at her.
"Yes you do." He kissed her again, and this time she did not pull away. "I'm always watching over you."
And without another word, Superman -alias Clark Kent- blasted off into the night sky. A very befuddled Ms. Lane was left alone on the roof, trying to make sense of Superman's cryptic statement. 'I'm always watching over you' echoed over and over in her mind, like her tape-recorder stuck on the repeat button. Lois suddenly remembered what had struck her as odd during their nighttime flight.
How could he have known about her winning the Pulitzer? The ceremony wouldn't take place until Friday, and no one knew she was receiving the prestigious award unless they worked at the Planet. Her boss, Perry White, had been a stickler for secrecy, and no one had leaked the information, fearing for their jobs. Although Lois knew that Superman could hear people's thoughts, she was almost positive they were limited to cries for help. So if he didn't have direct access to the offices of the Daily Planet... She frowned. Not even Superman is that good! And then something clicked in her mind.
"Oh my God," she whispered, her hands covering her mouth as if to stop the secret from escaping. " He's Clark!"
The End - or is it? Still not sure if I want to continue this, I might if people are interested.
P.S. Let me know if you 'got' the compass reference. If you don't get it right away, perhaps you will after this weekend.