Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Author's note: I really like this chapter, it's one of my favorites. My favorite one is when Superman takes Lois flying. I liked that one, it was chapter eight or nine, I think. Maybe ten. Please review, it really inspires me to write more.


"Listen, Lois, I think I'm going to take that job offer I got, the one in Paris," said Richard unhappily. Lois gasped, her attention caught. The office room was very noisy today, and very crowded. TVs blared the news at all times, Superman on almost every channel.

"Richard, no, Jason needs you," said Lois, reaching out to place her hands on his shoulders. He looked away uncomfortably.

"I'll stop to say goodbye before I go, but I'll be back for holidays and such, maybe even some weekends. I know it's the right thing to do, and Jason…Jason has a father," said Richard with an incredible burst of effort. Lois seemed to know exactly how hard this was for him. She reached out and hugged Richard close.

"Sometimes, I wish I had never met Superman," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. Richard held her gently.

"You know what, Lois? Sometimes, I wish you hadn't met him, too, but then I see Jason and I'm glad you did," said Richard, holding back tears to appear strong for the love of his life and the child that wasn't his. Clark listened from across the room, filtering out the noise and commotion of the newsroom. Feeling guilty, he stopped and focused his attention back to Jimmy. He never really liked using his powers for his personal life, and that included now.

"…and would you believe it, I had forgotten to buy more film! I was just clicking away with a full roll! I practically had a flip book on Superman lowering the globe, and it turned out that none of the pictures came out! That was one of the most frustrating moments of my life," finished Jimmy Olsen. Clark blinked and tried to pretend he had been listening. He nodded and hoped Jimmy wouldn't notice how oblivious he looked. Fortunately, Jimmy wasn't that clever and didn't see.


Dressed in blue, he landed on Lucy's porch, to the left of the door. Lois Lane walked out quickly, not even noticing him. He smiled a little, and walked up behind her. She lit her lighter and lifted it to the cigarette, and of course he blew it out. Surprised, she looked to her right, and then to her left, but didn't see him behind her, blowing over her shoulder. She decided it was the wind and lit it again.

"You know, that's going to kill you one day," he said in his deep, soothing voice, and Lois jumped, whipping around to see him standing there. Her hand flew to her cheek.

"Oh, you scared me," she said, breathing hard. He just smiled that charming, award-winning smile. It terrified men and enchanted women at the same time. Lois was on the women's side.

"So, you wanted to talk?" he asked, walking forward. A little in awe of him, she stepped back, fearful. He stopped right in front of her, his piercing blue eyes holding hers.

"Yes…I did. So, I noticed you've been visiting Jason at night," she said, reaching up with a gentle finger to trace the S symbol on his chest. He chuckled.

"I like to keep an eye on my family," he said, smiling at her. She looked down, unable to bear his perfection for a moment. When she looked up, her gaze was as steady and powerful as ever.

"Lucy isn't here," she said casually, not quite sure why she brought that up. Clark knew just what to say.

"Lucy? Lucy who?" he asked, tilting Lois' chin up, bewildered by her beauty. Lois was so fierce, so lovely…it was an unnerving combination.

Lois stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed him, ever so lightly, on the lips. He wrapped one arm around her waist while one hand held the back of her head to draw her in, and kissed her more deeply. She pulled away to draw breath.

"Jason's in the next room," she gasped, trying to fill her lungs. She melted when Superman smiled at her again, taking a step back.

"I'll see you around, Lois," he murmured, diving off the balcony to fly away into the night. Lois watched, trying to smooth her hair and steady her breathing. She needed to separate dreams from reality, and soon.


Clark hated himself. It wasn't right to come between Lois and Richard like that, even though she had made her choice clear. He flew for a long time, until a crisis called his name and he flew to the relief of doing something right.


"Jason, we need to talk," said Lois, taking her young son's hand. Immediately catching on, Jason's defense rose.

"What's wrong?" he asked timidly, sitting on the couch in between his mother and father. Their quick, worried glances at each other that they thought he didn't see answered him. Something was wrong. Lois cleared her throat, trying to find a way to soften the blow.

"Jason, honey, your father is going on another trip, to Paris," she said gently, watching her son's face anxiously. It looked mildly relieved, and Lois felt worse.

"When are you coming home?" he asked, his large blue eyes turning to his father. Richard opened and closed his mouth, swallowing painfully. Those eyes…they were Clark's eyes. How had he not noticed them before? Richard's eyes were not near as vivid.

"I'm not coming back for a long time, Jason. But…I will be here for Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving, and maybe some weekends," he added quickly, seeing tears welling up in his son's eyes. Huh…it was funny in a not funny kind of way; tears welling up in the eyes that weren't his in the face of the son that wasn't his.

"So you're going away? And never coming back?" asked Jason, his voice wobbling. Richard opened his mouth to correct him, he was coming back, but somehow he knew what Jason meant; he wasn't going to live with them anymore. Slowly, he nodded. A few tears dripped down from Jason's face, and he looked desperately from Lois to Richard.

"Is it because of us?" he asked softly, and Richard shook his head instantly.

"No, Jason, I love you and I love your mother, but…things have changed, and they're for the better, I think. I'm leaving tonight," he said, trying to make it easier for Jason. It didn't.

"I hate you, I hate you," he wailed, pulling out of Richard's arms and running to the room he stayed in. It was Lucy's house, after all. Richard exchanged looks with Lois. He didn't want the last words he heard from his son before he left to be 'I hate you.'

After waiting for a tortuous five minutes, Richard got up to see his son. When he entered the room, he saw Jason, watching the sky. Noticing that Jason seemed to be talking, he snuck up behind him in hopes of hearing what he was saying.

"…and please watch over daddy, I know you're busy, but maybe you could fit him in, too. Mommy and I need you right now, but it's okay if you don't come because you're watching after daddy. Please keep him safe, he gets in lots of trouble sometimes. Don't let the bad people hurt him, protect him for me," whispered Jason, so quietly that Richard had to lean forward to catch what he was saying. Abruptly, Jason spun around, and Richard toppled over from surprise.

"Daddy," he said, reaching out to hug him, "I don't hate you anymore." Richard sat on the bed and pulled Jason into his lap, facing the large bay window. Jason smiled and waved. Richard peered at him curiously.

"Were you praying?" he asked, and Jason didn't answer for a second. Then, he shook his head.

"No, I was telling Superman to watch over you, too," he said, pointing at a random place in the sky. Richard squinted.

"I don't see him," he said confusedly, looking around. Jason laughed.

"Don't be mean," he scolded, and Richard stared at him.

"I wasn't being mean, I really can't see him!" insisted Richard, and Jason looked at him curiously.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said bluntly, pointing up. Richard looked hard, but didn't see anything.

"He can hear me, even though we're far. I can hear him, too. He told me you were behind me," said Jason casually, and Richard was startled. Was Jason developing his powers already? He stared up and let out a half-smile, wiggling his fingers at the unseen superhero in the sky.

"He's waving, look," whispered Jason excitedly. Richard squinted again but still didn't even see a speck. Giving up, he sighed.

"So what did you talk about?" he asked, looking down at his beloved son. Jason smiled at him, and turned to kiss his cheek.'

"I was just asking him if he could watch over you, too, and maybe visit you for me," said Jason, snuggling into his father's lap. Richard smiled, running his fingers through Jason's hair.

"Well, thank you, Jason," he said, not sure what else there was to say. His eyes filled with tears as he held his son for the last time until Christmas.

"I love you, daddy," murmured his son sleepily, hugging his father. Richard held Jason until he was sure he was asleep, and then laid him softly into bed, making sure to tuck him in. Looking to the sky, not even sure if the hero in blue was still there, he mouthed a silent 'thank you,' and left the room. It was comforting to know that his son was being watched by the most powerful guardian angel in human history.


It took quite a while to convince Jenna to baby-sit again. In fact, Lois had spent an hour persuading the poor girl to come and watch Jason. There was no one else. Clark had some unknown meeting to attend; Lucy was on a date, and Jimmy was out of town. She needed someone to watch Jason for the next few hours, at least until eleven, while she dropped Richard off at the airport. She didn't want Jason to wake up and be alone, not that he would ever really be. Superman was always there to watch him, but what if he suddenly had to go save someone's life? It wasn't safe.

Finally, Jenna agreed to baby-sit again, on the condition that she got a raise from her usual fare. She arrived at the door, and had even brought her own baseball bat, made of metal. Lois would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. She left Jenna the usual list of numbers and emergency medications, and then left to take Richard to the airport.


It was all going well with Jenna. She had locked and bolted the doors, made sure all windows were shut and locked, and then finally flopped down on the couch to turn on the TV. She lowered the volume to make sure Jason wouldn't wake up, but she wasn't worried. Jason slept very soundly.

Finally relaxing for the first time in weeks, she felt her eyelids begin to droop. Fighting the sleepiness, she reminded herself how bad it would look if she fell asleep right in the middle of baby-sitting. She was supposed to watch a sleeping kid, not be one!

She was quite comfortable and peaceful on the living room couch, watching TV, when she heard a noise come from upstairs. She sat straight up, her fingers curling around the base of the bat and her ears alert for any noise. Her nerves were tingling, and her stomach dropped. Were these people robbed every night or something? She waited with baited breath.

There it was again! It kind of had a squeaky noise to it, like…like…a window being opened! She suppressed a scream, and rose to her feet, raising the bat like she was in a baseball game. Her sweating hands struggled to grip the bat as tight as possible.

She had never appreciated the fact that the stairs here didn't squeak as much as she did right now. Tiptoeing up the stairs, she tried to determine where the noise was coming from. She listened, and heard the distinct thump of feet on a floor. Trying not to whimper, she realized that the noises were coming from…Jason's room! Maybe it was just Jason…no, she could hear his soft snores from the stairs. Her hands weren't slick with sweat anymore. Quite the contrary, they were cold and clammy.

She moved a little faster, hoping the intruder couldn't hear how loud her heart was beating or her ragged breathing. She was at the top of the stairs now…the door was open, and she could see the silhouetted figure of a man against the moonlight…she gasped. He was huge! She whimpered soundlessly until she noticed that his back was to her. She snuck forward, inch by inch, until she was right behind him.

She swung the bat as hard as she could right when the man turned around. It struck the side of his head…and nothing happened. He didn't even flinch. In fact, the only thing that happened was that Jenna received a painful shock in her arms when the bat vibrated like she had been trying to knock down a brick wall. She stared openmouthed into the face of Superman before she passed out on the floor.


Clark had just been saying good night to Jason, and decided to watch his son sleep for a minute before he left to fight crime. He looked so peaceful, and Clark wished he could sleep like that, too. He would have noticed the noise coming from behind him, but he was too entranced by the perfection of his little boy. He could hear the sound of skin against carpet, but assumed it was just Muffy coming up to sleep on Jason's bed. He hadn't put much thought into it until he heard the noise right behind him, and the sound of breathing was coming from much higher up than where Muffy's mouth would normally be. He turned around quickly…and was struck in the head with a baseball bat. He didn't move. He wasn't worried. In fact, the only thing he really felt was his worry for the poor babysitter when she felt that recoil. Of course, she passed out.

After saying goodnight to Jason one more time, he lifted the poor girl and carried her downstairs, where he placed her on the couch. Nothing bad would happen tonight; he made sure to keep an open ear for them.


Lois stopped and looked Richard in the eyes for the first time in a while. They were bright and filled with tears, much like her own. She reached out to hug him, and he clung to her like a child. She held him tightly for a while, wishing there was a better way than this. She pulled away and watched Richard's face as a few tears slipped down her cheek, then leaned up and gave him a light, chaste kiss on the mouth.

"Goodbye," she whispered, and he hugged her again. This was probably the last time he could hold her like this, and he soaked in every second.

"Goodbye," he responded, his voice ragged. He kissed her forehead, and then turned to get on the plane, carrying his bags. Lois stood still, wishing she could rewind until she had never met Richard. But then she stopped herself from thinking that. Richard had helped her through five years of heartbreak, and had been a father to Jason while Superman was gone. She realized that she wouldn't rewind the last five years even if she could.


Rachel Jennings sat in a comfortable chair, thousands of miles above the ground. She glanced down at the earth revolving under her, and the stars that surrounded her. Huh, maybe she should do some soul searching out here, it was unbelievably tranquil. She talked lazily into a recorder journal.

"Alright, Superman is dead and I'm up in space. The crystal thing should be here by tomorrow, and daddy's jail buddies have apprehended the crew. Everything is going as planned."


Okay, it wasn't all that relative to the plot, but it solved the question about where Rachel Jennings was, and why Clark couldn't find her. Oh, she doesn't know Clark's alive because she's been in space for the last few weeks, and Lex Luthor doesn't know either, because I'm pretty sure the jail guards wouldn't give him papers that tell him the whereabouts of Superman or reveal his location. Oh, just a side note, it's kind of stupid, but Lex doesn't know that Superman is Clark, Rachel assumed he already knew, so she didn't mention it. Please Review!