Chapter 58

Superman paced the smooth white floor of the Fortress. His red cape splayed gracefully each time he turned. He'd thought things over very carefully the past two weeks and had decided he would tell Lois the truth. He had to tell her everything. If he wanted to truly be a part of his son's life, the way a father should be, there could be no lies.

How would Lois react to learning the truth? This lone thought terrified him more than the battle with Brainiac, more than a tangle with Lex Luthor – speaking of which – Lex was on an all out rampage against the Man of Steel. That was a problem for another day.

Superman wasn't expecting his relationship with Lois to improve. He wasn't coming clean to get back into her life. She'd made it clear she wasn't ready for Superman, or any man for that matter, to be part of her life. Superman had left her high and dry for five years, and now, Richard was gone. Lois had pretty much sworn off men.

With Richard gone, Lois had vented her wrath mainly on Clark, her partner. How would she feel when she learned the man she was complaining to, was the very man she was complaining about?

Superman was a realist. This would not bode well for him in any persona, Clark Kent, Kal-El, or Superman. But he had to be honest with Lois. After all, she was the mother of his child and she deserved the truth. He would have to face the consequences whatever those might be.

All easier said than done, hence the pacing. The bright red cape splayed again as he turned one more time before abruptly stopping. He placed his hands on the metal railing overlooking the crystal console. The duplicate father crystal glistened within.

Thank you Valia, he thought, thank you for giving me my father back.

Valia. Why had that relationship worked so well, so quickly? Because he'd been completely honest with her from the start. He hadn't hid who he was or anything about his life. Would Lois understand that he'd hidden his identity from her in order to protect her? Would she be able to accept who he really was?

He pushed away from the railing. There was no going back. He would tell Lois the truth tonight. This was for Jason's sake as much as it was for Lois'.

# # # # # #

The doorbell buzzed. Clark, dressed in casual clothes, took one last look around his small Metropolis apartment and steeled himself for his meeting with Lois. Refreshments were ready, a vintage bottle of red wine, Lois' favorite, plus a tray of crackers and cheese laid out on the coffee table.

He placed a hand on the doorknob. The moment of truth had arrived.

# # # # # #

"Clark," Lois said a little too loudly. An uneasy, nervous, smile broke over her features.

All afternoon she'd racked her brain trying to figure out what Clark wanted to discuss. He'd said it was important. Was it about Jason? Had Clark discovered the truth about her son? She'd been debating whether or not to tell him the truth. Clark and Jason were spending a lot of time together and it appeared would continue spending time together for the foreseeable future.

She'd told herself, it was best if Clark knew the truth. It would be better than him finding out on an outing.

What if Jason got hurt? Could he get hurt? How vulnerable or invulnerable was he? Could he be treated medically? These were some of Lois' many worries. The biggest worry was what if something happened to her? Who would care for Jason then? At this point, Clark would likely step in until Richard took over. Strange as it was, Lois didn't consider Superman as an option. In her mind, Superman had the whole world to care for, he could not be counted on to take care of his son.

Yes, she would tell Clark tonight. Carrying this burden alone had become too much. It was best if someone else knew the truth about Jason in case of an emergency. Before, she'd had Richard. That wasn't the case anymore.

"Hi, thanks for coming." Clark's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Please, come in." He stepped aside.

Lois entered and glanced around. Small, she thought, but comfortable. A worn sofa, flanked by two end tables with tall lamps, took up most of the room. Jason's picture, with the blue and white crystals, sat on one of the tables. A leather recliner with a red blanket tossed over it rounded out the seating.

"Can I take your coat?" Clark asked. She didn't know he was fighting the nerves building in the pit of his stomach.

"Oh, sure." Lois doffed her coat and gave a forced smile. She spied the bottle of wine on the coffee table.

Clark hung up her coat in the front closet and, as if reading her mind, said, "Glass of wine?"

"Please." Did she sound anxious?

Lois settled on the sofa and crossed her slender legs encased in black pants. Her cheeks, chilled by the frosty autumn night, matched her coral colored sweater. She pushed an errant strand of hair over her shoulder and gladly accepted the glass of wine Clark handed her. She took a much needed sip. "Mmm, Merlot. My favorite."

Clark, seated on the recliner, almost said, 'I know,' but caught himself. Superman knew Lois' favorite wine, Clark did not.

Lois took another, longer, sip hoping to bolster her confidence. Clark poured himself a glass of wine.

After a healthy chug, Clark said, "Um, I asked you here tonight because … because I have something I need to tell you."

"I have something to tell you, too." The thought sprang from her lips before she could stop it. Her nerves were raw from worry.

They stared wide-eyed at each other then let out nervous laughs and simultaneously said, "You first."

Uncomfortable smiles betrayed their fears.

"Please," Clark said, "you first."

"No, you first. You called me."

Clark leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. He stared at his hands trying to decide exactly how he should begin. Just say it, his heart told him. So he did. "Lois, I haven't been completely honest with you." His eyes met hers.

She was interested now. What secret could the mild-mannered farm boy have? But she wasn't prepared for what came next.

Clark removed his glasses. His eyes met hers. "Lois … I'm Superman."

The smile that had started, died on her lips. She stared at him in disbelief. He looked deadly serious.

Suddenly, she recognized the vivid blue eyes staring back at her. Jason's eyes. In a low hollow voice, she said, "You're kidding, right?" Shock was setting in. "You're joking. Tell me you're joking."

He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "The wine." He pointed to her glass. "Your favorite. We had it at the Fortress, my home, my alien home."

She swayed, as the full impact of what he'd said hit her. The Fortress!

From somewhere deep within the recesses of her mind thoughts and feelings started churning. Thoughts she had long suppressed. Feelings she had long denied. Whenever the feelings had attempted to surface, Lois had quickly shoved them down thinking them absurd. Now they came flowing up, unhindered, tumbling one over the other in rapid secession.

His hand was on hers gently taking the glass she was ready to drop. He placed the glass on the table and sat across from her again. He watched her carefully. Her face went from disbelief to absolute astonishment in seconds. Then to anger. It was the emotion he'd been waiting for, but had no idea how to deal with.

"Why?" her voice was hard. "Why are you telling me now?"

Her eyes blazed with fury and he looked away for the first time. "I should've told you sooner. I know." His eyes found hers again and she saw the sadness lurking there. "You were with Richard. You seemed happy. You'd built a life without me. A good life. And I thought Jason was Richard's son."

That caught her off guard. She'd forgotten that, but the anger quickly returned. "Okay, I could've told you about Jason sooner. You have to understand, I was angry when you first returned. I .. I wasn't sure how I felt about you, about us."

"I understand that."

"I told you in the hospital about Jason. That was months ago."

A new realization hit her and she sprang off the sofa. "God! How stupid am I? Working with you all this time and not even knowing. Never once guessing. You must find me incredibly dumb."

He rose, his features twisted in anguish. "Lois. Please. I never thought you were dumb. Never. I've wanted to tell you the truth for a long time. There were so many times I almost told you. I always stopped myself. I thought you'd be safer if you didn't know. That was foolish. I know that now. I put you in danger anyway. Everyone knew Superman and Lois Lane were friends. Just being my friend put a bullseye on your back."

She crossed her arms and thought about what he'd said. Finally, she said, "This is actually ironic. I came here tonight to tell you that Jason is Superman's son." She let out a small huff. "Imagine my surprise when you tell me that you're Superman. I was going to tell you something you already knew. Pretty incredible isn't it?"

He gave a weak grin. "Yes, yes it is."

She grew pale as another realization dawned and plopped on the sofa.

"What? What is it?" Clark sat beside her.

"I have a son with Clark Kent." Her emotions were changing rapidly and she almost laughed. "The office nerd. The guy with two left feet. The total klutz." Her hand flew to her mouth. "Sorry, but you must know people call you those things. Super-hearing and all."

Now a frown. She stared into space and softly said, "I was in love with one man, but not the other. I never realized they were one and the same."

"I wanted you to love both," he said quietly.

She ignored what he'd said or perhaps, she hadn't heard. She shook her head ridding herself of all the thoughts whirling inside. She turned to face him. "Why are you telling me this now? Has something happened?"

"I see this has been a lot for you to take in."

"Tell me, Clark," she insisted.

"Because of Jason."

Their son. Because of their son. She gave an audible sigh. "The same reason I had."

"I wanted you to know that when he's with Clark Kent he's with his father."

She started to speak, but stopped. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Lois." He started to dry her tears, but she waved his hand away.

"This has been a lot to take in." She wiped her eyes.

Two hours later Lois downed the last drops of her second glass of wine and gently placed the glass on the coffee table. Most of the crackers and cheese were gone, too. The couple had eaten and talked. Really talked. They'd shared their deepest feelings and concerns. No, they weren't ready to rekindle their relationship. They both needed time, time to work through their emotions.

During their discussions, they'd realized they shared the same hopes and dreams for Jason. He was the center of their lives. Whether they were together or not, his needs would always come first.

"We have to accept the fact that you can't protect him all the time," Lois said. "You have the world to protect."

"The world has other superheroes now. There's the Batman in Gotham, the Green Arrow in Star City. I'm not the only one anymore and I'm not out protecting the world tonight."

"True," she admitted and added, "Superheroes have a way of inspiring super villains."

"I know that all too well." His brow furrowed. "That's why I have to be vigilant, especially where Lex Luthor is concerned. Now more than ever."

The thought of Lex Luthor always sent a shiver down Lois' spine. She hugged herself tightly.

"Cold?" Clark asked. He'd turned the heat up knowing Lois was coming, but perhaps not enough.

"No, I was thinking of Luthor. I always get chills when I think of that man."

"Believe it or not, I do, too." His eyes narrowed. "Wonder what he's up to now?"

"I'm not sure we really want to know," Lois said.

A/N: Hi, to everyone reading. Two more chapters after this.