Chapter 4: Dark Separation

It was a dreary day, overcast and with the certainty of rain that greeted Jason Lane as he awoke that morning; as if the sky itself was warning the child of the storm that was about to beset his young life. He paid no attention as he ran downstairs to watch TV, after all it was Saturday, and the only day of the week he could spend doing nothing else but watching cartoons. As he jumped the last step into the living room, Jason became aware that he was not alone. Looking towards the sofa, he found his mother laying on it looking through a book that he knew was his baby photo album. She looked like she had been crying since her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from her earlier tears. Jason was a very kind-hearted boy, just like his father, and when he noticed that his mother had been crying, he forgot all about cartoons and went to her, climbing onto the sofa beside her to give her a jug and make her feel better.

Lois had been so immersed in her thoughts; that she failed to notice her son's entrance until he had climbed onto the sofa and on top of her. She returned his hug gladly, his sweetness and innocence having always been the best medicine for her soul. Now that she thought about it, Jason reminded her so much of his father; his demeanor, his love for all, his sweet and caring nature… there was no denying that this was Clark's son, even if she hadn't seen his feat of strength for herself…

"Mommy, why are you sad?" her sweet little boy's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Lois smiled, "There's something I have to do today that makes me sad, but don't worry about it. I'm fine. Why don't you watch your cartoons while I make breakfast, any requests?" she asked as she kissed the top of his little head. Jason smiled at his mother, though he was still worried about her.

Ever since the "adventure" in the boat almost 2 weeks ago, Jason's health had done a complete 180, going from a very fragile constitution, to the very picture of health in only a few days. It seemed as though his father's DNA was finally making it's presences known, not only in the powers, but also in his health; and Lois couldn't be happier now. She no longer had to worry about allergies when giving her son food, which made her life a lot easier. Jason had a pediatrician appointment two days after Superman fell from the sky and he had been happy to announce that the tests showed that Jason's allergies were a thing of the past and that his Asthma was also fading. He no longer required his inhaler or any of the other mirad of medicines he had been taking since he had been a baby. The doctor had thought that he had outgrown all his health problems, and, although he had warned Lois to continue to monitor his health closely, he had been happy to allow Jason to tryout all the things he had previously not been able to eat because of the allergies.

"Ice-cream," Jason shouted, jumping excitedly on the sofa cushions.

Boys will be boys, thought Lois. Aloud, she gave him a mock-stern look, though her smile diminished its hardness greatly, "Not for breakfast. It's scrambled eggs for you, Mister. And don't jump on the sofa."

"With sausage?" he asked hopefully, sitting down on the sofa.

"Alright," Lois conceded, smiling. She walked into the kitchen and went to the fridge to get the eggs and sausage. She wasn't all that skilled in the kitchen, far from it. Her expertises were mostly centered on ordering take-out, but she could still make a half-descent breakfast for her son; hopefully without burning the city down in the process. After setting Jason's plate on the breakfast bar she called her son from his cartoons. Jason climbed up onto one of the stools and began happily digging into his meal. Lois kissed the top of his head. "Jason, I'm gonna go get dressed, be back in a few minutes," she said as she left him to finish his breakfast. Jason nodded shoving another huge forkful of food in his mouth. Lois went up to the guest bedroom since she had moved some clothes there after she had woken up that morning and dressed herself in a pair of comfortable dark blue stretch jeans and a red tank top with small with stars in the print. She put on her comfortable walking tennis shoes and left the room, rejoining her son just as he had climbed down the stool and took his plate to the sink. Jason sat back down in front of the TV and immersed himself back in his shows while Lois sat beside him and took the Saturday edition of the Daily Planet and began to look through it, though her mind continued on her task for the day…

Richard hadn't slept much that night. He kept looking towards the clock, wondering at what time would his life be completely destroyed. Finally giving up on sleep all together, he had spent the rest of the night thinking of the wonderful life he had lived the past few years and how it had all been ONE HUGE LIE!!!!!!! When morning finally dawned in all its dreary glory, Richard dressed himself but remained in his bedroom until almost lunchtime; wanting, in some small corner of his mind, to hold onto his life for just a little longer. He had made a decision last night and he wasn't backing down…. If she couldn't be his… she would be no one else's…

As he left the room, his reflection was caught in the vanity mirror, exposing his side, and the bulge in the back of his pants…

Richard walked down the stairs concealing his side and the bulge on his back. He looked on the scene of Lois reading the paper and Jason watching cartoons. It was typical but this would be the last time he'd see it. Jason was completely caught up in his cartoons and hadn't notice Richard, but Lois had since she hadn't really been reading the paper, but waiting for him to come downstairs. Lois stood from the sofa as soon as she saw him and motioned quietly for them to step out into the covered patio to talk privately. There's no sense in dragging on the inevitable. The quicker I end this the less painful it will be and the quicker he can start to heal.

"Richard…" she started, but he interrupted her.

"I already know you're leaving me for that bastard alien lover of yours," he said in a low menacing voice. Lois gasped. She had never head him speak like that. Before she could utter a word he pulled the gun from behind his back and pointed it at her. Lois sprang into action. She kicked the gun away and ran into the house, startling little Jason. She ran to the sofa and picked up her son just as Richard burst into the house. They raced for her keys but he beat her to the side table and took the keys. It was then that Jason saw the gun that Richard had retrieved and was holding in his hand. "Lois please listen to me, I love you," he tried desperately to get her to see reason, he was mad. "I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you. I took you in when HE left you alone and pregnant. I even raised your bastard alien son as my own. You are mine. You belong to ME!!!!!!!" he shouted, his eyes wild. Lois managed

"Daddy? Wha' are you doing?" Jason asked confused and scared. He didn't understand why his daddy had called him by that bad name.

"Daddy?" Richard asked, "I'm not your daddy you little fre—" he was cut us as Lois swung a kick at him. Sending him crashing against the far wall and the keys dropping from his hand. Lois grabbed her keys and ran out the door. Richard ran after her and she stopped, ripped her engagement ring of her finger and threw it at him, before running into her car. She opened the doors and told Jason to get buckled in as she put him in the back seat, and started the engine. Jason did as told and Lois sped out of the driveway and down the street. Richard ran to his own car and pursued her. He was a few minutes behind Lois, but quickly caught up to her, and drove along side her car, shouting for her to stop. Lois wouldn't stop, and became frightened as she sped up to try and get away from him. Richard sped up as well, and Lois knew she couldn't out run his car. She took her cell phone out of her purse; that had been left in the car the night before; and put the ear-piece in. She flipped her phone open and looked for Clark's number. When she found it she hit dial, and hoped he picked it up quickly.

Clark and his mother were sitting down to breakfast and making small talk when Clark's cell phone began to ring just as his mother put a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him in front of him, Clark stood and picked it up, telling his mother he would just be a moment. "Hello," he said into the phone since his caller id came up blocked.

" Clark it's Lois. I need your help. Richard is chasing me in his car because I was about to tell him I was leaving him. He pulled a gun on me but I managed to get away with Jason."

Clark's eyes opened wide, "Lois where are you?" he nearly shouted into the phone. His mother came to stand by his side, concerned.

"I'm in Madison Ave. Clark hurry, he's trying to run me off the road and Jason's in the car with me,"he heard Lois shout into the phone as she became frantic. Then he heard the most frightening sound of his life. Lois's scream came through the phone, followed by a crash…

"LOIS, LOIS ANSWER ME!!!!" Clark shouted into his phone. No answer, but he could hear Jason's faint cries from the back seat of the car. That was it for Clark. He dropped his phone as he spun into his primary colored suit and took of like lightning towards the scene of the accident.

Superman arrived at the place Lois told him in a matter of seconds. He found Lois' car smashed against a light post. The fire hydrant that had stood beside it was broken and shooting water into the air. Clark quickly ran to the car and pulled both the front and back doors on the driver's side off. He ripped the seatbelt of off Jason, who was screaming and crying in fear, and picked him up out of the car. He scanned him with his x-ray vision and determined he was fine, only had a few cut and bruised. He placed Jason on the curb and pulled Lois out. She was unconscious. He scanned her and determined that she had a concussion, two cracked ribs and a broken left arm as well as a few cuts and bruises, but other than that she would be fine. Superman knelt beside Jason while still holding Lois. "Shhh, Jason. It's all right now you're safe," he whispered in a soothing voice to his young son. Jason looked up at him with two big tears in his eyes and immediately jumped up and ran into his arms. Clark scooped him up and flew both of them away. Clark landed in front of Metropolis General Hospital, and quickly ran into the emergency room, carrying Lois and Jason. The doctors swarmed him as he place Lois on a gurney but held onto the boy. One of the nurses took him from his arms as he was questioned as to what happened. "I heard Miss. Lane call for help and when I got to her, she had crashed her car into a light post," said Superman as he watched Jason being placed on another gurney. He ran after his family as they were wheeled into the trauma rooms.

"Daddy was chasing us an he made us crash. He pulled a gun on mommy when we were home but mommy got us away and he chased us and made us crash," said Jason between sobs. A nurse approached him with a needle and Jason began screaming in fear. "SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN HELP GET THEM AWAY!!!"

Clark ran into the trauma room and held onto him as he tried to jump of the gurney. Even with his super-strength it was still hard work to hold onto the little boy, as he was displaying his own super-strength. Jason burrowed into his arms in fear. "Don't worry about him, he's alright. I scanned them both. He only has a few scrapes and bruises. Lois has a concussion, a broken arm and two cracked ribs," he said to the doctors as he attempted to calm Jason.

"We still need to examine him. Make sure he's alright," said the pediatrician. Clark nodded but Jason began screaming and crying in fear. He didn't want to be examined.

"MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY!!!" screamed Jason over and over again as he fought to free himself.

"Shhhh, Jason it's all right. Your mommy is all right. Let the doctors check you out. I won't leave I promise," he said to the little boy. Jason calmed down slightly, and allowed the doctors to check him, but kept his vise like grip on Clark's hands the whole time. If I wasn't invulnerable, Jason would have turned the bones in may hands into powder with his vise-like grip, Clark thought as Jason held onto him while the doctor examined him. The doctor agreed with Superman that the child was all right.

Next door, the doctors were working on Lois. They took x-rays and determined the Superman had been correct. They set Lois' broken left arm back into place and put a cast on it. They taped her ribs, and wrapped her head with a bandage as she had a small bleeding wound on her left temple. Lois regained consciousness a few minutes after her head had been wrapped up. By then, Clark had been allowed to go in and see her. When she awoke, the first thing she saw was Superman. "Superman… what happened?" then the memory of what had transpired hit her like a ton of bricks, "JASON!!!"

"Shhhh, Lois. He's all right. He's at the pediatrics room. He's not hurt. Just scraped and bruised. Are you all right? What happened? I heard you scream over the phone and then the crash, but nothing after that? Jason said Richard ran you off the road and pulled a gun on you?" asked Clark gently.

Lois nodded, "I was going to break up with him this morning and took him outside to talk to him away from Jason's hearing. He already knew what I was going to say… The next thing I knew he had pulled a gun on me, but I managed to kick it out of his hand and ran back into the house. I grabbed Jason and tried to go for my keys, but Richard beat me to them. He tried to force me to stay and Jason saw he had the gun," lowering her voice she continued in a barely audible whisper. "He reminded Jason he wasn't his real father and called him my bastard alien son. I kicked him again and threw him against the far wall ran to my car. He pursued me and I threw the engagement ring at him, and got on the car. He chased after us and ran me off the road into the light post. I managed to call you before he had run us of the road," she explained a little lowder, and saw Clark's hand tighten in anger, his knuckles turning white.

"I'll find him Lois, and he'll pay," he said through gritted teeth.

Lois shook her head, "Right now, Jason needs you more. Since he's not hurt he doesn't need to be here, and I'm pretty sure I'll be here for a while. I can't send Jason to my sister's house because Richard could come and look for him there. Take him with you when you leave."

Superman nodded in agreement, "Clark will be here soon, and he'll pick him up and take him over to his mother's house. She must be worried sick since she only heard half of the conversation before I rocketed out of the house."

"I'll tell the doctors to release him to Clark, since he's Jason's real dad." Lois' doctor came in then so they quieted.

"I'm glad you're alright Lois. I'll go out and see if I can find Richard White. Are you sure you' be all right?" said Superman for the doctor's benefit.

"Yes, we'll be fine," said Lois and Superman nodded and walked out of the room.

The doctor took that as his cue to approach his patient, "Superman certainly cares a great deal for you and your son, Miss Lane." he said.

Lois nodded, "He's a very good friend, and Jason adores him. Doctor, how's my son doing? How long will I be here?" she asked him.

"Your son is fine Miss. Lane. He only sustained a few cuts a bruises from the accident, although he was quite upset when Superman brought you both in. He wouldn't let us examine him until Superman promised to stay with him, and he wouldn't let go of him the whole time. But we will need to keep you here over night to monitor you and make sure you're all right. Your injuries are not severe and you should be up and about in a few days. However, I will caution you that you need to rest. You have two cracked ribs and those will only heal in time."

Lois nodded, "I called Jason's father to come pick him up. He should be here soon."

"Mr. White?" asked the doctor perplexed.

Lois shook her head gently so as not to double her headache, "No Jason's real father. Richard raised him, but Jason's biological father was someone else. He had left without knowing, but now he's back and he knows about Jason. He's the only person I feel comfortable sending him with, because I know that Richard knows where my sister lives, and I don't want to involve her or her children in this. Richard doesn't' know where Clark lives so he should be safe there."

The doctor nodded and took his leave, telling her to rest and promising that he would inform the front desk. A few minutes later, Clark Kent ran into the emergency room looking for Lois and Jason. He was taken to Lois' room up in medicine, where Jason was laying curled up against his mother's side. Clark knew that Jason was laying against the side with the cracked rib, but he knew Lois didn't care so long as Jason was safe and close to her. Clark rushed to Lois' side. Lois told him she was fine, and 'asked' him to take care of Jason, as she would be hospitalized until at least tomorrow. Clark nodded and picked up the sleeping boy gently, cradling him against his broad shoulder. A police officer came in then, and Lois gave him her statement as to what happened. The officer nodded and left after he had finished questioning her and had also told them that they had searched the house and Richard was no where to be found and his seaplane was gone. Clark gave Lois a kiss on the forehead and told her to get some rest, then left with Jason. Lois closed her eyes and went to sleep, knowing her son was safe with his father.