Summary: It's been eight months since Superman's return to Earth. Richard is gone, Jason knows his true parentage, and Lois knows who Superman really is. But Lois and Clark's passionate relationship is built on shaky ground. They must contend not only with Jason's growing resentment of the man who's taken the place of the only father he's ever known, but also their insecurities with each other.
A/N: I appreciate positive feedback and constructive criticism as it lets me know what works and what doesn't. I hope you enjoy the story.
Chapter 1: All is Not Bliss
Mornings. If it were possible to start the day without them, Lois Lane would have discovered how by now. Lying in bed, she reached lazily over to the nightstand and hit the snooze button on her alarm clock. She pulled the white sheet up to her chin and shut her eyes, just as the air conditioner rumbled on and a cool breeze brushed her naked skin.
Five months. 151 days. That's how many nights Clark Kent had slipped into her bed, and that's how many mornings she'd woken up alone. She thought, just once, it would be nice for him to wake up beside her, to see his rumpled hair and gaze into his sexy blue eyes. To see him stretch his arms out above his head and stifle a yawn. Was he a morning person? Hell, she didn't even know if he ate his breakfast then brushed his teeth, or brushed his teeth and then ate his breakfast.
Sometimes, she'd awaken in the morning and her hands would instinctively slide over to the other side of the bed, feeling the warm sheets he just minutes ago abandoned. Other times she'd wake up in the dead of night to find him watching her. He'd be lying on his side, his hands tucked underneath the pillow to prop up his head.
Like last night. She awoke around 1:30 a.m., feeling that familiar dip to one side that could only mean he'd slipped in beside her. He whispered an apology for waking her as he sometimes did. They talked for a few minutes before he brushed his hand through her hair, taking a few strands between his thumb and index finger. He then gave her a shy, devilish grin and pulled her on top of him, and they exchanged a passionate kiss that quickly escalated. He picked her up out of bed and pushed her back flat against the wall, her knees resting on his waist and his hand folded on the back of her head like a pillow. She dug her nails into his smooth skin, pushing her mouth into his warm shoulder to stifle screams she was sure would wake their sleeping son down the hallway.
Sometimes she wondered if waking her was, on a subconscious level, intentional.
He never stayed the entire night, just long enough until she had fallen asleep again. He said that he needed to make sure he was available should anyone need his help. But she suspected that was only a half-truth. Somewhere within the last several months Jason's fascination with a certain superhero had grown into bitter resentment. Richard was gone, and along with him the only father he'd ever known.
Pushing the sheets off her body, she sat up and focused on the red blur on her alarm clock. 6:45 a.m., just enough time to hop in the shower, walk Jason to school and make the 8:00 a.m. staff meeting. Standing up, she winced at the coarse pain that shot through her stiff back and legs and delicately put on her bathrobe. In the bathroom she splashed water on her face, noticing she'd broken two fingernails. She reached into the drawer and pulled out a nail file and tried in vain to smoothen the jagged edges. She sighed. At this rate she soon wouldn't have any nails left.
She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water soothe her aching body. Outside she heard the faint roar of a city starting to awaken. Despite being 21 stories up, she could hear the faint sound of sirens mixed with the hum of cars barreling down the street. Since she'd left Richard, she'd had to abandon their beautiful house on Riverside Drive. But then, a part of her had always regretted leaving the big city in the first place.
Her two-bedroom unit was quite small, but considering the location there was no way she could pass it up. Jason's school was five blocks to the east, and the Daily Planet six blocks north of the school. It had been love at first sight. Its historic architecture, narrow hallways and old, creaking floorboards simply added to its charm. From her bedroom, a pair of glass paned French doors opened to a large, private balcony facing the river, treasured as much for the view as the isolation a top floor apartment could provide for a certain man in blue tights.
Clark, in contrast, lived on the other side of town in a place much larger than her own. She'd been there only a handful of times, but the brown brick building reminded her of a mental institution she'd once seen in a horror movie. That his apartment was functional was the greatest compliment she could give it. He'd lined with walls with simple pencil drawings and packed the rooms with Earth-toned furniture he'd picked up in some second-hand shop. It gave the place a lived-in look despite the fact that he was almost never there.
She stepped out of the shower and pulled a towel around her. Outside her bedroom door she heard dishes and utensils clanging together. Jason was in the kitchen fixing a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He'd gotten pretty good at helping himself. Richard had always been very good at preparing a hot breakfast, but now most meals were takeout, pre-packaged or cold.
Pulling the vanity mirror open, she squirted some minted toothpaste on her toothbrush and called out to him. "Jason, honey! Get your shoes on, it's almost time to go." She could hear him scurrying around, a faint "Okay, mommy!" and the unmistakable thump of his backpack being thrown on the floor.
The idea of single motherhood never fazed Lois. Her strong, independent personality pretty much got her through any of life's twists and turns, and she was confident she'd have no trouble raising a child alone. But one jolt of reality injected into her after Richard left was how much he simplified her life. She didn't fully comprehend his contributions, making lunches, picking up Jason from school, attending parent-teacher conferences, until all those responsibilities fell to her alone.
She quickly put on a navy blue business suit and met her son in the kitchen. "Good morning, sweetie." She kissed him on the forehead and grabbed her briefcase that had been sitting on the chair. Throwing her cell phone into her bag, she crouched onto her knees to speak with him at eye level. "You take all your medications? Got your bag? Good." She hugged him and helped him put on his backpack.
Once outside, she held Jason closely as she crossed the street, weaving between the crowds that had already started to form. Down the street she came to a stop in front of Marty's Coffee, a small, one-man street vendor that, despite appearances, had the best damn coffee in town. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited her turn. "Coffee with skim milk, please."
"Good morning, Miss Lane!" Marty was a man in his fifties, whose one-size-too-small toupee could be seen peering out of his red baseball cap. He had stood on the street corner serving her coffee every day since she moved into her apartment. He was, in the words of her doorman, something of a permanent fixture on Taylor Street. A friendly man with two sons, he was constantly trying to fix her up with his eldest, Charles, a doctor at Metropolis Hospital.
"This here's great stuff!" Marty exclaimed, holding up a copy of the Daily Planet, where Lois' byline shined boldly below the lead article. "I'm showing it to every one of my customers and telling them, Lois Lane buys my coffee!" He struck the paper with his hand as he said the words.
She smiled broadly, touched by his flattery. Her work on the trial of Bobby Knightly was amongst her finest. He was a murderer, coined the Metropolis Stalker, who'd been accused of stalking and killing six women in the city over the last year. He'd finally been caught when she cracked a lead that directly led to his arrest. Tomorrow, his fate was going to be determined and she was going to be there to see him put behind bars forever.
Snapping out of her reverie, she felt Jason tug at her hand as she took a sip of steaming hot, freshly brewed coffee. "Mommy, do I have a brother?" She spit out the mouthful she had taken, some of which splattered on her white blouse. She cursed, grabbed a napkin and quickly brushed the liquid away, then looked over at the headline to which her son was pointing.
I Had Superman's Baby! Exclusive Photos Inside! The headline screamed in ultra bold black ink. Emblazoned on the front were two side-by-side photos, one of a woman watching a baby who appeared to be levitating in his crib, and the other of Superman carrying her in his arms. She reached up to grab it, her hand grazing the cover before she caught herself and shook her head fiercely.
"No, sweetie. Let's go. Marty, thanks again." She pulled a couple bills from her wallet and tossed them on the countertop. Grabbing Jason's hand they walked the remaining blocks to his school.
When they arrived, she kissed him on the head and watched him traverse up the steps into the building. Its red brick façade was reminiscent of her elementary school, complete with a flagpole out front. As she turned away she saw him trip and fall onto his knees, the contents of his backpack spilling over the steps. Before she could react, a teacher rushed over to help him, just as several older kids walked by pointing and laughing. She held back the obscenities forming on her lips, for she knew that would only make things worse for him. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
She checked her watch. 7:48 a.m. She high-tailed her butt the next six blocks to the Daily Planet.
As the elevator doors opened, she strutted into the bustling newsroom. Her co-workers had already begun massing in the conference room for the staff meeting. She placed her bag on her desk and picked up a notebook. The sound of heavy laughter caused her to turn her head, and as she did so caught sight of one of her co-workers holding up the tabloid she'd seen earlier with Jason.
His name was Mitchell, a greasy-haired 20-year-old who worked in the mailroom and spent most of his day telling lewd jokes. He enjoyed a friendly camaraderie with two gray-haired reporters, Samson and Tucker, who spent most of their days writing obits and telling tales she suspected never happened.
"What if Superman had a kid? Could you imagine a child with his powers running around? Oops, daddy, I leaned on the school bus and it tipped over." Mitchell spoke to his two older counterparts. The group erupted in laughter.
Jimmy, catching wind of the conversation as he passed by, added quickly, "I think Superman could never raise a bad kid." Lois made a mental note to buy him a drink.
They ignored him. "Who knows if he can even have kids. For that matter, he might not have all the right, you know, parts to even make it happen!" Samson growled as he removed his bifocals and wiped the lenses on his shirt.
Noticing Lois had walked in the room, Samson said, pointedly to her. "Now there's someone who might know." The trio turned to look at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Do you always read the tabloids, Samson? Working on obits for so long must have mummified your brain."
Samson took her remark as a challenge and walked up to her, pushing his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath. "So what's it like, you know, doing it in the air?"
Lois closed the inches wide gap between them and stared directly into his eyes and said in a deathly calm voice, "I wouldn't know."
Samson was surprised by the sincerity of her answer, but Lois couldn't be accused of good acting, because in this instance, she didn't have to. They had never made love in the air. That's right, Superman's secret lover was not a card-carrying member of the mile high club. But that was going to have to change, and soon.
As she was about to lash out her next quip, Perry came out of his office, dressed in black slacks and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Samson, get that shit out of my sight or you'll be at their door begging for a job." Then he turned towards the crowded newsroom. "Okay, everyone! Listen up! Staff meeting in five minutes!" As people scurried into the conference room, he looked directly at Lois and asked, "Where's Kent?"
Before Lois could respond, someone did so for her.
"I'm right here, Mr. White," Clark answered. He waved a shy hello and then turned towards Lois. "Hi!"
Lois smiled. As their eyes met it was like an electric current shot between them. It didn't go unnoticed by Perry, who looked between them slightly perplexed.
It was a look both of them had gotten used to. More than a few heads turned when they had started openly dating. She had to admit that, on the surface, they did appear mismatched. Her headstrong, take no prisoners approach completely overwhelmed his mild-mannered decorum. She guessed that some thought he was no more than an amusing rebound for her. A time to fool around before she got it on with a real man, she heard one of them say the other day. Of course, she alone knew the punch line to that joke.
They followed Perry into the conference room.
Later that afternoon, Lois and Clark were down at Metropolis Graphics & Printing, waiting to interview Martin Levy, the father of one of the Metropolis Strangler's victims. He wanted to give some final words before the verdict was read tomorrow. They sat together in the reception area, the lone secretary juggling a switchboard of calls. Lois had her own cell phone pressed up against her ear for the last five minutes, and Clark tuned in once he realized it was about Jason.
She hung up the phone. "He got into a fight at school."
Clark filled with panic, but Lois immediately reassured him. "Nothing like that, Clark. But they want me to come pick him up."
"I'll be happy to take care of the interview myself. It's no trouble," he said reassuringly.
Lois stood up and picked an imaginary piece of lint off her suit. "Actually I was hoping you could pick Jason up and bring him back to my place."
It was a simple request. Why did it fill him with such dread?
"You're not afraid of a five-year-old are you?" She teased, then immediately wiped the smirk off her face when he saw the terror in his eyes.
"I-I don't know, Lois. I haven't been his favorite person lately. He might get upset."
"Clark, he's five. He gets upset when Spongebob is pre-empted." She put her hand on his arm. "He's your son. You'll do fine! Besides, I think this will be good for you."
At that moment Martin Levy walked through the door. She stood up and whispered into his ear, "Take him flying. He told me the other day how much he loves it."
"Uh, okay Lois."
"Thanks, Clark. I appreciate it." She kissed him on the cheek and followed Levy into his office. The sound of the door slamming shut made him jump out of his seat.
Minutes later, Superman was soaring high above the Metropolis skyline. He glided down to a wooded area behind the school, a row of thick oak trees disguising his descent. Changing quickly, he approached the school with a trepidation he couldn't quite identify. Adjusting to a new school hadn't been easy for Jason, whose shyness made it difficult for him to make friends. Clark's own accounts of his elementary school days made him sympathize with his son, but he doubted Jason would appreciate listening to stories about his childhood.
Inside the school, the yellow walls were covered with large color drawings scribbled on poster board, each displaying a photo and facts about a different planet in the solar system. He gave his name at the front office and sat down on a cold metal chair and waited. He could hear voices nearby and peered through the adjoining wall to watch a teacher tutor a pair of struggling students in math.
A few minutes later, the door opened and a young woman, 25ish, walked in with long blonde hair and hazel eyes. "Mr. Kent?" Her voice was warm and soothing.
Clark stood up and shook her outstretched hand. "Hi, I'm Miss Thomas, Jason's teacher. If you'll follow me, please." She led him further down the hallway from whence he came, rounding the corner and coming to a stop in front of a small classroom.
He looked inside. Black chalkboards completely lined the wall behind the teacher's desk. Small yellow plastic chairs attached to metal desks were arranged in five rows. Jason sat in the far corner from the door next to the teacher's desk.
"Jason, dear, look who's here." Her soft voice prompted the boy to look up. He met Clark's eyes and quickly turned away. To Clark, she said, "Why don't you have a seat."
He grabbed the nearest desk chair and slid it forward. He tried to sit down, but his long legs and torso became tangled within the frame and he got stuck. "Oh, my." His face blushed crimson as he banged the desk up and down on the floor, eventually extracting himself.
Thinly veiling her amusement, Miss Thomas offered to switch seats and give Clark the teacher's chair, to which he quickly obliged. Once they settled down she began. "Mr. Kent, the reason I asked you, or Miss Lane, I should say, to come here today is because Jason had a little problem this afternoon." Turning towards the boy she said, "Would you like to tell your dad what happened?"
Jason flew out of his chair, which slammed into the chalkboard and sent an eraser and chalk flying onto the floor. "He's not my dad!" He ran to the other side of the room, weaving in between the rows of desks and slumping down in the corner, grabbing his knees in his hands and raising them up to his chin.
Clark felt his eyes well up with tears, and he blinked quickly to make them disappear. In that instant, he would have rather been freefalling from the stratosphere plunging to his death than to see that look on his son's face.
The teacher put her hand over her mouth, realizing her mistake. A warm auburn blush rose in her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. I should have guessed, different last names and all."
"It's okay, Miss Thomas. It's an honest mistake." He tried not to let the pain in his heart seep through to his voice.
Catching Clark's sorrowful face, Mrs. Thomas added, "You know, you're not alone. There are a lot of step-dads in my class. It sometimes helps…" But her words faded into the sound of traffic speeding down the street. Step-dad. He'd settle for that honor right now.
He cleared his throat, composing himself. "So, uh, what's this about Jason getting into a fight?"
The relief at the change in subject was revealed in her heavy sigh. "Yes. Robert, another boy in my class, was celebrating his birthday today. His mom brought in a cake for the class to share and as soon as we finished singing Happy Birthday and Robert blew out the candles, Jason," she glanced briefly over at the boy, "pushed his hand into the cake and ruined it." She gestured to the mangled mess on her desk.
Clark eyed the remnants of the cake. Though only a small portion remained intact, specks of royal blue attached to an unmistakable set of red boots told him in exactly what shape the cake originally arrived. He looked over at Jason, who met his gaze and gave him a dirty look.
Mrs. Thomas continued, unaware of the exchange. "Robert of course got very upset. That's how the fight started. Robert took a hard swipe at him. Frankly, I'm surprised Jason doesn't have a big bruise on his face. I've already spoken with his mom and the boys have apologized to each other. But the reason I called you down here Mr. Kent is that I'm worried about Jason. His behavior lately has been erratic. His teacher at his last school told me he was a model student. What I'm trying to figure out is what has happened recently that may have caused this change in behavior."
Clark looked away from the cake and down at the hands in his lap. "His, uh, father moved to London about six months ago." He made sure he enunciated and spoke the word father loudly. "He still calls him nearly every day, and they've seen each other several times since."
She nodded, understanding. "Still, it isn't the same. That's quite an adjustment he's been asked to make. Listen, Mr. Kent, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the severity of his behavior lately, and to help shed some light on what is going on with him. Our conversation helped a lot, but considering the circumstances you might want to put Jason into some sort of counseling."
He didn't know what to say. Counseling? It seemed like a reasonable idea but what was Jason possibly going to say? The father I always thought was mine isn't and that my father is really Superman? Oh, that would go over well.
They rose and shook hands. Clark called out to Jason, telling him it was time to go home. For a moment he didn't move, and he thought he was going to have to either pick him up and carry him, or call Lois and have her take him home. He didn't know which scenario was worse. If she were here she'd know exactly what to say. How could he feel so inept with his own son?
But Jason soon came of his own volition. They wandered through the hallways, with Jason walking a few feet in front of him. When they got outside, Clark recalled what Lois had said to him earlier that afternoon. "Do you, uh, want to go for a little ride?" He said very softly, pointing up to the sky.
But Jason simply shook his head.
"Uh, okay. We'll walk then." He tried not to let the disappointment seep into his words. As they walked back towards Lois' apartment, he kept close tabs on him, his senses attuned to every car and person moving along the street. But threatening to drown out all the other sounds was the loudness of Jason's heart, which was beating so fast Clark thought it might burst out of his little body.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: I admit I don't know the first thing about 5-year-olds. Can they even read? I am a little concerned that I am writing Jason a little older than he is. He's supposed to be smart and intuitive, but appropriately so for his age. If he ever comes across as completely unrealistic, I would appreciate someone letting me know!