Thank you all so much for the great reviews. I hadn't planned on updating till Wednesday, but I thought of this entire chapter while in the shower (I love productive showers, don't you?) and just had to sit and write this down. So enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Superman. Though I wouldn't mind owning Brandon Routh (Yum, Yum Hunka hunk :-D )

Chapter 3

Lois turned onto her right side again as she stared at the clock on the bedside table. 2:31am. She inwardly sighed and turned on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep. Again. Insomnia had been plaguing Lois for a few days now. She hadn't mentioned much about it, except once to Richard, who pointedly told her that she should just drink chamomile tea before bed and everything would be all right. Lois turned to her side and watched her fiancée sleep. He looked so quiet, so peaceful. A sudden pain of guilt hit her as she realized that soon, very soon, she would have to reveal Jason's true parentage, and that it would upset him very much.

Lois closed her eyes. What she wouldn't give for a few minutes without a thought of Superman in her mind. She'd barely been able to concentrate at work today, citing a severe headache, though the reason was that she couldn't stop thinking about what would happen once the truth was revealed. Lois turned her head and glanced at the clock again. 2:34. Shoving thoughts of Superman out of her mind, she closed her eyes and turned to the opposite side of the clock, willing sleep to come.

Superman flew across the silent nighttime sky until the little house on the bay came into view. He flew down and paused in midair over his son's room, peering in. A mere coincidence maybe, but the window happened to be open. Superman took the advantage and flew in silently, landing with ease. He sat on the edge of Jason's bed, reminiscent of only a few days ago when he had done the same thing, and had recited the same phrase that his father had said to him many years ago.

He just sat there and watched Jason sleep, amazed. Just like any other parent, Superman thought Jason was perfect in every way imaginable. He couldn't believe that the little boy lying there, off in dreamland and unaware that his father was watching him; was actually a creation of his and Lois's. A testament of their love.

With his eyes, Superman traced every part of Jason's face, remembering that his smile and eyes were both from him, yet noticing that he had inherited much of his mother's facial features. No wonder no one suspected anything falseof the storyaboutRichard being Jason's dad.

Superman knew that his time with Jason tonight would most likely come very soon, so he was perfectly content to just sit there and stare.

Lois opened her eyes and turned to look at the clock again for the fifth or sixth time that past hour. 2:44. She gave up. Careful not to wake a sleeping Richard, Lois slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe. She put it on quietly and tied it securely around her waist as she walked into the main hallway. A bit of fresh air would do her good, she supposed. Lost in thoughts, Lois approached Jason's room and passed by it, then stopped, and slowly walked back again.

Jason's door was always left a good bit open, for nightly checkups, and Lois saw now that Superman was sitting on the edge of her, their, son's bed. She paused, and leaned against the door. Sudden tears sprung to her eyes as she watched father and son silently. What a perfect picture they made. Lois took a mental snapshot, making sure to store that in her mind for all eternity.

She was about to walk away when Superman turned around, and noticed her. He was startled at first, then quickly recovered and gave Lois a small smile. Lois smiled back and quietly stepped into the room.

"Hi," she whispered, once they were no more than a few feet apart.

"Hi," he replied, in that soft, gentle voice that had her fall weak in the knees every time. A small silence fell upon them, and then Superman broke it. "I meant to come by early, but with everything after the-." Lois smiled and made a motion to stop Superman from speaking any further. She then turned and pointed out the window, signaling that they should talk on the balcony. Superman nodded, and slipped out the window. Lois walked out Jason's room, stopping to give him a kiss on the forehead, and quietly walked onto the balcony.

The brisk air of late September surrounded them as they stood on the balcony, silently watching the night sky. The balcony had a perfect view of the water, and the relaxing atmosphere combined was the reason that this happened to be Lois's favorite part of the house. She sat down on one of the patio chairs and Superman sat on the one next to her.

"We have to talk," Lois stated. The understatement of the year. Superman nodded.

"Yes, we do."

Lois looked up and stared Superman straight in the eye. "What do you want to know?"

Superman sighed, breaking eye contact and turning to look at the water. After a minute, he reverted his gaze back to Lois.

"Everything. From when you found out, to the pregnancy, to how he looked like as a baby." He paused, taking in a deep breath. "Everything that I wasn't here for, everything that I should've been here for. I want to know my son."

Lois nodded. "I was a month along when I found out. I… didn't recall anything. I met Richard about a week after, and we starting dating. He decided to help me with my pregnancy and stay with me once the baby was born. But, when I was pregnant… I began having these images, dreams, of us. They were blurry, but all I remember was desire and passion. And I knew the baby was yours. Richard raised Jason with me, as you know." She sighed. Superman began asking questions about what Jason liked, his favorite this or that, and Lois did her best to answer. After a bit, Lois began having thoughts of her own, regarding what she had told Superman.

She gave him a stern look. "The images. You know something, don't you?"

Superman looked away, guilty. His mom had been right. It was time for her to know. "If I tell you, I must tell you everything. Including who I am."

Lois nodded, eager to know everything.

Superman sighed. "You've known me for years. The real me."

Lois gave him a confused glance. "Huh?"

Superman reached into his boot and pulled out a pair of glasses, putting them on. Lois almost fainted.

Superman was Clark Kent.

Dorky, farm boy Kent was Superman. Her superman.

She quickly pulled herself together. "Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered.

Superman looked away again. "I couldn't. I tried. I wanted to give you hints, but it was my job to be invisible. Part of the disguise. Clark Kent is part of who I am. I'm both Clark and Superman. It was hard to keep them separate."

Lois couldn't believe she had never figured it out. All of Clark's disappearances, and how Superman happened to show up right when he left.

Superman took off the glasses and put them back in their hidingplace. He decided to continue his story. "We were on assignment at Niagara Falls. I had disappeared to save a little boy, and when I returned, you questioned my frequent disappearances. I told you the truth, and I showed you the fortress of solitude. I was a human then, and we made love. But, when we got back, you got worried too often about me, and weren't taking the news well. So I gave you a kiss that would make you forget it all."

Lois had a sudden feeling of anger that quickly died down. She understood Clark's reasoning. As the memories came back, she remembered the times when he would leave, and she would get worried to the point of becoming sick. Back then; she wouldn't have been able to handle it. But now, much older and wiser, she understood.

Superman looked Lois straight in the eye. "If I would have known about Jason, I would've stayed."

Lois nodded. "I know." She said, voice raspy with emotion. All the truths revealed had turned her into an emotional wreck.

At the thought of Jason, Lois suddenly began to worry. "What are we going to tell Jason? We have to tell him." Sensing Superman's confusion, she explained about all that had happened on Lex Luther's boat with the piano. Clark felt a sense of pride that his son had been able to protect his mother when he himself had not been there.

"We have to tell him the truth. About me being Superman, and about the fact that I'm his father." Clark put his hand up as Lois opened her mouth, undoubtedly to protest something. "I think Jason will understand how to keep a secret. He's a bright kid."

Lois sighed. "I know that Jason will be fine. He loves you already, Clark. Both as you, and as Superman." Superman grinned at this information. Lois resisted the urge to laugh at his very Clark-like goofy grin, one she had never seen on him as Superman, and continued. "I'm worried about what we're going to tell Richard."

Superman frowned. He'd forgotten about this complicating angle for a moment. "Do you think he can be trusted with the truth?"

Lois looked away. "I don't know. Every time he brought up the subject of you and I, I always denied loving you." Lois gave Clark a sudden glance. "Not that I didn't love you. I just denied it to myself because it hurt less and –" Clark put a finger on her lips to stop her blabbering. He smiled.

"I understand. Believe me." He paused, thinking. "Maybe we should just tell Richard that Clark Kent is Jason's father, and see how he deals with that. Then, we'll add in the Superman bit."

Lois nodded, agreeing. "Let me tell him alone. Then you can come over for dinner or something."

Superman agreed. "Okay. How about you tell Richard first and then we'll tell Jason together."

"I like that idea," Lois replied. She then sighed and put her hands on her head.

"Tomorrow, I'm gonna tell Richard the truth and Jason is going to know that you are his real father."

A loud gasp of disbelief came from behind them, and Lois and Superman turned quickly to see who it was.

They gulped.

Standing there, in his pajamas...

was Jason.