Epiphany

By Folc4evernaday (folc4evernaday@gmail.com)

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: June 2017

Summary: In the aftermath of the episode "Fly Hard," Clark
issues a warning to Lois about Lex as he finds himself at odds
with her over his archenemy. Unable to see any other way to make
her see the truth, he decides to tell her the truth in hopes that
it'll keep her out of Lex's grasp. When Lois learns the truth
both she and Clark are forced to juggle the ups and downs of
their budding relationship while trying to find the connection
between "The Boss" and every story they've covered over the
past year.

Story Size: 213,214 words (1,179Kb as text)

A/N: Big *HUGE* thanks to Nostalgiakick and Deadly Chakram for
helping me sort through a lot of these plots and moving things
along. Couldn't have done it without you. You guys ROCK!

Hope everyone enjoys this one! I had a lot of fun writing it.

***

*<< "Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

What did Clark mean she didn't know Lex like he did? As far as
she knew Clark and Lex didn't have anything more than a
professional relationship.

Lois sighed, rolling over on her side to get more comfortable.
The events of the evening wearing on her mind as she willed sleep
to come. She'd been held hostage before but never like this.
Normally when she was held hostage it was from her tracking down
a criminal and breaking in or following them. This time had been
different. The gang that had broken into the Planet had come to
them with guns and a bomb. They'd taken the place she'd felt
the safest and turned it into a place she so desperately wanted
to escape.

*<< "Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

What did that mean?

***

Nigel watched as Lex pulled himself up from the exam table,
wincing in pain. "Shall I bring you a change of clothes?'

"No, Nigel, that's quite all right. I won't be here much
longer," Lex said with a wry smile. "Brings back memories of
the old days of being an orphaned street fighter."

"Well, let's hope you don't have to get your hands dirty like
the old days," Nigel mused.

Lex smiled, "There was a lot I could have done tonight, but I
didn't."

"So, would you care for me to arrange a visitor for Mr. Fuentes
and his gang?" Nigel asked.

"No, that won't be necessary," Lex mused. "I admire his
gusto. Maybe not his tactics..." Lex eyed his wounded shoulder,
"but he has potential. Make the arrangements...but be sure to
send him ...payback...for this," He held up his sling.

"As you wish," Nigel nodded.

A knock at the door announced the Chief of Staff, "Mr. Luthor,
sorry to keep you waiting. We were reviewing your x-rays.
Sometimes it takes a little bit for them to come up."

Lex smiled, "Perhaps some new equipment is needed?" He turned
to Nigel, "Nigel, make sure to send funds for a new radiology
equipment."

"No, Mr. Luthor, that isn't necessary."

"Nonsense," Lex continued. "You're in need. I'm able. I
help. It's what good businessmen do."

The doctor sighed, realizing this was a losing battle, "Yes, Mr.
Luthor, about your scans. It appears there was some damage to the
ligaments in your shoulder, but no nerve damage. You won't be
able to use those muscles for at least six to eight weeks. I'm
surprised your wound wasn't worse...it appeared to have been
healing itself when you arrived..."

*<<"You'd be bleeding to death if it wasn't for him.">>*

Lex's expression grew thoughtful, "Yes, well luckily one of the
other hostages knew of a remedy for open wounds."

"You should thank whoever it was. They saved your life," the
doctor handed Lex some paperwork. "Here are your discharge
papers, Mr. Luthor. I've written a prescription for pain.
You'll have to keep alternating ice and heat over the next few
days but for tonight ice only. Your paperwork is all in order."

"Thank you, doctor," Lex said handing the papers to Nigel as he
stood. He watched the doctor leave then turned to Nigel, "I owe
Clark Kent my life?" He shook his head in disgust.

***

The next morning Lois was still just as restless as she'd been
the night before. She hated being the last one to know anything
and it appeared Clark knew something she didn't. How?

He'd certainly made no attempt to hide his contempt for Lex even
after their first meeting him. She remembered fighting with him
about her interview that Clark had insinuated was more.

*<< "Tell me something...How far are you willing to go to get
this interview?">>*

At the time the insinuation had infuriated her. Looking back she
realized that the question wasn't an insinuation but just Clark
expressing his concern for her. She didn't know him that well
back then but she knew he'd always had her best interest at
heart. He always did. Even after she'd treated him awful all
week when they'd first been teamed together on the EPRAD story
he never was smug or telling her 'I told you so.' Instead, he
was trying to comfort her.

*<<"Not that it means anything from a 'hack from
Nowheresville' but I think you're pretty terrific too.">>*

As she'd gotten to know him over the past year she'd come to
realize Clark was pretty terrific in his own way. He was a good
friend and a great partner. Even if she did resist the
partnership, in the beginning, she'd enjoyed being teamed up
with him. He just seemed to get her. They fought like cats and
dogs at times but always seemed to work through it. One of the
main things they seemed to fight about was Lex. Clark had
insinuated something more was going on with Lex over the last few
months but never said what. Now, last night he'd warned her to
be careful. Be careful of what?

"This is so frustrating..." Lois muttered to herself as she
paced around the living room of her apartment. Clark was
insinuating that something was wrong here, but what? The time
she'd spent with Lex had been enjoyable. He'd never tried to
push her into any uncomfortable situations. Which given the way
past boyfriends had behaved it was a welcome change. They'd seen
each other a handful of times over the past few months. Lately a
bit more frequent, but she'd welcomed his company. What had
started as an interview attempt seemed to be turning into
something...she just wasn't sure what.

Interview. That was a joke. The interview she'd been so adamant
to get never did come. Somehow she'd gotten swept up in the
moment and had blown her chance to get the interview she so
desperately sought out. It wasn't like she hadn't had a chance,
but rather...

Why hadn't she gotten that interview? It wasn't like she
didn't have access anymore. She was seeing Lex...nothing serious
but still...

*<< "From what I've heard, I'd be better off out there with
the cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.">>*

She recalled the statement Fuentes had made and shook her head.
What had that meant? She knew Lex was powerful in the business
world but why would criminals be afraid of him? Could he be
involved with someone or something dangerous? A shiver went down
her spine and she shook her head, realizing what she was accusing
Lex of without anything to go on besides the ravings of a
criminal.

"This is ridiculous!" Lois shook her head. "He said I don't
know Lex like him..." She was thoughtful a moment. How does
Clark know him? She reached for the phone, determined to get to
the bottom of her dilemma by going directly to the source. "Lex
Luthor please?" She waited a moment, "Yes, this is Lois
Lane."

***

A very bloody and bruised Fuentes staggered into the penthouse
with Nigel right behind him, "Mr. Luthor, may I present Mr.
Fuentes."

Lex nodded with a broad smile, happy to have the upper hand with
his former captor, "Mr. Fuentes, we meet again."

Fuentes' eyes widened as Lex closed the distance between them
with a smug smile, "Mister...Lu...thor..."

"I trust you found Nigel accommodating. He assured me he'd give
you the same treatment you gave myself and Ms. Lane last night,"
Fear crossed Fuentes face as Lex grabbed him by the neck, "Make
no mistake you will pay for putting your hands on her, but for
now we will discuss the future..."

"Future?"

"I'm a businessman, Mr. Fuentes, I always enjoy a good deal.
Now, I arranged for your release and in exchange, I expect your
cooperation..."

"Cooperation?" Fuentes asked, realizing his worst fears
weren't being met he straightened up, "What can I help you
with, Mr. Luthor?" Lex laid a photo of Jack in Fuentes' hands,
"The kid from last night?"

"A liability," Lex said with disgust. "He is a witness I need
disposed of. I trust you'll use more discretion than you used
last night? You'll be working with Nigel and my personal
assistant, Mrs. Cox. He needs to disappear," Lex turned to
confront him, "Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Fuentes nodded.

"Good," Lex reached for his right hand and jerked his thumb and
index finger in a twist as Fuentes screamed in pain until he
heard a loud pop indicating the bone breaking, "If you ever put
your hands on Lois Lane again I'll be breaking more than your
hand joints. Make sure it never happens again."

***

Clark landed softly on the balcony of his apartment, stepping
inside and changing back into his street clothes after assuring
himself no one had seen him. After the previous night's hostage
situation he had made sure to patrol a bit longer than usual.
He'd managed to stop an attempted mugging and a carjacking in
Suicide Slum. Then this morning he'd stopped by the police
station to give his statement to Henderson like he'd promised,
but found there was no longer a case. Fuentes and his gang had
been released and no one seemed to know where he disappeared to.
He had a feeling Luthor was behind it. He just couldn't prove
it.

***

Lois stepped off the elevator that led to the penthouse and made
her way toward Lex's office. Nigel opened the door for her and
she nodded her thanks as he closed the door behind her, "Lois,
so good to see you," Lex greeted her with a smile.

His arm was still in a sling but his demeanor was still as
pleasant as ever. She smiled back, "Lex, how are you feeling?"

Lex shook his arm still trapped in the sling and sighed, "I'll
live. How are you?"

"Good. Last night was kinda crazy, but I'm fine," Lois smiled.
"Actually after what had happened last night ... there was
something I realized that I never put together before ..."

"Oh, like what?" Lex asked, concerned. He seemed nervous.

Lois tightened her jaw as she continued, "Why don't you like
Clark? What's the deal with you two?"

Lex looked at her in surprise, "What? This is about Kent?"

Lois shook her head, "No, this is about a lot more than that.
Answer the question. What is the deal with you two? He obviously
doesn't like you and you don't like him. Why? What happened?"

Lex looked at her in astonishment, contemplating his answer for a
moment, "I honestly don't know. You'd have to ask him. I would
assume maybe he doesn't approve of our relationship or ...
Jealousy, but I haven't had any situation arise that would
explain his hostility toward me."

'*Jealousy? Why would Clark have to approve of her
relationship?'* The Clark Kent Lex was describing didn't fit
with the man she'd come to know over the last year.

Lois sighed, disappointed she hadn't gotten an explanation,
"Lex, Clark isn't like that. He would never be hostile to
someone without being provoked. Something must have happened. Are
you sure you don't remember anything?"

Lex was thoughtful for a moment, "I'm sorry, darling," Lex
shrugged. "Maybe you should be asking Kent these questions."

Lois nodded, "Maybe I should," She turned to leave.

"Can I interest you in lunch?" He inquired.

Lois shook her head, "Maybe another time."

***

Fuentes had been released less than twelve hours after holding
the Daily Planet hostage. No one seemed to know how he'd gotten
the charges dropped or who had dropped the ball with processing.
Clark shook his head in disgust. Some of the team members that
had helped with the hostage situation had insinuated there was
help from someone called 'the Boss.' Unfortunately, no one had
met him or her.

A loud insistent tapping at his front door caught his attention
and he headed up the steps to answer the door, "Lois?" He was
surprised to see her on a Saturday, especially after spending all
evening held hostage with her. He glanced at the clock, "Lois?
What are you doing here?"

Lois was quick to shoot back, "Not standing in the doorway,"
She pushed past him and began pacing through the living room, "I
need to talk to you."

"Come on in," He said wryly closing the door and turning back
toward the living room. "What's up?"

"What did you mean last night?" Lois began to ramble. "What's
with the cryptic warning? You're never cryptic. Ever. A bit
boneheaded sometimes and a bit of a pushover...no offense...but
never cryptic. What gives?"

Clark raised his eyebrows, trying to follow what Lois was
rambling about, "What are you talking about?"

"You!" Lois fumed angrily, waving her hands in the air,
"Insinuating...whatever you were trying to insinuate about Lex
last night...What's with the games?"

"Games?"

"If there is something you know why not just tell me? Why give
me some cryptic warning like that? What is your deal with Lex
anyway? You act like you hate him for no reason. He said there
was never a reason so what gives?" Lois stopped pacing and
turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You talked to Luthor?" Clark asked, worried.

Lois rolled her eyes, "Yes!" Clark hung his head in disbelief,
"Lois, you shouldn't have done that."

"Shouldn't have...Clark, what is going on? This is
ridiculous!" Lois fumed angrily.

"I can't tell you," Clark shook his head.

"Can't tell me *what*?" Lois fumed angrily.

"I have my...doubts...about Luthor. Just leave it at that,"
Clark said.

"Doubts? No, I'm not going to just leave it at that," Lois
snapped back, "You have been acting like he's the devil
incarnate since you met him. There is no reason that I can think
of...You never act like that about anyone...What gives?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Clark said.

"Try me!" Lois pressed.

"No!" Clark snapped.

"No? You have got to be kidding me..." Lois was on her way to
full babble mode.

"Lois..." Clark was doing his best to hold in everything he
wanted to say. He couldn't talk to her about this ... not while
she was still involved with Luthor. It could put her at risk.

"You sit there and make your snide remarks and your little digs
and then last night with your cryptic warnings but when I ask for
an explanation you won't give me one. You are out of your
mind!" Lois began to ramble on, "Lex has done nothing but a
gentleman as long as I've known him."

"Don't push this..." Clark warned.

"He's set up charities to help the less fortunate, donated
millions to help orphans, homeless, but do you care about that?
No, to you he's just..."

"He's a murderer!" Clark fumed.

"*WHAT!?"* Lois was taken aback. She looked at him in disgust
and backed away from him in shock.

***

"Everything is set?" Lex asked as he stepped into the main
living area of his home.

"Yes, sir," Nigel nodded, "Fuentes is being debriefed on the
'Jack' situation. Quite remarkable that he was right under our
nose for so long and didn't know it."

Lex nodded, "I don't believe in luck. Tell me something, Nigel,
did we ever find any more information on the Superman identity
theory we were tossing around last month?"

Nigel shook his head, "No, Superman hasn't had any major events
in the last month, but he did help with a kidnapping when the
illusionist was attempting to control the world with mind control
and a few weeks ago he helped stop the virus that Harrington
designed to take over the world."

Lex was thoughtful for a moment, "Is it just me or does it seem
awfully convenient that both these instances were stories being
worked on by Lois Lane?"

Nigel caught on and nodded, "Yes, it does seem he has a soft
spot for her."

"Pull up everything the Daily Planet has printed on our man of
steel. While I'm recuperating, we can begin our research."

"And when you discover his secret?"

"I will destroy him and everyone he holds dear," Lex smiled,
happy with his plan.

***

Clark sighed as he watched the front door slam. Lois didn't say
anything after he'd blurted out that Luthor was a murderer. She
just looked at him in disgust and left. He didn't want to tell
her his suspicions yet. Not without evidence. Unfortunately, that
was something he'd yet to find in the past year. Lex Luthor
seemed to be one step ahead of him.

Now, Lois wouldn't even look at him. He sighed, resigning
himself to his fate. "This is gonna be a long week," he
muttered to himself. A loud insistent knock at his door caught
his attention. "Maybe not," he raced to the front door and
opened it, expecting to find Lois but instead found Jack. "Jack,
what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Jack said, pushing past him.

Clark sighed, closing the door behind him, "Sure, what's up?"

"You remember when I got kidnapped by those guys that I sold
Superman's globe to?" Jack asked.

Clark nodded, recalling how he'd found Jack tied to a chair in a
hidden warehouse below ground where he'd found his globe among
many other treasures. He'd wondered if Lex Luthor was involved
given the rarity of the items he found but never saw any trace of
him. He'd been relieved to find his globe and return it to its
rightful place. "Yeah, Superman rescued you from that
underground museum."

Jack nodded, "I know this may sound crazy..."

"Try me," Clark smirked.

Jack nodded, "Okay, well, I think Lex Luthor was one of the guys
that kidnapped me a few weeks ago."

"What?" Clark wasn't sure he heard him right.

"I never saw the guy's face but I heard his voice. It was
him," Jack said adamantly. "After last night I'm sure it's
only a matter of time before he puts two and two together..."

Clark could see the apprehension growing in Jacks' voice and
tried to calm him down, "Jack, I don't think he would..." He
sighed when he saw Jack giving him a skeptical look. "I'll talk
to Superman and see what we can do..." He patted the young man
on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Denny will be
fine." He noted how Jack's shoulders slumped in relief. It was
Denny Jack was most afraid for.

"I can't believe I didn't put two and two together until
now..." Jack fumed. "I should have known..."

"You'd never spent a lot of time with him before," Clark
reminded him.

"We've got to warn Lois. She's got to know..." Jack stopped
when he saw Clark shaking his head laughing. "What's so
funny?"

"Nothing," Clark shrugged. "I've just been trying to warn
Lois about Luthor for almost a year and that hasn't worked yet.
Now, we have something somewhat concrete and..."

"...and you don't think she'll believe you?" Jack guessed.

"Not in this millennium," Clark said bitterly.

***

Lois hadn't been able to think of anything but her fight with
Clark and how...betrayed she felt when Clark had spat out that
vulgar accusation about Lex. Clark had earned her respect and
trust over the last year they'd worked together now she felt
like she didn't even know him. She'd decided to take her
frustrations out at the gym. She'd tried the aerobics, weights,
but nothing seemed to be helping. After putting on protective
gloves she decided to work out the pent-up frustration with some
kickboxing.

She glanced around at the familiar gym. Menken's gym had been
renamed to "Allie's" after the corruption the previous owner
had been exposed. She shuddered recalling how he'd tried to use
her as bait for her father. If it hadn't been for Lex...

*<<"He's a murderer!">> *

Clark's words rang in her ears and she pushed the thought out.

No, Lex had saved her.

Clark seemed to have this unexplainable hatred toward Lex but
could never explain why. She never thought he'd stoop so low as
to throw out an accusation like that. "Slander," she muttered
to herself. "Acting like a petulant child..." She slammed her
foot against the punching bag, knocking it off its axis as she
fumed angrily over her fight with Clark.

*<<"You talked to Luthor?" *

"*Yes!">>*

She struck the punching bag once more. Why did it bother him so
much that she'd talked to Lex? The look in his eyes had been
filled with fear.

*<<"Lois, you shouldn't have done that."*

"*Shouldn't have...Clark, what is going on? This is
ridiculous!">>*

She kicked the punching bag again, tears streaming down her face
as the bag fell back once more. Who was he to tell her what she
should or shouldn't be talking to Lex about? Why was it so wrong
of her to confront him about his spat with Lex?

*<<"I can't tell you," *

"*Can't tell me WHAT?">>*

Of course, he couldn't tell her why he acted this way. She
suspected it was from jealousy, but if this was jealousy...he'd
gone too far this time. He'd resisted her attempts to confront
him at first.

She kicked the bag again.

Why was it so hard for her to drag this out of Clark?

*<<"I have my...doubts...about Luthor. Just leave it at that,"
Clark said.*

"*Doubts? No, I'm not going to just leave it at that," Lois
snapped back, "You have been acting like he's the devil
incarnate since you met him. There is no reason that I can think
of...You never act like that about anyone...What gives?">>*

She felt her knees growing weak as she continued to cry and opted
to get her frustrations out by punching the bag. "I hate you. I
hate you. I hate you. I hate you..." She cried.

No matter how many times she said the words she knew it wasn't
true. One thing was sure. How she felt about Clark Kent was
anything but hate. Complicated, yes. Frustrating, yes. Definitely
not hate. She cared about him. She knew that. She'd discovered
how deeply after the asteroid Nightfall had threatened their
lives. The fear of the unknown had forced her to take a good look
at her life, but she never found the courage to act on those
feelings. After Nightfall was gone she did her best to bury them
deeper and found solace in work and distancing herself from him.

*<<"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Clark said.*

"*Try me!" Lois pressed. *

"*No!" Clark snapped.*

"*No? You have got to be kidding me..." Lois was on her way to
full babble mode.*

"*Lois...">>*

He could get to her in a way no one ever could. Something about
Clark just brought out this need to divulge her every thought to
him. He was still the only person to know about her and Claude
and he'd surprised her by keeping her confidence. She'd been
worried he'd be blabbing it to everyone after the fiasco with
Baines, but he hadn't. He'd earned her trust.

*<<"You sit there and make your snide remarks and your little
digs and then last night with your cryptic warnings but when I
ask for an explanation you won't give me one. You are out of
your mind!" Lois began to ramble on, "Lex has done nothing but
a gentleman as long as I've known him."*

"*Don't push this..." Clark warned.*

"*He's set up charities to help the less fortunate, donated
millions to help orphans, homeless, but do you care about that?
No, to you he's just..."*

"*He's a murderer!" Clark fumed.>>*

She knew she didn't know Lex very well but she thought she had a
pretty good judge of character. For Clark to slander Lex like
that...

She stopped hitting the punching bag and fell to her knees in
tears.

***

Martha set a slice of pie in front of her husband, taking a seat
next to him as they listened to Clark detail his fight with Lois
in defeat. He looked at them in agony, "I don't know what to
do."

Martha glanced at Jonathan for a moment who nodded at her,
"Clark, you said she asked you what your deal was with Lex
Luthor...Why didn't you just tell her everything?"

Clark shook his head, "Most of what I know is from my being
Superman. Explaining that...would be too complicated. Besides,
she's still dating him. I can't risk..."

"You don't seriously think she'd betray your confidence to
him, do you?" Jonathan interrupted.

"No," Clark shook his head, "nothing like that. It's
just...as long as she's seeing him...." His body shuddered
involuntarily as he spoke, "she's at risk...telling her what I
know only puts her more at risk..."

Jonathan cleared his throat, "More risk than she already is?"

Clark hung his head, "That's her choice...I can't....make her
see him for who he really is...not without..."

Martha placed a hesitant hand on Clark's hand, "Without telling
her you're Superman?" He nodded. She glanced at Jonathan. He
seemed to recognize what she was trying to say silently and
nodded. "So, what if you told her?"

"*What!?"* Clark asked, taken aback.

Martha sighed, "Clark, it's obvious you love her. Even if
you're not ready to act on it yet...for whatever reason your
father and I don't understand..."

"Because she doesn't..." Clark began but was cut off by
Martha.

"You are putting her at risk every moment you don't tell her
what you know. If even a fraction of what you have told us about
this man is true...Do you seriously want to leave Lois with this
man? He blew up a building to test you, arranged for two people
to fall off thirty-foot buildings across from one
another...drugged children...My God!" Martha shook her head
unable to continue.

Clark nodded, realizing his mom was right, "So, you think I
should tell Lois that I'm Superman?"

"If that's what it takes to get her away from Lex Luthor,
yes," Jonathan chimed in.

"All my life you guys have told me never to tell anyone..."
Clark mused.

"Lois is different," Jonathan said with a smile.

"She's family," Martha nodded.

Clark smiled, "I do love her.."

"We've known that since you started talking about her," Martha
said taking a sip of her coffee. "We were wondering how long it
would take you to figure it out."

Clark laughed, "I guess I just have to figure out how to tell
her I've been lying to her for almost a year."

"Love is never easy," Martha added.

"In the end, it's worth it," Jonathan promised. "Worked out
pretty well for me," he held Martha's hand tightly with a
smile.

***

Monday morning at the Daily Planet Clark couldn't help but
notice the cool tone Lois took with him. She was going out of her
way to avoid him. He still hadn't had a chance to tell her about
Fuentes being released from custody or about Superman. He needed
a way to break the ice with her but right now she was going out
of her way NOT to talk to him.

Jimmy and Perry walked past his desk discussing the damage to
Perry's office, "Well, I guess the place needed a lift," Perry
said with a sigh in defeat. His attempt to bring humor to the
situation was met with forced smiles among the five of them.

A messenger came in with a large arrangement of flowers. As soon
as he saw them he knew who they were for. There was no one else
they would be for. Lois. It had Lex Luthor's hand writing all
over it. It made him sick to his stomach to know Lois was still
dating Luthor. He watched her read the card and couldn't help
himself. He peeked at the card that read, 'Love, Lex,' and
grimaced. He didn't notice Lois looking back at him. Did she
love him? He didn't think so, but... He shook his head in
disgust, trying to keep his emotions in check. That was what had
gotten him in this predicament in the first place.

Cat walked in all smiles and he couldn't help but frown,
recalling how she'd left them at the Planet, ignoring their
pleas for help. She had been oblivious to their plight.

"Send yourself flowers again, Lois?" Cat sneered as she took a
seat at her desk. Lois cast Cat a dirty look but didn't say
anything. "Whew! What a weekend. I know he may not look it, but
under that mild-mannered facade, George is a wild man," Clark
caught Lois' gaze when she cast a sideway glance at him. What
was that about?

Cat continued, "I spent most of the weekend in handcuffs. So,
what did you guys do this weekend?" They all glared at her with
dirty looks. She seriously didn't know? She shrugged, "Sorry I
asked."

He saw Jack in the corner of his eye and nodded to him. Jack came
over to greet him. He seemed to sense the tension in the air and
whispered, "If looks could kill."

Clark nodded. "Superman took Denny and his foster family out of
town for now. He can fly you out to visit if needed but for
now..."

Jack smiled in agreement. "Tell him I said thanks."

Clark sighed, watching Jack head back to his desk with Jimmy then
glanced at Lois. She could barely look at him. Making up his
mind, he decided the best way to get to talking again was to get
on the same page about work. She may not want to talk to him
right now but he hoped she'd listen long enough for him to tell
her about Fuentes.

Lois was typing away at her computer. He didn't dare tell her he
knew she was trying to avoid him. He could read the gibberish she
was typing. He stood by her desk for a moment, contemplating how
to begin when she jerked her head at him and snapped, "What is
it? You didn't get enough slander in yesterday?"

Clark sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything like
that to you."

'*At least not out loud... ' *

Lois stared at him for a moment. He watched her apprehensively,
unsure if she'd forgive him or not. "I really am sorry, Lois,"
he continued, trying to squash his inner voice.

Her facial expression seemed to crack ever so slightly and she
turned briskly, "Don't ever let it happen again."

Clark nodded, "Okay," He took a seat next to her. "I do need
to talk to you... I wanted to tell you..."

He stopped when he heard a cry for help. Cursing his luck, he
noticed the annoyed look on her face. "Lois, I left a... file
at..." He couldn't seem to think of a place that would sound
believable and she just gave him an incredulous look.

"Home?" She guessed.

"Yes!" He said backing away from her desk. "I left a file at
home and I'll be right back. It's really *really* important."
With that he disappeared.

***

Lex Luthor sifted through the articles in front of him, "Our man
of steel has been quite busy this year, hasn't he?"

"Yes," Nigel nodded. "Appearances from saving Prometheus to
appearing at children's schools to speak about safety... Quite a
variety of appearances."

"Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of these exclusives
come from the Daily Planet?" Lex pulled out the article on
Nightfall recalling the coverage shown of Lois Lane kissing the
man of steel goodbye. It still made his blood boil to imagine
that...Lois Lane in his enemy's arms.

"Yes, it seems Ms. Lane has gotten just about every exclusive
along with her partner, Clark Kent." Nigel said with an amused
smile. "With one exception..."

"What is that?" Lex asked intrigued.

"This," Nigel placed the article about Superman's return after
his first attempt to stop Nightfall.

"'Superman Came Home. Now Where Is He?' By Lois Lane," Lex
read the title with the byline.

"...and James Olsen," Nigel pointed out.

Lex laughed, "So, obviously we know the man of steel has a soft
spot for the Daily Planet...and Lois Lane." His face flickered
with anger at the last statement. "I want to know why...get the
background on Lois Lane and start surveillance on her. Someone
close to her either is our famed man of steel or is connected to
him somehow. We're going to find out who."

"Yes, sir," Nigel nodded.

A knock at the door announced Asabi who stood quietly by the
door, "Mr. Luthor?"

Lex looked to Asabi and smiled, "Yes, Asabi?"

"A Mr. Fuentes is here to see you,"

"Show him in," Lex nodded at Nigel, "We'll finish this
later."

Nigel grabbed the files and headed out. "I'll get on this right
away."

***

Lois fumed angrily as she watched Clark leave before her eyes.
She'd spent most of the weekend crying. It had surprised her how
much it had hurt to see a man she respected so much stoop so low
as to slander a good man like Lex. She hadn't realized how much
she cared about him until she was faced with seeing a side of him
she never knew existed. She never would have thought Clark was
capable of slander before.

Who did he think he was kidding? Trying to convince her Lex
Luthor was some criminal? She'd spent almost a year with him,
getting to know him...well, parts of him. She didn't know him as
well as she'd like but she thought she knew him well enough to
know whether he was a murderer.

She'd been prepared not to talk to Clark at all. When the
flowers from Lex had arrived she'd cast a sideway glance at
Clark. She wasn't sure why she'd done it. The look on his face
was pure devastation. It hit a nerve with her when she saw that
look on his face. She wasn't sure why it affected her so much.

When he'd approached her this morning she'd been determined to
give him the cold shoulder, going so far as to begin typing
gibberish on her computer to make it look like he was
interrupting her. It wasn't like he could see her screen. Then
he'd done something she hadn't expected. He'd apologized.

When it came to Lex Luthor Clark never apologized. They normally
just ignored each other until they were forced to work it out by
Perry and would just agree to disagree and move on. This time was
different. Clark had apologized. It had surprised her. She'd
seen the sincerity in his eyes and she could feel her defenses
melting away when she saw how devastated he seemed to be. He
seemed to be the only person that could drive her crazy in one
minute and then make her want to hug him the next.

They were just getting back on track and then Clark got that look
on his face that he got when she knew he was going to run away
from her... *again*. She still didn't understand why he did
that. He was the most wonderful person in the world one moment
and the next he was gone.

Lois sighed in frustration as she glanced at the card Lex had
left. Why had he signed it 'love?' She didn't think they were
that serious. It was companionship, friendship ... neither knew
enough about one another to warrant either one falling in love.
She sighed in frustration. Many women would have given anything
to have Lex Luthor send flowers with a love note but not her.
Why? Maybe she just needed to talk to Lex about what he meant?

She gathered her purse and headed toward the elevator. Not
looking where she was going she bumped right into Jack as he was
stepping onto the elevator with files in hand. "Whoah!"

Lois winced when she saw all the files fly all around. "Sorry,"
She knelt down to help him pick up the files that had flown all
over the place.

"It's okay," Jack sighed. "Just one of those days."

She picked up the last file and caught the name 'Fuentes' on
it. "Jack, why are you researching Fuentes?"

Jack shrugged. "Jimmy said Clark asked for everything on the
guy. Apparently he got released less than twelve hours after he
was arrested and no one can find him. Jimmy and I were told to
find everything we can on Fuentes and his gang and anything
relating to 'the boss,'" Jack explained.

Lois handed the file back to Jack in shock, "How did Fuentes
just...I mean, there were witnesses against him...more than
one...a video surveillance..." Lois stammered in shock.

Jack nodded, "That's what Clark's trying to find out." Lois'
eyes widened as the wheels began to turn in her head and Jack
looked around the newsroom, "By the way where did he go?"

***

"Mr. Fuentes, good of you to stop by," Lex said with a smile,
welcoming the man in. He smiled smugly when he noticed the brace
on the man's hand where he'd broken a few fingers. "I expect
Nigel has been taking care of you?"

Fuentes nodded, "It appears your kid Jack is a bit of a rabbit.
He didn't go home all weekend. We tried his brother's foster
home and the family's been on vacation as of Saturday
afternoon."

Lex leaned back, "Well, I must say this is an interesting
development. It appears we've underestimated him."

Fuentes looked at Lex nervously, "I can keep a tail on him if
you'd like, but so far there has been no sign of him outside of
the Planet. Unless you want me to..."

Lex shook his head, "No, nothing too direct. Jack is nothing...a
nobody...making a hit on him so direct would draw too much
attention. I don't need anyone asking questions. Keep on Jack
but until you get an opportunity to take care of him I want you
to work with Nigel on setting up surveillance on Ms. Lane."

"Surveillance?" Fuentes asked skeptically, looking at Lex
disapprovingly. "On your girlfriend?"

Lex sneered, "Just do it. I'm not paying you for your
judgments," Fuentes nodded and left, leaving Lex to stew over
his next move. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Lex? A call for the boss is on line three," Mrs. Cox said with
a smile.

He nodded, reaching for the phone. He turned on the voice
distorter and spoke, "This is the boss."

***

"Ms. Lane," Nigel nodded seeing Lois step on the floor of the
penthouse. "Can I help you?"

Lois smiled, "Yes, I'm looking for Lex."

Nigel nodded. "Yes, right this way," He knocked three times in
a pattern on Lex's door then opened it for her.

"Lois!" Lex cheered happily when he saw her. "So good to see
you." He gave her a peck on the cheek.

She smiled, "Lex, hi." She brushed a stray hair behind her ear
and turned away from him for a moment.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He asked, taking
her hand and kissing it.

She pulled her hand back nervously, "Lex, I got the
flowers..."

"...and you wanted to thank me in person?" He asked with a
smile. "I have a few meetings but I'll clear my afternoon for
you..."

"No," Lois shook her head, taking her hand back from his grasp.
"I wanted to talk to you about this note..." She pulled the
note out of her pocket. "Did you write this?"

"Yes," He said with a smile. "I know after Friday night not to
take the precious things in life for granted ..."

"It just seems so...sudden..." Lois began. "I mean, I..."

"You don't feel the same way?" He asked.

"I...I don't know how I feel..." Lois said softly.

Lex looked down for a moment, but recovered quickly, "Well,
maybe I jumped the gun a bit...after everything that happened
this weekend I thought we'd grown closer..."

Lois frowned slightly, "I'm still ...working through
everything..." She said softly.

*<< "He's a murderer!">>*

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

Why did she keep thinking about Clark's warning about Lex? He
wouldn't hurt her...

"Maybe we can work through it together." He said softly kissing
her hand.

"I think this is something I need to work through on my own."
Lois said softly. "I need some time...to think..."

Lex smiled, "You just need to get back in your routine. It's
not easy dealing with a hostage situation like that..."

*<<"He's a murderer!">>*

"You don't seem to be affected by it..." Lois pointed out. "I
don't know. I think I just need some space..."

"Space?" He laughed, "Lois, you can't get any more space than
I've already given you...Come on, I think I've been more than
understanding..." He took a step toward her.

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

She took a step back, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," He shook his head, pasting a charming smile on his
face. Lois looked at him warily and he said, "Let me take you to
dinner tonight and we'll talk,"

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

Clark's warning continued to echo in her mind. There was
something about it. "I..." Lois began, but was interrupted by
Nigel.

"Mr. Luthor a call on line three for you. It's urgent."

Lex turned to the phone and said, "I'll see you tonight."

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

"Fine," She said curtly, unsure of what had just happened. She
took a step out of his office and headed back to the Planet. How
had it gone from her trying to distance herself from Lex to her
having dinner with him? What had just happened?

*<<**"**Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I
do.">>*

***

Clark sighed as he took his seat at his desk, looking around the
newsroom for Lois. He didn't see any sign of her. He scanned the
conference rooms and spotted her in there with a stack of files
and Jack and Jimmy leaning over her shoulder.

File. He remembered he was supposed to be bringing a file. He
grabbed the file he had brought in from Henderson on Saturday and
knocked at the door, opening it. Lois looked up, "Hey, Clark,
why didn't you tell me about Fuentes?" She pointed to the stack
of files on the table.

"I was going to but..." He trailed off remembering why he
hadn't told her. Their fight. She seemed to recognize the
expression on his face and didn't press. She looked down at the
file in front of her quietly and he took a seat next to her,
"So, what is all this?"

"Everything that could be remotely related to Fuentes and his
gang," Jimmy pointed to one small stack to the left.

"Everything related to anyone called 'the boss' for the past
five years," Jack said pointing at the several stacks of files
to the right.

"Yikes," Clark muttered.

"Yeah," Lois nodded. "What's the deal with this 'boss?'"

Clark shrugged, "I don't know. Inspector Henderson said he
heard some of the members of Fuentes crew talking about 'the
boss' as the one that got Fuentes out. First time I've heard of
him..."

"...or her," Lois smirked. "Women can be crime lords too."

"...or her," Clark nodded.

"This is some scary stuff," Jimmy said as he handed them a
stack of police report. "Everything the police think is
connected to 'the boss' in the last year."

Clark let out a low whistle and his jaw dropped. There had to be
at least five hundred crimes on this report. He knew as Superman
he couldn't save everyone but it frustrated him to no end
knowing there was so much crime going on right under his nose.

"Impressive resume," Lois said taking the report from Clark.
Her nose crinkled slightly and she grabbed him by the arm,
"Clark!"

"What?" He asked, trying to pull his arm back from her death
grip.

"Look!" She pointed to the very top of the list where the death
of Dr. Baines was listed. "I knew Baines was involved in
something big...I can't believe you trusted her..."

"I never said I trusted her..." Clark tried to interject but
was cut off by her continuing her tirade.

"Yeah, sure. She was *so* unprofessional...sizing you up like a
piece of meat and... I mean...that was my first sign that
something was off...Who did she think she was?" That statement
surprised him. He glanced at her questioningly. Jack and Jimmy
were wearing equally amused expressions on their face. She seemed
to notice the looks and changed her tone. "It just kinda
bothered me." She shrugged. "Anyway, I wonder how many stories
we covered this year are on this list..."

Clark wore an amused expression as she did her best to cover up
the slip of tongue. It was moments like this that gave him hope
that she might be noticing him, Clark Kent as more than just her
partner and friend. "I'm sure a lot of them are on there," He
tried to mention casually.

Jack was looking at the list now reading off the top, "Double
suicides, Carlin building bombing, Toasters destruction of
Suicide Slum..."

Lois' eyes widened. "Do you know what this means?"

Clark smiled, knowing full well what was coming next. Jack
shrugged, "No, what?"

"Pulitzer!" Lois cheered happily. She shoved a stack in
Clark's arms, "Let's get digging."

***

Later that evening Lois and Clark were among the last in the
office as they finished up the research on everything they knew
about 'the boss'. Clark was relieved it had been fairly quiet
this afternoon. He didn't want to have to make up another excuse
to leave ... Again. He knew he needed to tell her but right now
he just couldn't figure out HOW.

Lois rolled her neck, trying to work the kinks out of it as she
stared at the file in front of her. "Here, let me," Clark
offered. She nodded and leaned back against him as he gently
massaged her neck muscles. He gave a quick blast of heat vision
to the area his hands were massaging to relieve some of the
tension and she groaned in approval. He bit his lower lip as she
leaned up against him.

"That feels great," Lois sighed as he worked on the knots in
her shoulder. She was really tense. He wasn't surprised. They'd
been working in here most of the day. He glanced at the files on
the table that they had sorted through. They had made some
progress in sorting the list of crimes that were associated with
the stories they had covered and categorized them by importance.
They had begun a map on the wall to keep track of who was
connected to who. Mostly small time criminals seemed to be in the
system but everyone knew not to name names.

Lois leaned back against him, staring at the wall for a moment as
he continued to massage her shoulders. He caught her gaze and
frowned, "Depressing, isn't it?"

Lois nodded, "Yeah, I just don't get how we missed...this
much."

Clark sighed, "Me neither. I wish we had more than
...*this*..." He gestured to the poorly formed map on the board.
"There are still way too many holes."

"Who do you think is behind all this?" Lois wondered aloud. He
knew better than to say what he thought. After this weekend, he
didn't dare breathe a word of what he suspected until after he
told her about Superman. Lois cast a glance at him and sighed,
"Oh, I forgot. You think Lex is a murderer so it's not a giant
leap to think HE is the boss."

Clark sighed when she pulled away from him, "I didn't say
anything."

"But you're thinking it," Lois snapped.

"I am not," Clark argued.

'*Liar,'* His conscience chided him.

"Oh, really?" Lois challenged. "I think your face disagrees."
She pointed at him.

He sighed. How was it she could tell when he was lying as Clark
but couldn't figure out he was Superman? He didn't dare say
anything else for fear they'd end up in another fight.

"I don't know why I even bother," she muttered under her
breath, unaware that he could hear her.

He let out a long sigh, and stood up. "I think I'm gonna call
it a night."

Lois nodded, "Of course, run off like you always do when we're
having a discussion..."

Clark gave her a sideway glance, "I am *not* always running
off..."

"Oh, really?" She challenged, standing to her feet to confront
him. "Every time I turn around you are running off...to
a...a...barber...or dentist...or ...or sometimes you don't even
give an excuse!" She jabbed him in the chest repeatedly.
"Always when we're having an important discussion...you
disappear..."

"It is not like that..." He began. This was it. She had laid
the perfect groundwork for him to tell her. He just had to...

"What the hell is wrong with you anyway? Throwing accusations
like that? That is so low..."

"Wrong with *me*!?" He couldn't believe she'd just said that.
Look at who *she* was dating. He did his best to control his
temper. He didn't want to end up in another fight, but if she
kept pushing him... "I..I thought we weren't going to talk
about this."

"Well, I changed my mind!" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"I am just so...sick and tired of the digs and the ...jealous
tantrums I could scream..."

"*Jealous!?"* He scoffed. She thought his accusations against
Luthor came from jealousy? It wasn't a far cry from the truth
but that had nothing to do with...

"Are you denying it?" She challenged.

He was about to open his mouth to argue but thought better of it.
Anything he said would just make her angrier. Truth be told he
couldn't deny he was jealous. He was jealous of Superman. He was
threatened by Luthor. She never looked at Luthor the way she
looked at Superman but he'd give anything for her to look at
him, Clark Kent the way she looked at his alter-ego. He'd never
know if she would after he told her.

He wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her so he could warn her
but here in the middle of the office...even if everyone had
left...it wasn't exactly the right place.

"See? You're not even denying it!" Lois snapped jabbing her
finger in his chest once more.

Without thinking he threw caution to the wind and leaned in to
kiss her, really kiss her...just like he had as Superman before
stopping Nightfall...and at the airport after dealing with the
pheromone fiasco. Almost a year of frustration fueled the hunger
behind this kiss. Every other time he'd kissed her as Clark
he'd had his guard up, not wanting to reveal how much he
cared...how much he wanted her...afraid of scaring her off.
This...this was different.

***

Outside the conference room, Perry White was busy gathering his
things before heading out for the evening. It had been a long
day. Machinery had broken down on the printing press and they'd
had to negotiate getting the part sent same day with Accounting.
The guys just didn't seem to understand why it mattered if the
printing press was down for the afternoon. Luckily he'd gotten
the board to pull their weight on the issue and force the
Accounting department's hand.

Now, here it was nearly nine o'clock and everyone had gone for
the day. Well, everyone but Lois and Clark. He was mildly
surprised to see them standing in the conference room. They
didn't normally work this late but it looked like they were
working on something big. It didn't surprise him to see them
arguing. Lois was jabbing Kent in the chest as she fumed at him
angrily and he stood there with his arms across his chest just
taking it.

What did surprise him was what happened next. His eyebrows rose
when he saw Clark grab Lois and kiss her. He thought for sure she
was going to fight him off but she didn't. Instead she seemed to
be kissing him back. It didn't take a rocket scientist to
realize there were feelings festering between the duo. They were
like gasoline and fire at times which made for some pretty big
fights between the two of them, but it also made for some great
stories...and from the looks of things...a blossoming romance.

"Good for you, son," Perry smiled as he stepped on the
elevator. "Fight for her."

He knew Lois had gone on a few dates with Lex but after spending
the evening with the man...he began to realize the 'golden
child' of Metropolis wasn't all he seemed to be. There was
definitely a lack of spark between him and Lois. There also
seemed to be something superficial with Lex Luthor that didn't
jive right with his reporter's instinct. It was something that
guy Fuentes had said that perked his interest.

*<<"From what I've heard, I'd be better off out there with the
cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.">>*

Maybe one day they'd figure out what that meant. It was late. He
smiled to himself as he stepped off the elevator, giving a quiet
yodel to himself. Things would definitely be different around the
Planet. That was for sure.

***

At first Lois seemed too shocked to respond but then something
changed. To Clark's surprise and delight she kissed him back. He
groaned inwardly as he deepened the kiss, cupping her face with
both hands as he continued the kiss. The spark he felt when he'd
kissed her. He didn't care how much she tried to deny it. He
knew she felt the same way about him as he did her. She just
would never admit it to herself...until now. Every fear he'd had
about their very complicated relationship seemed to subside and
he let out a soft moan as her hand moved to the back of his neck,
running her fingers through his hair.

'*You have to tell her...'* His conscience chided him,
reminding him of the dilemma at hand.

He slowly broke off the kiss, moving his hand to wrap around her
wrist that rested on his shoulder. She had a slightly dazed
expression on her face. He smiled to himself. It was obvious
she'd felt that spark too. She seemed to break out of her
reverie and he was afraid she was going to lash out at him for
kissing her but instead he saw an emotion he hadn't expected.
Fear.

"I have to go..." She mumbled incoherently, pulling away from
him and running out the door, leaving him to stare after her
numbly in shock as she hurriedly grabbed her purse from her desk
and ran up the ramp to the elevator.

***

Unnoticed by Lois, Perry, or Clark was Fuentes in a disguise. He
had the cleaning equipment with him as he made his way through
the newsroom. He'd spotted the steamy kiss between Lois and
Clark as he placed a camera at the window. As long as the blinds
to the conference room were open then the camera would pick them
up.

Confident that they wouldn't notice him he continued to move
throughout the newsroom and place cameras on Lois Lane's desk
and computer. He added a recorder to her phone then headed for
the elevator. He discreetly placed a micro camera above the call
button for the elevator as he pretended to be cleaning and
pressed the call button to leave.

He was surprised when Lois Lane stepped on the elevator with him.
He was sure she would recognize him, but she didn't. She seemed
flustered. Looking straight ahead at the elevator doors until
they opened on the Lobby floor and he slipped a camera on the
wall of the elevator before leaving.

She offered to hold the doors for him to roll the cleaning cart
out with him. He smiled to himself. It was amazing how little she
paid attention to him.

***

Lois approached her apartment building and was surprised to find
a limo sitting outside waiting. The wheels began to turn in her
head and she realized she'd completely forgotten about her
dinner date with Lex. He stepped out of the limo as she
approached, "Lois, darling."

Lois felt her insides cringe for a moment, cursing her luck.
"Lex, hi." She pushed a stray hair behind her ear, "I'm
sorry, I completely forgot about dinner."

"Not a problem," Lex smiled back, guiding her toward the limo,
"I had them hold the reservation..."

The last thing she wanted to do was go to dinner with Lex. "Lex,
I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Very well," His tone was sharp and she turned to look at him.
There was a flash of something in his eyes. She just couldn't
place it. "Tomorrow then?"

Would she feel like spending the evening with Lex tomorrow? No,
she really didn't see this as something she'd work out in her
head in less than twenty-four hours. She hadn't really wanted to
have dinner with him tonight but somehow she'd gotten talked
into...

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

"Lex, I really..."

"Something wrong?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She let out a long breath. What wasn't wrong? "I appreciate you
waiting for me and I'm sorry I forgot about dinner..."

She was flattered by the attention but right now she wanted to
get as far away from him as possible so she could figure things
out. Clark had kissed her...not as a ruse...but really kissed
her...She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she knew
she'd felt something...something big...something *more*...More
than she'd ever felt with Lex...More than she'd ever felt with
Claude...

"But?" Lex prodded. "What's wrong, Lois?"

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

"I...I..." She began shakily, "I can't do this anymore...I
told you this morning...I just need some space...I need to figure
out some ....things..."

Lex's face fell slightly but he recovered quickly, "Space?" He
looked around on the street, "Are you seriously breaking up with
me in front of ..."

Lois sighed, "I know it's not the best place or time, but I
really just...can't deal with this right now..." She backed
away from him.

"Can't deal with what?" He demanded, confused. There was a
flash of something she didn't recognize on his face. A darkness
she'd never seen before. It frightened her.

*<<"From what I've heard, I'd be better off out there with the
cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.">>*

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

She was a bit taken aback by his abrasiveness and took a step
toward her apartment. "I can't deal with ...this...whatever it
is...It just isn't ...I can't do this anymore..." She said
carefully.

He took a step toward her, "No, you are obviously just confused
about something. Let me take you to dinner and we'll..."

Lois pushed him away angrily, "No!" He reached out to grab her
arm and she glared at him, "Let go of my arm..."

*<<"From what I've heard, I'd be better off out there with the
cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.">>*

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

"No, no," Lex looked around at the bystanders on the street and
seemed to regain control of his emotions and he let go of her
arm. She watched him uneasily. She'd never seen this side of him
before. "You said you need space and I'll respect that."

Lois shook her head shakily. Something was seriously wrong. She
knew what she'd seen and it scared her. "No, I don't need any
space anymore...I think we just shouldn't see each other
anymore..." Before he could respond she raced up the stairs.

*<<"From what I've heard, I'd be better off out there with the
cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.">>*

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

Lex slipped back into his limo, "Were you able to set the
cameras up?"

Asabi smiled back from the driver's seat, "Yes, Mr. Fuentes has
them placed in her apartment and at the Daily Planet."

Lex nodded, "Good. I want to review what happened tonight at the
Planet. There is no way she came to this realization about
needing...space...on her own."

Asabi nodded, "Yes, sir."

***

Lois slammed the door to her apartment closed and let out a shaky
breath. She was home. She looked around at the familiar
surroundings and headed for the bedroom to change out of her work
clothes. She turned on the shower and stepped in, closing the
door behind her. The water beat on her back as she leaned back
against the hot water.

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

Lois winced as she felt the tight muscles in her neck begin to
relax against the hot water. What had gotten into Lex tonight?
He'd actually tried to grab her...Would he have tried to force
her to stay with him if they hadn't been in public?

*<<"Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

Suddenly Clark's warning didn't seem that insulting. She
massaged the shampoo into her hair, recalling the little
conversations she'd had with Clark over the past year that
hinted at his feelings for her. She'd suspected, but he'd never
acted on them until now. Her lips were still tingling from that
kiss.

The way he'd kissed her. It reminded her of that kiss she'd
shared with Superman at the airport after he'd been sprayed by
the pheromones...and the kiss she'd given Superman before he
left to stop the Nightfall asteroid. There was a hunger...and
desire behind it that she never suspected existed. The way he'd
kissed her...

*<<"But that would have to mean that I found you...Clark, you
were sprayed. How come you didn't fall for me?"*

"*I guess I'm just not attracted to you, Lois."*

"*Liar! You are so attracted to me.">>*

Why hadn't he been affected by the pheromones? He'd been
sprayed. It would have been the perfect opportunity...She was
grateful he hadn't been affected, but it didn't make sense.
Knowing what she knew now...

*<< "Your problem, Lois, is that you can't admit your true
feelings.">>*

'*What a hypocrite!' *

She thought to herself. He'd been trying to guilt her into
admitting she was attracted to him when he was obviously unable
to admit how he felt.

'*Until now...'*

That kiss. There had been so much intensity behind it...almost
like he was kissing her as if his life depended on it.

*<<"Have you ever lived with anyone...I mean, **full
time**...with the opposite sex?"*

"*No, not **full time**."*

"*Me neither. What do you think it's like?"*

"*Scary at first."*

"*Compromises."*

"*Forced intimacy."*

"*Sharing responsibilities."*

"*Never alone."*

"*Never alone.">>*

Lois shuddered involuntarily recalling the conversation they'd
shared at the Lexor during their undercover assignment. She'd
been desperate to clear the air somewhat after he'd kiss her to
cover up the surveillance equipment when the maid had walked in.
That kiss had surprised her too, but it hadn't nearly been as
intense as the one they'd shared tonight.

*<<"I am just so...sick and tired of the digs and the ...jealous
tantrums I could scream..."*

"*Jealous???" *

"*Are you denying it?" She challenged. When he didn't say
anything she continued, "See? You're not even denying it!"*

*Then he surprised her by leaning in to kiss her, softly at first
then with more intensity. To her surprise, she began to
respond.>>*

Why had she kissed him back? Sure, there was a part of her that
was attracted to him. He was an attractive man. Anyone with a
heartbeat could tell that.

*<<"I said nine. I thought you'd be ...naked...um, ready.">>*

She blushed when she recalled seeing him in nothing but a towel
when she'd picked him up from the Apollo during their first
assignment. That had been a surprise. If she hadn't seen it for
herself she never would have suspected small town, farm boy Clark
Kent was built like...

"Superman," she muttered to herself.

Where had that come from?

*<<"This will work."*

"*That's a relief. Why are you so sure?"*

"*Because it has to."*

"*Power of positive thinking, huh?">>*

Clark was definitely well-defined like him. He even had his
positive attitude. It was a characteristic that annoyed her to no
end with Clark, but with Superman it was endearing.

*<<"I'll be back, Lois. We'll go flying." *

"*I hope so."*

"*Count on it. I've got to go."*

"*Good luck," Then on impulse she'd grabbed him and kissed
him. That kiss had been intense. That was the kiss that had given
her a glimmer of hope that there may be hope for her and
Superman.>>*

Was she seriously comparing Clark to Superman? Aggravated, she
jerked the knob to the water off and grabbed her towel to dry
off.

Tonight had scared her. When Clark had kissed her she didn't
know how to react. She'd been shocked at first then before she
knew what was happening she began to kiss him back. The memory of
his lips on hers sent a shiver down her spine.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her as
she headed toward the bedroom to get ready for bed. She opened
the drawer to where her nightgowns were and grabbed a tank top
and shorts and put them on.

*<<"Oh, I get it. You're jealous."*

"*Jealous? Are you out of your mind?">>*

She recalled the inner voice that told her differently when
she'd seen Clark kiss Toni Taylor as a distraction for her to
get out of there. When she was finally alone she'd admitted to
herself that she was jealous. She hadn't had time to think too
much about that feeling because Lex had shown up.

*<<"Lex, what were you doing at the Metro Club?"*

"*Meeting with the new leader of the Metro gang. She called me.
According to her, we have similar interests in the Riverview
district."*

"*I find that hard to believe."*

"*So, do I. She talks a good line: slum clearance, uplifting the
neighborhood, micromanagement, growth and prosperity."*

"*And you believe her?"*

"*Not for a minute. In fact, I think the whole thing was
designed to get me to slow down my own plans for reviving the
area. She even suggested a partnership of sorts."*

"*And what are you doing here?"*

"*I came to warn you. I think Toni's hiding something."*

"*What?"*

"*I wish I knew. I only know that if I were a smart reporter
looking for answers, I wouldn't bother to look any further for
the source of all the problems in Riverview than Toni Taylor."*

"*Thanks for the tip. I guess I owe you one."*

"*Don't think I won't try to collect.">>*

Her eyes shot wide open for a moment as the wheels in her head
began to turn. Why had Lex told her to only look at Toni Taylor?

*<<"He's a murderer!">>*

Clark's words echoed through her mind and she shook her head.
No, Lex was a lot of things but there was no way he...

'*The boss is linked to the Toasters...'*

"Now, I'm sounding like Clark..." she muttered to herself.
There was no way Lex could have known who Toni was working with.
Obviously he'd just been duped.

'*Or had he?'*

*<<"**Be careful with Lex. You don't know him like I do.">>*

That warning from Clark was so cryptic. She didn't understand
any of this. She knew she cared about him...more than she'd been
willing to admit to herself. It was obvious he cared about her.
If that kiss had proven anything tonight it was just how much he
cared.

*<<"Clark, whether or not that memory of yours comes back, I
just want you to know I think you're terrific."*

"*Likewise."*

"*I mean, I love you....like a brother.">>*

She had been quick to recover. Trying to cover up the feelings
that began to make their way to the forefront of her mind before
she was forced to deal with them...Clark hadn't seemed to
notice...or had he?

*<<"I write as well as you do. I'm vastly more fun at parties,
but you are the star here...Chief's favorite...in on all the
action. Oh, and when you get into trouble look who's hanging
around to come to the rescue? Not only a cute guy...but a GOD in
a CAPE!!!" *

"*But I..."*

"*No, no, no, you asked; I'm answering. You've got something
the rest of us just don't have Lois.">>*

Cat was right. Clark and Superman had been there for her when her
life had been threatened. She'd never thought of Clark as being
the person she'd turn to when her life was in danger but she'd
felt safe with him. After he'd stopped that Mr. Makeup from
choking her he'd been overprotective and trying his best to keep
her safe. He was there when she needed him.

*<<"Lois! You don't sneak up on somebody at a time like
this."*

"*A time like what?"*

"*Somebody just tried to kill you!"*

"*Yes, you!">>*

*<<"Maybe I'd better stay with you tonight."*

"*Nice try, Kent."*

"*Somebody just tried to take a shot at you!">>*

*<<"The only danger to me out there was caused by guess who?"*

"*Someone who saved your life today."*

"*That was earlier."*

"*But I did save it. You admit that.">>*

"*So what you're saying is that you saved my life twice
today?"*

"*Yes."*

"*Do you know the odds against that?">>*

*<<"He tried to kill me..."*

"*I'll find him..."*

"*No...Please don't leave me..."*

"*I won't. I'm here. I'm right here.">>*

Lois shuddered involuntarily recalling just how scared she had
been when Clark had found her that morning. She recalled how her
first reaction that evening after being threatened by Barbara
Trevino was to find Clark. That had surprised her. She wasn't
normally an emotional person. She didn't scare easily. When an
immediate threat was in her life she'd either handle it herself
or ...call Superman. Though recently she found herself turning to
Clark more and more...What did that mean?

*<<"Clark, I don't want you to take this the wrong way,
but..."*

"*What?"*

"*I guess I'd just feel better if I could..."*

"*Stay here tonight?"*

"*Yeah...">>*

*<<"Your problem, Lois, is that you can't admit your true
feelings.">>*

A knock at the door broke her from her reverie. She glanced at
the clock. Who could that be?

She grabbed a robe and reached for the door, "Clark, what are
you doing here?"

***

Clark knew he should just leave it alone. He knew he probably was
just borrowing trouble right now but he just couldn't help
himself. He couldn't just leave things like this. He'd seen
Lois outside her apartment with Luthor. He couldn't help
himself. He had to hear what she had said.

*<<"I can't deal with ...this...whatever it is...It just isn't
...I can't do this anymore...">>*

*<<"No, I don't need any space anymore...I think we just
shouldn't see each other anymore...">>*

Space. She had asked Luthor for space. He smiled to himself. Even
if she pulled away from him after this it would be worth it. She
may never forgive him, but he was willing to take that chance as
long as it guaranteed that Luthor was no longer a fixture in
Lois' life. It seemed Luthor didn't take it well but Lois was
quick to nip it in the bud and tell him to let go of her arm
rather loudly for the bystanders to hear. He'd been ready to
step in if Luthor were to try anything but thankfully he had been
too stunned to do anything.

Now here he was standing outside her apartment door, trying to
get the nerve to knock.

'*Here goes nothing,'* He lifted his hand up to knock on Lois'
door.

He heard her rustling inside the apartment before answering the
door, "Clark, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk..." He said stepping inside as she opened the
door for him to enter.

She was quiet for a moment, "Oh, now you want to talk," she
said softly as she closed the door.

He winced, "I shouldn't have done that."

She crossed her arms over her chest, circling him, "Then, why
did you?"

He twisted his mouth slightly, unsure of how to answer, "I think
you know the answer to that," he said catching her gaze.

Lois caught his gaze and turned away, "What did you want to talk
about?"

How in the world did he even begin to tell her what he wanted to
tell her?

'*Hey Lois you know that guy you've been obsessed with for the
last year? That's me. The guy you can't even give the time of
day to,'*

'*Yeah right,'* He thought to himself.

Baby steps...

She was doing everything she could do avoid his gaze. He knew
she'd been just as affected by their kiss as he had. Maybe there
was a chance? She was in love with his alter-ego. It had torn him
up for almost a year...watching her ignore him while swooning
over Superman. If he did this there was no going back. He would
never know if she would ever have just loved him...Clark Kent.

*<<"What do you mean, 'he?' Clark, you speak as if Superman
were someone else. You are Superman, Clark."*

"*I guess I feel like I'm losing myself to the man in the red,
yellow and blue suit."*

"*It's the man beneath the suit that we care about.">>*

*<<"Clark, it's obvious you love her. Even if you're not ready
to act on it yet...for whatever reason your father and I don't
understand..."*

"*Because she doesn't..." *

"*You are putting her at risk every moment you don't tell her
what you know. If even a fraction of what you have told us about
this man is true...Do you seriously want to leave Lois with this
man?">>*

"I wanted to talk to you about...us," he said softly taking a
step toward her.

"Us?" Lois shook her head. "Look, just because I was too
shocked to react earlier doesn't mean ..."

"You didn't seem in shock to me," he smirked.

Lois glared at him. "You took me by surprise."

He took another step toward her, "You kissed me back."

"I was...curious..." She said hurriedly, not looking up at
him.

"Curious?" He echoed. "About what?"

"Clark, don't..." She said softly. He could tell she was
scared. Not of him, perse but the situation. Over the past year
he'd learned that no matter how fearless Lois Lane was in her
professional life...when it came to her personal life she was
terrified of a relationship...of getting her heart broken.
"...don't make me say it."

He had to take this slow. The last thing he wanted to do was
scare her off. Right now she seemed like she was teetering on the
edge. "Okay," he said softly. "I want you to have dinner with
me."

Lois glanced at him with an amused expression, "It's a bit late
for dinner don't you think?"

"No, I mean, yes, it's late for dinner tonight, but..." He ran
a hand through his hair, unsure of how to continue. "I want you
to go out with me."

Lois let out a sharp breath, "You're asking me out?" She
sighed, seeming to mull it over. He lowered his head for a
moment, unsure of what her reaction was going to be. She seemed
to sense his nervousness and placed a hand on his cheek, "Like a
date?"

"Yes," He whispered, meeting her gaze. She was nervous. He
could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

"Clark, this is..."

He cut her off, pushing ever so slightly, "Lois, I know what
you're going to say. You probably have a list a mile long about
why not to, but just hear me out...I'm crazy about you. If this
evening proved anything...I think maybe you feel the same way."
She didn't say anything. He moved to cup her cheek. "I'm not
Claude and I'm not Paul. I would never betray you like that. All
I'm asking for is a chance."

"Clark, we work together...everyday...We're *partners*! What if
it doesn't work out and..." Her voice grew shaky.

His thumb moved to trace her jaw line and he felt her defenses
coming down, "What if it does?"

"Just dinner?" She asked.

"Just dinner," he repeated.

"And if it doesn't work out?" She prompted.

"We'll always be friends," he promised.

Her defenses seemed to have fallen completely as she mulled it
over, "I don't think I could handle us not being friends..."

"I couldn't either, Lois, you mean too much to me," He wanted
so badly to kiss her again but he was afraid of pushing too much.
"I ..."

She cut him off as she leaned up to kiss him and whispered,
"Okay," as she slowly broke off the kiss.

He let out a sigh of relief, smiling broadly at her. He rested
his head against hers. "Tomorrow night?"

She nodded, "That's fine."

***

Lex stared at the security system hidden in his office angrily.
He hit the rewind button and hit play again, watching the scene
unfold once more. One moment Lois was jabbing Kent in the chest
and appeared to be yelling at him and the next moment he leaned
in and kissed her. Not, a soft peck...No...

Lex threw the remote angrily. "How dare he? He had the nerve
to..."

After learning of Lois' past he'd gone out of his way to take
things slow with her physically...show her he could be a
gentleman. It appeared Kent thought he had a right to...

"No wonder she was so traumatized," he mused as a calm began to
fall over him as he watched Lois push away from Kent and run out
of the conference room. It appeared she didn't appreciate the
gesture. Kent seemed to be shocked when she left. Lex smiled to
himself. There was no way Lois Lane would ever seriously
entertain the idea of anything serious or romantic with that
hack. He was beneath her. It appeared to have shaken her quite a
bit. She said she needed space but right now he wasn't willing
to give her too much space.

***

Lois sighed, leaning against the door frame of her apartment,
closing the door after Clark. She glanced at the clock and
sighed. It was times like this she wished Lucy was still living
in Metropolis with her. She missed being able to talk to her
about anything at any time of night. It was ten o'clock in
Metropolis which meant it was only seven in California. Maybe she
could catch Lucy before she got too far into study mode.

She reached for the phone and dialed her sister's number,
listening as the phone began to ring, playing a techno tune in
the background. She would never understand her sister's
fascination with those ringback tones. It was just annoying.
Maybe someone doesn't like the song? Ever think of that?

"Hello?" Lucy answered the phone.

"Lucy, you're up!" Lois sighed in relief when her sister
answered the phone.

"Yes, that's why I answered the phone, Lois," Lucy teased.
"What's up?"

"So, how's California?" Lois asked, not wanting to get into
what she was calling about just yet. It had been awhile since
they'd been able to catch up.

"It's good. I've been trying to work odd end jobs..." Lucy
began.

"I thought you were working with dad?" Lois asked.

Lucy sighed, "Lois, I don't know why I thought this was going
to be worth it. After that fiasco with Menken I thought maybe
daddy had changed...He seemed willing to try...Now, it's nothing
but work...again."

"I'm sorry, Luce," Lois said softly. Images of the fights
she'd had with her dad over the years came rushing back. She
hated the fact that her sister had to figure out the hard way
just how much Dr. Sam Lane didn't prioritize his family over his
work, but maybe Lucy would move back...She missed her. She
worried about her taking a semester off from school to work on
her relationship with their dad.

"Its fine," Lucy sighed. "I met a few friends and I'm just
going to make the most of this time off. I may come back to
Metropolis in a few months..."

"Really?" Lois asked happily.

"Don't sound so excited, sis," Lucy laughed. "You miss me?"

"You know I do, Luce, it's just not the same without you
here."

"I miss you too, sis," Lucy said with a sigh, "So, how are
things? Planet still keeping you busy?"

"Yeah," Lois nodded. "It's been a crazy few months."

"You still seeing Lex Luthor?" Lucy teased.

Lois sighed, "Well..."

"Ah," Lucy nodded. "What happened?"

"I'm taking a bit of a ...break from Lex." Lois said slowly.

"Thank God!" Lucy said in relief.

"Lucy!" Lois laughed. "You were the one that was pushing me to
date him."

"That was when you didn't have any other suitors." Lucy
corrected "I was trying to make sure you didn't end up an old
maid...but Lex just didn't seem to fit with you very
well...Plus, didn't you think it odd that he never asked about
your family or cared to..."

"Lex, is a busy man..." Lois began to argue.

"Lois, he was dating you...pursuing you...I never met the guy
once when I was in Metropolis. You were going out for almost a
year and you still didn't know much about the guy. Don't you
find that a bit odd?"

"Well, I..."

"I mean, I know more about Clark than I do about Lex..." Lucy
continued. "Anyway, you can do better. You've got
prospects..."

"What prospects do you think I have?" Lois asked dryly.

"Uh, what about Clark? He's pretty cute. I think he likes
you..."

"Lucy..." Lois could feel the blush creeping on her cheeks.

"Come on, Lois..." Lucy said. "It's been three years since
Claude..."

"I know, that's actually what I wanted..."

"Have you *seen* the way he looks at you? I mean, I would kill
to have a guy look at me like that..."

"Like what?" Lois asked.

"Like you're the only person in the room...like...like you're
the only person in the world...like..."

"Okay, I get it!" Lois said, knowing just where her sister's
mind was going. "Clark is who I wanted to talk to you about."

"Really?" Lucy asked intrigued. "Keep talking..."

"He kissed me," Lois said softly.

"Oh, my God! Define kissed you..." Lucy pressed.

"Kissed me...kissed me...like..."

"Kissed you like, 'make your knees weak' kissed you?" Lucy
asked with intrigue.

"More like 'make my toes curl' kiss," Lois corrected with a
shaky breath.

"Wow," Lucy said with a sigh. "So, he kissed you...then what
happened?"

"Before I knew what had happened I kissed him back...then he
broke off the kiss and ...I ran," Lois admitted shyly.

"Of course you did," Lucy sighed, "Lois, you have got to stop
running from real relationships..."

"I know," Lois admitted, "Anyway, I have been mulling it over
for the last hour trying to figure out what to do next then next
thing I know Clark showed up here and..."

Lucy squealed in laughed, "Are you serious? Please tell me you
let him in..."

"Yes, I let him in..." Lois sighed, recalling how terrified
she'd been. Part of her wanted to just slam the door in his
face, but another part...the part that had been curious and
kissed him back...wanted him to stay.

"And?" Lucy prompted in a sing-song voice. "Lois?"

Lois sighed, "And he asked me out..."

"On a date??" Lucy squealed in excitement, "You said yes
right?"

Lois sighed, "Yes, eventually."

"Eventually?' Lucy echoed. "Lois you have a hot guy that is
also your best friend and wants to date you. There is no
eventually."

"No, see, there is an eventually...because I..."

"Three years, Lois," Lucy reminded her. "It's been three
years."

"He hurt me," Lois said softly as a tear rolled down her
cheek.

"He's not Claude," Lucy reminded her.

"I know that," Lois said softly. "It's scary," She sniffed,
wiping her cheek as the tears began to fall slowly.

"I know, but you can't hide forever." Lucy reminded her.
"Besides, do you really want to turn into mom?"

"God, no!" Lois admonished. Their mother had been alone and
miserable since their parents' divorce. She was bitter and angry
and let everyone around her know it.

"So, go on a date with Clark...let him kiss you senseless and
...let him *in*!" Lucy said emphatically. "He may not be
Superman but he is a nice guy and he does care about you."

"So what am I supposed to do with these feelings I still have
for Superman? How can I have feelings for...?"

"I don't think you have feelings for Superman," Lucy argued.

"You don't?" Lois asked.

"No, you have a...celebrity crush...an infatuation...or
whatever...but there's no way you could have real feelings for
him. You don't even know him..."

"I know enough..." Lois sniffed.

"Right?" Lucy asked, "What's his name?"

"Superman," Lois said.

"Not the name you named him, Lois, but his real name. You gave
him the name Superman, remember? You are afraid of being hurt so
you throw yourself into relationships with unattainable men. If
Superman were to walk up to you right now and declare his love
for you you would run for the hills..." Lucy continued.

"That is not..." Lois stopped, realizing a little bit of truth
that was behind Lucy's words.

"Fine. Stay in denial all you want," Lucy continued. "So, what
are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go out with Clark tomorrow night," Lois said
softly.

"And?"

Lois smiled, "And you're going to come back home to Metropolis
because I miss you."

"I miss you too, sis," Lucy admitted. "Maybe I could come in
for a week or two? Make sure you don't talk yourself out of a
healthy relationship..."

"Look who's talking..." Lois admonished.

"At least I'm not afraid to let people in. I may get my heart
broken but I'm not afraid to try," Lucy corrected. "Take a
chance, Lois, please."

"Okay," Lois said softy as a tear ran down her cheek.

***

Clark sighed, resting his head against the soft pillow of his bed
as he willed sleep to come. After Lois had left the Planet he
decided to do his patrol around Metropolis. It had been fairly
quiet. He'd stopped by Jack's to check in on him. After taking
him to visit Denny for a few minutes he'd brought him back and
then headed toward Lois' apartment to talk to her. He'd watched
as Luthor drove away with a smirk. It felt good to know that him
kissing Lois had affected her so much. He never wanted to push
her for more than friendship until she was ready but with Luthor
in her life he'd been afraid of what could happen. He could live
with her loving only Superman if it meant keeping Lex Luthor away
from Lois.

Tonight, he'd been ready to tell her everything then when he'd
seen the look in her eyes...fear...he'd chickened out. He
didn't want to push things with her. He had made his decision he
would tell her...but not when she was still so emotional. He'd
take her to dinner then afterward he would tell her he was
Superman...then he'd beg for forgiveness and tell her everything
about Luthor. He couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face.
She'd kissed him back....and she'd agreed to go out with him.
That had to mean something. Could she possibly...

He cringed inwardly as he imagined the worst case scenarios of
what would happen when he told her everything. Would she hate
him? Would she be able to forgive him for lying to her for almost
a year? Everything was finally falling into place but...

'*You can't have a relationship with her without telling her,'
h*e reminded himself.

Part of him had been tempted not to tell her yet...to wait. She
was no longer seeing Luthor so what was the harm? Of course,
another part of him...the part that sounded a lot like his mom
told him otherwise.

*<<"All my life you guys have told me never to tell anyone..."
*

"*Lois is different." *

"*She's family.">>*

Family. That was what his mom had called Lois. He prayed one day
she would be...if she didn't pull away from him after he told
her the truth...

*<<"Clark, we work together...everyday...We're partners! What
if it doesn't work out and..." *

"*What if it does?"*

"*Just dinner?" *

"*Just dinner," *

"*And if it doesn't work out?" *

"*We'll always be friends.">>*

He silently prayed he would be able to keep that promise as he
drifted into a fitful sleep.

***

The next day Perry had decided to go over budget cuts that were
being made at the Planet. After the fiasco with Carpenter the
Planet was still recovering. Perry had moved everything they'd
had on 'the boss' to the smaller conference room as he went
over the latest orders from Accounting. "No more paid
lunches...special requests for anything over fifty dollars has to
come with manager approval," Perry continued.

Clark sighed, shaking his head. He knew it was only a matter of
time before the Planet bounced back but it was frustrating having
to deal with budget cuts like this. It meant if they paid for
lunch for a source it'd be coming out of their own pocket.

He glanced next to him and smiled when he caught Lois' gaze. She
had come in an hour later than normal this morning. He hadn't
had a chance to talk to her before the meeting. He noticed it
looked like she'd gotten her nails done. He'd also noticed her
casting hidden glances at him during the meeting.

He did his best to avoid being too conspicuous. The last thing he
needed right now was for him to give the Planet gossip hounds
something to run their mouth about. For now at least he wanted to
keep things quiet...let things progress naturally without
everyone sticking their nose in where it didn't belong. He
didn't think Lois would appreciate being the subject of the
Planet gossip either...especially after what happened with
Claude.

He noticed a notepad shoved in his lap from underneath the table
and held in a chuckle when he read it.

*//Stop looking at your lap. You're going to make people start
to talk.// *

He caught her gaze and smirked for a moment then took a pen and
responded.

*//Can't help it. Keep thinking about last night.//*

He watched the slow smile form across her face and watched as she
scribbled something else on the notepad.

*//Me too.//*

He caught her gaze and smiled back. She seemed to be thinking of
something else to write when Perry interrupted their private
conversation, "Lois, Clark, that 'boss' stuff you two were
working on yesterday...How far did you get?"

Lois sighed, "Um, not as far as we'd like..."

"...there's still a lot of ...holes..." he added.

"But we're definitely onto something big..." they both said in
unison.

Perry eyed them critically for a moment then nodded. Did he know?
Clark held in a sigh. Of course he knew. He was Perry White.
Nothing went on in the newsroom without Perry being wise to it.
Perry let out a low drawl, "Uh-huh, well, I want to see what
you've got. If you have enough for print maybe we can get
something in the afternoon edition?"

Lois shook her head, "It's still a bit too sketchy for
print..." Clark nodded his agreement.

Perry nodded, "Okay, well stay on it. I'll see you two after
this meeting."

They nodded their agreement. Perry turned to the chart behind him
and continued. He let out a sigh in relief and then felt the
notepad land on his lap once more. He glanced at Lois who looked
away, trying to give the pretense of paying attention to Perry's
speech.

*//Where are we going for dinner? What do I need to wear?//*

He fought the urge to laugh, opting for a smirk instead and
responded, handing the notepad back to her.

*//It's a surprise. Wear whatever you want. You look gorgeous in
anything.//*

He saw the blush on her cheeks and smiled to himself. She
scribbled something else on the notepad and handed it back to
him.

*//I hate surprises.//*

He sighed, recalling their conversation about magic during their
research on the illusionist, Constance that was kidnapping
children for money.

*//Not this one. Dinner and optional dancing. That's all I'm
telling you.//*

She smirked and looked back at him. He couldn't help but smile.
He could see the wheels turning in her head, "Okay, that's
it," Perry said, clapping his hands. "Let's get to it!" He
turned to Lois and Clark, "You two, meet me in the other
conference room in five with everything you've got on this
'boss.'"

They nodded their agreement and headed for the smaller conference
room where their research had been moved to get ready for their
meeting with Perry.

***

After their meeting with Perry Lois and Clark headed back toward
their desks and found Lois' desk covered in three dozen bouquets
of roses. Clark bit the inside of his lower lip to suppress the
groan and curse he wanted to make. He knew those were not from
him and there was only one other person who would...

She stared at her desk in shock, taking the note from the roses
and shook her head in disgust. "Nice to know he can listen,"
she handed him the note and shook her head in disgust. "I've
got an appointment...Can you get Jimmy to ....do something with
these? I really don't want these here when I get back..."

He nodded, "Yeah, no problem," He watched her grab her things
and head out then turned to read the note she'd handed him.

*//Lois, *

*I know you need space. Please know I'm thinking of you.*

*Lex//*

Clark crumbled up the note in his hand then called Jimmy over,
"Jimmy?"

"What's up CK?" Jimmy asked.

"Lois had to run an errand...Can you do something with these?
Lois said she didn't want them here when she came back..." At
Jimmy's confused look he continued, "Maybe check with hospitals
or nursing homes or even shelters to see if any of them would be
interested in a flower delivery? I'll do the drop off if
needed..."

Jimmy gave him a perplexed look then nodded, "Sure thing CK,"
He headed to his desk to make some calls.

Clark silently willed his anger to subside. Things were different
now. He was not going to let Luthor ruin what had started out to
be a wonderful day. He had too much riding on tonight to let
himself dwell on his anger at Luthor. He headed toward the small
conference room where most of the research they'd done the
previous day was still set up and found Jack staring at the
board. "Hey, how you doing?"

Jack smiled at him, "Still a lot of holes huh?"

Clark nodded, "Yeah, we're still trying to piece it
together."

Jack was quiet a moment then said, "I'm thinking about going to
the police about Luthor."

"What?" Clark asked, surprised.

"I've got to cover my back...Denny's..." Jack began.

"You don't know Luthor like I do," Clark began. He really
didn't want to go to the police until they had more to go on.
Luthor had too many people in his pocket "I really don't think
we should go to the police just yet," Clark said. "You have a
feeling...There isn't anything concrete to pin on him yet."

Jack shook his head, "I lived on the streets for two years
relying on my gut. I'm telling you I know something's up. What
happens if we wait too long and he tries to..."

"Superman isn't going to let anything happen to you, Jack, and
neither am I," Clark reassured him.

"What are you going to do?" Jack asked. "You don't know what
he's gonna do any more than Superman does...It's not like the
guy can watch me 24/7." Jack shook his head. "No, I know people
like him. They get what they want by making moves behind the
scenes...never get caught but have plenty of police and
politicians in their pocket for a rainy day...We gotta bring him
down..."

"I agree," Clark nodded. "I just don't want to make a move
until we have something more to go on than your blindfolded ID,"
Clark shook his head in frustration and crossed his arms over his
chest as he stared down at the table in front of him.

"You think he's the boss don't you?" Jack asked.

Clark didn't say anything. "I don't know. I have my
suspicions..."

"...but nothing concrete..." Jack sighed. "You don't know how
guys like him work. You're never going to have anything
concrete. If you do he'll use threats and intimidation to stop
you. That's how guys like him work."

"Jack, I'm not going to let anything happen to Denny. Just
trust me..." Clark pleaded.

Jack sighed. "Thanks for having Superman take me to see him.
He's a mess right now. After our parents died...for so long I
was all he had."

"I know," Clark said. "Which is why I want to be very very
smart about this. No going to the police until we have enough to
start an investigation."

Jack nodded, "Okay."

A knock at the conference room door caught their attention and
they looked over to see Jimmy carrying a stack of files. "Chief
said to pull all the research on you and Lois' stories over the
last year. Where do you want it?" He struggled under the weight
of the folders, "Hopefully somewhere close?"

"Here," Clark took the stack from Jimmy and placed it on the
table and Jimmy sighed in relief. "Thanks Jimmy."

Jimmy nodded and looked at Clark with a smile. "No sweat, CK.
Coates Orphanage is coming by to pick up the flowers for their
Spring festival within the hour. Should be gone by the time Lois
gets back."

Clark nodded, "Thanks Jimmy I owe you one."

Jimmy wore a broad grin and Jack looked at him with a smirk,
"What's with the face? You swallow a hanger or something?"

Jimmy laughed and shook his head, "No," He looked at Clark
expectantly.

"What?" Clark looked back at him impatiently, unsure of what
Jimmy was staring at him for.

"Oh, just wondering what was up with you and Lois during the
meeting this morning?" Jimmy pressed, taking a seat at the
table.

Clark sighed, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, CK, don't give me that," Jimmy folded his hands
behind his head and wore a grin that would have made the Cheshire
cat envious, "You two were passing notes during the
meeting...and grinning at each other...then finishing each
other's sentences and agreeing...You two never agree on
anything...then Lois is wanting the roses from Luthor gone and
you're helping...What's up?"

Clark gave him his best innocent look and just shrugged. He
didn't dare try to deny anything because he knew what a terrible
liar he was. The excuses he'd come up with for his Superman
rescues were getting lamer and lamer.

Thankfully Jack interjected, pushing Jimmy's feet off the table,
"I think if Clark wanted to tell you ...you'd know," Jack
pushed past Jimmy, "I gotta get back to work."

Jimmy watched Jack leave and smiled with a knowing look, "Come
on, I'm not going to tell anyone. What's going on? Rumor has it
she dumped Luthor last night...now you two are ...*very *cozy
this morning...what gives?"

Hearing a cry for help he leapt to his feet to leave, "I gotta
go..."

"But..."

"See you later," he said, racing out of the conference room. He
headed toward the storage closet with the only window high enough
he could fly out of and headed toward the cries for help that
only he could hear at the moment.

***

After her hair appointment Lois headed to Luthor Towers to
confront Lex about the flowers. He obviously was having a hard
time understanding the word, 'no' but there was no way she was
going to even entertain the idea of anything with him while she
was seeing Clark. After his heartfelt confession and her talk
with Lucy last night she had decided to take a chance and see
where this thing with Clark went. If that kiss was any indication
of what was to come ...

She let out a shaky breath and stepped off the elevator to enter
Lex Luthor's office. In his office she found a tall brunette in
a sharp business suit with a skirt way too short and a blouse way
too low cut. She shook her head in disgust, crossing her arms
over her chest. "May I help you?"

"I need to talk to Lex," Lois said coolly.

"He'll just be a minute," the woman said with a smile.

Los nodded, "I'll wait."

A few uncomfortable minutes passed and Lex entered the office
from another door that was hidden behind the bookcase. Lois
arched an eyebrow uneasily. Why hadn't she ever noticed that
before? Had he ever used that door in front of her before?

"Lois, so good to see you darling," Lex said with a smile,
leaning in to kiss her.

She stepped out of his grasp and turned back to him. "What part
of we shouldn't see each other anymore don't you get?"

"You said you needed space," he corrected.

"Until you tried to 'handle' me then I decided I needed
permanent space," Lois snapped irritably. "Don't send me
flowers. Don't send me gifts. Do not call me. Got it?"

"Lois..." He began.

"I'm serious!" Lois snapped. "You know Clark tried to warn me
for months that I didn't know you...that I..."

"Ah, yes, the accusations from Kent," Lex mused. "He's just
jealous, Lois...of what we have...you can't..."

"Of what we...? Wow...Do you hear yourself? Lex, what we have
is...is *nothing*..." Lois fumed.

Lex ignored the statement and continued, trying to throw on the
charm. "I know you were upset last night after what happened
with you and Kent but that's no reason to..."

"How do you know something happened last night with me and
Clark?" Lois accused. "Are you spying on me!?" His eyes
widened slightly and she let out an inaudible curse, "Stay the
hell away from me," she snapped before leaving.

***

Once he made sure all passengers were safe after he stopped a
train near the Metropolis Transit Railroad that had lost control
when the brakes went out, Clark headed to Smallville to discuss
the latest developments with his parents. Jack was convinced
Luthor would come after him. He was paranoid, but for good
reason. He still hadn't talked to Lois about what Jack had
confided in him. Lois had said she was taking a break from Lex
Luthor for the moment so at least for a little while she was out
of his reach, but he knew she wasn't going to be safe until she
saw Luthor for who he really was. Jack's paranoia about Luthor
got Clark thinking about what would happen if Luthor were to come
after him. He needed to make sure his parents were protected. He
needed to warn them.

Clark flew up to the familiar barn and saw his dad was on the
ladder, painting. He floated up behind him and placed a hand on
his dad's back as he said, "Hey, dad, need some help?"

"Clark!" Jonathan looked a bit shaken, looking back at his son
who still donned the superhero uniform, "Warn me next time you
sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, dad," Clark said sheepishly before changing into a pair
of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbing another bucket of paint and
opening it. He dipped a spare brush in the paint and floated up
next to his dad to help.

Jonathan eyed him with a knowing look, "Something you want to
talk about, son?"

Clark sighed, "I'm a bit nervous about tonight," He couldn't
help but smile.

"Tonight?"

"I'm taking Lois to dinner tonight," Clark said with a grin.
He couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face.

Jonathan sighed, "Dinner? So have you two talked?"

"Sort of," Clark admitted sheepishly.

"Clark..." Jonathan began with a look of disapproval.

"I was going to tell her everything last night...I had it
planned out in my mind and then..."

"What do you mean you *were* going to tell her last night?"
Jonathan pressed.

"I don't know what happened. I just...kissed her." His
father's eyebrows rose and Clark nodded sheepishly, "I think I
scared her."

"Right into Lex Luthor's arms?" Jonathan shook his head in
disgust.

"No," Clark shook his head. "I overheard her tell him she
didn't want to see him anymore after..."

"Overheard her?" Jonathan looked at him with disapproval.

"I know, I shouldn't have been listening in but I couldn't
help it," Clark admitted sheepishly. "Anyway I went and talked
to her afterward..."

"But you still haven't told her?"

Clark shook his head, "No, I asked her out on a date and she
said yes. Well actually she kissed me and then said yes,
but..."

Jonathan wore an amused look as Clark fumbled to find his words.
He was nervous. He knew his dad could tell. "So she kissed you
huh?"

"Yeah," Clark smiled broadly, recalling the kiss in Lois'
apartment.

"Who kissed who?" Martha asked, walking up to them with a tray
of lemonade. Clark smiled broadly and Martha seemed to be able to
tell from Clark's expression who had been kissed. "Did you
finally tell her?"

Clark shook his head, "Not yet."

"Clark," Martha gave him that motherly tone.

Jonathan interrupted, patting Clark on the back, "Now, Martha,
he knows what he's got to do. He's going to tell her
tonight...on his date...with Lois."

Martha smiled conspiratorially, "Oh, really?"

Clark smiled shyly, "Yes, really. I'm going to tell her
tonight...but that's not the reason I came out here."

"Oh, I thought it was to help paint the barn," Jonathan teased,
flicking him with his paint brush.

Clark laughed, "I wish. No, it's about Luthor..."

***

Lois sighed, swaying in the ivory green dress she'd purchased
that afternoon as she examined herself in the mirror. Clark had
told her to wear something comfortable. She wasn't sure what
that meant. It was a date so she figured she needed to dress up
somewhat. She examined the dress critically in the mirror. It was
a sleeveless ivory green dress with lace detail on the bodice. It
came down to her ankles. She had curled her hair and she had to
admit she looked great.

She let out a quiet breath. This had to work. She couldn't think
about what would happen if it didn't. A light knock at the door
announced Clark's arrival. She smiled glancing at the clock,
"Seven o'clock on the dot."

She opened the door and found Clark standing in front of her in a
charcoal suit with a solid black tie. She smiled, eying him up
and down. It wasn't often that he wore solid ties. Normally he
wore crazy outlandish ties to the office. She'd only seen him
like this a handful of times. She had to admit, he looked
incredible in his charcoal suit.

*'Or in a towel...' *

Her mind reminded her of the memory of him standing in front of
her in a towel during their first assignment together. That
memory had fueled so many fantasies. Now, with him in front of
her like this, knowing tonight could lead to her fulfilling those
fantasies...it made her shudder involuntarily.

"Hi," she managed to squeak out nervously.

"Hi," he smiled at her, glancing up and down her once before
meeting her eyes with a smile, "You look beautiful."

She smiled. Another thing that separated Clark Kent from anyone
else... He never leered at her. Not once had she noticed him
leering at her body but rather catching her gaze and seeing her
for who she was. "You look pretty handsome yourself," she said,
grabbing her purse and the green shawl that matched her dress
before turning to leave, making sure to lock the door before they
left.

***

Lois watched Clark through her eyelashes as she took a sip of her
wine, savoring the taste that molded on her tongue with the
flavors of the wine and the divine pasta. How he had gotten them
into* Foquet*, one of the most exclusive restaurants in
Metropolis in such short notice she'd never know. He seemed to
be as nervous as she was. This was new territory. They already
knew so much about one another but now...this was different.

This was so different from her dates with Lex. It had been a
feeling of awe in a world she never really felt like she belonged
in. Opening up to him wasn't something that ever happened on
their 'dates.' But with Clark... He was still the only person
she'd told about Claude even though the man made sure every man
knew what a bad lay she was before he'd taken an assignment in
Washington. She did her best to push thoughts about him out of
her mind as she focused on Clark.

Somehow they'd gotten onto the subject of college. He'd told
her about some of the travels he'd done after graduating and she
shared some of what she'd grown up with in the Lane household.
Things she'd never shared with anyone but her sister. There was
something about Clark that made her want to divulge every thought
and fear without thinking twice about it.

"...anyway, my senior year in high school I had a huge fight
with my dad and I moved out," Lois said quietly. She'd never
told anyone but Lucy about her sordid past with her parents.
Clark knew some parts, but never...

"You never told me that," Clark took her hand from across the
table gently.

"In vino veritas," she whispered softly, opting to blame her
openness on the wine. She caught his gaze as she took another sip
of her wine, setting the glass down. "Anyway, he was always
disappointed he never had any sons," she sighed, trying to push
that memory out of her mind. She didn't want to think about her
family right now. What she wanted to do was have a bite of that
chocolate molten cake that was sitting in front of Clark with
only two bites taken out of it.

"And you went out and became a world famous reporter to prove
him wrong?" Clark asked, intertwining his fingers with hers from
across the table.

"Maybe," She admitted shyly. She glanced at the cake once more,
"Are you going to finish that?"

Clark didn't seem to notice the question, focused instead on
finishing the conversation, "So, why don't you quit? Now you
can do what you want?"

Lois smiled broadly, thinking for a moment, "Maybe I found out I
like it," she wiggled her eyebrows at him, brushing her thumb
against his wrist, "Did they give you an extra fork with
that?"

Clark blushed, realizing he'd forgotten about the dessert. He
took the fork and put a piece of cake on it, offering it to her.
"Sorry, here."

She opened her mouth for him to feed it to her. As the chocolate
hit her taste buds she closed her eyes, savoring the taste as she
felt the muscles in Clark's hand flinch slightly. She smiled as
she realized what she was doing to him...what she was doing to
herself. She slowly opened her eyes and laughed, "I hate
myself."

He held up the fork with another bite, "Ready for another
round?"

"No, I think I need a moment to recover," Lois said softly. She
turned to him with a smile, "So what about you?"

"I'm fine," he pushed the plate toward her. "It's all
yours."

Lois laughed, realizing he wasn't understanding what she was
referring to. "No, I mean you and your parents. Did you ever
have any big fights with them?"

Clark was quiet a moment, "Little ones mostly. There was one
thing ...big..." He trailed off for a moment, "but I guess you
could say I was your basic goody two shoes."

Lois smiled, "The perfect son."

Clark smiled teasingly, "Now, it's not easy being perfect."

Lois laughed, holding his hand, "It never is," She remembered
the teasing fight they'd had when they'd argued about the
invisible man and he'd told her it must be so hard to be right
all the time.

He smiled at her, seeming to recall the same thing, "You know if
you think about it, the only time people are really honestly
expressing themselves is when they're passionate...the polite
veneer of society drops away...like when they're fighting..."

"...or make love," Lois nodded, fingering this hand once more.
She slowly met his gaze and saw the heat of desire in his eyes
she knew was reflected in her own. Was she seriously thinking
of...?

*'Oh, God...'*

He cleared his throat and smiled nervously, "Uh, you feel like
dancing?" He pointed to the large room where the band that had
been providing the background music for the evening was playing.
There were a few couples that had taken advantage of the space
and begun to dance to the music.

"Sure," she smiled, happy he hadn't taken her slip of the
tongue as an invitation. She didn't know what she was so afraid
of. He had told her when they first met he wasn't like other
men. She allowed him to lead her to the dance floor and enjoyed
the feeling of his arms on her waist as she rested her hands on
his shoulders as they began to sway to the music.

*You're the light, you're the night

You're the color of my blood

You're the cure, you're the pain

You're the only thing I wanna touch

Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

You're the fear, I don't care

Cause I've never been so high

Follow me to the dark

Let me take you past our satellites

You can see the world you brought to life, to life

*

She could smell his cologne as she rested her head against his
chest, inhaling his scent. How had this happened? How had she not
seen the signs for so long? She had fallen for her partner, her
best friend. It was obvious he cared about her...maybe even loved
her. Was it enough?

*So love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

Fading in, fading out

On the edge of paradise

Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find

Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire

Yeah, I'll let you set the pace

Cause I'm not thinking straight

My head spinning around I can't see clear no more

What are you waiting for? *

Clark sighed, holding Lois close as the chords to the song
played. He couldn't help but smile at the perfect timing of this
song. It had taken him aback when Lois had mentioned making love
during their conversation. The intimacy of the evening had grown
easily and the sexual tension was thick. He needed to tell her,
even if it made her hate him. He knew that. He just prayed she'd
be able to forgive him.

*Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (yeah)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for? (ahhh)

*

Lois sighed, looking up at Clark as they danced together. How had
she not realized what a good dancer he was before? She noticed a
stray curl of his hair that had fallen on his face and reached up
to brush it out of his face. She smiled when she noticed the
nervous expression on his face. It somehow made her feel better
to know he wasn't as confident as he appeared to be. He was just
as nervous as she was. Giving her heart to him wouldn't be the
end of the world, would it? Taking a chance...

*I'll let you set the pace

Cause I'm not thinking straight

My head spinning around I can't see clear no more

What are you waiting for?

*

He could feel himself trembling when she brushed her hand against
his forehead, pushing the stray hair out of his face. He had to
smile at that. It was a gesture he'd done to her countless times
but never had she done that to him...not even as Superman.

*Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (yeah)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for? (ahhh)

*

This would work. It had to. Clark was her best friend. He knew
her better than anyone and he understood her better than anyone.
He was...real...attainable. Unlike Superman who she had convinced
herself, in the beginning, he was in love with her...After her
talk with Lucy, she seemed to have faced some hard truths with
that notion. He was unattainable. Safe. Unlike Clark who was
right here, ready to give himself to her completely. Superman was
a dream...a fantasy. Clark was real.

She glanced up at him through her eyelashes and noticed he seemed
to be holding her as if it was the last time he was going to
touch her. Trying to reassure him, she reached up and brushed her
lips against his lips.

*Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (ohh, ahh)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do (ahh)

What are you waiting for? (ahh)*

Clark groaned inwardly when he heard the soft moan coming from
Lois as he deepened the kiss between them. He kissed her like his
life depended on it, cupping her cheek as she slipped her tongue
inside his mouth, teasing him with the soft taste of chocolate
from earlier.

Remembering they were still in public he slowly broke off the
kiss, tracing the outline of her jaw with his thumb and rested
his head against hers. "You know this isn't really dancing,"
he whispered.

"It's not?" She smiled.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered. She smiled back,
walking with him back to their table as he pulled out his wallet
to pay the check and they headed out.

***

Lois sighed against the soft cushion of Clark's couch. She
watched him curiously as he brought a cup of coffee in from the
kitchen. He'd suggested getting some coffee after dinner. She'd
expected to stop at a coffee shop, not to go back to his place,
but she didn't question it. He seemed really nervous.

He handed her a cup of coffee. She smiled when she noticed he'd
already sweetened it to her liking and took a sip, "Perfect."
He smiled and took a seat across from her, on the edge of the
coffee table, "So..." She began nervously. He looked really
good. It would be so easy to lose herself in his eyes...in his
arms...

"So," he began nervously, "Lois, do you remember when you
asked me about any big fights with my parents..."

She nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, there was something we fought about that was pretty
big...it has something to do with what my...biggest secret is."

Lois smiled, recalling how she'd demanded to know his deepest
darkest secret when she'd been stashing Eugene Latterman at her
apartment. "You mean your big secret you never told me?"

Clark nodded. "What I'm about to tell you...you have to
understand, I've never told anyone. I was taught not to share
this with anyone for so long...I guess it just became second
nature not to ever..." He shook his head nervously.

Lois placed a hand on his cheek, "Clark, whatever it is can't
be that bad...."

He sighed in relief for a moment and continued, "I'm sorry.
This is just really hard...I need to tell you this...I'm crazy
about you, but before this goes any further I have to tell you
this. I don't want to screw this up."

Lois smiled, cupping his cheek, "You're not screwing anything
up."

Clark sighed nervously. He seemed to contemplate something for a
moment then stood up and headed toward the stereo to turn it on,
"Do you remember when we first started working together and you
suggested I bring an extra suit to work?" He asked as he
searched for the right album.

Lois nodded, "Yeah, you got filthy from that explosion..."

Clark hung his head as he found the album he was looking for. He
opened the disk player and placed the cd in and pressed play,
"Well when you said that it kind of planted a seed. I told you I
was adopted?" Lois nodded and he continued, "I never told you
how I was adopted..." He pressed play and the soft chords of
Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon' began to fill the air.

Lois smiled, "I love this song."

"I know," he said, extending his hand to hers, "Dance with
me?"

She nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her to him. "So, you
said we weren't really dancing earlier..." She reminded him.

*Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like on

A-Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby, kiss me*

"I'm getting to that," he whispered, "I was found in
Shuster's field. My parents found me there after what looked
like a meteor landed there."

"Oh, Clark," Lois reached up to stroke his cheek and he closed
his eyes, seeming to savor the feel of her hand against him.

*Fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, I love you*

He continued, refusing to stop, "I didn't know where I came
from and neither did my parents. They'd thought maybe a Russian
experiment or something but didn't know ... I grew up normal,
but felt like something was off. I didn't find out I was adopted
until I was older...they were forced to tell me..."

Lois looked at him quizzically, "Forced to tell you?"

*Fill my heart with song

Let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for, all I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words

In other words

I love you

*

Clark nodded, "I didn't get sick as a kid. As I got older I
found I couldn't get hurt..." Lois' face tensed up as she
began to realize what he was saying, "I found out I could see
things others couldn't see, hear things others couldn't, and
eventually...I discovered I could..."

"...fly..." Lois gasped out in realization as he floated them
above the ground, keeping a firm grasp on her waist.

***

Clark stared at Lois for what felt like an eternity. He'd just
given Lois everything she needed to destroy him. Even though he
didn't think she would do something like that old fears from his
childhood still haunted him...

Finally, Lois spoke, "So, you're ...Superman..." Lois began
slowly. She glanced down at the floor and noticed they were still
floating a few inches off the floor.

He nodded, "Like I said that wasn't really dancing...this is."
He smiled at her.

"Oh, God..." She let out a shaky breath, looking down at the
floor and tightened her grip around his waist.

"I've got you," he reassured her.

She hung her head, uncertain of how to form the questions that
were probably forming in her mind. "Wha....Why are you ... I
mean...?"

Clark noticed the shakiness in her voice and cupped her cheek.
"I know it's hard to wrap your head around..." He sighed,
"It's a lot."

"Cl...I mean, what do I even call you?" She asked nervously.

"Same thing you've always called me...when I'm in the suit,
'Superman' and when I'm not, 'Clark,'" He smiled at her.
"It's just a costume. Superman...it's just a disguise I wear
so I can help people." He sighed, "I know you probably need
time to digest this. I just hope you'll understand why I did
what I did...You're being really quiet right now."

"I think I'm still in shock," she said softly.

Clark nodded, "I understand..."

"So, that's why you're always running off..." She mused.

He nodded, "Yes," he smirked, "I'm not very good at the whole
coming up with excuses to leave thing. I hate lying. Never was
any good at it."

"And why you had Superman's globe," she nodded in realization.
"I thought it was odd that you'd steal something like that."

He hung his head, "I wasn't sure how to tell
you...everything...then."

"So, why now?" Lois asked.

He sighed, "There are things I need to tell you...that you
wouldn't understand unless you knew everything. It was actually
mom's idea to tell you..."

Lois sighed, "Your mom? Right, Martha..." He nodded and she let
out a shallow breath, "What you have to tell me...I'm guessing
it is big if Martha wanted you to tell me...from what you said
they didn't want you telling anyone...Is that why you kissed me
yesterday?" She asked as she began to fall into babble mode.

He smiled at her, "No," He cupped her cheek, outlining her jaw
with his thumb. "I kissed you because I wanted to ..."

She seemed to relax slightly in his arms, "So obviously we have
a lot to talk about..."

"Yes," he nodded, resting his head against her forehead, "I'm
sorry."

"I'm trying to wrap my head around this...every conversation
I've had about you...with you..." he smiled at her and she
glared at him, "It's not funny."

"I didn't say anything," He said.

"You smirked," she challenged, linking her arms around his
neck, "So, where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," he said softly. "How mad are you?"

She seemed to think about it for a moment, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" He asked in confusion.

"No, I don't," she sighed. "I guess a part of me is hurt you
didn't tell me before but at the same time I can't really
pinpoint when you'd have been able to tell me...I mean, I
understand the why...and your reasoning behind it. I guess I'm
still mulling it over. Everything I thought was one way is..."

"...different," he nodded. "I know," She reached up and took
his glasses off, folding them in her palm. "What?" He asked.
She reached up and mussed with his hair for a moment, "Just
trying to see what I missed...for a year."

"Well, I was trying to hide..." He said softly.

"So was I..." She said softly. She felt the tears in the corner
of her eyes. She didn't want to cry. Not now. He seemed to sense
her withdrawal and floated them back to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you. I
just..."

"I get it..." She smiled through her tears, "It's just a
lot..."

He nodded, "Do you...feel up for a flight?"

She smiled, "Why not?"

He cupped her cheek for a moment then stepped back, spinning into
the Superman suit before her eyes. She blinked in surprise,
stunned to see him change in front of her before her eyes. He
scooped her up in his arms and whispered, "There's something I
want to show you."

***

Lois gasped in surprise as they drifted above the clouds. She
looked around, shivering at the sudden cold air that surrounded
them. Clark wrapped his cape around her, making sure to cover her
shoulders, "Better?"

She nodded, "It's beautiful up here."

He nodded, looking around, "I used to come here and just sort of
drift...not really part of the stars...not knowing where I fit
in..."

Lois looked up at him tenderly, uncertain of what to say. The
emotions on his face spoke volumes. The loneliness she could
relate to. So many nights of pushing everyone around her away ...
afraid to let anyone in. She understood now why Clark was able to
understand her so well. He lived the same way. "Oh, Clark."

"I finally found where I fit in when I came to Metropolis...when
I met you...You gave me a way to fit in ... A way to help
people...without being afraid of being exposed," Clark continued
as they floated across the moon.

She sensed his apprehension at his last statement and stroked his
cheek, "Clark, I won't tell anyone. I promise. This...is a lot
and I do have...a lot of questions...mostly trying to figure out
how I didn't figure it out before now...but you can trust me."

"I know that Lois," he sighed, holding her close. "This...is
probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I never doubted I
could trust you."

Lois smiled when she felt him relax against her, "So, where do
we go from here?"

"That's up to you," Clark said, resting his head against
hers.

"Well, I think we've had enough revelations today," Lois
began. "I guess...this...whatever it is ... We take things
slow...get to know one another without the disguises."

He smiled broadly, "I'd like that." He sighed in relief, "I
was afraid you'd never want to talk to me again."

Lois smiled, "I don't think I'd be able to do that. I've
kinda gotten used to having you around. I'm not going to walk
away. I want this to work."

"Good, then I won't have to fly away," he teased with a broad
grin. He sobered slightly, "I want this to work more than
anything I've ever wanted in this world."

Lois intertwined her fingers with his, "Then we're agreed.
We'll take this slow and figure out...us?" Clark nodded and she
leaned up to kiss him. It wasn't a demanding kiss like the one
they'd shared on the dance floor before or the one in the
conference room. Just a soft kiss filled with the promise of what
was to come.

***

Lois smiled wistfully as they walked back to her apartment. Clark
had changed back into his suit and glasses and here they were at
the door to her apartment. She smiled at him, still trying to
wrap her mind around the fact that the man standing in front of
her was the same man that had bore his soul to her in the clouds
a few hours ago. Things were definitely different.

"Well, uh," Lois began softly. "Thank you for dinner ...and
for..." She looked down the hall to make sure no one was around
and mouthed, "the flight."

He smiled at that remark. "Goodnight, Lois," he whispered and
leaned in to kiss her. It took everything in her not to pull him
in for a deeper kiss but right now they were taking things
slow...getting to know one another as more than friends.

He slowly broke off the kiss and she turned toward the door,
trying to compose herself. He waited for her to pull out her key
and unlock her door. "Goodnight, Clark," she said softly before
leaning in to kiss him once more this time allowing herself to
pull him in for a deeper kiss, tugging him close to her by his
tie. She sighed inwardly as she felt his hands cup both sides of
her face, fingering her hair as he traced her lips with his
tongue. She could feel him responding to her and smiled against
his lips. She could easily lose herself in his arms tonight. She
suspected he knew that too, but seemed to be holding back.

He slowly broke off the kiss, taking a step back. It was clear he
was just as affected by the kiss as she was. She'd never thought
of Superman becoming breathless yet here he was standing in front
of her trying to catch his breath. "I better..." He motioned
toward the hallway and she nodded taking a step into the
apartment.

She slowly closed the door, watching as he turned to leave
through the crack in the door. She began to slowly lock the
several different locks on her door and sighed, leaning against
the door frame. "Wow..."

***

The next morning Lois sighed happily as she began to get ready
for work. The stress of the last few days seemed to subside and
she couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face. Clark was
Superman. Superman was Clark. Clark said he was 'crazy' about
her. She had suspected he'd had a crush on her for some time but
dismissed the idea after the whole pheromone fiasco when he
wasn't affected...or was he? She recalled the kiss at the
airport with 'Superman' and smiled. She suspected he'd faked
being under the influence of pheromones to kiss her. That was
something she'd have to ask him about...

She'd been a bit shell shocked last night after his revelation
but now the more she thought about it the happier she became.
There were still a lot of unanswered questions. Why he hated Lex
so much? What was the 'big' thing he eluded to last night
Martha wanted him to tell her? How had he gotten a paper cut?

She sighed. It was something that excited her, knowing she'd
finally be able to ask 'Superman' every question she'd ever
thought of. It all slowly began to make sense now. The way Clark
seemed to be able to crack codes when they were breaking in
somewhere or get lucky guessing passwords.

She was looking forward to finally getting the answers she'd
always wanted and maybe even repeat last night's kiss. She'd
been so tempted to pull him into her apartment when she'd kissed
him good night, but he'd pulled away before she could act on it.
He seemed intent on taking things slow with her. It was
refreshing. She wasn't that experienced when it came to
relationships. Paul had left her for Linda when she wouldn't
give up the 'goods' and when she'd thought she was 'in love'
with Claude it had only been that one time. She'd thought she
was in love and then she woke up to have her heart broken and
realize she'd given her virginity to the wrong man. It hadn't
even been that enjoyable. Claude had grown impatient with her and
just focused on his needs. She ended up just pretending for his
ego. She thought he hadn't noticed but...She shuddered,
recalling the names that had been used when he told everyone what
had happened.

*'Frigid'

'Ice Queen'

'Ice Maiden'*

"Clark's different," she reminded herself. He'd never do
that. He'd been the one to stop. He'd been the one to...

*<<"So, you're ...Superman..."

"Like I said that wasn't really dancing...this is."

"Oh, God..."

"I've got you.">>*

Lois sighed, recalling the dance they'd shared at his apartment.
It had been surreal to have him dance with her in the air. It was
one of the many things she'd wondered about...Does Superman
dance? Does he sleep in a bed or in the air? Does he need sleep?

She finished getting ready and grabbed her purse to head out the
door when the phone rang, backtracking she turned to grab the
phone. "Hello?"

"Lois?" her sister's voice echoed on the other end of the
phone.

"Lucy?" Lois looked at the clock. "What are you doing up so
early?"

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd work on packing for my trip
back to Metropolis..." Lucy said in a sing-song voice.

"*Really*?" Lois practically squealed happily.

"Really, I miss you and Metropolis and....dad couldn't care
less if I'm here or not so I figured..."

"Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that!" Lois sighed
happily. "Listen, I've got to get to work, but when does your
flight get in? I'll pick you up..."

"I get in at three on Friday. If that's too early I can get a
cab..." Lucy began.

"No, no, no," Lois argued. "I'll be there."

"Good," Lucy said with a grin, "Then you can tell me all about
your date last night...You never did call last night so I figured
it either went so horrible you can't even talk about it or it
went so well you are still dreaming about it..."

"It was...incredible," Lois said softly, "but I've really got
to go."

"Okay, I'll see you Friday. I'll leave the flight information
on your voicemail."

"Bye, Luce," Lois said softly, hanging up the phone. She then
grabbed her keys and headed out the door. As she opened the door
she found a single stemmed rose with a note and a small bag
outside her door. She glanced at the time. She was running late
but curiosity got the better of her and she opened the note.

*//Thought you might want something more than coffee this morning
for breakfast. Superman has to give a statement to the transit
authority about the train derailment. I'll be in as soon as I
can.

Thinking of you,

CK//*

Lois smiled, tapping the rose against the pastry bag for a moment
and sniffed the heavenly smell of the pastry inside. With a
smile, she headed into work, still holding the rose he'd given
her with the pastry bag.

***

Once she got to the Planet, Lois parked her jeep in the parking
garage and headed in. She picked up the rose along with her purse
and headed in. Once she entered the lobby of the Planet she
stopped at Joe's coffee bar inside to get a cup of much-needed
coffee.

"Beautiful rose you have there," Joe said handing her her
coffee.

Lois smiled looking at it, "Yes, it is."

"Present from Mr. Luthor?" Joe asked with a wink.

"No," Lois said with a smile, taking her coffee and heading for
the elevator. She was slightly disappointed not to be heading
into work with Clark this morning. They'd gotten into a routine
of riding into work together. Yesterday they hadn't done so
because she needed to get a manicure before her date with Clark.
After a weekend of biting her nails, and kickboxing she needed a
refresher.

A guy she recognized from the mailroom was in the elevator when
she stepped on. "Uh, newsroom," She said when the guy from the
mailroom asked what floor. The doors were just about closed when
a hand slipped between the doors. She smiled to herself
recognizing that hand as her partner's.

The doors opened and she smiled, looking up at him as he stepped
onto the elevator. The guy from the mailroom looked at Clark
asking what floor. Clark just nodded, "Uh, newsroom as well."

The doors closed and Lois sighed happily when Clark stood a few
inches away from her, staring at the doors ahead. "Hi."

"Hi," She said back with a smile, not daring to look at him for
fear that she'd lose all her resolve at the moment. He looked
really *really* good right now in his gray suit and blue dress
shirt. His tie, of course, was a loud yellow with gray and black
designs on it. "How'd it go with your, um, source?"

He seemed to recognize what she was talking about and smiled,
"Fine. I've got enough for a few follow-ups."

"Good," She nodded with a smile, continuing to stare straight
ahead.

"Nice rose," He smirked at her.

She couldn't help but giggle, "Yes, it is. This guy I've been
seeing gave it to me."

"That's nice," he managed to say. She could tell from his
voice he was struggling to keep a straight face. She had to admit
she was having the same problem.

"Yeah, I think you'd like him," she said softly.

"Seems to have put you in a good mood," Clark commented.

"Yes, he has," she winked. "That and I found out Lucy's
moving back..."

"That's great news," he said with a smile, knowing how much
she'd missed her sister.

The elevator dinged and the guy from the mailroom stepped off.
She watched as the doors closed and then she turned toward Clark,
"Thank you for my rose and breakfast."

"You're very welcome," he said, turning to cup her cheek.

She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. She was just about to
pull him in for a kiss when the elevator dinged, and the doors
opened. A group of businessmen stepped on the elevator with them.
She sighed, trying to focus on something else other than what her
partner's lips felt like pressed up against hers. It was so
tempting...

The elevator dinged again and they arrived on the newsroom floor,
Lois did her best to act as professional as she could as they
stepped off the elevator. The last thing she wanted was another
situation where she became the topic of the Planet gossip. As she
approached her desk it was harder and harder to keep up the
resolve when she noticed not one, not two, but four bouquets of
flower arrangements sitting on her desk. She looked back at Clark
but it was obvious from his expression the flowers were not from
him. She picked up the card that was attached to them.

*//Lois,

Please know I'm thinking of you.

Lex//

*

"That ugh..." Lois muttered under her breath.

Clark didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to his desk,
turning his computer on. She grimaced. The man had a lot of
nerve... What part of 'stay away from me' didn't he get?
Seeing the dark cloud that crossed over Clark's face just
now...

No, she needed to nip this right in the bud now. She reached in
the cabinet under her desk and grabbed the small vase from the
bouquet of flowers Clark had given her a few weeks ago, and
headed toward the break room to get some water. Once she had the
water she needed she dropped the rose in and smiled, recalling
their conversation about the rose in the elevator. After making
sure she had enough water in the vase she returned to her desk
only to find a delivery man with another bundle of flowers.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lois muttered under her
breath.

"Are you Lois Lane?" the floral delivery person asked.

"Depends," Lois said placing the vase on her desk, "Who are
these from?"

"Mr. Luthor," the floral delivery person said. "Order is for
four bouquets of roses every hour from seven am to three pm."

Lois laughed, "No." She grabbed the other four arrangements
that were on her desk and handed them to the delivery man along
with Lex's note. "No. I am refusing this delivery. I refuse to
sign. Take them back. Take them all back..."

"But..."

"No!" Lois snapped angrily a bit louder than she anticipated.
She winced when she heard herself and saw the delivery guy jump
slightly. "I'm sorry. This isn't your fault...I don't want
these..."

"The order is paid for already..." The guy argued.

Clark walked up to them hesitantly, "I'm sure some of the local
hospitals would appreciate the flowers..."

"Yes!" Lois turned to pat Clark on the chest, "There have to
be people that don't get visitors or...gifts. This would
definitely brighten someone's day..."

The delivery guy smiled, "Yeah," he turned to leave.

Lois let out a frustrated groan, "I don't believe him!"

Clark sighed, "I guess he still thinks..." He was a quiet a
moment. "Lois, the reason I needed to tell you..." He gave a
flying motion and she nodded, "There have been some..." He got
a faraway look in his eyes and she looked at him curiously.

"Someone need you?" Lois asked uncertainly.

He smiled apologetically, "I'll be right back. Don't go
anywhere," He cupped her cheek for a moment before disappearing
toward the storage closet. She heard the sound of a sonic boom in
the distance and smiled to herself. How had she not put two and
two together for so long?

***

Lex threw a glass against the wall in his study as he watched the
scene play from the elevator over and over, hitting rewind as he
watched Lois Lane lean in to kiss Clark Kent on the cheek.
Competing for her affections with Superman he could handle, but
Kent? He was nothing. A nobody. What could she possibly see in
him? He'd lost himself and let his anger show. Now it seemed
winning her back would prove more difficult than anticipated.

A knock at the door announced Nigel's presence, "Will you be
needing the cleaning service?"

Lex glared at him. "No, I... What have we gotten on Superman so
far?"

Nigel nodded, "I'll get the reports."

"Get me Mazik's as well. Maybe some jewelry will do the
trick," Lex added.

"Yes, sir," Nigel nodded.

***

Clark landed at the Daily Planet, spinning back into his work
clothes. He exited the storage closet and found Lois outside
waiting for him, handing him a box of pencils. He looked at her
curiously. "You needed pencils," she said with a wink.

He nodded. It certainly helped to have her in on the secret to
help him cover for the disappearances he had. "Thanks," he said
softly following her back to the bullpen.

"No problem," she said, grabbing him by the hand. He smiled at
the gesture and gently squeezed her hand in his. "So, you were
saying earlier..."

"Yes," he nodded. "Not here, though," he guided her to the
small conference room where they had everything on 'the boss.'
He closed the door behind them and closed the blinds then lowered
his glasses to scan the room and make sure no one was around.

Lois laughed, "So that's what you're doing when you pull your
glasses down. I always thought you had astigmatism."

He smiled, cupping her cheek, "There's probably gonna be a lot
of those moments."

She linked her arms around his neck, "I hope so." He let out a
shuddered breath as she pressed her small frame against him. The
things she was doing to him...

"So," He began slowly, "as I was saying..." He let out a
shuddered breath as she pressed herself against him again,
"Lo-is..."

"Am I distracting you?" She teased.

"You have no idea..." He whispered.

"I think I might..." She teased pressing her body against him
more tightly.

"Oh, God, Lois..." He let out a moan and captured her lips with
his own.

She sighed happily as he kissed her thoroughly on the mouth,
slipping his tongue inside the warm confines of her mouth,
"Clark..." She sighed happily as he slowly broke off the kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that since this morning," he
whispered.

"Why didn't you?" She asked, intertwining her fingers with his
playfully.

"I didn't know if I was allowed...We're still in the...getting
to know you...phase..." Clark sighed, "Speaking of which..."

"Yes, speaking of which..." she said with a smile, stepping
away from him.

"Okay, so you remember when we started going through all this
..." He gestured to the map of all the crimes associated with
'the boss' and Lois nodded.

Lois sighed in aggravation, "Is this where you're going to tell
me Lex Luthor is 'the boss?' I told you before you've yet to
show one ounce of ..."

"Just hear me out. A lot of what happened occurred between
Luthor and..." He lowered his voice a few decibels,
"Superman."

"I'm listening," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

He pointed to the note on Dr. Antoinette Baines, "We'll have to
start at the beginning..."

***

"This is nothing," Lex fumed angrily. "Absolutely nothing!"

"We know that the man of steel has a soft spot for Ms. Lane but
he hasn't been seen with her as of lately. It seems she's taken
up with her partner..." Nigel laid a few surveillance photos of
Lois and Clark dancing at *Foquet* and having dinner. There were
pictures of them kissing on the dance floor and of them holding
hands across from one another at their table.

"I already know this..." He muttered. "What about Superman?"

"Well, our man followed them back to Mr. Kent's apartment. They
seemed to disappear for some time and then reappear at Ms.
Lane's apartment."

"What do you mean disappear?" Lex asked, confused.

"We're assuming they were just...where he couldn't see
them..." Nigel said slowly, hoping he didn't have to spell it
out.

"No," Lex shook his head in disgust. "She wouldn't dare...Not
on a first date and not with ...*KENT*...Get better
surveillance..."

"We'll have to ..." Nigel began but Lex cut him off.

"Just do it!" Lex snarled. "I know she is the key to bringing
down Superman...."

***

"So, you're saying Lex was funding the sabotage of
Prometheus?" Lois asked in shock.

"Think about it. It makes sense," Clark reasoned. "Remember
when you asked Baines 'why?'"

Lois nodded, "She said it was for..."

"Profit," Clark nodded. "Who stood to make a profit if
Prometheus didn't succeed?"

Lois cringed inwardly, "Lex," She thought about it for a
minute, "Hey! You could have gotten us out of there anytime. Why
did you let me spill my guts about Claude??" She smacked him on
the arm lightly.

Clark laughed, "I actually tried but you weren't listening so I
just let you finish babbling..." At her confused expression, he
continued, "Remember I said, *'Lois, somehow, I've managed
to...'*"

Realization dawned on her face and she sighed. "I still can't
believe how blind I was ..."

"People see what they want to see," he shrugged. "It's what
makes the disguise of Superman work. No one expects the guy with
glasses to be the one lifting space shuttles into space..."

"Or stop asteroids..." She reasoned thoughtfully. "You lost
your memory from...trying to stop Nightfall...not getting hit by
a car...I thought that was odd that you'd wake up with amnesia a
couple of days after that happened..."

"Yeah," He nodded. "You helped me get my memory back...and
stop Nightfall," He leaned in to kiss her.

"And the pheromones?" She asked teasingly as they broke off the
kiss. She placed a few fingers on his shoulder, tracing her way
up behind his neck. She smiled seeing him blush slightly.

"Two days of not being able to do anything when you were under
the influence of those pheromones...I guess I just kinda lost my
willpower..."

She smiled proudly, intrigued by the idea of him losing his
willpower. "Really?" She linked her arms around his neck,
tracing random patterns against the fabric of his jacket.

"Two...days..." He repeated slowly as she ran a hand down his
chest, watching him intently as she did so.

"So, is that the limit to Superman's willpower?" She teased,
"Two...days..." She traced the outline of his tie against the
fabric of his dress shirt and smiled when she heard him take in a
sharp breath. She smiled to herself, realizing the effect she was
having on him.

"It...depends..." He began slowly, letting out a shuddered
breath as she fingered his tie, tracing an imaginary path upward
to the knot he had so perfectly tied.

The thought of loosening his tie flashed through her mind. "On
...what...exactly?" She asked with a smile.

"How long you're torturing...him...for..." He managed as she
fingered the knot to his tie, feeling his resolve melting beneath
her fingertips. His hand moved to cover her hand as she fingered
the silk of the knot at his collar, "I thought we were...taking
things...slow..."

"There are different definitions of ....slow..." She whispered,
pressing her small frame against him.

He smiled, "I wasn't aware."

She bit her lower lip in anticipation as he leaned in to kiss
her. The door to the conference room opened and they both jumped
back from one another, looking like two children that had been
caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Jimmy looked at them
confused for a moment then looked at the map behind them with
notes on them. He looked back at Clark who was readjusting his
tie as she was looking everywhere but at him or Clark. Hopefully,
he didn't suspect anything. Jimmy was the worst about gossip.

"Uh, what are you guys doing in here?" Jimmy began slowly.

"Uh, we were just going over..." Lois began. Her mind didn't
want to cooperate with her at the moment.

"...some notes on the older stories linked with 'the boss,'"
Clark finished for her. He was still readjusting his tie
slightly. She couldn't help but smile knowing how affected he'd
been by their teasing.

"Really?" Jimmy asked skeptically. Lois sighed. Was he buying
it? Could he tell what they had been...?

"Mainly the stuff with Prometheus," Clark said hurriedly,
"What's up?"

Jimmy nodded, "Uh, I was looking for Jack..."

Clark stiffened, "Jack?"

"Yeah, he went to go grab some lunch an hour ago and I haven't
seen him since..." Jimmy began but before he could finish Clark
had raced out of the conference room and headed toward the
storage closet. Jimmy looked at Lois confused, "What was that
about?"

"I don't know," She shrugged, taking a step back into the
room. She took a seat at the table, grabbing a file in front of
her on the Toasters, intent on focusing on anything else at the
moment. Realizing Jimmy was staring at her she gave him a glare,
"What??"

Jimmy smiled broadly, "Nothing." He whispered to himself, "I
didn't say nothing," With that he left, closing the door behind
him.

***

Jack. He'd gotten sidetracked with Lois and completely forgotten
about Jack. Clark sighed as he soared through the air, looking
for any sign of his young friend. Outside Callards he spotted
Jack in a conversation with Inspector Henderson holding up the
sandwiches in one hand and a bag of drinks in another. He sighed
in relief. He was safe. He wasn't...

He saw Henderson step away and watched as a man in black walked
toward Jack. He bumped Jack to the ground and Jack dropped the
bag of food in his hands. "Hey, watch it..."

The man in black pulled out a gun and Clark soared down at
super-speed and shielded Jack with his cape, deflecting the
bullets that were aimed at him.

He scanned the perimeter looking for the man that had approached
him but found nothing.

He looked back at Jack, "Are you all right?"

Jack looked at him in shock, "I..."

Henderson ran up to them, pointing at the man that had bumped
into Jack wearing different attire in handcuffs "Did you see
that? We've got the perpetrator in custody..."

Clark's face grew grim. Jack was right. Luthor was coming after
him. "Inspector, can you take it from here? I want to see if I
can find who did this..."

"Sure thing," Inspector Henderson said, wrapping an arm around
Jack as they walked. He began to bark orders into his radio,
"Alpha Mega Charlie we have a four seventeen, downtown
Metropolis Square, repeat four seventeen in progress. All units
respond."

***

What was wrong with her? After one date, she was unable to
concentrate on anything but Clark...Lois sighed, trying to focus
on the file in front of her. If she was like this after friendly
flirting, then heaven help her when they...

She thought to herself.

The image of her partner in nothing but a towel came racing back
to her mind and she could feel her heart rate speed up. Oh, God!
She was seriously thinking about...

'*Why not? You fantasized about it with Superman enough
times...'*

That was different. Superman was a fantasy. Clark is... What? She
sighed to herself. It was one thing to fantasize about a man she
didn't see on a daily basis...didn't... What?

Memories of her breakup with Claude rushed to the forefront of
her mind and she winced, trying to focus on anything but the
painful memories.

*<<"Cold frigid bitch...">>*

'*No, Clark isn't like that...'* She reminded herself.

*<<"You know this isn't really dancing."*

"*It's not?">>*

He had taken her breath away on the dance floor then again when
he'd entrusted his secret to her. She'd been too shocked last
night to feel anything but numbness. The man she'd been
fantasizing about for almost a year was the same man that she'd
been working side by side everyday...her friend...Her friend that
said he was 'crazy' about her. It scared her, knowing his
feelings...knowing Clark and Superman were the same person, but
intrigued her at the same time. She had so many questions...

*<<"But if he is an alien, maybe he doesn't get the old...you
know, itch..."*

"*One way to find out."*

"*Possible visitor from another planet arrives on Earth and all
you can think of is hauling him off to your lair so you can try
him out?"*

"*Test drive Lois. A couple of hours behind the wheel and I'd
know for sure if we're talking import or domestic.">>*

*<<"Wait a minute. I get it. You and Superman joined the
zero-gravity club up on the space station didn't you?">>*

'*Don't go there...'* She chastised herself. She knew all too
well how those fantasies always ended up.

*<<"I'm sorry. This is just really hard...I need to tell you
this...I'm crazy about you, but before this goes any further I
have to tell you this. I don't want to screw this up."*

"*You're not screwing anything up.">>*

She'd spent so many nights alone in her
apartment...wishing...hoping for Superman to love her back...Now,
he had declared his feelings for her. Only, it wasn't just
Superman...

He was Clark. Clark Kent, her partner...the man she'd come to
respect as a friend and colleague for almost a year. It had been
hard to take her sister's advice the other night and just 'let
him in' after he'd kissed her the other night, but she
had...and she was so glad she had.

*<<"Clark, I won't tell anyone. I promise. This...is a lot and
I do have...a lot of questions...mostly trying to figure out how
I didn't figure it out before now...but you can trust me."*

"*I know that Lois...This...is probably the hardest thing I've
ever done, but I never doubted I could trust you.">>*

Trust. It was something that didn't come easy to her over the
years but somehow knowing Clark trusted her enough to share this
secret with her... He could have kept her in the dark and just
lied to her about Superman telling him about Lex but he hadn't.
He'd trusted her with his secret and now...

<<"*I want this to work more than anything I've ever wanted in
this world.">>*

Now, what? Things were complicated that was for sure. A part of
her wanted nothing more than to fulfill every fantasy she'd ever
had about Superman, knowing he felt the same way... but the other
part... The other part was still scared. She'd suffered
irreparable damage when she'd gotten involved with Claude.
She'd been so hurt when she found out none of it had been real.

After Claude she'd decided she would never let a man hurt her
like that again so she made sure to keep everyone around her at
arm's length...Everyone except Superman. She shook her head in
disgust, recalling how she'd treated Clark during their first
few weeks at the Planet together.

'*He probably got a kick out of literally making me speechless
and me drooling all over Superman.'*

*<<"You know he didn't seem that special to me. Except for the
flying and the uniform he could have been any ordinary guy."*

"*Ordinary? Give me a break!">>*

*<<"Clark is the before. Superman is the after...Make that the
way, way after...">>*

"*Maybe all this frenzy isn't what he expected. Maybe he's gun
shy."*

"*That's ridiculous. He has no reason to hide...especially from
me...">>*

*<<"We? There is no 'we.'"*

"*How do you know I don't have the inside track on finding
Superman?"*

"*Sure, Clark. And when you run across Jimmy Hoffa and the
Easter Bunny why don't you reel them in too?">>*

*<<"Now there you go using that word again Clark. There is
'you,' there is 'I', there is no 'we.'"*

"*Not yet."*

"*Not ever." *

"*We'll see."*

"*How long can you hold your breath?">>*

'*No,'* She thought to herself, cringing as she recalled so
many things she'd said in front of Clark about...himself. It
almost seemed like he was jealous of himself. *'Why not? You
were practically drooling over Superman while ignoring
Clark...'*

*<<"Then we're agreed. We'll take this slow and figure
out...us?">>*

He'd declared his feelings for her and then left the ball in her
court after he'd trusted her with his secret...so why was she
having such a hard time coming to grip with the idea of trusting
him with her heart?

*<<"I was saving for Tahiti. But a date with Superman...that
would have been a real adventure. Oh, Clark, he doesn't even
know I'm alive. Maybe it was stupid of me to think that he
really cared..."*

"*Not so stupid, Lois...Did you ever think that maybe Superman
was afraid to reveal himself...his true feelings?">>*

*<<"You'll always be special to me, Lois."*

"*I will?"*

"*Of course you're the first woman that I hel...um, interviewed
me.">>*

"Lois Lane?" a voice behind her broke her from her thoughts and
brought her back to the present.

"Yes?" Lois looked up to see the mail clerk handing her a
package. He handed the package to her silently then headed to the
next recipient. She looked down at the box confused. She wasn't
expecting a delivery.

She opened the package and found a long velvet box inside with a
diamond tennis bracelet inside it. She groaned. She had a feeling
this was not from Clark. She turned to Jimmy who was standing a
few feet away from her in discussion with the new transfer from
Washington, Ralph Simms. "Jimmy, I'm going out."

"Need any help?" Jimmy asked with interest. He seemed to
recognize the look in her eyes and mistook it for a lead on a
story.

"No!" Lois snapped bitterly, grabbing the box that had been
delivered and headed for the elevator.

"Yikes..." Ralph muttered, watching her leave.

"You don't know the half of it," Jimmy muttered.

***

After checking to make sure there were no other shooters in the
area and Jack had arrived at the Metropolis P.D. safely, Clark
headed toward Lex Luthor's penthouse and stepped inside,
scanning the room for any sign of the attempted assassin. He
found no guns. No residue. Just Lex Luthor sitting at his desk
with a smug smile, "Superman, do come in."

"You've crossed the line, Luthor..." He took a step forward.
Everything in him wanted to grab him by the neck and throttle him
but it went against everything he'd been taught...everything he
stood for.

"I beg your pardon?" Lex asked, pretending to be insulted.

"You've gone too far," Clark growled.

"Oh, Superman, look at you...You really should take some time
off...All this saving the world has gotten to you..."

"He's a kid..." Clark fumed angrily, ignoring Lex's dodging
of his accusations.

"False accusations like that are just insulting...I thought you
were better than that..." Lex smiled back smugly.

"This is your warning," Clark warned. "I am now making it my
mission to ensure Jack's safety. If you even breathe the wrong
way in his direction...I'll be there...Back off!" With that
Clark slammed his arm against Luthor's chest knocking him back
slightly and then soared away.

Lex watched as Superman left with a smile. "It seems our efforts
need to be doubled."

***

Outside Lex's office with the door slightly cracked Lois stood,
clutching the box she'd been so adamant about throwing back in
his face but after overhearing the exchange between him and Clark
just now she wasn't so sure. She needed to get out of here. She
was about to turn and leave when something caught her eye. Lex
reached for a knob on his desk and turned it, revealing the
hidden door behind the bookcase. He pressed a button on his desk
and it beeped, "Mrs. Cox, be sure to recruit a replacement for
the Jack project...and send Nigel up so we can discuss the
'Superman Problem.'"

'*Superman Problem? Oh, God, Clark...Nigel.'*

"Of course, Mr. Luthor. There is an Agent Carter from Bureau 39
on line four for the boss. Should I transfer him to the scrambled
line?"

'*Bureau 39?'*

"Yes, I'll take it in the office for now. Transfer the call in
five," Lex said with a smile.

'The Boss? The Office?' She had to get out of here before
someone saw her. The front desk hadn't given her a second look
when she'd come up and she hadn't passed anyone on the way up
but she needed to get out of here before someone saw her. She
watched as Lex stepped through the hidden door and the bookcase
closed behind him.

"Oh, God..." She whimpered, struggling to catch her breath from
the revelation. She heard the elevators across the hall ding and
darted into an open office, hoping to avoid being seen by Nigel,
keeping the door ajar just enough to see what was going on so she
could safely make her exit.

Holding her breath, she watched as Nigel opened the door to
Lex's office and closed it behind him. She heard the click of a
lock and what sounded like a whirling noise from Lex's office.

'*I've got to get out of here,'* she reminded herself. She
opened the door slightly, checking to make sure there was no one
in the hall and darted out of the office, heading for the
elevator. Once she arrived in the lobby she rushed past the front
desk, hoping not to be seen. Thankfully there seemed to be a big
meeting going on. There was a large group of stuffed shirt
businessmen surrounding the receptionist desk. It was weird. Some
of them looked a lot like the board members at the Planet...

Not now. She had to remind herself to focus on getting to the
Jeep and finding Clark.

***

"That's it!" Jack said shaking his head as he paced in the
police station with Inspector Henderson and Clark Kent. "He's
made his move. We've got to..."

Clark shook his head, "No, he's been too smart about it.
There's nothing linking him to it. The gunman is claiming to be
working alone and taking full responsibility."

"Lucky for you Superman was flying by when he did," Henderson
said with a shaky breath.

"Lucky," Jack muttered, "What am I supposed to do the next
time someone tries to come after me?"

"I already spoke to Superman," Clark reassured. "He's doing
everything in his power to look out for you. He'll be your
escort to and from the Planet..."

Jack scoffed, "You're joking right?"

"I'm also putting a police detail on you..." Henderson added.
"We'll start an unofficial investigation. If this is Luthor
then he's sure to have contacts everywhere...We'll keep the
investigation between us for now until we have enough to..."

"What am I supposed to do until then??" Jack scoffed. "He
tried to *kill me!!!* I can't go home...I can't..."

"I'll get you moved to an undisclosed location. That along with
the detail I'm putting on you and Superman escorting you ...you
should be safe..."

***

Back at the Daily Planet, Lois hurriedly rushed into the newsroom
frantically looking for Clark. She checked both conference rooms
and found no sign of him anywhere. She poked her head into
Perry's office to see if he was in with the Chief. "Something I
can help you with, Lois?" Perry asked, noticing the shaken
expression on Lois' face.

"No, I was just, um..." Lois stammered out.

"Looking for Clark?" Perry guessed with a smirk. Did he know?

"I, uh..." Lois began to backtrack.

Perry smirked at her, leaning back in his chair, "He called a
few minutes ago,. He's on his way back from the police station
with Jack. Apparently, Superman stopped an attempted mugger from
trying to gun our copy boy down in the middle of Metropolis
Square..."

"*What!?"* Lois asked aghast.

***

Clark stepped off the elevator with Jack in tow and a plain
clothes policeman. He scanned the newsroom for Lois and spotted
her with Perry in his office. "Jack, are you gonna be all
right?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Jack said. "Thanks for your help."

Clark nodded and headed to Perry's office to catch Lois up on
everything that had been going on this afternoon. As he
approached it seemed he didn't have to catch Lois up on
everything as he caught the tail end of Perry and Lois'
conversation, "Apparently, Superman stopped an attempted mugger
from trying to gun our copy boy down in the middle of Metropolis
Square..."

"What???" Lois asked aghast. He noticed her fidgety demeanor
and the quick pace of her heart rate as Perry spoke.

"Gunman is being booked and Jack's under police protection for
now..." He said walking up behind Lois as he entered the
office.

"Clark!" Lois visibly relaxed slightly when she saw him.

She still seemed a little shaken. He wasn't sure what the cause
was but decided not to press it at the moment. "I just brought
Jack back from the police station..." He said as Lois reached
for his hand squeezing it gently as she looked down at his
fingers as if she were mesmerizing them. He noticed Perry's
inquisitive look and continued, "I was running that... errand
...and ran into Superman who... told me what happened..."

Lois looked up at him with a smirk, "Lucky Superman was
nearby..."

"Yeah, it was..." He gave a weak smile.

Worry was written on her face as she continued, "Is ...I mean,
was Superman okay? I mean that must have been hard..."

Despite having an audience of one he reached out to cup her
cheek, "He'll live."

Perry having seemed to take a backseat to the exchange, watching
the obvious glances between the two before he cleared his throat,
"Uh-huh, well, uh, Kent it sounds like that was quite an
ordeal...maybe you two should take the afternoon to, uh, go over
everything...Lois seems a bit shaken up from something...and
...no offense, son, but, uh, you don't look that great either.
Maybe just email your copy to me by four from home..."

Clark looked at his Editor-in-Chief for a moment, trying to
figure out what the glint in Perry White's eyes was about but
before he could respond Lois had already agreed and drug him
halfway out of the office.

As Lois stopped at her desk long enough to grab her things and
drag him to the elevator he overheard Cat and the new guy Ralph,
"I'm telling you there is *no* way..." Ralph said
emphatically. "I had contacts all over and from what I heard
about Mad Dog Lane..."

"Don't believe everything you hear, Ralph..." Cat said,
pointing toward the elevator, "Look!" Just before the elevator
doors closed the newsroom caught a glimpse of Lois Lane putting
her head against her partner's chest as he kissed her forehead.

***

"Hey, what's wrong?" Clark asked, holding Lois to him as the
elevator doors closed behind them.

"It was horrible!" Lois cried. Clark held her close as he
reached behind them and pulled the elevator stop so they
wouldn't be interrupted. "I got another one of those STUPID
presents from Lex so I thought maybe just throwing it back at him
would help get the message across..."

Clark stiffened as his worst fears came to light, "If he hurt
you so help me I'll..."

"No, nothing like that... I took it over there and was about to
but his door was halfway closed and I overheard you and him
arguing about Jack..." Lois continued as the tears began to
fall.

Clark hung his head, "I'm sorry you had to hear that...He just
brings the worst out in me and..."

Lois shook her head, "After you left he said something about
doubling efforts and fixing a 'Superman problem' and then..."
She cried harder. "I know it's stupid to get upset. It's not
like anything can actually hurt you but..."

"Lois..." Clark sighed, stroking her cheek.

"What?" She recognized the uneasy tone in his voice. Could he
be hurt? "Clark, what is it?"

He let out a long breath, "Not here," He said softly. Lois
looked at him curiously, trying to determine what he was trying
to say without saying it, but didn't say anything as the
elevator dinged and they arrived on the lobby floor.

***

Lex stared at the velvet box Mrs. Cox laid on his desk angrily.
"It appears you had a surprise guest..." Mrs. Cox said coldly.

Lex leaned back in his chair, contemplating the situation for the
moment. "And no one knew she had come up? No one signaled...."
He drew his hand into a fist as he struck the marble top of his
desk. "I do not accept failure...find everyone...every person
responsible for ...."

"And what do you plan to do with Ms. Lane?" Mrs. Cox cut him
off. "She may have overheard ..."

"No, she didn't hear anything...She would have confronted
me...I suppose this..." Lex fumed angrily, tossing the velvet
boss across the room angrily, "...is my dear John letter..."
Lex seemed to have a calm come over him before turning to
business, "No, I will not accept defeat. Perhaps the backup plan
needs to be initiated faster than anticipated to draw her back in
where she belongs..."

"All measures?" Mrs. Cox asked.

Lex nodded, "Yes," he picked up his planner, "I'll need a
replacement staff for the front fully trained by tomorrow and a
pilot for tomorrow evening..."

"Pilot?" Mrs. Cox asked confused.

"Yes, it seems this Agent Carter won't talk business over the
phone and insists on a meeting with 'the boss' in person. Set
up a double just in case...but only as a decoy. I don't want to
scare him off. This could be the real deal...the end for
Superman."

***

Clark landed in an alley outside Lois' apartment and spun back
into his business suit before exiting to the main street where
her apartment building was. Lois was watching him with a curious
expression on her face, "What?" He asked, looking behind him
uncertainly.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

He stared at her curiously for a moment before following her to
her apartment. She remained unusually quiet as they climbed the
stairs to her apartment building and even more quiet as they rode
the elevator up to the fifth floor. When they finally arrived at
her apartment he followed her in, taking a seat on the couch as
he watched her lock each of the seven locks on her front door.

She turned back to him and took a seat next to him, looking at
him expectantly, "So?" She prompted.

"Lois, are you okay?" He asked, taking her hand for a moment.
"You still seem ..."

"I'm fine," she said nervously. "Why wouldn't I be? I mean
it's not every day you get to overhear someone you thought you
knew...plotting murder and destruction throughout the city..."

"Lois..." He took her hand and intertwined his fingers with
hers, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Lois shook her head. "Not right now. You were saying in
the elevator...Go."

He didn't think she was as 'fine' as she was making herself
out to be but he knew better than to press, "Okay," he sighed,
turning toward her, "Do you remember when we dealt with that
guy, Trask...I told you he *thought* there was a meteorite that
could kill ... Superman?"

Lois nodded, "Yeah, when we were in Smallville he almost..."
She seemed to recognize something in Clark's expression, "No,
no, no, no..."

He sensed her apprehension and began to reassure her, "Lois,
calm down..."

"Kryptonite???" She gasped in horror. "What if he finds it?
Clark!"

"Bureau 39 was shut down from what we've been able to tell and
my dad said they haven't seen any other sign of Kryptonite on
Wayne Irig's property..." Clark tried to reassure her.

"But it could still be out there and..." Lois hung her head,
burying her head in his chest.

"Hey, it's okay," he reassured her holding her close as he
stroked her cheek. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"You don't know that," Lois argued.

"No, I don't," he sighed, "but for now we have one thing on
our side."

"What's that?" She asked.

"Luthor and the rest of the world don't know that Kryptonite
exists." Clark sighed. "As long as it remains a figment of
Trask's imagination then there's nothing to worry about."

"He thought it could kill Superman," she said shakily. "Can
it?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "Superman was without his powers
for a few days after being exposed to it...but beyond that," He
shrugged, "Who knows?"

Lois looked at him wryly, "Any other secrets you haven't told
me about?"

He sighed, "Well..."

"What?" She asked when a familiar expression crossed his face.

His face went grim, standing up to turn on the radio frequency
he'd just heard. The announcer's voice filled her apartment,
"Metropolis National Forest has been engulfed in flames for the
last half hour. Fire department officials say the drought in New
Troy has contributed to the ease with which the fire has spread
into the rural neighborhoods surrounding the..."

He looked at her apologetically, "I gotta..."

"Go..." She smiled, sitting up so he could get up from the
couch.

He leaned in to kiss her, "I'll try to be quick. Maybe we can
pick up where we left off with the whole... 'getting to know
you'..."

"Count on it," she winked at him. He laughed then left, leaving
Lois with a smile on her face as she watched him close the door
behind him, the familiar sonic boom could be heard from a
distance as he ricocheted into the sky.

***

*{"Kryptonite??? What if he finds it? Clark!"*

"*Bureau 39 was shut down from what we've been able to tell and
my dad said they haven't seen any other sign of Kryptonite on
Wayne Irig's property..." *

"*But it could still be out there and..." *

"*Hey, it's okay, everything's gonna be all right."*

"*You don't know that." *

"*No, I don't, but for now we have one thing on our side."*

"*What's that?" *

"*Luthor and the rest of the world don't know that Kryptonite
exists. As long as it remains a figment of Trask's imagination
then there's nothing to worry about."*

"*He thought it could kill Superman, can it?"*

"*I don't know, Superman was without his powers for a few days
after being exposed to it...but beyond that. Who knows?"}*

"Well, well," Nigel mused, "This is an interesting
development," he said as he stopped the recording.

"Kryptonite," Lex mused. "We'll need to do some more research
on this Bureau 39 before we leave in the morning."

"Do you think this Agent Carter might know something about it?"
Nigel asked.

"It never hurts to ask," Lex said as he replayed the audio
footage.

{*"But for now we have one thing on our side."*

"*What's that?" *

"*Luthor and the rest of the world doesn't know that Kryptonite
exists. As long as it remains a figment of Trask's imagination
then there's nothing to worry about."}*

"How do you think Mr. Kent would feel if he knew he was so
...instrumental in bringing this Kryptonite's existence to my
knowledge?" Lex asked as he paused the recording once more. He
lit his cigar and smiled, "Continue the surveillance. We'll
catch up when I get back," Lex ordered, heading toward the
elevator.

***

Unfortunately, the fire that had broken out was not something
Clark would be able to fight easily. It had spread throughout
almost all of Metropolis National Forest, trapping hundreds and
leaving the firefighters to struggle through the smoke to help
find and rescue the families that were trapped amidst the raging
fire. Lois caught the coverage of the fire on television and
watched with admiration as Clark struggled to carry the families
to safety alongside the firefighters and search and rescue teams
that were working to save everyone.

It was strange to see Clark...Superman like this. To see the
stern, steely expression on his face...the grief on his face when
he carried out a four-year-old girl with third degree burns as
she screamed in pain...This was Clark. Seeing the pain on his
face...touched something in her. She could feel the helplessness
in him like a wave. Surely he didn't think that...

Lois bit her lower lip as she watched a similar scene unfold with
a two-year-old boy and felt tears in the corner of her eyes
threatening to escape. This was Clark. Of course he would try to
shoulder the burden of not being able to help as much as he
thought he should. How did he deal with this? How did he go on
day to day after witnessing the things he witnessed...When he
wasn't able to save everyone?

Lois laid in bed, thinking about Clark well into the evening as
she contemplated the new discoveries she'd made about her
partner over the past few days. To discover he not only cared
about her as more than a friend or partner, but also moonlighted
as another man she'd fantasized about for so long was hard to
come to grips with. She'd thought she was in love with Superman
but after her conversation with Lucy the other night she wasn't
so sure anymore. Was it the idea of being with someone she
couldn't have?

Could she have Superman? Clark was being called away to rescue
people every day. There wouldn't ever be a time when Superman
wasn't needed. Could she share him with the world?

Without even thinking about it she knew the answer. She couldn't
imagine her life without Clark Kent anymore than she could
imagine the world without Superman. It just wasn't possible. She
could share him with the world if that's what it took. She
sighed, watching the coverage of the forest fire continue. It
didn't look like Clark would be coming back anytime soon...if at
all tonight.

***

The next morning Lois arrived in the newsroom alone, looking for
Clark. She frowned when she realized he hadn't arrived yet. It
was scary to realize how much she'd been looking forward to
seeing him...touching him...loving him...

'*Whoa** girl.' *

Love? Had she really thought that? Wasn't it too soon?

'You've known him for almost a year,' she reminded herself.
She supposed it wasn't a huge leap that once she let him in
she'd realize what she'd been feeling was...love. 'Slow
down,' she reminded herself. It was one date. One amazing date
and lots and lots of incredible kisses and touches...

She shivered slightly recalling how good it had felt to be in
Clark's arms.

*<<"Love is never enough, Lois. You think you know someone and
then they disappoint you. Men don't know how to love. They
always leave.">> *

She recalled her mother's harsh words to her after her breakup
with Paul in college. It wasn't surprising. She'd seen how
badly a bad relationship could be when children were involved and
never wanted to end up like her mom...bitter and alone with kids
to raise, reminding her of their father.

*<<"I'm not Claude and I'm not Paul. I would never betray you
like that. All I'm asking for is a chance.">>*

She knew he cared about her. She definitely felt
something...scary and wonderful, but was it love? Her feelings
for Clark had always been complicated...partly because she was
trying to deny them for so long. Now that she was free to express
them...it scared her. She blushed recalling the teasing from
yesterday. The idea of taking things slow was losing its merit
more and more but the idea of not...scared her. Clark was
Superman. What if she disappointed him? Her experience with any
relationship hadn't been that great. She never considered
herself a prude...just careful.

She knew her fantasies about Superman never disappointed her, but
would she disappoint him? He'd traveled the world...Had women
falling all over him...Surely he was more...experienced than she
was. What if it was bad?

'*Yeah right...'* her mind snickered to herself, recalling the
pleasurable jolt she'd felt when he'd been responding to her
teasing and caresses.

'*Yet another thing we need to talk about,'* she reminded
herself.

The jolt of a large leather purse being laid on her desk brought
her back to the present and she looked up to see Cat Grant
sitting at her desk expectantly, "So..." Cat began cautiously.

"So?" Lois echoed a bit hurriedly, trying to cover up where her
mind had been before Cat had sat down in front of her.

Cat's eyes widened as she sized her up for a moment before
looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to them.
"You are *sooo* busted..." She whispered in a hushed whisper.

"What are you talking about?" Lois harrumphed, unsure of what
Cat was referring to.

Cat glanced around the newsroom once more then pointed at Ralph
and Jimmy who were watching them as they talked, "Not here."
She shook her head, motioning for Lois to follow her.

Lois rolled her eyes, unsure of what nonsense Cat was trying to
spin in her head. Dare she follow? She sighed as curiosity got
the better of her and she followed Cat into the small conference
room she and Clark had been in yesterday, teasing one another.

Cat nodded, closing the door firmly and locking it before closing
the blinds, "Peering eyes," Cat said with a grin.

"Peering what?" Lois asked.

Cat just grinned impishly, "You dirty, dirty girl..."

"What??" Lois half laughed, half choked out as she felt her
throat going dry.

"Don't even try to deny it. I can read it all over your
face..." Cat added.

"Read *what*!?" Lois laughed nervously.

'*Oh, God. She knows.'*

"You and Clark .... Good for you, Lois," Cat grinned impishly.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get yourself a
good..."

"What are you talking about???" Lois asked aghast, unsure of
how Cat had gotten such an idea. Fears of the past began to race
through her mind as she struggled to hold her ground. Where had
Cat got the idea that she and Clark...

'*He wouldn't dare...'*

"At first I didn't think too much of it when Phil and Craig
were whispering about the goofy grin on Clark's face when he
came in the newsroom the other morning...Then in the staff
meeting you were *flirting* with him..." Cat said pointedly as
she made her case.

Lois struggled to remain calm as an inaudible "Oh, God,"
escaped her lips while she placed her head in her hands.

"Then there was the goofy grins you both had on your faces
yesterday morning..." Cat continued. "It doesn't take a rocket
scientist to figure it out..."

"Cat, I think you've got the wrong..."

"I still can't believe you'd do something like that...in the
*newsroom*...I mean, that's bold, Lois..."

"What are you talking about?" Lois hissed. "I..."

"Oh, please!" Cat scoffed. "You and Clark disappear down a
long hallway into a storage room where no one hardly goes then
later you disappear in the conference room and close the door and
the blinds..." Cat grinned impishly at Lois, "I know exactly
what you were doing..."

"We weren't *doing* anything!" Lois snapped irritably.

"That's not what your face said when Jimmy opened the door,"
Cat said in a sing-song voice. "Don't give me that look! My
desk is right by the conference room. I saw your face when that
door opened..."

"Ugh! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Lois snipped, turning
toward the door to unlock it, "For your information...we were
*working* on some...sensitive...material...and and ...didn't
want to be disturbed...I can't believe you think I'd..." She
caught Cat's arched eyebrow and continued, "I am not...Whatever
is going on between my partner and me is nobody's damn business
but mine and Clark's!" She snapped as she jerked the door
open.

"So you do admit there is *something* going on?" Cat teased in
a whisper. "Was it good? Did he clear out the cobwebs? Clark
looks like a guy that knows how to..."

"Stop! Stop! I am not having this conversation...with...*you*!"
Lois snapped irritably as she stormed out of the conference room
and headed back to her desk. As she approached she caught the
tail end of a conversation between Clark, Phil, and Ralph.

"Come on, give it up, Kent, we all know..." Phil was saying.

"For the last time, I'm not even going to dignify that with a
response. It's none of your business..." Clark said irritably.

"You're no fun, Kent," Ralph sneered. "I was just curious if
there was any truth to that rumor..."

Clark stood up from his desk, staring Ralph down, "You better
choose your words very carefully..."

"Ralph, back off...back off, man..." Phil warned, grabbing
Ralph's arm and tugging it away from Clark Kent.

"I just meant that I'd heard some..." Ralph stammered as Clark
crossed his arms over his chest, daring Ralph to say one wrong
thing, "I think I'd better get back to work..."

"You do that," Clark said with a steely gaze.

'*If looks could kill...'* She thought to herself. She sighed
in relief as she walked up behind Clark to see the two men
scurrying to the other side of the bullpen to get as far away
from Clark Kent as humanly possible. She couldn't hold in the
laughter. She walked up behind him and gave him a hug from
behind, "Wow...I don't think I've ever seen Phil run
...ever..."

He dropped his arms from his chest, slipping one around her waist
and muttered, "He's a pig..."

"He's a sports writer...most of 'em are," She smiled, "I saw
the fire last night. You okay?"

***

It had been a long morning. First Clark hadn't gotten home until
late after dealing with the aftermath of the destruction from the
forest fire that had spread to some rural neighborhoods.
Thankfully no one had been killed but plenty had been injured.
He'd managed to get a few hours of sleep before waking up late
and rushing to get to the office after dropping Jack off as
Superman this morning. When he'd finally arrived Lois was
nowhere to be found. Before he could try and scan the newsroom to
find her Phil and Ralph had approached him. Clark didn't know
Ralph very well but he knew Phil and didn't really like the guy.
He was a guy's guy that had no filter and enjoyed running his
mouth.

"Hey, Kent, buddy...pal..." Phil began patting Clark on the
back as he walked toward his desk.

"Something I can help you with?" He asked, uncertainly as he
took a seat at his desk.

"Never thought I'd see the day when the Ice Maiden would
melt...I gotta hand it to you, Kent..." Phil continued with a
grin. Clark visibly flinched when Phil let the name 'Ice
Maiden' roll off his tongue. "You sly dog..."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Clark said,
unsure of where this all was coming from or why Ralph and Phil
were perched on his desk, doing a great impression of vultures
circling their prey.

"He doesn't know what I'm talking about Ralph..." Phil rolled
his eyes. "You and Lane...in the conference room
yesterday...closing the blinds...Come on, you can tell us. It's
just us guys..."

Clark's jaw tightened as he realized what it looked like and
exactly what Phil and Ralph were doing hovering over his desk
for. They thought he and Lois had... He had to admit. It did look
bad, but what made them think he'd even consider talking about
his relationship with Lois with them? He wanted to throw them
across the room...to hit something...After last night he was very
tempted, but instead he opted for the calm approach, "I'm not
having this conversation with you."

Ralph laughed with a sneer, "So is that code for, uh, 'yeah I
hit that' or ..." Clark threw down his pencil, fighting every
urge to throw him through a window.

Phil tried to coax him down by patting him on the shoulder,
"Come on, give it up, Kent, we all know..."

"For the last time, I'm not even going to dignify that with a
response. It's none of your business..." Clark said irritably.
He was about to snap.

"You're no fun, Kent," Ralph sneered. "I was just curious if
there was any truth to that rumor..."

Rumor? He knew all about the supposed rumor that had been spread
around the newsroom about Lois. That animal Claude had made sure
Lois' reputation was damaged beyond repair before he left when
she'd filed a complaint about him stealing her story. What he
didn't know was how Ralph knew about it...

Clark stood up from his desk, staring Ralph down, "You better
choose your words very carefully..." He warned.

"Ralph, back off...back off, man..." Phil warned, grabbing
Ralph's arm and tugging it away from Clark's desk.

"I just meant that I'd heard some..." Ralph stammered as Clark
crossed his arms over his chest, daring Ralph to say one wrong
thing. If he so much as breathed the wrong way he was prepared to
deck him. Ralph seemed to sense the mood Clark was in and thought
better of continuing the statement he was about to make. "I
think I'd better get back to work..."

"You do that," Clark said with a steely gaze. He watched as
Phil and Ralph scrambled across the room in a panic and smirked
to himself.

He heard a familiar laugh behind him and looked behind him as
Lois hugged him from behind muttering, "Wow...I don't think
I've ever seen Phil run ...ever..."

He dropped his arms from his chest, slipping one around her waist
and muttered, "He's a pig..."

"He's a sports writer...most of 'em are," she smiled, "I saw
the fire last night. You okay?"

He shook his head, "There're a lot of kids...babies...in the
burn unit after last night."

She looked at him cautiously, "Well, I'm sure ...Superman,"
she lowered her voice a few octaves as she said 'Superman' and
continued, "...did everything he could to help."

"It wasn't enough," he said sternly.

"Well, he can't be everywhere at once," she reminded him
softly.

He sighed, recalling a similar conversation they'd had before
she knew about his dual identities. "I know, it's just..."
There was so much he wanted to say but couldn't find the right
way to say it. It was hard having conversations like this in code
with so many people watching their every move. He didn't dare
try to take the conversation to the conference room either. God
forbid he give the gossip hounds even more to talk about. Lois
took his hand and squeezed it gently. He looked down at her hand,
fitting so perfectly in his and smiled. "You feel like dinner
tonight...to make up for last night?"

"Sure," she said softly. "Dinner sounds good."

He glanced down at her hand that was still in his hand and
squeezed it as he looked up nervously, "So, how much of that did
you hear?"

"Enough," she winked at him, leaning in to kiss him on the
cheek. "Thank you."

"Careful or you'll give them even more to talk about," he
teased, directing his eyes toward a few co-workers that were
watching them.

She followed his gaze for a moment then he saw a glint in her
eyes before she reached up to kiss him on the lips, slipping her
arms around his waist as she kissed him. The catcalls and
whistles around them reached his ears. He could feel all eyes on
them and pulled away nervously, "Lois, everyone's watching..."
He whispered self-consciously.

She smiled at him, pulling him to her by the knot on his silk tie
and whispered, "Who cares?" With that she slipped her tongue
inside the warm crevices of his mouth, outlining his lips with
her tongue. He could taste coffee on her tongue as he began to
forget about the fire from last night and instead focused on the
feeling of Lois Lane in his arms, kissing him.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What in the Sam Hill is going on out here!?"
Perry bellowed from his office as the catcalls and whistles
continued.

Lois broke off the kiss, grinning impishly at him before turning
to Perry, "Oh, just a bit of an 'object' lesson, Chief."

Perry wore a smirk as he raised his eyebrows, "Uh-huh, well
could you maybe save that for after hours? We've got a lot to
cover today. There was a forest fire that destroyed half of
Metropolis National Forest and a few neighborhoods around there
and so far I don't have ..."

"Uh, we're already on it, Chief," Clark interjected, finally
finding his voice. "I was actually working on that when..." He
stopped himself, unsure of how to explain what had distracted him
in the middle of the newsroom.

"Let me guess, you tripped and fell on your partner's tongue?"
Perry smirked.

"I...uh..." Clark began, looking at Lois for help who was
wearing a very satisfied smile at the moment and was no help at
all.

Perry held up his hand, "Just save it for after hours, will
ya?" He then wagged a finger at Lois, "You two, get me that
copy..." He then turned around the newsroom that was still
watching them intently, "What is this, a wax museum? Everyone
get to work!"

Everyone around them scurried around trying to get out of
Perry's line of fire as Clark took a seat at his desk to begin
piecing the story on the fire together as Lois perched herself on
the edge of his desk looking like a cat that ate the canary.
"Feeling pretty satisfied with yourself?" He asked with a
wink.

She smiled, "I think so."

"Perry looked like his jaw was gonna fall on the floor," Clark
said.

Lois shrugged with a smile, "Well it worked..."

"What did?" He asked with a smile.

"You're not thinking about last night's rescue, are you?" She
whispered seductively as she stood up and he grinned, watching as
she sashayed back to her desk with a wink.

"Wow..." He smiled to himself as he struggled to string
together any thoughts on anything but Lois.

***

Lex stepped on his private jet taking a deep breath as he looked
around. Mrs. Cox was pouring a glass of champagne for him as he
approached. "Mr. Luthor," she said, handing him the flute.

"Thank you, my dear," he said taking the flute from her and
took a seat.

"We're set to land in thirty-six hours." Mrs. Cox said.
"Nigel is working with the team on turning the final board
members..."

"Excellent," Lex said with a smile.

***

Lois sighed as she stared at the news coverage detailing the
bridge collapse Superman showed up to save at the last minute. It
seemed like this week was busy for the man of steel. She hoped he
didn't come back in as sour of a mood as he had been this
morning. Though she suspected part of his mood had to do with
Ralph and Phil. It had been fun to pull him out of his bad mood.
After overhearing the tail end of the conversation Clark had had
and recalling the conversation she'd had with Cat she'd
realized keeping her relationship with Clark out of the newsroom
gossip was impossible. No sense in suppressing her urge to kiss
him when everyone thought there was *a lot *more going on.

It wasn't like she didn't want to...

She definitely wanted to. She'd fantasized about it since seeing
him in that towel at the Apollo. That towel she wished would fall
off and...

'*Don't go there,'* she reminded herself.

Cat laughed as she took a seat at Lois' desk, "There's that
face again..."

Lois glared at her, "I'm not talking to you."

Cat sighed, "I came off too strong. I was just..." She stopped
and turned around, "You know what, never mind. Forget I said
anything."

Lois sighed, "No, Cat, wait, what is it?"

Cat sighed, "I was just happy to finally see you putting the
whole Claude thing behind you..."

Lois gave Cat a slow smile, "I am, but ... what everyone thinks
happened with Clark...didn't happen..." Cat arched an eyebrow
at her and Lois glared at her, "I'm serious."

Cat smirked at her, "Seriously?" She let out a low whistle.
"Well, you've got more patience than...uh, most of the women in
this newsroom..." Lois shot Cat a glare and she laughed, "Come
on, Lois, you know what I'm talking about..."

Lois let out an irritated sigh and gave Cat a forced smile,
"Women in the newsroom like you?"

Cat gave Lois a slow smile, "What can I say? I love the
chase..."

"...or rejection..." Lois muttered under her breath. Cat glared
at her and Lois continued, "Don't try to play all innocent with
me. You were the one over there trying to take advantage of a man
with *no memory*...I mean, really? Who does that?"

Cat shrugged, "Nothing else was working, but it backfired
anyway. What can I say I never stood a chance because he only had
eyes for ...you." Lois looked at her curiously. What was she
saying?

*<<"You got the wrong idea, Lois."*

"*Cat Grant's bedroom has more comings and going than the Metro
Station. You're just another commuter.">>*

"What are you talking about, Cat? He wasn't even here a week
and you were already..."

Cat cut her off and laughed, "Lois, you of all people should
know better than to believe the local gossip from the Planet
Grapevine..."

"Are you saying..." She began hoarsely.

"Not everything is as it seems. Take you and Clark for
instance...a week ago I never would have thought you'd have the
guts to plant one on him in the middle of the newsroom, but
people surprise you....even you. I still don't understand what
took you so long to notice... I mean it was so obvious..."

Lois was quiet a moment, "Are you done?"

Cat smiled, "I'm just trying to say...don't let your past
wreck your future...and I'm happy for you. He's a good guy and
... you deserve that."

Lois smiled at Cat, "Thanks, Cat."

***

"Hey, Chief?" Jimmy knocked on Perry's door and stepped
inside.

"Uh, what's up, Jimmy?" Perry asked, looking up at the copy in
front of him.

"I, uh, don't know how to say this..." Jimmy began.

"Just spit it out, Jimmy, can't you see I'm elbow deep in red
ink?" Perry asked irritated.

"My paycheck bounced!" Jimmy said hurriedly.

"What?" Perry asked, confused.

"I...I'm in the red, Chief, I can't..." Jimmy began, but
Perry cut him off.

"Calm down, Jimmy, I'll figure it out."

He pulled out his wallet and Jimmy shook his head, "Chief, I
can't..."

"Nonsense," Perry said, handing him a couple hundred dollars,
"Just to get you by until I get to the bottom of this."

Jimmy nodded, taking the money, "Thanks Chief." He grew
thoughtful for a moment, "You, uh, think it might have to do
with those budget cuts?"

"I don't know," Perry sighed. "There have been cuts across
the board. We suffered a lot with the whole Carpenter scandal but
we were bouncing back...It just doesn't make sense."

"Maybe there's something else going on...Carpenter could be
doing something..." Jimmy suggested.

"No," Perry said, "Carpenter is in prison...this
feels...different..."

"Maybe Lois and CK can look into it..." Jimmy suggested.

"Yeah, when they aren't busy ogling each other in the middle of
the newsroom," Perry muttered under his breath.

Jimmy laughed, "I saw that! I wonder how that happened. I mean
they went from being at each other's throats to..."

"...being in each other's arms?" Perry asked with a wink.
"Love is funny like that. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you."

***

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean we can go out
and..." Lois cut Clark's protest off with a kiss before
snuggling up with him on the couch to watch a movie. Their 'date
night' had been turned into pizza and movie night after filing
the stories on the fire and bridge collapse.

Lois had decided instead of going out she'd rather just stay in
so she could spend whatever time she could with Clark before he
got called away for Superman duties. It seemed the man of steel
was extra busy lately. That or she was just becoming more and
more aware of his coming and goings now that she was in on the
secret.

"It's fine," she said, leaning against his chest as she curled
up on the couch to watch 'Die Hard' with him. "You've been in
and out all day. We don't have to go out. We've got a
movie..." She pointed to the television and then gestured to the
pizza in front of them, "and food. I'm good."

He wrapped an arm around her as she leaned against him, kissing
her head before he hit play on the movie. "Okay, hopefully we
can get through this movie without some disaster happening..."

"Seems to be happening a lot lately," she said softly, "Is it
normally like that?"

"No, not usually," he sighed. "I'm not sure what's been
going on out there. It's just one thing after another...I'm
sorry I wasn't much help earlier. I didn't mean for you to
handle everything on your own today."

"Well, it's just something we have to figure out, but I think
we're getting the hang of it. Besides you contributed the
Superman quotes and eye witness accounts so there is that..."
She said rubbing her palm against his chest as she leaned on his
shoulder.

He smiled, removing her hand from his chest and intertwining her
fingers with his, "I guess you're right."

She smiled, "I'm always right," She leaned up to kiss him,
softly at first then with a little more intensity. She leaned
into him, turning into his arms as his arms wrapped around her
waist, pulling her to him as he deepened the kiss.

"I still can't believe I waited this long...to tell you..." He
murmured against her lips.

She sighed against his lips, linking her arms around his neck as
she readjusted herself on his lap, "I know...so much...wasted
time..."

He nodded his agreement as he began nibbling at her collarbone
that was exposed by her sleeveless button down top. "That feels
so..." She moved to straddle him, eliciting a groan from him as
she pressed her body against his. She tightened her thighs
against his and laughed when he jumped slightly.

"Lo-is..." He admonished, pulling back slightly. She gave him
her best innocent look and laughed. "We do a very bad impression
of a couple taking things...slow..." He murmured as she kissed
his neck.

"But this is *so* much more fun..." She teased against his
neck.

He groaned as she raked her fingers against his chest, "Oh, no
doubt, but..."

She pulled back when she sensed his hesitation, "What's
wrong?"

"Lois, I don't know how to say this..." He pulled back
slightly, "I'm crazy about you and I'm..." He let out another
groan as she ran her hands up and down his chest.

"But?" She prodded.

"This...you and me...it's kinda uncharted territory for me. I
mean..." He floated them off the couch for a moment and she
tightened her arms around his neck, "being in a relationship...a
relationship where I don't have to hide anything...its new to
me. I'm so afraid of blowing it I..." He looked away sadly.

Lois stroked his cheek, turning his face to look at him, "Clark,
I'm not as good at the whole relationship thing as I might
look..." She shifted slightly so her legs were tucked beneath
her but she remained on his lap.

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

She nodded, "I mean my whole life's basically been about work
the past four years...I'm just trying to figure this out like
you are..." She looked away sadly, "I've only had two serious
relationships and both of those ended up as federal
disasters..." He moved his hand to cup her cheek and she
continued, "I told you about Claude?" He nodded, "Well, what I
didn't say was this, it was one time and it was ...awful." She
shuddered recalling the pain both physically and emotionally
she'd suffered from Claude. "Awkward...and painful...and...I
just wanted it to end so I ended up just pretending..." She
shook her head at the memory.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, cupping her cheek.

"After I found out he'd stolen my story I filed a complaint
against him..." Her tone grew more bitter with each word she
spoke, "He spread a lot of *awful* rumors. I just wanted them to
stop so I withdrew my complaint...but it was too late."

Despite her best efforts to hold in the tears a few escaped and
Clark leaned in to kiss them away. "Lois, anyone that would...I
swear, I would never..."

"I know that," she said softly, "I just...I want you to know
what you're getting yourself into. I'm not that experienced
and..."

"Lois..." Clark began softly.

"I mean I know you traveled a lot and its not like you wouldn't
have opportunity ...I mean, you're ...*you*, but I just don't
want you to be..."

"Lois, I'm not..." He shook his head and she looked at him
curiously. He smiled softly, "I'm not that experienced
either..."

"You're not?" She asked with a curious expression.

*<<"You got the wrong idea, Lois."*

"*Cat Grant's bedroom has more comings and going than the Metro
Station. You're just another commuter.">>*

*<<"Nothing happened."*

"*Clark, you can do the horizontal rhumba with the entire MetNet
cheerleading squad for all I care. Just keep your hands off my
copy.">>*

"No, actually not...at all..." At her widened expression he
continued, "Lois, I'm not from here...I'm different...so I
made the decision not to...cross that threshold until I could
find someone I could share everything with..."

"Really?" She asked cautiously. "So, you're waiting for..."

"Just the right person," He stroked her cheek, "You."

"Oh, Clark," She began to cry and he captured her lips with his
own, holding her to him. "You are just so...I love you."

"I love you too, Lois," he whispered, capturing her lips once
more.

***

The next morning Lois found herself unable to wipe the smile off
her face from the evening at Clark's apartment. He'd brought
her home after the movie...which they'd had to rewind a few
times to catch up on the parts they missed. It had been a great
evening with the man she loved and after their talk she felt
closer to him...safe. His promise of "I would never betray you
like that" rang true to her. She knew Clark. She'd known him
for almost a year and the more she got to know him the more she
understood why he did the things he did.

When she'd arrived at work she'd found a bouquet of white
roses, coffee and a familiar pastry bag sitting on her desk with
a note.

*//Just Because.*

*Love, *

*Clark//*

She smiled after reading the card and closed the note to her
chest for a moment as she contemplated its contents for a moment.
It was so surreal to have Superman as a boyfriend but she had to
admit it had its perks. The authentic pastries he was able to
pick up in a moment's notice...the flights home when she was too
tired to drive...

"Morning, Lois, how's it going?" Jimmy asked, walking past
her.

"Good," Lois smiled happily. She noticed the boxes in his arms
and asked, "What's all this?"

"Oh, uh, the Chief thought it'd be a good idea for you and CK
to have backups of everything with how...connected...this boss
seems to be. So, he's got me making copies of everything. I
gotta warn you, I probably won't be done till this evening..."

"That's fine," Lois nodded. "You can just drop it off when
you get everything done. That's a really good idea. Thanks,
Jimmy."

Jimmy smiled, "No problem."

***

Lucy's flight came in that day so Lois left work early to pick
her sister up from the airport. When she'd arrived at the
terminal to pick her up she'd been surprised to find someone she
wasn't expecting, "Mother!"

Ellen gave a forced smile, "Lois, how nice to see you. Picking
up a friend?" The bite in her mother's tone was evident and
Lois did her best to suppress the groan in the back of her
throat.

"I should have called you," Lois began carefully.

"Yes, you should have!" Ellen snapped. "I have to find out
through the country club grapevine that my youngest daughter is
moving back home? Neither one of you have the decency to call me
and..."

"Lois!" Lucy's voice interrupted her tirade as her younger
sister gave her a big hug from behind. "I missed you so much
I..." Lucy stopped when she saw her mother's face, releasing
her grip on her sister, "Uh, hi, mom...surprise..."

Ellen arched an eyebrow at Lucy, "Surprise?"

***

Ellen followed Lois and Lucy back to Lois' apartment to help
Lucy unpack and catch up with each other. It was a bit awkward
trying to catch up with their mother there but they did the best
they could. "So, you broke up with Lex Luthor?" Ellen asked,
taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yes, isn't it great?" Lucy beamed happily.

"I...guess..." Ellen shrugged. "I'd never met the man
so...what do I know?"

"Me neither," Lucy added. "He never wanted to meet me when I
was living here. I met her partner and co-workers more than the
guy that was supposedly *so* interested in my sister..."

"Luce..." Lois sighed, not wanting to get into the whole Lex
Luthor discussion with her mother.

"So you're single again?" Ellen sighed. "Should I buy you a
cat for Christmas?"

"No," Lois said, trying to force herself not to snap at her
mother's sarcastic remark.

"Oh, she's not single...at least I don't think so..." Lucy
winked, "She did have a date the other night with a hot guy the
other night."

"Well that was fast," Ellen said with a disapproval tone.

"Not really," Lucy winked, "She's known him for about a year
now."

"Really?" Ellen's face perked up and she actually looked
intrigued. Lois wasn't used to seeing this side of her mother at
all.

"I..." She began carefully. How would her mother feel about her
dating Clark? Would she get a lecture about how she'd been
forced to give up her nursing career to take care of her and
Lucy?

"Go on," Ellen said eagerly.

"I've been ....seeing Clark," Lois said slowly.

She was ready for the fireworks. The lectures and the disapproval
tones. What she wasn't prepared for was this. "Good for you."

"What?" Lois asked, uncertainly.

"I said, 'good for you,'" Ellen repeated. "You're friends.
If it works out ...and I'm not saying it won't...it'll make
the relationship stronger."

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?" Lois
asked, surprised.

"What? I can't be happy for my daughter?" Ellen asked.

Lucy laughed, trying to cut the tension a bit, "So, how was the
date?"

"It was nice...dinner and dancing and..." She smiled slowly,
recalling the kiss on the dance floor.

"I'm really happy for you, sis," Lucy said taking a sip of
coffee, "Clark's a great catch. See you let go of that silly
Superman crush and good things happen..."

Lois laughed, "Yeah, I guess."

'*If she only knew'*

Lucy smiled, "I guess? Please it is written all over your face!
You have been bitten by the 'love bug'..."

"Lucy..." Lois blushed.

"You do look happy, Lois," Ellen observed quietly.

"Say Clark's name without smiling," Lucy said teasingly. Lois
blushed and a smile spread across her face. "See? You can't
even think about him without smiling..."

"Luce..." She laughed, knowing full well her sister was right.
"We're...taking things slow...Neither of us want to rush into
anything and..."

"Yeah, let me know how that goes for you..." Lucy teased. "I
think its great. At least we know you can't scare him off..."

"Don't remind me," Ellen said shaking her head. "I still
don't understand how you manage to find the trouble you do. If I
had a penny for every ..."

"I know, I know," Lois sighed. "Clark says the same thing."

"Something we have in common," Ellen said with a smile.

"I'm starved! What are we doing for dinner?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, uh, Clark was going to pick up some Chinese takeout when he
brought over the files on the story we're working on..."

"Oh, really??" Ellen asked, her eyes doing a twinkle as she
spoke.

Lucy's eyes sparkled as well, "Do we need to make ourselves
scarce...give you some privacy?"

"Lucy!" Lois blushed, "We just started going out..."

"So?" Lucy shrugged, "You've known each other for a
year...almost...Besides you said something about his
kisses...'.making your toes curl'..." Lucy reminded her. Lois
blushed recalling just how weak that kiss had made her. Ellen
just laughed as Lois' face turned beet read. "We should come up
with a signal. You wiggle your nose or something and I'll make
an excuse to leave..."

"Wiggle my nose?" Lois laughed. "Do I look like Samantha from
Bewitched?"

Lucy shrugged as she wiggled her eyebrows, "Just a
suggestion."

"Behave, both of you," Ellen interrupted.

A knock at the door interrupted the sibling teasing and Lois
sighed, "That's probably dinner."

"...and Lois' dessert," Lucy added laughing.

"Shut up," Lois said before turning to open the door, "Hi,"
She smiled, seeing Clark on the other side of the door with a bag
of Chinese.

"Hi," he said with a smile as he stepped into the apartment. He
handed Lois the bag of Chinese and she turned to introduce him to
her unexpected guest...her mother.

"Uh, mom, this is Clark. Clark, mom..." Lois introduced them.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lane," He extended his hand to greet
hers. She gave him a once-over before taking it, eying him
critically before stepping back. She looked from Lois to Clark
back to Lois again then smiled.

Lucy elbowed her mother, whispering, "Don't even think about
it..." in a harsh whisper.

Ellen gave him a once over once more then smiled, "Nice to meet
you, Clark. I've been hearing..."

Lucy tugged her mom into the spare bedroom, "Mom, why don't you
help me unpack?"

"But you already..." Ellen began before realizing what Lucy was
trying to do then nodded, "Oh! I suppose a second opinion on
where everything is won't hurt..."

"What was that about?" He asked curiously.

"Lucy is just being...Lucy," Lois said too quickly and pointed
at the box in his hand. "Are those the files?"

He nodded, patting the box with his one hand, "Jimmy said he'd
be coming by with the rest..."

"Uh, just put it in the living room. We can sort through this
later," Lois said.

Clark nodded, handing her the bag of food. "Hopefully there's
enough. I got extra because of Lucy..."

"Mom's not a big eater," Lois reassured, "Should be fine."

He snapped his fingers, "I almost forgot...I was supposed to
call Jimmy and give him the names of the guys that were caught in
the sting at the Metro Club so he knew which files to grab..."

Lois handed him the phone and he began to dial. "It's so weird
going though all these old..." She stopped when he motioned for
her to stop talking, moving the phone away from his ear
cautiously. "What is it?"

He lowered his glasses, scanning the room cautiously then
whispered in a barely audible tone, "Unlock your window,"
before dropping the phone on the couch and disappearing out the
front door.

Ellen reentered the living room with Lucy, "Lois? Are you two
ready for..." Before she could finish her statement Lois was
already opening her window for the famed superhero of Metropolis.
"Oh, my..."

"This'll just take a sec..." Clark reassured. In a blink of an
eye, he reappeared in front of them with a handful of gadgets
that appeared to be small cameras.

Lucy stared at the cameras in shock, "Is that...?"

Clark nodded, "Yes, Clark, uh....told me..." He wasn't very
good at coming up with excuses. Lois noticed he was looking at
her for help and she wasn't sure what to say.

"He found a camera...and then went to find Superman to sweep the
place..." Lois explained.

"Who would bug your apartment?" Ellen asked.

Lois looked away from her mother nervously, unsure of how to
explain everything. Lucy caught her sister's gaze and shook her
head, "You think it was Lex don't you?" She turned to
Superman, "Take those to the police and get a restraining
order...now!"

"Lucy, it's not that simple..." Lois began. *'Oh, how to
explain...'*

Clark nodded, "I'm going to take these somewhere...safe..." He
caught Lois' gaze before finishing, "Clark should be back soon
...when I left he was picking up, uh...."

"Double Fudge Crunch bars?" God, she was as bad as he was. When
Lucy and Ellen turned to look at Lois in confusion she fought the
urge to laugh when he mouthed 'double fudge crunch bars,
really?' to her. She just nodded, "When you got a sweet
tooth..."

"Right," he nodded. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone.

A knock at the door a few seconds later announced Clark's
arrival. Lois opened the door and smiled when she saw Clark
standing there with a box of Double Fudge Crunch bars. "For
your, uh, sweet tooth..." He whispered with a smirk as he
stepped inside the apartment.

***

Nigel glared at the screen as he watched the footage of Lois Lane
opening her window for Superman and then within a few seconds
each monitor's feed went blank. He'd found the surveillance
equipment. Now that Lex was no longer a fixture in Lois Lane's
life it would be harder to replant the equipment. He'd have to
keep Superman occupied while he did...

***

Later that evening, they all sat around the dining table,
enjoying the Chinese food Clark had brought from 'a little place
he knew'. Ellen and Lucy took the food and set everything up at
the table and Lois helped set the research up in the living room.
Once the table was set they all sat down to eat, "So, Lucy
how's it feel to be back in Metropolis?" Clark asked, handing
her an eggroll.

"Great!" Lucy beamed. "California was fun for a bit but it's
good to be back and get back to school this Fall. I need to
finish up my degree."

"...and stop living paycheck to paycheck..." Ellen added.

Lucy sighed, "I'm doing what I can while going to school."

Clark smiled, "Well I'm glad you're back. I know Lois missed
you."

"Yes I missed her too," Lucy sighed, "but thanks for taking
such good care of her."

"No problem," He shared a look with Lois for a moment then
turned away.

"Lois, isn't easy to keep up with," Ellen added with a smile.

Clark smiled, "She's worth it," That earned him a smile from
Ellen. She seemed to be trying to make her mind up about him for
a moment. He noticed the lull in the conversation and decided to
try and find out more about Lois' mother, hoping to steer away
from any sensitive topics for the moment. "So, Ellen, Lois said
you were a nurse?"

Ellen nodded, "Yes, I was a surgical nurse at Metropolis
General. It's where I met Sam."

Clark nodded, "Yeah, I met him when we did the story on
Menken's gym. He seemed..."

Ellen raised her eyebrows at him, waiting for the response with
amusement, "Colorful?" She offered.

"Uh, yeah," He said uncertain if that was the right way to
describe Sam Lane.

"He wasn't always like that, but ambition kind of took over
and..." She sighed, "Well, you know the rest," She took a
fortune cookie and opened it, "What in the world?"

"What is it?" Lucy asked, opening her own fortune cookie,
"Hey!"

"What?" Lois asked.

"It's in Chinese!" Ellen said in shock.

Lois laughed, handing the fortunes to Clark to translate,
"Here..."

Clark laughed, taking the fortune and reading it for her. "Do
not mistake temptation for opportunity,"

Lucy and Ellen stared at him in shock, "You can read Chinese??"
They asked in unison.

"...and about three hundred other languages," Lois added.

"Photographic memory," Clark explained.

"Wow..." Lucy sighed, "Feel like helping me with Statistics
this Fall?" Clark laughed.

Ellen sighed, stretching her arms. "This was nice. Delicious
food." She turned to Lois and Lucy, "I think I'm going to head
out." She gave Lucy a hug, "Don't you dare leave town without
telling me again,"

"Yes, Mother," Lucy said, giving her a hug.

Ellen turned to Clark, "Clark, thank you for dinner. It was
amazing. You will have to get me their caterer. We're always
looking for new places to try at the club,"

"Uh, I don't know if they cater," Clark began.

"Really?" Ellen asked, surprised. "They really
should...Anyway, I'm out of here. You three have fun," She then
turned to Lois and gave her a hug, whispering just loud enough
for Lois to hear, "Hold onto him. He's good for you," Before
turning to leave.

"Did that just happen?" Lucy asked in shock.

"Dinner with mom and an enjoyable conversation...yeah, I
wouldn't have believed it either," Lois laughed.

Lucy smiled, "I think she was on good behavior for Clark,"

"Probably," Lois said, turning to look at him.

Lucy let out a yawn and sighed, "I think the jet lag is getting
to me...I think that's my cue to turn in. Do you need any help
cleaning up?"

"No, that's fine," Lois reassured her, "Get some sleep.
We've got this,"

Clark nodded, taking Lois' hand in his. "Good night, Lucy,"
Lucy waved goodnight and left. He turned to Lois as he grabbed
the trash from the table and tossed it in the trash. "Your mom
seems nice,"

She laughed, "She has her moments." She began wiping the table
down and smiled as she watched Clark bend over to sweep up the
stray bits of food that had fallen on the floor. Lucy was still
awake so he didn't want to do anything super with her in the
next room.

He noticed her eyes on him and turned back to smile at her, "All
done," He said, putting the contents of the dustpan in the
trash.

He followed her into the living room and took a seat on the couch
with her. "Thanks for bringing the files over," She said.
"...and dinner. My mom's not the easiest to deal with..."

"She seems...guarded..." He observed sadly.

"She is," Lois nodded. "After everything that happened with
daddy...She put her walls up and turned to drinking..."

"That must have been rough on you and Lucy," He said,
intertwining her hand with his.

She smiled slowly, "It was. Lucy locked herself in her room
while I dealt with the brunt of everything...she has her qualms
about relationships...just like I do. She's just less guarded. I
don't do too well with the touchy feely stuff if you haven't
noticed."

Clark smiled, "I've noticed."

"I mean, after what happened three years ago I ...I promised
myself I wouldn't..." She sobered slightly, looking down at his
hand that still held hers in his palm. "Then you kinda snuck up
on me...I spent a year trying to deny it and then after the other
night...there was no denying what I felt when you kissed me and
then..." She squeezed his hand, "I ...love you,"

He cupped her cheek, "I love you too," He said with a smile.

"I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing that..." Lois smiled
at him.

"Then I'll just have to keep saying it," He grinned, leaning
in to kiss her, tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue.
She cupped his face with her hand, fingering the curls on the
back of his head with her fingers. He moaned against her lips as
she deepened the kiss, pressing her small frame against him.

"I guess you will," She grinned back at him, pulling away from
him slightly so she was leaning against him, "So, why the
glasses?" Lois asked.

"I needed them to help me when I was younger ..." At her
perplexed look, he continued, "I had to learn how to control my
powers when I was younger...having fires start out of nowhere
wasn't the ideal situation."

"Or seeing through someone's clothes..." Lois teased. Clark
blushed at that comment. "Have you...?"

"Not intentionally, but when I was in high school I accidentally
x-rayed the girls' locker room...Not my proudest moment..." He
added as she laughed at the blush that was spreading to his
neck.

"Ever been tempted?" She asked, leaning back against him again
as she stroked her hand against where his hand rested below her
rib cage.

"May...be," He admitted shyly.

"Really?" She asked, turning to face him, "By me?" At his
blush, she grinned impishly, "When?"

He looked away, avoiding her gaze, "Uh..."

"Superman doesn't lie," She added, arching her eyebrow,
pressing her small frame against him as he struggled to form a
response.

She ran her hand seductively down his thigh causing him to jump,
"Lo-is..."

She giggled in response, "I believe you were trying to answer a
question..." She said running her index finger and middle finger
from his thigh to his knee in a walking motion.

"Please don't do...that..." He whispered, taking her hand from
his knee and holding it in his palm as he brought it to his hand
to kiss.

"Why?" She teased. "Am I distracting you?"

"Without a doubt," He whispered, brushing his lips against the
nape of her neck.

"You never answered my..." She sighed happily as he nibbled in
just the right spot against her neck, "Oh, Clark..."

He smiled against her neck, "Two can play that game..."

She laughed, leaning back against him as his arms tightened
around her waist. "I was just testing
this....super...willpower...Oh, God..." She managed as his
tongue grazed against just the right spot to make her melt in his
arms.

"It has its limits..." He whispered in her ear, pulling away
from her.

She looked at him intrigued. "Really?" She was about to see
just how far those limits were when he got that familiar
expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Bank alarm,"

"Bank alarm?" She glanced at the clock, "All the banks are
closed!"

"It could be nothing, but just in case..." He gave her a peck
on the cheek before standing up, "I'll try to be quick,"

"I was just about to find out all those juicy details..." She
teased as the door closed behind him.

***

Nothing. No sign of anyone anywhere. Clark scanned the building
as he landed outside the bank. A security guard walked up to him,
shaking his head. "Damn kids...waking me up in the middle of the
night..."

"Is there a problem, sir?" Clark asked.

"Obviously not," He sighed. "I gotta drive all the way down
here to reset the alarm because someone thinks it's funny to
mess with the system..."

"Any idea who or what could have tripped the alarm?" Clark
asked.

"There's no telling," the guard shrugged. "The system is
pretty sensitive,"

***

"I didn't call for maintenance..." Lois began to argue.

"This'll just take a minute," The man reassured. "We have to
check the plumbing in all the apartments. We just replaced a pipe
and need to make sure there aren't any leaks..."

"Okay," Lois nodded, stepping aside for the man to enter the
apartment. She watched him head to the bathroom and then turned
back to the file on the table. Hopefully, Clark would be back
soon. A few minutes later the man was leaving. Lois waved and got
up to lock the door behind him. "Well that was quick," She
quipped.

***

"Bureau 39? Jason Trask's Bureau 39?" Lex asked skeptically as
she took a sip of the beer in front of him. They were after all
in Germany.

Agent Carter nodded, "That's right. He may have been off his
rocker like they said and he may have gone about things the wrong
way, but he was right about one thing..."

"What was that?" Lex asked.

Carter shook his head, "No way," He pointed to the table, "I
want the money up front first then I'll tell you everything you
need to know,"

"Very well," Lex took out his checkbook and began to write,
"How much?"

"Cash," Carter corrected. "I need the money in my hand and
then I'll tell you everything,"

"How do I know you aren't just trying to shake me down for
cash?" Lex inquired.

Carter pulled out a small green glowing rock inside a Ziploc bag,
"Because I'm the one that did the initial testing on this
little piece of home for Trask,"

"Is that...?" Lex began to say.

"Kryptonite," Carter nodded.

***

Clark shook his head as he knocked on Lois' door. Since Lucy was
staying with Lois again he couldn't just fly in and out without
raising suspicion. He needed to be careful. Someone had planted
cameras in Lois' apartment. How many conversations had they
heard? He hadn't examined the cameras enough to know if they
were audio or not, but the idea of someone watching Lois...

The door opened and Lois smiled at him, "That didn't take
long..."

"False alarm," He said with a smile as he stepped into her
apartment. He rubbed her right arm and smiled, "I guess we need
to be more careful...what we say...just in case..." He scanned
the room to make sure he didn't see any more cameras.

Lois nodded, "Yeah," She shuddered slightly, wrapping her arms
around herself as she took a seat on the couch.

"I checked the room. There are no more cameras..." He reassured
her, taking a seat next to her.

"But there were..." Lois reminded him. "Just the other day we
were..." She shook her head in disgust. "What if someone was
listening?"

"We don't know if those cameras had audio on them," Clark
reminded her.

"But we were talking about...you know what...What if someone
finds out?" Lois said, opting to talk in code rather than say
the actual name of 'kryptonite.'

Clark sighed, "We'll deal with it if it happens," He
reassured, cupping her cheek.

"Do you think Lucy's right?" Lois asked shakily.

"I don't know," Clark sighed. "The problem is, I already
removed the cameras. I didn't wait for the police so it's our
word against his...knowing Luthor there's probably zero paper
trail and it'll lead to some fall guy and nowhere near him."

"This is getting kinda scary," Lois said shakily. She cast a
glance at the box of files next to the couch. "I'm starting to
think we haven't even scratched the surface of what he's
capable of..."

"I know," He sighed, taking her hand in his. "He's always a
couple steps ahead..."

"Well, maybe if we keep taking steps backward we can find loose
ends he forgot to trim," Lois reasoned, squeezing his hand.

"Thank you," He whispered.

"For what?" She asked.

"Everything," He sighed, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"You could have been mad at me and you weren't. You didn't
have to believe me when I ..."

She held a finger up to his mouth and whispered, "Enough of
that. I told you I was a bit shell-shocked that night...You're
right I could have been mad, but as I said before I can't think
of a time when you could have told me. You trusted me so I
trusted you. It's that simple."

"I love you," He said softly, leaning in to kiss her. She
turned to face him, cupping the side of his face as she deepened
the kiss. She traced the length of his tie with her index finger,
pulling him to her as she tugged on his tie, wrapping the silk
tie around her hand as she moved up toward the knot of his tie to
loosen it.

"I love you," She murmured against his lips, pressing him back
against the couch, as she slid her other leg to the other side of
his leg so that she was hovering above his lap, supporting
herself on her knees as she kissed him, tugging at the knot on
his tie with her fingers.

"I love you," He whispered, slipping his hands around her waist
so they rested on the small of her back. His tie hung loosely
around his neck, untied and she pulled it through the collar of
his shirt. He could feel the heat from her body pressed against
him, smell her perfume as it teased his nostrils. Her chest was
pressed up against his chin, teasing him as she deepened the
kiss. He could feel his body responding to her touch.

"Take this off..." She murmured, trying to get his jacket off
him without breaking their embrace. He nodded, leaning back just
far enough so he had enough room to shrug the jacket off and
threw it over the back of the couch. She reached for his collar
and pulled him toward her. He groaned as his face brushed against
her blouse. He'd fantasized about what lay beneath those cotton
blouses for months. He wasn't sure if he should be the one to
make the first move. He didn't want to scare her off and he was
really enjoying what she was doing to him right now. She seemed
to sense his hesitation and she reached for his hand and guided
it to her chest. He'd dreamed of this for so long...

"Lo-is..." She caught his gaze meeting his eyes he watched in
anticipation as she unbuttoned her blouse, one button at a time.
The idea of making love to Lois was enough to make him sweat. He
knew she was just as turned on as him. He looked down at the
fabric that was bunched up on both sides of her thighs,
swallowing hard as he noticed how far up her legs her skirt had
been hiked up to. So many fantasies...

He groaned as he saw her slowly reveal a simple lace bra beneath
her blouse and bit his lower lip in anticipation, meeting her
heated gaze with one of his own. He leaned forward, brushing his
lips against her collarbone. She sighed happily and lowered
herself down to his lap, pressing herself against him. "Oh,
Cl..." She gasped as he buried his face in her chest. "Oh, God,
yes..." She whimpered against him, moving to recapture his lips
with her own.

"Lois..." He devoured her lips with his own and she whimpered
against him. He drank in the sight of her with her blouse hanging
open, straddling him and he smiled.

She cut him off and devoured his lips with her own. "You
are...so..." She whimpered against his lips, "I love you,"

"Hey, Lois, I brought the rest of the stuff over here like the
Chief wanted me to..." The sound of the door opening caught his
attention and he quickly grabbed his jacket to cover Lois up as
she pulled back to look at him in curiosity. "Whoa!"

"Jimmy, what are you doing here??" Lois whimpered from beneath
his coat as she fumbled with her blouse.

"Oh, *God*..." Clark groaned between gritted teeth, trying to
regain control of his body as he felt her move against him.

"I am **so** sorry. I had no idea...Oh, God..." Jimmy managed,
struggling with the boxes in his arms. Unfortunately, Clark was
in no position to move to help him.

Lois fumbled with the buttons to her blouse under the cover of
his jacket as she growled, "Don't you knock?"

"I did...no one answered and the door was unlocked..." Jimmy
stammered, trying to avoid looking at either her or Clark.

Lois finished buttoning her blouse then turned on his lap,
eliciting another groan as she brushed against him." You have
got to be the most inconsiderate..."

Jimmy was still struggling with the boxes he was holding and took
a step back, "Hey, I had no idea you guys were....I mean..."

Clark still struggling to regain control of his body decided to
intervene, wrapping an arm around Lois' waist, "Lois, honey,
I'm sure it was just...bad timing..."

Lois glared at Jimmy for a moment then glanced back at Clark
again then turned her attention back to Jimmy shooting him a look
of death, "I better not hear about this in the Planet grapevine
or I swear..."

"Lois, come on you know me better than that," Jimmy said a bit
offended.

"What is going on out here?" Lucy asked, stepping out of the
spare bedroom. "I'm trying to sleep and..."

"Lucy?" Jimmy dropped the box where he was standing, surprised
to see the younger Lane sister. "I...I didn't know you
were..."

Lucy nodded, "Just got in...What are you...?" She looked around
the room and spotted her sister still sitting halfway on Clark's
lap with his tie thrown over the back of the couch and his coat
still hanging on her shoulders and realization began to dawn on
her.

Unfortunately, Jimmy was no longer paying attention to his
friends that he'd intruded on, instead intent on reconnecting
with Lucy. "So, how long are you in town for?" Jimmy asked.

"Um, why don't we talk another time..." Lucy said eying Lois
and Clark who were still sitting on the couch.

"What?" Jimmy asked confused for a moment then realization
dawned on him, "Oh, right! Another time...I'll just be..."

Clark let out a sigh of relief that their unexpected houseguest
was finally leaving when his super-hearing picked up the police
radio from down the street, "Hostage situation in
progress...repeat gunman is armed and dangerous..." He silently
cursed his luck, willing his body to calm down. "All units
respond...repeat...All units respond..."

"I've got to go," He whispered, grabbing his jacket off Lois'
shoulders to help hide the effect their very heated make-out
session had had on him from Lucy and Jimmy who were still not
paying any attention to them. "I'll see you tomorrow," He
leaned down to kiss Lois goodbye before leaving.

"See, Jimmy, look what you did..." Lucy smacked him on the
shoulder.

"I didn't do anything. I was in the middle of leaving..."
Jimmy argued.

***

Thankfully the hostage situation was a quick in and out situation
where he didn't need to wait around for long. He'd left before
the media had shown up so he was able to get out of there without
drawing attention to his current predicament. It wasn't as bad
as it had been earlier but it was still very noticeable. That was
one downfall about the Superman suit...it was very revealing. He
smiled to himself. He'd have to come up with a plan for how to
deal with interruptions like this without embarrassing himself.
It was painful but the memory of Lois' body pressed up against
him made it so worth it. He wouldn't trade a single second for
anything in the world...

Maybe a trip up to the arctic for a few minutes would help... He
recalled the look on Lois' face when her body had been
convulsing against him and shuddered. Make that a few hours...

***

Lois turned on the television to see the coverage on the hostage
situation at a gas station down the street. She smiled as she
watched the familiar red and blue streak fly in and rescue the
hostages while depositing the gunmen to the police at super
speed. He hadn't even stopped long enough to talk to anyone.

'*Probably still having problems with that suit,'* She reasoned
to herself.

She shuddered involuntarily recalling the hardness she'd felt
pressed up against her when she'd been kissing him tonight.
There was no way that had gone down in just a few
minutes...Superman or not...

*<<"Two days of not being able to do anything when you were
under the influence of those pheromones...I guess I just kinda
lost my willpower..."*

"*Really?" *

"*Two...days..." *

"*So, is that the limit to Superman's
willpower....Two...days...?" *

"*It...depends..." *

"*On ...what...exactly?" *

"*How long you're torturing...him...for..." >>*

She recalled their conversation about how his willpower had been
tested to the max when she'd been under the influence of the
pheromones a few months ago. She'd been so mortified when she
realized she'd been throwing herself at Clark like that...even
more mortified when she saw what she'd shown up at his apartment
in.

*<<"Lois..." *

*She cut him off and devoured his lips with her own. "You
are...so..." She whimpered against his lips, "I love you,">>*

She shuddered involuntarily recalling how she'd reached
completion from just heavy petting and him kissing her. For a
long time, she'd thought there was something wrong with her
after what had happened with Claude. Now she realized it had
nothing to do with her.

*<<"I've been wanting to do that since this morning*

"*Why didn't you?" *

"*I didn't know if I was allowed...We're still in
the...getting to know you...phase...">>*

Clark was such a boy scout. He had been afraid to touch
her...afraid to push...allowing her to set the pace of their
relationship. It was empowering to know he had given her so much
power...

*<<"I want this to work more than anything I've ever wanted in
this world,">>*

"Oh, Clark..." She sighed, leaning back against the couch. Lucy
and Jimmy were at the dining table catching up over chocolate ice
cream and cream soda. She smiled at her sister. She wasn't sure
what had happened between the two of them but it seemed to be in
the past now because they didn't seem to be able to take their
eyes off of each other.

*<<"Lois, it's very late..."*

"*Not too late I hope...for us...for happiness?"*

"*Oh, no! Lois, please no don't!"*

"*Oh, Clark, I love you! I want to spend the rest of my life
with you!"*

"*Lois, please go home..."*

"*You're here...this is my home..."*

"*Lois, you don't know how many times I've thought about
this...dreamt about this...well something like this...but it's
not real. What you're feeling is not real. I don't know exactly
how but there was something in the perfume that made everyone
drunk on...love...Lois, I cannot take advantage of you like
this...">>*

The memory of that night she'd tried to seduce him under the
influence of the pheromones had been seared into her mind for
months. She'd tried to brush it off as just the pheromones but
her heart and her head knew better. She'd fought her feelings
for months and now she'd faced her feelings, but still felt that
fear in the pit of her stomach.

*<<"Lois, I can't take it anymore. If you really want me I'm
yours...">>*

Her feelings for Clark were intense...and that scared her. After
everything that had happened with Claude...moving too quickly
scared her. So why hadn't she been scared when she'd been the
one to make the first move? In the heat of the moment, it had
been so easy to forget...

*<<"Lois, I can't take it anymore. If you really want me I'm
yours...">>*

She knew she had been the one to push the boundaries tonight. She
had been the one to lose control...If Jimmy hadn't shown up when
he did...Would they have...? She loved Clark. Admitting that had
been the first hurdle but taking that step...a step that had
ended in a disaster last time...terrified her.

*<<"I mean, you're ...YOU, but I just don't want you to
be..."*

"*Lois, I'm not...I'm not that experienced either..."*

"*You're not?" *

"*No, actually not...at all..." >>*

A week ago they had been just friends, partners...and she was
infatuated with his alter-ego, oblivious to the fact that they
were one and the same. Now, so much had changed and everything
seemed to be moving so fast. What she felt...she could easily
lose herself in his arms without thinking twice, but that was
where she'd messed up the last time...Getting lost in the heat
of the moment without checking the water level first. They'd
known each other so long yet didn't know each other at the same
time.

*<<"Lois, I'm not from here...I'm different...so I made the
decision not to...cross that threshold until I could find someone
I could share everything with...">>*

*<< "So, you're waiting for..."*

"*Just the right person,...You,"*

"*Oh, Clark, you are just so...I love you,"*

"*I love you too, Lois," >>*

He was Superman yet he seemed just as scared about crossing that
threshold as she did. His plea to take things slow had been met
with skepticism on her part...partly because she'd never taken
things slow with anyone or anything.

*<<"Lois, I can't take it anymore. If you really want me I'm
yours...">>*

She'd dreamed of hearing those words from Superman for so long,
but now everything was different. It was Clark. Clark was
Superman. The same man that had told her so long ago that all she
had to do was say the word...Why did that thought scare her so
much?

*<<"Lois, I can't take it anymore. If you really want me I'm
yours...">>*

***

After a long dip in the Arctic ocean, Clark landed outside his
balcony and stepped inside, changing back into his dress slacks
and dress shirt from earlier. He sighed as he closed the window
behind him. Tonight had been incredible and if Jimmy hadn't
shown up when he did he knew they would have ended up moving
their very heated make out session to the bedroom...but he had.
Jimmy had shown up and interrupted them...again. That boy had the
worst timing...He'd wanted to go right back to her apartment and
finish what they'd started, but something was stopping him. He
just wasn't sure what.

Maybe it was the fact that everything seemed to be moving so
fast. Not fast in a bad way, but a very *very* good way. He was
afraid of scaring her off. He was afraid of blowing it and
possibly losing what was blossoming into a wonderful
relationship. He loved being able to be himself with her, but he
still sensed she was holding back...scared. He didn't want to
lose himself in a moment and have her regret it the next day. He
wanted it all. He wanted forever. If that meant dips in the
Arctic ocean became a nightly ritual; so be it.

***

Back at Lois' apartment Lucy and Jimmy were still catching up.
"So, how long are you in town for?" Jimmy asked, taking a sip
of coffee.

"I haven't decided..." Lucy said shyly. "Lois is letting me
crash here until I get my bearings again and then get started
back with school."

Jimmy nodded, "So, you...uh, seeing anyone...I mean when you
were...out in California..."

Lucy laughed at Jimmy's nervousness. They had gone on a few
dates before she'd decided to move out to California. Rather
than try to keep a long-distance relationship they'd decided to
just take a break. Now that she was back it seemed he wanted to
pick up where they left off. "No, I mean no one special..." She
said with a smile. "You?" She took a sip of her coffee and
looked at him expectantly.

"Uh, no..." He said rather hurriedly. "No one special,"

***

The next morning Lois woke up to find Lucy and Jimmy had fallen
asleep on the couch watching an old movie. She smiled, looking at
her sister curled up in a ball on one side and Jimmy on the other
with a bowl of popcorn just a few inches from his sleeping arm.
It seemed the two of them were trying to pick things up where
they left off a few months ago. She headed to the bedroom to
finish getting dressed, throwing on a blouse and jeans.
Thankfully it was Saturday and she had the weekend off. It had
been a long week. She smiled recalling all the changes that had
taken place over the last week. "What a difference a week
makes," she mused as she headed to the kitchen to begin brewing
some coffee.

A knock at the door caught her attention and she tip-toed to the
door, careful not to wake Jimmy or Lucy. She smiled when she saw
Clark on the other side in a green button-down shirt and jeans.
She eyed him appreciatively, "Morning."

"Morning," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

She smiled against his lips, smoothing her hand over the
imaginary wrinkles on his shirt. "Everything go okay?"

"Yeah," he smiled, stepping into the apartment and closing the
door behind him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Lucy and Jimmy
on the couch.

Lois smiled, "I think they were...catching up...last night,"
She winked at him.

"Ah," he nodded, "Well, I just, uh..." He noticed Lucy
starting to stir and quickly covered, "I mean, uh, Superman took
Jack to visit Denny for the weekend and he, uh, offered to fly
...us out to Smallville...if you'd be interested...just for the
day."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "There's not some weird Wheat
Festival going on that I should know about?"

Clark laughed, "That was the Corn Festival and you had fun..."

She smirked back at him, "Okay you got me there, but it's still
weird..."

"I promise there are no crop festivals for you to accidentally
have fun with," he teased, holding up three fingers to give a
'scout's honor.'

Lois laughed, leaning in to kiss him, "Okay, sure. Just let me
change my top."

A groan from the other side of the room caught both of their
attention and they turned to see Jimmy looking at them amused
with a half-smile, "CK don't you have a home?"

"I could ask you the same question," Lois teased, mussing his
hair as she walked by him to change.

***

*{"Thank you." *

"*For what?" *

"*Everything, You could have been mad at me and you weren't.
You didn't have to believe me when I ..."*

"*Enough of that. I told you I was a bit shell-shocked that
night...You're right I could have been mad, but as I said before
I can't think of a time when you could have told me. You trusted
me so I trusted you. It's that simple."*

"*I love you." *

"*I love you."}*

Nigel stopped the tape, seeing enough. He rolled his eyes in
disgust, reaching for the phone, "Start pulling everything you
can on Clark Kent."

After giving his orders he hung up the phone. It had been too
easy. Masquerade as a repairman and add an audio feed to the
electrical system so everything in the apartment worked as a
transmitter. Thankfully the electrical circuit box was encased in
lead so Superman wouldn't be able to see it.

***

The sound of the familiar sonic boom could be heard behind the
barn. Martha looked at Jonathan, "Did Clark call?" He shrugged
his shoulders and she shook her head as he stood up to follow her
out on the porch, "He better have told her or..."

"I don't think you have to worry about that..." Jonathan
pointed at Clark and Lois walking hand in hand toward them.

***

Carter flipped through the envelope of cash happily, "Pleasure
doing business with you, Boss," He smirked at Luthor who just
stared at him impatiently.

"You have your money..."

"How much do you want to know about Bureau 39?" Carter asked.

"Everything. Everything that has to do with Superman..." Lex
said, pointing downward at the table as if the information was
something Carter could make magically appear on the table.

Carter smiled, "We'll have to start at the beginning..."

***

"Can I get you some coffee?" Martha asked, heading into the
kitchen.

Lois looked around the dining room nervously. It was strange
being back here. "Uh, sure," she nodded.

"They shouldn't be too long. Clark likes to try and help where
he can with the heavy stuff on the farm ever since Jonathan's
back surgery a few years ago," Martha brought her a cup of
coffee and took a seat at the dining table, "So, Clark told
you?" She prompted.

Lois nodded, "Yeah," She smiled taking a seat across Martha as
she took a sip of her coffee. Surprisingly it was already
sweetened to her liking.

"Black, two sugars. Just like Jonathan." Martha said with a
smile, "I remembered from the last time you were here."

"Thanks," Lois said, setting the cup down.

"Kinda weird, huh?" Martha asked.

"Yes!" Lois nodded, "Very. It's just so..." She was trying
to find the right word but couldn't.

"Surprising?" Martha guessed.

"Shocking..." Lois nodded. "I was shell-shocked when he first
told me...very...VERY shell-shocked."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"I guess...a good?" Lois shrugged. "We're still trying to
figure everything out...take things slow," Lois said.

"And he told you about everything with Lex Luthor?" Martha
asked uneasily.

Lois nodded, "Yeah, and some of it I had to find out on my
own...I still can't believe I was so *...blind*."

"I didn't want you getting caught in the cross-fire with
everything...especially considering everything he did when he was
testing Clark a few months ago. There's no telling what he would
do..."

"Testing Clark?" Lois asked, confused.

Martha sighed, "So he didn't tell you everything?"

"The stuff with Prometheus mainly...we've been researching a
lot of the old stories and he's been slowly telling me
everything...like with the Kryptonite..." Lois explained. "What
test?"

"When he first started out 'being Superman' Lex Luthor started
testing him. He had two people jump at the same time across town
from one another to test his speed..." Martha began. Lois
blushed slightly recalling the incident where she'd 'stolen'
Clark's story. It wasn't her proudest moment. Did she know? He
seemed to be pretty open with his parents... "Then he set off a
bomb to test his vulnerability..."

"The Carlin building..." Lois nodded. "I remember."

"When he put the pieces together and confronted Luthor ..."

"He confronted him?" Lois asked, aghast.

"Yes, sometimes he just jumps in without thinking...especially
when people he cares about are in danger. Anyway, when he
confronted him Luthor told him the tests wouldn't stop unless
Superman left Metropolis."

"That's why he went missing for three days," Lois sighed,
recalling how worried she'd been when Superman hadn't shown up
to help during that week they were all trying to land the
'Superman exclusive.'

"I tried talking him out of it...We just couldn't get through
to him. I'm actually not sure what it was that changed his
mind," Martha sighed, "but I'm glad he did. Superman gives him
a way to use his powers...to help like he's wanted to for so
long...and not risk being exposed..."

*<<"It's the idea of Superman. Someone to believe in. Someone
to **build** a few hopes around. Whatever he can do; that's
enough.">>*

Lois recalled the words she'd said to Clark so long ago and
shifted uncomfortably in her seat. What had changed his mind?
"So, do you guys all talk about him in the third person?"

Martha laughed, "Sometimes it's the only way to keep everything
straight," She smiled at Lois, giving her a pained expression,
"This is nice."

"What?" Lois asked, unsure of what the change in Martha's tone
was.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, taking Lois' hand. "It's
just...well, it's been almost thirty years and you're the first
woman I've been able to talk to about my boy," Lois smiled,
uncertain of what to say. Martha squeezed her hand before dabbing
at her eyes, "Sorry, I just get..." She waved her arms trying
to indicate something but never finished her statement, seeming
to brush herself off she smiled, "Did he ever tell you about all
the different suits we went through before deciding on *the*
suit?"

"No," Lois said cautiously.

Martha had a gleam in her eye as her grin widened, "Wait right
here..."

***

"It emits a pretty strong radiation. No one we tested it on
seemed to be affected. Trask had a theory that it would kill
Superman because it came to Earth at the same time as his ship,"
Carter said nonchalantly.

"Do you have this ship?" Lex asked in anticipation.

"No, but I know where to get it..." Carter grinned.

***

That afternoon Lois walked with Clark toward the lake, still
mulling over her conversation with Martha earlier. "So, no crop
festivals..." She looked around with a smile. "No crazy Bureau
39 agents..."

"Nope, just a normal Saturday," he grinned at her, wrapping his
arms around her waist as they walked toward the pier.

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Lois asked nervously.

"You said you've never been fishing before and here in
Smallville that's a cardinal sin..." He joked, walking her
toward the end of the pier.

"I'm not much of a fish eater...If I catch one then I'm gonna
have to clean it and ..." She shuddered.

Clark laughed, "You can always throw it back."

"Throw it back?" Lois asked, incredulously. "What is the point
in fishing if you're just going to..."

Clark laughed, "It's just a fun way to pass time. My dad used
to take me fishing all the time when I was a kid."

"I didn't get to do too much of the whole playing outdoors
thing growing up," Lois admitted softly.

"Seriously?" He asked. Lois nodded and he handed her a fishing
pole, "How do you *not* play outside as a kid? My folks had to
drag me back inside ..."

Lois gave him a sad smile, "Your parents are really
wonderful."

He nodded, smiling, "He's just an ordinary guy you know...who
loves doing this ordinary thing...fishing. I guess I love it
because he does..."

"I can understand that," she said softly, "Lucy and I used to
try and do everything we could to get our dad's attention when
we were younger because he worked so much...Lucy used to pretend
to be injured so he'd have to 'help' her," Lois rolled her
eyes, "Silly, huh?"

"No," he smiled at her. "I think kids just want to share
something with their parents...Fishing, sports,
writing...whatever..."

"Yeah, until you grow up and realize sharing something with them
is the last thing you'd want," Lois said sadly.

He looked back at her in concern and she sighed, "Last night was
the first time I've been able to have a decent conversation with
my mother since I was ten. Even then it ended with yelling..."

"I'm sorry," Clark said, placing a supportive arm around her.
"I know you said your childhood was ...complicated...with your
dad."

Lois nodded, "That's putting it lightly. Growing up, having a
home...a childhood...wasn't the same in the Lane household. I
know it wasn't any picnic for you either...what with flying and
all, but at least you had a great home...growing up with
this..." She gestured to the lake behind them as the tears began
to fall. She knelt down, tapping the fishing pole against her
knee as she buried her face in her hands.

Clark knelt down next to her in concern, wrapping an arm around
her, "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I left as soon as I could and never looked
back. My mother was depressed. My father only related to cyborgs
and my sister wouldn't come out of her room. I didn't want to
be there..."

"I'm sorry," he wrapped her arms around her as she rested her
head against his shoulder, "I never thought..." He shook his
head, leaning in to kiss her.

"Sorry for melting down on you," she sniffed. "I just..."

"No need to apologize," he whispered, holding her close. "I'm
sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you."

"It's not your fault," she smiled up at him. "You were
sharing a memory and I can't seem to share one happy one without
thinking about the bad ones..." She looked around the pier,
"It's so quiet out here."

"Picks up more at night," Clark said.

"Really?" She teased, running her hand up his back, "How would
you know?"

He laughed turning to look at the speedboat that just drove by,
"See? Already starting to pick up..."

"I think you're avoiding the question..." She teased, looking
at him accusingly as they stood up.

"Never," He smiled at her, still not answering the question.
"I always enjoyed coming out here when no one was out...more
peaceful than a bunch of teenagers daring one another to dive off
that cliff over there..." He pointed across the lake where a
rocky cliff stood with an old tire swing that looked like it had
been there for ages.

Lois laughed, shaking her head, "Really? So did you fly down or
crash?"

"Floated...just enough to look realistic," He smiled, scooping
her into his arms, "Here, I'll show you..." Within the blink
of an eye, they were up on the cliff that from what Lois could
see below was a lot higher up than she thought.

"What are you doing?" Lois asked nervously as he walked
determinedly toward the end of the cliff. Realization began to
dawn on her and she squirmed in his arms, "No, no, no, Clark,
don't..." Before she could finish her plea he had already
stepped off the cliff and floated them into the lake. He set her
down in the water and she shrieked, "Ah, that's cold!"

"It'll warm up. Here," a minute later the water warmed up and
he gave her a grin, "Better?"

She splashed him lightly, "My clothes are soaked..."

"So are mine," he gestured to his waist that was below the
water level. "Don't worry. I'll dry you off. As I was saying
before, the trick is to float just enough so it looks
realistic..."

"So, why float? I mean, you could easily have flown down..."
Lois pointed up to the cliff they'd just come from.

Clark shook his head, "I didn't start flying till after high
school."

"Really?" Lois gave him a half-smile.

"Really," he nodded, lowering himself to the bottom of the lake
so he was eye level with her, "I didn't start developing any of
my powers until Junior High."

"I guess that makes sense," Lois reasoned as she shook her
head, laughing to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, "I'm just realizing how blind I was.
Little things I never thought of...or thought to ask..."

"Well, I told you before...Superman is just a disguise," he
smiled at her.

"A disguise you almost gave up?" At Clark's surprised look she
continued, "Your mom mentioned the tests from a few months
ago..."

He hung his head, nodding, "Yeah, I thought if I stopped being
Superman I could protect everyone...but then this really pushy
reporter I know ..."

"*Pushy*?" She countered, flicking him with some more water.

"...made me realize what a dumb idea that was." He turned to
face her, cupping her cheek. "You saved me from myself so many
times."

She smiled, linking her arms around his neck, "Well you've
saved me a time or two so I guess we should call it even."

"A time or two?" He echoed with a grin. "You get into trouble
more than anyone I've ever met..."

"I don't go *looking* for trouble," she shrugged as he raised
an eyebrow at her and she relented slightly, "It just finds
me..."

"I've noticed," he teased.

"I do have to say, I think you made a good choice...the leopard
print isn't nearly as good on your complexion..."

"Leopard print?" He asked, before realizing what she was
referring to. "Oh, nooo..." He groaned as he hung his head,
"Mom showed you the reject pile, huh?"

She laughed, "Oh, yeah," She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Did
you seriously try on every one of them?"

He winced, hanging his head in shame, "Uh, yeah,
unfortunately...Remind me to burn that box when we get back..."

Lois laughed, leaning up to kiss him, "Not a chance," The look
of embarrassment on his face made her laugh.

"I should probably just assume that you know every embarrassing
moment from here on out, huh?" He asked, wrapping his arms
around her waist as he pulled her to him. She could feel her
heart rate pick up the closer he got. Did he know what he was
doing to her?

"That's for me to know and you to sweat about..." She teased,
linking her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him.

He deepened the kiss, cupping her cheek as she shivered against
him. He looked at her in concern, "You cold?"

"A little," She admitted. He scooped her into his arms and
carried her toward the pier they'd been on earlier. "Where are
we going?"

"To dry off," he said, leaning in to kiss her before floating
them up to the edge of the pier.

***

"Nothing," Nigel read the reports in front of him, "Not even a
parking ticket."

"He seems to be clean," Fuentes said, tapping his fingers
against the folder in his hand.

"No one is *that* clean," Nigel argued. "Keep digging. He's
hiding something..."

***

After drying off from the lake they had found a spot on the grass
to sit and enjoy one another's company. Clark laid on the grass,
staring up at the sun while Lois laid next to him, resting her
head against his chest. "I still can't believe he blew up a
building like that to ...test you..."

"I know," Clark sighed, resting his arm around her waist as he
spoke. "So many people were injured...almost killed,"

"Does it scare you?" She asked.

"Does what scare me?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Knowing there's something out there that could kill you...not
knowing where..." She shuddered slightly and he tightened his
arm around her.

"A little," he admitted, "but not nearly as much as it scared
me to know what he was capable of and not being able
to...convince anyone. Henderson put a protective unit on Jack,
but I don't think he believes Jack about Luthor. No one does.
He's the 'golden child' but he's capable of...and getting
away with it...hurting so many people without a second
thought."

"What I don't get is 'why,'" Lois began slowly. "I mean,
he's done a lot of good with all the charities and employs
thousands of people in Metropolis. Why bother? It's not like
he's hurting for money..."

"I don't know," Clark shook his head in disgust. "I think
it's like a game to him. Kinda like those clay pigeons...He puts
on this cover and plays the part and gets some kind of sick
thrill out of getting away with everything...pulling the wool
over everyone's eyes..."

"Including mine," Lois admitted sheepishly. "I can't believe
I was so...*blind*."

"You wanted to see the good," Clark reasoned slowly. "Nobody
can fault you for that."

Lois gave him a weak smile, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked.

"Not believing you," she sighed, running her palm up his chest,
"You tried to warn me ...so many times...and I just didn't
listen. I'm sorry. Maybe if I hadn't been so quick to
dismiss..."

He leaned in to kiss her, "Enough of that," he whispered.
"It's in the past. What's important is ...right here, right
now."

"I love you," she whispered softly, turning to look at him. "I
hate that it took me so long to realize...so much wasted
time...I'm sorry."

He leaned in to kiss her once more, "I have no regrets, Lois,
I'm here with the woman I love enjoying a beautiful day at the
lake. I don't care about what could have been or what should
have been. All I care about is right here, right now." To prove
his point, he leaned in to kiss her. She smiled against his lips,
rolling with him as he rolled them so that he was hovering above
her as she deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck
as she linked her arms around his back, holding him close.

How was it so easy to just lose herself in his arms? What was so
wrong with that? They loved one another and she didn't envision
him to turn into the love 'em and leave 'em type considering he
had waited this long. She could feel her body temperature rising
and the familiar flutter in her abdomen as she enjoyed the
feeling of his lips pressed against hers. She tightened her arms
around him, pulling him to her as she ran her fingers through his
hair, reveling in the feeling of his body molded against hers.

He slowly broke off the kiss, resting his head against hers, "We
need to stop," he murmured, "or I won't be able to."

She smiled back at him, nodding as she removed her arms from
around his neck and watched as he pulled away. She couldn't help
but smile as she watched him struggle to regain control as he
tried to calm his breathing. His face was flushed and she noticed
he was sitting at an angle to where half of his body was pointed
away from her. It was mind boggling to realize she could have
this type of effect on him. He wanted her as bad as she wanted
him but seemed intent on taking things slow.

He hadn't brought up what had happened last night. She'd been
grateful for that. He seemed to sense her hesitancy this morning
and instead of bringing up the uncomfortable conversation she
didn't want to have he'd done a very good job of distracting
her with an afternoon in the country. That was just Clark. He was
her friend. Her best friend. Her partner. He was also the man she
was in love with and learning to trust more and more.

***

"We'll need to put together a team to find the files on Bureau
39," Lex instructed as he took his seat on the private jet.
"I'm sure the Kryptonite is with everything else they have on
Superman. I want it. I want it all."

"Should we include Nigel in this?" Mrs. Cox asked, taking her
seat next to him as she pulled out her phone to begin taking
notes.

"No, Nigel is handling the surveillance. In case he's come
across anything important I don't want him distracted. Work with
someone familiar with the government enough to know where they'd
hide something they don't want to be made public knowledge..."

"I'll put some inquiries out when we land and we'll go from
there," Mrs. Cox reassured him.

***

"Hi," Lois smiled as she walked up to Clark in the Daily Planet
lobby Monday morning. They had spent all day Saturday together in
Smallville and by the time he'd brought her back home that
evening she didn't want him to leave. Unfortunately, the
criminal element had other plans. He'd been called away on
several incidents in Southside. It seemed like all at once the
floodgates opened and muggings, robberies, attempted arsons, and
car jackings all took place at the same time.

He turned to smile at her, handing her a cup of coffee, "Hi,"
he said with a smile. She hadn't seen him since Saturday and he
looked so good in his light gray suit with his usual outlandish
tie in gray and red. Would it be in terrible taste if she kissed
him here in the middle of the Daily Planet lobby? Sure it would
give the gossip hounds even more to talk about but right now she
really couldn't think of a reason why she should care.

She was about to act on her impulse when Ralph walked up to them,
"Hey you two done giving each other googly eyes yet? The
Chief's called an Emergency Staff Meeting..."

Lois rolled her eyes at Ralph as she watched him race to the
elevator and step onto the already full elevator car. "Emergency
staff meeting? Wonder what that's about."

"Who knows," Clark shrugged as an empty elevator car arrived on
the Lobby floor.

They stepped inside and Lois watched in rapt attention as the
doors closed before turning to face him and capture his lips with
her own as she dropped her bag to the floor, allowing her arms to
feel him freely. His arms circled around her waist as he met her
lips just as enthusiastically, "I ...missed ...you," she
murmured in between heated kisses, tugging him closer as she
fisted his silk tie with her hand, rolling it upward as she
tightened her grasp on him.

"I...missed you...too," he murmured against her lips. She heard
the ding of the elevator and he glanced back quickly before
murmuring "Four more floors."

"Good," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck as she
molded the top half of her body against his, deepening the kiss.
There was another ding from the elevator and she heard the doors
open. She didn't want to stop. Not yet.

"Three...more...floors.." He murmured against her lips.

"Uh, we'll take the next one," a female voice could be heard
from outside the elevator.

She couldn't hold in the laughter as the doors closed once more
and his arms tightened around her waist, "Perry's gonna kill
us..." She laughed.

"But what a way to go..." He laughed with her, recapturing her
lips once more, "Besides...we...have...seven...minutes...and
eighteen...seconds...until
we're...officially...in...working...hours..." He said in
between heated kisses.

"He did...say...save it...for...after hours..." She giggled
against his lips.

"Mmm hmm," he grinned, molding his body against hers.

"One more floor..." She whimpered against him in protest as she
tightened her arms around his neck.

"Who cares?" He murmured against her lips, tightening his arms
around her waist. "Still have ...a few ...minutes left..."

The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival on the newsroom
floor. Whistling and catcalls could be heard from their
co-workers as they reluctantly pulled away. She smiled at him
before grabbing her bag she'd dropped on the floor earlier.

"Hey you two, any day now? Since when do you two arrive in the
newsroom without a second to spare? You two are too busy acting
like Elvis and Priscilla on their honeymoon to notice your emails
about the emergency staff meeting..." Perry roared across the
newsroom. "Everyone! Conference Room! Now!"

"Someone's crabby." Lois muttered under her breath as she
dropped her things at her desk and grabbed her notepad and pen.

"I heard that," Perry warned.

"I know you did," Lois smiled back at Perry as she headed to
the conference room notepad in hand. "You said to keep it
professional in the office during working hours...technically we
did."

Perry rolled his eyes as he pointed toward the conference room
for them to move. "Lois, conference room..." He muttered
irritably as he walked past them to get started.

Ralph's voice could be heard from the distance, "I told
you...they are sooo..."

Cat's response was simply, "Shut up, Ralph."

Lois took her seat at the conference table next to Clark and
grinned back at him, "So worth it," she whispered in a barely
audible tone that she knew he could hear. He looked back at her
and smiled, taking her hand in his.

***

"This doesn't make any sense, Chief!" Lois argued as she
glared at another list of cutbacks from upper management. The
Planet is the number one paper people are reading...subscriptions
are up. How are we still having budget cuts?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Lois," Perry argued, pacing in
the conference room as he went over the latest cutbacks, "I take
my marching orders from upstairs..."

"So, when will be paid?" Jimmy asked, holding up a copy of his
bounced check, "I've got bills to pay..."

Perry sighed, raking a hand through his thinning hairline, "They
didn't say. I guess when there's money to pay you..." He
admitted sheepishly. Protests began as everyone started talking
over one another and he held his hands up to calm everyone down,
"I'm just the messenger boys and girls. I can only repeat to
you what I've been told...and that's not much."

Sanchez shook his head, throwing a pencil across the table,
"What are we doing to resolve this? I mean, what is the paper
doing?"

Perry snorted, "I have no idea. They haven't asked for
my...*input*."

Lois crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the
back of her chair, trying to portray a calm she didn't feel,
"Budget cuts, bounced checks, Chief, we can't live off our
savings forever...How are we expected to work like this?"

"I don't know," Perry sighed, continuing to pace in front of
the board.

Clark shook his head, "They said last week's problem was a
clerical error...What's the excuse this time?"

"Clerical error? More like the paper's broke..." Jimmy
muttered bitterly, "There's a rumor the paper's going
under."

"Jimmy, there's always a rumor," Perry retorted annoyed.

"And it's usually true," Lois snapped back.

"Anything else, Chief? Any more surprises?" Clark asked.

"They...uh, they're ... Talking about layoffs," Perry muttered
reluctantly.

"*WHAT!?"* The entire room erupted in protest and Perry held
his hands up to calm everyone down.

"All I know is if we don't find ways to save money around here,
we're gonna be out of business," Perry said, opening the door
to the conference room, "That's it. Everyone get to work. I'll
let you know when I know something."

Lois gathered her notebook and stood up, shaking her head, "This
is nuts."

"This reeks," Clark said softly, "All these cutbacks and
financial issues...Don't you think it seems to be happening
overnight?"

"I know," Lois sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Something more is going on here..."

"Maybe we oughta check with Accounting ourselves and see if we
can find out what's going on before the Planet becomes
vulnerable to a hostile takeover..." Clark reasoned, "If it
isn't already, that is."

Lois read off the list from her notes, "No business lunches, no
payments for sources, no cabs..."

"Well, I think it's a scam," Jimmy interrupted. "The
pinstriped pinheads upstairs only want us to think the Planet is
broke."

"Why would they do that?" Sanchez asked from behind him.

"I don't know," Lois said, linking her arm around Clark and
tugging his arm to her as she headed out of the conference room,
"but we're going to find out..."

***

A balding man stood in an abandoned warehouse looking around
nervously. The room was lit by one light bulb as it flickered
above him. He heard footsteps from the other side of the room and
called out, "You the boss?"

"He sends his regards," The woman said as she approached with a
briefcase in her hand, "You Devane?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

She handed him a file, "You have a reputation of finding obscure
items the government wishes to keep hidden...hacking into
files...leaking classified information to the tabloids..."

"What's it to you?" He sniffed.

"The boss would like to acquire your...talents to help find a
rock..."

"A rock?" He echoed, curiously.

***

"The banks are no longer extending credit, the advertisers are
no longer buying ad space..." Lois ticked off the notes as she
and Clark reentered the Planet.

"And Accounting says there's no rhyme or reason behind it,"
Clark said bitterly.

"I smell a rat," Lois muttered.

"But who?" Clark wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Lois said softly, "This feels...off...Feels
like the Planet is a sitting duck waiting for the sharks to take
a bite..." A light bulb went off in Clark's head and Lois
recognized the expression on his face, "What?"

He smiled, "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way...The
question is who would want to put the Planet out of
business..."

"I guess," Lois reasoned, "Maybe we should find a buyer," She
laughed as she pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Why not?" Clark asked as they stepped onto the empty elevator
car together.

"Why not what?" Lois asked, "It was a joke."

"But not far off," Clark pressed. "Someone's after the
Planet. So, we find someone to buy it and beat whoever it is to
the punch."

Lois crossed her arms over her chest, "How do you expect us to
do that?"

***

"Lois, you and Kent have come in this office with some whoppers
over the years, but this one has to take the cake..." Perry
muttered, shaking his head.

Lois threw her arms in the air in frustration, "Just think about
it Chief... It makes sense!"

"You want us to pitch the Planet to a buyer before this
'invisible' interested party gets a hold of it?" Perry asked
skeptically. "How do you even know there is an interested
party?"

"We don't," Clark shook his head, "but think about it.
Everything that's been going on...It all started last week.
That's way too quick of a time table for the Planet to start
having financial issues out of the blue. Someone wouldn't
sandbag the Planet like that unless they were trying to make a
play for it..."

"Or trying to put the competition out of business?" Perry
guessed.

"Carpenter's out of business and the STAR just got bought by
Multi World Communications," Lois shook her head. "They're a
bit more liberal with the quality of work expected over
there..."

"Well this is certainly an interesting theory, but what do you
want me to do about it?" Perry asked. "Even if it's true...I
wouldn't even know where to begin..."

"We need to beat...whoever this is...to the punch. Get a buyer
to buy up the Planet..." Lois said.

"**NOT** Luthor," Clark added.

"Definitely not," Lois shuddered.

Perry arched an eyebrow at them and sighed, "I guess it
wouldn't hurt to dust off the old contacts in my black book and
see what I can find out..."

"Yes!" Lois cheered, leaning up to kiss Clark in her
excitement. "I knew we could count on you, Chief!"

"Don't thank me yet," Perry sighed, pointing to the door.
"Everything you have on all your stories...on your hard
drives...make copies and keep them at home...Kent's right. This
started last week when you two started researching the boss..."

"You don't think..." Lois began.

"Just do it," Perry ordered gruffly.

***

Lois came home that evening with boxes of files and a copy of the
map they'd created to map out the known players associated with
'the boss'. She struggled to get her key through the door and
banged against the wooden door, hoping Lucy was home to help. The
door opened and Lucy grimaced when she saw Lois struggling under
the weight of the boxes, "Whoa, sis, did you leave anything at
the office?"

She reached out to grab a few boxes and Lois sighed in relief,
"Thanks!"

"Where's Clark?" Lucy teased. "I thought he'd have helped
you home with all this..." Lucy set the boxes down in the living
room and sighed, "What is all this anyway?"

"He's working with Perry on looking into the Planet's
financial issues lately. He'll probably be by later..." Lois
said, sinking into the couch, "These," she gestured to the
boxes, "are copies of everything we have on 'the boss' we're
investigating right now. Perry thinks since the financial issues
started when we started investigating that it's probably related
and wanted us to have backups of everything..."

"Smart," Lucy nodded, grabbing the boxes and moving them to the
closet. "I'm going to put these up out of the way,"

"Thanks, Luce," Lois sighed.

"No prob," Lucy said, grabbing the last box and closing the
door to the closet, "So, who's the boss?" She asked, sitting
down next to her.

"I don't know," Lois said, sitting up, "but I have my
suspicions...Clark thinks that..." A knock at the door
interrupted her train of thought and Lois whimpered, "I'm too
tired to move..."

"Here, you stay put," Lucy ordered, "That's probably Jimmy.
He said he was going to stop by and..." Lucy opened the door and
stammered, "Mis-Mister ...Lu-Luthor."

"Very funny, Luce," Lois rolled her eyes, standing up, "You
know if you didn't want to get the door all you had to do was
say..." She stopped cold in her tracks when she saw Lex Luthor
standing in her doorway, "...something," She finished her
sentence shakily.

"Lois, I'm so glad I caught you..." He smiled, taking a step
inside the apartment despite Lucy trying to block him from
entering. Realizing she wasn't able to stop him she moved to
stand next to Lois.

Lois crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him,
"Lex, what are you doing here?"

"I thought we could talk...you haven't returned any of my
calls..." He began.

Lois looked at Lucy with a raised eyebrow and Lucy shrugged, "I
deleted 'em. Sue me."

"And you are...?" Lex inquired with a bite in his tone.

"Lucy Lane, Lois' sister. You know...the *family* you never
bothered to meet or find out about for a whole year?" Lucy's
tone became more and more bitter with each word.

"Lois, can we have a moment?" Lex asked.

"No," Lucy said, approaching him with her arms crossed over her
chest. "You need to take a hint. Lois doesn't want anything to
do with you..." She pressed a finger into his chest and he
narrowed his eyes, glaring at Lucy.

Lois caught the gaze and pulled her sister back, "Luce, back
off," she hissed.

"I think that decision should be something mutually agreed
upon," Lex countered, "and I never agreed to that."

Lois shook her head in disgust, "Well, that's too bad because
this..." she gestured between the two of them, "doesn't work
for me...I told you I didn't want to see you anymore. What are
you doing here?"

He took another step toward her and Lucy took another step toward
her sister, "I know you've been...confused...lately, but surely
you can't expect me to give up on us so quickly..."

Lucy snickered, "Us?"

Lois jabbed her in the ribs, "There is no *'us'*, Lex. I
already told you we are through! Done!"

"Lois, you don't know what you're saying. It's Kent. He's
gotten into your head and filled you with these lies about
me...If we could just take some time...I know we could recapture
what we once had...I love you..."

"You need to leave, now!" Lucy ordered, pointing to the door.

Lex looked as if he was fighting the urge to strike her. Lois
braced herself, ready to push her sister to the side if need be
to protect her. Where was Clark? She glanced at the clock. Why
hadn't she waited another half hour for him to finish? She
shuddered as she watched his eyes darken, advancing toward them,
"I just want a few moments alone, Lois, please..." He pleaded
angrily, turning to glare at Lucy.

"I think Lois wants me to stay," Lucy snapped, narrowing her
eyes at him. "You don't scare me. I am not one of your servants
you can order around and I'm not one of your bimbos..."

Lex ignored Lucy, trying again to sweet talk Lois, "Please,
Lois, don't do this. We have something special. Our connection.
I love you...If you could just take some time to see...We are
meant to be..." He pulled out a box from his jacket and Lois'
eyes widened.

"Oh, God..." Lois shook her head as she watched him get down on
one knee, "No, no, no, no, no...Are you out of your mind? What
do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" He asked, reaching for her.

"Are you nuts? Get up! She's not in love with you!" Lucy
snapped irritably.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, standing up to face her.

"Get out!" Lois spat, pointing at the door.

"I'll leave when I'm good and ready..." He snapped irritably,
pushing Lucy aside as he lunged toward her.

"Hey!" Lucy snapped, trying to stand up.

Lex grabbed Lois by the jaw, "You think I don't know about your
rendezvous with your partner Lois? How long did you wait before
you let him into your bed? Hmm? A week? A day?" He caressed her
face as he spoke and she cringed at his touch.

"Let...go...of...me..." She hissed slowly, trying to portray a
confidence she didn't feel at the moment.

"I try to give you the world and you spit in my face you
ungrateful..." He doubled over in pain and released her jaw. She
took advantage of the opportunity and delivered another kick to
his back, watching in satisfaction as he rolled onto his back in
pain.

"Nice aim," Lois said, helping her sister to her feet.

"I learned from the best," Lucy said brushing herself off.

Lex stood up, glaring at them in a rage, "You think you can
betray me...humiliate me like this?" He snarled angrily as he
finished staggering to his feet.

"Get *OUT*!" Lois pointed to the door as Lucy started grabbing
things from the shelf behind them and throwing them at him. Lois
couldn't help but laugh as he ducked from the books as Lucy
continued to throw them across the room. Lois started grabbing
things from the shelf with Lucy to throw at him, hoping to push
him out the door. He continued to duck as he headed for the
door.

He opened the door only to find Clark standing on the other side
with his arms crossed in his famous Superman pose. If she didn't
already know his secret seeing him now would have been a dead
giveaway. Fortunately, Lex didn't seem to notice as he glared at
Clark. "Why am I not surprised?" He muttered angrily.

"Obviously, you have a problem with boundaries, Luthor," Clark
said stepping into the apartment as he approached Luthor, staring
him down, "What part of *'stay away'* don't you
understand?"

"Well, Kent, I see you've wasted no time..." Lex accused
angrily.

Clark ignored the dig, "Lois told you to stay away from her.
I'd suggest you do as she asked and leave." Clark gestured to
the door for him to leave. His face was a few inches away from
Luthor's.

"This isn't over..." Lex warned, sulking out the door.

"Arrogant son of a..." Clark slammed the door behind him,
locking the deadbolt before turning back to Lois and Lucy,
"Spring cleaning?" He teased, trying to lighten the tension in
the room as he looked around at the books on the floor.

Lois bumped Lucy's hip and smirked, "You started it."

"You were throwing books right along with me," Lucy said,
wrapping her arm around Lois' shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, walking toward them as he began
picking up the books scattered on the floor.

"Fine," Lois said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms,
"Just a little shaky."

Clark placed the books on the shelf before turning to check on
Lois and Lucy, examining her reddened jaw to make sure she was
indeed all right. "Did he hurt you?" He asked in concern.

"Tried to..." Lois brushed it off, stepping toward the middle
of the room as she began gathering the books that were strewn
across the room in their confrontation with Lex. "The nerve of
that..."

"Tell me about it," Lucy muttered, taking a seat on the couch
as she reached under her to gather a few more books that had been
thrown.

"Do I even want to know?" Clark asked cautiously, helping pick
up the books with them.

"Probably not," Lois muttered slamming a stack of books on the
shelf.

Clark glanced at her in concern and she didn't say anything.
Lucy supplied, "He was trying to beg her to take him back...then
got down on one knee...then tried to manhandle her when she
didn't give him the answer he wanted..."

"That was when Lucy kicked him," Lois said, slamming another
stack of books on the shelf.

Clark raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Lucy, "I'm
over-protective...and I don't like him," Lucy said hurriedly.
"I'm starving. Let's order some food..."

"No thanks," Lois shook her head, "You go ahead. I'm not
hungry."

"Suit yourself," Lucy said, reaching for the stack of take-out
menus on the table in front of her as she headed to the kitchen
to call her order in, "I'm feeling pizza..."

Lois sighed, sinking into the couch as she watched her sister
head to the kitchen. Clark sunk down next to her, placing a
protective arm around her, "You wanna talk about it?"

Lois shook her head, pulling Clark's arm around her as she
rested his head against his chest, "How'd it go with Perry?"

"Okay," Clark nodded, "I think we've got a good list
together. He's meeting with one of the potential buyers
tonight," He tightened his arms around her. "Lois?"

"Clark?" She tightened her grip on his hand, intertwining her
fingers with his. She could feel the tears stinging the corner of
her eyes.

"It's okay...I'm here," he whispered, leaning down to kiss
her forehead, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm right here,
Lois."

***

"Mr. White?" a pretty blonde called from the waiting room and
Perry stood up, following her down the long hallway.

"Uh, interesting decor," Perry said, looking around the office
at all the bats that were painted on the hallway.

"Mr. Wayne used to have a fear of them when he was younger so he
keeps them around to remind himself that fear is just an
obstacle," She said, pointing to the office ahead. She knocked
on the door three times and announced, "Mr. Wayne? Perry White
to see you."

***

Lois rested her head against Clark's chest, relaying what had
happened earlier, "I don't know what happened. It was like my
body just froze and forgot how to scream..." She shuddered
against him.

"You panicked," Clark said, kissing her forehead as he
tightened his arms around her.

Lois shuddered, "I've never frozen like that. I don't know why
I..."

Clark rested his head against her forehead, "It's a completely
normal reaction."

"He was insane...out of control...I'd have called the police on
him if I thought it would have done any good. He's got every
officer in his pocket..."

"Not every officer," Clark countered. "Henderson is still
clean," Lois just snorted and he continued, "He thinks he's
untouchable, but that's his biggest weakness...his ego."

"Then we'll just have to use it against him," Lois said,
drawing random patterns on his chest as she spoke, "Prove he's
not as untouchable as he thinks..." She smiled as he tightened
his arms around her, "Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"Trying to warn me...even though I wasn't listening a good part
of the time...you tried to warn me. Thank you," she leaned up to
kiss him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked cautiously.

Lois shook her head, "I don't have any marks on me..." She
held up her wrists for inspection, "He scared me...but I'm fine
now. Lucy said she's going to do a better job of checking who is
at the door before answering..."

"You think he'll try something again?" Clark asked.

"I don't know ...honestly I don't know what to expect."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Clark sighed, kissing her cheek,
"I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"Oh, Clark," She sighed against him, "I love you."

He ran his hand through her hair and whispered, "I love you too,
Lois."

She leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her arm around his neck as
she pulled him to her. She smiled against his lips as he began to
respond to her, deepening his embrace with her as she rolled on
top of him, hovering above him as she molded her chest against
his, deepening the embrace. "Clark..." She whimpered against
him as she ran her hands up and down his chest.

She moved to straddle him and he pulled away, "Lois, we
need...to slow down..." He said in between heated kisses.

"Why?" She asked, pulling him to her by his tie as she kissed
him. "This is...so much more ...fun..."

"I know, but...Oh, God..." He groaned as she pressed herself
against him, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth. "Lois..."

"Clark..." she moaned against his lips, molding her body
against his as his hands slipped down to her hips, resting on the
small of her back. "Stay with me tonight..." She pleaded.

He slowly broke off the kiss, realizing her motivation for trying
to push things, "Lois," He cupped her cheek, fingering the
strands of her hair cautiously, "You don't need to..." She
shuddered against him and he tightened his arms around her,
"I'm not going anywhere."

***

The next morning, Lois woke up with the sun shining in her eyes.
She blinked, trying to adjust to the light. A familiar weight was
wrapped around her waist. She looked down and smiled, recalling
how Clark had spent the night with her last night.

She turned in his arms to face him, smiling when she saw him in
his wrinkled dress shirt. He looked so different without his
glasses. It was a side of him that no one would ever see...a
combination of Clark Kent and Superman in one. His face looked so
relaxed as he slept.

She moved her hand to caress his cheek, leaning up to kiss him.
He began to stir, tightening his grip on her waist as he kissed
her back softly, "Morning," he murmured with a grin.

She smiled back at him, "Morning." She linked her arms around
his neck, "You stayed."

He cupped her cheek, "I told you I would."

"I love you," she whispered, leaning into him to capture his
lips.

***

Lex held an icepack to his shoulder as he listened to Nigel
update him on the latest intel from the surveillance. "Still
nothing on Superman?"

"Not yet," Nigel said, "but I believe I have a lead. They
found the surveillance equipment but I was able to replace it
with one of our audio transmitter prototypes. Should be hidden
well enough to keep from attracting the attention of the Man of
Steel."

"How did he find it?" Lex asked.

"Apparently, Mr. Kent found it and alerted Superman who swept
the place," Nigel said gloomily.

"How?" Lex pressed.

"I don't know, but there's definitely more to Mr. Kent than
meets the eye," Nigel said, pulling up the video feed from
earlier, "Look."

*{"You could have been mad at me and you weren't. You didn't
have to believe me when I ..."*

"*Enough of that. I told you I was a bit shell-shocked that
night...You're right I could have been mad, but as I said before
I can't think of a time when you could have told me. You trusted
me so I trusted you. It's that simple."}*

"What kind of secret could he be hiding that would cause Ms.
Lane to be angry at him?" Nigel asked, "I asked myself the same
question. I've got our investigators looking into his
background...So far he's come up clean, but I know there's
something there."

"Yes," Lex nodded, "Whatever it is...must be serious if he's
afraid of losing Lois Lane to it," he grew thoughtful for a
moment. "Can we get surveillance put into Mr. Kent's apartment
as well?"

"I'll see what I can do," Nigel said.

"Good," Lex nodded, "Anything else of interest?"

Nigel shook his head, "Just your confrontation with Ms. Lane,
sir."

"I lost my head, Nigel...my focus..." Lex shook his head in
disgust.

"You seem to have a weakness for Ms. Lane, sir, but don't let
it blind you from the goals at hand..." Nigel reminded him.

"Bringing down Superman," Lex reminded himself.

"The ultimate goal," Nigel nodded.

"I always love a challenge, but this is a game I'm quickly
growing tired of," Lex snapped bitterly.

***

That following week Lois and Clark began piecing together
contacts from their earlier stories. One of those contacts was
Monique Kahn, the woman that had fallen off Luthor Towers at the
same time Jules Johnson had attempted to jump off the Lexor Hotel
several months ago.

Monique shifted uncomfortably under Lois Lane's gaze as she
looked around the cafe, "I'm not sure what you expect me to
help you with, Ms. Lane. It was an
accident...an...unfortunate...accident."

"An accident that could have cost you your life if Superman
hadn't shown up," Lois countered, pulling out her notes. "You
have a fear of heights, yet you expect us to believe you *fell*
off a thirty story building?"

Monique looked down uncomfortably, "Yes."

Clark met her gaze, "Ms. Kahn, when Superman rescued you...you
were hysterical...ranting and raving about a 'test'..."

"You said yourself, Mr. Kent, I was hysterical..." Monique
sniffed, offering him a slow smile. She caught Lois' eyes
narrowing her and cleared her throat, "I, uh, wasn't in my
right mind."

"Well, I'm sure being thrown off a thirty-story building will
do that to anyone," Lois said with a smile, arching an eyebrow
at her.

"I ...I wasn't thrown," Monique argued.

Clark folded his hands on the table, meeting her eyes with his,
"Ms. Kahn, what would have happened if Superman hadn't shown up
that day?"

Monique looked down, and Lois continued, "There was no backup
plan. You would have died...For what?"

"It wasn't supposed to..." Monique began before catching
herself.

"You were never told you would be jumping that day, were you?"
Clark asked. "Someone pushed you."

"We just want to know who was arranging the test..." Lois
added.

"You don't understand," Monique shook her head. "I
can't..."

***

Lois shook her head in disgust as they made their way back to the
Planet. "She knows something..."

"She's scared," Clark reminded her.

"I can't believe she'd protect someone that was willing to
throw her off a building like that," Lois fumed, pushing through
the doors of the Planet as they entered the lobby.

"Maybe she'd afraid of them trying something again," Clark
said gently as they headed for the elevators. "Being thrown from
a thirty-story building like that can be...traumatizing."

"Being thrown out of a plane with no parachute is too," Lois
quipped as she stepped on the elevator with Clark right behind
her.

"Lois," he cupped her cheek gently, "not everyone is you." He
reminded her, leaning in to kiss her. "Just give her some time.
I'm sure she'll come around."

"What would really help is to get Henderson in on this. I don't
know why he won't open an official investigation..." Lois
huffed.

"He's probably afraid of raising suspicions," Clark said as
the elevator dinged and they stepped off the elevator onto the
newsroom floor, "Going after someone this powerful...everyone is
scared."

Lois nodded, casting a glance toward Jack who was talking with
Jimmy, holding a handful of file folders in his hand, "What are
we going to do?"

Clark sighed, "I guess we keep digging...Let's try and find
Jules Johnson and see if we can get him to talk."

***

Lucy popped a fry in her mouth as she stared at the piles of
tapes on the table in front of her. "You know, Jimmy, when I
said I wouldn't mind dinner and a movie this wasn't exactly
what I had in mind."

Jimmy gave Lucy a half-smile, "I know, I'm sorry. The Chief's
got me running background on all the board members to see who
could potentially partner with us on the buyout with the
Planet."

"What's with the tapes?" Lucy asked.

Jimmy grinned, "Jack's, uh, surveillance on everyone."

"Surveillance?" Lucy asked, "He was spying on them?"

"To see who we can trust," Jimmy added. "A few of these guys
have been meeting over at Luthor Towers...closed door meetings.
No one knows who they're with."

Lucy crinkled her nose, "Anything related to Lex Luthor is bad
news. He's like a skunk in a rose garden."

Jimmy looked at her perplexed, "What makes you say that?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, "Lois never told you?" Jimmy
shook his head, "He showed up at our apartment last week and
tried to attack her when she wouldn't take him back."

"You need to find another place to stay, Luce," Jimmy breathed,
"What if he..."

Lucy shook her head, "Lois doesn't want me moving until she and
Clark finish this investigation into the boss. She said I'm
safer with her than I would be anywhere else..."

"But..."

"Clark's got Superman watching out for us. Don't worry," Lucy
reassured him.

***

Lois took a seat next to Clark on the couch, "Well Jules Johnson
was another dead end."

Clark shook his head, "Doesn't surprise me. He's obviously in
cahoots with ..." Lightning cracked through the sky and Clark
glanced out the window, "It's getting pretty bad out there."

Lois nodded, watching as the lights flicker throughout the
apartment, "Lucy said she was having dinner with Jimmy at the
Planet. Hope she doesn't get stuck there."

Clark shook his head, staring out the window. Thunder boomed
through the night sky, and another crack of lightning flashed
through the sky. "That doesn't sound good."

"Maybe we should pull out some flashlights," Lois said, heading
for the kitchen. Another loud crack of thunder boomed outside
with another flash of lightning, and the lights flickered once
before everything went dark. "Clark?" Lois called out.

"Right here," Clark whispered, wrapping his arms around her
from behind.

She relaxed against him, "I, uh, think the flashlights are in
the cabinet," She pointed above them. She could make out the
shadow of his face from the moonlight reflecting from the window.
She heard the rustling from the cabinet and a click before seeing
the white light reflect off the ceiling as it reflected off
Clark's face.

He flashed the light towards the window, "Looks like it's just
this building. The lights are on across the street."

She nodded, shuddering slightly as the heat from his touch was
removed, and he walked toward the window. "Um, I think the fuse
box is in the back..." She pointed toward the hall where a large
metal box held the fuses.

"I'm not sure what good I can..." He stopped when he opened
the door to the fuse box, "What's this?"

"What?" Lois asked, walking up behind him as he shone the light
into the fuse box.

He pulled out a small square clip that had been attached to one
of the wires linking the fuse box to the wall and lowered his
glasses to examine it more, "It's another bug," he said
grimly.

"A bug?" Lois echoed, "What is it doing in the fuse box?" She
watched Clark walk into the kitchen and pull out a glass and fill
it with water, "What are you doing?"

He dropped the bug into the glass of water and lowered his
glasses, checking the rest of the apartment, "Doesn't seem to
be any sign of any cameras..."

Lois tugged her jacket closed, wrapping her arms around herself
as she walked back toward the couch, "Well gotta hand it to him.
He's persistent..."

"At least now he can't hear anything..." Clark said, walking
back into the living room with the flashlight. "We need to take
that to Henderson in the morning. See if he can have it analyzed.
Maybe find out where the signal is going."

"Good idea," Lois nodded, leaning against Clark as he set the
flashlight down on the table in front of them. "I wonder how
long that's been there."

Clark sighed, "I don't know, but your fuse box is lead-lined.
That's why I wasn't able to see it earlier."

"Anything else in here lead-lined?" Lois asked, looking around
the darkened room.

"No," he shook his head. "I guess I'm gonna start scanning
everything to make sure we don't have any uninvited guests
eavesdropping."

"He must think we're onto something," Lois said, shaking her
head.

"Or have serious boundary issues," Clark added ruefully.
"Maybe you oughta stay at my place for a little while. This is
the second time...he's just going to keep trying...What if I'm
not around?"

"What about Lucy?" Lois asked.

Clark shrugged, "Maybe see if she could stay with your Uncle
Mike for awhile until this lets up." He stroked her cheek, "I
can't be everywhere at once..."

"He knows we're together. Do you really think he won't look
for me at your place?" Lois asked, wrapping her hand around his.
"We've just got to be careful. We're so close. I know it."

"That's what worries me," Clark sighed, tightening his arms
around her. "We're close...very close, and Luthor is being
cornered. Nothing is more dangerous than an animal when it's
cornered."

***

Henderson stared at the glass in front of him skeptically, "What
is it?"

"A bug," Lois said, crossing her arms over her chest as she
paced in front of him.

"A bug?" Henderson repeated uncertainly. "And you brought it
to me because..."

"Because this is the second time Superman's found a bug in my
apartment," Lois explained. "I need you to analyze it and see
if you can trace where the signal was programmed to send the feed
to."

"Why do I get the feeling you already have a suspect?"
Henderson asked, rubbing the temples of his head.

"You're right," Lois nodded. "I do, but I want you to verify
it for me. Can you do this for me?"

Henderson nodded, "Sure. I'll send it over to LexLabs and
..."

"No!" Lois shouted, "Don't!"

Henderson arched an eyebrow at her, "And why not?"

"Don't you have another lab you could use?" She managed
hurriedly.

"There's S.T.A.R. Labs..." Henderson began.

"Good," Lois said, nodding as she spoke. "That'll be
perfect."

"Lois, what is going on?" Henderson asked.

"I can't tell you yet. Just let me know what you find out,"
Lois said hurriedly as she left Henderson's office.

***

Lois stepped off the elevator and found Clark at his desk. He
smiled as she approached him, "How'd it go?"

"I think I got the message across," Lois murmured. She pointed
to the list in front of him. "What's that?"

"Tip from Louie," He said, handing her the list. "Seems like
'the boss' has been cleaning house at the Metropolis
Penitentiary."

Lois read the list and smiled, "Remind me to send him a thank
you."

***

Perry laughed as he read the list in front of him, "You're
joking, right?"

"This could be the biggest story of the century, Chief! The
biggest thing since Watergate. We're talking government
corruption, organized crime..."

"What does that have to do with you wanting the Planet to pay
for a trip to California?" Perry asked.

"There are some witnesses out there we need to talk to..." Lois
said hurriedly, "Come on!" She stomped her foot impatiently.

Perry let out a long breath, "Lois, have you forgotten that the
Planet is ... broke?"

"If we can crack this boss scandal open all people will be
talking about is the Planet..." Lois shot back, "Come on, it
takes money to run down leads..."

Perry sighed, pulling out his wallet, "Don't bother with an
expense account. Just don't bankrupt me." He handed her his
Amex, "And I want receipts!"

Lois leaned down to hug him before grabbing the card, "You
won't regret this, Chief."

Perry shook his head, watching as the door closing the door, "I
better not."

***

Clark sighed as he and Lois boarded the plane to California. He
looked around at the seats and shuddered. He did not want to be
in here. "Remind me why we're doing this?" He asked as he
followed Lois to their seats.

"Re-investigating every story that has anything to do with
rumors of 'the boss'?" Lois reminded him as she took her seat
by the window. She watched him put their bags in the overhead,
and he gave her a half-smile before taking a seat next to her. He
really didn't want to be here on this flight. Why couldn't they
have just flown Superman express? He already knew the answer. If
they'd taken Superman Express, it would have raised suspicions.
Lois had pointed out several little things he did over the last
few weeks that would give away his identity. He never knew how
careless he had been until now.

"It's cramped in here," he said, looking around as the other
passengers filled the seats around them. He fidgeted in his seat,
trying to get comfortable. There was no legroom, and there was
hardly any elbow room. He hated planes.

Lois arched an eyebrow at him, giving him a half-smile, "What is
with you?" She watched as he fidgeted in his seat once more,
"Why are you so nervous?"

"I hate planes," he muttered quietly.

"Why?" Lois asked, "I mean, I'll admit the seats could be
better..." She motioned to the cramped legroom of their seats,
"but I would have thought ..." she lowered her voice to mouth,
"Superman" then raised her voice again, "would enjoy a flight
where he doesn't have to do all the work."

"No," he looked around to make sure no one was paying them any
attention and whispered, "Superman" he raised his voice once
more, "doesn't enjoy flights where he's not doing the flying.
Doesn't feel natural."

"So, you just don't like being in control?" Lois asked with a
twinkle in her eyes.

He smiled, "Something like that...I don't know. I just
feel...claustrophobic...in planes."

She gave him a funny look, "You didn't seem claustrophobic on
the last flight we took."

He smiled, recalling the last flight they'd taken. It was the
first time Lois had kissed him when they were trying to escape
Trask. "I was more focused on you," he admitted, cupping her
cheek, "and getting us out of there..."

"So you need a distraction?" She asked, her eyes twinkling as
she spoke.

He smiled, "Something like that," he said softly, noticing the
flirtatious sparkle that twinkled in her eyes. What was she
planning?

***

Lois smiled as she watched the ground slowly disappear as the
plane took off. Clark was still nervous, fidgeting in his seat.
She turned back to him, squeezing his knee gently as she turned
in her seat to face him. He jumped slightly.

"You okay?" Lois asked with a smile, fingering his arm gently.

"Yeah," he gave her a small smile, and she reached for his
hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

"You said you needed a...distraction," she whispered,
tightening her grip on him as she leaned against him.

"You're very...uh, distracting..." He said with a smile as she
fingered the cotton on his dress shirt.

She smiled, noticing him take a sharp breath as she moved her
hand up his chest, "Distracting?" She leaned in to kiss him,
"All I'm doing is...."

"...distracting..." Clark finished for her, leaning in to
recapture her lips once more with a smile.

***

Perry White looked around the room he was in, sizing up the
collectible movie posters and autographed comic books that were
framed on the walls. He'd heard Bob Fences was a bit eccentric,
but it seemed he was a bit of a child at heart.

"Mr. White," A tall brunette in a sharp business suit with a
skirt that showed off way too much leg approached him.

"Uh..." He looked up at the ceiling, hoping to distract himself
from staring. He was a married man after all. "Yes..." He
turned back, forcing himself to look only at the woman's face.

"I'm Simone," she held her hand out for him to shake, "Mr.
Fences executive assistant," she motioned for him to follow her.
"He'll see you now."

She opened the door for Perry to enter and he saw a young man in
his late twenties with brown hair and large rimmed glasses in a
polo shirt and khakis sitting at his desk with what looked like
action figures of Star Trek characters.

"Look out!" Fences made the plastic figures fly in the sky,
imitating the sound of a laser, "Bzzzt!" He made one of the
figurines fall down, "Ahh, the death ray! Skkkk... Don't worry
I'll save you, Princess Cleavage. Gzzzz!"

Perry raised his eyebrows unsure of how to begin. This man was a
juvenile, but he was a self-made billionaire by the age of
nineteen, funding NanoSoft Technologies at age sixteen. Fences
may be out there, but he had business smarts. The question was
would he be able to help the Planet?

***

Lois and Clark walked outside the Oakland International Airport
hand in hand. Lois scanned the line of people waiting for cabs
and sighed, "Probably going to be awhile," she said, rubbing
her palm up his chest seductively. "Maybe we should ask
'Superman' for a lift?" She teased.

"Maybe," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. "When are we
supposed to check in?"

"We've got an hour," she said, toying with the end of his
tie.

He groaned as she linked her arms around his neck, leaning in to
kiss him, "An hour, huh?"

"Yeah," she murmured against his lips. "The meeting with daddy
isn't until three..." She brushed her hand against his chest,
looking up at him with a smile.

"You think he knows anything that could help?" He asked,
tightening his arms around her waist.

"I don't know but..." Lois trailed off when she recognized a
tall, balding man walking toward them. "What is *he* doing
here?"

"Who?" Clark turned to look in the direction Lois was looking
and saw Sam Lane looking around. It didn't appear that he'd
spotted them yet. Lois tugged his arm to follow her, "I thought
we were supposed to meet him at his office."

"So did I," she muttered, making her way through the crowd as
she waved her arm, trying to get Sam Lane's attention, "Daddy?
What are you doing here?" She asked, confused as she approached
Sam who had his back to her.

He turned and smiled, "Princess," he beamed, "I, uh, thought
I'd pick you up and we could have, uh, lunch..." He began
hesitantly, looking at the ground for a moment before looking up
at Lois.

"Since when do you have time for lunch?" Lois asked
suspiciously, offering him a half-smile.

"I, uh," he began, hesitantly. He spotted Clark standing behind
Lois and noticed Lois' arm around his then glanced at Clark as
he extended his hand, "Uh, Clark was it?" He asked.

"Yes, sir," Clark took his hand to shake, "Good to see you
again, Dr. Lane."

"Yes," he nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence for a
moment, and Sam cleared his throat, "Uh, do you have your bags?
I can give you a ride...to the car rental place, or hotel..." He
motioned to the parking garage behind them.

"Well, uh," Lois began at the same time Clark said, "Uh,
sure."

Lois gave Clark a look, and he realized immediately he shouldn't
have said anything. Her jaw tightened as he felt her tighten her
grip on his arm. She knew she couldn't hurt him but the look she
was giving him...

*<<"Okay, so I don't get along with my father. Big deal?">>*

*<<"I mean, haven't you ever known anybody so wrapped up in
their work that they don't have time for anyone or
anything...?">>*

*<<"A lot of parents are workaholics..."*

"*Well, the one's I knew at least tried to spend some quality
time with their family. My dad just came home to criticize.
'Daddy I got a ninety-eight on this test,' 'Oh, that's good
Lois. That leaves two points for improvement.'">>*

They walked in silence toward the parking garage as he recalled
the few times Lois had opened up to him about her father. After
the fiasco with Menken they seemed to be working through a lot of
their issues, but seeing them now...He wasn't so sure anymore.
This was going to be a long day.

***

Jimmy knocked on Perry's office door, "Come in..." Perry
called.

"Here's the background check on Bob Fences. There seems to be a
lot of sketchy stuff going on with Nanosoft's trading overseas.
A couple of my contacts said he's pretty unhinged..."

"Yeah," Perry nodded, "I noticed," He glanced at the other
file in Jimmy's hand, "What's that?"

"The information on Viologic's new owner, Eric Thorp," Jimmy
handed him the file.

Perry smiled, nodding as he read, "Yeah, Thorp's a real whiz
kid. A multi-millionaire. He made his first million by the time
he was your age."

"Yeah, well..." Jimmy looked at him defensively, "I had the
mumps in sixth grade...Kinda slowed me down."

Perry laughed, "I'll set up a meeting and feel him out. Keep
digging..." He handed the file back to Jimmy.

"You got it, Chief," Jimmy nodded.

***

After an uncomfortable car ride to the car rental place and an
even more uncomfortable car ride to a small Italian eatery they
sat down for lunch and Lois seemed to be focused on getting down
to business despite Sam Lane's attempts to divert the
conversation to her personal life.

"Lucy said she moved back in with you..."

"Yes," she said nodding her head, "I'd like to go over
everything that happened with Menken..."

"You seem happy..."

"Are you sure there wasn't anyone else working with Menken?"
Lois pressed, ignoring her father's comment.

"You're smiling more..."

Lois bit the inside of her lower lip for a moment, trying to hold
in her knee-jerk reaction to snap. He was deliberately trying to
divert the conversation elsewhere. "Is there a reason you won't
answer my question?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, "Is there a reason you won't talk
about your life with me? I am your father after all."

She glanced back at Clark who looked really uncomfortable as he
stared at his plate silently. He seemed to sense the chill in the
air and had kept mostly quiet all through lunch except to order
his food and ask questions about Menken. Sam had answered HIS
questions but was refusing to answer hers.

Lois laughed, "You're kidding, right?"

Sam sighed, "It's been fifteen years. Can't we just put this
all behind us?"

Lois stiffened, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me why Lucy
decided to move back so fast?"

He lowered his head in shame, "I had a breakthrough on a new
robotic computer chip we're developing and..."

"...and Lucy took a backseat to a scientific breakthrough."
Lois finished for him, "Big surprise."

"Lo-is," Sam gave her a warning look, "That is not fair."

"Fair? You want to talk about fair?" She scoffed. "How about
all the nights you didn't come home and Lucy and I had to hear
all the gory details of what mom thought you were doing..."

Sam gave Lois a warning tone, "Lois, we are in public. Do you
really want to do this here...in front of your partner?"

Lois shrugged, "It's nothing he hasn't heard before."

Sam lowered his head into his palm and Lois opened her mouth to
add another retort, but Clark cut her off, "Okay that's
enough..." He gave Lois a look then turned back to Sam, "I
understand your relationship is a bit complicated but
this...isn't helping."

Sam sighed, "No, it's not."

"You started it," Lois grumbled.

"Lo-is," Clark gave her a warning look, and she relented.

"Fine," she leaned back in her seat, "Can we just get back to
the story?"

"Fine," Sam relented, nodding, "What do you want to know?"

"Dr. Lane, the reason we came out here," he gave Lois a look
before turning back to Sam, "is we need to know who Menken was
working for..."

"Working for?"

"We have reason to believe he was working for someone when he
enlisted your help to build those robotic arms. What was the
intention when they brought you on?" Clark asked.

"I was told we were repairing injured players...then slowly they
wanted them stronger and stronger...a, uh, 'Superman' if you
will," he explained.

"Did Menken ever mention any names...or act secretive about
anything?" Lois asked, taking notes.

"No, all he ever mentioned was a, uh, 'boss' that wanted the
changes when I asked about trying to make the fighters do too
much too fast with the robotic arms."

"Boss," Lois repeated, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes," he nodded, "Mean something to you?"

"Maybe," Clark said, "There've been quite a few fingers
pointing toward a 'boss' in Metropolis. We've been taking a
second look at everything to see if we've missed anything."

"I try to block that time out...not my proudest moment," he
said with a grim smile, "I'm just grateful to Lex Luthor for
saving you from Menken like that..." He reached for her hand,
"You're my daughter, and I love you, Lois. If anything, ever
happened to you..."

Lois nodded, "Well, I'm not so sure we should be grateful to
Lex."

"Why?" Sam asked. "I mean, he saved you..."

"We think Luthor could be involved," Clark said, taking Lois'
hand in his and squeezing it gently.

"Involved?" Sam scoffed, "As what? He's a philanthropist.
What could he possibly be involved in boxing scandals for?"

Lois looked at Clark for a moment who nodded then sighed as she
spoke, "We think this 'boss' that everyone is talking about
is... Lex."

"*What??"*

"And the 'rescue' from Menken was an assassination," Clark
added.

"But ..."

"He shot Menken," Lois murmured.

"He didn't have to kill him, but he did," Clark said.

Sam looked at her cautiously, "So, is that why you...uh, stopped
...seeing him?" At Lois' surprised look he added, "Your mother
called...updated me. I have to keep tabs somehow."

"I didn't know you and mom still talked," Lois said
surprised.

He nodded his head, "Well, we can be amicable if need be."

Lois let out a scoff of disbelief, "Since *when?*"

"Okay," Clark intervened before they could get into it again,
"We should get going." He helped Lois to her feet, "Thank you
for your time, Dr. Lane." He extended his hand to shake Sam's
hand.

"Good to see you again, Clark," Sam said, "Uh, take care of
yourself, Lois."

"You too," Lois nodded, turning to leave.

Clark turned to follow, and Sam placed a hand on his shoulder,
"Clark, take care of her. She puts on a tough front, but if any
of this is true...She's not as tough as she looks."

"I know," Clark nodded, "She's tougher," he said before
turning to leave.

***

That evening Lois and Clark went over everything they had on the
investigation with Menken as they finished up dinner in their
hotel room. Due to their limited budget, they were in a single
room with a double bed and a pull-out couch. Lois hadn't said
anything when they'd checked in, and neither had he. He wasn't
sure if he should bring up the sleeping arrangements. They'd
spent the night together after Luthor's attack, but that had
been different. That had been when she was scared. This was
business.

They sat at the table, reviewing their notes as they finished off
the remnants of their dinner. "So, with Prometheus it was to get
the profits from all the patents..." Lois said, stabbing her
fork into the salad she was eating, "...but why robotics and
fixed boxing matches? It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, maybe it wasn't about sports at all," Clark reasoned,
grabbing a fry from his plate.

"Then what is it about?" Lois asked, "Dad specialized in
robotic arms after he left his practice...Menken ran the
gym...Allie handled the players...Not exactly screaming criminal
organization here..."

"Yeah, but think what you could do if your dad had succeeded in
creating the type of robotics they wanted..." Clark reasoned.
"Those guys were pretty strong...If they were strong
enough..."

"They'd be able to break walls..." Lois said, following his
train of thought.

"...or bank vaults..." Clark added.

"...Super-powered criminals..." Lois nodded, "Makes sense."

"Who else is on that list?" Clark asked, pointing to her
notepad.

"Johnny Taylor. He was transferred to California Institute last
month after his arrest during the whole Toasters fiasco," Lois
said.

"Think he'll be willing to talk?" Clark asked, taking another
bit of his fry.

Lois shrugged, "I don't know, but we've got two days out here.
We better make the most of them."

Clark nodded, "Any word from Perry on his search for a buyer?"

Lois shook her head, throwing a napkin into the container she was
eating from, "No, I haven't heard anything. I guess he's still
hunting."

He watched her quietly fiddling with the button on her jacket.
Her mind seemed to have drifted to something else at the moment.
Lunch had been extremely uncomfortable. Seeing the way Lois
interacted with her dad and hearing some of the accusations
she'd thrown at him... It made him wonder how she'd ever let
him in. The walls she'd built around herself...it made sense.
Sam Lane seemed nice enough, but he'd never spent more than a
few hours with the man. Hearing the things Lois and Lucy had told
him...It killed him to know how much he'd hurt Lois.

"So, still think my dad is...colorful?" Lois asked with a fake
laugh.

This was good. Lois was talking about it without prodding. "Uh,
I'm not sure," he said with a smile. "He's ... Different."

"Sorry about lunch," Lois apologized. "Holding a decent
conversation with him is hard after..." She trailed off, looking
away and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he squeezed her shoulder. "I don't understand
...I guess I don't want to understand...how anyone can walk away
from their family like that."

She gave him a soft smile, "You'd never do that..." She leaned
in to kiss him, leaning against him as he wrapped an arm around
her. "What was the worst was ...near the end...when they were
fighting so much...Lucy and I *wanted* him to leave. After he
did...it destroyed my mom.."

His arm tightened around her waist, "Sounds like a bad situation
all around." He kissed her head, "I'm sorry you had to go
through that."

She patted his chest, "It was a long time ago..." She sat up,
stretching her arms. "I'm gonna take a shower...get ready for
bed...We've got an early start tomorrow."

He nodded, "I'll clean this up and ..." He gave a flying
motion "...do a quick patrol over Metropolis," At her look he
elaborated, "Superman needs to make an appearance otherwise the
criminal element will take advantage..."

"We don't want that, do we?" Lois whispered, leaning in to
kiss him as she walked across the room to pull out her things
from her suitcase.

He smiled, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He quickly spun into the Superman suit and Lois smiled at him,
"Never gets old."

He grinned, leaning in to kiss her, "Love you."

***

Later that evening after patrolling Metropolis Clark headed back
to California and found Lois already asleep. He had taken longer
than he had expected on his patrol. It wasn't anything major
like the last few weeks but rather petty crimes scattered
throughout the city. A mugging here, carjacking there. Nothing
that would usually draw his attention unless he was on patrol.

He spun out of his suit and into boxers and a tank shirt, gazing
at Lois' sleeping figure. It still amazed him to know how much
had changed over the last few weeks. He and Lois had grown closer
than he could have ever imagined.

"Clark..." He heard Lois call his name in her sleep. He smiled
kneeling down on the side of the bed as he brushed the hair out
of her face. Her eyes fluttered open sleepily, "Hey."

"Hey," he whispered back with a smile.

She rolled on her side, propping her head up with her arm to look
at him, "You just get back?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She smiled, "It's fine. Anything exciting on your patrol?"

"No," he shook his head, "Just small stuff here and there."

Lois nodded, patting the other side of the bed, "That's good."
She leaned in to kiss him, "Come on, it's late. We need to get
up early. Come to bed," she patted the side of the bed.

"You sure that's a good idea?" He asked, "I can sleep on the
couch..." He offered.

"No," she shook her head, tugging him toward her. "I want to
sleep in your arms...makes me feel safe," she said sleepily. He
nodded, climbing into bed with her. She curled up with him,
resting her head against his chest as she drifted off to sleep,
"I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart," he whispered, kissing her cheek.
He looked down at her sleeping figure that had curled up next to
him. She had already drifted off to sleep.

He rolled over on his side so he was facing her, watching her
sleep, hoping sleep would come soon. It had been a long day.
Between the flight that had turned into a very enjoyable
experience as Lois 'distracted' him with flirtatious teasing
for three hours and the very uncomfortable afternoon with Sam
Lane, he was exhausted. Still, it was hard to sleep. He was
sharing a bed with Lois. She'd said she felt safe in his arms.
They seemed to be getting more and more close. He was trying to
take things slow with her, but it was times like this that made
it harder and harder. He groaned, rolling over on his back. It
was going to be a long night.

***

Lois sleepily rolled over on her stomach, reaching out for Clark.
She frowned, feeling the cool sheet next to her. She opened her
eyes, rolling on her back as she looked around the room, trying
to allow time for her eyes to adjust. It was still dark out.
Where was Clark? She glanced at the couch to make sure he hadn't
moved to the sofa after she'd fallen asleep. Nope. Maybe he got
a call for Superman?

She looked up at the ceiling as she stretched her arms over her
head. She yelled in surprise when she spotted him floating in the
air above her. When she yelled, it seemed to wake him up, which
also caused him to fall from where he was floating...right on top
of her. "What're you doing??" She squirmed, trying to push him
off of her.

"Sorry..." He apologized, trying to sit up unsuccessfully,
"Just hold still for a second." She finally stopped, and he sat
up, moving to untangle himself from the blanket his foot got
caught in when he fell.

"What happened?" Lois asked, sitting up.

"I ...fell..." He said cautiously as he dug his foot out of the
blanket.

"Falling from floating?" She looked at him incredulously. "I
didn't think that was possible...What were you doing up there
anyway?"

"Sometimes I float in my sleep..." He said sheepishly. "I'm
sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She laughed, "You float in your sleep?"

He nodded, "Sometimes." He demonstrated, floating above the
bed, stretching out as he propped his head up with his hand.

She grinned up at him, "Your life is so strange."

"Stranger and stranger every minute," he smiled at her as he
floated back down to the bed.

Lois glanced at the clock, "We still got a few hours before
it's time to get up. Let's try and get some rest." He nodded,
wrapping an arm around her as she curled up next to him.

***

Mrs. Cox knocked on the door to Lex Luthor's office, "Mr.
Luthor, a Mr. Devane on line two for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cox, I'll take it in the office," he got up
and headed toward the bookshelf after typing on the keyboard to
open the secret compartment. He stepped down the steps to the
secret compartment and walked past the wine cellar and into an
open office where a large computer was pinned against the wall
and took his seat at the computer, pressing a button to display
the video call.

Devane sat in front of the screen, "Mr. Luthor? Your information
was accurate. I have the Kryptonite."

Lex grinned, "When can I expect delivery?"

Devane nodded, "I'll call you when I get back to Metropolis.
The price is five million."

"Done," Lex said, pressing a button to end the call. He smiled
to himself, turning in his chair.

***

The room was dark and poorly lit. Lois looked around nervously,
"Makes Metropolis Penitentiary seem like a country club."

"Wonder what's taking them so long," Clark said, looking
toward the door as he tapped his pen against his notepad. There
was a loud hammering noise from the other side of the door, and
he looked up, "Maybe that's him."

The door opened, and Johnny Taylor walked through with chains on
his feet and hands. He gave Lois a leering stare as the officers
locked his chains to the table, "Hey, Legs..." He winked at
her. Lois tugged her jacket closed and pulled her chair closer to
Clark.

Clark narrowed his eyes at Johnny as he leaned forward, folding
his hands on the table in front of him, "Mr. Taylor how about
you stick to professional names for this interview."

Johnny shifted uncomfortably when he met Clark's hardened gaze,
"Yeah, uh, okay," he cleared his throat, "*MISS* Lane," he
nodded to Lois, "Whatdya want to meet about?"

"You requested a transfer out of Metropolis Penitentiary a few
months ago...a few days after an incident with another inmate,"
Lois began, reading from the file in front of her. "Seems you
had a misunderstanding with a 'shiv?'"

Johnny rubbed his right arm and nodded, "Yeah, a few trips to
the infirmary made me realize Metropolis wasn't the right place
to be, uh, finishing my, uh, retirement from the Metros...if you
know what I mean."

Clark nodded, "Someone wanted you out of the way?"

"I, uh, didn't make too many friends on the inside...apparently
my sister still thinks she's running things from the inside,"
Johnny shrugged, "but I'm not the one that got into bed with
the devil."

"You think it was Toni coming after you?" Lois asked,
curiously.

"Or the John she made a deal with to take the Metros out from
under me," Johnny smiled, "Either way, I wasn't sticking
around for her to finish the job."

"You said she made a 'deal with the devil.' Any idea who this
'devil' was?" Clark asked.

"No one other than 'the boss,'" Johnny said with a wide
grin.

"Any idea who this 'boss' is?" Lois asked.

"No, I never met him, but my guys said he had a meeting with
Toni at the Metro club after she took over..." Johnny shrugged.

Lois' eyebrows rose, "At the Metro club?"

"You know who it is, don't you?" Johnny leaned forward,
folding his hands on the table as he laughed.

Lois and Clark exchanged a look, and Lois cleared her throat, "I
think we should go." She stood up with Clark gathering her
things.

They headed for the door, and Johnny called after them. "Till
next time, Toots."

***

Lois breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door to the
rental car. "That guy gives me the creeps!"

"Well, as smarmy as he is..." Clark said, "He may be the first
real key to connecting Luthor to 'the boss' and all his
crimes...I think it's time to head back to Metropolis."

"And keep digging..." Lois said softly, "See what else we can
find to connect the dots."

***

"All surveillance equipment has been reinstalled at Ms. Lane and
Mr. Kent's," Nigel said as he read from the status report to
Lex in his study. "They were out of town for a few days, so our
men were able to get in and out without any issues." He handed
Lex a folder, "The background check we found on Mr. Kent."

"Mr. Kent's been quite busy," Lex mused.

"Yes, travels all around the world after college. He's shown up
in remote locations around the world in time to cover
'miraculous' saves in local papers as a freelance. Always
moving and never staying in one place for very long."

"Is that so?" Lex asked, flipping through the file. "Then why
Metropolis? Why the Daily Planet?"

"Maybe he found something to stick around for," Nigel shrugged.
"Either way it's all in there."

***

After the flight back to Metropolis Clark walked Lois back to her
apartment. She unlocked the door and stepped inside with her
luggage. Clark closed the door behind them and lowered his
glasses to scan the apartment, "Oh, no."

Lois sighed, shaking her head, "Let me guess..."

"Just a sec," he turned around, pulling out his cell phone and
began to dial.

"What are you doing?"

"Yes, Metropolis P.D? I'd like to speak to Bill Henderson
please," he said into the phone, "Yes, I'll hold," Lois
looked at him questionably, "I'm going to have Bill sweep yours
and my apartment. Maybe we can use it against Luthor."

***

Lois stared at the pile of cameras and audio equipment that had
been pulled from her apartment in disgust. Henderson looked at
her in concern, "Lois? Are you okay?"

"Just a little on the disgusted side," Lois said, staring at
the pile of equipment that had been found throughout her
apartment.

"I'll say," Officer Jenkins said as he walked through the
apartment, "Most of this stuff was in the bedroom..."

"Oh, God..." Lois winced, cradling her head in her hands.

"I guess, lucky we were out of town," Clark said, wrapping an
arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, lucky," Lois said, leaning against him.

Henderson shook his head as he tagged the last of the
surveillance equipment, "Well if this stuff came from the same
place as the other bugs you brought me I don't know what good
it's going to do. The equipment had no serial numbers on them,
and the signal was bouncing all over the place. The tech team at
S.T.A.R. Labs is still trying to decipher the code."

"So, you're saying we're powerless against the creep that
keeps trying to turn my apartment into his own sick, personal
peep show?" Lois spat bitterly. "Great."

Henderson sighed, "Not powerless. They've got a great team
looking into this. We'll get this figured out. For now keep
having Superman check your place as often as he can so we can
keep tracking this. When we do find the person responsible...and
we will find them...we'll have a strong case."

"Thanks, Inspector," Clark said, gently squeezing Lois'
shoulder as he watched the officers finish bagging everything
up.

"I'll let you know as soon as I know something," Henderson
said, motioning for the officers to leave.

Lois and Clark followed them to the door, and Lois locked the
door behind them, "This is getting ridiculous."

"I know," Clark grumbled, wrapping his arms around her from
behind. "Henderson said they found cameras and audio recording
equipment in both our apartments. So, Luthor's trying to keep
tabs on us both."

"I guess being a little paranoid and talking in the third person
comes in handy," Lois mused, leaning back against him.

He leaned down to kiss her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he sighed,
"Are you going to be okay? I should probably get unpacked and do
a patrol."

"I suppose," Lois sighed, leaning against him as she turned
around in his arms to look up at him. She brushed her hands
against his chest, toying with the lapels to his jacket as she
spoke. "It's just going to be weird not having you here
tonight..." He smiled down at her as she slid her arms up his
chest, linking her hands around his neck as she fingered the hair
on the back of his neck, "I kinda liked waking up with you
floating above the bed next to me."

Clark smiled, against her lips, "I know, but Superman's gotta
make an appearance tonight." Lois sighed against him. "We've
been in the air all day," he murmured against her neck.

She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered,
"I know, but I don't have to like it..." He leaned in to kiss
her, cupping her cheek.

He slowly broke off the kiss and ran his hand through her hair
for a moment, "I should go."

"Do you have to?" She asked, leaning in to kiss him.

"Lois..." He murmured against her lips, slowly breaking off the
kiss. "I would love nothing more than to continue this..." He
breathed, "but you and I both know if I did..."

"We wouldn't be able to stop," Lois finished for him. "I
know." She gave him a slow smile.

"I should go," he repeated, still not making any move toward
the door or releasing her from his embrace.

"I know," Lois said softly, meeting his gaze.

The door opened and Lucy stepped inside the apartment, "Hey,
Lois, you're back!" She hugged Lois. "Hey, Clark, spent
forty-eight hours together and still can't get enough of my
sister, huh?"

Clark smiled, "Yeah, how's the internship going?" He asked,
trying to change the subject.

Lucy shrugged, "Pretty good. Staying busy. It's only my first
week, though," she sighed, sinking into the couch with her
things. "I was going to order some pizza for dinner. You
staying?"

"Uh, no," Clark shook his head, offering her a smile. "I've
got to get going."

"Okay, well see you later," Lucy said with a grin as she
grabbed the phone and began to dial.

He leaned down to kiss Lois goodbye once more, "Good night,
Lois," he whispered before disappearing out the door.

Lois nodded, closing the door behind him. She sighed, leaning
back against the door for a moment and Lucy smiled at her.
"Things are definitely steaming up in the love department,"
Lois blushed, and Lucy laughed, "You two are cute
together...Still convinced to take things...slow?" Lucy teased.

"It's losing its appeal," Lois sighed, sinking into the couch
next to her sister.

"I knew it!" Lucy grinned. "So, how was California? You two
definitely seem ...closer..."

"It was good." Lois said with a smile, "We got a lot of useful
information to bring us closer to exposing the boss."

"Maybe when you crack this story open you'll help get the
Planet back on its feet," Lucy mused. "Two days in California.
I'm sure they're gonna love that expense report..."

"Actually Perry paid for it," Lois said, "The Planet isn't
covering the costs. We had to go cheap...plane tickets and hotel
room."

"Hotel room?" Lucy pressed. She noticed the blush cross Lois'
cheeks, "Spill!"

Lois shook her head with a smile. "Nothing happened. He was a
complete gentleman the whole time."

Lucy laughed when she saw the twitch on the corners of Lois'
mouth. "And you didn't want him to be."

Lois let out a shaky breath, "I know it's crazy...We've only
been going out for a month, and I already feel..."

Lucy nodded, "Well, think of it this way," she began slowly,
"You guys have been friends for a year now...so in a way, it's
like you've been dating for a year...just saving the physical
side for the last month."

"I guess," Lois said softly. "So scary...feels like
everything's happening so fast..."

"Love's funny like that," Lucy smiled back at her. "You just
got to be willing to step up and take the plunge."

***

Perry laid a stack of files on the conference room table,
"Alright Olsen here are all the board members that are
susceptible to selling their shares. I want you and Jack to team
up and see if you can get them over to our side before this
mysterious buyer convinces them to sell their shares."

"A little cloak and dagger," Jimmy nodded. "I like it."

"All of these guys are having financial issues, so they're
susceptible to bribes," Perry said, pointing to the files.

"And you want us to make sure they don't accept a bribe from
this mysterious buyer," Jack said, flipping through one of the
files, "Simon Truesdale, 65, married...Woah!" His eyes widened
when he saw a picture in the file, "...but not if his wife sees
this."

Perry gave him a knowing smile, "Private investigators can find
the darndest things."

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Perry looked up to see
Bill Henderson standing in the doorway, "Bill? Can I help
you?"

Henderson nodded, "I'm gonna need to sweep the office here.
After the bugs we found at Lane and Kent's last night, we
thought it best to check the Planet too."

"Bugs?" Perry asked, and Henderson held up a small micro
camera.

"Cool!" Jimmy beamed.

"Not if you're the one being spied on," Henderson said with a
grim expression. "So far we've found a few by their desks and
on the elevators. I need to check the conference rooms..."

"Uh, sure," Perry nodded, standing up.

"This won't take long," Henderson reassured him.

***

Lois walked into the Daily Planet lobby with her coffee in hand,
scanning the floor for any sign of Clark. She'd heard about the
train derailment on her way to work but wasn't sure how long it
would keep him. Some rescues took longer than others. She took
another sip of her coffee, heading for the elevator. She frowned
at the empty cup and tossed it in the trashcan. After her talk
with Lucy last night she'd spent most of the evening trying to
figure out things with Clark.

She definitely felt that pull to move faster with him. She knew
him better than anyone, but she still had those unrealistic fears
of repeating her experience with Claude. The pain and
uncomfortable feeling she'd felt during sex had made her not
want to repeat the experience; so she hadn't. She hadn't felt
the pull or desire to until recently.

Part of her knew it was impractical to put Claude on the same
level as Clark, but it was the only experience she had. Knowing
Clark wasn't experienced either made her nervous. He certainly
had all the parts. She smiled, recalling some of their more
heated makeout sessions. The question was if she was ready to
take that step again with Clark. Lately, she'd definitely felt
ready.

Two hands covered her eyes and familiar lips pressed against her
lips, "Guess who?"

She grinned, leaning back against him as he removed his hands
from her eyes, "Hey, you," she leaned in to kiss him, "I heard
about the train derailment this morning. Everything go okay?"

Clark nodded, taking her hand in his as they stepped on the
elevator with a large group of people. "Yeah, uh, Superman got
there in time. No injuries or fatalities," he smiled back at her
as the doors to the elevator opened to let half the group of
people that were in the elevator with them off.

"That's good," Lois said softly, brushing invisible pieces of
lint off his jacket, "I mean, it's good that...he, uh...got
there in time..." She shared a knowing smile with him, and she
could feel her stomach flutter a bit as he smiled at her. What
was it about him that made her just want to lose herself in his
arms? The elevator dinged once more letting off the remainder of
the crowd they were sharing an elevator car with. She watched as
the elevator doors closed, letting out a sigh of relief.

He smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms
around his neck, pulling him to her as she fingered his hair as
he murmured against her lips, "I missed you."

She laughed against his mouth, "You're the one that wanted to
leave last night." He moved his attention to her collarbone,
raining a trail of feather light kisses along her neckline as he
cupped her face with his palm.

"Too tempting," he murmured.

"I know," she whispered in between ragged breaths as his arms
tightened around her waist. She fingered the knot on his tie,
tugging him to her as she leaned up to capture his lips with her
own. She slid her finger beneath the silk of the knot of his tie,
loosening it as her other hand moved up his chest, exploring the
hardened muscles beneath his cotton dress shirt.

"Lois...we need...to...stop..." He reminded her, slowly
breaking off the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers, and
she stared at him through her euphoria-filled eyes. He was
struggling to regain control of his breathing as much as she was.
She cast him a sideways glance for a moment as he released her
from his embrace, standing next to her as he straightened his
tie.

She grinned back at him, giving him a longing look before
stepping off the elevator as they arrived on the newsroom floor.

***

"We have a problem," Mrs. Cox laid a stack of files on Lex's
desk. "The board members we thought were in our pocket seem to
be evading our calls. The latest preliminary vote went against
selling the Planet to LexCorp."

"That's impossible," Lex snarled as he flipped through the
files. "We found all their weaknesses...They agreed to
sell..."

"Do you want me to set up another meeting?" Mrs. Cox asked.
"Perhaps a subtle incentive will help?"

"Yes," Lex nodded. "Set it up for this afternoon."

"There's more," Mrs. Cox added. "All the cameras from the
Planet and the apartments of Lois Lane and Clark Kent have been
removed...by the police."

"How did they...?" Lex shook his head in disgust.

"Our contact said this Inspector Henderson is searching every
place that Lois Lane and Clark Kent visit to check for
surveillance equipment..."

Lex nodded, "We'll wait a bit. Lay low then replace it."

"Very well," Mrs. Cox said with a smile.

***

Toni Taylor gave Lois a sneering glare as she walked into the
visitor's room, "You've got to be kidding me..." She then
turned toward Clark who was sitting next to Lois and smiled,
"Nice to see you, Charlie."

Clark shook his head, "It's Clark. Clark Kent."

"Yes, I know," Toni said sinking down into her seat as she gave
him a once over. "I've spent the last few months trying to
figure out how you pulled the wool over my eyes like that...I'm
usually a much better judge of character."

"Really?" Lois interrupted, placing a possessive hand on
Clark's arm, "So is he."

Toni gave Lois a glare, leaning back in her chair, "So what's
this about?"

"Johnny Taylor," Clark began.

"Why am I not surprised?" Toni snorted. "What did my brother
do this time?"

"He said someone was out to get him," Lois began slowly,
narrowing her eyes at Toni.

"And you think I had something to do with it?" Toni laughed,
looking around the darkened visitor's room, "Ms. Lane, look
around? I'm in prison. I don't exactly have the best resources
in here."

"You were head of the Metro Gang," Clark countered.

"For like a minute!" Toni snapped, "You know how hard it is
for a woman to be taken seriously in your field, Ms. Lane, try
running a criminal organization. Nobody took me seriously."

"How'd you get them to put you in charge then?" Lois asked,
arching her eyebrow at her.

"I...had a, uh, partner," she sniffed uneasily.

"What kind of partner?" Clark asked.

"A...powerful one. He made sure I was able to push Johnny out
and take over without any fuss," Toni said uneasily.

Lois shared a look with Clark then put on her best fake smile,
"I suppose this...partner...you met him at the Metro Club?"

"Of course," she shifted uneasily.

"See, Johnny told us all about this partner of yours. He seems
to think he's the...boss..." Lois smiled when she saw Toni's
eyes widen and look away from her, "You know who I'm talking
about? The boss that runs all the crime in Metropolis? The boss
that has the police and politicians in his pocket so he can
continue running things the way he has for years in
Metropolis?"

"Johnny doesn't know what he's talking about," Toni said
uneasily.

"Did you know someone tried to kill him?" Clark asked coolly.

"What?" Toni breathed shakily.

"Seems he kept having 'accidents' with a shiv and he finally
got the hint and transferred out of state," Clark added.
"Whoever you're protecting..."

"I'm not protecting anyone..." She argued.

"...can't be trusted," Clark finished.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Toni argued.

"And you don't know who you're in bed with," Clark added,
flipping open his notepad, "Did you know 'the boss' approached
Johnny and your father about a partnership and they both turned
him down?"

Toni didn't say anything, and Lois added, "Or how about the
fact that your father ended up dying from 'heart problems' not
even a week after turning 'the boss' down?"

Toni shook her head, "You're lying..."

Lois tossed the report in her hand to her, "Read it yourself."

"What do you want?" Toni asked uneasily.

"The truth," Clark said softly. "Help us take him down and
make him pay for what he's done to your family."

"You don't understand..." Toni shook her head. "You don't
know what he's capable of..."

"Then enlighten us," Lois said, pulling out her tape recorder.
"You met with him and are one of the few people out there that
can point the finger. Help us bring him down."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Toni breathed.
"Nobody would."

"Try me," Lois said with a smirk.

***

Lois and Clark stepped out of the elevator going over their notes
on everything they'd learned from Toni Taylor. "Toni has a lot
of contacts with the Metros, but none of them are willing to come
forward."

"Well, Toni is at least thinking about it," Clark said with a
sigh, "That's something."

"I'm not holding my breath," Lois retorted.

"She may surprise you," Clark said, making his way to his desk,
"She wasn't all bad. Good intentions ...went about everything
the wrong way."

"Yeah," Lois breathed, "I guess I can understand that, but she
*was* running a criminal organization...whether she wanted to be
or not. She was responsible for beatings, assaults, and attempted
murders...and everyone that got injured during the Toasters'
raid."

"I know," Clark said, taking a seat at his desk. "I just wish
there was a way..." He stopped.

Lois recognized the expression on his face, "Everything okay?"
He shook his head, disappearing toward the storage closet. "Be
careful," she whispered, hearing the sonic boom from a
distance.

***

Clark grabbed the cable of the elevator car at the last minute,
stopping it from crashing down the fifty story building. The
impact would have severely injured the passengers. "Easy, I've
got you," he reassured through the ceiling vent that had been
opened. He looked in and saw a group huddled together in the
center of the car shaking. He slowly eased them down to the lobby
floor where firemen and paramedics were waiting. He glared at the
cable in his hand. It had been cut. Someone had deliberately cut
the cable.

The firemen pried the doors opened, and he held the car steady so
everyone could walk out of the elevator car. He spotted a
familiar face as the firefighters gave him the okay to let go.
Seeing the panic and fear on the passengers, he stepped into the
lobby and approached a young auburn-haired woman, "Ms. Kahn?"

She turned around to face him, "Su-Superman, th-thank
you...again," she gave him a watery smile. "I guess I've been
lucky twice in a year."

He showed her his best smile and motioned for her to walk with
him, "Ms. Kahn, you don't seem like the type of person to go
*looking *for danger..."

"I'm not," she sniffed. "I'm a receptionist."

"You have any ...enemies?" He asked cautiously.

"No..." She said slowly. "Why?"

"Twice in a year you're plummeting down a very tall building.
Once off the roof and now, here in an elevator...yet you're
afraid of heights," he murmured.

"It was an...accident," she said shakily.

He pulled out the cut cable he'd grabbed from the elevator, "An
accident where someone deliberately cut the elevator cable?" Her
eyes widened as she looked at the cable, "I want to help..." He
began slowly, "Who would want to kill you?"

***

"So, the elevator cable was cut?" Lois asked in a shocked
whisper.

"I know he's behind this," Clark breathed. "It was a
warning...She's at Met General getting a work up."

Lois let out a low breath, "This is getting scary," Lois pulled
out her notebook, "By the way, Henderson did a sweep at the
Planet, and they found bugs in the elevator, our desks, and both
conference rooms..."

Clark shook his head in disgust, "Trying to keep tabs..."

"Yep," Lois nodded, "On the positive side we are getting
somewhere with the whole 'buyer' thing. Perry's got Jack and
Jimmy meeting with the board members he felt were ...most
susceptible to a bribe."

"Is Jack...?" Clark began.

Lois seemed to sense where he was going with this, "He's with
Jimmy, and they're just meeting upstairs. Don't worry. He's
safe."

Clark sighed in relief, "I think I need to talk to him. Staying
in Metropolis may not be the best idea..."

"What are you going to do?" Lois asked, "Ship him off to a
remote island?"

"No of course not," Clark shook his head, "but maybe I can
have him moved over to where Denny and his foster family are at
so they'll at least be together while trying to lay low."

"It would make sense," Lois reasoned. "What about his job
here, though?"

"I don't know," Clark sighed, "I'll talk to Perry."

***

*One Month Later...*

"We've got at least three possible buyers," Perry said,
handing the offer letters to Lois and Clark as he closed the door
behind him. "It's been a crazy few months, but we've managed
to stay afloat this long..."

"But the budget cuts keep coming out of nowhere, and no one
knows why the banks and advertisers aren't willing to work with
the Planet anymore..." Lois argued.

"The question is who do we trust," Clark added, taking a look
at the letters as Lois handed them to him.

"I agree," Perry folded his hands in his lap as he leaned back
in his seat, "How are you coming with the boss research? Any
leads?"

Clark shook his head, "Nothing concrete. We still have an
interview with Miranda this afternoon to see if we can get any
more information from her now that she's' not under the
influence of her pheromones..." He gave Lois a half smile before
turning back to Perry, "but we'll see."

Lois blushed, recalling their experience under the pheromones,
"Everyone seems to be afraid of him, but taking a fresh look at
everything appears to be helping...We've found quite a few major
players..."

"Well, when you crack this one open it'll be a doozie," Perry
sighed, "Just be careful," he warned, wagging his finger at
Lois.

"I'm always careful," Lois harrumphed, gathering her things as
she got ready to leave with Clark behind her.

***

Lois stepped into the elevator with Clark, continuing their game
as they tried to pass the time on their way to see Miranda at the
Metropolis Women's Prison. "How many is that?"

"Six," Clark said, scanning his notes, not looking up.

"Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Blitzen, Dasher, Cupid, Donner..." She
just couldn't think of the last one.

"That's seven," Clark said, "one more."

"Donner..." She repeated.

Clark folded his notes and turned to her with a knowing smile,
"You're stuck."

"I am not stuck..." She argued before finally relenting,
"Okay, I'm stuck, just tell me the name."

"Vixen," he said, leaning in to kiss her. The elevator dinged,
announcing their arrival to the visitor floor.

***

Miranda stepped into the visitor's room, looking around
laughing, "You have got to be joking. When my attorney said, I
had some reporters wanting to talk I didn't expect you two..."

"If it makes you feel any better it's no picnic for me
either," Lois gave Miranda a fake smile.

"We're here to talk about why you really began working on
'Revenge,'" Clark interjected, cutting to the chase before a
cat fight ensued between the two women.

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you?" Miranda
laughed.

"Because you don't have anything left to lose," Lois said,
leaning back in her seat. "You started working on this pheromone
when you were contracted by LexLabs. Whose idea was it to begin
this project?"

Miranda gave them a slow smile, "Why should I trust you? If you
had any sense, you wouldn't be involved with Lex Luthor.."
Miranda warned coldly.

"I know," Lois said, folding her notebook in her hand.
"That's why I'm not involved with him..." Miranda arched an
eyebrow at her, skeptically and Lois continued, "Look; obviously
there's a lot of bad blood between you and Lex. We just want to
know the truth. We think maybe we didn't give you a fair shot
considering..."

"You mean considering I went crazy and lashed out at everyone in
a jealous rage?" Miranda asked.

"Uh, something like that," Clark said, taking Lois' hand in
his to remind her not to react how she normally would. They were
gaining Miranda's trust.

Miranda looked around the empty room and whispered, "What's in
it for me?"

***

Bruce Wayne stepped off his private jet, looking around the
airstrip with a smile. A tall blonde in a sharp business suit was
by his side along with an elderly man with a gray hairline and
glasses. "Well, Alfred, Metropolis seems a lot brighter than
Gotham," Bruce mused.

"It would seem so, sir," Alfred said, following Bruce down the
airstrip. "How long will this visit be, Master Wayne?" He
asked, pulling out an electronic planner to take note.

"I'm not sure. Mr. White wanted to keep this low-key, but I
can't in good conscience make a purchase without help transition
the changes, can I?"

"I still don't understand how the Daily Planet could be having
money trouble. I mean, they're internationally known and have
been around for centuries... Every journalist dreams of working
there..." the young blonde said, shaking her head.

"Is that what you dreamed of Vicki?" Bruce asked with a knowing
smile.

She smirked at him, "Before I fell in love with newscasting and
being an anchor...yes."

"Well, if you change your mind I know the owner...He might be
persuaded to find a beat job for you," he gave her a smile.

***

Lois gasped with a smile on her face as they walked out the door
hand in hand, "Did that really just happen?"

"I think so," Clark smiled, wrapping his arms around her.
"This is it. Everything we need to connect Luthor to the crimes
in Metropolis and bring him down."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Lois warned, grabbing his
hand. "We don't have anything concrete yet, but if this
information Miranda gave us pans out..."

"It'll mean bringing him down for all the crimes he's
committed..." Clark said with a grin on his face. "Jack will
finally be safe."

"How's he doing anyway?" Lois asked concerned as they walked
toward the Jeep.

"All right. He's spending time with Denny while working on his
GED..." Clark said, opening the door for her to get in the
Jeep.

Lois watched as he climbed in on the other side and smiled at
him, "You really care about him, don't you? Even after he tried
to rob you..."

"He's just a troubled kid that needed help..." Clark
whispered. "I'd like to think if I had a kid in trouble like
that I'd want someone to help them out like that too." Lois
tensed up at the mention of 'kid, ' and he turned to look at
her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, shrugging as she turned away from him. "I
just..."

"What?" He asked, concerned.

"I guess I never thought of...I mean, not that I wouldn't want
to, but..." Lois stammered, "I never thought much about
....kids...err...having them that is. I mean, I'm not very good
with them...you saw how I was with Amy...I don't have the,
uh..." She noticed Clark looking at her with a smirk and looked
around self-consciously, "What?"

"Nothing," he laughed, "Just wondering how far you're going
to take this..." He laughed as she smacked him. "I'm kidding.
I'm kidding. I honestly didn't mean anything by it I guess I
just..."

"You're good with kids, You'd make a great father, Clark,"
she said softly, "But I don't have a maternal bone in my
body."

"That is not true," he countered. "I have seen you with Lucy
and Amy and what about those boys that were kidnapped during
Constance's little illusion game? You are great with kids."

"You really think so?" She asked, uncertainly.

"I know so," he said, cupping her cheek.

She smiled up at him, "I never thought of...I mean, there's so
much I want to do before..." She trailed off smiling to herself,
"You think I'm being silly? Over here worrying about a
hypothetical family that doesn't even exist..."

"It's just because you care so much," Clark reasoned. "I
think after what you and your sister went through you don't want
to put a child through that...and I can understand that..."

Lois smiled up at him, "You sure you don't read minds?"

"No, I'm just a good listener," he leaned in to kiss her.

"So, do you think about the future?" Lois asked, nervously
toying with a strand from her blouse as she spoke.

"All the time," he said with a smile, "More so lately," He
admitted with a grin.

"Me too...A lot lately. I mean, if the Planet went under, I'd
be lost."

Clark shook his head, "Not you. You'd be back on your feet in
no time."

"You think so?" She asked.

"Yeah," he reassured her, "Don't worry. We'll figure this
out. The Planet isn't going anywhere."

"It better not," she grinned. "We're going to need a paper to
print this story in if we want to get that Pulitzer."

***

Lex pressed the call button to answer another video call, "Mr.
Devane."

Devane narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers on the desk in
front of him, "I'm ready to make the delivery. Are the funds
available?"

"Have you authenticated the item?" Lex asked apprehensively.

"It's genuine. We've spent the last month authenticating it
with S.T.A.R. Labs. Don't jerk me around, Luthor. It'd take me
about ten seconds to find an alternate buyer," Devane warned.

"Aren't you forgetting whose sources turned up the existence of
the stone in the first place?" Lex accused.

"No, I'm not forgetting. That and five million dollars will get
you your stone. Do you want it or not?" Devane countered.

"May I see it?" Lex breathed irritably. Devane rolled his eyes
before pulling out a cloth bag and revealing a large green
glowing rock. Lex smiled hungrily, "I want it."

***

*Two Weeks Later...*

Lois and Clark stepped into the newsroom going over everything
they'd learned so far on their research into Luthor. Lois looked
at her notes from earlier as they walked toward their desks,
"So, Miranda Toni, Johnny, and Monique Kahn are willing to
testify and we've got Jack's statement..."

"Miranda's information on LexLabs is the biggest part I
think," Clark reasoned. "Inspector Henderson said he was
working with his team to get her put into the Witness Protection
program since she cut that deal to testify in exchange for her
freedom..."

"It was sitting there...right under our noses for months..."
Lois mused, looking up at him with a grin. "Can you believe
that?" She never tired of that feeling of satisfaction when the
pieces all began to fit on a big scandal...and this was a big
one. Henderson had assured them that within the week he'd have
the warrant for Lex and this would all be over...and Lane and
Kent would have the exclusive.

"It was smart of Miranda to record all her conversations with
Luthor like that..." Clark grinned happily. She felt a flutter
in her abdomen as he stepped toward her, rubbing the side of her
arm.

"We did it..." She grinned happily, toying with the lapels to
his jacket as she looked up at him. How was it that after nearly
three months she still felt butterflies when he was near her like
this? It had been a year now since they'd first met and almost
three months now since they'd started seeing each other. Clark
had been true to his word to take things slow but now the closer
they'd gotten she was growing more and more frustrated with
taking things slow. After Smallville, he hadn't allowed things
to get as heated as they had that night Jimmy had walked in on
them. She'd been grateful he hadn't brought it up at the time,
but now she was continuing to grow more frustrated. It had been
fine to take things slow when she'd still been in shock after
his confession, but now...Now that she knew everything she
didn't want to take things slow anymore. She just wasn't sure
how to go about telling him. It wasn't something you just
blurted out...

She teased the lapels of his jacket, pulling him close to her as
she toyed with his tie, outlining the path the red and blue
pattern took down his chest as she spoke, "How does it feel to
bring down Metropolis' biggest crime lord with the swipe of a
pen?" She toyed with the end of his tie, looking up at him
expectantly. She smiled to herself when she heard him take a
sharp intake of breath when her other hand rested on his lower
back from beneath his jacket.

He grinned, leaning in to kiss her, "Really...really...good."
She reveled in the feeling of his lips against hers, slipping her
hand daringly down his backside and grinned when he jumped
slightly but didn't pull away. She ignored the whistles and
catcalls around them, intent on taking advantage of the moment
for as long as she could before Perry interrupted them.

***

Clark grinned at Lois happily as she toyed with the lapels of his
jacket, toying with his tie as she spoke, "How does it feel to
bring down Metropolis' biggest crime lord with the swipe of a
pen?"

He smiled back at her, about to lean into kiss her when he felt
her hand move daringly from his back to his buttocks. He gave her
a look, telling her silently he knew what she was doing before
leaning back down to kiss her, "Really, *really*...good," he
whispered, capturing her lips with his as he wrapped his arms
around her waist, pulling her to him. He ignored the whistles
around them. You'd think their co-workers would be used to the
public displays of affection by now, but some still insisted on
teasing.

Lois linked an arm around his neck, toying with the left lapel of
his jacket as she grinned up at him, "The Fall of the House of
Luthor by Lane and Kent definitely has a nice ring to it..."

"We should celebrate," he whispered, wrapping his arms around
her waist, "Anywhere you want. Paris. Rome." Lois laughed, and
he grinned back at her, "What? I'm ecstatic right now...after a
year...he's finally getting his just desserts."

She gave him a half-smile, toying with his tie seductively as she
leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The
whistling continued, but he ignored it, reveling in the feeling
of Lois in his arms. He didn't care about anything else in the
world besides the fact that they'd finally cracked open the case
on 'the boss' and the way Lois fit so perfectly against him.
Her lips softly caressed his, teasing him with her tongue as she
parted her lips just enough to tease him with the taste of her
coffee from earlier.

The bellow of his Editor-in-Chief's voice booming across the
newsroom pulled him back to the present, "Would you two get a
room, already? Sheesh! No one's paying you to canoodle in the
bullpen." He waved a roll of newspaper at them, "You'd think
after almost three months they'd cool down..."

Clark laughed, pulling away from her slightly but keeping his
arms wrapped around her waist, reveling in the feeling of her
being in his arms. "Hey, Chief, publisher's on line three..."
Jimmy called across the newsroom.

Perry nodded, heading for his office, "Always something..."

***

Lois looked over her shoulder at Perry smiling as he walked back
to his office. She suspected the no-nonsense exterior he put on
was just for show. Once he was in his office, she turned back to
Clark, recapturing his lips with her own. What was it he had
said? Something about celebrating? She didn't want to go out.
She just wanted to continue doing this...maybe more...She ran her
hand down his chest, seductively outlining the end of his tie
that hovered just above the waistband of his pants. "Maybe we
should just order in..." She whispered in his ear, giving him a
wink before turning around in his arms to head back to her desk
before Perry came back out and caught them again.

She caught the heated gaze Clark gave her and smiled to herself.
Hopefully, she'd been subtle enough to get her point across.
Confidence wasn't something she felt when she thought about
finally crossing that threshold. In every other aspect of her
life, she was confident and self-assured, but when it came to the
bedroom...She didn't have that same confidence. She knew she was
ready...they were ready, but it still scared her. After her last
experience, she was nervous. She knew Clark wouldn't hurt her
like Claude had. She trusted him more than anyone. He had trusted
her with his deepest secret, and she trusted him with her heart.
It still made her nervous, though.

She could still feel his eyes on her as she set her notepad down,
trying to busy herself and think of anything but what she planned
to do tonight. He had super-hearing. He could probably hear her
heart hammering as she nervously fidgeted with the pen in her
hand. She cast a sideways glance at him and caught his heated
gaze as he readjusted his tie, looking away from her. She smiled
to herself. Yes, she'd definitely gotten her point across.

***

Lois grinned, leaning in to kiss him once more, "Maybe we should
just order in..." She whispered in his ear giving him a wink
before turning in his arms to head back to her desk. He swallowed
hard, not sure what to make out of that statement. It was the way
she'd just said that statement...He watched her set her notepad
down on her desk and fidget with her pen nervously. He could hear
her heart rate pick up and caught her heated gaze as she looked
back at him. He readjusted his tie nervously. She wasn't...

He caught her gaze once more and swallowed when he recognized the
expression on her face. Desire. What was she trying to tell him?
He wasn't given a chance to think of the implications of what
she was trying to tell him for long because Perry reentered the
newsroom bellowing to get everyone's attention.

"Listen up folks!" Perry barked, "I got a call from
upstairs...we're expecting an announcement right about...now."
The elevator doors opened, and Lex Luthor stepped into the
newsroom with a smug smile on his face, surrounded by suits.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Lois muttered angrily when
she saw Lex enter the newsroom.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Lex Luthor,"
Lex began standing on the balcony.

Clark stood next to her protectively, "I've got a ba-ad
feeling..." He whispered.

"I, no less than you have been greatly distressed by the sea of
troubles that have mired Metropolis' one great newspaper..."
Lex continued.

"Oh, no," Lois breathed, shaking her head, "Please tell me
this is a nightmare."

"Not unless we're having the same one," Clark muttered under
his breath.

"I don't know why your advertisers have deserted you. I don't
know why the banks have shut off your credit lines. And I don't
know why you depleted your cash reserves through unnecessary
expenditures..." Lex gave a look toward the suits behind him,
"...though I have my suspicions."

"It was him. It was him all along," Lois muttered angrily.

"Shhh..." Clark warned, "Not here."

"I do know that the problems can be solved through strong
leadership and fiscal responsibility. Therefore, I have taken the
one step that would guarantee the future well-being of this
newspaper: I bought it. I'm the new owner of the Daily Planet,"
Lex declared happily.

Clark picked up Perry muttering, "Judas Priest," under his
breath as cheers erupted through the newsroom but Lois stood
there stunned.

Clark wrapped an arm around her, "It's gonna be okay."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." A voice said from the
crowd of suits.

Lex turned to see Bruce Wayne standing in the crowd walking
toward him, "Mr. Wayne, to what do I owe this ...surprise?"

"You know for someone that spends so much time researching
companies before a takeover I'm surprised you didn't check the
board roster this morning," Bruce said with a smile as he walked
toward Lex.

"What are you talking about? It was a unanimous vote to sell the
Planet to me." Lex smiled.

Bruce shook his head, "No, see you didn't take my vote into
account, Lex."

"Your vote?" Lex asked shakily.

"Oh, boy...here come the fireworks," Clark reassured Lois with
a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, see I'm a gambler. I like risk. I like doing things
people wouldn't normally do. Skydiving...rock
climbing...alligator wrestling," he shot Lex a knowing look,
"So when I heard the stock for the Planet was for sale at such a
low price I figured, why not?" He shrugged.

"You..." Lex narrowed his eyes at Bruce and tightened his jaw
when he caught his gaze.

"Bought seventy-five percent of the Daily Planet shares last
night? You bet I did," he smiled, patting Lex on the shoulder,
"Now, Mr. Luthor, as generous as your offer is I'm gonna have
to pass. I've been running Wayne Enterprises for years without
any issues. I'm sure I can figure out how to turn the Planet
around without you."

Lex narrowed his eyes at Bruce for a moment before pasting on a
smile and looking to the crowd, "It appears I've been
mistaken...your new owner, Mr. Bruce Wayne..."

Applause erupted, and Lois looked back at Clark, "Did you know
about this?"

"Not a clue," He said, "but his timing is impeccable."

"I'll say," She sighed, leaning against him.

Clark watched as Bruce leaned in, whispering something to Lex.
With the crowd of applause this close to him it was impossible
for him to pick up what their new owner had just whispered to
Luthor but it seemed to put the fear of God in him. Luthor backed
away, turning hurriedly away from the balcony.

Bruce smiled, watching as Lex walked back toward the elevator and
looked at the crowd with a smile, "Ladies and Gentlemen, my name
is Bruce Wayne. Perhaps you've heard of me? If not you should
pick up a copy of Tattletale Weekly. The stories they come up
with are quite entertaining." He grinned back at the crowd, "In
all seriousness, I'm just a businessman with a soft spot for
nostalgia. My dad used to read the Planet to me when I was a
little boy and the thought of the Planet not being around..." He
shook his head, "Well, I'm sure all of you share my
sentiments." There was a murmur of agreement, and he continued,
pacing around the balcony, "I understand the Daily Planet has
undergone some hardships these past few months, and it is my goal
to rectify that. The Daily Planet is a well-known household name;
as well it should be. It's my goal to see that the Daily Planet
remains a top seller at newsstands." He drew quiet for a moment,
"to do that, I've enlisted some help to consult on
modernizations as we move into the twenty-first century. I'll be
in and out of the office, but I see no reason for any major
changes at this point." Applause erupted through the newsroom,
and Perry walked over to Bruce to shake his hand.

"Happy days are here again!" Jimmy cheered happily, hugging
them.

Lois cast a sideways glance at Clark, "Things around here are
going to get interesting..."

***

*{"Look, obviously there's a lot of bad blood between you and
Lex. We just want to know the truth. We think maybe we didn't
give you a fair shot considering..."*

"*You mean considering I went crazy and lashed out at everyone
in a jealous rage?" *

"*Uh, something like that." *

"*What's in it for me?"}*

Nigel shook his head, pausing the tape as he looked up, "Officer
Jenkins the boss appreciates your loyalty. Thank you for bringing
this to our attention."

***

Lois sunk into the couch, propping her feet up as she kicked off
her shoes. She unbuttoned her blazer, tossing it to the ground
and tugged her pantyhose off, rubbing her tired feet as she made
herself comfortable. Henderson was supposed to call them once the
warrant was ready. They were so close to having Lex Luthor behind
bars. All they had to do was wait for the key players to line
everything up then he would be out of their lives for good and in
prison where he belonged.

She walked back to her bedroom, examining her profile in the
mirror. Should she change? She pulled out one of her more silky
nightgowns as she unbuttoned her blouse, smiling as she imagined
Clark's hands on her. She tossed the blouse to the floor along
with her skirt and bra, slipping the silk negligee over her head.
She leaned toward the mirror examining herself critically. The
soft silk hugged her hips perfectly, came up to her mid-thigh and
swooped low enough on her neckline to tease him with the sight of
the swell of her breasts without being too low cut.

What was she supposed to do? Jump into his arms the minute he
showed up with dinner? Clark had said he'd meet her at her
apartment with dinner. He'd expect to be eating dinner when he
got back...not this. She paced around her bedroom nervously.
Maybe this was a mistake. This was too forward...It wasn't her
and it didn't feel natural. She peeled the silk garment off of
her and began sifting through her dresser drawers trying to find
something ... Why hadn't she thought to go shopping?

She finally found a violet lace bra with matching boy short
panties and opted to try them on. She hadn't worn anything like
this in a long time...She smiled to herself, recalling the many
*many* dreams she'd had about Superman so many months ago. This
was different, though. He wasn't just Superman, he was Clark.
Her best friend. The man she was madly in love with and the man
that had waited...*for her*.

*<<"I told you about Claude? Well, what I didn't say was this,
it was one time and it was ...awful." She shuddered recalling
the pain both physically and emotionally she'd suffered from
Claude. "Awkward...and painful...and...I just wanted it to end
so I ended up just pretending..." *

"*I'm sorry." *

"*After I found out he'd stolen my story I filed a complaint
against him...He spread a lot of AWFUL rumors. I just wanted them
to stop so I withdrew my complaint...but it was too late.">> *

*<<"I just...I want you to know what you're getting yourself
into. I'm not that experienced and..."*

"*Lois..." *

"*I mean I know you traveled a lot and it's not like you
wouldn't have opportunity ...I mean, you're ...YOU, but I just
don't want you to be..."*

"*Lois, I'm not...I'm not that experienced either..."*

"*You're not?" >>*

*<<"No, actually not...at all...Lois, I'm not from here...I'm
different...so I made the decision not to...cross that threshold
until I could find someone I could share everything with..."*

"*Really? So, you're waiting for..."*

"*Just the right person... You.">>*

She recalled their conversation a few months ago about their
'experience' and smiled. The thought of finally making love
with him was causing her heart to hammer even harder. She really
wanted him. She'd never wanted anyone like this. She stared at
her reflection for a moment before redressing in her work clothes
from earlier. This was better. Less pressure.

***

"She's exquisite," Lex said softly, staring at the screen. He
watched hungrily as the image showed Lois slowly removing her
blouse and examining herself in the mirror.

The door opened and Lex jumped, slamming the cover to his laptop
closed and looked up. "Bad time?" Nigel asked, stepping into
the office.

"No, of course not," Lex shrugged hastily, "Just reviewing the
surveillance."

"Well, as interesting as your surveillance may be sir I'm
afraid something's come to our attention that requires your
immediate attention," Nigel dropped a disk on Lex's desk.

"What's this?" Lex asked.

***

Lois came back into the living room and glanced at the clock on
the wall. Where was Clark? Maybe Superman got called away. She
sunk into the couch, reaching for the remote hoping to give
herself some insight into what could be keeping him.

"In other news, the armored car heist turned high-speed chase
ended with no fatalities thanks to Superman showing up in the
nick of time to stop the gunman from injuring any bystanders,"
the anchor announced.

Clark's image came on the television showing the strained
expression of concern on his face as he knelt down to eye level
with a young girl, reassuring her everything was fine. She
smiled, seeing the familiar tenderness in Clark's eyes as he
hugged the little girl before turning to the camera, "Superman,
can we get a statement?" one of the reporters in the crowd
asked.

Clark seemed to hesitate a moment, tightening his jaw for a
moment for nodding, "The officers that responded to the call
were met with gunfire and pursued the gunmen until they were
stopped on the corner of Main and West. Bystanders were met with
gunfire when the gunmen tried to run on foot. Thankfully no one
was injured and everyone made it out in one piece. Now, if
you'll excuse me?" With that he flew up into the sky, leaving
the crowd of reporters to survey the scene.

Lois smiled to herself, "Never gets old." Her stomach growled,
protesting the lack of food in it and she sighed, getting up to
head to the kitchen and find a snack to hold her over until Clark
made it back. He may have super-speed and be able to fly around
the world in a matter of seconds but it still took just as long
for the restaurant to cook the food. He said he was going to
surprise her. Right now, she didn't care what he brought back as
long as it was edible. She grabbed a box of crackers from the
cabinet and began snacking on them as she grabbed a cream soda
from the fridge.

"You're going to spoil your appetite," a familiar voice
whispered from behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

She smiled, looking back at him as she placed a cracker in his
mouth, "I got hungry."

"I brought pasta," he said, pointing to the table he had set up
with the food as he ate the cracker in his mouth.

She turned in his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Smells good." She ran a hand up his chest, "I saw the news
coverage. You okay?"

He nodded, walking to the table with her, "Yeah, I'm just
tired...stuff like that...never gets easier."

She leaned up to kiss him, "You do what you can," she reminded
him, "Come on, let's eat."

***

"Sir, it seems you've left a trail," Nigel said, clicking the
play button on the disk.

*{"Look, obviously there's a lot of bad blood between you and
Lex. We just want to know the truth. We think maybe we didn't
give you a fair shot considering..."*

"*You mean considering I went crazy and lashed out at everyone
in a jealous rage?" *

"*Uh, something like that." *

"*What's in it for me?"}*

"She wouldn't dare," Lex said, shaking his head. "She knows
what would happen..."

"Does she?" Nigel asked, "Maybe you need to get ahead of this
before you wind up sharing a cell with her."

"Go on the run?" Lex scoffed, "Are you mad, Nigel?"

"Call it a suggestion," Nigel shrugged, "A strong one..."

***

Inspector Henderson read over the transcript of the deposition,
signing off on the agreement in front of him to make sure
everything that had been agreed upon was covered. He then handed
it over to the District Attorney to read over.

"You're a very lucky woman, Miranda," he said. "Not many
people get a chance to start over. I do hope you'll make better
decisions in the future," he said signing the agreement as he
spoke.

"I plan to," Miranda said with a smile.

The District Attorney handed the agreement back to Henderson,
"Get this up to Judge Reynolds. I'll escort her and Ms. Hunter
to the courtroom."

"You got it," Henderson nodded.

***

"Are you out of your mind?" Lex fumed. "I am this close to
bringing Superman down and you want me to run???"

"You call it running," Nigel countered, "but I call it
self-preservation. Surely you don't want to lose everything
...wind up growing old ...in a cage?"

"Lex Luthor will never live in a cage," Lex fumed.

"You have a weakness, Lex. Women. You do anything and share
anything to bed them. Look at what happened with Miranda...with
Lois Lane? My man in the police department said she's been
working with those reporters to bring you down for weeks
now..."

"It's my word against hers..." Lex argued. "We can fight
this..."

"No," Nigel shook his head, "Miranda was smart. She has tapes.
That's what guaranteed her freedom. The only way out of this is
to disappear before they show up to arrest you..."

"We can get the tapes back..." Lex argued. "We're too
close..." He fumed, shoving everything off his desk in a rage.

"It's over," Nigel argued, "Unless you do as I say."

***

Lucy Lane cradled her head in her hands as she made her way
through the long line of people with the officer dragging her by
the shoulder. How had this happened? She had been on a date with
Jimmy, minding her own business when out of the blue this crazy
lady started hitting her. Poor Jimmy didn't know what to do.
What was he supposed to do? Hit her?

She'd fought back. That was it. Hit her hard enough so she could
get away. How had she gotten herself arrested?

"Name?" The officer asked, filling out the paperwork.

"Lane...Lu-Lucy...Lane.." She stammered.

"Lane?" His eyebrows rose in amusement, "Like the reporter
'Lane?'"

She sighed. Of course, this wasn't something new. Everywhere she
went she had to go through the normal 'Isn't your sister the
one that discovered Superman' spiel, and normally she was fine
with it, but right now... "Yes, Lois Lane is my sister..." She
exhaled impatiently.

Another officer approached her intrigued. He was dressed in a
suit instead of a police uniform but he had a badge pinned to his
belt and wore glasses. He looked a lot older than the officer
that was doing her intake paperwork, "Did you say you're Lois
Lane's sister?"

She cringed, nodding hesitantly. Was this going to be a good or a
bad thing?

He held out a hand for her to shake, "Bill Henderson. I'm a
friend of your sister's...Well, some of the time," he
corrected. He took the pad from the other officer and said,
"Jensen, I've got it from here..."

"But..." He began to argue.

"I've got it..." Henderson repeated a little sharper in tone.
Jensen nodded and headed toward the back and Henderson turned to
Lucy, "What are you in for?"

"Assault?" She squeaked out shamefully. "I swear I have never
done something like this in my life. I don't know what happened.
She just jumped me out of nowhere and then when I hit her to get
away the cops showed up and arrested me but let her go with a
warning. I mean who does that? That is so not fair. If you're
going to arrest someone for getting into a fight you should
arrest both parties don't you think?"

Henderson laughed, "Yep, definitely Lois' sister." He placed a
supportive hand on her shoulder. "Listen, it'll probably get
tossed if you have witnesses that she attacked you...This'll be
the worst of it. I'll try and expedite the paperwork here so you
can make your phone call and have someone pick you up..."

"I have to call someone to pick me up?" She groaned.

"I can call Lois if you want?" He suggested.

"No..." She shook her head, "Not a good idea. I, uh, I'll
call my mom..." She could hear the tirade already. 'Mom is
going to kill me...'

***

"Thanks for dinner," Lois said, sinking into the couch next to
Clark as she folded her legs underneath her. "Really hit the
spot."

"I'm glad," Clark said, cupping her cheek, "Any word from
Henderson?"

"Nope. I'm sure he'll call when he's got the warrant ready,"
Lois said, cupping his hand. Her heart was hammering in her chest
as she spoke. She really wanted to just...

He pulled away and leaned back against the couch, "Just a
waiting game."

She frowned at the loss of contact, moving a little closer to him
as she spoke, "Crazy, isn't it?" She leaned her head against
his chest as she spoke, resting her hand on his arm.

He shifted beneath her touch, "What?" He asked. She could hear
the slight increase in his heart rate against his chest as she
slid her hand up the cotton of his dress shirt and smiled to
herself.

"After a month of re-researching everything we've finally got
everything we need to put Lex behind bars," Lois said softly,
fingering the top button of his shirt with her thumb as she
spoke.

"If nobody drops the ball," Clark reminded her, shifting away
from her slightly as he spoke. "I'm still a little nervous
about this. I'm not counting Luthor out yet."

"I thought I was the one that was the pessimist," Lois mused,
lifting her head up to look at him. She could tell from his
heated gaze he hadn't been immune to her touch, "What happened
to that optimistic farmboy?" She teased.

"He discovered not everyone has a good side," he said with a
wry smile. She fingered random patterns on his knee, moving up
his thigh intently, watching in rapt attention as he seemed to be
fighting an inner battle with himself, but he didn't pull away
from her this time. He looked at her, meeting her gaze as he
caught her hand before she could move further up his thigh and he
breathed, "Not with Luthor anyway."

"Just don't go cynical on me," she warned.

He smiled, cupping her cheek with his palm, "No chance of
that." He fingered her hair and smiled, "Keep your hands to
yourself," he warned.

"Why?" She teased, pressing herself against him, "Am I
...distracting ...you?" She fingered the end of his tie
seductively, looking at him with an impish grin.

He groaned, leaning in to kiss her, pulling her to him. She
laughed against his lips as she felt him pull her onto his lap,
murmuring, "God, I love you."

***

He'd known something was up at the office earlier from the way
she'd been touching him...kissing him. Then when he'd brought
dinner back she seemed nervous all through dinner. He couldn't
pinpoint what she could be nervous about. She seemed to be
holding up her end of the conversation just fine.

Then after dinner when they'd moved to the couch she'd been all
over him. He kept moving away from her, hoping some distance
would help him maintain some control over his body as he fought
against the effect Lois' touch was having on him.

What was she doing? He hadn't seen her act like this since...

*<<"Forget about work, forget about time, forget about the rest
of the world...">>*

*<<"Lois, get a grip!"*

"*Believe me, I'd love to...">>*

*<<"Minute's up, Clark! Come to Mama!">>*

*<<"I love you, Clark. I want to spend the rest of my life with
you.">>*

Concerned, he checked her pupils to make sure he didn't see any
signs of her being drugged. She seemed fine. He relaxed a bit,
catching her gaze. There it was. That same expression she'd had
on her face in the newsroom. He swallowed hard, feeling his body
responding to her closeness. God, he wanted her. He'd wanted her
for a year now.

She pressed herself against him and he swallowed, feeling the
soft flesh from beneath her blouse press against his chest. He
caught her gaze and felt his throat go dry when he drank in the
sight before him. He had a perfect view of her cleavage as she
leaned against him, "Am I distracting you?" She fingered the
end of his tie seductively, looking at him with an impish grin.

He groaned, feeling her hand slip up his inner thigh once more.
All his resolve was gone. He leaned in to kiss her, pulling her
to him. She laughed against his lips as he pulled her onto his
lap, murmuring, "God, I love you."

His hands roamed up and down her sides as he kissed her,
caressing her lips with his own. She slid her thigh across his
lap seductively, moving to straddle his legs as she supported
herself with her knees, devouring him with her lips.

He felt a sense of deja vu wash over him as he felt the cotton of
her blouse brush against his cheek. "Clark..." She murmured,
tugging at the knot of his tie as she undid it, never breaking
contact with his lips as she did so.

He allowed his hands to explore her ivory skin, caressing the
soft skin of her thigh, pushing the cotton of her skirt upward as
he did so. "Lois..." He murmured against her lips, gently
squeezing the back of her thighs as she lowered herself to his
lap. He caught her gaze, cupping her cheek as he moved to brush
his lips against her neck.

She leaned forward, tugging his tie through the collar of his
shirt as his lips brushed against her earlobe, teasing it with
his teeth. She seemed to melt against him, tightening her thighs
around him. "Are ...you...sure?" He whispered in her ear,
resting his hands on her hips.

She nodded, "Yes," she murmured, reaching for the top button of
his dress shirt as he captured her lips once more, sliding her
closer to him.

She gasped, leaning toward him as she kissed each layer of
exposed skin she discovered from unbuttoning his shirt. He
groaned in pleasure as he felt her lips against his chest, her
tongue teased his hard chiseled muscles. "Oh, God..." He moaned
as she raked her fingernails against his chest.

She leaned back to look at him, catching his gaze as she
unbuttoned her blouse. He watched in admiration as the violet
lace stared back at him invitingly. She shed her cotton blouse
off her shoulders effortlessly and he leaned in to kiss her.
"You are so beautiful..." He murmured against her lips as he
began a trail of feather light kisses against her throat, working
his way down.

A thought occurred to him and he stilled for a moment,
"Wait..." He pulled away, drinking in the sight of Lois
straddling him in nothing but her bra and skirt. He didn't want
to stop. It was the last thing he wanted. But this was important.
"What about...?"

She seemed to sense where his mind was going and leaned down to
kiss him, "I'm on the pill."

He relaxed against her, allowing his hands to move up her back,
finding the clasp to her bra. He flicked it, watching as it fell
off her shoulders. "Clark, yes..." She breathed.

His other hand roamed up her inner thigh and he groaned, lifting
his head to watch her face as he touched her. She seemed to
withdraw from him as his hand slipped beneath her skirt. He
frowned, unsure of what had just happened.

He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her arms right
here and right now but something was nagging him in the back of
his mind. Her heart rate was hammering in her chest. She was
scared. He moved his hand from her breast to cup her cheek,
"Lois?"

***

"Are ...you...sure?" He whispered in her ear, resting his hands
on her hips. Was she sure? Yes, she wanted him. She wanted this.

She nodded, "Yes," she reached for the top button of his dress
shirt as he captured her lips once more. She gasped when she felt
him slide her closer to him. He groaned against her and she
leaned down to kiss him.

She smiled against his lips. He wanted her just as bad as she
wanted him. She leaned down to begin working on his dress shirt,
kissing each layer of exposed skin on his perfectly sculpted
chest. He was gorgeous. Perfect. Her Clark. Her Superman. She
raked her fingernails against his chest and he groaned, "Oh,
God..."

She leaned back to look at him, catching his gaze as she
unbuttoned her blouse. This was it. No going back now. They were
finally going to ... She shivered involuntarily as she
anticipated the feeling of his hands on her. She kept his gaze as
she finished unbuttoning her blouse, shedding it off her
shoulders and allowing it to pool around her. He leaned in to
kiss her. "You are so beautiful..." He murmured against her
lips as he began a trail of feather light kisses against her
throat, working his way down. He felt so good...

She felt him tense up and pull away from her and she looked at
him in concern, "Wait..." He murmured breathlessly, "What
about...?"

She recognized the expression on his face and realized where he
was going with his train of thought. Protection. She'd gone on
the pill after their trip to Smallville just in case. She wasn't
sure what to expect but knew whenever they did finally make love
she wanted to be prepared. She smiled, cupping his cheek as she
leaned down to kiss him, "I'm on the pill."

He relaxed against her, and she reveled in the feeling of being
in his arms once more. His hands moved up her back and she felt
her bra fall off her shoulders. She looked down at him, unsure of
what to expect. Had she lived up to his fantasies? His hands
moved up her chest as he leaned forward, capturing her lips with
his own. She gasped in pleasure. "Clark, yes..." She breathed.

His other hand roamed up her inner thigh and she stilled. This
was usually the part where it stopped feeling good. She recalled
how it had hurt with Claude.

'*Stop it,'* she chastised herself.

Clark was different. She trusted him. She caught his gaze, biting
her lower lip and was surprised to find a frown on his face. He
moved his hand from her chest to cup her cheek, "Lois?"

Great. Now she'd killed the mood. She lowered her head, silently
cursing herself.

She leaned against him, trying to recapture the moment but he
slid her away from him slightly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she winced, hearing her own voice crack. He gave her
a knowing look and she sighed. "Just a little ...nervous," she
said shakily.

He sighed, pulling away from her, "Lois, we don't have to..."
He shook his head, "I can wait...I don't want to ...I don't
want to take that step unless you're ready."

"I'm fine," she reassured, "I'm just nervous...after last
time..." She looked away.

"I would never hurt you," he said softly.

"I know that." She wrapped her hand around his. She leaned in
to kiss him, sliding back onto his lap, "I'm fine," she
reassured him.

"Okay," he said, tightening his arms around her as he leaned in
to kiss her once more.

"I love you," she murmured against his lips, linking her arms
around his neck, deepening the kiss.

In the back of her mind, she heard her phone ring and groaned
against him, "You've got to be kidding me..." He muttered.

"Let the answering machine get it..." Lois whispered
breathlessly as she nibbled on his earlobe seductively.

"Mmm hmm," he slipped his tongue inside the warm confines of
her mouth, teasing her with his taste.

The sound of her mother's voice filled the room and she pulled
away from him, hanging her head in defeat, "Lois? It's your
mother! Where are you? Why don't you call me anymore? Anyway, I
need you to go down to the police station and bail Lucy out.
Apparently, your sister was in a fight and got herself arrested.
I'm out of town right now otherwise, I would..."

"I'm going to kill her ..." Lois whimpered against his chest.

Clark sighed, reaching for her blouse and hanging it over her
shoulders. "Rain check?"

She gave him a heated gaze, "Maybe I should teach her a
lesson...make her wait..." She fingered the waistband of his
slacks as she spoke.

He shook his head and smiled, "You are not seriously going to
leave your sister in jail overnight?"

"She's not going anywhere..." She leaned against him, running
her hand up his chest seductively. "It would serve her right for
interrupting us..."

He shook his head, pushing her off of him, "We can't do that to
her and you know it. She's probably scared out of her mind..."
He whispered, sitting up to button his shirt back.

Nodding, she began readjusting her clothes, slipping her bra back
on and buttoning her blouse. She stared down at him, his eyes
filled with regret. Why hadn't she disconnected the phone?

"Come on," He helped her to her feet and she watched as he tied
his tie. "Let's go get Lucy," he sighed.

"You gonna be okay?" She asked.

He nodded, "Just give me a minute." He finished redressing,
readjusting his tie as he spoke.

Lois grabbed her purse and headed out the door, "Come on,
hopefully, it won't take long to..." She caught the faraway
look on his face and sighed, "What is it?"

He looked at her with regret, "Escaped prisoner at the
Metropolis Prison," he sighed, hanging his head. "I gotta..."
He pointed up and she nodded. Within a few seconds, he was gone,
leaving her to figure out how Lucy had ended up in jail.

***

Nigel looked down at the gagged Toni Taylor that had been tied to
a chair and smiled to himself, "I do hope you won't take this
personally. Mr. Luthor sends his regards..." He pulled out a
needle and approached her.

Toni's eyes widened when she saw the needle, fighting against
her restraints. Nigel shook his head, "I'm afraid you know too
much, Ms. Taylor."

***

"It was a setup," Lucy argued. "There I am, minding my own
business when this mammoth of a woman starts swinging at me...I
was defending myself..."

"Lucy you destroyed half of the bar..." Lois tried to argue as
she walked with her sister back inside her apartment.

"I was defending myself," Lucy repeated. "You have to believe
me...I would never..."

Lois bit her lower lip, trying to calm the anger she felt right
now. She knew Lucy hadn't deliberately sabotaged her evening
with Clark. It just happened. She sighed, locking the deadbolts
as she spoke, "I know, Luce, but you've got to be more careful.
Sometimes you just shoot your mouth off and get yourself in over
your head..."

Lucy arched an eyebrow at her, "Isn't this a case of the pot
calling the kettle black?"

"I know," Lois nodded, "I do it too, but I don't get myself
arrested for it."

"I'm tired," Lucy sighed, "Can we talk about this
tomorrow?"

"Fine," Lois nodded. She motioned toward the spare bedroom.
"Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Good night," Lucy called over her shoulder.

"Night," Lois muttered, shaking her head as she sunk into the
couch. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Eleven o'clock. It
had taken four hours to get Lucy out. Then another two hours to
get home because of the roadblocks that had been set up
everywhere due to Toni Taylor's escape.

She sighed, "So much for tonight." She muttered under her
breath, reaching for the remote. She caught a glimpse of Clark
talking with the warden on the screen and watched in rapt
attention. There was a manhunt for her all over New Troy. How had
she managed to escape?

***

Painful. That was what tonight was. Utterly painful.

"Superman!" The warden waved him over, "Glad you could make
it...We set the alarms off as soon as we noticed she was missing
but no one seems to know what happened..."

"She?" He asked, trying to identify who he was supposed to be
looking for.

The warden nodded, "Yeah," he pointed to the cell, "Toni
Taylor."

***

It was late. Too late to head back to Lois'. She was probably
asleep. After helping search for Toni Taylor and finding nothing
he'd given up hope of finding her and decided to head north to
take care of the very painful tightness he still felt from almost
making love with Lois earlier. They had been so close...

*<<"Lois, you don't know how many times I've thought about
this...dreamt about this... >>*

*<<"You know if you think about it, the only time people are
really honestly expressing themselves is when they're
passionate...the polite veneer of society drops away...like when
they're fighting..."*

"...*or make love." >>*

He landed in the Arctic Ocean, reveling in the feeling of the ice
cold water against him. All he'd been able to think about from
the time he'd left Lois' apartment was getting back to her and
resuming their activities well into the night.

*<<"You know this isn't really dancing."*

"*It's not?">>*

*<<"Then we're agreed. We'll take this slow and figure
out...us?">>*

It seemed the days of them taking things slow were behind them.
The idea of finally making love to Lois was enough to make him
sweat. He had loved her from the moment she'd burst into
Perry's office interrupting his interview and he'd spent every
day wishing and hoping for the moment she'd look at him the same
way she did his alter-ego.

*<<"I'm not Claude and I'm not Paul. I would never betray you
like that. All I'm asking for is a chance.">>*

*<<"Two days of not being able to do anything when you were
under the influence of those pheromones...I guess I just kinda
lost my willpower..."*

"*Really?" *

"*Two...days..." *

"*So, is that the limit to Superman's
willpower....Two...days...?" *

"*It...depends..." *

"*On ...what...exactly?" *

"*How long you're torturing...him...for..." >>*

*<<"Lois..." *

"*You are...so...I love you.">>*

The memory of her body molded against him...Her legs wrapped
around his waist so perfectly...This was not helping. The point
of coming up here was to stop thinking about...

*<< "So, you're waiting for..."*

"*Just the right person,...You.">>*

*<<"Stay with me tonight..." *

"*Lois, You don't need it...I'm not going anywhere.">>*

*<<"Lois, we don't have to...I can wait...I don't want to ...I
don't want to take that step unless you're ready."*

"*I'm fine. I'm just nervous...after last time..." *

"*I would never hurt you." *

"*I know that....I'm fine." *

"*Okay." *

"*I love you.">>*

***

Lois turned the television off and sighed, staring at the empty
living room. It was late. She knew she should just go to bed and
get some sleep, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. If
tonight had gone how she had planned she would be in her bedroom
with Clark right now not sulking on the couch missing him.

She briefly wondered what he would do if she showed up at his
door in a trench coat and lingerie. Just as quickly as the
thought came to her she dismissed her. She'd never be so bold as
to try to seduce him like that...A memory popped into her head
and she smiled, recalling the one time she'd been bold.

*<<"Lois, it's very late..."*

"*Not too late I hope...for us...for happiness?"*

"*Oh, no! Lois, please no don't!"*

"*Oh, Clark, I love you! I want to spend the rest of my life
with you!"*

"*Lois, please go home..."*

"*You're here...this is my home..."*

"*Lois, you don't know how many times I've thought about
this...dreamt about this...well something like this...but it's
not real. What you're feeling is not real. I don't know exactly
how but there was something in the perfume that made everyone
drunk on...love...Lois, I cannot take advantage of you like
this...">>*

*<<"Lois, I can't take it anymore. If you really want me I'm
yours...">>*

It was easy to dismiss everything as drug-induced from the
pheromones, but now she knew they were anything but. It was how
she felt. She loved him. She stared at the clock on the wall once
more and she sighed. It was late. She should go to bed.

*<<"Lois, you don't know how many times I've thought about
this...dreamt about this... >>*

*<<"I wanted to talk to you about...us.">>*

*<<"You kissed me back.">>*

*<<"I want you to have dinner with me.">>*

*<<"We'll always be friends.">>*

*<<"You know if you think about it, the only time people are
really honestly expressing themselves is when they're
passionate...the polite veneer of society drops away...like when
they're fighting..."*

"...*or make love.">>*

*<<"You know this isn't really dancing."*

"*It's not?">>*

*<<"This...is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I
never doubted I could trust you.">>*

*<< "I'm sorry. This is just really hard...I need to tell you
this...I'm crazy about you, but before this goes any further I
have to tell you this. I don't want to screw this up."*

"*You're not screwing anything up.">>*

*<<"Then we're agreed. We'll take this slow and figure
out...us?">>*

*<<"I'm not Claude and I'm not Paul. I would never betray you
like that. All I'm asking for is a chance.">>*

*<<"Two days of not being able to do anything when you were
under the influence of those pheromones...I guess I just kinda
lost my willpower..."*

"*Really?" *

"*Two...days..." *

"*So, is that the limit to Superman's
willpower....Two...days...?" *

"*It...depends..." *

"*On ...what...exactly?" *

"*How long you're torturing...him...for...">>*

*<<"Lois..." *

"*You are...so...I love you.">>*

*<<"I mean, you're ...YOU, but I just don't want you to
be..."*

"*Lois, I'm not...I'm not that experienced either..."*

"*You're not?" *

"*No, actually not...at all...">>*

*<<"Lois, I'm not from here...I'm different...so I made the
decision not to...cross that threshold until I could find someone
I could share everything with...">>*

*<<"So, you're waiting for..."*

"*Just the right person,...You">>*

*<<"I have no regrets, Lois, I'm here with the woman I love
enjoying a beautiful day at the lake. I don't care about what
could have been or what should have been. All I care about is
right here, right now.">> *

*<<"So, do you think about the future?" *

"*All the time....More so lately." *

"*Me too...A lot lately.">>*

*<<"I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to
you."*

"*Oh, Clark, I love you.">>*

*<<"Stay with me tonight..." *

"*Lois, You don't need it...I'm not going anywhere.">>*

*<<"You stayed."*

"*I told you I would.">>*

*<<"Lois, we don't have to...I can wait...I don't want to ...I
don't want to take that step unless you're ready."*

"*I'm fine. I'm just nervous...after last time..." *

"*I would never hurt you." *

"*I know that....I'm fine.">>*

She recalled a certain item she'd packed away months ago and
smiled to herself as an idea began to form in her mind...She had
no intention of going to sleep anytime soon.

***

Inspector Henderson smiled as he read the warrant in front of him
that he'd been waiting on. He looked to his team of officers
he'd been assigned, barking out orders as everyone began to get
suited up. There was no telling what Lex Luthor would try. He
wanted to be prepared.

***

Clark landed on the balcony outside his apartment and stepped
inside, changing into a pair of jeans and button-down shirt as he
made his way toward the bedroom. He scanned the apartment,
reassuring himself there were no cameras. Ever since he'd found
those cameras at Lois' apartment he'd been extra cautious. He
sighed in relief, shaking his head. It had been a long night. It
had been hours since he'd left the prison. He still wasn't able
to find Toni Taylor anywhere. She had to be hiding somewhere
lead-lined. He would have to work with Lois on trying to find out
where tomorrow.

'*Lois...'* He sighed, shaking his head.* 'Don't go there.
Not tonight,'* he reminded himself.

He started to unbutton his shirt and get ready for bed when he
heard a faint knock at his door. Checking the time, he glanced at
the clock, wondering who could be there at this hour. He headed
toward the door and opened it, surprised to see Lois standing on
the other side in a long trench coat. He smiled to himself,
recalling the last time she'd shown up at his apartment like
this. "Lois? It's late..." He began gesturing for her to come
in. She smiled stepping inside the apartment as he closed the
door.

"Not too late I hope..." She said, stepping toward him as she
untied the sash to her coat, shrugging it off her shoulders. His
eyes widened when he realized what she was wearing, "For us."
She wrapped a bright blue veil around his neck and pulled him to
her, "For happiness..."

She looked gorgeous. The gold bodice of her dance of the seven
veils outfit wrapped around her curves perfectly. The veils
connected all around the outfit so that each veil revealed more
and more of her gorgeous body. "Lois..." He gasped in surprise
as she pressed her small frame against him, gliding her hand down
his chest as she traced random patterns downward until she
reached the waistband of his slacks. "You are incredible..." He
let out a shaky breath as she pulled him to her with the veils.
He'd had so many fantasies about that outfit. He hadn't thought
she'd kept it. All that work, swimming laps in the Artic was
gone...

"I love you, Clark," she whispered huskily, slipping her hand
beneath the fabric of his dress shirt, resting her hand against
his chest. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you..."

He smiled recalling the conversation they'd had months ago that
she was quoting. He cupped her cheek, leaning in to kiss her. He
moaned against her lips and slowly broke off the kiss and
whispered, "If you really want me I'm yours..." With that he
lifted her up in his arms, recapturing her lips as she wrapped
her legs around his waist.

She laughed against his lips, "You're supposed to let me do the
dance of the seven veils first..."

"I still have the last one seared into my memory..." He
whispered huskily.

"I want you..." She whimpered against his lips, taking his
glasses off his face as she began to brush featherlight kisses
against his face. He walked them back toward the bedroom,
recapturing her lips with his own as he leaned back on the bed
with her.

"I want you too, baby," he moaned against her lips as he took
his glasses from her and turned to place them on the night stand
then turned back to see her on his bed with her arms open and
ready for him. He brushed his lips against hers before moving
lower...

***

A loud bang echoed through the halls as the officers beat on the
door of Lex Luthor's penthouse. This was it. This was what
everyone had been waiting for. He'd left messages for both Lane
and Kent but got no response. He glanced at the time and shook
his head. They were probably asleep anyway.

Henderson smiled to himself as the door broke open. They had the
element of surprise on their side. Officers raced through the
penthouse, stepping into the elevator as they headed to Lex
Luthor's study.

***

The elevator doors opened. The rich walls that once were filled
with fine art and one of a kind collections were bare. The
furniture was gone. Everything was gone. "Oh, no..." Henderson
groaned as he stepped out of the elevator.

The SWAT team that was with him raced through the halls of the
suite, searching for any sign of Luthor, but he knew it was a
lost cause. Lex Luthor had cleared the entire floor. He was gone.
He had been tipped off somehow.

"The whole floor has been cleared out."

"No!!!" Henderson punched his fist against the wall. Gone.
Everything was gone.

"What do you want to do?"

***

On the outskirts of town in the Metropolis cemetery, a tall man
in black watched as a truck pulled up. Devane stepped out of the
truck carrying a metal case with him, looking around. He spotted
the man in black suspiciously, "You with Luthor?"

The man removed his hat and stepped out of the shadows, revealing
himself to Devane, and he nodded, "You could say that."

"Mr. Luthor thought you were on the run..." Devane said with a
smile.

"Leave without the stone? I don't think so," Lex smiled.

"You have the money?" Devane asked.

Lex nodded, opening the case in front of him, "Five million
dollars." He pointed to the case in Devane's hands, "The
stone?" Devane nodded, and Lex continued, "My information
suggested the stone had been tested extensively by a University
laboratory. Who else knows about its properties?"

Devane shrugged with a smile, "There were some loose ends...but
they've been trimmed. Bureau 39 was thorough that way."

"And the research?" Lex pressed.

"Destroyed," Devane grinned.

"Then I'll have to take you at your word for what it's capable
of," Lex mused.

"You're joking, right? I have buyers lined up for this, and you
want a money-back guarantee?" Devane sneered.

"Yes, I do," Lex stared at Devane coldly.

"You're not exactly in the position to be making demands, Mr.
Luthor," Devane warned.

"And neither are you," Lex pulled out a .45 automatic and
motioned with it for Devane to raise his hands. Devane stared
down the barrel, shakily raising his hands as Lex began to give
him orders, "Put the case down and walk away. IF it works, I'll
pay you your money with a bonus."

"You double-crossing..."

"Uh, uh, uh, careful," Lex warned, cocking the trigger.

Devane stared at Lex for a moment before putting the case down,
turning and moving away. Lex bent down to retrieve the case and
opened it only to find a plain rock painted green inside. He
looked up to see Devane dart behind the truck as Devane shouted,
"Now!"

Four other men hop out from behind the truck, opening fire on Lex
as three figures appear from behind the building Lex was waiting
by and return fire. One by one Devane and his men are hit and
fall to the ground, but not without taking out Lex in the
process. The firing stops and one of the men that had been firing
on Devane and his men stepped forward, removing his ski mask as
he knelt down next to Devane, "The voice wasn't bad, but I
never felt he got the mannerisms down."

Another figure knelt down next to him, removing her ski mask Mrs.
Cox smiled at Lex, "It's not easy playing you, Lex."

"Nonsense," he smiled, rolling Devane over as he patted him
down. "I do it all the time...Now, let's see..." He smiled
when he felt something in Devane's pocket, "Is that Kryptonite
in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" He smiled when
he pulled out the glowing meteorite and stood up, tucking it into
his own pocket, "Pay him his bonus, will you, Mrs. Cox?"

Several shots could be heard in the background as Lex disappeared
into the back of the mausoleum.

***

The next morning, Lois sighed happily against him, curling up
tighter in Clark's arms as she slowly began to wake up. Last
night had been out of this world. As they each had gotten more
and more confident, exploring one another's bodies they'd opted
for more unusual places to make love in...against the wall, on
the ceiling, in the shower...

He tightened his arms around her, and she smiled. "So, this is
what it's supposed to feel like,"* *she murmured.

"What what's supposed to feel like?" He whispered in her ear.

"You. Us." She turned to face him.

"Morning," he murmured, brushing his lips against her
shoulder.

"Morning," she murmured, turning to wrap her arms around him.
She glanced up and noticed the bed above them and looked around,
"We're on the ceiling."

"Mmm hmm," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her. "You seemed to
like it so much last night..." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as
he tightened his arms around her waist.

"Oh, definitely," she breathed, leaning back as he rolled them
to where she had her back to the ceiling. "I think
my...legs...are getting heavy, though..." She moved her legs
against him to prove her point.

"No problem," he whispered, floating them back down to the bed.
Lois sighed when she felt the cool cotton from the sheets brush
against her legs. "Better?"

"Much," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him. "What time is
it?" she murmured against his lips.

Clark glanced at the clock on the nightstand, "We've still got
a couple of...." Hours. He was going to say hours before a loud,
sharp, insistent knock interrupted him.

Lois tugged the sheet to the bed over herself. "Who is that?"

"I..." He grimaced when he saw who was on the other side of the
door, "It's Henderson."

"Maybe he's got the warrant ready for Lex," Lois said
excitedly.

He shook his head, climbing out of bed and reaching for his shirt
from the night before he handed it to her. "Here," he quickly
spun into shorts and t-shirt then waited for Lois to finish
buttoning his shirt. How was it that she looked even more sexy in
his clothes than she had a few moments ago, next to him in bed
completely naked? She grabbed a pair of cotton shorts from the
dresser to put on in the meantime, and once she nodded she was
ready, he went to the door to answer it.

"It's about time!" Henderson boomed, stepping into the
apartment. "I've been calling you for hours...I went by Lane's
place, and her sister hasn't seen her since last night..."

He'd disconnected the phone line when Lois had shown up last
night. After the last time, they didn't want to take any chances
of being interrupted again. He'd apologize, but he really
didn't feel sorry. He fought the smile he knew was threatening
to spread across his face, "I guess I had my ringer off," he
shrugged.

"Why did you turn your ringer off?" Henderson asked, following
him down the steps. "You knew we were waiting on that warrant to
come through..." He stopped when he spotted Lois coming into the
living room, "*Ohhh*!" He looked between the two of them for a
moment as realization dawned on him, "I guess that answers that
question," he muttered under his breath.

Lois brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, ignoring the look
of embarrassment on Henderson's face, "Did the warrant come
through?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, looking at the floor, studying the cracks
in the wood. "There was a problem, though..."

"What kind of problem?" Clark asked.

"Well, after I left messages for both of you...." He trailed
off, "I, uh, didn't get a response so ...I got a team together
to arrest Luthor last night, but..."

"You went to arrest him without us???" Lois accused angrily.

"Including you in Luthor's arrest was a courtesy, but you
didn't answer," Henderson quipped. "Anyway, it didn't do any
good..."

"Why not?" Clark asked.

"He's gone," Henderson said grimly.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Lois asked.

"He disappeared...along with all the tapes we had locked up in
evidence..." Henderson said glumly. "Someone must have tipped
him off."

***

Mrs. Cox handed Lex a file, wrapping her arms around herself as
she looked at the dreary surroundings. "Just a temporary
situation, Mrs. Cox."

"The explosives have been planted," Mrs. Cox said shakily.
"You just say the word and then *boom*."

Lex nodded, "Good." He toyed with the file in his hand, "Leave
me." He set the file down and pulled out his laptop and began
pulling up the surveillance footage.

"More surveillance?" Mrs. Cox asked.

"Yes," Lex waved her off, waiting for Mrs. Cox to leave. Once
she had left he loaded the screen and smiled, "Well, well, what
do we have here?" He smiled with intrigue.

***

Lois threw her things down in frustration as she locked the
apartment. Two months of research down the toilet. Lex Luthor was
missing. The witnesses are gone. The evidence is gone. He could
reappear at any time, and there still wasn't anything the police
or the courts could do to hold him. She rubbed her temples,
trying to will her growing temper to subside. Getting angry
wasn't going to solve anything.

She glanced over at Clark who looked just as frustrated as she
felt. "What are we going to do?"

He shook his head in disgust, "Try and salvage what we can and
hope we can find someone or something to nail Luthor to the
wall?" He raked a hand through his hair, "I don't know. I
don't get how he...How is he always one step ahead of us?"

"Henderson said he thought he was tipped off," Lois breathed as
she began to try to reason what could have gone wrong out loud,
"Maybe there's a snitch in the police station, or at the DA's
office..." She buried her face in her hands, "I don't know. I
guess we got to break the bad news to Perry. I'm gonna get
dressed. I'll just be a sec."

He nodded, heading for the kitchen, "I'll make some coffee."

"Thanks," she gave him a weak smile, "I'm sorry. I really
thought we had him."

"I did too," he replied sadly, "I guess that's why they say
'God laughs when we make plans.'" She gave him a weak smile
before heading into her bedroom to get dressed. She hopped in the
shower and threw on a pantsuit then headed out into the living
room where she found Clark sitting on the couch with a cup of
coffee and Lucy nursing what appeared to be turning into a
black-eye with a frozen bag of peas.

"Lucy!" She gasped seeing how bad the bruising was on her
sister's face. She sank down next to her, trying to get a better
look at the bruising.

"I know," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "It wasn't nearly
this bad last night. I guess I got hit a lot harder than I
thought."

"I'll say," Clark said, "Keep icing it. That should help
prevent any more bruising than what's already there."

"I guess I must have pissed somebody off pretty bad," Lucy said
wryly.

*<<"It was a setup. There I am, minding my own business when
this mammoth of a woman starts swinging at me...I was defending
myself...">>*

Lois shot her head around looking at Lucy then at Clark. The only
person, her sister, had pissed off recently had been Lex. Could
he have been responsible for last night's attack? Clark met her
gaze, seeming to sense the silent question in her eyes and
offered her a grim nod in agreement.

"I wish I could tell you it looks worse than what it feels like
but I'd be lying," Lucy teased. Lois and Clark offered her a
weak smile, unsure of how to respond. Lucy glanced at the clock,
"Shouldn't you be on your way to work by now?"

Lois looked at Lucy apprehensively, "Are you sure you don't
need me to take you to the doctor or anything?"

Lucy shook her head, "If it gets too bad I'll give mom a call.
Besides the doctor at the police station assured me there was no
concussion, so I think it's just bruising."

"Maybe I oughta stay with you?" Lois offered.

"I thought today was the day you were landing the exclusive on
Lex Luthor's arrest? No, I'm fine. You got work. I got cable
and your stash of Double Fudge Crunch bars with a healthy stack
of takeout places if I need them. I'll be fine. I don't have to
go to class till Monday. I'm fine."

"But..." Lois began to argue, still uncertain about leaving her
little sister.

Clark interrupted, handing her her travel mug of coffee, "Come
on, you heard her. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Besides
we need to at least try to make a good impression with the new
owner."

"New owner?" Lucy asked.

"I'll tell you about it later," Lois promised, taking her mug
from Clark. "Call me if you change your mind about the doctor,"
she wagged her finger at Lucy as Clark drug her out of the
apartment.

"Bye Luce," he called over his shoulder, closing the door
behind them.

***

Jimmy raced down the steps to the newsroom and headed to where
Perry was standing with Bruce Wayne and a couple of the board
members, "Chief! Did you hear what happened last night?"

Perry nodded, "Lex Luthor, career criminal escapes before the
Metropolis P.D. could arrest him? Yeah, I heard." His jaw
tightened as he spoke, "Makes me sick to think about what he
could have done if he'd gotten ownership of the Planet."

"Makes me wonder what his intentions were that's for sure,"
Bruce said with a grim look. He shook his head in disgust, "Mr.
White, I've left my numbers on your desk. After hearing it was
Wayne Enterprises they were turning down the banks magically
found the credit and advertisers are looking for ad space
again." Bruce gave Perry a wink, "After what happened yesterday
I think it was all a setup orchestrated by Lex Luthor so he could
swoop in and act like he was 'saving' the Planet."

"But the question is 'why'?" Jimmy interrupted, "Why was he
after the Planet?"

Perry shook his head, "I don't know, but thankfully he didn't
succeed," Perry said, patting Bruce on the shoulder, "Mr. Wayne
I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help."

"Any day I can put Lex Luthor in his place is a good day for
me," Bruce smiled, glancing at his watch, "I've got a plane to
catch. I'll be in and out over the next few weeks. Discuss the
expansion updates I talked about."

"Yeah, I'm still not so sure that's a good..." Perry began,
but Bruce was already walking toward the elevator.

"We'll talk on Monday," he grinned back pressing the call
button. The button didn't light up, and he frowned, "That's
odd," he pressed the button again.

"What is it?" Perry asked.

"The elevator's power is out," Bruce muttered, pulling out his
phone to dial maintenance.

Perry scanned the newsroom and noticed Lois and Clark still
hadn't made it in and muttered, "They better not be doing what
I think they're doing."

"What was that?" Bruce asked.

"Oh, nothing, I..." Perry stopped when a loud rumble from below
could be felt through the floor.

Bruce laid his hand against the elevator and winced, "It's hot.
There's a fire in the elevator shaft..."

Another rumble and the sound of an explosion from below could be
felt as alarms began to blare, "*Get everyone out now!!!*"
Perry yelled as the doors to the elevator opened and flames
filled the floor as the ground began to tremble. The sound of
glass shattering above them echoed around them, and Perry thought
he could make out the silhouette of Superman carrying someone out
at super-speed.

***

"We are so late," Lois breathed as they stepped into the Daily
Planet lobby.

"It's Friday," Clark reasoned, wrapping his arms around Lois'
waist as they approached the elevator. "Maybe no one will
notice."

"Yeah right," she sighed, pressing the call button the
elevator, "Hours after Lex goes into hiding and escapes arrest
for all his crimes in Metropolis? I don't think so." Lois shot
back as they stepped into the elevator car. "I mean, how could
he just disappear?" Lois angrily fumed as she jabbed the button
to the newsroom repeatedly.

Clark placed a hand over hers, trying to calm her down, "I
don't know, but ...*that*...isn't helping."

"I should have called in. Did you see her face?" Lois breathed,
turning to look at him accusingly.

"She said she was fine," he reassured her as he whispered in
her ear. "She's a big girl, and she can call you if she needs
something."

"How could he do something like that to her?" She fumed
angrily. "She's just a kid."

"She's not a kid anymore," Clark reminded her. "Luthor
doesn't like being challenged. If it was him. We still don't
know for sure if it was him."

"Yeah, right," Lois folded her arms over her chest. "Who else
did she pick a fight with since she's been in Metropolis?"

He sighed, wrapping an arm around her, "Then we'll prove it.
Until then..." He pulled her hand away from the call button she
kept jabbing insistently and kissed it. "We do what we can to
find out what happened."

There was a sharp jolt, and the elevator halted as the lights
flickered. "What was that?" Lois asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Clark said looking around the empty elevator
car as he lowered his glasses, "Maybe the elevator
short-circuited when someone kept jamming the newsroom
floor..."

Lois smacked him playfully on the chest, "Come on, get us out of
here so we can..."

"Oh, no..." Clark breathed.

"What is it?" Lois asked. Before he could respond, she saw him
aim his heat vision at the cameras before he spun into the
Superman suit and grabbed her by the waist to fly them through
the emergency exit of the elevator car and into the elevator
shaft that had filled with flames.

"Hold on..." He whispered, holding her close as he flew them
through the ceiling and crashed through the glass.

***

Nigel stepped into the underground bunker that was located
beneath the mausoleum, turning the corner where Lex had set up
his office to until it was safe to move above ground. The wall
was covered with screens showing monitoring of different
locations across Metropolis. The surveillance on the corner where
the Daily Planet stood showed the building in flames, and Lex
smiled, "Now who's laughing."

"Well, sir, I see you've made yourself at home," Nigel said,
making his presence known.

Lex turned to face him with a smile, "Just doing some house
cleaning," he muttered turning to look at the screen with the
Daily Planet in flames again.

"So I see," Nigel said calmly, "Sir, don't you think blowing
up the Planet will only make the Metropolis P.D. focus on you
....more?"

"They can't prove a thing," Lex snarled angrily.

"Even so," Nigel added, "You're supposed to be laying low."

"No," Lex shook his head in anger, "I won't give him the
satisfaction. I may not be in my penthouse anymore, but I refuse
to give Superman the satisfaction of seeing me roll over. I can
run my empire from here just as easily, but without the pretense
of having to pretend to be something I'm not."

"And that is?" Nigel asked.

"A humanitarian," he winced. "All those useless charities and
functions and pretending to care about this city...this city that
has turned it's back on Lex Luthor!" He shook his head in
disgust, "The gloves are off, Nigel."

***

Outside of the Planet, Lois Lane watched as firefighters,
ambulatory workers, and Superman fought the flames that had
engulfed the building. After making sure she was a safe distance
from the building Clark had flown back into the building to
rescue their injured co-workers from the explosion that had been
set off when they had been in the elevator. She held a gauze to
her forehead in place, keeping the pressure on the cut she'd
gotten when the glass had shattered around them. One by one,
friends and co-workers appeared outside the building, all in a
state of shock as they stared up at what had become of the
greatest newspaper in the world.

"Oh, God..." Lois breathed as she watched Clark in his Superman
suit covered in soot and grease carrying Jimmy who was cradling
his arm in pain.

He set him down on one of the many awaiting stretchers and turned
to her, "He'll be okay," he reassured, "Stay with him?"

"Of course," she reached over to hold Jimmy's hand, reassuring
him he wasn't alone. Clark then turned back to the firefighters
that were struggling to get the hose line into the building.
"It'll be okay Jimmy."

Jimmy gave her a weak smile, "You all right?"

"Just a minor cut," she said gently, trying to reassure him.

Jimmy grimaced looking down at his arm, "I think it might be
broken. I got caught under one of the columns that blew...If
Superman hadn't..." He looked up at the sky to see Superman
flying the hose into the building and the firemen turning the
water on full blast to douse the flames, "How many times has he
just stepped in and saved our lives?"

Lois gave Jimmy a weak smile, "Yeah, he's really something."

"Lois, are you okay, honey?" Perry shouted as he pushed through
the crowd that had gathered outside the Planet.

"I'm ...fine," she gave Perry a nervous smile, looking around
at the damage.

"Where's Clark?" He asked in concern.

Lois pointed to the crowd, "He went to get help after Superman
got us out of the elevator," Lois hoped Perry couldn't tell she
was lying. It wasn't a total lie. He was getting help. Clark was
the help.

Perry scanned the crowd, "Have any of you seen Mr. Wayne?"

Lois was about to tell him 'no' when she spotted Clark carrying
an injured Bruce Wayne out of the half destroyed Planet. "Oh,
God!"

"He was pulling everyone out of the basement before it
collapsed," Clark explained, motioning for the ambulatory
workers to help Bruce Wayne.

"Thanks, Superman," one of the workers reassured, "We've got
it from here." Bruce was still unconscious as the workers began
to work on him.

"There's still more people inside," Clark said with a pained
expression before turning to fly back inside the Planet.

Lois stared up at the wreckage numbly. Everything seemed to be
going in slow motion as one by one workers from the printing room
were brought out by Superman and other first responders that
worked tirelessly to pull everyone out.

After what seemed like an eternity Superman nodded to the
firefighters that the fire was out and the first responders on
the scene nodded their agreement. "We're clear. Everyone's
out. Thanks, Superman."

She watched as Clark disappeared in a red and blue blur,
reappearing in the crowd behind her. The pained expression on his
face spoke volumes. She pushed past the crowd to reach him,
wrapping him in her arms as he held her tight. He let out a
shuddered breath, holding her close, unwilling to voice the pain
she knew he felt. She lifted her head from his chest, holding
back the tears she knew were threatening to escape the corners of
her eyes.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, and she gave him a shaky smile.
He leaned in to kiss her, and she sighed against him, finding
comfort in his arms as she fought against the feeling of
helplessness that had taken over her for the last few hours.
Everything in her life had revolved around the Daily Planet for
the last four years, her friends, her co-workers...her family.
Now, it was gone.

"CK!" Jimmy called out, and they slowly separated, turning to
their friend who was approaching with Perry in tow. "Man, I've
been looking all over for you."

Clark looked at Jimmy's arm that was in a sling, "I've been
trying to help where I can. How's the arm?"

"They think it's a fracture," Jimmy said, "I've got to head
over to the hospital and get a brace."

"I'm sorry, Jimmy," Clark apologized.

"Why are you apologizing?" Jimmy asked, looking around the
wreckage that was left of the Daily Planet, "You didn't do
this."

Perry placed a hesitant hand on Jimmy's shoulder, "Go on and
get yourself taken care of. Give us a call when you're done, and
someone will pick you up," Jimmy nodded, turning to head back to
the ambulatory workers that were taking all injured parties to
the hospital.

Clark stared up at the wreckage, watching as officers began
sectioning the building off from the public, "Everyone, move
back!" one of the officers called out through the bull horn.

They complied, moving toward the cafe across from the Planet. A
crane pulled up to the building, and they watched in anguish as
the Daily Planet globe was slowly lowered to an awaiting
tow-truck. "This can't be happening," Lois cried numbly.
"Please tell me this is a nightmare," Clark gave her a
sympathetic look before hugging her tightly as they continued to
watch.

Perry looked up at the wreckage in disgust, "Two hundred and
nineteen years and in a blink of an eye it's all gone."

"We'll rebuild," Clark said. "The Daily Planet is more than
just a building..."

Perry nodded, "I know, but this..." He gestured to the remains
of the Daily Planet, "was the first ... and the oldest location
of the Daily Planet. We have locations all over the world, but
THIS is where it all started." He ran a ragged hand through his
thinning hair, "A historic day, boys and girls. Tomorrow, for
the first time in two hundred nineteen years, there will be no
edition of the Daily Planet."

"Thankfully there were no fatalities," Lois murmured, glancing
back at Clark. "We can be grateful for that."

"Grateful?" Perry scoffed, "Lois, I'm feeling a lot of things
right now, but grateful is not one of them." He glanced over at
the train of ambulances that were getting ready to leave and
sighed, "I think I'm going to head over to Metropolis General
and check on Jimmy and Mr. Wayne...I'll, uh, see you two
later."

"He did this, didn't he?" Lois asked quietly as Perry walked
away.

Clark's voice was strained as he spoke, "Yeah, I think so."

"All those people..." Lois breathed shakily.

"I know," he croaked, tightening his arms around her.

"Let's get out of here," Lois murmured, turning in his arms,
tugging him with her as they headed to the parking garage a few
blocks away from where she'd parked that morning. At the time
she'd been irritated about being late and irritated about having
to park so far away, but now she was grateful. The injuries
everyone had suffered...

***

Toni Taylor winced as her surroundings began to come into focus.
She wasn't in her cell. She was in some dark and dreary bunker.
She sat up, grimacing as a dull ache began to resonate through
her head.

"I see you're regaining your wits," A familiar voice with a
British accent spoke from the doorway.

"Nigel," She breathed, recognizing him immediately.

"I do hope you'll forgive the accommodations. Circumstances
have changed over the past twenty-four hours," he said,
polishing an object inside a cloth, "but I'm sure you're
already aware of that."

He knew. He knew, and he was going to kill her.

She looked around the room trying to find something she could use
as a weapon if need be but found nothing. "I wasn't going
to..."

"Weren't going to what?" Nigel asked, taking a step inside the
cell.

"I was never going to....I wouldn't betray Lex like that,"
Toni stammered, hoping against hope he would believe her.

She saw the reflection of light glint against the barrel of the
.45 automatic he was polishing and took a shallow breath. His
eyes narrowed, and he waved the automatic in the air, "Ms.
Taylor, why should I believe a word out of your mouth? You've
already proven you can't be trusted by talking to those
reporters."

"They came to me!" He raised the barrel to her, pressing the
hard metal against her temple and she cried. This was how it was
going to end. She squinted her eyes shut, anticipating the
inevitable.

"Nigel, enough!" a voice from behind them shouted. Toni slowly
opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when Nigel removed
the cold metal barrel from her temple. She held her breath as she
saw Lex step into the room. "This is not what I had her brought
here for."

"She knows too much, and she was willing to talk," Nigel
argued.

"A mistake I'm sure she regrets," Lex said, narrowing his eyes
at Toni as he spoke. "Put it away," he ordered, pushing the
barrel of the automatic toward Nigel. There seemed to be some
sort of unspoken battle of wits going on between them as they
both stared one another down. Nigel gave Lex a glare that was met
by Lex's own piercing stare. The darkness in Lex's eyes... she
had never seen it before....how dark.

"Very well," Nigel said, clicking the safety on and tucking the
weapon safely in its holster.

"Excellent!" Lex cheered, his face softened and the debonair
face that had always been there returned. "Ms. Taylor, please
forgive Nigel. He hasn't been house trained yet." She didn't
know what to say or how to speak. She saw the dark glare return
to Lex's face as he gave Nigel a warning look before approaching
her.

"Wha..." She began to say, but Lex cut her off.

"What are you doing here?" Lex asked. She nodded, and he began
to explain. "I couldn't have you testifying against me. That'
wouldn't be good for either of us." He gave a menacing look to
Toni, and she swallowed hard, "Now, I like to think of myself as
a reasonable person. I think that you're an intelligent woman.
Anyone that would be willing to go to such lengths to steal an
organization from your own brother....that takes spunk. I like
spunk."

"I..."

"As you can see, that....*investigation *you were involved in
has forced me to relocate...embrace my roots so to speak," he
gestured to the darkened room around them. "It's only
temporary. I'll be back on top in no time, but I will be more
careful."

"Careful?" She squeaked.

"I let my guard down. Now, I'm paying the price," Lex smiled.
"I won't make that mistake again. Now you're either with me or
against me. The choice is yours, Ms. Taylor."

Toni caught the look between Lex and Nigel and realized the
choice she was being given wasn't that simple. If she was
'with' Lex, then she would live but if not...The glint of the
automatic from behind Nigel's jacket caught her attention. She
knew it was the only way to get out of this alive. "With. Of
course, I'm with you, Lex," she gave him a forced smile, hoping
he would buy it.

***

Perry made his way through the crowded emergency room that was
filled with family and friends looking for answers about the
status of their loved ones. The nurse at the front desk looked
weary. He had taken a shaky breath before he spoke, "I'm
looking for James Olsen."

"Family?" She asked, not looking up from her computer as she
typed at her keyboard.

"Friend," he corrected.

"I can't give you a status," she began to say, but he cut her
off.

"I know he hurt his arm. I just wanted to sit with him while
they patch him up," Perry explained.

She gave him a once-over, and he wasn't sure if she was going to
be forthcoming with any information. "All non-emergent cases are
in triage. Go through the doors and hang a left then a right,"
she explained, pressing a button to open the double doors for
him.

"Thank you," he called over his shoulders as he followed her
directions to triage.

***

Ellen held up a piece of gauze that was soaked in iodine, "This
is gonna sting."

Lois nodded, preparing herself for the pain as Ellen worked on
cleaning up the cut on her forehead. After they'd left the
disaster scene that once had been the Daily Planet Lois insisted
on seeing Lucy to reassure herself she was okay. She had been
eerily quiet. As long as he'd known her, Lois always had
something to say about everything, whether you wanted to hear it
or not. Now, she was quiet. She hadn't even argued when Lucy had
demanded they take Lois to see their mother immediately so she
could be checked out since Lois was refusing to see a doctor. He
still couldn't understand why she wouldn't at least get checked
out with one of the ambulatory workers on the scene.

Clark sat at the table watching in silence as Ellen finished
tending to Lois' injuries. "Is she okay?" He asked
apprehensively.

When he'd been flying them out of the elevator, he'd been so
focused on making sure they got out of there he hadn't double
checked to make sure he had her close enough to absorb his aura.
Because of that, she had been hurt. One of the cuts on her
forehead was an inch away from her eye.

"She'll be fine, Clark," Ellen reassured, patting him on the
hand before gathering the used gauze to throw away.

Clark glanced at Lois, still not convinced. She gave him a weak
smile. "I'm fine," she said weakly. "Just a bit..."

"Shocked?" Ellen suggested, taking a seat next to her to finish
cleaning up the remainder of her cuts as she began carefully
plucking glass from her hair, careful not to cut her as she did
so.

"You could say that," Lois said, squeezing her mother's free
hand. "Thanks."

"How in the world you girls are still alive is a mystery to
me..." Ellen muttered, continuing to pull shards of glass out of
her hair.

"I guess you could call it Lane Luck," Lucy teased.

Ellen wasn't laughing, and neither was he. So many lives could
have been lost today. It had been a miracle no one had died. A
miracle that he'd been able to get out of the elevator before it
was plummeted into the air and shattered on Main Street where
thankfully no one had been crossing the street.

Ellen turned sternly to Lucy, "Lucy, you are not a kid anymore.
You can't go around saying whatever pops in your mouth and not
expect consequences..."

"I told you I was just minding my own business..." Lucy began
to argue.

"Look at your face, Lucy. It looks like one of those Baboons."

"Baboons?" Lois echoed in disbelief.

"I look like a baboon?" Lucy asked, aghast.

Ellen shook her head, not paying attention to the girls at the
moment as she tried to think of the name, "What was the name of
that baboon with the red face? You know the one I'm talking
about?" She snapped her fingers as she tried to think.

"Hamadryas?" He guessed, not sure if it was wise to add to the
conversation at the moment given the expression on Lucy Lane's
face.

"Yes!" Ellen pointed at him, "That's it. Hamadryas
Baboons."

"Gee, thanks, mom," Lucy said sarcastically.

"Between you and your sister..." Ellen fumed.

"Yes, we get it," Lucy sighed. "We get into trouble too much.
We didn't go to the right college. We didn't go into the right
profession..."

"Ow!" Lois winced as the tweezers grabbed at a shard of glass
that was wedged in the edge of her scalp.

"Sorry," Ellen winced; realizing she'd yanked a bit too hard.
Clark watched in silence, uncertain of what to do. He'd hold
Lois' hand but wasn't sure if that would distract her from what
Ellen was doing.

"I'm fine," Lois reassured her, giving Ellen a smile. "Let's
just get the glass out then you two can argue."

"We were not arguing," Ellen corrected, "Just voicing a
difference of opinion."

"Uh-huh," Lois grinned back at them.

"Well, you're lucky you made it out of there when you did,"
Lucy began. "From what Jimmy was saying there were a lot of
people trapped that had some serious injuries. It's lucky
Superman was flying by when he was, huh?"

Clark caught Lois' gaze as he nodded, "Yeah, I just wish he'd
been able to stop it before so many people got hurt."

"Well, I'm sure he did his best," Ellen reasoned.

Lois smiled at him, "He can't be everywhere at once."

"Or do everything," Lucy added.

Clark couldn't help but smile. It was becoming more and more
apparent just where Lois' spirited attitude came from. "Yeah,"
he glanced back at Lucy, "So you talked to Jimmy?"

Lucy nodded, "He called me from the ambulance. Didn't want me
to find out what happened to him from the news apparently."

"News?" Lois asked.

"Yes, apparently he was interviewed and might be on TV tonight.
He's very proud of this," Lucy said with a smile.

"Uh-oh," Clark teased, "Does the Chief know about this
interview?"

***

Perry spotted Jimmy sitting up on a cot with his arm in a sling
and next to him was Bruce Wayne with a bandage wrapped around his
waist with his torn shirt still hanging off of him. "Jimmy, Mr.
Wayne," Perry greeted them.

"Mr. White, I'm pleased to see you made it out all right,"
Bruce smiled at Perry.

Perry nodded, "Yeah, I'm glad we all made it out. Superman said
you were helping our guys in the printing press out of the
basement. How did you get down there?"

"The stairs," Bruce shrugged, "When everyone began running for
the exits I saw one of the columns was blocking the stairs so I
did what I could to help get the guys out. It was nothing."

Perry gave him a look then sighed, "Well, it wasn't nothing to
any of the guys you helped out. Thank you." He turned to Jimmy,
"How's the arm, son?"

"I'm still waiting on my discharge papers," Jimmy explained,
"I'll be in a sling for a few weeks, though."

"Good," Perry sighed, running a hand through his thinning
hairline. "I'm glad everyone made it out all right."

"Me too," Bruce said with a grim expression. "If you both will
excuse me I'm gonna see what I gotta do to get out of this
joint. My latest purchase just blew up in my face literally, and
I've got to figure out a way to explain this to my investors
before they start demanding my head on a stick."

Jimmy laughed, "I like him. He's funny."

Perry nodded, "He's a character all right." He glanced at
Jimmy cautiously, "You sure you're okay, son?"

"I'm fine, Chief," Jimmy reassured, "A little banged up, but
I'll live."

Just then a group of officers entered the triage area. One of the
officers in the middle pointed toward them, "Something we can
help you with, Officer...?" Perry asked, prompting the officer
for a name.

"It's Detective," The man said gruffly, "Detective
Jenkins...as of this morning."

"Okay, Detective Jenkins is there something we can help you
with?" Perry asked, annoyed with the man's attitude.

"Looking for a James Olsen?" He said, looking towards Jimmy.

"That'd be me," Jimmy said, "What's this about?"

"Why don't you just come with us down to the station? We'll
explain it there," Jenkins said.

Jimmy began to agree, but Perry cut him off, "I don't think so.
You're not taking him anywhere without telling him what this is
about."

"That's none of your concern," Jenkins argued.

"I'm making it my concern," Perry countered, taking a
protective step in front of Jimmy.

"Is there a problem here?" Bruce asked from behind them.

"Not if Detective Jenkins wants to explain why Jimmy needs to go
downtown with him and his officers," Perry said gruffly.

Jenkins threw an annoyed look then sighed, "Fine, do it your
way." He pulled out his handcuffs, "James Bartholomew Olsen,
you are wanted for questioning in the arson and destruction of
the Daily Planet."

"What!?" Perry asked aghast.

"You're out of your mind. I would never..." Jimmy argued.

"That's what we'll clear up at the station." Jenkins sighed,
hanging his handcuffs in the air, "Do I need to use these or are
you going to come with me willingly?"

***

Clark stepped outside to check on Jimmy, hoping to give the Lane
women a chance to deal with the obvious tension that was in the
air between them. "Hi, you've reached Jimmy. I can't get to
the phone right now. Just leave a message and I'll get back to
you when I can."

Frustrated, he clicked the end button and began to dial again,
"You've reached Perry White. I'm unable to get to the phone
right now. Please leave a detailed message to what this is
regarding. If this is an emergency you can call me on my direct
office line at 315-914-339..."

He clicked the end button again. Where was everyone? He still
hadn't heard anything from Bill Henderson on the status of the
case against Luthor or whether they were able to track down
Miranda, Toni Taylor or Monique Kahn.

He tapped his foot against the paved walkway as he listened to
phone ring for the third time in the last five minutes.
"Metropolis P.D. an unfamiliar voice answered the phone."

'*Finally,'* he thought to himself.

"Yes, I'm looking for Inspector Henderson?"

"You mean Detective Henderson," the voice on the other end
corrected.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"It's Detective Henderson now. He's in with the Chief," the
voice explained, "Can I take a message?"

"Just tell him to call Clark Kent when he gets a minute."

"Clark Kent. Got it." The voice said nonchalantly. Before he
could give his number the call ended. Clark sighed, unsure of
what to make of the phone call.

***

"You can't keep me in here!" Perry hollered angrily, pacing
around the empty interrogation room.

The door opened and he prepared himself for the worst. He sighed
in relief when he saw Henderson at the door. "They can if you
keep causing a scene," he said dryly.

"They won't let me see Jimmy," Perry argued, pointing toward
the window. "He's being railroaded for something he didn't do
and they're over there..."

"I know," Henderson sighed, lowering his voice as he approached
Perry, "Listen to me and listen good. Go find a lawyer and bring
him or her down here now. I can't tell you why. I can't tell
you who. Just do it." Perry noticed the disheveled appearance on
Henderson and nodded, turning to say something as he walked out
the door to the room Henderson had left open for him, "Just do
it."

***

"Okay, I think that's the last of it," Ellen said, setting the
tweezers down.

Lois leaned her head forward, brushing her hands through her hair
as she let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mom."

"Please try and be more careful," Ellen urged. "You two are
gonna send me into an early grave at this rate."

"All we were doing was riding up the elevator," Lois sighed
exasperated. "How were we supposed to know the building was
going to explode?"

Ellen wasn't easily deterred, "And all you were doing at
Prometheus was sneaking on board to nab an interview with the
colonists when the bomb was found."

"That was different," Lois said uneasily, hoping to pull her
mother away from her current train of thought. "It's lucky I
was there though. If I wasn't they wouldn't have found the bomb
until it was too late."

"Luck? Is that what they call it these days?" Ellen scoffed,
"Luck is what got you and Clark thrown out of a plane?"

"Yes, but..." Lois began to argue but Ellen cut her off, intent
on listing every dangerous situation she'd been a part of in the
last year.

"You were just covering a story when you nearly had your eye
taken out by debris from an explosion, kidnapped, and held
hostage...Are you sensing a pattern here? Because I am."

Lois stared toward the front door where Clark had stepped out to
make a few calls earlier. She wasn't sure if that was an excuse
to escape as Superman or if he really was making calls. Hopefully
he wouldn't be too long. She loved her mother, but being alone
with her for an extended period of time seemed to bring out the
worst in both of them; especially when she got like this.

***

Bruce stared at Perry incredulously, "Let me see if I've got
this right. You want me to send an attorney down to the
Metropolis P.D. to represent someone who hasn't even been
arrested yet and you can't give me any more information than
that. Does that about sum this up?"

Perry nodded remorsefully. He could hear the sarcasm in Bruce
Wayne's tone. Bruce was currently set up in the airport lobby
with his laptop and phone trying to make it on the list for the
next flight, but as of right now he was still on standby due to
him missing his earlier flight. "I know it looks bad but I'm
telling you something is wrong here. Jimmy would never do
anything to hurt the Planet. He's wanted to work there since he
was fifteen!"

Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I never said he
did. I'm just trying to make some sense out of all of this." He
motioned to the laptop on his lap as he continued, "As it is
I'm having to rush through all those changes we talked about
this morning to make sure the Planet doesn't become a very
distant memory."

"What are you talking about?" Perry asked.

"Apparently Lex Luthor bought up all of the local papers around
Metropolis and has headlines about the 'Death of the Planet'
and editorials about 'It was good while it lasted.'" Bruce
explained showing Perry the online edition of one of the
articles.

"What are we going to do?" Perry asked.

"Buckle up your seatbelts because we're going online," Bruce
smiled, "He can fight dirty so can I. My guess is he's wanting
to control the media. For now Metropolis will get the Daily
Planet printed edition from the Gotham Gazette's printer. I'm
paying more than I should but I can't do anything about
rebuilding until I get the report back from the building
inspector and the fire chief."

Perry sighed, "So we *are* going to rebuild?"

"Of course," Bruce explained, wagging his finger at him. "We
may be down but we're not out."

"Good," Perry nodded. "What do you need from me to get this
...online thing going?"

"Get the stories from whatever reporters still have their
laptops at home and let's try and have an edition put together
by this evening," Bruce pulled out his phone and looked up a
number, grabbing a pen and card from his briefcase as he jotted
down a number. At Perry's confused look, "My local lawyer.
She's not a trial lawyer but she can sniff out corruption a mile
away."

"Thank you," Perry nodded, taking the card from him.

***

Lucy watched the exchange between Lois and her mother and sighed.
No matter how hard either of them tried the ridicule seemed to
come out one way or another. It was one of the many reasons both
of them had such a strained relationship with their parents.
Lois' relationship was a bit more strained than hers; especially
with their dad. She didn't blame her there. Lucy had blamed Sam
for Lois moving out her senior year of high school. She never
understood why she'd moved or what had happened until years
later when Lois told her.

Their parents were trying to work things out. They'd been
talking again and seeing one another and things were good. He'd
even moved back in on a trial basis then he'd slipped back into
his old habits. Working late, living in his office and neglecting
their mother...and them. Sure, it doesn't sound bad to someone
that didn't have to live it.

*You're an adult. Grow up. *

*They're your parents. *

*They're not perfect. *

Many of the things that she'd been told over the years ran
through her mind as she recalled Lois telling her what had
happened so many years ago.

***

*Ten Years Ago...*

"I still don't get why you moved out. It was your senior year
of high school. Why did you move in with Peggy? It couldn't all
have been from dad wanting you to go to medical school." Lucy
pressed her sister.

"It was a long time ago. Why does it matter?" Lois asked.

"Because you're my sister. Because you didn't have to live in
that hell hole while they split up and tore each other apart
again."

"I offered you a chance to leave," Lois reminded her.

"Mom needed me," Lucy explained.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just...I couldn't be there anymore. Not
after..." She stopped uncertain of how to continue.

"Not after what?" Lucy pressed. Lois didn't say anything and
she let out a frustrated growl, "Are you serious right now? I am
not a little kid anymore. You don't have to keep protecting me
from the boogey man. What is it?"

"It was a long time ago. Why does it matter?" Lois asked,
trying to change the subject.

"It matters to me," Lucy said, crossing her arms over her
chest. "What happened?"

"Let's just say, I didn't live up to another expectation...I
refused to go to medical school. Dad accused me of betraying the
family..."

"Betraying the family?" Lucy echoed. "He's got a lot of room
to talk!"

"I know," Lois sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I mean if anyone betrayed the family it was him. He's the one
that kept having affairs and..."

"You knew?" Lois asked surprised.

"Of course I knew," Lucy scoffed. "You and mom are terrible
liars...and I had the unfortunate luck of answering the phone for
one of his mistresses."

"I'm sorry, Luce," Lois hung her head shamefully.

Lucy shrugged, "Not your fault. It's his," She nudged Lois on
the side, "So why did you move out?"

"Dad and I got into it about my not wanting to go to medical
school. He said if I wasn't going then there was no point in my
being there. I agreed and packed my stuff and left."

"Famous Lane temper does it again, huh?" Lucy teased.

"Yeah, needless to say there were things said that neither of us
could take back," Lois said bitterly.

"How long has it been?" Lucy asked.

"Since I talked to him or saw him?" Lois asked.

"Both," Lucy nudged her hip at Lois playfully.

"Saw him at Aunt Lynn's funeral. He saw me then turned around
and left. I didn't even have a chance to say anything."

"Ouch," Lucy said softly.

"Talked to him? The night I moved out," Lois said bitterly.
"How about you?"

"The night he moved out. For both. He wanted to explain," Lucy
scoffed. "Do you think he'll ever change? I mean, I know he'll
always be a workaholic but do you think there will ever come a
time when his family actually...means something?"

"I don't know, Luce," Lois said sadly. "I hope so. I know in
my head it's not realistic but I do hope that one day it'll
happen. I just...I don't know."

"We grew up too fast. That's what my therapist says," Lucy
sighed. "You should talk to someone."

"I can't," Lois said, shaking her head. "That's all I need
after what happened this week with Claude. They'll smell
inadequacy and doubt on me and I'll never get a chance to prove
myself as a reporter again."

Lucy put an arm around her, "I'm here if you need to talk."

"I know."

*****

*Present Day...*

"Are you sensing a pattern here? Because I am." Ellen folded
her arms over her chest, daring Lois to say something.

Deciding enough was enough, Lucy interjected, "Mom, stop. I
think we get it."

"Obviously not!" Ellen looked between the two of them. "You
can't hold your tongue and get beat up at a bar..."

"It was a Bar and Grill," Lucy clarified.

"And it was a set-up," Lois added, squeezing Lucy's hand as
she took a seat next to her.

"Whatever," Ellen sighed, "And you can't stay out of trouble
for two minutes without risking your life..."

"It was arson. How were we supposed to know someone was going to
blow the building up?" Lois asked irritably.

"I don't understand you. You had this great career lined up
...both of you...and..."

"For the last time..." Lucy began irritably.

"...we don't want to go into medicine," Lois finished for her.
"Mom, I'm sorry I scared you. Really I am, but trying to push
Lucy and me into a career we don't like or love isn't going to
solve anything."

***

Clark soared over Metropolis, scanning the city. It had been
eerily quiet ever since the explosion at the Planet. It was never
this quiet. There was still a frenzy of activity at the hospital
treating the victims from the Planet explosion but there was
nothing he could do to help there. He didn't have medical
training and the doctors and nurses seemed to have everything
under control.

He finally found Perry outside the Metropolis P.D. pacing in
front of the steps angrily on his phone. He landed outside the
station. Perry hadn't yet noticed him as he continued arguing on
the phone, "No, I don't want to leave a message. I want to talk
to someone who can tell me what in tarnation is going on...Hello?
Hello?" Perry pulled the phone back and muttered under his
breath when he realized he'd been hung up on.

"Mr. White?" Clark tried to draw attention to himself as calmly
as he could.

"Superman!" Perry gave him an anguished look, "I, uh, didn't
see you there."

"Is everything all right?" He asked.

Perry looked down at the pavement he was pacing on, shaking his
head, "I'm waiting on Bruce Wayne's attorney to hopefully get
some answers for me."

"Answers?" Clark asked.

"Some detectives picked Jimmy up at the hospital. They took him
in the back room and I haven't been able to get any answers
about what's going on. I tried talking to Inspector Henderson
but all he could tell me was to get a lawyer down here now,"
Perry shook his fist in the air. "...and she's late."

"Has Jimmy been arrested?"

"No, not that I can tell. At least there's nothing on the New
Troy Detention Center's system. No one can tell me anything...or
they don't want to," Perry fumed angrily.

Clark's jaw tightened for a moment, "Let me see what I can find
out." With that he left Perry to continue waiting outside the
police station as he searched for someone that could give him
some answers.

***

Lois was growing more and more annoyed with the tirade her mother
was on. Thankfully Lucy had interjected to help steer the
conversation elsewhere but where it had landed was just as
uncomfortable. It always came back to her career choices. Both
she and her father wanted her to go into medicine.

She'd been given quizzes on medical terminology starting at the
age of thirteen. Dr. Sam Lane would accept nothing less than
perfection from her or Lucy when it came to their careers and
education. Bad grade? Memorize the textbook from cover to cover.
Miss a point repeat the question over and over until you got it
right.

At the time it had been humiliating but over time she grew better
and better. She could even say she was grateful for being pushed
so hard, but her parents' dreams for her weren't the same
dreams she envisioned. She wanted to make a difference. She
wanted to tell the stories no one else would tell and fight for
the truth. Getting her parents to understand that was near
impossible.

They spared no expense when they thought she and Lucy would be
following in Sam Lane's footsteps and becoming a doctor or
surgeon. When the news had been broken that she didn't want to
pursue medicine the look of betrayal had been enough to cut her
to the core. Another way she didn't measure up.

No matter how successful she became or how many awards or
accolades she collected she would never be enough in her
parents' eyes. It was a hard truth to come to grip with, but
over time she had accepted it. Keeping her distance made it
easier to handle that truth. She was a disappointment to them.

"I think I'm going to go," Lois said standing up from the
table.

"Of course, run off when we're having a conversation like you
always do," Ellen shook her head.

"I don't want to fight with you, mom," Lois sighed, looking
pleadingly back at her mother.

"Hey, Lois, have you heard from Jimmy?" Lucy interrupted,
looking intently at her phone.

"No," Lois shook her head.

"Who is Jimmy?" Ellen asked, intrigued.

"A friend," Lucy said nonchalantly. "I keep getting his
voicemail. I've been trying to get a hold of him all morning
since the explosion..."

"He may be at the hospital," Lois suggested. "Maybe it's just
bad reception."

"Metropolis General is notorious for bad reception," Ellen
added.

"I guess," Lucy didn't appear to be convinced.

"Lois, you still need to keep an eye on that cut. Make sure it
doesn't get infected," Ellen said, cleaning up the rest of the
used gauze from the table. "I don't understand why you didn't
want to go to the hospital and get checked out."

"I ..." Lois drew a blank, unsure of how to explain to her
mother why she didn't want to get checked out at the hospital.
She couldn't explain to anyone how she had injuries and Clark
didn't. She didn't want to draw attention to him being injury
free after the explosion and them being trapped in the elevator.

"Well?" Ellen prompted, looking at her expectantly.

"There were a lot of people injured. Clark and I didn't want to
take any attention away from the more seriously injured," she
said a bit too fast, hoping her mother bought it. Lucy was
watching her suspiciously as she spoke. She should have come up
with a better lie. Lucy always knew when she wasn't being
completely honest.

***

"I still don't understand how Clark got out of there without a
scratch on him and you ended up with glass all over you..."
Ellen rambled as she finished cleaning up the remnants of the
gauze and glass she'd cleaned up, walking with them into the
living room and towards the door.

Lois looked panicked for a moment and began, "Well, you see
..." She looked nervously around the room then began rambling,
"Well, when Superman went back for him the glass window was
already broken so Superman just flew him through the open
hole."

"Uh-huh," Lucy said, not quite believing her. She was hiding
something. She just couldn't put her finger on what. She wasn't
sure what that look on her sister's face was about but she knew
her sister and she knew the story she'd just spun for their
mother was a lie. How had Clark not been hurt? Before she could
finish her train of thought a hard knock at the door brought her
back to the present.

Ellen glared at the door, "Who could that be?" She got up from
the kitchen table and headed to the door. She stopped when she
opened the door and saw who was standing on the other side of the
door bloody and bruised. "Sam?"

***

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jimmy argued
adamantly. He sat in an interrogation room with Detective Jenkins
and Detective Harris staring him down icily.

"Do you know how many people were injured today...almost
killed?" Jenkins asked coolly.

"Yeah, I was one of them!" Jimmy said, pointing to his arm in a
brace.

"Then how do you explain the tip we got incriminating you as the
arsonist?" Jenkins asked.

"What!?"

Detective Harris seemed to be trying to play the 'good cop' in
this interrogation soothed, "If you tell us the truth we can
help you. All you got to do is tell us what happened?"

"There's nothing to tell," Jimmy argued. "Where's my
lawyer?"

"He's on his way," Jenkins shrugged nonchalantly. "We'll
catch him up to speed. Now about the arson..."

"Where's the Chief?" Jimmy asked, peering toward the double
paned glass. He couldn't see out of it but he knew someone had
to be watching. "I want my lawyer. I have not been Mirandized."
He hoped whoever was watching could intervene. He wasn't an
expert but he knew from what his dad had taught him years ago
that he couldn't be held for questioning without being read his
rights.

"You're not under arrest," Harris laughed. "Why would you
need to be Mirandized?"

"I'm not under arrest?" Jimmy clarified. "Then I'm free to
go." He began to stand up but Jenkins forced him back in the
chair hard.

"No, you're not," Jenkins interjected. "Not until you tell us
what happened."

"This is illegal!" Jimmy argued.

"So, sue me!" Jenkins laughed.

***

"Thanks," Sam said cautiously as he took a glass of water from
Ellen shakily. Ellen didn't respond. She just glared at him
coldly.

Lucy was staring coldly at their father from across the room. She
glanced at her sister, meeting her gaze. After her short stint in
California in an attempt to work things out with their dad Lucy
had come to the realization she would never be a top priority to
Sam Lane so she'd left. Lucy had always been protective of their
mother so seeing him here, in God knows what kind of
trouble...possibly putting their mother in danger wasn't going
over well with her.

"What happened?" Lois asked cautiously, realizing no one else
was going to address the elephant in the room.

"I did business with the wrong person and now the chickens have
come home to roast," Sam began cautiously.

"I'm calling the police..." Ellen said, heading for the
phone.

"No! Don't!" Sam grimaced, wincing as he moved his head too
far to the left.

Lois stared at her father numbly, struggling to hold back tears
as she found her voice, "What did you do?" Her voice was shaky
and her lips trembled as she spoke.

"Don't?" Ellen challenged, "Why not?"

Sam looked down shamefully, "I guess this is the moment of
truth."

"Truth?" Lucy asked, looking at Sam uncertainly. Lois had a
feeling whatever their father was about to tell them had
something to do with Menken and Lex. When they'd been at lunch
with him that day she'd suspected he was holding something back.
She couldn't prove it but she had a gut instinct that something
about what he was telling them was off. What exactly she wasn't
sure.

"I lied." Sam grimaced. "I knew who the boss was. Apparently,
he's taking matters into his own hands now."

"You...*knew*?" Lois asked, trying to get verbal clarification
from him.

"What's going on?" Ellen asked confused, "Who is the boss?"

"Lex Luthor," Lucy said bitterly. "The scum of the
universe."

Their mother's eyes widened as she began to process everything
that they were saying. "How long?"

"Ellen, please, it doesn't matter," he shrugged.

"It matters to me!" Ellen fumed angrily. "This *boss* your
daughter has been looking into is a psychopathic killer. I want
to know how *long* you *knew*!"

Sam looked at Lois for help but she crossed her arms over her
chest, waiting for an answer, "Well?"

He looked at Lucy who shook her head in disgust, "Answer the
question, daddy."

"Right before Allie was murdered." Sam admitted shamefully.

Lucy gasped as Lois struggled to find her voice. He knew. All
this time he'd known Lex was behind all the crime in Metropolis
and he'd said nothing. Did that mean he was in on Allie's
murder?

"How could you?" Lois asked shakily. "Allie...He
was...*good*."

"I know. I didn't want any part of it after what they did to
him," Sam pleaded, "You have to believe me."

"How are we supposed to believe anything you say?" Lucy fumed
angrily. "You are no better than Lex Luthor as far as I'm
concerned."

"Lucy, you don't mean that," Sam argued.

"Don't I?" Lucy scoffed. "You knew what he was doing and you
said nothing. You *knew *he was over there dating Lois and you
didn't think to ...Oh, I don't know *warn *someone?"

"How could you, Sam?" Ellen fumed angrily, "How could you
stoop so low as to ....You *knew* that psychopathic, sociopath
was a cold-blooded killer and you said *nothing*!?!"

***

"Superman!" Henderson looked up from his coffee in surprise as
he walked back toward the station. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm trying to find out what's going on. I just spoke with Mr.
White and..."

Henderson shook his head, "I can't get any more involved than I
already am."

"What's going on?" Clark asked, folding his arms over his
chest. "An innocent and injured kid gets picked up for
questioning and no one is able to give any answers as to why."

A group of officers walked by, their conversation grew quiet when
they saw Superman standing with Henderson. "Hey, *Detective*!"
One of them whistled.

"Don't know whose feathers you ruffled but it's a long fall
down," another one jeered.

Henderson looked down at his feet, his jaw tightened as he waited
for the officers to leave. Clark glanced back at the officers
with a stern glare and they ushered themselves into the coffee
shop. "What's going on?" He repeated.

Henderson looked around nervously, "Not here. Find Lois and
Clark. Have them meet me at O'Neal Towers at three." With that
he rushed past him and headed back toward the police station.

***

Nothing. No explanation. No excuse. Lois stared at her father
numbly, uncertain of what to make of his current disheveled
appearance or how to process what had apparently happened. He'd
been attacked. That much was certain. Why? Revenge. For what?
They still didn't know. Lex seemed to be coming after everyone
she cared about. Panic began to run through her mind. Jimmy. Lucy
said she couldn't get a hold of him. What if...

'*Don't go there.'* She glanced back at Lucy, trying to force
herself to focus on the problem at hand. At least both her
parents and her sister were here safe where she could see them.
She couldn't panic. She had to approach this like she would any
of her other investigations so they could get to the bottom of
this. If she panicked she'd lose perspective and she couldn't
afford to do that right now.

'*Focus.'* She told herself.

"What did they do?" Lois asked, cautiously. Her tone was cool
and calm and didn't betray the emotions that were threatening to
take over her.

Her relationship with her father was complicated to say the
least. She loved him. He was her father. He was also the man
whose expectations she could never live up to and the man who
seemed to never be willing to give her the one thing she wanted,
his acceptance and respect.

The fight to end all fights they'd had her senior year of high
school had been a doozie. She'd told him she wasn't going to
medical school. He told her she was a disappointment and there
was no use in her continuing to live there. She agreed and she
left. He accused her of betraying the Lane family name by
refusing to follow in his footsteps.

That had been the tipping point in their relationship. She had
thrown everything back in his face regarding the affairs and the
way he treated their mother. How she'd turned to alcoholism when
he'd left. She blamed him. He broke her mother and she just
wanted to hurt him like he hurt her mother. Unfortunately, it
didn't do anything but make him angry. She moved out and decided
to shut the door on her relationship with her father. She'd made
attempts over the years to try to have a civil relationship for
Lucy's sake but he never responded. At Aunt Lynn's funeral he
ignored her and walked away. That was the final straw for her.

She planned on closing the book on their relationship until the
fiasco at Menken's Gym happened. She'd yet to even speak to her
father after moving out until she and Clark had run into him
during their investigation into Menken's Gym. It was then that
she'd been given a gift. The gift of hope. She'd seen a glimmer
of the man from her childhood. A man that cared about his family.
She'd had hope. At least she'd had hope until now here he was
trampling all over that hope again and again.

"I had an Englishman show up at my practice last night asking
about my relationship with Menken. Next thing I know he's
pulling out a gun and chasing me down," he shook his head in
disgust. "I don't know what to do. I didn't know where to
go."

"Well, you're not staying here!" Lucy spat angrily.

"Lucy..." Ellen admonished.

"What? We're all thinking it," Lucy snapped. "You partnered
up with a criminal and now he's coming after you. I'm sorry but
you have no right to disrupt mom's life because of your
choices..." Lucy lectured angrily.

"I can speak for myself thank you," Ellen interjected.

Sam looked at her expectantly, "Ellen?"

"Lucy's right. You can't stay here." Ellen harrumphed
angrily. Lucy wore a smug grin until Ellen added, "You can stay
in the pool house."

***

"What's this?" Lex asked looking at the photo surveillance
pictures Mrs. Cox had laid on this desk.

"Seems everything is going according to plan, but Henderson
still won't turn. The Commissioner has put the demotion into
works, but he's still not budging."

Lex took a puff at his cigar, examining the photo of Superman and
Henderson, "You just have to know how hard to squeeze Mrs.
Cox."

"He was seen talking with Superman earlier today. We have a
tracker on him, but he's being careful. Hasn't turned on his
phone outside of work. Hasn't spoken with either of those
reporters or anyone else involved in the investigation into
you."

"He's being smart," Lex said, taking another puff of his
cigar.

"Very," Mrs. Cox added.

"Keep tailing him," Lex ordered.

***

Lois locked the door to her apartment and sighed in relief as she
turned to the familiar setting of her home. She'd left as soon
as she could. Lucy was staying at mom's to make sure their dad
didn't 'take advantage' of mom's good nature. It was a mess.
She headed for the bathroom to change out of her clothes from
earlier that were torn and stained. She hadn't heard from Clark
yet so she assumed he'd been called away. Right now all she
wanted to do was change out of these clothes and wash the smell
of iodine off of her. She turned the shower on, hoping to wash
away the memory of today.

*<<"I had an Englishman show up at my practice last night asking
about my relationship with Menken. Next thing I know he's
pulling out a gun and chasing me down.">>*

Nigel. Nigel St. John had to be the Englishman dad was talking
about. When she'd questioned Lucy further the description she
gave of her attacker matched that of Mrs. Cox. That was two
family members Lex had come after in the last two days. She still
didn't understand why. She hated that she hadn't been able to
put two and two together the night before, but admittedly she had
been distracted and Lucy only had a small scratch on her cheek.
There was no bruising...at least not then. Was it a warning?
Revenge?

*<<"I was told we were repairing injured players...then slowly
they wanted them stronger and stronger...a, uh, 'Superman' if
you will.">>*

He had been lying. How involved was he?

*<<"All he ever mentioned was a, uh, 'boss' that wanted the
changes when I asked about trying to make the fighters do too
much too fast with the robotic arms.">>*

The brilliant surgeon she'd grown up with so many years ago
would never have agreed to do what these men were asking him to
do. How had he gotten involved in something like this? She had so
many questions. Why had her father, Dr. Sam Lane begun working
with criminals?

*<<"So, still think my dad is...colorful?" Lois asked with a
fake laugh.

"Uh, I'm not sure," he said with a smile. "He's ...
Different.">>

*

The only saving grace from this afternoon was Clark hadn't been
there to see how ugly the Lane family could truly be. She hated
it. She hated the person she became when she became defensive
with her parents. She didn't like who she was and she didn't
like who they were. As the eldest she spent most of her childhood
trying to shelter Lucy from the ugliness that came out between
them, but there was only so much she could do.

Over the years she'd learned Lucy was just as aware of what was
going on. She envied her strength. The ability to keep moving
forward and love with all her heart and take chance after chance
and not worry about the consequences. Lucy often told her she
looked up to her but for the life of her she couldn't understand
why. In her eyes Lucy was the strong one.

Sure, when it came to nabbing the bad guy she was fearless and
took risks but when it came to her personal life she was a mess.
Taking a risk and pursuing a relationship with Clark had been
hard, scary. It had been worth it. She never regretted that
decision. After Clark shared his secret with her she'd vowed to
keep it and protect him at all costs. The closer they'd gotten
these last few months the harder she'd fallen for him. Lucy had
been right initially. She didn't *know* Superman, but she *knew
*Clark; the real Clark.

*

<<"I'm sorry...I don't understand ...I guess I don't want to
understand...how anyone can walk away from their family like
that."

She gave him a soft smile, "You'd never do that...">>*

He had an idealistic view of how a family should be and when he
saw someone doing something to hurt their family he spoke out
against it. It was part of what made him who he was. He'd grown
up in a loving home with two parents that risked everything to
make sure he grew up safe and loved. Knowing that and knowing
he'd never shared his secret with anyone else had been humbling.
Once they'd opened up to one another and admitted their feelings
the rest had been easy.

She recalled the night before and every caress and touch. Never
before had she ever felt so cherished and loved. Clark had a way
about making her feel weak in the knees with just a look in his
eyes or a touch of his hand. She'd never felt this way about
anyone before. Even though she'd been quoting her drug-induced
lines last night when she'd showed up at his apartment to seduce
him she meant every word. She just wasn't sure if he knew that
or if she was ready to tell him that.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself as
she began to dry off and get dressed in non-torn or bloodied
clothing. She finished buttoning her jeans when she heard a knock
at the window. She headed to the living room, pulling the curtain
back to unlock the window.

"Hi," Clark said stepping into the apartment as he leaned in to
kiss her. "I have news."

"Hi," she echoed, leaning in for another kiss. "So do I."

He folded his arms over his chest, glancing at the clock on the
wall, "Feel like taking a flight?"

***

Lex stared at the screen in front of him, "Hold on..." He hit a
button, rewinding the footage and playing it back again. He
watched as Lois unlocked her window and let Superman into her
apartment then Superman leaned in to kiss her and she in turn
leaned in to kiss him back.

*{"Hi, I have news." *

"*Hi. So, do I." *

"*Feel like taking a flight?"}*

"Well, well..." Lex mused, rewinding the footage once more. It
wasn't anything as intense as the footage he'd seen from the
night before with Lois and Kent but there was definitely
something going on between Lois Lane and Superman. "I believe
we've found our sacrificial lamb."

He watched as Superman flew Lois Lane out the window, leaving her
empty apartment behind. Lex pulled out his phone, "Nigel, get me
Toni. We've got some planning to do."

***

Clark was quiet most of the flight. Lois watched him cautiously,
uncertain if she wanted to press him on what his 'news' was.
She wanted to tell him about her dad but she really didn't know
how. He was Superman but more importantly he was Clark. Would he
look at her differently if he found out her dad had been working
with Lex? She really didn't want to find out right now.

She wanted to just find the reset button and start this day over
again and stay in bed where it was safe and warm and no one had
attacked the Planet or Lucy or her dad. They slowly came to a
landing a block away from the police station.

"Why are we landing here," Lois asked, confused when Clark
landed them in an alley just outside the police station. He
quickly spun out of his Superman suit and back into his street
clothes.

"Jimmy got brought in for questioning in the arson and
destruction of the Daily Planet," Clark explained walking with
her toward the entrance of the station.

"What!? That's ridiculous. He would never..." Lois argued
adamantly.

"Of course not," Clark said walking up the steps with her,
"but this Detective Jenkins seems adamant on keeping Jimmy for
questioning and legally he can hold him for forty eight hours
without an attorney..."

"We can't let them do that. Where's Henderson?" Lois asked as
she climbed the steps with him.

"That's the thing. Apparently he lost his shield this morning
and got demoted," Clark said opening the door to the station.

"What in the name of everything that is holy is going on?" Lois
muttered, looking around the station. In the lobby, she spotted
Perry sitting in the corner with a woman in her mid-thirties,
glasses and long messy blondish brown hair. "Perry!" Lois
called, heading toward them.

Perry looked up and waved them over, "I guess Superman told
you?"

Lois nodded, throwing a glimpse back at Clark before nodding,
"Yeah, somewhat. All he told us was that Jimmy was being held
for questioning," She explained, hoping to get some more
information from Perry.

The woman nodded, "What they're doing right now is legal
because he hasn't been placed under arrest and therefore is not
required by law to have his attorney present. They're walking a
tight line on the letter of the law."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Lois asked.

At Lois' confused expression she held out her hand to introduce
herself, "Constance Hunter. I'm here to represent James,
err...Jimmy."

"Has anyone been able to see him?" Clark asked concerned.

"No," Perry shook his head. "I've tried and the closest I got
was being put into an interrogation room for causing a scene."

"It's a setup," Lois said bitterly.

"It's Luthor," Clark corrected. "He's going after everyone
that had anything to do with trying to bring him down."

Perry's face grew grim, "Have either of you talked to Jack?"

Lois shook her head but Clark surprised her by saying, "Superman
stopped in to check on him this afternoon. He's fine."

"Well, there's some good news," Perry reasoned. "Do either of
you have your laptops?"

"At our apartments," Clark said.

"Good," Perry nodded, "Mr. Wayne's wanting to put out an
evening edition online and he's wanting us to get everything we
were planning to run to him by six." He shook his head,
"There's not much you can do here." He handed them a card,
"Get your stories and send them into him. See if you can find
out anything about what's going on here. I'll stay here until
we can get in to see Jimmy."

"We can't just leave him in there like that," Lois said
angrily. "He's just a kid. They'll break him."

"He's made of stronger stuff than you think," Perry said.
"He'll be fine. He knows the law. Hopefully he can stay strong
until we can get in to see him."

"Call us the minute you find out something," Clark said,
wrapping a protective arm around Lois.

Lois looked back at Clark, "Are we seriously leaving him
here?"

Clark shook his head, steering her toward the exit as he
whispered, "No, but we are seriously leaving the building and
then we're gonna meet Henderson because it's almost three.
He's the one that tipped Perry off. Hopefully he can tell us
what's going on."

***

Sam groaned, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at
Lucy, "You don't have to stay here," he said, noticing the
bored expression on her face.

"Someone's got to stay here to make sure you two don't try to
kill each other and considering Lois almost got herself killed
today..."

"Again," Ellen interjected sarcastically.

"Yes, again," Lucy rolled her eyes as she finished her
statement, "...I figured I'd be the best candidate for the
job."

"This is ridiculous!" Sam scoffed, looking between Ellen and
Lucy, "I'm not a child. I don't need a chaperone."

"The blood on your shirt and the bruise on your face would say
otherwise," Ellen said taking a seat next to Lucy on the couch.
"Don't drip any blood on the carpet. I just had it cleaned."

"It's *my* carpet." Sam snapped back.

"Not according to the divorce decree," Ellen said smugly.

Lucy let out a sharp whistle, pulling her parents' attention
away from one another. "I thought you two were going to try and
get along?"

"Old habits die hard I guess," Ellen sighed, "How about some
coffee?"

"I'd love some," Sam said, leaning back in the recliner.

"I was talking to our daughter," Ellen said with a bite in her
tone.

"Oh," Sam said self-consciously.

"None for me, thanks," Lucy sighed, glancing at her phone that
began to ring, "Just a minute."

***

Most of the walk over to O'Neal Towers had been quiet. Clark
hadn't known what to say. He'd spent most of the morning going
over the events in the elevator trying to figure out what had
gone wrong. Why hadn't he heard the blast before it had consumed
the elevator shaft? Why had he not been holding Lois closer?
She'd been hurt. If he'd just held her a little closer, she
would have absorbed his aura, and she never would have been hurt.
He cast a sideways glance at her, focusing on the cut and scrapes
on her forehead near her left eye. "So, how's your head?"

She touched her forehead instinctually, "Fine. It's just a few
cuts. Nothing I can't handle." She offered him a half-smile but
frowned when she saw he didn't return it. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he gave her a forced reassuring smile, "How
did things go at your mom's?" She let out a groan, and he
chuckled, "That bad, huh?"

"You could say that," she said, toying with his hand in hers,
staring at his hand as she spoke, "Dad showed up."

"You dad?" He asked, surprised, "I thought he was..."

Lois shook her head, "So did I." She shrugged her shoulders,
seeming to contemplate how to continue, "Nigel came after him
last night. I'm guessing on Lex's orders."

"So, Lucy, your dad...If I'm guessing right, Jimmy..." Clark
began ticking the names off on his other hand.

"The Planet," Lois supplied unevenly.

"I get the Planet, possibly Jimmy, and even Lucy, but I'm not
sure why he'd come after your dad. I mean, he wasn't involved
in the investigation."

Lois lowered her gaze, letting out a barely audible sigh as she
breathed, "He lied." He caught her gaze just before she looked
away, walking with him in silence for a moment before elaborating
on the statement, "He lied about everything. Apparently, he'd
been involved. Knew about everything just before they killed
Allie." He watched her look at the ground apprehensively as she
spoke. Sam had lied. He knew Sam had been lying when he started
talking about Luthor, but he'd chopped that up to him trying to
overcompensate as he was trying to smooth things over with Lois.
He never would have thought...

"How deep do you think he was?" He asked cautiously.

"I don't know," she said, stopping in front of the steps to
O'Neal Towers. "To be honest after him and mom started tearing
into one another I kinda spaced out." She squinted back tears as
she spoke. "I love him. He's my dad you know, but the choices
he makes...I hate him for it."

"He seems to squander a lot of his time with questionable
people," he began carefully.

"That's the understatement of the century," she sighed.
"He's staying in mom's pool house. Lucy is staying there to
make sure they don't try to kill one another."

"I don't envy her," he said, recalling the cool, careful tone
Ellen Lane had described her ex-husband in when he'd first met
her.

"Me neither," she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest
protectively. "Mom wants me to 'fix' it and stop whoever is
coming after him, but I have no idea what to do. I have no idea
where to even start. Look at everything that's happened
today...The Planet, Jimmy, Lucy, my dad..." The tears began to
fall as she listed off everyone and every thing that had been
attacked in the last twenty-four hours.

"I know," he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her
protectively as he kissed her head, "I'm sorry, Lois. I'm so
sorry." He tightened his arms around her. "I should have..."

She stopped looking up at him in disbelief, "Are you seriously
trying to take the blame for what happened this morning?"

"I wasn't paying attention. If I'd heard the blast none of
this would have happened..." He began, shaking his head in
disapproval as he chastised his actions.

"Are you out of your mind? Clark, we were trapped in an elevator
with the blast from the explosion coming right at us. You got us
out of there as quickly as you could...and in one piece," she
squeezed his hand, leaning in to kiss him as she traced his
hardened jawline with her other hand.

"You got hurt," Clark said grimly.

"Barely," she corrected, tilting his chin to look at her.
"Look at me," he gave her a sorrowful look, and she moved her
hands so that both of them were cradling his anguished face.
"You did everything you could. You cannot be everywhere at once,
and you cannot do everything at once."

She was right. It was the same thing his parents told him over
and over for years. It was basically the same thing she'd told
him months ago when he'd almost given up on being Superman. It
just didn't feel the same to him. Things were different now. "I
know that," he sulked, lowering his gaze once more.

"Then what's the problem?" Lois asked, moving her right hand
to rest on his chest as she fingered the back of his neck with
her other hand.

He sighed, moving his hand to cover hers as she stroked his chest
softly. "You were hurt. I was carrying you in my arms. If I had
just..."

"What?" Lois asked, still not understanding what he was trying
to get at.

He sighed, realizing she wasn't understanding. He glanced around
the semi-crowded street, lowering his head as he realized this
wasn't the place for this conversation. Thankfully she seemed to
sense his withdraw and nodded, "Later?"

"Later," he repeated, fingering her hair behind her ear as he
traced the outline of her jawline with his hand.

She leaned up to kiss him before pulling away, "Come on, let's
see what information we can squeeze out of Henderson on this
supposed case they've got on Jimmy."

***

"What's wrong, kid?" Jenkins kicked the table and Jimmy jumped
back slightly. "Getting tired?"

"All you got to do is tell us what you did," Harris added
snidely, pointing to the pad and pen on the table. "This'll all
be over then."

"This is illegal as hell," Jimmy snapped back angrily. "I'm
not saying or doing anything without my lawyer."

Jenkins shrugged, "Too bad." He got up from the table and
headed for the door, giving Harris a look before he left. Jimmy
eyed Harris warily. He knew what was coming. Bad Cop. Badder Cop.
He braced himself as Harris' fist came in contact with his
cheek, knocking him back half a foot as he fell against the
table.

***

"Bill?" Lois looked at the man in front of her and Clark in
surprise. He wore an oversized trenchcoat and hat, unrecognizable
sunglasses with metallic frames and the expression on his face
was something she'd never seen before; fear. He shook his head,
motioning for them to follow.

They followed him into the elevator. She opened her mouth to
speak, but he shook his head, motioning to the video surveillance
in the elevator. Once they arrived on the seventh floor, He
motioned toward a room at the end of the hall, and they followed
in silence. Once inside they saw it was an empty office space of
what used to be cubicles.

Lois opened her mouth to speak after he closed the door, but he
held up his hand, pulling out a small silver device with an array
of buttons on it. He pressed a blue button, and she felt Clark's
grip on her tighten slightly before relaxing again.

"Soundproof device I got from one of the newest members at
S.T.A.R. Labs," Henderson explained.

"Thanks for the warning," Clark said dryly.

"Knocks out any surveillance equipment within a five-foot
radius. With everything going on we can't be too careful,"
Henderson explained.

"What is going on?" Lois asked.

"Where do you want me to begin? The part where I magically got
demoted this morning or where two officers that have never taken
the detective's exam magically made detective overnight?" He
shook his head in disgust, "By the way, one of those officers is
the same one that was trying to book your sister last night. From
what she was saying it..."

"It was a set-up," Lois nodded, "I know. She told me what
happened."

"It's Luthor," Clark said grimly. "He's going after
everyone."

"He's more than going after them. He's annihilating them.
They're railroading Jimmy for this explosion at the Planet.
Won't let anyone in the room with him."

"They can't do that," Lois argued.

"Who's going to stop them, Lois?" Henderson barked. "I told
you before you started all of this ... He's got every
politician, judge, and senator in his pocket. He can do whatever
the hell he wants."

"There's got to be something we can do," Clark argued. "He
can't just..."

"Can't just what?" Henderson asked. "Spit on the Constitution
and railroad an innocent man for a crime he probably committed?"
He looked around the room in anger, "Newsflash! He has!"

"He's going after witnesses," Clark said. "Toni Taylor's
break out of prison was probably orchestrated by him. She had a
deal to get out. There's no way she..."

"Just about everyone I had statements from has vanished,"
Henderson said bitterly. "The evidence has disappeared. I've
got nothing."

"What about Miranda?" Lois asked. "She said she had backups of
backups of the tapes she turned over."

"That would be great if I knew where to find her," Henderson
scoffed. "She's in the witness protection program. Only the
Feds know where she is and there's no way they'd tell me after
what's happened in the last twenty-four hours," he sighed,
"We've got nothing...Well, nothing but Jack."

"No," Clark shook his head adamantly, "No way."

"He's all we've got," Henderson shrugged, "Unless you've
got any better ideas."

"We have no way of keeping him safe," Lois interjected. "You
said yourself even the FBI wouldn't trust the Metropolis P.D.
right now."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Henderson asked, "There is no
way I'm letting that two faced deranged sociopath get away with
ruining my life like this...let alone everyone else's."

"No one is saying that Bill," Lois sighed, crossing her arms
over her chest.

"We don't want to see him get away with this any more than you
do," Clark reassured, "Believe me, but we're not going to
allow him access to possibly the only witness that could help put
him away."

"Not the only witness," Lois corrected. At his confused look
she shrugged, "We still have Miranda...maybe Toni."

"No one's been able to find Toni Taylor anywhere," Bill said
with a grunt, pulling out a print out from his jacket, "...and
this just came on the wire."

Clark took the print out from him and read it, "Governor
pardon?"

Lois took the paper from him, "The Governor's Office of New
Troy is pleased to offer a pardon for all crimes committed by Ms.
Toni Elizabeth Taylor from the dates of January 11th 1991 to
December 31st of 1994. Any crimes committed after said date will
be treated as separate crimes and are not covered by this
pardon..." She scrunched up her nose as she skimmed the letter,
"I don't understand. It's basically a blanket pardon for the
rest of the year."

"Exactly," Henderson said gruffly. "She's basically got carte
blanche to do whatever she wants for the rest of the year without
repercussions."

"This has Luthor written all over it," Clark said in disgust.
"We've got to do something."

"I'm open to ideas," Henderson said, crossing his arms over
his chest, "You won't let me use Jack. What are my options?"

"Not as the only witness," Lois corrected.

"Find me another witness then," Henderson said exasperatedly.
"Surely the handful of people we found weren't the only ones
that saw or heard something illegal Lex Luthor has done over the
years. There has to be someone out there willing to do the right
thing and stop him." Lois exchanged a look with Clark for a
moment, and Henderson looked at her accusingly, "You know
someone."

"It's not that simple," Lois began slowly.

"Answer the question," Henderson pressed. "You know someone
that could testify...yes or no?"

Lois glanced at Clark pleadingly and he nodded, "We know someone
he's trying to come after, but we're not willing to give you
any more information unless we have a hundred percent guarantee
of this person's safety."

"I can't give you that," Henderson said grimly.

"Then we can't give you a name," Lois replied defiantly. "He
needs protection."

"Right now Luthor's got his thumb in every government official
of New Troy. The only way you're going to be guaranteed
protection is for you to go to the Feds."

"We don't have anything on him for federal charges," Clark
argued. "How are we supposed to get the FBI involved?"

Henderson handed them two small metal devices, identical to the
one he'd used for sound-proofing the room. "For your
protection. Anytime you discuss the case. Turn it on. The bugs we
found at your apartments were just the beginning. There's no
telling how deep the surveillance is. If you find the right
witness and combine it with what we had, we can probably get RICO
charges brought against him."

"Racketeering?" Lois asked in disbelief.

Henderson shook his head, "You've been looking at Luthor for a
few months. I've been looking at him for years. You have no idea
how dirty he is."

"Isn't there anyone at the DA's office we can trust?" Clark
asked, running a hand through his hair. "Anyone that Luthor may
not have gotten to?"

"There is someone. New ADA just transferred in a month ago from
Washington," Henderson began.

"Great!" Lois cheered enthusiastically, "Talk to her. See if
she can be trusted and let's see what we can do about getting
Jimmy out and start piecing this case back together."

"I guess I don't have anything left to lose." Henderson
pointed to the blue button on the device, "This turns the
sound-proofing on and off. If you have any questions, you can
contact Dr. Bernard Klein at S.T.A.R. Labs. He's the one that
did the testing on those listening devices we found in your
apartment. Do not under any circumstances discuss anything about
this case in public." With that, he turned the device off and
muttered, "I'll be in touch."

***

"Pheromones," Lex ticked off his hand as he scanned through his
research on the man of steel, "Nightfall."

"Sir?" Nigel called from the entry way, watching as Lex paced
in front of his desk with papers scattered about.

"Not now, Nigel," Lex said, pointing at the screen on the wall
frozen with the image of Lois kissing Superman at her apartment.
"We're missing something..."

"An affair?" Nigel suggested, mildly annoyed at Lex for not
seeing the obvious.

"No, it doesn't fit," Lex said, shaking his head in defiance.
"Why Kent when she obviously can have Superman? It doesn't
fit."

"Sometimes the matters of the heart are complicated...or, so
I'm told," Nigel mused.

"No, the time I spent with her...I knew her. She would never do
that. Where's that file on Lois Lane?" He asked.

Nigel pulled out the file from the corner of the desk, "Here,
sir."

***

"Lucy?" Lois looked around, examining her and Clark's
surroundings at O'Neal Towers as they headed out the double
doors, hand-in-hand.

"Yeah?" Lucy spoke into the phone.

"How's it going? They haven't killed each other yet, have
they?" Lois asked half-joking. Clark glanced at her with a
questioning look, and she shook her head giving him a smile.

"No, just the usual digs and icy shoulders," Lucy said with a
sigh, "What's up? Have you heard anything from Jimmy?"

"Luce, the police picked him up," Lois said hoarsely.

"What??" Lucy's voice echoed from the other line.

"I don't know what's going on, but we're doing everything we
can to try and get him out..." Lois reassured.

"Where is he?" Lucy asked. "Has he been arrested?"

"No, they're too smart for that," Lois sighed, glancing back
at Clark as they stepped outside. "I'm on my way back over
there with Clark. We'll explain everything when we get there."

"But..." Lucy began to argue.

"See you in a few," she said before hanging up.

***

A young blonde sat at the desk in front of him, pencil in her
mouth as her nose scrunched up, looking at the computer screen in
front of her in disgust. This was the new ADA? Henderson sighed,
slipping his hand into his pocket to turn on the sound-proofing
device before he closed the door behind him.

She removed then pencil from her mouth and set it on the desk,
turning to face him, "Can I help you?"

"I hope so," he said taking a seat across from her. He let out
a long breath, folding his hands in front of him nervously as he
lowered his head in his hands.

"I'm not a mind-reader," she said, tapping her fingers on her
desk impatiently.

"Neither am I," he said gruffly looking up at her warily.

"O-kay," she leaned back in her chair for a moment, "How about
we start with introductions?"

"That's probably not a good idea," Henderson said shaking his
head.

"Excuse me?" She scoffed in disbelief.

"I need to know if I can trust you first," he explained.

"You need to know if you can trust me?" She scoffed, "You're
the one that came into my office. If you can't trust me then
what are you doing here?"

"I know, I know," he held his hands up, trying to motion for
her to calm down as he spoke, "I'm confusing the hell out of
you, but I just need to know I can trust you before I show all my
cards."

"Fine," she relented, "Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is, what do you
want?"

"You transferred to Metropolis from D.C. about a month ago. I
need to know why," he said, meeting her gaze as he folded his
hands on his lap.

"How is that any of your concern?" She asked, leaning forward,
folding her hands on her desk.

"I need to know I can trust you."

"You said that already," she said dryly, "but you've yet to
give me any reason as to why I should trust you."

"I know," he sighed, raking a hand through his hair, "Just
humor me for a minute will you?" She seemed to be contemplating
her options for the moment. He wasn't sure what to expect. Here
he was a complete stranger stepping into her office with no name
or explanation asking personal questions and asking her to trust
him when he'd yet to give her any reason to...He wouldn't blame
her if she kicked him out of her office, but she didn't.

Curiosity seemed to get the better of her, and she sighed, "I
left D.C. because a case I'd been following lead me here."

"What case?" He asked.

"That's confidential," she said coolly.

He nodded, "Okay, well can I ask if it has to do with Lex
Luthor?" He noticed her eyes widen ever so slightly at the
mention of Luthor's name and he smiled, "I guess I've got my
answer." He leaned forward, folding his hands once more as he
noticed her look away nervously. "Who are you working for?"

"What makes you think I'm working for someone?" She asked,
trying to hide the strain in her voice unsuccessfully.

"No ADA is going to give up a job in Washington D.C. for what
appears to be a step down willingly. You're getting something
out of it," he pressed.

"I'm not getting anything out of this but the luxury of putting
criminals behind bars," she snapped back irritably. The fire in
her eyes reminded him a lot of Lois Lane when she got fired up
about a case he refused to comment on.

"All criminals or just a chosen few?" He pressed.

She gave him an insulted look before scoffing, "Who do you think
you are? I took an oath!"

"So did the officers sitting downtown right now trying to
railroad an innocent man for a crime he didn't commit." He shot
back vehemently, "Answer the question. Who are you working
for?"

"Who's being railroaded?" She asked, trying to change the
subject.

"Answer the question," he repeated.

"You first," she shot back.

"I asked you first."

"Why should I trust you?" She asked, meeting his gaze as a
scowl crossed her face.

"Give me a reason to trust you, and I'll give you plenty of
reasons to trust me."

"I'm going to need more than that." She shook her head.

His jaw tightened, and he stood up, "Very well," Heading for
the door. "It was nice talking to you."

"Wait!" She stopped him as he turned to leave.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Does your reason for not trusting me, have anything to do with
the case the DA just buried?" she asked.

"Maybe," he began slowly.

"Then it sounds like we have a common enemy," she said, pulling
out a thin folder and placing it on her desk.

He looked at it curiously, and she shook her head, "I need a
name."

He reclaimed his seat, "The name's Bill. Bill Henderson."

"Mayson Drake," she smiled back at him.

"What is this?" He asked, looking at the folder.

"The location of the F.B.I's current pending cases against Lex
Luthor," she replied with a smile.

"You're with the F.B.I.?" He asked, intrigued.

"Contract," she shrugged, "I'm not an agent or anything, but
I take on their cases in areas where the civil servants
are...less motivated to put the bad guys away."

"That would fit Metropolis," he said dryly.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your case," she began, "You
said something about someone being railroaded..."

"Olsen." He nodded, "James Olsen."

***

"Your daughter moved all the way across the country to spend
time with you...forgetting the last *fifteen years* of emotional
abandonment and betrayal..." Ellen accused angrily as Lucy
stepped back into the house numbly.

"For the love of...Ellen, it's this kind of closed-mindedness
that drove us apart in the first place. You can't let the past
stay where it belongs...in the *past*!" Sam shot back angrily.

"You left us! You left medicine! For what? Crackpot schemes with
gangsters that want to kill you??" Ellen fumed angrily nearly in
tears.

"You are just like Lois. You can't let anything go!" Sam
fumed. "It is not a crackpot scheme! It is a medical miracle and
..."

Lucy couldn't take the arguing anymore, lowering herself to the
floor then curled herself into the corner, covering her ears as
she tried to block out the fighting. Jimmy was in danger. Lois
said they were coming after him. Why would anyone want to hurt
Jimmy? He was the nicest person she knew. He cared...really cared
about everyone and was always there for his friends. The thought
that someone might try to...

"Sam! *Shut up*!!!" Ellen growled angrily, wrapping a
protective arm around Lucy as she cried. "Look what you've
done..."

"*Me!?*" He scoffed, looking at her in disbelief, "I'm not
the one that..." Ellen shot him a glare, and he stopped.

"I'm sorry, honey. We just won't talk to each other anymore.
Please don't cry," Ellen pleaded, cradling Lucy as she
continued to cry.

"It's not that," Lucy cried.

"Then what is it?" Ellen asked.

"Jimmy..." She squeaked out.

"Jimmy?" Ellen asked, not quite understanding.

"A boyfriend?" Sam asked. "Did he break your heart? Lucy,
I've told you before not to waste your time with those..."

"No! It's nothing like that..." She shook her head adamantly.
"Lo-Lois called. He got picked up by the puh-police. They're
tr-trying to pin the e-explosion on h-him," she stammered in
between tears.

Ellen's eyes narrowed, "he didn't?"

"No, of course not!" Lucy argued.

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Ellen reassured.
"Everything will be fine."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sam argued.

"You're not helping," Ellen said in between gritted teeth.

"I'm just being honest," Sam shot back.

"There's a first," Ellen fumed angrily.

A sonic boom and a gust of wind filled the room. They all looked
toward the bay window in the living room to see Superman standing
in the middle of the room with Lois. "Superman?" Lucy sprung to
her feet as she began pouncing on him with question after
question, pacing around him as she spoke. "Has there been any
news? You're going to help Jimmy right?"

"Calm down," Lois said, wrapping a protective arm around her.

"I'm doing everything I can, Ms. Lane," he reassured with a
smile. "Unfortunately there's not much I can do at this
point."

"Oh," Lucy said, pulling away from Lois slightly. "What are
you doing here?"

"I'm actually here to talk to you, Dr. Lane," Superman took a
few steps toward Sam.

"Me?" He asked, uncertainly.

"I understand your life was threatened," Superman began
cautiously.

"Yes, that's correct," he said grimly, motioning to the
bruises and cuts on his face.

"I also understand you were working *with* the boss, Lex
Luthor?" Superman pressed.

"There's more to the story," Sam said shamefully, "much
more."

"We've got time," Superman said, crossing his arms over his
chest, looking at him expectantly.

"Yes, Sam, let's see you lie your way out of this one," Ellen
said snidely.

"*Mother!*" Lois admonished.

"No, Lois, your mother's right," Sam began cautiously. "I
can't keep lying." He motioned toward the sofa, "You'd better
sit down. This will take a little while."

***

Henderson placed the silver device on Mayson's desk, "What is
that?" She asked.

"Something one of the scientists rigged up at S.T.A.R. Labs. It
knocks out listening devices within a five-mile radius," he
explained.

Mayson cocked an eyebrow at him in disbelief, "Don't you think
that's getting a little too 'conspiracy theory?' I mean I know
Lex Luthor has his hand in a lot of pies, but..."

"How much of that case file did you read before it got buried?"
He asked.

"Enough," she shrugged.

"What about the part where he placed video and audio
surveillance equipment in both the apartments and workplace of
two well-known reporters to keep track of their investigation
into him. I've had to remove devices at least three times in the
last month."

Mayson looked around the room warily, tugging her suit jacket
closed nervously, "That's ...sick."

"Imagine someone watching your every move...in the privacy of
your own home. That's what this man is capable of. I wouldn't
put it past him to do the same to others," he pressed.

"How do we stop him?" Mayson asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I've got bits and pieces but nothing near what I need to put
him away for good."

"I thought I had him...Well, we thought we did," he sighed.

"We?" She asked quizzically.

"I was working with Lois Lane and Clark Kent of the Daily Planet
to bring him down. Kent's file on Luthor and his theories was
almost as big as mine," Henderson explained.

"You have a file?" She asked.

"Several," he grinned back at her. "You show me yours I'll
show you mine."

***

"As you girls know I've always been big on testing the
boundaries of medicine," Sam began cautiously. He glanced over
at the stoic superhero who was watching him with a stern look on
his face. It unnerved him to see the normally cheerful and
friendly superhero he'd met before so ...distant.

Lucy nodded, "That's the understatement of the century."

"Well, I was approached to do some research by LexLabs right
before ..." He looked down at his hands, unable to continue.

"Right before Allie was murdered?" Ellen supplied for him in an
even tone.

"Yes," he let out a long breath.

"Who approached you?" Superman asked.

"Lex Luthor himself," Sam said evenly, "I was flattered he'd
taken the time to speak with me. Thought it made me someone
important."

Lois and Lucy exchanged a look but didn't say anything. "What
did he want?" Superman asked, pacing in front of him.

"You," he said coolly.

"Pardon?" Superman asked, not understanding.

"Your powers, your strength...He wanted me to make an army of
Super-men. Didn't tell me how or why. That's how it all got
started."

"Yes, I'm familiar with the robotic arms," Superman said,
rubbing his chin to illustrate his memory of the fight he'd
gotten into with one of the super-powered boxers.

"Well, what I didn't tell anyone was there were plans to go
further," Sam said shamefully.

"What do you mean by further?" Lois asked, trying to get him to
elaborate.

"The robotic chip I've been working on?" He prompted.

"You said it was supposed to strengthen dead nerves for
paralytic patients," Lucy said, accusingly.

"It did. It does," he said firmly.

"But?" Superman prompted.

"But it also gives super-strength to the muscles and the
nerves," he said shamefully.

"Has it been tested?" Lois asked.

"Not on humans, but the tests we ran on the rats came back with
flying colors. I'm afraid that's what he's after," he began
cautiously. "If he gets his hands on that chip..."

"He'll have an army of super-powered criminals at his
disposal," Superman finished for him.

***

"Did Clark say what this was about?" Jonathan asked, setting a
pitcher of iced tea on the dining table as Martha set the table.

She shook her head, "Just that something had happened and he
needed our help," she pointed to the fresh baked cookies on the
counter, "Hand me that tray."

Jonathan reached over and handed her the long platter of fresh
baked chocolate chip cookies and grinned, "My favorite."

"Clark's too," she let out a long sigh, "Something's wrong.
I could hear it in his tone."

***

Bill Henderson set a small diskette on Mayson's desk before
leaning back in his chair, "Lex Luthor has been running crime in
Metropolis like his own private chess game for years. I haven't
been able to build enough of a case against him until now..."

Mayson sighed as she pointed out, "Until it fell apart."

"It doesn't make sense. I had him. I had him right where I
wanted him, and he just slipped out of my grasp at the last
moment," he fumed, shaking his head.

Mayson pulled out her own diskette, pushing it toward Bill
Henderson, "I've been following Mr. Luthor since the double
murder of his parents...convenient that the murder happened just
as Lex was old enough to take over LuthorCorp at the age of
seventeen, don't you think?" Bill took the diskette she handed
him, and she continued, "Lex Luthor's criminal organization is
bigger than the Falcone and Maroni family crime in Gotham and
more powerful than the international crime organization,
Intergang."

Henderson's eyebrows rose, "If he's that much of a threat then
why hasn't anyone done anything about it until now?"

Mayson leaned back in her chair, turning her chair from side to
side as she looked at him with an amused expression, "You of all
people should know the answer to that one."

"His connections?" Henderson guessed.

Mayson nodded, "Rumor in the DA's office is there was a quick
change of power at the Metropolis P.D."

"You could say that," Henderson sighed, "There are a lot of
changes that came through all at once," he let out a gruff
snort, "There are leaks in the department...leaks that are
connected to Luthor. Innocent people are being hurt, and I don't
know how to stop him by myself."

"Then I guess you came to the right place," Mayson tapped her
hand on her desk, "If you have a leak in the department then you
have a problem..."

"Can you help me?" Henderson asked cautiously.

***

Outside Ellen Lane's prestigious town home Lois stood outside,
watching as Clark, still donning his Superman suit paced the
backyard. The idea he'd proposed was so ludicrous she wasn't
sure she'd heard him right. "I am *not* going into hiding!"

He let out a frustrated sigh, "We don't have a choice!"

"Yes, we do. You can help me figure out how Lex was able to stop
those charges from being brought against him and how he was able
to railroad Jimmy in such a short amount of time..."

"That is not going to happen."

"Excuse me?" She scoffed, "You wanted me to hide my father on
your parents' farm..." She hissed in a hushed whisper.
"...which I managed to convince him of..."

Clark folded his arms over his chest, nodding. "I don't know
what else to do. You heard Henderson. The Metropolis P.D. has
been compromised. Nigel is already on his tail."

"Fine! But that doesn't mean that **I **have to..." Lois
argued.

"No? Every time we turn around he's planting more and more
cameras and surveillance equipment. Who knows if we've gotten
them all. He's got connections in the police department. It's
not safe for you to be here in Metropolis."

"I am not going to just run for cover and hide. He is coming
after my family!" She fumed angrily.

"Don't you think I know that?" He asked in a hushed whisper,
"I am just trying to do what I can to keep everyone
safe...including you."

"You cannot just hide me away every time there is a threat,
Cl..." She caught herself and recovered quickly, "Su-Superman.
If that were the case, then none of our investigations would ever
get solved."

"There are no more investigations, Lois. This is serious! The
Planet just got blown to smithereens. You and I are out of
jobs..."

"Don't you think I know that?" She hissed angrily. "I was
there!" He grew quiet, and she continued, "Please don't make
me disappear," she said, trying to reflect a calm she didn't
feel at the moment.

"The last time..."

"He sent a professional killer after my father," she said
coldly. "I won't panic. Just please don't try to hide me
away," she said, placing a hand on his arms that were crossed
over his chest.

"Lois, please don't make my job any harder than it has to be,"
he pleaded with her, glancing down at her hands then meeting her
gaze, "You and I both know what he's capable of." He moved to
cup her cheek, "I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"How do you expect to stop him if ..."

"I don't know," he sighed. "I just know that you...staying
here in Metropolis is dangerous right now," he whispered,
leaning in to give her a peck on the forehead.

"This is my home."

"I know," he sighed, "but if you don't do this..."

"I can handle myself," she argued flatly.

"What about your sister? Or your mom? Or Jimmy? Lois, he's not
just coming after you and me anymore. He's coming after
everyone." At the mention of everyone, Lex could possibly come
after she felt herself waver more and more. She hated the idea of
going into hiding, but she wanted to keep her family safe. He
looked around the quiet street, then back at her, "No one is
safe here, Lois."

"You don't know that," She argued.

"No, I don't, but I'm not willing to take the risk of
something happening to you," he said, taking a step toward her.
"Lois..." He placed a hand on her arm, rubbing it up and down,
"Your dad needs protection I can't offer ...and do my job as
Superman right now."

"I know that," she said shakily, "He knows that. We all know
that." She grew thoughtful for a moment then let out a dry
laugh, "My parents first meeting your parents...on the lamb? Oy
that won't be awkward at all." She huffed, running a hand
through her hair.

"Come on; you know mom and dad will help. They're not going to
mind how they meet them," he pointed out.

Lois sighed giving him a tight smile, "...but my mother will."

He gave her an amused smile before continuing in a solemn tone,
"I don't know what else to do, Lois. If they stay in Metropolis
much longer..." Clark let out a long sigh. "It's for
everyone's safety."

"I'm not running," she repeated.

"How about a flight?" He offered, scooping her into his arms.

"Don't you **dare!**" She warned as he took off into the sky.

***

Lex sat in front of his wall of monitors, staring intently at the
screens as Nigel updated him on the latest news, "It seems Dr.
Lane has turned. He was caught trying to negotiate a deal with
the ADA of Oakland. I questioned him with Fuentes, but he was
lying through his teeth. Fuentes was put on him, but we lost him
at Oakland International when he was boarding his flight. Rather
than cause a scene our man updated me on the progress and has
arranged transportation back to Metropolis."

"What about the Robotic Arm chip?" Lex asked, spinning in his
chair. "Did we ever find it?"

"No," Nigel shook his head. "Our surveillance at Ms. Lane's
showed no sign of him."

"He has more than one daughter," Lex reminded him. "Keep
tailing him."

"Didn't the other Ms. Lane end up in custody?" Nigel asked
confused.

"There was a...complication with that," Lex said in disgust.
"Seems our arrangement was interrupted by a Bill Henderson."

"Ah, yes, the one behind the investigation on you," Nigel
nodded, recalling the name.

"And the most recent Detective at Metropolis P.D," Lex mused
with a smile as he took a puff from his cigar.

"Yes, the demotion went though this morning. Detective Henderson
will find his career circling the drain pool the more he tries to
pursue this case against you."

"Excellent," Lex said, tapping his hand against the desk,
"When do you think it'll be safe to move above ground? I enjoy
this game of cat and mouse but spending my time with the dead
isn't the best for my complexion."

Nigel laughed, "What about your not wanting to be a
humanitarian?"

"We all have a part we must play," Lex took another puff of his
cigar, "Besides I can't give my investigation into Superman the
proper attention from down here. Any sign of weakness on my part
will give Falcone and his thugs an invitation to move in..."

"...Or Intergang," Nigel interjected.

Lex scoffed, "Child's play. An international criminal
organization run out of a department store? At least I have the
brains to not use the same company in the same place twice."

"Our international contacts are still unable to push them out
though," Nigel pointed out.

"Our international contacts have gone soft then," Lex sighed,
"I can't afford to be viewed as weak. Make it happen."

"Very well," Nigel sighed, "Ms. Taylor is taking care of the
last witness. Then you should be safe to return. Just be sure to
keep your head clear this time. You can't afford a distraction
like Lois Lane again."

"Oh, believe me, I have my own plans for Ms. Lane, and I am
anything but distracted," Lex promised.

***

The sound of the sonic boom, echoing in the skies resonated
around the old country farmhouse could be heard in the distance.
Martha looked back and forth between her guests, "Well, I don't
know about you, but coffee sure does sound great..."

Sam Lane nodded, looking between Lucy Lane and the Kents, casting
a wary look toward Ellen who was refusing to speak to anyone at
the moment. Lucy looked around the farmhouse then back at the
Kents, "I thought Superman said he was going to bring Lois and
Clark too..."

Jonathan interjected eagerly, "I'm sure he's on his way. Come
on; they won't be too long." He gestured to the table, "Uh,
Martha just made a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies if
anyone's interested?"

"Chocolate is good," Lucy nodded with a smile. She took a seat
at the table. Sam and Ellen remained standing, staring one
another down in an uncomfortable silence.

The back door opened and they all turned to see Clark in the
doorway in jeans and a t-shirt, with a very irritated Lois Lane,
"Uh, hi."

Lois cast an annoyed look at Clark before pasting on a smile,
"Hi," she said, taking a seat next to Lucy.

"Where's Superman? Isn't he going to come in?" Lucy asked in
concern.

"Uh, he, uh, had to fly..." Clark said hurriedly, "He said
he'd be back to check in later."

"I still don't understand why we have to go on the lamb in the
first place," Ellen snorted, looking accusingly at Sam Lane.
"How is it that after fifteen years of being divorced and
you're still finding ways to mess with my life?"

"Mom..." Lucy gave her a warning tone, "don't start."
Jonathan took a seat across from her and Lois, handing her a cup
of coffee which she took graciously.

Ellen snorted, "Of course, take his side...like always." Lucy
hung her head, and Lois squeezed her shoulder for support.

"Are those chocolate chip?" Lois asked, trying to steer the
conversation back to something neutral as Clark took a seat next
to her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She gave him an
irritated glare then turned her attention back to the Kents.
Martha gave Jonathan an amused look before smiling.

"Yes!" Martha handed her the plate of cookies, "Uh, Sam?
Ellen?"

Sam smiled, deciding to take the offered treat. He took a seat at
the table as Ellen begrudgingly took a seat at the other end.
"Oh, boy..." Clark muttered under his breath as they fell into
an uncomfortable silence.

***

"It was him. I know it was him, Lucius," Bruce said angrily,
"That cocky son of a..." Lucius Fox cleared his throat, giving
Bruce a warning glare, "Sorry."

"Mr. Wayne, you knew what you were getting yourself into when
you took this on," Lucius reminded him.

"He was coming after Wayne Enterprises, so I wanted to come
after him," Bruce shook his head in disgust, "All those
people..."

"I saw the news," Lucius said grimly, looking around his
abandoned office.

Bruce wagged his fist in the air, "I underestimated him. He blew
the place to smithereens. I've got my people working on pushing
the online edition out but ..."

"...but it's still not the same," Lucius nodded, "You can't
bring a knife to a gun fight, Mr. Wayne."

"I'm starting to see that. I've never seen anything like it.
It's like all of a sudden the whole city has this ...darkness
over it...a sickness like I've never seen before. Corruption on
every level. Cops, prosecutors, detectives, lawyers, and who
knows what else..."

"Like Gotham?" Lucius asked with an amused expression.

Bruce shook his head, "No, this is different. Gotham has always
been dark...sick. This darkness that fell over Metropolis...it's
different." He let out a long sigh, "I might be out of my depth
here...or Bruce Wayne is rather. Falcone and his thugs...child's
play compared to what's going on in Metropolis right now."

"What do you want to do about it?" Lucius asked.

Bruce let out a long sigh, "Play hard ball," he noted with a
smile. "I've finished up the last of those signatures you
needed. Lex Luthor isn't going to go easily or quietly. The only
way to fight someone like that is to meet every punch he throws
with one of my own. Have we set up an office for Wayne
Enterprises in Metropolis yet?"

"Just closed the deal an hour ago," Lucius explained, "Sir,
you just got back. Are you sure you want to take this on?
Metropolis has it's own vigilante..."

"No, they have an idealistic superhero that stands for a symbol
of hope. If I'm going to fight Luthor, I might have to become
that vigilante to stop him."

"You'll need help," Lucius pointed out.

"I have you," Bruce pointed out.

"As acting CEO of Wayne Enterprises I can't go on a sabbatical
while you go toe to toe with the world's most notorious crime
boss, can I?" Lucius pointed out.

"You have a point, Lucius," Bruce sighed, "I really hate it
when you do that."

"I'm guessing you'll need to pack light?" Lucius asked,
standing up from his desk to walk toward the bookcase behind him.
He hit the hidden button on the top shelf, and a hidden doorway
opened up. Bruce followed him down the narrow staircase to a
secluded hallway that lead them to a small elevator. "Going
down."

He pressed the button to the elevator and stepped on with Bruce
right by him. "I have a new project I've been working on..."

"R&amp;D?" Bruce asked.

"Applied Science Division," Lucius corrected.

"Ah," they arrived in the basement of Wayne Enterprises where
the bat-themed inventions of Lucius' had found a home. "Love
what you've done with the place."

Lucius pulled out a remote from his pocket and hit a green
button. A cabinet opened up emitting an ultraviolet light from
it, revealing a tall black armored suit. "Hardened-kevlar plates
on a titanium-dipped fiber tri-weave for flexibility..."

Bruce touched the armband on the suit, examining the additions
Lucius had made to it, "Hopefully Batman won't have to make any
appearances while I'm in Metropolis..."

"Well, you'll be in good company," Lucius smiled back at him,
pointing at the gauntlet Bruce was toying with, "You'll be
lighter, faster, more agile..."

Bruce flinched as the armband expanded and several blades fired
in a spiral motion, heading toward Lucius' ear, narrowly missing
him by a few inches as they wedged themselves into a nearby wall.
"Ooops," Bruce apologized with a smile.

Lucius looked at him with a long sigh, "Perhaps you should read
the instructions first?"

"Sorry," Bruce smiled, "Nice feature."

"Now, the lighter weight and more agility given to you in this
new suit comes with a trade-off I'm afraid," Lucius continued.

"Meaning?" Bruce asked concerned.

"Just don't' get into any dog fights and you should be okay."
Lucius explained, "The spread of the plates gives you weak
spots."

Bruce sighed with an amused smile, "Well, we wouldn't want
things getting too easy, would we?"

***

"He's quiet," Martha said, looking out the window toward the
barn where Clark and Jonathan had disappeared to. Sam and Ellen
had gone into town with Lucy to get some supplies for dinner,
leaving Lois and Martha alone in the dining room. "He's hardly
said anything since he got here."

Lois followed her gaze toward the front door, "Probably got a
lot on his mind," she said bitterly.

"You both do," Martha said, placing a hand over Lois'.

Lois nodded, "I've never seen him like this before. It was
horrible and awful, and I'm so thankful there were no fatalities
but...He had no right to..."

Martha shook her head and interrupted gently, "One thing you
have to learn about Clark is no matter how many people he saves
or how much he does he will always feel like it isn't enough. I
don't approve of his methods, but I do know he's just trying to
keep you safe."

"When we were trapped in that elevator ... I've never seen him
so scared," Lois murmured.

"He probably realized what was happening and was afraid he
wasn't going to be able to get out of there in time," Martha
suggested. "The important thing is you're all right, both of
you. The Planet is just a building. It can be replaced but the
people ... That's what makes the Daily Planet so unique. You'll
rebuild."

"I hope so," Lois said growing thoughtful, "Thank you for
helping hide my parents. I don't know what I'd do if..."

"It's no problem. They're welcome to say as long as they
need," Martha interjected. "When are you heading back to
Metropolis?"

Lois shrugged, "That's an excellent question."

***

Jonathan set a tree trunk up for Clark to chop and watched in
amazement as splinters flew through the air as Clark's fist came
in contact with the wood. The expression on his son's face was
one he hadn't seen in a long time, rage. At super-speed Clark
disappeared in a blue and gray blur, chopping the tree limbs into
usable firewood and stripping the bark off the branches into a
pile of chopped wood chips for making mulch.

"It was him. I know it was him," Clark fumed as he came to a
stop, clenching his fists angrily as he stared at the piles of
firewood that was now neatly stacked on the shelves which had
been bare a few seconds ago.

"Clark, you can't do this to yourself," Jonathan tried to
reason with him. "Giving into your anger like this is only going
to give him more power. You need to calm down."

Clark unballed his fists, releasing the tension that had been
there a moment ago as he tried to force the anger that was
pulsing through his veins out. "I know," He shook his head in
disgust. "I want to wring his neck but I *can't*."

"You can't stoop to his level, Clark, it's wrong," Jonathan
reminded him calmly.

"Just once I wish I could just lose my temper and not have to
worry about it turning into a nuclear disaster," Clark said
bitterly, shaking his fist in the air. Jonathan placed a
tentative hand on his shoulder, and he sighed, "When we were
trapped in that elevator...Dad, I've never been so scared in my
life. I have never flown that fast while carrying
someone...*ever*. I was so afraid I was going to..."

"She's fine," Jonathan reminded him.

"Two hundred and fifteen people lost their jobs today.
Seventy-six of those people are in the hospital from their
injuries...including Jimmy and Bruce Wayne who I found pulling
the print guys out one by one from the basement," Clark shook
his head in disgust. "Do you think Luthor cares? To him, it's
just a game. He doesn't care who he has to hurt or kill in the
process. All he cares about is winning."

"Don't let him," Jonathan said, squeezing his shoulder gently.
"Obviously he sees the Planet and everyone that works there as a
threat. Don't let him get the best of you."

"What am I supposed to do?" He asked, "The evidence we did
have against him is gone, and all the witnesses have disappeared.
Now, he's *framing* Jimmy for something *he* did, and there's
nothing I can do about it!"

"Find more," Jonathan encouraged. "I highly doubt the
witnesses you found are the only ones that know Lex Luthor's
illegal dealings. Go to the Feds if you have to. Prove it's a
frame-up. The funny thing about lies is they always come out in
the end."

"I guess," Clark sighed, "It took us *months* to get this
close," he shook his head in disgust. "Lois is probably still
angry at me for dragging her out here, but I didn't know what
else to do."

"You two will figure it out," Jonathan reassured him.
"...*together*."

"How?" He scoffed, "Luthor has got an insane hold on
Metropolis right now, and no one even knows where he's hiding.
I'm scared to death to bring Lois back to Metropolis for fear
that he'd try something..."

"You can't let your fear dictate your life, Clark," Jonathan
reasoned, "Now, Lois is a smart woman. She knows how to take
care of herself..."

"That's what she said," he snorted.

"Might want to listen to her," Jonathan added with a sigh,
"You can't hide her here forever, and you can't go against Lex
Luthor alone."

***

"I want to talk to your supervisor!" Constance snapped angrily
at the officer that was manning the front desk at the Metropolis
P.D. The officer snorted, not batting an eye, continuing to read
the newspaper in front of him. "Are you listening to me? You
cannot hold someone without charging them like this and..."

"Seventy-two hours," he snapped irritably.

"What?" She asked, not sure what he was referring to.

"We can hold him for seventy-two hours without charging
him...unless we lose the paperwork. Then it could be longer. Who
knows? Detectives are questioning him. You'll have your turn,
councilor...as long as you're good and sit over in that corner
and don't make a peep," he pointed to the corner where she and
Perry White had been sitting.

Constance glanced at his nameplate on his uniform, "Officer
Reeve did you just threaten to obstruct justice to an officer of
the court?"

"Of course not," he scoffed, "I'm insulted that you'd
insinuate such a thing. I'm just stating a fact. Accidents
happen."

***

"So, Lex Luthor had you working on super-powered robotics
chip?" Jonathan asked in amazement.

"Yeah, I had no idea what it was for...not until recently
anyway," Sam explained with a sigh.

Martha sighed, "That man is the king of manipulation..."

"Yep," Clark added bitterly, staring down at his glass of
water, "Don't like the result of a buyout then just blow the
building up with everyone inside."

"Then frame it on an innocent man," Lucy added solemnly.

Ellen sighed, "I never thought the system could be so
broken..."

"We'll get him out," Clark reassured Lucy. Lois nodded, giving
her sister a supportive half-hug with her arm around her
shoulders.

"Perry said they still hadn't been able to get Constance in
there to help him," Lois said softly.

"Those scum bags should lose their badge and be thrown into a
prison cell along with Lex Luthor and his cronies," Lucy spat
angrily.

"Every witness against him has had some type of attack from him
in one way or another. Henderson said there are crooked cops in
the Metropolis P.D.," Clark explained, casting a wary look
toward Sam Lane.

"Well, you all are welcome to stay here as long as you need
to," Martha chimed in. "Anything we can do to help."

"I appreciate that Martha, but I don't want to impose..."
Ellen began to argue.

"Nonsense!" Martha cut her off. "Your life is in danger."

"We don't know that for sure..." Lucy began to argue.

"No, we don't," Clark said softly, "but for now this is the
safest place for everyone...until we can find out how to help
Jimmy and stop Luthor."

"Hah!" Lois snorted, giving him an irritated look.

"Somehow I doubt that," Lucy said, ignoring her sister's
outburst.

"It's not going to take a giant leap in thinking for him to
figure out we're here; especially with both of you missing from
Metropolis," Sam added.

Lois wore a smug expression as Clark sighed, "It's too
dangerous for Lois to be in Metropolis right now." That was
apparently the final straw as Lois shot up from the table and
stalked out of the farmhouse, slamming the door behind her.

"You want me to go talk to her?" Lucy offered.

Clark sighed, "No," he got up to follow Lois out the door,
leaving the Lanes and Kents at the table.

"So, Lois mentioned you were an artist?" Lucy said to Martha,
looking for a way to break the awkward silence that fell between
the five of them.

***

Johnny Taylor looked around the empty visitor's room warily as
the door behind him sealed shut. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Right here, Johnny," Toni said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Toni!" He cheered, "Ya scared me. What are you doing here
doll face? I thought you were..."

"I had a pardon," Toni said with a smile. "Friends in high
places and all of that," she said, stepping toward him.
"Thought I'd come visit my favorite little brother."

He snorted, "Cut the crap, Toni! What's this about?"

"A business arrangement," she said simply.

***

"Lois..." Clark raced to keep up with Lois as she stalked her
way toward the pond behind the barn. "Would you slow down? I
can't use super-speed with your parents right inside!" She
continued to ignore him, racing past the pond and fields until
she finally stopped at the gate leading to Wayne Irig's
property. "Lois..."

"I want to go home *now*!" She said in between gritted teeth,
turning to face him as she wagged her finger in his face, "You
being Superman does not give you the right to..."

"I know. I'm sorry," he apologized, noting the glistening
tears that were forming in her eyes, "I was just trying to keep
you safe," he said, moving his hands to her shoulders to help
calm her down.

She jerked herself out of his embrace, throwing him an accusing
glare, "Clark, you cannot make decisions for me about how I
should life my life," she fumed angrily, pointing toward the
farmhouse. "That awkward silence and hostile stares? Did you see
that? That's what Lucy and I have been dealing with all
day...and all of our lives! I told you I didn't want to come
here." One by one tears fell down her cheeks. He took a step
toward her, and she pulled away angrily once more as she fumed at
him, "Why did you do this!?" She cried, balling her fist in the
air angrily.

"I didn't have a choice! Luthor has got men all over
Metropolis. I cannot do my job as Superman and protect you at the
same time," he explained his logic which seemed a poor excuse as
he watched the tears fall down her face as she looked away from
him, refusing to look at him as he spoke.

"Then trust me to protect myself!" she snapped bitterly. Her
tone was short and angry. She still wouldn't look at him,
"I've been doing this a lot longer than you have. I have
managed to get myself out of jams well before Superman showed up
on the scene..."

"That is different, and you know it, Lois," he said, moving so
he was in her line of sight. She huffed, turning her head to look
away once more, "This isn't some petty crime ring you snuck
into undercover. This is a* career criminal* that has you in his
cross hairs. I'm not going to let him hurt you again," he
argued defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So, what every time someone threatens my life you're just
going to whisk me off? I don't get a say in the matter?" Lois
scoffed throwing him an accusing glare. She was angry. He knew
she would be. At least she was looking at him now.

"I didn't say that," he said, taking a step towards her. She
turned to look away once more, and he sighed, hanging his head.

"No, actions speak louder than words!" She said, gesturing to
the field in front of them as she turned to face him, jabbing her
finger in his chest.

She was right. He knew it. He had forced her to come to
Smallville with him out of fear. He was hoping to get through to
her why this was the best course of action at the moment. They'd
been trapped in that elevator with no way out and the explosion
from above and beneath them consuming the elevator shaft around
them. If he hadn't of..."I'm sorry," he said softly,
"but..."

"No, buts," she cut him off. "You don't get to decide how
much of a risk I'm allowed to take," she said, placing a hand
on her chest as she spoke tearfully, "You don't get to just
whisk me off to the middle of nowhere when you think I'm in over
my head," she said, illustrating her point as she flailed her
arms around her, glaring at him angrily before snapping at him,
"You don't get to *LIVE* my life for me!" She fumed angrily as
she clenched and unclenched her fist letting out a frustrated
cry, "God, I cannot believe you did this!"

"I am trying to protect you," he argued, trying to reason with
her as he took a step toward her once more.

She glared back at him accusingly. "By making me a prisoner?"

"No! Of course not!" He said, aghast at the thought.

"Really? Because right now I have no way of leaving besides
Superman Express...No way of doing anything..." Her words hit
home as realization of what he'd done out of fear for her safety
began to hit him.

"I'm sorry," his face fell as she emphasized her point with a
single jab in the chest before turning away. He sighed, following
her over toward the end of the fence where Wayne had begun to
repair some damage from the storm last week. "You're right. I
shouldn't have forced you to come out here," he said flatly.

"Then why did you?" She snapped shakily, turning to face him
accusingly, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I was scared." He snorted,
"Terrified." He leaned back against the fence, staring at the
mud and grass, kicking it lightly as he spoke, "I almost didn't
get us out of there in time."

"What?" She shot her head around to look at him.

"At the Planet. When we were in the elevator. I almost didn't
get us out of there in time. The flames had already engulfed the
elevator shaft and the gasoline was covering the cord. If I'd
moved one millisecond slower..."

She bit her lower lip for a moment, putting her anger aside as
she closed the distance between them, cupping his cheek, "But
you did. You got us out along with the rest of the Daily Planet
staff that was trapped in the printing press ..."

"It could have easily been worse," he said softly, covering her
hands with his own as he wrapped them around her wrists, gently
caressing them as he spoke, "Today was my nightmare. Not being
able to protect you..." He hung his head, willing himself to
continue.

"You can't control everything around you, and you can't be
everywhere at once," she reminded him.

"It's different when it's someone you love," he reminded her,
cupping her cheek as he spoke, "I'm sorry I brought you out
here like this. I just didn't know what else to do."

"Does this mean you're going to take me home?" She asked,
gazing up at him through her tearstained eyelashes.

He sighed, cupping her cheek as he encircled his other arm around
her waist, "Yes," he said softly, "I'm still worried about
Luthor, but you're right. We can't hide."

She let out a long breath, resting her head against his chest as
he tucked it snugly beneath his chin, "Dang straight, I'm
right." She swiped at the tears that had escaped during her
outburst, "I get why you did it, but you cannot ever do this
again. No matter what. We are supposed to be a team. Partners."

"I know. I'm sorry." He apologized, "I get so used to trying
to protect everyone around me as Superman...I forget."

"Don't let it happen again," she said, sighing against his
chest. He held her close, resting his hands on her back, reveling
in the feeling of her in his arms.

His fears still remained in the back of his mind, "Lois, I
can't protect you in Metropolis...not how I need to." He let
out a long sigh, "I have no idea how to fight him, Lois."

"I'm not running away from this." She moved her hand to rest
on his chest.

"I know, I'm sorry I tried to make you," he said softly,
running his fingers through her hair, "Lois, if I ever lost
you..." his voice cracked slightly, "I'd be losing myself. I
love you...I..."

"I am right here," she reassured him as she ran her hands up
his chest, resting them on his broad shoulders, "Can we please
go home now?"

"Okay," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her, sealing his lips
over hers as his right hand moved to stroke her cheek.

Her anger at him from earlier and his fears of the what-ifs
slowly began to disappear as he concentrated on the feeling of
her in his arms. She giggled against his lips, leaning against
him as he staggered backward, leaning against the old wooden
fence.

"I'm right here..." She repeated against his lips, running her
hands up and down his chest as she leaned against him. The weight
of them both against the wooden fence caused it to give away, and
they fell to the ground. He turned to make sure he took most of
the fall, cushioning her fall as they fell to the ground
together. He felt a sharp pain in his back and grimaced.

"Sorry," she giggled, leaning up to kiss him. He groaned,
feeling the pain run down his spine once more. "What's
wrong?"

He rolled over, pulling her with him as he staggered to his feet,
"Clark!" She pointed to a large scrape on his forearm.
"You're bleeding..."

He grimaced, looking around the field for any sign of Kryptonite,
the only substance he knew that could injure him. "Let's get
out of..."

"Oh, my God!" She gasped, pointing to a glowing green rock from
beneath the fence post that had become unearthed when he'd
fallen on the fence with Lois.

"Let's get out of..." He couldn't finish his sentence,
feeling the effect of the Kryptonite on him more and more the
longer he stayed in the vicinity.

"What about...?" She didn't finish. He fell to the ground in
pain, unable to voice his thoughts in anything more than a
muffled groan. "*Clark!!*"

***

"What are you doing?" Johnny asked as Toni grabbed him by the
collar, pulling him to her.

"I'm sorry. This has to look real..." She whispered in his
ear. "I'm going to stab you, and you are going to escape. Go
underground and don't come near Metropolis or you're dead."

"Wha..?" Johnny stammered, uncertain of how to respond to what
she'd just told him. "Toni, wait, Toni, no!" He yelled when he
saw the sharp hair stick in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Johnny."

***

The room was spinning. The pounding of his head centered around
his temple. Slowly he began to open his eyes, wincing at first
from the pain as he peeled his eyes open. The bright light from
the sun shone into his eyes, and he grimaced in pain, letting out
a soft moan.

"Are you okay?" Lois asked, kneeling down to look at Clark,
brushing the hair out of his face. His back. He could feel a
burning sensation along the small of his back and tried to force
himself to sit up.

"Easy there, tiger," Sam Lane said from behind him, pushing his
shoulder back down on the ground. "You were unconscious for a
good couple of minutes. You need to lie back and give yourself a
minute."

"I'm fine," he said flatly, trying to sit up once more.

"Clark, maybe you should listen to Sam," his dad interjected
from the other side of him. "That was a nasty fall you took."
Lois pushed him back down, keeping her hand on his chest.

He sighed, "Fine. How long do I have to sit here for?"

"Just let me give you a once over to make sure you don't have a
concussion," Sam said, pulling out his ophthalmoscope, shining
the bright light in his eyes. "You really should be more
careful. That broken fence could have been a lot worse on you."
He stared back at Sam, following the light as he instructed him.
"Okay, everything looks fine." He patted him on the shoulder.

Upon hearing that he pushed himself up, taking Sam's offered
hand to help him stand up. "Thanks," he said, trying to catch
his balance.

"You gonna be all right?" Sam asked, eying his unsteady balance
warily.

"I just need a minute," he said, taking a shaky breath.

Lois wrapped a protective arm around his waist, "Come on, let's
get you inside."

***

"I'll need the names of the detectives you think are on Lex
Luthor's payroll and any information you can tell me about the
suspect they have in custody," Mayson said, jotting down notes
on her legal pad.

Henderson shook his head, "It's not that simple. He's not even
in custody."

Mayson's jaw tightened as she scowled, "You said he was picked
up by patrol and brought to Metropolis P.D."

"Yes, that's correct." Henderson said, with a nod, "...but
his paperwork was never processed."

"Are you telling me we have detectives holding a suspect without
processing and obstructing justice?" Mayson asked, her eyes
narrowing as she spoke.

"That's what I'm telling you," Henderson repeated.

"Sounds like you've got a whole slew of crooked gumshoes in the
joint," a voice said as Mayson's door flung open.

Henderson and Mayson both turned to see a tall man with dark
brown hair and chiseled features standing in the doorway of her
office. "I'm sorry Ms. Drake, he just came through without..."
Her assistant tried to explain.

Mayson sighed, recognizing the man immediately, "Mr. Davenport,
what brings you to Metropolis?"

He snorted, "Director Padelski got a call from Mr. Wayne about
corruption in the Metropolis P.D. on a toxic level. Wants the
place cleaned out."

"So, I've heard," Mayson said as a petite blonde appeared
behind him, putting a folded paper on her desk. "What is this?"
Mayson asked.

"Federal warrant to search the premises of Metropolis P.D. and
arrest any officers we find connected with coercion in the Luthor
case," the young woman said.

"And you are?" Mayson prompted.

"Agent Wallace. Christina Wallace, Ms. Drake," she said,
offering her hand to shake Mayson's.

Mayson took it standing to her feet, "Davenport, Agent Woods,
this is Inspector Bill Henderson."

"Actually I'm..." He began to argue.

"He was just demoted for trying to serve a warrant for Lex
Luthor last night. He'll be your expert on the case," Mayson
cut him off, ignoring the panicked expression on his face.

"Your department's dirty," Davenport said flatly.

"I know," Henderson said in disgust. "I had no idea how dirty
it was until now."

"You sure we can trust him?" Woods asked, eying him
critically.

Davenport looked to Mayson who nodded, "He's clean." She
walked toward them, "Well, looks like it's our lucky day, huh,
Henderson?"

***

Back at the Kent farm, Lois had managed to successfully stagger
Clark far enough away from the meteorite so he could regain his
strength to make it the rest of the three and a half acre hike
back to the farmhouse without help. Lois remained quiet, mulling
over everything as they approached the farmhouse in the
distance.

One minute they had been making up after his boneheaded move of
trying to force her into hiding the next he'd been unconscious
on the ground and...bleeding. Clark had been bleeding.

*<<"Do you remember when we dealt with that guy, Trask...I told
you he THOUGHT there was a meteorite that could kill ...
Superman?">>*

A few months ago she thought that poisonous rock was a myth. Now,
she knew it was a dangerous weapon. A dangerous weapon that was
still out there and capable of harming Clark. She glanced at him,
watching as he placed a hand on his lower back where he'd
fallen. It was obvious he was still hurting even if he didn't
want to admit it.

*<<"Bureau 39 was shut down from what we've been able to tell,
and my dad said they haven't seen any other sign of Kryptonite
on Wayne Irig's property..." >>*

The fears she'd had months ago of someone finding the Kryptonite
and using it against Clark were seeming less and less like an
unwarranted fear and more of a likely possibility. They had
stumbled across the meteorite by accident. Who knows what someone
could find if they were actually looking for the lethal
substance? They could use it against Clark, or they could sell it
to someone looking to harm him. The market on this substance
would probably make it as valuable as any street drug in
Metropolis.

*<<"Luthor and the rest of the world don't know that Kryptonite
exists," Clark sighed. "As long as it remains a figment of
Trask's imagination then there's nothing to worry about.">>*

The only saving grace for her sanity at the moment was the fact
that Clark's secret was still safe. If Lex ever found out, he
would try to use it against him so he could finally take care of
his 'Superman Problem.' She wouldn't let that happen.

"Lois??" Clark squeezed her shoulder as they walked up the
steps to the front porch where Martha and her mother were
sitting.

"Huh?" Lois asked, confused, realizing she'd been lost in
thoughts so much she'd been oblivious to the conversations going
on around her.

Martha smiled, "Ellen and I are gonna head into town."

Ellen nodded, "Martha offered to take me to one of her art
classes. I've never been to one and thought...while I'm
here...why not?" She looked at Lois carefully, "Are you all
right?"

Lois nodded, "Sounds fun." It was strange seeing her mother
like this. The woman that had warned her off of men and drowned
her sorrows in a bottle of tequila was long gone. In her place
was a vibrant woman that seemed intent on making the most of life
and trying new things. It still surprised her how well her mother
and Martha seemed to have connected with one another. Her mother
didn't make friends easily, but Clark's mom seemed to have a
knack for making everyone feel at home.

"Lois, are you okay?" Ellen asked.

"What?" Lois asked, realizing she must have missed out on
another part of the conversation. The annoyed expression on her
mother's face told her she had indeed missed something. "I'm
sorry I was ...someplace else."

"So it would seem," Ellen muttered dryly before glancing her up
and down, "I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you two
look like hell."

It was Martha's turn to circle around them, "You do look pretty
tired."

Lois caught Clark's gaze and noticed him mouthing something to
her. She focused on the motions, trying to make out what he was
saying. 'Don't tell her.' She gave him an annoyed look. Did he
seriously think he could hide something like this from his
mother?

"Lois??"

Lois looked back to see Martha looking at her expectantly,
"Yes?"

She smiled warmly at her, "Uh, did you ever decide if you two
were staying the night or...?" She cast a glance at Clark
quizzically who looked at Lois.

"Um, still thinking about it," Lois said rather quickly. Clark
gave her a quizzical look but didn't say anything. Clark pasted
on a smile as Martha listed off where the leftovers from dinner
were.

"If it's not safe for us in Metropolis what makes you think
it's safe for you?" Ellen asked.

She caught the raised eyebrow on Clark's expression before
throwing him an annoyed look, "Well, we can't exactly stop Lex
away from Metropolis, can we?" Lois retorted, "Someone has to
stop him...to help Jimmy."

"We're not saying not to help your friend or to stop
investigating Luthor but considering everything that's
happened..." Martha shrugged, "Maybe you oughta lay low for a
few days." She glanced at Clark with a tightened jaw, "Even
Superman can't run on fumes forever."

"We'll think about it," Lois said hurriedly, glancing back at
Clark for a moment, "but is there even room?"

"There's a spare bedroom in the attic and in the hayloft if
need be," Clark explained. "There's room."

"Well if you do decide to stay, Ellen and Lucy are in your old
room," Martha explained as she gathered her things to head out.
She leaned in to hug them both, before whispering, "Don't think
you can fool me for a minute." Lois overheard Martha whisper in
Clark's ear who gave her a half-smile and nodded before Martha
turned to say, "Be back in a bit."

With that both her and Ellen headed to the old Ford pickup truck
in the driveway and headed out. They watched them leave and waved
before turning to head inside. Lois noticed Clark seemed to still
be in pain. "How are you feeling?"

"A little shaky but I'll be okay. I should be back to a hundred
percent in no time." He reassured with a sigh. "Sorry."

"One of those holes in your brilliant plan coming to light,
huh?" Lois asked sarcastically, throwing him a twisted
half-smile.

He let out a heavy sigh, "I thought we were done arguing." He
took a seat on the couch in the living room.

Lois looked at him with an annoyed look, "I'm still a little
mad."

"I know," he murmured, leaning his head back against the couch
as he let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry."

She took a seat next to him, and he threw her an apologetic
smile, "...but I'm also worried."

He let out a long breath, "It'll be okay," he reassured her,
leaning in to kiss her.

Lucy padded her way into the living room with a bag and handed it
to Lois, taking a seat on the love seat across from them.
"What's this?" Lois asked.

She pointed to the back door where Sam and Jonathan had just come
in, "A couple of burner phones," Lucy explained. "Clark's dad
gave them to me."

"Burner phones?" Clark echoed, pulling a few of the plastic
packaged phones from the bag to examine them. "Why did ..." He
stopped himself, "Never mind. I don't even want to know."

"Hey, son, how are you feeling?" Jonathan asked, taking a seat
in the recliner next to the sofa Lois and Clark were sitting on.

Sam took a seat next to Lucy. He glanced at Clark with a look of
concern, "Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital? You
really don't look good. After that fall..."

"Fall?" Lucy asked curiously.

"He, uh, fell on the old fence by the Irig property," Lois said
hurriedly avoiding her sister's gaze. If there was anyone that
could tell she was lying it was Lucy.

"I'm fine, Sam," Clark smiled back, "I'm just a little sore
is all."

Lucy gave Clark a sympathetic look, "My first year of Junior
High I got talked into taking riding lessons by mom. Got thrown
off my horse and cracked a few ribs..."

"You never should have been on that horse, to begin with," Sam
said gruffly, "Your mother had no right to..."

"It was a birthday gift," Lucy cut him off, ignoring her
father's ramblings as she continued. "Anyway, it was one of my
favorite memories...before the fall."

Lois smiled at her sister, "What was that horse's name?"

"Diamond in the Rough," Lucy said proudly.

"Oh right. You were going through your Aladdin phase," Lois
sighed, recalling the name.

"Careful or I'll start singing," Lucy teased.

Clark laughed, and she saw the twinkle in Lucy's eyes as she
contemplated her next move. Her lips pursed for a moment before
she leaned back against him, seeming to admit defeat for the
moment.

"This is quite a place you have here, Jonathan. I would never
have thought you could fit so many people in a house this size,"
Sam mused, looking around.

"Martha and I did some updates a while back after the fire in
the barn. We had enough money left over to make some additions.
Martha's always a good hostess, so she likes having room for
when family comes to visit from Witchita," Jonathan explained.

"The addition looks great. Better than any contractor in
Metropolis ever would have done that's for sure," Sam said with
a smile.

"I'll be sure to pass the compliment on to Martha and Wayne,"
Jonathan said with a smile. There was a lull in the conversation
as they looked from one another, all knowing this was anything
but a social call.

Lucy glanced at the time on the grandfather clock. "Almost seven
in Metropolis. I wonder if they've processed Jimmy yet."

Lois frowned, looking at her sister sympathetically, "We have
his attorney sitting down there on standby ready to get him out
the moment they do. I just wish they'd go ahead and book him so
we can get him out."

"You and me both," Clark sighed, leaning his head against hers
as his arm wrapped around her shoulders from behind.

"Jimmy's a smart kid, but I don't know that he'd be able to
survive in jail very long let alone prison. These are serious
charges they're trying to pin on him," Lucy sighed tearfully.
"I just don't understand how all this happened."

"I wish I knew," Clark sighed, "Believe me, but they can only
hold him for 72 hours without booking him. Bill Henderson said he
was going to..."

"...try to. He just got demoted, so I don't know how much pull
he'll have," Lois reminded him.

"He's going to try and do what he can to help Jimmy," Clark
conceded her correction.

Lucy looked at them in concern, "What happens if we can't?"

***

California Institute Penitentiary issued a statewide alert.
"Inmate AW6958 Johnny Taylor, alias Anthony Taylor, Bad Habit
Taylor, escape from California Medical for routine ligament
repair. Inmate is thought to be armed and dangerous..."

***

After dinner, the elder Kents had retired for the evening along
with Sam and Ellen, leaving Lois and Clark with Lucy on the
porch. "Mom's out for the night I think," Lucy said, leaning
back in the wooden rocker.

"I think Sam is too." Clark murmured against Lois' hair as he
swung with Lois on the porch swing. "It's been a long day...for
everyone."

"Thanks for staying," Lucy said softly, leaning back to look at
the stars. "Mom and dad would have driven me nuts without you
guys here."

Lois smiled, leaning back into Clark as she spoke, "I'll admit
I really didn't want to stay..." She glanced back at Clark a
moment before looking at Lucy, "...but I'm glad I changed my
mind."

"Me too," Lucy said, tapping her hand on the arm of the rocker,
"It's quiet out here." A twinkle formed in her eyes and she
looked at Lois with a grin, "Hey you know what we should do?"

"What?" Clark asked, uncertain about the expression he saw on
Lucy's face. It was the same expression Lois got when she
hatched one of her infamous plans.

"Wait here," She said, heading back into the house with a
grin.

"Do I want to know?" Clark asked.

Lois laughed, "She's harmless." She turned in his arms to sit
up and face him, "How are you feeling?"

"Just a little sore," he shrugged. At her concerned look, he
elaborated, "I've never come in direct contact like that
before...Well, no that's not entirely true. I had to touch it
when I threw it into the pond over there..." He said, pointing
at the pond across from the barn.

"Oh," Lois grew quiet, following the direction of his hand with
her eyes. He caught the wistful expression in her eyes as she
turned her gaze back to him, her eyes glistening with unshed
tears.

He let out a long sigh, pulling her to him as he wrapped his arm
around her shoulders, "You scared me," she murmured softly
against the cotton of his t-shirt, resting her chin against his
shoulder. She ran her hands up and down the length of his
shoulders, fingering the material carefully.

He captured her right hand with his, intertwining it with his
fingers as he laced his digits snugly between the wedges of her
fingers, bringing their joined hands up for him to kiss. He
turned to look at her, stroking her cheek with his hand, "I'm
sorry. I wish you didn't have to see that."

Her face dropped, looking at the floor as she studied the cracks
in the wood floor, "You were hurt. I've never seen you hurt
before," she said shakily, leaning her head against his chest.

He nodded, tightening his arm around her waist, resting his chin
against her head, "It was a big chunk of Kryptonite," he
admitted slowly.

"How long does it take to, um..." She lifted her head,
fingering his chest playfully as she looked up at him, "heal."

He smiled back at her, leaning in to kiss her as he murmured, "A
few days was how long it took last time."

"So are you...completely vulnerable?" She asked, running her
hands up and down his sides gingerly as she spoke.

"Depends," he shrugged, running his hand down the curve of her
back, resting at the hem of her shirt.

"On what?" She asked, slipping her hand below the hem of his
t-shirt.

The screen door opened and she pulled her hand back, looking back
at Lucy with a smile, "Surprise!" She pulled out a small bottle
of tequila and a few small glasses from the kitchen. "I figured
after today we all needed a drink."

Lois let out a low whistle, "Mom is going to kill you..."

Clark laughed, "Are you sure you want to be drinking with your
mom ...?"

Lucy nodded, "I'm only going to have a few shots then I'll
brush my teeth and take a shower, so I don't smell like alcohol
when I go to bed. Not my first rodeo, Clark." Lucy began to pour
liquor into the glasses then reached for her purse to pull out a
bottle of Aspirin.

"What's the Aspirin for?" Clark asked.

Lois bit her lower lip trying to suppress her laughter, "The
anti-hangover kit of Lucy's."

Lucy handed them both a large bottle of water. "For every drink,
you drink water. Don't forget to take the Aspirin or you will
regret it in the morning."

Clark looked at the two pills Lucy had handed him skeptically.
Even in his weakened state, he wasn't sure how much affect
Aspirin would have on him let alone alcohol. At Lucy's
prompting, he shrugged and swallowed the two white pills with a
swig of water and took the glass Lucy had offered him.

"Let's see what should we toast to...?" Lucy asked, looking
back at them for suggestions.

"World peace?" Lois asked sarcastically, taking her glass from
Lucy.

"Superman!" Lucy cheered, lifting her glass in the air,
"Wherever he is. Fighting the big bad Luthor and helping Jimmy
any way he can...and keeping us safe."

Lois smiled, "Here here." She took a sip of the cool liquid,
wincing as the burning feeling hit her throat. Lucy laughed, and
she scolded, "Shhh..."

"To good friends," Clark said, lifting his glass Lucy had just
refilled.

"Here here," Lucy said, raising her glass to take another sip.

"Careful," Lois warned, "She's notorious for getting people
drunk with that heavy hand," she said, pointing at Lucy who was
pouring some more tequila in their glasses.

"Excuses excuses," Lucy teased. "She just doesn't want to
admit she's a lightweight."

"I'm not the one that ended up at the Alpha Phi Alpha Frat
House too plastered to remember t-ping the Technology Lab at Met
U," Lois laughed, taking another sip of the liquor, leaning
closer to Clark as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Lucy laughed, "I forgot about that."

"I didn't," Lois laughed, leaning into Clark, fingering his
thigh for a moment. He caught her gaze as he took another sip of
his drink.

"So what about you, Clark?"

He turned to Lucy who was looking at him expectantly. "Me? No, I
don't recall waking up at any frat houses..."

Lucy and Lois laughed, and she continued, "No, do you have any
funny drunk moments?"

He shook his head, "No, I've never been drunk before."

"Liar." Lucy laughed, "Come on everyone's been drunk at least
once."

He shook his head, "I guess I have a high tolerance."

"Challenge accepted." Lucy laughed, pouring some more liquor
into his glass. "Clark, have you ever played 'I never...?'"

***

As the night wore on, they had finished about half of Lucy's
bottle of tequila. Clark felt a strange warmth throughout his
body as he held Lois close to him. He wasn't' sure if it was
the alcohol or the Kryptonite, but he was definitely
feeling...good...relaxed. More relaxed than he'd felt in
weeks...months even.

"Okay," Lucy let a lazy smile spread across her face as she let
her eyes twinkle at Lois, "I've never...been thrown out of a
plane."

Lois laughed, "I guess that's us." She leaned forward to take
her glass and took a drink, but Clark didn't move.

"Maybe he doesn't understand the rules," Lucy whispered not so
subtly.

He laughed, "I didn't get thrown I jumped."

Lucy laughed, "Why would you..." Then she rolled her eyes,
"You know what? Nevermind, moving on..."

Lois took a drink then looked back at her sister, fingering the
glass for a moment, "I've never..." Her face spread into an
impish grin as she finally thought of her challenge, "tried to
get into a club with a fake ID." He couldn't help but chuckle
at the way her eyebrows wiggled at Lucy as she spoke. It was
clear who this *'I never'* was directed at.

"That's me," Lucy said, taking a drink.

Clark laughed, "Yeah, I figured."

"Are you feeling any...buzz yet?" Lucy asked, tapping the side
of her glass with a smile, looking at him curiously.

Buzz? He wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment. He felt
warm and relaxed. He glanced down next to him where Lois had
reclaimed her position curled up next to him and smiled. He
looked back at Lucy and noticed the look on her face. Why is she
staring at me? Oh, right buzzed. Am I buzzed? He opted for the
most truthful answer at the moment and smiled back at her, "Not
sure yet."

"Okay, Clark, your turn," Lucy said, pushing the bottle of
tequila toward him to fill the glasses with.

He sighed, taking the bottle from her and pouring the same small
amount in each glass, "I've never...run from a police
officer." He grinned at Lois who burst out laughing, taking the
glass he handed her.

"I think that's both of us, sis," Lucy laughed, taking a
drink. "Okay, I've never...spied on people with bino-CULA-rrs
or other vision gizmos?"

Clark laughed, taking a sip of his drink with Lois, "Guilty as
charged."

Lois twirled her glass in her hand for a moment as she thought of
hers, "I never...skipped school," she said with a grin.

"Mmm mmm," Lucy shook her head, "Yes you did."

She shook her head, "No, I didn't."

"Journey concert Junior year we won tickets..." Lucy prompted.

"Oh, yeah," Lois laughed, "That was fun."

He sighed, taking a drink from his glass. Lois looked at him with
amusement, and Lucy laughed. "I guess that's all three of
us."

Lois bumped his hip, "Details?"

"Nuh-uh," he shook his head.

"Oh, come on, I told you mine!" Lois shot back.

"She has a point," Lucy pointed out. "...and according to the
rules if you don't spill you have to drink." She gave him an
impish grin, "So which is it going to be?"

He pointed to the bottle, "I guess I'm going to drink."

"Spoil sport," Lois shot back.

"I'll second that," Lucy said, pouring more in her glass.

"You two are no fun," Lois sighed, leaning back against him.
"I'll get it out of you eventually..."

"I'm sure you will..." Lucy teased with a giggle. "Okay,
Clark, your turn."

He looked at Lois with a grin then said, "I've never...needed
stitches." Lois sighed, taking her glass from him. To his
amusement, Lucy grabbed a glass too.

"Mmm," Lois took a drink, "That's both of us."

"I've never...been seduced," Lucy said in a fit of giggles. He
noticed how Lois' eyes did a little dance when she turned to
look back at him for a moment, catching his gaze as her cheeks
turned a dark shade of pink before leaning her back against him.
Yes, he could no longer claim innocence in the art of seduction
after last night. He felt his cheeks grow bright red at the
memory of Lois' body intertwined so perfectly with his. "Ha! I
knew it!" Lucy cheered when their faces betrayed them. "Okay,
both of you have to drink now."

He grinned, reaching for his glass, sighing as he took a drink.
The hint of lavender against his nostrils continued to tease him
as Lois inched herself closer and closer to him. He let out a
shuddered breath before taking another drink. Definitely more
relaxed.

"Okay, my turn," Lois sat up straight, pouring more liquor into
the glasses. "I've never...been so drunk I left my friends on
top of a water tower when the cops showed up and forgot where I
was the next morning." Lois laughed recalling the incident.

Lucy crinkled her nose, taking a drink. "That was one time..."

"Okay, I've never..." He looked between the two sisters as he
tried to force his mind to think of something he'd never done.
"been accused of being drunk because I'm too clumsy." He
grinned at Lois, recalling an incident early in their partnership
with Inspector Henderson and a breathalyzer.

Lois groaned, giving him a mock glare before reaching for her
glass. Lucy gave her a questioning look, and Lois was all too
willing to share the details as she ran her hand up and down his
upper thigh with her generous touch, grazing just high enough to
be tempting but not high enough to be dangerous in their very
public setting. He could feel himself melting into the back of
the porch swing. If he still had his powers, he was sure there
would be a handprint to show for her efforts. "Henderson just
doesn't know when to leave well enough alone." At Lucy's
inquiring look she sighed, "I got accused of being drunk because
I kept tripping over my long skirt when we were out on
assignment." Lucy laughed, and Lois shook her head, "It's not
funny. I had to take a breathalyzer to convince him I was sober.
He wouldn't believe Clark."

Lucy laughed harder, "Oh, my God...that's awesome." She
cleared her throat, sitting up, "Okay, I've never...been in
handcuffs."

Lois shook her head, "Yes you have!"

Lucy crinkled her nose, "When?"

"On your date with, uh, what's his name...Tony? Tommy?
Timmy?"

"Oh, Todd." Lucy grinned, recalling the incident. "Yeah,
note-to-self, don't straddle the state line yelling 'I'm in
two places at once' when you're underaged drinking. It doesn't
end well."

Clark laughed, leaning up to grab his glass, "I guess that's
all of us then."

Lucy looked at him in surprise, "Clark Kent the rebel, huh?"
She teased. "Okay, spill."

"Nope," he shook his head, taking a drink.

"Oh, come on!" Lucy laughed, "I'll tell you how Lois ended up
in handcuffs in her Sophomore year of college."

Lois thankfully took pity on him, "Sophomore year of college
spirit week I came to class dressed as Cindy Lauper for the
decade day. Anyway one of the instructors seemed to misinterpret
the outfit and accused me of being in a gang..."

Lucy laughed in peals of laughter, "Tell him what you did
next..." She said in a sing-song voice.

"I might have kicked him in a very sensitive area and called him
a chauvinistic, sexist pig...right before I transferred out of
that class." Clark laughed, leaning into Lois as she told the
story. He could imagine her being just as much of a handful back
then as she was now.

Lucy let out a soft giggle as she added, "Assault with a deadly
weapon of high heels and hairspray!"

Clark grinned at Lois with a lazy smile, "So did they make you
check your heels and hairspray in the big house or..."

She swatted at him, "Ha, ha, very funny." She sighed, running
her hands through her dark locks, "It was not the big house. I
was placed in handcuffs by the campus security and released when
the real police showed up. So there!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, sis," Lucy teased. She
pointed to the glass in front of him, "Drink up Clark. You
don't share you have to drink."

He nodded, taking the glass, holding it up and taking a drink. He
was definitely starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. He
felt the sting in his throat once more and then turned to Lucy,
"Your turn."

Lucy nodded, taking the bottle and beginning to pour, "I've
never..." She looked right at Lois before grinning, "been sent
to the principals' office for sneezing." Clark laughed, and
Lois chuckled, leaning forward to take her refilled glass from
Lucy, "Drink up, sis."

"I swear our Algebra teacher just hated me." She took a drink
before continuing. "I sneezed in class, and my teacher asked me
to step out of the classroom." He fought to suppress his
laughter but was failing miserably, and she continued, "and
before you ask, No, I'm not joking. I didn't hear
incorrectly..." She then continued, "She then proceeded to tell
me how incredibly rude it is to sneeze while someone is
speaking...as if I had a choice in the matter."

"How dare you give in to normal bodily functions when she's
speaking. Gosh, Lois, how rude!" Lucy said sarcastically.

"Yeah I know, right? Imagine if everyone gave into their bodily
functions. There would be chaos..." Lois laughed, "Anyway I
voiced my...ahem...displeasure at being singled out when others
can get away with other bodily functions without so much as a
second glance...and found myself sitting in the principal's
office for my smart mouth."

"She has a problem with authority," Lucy supplied as if it
wasn't obvious.

"I have a problem with stupid people in authority. Big
difference," Lois said lazily, leaning closer to Clark as she
ran her hands up his chest. He grinned lazily at her, catching
her gaze as she slowly licked her lips. He was in so much
trouble.

"I've seen the error in my ways..." Lucy laughed, pushing the
bottle to Lois, "Your turn."

Lois leaned forward to take the bottle from Lucy and began to
pour, "I've never..." She gave Lucy an impish grin before
saying, "got arrested for trying to ride a shopping cart down
15th Avenue outside MetroMart while too wasted to stand up
straight.." Her eyebrows raised into an arch as she fought to
suppress the laughter she was holding in, causing the swing to
vibrate against him.

The look on Lucy's face said it all, "Okay okay, good one."
Lucy leaned forward to take a drink from her glass and supplied,
"...but *who* dared me?"

"I didn't think you'd *do* it," Lois shrugged.

"When have I ever been known to turn down a dare?." Lucy
grinned before turning her attention back to him, "All right,
Clark, you're up."

He nodded, taking the bottle from Lois to pour into Lucy's
glass, "I've never..." He glanced at Lois before grinning,
"cried in public from a song."

Lois sighed, "It was a SAD song."

"Yes, it is," he agreed, "I just never cried listening to
it."

"What song?" Lucy asked, taking her glass and handing Lois
hers.

"That song mom used to play on the record player all the
time..." Lois snapped her fingers. "I can't remember the
name..."

"How does it go?" Lucy asked.

Lois began to hum the beat, "I lifted her head, she looked at me
and said 'Hold me darlin' just a little while.' I held her
close; I kissed her our last kiss..."

Lucy immediately recognized the tune, "Oh, I remember," she
began to sing, "I found the love that I knew I would miss but
now she's gone, even though I hold her tight..."

"Yes!" Lois sighed, "What is that song? It's going to drive
me crazy..."

"Last Kiss," Clark supplied, wrapping his arm around her
shoulders," by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers..."

Lois nodded, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she
and Lucy joined together to finish singing the song together,
"...I lost my love, my life that night. Oh, where oh where can
my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to
heaven, so I got to be good. So I can see my baby when I leave
this world..."

Lucy sighed, "I haven't heard that song in ages. Mom used to
play it every night."

"Mmm hmm," Lois nodded, turning to face him as she brought her
legs up, so they were laid across his lap. He let out a long
breath as she snuggled closer to him, offering a perfect view
down her v-neck cut shirt as her hand moved up his upper arm,
tracing the outline of his bicep. He fought the urge to say 'to
hell with this game' and focus on activities both his brain and
his body found more enjoyable at the moment.

He was definitely more than a little buzzed now. Especially with
the double shots, he'd been forced to take when he didn't want
to tell about his time in handcuffs or skipping school to avoid
an uncomfortable talk about his developing powers in Junior High.
Explaining it was Superman in handcuffs, and it was Superman's
powers developing when he was skipping school wasn't something
he couldn't very well tell Lucy. Lois sighed against him, and he
let out a shuddered breath. He felt the soft flesh from beneath
her shirt press against him. "Okay, Luce, your turn."

Lucy nodded, readjusting herself in her seat, "Okay, I've
never...been naked in public." Her eyes did a little dance, and
he groaned, leaning forward to take a drink. Lois gave him an
impish grin, leaning her back against him.

"Details?" Lucy prompted, "I'm very curious now."

He sighed, hoping he could tell this story without giving himself
away. It was taking everything in him to carry on a coherent
conversation at the moment. The combination of the liquor, the
scent of Lois' perfume and her closeness were all making it hard
for him to concentrate. His head was swimming as glanced at her
jean clad thighs pressed up against him. "Uh, around the time of
Nightfall I lost my memory and was found....wandering around..."
He gave a twirling hand gesture as he spoke.

"...without any clothes," Lois finished for him with a grin,
wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Luckily some homeless guy felt
sorry for him and gave him something to wear and took him to the
Mission on Fifth Street where he was recognized and brought to
Henderson who called me."

Lucy's face fell into a frown, "That ... is a very depressing
story. I was expecting a high school dare or something." She
sighed, "I'm sorry you lost your memory Clark, but I'm glad
you got it back."

He smiled back at her, glancing at Lois as he tightened his arm
around her, "Me too."

Lucy set her glass down, knocking it over, spilling out the
half-melted ice. "Oops."

"I think that's our cue to stop," Clark laughed, leaning over
to help Lucy try to clean up the mess. He didn't trust himself
to stand just yet.

"Are you at least a *little* buzzed?" Lucy asked, looking at
him with a smile, "Cuz I think I might be wee bit ..."

"Plastered?" Lois offered with a giggle.

"Intoxi-cu-lated..." Lucy said carefully as she stood up,
"Whoah!" She grabbed the edge of the rocking chair for a moment
before turning back to look at them with a grin.

Clark grinned at her, "You okay?" It was clear he wasn't the
only one having balance issues at the moment.

"Just getting my bearings. Not my first rodeo," She grinned
back at him as she let out a yawn. "I am going to bed...after I
take a shower...and pee. Definitely need to pee." With that, she
grabbed the glasses and the bottle of tequila and staggered
toward the door.

After the screen door closed, Clark looked back at Lois, "Should
we be worried about her making it to the bedroom okay?"

Lois shook her head, "Nope there's no stairs. She'll be
fine." She leaned in to kiss him, "So, does Superman get
drunk?" He could smell the liquor on her breath as she ran her
hand seductively down his chest, toying with the cotton of his
shirt.

"Not usually," He said with a grin. She grinned back at him,
staggering to her feet as she pulled him with her, "Whoa," He
felt his head spin as he stood to his feet.

"What's wrong?" She asked, leaning on his shoulder for balance
as she adjusted her footing.

"I might be a little..." He searched for the right word, and
she laughed.

"Clark Kent are you drunk?"

"No, I don't get drunk," He repeated, leaning in to kiss her,
tightening his arms around her waist, "Superman doesn't get
drunk."

Lois laughed, linking her arms around his neck for a moment
before moving them to his waist to give him some support as they
made their way down the porch steps to head to the spare bedroom
for the night. Hopefully, there wouldn't be too many stairs
involved. "Come on, flyboy, let's get you to bed..."

"Anything you say..." He lifted her into his arms, groaning as
her limbs wrapped snuggly around him as he proceeded to make his
way toward the barn. He silently cursed the meteorite that had
taken away his ability to whisk her with him at super-speed
wherever he wanted to go.

'*This is what it feels like to be normal.'*

Finally finding his balance he carried her as fast as he could,
chuckling as she shrieked in laughter, "Clark!"

***

Lucy sat down on the couch trying to make sense out of what
she'd just seen and heard. Her sister was obviously more than a
little tipsy as well as Clark who had drunkenly murmured loud
enough through the windows for her to make out what they were
saying.

"So, does Superman get drunk?" Lois had asked. Even in her
intoxicated state, she could make sense out of what Lois was
saying. Why was she asking about Superman?

"Not usually...Whoa," Clark had responded.

How would he know?

"What's wrong?"

Lucy laughed when she realized Clark had been indeed more than a
little buzzed.

"I might be a little..."

"Clark Kent are you drunk?"

Yep, she'd succeeded.

"No, I don't get drunk Superman doesn't get drunk."

Why did he keep referring to Superman?

"Come on, flyboy, let's get you to bed..."

*Flyboy? *

Lucy sighed, setting the rinsed glasses on the counter and
putting the bottle of Tequila back in her bag. She headed to the
bathroom to get ready for bed. Something was definitely going on
with Superman and those two, but right now she was half drunk and
in no condition to be trying to figure out just what that was.

***

The room was small but had the bed positioned by the window;a
sitting area in the corner with a padded rocking chair, and a
wooden dresser and shelf had been built into the wall for
storage. After him almost falling down a few times she'd
convinced him to hold onto her while they made their way up the
steps to the newly renovated spare room in the hayloft. She could
feel the alcohol taking its effect on her as they staggered into
the room, leaning on one another.

"Nice...very...pre-tty," she commented on the room as Clark
managed to close the door behind them.

His arms wrapped around her from behind, nibbling on her ear,
"Saved money on labor...thanks to super help," he whispered,
leaning her back against the door, planting his lips on hers as
his hands roamed up and down her sides seductively.

"How are you feeling there, big boy?" She asked, toying with
the hem of his cotton t-shirt. She could feel the warmth of his
breath against the nape of her neck as her back came in contact
with the wooden door.

"Warm," he whispered with a grin on his face. "I feel warm."
He nibbled on her ear, tugging on her earlobe with his teeth.

Lois laughed, running her hands up and down his chest, "Yep,
definitely drunk. We're drunk."

"Nuh-uh," he shook his head. "I've seen drunk before. I'm
not...drunk."

Her hands ran up his chest as she outlined his lips with her
tongue, tasting the remnants of the tequila on him as he stroked
her cheek with his palm. She slowly broke off the kiss, leaning
back as she eyed him appreciatively. It was entertaining to see
him like this. He had a sloppy grin on his face as he let out a
long breath, "I'm hot." He began to pull his shirt off and
ended up tangled in the mess of cotton. She laughed, taking pity
on him as she helped him shed the garment from his limbs, tossing
it to the floor. He sighed, leaning back against her, slipping
his hands up the back of her shirt.

"Very," she breathed against his lips, eying his perfectly
chiseled six-pack and hardened muscular chest smooth as a baby's
bottom. She fingered his chest, brushing her hand against the
velvety smooth skin as she took his glasses off, folding them in
one hand as he recaptured her lips. In the back of her mind, she
recalled him taking the glasses from her and placing them on the
shelf next to the door.

"There is one positive point about being stuck here till my
powers decide to come back," he whispered against her lips with
a sly grin.

She laughed, "What's that?"

"I don't have to scan every room to make sure there aren't any
cameras when I want to do...this." He leaned in to kiss her once
more, settling more of his weight against her as he leaned her
against the door, caressing his lips against hers. A soft moan
escaped her lips as the intensity behind the caress of his lips
grew. "...or this."

His hand moved to stroke her face as he moved his attention to
her jawline, feathering light kisses along its path as she gasped
out his name, "Cla..." She smiled against him, "You scan every
room...every time?" Her hand wrapped around his shoulders,
feeling the hardened muscles beneath his velvety smooth skin.

"Mostly." He brushed his lips against hers, "I didn't last
night. I was...distracted." She laughed when he pressed his
weight against her more firmly, "Are you still mad at me?" He
breathed in her ear.

She shook her head, "I was mad about how you brought me here."

"I know." He breathed, shaking his head, "I shouldn't
have..."

"But...after talking with your mom and Lucy ...I think it was
the right call." He looked at her with a smile.

She nodded, "I just wish you hadn't tried to force me."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, stroking her cheek. "I won't ever do
that...again."

She linked her arms around his neck, smiling, "I know." She
leaned in to kiss him, and he moaned against her lips, tightening
his arms around her waist. His hands slipped up the back of her
shirt once more, this time his hand slipped below the clasp of
her bra. She moaned against his mouth.

She felt his hand slip below the clasp of her bra and whispered,
"We should stop."

"Why?"

She laughed, leaning closer to him, "You're drunk."

"So are you," he whispered, huskily, stroking her cheek.
"You're beautiful you know that..."

"Smooth talker," she observed, fingering the tip of his nose
with her forefinger, "Neither of us is in any condition to..."
His mouth found its way to her throat, creating a heated trail
downward as she struggled to string her thoughts together.
"Cla..."

"You feel good," he whispered, holding her close.

"So do you," she sighed, running her hands through his dark
locks.

"I love you," he whispered, stroking her jawline.

"I love you too, but right now... you need to get some rest..."
She whispered, "...and sleep it off."

"I don't want to rest," he argued, stroking her cheek as he
leaned in to press his lips against hers, tracing the outline of
her lips with the tip of his tongue, teasing the part of her lips
with the hint of liquor that lingered on his breath. She moaned
against him, allowing him to pull her into his arms. "This is so
much better than resting..."

"Clark.." She gasped as he moved his attention to her right
ear, tugging on the lobe with his lips.

"We need to stop..." She whispered as he began pulling her
shirt out of her jeans. "You're drunk."

"...and so are you," he whispered, slipping his hand up her
shirt, brushing his palm against her navel.

"I don't want to take advantage of you...wouldn't be..." She
sighed against him as his hand moved up her shirt once more.

"Maybe I want to be taken advantage of." He whispered huskily,
"Besides I'm not...that drunk." To prove his point, he pressed
his hips against hers, brushing his lips against the nape of her
neck.

She felt the clasp to her bra come undone and sighed heavily as
he slipped his hands beneath the fabric. "You're drunk." She
repeated, more of a statement rather than an accusation.

He nodded, "Uh-uh."

"Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?" She laughed. He removed his
hands from under her shirt, slipping them to the waistband of her
jeans.

"If I am ...drunk...I'm not that...drunk." He breathed
huskily. He unfastened her jeans.

"Isn't there a rule about taking advantage of someone if
they're...Oh, Clark..." She sighed against him when he slipped
his hand beneath her shirt once more. "...not in their right
mind."

She could feel his breath against her neck as his fingertips
moved in a magical motion upward. "I am in my ...very right
mind..." He reassured her. "I'm not doing anything I hadn't
thought about doing before...I just don't have my... inhibitions
to stop me."

"Sounds a bit like those pheromones..." Lois recalled lazily.

"You were *verrry* lucky I wasn't affected by that spray," he
whispered huskily.

"What would you have done?" She breathed curious as to what his
answer would be.

"Not hidden in the other room while you were sleeping the
effects from that spray off," he pressed his solid form against
hers, and she let out a soft moan.

"You said you weren't attracted to me," she recalled his
argument the day they were arguing about him not being affected
by the pheromones.

"I lied," his voice cracked slightly as he leaned forward.

"I know," she sighed against him.

"I love you," he whispered softly, "I tried to hide it
for...a...long time."

"I think we were both hiding," she said, stroking his cheek.

"Maybe we should stop ...hiding I mean," he grinned back at
her, "I like this." He leaned in to trace the contours of her
lips with his tongue, running his other hand up and down her side
as he teased the soft skin of her navel, tracing the waistband of
her jeans with his thumb as he spoke.

"I thought we ...were." She ran her hands up the back of his
neck, fingering his hairline.

"We are, but I don't say what I really want to..." He breathed
against her neck, nibbling on the sensitive flesh.

"Which is what?"

He leaned into her, stroking her cheek as he whispered, "That I
love you Lois Lane and I want ...everything with you."

"Everything?" She repeated, curious.

"Everything." He nodded, nibbling on her ear. "I want to marry
you..." She felt tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes
as he spoke. "have kids..." He whispered against the nape of
her neck with a sigh, "build a home together," He stroked her
jawline, glaring back at her with an intensity she'd never seen
before. The passion and love she felt reflected back from him hit
her like a wave as he spoke, "and grow old... together."

"Oh, Clark..." She breathed softly, unsure of what to say.

"I want to die when I'm 110 years old in your arms. I want a
lifetime with you, Lois..." He trailed off softly, "...but I'm
so afraid of scaring you off...I don't say it."

"Why would that scare me?" She asked, tracing his jawline as
she spoke.

"Because you scare easily in relationships," he whispered.
"You bury yourself in your work and get angry and mad to try and
hide...because you've been hurt and you ...don't want to
be...hurt again."

"That's very observant...for being three sheets to the wind,"
she noted, fingering the back of his head as she spoke.

"I'm a very observant guy," he whispered, brushing feather
light kisses against her jaw as his hand moved below the
waistband of her jeans.

She let out a shuddered breath, feeling his breath against her
neck, "Yes, oh, yes, you are," she sighed happily.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered in her ear.

"Oh, God, no..." She whispered, pulling him to her. His lips
came crashing down on hers as they lost themselves in one
another's arms, intent on forgetting the troubles that still
loomed in the air back at home in Metropolis.

***

The hours seemed molded together with the detectives'
condescending comments and questions echoing through Jimmy's
mind. He sought solace in the one place he could find peace; his
mind as sleep urged him on, but Jimmy knew he couldn't give in
completely. There was no telling when his tormentors would
return.

The slamming of a clipboard hitting the metal desk his head
rested against jolted Jimmy awake from his half-asleep state.
"Wake up you maggot!" Jenkins snapped kicking the table against
him hard.

"Well you want to tell him the good news, Jenkins?" the
detective he'd come to know as 'Harris' asked. He could tell
from the smirk on his face whatever the news was it wasn't good
for him.

Jenkins shook his head, grinning from ear to ear, "Oh, no,
Harris, you got the warrant. You tell him."

"Warrant?" He asked confused. "You can't get a warrant
without evidence..." What was he saying? Everything they'd done
from the time they'd brought him to the police station had been
against the law, but they didn't seem to care.

"Don't need it," Jenkins shrugged, "Imminent danger."

"Imminent what??" Jenkins shoved a copy of an editorial by
Perry White with a red 'x' on it criticizing the NIA in his
face. He scrunched up his face, as he read the unfamiliar writing
on the paper,"What is this?"

"Oh, you don't recognize it?" Harris asked, "It's our
smoking gun. Your place was littered with anti-Perry White
articles and anti-Superman articles that dared come against the
NIA..."

"What???" Jimmy scoffed, throwing the paper back down on the
table, "You're out of your mind. No one in their right mind is
going to believe this."

"Judge Stephens did," Jenkins added with a smile. "He was
deeply troubled when it came to light that our young James Olsen
was the son of an NIA spy..."

"You're a liar," Jimmy shook his head in disgust. "My mom's
a photographer, and my dad's a structural engineer..."

Harris snickered in laughter, "You poor sap!"

"Don't believe me?" Jenkins laughed, placing a file in front
of him.

Jimmy did his best not to react as Harris opened it up and
revealed his dad's picture with a file on the assassinations
he'd been a part of.

Structural engineer.

That's what his dad had told him he was in sixth grade.

A structural engineer.

'*No, it's not true...What if it is?'*

"Today's your lucky day, Mr. Olsen," Harris added with a
satisfied grin.

"Thanks to the evidence we collected and the explosives we found
there's more than enough to put you away for the rest of your
life you miserable piece of..."

"Explosives?" Jimmy croaked in shock. He was being railroaded.
These dirty cops had no intention of finding the real villain.
They had planted evidence and were now going to ruin his life
and...

"James Olsen, you have the right to remain silent..." Jenkins
pulled him up from his seat and placed his hands behind his back
as he slapped the metal cuffs on him, continuing to read him his
Miranda Rights with a sick satisfaction.

***

Off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico a team of approximately a
hundred men including crew, specialized engineers and supervisors
worked tirelessly into the night. Unbeknownst to any of the crew
below deck a man that was not a part of the crew had hacked into
the rig's mainframe and was working just as tirelessly
...against them.

***

A sharp ringing in his ears resonated as Clark's super-hearing
came back at full force in the early hours of the morning.

*<<"Help! It's going to blow!">>*

*<<"Turn it off!">>*

*<<"I can't!">>*

*<<"The rig is going to blow!">>*

*<<"Someone help!">>*

*<<"Superman help!!!!">>*

Still holding his head, Clark sat up easing himself out of Lois'
arms, "Lois?" He shook her gently.

"Hmm?" She wasn't quite awake, but he didn't have time.

"I've got to go. There's an oil rig on..."

"Okay," she said sleepily. "Go."

He didn't wait for her to finish. Within a blink of an eye, he
had changed into his suit and was headed toward the Gulf of
Mexico as fast as his super-speed would let him.

***

Lois felt the cool sheets against her as she rolled over,
frowning when she felt the empty spot where Clark had been a few
hours before. She was still half-asleep but she half-recalled her
conversation with him early this morning. What had he said? An
oil spill?

Anxiety ran through her as she realized the questions she'd
never asked.

Was he ready?

*<<"Are you okay?" Lois asked, kneeled down to look at Clark,
brushing the hair out of his face. *

"*Easy there, tiger," her father said, pushing his shoulder
back down on the ground when Clark tried to sit up. "You were
unconscious for a good couple of minutes. You need to lie back
and give yourself a minute."*

"*I'm fine," he said flatly, trying to sit up once more.*

"*Clark, maybe you should listen to Sam," his dad interjected.
"That was a nasty fall you took." Lois pushed him back down,
keeping her hand on his chest.>>*

Her mind was still slightly in a fog from not being quite awake
combined with her being drunk last night. A slow smile spread
across her face at the memory of the night before. It had been
fun, cutting loose with Lucy and Clark last night.

He'd definitely been drunk...even if he did insist on denying
it.

Uninhibited with every thought and caress.

*<<"You were verrry lucky I wasn't affected by that spray." *

"*What would you have done?" *

"*Not hidden in the other room while you were sleeping the
effects from that spray off." *

"*You said you weren't attracted to me." *

"*I lied."*

"*I know." *

"*I love you...I tried to hide it for...a...long time."*

"*I think we were both hiding." *

"*Maybe we should stop ...hiding I mean," he grinned back at
her, "I like this." *

"*I thought we ...were." *

"*We are, but I don't say what I really want to..." *

"*Which is what?"*

"*That I love you Lois Lane and I want ...everything with
you."*

"*Everything?" *

"*Everything...I want to marry you...have kids...build a home
together...and grow old... together."*

"*Oh, Clark..." *

"*I want to die when I'm 110 years old in your arms. I want a
lifetime with you, Lois...but I'm so afraid of scaring you
off...I don't say it."*

"*Why would that scare me?" *

"*Because you scare easily in relationships.">>*

A thought occurred to her as she began to recall more of her
short conversation with Clark this morning.

Oil rig. He'd said something about an oil rig.

How long did it take for him to recover after being exposed to
Kryptonite?

*<<"How are you feeling?"*

"*Just a little sore, I've never come in direct contact like
that before...Well, no that's not entirely true. I had to touch
it when I threw it into the pond over there..." *

"*Oh...You scared me." *

"*I'm sorry. I wish you didn't have to see that."*

"*You were hurt. I've never seen you hurt before." *

"*It was a big chunk of Kryptonite." *

"*How long does it take to, um...heal."*

"*A few days was how long it took last time."*

"*So are you...completely vulnerable?" *

"*Depends." *

"*On what?">>*

Two days. Last time it had taken him two days. It hadn't even
been twenty-four hours.

What if ...

She bolted out of bed and quickly got dressed, heading toward the
farmhouse to hopefully find out more about the oil spill Superman
was helping with.

***

Lucy stared up at the ceiling fan, letting out a long sigh.
She'd been restless for most of the night. Unable to get her
sister's comments out of her mind. She got out of bed and headed
toward the bathroom to start getting dressed. Her mother was
still sound asleep.

*<<"So, does Superman get drunk?">>*

Why was Lois asking if Superman got drunk? What did it matter to
Clark?

*<<"No, I don't get drunk Superman doesn't get drunk.">>*

Why was Clark talking about Superman getting drunk? Was she
missing something?

*<<"Come on, flyboy, let's get you to bed...">>*

What was that comment about?

Flyboy?

She'd heard her sister call Clark *'Farmboy'* from time to
time but never *'flyboy.' *Something about the whole exchange
seemed ... off...like she was missing a really big clue. The way
they were talking...

Clark came to Metropolis at the same time as Superman.

He came out of that window without a scratch on him.

He jumped out of that airplane with Trask.

'*No, this is ridiculous,'* she told herself. *'Is it?'*

Why else would he and Lois be talking about Superman getting
drunk? Why else would Lois be calling him *'flyboy'*?

If it was true and she wasn't ready to admit that what she
suspected was true yet...How long had she known? It had to have
been recent. When did she stop talking about Superman?

'*The date.'* Lucy recalled. She'd had to practically shove
Lois towards Clark the night she'd told her about her breakup
with Lex and Clark's admission. Was that when he'd told her? Or
had she figured it out on her own? There was no telling with
Lois.

Lucy stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, shaking her
head. "This is ridiculous. He's not...I saw him bleed. He was
bleeding yesterday. Superman doesn't bleed."

She leaned toward the tub to turn the shower on, "Too much
alcohol." She told herself.

***

"We're hearing now that Honeybraun Industries' oil rig off the
Gulf of Mexico hit a fuse and due to a mechanical error that is
unclear at the moment a fire has been ignited on the rig.
Superman is on the scene with rescue workers and has been working
tirelessly to rescue the one hundred man crew from the rig. The
Coast Guard has been working with Superman to help keep the fire
at bay, but it is unclear how much progress they have made..."

***

"Oh, my God..." Lois breathed staring at the television screen
numbly. Martha placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, giving
it a gentle squeeze.

Jonathan's face was grim. "The preliminary reports are saying
sabotage."

"Is he going to be okay?" Lois asked in concern, looking at the
coverage that had zoomed in on Clark's oil covered face as he
pulled four more crew members from the fire, flying them toward
the coast where ambulatory workers were waiting.

Jonathan nodded, looking around the room cautiously. No one else
was up yet. "Usually when one power comes back they all do. I'm
sure he'll be fine."

Lois visibly relaxed, looking back at the screen in dismay, "Who
would do such a thing?"

***

Lucy stood in the doorway of the Living Room, watching as Lois
sat with the Kents, staring at the footage of the Superman
rescue. The expression on her face wasn't of a friend being
concerned or of a journalist intrigued by the story unfolding
before her. It was of a woman in love concerned for the man she
loved. The man she was staring at was Superman.

If there was one thing Lucy knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it
was that Lois Lane didn't cheat. It wasn't in her nature. So
the only possible explanation was what she'd been theorizing
before... Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter and Kansas farmboy
was also the man of steel that was currently working tirelessly
to save hundreds of oil rig workers from being caught in the
explosion that had just ignited another half of the rig.

It made so much sense yet at the same time it didn't.

How had he been hurt yesterday if he was Superman?

***

"All systems are a go," Nigel said, handing Lex a hanger with
his Armani suit.

"A perfect disaster to help LexCorp acquire Honeybraun
Industries at a competitive rate," Lex said happily. "Assets
are unfrozen?"

"All clear," Nigel said with a satisfied nod, "Judge Stephens
thanks you for your generous campaign donation."

"Always willing to support our justice system," Lex said
happily, slipping his suit jacket on as he examined himself in
the mirror. "Is the press ready?"

"Waiting for you, sir," Nigel said, gesturing toward the
elevator.

"Let's not keep them waiting," Lex said, walking with him
toward the elevator, "It's good to be home."

***

Lois stared at the screen numbly as Lucy placed a supportive arm
around her. There he was in the flesh, smiling for the camera and
waving at the crowd: Lex Luthor. This was the man Lois and Clark
suspected of numerous crimes and the man responsible for
attacking her father. This man was walking around free while they
were in hiding.

"That scum sucking psychopathic..." Lois muttered under her
breath.

Lucy glanced at her father who was watching the screen numbly
with the Kents. Ellen was busying herself in the kitchen,
refusing to acknowledge what was happening on the television.

"Good Morning," Lex's smile smoothed across his face as the
flashes of cameras reflected off his face. "I'm sure all of you
have heard the rumors of the attempt to bring charges against
myself and my company. Let me assure you they are just that,
rumors. LexCorp has committed no crimes, and neither have I..."

"Yeah right..." Lucy muttered.

"Which brings me to my latest news, I'm pleased to announce
LexCorp has recently acquired Honeybraun Industries and will be
merging LexTel Power and Energy with Honeybraun Industries Gas
and Power...."

A barrage of questions erupted from the crowd of reporters. Lucy
glanced at Lois whose eyes had widened at the mention of
Honeybraun Industries--the same company that owned the oil rig
that exploded this morning.

"Oh my God..." Martha gasped, covering her mouth as she shook
her head. Jonathan placed an arm over her shoulder. Her dad
stared numbly at the screen, his face was flushed white as the
reality of everything seemed to be sinking in him further and
further.

"Yes, I'm aware of what happened on the Gulf this morning and I
assure you LexCorp will be working around the clock to ensure the
cleanup is handled swiftly with minimum . No, I do not believe
the pending FERC investigation will delay the merger..."

Jonathan clicked the television off, "Enough of that monster,"
he muttered, getting up and heading toward the back door in a
huff.

Lois' body shuddered against her and Lucy tightened her arms
around her, "It's okay, sis."

***

*Thirteen.*

That was the number of men that would not return home to their
families.

Clark let out a long breath as he flew toward the Arctic, hoping
to wash the stench of failure he felt within himself in the ice
cold water.

*Sabotage.*

That had been what the Fire Marshall had been discussing with the
OSHA Inspector that had arrived on the scene as he'd been
leaving.

*Sabotage.*

Someone had deliberately caused this accident. Someone had
knowingly put over a hundred men's lives at risk along with the
lives of everyone surrounding the Gulf area; including the
innocent wildlife. Why?

That was the question he kept coming back to. Why would someone
do such a thing? Why would someone create such a disaster?

*Thirteen. *

His mind came back to those he wasn't able to save once more. He
knew he had done what he could, but he still felt remorse for
what he couldn't do. Despite all his powers, he was only one
man; one man that carried the world on his shoulders. Right now,
the world seemed focused on the thirteen men and their families
that would be getting the news that their loved ones wouldn't be
coming home.

*Thirteen bodies. *

*Thirteen families.*

*Thirteen lives lost.*

He let out a long sigh. He would get to the bottom of this. He
would find out who was behind the sabotage and bring them to
justice. Luthor may have destroyed the Daily Planet building, but
he hadn't destroyed the free press. He and Lois may not have an
office to go to, but Bruce Wayne was still publishing online
editions and working on getting the Daily Planet printed out of
Gotham until they could rebuild. An expose, and exclusive on the
sabotage of Honeybraun Industries' oil rig would make for a
great front page article.

He grimaced when he remembered there was no 'front page' on the
online paper distributed at the moment. It wasn't a paper that
people could pick up at newsstands and read on their way to work.
It was a webpage on the World Wide Web.

Who knew how many people would read it there?

'*Patience.'* He reminded himself.* 'Rome wasn't built in a
day.'*

When he returned to Smallville, he would discuss a game plan with
Lois. They needed to bring Luthor to justice along with all his
lieutenants. The Boss had reigned over Metropolis for far too
long. Hopefully, Perry would have some news on Jimmy so they
could get more insight on the corruption in the Metropolis PD and
find out what exactly they were up against. He hated not being
able to help his friend. Unfortunately, it was the very wheels of
justice he worked hard to defend that were holding his friend
hostage at the moment. A bitter reminder of how far Luthor's
reach was in Metropolis and how hard he would fall when he
finally put Lex Luthor behind bars.

***

Toni Taylor stepped off the private jet, following Mrs. Cox
toward the limo parked outside the gate. The woman in front of
her emitted of confidence and power: something she'd yearned for
when taking over the Metros. That had been her first mistake. Her
second had been trusting Lex Luthor.

Now, months later she had gone from one prison to another. At
least in Metropolis Prison, she knew where the walls were and
what to expect. With Lex, it was a dangerous balancing act. She
had to keep him believing she was on his side long enough for her
to plan her escape.

At least now he'd stop coming after Johnny.

He was safe now.

***

Lex took a long puff from his cigar, looking over the contracts
he'd just signed. "Thank you so much for your cooperation, Mr.
Campbell," Lex handed him his copies of the contract. "I'm so
glad we could come to an understanding."

"Well, who is the FERC to come between good business?" Campbell
tapped his briefcase to emphasize his point as he turned to
leave. "As of midnight tonight Honeybraun Industries and all of
its subsidiaries become the property of LexCorp."

"Excellent news," Lex said, watching as Campbell turned to
leave, bumping into none other than Bruce Wayne as he opened the
office doors.

"Mr. Campbell, this is a surprise," Bruce remarked as he held
his hand out to shake the wary Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission's Head Commissioner's hand.

"Mr. Wayne, always a pleasure," he said all too quickly as he
rushed past him and headed toward the elevators.

Bruce turned to watch the commissioner leave then turned back to
Lex with a knowing look, shaking his head, "You're a piece of
work, aren't you, Lexy?"

Lex cringed at the nickname, "We're all past boarding school
nicknames don't you think, Squeaks?"

"Ah, touche," Bruce remarked with a knowing look, "So let me
guess, the investigation into Luthor Power acquiring Honeybraun
Industries will be closed and no conflict of interest will be
found...thanks to a generous donation to his campaign next
year?"

Lex's eyes narrowed, but he didn't acknowledge Bruce's
accusation one way or another, "What are you doing here? Not
enough late night parties in Gotham?" He snapped his fingers,
"Oh, I know, you finished going through all of Gotham's elite
for companionship so now you've got to expand the horizons..."

"You're one to talk," Bruce shot back snidely. "No, I just
wanted to let you know I've settled in a nice penthouse
apartment downtown." He walked toward the room length windows on
Lex's balcony and pointed, "How do you like the improvements we
made last month?"

Lex's face scowled as he saw Bruce point to the new additions of
WayneTech--three additional stories to the building--making it
the tallest building in Metropolis. "I...noticed." Was all he
could manage through gritted teeth.

"Top two floors are the penthouse apartment. I figured with all
the rebuilding I'll have to do for the Planet..."

"Rebuilding?" Lex scoffed incredulously.

"Of course I can't have the Daily Planet out of commission,"
he pulled out his blackberry typing in a few keys as he spoke,
"In fact...." He showed Lex the screen on his phone and Lex
grimaced. A website. Bruce Wayne had set up an online paper for
the Daily Planet. "We're publishing online as we speak. We're
the first paper to do so...Should make things interesting, don't
you think, Lexy boy?" Bruce patted him on the shoulder as he
gestured toward the WayneTech towers across from LexCorp, "Looks
like we're going to be neighbors."

"Well, I suppose you've thought of everything, haven't you?"
Lex spat bitterly.

"Oh, are you sulking?" Bruce admonished, putting an arm on
Lex's shoulder, "With all the good you do for Metropolis you
should be ecstatic to have someone nearby to help lift the
burden. Now granted now you won't have a cover for laundering
some of that dirty money, but hey maybe you can resort to
focusing on those legitimate businesses of yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about Bruce. That paranoia
is going to get the best of you if you're not careful," Lex
remarked coolly.

"Paranoia? Is that what they call it?" Bruce said, stepping
toward Lex. "How long are you going to keep playing games with
this kid's life?" Bruce asked, cutting to the chase.

"I don't know what you're referring to," Lex said airily.

"Of course you don't," Bruce sighed, running a hand through
his hair. "What is it going to cost to get James Olsen cleared
of the ridiculous charges you have against him?"

"You act like I have some control over the unfortunate charges
against this young man?" Lex shrugged in confusion, "I have no
control over who the police find culpable in arson or...terrorism
any more than you do, Mr. Wayne."

"That's the game you want to play, huh?" Bruce sighed, "I
know you think you're invincible and no one can touch you Lexy,
but just remember those skeletons in your closet will come out
eventually, and it wouldn't take much to convince a certain team
of reporters to do a little digging and point them in the right
direction..."

"You forget if you take me down you take Wayne Enterprises down,
Mr. Wayne," Lex said, grabbing Bruce by the collar roughly,
"You play the act of billionaire playboy well, but I invented
it. I am a *GOD* in this city."

"Seems like you've got some competition in that department,"
Bruce remarked snidely, glancing toward the television set
showing Superman's rescue of the Honeybraun Industries' oil rig
from earlier that morning. "Really, Lex, I would have thought
you could be at least a little more creative than mass murder to
get what you want."

"Well, I was always a fan of the old-fashioned gangster style."
Lex shrugged, "At least when I took over LuthorCorp I didn't
waste my talents playing chicken with my daddy's company."
Lex's eyes narrowed as he met Bruce's steel gaze. Yes, he'd
hit a nerve. "You waste your time fiddling away with your latest
toys and blowing your money on charities that wouldn't spit on
your grave..." Bruce's jaw tightened, and Lex continued.
"You're nothing but a spoiled brat with too much time on his
hands because your parents never gave you the ...."

"Watch yourself, Lexy," Bruce snapped, grabbing him by the
collar.

They stared one another down angrily, millimeters from one
another with their gazes locked in a cold hard stare. The sound
of Bruce's phone ringing broke the tension, and he pulled his
phone out to answer, "Bruce Wayne," A few moments later Bruce
nodded to Lex, "This isn't over Lexy," then turned to his
phone call, "Of course Mr. White. Just send Mr. Kent to my
office, and we'll sort out the details."

***

Perry White stood in a dark room with Constance Hunter. It had
been just shy of twenty-four hours from the time Jimmy had been
brought in for questioning when they finally received the call
that Jimmy was in the system. He had been fingerprinted, booked,
and charged with attempted murder and making a terroristic
threat. Where these allegations had come from was beyond Perry's
line of reasoning. It was evident Jimmy Olsen was the scapegoat
in a larger scheme. There was no way he could do what he was
being accused of. The only logical explanation was a conspiracy
to railroad Jimmy for someone else's crimes. He just didn't
have the evidence to back it up.

He and Constance went back and forth with the deputy clerk on
getting approved for visitation with Jimmy. After several hours
of negotiating with the District Attorney's office and the
warden, they were granted twenty minutes of visitation.

Twenty minutes.

It seemed like a meager amount of time given how long they'd
held Jimmy for questioning without an attorney. Perry stared at
the large metal door warily, "What's taking them so long?"

"Who knows?" Constance shrugged, squinting her face in disgust.
Her disdain for the situation was just as evident on her face as
it was his. She narrowed her eyes toward the door, looking at her
watch to check the time.

***

Terrorist Threat.

That was the charge against Jimmy. After stopping by his
apartment to shower and gather his and Lois' research into
Luthor and his laptop, he checked in with Perry and found out the
police had finally charged Jimmy. While it was a relief they'd
finally charged him so they could get an attorney in the room
with him, it was still frustrating that there had been enough
evidence to bring charges against Jimmy.

There were so many things he couldn't prove, but he knew Luthor
was behind this. Unfortunately, he had no idea where to begin
looking for him. The man had become a ghost after Bruce Wayne had
purchased the Planet and destroyed Luthor's plans to get his
claws in the Planet. He still didn't know what Luthor's
attempts to gain control of the Planet were about and he didn't
know what to expect from the man now.

Everything they thought they'd had against Luthor fell apart in
less than twenty-four hours. Now they were starting from scratch.
Perry had arranged a meeting with Bruce Wayne to find out what
they could of Bruce's plans on rebuilding the Planet while Perry
was tied up with the Jimmy scandal. He planned on using the
meeting to find out what he could of Bruce's history with
Luthor. It was apparent the other day that the bad blood between
the two men was more than just a tift over ownership of the
Planet.

Clark landed outside the WayneTech towers in Metropolis, finding
a secluded alleyway behind the office buildings he quickly spun
into a suit and tie then headed inside WayneTech. The doorman
requested identification then sent him toward the desk clerk
sitting by the elevators.

"Yes, can I help you?" the clerk asked.

"Is Mr. Wayne available?" He asked, "I'm Clark Kent with the
Daily Planet and I..."

The clerk shook his head with a chuckle. "Mr. Wayne just called
down to let us know you'd be coming by Mr. Kent." He handed
Clark a visitor's badge, "Eleventh floor, fifth door on your
right."

***

Jonathan stared at the tractor in front of him, lifting the hood
to begin working on rebuilding the engine. It wasn't something
he usually tried to do without Clark here, but at the moment he
felt like he could lift the tractor without any help. The
adrenaline pulsing through his veins gave him a sense of power
that made him feel invincible. He was angry. He was furious.
He'd listened to Clark and Lois tell him and Martha of how Lex
Luthor had committed truly heinous acts against humanity. It was
easy for him to reassure his son that he couldn't stoop to his
level and he would figure out a way to bring the man down. Today
was different.

It wasn't just Metropolis Lex Luthor was coming after now. It
was the world. He had attacked an innocent crew for what reason?
All those families and lives were put in danger so he could
acquire a company? Even without evidence, he knew it was true.
Seeing what the man had done to his son and Lois only fueled his
anger toward Lex Luthor. The man was a monster.

"Need some help?" Sam asked grabbing the chain for the crane to
pull the motor out of the tractor.

Jonathan looked at the doctor in surprise and chuckled, "If I
could wring that monster's neck with my bare hands I would," he
muttered angrily.

Sam nodded, "Believe me there'd be a line." His face grew
sorrowful, "I can't believe he fooled me for so long."

"He's a master manipulator...or at least that's what Clark's
told us," Jonathan said hurriedly, not wanting to give too much
away about Clark's and Lex Luthor's history together.

"I hate that I've put everyone at risk like this. I thought I
was doing something...good. Helping paralysis victims regain
control of their muscles and live to fight another day. That was
the goal."

"It's an admiral goal, Sam," Jonathan reassured, placing a
hand on his shoulder. "So many victims of car accidents or
soldiers injured in combat could benefit from it."

"When this is all over I'd like to do that. Use the super chip
to help." Sam shook his head in disgust. "I hate that I allowed
myself to be manipulated like that though. Ellen can barely stand
to look at me. Lucy won't hardly speak to me, and Lois...who
knows what she's thinking?" He huffed in disgust. "She's
always been extremely overprotective of her sister."

"They have a strong relationship," Jonathan nodded, "It's
good they have that. We, uh, were never able to give Clark that
and it's something we regret every day."

"It's hard to know what the right decision is," Sam remarked
softly. "Clark's a good man. I'm thankful he came into Lois'
life when he did. She's become more...open, grounded."

"I like to thank they complement one another," Jonathan said
with a smile. "Clark is a good man, but he can be just as
boneheaded as the next. Lois keeps him on his toes, reminding him
not to take himself so seriously. Sometimes he needs that."

"I think they both do," Sam said softly, glancing toward the
barn, "Speaking of Clark, uh, haven't seen him around this
morning. Where is he?"

Jonathan tried not to panic and smiled, "Uh, he, uh had to help
out Wayne Irig this morning with getting the roof of the old barn
replaced. Wayne can't do heights like he used to."

'*Hopefully, he buys it.' *Jonathan thought to himself.

***

Martha watched as Jonathan slipped out the back door and headed
toward the tractor. Lois and Lucy stood numbly in the living
room, staring at the television that Jonathan had just turned
off. The sound of scrubbing from the other room caught her
attention. She looked toward the kitchen and saw Ellen had buried
herself in there with all the cleaning supplies, taking a scrub
brush to the tile countertops.

"Ellen?" Martha tapped her on the shoulder as she scrubbed
ferociously at the tile.

"Wha?" Ellen turned around, jerking her head toward her in
surprise, "Oh, Martha, you scared me," she looked around at the
appliances she'd pulled out and frowned, "I'm sorry. I saw a
spot, and I was trying to..."

"It's okay," Martha reassured, placing an arm around Ellen's
shoulders, "Ellen, are you all right?" Martha asked in concern,
taking note of the current disarray the kitchen was currently
in.

"Why wouldn't I be all right?" Ellen muttered as she scrubbed,
"The man that has systematically destroyed all of our lives and
forced us into hiding is out there walking free as a bird."

"Ellen, we're all upset," Martha began.

"Did you know I had to pull fifty-seven shards of glass out of
Lois' scalp yesterday?" Ellen breathed shakily. "Fifty-seven.
I counted as I pulled each shard out of her hair, her scalp, her
forehead..."

"Ellen," Martha sighed, kneeling down to sit on the floor next
to her. "I get it. Believe me..."

"Do you?" Ellen asked, "Sam was working *for* him. Making some
super-chip...all the while putting his daughters at risk...For
what?" Ellen spat bitterly, "I can't even go home," she said
in a harsh whisper.

"You'll get through this. We all will. Lois and Clark are going
to bring him down and expose him for the monster he is."

"What if they can't?" Ellen asked. "He's already turned the
tables on them once. What if they can't stop him?"

***

"Mr. Kent, good to see you," Bruce said, gesturing toward his
desk as Clark followed him in the office.

"Thanks for meeting with me Mr. Wayne. I was surprised to hear
you were still in Metropolis." Clark said taking a seat across
from Bruce.

"After what happened yesterday I thought it'd be best for me to
stay close," Bruce remarked with a grimace. "Tragedy what
happened to the Planet."

Clark frowned as he recalled the injured coworkers he'd pulled
out of the burning building yesterday, "There were a lot of
people injured."

"Thankfully no fatalities," Bruce added.

"Small miracles." Clark quipped. "Any thoughts on who might be
responsible for the attack yesterday?" Clark began hesitantly.

Bruce nodded, "Well, you're a smart man, Mr. Kent, who do *you*
suspect?"

Clark's eyes narrowed slightly, "I have my theories." He began
hesitantly.

Bruce nodded, "Like a certain multi-billionaire that resurfaced
conveniently after the charges against him were dismissed?"

"For example?" Clark shrugged with amusement.

"Convenient, wasn't it?" Bruce remarked bitterly, "Luthor
always liked to play dangerously." He let out a long breath,
"but I suspect you didn't come out here to talk
hypotheticals."

Clark nodded, watching at Bruce turned his monitor toward Clark
to show him his screen. Clark saw report after report on
Honeybraun Industries acquisition show up on Bruce's screen and
remarked, "Keep coming back to the fact that there is no
evidence though."

"Evidence can disappear and appear if you have enough pull."
Bruce grimaced.

"So I've noticed," Clark spat.

"I'm doing everything I can to help Jimmy. I know it wasn't
him."

"Is anyone actually investigating?" Clark asked.

Bruce shook his head, "They think they've got their guy. Why
would they?" Bruce pulled up some schematic plans for what
looked like a satellite.

"What is this?" Clark asked. Pointing to the screen.

"Oh, just something that was pointed out to me by an old
colleague of mine when I began asking why it was so important
that Lex Luthor acquire Honeybraun Industries.

Clark's eyes narrowed at the mention of the oil rig's owner.
"People were killed this morning."

"A lot more are going to be if someone doesn't put a stop to
him," Bruce said bitterly. "Ever hear of the Annihilator?"

"Military weapon satellite from the Cold War," Clark nodded.
"What about it?"

"What if I told you that the Annihilator was more than a theory
but an actual design that was put together by an energy
company's weapons' division back when they were still
contracting nuclear arms weapons for the military?"

"I'd say, go on..." Clark said, folding his hands in front of
him.

"If someone just happened to find these plans they could use
them to build the satellite weaponry or even convert the plans to
something a little more...local," Bruce continued, pulling up
plans for the annihilator that showed a handheld weapon with
rounded rims at the barrel.

"Nuclear weapons used on the streets of Metropolis could
be...deadly," Clark remarked bitterly.

"And a perfect weapon to use against a certain superhero that
has been stopping a certain boss..."

"Boss? How do you know about the boss?" Clark asked, leaning in
toward Bruce.

"I make it my business to do my research before diving in on my
acquisitions. The Planet is an acquisition and still very much in
Metropolis. We may not have a building yet, but the presence is
here."

"Why are you telling me this?" Clark asked in concern.

"You seem to have a lot of ...luck getting ahold of Superman. I
thought maybe you could warn him and get him to help us bring
Luthor down," Bruce said meeting Clark's gaze.

Clark shifted nervously under his scrutinizing expression. "Even
if he wanted to help...there's not much he could do. There is no
evidence."

"Maybe you're just not looking in the right place," Bruce said
with a knowing smile. "You and Ms. Lane are both celebrated,
reporters. I'm surprised neither of you has thought to look in
his past before now."

"What do you mean?" Clark asked, "His records are sealed, and
there's no way anyone could..."

Bruce placed an envelope on the desk and smiled, "Only Lex's
records are sealed, but the other individuals involved..." Bruce
shrugged.

"Why do I get the feeling you know more than you're letting
on?" Clark inquired, taking the envelope from Bruce cautiously.

"Lex and I go back to boarding school .... never got along,"
Bruce smiled back at him. Clark wasn't sure how much he believed
that but nodded for Bruce to continue, "Lex never was good about
letting go of old grudges." He stood up, pulling a key out of
his briefcase, "You may need this." He handed it to Clark.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne," Clark said standing up to shake
Bruce's hand.

"Tell Superman to be careful," Bruce said with a grimace.
"Lexy boy was a psycho even back in grade school. After his
parents had died he got worse. There is no line he won't
cross."

"I'll let Superman know," Clark reassured. "If you hear
anything about Jimmy..."

"You and Mr. White will be the first ones I call," Bruce
nodded.

Clark pulled out a card from his pocket and jotted down a number
on it, "We're laying low right now so try to be discreet with
this number."

"Probably for the best," Bruce acknowledged, walking with Clark
toward the exit. Clark turned to look at him, still trying to
make up his mind about the billionaire, "Trying to make up your
mind about me?"

"Let's just say I haven't had the best of luck with
philanthropists," Clark acknowledged with a raised eyebrow.

"I haven't had the best of luck with reporters," Bruce added.

"But you're helping me. Why?" Clark asked.

"I guess I trust you more than I distrust reporters," Bruce
smiled.

"And more than you distrust Lex," Clark added.

"You don't pull any punches do you, Kent?" Bruce asked,
extending his hand for Clark to shake, "Well, I guess we'll
have to learn to trust one another," Bruce remarked with a
smirk. "Thanks for coming by Mr. Kent."

Clark nodded, "I'll be in touch."

***

"How you doing kid?" Perry asked as the door to the visitor's
room closed behind Jimmy. He was in a dark blue inmate uniform.
His face was bruised and had cuts on it. Perry knew the answer to
his question before he even asked it.

Jimmy sighed, "I've had better weeks."

"I'm Constance Hunter," Constance extended her hand for him to
shake as he approached the table to take a seat.

"James Olsen," he said with a wince as he sat down.

"Jimmy, you okay?" Perry asked.

"Just a welcoming present from my roommate," Jimmy winced,
"I'd say it's nice to meet you but I don't think these are
the ideal circumstances for meeting anyone," Jimmy said
bitterly.

"No, they're not," Constance said seriously, taking a seat
across from him. "I'm your attorney. I've been hired by Mr.
Wayne to provide the best defense I can, but in order to do that
I need to know everything."

Jimmy met her gaze and nodded, "First and foremost, I didn't do
this and I won't say I did."

"I understand." Constance said with a heavy sigh, "This is
obviously a setup. The evidence they have is lacking..."

"Not to mention holding him illegally for almost a day," Perry
added with a bite in his tone.

"We'll get to that later," Constance added. "What do you know
about these terrorism charges?"

Jimmy shrugged. "They're saying my dad was NIA and that was why
I blew up the Planet but it's a bunch of bull...."

"No one believes that, Jimmy," Perry reassured him.

"My dad's a structural engineer," Jimmy said. "I haven't
seen him since I was sixteen. He was catching a connecting flight
to Shanghai..."

"We'll need to find him to help throw these accusations out. Do
you have a number for him?" Constance asked, jotting down notes
in her notepad.

Jimmy sighed, "I think my mom might. We kinda lost touch."

"That's okay," Constance reassured, handing him the notepad.
"Give me all the numbers you have for him and your mom, and
I'll get my investigator on it," Jimmy nodded, grabbing the pen
to write on the notepad.

"How soon before we can get him out of here?" Perry asked in
concern.

"Depends on the judge," Constance said with a sigh, "He's
been charged with some serious crimes."

"Might as well give that up, Chief," Jimmy scoffed, "I'm not
getting out of here until you find out who really blew up the
Planet.

"Now son you can't think like that."

"No, he's right, Mr. White," Constance said with a sigh.

***

Jenkins stepped into the unmarked car, glancing around to see if
anyone was watching. "I said get in!" Fuentes snapped at him.

Jenkins jerked his head down and closed the door behind him.
Fuentes revved the engine and took off, heading toward the other
side of town.

"Hey! Slow down man!" Jenkins admonished.

"No time," Fuentes spat back. "You're on strict orders from
the boss to make sure the case against James Olsen sticks. To do
that we can't be seen together."

Jenkins rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah yeah."

"You got it?" Fuentes asked, reaching his arm over to Jenkins.

"Background info on Sam Lane, Lois Lane, Lucy Lane, and Ellen
Lane. Driver's License information, criminal
history...Everything you need," Jenkins said with a sigh as he
handed him a large manila envelope. "Not much on any of them
though. No arrests. Some parking tickets but that's about it."

"Figures," Fuentes remarked. "What about his former
partner?"

"Menken?" Jenkins handed him the file. "Everyone hired at
Menken's gym and their backgrounds." He handed another file to
him.

Fuentes saw the size of the envelope and grinned, "Perfect."

***

Lois stared numbly at the television. It had been hours since the
news circuits first picked up the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.
There was still no sign of Clark. Thankfully Lucy seemed too
hungover to notice, and her parents were too concerned with the
drama of what was happening with Lex to pay Clark's
disappearance much attention.

"Preliminary findings are pointing to possible sabotage for the
oil line leak which led to the explosion that took place this
morning," the newscaster read off as the footage showed the
amateur video of the rig exploding earlier that morning.
"Investigators currently have no other leads..."

"I think that's enough of that," Lucy took a seat next to her
and grabbed the remote, clicking it off in the process.

"Luce!" Lois admonished, grabbing it back from her forcefully.

"You're going to drive yourself crazy watching that," Lucy
said. "Almost everyone made it out alive. Superman left a few
hours ago. Blah blah blah. Same thing they've been saying for
the last three hours."

Lois sighed, leaning her head back against the couch as she
looked at her sister with a half-smile. "I guess it wouldn't
hurt to do something else."

"That's the spirit," Lucy grinned. "If you want some
entertainment you could come out to the field and watch dad try
and drive a tractor..."

Lois laughed, "What???"

"Oh, you know daddy....Always the perfect guest: offering to,
clear the table, cook, clean and apparently in Smallville he
tries to impersonate a farmer."

Lois laughed at the thought of her clean shaven father getting
himself dirty; much less trying to drive a tractor.

Lucy grew quiet for a moment, "Mom seems to be enjoying the
peace and quiet here."

Lois nodded, glancing toward the back porch where Martha and
Ellen were sitting with glasses of lemonade chatting away. It did
appear that her mom was at least making the best of the
situation. Who knew Smallville was just what the doctor ordered
for all of them to recharge?

"Perry called me," Lucy stated softly.

Lois sighed, placing a supportive arm around her sister. "I'm
sorry, Luce."

"I don't understand how they can do this," Lucy whispered
hoarsely, pulling away from Lois.

"It's not legal," Lois said flatly. "Not that it makes much
of a difference."

"So is Superman going to help us break Jimmy out?" Lucy asked
with a smile.

Lois chuckled at the thought, "I don't think he practices
breaking criminals OUT of jail, Luce."

"Jimmy's not a criminal," Lucy countered.

"He's got to be cleared the legal way, Luce," Lois reasoned.

A familiar voice from the other side of the room added,
"Unfortunately Lois is right. Superman can't pick and choose
the laws he upholds. Just like the officers can't pick and
choose which laws they defend."

Lois and Lucy turned to see Clark dressed in jeans and a t-shirt
with an open flannel shirt walking toward them. He took a seat on
the other side of Lois, wrapping an arm around her. She wanted to
wrap her arms around him and never let go, but with her sister
sitting right there she knew it would raise suspicions regarding
his absence today.

Thankfully Lucy didn't say anything. Instead, she opted to
challenge Clark's statement, "Even if it's a crooked officer
that's gotten Jimmy behind bars in the first place?"

Clark hung his head, meeting Lucy's anxious gaze, "Superman
can't break the law, Lucy."

"Then maybe we need to," Lucy pressed.

"Luce..." Lois began.

"I'm serious. Jimmy is going to be in jail with a bunch of
criminals and ..." Her tirade quickly escalated into a panicked
tone as she rambled on about her fears for Jimmy's safety.

"Luce..." Lois interrupted, trying to get a word in edgewise.

"He's never been to jail."

"Lucy..." Lois tried again.

"He's never even had a tattoo. "

"Lu.." She found herself cut off again and let out a long sigh.
She gave Clark a frustrated groan, and he offered a sympathetic
look as Lucy continued her tirade.

"He could get hurt or worse, and it'll be all our fault for
leaving him in there..."

"Lucy!" Lois shouted, trying to get her sister's attention.
"Calm down."

"We're well aware of the danger he's in, but no one," Clark
gave Lois a warning glance before turning back to Lucy, "is
going to break him out." Lucy shook her head in disbelief as
Clark continued, "We've got an attorney working on getting him
released. Bill Henderson is working on getting the DA on our
side. I know it is....painful sitting here not being able to do
anything to help him but right now you just have to trust that
everything is going to work out."

"Trust?" Lucy scoffed in disbelief, "Trust? Why should I? I
mean, you think you know someone and then..." She stopped
herself for a moment before continuing, "I used to trust the
police. I used to believe that the law worked to keep the bad
guys in jail and the good guys out, but now..."

"We're going to beat this," Clark promised. "He's going to
be okay."

"You don't know that Clark," Lucy argued. "No one can promise
that."

"You're right," Lois interrupted, sensing her sister's tone
was growing more and more desperate, "We don't know that, and
we can't promise anything. We can try. We can do everything in
our power to find out who is behind this and stop him."

"We know who's behind this," Lucy spat bitterly.

"We have no proof," Clark reminded her.

"So how do we get the proof we need?" Lucy asked, folding her
arms over her chest and leaning back into the couch.

"We do what we do best," Lois said with a grin.

"Investigate," Clark said with a smile.

***

Sam crinkled his nose as Jonathan continued his story, "There's
Corn-O-Rama, Corn Queen Pageant, the Husk-Off, Popcorn, creamed
corn, corn on the cobb.."

"That's a lot of corn," Sam stated, uncertainly.

"It's a lot of fun. Before those agents went crazy on us, Lois
had a good time when she came out here with Clark earlier this
year."

"I'll take your word on it," Sam said, guiding the motor back
into the tractor as he spoke. "I think this baby's just about
done."

"Nothing like a hard day's work to spruce up your appetite,"
Jonathan said with a look of satisfaction.

The car door caught his attention, and he turned to see Martha
and Ellen approaching them with several bags, "Jonathan can you
two give us a hand?" Martha pointed toward the bags in the back
of the truck.

"Did you leave anything in the store?" Jonathan teased.

"Very funny," Martha smiled back at him. "I got enough for a
few days. I thought you could grill up some burgers and I got
some fresh apples from Mazie to make some apple..." The rest of
Martha's statement fell on deaf ears. Jonathan knew exactly what
Martha had plans to make with Mazie's apples. Her famous apple
pie.

***

Lucy sat across from Lois and Clark at the table in the den
watching them cautiously as Clark relayed the information
'Superman' had told him earlier in the day. She still wasn't
sure what to believe. Throughout the day she'd watched her
sister and the Kents trying to determine if their reaction to the
disaster in the Gulf was that of concerned parents or that of
concerned citizens. Lex Luthor coming back to Metropolis like
nothing had happened had been hard for everyone to take. The man
that was trying to railroad Jimmy was out free as a bird while
Jimmy was being framed for heinous crimes. It wasn't fair.

"I haven't heard anything from Henderson, but I did get a
chance to bring our files and laptops from our apartments so we
can work on finding something on Luthor," Clark explained,
pulling out his laptop.

Lois nodded, sharing a look with Clark before grabbing a file box
from him, "Nice of Superman to give you a lift."

There it was. That look Lois and Clark kept sharing whenever they
talked about Superman. There was something there. She knew it,
but could the explanation really be that Clark was Superman?
Could Superman be the same man that teased her sister and threw
darts with Jimmy and cooked dinner for them on late nights of
research and homework?

"It was nice of Superman to give you a ride back," Lucy
commented as she took a sip of her water. "You're lucky to have
a friend like that, Clark."

Her mind was screaming at her that the pieces didn't fit. How
could Superman bleed? How could he bruise? How could he get
drunk? A thousand thoughts were running through her mind at the
moment as they went through the disarray of papers on the table
of notecards and post-its. Organized chaos.

"Uh, yeah," Clark said shifting under her gaze slightly, "I
caught him after the incident this morning."

"How's he doing?" Lois asked, placing a hand on his. It was a
silent gesture not lost on Lucy.

She watched as Clark's eyes locked with Lois' and then his hand
moved to her cheek, stroking her jawline silently before turning
to answer, "He's still upset about the men that lost their
lives this morning, but he's hanging in there."

That statement intrigued Lucy. Clark seemed to have a lot of
first-hand knowledge of Superman's feelings and thoughts. Lucy
felt a twinge of sorrow as she took in Clark's statement.
Superman was upset about the men that lost their lives. She
watched her sister place a hand on his chest and move to rest her
head on his shoulder. Lois opened her mouth to respond, but Lucy
interjected instead, "I'm sure he did everything he could."

Clark gave her a weak smile then murmured, "Thirteen families
have to bury their loved ones because of what happened this
morning."

"That's not Superman's fault...or the crew's for that
matter," Lois added.

Lucy shook her head, "Whoever sabotaged that rig to blow up this
morning has those men's lives on their head." She grew quiet
for a moment then added, "Of course we all know who that was."

Clark's face grew grim, "Not definitively."

"That pesky detail of evidence again," Lucy sighed, running a
hand through her hair.

"Yeah," Lois gave a weak smile.

The front door opened and they turned to see Jonathan and Sam
with two large grocery bags in their arms with Martha and Ellen
right behind them, "Hope everyone's hungry," Jonathan called,
heading into the kitchen. Clark got up to follow them into the
kitchen and help, leaving Lucy with Lois.

"So," Lucy said softly bringing her glass of water to her lips
and taking a drink.

"So," Lois said, handing her a stack of papers, "Why don't
you make yourself useful and help me organize these."

***

Lesley Prescott knew everything about everyone in her
neighborhood. She prided herself on being the one person that
knew the dirt on all her neighbors and their spouses. If someone
was having an affair, splitting up, or even in danger of being
evicted from the country club she knew about it. Which was why it
was a surprise to her that a tidbit of information on the elusive
Ellen Lane hadn't landed in her lap as it should have. When
she'd inquired about the younger woman's travel plans, she'd
been evasive, leaving a key for watering the plants and
instructions to not discuss her travel plans with anyone.

She finished watering the last of Ellen's orchids, frowning at
the pristine awards from the National Garden Club of New Troy
that sat displayed on her window sill. When she opened the door
to leave she felt a hard push as a burly man with a large box
stood above her, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Well, I never have..." She muttered grimacing at the dirt she
now had all over her from falling into the flowerbed outside the
door.

"I'm so sorry," he pulled out a handkerchief, reaching out to
brush the dirt off her stained white blouse, "Let me get
that."

"I've got it!" She snapped, grabbing the cloth from him.

"Of course ma'am, I'm so sorry. I was just looking for an
address to deliver this package to and I..."

She eyed the large package in his arms curiously, trying to spy
the name on the label, "Oh, well you're in luck. I'm head of
the neighborhood association. I can tell you everything about
everyone. What's the address?"

He smiled, glancing down at the package, "It's for an Ellen
Lane," he read off.

"Ellen?" She frowned, "Oh, she's out of town. Won't be back
for quite some time." She reached toward the box which he was
able to successfully pull away from her.

"You don't say," he looked like he was hiding a smile, "Any
idea when she'll be back?"

"They didn't say," she fingered his arm, "but between you and
me I think she's gotten herself into quite the pickle."

"Really?" He grinned, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, you didn't hear it from me but I have it on good
authority that she left out of here with Superman."

"Superman?" He whistled, impressed, "Really?"

"Superman's apparently really close with her daughter, the
reporter," she gave a crooked smile, "If you know what I
mean."

"Of course," he nodded. "So Mrs. Lane had a flight from
Superman. When was this?"

"Yesterday afternoon," she said airily, "Apparently they'll
be gone for an indefinite amount of time."

His face broke into a broad smile, "Well thank you, ma'am;
you've been most helpful."

"Don't you want to leave the package?"

"No, it's a certified package. I have to get her signature."

"Pity," she frowned.

"Yes, it is."

***

Vicki looked around the new set of her news broadcasting station,
taking in the lights and cameras, "Bruce you shouldn't
have..."

"Well you always said you wanted to see your name in lights,
Vicki," he motioned to the illuminated lights on the desk with
'Vicki' embossed on the front.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek,
"Thank you Bruce."

***

Lex threw his phone on the receiver, hoisting the intercom system
it was connected to upward and heaving it across the room in
frustration. Unsatisfied with the trajectory of the phone he
cleared his desk of the papers with the swing of an arm, knocking
the contents of the desk to the ground.

Bruce Wayne had done it again.

He had outplayed him again.

Every satellite feed that LNN relied on for airing the news
station had been booked well into the twenty-first century. Every
satellite feed that ironically was owned by LexCorp yet had been
leased out to WayneTech for the new "Vicki Vale Show."

If he canceled the contract, he'd be looking at paying over five
billion dollars in legal fees and breach of contract fees. If he
let the show continue LNN would have nowhere to air, and he would
lose revenue from advertisers that would surely sue for the
mishap.

"Probably did it on purpose..." Lex muttered under his breath
as he fought the anger boiling over inside him, willing his
temper down as he began to plan his revenge.

***

"Yes, Mrs. Olsen, this is Perry White...." Perry spoke into his
phone as he glanced around the crowded waiting area, watching as
Constance argued with the guard, trying to finagle another visit
for tomorrow with Jimmy.

"Yes, I called you about Jimmy?" There was a loud shriek in his
ear before he could make out what she was saying.

"No, no, nothing like that. The reason I'm calling is we need
to get a hold of Jimmy's father," there was a dead silence on
the other end and then she mumbled a number for him to call
before abruptly hanging up.

He sighed, glancing down at his hand he'd jotted the number down
on and began to dial.

***

Sam Lane took a sip from his coffee as Lois and Clark finished
relaying what Clark had learned during his trip to Metropolis
that day, "So, this Bruce Wayne? Is he someone we can trust?"

"Honestly, I'm not completely sure," Clark began. "We don't
know a whole lot about him."

"We'd just met him a few days ago." Lois explained, "But
Perry had met with him and seemed to trust him. He has a pretty
good judge of character," she shot Clark a smile as she finished
her last statement.

He smiled back at her before turning back to Sam, "Luthor isn't
going to stop until he's sent the message to everyone that he is
unbeatable. He's challenging anyone who's dared stand up to
him." He cast a worrisome glance toward Lucy, "Hence why we
moved everyone out here for safety."

"What about Jimmy?" Lucy asked, taking an empty seat next to
Sam, "He's still locked up."

"Yeah," Clark said grudgingly, "Jimmy has been charged, but
there is no way it will stand up in court."

"The charges against him are laughable really," Lois added, "I
spoke with Perry, and he's reaching out to Jimmy's dad to get
the terrorist and NIA connection tossed. Once that charge is
gone, we should be able to get him out on bail."

Sam was quiet for a moment before stating, "It's not going to
be that easy." He glanced at Lois then at Lucy before
continuing, "This would work if you were dealing with honest
people, but the people we're dealing with aren't honest. He's
being set up to send a message. That's how Luthor works. We need
to send a message right back."

"How?" Lucy scoffed. "We're not exactly on a level playing
field right now."

"Lois and I were planning on going back to Metropolis to see
what we can dig up on Luthor's past..." Clark began.

"Now hold on right there!" Sam cut him off, "If it's too
dangerous for us to be in Metropolis it is too dangerous for you
two. You need to be smart about this and..."

"We can't just sit around and do ....*nothing*," Lois argued.
"We have to do this."

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Lucy demanded,
"Sit around and wait for you to give us the bat signal? No, if
you're going. We're all going."

"That's right," Sam added. "We need to fight this monster
together."

"It's too...." Clark found himself cut off again.

"Too what? Risky? Dangerous?" Lucy prompted, "What makes you
think you can take those risks but we can't?"

Clark glanced at Lois who shrugged her shoulders. There was no
reasonable explanation he could give them. By Lucy's standards,
it was either all or nothing. He relented, "You're right."

"So what is it going to be?" Sam asked, "Are we staying or
going?"

Clark looked at Lois, "It's up to you."

***

"Bruce?" Vicki approached him with a worried expression,
"We're set to air in thirty minutes and the power just cut
out."

"What???" Bruce asked in disbelief. "That's not possible."

Vicki pursed her lips as she chuckled, "Impossible as it may be
that's the situation. What do you want to do?"

He groaned, looking around the room as he tried to form a plan,
"I think I have an idea. Have your lighting technician meet me
at the hardware store."

"But Bruce..."

***

Lois let out a long sigh as she finished packing her bags. Clark
watched her silently, "You sure about this?" He asked
cautiously, worry evident in his tone.

She let out a long breath and turned to him with a smile, worry
lines visible on her face as well, "I'm sure. We have to help
Jimmy and the only way to do that is to bring Lex down."

"I know that," he sighed, "I'm just not sure about bringing
your father and sister along." He shook his head uncertainly,
"I can't be everywhere."

"They know the risks," Lois reminded him. "They want to help,
and daddy wants a chance to make things right. With his knowledge
of Lex's plan for the super chip maybe we can use it on building
a case against him."

"Has he made a decision about testifying yet?" Clark asked.

"He said if we can get another person willing to testify with
him he'll do it. He just doesn't want to be the entire case.
It's a guaranteed bounty on his head."

"I can understand that," Clark reasoned. "The question is,
who?"

"Well, according to a source of mine, there was a breakout at
Oakland Prison. Johnny Taylor escaped," Lois hoped he could see
where she was going with the information.

"When was this?" Clark asked surprised.

"This morning when you were in the Gulf," Lois said softly. "I
think it was a setup."

Clark's face hardened, "He put all those lives in
jeopardy..."

Lois closed the gap between them, placing a hand on his arms that
were folded across his chest, "How are you doing?"

His head hung as he moved his head from side to side, trying to
find the words, "I don't know. I've had so much happen in the
last few days my head's still reeling from it all."

"How about," she looked around to make sure no one was around
before moving her hand on his chest to draw the 'S' symbol,
silently asking about Superman.

"I'm okay I guess," He shrugged. "I woke up, and all my
powers seemed to be at a hundred percent."

"Seemed to be?" Lois asked concerned.

"I didn't exactly have a chance to test them out," he pointed
out, softening his gaze he moved his hand to cup her cheek.

"And the Kryptonite?" Lois asked hesitantly, uncertain how to
voice her concern over his exposure the day before to the
poisonous rock.

"Dad said he and your dad got rid of it. It's been destroyed,"
he reassured her.

"Good," Lois sighed, "I guess it's better we found the
Kryptonite, rather than a Trask-wannabe finding it."

Clark nodded, "That chunk was bigger than the one Wayne Irig
found a few months back."

Lois let out a shaky breath, "Do you think there's any more out
there?"

He rested his head against her head and spoke, "I don't know.
Mom said she was going to try and check that area and see if they
found any more, but right now, who knows..."

"You scared me," He looked at her in concern, and she
continued, "I know you told me it was real. I thought I
understood...but seeing you on the ground like that..." Her
voice cracked as she spoke and he put a hesitant arm around her
shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he wrapped his arms around her protectively, and
she rested her head on his chest, resting her arms around his
waist as he spoke.

Lois leaned her head against his shoulder. "Clark?"

"Hmm?" He asked.

"Don't scare me like that again," she said quietly, wrapping
her arms around him.

"I'll try," he reasoned, leaning in to kiss her.

"Only if you promise not to scare me with your half-baked
plans," his eyes twinkled with laughter.

"My plans are not half-baked," she argued.

"Dangerous. Risky," he ticked off each point with a finger.

"You can't catch criminals by following all the rules," Lois
pointed out.

"You can't stay out of trouble by constantly taking risks," he
retorted with a smile, moving to cup her cheek.

"You're just as bad about jumping in without looking as I am,"
she pointed out, leaning in to kiss him, "You just do it with a
cape." With that she pulled away, turning back to the luggage
she was packing.

***

Fuentes grinned as he pulled out his phone, "Hey, Boss? Yeah, it
looks like the Lanes are laying low. Apparently, *Superman* took
them out of town."

He listened to his instructions and nodded, "You got it boss.
I'll head over there now."

***

Clark had left to do a scan over their apartments and check in
with Bruce Wayne on having a safe place in Metropolis where her
father could stay. Leaving Sam to explain everything to their
mother who-- by the sounds of what was coming out of the
barn--was not handling the news well. Outside the barn, Lois sat
with her sister listening to Sam and Ellen argue about the
decision to go back to Metropolis. "This was why I didn't want
you two coming with us," Lois sighed.

"She'd be mad no matter what," Lucy pointed out.

"You have no consideration for anyone do you?" Ellen's voice
echoed from inside the barn, "Not only do you put your family in
danger by meddling with this....*Monster*..."

"Now, Ellen, you don't understand the severity..."

"I understand just fine." Ellen scoffed, "Go! Put yourself and
your daughter at risk again. While you're at it, maybe you can
get Lucy AND Lois to watch them kill you. I mean it's not enough
for your daughters to see you beaten to a pulp. Why not add the
burden of watching their father die to it, right?"

"You are blowing this out of proportion, and you know it," Sam
retorted.

"No? You think going back to Metropolis isn't going to raise
any red flags?" Ellen scoffed. "You got in bed with the MOB,
Sam. Organized crime. Guns. Bullets. Ring any bells?"

"Don't you think I know that? That's why I'm going back to
Metropolis! I have to fix what I've done. I have to protect
...."

"How?" Ellen scoffed, "How are you going to protect them when
you can't even protect yourself?"

The slamming of the door echoed outside, and Lois and Lucy
quickly scrambled to their feet to avoid their father as he
stormed out of the barn angrily.

"Big mistake," Lois muttered.

***

Lex took a puff of his cigar, contemplating the latest news he'd
received. Superman had helped Lois Lane's family leave town
without being detected by him. Why would the man of steel go to
such lengths for her?

He pulled out the tape he'd been playing earlier in the
aftermath of his destruction of the Daily Planet. The image
showed Lois Lane stroking the man of steel's face and catching
his gaze for a moment before pulling away.

He rewound the tape and played it again.

There was obviously something going on there. What exactly he
wasn't sure yet.

He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial, "Nigel, get
ready for stage two..."

***

Lois took a deep breath before entering the barn where she found
Ellen gathering herself. The pain and worry on her face were
evident. "Mom?" She pulled out a bottle of water with some
aspirin, "I thought you could use this."

Ellen took the bottle of water and aspirin from her and muttered,
"I doubt a pill can relieve the years of neglect and
betrayal."

Lucy poked her head in from behind her, "Try two."

Ellen rolled her eyes, "You two are hopeless." She took two
aspirin and placed them on her tongue, taking a swig of water and
swallowing them before walking with Lois and Lucy back toward the
farmhouse, "So you're heading back to Metropolis?"

"We are," Lois said confidently. "It's time we start doing
what we can to expose Lex for the monster he is and put a stop to
the destruction he's doing to Metropolis."

"Pig-headed. Just like your father." Ellen dismissed, looking
toward Lucy, "And you're okay with this?"

"I'm going too," Lucy acknowledged as Ellen let out a sigh.
"Mom, it's not as bad as it seems."

"Not as bad?" Ellen scoffed, "I'll remember that for your
headstone. 'She said it's not as bad as it seems.'"

"Mother, don't be so dramatic," Lois retorted. "We're not
going to leave Lucy where she'll be in danger. She'll be with
me the entire time."

"Oh, well that makes a difference," Ellen retorted
sarcastically, "You get kidnapped what once a week and get
thrown out of planes about once every three months so she SHOULD
be safe."

"We'll have Superman helping out too," Lucy added. "He's
just as invested in bringing down Lex Luthor as we are."

"Really?" Ellen asked incredulously, not quite believing her.

Lois glanced at her sister in surprise before adding quietly,
"Yeah, he's agreed to keep a look out for us and is helping
with our investigation."

"Lunatics," Ellen stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Surrounded by lunatics." She grew quiet for a moment before
stating, "I thought I knew him. He was a brilliant surgeon. I
was his loyal nurse. We had it all...until." She let out a long
sigh, "Well you girls know the rest."

Lucy glanced toward Lois then back at their mother but didn't
say anything. Lois softened, trying to find the right words to
say, "I know. It was a really bad thing that happened."

"He is just so.....*selfish*," Ellen fumed angrily.

"He's trying to help," Lucy pointed out. "He's trying to fix
what he did. Mom, I know you don't understand, but he's trying
to mend things between all of us. If you would just..."

"What?" Ellen narrowed her eyes at Lucy, "Let it go?"

"Well..." Lucy began, but Ellen cut her off before any formal
response could be formed.

"I am so sick and tired of that phrase tonight I could scream."
Ellen jumped into her tirade, "You think I don't want to let it
go? You think I enjoy sitting here worrying about you two. I've
got one that won't choose a career path and another that's
practically married to her job, dangling above the jaws of death
like she's going to get a place in the Guinness Book of World
Records. I'm your *mother*. That's what I do. I worry. I fret.
I stress. I worry every second of every day whether you're in
danger or not. When you say, you're going to traipse around a
city with thugs and hoodlums looking for a way to get back at
your father....I *worry*."

Lois glanced at Lucy, neither daring to say anything. Ellen
looked at them both anxiously, trying to decide what to do next.
Her eyes shifted to the night sky as the sound of the now
familiar sonic boom echoed from behind the farmhouse.

"Well, I guess that's your ride," she huffed angrily as they
reached the driveway to the farmhouse.

***

A tall man with salt and pepper hair glanced around the New Troy
Airport, looking for the man that had called him earlier. Luckily
he'd been in between assignments to make the detour in his
travel plans. He still wasn't sure how much he could help, but
he would try.

A tall man with at thinning hairline and gray hairs stood with a
woman in her mid-thirties with glasses and a briefcase, holding a
sign with a name he recognized. He took a deep breath and
approached them, "You must be Mr. White?" He extended his hand
to shake, "Jack Olsen."

***

Agent Davenport laid a black and white photo on Mayson's desk,
"Mark Fuentes, AKA Rage Bomber. He was caught by our
surveillance team with this detective outside the precinct."

Mayson pursed her lips, "Is it enough to charge anyone?"

"Not yet," Agent Woods chimed in, "but it is enough to get a
warrant to put him under surveillance."

Mayson nodded, "Do it."

"Our team has found a connection between this detective and
several officers in both the prison and the department. We're
thinking there might be a connection between these officers and
the escape of the prisoner, Toni Taylor the other night,"
Davenport added, tapping the file in his hand as he spoke.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Mayson mused, turning her chair from
side to side as she contemplated the information she'd been
given.

"Inspector Henderson seemed to think this 'boss' was behind
all the crime in Metropolis." Woods began hesitantly, "Our
theory is his reach is stretched outside of Metropolis and into
parts of Washington as well."

Mayson let out a frustrated growl, "How does this happen? How
does one place get so....?"

"Corrupt?" Davenport suggested.

"Broken," Mayson said sadly.

"If we work together on this we should be able to bring him down
in no time," Agent Woods reassured.

"I hope so," Mayson sighed.

***

Jack Olsen sifted through the paperwork Perry White had handed
him, trying to make sense out of what was happening to his son.
"How is this even considered a terroristic act?"

"Well, that's where your help will be needed, Mr. Olsen,"
Perry explained, "The state's case is that because you're in
the NIA Jimmy attacked the Planet in retaliation of editorials
printed against the NIA in support of...you," Perry cocked an
eyebrow, showing he didn't believe the charges.

"Where would they get this idea?" Jack asked, "I mean, I..."
He stopped for a moment, remembering he couldn't give himself
away, "I'm just a, uh, structural engineer. I'm no spy," he
chuckled at the last statement.

"We're not sure." Perry sighed, "That's where you'll come
in. Once we can get the charges of you being connected to the NIA
dismissed their whole case falls apart."

"Really?" Jack felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

Did someone know?

How could they know?

Even his wife and son didn't know what he really did.

"Well, I'll do what I can to help, Mr. White," he was quiet
for a moment before asking the question he'd been dying to ask
since the plane landed. "Can I see him?"

***

Lucy set down her suitcase and leaned back on the bed, staring up
at the ceiling. The apartment appeared to be in the same shape it
was when they'd left it. The melted bag of peas she'd been
nursing her bruised face from the other night still laid on the
corner of the bed. Everything was the same yet different.

Is he or isn't he?

That was the question that kept racing through her mind. The
entire flight back she'd tried to get Superman to talk, but he
remained his usual stoic self, flying her back to Metropolis.
Nothing recognizable that she could associate with Clark Kent.

What would Lois do?

Lois.

She wasn't sure what to think about her sister at the moment. If
what she suspected was true her sister had been knowingly
deceiving her for months. She wasn't sure how she felt about
that. She wasn't even sure if she knew what she thought she
knew.

"Argh!" Lucy yelled into the throw pillow in frustration before
tossing it to the ground.

A Bruise. He had a bruise.

Superman doesn't bruise.

He was bleeding.

Superman doesn't bleed.

He was drunk.

Superman doesn't get drunk.

Why was he being so shady about his connection to Superman?

How did he know things that only Superman knew?

What was that comment about 'Flyboy'?

None of it made sense.

The sound of the telephone ringing caught Lucy by surprise. She
reached over to answer it, remembering that Lois wasn't home,
"Hello?"

"Lois?" the gruff sound of Perry White's voice echoed on the
other side of the telephone.

"No, Mr. White this is Lucy," she corrected.

"Ah, I've got an update on Jimmy's case. Can you have Lois and
Clark meet me outside the Planet when they get in?" Perry
asked.

"Uh, sure," she began, uncertain when they would actually be
getting in. Lois had taken all the information they had on Lex
Luthor and moved it out of the apartment for safe keeping. She
still wasn't sure where it had been moved to or when her sister
was coming back. "I'm not sure when she'll be in though."

"She's not answering her cell," Perry added in a gruff tone.

"I'll have her call you when she gets in," Lucy reassured.
"Mr. White?"

"Yes?"

"How is he?" Lucy asked, uncertain if she wanted to know the
answer.

"He's a strong kid. He's hanging in there," Perry reassured.
She could hear the strain in his voice.

"Yeah," Lucy said sadly, glancing at the door sadly. She heard
a hard knock coming from the front door, "I've gotta go, Mr.
White. Someone's at the door."

"Be careful," he cautioned.

Lucy had already hung up and was on her way to answer the door
when he finished his statement. She opened the door and found a
Lex Power crew standing outside the door, "May I help you?"

The older man nodded, "Monthly service call. It'll only take a
few minutes, Ma'am,"

Lucy eyed the balding man uncertainly. He pulled out his
credentials, and she relaxed, "Okay." She opened the door for
them to enter the apartment.

***

Vicki Vale smiled at the cameras which were hooked up to portable
power generators along with the lights and special effects. It
wasn't ideal, but it worked. Bruce had a lighting contractor and
electrician come out and help hook the system up so that
everything was powered by a separate generator so they could do
the show by rotating the generators.

"Welcome back everyone. I'm Vicki Vale, and you're watching
the Vicki Vale Show," Vicki smiled into the camera. "Our first
story this evening is something very dear and close to my heart,
the destruction of the Daily Planet. A young man has been charged
with this heinous act, an innocent young man. I for one want to
know what we're going to do about it. We cannot continue to let
corruption plague this city."

***

"Welcome back everyone. I'm Vicki Vale, and you're watching
the Vicki Vale Show," Vicki smiled into the camera. "Our first
story this evening is something very dear and close to my heart,
the destruction of the Daily Planet. A young man has been charged
with this heinous act, an innocent young man. I for one want to
know what we're going to do about it. We cannot continue to let
corruption plague this city."

Lex clicked his remote to turn the footage off on Vicki Vale,
"Always one step ahead," he muttered under his breath. A knock
on the wooden door frame behind him caught his attention, and he
spun around in his chair to face the intruder, "Nigel, any
updates?"

Nigel handed him the file in his hands, "Our men were able to
find information on the location of young Jack and his brother
off the Coast of the Caribbean. It appears he's listed as a
material witness along with..."

Lex's eyes narrowed, "Along with who?"

"Dr. Sam Lane," Nigel spoke cautiously.

"And the computer chip?" Lex asked.

"Gone. All the notes were destroyed," Nigel explained.

"Any update on a location on him?" Lex asked.

"None."

"Send Fuentes to the Caribbean and Toni after Dr. Lane," Lex
ordered, lifting a cigar from his case, "Keep an eye out for
Lois Lane. She may have been in hiding, but she won't stay that
way for long. I want to know the second she returns to
Metropolis."

"Yes, sir."

***

After dropping their research off with Perry and leaving Sam with
Bill Henderson to go over what he knew during his time at LexLabs
Lois and Clark arrived at his apartment. He unlocked the front
door, lowering his glasses as he scanned for any listening or
monitoring devices. "Anything?" Lois asked, placing a hand on
his shoulder.

He shook his head, "We're clear." He closed the door behind
them and locked the deadbolt before turning to face Lois. "How
are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," she didn't sound very convincing. He wrapped
a supportive arm around her and guided her into the living room.
"Are you sure having everything at Perry's is the safest thing
right now?"

He nodded, "We have backups at my folks, but for now keeping
everything there is safer for everyone. He said he wanted to go
through what we had too and try and find what he could on Luthor.
Another pair of eyes can only help."

"Daddy's still not sure about testifying," Lois said, sinking
into the soft cushions of his couch.

Clark took a seat next to her, stroking her jawline with his
palm, "Neither is Jack."

"I don't know if we'll be able to build a strong enough
case," Lois' voice cracked as she spoke. "How do three hundred
and fifty-seven videos get up and walk out of police custody
without leaving a trail?"

Clark's head rested against hers, reaching his hand out for hers
as he spoke, "One thing I've learned over the last year is to
expect the unexpected. Luthor had to have people on the inside
warning him about what was coming down. We need to find out
who."

"Explains how he disappeared before getting served with the
arrest warrant," Lois mused aloud, lacing her fingers in between
his and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yep," Clark muttered bitterly, stroking the top of her
knuckles with his thumb. "We underestimated him. We won't do
that again." He turned to look at her, "I have a feeling Lucy
was right about Luthor being behind that oil rig explosion."

"I had the same feeling," Lois whispered softly, moving closer,
so her legs were curled up on his lap as she rested her head on
his chest. "He's out of control."

"All those people..." Clark muttered bitterly, pinching the
bridge of his nose. Lois moved her hand to cup his cheek,
catching his gaze.

"Clark, it was not your fault," Her words hit a nerve. How was
it she knew he was blaming himself for those lives he wasn't
able to save? His lips tightened, forming a thin line and she
turned to look at him, cupping both sides of his face as she
repeated, "It was not your fault."

"If we had just..."

She put a finger to his lips, silencing him, "It was not your
fault." She repeated once more. He debated whether he should try
to discuss the what-if scenarios he'd been replaying in his head
since that morning or just let her win this argument for a
moment. The inner debate soon became a moot point when she
whispered, "Kiss me."

He happily obliged, pulling her closer to him as he sought her
lips out with his own, lightly at first then growing with more
intensity as he sought her out hungrily. He couldn't get enough
of the feel of her lips on his or the way that her mouth parted
open just enough for him to taste the remnants of her coffee from
earlier. Needing to feel her body against his, he pulled her on
his lap, so she was straddling him, increasing the contact
between them with each caress. He pleaded for more as his lips
shuddered desperately into her mouth, pulling passionately on
hers. She willingly gave in, deepening the kiss until it became
frantic, eager, demanding.

"I'm...right...here," she reassured him, running her hands up
and down his chest as she loosened his collar, unbuttoning his
black button down shirt one by one and tightening her thighs
around his torso.

"I...need...you," his voice cracked in between heated kisses,
running his hands up and down her upper thighs.

"Everything's fine," she reassured him, tugging the cotton
shirt from his jeans as she pressed herself against him, "Kiss
me."

He obliged, running his hands through her hair as he fingered
through her dark locks, feeling the softness against his
fingertips. Unwilling to break contact but desperate for the
closeness he knew was sure to follow he stood up, wrapping her
legs around him as he carried her to the bedroom.

"Clark!"

***

Two men in an unmarked car sat outside Clark Kent's apartment
complex. After watching the couple enter the apartment the first
man made the call, "Sir? We've just spotted them. Yes. Both of
them." He nodded to his counterpart who began pulling out
surveillance equipment, "Outside? Yes, sir."

***

"You are so sexy," Clark murmured, whispering feather light
kisses against her throat, slipping his hands beneath the hem of
her t-shirt he'd released from its neatly tucked home in her
jeans that now lay discarded on his bedroom floor. She fingered
the buttons of his shirt, popping them open one by one as she
helped shed him of his shirt.

"So much better..." She said with gratification as her eyes
lingered on his chest, running her hands up and down his
shoulders seductively. He groaned his approval, slipping his
hands beneath the hem of her shirt and she whispered, "Kiss
me." She leaned her head back against the mattress, staring up
at the ceiling as he fingered the waistband of her cotton
panties, "Love me."

"I love you." He whispered in her ear, "I need you so much,
Lois."

"Oh, don't stop, Clark," she pleaded with him as her hands
wandered down his chest. He watched mesmerized as she threw her
head back, concentrating on his hands and their exploration of
her soft curves. She reached up to remove his glasses, folding
them and placing them on the nightstand behind them.

He stroked her cheek, capturing her lips with his own, feeling
the moisture between her legs pool against his naked torso. His
mouth came crashing down on hers as he thrust his tongue against
her lips, demanding entrance. His hands found their home between
her legs as he hungrily sought the taste of her tongue on his.
She made a small sound in the back of her throat, pleading for
more.

She drew her hands through his hair until they clasped the back
of his neck, pulling him to her as she met his tongue in the warm
confines of her mouth, teasing him with her taste.

***

Bill Henderson eyed Sam Lane hesitantly, "This super chip as you
call it. When did you first learn of the intentions your employer
had for it?"

Sam leaned forward to speak into the microphone Henderson was
using to record the conversation. "I discovered my employer, Lex
Luthor and Max Menken's intentions for using the super-chip to
create a super-powered army of criminals right before my friend
Allie Dinello was murdered."

"How did you come about this information?"

"I overheard a conversation between the two of them in Max
Menken's office."

"Did you see Lex Luthor enter or leave Max Menken's office?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes I saw him enter and leave the office of Max Menken."

"When was this?" Henderson asked.

"Three hours before Allie Dinello was murdered."

"Do you have reason to believe Allie was murdered by anyone
other than Max Menken?"

"Yes, I do."

"Who?"

"I believe Lex Luthor ordered the murder of Allie Dinello when
he refused to cover up the use of robotics in the boxers at
Menken's Gym."

"How long have you worked for LexLabs, Dr. Lane?"

"I was offered a chance to create a breakthrough medical miracle
by Lex Luthor after Menken was murdered."

"You say murdered?" Henderson pressed. "It was ruled a
self-defense shooting."

"If you say so," Dr. Lane's face was grim.

"You don't believe it was an accident?"

"After what I've learned over the last year nothing surprises
me anymore."

"What was the purpose for this super-chip?" Henderson asked.

"To murder Superman and become the most powerful man in the
world," Dr. Lane's lips tightened into a thin line with his
last statement.

***

Nigel programmed the monitors in the office as Lex readied
himself, "Cameras have been set up. As long as our friendly
neighborhood alien stays away, you should be able to monitor
what's going on at both Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane's residence
without detection."

Lex took the remote from Nigel and ushered him away, "Be sure to
reward the boys for their diligence." Nigel nodded and left,
leaving Lex alone with the monitoring system once more. He
clicked the remote, and the image of Clark Kent's and Lois
Lane's apartments filled the screen side by side.

***

Clark floated himself and Lois upward to the ceiling, meeting
Lois' gaze he cupped her cheek, devouring her lips with his own
as he lost himself in her arms. "Yes, oh, yes..." She murmured
against his lips incoherently.

"Oh, Lois..." He buried his face into her hair, breathing her
scent in deeply. His body shifted against hers as he rejoiced in
finding solace in the arms of the woman he loved. "God you're
incredible, Lois...You mean everything to me."

She reached up to stroke his jaw. "Oh, Clark," he leaned in to
kiss her. "I love you so much."

***

"What is this?" Lex snarled at the screen, hitting button after
button. Nothing on the screen of Clark Kent's apartment other
than empty rooms. Nothing on the screen of Lois Lane's apartment
other than empty rooms. No audio. No nothing. "Nigel!"

He had received the call that Lois Lane and Clark Kent were
spotted and the surveillance system had been set up. Now, they
had disappeared.

Where had they gone?

***

Jimmy sat in his cell, watching at the guards moved up and down
the halls. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat. He was always
waiting for the next bomb to drop. The charges against him were
serious. They were untrue, but they were serious. Right now he
didn't know how far this frame up would go.

How corrupt was the justice system?

A knock at the cell door caught his attention and Jimmy stood to
his feet as he'd been instructed on his intake for when a guard
entered the cell. "James Olsen. You've got a visitor. Your
sister."

He started to say he didn't have a sister but thought it a bad
idea. Knowing Lois, she's probably lied her way in to see him.
Hopefully, she had some news on their investigation and could
shed some light on the plan to get his name cleared.

***

Jimmy arrived in the visitor's room, and to his surprise, it
wasn't his friend he saw, but his girlfriend, Lucy Lane. "Lucy,
what are you doing here?" He took a seat across the table from
her.

She pushed a stray hair behind her ear and gave him a watery
smile, "I had to see you."

***

Nigel returned to the underground office where Lex had his
surveillance system displaying the apartments of Lois Lane and
Clark Kent. "Well, where are they?" Lex demanded. "You said
you had men on the ground. They couldn't just disappear."

"Sir, they've assured me that Lois Lane and Clark Kent went
inside the apartment and have not come out," Nigel reassured.

Lex motioned to the screens, "Well then I suppose they've both
gained the power of invisibility..."

Nigel sighed, realizing he wasn't able to provide an answer that
would satisfy his employer, "They've assured me..."

"Yes, yes, they've assured you. Where are they?" He motioned
toward the empty apartments on the screens before throwing his
remote through the screens, shattering them in an instant. Lex
glared at Nigel angrily, "Find her."

Nigel stared at the static that now filled the shattered screens
and bowed his head before silently retreating.

***

Detective Harris stepped out of his car and headed toward the
City Hall steps; a sly grin spread across his face as he patted
his new detective's badge in the right breast pocket with his
shield. It was a dream come true.

"Detective Harris?"

He looked behind him and saw a group of six men and women dressed
in dark suits. Feds. They smelled like Feds. He groaned,
uncertain what his options were at the moment.

"Don't even think about trying to make a run for it." A hard
metal object hit the back of his neck, and he lifted his hands up
in surrender.

"Mind telling me what this is about?"

The first man that had called his name pulled out his badge to
identify himself, "Agent Davenport with the FBI. I think you and
I need to have a long chat about your new boss."

"Commissioner Thompson?" He asked, confused.

"Lex Luthor," Davenport corrected, his eyes narrowing as he
motioned for him to follow.

***

Lex stood in the middle of his underground office surrounded by
billboard after billboard covered in everything he'd learned
about the man of steel. Images of Lois Lane with Superman covered
one board while the others were filled with articles by her and
Clark Kent.

Another article had been circled in red. The missing Superman
article by James Olsen and Lois Lane. Another billboard had
images of each member of the Daily Planet with notes scribbled on
them of interactions with the man of steel.

How was he still so far away from finding Superman's secret
identity?

What was he missing?

In the rejected pile of possible aliases, the top photo had a
large 'x' across it. The photograph showed Clark Kent.

***

The next morning Lois sat with Clark, reading over the latest
'online' version of the Daily Planet on her laptop as they
worked on the follow-up on the sabotage of the oil rig and the
recent sale of Honeybraun Industries to LexCorp.

"I think that's everything on the Honeybraun Industries story.
I still don't get what his angle is. They're just an energy
company like LexCorp," Lois sighed, pushing the send button with
the click of the keyboard.

Clark shook his head, "Not from what I was reading." He set his
laptop down, showing her the screen he had pulled up. Under a
different Alias, an international article showed the owner of
Honeybraun Industries shaking hands with the President of Russia,
Boris Yeltsin, holding up a contract for the photographers.

"Is that..?" Lois gasped in surprise.

"Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia. Signing a deal with HB
Weapons. Apparently, HB Weapons is Honeybraun Industries. They
don't manufacture in the US. They don't sell to the US, but
they do make weapons...a lot of them. The stuff these guys make
LexCorp's Weapon's Division look like child's play. They've
got everything from sonar-powered bombs that paralyze the enemy
to drones that shoot armies from the sky. Most of this stuff
isn't even legal."

"So, if Lex bought Honeybraun Industries..."

"He bought HB Weapons as well along with every weapon they've
sold, making dirty deals with third-world countries," he pulled
up another photo of Akbar Rafsanjani, the leader of Iran.

Lois reached over him, scrolling through article after article
he'd been sent from his contact, Matt Young with the NIA.
"Who's this Matt Young?"

"A guy that helped me on a gun runner story some years back,"
Clark explained. "He was just a field agent back then. He's
moved up and now heads up the International Trades in the NIA.
Has a lot of contacts with the UN."

"If Lex has this..." Lois pointed to a large satellite on the
screen with Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraq.

"I know." He grimaced, glancing at the time he reminded her,
"What time did Lucy say we needed to meet Perry at the
Planet?"

Lois shrugged, "I don't know that she actually gave a time.
Just to meet him at the Planet."

Clark reached for the phone, dialing Perry's number. Lois
continued scrolling through the articles and images on Clark's
computer. "Hey, Chief?"

"Clark, good to hear from you. I spoke with Lois' sister
yesterday. I've got some news," Perry explained on the other
end of the line.

"What kind of news?" Clark asked, glancing at the screen that
showed Lex Luthor and the leader of Honeybraun Industries shaking
hands at the press conference, confirming the sale to LexCorp.

"We might have a break in Jimmy's case. Can you meet me in
front of the Planet in say...half an hour?"

Lois pulled up the record detailing the sale of HB Weapons to
LexCorp and the patent transfer to Lex Luthor. Lois' face fell
in dismay as she ran a hand through her hair. "Clark? Are you
still there, son?"

"I'm here, Chief," he reached over to close the lid to his
laptop, squeezing Lois' hand, "We'll see you in a few."

"Clark..." Lois breathed, turning to look at him.

"I know. Believe me, I know. We've got to get going. Perry said
he's got a break in Jimmy's case. We can sort through this
later."

***

Lex paced across the room, barking orders as Mrs. Cox and Nigel
scrambled to jot down his orders in a frenzy. "Every
surveillance we've tried has been thwarted. Superman cannot be
everywhere. We need something undetectable."

"Lex, if I may?" Mrs. Cox attempted to interrupt but was
rewarded with a cold stare.

"Superman has a secret identity. Now, I don't know where he
lives. So I can't set up surveillance on him, but I do know who
he associates with. Keep Lois Lane under constant
surveillance."

"But..." Mrs. Cox began to argue. The cold stare she received
back made her think better of it.

"Get LexLabs on this immediately. There has to be a way to keep
her under surveillance without alerting Superman. Find a way and
get it done."

"Yes, sir," Nigel nodded his agreement.

"Now about the testing on the Kryptonite..."

***

Lois stared at the building that had once held such prestige and
meaning. It seemed so broken without the Daily Planet globe
hanging high from the front of the building. In its place were
blackened sheets and graffiti stained concrete. "This is
depressing."

Clark wrapped a protective arm around her from behind, "We'll
rebuild." He reminded her, "It's just a building."

"Gone." Perry approached them from behind in a gruff whisper,
"All gone." He looked up toward the building with them. "Still
hard to believe someone would do something like this."

"And pin it on Jimmy of all people," Clark muttered bitterly,
making his disapproval of the situation clear.

Perry nodded, "They said the incendiary device that did this was
in traced to materials they found in his apartment. Jimmy says
he's never seen or heard of any of the stuff. It's a frame up
if I ever saw one."

"What is Jimmy's lawyer saying?" Lois asked.

"Unless we can get Jimmy's father to disprove the connection to
the NIA Jimmy will be facing federal charges in federal court,"
Perry began.

"Over my dead body," Came a voice from the corner of the
Planet. Lois and Clark looked to see a tall man in a suit with
salt and pepper hair, carrying a briefcase. He approached them
with his hand extended, "You must be Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Jimmy talks about you quite a bit in his emails."

"Emails?" Lois asked.

"We stay in touch while I'm traveling." He explained, shaking
her hand, "I'm Jack Olsen, Jimmy's dad."

"Pleased to meet you," Clark said, shaking his hand. "How soon
do you think we can get Jimmy cleared of this mess?"

"That's going to be up to the courts," Jack sighed. "I don't
have the kind of clearance the police seem to think I do," He
smiled good-naturedly, catching Clark's eyes for a moment before
turning away. "The most important thing right now is to get rid
of the NIA charge and then the rest should fall apart."

"How do we do that?" Lois asked.

Perry patted Jack on the shoulder, "Jack here has agreed to
submit to a polygraph to prove he is not an NIA spy. Constance is
requesting a statement from the NIA to confirm Jack Olsen is not
employed by the NIA," Lois noticed Jack visibly tense at the
last statement as Perry continued. "We should have this whole
thing thrown out within the week."

"Great," Lois smiled, uncertain of how convinced Perry was of
his promise.

***

Lucy followed Lois and Clark into the apartment, carrying the
boxes of files, "Geez, did you leave any for anyone else?" She
asked, setting them down on the coffee table.

"Jimmy's case files," Clark explained, setting a box down next
to Lucy's. "We're trying to pick everything apart so we can
help Constance get him cleared."

"Good idea." Lucy said, looking at the files, "Where do we
start?"

Lois opened the lid to the first file box, "I guess we start
here." She handed Lucy a large envelope titled 'DP Arson 10:01
Left Perimeter.' Lucy took the envelope from her and began to
open it. Lois reached in and began pulling out envelopes with
similar files with the same note written on them. She handed a
stack to Clark and began to open them.

"They're pictures," Lucy breathed, showing the image of the
Daily Planet in flames.

"Oh," Lois said, looking down at the stack of envelopes in her
hand. Was she ready to look at these? She glanced back at her
sister who had thankfully placed the photograph back in her lap,
meeting her eyes with a concerned expression. She grimaced as she
looked at the familiar images. Images of the panicked faces that
had surrounded her that day and the look of dread on Clark's
face when they'd been trapped in that elevator flashed through
her mind.

'*Don't go there,'* She reminded herself.

"Lois?" Lucy waved in her direction. Clark gave her arm a
gentle squeeze. She looked back in surprise. "Are you gonna be
okay?"

"Fine," she gave a forced smile that neither of them was
convinced of.

Lucy sighed, taking the stack of envelopes from her, tossing them
in the box and carrying it toward the dining room, "No you're
not."

"What are you doing?" Lois asked.

"I'm going to sort through the photos. You find anymore you can
bring them to me. You two see if you can find anything else in
the other two boxes," Lucy called over her shoulder.

Lois visibly relaxed, grateful once again for her little
sister's ability to read the situation and take over without
being asked. Clark reached over and opened the second box,
grabbing the lid from it. She sighed in relief when she saw a
stack of reports on top. Boring reports that didn't show her
friends and co-workers on the worst day of their lives.

"Here." He handed her a stack of folders on top for her to
start sorting through.

She grabbed the top file and opened it. It was the preliminary
report from the Fire Marshall on the arson. 'Incinary device
containing C12 found in an unmarked package. Numerous incendiary
devices found inside elevator shaft...'

Lois stopped reading, pushing the images of the elevator shaft
being engulfed in flames as Clark flew them through the glass
window at the top. The heat that had surrounded them had been
terrifying but she never once doubted he'd get them out.

The look on his face that day, though. That had scared her. He
had been terrified of not getting everyone out. He'd been
terrified of not getting all those men out on the oil rig
explosion. It was just another example of how personally Clark
took all his rescues.

She glanced over at him, reading through the police report on
Jimmy and reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. He glanced
back at her, and she saw the same dread she felt reflected in his
eyes. She rested her head against his shoulder as he wrapped an
arm around her. They continued sorting through the reports in
silence, trying to make sense out of the case that was being
brought against Jimmy.

***

Fuentes landed outside the airspace on the private jet provided
to him by Lex Luthor. He breathed in the fresh ocean air, looking
around the peaceful surroundings as he pulled out his phone,
"Boss? We're here."

***

Mayson clicked the inside of her mouth with her tongue as she
paced in front of Detective Harris in the interrogation room
Agent Davenport had set up in the DA's office. "Harris, let's
talk."

Harris looked back between Mayson and Davenport that sat across
from him, "What's to talk about?"

"Let's start with Luthor," Davenport said with a smile.

"Nice guy. Don't know him that well. Next," Harris shrugged.

Mayson raised an eyebrow then started laying photograph after
photograph out for him, showing surveillance images of Harris
with Nigel St. John, Mark Fuentes, and several members of the
Metros. "These were just taken within the last forty-eight
hours. I have more," she waved a manila envelope in her hands.

"Can't prove nothing," He scoffed, looking at the pictures
warily.

"Let's see, this is you talking to Mark Fuentes a few hours
before he showed up at Ellen Lane's residence and tried to break
in. A nosy busy body recognized you from your photo," Mayson
pointed out. "Then we have you here exchanging what looks like
an envelope of money for some information with Mr. St. John a
known spy and assassin the FBI has under surveillance. Were you
selling Girl Scout cookie recipes, Harris? Oh, I know you were
signing up for Highlights." Mayson's eyes darkened, slamming
both hands on the table causing him to jump.

"I'd start talking if I were you." Davenport warned as he
cleaned off his glasses, "I've seen her mad and it ain't a
pretty sight."

"There's nothing to talk about," Harris argued.

"No?" Mayson pulled out another photo of Harris and Jenkins at
Bill Henderson's desk, pulling classified photos out and
snapping photos of them. "Bet you didn't know you were on Candy
Camera, huh?" Mayson's mouth twitched as she fought the smile
that was threatening to overtake her face when she saw the beads
of sweat drip down Harris' forehead. "Still so sure about the
no talking stance or should I go on?"

***

At LexLabs Dr. Gretchen Kelly had begun work on Lex's request
for an undetectable monitoring system. She handed a blue
substance to Lex in a bottle, "I've liquified our sonar
detection system, revolutionizing the world of surveillance.
Superman can't see or hear it because it doesn't give off a
sound and it's practically invisible to the naked eye."

"Sonar? Like a bat?" Lex asked.

She smiled, "Yes. Exactly. Bats are able to detect things around
them by setting off a sonar signal. That's how our earlier
device worked, plugging into the power system instead of actual
sonar. This will show you everything."

"Keep talking," Lex instructed, intrigued by what he heard.

She handed him a small round device, "Plug this into your
computer, and it'll act as an invisible feed, showing everything
that is happening in the area treated. It only lasts 12 hours at
a time though."

His face scowled, "Only twelve hours?"

"It's still in the testing stages, Lex," Dr. Kelly explained.

"It'll have to do for now," Lex reasoned with a worried
expression.

***

Lucy stretched her arms up over her head, looking at the progress
she'd made. She glanced toward the living room where Lois and
Clark had made piles on the floor of the different pieces of
evidence against Jimmy. "Anything?" She asked, walking into the
living room with her third cup of coffee.

Lois looked up from the floor where she had parked herself in
front of the line of reports. "It all seems circumstantial at
best." She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I mean, if
I were prosecuting this case I wouldn't take it to trial."

Lucy took a seat across from Lois, reading the report in front of
her, "Receipt for purchase of C12?" She scrunched up her nose.

"From a public computer that Jimmy happens to have access to."
Clark added bitterly, placing another folder in the stack,
"Here's more on the NIA angle."

"Thanks," Lois placed it in the taller of the three stacks in
front of her.

Lucy let out a long sigh, taking a sip of her coffee, "You
don't think there's anything to that, do you?" She glanced at
the stack of files, her eyes widening as she took in the
difference between the evidence of the actual explosion and the
evidence that Jimmy's dad was actually in the NIA."

"I don't know," Lois said softly. "Perry said Jack denied
being a part of the NIA, but the reality is we just met him. From
what Jimmy has said over the years he wasn't really close with
his dad."

"For argument's sake, even if his dad is in the NIA it doesn't
give any more water to their sorry excuse of a case," Clark
added. "There is no way Jimmy would do this. There is no way
this is anything but a carefully orchestrated set-up." Lucy
glanced toward him. He had his sleeves pushed up to his elbows a
pencil tucked behind his ear and his hair ragged from running his
hand through it a thousand times that day. It was evident
Jimmy's case was getting to both her sister and Clark.

"I just wish we could convince the judge of that," Lucy said
sadly.

"We will," Lois reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled at both of them, "I hope so."

"We've got a request in to get the tapes from all the
businesses around the Planet that day. Hopefully there's
something somewhere showing what happened that day that can help
lead us to the real arsonist," Lois explained.

"I'd love it if it leads right to Lex Luthor's doorstep but we
all know that's wishful thinkin--"

She noticed Clark fidgeting in his seat, wiggling his finger in
his ear, looking at Lois. She nodded, and he stood up, "I-I'm
gonna take a break and stretch my legs. I'm seeing double. How
about some dinner?"

"A little early, but sure. I could eat." Lucy smiled, "Maybe
some Chinese?" She pointed at the phone, "We could order
in..."

"I was just gonna go pick it up. It'll be faster," he
explained, already standing up and heading for the door.

"The closest Chinese restaurant is all the way across town. You
don't have a car."

"It's not that far," he said with a smile, opening the door to
leave. "I'll be back in a bit."

"But..."

Before she could argue any further, he'd already left. Lucy
looked at the closed door in dismay turning to her sister who
seemed oblivious. "Lois?"

Lois had a pencil in her mouth, sifting through another file,
oblivious to what had just happened. "Hmm?" She scrunched up
her nose, penciling a note on the report in her hand.

Lucy waved a hand in her sister's face, "Earth to Lois!"

Lois looked up, "What?"

Lucy pointed to the empty seat on the couch, "What is up with
your boyfriend? He just said he's going to go for a walk and
pick up lunch...on the other side of town?"

Lois looked at her confused for a moment then shrugged, "Yeah,
he'll be back. What's the big deal?"

Lois stared back at her with an inquisitive look. What's the big
deal? That's her sister--prize winning investigative
journalist's--reaction? She could press it but seeing how deep
Lois was into Jimmy's case she thought better of it.
"Nothing." She reached over her, "Hand me that report on the
evidence they collected from Jimmy's apartment.

***

Davenport paced the office of Victor Talley, Director of Major
Crimes with the FBI, "I don't have time to get a warrant from
some hung-over judge. Just give me the go-ahead, Victor,

and I promise -- as soon as this is over -- you can brand my rear
end with the Fourth Amendment."

"In seventy-two point bold," Victor stated.

"In seventy-two point bold," Davenport agreed, recognizing the
phrase from numerous conversations he'd had with the director
over the past year.

Talley looked at the file on his desk, "Davenport, this is too
big."

"Which is why..." Davenport began to argue.

"We have to mind our 'p's, and 'q's, on this one. Can't let
him slip through the cracks again. Get Judge Stephens to sign off
on this, and you have the go-ahead."

"Stephens???" Davenport scoffed, "Victor are you out of your
mind???"

"He's the one assigned to this case."

"He's dirty."

"He's the judge."

"He's in Luthor's pocket."

"Prove it," Victor said, handing the file back to him with the
warrant request. "The answer is no."

***

Outside Metropolis Savings and Loan Clark landed still hearing
the alarm but not seeing anything out of the ordinary other than
a guard on the front steps looking around confused, "Sir?"

The guard waved and approached him at the same time the alarm
stopped. "Thanks for coming, Superman but it was a false alarm.
The security system just went crazy all of a sudden. Sorry to
take your time."

Clark gave a reassuring smile, "No problem at all." He moved
toward the steps to leave and felt a numbing pain run through his
body.

"Superman? Are you okay?" The guard asked, looking at him in
concern.

The pain slowly subsided, and Clark looked around, trying to see
if there was anywhere he could pinpoint as the source of the
pain. Panic filled his mind and realization dawned on him that
kryptonite was nearby. Thankfully wherever it was, didn't appear
to be close enough to affect him. "Yes," he managed, scanning
the crowd of people and parked cars around them. There were too
many to check. He still felt weak, but his powers appeared to
still be intact. He sighed in relief, "I'm fine...now."

***

Around the corner Mrs. Cox pulled out her cell phone, smiling as
she hummed to herself, "Lex? Project K is a go ahead. We have
the genuine article." From beneath her coat, she pulled out a
necklace with a large glowing green rock.

***

That evening, after dinner and Lucy had gone to bed, Clark
updated Lois on what had happened at the bank.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lois asked for the tenth time,
placing a supportive hand on Clark's shoulder.

"I'm fine." He reassured her, "A little weak but nothing a
few hours in the sun won't cure."

Her head rested against his shoulder in relief, "I thought you
said it was all destroyed."

He grimaced. "The piece Trask had was destroyed, but as we found
out this weekend, it's still out there."

"What are we going to do?" She asked, "You can't go on
rescues with that stuff out there."

"Lois, I can't just ignore cries for help. You know that." He
cupped her cheek as he spoke, "Especially not now."

Her face scrunched up into a scowl, "Because of Lex."

"Because of Superman," he said, tilting her head to look at
him. "I can't just abandon everyone because of a threat like
this. It's not who I am, and it's not who Superman is."

"You could get hurt," she reminded him.

"So could any officer or first responder that puts their life on
the line every day. I'm not going to let whoever this is, win.
I'm not going to run and hide and let innocent people be hurt
because of a threat."

"Clark?"

"Hmm?" He looked down, meeting her gaze.

"What if Lex has the Kryptonite?" She asked in a soft whisper
barely audible for even his super-hearing.

"Lois," he turned to cup her cheek, rolling so he was facing
her on his side. The thought had occurred to him when he'd felt
the familiar numbing pain earlier. It appeared Lois was having
the same thoughts. The same fears.

Unshed tears filled her eyes as she spoke, her voice cracking,
"Clark, I don't think I could stand by and ...If anything ever
happened to you. If he..."

He pulled her to him, silencing her fears with his lips,
"Lois," he stroked the outline of her jaw, resting his forehead
against hers, "Nothing is going to happen. We don't even know
for sure that Luthor has it." She gave him a 'yeah right'
look, and he sighed, continuing, "Even if he does there's not
guarantee on how he'd even use it."

"If he has it. He'll use it," she said bitterly. "Let's not
kid ourselves."

"Fair enough, but he probably doesn't even know what he has,"
Clark reasoned, not quite believing it himself.

"Other than it makes Superman weak?" She asked, narrowing her
eyes as she spoke. He nodded, shaking his head. She reached up to
stroke his cheek, "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"Always." He ran his fingers through her hair, "Lois, nothing
will ever keep me from coming back and being where I belong," He
pressed his solid frame against hers, "Right here by your
side." He moved both hands to cup her face on both sides as he
leaned in to seal the promise with a kiss.

***

A bloodied Johnny Taylor made his way through the Oakland P.D.
scanning the desks until he found who he was looking for. Toni
tried to free him. What she didn't know was his 'escape'
wasn't warranted. He'd already cut a deal with the Feds the
week before to turn evidence against the boss and the other
organizations that he'd dealt with during his time as head of
the Metros.

Now that plan was blown to smithereens if he couldn't get some
help. Recognizing one of the officers he approached his desk with
a groan.

"Yes, can I ...?" The officer's eyes widened, "Oh my God!
Geez! Johnny, what the hell happened to you?"

"Get me the DA. I'd like to renegotiate the terms of our
deal," Johnny breathed unevenly as he sank down in the chair,
lifting his arm that had been sliced and revealing the stab
wounds from inside the prison from his sister.

***

Bruce Wayne walked through the debris of the printing press floor
of what used to produce the world's largest and most globally
known newspaper in the world. The Daily Planet's online presence
was helping somewhat but the days of people turning to technology
instead of the paper on their front porch were not here. He
needed to get production moved to Metropolis. It was costing him
an arm and a leg to keep printing Metropolis' Daily Planet in
the Gotham Gazette's printing room. He half suspected they were
charging him more for helping the competition.

"Over here, Mr. Wayne," the Fire Marshall pointed toward the
elevator shaft where they said the fire started.

Behind him, Michael Clemmons, Judge Stephens, and Constance
Hunter followed the fire marshall through the debris. "Now you
can where these white spots are," he pointed to the wall.
"That's where the fire started. He pulled out a charred square
metallic device and handed it to Bruce, "One of these bad boys
was pinned to every single floor. Luckily Superman was able to
disarm them, so only one floor got the blast. If he hadn't..."

"The entire building would have collapsed," Bruce finished for
him.

"Olsen sure did a number on this place," Clemmons commented.
"How many people were in the building?"

"Three hundred give or take," Bruce answered glumly seeing the
twinkle in Clemmons' eye as he continued to sway the judge.

"James Olsen set this fire and tried to bury three hundred
people in it, your honor. You cannot give a man like that
bail."

"Excuse me? James Olsen is innocent until proven guilty."
Constance interrupted, "I'd appreciate if you'd refrain from
trying to taint his honor against my client."

"What's to taint?" Clemmons scoffed, looking around the room,
"We're standing in the evidence right now."

Bruce decided to chime in, seeing the pained expression on
Constance and Judge Stephens' faces. "I hate to interrupt, but
Mr. Clemmons I can't have you labeling James Olsen as the
arsonist in front of my staff unless he's been charged and
convicted." He gestured to the suits behind him, "We're all
upset and affected by this. The reality is we don't know for
sure James Olsen is responsible. If there's even a smidgen of a
chance he could be innocent isn't it your office's job to get
to the truth?"

DA Clemmons shifted slightly, "It's my job to see justice is
served. Right now serving justice is making sure James Olsen
stays behind bars so this..." He gestured to the charred walls
around them, "never happens again."

"And what if he's innocent?" Bruce asked.

"What if he's not?" Clemmons asked, turning on his heel to
follow Judge Stephens toward the exit with Constance Hunter.

Bruce hung back, watching them. "Interesting group. Bond
hearing?" The Fire Marshall asked.

"Yep," Bruce sighed, looking around. "Tell me the truth. How
much are we looking at on repairing this place and getting it
ready to open again?"

Fire Marshall shook his head, "You're looking at a couple
hundred thousand easy to clean up the damage and fix the
structural damage that's been done." He pointed his flashlight
at a long beam across the room that had two temporary metal
columns on each side holding it up. "That's the beam Superman
was holding up when that column over there," he pointed to a
large column in the middle of the room that had split in two,
"gave out. It's a miracle nobody was killed that day."

"Thank God for small miracles," Bruce said with a sigh. "So
how long will it take to get this place back up to code?"

"Eh, depends on your engineer, but if you get a good crew,
you're looking at maybe six or eight weeks give or take."

"Six or Eight weeks???" Bruce shouted, surprised by the
number.

"It's a lot of damage."

"It's the Daily Planet. We can't be closed down that long.
It'll cause us to lose all our advertising contracts."

"I don't know what to tell you," The Fire Marshall shrugged,
"Thank the guy that did this."

Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Okay, when we
get the damage repaired who do we call for the inspection. I
don't want to be waiting any longer than I have to..."

The Fire Marshall pulled out his card, "You can call me day or
night. Just have your checkbook ready and have everything up to
code and I'll take care of you."

"Thanks," Bruce took the card and shook his hand. "I
appreciate all your help." An idea came to him, "Marshall? Do
you think I could hold onto the device that was used in the
arson? I'd like to run it through one of my labs at LexLabs."

The Fire Marshall was thoughtful for a moment before deciding,
"I don't see why not. The police have the other devices. One
missing isn't going to kill anyone, right?"

"Right," Bruce smiled.

He handed it over. "Good luck." With that, he motioned for
Bruce to follow him out of the exit.

Once outside, Bruce pulled out his phone, walking away from the
group, "Lucius, I need you on the next flight to Metropolis."

***

Lois watched Lucy pour herself a cup of coffee as she gathered
her things. "Don't let anyone in that you don't know."

"I know," Lucy sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"No study buddies or boyfriends," Lois continued as she
gathered her things.

"Lois, when have I had time for either of those things?" Lucy
asked annoyed.

"Ask to see ID if anyone comes to repair anything or fix
anything..." Lois continued.

"I know I know," Lucy cut her off. "I'll be fine. Go!" She
pushed Lois toward the door.

"Just be safe," Lois said, turning to face her before she
left.

"I will. Now, go! You're going to be late," Lucy closed the
door behind her.

Lois thought about opening the door and confronting her about
shoving her out the door but thought better of it. Clark had a
747 rescue early that morning, so she was able to shrug off his
disappearance as him going home before Lucy got up.

Last night she'd had to feign ignorance on Clark's slip about
it 'not being that far' when Lucy confronted him about the
Chinese restaurant he'd picked up dinner from. They really
needed to get better about his excuses. She wasn't sure, but she
was sure Lucy suspected something was up.

This morning Perry had left a message for them to meet at
WayneTech Towers to discuss the future of the Planet. After
almost a week they were finally going to get some answers.
Working from home was great now and then but doing it full time
wasn't ideal. She needed structure. She needed a place to go and
a place to be. Research databases and faster internet and
interaction with her co-workers.

She missed the hustle and bustle of the daily routine she'd
established over the last few years with Clark and Perry and
Jimmy and even Cat. When that had been taken from her, it felt
like her world had collapsed. Finally, it seemed she would have
some answers.

***

Lucy Lane sighed in relief after closing the apartment door
behind her sister. She loved Lois. She did, but sometimes she
could be really overbearing. She went back to the table where
she'd left the photographs she'd been sorting through the day
before.

Nothing seemed to stick out.

No face.

No image.

Nothing.

A hard knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She set the
stack of photos back down on the dining room table and padded her
way across the room to answer the door. "I'm coming I'm
coming," she muttered to herself. She jerked the door open,
"Yes?"

"Special delivery," the courier handed her a large package with
a stamp 'Daily Planet.' on it.

"Uh, thanks," Lucy said, taking the envelope from him, closing
the door behind her. Curious she tore the package open, pulling
out a tape with a letter attached to it and read it aloud.

*//CK -- *

*Here's the still images from the first half of the businesses.
I should have the rest ready by tonight. *

*-Alan//*

Lucy began sifting through the still images, matching them up
with the photos in evidence. She spotted the angle the photos
were taken from and found the ones from where the fire started
according to Lois' notes. From the stack of still images angled
at the Daily Planet it looked like these images had the perfect
angle of anyone going in or out of the back entrance of the Daily
Planet.

"Well, if I was going to plant a bomb I certainly wouldn't go
through the front," Lucy reasoned aloud, pulling her seat up at
the table as she began laying the images out side by side.

***

Clark stepped looked up at the prestigious WayneTech Towers,
readjusting his tie as he approached the tall double doors. After
stopping the 747 from crashing and landing it safely in an
abandoned field he'd done a quick patrol then headed back to his
apartment for a quick shower and change.

After checking his messages he found out about Bruce Wayne's
announcement and impromptu meeting. He spotted Lois standing with
Perry and smiled, walking towards her as he spotted the familiar
faces in the lobby. "No idea where she is. I think we've lost a
few people..." Perry was saying with his back to Clark as he
walked up to them.

"Hey," he leaned in to kiss Lois on the cheek, wrapping his
arms around her from behind.

"Hey," she smiled, "Did everything go okay?"

He nodded, "I spoke with Superman and got a few quotes from him
on the 747 that had engine failure this morning." He reassured
her, turning to Perry who was watching them with an amused
expression.

"Kent, glad you could make it." Perry said then turned to
business, "What's this about a 747?"

"Third plane in the last week to have engine failure flying over
Metropolis," Clark explained. "Superman suspects there's
something more going on than meets the eye."

Perry was about to respond when a hush fell over the crowded
room, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for meeting me here
today." Bruce's voice echoed through the large lobby as he came
down the tall spiral staircase with three men dressed in
expensive suits and another in more casual suit and glasses
standing closest to him.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what you're doing here?"
Bruce walked through the crowd of Daily Planet employees, pulling
out a laptop as he pulled up a display on the screen. To Clark's
horror it was an amateur video of the Daily Planet explosion.
There was a murmur of outrage in the crowd, "I'm not showing
you this to upset anyone. I'm showing you this to remind you
that each and everyone of you are survivors, capable of adapting
and growing with ..." He glanced at the screen, drifting off
from his point of thought for a moment before resuming his
speech, "There were devices like this," the man in glasses held
up a charcoal burned metallic device for everyone to see. "On
every single floor. Only one of them went off and look what
happened. We can thank Superman for stepping in when he did."

"Yeah, well, he should have stopped it from going off to begin
with," Ralph muttered in the crowd.

"Excuse me???" Lois snapped, taking a few steps toward the
walking slimeball to confront him, "Have you no shame?"

"Yeah, I do, but I got a real problem with the fact that we're
all fixin' to be out of a job and ain't got no place to work
because he didn't douse the fire when he saw it." Ralph snapped
back. "He's Superman!"

There was a murmur of agreement and disagreement amidst the
crowd. Clark grimaced, tightening his jaw. What they didn't know
was he did put the fire out when he saw it. He got him and Lois
out of the elevator shaft, destroying each incendiary device he
saw on his way up to the ceiling they broke through. By the time
he went back it was too late. All he could do was douse the fire
where he could and keep carrying as many people as he could out.

He saw Lois balling her fist and wrapped an arm around her from
behind to pull her away, "Don't," he whispered in her ear.

At the same time Bruce attempted to intervene, "There'll be
none of that. What makes you think you don't have a job
Mister...?"

"Simms. Ralph Simms." Ralph sneered with a roll of the eyes,
"Well, considering the place is boarded up and listed as
condemned I'd say it's safe to say we're out of a job."

"Haven't we been publishing stories?" Bruce inquired, looking
around the room at the dismayed faces. "We've had fourteen
publications online in the last week and we've had one edition
sent out to Metropolis subscribers..."

"But not on newsstands," Ralph reminded him. "How's the paper
planning on...?"

"Can't report on sports when you're getting laughed out of
sporting events by other newspapers asking if we're even in
business," Steve pointed out.

Bruce held his hands up trying to calm the crowd that was growing
restless, "All right, I hear you. All of you. You're right.
Things are...challenging right now, but let me assure you no one
is losing their job. What happened was..."

"Yeah, I heard it was Olsen," one voice said in the crowd.

"That's what I heard."

"I never liked that kid."

"He wouldn't do that."

"Oh, come on!"

"Hey! Hey! That's enough!" Perry barked at the crowd.

"Perry's right," Bruce continued. "None of that. As far as
I'm concerned, Mr. Olsen is innocent until proven guilty and
that's how he'll remain with everyone's reporting in this
newspaper as long as I'm in charge." He narrowed his eyes
toward the part of the crowd where the comments about Jimmy's
guilt had come from.

Bruce walked toward the double doors the three suits were
standing in front of, "The Daily Planet will be rebuilt but to
Mr. Simms point we need an office. We need a place to print. We
need to put newspapers on the newsstands. We need to keep the
Daily Planet here in Metropolis where it's always been."

There was a murmur of agreement amidst the crowd and Lois looked
back toward him smiling. "Knows how to build up the suspense
doesn't he?" She whispered.

"Which is why," the double doors opened revealing a large
office, "The Daily Planet will be working from here at WayneTech
Tower." He motioned for them all to follow. "State of the art
computer systems with the best research databases," he pointed
toward desks on an upper balcony, "We'll have the research
department here." He then pointed to a group of cubicles, "Some
of the beat reporters here," he then pointed toward some offices
on the other side, "and here." He directed them to an office in
the corner. "Perry, your office will be there."

Some of the workers from the printing press spoke up, "What
about printing?"

One of the designers added, "And Marketing?"

Bruce nodded, reaching for connecting doors that were at the end
of the hallway, "Follow me," behind the double doors was a
state of the art printing press with offices aligned on the upper
balcony above it. The crowd was awed into silence, taking
everything in. "There'll be some learning curves of course. You
were used to working with much older systems. Once everyone gets
up to speed we'll have you up and running in no time." He
patted the man with glasses next to him, "Mr. Lucius Fox will
help with the transition. He's one of the most trusted engineers
and advisors at Wayne Enterprises."

"Who gets the offices?" One of the reporters asked.

Clark rolled his eyes when he saw it was Steve from Sports again.
"Who cares?" He muttered to himself.

Lois nodded her agreement, crossing her arms over her chest as
she voiced his opinion for him. "Who cares, Steve? It's a place
to park your behind while you snore instead of write."

"Hey, I do not..."

"Hey Hey Hey! Enough all of you!" Perry bellowed. "Now. Mr.
Wayne has made a generous offer for us all to work together in
keeping this paper running. It doesn't matter who gets what
office..."

"Yeah, cuz you already have one," Ralph sneered to himself.

Clark rolled his eyes exasperated when he realized he was the
only one that had heard that comment. Bruce interjected,
"Offices will be assigned by your editor. I won't be a part of
that. Operations will be run by Perry and the Publishers." He
nodded toward Perry.

"Just as they always have," Perry reminded them. "Now, Mr.
Wayne has the contract for the rest of the week for the printing
to continue at the Gotham Gazette to allow enough time for us to
get up to speed on the new machinery and computer systems. I
suggest you stop complaining and start working," he barked at
the crowd. "Senior writing teams and smaller departments will
use the upstairs offices. Keep in mind this is all temporary."

"That's right," Bruce reminded them. "As soon as we get the
go ahead from our engineers and the fire marshall we plan on
reopening. I plan on implementing the updated systems in the new
Daily Planet building as well so get used to these databases."
There was a loud thunder of applause as Bruce turned everything
over to Lucius Fox preparing to train them on the new email
database system.

***

Nigel handed Lex a remote, setting up the surveillance system to
connect to the newly replaced monitors on the walls. "Our team
at LexLabs has the new sonar system setup in Lois Lane's
apartment, sir." He pulled up the footage with the click of a
button and smiled, "Anything they say or do, will appear for
your viewing pleasure."

"This is more like it, Nigel," Lex said happily as he took the
remote and pointed it at the screens. There was a flicker, and
then the screen showed Lois Lane's apartment. Lucy was gathering
her things and heading out the door.

***

"Oh, my God," Lucy gasped, grabbing a photo from the still
frames she'd organized by angle around the room.

She knew that man.

She recognized him.

Even out of uniform.

The officer that had arrested her the other night.

There it was plain as day.

The smoking gun.

If she could only prove it...

She rummaged through the paperwork Lois had on the floor until
she found what she was looking for, "Ah-ha!" She cheered when
she found the police report.

'*Arrest made by Detective Jenkins.'*

She grinned in triumph, "Got you." She grabbed the stack of
photos and her pursed, heading for the door. Just as she was
about to turn the knob she felt a hard knock against the wooden
door. "Um, who is it?" She called to the otherside of the
door.

"New Troy Pest Control," the man on the otherside called. "You
got to have a treatment everyday for a few weeks. Landlord found
rodents down the hall."

Rationalizing the story in her head, she opened the door. He
pulled out his credentials for her to see. She examined them
carefully before nodding, "Come on in." She opened the door for
them to enter the apartment.

***

"This state of the art system will allow you to run more than
one search at a time," Lucius Fox pointed to the screen showing
how easily you could search for anything in the system.
Background checks, police records--You name it. It was there.
"Designed by Mr. Wayne himself this system allows you to work
smarter not harder."

He turned to the crowd of reporters huddled in the large
conference room, "Any questions?"

***

At the Metropolis P.D. Lucy stopped by the clerk's desk, "I'm
looking for Bill Henderson. He's a friend of my sister's. I was
supposed to drop this off and completely airheaded..."

"Oh, I can give it to him," the clerk offered with a smile.

Lucy pasted on her biggest smile, "No, that's okay. I was told
to give his directly to Bill Henderson."

He pressed a button on his desk and a long beep could be heard,
"Bill? You expecting a visitor?"

"Maybe. Who is it?" Bill's voice echoed from the intercom.

"Lucy Lane," Lucy whispered for him.

"A Lucy Lane."

There was a murmur then Bill responded, "Send her back."

***

"All reporting teams will share offices on the risers with one
photographer," Perry barked out. "No exceptions. Anyone not
teamed up will have a cubicle. Any questions?"

"Yeah, who gets which office?"

"How about when do we get back to work?" Another asked.

"Yeah, I'd love to get started."

"Been too long."

"Let's stop the tutorial and start hitting the pavement."

Perry nodded, smiling at the reporters, "Everyone will be
assigned an office. Mr. Fox will set your laptops up so you are
connected to the network and then you can get started. Any other
questions?"

***

Lucy approached Bill Henderson's desk clutching the package in
her arms for dear life, "Hi, Bill," she offered a smile to him
that made her cheeks ache.

He looked up from his desk, meeting her gaze with a raised
eyebrow, "Lucy, a bit early for a social call, isn't it?"

She smiled at him, "Yeah, I was up all night thinking. Couldn't
sleep," she explained, looking around.

"Thinking?" He prompted.

"About a lot of things," she said, noticing the looks she was
getting from the officer that had arrested her a few nights ago
peering at her and Henderson. Deciding a bit of a diversion was
needed she continued with a twinkle in her eyes, "Bill, do you
know I'm a psychology major?"

He followed her gaze then met her eyes with a nod, following what
she was saying, "Really? No, I never knew that."

"Yeah, my parents think it's a waste of time. At first I
thought I'd go into child psychology but now after everything
that's happened. I'm thinking of minoring in criminology. What
I would *love*..." She dazzled him with a smile as she said,
'love' and continued, "...is to see how you use psychologists
in the police investigations. Maybe get a tour of the place?"

He watched her face light up with a smile and realization hit him
that she wasn't asking for just a tour. He stood up, reaching
for his suit jacket, "That's an excellent idea. Let me show you
around."

***

Perry laid a third docking station on the large desk, pointing it
toward the window, "I, uh, well I didn't want to leave the kid
out so I figured we'd leave this as a placeholder for Jimmy."

Lois placed a hand over Perry's as he released his grasp on what
was supposed to be Jimmy's working station. "I'm sure he'll
appreciate that, Perry."

"Yeah," Perry's jaw tightened and his lips thinned into a thin
line, "I'll have Alice bring that board here so you two can
start piecing things together. Go ahead and bring what you have
on Jimmy's case too and we'll see what we can do about finding
the holes. With this new research system we can nab Luthor and
free Jimmy at the same time."

"Sounds good to me," Clark said with a grim expression.

***

Henderson pointed toward the long hallway, "That's the lockers
for all the detectives." He watched as two beat cops walked past
them, making sure they were out of earshot then turned to
whisper, "Okay, what's up?"

Lucy pulled out a photo from her notebook, "Recognize anyone?"

Henderson's eyes widened as he looked at the image Lucy was
holding. He'd heard Jenkins and Harris talking about their open
and shut case on Jimmy. He'd heard the 'evidence' but he
hadn't seen any of it. This was the first time he'd seen any
images of the Daily Planet arson. It was a landmark. The place
you went when you came to Metropolis. The building had been there
for over two hundred years. Now with it gone...

"That," she pointed at a man in a dark hat with sunglasses and
a t-shirt and jeans. "Right there." She tapped at the picture.

"Jenkins," Henderson breathed grimly.

***

Mrs. Cox handed Lex the necklace in a lead box, "Now you can
have what you've always wanted: the destruction of Superman."

Lex stared at the glowing green meteorite in wonder,
"Superman's achilles heel is a stone. A rock," he chuckled at
the thought. "Oh, it would be so easy to destroy him now. See
him suffer. Lure him out and crush him like the miserable bug he
is." He slammed his fist on his desk.

"Sounds like a perfect plan, Lex, what's stopping you?" Mrs.
Cox asked with a grin.

Growing thoughtful at the prospect of killing his arch enemy, Lex
smiled, "That would be too good for him. Killing Superman is
easy, but destroying him. No, that is the ultimate goal." A
sinister expression fell on his face and he paced around the room
reflecting on his plans for Superman.

"He's taken so much from me. Destroyed my reputation. Shaken
the faith this city has in me. For that he must suffer. In order
to do that I must know the truth." His eyes went dark, "I must
know the name he hides behind so I can repay his misdeeds and
destroy him by taking everything and everyone he holds dear in
this world." He gave an impression of an explosion, "So
there's nothing left but a footnote of the man the world once
called Superman."

"What about Lois Lane?"

"What about her?"

"You're still pining over her and obsessing over her." Mrs.
Cox noted, "She'll be your weakness, Lex. Destroy you if
you're not careful."

"On the contrary she'll be what I use to destroy him when the
time comes. Our man of steel holds a candle for Ms. Lane as do I,
but she will be what I use to lure him out and destroy him. I'll
make him watch as I take her for myself...ridding the world of
that miserable giblet, Kent in the process," his face scowled in
disgust.

"And what if she won't have you?"

His face fell dark as his eyes blackened, "I will not be denied.
I'll give her the chance to come willingly, but if she won't,
I'll take her by force."

"Before or after you kill Superman?" Mrs. Cox asked. Lex smiled
at her, a sinister expression fell over his face. He didn't
answer, opting to open the hidden wall panel to reveal his
surveillance of Lois Lane's apartment.

***

"Please state your name for the record."

"Dr. Samuel Lane."

"Do you specialize in biochemical engineering, correct?"

"Yes, with a focus in engineering robotics and sports medicine
over the past ten years."

Davenport folded his hands on the table, "Tell me everything
about the superchip you were asked to engineer."

***

Lucius Fox typed in a few keys, pointing triangle shaped remote
toward the monitor on the wall which brought up six screens.
"Mr. Wayne likes to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to
technology. Each office is equipped with a six quadrant
projector. You can control it with this like you would with a
mouse or keyboard." He moved the remote around, looking at the
screen as he did so, then turned the remote on it's side,
opening up a keypad and typing a search.

To their amazement the search results ran on the first quadrant
of the screen. Lucius then turned to the laptops stationed on the
desk and hit a few keystrokes, "This makes it easy for
presentations. Just hit the project key and it'll duplicate
itself here on the screen. You can choose full screen or
quadrant," Lucius instructed.

***

"What are you doing?" Lucy hissed as Bill Henderson escorted
her out of earshot of the other lieutenants. "This is your
evidence. Go arrest him."

"It's not that simple," Henderson hissed between gritted
teeth. "Luthor's got his fingers in just about every
politician's pie. Jenkins works for Luthor. It wouldn't take a
lot of muscle for them to kill this case just like they did with
Luthor's case."

"But..."

"You need someone higher up." Henderson ran a hand through his
silver lined hair, "This isn't a job you can handle on your
own. This is dangerous. If you want to help your friend then you
need to let the Feds do their job."

"Feds?" Lucy asked confused.

He looked around to make sure no one was listening, "The FBI is
working on an investigation external from the Metropolis P.D. on
Luthor."

"Does Lois know?" Lucy asked.

"Uh, not yet. I haven't had a chance to bring her and Kent up
to speed," Henderson sighed, looking around as one of the newer
detectives walked towards them.

"Henderson," he nodded.

"Harris." He gave half smile. Harris turned to look at Lucy as
he walked by giving her a wink. Henderson waited till he was gone
and then hissed, "You need to get out of here. It's too
dangerous."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" Lucy harrumphed,
grabbing the package she'd handed to Henderson earlier. "This
is a police station. It's supposed to be safe."

"Supposed to be being the operative word there."

***

That evening, Lois and Clark were gathering the files they had on
Jimmy's case, trying to make sense out of everything. "We can
bring these into the office tomorrow and start trying to make
some sense out of all this," Lois sighed, running a hand through
her hair. After finishing up their training with Lucius Fox Perry
had sent everyone back home to start gathering everything for the
next day and start bright and early the next morning. She and
Clark had gone back to her apartment to see if they could make
any headway on their research with Jimmy's case and get
everything organized for the next day and taking their research
into the office.

Clark nodded, "Alan never did get us those tapes. I'll have to
check with him tomorrow." He sifted through the stack of papers
on the table. "Here's the stuff on Jack Olsen."

"You gotta admit they do have a pretty strong case on him being
in the NIA," Lois said sadly, flipping the corner of the tall
stack of papers in front of them.

"Doesn't mean Jimmy blew up a building. That whole motive so
..." Clark shook his head in disgust.

"Do you think Jimmy knows?" Lois thought aloud.

"I don't know." He sighed, "I doubt it. The way he talks
about him..."

"Yeah," Lois said sadly, "Perry said Jimmy's lawyer is trying
to get another bond hearing." Clark reached over to grab her
hand, squeezing it gently. She looked up at him and gave him a
weak smile, turning to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Where's Lucy?" Clark asked, trying to change the subject.

Lois shrugged, "I don't know. I got home and found a note on
the counter that she had to run some errands."

He frowned, looking at the time, "Getting kind of late, isn't
it?"

She opened her mouth to respond then closed it when she heard the
familiar sound of her front door unlocking, "Speak of the
devil."

Lucy opened the door with a scowl on her face, slamming the door
behind her, "Ungrateful, pig-headed..." She muttered
incoherently as she stalked through the living room, tossing a
package on the couch and throwing herself on it in a huff.

Lois looked at her sister cautiously, not sure how to approach
her without knowing what was wrong. Thankfully Clark took the
initiative and asked the question they were both thinking at the
time, "Something...wrong?"

"No, of course not. What could be wrong? I find evidence that a
cop --Yes, a cop--was seen entering the back entrance of the
Daily Planet at the same time the reports say the bombs were
planted and do you know what your friend Bill Henderson wants me
to do?"

"Uh..." Clark couldn't even finish his thought as Lucy flew
into another tirade.

"That's right! Nothing! Zip! Nada!"

"Luce, I'm sure Bill ..." Lois tried to interject.

"He agreed with me. I mean, he saw the pictures, but he won't
do anything? No calls to investigate. Nothing," Lucy fumed
angrily.

"What pictures?" Clark asked, trying to steer her back and
hopefully calm her down.

"These," Lucy tossed him the package she threw down. "When you
look at the stills from 8:45am on the left angle from the ATM you
can see clear as day that officer Jenkins," she pointed out as
he pulled the first stack of images out of the sleeve. " Oh,
I'm sorry 'Detective Jenkins.'" She corrected herself with
sarcasm.

***

*{"When you look at the stills from 8:45am on the left angle
from the ATM you can see clear as day that officer Jenkins."}*

Lex tapped his hand on his desk, watching the exchange between
Lois Lane and her sister. His face scowled up and he tapped the
button on his desk, "Mrs. Cox?"

The door opened and she appeared, ready to serve. "Yes, Lex?"

"This Detective Jenkins. How important is he to the
organization?" He turned in his chair to face her.

She shrugged. "Only been with us for the last four months," she
reasoned.

"Expendable?" He asked.

"Everyone is," she reasoned.

"It seems Ms. Lane is finding connections between him and the
arson of the Daily Planet," he spat out bitterly. "I want to be
sure this doesn't end up at my doorstep. It stops with him."

"Of course," she nodded with a smile.

***

"I'm starting to see double here," Lucy complained, setting
the stack of images down.

Lois glanced at the clock, "It is getting late." She agreed,
rolling her shoulders back and forth. Clark rested his hands on
them, massaging the crevice between her shoulder and neck
lightly. She wasn't sure but she could swear she felt him loosen
the muscle with a blast of heat vision.

"Yeah," Lucy sighed, rolling her neck back and forth as she
spoke, "I think I'm gonna go check in with daddy tomorrow and
see if there's anything new on his case."

"I thought Bill Henderson had him in protective custody," Clark
wondered aloud, continuing to massage Lois' shoulders. Where did
he learn how to do that? She could feel the tension easing out of
her neck with each caress.

"He does," Lucy sighed. "I just want to see how the case is
doing and maybe see if I can talk with the agent that's heading
up the investigation and see if he'll look into this Jenkins
guy."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Lois asked, turning to give
Clark better access to her neck as she spoke.

"Sure," Lucy shrugged. "The more the merrier," She let out a
long yawn. "But for now I'm going to call it a night. Don't
stay up too late."

"Night Luce," Clark called after her. He placed a kiss on
Lois' shoulder, "Better?"

She turned half-way around to face him and grinned, "Almost. You
missed a spot." She ran her hand down the length of his silk
tie, watching with a grin as he took in a sharp breath when her
fingertips lingered on his belt buckle.

He kissed the side of her neck, pulling her toward him,
"Here?"

"Not quite," She grinned, looking back at him as his hands came
to rest on either side, gliding up and down her ribcage as he
began placing more heated kisses along her collarbone.

"How about here?" He whispered, bringing her on his lap,
pressing himself against her back as he nibbled at the sensitive
skin along her jawline.

"You're getting very..." She breathed, fingering his upper
thigh behind her. His body stiffened against her and he let out a
mutter she could tell was his version of a curse. He withdrew his
arms from her, pulling away, "What is it?"

"I gotta go," he explained with a long breath, getting up and
heading for the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I look forward to it," she whispered, lingering her gaze on
him as she watched him leave. She leaned her head back against
the cushions, fingering her sides where Clark's hands had just
been moments ago. "Wow..."

***

Bloody and bruised Jenkins fell to the concrete, hearing the
echoes of his attackers' voices in his head.

"Remember Detective Jenkins what the boss has given you so
generously can be taken away. Don't ever forget that."

A sonic boom could be heard a few feet away. He lifted his head
up, wincing in pain as he tried to open his right eye, "Su--"

Superman knelt down next to him, "Detective Jenkins? Are you
alright?"

***

After waiting an hour for Clark to return and not seeing any sign
of him Lois decided to go ahead and get ready for bed. It didn't
look like she was getting her boyfriend back tonight. Just as she
was finishing up her shower, a knock on the front door caught her
attention. She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself as she
reentered her bedroom.

The knocking continued. She sighed, grabbed a robe, and slipping
it on as she went to answer the door. Peeking through the
peephole, she saw Clark on the other side and smiled to herself.
She really needed to get him a key. She looked down at herself,
grinning as an idea began to form. Lucy was asleep after all. She
quickly shrugged the robe off, tossing it in the corner and
unlocked the seven deadbolts one by one.

She smiled when she saw him take a sharp intake of breath, seeing
her standing in front of him in nothing but a towel, "Hey," she
whispered in a sultry tone, leaning her head against the
doorframe.

"Hey," he whispered, stepping in the apartment and closing the
door behind him.

"You didn't want to use the window?" She teased.

"The door's a little less conspicuous," he reasoned, leaning
in to kiss her as he walked with her further and further into the
apartment. "Lucy asleep?"

She nodded, pressing her body against him. He let out a shallow
breath as she ran her hands up and down his chest seductively.
She grinned, noticing the wet spot on his shirt when she pulled
away, "Sorry, just got out of the shower."

His eyes did a little dance, "I noticed."

She grinned, looking up to meet his very heated gaze. Her mouth
went dry, "I see." He pulled her toward him as she finally
found her voice, "Everything ...okay?"

She felt a shiver run down her spine as he whispered in her ear,
"It is now."

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out, forming an 'oh' as she
felt her bedroom door against her back, "Cl..."

He lifted her up into his arms, fingering the knot that kept her
towel securely wrapped around her, "I'm not liking that towel
very much right now."

"No?" She asked.

"No," he echoed, leaning in to kiss her as his hand tugged at
the front, watching hungrily as it slipped to the floor.

***

"No..." Lex snarled watching the footage in front of him. Clark
Kent wrapped his arms around Lois Lane as he pressed himself
against her, putting his hands and lips in places Lex had only
dreamed of going.

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."

"No?"

"No."}

*

"No...no, no, no, no..." Lex fumed angrily at the screen.

Lex stared at the screen in anger. He couldn't pull himself away
from the screen, staring as the couple quickly lost themselves in
one another's arms. He couldn't seem to look away as Clark Kent
explored Lois Lane's body thoroughly in ways he'd only dreamt
of. A fantasy he would never see come true. That she'd give
herself to willingly to that ...hack was beyond his
comprehension. Just as Lois Lane reached up to remove Clark
Kent's glasses, the screen flickered, and the monitor went
dark.

Lex let out a long huff, realizing the twelve-hour limit had been
met.

***

That evening, Mrs. Cox reappeared in Lex Luthor's study,
polishing her 9mm. "Detective Jenkins has been sent his warning.
He won't be talking to anyone about his involvement in the
organization."

Lex smiled, walking across the room to embrace her, "I knew I
could leave everything in your capable hands, Mrs. Cox."

"What are personal assistants for?" She asked with a laugh.

***

Lois drew random patterns on Clark's chest letting out a long
sigh, "I don't think I can move."

He let out a low chuckle, kissing the temple of her forehead,
"Good. We can stay like this all night as far as I'm
concerned." He gestured to her naked torso still wrapped around
him.

"Hmm, you won't get any argument from me," she whispered,
resting her head on his chest.

"Hopefully we didn't wake your sister," Clark thought aloud.
"I know she's been pretty stressed about Jimmy the last few
days."

"I think we all are," Lois said sadly, resting her head into
the crook of his shoulder, stroking his arm. Her face lit up and
she sat up, "Oh! Almost forgot!" She reached toward the
nightstand, rummaging through the drawer until she found what she
was looking for. He couldn't help but admire the sight of her
hunched over with her back to him, recalling their recent
lovemaking with a smile.

She turned to face him, handing him a small silver object as she
leaned up to kiss him. "Here." She slowly pulled away, "One of
Lucy's old keys. I figured it would make things easier when you
have to come and go as Superman."

He smiled, stroking her cheek, "Thank you." He leaned in to
kiss her, running his hands through her hair, "I'll get a key
made for you too," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you," she whispered. "More than I ever thought I could
ever love anyone." He brushed away the few tears that escaped as
she spoke. "These past few months have been...amazing. I know
the past few days have been hard but there's no way I could have
gotten through any of it without you."

"Or me without you," he cupped her cheek, "I love you, Lois.
You are everything to me. You have no idea how many times I've
felt like giving up and then your encouragement always gave me
the nudge I needed to keep fighting."

"Oh, Clark," she leaned in to capture his mouth with hers. "I
love you, so much. I don't know what I'd ever do if I lost
you." The last statement was a mere whisper as he felt her body
shudder against him.

His jaw tightened, holding her close, "I'm not going anywhere.
We'll figure this all out. Before you know it Luthor will be
behind bars rotting for the next nine hundred years where he
belongs and Jimmy's name will be cleared."

She gave him a weak smile, "I hope so."

"We'll get his name cleared," he promised. He still didn't
know how but he knew one way or another he would find a way to
clear Jimmy's name. Although he wasn't sure how at the moment.
They kept hitting roadblock after roadblock in all their attempts
to get to the truth. He wasn't so sure if Jimmy's dad could be
trusted. There was definitely a hike in Jack's pulse when Perry
had mentioned talking to the NIA.

"How?" Lois asked, "Every agency seems hell bent on working
against Jimmy. They've closed the case. No one is investigating
except us and Lucy."

"Well, then we'll just have to keep digging and find
irrefutable evidence on who was behind the bombing of the
Planet." He let out a soft sigh, running his hands through her
hair, "Jimmy's innocent. At the end of the day the courts will
see that."

"I hope so," she sighed, running her hand up and down his
chest, "Lucy said when she saw him last he looked pretty rough.
No one's able to get in to see him now except his attorney."

"We'll figure this out," he promised.

She nodded sadly, resting her head against his chest as she drew
random patterns up and down his bicep. He wasn't sure how much
he believed his own statement but he hoped Lois would. He needed
her to. They laid in silence, holding one another until they both
gave into exhaustion from the stresses of the day.

***

Agent Woods sat across from Jack as he stared at her with a
smirk, "I'm going to have you go through all of the events
leading up to your involvement with Mr. Luthor. I don't want any
smart comments or jokes. This is for the courts to hear and the
judge won't appreciate any sarcasm. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Jack said with a sigh.

She pressed the record button on the recorder, "Starting from
your first interaction with Mr. Luthor..."

***

Clark watched as the sun from Lois' bedroom window reflected off
her mirror and onto the bed just a few inches away from her
collarbone. Her body was still entangled with his, wrapped
securely in the cotton sheets. He couldn't help but grin,
recalling their previous night's activities.

"I love you, Lois Lane," he whispered, outlining her jawline.

She sighed softly in her sleep and he smiled, holding her close
to him, "I want to marry you." He whispered, knowing she
couldn't hear him.

It took everything in him not to say it; to ask the question that
had been on his mind for the last few weeks. He knew he was
completely in love with her and there was no one else for him.
He'd finally found someone he could share everything with, but
asking her to be his wife in the middle of the chaos that had
erupted over the past week wasn't how he wanted to ask her. It
wasn't how he wanted her to remember their engagement, trying to
bring down Luthor and having her family stay in hiding. No, he
didn't want to taint the memory with the chaos they were
currently living in, but he wanted to ask her soon.

"I love you," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her shoulder.

She sighed against him and whispered, "I love you too."

***

Lois lazily stretched her arms over her head, sighing as she felt
two strong arms encircle her waist and two familiar lips press
against her shoulder, "Morning."

She smiled, turning to see Clark lying next to her, "Morning."

His hands moved up her ribcage until they finally found their
resting place joined just above her ribcage as he kissed her
neck, "Do you have any idea how sexy you look first thing in the
morning?"

She turned her neck to allow him better access, moving her hands
to stroke his face,"Tell me."

"I love hearing you call my name when you're sleeping and
feeling your skin against mine," he murmured against her cheek.

She opened her mouth to respond only to find it covered with his.
He rolled them over, so she was facing him, settling himself
between her legs. She sighed against him, gripping his shoulders
and wrapping her legs around his torso as telling her soon turned
into showing her.

***

Lucy sleepily padded her way into the kitchen to fix herself a
cup of coffee. She'd been exhausted last night. She didn't even
remember her head hitting the pillow when she fell asleep. Now
today was a new day. Bill Henderson hadn't been entirely
unhelpful yesterday, just infuriating with his lack of initiative
in helping her.

If she could find the agent in charge of the Lex Luthor
investigation maybe she could get them to ...

"Ow!" She winced when she tripped over a hard leather object
coming out of the kitchen, running into the end of the couch. She
looked down, seeing what it was she tripped over and raised her
eyebrows. It was a shoe. A man's shoe.

A muffled moan came from the other side of the apartment. She
glanced toward her sister's room and blushed, realizing what she
was over hearing. Seeing the empty bathroom that was connected to
both rooms she sighed to herself, "I think I'll skip the shower
this morning," She muttered to herself, heading for her room to
get ready.

***

Lois ran her hands up and down Clark's chest seductively,
resting her head in the nook between his shoulder and arm and
held her securely, "Where did that come from?" He chuckled and
she rolled over so she was hovering above him, resting her arms
on his chest folded as she gave him an impish grin, "Is it just
me or does it seem to get better and better?"

"Well, you know what they say," he whispered, cupping her cheek
as he outlined her jawline with his thumb and index finger.
"Practice makes perfect."

She raked her fingernails against his chest as she nodded her
head, brushing her nude body against him. "I am a
perfectionist," she whispered as he nibbled at her neckline.

"I know," he murmured against her skin as he slipped his hand
in between her thighs. "You're insatiable. What am I going to
do with you?"

"I have a few ideas..." she whispered, hovering over him as she
felt him begin to respond to her touch.

"So, do I..." he murmured.

"Oh, Clark..." she moaned in pleasure leaning forward. "I
don't know how we're going to make it through the day..."

"Who cares?" He whispered in her ear, "We still have another
hour before we have to be at the office."

"Lois??" The bang on the bedroom door to her apartment caused
both of them to look up.

"Oh, God..." Clark groaned in agony. "You've got to be
kidding me."

"Lucy..." Lois muttered, covering her face with her hands.
"I'm going to kill her..."

"Lois?? There's some Pest Control guy here..."

Clark stifled his laughter, and she covered his mouth with her
hand, "Shhh..." She then called over her shoulder, "Okay, let
them in."

"I did," Lucy knocked on the bedroom door. "They've sprayed
everywhere already."

Clark was suppressing his laughter by biting his lip. Lois glared
at him when he continued to stifle his laughter unsuccessfully.
"It's not funny. Quit laughing."

"It's either laugh or cry at this moment..." He said glancing
downward.

"I know. I'm sorry..." she whispered then turned her attention
back to her sister, "So what's the problem?"

"They've sprayed everywhere but your room," Lucy said annoyed
from the other side of the door.

"Oh," Lois looked down at Clark, her face full of remorse as he
pulled away from her.

"Guess it's time to get up," Clark reached for his boxers from
the night before.

Lois reached for a tank top and shorts from her dresser, throwing
them on and turning back to Clark, "Are you going to be okay?"
She asked concerned.

He nodded, sitting on the edge of her bed in his boxers, "I'm
going to need a minute..."

***

Lois sighed, exasperated with her interrupted morning as she
watched the Pest Control crew leave the apartment. Clark had
excused himself into the bathroom then just as quickly
disappeared to tend to a call for Superman, leaving her to get
ready for the day. She stared at the boxes from the night before
with a frown, "I guess I'll have Perry send someone to get
these later," she muttered to herself.

Lucy had already left to grab breakfast once she and Clark had
exited her bedroom so she wasn't an option for helping. They
were supposed to meet at the Federal Building in thirty minutes.
She still wasn't sure what exactly Lucy hoped to accomplish with
talking to their dad about the investigation. He'd already told
them what he knew, didn't he?

She reentered her bedroom, crinkling her nose at the smell.
She'd have to remember to talk to the landlord about the hours
he sent Pest Control to her apartment. She shuddered
involuntarily recalling how bad their timing had been this
morning.

She shook her head, trying to break herself from her reverie.
*'Focus.'* She reminded herself. *'Work.'*

***

Perry White grinned ear to ear as he unlocked the impromptu
office for the Daily Planet. The training sessions from the day
before had been grueling and the changes were well ahead of any
other newspaper. He hoped his team would be able to keep up.

Bruce Wayne was young and used to change. He wasn't. He was
willing to change with the times as needed to ensure the growth
of the paper. "Mr. White?"

Perry turned to see Lucy Lane, Lois' little sister rounding the
corner towards him, "Lucy, darlin' what are you doing here?"

She held up a package as she tried to catch her breath,"I think
I've found something and I was hoping you could help."

He took the package from her curious, "What'd you find?"

"The real bomber," she panted. "Proof that Jimmy's being
framed."

***

*{"Lois?? There's some Pest Control guy here..."*

"*Okay, let them in."*

"*I did. They've sprayed everywhere already."*

"*So what's the problem?"*

"*They've sprayed everywhere but your room." *

"*Oh."}*

Lex snapped the remote down on his desk angrily, watching as a
disheveled Lois Lane and Clark Kent came out of her bedroom. It
was obvious what they'd been doing. Anger pulsed through him as
he watched Clark Kent lean in to kiss Lois Lane.

"How dare she?" He muttered to himself. "How dare she betray
me with that...hack??" He fumed angrily.

***

"Detective Jenkins," Perry laid a picture of the detective out
for Victor Talley to see. Then laid a crime scene photo of the
arson from the Daily Planet. "He was there. Out of uniform."

"That's not a crime," Victor Talley pointed out.

"No, it's not, but given that he was supposed to be on duty at
the time of the arson across town it makes it awfully
suspicious," Lucy pointed out, setting a copy of the police log
in front of him.

Talley's eyebrows rose, "Where did you get this?"

"A reliable source," Lois said, folding her arms over her
chest.

Talley smirked, "I'll bet." He let out a long sigh, "Look, I
feel for you. Really I do. The FBI wants Luthor behind bars as
much as you do. Given the extent of his reach in the government
and the threat to national security it's a top priority."

"Why do I sense there's a 'but' here?" Clark asked.

Talley sighed, "Yes, Mr. Kent, there is a very big 'but' here
because as informative as this is it wasn't obtained by legal
means. Now, everything we receive after this is tainted."

Lucy gave a sigh of despair, "But this proves he's corrupt
and..."

"...and he's entitled to rights," Talley reminded her. "I'll
contact IAB and get them to open a case on him. Hopefully nudge
them in the right direction, but I can't accept this. I can't
even acknowledge I've seen this or it could tank the entire
case. Grapes from the poisonous tree if you will."

"But.." Lucy began to argue.

Perry stopped her, interjecting, "Thank you for your time,
Director Talley."

***

"Are you out of your mind??" Lucy snapped, throwing her things
on the couch as they reentered the apartment. "We have evidence
this officer is...dirty and he's doing nothing. You can't
argue? Fight?"

"What's to argue, Luce?" Lois asked, "You heard him. If we
get them to investigate from information you obtained illegally
it'll get the case thrown out."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do," Lois shot back. "I've seen it happen. I have been
in the courtroom and watched an entire prosecution's case get
thrown out because of one officer's mistake. It's called due
process."

"It's not fair," Lucy cried. "I just wanted to help."

"I know." Lois took a seat next to her, "and you will."

Lucy dabbed at the tears that had escaped, "They won't let me
see him. Figured out I wasn't his sister and now they won't let
me see him."

"I'm sorry," Lois hugged her, holding her close. "We're
going to figure this out, but we can't have you trying to chase
down criminals by yourself. It's not safe."

"Are you really trying to lecture me on safety?" Lucy asked
with a crooked smile.

"Well, considering we're supposed to be laying low, yeah,"
Lois smirked. "I promised mom I'd look after you."

"I'm not a child," Lucy snapped, folding her arms over her
chest.

"I know but I still worry," Lois said, resting her head against
her sister's. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment.
"I've got to get the rest of this back to the office." She
motioned at the boxes she'd left in the living room this
morning.

Lucy followed her gaze, "When's Clark gonna be back from his
appointment?"

Lois shrugged, trying to give her best 'I don't know'
expression. She really didn't want to think about Clark's
'appointment' at the moment. He'd left to answer a call for
help and given what had happened earlier with the Kryptonite they
both knew it could be risky. Someone had Kryptonite and they
didn't know who or what they would do with it.

"Uh, not sure." She pasted on a smile, "Here. Help me with
these?" She motioned to the boxes. Lucy nodded, following her
out to the Jeep with the other box.

***

When they arrived at WayneTech Clark was waiting for her in the
lobby, "Hey, you." She leaned in to kiss him.

"Hey," he leaned in to stroke her cheek before taking the file
boxes from her. "These Jimmy's case files?"

"Yep," Lucy smiled following them inside. She let out a low
whistle when she entered the office space, "Nice digs."

***

Bill Henderson let out an exasperated sigh, "Mike, I can't help
you if you won't talk."

Mike Jenkins looked over at Bill Henderson with a snort, "Why
would you want to help me?" He motioned to his bruised face,
"Do I look like I need help?"

"Yeah, you do." Henderson leaned forward, "I know you're
scared. Probably think you can't turn to anyone or do anything
but you'd be wrong." He ran a hand through his hair, "Let me
help you."

***

"Is that everything?" Lois asked, placing the last box on the
'research table' in the office. It took everything in her to
divert her eyes away from Clark's backside as he leaned over to
lift the boxes they had lined up on the floor to move them.

'*Bad. Bad thoughts.'* She reminded herself, noting how many
feet he stood from her at the moment. Fifteen. It was an office
but it was small. Very very small...for two or more people. Three
desks had been pushed together and dual monitors had been set up
on either side with laptop docking stations. It was cramped but
it was home for now.

"I think so," Clark reassured her, turning to dazzle her with
his mega-watt smile that made her weak in the knees.

Distraction.

She needed a distraction.

Work.

She needed to work.

Eying the board where they'd begun to pin suspected lieutenants
and crimes to Lex several months ago she crossed the room and
began removing the pins one by one.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to re-strategize," she explained, pulling out a large
stack of Post-Its.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked, walking toward the bulletin
board with her.

"We keep treating Jimmy's case like it's separate from Lex,
but it's not. We know he's behind this so we need to prove
it," Lois explained, jotting names they suspected of being
involved down and pinning them to the board.

"How?" He asked.

"Follow Bruce Wayne's advice." She said with a smile, "Dig
into his past."

***

Bruce looked over Lucius Fox's shoulder, watching as he tinkered
with the metal device he'd been given by the Fire Marshall.
"Anything?"

Lucius continued to tinker, "From what I'm able to see, Mr.
Wayne, this is no ordinary incendiary device. There's micro
chips inside the firing mechanism which tells me this bomb was
set off from a different location."

"Can you trace it?" Bruce asked.

***

Lois watched as Perry waved goodnight to them, "Don't stay here
too late." He called over his shoulder. "Rome wasn't built in
a day."

"Night Chief," Clark waved at their editor, closing the door
behind him so as not to be disturbed.

Lois turned her attention back to her notes on what they had
pinned to the board. They had been going over their research for
the last few hours, and her mind was growing wary. It was
disheartening to learn how demented Lex's father was and even
more heartbreaking to hear how loving his mother was. A child
trapped in a twisted world of games by none other than Lionel
Luthor.

She glanced at Clark then back at the board. Most of the staff
had already left for the evening, leaving her, Clark, a few stray
employees trying to dig into their stories and the printing press
guys next door. Perry had taken them off of any local news for
the time being so they could focus on exposing Luthor and
clearing Jimmy's name. It seemed a harder task than anyone
thought.

Clark walked toward her, placing a supportive arm around her
shoulders. She smiled to herself as she sank back against him,
smelling the hint of his cologne against her nostrils before he
pulled away once again. She fidgeted in her long skirt when she
caught herself staring at him as he leaned against the desk to
grab another pen.

Working in close quarters was definitely getting to her
especially given how 'active' they'd been over the past week.
It wouldn't take a lot of imagination to entertain thoughts
about him that were less than professional. Her gaze wandered
over the muscles of his back, admiring how tight his blue dress
shirt stretched against his muscles and reminded of the memory of
those muscles beneath her fingertips. Her mind dreamily flashed
back to this morning with him in her bed, naked and ...

"Lois?"

She looked up, breaking herself out of her fantasy and back to
the present. "Huh?"

"You said you wanted to go over what we've got?" Clark
prompted, taking a seat in the desk chair across from where she
was standing.

"Oh, right," she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, turning
toward the board and away from her very distracting partner and
boyfriend. She glanced at the notepad in her hands and began
reading off her notes as she paced in front of the board,
"Lionel Luthor, founder of LuthorCorp. Two PhDs in biochemical
engineering and macroeconomics from Yale University. Married to
Lillian Luthor."

Clark tapped his pen against his notepad and interjected,
"Luthor's mother. They both died in a fire on Lex Luthor's
seventeenth birthday, allowing Lex Luthor to take over
LuthorCorp. Rebranding it as..."

"LexCorp," Lois finished with a shudder. She stopped in front
of him, noting the worry lines on his face as he continued going
through their notes.

"Police suspected foul play, but no evidence was ever found
linking Luthor to the deaths of his parents," Clark added,
looking back at the board. "Think this is what Bruce was talking
about?"

Lois shrugged, leaning back against the desk, perching herself on
the corner, crossing her legs as she turned back toward the
board, "I don't know." Her face scrunched up, "Where does
Jimmy fit into all of this?" She gestured to the other side of
the board where Lex Luthor's name was at the top, and four
mysterious lieutenant names were below him along with known
criminal organizations linked to the boss. The Planet explosion
was on another post it with a question mark.

***

Crazy.

Lois Lane was driving him absolutely crazy.

Clark watched from across the room, ignoring her racing pulse and
the very clear distinct scent of her perfume that teased his
nostrils, reminding him of other very familiar scents. Was it
always going to be like this? Being in close quarters with her
only seemed to heighten the fantasies that continued to drive him
mad day and night every time he looked in her direction. All
he'd been able to think about was purple lace. The hint of
purple lace he'd seen when she'd gotten up from the desk
earlier and began pacing around the office, ticking off notes on
what they'd found out so far.

She was trying to crack their investigation on Luthor open, and
here he was hindered and crippled by the thought of purple lace.
He watched in torture as she slipped the end of her pen in her
mouth, chewing on the tip of it as she stared down at her
notepad.

She reclaimed her seat on the edge of the desk, and he watched in
agony as her skirt hiked up just enough for him to get a full
view of her shapely legs and the purple lace of her thigh highs.
Was she trying to torture him? No. She was completely
professional. Her attire was professional. She wore a lavender
pencil skirt that came just below her knees and had a tasteful
split on the side up to her knees. That split. That was the
culprit to his torture. The purple lace never would have been
staring at him if it weren't for that split in her skirt. Her
violet sleeveless top went well with her skirt and suit jacket
that laid forgotten on the back of her chair.

Her face scrunched up, "Where does Jimmy fit into all of this?"
She gestured to the other side of the board where Lex Luthor's
name was at the top, and four mysterious lieutenant names were
below him along with known criminal organizations linked to the
boss. The Planet explosion was on another post it with a question
mark.

"Don't forget the oil rig," Clark added, finding his voice as
he made a note and got up to add it underneath Lex Luthor.

"HM Weapons," Lois interjected, making another note and handing
it to him. His super-hearing teased him once more with the sound
of her lace thigh highs brushing against one another, and he
shifted uncomfortably where he stood.

"Illegal weapon deals," Clark jotted down and pinned it to the
board.

"So what's the connection?" Lois asked with a sigh, "How does
him taking over LexCorp connect to all of ...this?" She gestured
to the other side of the board.

Noticing her dismayed expression, he crossed the room and walked
toward her, perching himself on the edge of the desk next to
her.Trying to calm her nerves, he wrapped his arms around her and
whispered in her ear, "I don't know, but we'll figure it
out." He reached for her hand, stroking the top of it with his
thumb.

She smiled at him, reaching up to stroke his cheek before
reminding him, "Jimmy's bond hearing is tomorrow. What if they
don't let him out?"

"Then we keep digging," he promised, leaning in to kiss her.
She returned the kiss with enthusiasm, outlining his lips with
the tip of her tongue. He groaned against her lips, listening to
the torturous sound of purple lace rubbing against one another
once more as her thighs rubbed together once again.

He slipped his hand boldly between her thighs, finding the lace
edge of her thigh highs that had been torturing him for the last
half hour. He leaned her back against the desk, tracing the
length of the garter belt straps beneath her skirt, groaning
against her lips, "You're killing me with these."

"Then we're even," she murmured against his lips, running her
hand up the back of his backside. He settled himself between her
legs. "I want you so bad."

"I want you too." He ran his hands down her sides, "so bad."

"Oh, Clark." 

***

The next day, Mike Jenkins sat in his hospital room staring at
the television screen as footage of the Olsen trial played out.
"We're here in front of the courthouse with James Olsen's
attorney, Constance Hunter. Ms. Hunter, can you tell us why you
requested another bond hearing after the first request was
denied?"

"The people are accusing Mr. Olsen of being things he isn't and
doing things he hasn't. I believe once the judge sees this the
ridiculous charges against him will be dismissed. This is an
overreach by the prosecution at the very least by an overzealous
prosecutor looking to use my client as a stepping stone into the
Governor's office."

***

Lois and Clark met Bill Henderson and Perry outside the
courthouse after going through the metal detectors. "With
Detective Jenkins in the hospital I've been asked to help the
DA's office with handling the Olsen case."

Lois crossed her arms over her chest, pacing in front of him,
"Excuse me??"

"I don't for one minute believe Jimmy's guilty but I've got
to do my job," Henderson explained.

"Your job is to protect the innocent, Bill," Clark pleaded with
him. "Jimmy's innocent."

"With me heading this up I'll be able to determine that for
sure." Henderson reassured, "But the trial will go forward
unless we find another suspect with enough evidence to convince
the judge."

"So, you're going to open an unofficial investigation? See if
you can find the real culprit?"Lois asked.

"No," Henderson shook his head, looking down at the tile
floor.

"What??" Lois fumed angrily.

"I want the son of bitch that did this as much as yall do but
Jimmy is innocent," Perry pleaded with him.

"I've got my orders, Perry," Henderson sighed, "I can go over
the evidence again and see if I can point the investigation in a
new angle but without the Police Commissioner's approval there
won't be any new investigation. I'm sorry. My hands are
tied."

"That boy hasn't been given a fair shot since this happened and
you know it," Perry interjected, wagging his hand in
Henderson's face.

"He's a kid being railroaded by Luthor," Clark hissed
vehemently in a harsh whisper. "You said yourself you didn't
believe he was guilty. Why can't you open the investigation?"

"It's not that simple," Henderson warned. "There are a lot of
players involved in this. People with a lot of power and a lot of
muscle that don't want to see Luthor in jail."

"Then what makes you think you telling them anything is going to
make a difference? DA Clemmons is taking on this case himself.
Seems to think it'll be a political move," Perry fumed
bitterly.

"I've got a contact in the DA's office that's agreed to
help," Henderson reassured.

"She?" Lois asked, uncertainly.

A young blonde wearing too much make up for Lois' taste
approached them, juggling a handful of folder jackets, "Bill!"

Bill Henderson smiled and approached her, taking some of the
files from her. "Mayson, good to see you." He pointed toward
the group. "Mayson Drake, I'd like you to meet the people I was
telling you about. Perry White," he pointed to Perry.

"Nice to meet you," she gave him a firm handshake. Perry nodded
but didn't say anything.

"Lois Lane," he pointed to Lois.

She gave Lois a once over before extending her hand, "I've read
your work. Impressive."

Lois stared at her for a moment, debating if she could trust this
woman. "And you are...?"

"Deputy DA. Just moved here," Mayson explained, pulling her
hand back in as she shifted her gaze toward Clark who still had a
scowl on his face about the bomb Henderson had dropped on them.
She moved toward him, "You must be Clark Kent."

He nodded, standing up straight to take the hand she extended to
him, "Yeah." He pulled his hand back, still frowning, "What's
your office going to do about Jimmy? Are you really going to put
an innocent kid away while the real bomber walks free as a
bird?"

Mayson bit her lower lip, contemplating her response as she
continued to linger her gaze on Clark. Lois could feel every hair
on the back of her neck stand up as she watched the exchange. Who
did she think she was? She opened her mouth to interject but
found herself cut off by Mayson's response, "I'm not handling
that investigation, Clark. I can promise you that I would never
prosecute a case where I thought the defendant was innocent. Like
I told Bill I want to put Lex Luthor behind bars. That's my
goal. He tells me you all want the same thing. I thought maybe we
could work together on that?" She gave a dazzling smile that
Lois was sure worked for Mayson in the past.

"So you want to put Lex behind bars. Who doesn't?" Lois
interjected. "So far I haven't heard a reason why we should
trust you."

Mayson arched an eyebrow at her, "Nor, I you, Ms. Lane." Her
face scrunching up as she turned to face her. "I'm willing to
help but if you don't want my help then..."

"Now hold on just a minute here," Perry interjected, "Lois,
you and Kent have been working this Luthor angle for months and
gotten nowhere."

"That is not--"

"Why don't you work with Ms. Drake here and see if you can put
your heads together to crack this sucker open and bring Jimmy
home?" He looked between the two of them, "Sound fair?"

"Fine," Lois harrumphed.

"Great," Mayson smiled, pulling out her card as she jotted
something down on the back of it. She turned to Clark, "Oh,
Clark, here's my card. If you need to reach me, ahem," she
smiled, "after hours? My personal number's on the back." She
turned toward Lois, "I look forward to working with you, Ms.
Lane." One of the bailiff's waved for her in front of the
courtroom across from them and she excused herself.

'*I will not kill her. I will not kill her.'* Lois reminded
herself as she tried to calm herself down, offering a sarcastic,
"Subtle."

Lois couldn't help but smile as she watched Clark hand the card
to Perry before walking toward her, placing an arm on her
shoulder before whispering, "Calm down."

"I'm calm," she harrumphed, folding her arms over her chest,
rubbing her upper arms up and down as she watched Mayson leave,
"Anyone seen Jimmy's dad?"

Perry nodded, "He's in there with Constance going over his
testimony one last time," he pointed to a room marked
'private' across the hall.

***

"The people are accusing Mr. Olsen of being things he isn't and
doing things he hasn't. I believe once the judge sees this the
ridiculous charges against him will be dismissed. This is an
overreach by the prosecution at the very least by an overzealous
prosecutor looking to use my client as a stepping stone into the
Governor's office."

Lex Luthor took a puff from his cigar, eying the crowd outside
the courthouse with a smile. "Phase One of your plan is
complete," Mrs. Cox said, looking to him with a smile.

"On to Phase Two."

***

"Where's Jimmy?" Lois asked, looking around the courtroom.

"It's a bond hearing," Clark explained. "He'll be on the
monitors but he won't be in the courtroom."

"What??" Lois asked, aghast, tears forming in her eyes.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Stephens!" The bailiff called
out.

***

Bruce sat in his office going over the preliminary report Lucius
had provided him with from the incendiary device they'd found in
the wreckages. He wasn't sure how to prove it but he knew Lex
Luthor was behind this. He hoped this device would lead him to
LexCorp's doorstep, putting his rival out of commission for
good.

"Bruce?"

Bruce looked up to see a very ticked Vicki Vale standing over
him, tapping her heel impatiently with her arms crossed. "Uh,
Vicki, this is a surprise."

"How long are you going to continue to play games?" She huffed,
pacing in front of him.

"Games?"

She gave him an annoyed smile, "I went to the studio and imagine
my surprise when half the crew isn't there. When I started
calling to ask why they said they'd gotten new jobs...with LNN.
*All *of them."

"I'll take care of it, Vicki. I'll get you a new crew before
you go back on the air," he reassured her.

"Bruce, that's not the point!" She shouted exasperated. "You
can't just keep buying your way out of this. This ...whatever it
is with Lex Luthor has to stop."

"He started it," he reminded him.

"And you need to end it." She took a step toward him, placing a
hand on his cheek, "Please Bruce, be the bigger man?"

***

"The people are accusing Mr. Olsen of being things he isn't and
doing things he hasn't. I believe once the judge sees this the
ridiculous charges against him will be dismissed. This is an
overreach by the prosecution at the very least by an overzealous
prosecutor looking to use my client as a stepping stone into the
Governor's office."

Lucy set the remote down on the table in front of her, watching
in rapt attention as the newscasters debated on Jimmy's guilt or
innocence. She stared at the image still of Detective Jenkins
holding a duffel bag and walking toward the Daily Planet's back
entrance.

Bill Henderson wouldn't help her.

The FBI wouldn't help her.

She'd have to do this on her own.

***

Mike Jenkins stared at the crowd, watching as the newscasters
continued to comment on the trial. He took a sip of his water,
wincing as he felt it hit the back of his throat. He felt his
throat tighten from the strain and began coughing uncontrollably.
Realization dawned on him as he reached for the call button by
his bed to page a nurse, but it was too late.

His arm began to spasm, feeling the muscles in his hand lock up
as his throat slowly closed up.

***

Jack Olsen approached the witness stand, taking his seat. The
bailiff approached, "Please raise your right hand," he
instructed, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth so
help you God?"

"I do," Jack nodded, taking his seat.

Constance Hunter approached with a smile, "Mr. Olsen, please
state your name and occupation for the record?"

"Jack Olsen. I'm a Structural Engineer," he smiled back at
her.

"Not an international spy?" She pressed.

"No," he smiled back at her, "Not that exciting."

"Why do you think the prosecution has accused you of being a
spy?" Constance asked.

"They have a weak case. You gotta admit. It's a great story,
but the reality is even if I was...a spy. My family would never
know about it. So that motive for their case goes out the
window."

"What do you mean?" Constance pressed.

"Think about it, in all the James Bond films and spy movies
we've seen no one ever knows if he's a spy or not. It's a
mystery. Do you honestly think the NIA would be any different?"
He smiled.

***

In the gallery, Lois clenched her hand over Clark's listening to
Jack Olsen's testimony, "Why doesn't he just write NIA Spy in
big bold letters and hang it over his head?" She whispered.

"Shhh," Clark cautioned her, "We don't know that for sure."

"Give me a break. Listen to this guy," Lois whispered back,
pointing toward the judged, "Look at the judge. He doesn't
believe it either."

***

DA Clemmons approached Jack Olsen with a smarmy smile on his
face. "Jack, can I call you 'Jack?'" He asked, pacing in
front of the witness stand.

Jack's jaw tightened and his mouth formed a thin line, "I
guess."

"You tell a great story of conspiracies and dangerous villains
all working against your son" He smiled, "You'd do anything to
help your son, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, of course," Jack said edgily.

"Including lie under oath?"

"Of course not!" Jack scoffed offended.

"Your honor!" Constance shot up from the defendant's table.
"Move to strike!"

"Sustained!" The Judge pounded the gavel, "Watch it Mr.
Clemmons."

"You say you're a structural engineer but no engineering
company has heard of you," he paced in front of Jack.

"Well that depends on who you're talking to," Jack smiled
back. "Just like with your case against my son. You ask one
officer he says he's guilty and you ask another and he says
he's innocent. All a matter of perspective."

"Your honor, permission to treat the witness as hostile?"

"Objection!"

"Your Honor!" Clemmons argued.

"Granted!" Judge Stephens pounded the gavel once more.

"Your Honor I strenuously object!" Constance shouted.

"Noted." Judge Stephens waved her off, "Continue your cross
examination, Mr. Clemmons."

"Mr. Olsen, you say you're a structural engineer, is that a
true statement?"

"Yes."

"But you don't give us a company, a project, anything..."

"I'm a contract worker. I go where I'm needed."

"Or where you're assigned," Clemmons corrected.

"No."

"Isn't it true you're a structural engineer for the NIA? You
get hired to blow things up and collect intelligence across the
borders?"

"I..."

"I'm waiting, Mr. Olsen!"

"Your honor I object to this line of questioning! It has no
merit ..."

"You opened this line of questioning counselor." Judge Stephens
turned to Jack, "The witness will answer the question."

Jack's eyes narrowed, "Even if I were how would that make my
son guilty? How would my involvement in an organization that
keeps this country safe cause my son to be guilty of this ugly
crime? You have no case. No motive. Your evidence is weak at
best. You're reaching, Mr. Clemmons. I've known Jimmy his
entire life and he would never do the things you're accusing him
of..."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Clemmons' eyes narrowed.

"He didn't do this."

"Your Honor!" Constance shouted.

"The witness is excused," Clemmons waved Jack off.

"You'll rot in hell for this! He's a kid! An innocent kid!"

"You're excused Mr. Olsen!"

***

*{"Lois?? There's some Pest Control guy here..."*

"*Okay, let them in."*

"*I did. They've sprayed everywhere already."*

"*So what's the problem?"*

"*They've sprayed everywhere but your room." *

"*Oh."}*

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."*

"*No?"*

"*No."}*

Lex clicked the remote once more, rewinding the tape and playing
it back again.

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."*

"*No?"*

"*No."}*

He scowled, watching as Lois willingly gave herself over to that
hack partner of hers.

How dare she?

***

Alfred Pennyworth's image displayed on the screen as Bruce
continued typing away. "Wayne Tech's launch party is scheduled
for the end of the month, sir. Shall I set the location for
Metropolis, sir?"

Bruce looked up at the screen, "It looks like I'll be tied up
here for at least a few months, Alfred, so any social gatherings
we can move here would be best."

"Right, sir," Alfred made a note and continued, "Master Dick
has requested a change in uniform."

"No," Bruce cut him off before he could continue.

"But you didn't even hear his request, sir."

"If it has anything to do with flames or fireballs like the last
request the answer is 'no,'" Bruce smirked. "How about the
background checks on Wayne Enterprises new clients? Did we get
those back?"

"Yes, everyone but one came back clean. I'm sending you the
report now, sir," Alfred explained.

"Which one?" Bruce asked, his interest piqued.

"HM Weapons." Alfred said, "It's an international alias for
Honeybraun Industries."

"Who just got bought by LexCorp," Bruce's face was grim.

"Yes, well their practices before LexCorp attained them weren't
exactly of the humanitarian either. You should be receiving the
report now, sir."

A flashing icon appeared in the bottom of his screen and Bruce
clicked on it, reading report after report on illegal arms
dealings HM Weapons had been a part of in the last ten years.
"What was he trying to ship?"

"Uranium. A Lot of it, sir."

"Cancel the order."

"Yes, sir."

***

Lois sat numbly in the gallery with Clark watching as Constance
and Perry argued in hushed whispers on the other side of the
courtroom. "It's fixed," she muttered aloud. "The whole damn
system is rigged."

Clark gave her shoulders a supportive squeeze. "He didn't have
a chance did he?"

"Nope," Lois muttered bitterly, staring at DA Clemmons who was
all smiles as he approached the bench with Judge Stephens,
shaking his hand.

Brian from research squeezed his way through the crowd and tapped
Clark on the shoulder, pulling him back to the present,
"Clark?"

He turned to look at him, "Brian? What are you doing here?"

He held up a thick manilla envelope and smiled, "Remember when
you asked me to see if anything odd happened with WayneTech and
LexCorp?" He asked. "Well, this couldn't wait..." He handed
him the file and whispered, "I wouldn't open that here if I
were you."

They nodded, making their way out of the courtroom and following
Brian out into the hallway, "What is it?" Clark asked in a
hushed whisper.

"Apparently LexCorp's newest acquisition had their shipping
partner back out on them," Brian grinned. "Go ahead take a
guess. I dare you."

"I don't know," Lois shrugged, "ONeal Industries?"

"Nope. Wayne Enterprises. They canceled an order of 900 kilos of
Uranium with HM Weapons; now a subsidiary of LexCorp."

"Nine hundred kilos?" Lois repeated. "That's like..."

"Sixty-four Trillion dollars down the toilet," Brian gave a low
whistle. "If I were Luthor right now I'd be pissssseddd."

Lois gave Brian a weak smile, looking at Clark who had a stern
look on his face, "Uh, thanks for bringing this by, Brian. Let
us know if you come across anything else, will you?"

"Oh," he held up his hand and pulled a folder out of the
envelope and handed it to them, "Apparently there's some war
going on between LexCorp and WayneTech. They've been going at it
for years apparently, but here recently it's gotten more
vicious. WayneTech bought all of LNN's timeslots, and LexCorp
canceled their power..."

"Bruce Wayne finds out the project is for Luthor and he cancels
it," Clark rolled his eyes in disgust. "Great."

"Guess they never learned to play nice as kids, huh?" Brian
teased, "Anyway, I'll see you guys back at the office."

"Thanks, Brian." Lois called after him before turning to Clark,
"Well?"

"I don't even know how to respond," he muttered in disgust.
"Maybe Superman needs to pay Mr. Wayne a visit? Find out what's
really going on between those two but right now..." He gestured
to the DA and Judge Stephens walking out of the courtroom
surrounded by a mob of reporters, "I'm going to take advantage
of the distraction of the DA and see if I can get in to see
Jimmy."

She gave him a quick kiss, "I'm going to check in with Lucy and
probably work from home the rest of the day. This..." She shook
her head in disgust, "I just can't."

"I know," he nodded, holding her close. "I'll come by once
I'm done here."

"Okay," she whispered, leaning in for one last kiss before
watching him approach Constance and Perry. There seemed to be
some questioning before she nodded her head and motioned for
Clark to follow her. She sighed, hopefully, Clark would be able
to get in to see Jimmy.

***

Lucy was finishing her notes on the last photo still when the
front door opened. She looked up to see Lois holding her laptop
and a large stack of file jackets in her arms, "Hey, sis."

"Hey," Lois' face fell when she saw her. "Did you hear?"

"Yeah," Lucy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm
not sure why anyone's surprised. The whole case is a
conspiracy."

"Yeah," Lois said with a sigh, taking a seat next to her,
"What are you doing?"

"Recording movements," Lucy explained, pointing at the stack of
photo stills she'd gone through already.

"Movements?"

"Detective Jenkins," Lucy explained. "He goes in with a duffle
bag and comes out with nothing. Where did the duffle bag go?"

"Probably burnt to a crisp by now, Luce," Lois reasoned aloud.

"Or not." Lucy shot back, "It's gotta be worth a shot."

"Okay," Lois shrugged her jacket off, taking the stack of
photos from her. "Hand me a pile."

"Here," Lucy handed it to her.

"We missed you at the courthouse."

"I needed to do this," Lucy said softly. "Jimmy didn't need
me there. He had you guys. He needed me doing this. No one is
looking into this, so I'm going to."

"We're looking into it," Lois shot back with an annoyed look.

"No one official," Lucy corrected.

***

Footage of Detective Jenkins talking with Bill Henderson in the
hospital played on the large screen, "It appears we have a
problem, Lex."

"Handle it, Mrs. Cox. You know what to do," Lex ordered with a
puff of his cigar.

"Of course Lex," she smiled back at him slowly as she jotted
down a note in her planner, "And what do you plan to do about
the canceled order of Uranium from Wayne Enterprises?"

"Cancelled?" His brow furrowed, "All of it?"

"All 900 kilos," she sighed. "Do you want me to find another
buyer?"

"I need it to power the satellite and complete testing on our
latest project. Get me that uranium. I don't care if you have to
carve it out of the Iranian's dead hands. I want it here now,"
he ordered.

"Yes, Lex."

***

"CK!" Jimmy smiled when he saw his friend in the room. "I've
never been so glad to see anyone in my life."

Clark smiled weakly. Jimmy could tell the stress of everything
had taken a toll on him, "How are you?"

Jimmy shrugged, trying to deflect, "Well, the room's small and
drafty. The company's not much to speak of, but on the other
hand, the food stinks."

"Jimmy," Clark looked pleadingly at him.

"I'm hanging in there, CK," Jimmy reassured him. "It's
hard." He was quiet a moment before adding, "I didn't do this.
You believe me, right?"

"Of course, I believe you, Jimmy. We all know you would never do
anything like this. It's a set up plain and simple."

"So how do we get the judge to let me out of here?" Jimmy
asked.

"By finding the guy that did do this." Clark ran a hand through
his hair, "Jimmy is there anything you remember from that day?
Anything at all that may help us?"

"I've been racking my brain for the last week trying to think
of anything that could help but so far nothing. Nobody stood out.
Nobody out of the ordinary."

"What about someone you know, acting out of the ordinary?"
Clark asked.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked.

"Luthor's reach is long because he pays the right people to
talk," Clark explained. "Maybe it's someone you know, that we
know and wouldn't suspect?"

"Like who?"

"I don't know," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Lucy suspects that Officer...uh, I'm sorry *Detective* Jenkins
is involved, but I'm not sure how."

Jimmy's face scrunched up as the wheels began to turn.
"Jenkins? The beat cop?"

"Yeah," Clark nodded, "Why do you remember something?"

"I saw him and Steve talking outside the Planet that morning.
Steve said they went to the same gym."

"Steve the sports guy?" Clark asked.

"That's the one." Jimmy rolled his eyes, "Can't stand that
guy."

"Me neither," Clark muttered.

"How's Lois?"

"She's good." Clark smiled, "Worried about you. We all are,
but she's good."

"Tell her I'm okay and not to worry. The Tai Chi she taught me
has really come in handy."

He smiled back at him, "I'm glad to hear that."

"Thanks, CK."

"For what?"

"Fighting for me." He smiled at Clark, "You're a good
friend."

***

Lucy sighed, taking a look at everything she'd gathered on the
screen stills happily. "I think that's everything."

Lois began pulling out one of the folder jackets, opening it to
reveal a stack of weathered looking file folders in her hand,
"Yeah, now onto fun reading."

She pointed to the other folder in her sister's hand, "What's
that?"

"A list of everyone Lex Luthor ever came in contact with from
the time he was seven years old when his parents moved him here
from Central City," Lois explained

Lucy flipped through the large stack of papers, "Yikes."

"He's hiding something. When I first tried to interview him all
he did was evade questions about his past. Not once has he given
me a real interview...or any other reporter for that matter."

"No, instead he tries to marry them," Lucy gave her a teasing
look, but Lois didn't smile. "I'm teasing Lois you know that.
You didn't know what he was like otherwise you never would
have...Heck, I'm the one that pushed you into the relationship
with the guy."

Lois let out a long sigh, "Sometimes I look at all this and
wonder how I was fooled for so long."

Lucy wrapped her arm around Lois and nodded her head, "You and I
both have this awful trait where we try to see the best in people
despite evidence to the contrary staring us in the face."

"Claude."

"Jake," Lucy reminded her. "But it looks like you've broken
that streak. Clark seems...like a good guy. You seem happy."

"He is." Lois smiled, "I am. We are." Her smile spread across
her face, "I've never known anyone like him, Luce. Don't think
I ever will."

"Love bug," Lucy teased.

"Mmm, you have no idea," Lois said. "I love him...really
really love him in a scary and terrifying forever...pretend to
like his taste in music, let him eat the last piece of chocolate
kind of way." She let out a soft chuckle as the words she spoke
hung in the air.

Lucy stared at her stunned, "The Last piece of chocolate, huh?"
She let out a low whistle, "Something you need to tell me?" She
picked up Lois' hand examining it.

"What are you doing?"

"You're giving chocolate away is a commitment. Just checking,"
Lucy grinned. She was quiet for a moment, "You must really love
him."

"I do." She pulled her hand back, "I really do."

"I'm happy for you," Lucy rested her head against Lois'
shoulder. "You deserve that."

Lois turned on her side to face Lucy, "Thanks, Luce."

***

"Hey, Kent, how ya doing?" Scotty James, the youngest Medical
Examiner in Metropolis and also the most honest welcomed Clark
into his office as he finished jotting down his notes from his
latest autopsy.

"Scotty," Clark nodded to the young medical examiner as he
stepped into his office, "How are you?"

The young man looked worse for the wear, "Third one this week."
He whispered hoarsely.

"One? He asked, taking a seat at Scotty's desk as he was
finishing jotting down notes in his file.

"Heart failure in the middle of a crowded hospital with doctors
and nurses all around," the young man tossed his pen across the
desk in disgust. "Tell me that makes sense to you."

"I'm not a doctor." Clark answered carefully, "but it does
sound suspicious. Who were the other heart failure victims this
week?"

He shook his head, "A couple of nobody's. I had a dock worker,
age sixty, divorced and healthy then kaput. Then I had a young
nursing assistant; yes a nursing assistant that keeled over in
the middle of her shift."

"What's the connection?" Clark scowled, realizing the death of
Detective Jenkins and the other two victims were most likely
related. He'd been too late when he'd heard the radio calls
asking for an ME at Metropolis General when Detective Jenkins had
been found unresponsive in his hospital room.

Another victim of Lex Luthor.

Another life lost.

He'd diverted disaster after disaster all afternoon. Airplanes
being detoured and running out of fuel. Ships lost in the middle
of the Atlantic and out of fuel. Each one said the same thing.

"There was a flicker on the navigation system and a long beep,
and then it was back again."

Since they all relied on the navigation systems to guide them, it
usually took the pilots and crew hours until they realized what
was going on and by then they were out of fuel or completely
lost.

Now it seemed there was another mystery in the mix. Unrelated
victims dying of heart failure. Scotty leaned back in his chair,
folding his arms behind his head, "That's the sixty-four
billion dollar question."

After doing a quick patrol around the city to ensure himself
everyone and everything was okay, he headed back toward Lois' to
catch her up on everything he'd learned only to get a distress
call from a news helicopter outside the city. "What is going on
today?" He muttered to himself, detouring mid-flight to help.

***

Lex pressed a button, watching on the screen as Superman arrived
on the scene to save the helicopter minutes before it hit the
ground. He pressed another button, watching, waiting for a
response.

Nothing.

He frowned, turning the dial up he watched the man of steel's
face scowl as he looked around. After holding at almost
max-speed, he lowered the dial and watched as the man of steel's
face relaxed.

"It seems we have some reprogramming to do," Nigel ordered the
technicians. They all scrambled around them as Lex pulled out his
cigar, taking a puff of it, staring at the screen in
concentration.

"I want him gone, Nigel."

"Then why not use the Kryptonite? Why all these tests, sir?"

"Because I don't want him simply gone, Nigel. I want him
destroyed. I want to know who he is so I can break him...and
everyone and everything he holds dear." He took a long puff of
his cigar and exhaled the smoke slowly.

"And if who he cares about most is Ms. Lane, sir? What then?"

"This is war."

***

Lois watched the coverage of the near miss helicopter crash from
earlier and winced. Clark had barely gotten there in time.
Looking at his face on the screen she could tell he was tired. It
seemed as if all day the news reports had nothing but disaster
after disaster that Superman was being called to.

Helicopter crashes.

Airplanes detouring.

Missing ships.

She wasn't sure, but her reporter's instincts told her there
was something more to it than a coincidence. She glanced at the
time, seeing how late it was she sighed. Clark probably wouldn't
be coming by tonight. She frowned, looking around the apartment,
feeling lonely without Clark there.

Lucy was curled up on the couch clutching her notes on the still
images she's been going through earlier. They'd made it halfway
through everything before she'd finally fallen asleep. Lois
picked up one of the throw blankets and placed it over Lucy,
readjusting her head on the pillow, so she didn't wake up with a
crick in the neck. "Night, sis," she whispered, giving her a
peck on the cheek.

"Superman! Can we get a statement?" Lois turned her attention
to the television, seeing Clark's face on the screen as the news
team he'd rescued attempted to land an interview with him.

His face was grim as he turned away, unwilling to speak to the
camera. She grimaced, watching as the red and blue blur
disappeared in the night sky. The day's stresses were taking a
definite toll on him.

She cast a sideways glance at her sister who was still slumbering
blissfully unaware of the stresses of the day. She really missed
Clark. She toyed with the idea of surprising him at his apartment
for a moment before getting up from the couch and heading to her
bedroom.

He had given her a key.

It would be a waste not to use it, right?

***

Clark landed on the balcony of his apartment, scanning to make
sure the apartment was still clean of any monitoring devices.
He'd barely been by for more than a shower and change of clothes
the last few days, opting to spend the night at Lois' instead.
He didn't find any bugs thankfully, but he did find a surprise
guest.

Smirking to himself as he stepped inside and spun out of his oil
covered suit and into shorts and a sleeveless tank. He closed the
window behind him, making sure the window was locked, and the
curtains were closed securely before turning to face his guest.

"Hi," Lois looked at him with an impish grin, her trenchcoat
securely wrapped around her as she sauntered toward him.

He noticed the black silk stockings she wore and black heels,
groaning his approval, "Hi."

"I saw the helicopter crash," she ran her hand over his right
shoulder briefly, fingering the fabric of his cotton shirt.

"Yeah," he frowned, recalling the series of rescues he'd had
throughout the day.

"Are you o-kay?" He watched mesmerized as she pushed the hem of
her trenchcoat up, massaging her upper thighs as she revealed the
hint of black lace and blue silk beneath the mundane tan
material.

He stared at her thighs intently, responding slightly distracted
as he let himself be led into the living room. "I'm
perfect...now." His arms encircled her waist, running his palms
up and down her sides.

"Good," she whispered, running both hands down his chest
seductively. "Because I have a surprise for you." She pushed
him back against the couch, moving to straddle him.

"I like surprises," he whispered, running his hands up and down
her sides.

"I know." Her thighs tightened around him, and she whispered,
"You'll really love this one." She whispered a kiss against
his ear.

***

The next morning after getting dressed for the day and having
breakfast Clark caught Lois up on everything he'd learned from
Jimmy the day before.

"Steve? As in Steve the Sleaze? That Steve?" Lois asked in
surprise.

"That's what he said," Clark sighed, taking a sip of his
coffee. "Unfortunately, Detective Jenkins isn't around to
verify that." He shook his head in disgust.

Lois placed a supportive hand over him, "We'll figure this
out."

"I know," he sighed, taking her hand in his.

"Did Jimmy say anything else?" Lois asked.

"He said your Tai Chi lessons are helping," he grinned at her,
getting up from the table to rinse out their cups. "He's
hanging in there."

"Lucy fell asleep going through the ...Oh, crap!" She got up
from the table and headed for the phone.

"What?" He asked her as she began to dial her number
frantically.

"I forgot. I can't believe I forgot." She put the call on
speaker as she listened to the phone ring repeatedly before the
voicemail message came on. "Crap," she muttered, hanging up the
phone. "I forgot to let her know where I was."

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Lois! She's going to have a
cow!"

"I know, I know. I was distracted and not thinking..." She
sighed, "I wonder where she is."

"Maybe she left you a message?" He suggested, finishing up
rinsing the coffee mugs in the sink.

She redialed her number then hit * and her access code. "You
have three new messages."

Lucy's chipper voice filled the air when Lois hit the play
button, "Hey sis! So, I woke up and this crazy thing happened:
you weren't home. Not sure where you went, but I'm going to
assume you're either working or at Clark's and not panic right
now. Just saying, a phone call would have been nice...Call me."

Clark gave Lois a disapproving look, and she blushed, shrugging
her shoulders and mouthing, 'I forgot.' Clark shook his head,
and she sighed, "I'll call her mobile and leave a message, so
she knows I'm okay..."

The beep of the voicemail playing another message interrupted her
thoughts when the familiar voice of Mrs. Cox filled the room,
"Hello, Lois Lane. I understand you and your partner are looking
for information on Lex Luthor."

Lois glanced at Clark who rose from the couch to stand next to
her as they listened to the rest of the message.

"Something about the key to his downfall?"

Clark rested his hands on her shoulders, running them up and down
her arms while they listened to the woman she knew had in-depth
knowledge of Lex's criminal history taunted her through the
voicemail message.

"If you want to know Lex's weakness and how to bring him down
meet me at the mausoleum tonight at seven. Don't be late and
come alone."

"Not in this millennium." Clark breathed, "It's a trap."

"I know." Lois said, leaning back against him, "but still they
don't know we know that..."

"No," he shook his head defiantly folding his arms over his
chest.

"You could come. Maybe we could finagle some information out of
her," she turned to face him, resting her hands on his folded
arms.

"It's too dangerous," his lips tightened into a thin line.

"We can't just sit around and do...nothing." She pulled away,
pacing around the room, "This is the closest thing to a real
lead we've got." She pointed at the answering machine to
emphasize her point.

"What about Bruce Wayne?"

"What about him?" Lois scoffed, "You said yourself you don't
trust him."

"I never said that...exactly," Clark edged.

"Oh, really? What changed?" Lois asked.

"Nothing. I'm still a little suspicious about his intentions.
There's not a whole lot we know about him, and there's that
history with him and Luthor..."

"Well, maybe we can ask Mrs. Cox about that tonight?" Lois
suggested.

"Lo-is...No," he shook his head.

Lois crinkled her nose looking at her planner, "I'm not going
to have time to change after work. Maybe if we stop by the
apartment before work. We'll be a little late."

"I'm serious. I'm putting my foot down. This is too
dangerous."

"Uh-huh." Lois looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm serious." He added, "There is no way..."

***

Thunder clapped in the night sky as they made their way toward
the Metropolis Mausoleum. Lois glanced over her shoulder to see
Clark right behind her. "See anything?" She asked cautiously as
they entered the iron gates.

Clark lowered his glasses, scanning the area and shaking his
head. "Cemetery's right over there," he pointed. "There are a
few people at some of the graves but no sign of Mrs. Cox."

"This place is spooky," Lois muttered, looking around at the
gravestones.

"It is a cemetery, Lois," Clark pointed out, resting his hands
on her shoulders. Thunder clapped once more, and a strike of
lightning hit across the street.

"Oh, geez!" Lois jumped back, and Clark instinctively wrapped a
protective arm around her.

"I've got you," he whispered.

"A cemetery. It had to be a cemetery," she muttered, climbing
the steps to the mausoleum.

"Well..." He stopped mid-sentence getting a familiar look on
his face.

Lois winced, looking at him in concern, "What is it?"

He motioned toward the sign that read Perpetual Pines Cemetery
and pointed at the top of the hill where a short man stood at a
gravestone.

Lois didn't understand. "I'm not sure what..."

He lowered his glasses and shook his head, spinning at
super-speed into his suit and whisking her to the hill with him.
She felt a gust of wind rush through her hair and on her face.
She looked around to see a short man in his mid-forties standing
at a grave marked 'Waldecker.' Clark had landed her a few feet
away and was approaching from the sky. She still didn't
understand the problem until she heard the man's words, "I
can't afford to keep Sister in the rest home past the end of the
month, and being as how I am just worthless as a one-legged bird
dog, well..."

The man raised the gun toward his temple at the same time
lightning struck, and Clark landed next to him, grabbing the gun
to stop him from using it on himself.

The man looked at Clark in his Superman suit, shaking his head in
disgust, "Well my goodness..."

Clark didn't give the man a chance to recover, diving into a
speech he had made countless times when trying to talk people
down from suicide attempts, "Sir, please listen to me: Life is a
precious gift. Every new day that we're alive is another chance
to be the best that we can be."

To Lois' surprise, the man scoffed, "Oh, puh-leeze, what would
you know about it, Mr. Nothing-Can-Hurt-Me-
And-I-Don't-Need-Money-To-Live...?" The man looked Clark's
Superman costume up and down critically, "...and didn't anybody
ever tell you that two primary colors just do not work
together?"

Clark gave him a small smile, "You can criticize my appearance,
or you can talk about what's really bothering you. Which would
you prefer?"

***

On the other side of the cemetery, Lex exited his limo dressed in
black. He wore an oversized hat to hide his face and a long dark
coat with a hood that hid his face. "Where is she?" Lex
snapped, looking around.

"She'll be here," Mrs. Cox reassured, pulling a cigar out of
its case for him. She held out a lighter for him to light it and
he took a puff.

"It's 7:03. She's late," he stated.

A lightning bolt lit up the sky, and they both turned to see
Superman standing with a man holding a gun at the top of the
hill. Lois Lane stood a few feet away watching, "I think that
answers our question, Lex."

***

"So, what with Wandamae being, um, in need of professional help
and all, and me getting that very very bad advice about how
biodegradable golf clubs were the wave of the future and I better
get in on the ground floor, you can see how my life just is not
worth living anymore," the man explained in a babble that would
make Lois Lane's babbling look mild. "I feel so guilty; my
daddy went to an early grave." He pointed to the grave behind
him, touching the tombstone gingerly, "This one right here, in
fact. Making all that money, and what do I do, I just go and lose
every last bit of it in one fell swoop."

Clark took a deep breath, glancing at the man for a moment before
finding his words, "Sir, Metropolis General Hospital has a
referral service for counseling and therapy..." He fisted the
pistol in his hands, crushing it into a small steel ball to
ensure the man wouldn't be attempting to take his life again
with it. The sound of a security guard a few feet away getting
into an altercation with Lois caught his attention. He needed to
cut this short. "...people you can talk to, people who can help
you see that life is worth living."

He handed the man the steel ball and patted him on the shoulder
before flying toward Lois.

***

"You're coming with me!" The guard grabbed Lois by the arm,
tugging her toward the mausoleum.

Lois pulled her arm back and argued, "Hey! Get your hands off of
me, you jerk!"

"Is there a problem here?" Clark's stern Superman tone filled
the air and Lois raced toward him.

"No problem. I just found this lady trespassing...." The guard
explained. "Gotta document it."

Clark glanced at the time, "There are still people visiting
loved ones here. How is Ms. Lane trespassing?" His eyes narrowed
at the question.

Lois knew exactly what Clark was getting at. The guard was
probably one of Luthor's goons sent to spook her. She glanced at
Clark then at the guard, watching as the guard took a few steps
back, "I guess I"ll just let her off with a warning this
time..."

"You do that." Clark said sternly, "And tell Luthor if he
wants to talk to Ms. Lane he has to go through me first."

He took another step backward, and Lois couldn't help but laugh
when he turned to run, "Nice work, partner."

"Are you okay?" He asked, taking her wrists in his hand to
examine.

"Fine," she reassured, placing a hand on his chest. "Thanks
for the backup." He smiled, turning to cup her cheek, leaning in
to kiss her. The rain began to pour around them. Superman scooped
her up into his arms, flying them out of the downpour.

***

Lex watched the scene unfold from a distance, seething as he
watched Lois Lane willingly give herself so freely to the man of
steel. His eyes narrowed as Superman's hand moved to cup her
cheek and his jaw tightened when he saw him lean in to kiss her.

She didn't back away.

She didn't push him away.

***

The man Superman had saved earlier watched as Superman
disappeared in the night sky, shaking his head, "Easy for you to
say." He looked down at the ball of metal in his hand and threw
it to the ground, "Well, Mama, I guess I won't be joining you
and Daddy after all. Not at this particular time anyhow." He
half-heartedly kicked at the steel ball, watching in amazement as
the steel ball flew into the sky, disappearing beyond the
clouds.

"Oh, my..."

***

Another lightning bolt lit up the sky. By the mausoleum, Lex
Luthor watched in amazement as the steel ball disappeared into
the sky, glancing back at Mrs. Cox he puffed on his cigar, "Get
LexLabs on the phone now."

***

Lois was covered in rain. Her hair and clothes were drenched when
they headed back at her apartment. Clark wasn't any better. His
cape and spandex were soaked along with his hair. Rain droplets
were dripping down his face. "Lucy is probably buried in those
files."

His forehead tightened as he scanned the apartment, "She's
asleep," he corrected.

She pressed her face against his spandex soaked suit as he
floated toward the window to her apartment, "Let's get out of
this rain."

He opened the window to her balcony and landed in the living room
with a wet thud, turning to close the window behind them. "I
still can't believe that officer wanting to file a police report
instead of looking for that guy impersonating a security
guard."

She wriggled herself out of her overcoat, tossing it to the
ground in a wet heap on the ground. She reached for the end of
her blouse to wring the water from it. "I'm soaked," she
complained, watching as Clark turned around from locking the
windows, staring at her drenched blouse and pants with a
lingering gaze.

The corners of his mouth twitched, "I...can tell." He attempted
to clear his throat mid-sentence as he worked on trying to
detangle his cape which was a wet heap of red fabric, dripping on
the living room floor at the moment.

"You're no help." She finished wringing the rest of her blouse
out.

"Can I help it if I'm enjoying the...view?" He smiled, pulling
her to him, "Come here."

She glanced at her sleeping sister on the couch, "Lucy is
right..."

At super-speed she found herself whisked into the bedroom and
pressed against the locked door. He grinned back at her, running
his hands up and down her sides seductively, "Better?"

She nodded, running her hands through his damp hair, wedging his
hair between her fingers. He captured her mouth with his,
thrusting his tongue inside hers. His hands found themselves
inside her blouse, helping her shrug the wet garment off. It was
soon joined by her dress pants and stockings.

Her hands ran up and down the back of his suit, "How...do
you...take this...off?" She murmured against his lips. He moved
her hands to the hidden zipper at the collar, and she grinned
against his lips. Her hands clamped around the back of his neck,
tugging the zipper down. She let out a soft moan when she saw him
peel the top half of the spandex off his chest. The cape still
wrapped around his shoulders and she stared at him hungrily. His
eyes locked with hers. A moment later and a gust of wind later he
was in her arms, stripped down completely. "Tell me."

"Yes," she sighed happily against him, wrapping her arms around
him as the room around them disappeared.

***

Lex watched as the scene unfolded before his eyes. The technology
LexLabs had been able to develop for surveilling Lois Lane seemed
to finally fit the bill against Superman. Although at the moment
he wasn't sure if it was the surveillance system or Lois Lane
that was preventing him from spotting the latest surveillance on
Lois Lane's apartment. For now, he didn't care.

*{"Tell me."}*

*{"Yes."}*

***

Lucy bit her lower lip, trying to remain as still as she could.
Had she just seen what she thought she saw?

She peered over the edge of the couch and noted the wet heap of
fabric on the floor with a small puddle shaped like boots leading
from the window to the middle of the living room. Nope.
Definitely hadn't imagined it.

The sound of something hitting the door frame in Lois' room
caught her attention and Lucy winced, realizing what she was
hearing. Yes, she had definitely seen it.

***

Lucy sat numbly in her room. She'd debated whether to move for
fear of running into either her sister or Superman. Or was it
Clark? He definitely sounded like Clark in the living room. The
way he'd been talking to Lois...

She shuddered involuntarily, recalling the intimate conversation
she'd overheard.

Lois was sleeping with Superman. That much was certain. The
question was whether she was cheating on Clark or not. If he and
Superman were the same person, she wasn't cheating. But if they
weren't... She shook her head, unwilling to let her mind go
there.

'*She wouldn't do that.' *Her mind told her over and over.
*'There has to be another explanation.'*

'*Bruises. Blood. Superman doesn't bleed, does he?'*

***

*{"Lois?? There's some Pest Control guy here..."

"Okay, let them in."

"I did. They've sprayed everywhere already."

"So what's the problem?"

"They've sprayed everywhere but your room."

"Oh."}

{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."

"No?"

"No."}*

The tape clicked over to another image as Lex seethed angrily,
watching the footage over and over again. Mrs. Cox watched from
the doorway, uncertain if intruding was wise at the moment.

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."

"No?"

"No."}*

"How dare she??" Lex fumed, clicking the remote angrily.

The image of Lois Lane and Superman filled the screen. First
showing them in the living room and then in the bedroom.

*

{"Tell me."

"Yes."}

{"I love you..."}*

The screen began to flicker, and Lex cursed under his breath.
Watching the screen in rapt attention as it closed in on Lois
Lane as her mouth opened to say something just as the screen went
black.

***

The next morning Lucy rushed out of the apartment, gathering her
things and being sure not to run into her sister or Super err
Clark at the same time. There were too many questions and
unknowns she had at the moment and trying to make small talk
while her head was still swimming was not high on her priorities
at the moment. There were much larger issues to deal with at the
moment.

***

Lois frowned, poking her head into her sister's room, looking
around the apartment, "That's odd." She looked at the time.

"What's odd?" Clark asked, giving her a kiss on the shoulder
as he hugged her from behind.

"Lucy. She's not here," Lois said offhandedly as she turned in
his arms.

"Maybe she wanted to get an early start?" Clark suggested,
wrapping an arm around her, "Speaking of which we're going to
be late if we don't get a move on."

Lois nodded, reaching for her coffee, "Yep, don't want to keep
Bill Henderson wait..." She stopped when she recognized the
expression on his face. "What is it? What do you hear?"

"Fire on Fifth and Broad," he explained giving her an
apologetic look. "I'll try to meet you there."

"Okay," she nodded, watching him leave out the door with a
goodbye kiss. "Love you," she whispered. After gathering her
things she headed out the door, bumping into the Pest Control
crew. "Oh, I'm sorry I'm on my way out..."

"It'll only take a minute ma'am. Has to be done daily to keep
the pests away after the infestation..."

Lois mulled her options over then caved, "It'll only take a
minute?"

***

Above Metropolis Clark flew through the sky, heading toward Fifth
and Broad street where he'd heard the sirens and calls for help
earlier.

"Help! Someone help! My poor Muffin!"

He scanned the area and saw emergency personnel were on site ...
Along with a very familiar looking man dressed in a bright
spandex outfit and mask.

'*No, it couldn't be...'* He thought to himself.

"Dogs are twenty-nine ninety-five." His super-hearing picked up
on the conversation between the woman and the man from the night
before.

Clark grimaced, heading toward the calls for help to intervene.

***

Across town an elderly woman watched her home burning in flames
as she argued with a mysterious stranger offering to help. "Oh,
please you have to help me. My muffin is ..."

"Is muffin a dog or a cat?" the man asked, standing before her
in long red spandex with a blue cape and mask.

"A dog," she cried. "She's just a wonderful dog. Please help
me."

The man made a note in his notebook, "Dogs are twenty-nine
ninety-five." The woman's eyes widened in horror, and he
continued with his statement, "A small price to pay for being
plucked alive from the snapping jaws of certain death."

***

Clark did his best not to panic as he handed the elderly woman
her frightened pup after he shot a long blast of freezing breath
on the fire, dousing the area to prevent the fire from causing
any more damage. The firemen cheered. The woman thanked him. The
man that had been trying to negotiate pricing instead of using
his gifts to help crossed his arms over his chest and approached
him. His tone was condescending as he spoke, "Well, excuse me,
Mr. Boy Scout, there's not enough work for both of us? Do I horn
in on your action?"

Clark glanced at the crowd that had begun to form and whispered,
"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

The mysterious man shook his head, "If you want to provide your
services for free, that is entirely up to you, but I personally
have bills to pay."

"Can we go somewhere and have a private conversation?" Clark
asked, noting the crowd that had begun to gather.

"I'm not greedy, my prices are real reasonable, and I'm not an
ogre, I'm gonna throw in a little pro bono work."

Clark sighed, uncertain how to get this man away from the crowd.
Thinking money might be the key he offered, "How about if I pay
you to come with me and have a talk?"

The man held up a finger, pointing at his cape, "Now you know,
that brings up a point I have always wondered about: Where do you
carry things like money in that outfit?" He lifted up his cape
and pointed to a hand stitched pocket, "I sewed in some pockets
underneath here, but it's a lot of trouble gotta fumble around
for the zipper, zip it open, zip it closed, and I'm afraid
velcro would kind of pucker up the fabric and just absolutely
ruin the lines. What do you do?"

Clark suppressed a groan. What did he do? He didn't go around
charging people for saving their lives. He didn't need to carry
money in his Superman costume. Biting the inside of his lip and
suppressing the urge to grit his teeth he leaned in and whispered
menacingly, "If you don't come with me, I will follow you
everywhere you go from now till the day one of us dies, and I
will save everybody before you do."

The threat was clear, and he was willing to carry it out if it
meant keeping this con artist from taking advantage of innocent
people who happened to need help. The man looked at him in shock,
"Well, my goodness you don't have to get nasty about it. All
you had to do was ask. How rude."

***

Henderson closed the door behind Lois, looking through the window
of the conference room cautiously, "I thought this was a meeting
with you and Kent." He motioned toward the desk where Mayson was
sitting pen ready.

"Something came up. I'll catch him up later," Lois explained.

"What's this about?" Mayson asked, tapping her pen on her
notepad. "I don't exactly make a habit of coming in the office
on a Saturday."

Lois ignored the comment, diving right into her questions as she
took a seat across from Mayson, setting her notepad on the desk,
"Have either of you questioned Jimmy on what he saw that day?"

Mayson shook her head, "He was interrogated non-stop for 72
hours by Detectives Jenkins and Harris."

"We haven't yet," Henderson interrupted, "Why?"

"Lucy and I've been going through the surveillance footage
outside the Planet around the time of the bombing."

Henderson smirked, "She showed me. I told her to leave that to
the police. I don't need her trying to play hero and getting
herself killed. That goes for you too."

Lois crossed her arms over her chest, "Did she tell you she
spotted one of your officers outside the Planet?"

"It's been noted," Mayson interrupted. "We're following up
on it, but with his death..."

"Death?" Lois asked in surprise. "What are you talking
about?"

"You don't know?" Henderson asked in surprise. "He was found
in his hospital room unresponsive. The preliminary report shows a
drug overdose."

"Drug overdose?" Lois asked, "What kind of drugs?"

"We won't know till we get the autopsy back," Mayson cut him
off. "Which will be released to the press. There's been quite a
bit of evidence implicating Detective Jenkins in wrongdoing."

Lois raised an eyebrow looking at Henderson, "Why am I just
hearing about this?"

"We just received information this morning implicating him in
the prison break of Toni Taylor and the evidence tampering in the
Luthor case," Mayson explained. "You understand we're only
sharing this as a courtesy."

"Fine," Lois harrumphed. "So what does that mean? Are you
going to arrest Lex?"

"Not quite," Henderson shook his head. "We can prove the case
was tampered with. That's huge. We've just got to rebuild the
case. The evidence. With Jenkins gone no one knows where any of
this is."

"We've got the FBI working with us on trying to rebuild the
case, but we'll take all the help we can get," Mayson added.

"And Jimmy? What happens to Jimmy?" Lois asked.

"His case will continue to go to trial unless we can find
evidence implicating someone else of the crime or irrefutable
evidence he didn't commit this crime," Mayson explained.

"He didn't!" Lois snapped irritably. "If you would
just...talk to him. You would know that."

"I'm sorry I'm trying to bring down the organized crime
that's been plaguing this city for years and spreading into
Washington," Mayson snapped sarcastically.

"So Jimmy doesn't matter."

"I didn't say that."

"Hold it! Both of you!" Henderson snapped. "Now look, I get it
we're all stressed. We're overworked and looking over our
shoulders, but we can't turn on each other." He looked at Lois,
"I'll talk to Jimmy this afternoon and see if he can give me
any information that might help find another suspect."

"You're right," Mayson nodded. "I'm sorry. I just really
want to bring him down. I hate dirty cops. They make for a
dangerous city and a bad way of life."

"You're telling me," Henderson muttered.

"I want him brought to justice as much as you do, Mayson," Lois
said softly.

Mayson made a face, "Didn't you used to date him?"

Lois shifted uncomfortably, "That was a long time ago. I didn't
realize then what kind of person he was."

"He's a master manipulator," Mayson agreed.

"Thankfully Lois has seen the light. Her and Kent have been
instrumental in helping build the case against Luthor,"
Henderson explained. "It was Kent's idea to start the
investigation in the first place."

"Really?" Mayson asked intrigued. "When was this?"

"About a year ago roughly," Henderson explained.

Mayson's eyes shone in appreciation, "I'd love to sit down
with him over dinner and a glass of wine and..." Lois narrowed
her eyes at her and Henderson cleared his throat, shaking his
head at her, "I mean, I would like to know what helped clue him
in on Lex Luthor's misdeeds. So many people have been fooled for
so long," she covered for herself.

"I'm sure you would," Lois rolled her eyes. She spotted the
narrow of Henderson's right eyebrow, and decided to change the
subject, "It's Steve."

"What?" He asked.

"Steve. The sports guy. Steve the Sleaze?" She prompted.

Recognition hit him, and he looked at her in disbelief, "Steve.
Steve?"

Lois laid a photo of Steve and Jenkins outside the Planet down
for him and Mayson to see. "Jimmy spotted them outside the
Planet around the time the Fire Marshall said the bombs were
planted. I don't know if he did it or if it's a coincidence,
but no one else went in or out those back doors."

Henderson picked up the photo to examine it closely. "Steve?"

"Steve," Lois repeated softly.

***

"Ms. Lane, I don't know what else to say. I can try but the way
the judge has been ruling..." Constance shrugged, rummaging
through her office. "Do you have any idea what I'm up
against?"

"You're up against a monster that has it in his head to
railroad Jimmy for something he didn't do. Let me talk to him.
Let me help him. Give him hope. Let him know he's not alone."

Constance looked at her with a weak smile, "Ms. Lane..."

"Lucy, please," she corrected.

"Lucy, I want those things too, and in a perfect world we'd
have those and more, but right now you're up against evil and
corruption and greed."

"So how do we fight it?" She asked.

"With the truth."

***

On top of the WayneTech Towers, Clark paced the rooftop with the
mysterious man sitting on the edge, kicking his legs freely. So
far he hadn't gotten any answers."But how could that have
happened? I've been struck by lightning before. My powers never
been transferred."

"Well, don't look at me, all I know is one minute I was a
ninety-pound weakling and the next minute I was a ninety-pound
Hercules, and I like it a whole lot better this way."

"Well, I can understand that Mr. --" He stopped short, looking
at him apologetically, "What should I call you?"

He pulled out a small dictionary from the pocket he'd been
pointing at before and flipped to a page. "Do you know, I
haven't quite decided on a good enough name yet. What do you
think about Brawny Man? No? How 'bout Magnificent Man?"

Clark sighed, trying to get him back on track. "I'm sure
you'll find the perfect name, but right now I want to talk to
you about right and wrong."

"Well, all right, if you think you know so much more about it
that I do," the man scoffed indignantly.

'One would think,' Clark thought to himself before diving into
the uncomfortable conversation, "You can't charge people for
saving their lives."

"Well, my goodness me, if that's not worth a little something,
what is?" The man scoffed. "And excuse me, but I am simply
playing a legitimate if somewhat unique trade in an increasingly
service-oriented economy." Clark sighed, shaking his head as the
man stood up, continuing his spiel, "I would think you'd
welcome the help. You may be Superman, but even you can't do it
all by yourself." With that, he flew off.

"Great," Clark muttered to himself. He made his way toward the
Metropolis P.D. to catch up with Lois and update her on the
latest news. He flew toward the East side of Metropolis looking
for an alley to change in when an alarm from a military gunship
rang in his ears, "Mayday! Mayday! Ghostship to Mission Control
we have lost all navigational control! Repeat..."

"Not my day," Clark muttered to himself, detouring toward the
gunship in distress.

***

"Is it true?" Lucy asked, cornering Jack Olsen in the lobby of
the Metropolitan Hotel.

"What do you think?" He asked grimly, not looking at her.

"I think one of my good friends is about to pay for a crime he
didn't commit because his father didn't think it pertinent to
prepare his lawyer with the fact that he's a..."

"My career choice has nothing to do with this. The fact that the
prosecution is relying on it so heavily..."

"Nothing to do with it? It has everything to do with it. You
lied to Constance, to Perry, to Jimmy. You put his entire life
and this case at risk for what?"

"Just a little thing called National Security," Jack Olsen
pulled her by the arm into a nearby conference room. "Don't you
think I wanted to say something? Don't you think I wanted to
help? I couldn't."

"So your career is more important than Jimmy's life?" Lucy
scoffed. "Great to know. I'll pass along the message."

"Sometimes I have to do things I don't agree with, to ensure
the safety of the millions of people I'm entrusted to protect.
You wouldn't understand."

"No, I understand completely. You're married to your job. Your
kid comes last on the list of priorities," Lucy spat out
bitterly. "I know the type."

"That is *not* true," he shot back angrily. "I would do
*anything* to protect Jimmy. **ANYTHING.**"

"Then do it," she snapped back angrily.

***

"Another one?" Lois asked in disbelief, taking a bite of her
pasta as Clark caught her up on everything that had happened that
morning with the military gunship that had its navigation system
tampered with that morning. After her meeting with Henderson
they'd met back at his apartment to go over everything.

"Ships. Planes. Trains. Now fighter jets are being affected,"
Clark said bitterly. No one seems to know what's causing it."

"Same flicker?" Lois asked.

He took a bite of his fry and nodded, "Same story every time."
He glanced at the chaos she'd made in his apartment with the
files she'd been sorting through. "What's with the, um,
organized chaos?" He did his best to suppress a chuckle.

"Did you know Detective Jenkins died of an overdose yesterday?"
Lois asked, pointing to the preliminary report from the coroner.
"We have to wait for the toxicology report to come back
but..."

Clark hung his head, recalling the radio call he'd overheard the
day before. "Yeah, I heard. Must have slipped my mind last night
with everything else going on."

Lois gave him an annoyed look but didn't press, "Henderson said
he's going to try to get a statement from Jimmy. Hopefully,
there's something he can use to find the real arsonist and free
Jimmy once and for all."

"If they can find a real judge sure." Clark muttered, "Those
rulings yesterday were disgraceful. He's probably bought and
paid for by Luthor."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Lois sighed, "Feels like the whole
justice system is working against him."

"Bill said that Deputy DA wasn't. Maybe we can talk to her and
get her to start investigating Jimmy's case?" Clark suggested.

Lois shook her head, "Mmm, mmm, nope. Not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"She's not interested in Jimmy's case. She's interested in
bringing Lex down," Lois said.

"Aren't we all?" Clark asked. "It couldn't hurt to ask."

"I already did. Didn't go very well," Lois sniffed, taking
another bite of her lunch.

"When was this?"

"In my meeting with Henderson."

Clark made a face, "Bill didn't mention the DA being there."

"Surprise guest," Lois sniffed. "She was very upset it was
only me there."

"Were you able to at least get her to think about looking into
Jimmy's case? I mean his case is connected to Luthor's
corruption, right?"

"I don't know. I guess, maybe? I did learn they got some
evidence implicating Jenkins in Lex's evidence tampering and in
Toni Taylor's escape."

"That's good," he said. "Maybe we can find where he stashed
the evidence and get Luthor charged once and for all."

"Unfortunately it's not that easy," Lois sighed, rolling her
eyes, "The FBI is trying to rebuild the case, and Henderson said
he's working closely with Mayson on this which means we'll be
working closely with her."

"Lois, she can't be that bad," Clark smirked, putting a hand
on her shoulder.

She leaned back on the couch, turning to face him, "She is that
bad. It's annoying. She's annoying with her snide remarks and
her pushy attitude and...Did you see all that makeup she was
wearing? Is she trying to win a case or enter into a beauty
pageant?"

Clark rolled his eyes, knowing full well what Lois was hinting
at. "I've only got eyes for one woman," He took her hand in
his, running his thumb across her knuckles, leaning in to kiss
her.

"I know." She smiled back at him, stroking his cheek before
changing the subject, "So, what do you think is causing the
navigation systems to go out of whack?"

He shrugged, "Not sure but that wasn't even the worst of it
this morning."

"What do you mean?" Lois asked, looking at him

"W...ell," he sighed, reaching for the remote on the coffee
table, "I caught a little of it on the news circuit on the way
back. I'm sure they're still running it. See for yourself." He
turned the television on, changing the channel to 'LNN'
displaying the images of the mysterious man from earlier on the
circuit with a question mark superimposed over the amateur
footage of him negotiating prices with an older woman.

"What in the world?" Lois looked at him in shock.

"A new superhero has arrived in Metropolis. You can call him for
help, but it's gonna cost you!" The newscaster said, showing a
copy of a receipt on the screen.

"What??" Lois gasped, in shock, leaning toward the television
to read it.

"A small price to pay for being plucked alive from the snapping
jaws of certain death," the sound of the man's voice came over
the television.

Lois looked back at Clark who shook his head, "Don't get me
started." Lois looked at him quizzically, the question she was
thinking clear on her face. "I don't know," he shrugged,
leaning back into the couch, "He said after the lightning struck
us he had my super powers."

"Do you feel any...different?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head in disbelief. "I've been struck by
lightning before, and this has never happened."

Lois glanced at the television, "Well, what did he say when you
talked to him? I mean, charging people for saving their
life..."

"I know," he sighed, "but talking to him isn't exactly easy.
He doesn't think there's anything wrong with what he's
doing."

"Who is this mysterious superhero? Where did he come from?" The
announcer echoed through the living room.

Lois reached over and clicked the television off, "Clark,
you're going to have to make a statement...or he is."

"And say what?" He asked.

"Say?" Lois echoed not understanding. "Say what happened, so
no one associates this guy with you."

"No, Lois, this can't get out." He shook his head adamantly,
"It'd be chaos."

"You can't continue to let people think you...approve of this
guy's ...diluted ethics? It'll ruin Superman's reputation."

"And if it gets out that Superman's powers can be
transferred?" He pressed. "What then? Every rescue. Every
disaster. Superman would be mobbed by people wanting his
superpowers. Thinking they deserved superpowers."

"So, what's your plan? Do nothing?" Lois asked, "You can't
let him continue like this."

"I don't know that I've got much of a choice at the moment."
He sighed, "Listening to me isn't exactly high on this guy's
priorities. All he cares about his money."

"Then you need to make him listen," Lois reasoned. "Maybe
start with finding out who he is and ..."

Both the apartment phone and their cell phones started ringing at
the same time. Clark sighed, "I guess we should figure out what
we're going to do about this from the Planet-side while we're
at it."

"That's probably Perry." Lois said, reaching for her cell
phone, "Hello?

Sure enough, it was Perry on the other end, but not about the
latest superhero. "Lois, it's Perry. I need you and Kent to
meet me at the Metropolis Federal Building in half an hour.
We've got a serious crack in the Luthor case."

"Okay, we'll be there," Lois nodded, watching as Clark stepped
into the kitchen to take his call. "Any updates on Jimmy, how
he's doing?"

There was a long pause then Perry stated glumly, "I, uh,
haven't been able to see him since they processed him."

"Oh," Lois breathed softly. "Maybe we can talk to Constance
and see if she can ..."

"She's already doing what she can Lois. Right now, I want her
focused on winning this case not Jimmy's visitations," Perry's
voice was strained. "Anyway, meet me at the Federal Building on
Fifth, and I'll explain everything there."

The resounding click of the phone and monotone beeping of dead
air echoed on the other end. Lois sighed, setting the phone back
on the receiver just as Clark reentered the room. "Who was
that?"

Clark made a face, "Bruce Wayne. Wants to make sure the Planet
is working on the exclusive on the mystery superhero so the
Publishers can be 'reassured the Planet is still the best of the
best.'" Clark did air quotes over Bruce's statement, showing
his disdain for the message with a scowl on his face.

"He's right," Lois said cautiously.

"Lois..." Clark began to argue, but she cut him off.

"Look, I'm not happy about it, but it's true. After everything
that's happened people need to believe...to trust in the Planet.
We can't sit on the biggest story of the year because it happens
to make Superman look bad. We have to investigate and..."

"And what?" He asked. "What are we supposed to write? Superman
went to save a guy from killing himself and ended up accidentally
giving him super powers? That's reckless journalism, and you
know it."

"Okay," she acknowledged, "So we can't tell the world the
whole truth, but we need to print something. We need to find this
guy and talk to him. Make sure he doesn't tell anyone how he got
his powers either."

"I guess I'll tell him we were working on it then," he said
not so convincingly. He really wasn't sure what to think about
the new owner. In some aspects, he was great with his hands on
approach, but in others, he wasn't so sure.

"That would be a start." She smiled, "In the meantime, we've
got to meet Perry in front of the Federal Building then we can
start digging into this mysterious man's past. Find out who he
is so we can..." Realization dawned on his face she stopped
mid-sentence seeing the expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Waldecker," he snapped his fingers.

"What?" She asked, not following.

"The grave he was standing on. *'Waldecker'* was the family
name carved on it," Clark explained.

"Great," Lois grabbed her notepad to begin jotting down notes.
"Do you remember anything else?"

Clark pointed at his left hand, "He had a tattoo on his left
hand." He reached for a notepad and began sketching at
super-speed, showing her the design sketched out in pencil.

"Not bad. Although I'd prefer a more simple design that screams
'brand me for eternity,'" she teased.

"Hah, ha," he said sarcastically, "I figured we could show it
around and see if anyone recognizes it. Help us identify our
mystery Waldecker."

Lois nodded her agreement, reaching for her briefcase.
"Hopefully it won't be too hard. How common a name is
'Waldecker?'"

***

"A small price to pay for being plucked alive from the snapping
jaws of certain death."

Lex clicked the remote in his hand, freezing the frame as he
tapped the remote against his chin, contemplating for a moment.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Let me guess; you're starting the new mysterious superhero's
fan club and needed a picture," Bruce's voice echoed in Lex
Luthor's study.

He turned in his chair to face the unwelcome visitor, "Mr.
Wayne, to what do I owe this...surprise visit?"

"Oh, just wondering how long you think you can keep the power
off at WayneTech," Bruce smiled a dazzling smile at Lex.

"Depends on how long it takes you to void that contract."

"I bought those timeslots fair and square," Bruce argued. "How
was I to know it'd interfere with your business?"

Bruce gave his best innocent look, but Lex knew better, "You
knew exactly what you were doing. Don't think you can play
me."

"Can't I?" Bruce asked, looking around the empty room,
"Let's have a little history lesson, shall we?"

"Let's not," Lex snarled. "Get out!"

"Turn the power back on and give Vicki her time slots and I'll
gladly leave," Bruce shot back.

"Never."

Bruce took a seat across from Lex, leaning in as he folded his
hands on the desk, "Then I guess you'll just have to get used
to me. Tell me something, do all your investors know about your
past with Preston Carpenter? You know, the guy serving quadruple
life sentences in federal prison for trying to make his own
stories at the STAR?"

Lex's eyes narrowed, "I don't know what that has to do with
me."

"He and I had an incredible time chatting earlier..." Bruce's
eyes narrowed, "about the good old days. It seems the little
stunt at Prep School wasn't your only issue growing up, Lexy."

"You know nothing," Lex shot back dismissively.

"I know enough," Bruce said in a cold, menacing tone. "Go
ahead. Play your games. See what happens. Just remember I have my
limits."

***

Clark sifted through the files in his hand, trying to make sense
out of the information he'd learned from the medical examiner a
few days ago and the surges that kept happening around
Metropolis, sending the technology systems into a tailspin. "So
what have we got here?" Lois asked.

"Floyd Ryan. Age sixty. Dock worker. Divorced," Clark read
off.

"Anne Margot. Age twenty-nine. Married."

"Then we've got Mike Jenkins. Age forty-five. Divorced," Clark
added. "No connection."

"Well, these two have only been in Metropolis these past six
months," Lois pointed out, tapping on the files for Anne and
Floyd."

Clark nodded, looking at the background checks, "Moved here
from...Gotham?"

Lois gave Clark a look, "Don't."

"I didn't say anything," Clark sighed, rolling his chair back
to grab a box from the table he had their research on Luthor at.

"I know what you're thinking," Lois said.

"I wasn't thinking anything," He said, pulling out a stack of
files from the box and setting them in front of him.

"Uh-huh," Lois added, not believing him for a minute. "What
are these?"

"Unsolved or mysterious murders in the past year on the stories
we were working on," he explained. "Trying to see if there's a
connection."

Lois grabbed the first file and read the name, "Antoinette
Baines?"

"Alfred Carlton," Clark added, setting another file down in
front of her.

"Carlton? The psychiatrist?" She looked at him perplexed as he
flipped through, finding the ME report.

"Ah-ha!" He pointed at the cause of death on the Medical
Examiner's report, "Cause of Death: Unknown: Possible Heart
Failure. Toxicology report read inconclusive."

"Okay, so that makes four victims of heart failure," Lois
reasoned. "You still don't have a connection."

"Or maybe I do," He said, frowning as he spotted one of the
lead investors in Carlton's research. "Funded by LexCorp
and..."

Lois frowned when she saw the name, "Wayne Enterprises."

Clark cast a dirty look toward Perry's office where Bruce Wayne
had just walked in. Lois sighed, "It says here LexCorp was the
main investor though."

"But Wayne Enterprises was investing in Carlton's research.
Research he was using to test on troubled kids; using them as
guinea pigs ..." Furious he got up and started pacing around the
room.

"Clark, surely you don't think he supported that testing? I
mean we've both worked with him. He doesn't seem..."

"I don't know what I'm saying. I honestly don't know him well
enough, but I do know his company's name keeps popping up. First
with these ridiculous fights with Luthor...HM Weapons and their
sixty-four trillion dollar deal...Now, this?"

Lois sighed, "If you feel that strongly about it then maybe you
should have Superman go have a little chat with him about it, but
so far I haven't seen anything that screams lunatic or
psychopath."

"Maybe he will," Clark said, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"Great," Lois sighed, reaching for another stack of files. "So
heart failure? Was there any drugs found in any of their
systems?"

Clark read the reports, "Nope. They all came up clean."

"So whatever is being used is able to fly under the radar of the
toxicology reports."

He nodded, "But maybe not all of them." He reached for the
phone and began to dial.

"Who are you calling?" She asked.

"STAR Labs."

***

Agent Davenport set the recorder on the table, "Please state
your name for the record please."

"Jonathan Marcus Taylor the Third," he spoke into the
microphone.

"You were the leader of the gang called the Metros were you
not?" Davenport asked, jotting down his notes.

"Yes."

"You were approached by a mysterious figure called the boss to
give up your hold on the Southside of Metropolis. Is that
correct?"

"Yes."

"Who approached you?"

"There were several people. There was an old guy kinda creepy
looking. St. John. He works for the boss and a lot of the big
criminals in the city. Rumour is he was a spy for the British
Empire before coming over here. Knows how to break a guy in half
in two minutes," Johnny explained, tapping his hand on the
table, "Then there was the woman. Built well if you know what I
mean. Curves in all the right places but lethal."

"Do you know this woman's name?"

"She called herself Mrs. Cox," he said with a smirk. "But I
ain't seen no ring on that dame's hand, and she wasn't acting
like any married woman I've ever seen...If you know what I
mean."

***

After getting the okay from Scotty and Bill to request another
lab run the tests on the four victims Lois and Clark had made
their way back to his apartment, trying to make sense out of
everything they'd found so far on their latest superhero.

"A hundred and thirty-seven??" Lois looked at the list in front
of her in disbelief. "How are there a hundred and thirty-seven
Waldeckers?"

Clark took the list from her, "I guess we'll have to get a
little more creative in tracking this guy down."

Lois groaned, rubbing her temples as she buried her head in her
hands. "This is so not my day."

"Any word on Henderson about his investigation into Steve?"
Clark asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind and placing
a kiss on her temple.

Lois shook her head, looking back at him. "No, and I don't
think we're going to hear anything else today. I guess we'll
have to pick this up on Monday."

He nodded, rubbing her shoulders as she leaned back against him,
"You talked to your mom today?"

Lois nodded, "She's good. Staying busy. Your mom's introduced
her to some of the town, and you'll love this...she's actually
trying to help 'plan' the corn festival Ellen Lane style."

"Oh, boy," He sighed, "Well, at least she's keeping herself
busy...not worrying."

"Oh, us Lane women are multi-taskers. She's still worrying and
makes sure she lets me and Lucy know all the time." Lois sighed
against him, "I know it's gotta be tough not being able to do
anything...living with practical strangers for the most part."

"As soon as this is over I'll bring her back home," he
promised. "I would have preferred if we had all stayed out
there, but...someone had other ideas." He smirked at her.

"We wouldn't have gotten near as much done staying in
Smallville, and you know it," Lois shot back, leaning her back
against him as she whispered, "Besides it hasn't all been
bad." She ran her hand down his inner thigh as she spoke,
causing him to jump. "Having you around all the time definitely
has its benefits."

He leaned in to kiss her, tightening his arms around her. He
groaned his approval as she slid onto his lap tightening her
thighs around him, deepening the kiss.

He did enjoy the extra time he'd been able to spend with Lois
trying to keep a watchful eye on her. They still hadn't talked
about his 'drunk confession' last week. He wasn't sure if she
hadn't brought it up because it frightened her or if she was
distracted by everything else going on around them.

He wanted to marry her. He wanted to start his life with her. He
just didn't want to taint it with memories of the destruction
Luthor seemed to leave in his wake. When Lex Luthor was safely
behind bars, he would ask her. He had a feeling he already knew
the answer. She hadn't pulled away when he'd made his
declaration to her. The night they'd first made love when she'd
been quoting her confession of love to him from a few months ago
her heart had been hammering in her chest. He knew the answer,
but he wasn't leaving anything up to chance when it came to
Luthor.

It seemed every time they took a major step in their relationship
Lex Luthor made a major play against them. At first, he'd
thought it was from him monitoring them, so he'd taken extra
precautions in making sure their apartments were bug-free. So far
he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary with the exception
to some low radiation he'd seen in her apartment the other day.
He'd chopped it up to the chemicals being used by the Pest
Control but still felt uneasy about it.

"Clark?" Lois waved her hand in front of his face, and he
turned toward the very annoyed face of Lois Lane.

"Hmm?" He asked, pulling her closer.

"Are you obsessing again?" She asked, running her hand down the
front of his shirt, tracing the length of his button down shirt.

"Obsessing me?" He chuckled, trying to throw her off the trail
of where his thoughts had been a few moments ago. They definitely
weren't ready to talk about his suspicions.

He let out a soft groan as she turned in his arms to face him,
kissing his neck as she whispered, "Usually when I kiss you
you're a little bit more focused."

He smirked back at her, "Oh, I can focus..." He whispered,
gathering her in his arms as he carried her toward the bedroom.

"Clark!" She shrieked in laughter, wrapping her legs around his
torso. "What about the food?"

"I'll warm it up." He promised, nibbling at her earlobe
seductively, "after we work up an appetite."

She moaned her approval when his lips came over hers, leaning her
against the bedroom wall. "Yes, please," she cooed in approval.
His hands ran up and down her sides, massaging the sensitive
flesh beneath her blouse. She helped him brush the cotton blue
shirt off his shoulders, allowing it to fall to the ground as he
focused his attention on her jawline, whispering his lips along
its path and down her neck while his hands massaged her bare legs
from beneath her skirt.

"I love it when you wear these short skirts," he whispered,
trailing further down her neck and to her collarbone as he spoke
against her skin.

She giggled against him, fumbling at the buttons to her blouse.
"Much easier to work with, huh?"

His hands moved beneath her floral skirt as he groaned his
approval. Her soft sighs echoed in his ears as he concentrated on
the feeling of her in his arms. She finished unbuttoning her
blouse and shrugged it off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to
the ground. "So gorgeous." He groaned his approval, murmuring
featherlight kisses against her chest. A hard knock at the front
door intruded on his thoughts, and he groaned, glaring at the
front door. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, burying
his face into the nape of her neck with a sigh.

"Who is it?" She asked, running her hand through his hair,
fingering the strands seductively. "Maybe they'll go away if we
ignore them?"

"New Troy Pest Control!" a man hollered from the other side of
the door.

He groaned against her neck, debating on answering the door or
not. He didn't have any appointments for maintenance and
interrupting what he was doing right now was not high on the list
of priorities.

"I'm in no condition to be answering the door," he finally
whispered huskily, closing the gap between them and sealing his
mouth over hers in a fiery kiss.

"Oh, thank God!" She whimpered against him, "Yes, Clark."

There were a few more knocks before their intruders finally left,
leaving him and Lois to concentrate on more urgent matters well
into the night.

***

Monday morning LexLabs was busy with activity. Many lab workers
scurried around with the excitement of having Lex Luthor at the
lab. He paid them no mind however focused on his goal at hand.

Dr. Kelly pulled up her notes, motioning for Lex to look at her
notes, "Transfer of Superman's powers. I've begun
experimenting. You said it was during an electrical storm?"

"Outside the Mausoleum." Lex said, taking a seat at her lab,
"There was a lightning strike on a handgun they were both
holding and..." He slammed his hands together, "Then there were
two."

Dr. Kelly grew thoughtful for a moment, "Electricity alone
wouldn't transfer the powers but with a conductor...It's
definitely possible."

"Is it reproducible?" Lex inquired, stroking her cheek as he
spoke.

"Very," she acknowledged in a throaty whisper.

***

Jimmy glared at the familiar image of his father on the other
side of the table, careful to keep his cool with the guard still
in the room. He sank into his chair, placing both hands on the
table, watching as the guard left the room and turning toward his
father to confront him, "What are you doing here?"

"How ya doing, son?" Jack asked, trying to steer the
conversation toward Jimmy.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, giving a sarcastic sigh, "I'm fine, I'm
fine. Dad... On trial for attempted mass murder and now thanks to
your testimony...Terroristic Threat. I'll probably get kicked
out of the country, but I'm fine." He narrowed his eyes at him,
"What are you doing here? It's been..."

"A couple of years, I know."

"Three," Jimmy corrected.

"Three?" Jack acknowledged skeptically.

"And... you know.... five before that," Jimmy added sadly.

"But who's counting?" Jack shrugged.

Jimmy gave a rueful smile, "Yeah. Who's counting?" Finally
tired of the small talk Jimmy shook his head in disgust,
"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here."

"I'm here to help."

"Yeah, I noticed. Thanks to you the sketchy motive they had
against me has been confirmed. Thanks for that by the way.
Couldn't have warned my attorney before taking the stand?"

"I'm trying to do what I can to help, Jimmy," Jack said
earnestly. If he were a few years younger and more naive Jimmy
might have believed him. He did his best to bite his tongue as
Jack continued. "I'm worried about you, son. When Perry called
and told me what happened...I wanted to do what I could to help
sort this out. I know I can't always be here to protect you,
but..."

That was too much. "Always? How 'bout **EVER**?" Jimmy
scoffed.

"You're in some hot water Jimmy. Hot water from your friends
messing with very serious characters. When this 'boss' decides
someone's trouble, then that person and his family, friends,
household pets all get burned."

"Why do you care?" Jimmy scoffed, "It's not like you've made
some big show at trying to be a father. Real fun trying to
explain why my dad is never around for birthdays or sporting
events or awards....ever."

"I never claimed to be father of the year."

"Hardly," Jimmy scoffed. "You walked out."

"I was thrown out."

"You were never home."

"I was trying to protect you. You and your mother."

"You should have told me," Jimmy said angrily. "You should
have told mom."

"I had to keep you safe."

"By lying to me? I'm your son!"

"And I'm your father. It's a father's job to protect his
children from everything...even himself."

Jimmy finally found the courage to ask the question he'd been
wondering since he'd discovered his dad was working with the
NIA, "Are you a good guy or a bad guy?"

Jack shrugged, "Depends on who's asking."

"Your son."

Jack sighed, "Right now, I'm about the best guy you could have
in this situation, but you have to trust me."

"Like you trusted me?" Jimmy asked.

"Jimmy..." Jack sighed. "Do you have any idea what you're up
against?"

"No, but I have a feeling you do."

"I do." Jack sighed, "God help me I do. I need to know
everything you were working on that week before the Planet was
bombed."

"Why?"

"Because whatever you were working on probably put a target on
your back," Jack explained.

***

Crash after crash had kept Clark busy well into the afternoon
when he finally found himself having time to think. Sixty-four
trillion dollars wasn't something to be taken lightly by either
billionaire. What was Luthor doing with all that uranium? Why was
Wayne Tech partnered with HM Weapons? The longer he thought about
it the more questions he had. Realizing he wasn't going to get
the answers he needed without having a talk with Bruce Wayne he
headed toward Wayne Towers, finding Bruce Wayne in his office
with Lucius Fox.

He hovered outside the open window, landing on the balcony and
keeping his famous Superman pose. It took a minute, but Bruce
Wayne turned and saw him standing there, his expression was empty
as he walked toward the balcony, unlocking the latch.

"Superman is it?"

"Mr. Wayne," he nodded, stepping inside the office.

He turned back toward Lucius Fox, "I'm gonna need a minute,
Lucius."

"I'll be in my lab," Lucius nodded, stepping out of the room,
closing the door behind him.

"So, obviously we don't need introductions. What can I help you
with, Superman?"

"You can start by putting answering a few questions I have about
your dealings with Luthor."

"I take it your not a fan," Bruce observed.

"Let's just say we've never seen eye to eye," Clark still
wasn't sure if he could trust Bruce Wayne and didn't want to
give too much away.

"Fair enough," Bruce admitted. "What do you want to know?"

Clark watched as Bruce took a seat at his desk, tossing a soft
stress ball that had been worn down in the air and catching it.
"Luthor was trying to bring almost a thousand kilos in uranium
stateside. Your company was listed as the shipping company."

"I canceled that order as soon as I heard about it," Bruce
interjected.

"But Wayne Enterprises was listed as a partner of HM Weapons,"
Clark pointed out. "What is your relationship with them?"

"What does HM Weapons have to do with this?" Bruce asked.

"What do you know about HM Weapons?" Clark asked, dodging the
question.

"Answering my question with another question," Bruce observed.
"Nice deflection."

"I'm not deflecting. I'm careful," Clark corrected. "You
have no idea what I've been dealing with ..."

"From Luthor?" Bruce pressed, "I can imagine."

"No, you can't," Clark shook his head. "You have no idea what
he's capable of."

"Do you really think I get into business without doing my
research?" Bruce stared back, following Clark's pace with the
turn of his head. "I run a multi-billion dollar corporation.
I've dealt with bullies like Lex Luthor before."

Clark thought about asking how he planned to deal with Luthor but
thought better of it, steering the conversation back to the
reason for his visit in the first place. What is he building? Why
is he trying to bring that much uranium over here?"

"How should I know?" Bruce asked tossing his stress ball in the
air, staring at it as it moved above him.

"You were partnered with him," Clark pointed out.

"I am NOT partnered with that sycophant!" Bruce shot up
angrily, getting into Clark's face.

"Then how did Wayne Enterprises end up with a multi-trillion
dollar deal with LexCorp?"

"I canceled it," Bruce spat back emphatically. "I canceled it
the minute I realized it was for him."

"What were you doing working with HM Weapons in the first
place?" Clark pressed. "Do you have any idea what they're
doing over there?"

"Do you always question people you first meet like this or am I
just special?" Bruce shot back.

"Do you always deflect when you don't want to answer the
question?" Clark pointed out.

"Who says I'm deflecting?"

"Then answer the question." Clark challenged, narrowing his
eyes at him, "What is he doing?"

"I don't know," Bruce repeated adamantly. "I never connected
the dots between Luthor and HM Weapons till recently when I
canceled the deal. Before you go and ask again, Wayne Enterprises
had a contract with Honeybraun Industries. That was it. There was
no contract with HM Weapons. I'd never heard of them before."

"They're an illegal arms company supplying terrorists with
weapons of mass destruction all around the globe. Focused mainly
in the Middle East," Clark supplied. Bruce seemed genuine.

Bruce let out a low whistle, "And Luthor's got his claws in
that company?"

"Yeah," Clark said bitterly.

"When I discovered Luthor had a hold in the deal I canceled
it."

Clark sized him up, taking in his sincerity. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"Okay, I believe you," Clark said.

Bruce shook his head, "You don't like me very much, do you?"

"I don't know you," Clark corrected. "Given my history, I try
to be cautious until I've made my mind up about someone."

"And what does your mind tell you?" Bruce asked.

"You seem genuine. I guess I can understand how you could be
fooled by Honeybraun Industries. The entire US government had the
wool pulled over their eyes with its shady dealings."

"If what you're saying is true..." Bruce shook his head,
"I'm not the only shipping company out there. That's over a
trillion dollars at stake. There's now way Luthor just let that
go."

Clark sighed, "I know. I have a feeling whatever it is it can't
be good for Metropolis."

"Nothing Luthor does is good for anyone but himself," Bruce
said bitterly.

"You seem to have a history," Clark observed.

"A long one." He rolled his eyes, "Another time...you know
when you're not still suspicious of me?" He smirked at him.

***

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."*

"*No?"*

"*No."}*

*{"Don't stop." *

"*Never."}*

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much right now."*

"*No?"*

"*No."}*

*{"Tell me."*

"*Yes."}*

Lex watched in a bitter rage as Lois Lane gave herself again and
again to his enemies...both of them. He took another drink of his
scotch, feeling the smooth liquid hit the back of his throat as
an eerie calm came over him.

It seemed he hadn't known her at all.

His grip tightened on the remote as he watched the image of Lois
Lane in Clark Kent's arms then again in Superman's. It didn't
make sense. Everything he'd learned of her background in his
thorough investigations had told him she was faithful, loyal. So
why would she cheat on Clark Kent if she could have Superman?

Why bother with a relationship with her partner at all if she
could have the most powerful man on Earth?

Something didn't jive well with the information he had. He
continued to mull it over then clicked the remote to change the
screen back to the live feed of Lois Lane's apartment. There had
been zero activity all weekend, and his crew had been
unsuccessful in infiltrating Clark Kent's apartment to apply the
solution. He didn't dare let his mind wander too long on what he
and Lois Lane could have been doing to keep them occupied all
weekend.

His grip tightened further around the remote as he muttered, "I
will not be made a fool."

*{"What is all this?" *

"*Every tattoo parlor in Metropolis. The new superhero has a
tattoo on his left hand. We thought tracking down the parlor
might help identify him."}*

***

"What is all this?" Lucy motioned to the list Lois was sifting
through as she took a bite of pizza.

"Every tattoo parlor in Metropolis," Lois explained, pointing
to the list. "The new superhero has a tattoo on his left hand.
We thought tracking down the parlor might help identify him."

"How many have you gone to so far?" Lucy asked, taking the list
from her.

"Well I've called all the ones on this list," Lois pointed to
the column with the red circle around it. "There's only sixteen
that specialize in custom works. I've got some appointments
tomorrow to see if any of them recognize this piece." She pulled
up the sketch Clark had drawn.

Lucy admired the sketch. "Nice. Did you draw this?"

"No, Clark did," Lois said offhand, then backtracked, realizing
she may have given too much information with her statement. "I
mean, did you know he was such a good sketch artist?" She gave a
chuckle, "Who knew, right?"

Lucy gave her an odd look and smiled, "Right."

***

Lucy watched as Lois continued to make call after call inquiring
about any family members that could be related to the mysterious
man that had gained superpowers. Clark still hadn't returned,
and she hadn't said anything. It was clear finding the new
superhero was important, but she couldn't tell if it was
important because it was a story or because there was something
he might know that could endanger Clark's identity.

After taking some time to reflect over the weekend and burying
herself in research on Jimmy's dad, she'd become even more
convinced that Clark was Superman. She still didn't know how to
explain him being injured in Smallville but she assumed she would
find out one day.

There was no denying it. Lois Lane was head over heels in love
with Clark. There was no way she would cheat on him. So, the only
explanation for what she'd witnessed the other night and what
she'd been privy to over the past few weeks was Clark and
Superman were the same.

For now, she would remain quiet while she decided what to do with
the information. Clark kept his identity hidden from the world
for a reason. He'd saved both herself and her sister countless
times. She wouldn't repay him with betrayal.

***

The next afternoon, Clark walked with Lois down Eighth Avenue,
eying the sketchy neighborhood warily, remind me why we're doing
this in person?"

"Well, my contact at the Dermal Emporium recognized that sketch
as belonging to the 'dermal artiste' Allegra Vennum. Her place
is just down here," she pointed at the building at the end of
the street with a couple of bikers in front of it.

"Of course it is," he muttered under his breath.

Lois looked back at him with a smile, taking his hand in hers,
"You ever been?"

"Been?"

"To a tattoo parlor?" She pressed with a grin.

He laughed, "Think about it Lois why would I ever go to a tattoo
parlor?"

"Well, you said yourself you weren't always invulnerable." She
gave him a flirtatious wink, "Never got talked into it during
high school just to see?"

He grinned back at her, "No, have you?"

"Once," she admitted. "My friend Molly from college wanted to
get matching tattoos with her boyfriend, Ryan. Somehow I got
talked into coming for moral support."

He gave a light chuckle, "I'm sure you were a very good
companion."

"Lucy wanted me to talk her into getting bones and skulls
tattooed on her," Lois laughed letting out a soft sigh, "I just
couldn't do it."

"You know speaking of Lucy," Clark began hesitantly, "What's
been up with her lately?"

"What do you mean?" Lois asked, not sure what he meant.

"I don't know. Something just seems...off. I know we're all
stressed, but this is different. She seems more
intuitive...asking more questions. Have you noticed that?"

Lois pursed her lips for a moment, trying to recall her
conversations over the past few days with her sister. She seemed
to be mulling things over before she spoke, "Now that you
mention it, I guess it is kinda odd. She didn't even ask where
you were during the oil spill when we were Smallville which I was
grateful for at the moment but now..."

"Now what?" He pressed, not sure if he wanted to know the
answer.

"It makes me wonder if she might suspect something," Lois said
softly, motioning with the flying symbol they used for Superman.

"How would she?" He wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Lois shrugged. "She's always been pretty
bright. Maybe she noticed something in all the chaos over the
past few weeks."

"Should we ask her?"

Lois shrugged, "It's up to you." They stopped a few feet away
from where the bikers were sitting outside. She lowered her
voice, turning to face him, "With everything else we've been
dealing with is that really something you want to confront right
now?"

"I don't know. I guess I just want to know."

"What if she doesn't know? You risk her finding out if you
confront her," she pointed out.

He sighed, realizing she was right, "Do you think she knows?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Lois admitted, "but if she does
know she'll say something eventually." She grew thoughtful for
a moment.

A thousand questions raced through his mind as the reality of the
situation began to sink in. If Lucy knew what would happen? Would
he be able to trust her? What if she let it slip to someone? What
if...

"Hey," she squeezed his hand, "You can trust her. You know
that right? She might be a little free spirited, but the one
thing she values above anything is friendship and trust. She'd
never tell anyone...if she knew."

"I hope you're right," he released a breath he didn't realize
he'd been holding. "Maybe I should wait till this is all over
and try to talk to her then?"

Lois nodded, taking his hand in hers as he pulled him toward the
shop titled, *'Allegra Venum's Dermal Emporium.'*

***

Monique looked around the office she was in nervously, "What's
this about?"

"Protection," Bill Henderson said, taking a seat across from
her between two other women she didn't recognize.

"What kind of protection?"

The first woman with blonde hair and a gray suit interjected,
"Your protection. We need to know what it would take for you to
testify."

"I told you before I'm not doing that," she hissed. "You saw
what happened before. It fell apart. He has deep pockets and
connections everywhere. It won't matter what you do. He'll find
me and come after me. I have a family now. I can't risk ..."

"We understand that," Henderson reached across the table to
place a hand over hers. "Believe me we do. I've lived your
fear. All of us have." He glanced between the two women. "You
can't continue to live in fear any more than we can continue to
let him corrupt our justice system. An innocent kid is going to
go to prison for a very long time if we don't do something."

"He'll just send his goons out once he's locked up. You can't
stop him," Monique snapped irritably.

"We can if we know the names of the goons and lock them up with
him," the other woman interjected, handing her her card, "I'm
Agent Woods with the FBI. You know Inspector Henderson and this
is the DA that is willing to build a case against the boss,
Mayson Drake. So are you going to keep giving us reasons why we
can't do this or help us find ways we can? We've already
started building our case on testimony from informants and lower
lieutenants on his payroll. You're not alone."

Monique looked between the three of them, "There are others? How
many others?"

***

Lois kept a possessive hand around Clark's waist as they
interviewed Allegra Vennum who seemed more interested in sizing
Clark up like a piece of meat. Lois pointed to the tattoo on the
wall, "Did you design this?"

Allegra seemed oblivious to her question, circling Clark's other
side, "It would look fabulous on you." Her tone was sultry as
she whispered, "You have such a nice..." Lois' eyes narrowed
when she saw Allegra eye Clark's rear end without any shame.
"...body." Clark shifted uncomfortably, placing an arm around
Lois' waist as she continued, "Hard and smooth. Like polished
steel."

Lois pointed to the design once more, doing her best to remain
professional as she reminded herself over and over again that
they would get more information with honey rather than vinegar.
"Ms. Vennum, if we could get back to the story. Maybe a little
less..." She sharpened her tone as she narrowed her eyes,
"Eying my partner and a little more information?" Allegra
frowned but seemed to stop circling Clark who readjusted his
glasses, tightening his arm around Lois, "Did you do this
tattoo?"

"Dermal design," she corrected.

"Yes. Dermal design," Lois chuckled with a forced smile she
thought would split her face in half. "Dermal design. Little guy
with a Southern Accent?"

"It would have been on the back of the left hand," Clark
added.

Allegra scrunched her nose up, "Yeah, I hate it when I have
clients put my work in such small areas." She eyed Clark's
chest longingly, "I really love working on a big canvas."

Lois cleared her throat, pulling her back to the present and Lois
pointed at the design once more, "This one?"

Allegra sighed, "Yes, a little guy with a Southern accent."

"Do you remember his name?" Lois asked. "Might have been a
last name of Waldecker?"

"Names? You want me to remember names?" She asked, baffled at
the thought.

"Do you keep records?" Clark asked.

"Do I keep records?" She echoed, motioning for them to follow
her toward the office.

Inside she sat at the desk, sifting through a plastic bin of
diskettes until she found the one she was looking for. "Ah-ha!"
She put it in the computer and smiled, "It'll just take a
sec."

After a few minutes and a few keystrokes, she scanned the
directory, "White, Wallace, Winslow, Waldecker!" She printed
the record out, "William Wallace Webster Waldecker."

"That's a lot of 'W's," Lois commented.

"Don't ask him about it. Trust me," Allegra made a face before
turning to open the door to the office for them to exit.

***

Later that evening, back at Lois' apartment, Lucy was camped out
on the couch going through the case files on Jimmy. Lois and
Clark were sitting at the dining table, finishing up dinner and
going through everything they'd found out that day on William
Waldecker. Lois poked a fork in her pasta, twirling it as she
read off her notes, "William Wallace Webster Waldecker. Not
married. Both parents are dead."

"One sister. Wandamae," Clark added. "Kinda sad."

Lois nodded her agreement, taking a bite of her pasta, "Was
there anything he said the other night that might give you a hint
as to where we might find him?"

Clark shook his head, taking a bit off his own plate, "Nothing
more than what we found out. The family moved here from Little
Big Holler, Tennessee 25 years ago." He sighed, "He wasn't
exactly in a sharing and caring mood the other night, Lois."

"Well, we have a name," Lois reasoned. "Maybe we can talk to
the sister?"

He grimaced shaking his head, "Lois she's in a mental
institution. I doubt any information we get from her would be
reliable."

"Well then what do you suggest?" Lois asked.

"You could call this number," Lucy pointed toward the
television, turning the volume up.

"What number?" Clark asked, standing up from the table to walk
toward the television with Lois.

The screen showed the new superhero now branded with an 'R' on
his chest. The announcer read off the advertisement spiel, "In
trouble? Need help no mere mortal can provide? Call Resplendent
Man. Instant service, reasonable rates."

Lucy pulled out her phone to dial and Lois stopped her, "What
are you doing?"

"Calling him. See if he shows."

"Better pull out your checkbook," Clark pointed at the screen
which showed the number, '1-900-0-1-RES-Q-U.' In small print
beneath that: $3.98 for the first 15 seconds.

"Look, he even charges for the call," Lois scoffed. "How
greedy can you get?"

Lucy put her phone on speaker, "You have reached the voicemail
of Resplendent Man. If your situation is a bona fide emergency
press 1; if you can wait a little while, press 2; if you'd like
to join the Resplendent Man Fan Club for a really teeny-tiny
nominal fee press 3; if you..."

Lucy clicked the end button. "What an ogre."

Clark's face tensed and Lois recognized the look on his face,
"Um, Clark, do you think you could run down and grab some more
cream soda? I drank the last one."

He smiled, grateful for the excuse and left. Lucy smiled and
turned to Lois, not saying anything about Clark's exit. "So
Lethal Weapon's on. You feel like a Mel Brooks marathon?" She
rolled her eyes, "I'm in need of some serious distraction right
now."

Lois smiled, taking a seat next to her, "Sure."

***

Tommy Garrison stepped out of his cab, heading up toward his
apartment when he spotted a familiar man in a black suit
approaching him, "I got nothing to say to you." He shot back
over his shoulder.

"Mr. Garrison, we just want to help."

"Then leave me alone, huh?" He snapped. "I was doing fine till
you came around."

"You're hustling and gambling for the boss. You call that
fine?" Davenport asked, grabbing him by the collar, "What
happened to you, huh? You were the greatest prize fighter.
Challenging Superman in the ring then what happened?"

"Superman destroyed my career! The boss is helping me."

"No, the boss is taking advantage of you. You destroyed your
career by choosing to cheat. You chose to have that operation
again and again and again," Davenport spat. "Where's your
morals, Garrison? Greatest prize fighter caught in the biggest
scandal in sporting history and look where you are now? You're
angry? Good. Be angry, but make sure you're directing it at the
right person."

"Who? You?" Garrison scoffed.

"No, the boss," Davenport shot back. "He's the one that did
this to you. Put you in this predicament. Make him pay."

***

Lucy watched Lois from across the sofa sipping her coffee. She'd
been reeling for the last few days with so many questions, and
she still wasn't sure what to think about the latest revelation.
Clark Kent was Superman. Her sister was dating Superman. She must
have sounded so idiotic when she'd been comparing the two over
dinner with their mom. No wonder he knew where to get the best
food because he could fly around the world in a few minutes.

"What?" Lois asked, defensively looking around.

"Nothing." Lucy shrugged with a smile, "I was just thinking,
this is nice. Us working together. I feel like I'm finally
getting a chance to see why you do what you do. Why you fight so
hard...Put yourself at risk the way you do. You're trying to get
to the truth. I get that."

It was the truth she did enjoy working with Lois...and Clark. The
more time she spent with the two of them, the more she saw the
similarities between the superhero and Clark Kent and the more
she saw what Lois saw in him. He was a genuinely good guy who
happened to spend his spare time stopping asteroids and lifting
rockets into space.

Lois smiled, turning on the couch to face her sister, "It has
been nice spending this time with you." She sighed, fingering
the stray thread on her blouse before adding, "Thinking of
making a jump from Psychology to Journalism?"

Lucy cringed, "No, I don't think I'd go that far. I may look
at getting my Investigator license. Freelance with the DA's
office or a reputable law firm? I kinda like digging into these
cases like this and finding what the police investigators
missed."

"Or you could be a police investigator," Lois pointed out,
setting her coffee mug on the table.

"True," Lucy reasoned. "I would have to cancel my internship
with Metropolis Family and Children Services."

"I guess it depends on what you want to do more," Lois
reasoned. "Help those wrongly convicted or looking at hard time
or help children that have been through hell and back?"

Lucy smiled sadly, "Can't I do both?"

"I'm sure there's a way," Lois smiled warmly back at her
sister.

"When did you get so optimistic?" Lucy teased.

"I think that's Clark's influence. He's rubbing off on me,"
Lois admitted shyly.

"I'll say." Lucy teased, "but in a good way." She pursed her
lips for a moment before adding, "You both seem...happy. He's
spent the night a few nights, and you've spent the night at his
place. Things are getting serious, huh?"

"Yeah," Lois smiled ear to ear, "Very."

"Thinking about...wedding bells?" Lucy edged cautiously.

"Maybe," Lois giggled, and Lucy eyed her sister cautiously
curious what her answer was or if there even was an answer. Had
she even discussed these things with Clark yet? "I love him,
Luce. I know he loves me. For now, that's enough. Trying to sort
through the other stuff...we don't have the time right now and
honestly figuring that out amidst Jimmy's case wouldn't be fair
to Jimmy or to us."

"Have you talked about it?" Lois shook her head shyly, and Lucy
pressed, "Then how do you know?"

"You mean aside from the fact that he's practically moved in to
keep an eye on both of us?" Lois teased. Lucy smirked at her,
and she sighed, "Some things may have slipped that night we were
drinking. He hinted at some things." She smiled, "We haven't
talked about it. I'm trying not to bring it up, but it's
driving me crazy." She laughed, "I'm not good at sitting on
information."

Lucy knew all too well about Lois' inability to sit on a good
story or not press an issue. It amazed her that her sister was
actually not pressing something this important. She said Clark
had let something slip the night they were drinking. How ironic
that she'd begun to suspect something that night too.

"So, if he asked you to be his tomorrow what would you say?"
Lucy asked, looking at Lois curiously.

"I..." She sighed happily, "I'd say 'yes.'" She admitted
shyly.

The corners of Lucy's mouth twitched into a broad smile, "No
second thoughts?"

Lois shook her head, and Lucy smiled. "Good. Because I've kinda
gotten used to having him around to cook meals. I have lost a few
inches from not eating out so much," She pointed to her waist,
"I'd hate to have to gain it all back because you choke."

Lois took the pillow on the sofa and hit her with it, "Choke?
Really, Luce??"

"Well, what would you call it?" Lucy teased in laughter. "I do
have one request though, could you keep it down a little. You two
are* loud*." Lucy watched as Lois' cheeks both burned red with
embarrassment as she continued. "I mean, what are you doing
rearranging furniture in there? I used to think Lacey was
bad..."

"Okay, okay, can we stop having this conversation now?" Lois
said, burying her face in her hands.

Lucy looked over at her, "It's nothing to be ashamed about. You
have a love life. A thriving and active love life. Just remember
some of us like to sleep before one in the morning," Lucy patted
her on the shoulder with a grin.

"I'll try to remember that," was all Lois could manage to say
as she watched Lucy gather the coffee mugs and take them into the
kitchen. She scanned the forgotten file boxes in the corner
she'd been going through earlier. "I'm going to go put these
up. Make some walking room in here."

Lucy nodded, rinsing the mugs out as Lois carried the package of
pictures toward the bedroom. "I'm going to make some more
coffee..." She heard a knock at the door and sighed, "...after
I answer the door."

Lois laughed from the bedroom, "Always something."

Lucy chuckled, "You have no..." She stopped when she saw Lex
Luthor standing on the other side of the door, "idea."

"Ms. Lane," Lex crooned tightly, "Always a pleasure." He
attempted to step into the apartment, and Lucy slammed the door
against him.

"That was a mistake," he replied coolly as the door hit his
hand where he had blocked it from closing.

"*Lois!!!"*

***

Lois heard a loud crash and what sounded like a whimper from her
sister and bolted out of the bedroom, "Luce??"

She stopped cold in her tracks when she saw Lucy on the floor of
the living room with blood covering her right temple. She saw Lex
standing over her with a pistol aimed toward her sister. "Lex,"
she breathed. "What did you do??"

"Oh, your sister and I had a disagreement. She'll be fine once
she gets medical treatment..." He said casually, waving the
pistol around the room.

She raced for the phone to call an ambulance only to have the
cold barrel of his gun pointed under her chin as his bony
fingertips ran down the front of her blazer. His breath reeked of
old scotch as he whispered in her ear, "Now you know it's not
that simple my darling."

"Lex, please," she whimpered against him tearfully, "She's
hurt."

She tensed up as his mouth pressed against her neck, "Oh, Lois,
darling, I've missed you so terribly." He breathed in her ear,
tugging on the button to her blazer. Panic ran through her mind
as he pressed himself against her whispering, "It's time you
and I had a nice long chat about your latest lover. I'm not one
to share."

***

After stopping the out of control car from hitting the bridge and
ensuring the driver arrived at the hospital safely, Clark decided
to take a patrol around the city to see if he could find this
Resplendent Man and have a few words with him.

It didn't take long to find him.

On the roof of Luthor Towers, x-raying the locker room of the
Metro Gym across the street from it. "You've got to be kidding
me," Clark muttered.

Realizing he was aimed at the Women's Locker Room Clark decided
to take action before anyone's dignity became compromised.
"Whoo hoo hoo, take it off, girls..." Resplendent Man cheered.

Crossing his arms over his chest and lowering himself to where he
was blocking Resplendent Man's view completely Clark cleared his
throat in an attempt to make his presence known as he stared the
man down.

"Do you mind?" Resplendent Man scoffed, throwing his arms up in
the air.

"Actually, I do mind," Clark growled, glaring at him angrily.
"I have tried to be patient. I've tried to be
understanding..."

He scoffed, waving Clark off. "Get a grip here. Do I tell you
what to do? No, I do not. I would appreciate the same courtesy
from you."

Clark let out a long breath, fighting the urge to throw this man
into the next galaxy. "You will take this to heart. You will
memorize it; you live by it: The strong do not exploit the weak.
The powerful do not attack the defenseless, and you do *not* use
your x-ray vision to spy on women in a locker room!"

He met his eyes for a moment before brushing him off once more,
"Oh, puh-leeze! What planet are you from? Try to grasp this; it
is not a tough concept: You may not like what I do, but there
isn't a blessed thing you can do about it." With that, he flew
off into the night.

Clark let out a frustrated growl, heading back to Lois'
apartment. "Great."

"*Help!!!! Cl..."* The sound of Lois' cry for help reached his
ears, and he skyrocketed toward her apartment as fast as he could
move.

'*Lois.'*

***

Lois turned to face Lex accusingly, "What did you do to her?"

"That's of no concern right now," he grabbed her, pulling her
to him as he hissed in her ear, "I know what you've been doing
Lois. I know everything."

All nerves went on edge as she felt his fingertips slip up the
front of her blouse, fingering the silk buttons with intrigue.
"Get your hands ...off of me." She struggled to free herself
from his grasp.

"You know, I really don't take being ordered around very well,
Lois." He tightened his grasp on her arm, pulling the pistol up
and pressing the barrel against her neck, "It seems you've
gotten to know everyone's superhero quite well. Every woman's
dream I suppose," the barrel pressed hard against her throat as
he hissed in her ear, "It seems I underestimated you."

The soft moan of her sister from across the room reminded her of
how time was of the essence even if Lex seemed oblivious to that
at the moment. "Lex... let her go...Please."

"Ah, ah, ah," he warned, the cold barrel of the pistol moved
between her legs, nudging them apart as he whispered in her ear,
"I know all about your secrets, Lois. I've been watching for
months as you let Kent woo you while you tossed me aside. "She
did her best to suppress the urge to throw up. As long as he was
distracted, she had the upper hand. She eyed the door across the
room, a few feet away from where Lucy was lying. If she could
just... The top button of her blouse came undone, and he pushed
the fabric apart, tracing the outline of her newly exposed bust
with the edge of the cold barrel.

"You're sick." She spat out venomously, "I told you to stay
the hell away from me."

"There you go making orders again, Lois, Lest you forget who is
in control here?" He ran the pistol against the fabric of her
blouse, pushing the fabric further apart, revealing the blue and
black corset she'd bought for Clark as a surprise. "I see you
certainly didn't disappoint."

She cringed moving slowly toward the door with his hands
exploring her soft curves with a pistol pressed against her. She
felt his hot breath on the nape of her neck and whimpered,
"Please, let her go, Lex."

"Say it again," he ordered, running the barrel of the gun
against her neck, licking the side of her neck as he did so.

She let out a frustrated growl before repeating herself again,
"Please, Lex let her go."

"Much better," he cheered, setting the pistol down on the shelf
behind him, reaching up to grab her jaw to look at him, "See? As
long as you play along no one will get hurt."

"Play along?" Lois asked in revulsion, pulling her blouse
together to regain some sort of dignity with the threat of the
pistol gone. She felt the knob of the front door behind her and
sighed in relief knowing freedom wasn't far away, "You attacked
my sister..." She hissed angrily.

One by one she worked on unlocking the locks behind her. His grip
tightened on her, "This can go easy or hard on you, Lois. Either
way, I'm not leaving here till I get what I want." He smoothed
the side of her face as he hissed in her ear, moving his hand to
her throat.

"What is it you want?" She hissed back, "I already told
you..."

His grip tightened around her throat, and he hissed, "Stop
giving orders, Lois, you are in no position to be telling me what
to do."

One more lock then the chain and she would be home free. She
cringed as she felt him press himself against her. 'Don't
panic. Don't panic,' she told herself.

"I never would have thought the great Lois Lane would hold back.
Who would have thought after all the corruption scandals and
exposes it would take an alien in a cape for you to corrupt your
morals." He fingered the open flap of her blouse possessively,
"I know." He hissed in her ear.

Her blood ran cold as he pressed her against the door, keeping a
firm grasp on her throat, "Oh, that's right I know all about
your affair with Superman. What I can't seem to figure out..."

'No,' she struggled against him trying to calm her nerves and
the panic rising in the pit of her stomach.

"You're out of your mind," she hissed, struggling in his
grasp, trying to gain just enough leverage against the door so
she could push him off of her.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about Superman,"
he hissed in her ear. "I know you know. I watched you spread
your legs for him...so willingly." His face scowled in disgust.

'What did he just say? He had been watching? Affair with
Superman?' He had been watching her and Clark? All nerves went
on alert as she struggled against him.

"You're going to tell me his secret identity..."

'He doesn't know.'

"What are you talking about?" She hissed at him, "You're
insane."

"Give me a name," he ordered, tightening his grasp on her
throat.

"Go to hell!" she snapped, turning to unlock the chain.

"No, I *am* in control here! **ME**!!!" He hissed back at her,
grabbing her by the throat and shaking her, "You are going to
tell me...one way or another!" The smell of old scotch hung in
the air as he hissed at her, "Nine months of being patient and
you give it up for...*KENT*..." She cringed as he licked her ear
whispering, "Really, Lois? He's so beneath you...Tell me
something, who excited you more, hmm? Kent or Superman?"

Her blood ran cold as the reality of his words hit her. He'd
been watching her. Watching her and Clark...and Superman. How?

"Give...me...his ...name!"

"I'm not telling you anything you monster!" She spat in his
face, lifting her right leg into a swift kick between his legs,
delivering a hard blow to his crotch. He released his grasp on
her, doubling over in pain.

"Oh! You little bi...!" He groaned in agony.

She swung the door open and headed straight toward her neighbor,
Mrs. Myers across the hall, banging on the door frantically. She
had to get an ambulance here to help Lucy. She had to get her
help. "Help!!! Cl..."

The door opened, and Mrs. Myers looked at her in concern, "My
dear, what happened?"

"My sister's...been attacked...call the police...ask
for...Henderson..." She said in between ragged breaths.

The elderly woman started to open the door all the way to let her
in when her eyes widened, and she warned, "Get inside
*now*!!!!"

Lois turned to see Lex advancing toward her with a look of rage
on his face. Knowing there was no way to get inside her
neighbor's apartment without putting her in danger too. She did
the only thing she could think of to do. "*Help*!!!!"

She winced as she felt the hard blow to the back of her head,
"You are going to pay for that, Lois." She could feel her
abdomen tighten as Lex's hand clamped over her throat,
tightening and causing her vocal cords to stiffen. He pushed her
back toward her apartment.

"Get ...your ...hands...off of me!" She spat.

"You don't leave...until...I...tell you...to ...leave..." He
slammed the door shut, pinning her against it with one hand on
her wrists, the other on her throat and his body pressed against
her thighs, effectively pinning her in place. "I would have
given you everything..." His grip tightened on her,
"**EVERYTHING**."

"Cl..." She attempted to cry out but found her vocal cords
unwilling to cooperate.

"What do you think Kent is going to do?" He mocked, "Don't
you understand I could commit murder in the middle of the streets
in this city and get away with it...Lex Luthor is a name that
means something...and you...You think you can betray me and not
suffer the consequences?"

She grimaced as he pressed himself against her. She struggled
against him, but she couldn't move her arms or her legs from the
hold he had on her... The more she struggled, the tighter his
grasp became. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came
out.

'*No.'*

"I saw you take him in your bed, Lois. Spread your legs so
willingly for that alien," he hissed in her ear as she struggled
against him. "Who is he? I know he has a secret identity. There
is no other explanation. The globe messages talked of an infant
coming to Earth..." His grasp loosened on her throat as he ran
his hot breath hit her ear, tugging at her refastened blouse,
"Give me his name!"

She hocked a spit wad at his face, "Drop dead!"

He released his grasp on her wrists to wipe the spit off his
face, and she took advantage of his distraction, propelling her
left leg toward the back of his knees to knock him off balance.

'*Weapon.' * She needed a weapon. Recalling the rifle her
grandfather had left her she raced toward the kitchen where the
storage closet was only to be stopped by Lex grabbing her from
behind.

"How dare you!?" He fumed angrily, lifting her off the ground
in his rage as he carried her back into the living room. She
lifted her feet up to try to kick him only to find herself
kicking air as he hissed, "I am Lex Luthor...I am **GOD**..."
He threw her toward the couch, hitting the edge of the coffee
table with a thud.

She winced as she began to see spots. He advanced toward her in a
rage. She reached behind her, feeling her purse from where it had
fallen in her collision with the table. Recalling the items
she'd stored in there for self-defense she began digging through
the leather purse frantically as she backed away from him.

Where was it?

He squatted down next to her, grabbing her by the jaw and forcing
her to look at him as he tossed the purse to the side, "Give me
that name!"

"Rot in hell!" She spat back through gritted teeth.

He slammed her head against the floor, gripping her by the back
of her hair. She reached out to find anything she could use
against him, feeling woozy as he struck her again. "You will
tell me!" He raged.

'*Clark, where are you??'*

Her hand closed over a small metal object, recalling the feel of
the switchblade she'd kept in there for protection. She
tightened her jaw, "Get ...off of ...me...you bastard!"

The derogatory term was met with a slap across the face. She
winced as she felt the blow but smiled inside when she felt his
grasp on her loosen against her. She flipped the switchblade
open, eying his upper thigh and recalling what her grandfather
had told her many years ago.

*<<"Right in the inner thigh. Twist it, so the wound doesn't
close. He'll never be able to get it up again.">>*

"Let go...of ...me..." She spat, balling her fist over the
blade as she felt his coarse lips against her ear once more.

"Who is he!? Give me his name!!!" He slammed her against the
floor once more, but she was able to stiffen her neck muscles
enough to brace herself so as not to hit the floor as hard as
before.

'*Come on Clark where are you?'*

"Rot in hell, you sociopath!" With that she reached up,
stabbing his inner thigh and twisting it for good measure,
pushing him off of her and rolling toward the door to get away. A
shiny object glistened from the corner of her eye.

'*The pistol.'*

She headed toward the bookshelf to grab it. Lex's hands grabbed
her from behind, pressing her against the wall with a hard shove
as he taunted her, "You're going to pay dearly for that one,
Lois. I've trained with the masters for years do you really
think you can stop me with a flimsy switchblade!?" He threw her
into the bookshelf causing the contents to fall on top of her.
She backed away from him, edging toward the door as he came down
on top of her.

"Get off of me you *monster*!" She struggled against him,
trying to find the leverage she needed to escape his grasp. She
felt behind her, looking for anything she could use. His hand
closed over her throat as he brought the bloody blade up for her
to see, brushing it against her collarbone, wiping the blood from
it on her and licking it off. Then she felt it. The cold hard
metal of the Swiss and Wesson in her hand and smiled.

"Get...off of me!" She hissed at him, cocking the trigger and
pointing the barrel at his throat. His grasp around her neck,
loosened as he released her, backing off of her as she stood to
her feet, keeping the aim trained on him.

"You wouldn't dare..." He growled.

'*Come on Clark where are you?'*

"Try me!" Lois kept her aim on him, looking around the room.
Lucy. Where's Lucy? She heard a gun cock and looked to the side
seeing Lucy standing with their grandfather's old 1866
Winchester Rifle. It was a collector's item. Not loaded, but Lex
didn't know it.

"Get the hell away from my sister now!" Lucy bloody and bruised
held their grandfather's rifle aimed at Lex's head. "You think
I'm playing?" She asked when he didn't move, "I will blow you
into the next century and not think twice about it! Don't test
me!"

"Easy," he said with a suspenseful calm. "Let's not do
anything rash." He slowly rose to his feet.

"Lois, are you okay?" Lucy asked, not taking her eyes off Lex
as he eased himself into a standing position with both hands up.
She positioned herself between Lois and Lex.

Lois smirked to herself, feeling the adrenaline that had been
pumping through her dissipate as she fell into a coughing fit.
She set the pistol down on the ground in front of her as she
tried to catch her breath. "Cl..." She whimpered out as she
coughed for air, trying to find her voice again.

Lex's eyes narrowed at her, "Not even a call for your favorite
superhero?" You try to call for Kent? What do you think he's
going to do?" He laughed.

"Plenty!" a familiar voice said, from behind them, grabbing Lex
by the collar and hoisting him up, slamming him against the open
door frame, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill
you!"

Lois gasped for air, rolling on her side as she coughed
frantically. "Cla..."

"Luce, are you and Lois okay?" Clark asked, not taking his eyes
off Lex, holding him firmly in his grasp.

"I think so." Lucy set the rifle down and knelt down next to
Lois, "Just breathe. In and out. I've got you."

She helped Lois fasten the buttons to her blouse that had come
undone in the struggle. Lois mouthed a silent *'thank you' *to
her sister.

"I stabbed ...him," she stammered out. "He kept ..."

"It's okay," Lucy breathed, holding her close. Lois felt the
warm tears from her sister's cheeks hit her hair, "Oh, Lucy I
thought..."

"I know. I'm sorry." She whispered in her ear, "I faked
losing consciousness. I'm fine." Lois turned to look at her in
shock, uncertain what she'd heard or what she knew.

"Is she okay?" Clark asked over his shoulder, not taking his
eyes off of Lex for a moment.

"She's really banged up," Lucy said, running a hand over the
back of her head.

"Ah!" Lois cried out in pain.

"I'm sorry." Lucy held her close. "I'm right here. It's
okay. You're safe."

"You sick bastard..." Clark raged, slamming him against the
bookcase before hoisting him up and pinning him to the wall Lex
had held her at just minutes ago, "If you so much as breathe in
her direction again I will hunt you down and make you wish you
were never born!" Lex struggled against Clark who held him
firmly against the wall. The sound of sirens outside could be
heard, and Clark narrowed his eyes at Lex, "The police are on
their way." Lex chuckled sending a chill down her spine. Clark
tightened his grasp on Lex as he hissed, "Mind letting me in on
the joke?"

"The joke is you, Kent. Do you really think your police aren't
being paid by LexCorp? Or your Governor isn't having his
campaign fund filled by LexPower's donation fund? Every
official. Every judge owes me a favor." He chuckled, "You think
they'll turn their back on me for a..." He scoffed looking at
Clark, "reporter? Tsk tsk tsk. No, here's what's going to
happen. Your police as you call them will file a report which
will be lost. No arrest will be made...and I'll be back to
finish what I started..."

Clark tightened his grasp on Lex, "I don't think you
understand. You coming near Lois or Lucy ever again is out of the
question. You hurt them. I will hurt you." Lex struggled against
Clark as he tightened his grasp on him, "You want someone to
pick on; someone smaller and weaker than you? You seem to think
I'm all of those things. So go ahead, take your best shot." He
dared him, "But if you come near Lois again I will make sure you
feel pain in places you never even thought could bleed."

Lex laughed, "Be careful what you wish for, Kent."

Lois shuddered against Lucy, uncertain what Lex meant by that.
She didn't have a chance to ponder it too long though. Bill
Henderson entered the doorway of her apartment with a group of
female officers and another fellow detective she recognized,
Betty Reed.

"Close the stairwell off. Nobody comes in or out. Survey the
neighbors. I want statements from everyone on what they
overheard." Henderson turned to Clark, "Kent, let him go."

"Not unless you're planning on tossing him into the nearest
sewer and sealing the exits," Clark snapped, tightening his
grasp on Lex with a scowl.

"That'll never happen, Kent." Lex shot back, "What are you
going to do? Kill me? You don't have it in you."

"Kent, don't do anything stupid," Henderson warned.

Lois watched as Clark's grip tightened on Lex for a moment. He
seemed to be debating whether to release him or not before
throwing him to the ground in disgust. "Come near Lois again,
and you won't be so lucky!" He hissed angrily.

"Officer, did you see that?" Lex pointed at Clark as he brushed
himself off. "That's assault."

"Lois?" Clark knelt down in front of her, running a hand up the
side of her face gingerly.

"I'm fine," she said hoarsely, not quite believing herself.

"She's got a really nasty cut on the back of her head," Lucy
said, releasing her hold on her and moving to the side so Clark
could take her place.

"Here. Let me take a look," he whispered, gingerly titling her
head forward ad he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "We
need to get you to a hospital."

"Why don't you let us figure out what's what around here, Mr.
Luthor," Detective Reed snapped, pointing toward one of the
officers. "Detain him for now while I talk with Ms. Lane here.
Henderson, you and the boys step out in the hall to question
him."

She took a shallow breath, and Clark's arms tightened around
her, "It's okay. Just breathe." Clark said, holding her close.
"I'm so sorry. I never should have..."

She sat numbly, staring at the scurry of activity as one of the
officers placed Lex in handcuffs, escorting him out into the
hall. "Kent, come with me," Henderson motioned for him to
follow.

"I'm not leaving," Clark said adamantly.

"Look..." Detective Reed crossed her arms over her chest in
annoyance as she stared Clark down.

"I'm* not* leaving," Clark repeated.

Detective Reed looked to Lois, "Ms. Lane?"

"I want him here," Lois said, resting her hand over his.

Detective Reed sighed, "Fine, but I don't want to hear any
interruptions from you. Keep your mouth shut the entire time, or
I will have one of those boys escort you out. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Clark loosened his grip on her waist, opting to hold
her hand in his, stroking her knuckles gingerly as he held her.
She relaxed against him, fighting the urge to pull herself out of
his arms as she watched Lucy's wounds be treated by the
ambulatory workers and Detective Reed moved to question her about
what happened.

"Clark..." She could feel her defenses start to give away,
"What if he's right? What if they can't hold him? What
if..."

"Shhh," He soothed, stroking her cheek as she buried her face
in his chest, "Don't think about that. Both you and Lucy are
injured. They can't ignore that. No matter how much money he
throws at the Governor."

Lois watched as the ambulatory workers loaded Lucy onto a
stretcher and sprung to her feet, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Your sister has a blunt force trauma to the back of the head
and is pretty banged up. We're taking her down to Metropolis
General to get a work up and make sure there isn't any internal
bleeding."

"But..." Lois began to panic at the idea of her sister not
where she could see her.

"I'll be fine, sis," Lucy whispered hoarsely. "I have no
doubt you'll be joining me down there soon."

"Once we get this documented I'll have an ambulance take you
over to Metropolis General for treatment," Detective Reed
explained.

Lois tightened her grasp on Clark's hand, holding it for dear
life as Detective Reed turned her attention to Lois, "Ms. Lane,
I'm going to need you to come into the bedroom so we can
document all of your injuries." She eyed Clark with a critical
eye, "Mr. Kent you'll need to stay here."

"No!" Lois surprised herself with how loud she shouted then
repeated herself more softly, "No. I, uh, I want him with me."

"Your choice." Detective Reed said, pointing her toward the
door as she held up a camera. Once the door was closed behind
them, she instructed her, "I'll need you to strip down to your
underwear. We'll get these taken as quickly as possible." She
pointed toward the door. "Just stand against the door there."

Lois nodded mutely, removing her jeans swiftly, looking down at
the blue lace boy short panties she'd gotten to match the
ensemble. She winced when she saw the purplish bruise that was on
her hip along with a long scratch. Her blouse soon followed, and
she saw the scratch marks and bruises on her chest and arms. Her
wrists had red and purple marks around them from where Lex had
held her. She suspected her back was just as mangled.

"Ms. Lane, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to remove
that," Detective Reed instructed.

She took a deep breath, hanging her head as she whispered, "I'm
going to need some help. Lucy..."

Without a word Clark was by her side, helping lower the zipper of
the strapless corset that had been intended as a surprise for him
but would now be considered evidence. Lois did her best to
suppress her tears as she felt the garment she'd fought so hard
against removing earlier fall to the ground. She heard Clark's
sharp intake of breath and looked down seeing the claw marks and
blood along her back and chest where the corset had been. He
wrapped his arms around her protectively, "It's gonna be
okay," he whispered in her ear, placing a kiss on her cheek.

She nodded, pulling away from him as she followed Detective
Reed's instructions. She avoided his gaze as she rotated 180
degrees while Detective Reed took photo after photo of her. She
cringed, wondering if it was such a good idea to have Clark be in
here. Having him see what Lex had done...

'*What he tried to do,'* She reminded herself. He'd had every
intention of forcing himself on her, and she'd fought him tooth
and nail, but Lucy and Clark had stopped him. He'd saved her
just as he had countless other times. Lucy had saved her. She
cringed, recalling Lex's hands on her after the last photo was
taken, "I...I need a shower."

"Once you sign your statement and the scene has been surveyed
properly." Detective Reed instructed, "Now are you sure that's
all that happened?"

"Yes," Lois snapped irritably. "He knocked me around after
attacking Lucy. I got free and tried to run for the door. He
grabbed me again, and I fought him again. He tried to choke
me..." Her hand moved to her neck instinctively. Clark grabbed a
robe for her, helping her in it without a word.

"You didn't lose consciousness? Black out?" Detective Reed
asked.

"No."

"And he didn't..." She motioned toward her torso as Lois held
herself self-consciously.

"No," Lois snapped bitterly.

"What's going to happen to Luthor?" Clark asked, wrapping a
protective arm around her waist.

"That's up to the judge," Reed reminded him.

"Tonight," he clarified. "What's going to happen to him
tonight?"

"Well, assault of any kind with a weapon is an automatic felony.
He'll be placed under arrest and arraigned then his army of
lawyers can fight it out in the morning, but no judge is going to
arraign him tonight."

Lois sighed in relief, "Now about the stab wound..." Detective
Reed began.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Clark fumed.

"Mr. Kent, one more outburst and you'll be outside!" Reed
warned. Clark's arms tightened around her, and his mouth thinned
to form a long straight line, but he didn't say anything. Reed
continued, "About the stab wound...You don't have to convince
me or Henderson or even any of those officers out there that this
was self-defense but you may have to convince the DA, and you may
have to convince a judge."

"Won't the pictures be enough to prove what happened?" Lois
asked.

"Should be," Detective Reed handed her the SD card. "We got a
little problem at the police department. Computer glitch. Mind
making me a copy?"

Lois smirked, realizing what Reed was hinting at but not saying,
"Yeah."

***

Outside Lois Lane's apartment, Henderson continued to question
Lex Luthor. "I don't think you understand the predicament here,
Mr. Luthor. I have two women that that were attacked.
Eyewitnesses say you're the assailant. I have a man who
witnessed you attacking one of those women. I have a hallway full
of people claiming they heard you threatening Ms. Lane and heard
you hit her repeatedly..."

"All hearsay," Lex scoffed. "I did no such thing. I would
never harm Lois."

"The neighbor across the hall watched you grab her and force her
back into the apartment? That's hearsay? The same neighbor that
called the cops. Those marks on Lois Lane's neck say something
completely different."

"Those marks were put there by Mr. Kent. I was simply defending
myself against him when you arrived. You saw what an animal he
is," Lex shot back.

Henderson tightened his jaw when he realized what Lex was trying
to imply. "Your courtroom games and dirty business dealings
might work for you with other cops but not with me. I know what I
saw. I know what happened here. If it were up to me, I'd be
taking Kent's suggestion and locking you in the sewer you
belong, but fortunately for you, we have a justice system."

"Yes Fortunately, Detective."

Henderson smirked, controlling his tone as he took a step toward
him, "What do you think, Luthor? If you goad me, I might attack
you, and you can get this charge thrown out? Not a chance. We're
doing this by the book. This is one charge you'll never
escape."

"Don't like your job I see," Lex threatened. "I'll be sure
to pass the message along to the Police Commissioner."

"You do that," Henderson warned. "You don't scare me. You're
pond scum. Do you know what they do to men who beat women in
prison? It's not pretty."

"She'll never press charges! You'll see! I'll be back home
before you've even finished your shift," Lex bragged.

"If you think Lois Lane is going to cower down to the likes of
you you're out of your mind. She's going to press charges.
She's going to sit there and smile while they lock you in the
cage you belong in and throw away the key."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lex warned. "I have a
reach far beyond this city, Detective."

"And that reach is getting shorter and shorter," Henderson
warned. "You may have connections. You may have influence, but
the law is the law. Anyone caught in the act of an assault with a
deadly weapon is immediately placed into custody, and a temporary
restraining order is granted. Congratulations, Luthor. You're
finally in the system."

***

"Ms. Lane, you need to get to a hospital," Detective Reed
insisted.

"I just feel...dirty...with him touching me." Lois ran her
hands up and down her shoulders. "I need a shower."

"You need to go to the hospital," Reed insisted.

"Detective, I'll make sure she goes," Clark insisted. "Just
give her some space."

Detective Reed toyed with the toothpick in her mouth, thinking
for a minute. "You've got twenty minutes. Shower and change
then we're taking you to the hospital. No, if ands or buts."
She held up the bag of clothing that had been tagged as evidence
from earlier. "We're doing all of this by the book."

Clark handed Lois a change of clothes which she took graciously,
"Thanks." With that she left the bedroom, heading into the
bathroom to shower and change.

She leaned over to turn the water on, letting it warm up. She
brushed the terry cloth robe off her shoulders, hanging it on the
hook over her door. Then it hit her. She stared at the reflection
of herself in the mirror.

Bruised.

Scratched.

A victim.

'*No.' *She told herself, pushing the thoughts out of her
head.

*<<"Nine months of being patient and you give it up
for...KENT...">>*

*<<"So, tell me who excited you more, hmm? Kent or
Superman?">>*

*<<"Be careful what you wish for, Kent.">>*

*<<"I'm not leaving.">> *

*<<"Kent, let him go.">>*

She stepped inside the shower, relaxing as she felt the hot water
hit her skin. Her mind continued to play over the events of the
evening over and over again. She rocked herself back and forth as
she sank to the bottom of the shower stall in tears. She held
herself as her body shook in uncontrollable sobs.

Two strong arms wrapped around her and she jumped, turning to see
Clark covered from the spray of the shower head, "It's okay.
It's just me," He reassured her, wrapping his arms around her
as he held her close.

"You'll get soaked," she sobbed, leaning her wet head against
his chest.

"I don't care," he whispered, holding her close. "I'm right
here, Lois. I'm not going anywhere."

"It was horrible..." She cried as he reached up to turn the
water off, turning her in his arms, so he was cradling her.

"I'm right here, honey," he whispered, placing a protective
kiss on her temple. "I'm not going anywhere," he repeated.

She shivered against him, "You're soaked."

"Here." He reached for the towel that was hanging from the wall
and pulled it down around her.

She looked back at him in his completely drenched suit and
glasses with his hair matted down from the shower. She couldn't
help but smile at him. He hadn't even bothered to take his shoes
off when he'd entered the shower. "I love you," she whispered,
leaning in to kiss him.

"I love you, Lois," his hand moved to cup her cheek, holding
her to him. After a few minutes, he asked, "You feel any
better?"

"Not really," she admitted bitterly.

"I think Detective Reed's about to force her way in here. Why
don't we get dried off so we can get you checked out." Lois
nodded her agreement. She was about to argue her point about him
being wet again when steam began to rise from his shirt as he
applied his heat vision to the once drenched suit he was wearing
so that the water that had filled his clothes was now completely
gone.

She smiled back at him, "That must come in pretty handy."

He stood up and helped her up, "You have no idea." She felt the
warmth from his heat vision run over her, drying her from head to
toe with ease.

"Thanks," she whispered.

***

"Here we go," Henderson said with a smile, walking Lex into the
holding cell. "Fresh meat boys. Richest man in Metropolis caught
attacking a woman tonight."

"There will be hell to pay..." Lex warned as Henderson slammed
the door shut.

"You bet!" He watched as the crowd of thugs that were sitting
in the holding cell began to surround Lex with menacing looks. He
smirked to himself. It was only for tonight, and he knew Luthor
would find a way out until they had a more solid case against him
but seeing him pay at the hands of street thugs for what he'd
done to Lois Lane made him feel warm and tingly all over. He was
sure Lois and Kent wouldn't mind him taking matters into his own
hands.

***

"Are you sure you're okay?" Clark asked, following Lois into
his apartment.

After spending hours at the hospital and going over what happened
over and over and over again with Henderson and Reed Lois was
exhausted. When they'd arrived at the hospital, Lucy was up and
around. Lois had been examined from head to toe and been cleared
to be released, noting she had a minor concussion and several
scrapes and bruises.

She'd fought against being admitted stating she could stay with
him. The doctor didn't like it, and neither did Reed, but Lois
insisted on not being admitted. Lucy had already been admitted
and would be released in the morning pending a clean bill of
health from the doctor in the morning. Once visiting hours were
over, they'd left and come back to his place to get some rest.

He'd already called Perry to let him know they wouldn't be in
the office for a few days. He hadn't told him what had happened.
He wasn't sure if Lois wanted Perry to know. Thankfully Perry
hadn't pressed him too much on the issue. He'd asked about the
story on the news superhero.

"I'm fine." Lois said irritably, "I just wish everyone would
quit asking me that."

"Okay," he sighed, walking toward the kitchen, "I'll make
some tea."

He watched her run her hand through her hair, and he noticed her
wince when she hit the large knot on the back of her head.

"Sounds good," she nodded. "Tea is good." She took a seat on
his couch, pulling her knees up under her arms as she curled up
on the couch.

"Are you hungry?" He asked from the kitchen, "I can whip up
some dinner if you'd like or I can pick us up something."

"No." She shook her head, rotating her shoulders as he
reentered the living room with two cups of tea. She turned toward
him, taking the cup he offered and he did his best not to react
when he saw the swollen marks on the side of her head where
she'd said Luthor had struck her. "Thanks."

He looked down at his mug, tightening his jaw, "I'm gonna get
you some ice for that." He could feel her eyes on him. He'd
never felt so torn as he did right now. All he wanted to do was
hold her and never let go again while at the same time he wanted
to show Luthor what it felt like to be attacked by someone bigger
and stronger than him. He grabbed the ice pack his mom had left
in the freezer from the last time they'd been out to visit and
headed back into the living room only to find Lois standing
behind him with her arms crossed. "Here." He held up the ice
pack and gingerly applied it to the side of her face.

She winced, placing her hand over his as he held it in place,
meeting his gaze, "Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one with the knot in the back of my head," he
said softly.

She moved closer to him, running her hand down his arm, "No, but
everything that...ha-happened. Him threatening you like that."

He shook his head, "Let him. I don't care," he whispered,
running his hand through her silky strands, wincing when he felt
the bump.

"Clark..."

"You're going to need to keep this ice pack on that bump
tonight. That should help with any swelling and reduce any signs
of bruises, but you may have a mark." He looked down at the
floor, unwilling to meet her gaze. If he looked at her, then
he'd see what Luthor did again and then he might just might do
something he regretted like giving into his urge to take him out
of jail and drop him on the nearest desert island he could find
to keep him from hurting her again.

"Clark..." She repeated, brushing tears out of her eyes. Her
voice was strained from holding back the tears.

It broke his heart to see her like this. Fueling his rage at
Luthor even further. But right now Luthor was behind bars. If he
had anything to say about it, that's where he would stay. Right
now Lois was hurting. He just didn't know what to do. The
glossed over statement she'd given to the police told him that
there was a lot more that happened than she was willing to say.
He looked into her brown eyes, glistening with tears, outlining
her jaw with his thumb and sighed, "I don't know what to do,"
he said softly. "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

She stepped into his arms, and he wrapped his arms around her,
kissing the temple of her head, "Just hold me, okay?" She
whispered against his chest.

"I can do that," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her
forehead.

He lifted her into his arms and strode purposefully towards the
bed. "What are you doing?"

"Putting you to bed," he stated firmly, propping her up with
pillows and laying the ice pack on the side where she had the
swollen eye. She smiled, stroking his cheek for a moment before
he pulled away, turning to leave the room. "Where are you
going?"

"I was going to make up the couch..." He began, stopping
mid-sentence when he saw the hurt look on her face. He sighed,
coming toward her cautiously, "Lois, what is it?"

"The couch?" She cried, looking around the room. "Clark..."

He knelt down to look at her, "I just thought you'd want your
space." He explained, stroking her cheek. Tears welled in her
eyes, and he sighed, "Hey, what is it?"

"You won't hardly touch me. You will hardly look at me. I'm
black and blue all over and repulsive and..."

"Lois, look at me," he whispered, "There is nothing wrong with
you. Nothing. You are the same vibrant, gorgeous, sexy woman I
fell in love with and continue fall more and more madly in love
with each day."

"Really?" She asked, not quite convinced.

"Really," he repeated, cupping her cheek, "Nothing will ever
change the way I feel about you."

"Then why are you acting like I'm made of glass? I won't
break. Talk to me."

"I'm angry, Lois. I'm furious." He fumed angrily, "If I'd
gotten there a minute or two earlier I could have..."

"Clark, this is not your fault!"

"He hurt you," he whispered hoarsely. "He hurt you, and I
wasn't there to protect you." He hung his head, "Lucy's in
the hospital..." He grimaced, looking at the bruises and
markings on her neck, "You should probably be too." He ran a
hand through his hair, "I'm sorry. I'm trying to keep myself
from going over there and throttling him or dropping him in the
middle of a deserted island where he can't hurt anyone else..."
He fumed angrily. "I don't know what to do or think or say
right now. I'm sorry."

She sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed to face him, reaching
out to stroke his cheek, "Kiss me."

"Lois," he sighed, shaking his head, hearing her heart
hammering in her chest "Your heart rate's over 90 beats per
second."

She pulled him to her, "Then slow it down. Please just kiss
me?" She pleaded, holding his face in her hands, so he was
looking only at her. "I need you. I need you to kiss me and hold
me and love me and make me forget everything."

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes and hearing the pleading tone in
her voice he knew he couldn't deny her. "If you want to stop
just say the word," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her,
cradling her in his arms as he leaned her back against the bed.

"Just love me, Clark."

"Always," he whispered, holding her to him.

***

"He will never learn, will he?" Nigel took a long puff from his
cigar, staring at the monitors around the room in disbelief,
"Well, it seems we have a problem on our hands, don't we, Mrs.
Cox?"

Mrs. Cox turned, pursing her lips as she stared at the screen,
"I suppose I'll call Judge Stephens. Do we erase the tape?"

"Yes, but keep a copy. In case he gets out of hand again, we
need leverage."

***

Agent Davenport held up a large blue vest for Sam Lane to put on.
Sam nodded, holding his arms out, "This will keep you protected
from the neck down. We'll have a protective unit on you at all
times, Dr. Lane. Do not, and I repeat, do not try to evade your
protective unit. That is your lifeline. That is your protection.
You lose your protective until you lose your lifeline. Got it?"

Sam nodded his understanding, "I understand, Agent Davenport."

"Jack," Agent Woods chastised, "He's a material witness.
Let's not scare him before we get him into protective custody,
hmmm?"

Davenport locked his gaze with Sam Lane, "What you're doing is
very brave, Dr. Lane. Follow the rules, and you and your family
will come out of this alive."

"That's the goal," Sam acknowledged shakily.

***

Around the corner, Toni Taylor watched in a black SUV as four
federal agents escorted Sam Lane into a Lincoln town car and
pulled out into the street. Smiling to herself she followed
keeping a safe distance to avoid detection.

***

Clark held Lois against him, examining the marks on her face
critically. He was lying on his side with his arm propped to
support his head as he watched her sleep. She hadn't talked
about it. He wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready to talk about
it. The scene he'd seen when flying above her apartment, trying
to survey the scene before moving in had been enough to chill him
to the bone.

Lois had pulled a gun on Luthor and Lucy had pulled the rifle on
him. Lois was never one to give anyone an easy fight. From the
marks all over her body, he could tell Lois had fought Luthor
with everything she had in her. What he didn't know was what
could have possessed him to attack her. Luthor never did anything
without a reason. So why now? It couldn't be from jealousy or
being rejected. That had been months ago. Why now?

She began to stir, squinting up at him with a slow smile,
"Hey," she whispered, moving her hand to stroke his cheek.

"Hey," he outlined the side of her face with his palm, "How'd
you sleep?"

She rolled over, so she was facing him, cradling her head in her
hand as she propped herself up, giving him a flirtatious smile,
"Really good surprisingly. I think it helped having my
incredibly sexy boyfriend here all night."

"Glad to be of service," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her,
cupping her cheek gingerly and running his thumb against her once
swollen cheek. "Still tender?" He asked.

She shook her head, "The only part that's sore is where that
cut is from where I landed against the bookcase." She rubbed the
back of her head to prove her point, positioning herself in his
arms. "Is it bad?" She asked cautiously.

"Is what bad?"

"The bruises?" She asked shakily.

He shook his head, looking at the marks on her face cautiously,
"I kept the ice pack on it for most of the night. It's a bit
tender, but it doesn't look nearly as bad as it looked last
night." He glanced down toward her hip where the clear imprint
in purple and black could be seen where a round object that
looked a lot like the barrel of a gun was exposed.

She followed his gaze, pulling the sheet up over her, "So, no
black eyes?"

"Yellow and purplish on the side," he said hoarsely, clearing
his throat, running his hand over the bruise on her hip, "You
want to talk about it?"

She sighed against him, wrapping her limbs around him as he ran
his hands up and down her back, taking in the bruises and cuts
that had faded slightly since last night and the ones that had
gotten worse. Her neck was covered in claw marks from where
Luthor had his death grip on her throat. There were yellow and
purplish markings showing his fingerprints against her neck.

He ran his lips against her throat lightly, keeping a close
listen to her heart rate if he were to frighten her again like
last night. He'd stayed up most of the night watching her to
make sure her breathing remained level throughout the night.
She'd stirred several times not quite awake, fighting the
imaginary demons that plagued her mind. He'd held her close,
reassuring her she was safe until she'd drifted off to sleep
again.

"Lucy said he forced himself into the apartment then knocked her
in the back of the head without even thinking twice," she began
slowly. "She was conscious though. The whole time. She said she
was waiting for the right moment so she could either escape or
get help."

"Smart thinking on her part. Though she was pretty banged up,"
Clark said stroking her cheek, "You both were." Tears welled in
her eyes, and he held her close, nuzzling her cheek, "It's
over."

"I just don't understand how I could be so wrong about
someone," she whispered hoarsely.

"Honey..." He moved to cup her face, seeing the tears falling
down her cheek one by one.

"He had a gun, and he pointed it at my throat, and he tried to
choke me again and again, and I tried to get away and I
couldn't. I couldn't breathe," she whimpered against him in
giant sobs as he held her trembling body against him.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, pressing his lips
against her forehead, "I shouldn't have made you talk about
it."

"No, I need to. I need to tell you..." She argued, gripping his
shoulders tightly as she rested her head against his chest. Her
hand ran up his chest slowly, and her breathing was heavy.

"Lois?" He looked at her in concern.

"You remember the other night after the storm?" She prompted.

He smirked, "When I inadvertently created a walking superhero
disaster named Resplendent Man? Yeah, I remember."

She gave him a weak smile, "Yeah and we went back to my
apartment and..." She stopped, taking a shaky breath trying to
find her words.

"And you took advantage of Superman?" He smirked, wiggling his
eyebrows at her, "Yeah, I remember that very fondly."

"You weren't exactly innocent," she chuckled before her face
fell again.

"Lois?" He cupped her cheek.

"When he was attacking...me." She began tearfully, "He said
he'd been...*watching*...us."

His hand stilled against her cheek, "What??"

"There's more." She placed her hand over his, "He knows
Superman has a secret identity ..." He blanched at her
statement, and she soothed, "but he doesn't know who. He said
something about the globe and you coming here as a baby and..."

He got up out of bed, scanning the room for any listening or
video monitoring devices. After assuring himself, there were none
he disappeared in a red and blue blur, "Stay here. I'm going to
check your apartment. Don't answer the door. Don't answer the
phone."

"Clark.." She began to argue, but he was already gone.

***

"Lex!" Gretchen Kelly looked at the bloody and bruised figure
of Lex Luthor as he stumbled into her lab. "What happened?"

"Just a...minor complication, my dear," he soothed, hunkering
down in the chair beside her computer. "This twelve-hour sonar
monitoring system is getting old very fast, and I'm growing
tired of waiting." He spat.

"I'm working against science, Lex. You have the sun and the
vaporization process that evaporates the substance. I'm working
with a new soluble..."

"Let me see!" He reached for the vial in her hand with a harsh
grasp.

"It's a gel," she explained. "It still emits the small dose
of radiation that the other had but it's staying power is
longer...in the tests I've run."

"How long?" He asked.

"Lex, it's not ready for..."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, doctor. How *long*!?"

"Twenty-four hours roughly." She watched in frustration as he
stood up, striding out of her lab in a huff. "But that's just
an estimate," she said under her breath.

***

When Clark landed outside Lois' apartment, he did not expect to
find Lex Luthor sitting in the middle of the living room with a
smug smile on his face. His face was bloodied and bruised as he
polished his pistol in his hand.

Clark's jaw tightened as he advanced toward him, his cape
billowing behind him as he grabbed him by the throat, hoisting
him up from the couch. Something rolled beneath the sofa as he
did but he was too focused on his rage at Luthor to pay it any
attention. All he could focus on was his blind whole consuming
rage. Knowing how he had hurt the woman he loved over and over
again. "Luthor! You've got a lot of nerve..."

"Well, Superman, I'd like to say this is a surprise but given
what I witnessed the other night..." Lex spat back.

The reminder that Luthor had been watching him and Lois, spying
on their most intimate moments fueled his rage further. Intent on
putting the fear of God into him and giving this animal a taste
of his own medicine as a reminder of who he was dealing with he
grabbed him roughly, skyrocketing through the window and into the
sky, "Do you know how I easily I could kill you!?"

He landed at the top of Luthor's penthouse. The tallest building
in Metropolis. Where he looked down on everyone around him and
where he had issued his first warning a little over a year ago.
Luthor looked down at the street below and hissed back,
"Superhero breaking his code of ethics? My, my that must be an
impressive power Lois Lane holds over you, Superman."

The blind rage he felt was consuming. It would be so easy to just
snap him in two. "If you so much as breathe in her direction
again I will hunt you down and make you wish you were never
born!" His grip tightened on him, and he shook him in the air,
tightening his jaw in a square as he scowled, fighting the urge
to break him in half for what he'd done to Lois.

"I'll breathe wherever I want," Luthor snapped back, "You
can't be everywhere at once and getting what I want from Lois
Lane won't be hindered by you or your lackeys at the police
department or that hack you call a friend, Kent..."

"Don't be so sure about that!" With that he dropped him over
the edge, letting Luthor fall down the three hundred story
building as he screamed in terror. The same terror Luthor had put
in Lois. Just as Luthor was about to hit the pavement, he grabbed
him.

"You!" Luthor snarled back in a rage as he flew him back to the
top of the Penthouse. This time on the roof.

"I know what you did you animal!" He hissed back, hoisting him
up by the neck so he could see the street below them.

"You think you can break me?" Luthor taunted, "I am Lex
Luthor! The..."

Clark threw him over the building once more, flying next to him
as he fell to the ground, watching as Luthor's face turned to
terror, "You think you can do anything you want. Hurt anyone you
want, and there won't be consequences? You've gone too far,
Luthor!" At the last second, he caught him again then flew in
the air, just above the penthouse's roof, "I've seen the marks
on her neck. I've seen the bruises where you hurt her..." His
grip tightened on Luthor's neck, hoisting him up as Luthor
wriggled in his grasp. He shook him in his grasp. It would be so
easy.

He wanted to break him in half.

He wanted to give him a scar for every mark on Lois.

He wanted to make him so scared he couldn't go to sleep with the
lights off.

He wanted to make him cry the way he'd made Lois cry.

He wanted all of those things.

He just couldn't do it.

It went against everything he stood for. He landed on the roof of
the penthouse and threw him to the ground roughly, reaching down
to grab Luthor's collar and pulling him to him, so he was mere
millimeters away from him as he issued a cold warning. "This is
a warning; you stay away from her or I promise you next time I
won't be there to catch you." He pushed him back to the
ground.

Lex brushed himself off laughing, "Ah, the hero saving his
heroine. Classic," he spat back. "Do you really think that's
all it takes to finish me? Throw around a few threats, and I'm
gone? I own this city. One call to a judge and I'm free. One
call to a senator and the file and charges disappear. I'm
unstoppable!" He came to a stop in front of Clark, so he was a
few millimeters away from his face.

"That ego is going to be your downfall, Luthor," Clark warned,
crossing his arms over his chest in his famous Superman stance,
floating in the air him. "I'm going to put you away for the
rest of your miserable life."

"To do that you have to have someone willing to go against me
and trust me there is no one willing to take the stand against
the great Lex Luthor." Lex took a step toward him.

"There's always someone," Clark warned. "No one likes a
bully, and that's exactly what you are. A spoiled little rich
boy that never got told he couldn't have his way. I am going to
be sitting front row when the judge sentences you and I will
personally build your prison brick by brick and seal the lock
with you inside."

"Ah, the challenge. The battle!" Lex smiled, patting himself on
the chest, "The day will come when you will bow down and kneel
before me."

"Your fear is showing, Luthor." Clark hissed back, reaching to
grab Luthor by the collar, "Come near Lois again, and I will
break you like a twig."

Lex chuckled, "So little you understand about the human heart
and the depths to which a man will go for love."

Clark scoffed, "If you call what you did to Lois love then you
are sicker than I ever imagined you to be."

"What a simple world you must live in Superman. An alien, unable
to understand true love." Lex snapped back bitterly, "You think
I don't love her? Too consumed with evil to feel?"

"Try too selfish to care about anyone but yourself," Clark
scowled at him. "You don't hit someone you love. You don't
choke someone you love. You don't hold captive someone you love.
You don't try to kill someone you love," he hissed back at him
in anger.

"Lois is a different creature. Independent and strong willed.
Breaking that will takes a...special touch," Luthor spat back
smoothly. "You wouldn't understand."

"Stay away from her." He spat back coldly, "If you hurt her. I
will hurt you. If you come near her again, I will make sure you
feel pain in places you never thought could bleed." He hit him
roughly against the chest as he turned to leave.

Lex's face softened as he stared back at him intently for a
moment, "Well, then until next time! Let the battle begin!"
Clark ricocheted into the sky, heading back to Lois' apartment
to examine it for bugs Luthor may have planted.

***

Clark scanned the apartment for any sign of bugs.

No video monitoring.

No audio monitoring.

Nothing.

He looked around the rooms for signs of anything out of the
ordinary. The low radiation he'd seen the other day from the
Pest Control spraying illuminated off the walls with his enhanced
vision. He frowned. There was no way that was from bug spray. It
was too much, and it was ...everywhere.

Remembering something had fallen from Luthor's jacket when he'd
picked him up earlier he checked under the couch and found more
signs of the low radiation from whatever it was that was sprayed
everywhere.

On the floor, he found a small vial of blue liquid. He knelt down
to pick it up, examining it and found the same radiation he'd
seen on the walls. Whatever it was he was sure STAR Labs would be
able to find a way to remove it from Lois' apartment. Until then
it looked like she would need more than one change of clothes...

***

After dropping the vial he'd found at Lois' apartment off at
STAR Labs in the custody of Bill Henderson Clark did a quick scan
around the city, ensuring himself there wasn't anything going on
that would require his attention. He'd ignored a few cries for
help last night that ended up being minor, but he still hated
ignoring any plea for help.

Outside the bakery he spotted Resplendent Man coming out with a
bag of bagels, munching. He gave one of the passersby a weird
look, "Superheroes have to eat too."

He landed in front of the man with a loud thump, crossing his
arms over his chest as he stared at him coldly, "We need to
talk," he said with a stern stare.

"I have nothing to say to you," Resplendent Man shot back over
his shoulder.

"You either come with me now, or you're going to inherit a red,
yellow, and blue shadow for the rest of your life!" Clark
snapped irritably.

Resplendent Man gave an eye roll as he contemplated his next
move. He took a bite of his bagel, "Fine. But I'm bringing the
bagels."

"Fine."

***

Above the city, Clark paced around the roof top angrily, "Do you
know what was happening while I was confronting you about your
ridiculous behavior last night? A woman was being attacked."

"That's not my fault."

"I'm not saying it is," he shot back. "I'm saying your
behavior has consequences." Clark tried to implore. "Do you
think I enjoy sitting here going over basic manners and decency
with you? No! I have a life. I have responsibilities. People that
count on me to do my job; which I cannot do if I'm constantly
chasing you around."

"Then quit doing it!" Resplendent Man shot back. "I don't
need you harassing me."

"I don't need you taking advantage of innocent citizens. If
someone's in immediate danger, you help them. You don't
negotiate prices or charge them for rescuing them. That makes you
no better than any common street criminal asking for money for
protection against their gang."

"I'm not a criminal!"

"Then act like it. Be a hero. Be a symbol. Do good," Clark
snapped back. "Do NOT take advantage of those weaker than you
for your own gain."

"I need to make money. I gotta have money to eat."

"Then get a job!" He snapped. With that he ricocheted into the
sky, leaving a very bewildered Resplendent Man behind him.

Unseen by him was a tall man in the shadows, watching from the
shadows in the doorway of the roof access. He pulled out his
phone and began to dial, "Mr. Luthor?"

***

Lois stared at her reflection in the mirror, fisting the side of
the countertop as she glared at the marks. Bruises and scratch
mark all over. Flashes from the night before came back in a
whirlwind as she touched the side of her cheek where the swelling
had been at its worst last night. It had faded for the most part
but was still extremely tender. Yellow and purplish marks all
over.

*<<"You don't leave...until...I...tell you...to
...leave...">>*

*<< "I would have given you everything..." >>*

*<< "Don't you understand I could commit murder in the middle
of the streets in this city and get away with it." >>*

*<< "Nine months of being patient and you give it up
for...KENT..." >>*

*<< "Give...me...his ...name!" >>*

*<< "I saw you take him in your bed, Lois. Spread your legs so
willingly for that alien." >>*

*<<"Tell me something, who excited you more, hmm? Kent or
Superman?" >>*

*<< "You're going to tell me his secret identity...">>*

*<< "I know you know. I watched you spread your legs for
him...so willingly." >>*

*<< "Who is he? I know he has a secret identity. There is no
other explanation. The globe messages talked of an infant coming
to Earth...Give me his name!" >>*

*<<"Not even a call for your favorite superhero?" You try to
call for Kent? What do you think he's going to do?" >>*

She could still feel the cold hard metal of the Smith and Wesson
in her hand from when she'd pointed it at Lex's throat. If he
hadn't of stopped...

She shivered self-consciously, running her hand through her hair
as she turned toward the shower stall to step in. The warm water
ran down her back, and her mind continued to flash back to the
events of the evening.

*<<"I faked losing consciousness. I'm fine." >>*

*<< "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you!" >>*

*<< "Be careful what you wish for, Kent." >>*

*<< "I'm not leaving." >>*

*<< "Ms. Lane, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to remove
that." >>*

*<< "It's gonna be okay." >>*

*<< "Now about the stab wound..." >>*

*<<"Kent, let him go.">>*

*<< "You'll get soaked." >>*

*<< "I'm right here, honey." >>*

*<<"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it." >>*

*<< "You won't hardly touch me. You will hardly look at me.
I'm black and blue all over and repulsive and...">>*

*<< "There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing. You are the same
vibrant, gorgeous, sexy woman I fell in love with and continue
fall more and more madly in love with each day." >>*

*<< "He hurt you and I wasn't there to protect you." >>*

*<< "If you want to stop just say the word." >>*

Lois shivered against the water as her hair, face and back soon
became soaked from the shower's spray. She held herself, rocking
back and forth, replaying the events from the day before over and
over. Uncontrollable sobs escaped her lips as realization slowly
came over her.

Lex knew Superman had a secret identity.

Lex knew she had a relationship with Superman.

Lex knew she had a relationship with Clark.

What if he put two and two together?

What if he figured out he was Superman?

What if...

"Lois?"

She heard Clark on the other side of the door. Wiping the tears
from her eyes, she patted her face, trying to hide the evidence
that she'd been crying, "Yeah?" She called out hoarsely.

"You okay?" He asked, cracking the door open. She could see the
familiar red boot in the doorway.

"F-fine," she said weakly, not really convincing even herself.

"Lois?" She heard him sigh, "What do you need?"

"I don't know," she croaked out in tears. "I just..." Her
voice trembled as the tears became too much for her. She heard
felt a cool breeze against her face and in an instant two strong
arms wrapped around her as the familiar male lips of the man she
loved pressed against her cheek, "It's okay. Just let it
out."

"Oh, Clark," she turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around
his neck and kissing him soundly. His hand moved to cup her face,
fingering the wet strands of hair as she whispered her incoherent
murmurs against his lips.

He groaned his approval, moving them against the back wall of the
shower as he feathered soft kisses along her jawline. She rotated
her head, giving him better access to her neck as he moved down,
running his hands down her sides. She could feel the familiar
tightness in her belly as the warm tingle spread through her
nether regions. She ran her hand through his hair, feeling a
greasy substance in his hair and wrinkled her nose. "You're
filthy."

He laughed, pulling away as he reached behind her for the bottle
of shampoo. She got a good look at him covered in grease and soot
that was dripping down his back. "Oil fire on the pier." He
murmured, pouring the liquid in his hand to massage into his
hair. She gave him a questioning look, and he nodded. "Everyone
got out all right."

The smell of the oil and soot mixed with the cool mist of his
shampoo hung in the air as he began to massage the contents of
the bottle into his hair. She glanced outside the shower and saw
the Superman suit and boots equally dirty on the floor. After
he'd rinsed his hair out, he hung his head down for her
inspection, "Better?"

She ran her hand through the silky strands now smelling of cool
mist, "Much," she whispered, leaning into him as she wrapped
her arms around his neck. "Oh, Clark," She rested her head
against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm
sorry."

"For what?" He whispered, looking back at her.

"This is all my fault. If I had just listened to you in the
beginning about Lex, none of this would have happened. Lucy
wouldn't be in the hospital, and your identity wouldn't be at
stake and..."

He silenced her with a kiss, tracing the frame of her face with
his palm. The water from the shower spraying on his back,
forgotten. He slowly pulled away, resting his head against hers,
keeping his palm on her cheek as he spoke, "I want you to hear
me. Really hear me. This is not your fault. You didn't do
anything wrong. You called for help, and you did everything you
had to to survive. I'm just sorry I couldn't get there
faster." He let out a long breath before adding, "Luthor is the
only one to blame here."

Lois squinted her eyes tightly as she whimpered, "He was
watching us."

He let out a long breath, holding her close, "I think I found
...something. I've got Henderson taking a look at it. Not sure
what it was. For now, I think it's best if you and Lucy stay
here. I can get a better mattress for the pull out couch and set
up a divider, so there's a little privacy. It's not much,
but..." He shrugged.

"It's better than going back to that apartment." She smiled up
at him weakly, "I don't think either of us is going to be ready
for that just yet." He looked at her tenderly, cupping her face
with his other hand. "Do you think they'll let her get
discharged this morning?"

He shook his head, "I don't know, but we won't find out
sitting here," he motioned toward the water behind him and
flicked it at her. "It's getting cold."

***

"One billion dollars," Lex said with a puff of his cigar,
pacing in front of Resplendent Man. "You let Dr. Kelly repeat
the transfer, and you'll have riches beyond your dreams. A new
home for your sister, what is it? Mrs. Lincoln?"

Resplendent Man looked at him nervously, "How do you know about
my sister?"

"I make it my business to know everything about everyone I make
deals with," he said nonchalantly. "You won't become rich with
your penny here, penny there. You wouldn't be able to pay for
that expensive home for long...even if you started charging
double. No one likes you. No one needs you. Work with me, and
you'll have all the money you need to take care of Wandamae."

"If I don't?"

Lex shrugged, "Do you really want to go down that road?" A
smile smoothed over his face, and he pulled out his checkbook,
"So, I assume we have a deal?"

***

Lucy set her things down on the couch watching as Clark finished
setting up the divider in the alcove. He'd set up a temporary
rod for a makeshift closet and had sheets and blankets out for
making up the couch. It had been a long and tiresome day. Once
she'd been discharged, she'd tried again and again to talk to
Lois about what happened but been shut down repeatedly.

She didn't want to talk about it.

It had taken her what felt like hours to inch her way into the
kitchen without being seen in order to get their granddaddy's
rifle. Her vision had been blurry and the room spinning, and
she'd felt like she was going to hurl the entire time. She hated
the fact that she hadn't been able to do anything sooner.

"The fridge is stocked. Sheets and extra blankets are in the
closet." Clark pointed to the closet he was referring to and
shrugged, "It's not much, but..."

"Thanks, Clark," she said, cutting him off.

It had been a long day for all of them. She'd been discharged
then subjected to more questions from Detective Reed and
Henderson. The night before she'd been too woozy to comprehend
everything that was going on. The doctors had given her a
sedative to calm her down, and she'd been useless on answering
questions at the hospital. All her clothes had been taken in as
evidence ...covered in blood. Her injuries photographed. It was
humiliating.

Luckily Lois had thought to bring her a change of clothes when
she and Clark had come to the hospital. It had been reassuring to
feel her fuzzy robe and socks on her instead of the thin drabby
old hospital gown. The bruises and marks on her sister... The
things that man had done...had said...

She shuddered to herself. If she hadn't already known Clark was
Superman, there would have been a very awkward conversation for
the two of them to have. Was that it? Maybe Lois didn't want to
confront the accusations Lex had made against her? Maybe she
thought ...

"Luce, it's gonna be okay," he said, putting a hand on her
shoulder. "Henderson said the case the FBI is building is pretty
strong. With your dad testifying..."

"And going into witness protection," Lucy added with a light
chuckle that was more nervous than anything. "I didn't even get
to say goodbye."

"Henderson said once Luthor and his lieutenants have been
brought down he should be able to return to his life. It's just
..."

"Too dangerous," Lucy nodded. "I know." She grew thoughtful.
"Does mom know?"

Clark shook his head, "Lois doesn't want her worrying."

Lucy could feel tears filling her eyes, "If that rifle had been
loaded I would have blown him to smithereens," she whispered
hoarsely. "I have no idea how you kept yourself in control last
night."

Clark's jaw tightened as he looked down at the floor, unsure of
how to respond. "I wanted to kill him," he admitted. "Still
do." He glanced toward the bedroom where Lois was sleeping.

"He's monster," she whispered shakily.

"He'll spend the rest of his life rotting in prison for all the
pain he's caused," he said firmly.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"Because I believe justice is more than just how many
politicians you can buy off. It's about truth and decency. You
can only push the boundaries so far."

"I hope so," she whispered, running her hands up and down her
shoulders, rocking back and forth. She glanced toward the
bedroom. "She won't talk to me. Not really. Not like she used
to."

"I know." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Just
give her time."

She pointed toward the stack of file boxes in the corner, "Is
that all of them?"

"Yeah, I don't think Lois is going to feel like going into the
office anytime soon. I thought I'd bring everything here so we
can keep working on this."

"Determined as ever to bring the scum bag down, right?" Lucy
gave him a weak smile. "I really hope he gets a cell mate with a
love for beating up abusers."

"One can only hope." He sighed, "Night."

"Thanks, Clark," she whispered, watching him disappear behind
the pocket doors of the bedroom.

***

Bruce Wayne stared at the vial in front of him, "What is it?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Henderson said, folding his
arms over his chest. "It was found in the victim of an
assault's apartment. The scientists at STAR Labs were stumped
when I took it over there yesterday."

"Then why bring it to me?" Bruce asked skeptically.

"Wayne Tech has the most innovative scientists on its team.
Hiring the brightest of the brightest. I thought maybe you could
see what they couldn't."

Bruce eyed the vial uncertainly, "I'm going to need some time,
but I'm juggling a lot right now, Inspector."

"The assailant was Lex Luthor," Henderson added, hoping the
extra incentive would be enough for Bruce Wayne to put this at
the top of his priority list.

"I'll get Lucius on this and get back to you," Bruce said,
closing his fist over the vial.

***

"Kent?" Perry knocked on the door, opening the office to see
Clark huddled in a mountain of paperwork, "Uh, what is all
this?" He asked eyeing the large stack of files on one side of
the desk.

"Police reports," Clark explained glumly, not looking up.

"O-kay," he said cautiously, looking around the office
uncertainly, "And where's Lois? She call in sick again?"

"She's working from home," Clark said, looking up as he folded
his hands on the desk, propping them up on his elbows.

"Uh-huh," Perry eyed Clark and the stack of papers,
"Everything...okay, son?" He arched his eyebrow at him.

"Sure," Clark shrugged.

Perry peered over Clark's shoulder, eying the report in front of
him. "Who's Monique Kahn?" He asked.

Clark sighed, "One of the witnesses in the first case against
Luthor." He held up the picture of her face beaten and bruised,
"This is why she refused to testify. The FBI is working with her
now to see if they can get her to change her mind."

"And this one?" He asked, flipping through the file, "Dr.
Alfred Carlton? I thought this was a drug overdose."

"So did the medical examiner." Clark bit out, pulling out the
pictures, "But look at the ligature marks on his hands. He was
tied down."

"And you're thinking this is all Luthor?" Perry drawled,
taking a seat next to him.

"He didn't give them to himself," Clark muttered bitterly.

"Uh-huh, and while you're..." He gestured to the stack of
files around the desk, "working on this. What is your partner
doing?"

"She's...uh, working on research from home," Clark explained.
"She and Lucy are working on trying to disqualify the witnesses
in Jimmy's case."

"Clark, son," Perry set a hand on his shoulder, "You sure
there isn't something you want to talk about?"

"No," Clark turned his attention back to the police report in
front of him.

"Okay," Perry got up, heading out of the office. He wasn't
sure what was going on, but something had happened. "If you need
to talk my door's always open."

***

*One Week Later... *

Lucy glanced toward her sister as she fired shot after shot with
a cold stare toward the target on the firing range. Everyday this
is what she did. Every morning they came to the shooting range,
and she fired one after another, shots at the targets.

The buzzer rang, and she stopped, pulling her protective glasses
back as the target moved toward them to examine. "Nice. Almost
all in the red," Lucy commented.

Lois gave her a weak smile. Her bruises had all but faded, and
the marks on her neck were all that were left, noticeable only if
you tried to look for them. She still wouldn't talk about it.
"I think I'm done for the morning," she said, packing up her
pistol and unloading the cartridge.

"You were kinda a badass out there," Lucy said with a smile.
"Getting really good."

"That's the idea," Lois said in a noncommittal tone.

***

Lois took a sip from her coffee, taking a seat at the dining
table. It was hard for her to go out even for a cup of coffee so
Lucy and grabbed them some from the coffee cart down the block.
She still felt so vulnerable being out in public, having everyone
see what Lex had done to her. The reminder of what had happened.
The reminder of not being in control.

"Lois?" Lucy waved her hand in front of her face, "Did you
hear a word I just said?"

"Right, I heard you," she smiled. "Henderson said they're
looking to set Jimmy's court date. I get it." She took another
sip from her coffee. "It's not that I don't care. I've been
...distracted lately. I'm ..."

Lucy placed a hand on hers for a minute. "I know, but this is
serious. We've got to get back to work. It's been a week since
the attack. Clark is doing what he can, but ...Lois, I miss my
sister."

"I'm here," she shrugged, not so convincingly.

"No, you're not," Lucy shot back bitterly. "You don't talk.
You don't smile. You're like...this shell of a person that
looks like my sister, but you certainly don't act like the Lois
Lane I know."

Lois bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to snap a retort back
that would be equally as offensive. The problem was she
couldn't. She couldn't think. She couldn't eat. She couldn't
do anything but relive her nightmare over and over again. She
couldn't look in the mirror without being reminded, and she
couldn't' go out without people staring. She had yet to go into
the office since it happened. She hadn't talked to Perry. She
was stuck.

"I'm sorry, Luce. I just...I can't right now. I'm..."

"He is going to get away with everything if you don't snap out
of this!" Lucy fumed.

"Don't you think I know that?" Lois hissed vehemently. "I
know. I'm reminded every day when I turn on the news, and I see
his smug face on there talking about rebuilding the police
department and supporting the city as if he's some sort of
savior."

"Then fight! Do something. Don't just sit there and shoot at
targets and stay on the sidelines. You keep on with the small
stories here and there, but you won't touch anything related to
Lex."

"I can't," Lois argued back, tears forming in her eyes as her
emotions began to bubble over. "Do you think I enjoy this, Luce?
I had to sit there and watch you lie in a puddle of blood. I had
the barrel of his pistol pressed so hard against me it's still
black and blue. I have claw marks and finger marks all over my
neck from where he tried to choke me. Scars on the back of my
head from where he beat me. I can hardly stand to be touched
because it just reminds me of him on top of me trying to choke
the life out of me. I am doing the best I can under the
circumstances!"

Tears fell down her face as she recalled how much had been taken
from her that night. Try as she might she couldn't bring herself
to let Clark hold her for more than a few minutes. They hadn't
made love since before the attack. Here they were sharing a home,
a bed but unable to share their bodies as they had so easily once
before. She hated herself for it. She hated Lex for it. She hated
it.

"Don't you think I know that?" Lucy hissed back, "God, I wish
I could forget it just once, but we don't have time to sit
around and feel sorry for ourselves. They are going to set a
court date, Lois. Jimmy is going to be convicted and sent away
for the rest of his life for something he didn't do!"

"Luce..." She brushed the tears from his cheek.

"I know it's tough. I know it's painful, but you've got to do
something to snap out of it. Get into counseling. Talk to
someone, or hell go drag Clark into the bedroom for a few
hours...Release it. Do whatever you need to get rid of that stick
up your ass but do something! Jimmy's life is at stake!"

"I have to go." With that she got up from the table, grabbing
her purse and slamming the door behind her.

***

"Steven McQueen," Mayson read off as she paced in front of the
elderly man, reading from the file in front of her. "Divorced
three times. Two kids. Two houses. Known amongst your peers as
'Steve the Sleaze'" She made a face of disgust as she set the
file down on the table.

"That's me," he chuckled nervously.

She took a seat across from him, tapping her fingers on the
table, "Something you want to get off your chest, Steve?"

He eyed her legs crossed beneath the table and leered, "Yeah,
where do you dames get those skirts? Stuff like that just mmm mmm
mmm..."

Mayson ignored the comment, pulling out a tape player and opening
it to place a cassette in it silently. Without a word she stared
him down pushing play, "I didn't know what was in the bag. I
didn't ask questions. I delivered it to the Planet ... A guy
named Steve McQueen. I had no idea, Bill. You gotta believe
me."

She hit stop and looked up at him, "That's the recorded
statement Detective Jenkins made a few hours before his death.
Putting you with a bag at the Planet the day it exploded."

"Don't prove nothing. We went to the same gym. He was bringing
me my gym clothes. Nothing else."

"So, if I get a search warrant to search your house for this gym
bag? I'm going to find it?" Mayson asked.

"Search away. I ain't got nothing to hide," he sneered.

***

"Okay, thanks for letting me know," Clark said, hanging the
phone up with a click. He shook his head in disgust, throwing the
pencil across the desk. Nothing. The police had done a search of
Steve McQueen's apartment and found nothing linking him to the
bombing of the Planet. No sign of the gym bag with the explosives
but they did find his membership to the gym, proving his story of
getting gym clothes from Jenkins. Since Jenkins had been linked
to the escape of Toni Taylor his confession to Henderson wasn't
going to hold much water.

A knock at the door caught his attention. He turned to see Lois
standing there in her sleeveless high collar button down top and
matching capris. "Hey," she said, closing the door behind her.
"I figured with it being lunch hour I could come in here without
drawing a crowd."

He gave her a half-smile, eying the way her white capris molded
her curves perfectly, "I think you'll always draw a crowd." He
got up to walk toward her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "How
are you feeling?"

"Okay." She shrugged, toying with the top button on her top.
"How is...?" She glanced toward the files, "It seems like that
stuff just doubles overnight, doesn't it?"

He nodded, resting his hand on her shoulder as he led her to her
chair to have a seat. "I'm going over some of the police
reports on all the deaths we've had related to our old stories.
Trying to see if I can prove a connection. Henderson said the FBI
is pretty close to tying everything together and making an arrest
that will stick."

"That's good, right?" She whispered nervously. He swallowed
hard as he saw the top button of her blouse come undone. It had
been over a week, but it might as well have been a year. It was
torture being this close to Lois and not being able to hold her
and touch her the way he wanted; the way he always had. He hated
that Luthor had taken that from them.

Another button came undone. He looked away. What was she doing?
He could hear her heart hammering in her chest, but her tone
remained subdued.

She leaned forward, offering him a perfect view down her blouse
and causing his body to respond. "I mean, the sooner they make
an arrest, the sooner we can put all this behind us?" Another
button came undone, and he could make out the hint of white lace
on the edge of the cotton fabric.

He could feel his mouth going dry as he fought to form a coherent
sentence, staring at the ivory flesh that had become forbidden
for him to touch for the past week. "Yeah, but we've still got
a lot of work on proving Jimmy's innocence. I just spoke with
Henderson. They, uh..." He swallowed hard watching as she toyed
with another button, seeing the lace playing peek-a-boo with him
and furthering his desire for her.

"They what?" She asked, running her hand down the front of her
blouse seductively.

"They, uh," he swallowed hard, watching as another button came
undone, revealing her white lace bra to him. "They, uh, didn't
find anything at Steve's house." He watched her in anticipation
as she ran a hand down her abdomen, resting on the waistband of
her capris. He was unable to take his eyes off of her. He glanced
toward the door, seeing that the blinds had been closed and the
door locked. He could feel his body temperature rising, shifting
in his chair uncomfortably as his desire for her grew more
unbearable. He would definitely need a trip to the Arctic to cool
off.

The zipper lowered, and he spied the white lace on the waistband
of her panties and groaned. "I miss you," she whispered
seductively as the cotton capris fell to the floor.

He couldn't help but groan in response when he saw her stripped
down to her panties with her top half unbuttoned. "I miss you
too, baby," he whispered, watching as her hands moved up and
down her body seductively.

She grinned impishly, "Do you want to touch me?"

His mouth went dry as he struggled to find his voice, "Only if
you want me to." He bit his lip, watching as she finished
unbuttoning her blouse.

She stood up, walking over toward him as she shed her blouse,
brushing it off her shoulders. He swallowed hard, taking a deep
breath as she slid onto his lap, so she was hovering above him.
He leaned in to kiss her. She grinned back nervously, and he
cupped her face, "You sure about this?"

"Does this answer your question?" She ran her hands up and down
his chest, tracing the length of his silk tie, sighing as she
fumbled with his belt buckle. He leaned forward, brushing his
lips across her chest. She gasped out in pleasure, "Don't
stop."

It wasn't as convincing a plea as she normally made to him when
they made love, but it was encouraging. She wasn't pushing him
away. He heard a hike in her heart rate as she ground her hips
against him, turning him on more and more with each movement but
something in the back of his mind kept shouting at him to stop.

She moved closer, supporting herself on her knees as she
unfastened his belt buckle. "I love you, Lois," he whispered
against her.

"I love you," she whispered hoarsely, fingering the hairs on
the back of his neck.

"You're so incredibly sexy," he whispered, brushing his lips
against her neck lightly. She flinched slightly, and he pulled
back, looking at her in concern, "Lois?"

"Just a little skittish," she explained, pressing her body
against his as she lowered the zipper to his trousers. "I'm
fine."

There it was again. The voice nagging in the back of his head.
Something was wrong. He moved to cup her cheek, "Lois, you're
not fine. What's wrong?" She looked down, and he whispered,
"You're not ready, are you?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered ruefully. "I want to. I miss you
so much, but..." She looked down tearfully, "I thought if I
just forced myself it would make it easier."

"Force yourself?" He shook his head, disgusted at the thought
that Lois thought she had to force herself to do anything with
him, "Honey, I don't want you to have to force yourself to do
anything. You were assaulted. It's going to take time." He
reached for her blouse forgotten on the floor. "When we make
love again it will be because we both are ready." He gestured to
their current predicament, "Why don't you get dressed before
someone tries to break the door down coming in here." He gave
her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, Clark."

He shrugged, "I'm not. This will give me a
little...inspiration." He wiggled his eyebrows at her as she got
up, to put her capris back on. She perched herself on the edge of
the desk, and he watched as the white lace disappeared behind the
long line of silk buttons.

'*So close.'*

Lois bit her lip, watching him for a moment, "I guess I should
go." She pointed to the door.

He nodded, watching her leave with regret. He hated this.

***

Lois readjusted her hair, so the side of her face was covered as
she stepped into the office space that had become the makeshift
newsroom of the Daily Planet. So close. They'd been so close.
Then she'd panicked and...

She shuddered recalling how Clark had felt pressed up against her
just moments ago. It was clear how badly he wanted her. Her body
still tingled from where his hands had been...his lips...

She keyed in her code for the door to leave when she saw the one
person she'd been trying to avoid for the last week; Perry.

'*Crap.'*

"Whoa there! Hold on, 'darlin'," Perry said, when he saw her
trying to leave. "Lois? Where in tarnation have you been? I
can't get any answers out of Kent. What in the Sam Hill..." He
stopped mid-sentence when she shot him a pleading look. She met
his gaze and realized he had seen it. The bruises. The marks.

"Perry, I really don't want to talk about this right now," she
said hoarsely.

He was already examining her neck, "Who did this to you??" The
vein in his forehead was already popping out of his forehead.

'*Who did this to you?'*

Was this the question she was going to have to answer every time
someone saw the scars?

Biting her lip, she bit out her assailant's name venomously,
"Lex."

"My office...now," he whispered hoarsely, not giving her a
chance to argue.

"Great," she muttered.

"Kent!!" Perry bellowed as he guided her toward his office.

'This just keeps getting better and better.' She thought to
herself.

***

Lois watched as Clark closed the door to Perry's office then
turned his attention toward Perry, "What's up, Chief?"

"What's up?" Perry mimicked outraged, "What's up is your
partner looks like she's been run over by a stampede of wild
buffalo with marks all over her from Lex Luthor and I'm
apparently the last to know! What is going on??"

"Chief..." Clark started.

"That was my idea," Lois interrupted.

Perry sighed, trying to portray a calm he obviously didn't feel
at the moment, taking a seat at his desk and folding his hands on
the desk. "Your idea?"

He looked toward Clark who nodded, placing a supportive arm
around her. "She didn't want anyone to know what happened."

"And when I asked you if there was something going on earlier
last week you said nothing?" Perry prompted, holding a pencil up
and staring at it intently.

"Yeah," Clark said, tightening his hold on Lois, "I was
respecting Lois' wishes. You know how quickly gossip flies
around here."

"Okay, I can understand that," he began, looking to Lois. "You
didn't want anyone to know?"

She shook her head, "No."

His lips tightened as he asked, "What happened?"

"Luthor broke into her apartment and attacked her and Lucy,"
Clark said, running his hand down her shoulders.

"Judas Priest!" Perry lowered his head in his hands, "Lois,
honey, why didn't you just tell me what was going on? I need to
know these things. What did you think I was going to do? Tell
Ralph??"

Lois shook her head, "No, I just...I don't know."

"Okay, okay," Perry shook his head, "Have you been checked
out? The doctors?"

Clark nodded, "She and Lucy were both examined at the
hospital."

"Lois, are you okay to work or do you need to use some of your
time off?" Perry pressed. "If you want to work from home
that's fine. I just need to know."

She glanced toward Clark, holding his hand before turning back to
Perry, "I want to work. I want to help bring him down and nail
the bastard to the wall."

"Okay," Perry nodded, "Then let's do it. Why don't you two
update me on what you've got?"

***

Lois sat curled up on the bed in one of Clark's old t-shirts
watching as he got ready for bed. That afternoon had been
awkward, to say the least. Going over everything they'd learned
about Lex with Perry and giving him the reader's digest version
of what had happened during the attack with Lex along with his
knack for getting out of custody with Metropolis P.D. He'd
signed his own bond releasing him on an OR bond with the
condition he stayed away from Lois. It wasn't much, but for the
most part, he seemed to be following the orders.

"So, Lucy said Jimmy's supposed to be getting a court date
soon," she began slowly.

He nodded, shaking his head as he climbed into bed with her, "I
know. I still can't believe how many brick walls we keep hitting
on this. Henderson said they didn't find any sign of explosives
at Steve's place."

"Well, why would they when they were all planted at Jimmy's?"
Lois asked, leaning back against her pillow, rolling on her side
as she watched Clark toss his t-shirt on the floor and climb
under the covers with her. She watched the way his muscles
rippled beneath the skin, letting her gaze linger over his
pectorals and recalling how he felt pressed up against her
earlier.

"The problem is proving that though," Clark sighed, leaning
over and placing his glasses on the nightstand. He turned back to
her, cupping her cheek, "Maybe I can see if we can find any
surveillance footage near Jimmy's apartment and see if anyone
saw anything."

"Mmm hmm," she wasn't focused on what he was saying at the
moment. Instead, she was focused on his shoulder, recalling the
many times her nails had dug into it as he'd...

'*Bad thoughts.'*

Another thing that had been taken from her.

Lucy was right.

She needed to do something.

She needed release...somehow. She wasn't particularly fond of
the idea of talking to someone about this. The idea of losing
herself in Clark's arms had its appeal, but how was she supposed
to do that when she could hardly stand to be touched?

"Lois?" He whispered, tapping her on the shoulder, "You
okay?"

"Yeah," she said a bit too quickly. His hand moved down her
arm, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the warmth of his
touch. He leaned forward to kiss her, pressing his lips against
hers. She smiled against his lips, feeling his tender touch
against her cheek. He nuzzled the side of her face with his nose,
running the bridge against her cheek.

"I love you, Lois," he whispered, brushing his lips against her
jaw.

She took a deep breath, pulling him toward her. He groaned his
approval against her lips, allowing her to guide him to her. She
sighed, feeling him as his torso settled in between her legs. She
could do this. She needed to do this.

His hands ran up the side of her thighs, kneading the flesh
gently. He lowered his head, inching himself down her body until
he was eye level with the hem of the t-shirt that hugged her
curves, running his hands over her hips seductively.

Her mind briefly flashed back to the attack as his hand ran over
the bruise on her hip. He lowered his lips to the black and blue
skin, kissing it tenderly. 'Clark.' She reminded herself.
'Don't think about the attack. Just think about Clark.'

He moved his attention to her abdomen, running the edge of his
tongue against the sensitive flesh. "Clark..." She sighed his
name, feeling her body begin to relax like it hadn't in over a
week against his soft caresses.

He ran his hands up and down her legs, and she sighed, feeling
his hand brush between her legs, nudging them further apart.
"You okay?" He asked.

"Yes," she breathed in a raspy whisper, running her fingers up
and down his shoulders, feeling the velvety smooth skin against
her palm. His body pressed against hers and she felt her blood
run cold, recalling the events from her attack in whirlwind
flash. Her breathing became ragged, and he ran a hand down her
side.

"I've got you," he reminded her.

His fingers began to slowly stroke over the front of her shirt,
kneading the soft flesh beneath the cotton. "Yes, Clark," she
whispered, feeling her defenses slowly fade away as she
concentrated on the feeling of his magical fingertips moving
against her.

"Let me love you, Lois," he lowered his head, dipping it
beneath the hem of the oversized shirt she wore, running the edge
of his tongue up her abdomen.

"Cl..." She cried out, feeling the doubly surreal feeling of
his mouth and hands on her like they hadn't been in weeks.

"Let me love you," he repeated, whispering against her abdomen.
He crawled his way downward, hovering over the purplish bruise on
her hip in the shape of the barrel of the pistol Lex had pressed
against her.

He ran his hand over it gingerly before pressing his lips against
the wounded skin, moving further down until he was settled in
between her legs. She could feel his body pressed up against her
and sighed her approval as he ran his hands up and down her
thighs, inching himself back upward, kissing each layer of skin
in his wake until he was lying next to her at eye-level. His
hands moved to cup both sides of her face, outlining it as if he
were trying to memorize it and he whispered, "Do you want me to
stop?"

"No," she whispered hoarsely, "Just make me forget."

He brushed his lips against hers tenderly, caressing her mouth
with his. She moved her hand to trace the hairs on the back of
his neck, wedging the silky strands between her fingertips. The
tip of his tongue traced the outline of her lips, nudging at the
part of her lips for entrance. His hands fingered her hair
gingerly as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, teasing her
with his taste.

He rolled them over, settling himself in between her legs. She
could feel him press against her and sighed happily, "Yes."

"Let me love you," he whispered again, leaning back into her,
settling his weight fully on her. He felt good. So very very good
pressed up against her. He also felt...suffocating as his lips
pressed against her jaw.

"Cl..."

*<<"You don't leave...until...I...tell you...to ...leave..."
>>*

*<< "I would have given you everything..." >>*

*<< "Don't you understand I could commit murder in the middle
of the streets in this city and get away with it." >>*

Flashes of Lex hovering over her ran through her mind as she
struggled to focus on the present. His lips caressed her jaw,
moving down to her neck and she whispered.

"Clark..."

*<<"Not even a call for your favorite superhero? You try to call
for Kent? What do you think he's going to do?" >>*

His lips caressed the side of her face, nibbling at her earlobe
and she tensed, "*Stop*."

He pulled away, looking at her in concern, "Lois?"

"I'm sorry..." She whispered tearfully, unable to find the
words to explain what had happened.

"It's okay, honey. Shhh," he soothed, smoothing the sides of
her face with his hands.

"No, it's not," she whimpered against him tearfully. "I
need..." She reached between their bodies and he stopped the
path of her hand midway.

"It doesn't matter. What does matter.." He ran a tentative
hand over her shoulder, "What happened?"

"I don't know," she admitted nervously. "I was fine one
minute and then...I wasn't." She looked back at him tearfully,
"I'm *so* sorry, Clark, I..."

He rested his head against hers, "It's okay. We'll get through
this. It was just...too soon. That's all." He placed a kiss on
her forehead.

"I think it had to do with you being on top of me," she
admitted remorsefully.

He looked at her confused, "But this afternoon..."

"You were kissing my neck." She whispered tearfully, "I hate
this."

"It's just going to take time," he whispered, leaning in to
kiss her before pulling away.

She stared down at his boxers as he sat up trying to regain
control of his body, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay; really," he leaned in to kiss her before getting
up from the bed. "I'm gonna take a shower and... I'll be right
back."

Lois nodded, watching him leave with regret. She sighed against
the pillows, reaching for her t-shirt from earlier. She listened
as the shower turned on from the bathroom. She could make out
Clark's soft moans. She closed her eyes, focusing on the
familiar sounds that were now so far away.

It wasn't *fine*.

Nothing about this was *fine*.

***

Morgana Lynn looked around her shop, polishing the silver knob on
the display. It had taken a lot of planning to get everything how
she'd wanted. She was always so careful to plan ahead. She'd
prepared her shop with the money she'd had tucked away in her
savings from when she'd worked at LexLabs.

She frowned, recalling her time at LexLabs. At the time she'd
thought she was the happiest woman on Earth. She had a great
career a man that showered her with gifts and attention, and then
the other shoe fell.

He'd dumped her. It had taken careful planning to plot her
revenge, but she'd done it well. Made sure when the police
needed to find evidence against Lex they had it. Now, here she
was in her little shop with a new life and a new name. No one
would ever know.

"Miranda?"

She turned, startled out of her reverie by the stranger standing
in her doorway.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Davenport with the FBI. I hear you had some tapes of
Lex Luthor and his criminal dealings and I'd like to talk to you
about them..."

She crossed her arms, a slow smile smoothing over her face,
"What's in it for me?"

***

Three days of going back and forth with the Metropolis P.D on
getting the video footage examined. In the meantime, Lois was
starting to work with Lucy on digging into Lex's past while they
waited to hear on a hearing date for Jimmy. All leads were
bringing them to dead ends so left with no other alternative she
decided to give Bruce Wayne's advice, dig into Lex's past.

So far all she'd come across was generic history.

Orphaned at seventeen just a day before his eighteenth birthday.

Spent most of his childhood in boarding school at Westminster
Abbey.

Outside of the suspicious timing of his parents' death, there
was nothing that stuck out.

"Hello?" Lucy waved her arm in front of Lois' face. "Earth to
Lois!"

"Huh?" Lois looked over at her sister who was giving her an
annoyed look. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"No kidding," Lucy muttered under her breath.

Lois gave her an annoyed look, "What is it?"

"I said there isn't a whole lot in his past other than this
Westminster Abbey he went to," Lucy pointed out.

"Look into his past...or someone he shared a past with," Lois
nodded, realizing what Bruce Wayne may have been hinting at with
Clark.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"He said to 'look into his past' but his past is sealed...but
maybe someone he went to school with isn't." Lois reached over
to grab one of the yearbooks she and Lucy had gotten copies from
the printer of.

"What does that even mean?" Lucy asked.

"Something that Bruce Wayne told Clark," Lois said, skimming
through the first yearbook.

"When?" Lucy asked.

"When we were in Smallville," Lois sighed, turning the page.

"Oh?" Lucy nodded, "Right, when he came to Metropolis?"

Lois looked up from the glossy pages of the yearbook in front of
her, meeting her sister's eyes, "Yeah." She watched for a sign
from Lucy of any deception or confusion but saw nothing.

*<<"I faked losing consciousness. I'm fine.">>*

"Must be nice to be able to do that," Lucy commented, flipping
the page of the book in front of her.

"Do what?" Lois swallowed hard, uncertain where this
conversation was going.

"Go wherever you want whenever you want without having to deal
with travel agents. Must be...nice," Lucy smiled at her.

"Nice," Lois echoed. "Uh, I'm not sure what you mean. Clark
still has to..."

"You guys are friends with Superman right?" Lucy asked,
stopping her before she could deny anything.

"Yeah," Lois shifted nervously.

"He gives you flights where you need to go," Lucy prompted.

Lois tucked a hair behind her ear, watching her sister nervously.
Did she know? Or did she think she knew? She recalled the
confrontation with Lex and swallowed. They hadn't talked about
it. She'd been avoiding it for weeks now. "Uh, yeah, but he's
just a friend."

*<<"I faked losing consciousness. I'm fine.">>*

"That's what I said." Lucy pointed out, critiquing her with a
crooked smile, "Lois, are you okay?"

"Fine."

"You don't look fine."

"I'm fine!" Lois snapped.

"Okay," Lucy took a sip of her water. "You're fine."

***

"Kent, I'm not sure what you expect to find from old autopsy
reports," Henderson said laying a large box on the table in
front of him.

"I'm not sure either, but it's just a hunch," Clark
explained, pulling a large stack from the file box until he found
the report he was looking for.

"What does Professor Carlton's death have to do with
anything?" Henderson asked.

"Could be nothing or it could be something," Clark said,
looking through the file, "Are these the originals?"

"Yeah," Henderson nodded. "We have online copies of course
too, but these are the originals..."

"Can I make a copy of this?" He handed Henderson the file.

Henderson sighed, "You gonna tell me what this is about?"

"Just a ...hunch," Clark explained evasively.

"A hunch?" Henderson raised his eyebrows at him. "Great." He
turned to the copy room to make a copy, leaving Clark in the
empty conference room with the file box. Once Henderson was out
of view, He flipped through the files at super-speed, looking for
any signs of deaths with unknown causes related to heart failure
in the last year.

After taking mental note of the names, he'd found he put the
files back just as Henderson returned with a copy of the file.
"Here you go, Kent. An autopsy on Alfred Carlton. Enjoy."

"Thanks, Bill." Clark took the file with a smile.

"Anything else I can help with?" He gave him an annoyed look.

"Not unless you can tank the case against Jimmy?" Clark
suggested half-joking.

"You know I can't do that."

"I know." Clark sighed, "Thanks for your help."

***

Lois glanced at Lucy over the top of the yearbook she was staring
at. Why hadn't she remembered what Lucy had said until now? She
was conscious the whole time. She'd heard the accusations from
Lex and had said...nothing. Did she know about Clark? The more
she thought about the predicament, the more anxious she became.

"Hey look Bruce Wayne went to Westminster too," Lucy held up a
page with the young Bruce Wayne on it looking discouraged and
aloof dressed in his uniform for the class picture.

"Yeah," Was all Lois could manage as she tried to plan her form
of attack to find out what Lucy knew.

"Haha, Oliver Queen," Lucy giggled, pointing at a picture of
the young billionaire with braces and a very bad haircut.

"Nice."

"Nice?" Lucy looked at her in disbelief. She set the book down
and folded her arms over her chest, "Okay, what gives?"

"What?" Lois asked, not sure what she was referring to.

"You!" She motioned up and down. "Nice? I show you a picture
of a billionaire in braces and a haircut that looks like he was
run down with a lawnmower and all I get is nice? Where're the
sarcastic comments? Where're the comical digs? Nice?"

"I'm ... distracted," Lois explained half-heartedly.

"Uh-huh," Lucy said, not believing her for a minute. "I think
we're all distracted Lois, but it hasn't made us all lose our
sense of humor. What gives? What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, that's too bad," Lois huffed, turning away.

"So you don't want to talk about it?" Lucy prompted.

"I didn't say that," Lois edged cautiously.

"So you do want to talk about it?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know."

"Okay," Lucy grabbed the book once more and began flipping
through the book once more, keeping an eye on Lois out of the
corner of her eyes.

Lois sighed, knowing full well what Lucy was doing. "That isn't
going to work on me."

"What isn't?" Lucy asked innocently.

"That. Your...look..." Lois pointed at Lucy defensively. "You
think I don't know what you're trying to do, but I do."

"What am I trying to do?" Lucy asked.

"Trying to get me to talk."

"About what?"

"About what you..." Lois caught herself mid-sentence. "Nice.
Real nice." Lois rolled her eyes.

"Would you just talk to me?"

Lois looked up at her cautiously. "I don't know if I can."

Lucy hung her head in frustration, "Oh for the love of God! Just
spill it! You're mad at me about something. What? What did I
do?"

"You didn't...do anything," Lois clarified. "I just..."

"What?" Lucy asked.

"You said you didn't lose consciousness...the night of the
attack," Lois stated softly.

"Oh," Lucy sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Lois..." Lucy
began cautiously, "I froze. I didn't know what to do."

"When were you able to get to the rifle?" Lois asked, fingering
the corner of the book in her hand cautiously.

"I'd made myself into the kitchen when you ran out the door,"
Lucy dabbed at the corner of her eyes. "Before I could get to
the phone he had drug you back in and..." Tears began falling
down her face.

"Oh, Luce..." Lois sighed, moving her seat closer, "It's
okay."

"No, it's not. I was right there, and I couldn't hardly do
anything. If I'd just been able to stop him from coming in..."

"He was trained by professional killers in the art of martial
arts. I doubt you could have done anything," Lois explained
solemnly.

"Right," Lucy said softly, looking at Lois with a frown.
"So?"

"So, how much did you hear?" Lois asked.

"About?"

"Everything," Lois clarified, narrowing her eyes at her.

"I heard everything," Lucy said avoiding her gaze.

"And?"

"And what? The guy's a lunatic. I know you'd never do anything
like that," Lucy scoffed, taking a sip of her water.

"Right. Well good."

"I mean, honestly the whole theory is kinda ridiculous, right?"
Lucy laughed, "Could you imagine Superman walking around town as
any other guy. The idea is...laughable."

Lois gave a light chuckle with her sister. "Of course.
Laughable."

"Anyway, I know you used to have a little crush on him but it's
clear as day how much you love Clark. People in love don't
cheat," Lucy added with a smile.

"Thanks," Lois smiled at her.

"Anytime," Lucy said, grabbing the yearbook from earlier. "Now
let's see if there're any other billionaires in here we can
make fun of..."

***

Eight days.

That was how long it took to get copies of the security camera
stills from Metropolis Savings and Loan across from Jimmy's
apartment complex. Eight days. Lois and Clark had been working
tirelessly with Lucy and Constance on trying to disqualify the
numerous witnesses that had been listed on the discovery for
Jimmy's court hearing next month.

He was supposed to enter a plea. A plea that would decide his
fate for possibly the next thirty years. The DA had offered a
plea deal of twenty-five years with no parole if he pleads
guilty. He wasn't guilty. They just needed to prove it. Agent
Davenport had pulled some strings at the FBI to get the tape
released directly to Inspector Henderson. Now they just needed to
find something to help prove Jimmy's innocence.

"Ugh, why are all these images in black and white?" Lois
groaned, going through the images stills.

"Budget cuts?" Clark shrugged, sifting through another stack at
super-speed. "Hand me the next one."

Lois nodded, handing him another stack as she reached for another
image. He flipped through the images then stopped, "I think I
found something."

"What is it?" Lois asked, peering over his shoulder.

"I may be mistaken, but isn't that Detective Harris? One of the
guys that interrogated Jimmy?"

"Interesting how he has a Metro Gym bag too," Lois mused,
looking at the bag critically.

Clark lowered his glasses, looking at the photograph with his
enhanced vision and frowned when he zoomed in on the open zipper
of the bag.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

He set the photo down and shook his head, "Definitely not gym
clothes," he said with a smile.

"I'll call Henderson," she said.

"I'll call Perry," he said.

***

Lex stared at the screen in anger. He had watched every second.
Every miserable second of every video of footage trying to find
the proof he needed. Trying to find proof of what he suspected.
After his confrontation with Superman, he'd buried himself in
his work and concentrated on taking a second look at everything,
trying to piece it together. It disgusted him to no end to watch
as Lois Lane lost herself in Clark Kent's arms. He hated seeing
it again and again, but he had to suffer through. The words from
Superman earlier rang in his mind. There was something there...

Nothing made sense.

His drunken attack had been a cry of desperation to get to the
truth. The truth that appeared to be staring him right in the
face this whole time but he'd been too blind to see it.

*{"You're everything to me, Lois."}*

Lex stared at the screen, clicking a button on the keyboard.

*{"I'm not liking that towel very much.}*

*{"You're getting very...What is it?"*

"*I've gotta go."}*

*{"Oh, Cl..."*

"*Lois..." *

"*You are...so...I love you."}*

"That face..." Lex stared at the screen, looking at the screen
that was paused. Lois' hands were fisted through Clark Kent's
hair. His glasses were askew with her straddling him on the
couch. Lex clicked a few more buttons, zooming in on the image of
Clark Kent with his hair pushed back and glasses halfway off.
Without those glasses, he looked exactly like...

"Now that makes sense..." Lex mused.

*{"You're everything to me, Lois."}*

"Well, Superman, it looks like I've finally found your
weakness...and the perfect revenge..." Lex laughed, lighting his
cigar. "This is too perfect."

***

Lois stepped into the busy police station, scanning the desks for
the familiar face she was looking for. In the corner, she spotted
the tall woman with curly red hair pulled back talking to a few
officers as she poured a cup of coffee. She met her gaze from
across the room and motioned for her to follow her to one of the
empty offices.

"Ms. Lane, I must say I was a bit surprised to get your call."
Detective Reed said, setting her cup of coffee down on the desk.
"What can I help you with?"

She sunk down into the chair in front of her, toying with a
strand of string on her blouse nervously, "I've been tied to
explosives. I've been kidnapped and tied over a boiling pot of
witch's brew. I've been thrown out of a plane without a
parachute...I've had a trained assassin try to kill me," she
whispered hoarsely.

Detective Reed gave her a confused look, "Yes, I'm aware of
your reputation for getting into tight spots, Ms. Lane."

"He came by my apartment after he got out. Did you know that?"

"Yes, we're aware. Superman informed us." Detective Reed shook
her head, "If we would have been called instead of him escorting
Mr. Luthor to his penthouse we could have arrested him."

"Why? So he can just buy another judge to let him out?" Lois
asked bitterly. She saw Detective Reed's arched eyebrow and
stopped, "I'm sorry. I'm angry and ..."

"That's understandable," Detective Reed said softly.

"I'm supposed to give testimony to the DA on what happened,"
Lois said shakily, looking down at her skirt as she toyed with
the hem.

"I heard Luthor's lawyers are trying to get assault charges
dropped and call it self-defense since you stabbed him,"
Detective Reed said, tapping her hand on the desk. "I told you
he was going to fight dirty."

"With Mayson Drake as the DA," Lois shook her head in disgust.
She really didn't like that woman.

"She's new but tough and fair," Detective Reed reassured her.
"You'll be fine. Just tell the truth." She reached out to
touch her hand, and Lois flinched, pulling away, "Are you
okay?"

"I think there's something wrong with me. All these life and
death situations and I was always able to turn to Clark. Now, I
just...I can't," Lois said shakily, "I can hardly stand to be
touched..."

"You were assaulted." Detective Reed reminded her, "Attacked
in your own home. Hell, he tried to kill you. That's a lot to
come back from."

"But I've almost died before, and I never had a problem being
touched. Not like this. I feel...numb." She hissed out, "I
don't know what to do."

Detective Reed pulled a card out of her pocket and wrote a number
down on the back, "This woman works miracles. She does one on
one and group therapy for survivors of rape and ..."

"I wasn't raped," Lois cut her off.

"You were assaulted. A lot of the time a survivor's reaction is
the same after any violent crime." She handed her the card,
"Call her. Let her help you."

"Thanks," Lois said shakily.

***

Sam Lane stared at the woman pacing in front of him nervously,
"Can I get you something to drink?" He asked uncertainly.

"No, I don't want anything to drink!" She fumed angrily. "How
did this get so complicated?" She muttered under her breath.

"Something to eat, maybe?" He pointed toward the fridge.

"No," she shook her head.

"What can I do for you? What are you here for?"

She pulled her scarf off her face, revealing it to him, "I'm
supposed to kill you, Dr. Lane," she pointed her 9mm at him.

He held his hands up, looking around the room for something he
could use to help him escape. "I see."

She let out a long breath and sighed, "There's a man watching.
Watching to make sure I 'kill you. If I don't, he's going to
kill me. It's not personal."

"No of course not." He let out an uneasy laugh, "Just my life.
My wife, my children."

"Like I said I'm supposed to kill you." He caught a gleam in
her eye then realized what she was saying wasn't what she
intended to do.

"Then I guess we're at an impasse."

***

"Oh my God!" Jimmy hissed horrified at the sight of Lois Lane
covered in faded bruises when he entered the visitor room.
"Lois?"

Lois ran a hand through her hair, "It looks worse than it is."

"Who did this?" Jimmy asked angrily.

"Lex," she said vehemently.

"Lois?" He looked at her in concern.

"Can we talk about something else?" Lois interrupted, "I
haven't seen you in weeks. This isn't exactly what I wanted to
talk about. I'm fine. I'm dealing with it. Lucy and I are
staying with Clark until he's locked up for good. End of
discussion."

"Okay." Jimmy sighed, "Can I ask how you are outside of..."
He pointed toward the bruise on her neck.

"Fine." Lois said, "Stressed." She shrugged, "How are
you?"

"Oh," he looked around with a sarcastic grin on his face,
"Just living the dream."

"You're staying safe?" She asked, fingering the edge of the
table.

"As well as I can," Jimmy shrugged. "Had a few tiffs with a
few inmates trying to prove themselves but nothing I can't
handle." He gave her a warm smile. "How's Lucy?"

"She's good," Lois grinned. "You know actually she's been a
huge help in us trying to get to the bottom of this mess. She's
even looking into classes to become an investigator."

"An investigator? Like for the police?" He asked surprised.

"She's actually really good at it. It wouldn't be just for the
police. She could work anywhere. Law firms, Public Relations."

"That's great. I'm happy for her. I'm sure she'll do
great," Jimmy said softly.

"You okay?" Lois asked concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired of being stuck here and missing out
on my life," he said defeated. "Keep wondering how long you
guys are gonna stick through it before you give up on this
useless cause that is my life."

"Jimmy!" Lois scolded, "This is *not* a useless cause. You're
innocent, and we're going to prove it."

"Yeah, how?" Jimmy asked, "From what my dad said this is all
the work of some pretty high up people. Face it, Lois, I'm
screwed."

"You are not screwed," Lois shot back. He gave her a look of
disbelief, and she sighed, running a hand through her hair once
more, "Yes, things are...dreary right now. We have more against
us than for us, but the reality is you are innocent. We're going
to prove that. The DA is talking to Steve to find out what he saw
or didn't see outside the Planet. From what I understand Bill
was able to get a statement from Jenkins on tape before he..."

"Was murdered?" Jimmy prompted with a knowing look. "Yeah, not
scary at all that the guy that was helping railroad me ended up
dead."

"You saw your dad?" Lois asked, recalling his earlier
statement.

"Yeah," Jimmy sighed, "He came to see me after the hearing. We
talked."

"That's good," Lois acknowledged.

"It might have been more of me yelling at him than talking,"
Jimmy admitted sheepishly. "Still really mad at him but I get it
now I guess."

"Understandable," Lois said cautiously.

"He thinks this is a setup for getting into something I wasn't
supposed to get into."

"Like what?" Lois asked.

"I don't know. At first, I thought Luthor cuz you know that was
the main thing we were working on." Jimmy said with a sigh,
"but the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm wondering if
it wasn't something else."

"What else were you working on?" Lois asked, pulling out her
PDA to jot down her notes.

"There was Ralph's corruption scandal in City Hall. There was
Luthor of course. Then there was that story on a few judges
trying to make a bid for the Senate..." Jimmy ticked each one
off his hand.

Lois tapped her fingers on the table. "Any chance those judges
were involved in the City Hall corruption?" Lois wondered aloud.
"Would have made a bid for Senate pretty hard."

"I don't remember," Jimmy admitted. "I never finished it."

Lois grew thoughtful, "I'll check around and see if anyone
knows anything. Could be nothing but again it could be something
worth looking into."

"Meanwhile you know where to find me." Jimmy shrugged, "Just
let me know when you find something?"

"Sure,"she smiled back at him, standing up as she turned to
leave.

"Lois?"

"Hmm?" She turned back to look at him.

"Smile," he grinned at her. "You're getting closer. It's
okay to smile and celebrate." Lois gave him a smile that he
could tell wasn't exactly genuine but it was a start.

***

*One Week Later...*

"Bruce Wayne. Lex Luthor. Oliver Queen. Bob Fences. George
Stephens. Mark O'Brady," Lucy ticked off the names as she laid
the images of each rich and famous man in his late teens on the
table.

"All went to boarding school together," Lois finished for her.
"All different careers."

"Except these two," Lucy pointed at the images of a young Lex
Luthor and Bruce Wayne. "Both of them built up their father's
companies, and both have made them grow into multi-billion dollar
companies. Both are bitter rivals. Constantly one-upping one
another in the business world and in social circles."

"I've noticed," Lois commented dryly. She flipped through the
copies they had of the yearbook with the pages marked where the
young men were on. "Looks like there were friends at one point
or another." She flipped the page and showed Lucy the picture of
Lex and Bruce posing together outside of a classroom, flexing for
the camera jokingly.

"Looks like it," Lucy agreed. "I wonder what happened?"

Lois turned the next page and saw an image of the group in a
'Firearms Club' posing with long hunting rifles. She shuddered,
putting the page face down on the table. Flashes from the night
of Lex's attack came back, and she stood up, pacing around the
room.

*<<"You don't leave...until...I...tell you...to
...leave...">>*

*<< "I would have given you everything..." >>*

*<< "Don't you understand I could commit murder in the middle
of the streets in this city and get away with it." >>*

*<< "Nine months of being patient and you give it up
for...KENT..." >>*

*<< "Give...me...his ...name!" >>*

*<<"Tell me something, who excited you more, hmm? Kent or
Superman?" >>*

*<< "You're going to tell me his secret identity...">>*

"Lois?" Lucy looked up at her in concern. "You okay?"

"Fine," Lois said, running her hands up and down her arms for a
minute, "I think I need to get some air...think."

"You want me to come with you?" Lucy asked.

"No, I'll be fine," Lois said, grabbing her things and heading
out. She closed the door behind her, resting her head against the
front door of Clark's apartment after locking it.

***

"Murder," Clark pointed at the image of Alfred Carlton.
"Murder." He pointed at another image of Max Menken,
"Murder." An image of the recently deceased Jules Johnson.

"Murder," Perry laid the images of the recent gang that had
broken into the Planet months ago and held them hostage. "All of
them found in the Bay one by one.

Clark bit his lower lip, shaking his head, "You can't tell me
they're not related."

"According to the police, they are," Perry rolled his eyes.

"Of course he's signing their bonuses," Clark muttered.

"Who's signing what?" Clark turned around to see Lois standing
in the doorway.

"Hey," he crossed the room to greet her with a light hug, "How
are you?"

"Feeling a little restless," Lois explained walking around the
office nervously. "What are you working on?"

"Uh...maybe you shouldn't..." Perry intervened, shaking his
head 'no.'

"I'm fine," Lois argued. "I want to see him nailed to the
wall as much as you do."

Perry shook his head, "Fine." He wagged his finger at Clark,
"Don't let her get herself into any more trouble."

"I'll do my best, Chief." Clark waved after him.

Lois gave him a warning look, "You'll do your best?"

"What?" He chuckled, "He's just worried about you."

"I know," Lois admitted quietly. Sifting through the pictures
on the desk. "So what is all this?"

"Murdered victims we suspect are linked to Luthor," Clark
explained.

"Jules Johnson?" Lois asked.

"Heart failure. In the middle of a date," Clark explained.

"Alfred Carlton?" Lois asked.

"Autopsy read as unknown heart failure," Clark pointed to the
file and handed it to her, flipping to the page he was referring
to.

"What do you think it is?" Lois asked.

"I don't know," Clark shrugged. "I wish I knew."

***

"This is too dangerous Master Wayne!" Alfred warned through the
video conference as Bruce began suiting up with his gear, pulling
his cowl over his face and checking each gadget built into his
suit with caution.

"He's not going to learn until someone makes him listen." The
distorted voice came out in a dark echo in the room, "Send the
jet."

"If someone links the appearance of a certain bat vigilante
going around beating up criminals in Metropolis with the
appearance of a certain billionaire..."

"I know what I'm doing Alfred," Bruce shot back. "The jet."

"Very well, Master Wayne. Don't say you weren't warned..." He
typed a few keys in on his side, and the sound of a monotone
beeping could be heard on Bruce's wristwatch.

He typed in his confirmation code and said, "Don't wait up."

***

Lois stared at the cluttered desk in front of her kicking her
calf nervously as she and Clark waited for Bill Henderson to
return with news. He'd taken the evidence they'd found to
Michael Clemmons, the DA in Jimmy's case. Hopefully, the
evidence showing Harris with the explosives in his possession
before the search warrant had been granted for Jimmy's residence
would be enough to get the explosives they found tossed from the
case.

Clark reached over and squeezed her hand, "It's going to be
okay."

She looked over at him and smiled. It had been a long and
torturous few weeks. She'd been getting better at letting him
touch her, but she was still nowhere near ready to take that
final step and resume what had been a very active sex life before
the attack. Clark had been more than understanding the other
night when she'd called a time-out in the middle of their
lovemaking.

She was still working through a lot of her fears and flashbacks.
Detective Reed had recommended a therapist that seemed to be
helping. She just wished it would work faster. She hated sharing
a bed with Clark and not being able to touch him or be touched
the way she wanted.

"No, go," Henderson shook his head, taking a seat at his desk
where she and Clark waited impatiently.

"What??" Lois snapped outraged, standing to her feet. "You've
GOT to be kidding me!"

"DA Clemmons thinks he has a solid case and Judge Stephens
agrees with him," Henderson rolled his eyes.

"Corrupt Neanderthals trying to railroad..." Lois muttered
under her breath. They had him. They had Harris with the
explosives that were used to blow up the Planet, and the DA still
wasn't willing to drop the case against Jimmy.

"What was that. Lois?" Henderson asked.

"Nothing," Clark said not giving her a chance to repeat her
insult. "Is there a way around them?"

Henderson shrugged, "Get the Superior Court Judge to take over
or get Judge Stephens to step down. The judge is the only one
that can override DA Clemmons' decision."

"Of course." Lois said sarcastically, "Meanwhile Lex is
walking free as a bird for trying to kill Lucy and me. Nice.
Great to see my tax dollars at work." She was being bitter. She
knew it. They knew it too, but she was right. Lex had been on
station after station promoting his new Weapons Division of
LexCorp. Meanwhile, she and Clark were struggling to put the
pieces back after his attack. How he was able to walk around as
if nothing happened and Jimmy sat in lockup waiting for trial she
would never understand.

"Lo-is..." Clark placed a supportive arm around her, giving her
a disapproving look.

"Fine. Sorry, I mean with the exception of you and Detective
Reed," Lois clarified.

Henderson smirked, "I get it. Believe me, I get it, Lois. How he
got any judge to get him arraigned that quickly I still don't
know."

"Doesn't help that Luthor was only charged with Aggravated
Assault," Clark added bitterly.

Lois squeezed Clark's hand, holding it tight. He had hit the
roof when he learned they only charged Lex with aggravated
assault. The marks on her neck and wounds on the back of her and
Lucy's head proved otherwise.

"You can thank the Police Commissioner for that one. If I had my
way, it would have been Attempted First Degree Murder and thrown
away the damn key," Henderson shot back.

Lois gave Bill Henderson a sympathetic look, "I know you did
everything you could, Bill. I do appreciate it. I just..." She
shook her head in disgust, "This whole system and the lengths
people are willing to go for Lex..."

"I know," Henderson said bitterly. "We're doing what we can
on our end to keep you safe."

***

"What do you mean he's missing?" Davenport shouted into his
phone, "You better be kidding me. You better be joking."

"Agent Davenport?" His secretary waved for his attention,
"You've got a visitor."

He held up his hand, "Just give me a minute, Marci." He then
turned his attention to the caller on the other end of the phone,
"Listen here and listen good. You better find him. You better
find him and find out what happened. There is supposed to be a
unit on him at all times..."

"Agent Davenport!" Marci repeated more loudly.

"I gotta go." He slammed his phone down and turned back to
Marci, "Yes, who is it?"

She opened the door for his visitor, "Mr. Garrison, Agent
Davenport will see you now."

Davenport stared at the rugged man, waiting for Marci to close
the door behind him. "Tommy, good to see you."

"So how does this work?" Tommy asked, "I tell you what I know
and you what? Throw him in the can? Protect me?"

"You tell us what you know and your testimony combined with the
other witnesses will but Lex Luthor away for the rest of his
life. Protection is guaranteed, but we're not just taking him
down we're taking his entire organization down. When we're done
there will be no one left to order anyone to do anything."

"Okay," Tommy nodded, "So what do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell me." He motioned toward his desk for
Tommy to take a seat.

***

Lex Luthor stepped out of LexLabs with his man servant, Asabi,
"Be sure to send an extra bouquet to Dr. Kelly this week. She's
been working extra hard on the latest project, and I don't want
her getting discouraged."

"Yes, Mr. Luthor," Asabi said, opening the door for him to
enter his limo.

Lex slipped inside, and Asabi closed the door behind him. A
moment later Asabi entered the front driver's seat and pulled up
the divider as the limo pulled out into traffic.

"Asabi, I think I want to try that new blue crab that Chef Andre
got in tonight. Call him and make sure it's prepared when we
arrive."

There was no answer.

Lex looked at the unfamiliar road he was on. "Asabi?"

The divider lowered, and a dark figure in a cowl turned around to
face him. "Asabi's taking a nap. I'll be your tour guide Mr.
Luthor."

"Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare."

***

Lois Lane was jealous. She could admit that. But if it weren't
for Mayson Drake constantly leering at her boyfriend while going
over her testimony against Lex she wouldn't have a reason to
be.

"Ms. Lane?" Mayson prompted, tapping on her desk to get her
attention. "Do you need a minute?"

Lois shifted in her chair, sitting up as she uncrossed and
recrossed her legs. Clark placed a hand in her lap, taking the
hand that had been gripping her knee in his as she spoke and
squeezed it gently. She looked at him and smiled before turning
back to Mayson, "Could you repeat the question?"

"When in the attack was it that you stabbed Mr. Luthor?"

Lois squeezed Clark's hand, taking a deep breath, "I had just
tried to run to the kitchen to get the rifle."

"The unloaded collector?" Mayson clarified.

"Yes." Lois breathed softly, "Um, he grabbed me from behind. I
was trying to kick him off of me, but I couldn't get any
leverage. He threw me against the couch, and I hit the coffee
table..." She could feel Clark tense. "I remembered the
switchblade I kept in my purse for protection and started looking
in my purse for it."

"Where was Mr. Luthor at this time?"

"Coming toward me," Lois bit the inside of her lip, trying to
calm herself.

"Ms. Lane, do you need a minute?"

"No," Lois said hoarsely, fighting the tears as she spoke. "He
grabbed me by the jaw...and...banged my head against the
floor..." She took a shaky breath and Clark moved to put an arm
around her for support, "He climbed on top of me and ...had his
hands...around my throat..."

"So he was choking you?" Mayson clarified.

"Yes," Lois said numbly. "I tried to kick and punch, but I
couldn't get him off of me." She cringed, tightening her grip
on Clark. "He loosened his grip on my throat and licked the side
of my neck, giving me enough time to grab the switchblade."

"Which you stabbed him with?"

"Yes," Lois stated mutely.

"Okay," Mayson made some notes before closing her notebook, "I
think that's all I need right now. Lex's lawyer is going to try
to twist this around anyway he can. I want to be prepared for
everything he may try to throw at us."

"It didn't even faze him," Lois said.

"What?" Mayson asked, jotting her statement down in her
notebook.

"It didn't faze him. It didn't stop him. It didn't slow him
down." Lois said with a bitter tone, "So why does it matter? He
broke into my home. He beat my sister. He beat me. He taunted me.
Called me every degrading name in the book while he tried to
choke the life out of me again and again and wouldn't stop until
he had the barrel of his pistol pointed at his throat. There is
no defense for that. There is no twisting that," Lois snapped,
grabbing her things and standing up.

***

Clark sat next to Lois, holding her hand as she gave her
testimony to Mayson Drake. It took everything in him not to react
as she described the terror she went through. "Um, he grabbed me
from behind. I was trying to kick him off of me, but I couldn't
get any leverage. He threw me against the couch, and I hit the
coffee table..."

He tensed up, feeling his blood boil at the thought of anyone
hurting Lois. Ever since he'd come to Metropolis and met her,
every time her life had been in danger he'd been able to help
her in time. This time he hadn't. This time he'd been on the
other side of the city confronting an immoral man about his
actions while wearing a cape and playing superhero.

Ever since his confrontation with Resplendent man he hadn't seen
or heard anything from him. He wasn't sure if he should be
relieved or suspicious. These days he didn't have time to be
either of those things. Lois was still recovering from the scars
Luthor had left on her; both physical and mental. The case
against Luthor for racketeering was growing stronger and
stronger, and Henderson had assured them an arrest would be made
by the end of the month. Unfortunately, that case wouldn't stop
the impending case against Jimmy.

"I remembered the switchblade I kept in my purse for protection
and started looking in my purse for it."

"Where was Mr. Luthor at this time?"

"Coming toward me." He heard Lois' hike in her heart rate as
she continued to relay the attack to Mayson. He wanted to tell
her to stop. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to do this
but he knew he couldn't. Lex Luthor had hired the best of the
best, Sheldon Bender. Bender's plan was to call Luthor's attack
one of self-defense, claiming Lois had attacked him. The only way
around that was for them to give testimony of what had happened.
The pictures weren't enough. The hospital records weren't
enough.

"Ms. Lane, do you need a minute?"

"No." He saw the tears fall down her cheeks and sighed, moving
closer to her. "He grabbed me by the jaw...and...banged my head
against the floor..." He placed an arm over her shoulders and
kissed her head, grateful to be allowed to touch her. It had been
weeks since they'd been what he'd call close. Ever since
Luthor's attack...

She shuddered against him, grabbing his hand as she whispered
venomously, "He climbed on top of me and ...had his
hands...around my throat..."

"So he was choking you?" Mayson clarified.

"Yes," Lois said numbly.

It was one word, but it tore him to the core. Knowing what this
man had done to her and what he was getting away with...It would
be so easy to fly over there and drop him off the tallest
building and rid the world of the evil that possessed him. But he
couldn't do it. It went against everything he stood for. If he
resorted to killing, he was no better than Luthor. So, for now,
he stayed by Lois' side and helped her recover while working
with Perry and sometimes Lucy on getting Jimmy exonerated.

"I tried to kick and punch, but I couldn't get him off of me."
She cringed, tightening her grip on him. "He loosened his grip
on my throat and licked the side of my neck, giving me enough
time to grab the switchblade."

*<<"He loosened his grip on my throat and licked the side of my
neck, giving me enough time to grab the switchblade.">>*

*<<"He climbed on top of me and ...had his hands...around my
throat...">>*

The words hung in the air as Clark came to terms with what had
happened to her.

No wonder she couldn't stand for her neck to be touched.

*<<"I miss you.">>*

*<< "Do you want to touch me?"*

"*Only if you want me to." >>*

*<<"He climbed on top of me and ...had his hands...around my
throat...">>*

*<<"I'm sorry. "I want to. I miss you so much, but...I thought
if I just forced myself it would make it easier."*

"*Force yourself?">>*

*<<"He climbed on top of me and ...had his hands...around my
throat...">>*

*<<"I think it had to do with you being on top of me.">>*

*<<"He climbed on top of me and ...had his hands...around my
throat...">>*

*<<"You were kissing my neck.">>*

*<<"He climbed on top of me and ...had his hands...around my
throat...">>*

*<<"I hate this.">>*

He'd climbed on top of her.

He'd beaten her.

He'd strangled her.

If she hadn't of stopped him would he have tried to force
himself on her? There was no doubt in his mind that Luthor was
capable of it. A cold chill ran down his spine as a new
understanding came over him.

It wasn't just aggravated assault.

It was attempted murder.

It was kidnapping.

It had been kidnapping as he held her against her will while she
screamed for help. Help he'd been too far away to give her.

That was why in the beginning she couldn't stand for him to hug
her in bed or make love to her because it reminded her of when
Luthor had been on top of her...choking the life out of her. That
was why it was hard for her to relax against him when he held
her.

He'd just recently been able to kiss her neck without her
freaking out. They'd found as long as she could see him and knew
what he was doing it didn't set her off. This meant no more
surprise kisses or hugging from behind. Her therapy sessions with
Dr. Young were helping her deal with everything, and they were
making progress, but it still had been almost a month since
they'd made love. Almost a month since he'd been able to hold
her like he wanted and kiss her senseless without being afraid of
hurting her.

He let out a muttered curse barely audible to the human ear as
Mayson continued.

"Which you stabbed him with?"

"Yes," Lois stated mutely.

"Okay," Mayson made some notes before closing her notebook, "I
think that's all I need right now. Lex's lawyer is going to try
to twist this around any way he can. I want to be prepared for
everything he may try to throw at us."

"It didn't even faze him," Lois said numbly, staring straight
ahead as her grip on him tightened.

"What?" Mayson asked, jotting her statement down in her
notebook.

"It didn't faze him. It didn't stop him. It didn't slow him
down." Lois continued, the bitter tone growing more and more
intense with each word. "So why does it matter? He broke into my
home. He beat my sister. He beat me. He taunted me. Called me
every degrading name in the book while he tried to choke the life
out of me again and again and wouldn't stop until he had the
barrel of his pistol pointed at his throat. There is no defense
for that. There is no twisting that," Lois snapped, grabbing her
things and standing up.

He got up and followed Lois out of Mayson's office, "Lois,
honey, wait up..." He called after her.

She stopped in the middle of the courthouse lobby, leaning
against one of the columns for support as she stared numbly at
the crowd. He stopped in front of her, and she whispered, "He's
going to get away with it."

"No, he's not." He took a step forward but kept a foot of
distance between them. "I won't let him."

"What if it's not up to you?" She asked.

"There's always the put the fear of God into him approach," he
whispered back, half-joking. He'd told her about finding Luthor
at her apartment, but he hadn't told her what he'd done to him.
He hadn't told her about confronting him or throwing him off the
roof of his penthouse or even him daring Luthor to come after
him. It had taken everything in him not to crush him like the bug
he was.

He didn't want to worry Lois any more than she already was.

He just wanted Luthor to feel a fraction of what he'd put Lois
through. The terror that ran through her mind when he'd forced
himself into her apartment and attacked her.

"Clark..." Her face softened, "You can't do that." She
looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to their
conversation and lowered her voice. "Superman can't do that."

"Why not?" He shot back.

"Clark..." She sighed, taking a step toward him, placing her
hand on his chest, "He's supposed to stand for hope and
justice."

"It would be serving justice." He pointed out, brushing his
hand through her hair, "I just want him to suffer for what he
did to you."

"I know." She leaned forward to kiss him, "Please don't do
anything stupid like threatening him. The last thing we need is
him trying to make a trip to Smallville and dig up you know
what." There was a flicker of the lights for half a minute and
then all power restored. "What in the world?" Lois asked,
looking around. The lights flickered back on, and Clark held her
close. "What was that?"

He was about to respond when his face froze with a familiar
expression. "What is it?"

"Someone's in trouble."

Lois nodded, "Go." She leaned in to give him a peck on the
lips. "Be careful."

"You sure you're going to be okay?" He asked.

"I'm in a courthouse surrounded by police. I'll be fine." She
shooed him, "Now go."

***

On the roof of Luthor Towers, a mysterious jet hovered above the
city with Lex Luthor strapped to a long cord attached to the jet.
Clark sighed, cursing his luck as he flew toward the flailing
billionaire.

"You have got to be kidding me." Clark folded his arms over his
chest as he hovered in front of Luthor with a grim expression on
his face.

Luthor was hog-tied with duct tape over his mouth and his hands
and feet restrained by duct tape to the long cord that was
wrapped around both sets of limbs. Luthor struggled in his
restraints looking at him pleadingly. He could very easily leave
him there to suffer at the hands of whoever had done this to him.
It would be so easy...but he couldn't.

"This changes nothing," Clark barked, grabbing him by the
collar as he burned the cords off him and flew upward, taking the
jet with him which he found to be operating at cruise control. He
forced the jet down as he landed on the roof of Luthor Towers,
throwing Luthor to the ground.

Lex peeled the tape off his mouth, "Madman. A bat of some
sort..."

"A bat?" He looked at him in disbelief before turning back to
the jet to examine it. "You just can't stop pissing people off,
can you?"

Just as he was about to open the cockpit the jet fired upward,
and Clark followed at super-speed, leaving Luthor to find his own
way off the roof.

***

Lois took a deep breath and walked up the steps of the familiar
building in front of her. She'd walked those steps a thousand
times, but it was different now. Scary. Traumatizing. She'd been
told in therapy that the only way to deal with what happened was
to face it head on...when she felt ready. Was she ready? She
didn't know, but she knew living the way she was right now was
not something she wanted to continue to do.

She fidgeted nervously as she saw the familiar door in front of
her and pulled out her key. '501' the door read.

"Well, here goes nothing," she whispered to herself, pulling
out her key.

***

Clark watched from a distance as a man dressed in a dark suit
with a black cowl over his face with pointed ears held up a
remote device, guiding the jet toward him. He frowned in
disapproval as he landed in front of him. "Who are you?"

The dark echo of what was obviously some sort of distortion
device echoed out. "Call me the garbage man. Just trying to take
out the trash."

"I'm not sure how you do things where you're from, but here in
Metropolis we let trials by judge and jury decide someone's
guilt, not a..." He looked up at him, "What are you?"

"I'm Batman."

"Batman?" Clark repeated in disbelief with a light chuckle.

"Something funny?"

Clark smirked, trying to control his disbelief in the situation.
"No, just trying to figure out what you're doing here in
Metropolis."

"Same as you. Trying to help."

"You make a habit of stringing billionaires up by your toys."

"He was never in any danger."

"Says you," Clark corrected. He stared at him hard, frustrated
that whatever material his suit was made from contained lead
preventing him from x-raying his mask.

"Don't bother. I've lined my suit with lead to prevent any
accidental discoveries."

"I see you've done your homework," Clark commented.
"Unfortunately I can't return the compliment."

"I like it that way."

"Why did you go after Luthor?"

"He needed to feel fear. Real fear."

"Fear? Why?"

"The same reason you were caught plummeting him down from Luthor
Towers, again and again, catching him at the last minute." At
Clark's surprised look he smirked back at him. "Research."

"What do you want?"

"Justice." With that he slipped into his jet offering a quick
wave before calling out, "I'll be around."

***

Lois looked around the apartment, recalling the nightmare she'd
lived weeks ago.

Here it was.

Her apartment.

Her home.

The place she'd called home for years.

Now it seemed to be a shell of what it once was. Tainted with the
memory of Lex and what he'd done. The peace of mind she used to
carry was gone. The sense of security she felt in this room was
gone.

She took a seat on the couch, holding the edge for dear life as
she stared at the ground, recalling every strike and every breath
she struggled for under Lex's grip. She scowled in anger as she
felt her fury pulse through her veins.

She'd lost so much that night, but she refused to let him
continue to rob her any longer. She stood to her feet, dabbing
her eyes as she headed for the bathroom to gather the few things
she needed and headed out.

***

Clark hovered outside the Metropolis Power and Energy Tower where
the new skyline elevator that had been advertised as the tallest
elevator, giving visitors a chance to see the city like
'Superman' was stuck mid-flight with thirteen passengers
banging on the doors frantically.

"Just stay calm," he mouthed to the group through the glass
doors as he examined the mechanics of the ride. It looked like
the only way to open the doors would be to turn it on it's side,
putting the group at risk of fall out. He examined the pole that
the device was gripping and found a safety lock to release so he
could move the elevator to the bottom by force. With a hard
shove, he was able to get the group down to the ground and force
the doors open.

"Oh! Thank you, Superman!" The group cried all at once their
thanks as they rushed out.

"Just maybe take the stairs next time," he smiled at them. He
turned to leave, heading back to the office. That was the third
one in the last week. Power surges all throughout the city were
causing outages and shortages everywhere. No one could pinpoint
where it was coming from.

***

"So, I've got class tonight," Lucy explained as she finished
gathering her things. "It might be a little late when I get out.
Do you want me to call ...?"

Lois shifted uncomfortably under her sister's gaze. She knew
what she was hinting at, and she wasn't about to have this
conversation with Lucy right now. It had been almost a month now
since the attack....since she and Clark had made love. Most of
that had been from her still healing and him not wanting to hurt
her. Then there had been the mental scars.

She felt...ready. She definitely felt that pull toward him every
time he kissed her but she wasn't sure if she was ready for that
step and he wasn't pushing her in either direction either. She
suspected that after the fiasco with her failed attempt at
seducing him, he was afraid of pushing her before she was ready
and ending with both of them disappointed again.

It was hard. They were both stuck in this limbo unsure of what to
say or do, and it was driving her crazy. She missed him. It was
frustrating. Clark had been doing extra patrols on nights Lucy
was at class to make up for the nights she was there so as not to
arouse suspicion. He was still buried in his files of Luthor
trying to find the connection with the mysterious deaths plaguing
Metropolis. She and Lucy were looking into Westminster and Lex's
history there. So far nothing concrete but she did have an
interview set up with one of the headmasters. She hoped some
light would be shed on his past.

"I don't know," Lois shrugged. "I guess do whatever you
want."

"Okay," Lois nodded. "I think I'll spend the night with Lacey
tonight. We're going to be studying for the test next week.
It'll be good. I can study. You and Clark can have some...alone
time without the annoying sister in your hair."

"You're not annoying," Lois smiled at her.

"Uh-huh," Lucy nodded. "Thanks for the lie but I know
better." She glanced at the box Lois was struggling to grab,
"You want some help with that?"

"Thanks," Lois smiled handing it over to Lucy. "Jimmy's case
files. Clark wants to compare them with what we have on the
mysterious deaths around Metropolis. See if there's a
connection."

"I like the way Clark thinks," Lucy grinned. "Maybe we can pin
all of this on Luthor. Kill two birds with one stone."

***

"Lex, I'm not sure I understand..." Dr. Kelly began to argue.
"A bat? Flew you over the city..."

"Not just a bat. It was some...Batman...of sorts," Lex brushed
her off dismissively. "I want to get this operation up and
running. How much longer before you can begin testing?"

"I've just about replicated the lightning," Dr. Kelly said,
motioning to the crystal tube in front of her. "Once I've got
it perfected we should begin testing of the transfer."

"Excellent. Once Superman's powers have been transferred to me
successfully we can begin Phase Three."

"Which is?" Dr. Kelly asked.

"Take everything he cares about and make him suffer as I pluck
every thing away from him one by one." He took a long puff from
his cigar. "When I'm through with him, he'll wish death on
himself ...and I'll give it to him."

***

Lois watched Clark as he poured over his notes. Here they were at
seven o'clock at night alone and instead of taking advantage of
the empty office ---or even an empty apartment--they were
working. Lucy was starting her classes to take her
investigator's license, so they had three nights a week of
uninterrupted time alone.

Dr. Young had encouraged her to take the steps out of her comfort
zone and keep trying. It was hard. On one hand, she was scared of
pushing the boundaries and repeating the situation they'd been
faced with after her failed attempt at seducing him. On the other
hand, she wanted to lock the office door and have Clark take her
right on the desk she was perched on just as he had a little over
a month ago. She felt a ripple run through her belly as she
recalled how he'd felt pressed up against her as their
lovemaking had been in such a frenzy he hadn't even bothered to
undress her completely.

"What are you working on?" She asked, toying with the hem of
her skirt nervously.

"The Mayor's press conference about the power surges going on
this week," Clark said, tapping his pen against the notepad he
was reading from. "I don't know. There's just something about
them that seems..."

"What?" Lois asked curiously, staring as his hand moved across
the page at super-speed, jotting down more notes. She grinned
shyly. It always amazed her to watch him do some of the most
simple tasks with his powers.

He turned in his chair, "I'm not sure. Just something seems off
about the power surges going on. Can't put my finger on it."

"It is the middle of the summer. Maybe not enough power to run
the air conditioning?" Lois suggested. "We had that issue last
year with the heat wave."

"The nuclear reactor Luthor was boiling," Clark corrected
bitterly. "It was never a real heat wave."

"Well, whatever it was," she shrugged, "Maybe it's
related."

"I guess." He looked back at her, setting his notepad on the
desk and turning to her. "Henderson said Detective Harris is
being charged with evidence tampering."

"That's good, right?" Lois asked, watching as his muscles
rippled beneath his shirt as he folded his hands behind him,
leaning back in the chair. She really really wanted to touch
him.

"Yeah, Constance can use it in Jimmy's case. The arraignment is
scheduled for next month." She looked down, reminded of the fate
their friend was in. He sighed, leaning forward to take her hand
in his, kissing the side of her palm, "If we can get Luthor
brought down before the arraignment this case will fall part with
it."

"What if it doesn't?" She whispered hoarsely. "We still
don't know who all is on Lex's payroll."

He stood up, walking toward her. He placed a hesitant hand on her
cheek, and she heard him sigh in relief, holding the other side
of her face, "We're going to figure this all out. I promise."

"I know. It's just getting kinda scary," she said softly,
moving her hand, so she was covering his as it held her face.

"I know." He rested his head against hers, "I really wish I
could just take you home and kiss you all over...Make all of this
go away." He ran a hand down the length of her shoulders.

"I'm not stopping you," she whispered, toying with the end of
his tie.

"I don't want to scare you," he fingered the strands of her
hair.

She looked down at her lap, pulling his hand down with her gaze.
"I don't want to be scared either, but...I don't want you
afraid to touch me either."

"Then what do we do?" He asked.

"Tonight, we go back to the apartment, close the bedroom door
and take advantage of the hour and a half we have of
uninterrupted time together..." She ran a hand up his chest as
she slipped her arms around his neck. "...and take it from
there."

***

Clark landed in his Superman suit on the ledge to the balcony of
his apartment, leaning in to kiss Lois as he carried her inside,
striding purposefully toward the bedroom. He set her down on the
edge of the bed and she kicked her shoes off. With a quick spin
and change, he reappeared in front of her in jeans and the black
button-down shirt she loved seeing him in so much.

She smiled her approval at the change of clothes, leaning forward
as he knelt down, so he was eye level with her. He ran his hands
down her shoulders, taking a seat next to her. She leaned in to
kiss him, running her hand over his cheek as he kissed her back.
His hands moved to cup both sides of her face, deepening the
kiss.

She sighed against him as he leaned them back on the bed, rolling
them on their sides, so they were facing each other. "I love
you, Lois," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you, Clark," she ran her hand up and down his chest,
fingering the top buttons of his shirt. His hands moved up and
down her sides with a featherlight caress, kneading her sides as
he tugged on her lips with his teeth.

He slowly broke off the kiss, resting his head against hers as he
cupped her face, running his hands down both sides of her cheeks,
"What do you want?"

"You," she sighed shakily, fingering the top button of his
shirt, "I really want you...I miss you so much, Clark." She
could feel tears burning the corners of her eyes.

He moved to cover her hand with his, meeting her gaze as he
leaned in to kiss her again. His other hand moved to smooth his
palm over the length of her leg and she sighed against the
mattress.

"I miss you too, baby," he murmured running his hands up the
hem of her skirt.

***

Fuentes sighed as he took a puff of his cigarette, staring at the
small farm he'd been sent to. Mr. Luthor wanted to know
everything he could about the Kents. He looked around in disgust,
uncertain how much information he'd be able to get in the drably
old town. He definitely didn't fit in.

"I hate small towns."

***

Lois stretched her arms over her head, rolling over as she slowly
awoke, recalling the previous night with a smile. After weeks of
walking around on eggshells around each other she and Clark had
finally talked ...and a lot more. He was still hesitant about
crossing that threshold after everything that had happened and he
didn't want to spook her, but for the first time in a long time,
they'd fallen asleep in one another's arms not afraid the other
was going to break.

The sound of the door closing perked her interest. She swung her
legs over the side of the bed and padded her way to the living
room where Lucy was still sleeping, and Clark was carefully
placing a few rows of file boxes in the kitchen.

"What's all this?" Lois asked, looking around as Clark pulled
out a stack on the table.

"Henderson just sent these. Copies of Detective Harris' arrest
warrant and the police report and his statement to the DA and the
Commissioner; plus, IAB's file on him."

"Nice," she grinned, "How'd you swing that?"

"Discovery. Constance will be by to pick up her copies in a
little bit," he explained, leaning in to kiss her. "How'd you
sleep?"

She smiled back at him, "Good. You?"

He brought her hand to his lips, "Better than I have in weeks."
he whispered, pulling her toward him.

"Me too," she whispered, leaning back to kiss him as he ran his
hands up her sides.

He nuzzled her cheek, running his hands up her ribcage, "I've
missed this. Missed...us. Last night was incredible." He pressed
his lips against her cheek. He moved his other hand up her
ribcage and joining it with the other, "I love watching your
face when you're that happy." His hand slid up and down her
chest seductively.

She grinned back at him, hearing her sister stirring from the
next room, "You better behave. Lucy's right in the next room."
She pulled away from him, "Tonight?"

He leaned in to kiss her before releasing her from his embrace,
"Anytime. Anyplace. Anything you want, baby."

"Anything?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him with a heated
gaze.

Lucy padded her way into the kitchen, searching for a cup of
coffee. "Coffee..." She smiled, pouring herself a cup, unaware
of the flirtatious teasing she'd interrupted.

Lois took a seat across from Clark and smiled at him. He mouthed,
*'Anything,'* to her and she grinned, bringing her own cup of
coffee to her lips to sip.

"Did these file boxes triple overnight?" Lucy asked, looking at
the new boxes on the counter.

"New discovery files. I made us a copy. Constance will be on her
way to pick them up this morning," Clark explained.

"Great." Lucy sighed, "I just finished going through all those
stills."

"No video stills I promise." He smiled back at Lucy, "Just fun
reading." He opened the top file box and showed her,
"Everything on Detective Harris' involvement with the Planet
bombing."

"No clue why Clemmons won't drop Jimmy's case when he's
clearly got another defendant with a pretty solid case," she
eyed the boxes warily.

Lois shook her head, "Not a..."

The lights flickered on and off for a minute then restored
themselves. Lucy looked around, "Another power surge."

"I wonder what's causing them," Lois commented.

Clark shook his head, "No clue." He read through the report in
front of him, "Either of you heard of a John Black?"

***

Lex paced around the underground lair, watching the lever hooked
up to Resplendent Man and a rat they were testing the power
transfer on. It had been weeks since they'd begun testing but
they were getting closer. A blinding flash filled the room, and
he stood back, staring at the lever once more.

Gretchen Kelly turned the switch off, "Still nothing. I don't
understand."

"I don't understand either." Resplendent Man added irritated,
"With all the money you have couldn't you afford a more decent
lab than this?"

"Shut up," Lex hissed, turning to the dial and cranking it up.

"What are you expecting that rat to do?" He added.

"Shut...UP!" Lex snarled.

Dr. Kelly glared at Resplendent Man, "I'd do what he says."
She pointed to the metal plate he was standing on. "Shut up and
concentrate."

"I don't think concentration has anything to do with it. It's
just the electricity and the conductor playing off each other
somehow," Resplendent Man argued.

"Just shut up anyway," Lex hissed, pulling his protective
glasses down again. "Do it again!"

***

It had been a long and tiring day. After meeting Headmaster
Winslow and basically getting the typical line and brush off she
and Clark had been sifting through the mess that was their
research on Lex's background to see if there was anything that
could point them in the right direction. Lucy was getting dinner
with her study group while she and Clark were finishing up a stir
fry he'd thrown together. After finishing up dinner, they'd
begun sorting through what they had on Lex's past to see if
anything lined up. So far nothing stood out.

Lois ran her hand through her hair with a long sigh, "Another
dead end."

"Well, it was a long shot," Clark reasoned aloud as he set his
phone down. "We do have that interview with Samuel Hale
tomorrow."

"Yeah if he doesn't stonewall us like the rest of the former
faculty. What is it that makes everyone want to shut down when
you mention Lex Luthor's name?" Lois hung her head, burying it
in her hands.

Clark moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders, leaning in next
to her, "We'll figure this out."

"When?" Lois asked, allowing herself to be pulled into his
arms, cradling her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Jimmy's
basically sitting there rotting ...waiting for what will probably
be a fixed trial for something he didn't do. The police are no
help. The DA is too busy padding his conviction rate to care."
She let out a long sigh, "It doesn't make any sense."

"I know," Clark sighed, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
"I've been trying to connect him to some of these mysterious
deaths and still haven't heard anything back from STAR Labs."

"The mysterious heart failure," Lois commented. "What a
mess."

"Mysterious heart failure. Mysterious power surges that I have a
feeling Luthor is behind and don't even get me started on that
Batman character..."

Lois giggled, "Well, maybe you can partner up and take
shifts."

"No way." Clark shook his head, "I may not approve of the
things Luthor did but stringing him up from a jet and flying him
around the city hog tied like that was..."

Lois laughed harder, "Tempting?"

He smirked, "Very, but it still wasn't right. I just...don't
know if I can trust someone that's willing to do something like
that."

"Did you ask him why he did it?" Lois asked, turning to look at
him.

"He said something about justice then left," Clark rolled his
eyes.

"I would have loved to have gotten a picture of that," Lois
laughed harder.

"It took a lot of restraint not to leave him there," Clark
admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sure," Lois whispered, leaning into him, running her hand
up his chest. "It is nice to be able to laugh about it
though."

He gave her a weak smile, "Yeah." He turned to cup her cheek.
"It's good to see you smile."

She grinned, leaning in to kiss him. He smiled back at her,
"What was that for?"

"For being you," she whispered back, stroking his cheek.
"It's been a rough few weeks for...the both of us." She leaned
in to kiss him again, linking her arms around his neck, "You've
been wonderful." She ran her hands through his hair, holding him
close as she kissed him again, "Understanding." She ran her
hands down the front of his chest. "Generous," she murmured
against his lips, grinning as he pulled her on his lap.

"I really like where this is going..." He whispered, brushing
his lips against hers, running his hand down the small of her
back.

She sighed happily against him as he nibbled at the nape of her
neck. She rotated her neck to give him better access. She could
feel that familiar tightness in her belly. His touch remained
gentle as her hands moved up and down his chest. She shifted
slightly, trying to find a comfortable position on the couch.
"Clark..."

"Hmm?" He murmured against her as she ran her hands through the
dark silky strands of his hair.

She took a deep breath before she found her voice to croak out
what her body had been demanding for the past week, "Bedroom. We
need more room..."

He nodded mutely, standing up and carrying her toward the
bedroom, not losing contact with her mouth as she wrapped her
legs around his torso. "More room." He echoed, walking her into
the bedroom.

"Good." She sighed happily, tugging at the top button of his
shirt. "I miss you. I..." She sighed happily as he laid her
down on the bed, careful not to put all his weight on her,
rolling on his side. She shook her head, pulling him toward her,
"Make love to me, Clar..."

A loud hum echoed in the room and the lights flickered for a
moment. "No, no, no, no," Clark hung his head in defeat. "Not
now. Please dear God not now..."

Lois bit her lower lip to suppress the curse she knew was on the
tip of her tongue. Everything went dark. "Crap." Then just with
every other power surge he got that familiar expression on his
face.

Only this time it was more annoyance than anything as he looked
at her with regret, "I'm so sorry..."

She nodded, releasing him from her grasp, "It's okay. Where is
this one?"

"Underground Subway..." He sighed, standing up and taking his
glasses off, setting them on the night stand.

The lights flickered back on, and she sighed, "Well, there's
something." Lois observed wryly.

Clark spun into the familiar red, yellow and blue suit, leaning
in to kiss her, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Be careful," she whispered. He nodded and within a blink of an
eye he disappeared in a red and blue blur, flying out the window
at super-speed.

Lois rolled over, grabbing a pillow from the bed and yelling into
it in frustration as she hit the bed with her fist. "So
close..."

***

The next morning Lois frowned when she found Clark's side of the
bed empty. After he'd left last night, she'd stayed up to watch
the coverage on the destruction of the latest power surge. She'd
fallen asleep around one. Several subways were stuck on the
track, and emergency crews were down there trying to free all the
passengers. One of the trains had hit another causing a
three-train pile up at one station. The estimated injury count
was in the thousands.

Lois finished getting dressed and began gathering her things,
finding Lucy in the living room finishing up her coffee, dressed
for the day. "You're dressed early," she commented.

"I've got to meet Constance for my deposition this morning,"
Lucy explained offhandedly, staring at the news coverage on the
television. "Have you seen this?"

"Yeah," Lois nodded solemnly.

"They said Superman and the emergency crew are still down there
trying to get everyone out of the wreckage." Lucy shook her
head, taking a sip of her coffee. "I wonder what caused all
this. The power surges I mean."

Lois shrugged. "I don't know. They keep happening more
frequently though."

"You going into the office today?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Lois said, grabbing her bag. "I've got an interview
with one of the former headmasters of Westminster this
afternoon."

"Still digging huh?" Lucy grinned back at her. "I hope all of
this lands right on Lex Luthor's doorstep so we can lock him
away for the rest of his miserable life."

"Me too." Lois gave a half-smile.

"Have you been able to get in to see Jimmy yet?" Lucy asked,
changing the subject.

"Yeah. We talked." Lois looked down recalling her conversation
with Jimmy. "He's hanging in there."

"I still don't understand why they're making me wait ninety
days just because I happened to misrepresent my relationship with
him. It's so..."

"Unfair?" Lois suggested.

"Yes!" Lucy sniffed. "I just want to know how he's doing.
Talk to him."

"I know." Lois took a seat next to her putting an arm around
her shoulders. "You will. We'll get his name cleared. I
promise."

"Don't make promises you can't deliver on," Lucy warned.

Lois sighed, unsure of how to respond. "Uh, do you need a
ride?"

"Sure." Lucy stood up to put the coffee cup up. "Just give me
a sec, and I'll be ready."

***

Lex took a long puff of his cigar, taking a look at the morning
paper. "We're getting closer," he stated, letting out a long
puff of smoke.

"Still nothing concrete?" Mrs. Cox asked.

"No, but the meter readings are promising," Lex sighed looking
over Mrs. Cox's shoulder as she pulled up his calendar for him.
"What do we have planned today?"

"Your meeting with Judge Stephens is in half an hour. You're
also scheduled to give a statement with the Mayor about the Power
Surges and the underground subway accident from last night."

Lex tapped his finger on the line highlighted in green. "Have we
received the report back on the sample we sent to LexLabs?"

"Yes, our labs are working on turning the meteorite into a
powdered substance as you requested. It seems to share some of
Superman's resistance to destruction, but the scientists have
been successful in their latest tests. Would you like me to get a
sample?"

"No, let them finish. I've waited long enough," Lex said with
a sigh. "I don't want anything hindering my revenge on
Superman." He took another long puff of his cigar, taking the
silver darts from his desks and throwing them across the room one
by one. "Once I've taken his powers and everything he loves
I'll hold him captive as he withers away into the meager hack he
is!"

"Super powers will only make you more charming Lex," Mrs. Cox
cooed, running a hand through his hair seductively.

"Yes, I will watch as he finally sees I have won. He took it all
from me; now it's time I return the favor..." He walked toward
a picture on the bookshelf of his office. "Starting with the
lovely Ms. Lane."

Mrs. Cox frowned, "And you don't think your last encounter with
her will be a problem?"

"Once I explain my intentions and show her she can have the man
with the powers and the debonair Lex Luthor she fell for all will
be forgiven," he said smugly. "If not, I'll have to find
another way to convince her."

***

Lois leaned over the table, sifting through her files on Lex and
his classmates on one side and sifting through the mysterious
deaths Clark was sure were connected with Lex on the other side.
In the middle was everything they had on Jimmy's case.

"Detective Jenkins." Lois wrote on a notecard, pinning it to
the board. "Dead." She turned back to the notecards and jotted
down another note. "Detective Harris." She wrote on another
card. "In custody." She tapped her hand on the file in front of
her and wrote, "John Black." She wrote on another card. "In
custody."

"Morning," Clark's arms wrapped around her from behind, his
hands resting on her ribcage as he outlined the shape of her
sides with his palms, leaning in to kiss her.

She grinned against his lips, tracing the dark silky strands of
his hair with her fingertips, sighing against him. "Morning."
She eyed him appreciatively, turning to gaze over his muscular
figure in a dark gray suit with a dark blue shirt. "You're
late."

"I know." He apologized, "But I did write up the story on the
subway accident last night. Perry's already putting it into
copy."

She grinned back at him, "Nice work, partner. I'm trying to
sort through this mess and make some sense out of it before our
interview with Mr. Hale this afternoon."

"Looks good. You forgot his brother," Clark whispered in her
ear, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

She smiled, feeling his hands wander up and down her ribcage as
his arms tightened around her. "Brother?"

He nodded, pointing at John Black. "His brother Pete Black was
charged as a co-conspirator." He leaned in to kiss her neck,
"Sorry I couldn't get back sooner."

She turned to him, seeing the worry lines on his face as she
stroked his cheek, "Clark, it's fine. You were needed
elsewhere. I get it."

"I know, but..." He let out a long sigh.

"Oh, I plan on collecting," she purred with a grin. "Barring
any major disasters that is."

He frowned, holding her close, "They're getting worse."

"I know," she said solemnly. "You still don't have any clue
to what's causing them."

He shook his head, "Nope, but I guarantee when I do find out
it's probably going to be pointing somewhere other than Luthor
just like it always does."

***

"Your Honor," Mrs. Cox opened the door to Lex's hidden office,
pointing him toward the tall staircase. "Mr. Luthor is in the
lab. Just go straight down."

"Lex?" Stephens called out.

"George!" Lex cheered happily. "Come on in..." He gestured
toward the office with large screens on the wall displaying the
latest results on project marked 'K' with a green crystal
spinning on a forty-five degree axis.

"I see you've been busy," Stephens noted looking around.
"What is this about?"

"The case against Mr. Olsen," Lex commented. "It's becoming
more and more expensive to keep hiring people to clean up your
dirty work."

"Isn't that what I paid you to do?" Stephens asked with a bite
in his tone.

"You paid me to make sure you won this election. You were the
one that wanted Olsen framed. I did that as a courtesy but keep
pushing, and your little scheme is going to come undone. I won't
have my name connected to this. Find a decoy."

"No, I'm not going to find a decoy!" Stephens spat. "He knows
too much. If he gets out..."

"He could ruin you? Take away your fortune and good name?" Lex
mused, "Maybe but if it comes back to me George you're going to
have punishments far worse than a sullied reputation."

***

Former Headmaster Samuel Hale was an elderly man in his early
sixties. Short and athletic as he served tennis balls toward the
wall, bouncing from one side to the other to avoid the ricochet.
Lois and Clark approached him as he took a break, dabbing the
sweat off his forehead with a towel. "Mr. Hale?"

He turned to face them with a warm smile, "Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent
I assume?"

"Yes," Clark held out his hand to shake, "I'm Clark Kent, and
this is my partner, Lois Lane."

"Lane and Kent," he smiled, recognizing the names. "You two
have made quite a name for yourselves." He took a sip from his
water bottle motioning for them to follow him to the bleachers.
"You said on the phone this was about Westminster?"

"Yes," Lois interjected, "More to do with some students that
went there during your time there?"

"You got shut down by the Headmaster didn't you?" He
chuckled.

"Mr. Wallace encouraged us to explore other avenues in finding
the information we were looking for," Lois explained meekly.

"And you thought an old retired headmaster might want to spill
the beans to a couple of reporters looking for dirt on..." He
motioned toward the envelope in her hand, "Who is it?"

"Lex Luthor," Lois said, pursing her lips.

He chuckled, "Of course. That kid never knew how to stay out of
trouble a day of his life." Lois glanced back at Clark, and he
nodded. Samuel Hale sighed, "Well, it's no skin off my back.
What do you want to know?"

Lois pulled out a photocopy of two pages from the yearbook.
"These four. Seem like they're friends here." He nodded but
didn't say anything. She pulled out another photocopy, "Then
here they're hating each other. Bruce Wayne hinted that
something happened but won't say what."

"Well, he wouldn't want to point the spotlight on his own
misdeeds," Hale said with a sigh.

"But you would?" Lois asked.

"I never was good at that whole keeping a secret thing." He
smiled back at the duo, "but I'd really like to get changed and
get some grub. The club's got a great sushi bar. Meet me inside
in ten, and you pay," he winked at them heading toward the
locker room.

Lois looked back at Clark trying to make sense out of what just
happened, "What just happened?"

"I think he just agreed to spill the beans if we bought lunch,"
Clark said.

Lois sighed, adjusting her wallet in her purse, "This better be
good."

***

Sam Lane looked around the tall building in confusion, "I don't
understand. Why are you doing this?"

"You'll have to forgive Ms. Taylor, Dr. Lane. Keeping you in
the dark was my idea." Sam Lane's eyes widened when he saw
Bruce Wayne enter the room.

"You're ... Bruce Wayne?"

Bruce nodded, extending his hand, "And you're Dr. Samuel Lane.
It's an honor to meet you, sir."

Sam looked around the dark room uneasily as he took Bruce's
hand, "Wh-What am I doing here?"

Bruce pointed to the long hallways in the room they were in.
"Underground offices and bunkers. Stocked with food. You can
call Alfred from the video call right here, and he'll get you
anything you need."

"Anything I need?" Sam asked confused.

"You're going to be staying here for awhile," Bruce explained.
"When we received word that Luthor ordered a hit on you and your
family we took measures to prevent it from being taken out. Toni
works for me," he explained, pointing to the young blonde behind
him. "She had to make it look like she was carrying Luthor's
orders out. Staying here will keep you safe."

"But what about my family? My daughters?" Sam asked panicked,
"Ellen?"

"Trust me, sir, your daughters are safer where they are now than
they would be anywhere else in the world."

"How can you know that?" Sam asked. "If he came after me
he'll come after them and..."

"I'm told Superman is keeping a close watch over both of
them," Bruce explained. "As for your ex-wife, she's safe. The
man that was sent after her and the Kents was an undercover FBI
agent. They're laying low, but they're safe."

"How do you know all this?" Sam asked, confused.

"I have a vested interest in bringing down Lex Luthor. He did a
lot of things to a lot of people over the years. Seeing him
finally see justice is all I'm after right now."

"Just justice?" Sam asked, not sure if he believed him.

"Maybe a little revenge too," Bruce admitted. "He hurt someone
I cared very deeply about. I wasn't strong enough to do anything
about it back then, and I regret it everyday. Seeing him pay for
his crimes will bring this person justice. That's all I want."

An elderly man in a suit jacket entered the room, "Master
Wayne?"

"Alfred!" Bruce cheered, "Alfred, this is Dr. Lane. He's the
one I told you about."

"Yes," Alfred nodded, "The doctor."

"Not for several years," Sam admitted sheepishly.

"Lucius will get you set up in the lab to continue any research
you want," Alfred explained, pointing toward the lab. "I'm
told your fascination is robotics?"

"Uh, hmm, yes, robotics and bioengineering," Sam explained,
following the elderly man toward the blue-lit room.

***

"Biggest scandal to ever take place at Westminster Abbey in over
a hundred years. The brightest of the brights...if you can pay
the bill that is."

"Must be an exclusive list," Lois commented, taking a sip of
her coffee.

"It was," Hale admitted. "You had to have an old rich
background to secure a place for your child there. It was top of
the line education...until it wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm about to tell you will never get confirmed. The
records are destroyed. The witnesses paid off."

"We understand," Clark said.

"Darlene Richmond. First year at Westminster she disappeared one
night. The apple of everyone's eye. All the girls wanted to be
her. All the boys wanted to be with her. Last seen leaving the
grounds with one Alexander Luthor the Third."

"Who was she?" Lois asked, jotting down her notes.

"Daughter of an ambassador. Rumor was she ran away. Rumor also
was that she changed her name and appearance that night..."

"Well, you know what they say about rumors," Lois commented
with a smile.

"Oh, I haven't told you the best part."

"Which is?" Clark asked.

"The night Darlene disappeared was the same night there was a
fire at the Luthor mansion that killed both Lionel and Lillian
Luthor in their sleep." He smirked as he took a bite of his
crumb cake. "Mmm Mmm, I love a good crumb cake. Don't you?"

***

"How are we coming, Lucius?" Bruce asked, looking around the
lab that had been set up for Lucius to examine the incendiary
device found at the Planet. "I've got the Planet opening in
less than eight weeks, and I'd like to be able to give some good
news to Perry White on the Olsen case."

Lucius typed in a few keys on his laptop, and the screen
flickered filling with unending rows of binary code. "It's
still decoding, but we're pretty close to finding where the
signal came from." Bruce frowned at his response and continued,
"But I do have some good news on the compound you brought in a
few weeks ago." He pointed toward the other side of the lab,
handing Bruce a pair of protective glasses.

"What are these for?" He asked.

"Just put them on, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce did as instructed, and to his surprise, the room turned
into a grid. "What in the world?"

"Sonar detection. Innovative science at it's best. From what I
was able to gather this substance here was sending signals off
somewhere within a hundred mile radius."

"And what would someone be able to receive from this signal?"
Bruce asked.

"Everything. Audio. Visual. It's like a live transmission
straight into the recipient's hard drive."

"That's what I was afraid of," Bruce muttered. "Any ideas on
removing it?"

Lucius smiled, handing him a large spray bottle, "It'll smell,
but it'll do the trick."

"What is it?" Bruce asked.

"Dish detergent and vinegar," Lucius shuddered at the
combination.

***

Lois propped herself on the edge of the desk, watching as Clark
pulled out the files from the mysterious deaths over the past
year. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything I can find that might link these guys with Luthor's
parents or with this Darlene character."

"You think that's the connection?" Lois asked curiously.

"It would make sense," Clark observed with a shrug, typing at
his keyboard at super-speed. Lois watched the display as images
of each of the victims without a connection to Lex were pulled
up. "All the deaths with 'heart failure listed in the past year
were at least somewhat related to a story we were working on with
connections to LexCorp." He pulled up an image of a young man in
his mid-thirties, "John Reynolds. The helicopter pilot giving
Dr. Baines her 'ride to freedom.'"

"We know that was Lex we just can't prove that," Lois said,
looking back at him as she watched the screen.

"Alfred Carlton. Johnny Taylor Senior." Image after image
pulled up and Clark turned to the mysterious disappearance of the
woman named 'Darlene' from Lex's past. "The list goes on and
on." An old missing ad with a black and white picture pulled up
on the screen and Clark continued typing away at super-speed
showing the history of Floyd Ryan, Anne Margot, and Mike
Jenkins...and last but not least Beverly Cox.

"Oh my God!" Lois gasped staring at the image in front of her.

"The real Mrs. Cox. Murdered two days after Luthor's parents."
Clark moved the window to another screen and showed the current
image of the woman they knew as Mrs. Cox next to the missing ad
for 'Darlene Richmond.'

"Let me guess, everyone that we can't link to Lex we can link
to Darlene," Lois guessed in a bitter tone.

"Yep, meet Darlene Richmond," he gave a grim expression. "Her
butler. Her childhood friend. Her former doctor..." He then
pulled up the image of Mrs. Cox "And the real Mrs. Cox."

"We've got to get this to Henderson," Lois breathed shakily.

"My thoughts exactly." Clark folded up the laptop and put it in
i's bag. Just as he was about to walk with her toward the
elevator another power surge hit. He let out a long breath. "I
swear someone's doing that on purpose."

Lois sighed, taking the bag, "I'll get this to Henderson. Go.
Be safe." She leaned in to kiss him when the familiar expression
crossed his face again.

"I will. You be careful too. If this is what we think it
is...and she thinks you know...You could be in danger."

"More so than I already am?" Lois teased.

"Just be careful," he pleaded.

She nodded, and he gave her one final kiss goodbye.

***

Judge Stephens took a long breath as he entered his chambers,
ready to start the day. "Julius?" He called out to the court
services officer, "What's the schedule this morning?"

"Oh, the schedule is clear, your honor." An unfamiliar man that
was sitting in his office said, standing up to greet him. He
pulled out a badge, "Agent Davenport, FBI. I'm afraid you
won't be hearing any cases today your honor...or any other days
until we get some things cleared up."

"I'm sorry?" He scoffed, "What are you talking about?"

A thick folder filled with receipts was laid on his desk.
"Caribbean Imports. HB Weapons. LexCorp. Carlin Industries. All
paying for your honor's very luxurious life style. How many
vacation homes do you really need? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

"That's none of your business!" Judge Stephens scoffed.
"These companies mean nothing to me."

"Really?" Davenport laughed, "Let's see, it seems like every
time you received a payment you made an order in one of these
company's favor. I'm not an expert or anything, but that sounds
like bribery to me."

***

"You two are out of your mind!" Henderson warned as Lois
followed him into the empty mediation room in the courthouse.
"Researching Luthor? Not just Luthor but his parents?
Westminster? Do you have any idea what kind of heat I'm going to
be against if I try to pursue this with a witness that has
nothing to back his story up?"

"Bill, he killed that woman. Are you really going to let him get
away with another murder?"

"How do you expect me to charge him, Lois?" Bill mocked, "Oh,
I know let me get the former *drunk* Westminster Headmaster with
a sullied reputation to write a note for the judge. I'm sure
that'll go over great!"

"He was forced to cover up a missing person case and act like
this girl didn't exist. This girl that obviously helped Lex and
is **STILL** helping Lex get rid of witnesses that could prove
she'd stolen this poor woman's identity," Lois spat back. "Do
something!!"

"Get me the evidence!" Henderson shot back. "I'm already
burning both ends of the candlestick."

"So you're not going to do anything?" Lois asked in shock.

"I didn't say that. I said right now it's not enough to take
to a judge so I can't charge him."

"What do you need?" Lois asked.

***

Lucy followed Lois into the penthouse study of Luthor Towers,
"Clark is going to KILL you!" Lucy hissed in a harsh whisper as
they checked the floor to make sure there was no sign of Mrs. Cox
or Lex.

"Lex is making his statement with the mayor with Mrs. Cox by his
side. It's the perfect opportunity," Lois whispered back.
"He'll understand." She pulled out her lock kit from her
jacket and fiddled with the door marked, 'Beverly Cox' on it.

"Do the words murderer mean anything to you?" Lucy asked as
Lois opened the door.

"Do the words *'shut up'* mean anything to you?" Lois shot
back. "Stop talking. You didn't have to come."

"Yeah like I'm going to let you do this by yourself..." Lucy
muttered under her breath. "I just got you back to normal after
your last encounter with Lex."

"Stop talking." Lois whispered, "Look around for anything
personal of hers that could link back to Darlene Richmond."

"This is a bad idea," Lucy muttered, closing the door behind
her as they entered the office. "What about due process? Fruit
of the poisonous tree?"

"All I'm going to do is take pictures of what I find and tell
Henderson where he needs the search warrant. No stealing. No
tampering with evidence. Now, are you going to help me or argue
with me some more?" Lois asked in a huff.

"When Clark kills you for risking your neck...again. I'm
helping bury the body."

"Just make sure I'm in the casket upside down so you can kiss
my ass," Lois shot back sarcastically. Lucy glared at her and
Lois rolled her eyes, "Just help me look."

***

In the hidden office behind the staircase, a dark figure slipped
down the stairs, booting up Lex Luthor's computer system with a
click of the button, "Never use your enemy as a password, Lex.
You're too obvious."

***

"Anything in the desk?" Lois asked, flipping through the papers
in the last drawer.

"Nope. Everything is creepily organized in here. No personal
effects. No nothing. Lots and lots of appointment books and
project files."

Lois closed the final drawer then turned to the bookcase. "What
are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"I spied Lex coming out of a hidden office behind his bookcase.
I'm seeing if Mrs. Cox's office might have the same setup."
She grinned when she found what she was looking for, "War and
Peace." She pulled the book forward, and the bookshelf slid
open, revealing a hidden staircase.

"After you?" Lucy motioned to the steps.

***

After finishing up the cleanup on the traffic intersection where
there had been a fifteen-car pileup Clark headed back home to
change. He scanned his apartment before landing and frowned when
he saw no sign of Lois or Lucy. He glanced at the time, uncertain
if they could have gone out for dinner. He quickly spun back into
his street clothes from earlier after closing the drapes and
window securely.

"Lois?"

He walked into the kitchen and found a note on the fridge.

*//Doing some research for Henderson. *

*Be back soon. *

*Don't worry.*

*- Me//*

He chuckled at the note from Lois then frowned when he saw
another note from Lucy at the bottom.

*//Your crazy girlfriend is breaking into Lex Luthor's penthouse
to find evidence. *

*If we're not back by seven. *

*Send help.*

*-Lucy//*

The note floated in the air as he spun into his suit on the way
toward Luthor Towers. He spied Luthor still at the press
conference with the Mayor and Governor below and sighed in
relief. Although it did make him feel better that Luthor wasn't
there it didn't change how dangerous this situation was.

***

"Who are you?" Lucy asked when they came face to face with a
dark hooded figure at the bottom of the stairs.

"A mutual acquaintance," was the response.

"You're the Batman," Lois said, recognizing him from the
description Clark had given her earlier.

"You've heard of me." He smiled, looking around, "I'd say it
was nice to meet you but breaking into Luthor's hidden office
isn't exactly the best hosting atmosphere." He waved them
toward the stairs.

"What? No! I came here for a reason..." Lois argued.

"It'll have to wait," Batman said, pulling out his watch to
show the coverage of Luthor's press conference coming to a
close.

A gust of wind filled the air, and she heard a familiar voice,
"What are you doing here?"

"Superman!" Lucy looked over at him in surprise.

"Same as your friends here. Looking for evidence." Batman waved
a mini disk in the air.

"It'll never hold up in a court of law," Clark argued angrily,
crossing his arms over his chest. "No, but it'll give me the
clues I need to make sure the police are on the right track." He
smirked at them, "If I were you I'd get out of here before
Luthor gets back. He left City Hall five minutes ago. It's a
ten-minute drive." With that, he shot a cord in the air and
swung toward the window near the roof.

Clark stared at the mysterious figure, watching as he exited
through the window. "So did Clark send you?" Lucy asked.

Remembering their current situation Lois sighed, turning toward
the very annoyed superhero. "I said not to worry."

He shook his head, "Let's go."

***

After dropping both Lois and Lucy off at the apartment and
returning again as Clark with the excuse of covering the press
conference from earlier Clark was quiet the rest of the evening.
He still couldn't believe Lois had done something so boneheaded
and dangerous. He hadn't said anything, afraid of losing his
temper and giving Lucy, even more, evidence to suspect a
connection between him and his alter ego. He'd remained quiet,
mulling over what to say until after Lucy turned in.

Lois set her laptop down on the counter, turning to face him as
he finished cleaning up his coffee mug from earlier. "So, are we
going to talk or are you going to just continue to ignore
everyone all evening?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Not sure what to say," he said, shaking his head. "I asked
you to be careful, and your response was to break into Luthor's
office."

Lois frowned, checking toward the living room where Lucy was
sleeping. "He wasn't there," she whispered. "I was trying to
find something...to tie that Darlene character to Mrs. Cox."

"By breaking and entering?" Clark challenged, crossing his arms
over his chest.

"By taking advantage of the moment," Lois challenged.

"Lois, you could have gotten yourself, and Lucy killed," Clark
snapped in a harsh whisper.

"I couldn't afford to wait for..." She looked again just to be
sure then continued. "You know who. I'm sorry I scared you, but
I wasn't going to just sit around and do nothing...We're so
close." She held her fingers together to emphasize her point.

"You should have waited for me," he argued. "You want to bring
him down? Fine. I want that too. What I don't want is to have
this case tossed because you and Lucy decided to play
detective." A loud beeping noise hit his ears, and he sighed,
"I...I've gotta go. Keep the doors locked and don't go on any
more adventures while I'm gone."

"Fine," Lois harrumphed, watching him change into the suit at
super-speed. He let out a long sigh then flew out the window.
"Great," Lois muttered to herself.

***

Above Wayne, Towers Clark landed on the roof where a monotone
beeping sound had attracted his attention. He found the
mysterious Batman typing away on a portable device. "Do you
mind?"

Clark motioned toward the computer and Batman nodded, turning the
sound off. Clark sighed in relief. "You're playing a dangerous
game. You could have gotten them killed."

"I didn't ask them to follow me," Batman shot back. "They
showed up. I was trying to get your girlfriend out of there when
you showed up."

"She is not..." Clark began to argue, but stopped when Batman
smirked at him. "It's complicated."

"I'm sure." He handed Clark a copy of the mini disk. "You
want Luthor?" He nodded, "Here are the breadcrumbs."

"Thanks?" Clark said uncertainly, taking the disk from him.

"We're on the same side, Superman. We both want Luthor to pay
for his crimes. Why don't you stop trying to do this alone and
accept some help?"

"Help?" He asked, "You don't exactly have the best image."
Clark snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, but I have stealth skills that allow me to get into places
your flashy costume won't let you go," Batman shot back. "Not
exactly subtle, is it?"

"My mother made it for me," Clark said sternly, growing
impatient with the conversation.

"As I said, not subtle." He looked back at Clark, "Luthor has
you in his crosshairs. Me not so much."

"You have a real problem with him, don't you?" Clark asked,
noting the tone of Batman's voice.

"He killed someone I cared about. Let's leave it at that."

"I'm sorry," Clark apologized. "I didn't know."

"It's in the past," he said walking toward the edge. "Take a
look at the disk. It's all of Luthor's black market files.
Maybe more." He waved at Clark, "See you around." He
disappeared, shooting a cord across the street and swinging into
a hidden alley. Clark shook his head, uncertain of his encounter
with the mysterious man. He did things differently, but he seemed
intent on the same goal as he and Lois, finding a way to stop
Luthor. It couldn't hurt to check out what he'd found.

***

When he arrived back home, Clark found Lois curled up in bed,
fast asleep. He changed out of his suit and into boxers and a
t-shirt, leaning in to kiss her forehead before turning the light
out. He still had the disk Batman had given him earlier. Knowing
full well he wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing what was
on it, he headed for the kitchen to boot the laptop up and begin
sorting through what his mysterious swinging friend had found.

***

Fuentes pulled out his phone, "Yes, sir?" He looked around
nervously. "The Superman problem has been taken care of. No
witnesses and no evidence." He nodded as he listened, looking
around the Kent farm he was on. "No, sir, no problem at all."
He hung the phone up and looked toward the Kents and Ellen Lane,
"Remember, you cannot be seen. No neighbors. No deliveries.
Nothing."

"I don't understand." Ellen said softly, "Why are you helping
us?"

"Let's just say I know a bad deal when I see it," he sniffed.

***

Lois groaned when she woke up the next morning, finding Clark's
side of the bed not slept in again. She heard the rapid typing
from out in the kitchen and swung her legs over the side of the
bed, heading into the kitchen to find Clark typing away at his
laptop at super-speed. Her eyes widened slightly, and she glanced
into the living room to see Lucy still sleeping. She walked up
behind him, taking a seat on the chair next to him. "Lucy is
going to catch you one of these days," she commented.

He shook his head, not looking up from the screen. "I've had my
super-hearing tuned in to know when she wakes up. Trying to get
through these files."

"What files?" Lois asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Blackmarket files of Luthor's criminal organization," Clark
said grimly. "He's got everything from bought and paid
politicians to a detailed list of hired guns to handle enforcing
his business..." He shook his head in disgust.

"Nice. Where'd you get all that?"

"Our rope swinging friend from last night," Clark explained,
not looking up. "He was the one calling..."

"Oh, so you weren't avoiding me," Lois asked cautiously.

He looked up at her in surprise, "Avoiding you?"

She shrugged, "Well..."

"I was upset and annoyed that you didn't listen, but I'm not
going to avoid you." He said taking her hand in his. "We have
enough issues trying to find any time alone these days." He
whispered, gesturing toward the laptop.

She gave him a slow smile, "Tell me about it." She leaned in to
kiss him. "I'm sorry I scared you. I just...panicked when
Henderson said he couldn't do anything with what we had."

"Lois, he's not going to get away with this," Clark promised,
taking her hand in his.

"He already has," Lois said, shaking her head. "Nobody is
going to go against the man signing the big fat endorsement
checks for them to run for office." Something clicked in her
mind, and she stopped.

"What is it?" He asked.

"That's it," she whispered, recalling her conversation with
Jimmy.

"What's it?" He asked.

"Politicians," she breathed. "What politicians did he have on
his payroll. Can you pull it up?"

"Couple of senators. The Mayor. A few judges..." Clark read
off.

"What judges?" Lois asked, "Does it say?"

"Ryan. Menken. Stephens and..."

"Stephens??" Lois asked, "As in George Stephens? The same
judge presiding over Jimmy's case?"

Clark nodded, "The very same." He looked at her in concern.
"What is this about?"

"Jimmy said he was researching a dirty politician in City Hall.
Stephens was fixing to run for Senate..."

"You think it might have been related?" Clark wondered aloud.

"Lex has no real reason for going after Jimmy," Lois pointed
out. "What else is on there?"

***

The more they dug, the more and more everything was coming
together. The original video of

John Black and Detective Jenkins from inside the Planet
exchanging money, directions, and the bag with the explosives in
it had been on the disk, marked as 'insurance' to ensure John
Black cooperated and kept his mouth shut.

"John Black's rap sheet," Lois tapped her hand on the paper,
reading the rap sheet in front of her.

"Background check and notes from Agent Davenport," Clark said,
handing the notepad to her, "He'll basically do anything he's
paid to do: break in, plant explosives, anything." Clark smirked
as he added, "He's also a class world snitch." He took a bite
of his potato chip.

"Snitch, huh?" Lois read through his file. "What's his
connection to Jenkins and Harris?"

"According to the surveillance tape, Harris and Jenkins were
passing off the explosives to John Black who..." Clark pulled
out the security stills of John Black pulling out the explosives
from the bag he was handed. "..planted the bombs."

"So, who hired him?" Lois asked. "Surely Lex didn't do this
himself.

"Nope," he pulled out the statement they had from John Black
earlier that day, "The Boss hired him to plant the bombs, clean
out the detective's apartments and to arrange a switch of
medication in Detective Jenkins room...all through an offshore
account. No face to face meeting though."

"Really?" Lois said, taking the statement from him.

"Looking back at our original case against him..." Clark
pointed at his notes, "Just about every criminal element in
Metropolis was paying protection money to this shadowy figure
they called The Boss. If we can get your dad and Monique to
testify that Luthor is the boss..."

"We'll have him," Lois said smugly.

"Smoking gun," Clark whispered, leaning in to kiss her.
"Jimmy's as good as free."

"Even with a corrupt DA and Judge?" She asked.

He grinned, pulling out the mockup of Perry's next edition for
her, "Apparently a new judge is being assigned to the case.
He's holding an evidentiary hearing after Henderson brought his
attention to the new evidence. We just gotta wait."

***

*One Week Later...*

The courtroom seemed to double in size as the judge entered the
room. "All rise for the Honorable Chief Justice Patterson!" the
bailiff called out.

Jimmy looked to Constance who squeezed his hand as he stood to
his feet. It was the first time in weeks he'd been in something
other than a jumpsuit with a number printed on it. His number.

N04999. He'd had to memorize it for every bed check. Every meal.
Every visit. Everything. N04999. Now here he was in the courtroom
with a surprise court date he hadn't even been told about with a
completely different judge. He scanned the empty gallery behind
him and to his surprise spotted Lois, Clark, and Lucy waiting
with Perry a few rows behind him.

Clark nodded to him with a supportive smile, and he nodded,
turning his attention back to the judge as he took his seat.
"The court will now hear the case of The State vs. James Olsen
in this evidentiary hearing." Judge Patterson banged his gavel,
"Counselors?"

"Uh, Your Honor?" DA Clemmons looked at the judge in surprise.

"Something wrong, Mr. Clemmons? Spit it out," he gestured for
DA Clemmons to speak.

"I'm just trying to understand the need for this hearing. Judge
Stephens already ruled..."

"Well, Judge Stephens isn't here, is he?" Judge Patterson gave
Clemmons a stern look. "And before I waste the taxpayers time
and money on a case where you have two defendants charged for the
same crime I want to hear the evidence. As Chief Justice I think
I've earned that right, don't you?"

"Yes, your honor," Clemmons stammered.

Jimmy looked over at Constance who was smirking to herself but
didn't say anything.

"The state will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that James
Olsen maliciously..."

"Save the theatrics, counselor. Evidence. Where is your
evidence?" Patterson repeated.

"My, my evidence is that..." He stammered.

Patterson hung his head in frustration, pointing at the case
jacket in front of him, "I have evidence from the lead detective
on this case pointing at two other individuals responsible for
this crime. Where is your evidence to keep your case against
James Olsen open?"

Constance decided to intervene as Clemmons began sifting through
his file jacket nervously, "If I may, your honor?" She held her
hand up.

Patterson nodded, "Please!"

"What DA Clemmons and the state have yet to acknowledge for
these past few weeks is how weak their case is. James Olsen was
first charged for this crime by the very officers being indicted
for the same crime. It is a clear attempt at scapegoating James
Olsen for their crimes..."

Patterson gave DA Clemmons a stern look, "Is this true, Mr.
Clemmons?"

"Your honor! James Olsen's father was proven a spy for the NIA!
He sat in this courtroom and admitted so much on that stand!" He
pointed to the witness stand.

"I don't care if he's the Jolly Green Giant! What does that
have to do with this case?" Judge Patterson asked.

"I..."

Patterson, fed up banged his gavel, "I'm citing malicious
prosecution against the District Attorney's office and demanding
James Olsen be released from custody immediately. This case is
dismissed for lack of evidence *with* prejudice." He glared at
Clemmons as he scribbled on the case jacket in front of him,
"Mr. Clemmons I want to see you in my chambers when we're done
here." He snapped irritably before turning to Jimmy. "Mr.
Olsen, the court apologizes profusely for this gross injustice.
You are free to go."

***

"Judge Stephens will have to face the Bar Committee and is
looking at federal charges," Davenport explained as he paced in
front of his director. "It didn't sit well with me that so much
effort was being put into framing this kid for a crime he didn't
commit, so I did a little digging. Apparently one of the
reporters at the Planet, Ralph was fixing to run a big expose on
Stephens corruption. Guess who did the research?"

"James Olsen," Victor said, looking at the evidence in front of
him.

"Stephens was on Luthor's payroll so Luthor took care of the
problem for him so he could keep his bought and paid for judge
happy. It turns out; the next move was for him to run for Senate.
If this story had been run like it was supposed to it would have
ruined Stephens and any chance of him winning a seat in the
Senate."

"So that's why Luthor tried to buy the Planet? To stop a
story?"

"No, he was trying to control the media. He had all the
television networks in Metropolis, and now he wanted the print.
Stopping that story was just an added bonus," Davenport
explained. "We've got eyewitness testimony linking Lex Luthor
to all 'boss' crimes in Metropolis and," he pointed to a large
briefcase on his desk, "I've got him on tape admitting to it
all."

"Go pick him up," Victor nodded.

"Yes, sir."

***

Mayson Drake pushed through the doors of the Metropolis P.D. with
Bill Henderson and Agent Jack Davenport and Agent Christine Woods
in tow. "Listen up, everyone! This is a Federal Warrant issued
by the Federal Court to take over all pending investigations at
the Metropolis P.D. Everyone step away from your desks and line
up against the wall. I don't care about your rank, tenure, or
name. Everyone line up!"

***

Lois felt her legs quiver of anticipation as she stared at the
pink and white bag in front of her. It had been over a month
since her attack. Six weeks to be exact. Her scars and bruises
had faded. The aches and pains were gone. All that was left was
her emotional roadblocks that had kept her and Clark from
resuming what had been a very active love life.

They'd come close. Very close.

It had taken time, but the more the bruises healed, the more
comfortable she came with letting those close to her in again;
especially Clark. With some encouragement from her therapist and
some very heated make-out sessions with Clark, she'd been able
to work through her qualms about him lying on top of her and even
having her neck touched. He was still very hesitant since her
failed attempt at seducing him a month ago. It had been too soon.
She knew that now. She was angry with herself and angry at the
world for what had happened. It amazed her how patient Clark had
been, finding different ways to show how much he cared in a look
or caress.

It was something they both knew would take time. She pulled out
the red and black garment, holding it up to herself. She was
ready. They were ready. She ran her hand over her chest,
imagining Clark's hands on her for a moment and smiled. She'd
been ready for a week now, but the timing seemed to be working
against her. She'd planned this evening out for the last few
days, ensuring nothing would get in the way.

Jimmy was out of jail and had been practically joined at the hip
with Lucy. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration dinner for
Jimmy's release and the announcement of the reopening of the
Daily Planet in just six short weeks. Bruce Wayne had gone all
out for this black tie affair, and she had every intention of
celebrating in her own way once she and Clark got back to his
apartment.

After slipping the new lingerie on with a long floor-length
burgundy gown, she examined herself in the mirror. Ever since
Clark had let it slip how much he liked seeing her in burgundy,
she'd made an effort to find every form fitting outfit she could
find in the color. Tonight was no different. The sheer material
that hung on the silk skirt of her dress accented her curves in
just the right way. The lace beaded bodice added the right
texture and contrast with her sheer shoulder length straps.

She checked her makeup one last time before she checked the time.
Almost six thirty. Just as she began to wonder if a disaster had
come up on Clark's patrol her answer had been answered by the
news coverage on the television, "Another power surge has
gripped the city this time knocking out the power for the entire
Metropolis Transit Authority's transit line. Four trains filled
with passengers are currently trapped on the line..."

Lois sighed, grabbing her purse as she saw the image of Superman
flying through the tunnels, "Be careful," she whispered,
turning to leave, locking the door behind her.

***

Ralph popped the bottle of champagne and poured the bubbling
liquid into everyone's glasses with a broad smile, "Here
here!"

"Thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight," Bruce Wayne held
up his glass of champagne, looking toward the other members of
the press and his investors with a smile, "While you're all
eating my food, drinking my liquor..." There was a chuckle in
the crowd, "I wanted to make two very big announcements. Our
first is the reopening of the Daily Planet has been confirmed
with all the inspectors. We will be moved back into the original
Daily Planet building starting end of next month."

There was a loud eruption of applause in the crowd. Lois heard
Jimmy and Perry whistle from the corner she was standing in and
smiled. Not that it wasn't nice to have a more up to date office
complex to work in, but there was something comforting about
being in the Daily Planet newsroom again amidst the hustle and
bustle.

"Our next announcement has to do with a certain young man this
paper has worked tirelessly to see cleared of any wrongdoing,"
Bruce continued, looking toward Jimmy. "The amount of corruption
that allowed the injustice of his arrest to go on for as long as
it did still astounds me. Welcome home, Mr. Olsen!"

Jimmy grinned ear to ear, holding his glass of champagne up with
one hand and his other arm around Lucy. Lois smiled, looking
around the room, watching her young friend finally enjoy his
freedom. It was long overdue. "I'm not that great at speeches
so bear with me," Jimmy chuckled, looking around the room with a
grin. "I just want to thank you guys for everything you did for
me. You never gave up even when every door kept slamming in your
face; you never gave up. Thank you." He looked tenderly at Lucy
who smiled back at him. Everyone clinked their glasses and took a
sip. Jimmy looked back at Lucy and leaned in to kiss her before
turning away nervously.

Lois caught the gesture keeping a mental note to ask Lucy about
it later as she took a sip from her glass. Two strong arms
wrapped around her waist from behind and she grinned feeling
Clark's lips press against the back of her neck, "Hey, you,"
he whispered, running his lips down the curve of her neck.

"Hey," she handed him his glass, "You missed Jimmy's
speech."

"Subway underground got trapped from another power surge.
Superman had to move the train to the next station," he
explained, running his hands up her ribcage, nibbling at the
sensitive flesh on the nape of her neck. "You look ...
incredible," he whispered huskily.

"We're in public," she reminded him, not making any move to
discourage him. She smiled to herself as his hands nestled
themselves inside the shawl she had draped over her shoulders and
rested hands against her ribcage just high enough to be treading
on dangerous territory but low enough to be considered
appropriate for public.

"When has that discouraged you?" He whispered in a teasing
tone.

She giggled, turning to look at him, "Would it be terrible if we
left early?" She reached behind her, running her hand up his
thigh as she sighed.

He was wearing a black tux with a crisp white button down shirt,
and he really looked good. She'd planned on teasing him on the
dance floor a little before dragging him back to the apartment to
the very big bed they shared... but the idea of staying here any
longer than she had to when her mind kept reminding her of her
plans...

"You look gorgeous," he whispered in her ear.

She eyed the dark tux he was wearing and how it fit him in just
the right place, "You look very..." She let out a soft moan,
running her hand down his left thigh, "I had this long night
planned but..."

He jumped slightly when she reached a little higher and grinned
back at him, "Lois!" He whispered, moving her hand away from
his thigh, turning her in his arms to look at her.

She grinned nervously, "I, um, it's been a long week," she
whispered shyly, linking her arms over his neck as she whispered,
"And an even longer six weeks." She moved closer, running her
hands down the front of his chest seductively, "Six very long
weeks without any..."

"Hey, CK!" Jimmy interrupted, walking up to them. "What
happened to you? Lois said you were caught in traffic?"

Clark chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I, um, was on the Transit when
it stalled from another power surge earlier. It took a few hours
to get out of there," he explained quickly to his young friend,
"Uh, how are you doing?"

"Good." Jimmy nodded, "Ms. Hunter says I'm due some
compensation since the Metropolis P.D. was deemed at fault with
the connections to Harris and Jenkins. Got an offer this
afternoon," he let out a low whistle. "Let's just say I won't
have to worry about my student loans any more if I take it."

"That's good." He patted his young friend on the arm. "You
deserve that and more for what they put you through."

"Who deserves what?" Lucy asked, walking up to them with a
glass of champagne in her hands.

"I was just telling CK about the offer I got this afternoon,"
Jimmy explained, catching her up.

"Crazy how much money gets thrown at you when the Chief Justice
slaps an Ethics Violation against the District Attorney's
office, isn't it?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Well, at least they're cleaning up the corruption," Lois
pointed out. "A new police commissioner has been named. The cops
that were found to be on LexCorp payroll have been placed on
leave pending an investigation from IAB. It's a start. It's not
a solution yet, but it's a start."

"Definitely," Clark nodded, tightening his arm around her
waist.

"Hey, after all the things I saw I'm just glad to be out and
away from the jail and courthouses," Jimmy grinned. He patted
Clark on the shoulder, looking between him and Lois, "Thanks for
sticking by me. I know with everything else going on it wasn't
easy to stay on my case but you did, and I really appreciate
it."

"Anytime," Lois said, then nodded toward Lucy, "You know Lucy
helped out a lot. She helped find the image still with Jenkins in
it."

"That's how they were able to find the real bomber," Clark
added.

"It was a joint effort." Lucy reassured Jimmy, "But enough
about the case. It's supposed to be a party. Have fun." She
threw Lois a quick wink before dragging Jimmy toward the open
dance floor where several couples had already made their way and
were dancing to the live band's music.

Clark laughed, "I'm not sure if that was a subtle hint to leave
or follow them."

Lois grinned back at him, "I'd be okay with the former. Do you
realize this is the first time we've had a single night alone
together in eight days?"

"It's been a busy few weeks," Clark reasoned, pulling her
closer.

"I'll say," Lois breathed as she molded her body against his.

He groaned against her, "Keep that up, and ..."

She looked around to see if anyone was paying them any attention
and whispered in his ear, "Maybe I want to ..." She trailed
off, meeting his surprised gaze, slipping her arms around his
waist. He looked really *really* good in his tux. Black really
was his color.

"Maybe I want to take you home and kiss every inch of your
body..." He leered at her hungrily.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered.

***

They made their way into the apartment, not breaking contact for
a minute as Lois pulled Clark to the bedroom.

"You sure you're...oh!" Clark groaned his approval as she
reached between their bodies, fingering the waistband of his
trousers. He sighed his approval, running his hands down the back
of her dress. His jacket fell to the floor as she began working
on the buttons of his dress shirt.

"Yes." She whispered against his lips, "Very ready."

He lowered the zipper to her dress, exposing the black and red
silk beneath. She turned her head, looking back at him with a
seductive smile as the dress fell to the floor. She took a seat
on the edge of the bed, leaning halfway back and giving him a
chance to take the sight of her in.

"You were saying?" She whispered innocently, but there was
nothing innocent about the gaze she was giving him or the very
incredibly sexy lingerie she had on.

He closed the door behind him, being sure to lock it as he strode
toward her, looking around the room that was set up with candles
around the bed. "Perfect."

She ran a hand down her long legs seductively, "You like?"

"Perfect," he repeated again huskily, moving to where he was
standing over her next to the bed. She smiled, repositioning
herself on her knees as she hooked her arms around his neck. He
gazed down at the red and black silk and lace corset wrapped
around her body so perfectly. "You look...wow..."

She loosened his bow tie, then began working on the buttons to
his shirt, "You are overdressed, Mr. Kent," she whispered,
leaning in to kiss him.

"Am I?" He teased his eyes dancing.

She ran a hand through the back of his hair, "I've been
planning tonight for a few days."

"I can tell," he glanced down at the ensemble she wore.

"Wanted it to be special," she whispered in his ear.

"You look...gorgeous," he whispered, cupping her cheek.

She eyed him appreciatively, "You're still overdressed."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, "Let's see
what we can do about that..."

***

Dr. Kelly threw the switch and the room filled with a blinding
light. Resplendent Man and the rat both lit up in an electric
blue as the meter needle dropped down slower. She stared at the
rat and Resplendent Man with a curse when nothing happened, "I
am duplicating cloud-to-ground lightning... The negatively
charged atoms move downward to meet the positively charged --
That's it! That's it! I didn't account for the action of the
return stroke!"

She typed a few buttons on her keyboard and Lex came to stand
behind her. "Have we got it?"

"I think so," she smiled. "One way to find out." She flipped
the switch once more, and the room flashed in electric blue once
more.

***

Clark smiled to himself as he watched Lois sleep. Everything
seemed to finally be falling into place. A federal order for
arrest had been issued for Lex Luthor's arrest in connection
with racketeering. Jimmy was home safe, cleared of all wrong
doing, the real bombers of the Planet had been charged and would
be serving time for their part in the arson of the Planet. Now,
six weeks after Luthor's attack they were finally back in a good
place again. She was back to being his Lois. Fearless, and bold,
jumping in without looking and fighting with all her might for
what she thought was right.

He brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face with his thumb,
smiling down at her. Her legs were still entangled with his from
the night before. "I love you, Lois Lane," he whispered softly
leaning in to kiss her.

She sighed against him, "I love you too."

He smiled, running his palm down the side of her cheek,
"Morning."

"Morning," she whispered back with a grin, stretching her arms
up over her head.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked.

"Better than I have in weeks," she smiled at him, looking at
him through her long eyelashes.

"Good," he sighed, leaning in to kiss her, rolling them over,
so she was cradled in his arms securely as he stroked her cheek,
meeting her gaze. "I've missed you...this," he whispered.

She reached up to outline his jaw with her palm, "I've missed
you too...so much." She leaned in to kiss him. "You've
been...incredible through all of this. I don't know how I would
have gotten through it without you."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't do more," he whispered back. She
rested her head against his cheek, and he held her close. There
were so many things he wanted to say. Finding the right words
right now seemed impossible so he settled for a simple statement.
"You know I was thinking maybe we should get a moving truck."

"A moving truck?" She looked at him confused.

"For you to move in here...officially," he whispered shyly.

She grinned back at him, "I think I'm already moved in."

"I don't mean moving here because you're in danger and half
your stuff is back at your apartment." He whispered, cupping her
face with his cheek, "I mean move in here because you want
to."

She smiled back at him, bringing her right leg up over his hip,
"Okay."

He smiled back, leaning in to kiss her. "Okay."

The lights flickered, and there was long hum from the kitchen. He
groaned, pulling away, "What now?"

"At least we got one night free," Lois offered, watching him
get out of bed and spin into his suit at super-speed.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

***

Davenport read off the list of charges, "Let's see, George
Stephens. What do we have here?"

"I've already asked for my attorney," Stephens interrupted.

"I'm just talking. You don't have to respond," he shot back.
He let out a low whistle. "Westman, huh? So you went to school
with all the muckety mucks like Bruce Wayne, Bob Fences, Lex
Luthor...huh?"

"Is that a question, Agent Davenport?"

"Just making conversation," Davenport shrugged. "Geez, you're
so sensitive. You gotta learn to lighten up."

"If you think you're going to get me to break down and confess
or give you anything you're..."

"Who says I need you to give me anything?" Davenport asked.
"Seems to me you're set up nice and pretty...until you take the
fall."

"What are you talking about?" Stephens spat irritably.

"Who's your attorney, Sheldon Bender?" Davenport asked. From
the nod of Stephens' head, he knew he was right. "You called
him almost a day ago, and he still hasn't shown up. Wanna know
why?" Stephens didn't respond. "Oh, it's okay this is
completely off the record. The reason why your attorney isn't
calling you back is he's busy setting you up to take the fall
for this whole scheme of Luthor's. This morning over five
hundred million dollars in transactions magically appeared in
your offshore accounts."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Stephens scoffed.

"I never kid about money." Davenport laid the printouts in his
hand in front of Stephens. "So, it seems to me like you've got
two options: You could either a) go along with this ridiculous
charade and not cooperate with us and be Lex Luthor's fall guy.
Or you could b) cooperate with us and give me what I need to seal
the lock on Luthor's cage for the next nine hundred years." He
held his hands up, giving the impression of teetering a see-saw.
"A or B. A or B. Tick tock your honor."

"I want immunity."

"I can't give you immunity."

"Then what can you give me?"

"I can recommend a lighter sentence and save you from losing
your bar license after you serve your time. So instead of serving
twenty to life, you'd be looking at around ten years. You could
be out in five on good behavior."

"And the money?"

"It all has to go back."

"What about my family?"

"They'd be protected. We can ensure a new identity for you and
your family after your release." He handed him the proposed plea
agreement. "You agree to surrender your bar license for the time
of ten years and serve your sentence in a minimum security
facility. In return, you will be reinstated after the terms of
your agreement have been met to practice law in the private
sector. Which is a lot better than you deserve."

"It's not that simple. It's not just black and white..."
Stephens tried to argue.

"Tick tock. Tick Tock," Davenport counted down.

"Give me a pen."

***

"No, mom, I haven't heard from daddy yet," Lois said with her
cell phone cradled between her neck and shoulders as she helped
Lucy move the rest of her boxes from her bedroom of her old
apartment and into the main living area.

"Why? Because I guess the FBI doesn't think calling us is high
on the priority list when they're trying to keep him out of
sight. I don't know, mom."

Lucy mouthed to her 'Have you told her?'

Lois shook her head adamantly, "Yes, I know this is hard on you,
mother. Well, I'm sorry you had to double your medication...Yes,
I know medication isn't cheap, mother."

Lucy made a symbol with her hand imitating the tirade Ellen was
on, and Lois shushed her, 'Stop it.' She mouthed.

"Over?" She sighed, "I don't know mom. Lex Luthor is still on
the run. No one's been able to find him...I know you want to
come back to Metropolis but...Of course, we want you back. Don't
be ridiculous! It's just not safe," Lois shuddered, looking
around the apartment. "Yes, I know what I'm talking about,
Mother. It is not safe. You have no idea what that man is capable
of...and..."

Lucy grabbed the phone, "Mom, sorry we're going to have to let
you go. I think we've got a lead on Lex Luthor. Call you back
soon. Love you bye." Before she could give Ellen Lane a chance
to respond, she hung up the phone, clapping the flip phone
closed.

"Lucy!" Lois admonished.

"Someone had to do it, and you certainly weren't going to."
Lucy rolled her eyes, "It took you weeks to get yourself back to
a somewhat normal self, and I'm not going to have you go off the
deep end again from listening to mom."

Lois sighed, "You're a little on the over the protective side
you know that?"

"Yeah, well I learned it from this really annoying and bratty
sister of mine," Lucy grinned, hooking her arm over her
shoulders.

"Bratty?" Lois glared back at her, "Who are you calling
bratty?"

"Hmm, you're right. Bossy. Bossy," Lucy corrected.

Lois laughed, looking around at the apartment in disarray, "You
sure about this?"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, it's time. After what happened I can't
live here, and I *know* as sweet as Clark has been keeping me at
his apartment with you I'm cramping on you guys' alone time.
Marci's got an extra room at her place, and she's only charging
half of what the typical rent is for a room on that side of town.
I'll be fine." She still wasn't sure she liked the idea of
Lucy moving that far away; especially with Lex's whereabouts
still unknown.

"But Luce..."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Lois, I'll be fine. I promise. If Lex
Luthor shows up, I'll be sure to have my 9mm handy..." She
winked at her.

"Not funny," Lois shot back.

"I know. Too soon," Lucy sighed, resting her head on her
shoulder. "I'll be fine. It's like a block away from Jimmy's
and from what Bill Henderson said it's on his route home so if
you're that worried you can have him check on me if it makes you
feel better."

"I just might," Lois said with a soft smile. "It's just weird
you being in Metropolis and not...living together."

"I know," Lucy smiled back at her. "I'm surprised you put up
with me for as long as you did." She bumped her hip, teasing
her. "I am going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Luce," She sighed, looking back toward the
stack of boxes. "What time is the moving truck coming?"

"In about half an hour," Lucy explained, looking at her watch.
"I guess we got more done than I thought we would have this
morning."

"Yeah," Lois whispered with a smile.

"When's Clark coming back with those pizzas?" Lucy commented,
"I'm getting hungry."

"Oh, he'll be back as soon as he can." Lois said quickly,
"Sometimes it takes the place a little longer to get the pizza
just right."

"I'll have to get him to show me where he finds these places.
How is it we lived in Metropolis all our lives and never found
any of these authentic restaurants he's found in less than a
year's time?"

Lois shrugged, "I don't..." The jiggle of the keys in the
front door echoed and they both jumped. Lois looked over at the
door as it cracked open with the chain still on it. "It's
fine..." She said nervously. "That's probably Clark right
now."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded nervously.

"Lois?" Clark's voice echoed from the other side of the door,
and they both sighed in relief.

"Coming!"

"See? We're both jumping like rabbits at the slightest sound,"
Lucy shot back. "It's time."

***

"Microchips were ingrained into the silver with a small set of
tongs when positioned right onto the muscle will turn an ordinary
muscular tissue into..." Sam applied the chip to the tissue to
demonstrate. "Something extraordinary."

"Remarkable," Lucius commented, looking at the change through
the microscope.

***

Clark finished unpacking the last of Lois' boxes from the truck
into the living room and smiled to himself. She had gone with
Lucy and Jimmy to help Lucy unpack at her new roommate's place,
and he suspected probably inspect the place. He'd had to
practically shove Jimmy out the door when he'd offered to stay
and help unpack. Thankfully Jimmy had been more interested in
spending time with Lucy at the moment. Once they were gone a
super dash to the truck, and a few minutes later everything was
in the apartment. He'd wait for the actual unpacking of boxes
when Lois got back. For now, it was perfect.

His hand closed around the black velvet box in his pocket. It had
taken everything in him not to say anything these past few weeks,
but now that the stress had subsided and the case against Luthor
was moving forward; it was the perfect time. He was going to ask
Lois to marry him tonight.

***

Dr. Kelly threw the switch and the room filled with a blinding
light. Resplendent Man lit up in an electric blue as the meter
needle dropped down slower. She stared at the rat carefully
lifting the glass casing.

Resplendent Man looked at her annoyed, "What do you expect that
darn rat to...?"

In a brown blur, the rat disappeared, burrowing a hole into the
wall behind them. Lex came up behind Dr. Kelly, running his hands
up and down her shoulders, "You've done it, darling."

"We've done it, Lex," she corrected, leaning into him for a
soulful kiss.

***

*Six Months Ago...*

"What am I doing here?" Fuentes looked around the room
uncertainly. "You can't talk to me without my lawyer."

"Your lawyer will be here soon enough," Agent Davenport said,
taking a seat across from him. "I'm here to cut you the deal of
a lifetime...if you want it that is."

"Deal? What kind of deal?" Fuentes asked curiously.

"Help bring down Lex Luthor."

"No way," Fuentes scoffed. "I'm not going anywhere near that
..."

"Well, then I guess you'll enjoy your fifteen to twenty-year
sentence in Federal Prison. I hear the government is really
cracking down on terrorism." Davenport stood up walking toward
the door.

"Wait!" Davenport turned back to Fuentes.

"Yes?"

"What do I have to do?"

"Get him to trust you," Davenport said with a smile.

***

*Present Day...*

Ellen paced around the farmhouse nervously. "How long do we have
to stay hidden?"

Fuentes looked toward the window cautiously, "I haven't gotten
word yet that they've gotten Mr. Luthor in custody yet. Once him
and his team are in custody it'll be safe," he reassured her.

Jonathan pointed to the table, "Ellen, why don't you have a
seat?" He stood up, crossing the room to her, "All this pacing
is making all of us nervous I think."

Ellen nodded, taking her seat next to Martha who was quietly
sipping her iced tea. "I'm not nervous I'm angry. I'm scared
and..."

"What is it?" Martha asked, placing a hand over hers.

"I don't know how to explain it," she said hoarsely.
"Something is...wrong. Really really wrong. I can sense it. I
can feel it. Ever since they left last month..." Ellen said
shakily. "She doesn't call. When I do get her on the phone,
Lucy is cutting the conversation short." Ellen wagged her finger
in the air, "Something is wrong."

Martha looked toward Jonathan unsure what to say. She squeezed
Ellen's hand, "Hopefully this will be over soon, and you can
get to the bottom of it."

***

"In breaking news tonight, a federal warrant has been issued for
reclusive billionaire and philanthropist, Lex Luthor. He's being
charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit fraud on a
federal level. A list of alleged dirty politicians made its way
to all news networks late this afternoon. If this list is
confirmed we're looking at having almost the entire Senate and
House replaced. This could be a turning point in next year's
election..."

***

"Lucy get unpacked okay?" Clark asked, helping Lois fold up the
last of the empty boxes they'd unpacked.

Lois nodded, setting the folded box with the stack behind her,
"Yeah, she's unpacked and already enjoying some time with her
roommate." She grinned, "She's nice."

"I think you're a little over-protective," he noted with a
smile.

"Me? Never," she laughed sarcastically.

He smiled back at her, setting the last of the boxes in a pile on
the floor. "You miss her?"

"A little." She admitted sheepishly, "but she was right. It
was time."

"She didn't move back to the apartment," he reminded her.
"She's in a safe neighborhood."

"Lex is on the run...*again*," Lois said softly.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. "I'm not
going to let anything happen to you." He promised, leaning in to
kiss her cheek, "or Lucy."

"I know," she sighed, leaning back into his arms. "I think
I'm still in reactive mode. Ever since the Planet..."

"We've all been in survival mode," he added, understanding.
"It's over though," he reminded her. "He's on the run, but
from the police scans I've heard this evening, they're getting
pretty close. They've got Nigel in custody along with his
manservant, Asabi."

"Mrs. Cox?" Lois asked shakily.

"Still on the run," Clark said, cupping her cheek. "I'm sure
when they find her they'll find Luthor."

"You know what I want?" She whispered, leaning into him.

"A Pulitzer," he grinned back at her.

"Besides that," she swatted him playfully. "They don't review
those till after Kerth season which isn't until October."

"Right, sorry. Three months away," he grinned. "You were
saying?"

"Yes," she stepped toward, him running her hands up his chest
and looping her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. "I was
saying what I really really want is to go flying with you and not
have to think about the insanity that's been going on these past
few months."

He grinned back at her, "Well I was going to suggest a flight
after dinner..." He began, taking her left hand in his, pulling
it toward him as he interlaced his fingers with hers. "I thought
maybe we could go out..."

"With Lex still on the run?" Lois looked at him wryly. "Every
place within a fifty-mile block has to abide by a nine o'clock
curfew."

"Yeah, but see I've got this friend that owes me...constantly
butting in at the worst time with these calls for help...owes me
a free flight or two. Anywhere you want."

Her eyes sparkled, "Anywhere?"

He looked at the time, "It's only five in the afternoon in
Venice right now. There's this really great place I want you to
try..."

"Sounds like you've got this planned out," she observed.

"I figured we were both in need of a night out," he whispered,
cupping her face.

"I could do Venice," she smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him.
"Just give me a few minutes to shower and change."

His eyes did a little dance, "I'll be right here."

***

"We know you were Luthor's right-hand man. We know you helped
him run his organization." Davenport paced in front of Nigel St.
John with a smug grin. "You cooperate and tell us where he is,
and this will go a lot easier on you."

Nigel stared coldly back at him, "What makes you think I'd do
anything to help you, Mr. Davenport?"

"Because I think beneath that English accent and code of loyalty
you're no different than any of the officials we had drug in
here. You want to save your own skin."

Nigel stared at him with a scowl, "I've yet to hear an offer
that interests me, Mr. Davenport."

***

Lois felt the cool breeze against the back of her neck and smiled
against the blue spandex as Clark pulled her closer. The lights
of the city below came into view as they came in for a landing in
a small street. She gave him a peck on the cheek as he set her
down on her feet, "Thanks for the flight."

He smiled, pulling away to change back into his charcoal suit.
Within a blink of an eye, he was readjusting his glasses and
taking her hand, walking her toward a small restaurant named,
*'Venezia in Amore'*

She looked around the intimate setting as they walked up the
steps, "The view is beautiful here," she breathed, looking out
at the canal.

Clark smiled, cupping her cheek with his palm, "I hadn't
noticed." She was wearing a long black knit dress with spaghetti
straps, and her hair was curled, hanging down to her shoulders.

She blushed, leaning in to kiss him just as the host returned to
the door. "Signore Kent!" He greeted with a smile, holding the
menus in his hand. "I see you brought your signora," he spoke
in a thick Italian accent but knew his English well.

He guided them to their table outside, overlooking the canal and
the city as the sun began to set. Their server came within a few
minutes with a bottle of wine and glasses. They placed their
orders, and he left them to enjoy the view.

"This is incredible," Lois breathed, looking out at the
gondolas with lanterns and gondoliers taking people across the
Grand Canal.

"Venice was one of the first places I came to when I was
traveling after college. I came across this place by accident.
It's small and quaint, but the food is incredible," He smiled
at her, holding his glass up, "The company's even better this
time though."

She grinned, holding her glass up to meet his in a soft clink,
"To good company." She took a sip of her wine, letting the
flavor resonate on her tongue as she looked back at Clark.

It had been an intense few months. To think it had only been six
months ago that they had narrowly escaped the hostage situation
at the Planet and she had been casually dating Lex Luthor...It
scared her to think what might have happened had she not taken
Clark's advice to heart. Had she not asked him about his
warning...

Would she ever have figured out the darkness that laid beneath
Lex Luthor? Would she ever have figured out how much Clark meant
to her? Or would they still be trying to find the courage to say
the scary words?

He took her hand in his and smiled, "Do you feel like dancing?"
He motioned toward the dance floor where a few couples were
dancing to the soft music that was playing. She didn't
understand any of the words, but they sounded nice.

"Sure," she smiled, taking his hand and allowing him to lead
her toward the dance floor. He stopped to tell the host something
in Italian she couldn't quite make out then led her on the floor
where other couples were slow dancing.

His arms encircled her waist and the familiar tune of the song
they'd danced to many months ago on their first date came out of
the speakers.

*You're the light; you're the night*

*You're the color of my blood*

*You're the cure; you're the pain*

*You're the only thing I wanna touch*

*Never knew that it could mean so much, so much*

*You're the fear; I don't care*

*Cause I've never been so high*

*Follow me to the dark*

*Let me take you past our satellites*

*You can see the world you brought to life, to life*

She looked back at him in surprise. He shrugged, pulling her to
him, "I figured since it was the first dance you didn't run out
of my arms ..."

She laughed, linking her arms around his neck as he pulled her
close, "I just wanted tonight to be special," he whispered.
"We haven't had a whole lot of time to focus on anything
outside of work in a while."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him once more,
tracing the outline of his lips with her tongue. She could taste
the wine from earlier on his lips as she ran her hands through
the hair on the back of his head.

*So love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do*

*Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do*

*Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do*

*What are you waiting for? *

*Fading in, fading out*

*On the edge of paradise*

*Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find*

*Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire*

*Yeah, I'll let you set the pace*

*Cause I'm not thinking straight*

*My head spinning around I can't see clear no more*

*What are you waiting for? *

***

Lex watched in rapt attention as the half of the Kryptonite he'd
had turned into a powder form slowly mixed in with the paint,
turning the white liquid into a bright glowing green. "Don't
spill a drop," he ordered.

Mrs. Cox nodded, "The trap is set," she said, handing him a
small lead box. "The remnants. Not all of it was able to be
ground down."

"Excellent," he smiled to himself, "Get the cell ready.

"Yes, Lex," Mrs. Cox nodded her agreement.

***

After dinner and a very rich chocolate dessert, Lois collected on
her request for a flight with him. Just above the clouds, he
wrapped his cape around her, holding her close. "You warm
enough?" He asked.

She grinned up at him, linking her arms around his neck,
"Very," she purred, leaning in to kiss him.

"Good," he whispered back.

"Tonight was wonderful." She sighed against him, resting her
head on his chest, "Thank you. It was just what I needed...what
we both needed." She grinned up at him shyly. "I love you,
Clark Kent."

"I love you, Lois Lane." He whispered back, "Always have."

She leaned closer to him, running both hands up and down his
chest, "Let's go home," she purred seductively.

He grinned ear to ear, and she looked at him perplexed,
"What?"

"You called the apartment home," he whispered with a smile,
stroking her cheek.

"Well, I'm moved in now. You're not changing your mind are
you?"

"Not in this lifetime." He leaned in to kiss her once more.

***

They landed on the balcony, Clark leaned in to kiss Lois once
more, holding her close as he stepped into their home. He set her
on her feet then spun back into his suit taking a step toward
her, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching you do
that," she whispered.

He took a step toward her and whispered, "How about this?" He
leaned in to kiss her, cupping her face.

"That too..." She nodded her approval as he pulled away.

"You're everything to me, Lois," he whispered solemnly. "I
don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you in my life."

"Oh, Clark," she stroked his cheek, pulling him to her.

"Lois," he whispered, cupping her face with his hand. "I love
you. I've always loved you." He pulled out a velvet box from
his pocket and kneeled down in front of her.

"Clark..." She whispered, grinning back at him ear to ear.

"Lois Lane, will you...." His face tensed up in pain and he
stopped mid-sentence.

"Clark?" She saw him holding his chest in pain.

"Krypt--" He whispered in a low groan, staggering to his feet,
looking around.

"Oh, what a touching moment. So sorry to interrupt." Sarcasm
dripped from Lex's voice as he appeared before them, holding a
lead box with a familiar green glowing meteorite, approaching
them with a sinister grin. "Superman!" Luthor crooned with an
evil grin, at Clark's surprised look he laughed, "All this time
... you've been keeping a little secret..."

"Clark..." Lois breathed in a panic.

Clark put himself between Lex and herself, "Stay back."

"Yes, wouldn't want to put you in any danger," Before she knew
what had happened she felt a cold burst of air against her,
propelling her against the wall.

"Lois!" Clark super-sped toward her, catching her at the last
moment. He set her down near the window and whispered, "Get out
of here now."

"Clark..."

He leaned in to kiss her and whispered, "Go."

She watched as Clark advanced toward Lex, toying with the idea of
staying then finally giving in to her better judgment she turned
toward the balcony to climb down the fire escape.

"Ah, ah, ah," a voice from behind her said. She felt a sharp
needle hit her throat as a cold cloth came over her mouth. She
fought against the slumber of darkness trying to take over her,
but it was no use.

***

"Luthor!" Clark growled, cautiously advancing toward him.

Luthor sped from one side of the room to the other, taunting him.
"Such freedom! Exhilaration. Now I know why you enjoy looking
down on us mere mortals."

Still reeling from the pain of the Kryptonite and the fact that
Luthor was in his living room with powers all Clark could manage
was, "How?"

"You were never one to dance around were you?" Lex said
casually, grinning as his close proximity made him double over in
pain. "After seeing how generous you were with your powers and
how greedy our latest superhero was, I thought it prudent to
...take matters into my own hands."

A hard blow against his ribs sent Clark reeling as he felt the
burning sensation of the Kryptonite's close proximity. In the
corner of his eye, he spotted Mrs. Cox hovering over an
unconscious Lois Lane. Panic coursed through him, "Lois..."

He was getting weaker the longer he was exposed to the
Kryptonite. He had to get away from Luthor, but he had to get to
Lois before...

"Your days of dancing around with Ms. Lane I'm afraid are
through." A burning sensation filled his chest as he looked down
to see his shirt had been burned open, "Not so tough now when
the shoe is on the other foot, are you?" He grabbed Clark by the
collar pulling him toward him and bringing the Kryptonite to him.
"Who would have thought the flying alien *God* could be
destroyed by a *rock*!" He shoved the poisonous stone in his
side, then pulling it out covered in blood. Clark groaned in
agony as he whispered, "I'm going to enjoy watching you
die..."

Clark stared him down coldly, struggling to release himself from
Luthor's grasp. He could feel his grip loosening. He had to get
to Lois. "Lois..."

Luthor brought the rock toward him, and he pushed him back with
everything he had, keeping the poisonous stone away as he
struggled against him. A hard blow to his abdomen and he saw
Luthor wince. "No!" It burned like hell, but he hit him with
all he had. To his surprise, he heard Luthor groan in pain. Maybe
he wasn't fully invulnerable?

The sound of a familiar whipping noise and a clang from a metal
object hitting his window caught his attention. "There's only
room for *one *Superman!" Lex hissed in his ear, throwing him to
the ground with a powdery residue that burned as it came into
contact with him. He cried out in agony, feeling the burning
sensation resonate through his body from where the Kryptonite hit
him.

Luthor kicked him in the ribs, "Hardly even a fight left in you.
Superman?" He scoffed, "When you're ready for me to finish you
off you can find me at the mausoleum at Perpetual Pines. Until
then..." He straightened up, "Mrs. Cox, gather Ms. Lane. We
have a flight to catch."

"No," he whispered hoarsely. He could feel the pain. He could
feel his body weakening. He felt a gust of wind in his face,
looking where Lois had been just seconds ago. "Lois..."

Without even stopping to change he ricocheted out the open
window, feeling his body weakening as he tried to zero in on
Lois' heartbeat. His super-hearing was coming in and out.
Without the sun to help him heal from his exposure to the
Kryptonite the struggle to keep above the clouds was futile. He
hovered above the bay, feeling the gravitational pull lower him
further and further to the ground until he crashed into a dark
alley behind the fish market.

He winced in agony, feeling his weakened body starting to give
into the pain that was overtaking him*. 'Lois...'*

***

It hurt. Lois tried to move but felt like a weight was on her
chest. She felt a breath of cold air enter her lungs and gasped
in surprise causing her to cough in a frenzy. Her eyes fluttered
open, and she gasped in surprise, seeing the dark walls around
her.

A slow clap from the other side of the room echoed around her.
She sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Wherever she was,
she was in a cage. "Two hours and thirteen minutes. I'll have
to have Dr. Kelly adjust the next dosage."

"Lex? What am I doing here? Where am I?"

"Well, since your flying friend and you decided to dismantle
everything I've worked so hard to build I've decided to repay
the favor by taking everything he cares about ...before I kill
him."

"What is wrong with you?" She spat out bitterly. "Why am I
here?"

"You are what Superman cares about most in this world. The key
to his destruction," he smiled smoothly taking a step toward her
as she moved back, "Obviously things are different now that I
know the truth, my dear..."

"The truth?" She feigned ignorance, recalling the revelation
Lex had made back at the apartment.

"I behaved horrendously, and you have every right to be angry
with me, but I know given time you'll forgive me just as I'll
forgive you."

"Forgive you?" She scoffed, "You attacked me. You tried to
kill me."

"If you had just told me the truth none of that would have
happened." He brushed her off, "I've lost everything. My
fortune. My good name. Everything but my feelings for you."

"No, I... I could never... I mean..." She shook her head
adamantly, "You're deranged. After everything you've done, how
could you expect ... ?"

"Yes, I've done terrible things. But I did them for you.
Provoked by the blinding light of your beauty. If you can't
forgive me..." He shrugged, "Maybe some quality time alone will
help you see reason." He moved toward the exit, locking the door
behind her.

***

The Pain. It ached all over.

'*Lois.'*

He fought against the burning pain as he forced his eyelids up
with a loud groan. A bright yellow light shone into his eyes and
he groaned.

"I wouldn't try to move just yet," a familiar voice said from
behind him. "Those sun lamps have only had a few hours to
work."

Clark looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. It was dark.
Like a cave. "Where am I?" He croaked out, trying to focus on
his surroundings and bring the image in more clearly.

"An underground cave long forgotten," the voice said, moving
toward him with a red glowing liquid. "According to my research.
This stuff seems to counteract the green. You can sit there and
suffer in pain as it slowly eats away your insides or let me
administer it into your system. Your choice Superman."

Clark looked down at his attire, seeing the suit and boots on. A
costume change he didn't remember making. "Don't look so
surprised." The familiar voice changed to another voice he
recognized as he removed the cowl from his face. "I didn't
think lying in a ditch as half Clark Kent and half Superman boded
well for you."

"Thanks," Clark managed, still fighting the pain from inside
him.

"So, decision?" He waved the red solution in the air. Clark
nodded and winced as he felt a hard prick in his arm. It burned.
Whatever the substance was that Bruce had just administered. It
burned like hell but only for a moment. The pain he felt on his
insides was slowly subsiding and the burning slowly dissipated.

"Thank you," Clark breathed, releasing a long breath as he sat
up, looking around the room. It looked to be some sort of lab of
sorts with computer screens on the far wall. Taking a deep
breath, he kicked his feet over the side of the table he was on.

"Not really setup for medical care here," Bruce gave a
half-grin.

"It's fine. Really," Clark said, standing up, rubbing his arm.
"What was that stuff?"

"Appears to be the same as that green substance you were exposed
to just slightly different molecular structure," Bruce
explained, typing on the keypad as he pulled up the reports from
his scientists. "I believe you called it Kryptonite?"

"How did you...?" Clark began to ask, but Bruce cut him off.

"My team found some near where the green substance was found on
the Irig farm." At Clark's concerned look Bruce continued,
"I've had a tail on Luthor's men for months now. When they
showed up sniffing around, I had my team dig up the area for
anything Luthor might be looking for. It's safe in lockup. No
one comes down here but me. No one examines anything down here
without my say-so."

"He sent people to Smallville?" Clark asked, concerned.

"I'm told an undercover agent with the FBI was the assigned
man. Your family isn't in any danger," Bruce reassured. "You
wanna tell me what happened? How'd you end up in the ditch of
Southside covered in powdered residue of Kryptonite with your
suit exposed; half in costume and half-out. I may not know you
that well but I know enough to know you wouldn't risk your
identity like that ..."

"He has my powers," he said solemnly. "I don't know how but
he has them. He overpowered me and ..." Clark grew silent. "He
has Lois."

"Then I guess we better get to work on getting your powers
back," Bruce said, typing in a few keys. "It may take a few
hours but..."

"I don't have a few hours," Clark argued. "Lois is in
danger."

"You don't have your powers. How do you plan to fight a
super-powered Luthor?"

"I don't know." Clark argued, "but I've gotta do
something." His expression was grim, "I can't just sit by and
do nothing."

"I may have an idea," Bruce said, walking toward the intercom
at his desk, "Alfred, get Lucius on the phone. Tell him I need
him to bring the Super Chip Prototype he was working with Dr.
Lane on ..."

"Wait a minute..." Clark interrupted, "Super chip? Dr.
Lane?"

"Luthor ordered a hit out on his top scientist. Big mistake.
Seems Ms. Taylor had been hired by the FBI to work as a double
agent. She brought Dr. Lane into FBI protection, and we
orchestrated a ruse to make Luthor think Dr. Lane had been killed
when in fact he'd been hiding out here in Metropolis the entire
time."

Panic crossed Clark's face as the news sunk in. "He
doesn't..." He motioned to his costume.

"No. Nobody knows but me...and I'm assuming Ms. Lane?" He
looked at Clark for confirmation.

"So what is this Super Chip going to do?"

"Give you an advantage over Luthor and help you heal faster.
It'll dissolve after forty-eight hours though."

"That's convenient," Clark said uncertainly.

"We're sticking a foreign object in your body via needle the
cleanest way to allow your body to get rid of it the better,"
Bruce said with a smirk.

A knock at the door and the loud hum of the elevator doors caused
Clark and Bruce to look toward Lucius Fox as he stepped into the
dimly lit room. "Mr. Wayne," Lucius nodded toward the
billionaire dressed in his Batman gear from the neck down then
toward Clark, "Mr...Superman?"

"Lucius? The chip?" Bruce asked impatiently.

Lucius nodded and pulled out a small blue and red needle with a
gold chip inside the syringe. "I hope you know what you;re doing
Mr. Wayne."

Bruce ignored him, taking the needle and turning back to Clark,
"Moment of truth."

"Let's do it," Clark nodded his agreement.

***

Clark landed outside the mausoleum in Bruce's Batman jet.
"Thanks."

"Be careful. Luthor isn't above anything. Believe me, I know,"
Batman warned him exiting the jet a few feet away. "How's the
arm?"

"Sore. But I'll live," Clark brushed it off, looking around
the area for any signs of an entry. His powers still hadn't
returned. No super-hearing. No x-ray vision. No Heat vision. No
flying. The only thing he had now was the enhanced strength from
the super chip of Dr. Lane's. If Dr. Lane was right then, it
would give him the advantage he needed to be able to stop Luthor
once and for all.

"Over here." Clark stopped, finding a loose lamp at the
entrance. He turned it, and a secret passage opened up.

Bruce came up behind him. "Never a good idea to come in through
the front door."

"You got any better ideas?" Clark asked.

"There's a weak stone in the back. I can..."

"I don't have time," Clark said, brushing him off. "I've got
to find Lois." Before he could hear his response, he'd already
left Batman above ground while he worked his way through the
underground tunnels to find Lois.

A bright blue light illuminated in the next room. He watched from
the corner as a very drained Resplendent Man stood on one side of
a panel with Lex on the other and a young blonde pulled the lever
to force the shock of both men through what looked like a large
lightning bolt in a long tube behind them.

"How about now?" Dr. Kelly asked.

Lex punched a hole through the wall behind him. "We're getting
closer, but it's still not maintaining. Every exertion keeps
draining the powers."

"And he's getting weaker..." Dr. Kelly said, looking toward
Resplendent Man.

'*Weaker?'* Clark thought to himself. *'If he's taking the
powers from Waldecker and they're not staying...'* An idea
began to form in his mind. He looked down the long corridor,
willing some sign of his enhanced vision or hearing to kick in
but nothing came. 'Eenie, meenie, minie, mo...' He chose the
left corridor, praying it would take him to Lois.

***

"This wasn't part of the deal," Resplendent Man argued
angrily. "You can't just hold my sister hostage like this."

"You tried to back out of our deal," Luthor snarled, grabbing
him by the collar, "I thought having a reminder of what's at
stake nearby would ... encourage you to do the right thing..." A
slow smile smoothed over his face with an eerie calm, "Was I
wrong?"

Resplendent Man sensed the darkness in Lex's tone and thought it
best not to argue. "No...no, of course not."

***

Code after code had been typed into the keypad lock but nothing
so far. Lois jumped back in surprise with a yelp when she saw
metal bars rise up from the ground with a green hue. Green. Lois
glared at the bars around her. The bars were green. Which most
likely meant Kryptonite.

'*Focus.' *She told herself. *'Pull it together.'*

The lights flickered in the room, and she heard the cries from
down the hall. "What in the world?" She wondered aloud.

"Lois!!!" She heard Clark's voice from the tunnels behind
her.

"Clark!" She turned to see him at the entrance.

She looked around her in dismay, "Don't come any closer. It's
Kryptonite and..." She stopped when she saw him stagger toward
the cell.

"I'm not leaving," he said between ragged breaths.

To her surprise he began to pry the cell door open, throwing it
to the ground. He cried out in agony as he pried the cell bars
open, "Clark!"

He was in pain. That much was certain but he was doing it.
Despite the pain from the kryptonite he was doing it. Once there
was enough room for her to step between the bars she closed the
distance between them, helping pull him away from the poisonous
bars. "Are you all right?"

She leaned in to kiss him, running her hands up the sides of his
face, feeling the clammy skin against her palms, "Are you? How
did you even...?"

"Your dad's super-chip," he explained, hurriedly. "I'll
explain later, but right now..."

"Clark, about earlier...when you were..." She interrupted.

He shook his head, "Please not here and not now." He leaned in
to kiss her. "I don't want an answer like this." He leaned in
to kiss her once more, this time with more intensity. His face
didn't feel as clammy as before.

"He knows," she said shakily.

"I know." He rested his chin against her forehead.

"He has your powers."

"I know," he said shakily. "He's got Waldecker in some room
down there hooked up to some machine, but the powers he's
got...they're fading. They're not staying. If I can get him to
run them out..."

"Then it'll be a fair fight," she noted, realizing what he was
getting at.

"That's good to know," a voice behind them said.

Lois turned to see the Batman with bat-shaped keypad. "Your
boyfriend didn't want to wait ..." He stopped mid-sentence,
examining the bars from the cell Clark had just pried open. "You
never do anything the easy way do you?"

Clark let out a shuddered breath, holding her to him, "No
time."

Batman tapped the bars sniffing, "Paint. Kryptonite Paint."

"How do you know about Kryptonite?" Lois asked in surprise.

"You'd be surprised at the things I know, Ms. Lane," he
responded examining the key lock on her keypad.

"What are you doing?" Clark asked.

"Trying to get rid of the Kryptonite cell bars. They seem to be
activated by this code lock," Batman explained. "I figured
you'd appreciate the help."

Clark gave him a rueful smile, "Thank you."

"Every little bit helps."

"I've tried every code," she whispered. "The last one made
this happen." She pointed to the glowing green bars.

A loud ping could be heard and a click as the cell bars rose up
into the ceiling and into the ground. Batman nodded, "091293."
He looked at her with a smirk, "Mean anything to you?"

"The day Clark started at the Planet," she whispered, glancing
at Clark.

Clark nodded with a grim expression, "And the day of the White
Orchid Ball."

Lois grimaced, "The day I met Lex."

"Apparently you made quite an impression." He smirked at the
two of them.

"How do we get out of here?" Lois asked.

"We've got to get Waldecker out first," Clark said. "He may
not be the best guy, but from the look on his face...it's
obvious he's not here of his own free will."

"Could have someone in one of these cells," Batman observed.
"I'll take the left corridor and see what I can find. Meet you
at the stairwell."

"Wait..." Before Clark could get his attention, Batman
disappeared through the corridor, swinging from a rope he'd
flung into the ceiling.

A gust of wind brushed against her face and she turned to see Lex
standing in front of them, "Well, well, well, what do we have
here?"

***

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Lex mocked, advancing
toward them with a sinister glare.

"Lois, get back..." Clark warned, placing himself between her
and Luthor.

"Yes, please do. So you can have a better view...of your fallen
hero!" Lex shot a beam of heat vision toward them and Clark
knocked her to the ground, rolling them out of reach.

"Be careful," she whispered in his ear before he helped pull
her to her feet, meeting her gaze and giving her a silent plea to
'run'.

She nodded as he turned back toward Luthor. "Luthor!" He
growled, advancing toward him. He felt like he had the wind
knocked out of him as Luthor sped toward him, grabbing him by the
neck.

He found himself hoisted up and thrown into the wall as Luthor
taunted with a smile, "Shouldn't you be listed under the
endangered species?"

Clark shook himself off, dusting the debris off of himself,
smiling when he saw Luthor's surprised expression. "That all
you got?"

Taking advantage of Luthor's surprise he tackled him to the
ground, "You can't defeat me..." Lex mocked, hoisting him up
and grabbing him by the neck once more as he slammed him against
the wall, holding him in place. "I know you don't have your
powers you ...hack! Such a powerful weapon that Kryptonite
is...took months to refine it down into a powder...and render you
into the weakling you really are!"

Clark grabbed Lex's hand, pulling his fingers back one by one
with the help of the super-chip, watching with a smirk as Lex's
face changed from cocky to shock as he slowly began to overpower
him, forcing him to the ground as he slammed him against the wall
with his arm.

Lex met his gaze uncertainly, "Your...your powers...How is
this?"

"Do you know how easily I could kill you!?" Clark slammed Lex
against the wall with a jerk, holding him by the collar in
anger.

"Probably," Lex breathed hoarsely.

"I warned you you son of a..." Clark growled angrily.

Lex peeled his fingers back, flinging him back against the wall.
"You really think you're any match for me?" Lex taunted.
"Unlike you ...*ALIEN*...I have no weaknesses!!"

Clark smirked, looking at the blood dripping down Lex's hand
from where he'd freed himself of Clark's grasp, "You sure
about that?" Before Luthor could respond, he tackled him to the
ground, holding him at bay as he hissed, "Not so cocky now that
your powers are fading are you, Luthor??" He tightened his grasp
on him. "What part of the word *'no'* don't you get,
Luthor?"

Lex chuckled, and Clark slammed him against the ground, "You
sick, twisted, two-faced sociopath, you could have killed her!"

"I knew what I was doing..." He reached in his pocket. A
nauseating pain filled Clark as he loosened his grip on Luthor.
To his horror, a tall cage fell around them with green
bars...green glowing bars.

"Bars won't hold me, Luthor," Clark managed to moan out as he
groaned in pain.

Luthor scowled, kneeling over him as he taunted, "Oh? I think
they will."

***

"Tick tock tick tock..." Nigel sang aloud, "I wonder how your
president would feel if he knew how unwilling you were to
negotiate for him. I say I want all charges against me dropped.
You say no. I say I can give you everything you ever wanted to
know about Mr. Luthor and where he is hiding and his plans for
this city and you still say...no," Nigel mused. "Why?"

"You're a murderer and a thug. "I'm not letting you back on
the streets."

"Your decision," Nigel mused with a smile.

***

Lucy slammed her phone down in frustration. "What's wrong?"
Jimmy asked, looking at her in concern.

"I don't know," she said grabbing her things hurriedly. "I
can't get ahold of Lois or Clark."

Jimmy followed her to the door, "Where are you going?"

"I've just got to make sure everything's okay," she said
hurriedly. "I'll be back in a jiff."

"Wait!" He called after her. "I'm coming with you!"

***

Lex danced around the cage taunting Clark as he cowered in pain
from the green glowing bars that surrounded him. "You thought
you could destroy me? Take everything from me? Well, now who's
the one with the fear of God in him??" Lex hissed in his ear,
taunting him, "How long I've feared you, envied you... yet
never really knew you."

"I've been assured by my men that your parents and Ms. Lane's
mother have been taken care of..." He continued to taunt him.

Clark did his best not to react, recalling Bruce's reassurance
that an undercover FBI agent had been assigned to Smallville.
"You won't get away with this..."

"Oh, I already have..." Lex snarled happily.

Clark glared at the blood on Luthor's hand. He stared at the
blood as he tried to will his body and mind to ignore the
nauseating pain. Luthor was weak right now. No powers. Now was
his chance.

***

Lois watched from the corner as an unfamiliar woman adjusted the
dials on a machine hooked up to Resplendent Man and an empty
metal dial. "What are you doing?"

"Adjusting the equilibrium," the woman snapped. "I thought I
told you to shut up."

"Wandamae isn't going to understand any of this..."
Resplendent Man argued. "You've got her trapped..."

"Oh, she will be fine." The woman rolled her eyes, "Mrs.
Lincoln thinks Abe had a bad night at the theater."

"What???" He snapped outraged.

Lois looked around the dark hallway to see if she could see any
sign of this Wandamae they were talking about. Out of the corner
of her eye, she saw a woman in a long dress and bonnet that
looked like it was from the early 1900's tinkering with the
metal bars of her cell.

'*That's got to be Wandamae.'* She thought. 'Where is he
at?' She looked around for Batman.

A dark voice behind her whispered, "His sister was in a cell
around the corner." He pointed to a woman dressed in something
out of the early 1900's.

"Shhh..." She whispered, "They're going to hear you and..."

"And pull a gun on you?" Lois jumped when she saw the woman
from before holding a pistol aimed toward her. "I see you've
found our little friend."

***

Lucy unlocked the front door of Clark Kent's apartment
cautiously. It was eerily quiet. She spotted the candles that had
burned down to the wick. There was glass shattered near the
balcony. "Get the candles," Lucy said hurriedly.

"Should we call the police?" Jimmy asked, blowing out each
candle one by one.

"Not yet," Lucy said, looking around. "I gotta figure out what
happened here."

"Isn't that the police's job?" Jimmy asked, watching her look
around the room.

"It was also their job to investigate the arson of the Planet
and look how that turned out," Lucy shot back. A small green
glowing object in the corner caught her attention. 'What in the
world is that?'

"Point taken," He said.

She looked down at the small glowing stone, reaching out to grab
it. She'd never seen anything like it. Under careful examination
she saw hints of blood on the floor around the stone next to a
lead box. A greenish hue washed over her as she stared at the
rock.

Memories from after Lois' trip to Smallville came back to her.

*<<"You should have been there, Luce. It was insane. This
government rogue agent was convinced this rock or meteorite would
kill Superman. He started beating on Clark as if that would get
Superman to show up."*

"*Did he?"*

"*No. Of course not. We were in Smallville."*

"*Do you think this meteorite really can...kill him?"*

"*I don't know.">>*

"What is that?" Jimmy asked.

Lucy placed the stone inside the box hurriedly, "Um, it's a
collector item of Clark's." She slammed the lid shut. "I'm
just going to put this up."

"Is that blood??" Jimmy asked, looking at the floor
critically.

***

Luthor kneeled down in Clark's face taunting him, "I may not be
able to live the life I once had before you but rest assured
I'll make emperors kneel at my feet."

"They'll never cave...to the likes...of you," Clark croaked
out.

"Says the man that wasted his time playing hero with the gifts
the Gods bestowed on him?" Luthor laughed, "That's the
difference between you and me. While you waste your good fortune
away, I, on the other hand, would conquer and enforce..." He
smiled slowly. "A true God among men."

"They'll stop you..." Clark warned.

"I think not." Luthor hissed, "You'll see. As you rot away in
this cage...watching as everything is taken from you. Your
parents. Gone. Your home...Well soon Metropolis will be mine once
more. Thanks to the weapons I've secured from HM Weapons I'll
hold the entire world at my mercy... and last but not least, the
lovely Lois Lane."

"You stay away from her..." He hissed back, choking into a
coughing fit.

"Ah, yes, the hero fighting for his love," he sniffed, "Now
that I'm the best of both worlds it won't take very long to woo
Ms. Lane back into my arms..." He pat him on the cheek
condescendingly, "I may even let you watch as I take her as my
bride..."

"She'll never...."

"Oh, but time has a strange way of working its magic...Just look
at what it's done for you. Taken a woman who barely looked at
you ..." He gave a light chuckle. "The strongest man in the
world...masquerading behind a pair of glasses and a cape."

"You don't...love her...could never...love anyone...but
your...self." Clark hissed angrily.

"You could never understand real love...between a real man and a
woman. How could you?" He taunted, "You think the fling you
shared could compare?" He let out a long sigh, "No, an alien
like you could never understand how to love a woman like Lois
Lane." He chuckled, "You give her an inch she'll take a mile.
Much too independent. That spirit has to be broken and..."

Taking advantage of Luthor's distraction he tackled him to the
ground, holding him at bay as he allowed Luthor to exert himself,
striking blows. He grunted in pain but kept his hold. Even with
the Kryptonite around him, he could still take the brunt of
Luthor's strikes thanks to the super-chip. "You come near her
ever again I'll kill you," he growled angrily.

"How ... Is this??" A light bulb went off, and Luthor chuckled,
"Of course, the chip. You have Dr. Lane's Super-Chip."

Clark smiled when he saw blood coming down Luthor's arm, "Looks
like your time's up..."

"I still have the upper hand..." Luthor snarled. "This entire
place has been lined with Kryptonite hidden on every turn.
You'll never escape. Give me ...that chip!" Luthor growled,
fighting against him.

"Your fear's showing, Luthor," Clark warned, tightening his
grip on him. He could feel the sweat dripping down the back of
his neck as he held Luthor at bay. He couldn't let him leave.
Couldn't let him get another charge of powers from Waldecker.

"I think it's yours that's showing Kent!" Luthor grabbed him
by the throat, tightening his grasp on him. "There's always a
limit to how much you can take...Stealing my technology?" Luthor
clucked his tongue, "Tsk tsk tsk, now is that any way to treat
your best enemy?"

"I'm insulted." A familiar dark voice said from behind. "I
thought I was your best enemy."

***

"And where do you think you're going, Ms. Lane?" A voice
called from behind her. She turned to see the blonde woman from
earlier, pointing a gun at her, Batman and Wandamae.

"Who are you?" Lois breathed, inching herself in front of the
oblivious Wandamae.

"Dr. Gretchen Kelly, lead researcher at LexLabs and your worst
enemy." She aimed the gun toward Lois as she looked toward
Batman, "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Batman," he said with a dark whisper as she cocked the
trigger, aiming it at Lois, "I wouldn't do that if I were
you."

"I don't like to see Lex upset, Ms. Lane and you leaving would
make him very upset."

"That's too bad." Lois said, backing away from her, "Because
we're not sticking around." Once there was enough distance she
delivered a swift kick to Dr. Kelly's hand, knocking it to the
ground.

She heard a hissing noise from behind her as she reached down to
grab the gun and turned to see Dr. Kelly tied up in a
tight-fitting rope with a bat shaped clamp securing the rope in
the front. "Thanks." She aimed the gun on Dr. Kelly and smiled,
"You were saying?"

"Where'd that nice man go?" Wandamae asked, looking around.

***

Bruce looked down at his radioactivity sensor that had gone off
during his confrontation with Dr. Kelly. After securing her,
he'd made his way back to where he'd left Clark. Knowing Luthor
he'd probably triggered some other booby-trap lined with
Kryptonite. Which meant Clark was going to need his help.

He swung into the dark corridor seeing Clark on top of Luthor
inside a glowing green cage. "What is it with you and cages?"
He asked, pulling out his handheld computer to override the
system.

"You!!!" Luthor snarled angrily upon seeing him.

"Let's make this a fair fight, shall we?" The kryptonite cage
around them soon lifted up, and Clark sighed in relief.

Clark stood to his feet, keeping his hold on Luthor, "It's
over, Luthor!"

Luthor just glared back at him, laughing, "Never."

***

Lois kept the gun trained on Dr. Kelly as she made her waddle her
way into the blue-lit room. "Wandamae!" Resplendent Man called
out happily.

"Tad!" She cheered happily.

"What is this? What are you doing here?" Lois asked, waving the
gun at Dr. Kelly,

"Stealing my powers," Resplendent Man answered guiltily. "He
made me do it. He said he was going to kill Wandamae if I
didn't."

"Who?"

"Lex," Dr. Kelly answered with a grin.

***

"He's powerless now," Clark said, throwing Luthor to the
ground in a heap at Batman's feet.

Batman cracked his knuckles, "Good. It'll be a fair fight
then."

"Who are you?" Luthor snarled, backing away from him.

Batman cracked his knuckles, approaching Luthor with a growl,
"Someone that wants justice."

"Wait!" Clark intervened, stepping between them as Batman
pulled out a bat-shaped spear, "What are you doing?"

"Making him pay!"

"No!!!"

***

"Ms. Lane," Resplendent Man called out, "You have to believe
me I didn't want any part of this." He now had stepped down
from the dial he was on and had helped secure Dr. Kelly in a bind
with an empty pipe to ensure she wouldn't escape out of the
binds she'd been secured in by Batman.

"Shut up you little maggot!" Dr. Kelly called at him.

"He was going to kill my Wandamae!" Resplendent Man continued.

"It's okay," Lois reassured him. "She's safe now." She
motioned to the young woman who still appeared to be confused
about what was going on.

***

"Lucy, what is going on?" Jimmy asked, watching as Lucy
hurriedly cleaned up the blood stain on the wood floor.

"I know my sister. She wouldn't want to come back to the
apartment like this," Lucy said hurriedly. I'm sure she's
fine."

"Oh? Is that why you called Henderson to open an unofficial
missing person case on her and CK?" Jimmy asked, kneeling down,
"What is going on?"

"Nothing," Lucy said hurriedly, pushing past him as she rung
the paper towel out in the sink.

"You just destroyed evidence," Jimmy said in a panic. "What if
something bad happened to them? What if...?"

"If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts we'd have a Merry
Christmas," Lucy shot back. "Everything is fine," she
repeated.

Jimmy stared at her angrily, "Everything is not fine! CK and
Lois could be..." A sharp knock at the door interrupted their
fight. "Who is that?" He asked annoyed.

"Window repairman probably," Lucy said with a sigh. "Let him
in."

"Oh, more destruction of evidence," Jimmy muttered to himself.
"Great."

***

"I'm going to put you away for the rest of your life," Bruce
sneered as he approached Lex.

"You and what army?" Luthor mocked him, "You'll never be rid
of me." He backed away from him.

"Put it down!" Clark warned, reaching for the spear.

"You don't know what he's done!" Batman snarled. "You're
going to pay."

"What is it with you heroes and wanting your revenge? What? What
have I supposedly done now?"

"Oh, this isn't recent. You killed a young woman many years
ago, and you're going to pay."

Realizing who he was talking about Clark reached out to grab the
spear from Bruce, "No! Don't!!"

"After everything he's done ..." Bruce snarled, "I'm helping
rid the world of this scum bag once and for all."

"You do it and you're no better than him," Clark warned,
grabbing him from behind and holding him down.

"He's a murderer!!" Bruce hissed. "Let me go!"

"I am NOT letting you do this!" Clark hissed in his ear.

"She was an innocent girl, and he destroyed her," Bruce snarled
as he fought against Clark. "Let go!"

"Not a chance!" Clark warned, "He's going to see justice but
not at your hands."

"You don't understand..." Batman hissed angrily.

"I understand plenty, but you don't have all the facts."

"He's a murderer."

"True but not for who you think," Clark said in a harsh
whisper. "That night Darlene Richmond disappeared is the same
night Luthor's parents died. Two days later a woman by the name
of Beverly Cox was murdered...and in her place a woman who looked
strikingly similar to..."

"What are you saying?" Bruce looked back at him, his struggling
in Clark's grasp came to a halt.

Clark met his gaze as he released him, and took a deep breath,
"She's not dead...but she's not the same person you knew."

"How is this possible?"

"She's been working with him this whole time. Helping him
commit crime after crime," Clark explained, handing the picture
to Bruce. "She's killed at least twenty people that we know
of."

Bruce stared at him in dismay, "She was a good kid." He managed
weakly.

"Not anymore." Clark said solemnly, "I'm sorry."

Bruce looked around, "Where'd Luthor go?"

***

Luthor had inched his way toward the exit and was almost at the
stairwell when he looked back to see Superman holding Batman
back. He could still escape. He could still get another charge of
powers and...

"Going somewhere Lex?"

He came face to face with the beautiful Lois Lane holding a gun
on him with Resplendent Man and Wandamae behind her.

"We're going to put you away for the rest of your life!"
Resplendent Man said in a growl. "No one hurts Wandamae and gets
away with it!"

"Ah, my dear, Lois, I see you've found my little pet
project..." He glared at Resplendent Man, "Just a few
modifications and rest assured Superman's powers will be mine.
Then we can be together once more..."

"Are you out of your mind?" Lois hissed. "I don't want
anything to do with you!" She scowled back at him in disgust,
"You think it's his *powers*? That's what you think!?"

"You're not getting any more powers," Resplendent Man shot
back. "I'm done taking orders from you!"

"Then I suppose Wandamae will have to find a new home for
her...special care," Lex glared back at him sinisterly.

"You monster!" Resplendent Man argued.

"And you wonder why I didn't want to be with you?" Lois shot
back. "This! The games and the manipulation and the power play
you try to force on others...Trying to prevent a sick woman from
getting medical care? You are *sick*!"

"Let's not mix words Lois. It was obvious Superman seduced you
with his powers..."

Lois glared at him angrily, "He most certainly did *not*!"

"Oh, puh-leaze, someone sure does think highly of himself..."
Resplendent Man muttered. "I'm sure your radiant personality
had a lot to do with that one, buddy!" Lex glared at him but
Resplendent Man glared back, unaffected by his intimidation
tactics knowing Wandamae was safe.

"You want the truth? Here's the truth, plain and simple. I
didn't *love* you. I thought I *respected** *you, but that went
out the window the minute I learned what you were *really**
*doing to the people of Metropolis. Murder? Testing on Children.
Testing Superman by blowing up buildings!?"

"Kidnapping a mentally ill woman," Resplendent Man added.

"A means to an end," he remarked, "Surely you can understand
there are casualties in war."

"On a battlefield. Not on the streets of Metropolis where
innocent people expect to be safe," Lois shot back.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Resplendent Man said with
a low growl.

"There he is!" Clark's voice echoed down the hall.

Luthor looked to see both Superman and Batman coming toward him
from either side. The sound of sirens could be heard from
outside. Panicked he looked between the heroes.

"We called the police," Lois said smugly. "From Dr. Kelly's
phone. How long have you been stringing that poor woman along?"

Seeing the escape ladder leading up to the roof he made a break
for it, "You'll never take me alive!"

"It's over Luthor!" Clark called after him.

"The police have the entire block cornered out. There's no
escape."

As he climbed the ladder he heard the door to the stairwell open.
Panicked he looked around. He would never give them the
satisfaction of taking him alive. He spotted the fuse box on the
wall and reached for it.

"Waldecker, cut the power lines, now!" Clark called out.

Just as he reached for the cables inside the box everything went
dark. "You can't cheat justice, Luthor," Batman called after
him. A moment later he felt someone drag him off the ladder as
handcuffs were slapped on his wrists and shackles on his ankles.

"It's over," the familiar voice of Inspector Henderson said
smugly.

***

Once Luthor was taken away kicking and screaming Lois turned
toward Clark in the candlelit corridor, "Are you alright?"

He reached over to wrap his arms around her, "I am now. " He
cupped her cheek, "Are you?"

"I'm fine." She smiled back at him. She looked back toward
Bruce who was fiddling with the machine Dr. Kelly was working on
with Resplendent Man hovering over him. "What is he doing?"

"Trying to find a way to make the machine drain his powers,"
Clark said with a chuckle, "Apparently being a superhero isn't
all it's cracked up to be."

She smiled, leaning into him, "I was so afraid..."

"I know," he sighed, holding her close. "Me too." He kissed
her forehead, "It's over."

"Finally," she said with a grin.

"Finally," he repeated, cupping her cheek. "God, I was so
afraid I wasn't going to get to you and he was..."

"I'm fine," she reassured him, leaning in to kiss him.

"I love you," he murmured against her cheek.

"I love you too." She whispered, "So much...which is why I
wanted to..."

He stopped her, "Please not here."

"But..."

"I really don't want either of us having this night linked to
the memory of when I asked ..." He tightened his lips into a
thin line. It was hard for him to even say it. "Not now. Once
Luthor's behind bars and secure under maximum security with no
hope of escaping we can talk about it and ..."

"Okay," Lois said, taking a shaky breath. "It's okay." She
gave him a weak smile.

"I think we've figured it out," Bruce interrupted, motioning
for them to follow him. He pointed a flashlight toward the wall,
"We did solve one mystery already."

Lois and Clark looked where he was pointing. The power lines were
plugged into the machine, "It's hooked into the
powerlines..."

"The power surges," Lois breathed. "That's what's been
causing them."

"Bingo," Bruce said. "They were close, but the telemetry and
negative positive settings were reversed. I think it's ready for
us to test."

"Test?" Clark looked at him confused.

"Time to return the powers to their rightful owner," Bruce said
with a smile.

"Is it safe?" Lois asked concerned.

"I'm about 99% sure it'll work," Bruce said. "It's up to
you, but Mr. Waldecker wants the powers gone."

"Okay, let's do it," Clark nodded. He stepped onto the dial
Bruce pointed to and watched as Resplendent Man did the same.

"Let me know when you're ready," Bruce said.

Clark took a deep breath, preparing himself as Lois lowered the
goggled over her eyes to protect them from the light. "Now."

The room filled in a bright illuminating light. Lois watched as
the dial slowly moved back down. Bruce turned the switch off and
looked to the two men. "How do you feel?"

"Sore," Waldecker said.

Clark took a deep breath, stepping off the dial, "How do you
feel?" Lois asked, looking at him.

He tightened his muscles, and started testing his powers. All
were coming in perfectly, "Super," he whispered.

***

*Six Weeks Later...*

**LEX LUTHOR INDICTED!**

**LEXCORP BANKRUPT**

**LUTHOR CHARITIES TAKEN OVER BY SUPERMAN FOUNDATION**

**DAILY PLANET REBUILD SUCCESS**

***

Lois walked with Clark toward the Planet where Perry had asked
them to meet him. Things had been awkward the last few weeks.
Finding out that Bruce Wayne was none other than the mysterious
Batman and that he knew Clark's identity had been a lot to
digest but also having Clark not want to talk about his proposal
while he was still dealing with his testimony against Luthor in
the Federal Trial had been even harder.

He'd said they could talk about his proposal after the trial.
The decision had come down on Monday, and it was now Wednesday.
Thursday Lex would be sentenced, and this mess would be behind
them. Then hopefully she and Clark could talk about a certain
question he had been in the middle of asking her when Lex had
arrived at his apartment.

Thanks to Bruce's help they'd been able to scan the entire
apartment to make sure no residue of the poisonous rock was left.
Clark had brought her mom back to Metropolis after dropping Lex
off at the FBI. Their father had come out of witness protection
once all the lieutenants had been picked up. Darlene Richmond had
been caught trying to flee the country. They'd been surprised to
discover that she had been the love interest of both Bruce and
Lex. When she hadn't returned after Lex's parents' murder and
Lex had, Bruce had assumed the worst. It had come as quite a
shock to learn that she'd become a professional killer under the
teachings of Lex Luthor.

Every agent and every lieutenant had been arrested at the same
time, preventing Lex to reach outside the prison walls to
intimidate witnesses while awaiting trial. It had been the
perfect arrest. The perfect case. Now, it was over.

"So, how are you feeling?" Clark asked, taking her hand in
his.

"Good," she smiled back at him. "I think I'll frame this
one." She pointed to the story with her and Clark's by-line on
it under the title, 'Fall of the House of Luthor: Federal
Corruption Exposed!'

"That one was a good one." He smiled back at her.

"Was?" She challenged.

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's a very good story."

"Much better." She grinned back at him, tightening her hand
around his, "How are you? I mean, now that the trial's over?"

"Well, there's still the sentencing..." Clark pointed out.

"I thought Bruce said he was handling that," Lois noted
critically.

"He is, but I still want to be there." He stated solemnly,
"Make sure the cell door is locked tight, and he can't get out
again."

"And him knowing about..." She gave him a flying signal they
had begun to use when talking about Superman in public.

"Considering he's being dubbed insane and sent to a mental
institution I highly doubt that will become an issue. Bruce said
he's recommending he's sent to Arkham so he can keep an eye on
him."

"Good," Lois said softly. They approached the Planet in
silence, finding Perry in front with Bruce Wayne and a crowd of
their co-workers outside the front of the Planet.

"Mr. Kent," Bruce nodded, "Ms. Lane," He gave them both a
firm handshake. "Thank you for coming."

"I didn't know we had a choice," Lois observed looking around.
"Looks like the Planet's just about ready."

Perry grinned ear to ear. "We open up tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" She grinned, "Really?" It had been cramped
working with Clark in shared office space, but once Jimmy had
been released, it had become even more cramped. She'd found
herself working in the Conference Room and floating everywhere to
have space to work. It was hard.

Given everything that had happened these past few weeks with
Clark being consumed with Lex's case and adjusting to living
together after the attack, it would be good to have some normalcy
again. There was something so comforting about the big Daily
Planet globe. She watched with a grin as the crew unveiled the
globe on top of the newly expanded building of the Daily Planet.

The staff that had been working to keep the Paper running the
past few months from Wayne Towers was huddled in front of the
building, staring in awe at the familiar globe. There were cheers
and applause scattered throughout.

"That's not the best part of the news though," Perry grinned,
pulling out an envelope. "As you know this time of the year is
the time for Kerth Nominations..."

There were some scattered hollers in the crowd, and Perry
motioned for them to settle down. "This year's nominations I'm
proud to say, included three nods for reporters from the Daily
Planet."

"One of these was written during the time the office was
displaced, showing true potential," Bruce interjected.

Clark wrapped an arm around Lois with a knowing smile, "You've
got it in the bag."

Lois gave him a half-smile and whispered, "Good luck."

"The first nominee goes to our very own Ralph Simms for his
series on Political Corruption in City Hall." Perry read off.
"Congratulations son. That was top notch work."

"Thanks, Chief," Ralph called out.

"Our next nominee goes to Catherine Grant, and her expose on
Arthur Chow and his illegal gambling deals." Lois did her best
not to laugh, recalling how angry Cat was when she had been
dumped by the billionaire for a belly dancer. In revenge, she'd
written an expose on his dealings with the illegal gambling
casinos.

Bruce interjected, "Unfortunately, Ms. Grant is no longer with
the Planet. After the arson, she moved to California to pursue a
career in the Fashion Industry. We wish her the best of luck."

"I'm told she will be coming to the awards this year though,"
Perry reassured them. "The last nominee he grinned ear to ear as
he read, "Well, it's actually a team." His eyes sparkled as he
looked toward Lois and Clark. She grinned, bumping her hip with
Clark's.

"They've worked hard to make a name for themselves this year,
and cracked open some of the biggest cases like the more recent
'Fall of the House of Luthor Series.' However, the story
getting the nod this year is the 'Metamide Series on Assassin
Darlene Richmond.' Congratulations to both Lois Lane and Clark
Kent on their first nomination as a reporting team. In the
newspaper business, this is when we say you've arrived."

Clark leaned into kiss her, whispering, "Congratulations, Ms.
Lane."

"Congratulations, Mr. Kent," she whispered back.

There was an eruption of cheers and congratulations all around as
Bruce Wayne motioned for everyone to follow him inside to show
them the new facilities. The same technology everyone had gotten
used to at WayneTech was now running the Daily Planet. The setup
was the same with their familiar desks and Perry's office. It
was home.

"Hey, huge congrats!" Jimmy said, offering her a big hug. "You
and CK will cream Ralph."

Lois chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure we will." She spotted Clark in
the corner of the newsroom talking with Perry. He kept looking in
her direction then back again.

"So, Lois?" Jimmy interrupted her thoughts, "I've been
meaning to talk to you about Lucy..."

"Lucy?" Lois asked, pulling her attention back to Jimmy.

"Yeah," he said uneasily. "I've been going over this over and
over in my mind and I still can't make heads or tails about what
happened last month..."

She looked back at him in concern, "What do you mean?"

"Remember when Lucy told you she cleaned up CK errr yours and
CK's apartment after your run-in with Luthor?"

Lois shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah."

"She didn't tell you the whole story," Jimmy whispered.
"There was blood...and a broken window. She cleaned it all up.
Why would she do something like that?"

"She said she wanted to make sure the place was cleaned up by
the time we got back. It's just the way Lucy is," Lois said
hurriedly. When Lucy had given her the 'unusual rock' she'd
found and told her what had happened it had confirmed her
suspicions that she knew about Clark, but she never said
anything. Now here Jimmy was trying to figure things out...

"I guess, but...Lois, that was evidence. What if something had
happened and the police needed it?"

"Lucy would never destroy something she knew was evidence. She
knew how traumatized I was about returning to the apartment after
what had happened with Lex a few months ago. She just didn't
want us going through that again."

"I guess..." He gave a weak smile, still not quite convinced.

Deciding she needed to distract Jimmy, she arched an eyebrow,
"Why do I get the feeling this isn't about what happened last
month but rather what's going on...or *not* going on between you
and my sister?"

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy chuckled nervously.

"Let's see, you two have been connected at the hip since you
got out. I saw that kiss the night of your congratulatory dinner.
What's going on?"

Jimmy ran a nervous hand through his hair, "When she came back
she said she wasn't ready for a relationship. I'm respecting
her wishes and giving her her space."

"That was nearly seven months ago!" Lois said in surprise then
said in a huff, "Talk to her." She patted him on the shoulder.
She then pointed toward Perry, "I've gotta go talk to the
Chief."

"Talk to her?" Jimmy muttered to himself.

Lois walked up to Perry, spotting Clark in conversation with
Bruce about what she could only imagine was related to their
recent friendship as crime fighters. "Hey, Chief," Lois said
pulling Perry's attention to her.

"Lois!" He smiled, "How you doin darlin'?" He grinned
broadly, "Congratulations on your fourth nomination."

"Thanks, Chief," she said with a grin. "I guess this is a
first for me. Sharing a nomination."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Perry reasoned.

"So what were you and Clark talking about earlier?" She asked,
cutting to the chase.

"Uh, Graceland," Perry said rather quickly.

"Graceland?" Lois asked, looking at him in confusion. "Yes,
Graceland. Great place. Been there thirteen times. Did you know
that's where Alice and I had our Honeymoon?" Perry began
rambling about his last trip to Graceland and Lois looked back
toward Clark who was still in conversation with Bruce Wayne.
Something was definitely up.

***

"I've got the keys. You can just drop them..." Bruce stopped
and turned. Clark followed his gaze, "Ms. Lane, Congratulations
on your...what is this third nomination?"

"Fourth," Clark corrected before she could respond, wrapping an
arm around her.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne." she said in a careful tone, looking
between the two men. "Why do I get the feeling you're trying to
change the subject the minute I walked over here?" Lois asked,
crossing her arms over her chest.

"No clue," Bruce said, handing her a glass of champagne.
"Here. Cheers." He held up his glass.

She clinked her glass with his and Clark's, but Clark could tell
she wasn't buying it for a minute. He suppressed a chuckle.
She'd just have to wonder for another twelve hours. He'd been
working with Perry and Bruce on this for weeks now.

After everything that had happened after his botched proposal he
wanted to make sure it was a happy memory for both of them. He'd
toyed with the idea of taking her back to Venice and doing a
reset of that night, but after everything, he thought a new
approach would be best.

"You're not fooling me." Lois said, "I know you're both
hiding something."

"You must be one of those kids that never had a surprise party
growing up," Bruce commented.

"Nope."

"Pity," Bruce remarked. "So much fun."

Lois looked at them critically, arching her eyebrow at them.
Clark cleared his throat, hoping to distract her, "Uh, did you
hear anything on the trial for Darlene?" He asked, turning to
Bruce.

Bruce shook his head, "No, I've done my best to stay away from
that case. The person she's become..." Bruce scowled, "She's
not the same person I met at Westminster. I don't know if
that's Luthor's doing or some of her own, but the choices she
made..."

"What's scary is how long she and Lex were using that formula
of Dr. Carlton's to silently kill people that got in their
way." Lois took a sip of her champagne.

"If you two hadn't have put two and two together a lot of
families wouldn't have gotten justice." Bruce said wistfully,
"It still eats me up that Wayne Enterprises got mixed up with a
character like Carlton to begin with. Taking advantage of those
kids like that..."

"Sometimes we see what we want to see," Lois said giving
Clark's hip a gentle nudge.

"Believe me, I know all about..." A call on his cell phone
pulled Bruce and Clark back to the present. Bruce looked down at
his phone and grimaced. "I've gotta take this." He patted
Clark on the shoulder, "I'll see you around."

Lois turned to look at him, "Well?"

"Well, what?" He shrugged.

"What's going on? Why are you over here having secret meetings
with Perry and Bruce?"

"Who says I'm having secret meetings?" Clark asked.

"What were you talking to Bruce about?"

"He was congratulating me....us," he said, cupping her cheek.

"What was that about a key?" She asked.

"Uh, he's got a new jet he's wanting to test out," he
shrugged.

"Ah," she nodded, not quite believing him. "And Perry?"

"Congratulating us on the Kerth," he grinned.

"And?" She looked at him expectantly.

"And nothing," he chuckled nervously. She was really cute when
she got all worked up.

"Oh, really," she grinned back at him as if she'd caught him
in something.

"What?" He asked.

"Perry said you were talking about Graceland." She smiled,
leaning in to kiss him, "I don't like surprises."

He grinned, "Who said anything about a surprise?"

"I'm going to find out what you're hiding."

"I'm sure you will." He leaned in to kiss her.

***

The next morning, Lois Lane walked through the doors of the Daily
Planet, taking note of the quiet lull in the lobby. Today was the
first day the Planet's Metropolis office would be open for
business. The first day she and Clark and Jimmy and everyone
would be back working at the Planet since the bombing.

She spotted Perry standing by the elevator doors, looking around
the lobby that seemed less populated for it being the first day
back. "Morning, Perry, what are you doing down here so late?"
She glanced at her watch, "You're usually elbow-deep in red ink
by now, aren't you?"

He pressed the call button for the elevator and motioned for her
to get on. She looked behind her, watching as he waved at her
from the closing doors. Curious but uncertain what to make of her
editor's peculiar behavior she pressed the button for the
newsroom, listening as the elevator hummed to life. She tried not
to think about the last time she was in the Daily Planet
elevator.

'*Stop it.' *She chastised herself.* 'Everything's fine.'*

Before she knew it, the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival on
the newsroom floor. Or at least she thought it was the newsroom
floor. She stepped out of the elevators and found the room was
completely dark, minus the led candles that were lit, leading to
the center of the newsroom. She glanced at the wall where the
elevator doors had just closed, eying the 'wallpaper' that had
been taped up. It was the first article she and Clark had written
on the sabotage of Prometheus. She touched the print that had
their first by-line together.

She turned toward the stairs where another article was taped to
the railing of the stairs with a red circle around the by-line.
She smiled when she recognized the article as her first one on
one interview with Superman. Next to it was an article she
recognized. The one-on-one interview Clark had written announcing
Superman's intention to stay in Metropolis. The article he'd
'scooped' her on and sent her on a wild goose chase at the
Metropolis Sewage Reclamation Facility. A small smile spread
across her face as she made her way down the steps finding
article after article she and Clark had written together. The
Invisible Man. The Smart Kids. Finally, she reached the bottom of
the steps and found the article on the boxing scandal with
Menken's Gym. The first article they'd written as partners.

The soft brush of cold air crossed her face, and she looked up to
see Clark standing in front of her, "I couldn't leave that one
out. First article we wrote as partners." He smiled, reaching
out to cup her cheek.

Overwhelmed, she looked around the room that was illuminated by
candles and newspaper articles, "Clark, what is going on?"

He pulled her to him, taking her hand in his, pointing to the
next article that was taped on the first column in the newsroom
pit, "This one is special. You were convinced to have a bad
time, but by the end of it you were having fun."

Lois smiled, recognizing the article as the one she'd written on
Jason Trask's demise. "That was when I realized you were more
than just my partner, but my friend," she recalled.

"Mmm, hmm," He guided her to the center of the room where a
heart shape had been formed with the candles, "We both realized
that." His fingers laced between hers, holding her palm in his
as he met her eyes with his.

She stroked his cheek, "Clark, what is all this?"

"The walk down memory lane?" He grinned back at her.

"Something like that," she whispered.

"I love you." He whispered, "I almost lost you." His voice
cracked at his last statement.

"Clark..." She stroked his cheek.

"I almost lost you, and it made me realize how precious life is.
I don't want to waste another second without saying what's been
in my heart since the beginning. I love you, Lois Lane. I have
loved you from the moment you barged into my interview with
Perry. I have loved you during every fight. I have loved you
during every close call we've both been in. I love you when you
babble. I love that you cry when you get mad. I love the way you
refuse to give up. I love the way you light up when you're on
the tail of a good lead. I love that you demand truth and justice
in a world that is so broken, demanding it be a better place. I
love that you make every day, everything, and every moment that
much better. I love the way you crinkle your nose when you're
trying to figure a problem out. I love the way you steal my
clothes. I love the way you keep your organized chaos in
everything you do. I love the fact that I can smell your perfume
when you get ready in the bathroom for days. I love you, and I
have loved you through it all. I have never and will never stop
loving you."

Lois felt tears forming in her eyes as he spoke, pouring his
heart out to her. She bit her lower lip, holding back the tears
as he continued, holding her hands in his, "I told you before I
want to grow old with you. I want everything with you, Lois. I
want to die in your arms when I'm 110. I want it all with you,
now. Not, six months or a year from now. I want it all with you,
now. I want to start our life together and never look back. You
save me from myself without even realizing it." He motioned to
the room around them, "This. *A**ll of this* wouldn't be
possible without you, Lois. Every article here. The building
we're standing in. All of it is because of you. I can't imagine
my life without you standing by my side. You are the first person
I want to talk to when I wake up and the last person I want to
talk to when I go to sleep at night. You complete me."

He dropped to his knee, pulling out a familiar black velvet
jewelry box, opening it to reveal a 3/4-karat diamond ring, "Oh,
my God! Is that for me?"

He smiled back at her, "It is if you want it to be. Will you
marry me, Lois Lane?"

She didn't need to think. She didn't need to ponder.
Immediately she knew the answer.

"Yes. Oh, my God! Yes! A million times yes," she cried,
wrapping her arms around him. His mouth found hers, cupping her
cheek as he ran his hands through her hair, holding her to him as
he slipped the ring on her finger.

His arms encircled her waist, and the lights around them came on.
In the back of her mind, she could hear a soft ping of the
elevator and cheering from her co-workers. Slowly they pulled
apart and saw Perry with the crowd, pointing everyone to the
Conference Room that was decorated with balloons and a large
'Congratulations' banner.

***

From Perry's office, Lucy watched with a small smile as Clark
held Lois close. The ring on Lois' hand sparkled against the
overhead lights in the Newsroom. "Good for you, sis," she
whispered. After all the chaos she had been through with Lois and
Clark the more determined she became to keep Clark's secret;
even from him. It was safer this way. She suspected Lois knew
that she was onto them after she had given her the green
meteorite she'd found, but she continued to pretend she didn't
know her now future brother-in-law moonlighted in tights. She
pretended not to know and let Clark feel a sense of security
around her. Maybe one day she'd tell him but today was not the
day.

One hand settled on her shoulder from behind, and she jumped,
turning behind her to see Jimmy holding a piece of cake, "I
stole a corner piece." He handed it to her.

"Thanks," she grinned back at him.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Jimmy pointed to the crowd where Lois and
Clark were standing. "How do you feel about your big sister
getting married."

"All I can say is it's about time," Lucy grinned. "They seem
to really love each other."

"Yeah, well they were really good friends; helps make for a good
relationship," Jimmy observed.

"True." Lucy sighed, taking a bite of her cake. "We're really
good friends too, you know."

"I know." He nodded with a smile. "You fought harder for me
than anyone from what Lois said."

"I couldn't let them lock you up for something you didn't
do," Lucy whispered quietly.

"Thank you for that, Luce. These past few weeks have
been...intense. You've been a good friend," he whispered taking
her hand in his.

"A good friend," she repeated. Not sure what to make of his
statement.

"Yeah," he smiled at her. "You said you wanted to be friends
when you moved back. Nothing complicated."

"And you've been great at being a* good friend*," she
emphasized *'good friend'* once more.

"Something bothering you?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes! You!" She huffed, "How much more do I have to spell it
out for you before you .... Get a freaking clue??"

"Spell what out?" He asked confused.

"This!" She grabbed him by the face and pulled him to her,
capturing his mouth with hers. Before he could react, she pulled
away then said, "You really should pay more attention, Jimmy."

With that, she got up to head toward the newsroom where Lois and
Clark were still shaking hands with fellow co-workers looking to
congratulate them.

"Whoa!" Jimmy whispered to himself, before getting up to follow
Lucy, "Hey, Luce, wait up!"

***

Maniacal laughter filled the halls as four strong guards carried
an enraged Lex Luthor to his cell. Due to the warning, Superman
had given them about Lex Luthor's attempt at suicide he had been
forcibly placed in a straight jacket and shackled to prevent him
from harming himself.

"No, no, I don't belong here. Don't you know who I am?" Lex
raged as he fought against his restraints.

They stopped in front of a large iron door, and the taller of the
guards pounded on it three times. The door unlocked, revealing a
tall blonde in a lab coat with a dark green mini skirt and pale
gray blouse that was just barely professional. "Dr. Quinzel,"
the first guard cleared his throat, seeming to have a battle with
gravity of the eyes as he forced himself not to look down,
keeping her gaze as he spoke.

She shook her hand at him, stroking his cheek seductively, "Oh,
Dave, how many times have I told you? Call me Harley."

"Yes, ma'am, uh, Har-Harley..." He stammered, uncomfortably as
she toyed with his collar, gazing at Lex with a quizzical
expression. Lex watched as the doctor continued to toy with the
guard just before he let out a soft groan she turned her
attention to Lex.

"You must be, Mr. Luthor. I've been waiting for you," she
slinked toward him seductively running a hand through his hair.
"All that money and prestige...just to wind up in Arkham Asylum
with every nut bag that's had a grudge against the mythical
Batman. Trying to bring down a legend. You boys will never learn,
will you? Quite a fall from grace isn't it, Lex?"

Fury filled him as she pointed out how far he'd fallen from his
failed attempts to bring Superman down only to have himself
thrown into a mental institution and have him stripped of
everything: his power, his money, his good name, and most of
all...Lois Lane. Superman would pay for this along with his new
friend, Bruce Wayne. He just had to bide his time.

"Alexander Luthor, transferred from Shady Brook Hospital of New
Troy with a recommendation for isolation."

"Really? Let me see that." She grabbed the file from which the
guard was reading. Her eyes sparkled as she read the report in
front of her, "My, my, Lex, you have been a bad boy, haven't
you?" He glared at her angrily, not trusting himself to speak
without giving too much of himself away. "Kidnapping attempted
mass murder, arson...tsk tsk tsk...Well, don't worry, Lexy," He
cringed at the pet name as she ran a hand through this hair once
more, "we've got just the thing to fix you right up..."

She turned to the guards, "Put him in with Mr. J." Her nose
scrunched up with a smile as the guards around him laughed,
carrying him toward the cell at the end of the hallway.

"No isolation?" Dave asked.

She laughed, "Since when do I take recommendations seriously. I
know what I'm doing. Toss him in with Mr. J for a few hours, and
we'll meet for our first session after lunch." She then stroked
Lex's face, "You're in luck. Today is red jello."

The hallway where the maniacal laughter seemed to be getting
louder and louder. "What is this? You can't do this..." He
argued, trying to gain some sort of leverage to free himself but
found the efforts futile as the metal door opened, revealing the
distorted figure of a man with clown makeup and scars along his
face. Immediately he recognized who he was face to face with and
he struggled against the guards. "No! No! *No!!!*!"

"Meet your new roommate, Lex. I'm sure you two will be best
friends." One of the guards jeered as he threw Lex to the
ground. Laughter filled the room as the painted faced man
approached him with a grin.

***

Soft waves hit the shore on a small island off the coast of the
Caribbean. The sandy white beaches were scattered with children
as they played on one side of the beach. On the other side was a
small quaint out of the way luxurious beach house with green
shuttered windows and matching doors. On the front door, a *'Do
Not Disturb'* sign hung loosely on the silver knob.

Inside the room the window was left open to allow the soothing
sounds of the ocean as a couple laid together, tangled up in one
another. Clark glanced over at Lois with a slow smile, "Hi."

"Hi," She whispered back, turning in his arms to face him. "I
had the strangest dream. I dreamt we actually got married
yesterday."

"Really? That's weird. I had the same dream." He smiled back
at her, taking her left hand in his, running his thumb over the
newly placed wedding band. "I love you, Mrs. Kent."

"I love you, Mr. Kent," she giggled, pulling him into her arms
for a soul-shattering kiss.

THE END