Thanks again to Maike Fluffy for helpful editing as a beta for this chapter. Also, thanks for letting me nearly drown your beautiful country of Holland, promise I won't do it again! (you will all have to see what I mean, keep reading)


Proximity: Chapter Four

Richard White finally felt blood return to his legs as he walked down a jet way at Metropolis International Airport. As part of a familiar routine, he joined the flood of passengers to baggage claim. He was in the United States, at last; his own country.

Rome was spectacular but the routine press conferences, the media grind and time away from his family took it's toll on the assistant editor. His weary shoulders were jostled by the Alitalia crowd in the baggage claim area. He rubbed his bleary eyes as he waited for luggage to surface on the carousel.

Thoughts of his fiancé and their situation plagued him during the long flight home and despite the fatigue in his joints, he was restless. Things with had been different lately. Extremely different. For the past six months to be exact.

His established life with Lois and Jason had started unraveling and he felt it was beyond his ability to control. Superman's return certainly had a great impact on everyone in Metropolis, but it was safe to conclude no one was impacted more than his family.

The staggering number of extensive articles Lois wrote about the Man of Steel sparked many office rumors from the time Richard met her, probably even before he would have guessed. He had never admitted it, but remained forever curious exactly how well Lois knew him; specifically if they had been romantically involved.

She never spoke of it or offered any information about the subject, therefore he refused to push the issue further. When they began dating, he merely dismissed the office gossip as nosy ignorant co-workers desperate for a little drama. However, a nagging suspicion that there may have been a strain of truth to the whispers concerned him, and that was before Superman returned.

Since the man of steel had returned to all their lives, Lois had changed. He wasn't certain if the Lois he knew and loved was the genuine article or a muted personification. He had a growing suspicion that the latter of the two was a more accurate description of the fiancé he had grown to love.

It was six months ago when The Planet's bullpen monitors flashed live footage of Superman's return to Earth as he rescued the 777. At that moment, an instant wave of dread had washed over Richard. He knew things wouldn't be the same again. He was right.

People say absence supposedly makes the heart grow fonder but each trip overseas seemed to only expand the distance between Lois and him. He loved her, with all his heart and made many failed attempts to claw at the remainders of their relationship. Despite his efforts, they had been reduced to mere roommates and a hollow shell of a once endearing relationship. And their sex life; he could barely remember what that felt like.

Something had to give, soon. His heart ached each time the wistful and longing look drifted across her face. He had seen it, he knew. They were finished and he had to finally say something. He couldn't ignore it any further.

The gleaming glass doors flooded blinding light into the terminal from the snarled roadway. Blinking, he stepped into the sunlight. As his eyes adjusted, the familiar silver Audi appeared.


***

The mid-afternoon traffic in the grocery store parking lot set Lois on edge. Her tolerance for soccer moms--who lacked ability to drive or park--was at a bare minimum. She readied herself for a session of bumper carts in the store, due to the well known fact that typically crappy drivers on the road meant crappy abilities to steer grocery carts.

"Damn list. Where are you?" Items were angrily jostled inside Lois's purse as she grumbled. Oh, how fitting. She left it at home. Perfect. Like hell she was going back for it.

A rebel wheel shimmied on the shopping cart. Lois had often despised the domestic side of life, and grocery shopping was definitely included. Women often raved about the pleasant benefits of "retail therapy" and having mocked them repeatedly, Lois found it hypocritically calming to roam the produce section. It was a convincing façade that all things were fine, just simply another routine day of grocery shopping for the happy little family.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Her heart skipped at the cell phone chirp as a message from Richard lit up the screen.

"Flight landed. Have to wait for gate to open, will probably not get off plane for 45 minutes. Look forward to seeing you soon."

At the message, her hands grew clammy, they tightly gripped the cart while the ability to swallow failed her now dry, tight throat. Lois's pace hastened as a few more items were flung into the cart before she joined the check-out line. The cell phone rang again and without disturbing her gaze at eyeing the impulse buys of candy, mints and gum, she picked up the phone.

"Lois? I can't believe you! Have you gone completely off the deep end?" Her sister Lucy's usually upbeat voice was instead irate.

"Lucy, fill me in. As usual, I don't know what you're talking about." Lois grumbled quietly to avoid suspicion of her identity.

Drawing attention to herself as the Lois Lane usually had its perks, but today she could do without.

"Oh you know exactly what I'm talking about. Have you seen the paper this morning?" Lucy hissed.

"Of course" she snapped. "I happen to work for the best in the business and have for quite some time, you know….not that you would notice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I really don't want to hear about your Pulitzer again… Lois…" her voice became hushed as a rustle of papers could be heard. "This is important. I'm not talking about The Planet. Have you seen The Star? I know it's your rival and all…."

"I'd hardly call it a rival" she snorted. "More of a rival for the other tabloids in production. I work for a real newspaper. Do you have a point?"

Lois loved her sister, but Lucy rambled incessantly during phone conversations. To amuse herself in the check out lane amidst her sister's mindless chatter, she continued to scan the impulse buys of tabloid rags, candy, gum….suddenly the blood drained from her face and her fingers became ice when she saw a copy of the Metropolis Star next to The Planet.

"Oh no!" She gasped. Oh shit, shit, shit. That's what Lucy's talking about.

"So you've seen it? Oh my gosh Lois, what did you get yourself into? I hope for Richard's sake and yours he can't get that paper in Rome. Lois, you know I love you, I know you cover Superman and all, but…"

The phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. Suddenly the world began to fade as she struggled to maintain her composure.

On the cover of The Star was a large photograph taken with a long range lens after Superman rescued Lois from the explosion. The unsuspecting pair's mid-air personal embrace was incriminating enough without the tacky headline above. "Lois Lane in the Arms of The Man of Steel."

She made her way to the parking lot clutching the shopping cart to keep her legs from folding underneath like paper. She knew damn well Richard's PDA was able to download newspaper articles from the internet. Hopefully he hadn't.


***

"How was your trip?" Lois asked her weary traveler.

"Oh the usual. A bunch of long days, cramped media room, bad coffee." Richard yawned as a hand absent mindedly scratched day-long stubble. "Surprising, since everyone had told me, there were good cappuccino bars everywhere in Rome. I never happened to find any. Go figure."

"Probably because you never set foot outside the media centers and busses."

Richard yawned. "Yeah, you're right. International travel's not that exciting when you're too busy to enjoy where you are. When it's just business it sucks the fun out of the whole thing."

The jetlagged man's hand ran through his thick and disheveled mahogany hair while inspecting their unusually clean home. The unnatural immaculate state of the house set his mind on alert. Instances in which his fiancé cleaned with such intensity and purpose were few and far between. It usually indicated trouble was brewing and it was Lois's way of sorting out her thoughts.

"Looks like you've been pretty busy. I can't remember the last time either of us cleaned so well."

"I was bored." Her back faced him. "You and Jason were gone so I made myself useful." Lois continued to avoid his eye contact as she busied herself by putting the remainder of non-perishable groceries away.

"Jason's doing okay with your mom?"

"Uh huh."

"No calls crying to come home?"

"Nope." She began to wipe down the already spotless countertops. "Mom told me she's kept him busy. Today they had plans to go to the zoo. I sincerely hope he behaves… unlike the last time the two of us took him."

"Yeah." His eyes twinkled with fond memories of their family trips to the zoo. A pang ached inside Richard. Things as a family had not been so simple as of late. He swallowed a drink of water to quell nerves and then continued.

"Anything interesting happen this weekend?"

"Oh, nothing exciting…you know how weekends are."

"Uh huh. Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong for the next breaking story I'd guess."

"I don't do that," she indignantly responded.

"Okay. Sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" An edge of warning filled her words.

He sighed. "Nothing Lois. Nothing at all."

Her fiancé began the ritual of unpacking his carry-on bag contents onto the kitchen isle.

"Okay fine. You could be right. Anyway, how was your flight?" she wondered, desperate to change the subject. Lois didn't like the conversation's direction. Perhaps she was paranoid but he seemed after something.

"Typical. I couldn't sleep, not enough leg room." Richard paused, "How was yours?"

Lois felt her knees become rubber as her face suddenly grew hot, and her cheeks burned as she turned to stare at her fiancé who sat expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"What are you talking about?" Her poker face sat firmly in place.

A heavy copy of the Metropolis Star was forcefully slammed onto the counter, causing Lois to jump in suprise. Both sets of eyes traveled down to the large color photograph. It said everything: Superman and Lois Lane.

Lois's stomach slammed to the floor. Oh holy shit. Not only did he see it, he has a copy. This can't be good. In an instant, Lois knew she had lost the upper hand of the situation and it set her on edge.

Richard was the first to speak. "Lois…" his eyes lifted to the woman who looked at him pleadingly.

"You can't be serious Richard. It's the Star. Come on. It's a glorified tabloid."

"It can be. But do you know why this photo isn't on the cover of our paper?"

"Because it's trash and ridiculous. A cheap shot since they can't get subscriptions based upon anything of substance."

"I'd suspect our boss, my uncle, exercised a little decency on our behalf."

"Well I'd suspect he didn't print it because he knows crap when he sees it. He hasn't held too much regard for my privacy in the past. I don't think he'd grow a conscience about it over night."

"Perry cares not only about me, but about you, Jason…our family!" His frustration grew louder. "He cares about our personal lives enough to leave it out of the press."

"Since when, in your opinion, did our personal lives come to include Superman?" she countered.

"Come on, Lois. Everyone sees you as Superman's girlfriend. They always have, except you're my fiancé! You think I don't hear what people have said since day one?" He contested hotly.

Lois met his vocal rise in response. "You're being paranoid, no one thinks that!"

"Oh? They don't?! You of all people, can't be naive enough to believe that! Why then, did Lex Luthor snag you as bait when Superman returned?" His hands flung up in question. "If you genuinely believed no one thought that the two of you were involved with each other, then this…" he gestured to the paper "doesn't help your argument."

The cliché flew from her mouth before Lois could silence herself. "It isn't what it looks like."

"Oh? Well, then do tell."

"You've read The Star… but didn't bother to even read my article in the paper we both work for? Honestly, Richard…" She began to pace. "There was an explosion downtown where I was covering an accident. I'll admit I was a little closer than the fire marshal wanted…but I couldn't see jack squat behind the fire trucks."

The seconds ticked past loudly in the kitchen. Richard didn't move but continued to look directly at her.

"I really can't believe you didn't read my article. A fireball came straight for me, and he saved me. Again." Her index finger jabbed the photo. "He was just making sure I was okay. This is ridiculous, I shouldn't have to justify myself to you."

She pointed to the mark on her face from yesterday. Her fiancé's green eyes briefly flashed to the scabbed-over cuts across her forehead and returned to the paper's picture.

The shot was too far to pick up facial features but a hand of hers was wrapped underneath his cape with the other on his shoulder. Their body language gave every indication a personal conversation and private moment was exchanged as Superman's hand touched her face.

The silence was crushing. Minutes seemed like hours that ticked by before either spoke.

"Lois, you know I love you…but we can't do this anymore."

"Do what, anymore?" she whispered.

"You know." A look of calm admittance replaced one of anger. "Us. I can't spend another five years as someone else's stand-in." The sorrow-filled words hung in the air. "Something's changed between you and Superman; something's different between us."

"You knew I was a close friend of his before he left. You're being paranoid and that's out of line."

"Is it? Lois, anyone can see it looking at this photo." Frustration mounted again in his weary words. "Things have been different since he came back. You can't tell me it isn't true!"

"Yes, Richard. I suppose things are different," exasperation and anger had bubbled to the surface as tears rolled down her hot face. "What do you want me to say to you? Hmmm? Apparently whatever I say, it's not what you want to hear," she spat.

"I want you to tell me the truth."

"I have. I don't cheat, never have, never would. I think you'd know me better than that."

"You love him, Lois, you always have," he stated loudly as Lois slammed a dish on the counter.

"Damn it, Richard, I am so fed up with continuously explaining myself! Nothing happened."

Her fiancé abruptly pushed the stool away from the isle, it tipped backward and clattered to the floor, he stood without attempting to retrieve it.

He deserved honesty. He had always been forthcoming, done the right thing and had been an honorable man. It wasn't fair. Bitter thoughts filled his mind; this was something any faithful person didn't deserve. It was too much to ignore anymore.

"Do you think I can't see it in your eyes?"

"Excuse me?" she glared.

"You've never been honest with me about you and Superman, have you? How serious were you guys?"

"Oh, fine. Fine. Go there. Go ahead. Alright, I admit it. I loved him. Past tense. Get it?"

"I got it. Loud and clear, Lois. I'll get out of your way, I'm done being a place holder for him!"

"Place holder?!" she screamed.

It was a low blow, they had long passed common descent behavior while debating the issue. It was an all out battle and that was the last straw.

"Is that all you think our relationship has meant to me?" She choked on the words as they spat from her mouth. The dishtowel was thrown fiercely into the sink. "This was all my plan of sorts? You think I planned for him to come back? I was the one who was left behind. Do you get that? He. Left. Me. You honestly think I would be so quick to toss you aside and run back to him?" she yelled as her steps echoed into the hall.

The thunderous footfall returned as she held a box that was thrown onto the isle.

"Our first movie together." A yellowed ticket stub waved in the air in front of her fiancé's stunned face.

"The first flower you gave me." A dried rose flung downward and crumbled as it connected with the marble counter.

"The first present you gave me from the carnival…" a snow globe flung across the room shattered loudly as it hit the wall.

A fistful of paper stubs were flung into the air like confetti as tears streamed down her reddened face.

"Every, single, concert, movie, gala, news event…all here. Yeah, you mattered zilch to me," she hiccupped. "Believe what you want."

"I…I'm sorry, Lois." His words fell quietly amidst the rubble. "We just can't will this…us… to work anymore."

A long silent pause filled the air between them before Lois spoke.

"You're right." Sadness and regret filled her voice. "I'm sorry too."

She had finally accepted and provided acknowledgement things were beyond repair. It was really ending. Surprisingly, as much as she had known this had to pass, genuine sorrow ached in her chest.

Because above everything, Richard was her friend and she was loosing him.

"You know? I still love you. How's that being a glutton for punishment?" he laughed as tears rimmed his reddening eyes. "But I will not live my life with you when you're in love with someone else. We both deserve better."

A sniffle sounded as Lois made her way over to the stool next to the crumbling man. Her hand crept up his back as the other touched his fingertips. Neither looked at each other but downward. Both remained still.

"Where do we go from here?" she whispered.

"I don't know" he murmured. The weight of her engagement ring pressed into the palm of his hand.


***

Late at night, ice cubes clinked against each other as the tumbler shifted. The caramel liquid easily slid down her throat. Lois was flat out drunk. A weepy, messy, tear faced drunk. Who the hell cared that work would come early…screw it, bring on a Monday hangover. She deserved it.

Over two hours ago, Richard's Dehavlaind Beaver roared into the sky from their dock and concern for his well-being had faded as Lois continued to medicate herself with bourbon.

Eventually she had wandered out toward the water in a drunken stupor. The chill in the late autumn night air penetrated her bones and she shivered as she sat with a glass in one hand, a half empty bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon in the other. He knows. Oh my gosh, Richard knows.

Fatigue and shock overwhelmed her rocking frame as she collapsed backward with a thud. Her haunted eyes searched the stars above as her body heaved with loud dry sobs, tears would not come anymore. Lois felt like shit--tonight really couldn't have been worse. Between gasping breaths she whispered to the heavens.

"Oh, what have I done? Superman I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry, Richard knows. He knows. Oh God he knows…what do I do?"

Her eyes closed to shut out the harsh reality of the situation. Earlier arguments of the evening drifted into her mind in an alcohol induced haze.

After their cathartic argument in the kitchen, silent tears fell from both pairs of red eyes. The sudden bleating telephone jerked them into the surrounding world again.

"I'll get it" Richard sighed as "LANE, ELLA" flashed across the caller ID screen. Lois rolled her eyes as she sniffled. Great, her mother always had impeccable timing; of course.

Richard grimaced when the receiver came to his ear. Ella was the peacemaker in the family. She was often gentle but to the point, but tonight her voice audible across the room and normal smooth inflections absent from the conversation. The fatigued man visibly braced himself with the phone to his ear.

"Ella…it's Rich- Yes…ok….What about Jason?"

Lois flew to Richard's side, worry filled both of their faces as they looked directly at each other. Ella Lane's voice blared through the earpiece.

"Yes Richard! My grandson…I don't understand, how could you have not told me?"

"Now wait a minute Ella, calm down. Is he hurt? Did he eat something he was allergic to? We gave you a list of his allergies." Lois began to pace and wrung her hands. To settle her nerves she retrieved a glass and bottle of bourbon.

"I knew it. I knew something was funny with my daughter's pregnancy…" Lois blanched at the audible remark.

"Ella, you're not making any sense."

"Tell me something Richard. Just exactly how is it possible my five year old grandson bent apart two inch thick steel bars?"

Richard's eyes flew up at Lois as his jaw hung loosely. He remained frozen, in a state of disbelief.

Lois felt her knees shake as her fiancé's wounded eyes penetrated her own. Her knuckles whitened as she clung to the counter to prevent herself from collapsing.

"Hello? Hello? Richard? Lois?" The phone remained in his hand as the couple stared at each other. Richard was the first to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry Ella, I… I don't know." He looked back at Lois who mirrored his stunned expression. "Perhaps your daughter can explain it to both of us." He placed the receiver in front of his fiancé.

"Look Mom…we can't talk about it right now, okay? Please, I will call you later to discuss it. He's alright; he won't hurt anyone or himself. Tell me one thing…where did this happen? Did anyone see it?"

"My grandson performed this stunt at the zoo. He bent back two bars to slip into the bird exhibit the second my back was turned."

"Did anyone see him do it? Please tell me he didn't cause a lot of attention." Her face was ashen and hands trembled so severely she could barely hold the phone to her ear. She hated to think of what could happen to Jason if anyone else connected the dots.

"I told them it was a shame they haven't kept their exhibits well maintained. They should have known better; a five year old would easily slip through the space in the gate" she huffed. "Lois, I love you, Richard and Jason… but this means what I think it means. Doesn't it?"

Lois gave a long pause as Richard remained stunned, awaiting her response.

"Yes. It does. Mom, I can't talk right now, Richard and I are having a serious discussion, but please promise me not to tell anyone about this. Jason's life depends on it. Please Mom, tell my baby we love him. I will call you about this as soon as I can."

It had been pointless to elaborate on her mother's question. Lois knew as well as her mother why Jason was capable of such a feat. Ella had always held a heavy suspicion Lois had a romantic relationship with the Man of Steel. Some things mothers could sense about their daughters and Jason's newfound strength proved that beyond a doubt.

Richard's mind raced. Suddenly, everything in his life crumbled. Jason, who he raised since birth, was not his own.

A small tiny fist grasped his large finger as bright blue eyes looked up at him. His heart melted as an uncontrollable smile spread across his face.

"Congratulations Mr. White--you're a father." The amazingly small pink figure wriggled against his chest. Richard had never known love to be so simple and automatic. He was a father.

"A father," he marveled at Lois who was exhausted but equally blissful as sweat trickled down her forehead.

"We're a family. Can you believe it? We have a son."

"What should we name him?" he speculated as Lois closed her eyes in thought. They instantly flew open as she grinned.

"Jason."

"After my little brother? Are you sure?"

The new father silently agreed with Lois's choice. It was the best thing he could do to honor his younger sibling who was killed in a car accident as a child.

"Absolutely," she stated as her eyes drifted shut again.

"Jason Lane White." He beamed. "I like the sound of that."

He had never seen a resemblance between Jason and himself, nor Lois for that matter. Perhaps their son bore a resemblance to a maternal family member he hadn't met. No one in his family had those amazing blue eyes or strong jaw line. Suddenly Richard was blindsided. He knew exactly who's stunning physical traits his son inherited.

"He looks just like him, doesn't he?" His eyes averted from Lois to the newspaper photograph on the counter. "Were you ever going to tell me I wasn't Jason's father?"

"I didn't know," she murmured. The look of defeat and betrayal from Richard tore through her soul.

"You didn't know what? Didn't know if you were ever going to tell me, or you didn't know Jason was his," he cried.

"I didn't know until six months ago Jason was his. He threw a piano across the room on Luthor's yacht at a man who attacked me," her frame shook at the traumatic memory. "Jason killed him."

"Our son killed someone?"

"Yes. He's had nightmares about it ever since."

"How could such a thing have happened?" This was too much to absorb, not only was his son Superman's child, but he had killed a man.

"One of Luthor's men attacked me and was about to smash my skull open with a paper weight. When I opened my eyes, he was gone and was across the room underneath the piano. Jason didn't even understand what happened."

"Jason threw a piano."

"A concert grand, actually."

"Across the room."

"Uh huh."

Silence filled the air as the weight of the situation sunk in. He had unknowingly raised the Man of Steel's son. Oh holy shit! Jason is Superman's son. He's not mine, he was never mine.

"You've known this for six months… and didn't tell me. I… I don't know how to handle this."

"Do you think I know what I'm doing? I don't know how to deal with it either. I tried to handle it the best I could-- I was as shocked about it as you are!"

Richard snorted. "Right. I doubt it. I assume the way a Kryptonian would have children would be similar to the rest of us. But then again, you'd have the authority on that."

"I don't remember having slept with him, Richard."

"Really, you don't expect me to believe that."

"I'm not kidding. No offense, Richard, but I think any girl would remember that experience. Actually, I don't remember about two weeks of my life around that time period."

"You don't remember two weeks of your life." It was a statement of disbelief more than a question.

"Nope." She flatly stated. Her arms crossed in front, a clear indication no further elaboration was going to happen.

"Like amnesia? C'mon, I've heard some whoppers but.." Irritation rose.

"Well? I can't think of a better explanation of why I don't remember. Can you?"

"Actually, I can. You're just not being honest with me. Amnesia….right. Same excuse that got Luthor out of prison the first time. Convenient."

"Richard." her voice warned. "Don't go there."

"Why not? Why should I believe anything else at this point?" His hands flung in the air as he began to pace. His hands ran through thick hair as he paced. "Anything else you forgot to mention that happened in the past five years or does that cover it?"

The stunned female reporter stood speechless in the kitchen as her fiancé abruptly strode upstairs. She had seen the same look of defeat on his face once before, it was when Richard drove her to the hospital to visit Superman.

A challenging and painful confrontation was something she expected, but the revelation of Jason's true lineage had been too much to bear in one short evening. The broken expression in his green eyes was apparent as he had quickly returned downstairs with a hastily packed gym bag. The athletic man made his way for the back door.

"Wait a minute, Richard!" she exclaimed as her arm reached out. "What are you doing? You're exhausted. Please stay." His arm pulled quickly from her tight grasp as he avoided her pleading eyes.

"I can't be here right now."

"You are in no condition to fly anywhere. You stay. I'll leave." She sobbed. "I did this to you."

"I can't stay. Too many memories Lois, it's too much for me." His glassy eyes met hers.

"You are coming back, right? Please tell me you're coming back… Jason needs a father; I need you to be his father. He loves you!" She pleaded. Tears streamed down her face without attempts to brush them away.

"I just need to be alone right now. I love Jason, nothing would ever change that. I'll come back," somberly he added "but right now, I need to go. I still love you Lois. I can't stay in the same house with you and not touch your skin, kiss your face, feel your warmth…" he choked on his words. "I'm sorry."

With that, he was gone.

Soon after, the roar of the props on their dock had faded into the sky. Gasping for breath to quell the heaving weight on her chest, Lois collapsed into the hard chair. Sobbing uncontrollably, her hand stretched to reach the bottle of bourbon on the table and took a large swill. The liquor that burned down her throat triggered a sharp cough as a shaky hand poured bourbon into a waiting tumbler.


***

Kal-El glided between the sliver clouds as he returned from a dike that failed in Holland. It had been a busy evening as he helped prevent complete failure of the structure as it was reinforced by the military. The bright lights of the Eastern Seaboard came into view when Lois's words reached him.

"Oh, what have I done? Superman I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry, Richard knows. Oh God he knows…what do I do?"

Her distraught voice echoed in his mind. Richard knows, he knows what?

Throughout the night her heart rate fluctuations concerned him as he assisted the Royal Dutch Police. He wanted nothing more than to help Lois, but had more pressing issues at hand with over half a million residents of Rotterdam and half of Holland that lived south of the dike.

He had vowed to her that he'd always be around and knew she was asking for assistance at a time he could not give it. He was almost back to Metropolis as her sobs fell silent. The lights of her dock came into view as crunching metal and glass filled his ears.

A furrow formed in his brow as smoke rose from the large Clinton Bridge over the West River. It was a massive pileup that involved one of the support columns on the suspension bridge. With potential compromise to its structural integrity, he sharply reversed his flight direction back out over the river toward the bridge; Lois would have to wait.

"I'm sorry Lois, I'll get there as soon as I can," he muttered to himself as the putrid smell of burnt rubber grew stronger.


***

Amazing warmth enveloped Lois as she drifted out of sleep into a hazy state. Her dark bedroom spun as eyelids fluttered. She was extremely intoxicated but hadn't remembered re-entering the house or climbing into bed. When significant portions of the night escaped her recollection, a wicked hangover the next day was inevitable.

A foot slid onto the floor as she closed her eyes again to cease the room's incessant spinning. The incredible warmth had gone and the room was icy. Shivering, she pulled the covers up and in her inebriated state, she marveled at the horrible mess her life had quickly become.

She must have begun to dream--a great dream--because the most amazing blue eyes stood out in the darkness as a pair of warm lips brushed across the top of her forehead. What an incredible dream, she had no idea a simple brush of a man's touch could feel so intoxicating. She could get used to this. A sleepy smile spread across her lips that tingled in anticipation as she purred.

"Hey, missed you hon. G'night Kal El."

Her eyes flew open as she shot straight up in bed. She was cold and awake, nausea rose sharply. In a drunken stupor, she stumbled to the bathroom and threw up. Kal El? Who the hell was Kal El? Oh work was going to suck in the morning with a hellish hangover.


I hope those of you that read this enjoyed it, I'd just like to say my personal opinion is this was the best one. It was certainly the fastest and easiest to write. Please let me know if you agreed...I'd love to hear your thoughts and reviews! Thanks!