Chapter 9: Richard's Return

Thanksgiving Day arrived early at the house on Riverside Dr, first with the General and Ella's arrival just after breakfast, and then the inevitable task of trying to make dinner for several people. In the very food cluttered Kitchen, Lois poured over her cook books, wishing she could just call someone to come make the meal, but her mother, she knew, would not have it, and not far from where she was trying to find a recipe for cranberry delight, Ella was chopping up the vegetables she used to make her famous stuffing with.

Not far from the kitchen in the Living room, the General was seated on the sofa which faced out toward the waterway. He was engaging Jason in a game of chess, and was impressed that his young grandson could understand the game so well at his age. Jason had never played Chess before now, and had picked up on it very quickly. "Now I don't think that would be such a smart move," he said as his grandson finished moving his pawn close to one of his knights.

Jason, who still had on his pajamas, and whose hair was in a bad need of brushing, thought about what the General had just said, as he looked from the board to his grandfather's face. The General had on dark slacks, and a dark blue sweater. A thin layer of white hair which had once been the same color of Lois's covered most of his head, and his dark brown eyes gazed fondly at his grandson.

When Lois told him she was pregnant, and not married, the General as well as Ella had been very disapproving, but the first time Sam held his tiny grandson in his arms, he forgot about what he considered proper, even though he would never tell his daughter that, and took to the little guy immediately. Sam watched as Jason tried to figure out what he was going to do, unwilling to lend a hand. He had hopes that one day Jason would make something of himself serving his country, and knew that if his daughter wasn't going to push him to succeed, then he would have to do what he could when he was around.

Finally Lois found the recipe and was opening a can of cranberries when the doorbell began to ring. "Jason would you please go and get that," she asked, guessing Lucy and her latest boyfriend Nick had arrived.

Still seated on the floor in front of his grandfather's feet, Jason got up. "I want to keep it right there," he said referring to his pawn, and then he ran all the way to the door. When he opened it he expected to see his Aunt, or Jimmy, but who he saw now caught him totally off guard. "Daddy," Jason practically yelled as Richard knelt down to catch him in his arms. "I thought you were in London," Jason said keeping a tight hold around his neck.

Holding Jason in his arms had been the only thought on Richard White's mind when he arrived back in town to have Thanksgiving with his Uncle and Aunt. He had come to invite Lois and Jason over for dinner at their house, but could already tell that Lois had company, and plans. "I was, but your Uncle Perry was very insistent that I come here to celebrate the holiday with him."

"Come in daddy, we have to tell mommy that you are here," Jason said not realizing that his mommy was standing right behind him.

Lois had heard the commotion and had assumed it was Clark, now as she stood facing Richard, a thousand different thoughts began to filter their way through her mind, and as well all the guilt and hurt she had tried to push away.

Richard could see the pain in her eyes, and suddenly he felt like a stranger. "I should have called," he said as he stood up holding Jason in his arms, knowing that Jason would not let him go so soon.

Quickly Lois got a hold of her emotions, and managed a smile. "No, Jason is happy to see you, I um, why don't you come in, my parents would love to see you," she said feeling awkward and unsure of herself. The last person she had expected to see today, or really ever was Richard, and as she led the way, she suddenly had the urge to get in her car and go for a very long drive.

A half hour later, Richard sat on the sofa talking to the General about his work in London, and seated on his lap, Jason listened to the conversation without interrupting them. Jason had not moved since his arrival, and Richard tried very hard not to think of how hard it would be on him when he had to leave again.

After finding out what had been going on in Richard's life, and discussing politics with the bright young man the General had hoped his daughter would one day marry, he stood up. "Well I need to go outside and have a smoke, but you stay put, I want to hear more about this new law the English are trying to implement."

Once he was gone, Richard looked down at Jason, the little boy he had thought of as a son, and still did. "Now I want to hear all about what you have been up too," Richard said as he gave Jason a kiss on the top of his head.

There was so much Jason wanted to tell his daddy, but now he wasn't so sure. "Daddy, are you going to leave us again?" he asked as he slipped off of Richard's lap and turned around so that they could see one another.

Richard could see the hope in Jason's eyes, and didn't know how to tell him the truth. "Well I promised Uncle Perry that I would have Thanksgiving with them," he said, and then watched as Jason ran from the sofa where he was seated, to the kitchen where Lois and her mother were making dinner.

Jason had run so fast to the kitchen that he nearly collided with his mom, but managed to stop just before he did. "Mommy, can Uncle Perry and Aunt Alice come over here so that Daddy can have Thanksgiving with us?" the little boy asked hoping and almost expecting his mommy to tell him yes.

Getting back to the dinner preparations had helped Lois kind of forget about Richard being in their house, but now as Jason looked up at her, and as Lois put down the wooden spoon she had been using to stir the mix she was making for pumpkin pie, she could see the hopeful look in his eyes. Lois dusted her hands off and knelt down. "Honey, I'm sure that Uncle Perry and Aunt Alice have a house full of people coming tonight, so I don't think that will work out." She saw Jason's bottom lip droop and when she reached out to try and hug him, he pulled away and then ran from her. Lois stood up and watched as he ran past the sofa where Richard was sitting and then up the stairs.

Richard had seen Jason run by and stood up looking at Lois a moment before he headed upstairs to repair the damage his visit was already causing. When he got to Jason's room the door was locked, but Richard knew where the key was, and reached up he felt along the top of the door frame until he found it. With ease he got the door open and found Jason on the other side of his bed pushing his car around on the floor. "Hey little guy," Richard said as he walked around Jason's bed and sat down next to him.

"It isn't fair, you should be able to stay here with us daddy, why won't you stay here?" Jason asked still pushing his red race car around on the floor.

How should he answer this question, how could he find the right words not to cause this special little boy any more pain than he already was. "Jason, I didn't come here to make you sad," he began, and watched as Jason turned around to face him. The tears were already streaming down his face, and Richard realized that this would probably be the last time he would be able to see Jason, at least until he was old enough to understand why he had gone away.

"Sometimes when two people meet like your mommy and me, they think that their lives were meant to be spent together for always," he said as he reached out and lifted Jason up, gently settling in his arms so that he was cradled against his chest. "When I met your mommy she was already going to have you, and I knew that I might not get to stay with you always, like I had hoped. You see as much as your mommy loves me and I loved her, she had someone else who was her first love, do you understand?" he asked and felt Jason shake his head. Richard tried to find the right words to make Jason understand. "Before your mommy met me she loved your other daddy," Richard said, and felt Jason tense up in his arms a moment before he relaxed again.

"Do you know my daddy's secret?" he asked not sure why he was even asking.

Richard didn't know if Jason really knew, and asked him what it was, and when Jason told him he sort of felt relieved. "You can't tell anyone else okay," he said before he continued. Richard told Jason that his mommy had loved Superman long before he met her, and that when he came back she still had love for him. "I knew that she and I wouldn't be happy staying together, and that is why I moved back to London.

"But I'm not happy now," Jason said and buried his face into Richard's chest where he began to cry.

It amazed Richard that Jason would still consider him dad after knowing about Superman, because when he had been a kid, he always wished his own father could do amazing things, instead of always yelling at he and his mother. "Hey why don't we go for a plane ride," he said hoping Lois wouldn't mind. Jason stopped crying then, and after Richard helped him get dressed, they went down stairs and asked Lois if that would be okay, and then headed out to Perry's to get his plane.

While his mom prepared Thanksgiving dinner inside, Clark was sitting outside looking out over the lake. He had hoped he and Lois could have Thanksgiving together, but she insisted that he come here to be with his family, not wanting him to have to endure her father, something he was starting to feel compelled to do. Behind him he heard the door open, and a moment later his mom was sitting across from him.

"Clark, why don't you go spend time with Lois and Jason," Martha said. As much as she loved her son, she knew he missed them, and wanted him to be happy, just as any mother would want for her child.

Clark smiled at his mother. She had on a floral dress and over that a pink apron splotched with food of different sorts. He noticed that she looked happy, and had started to realize that he couldn't expect her to be alone for the rest of her life. "I wish I could, but her father is there, and she seems to have her hands full as it is," he said, and then he remembered something. He reached into the pocket in his brown jacket and pulled out a picture handing it to her.

Martha reached out and took the photo and smiled. The picture was of Jason, seated on Clark's lap at The Daily Planet with a huge smile on his face. Martha looked at Clark in that photo and could see how proud he was. "I so look forward to meeting him," she said as she started to hand the picture back.

"No, I brought that for you to have. Lois is taking Jason to have Holiday photos made, so I'll be sure to send or bring you those when they are ready." Talking about his son made him miss Jason, but he knew that he needed to give Lois and Jason time with her parents, and was glad to be here with his mom and even Ben who was on the other side of the lake doing what he loved best, fishing.

As she sat with her son, Martha asked him what he thought about coming down for Christmas, and was delighted when he said that might work out for them. "Well I better get back to the cooking, why don't you go fishing," she said hoping that this would be time for Clark and Ben to visit. Clark had never really been much for fishing, and as he stood up he heard something on the TV inside that got his attention. In a flash he was gone, flying high into the air and then west to help a plane that had lost one of its engines due to a flash of lightening.

Dinner ended up being more than Lois wanted. After Jason begged her, Lois let Richard stay, and the entire dinner her father kept encouraging him to try and get a job back at the Planet so that he could be closer to Jason. By the time the meal ended, Lucy and Nick decided to leave before the fireworks started, as did Jimmy. Now in the Kitchen, Lois was washing dishes, trying to ignore her mother's efforts to defend her father.

"Lois he means well, he just wants what is best for Jason," she said as she handed her daughter another dirty dish.

Finally Lois couldn't take anymore. She turned to her left and faced her mother. "How do you know what is best for Jason and for me?" she said raising her voice more than she had wanted.

Ella was shocked at her daughter's outburst but didn't turn away. "Well it is quite obvious that he is not happy with Richard being gone, and as for Clark, he was the one who chose to leave, and Jason should not have to pay for your reckless choices," she said also raising her voice.

In the Living room, Jason and Richard had been playing checkers, a game Jason liked much better than chess, when they both heard the argument heating up. Richard was about to suggest that he and Jason go outside, but again his little boy ran up stairs. Quickly he followed and when he got to Jason's room he found him packing his little suitcase which had his name embroidered on the front. "Hey, where are you headed?" he asked as he shut the door.

"I want to live with you daddy, I don't want to stay here anymore," Jason said as he swiped the tears from his face with his right hand.

Richard walked behind Jason and knelt down pulling him to sit on his lap. "I know how hard this is munchkin, but your mommy needs you here with her." Suddenly Jason pulled out of his arms.

"I don't want to live with her, she made you go away, and so did Superman," Jason said suddenly very angry. He ran for the door and pulled it open nearly taking it off of its hinges. Jason ran downstairs despite the yelling coming from the kitchen and ran right into the middle of the argument that his mom and his Grandparents were now having. "Stop it," he said. None of them seemed to notice him, so Jason moved past them to the counter where a stack of dishes sat ready to be dried. He pulled one from the top and dropped it down on the ground causing a loud crash, and suddenly all of the yelling stopped. Jason grabbed another dish and broke that one, shocking all four adults who were now standing close to him.

Lois starred in disbelief as Jason broke a third dish, and then a forth, and then she walked to him and as she knelt down he saw her, and ran from the room. "Jason," she called out as she stood up and went after him. He was already out the door by the time she got there, and was running down the street, not seeing Superman land changing into Clark, until he ran into him.

Jason ran into something, and tried to push past, but that something wouldn't move or budge, and then in an instant he was in the arms of the very person he was angry at. "Let go," he said struggling as Clark held him in a firm embrace. Jason struggled for a few seconds before his arms wrapped around Clark's neck and his cries came taking his breath out of him.

An hour later, Lois sat downstairs drinking a glass of tea Richard had fixed for her. Her parents had gone, and Clark was still upstairs with a very distraught Jason. Neither she nor Richard had spoken a word since Clark walked in with Jason in his arms, and both of them knew that this would be the last time they saw one another. A squeak on the steps drew their attention, and from the mantel, above the fireplace where Richard had been looking at a picture of taken of Jason, and Lois on a Ferris wheel, Richard turned around as Clark came down the stairs without Jason. Lois too turned on the couch to look at him. Her hands were still shaking and she could tell Clark was not happy.

It had taken him every bit of an hour to get Jason to calm down, and as his son finally fell asleep, Clark had come to a decision, one he knew he had to make for the sake of his child. He watched as both Richard and Lois turned around to face them and addressed their most immediate question, one they didn't have to speak. "He's asleep," he said. He saw the relief in both of their eyes. "Jason needs stability in his life, and I can't give him that. He had that and then I came back and took it away from him." He saw Lois shaking her head and watched as Richard walked past her to go outside and give him time to tell her what he knew he had to say.

Once Richard was gone, Clark walked over to her and sat down next to her. "Lois, Richard White is Jason's true father, I know I helped give him life, but that's all I did. Richard is the one who has been here for him, he is the one who has raised him with you, and how can I even think that I could try and take his place," he said as a single tear trailed its way down Lois's right cheek.

Lois managed to swallow the lump in her throat. "Clark, Jason knows about you now, he loves you too," she said trying to make him see reason, but already he was shaking his head.

"He will always be my son Lois, and I will always be here for him, but I think for now his knowledge of me being his father has to be wiped from his mind." He wouldn't do that until Lois agreed to it, and when she shook her head he waited to listen.

"I won't let you do that, I know this is hard for Jason, but you seem to be forgetting that he is your son, he has your powers especially when he's angry or upset, and he needs you there to guide him. You did that just now outside, and upstairs, how can you even think of taking that away from him now?" she asked as more tears spilled down her cheeks.

Without thought, Clark reached out and wiped away her tears. "How can I stand by and see him struggle with all of this?" he asked as he moved his hand away. There were no easy answers to be found, and then Clark heard Jason crying again and stood up. "I won't do anything now, but we need to figure this out now, tonight," he said and then he headed back upstairs to his son.

It was close to midnight when Richard left his old home, and it had been agreed by all three of them that the time to end things between he and Lois was now. He left feeling tired and defeated but somehow not angry. Clark had been ready to give up his rights as Jason's father, and it had given Richard the courage to realize that what Clark had said was all wrong. Even though he had raised Jason as his son, the true father Jason needed now was Superman, or Clark, and the only thing he regretted was how much hurt he had caused Jason today. Now as he sat in the Taxi which was to take him back to his Uncle's home, Richard wondered what he was going to do with his life. Even when he had gone back to London he had hoped that things between Lois and Superman would not pan out, but now reality had hit, and Richard decided as he arrived at his Uncle's house that he would head back to London in the morning.

Inside the house his Uncle was still up, but didn't ask Richard about his time with Lois. Perry seemed to know that things had not gone well, and had never been the one to give an opinion unless it was asked, or unless it had to do with the paper. In the room his Aunt Alice had prepared for him, Richard got ready for bed and settled into the four post Canopy bed looking up at the ceiling. Before he met Lois he was pushing to be an Editor like his Uncle Perry. He had never taken the time for a relationship, and he knew he could get back into work like he had before.

It was the touch of a small hand against her arm which woke Lois from her sleep and as she opened her eyes she saw her son standing next to her bed. "Hey munchkin, do you want to lie here with me?" When he nodded his head she moved over and when Jason was resting next to her she hugged him and kissed his cheeks.

"Daddy's going away again isn't he?" Jason said softly.

"Yes he is," Lois said honestly. Jason sniffed and she pulled him closer so that he was resting nestled up against her as she had done with him when he was a baby. "I'm sorry that I got angry with The General and Nanna," she said.

"I'm not mad anymore mommy," Jason said as his cheek rested against her left side. Jason still felt very sad, but he loved both of his daddy's even though he had been mad at Superman earlier.

All Lois could do was hold her son close and wonder how it was that Jason could have such an understanding of things, and not be angry at such a young age. She knew that part of it had to be due to his Kryptonian heritage, and wished there was a way he could know more about that, but guessed when he was old enough Superman would tell him what he needed to know.

"Mommy, is daddy mad at me, I mean my daddy Richard for not being mad at Superman?" Jason asked and felt a kiss on the top of his head.

"No." Lois suddenly realized something and gently lifted Jason so that he could see her. "Do you think that your daddy won't love you if you like Superman?" When he nodded his head Lois gently pulled him back into her arms. "Oh Jason, he loves you so much, and he wants you to be happy, I know how hard this is for you to understand, but he does want you to be happy," she said as she kissed the top of his head.

"He wants you to be happy too, and daddy has to be happy, do you think he will be without us?" Jason asked and again he felt more kisses place on the top of his head, not realizing that his mommy was doing her best not to cry.

Long after Jason had gone back to sleep in her arms, Lois wondered how Richard would do. She cared about him a great deal but after tonight she realized where her heart truly was, and wondered how she and Superman would find their way. As she drifted off to sleep, she was finally at peace, and hoped that soon Jason would be as well.

AN: I know I'm writing this bleak, but I don't think the way for them would be easy right off. As for Richard, not to worry I won't leave him without anyone to make him happy, so never fear as far as that goes. Eventually it will all work out but they still have a ways to go. Thanks for the Reviews to everyone who submitted them, and I promise too Lex will have a bigger part, but I'm not giving to much away, so be watching out for him.

Thanks again

Eviefan