Fic: Superman: Aftermath | DCU/ SR | Clark/Lois | PG-13 | 10/56
Title: Superman: Aftermath
Author: Saavikam
Fandom: Superman Returns
Pairings: Lois/Richard, Clark/Lois
Rating - This Chapter: PG-13
Chapter Word Count: 6,063
Summary: In the days following the events of Superman Returns, both Clark and Lois are reeling from events that have changed their lives forever, and the city of Metropolis is in shambles. Things only get worse as Lois's relationship with Richard takes a nosedive, the US government wants to send a survey and potential mining mission to New Krypton, and vast amounts of kryptonite show up in the hands of criminals on the streets of Metropolis.
Chapter Summary: Jason has an... interesting asthma attack, startling discoveries are made by both Clark and Lois, and when weekend plans are canceled, Lois and Richard find themselves at a crossroads.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. Superman and the DC Comics universe are property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers. No money has been made or will be made from the production of this work. Darn it.
Author's Note: I'm back, baby!! ^_^ Chapter after next is the conclusion of the first arc (still without a name :p).
* * * * *
Previous :: Table of Contents :: Next
Chapter 10
Belted uncomfortably into the back seat of the car, Jason fidgeted and stared out the window. “Dad,” he called to the front seat, “Why couldn't Mommy come home with us?”
His dad looked back at him in the rear view mirror. “She still had some more work to finish up, Jason. Don't worry, she'll be home in time to tuck you in, I promise.”
“Pinky swear?” the little boy urged.
Richard smiled, “Pinky swear,” and he reached his arm back and locked little fingers with Jason to seal the promise.
Smiling back, seemingly satisfied with his dad's answer, Jason went back to looking out the window at the lights as they passed through the city. Richard didn't see the frown on his face that replaced the smile then, as the boy pushed his hair back from his eyes with a small hand.
Halfway home a slight drizzle started to fall outside, and the sound of the windshield wipers became loud in Jason's ears. He wondered why they were so loud, then thought about his Mommy again. He just wanted her to read him a bedtime story and tell him more about Superman. Jason had seen Superman in the hospital, and he had wanted him to get better so much. He'd been so happy that Superman came to see him that night, though he didn't know why he'd come. Maybe Mommy had told him about the piano. Jason knew he wasn't supposed to be able to do that, but it had just happened. He never figured out why he hadn't been punished for it.
Superman hadn't come back to see him since that night, though, and Jason didn't understand why; Superman did say he'd always be around. And he thought Mommy and Daddy talked to him all the time, except he was dressed different, so they didn't call him Superman, they called him Clark. Maybe Superman was pretending to be Clark, like Jason had pretended to be a fish in the school play. Or maybe Clark and Superman just looked the same. He even wondered if maybe Superman had a twin brother, like his friend at school, Billy, did. But he knew Mommy would tell him he was making up stories if he asked. Everybody knew that Superman always wore the stretchy suit and cape, and he was the only person on Earth who came from Krypton.
Jason really wanted to ask Superman about Krypton, too, since his teacher didn't really know everything about it. Superman was from there, so he had to know everything. And... Miss Kinney didn't know anything about New Krypton either. Jason had heard his Mommy and Daddy and Clark and Jimmy talk about it, and he wanted to know what it was. Was it the place they had saved Superman from when he was sick? Was it that island that Superman took away into the sky? Why was it called New Krypton? And why was somebody sending a space shuttle there? He knew it was pretty important, but he didn't understand. He didn't understand any of it, but he wanted to more than anything. He knew Superman would answer all his questions if he would just come to see him.
Jason sighed and picked up one of his toy cars from the seat next to him, wishing it was a space ship instead. He loved the things he learned in school about space, the planets, and the stars, and he wanted to see them. His teacher had told them you could see the stars and planets with a telescope, so he planned to ask for one for Christmas.
If... if only Superman would come see him! Or if Clark was really Superman pretending to be a regular person, then he could just ask him all the questions he had about the stars, about Krypton and New Krypton, about space, about all that important stuff, about why he was so strong like Superman, and why Mommy didn't want him to tell anyone! Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried not to let himself cry over it. Nothing made any sense. He didn't understand!
Finally opening his eyes to look out the window again, he craned his neck to see up into the sky. No stars. He knew there must be clouds covering everything up, even though he couldn't see them in the dark. It was raining after all, tiny misting drops hitting the window. The squeaking of the windshield wipers seemed to grow louder and louder. Thwup-thwup, thwup-thwup. The sound grew so loud it started to hurt, like somebody was smacking a drum next to his ears. THWUP-THWUP! THWUP-THWUP! Jason squeezed his eyes shut again and covered his ears, still holding the toy car, trying to shut out the sound. It hurt so bad! He began to wheeze heavily and itch all over, and, dropping the car, he reached for his inhaler to take a long puff of the medicine, trying not to panic. Mommy said never to panic. After a moment his lungs opened up most of the way and he could breathe again, so he stowed the inhaler back in his pocket and picked up the toy car again, peering at it.
“Okay, sport, we're home,” his Dad called back from the front seat, oblivious to the asthma attack and... whatever it was.
Jason looked up, then down at the tiny car, now crushed into a little wad of metal in the palm of his hand.
* * * * *
Finally finished at the Planet after an hour and a half of scurrying to get another two articles pumped out before deadline, Clark bade Lois and Jimmy good night and made his way to the roof, knowing the night was still young for him. A quick change in the elevator shaft, and he was on his way out to survey the results of the SCU's confrontation with the military.
As before, he hung high above the Vanderworth estate, observing the controlled chaos below, the gravity to the whole scene that spoke volumes about the military's purposeful determination to get to Luthor's little experiment.
The house had been partially dismantled.
The roof was completely off, the second floor almost gone, and the shredded kitchen area had been peeled back roughly to allow the biohazard suit-clad personnel enough room to extract the mass of crystal in chunks.
It was almost sickening to Clark, watching them hacking away at the little mountain with jackhammers and heavy chisels, dust swirling around them in the bright yellow spotlights while misting rain brought it all back down on top of their white suits in a sheen of gray. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and to handle it so crudely... He supposed it was good that they had enough sense to protect themselves from the potentially toxic dust, but what about all the particulate that the rain didn't manage to wash out of the air? What about the neighboring estates and the people that lived there? What about the river?
As a group of men secured thick straps around a large chunk, Clark had no choice but to watch as it was then attached to a crane and lifted out to be placed on the back of a flatbed truck. More men in biohazard suits covered it with a white tarp, hiding it away to be transported, and all Clark could think about were those damn movies he'd hated so much as a kid. ET, Flight of the Navigator, The Day the Earth Stood Still. He'd never been able to shake the fear that someone, some day, would get hold of him and take him away to some lab. Watching the military take away this tiny - albeit wrong, fabricated - piece of Krypton felt like a violation.
Shivers shot through him of their own accord.
There was no telling what these people would do with the crystals. At least with S.T.A.R. Labs, they would have been safe, but now... he had no such illusions.
“What the hell is taking you people so damn long?” Clark heard a man below shout into a headset. From the uniform, he guessed this was the man in charge, but he sounded too familiar... “We don't have all goddamn night, here! I want this thing out and the area wiped clean before the sun comes up! Do you hear me down there!?”
“Yes, sir! We'll pick up the pace, General,” another, seemingly cowering, voice responded through the headset. Clark was able to trace it to the lead man in the pit of the house, directing the others where to go.
But he'd called the man in charge 'General'... Of course, with military ranks, that was expected, but something had the hair on the back of Clark's neck standing on end at the exchange.
“Damn right, you will,” the General spat back, turning away from watching the activity in the pit to survey the work on the flatbed.
When Clark caught his face, his stomach turned an angry flip. Oh, you've got to be kidding me... he groaned to himself, frowning down at the scene. Not him... not again... His memory of General Eiling was as clear as if the aftermath of Zod's visit had been only the day before. Eiling had been the one to order the air strikes, disregarding the safety of the city of Metropolis and its citizens in some crazed effort to take down the beings that Superman hadn't been able to beat yet. And if Superman was hurt in the process? Well, Eiling had certainly had no qualms about it.
He remembered hearing the sick satisfaction in the General's voice when he ordered the jets to fire their missiles at Zod - right in the middle of a tussle above a crowded downtown area. Taking that hit had cost Clark valuable time in leading Zod's crew away from the city, and had cost nearly a hundred people their lives.
And now Eiling was leading what looked like an Army extraction team, taking Luthor's experiment to do God knows what with it.
His hands balling into fists, Clark took to the sky in a flash through the rain and heavy clouds, not believing the audacity of the General's move.
* * * * *
“Mommy, I'm glad you're home,” Jason hugged his mom tightly as she tucked him into bed.
“Me, too, pumpkin,” Lois sighed, returning his hug with a kiss on the top of the head. All that rushing to finish the articles on the Vanderworths and their little discovery, even with Clark actually pulling through for her to help get the job done, and she still managed to completely miss dinner and only barely make it home in time to tuck her son into bed. Part of her couldn't help thinking maybe Richard had a point about her working too hard.
But that just made the rest of her angry.
Releasing her son after a long moment, she smoothed down his hair. “Now you get some sleep and maybe we'll go to the park tomorrow,” she smiled softly, standing to turn the light off.
“Okay, Mom,” Jason nodded, starting to wheeze. Reaching for his inhaler, he took a long, deep breath from it, then snuggled down into his bed.
Wait a minute... Lois hadn't seen him use his inhaler in three days. She hadn't noticed a single wheeze, but then, she hadn't exactly been home much. Pausing with her finger still on the light switch, she asked, “I thought you'd been feeling better, honey?”
Sitting up again, Jason pushed his hair back from his face and scratched at his chest through his Aqua Man pajamas. “I was, Mommy, but I've been itchy since Daddy and I came home.”
“Didn't Daddy give you a Claritin?”
“No.”
“What about your epinephrine?” Lois sat down on the bed and started looking him over, pushing up his sleeves and lifting his shirt to see if he had a rash. Thankfully, no alarming symptoms seemed to present themselves.
“No.”
“Jason, did you tell Daddy you didn't feel well?” Her heart began to beat harder in her chest.
“No,” he said meekly.
“Why not, sweetie?”
Jason just shrugged.
Any other day, this wouldn't have been a big deal. Treat the allergy attack, then handle the cause. Not a problem. All part of the routine, with maintenance medications, inhalers, epi-pens, and the number for Jason's allergist on speed-dial. But something had worry prickling up Lois's spine. The rules seemed to have changed since that day on Luthor's boat. Nothing seemed... normal for Jason anymore. At the very least, he'd been doing better. Now... she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Jason, you know you're supposed to tell us when you feel like that,” she finally admonished him, fighting the rising anxiety.
“I know, Mom. I'm sorry,” he replied, frowning up at her with those big blue puppy eyes.
She sighed heavily, “Just don't do that again, okay? You tell us if you don't feel good.” Standing, she said, “I'll go get your Claritin.”
He nodded to her, still frowning, and as she passed the night table to head toward the bathroom, she noticed something sitting on the bedside table next to the lamp. It was one of his toy cars, or it had been. Now it was no more than a tiny piece of crushed metal. Oh, my God...
* * * * *
After tucking a much less itchy and easier breathing Jason in for the second time and stealthily pocketing the remains of the toy car, Lois headed for the kitchen to warm up some leftovers. There, she found Richard still reading that day's Planet, sipping a glass of merlot and appearing to be deep in thought, as he had been when she took Jason upstairs.
“What took so long? Trouble getting Jason to bed?” he asked her, barely glancing up from the paper.
Shocked at her fiancé's casual attitude and seeming ignorance, Lois glared at him as she reached into the fridge for the plate of baked chicken and steamed asparagus. “He was having an allergy attack, Richard.”
He looked up at her with a furrowed brow, then up in the direction of the boy's bedroom, “Really? He seemed fine this evening.”
Lois put her food in the microwave and stabbed at the reheat button. “Well, he said he felt itchy since you brought him home, and he was wheezing pretty hard. Are you sure you didn't notice anything?”
“Nothing,” he shook his head at her, confused. “I guess he seemed a little worried about you not getting home until late. But that's it.” A pang of guilt and embarrassment stabbed at him then, as he realized he'd been so worked up over Lois that he'd probably missed every blatant sign of their son's allergy attack. Jason had seemed fine to him...
Fearing Lois might lash out at him for being so oblivious, he half-heartedly pretended to bury himself in reading the paper. Anyone that knew her knew she would do anything to protect their son, even if it meant tearing him a new one, but the last thing he wanted was for this evening to turn into another argument. No, better to smooth things over for now. Apologize.
“Lois, I-” he began, lowing the paper and giving his best 'I'm sorry I screwed up' expression.
But Lois's face began to flush with anger at what she knew would be a weak apology, and her look silenced him in a heartbeat, turning his gaze away from her in shame. She knew Richard would do anything to make sure Jason was okay, knew that he would lay his life on the line for their son. But for him to not notice Jason having an allergy attack? It was unthinkable. It was inconceivable.
Her conscience got the better of her then, reminding her of the crushed toy in her pocket. What if Richard had seen it? Would he have understood what it was? Would he have told her?
Honestly, she didn't know, but rationalizing that the little piece of crumpled metal was irrelevant to the matter at hand left her free to fume about Jason's allergy attack.
The beep of the microwave startled her for a brief instant, and she struggled to keep herself in check as she removed her plate and sat down across from Richard to eat. Attacking her food furiously, she left him to retreat behind his newspaper again, his eyes narrowed as he peered intently at some article or other.
Several minutes of silence followed, with Richard seemingly engrossed in the paper, and Lois stewing. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer, righteous indignation flaming up her spine. Her fork clanked against the plate and she jerked herself up straight in her chair. “Richard, how could you not notice Jason was sick? He was scratching at his chest and wheezing! It's not like we haven't been through this before.”
Richard's face twisted with shock as he cocked his head to the side and slapped down the paper, knowing the argument was inevitable. “Whoa, Lois, what do you want me to say, here?” he said defensively, plowing forward even as her eyes began to flash at him in warning. “I tried to apologize, and you looked at me like you wanted to boil me in oil!” But as angry as he suddenly was, his self-preservation instinct kicked in to steer him in a better direction. More gently, he said, “Look. I'm sorry I didn't see anything, but Jason just didn't seem sick to me, at least, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Besides, I don't think a little wheezing and itching is anything to worry about.” He tried to meet Lois's eyes as, inside, he fought to reconcile his guilt with the need to defend himself against her unspoken accusations.
Lois, now refusing to meet his gaze in return, hesitated a moment, not quite knowing how to respond. How could she tell him that Jason's allergy attack was somehow out of the ordinary, that it shouldn't have happened? That she was scared something was wrong? She couldn't, at least not yet. She just wasn't ready. And how could she assuage her guilt for not having been around when Jason needed her? She'd been working too many hours, she was tired, and she knew it. This had happened because she hadn't been with her family. “I'm just worried about him, okay?” she half-heartedly snapped, picking up her fork to pretend to concentrate on her dinner again. “He went through a lot last week, that's all.”
But Richard wasn't satisfied with her response. Lois had been on edge for most of the last two weeks, her usual short temper even shorter and her lighter moods almost flighty. She had been quick to dismiss his concerns and to change the subject on several occasions. Their conversation that afternoon had been just another in a series of warnings, complete with red flags, bells, and whistles, but this clinched it, Lois was hiding something from him. That she wouldn't look him in the eye was the proof. She was still in love with him, he knew that already, but there was more... “No, I don't think that's all. First you attack me for not thinking Jason was sick this afternoon, now you're just worried about what happened to him last week? What's going on, Lois? I haven't been able to get you to have an honest conversation with me in two weeks. Why?” He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but it was too late - he had asked.
Lois continued to stare at her food, knowing she would say too much if she spoke.
“God, Lois! Now you won't even speak to me? Really, what is going on?” Sudden, intense fear flooded him, and he rose from his seat, knelt next to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lois, what is it? Tell me, please!” he begged her, his voice cracking and his eyes stinging.
Finally, she looked up at him, studying his face. His strong jaw was covered with twelve-hour stubble, his forehead wrinkled with question over his light eyes. All he wanted was the truth. Lois wanted to tell him about Jason, but the pit of her stomach wouldn't let her. She'd held this secret for the entirety of their relationship, and knew how betrayed he would feel for her omission. Her thoughts veered off course to avoid the topic, and she found herself thinking about the other question that had preoccupied her for at least the last ten days. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Richard, It's not just Jason... I-I'm worried about us.”
As soon as she said it, a wave of relief and remorse for having admitted it, to herself much less than to Richard, washed over her. She didn't want this rift to be between them, she had vowed to stay the course, but things hadn't turned out the way she'd planned. It was clear that she was a woman divided; she knew it, and she knew Richard knew it. She could feel it whenever she looked at him, whenever they hugged, or kissed, or even spoke to one another. From the day Superman returned to the Earth, Lois was a different woman. She was his.
Blinking hard, Lois found herself amidst a warm, firm embrace, Richard wiping the tears from her eyes she didn't even realize were there. It was at least the third time in two days she had cried, more even than when Superman first disappeared, leaving her alone to face a terrifying future. “Richard, I-” she choked, returning his embrace.
“Shh... it's okay,” he soothed, gently stroking her hair. “I know it's been awful. I haven't exactly made things easy for you. I'm sorry.” He held on to his fiancée with all the strength he had, knowing it still wouldn't be enough. Lois didn't see when tears began to slip down his cheeks as well, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clenched his jaw.
“I'm sorry, too,” she sobbed. “None of this should be happening. I'm Lois Lane, dammit! I'm not supposed to have my life turned upside down. I'm a rock, my life is supposed to be stable!” she spat through gritted teeth.
Richard withdrew from her, took a deep breath to keep from sobbing himself as he clasped her arms, and looked into her multi-hued eyes. “Yes, you are Lois Lane, and you've been a rock ever since I've known you. Heck, you've managed to keep your family together through much worse than this. But frankly, our lives have been written like a comic book lately! It's been one crazy thing after another, and I don't see it ending. What I do see is us getting through anything this world can throw at us. We've done it before, we can do it again. I, for one, am not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I will do everything I can to fight for you, Lois.” God, I hope that's enough...
Lois wiped her tears with the sleeve of her blouse, smudging mascara on the cream colored silk. “I love you, Richard.” She hugged him again and lightly kissed his cheek. I hope that's enough, she told herself. I can't take this much longer...
Richard pulled back from her again. “Lets get away for the weekend. We can all go up to the lake in Vermont, take the sea plane up,” he suggested, his face brightening a bit. “I think a little change of scenery might do us some good.”
“But what about work? Perry will have a-”
“To hell with Perry. We've got vacation time coming, and I think it's about time we used it,” he said firmly, his eyes set.
Lois smiled weakly. Richard had always been a take charge sort of guy, and despite their frequent clashes, it was one of the things that endeared him to her. “Okay, we'll go.”
* * * * *
Just after dawn on Saturday morning, a sharp rap on the door to his office pulled Chief Simms' head up from the file he was perusing on Intergang's downfall back in two thousand. “Sawyer,” he nodded to the Inspector as she strode in.
“Thought you might like an update on the possible Intergang situation,” she started, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the desk.
“Hit me,” he said, sitting back in his chair.
“We've had one car tailing her and one on her building since yesterday morning, even a wire tap on her office phones, and so far, we've gotten exactly jack and shit. All of her 'legitimate',” she uncrossed her arms and mimed air quotes, “business contacts seem to be on the up and up, but otherwise, nada.”
“Too quiet?”
“Oh, yeah. Like they know the shit's about to hit the fan. They're waiting for something.”
“Damn,” Simms muttered, and he raised an eyebrow, “How much you want to bet it's the international situation shaping up in DC?”
Maggie huffed, smirking grimly. “And with the hunt on for Luthor, and a possible connection to her, she'd be smart to lay low, distance herself from any international contacts not on the up and up.”
“Certainly. In any event, we need to find something. We've put too many resources into her over the last six years to lose her now.”
“You got it,” she nodded.
“All right then. What have you got on the Vanderworth estate?”
Shaking her head, the Inspector frowned. “Just what we had last night. Eiling swooped in with his presidential order and there was nothing we could do to stop him. Thing is, he's working out of Fort Penline, had every last scrap of that thing Luthor created transported there last night. The estate is a ghost town this morning, wiped clean.”
Simms' brow furrowed. “What the hell is an Air Force General doing working out of an Army base?”
“You got me, but I'm guessing he's not up to anything good.”
“With his history?” the Chief rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Any leads on Luthor's hired muscle?”
“Nothing. Not a single word. It's like they've fallen off the face of the planet.”
Simms sighed. “Shit. Those goons are our ticket to taking out whatever organization that woman's put together since dear old hubby landed in prison. You find them,” he ordered, stabbing the open file on his desk with a finger. “And get me something to put that woman away.”
“I'll let you know as soon as I hear so much as a squeak, Chief,” Sawyer nodded, standing again to get back to work.
* * * * *
Eight AM found Lois busily packing a suitcase for her son. She ransacked his dresser for shirts, pants, pajamas, socks, extra shoes, X-Men underwear... Anything and everything got stuffed into the suitcase, while what little was left was shoved forcefully back into the dresser.
“There. That ought to do it,” she remarked to Jason, the little boy sitting on his bed regarding his mother with wide eyes and a smile, swinging his legs back and forth and kicking his mattress.
Having not been to the lake in a year, an eternity for a five-year-old, he bubbled with excitement. “Are we really gonna go fishing?” he asked for the tenth time.
“Absolutely!” she grinned down at him, zipping the full suitcase closed. After a quick ruffle of his hair, she hefted the suitcase to the doorway next to Jason's bathroom bag, the carry-on bulging with almost everything from the medicine cabinet. “Are you ready?”
His little face lit up, unable to contain his enthusiasm any longer. “Yeah! Let's go!” Jumping down from the bed, he grabbed both bags, lifting them with ease, and disappeared full tilt down the hall.
A moment passed before it dawned on Lois what she'd just seen, and she ran after him. “Wait! Jason!” She caught up with him at the top of the stairs and pulled him to a halt, barely reining in her panic. He shouldn't have been able to pick up the suitcases, he shouldn't have been able to crush the tiny toy car, he most certainly shouldn't have been able to throw a grand piano! Jason shouldn't have been able to do any of those things, and yet, he had. Kneeling in front of him and holding him by the shoulders, she eyed her son wildly as her mind tried once again to digest the fact that it was all true, that Jason had powers. No turning back now, no more sweeping it under the rug to deal with later. Pandora's box was open, and it was only a matter of time before someone discovered what he could do, who he was.
“What's wrong, Mommy?” Jason frowned at her as she stared at him, speechless.
“Uh...” She wasn't even sure he knew what he'd done, judging by the confused pout he was giving her. After she'd told him not to tell anyone about what happened on Luthor's boat, she hadn't exactly brought up the topic again.
“Mommy?” he asked again, his chin quivering, not understanding at all what was going on.
Part of Lois wanted to repeat what she'd told him before, reinforce the need to not talk about it, but she knew that wasn't the right way to go. Quietly, she started, “Sweetie...” She peered down the stairs to make sure Richard wasn't close by. “Do you know what you just did?”
He titled his head. “I picked up my suitcases.”
“Yeah,” she smiled. “The thing is, most kids your age aren't able to pick up things that heavy. In fact, you're the only five-year-old I know of that can do that.”
Nodding, he smiled in return. “I know.”
“Good. But you and I are the only ones that know that, okay? It's a secret. Even Daddy doesn't know how strong you've gotten,” she shook her head, knowing her son could at least keep secrets.
The little boy's eyes narrowed. “A secret?”
“Yes, baby. It's a-a surprise for later. You're a very special little boy, but for now, I don't want your Daddy to see you carrying anything heavy, okay?”
Jason smiled, understanding now that being strong like Superman wasn't just something he couldn't tell anybody. It was a surprise. He could keep surprises secret. “Okay, Mommy,” he nodded, and with that, he bounded down the stairs with a hundred new questions flying through his mind, leaving his mother to bring down all of the suitcases.
Watching him practically bounce down the stairs, Lois rolled her eyes at herself. Way to go, Lane. More secrets. Even with the best intentions, she'd still managed to lie to him, and it turned her stomach. Good parents don't tell their children lies and make them keep secrets, she insisted to herself. Yeah, well, most parents don't have to hide a kid with superpowers, she rationalized sourly. Today was not the day to tell him. Not with the situation between her and Richard as it was. They needed to get away, to be a family for a while, without the shadow of Superman that hung over them all. They needed to be normal and happy, for at least the weekend. Still, she knew the truth had to come out eventually. She just hoped the burden of keeping this secret wouldn't ruin what was quite possibly their last chance.
* * * * *
Outside the patio door and under a heavily overcast sky, Richard stood with his cell phone to his ear, gesturing emphatically with his free hand and nearly shouting. “No! Perry - you're just going to have to work it out yourself. Wait - no! Look, Lois and I are going out of town and that's it! No, I can't come in for an hour. No, Lois can't come in either! Dammit, I already talked to Tom... Yeah, he said he'd take Anderson... Yes. And Jimmy. No... What about... Well, it's not my fault he backed out! No! God, Perry, can't you get Kent to work on it? I'm sure he can put this together for you. No, I know he's still working on... But that can wait! Look, you can threaten me all you want, but I'm still...” He paused, a look of frustrated defeat on his face. “No, no, I get it. Fine. Yeah. Bye,” he spat. Slapping his cell phone shut, he spun to face Lois, who stood in the doorway silently taking in Richard's half of the conversation.
“Perry wouldn't let you get out of it,” she said calmly, her arms folded over her chest as she stepped out onto the patio, heart hammering a furious staccato.
Richard shook his head as he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “No. For some inexplicable reason,” he fumed, “Tom backed out of the trip to Washington, so Perry's trying his damnedest to get me to go. I'll do everything I can to work up a back up plan, but I still have to go in to the office.” He stopped, pressing his lips together in an attempt to control his rage at what he knew had been a power play on his uncle's part, and he repressed the urge to throw his cell phone all the way into the river. How could he possibly hope to fight to keep Lois now? This could have been my only chance...
“I guess I knew this would happen,” she looked at her fiancé with regret. What if this was our only chance?
“I'm sorry, Lois. Perry said he only needs me for an hour or so, but that'll effectively finish our weekend.” Closing the space between them, he put his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. “I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have to go, but Perry's been threatening to send me back to London again. I just don't know why he's so adamant about this. He must know something that I don't.”
“Who ever knows what he's thinking?” Lois held onto Richard as tightly as she could, breathing in the familiar scent of his aftershave and holding in a scathing curse as a knot began to grow in her throat. Dammit...
They stood there for a moment, neither moving, neither wanting to let go.
“I guess you'll be back after lunch, then,” she finally said, but all of the energy had gone from her voice. She had no fight left. Their weekend away, her last hope for saving their relationship, was ruined.
“Aren't we going to the lake, Mommy?” Jason said from behind them, tugging on Lois's fleece jacket.
Both Richard and Lois looked down at him, pulling out of their embrace, and Richard scooped the boy up into his arms. “Sorry, bud,” he told him. “Mean old Uncle Perry is making me go to work for a little while. Looks like we're going to have to cancel the trip.”
“But I wanna go to the lake,” Jason insisted, pouting. “I wanna go fishing!”
Lois cut in, petting his hair, “Jason, we can go to the park instead, like we originally planned. Maybe feed the ducks? Come on, let's go put the suitcases back upstairs.”
“Okay, Mom,” Jason sighed dejectedly as he slipped down from Richard's grasp. He shuffled back inside the door, grabbed his suitcase, and dragged it forcefully across the tile floor to the stairs, making a show of his effort.
Lois felt a sting of shame that her son had to resort to acting to hide his strength, but at least Richard hadn't noticed. She turned back to him. “Well, you should go. Can't keep your uncle waiting.”
He nodded solemnly, and the couple walked around to the driveway in silence, not looking at one another. The weight of defeat, uncertainty, and anger settled in between them, choking off the things they wanted to say to each other.
When they reached the car, Richard faced his fiancée before climbing in. “I'll be back soon. Look, I'll come up with something else for the rest of the weekend. This won't be a total loss, I promise.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, Lois.”
“I love you, too,” she returned, and watched as Richard got into the car and drove away. I just hope that's enough...
* * * * *
Author: Saavikam
Fandom: Superman Returns
Pairings: Lois/Richard, Clark/Lois
Rating - This Chapter: PG-13
Chapter Word Count: 6,063
Summary: In the days following the events of Superman Returns, both Clark and Lois are reeling from events that have changed their lives forever, and the city of Metropolis is in shambles. Things only get worse as Lois's relationship with Richard takes a nosedive, the US government wants to send a survey and potential mining mission to New Krypton, and vast amounts of kryptonite show up in the hands of criminals on the streets of Metropolis.
Chapter Summary: Jason has an... interesting asthma attack, startling discoveries are made by both Clark and Lois, and when weekend plans are canceled, Lois and Richard find themselves at a crossroads.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. Superman and the DC Comics universe are property of DC Comics and Warner Brothers. No money has been made or will be made from the production of this work. Darn it.
Author's Note: I'm back, baby!! ^_^ Chapter after next is the conclusion of the first arc (still without a name :p).
* * * * *
Previous :: Table of Contents :: Next
Chapter 10
Belted uncomfortably into the back seat of the car, Jason fidgeted and stared out the window. “Dad,” he called to the front seat, “Why couldn't Mommy come home with us?”
His dad looked back at him in the rear view mirror. “She still had some more work to finish up, Jason. Don't worry, she'll be home in time to tuck you in, I promise.”
“Pinky swear?” the little boy urged.
Richard smiled, “Pinky swear,” and he reached his arm back and locked little fingers with Jason to seal the promise.
Smiling back, seemingly satisfied with his dad's answer, Jason went back to looking out the window at the lights as they passed through the city. Richard didn't see the frown on his face that replaced the smile then, as the boy pushed his hair back from his eyes with a small hand.
Halfway home a slight drizzle started to fall outside, and the sound of the windshield wipers became loud in Jason's ears. He wondered why they were so loud, then thought about his Mommy again. He just wanted her to read him a bedtime story and tell him more about Superman. Jason had seen Superman in the hospital, and he had wanted him to get better so much. He'd been so happy that Superman came to see him that night, though he didn't know why he'd come. Maybe Mommy had told him about the piano. Jason knew he wasn't supposed to be able to do that, but it had just happened. He never figured out why he hadn't been punished for it.
Superman hadn't come back to see him since that night, though, and Jason didn't understand why; Superman did say he'd always be around. And he thought Mommy and Daddy talked to him all the time, except he was dressed different, so they didn't call him Superman, they called him Clark. Maybe Superman was pretending to be Clark, like Jason had pretended to be a fish in the school play. Or maybe Clark and Superman just looked the same. He even wondered if maybe Superman had a twin brother, like his friend at school, Billy, did. But he knew Mommy would tell him he was making up stories if he asked. Everybody knew that Superman always wore the stretchy suit and cape, and he was the only person on Earth who came from Krypton.
Jason really wanted to ask Superman about Krypton, too, since his teacher didn't really know everything about it. Superman was from there, so he had to know everything. And... Miss Kinney didn't know anything about New Krypton either. Jason had heard his Mommy and Daddy and Clark and Jimmy talk about it, and he wanted to know what it was. Was it the place they had saved Superman from when he was sick? Was it that island that Superman took away into the sky? Why was it called New Krypton? And why was somebody sending a space shuttle there? He knew it was pretty important, but he didn't understand. He didn't understand any of it, but he wanted to more than anything. He knew Superman would answer all his questions if he would just come to see him.
Jason sighed and picked up one of his toy cars from the seat next to him, wishing it was a space ship instead. He loved the things he learned in school about space, the planets, and the stars, and he wanted to see them. His teacher had told them you could see the stars and planets with a telescope, so he planned to ask for one for Christmas.
If... if only Superman would come see him! Or if Clark was really Superman pretending to be a regular person, then he could just ask him all the questions he had about the stars, about Krypton and New Krypton, about space, about all that important stuff, about why he was so strong like Superman, and why Mommy didn't want him to tell anyone! Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried not to let himself cry over it. Nothing made any sense. He didn't understand!
Finally opening his eyes to look out the window again, he craned his neck to see up into the sky. No stars. He knew there must be clouds covering everything up, even though he couldn't see them in the dark. It was raining after all, tiny misting drops hitting the window. The squeaking of the windshield wipers seemed to grow louder and louder. Thwup-thwup, thwup-thwup. The sound grew so loud it started to hurt, like somebody was smacking a drum next to his ears. THWUP-THWUP! THWUP-THWUP! Jason squeezed his eyes shut again and covered his ears, still holding the toy car, trying to shut out the sound. It hurt so bad! He began to wheeze heavily and itch all over, and, dropping the car, he reached for his inhaler to take a long puff of the medicine, trying not to panic. Mommy said never to panic. After a moment his lungs opened up most of the way and he could breathe again, so he stowed the inhaler back in his pocket and picked up the toy car again, peering at it.
“Okay, sport, we're home,” his Dad called back from the front seat, oblivious to the asthma attack and... whatever it was.
Jason looked up, then down at the tiny car, now crushed into a little wad of metal in the palm of his hand.
* * * * *
Finally finished at the Planet after an hour and a half of scurrying to get another two articles pumped out before deadline, Clark bade Lois and Jimmy good night and made his way to the roof, knowing the night was still young for him. A quick change in the elevator shaft, and he was on his way out to survey the results of the SCU's confrontation with the military.
As before, he hung high above the Vanderworth estate, observing the controlled chaos below, the gravity to the whole scene that spoke volumes about the military's purposeful determination to get to Luthor's little experiment.
The house had been partially dismantled.
The roof was completely off, the second floor almost gone, and the shredded kitchen area had been peeled back roughly to allow the biohazard suit-clad personnel enough room to extract the mass of crystal in chunks.
It was almost sickening to Clark, watching them hacking away at the little mountain with jackhammers and heavy chisels, dust swirling around them in the bright yellow spotlights while misting rain brought it all back down on top of their white suits in a sheen of gray. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and to handle it so crudely... He supposed it was good that they had enough sense to protect themselves from the potentially toxic dust, but what about all the particulate that the rain didn't manage to wash out of the air? What about the neighboring estates and the people that lived there? What about the river?
As a group of men secured thick straps around a large chunk, Clark had no choice but to watch as it was then attached to a crane and lifted out to be placed on the back of a flatbed truck. More men in biohazard suits covered it with a white tarp, hiding it away to be transported, and all Clark could think about were those damn movies he'd hated so much as a kid. ET, Flight of the Navigator, The Day the Earth Stood Still. He'd never been able to shake the fear that someone, some day, would get hold of him and take him away to some lab. Watching the military take away this tiny - albeit wrong, fabricated - piece of Krypton felt like a violation.
Shivers shot through him of their own accord.
There was no telling what these people would do with the crystals. At least with S.T.A.R. Labs, they would have been safe, but now... he had no such illusions.
“What the hell is taking you people so damn long?” Clark heard a man below shout into a headset. From the uniform, he guessed this was the man in charge, but he sounded too familiar... “We don't have all goddamn night, here! I want this thing out and the area wiped clean before the sun comes up! Do you hear me down there!?”
“Yes, sir! We'll pick up the pace, General,” another, seemingly cowering, voice responded through the headset. Clark was able to trace it to the lead man in the pit of the house, directing the others where to go.
But he'd called the man in charge 'General'... Of course, with military ranks, that was expected, but something had the hair on the back of Clark's neck standing on end at the exchange.
“Damn right, you will,” the General spat back, turning away from watching the activity in the pit to survey the work on the flatbed.
When Clark caught his face, his stomach turned an angry flip. Oh, you've got to be kidding me... he groaned to himself, frowning down at the scene. Not him... not again... His memory of General Eiling was as clear as if the aftermath of Zod's visit had been only the day before. Eiling had been the one to order the air strikes, disregarding the safety of the city of Metropolis and its citizens in some crazed effort to take down the beings that Superman hadn't been able to beat yet. And if Superman was hurt in the process? Well, Eiling had certainly had no qualms about it.
He remembered hearing the sick satisfaction in the General's voice when he ordered the jets to fire their missiles at Zod - right in the middle of a tussle above a crowded downtown area. Taking that hit had cost Clark valuable time in leading Zod's crew away from the city, and had cost nearly a hundred people their lives.
And now Eiling was leading what looked like an Army extraction team, taking Luthor's experiment to do God knows what with it.
His hands balling into fists, Clark took to the sky in a flash through the rain and heavy clouds, not believing the audacity of the General's move.
* * * * *
“Mommy, I'm glad you're home,” Jason hugged his mom tightly as she tucked him into bed.
“Me, too, pumpkin,” Lois sighed, returning his hug with a kiss on the top of the head. All that rushing to finish the articles on the Vanderworths and their little discovery, even with Clark actually pulling through for her to help get the job done, and she still managed to completely miss dinner and only barely make it home in time to tuck her son into bed. Part of her couldn't help thinking maybe Richard had a point about her working too hard.
But that just made the rest of her angry.
Releasing her son after a long moment, she smoothed down his hair. “Now you get some sleep and maybe we'll go to the park tomorrow,” she smiled softly, standing to turn the light off.
“Okay, Mom,” Jason nodded, starting to wheeze. Reaching for his inhaler, he took a long, deep breath from it, then snuggled down into his bed.
Wait a minute... Lois hadn't seen him use his inhaler in three days. She hadn't noticed a single wheeze, but then, she hadn't exactly been home much. Pausing with her finger still on the light switch, she asked, “I thought you'd been feeling better, honey?”
Sitting up again, Jason pushed his hair back from his face and scratched at his chest through his Aqua Man pajamas. “I was, Mommy, but I've been itchy since Daddy and I came home.”
“Didn't Daddy give you a Claritin?”
“No.”
“What about your epinephrine?” Lois sat down on the bed and started looking him over, pushing up his sleeves and lifting his shirt to see if he had a rash. Thankfully, no alarming symptoms seemed to present themselves.
“No.”
“Jason, did you tell Daddy you didn't feel well?” Her heart began to beat harder in her chest.
“No,” he said meekly.
“Why not, sweetie?”
Jason just shrugged.
Any other day, this wouldn't have been a big deal. Treat the allergy attack, then handle the cause. Not a problem. All part of the routine, with maintenance medications, inhalers, epi-pens, and the number for Jason's allergist on speed-dial. But something had worry prickling up Lois's spine. The rules seemed to have changed since that day on Luthor's boat. Nothing seemed... normal for Jason anymore. At the very least, he'd been doing better. Now... she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Jason, you know you're supposed to tell us when you feel like that,” she finally admonished him, fighting the rising anxiety.
“I know, Mom. I'm sorry,” he replied, frowning up at her with those big blue puppy eyes.
She sighed heavily, “Just don't do that again, okay? You tell us if you don't feel good.” Standing, she said, “I'll go get your Claritin.”
He nodded to her, still frowning, and as she passed the night table to head toward the bathroom, she noticed something sitting on the bedside table next to the lamp. It was one of his toy cars, or it had been. Now it was no more than a tiny piece of crushed metal. Oh, my God...
* * * * *
After tucking a much less itchy and easier breathing Jason in for the second time and stealthily pocketing the remains of the toy car, Lois headed for the kitchen to warm up some leftovers. There, she found Richard still reading that day's Planet, sipping a glass of merlot and appearing to be deep in thought, as he had been when she took Jason upstairs.
“What took so long? Trouble getting Jason to bed?” he asked her, barely glancing up from the paper.
Shocked at her fiancé's casual attitude and seeming ignorance, Lois glared at him as she reached into the fridge for the plate of baked chicken and steamed asparagus. “He was having an allergy attack, Richard.”
He looked up at her with a furrowed brow, then up in the direction of the boy's bedroom, “Really? He seemed fine this evening.”
Lois put her food in the microwave and stabbed at the reheat button. “Well, he said he felt itchy since you brought him home, and he was wheezing pretty hard. Are you sure you didn't notice anything?”
“Nothing,” he shook his head at her, confused. “I guess he seemed a little worried about you not getting home until late. But that's it.” A pang of guilt and embarrassment stabbed at him then, as he realized he'd been so worked up over Lois that he'd probably missed every blatant sign of their son's allergy attack. Jason had seemed fine to him...
Fearing Lois might lash out at him for being so oblivious, he half-heartedly pretended to bury himself in reading the paper. Anyone that knew her knew she would do anything to protect their son, even if it meant tearing him a new one, but the last thing he wanted was for this evening to turn into another argument. No, better to smooth things over for now. Apologize.
“Lois, I-” he began, lowing the paper and giving his best 'I'm sorry I screwed up' expression.
But Lois's face began to flush with anger at what she knew would be a weak apology, and her look silenced him in a heartbeat, turning his gaze away from her in shame. She knew Richard would do anything to make sure Jason was okay, knew that he would lay his life on the line for their son. But for him to not notice Jason having an allergy attack? It was unthinkable. It was inconceivable.
Her conscience got the better of her then, reminding her of the crushed toy in her pocket. What if Richard had seen it? Would he have understood what it was? Would he have told her?
Honestly, she didn't know, but rationalizing that the little piece of crumpled metal was irrelevant to the matter at hand left her free to fume about Jason's allergy attack.
The beep of the microwave startled her for a brief instant, and she struggled to keep herself in check as she removed her plate and sat down across from Richard to eat. Attacking her food furiously, she left him to retreat behind his newspaper again, his eyes narrowed as he peered intently at some article or other.
Several minutes of silence followed, with Richard seemingly engrossed in the paper, and Lois stewing. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer, righteous indignation flaming up her spine. Her fork clanked against the plate and she jerked herself up straight in her chair. “Richard, how could you not notice Jason was sick? He was scratching at his chest and wheezing! It's not like we haven't been through this before.”
Richard's face twisted with shock as he cocked his head to the side and slapped down the paper, knowing the argument was inevitable. “Whoa, Lois, what do you want me to say, here?” he said defensively, plowing forward even as her eyes began to flash at him in warning. “I tried to apologize, and you looked at me like you wanted to boil me in oil!” But as angry as he suddenly was, his self-preservation instinct kicked in to steer him in a better direction. More gently, he said, “Look. I'm sorry I didn't see anything, but Jason just didn't seem sick to me, at least, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Besides, I don't think a little wheezing and itching is anything to worry about.” He tried to meet Lois's eyes as, inside, he fought to reconcile his guilt with the need to defend himself against her unspoken accusations.
Lois, now refusing to meet his gaze in return, hesitated a moment, not quite knowing how to respond. How could she tell him that Jason's allergy attack was somehow out of the ordinary, that it shouldn't have happened? That she was scared something was wrong? She couldn't, at least not yet. She just wasn't ready. And how could she assuage her guilt for not having been around when Jason needed her? She'd been working too many hours, she was tired, and she knew it. This had happened because she hadn't been with her family. “I'm just worried about him, okay?” she half-heartedly snapped, picking up her fork to pretend to concentrate on her dinner again. “He went through a lot last week, that's all.”
But Richard wasn't satisfied with her response. Lois had been on edge for most of the last two weeks, her usual short temper even shorter and her lighter moods almost flighty. She had been quick to dismiss his concerns and to change the subject on several occasions. Their conversation that afternoon had been just another in a series of warnings, complete with red flags, bells, and whistles, but this clinched it, Lois was hiding something from him. That she wouldn't look him in the eye was the proof. She was still in love with him, he knew that already, but there was more... “No, I don't think that's all. First you attack me for not thinking Jason was sick this afternoon, now you're just worried about what happened to him last week? What's going on, Lois? I haven't been able to get you to have an honest conversation with me in two weeks. Why?” He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but it was too late - he had asked.
Lois continued to stare at her food, knowing she would say too much if she spoke.
“God, Lois! Now you won't even speak to me? Really, what is going on?” Sudden, intense fear flooded him, and he rose from his seat, knelt next to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lois, what is it? Tell me, please!” he begged her, his voice cracking and his eyes stinging.
Finally, she looked up at him, studying his face. His strong jaw was covered with twelve-hour stubble, his forehead wrinkled with question over his light eyes. All he wanted was the truth. Lois wanted to tell him about Jason, but the pit of her stomach wouldn't let her. She'd held this secret for the entirety of their relationship, and knew how betrayed he would feel for her omission. Her thoughts veered off course to avoid the topic, and she found herself thinking about the other question that had preoccupied her for at least the last ten days. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Richard, It's not just Jason... I-I'm worried about us.”
As soon as she said it, a wave of relief and remorse for having admitted it, to herself much less than to Richard, washed over her. She didn't want this rift to be between them, she had vowed to stay the course, but things hadn't turned out the way she'd planned. It was clear that she was a woman divided; she knew it, and she knew Richard knew it. She could feel it whenever she looked at him, whenever they hugged, or kissed, or even spoke to one another. From the day Superman returned to the Earth, Lois was a different woman. She was his.
Blinking hard, Lois found herself amidst a warm, firm embrace, Richard wiping the tears from her eyes she didn't even realize were there. It was at least the third time in two days she had cried, more even than when Superman first disappeared, leaving her alone to face a terrifying future. “Richard, I-” she choked, returning his embrace.
“Shh... it's okay,” he soothed, gently stroking her hair. “I know it's been awful. I haven't exactly made things easy for you. I'm sorry.” He held on to his fiancée with all the strength he had, knowing it still wouldn't be enough. Lois didn't see when tears began to slip down his cheeks as well, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clenched his jaw.
“I'm sorry, too,” she sobbed. “None of this should be happening. I'm Lois Lane, dammit! I'm not supposed to have my life turned upside down. I'm a rock, my life is supposed to be stable!” she spat through gritted teeth.
Richard withdrew from her, took a deep breath to keep from sobbing himself as he clasped her arms, and looked into her multi-hued eyes. “Yes, you are Lois Lane, and you've been a rock ever since I've known you. Heck, you've managed to keep your family together through much worse than this. But frankly, our lives have been written like a comic book lately! It's been one crazy thing after another, and I don't see it ending. What I do see is us getting through anything this world can throw at us. We've done it before, we can do it again. I, for one, am not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I will do everything I can to fight for you, Lois.” God, I hope that's enough...
Lois wiped her tears with the sleeve of her blouse, smudging mascara on the cream colored silk. “I love you, Richard.” She hugged him again and lightly kissed his cheek. I hope that's enough, she told herself. I can't take this much longer...
Richard pulled back from her again. “Lets get away for the weekend. We can all go up to the lake in Vermont, take the sea plane up,” he suggested, his face brightening a bit. “I think a little change of scenery might do us some good.”
“But what about work? Perry will have a-”
“To hell with Perry. We've got vacation time coming, and I think it's about time we used it,” he said firmly, his eyes set.
Lois smiled weakly. Richard had always been a take charge sort of guy, and despite their frequent clashes, it was one of the things that endeared him to her. “Okay, we'll go.”
* * * * *
Just after dawn on Saturday morning, a sharp rap on the door to his office pulled Chief Simms' head up from the file he was perusing on Intergang's downfall back in two thousand. “Sawyer,” he nodded to the Inspector as she strode in.
“Thought you might like an update on the possible Intergang situation,” she started, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the desk.
“Hit me,” he said, sitting back in his chair.
“We've had one car tailing her and one on her building since yesterday morning, even a wire tap on her office phones, and so far, we've gotten exactly jack and shit. All of her 'legitimate',” she uncrossed her arms and mimed air quotes, “business contacts seem to be on the up and up, but otherwise, nada.”
“Too quiet?”
“Oh, yeah. Like they know the shit's about to hit the fan. They're waiting for something.”
“Damn,” Simms muttered, and he raised an eyebrow, “How much you want to bet it's the international situation shaping up in DC?”
Maggie huffed, smirking grimly. “And with the hunt on for Luthor, and a possible connection to her, she'd be smart to lay low, distance herself from any international contacts not on the up and up.”
“Certainly. In any event, we need to find something. We've put too many resources into her over the last six years to lose her now.”
“You got it,” she nodded.
“All right then. What have you got on the Vanderworth estate?”
Shaking her head, the Inspector frowned. “Just what we had last night. Eiling swooped in with his presidential order and there was nothing we could do to stop him. Thing is, he's working out of Fort Penline, had every last scrap of that thing Luthor created transported there last night. The estate is a ghost town this morning, wiped clean.”
Simms' brow furrowed. “What the hell is an Air Force General doing working out of an Army base?”
“You got me, but I'm guessing he's not up to anything good.”
“With his history?” the Chief rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Any leads on Luthor's hired muscle?”
“Nothing. Not a single word. It's like they've fallen off the face of the planet.”
Simms sighed. “Shit. Those goons are our ticket to taking out whatever organization that woman's put together since dear old hubby landed in prison. You find them,” he ordered, stabbing the open file on his desk with a finger. “And get me something to put that woman away.”
“I'll let you know as soon as I hear so much as a squeak, Chief,” Sawyer nodded, standing again to get back to work.
* * * * *
Eight AM found Lois busily packing a suitcase for her son. She ransacked his dresser for shirts, pants, pajamas, socks, extra shoes, X-Men underwear... Anything and everything got stuffed into the suitcase, while what little was left was shoved forcefully back into the dresser.
“There. That ought to do it,” she remarked to Jason, the little boy sitting on his bed regarding his mother with wide eyes and a smile, swinging his legs back and forth and kicking his mattress.
Having not been to the lake in a year, an eternity for a five-year-old, he bubbled with excitement. “Are we really gonna go fishing?” he asked for the tenth time.
“Absolutely!” she grinned down at him, zipping the full suitcase closed. After a quick ruffle of his hair, she hefted the suitcase to the doorway next to Jason's bathroom bag, the carry-on bulging with almost everything from the medicine cabinet. “Are you ready?”
His little face lit up, unable to contain his enthusiasm any longer. “Yeah! Let's go!” Jumping down from the bed, he grabbed both bags, lifting them with ease, and disappeared full tilt down the hall.
A moment passed before it dawned on Lois what she'd just seen, and she ran after him. “Wait! Jason!” She caught up with him at the top of the stairs and pulled him to a halt, barely reining in her panic. He shouldn't have been able to pick up the suitcases, he shouldn't have been able to crush the tiny toy car, he most certainly shouldn't have been able to throw a grand piano! Jason shouldn't have been able to do any of those things, and yet, he had. Kneeling in front of him and holding him by the shoulders, she eyed her son wildly as her mind tried once again to digest the fact that it was all true, that Jason had powers. No turning back now, no more sweeping it under the rug to deal with later. Pandora's box was open, and it was only a matter of time before someone discovered what he could do, who he was.
“What's wrong, Mommy?” Jason frowned at her as she stared at him, speechless.
“Uh...” She wasn't even sure he knew what he'd done, judging by the confused pout he was giving her. After she'd told him not to tell anyone about what happened on Luthor's boat, she hadn't exactly brought up the topic again.
“Mommy?” he asked again, his chin quivering, not understanding at all what was going on.
Part of Lois wanted to repeat what she'd told him before, reinforce the need to not talk about it, but she knew that wasn't the right way to go. Quietly, she started, “Sweetie...” She peered down the stairs to make sure Richard wasn't close by. “Do you know what you just did?”
He titled his head. “I picked up my suitcases.”
“Yeah,” she smiled. “The thing is, most kids your age aren't able to pick up things that heavy. In fact, you're the only five-year-old I know of that can do that.”
Nodding, he smiled in return. “I know.”
“Good. But you and I are the only ones that know that, okay? It's a secret. Even Daddy doesn't know how strong you've gotten,” she shook her head, knowing her son could at least keep secrets.
The little boy's eyes narrowed. “A secret?”
“Yes, baby. It's a-a surprise for later. You're a very special little boy, but for now, I don't want your Daddy to see you carrying anything heavy, okay?”
Jason smiled, understanding now that being strong like Superman wasn't just something he couldn't tell anybody. It was a surprise. He could keep surprises secret. “Okay, Mommy,” he nodded, and with that, he bounded down the stairs with a hundred new questions flying through his mind, leaving his mother to bring down all of the suitcases.
Watching him practically bounce down the stairs, Lois rolled her eyes at herself. Way to go, Lane. More secrets. Even with the best intentions, she'd still managed to lie to him, and it turned her stomach. Good parents don't tell their children lies and make them keep secrets, she insisted to herself. Yeah, well, most parents don't have to hide a kid with superpowers, she rationalized sourly. Today was not the day to tell him. Not with the situation between her and Richard as it was. They needed to get away, to be a family for a while, without the shadow of Superman that hung over them all. They needed to be normal and happy, for at least the weekend. Still, she knew the truth had to come out eventually. She just hoped the burden of keeping this secret wouldn't ruin what was quite possibly their last chance.
* * * * *
Outside the patio door and under a heavily overcast sky, Richard stood with his cell phone to his ear, gesturing emphatically with his free hand and nearly shouting. “No! Perry - you're just going to have to work it out yourself. Wait - no! Look, Lois and I are going out of town and that's it! No, I can't come in for an hour. No, Lois can't come in either! Dammit, I already talked to Tom... Yeah, he said he'd take Anderson... Yes. And Jimmy. No... What about... Well, it's not my fault he backed out! No! God, Perry, can't you get Kent to work on it? I'm sure he can put this together for you. No, I know he's still working on... But that can wait! Look, you can threaten me all you want, but I'm still...” He paused, a look of frustrated defeat on his face. “No, no, I get it. Fine. Yeah. Bye,” he spat. Slapping his cell phone shut, he spun to face Lois, who stood in the doorway silently taking in Richard's half of the conversation.
“Perry wouldn't let you get out of it,” she said calmly, her arms folded over her chest as she stepped out onto the patio, heart hammering a furious staccato.
Richard shook his head as he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “No. For some inexplicable reason,” he fumed, “Tom backed out of the trip to Washington, so Perry's trying his damnedest to get me to go. I'll do everything I can to work up a back up plan, but I still have to go in to the office.” He stopped, pressing his lips together in an attempt to control his rage at what he knew had been a power play on his uncle's part, and he repressed the urge to throw his cell phone all the way into the river. How could he possibly hope to fight to keep Lois now? This could have been my only chance...
“I guess I knew this would happen,” she looked at her fiancé with regret. What if this was our only chance?
“I'm sorry, Lois. Perry said he only needs me for an hour or so, but that'll effectively finish our weekend.” Closing the space between them, he put his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. “I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have to go, but Perry's been threatening to send me back to London again. I just don't know why he's so adamant about this. He must know something that I don't.”
“Who ever knows what he's thinking?” Lois held onto Richard as tightly as she could, breathing in the familiar scent of his aftershave and holding in a scathing curse as a knot began to grow in her throat. Dammit...
They stood there for a moment, neither moving, neither wanting to let go.
“I guess you'll be back after lunch, then,” she finally said, but all of the energy had gone from her voice. She had no fight left. Their weekend away, her last hope for saving their relationship, was ruined.
“Aren't we going to the lake, Mommy?” Jason said from behind them, tugging on Lois's fleece jacket.
Both Richard and Lois looked down at him, pulling out of their embrace, and Richard scooped the boy up into his arms. “Sorry, bud,” he told him. “Mean old Uncle Perry is making me go to work for a little while. Looks like we're going to have to cancel the trip.”
“But I wanna go to the lake,” Jason insisted, pouting. “I wanna go fishing!”
Lois cut in, petting his hair, “Jason, we can go to the park instead, like we originally planned. Maybe feed the ducks? Come on, let's go put the suitcases back upstairs.”
“Okay, Mom,” Jason sighed dejectedly as he slipped down from Richard's grasp. He shuffled back inside the door, grabbed his suitcase, and dragged it forcefully across the tile floor to the stairs, making a show of his effort.
Lois felt a sting of shame that her son had to resort to acting to hide his strength, but at least Richard hadn't noticed. She turned back to him. “Well, you should go. Can't keep your uncle waiting.”
He nodded solemnly, and the couple walked around to the driveway in silence, not looking at one another. The weight of defeat, uncertainty, and anger settled in between them, choking off the things they wanted to say to each other.
When they reached the car, Richard faced his fiancée before climbing in. “I'll be back soon. Look, I'll come up with something else for the rest of the weekend. This won't be a total loss, I promise.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, Lois.”
“I love you, too,” she returned, and watched as Richard got into the car and drove away. I just hope that's enough...
* * * * *