Disclaimer: I own zip-i-dee-doo-da, nada, nothing, absolutely squat!
I've been in such a slump for a very long time. I was up till 3:00 last night writing this. I repeat, 3:00! Not much but it has one of my personal favorite songs in it. Sorry if I didn't get the correct words for the song. Enjoy!
Superman Lives!
The headline triggered a series of thoughts in Lois Lane's mind.
'He lives? Where does he live?' 'Does he live anywhere?' 'How does he eat?' 'How does he shop?'
Not that she wasn't glad he was still living. The headline was just old news. She already knew he was fine, considering he had shown up at her house late last night. And for what a reason! Her little boy, her small, fragile little boy, was Superman's son. It was too mind boggling to think about. She couldn't even remember how it happened! She was a bit happy. Confused and frustrated. All for the same thing. She couldn't remember conceiving Jason. Something not easily forgotten. She hoped.
"Lois? Are you okay?" Clark Kent's voice stopped her train of thought and sent her back down to Earth.
She shook her head. "I'm fine. I was just… thinking." Lois spotted a steaming paper cup in his hand. "Is that coffee? Can I have some?"
"Why sure Lois. Here." He handed her the cup as she took a big swig.
"Thanks. I didn't know you liked your coffee black."
Clark blushed. "I don't. It… it was for you. You looked …"
"Tired? I didn't get much sleep last night. I was…"
"Thinking?" Clark ventured. She gave him a howdidyouknow look.
"I… uh… your screen was blank…so, I just thought." He stammered looking at his shoes. Lois looked back at her screen and laughed.
"Clark everyone in the world has to eat, right? Even aliens?"
He looked taken aback. "Uh… I guess so, Lois."
"And you can't just walk up to the counter in McDonalds in a cape and tights and say, 'I'd like a Big Mac.' Can you?"
"I wouldn't think so…"
"So to eat, he'd have to put on a whole different persona, outfit, everything."
"We're talking about Superman, aren't we?"
"So obviously, he has an alter ego he hasn't told me about! Like in the comic books Richard buys Jason! Thanks Clark!" She picked up her coffee and ran out of the bull pen.
Clark let out a breath of air. "Something tells me she's going to want to talk to
me."
"Superman, I need to talk to you." Lois said to the chilly morning air of the Daily Planet rooftop. It wasn't surprising when, a few moments later, she heard, "Yes Ms. Lane?"
"You know, you can drop the formalities now."
He smiled. "Okay Lois. You wanted to talk?"
"Yes I did." This might be harder than she thought. "A couple of things are bothering me. Jason for one."
"Jason is bothering you?" He asked, bewildered.
"Not him! His situation. With you, being his father. Something I can't remember happening at all during my lifetime! How exactly did that happen?" Lois asked accusingly.
"I knew sooner or later you'd ask." Superman said sadly.
She looked at his expression. Trying not to sound too harsh, she said, "Were we together? In love? What happened?"
He sighed. "Yes, we were together and in love, and a lot of things happened."
Fearing the worst, Lois asked, 'What kind of things?"
"Lois…"
"I want to know" She demanded.
He looked her in the eye. "I gave up my powers for you." She sucked in a small breath of air as he continued. "We were happy. But General Zod threatened Earth, and I was the only one who could stop him. I needed my powers back and realized if I gave them up again I'd never get them back. You were torn having to share me with the world, so I took the memories. When I heard scientist's claim they had found Krypton…"
"You left." Lois finished.
"I never would have left had I known."
She took a few moments to let it sink in. Quietly, she asked, "Did I know who you were?"
"Who I was?" He said, trying to sound confused.
"Clark and I were talking about alter egos. I said how you couldn't always be Superman. He agreed."
'I agreed? Must have missed that.' "Yes. You did know Lois."
She took a step toward him. "Will you tell me again?"
"Lois, it would be too dangerous." Superman told her.
Feeling a bit agitated (wait, that's an under statement), feeling angry (another one), feeling pissed she practically shouted. "We have a son! That can't be any less dangerous than your secret!"
"I don't want you to regret anything." He said staying calm.
"What would I regret?" Lois said, doing the exact opposite.
"There's Richard to think about."
"I still want to know. For Jason."
He didn't answer. He was listening for something. "Lois, I have to go. Something's wrong in downtown L.A."
She was still seething. "Go." And he did.
She sat on a bench that had been put there as an optional resting spot for staff. A few minutes later, Richard came up the stairs.
"Lois? Why are you here? Perry's about to blow because his star reporter isn't in his office. As he neared her, he saw she looked dazed. "Are you okay?"
She turned her head. "Fine."
As it turns out, a freeway overpass was about to collapse. Clark (as Superman) was able to fix it temporarily until the highway patrol was able to close the overpass. What's a little traffic compared to what could have happened.
He decided to get lunch here. Truth was, he was uncertain if he should go back to Metropolis yet. Even as Clark, Lois's anger had ways of reaching him. He found a small family owned restaurant, but because he was a bit early for lunch, there was hardly anyone there. Clark ordered and sat down to wait for the food. A teenage girl sat in the corner of the restaurant studying a thick math book. Sitting next to her was a small white iDog™. The song is what caught Clark's attention.
The girl looked up as she saw Clark approach her.
"Excuse me, what song is that?" He asked.
She looked at her screen. "'Can You Stand the Rain' by New Edition."
He smiled at her. "Thanks." He started running out when he heard, "Lois, put that dog away before the lunch rush comes in."
"Okay Dad." Clark smiled to himself before flying off.
"Kent! Where have you been? It's almost one!" Perry asked as soon as he stepped foot in the office.
"I was looking into a story chief. Then I went on lunch break."
"I want that story on my desk by noon tomorrow. Olsen! I still don't have those rouge K-9 photos yet!"
Clark walked over to Lois's desk and slipped a CD out of his pocket. There was only one song on that disk and a recording of his voice. He hadn't been on the trail of a story (Shocker!); he had been at an Internet Café downloading the song.
He set it on her desk and walked back to his own.
