Chloe pulled her jacket closer around her. The fall day was chilly, but the sun was still bright in the sky. It seemed terrible that such a bleak day could look cheery. The sky should have been crying. The people gathered around Jason's casket certainly were.

Martha was crying for the grandson that she would never get a chance to meet. Clark was crying for the father-son relationship that he would never get to form. Perry was crying, an eerie sight for a man that always seemed so gruff. Jimmy and other friends and family members were there and crying, as the little boy was lowered into his grave. The one person who wasn't crying and standing alone by choice was Lois.

Chloe knew her cousin well enough to know how torn she was on the inside. She never liked to be emotional in front of people if she could help it. The tears would come afterward when she was by herself. Richard was making sure he kept his distance from her at the funeral. When Clark had told her the tragic news, the fact that Lois and Richard had separated came up, but he hadn't said why. Now Lois was going to grieve alone and you needed a little of that, but you also needed to have someone to grieve with. Clark had been trying to get Lois to talk about it, but she hadn't said anything other than to tell Clark that Jason was dead.

Lois hadn't made any of the arrangements. Probably because that would have made it seem definite and final. Clark had taken care of it all. Everyone knew the truth about Jason's paternity, but in the face of such tragedy, nobody really seemed to care.

The preacher began to read the 23rd psalm. Chloe leaned into Bruce for comfort as she listened to it.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen."

Chloe knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jason was in the house of the Lord. He was such a sweet, gentle soul. He was an angel on earth, and in his short life span, he had touched so many lives for the better. His death had been so unexpected and mysterious. The autopsy hadn't been able to explain it. His body had just shut down and stopped working.

People were beginning to head for their cars. Bruce didn't say anything but gently began to lead Chloe toward the car. Alfred had also attended and was driving. Chloe hesitated before getting in. Lois was still standing there, looking so lost. Bruce knew what Chloe was thinking.

"Sweetheart, you can be there for her later. She has Clark now. You have a son about to be born any day, and I don't think she'd want to be reminded of that right now."

Chloe nodded and Bruce shut the door for her. They left.

"One of the nicest memories I have of Master Jason," Alfred said in a shaky voice, "is when he was 3. He had snuck into the room with the grand piano and was just banging away and grinning from ear to ear. He loved music so much and he was good to be so little."

Chloe got a fresh batch of hot tears. "Bruce, I know you wanted to name the baby, Thomas after your father, but would you mind terribly if we made that his middle name and called him Jason?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea," he said.

sss

Lois was huddled in the corner of Jason's room, holding his teddy bear. Someone was at the door. That someone was Clark. Lois didn't make a move to answer the door. She just stared emptily into space.

Clark finally forced the door open and found Lois still in the corner.

"Lois, why don't you come sit on the couch with some light?"

She didn't answer. He pulled her gently up and took her to the couch.

"It helps to talk about it and get all your emotions out in the open."

She still didn't answer.

"He was my son too, you know."

She looked at him angrily and her eyes filled with tears. "You have no idea what this feels like. You weren't there when he said his first word or took his first step. You didn't take him to piano lessons. You were not a part of his life."

"I wanted to be," Clark said, his own tears beginning to form. "Don't you think I know what a lousy father I turned out to be? I'm Superman, and I couldn't even save my own son."

"It has nothing to do with you. I was his mother. I was there in the house fighting with Richard instead of being with my son in his last moments. Why didn't I take the day off and spend it with him? He asked me to, but I said I had to work. I was an awful mother, and it's my fault he's dead."

"That's not true."

"Then it's God's. Why did He take my baby away? Why does God let children die?"

"Only God knows, but there's always a reason. We have to trust that He knows what's best and that Jason is happy with Him."

"But I'm not happy. It's not what's best for me. Jason was my life. Parents are supposed to go before the children. I—I don't know what to do."

Clark held her as she cried.

"I just don't think I can ever heal," she said. "I need to know how it happened."

"I know, and I'm going to find the answers."

"How?"

"I have this person or more like a computer that seems to know a lot about these kinds of things, but I have to go alone."

"I don't care. Go."

"I'm not leaving you alone. My mother is back at the farm. I want you to stay with her."

"I can't leave."

"I don't think it's good for you to stay by yourself tonight."

"You're wasting time." She sighed. "I'll go stay with Mrs. Kent."

sss

"Thanks for letting me spend the night, Mrs. Kent."

"This house is always open to you, honey. You know that. You'll be sleeping in Clark's room, of course."

"I can't sleep right now. I'm going to stay on the couch and watch some TV."

"When's the last time you slept, Lois?" Clark asked.

"I don't know."

"Exactly," he said, "you need to sleep."

"Clark's right, dear," she pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills from the medicine drawer. "Take one of these. You need a good night's rest."

Lois was about to protest, but she was too tired to fight. She hadn't slept since Jason died except for maybe an hour here or there of nightmarish, fitful sleep. After she took it, Clark lifted her up and carried her up the stairs. He laid her in bed. She curled up and pulled the blankets up around her chin. Clark held her hand until she fell asleep. He kissed her forehead.

"I will take care of you," he whispered. "I'll find those answers about our son's death. I promise."

He flew into the starry night.