Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.
This one's gonna knock you back off your feet; get ready for some surprises.
Richard moaned, his eyelids fluttering open. 'Where am I?' he thought, looking around. It seemed like he was in some type of basement, dark and foreboding. He would have yelled had it not been for the cloth gag. He wriggled a little, finding that he was tied hand and foot to a chair. Foot…Foots…Lois and Jason!
The last thing he remembered was yelling at Lois about Jason, and storming off to go to the doctor. In the car, there was a flash of light and pain, and then it was over. He heard a door open and whipped around to see a beautiful blonde woman holding a gun.
"Don't get up," she scoffed mockingly. Richard let out a muffled yell. Where was Superman when he needed him? Abruptly, the thought was thrust from his mind. He didn't need Superman to save him like he was a cat stuck in a tree! He was Richard White, and he could get out of anything!
"I'll bet you're wondering why you're here. Well, I can't tell you, or I'll have to kill you. I can't even tell you my name. All I can really say is I'm the boss around here, and you're the bait," she said slyly, smiling at him, "And you're not supposed to be awake yet."
Something hard and metal, a bat by the feel of it, struck him in the back of the head and he passed out instantly, Lois' face filling his thoughts as everything went dark.
Clark lay staring at the ceiling. It was relatively quiet tonight, save a minor robbery or two. Sometimes he could just leave it to the cops; after all, he didn't want to put them out of work. His mind was too busy for him to pay any real attention to what he was doing, anyway.
Should he tell Lois? Maybe it would bring them together, and he could live a happily-ever-after kind of life. But that would just confirm his fears that she only liked him for the powerful, superhuman figure of Superman instead of his personality. If she wanted Superman, she needed to want the whole deal, not just the majestic fantasy that made up her dreams.
Also, there was a constant threat to her life. If anybody found out that she was married to Superman, it would spread like a wildfire. It was already too dangerous for her now, being Lois Lane, Superman's press agent. Jason, though, could handle himself after a while. He wasn't worried about Jason. In fact, his heart filled with pride whenever he looked at his seemingly-frail son.
Also, there was the question of whether Lois was ready for another relationship, but that answer was easy; hell no. He could still hear her crying at night, and it broke his heart a thousand times over, but there was nothing he could do. Only time could heal a wound like that.
Clark heard a tiny noise outside his door and sat up. He saw tousled brown hair and sleepy blue eyes watching him from the doorway. He smiled, and Jason walked in, hopping straight onto the bed next to Clark and sitting.
"I can't sleep," he said simply, looking up at him with those deep blue eyes. Clark found himself grinning. He knew exactly who those eyes came from.
"Me neither. Do you want something to drink? Or maybe some cookies and milk?" asked Clark, affectionately straightening Jason's hair. Jason nodded.
They snuck into the kitchen and Jason sat at the table while Clark pulled out a jug of milk and warmed it with his heat vision. Nothing put kids to sleep like warm milk and cookies.
Next he opened a package that he picked up from Smallville. It was filled to bursting with deliciously warm cookies that his mother baked. She had told him specifically to 'share it with my grandson.'
Spilling some cookies onto a plate and setting the warm milk out for Jason, he sat and watched his son eat.
"So why can't you sleep?" asked Clark mildly, nibbling a fat chocolate chip cookie. Jason shrugged a little.
"I think about things. I miss my daddy," he said, taking a bite of cookie. Clark sighed; he had hoped that he wouldn't have to talk about this with Jason, but it was inevitable.
"Jason, Richard is in a better place now, and I'm sure he wants you to be happy," he said comfortingly. He still wasn't the greatest at this dad stuff, especially when your own child doesn't know that you're his real father.
Jason nodded, his mouth full of cookie, and yawned. A few crumbs dropped from his mouth, which Clark wiped with instinctive father reflexes. Then, scooping a very tired little boy up, he went back to Jason's room and tucked him into bed. Jason fell asleep in no time. Clark smiled. Martha's cookies never failed.
The next morning, Lois got up early to get the mail. Most of them were for Clark, but one was for Lois Lane. She started to open it curiously, but she heard Clark walk in and decided it could wait.
"Hey, Jason wants to go to the zoo today, since its Saturday," she said cheerfully, strolling over to Clark and handing him a cup of coffee. He took a sip and choked a little.
"Jesus, Lois, is this coffee was any stronger it could kill Superman," he said bitterly, taking another sip and wincing. Lois laughed dryly.
"Well, as fearless reporter Lois Lane, I think I have a reputation to keep up, and falling asleep during a major story might have a negative effect on my career," she said, giving Clark a light punch on the shoulder. She was a little shocked when his arm didn't even move; it felt like it was carved out of rock! Why was Clark a reporter? He felt like a champion weightlifter!
"Silly me, thinking being dead could possibly have a worse effect on your career than falling asleep," he joked, giving her his lightest punch possible. Lois grinned. Clark was always the same goofy, likeable Clark. She wasn't sure why she was feeling particularly attracted to him at the moment, though. She did feel guilty, though. Richard, Superman, and Clark Kent? 'What a whore,' she thought to herself.
"Well the zoo sounds fun," said Clark, pulling out a bowl and cracking eggs into it. He started mixing when Lois laid a hand on his shoulder. It was his first affectionate contact with Lois since she entered the house, and she could feel him tense under her hand. God, he was like a solid mass or muscle!
"Here; I'll cook breakfast today," she said, slipping the eggbeater out of his hand. He was an amazing cook, though, she had to admit. Maybe being raised on a farm had its advantages; or at least, living with a guy raised on a farm did. He could whip up a damn fine pancake!
Clark left the kitchen and entered Jason's room. Jason was snoozing rather quietly on the single bed, sprawled out to unbelievably lengths. Clark was glad Jason didn't snore; he was rather proud to admit that he didn't, either. Whether Lois snored or not was yet to be seen.
"Wake up, buddy," whispered Clark, nudging Jason a little. Nothing happened. Clark pushed him a little harder, but with no avail. Jason slept on. Apparently he got Lois' sleeping habits, since Clark woke up at every creak of the house. Suddenly, Clark had an idea. If Jason had indeed begun to develop his powers, then this should wake him up.
Clark whistled, a shrill, high-pitched whistle that immediately set off the neighbors' dogs into fits of frenzies. Jason, evidently, hadn't fully developed the sensitive hearing, but he still had sharp ears. Yawning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Time to get up, we're going to the zoo today," said Clark, placing his hand on Jason's back. It was easy to display affection on Jason, which was readily returned. Jason nodded sleepily and held up his arms.
"I think you're getting too big to be carried," said Clark cheerfully, lifting Jason into his arms and setting him on his shoulders. Jason laughed a little.
"So are you saying Superman is getting tired in his old age?" asked Jason, resting his cheek on the top of Clark's head. Clark smiled and started walking out of the room with his tiny child-hat.
"Well, are you ready to go, Jason?" asked Lois as Clark and Jason entered the kitchen. She looked over.
"Oh, no, you're not even dressed! Come here, let's go get your clothes on," she said, taking Jason from Clark. Clark sat at the kitchen table to wait. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a letter for Lois. It wouldn't have worried him, except he noticed that there was no return address; someone didn't want to be found.
Checking to make sure Lois was busy, he picked up the letter and scanned it with his X-ray vision. He hated scanning letters; he had to keep turning it over because it was usually folded up. He did manage to make out the writing, though, and was so stunned that he dropped the letter.
Lois Lane,
We have your husband; come to the abandoned shipyard at midnight tomorrow night, and bring $10,000. If you aren't there by 12:10, you'll never see Richard White again; it's easy to switch bodies in a car explosion. Fire makes the victims undistinguishable. Do not bring anyone with you. I repeat, DO NOT ALERT THE POLICE. If we see more than one person coming, we will shoot.
Okay...I know I'm going kind of slow still, but don't worry...once the plot is revealed, it will get a lot more actiony...if that's a word. Once again, please be gentle with your reviews, but tell me where I go wrong. Nicely.
