Author's note: Yeah, I don't own Superman or anything Superman related. I only wish I did. Cause then I'd be a zillionaire. Also, this is my first fanfic ever. Of any sort. Don't be too cruel. I really have no freaking clue where this story is going (if anywhere) so suggestions (hey, plots even!) would be greatly, GREATLY appreciated. (It was a sucker trying to think of a title for a plot-less story, let me tell you….) I really only wrote this because my cable was out and I was ticked off and bored. So, without further adieu, here goes:

Chapter 1: The Visit

The screen was most definitely blank.

One of the few pleasures Lois Lane recently had in her daily life was watching the bad guys get their butts kicked on cable TV. Not the "Law & Order" fictional bad guys, but the real ones. The ones who could really screw up her day. The muggers, the kidnappers, the Lex Luthors of the world. After a stressful day at the Daily Planet, she just wanted to unwind – sit in her stocking feet with some hot chocolate and watch the scum of Metropolis get their Miranda's read.

And now that her cable was out, Lois Lane was in a mood. She gave the side of the TV set another minor beating. She knew it wouldn't fix it, but it made her feel better. Cable, along with many other services, had been on-and-off since the earthquakes two weeks ago that had nearly flattened Metropolis.

She sat back down and took a sip of her hot chocolate, trying to focus on something other than the terribly hectic last few weeks. First there had been the near-disaster on the plane, during which she (and the rest of the world) found out about Superman's return. Then there was the fiasco with Lex Luthor aboard the Gertrude, finding out about Jason's true parentage, the earthquakes caused by Luthor's most recent real estate escapades and, finally, Superman's near-death. Was a little cable TV distraction too much to ask?

A breeze fluttered the curtains around the sliding glass door behind her. She shot up in her chair and turned around expecting to see you-know-who. She hadn't seen him in weeks and didn't realize until just now how much she was anticipating a visit. "I'm always around." Those were the last words he had spoken to her.

"'Always around' huh?" she mumbled to herself and rolled her eyes. "I guess the word 'always' has a limited meaning in Kryptonian…" She stood up and gave the TV set another smack for good measure.

"Actually it doesn't," came a voice from the balcony.

Lois dribbled hot chocolate down her front. "Crap!" she shouted as she tried to wipe the cocoa from her chin and pajamas. "God, Superman, you know you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"You know, I don't think hitting the TV is going to fix it."

"What? Are you a cable expert now, too?" Lois spat back. "Sorry…I mean, you just startled me, that's all. You really shouldn't sneak up on people."

"I'm sorry," Superman replied. "May I?" he gestured indoors.

Lois just realized she had left him standing outside, "Oh, yeah, come on in." She fidgeted with her mug as he entered the living room. Geez, Lane, calm down. You used to be comfortable around him. Well, I assume you used to be comfortable around him…considering Jason exists...

She was torn from her thoughts by an inquiring look from Superman. "Huh?" she asked, coming back into reality. "Did you say something?"

He took a step towards her. "I just thought…we, uh, might want to talk…considering all that's happened lately." He chose his words carefully, focusing on his bright red boots instead of Lois' face. He reminded her of someone... "I can always come back later if you're busy." He backed up towards the balcony.

"No, don't move! Or move, if you want, but don't fly away," she replied. "What did you want to talk about?"

Which talk would this be, she wondered. The one about why she couldn't know who he really was, about why he left without saying goodbye, about why she couldn't remember what happened between them five years ago -

"I heard what you said. In the hospital. Jason…" Superman smiled, but quickly tried to hide it, deciding on gauging Lois' reaction first.

Lois' cheeks flushed. Oh. It was going to be that one.

So yeah, I could leave it at that...or you could point me in some direction and I'll take it from there. I'm new-ish to fiction so plots are hard to come by. I'm a newspaper girl, just like Lois. They usually frown upon making things up!