Author's note: Please read my commentary below.
Chapter 6: A threat too close to home…
Clark flew back to Metropolis and looked in on Lois at the hospital, before beginning his search. She was deeply asleep, with a small contented smile on her face that told him she was having a nice dream. Clark smiled and flew away silently. He began his search for Richard at the house, which was the last place he knew he had been and found that the seaplane was in fact gone and that there were traces that Richard had been at the house and left in an extreme hurry. With no idea of where he could have gone, Clark shook his head and flew up to the stratosphere, where he normally went to spread out his senses and listen for a call for help or a sign that he was needed. He also hoped that maybe, just maybe, he would luck out and find Richard.
Clark closed his eyes as he floated in the sky and sent out his senses. He heard a cacophony of different sounds, but began to slowly weed out the mundane, from the calls that needed him. Hearing nothing, he spread out his senses for the sound of Richard's voice or his heart beat. He heard nothing. Clark shook his head frustrated, and started to fly off back to the farmhouse.
As Clark neared his home, he decided to slow down and enjoy the view of the rural landscape from the night sky. As he was admiring how the corn swayed in the breeze, and odd sound came to his ears. Clark strained his senses and discovered that it was coming from his house. Clark sped up, and went to check it out. He landed outside the farmhouse, a few seconds later, and used his x-ray vision to see what was going on. His mother was asleep on her bed, there was no one else in the lower part of the house, but when his gaze landed on his son's room, and his heart froze. Someone else was in his room and standing over JASON!!!. Without a second thought, Clark flew into his son's open bedroom window and grabbed the man standing there. He spun him around, just as his son bolted upright on the bed, and saw that it was none other than Richard! Clark's hands tightened around Richard's jacket as he asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Richard just looked at him, "I came to pick up my son, CLARK!" he said, placing extra emphasis on the name, "You know, you really had me fooled with the clumsy Clark act. Who would have thought that mild-mannered, terminally shy reporter Clark Kent was really the Man of Steel? Yes, Kent, I know it's you in that suit. How dare you come into my life and steal my son and my fiancée from me?"
Clark glared daggers at him, "Your son, and your fiancée? You should have thought of that when you nearly killed him and his mother when you ran them of the road, or when you a gun on Lois. I didn't steal them from you. Lois left you because she knew she could never be happy with you or make you happy the way she believed you deserved, and as for Jason… you didn't think he was your son when you called him Lois's 'bastard alien son'," said Clark, not even thinking to deny Richard's accusations. Jason was screaming and crying because he was scared.
Martha heard the commotion coming from Clark's old room and rushed to see what was going on. She rushed into the room and grabbed the little boy pulling him with her to the far corner of the room. Richard glared at the super hero as he reached into his pocket, "When you're gone, Lois will come back to me, and Jason will love me as his father!" Richard shouted as he pulled a piece of Kryptonite from his pocket. Clark dropped Richard to the floor as he began to try and back away from the deadly mineral while trying to shield Jason from the deadly radiation with his body, as Jason leaned against his grandmother behind him. Richard stood and followed. Jason began crying even more as he watched his daddy Richard hurt his daddy Clark with the bad rocks. He struggled in Martha's grasp, wanting to help his daddy, but Martha held onto him; wanting to keep her grandson away from the deadly mineral. Jason was too strong for her though, and freed himself and rushed to where his daddies were. Clark fell to the floor in pain as Jason approached. "Daddy please stop!" he cried, but Richard couldn't hear him. "Stop!" Jason cried again and this time he reached out to catch Richard's arm, stopping him before he could hit Superman with the Kryptonite. "No daddy!" he pulled on Richard's arm to get his attention, but instead sent him flying across the room. Richard crashed against the wall and landed unconscious in a crumpled heap. Jason fell to his knees beside his father and hugged Superman tightly, wanting to protect his daddy from the deadly radiation, all the while crying very hard.
After a moment of stunned pause, Martha jumped to her feet and rushed to grab the Kryptonite, running to the desk and placing it in the lead box that was there, before slamming the lid shut and running to her son. Clark recovered after a few minutes; he placed his hand on Jason's back and rubbed the boy's back to attempt to soothe him. Martha tried to pull the crying boy into her arms, but Jason clung to his father and would not let go. "Jason, it's all right. I'm all right now. The Kryptonite is gone," he said and Jason let go of him hesitantly. Martha took that as her opportunity and pulled Jason into her arms. Clark sat up and Martha helped him to his feet and he took Jason from her as she went to check on the other man, Richard, and see if he was still alive. His pulse was strong, but he was unconscious.
"He's OK, Clark, but he's out cold," she said to her son. Clark nodded.
"I'll fly him back to Metropolis and hand him over to the authorities there," he said as he continued to rub Jason's back, trying to soothe the little boy's fears away, "I'm OK Jason, really. And Richard's all right too," he whispered in the little boy's ear.
"Clark are you sure you're all right," asked his mother, worried.
Clark nodded, "We're fine, I guess Jason really isn't affected by Kryptonite," He looked over at his mother. "Mom get some rope, and tie Richard up. I'll put him in the truck and fly you both to Metropolis," he said indicating her and Jason. Martha nodded and ran downstairs, out the door, and to the barn; returning with a length of rope in less than 5 minutes. She tied Richard up, and Clark handed her Jason then picked him up, and carried him downstairs. By now Jason had stopped crying, but he was still scared. Clark placed Richard in the truck bed as Martha climbed into the truck with Jason.
"Daddy," Jason called in a tiny voice. Clark was standing in front of him in an instant and Jason jumped into his arms. Clark held his son for a few minutes, rocking in the air to soothe him as he had done earlier that night. "Why did Daddy Richard wanna hurt you daddy?" Jason asked as he looked into his father's sapphire gaze.
Clark sighed. He wasn't sure how to explain this to him, but he knew he had to tell him something, "I'm not sure, Jason. Sometimes people don't appreciate what they have until they loose it. And they can get very jealous when someone else has what they used to have and because of that they might try to take it back any way they can."
Jason nodded, "Like when the big kids take toys from the little kids and the little kids try to take them back?" he asked.
Clark knew that it was not quite the same thing, but that explanation seemed to be one that Jason could understand, and it was pretty close to what it actually was, so for now, that explanation would, "Yes, Jason, something like that. Now, I need you to get in the truck with grandma and buckle up, cause I'm gonna fly us all back to Metropolis, OK?" Jason nodded and Clark placed him in the seat of the truck and helped the little boy buckle in. Then Clark closed the door and picked up the truck, raising it above his head with ease. Clark then took off into the night sky and flew the truck to Metropolis.
He landed in an alleyway beside a police station, a few minutes later. Clark set the truck down and picked Richard, who had awoken on the flight back, up and out of the truck bed and led him out of the alley. As he passed beside the passenger window of the truck, Jason rolled it down and reached out to hug Richard. "I love you, daddy Richard," he said before Clark marched Richard away, tears rolling down Richard's face. Superman remained quiet as he led Richard up the steps of the station and into the building.
Upon seeing Superman walk into the building, the noise level in the room went down to zero as he the police parted to allow him to escort his detainee to the front desk. "What can we help you with tonight, Superman?" asked the desk sergeant.
"This is Richard White, he was the on that caused the accident earlier tonight with Miss Lois Lane. I'll leave him to you officers, goodnight." Clark said as two officers took charge of the prisoner, and led him away.
As Richard was being led away, he whispered low under his voice, "I'm sorry Clark. Take good care of Lois and Jason. I won't tell anyone your secret I promise," Richard turned to look behind him and caught the barely perceptible nod Clark sent his way before Superman walked out the doors and flew into the night, heading for the truck where his mother and son waited.
Clark landed beside the truck and Jason jumped into his arms. Clark smiled and gave his son a big hug, as he looked at his mother. "Mom, I'm gonna fly to Metropolis General to see Lois and tell her what happened. Why don't you take Jason and go to my apartment? Here's the address, it's in the building across the street from the old one," said Clark as he sat Jason back in the truck. Martha nodded and started the engine. Clark watched as she drove of towards his apartment before flying of to the hospital.
Clark landed on the ledge of Lois' hospital room and knocked on the glass plane, since he knew the window was locked. Lois stirred and looked towards the source of the noise. Seeing Superman outside the window, Lois rushed out of the bed and opened it for him. Clark stepped into the room. "Clark is something wrong?" she asked.
Clark sighed again, "Richard came to the farm tonight. He knows who I am and wanted to take Jason, and you, back by force. He pulled out a piece of Kryptonite on me," it was then that he smiled proudly as he spoke his next sentence. "Jason saved me. He threw Richard across the room, and then tried to cover me from the deadly radiation until my mother got the Kryptonite away from me. Jason's not affected by it. He was exposed to the radiation as well, and didn't so much as flinch, and he also didn't loose his powers so I guess that's one thing we don't need to worry about. I flew my mother, Jason and Richard here and handed Richard over to the police. My mom and Jason are now in my apartment," It was then that a thought finally hit him, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Lois how do you know I'm Clark?"
Lois smiled, "I remembered everything yesterday after I woke up. I had been having flashes for the last two years, but it wasn't until last night that my memory returned. Don't worry I'm not mad. I asked you to take away my memory after that flight we took before Luthor's creation showed up."
"How could you not be?"
"BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, YOU DOLT!!!" she nearly shouted. "The only thing I'm mad at is at myself for not trying to make you see that the A.I. was wrong and we could be together." Lois walked across the room and took his face in her hands to make him look into her eyes. "I should still be angry with you, but I can't. I don't care anymore what you did to me… us… in the past or what I agreed to, because that's where I want it to stay. In the past. Maybe I'm more selfish than you are, but I'd like to think we can try to make this work."
"Lois…"
"You're Superman," she continued without giving him a chance to speak. "And you're Clark. That's never gonna change, and I wouldn't want it to. When you leave to save someone, whether it's in the middle of having dinner, or a deadline, or even at Jason's piano recital, I'll understand, and so will Jason. I don't care what happens so long as we can be together. I can withstand anything so long as you always come home to me. You went to Krypton looking for some for of connection, looking for a family. Well, here we are! You, me and Jason. The three of us can be a family. And whatever challenges come our way next we'll face it together. Nothing else matters," she paused for a few moments, letting her words sink in before continuing, "Tell me this Clark, when you came back and saw that someone else was in your place, or when I told you Jason was your son and you knew he called someone else daddy, could you stand it? Could you stand to watch someone else hold me in his arms knowing it could have been you, could you stand to watch someone else make love to me, or for someone else to raise your son when you know he means more to you than the world… well… could you?" she asked knowing she needed to know his answer as much as him.
"NO," he said in a tortured almost shout, as tears ran down his face.
She cupped his face tenderly, swiping away a tear with her thumb. "We can do this, Clark. We can be a family, and nothing will stand in our way." Through her own watery eyes Lois smiled at him in relief, convinced that she'd finally reached him.
Clark leaned into her touch, closing his eyes, surrendering at last. Though it seems he could not resist a final word of reason. "It wont be easy, Lois. You will bear the weight of the sacrifices to be made." His eyes remained closed, as if expecting this would finally make her see what he'd been trying to tell her all along - and now fearing that she would change her mind.
"When has life ever been easy? Or do you think 7 ½ months of pregnancy and an early delivery, plus taking care of a fragile preemie. And then having to care for a child with so many illnesses, that doctors swore he wouldn't make it to his next birth day every year for the first 2 years of his life, easy? If I have to make any sacrifices in order to be with you… then I'll meet them gladly. Nothing else, with the exception of Jason, matters. We can make this work," she repeated as she pulled him into her arms for a long-awaited hug. Clark returned her embrace gladly. They would make this work… He just hoped she wouldn't come to regret her decision….
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone for the wonderful reviews of my story, as well as your imput. I'm sorry to say that this may be the last update 'till mid to late January since I have finals coming up next week which I really need to study for (Once my profersors remember to tell us what we have to study, that is) and once school's over I won't have web access since my home link went cabluey last weekend and the company says they can't come fix it 'till AFTER the holidays. You know I wonder if they'd say that to Superman. So until school starts or my internet company FINALLY SHOWS UP, this is Sailor FoxFire signing off.
Ps: On another note. I have in mind a couple new stories for my series. One of which will be a cross-over between My favorite Anime Sailor Moon and my Superman Returns Fanfic. Here are the titles and proposed sumaries, though I made decide not to write them after all. You'll find out come January.
"Expose" SR. What would happen to the world if one day Superman's identity was revealed to the WORLD. A one-shot slight AU to my fanfic A love like no Other.
"Galaxia: The Aftermath" Sailor Moon. A short story that imediately follows the end of the cartoon series, a.k.a Sailor Star's episodes. Follow the Scout's as they deal with the Aftermath of the Sailor Wars. New characters (sailors and knights) will emerge, many secrets will be revealed and many questions will be answered.
"Super-Moon" X-over Sailor Moon/ Superman Returns. What happens when Anime and a movie colide. Summary and title may differ later on. I will be making an apearance in this story as a weaver of the web, though it's not a true part of the story. More like character and author interaction. A short Preview of this story would be this: No one knows who Sailor Moon's father was in the Silver Millenium. This story will reveal that, as well as who the fathers and mother of the other Scouts wer. Expect to see some characters from Justice league here. OOPS I'VE SAID TOO MUCH.