Summary: First half of 3rd Act of AU series, Investigate. The world has embraced the Man of Steel, which is good, because the future holds more than he may be able to handle on his own.

Although not required, reading Acts I, II & Interlude is helpful, as this Superman/Clark is not like canon much at all: Investigate, Investigate: Intergang and Investigate: Time Interlude

Again, thanks to Morgana, Chereche, and KSaraSara for their beta work and feedback ^_^.

Here is the first chapter: Baked

Act III takes place in season 3, although much of what happened in season 3 will not occur here due to what had happened in Acts I & II. Hope you all enjoy ^_^

This was a nice surprise. I liked the first part of Act III. The volcano eruption and the bakery sale were quite the contrast. I hope Lois will be able to provide a little TLC for out dear Clark.

I loved the bake sale! And creating a tornado to get the ash cloud? So smart! You definitely do so well at writing action scenes!

bakasi - Glad you enjoyed. There will be much more relationship building to come and certainly some TLC ^_^.

KSaraSara - Thanks I'll admit they're my favorite to write.

Next part will be up shortly.

Chapter 2 is up ^_^. Hope you all enjoy.

Interview

Thank you for sharing another intriguing chapter. Though I must admit that I would have loved to see a scene where Lois tends to a very tired Clark after he returned from the volcano. But I guess we can't have everything. Liked the interview.

So happy to see this!

Bakasi -- Well, I went ahead and added such a scene..... Guess you can have everything Thanks for the idea ^_^

Morgana -- Thanks ^_^ And thanks for betaing!

What a nice surprise after a long day of work. I love the interlude. Makes an already good chapter so much better. Thank you.

Here is the next chapter: Chapter 3: Child

Hope you all enjoy. Please let me know what you think

Yeah, another chapter. I like how your Clark handles things. He doesn't get blindsided quite so regularly.

bakasi - Thanks ^_^ I figure with this Clark's experience and training, he'd be more resistant to public pressures and such.

Anyway, the next part is up

Part 4: Control

Another great chapter. I, too, am looking forward to that interview. Should be interesting how the world reacts to his virgin status. I always wondered why Clark never mentioned this to Lois in the episode, which was before the virtual reality episode, if I remember correctly.

bakasi - I really wonder about that too. It would have solved a lot of problems

Here is the next chapter: Questions

A speedy follow on post

Here is chapter 6: Torn

Great, I love it,can‘t wait for more

Yay, I was waiting for that chapter. Loved both. Can't wait to read more

sunshine6812 - Thanks ^_^

bakasi - The chat on discord/skype certainly helped me write it ^_^

Next part is up: Aura

I'm still biting my nails. Tough chapter. Liked every bit of it.

bakasi - Thanks, the toughness I hope will pay dividends later

Here is the next part: Essence

Loved this. I liked how you described Clark's torn aura and the sensations that caused. Well done. I'm waiting for that last part.

Blueowl, I finally caught up on this series! Very interesting take on this Clark Kent--especially in the Superman persona. He seems much more secure/mature than the TV character. I keep waiting for the villain to pop up and take advantage of how much he does share of himself! Great job on the action scenes where your originality and creativity really shine! They are so real; I feel like I have a front row seat!! Great movie material! The aura incident is a perfect illustration. Can't wait to see where this goes. Also looking forward to the progression of the romantic relationship between Lois & Clark.

Thank you for sharing your work!

bakasi - I've been waiting so long to post it ^_^ Thanks

Penny_Lane - Thanks Yeah, I figured his different backstory would cause him to have a bit more experience and confidence (from serving in the Air Force and solving cold cases for years before that). Anyway, glad you enjoyed the action scenes, some of them have been brewing in my head for years. As for their relationship, more to come....

Here is the last scene of the first half of Keeper: Mend

Please let me know what you all think

Well, I wanted progress in the relationship and I got it!! I certainly didn’t see that coming at this point. What a delightful surprise. And I agree with Lois, the “timing was just perfect.” It feels good that they are all together on the farm; supporting Clark as he works to overcome this challenge with his aura and now to celebrate their engagement. It just feels safe.

Blueowl, I find this phenomenon with the aura fascinating! Although it’s frequently referenced in other fics, I have never seen anyone actually examine it to this in-depth level. Such a unique and original perspective. What prompted you to develop this idea? The possibilities seem endless; particularly now that Clark is treating it like another new ability that he can learn to control.

Very excited to see where this goes. However, I am still a bit anxious about the world knowing how the damaged aura impacted Superman; and that he is now with his earth family recuperating. Feels risky to me!

Looking forward to more. Thanks for sharing your work.

I love how you solved your aura problem in the end. Very nicely done. And I hope to see more Lois and Clark interaction in the second half of Keeper.