I had SO much fun writing this chapter. I really hope you all like it. Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter. I would really appreciate it if you would leave a review especially on this chapter because I worked particularly hard on it. And you can look forward to the next one after this, because I think you'll like it even more :)

Thanks for the beta Lilly! (By the way, Lilly could always use some help. Anyone else want to beta for awhile?)


Chapter 28: Surprise

"Mommy, which toy should I bring to show Mr. Clark? My model train or my ninja action figure?"

Jason held up both toys to Lois's face, his mind debating carefully which special toy out of the collection he should pack for Metropolis.

"Whichever one you want to bring is fine, sweetheart." Lois replied slightly distracted, tending to her overstuffed little, black suitcase in the corner. Two days...She assured herself confidently. Three days maximum. I go in, I talk to Clark, and I get out. Maybe even pay Jimmy a little visit in the hospital. It's easy. She nodded slowly, trying to convince herself that speaking with Clark was the right thing to do.I have to do it for Jason. We'll arrange some sort of agreement so that Jason can see Clark more often. Maybe he can come pick him on weekends or something...

It had taken Chloe nearly a full hour to persuade Lois to take the train tickets back to Metropolis.
"I paid for these tickets, and they are non-refundable! You are going to Metropolis! You are going to talk to Clark! And you are going to fix your life, weather you like it or not!" Chloe could be very persuasive when she was angry.

Lois knew she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't help the nervous butterflies that flew around in her stomach. What would he say? Would he want to speak with her? Would he be glad to see them again?

Of course he will. It's just Clark after all. But that was the thought that made Lois queasy. He wasn't just Clark anymore. He was that tall, dark, handsome and charming pillar of strength that she had fallen head-over-heels in love with. He wasn't just that the goofy, bumbling idiot that she could always count on for a laugh anymore. He was her knight in shining armor. He was Superman now. The Clark that she had always known and trusted, was now gone.

Jason gave her a solemn frown, as if she wasn't being much help. "I think Mr. Clark would like to see the train." While Lois was trembling on the edge of an anxiety attack, Jason was quite the opposite.

The moment Lois told Jason that they were going to visit Clark, Jason's face lit up with pure delight. He was excited and thrilled to be heading back to Metropolis.

"Mommy, how come we don't just call him?"

"I don't have his number anymore." Lois replied dryly. It was one of those useless items that had ended up in the trash because of her temper. She honestly didn't think she would need it anymore.

"No, Mommy I mean call for him. I bet he would hear you. He could fly here really fast and we wouldn't have to go on a silly, old train."

Lois packed her toothbrush in the side pocket of her suitcase and zippered it up tight, "I thought it would be nice if we made it a surprise."

"Surprise, Mr. Clark? Yeah!" He immediately loved the idea. "He'll be so happy to see us again!" Jason clapped his hands together eagerly, "Maybe he'll even take us flying!"

Lois smirked a cunning little grin. Yes, I want to surprise him. I want to catch him off guard. I want him to know that I have the upper hand. He needs to understand that it was my decision to speak with him on my own terms, and when I decided I was ready.

Jason, now overwhelmed with glee, bounded out of the door in search of his favourite toys to show Clark. But not before spinning around at Lois and giving her a hard stare, "Mommy," He began slowly, "I know Mr. Clark told you a bad lie. I know it made you sad. But he said he was sorry, are you going to forgive him now? Is that why we're going to visit him?"

Lois blinked and inhaled a long, uncertain breath, gazing straight back into her son's eyes truthfully she replied, "We'll see." It was the best and most honest answer she could give. And Jason seemed to accept the answer happily with a brief nod of his head. For in the world of children, the phrase we'll see, was always code for a most definite yes.


The sun dipped below the clouds as Clark drifted gently over the soft, pastel colors of the sunset. He gazed down below at the most famous, leaning, freestanding tower of Pisa in Italy. The tourists below swarmed together at the base of the tower and pointed enthusiastically at his dark, maroon cape fluttering in the breeze around him. He waved politely at the cheering and whistling crowed before taking his dramatic leave, and whizzing off again in the blazing rays of the sinking celestial sun.

The Cathedral next to the tower had caught on fire due to a careless cigarette left on the front lawn. After he had made quick work of the blaze with his breath, he gave his little spiel to the crowed about the importance of discarding cigarettes with care, in Italian. Then of course he quickly reminded them that it wasn't healthy to pick up the habit in the first place.

Now, Clark drew in a well deserved, relaxing breath of fresh air as he took in the beautiful scenery of Italy.

He hadn't had a moments rest in weeks. Any spare moment of free time was chewed away by his job and his pathetic, half-hearted articles the Perry had been more than disappointed with. Then there were his daily hospital rounds, visiting his mother, Ben Hubbard and Jimmy. The icing on the cake was that there had been sudden rush of disasters this week, giving him little time for sleep when the desperate cries of the world called for his aid again.

And then of course, there was the dark, empty hole in his heart that he simply could not fill no matter how many fires he extinguished, no matter how many crooks he arrested and no matter how many headlines he had, nothing could fill that hollow space of loneliness. He did his very best to keep his mind side tracked with his duties for Perry and for the rest of the world. But distracting himself with minuscule tasks for the day could never make him forget that dark and hateful look that still haunted him. He would never forget the hurt and anger that swelled up into Lois's eyes when he tried to visit Jason on his birthday.

I do want you to be a part of his life...but not yet.

Those few words from Lois that day were the only shreds of hope he had left to hold on to. That perhaps one day she would open her heart again and be able to forgive him. Perhaps one day he would be able to have a semi-normal relationship with his son. But these dreams were like fairy tales to him, and beyond his reach. All he could do was be patient and wait.


Jason squirmed impatiently in his seat. "Are we there yet?" He asked for about the tenth time since the train left the station, exactly forty-two minutes ago, by the look of her watch.

Lois tore her gaze away from the window with the millions of bright, yellow lights from the city buzzing by.

She smiled tolerantly. She was glad that Jason was so excited. She wished she could have been so enthusiastic. The butterflies of worry flew faster in her stomach. She was fidgety and couldn't seem to keep calm. The more she thought about seeing Clark, the more upset she became. There was a tingling feeling of dread that shivered down her spine. Her mind was focused on what she should say. Should she apologize? Her pride probably wouldn't allow it. But how do you break the ice with the father of your child, who you tried to cut out of your life forever?

She had been lost in the mist of thought for most of the journey on the train. It had been a relatively peaceful ride, besides Jason's constant badgering, and the endless tapping of her nervous foot.

"No, not yet Jason."

She couldn't help but feel the least bit sorry for Clark. He had been completely alone for five long years.

I don't think I could do that. I couldn't handle becoming so isolated from everyone for so long.

She shook her head, knowing that it was his foolish decision to leave in the first place. I could never choose to leave. It would be too hard. And then the thought stuck her, It must have been terribly difficult for him to leave. A tinge of sympathy for him ached from her heart. He risked everything by leaving. He put all of his hopes on finding something still alive from Krypton. From his home. Lois leaned her head up against the window. He went all that way and lost those five years, and for what? For nothing. He found nothing but a graveyard.

She knew that must have hurt more than she could ever possibly imagine. She couldn't bear to think of his disappointment. It was then that she realized how much Clark really had suffered. I sure didn't make it any easier for him when he came back. I suppose he might not have deserved everything that I did.

Jason laid back into his seat and sighed, "It smells funny on this train. I don't like it. And it's boring." He complained restlessly, "How much longer until we get to Mr. Clark's?"

"I'm don't know-"

Lois's sentence was cut short when she was jolted back in her seat. She felt an enormous amount of pressure slam down on her chest. She instinctively reached over to Jason's seat and grabbed his hand. She heard an ear-pricing screech from the train as she was thrown forward again. The lights flickered out, and Jason's panicked cries rose above the others.

"Mommy! Mommy, help! It's dark!"

Before Lois could respond, the train echoed again with screams when she was jerked to the side. She squeezed her eyes tight shut when she heard the dreadful shattering of glass, bracing herself for the razor sharp shards that flew into her face. Her body was twisted to the side, when she and the rest of the passengers were flipped off of the tracks and scraped along the ground. Lois gripped the seat ahead of her, while her other hand was glued to Jason's tiny fingers. "Mommy!" Jason's cries broke her heart. Everything was happening too fast. She couldn't breath. There was a large chunk of crushed metal pinning her helplessly to her seat. She couldn't see anything that was going on. The darkness was blinding and the screaming grew loader.

Oh God, Lois gasped for air. She felt the spiral shape of metal starting to sink into her stomach, Jason.

His tiny grip had slipped from her fingers. She turned her head looking for the faint outline of her son. The splinters of glass had settled deep into her cheeks as she was pressed up against the remains of the broken window.

"Fire!" A terrified voice hollered out from the pitch black chaos. "Fire! Get out!"

"Help..." Lois could hardly breathe in enough air for a whisper. "Jason..." She called for him breathlessly.

She could see it at the corner of her eye. The vibrant orange and red flames seethed closer to where she was trapped. She moaned weakly, using all of what was left of her energy to try and lift up the large chunk of debris that restrained her to the seat. It didn't move, but she cried out in agony as it fell back down into her flesh.

I can't go out like this, She reminded herself with a spark of determination lighting up in her chest. I didn't get to tell him. She wheezed faintly with another moan of pain, I didn't get to tell Clark that I was sorry.


"What is it, Clark?" Martha frowned with concern when Clark put down the book that he had been reading out loud while she lie bedridden with a solid white cast wrapped firmly around her arm. Clark wasn't with her anymore, at least his thoughts weren't. They were off somewhere distant, wherever his ears would take him. She could identify that far-off, foggy look with pride, knowing that he was about to take his leave and save another soul from their gloomy fate.

"Train crash," Clark replied darkly, "A big one."

Martha waved him off with her good left arm, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Clark stood up from his chair and gestured to the book, "I'll finish it later," Martha nodded her head quickly at his apologetic expression, "Go!"


Clark hurried through the clouds towards the outskirts of Metropolis where his hearing was focused on the pandemonium coming from the passengers. The train had toppled over off the tracks and was now laying upside-down as a blazing inferno. The bright orange flames licked the sides of the silver metal tracks. There was thick, black smoke rushing out of the broken glass windows. A team of three fire trucks raced to the scene while two ambulances followed close behind.

Clark cringed as he focused his acute hearing towards the disaster. There were so many people trapped in the boxcars. Some were praying, some were crying, some took in their last breaths as they were either engulfed in the flames or crushed under large chunks of metal from the collapsing boxcars.

He was too late. He didn't waste another second. He immediately filled his lungs with the crisp night air, and exhaled powerfully as he glided just overhead of the train. His frosty breath vanquished the flames and began to clear away the smoke. He landed swiftly on the ground where he met the Metropolis fire-chief, monitoring the situation and shouting out orders at the others.

"How many passengers?" Clark spoke hurriedly.

"One hundred and twelve." He reported grimly, "My team has already pulled out three. A few have made it out on their own. But it's not looking good."

Clark nodded his head before dashing off in a blur of speed towards the train. The front two boxcars had remained on the tracks, but the people were in a panicked frenzy from the fire and shock. Clark yanked off the metal door at both ends and escorted them swiftly off the train and into the care of the paramedics.

He then rushed to attend to the other boxcars that were flipped upside-down. He ripped off the doors with ease, but with a dreaded feeling of disappointment settling in his stomach, he saw that most of the people were trapped under the twisted collapsing metal. Of course it would be simple enough to remove all of the debris with one swift gesture, but the people were tangled up in the mess. He would have to take extra care when removing pieces to be sure of not accidentally hurting the passengers. And this would take time, which was a luxury he knew he didn't have from the frantic cries in the other cars.

The other paramedics fallowed close behind Clark has he attempted to rescue every single passenger crushed beneath the rubble...


"Is that everyone?" Clark spoke quickly to one of the weary paramedics attending one of victims that appeared to have a broken leg. The other team of paramedics carried what seemed to appear as every passenger in the last boxcar out on a stretcher. Clark had worked as quickly and as carefully as he could. But he couldn't help but feel guilty about the elderly couple that had died from their severe injuries.

"All except for a woman trapped near the back. None of us can get to her, I don't she would make it anyway."

"I'll go-"

"Superman!"

The paramedic went back to his duties as Clark turned around to the little cry of despair from behind him.

Jason, His breath was taken away when he saw his son standing feebly amongst the scrambling people around him. Tears poured down his cheeks. He was frightened and shaking. Clark was amazed when he looked around at all of the victims, almost everyone was injured quite seriously, but his tiny little son didn't even have a scratch on him. Clark wanted nothing more than scoop Jason up into his arms and sob with relief. But he knew he could never risk being so familiar with the child in public.

"Jason," Clark bent down to Jason's height and placed his hand warmly on his shoulder. He was the last person Clark would have expected to see here. "What are you doing-?"

"Superman, the firemen took me out of the train," Jason rushed, "But they couldn't get to Mommy! Please Superman you've got to save Mommy!" Jason pleaded desperately, his eyes drowning in terrified tears.

Clark felt his heart race into overdrive with alarm. He didn't dare waste another second and walked Jason over to the care of one of the paramedics.

"You stay here," He warned Jason firmly. "Do not move until I come back to get you, alright?"

Jason nodded obediently and sniffed, "Hurry."


When Clark franticly struggled through the debris in the last boxcar, the first thing he came to was a lifeless limb. Lois's foot was the only part of her body that wasn't buried underneath layers of rubble.

Clark's heart jumped into his throat when he saw her. "Lois!" He cried hysterically, "Lois!"

Why didn't I hear her? Why didn't I come to her first? Why was she on the train? Was she...was she coming back?

He continued to dig through the wreckage, finally there was only one shred of metal that remained pinning her to the ground.

"Oh, Lois..." His knees gave way at the sight of her mangled body. He was thankful that she was still conscious. She took in long, raspy breaths. Her eyes fluttered open as Clark ran his fingers across the cuts on her face.

"Clark," Lois moaned feebly, no louder than a hushed whisper. "You're here..." She trailed off, choking on her words.

"Shh," Clark's heart ached when he was how deep the large chunk of debris had sunk down into her stomach. "I want you to save your strength. I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

Lois didn't respond, her eyes drooping closed as her breaths became weaker.

"L-Lois," Clark stuttered, taking her cold, limp hand into his own. "I need you to stay awake, alright? Do not fall asleep." Clark wrapped his hand around the piece of metal, "Lois, I'm sorry. This is going to hurt a little bit..." He hardly moved the hunk of debris half an inch out of her stomach before she shouted out in pain. It stung his heart to listen to her screams.

"Clark, it hurts..."

"I know, but I've got to get it out so I can get you to the hospital. I promise it will all be over in a few minutes, okay?"

Clark could see a slow nod of her head. Her left hand squeezed his tightly, bracing herself for the pain.

"Clark, I'm sorry. For everything..."

He shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for." He assured her quickly, "I need you to be strong for me now, Lois. And for Jason."

"Okay," She answered shakily.

Clark concentrated carefully on the depth of the metal. He could rip it out in one clean swipe, but he would have to be especially careful not to cause anymore damage to her wound.

"Ready?"

Lois nodded, coughing up a spew of blood in her mouth. She couldn't wait any longer. It was now or never.

Clark removed the chunk of metal from her stomach in a swift but cautious gesture. Her screaming was almost unbearable

"Lois!" He took her bloody body into his arms. "It's over, it's okay! You're safe now."


It was just as Clark had expected. Lois's internal bleeding wounds were serious.

"Is Mommy going to be okay, Mr. Clark?"

Clark peered straight through his glasses staring gravely at his son's concerned expression.

"I..." Clark opened his mouth to respond. Jason deserved the truth. No more lies. "I don't know, Jason."

They had been sitting patiently in the hospital waiting room for hours. Jason had said almost nothing since arriving. He didn't need to. Clark could tell how worried he was about his mother by his silence. He didn't fidget, he didn't complain, he just sat quietly gazing straight ahead at the operating room Lois had been rushed into hours before.

"I think..." Jason finally uttered, "I think it's my fault." He ended his thought with a long trembling sigh.

"What?" Clark collected the sobbing little boy into his lap. "What do you mean?"

"It's my fault Mommy is hurt! I wanted to come see you! I was bad! I whined and complained for her to take me to see you. So she tried to make me happy, and now she's hurt!"

"Oh, Jason." Clark rubbed his arm soothingly around his back. "Look at me." He instructed sternly, gazing straight into his son's tearful eyes. "It is not your fault for what happened to your mother." Clark was determined to raise Jason right. He wanted to make sure that Jason did not grow up blaming himself for everything that went wrong. It wasn't fair to him.
"What happened on the train was an accident." He added softly. "You had nothing to do with her getting hurt."

Jason sniffed, clinging tightly around Clark's neck. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clark. It was supposed to be a surprise...for you."


So, what do you think? Plleease leave a review! I would very much love to hear what you all think of this chapter! I promise that if you didn't like this one that you will love the next :)