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"One hundred and seventeen buttons," the Wedding Coordinator had pronounced with no small satisfaction, as she closed the last one. Between the bride's mom and herself, the "buttoning in" of Lois had taken a mere half an hour. During which the bride had stood quietly, mind racing, as each button further sealed her fate- locking her away from her former life, her former self, and her former...ummm...partner.

Superman set the glasses on the counter and started rinsing them one
at a time. "If it's your night to clean up, it's mine, too."

Clark threw Superman a glance of surprise, then took the glasses he
held out and stacked them in the dishwasher. The two men worked
quickly in strained silence, the running water and clinking of dishes
the only sounds in the kitchen.

As Clark finished loading the silverware, Superman wiped the water off
the counters and threw the sponge into the sink, a humorless smile
crossing his face. "This isn't what I thought it'd be."

He wasn't talking about doing the dishes. Clark pushed the dishwasher
closed. "Yeah, I know."

Something smelled really good. Clark fanned the envelope in
front of his nose and realized it was the piece of mail. It
smelled like perfume.

Oh, no. Some woman had sprayed the letter with her perfume.

But the smell was intoxicating. In fact, it smelled really
familiar. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths of it.
It surprised him a little bit when a liquid pool of heat flared
inside him.

He knew this smell.

Clark opened his eyes and glanced down at the handwriting on the
outside of the envelope. No... no it couldn't be, could it?
There was no return address to tell him, so he opened the
envelope and pulled out the letter.

As he carefully unfolded it, confirmation of his answer stared
him in the face.

It was from Lois.

Lois was standing in the middle of the bullpen, sipping a cup of
coffee and sniping at Jimmy, when the elevator doors slid open
and Clark Kent stepped out.

Just like that.

Just stepped out of the elevator as if he did it every day.

Her hand clenched her coffee mug so tightly that it was a wonder
it wasn't crushed to a fine powder. For a moment her brain
skittered around in a blind panic before grasping at the
reporter's questions out of habit:

*Who?* Clark Kent.

*What?* Walking straight toward her.

*When?* Now! Right this minute!

*Where?* Wasn't that already covered in number two? Really, this
wasn't helping much, and he was getting closer...

*Why?* Oh, God...why?

Clark felt the lump in his throat grow even larger. "Honey, please," he begged. "I don't want to lose you. Whatever it is, give me a chance to fix it."

From the way Lois held her shoulders, Clark knew that she was fighting the tears. "It's not-- You can't -- I'm sorry," she finally choked out.

Tears sprung to his eyes as he watched her. So this was it ... everything he'd dreamed of, everything he'd ever wanted ... gone. Somehow in the last week, she had stopped loving him, stopped wanting to be with him. Now it was over and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"So you're breaking up with me." His voice cracked as he said the words.

"You deserve an explanation," he began, having made his
decision. He would tell her. She deserved the truth from
him. Besides, given the liberties he'd taken, he didn't
stand a chance with her if she didn't know why. That didn't
stop the butterflies that were suddenly flying around in
his stomach.

"Just leave it, Clark. I don't need an explanation. You're
a typical male, and you don't always think with your brain.
Been there, done that, bought all the t-shirts. What do you
want in your tea?"

"Just sugar, and trust me, I'm not your typical male.
Actually, Lois, I'm..." His voice failed him at the
critical moment. Lois glanced over at him before turning
her attention back to making the tea.

"Yeah, right. What makes you different?" she asked while
she placed mugs, sugar and milk on the counter.

"Well for starters, I'm Kryptonian." He let out a breath of
relief. He'd done it. He'd told Lois the truth.

Her voice trailed off when his hand slipped into her hair
and his mouth sought out hers. She moaned softly, shifting
on his leg to press her body more firmly against his. It
was only a moment before he had his arm under her legs and
was standing up to carry her to the back of the RV. He laid
her on the bed, before standing up again to look at her,
lying there waiting for him. He kicked off his shoes and
was about to crawl on the bed to join her when he felt
something grabbing at the bottom of his pant leg.

He glanced down in confusion.

"Cookie!" Lois exclaimed when she saw the dog had seized
onto the edge of Clark's jeans and was currently trying to
drag Clark away from the bed. Clark shook his foot, but the
dog maintained its grip, swinging slightly with the
movement.

<You're going to be sooorrrry!>
That nagging voice inside her head was back.
<What do you think you're doing, getting into his car
like this? You're in a city where you don't know anyone, you
don't know your way around and you're letting this guy, whom
you've just met, take you some place you don't know anything
about!>
Quiet!!
"Is this the first time you've been to Kansas City?"
She withdrew her gaze from the view outside the car and
turned towards him. "Yes, it is. It looked ... interesting
from the air this afternoon."
"It's a nice city." He hesitated and seemed to be
looking for something else to say. "Maybe ... if you've got
some free time ... maybe I could ... show you some of the
sights."
"That would be nice."
<What did you say *that* for? You shouldn't be making
plans with him! You don't know anything about this guy!>
Lois turned to look out of the window again. A thousand
thoughts, memories and impressions were freewaying through her
head -- on- and off-ramping, merging, cutting in, braking:
Clark's soft voice saying "Hi," the loudness of the voices
around her when she'd returned to a sense of her surroundings,
the wink from Alice as she'd led a stunned and (mercifully)
silent Perry away, the tingle Lois had felt when she'd touched
Clark's hand for the first time, the admiration in his eyes
when he'd looked at her ...

'Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Lois Lane, To Wed Billionaire Businessman, Lex Luthor.'

He checked the date. June 16, 1998. It was yesterday's newspaper but it made no sense. Lex Luthor had been killed over two years ago when the underground tunnel had collapsed during Luthor's attempt to kill him with a quantum disruptor. Besides, Lois was married to him - Clark Kent. And he was absolutely positive he would have heard if Lois had won the Pulitzer. That wasn't the type of news his wife would likely keep to herself. She would be yelling it at the top of her lungs from the roof of the Daily Planet.

"Well, here's the thing. Since you're my best friend, I thought it only right that you be the first to now." She paused for dramatic effect, watching with delight as Clark unconsciously leaned forward even further, obviously eager to hear what she was about to say. But as much as she was expecting a reaction from him with her next words, she was completely unprepared for the extent of his reaction when she said, "I've finally met just such a man."

All the blood drained out of Clark's face, and his mouth fell open. He looked both stunned and distraught, and was completely able to speak. When he finally closed his mouth and made a weak attempt at clearing his throat, he parted his lips and asked in a hoarse whisper, "You what?"

Lois smiled giddily, hardly able to keep herself from bursting out laughing. " And better yet...I've fallen in love with him."

Clark fell back against the couch, desperately trying to keep the room from spinning. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real. But one look at her flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes and wide smile told him everything he needed to know. In one achingly miserable moment, he knew the awful truth.

"You've fallen in love with someone," he echoed forlornly, hoping with all his being that this was all some sick, sordid joke.

"Excuse me, I'm WHAT?!" Lois stared at the city clerk on the other side of the window in utter disbelief.

"According to my records, you're already married," the clerk repeated, more slowly this time.

"I am *not*," Lois insisted adamantly. "I would *know* if I was married! You think a woman forgets something like that? Maybe *you* would," she spat out, causing the clerk to stiffen defensively, "but I certainly wouldn't! I am not married!"

"Yes, you are. It says right here that you are, as of December 12th, 1993."

"Who does it say I'm married *to*?"

"Umm..." the clerk mumbled as she studied the records one more time. "A Mr. Clark Kent."

"Oh, no. No, that's not it. It was just... the strangest thing,
really. That woman. It was like I've known her all my life. I've
never seen her before, I don't even know who she is. I would
have remembered her, believe me. But, I just can't explain, it's
the oddest thing, really. She left as fast a she'd come and for
some reason it's like she ran off with a part of me. And now...
I'm having trouble adjusting to life without that piece of... I
don't know... soul? That she took from me somehow."

Lana looked at Clark with an increasingly puzzled expression as
he spoke. What on Earth was he talking about; she'd stolen part
of his soul? That made absolutely no sense.

The man took a look around the spot where he had landed. He
stood in a dark little alley. He was relieved to see that no one
had noticed his arrival. It was always best that no one saw him
and no one knew he was here. They would not understand how or
why he was here anyway.

He walked over to a newsstand that stood at the corner of the
street. It was early in the morning and they had just put out
all the newspapers. He picked up a copy of the Daily Planet. The
front page title made him wince. The headline, in big bold text,
read: "Caped Wonder Stuns City". The man walked back to the
alley he had come from and let out his frustration on a trash
container.

He had failed. Again!

He knew he should have kept a closer eye on them this time! They
always managed to find a way to make his plans crumble! He had
tried countless times to keep this from happening; to keep them
apart. But no matter what he did, no matter what he threw their
way, they always got out of it. They always won!

Would he never be able to destroy Utopia?

He knew all about her late night drives this past summer. Her
sleepless nights. The miles she had traveled under the cover of
darkness with no apparent destination; just a need to keep
going.

He knew because Superman had been doing the same. In the wake of
the Lane-Luthor wedding debacle, Superman's evening patrols had
stretched late into the night, eventually extending until
sunrise. For much of that time, he had followed Lois. Keeping an
eye on her, staying out of sight, knowing exactly what was
driving her.

And wishing with all his heart he knew how to be the one to help
her stop. To make it ok for her to be still. But if he couldn't
find those answers for himself, he didn't know how he could do
that for her.

Mayson's eyes flashed. "I don't respond well to threats. And if
Clark wants to kiss me, I don't see how that is any of your
business."

The anger returned. "Get out," Lois responded.

Mayson looked back at Clark who nodded, a look of apology on his
face.

Lois' eyes again focused on Clark as her ears told her that
Mayson had left the apartment.

"Look, Lois, I'm not sure what you have against Mayson, but..."

"What I have against Mayson?" Lois asked in disbelief. "Nothing,
until I saw her kissing my husband. Okay, well, maybe she was
never my favorite person in the world. And I never really liked
the way she was always throwing herself at you. And she did have
some questionable friendships... Bill Church, for instance. But
since I almost married Lex Luthor, I guess I'm not one to
judge..."

"Husband?" Clark interrupted, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Lois, when did you get married?"

I will not be defeated. I have survived teenage boys, John
Travolta in *Grease*, and Prom nights. I will not let one
tights-wearing, underpants-showing, flying man beat me!

On the bottom of Metropolis Harbor a nondescript piece of rock lay
anonymously amid the sand, weeds and debris. Inside the rock was a chunk of crystal, ominously green and speckled with tiny flecks of red. It lay there, timelessly, and the denizens of the ocean, plant and animal, lived their lives around it. It might lie there for a very long time. But it was still there.

"Clark," she whispered breathlessly. The large group of
friends and colleagues suddenly disappeared and all she
could see was his retreating form.

"Lois? What's wrong?" Perry asked.

"Clark, Clark was here," she said.

"Oh Lois," Perry began.

"She's right, Chief," Jimmy jumped in. "Clark was here. I
saw him earlier."

"What?" she exclaimed. "You knew he was here? Why didn't
you tell me?"

"He made me promise not to," Jimmy replied anxiously. "I
wanted to tell you, but he practically begged me not to say
anything."

"I've got to go find him," Lois replied resolutely. She
thrust the award into Jimmy's hands and started for the
door.

"Lois, wait!" Perry called after her.

She turned around, a look of determination, fear, and hope
on her face. "Perry, I've got to find him," she replied.

Clark sank to his knees beside the body. Dark red blood was already beginning to pool around the man's head. Clark reached out a trembling hand and felt for a pulse. He closed his eyes when he discovered there was none. The man was dead. Time seemed to stand still until suddenly the area was swarming with police.

Because of my differences, I have often felt apart from the
world. But I've never felt so apart from it as I do now. How can
I feel otherwise when I cannot touch anything? If I do, I will
destroy all the things I love.

I can never again run my hands against the bark of a tree, run
my fingers through the fur of a cat or dog, touch the smooth,
worn pebbles on a beach... I can never do any of those tiny
things we all take for granted.

I'm trying to concentrate on the tiny things because, while I'm
thinking about them, I can't think about the bigger picture.

That's the theory, anyway.

Pity it doesn't work in practice.

I will never again be able to hug my parents.

I will never hold Lois, the woman I love.

I think that is what hurts me the most.

No. I *know* that is what hurts me the most.

"It's pretty ironic, isn't it?" Lois went on, angrily brushing away
the tears on her cheeks. "Here I am, in the middle of the mountains
with you, *Superman*, and you can't get us out of here any easier
than *I* could." She pushed up unsteadily from the log and took a
couple of limping steps away before stopping and crossing her arms in
front of her chest, staring off into the blackness of the woods
around them. When she continued, her tone was bitter. "You know, I
always thought having Superman for a boyfriend would be
exciting...you know, having all those superpowers at your disposal.
But a lot of good that's doing me now. You can't even get us out of
a life or death situation when we need it the most. So much for your
being 'super.'"

Finally finished ranting, she turned back to Clark. But when she saw
the devastated, crestfallen expression on his face that her
thoughtless words had caused, she immediately felt horrible.

It was then that she screamed. Louder than she'd ever screamed before. Louder than when she screamed from the jaws of death inside which she frequently found herself.

It was a long scream, the veins in her neck and forehead coming out, blood vessels in her eyes, which were dripping tears as quickly as the sky was dripping rain, turning red, red, red... like
her dress. She instinctively leaned her body forward ­lowering her chest onto her knees, and pulling at her hair ­as she screamed. She screamed until her face was inches from the ground.

The ground... she could still see Clark on the ground.

Beautiful eyes... closed. His body... still. His heartbeat under her hand... no... no heartbeat...

She could hear the gunshots... over and over, over and over, over and over, over and over...

She just kept crying.

So hard.

Screaming.

And Henderson was sure the whole world must have heard that scream.

Lois returned to reality to find Clark's eyes on hers. She was shocked to see how the deep emotion in his expression, and the sensation of his hands still gripping her calves, affected her. Suddenly the atmosphere in her apartment felt very close... warm, with a throbbing tension in the air.

Lois was the first to move, stretching her hand out towards Clark's face. He responded, shifting closer to her and sliding her legs along his lap in order to do so. Her fingers touched his face; his slid along her jawline and into her hair. Neither spoke.

Clark lowered his head and allowed his mouth to touch Lois's. At the same moment, she parted her lips and slid her hand around to the back of his head, running her fingers into his hair. She returned his kiss, at first tentatively and then more passionately as his own movements grew more ardent. Lois could barely believe the sensations Clark's kiss was arousing in her; she had known for some time that she was attracted to him, but this... this was nothing short of explosive.

"Break out the popcorn! If you ever think about starting a circus, I'll be in
the front row. As much fun as this all is, you still haven't taken care of our
little problem." The voice was reproving. "You can fool some of the people all
of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but certain nosy reporters
can't be fooled at all."

The crack of the gunshot echoed around the square. The punch of
impact pushed her and she screamed. She scarcely had time to
realise that it was not the bullet which had hit her body, but
an arm pulling her to... safety? The ground rushed away from
her. Instinctively, she screamed again, this time louder than
before. Then, with indignation, she cried, "Let me go!"

"I don't think you'd want me to do that," a warm voice said
lightly. "We're fifty feet off the ground. Besides, you
wouldn't really want our friendly neighbourhood assassin to
finish off what he started, would you?"

Fifty feet!

Instinctively she glanced down, towards her feet. She took in
the way they were flailing about in the air, the way the trees
and tarmac below were rushing past in a grey and green blur.
For a moment she was too stunned to think, let alone to do or
say anything. However, her paralysis was fleeting and soon
thoughts were tumbling through her head. She was in the arms of
someone who could fly! Who was it? Why was he doing it? How had
he known to grab her at that critical moment? *How* was he
doing it?

how do you do the link though?

Her eyes met mine and ZAP, there was an electric surge as I looked into those beautiful dark eyes. Only two superheroes in the world and one of them was about to walk by only ten feet away. I don't know why I did it, maybe locking eyes with her had shaken something, but I spoke up. "You need a tin hard hat if you're going closer to the fire."

She looked at me, half amused, half irritated and half perplexed.
(Yes, I know that's three halves, but she's a superhero, she can
do things like that!)

Dear Mr Wells,

Congratulations on your invention of a time machine! I know you're really quite excited to be taking it on your first trip through time, but, before you go, there are a few things I'd like to tell you.

"Did you know that a goldfish's memory only lasts three seconds?"

What? Who dares interrupt my train of thought with such false words?

"Really, Clark?"

Aha! So your name is Clark, buddy.

"Yes. I read it in a science magazine."

He continued to stroke her back, letting her cry as much as
she wished. They stayed thus until she calmed down.
"Better?" he asked tentatively when she finally stopped
rocking.

"How do you do it, Clark? How can you bear to kill another
person?" She looked up into his eyes to try and gain some
perspective on the enormity of her deed.

/me pops in to wave at kaylle and admit that she has no idea about this one either

Hey stranger ! Got any new WIPS on that HD?!?!?

that one hasn't been posted to the archive yet IIRC. Are those stories still game?

that one hasn't been posted to the archive yet IIRC. Are those stories still game?

Sure, I don't see why not.

"...Why shouldn't you try to
steal his wife too?" Lois snapped at him.

"Because he would never forgive me?" Lex half-jested.

"You're right. Touch a hair on her head and you're a dead
man." Clark's voice was calm but deadly.

Tempus who was still hovering near the door snorted. "How
arrogant can you be? Here you are, our captive, your fate
in our hands, and you would issue out threats?"

Once again, Lois noticed a slip in Lex's demeanor.

This wasn't supposed to be happening! She'd never before had to deal with a man who could see beyond the immediate thrill of conquest. Lois felt panic stirring inside her. She had to keep him off balance, destroy his self-control.

"What did you think was going to happen, then?" she said sharply. "Did you think I was going to fall in love with you, and that we'd get married and settle down in the suburbs?"

He sucked in his breath and then let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Yes, as a matter of fact. That's exactly what I hoped would happen, God help me."

It was the stench that caught at her next. A thick, unpleasant smell that clogged in the back of her throat. Like something left moldering there. An animal perhaps she thought, nose wrinkling in disgust. A rat or maybe a raccoon. Something that had crawled in here and died.

Or maybe, she chided herself with some asperity for the wildness of her imagination, simply the damp mustiness of a room long disused and seldom opened.

She took a few steps forward, peering into the dark. Vaguely she made out shapes, shrouded in shadow. A slight motion at the corner of her eye startled her. Twisting around she realized that it was only a mannequin propped against the wall. The cloth which covered it was settling back even as she watched, only disturbed by the air of her passage. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and tried to ignore the thundering of her heart within her as she advanced further into the room.

"Drop-dead gorgeous?"

"Yep."

"If you wanted to kiss my butt, Clark, you probably should have
done it last night when it was bare to the world."

"Lois, I'll kiss anything of yours you want kissed."

And then she saw him.

He stood across the room from her, a crowd of people surrounding him,
laughing and hugging their returned colleague. For a moment, she
couldn't breathe; the force of his presence in the dimly lit foyer
was that strong.

Clark was here.

She'd spent the entire weekend convincing herself that he wouldn't be
here tonight, all the while secretly hoping that he would prove her
wrong. And now that he had, Lois wasn't sure she was prepared for
this at all. She bit her lip, amazed at how strong the urge was to
run to him and throw herself in his arms.

Clark punched the ground at his side, and his fist sunk six inches into the soft earth.

He withdrew his hand and splayed his fingers, staring at the damp earth covering them. The soil of a planet that had adopted him. Then failed him.

He was an alien. Alienated. Not human.

Did that mean he didn't deserve what most humans had? Friendship? Happiness? Love?

Was that why? Because he wasn't from here, didn't really belong here?

Clark wiped his hand off on the grass, though remnants of the sodden soil remained stubbornly on his skin, making sure to remind him that it was there, but not a part of him.

He brought a gentle hand to her chin, turning her head and making her look at him. She wished he hadn't. She didn't want him to see he'd affected her. That she'd let herself believe this was more than it obviously was.

"You're too important to me."

She inhaled sharply. Damn him for continuing to steal her breath. Damn him for making her believe that he really did care. About her.

Love her.

And damn the tears welling up in her eyes.

It wasn't fair for him to care so much when she was so lost and alone, dying to feel alive again.

She was supposed to be tough now, strong, handle things on her own; she'd survived the Congo. And so much more. She wasn't supposed to be falling in love with a broken superhero. But she couldn't help but see the parallels, how much they had in common. How much they *needed* each other.

Dear Lois,

I had a really nice time last night, and I was hoping that wecould do it again. I'd be honored if you would let me take you out to dinner. I'll come by your apartment at seven o'clock tomorrow evening. If you aren't there or you don't answer the door, I'll understand, no hard feelings. I'll always and forever be

Your best friend, Clark

She read the note four more times before the full weight of its message sank in. The word 'date' wasn't written, but that was sure what it sounded like to her. He wanted to take her out to dinner... he was picking her up... if she said no he'd understand... yep, it sounded like a pretty classic definition of a date to her.

A date? She'd been on dates before, but never with someone she knew so well. The fact that she and Clark were already so close made her a bit nervous. He knew so much about her, including her many faults. If she accepted, all bets were off. There would be no pretending to be something that she wasn't; he would see right through any of the facades that she'd used with men in the past.

If she accepted? What was she thinking? After last night, there was no way she was going to turn him down. She'd felt something new last night. Something that she'd never felt with anyone ever before. She had to explore it. Not accepting, never knowing, would be something she'd regret for the rest of her life. She *had* to accept the date with Clark.

A date with Clark!

Her heart took over for her head and created a fluttering of excited butterflies in her stomach. Everything she'd been feeling last night was coming back to her in a flood of emotion -- the giddiness, the nervousness, the anticipation, the longing.

Lois checked the clock; it was 3:06. Time couldn't move fast enough.

Lois experienced a weird sense of deja vu, opening the front door and following a wobbly Clark into their living room. She supposed it was because this was the second time in less than twenty-four hours that she'd brought him home in a less than healthy condition after a close brush with danger. Except that this time, the atmosphere had changed between them. The ride home had been quiet, but it had been a companionable quiet - they had both been slightly high after their
narrow escape in the parking lot, and it had been fun sharing that crazy feeling of hysteria with him. Just like old times.

Clark's voice turned harsh, his dark eyes blazing. "Okay, Ms.
Logic. Turn around and walk away from me. I won't stop you this time."
He folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes.

She looked at him, speechless for once, not moving.

"Go ahead, " he taunted. "You can do it. It's the *logical* thing
to do. Just like it was the logical thing to search for me. To risk your
life for me."

She stared at him for a moment, her temper rising. How dare he?
She did not belong to him. Then, in a swift determined motion, her dark
hair swinging, she turned and strode away from him.

She stared at him for a moment, her temper rising. How dare he?
She did not belong to him. Then, in a swift determined motion, her dark
hair swinging, she turned and strode away from him. She walked about fifty
feet, her thoughts and emotions jumbled. What if he was right? He was so
stubborn. It was her decision to make; he'd always waited for her to make
the decision. He was waiting now. She turned to look back. He was still
standing there, his arms crossed and his legs planted slightly apart, Clark
Kent Superman. Kal El.

She met his stern eyes and then, for some reason, she had no idea
why, she laughed. She laughed at the ridiculousness of their situation and
at herself for the inconsistency of her feelings, torn between her need for
autonomy and her need to love more than just herself, to love him, and she
laughed at his stubbornness. Then she saw the harsh angles of his face
soften into a smile of his own, the most wonderful smile.

She began to walk back to him. He met her half way. Standing in
front of him, she said, "OK, I figure it'll take a week to organize a small
wedding." She poked him in the chest with her index finger. "Next
Saturday."

Clark grinned, a magnificent joyful grin that flashed his
happiness. Picking her up, he whirled her around and kissed her hard. I
told you so," he said as he continued to kiss her. "Woman of my dreams."
He nuzzled her throat, "Forever."

"Clark," her voice was a soft sigh, "Clark."

"So does this mean you'll marry me?"

That woke her up. "Clark, you can't ask me that here, now."

"Why not? Lois..."

"Why not? Clark! What will we tell our kids? You know when they
ask that question that all kids ask, like the one I asked your parents last
night." She quoted her question, "How did Jonathan propose, Martha?" She
continued, "Only our kids are going to be little the first time they ask
it. What are you going to say to them, Clark? "Oh, we were lying stark
naked in the woods after we'd had sex and I popped the question." I don't
think so."

Clark laughed, "So that means yes?"

"Clark," her voice was a warning as she got to her feet. "Don't
you dare..." She stopped, looking around at the bits of clothing that were
strewn in a small circle around them, and then fished out a couple of lacy
scraps. Clark rose to his feet beside her, kissed her lightly, and then
reached over to pick up her shirt.

His eyes were teasing and happy as he helped her on with the shirt,
carefully buttoning it up for her as he spoke. "Okay, I'll do it properly,
later, when we're both fully dressed. Maybe I'll go down on bended knee.
I'll have to think about this, plan it just right," he gestured with his
right hand, sketching an imaginary setting where all this would happen.

Lois looked at him, standing in that small circle of sun in the
woods, the light caressing the muscles of his powerful body as he happily
sketched out what he thought would be a good proposal for children to hear.
He was the most amazing man, she thought. She handed him his shirt.
"Here, cowboy. Put on your shirt and take me to Shuster's field."

Lois closed her mouth, once she realized she'd been openly gaping
at the woman, and took a deep breath, pulling herself together
long enough to get one thing straight.

"Where did you get your medical license? Ronald McDonald
University? Listen lady... I cannot possibly be pregnant. I
haven't had sex in... a *long* time," she said, her cheeks burning.

"Who does this woman think she *is*?" Lois thought angrily,
seething at all of this, finding this woman's stupidity a
complete inconvenience for her. She had better things she could
be doing.

"I promise you. I am right. I mean, look at the facts. You
haven't been eating any differently than you normally do you
said. You said maybe you had even been eating less than normal.
But you've gained weight."

"Or *you* have a faulty scale. I said that before and I'll say
it again!"

"And you have been nauseous and today you got sick. You can
expect more of that, by the way, for the next couple of months."

Lois tried to keep herself in check. But then she burst.
"You're nuts!" She felt like she had just stepped through the
looking-glass.

"I have been at this a long time. Long enough to have possibly
informed your mother that she was pregnant with you. And I have
never... been... wrong," she said, proudly.

"Well, doc, you're wrong today," Lois said. When the doctor
didn't look convinced, Lois sat forward. "I honestly have not
had sex in almost two years," she said, in a hushed voice,
blushing all over because of the nature of the conversation.

Pulling the keyboard forward, Lois poised her fingers above it, wondering what kind of password Clark might choose. "Smallville," she
typed confidently, then hit enter.

Lois furrowed her brow slightly as the
"Incorrect Password" message flashed before her
eyes. She chewed on her lip before trying
again. "Kansas."

When she received the same response, her brow
knitted more tightly. She looked worriedly at
the screen as she began to type anything that
sounded likely.

"Farmboy?"

No ...

"CornRules?"

"CowTipping?"

"Twinkies?"

No, no and triple no.

Lois took a deep breath, trying to stop the
desperation that was threatening to well up in
the pit of her stomach.

"WildTies?"

"KnobTailedGeckos?"

"BottomBanana??"

Lois dropped her head into her hands. Why was
this so hard?!

Taking another deep breath, Lois forced herself
to think. People usually choose passwords that
are important to them, right? After all, hers
was "Superman" ...

Eyes widening, Lois entered her next attempt,
almost afraid to see the results ...

"LoisLane."

And just like that, she was in.

"And the daydream was about?" she asked, her voice becoming
soft and drowsy.

"Nothing very exciting," he shrugged. "Just you and me
walking out onto my terrace ... talking."

Lois grinned. "Was I wearing burgundy?"

"No." Clark had to laugh. Even drowsy and still buzzing a
bit from too much wine, Lois wouldn't let it go. "Maybe a
combination of a lot of things I've seen your wear."

"Formal? Business?"

Clark laughed again. "I don't know. Kind of like what
you're wearing, but longer..."

"Sort of a cocktail dress."

"And looser."

"Looser? How?"

Clark began to blush. "Well, at the top it ... the dress
kind of ..."

"Ah," Lois smiled. "It was low cut and not terribly ...
constricting?"

Clark's face was on fire. "Yes."

"I didn't happen to bend forward in the daydream, did I?"

"Only when you set the champagne glasses down," he said,
feeling very awkward. "Oh, but I wasn't looking at them!"

Clark sat in his apartment staring at the blank TV screen.
He was numb. It was all a lie. It was all over. Lois was
pregnant with another man's baby. Clark closed his eyes as
his thoughts grew ever darker. He began to convince
himself that Lois hadn't dumped Scardino at all, that it
had been the other way around. He dumped *her*, maybe when
she told him she was pregnant. What had she planned? Turn
to him after Scardino left her pregnant? Foist the baby
off as his? That thought made Clark laugh bitterly. She'd
left out an important step if that had been her plan.

"No," Clark said firmly. "Lois would *not* do that."

She could so easily have made love to him and then claimed
the baby was his. It's not like he was the one balking.
No, it had to be another reason she'd turned to him. To
make Scardino jealous? Clark laughed again. Right, a DEA
agent jealous of a journalist.

Something wasn't adding up. *Nothing* was adding up. If
Lois knew she was pregnant, she wouldn't have let Klein run
tests on her. So, maybe she didn't know she was pregnant
until she got the test results. Maybe that's why he hadn't
heard from her yet. She had to contact Scardino and give
him the "joyful" news.

Clark rose from the sofa with an exhausted sigh. Lois
hardly *knew* Scardino. Clark had known her two years, and
yet even with them now in a romantic, committed
relationship, she wouldn't ... Nope, it wasn't adding up at
all. Something was just *way* off.

It was at that moment Klein's comment cut through Clark's
murky thinking. "It must have been a total shock to Ms.
Lane. She kept saying 'that's impossible'."

"Impossible," Clark whispered.

Throughout this discussion, Clark Kent hadn't said a word and had let his wife argue for him. After all, he certainly wasn't stupid! He certainly wasn't going to
argue with Lois! Of course, he was probably very excited for their inter-dimensional trip and just wanted to get there in any way he could.

"Do you have your notes for the fertility treatment and for the Kryptonite vaccine?" Wells asked, wanting to make sure that they were completely prepared before they left.

Lois nodded quickly and said, "We're ready. Come on, let's just go."

“Hey, you look familiar.” The boy squinted as he looked at her more closely. “I’ve seen you before.”

“Hmmm,” she answered noncommittally. But instead of putting her head down, she stared at him. He wasn’t even really a man, more like a kid. Of course, she didn’t know many kids who walked around with the handle of a gun sticking blatantly out of their waistbands. She wondered how someone so young found himself in this situation.

He rubbed his thin chin, thinking. “I know. On the side of the route 313 bus. An ad for some newspaper.” Suddenly, his face brightened, a wide smile showing front teeth that were slightly crooked. “You’re Lois Lane!”

She nodded regretfully. Once again she had reason to curse the ad manager who had insisted on the splashy “Lane and Kent” ads spread all over Metropolis. The side of the bus, for heaven’s sake!

“Wow! I read your stuff all the time. In the Daily Planet, right?” the boy gushed. “Wow. I can’t believe it. Lois Lane!”

Sitting up a little, she leaned on her elbows trying to find a comfortable position. “And you are?”

“Adam Jenkins,” he offered without hesitation, and Lois thought his chest puffed out slightly. “Geez, you know, I remember this one article you did. About guys who scam old people out of their savings by telling them that
they’ve got poison gas in their basements. And just after that, this jerk tried to do that to my grandma. If I hadn’t seen your story, she’d have lost it all. But I ran the guy off. Could tell from a mile away he was a total scumbag.”

"I'm talking about hard news, Mr. Kent, not the fluffy touchy-feely cotton candy pieces that float out of your word processor."

"Excuse me? Cotton candy? Fluffy touchy-feely pieces?"

"Yes. I read your articles on that dig in Kenya. You should have focused on how difficult it is to find qualified student assistants instead of holding the sponsors up as martinets."

"I wrote what I saw and what I heard. I don't publish rumor or innuendo."

"And you're insinuating that I do?"

"It sounds like you're considering it."

"I'm considering writing the truth."

"Before you gather all the facts? You must drive your professors crazy with your conspiracy theories."

"It's not a theory if I can prove it!"

"I don't think you're looking for proof."

"And I don't think you can see past the ring in your nose that you think is on your finger!"

Clark's face darkened even more and he took a step towards Lois. "I think you should leave."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I don't think I like you very much, Miss Lane."

Over the next few minutes, Clark explained to Vicky exactly what had happened. He told her about Marty's friendship with Maria and how upset Marty was to learn that Maria had been killed. He told her how Ben had tried to comfort Marty, only to have Marty violently
overreact to his touch and throw him into the field. He explained that Ben had a broken wrist and a concussion and that Marty was going
to be helping him with his work. He told her about Rachel being upset.

As he waited, he found himself wondering about the effect the
woman had on him. He'd always liked women, in a friendly way, but
none of them had ever made him feel what this woman had at first
sight. He'd assumed that whatever had endowed him with abilities
far beyond those of ordinary men had also cursed him with an
inability to be attracted to anyone. He'd been resigned to a
lonely life; he wasn't able to confide in anyone, and without the
ability to love, he was destined to be ultimately unhappy.

At least that's what he had come to believe. While he had never
been struck by cupid's arrow, the whole idea of love fascinated
him. He'd read the Kama Sutra, and the love writings of a dozen
different nations, all in their original language.

He'd even explored the possibilities involved in sex, though he'd
always been disappointed. He hadn't done it often; while he might
not need to worry about pregnancy or disease, he'd always been
concerned about the emotional well being of his partners. He'd
come to believe that he was incapable of love; leading a woman to
hope that more was possible was deeply wrong.

He'd wondered if it would have been easier had his parents
survived. They'd always seemed to know the answers, and Clark had
had many questions since their deaths. If he'd only been a little
faster, everything might have been very different. He certainly
wouldn't have lived the life he had; on the other hand, he might
not have been so driven to succeed.

"No, Mom, I'm okay. Really, I am. Married? Yes, actually I am.
I would have called you but it was so sudden. Who? Well, you remember me
telling you about Lois? The girl I met in D.C. and that I was pretty sure
that Lois Lane was her? Well, that's who I married. No, we haven't had a
chance to talk about all of that yet. Dad? Everything is fine, really.
No, I haven't told her yet. We haven't had a chance to really talk things
out. No, I don't know where we are going to live. I know, Dad, like a
frog. I've heard it a million times. Yes, I'll bring her out to meet you
soon. No, probably not tonight. I mean, how could we get there so fast?
It would cost an arm and a leg to get plane tickets on such short notice.
No, I don't think that it's a good idea for you to come here. Where would
you stay? We don't even have a place of our own yet. And my
sister-in-law," Lois smiled at that remark, "is staying at Lois' apartment
right now. Look, Mom, Dad, I gotta go. We're already late for work and
Perry's sure to fire me at least. No, we aren't taking any time off just
yet. I'm sure he would give us the time, but he doesn't know yet. You're
the only people who know. Except for the three people at the wedding. I
don't even know if Lois told the clerk at the hotel when we checked in last
night. No, not this hotel. Give me a little credit, Mom. We stayed
downtown. Now, I really have to go. I'll call you later. I love you,
too. Bye."

There was a tentative knock on his door.

"Yes!"

The door opened a crack. "There's a Clark Kent here to see you,
chief."

Perry grunted, not bothering to rise from behind his desk, but
still gesturing with his hand for Jimmy to let in the latest in a
string of interviewees. This one seemed the least promising one
to date. The only reason Perry had agreed to give him an
interview was at the request of Professor Carlton. He seemed to
think the young man was exceptional. But now, having looked
through Kent's resume, Perry knew this was a waste of time.

"Mr. White?"

Perry finally looked up to see the good-looking, dark-haired man
standing in his doorway. Reluctantly, he pulled himself together,
rising to his feet and making his way around the desk. It wasn't
this man's fault that Perry's favorite reporter was facing a
death sentence. And it wasn't his fault that Perry was being
forced to find her replacement.

Clark Kent spun out of the 'suit' in the dingy alley behind his apartment
building and emerged into the neon luminescence of Clinton Street. In a few
minutes he was in front of the double grey door that led into his
apartment. Slowly he let himself in, the loneliness of the day returning as
he walked down the few steps into his living room. He smiled slightly,
recognizing the source of his feelings, remembering the last twenty-four
hours. He missed her.

They had met outside the heavy bronze doors of the front entrance to the
'Planet' after he had delivered Diana Stride to the FBI. It had been late
and Lois had been on her way home, when he told her that he had got them
'the exclusive.' Turning, she had smiled crookedly, and said, "You're some
partner."

"Is that all I am, Lois?"

"I don't know." And she had looked at him, searching his face.

And then he had made it easier for them; suggesting they finish the chess
game that they had begun a few days earlier, before the whole Diana StrIde
thing had exploded. Smiling, she had taken his arm and they had entered the
Planet, riding up to the seventh floor in companionable silence and then
finishing their game. He had won, and surprisingly she hadn't seemed to
mind. Looking up at him, she had smiled and said softly, "You win, Clark
Kent." For a moment, he had stopped breathing as his eyes met hers.

Then she had giggled. "This time, Kent! Come on, I'll drive you home but
you can start thinking about a rematch when I get back from Minnesota."

"I know that women aren't 'persons' under Martian law, but... Are you telling me that women can be bought and sold like any other chattel?"

She nodded.

"And your mother sold you to Luthor for fifty credits when you were..."

"Fourteen." She gave a humorless chuckle. "She didn't even get enough money for a really good bender."

Clark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair,
obviously agitated. "Can we please talk about something
else - anything else?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like I'm obsessed;
like I've forced you to discuss this all day!"

"You *have* forced me to discuss this all day! We examined
and analyzed every possible reason for his appearance. I'm
sick of talking about Superman!"

Lois was slightly taken aback by Clark's vehement response,
but they were too far into this argument for her to back
down now.

"I thought Superman was your friend! You sound like you
don't even like him!"

"It's not that I don't like him, it's that I don't like the
way you act when you're around him!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means, I'm sick of watching you get all mooney-eyed
every time he drops by! He's just an ordinary man, Lois,
stop acting like he's some kind of god!"

"You know what? You're just jealous! Just because I don't
get all mooney-eyed over you-"

"No! That's not it at all! I'm just sick of being your
sounding board for this pathetic obsession!"

"Are you saying that I'm pathetic?!" she asked, incensed.

"That's *not* what I said! I *said* that this obsession is
pathetic - there's a big difference. You're better than
this, Lois. You deserve better than this; better than him."

"Better than him? Who could possibly be better than
Superman?!"