"Richard!" Lois cried out as the plane shuddered around her. She looked up to the front as he replied.

"I'm trying! It's too choppy!"

Lois turned her attention back on the man whose head was in her lap. She had never seen him so weak before, and her heart was beating wildly in fear for his life. As the plane rattled, she tried to steady his head, making the journey as comfortable as possible.

Just hold on, hold on. You can't leave me again!

Lois' mind was racing, and the ride wasn't getting any smoother. Suddenly she felt the plane lift off and glanced out the cockpit window. What she saw made her heart stop. Two crossing crystals were directly in their path. She let go of Superman's face and grabbed for support as the plane dived back down to the icy waters below.

She could see the fear in her son's eyes as the plane continued to fail to lift off. Her heart clenched in pain as she thought about her son. She started praying with everything that she had that Richard would be able to take off. She risked another glance at the front and felt her heart jump to her throat as they went over the edge of the channel. Suddenly she was being pressed up against the wall as they plunged nose first into the mists. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the rocks if they did crash. Suddenly she was pressed down as the plane lifted and rose up, just missing more growing rocks.

Dimly she heard Richard's wild laugh of relief, but all her attention was back on the man on the ground. Gently she turned him over, seeing that he wasn't laying on his back all the way, as though trying to avoid laying on his right side. Her questing fingers found a shard sticking out of his back.

"Oh my god, oh my god." She muttered to herself, knowing the only thing that could penetrate Superman's skin. Frantically she searched through the tool box until she found a pair of pliers.

Grasping the edge of the kryptonite, she pulled as gently as she could, trying to remove it from his body. At his first sound of distress, she felt her heart bleed. Steeling herself, she pulled harder, her eyes starting to sting with tears as he cried out in pain. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, she felt the kryptonite come loose. Taking it from the pliers, she looked at it in horror as she saw the blood that stained it. She had never seen his blood before, had thought it impossible. Now she stood and opened the side door of the plane, ignoring Richard's exclamation as she threw the offending piece of kryptonite into the ocean where she knew it would never be seen again.

As soon as that was done, she struggled to close the door again, then knelt on the ground by his head. She watched as his eyes opened slowly and focused on her. Confusion swam through his bright blue eyes.

"How did you find me?" he asked, his voice slightly raspy. Lois didn't say anything. She just turned and looked towards the seat. At that moment Jason leaned forward and smiled. Turning back to him, she watched as his eyes flickered between her and her son. No, their son. Though he didn't know that yet. After a moment, his eyes met hers again.

"Thank you." He said. Lois shifted back as he struggled to gain his feet. When he did, she could only watch as he gathered his strength back. Her brows creased in confusion as he turned and opened the cabin door.

"What are you doing?" she cried, every part of her being wanting to reach out and grab him. He just looked at her, a deep emotion swimming in his eyes. Lois didn't have to look twice to know that it was love.

"I have to go back." He replied, his voice causing her heart to break all over again. She had to fight. There was no way that she was going to let him leave her again.

"You're hurt!" Even though it was a statement, she knew that everyone in the plane could hear the secret plea underneath it. Her hands started to tremble as Superman gave her one last long look. Eyes overflowing, Lois felt a piece of her heart die as she heard possible the last words she would ever hear from him again.

"Good bye Lois." Her hand reached out, trying to grab hold of him before he left. Her hand grasped nothing but empty space.

He was gone.