FIRST COMES MARRIAGE

By ML Thompson <thomplaw@tbaytel.net>

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: August 2002

* * * * * * * * *

No copyright infringement is intended. I recognize that the  characters are not mine. I am just borrowing them for a  little fun and not for any profit. My special thanks to the  writers of 'Barbarians At The Planet' and 'House of Luthor'  since I use scenes and dialogue from those episodes in my  story. I also use portions from a lot of other episodes,  sometime using these portions in context and sometimes  using them out of context. The portions taken from the  series include, but are not limited to, using actual words,  phrases and/or sentences, paraphrasing, twisting sentences  around to change the meaning, using larger segments and  simply alluding to an idea. I sometimes have the same  characters say or think a particular line, idea and/or  segment and sometimes I give those lines, ideas and/or  segments to someone else.

Furthermore, I recognize that putting the above disclaimer  on this story does not justify the breach of copyright  and/or the breaches of trademark contained herein. I rely  on two things to keep from being sued. First, the mercy of  WB and any and all other holders of rights to the series,  the individual episodes and/or the characters. Second, I  rely on the fact that I am not deriving any profit from  either the writing or the posting of this story.

I tried something new with this story. I'd write a section  and then send what I'd written to Gerry Anklewicz to get  her comments. And it worked great. Thank you, Gerry, for  pushing me, babying my ego and giving such great feedback  and plot ideas. It was fun. And my thanks to Carol Malo for  Beta reading this for me as well. As always, her input made  this story better. And my thanks to Wendy Richards for her  quick editing of this story for the archives.

WARNING: This story contains adult themes and situations  which might be unsuitable for younger readers.

* * * * * * * * * FIRST COMES MARRIAGE By: ML Thompson August 2002 PG-13 * * * * * * * * *

Part 01

The large double bed could just be seen through the door to  the bedroom, but for some reason Lois' eyes gravitated to  it. She swallowed hard. She'd been in the honeymoon suite  at the Lexor previously. She'd even slept in that bed  before. But this time was different.

She heard the man behind her paying the bellboy and closing  the door. Somehow when she had accepted his proposal, she  hadn't considered what would happen on their wedding night.  She shook her head slightly. It was crazy. Obviously, he  would expect to consummate their marriage. Still, she  wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

She could feel him come up behind her, wrapping his arms  around her waist. She tried to force herself to relax. She  had been in his arms before.

"It's going to be okay, Lois," he whispered.

He moved his hand, brushing her hair aside so that he could  place a kiss on her neck. She should have known better than  to think that he would be nervous. He was a man,  undoubtedly with more than enough experience. Still, she  envied him his composure.

She hadn't been with a man for several years. Even before  then, she hadn't had many sexual encounters - but each and  every one had qualified as a federal disaster. Now if the  man standing behind her was Superman, she wouldn't be  thinking about her past sexual experiences - she would be  getting lost in the moment. But he wasn't Superman. No one  knew that better than she. Her new husband might be a good  man, but there was only one Superman. Unfortunately, he  hadn't wanted her.

She closed her eyes when his lips found a particularly  sensitive spot on her neck. A small moan rose in her  throat, but she fought it off. An instant later, she pulled  away, almost resenting him for being able to provoke a  reaction out of her.

"I'm just going to go freshen up," she said, refusing to  make eye contact as she grabbed her bag and headed to the  washroom as quickly as possible without actually running.  She closed the door, leaning up against it.

She let out a breath of relief, even though she knew she  had bought herself a temporary reprieve at best. She would  eventually have to face him and... She closed her eyes  tightly, trying to stop her entire body from trembling.

* * * * * * * * * PREVIOUSLY * * * * * * * * *

Lois glanced over at Clark as he walked silently beside  her. She knew that look. It was the one that said he had  something important to say. But she wasn't sure she had  ever seen him look quite this nervous. After all, Clark  didn't get nervous. He always maintained an even keel -  much more so than she.

She had invited him to meet her at LNN today because she  hoped to lure him into accepting a job there. Yet he had  found every reason not to accept - some of which were  downright ludicrous. Then he'd told her that he had  something to talk to her about and asked her to go  somewhere private with him. That was why she now found  herself walking beside him in the park, still having no  idea what he might want to discuss with her.

"When I thought about losing my job at the Daily Planet,"  Clark began slowly, seriously, "saying goodbye to Perry and  Jimmy and everyone, I realized something. I realized that I  could lose all that and still go on. I realized that there  was really only one thing that I didn't want to live  without and that..." He hesitated, being certain he had eye  contact before continuing. "...was you. Seeing you every  day, working with you, just being with you."

Lois suddenly felt relieved. She felt exactly the same way.  She couldn't imagine working without Clark, not seeing him  every day, not spending time together. The way he had been  acting had made her think that he had something to say that  was going to turn her world upside down, as if anything  could alter it any more than the events of the past few  weeks already had.

"Well, that's why you should come and be my partner," Lois  responded enthusiastically.

"No, Lois. Listen to me," Clark interrupted, leading her  over to a park bench, his voice still slightly strained and  very intense. "I'm not talking about partnership," he  continued once they were seated. "I'm talking about... us."  He paused slightly, looking directly into her eyes before  continuing. "I have been in love with you for a long time,"  he said, emphasizing every word.

Lois felt her heart do a slight flip. He couldn't possibly  be doing what he seemed to be doing. Not now. Please, not  now. Her life was in enough turmoil at the moment.

"You had to have known," he continued when she didn't  respond.

Lois mentally closed her mouth. Realizing that he was  waiting for a response, she began to speak, desperately  searching for a response to a question which she had spent  the past year trying not to consider. And a way not to hurt  him in the process.

"Well... I mean... I knew... I mean, I guess I knew... that  you liked me... or were attracted to me," she finally  managed to get out. She let out a breath. There was nothing  to do now but to respond to his declaration. If only she  had seen it coming, maybe she could have prevented it. But  he had caught her blind-sided.

"Oh, Clark," she said, hating herself for what she knew she  was about to do to him, "I'm sorry. I just don't feel that  way about you... romantically." Clark looked absolutely  crushed, causing her to rush to continue. "You're my best  friend... and the only partner I could ever stand to work  with." He still looked as if she had just trampled on his  dreams, so she continued. "I admire you and respect you and  I do love you... as a friend."

Even she could hear how hollow the final phrase sounded. It  was the death knell of more than one outpouring of emotion.  The problem was that, for Lois, it was the ultimate  declaration of trust - something she did not give lightly.  Still, the look on Clark's face informed her exactly how  empty the words had come across.

Clark rose and took a step away before turning to face her.  "And what about Luthor?" he asked. "Do you love him?"

"I don't know. I mean, I have feelings for him." His  expression was almost an accusation and she could hear the  words without him speaking them. "I haven't said 'yes'  yet," she said in her own defense. She paused briefly,  knowing Clark was going to hate her for the words she was  about to say. Still, she plunged ahead. "And I won't until  I talk it over with someone else," she said, diverting her  eyes.

"Who?" Clark asked.

"I think you know who," Lois responded. She watched Clark  look off into the distance as it sunk in what she was  telling him. There was pain on his face, but he almost  looked as if he found the situation ironic. "If you see  him, will you tell him I'm looking for him?" she asked.

Clark nodded in resignation. "Yeah," he responded softly.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois had gone through the rest of the work day in a daze.  It felt as if her world was spinning out of control.

Working at LNN was not the same as working at the Daily  Planet. But she had thought that at least if she had Clark  with her... But she had just made things worse. And, as a  result, she'd probably lost her best friend.

She got changed for bed. Clark must not have seen Superman  today. Otherwise, she had no doubt that the Man of Steel  would have come by before now. She took a seat on the sofa  and picked up her current romance novel. But she didn't  read. She simply stared at the words and tried to make  sense of her life.

It had all started a couple of weeks ago when, out of the  blue, Lex Luthor had proposed to her. Then the Daily Planet  had started having financial problems, and the layoffs had  begun. Fortunately, Lex had stepped in, buying the Planet  and promising that there would be no layoffs. The  shattering of Lois' world had been averted.

But that was before, a few days later, a bomb had decimated  the Daily Planet. Given the financial problems the Planet  had been having prior to the explosion, the damage to the  Planet had been an insurmountable obstacle. Even Lex had  been unable to put things back together. The new kid, Jack,  had been blamed for the bombing, but Lois had serious  doubts that he was responsible. But regardless of who was  responsible, the Daily Planet was gone. Perry had decided  to retire and Jimmy, Clark and she had all been left to  find new jobs.

Lex's original proposal had been flattering. But it wasn't  until the Daily Planet had been destroyed that she had even  seriously thought about accepting it. The destruction of  the Planet had hit Lois as hard as the divorce of her  parents. Her family had once again been torn from her -  and, once again, she was helpless to do anything about it.

Her thoughts drifted back to Lex. He had been fantastic  through all of this. When she had gone to see him, to see  if there was anything he could do to bring back the Planet,  he had informed her that some things were beyond even him.  Still, he'd offered her an alternative. First, he had  reminded her of his proposal of marriage. She had been  flattered, just as she had when he first proposed, but she  wasn't the type to sit around planning dinner parties. He  seemed to have anticipated that and had suggested a  solution - a job at LNN. She had been skeptical at first,  but the job wasn't going badly. It was no Daily Planet, but  it was better than nothing. If only she had been able to  persuade Clark to come work with her...

Instead, he had told her that he'd never work for Lex  Luthor and then he'd made things worse, by telling her that  he loved her. How could he do that to her? How could he  make her already shattered world make even less sense? She  had to prepare herself for the very real possibility that  she had lost her best friend today, in addition to  everything else she'd lost. There was only one hope left -  Superman. Maybe he could give her back something, some  reason to continue to believe in the future.

She felt as if she had been set adrift. She was totally  alone in this world. She had lost her family years ago. Now  she'd lost the only other place she had ever fit and she'd  probably lost the best friend she'd ever had. For the first  time in her life, facing the world alone was looking like a  very scary prospect. She could no longer see her way clear.  The future, which had always been alive with possibilities,  was now closing in around her. She needed something,  anything, that she could hold on to, something that would  not sink in the uncertain seas that her life had suddenly  become.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark paced his apartment. He had been crushed when Lois  had told him she didn't share his feelings. He wasn't sure  why. He should have known that was how she felt. He wasn't  even sure what had possessed him to pour his heart out to  her. It was just that between Luthor's proposal and the  destruction of the Planet, the possibility that he was  going to lose Lois terrified him.

Besides, over the past year, he'd almost got the feeling  that Lois felt more for him than she was willing to admit.  It was a lot of little things. It was the way she easily  slipped her arm through his or allowed him to edit her  copy. It was the way she would run to him when she needed a  friend. It was the way she would look at him when she  didn't know he was watching. Yet, when he finally had the  nerve to tell her how he felt, she hadn't even had to think  about her response.

Luthor. How could she even consider accepting that  monster's proposal of marriage? She'd basically admitted  that she didn't love him. Not in so many words. But that  was definitely what she was telling him. So why was she  even considering it? It made absolutely no sense.

And then she had asked him to tell Superman that she was  looking for him. He snorted. No. How would she feel if  Superman just didn't bother showing up? It would serve her  right. Well, that was the answer. He just wouldn't go. He  let out a slow breath and shook his head. He would go. He  knew that already. She had asked for Superman, so once  again, he would give her Superman. He wondered momentarily  if there was anything he could deny that woman.  Surrendering to the inevitable, he spun into the Superman  suit and flew out the window.

* * * * * * * * *

Superman appeared with no introduction. He didn't even stop  outside the window to await an invitation to enter.  Uncharacteristically, with just a rush of air announcing  his arrival, he landed in Lois' apartment. He might be  unable to deny her what she had asked of him, but he was  determined to make this as quick and painless as possible.  Like pulling off a band-aid, he would do it in one smooth  stroke and then disappear.

He saw Lois turn at the sound of his entrance and rise from  the couch in one seemingly fluid motion. His breath caught  in his throat at the image she created dressed in the  sparse, light blue nightgown. He felt a moment of anger.  She knew he would be coming by tonight. How dare she be  dressed like that? Was she trying to seduce him? Of course  she was trying to seduce him. He hardened himself against  the oncoming attack and the way his traitorous body was  reacting to her attire. Soft, creamy skin. Smooth, flowing  curves, covered by delicate, silken material.

"Superman," he heard Lois say, dragging him from his  thoughts. He redirected his gaze to her face, determined  not to think about her attire.

"I heard you wanted to see me," Clark responded, keeping  his voice steady, professional. Perhaps if he didn't give  her any reason to expect anything but a rejection, she  wouldn't do it.

"Yes. Come in. I'll just put on a robe," said Lois, taking  a step towards her room.

"Unless it's lined with lead, Lois, it's a waste of time,"  Clark responded immediately. He didn't want her to take  time to cover herself. It was obvious that the outfit was  part of the scene she had planned. And he was not about to  play her game. He would let her say her piece and then he  was out of there.

He had second thoughts when she looked down at herself  nervously. "I guess so," she said, a touch of embarrassment  in her voice. Then, as if she recognized his desire to have  her get to the point, she continued. "Well, I'm just trying  to figure out..." she began as she started walking towards  him. Her voice trailed off and she changed tactics. "I have  a lot of changes going on in my life and I just want to  make the right decision and I can't do that until I know  how you feel."

'Don't do it, Lois,' Clark silently screamed. Still he did  nothing as she placed her hands on the arms he had folded  across his chest.

"Superman, is there any hope for us?" she asked, her voice  little more than a plea. "You and me. I'm so completely in  love with you. I can't do anything else without knowing."

Superman let out a breath and looked down, shaking his head  slightly. She had actually done it. Part of him hadn't  believed she would really go through with it. He steeled  his resolve and looked back into Lois' hopeful face. It  would be so easy to respond in kind, to take her in his  arms and kiss her until they were both senseless. To peel  that light covering from her body and explore...

"Lois, I do care for you," he said instead. "But there are  things about me that you don't know, that you may never  know."

"It doesn't matter," Lois jumped in. "I know you. I don't  mean you, the celebrity or you the superhero. If you had no  powers at all, if you were just an ordinary man, leading an  ordinary life, I would love you all the same. Can't you  believe that?"

Clark felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Of all  the things to say to him tonight. The irony wasn't the  least bit amusing. Instead, it was downright painful. "I  wish I could, Lois," he responded from the depths of his  heart. "But under the circumstances, I don't see how I  can."

Lois turned away, as if trying to keep Superman from seeing  the pain his words had caused. Seeing his opportunity,  Superman disappeared out the window in a gust of wind. When  he heard her sob the name she had given him almost a year  ago, he increased his speed, leaving Metropolis far behind  him.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark flew as fast as he could, trying desperately to  outfly the pain. He had known seeing Lois tonight as  Superman would be hard, but never in his worst nightmares  had he imagined anything like that. He felt as if he was  being torn in two - the man Lois loved and the man Lois  thought of as her best friend. He wondered momentarily why  he had even invented Superman. It wasn't worth it. Nothing  was worth this pain.

His breathing became labored, and not from the energy he  was expending. But still he slowed down. Glancing at his  surroundings, he realized he was somewhere in China. He  lowered himself to the ground and spun into Clark. Maybe  this was the solution. Maybe he should just disappear into  a different country, a different life - one where the  memory of Lois Lane did not exist.

He wandered the streets of the small town for a while until  he ended up near a lake. He sat down near the edge and  watched a group of children playing in the water. He smiled  softly. They seemed not to have a care in the world. Would  he ever be fortunate enough to have children of his own?  Given the way things were going, he doubted it.

His mind, unbidden, drifted back to Lois. How could Lois  even consider marrying that animal? Did she really believe  that she was strong enough to maintain her own identity in  Luthor's shadow? There was nothing about that combination  that made sense. Luthor would never let his wife be  anything other than his show-piece. How could she not see  that? What on earth was she thinking? Luthor would find a  way to break her, making her into a shadow of her former  self. Even if Luthor was not the master criminal that Clark  knew him to be, there was no way Luthor would ever allow  his wife to be anything more than a decoration, a trophy.

'I haven't said yes yet.' Lois' words came back to him.  What did she mean by 'yet'? 'And I won't until I talk it  over with someone else.' What did she mean by 'until'? His  breath caught in his throat. It almost sounded as if she  was going to find out if Superman loved her and if he  didn't, that she was going to accept Luthor's proposal. Had  he just pushed her into Luthor's arms? He clenched his  fists, trying to calm his suddenly racing heart.

"No, no, no, no," he said, slowly rising to his feet and  backing away from the lake. Once he was away from the  children, he spun into Superman in order to take to the  skies and head back to Metropolis. As fast as he had been  flying before, this time he was even faster, knowing that  every second counted. If he was too late, he would never  forgive himself.

It was only a few minutes later that he was hovering high  above Lois' apartment. He glanced inside. She had gotten  dressed and was acting as if she was about to go out. Maybe  she was going to talk to Clark. He let out a short breath.  The chances of that after what had transpired between them  this afternoon were almost negligible. In all likelihood  she was going to give Luthor his answer. He began to  descend, determined to stop her. Then he hesitated. The  only way Superman could stop her was to give her what she  wanted - or at least what she thought she wanted. The  problem was that what she wanted didn't exist. He was just  Clark, and if she didn't want Clark...

Clark! That was the only option. He just had to remember to  keep his cool. Maybe if he could figure out why she was  thinking about marrying Luthor, he could find a way to stop  her. He landed on the roof of Lois' apartment building,  spun into Clark and headed for the stairwell, reminding  himself that he had to put his own pain behind him or he  was going to give Lois that final push towards Luthor.  Right now he was Lois Lane's best friend - and it looked as  if that was all he would ever be. He forced his ego aside.  She needed her best friend right now, more than she ever  had before, he suspected.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 02

Lois checked her appearance one more time in the mirror.  Satisfied that her make-up hid the fact that she had been  crying, she headed to the closet to get her jacket. Prior  to Superman's visit, she had decided that if Superman gave  her no reason to hope, she was going to accept Lex's  proposal. She was almost twenty-seven years of age and Lex  was the first man she had dated who wasn't a loser. And  without any other options, he was the obvious solution. He  could give her that sense of stability she desperately  craved. Accepting his proposal might give her some sense  that life was not spinning out of her control.

She had told him she'd give him her answer tomorrow. But  why wait? If she was going to do this, she should just do  it and get on with her life.

Still, she suddenly found that she was having second  thoughts. Did she really know him well enough to marry him?  She knew that before Superman had arrived on the scene, Lex  had been considered the greatest man in Metropolis. He sat  on the board of directors of most of the major charities in  Metropolis. And his success in business had resulted in  employment for large numbers of people. He had a presence  and charisma that was surpassed only by Superman. Okay, so  Clark didn't like him. But his opinion was obviously biased  as a result of his feelings for her.

Besides, what other options were there? She could probably  get a job at any other paper in the country, but that would  mean leaving Metropolis. And that was something she would  never consider doing. This was home - she couldn't lose it,  too. And there was no way in hell she would ever work for  The Star. And in spite of what she had told Clark, she  didn't feel as if she really fit at LNN. Maybe she would  eventually, but until then... She needed to fit somewhere,  and that was exactly what Lex was offering - a place where  she could fit.

She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Just as she  reached it, someone knocked. Puzzled, she looked through  the peep hole. Clark. Her heart involuntarily skipped a  beat. She had been convinced that she had lost him today,  all because she couldn't return his feelings. She quickly  flicked open the locks on the door and threw it open. She  wasn't sure she had ever been happier to see him.

"Hi," he said. "I was just thinking that you might need  someone to talk to."

She let out a breath, her eyes becoming moist, and nodded.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark fiddled nervously as Lois made coffee. Neither had  said anything of any significance since he had come in. She  had asked if he wanted coffee and had rambled away ever  since about inconsequential matters. He couldn't help but  notice that she didn't seem quite able to meet his eyes.

It wasn't until they sat down in the living room with their  coffee that Lois finally seemed to run out of things to  say.

"Can we talk now?" Clark asked. When she didn't respond, he  continued. "I think we should start with what happened this  afternoon."

"Look, Clark, I don't think we should..."

"I probably shouldn't have told you how I feel," Clark  interrupted. "I know it put you in an incredibly awkward  position."

"Then why'd you do it? I mean, why now? Was it just that  Lex wants me to marry him?"

Clark let out a breath. "It was a lot of things. When the  Planet was destroyed I realized how easy it would be to  lose you. And then with Luthor's proposal..." He shrugged.  "Not that there is one word I said that isn't true. But my  timing was probably not the best. But, Lois, you can't  really tell me it came as a surprise."

She thought about that for a moment before shaking her  head. She couldn't really say that she was surprised. She'd  seen the way he looked at her. She knew he would do just  about anything for her. That didn't mean she hadn't been  surprised that he had actually worked up the nerve to tell  her.

"I knew," she said softly, staring intently at the dark  liquid in her coffee cup.

There was a moment of silence before Clark spoke again. "I  guess what I need to know first is if my saying the words  has destroyed our friendship."

She looked up then, meeting his eyes. "I hope not," she  said, her tone of voice communicating just how much she  meant that sentiment. "I never want to lose your  friendship, Clark. I've never had a friend like you. I  think it would kill me to lose you."

"You could never..." he began before his voice trailed off.  The truth was that if she married Luthor, he wasn't sure he  could remain her friend. At the very least, their  friendship would be irrevocably altered. "I don't want that  to happen either," he said instead of completing his  original thought. He hesitated for a moment. "So, did  Superman come by?" he asked.

Lois gave a humorless chuckle. "I guess I know now how my  words this afternoon affected you."

Clark flinched. Knowing that he had inflicted on her the  same pain she had inflicted on him should have made him  feel better. Instead, he felt guilty. Surely he could have  found a way to let her down easily - telling her that he  had feelings for her but that he couldn't have a life here.  Maybe that would have softened the blow. "I'm sorry," he  responded, getting up from the chair and moving over to  take a seat on the couch beside her.

She immediately reached out and took his hand, silently  playing with it.

"I don't know what to do," she said, finally breaking the  silence.

"About what?"

"Lex," she said. "And please, Clark, I don't need any  lectures. I just need a friend to talk it out with. Can you  do that?" She looked hopefully into his eyes.

Clark looked at her for a moment. He would do almost  anything for her, but could he really separate what he knew  about the man with his best friend's need to talk about  possibly marrying him? "I can try," he finally said. Then  she gave him that smile - the one that he would do anything  to see - and he prepared himself to be as objective as  possible.

"Thanks, Clark," she said softly, as if recognizing how  hard this was for him. "I'm not quite sure where to start."

"Well, maybe you could explain to me how..." He let out a  breath. "I know you've been dating Luthor. But I never got  the impression that it was serious. It always seemed more  like something to do on a Saturday evening. I guess that's  why I took it so hard."

"I admit it was kind of unexpected. I have spent a lot of  time with him over the past year. But I was sort of blown  away when he asked."

"In the park when I asked if you loved him, you said you  didn't know. That you had feelings for him, but you didn't  know if you loved him. Was that just to spare my feelings?"

She let out a breath. If she wanted to talk this out with  him, she had to be honest - even if part of her knew that  what she had to say would give him more ammunition he could  use against her if he so choose.

"No, Clark," she said. "I meant what I said. I think I  could grow to love him, but there's only one man I love  that way."

"Who? Oh," he responded. There was a moment of silence  before Clark spoke again. "Then I don't get it. I mean, why  are you even considering marrying this guy? If I didn't  know you, I'd be tempted to think you were marrying him for  his money. But I know you. Money isn't something you..."

"It's not the money, Clark. Although, I must admit the idea  of not struggling to make my rent does sound really good."  She gave him a smile that let him know she was joking.

"Then why?"

She swallowed, diverting her gaze. "I need something that's  going to last," she said. She looked at him then. "You  think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No, I... I just don't understand."

"Of course you don't. You'll never be alone. If things go  wrong... If you never get another job working for another  paper, you can always go home. I don't have that. I don't  have somewhere safe to run to if things go wrong. I never  have."

"Why would you think marriage to Luthor would give you  that? Marriages end all the time."

Lois shrugged slightly. "I know that, Clark. Probably  better than you. But it would be different with Lex."

"How do you know that?"

"I sort of... well, I casually suggested that he'd probably  want me to sign a prenuptial agreement. He doesn't. That  means he's looking at this as being permanent."

Clark was starting to feel a little desperate. "Lois, with  your reputation, you could get a job at any paper in the  world. If you went on the market, you'd have them climbing  all over themselves trying to get you."

"I want to stay in Metropolis, Clark. But... I'll never  work for the Star. The only logical thing is for me to work  for LNN."

"And you don't think you can do that if you don't marry  Luthor?"

"No. I mean, I know he'd never expect me to quit working at  LNN just because I'd turned down his proposal."

Clark wasn't so sure, but he held his peace.

"I'm just not sure how comfortable I'd be working for LNN  if I do turn him down. And, Clark, I can't lose this job,  too. I'd have nothing left."

"You'd have me," said Clark.

Lois smiled, bringing her hand up to gently stroke his  cheek. "That's sweet, Clark. But..."

"But what?"

"Well, how long are you going to be around? Aren't you  already applying to every paper in the country? You have no  real connections to Metropolis, after all. And any paper  would be foolish to let you get away."

"I have a stronger connection to Metropolis than you might  think."

"Really? And just what would that be?"

"You," Clark responded without missing a beat.

She let out a breath. "Clark, I know you believe that. And  I am flattered. But someday you'll meet someone else and  you'll be gone." She was surprised to realize just how much  she hated that idea.

"That won't happen," Clark responded.

She looked away. "I can't count on that. I need something  permanent. Something I know I'm not going to lose."

"Then marry me," said Clark softly.

She looked back at him in shock. "What?" she asked.

Clark shifted his position so that he was facing Lois. When  he had first said the words, he'd only been half serious.  But when he thought about it, it made sense. If what she  was looking for was permanence, some sense that she  belonged somewhere, he could give her that. "Think about  it, Lois," he began. "If I recall correctly, you once said  that partnership is like marriage. In fact, I think that  was why you originally objected to Perry partnering us  together. And that worked out okay. Besides, if you want  permanence, who better to marry than your best friend."

"But I'm not in love with you."

"You're not in love with Luthor either. And besides, the  best a couple can hope for is to end up friends. We'd just  be starting out there."

"Clark, marrying you isn't the same thing. I mean, you're  as unemployed as I am. At least Lex is..."

"I can always get a job."

She gave him a look that told him he was losing this  argument. He had to think quick. This might be the only way  to keep her from marrying Luthor.

"Besides, when I was talking to Superman today, he gave me  an idea." He paused, trying to figure out exactly what this  brilliant idea he'd been given was.

"And that is?"

"He suggested that I write a book about my year at the  Planet."

"And you think anyone would buy a book about working at the  Planet?"

"Well, the emphasis would be on Superman and the things we  covered him doing during the past year," Clark said as the  idea began to take hold. "Superman offered to do a series  of interviews so that I could include his perspective. He  said he would even write the introduction. Now, who  wouldn't buy that. I'm sure I could even get an advance  with Superman supporting the idea. You're certainly welcome  to help me write it. So, you see, you don't need a job at  LNN. We could..."

"He really offered to give you interviews?" asked Lois,  feeling almost jealous.

"Yeah. So what do you say?"

"About?" asked Lois thoroughly distracted by this idea of  writing a book about Superman.

"About marrying me," Clark clarified.

Lois seemed to take a moment to come back to the question.  She looked at him blankly before speaking. "Are you  serious?" she asked. "I mean, it's really starting to seem  like you're proposing."

"That was not a proposal," Clark responded.

Lois felt a weird sense of loss.

"This is," Clark continued before swallowing hard and  getting off the couch to drop to one knee in front of her.  He took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes  before speaking. "I am completely in love with you. I have  been from the moment we met. And although I know you don't  have those feelings for me, I know I can make you happy -  if you'll just give me a chance. I might not be able to  give you the wealth or the exotic life Luthor could, but I  promise that we will always have what we need. I also  promise that you will never again have to wonder where you  fit. I can give you a family - people who will love and  support you unconditionally. And if you think about it, who  better to share your life with than your best friend? And  so, I want to ask... Will you marry me, Lois Lane?"

* * * * * * * * *

"What do you think you're doing?" Clark asked himself when  he got back to his apartment. Lois had told him that she  needed to think about his proposal. He could hardly believe  he had proposed marriage as a solution, and he certainly  couldn't believe that she'd said she'd think about it.

Still, what else could he have done? The traditional  arguments weren't working. How could she be so blind as to  think that Luthor was safe? It was like jumping out of the  frying pan and into the fire. He had been surprised to  discover that she was feeling so insecure at the moment. Of  course, when he thought about it now, it was the only thing  that made sense. She was trying to figure out where she fit  in the world. Since, in his opinion, she could fit anywhere  she wanted, it was hard realizing that beneath that self- assured exterior really was an insecure woman. And Luthor  was just the type to take advantage of that insecurity. And  if he was willing to use her insecurities to get her to  marry him, then there was no doubt that he would use  similar techniques to control her after marriage.

He briefly considered something he had wondered about ever  since the Planet had been destroyed. Had Luthor been  responsible for that - simply to get Lois to consider his  proposal? After all, from what he had learned tonight, Lois  wouldn't be seriously considering marrying Luthor if she  was still secure in her job. Clark clenched his fists. The  man was a monster. He would do whatever it took to keep  Lois from marrying him.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 03

Lois lay on her back in bed, staring absently at the  ceiling. A quick glance at the clock on her night stand  informed her that it was now past three in the morning.  She'd been battling with Clark's suggestion - proposal, she  reminded herself - since he'd left almost three hours ago.  And she was further from an answer now than she had been  when she started. It seemed all the arguments were just  going around and around in her head.

Part of her was amazed that she was even seriously  considering Clark's proposal. He wasn't the type of man she  had ever imagined marrying. When she'd initially told Clark  she'd consider his proposal, she'd done it primarily to  avoid hurting him twice in one day. But for a reason she  couldn't quite seem to put her finger on, she now found  that she was unable to simply dismiss the idea. She kept  feeling as if there was a reason, just on the edge of her  brain, that she should consider marrying Clark. But try as  she might, she couldn't bring that reason into focus.

She growled and climbed out of bed. Throwing on a robe, she  made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a notebook and a  pen. She placed them on the table before getting a cup of  the cold coffee and sticking it in the microwave. She  waited until the beep informed her that the coffee was hot,  removed the coffee and took a seat at the table.

She had a sip of coffee and stared at the blank paper. The  first thing she needed to do was to write down all the  arguments for and against marrying both Clark and Lex. She  would sort through the various arguments afterwards.

'Lex.' She wrote down the name and underlined it. What  could marriage to him offer her? She immediately rejected  the idea that he was rich, except to say that he could  offer financial stability.

Next she wrote down the name 'Clark' and underlined it. He  might not be rich, but he had promised that she would have  everything she needed. And for a reason she couldn't quite  put into words, she believed him. Of course, with Lex  everything would be handed to her. But Clark's idea of  writing a book about Superman was certainly intriguing. And  he was right. They could surely sell the book before it was  even written. And it would be much better if they did it  together. After all, Clark had not always been present when  Superman was doing his thing. For example, there was no way  Clark would be able to explain the feelings that the  colonists had experienced when Superman first appeared on  the scene. He needed her.

Of course, she could marry Lex and still work with Clark on  the book. She rejected the idea almost immediately. Lex  would have a fit. Given the hostile feelings between Clark  and Lex, Lex would never approve of her... Her thought  trailed off. When had she ever let a man make her decisions  for her? She shook the thought off. Maybe she wasn't being  fair to Lex.

So how would Clark react if she decided to continue to work  at LNN? She didn't have to think long to have the answer to  that question. He might be disappointed. He might even try  to argue her out of it, but he would be completely up front  with his objections and in the end, he would accept it if  it was what she wanted. Lex might pay lip service to her  decision, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he would  undermine it every chance he got. She shivered. She really  wasn't being fair to Lex. Why was it that she had to try to  slant every argument in Clark's favor? Lex had never given  her any reason to doubt him like this. Clark's paranoia was  probably corrupting her.

Okay, so what were the points in Lex's favor? He could  introduce her to a society that she had only ever dreamed  of being accepted into. He could open all those doors that  had always been closed to her. Clark couldn't do that.  Satisfied with having found an argument that was going in  favor of Lex, she refused to analyze it further.

Besides, marrying Lex was marrying someone she could look  up to. In that sense, he was like Superman. Clark, on the  other hand... She paused. Why didn't she think Clark was  someone she could respect? Her mind drifted back to when he  had first come to work for the Planet. She had dubbed him  'Mr. Greenjeans' and somehow, deep down, she still  maintained that image. But was that image true?

During the past year, Clark had proven himself to be her  equal when it came to reporting the news. In fact, at times  he almost seemed to have a psychic ability when it came to  being in the right place at the right time to get the  story. At first flush, she had mistaken his gentle nature  as weakness. But she was wrong. There was a quiet strength  to Clark that spoke of a self-assured man. That was why he  was the one she sought out when she needed comfort - not  Lex, not even Superman filled that void in her life. There  was a strength in Clark that always made her feel safe,  both physically and emotionally.

So could she enter into a marriage with him as his equal?  He'd taught her early on that he would not allow her to  take advantage of him. When he had sent her to the Sewage  Reclamation Plant in search of a story months ago, he had  proven that. In marriage, she suspected he would be the  same way - always supporting her, but challenging her when  he thought she was wrong. Until Clark, she wouldn't have  believed those two things could be done at the same time.  She let out a breath as she readjusted her image of Clark  to fit the facts. She had to admit, whoever became his wife  would be a lucky woman.

And Clark was right about one thing. He could give her that  family she'd always dreamed of having. She had no doubt  that both Martha and Jonathan would accept Clark's wife  without question. There was a real feeling of comfort in  that thought. But then it wasn't Lex's fault that his  parents had died when he was very young. In fact, it was  quite remarkable that he'd managed to overcome their deaths  and had ascended to the heights he had achieved without the  support of his family.

Love. She focused on that question for a moment. Clark had  a point. The intense feelings of falling in love didn't  last a lifetime - not that she was in love with either man  now. If she were, the decision wouldn't be nearly as hard.  So how was she supposed to deal with the question of love?  If, of course, she should deal with it at all.

She had to admit that she'd never really delved too deeply  into her feelings for Lex. Why was that? Maybe it was  because it never really seemed to be an issue. He had never  asked if she loved him - or how she felt about anything,  for that matter. Unless, of course, it was how she liked  the play or the ballet. Of course, she had never confided  in Lex about her feelings for Superman, so keeping those  feelings to herself after marriage wouldn't be hard. If  necessary, she didn't think she'd have any particular  problem telling him she loved him - if he even needed to  hear the words. 'In other words, you'd lie to him,' said a  little voice in the back of her mind. She pushed the  thought away and turned her mind to Clark.

Clark was different. He already knew how she felt about  both him and Superman. Besides, she could never lie to  Clark about something like that. The thought caught her off  guard. Why was it that she could see herself lying to Lex  but not to Clark?

In fact, when she thought about it, she couldn't imagine  ever letting Lex know her deepest feelings - somehow afraid  that he would find her feelings somehow inadequate or  inconsequential. On the other hand, she couldn't imagine  keeping her feelings from Clark. She wasn't sure if that  was a point in favor of Clark or Lex.

Who that point was in favor of depended on whether she  wanted an honest relationship. She thought about that for a  moment. She hadn't realized it before, but if she did marry  Lex, there were probably a lot of things she would never  tell him. With Clark, she had no doubt that she would share  everything. And had she been in love with Clark, that was  what she really wanted in a relationship. After all, she'd  seen first hand what secrets could do to a marriage. The  problem was that she wasn't in love with Clark, and was it  fair to him to marry him without any guarantee that her  feelings would change? With Lex, it didn't really matter -  she wasn't exactly sure why.

Both men claimed to love her. And she believed that both,  in their own way, did. But even in that, they were exact  opposites. Clark. A small smile found its way onto her  lips. She had to admit, she loved the way Clark loved her.  It was so... She struggled to find the right word. Honest.  His love was so honest. That was not to say that Lex's  wasn't, she was quick to assure herself. But there was a  look of intensity in Clark's eyes when he told her that was  missing in Lex. Besides, Clark had proven his love time and  again during the past year. It was something she'd almost  come to take for granted. Lex had only told her he loved  when he proposed, and then it had almost sounded... She  struggled even longer with describing that feeling. It had  almost seemed as if he was announcing that she was the most  fortunate woman in the world because he had decided to love  her. She guessed that was understandable. After all, next  to Superman, he was considered Metropolis' most eligible  bachelor.

But Clark... She felt tears come to her eyes when she  thought about the two times he had told her he loved her -  in the park today and when he had proposed tonight. There  was no doubting the words.

But then, as Clark had pointed out, love wasn't everything.  There was friendship. Lex was certainly stimulating - so  well informed, so well traveled. But when she thought about  it, so was Clark.

On the other hand, when it came to romance, Lex had Clark  beat hands down - private jets, ballets, operas, wine and  roses. She thought about that for a moment. Clark might not  be as obviously romantic, but she had to admit she loved  the way he held her when she was sad or scared, the way he  could tease her out of a bad mood, the way he'd follow her  into hell if it would get them a good story. She even loved  the way he would show up with croissants and coffee in the  morning.

Suddenly, a slightly irreverent question flitted through  Lois' mind. On a whim, she wrote it down. 'Who would you  rather be stranded on a desert island with?' The answer was  a no-brainer - Clark. She scratched out the question. She  wouldn't be living on a desert island. She was living in  the real world. That was what she had to deal with.  Besides, it would make more sense to be stranded on a  desert island with Lex. After all, people would move heaven  and earth to find him - thereby making the possibility of  rescue more likely.

But try as she might, her mind kept coming back to the  question. And as it did, she remembered what Clark had  said, or more accurately, what he hadn't said. He hadn't  promised that she would never lose him as a friend. He had  certainly started out to say that. But when she thought  about it now, she understood why he stopped. Their  friendship was hanging in the balance now. If she married  Lex, would their friendship survive? She pulled in a jagged  breath. She wasn't sure how she would survive without  Clark. He had snuck inside all her barriers and had become  as critical to her existence as breathing. She wasn't  certain she could go on without Clark. What she was certain  about was that she didn't want to find out.

But did that mean she should marry him? She growled. How  was she supposed to know the answer to that? It was all a  crap shoot. How was she supposed to know which of the two  men she would still want to be married to in twenty or  thirty years? Clark had said that most couples were lucky  if they ended up as friends. But how could she really know  which man she would be friends with in thirty years?

She shook her head. This was getting her nowhere. She  spotted a quarter sitting on the table. She stared at it  for a moment before reaching out and picking it up. If it  really was a crap shoot, why not?

"Heads I'll marry Lex. Tails, Clark," she said. Then,  taking a deep breath and trusting her future to the hands  of fate, she tossed the coin in the air. It seemed to hang  there before landing in her hand. Without looking at it,  she flipped it over onto the back of her free hand. She  took a deep breath and let it out before removing her hand  and looking down at the coin. Heads.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark had finally fallen asleep on the couch just as the  first signs of daylight began making an appearance. He  wasn't asleep for more than ten minutes when a persistent  pounding on the door woke him. He jumped up, grabbed his  glasses and headed for the door - feeling completely  disoriented. Who could possibly be calling at this hour? He  glanced over his glasses. Lois. Grabbing the doorknob, he  pulled the door open.

"Clark, I was..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes drifted  over his body. It wasn't until then that Clark realized  that he had answered the door wearing nothing but his sleep  shorts. She seemed rattled for a moment before once again  getting her bearings. Without waiting for an invitation,  she made her way past him into his apartment. "There are a  few things I need to know," she said, refusing to look at  him.

"Just give me a minute," Clark said, her obvious discomfort  making him uncomfortable. He suddenly flashed back to a few  hours earlier when she had welcomed Superman wearing only  that skimpy nightie. He smiled slightly. Turnabout was fair  play. And the look on her face told Clark that his attire  was as distracting as hers had been.

Still, if she wanted to talk, he should probably get  dressed. When she didn't object to his suggestion, he  headed into his bedroom and grabbed a pair of jeans and a  shirt. Once he'd dressed, not bothering to do the shirt up,  he came back into the living room where Lois was looking at  a picture of him with his parents.

"We're so different, Clark," she said softly when he  approached.

"That's what makes us work so well," he responded.

"Why would you want to do this?" she asked. "I mean, is it  just to beat Lex at something?"

"You know better than that, Lois," he said softly.

She took a moment before nodding slowly. "You know what my  big problem is?"

He shook his head, even though she wasn't looking at him.  She seemed to realize his response because she continued.

"I'm afraid that if I marry you, you'll come to resent me  for not being in love with you."

Clark took a minute to consider her comment - she deserved  no less. When he didn't respond immediately, she turned  around and looked at him. There was no mistaking the  anxiety in her eyes.

He shook his head. "Lois, I know what I'm getting myself  into here," he said, bringing his hand up to gently cup her  cheek. "How could I resent you for being honest?" He fell  silent as he tried to decide whether to tell her how he  really felt. Finally, he decided honesty was the best  approach. "I admit that I am hoping your feelings for me  will change. You talked about thinking you could grow to  love Luthor. I guess I'm hoping that you'll grow to love  me. But either way, I have enough love for both of us."

Tears came unbidden to her eyes.

"But, Lois, there is something I need to know."

"What?" she asked.

"I need to know that this is going to be a real marriage. I  only intend to take these vows once in my life. Even though  there is nothing I've ever wanted more than I want to marry  you, I can't go into this if you don't intend to take it  seriously. If what you want is a place where you belong, I  can give you that. But in exchange I don't want you  considering this a stopping ground until something better  comes along."

"That's what I want, too, Clark," she responded without  hesitation.

Clark blinked. Was she saying what she seemed to be saying?  Could she really be planning... "What are you saying?" he  asked.

"Yes."

He looked at her in disbelief as the word tried to  penetrate his brain. "Yes?" he asked.

"Yes, Clark, I will marry you," she responded.

A moment later, she was lost in his arms as he spun her  around. Unable to stop herself, she burst out laughing.  Tossing that coin had been the best idea she had ever had.  The instant she had seen heads, she'd known how she really  felt. Her disappointment that it hadn't been tails had been  palpable. It was at that moment that all the intellectual  arguments had ended up in the garbage. And now, being swung  around in his arms, she knew that she had made the right  choice. In her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine Lex  reacting like this.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 04

Martha looked up from her baking when she heard a gust of  wind outside the farmhouse. She saw a swirl of colors and a  moment later, Clark was walking towards the front door.

"Jonathan," called Martha as she hurried to the door, "your  son's here."

She opened the door just as Clark set foot on the top step.  She enfolded him in a quick embrace before hustling him  into the house.

"Cookies!" exclaimed Clark as his eyes landed on a tray of  oatmeal raisin cookies that still had steam rising off  them.

"They're hot," said Martha out of habit as Clark reached  out and carefully removed a cookie from the tray. Although  it fell apart in his hands, he wasn't the least bit  perturbed as he shoveled the crumbs into his mouth.

"I thought you said they weren't ready," said Jonathan as  he stepped into the room and headed for the tray.

"They're hot, Dad," interjected Clark, just as his father's  hand landed on a cookie.

"They're hot!" Jonathan exclaimed, jerking his hand away.

"Told you," muttered Clark.

"So what brings you by?" asked Martha, not at all fooled by  Clark's apparently casual attitude.

Clark carefully brushed the remainder of the cookie off his  hands and, without meeting his parents eyes, said, "I'm  getting married."

Martha glanced over at her husband who was looking as  stunned as she was feeling. When Clark had been here last  time, he'd told them that he intended to tell Lois how he  felt, but this seemed awfully quick.

"Lois?" she asked.

Clark nodded.

"Congratulations, son," gasped Jonathan. "You'll have to  forgive us, but this seems a little sudden. Last time you  were here, you were working up the nerve to tell Lois how  you feel."

"I take it that telling Lois went well - even better than  you could have anticipated if you're getting married,"  added Martha.

"Well, not exactly," said Clark, still avoiding eye contact  with his parents.

"What's wrong, Clark?" asked Martha, getting both Jonathan  and Clark a glass of milk and scraping a few cookies off  the hot tray to place on a plate. She set the items on the  table and gestured everyone to chairs.

Clark waited until they were all seated before giving his  parents an abbreviated version of the events of the  previous day - leaving out any reference to Lois' meeting  with Superman. When he finished, his parents sat in  silence.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Clark said.

"No, Clark. It's just..." Jonathan glanced helplessly at  his wife. But Martha gave him no hint as to what she was  thinking so he continued. "She said she doesn't love you."

"That's not what she said, Jonathan," corrected Martha.  Both Jonathan and Clark turned their attention to her. "She  admitted that she loves you. She just said that she isn't  in love with you."

"And?" asked Clark, realizing that his mother must have a  point.

"Why are men always so dense?" she asked. She let out a  breath before proceeding to explain. "She loves you,  Clark."

"As a friend," Clark added.

"That's a lot," said Martha, much to the surprise of the  other two. "Especially for someone as scared of her  emotions as Lois is."

"So you're not upset with me?" asked Clark. He had expected  his parents to be upset. He knew they loved Lois and that  they would accept her as his wife once they were married.  But he had been concerned that they would be disappointed  that he was marrying her under these circumstances. His  mother's attitude had taken him completely by surprise. And  by the look on his father's face, he was thinking the same  thing.

"Clark, people get married for lots of reasons. It's only  in recent times that getting married because you've fallen  in love has been accepted as the norm. Do you love Lois?"

"With all my heart."

"And will both of you mean your vows?" she asked.

"Yes. We talked about that."

"Good. Then I, for one, think it's great."

Clark glanced over at his father who shrugged. "Well, you  know that I've always thought the world of Lois," he said.  "So if this is what you want, you have my blessing."

"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom," said Clark, leaning over to  give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"So how did she take it when you told her about Superman?"  asked Jonathan.

"Oh, right," said Clark, the relief of just a moment ago  suddenly gone. "She doesn't know."

"What?" both Martha and Jonathan gasped.

"I assume you're going to tell her before you get married,"  said Jonathan.

"Actually, we've decided to get married today," said Clark.  "She doesn't want to wait. We're just going to go down to  the court house and..."

"Clark, don't you think she has a right to know who she's  marrying?" asked Jonathan. "You can't base a marriage on a  lie."

"It isn't a lie," said Clark defensively. "She agreed to  marry Clark. And that's exactly who she's marrying."

"Do you really think you can keep this from her?" asked  Martha. "I mean, have you thought this through? Sooner or  later, she's going to realize that you aren't exactly  normal."

"How can I tell her?" asked Clark. "She's wildly in love  with Superman. I want her to love me."

"You have to tell her, Clark," said Jonathan.

Clark looked between his parents, looking for some division  in their thinking. When he realized that on this issue they  were unified, he squared his shoulders. "Whether or not to  tell Lois is my decision," he said defiantly. "Now, if  you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to do before I  get married."

"Clark," said his mother in exasperation. But Clark was  already on his way out the door.

His parents waited until they heard a familiar sonic boom  before turning to each other.

"What were you thinking?" Jonathan asked.

"About?" Martha responded.

"When Clark told us why he and Lois were getting married."

Martha let out a breath. "They love each other, Jonathan.  That's why a lot of people get married."

"But Lois told him..."

"Lois loves our son."

Jonathan shook his head in amusement. "And what makes you  so sure of that?" he asked.

"Think about it, Jonathan. Lois has proposals from two  different men. Why did she choose Clark over Luthor?"

"Because..." He let his voice trail off for his wife to  complete his sentence.

"She's in love with him." When Jonathan looked skeptical,  Martha continued. "It's the only thing that makes any  sense. Lois is as ambitious as any woman I've ever known.  She has worked hard to obtain a reputation as one of the  best reporters in the country. And she goes into every  story as if it's the one that's going to win her the  Pulitzer."

"So?" asked Jonathan.

"Now Clark comes along. Since Lois doesn't know that Clark  has been moving around all his life because of his fear of  someone finding out about him, in her opinion, he's a  drifter. In fact, she probably thinks that working at the  Daily Planet is the first real job Clark has ever had. Now  she's confronted with a choice - marriage to a successful  businessman, someone whose ambitions run parallel to hers,  or a drifter, someone who has never held down a job long  term. Who does a woman as dedicated to her career as Lois  choose? No, Jonathan, Lois' decision isn't based on her  intellect, regardless of what she might tell herself; it's  based on the heart. Therefore, she loves him," Martha  concluded with absolute certainty.

"Then why doesn't she admit it?"

"Because she doesn't know that she loves him. She's learned  over the years not to trust her heart, so she has forgotten  how to listen to it. No, their marriage doesn't bother me.  Now, not telling her that he's Superman bothers me. When  she does figure it out, our boy is going to discover that  kryptonite has nothing on Lois Lane."

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor opened the lead-lined box, looked at the green,  glowing rock and smiled. It had turned out to be cheaper  obtaining this than anticipated. The reason for the  discount was that his supplier had gotten greedy. That was  a mistake the man wouldn't soon forget. Too bad he was no  longer alive to learn from it.

"You sent for me, Lex?" asked Mrs. Cox, coming into  Luthor's office.

"Yes," said Luthor. "When you take the kryptonite to Lex  Labs, tell them I want a small piece of it cut from the  rest."

"What for?" she asked.

"We need to conduct a little test," Luthor explained. "Make  sure it works on Superman."

"Do you want them to wait until the test is complete before  using the rest as previously discussed?"

Luthor thought about that for a moment before shaking his  head. "No, Mrs Cox. Have them proceed. We'll conduct the  test just to be sure. But I don't want to wait on this."

* * * * * * * * *

Clark was already regretting his harsh words to his parents  by the time he arrived back in Metropolis. Still, it was  obvious that they just didn't understand. He couldn't tell  Lois about Superman. And it wasn't just because he wanted  her to fall in love with Clark.

Lois seemed to change whenever Superman was around. It  wasn't that he didn't enjoy the way she looked at him when  he was in the suit. It was just that she became... docile  was probably a good way to describe it. And that wasn't the  Lois that he'd fallen in love with. He enjoyed her spirit -  even if at times she drove him crazy. That spirit was  noticeably absent whenever Superman was around. He loved  sparring with her almost as much as he loved when they  agreed. He couldn't imagine losing that part of her. And if  she knew he was Superman, he'd lose that. He couldn't bear  the idea.

Besides, the fact that Lois became docile whenever Superman  was around caused Clark to worry that, at least in some  ways, marriage to Superman would hurt Lois as much as  marriage to Luthor. Of course, Superman would not try to  break her spirit the way Luthor would. However, if she  surrendered that part of her to be with Superman, how would  the end results be any different? Either way, Lois would be  only a shadow of the woman Clark had come to love. No. He  couldn't tell her that he was Superman. There was just too  much at stake.

He took a deep breath and turned his mind to what he needed  to do before meeting Lois down at the court house. He had  been surprised when she suggested getting married today.  However, as she had pointed out, she wasn't looking to get  weddinged. She wanted to get married. And if they took  time, people would want to be invited and what she saw as a  private affair would become a public spectacle. Clark  suspected that part of the reason she wanted to keep this  private was that she undoubtedly knew that Luthor would  have planned a big wedding and she wanted to distinguish  the two.

The only moment of hesitation she'd had was when she'd  mentioned his parents. It was sort of ironic that she  hadn't even thought about her parents. But she had been  concerned that his parents might be hurt if they got  married without inviting them. He had tried suggesting that  they ask Superman to bring them in from Kansas, but she had  vetoed that idea - claiming that Superman had more  important things to do than worry about providing  transportation to their wedding. He suspected that she was  slightly embarrassed about her last meeting with Superman  and didn't want to see him right now - especially  concerning their upcoming marriage. She said that if he  thought it was important for his parents to be there, they  should wait until those arrangements could be made.

Clark hadn't wanted to wait - in part because he was afraid  that she'd change her mind and marry Luthor. Or that Luthor  would find a way to undermine the wedding should he find  out before they got married. In Clark's mind, either was a  very real possibility.

He had intended to mention all this to his parents when he  spoke to them earlier. However, when they'd insisted he  tell Lois about Superman, he'd lost his temper and, he had  to admit, had stormed out like a child. He sighed. He'd  have to remember to call them and apologize. He knew they  only had his best interests at heart - even if, on this  occasion, they were wrong.

* * * * * * * * *

"Luthor," Luthor said, picking up the ringing phone in his  office. He listened intently before saying, "What?" His  eyebrows furrowed. "Did she give a reason?" After another  moment, he asked, "When did this happen?" The person on the  other end of the line obviously said something that Luthor  didn't like, because the billionaire was on his feet when  he asked his next question. "Why wasn't I informed  immediately?" Not satisfied with the response, Luthor  slammed down the phone.

"Problem, sir?" asked Nigel, entering his boss' office.

"Yes, Nigel," Luthor said, before once again picking up the  phone. "Mrs. Cox," he began to the person on the other end  of the line, "get Lois Lane on the line immediately."

* * * * * * * * *

Lois checked her watch one more time. It was almost six.  Where was Clark? She'd called ahead and made them an  appointment after normal business hours - so that she'd  have time to take care of a few things. Normally, the  Justices of the Peace didn't perform weddings after hours,  but this was one of those times when having a source at the  court house was beneficial. But if, as a result, Clark had  suddenly remembered that he had to return a video, he was a  dead man. She checked her watch again.

"Lois," he heard a familiar voice yell. Looking up, she  breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the athletic-looking  man in a charcoal suit jogging towards her. At first, she  was ready to tear him apart, but watching him approach, she  found herself enjoying the view. For a moment she caught  herself, as she often had in the past, pushing aside the  realization of how good-looking he was. When it occurred to  her that she no longer had to do that, she allowed her eyes  to soak in every detail. He was, she decided to herself at  that moment, the best looking-man she had ever seen.

As he got closer, his face lit up in a smile - the one she  knew he reserved especially for her. She loved that look -  and after today, it would be all hers. That suddenly  sounded really good. She smiled back.

"You look as if you're in a good mood," said Clark, finally  arriving where Lois was waiting for him.

"It's my wedding day," she said with a grin.

"Well, as long as it's also my wedding day, I guess that's  okay," Clark responded. "By the way..." His voice trailed  off and he took a step back to admire her in her classy,  burgundy dress. "You look incredible," he whispered.

"I spent most of the day shopping for a dress," she  confessed, not entirely sure how to respond to his  undisguised look of admiration. After all, he'd never  looked at her quite that way before. "I wanted something  white, but... Not that I particularly qualify for a white  dress on my wedding day, but I sort of thought... you know,  tradition. But then I saw this and..."

"You look great," he repeated, cutting off her babble.

"Thanks," she said, finally deciding that was the correct  response. And then, after a moment she added, "You don't  look too bad yourself." His resulting smile told her it was  the right thing to say.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Clark, pulling a hand from  behind his back and holding up a single red rose.

Lois smiled, reaching out and taking the simple flower.

"I went into the flower store, intending to find you  something for... well, you know. Don't women carry flowers  at weddings or something?" When she chuckled and nodded, he  continued, "But then the woman started showing me all these  flowers and... I decided maybe simple was best."

"It's beautiful, Clark," she said. She hesitated for a  moment and then, placing a hand on his chest and standing  on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

When she stepped back, he grinned and offered her his arm -  which she immediately took. Just then a beeping could be  heard coming from her purse.

"Just a sec," she said, removing her arm from his and  fishing in her purse for her pager.

Clark stuffed his hands in his pockets. He could hardly  believe how much it bothered him that she had left her  beeper on when they were about to get married. He was  stunned when Lois turned off her pager without as much as  looking at it and dropped it back in her purse.

"You turned it off?" he asked, hardly able to believe that  she had done that. Lois Lane refused to be cut off from the  world.

"I have more important things to do today," she said,  slipping her arm back through his and accompanying him into  the court house. Clark suddenly felt as if he was the  luckiest man on several worlds.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 05

Luthor slammed down the phone. "Where is she?" he asked.  Since the question was obviously rhetorical, Nigel didn't  answer. Luthor fumed for a moment before turning to Nigel.

"Have her apartment watched. She'll show up there  eventually."

"Yes, sir."

"Let me know the instant she gets home."

"Might I inquire what the problem is?" asked Nigel.

"Lois handed in her resignation at LNN today," Luthor  informed him. Then, as if telling Nigel the problem had  given him an idea, he added, "Tell Mrs. Cox to check with  every paper in the country - see if Lois has accepted a job  somewhere else."

"And if she has?" asked Nigel.

"If she has taken a job with someone else, I'm afraid Lois  will discover that they've had a change of heart."

"Very good, sir," Nigel said, before leaving to do as  instructed.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois paced nervously as they waited for the Justice of the  Peace. Why was she doing this? Had she completely lost her  mind? What did she think marrying Clark would accomplish?

"We don't have to do this, Lois," said Clark gently.

Fear suddenly welled up in her soul. She stopped her  pacing, but didn't look at Clark. She couldn't bear to.  What if he had decided he didn't want her? "Are you  changing your mind?" she asked, her voice trembling  slightly on the words.

In her peripheral vision, she could see Clark approaching.  She didn't look up - afraid to see what might be in his  eyes. She shuddered when his hand came up under her chin  and gently raised her face. Still, it took her a moment to  make eye contact. She pulled in a jagged breath when she  saw the undisguised look of love on his face.

"I want to marry you, Lois," he said. "You have no idea how  much I want that. I just want to know that you're sure. I  mean we could always just work on the book and see what  happens. There's no reason we have to get married today."

She felt an undeniable rush of tenderness for the man in  front of her. She had been desperately searching for  stability, permanence and a safe place to run to if she  ever needed it, and at this moment, she knew that she had  found all three. The ground, which had been shifting  beneath her feet since the destruction of the Daily Planet,  was suddenly solid again. His love was so pure. She had  absolutely no doubt that he would never hurt her or try to  change her. With him she would be safe, she would know what  it was to really belong somewhere. He was right. Nothing  could be better than being married to her best friend. Her  expression softened.

"I want to get married, Clark," she whispered.

A soft smile found its way onto his face. He leaned in and  kissed her cheek before placing his lips by her ear.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I know," she responded, suddenly wishing there was some  way she could express how much he meant to her. She wasn't  in love with him. That emotion was reserved for only one  man. But she felt so much more for him than just 'like.'  She wished there was some way she could communicate that to  him. Unfortunately, the English language was just so  inadequate to put her feelings into words.

"Lois Lane and Clark Kent?" asked a voice behind them.

"Yes?" said Clark, turning towards the sound of a woman's  voice.

"I'm Justice Natasha Wilson. I understand you two want to  get married."

"Yes," Lois responded immediately.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois listened carefully to every word of Clark's vows - to  love, honor and cherish; to have and to hold; for better or  worse; for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health and  for as long as they both would live. When he promised to  love her, she felt a moment of uncertainty. Soon it would  be her turn to repeat the familiar vows. How could she  promise to love him?

Then she relaxed. As she'd told him when he'd first  admitted his feelings for her, she did love him - as a  friend. And she had meant it. It almost surprised her to  realize exactly how much she had meant those words. She  found it interesting that the vows didn't make the bride  and groom promise to 'be in love' only 'to love'. But then  as Clark had pointed out, the powerful emotions that had  come to be known as falling in love weren't permanent. They  were something that couldn't be promised. Although she  certainly didn't know what created those feelings, she did  know from past experience that they came and went. She had  fallen in love with Claude years ago. And yet now, she  could hardly even remember what she had liked about the  man.

On the other hand, she had no doubt that what she felt for  Clark - love - had the potential to last a life time. He  was her best friend - would always be her best friend. She  gave his hands a slight squeeze as he finished his vows.  The gesture brought a smile to his face.

Then the Justice of the Peace turned to her. "Repeat after  me," the Justice instructed.

"I, Lois Lane, take you, Clark Kent, to be my lawfully  wedded husband," Natasha Wilson began. Lois repeated the  words. "To love, honor and cherish..." continued Wilson.

Lois paused. She could see the expression on Clark's face  suddenly become slightly anxious and realized he'd been  wondering if she would choke on the promise to love him.

"To love..." she began, pausing on the word to emphasize  it. She saw a smile quirk at the corner of Clark's mouth  and his hands gave hers a small squeeze. Realizing she had  made her point, she continued with her vows, finding that  she meant every word - just as she knew in her heart that  he had.

"Do you have the rings?" asked Natasha when the vows were  finally finished.

Lois felt a moment of panic. She hadn't even thought about  rings. Then Clark let go of her hands to reach into the  inside pocket on his suit jacket. A large lump formed in  her throat when he withdrew a small jewelry box. She should  have known he would have thought of rings.

"I got them this afternoon," Clark said as he opened the  box to reveal two very simple and yet quite beautiful gold  bands. "I thought you might like to be with me when we  picked out an engagement ring, but..." He shrugged.

Lois reached out and took the box from his hands. "They're  beautiful, Clark," she whispered, looking from the rings  into his eyes. He had promised she would never want for  anything, and he was already keeping his vow.

Clark took the box back and removed the smaller of the two  rings. He handed it to her as he spoke. "Read what's  inside," he said.

She took the ring and looked at the small print inside. She  pulled in a jagged breath when she read the words. 'I have  loved you from the beginning.' Swallowing hard, she looked  back at him.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked, her voice  no more than a whisper.

He smiled. "You were you," he replied simply as his hand  came up and lightly stroked her cheek.

"May I have the rings," said Natasha hesitantly, as if she  was reluctant to break into the moment.

Lois and Clark handed her their rings. As Lois placed her  ring in the woman's hand, she felt a sense of loss. That  was her ring and she found herself reluctant to give it up,  even though she knew it would be hers again soon enough.

"These rings are perfect circles," said Natasha. "As I'm  sure you are aware, they are meant to be a symbol of the  eternal nature of your love - having neither a beginning  nor an end. In this age where marriages are abandoned at  the first sign of trouble, I'd ask that when things get  tough, which is bound to happen from time to time, you look  at these symbols and remember the vows you exchanged  today."

She handed the smaller ring to Clark and said, "Take Lois'  left hand and repeat after me."

Clark did as instructed and then, while placing the ring on  her finger promised his fidelity. Once he was finished,  Lois did the same, a tear slipping slowly down her cheek as  she looked at the intensity in Clark's eyes as he soaked up  every word.

The moment was interrupted when Natasha spoke again. "By  the authority vested in me by the State of New Troy, I now  pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Clark's hands came up to cup Lois' cheeks. Lois felt her  mouth go dry when he began to lean in. It wasn't as if the  kiss was unexpected. It was how she knew the ceremony would  end. But that didn't stop the tingling that was suddenly  running down her spine in anticipation. And then his lips  were on hers, soft, gentle, undemanding - and the tingling  in her spine moved into her legs, causing them to buckle  slightly. She reached out, grabbing onto the front of his  shirt to steady herself. He pulled back. A small moan  escaped her lips, almost in protest of his withdrawal.

As if responding to her unspoken objection, he leaned back  in. Lois' lips immediately responded, seeking to experience  every moment of this, their first real kiss. His hands left  her face in order to draw her into his embrace while her  hands crept up his chest and around his neck. Lois was  aware of nothing but the sudden feeling of rightness of  kissing Clark. Never before had she felt so safe, so  cherished, so completely loved. It was only when the  Justice of the Peace cleared her throat, that Lois once  again became aware of her surroundings. The look on Clark's  face told her that he, too, had gotten lost in the moment.

"There are some papers you still need to sign," Natasha  informed them.

Both Lois and Clark blushed and nodded before accompanying  Natasha to complete the necessary paperwork.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois closed the door to her bedroom and let out a long,  slow breath. She glanced down at her left hand, seeing the  proof of today's activities on her finger. She'd actually  done it. She'd actually gotten married. And it wasn't  nearly as hard as she thought it would be exchanging vows  with Clark. In fact, for some unfathomable reason, it had  felt incredibly right. She had half expected something to  prevent her from saying 'I do'. But nothing had - no second  thoughts, no last minute cold feet, no thoughts of other  men. Surprisingly, she hadn't even thought about Superman.  There was just a sudden feeling that she had found where  she belonged.

She shook her head and turned her mind to why she was here  before grabbing an overnight bag and placing it on the bed.  She quickly decided what she would need and packed her bag.  After all, Clark was waiting in the other room. As she  finishing up, she took a look around the room, trying to  decide if she was missing anything. As she did, she  wandered over to the window and looked outside.

She noticed the long black limousine the instant it turned  the corner and headed down her street. She watched as it  stopped across the street from her building. She didn't  need to wait for someone to get out to know who was inside.  There was only one reason a limousine would be stopping on  her street. Lex.

She quickly turned towards her bag and closed it before  heading to the door. The last thing she wanted was to have  to tell Lex that she was married with Clark here. It would  be like assassinating Archduke Francis Ferdinand - thereby  starting World War One. She opened the door and entered the  other room.

"Where's the fire?" asked Clark as she steamed past him to  the door.

"I just want to get going," said Lois, trying hard to sound  casual.

Clark shrugged, took her bag and followed her from the  apartment. It only took a couple of quick steps for him to  pass her. As he reached out to push the button for the  elevator, she grabbed his arm.

"No," she said, leading him towards the stairs. When he  looked at her curiously, she continued. "I need the  exercise," she explained.

Clark followed without comment. Then his hearing picked up  the elevator beginning to move. He glanced through the wall  and almost burst out laughing when he saw Luthor heading to  Lois' apartment. He wondered briefly how she knew Luthor  was coming, but there was no mistaking the fact that she  was trying to avoid him. Since he had absolutely no problem  with that idea, he simply agreed to her suggestion that  they take the back door out of her apartment building.

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor stormed from the building and looked around. He  spotted a car with two men sitting across the street and  headed towards it. The man on the driver's side quickly  rolled down the window.

"I thought you said she was here," Luthor accused the men  in the car.

"She is. Her and Kent went inside no more than..." The man  looked down at his watch. "...maybe fifteen minutes ago."

"And you didn't see either of them leave," said Luthor.

"No, Mr. Luthor."

"Well, since they aren't here, what do you think happened?"

The man in the driver's seat glanced over at his partner  before looking back at Luthor. "They got past us, sir?" he  asked.

"Very good. Next time, don't lose her. If you do, you'll be  looking for harder, less profitable work." He glanced  between the two men. "Unless that's what you want."

Both men immediately assured him that they were quite happy  in their jobs. Luthor stared at them for a moment before  heading back to the limousine. Once inside, he pulled his  cell phone out of his jacket and dialed a number. It was  only a couple of rings before someone answered.

"Have the men watching Lois' apartment replaced  immediately," he said, hanging up the phone. He figured if  they didn't see it coming, they'd continue to do their job  up until the moment others arrived to take over from them.  But no one got a second chance to fail him. No one.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark wasn't entirely sure how to handle the situation.  He'd heard of wedding night jitters, but this was something  else again. Lois had been babbling incessantly since they'd  left the restaurant. The strange thing, in Clark's mind,  was that supper had gone so incredibly well - at least he  thought it had.

They'd eaten supper in the expensive dining room at the  Lexor hotel. Clark had managed to get them a private table  near the back where their conversation had flowed from  topic to topic with ease. At first, he'd been hesitant  about holding her hand, or reaching out to brush a strand  of hair off her face. But soon he was doing it more and  more often. He'd noticed that she never seemed to initiate  contact, but she didn't seem to mind when he did. On one  occasion when he'd picked up her hand and placed a kiss on  the palm, she'd actually responded by stroking his cheek.

His cheeks flushed as he remembered one moment in  particular. They'd decided to share a dessert, a piece of  chocolate cake. When the waiter had brought it, he'd only  brought one fork. So Clark had taken the fork, used it to  pick up a piece of cake and held it out for Lois. She'd  closed her eyes as her mouth closed around the fork. He  wondered if she knew exactly what she'd done to him when  she moaned in pleasure as he slowly slipped the fork from  her lips. He wondered what had made that particular action  seem so incredibly sexy.

Since the dining room also had a dance floor, as they  finished eating, Clark asked her to dance. She'd agreed  immediately. Holding her in his arms, feeling her warm body  moving softly against his and not having to pretend that he  wasn't in love with her was everything he'd ever thought it  would be. She seemed to be enjoying herself as much as he  was. At least, if she hadn't been enjoying dancing with  him, she hadn't given any indication of it. They had ended  up dancing several times during the course of the evening.

But then he'd left for a moment to see if he could get them  into the honeymoon suite for the night. He hadn't mentioned  it to Lois before doing so because he wasn't sure that he'd  be able to get it. It was May, after all, one of the most  popular months for getting married. However, it was also a  weekday, so the room had been available. He'd been excited  when he returned to the restaurant to tell Lois.

That was when things had changed. He'd thought she'd be  thrilled - given their history with that particular room -  but instead she seemed to withdraw. At first, it was  nothing obvious, but Clark knew her well enough to notice  the chill that suddenly seemed to be in the air. But what  he didn't understand was that she had to have anticipated  that they'd be staying somewhere. After all, they had both  brought an overnight bag with them. So what had happened?

* * * * * * * * *

Lois knew she was babbling. The problem was that she  couldn't seem to stop. She knew when it had started. It had  started the moment Clark had returned from what she thought  was a trip to the washroom with the key to the honeymoon  suite. It wasn't until then that it had suddenly occurred  to Lois what they would be doing upon leaving the  restaurant.

Although it was crazy, she had somehow allowed herself to  forget the circumstances of their dinner together. It had  felt more like a first date than their first meal as a  married couple. They had talked about their pasts. Clark  had told her about his travels and Lois found herself  opening up about her relationship with her father. The  first time he'd held her hand, as they'd been making their  way to the restaurant, it had seemed slightly odd. But even  that had become more natural over the course of the  evening. She hadn't been able to initiate contact - it  would be too forward for a first date - but she couldn't  say she minded when he did.

And being in his arms on the dance floor had certainly  stirred up feelings in her that she couldn't quite classify  except to say that dancing with him was incredible. He had  made a comment about having learned ballroom dancing from a  Nigerian princess. She could recall something to that  effect, but couldn't remember exactly when he'd told her.  She also couldn't recall any of the details, so she'd  probed further. He'd almost seemed to beam when he told her  his Nigerian princess story - almost as if he'd wanted to  tell her that story all year. And she had to admit, it was  a fascinating tale

But then he'd left for a few minutes, coming back with a  hotel key. It was at that moment that the illusion of a  first date - a great one, but a first date nonetheless -  had been shattered. She was with her husband, and this was  their wedding night. And as that realization began to set  in, a tightness developed in her chest. She started  talking, hoping to distract herself from the new set of  realities. But no matter how hard she tried to fill up the  air with other topics, the only thing she could think about  was what would happen when they reached the honeymoon  suite.

Part of her wished she was able to shut up. In fact, at  this moment, she'd give almost anything to find a way to  stop talking. But she seemed completely incapable of  stopping - afraid that if she did, the fear that was eating  away at her belly would be overwhelming. A first date was  supposed to end by his walking her to the door of her  apartment and, perhaps, kissing her good-night. Instead,  she was making her way to a hotel room with him.

"Are you okay, Lois?" asked Clark, interrupting her babble  when the bellboy opened the door to the honeymoon suite and  disappeared inside with their things.

"Of course, I'm okay," she'd responded immediately. 'Liar,'  her mind yelled in response. "Why would you think I'm not  okay? Don't I seem okay to you? I'm okay. What? Didn't you  know that this was what I was like when you married me? Are  you trying to tell me that you want out already?"

"Lois..." began Clark.

"Aren't you supposed to carry me over the threshold or  something?" asked Lois, trying to change the course of the  conversation. She wasn't okay. In fact, at this moment if  he suddenly decided to rush her to the emergency room at  Metropolis General Hospital, it would almost be a relief.  She wasn't sure she'd ever been this nervous.

Of course, her suggestion, made in an effort to divert his  attention from his question, was not the wisest course of  action, because almost immediately, she was being picked up  in his arms and carried into the room before them.

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor stood in front of the long mirror and stared at  himself.

"Where is she?" he asked the handsome man before him. There  was no response. "The men watching her apartment saw her  and Kent enter. Then, before I could get there, they were  gone again. That was the last time anyone has seen either  of them. I even sent men to Kent's apartment and there was  no sign of them."

He paused. "Previously, of course, since Kent was her  partner, I'd have said they were off pursuing a story. But,  thanks to me, the Daily Planet is no longer. So where are  they?"

The man in the mirror seemed to have no answer to that  question.

"You wonder why I'm so concerned. After all, she will  undoubtedly turn up eventually. There are two reasons. I'm  concerned that she's with Kent. He might be beneath her as  a potential suitor, but for some unfathomable reason she  seems to respect him. He's the one thing that she still has  in her life other than me. I'll have to think about how to  handle Mr. Kent.

"But the second reason I'm concerned is because I don't  know where she is or what she's doing. To paraphrase the  words of Sun Tzu, the reason the enlightened prince's  achievements surpass those of ordinary men and the reason  the wise general conquers his enemies is foreknowledge."

He heard the door open behind him and immediately proceeded  to straighten his tie in the mirror.

"Have they been found yet?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not, sir," answered Nigel.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 06

Clark tipped the bellboy before looking at Lois, who was  standing with her back to him, staring absently towards the  door to the bedroom. Taking a deep breath, he contemplated  how to handle the situation. It was obvious that the idea  of making love had her completely spooked. He guessed that  was understandable. After all, if anyone had told her  twenty-four hours ago that she'd be making love with him  tonight, she'd have flat out told them they were crazy.

Finally, he decided that it might be easiest if he took the  initiative. Taking a deep breath, he came slowly up behind  her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel  her tense in response to his touch.

"It's going to be okay, Lois," he whispered before moving  her hair to place a gentle kiss against her throat. He  could hear her heart skip a beat. All right. She was  obviously not indifferent to his touch. Maybe if he just  continued as he was doing she'd relax and respond. He  continued to trail kisses over her neck. He almost smiled  when he heard the beginnings of a soft moan rise in her  throat. Then, suddenly, she pulled herself out of his arms  and, without looking at him, grabbed her bag.

"I'm just going to go freshen up," she muttered, making  what looked to Clark like a dash for the washroom.

He breathed her name when the washroom door closed behind  her. He lowered his glasses and watched her collapse  against the door, her entire body trembling. This was  wedding night jitters in the extreme. But then, Lois didn't  do anything in halves. His heart went out to her, wishing  he knew how to take away her fears. And wishing almost as  much that it wasn't him she was afraid of. Maybe if he just  gave her a little time, she'd calm down.

In the meantime... Clark began exploring the honeymoon  suite. He was fairly certain he'd seen candles the last  time they were here. At least he could set the mood. He  smiled. Tonight was going to be the most incredible night  of his entire life. He just knew it.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois stepped carefully out of the tub and slowly toweled  off. She couldn't delay this forever. If she didn't make an  appearance soon, Clark was going to think she'd drowned in  the oversized bathtub. She could hear the soft, romantic  music wafting in from the other room and swallowed hard.

In an effort to divert her thoughts, she turned her  attention to the bag she'd brought in here. It was almost a  year ago that, on a whim, she'd purchased the outfit she  had brought with her for tonight. Taking a deep breath she  opened the bag to find a long, black nightgown lying on  top. Reaching into the bag she removed it and slipped it  on. It fit her body like a glove while at the same time not  being too revealing. She'd chosen it because she figured it  would be easier facing Clark in this than it would be  wearing a teddy - or something else even more revealing.  She pulled out the sheer, black robe that went over top and  put it on.

Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at herself for  a moment, imagining Clark's reaction when he saw her in  this. Suddenly, the fear was back. She rebuked herself. He  was her husband and she had promised him that this would be  a real marriage - and she was a woman of her word. That  meant she just had to bite the bullet and go out there.  Surely after the first time, it would get easier to fulfill  this aspect of their marriage contract.

After all, she knew that he had the ability to make her  respond to him. His kiss after they had exchanged their  vows had certainly proven that. So all she had to do was to  let him take the lead and let herself respond naturally.

Naturally. Suddenly, nothing about this situation seemed  natural. She'd married her best friend and one of the  unbreakable rules was that you did not sleep with your best  friend. Yet only a few hours after their first real kiss,  she was about to do just that. If only she'd taken him up  on his offer to wait, to take time to get used to this,  maybe it wouldn't be quite so terrifying.

"He's your best friend," she told her reflection. "He'd  never do anything to hurt you." She stared into her own  eyes for a minute before nodding and heading for the door.

Suddenly, she stopped and turned to look at herself in the  mirror one more time. She couldn't go out there looking  like this. But what... She spotted a large, white terry- cloth robe hanging on the back of the door. Quickly  dispensing with the flimsy black robe, she pulled on the  bigger, more protective covering. She glanced at her  reflection again and let out a breath. She thought she  looked cute in the oversized robe. She nodded slightly.  Cute was better than sexy at the moment. He'd still get the  effect of the nightgown eventually, but it would be easier  facing him in this outfit - at least initially.

Gathering her courage, she opened the door and, taking a  deep breath, stepped into the other room. The entire room  was awash in soft light. She could see dozens of candles  set up around the room. Sitting on the coffee table was a  bottle of what appeared to be champagne.

It only took a moment for her eyes to find Clark, reclining  on the couch. He'd removed his jacket and tie, had his  sleeves rolled up and the top button of his shirt undone.  In fact, he looked quite relaxed. She was suddenly  incredibly envious. How could he look relaxed at a time  like this? It just wasn't fair.

He looked up and their eyes met. Almost immediately, she  looked away again. He knew. She could see it in his eyes.  That was the problem with this type of situation. She  couldn't fool her best friend. He knew how terrified she  was. She tried to force herself to calm down, but the cold  hand of fear clung mercilessly to her heart, refusing to  release her from its icy grip. She took a deep breath,  forcing herself to look back at Clark. She could do this.  She had to do this. She'd promised him a real marriage and  that was exactly what she planned to give him.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark's breath caught in his throat when he finally heard  the door to the washroom open. He knew this was the moment  where he would be treated to the sight of his wife in an  outfit guaranteed to leave him weak in the knees. It seemed  to take forever before she stepped out. He crinkled his  eyebrows in confusion. She certainly looked cute in the  oversized hotel bathrobe, but... His eyes drifted down her  body to where he could see the hint of a black nightgown  underneath. He smiled, looking back at her face.

In the back of his mind, it registered that she still  looked scared, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.  She'd be fine. It was just anticipating what would come  next that was making her nervous.

"Come here," he said, his voice incredibly hoarse.

She hesitated for only a moment before doing as instructed.  He smiled as she made her way over to him. He watched every  movement, drinking it in like a man who was dying of  thirst. Well, the drought was over. This was the night. He  felt as if his entire body was alive. He could smell the  soft fragrances she'd used in her bath. He could hear her  bare feet softly padding on the floor.

When she finally got close, she stopped. He immediately  reached for her, placing his hands on her waist and pulling  her over until she was standing in front of him. His hands  left her waist to play with the belt on the robe. After a  moment, he began undoing it.

"It's just like unwrapping a present at Christmas," he said  with a grin, glancing up at her on the last word. Then he  blinked. She didn't look in the least as if she was  enjoying this. In fact, the expression on her face was one  of determination. It seemed to take her a moment to realize  that he'd said something amusing. Her resulting smile  looked forced.

He quickly looked down at the activities of his hands as  the knot on the robe fell apart. Pushing what he'd seen on  Lois' face out of his mind, he slowly peeled the edges of  the robe apart. It wasn't hard to forget the look in her  eyes when he saw the black silk covering her body,  accentuating every line and curve for his exclusive viewing  pleasure. He allowed his eyes a slow trip down her body,  starting with the spaghetti straps holding the black silk  in place. He fingered the pendant hanging around her neck  and resting in the valley between her breasts. Her breasts  were rising and falling with every breath she took, sending  more heat running through him.

There were laces running criss-cross holding the front of  the silky top on the nightie together. As he lowered his  hand to let his finger run lightly down the bumps of the  laces, he could hear her already fast heart beat speed up  and knew that his was matching her rhythm. He smiled. She  was finally starting to respond.

His eyes continued their slow exploration. The top of the  nightie was joined to the skirt by strings of material that  encircled her waist, giving him tantalizing glimpses of the  skin of her stomach. His heart felt as if it would explode.  She was so incredibly gorgeous. He was glad he was seated.  Otherwise his legs probably would have crumpled under him.

Her hand slowly made its way into his hair and for a moment  he smiled. But then he felt her hand tremble and suddenly  got the impression that she was trying to make up for what  she knew he'd seen on her face earlier - trying to convince  him that she was okay with his activities.

He pushed the thought away. After all, how could she not be  enjoying this? He leaned in and kissed a bare spot on her  stomach before slowly running his hands over her hips. He  almost groaned when he realized that she had nothing on  beneath the thin material covering her hips. He ran his  hands over her hips again to confirm his discovery before  leaning in once again to kiss her stomach. He heard her  sharp intake of breath and felt her muscles contract, but  couldn't tell if it was excitement or fear causing it. He  decided to believe it was a mixture of both.

He glanced up at her. She smiled back at him, but there was  something in her eyes. Something that... He quickly looked  down again, rebelling against the idea that she might not  want to make love. It was his wedding night, too. He had  every right to expect...

No. He closed his eyes briefly. No, it didn't matter what  night this was. He didn't have any right to expect her to  make love with him. But surely she'd stop him if she didn't  want this. Both hands moved to her waist. He wanted her so  much. Maybe he was just moving too quickly. After all, he  wasn't overly experienced in this area. Reading all the  books didn't make one an expert.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up from where he was seated  on the couch. He seemed to have caught her off guard,  because she took an instinctive step back. He could hear  the back of her legs hitting against the coffee table. He  swallowed hard at the deer in the headlights look that was  suddenly in her eyes. He reminded himself to take it slowly  as he moved away from her. That was all it was - just a  little case of nerves. If he slowed down, maybe romanced  her a little bit, she'd relax. And he'd found out at the  restaurant how much she enjoyed dancing with him so...

"Dance with me?" he asked, stepping out into the room and  holding his hand out to her. She came willingly enough, but  she didn't meet his eyes as she slipped into his arms. He  slid his hand under her robe to hold her body against his.  He almost groaned at the intimacy of the contact. Although  the bathrobe still clung to her shoulders, by moving the  robe aside he could feel the soft curves of her almost  naked body against him.

He began to move them to the music. Still, as soft as she'd  felt in his arms when they'd danced at supper, that was how  awkward her movements were against him now. His hand ran  over her back, trying to ease the tension she was obviously  feeling.

"I love you, Lois," he murmured into her ear. She didn't  respond. However, since she couldn't say the words back, he  really hadn't expected her to. He had just wanted her to  hear him say it - to know that she was cherished, safe and  loved.

They continued to dance for a few minutes before Clark  realized that she still wasn't relaxing. Of course, she  wasn't objecting either. In fact, he was fairly certain  that she'd let him do whatever he wanted tonight. But was  this really what he wanted? Oh, there was no denying he  wanted her. But this suddenly felt so wrong. It was no  longer possible for him to ignore the reality of the  situation. She didn't want to make love to him. Still, if  she was prepared to consummate their marriage, maybe he  should just proceed as planned. After all, once they were  in bed, surely...

His thought trailed off as he remembered one of the reasons  he hadn't told her he was Superman. He couldn't stand the  idea of Lois becoming docile. And although she was  obviously determined to let him consummate their marriage,  how could he when, in order to do that, he had to accept  the docile woman in his arms? Still, how was he supposed to  calm the fire that was already raging through his body?

He lowered his head into the curve of her neck and closed  his eyes. She smelled so incredible. There was something  about her particular scent that had the power to permeate  every fiber of his body and make him respond to her. It  couldn't possibly all be one-sided - could it? He allowed  his hand to slip further down her back onto the top curve  of her buttocks. He had to stifle the urge to scream when  he felt her tense even further.

He closed his eyes tighter together. Being with her like  this, under these circumstances, knowing that she was only  fulfilling her obligation to him... How could he do that to  her? He pulled her body hard against him one last time  before releasing her and stepping away.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois wasn't quite sure what to think when the dance ended  so abruptly. She had spent the past several minutes trying  to make herself relax. But it was as if everything she did  to try to calm down backfired. The tension in her chest had  now gravitated to her shoulders, causing them to feel  cramped. Her stomach was nearly eating her alive. When he'd  asked her to dance, she'd been almost annoyed. She just  wanted him to get on with it. To get it over with.

Clark took her hand and led her back to the couch. He  gestured her to take a seat. Confused, she sat down. She  risked a sideways glance at him when he sat down beside  her. When she realized he was staring at his hands, she  turned slightly towards him. It was obvious that there was  something on his mind and she figured she knew what it was.  He had clearly realized just how much she didn't want to do  this.

He picked up her hand. She watched as he played with it for  a moment before raising it to his lips and kissing it.

She didn't dare ask what was going on, not being certain if  her voice would be steady and being even less certain that  she wanted to hear what he had to say. On the other hand,  the awkward silence between them was almost unbearable.

She swallowed hard. Had he realized that he'd made a  mistake in marrying her? Was he about to tell her that he  wanted to annul their union? She felt a moment of panic.  She'd been trying so hard to fulfill her end of their  contract. Surely he had to take that into account.

"Do you want to make love with me?" he finally asked,  glancing over at her.

Lois was suddenly consumed with fear. He had indeed figured  it out. Did that mean the rest of her speculations were  correct as well? If she couldn't give him this would he  want out of their marriage? And if that happened, where  would that leave her? Not only would she certainly lose his  friendship, but she'd also have a failed marriage on her  record.

"Why would you ask that?" she answered. His slow breath  told her that he realized she hadn't answered the question.

"I just don't think you're ready for this," Clark  responded.

"I'm just a little nervous," she corrected, although her  actions made a liar out of her as her free hand  automatically pulled her robe further around her body.  "I'll be okay once..."

His finger came up to her lips cutting her off. "Lois,  you're more than a little nervous. Every muscle in your  body is knotted up so tight that it has to be painful."

She looked at him defiantly even as she tried  unsuccessfully to make herself relax. But he was right. Her  shoulders felt as if they were in a vise. Every breath was  a chore. Still, she wanted this marriage. She wanted it  more than she would have believed possible. In fact, she  suddenly understood the theory that one didn't realize what  one had until she was about to lose it.

"But I promised this would be a real marriage," she said,  her voice trembling in spite of her best efforts to keep it  steady.

"It is a real marriage," Clark said softly, punctuating his  words by again kissing her hand. "A lot of real marriages  don't get consummated on their wedding night. And I'm not  saying we won't eventually... you know. I'm just saying  that I think you need a little time to get used to the  idea."

Her chin quivered slightly and a tear found a path down her  cheek as his words began to sink in. His hand came up and  gently brushed the tear away.

"Give yourself a break, Lois. I mean, if someone had asked  you yesterday what you would be doing tonight, I bet you  wouldn't have said that you'd be checked into the honeymoon  suite at the Lexor with me - as man and wife, by the way.  Signing us in that way was quite a thrill, let me tell  you," he added with a grin, trying desperately to lighten  the mood.

"But you aren't nervous," she objected, ignoring his  attempt at humor. "And I doubt you would have said that  this would be your wedding night either."

"I am nervous," Clark corrected. "It's just that our  situations are... a little different."

"How's that?"

"Well, I've been thinking about making love to you for most  of the past year. Actually, that's not exactly true," he  corrected thoughtfully. "It would probably be more accurate  to say that I've spent most of the past year trying not to  think about making love to you. I've probably spent more  time trying not to think about that than I have about work,  or anything else for that matter."

This time he actually managed to get a small smile out of  Lois. He didn't seem to want out of their marriage. At  least he had indicated that he did think they'd consummate  eventually.

"So the idea of making love to you isn't exactly a new  concept for me," he continued. "It obviously is for you.  That's why I think we should wait until you're a little  more comfortable with the idea."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Clark."

"Sorry?" Clark asked. "Lois, the best moment of my life was  hearing you say your vows to me today. Nothing will ever  change that. I just think we should take our time before  consummating our marriage. You know - get used to the  change in our relationship."

She studied his eyes intently for a moment, trying to be  sure that he really meant the words. Once she found the  assurance she was looking for she wrapped her arms around  his neck and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry," she  repeated.

He let out a quick breath. "You have nothing to be sorry  for, honey," he whispered, his hand gently stroking her  hair. "I'm the one who wants to wait. I just want our first  time to be as special for you as I know it will be for me."

"What did you call me?" she asked, pulling back.

"I..." He paused as he tried to think back. "Oh, I'm sorry.  It just slipped out. I didn't mean to..."

Her finger on his lips cut him off. "I sort of like it,"  she assured him. "So we're waiting?" she asked a little  nervously.

"We're waiting," he affirmed softly, his hand coming up to  brush a stand of hair behind her ear. The small gesture  sent warmth flooding through Lois that had been noticeably  absent previously. Her eyes seemed to fasten on his mouth.  She drew her finger across his lips. It was almost an  unconscious act when she leaned in to touch his lips with  hers.

"Is this okay?" she asked, pulling back the instant she  realized what she'd done.

"It's more than okay," groaned Clark.

"I just meant that if we aren't planning to..." She made an  erratic gesture with her hand. "Is this really fair to you?  I don't want you feeling..."

"I love kissing you, Lois," he interrupted. Then, in an  effort to prove his point, he moved closer and glanced at  her mouth, silently asking her to kiss him again. She gave  a small smile before answering his request.

His arms slipped around her. This time, when he pulled her  closer, she didn't tense. Knowing that kissing Clark wasn't  just the prelude to something else allowed Lois to let go  of the fear. In fact, it seemed as if with each successive  kiss more of the unbearable, almost paralyzing tension left  her body. When he reclined on the couch, taking her with  him, she went willingly, shifting her position so that she  was lying against him. His hands making their way over her  back were leaving tingles this time, even through the thick  terry-cloth robe. It was a good fifteen minutes later  before both finally came up for air.

"Wow!" gasped Clark.

Lois smiled. She was thinking pretty much the same thing.  And part of her wanted to continue kissing Clark, but if  they let this go on too much longer... "So, do you want to  watch T.V. or something?" she asked, moving off the couch.

"It seems to me that the last time we were here, you found  some games," said Clark, still trying to get his bearings  after that kiss which, he thought, almost made waiting to  consummate their marriage worth it. It was so much more  incredible when Lois was right there with him. So if she  needed time, that was what he was going to give her.

He watched as Lois began searching cupboards until she  found the games. "Scrabble. Trivial Pursuit. Twister. A  deck of cards. Yahtzee and Jenga." She pulled out the final  game. "I haven't played this in a while," she said, looking  hopefully at Clark.

"Jenga it is," said Clark, pulling himself into a sitting  position as Lois made her way back over to him and began  setting up the wooden blocks into a tower.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark watched the concentration on Lois' face with absolute  fascination as she slowly worked one of the wooden blocks  out of the tower. Her lower lip was being held lightly  between her teeth as she focused on her task. He was fairly  certain she wasn't even breathing as she gently eased the  piece from its position. Never had he known anyone who was  quite as competitive - and he had been whipping her butt.  It was just so much fun when she would challenge him to  another game, determined that this time she would win. What  she didn't know was that his reflexes were so good, his  hands so steady that it would take a miracle for her to  beat him.

For a moment, he was tempted to let her win a game. But  almost as quickly as the thought had come, he dismissed it.  In spite of how much Lois loved winning, he couldn't quite  bring himself to willingly lose.

She let out a breath when the small piece of wood was  finally free from the tower. Taking a deep breath, she  placed it carefully on top.

"Your turn," she said triumphantly.

He moved closer to the tower, deciding which piece of wood  he would remove next. His hand was steady as he began  working the wood free from the tower. In his peripheral  vision, he noticed Lois, who was seated on the other side  of the coffee table, pour the remainder of the champagne  into their glasses. Once she was finished, she placed her  elbows on the table and watched him intently, as if  silently willing the tower to fall over.

His hand paused when he noticed that her robe had fallen  slightly open. Unable to stop himself, he glanced  unobtrusively in her direction. He was unintentionally  being given an incredible view of the valley between her  breasts. His hand jerked and the tower collapsed.

"I win! I win!" Lois exclaimed.

"You cheated," Clark responded.

"How did I cheat?" Lois asked defensively.

Clark glanced down at her attire again. He almost chuckled  when she pulled the lapels on her bathrobe closer together.

"That's not my fault," she pouted. "I can't help it if you  can't keep your eyes to yourself."

"It was worth losing just for that view," he responded.

He laughed when she rolled her eyes. It was great finally  having Lois back. He was about to suggest a rematch when he  noticed Lois yawn. "Tired?" he asked.

She nodded. "I didn't get much sleep last night," she  responded before looking at him, obviously struggling with  a question. Before he could wonder too deeply about what  was on her mind, she stood up and took his hand. "Let's go  to bed, Clark," she said, pulling him to his feet.

He followed, fairly confident that she meant nothing more  by the gesture than that they should sleep in the same bed.  He was glad that she was the one making this decision. When  he had suggested that they wait, he had been worried that  he'd find himself once again sleeping on the couch. That  thought bothered him much more than the idea of waiting to  consummate their marriage. He just hadn't known how to  bring it up. He was glad she had.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois crawled into the large bed beside Clark. Although the  bed was certainly spacious enough that they would never  have to touch, she automatically curled up against his t- shirt-covered chest. He reached over and switched off the  lamp by the bed, leaving the room awash in the reflected  light coming in the windows.

"Do you know what this reminds me of?" Lois asked.

"What?"

"When we talk on the phone while in bed at night."

Clark smiled. "Yeah, except then I couldn't do this." His  words were followed by him giving her a soft kiss on the  forehead.

There was a moment of silence before Lois spoke again. "I'm  sorry about tonight, Clark," she whispered into the  darkness.

"Would you quit apologizing?" he responded.

"But I should have..." Her voice trailed off.

"It's okay. I do understand, you know."

"I wish I did," she murmured. "It's not that I don't find  you attractive. It's just... I don't know what happened."

"Lois, don't be so hard on yourself. Before tonight, we had  only shared what... three kisses since we've known each  other and..."

"Four," she corrected.

"Four?" Clark asked. Trying to separate the kisses she'd  given Clark from the kisses she'd given Superman was hard.  But off the top of his head, he could only remember three.

"When Trask threw us out of the airplane," she began.

"Right."

"The last time we were here," she continued.

"Mmmm... Now that was a great one," said Clark, giving her  a playful squeeze.

She smiled. "The kiss you gave me when you handed in your  resignation at the Planet during the heat wave," she said.

"Oh, right," said Clark. That was the one he was missing.

"And the one after we exchanged our wedding vows today."

Clark grinned. "So you remember all of them, huh?" he  asked.

"Of course I remember all of them," she said softly. "In  case no one has ever told you before, you are a wonderful  kisser. And, Clark, it isn't as if the idea of making love  to you has never crossed my mind," she continued.  "Obviously, not as often as it has with you," she rushed to  clarify. Clark chuckled in response. "But it has crossed my  mind. Like when, shortly after you first came to work for  the Planet, I came to pick you up and you were wearing a  towel."

"It's nine o'clock. I thought you'd be naked," he responded  with a laugh.

She slapped him on the chest. "It's just that I quelled  those thoughts pretty quickly. I guess I just haven't had  time to..." Her voice trailed off.

"I know," he whispered, his arms tightening around her.  "We'll figure it out together, Lois. I promise."

She sighed, snuggling up closer. They lay in silence for a  few minutes before Clark broke it.

"So how do you like marriage so far?" Clark asked.

Lois chuckled. "I guess it's okay," she responded.

"Just okay. Well, I'm going to have to work on that."

She raised herself on her elbow so that she could look over  at him. "Clark, if you had been any more fantastic today,  I'd have to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming."

She could see his smile.

"I just love you so much, Lois," he said. "It makes it  easy."

She looked down at where her hand was playing with his t- shirt, picking imaginary lint off it.

"It is all right if I say that - isn't it?" Clark asked.

"Of course," she responded immediately. "I just... I wish I  could say it back."

"No, Lois," said Clark. "I don't expect..."

"The problem is," continued Lois, cutting Clark off. "I  don't know how to put into words what I feel for you. It  feels so inadequate saying that I like you - 'cause what I  feel is so much deeper than that."

"It's okay, Lois, you don't have to..."

"I know!" Lois exclaimed, cutting him off a second time as  she suddenly realized exactly how to express her feelings.  She brought her hand up to gently run over his face as she  said, "I absolutely adore you, Clark Kent."

She heard his quick intake of breath and knew that he  finally understood how she felt about him. She leaned over  and softly kissed him before once again lowering herself  against his chest. His arm pulled her a little closer.

"So what happens after tonight?" Clark asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where are we going to live? Do you have to work  tomorrow or do we get to eat breakfast in bed? Are we going  to work on this book idea? Do you want to go on a honeymoon  and if so, where? Things like that."

Lois smiled. He was such a man - always thinking about what  came next. "Well," she said, "that's a lot of questions to  tackle all at once, but..."

"Oh, I'm sorry," interrupted Clark. "Do you want..."

"It's okay, Clark," Lois interrupted with a laugh. "You  might be interested to know that I quit my job today. As a  result, I don't have to go to work tomorrow - so breakfast  in bed is definitely on. But I'd like to leave the  honeymoon for a while - maybe wait until after we've sold  the book."

"So you like my idea of writing a book?" he asked.

"You even have to ask? Clark, I love the idea."

"Any preference about where we're going to live?"

"I've always loved your apartment. Why don't we move in  there - at least for the time being? I can probably sublet  my apartment until the lease is up."

She paused for a moment, knowing that this next topic  wasn't going to be quite as pleasant. "And tomorrow I need  to go see Lex." She could feel him tense, but he didn't  respond. "I know what you're thinking, Clark. But I have to  tell him I can't marry him."

"I'd just feel better if I were there," said Clark.

"And if your situations were reversed... How would you feel  if I brought Lex to tell you I couldn't marry you?"

He was silent for a moment. "Point taken," he finally  responded.

Clark lay staring into the darkness long after Lois had  fallen asleep. Finally, he reached up and removed his  glasses, laying them on the night stand. He glanced down at  the woman sleeping against his chest. He supposed he could  sleep with the glasses on. Unless he rolled over in his  sleep, he'd be fine. But even if she did see him without  his glasses, he doubted she'd make the connection to  Superman. After all, in sleep his face would be relaxed and  his hair a mess. Superman was always tense and his hair was  never out of place. Besides, she wouldn't be expecting  Superman.

For a moment, he felt a stab of guilt, but he quickly  brushed it aside. Not telling Lois that he was Superman had  been the right thing to do. In fact, under the  circumstances, it had been the only thing to do. After all,  she had been determined to get married, and marriage to  either Luthor or Superman would have destroyed her. And he  loved her too much to ever let that happen. No. He refused  to feel guilty for doing the right thing. Of course, if  Lois ever found out... He pushed that thought aside. He'd  deal with that issue if and when he had to - not a moment  before.

She gave a soft sigh and he smiled. He was glad that she'd  decided to change into something else before going to  sleep. She'd confiscated one of his t-shirts and a pair of  his shorts. It would have been almost impossible to respect  her boundaries if she were still wearing that sexy, black  nightie. It was difficult enough as it was.

He couldn't say that he wasn't disappointed that they  hadn't made love. But he knew Lois. She had been so  determined to give him what he wanted. He had to love her  for that. But at the same time she'd been so scared. For a  woman who could face down men twice her size without  flinching, it was somewhat surprising. On the other hand,  the kisses they'd shared after he'd said they would wait  had certainly proven that the electricity was there. He  just needed to give her a little time.

He finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 07

Lois found herself fighting to keep the smile off her face  as she made her way to the penthouse in the Lex Towers the  next morning. Although they hadn't made love, something  incredible was definitely happening between her and Clark.  Although she couldn't quite put it into words, it felt as  if her heart, which had seemed to shrivel a little more  every year, was starting to come to life again. And it felt  good. It felt really, really good.

Clark had once again asked if he could come with her when  she spoke to Lex. She knew it had been hard for him, but  when she told him that he'd have to trust her judgment,  he'd relented. He'd pouted, but he'd relented. She smiled  once again when she remembered how cute he looked when he  pouted.

Then a new thought occurred to her and she frowned. She  wasn't entirely sure why she'd been so scared to make love  to him last night. Being nervous was understandable in the  circumstances, but he had been right. She'd been completely  terrified. Was it because she wasn't in love with him? She  gave her head a slight shake. No. The first time she'd had  sex, she hadn't been in love with her partner. He was her  date on the night of the senior prom and, although she  liked him, she certainly hadn't been in love with him. They  had just gotten carried away. So she knew that not being in  love with Clark wasn't the problem.

So was she afraid he would leave her if she slept with him?  Again she shook her head. That was crazy. He was her  husband. If he was just looking for a roll in the hayloft -  she smiled at the appropriateness of that phrase  considering where Clark had grown up - he wouldn't have  actually married her to do it. After all, he'd never even  made a serious pass at her during the year that they had  worked together. He had asked her out once, when he'd first  started, but that had ended in disaster. Since then, he'd  not as much as hinted that he wanted to be more than  friends - well, until the day before yesterday. He  certainly teased her and sometimes that teasing had sexual  undertones, but he'd never given the impression that he was  looking for her to respond - except with some smart-ass  comment of her own. Besides, she knew Clark. When he'd said  he only intended to exchange marriage vows once in his  life, he'd meant it.

She briefly wondered if she was frigid. She didn't think  that was the problem - at least it hadn't been in the past.  Granted, she'd never really understood what all the fuss  was about sex. She enjoyed the kissing and cuddling, but as  for the rest... she could take it or leave it. But that  didn't explain the overwhelming fear she'd felt last night.

So what else could it be? She puzzled over the question for  a moment more. But before she could find any other  explanations, the ding of the elevator arriving at the  penthouse snapped her out of her thoughts. She immediately  remembered where she was and what she was here to do. She  waited until the elevator doors slid open and, taking a  deep breath, stepped out. For a moment, she almost wished  she'd let Clark come, but that wouldn't be fair to Lex.

* * * * * * * * *

"Ms. Lane is here," said Mrs. Cox's voice on the other end  of the line. "Should I send her in?"

"Yes," responded Luthor, rising from his chair and heading  for the door.

None of his sources had been able to find any hint of Lois  since she'd disappeared yesterday evening. So he was glad  that she had turned up on her own. Although, in the future,  he'd make sure that he knew where Lois Lane was twenty-four  hours a day.

He arrived at the door just as it opened and Lois entered.

"It's so nice to see you, my dear," said Luthor, taking her  hands in his and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He noticed  that although she allowed the gesture, she seemed to tense.  And her hands were out of his almost immediately. When she  walked further into the room, he had the distinct  impression that she was trying to put some distance between  them. "I was worried about you," he said casually.

"Worried?" asked Lois, turning to face him.

"You quit your job yesterday. I tried to contact you to  find out what was wrong, but I wasn't able to locate you.  I'm glad you're all right." He didn't, of course, explain  the extent to which he'd gone to try to find her. However,  if she didn't already know that he had been looking for  her, she would find out when she checked her answering  machine or beeper messages. It was better to let her know  up front that he'd been trying to find her.

"I'm sorry, Lex," said Lois. "I guess I just didn't think.  I didn't mean to make you worry."

"That's all right," said Luthor. "So was there a problem at  work? Why didn't you bring it to me before quitting?" he  asked.

"No, Lex. It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it like?" he asked, cocking his head to the  side and studying her.

"It's just..." She hesitated for a moment. "Well, I have  something else I want to do. I mean, it was a very generous  offer - letting me work at LNN. But I just don't think I'm  cut out for T.V. news. It is always so... immediate. It  doesn't give you time to mull over events in order to find  the story behind the story."

"There are deadlines in print news, too," said Luthor.

"I know. It's just... Well, Clark and I have decided to  write a book together."

Luthor's eyebrows rose. "So that's why you quit?" he asked,  gesturing her to a chair. This wasn't good. Having her  working with Kent was definitely not what he'd had in mind  when he'd had the Daily Planet destroyed. He had to find a  way to undermine her decision. "Have either of you done  anything like this before?" he asked. "I know the idea of  having your name on a book jacket is tempting but... Lois,  if you think writing a book is hard, selling it is even  harder."

"Not this book," responded Lois.

"And why's that?" asked Luthor.

"This book is going to be about Superman. He's even offered  to write the introduction."

Luthor paused. She was right. Considering the idiotic  obsession the public had with that glorified boy scout, a  book about Superman, endorsed by Superman, was a guaranteed  best seller. "Still, it's a long cry from writing a book to  actually seeing any profits. Are you sure you want to do  this?" he asked, taking a seat on the corner of his desk.

"I am doing it, Lex," she said.

He nodded slowly. For now, there was nothing he could do to  stop her. Not that he was happy with this development. But  he knew better than to try to argue her out of this plan of  action.

"I suppose the idea does have some merit," he conceded.  "And once we're married, it isn't as if you will need the  money from working at LNN."

"Oh, right," said Lois, playing nervously with a new piece  of jewelry that adorned her left hand. "That's the other  thing I need to talk to you about."

"What is?" asked Luthor.

"I can't marry you," she said.

Luthor forced himself to remain calm. "Maybe you should  take some more time to..."

"There's no point, Lex. You see..." Her voice trailed off  and she raised her left hand.

It took him a moment to focus on her hand and another to  interpret what he was seeing. "Who?" he asked, trying to  keep the anger out of his voice.

"Clark," Lois said softly. "We got married yesterday."

"Kent?" gasped Luthor in disbelief.

Lois nodded. For a moment, Luthor was absolutely  speechless. He had been worried about Superman - not Kent.  In fact, that was one of the reasons he'd been so  determined to get the kryptonite. The idea that she had  married Kent was almost unfathomable to him.

"How could you..." His voice trailed off. This was not the  way to deal with the situation. "Well, I am surprised," he  said, retaining his calm. "But I guess congratulations are  in order."

Lois gave him a smile, reaching out and giving his hand a  squeeze. "Thanks, Lex. I hope you understand."

Luthor nodded - although he couldn't say he understood at  all. He would not, however, lower himself to ask her to  explain why she'd chosen that nobody over him - which  brought the conversation to an end. He slowly rose to his  feet; this unexpected turn of events had him completely off  balance. Until he knew how to handle the situation, he  would have to tread very carefully, not doing or saying  anything which might prevent him from implementing any  counter-attack which he might want to employ in the future.  Lois followed his lead, rising to her feet as well.

Still, knowing he had to be careful didn't prevent his next  words. "I must admit I'm surprised that you would have  married such a playboy," he said as they headed towards the  door. Then to Lois' startled look, he continued, "I'm  sorry. That was uncharitable. I'm sure most of it is  rumors, anyway. Besides, I'm sure he's told you all about  his past." He wasn't quite sure what had provoked the  comment. He knew virtually nothing about Clark Kent's past  - never having seen Kent as worthy of his attention before.

"Of course," said Lois, although it was obvious to Luthor  that his comment had unnerved her. He couldn't say he  minded that.

Taking her hand, he gave it a brief kiss.

She gave him a soft smile. "Take care, Lex," she said.

"And I wish you all the best," he responded. He waited  until she was gone before allowing the smile to disappear  from his face. He was pleased with the way he'd handled  himself following Lois' startling announcement. But what  now?

* * * * * * * * *

As Lois exited Luthor's office, she was lost in thought.  She had indicated to Lex that she knew all about Clark's  past relationships. But the truth was that, at least in  that area, her husband knew more about her than she did  about him. The idea that he was a playboy bothered her.  After all, that description could have also been applied to  her father - and look at what marrying him had done to her  mother. But Clark wasn't like that - or was he? After all,  even she had heard the rumors about Cat and Clark shortly  after he'd come to work at the Planet. And Clark certainly  had a way with women. One needed only to look at Toni  Taylor, Rachel Harris or Linda King to know that. Clark was  obviously not the type to kiss and tell, but...

She pushed the thought out of her mind. Clark was married  to her now. And he wasn't the only one who had a few things  in his past that he might be less than proud of. Still...  Who was the man she'd married? She had thought she knew him  better than she had ever known anyone before, but, as she'd  told Clark months ago, no one really knew anyone else. And  even Clark must wear disguises sometimes.

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor walked over to the phone and picked it up. It was  only a moment before Mrs. Cox's voice was on the other end.

"I'm not to be disturbed," said Luthor.

"Is everything all right, Lex?" his assistant asked.

"Of course - unless you count Lois' marriage to Clark  Kent," Luthor snapped before hanging up.

Once he'd made his call, Luthor made his way to the balcony  just in time to make out the figure of a feisty young  reporter leaving the building. He watched as she hailed a  cab and then, a moment later, disappeared inside. Once she  was gone, he slowly turned and reentered his apartment. He  sank down into the chair behind his desk, lost in thought.

Not like any other average person, perhaps, but in his own  strange and perverted way, he had succumbed. He loved Lois  Lane. These feelings were deep and real, and brought him  pain that he had never experienced before. He wasn't  entirely sure how it had happened. He really had not  expected it to happen to him. He was much too pragmatic to  fall in love. After all, love dulled one's instincts. It  made a person sloppy and open to compromise and  sentimentality. He had managed to control every aspect of  his life, except for falling in love with Lois. How could  he have been so careless?

The pheromone compound! He had initially told Nigel that  his love for Lois was not the result of Miranda's pheromone  compound. But the timing of his falling in love was  certainly quite a coincidence. Maybe falling in love with  Lois had not been his fault. And if it were the result of  this foreign substance, maybe there was something that  could be done to counteract its effects.

But even if he didn't know why he loved Lois Lane, he did  know that the platitude sayers were wrong: it was not  better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at  all. Of course, Nigel would be pleased with the end of his  relationship with Lois. After all, Nigel had always worried  about Lois Lane and his boss' fascination with her.

The problem was that, having never experienced these kinds  of feelings for another human being before, he was entirely  unsure how to deal with the current situation. Added to  that was the humiliation of how he'd lost Lois. He'd lost  her to Kent, an insignificant nobody. He'd been prepared to  do battle with Superman, a formidable adversary, but Kent?  No. If she wanted Kent, she could have him.

What her marriage did prove, however, was that she had been  leading him on. She would never have run off and married  Kent the way she had if she had one scintilla of real  feelings for him. After all, she had not even bothered to  turn down his proposal of marriage before committing  herself to another man.

What made it worse was that his pursuit of Lois Lane had  been public. He'd been seen publicly with her more than any  other woman during the past year. And he had no doubt that  by now it was also public knowledge that he had asked her  to marry him. She had made a fool of him and no one made a  fool of him - no one! He had been publicly cuckolded - not  technically perhaps, but the principle was the same. After  all, how could he be taken seriously if he couldn't even  control his woman? No. He might not be prepared to do  battle with Clark Kent to win Lois Lane's hand, but that  didn't mean he could allow this insult to go unanswered.

He didn't notice how long he had sat there until he  realized that, without his knowledge, it had gotten dark.  He slowly rose from behind his desk and made his way back  to the balcony. As he stared out over the city, he tried to  find the thrill that he always got from knowing that  everyone in Metropolis had to look up in order to see him.  However, tonight he got no satisfaction from the knowledge.

He heard the sound of someone behind him. He glanced over  his shoulder to see Asabi. Turning back towards the city,  he spoke.

"Did you hear?" he asked.

"I did," Asabi confirmed.

Luthor nodded slowly. It was only a matter of time before  everyone heard. "So how much of what I'm feeling is the  result of Miranda's perfume?" he asked.

"The ways of the heart are hard to fathom," Asabi began.  "It matters not what caused your love for Ms. Lane. What  matters is what you do now."

Luthor snorted. "So what do I do now?" he asked.

"How you handle this will depend on what you wish the final  result to be. Do you still want Ms. Lane to be your wife?"

Luthor was silent for a long time as he debated the idea.  He had believed that Lois and Superman were lovers. He  knew, of course, that given Superman's high profile, he  would never marry - it would be too dangerous for any woman  to be married to him and Superman had too many scruples to  place someone in that position. But he'd heard Superman's  declaration of love to Lois when he was infected with  Miranda's pheromone compound and had witnessed Lois'  reaction. However, he must have been wrong in his  assessment of their relationship. After all, she would not  have married a nobody like Kent if she were sharing  Superman's bed. No. Lois had lost value by marrying Clark  Kent.

Besides, he had needed Lois to come to him willingly. He  had wanted the superhero subjected to the agony of having  the woman he loved sleeping in the arms of his arch- nemesis. If he forced Lois Lane to marry him, which he did  not doubt he could still do, it would not be nearly as  satisfying.

He thought again about Lois. If she was willing to marry  someone like Clark Kent, he had obviously overestimated  her. During their first dinner together, he had told her  that she was someone who could transcend the mundane, but  she had chosen the mundane. She was obviously not a worthy  wife for someone as exceptional as him.

Oh, he still wanted Lois. But the most he wanted from her  now was to make her his mistress. The status of wife was no  longer something he was willing to give. The problem now  was twofold. First, there was the public humiliation. He  had to find a way to make it seem as if he was the one who  had rejected her. He couldn't allow others to believe he  could be defied without retribution. Her marriage to Kent  made that lie impossible to sell. Thus, the only solution  now was retribution - to prove that he could not be denied  without consequences. Otherwise, he was in danger of losing  his grip on the criminal empire he had amassed.

Second, whether it was a result of Miranda's full-strength  pheromone compound or not, he still loved Lois Lane. He  still wanted her. But marry her? After this humiliation?  After she had married a nobody like Kent without even  bothering to tell him first?

"No," he told Asabi, "I won't marry her. The problem is  that I don't know how to purge this woman from my heart."

"It will not be easy," responded Asabi, "but there is one  way. You must destroy her - of your own free will and with  your own two hands. Only then will your heart truly be free  of her."

Luthor turned then and looked at Asabi. "Are you saying I  should kill her?" he asked.

"Not necessarily," said Asabi. "It will depend on how deep  your feelings go. You might be able to simply destroy her  in other ways. Destroy her marriage or her reputation.  Ending a life is only the ultimate step in someone's  destruction. But if you do decide to kill her, it must be  your hands that do it. For her death will be the final  step. If you do not do it yourself and if she dies without  freeing your soul, you will always belong to her."

Luthor nodded slowly before turning and looking out over  the city again. It was only a moment before he knew where  to start. After all, if he couldn't have Lois Lane, he  would make sure no other man would either. He would start  by destroying her marriage. And her reaction to his comment  about Kent's reputation had given him the idea about how to  do that.

"Send Nigel in," he said.

Asabi simply bowed slightly before making his way to the  door.

"Asabi said you wanted me," said Nigel a moment later.

"Find out everything you can about Clark Kent," Luthor  instructed.

"Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Yes, Nigel. Get me the dirt on Kent's love life. If you  can't find it, invent it. Just make it believable." Luthor  paused for a moment. "And I want pictures, too. If none  exist, get creative."

"Yes, sir," Nigel responded. Nigel was about to go and do  as instructed when he turned back to Luthor.

"What is it, Nigel?" Luthor asked.

"Well, it's just... I'm glad to see that you have a plan  for how to deal with Ms. Lane."

"I might have lost the battle, Nigel. But the war is just  beginning," Luthor responded.

Part 08

* * * * * * * * * ELEVEN DAYS LATER * * * * * * * * *

Lois stood looking at herself in the mirror. She turned  slightly, trying to examine herself from all angles. The  nightgown she'd worn on her wedding night looked good. It  looked really good, clinging to her body in all the right  places. When she'd chosen to wear this on her wedding  night, she had chosen it because, although it was sexy, it  still covered her nicely. But over the past few days, her  concern had changed. Now she wanted to be sure it showed  off her body to its best possible advantage.

She pulled the sheer robe over top and looked at herself  again. She played with it for a moment, allowing the  shoulder of the robe to drop down onto her arm. She smiled.  It was perfect. Walking over to the entrance way to Clark's  room, she tried standing there. No. That didn't feel quite  right. She moved closer to the doorframe and leaned against  it, imagining Clark walking in the door. A small grin  played around her lips. Yeah. This was the pose.

It had now been eleven days since she'd married Clark. She  knew the exact time without having to think about it  because of the roses. He'd given her a rose every day since  they'd been married. After the first few days, she'd told  him that she didn't need one every day. That was when he  had explained that she'd be receiving one a day for a total  of twelve days. Apparently, when he'd gone to the flower  store on their wedding day, he'd purchased a dozen roses.  However, as they were doing them up, he'd wondered if it  was too much. So he'd made arrangements to pick up one a  day for twelve days. The woman in the flower store had been  something of a romantic and as a result agreed to Clark's  unusual request. Today Lois had received rose number twelve  - giving her a total of one dozen red roses. That was how  she knew that it had been eleven days since she'd gotten  married.

She wondered if Clark knew what a romantic guy he was. She  felt a powerful rush of tenderness for him. She never would  have believed he had it in him. But if there was one thing  she'd learned over the past twelve days, it was that she  had never really known Clark until their wedding. He was  just full of surprises.

Like finding out that he went jogging before bed every  night. In fact, that was where he was at the moment. On the  first night, she'd offered to go with him. She'd been a  little hurt when he'd explained that jogging was his way to  put his day in perspective - and to do that he needed to be  alone. But when she thought about it, it made sense.  Besides, she was sure there would be times when she needed  to be alone, too. Still, she was curious about where he  jogged. After all, sometimes he was home within a half hour  or so and other times he was gone for a lot longer. He must  have more than one route - and which one he took must  depend on how many things he needed to put in perspective.  She figured, though, that his nightly jogging explained why  he had often not been at home when she had called late at  night.

Of course, in other ways he was still Clark. He was still  as absent-minded as ever. He would remember he had  something immediate to attend to at the last possible  moment and would rush off with barely more than a quick  peck and an 'I love you.' As frustrating as it sometimes  was, it was in a weird way somewhat reassuring. He had  changed towards her so much since their wedding - in the  way he looked at her, in the way he touched her - it was  reassuring to see that some things never changed. And Clark  running off at a moment's notice was just so... Clark.

She smiled as she considered how easily he'd accepted her  decision to keep her last name. She'd been so nervous when  she'd first raised the issue - afraid that he would be hurt  or insulted by her decision. But when she had told him that  she was sort of attached to 'Lois Lane,' his instinctive  response was to tell her he was, too. And Lois' opinion of  Clark had risen considerably as a result. Because, if there  was one thing of which she was absolutely certain, it was  that Lex would never have agreed to her keeping her own  name. What was so interesting was that Clark's easy  acceptance of her decision had caused her to want to make a  concession to tradition. She'd suggested that in her  private life, she wouldn't mind being called Lois Lane- Kent. His resulting smile had left her feeling warm inside.

Clark's parents had been fantastic. They'd called them the  day after their wedding. She smiled as she recalled how  hard she'd laughed when Martha had warned her about Clark's  habit of putting wet towels in the laundry hamper - much to  Clark's embarrassment. She couldn't remember ever feeling  quite so much a part of a family.

Her family was a different matter entirely. When Clark had  suggested that they call her parents, she'd adamantly  refused. Her father wouldn't care. Her mother, on the other  hand, would undoubtedly use the opportunity to remind her  that all men were the same - how Clark would undoubtedly  break her heart. She really didn't want to deal with that.  The problem was that the longer she waited to tell her  mother, the more flack she was bound to get when she  finally did.

However, there was a solution. Lucy had come in from  California for a holiday and she was staying with their  mother. Since Lois had made arrangements to meet Lucy for  lunch tomorrow, she'd tell her then. Once she told Lucy,  Lucy would undoubtedly tell their mother. Problem solved.  All Lois would have to do was to avoid the telephone for  the next week - to evade the inevitable 'men are pigs' and  the 'how could you not tell me' lectures she knew would  follow. But then that was what answering machines were for.

She moved back to the mirror. She and Clark still hadn't  made love, but it was getting harder and harder to sleep  next to him every night without tearing every shred of  clothing off his body and having her way with him. Yet she  was the one who always pulled away. She still wasn't able  to figure out why she couldn't quite cross the intimacy  threshold with Clark. During some of their kissing  sessions, she'd felt a hunger to be as close to him as  possible - even closer. But as powerful as those desires  were, the fear was even stronger. The problem was that she  was no longer sure what she was scared of.

She looked at herself again in the mirror and sighed. She  figured this outfit would have to wait a little bit longer.  But if she didn't get a handle on what was going on inside  her head soon, she was certain she was going to drive both  of them crazy.

Her mind of its own volition drifted back to the night  before. They'd eaten supper and gone back to working on the  outline for the book. They had been discussing the time  that someone had created a Superman clone. A small smile  played around the corners of her mouth. Clark had been  talking as if he had actually been present at the time.

"I tell you, Clark," Lois had said. "It was really scary.  That clone was throwing Superman around like a rag doll."

"He was not," Clark had objected. "I... Superman was just  being cautious. He didn't want any innocent bystanders -  like you - to get hurt."

"How would you know?" she'd demanded. "If I recall  correctly, you weren't even there."

"Well... umm... That doesn't mean I don't know what  happened. I was..." His voice had trailed off and a look of  frustration had appeared on his face.

She could still remember the feeling of triumph. He didn't  know what had happened. He might have heard about it. But  even he obviously realized that she was right. She turned  her attention to the outline, to write down her thoughts.  She looked around before spotting her pen.

"Hey," he had immediately objected. "Before you write that  down, I think we should ask for Superman's take."

"Superman can't be objective about this," she responded.

"But..."

She'd let out a frustrated breath. "I told you what  happened," she said, picking up the pen. "I mean, I'm  Superman's biggest fan. But even I have to admit he was  getting his butt whipped. Since the clone didn't have any  morals, he had a distinct advantage. Sort of a power of the  dark side kind of thing. Now, Superman finally did manage  to win, but it was close. And then, he managed to appeal to  something in the clone - his better nature as it were.  Otherwise, even Superman wouldn't have been a match for  him," she said, reaching over and picking up the pen.

"Wait a minute," objected Clark. "I say we settle this the  old fashioned way," he said.

Before she could wonder what he meant by 'the old fashioned  way', he had flipped her over onto the couch and begun  tickling her. She squirmed against his hands.

"Oh, so that's the way you want it, is it?" she laughed.

"You bet it is," he answered, smiling in response to her  laughter.

She'd struggled to get his hands away from her stomach but  the laughter was preventing any effective defense. When  she'd realized she wasn't making any progress, she had  reached for him, attempting to tickle him back. He had  smiled, almost as if he knew he wasn't ticklish. Then a  shocked look appeared on his face and his hands quit  tickling her in an effort to protect himself. She pushed on  as Clark began to laugh. Her amusement grew as tears rolled  down Clark's cheeks. It didn't take long for her to reverse  their fortunes. Soon Lois was the one on top while Clark  lay on the couch, begging for mercy.

"Say uncle," she instructed through her own laughter.

"Uncle, uncle," he gasped immediately.

"I win," Lois announced, sitting back on his legs and  watching the still chuckling man below her. "I told you I  like to be on top," she added with a grin.

She watched the expression on Clark's face change when she  said the final phrase. It was amazing the amount of desire  he was capable of communicating without saying a word. It  was as if Lois had no choice but to do what she did next -  leaning over to kiss him. The kiss escalated quickly, as  they were doing more and more often over the past couple of  days. Lips searching; hands exploring; bodies aching. Lois  couldn't exactly recall how they'd ended up in the bedroom,  sprawled across the bed. What she did remember was the  moment she'd pulled back. Why had she done that? He was her  husband and she had wanted to be with him more than she'd  ever wanted to be with a man. Yet, for some reason, she'd  panicked. Clark remained understanding. It was she who  wasn't understanding anymore. On their wedding night it  might have made sense. After all, until then she'd only  ever allowed herself to think about Clark as a friend. But  in the last few days she'd been having problems thinking  about anything that didn't involve her, Clark and a bed.

In every other way, though, she was definitely beginning to  feel married. The transformation from best friends to  spouses had been easier than she had anticipated. She loved  waking up in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed  coffee, or falling asleep in Clark's arms at night.  Marriage to Clark was filling a need in her that she hadn't  even recognized was there. If only she could get past this  barrier that seemed determined to keep them from being  together in every way...

She forced her mind onto other subjects. She still hadn't  found someone to sublet her apartment. There had certainly  been a few interested parties - if she wanted to risk all  her furniture ending up as kindling. She sighed. They  really couldn't afford paying rent on two apartments, at  least until they sold the book. Fortunately, there was hope  on that front. Clark had talked to a publisher at Red Pen  Publishing, Steven Edge. He had been very encouraging, but  he needed to see an outline before he would commit to it.  And until that happened...

Still, the outline had just seemed to come together. They  had agreed that the book would focus, not so much on  Superman being a hero, although as Lois had pointed out, he  was a hero, but on how his example could be used to find  the hero in oneself. Clark had seemed pleased with the  approach and Lois suspected Superman would be as well.

Tomorrow they had a meeting with Edge to go over their  outline. She suspected they would still have to fill in the  gaps, fatten it up as it were, before it would be sellable.  But it was a good start. It was amazing how quickly they'd  gotten it written up. On the other hand, she shouldn't be  surprised. She and Clark worked so well together. It was a  dance, the steps of which they had perfected during the  past year. As a result, once they'd begun working, the  entire concept had just fallen into place.

Of course, there was one more investigation they would need  to conduct before they could complete the book - the  destruction of the Daily Planet. Without knowing who had  been behind the attempt on the Daily Planet, the book would  be incomplete. They had spoken to Jack on a couple of  occasions and it was obviously to both her and Clark that  he wasn't responsible. They had promised Jack that they  would get to the bottom of it. It was a big promise.  However, Lois was confident that with her and Clark on the  case, they'd find the answer to that question. Clark had  suggested the idea of Lex's involvement. Lois shook her  head slightly. Were it possible, Clark would blame Lex for  the Kennedy assassination - actually, for both Kennedy  assassinations. Much of each day had been spent following  up leads on the bombing; the evenings were spent working on  the book's outline - among other things.

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by a ringing phone.  Distracted, she made her way to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Umm..." came a woman's hesitant voice. "Is Clark there?"

"No. Who is this?" Lois asked. She was certain the woman on  the other end was the one who had called a number of times  over the past few days. Lois pulled in a sharp breath when,  after only a brief pause, the phone line went dead - as it  always did when the woman was told Clark wasn't there. She  stared at the phone for a moment before hanging up herself.  Whoever this woman was...

Lois took a deep breath and let it out. She had mentioned  these strange phone calls to Clark, but he had basically  sloughed them off. He had no idea... Probably a wrong  number... No idea how she knew his name... Don't worry  about... And other such rubbish.

What made it worse was that Lois was still troubled by  Lex's comment about Clark being a playboy. She'd tried, on  a couple of occasions, to talk about it with Clark - not  that she'd told Clark what Lex had said. But she had tried  bringing up the subject of past relationships. Clark had  been vague, almost dismissive. He'd told her that there  really wasn't anything to talk about. She had to admit that  part of her admired the fact that he wasn't the type to  kiss and tell, but she knew that there must be more than  that to his past. After all, he was a good-looking, well- traveled guy in his late twenties. And neither of them had  been born on the day they'd met.

* * * * * * * * *

"How was that?" purred the attractive redhead in Luthor's  bed as she hung up the phone.

"Perfect," Luthor said. "You know what to do tomorrow?"

"Would you relax?" said the redhead. "I've got it under  control. Now, stop obsessing and come back to bed."

"I don't obsess," objected Luthor, taking the woman up on  her offer.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark looked beneath him as he flew patrol over the city.  It appeared to be another quiet night. It was amazing how  much quieter the nights seemed now than when he'd made his  first appearance as Superman almost a year ago. He was  pleased that he'd come up with the idea of jogging before  bedtime. It gave him the time he needed to conduct his  patrols on a regular basis. It was the emergencies he had  to answer that were more difficult. If only emergencies  could be scheduled... He was going to have to come up with  some more creative excuses. After all, returning a video  was now out. Lois would know if they had rented a video.

A small smile played around the corners of his mouth as his  mind drifted back to last night. Rolling around with his  wife on the bed, various pieces of clothing noticeably  absent... He had felt as if he were in heaven. He knew  she'd been upset when she'd pulled away, but it hadn't  particularly bothered him.

It was so different now than when they'd first gotten  married. At first, physical contact between them had been  awkward. Although Lois never backed away when he touched  her, she also never initiated contact. In fact, the number  of times she'd been the one to touch him had decreased  since they'd gotten married. It had been a few days before  he'd worked up the nerve to ask about it. Even then, it had  taken Clark a while to get Lois to open up. When he had, he  discovered that she was afraid of initiating any sort of  physical contact - afraid that he would take it as a sign  that she was ready to cross the intimacy threshold. Once  he'd managed to assure her that he wouldn't read anything  into her desire to kiss or touch him beyond the obvious,  things had improved dramatically. Now he was letting her  lead the way in each new step in their physical  relationship.

It was just a matter of time now before they were husband  and wife in every way. In the meantime, Clark was  absolutely determined to enjoy every step of the journey.  Besides, having her slide onto his knee while he was in  front of the computer or slip her arms around his waist  from behind while he was cooking was absolutely incredible.  He just wished she could relax and enjoy what was happening  between them instead of so often getting side-tracked by  what wasn't happening.

His mind drifted, as it had more and more often since their  wedding, to the question of Superman. Knowing that he'd  made the right decision not to tell her about Superman  didn't stop him from feeling guilty and even wondering if  he should tell her. But how could he tell her? It was  obvious that her feelings for Clark were changing. How  could he risk what was happening between them? He flinched.  When exactly had his reasons for keeping this secret from  Lois changed from altruistic to selfish?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an alarm. He  looked around, focusing in on the sound. It only took a  moment for him to find the source - a bank. He made his way  there at top speed. A moment later he was landing in front  of the building. A security guard was out front when he  arrived.

* * * * * * * * *

Mrs. Cox watched from a distance as Superman landed.  Originally, she had planned to conduct this test during the  day time. However, as Lex had pointed out, there was less  chance of being spotted after dark. She waited until  Superman was securely on the ground before making her way  past the front of the bank.

"Superman," the guard said, "thank you for coming, but it's  a false alarm. The security system's just gone crazy all of  a sudden. Sorry to take up your time like this."

"It's no problem at all," Superman responded. "I..." He  looked down when the pain hit him. He shook his head  slightly - still, the pain not only continued, it worsened.  He reached out and steadied himself against the guard. He  could hear the guard talking, asking if he was all right,  but the pain was too great for him to think of an answer.  Then, a moment later, the pain abated. "Yeah, I'm okay,"  Superman responded, straightening up again.

Mrs. Cox headed on past before pulling out her cell phone.  She dialed a familiar number and waited until the call was  answered before speaking. "We have the genuine article,  Lex. Works like a charm," she said, smiling at her own joke  as she looked at the small piece of kryptonite that hung  like a charm around her neck.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois made her way to the closet and looked inside. She  really should get changed before Clark got back. It  wouldn't be fair for her to be dressed like this when she  still wasn't sure if she could make love to him. What was  wrong with her? She was crazy about this guy. And it was  obvious that he adored her.

She shook her head and looked in the closet for something  to wear. She loved Clark's apartment - except for this.  There was absolutely no closet space. She knocked on the  back of the closet, her mind drifting back to the very odd  conversation she'd had with Clark when she'd first moved  in. As she'd been putting things away, she'd been lamenting  the lack of closet space. That was when she'd first made  the discovery. It seemed to her as if they could tear down  this wall and have a lot more closet space. By the look of  things, they might even have a walk in closet. When she'd  mentioned the idea to Clark, he'd gone all weird on her.  She was still having problems believing that it was a  support wall and couldn't be removed. Maybe she should try  calling a carpenter to take a look at the closet.

She smiled when she noticed Clark's tie rack. As impossible  as it might seem, it had ties that even she hadn't seen  before. She reached out to remove one of them. However,  just as her hand landed on the tie rack, she heard a  familiar rush of wind. She spun around just as a familiar  figure entered the apartment from the balcony.

"Superman," Lois gasped.

* * * * * * * *

Part 09

Clark looked up in shock when Lois gasped the name of his  alter-ego. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't  remembered to spin out of the suit and into his Clark  clothes before entering the apartment. He knew what had  caused the pain at the bank - kryptonite. But where had it  come from and why had it disappeared so quickly? However,  the distraction had caused him to forget that he couldn't  just enter his apartment as Superman.

He stared dumbly at Lois for an instant. Fortunately, he  was suddenly given time to come up with a reason for being  there because, without asking permission this time, she  immediately grabbed his robe from the closet and threw it  around herself. It was only then that it registered with  Clark what she was wearing. He forced his mind away from  that particular subject, afraid that if he didn't, his  tight fitting suit might be a little too revealing.

"What are you doing here?" asked Lois as she tied the belt  on the front of Clark's robe.

"Umm... I was looking for Clark. Is he here?"

"No. But I expect him back any moment," Lois replied  immediately, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh," responded Clark. "Well, I'll come by some time  when..." As he spoke, he began turning back towards the  balcony, trying to make his escape.

"Superman, wait," said Lois as he began making his way back  to the balcony.

Clark cringed. He had hoped to make a clean escape.  Unfortunately, it looked as if that wouldn't be possible.  He slowly, reluctantly, turned back around - half afraid of  what Lois might have to say to him. Still, there wasn't  much choice.

"I'm glad you're here," said Lois slowly. "I wanted an  opportunity to talk to you without Clark around."

Clark was now feeling very uncomfortable.  If she was  wanting him, Superman, to know that although she was  married to Clark, she was still in love with him, he  suspected it would break his heart.

"Clark told me that you offered to give us a series of  interviews for our book," Lois began. "I wanted to talk to  you before we had to face each other in an interview  setting. Clear the air, as it were."

"Lois, there's really no need..."

"I assume Clark told you that he and I got married,"  interrupted Lois.

"Yes," said Clark cautiously. "Congratulations," he added  as an after thought.

"Thanks," replied Lois, pushing a strand of hair behind her  ear. "Anyway, there's something I need you to know."

Clark, who had been looking intently at a picture over  Lois' shoulder, finally met her eyes. There was a look of  determination in them. As much as he wasn't sure he wanted  to hear what she had to say, he couldn't look away.

"I care very deeply for Clark," Lois began. "And I need you  to understand that he isn't the consolation prize because  you turned me down. He loves me - more deeply than I ever  thought anyone would ever love me. And..." She hesitated  for only a fraction of a second before adding, "...I love  him. I would never do anything to hurt him."

Clark blinked. Since she had never told Clark she loved  him, he was fairly confident that she was lying. But the  fact that she was lying to Superman about her feelings for  Clark sent a rush of tenderness flooding through him.

"Since we're going to be working together, I thought you  should know that. I hope you understand."

"I do," said Superman as it began to sink in exactly what  she was doing. She was giving Superman notice that she was  off limits.

Lois gave a nod. "That's all I wanted to say," she  concluded. "I'll be sure to tell Clark that you stopped  by."

Clark nodded slowly, realizing he was being dismissed. He  turned towards the balcony and was about to leave when Lois  spoke again.

"Oh. One more thing. Although, as I'm sure Clark would tell  you, you're always welcome in our home, next time, I'd  appreciate it if you knocked first."

Clark nodded and a moment later disappeared - more moved by  what Lois had just done than he would have believed  possible.

* * * * * * * * *

"What is it, Nigel?" Luthor asked, doing up the belt on his  robe as he made his way into his office.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir," Nigel said. "But you did  say you wanted that information on Mr. Kent as soon as  possible."

"No problem, Nigel. I was finished anyway." Just then the  redhead entered the room. Luthor made his way over to her  and kissed her hand. "Thanks for the evening," he said  graciously. "Now, you're all set for tomorrow?"

"Yes, Lex," the woman responded. "I know exactly what needs  to be done."

Luthor waited until the woman was gone before turning his  attention to Nigel. "So what did you find?" he asked.

Nigel handed him a file while speaking. "There's not much.  If Mr. Kent has any skeletons in his closet, I was unable  to find them."

"What about women?" asked Luthor, that being his primary  concern.

"His high school girlfriend was Lana Lang. However, they  broke up just before the prom, so he took a Rachael  Harris."

"I don't want ancient history," Luthor interrupted. "Surely  you must have something more recent."

"Not really, sir. Kent hasn't left much of a trail. There  were rumors about him and Cat Grant when he first started  working at the Planet. But I don't believe there was  anything substantial behind the rumors."

"There's got to be something else."

"If there is, I couldn't find it. But..." He handed Luthor  a second file. "...I did manage to put this together."

Luthor made his way over to his desk as he opened the  second file. He had a seat before quickly reviewing it, a  smile making his way across his face as he did so. This  file had a large number of women in it. There were dates  and even interviews with the women, accompanied by the odd  picture. He almost laughed when he even came across an  interview with a woman claiming that Clark was the father  of her illegitimate child - but that he'd run out on the  two of them when he found out she was pregnant.

"Will this hold up to scrutiny?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. The women are real. Even the child's conception  coincides with Kent's travels in Austria. The women have  been paid a great deal of money to maintain their stories."

Luthor nodded slowly. Now all he needed was to find a  believable way to get this information to Lois Lane. Of  course, she'd likely be more receptive to what was in the  file after tomorrow.

"Okay," he said slowly, "I want you to divide this  information into two different files - one, pre-Metropolis  and one post-Metropolis."

"Very good, sir," Nigel responded.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois sank down onto the side of the bed after Superman  left, waiting for the pain she knew would come from saying  good-bye to Superman. Not that she regretted what she'd  done. After all, she and Clark were going to be working  with Superman. And she did not want Clark to ever feel  insecure about her relationship with Superman. She'd  married Clark. He was her husband now, and she needed to  burn that bridge to Superman as much as she needed him to  understand that it was burnt.

Still, she had known it would be painful ending that dream  - the dream of Superman. After a moment, she furrowed her  eyebrows. There was no great rush of anguish from letting  Superman go. In fact, there was... nothing. It hadn't hurt  at all.

"What?" she asked herself in confusion. Where was the  angst? Where was the feeling that she'd lost something very  precious to her?

It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't lost anything.  All she'd ever had with Superman was friendship. He would  show up periodically. And he shone like the sun when he did  appear - bringing a burst of color and light to her life.  But then he always disappeared again. Clark had been the  one who was always there for her - always there when she  needed a friend or a shoulder. Losing Clark would be the  real tragedy. Saying good-bye to Superman as a potential  lover was just saying good-bye to a dream she had always  known was no more than a fantasy. Clark was the reality.

So then why was she so scared to make love with Clark? Had  she married Lex, she had no doubt that the marriage would  have been consummated on their wedding night - and not just  because it wouldn't have even occurred to Lex to wonder if  she wanted to make love. Although she would have been  undeniably nervous with Lex, she didn't think she would  have been consumed with fear the way she had been with  Clark. No. With Lex, she would have forced herself to go  through the motions - and the amount of enjoyment she  derived from the encounter would undoubtedly have been  dependent on his knowledge of the technical aspects of  pleasuring a woman.

Being intimate with Superman would also have been  different. She had no doubt that it would have been  comparable to a blinding flash of light. All-consuming. Not  allowing fear to gain a foothold. But soon the light would  fade, leaving her with only incredible memories of the  encounter.

But with Clark, she would be a full participant. Just as  she was a full participant in their marriage, in a way she  knew she would never have been with either Lex or Superman,  she would be a full participant in making love with Clark.  It would require total commitment - body, heart and soul.  She had known that instinctively, but until this moment she  hadn't been able to put her feelings into words. She had no  doubt that making love with Clark would be incredible. But  it would not... could not be casual. But why was that? What  made making love to Clark different from being intimate  with either Lex or Superman?

'You're not in love with Lex or Superman,' said a little  voice in the back of her mind. 'Maybe not,' she immediately  countered, 'but...' The rationalization trailed off as the  reality of what she'd just thought began to set in. She  wasn't in love with either Lex or Superman. She'd known  that about Lex, but Superman? Given how easily she'd said  good-bye to him tonight, she suddenly realized with  absolute certainty that she wasn't in love with Superman.  She never had been. She'd been awed by him, but that was  it.

And when she thought about it now, Superman had been right.  She certainly hadn't known him well enough to say that she  would love him as an ordinary man. She didn't really know  anything about the man who wore the suit except that he was  a good man, a selfless man. But she didn't know if they had  any of the same interests. She really didn't know anything  more about him than millions of other women around the  world who also claimed to love him. No wonder he hadn't  been able to believe her declaration.

Suddenly, she felt confused. What did any of this have to  do with her fear of making love with Clark? She gasped when  she made the connection. Just as she'd be able to be  intimate with either Lex or Superman because she wasn't in  love with them, she was afraid to make love to Clark  because... She cleared her throat and tried again. She was  afraid to make love to Clark because...

"I'm in love with Clark," she whispered. And at that moment  the truth of the statement hit her like a ton of bricks.  Had she been standing, it would have undoubtedly knocked  her off her feet. She was in love with Clark. In fact, she  had probably been in love with Clark for months. And she  was afraid to make love to him because she knew that to do  so would cause all the barriers she'd erected in order to  protect her heart to crumble.

Suddenly, Lois was having problems catching her breath. It  was the only thing that made any sense. It was the reason  why she'd refused to think about Clark's feelings for her  until she'd been forced to do so in the park on the day  before their wedding and the reason she'd never allowed  herself to fantasize about him. It was the reason she'd  chosen his proposal over Lex's. It was the reason saying  her vows to him had felt so natural. She was completely in  love with Clark Jerome Kent.

She heard a noise outside the door to the apartment and  immediately dashed for the dresser. Pulling it open, she  removed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and bolted for the  washroom. She was just closing the door when Clark entered  the apartment.

She didn't want him to see her in this nightgown. He would  get the wrong idea. What she needed right now was time -  time to put these new set of realities into perspective.  Time to let them sink in. Time to decide if she really  could risk her heart again.

She collapsed against the door, trying to catch her breath.  She glanced down at her hand - the one bearing a shiny band  of gold. It trembled under her gaze.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark heard the washroom door slam shut the moment he  entered the apartment. He'd taken his time coming home  after leaving Lois earlier, figuring she'd need some time  to herself after saying good-bye to Superman. He'd  obviously not given her long enough.

He closed the door quietly behind him and made his way to  the bedroom. He couldn't say it didn't hurt that she was so  upset about having let Superman go. At the same time, he  wasn't sure he'd ever loved her more. She was committed to  their marriage. He wasn't sure he'd understood exactly how  much until she'd told Superman to knock next time.

He wondered briefly what might have happened if he'd  remembered to spin back into his Clark clothes before  returning to the apartment. After all, he was more than  aware what she'd had on when Superman had arrived. She must  have been planning to make love to him tonight. He shook  his head sadly. Obviously, that was not going to happen  now. She would need some time to forget what she'd had to  say to Superman tonight.

Making his way into the bedroom, he changed for bed. It  might be easiest for Lois if she didn't feel that she  needed to talk this evening. Besides, it was late.

"I'm home, Lois," he said to the washroom door. "I'm sort  of tired. I think I'm just going to go straight to bed."

"Okay," came Lois' voice from the washroom.

Although it was just a single word, Clark could hear the  slight tremor in her voice. He walked to the door of the  washroom and gently placed his hand on it as he listened to  her labored breathing. He wished so much that he could make  her quit hurting. He briefly wondered if he should tell her  that she hadn't lost Superman - after all, he was Superman.  But he dismissed the idea. The Superman she was in love  with didn't exist. He wanted to ask if she was all right.  However, he didn't dare. She obviously didn't want to share  this with him - probably afraid that she'd hurt him if she  did. After a moment, he turned out most of the lights and  crawled into bed.

* * * * * * * * *

Steven Edge was the youngest executive in the hundred and  fifty year history of Red Pen Publishing. In his mid- thirties, he had proven himself to have a knack for  recognizing a best-seller. As a result, he'd worked himself  up through the ranks. That was what made the current  situation so unusual. It wasn't often that he was told what  he could and could not publish.

"Lois Lane and Clark Kent are here," came his secretary's  voice, interrupting his thoughts.

"Bring them in," said Steven, rising from behind his desk  and grabbing his jacket as he made his way to the door. He  had just gotten his jacket on when his secretary opened the  door and escorted Lois and Clark into his office.

"Hi, Steve," said Clark, offering Steven his hand.

"It's been a long time, Kent," said Steven.

"This is my wife, Lois Lane," said Clark proudly.

Once the necessary introductions had been completed and  everyone was seated, Lois asked how Steven knew Clark.  Clark had only told her that they should approach Steven  because Clark had known him for a long time. Lois listened  with interest as Steven explained that they had met years  ago when both had been backpacking around Europe and had  kept in touch since. Lois smiled. It was so Clark to keep  up a connection that was that tenuous.

When Clark had spoken to Steven a week ago, he had been  told in no uncertain terms that Steven wanted first crack  at the outline.

"I suppose we should get down to business," said Lois when  it seemed as if neither Steven nor Clark were anxious to  get to the point of this visit, being more interested in  talking about old times. She removed the outline from her  briefcase and handed it to Steven.

"You have it done already?" asked Steven, looking less than  enthusiastic as he leafed through the outline.

Lois and Clark exchanged a quick look.

"What's wrong, Steve?" asked Clark.

Steven carefully placed the outline on his desk, lining it  up with the edge before speaking. "I'm afraid I can't  publish this," he informed them.

"What?" Lois and Clark gasped.

"You didn't even read it," Lois continued.

"What's going on, Steve?" Clark added. "Last week you told  me you loved the idea."

Steven looked between his guests. "Listen, if it were up to  me, you'd already have a contract."

"But?" asked Lois.

"Word came down the other day that I wasn't to buy your  book."

"Why?" asked Clark.

"I asked the same question," said Steven. "I didn't get a  satisfactory answer. All I can tell you is that someone  upstairs has decided that Red Pen Publishing isn't  interested."

"Then we'll sell it to someone with a little more vision,"  said Lois, rising to her feet.

"I'm not sure anyone else will be interested either," said  Steven.

"What are you talking about?" asked Clark.

Steven let out a breath. "I did some calling around. I  figured considering how encouraging I was when you called,  I should find someone willing to publish since I couldn't."

"And?"

"You're book has been blacklisted," Steve explained. When  they didn't seem to have any response, he continued. "I  don't know what's going on. All I can tell you is that  whoever doesn't want your book published has a lot of  influence. Do you have any powerful enemies?"

* * * * * * * * *

"I bet we could get Lex to publish it," said Lois as they  walked towards the front entrance to Red Pen Publishing.  "Maybe I should go see him - pitch the idea to him, as it  were. After all, he seemed to think the idea had merit when  I told him about it last week."

"What?" gasped Clark. "You told him about the book?"

"Of course, I told him," said Lois defensively. "I had to  tell him why I'd quit my job at LNN. So anyway, I think I  should talk to him about publishing our book."

"First," said Clark, trying to control his temper, "I don't  want anything from Luthor. I'd rather live on canned beans  and macaroni and cheese than have him publish our book.  Second, how do you know that Luthor isn't the one who had  us blacklisted? Who else knew that we were writing a book?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Clark," Lois replied in exasperation  as they made their way out of the building. "Lex is a  friend of mine. He isn't petty enough to stop us from  publishing the book just because I turned down his  proposal."

"Then name someone else who has the power to get our book  blacklisted," challenged Clark.

"Franklin Stern," she countered. "He certainly has enough  power and he's the owner of Red Pen Publishing."

Clark rolled his eyes. "And what would Mr. Stern have  against us? We've never investigated him."

"We've never investigated Lex either," said Lois. "Or what  about Preston Carpenter? He's got to be upset that we  thwarted his plan. And he was in publishing."

"He's in jail, Lois."

"Just because he's in jail doesn't necessarily mean he's  without influence."

"Well, I think we should ask around. See what we can find  out," said Clark, although he personally thought Luthor was  the most likely suspect.

"I agree," Lois responded. She knew he was wrong about Lex,  but he was right about asking around. If someone was  gunning for them, they had to find out who.

"Good, why don't we start with Bobby Bigmouth?" asked  Clark, his tone still cool.

Lois took a deep breath, reaching out to take Clark's hand.  He stopped and turned to look at her. To the outside  observer, nothing passed between them. But it was only a  moment before Clark let out a breath and nodded. He was  rewarded by a smile from Lois, who immediately understood  that she'd been forgiven for telling Lex about the book.

"So why don't we start with Bobby Bigmouth?" Clark asked  again as he once again began to walk, her hand still in  his.

"I can't this afternoon," said Lois.

"Why?" asked Clark.

"I'm having lunch with Lucy."

"Your sister?"

"Do you know any other Lucys?"

"I thought she was in California."

"She's home for a visit."

"Well, I guess the investigation can wait until after  we..."

"Hold on there, farmboy. Who said you were invited?"

"I guess I just assumed..."

"You assumed wrong. This is girl talk."

"And you don't think I qualify?"

Lois glanced over at him, running her eyes over his body  with enough heat to raise the temperature of a volcano.  Clark's cheeks were instantly an interesting shade of  crimson. "I know you don't qualify," she said emphatically  when she finally looked back at his face.

"You just want to talk about me behind my back," he said,  trying to get his mind off that look.

Lois smiled. "Now, wouldn't you be disappointed if I said  no?"

Clark had to concede the point. "Okay, I'll go see what I  can find out from Bobby. Enjoy your lunch with your  sister."

He leaned in to softly kiss her good-bye, but almost the  instant their lips touched, the fire, which had been  ignited by her comment and look, roared to life. It seemed  to have a similar effect on Lois because when he moved to  deepen the kiss, her arms slid around his waist. He growled  into her mouth when her hand slipped lower to caress his  buttocks.

"Get a room, would you?"

The comment made by a passing stranger had the intended  effect. Lois and Clark jumped apart. Panting, they  continued to stare into each other's eyes for a long moment  as if neither could quite believe what had just happened.

"Umm, well... I suppose..." Clark began, gesturing vaguely  in the general direction of Bobby's favorite stomping  grounds.

"Yeah," Lois agreed. "Me, too."

Still, neither moved. It was a moment more before Lois  seemed to truly recover. A blush rose in her cheeks. "I'll  see you later," she said, lowering her eyes, pushing a  strand of hair behind her ear and making a quick exit.

Clark stood and watched until Lois disappeared from view.  "Wow," he finally breathed, shaking his head slightly in an  effort to regain his bearings. Then he smiled. 'Later.'  "Definitely," he agreed before heading off to find Bobby  Bigmouth, a noticeable spring in his step as he walked  away.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 10

"It's about time," Lucy responded when Lois told her that  she and Clark had gotten married.

Lois' mouth fell open. "You aren't surprised?" she finally  gasped.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Please! I knew from the instant I  laid eyes on Clark Kent that he belonged to you. Why do you  think I never made a move on him?"

Lois shook her head and stared at her sister in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, Lois. The guy's gorgeous. But anyone could  see the way he looked at you. I'm just glad you finally  came to your senses. I always thought Lex Luthor was much  too stuffy. I'd bet a year's salary on Clark being better  than him in bed."

"Lucy!" gasped Lois.

"Well, isn't he?"

"First, I've never slept with Lex. And besides, Clark and  I..." Her voice trailed off.

"Clark and you?" Lucy asked.

Lois looked at her sister for a moment. She really needed  someone to talk to about this. This pull she felt towards  Clark was undeniable - as she well knew from what had  transpired in front of Red Pen Publishing. And she was  definitely in love with Clark, but...

And although Lucy was slightly immature, she was still her  sister. Besides, Lois didn't have many girl friends. And no  matter what, she knew Lucy would always be on her side. As  a result, Lois began telling Lucy the circumstances of her  marriage.

"So what's the problem?" Lucy asked once Lois had finished.

"What's the problem?" Lois asked in return. She thought it  should be perfectly obvious.

"If I understand correctly, you're telling me that you've  fallen in love with your husband - a man so in love with  you that he married you even though he knew you didn't feel  the same way. This doesn't exactly qualify as a world  catastrophe. So what's the problem?" Lucy asked again.

Lois stared at her sister. She was right. She'd fallen in  love with the man who had vowed to love her for better or  worse. So what exactly was her problem? She shook her head  and chuckled. "I've been over-thinking things, haven't I?"  she said as much as asked.

"That's what I'd say," responded Lucy. "So..." she began  when Lois didn't move, "...what are you waiting for? Get  home and seduce your husband."

Lois chuckled. Lucy might be a flake a lot of the time, but  about this, she was right. "Thanks, Luce," she responded,  rising to her feet and grabbing her jacket.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark was lost in thought as he made his way towards his  apartment. Bobby Bigmouth hadn't had any information for  them - although he had heard about his marriage to Lois.  But that wasn't what was currently occupying Clark's mind.  It had been hours since he'd gone to see Bobby. In fact, it  was now long past the time he should have been home for  supper. But an oil tanker that had hit an iceberg had taken  longer to clean up than he had anticipated. The problem was  that he had no idea what excuse he was going to give Lois  for his tardiness.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the  attractive red-haired woman until she was almost up to him.  He looked up just as she stumbled. Instinctively, he  reached out and caught her. She seemed to claw at him for a  moment, trying to regain her balance. When she had finally  recovered her footing, she moved away.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked.

"Yes," she responded. "I'm sorry about that. It's these new  shoes," she explained, looking down at her feet as if  rebuking them.

Clark smiled. "Don't worry about it," he said. "So you're  okay? You didn't sprain an ankle or anything?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, returning his smile and a  moment later, she was walking away.

Clark watched her go before raising his hands to his nose.  The perfume on his hands was almost enough to make his eyes  sting. That woman must bathe in perfume. Shaking his head  in an attempt to clear the stench from his nose, Clark  continued towards his apartment.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois picked away at the cold Chinese food. She had ordered  it almost two hours ago - expecting Clark to walk through  the door any minute. She'd contacted Bobby Bigmouth only to  find out that Clark had left him hours ago. She supposed  that he could have thought of someone else to talk to. But  that didn't explain why he still wasn't home. It also  didn't explain why he hadn't even called. What if something  had happened?

She'd almost called the police, but she was well aware that  they wouldn't get involved for at least forty-eight hours.  Still, if Clark didn't walk through that door soon, she was  going to start calling hospitals. What if she'd only  realized that she loved him to lose him in some terrible  accident before she'd even had a chance to tell him? She  pushed the thought out of her mind. Nothing had happened to  Clark. She wouldn't allow it.

Instead, she directed her mind to more pleasant thoughts -  last night. When she'd finally calmed down enough to come  out of the washroom, she'd thought he was asleep. She'd  crawled into bed next to him and been unable to resist  curling up against his back - needing to feel the safety of  his presence. It was odd that even though it was this new  discovery about her feelings for Clark that were causing  her insecurity, she still found herself seeking his  comfort. She smiled when she thought about what had  happened next. He'd rolled over, pulling her against his  chest 'Do you want to talk about it?' he'd asked softly.  When she'd said 'no' he'd simply tightened his arm around  her in an obvious effort to make her feel safe. And she  had. Lucy was right. No one could make her feel as safe as  her husband. It was time for her to trust him. Clark would  never do anything to hurt her. If he ever did, it would  mark the end of the world as she knew it. Why had it taken  her so long to realize that?

Now, if only he'd get home so that she could show him  exactly how she felt about him. She growled in frustration.  When he walked through that door, he'd better have one hell  of an excuse. She shook her head. How was it that she could  feel so much tenderness and so much annoyance for the same  person at the same moment? Only Clark had ever been able to  do that to her.

Her head snapped around when she heard the door open.

"Clark," she breathed in relief when he entered the  apartment, closing the door behind him. There was no  thought involved when Lois practically flew across the room  and into Clark's surprised arms.

"Where have you been?" she demanded when her relief  subsided and she released him.

"Umm... Well... It's sort of complicated... I... I talked  to Bobby Bigmouth. He couldn't tell me anything about who  was blacklisting our book, but he did know that we were  married. Where do you think he gets his information?"

"Clark, you didn't answer..." She'd been about to ask again  him where he'd been. Her voice trailed off when she  suddenly realized what was making her eyes water and her  nose burn. She raised her hands to her nose, although the  smell of the perfume was so strong that it wasn't really  necessary. "Why do you smell like perfume?" she asked,  suddenly much more subdued, suspicious even.

"Oh, that," said Clark dismissively. "It was the strangest  thing. Some woman ran into me on the street."

"And broke a bottle of perfume over your head?"

"No, she was just wearing it."

"No one wears that much perfume, Clark. Where exactly were  you..." Her voice trailed off again and her heart began  pounding when she noticed something else. "And how exactly  did you get lipstick on your collar? Oh wait. Let me guess.  The woman's lips just happened to land on your collar when  she ran into you."

Clark pulled on his collar, trying to see what Lois was  seeing. There was indeed lipstick on it. "Yeah, that must  be it," he said. "Anyway, if you don't mind, I really need  a shower. If I have to smell that perfume one more minute,  I'm going to vomit."

As Clark headed for the washroom, Lois watched in stunned  silence, trying to digest what had just happened. He had  been gone for hours. He had evaded her questions about what  had taken him so long. He'd returned drenched in perfume  and with lipstick on his collar. Lex's words came back to  her with a vengeance. Suddenly, the anonymous phone calls  from the mysterious woman and his constant disappearing act  took on new significance. She stumbled over to the couch  and sank into it, trying not to accept the obvious. But as  Perry often said, if it walked like a duck, quacked like a  duck and tasted good with plum sauce...

* * * * * * * * *

"How did it go, my dear?" Luthor asked the moment the  redhead returned.

"Smooth," the woman replied. "There's no way he'll be able  to explain his way out of this one."

Luthor smiled. Now all he needed to do was to figure out  how to get the file on Kent to Lois Lane. Given what he'd  found out about Lois' family background, he suspected that  if Lois believed Clark was having an affair, she'd end her  marriage. He had to admit, Asabi was right. He still didn't  have Lois Lane out of his system. But putting an end to her  book dreams and, now, destroying her marriage to that  nobody was certainly starting to make him feel better.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois paced the living room while Clark took his shower.  There was only one explanation she could think of that  explained all of the strange things that had been going on  since she and Clark had gotten married. For a moment she  almost stormed into the washroom to confront him, but then  she hesitated. What was she going to say? She'd asked him  what had kept him this afternoon - he'd evaded her  question. He'd dismissed her concerns when she'd inquired  about the lipstick and the perfume. No. There was no point  in confronting Clark. Besides, there was no conclusive  proof that Clark was having an affair. So how was she going  to find out the truth?

Suddenly, she had to know what Lex had meant when he'd made  that comment about Clark being a playboy. Every time Lois  had broached the subject of past relationships with Clark,  he'd dismissed her - telling her that there wasn't much to  tell, often adding that she was the only serious  relationship he'd ever had and then distracting her quite  effectively by nuzzling her neck, or kissing her, or doing  something else to divert her attention from the subject.  And until now, she'd been content enough to let him. But  that was no longer the case. If there was one thing that  Lois would never tolerate it was a husband who cheated on  her. She'd seen what her father's infidelity had done to  her mother. And no matter what she felt for Clark, that was  the one thing she would not... could not forgive.

She made her way over to the desk and removed a piece of  paper. After writing a quick note for Clark, she grabbed  her jacket and headed for the door. If Clark wasn't  prepared to tell her what was going on, she needed to find  out for herself. She should have known that she couldn't  trust her heart to any man - except Superman, of course.

A little voice in the back of her mind told her that she  might not be entirely without blame if Clark was having an  affair. After all, he wasn't the only one failing to live  up to his marital obligations. She quickly dismissed the  thought. It wasn't the same thing. Just because she wasn't  making love to him didn't give him the right to... Assuming  he was, of course. She had to remember that he might well  be innocent. Grasping on to that reassuring thought, she  headed for the one place where she might be able to get  some answers. Because, either way, she had to know.

She hesitated for a moment when she reached the door. What  excuse was she going to give for arriving at Lex's office  this time of night? Suddenly, she nodded. She had the  perfect excuse for visiting Lex. She quickly opened the  door and headed out. The trick here was subtlety. And  regardless of what Clark might say from time to time, she  could do subtle.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark was relieved that Lois had been distracted from his  late arrival by his strange encounter with that redhead on  the street. It had given him the excuse he needed to avoid  answering her questions. As he allowed the warm water to  flow over his body, eliminating the stench of that woman's  perfume, he found himself wondering how much longer he  could keep this up.

Following her near discovery of his hidden closet, he'd  moved all his Superman suits to her apartment. Still, it  wasn't going to be long before they found someone to sublet  her apartment. And it would be impractical for him to have  to fly to Kansas every time someone needed Superman. Maybe  his mother was right. When he'd made the decision not to  tell Lois, he hadn't thought about how he was going to  maintain his double life. So far he'd been lucky. After  all, Superman hadn't been needed a lot over the past couple  of weeks. And he'd managed to use his 'absent-minded  professor' persona to sneak out when necessary. But how  long would it be before he was gone dealing with some  emergency for a couple of days? And since he knew that when  things got bad as Superman, he had nightmares... And since  he also knew that when he had nightmares, he floated...

Still, how could he tell her now? She would never be able  to trust him again. He knew Lois and she didn't give her  trust lightly. Yet she'd trusted him enough to marry him.  He couldn't betray that trust now. It would hurt her too  much. He couldn't do that to her. Besides, if he told her  now, he'd lose her. The mere possibility was terrifying -  especially now when her feelings for him seemed to be  changing. No. He'd made his bed. He'd just have to find a  way to make this work. What other choice was there?

There was a part of him that was saddened by the thought.  It would be so great to have Lois to talk to about a  problem he couldn't solve or a life he couldn't save. To be  allowed to hold her when the evil he dealt with on a daily  basis was eating away at his soul - and have her  understand. Still, that was not in the cards.

He was surprised when he came out of the washroom to  discover that Lois wasn't there. It took him a moment to  find the note. It didn't tell where she'd gone - just that  she'd be home later. However, before he could think about  what her disappearance might mean, his head snapped up, his  hearing picking up the sound of skidding tires and gnashing  metal. It was only a moment before he was airborne.

* * * * * * * * *

"You probably aren't the last person I was expecting," said  Luthor when Lois was shown into his office. "But you're  close."

"I know it's late, but... Well, I know how late you work so  I thought..." Lois shrugged.

"It's not a problem. In fact, it's a pleasure, as always,"  said Luthor as he picked up her hand and gave it a kiss,  lingering just a moment longer than strictly necessary.

She removed her hand from his and pushed a strand of hair  behind her ear.

"Actually," said Lois, moving further into his office, "I  needed to ask you something."

"What?" asked Luthor, directing her to a chair.

"Did you tell anyone that Clark and I were writing a book?"

Luthor puzzled over the question for a moment. "I might  have mentioned it - to explain why you'd handed in your  resignation at LNN. Why?"

"Well, Clark and I had been talking to a publisher at Red  Pen Publishing. He was originally excited about the project  - made us promise to give him right of first refusal. Then  today... it was really weird. He couldn't tell us why he  couldn't offer us a book deal. In fact, he said that we  weren't likely to be able to sell it to anyone. Apparently,  someone has blacklisted our book. He didn't know who was  responsible, but... anyway, we've been trying to find out  who might be behind it."

"And I suppose your husband blamed me," said Luthor.

Lois hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, he did  mention the possibility."

"I assure you, Lois, I would never do anything to hurt  you."

"I know that, Lex," Lois assured him. "I think Clark was  always a little jealous of the fact that we were dating.  Anyway, that's why I wanted to know who you might have  told."

Luthor nodded slowly before rising to his feet. "Well, I  don't know who might be behind this, Lois. But I will do  what I can to help you find out."

"Thanks, Lex," she said, rising to her feet.

"You're welcome, Lois," he responded. "I'll ask around. And  if I do find out anything that might be of use, I'll be  sure to let you know."

As he walked her to the door, he tried to think of a way to  give her the file Nigel had prepared on Kent regarding his  supposed extra-curricular activities before coming to  Metropolis. The difficulty was that it had to look as if he  were just trying to be a friend. Otherwise, she would have  reason to be suspicious of the contents of the file.

"By the way," said Lois casually, "what exactly did you  mean when you said Clark was a playboy the last time I was  here?"

Luthor struggled not to smile. He suddenly suspected this  was the real reason for her visit here tonight. It only  made sense. She had come here this evening because of  Kent's encounter with Luthor's latest paramour.

"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have said anything," he  responded.

"But what did you mean?"

Luthor let out a slow breath before saying, "Why don't you  ask your husband about it?"

"I'm asking you," she said.

"Is there something wrong, Lois?" he asked sympathetically.

"Of course not," Lois responded, knowing that she didn't  sound very convincing. "I'm just curious about what you  meant." She wondered for a moment if Lex would challenge  the obvious lie. However he didn't. He only nodded slightly  before speaking.

"I heard the rumors a while ago. Then, after I asked you to  marry me, I... I probably shouldn't have done it, but I  thought if he was going to be working so closely with my  wife, it would be a good idea for me to know a little bit  more about him. After all, a man in my position has to be  careful. I'm sorry, Lois."

"Just tell me what you meant, Lex?" Lois asked impatiently.  He was obviously getting at something. She wished he'd just  forget the apologies and tell her what he knew.

"I had an investigator look into Kent's past. Of course, as  soon as you turned down my proposal I sent instructions  that he was to end his investigation, so I only have a  preliminary report, but..."

"What did he find?"

"Lois, forget about it. Clark Kent married you. And  everyone has things in his past that he regrets. Just go  home to your husband."

"What did he find?"

Luthor looked at her for a long time before letting out a  short breath. Acting as if he was giving in against his  better judgement, he made his way to the phone.

"Bring in Mr. Kent's file, Mrs. Cox," he said into the  phone. "I think you'll find it in the personnel files," he  said, although, as he was well aware, it was just inside  Mrs. Cox's desk. He trusted Mrs. Cox would understand the  message and take her time bringing it in. After all, if she  had it too readily available, Lois would be suspicious of  the report. He hung up the phone before turning back to  Lois. "There's still time to change your mind about this,"  he said.

She looked at him defiantly before once again taking a  seat, obviously determined to find out what he knew about  Kent. This couldn't have gone better if he'd planned it.

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor summoned Nigel the moment Lois left. It was only a  few minutes before his right hand man arrived.

"You sent for me, sir?" asked Nigel.

Luthor nodded. "Have surveillance placed on Kent's  apartment immediately."

"I take it you expect something to happen."

Again, Luthor nodded. "And I want to know the instant it  does."

"Might I ask what the plan is?" asked Nigel respectfully.

Luthor smiled. "I expect that Lois will confront that two- bit husband of hers once she reads the file. Obviously,  he'll deny everything - just like he undoubtedly denied  being with a woman when he came home earlier, drenched in  perfume."

"And then?"

"Lois will storm out. That's the only possibility. After  all, she's never been very good at controlling her temper.  I want to know where she goes."

"But isn't it only a matter of time before Ms. Lane and Mr.  Kent sort this out?" Nigel asked. Although he didn't know  whether or not Lois planned to keep her own name, what he  did know was that his employer wouldn't appreciate hearing  him call her 'Mrs. Kent.' So he chose instead to ignore her  marital status and stuck with the name 'Lane.'

"Probably, Nigel. But by then it will be too late."

"Too late, sir?"

Luthor nodded. "After Lois storms out, I will track her  down. I will inform her that after she left, I called my  investigator and found out that the message had never  reached him to stop his investigation."

"And that's when you will give her the second half of the  file," said Nigel, suddenly realizing why his employer had  instructed him to divide the pile into pre and post  Metropolis sections. He had obviously given Lois the first  half tonight.

"Yes. As well as... I'm afraid the investigator found  something else," he said, walking over to his desk and  removing a lovely picture of the redhead Nigel had seen  leaving the previous night. "It seems that Mr. Kent has  already been unfaithful."

"What happens after Ms. Lane has been given this  information?"

"I will be there to comfort her - to ensure she gets her  revenge."

"By having an affair with you," Nigel clarified.

"Not an affair exactly. Although I certainly won't object  if she decides to make it more than one night. After that,  it won't matter if she does find out that Kent isn't  cheating on her. She will have destroyed her marriage  herself. And given how Kent feels about me and how high his  morals seem to be regarding women, I doubt he'll be able to  forgive her - especially when he realizes that I am the  source of Lois' suspicions about him. It won't only be the  infidelity of his wife that will bother him, it will be  that she accepted my word over his."

"And why do you think Ms. Lane will believe you, sir?"

"Her background, Nigel. Lois Lane grew up believing that  men could only be trusted to a certain point. Everything  I've learned about her tells me that she will find it  easier to believe Kent is cheating on her than that he  isn't." He smiled. He had no doubts about his ability to  get Lois into bed - after all, there was obviously part of  her that found him irresistible.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 11

Lois slowly laid the file on the coffee table. She took a  deep breath, trying to steady her heart. When she'd first  flipped through the file, her mind rejected what the papers  in front of her were saying. She'd flung the file across  the room and sat there for a few minutes before something  inside insisted that she had to know. If she was going to  prove the file was false, she would have to examine it -  find the inconsistencies. So she'd gathered the file  together again and had begun at the beginning, carefully  examining every word.

She didn't know where Clark was - again. But this time, she  was glad he wasn't here. Her mind was in absolute chaos.  The man in this file was not the man she knew. The man in  this file was the worst sort of scum imaginable. Surely  Clark was not this man. Still, try as she might, she  couldn't find any inconsistencies in the stories. The dates  of the various liaisons that were documented coincided with  what she knew about Clark's travels. The interviews with  the women were complete - the interviewer having asked all  the questions she would have asked in his place. There was  even a comment by the investigator that he found one of the  women less than credible. The comment boosted the  credibility of all of the other women he had apparently  spoken to.

There were current addresses and, in some cases, phone  numbers provided for the women. She had even tried calling  one of the numbers and, although she hadn't talked in any  detail to the man who had answered, had managed to confirm  that the woman in the interview did indeed live at the  residence. The women were real. The stories were believable  - except for one small detail. This was Clark they were  talking about.

She glanced down at the small, gold band on her left hand.  Then she furrowed her eyebrows and, once again, picked up  the file. She glanced through it quickly. It wasn't there.  She took a deep breath and tried again. Still, she couldn't  find it. If Clark was as big a playboy as this report  indicated, why was there no mention of Cat Grant? After  all, would a man who was apparently as well-sexed as these  papers indicated Clark was reject Cat's none-too-subtle  advances?

She could still recall the pain she'd felt when she'd  discovered that Clark had been hiding out with Cat when  Trask and his goons were looking for Superman. Clark had  denied anything was going on, but... She thought for a  moment and then, setting the file back on the coffee table,  she made her way to the phone.

She stared at it for a long time before grabbing the phone  book. It was only a minute or so later before she was  dialing a number. She was about to hang up, not at all  certain about her current course of action, when the person  at the other end picked up.

"Hel..." There was a familiar feminine giggle and a quietly  whispered 'Bill' before the voice spoke again. "Hello."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Hi, Cat," she said into the phone.

"Who is... Lois?" Cat asked in response.

"Yeah. I bet you didn't expect to be hearing from me."

"Well, no. Umm..." Cat made a shushing sound to whomever  was with her. "...listen, Lois. I'm a little busy at the  moment. Do you think I could call you back say..."

"This will only take a minute," interrupted Lois. "I'm just  wondering... Well, the rumors about you and Clark last  year... I mean..."

"Were they true?" asked an amused sounding Cat.

"Well... yeah," said Lois offhandedly, trying to sound as  if she was just curious.

"Of course they..." Cat's voice trailed off. "Could you  give me a minute?" she asked. Before Lois could respond,  she heard muffled voices in the background. When Cat  finally came back on the line, her entire tone of voice had  changed. "What's going on, Lois?" Cat asked, now sounding  much more serious.

"Nothing. Just sitting around tonight. Nothing better to  do. Thought, you know... Wondered if..."

"Oh," said Cat, cutting off Lois' babble. "I get it."

"What do you get?" Lois demanded immediately.

"Well, unless I miss my guess, you've finally realized that  Clark's in love with you and you're thinking that maybe you  like him, too. And you want to know if you can trust him.  Am I close?"

Lois swallowed hard. Cat was certainly close enough. So how  was she to respond to that? She really didn't want Cat  knowing... "Listen, Cat, just forget I called," Lois said.  "I'll let you get back to..."

"No, Lois. Clark and I were never lovers. And believe me, I  tried. Unfortunately, even when you were treating him like  a dog, he only had eyes for you."

Lois was silent for a moment, hardly able to believe what  Cat had just admitted to her. "Thanks, Cat," she said  softly.

"You're welcome, Lois," Cat responded. Then her tone  changed back into pure Cat. "Well, unlike you, I'm not  sitting at home alone with nothing to do but to wonder  about other people's love lives. So if you'll excuse me..."

"Good-bye," Lois said, shaking her head.

"Bye," Cat responded. As Cat hang up the phone, Lois could  swear she heard more giggling and a final 'Bill!'

Lois stared at the phone in silent contemplation for a long  time before returning to the couch and having a seat. It  made no sense. How could the man in that file be the same  man who had refused all of Cat's advances? In fact, when  she thought about it, there were no reports of Clark being  with any women since coming to Metropolis. Maybe... She  glanced down at her wedding ring again before slipping it  off and looking inside. 'I have loved you from the  beginning.' Was it possible that Clark had changed since  meeting her? She wasn't a strong proponent of the idea that  people changed. But if the words inside this ring were  true, and Cat's words certainly bore them out, maybe Clark  had been a playboy before he came to Metropolis. Maybe he'd  changed once he'd met her. Maybe that was why he was so  reluctant to talk about his past.

But that didn't explain Clark's disappearances since they'd  gotten married, or the strange phone calls from the phantom  woman, or the perfume or the lipstick she'd found on him  today, or even where he was now.

Suddenly, a knock on the door snapped her out of her  thoughts. She grabbed the file from Lex and stuck it  beneath the cushions of the couch before going to open the  door.

"Perry?" she asked in disbelief when she saw the man  standing on the other side. "Aren't you supposed to be off  fishing?" she asked, stepping away from the door to allow  Perry to enter.

"Well, the fish weren't biting. So... Is Clark here?" he  asked looking around. When she looked a little hurt, he  continued. "Sorry, honey. I didn't mean anything by it, but  I hadn't expected you to be here."

"That's okay. No, Clark isn't here. I'm not sure..."

"I'm right here," interrupted Clark, jogging up the steps  before Lois could close the door. He stepped into the  apartment and closed the door before continuing. "So what  are you doing here, Chief? Aren't you supposed to be off  enjoying your retirement?"

"Well, I got to thinking that it's not right."

Lois and Clark shared a look.

"What isn't?" Lois asked.

"The Daily Planet. There needs to be a Daily Planet."

Lois and Clark shared another look. This time it was one of  extreme curiosity. What did Perry have in mind?

"Please," said Clark, realizing they were still standing in  the entrance way to his place. "Why don't you come in and  sit down and then you can tell us what you're up to?"

"Now why would you think I'm up to something?" asked Perry  as he made his way into the apartment and took a seat.

"Come on, Perry," Lois chuckled. "We know that look."

"Not to mention that tone of voice," added Clark. "So  what's up?"

"I was out there on that boat and thinking about how lucky  I am to be able to retire when I'm young enough to enjoy  it."

"And?" asked Lois.

"I realized that I'm too young to enjoy it," he concluded.

Both Lois and Clark laughed.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're here, Lois. I've made appointments  to talk to a number of businessmen in the city about  restarting the paper. I heard that Luthor is planning to  sell the bombed-out building at fire sale prices. Anyway,  if I can talk them into reopening, I want to be able to say  that my top people will come along. What do you say?"

"We're in, Perry," Lois responded immediately.

"What about the book?" Clark asked Lois.

"We can do that, too," Lois assured him.

"What book?" asked Perry, looking between Lois and Clark.

Clark glanced at Lois, silently telling her to fill Perry  in, which she immediately did.

"You've got a guaranteed best seller there," Perry  responded.

"Or would have, if we could get it published," said Lois  before telling Perry the rest of the story.

"That's crazy," said Perry when she was done. "With your  names on the jacket and Superman endorsing the book,  there's no way it won't sell." He thought about what he'd  learned for a moment before asking, "Could I use that?"

"Use what?" asked Clark.

"Your book. Listen, I'm planning to start by approaching  Franklin Stern. There's something of a longstanding feud  between Stern and Luthor. I'm thinking I can use that to  convince Stern to buy the paper. But if I can pitch the  book idea to him as well... tell him that you will give the  right to publish your book to whoever agrees to reopen the  Daily Planet, I think that just might put it over the top."

"If you think it will help, sure," said Clark after a brief  nod from Lois. "Besides, unless we can figure out who's  blacklisting us, we won't be able to sell it anyway."

"But doesn't Stern own Red Pen Publishing?" asked Lois.

"I think that's one of his holdings," Perry agreed.

"Then why would Mr. Stern be interested in our book if his  company isn't?" Lois continued.

"Lois, he owns a number of publishing companies. Just  because he owns Red Pen doesn't mean he has any say in the  day-to-day operations. I doubt he's even heard about your  book." He paused for a moment. "So, Clark, the reason I'm  here is that I was wondering if I could bunk in with you  for the next few nights."

"Sure, Chief. That is if you don't mind the couch."

Lois' mind started working overtime. She was suddenly aware  of the file hidden beneath the cushions of the couch. She  still wasn't sure what to do about it. The one thing she  did know was that there was no possibility of anything  being resolved if Perry stayed here tonight.

"I've got a better idea," said Lois. "Why don't you stay at  my apartment?"

"No offense, Lois. But your couch is not nearly as  comfortable as Clark's."

Lois and Clark looked at each other when they realized for  the first time what Perry didn't know.

"Umm... Well, I'm not exactly living there these days,"  Lois said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Perry looked between Lois and Clark. It was obvious he was  missing something. Suddenly, a crazy idea occurred to him.  What had Lois been doing here alone when he had arrived?

"Then where exactly are you living?" he asked.

"Well, here," said Lois. She almost burst out laughing at  the shocked look that appeared on Perry's face. "Clark and  I got married," she explained.

"Congrat... Congratulations," Perry finally managed to get  out. "You'll have to forgive me, but... this is a bit of a  shock." He glanced between Lois and Clark. "So when did  this come about?"

"Twelve days ago," said Lois. "It just... sort of  happened."

"Congratulations," Perry said again, this time holding out  his hand to Clark. "So you finally got her to see reason,  huh?"

"It seems so, Perry," Clark responded with the biggest  smile Perry thought he'd ever seen.

"Well, I didn't mean to break in on your honeymoon," Perry  said, rising to his feet. "If I can just get the key to  your apartment, honey, I'll..."

"Why don't you have a seat, Perry?" said Clark, suddenly  remembering where he'd left the Superman suits. "I'll just  make sure the apartment is presentable."

With those words, Clark headed for the door to the  apartment. Although he heard them, he ignored Perry's words  as he headed out.

"That's not necessary, Clark. I'm sure..."

"So," said Lois once the door closed behind Clark, "would  you like some coffee?"

"Only if I'm making it," said Perry, rising to his feet and  following Lois into the kitchen.

Lois chuckled. "Are you saying my coffee isn't good?"

"I drank better coffee on the battlefield when I was  covering the Vietnam war," he responded with a growl as he  proceeded to make the coffee. "So... you and Clark are  married," he said, trying to sound conversational although  it seemed to Lois as if he was still trying to get his head  around the idea.

"Yeah," said Lois. "Look, Perry, I know what you're  thinking. It's sort of..." she hesitated, searching for the  right word.

"Sudden?" asked Perry, in an effort to help her out. When  Lois nodded, he continued. "I'm not surprised - well, at  least not as far as Clark is concerned. I think that boy  fell in love with you the first time he laid eyes on you.  It's just that you..." Now it was his turn to struggle to  find the words.

"I know, Perry," she said, saving him from having to find a  way to complete his sentence.

He filled the coffee pot with water and poured it into the  coffee machine before setting the pot underneath the filter  and turning the coffee machine on. Then he turned to her.

"Do you love him?" he finally asked. "I'm sorry," he said  immediately. "It's really none of my business."

"It's okay, Perry," she said, reaching out and laying her  hand on his arm. His concern was obvious and she was  genuinely touched. "And yes, I do love him. I love him with  my whole heart." It briefly crossed her mind that she'd now  told two people when Clark still didn't know. "It's  just..." her voice trailed off, not certain if she should  continue. Perry had been more like a father to her than an  employer. And she trusted him.

"Just what?" asked Perry.

"Do you think Clark would ever cheat on me?" she asked,  finally deciding she really needed his perspective on this.

"Clark?" Perry asked in disbelief. "Lois, that boy would  walk on water for you - or drown trying. What would ever  put such an idea in your head?" Before she could answer, he  led her over to the kitchen table and they both had a seat.  Lois immediately proceeded to fill him in on all the  strange occurrences of the last few days.

"Okay," said Perry when she had finally finished. "When you  add it up that way, I admit it does look bad."

Lois felt her heart plunge into her stomach. She had hoped  it was just in her mind.

"But let's look at these things one at a time," Perry  immediately continued. "First, the phone calls from the  mystery woman. Now, if this woman were having an affair  with Clark, why wouldn't she hang up the moment she heard a  woman pick up? Why wait for you tell her that Clark isn't  home before doing so?"

Lois furrowed her eyebrows. He had a point. It would be  more suspicious if she'd been getting a lot of hangups.

"No, I'd say it's more likely that this woman just wants to  talk to Clark. Then, when she discovers he's not here,  doesn't want to leave a message so she just hangs up."

"But why doesn't Clark tell me who she is?"

"He probably has no idea. I'm sure when they finally do  talk, he'll fill you in."

"But what about the perfume and the lipstick?"

"What did Clark say about it?" Perry asked. He waited until  Lois told him before saying, "If this were anyone but  Clark, I'd say it was a load of horse manure. But you know  Clark. The damnedest things are always happening to him.  I'd say the story is so crazy that it has to be true.  Besides, if he were somewhere having a tryst with another  woman, why would he wait to get home before showering?"

"Then where is he running off to all the time?"

"Lois, Clark has been running off in the middle of things  since we've known him. If I believed he was doing it to  meet with women, he'd have been fired within the first  month."

"But there's got to be an explanation for his disappearing  act, Perry."

"I'm sure there is," Perry conceded. "But it's not that  Clark is having an affair. I saw the look on his face when  you told me you two were married. He loves you, Lois."

Lois slowly nodded. No matter what secrets Clark might have  in his past, no matter what secrets he might still be  keeping from her, she'd seen the way he looked at her, too.  Perry was right. Clark loved her. From the beginning.

"Thanks, Perry," she said softly.

"Anytime, honey," Perry responded before getting them both  a cup of coffee.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois was deep in thought after Perry left. He was right.  She'd obviously over-reacted to the strange goings-on over  the past few days. The chances that Clark was cheating on  her were almost non-existent. She still didn't know exactly  what was going on, and she still had some questions she  wanted answered, but if he wasn't cheating on her, the rest  of her questions could wait.

She suspected her suspicions had been heightened by the  fact that she was still trying to come to terms with her  feelings for Clark. As Lucy would undoubtedly tell her, her  doubts about Clark were probably all the result of her fear  of falling in love. After all, never had she felt quite  this vulnerable. Was this how Clark had felt when he told  her that he loved her? He'd opened himself up to what he  must have known was probable rejection. She suddenly felt  horrible about the way she'd treated him when he'd first  told her he loved her. She should have found her own way to  contact Superman. How could she have asked him to do that?  Until now, she hadn't realized exactly how callous she had  been.

She just hoped it wasn't too late. She would give anything  to make all of that up to him. And she could start by  trusting him - trusting his love. After all, it was his  love that had driven him to confess his feelings for her in  the first place in spite of what he must have feared would  be her laughter. Surely, she owed it to him to take that  risk now.

She thought about the file she'd gotten from Lex. She was  still not sure whether or not the file was true. But there  was nothing in it that showed any encounter between Clark  and a woman since he'd come to Metropolis. He'd claimed  that he'd fallen in love with her when they'd first met and  there was nothing in that file that contradicted that  assertion. Even Cat's comments confirmed that Clark had  been faithful to her since they'd met. So did Perry's -  whose opinion she trusted. And if his feelings for her had  kept him from relationships with other women for the past  year, why would he cheat on her now, especially when he was  so close?

If the file were true, she would be disappointed. Probably  more disappointed than she'd ever been in anyone before.  But she already knew she would forgive him. There would  undoubtedly be many things they would still have to sort  through - especially if he did have a child out of wedlock.  But none of that changed the fact that she loved him, that  he was her husband and that she would stand by him. She  could forgive him anything - anything except cheating on  her.

Maybe he was scared to tell her about his past. That made  sense. After all, he knew enough about her past to suspect  that she would have problems accepting his. That must be  why it had taken him an entire year before he'd told her  how he felt. He knew that with his past, she'd never have  accepted his love without proof that he loved her. And he'd  certainly given that during the past year. Every time he'd  held her or backed her up, he'd proven his love again. All  she needed to do was to get him to feel safe opening up to  her now and he'd tell her all about these other women.

Still, all that could wait one more day. Tonight they had  other things to deal with. A small smile began to tug at  the corner of her mouth as an idea began to take hold. She  suddenly jumped up. She had a lot to do if she was going to  be ready by the time Clark got home.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 12

Clark took a deep breath, checked his clothes and jogged up  the stairs to his apartment. He glanced at the paper bag in  his hand. He'd stopped and picked up chocolate ice cream  and chocolate sauce on his way home. He knew Lois had been  upset about saying good-bye to Superman last night. He  figured a big bowl of ice cream and chocolate sauce was  just the thing to lift her spirits.

Besides, he needed something to explain why it had taken  him so long to get back from her apartment. He shook his  head slightly. It had been so quiet for the past couple of  weeks. Why was it that everyone needed his help today? He  figured he could give the jogging excuse for where he'd  been when Perry first arrived. But this second delay  required something with a little more... finesse. Chocolate  seemed to fit the bill.

He arrived at the top of the steps and opened the door.

"I'm home," he said looking around the apartment. He  furrowed his eyebrows when he realized all the lights were  off. The room was, instead, lit only by dozens of candles.  He heard soft music in the background.

"Are you alone?" asked a voice from the bedroom.

"Yes," responded Clark, even as his heart began pounding  against the walls of his chest as if trying to escape its  confined location. He used his free hand to steady himself  on the banister when the most beautiful woman he'd ever  seen stepped slowly into the entrance way to the bedroom.  Without saying a word, she leaned against the doorframe,  allowing the sleeve on her black, almost see-through robe  to drop off one shoulder.

Clark swallowed several times, desperately trying to find  some moisture in his excruciatingly dry mouth. His hand  tightened on the banister as he used it to prevent his legs  from collapsing beneath him. He was unaware of the finger- like indentations he was leaving on the banister. Instead,  every sense, every thought was directed towards the woman  standing in the entranceway to the bedroom.

He stood there for a long time, running his eyes  deliberately over her body, committing every curve to  memory. When he again looked at her face, he realized that  her head was tilted slightly to the side and her eyes were  sparkling, as if she was completely captivated, even amused  by his reaction. She changed positions, slinking slowly  into the living room as if she was only partially aware of  his eyes on her. However, he followed every motion, every  movement of her body. Once she got into the living room,  she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" she asked. "Or  are you going to come down here and join me?"

Clark swallowed hard, trying to remind himself that no  matter the atmosphere she had created, no matter what  outfit she was wearing, he had to remember his promise -  that he wouldn't read anything into her behavior beyond the  obvious. Just because she was dressed in the sexiest outfit  he had ever seen did not necessarily mean that she was  ready to make love. With that in mind, he set the bag he  was carrying on the floor and began descending the steps  into the living room. He had to steady himself again when,  with her back to him, she bent over slightly to pick up  something off the coffee table - a bottle of wine. The  close-fitting garment stretched tantalizingly across the  muscles of her posterior.

"God, Lois, do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"  Clark whispered. He hadn't thought he'd said it loud enough  for her to hear, but when she looked over her shoulder at  him and smiled, he knew she had. The tips of his ears  suddenly felt as if they were on fire. But Lois hardly  seemed to notice his embarrassment as she turned her  attention back to the wine bottle and began inserting the  corkscrew.

"Here. Let me," said Clark approaching her. Without saying  a word, she handed him the bottle. It briefly occurred to  him to wonder why she'd surrendered the task so quickly.  The question was answered when she came up behind him and  slipped her arms around his waist. He fought back a groan  as she snuggled close, lightly kissing his neck. Fearing  that if he didn't concentrate on the task of opening the  wine, the bottle would crumble in his hands, he forced  himself to pull his mind away from Lois' soft curves  pressed against his back and her hands slipping under the  edge of his sweatshirt.

"Oh, yeah," Lois purred suggestively when he twisted the  top of the corkscrew, pushing the tip further into the  cork. His entire body trembled and what sounded like a  whimper left his lips in response.

"On second thought," Lois breathed into his ear, before  pausing to blow a stream of air around the rim, "why don't  we forget the wine? Dance with me."

Her word was his command. He quickly set the bottle on the  table and turned towards her.

"I'd love to," he responded, taking her in his arms and  pulling her gently to him. As incredible as it felt to  dance with her at the restaurant on their wedding night, it  paled in comparison with this moment. Having her soft,  compliant body firmly against his, moving softly to the  music; feeling her hand slip into and then gently make its  way through his hair; having her rest her cheek against his  shoulder and then move closer so that he could feel her  breath against his neck... Clark felt every movement, heard  every sigh and understood it instinctively.

As he held her hand over his heart and felt her fingers  softly moving against his chest, he thought he would  explode with love for this woman. He couldn't imagine ever  feeling this much for any other human being.

She pulled back slightly, using the hand she had buried in  his hair to tug his mouth gently to hers. The movement of  their feet stopped as they slowly explored each other's  mouths. There was no rush. It was as if they had all the  time in the world. It was quite a while before Clark broke  the kiss to bring his hands up to Lois' face, slowly  tracing it, seeking to learn it with both eyes and fingers  the same way his lips and tongue had sought to learn the  secrets of her mouth only moments before.

Her hands made a slow path down his chest until they were  balled in the front of his sweatshirt. Once she had a firm  grip on his shirt, she stepped back.

"Let's go to bed, Clark," she whispered, walking backwards  towards the bedroom, pulling him along with her. Not that  the task was hard. Clark had not even the slightest desire  to protest.

When they finally arrived at the entrance way to the  bedroom, Lois released his shirt, allowed her robe to fall  to the floor, and continued to back up until the backs of  her legs were tight against the bed. And then, using what  seemed to Clark to be the most graceful move he'd ever  seen, she settled on the bed, using her arms to prop  herself up.

He stood there for a moment, just looking at her, before  taking a step forward. He took another before stopping. The  bottom of her foot on his leg was preventing forward  motion. He looked down at her foot and then back into her  eyes, seeking an answer to his question.

"It seems to me," she said slowly, almost thoughtfully,  "that one of us is not appropriately dressed for bed."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want me to..." He gestured toward  the dresser.

"No," she said, a slight chuckle in her voice as she  allowed her eyes to drift down his body. "Come on, Clark,"  she purred, "unwrap my Christmas present for me."

"Oh," he said when it finally sank in what she was doing.  The candles. The soft music. Slipping her arms around him  from behind and kissing his neck. Asking him to dance. And  now the Christmas present comment. She was recreating their  wedding night - with a twist.

"I'm waiting," she informed him, reminding him what she was  asking him to do. He took a deep breath, wondering if he  would actually have the nerve to remove the majority of his  clothes in front of her - and not entirely sure how far she  wanted him to go. His grabbed the edge of his sweatshirt,  pulling it over his head. That hadn't been as hard as he  had expected. He tossed the shirt aside and attempted to  take another step towards her, but her foot on his leg  remained firmly in place.

"What about these?" she asked, running her big toe down the  leg of his jeans.

Clark hesitated for a moment. But the need to be allowed to  touch her again was almost unbearable. It was only a moment  more before both socks and jeans had been removed. His  reward was to have her remove her foot, allowing him to  once again approach. When the barrier keeping him from her  disappeared, even her eyes running hungrily over his body  didn't bother him, in spite of the fact that he had never  before undressed in front of a woman.

However, when he reached the bed, she moved away again. But  she didn't go far as she pulled herself more fully onto the  bed. He followed, crawling onto the bed in pursuit of her.  Once she was satisfied with her position, she waited for  him. As he approached, her hands came up to cup his cheeks.  Their lips met as she sank back onto the bed, bringing him  with her.

It wasn't long before kissing her lips wasn't enough. As he  had many times during the last twelve days, Clark began  working his way down the soft skin of her neck. She moaned  and Clark was instantly certain life couldn't possibly get  any better. He was wrong.

"Clark," Lois breathed. His head came up in response. "Have  you ever read Gone With the Wind?" she asked.

"Huh?" asked Clark. She wanted to discuss literature now?

"You know how all the way through the book Scarlett O'Hara  thinks she's in love with Ashley Wilkes although she's  really in love with Rhett Butler," she continued.

"Yeah," Clark said, shifting his weight so that he was  lying beside her, propped up on his elbow, suddenly  extremely curious about where she might be going with this.

She rolled onto her side so that she was facing him,  propping herself up on her elbow as well. Her hand ran  gently over his chest as she seemed to struggle for more  words. He waited patiently.

She let out a breath and shook her head in disbelief. "Why  is this so difficult to say?" she asked.

He obviously had no answer, not knowing what she was trying  to say.

"I guess," she continued, "I'm suddenly scared that you're  going to say: 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.'"

Clark's heart began racing as he remembered what Scarlet  had told Rhett shortly before he'd made that particular  comment.

"Are you trying to tell me..." he began. His voice trailed  off.

"It was only when it was too late that Scarlett realized  that she was really in love with Rhett. I don't want that  to happen to me." She finally met Clark's eyes. "I'm not in  love with Superman, Clark. I'm not sure I ever really was."

Clark held his breath, desperately hoping he was right  about what was coming next.

Her voice shook slightly when she finally said the words  he'd been praying to hear. "I'm in love with you, Clark  Kent." He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath as he  relished the moment. "Say something," she begged when he  didn't immediately respond.

"I think Rhett Butler was a fool," he replied, leaning back  in to capture her lips with his. It was only a moment  before her hands were running over his back and through his  hair as he resumed his previous explorations, telling him  she was no longer content with the slow pace they had set  in the living room.

* * * * * * * * *

The silence in the car parked across the street from Lois  and Clark's apartment was oppressive. It seemed to sink  into every fiber around the two men enclosed inside.

"Do we tell him?" the man in the passenger's seat finally  asked.

The question seemed to hang in the air for a moment before  the other responded.

"Tell him what?"

"What are you talking about? Do we tell him what we saw  when we snuck up to the apartment and looked through the  windows?"

"I don't recall doing that," the driver answered. "Did you  do that without me knowing, Jake?"

Jake looked confused for no more than the space of a few  seconds before understanding transformed his features.

"Right," Jake responded slowly. "I don't know what I was  thinking. I must have drifted off to sleep and dreamt about  Lane and Kent having sex. Sorry about the confusion, Alex."

"Luthor only told us to watch the apartment - to tell him  when Lane left and then follow her. And the next time you  get any brilliant ideas to exercise some initiative, keep  them to yourself."

Jake nodded. Luthor would not react well to what they had  seen. And both occupants of the car were well aware that  they only had this assignment because their predecessors  had screwed up. It was better not to buy trouble with  Luthor. And telling Luthor that instead of fighting, Lane  and Kent were in bed together would definitely buy them  trouble.

Jake thought back for a moment before smiling.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I was just thinking about what we saw in the apartment,"  he drooled.

Alex smiled. "Yeah. It's just too bad we couldn't see them  when they went into the bedroom. It sure would have made  this assignment more interesting."

* * * * * * * * *

Lois traced lazy circles on Clark's chest as she lay  snuggled against him. More and more of the candles she'd  lit much earlier were melting down and going out,  increasing the darkness around them. She took a deep breath  and sighed contentedly. She hadn't known it could be like  that. She just... hadn't known.

Making love with Clark had been... She didn't even attempt  to complete the thought - knowing no words existed to  describe what had transpired between them. He had touched  and kissed her with a reverence, an awe that left her  completely speechless. At every step, he'd followed her  lead - as if to say that he expected nothing except what  she was willing to give. She had no doubt that at any point  she could have changed her mind without angering him.

However, she hadn't even considered stopping - the desire  for him was too great, the love too all-consuming. It  wasn't that Clark's techniques were so different from those  of other men. It was just that when they had come together,  it had been a union of not only their bodies, but their  souls - as if they were only two parts of one person. For  the first time in her life, she'd opened herself completely  to another human being and it hadn't been scary. It had  been... amazing. In fact, there were moments when she  hadn't been sure where she ended and he began.

He was now her lover. She had a smile on her lips as she  relived every moment of their union. He had told her on  their wedding night that he wanted their first time to be  as special for her as he knew it would be for him - and  thanks to him, it had been. She knew without a doubt that  this night would stay with her for the rest of her life. It  had been incredible. At least... it had been for her. She  glanced up at his face, suddenly concerned that he might  not be feeling what she was feeling.

As soon as her eyes found his face, she relaxed. His eyes  were closed and she might have thought he was asleep except  for the smile that kept tugging at one corner of his mouth.

She smiled as she speculated about which moment of their  encounter was going through his mind. She leaned over and  gently kissed his chest. When she looked up at his face  again, his eyes were open and he was watching her.

"Hey," he said softly.

"A penny for your thoughts," she responded, a mischievous  twinkle dancing in her eyes.

She watched in fascination as a blush rose in Clark's  cheeks. Then his expression changed and he responded. "I  was just wondering how the crops are doing on the farm," he  said in a deadpan voice. "I mean, do you think there's been  enough rain so far this year?"

"Clark!" Lois exclaimed with a laugh, giving him a slap on  the chest.

Clark laughed.

"Well, maybe I wasn't quite as distracting as I thought I  was," she pouted.

He let out a quick breath. "Lois, if you were any more  distracting..." Instead of completing his sentence, he  leaned down and captured her lips with his.

When the kiss broke, Lois found that cognitive ability was  almost non-existent. When it finally did return, the only  thing she could think about was where her hand lay resting  against his chest. It was only moments ago that she had  been completely satiated. How could she be thinking what  she was suddenly thinking? Her finger began slowly tracing  the muscles of his chest. When she looked back at his face,  his eyes were once again dark with passion.

"You know," she said, looking back at the pattern her  finger was making on his chest, "we could always do that  again."

"No!" he exclaimed, causing her head to snap up. With no  explanation, he was suddenly scrambling to get out of bed.  She was completely bewildered when he pulled on his jeans  and rushed from the room.

"Huh?" she asked. Before she could make sense out of the  situation, she could hear his voice coming from the living  room.

"No, no, no, no, no," he groaned.

Having gone from bewildered to baffled, she crawled out of  bed and, grabbing Clark's robe, slipped it on as she made  her way into the living room. She was doing up the belt as  she approached Clark who was looking dejectedly at a paper  bag sitting on the floor near the entrance to the apartment  still muttering a single word - 'no.'

Lois placed her hand gently on his back and looked around  him at the bag. Around it was an ever growing light brown  puddle.

"Clark?" she asked.

"Chocolate ice cream," he said.

She looked in confusion at the bag before it sank in what  must have happened. Clark had been carrying that bag when  he came into the apartment. He'd obviously purchased ice  cream, only to forget all about it when he'd seen her come  into the living room. She chuckled and leaned over to give  his shoulder a kiss.

"It's ruined," said Clark dejectedly. "I bought it as a  treat for you and... look at it. I might as well throw it  out. It will never freeze properly now."

"Don't throw it out!" Lois exclaimed.

"But it's..." Clark's voice trailed off when Lois made her  way to the bag and carefully picked it up before walking  into the kitchen.

"Why don't you clean that up?" she suggested. "I'll put  what's left into a big bowl. What do you say we have a  little snack. I'd say we've burned up enough calories to  justify it."

"As long as we can eat it in bed," he responded, wiggling  his eyebrows at her. "We could even bring the wine," he  continued, gesturing towards the still unopened bottle of  wine sitting on the coffee table.

"Eating melted chocolate ice cream and drinking wine while  in bed with you?" she asked. She gave an exaggerated sigh.  "The things I have to do in this marriage."

* * * * * * * * *

'Lois a la mode' was one of the phrases that kept going  through Clark's mind as he cuddled up against Lois' back,  his arm draped across her waist. She had fallen asleep some  time ago. But Clark couldn't sleep. He was almost afraid to  - afraid that he'd wake to find that tonight had all been a  dream.

"I'm in love with you, Clark Kent." Never had sweeter words  been spoken. They were like music to his ears. They were  like honey on his lips and about a hundred other cliched  phrases that he could think of. How could she think for  even a second that it might not matter to him? He wasn't  sure anything had ever mattered more.

He smiled when another phrase occurred to him. 'Lois  flavored ice cream.' His smile softened as he recalled the  details of the evening. Never in his wildest fantasies had  he imagined it would be like that. He leaned over and  gently kissed her shoulder.

"Mmmm... is ice, ark," murmured Lois.

Not having a clue what she'd said didn't stop Clark from  smiling when Lois proceeded to snuggle back into him. It  was only a moment more before her breathing once again  deepened in sleep.

It had been quite some time since the music Lois had been  playing when he had come home had stopped. Somehow, though,  they hadn't even noticed - being too consumed with each  other. However, he could now hear the music coming from the  neighbor's radio. He suddenly realized that he hadn't heard  it when he and Lois had been making love. In fact, he  hadn't heard anything at all - except, of course, her  racing heartbeat, her quiet, and not so quiet moans and  encouragements. It was as if, for a time, they were the  only two people in the universe. In spite of all his  powers, he doubted he would have heard an explosion in the  next room.

The music was interrupted by a news bulletin, pulling him  out of his thoughts. He heard the broadcaster's voice. A  train accident on a bridge. He closed his eyes. Maybe his  assistance wasn't needed. He didn't want to leave this bed  unless absolutely necessary. He fought the urge to groan  when the broadcaster said officials were asking the press  to inform Superman that his assistance was needed  desperately. Apparently, a passenger car was dangling over  the edge of the bridge with about twenty people inside. The  police were trying to get the passenger car secured, but  weren't certain they would be able to do so in time. He had  to go.

He floated slightly, so that he wouldn't wake Lois, moving  silently off the bed. He landed softly on the floor,  quickly dressed and made his way to the balcony. With one  final look at the woman asleep in his bed and giving a  small sigh, he took to the sky.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 13

Lois regained consciousness slowly. A smile made its way  across her face as the activities of the evening came back  to her. Without opening her eyes, she rolled towards Clark,  stretching out her hand to find the object of her  obsession. She reached further when she didn't find his  body where her mind told her he should be. She patted the  bed, still blindly searching for him. When her hand reached  the edge of the bed, she opened her eyes.

It took her a moment to adjust to the darkness around her.  In the living room, there was still the odd candle burning.  The bedroom was now cloaked mostly in darkness. Still, she  could see enough to know that Clark wasn't in the bed with  her.

"Clark?" she called into the half-light of the room.

When there was no answer, she crawled out of bed. She  grabbed Clark's robe from where it lay in a heap on the  floor and threw it on before making her way into the other  room. There was no Clark. It only took a moment for her to  check out the living room, the washroom, the balcony, the  alcove upstairs and conclude, positively, that Clark wasn't  in the apartment.

She slowly made her way back into the living room and sank  into the couch, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms  around them. She glanced over at the clock. It was after  two in the morning. And here she was, sitting alone in  their apartment after an evening of love-making with  absolutely no idea where her husband was.

There was a logical explanation. Lois knew there had to be.  Maybe he'd gotten a call from a friend who needed his help.  But for that to have happened, he needed to get a call. Why  didn't the phone wake her, too? Or why didn't Clark wake  her to tell her that he had to leave? He must have known  that, after Claude, she'd be insecure waking up without him  here. And if he had a legitimate reason for leaving, why  hadn't he even left a note so that she wouldn't worry.  Besides, how often did people call needing help at two in  the morning?

She shook her head, trying to free it from the image that  was suddenly tormenting her. The image of Clark, sneaking  out of her bed to go to his mistress. The image of him and  some beautiful, buxom blonde, skilled in the art of love,  lying in bed together, laughing about Lois' lack of  knowledge in pleasuring a man.

No. Fears were always worse in the dark. There had to be  another explanation. Maybe... She shifted her weight and  heard the sound of paper under her. The file. She reached  beneath the cushions of the couch and pulled out the file.  Something that they could deal with later was suddenly the  most urgent thing in the world.

Maybe Clark hadn't pursued Cat, not because he was in love  with her, but because Cat wasn't his type. Maybe there were  no reports about women in Metropolis because the  investigator hadn't gotten around to finding out about them  before Lex called off the investigation. After all, hadn't  Lex said something about this being an interim report? That  indicated that the report was not complete. Why hadn't she  thought of all this before she'd made love to Clark?

She pulled in an involuntary, jagged breath. Waking up  without Clark here definitely made waking up to find Claude  gone look like a walk in the park. She had given herself to  Clark so completely. Never before had she opened herself up  to another human being the way she had with Clark. She'd  given him a glimpse into her soul. And yet, only a few  hours later, she'd woken to find him gone.

Why hadn't she paid attention to the signs? They were all  there, after all. The constant disappearing act. The  unexplained absences. Clark's avoidance of certain topics.  The strange phone calls. Coming home drenched in another  woman's perfume and wearing her lipstick on his collar.

She fought the urge to cry. She'd fallen hopelessly,  completely in love with a man who was just like her father.  Why was she even trying to find an innocent explanation?  She had become what she hated about so many women who spent  their time trying to find explanations and excuses which  allowed the men they loved to hurt them.

She never should have married Clark. All men cheated. It  was in their nature. She supposed they probably couldn't  help it. But that was why she should have chosen a husband  whom she didn't have an emotional investment in - like Lex.  That was why she'd fought falling in love with Clark so  hard in the first place. But, like a fool, she'd had to  follow her heart. And she had, once again, followed it into  the path of destruction.

No. Even Perry had said she was being ridiculous. But she  knew Clark better than Perry did. She had worked with him  every day for the past year. She was his best friend. But  even she didn't know where he went when he disappeared for  hours on end. How could she have expected Perry to know if  Clark was cheating on her?

Besides, Perry didn't know the circumstances surrounding  their wedding. Realizing how desperate she was to have  somewhere to belong, Clark had offered himself as a  solution. But in some ways, she'd forced him into it with a  now or I'll marry Lex type of attitude. He simply hadn't  been ready for the commitment. He'd probably even had a  girlfriend.

Still, he'd gone through with it. And she suspected that  when he'd said his vows, he'd meant them. But at the time  he didn't realize that after almost two weeks, she still  wouldn't be sleeping with him. If he was as well sexed as  Lex's file indicated, he probably hadn't been able to take  it anymore. She should have expected it really. After all,  she'd been driving them both past the point of distraction  - with no end in sight. Then, after that passionate kiss on  the steps of Red Pen publishing today... He'd probably  called one of his former girlfriends. After cheating once,  he'd found it easier to do the second time. Now, he had his  wife and his mistress - and he was obviously intent on  keeping both. She snorted. Of course, she should be  grateful. After all, mistresses were more interchangeable  to men like that than wives.

She desperately needed some perspective. Maybe she was  allowing her fears to run away with her. She got off the  couch and, after wandering around the apartment for a few  minutes, turned on the radio. The sound of the outside  world seemed to have something of a placating effect. She  made her way back to the couch and sat down again, leaned  back and closed her eyes, hoping to lose herself in the  music for a time. The song that had been playing on the  radio ended. For a moment she was concerned that she was  going to have to listen to some disc jockey talk. She  relaxed when another song came on. She allowed the soft  music to wash over her as she sought peace for her troubled  soul.

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman, Giving all your love to just one man, You'll have bad times and he'll have good times, Doing things that you don't understand.

Suddenly, Lois realized what she was listening to. Still,  it took her a moment to scramble off the couch. She  stumbled slightly, the quick movement leaving her light  headed. When she had recovered somewhat, she tried to make  a dash for the radio. In her haste, she tripped over the  coffee table.

But if you love him, you'll forgive him, Even though he's hard to understand, And if you love him, oh, be proud of him, Cause, after all, he's just a man.

She cried out and grabbed her shin. After cursing several  times, she continued to limp towards the radio. If it  killed her, she had to make that woman shut up.

Stand by your man, Give him two arms to cling to, And something warm to come to, When nights are cold and lonely,

Stand by your man, And show the world you love him, Keep giving all the love you can, Stand by...

Lois let out a breath of relief as silence once again  filled the apartment. Closing her eyes, she leaned against  the wall before slowly slipping to the floor, clutching her  skinned shin.

Her chest was tight and her eyes watery as the words of the  song she'd tried desperately not to hear continued to haunt  her. She couldn't do it. She couldn't just stand by her  man. She couldn't simply accept him even if he cheated.  Maybe there were some women who could, but she wasn't one  of them.

"Fears get blown out of proportion at two in the morning,"  she reminded herself. But that still didn't explain where  her husband was. A sob escaped her throat in spite of  everything she could do to stop it. "Where are you, Clark?"  she whispered, desperately hoping that saying the words  would give her the answer.

She searched her mind for some sort of innocent explanation  before finally accepting the obvious. Once she'd fallen  asleep, Clark had realized how much of a novice she was in  sexual matters and had left to find fulfillment in the arms  of his mistress. A tear trickled slowly down her cheek. She  pulled her knees against her chest and rested her chin on  them. Closing her eyes, she finally allowed herself to give  in to tears. 'It's okay to cry,' she told herself firmly.  After all, never before had she known pain like this.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved  at all.' Alfred Lord Tennyson was a fool. It wasn't long  before dry sobs were racking her body.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark landed on the roof of his apartment building and spun  out of the Superman suit. He moved a couple of loose bricks  and stuck the suit inside before making his way to the edge  of the building. When he'd taken the Superman suits from  Lois' apartment this evening, he'd flown them to Kansas -  all, except one. Then he'd come here and found a hiding  place. It wasn't ideal. After all, it was only a matter of  time before someone started noticing and speculating about  Superman's wrinkled cape. But there wasn't much he could do  about it.

He'd already had to go to Kansas once to get a new suit.  While assisting at the train accident, he'd gotten covered  with grease. So, once he'd finished, he went to Kansas,  took a quick shower, washed out his suit, put on a new suit  and flew back here. There had to be a better solution.

He glanced through the roof into his apartment. He let out  a breath of relief. Lois was still curled up in bed. He  could just slip in next to her and she would never even  know he had been gone. He smiled slightly. It was so good  to be able to come home to her. Never before had his own  bed looked so warm and inviting.

For a moment he was tempted to float down to his balcony.  Then he decided it was probably safer to use the fire  escape - to be certain none of his neighbors saw him  flying. When he usually entered his apartment as Superman,  he was able to move quickly enough to avoid detection.  However, if he entered quickly this time, there was a  danger that Lois would hear the familiar rush of wind. No.  The fire escape was safer. And since the stairs for the  fire escape allowed him to climb onto the balcony...

It was only a few moments later before he was entering his  apartment from the balcony. He stopped just inside and  looked again at Lois. A smile made its way across his face  as he noticed once again how beautiful she was. He asked  himself how he had gotten so lucky, and then stripped and  crawled onto the bed. He couldn't resist leaning in to  softly kiss her cheek just once before taking the time to  crawl under the covers. His lips stopped less than an inch  from her cheek when her sleep-filled voice spoke.

"Clark?" it asked.

"It's all right, honey," Clark said.

"Where were you?" she asked, moving slightly as if to look  at him while wiping the sleep from her eyes. He felt  frustrated. Her movement to look at him had put her further  away from his lips.

"Oh, you know," said Clark, gesturing abstractly towards  the balcony.

"The balcony?" she asked.

"Something like that," he responded, moving in again to  kiss her.

She stretched, once again innocently frustrating his  forward movement.

"I think we should consider moving if the view from the  balcony is more interesting than being here with me," she  said, giving him a smile that sent a flutter through his  stomach.

Clark smiled. "It was just keeping me company while I  waited for you to wake up so that I could do this." With  that he moved to kiss her. Before his lips could reach  their destination, she spoke again.

"Come one inch closer and you're a dead man," Lois hissed.

Clark froze. Her voice was cold. There was not even the  smallest sign of sleep in her words now. She must have  known he hadn't been in the apartment. She'd set him up and  he'd stepped right into it. He grabbed his lower lip  between his teeth and bit down hard. What was he supposed  to do now?

* * * * * * * * *

Lois hadn't been sleeping when she had heard Clark sneaking  in from the balcony. After she'd cried herself out earlier,  she'd crawled back into bed, desperately hoping to lose  herself in sleep. But sleep had evaded her when her mind  refused to cooperate and instead insisted on continuously  replaying various scenarios of Clark with his mistress. It  wasn't long before she could even see the woman. Her name  was probably something like Tiffini - with three 'i's. She  had a high pitched giggle and knew to laugh at everything  Clark said that was even mildly amusing - even if she  seldom got the joke. She probably said things like 'my big,  strong, handsome, he-man' and called him 'Clarkie'. She  likely called herself an actress or a model, who couldn't  even keep a job waitressing while waiting for her big break  - unless her boss was a man, of course. All form and no  substance. The type of woman Lois despised - and the type  who knew how to keep her man by feeding his ego and  satisfying any other needs he might have.

And the longer she thought about it, the more the pain was  replaced by anger. Hearing him sneaking in from the balcony  was the final straw. If there had been some legitimate  reason for his disappearance, he'd have come in through the  door. Instead, he'd obviously slithered up the fire escape  in an effort to sneak in without detection.

She'd almost stopped him when he'd first entered the room,  but she'd bit her tongue. When she'd watched, through half  closed eyes, as he removed his clothes, she'd let him.  Without his clothes on, he'd be even more vulnerable when  she confronted him. So she'd waited impatiently for him to  undress and crawl onto the bed.

She trembled, forcing her tears to remain at bay, when he  got close enough for her to smell the fresh soap of a  recent shower. He had obviously learned from this  afternoon's fiasco. He was now showering before returning  from his mistress.

When he'd leaned in to kiss her cheek, she'd known she  couldn't allow it to happen. But she wanted him to hang  himself, so she'd changed positions, frustrating his  efforts. His sneaking in through the balcony could be  explained. Perhaps he'd forgotten his key and didn't want  to wake her. She needed him to step into a trap. So she'd  pretended his crawling into bed had just woken her. At  first, he'd avoided the question of where he'd been -  refusing to commit himself. So she'd resorted to flirting.  Although he still hadn't said he was on the balcony, he'd  definitely supported her idea that he'd been out there,  looking at the view and waiting for her to wake up.

When he didn't move, either to get closer or to withdraw,  she threw back the blankets, revealing that she was now  wearing a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. She scampered out  of bed to get some distance from him, very aware that his  close proximity was sending unwanted tingles through her.

Without looking at the naked man who still hadn't moved,  she headed into the other room and sat down on the couch.  She glanced at the file on the coffee table before looking  at the entrance way to the bedroom, wondering if he would  actually have the guts to follow. She supposed it was  possible that he'd slink back down the fire escape rather  than face the music now that he was caught. But if he did,  she would have the locks changed by morning. They were  going to settle this now, or they weren't going to settle  it at all.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark remained kneeling on the bed for a minute more,  trying to find a reason, not only for his absence but why  he'd deceived her about it. He searched his mind for  something believable. When he finally found what he thought  was his best explanation, he crawled off the bed and put  his clothes back on. He knew there were some major flaws  with this story, and he doubted it would satisfy Lois, but  he couldn't think of anything better.

He hated the fact that this time he was going to have to  actually lie, but what other choice was there? He was the  expert at avoiding questions like the ones Lois had hit him  with tonight. Her flirting had made him careless. The only  option now was an outright lie.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way into the living room,  pushing away the feelings of guilt that were already  plaguing him.

"Lois, let me explain," he said immediately. She tilted her  head to the side and raised an eyebrow, as if challenging  him to lie again. Even knowing he would be more believable  if he maintained eye contact, he couldn't resist looking  down at his hands.

"Well, go on," said Lois when he didn't continue. "I'm  looking forward to hearing this one."

He glanced up at her and tried to speak, but although his  mouth moved, no sound came out.

"Well?" she asked.

He looked back down at his hands before saying, "I went for  a walk. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you."  When he heard Lois snort, he rushed to continue. "I was  afraid if I told you that I needed to go for a walk, you'd  be upset because you'd think I needed to get away from you.  But that isn't true. I just..."

"Damn you, Kent!" interrupted Lois.

Clark's head snapped up at the undisguised amount of venom  in her voice.

"If you're going to lie to me, at least try not to insult  my intelligence," she continued.

"I don't know what..."

"Do you really think I don't know what you've been doing?  What do you think I am? Galactically stupid?"

"I don't understan..." he began, wondering if she had  indeed figured it out.

"God, Clark! Didn't you think I'd smell the scent of fresh  soap on you?"

Clark blinked. "What are you..."

"You realized your mistake this afternoon, didn't you? You  realized that you couldn't come home smelling like that. So  tonight you had a shower before coming back. But you  forget, Clark. I was a reporter. I am not stupid."

"I never said you were," Clark responded, struggling to  understand what she was talking about.

"Then how could you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" Clark asked, completely bewildered. She  didn't seem to know that he was Superman, so what on Earth  was she talking about?

"That woman!" exclaimed Lois, rising to her feet.

"What woman?"

"The one you were with tonight."

"You think I was with another woman?"

"Like, duh!"

"How could you think..." Clark's voice trailed off. Lois  thought he was cheating on her. How was that possible? Did  she really not know him at all? How could she not know how  much he loved her? He'd done everything in his power to  prove that love during the past year. "How could you think  that I would ever..." He emphasized the word. "...treat our  relationship so carelessly? I thought... I mean, god, Lois,  after making love this evening, how could you think that I  would..." His voice trailed off again. He ran his hand  through his hair. "How dare you?" he asked, his anger  rising in direct proportion to his disbelief. He had  worshiped the ground she'd walked on for a year while she'd  barely even tolerated him - all in hopes that the day would  come that she would notice he was alive. He would give his  life for her. How could she accuse him of cheating on her?  "I can't believe you'd accuse me of something like that?"  he said.

"Don't lie to me, Kent," Lois hissed in response.

"I can't believe you'd accuse me of something like that!"  he said.

"Accuse you..." Lois gasped in disbelief.

"I can't believe this," Clark continued. "I really thought  something happened between us this evening. And yet, you  still don't get it."

"Oh, I get it all right. I know exactly what happened  tonight. You got what you wanted from me and then you got  it from your whore, too!"

"I got what I wanted?" Clark gasped. "I don't exactly  remember you complaining." The words were out of his mouth  before he had a chance to evaluate them.

Lois' hand landing across his cheek echoed in the sudden  quiet of the apartment. Clark's immediate reaction was  anger. His hand instinctively clenched into a fist. How  would she feel if he struck her that way?

Needing some distance, he walked over to the window and  took a few deep breaths to allow himself to calm down. Once  he'd regained his composure and thought about things, he  realized that maybe there was a basis for her fears. After  all, she'd obviously woke up in bed to find him gone. And  given Lois' history with men... Still, that didn't give her  the right to spew out those accusations. He turned back  towards her. She was once again sitting on the couch,  looking as weary as he suddenly felt.

"There is no other woman," he said softly. "I wouldn't do  that to you." She looked away, obviously not convinced. "I  promise you, Lois. I love you. I would never betray your  love that way. When you told me you loved me, I..."

"Just tell me where you were tonight," she interrupted, her  voice sounding more sad than angry.

"I told you. I was..." His voice trailed off as she met his  eyes. He closed his eyes and let out a breath. He couldn't  keep lying to her. And he couldn't tell her the truth. The  truth would hurt her too much. He'd just have to find  another way to deal with this. "Please, Lois. I can't tell  you. Just believe me. I wasn't with another woman."

Her 'hmph' told him exactly what she thought of that idea,  but she didn't otherwise respond. There were several  minutes of very tense silence.

"Why won't you talk to me, Clark?" she asked.

"I do talk to you, Lois. I'll talk to you about anything  except where I was tonight."

She shook her head slowly. "Fine. Then how about you tell  me about your past relationships."

"I already told you. There's not much to tell," Clark said.  He really hated this particular subject - a subject Lois  had insisted on bringing up on a number of occasions since  their marriage. The problem was that until tonight, he'd  been a virgin. But in today's society, a twenty-seven year  old man did not admit he had never been with a woman. It  raised too many unwanted questions. "And what difference  does it make anyway? I don't insist on knowing all about  your past. I've accepted you for who and what you are now.  Why can't you do the same for me?"

"I lost my virginity in the back seat of my father's car on  the night of the senior prom," Lois said. "My dad was  furious when I didn't bring the car home, but it needed to  be cleaned before I could return it. Trust me, he'd have  been even more furious otherwise. Anyway, that relationship  ended in disaster. Next, I slept with a boyfriend in  college who seemed to take great pleasure in telling me I  wasn't as good as his previous lovers. And, of course, you  know about Claude," she said. "So now you know all about  me. What about you?"

"Look, I really don't..." His voice trailed off. He was  asking her to accept on faith that he hadn't been with  another woman tonight. He was asking her to trust him about  where he'd been. He'd told her that he would tell her  anything else she wanted to know. So as embarrassing as it  might be... "Until tonight, I was a v... a vi... I hadn't  exactly been intimate with a woman," he said, not meeting  her eyes.

It took him a long time to look at her again. When he  finally worked up the nerve, he couldn't read her  expression. After a moment, she stood up.

"You really do take me for a fool, don't you?" she said.  "First, you come home stinking of another woman's perfume.  Then you sneak out of here in the middle of the night  without as much as an explanation of where you've been.  Now, you expect me to believe..." She didn't bother  continuing. Instead, picking up a file folder that was  sitting on the coffee table, she walked over to him and  shoved it at him. It hit his chest with a thump, causing a  grunt as air escaped him. He instinctively grabbed the  file. She released it and headed past him, towards the  bedroom. "You couldn't even tell me the truth about your  past," she said sadly. "Good-night, Clark. I'm going to bed  now, before I say something I'm going to regret. I assume  you'll be sleeping on the couch." Without waiting for a  response, she disappeared into the bedroom.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois quickly crawled into bed and buried her head under the  pillow in an effort to muffle the sound of her crying.  Clark Kent, the last honest man, or so she'd thought, had  lied, and lied, and lied to her. He'd lied to her when he'd  told her that he'd been on the balcony. When he'd been  caught in that lie, he'd concocted a second lie. When he'd  finally realized his lies weren't working, he'd still  refused to tell her where he'd been. And then... How  gullible did he think she was? A virgin? Yeah, right!

She pulled in a jagged breath as the tears began to flow.  Why couldn't he have at least been honest about his past?  Maybe they actually could have made some progress if he'd  just been honest about that. Instead, he'd once again  insulted her intelligence. She'd had no choice but to make  her escape, afraid that if she didn't, she was going to  completely break down in front of him and thereby lose  whatever self-respect she still had or, in the alternative,  that she was going to say something she wasn't sure she'd  regret. No. It was better to end this argument now - before  it accelerated even more.

She sniffed a couple of times. How could she not have  realized before what a liar Clark Kent was? Even when he'd  been caught in an obvious lie - two obvious lies, she  corrected - he had still refused to tell her the truth. How  could he think that she didn't have the right to know where  he'd been at two in the morning?

A small sob rose in her chest and forced its way past her  lips. Was it only yesterday that she had thought that Clark  was safe? She had been a fool. She had actually believed  that he would never purposely hurt her? The world as she  knew it really had come to an end.

"You had me investigated?" came a voice from the doorway to  the bedroom.

She quickly brushed the tears from her face - she would not  let him see how badly he'd hurt her - before turning and  looking at the man standing in the shadows.

"Actually, no," she responded, amazed by how composed her  voice sounded. "A friend gave me that. But so what if I  did? How dare you do this to me? How dare you think that I  don't have a right to know..."

"What friend?" he asked, his voice an accusation now.

Lois quickly got out of bed, not liking the feeling of  vulnerability brought about by lying in bed during this  discussion.

"None of your damn business!" she snapped back. "I do have  real friends. You know, the type who trust me enough to  tell me the truth."

"What friend?" Clark growled, taking a menacing step  towards her.

"I will not be intimidated, Clark Kent," she hissed,  keeping her eyes directly on his and refusing to take even  the smallest step backwards.

The words had the desired effect. Clark hesitated, as if  suddenly ashamed of his overbearing attitude. Lois watched  as he looked down at the floor, the muscles of his jaw  working as he tried to get control of his anger. Lois felt  her own anger flare in response. How dare he act as if he  was the one who had been violated?

Finally, Clark looked back up. It was obvious that he was  still furious, but he now seemed to have regained a little  of his control. "It was Luthor, wasn't it?" he asked.

"So what if it was?" asked Lois in response, seeing no  reason to deny where she'd gotten the file.

"Don't you see what he's trying to do?" Clark gasped in  disbelief. "He's trying to destroy our marriage! How can  you not see that?"

"He doesn't have to try very hard. I'd say you're doing a  damn good job of destroying our marriage without his help."

"In case you need to hear it, not one word of this file is  true," he informed her. He looked for some reaction. When  he didn't find what he was looking for, he threw the file  on the bed. "Why am I even bothering? You obviously trust  Luthor more than you trust me."

With those words, he turned and headed into the other room.

Lois pursued him. She was about to respond - to tell Clark  that he was the one who was responsible for making her  doubt him - not Lex. She closed her mouth when she saw  Clark pick up his jacket and head for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked. To her horror, her voice  trembled.

"I just think we both need some space," said Clark,  reaching out and placing his hand on the doorknob.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 14

When Clark had first seen the contents of the file, he'd  been absolutely flabbergasted. It was so utterly ridiculous  as to almost be funny - so why wasn't Lois laughing? Then  he'd been struck by another thought. Lois had had him  investigated. How could she do that to him? After all, the  investigator could have stumbled across his secret. And it  would all be because his own wife didn't trust him.

But it hadn't taken long to realize that Lois never would  have done this on her own. Hiring an investigator wasn't  her style. As she was fond of saying, she was a reporter -  an investigative reporter. She investigated. No, she'd  never have hired someone, she'd have done it herself.

Once that sunk in, Clark was fairly confident he knew where  the file had come from. At first, his resulting anger was  directed at Luthor. But it wasn't long before he was even  more furious with Lois for believing Luthor's lies. She was  taking the word of a sociopath like Luthor over his.

When he'd stormed into the bedroom, he'd barely been in  control. It had taken every coping mechanism he had to keep  from lashing out. He had to get out of here. He had to get  out of here now - before he did something he couldn't take  back. Before he touched Lois in anger.

"Where are you going?" came Lois' voice behind him.

"I just think we both need some space," said Clark,  reaching out and placing his hand on the doorknob. He was  about to open the door, when he heard a jagged breath  coming from the woman behind him and an involuntary hiccup  that told him she was fighting back tears. In fact, he was  awfully close to tears himself. His head dropped and he  stood frozen to the spot, unable to go forward and escape  and unable to turn back towards her.

He heard another hiccup which was followed by a muffled sob  and his hand tightened on the doorknob. He wondered if she  had any idea how much it hurt to hear her cry. He heard her  suck in a few breaths, as if struggling for control. She  obviously failed because he once again heard a sob.

"Just go..." Her voice broke. "If that's what you want,  just go," she repeated. But her voice now sounded more  broken-hearted than angry. He could hear her collapse back  against the wall, as if knowing that her legs would give  out beneath her the instant he followed her directions. He  closed his eyes tight, a single tear trickling down his  cheek.

"Just go," she repeated. Her voice, although broken, also  sounded resigned, almost as if she had just accepted the  end of their marriage.

The tension in Clark's chest felt as if it were crushing  his heart. Only hours after experiencing the most profound  feeling of oneness with this woman, how was it that he  could now feel so completely alone in her presence? She was  undoubtedly right. He should just go. He got the door half  way open when he heard Lois slip to the floor behind him.

* * * * * * * * *

"Jake!" said Alex in an exaggerated whisper when the door  to Lois and Clark's apartment began to open. "Come on,  Jake. Wake up."

"What?" asked the sleep-filled voice of Jake.

"Something's happening," Alex explained, pointing towards  the door to the apartment.

Jake blinked, trying to clear his mind of sleep as he  looked towards the apartment. Maybe Luthor was right after  all. "Should I call him?" he asked his partner.

"Let's wait until we know what's really happening,"  responded Alex.

Jake nodded. If they called now to say that Lane was  leaving and she didn't... Alex was right. They should wait  to be sure.

* * * * * * * * *

"No!" Clark said, closing the door again and turning back  to Lois. "I'm not walking away. I can't. We're married. I  can't walk away from that."

"Just go, Clark," she repeated, as if not believing there  was anything either of them could say that would make any  difference now.

If Clark had thought it was hard hearing her cry, it was a  hundred times worse looking at her curled up on the floor.  He'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to, but his secrets had left  her open to manipulation by Luthor. Without knowing it,  Luthor had managed to capitalize on Clark's failure to tell  his wife the truth. He closed his eyes. There was only one  choice. He had to tell Lois about Superman.

When he had considered and rejected the idea of telling  Lois about Superman when he was taking a shower earlier  this evening, it had been his belief that telling her would  hurt her too much that had forced his silence. He'd also  been concerned that he might lose her as a result. Now, not  knowing the truth was causing her pain and if he didn't  tell her, he was guaranteed to lose her. Telling her might  not prevent him from losing her, but even if it didn't, he  couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain. Luthor had done  his job well. Lois was absolutely convinced that he was  cheating on her. And his constant lies had certainly done  nothing to alleviate her fears.

He slowly made his way back to where Lois was sitting  dejectedly on the floor and crouched down in front of her.  His hand came up to her cheek, intending to brush away the  tears.

"Don't," said Lois.

Clark's hand hung in the air for a moment before dropping  to his own leg.

"I owe you the truth," he finally said. "I should have told  you a long time ago."

"Forget it, Clark," she responded dejectedly. "It doesn't  really matter anymore."

"Yes. Yes, it does," Clark objected. "Even if you decide to  throw me out after I tell you, you deserve to know the  truth."

"Fine," said Lois' resigned voice, as if she knew that  nothing he could tell her would matter now but simply no  longer had the energy to fight. "So what is this 'truth?'"

Clark stood up, stretching out a hand to her. "Let's sit on  the couch," he suggested.

She stared at the hand for a moment before brushing it  aside and rising to her feet under her own power. As she  made her way to the couch without looking at him, Clark  followed placidly behind. He really hadn't understood  before now how much it could hurt to be in love. Even Lois'  rejection of his love in the park hadn't hurt this badly.  After all, then he hadn't known what it was like to be  loved by her. Having experienced her love and now knowing  her rejection was a hundred times worse.

He watched as she took a seat before looking up at him with  sad eyes, waiting for him to speak - looking almost as if  she no longer cared. He took a deep breath and sat down on  the coffee table in front of her. He quickly hid his hurt  when she drew herself further back onto the couch, trying  to avoid any accidental contact. After letting out a short  breath, he nodded slightly, acknowledging that he had lost  the right to touch her, before beginning to speak.

"You're right, Lois. I lied to you," he began nervously.  "But I swear, I have only ever lied about one thing."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know that I'm  adopted, right?" He looked up at her, waiting for some  response. When he realized one would not be forthcoming, he  looked back at his hands and continued. "Mom and Dad...  Martha and Jonathan Kent," he clarified, "told people that  I had been left on their doorstep. It wasn't until this  last year that I knew exactly where I came from and why my  birth parents gave me up." He glanced up again, hoping that  the last statement had made some sort of impact, but her  expression was distant. He again nodded and looked back  down.

"As I grew up, it started to become obvious that I was...  different. And it was those differences that have made  me... keep my distance in relationships. I didn't dare let  people get too close to me, for fear of having them find  out. I had to protect my secret. That's why I never..." His  voice faltered. "Well, you know... with a woman.

"Lois, I've never told anyone my secret before. So you see,  you're my first in more than one way... or will be, once  I've told you," he said lightly, trying to alleviate some  of the stress with a little humor. The attempt fell flat so  Clark returned to his tale.

"At first, the differences weren't obvious. It started out  with little things. I didn't seem to get sick like other  kids. And I didn't seem to get the scrapes and bruises I  should have gotten. But it wasn't until I was in my early  teens that I really started to change. I got stronger and  could run faster, like the other boys were doing, but I  didn't seem to stop. I just continued to get stronger and  faster. And then other things started to happen." He  hesitated, struggling with how to continue.

"Just get to the point, Clark," said Lois' impatient voice,  answering his question.

He reached up, removed his glasses and set them on the  coffee table. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at her,  running his hand through his hair to push it off his face.  "Lois, I'm Superman," he said softly, this time meeting her  eyes dead on. Then he waited.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois had only been half listening when Clark started  talking, no longer seeing any point in this discussion, but  not having the energy to stop him. But when he mentioned  being left on the Kent's doorstep with no idea who his  parents were or why they'd given him up, she'd felt his  pain. Still, she couldn't give in. She couldn't feel  sympathy for him. It was all too short a trip from there to  taking him back, giving him the opportunity to hurt her  again.

And then he'd started talking about being different. What  on Earth was that supposed to mean? Everyone felt different  growing up. Just because he was strong and fast and didn't  get sick as often as other kids... He should feel grateful.  Instead, he was trying to convince her that these  differences were proof of his claim that he was a virgin.  Right!

"Just get to the point, Clark," she had finally  interrupted. She wished he would just tell her where he was  tonight instead of going on about how alone he'd felt  growing up. It didn't justify his having an affair.

"Lois, I'm Superman," Clark responded.

Lois almost burst out laughing. He had just taken lying to  an all new level. Everyone knew that when you lied, you  should at least attempt to make the lie believable -  something that couldn't be disproved - but Clark... It  suddenly occurred to Lois that she had never seen Clark  without his glasses before - not even when they'd made love  earlier. When she'd tried to remove them, he'd stopped her  - making a comment about wanting to be able to see her. But  in spite of never having seen him without his glasses, he  looked... familiar somehow. In fact, he looked a lot  like... She gasped.

"You want to know where I was tonight," Clark continued  rising to his feet and making his way to the television. He  turned it on and switched the channel to LNN.

"...but that's my point exactly. I agree. Superman's great,  but is his presence in Metropolis making our emergency  services lazy? After all, if he hadn't arrived at the train  accident when he did, would emergency services have been  able to save all those people?"

Clark turned back to Lois. "There was a train accident  tonight. I heard about it on the neighbor's radio after you  fell asleep. I didn't have a choice. I had to go." He  turned off the television and returned to where he had been  sitting on the coffee table. "The reason I smell of fresh  soap is that I got covered with grease while I was helping  out at the train accident. I stopped by my folks' place to  clean up before coming home. There is no other woman, Lois.  There never has been."

Lois found that although her mind was racing, it was going  in circles. He was Superman. She was married to Superman.  But Superman had rejected her. It made no sense. Clark  reaching out to touch her hand snapped her out of her  thoughts. She jerked away. It registered in the back of her  mind that he looked hurt, but right now she didn't care.

"How dare you?" she finally hissed, her voice so low that  it was almost indistinguishable to an ordinary human.  "You.... We... What did... God, Clark... Or whoever the  hell you are. I don't even know you anymore," she concluded  in agony, staring at him as if he were a stranger.

"You know me, Lois. I'm Clark. Your best friend. The man  you worked with this past year and the man you married. I'm  still me. And I still love you. Please, just listen..."

"Listen?" she gasped in disbelief. "Why should I listen to  you? You've done nothing since the day we met but lie to  me. Why should I believe anything you have to say?"

"I didn't mean to..."

"Of course, you didn't," Lois said sarcastically. "You're  Superman! Symbol of truth! What a joke! I don't know why it  surprises me, really. I mean, after all, I'm the one who  made you a symbol of truth." When Clark looked confused,  she explained. "When you came to me and I asked why you  were here. You said 'to help.' I was the one who came up  with truth and justice. But I still bought into the image.  Superman: came to Earth to fight for truth and justice.  What a crock!"

"Lois," Clark said softly, again attempting to reach out to  touch her.

"Don't!" Lois exclaimed, looking him straight in the eye.  Clark froze. They stared at each other for a moment before  Lois broke eye contact and rose from the couch. Without  another word, she made her way to the bedroom.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark ran his hands through his hair in frustration. This  wasn't going well at all. He almost snorted at the degree  of understatement. The problem was he had no idea how to  make things better. He'd been trying to do the right thing.  He'd only had the best of intentions when he'd decided not  to tell Lois that he was Superman. He'd only been trying to  protect her. How had things gone so terribly wrong?

What had started out as the most incredible night of his  life - making love to Lois; hearing her say she loved him  for the first time - had turned into a nightmare.

He heard Lois moving around in the bedroom. She obviously  hadn't gone to bed yet. He rose and made his way to the  doorway.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he saw Lois' suitcase  sitting on the bed.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Lois asked in return.

"Please, don't," Clark begged. "Listen, I'll sleep on the  couch. Just please think about this."

"Just like you thought about not telling me who you really  are?" she asked. "So, what do you think of this as a  headline: 'Superman marries woman under false pretenses?'"

"Lois, you can't tell..."

She snorted. "You think I don't know that! Is that why you  didn't tell me? Did you think I'd immediately send the  story to the press?"

"It isn't like that," Clark said. "I do trust you, Lois. I  just didn't want..."

"Forget it, Clark. I don't really care," Lois interrupted,  grabbing some clothes from the closet and throwing them on  the bed beside the suitcase. "One thing I am curious about  though. When did you plan to tell me? Our first  anniversary? Our fifth anniversary? When the kids started  flying around the house?"

Clark looked down and played nervously with his wedding  band.

Lois stopped her frantic activity and looked at him. "You  weren't ever planning to tell me, were you?" she asked  hardly able to believe that she was asking a question, but  realizing the truth the moment she said the words out loud.

"You have to understand, Lois. I..."

"No, Clark. I don't have to understand." She walked over to  the dresser and pulled out some items of clothing before  making her way back to the bed. She tossed them in the  suitcase before spinning towards him. "I don't believe you!  Damn you, Clark Kent. Damn you to..."

"Lois, please. I just wanted to protect you."

"By lying to me?" she gasped in disbelief. "So tell me.  When you came to my apartment dressed in the Superman  costume, did you get a real kick out of breaking my heart?  Did it satisfy your male ego to be able to hurt me the way  I'd hurt you in the park earlier?"

"Of course not."

"And I'm to believe this because...?"

"Lois, please," said Clark, his heart breaking as he  watched her continue to pack her bags. "I wanted you to  know. I kept wishing that you did. I..."

"Clark, just quit," said Lois.

But this time Clark would not be quiet. Her bag was almost  packed. This was his last chance to stop her. "I didn't  tell you because I was afraid. I was afraid that if you  knew I was Superman, we wouldn't stand a chance. I knew I  couldn't be the Superman you wanted - not on a long term  basis. And if you had known you were marrying Superman, you  would have expected something I couldn't deliver. I could  only offer you Clark. Because, Lois, that's who I am.  Superman is just a way for me to use my powers and still  have a life of my own. A life with you. Please, don't go."

Lois hadn't looked at him throughout his confession.  Instead, she continued deliberately packing her bags.

"I love you, Lois," Clark continued.

"Love me?" Lois gasped in disbelief. She slammed the  suitcase closed and turned towards him. "You lied to me!  Deliberately! Over and over again! You married me, letting  me believe that you were someone you aren't! You let me  believe you were cheating on me rather than tell me the  truth! You don't love me, Clark. I'm not sure you even know  the meaning of the word!"

She snapped the locks on the suitcase closed and picked it  up, pushing her way past him to the door.

"Where are you going to go, Lois?"

"My apartment. At least, it hasn't been sublet yet."

"Perry's there," Clark reminded her.

"Then I'll go to a motel. Or I'll sleep on a park bench.  Anywhere but here."

"Stay here. I can go stay with my parents in Kansas if you  really don't want me here. You don't have to leave."

She turned back towards him. "I do have to leave," she  corrected. "I don't want any reminders of... of..." Her  hand gestured towards him, even as anger cut off her voice.  Her hand stopped in mid-air as her eyes caught sight of the  band of gold on her finger.

Clark held his breath, wondering if one of the reminders  she wanted to leave behind was her wedding ring. He let out  a breath of relief when, without removing her ring, she  lowered her hand and grabbed her bag before heading for the  door. She paused for only a moment as her eyes seemed to  focus on the banister. She looked disbelieving for a second  before giving a small sob and rushing for the door.

Clark cringed when the door slammed shut behind her. He  waited until he heard her descend the steps before heading  for the roof, spinning into the Superman suit and taking to  the sky. He watched from a distance as Lois hail a cab. He  followed until she was safely in a room in a moderately  priced motel before heading for Kansas.

* * * * * * * * *

"No. Stay right there. Make sure she doesn't decide to go  anywhere before I arrive," Luthor said into the phone. He  hung up and turned to a sleepy looking Nigel.

"The wait's over," Luthor said. "The games are about to  begin."

Nigel looked relieved. Maybe now he'd be able to get some  sleep.

"So," Luthor continued, not noticing Nigel's expression,  "how do I look?"

"Very handsome, sir," Nigel responded.

Luthor smiled, straightened his tie, grabbed the file on  his desk and headed for the door. "Make sure my car is  waiting for me by the time I get downstairs."

"Very good, sir."

* * * * * * * * *

Alex stuck the cell phone back in his pocket before turning  to his sidekick. "So exactly how are we to prevent her from  leaving?" he asked.

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe we won't have to worry  about it."

"Let's hope so," Alex responded.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 15

Lois stood just inside the door to the small motel room.  She looked distractedly at the dull, red carpet. It  undoubtedly had been a shag carpet when first installed,  but years of wear from hundreds of feet had demolished the  'shag.' She was vaguely aware of the cheap prints of  country scenes on the walls attempting to distract the  occupant from the peeling paint. Still, the room passed the  smell-test - it smelled clean, which was why Lois had  chosen this particular motel in the first place.

Lois closed her eyes and leaned against the door. Until  this moment, she had been too busy to think: hailing a cab;  giving the cabby instructions to insure he took the most  direct route to the motel; waking up the motel's proprietor  in order to rent a room. Now, however, there was nothing to  occupy her mind except what had happened between her and  Clark earlier.

Her throat suddenly contracted and tears began congregating  in the corners of her eyes. Her chest tightened and her  breath was soon coming in short, involuntary gasps. She had  let Clark into her heart. How could he have taken her  trust, knowing that he was deceiving her? But that was  exactly what he had done. Every time he'd run out to return  a video or call the police, every time he'd stood in front  of her in that sexy, tight-fitting suit, he'd been lying to  her. He had deliberately led her to believe he was two  different people. He had visited her as Superman - and  although he'd never pursued her in that guise, he had  certainly allowed her to swoon over him. At the same time,  he had resented her for it, insisting that she notice him  as Clark. His snide comments over the past year about her  feelings for Superman now took on a different meaning. She  had thought he was jealous of the superhero. Instead, he  had been contemptuous of her for not being able to see  through the facade. He had not only shown a lack of trust  in her, but utter contempt for her.

He claimed to love her. And she'd taken him at his word.  But how could he love her and still treat her like this?  How could he have married her without telling her the  truth? Granted, she didn't know much about love, but that  didn't sound like love to her. If it was, she wanted no  part of it.

Her mind drifted back to what she had seen while leaving  his apartment - finger-like indentations in the banister  where Clark had grabbed it when she'd entered the living  room in her negligee this evening. That had been one of the  most incredible moments in her life. This was one of the  worst. She felt as if she were on an emotional roller- coaster ride - highs and lows with no idea which one would  come next. She wished she knew how to get off, but the  conductor obviously had no intention of stopping the ride.

Her eyes drifted to the phone. She wished there was someone  she could call. But who? Clark was the person she always  sought out when she was hurting - but this time he was the  one who had inflicted the pain. Lucy? She walked to the  phone. Her hand landed on the receiver before she  hesitated. She couldn't talk to Lucy about this - not  without telling her that Clark was Superman. She closed her  eyes. She desperately needed someone. But as tempting as it  might be, she couldn't tell her sister. As much as she  might hate it, she had to protect this secret. Now that he  had told her the truth, she was as trapped by his secret as  he was.

"At least he isn't having an affair," she said. The comment  suddenly struck her as funny and she began to laugh. It was  only a short step from there to tears. And in a moment, she  was crying. It might be easier if he was having an affair.  She would know how to deal with that. This... This she had  no idea how to handle. It wasn't only the lies - it was the  fact that she was married to a man she didn't even know.

Superman was Clark. Clark was Superman. The concept itself  was overwhelming enough without the complications of  dealing with her husband's lies. But at least he wasn't  having an affair. The fact that she had just contradicted  herself didn't even occur to her as she sank down onto the  side of the bed.

She wasn't quite sure why she now knew he wasn't having an  affair. When she thought about it logically, there were  still a lot of things that indicated he was. The mysterious  woman's phone calls. The perfume and the lipstick. Even the  file. Clark being Superman explained none of that. It might  explain where he'd been this evening, but that was all it  explained. And given the fact that he had lied to her since  the day they'd met about who he was, there was no reason  she should believe him when he said he wasn't cheating on  her.

But she did. Why was that? She supposed there was a kind of  logic to Clark's assertions that because he was different,  he had not allowed anyone to get close enough to find out  about him. But that wasn't why she believed him. So why did  she?

She thought about making love to him tonight. What had  seemed earlier like deferring to her about how far they  should actually go now seemed to take on a new  significance. His hesitance, his willingness to let her to  take the lead, seemed more like a man who was embarking  into unfamiliar territory. But that wasn't the only reason  she believed him.

As bizarre as it might seem, he didn't seem to be very good  at lying. When he'd first slipped back into bed with her  after going to help out at the train accident, it had taken  all her interrogation skills, not to mention some serious  flirting, to get Clark to commit to being on the balcony.  He seemed to be trying to simply avoid the question. Then,  when he'd been trapped, and he'd had to tell an outright  lie, he'd fiddled nervously with his hands and been unable  to meet her eyes. He had to know how unbelievable that made  him look. Yet he had been unable to stop himself.

By contrast, when he had said she was the only woman he had  ever been with, he had seemed so embarrassed that she  couldn't help but believe him. He might have deceived her  about Superman, but she couldn't say that he had ever lied  to her about anything else. Except...

Her mind flashed back to the globe that had been stolen  from Clark's apartment not long ago. He'd lied about that.  So he wasn't above lying about things that didn't identify  him as... She shook her head slightly. That had been a lie  about Superman, too. At the time, she'd believed that he'd  lied because he wanted to keep Superman's globe for  himself. However, that wasn't it. He was Superman. It was  his globe. But when she had come up with the excuse for why  he hadn't told her about the globe, he'd simply not  corrected her.

She recalled another lie Clark had told. Clark had handed  in his resignation during the heat wave in Metropolis. He  had lied when he had told her he was leaving because he  wasn't comfortable with big city life. And she'd known he  was lying. It wasn't until now that she realized why he had  lied. Superman had been ordered to leave the city - since  the city thought he was responsible for the heat.

So had he ever lied to her about anything other than  Superman? She couldn't recall a single example of that. She  pulled in a jagged breath. He really was the last honest  man. He might have lied to her repeatedly, but only about  one thing. And wasn't that what he had claimed tonight?

Not that it mattered. He'd still lied to her about who he  really was. Who was this man she had married? She had told  him she didn't know him any more. 'You know me, Lois. I'm  Clark. Your best friend. The man you worked with this past  year and the man you married. I'm still me. And I still  love you.' She pulled in another jagged breath. She still  loved him, too. God help her, but she did.

"Why couldn't you have just trusted me, Clark?" she asked  the absent man. But instead of trusting her, he'd lied to  her. Over and over again. Lies of misdirection. Lies of  omission. Lies of deception. How could she be married to a  man who wouldn't tell her the truth about something as  basic as who he really was?

She lay down on the bed and curled up in the fetal  position, hugging a pillow. It was only moments before her  breathing became labored. Seconds after that, the tears  came again. She'd married Clark so that she wouldn't be  alone. Now... Now she wasn't sure she'd ever been more  alone. She had this huge secret that was tearing her apart  and the only person who she could talk to about it was the  one who had inflicted the pain.

She wept for the loss of her best friend. She wept for the  loss of her hero. Another betrayal by another man - two  other men. After all, Superman was as guilty as Clark. She  wept over her own stupidity in allowing herself to fall in  love. She wept over how alone she was in the world. She  wept until the sobs were replaced by that peculiar form of  hiccups that comes only after tears.

"Clark," she breathed through the hiccups. "How could  you..." Hick. "... do this to me?"

* * * * * * * * *

Luthor smiled when Alex returned from outside Lois' motel  room to inform him that Lois was alone and that he had  heard her crying. She was primed for his arrival. Taking  one final look at his appearance, he instructed his  chauffeur to drive the limo into the motel parking lot.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois' heart leapt at the sound of a knock on the door.  Clark! It had to be Clark. He had undoubtedly made sure he  knew where she was going. She thought she'd caught a  glimpse of red and blue in the shadows when she'd first  arrived at the motel. Her heart rushed to throw open the  door, but her mind hesitated. As strong as Clark's pull was  on her heart, that was how great her mind's pull was on the  rest of her.

"Lois?" asked a man's voice.

It took Lois a moment to recognize the voice. Lex? What was  he doing here?

"Just a minute," she called towards the door while  scampering off the bed. She quickly splashed some water on  her face before heading for the door.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark pulled some nails from the glass jar in his father's  work shop in the barn and made his way to the loose boards.  He took out a nail and stuck the tip in one of the boards.  He gave it a slight tap with his finger.

Bang.

The nail went into the board. He took a second nail and did  the same.

Bang.

When he had arrived at the farm, he'd realized that it was  the middle of the night. He couldn't wake his parents.  Besides, they would be up in a few hours. On the other  hand, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he had  wandered around the barn. He had already managed to clean  out the barn and take some large bags of feed up into the  hay loft. That was when he had discovered the loose boards.

Bang.

He sighed. How could Lois simply walk out on him like that?  They were married. That was why he hadn't left earlier.  Married couples stayed and worked through their problems.  They didn't run away from them. Besides, he had told her  the truth. What did she want from him? He couldn't change  who he was, and he couldn't change what he'd done. What  else was there for him to do?

Bang.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never... Clark's  thought trailed off when he felt something soft and mushy  beneath his foot. He looked down and sighed. 'What a  perfect response to that idiotic saying,' Clark thought as  he worked to scrape the horse manure off his running shoe.  Once he was finished, he removed another nail from his  mouth.

Bang.

"Clark?" gasped his father's voice.

Clark turned around to see both his parents in the entrance  way to the barn. His mother was hidden slightly behind his  father while his father had a shovel grasped in his hands.  Clark quickly pulled the remaining nails out of his mouth.

"What are you two doing up so early?" he asked.

"What are we..." Jonathan began before looking helplessly  at his wife.

"You were making enough noise out here to wake the dead,  Clark," said Martha.

Clark had the good manners to at least look embarrassed.

"What's wrong, son?" asked Jonathan, finally setting the  shovel down and approaching Clark.

"Lois left me," Clark said dejectedly, sticking the nails  in the pocket of his jeans, along with his hands.

* * * * * * * * *

"What are you doing here? How did you even know I was  here?" asked Lois in quick succession as she stood in the  doorway to her room, staring into the eyes of Lex Luthor.

"One question at a time, my dear," said Luthor. "Might I  come in and then I'll explain everything."

Lois didn't move.

Luthor nodded. "Okay, how did I know you were here?" he  asked. When she nodded, he continued. "It was a coincidence  really," he began. "I happen to know the man who owns this  motel. He knew that we were involved - thought we still  were, actually. When you checked in, looking upset, he  called me."

"Then what are you doing here?" asked Lois suspiciously.

"I came to make sure you were all right," Luthor said,  giving her a sympathetic look.

"I'm fine," Lois said, knowing that she undoubtedly looked  anything but fine, but almost daring him to challenge the  obvious lie. He didn't.

"I also came because I have some information for you," he  said instead.

"What sort of information?" Lois asked.

Luthor glanced around briefly. "May I come in? I don't  think this is a conversation we should have out here." When  she didn't respond, he continued. "It's about Kent," he  informed her. "Apparently, the man I had investigating Kent  didn't get my message to stop his investigation. After you  came by this evening, I gave him a call. And..." He  hesitated, as if no longer certain of his course of action.

"And?" asked Lois.

"Well, he found something else," Luthor conceded.  "Something that I thought you should know."

Lois hesitated for only a moment more. What if his  investigator had found out about the connection between  Clark and Superman? If that was the case, she really didn't  want to have this conversation where anyone could overhear.  She moved to the side, allowing Lex to enter. Once he was  inside, she closed the door and gestured him to the single  chair before taking a seat on the side of the bed.

"So what did he find out?" Lois asked a little nervously,  trying to prepare her reaction if the investigator had  found out that Clark was Superman. Shock? Disbelief?  Laughter? Yes, definitely laughter - as if she had never  found anything quite as ridiculous.

Lex handed her a file. She took a deep breath before  opening it. Given what she was expecting, she gasped when  she realized what she was actually looking at. She looked  at Lex in confusion before turning her attention back to  the file. It was nothing but a continuation of the previous  file she had seen, giving interviews with a number of women  who Clark had allegedly had affairs with since coming to  Metropolis. She skipped quickly through the file until she  came to the end. On the final page she found a report about  a woman Clark had apparently been with since marrying her -  yesterday afternoon, in fact - when he'd come home reeking  of perfume. She stared at the picture of the stunning  redhead, trying to digest this new information.

"I'm so sorry," said Luthor, reaching out to place his hand  over hers.

She jumped back when his hand touched hers, dislodging it.  She stared at him in disbelief for a minute more before  Clark's words came back to her. 'Don't you see what he's  trying to do?' Clark had asked. 'He's trying to destroy our  marriage! How can you not see that?' Suddenly, everything  was crystal clear. Clark had been right! Lex had  undoubtedly orchestrated the whole thing: the phoney file;  the strange phone calls; probably even Clark's strange  encounter with the perfume lady. How could she have been so  blind? Lex hadn't taken her response to his proposal  graciously - he'd just been biding his time until he could  drive a wedge between her and Clark!

"How dare you?" snarled Lois rising to her feet and  throwing the file back at Lex. "Clark was right! You are  trying to destroy our marriage."

"I don't know what..." Luthor began, looking completely  shocked by Lois' reaction.

Lois stormed to the door and threw it open. "Get out!" she  exclaimed. When he didn't move, she raised her voice. "Get  out now, before I yell 'rape'."

That seemed to get Luthor's attention. He rose to his feet  and made his way towards her. "Lois..." he said in a  placating tone of voice.

"If you ever," she continued, cutting him off, "make up  things about Clark again or ever again try to interfere in  my marriage, I'll..."

"How can you think I'd do that?" gasped Luthor, finally  seeming to recover some of his composure. "I'm sorry that  you don't want to hear this, but I swear, Lois, I wouldn't  make up things to hurt you. I'm just trying to be a  friend."

"A friend!" Lois responded. "You have the nerve to show me  that... that... garbage," she continued, gesturing to the  file in Luthor's hands, "and you claim to be a friend! Get  out, Lex. I don't need friends like you. And in the future  if you decide to be a friend, forget it. I thought you  understood. I love Clark! And nothing you can do will ever  change that."

"Then what are you doing here?" asked Luthor, pointing out  the obvious.

Lois glanced around the motel room for a moment. During her  tirade, she'd forgotten that she had left Clark. Of course,  Lex didn't know the reason she was currently staying at  this motel. And that was something she had no intention of  discussing with him. He must have assumed it was because of  the previous file he'd given her and had come to make sure  he drove the final nail in the coffin of her marriage. What  he didn't know, couldn't know, was that she now knew that  Clark wasn't cheating on her. That meant there was only one  explanation for the file - Lex was trying to destroy her  marriage.

"Get out!" she barked. When he stepped outside and turned  back as if he would speak again, she slammed the door in  his face.

* * * * * * * * *

"I need you to fly me to Metropolis," Martha said when  Clark had finished filling his parents in on what had  transpired between him and Lois earlier - well, most of it  anyway.

Clark glanced in confusion between his mother and father.  "Metropolis?" he asked.

His mother nodded.

"Your mom and I talked about what we should do when Lois  found out and..."

"When Lois found out?" interrupted Clark. "How did you know  she'd find out?"

"Clark, you really can't have believed you could keep this  from her indefinitely?" asked Martha in disbelief.

"Well, I..." Clark began. Suddenly, he hesitated. He had  thought he could keep this from Lois. After all, she hadn't  figured it out during the past year. On the other hand,  Lois was no fool. And there was a big difference between  keeping this from her when she was his partner and keeping  this from her when she was living with him. "I guess I  wasn't really thinking."

"We noticed," responded Martha. "Anyway, we talked about it  and decided that when Lois found out, I'd go talk to her  while you talked to your dad. So I need you to fly me to  Metropolis."

"But... But I need you," Clark objected. "Both of you."

"Son, Lois needs someone, too," said Jonathan. "And who  else is there? After all, this isn't the type of thing that  she can talk about with just anyone."

Clark chewed his lower lip for a moment before nodding. "I  guess that's okay. Convince her to come back to me?" Clark  asked, sounding as if this was his last hope.

"That's not exactly my primary concern at the moment,"  responded Martha. To her son's look, she continued. "Clark,  I can only begin to imagine the amount of pain Lois is in  right now. You've been deliberately lying to her. She must  feel betrayed, confused and very alone. Right now she just  needs someone to talk to."

"But..." Clark looked helplessly between his parents.  "You're supposed to be on my side," he objected.

"We love you, Clark," his mother began. "And we do want  what's best for you. But when you married Lois, she became  as much a part of this family as you are. That means we're  on her side, too. So I need you to fly me to Metropolis."

* * * * * * * * *

Part 16

A small twitch developed in Luthor's left eye that  coincided perfectly with the tightness in his chest. Twice!  Not only had she rejected him once, but twice! And he'd  allowed it to happen. Well, no more! It was time to teach  that little bitch a lesson she would never forget. A quick  and painless death was too good for her.

He took a few deep breaths, but the attempt to calm himself  failed as the smoky glass known as fury dropped in front of  his eyes, clouding his vision. Lois' reaction to the file  made absolutely no sense. She'd left Kent. He could only  assume it was because she believed Kent was having an  affair. It was the only thing that made any sense given the  timing of her move to a small motel room. Yet she'd  instantly rejected the contents of this new file and, for  the first time, had seen through his motives.

Not that it particularly mattered why she had rejected him.  The important thing was that after his trip to see Lois, he  knew there was no point in proceeding with this plan. It  was time to wrap this up. He had wasted enough time on this  as it was. This was his greatest test. Today he would prove  to himself that he could do anything - that he could even  destroy the woman he loved. And then maybe these demons  that were causing this tightness in his chest would finally  leave him alone.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" asked a now exhausted looking  Nigel.

"Yes, Nigel. The plan has changed. Implement our back-up  plan immediately," demanded Luthor.

"Tonight, sir?" asked Nigel.

"Yes, Nigel. We strike while the iron's hot. We have to  coordinate this so that the attack on Kent and the attack  on Lois come at the same time. Call Joe the Blow. He has  things ready to deal with Kent."

"Do you really think it's safe to use him so soon again  after his job on the Daily Planet?" Nigel asked. He knew he  was being presumptuous challenging Luthor. But his boss  seemed to be coming unglued. There was a slightly wild look  in his eyes and his movements were almost frantic. If he  didn't know better, he'd be tempted to think that Lois Lane  had pushed Luthor over the edge. Maybe if he could just get  his boss to delay this for a day or two, he might once  again get his bearings.

Not that Nigel had any problems orchestrating the demise of  Lois Lane. She had been a thorn in his side for far too  long as it was. He was just concerned that given Luthor's  emotional state at the moment, mistakes might be made that  couldn't be undone.

"Yes, Nigel, I do. And call Gretchen Kelly. Tell her to get  things set up at her lab. I assume the kryptonite cage is  there?"

"Yes, sir. It's all set up."

"Then we're ready."

"Might I suggest that we wait a few days. It might be  easier to coordinate the timing if..."

"This happens tonight," Luthor interrupted. "By tomorrow,  Lois Lane will be out of my system for good. I will have  destroyed, not only Lois and that wimpy husband of hers,  but my arch-nemesis, Superman. I will have proven to myself  that no morality, no sentimentality will ever stand in my  way. I will have proven that I can do anything I set my  mind to."

"Do you really think Superman will come for her - after she  spurned him for Kent?" Nigel asked, making one last effort  to get Luthor to think things through.

"He'll come, Nigel. That's one of the things in life you  can count on. If Lois is in trouble, Superman will make an  appearance. Now get going!"

"Yes, sir," Nigel responded, finally giving in to the  inevitable. He could only do his best to minimize any  mistakes that might result from this hastily implemented  plan. But once things were in place... Maybe it was time  for him to look into alternate employment possibilities.

* * * * * * * * *

"Go away," Lois yelled when there was another knock at the  door.

"Lois, it's Martha," said a voice in return.

Lois quickly moved to a sitting position on the bed and  looked at the time. It was just after five a.m. What was  Martha doing in Metropolis? She shook her head. What was  she thinking? Clark had obviously flown her here - probably  to plead his case. She was tempted not to answer, not  wanting to hear anyone extol Clark's virtues at the moment.  But not answering really wasn't an option. This was her  mother-in-law, after all. She got up and made her way to  the door.

"Hi, Martha," said Lois, opening the door.

"I know it's rude to stick my nose in where it doesn't  belong, but I thought..."

"Clark told you," Lois said rather than asked.

Martha nodded.

"Everything?" Lois asked this time. She assumed Martha knew  that Clark was Superman, but Clark hadn't actually told her  that, so...

Martha answered the question by tracing an 's' symbol on  her chest. Lois let out a breath and stepped aside,  gesturing Martha to enter. It was probably best to just let  Martha say her piece and then send her away as quickly as  possible.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark searched the house for his father when he arrived  back in Kansas. Yet no one was home. He stretched out with  his hearing and picked up a familiar sound. It took him a  moment to identify it - milk hitting tin. He quickly made  his way out to the barn to see his father sitting beside  one of the two milk cows his mother insisted on keeping so  that they could have fresh milk. Between his father's knees  was a bucket and his father was expertly milking the cow.

Squirt, squirt. Squirt, squirt. Squirt, squirt.

"Well, don't just stand there," said his father without  turning his attention from his task. "Betsy needs to be  milked, too."

Clark quickly grabbed a bucket and the damp cloth his  father had used earlier and pulled a stool up beside Betsy.

"It's okay, girl," said Clark when Betsy indicated unease  at having an unfamiliar pair of hands cleaning her udder.  Clark steadied the bucket between his legs and took two  diagonal teats in his hands. It was just like riding a  bike. It only took a minute for the procedure he'd learned  as a boy to come back to him.

Squirt, squirt. Squirt, squirt. Squirt, squirt.

"I don't understand why Mom is taking Lois' side in this.  Lois walked out on me, after all," said Clark once he was  fully engrossed in his task.

"Did we ever tell you the story of when your mother first  told her parents that we were courting?" asked Jonathan.

"No."

"You know that your grandparents, your mother's parents,  didn't exactly approve of me."

"Yeah."

"Well, that was because they were from a segment of society  that I had no hopes of ever joining - or any desire to fit  into. I met your mother when she came to Smallville one  summer to visit a friend from school. It was during the  summer before her final year of high school. I fell in love  with her immediately - although it was a long time before I  worked up the nerve to ask her to marry me and almost as  long after that before she said yes. But that's a different  story.

"When she first mentioned me to her parents, they were  furious. As you know, I had to drop out of high school to  run the farm when my dad died. And I was several years  older than your mom. Her father was a banker and I guess  they had plans to see her married to a doctor or a lawyer  or maybe a rising political star." Jonathan gave a slight  chuckle. "I'm not sure why I'm laughing," he admitted. "It  wasn't at all funny at the time. And looking back now, I  can even see why they might have had reservations. I mean,  she deserved so much better than me."

"Dad..."

"Anyway, we decided the best way to handle the situation  was the direct approach. I would go to Wichita with her to  meet her parents. Once they saw how much we cared about  each other, they were sure to approve. I remember showing  up at her parents' place, all decked out in my best suit  and tie - which probably made me look like more of a  country-bumpkin than if I had been wearing my old overalls.

"Well, it didn't work quite the way we'd planned. There was  a huge scene. I don't remember much about it except for the  amount of yelling that took place and that your mother was  in tears. Finally, her mother demanded to know what made me  think I was good enough for her little girl. After all, I  was only a simple farmer. I couldn't offer her the life  they had made for her."

"What did you say?" asked Clark.

Jonathan chuckled. "I told her to stuff a sock in it,  grabbed your mother's hand and pulled her out of there. I'm  not sure who looked more shocked - your mother or your  grandmother. Anyway, afterwards we kept our relationship  secret. I'd go to Wichita every chance I got. Once her  parents were convinced that we were no longer seeing each  other, they even agreed to her coming to stay with her  friend for a while. All this time, we kept our relationship  a secret. Until, of course, your mother agreed to marry me.  But even then... even after we got married, they refused to  accept me."

"What does this have to do with Lois and me?"

"Martha's parents never really forgave her for marrying me.  Oh, she would go to see them on occasion. Once or twice,  when you were young, she even took you with her. But I was  never welcome in their house. I think their attitude  towards me hurt your mother more than it hurt me. She loved  them and she loved me. But to them I was just the unwelcome  in-law."

"So when I got married, Mom decided that she was going to  treat Lois as if she was much a part of this family as I  am?"

His father nodded. "At least, that's my take on it.  Besides, your mother adores Lois."

There was silence as both men continued with their task.

"Still," said Clark, "that doesn't explain why it seems  like Mom is taking Lois' side in this. Lois is the one who  walked out on me. I wanted to talk about it. She's the one  who left. And in a marriage, you don't leave. You talk  things out. Trust me, there were moments during the evening  when I was tempted to leave, but I didn't! Lois did!"

For a long time Jonathan didn't respond. "Do you remember  when I came to see you in Metropolis because I thought your  mother was having an affair?" he finally asked.

"Yeah," said Clark. "But that wasn't..." His voice trailed  off.

"Sometimes a person needs some distance to put things in  perspective. That's true even after thirty years of  marriage."

"But..."

"Lois needs some perspective. And I know how that feels.  After a few days away from your mom, I realized how much I  loved her and that, if necessary, I had to fight for her.  That's why I got her the flowers."

"But I didn't do anything wrong!" objected Clark. "I just  wanted to protect her. Why can't she understand that?"

"You did this to protect her?" asked Jonathan.

"Of course. I knew I couldn't give her Superman. I didn't  want her to marry me expecting him. And she was the one who  was so determined to get married."

"And that's the only reason you didn't tell her?" Jonathan  asked, rising from where he'd finished milking the cow.

"Well, I also didn't tell her because she always seemed to  change whenever Superman was around and I didn't want to  lose the other part of Lois - the part that babbles, that  argues, that runs out and gets in trouble. If I had told  her, it would have destroyed that part of her. I couldn't  let that happen."

"And those are the only reasons?" Jonathan asked, setting  the bucket down on the work bench and turning to wait for  his son to finish. "Clark?" Jonathan asked when Clark  didn't answer.

"Okay, so maybe, when things started going well, I did have  other reasons, too. But that doesn't mean my initial  reasons weren't legitimate."

"What other reasons?"

Clark cleared his throat. "Well, things were going so well.  She was starting to fall in love with me - Clark. I mean,  she told me tonight, before she found out... you know, that  she was in love with me. Maybe part of the reason I didn't  tell her was that I was scared of losing her."

"Clark, loving someone means talking about the things that  are tough. You chose to deliberately lie to Lois. You have  to own up to that. Unless you do, the two of you will never  get past this. And I don't mean just admitting your fears  for her if you told her. But telling her that you were  afraid for you, too."

The sound of milk in the bucket was waning. Clark quickly  finished stripping the cow, rose and went over to where his  father was standing before speaking again.

"I know I shouldn't have lied to her, Dad. I guess I've  known deep inside that I was wrong for some time," he  admitted. "But by the time I finally realized that you and  Mom were right when you told me I should tell Lois about  Superman, it was too late. I was scared that I'd lose  everything." He looked down. "I guess I was right." He  snorted. "I was so determined to keep what I had that I  lost it. And now it's too late. I can't change who I am or  what I've done so..."

"Did I ever tell you about when your mom and I found out  that we couldn't have children?"

Clark shook his head.

"We had been trying for almost a year to get pregnant.  Without telling me, Martha went to see Doc Newton. She was  afraid that there might be something wrong with her. So she  had him run a number of tests."

"Without telling you?"

"Without telling me," Jonathan confirmed. "Anyway, even  after she was told that it was unlikely she'd ever be able  to have children, she still didn't tell me."

"What?" gasped Clark.

"I only found out by accident. Normally, your mother opens  the mail when it comes. But one day she was in town when  the mail arrived. I was confused when I saw a doctor's  bill. I opened it and I called Doc Newton to find out what  it was all about. He assumed I knew and..." He shook his  head. "By the time your mother got home, I had worked  myself into a fury. I was, of course, upset about her  inability to have children. But her failure to tell me... I  said a lot of things that night that I didn't mean."

"So what happened?"

"I spent the night at Wayne's. And then the next day, I  moved into the room that is now yours. But after a few of  the worst days of my life, I realized that most of my anger  wasn't directed at your mother. It was at the situation:  our inability to have children. And once I realized that, I  realized how much she needed me, and how much I needed her.  In the end, we found our way back to each other. You were  an unexpected bonus."

"I never knew any of that," said Clark.

Jonathan shrugged. "Well, it wasn't our finest hour. We  both said and did a lot of things that we aren't proud of.  But the point is, we got through it. And we learned from  it."

"Do you really think Lois and I can get through this?"  asked Clark.

"I don't know, son. But if you don't do everything in your  power to get that woman back, you're a fool."

Clark gave a slight chuckle. "The problem is that I don't  even know where to start," Clark admitted.

"Flowers," said Jonathan with conviction. "Women can never  resist flowers."

* * * * * * * * *

"Listen, Martha," began Lois when Martha was finally  seated. "I don't mean to be rude. And I do appreciate the  gesture - your coming to Metropolis and everything. But I  just don't think..."

"I didn't come here to defend Clark's actions, honey,"  Martha interrupted. "Clark is at home, talking to his  father. I just thought you might need someone, too. After  all, it isn't as if you can tell your family or friends  what's going on."

Lois stared blankly at her mother-in-law for a long moment.  It was almost inconceivable to her that Clark's mother  could really be here as her friend - to give her someone to  talk to. If their situations were reversed, Lois had no  doubt that it wouldn't occur to her mother to even wonder  how Clark was feeling. Still, was it such a good idea  confiding in Clark's mother? After all, if she and Clark  did manage to work things out...

"What's the problem?" Martha asked when Lois failed to  respond.

"I'm just afraid that if I say something..." Her voice  trailed off.

"You're afraid I'll be upset if you say something against  Clark?"

Lois nodded.

"I love my son, Lois. But I also know that he can be a  mutton-headed dolt sometimes. In that way, he's a lot like  his father."

Lois gave Martha a watery smile. "You really came here for  me?" she asked in a small voice.

"When you and Clark married, I got the daughter I always  wanted. And right now, I figure my daughter needs my  support," Martha responded.

Lois fought back the new tears that were threatening to  fall. She really did need someone to talk to, but this was  Clark's mother. 'What the hell,' she finally thought,  sinking down onto the side of the bed.

"I don't really know where to start," Lois began after a  moment. "It's just so overwhelming, you know."

"I know. That's sort of how we felt when we found a baby in  a space craft in Schuster's field."

"Why didn't he tell me, Martha?" Lois asked, her voice  breaking slightly on the words. "He claims he loves me. He  even married me. But he never told me the truth. How could  he have done that?"

"Oh, honey, you have to understand Clark. I think he was  scared to tell you."

"Why? I don't bite - at least not much. He could have told  me," Lois objected.

"And he should have. But... it wasn't that easy. You were  so infatuated with Superman."

"But he is Superman!"

"No, he isn't. Superman is just a costume he wears so that  he can use his incredible gifts to help others." When Lois  looked confused, Martha continued. "Do you remember when  you first started working at the Planet?"

"Of course, but what..."

"On your first day, what did you wear?"

Lois stared blankly at Martha for a moment before deciding  to play this game. "I had bought a new suit the day  before."

"And how did you feel when you first put that outfit on?"

Lois took a moment to think back. "I felt like a phony. I  had been wearing mostly jeans and t-shirts at university. I  kept thinking that maybe if I looked the part no one would  realize that I was just a kid who didn't know what she was  doing instead of a reporter."

"I think that's how Clark feels when he puts on the  Superman suit. He almost always refers to Superman as if  he's talking about someone else. He used to be scared that  he was losing himself to the man in the red, yellow and  blue suit. I think in some ways he still is."

"But why didn't he tell me? I would have understood."

"Lois, you were so infatuated with Superman that I think  Clark was worried that if he told you, you wouldn't see him  anymore - that you'd only see Superman. If that had  happened, he really would have lost himself to the  disguise."

Lois took a moment to digest that information before  speaking again. "You know, I used to think he was actually  jealous of Superman."

"I think he is," answered Martha, much to Lois' shock.

"But why..." began Lois. Her voice trailed off, unable to  even find the words to ask the question. She could  understand, perhaps, Clark feeling like a phony when he was  in the suit - she still often felt that way about being a  reporter. It was one of the reasons she worked so hard. But  why on Earth would Clark be jealous of Superman?

"Well, think about how the world treats Superman. It's  almost as if he's a god in a cape - unable to do anything  wrong. But now that you know that he's Clark, you know he  is anything but perfect. I think he often feels as if he  can't compete with his creation."

"Especially with me," Lois concluded, looking intently at  her hands.

"Especially with you," Martha confirmed. "Now, don't get me  wrong. The reason Clark invented Superman was so that he  could have a normal life. I think it was just a little  overwhelming when the woman he'd fallen in love with seemed  to have fallen in love with his creation instead of the  man."

"Omigod," gasped Lois. Then to Martha's look, she  continued. "Did Clark tell you that after he first told me  he loved me, I met with Superman?" When Martha shook her  head, Lois continued. "I told Superman... Omigod, I must  have hurt him so much. No wonder he didn't think he could  tell me."

"You told Superman?" asked Martha trying to get the tearful  Lois back on track.

Lois pulled in a jagged breath. "I told Superman I would  love him if he was just an ordinary man. I told him that  just after I told Clark I didn't feel that way about him.  No wonder Superman didn't believe me."

"You didn't know, honey. Clark didn't want you to know. You  can't blame yourself for that."

"You know the ironic part. I realized last night that  Superman was right. I didn't really know him at all. It was  Clark I'd loved all along."

"I know, Lois," said Martha softly. "I've known that you  loved Clark since you came to Smallville. I knew when I saw  you hug Clark after Trask almost killed him."

"Almost?" asked Lois in confusion. "Kryptonite," she  gasped. "It's real?"

Martha nodded. "At the time, Clark was no more super  than... Batman."

"Why didn't I know - that I loved him, I mean?" asked Lois,  deciding not to get side-tracked by the kryptonite issue.  She'd file that information away for further reflection  later.

"Lois, knowing one's heart is never easy - especially when  that heart has been broken time and time again."

There was a long period of silence while Lois grappled with  all this new information. "It just hurts so much, Martha,"  Lois confessed. "I might be able to understand on an  intellectual level why he didn't tell me, but... Whatever  his reasons, he had no right to lie to me. Not about  something like this."

"I know, honey. And you're right. He should have told you.  I'm certainly not trying to justify his behavior, but I  want you to at least understand it. When Clark made the  decision never to tell anyone, it was because he wanted to  fit in. He wanted to be like everyone else. But he  couldn't. Not really. It used to kill me to watch him  having to hide so much of who he was. When he met you, for  the first time I started to think that maybe my boy  wouldn't be alone forever."

"When he met me?"

Martha nodded. "I knew he'd fallen for you the first time  he mentioned you - just after he started working at the  Daily Planet."

"But I was horrible to him back then," said Lois.

"I think that was part of the appeal. Clark is a good- looking guy. He usually has to fight them off with a stick.  Actually, he uses this naive act most of the time - you  know, pretending he's not aware that the woman is  interested - but the effect is the same. The woman can't  reach him and eventually gives up. Then he met you. You  were completely indifferent to him. I think that was what  got his attention. It wasn't far from there to falling in  love."

Lois sniffled. "Understanding why Clark kept this from me  doesn't help. He still hurt me. I never believed he'd do  that. I feel as if I never really knew him."

"I know. But I also know how hard it is to tell someone you  love something you don't think they are going to want to  hear." Martha paused, looking as if she was struggling with  whether to tell Lois this next part. "Did you know that I  can't have children?" she asked.

"No, I didn't," responded Lois.

"Well, I can't. I didn't know that was the case when I  married Jonathan." She gave a small, wistful smile. "We  used to talk about filling the old farm house up with  children. Anyway, although we didn't officially start  trying to get pregnant until we'd been married for a couple  of years, I hadn't exactly been trying not to get pregnant  before then. After about a year of 'trying', I started to  suspect that we had a problem. I tried to share my fears  with Jonathan a couple of times, but when he'd tell me not  to worry, I couldn't quite bring myself to pursue the  discussion. So I went, on my own, to see Doc Newton."

"And?"

"He told me I couldn't have children. I was devastated. But  more than that, I was scared."

"Why?"

"I was young. I had lost my family when I married Jonathan  and I knew how much he wanted children. I was absolutely  terrified that he would resent me for not being able to  give him that. Looking back now, I know I was being  irrational. But at the time, I was absolutely convinced I  was going to lose everything. So I told myself that the  doctor had made a mistake. There was no need to tell  Jonathan because it wasn't true. It's amazing what you can  convince yourself of in order to avoid dealing with  reality."

"What happened?"

"When Jonathan did find out, I think he was almost as upset  that I hadn't told him as he was that I couldn't get  pregnant. For the next month, I would wake up every morning  thinking I'd lost him. Even after he forgave me for not  telling him, I kept thinking that it was only a matter of  time before he decided to leave me for someone who could  give him children. And there was a school teacher in  town... I had seen the way she looked at Jonathan.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that we had to decide if  our love was strong enough to overcome not only my  inability to have children, but my inability to trust  Jonathan's love for me sufficiently to tell him the truth.  I guess you now have the same decision to make."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lois and Martha  looked at each other for a moment. "Who's there?" asked  Martha.

"Twenty-Four Hour Flowers," said a young man's bored voice  on the other side of the door. Martha got up and opened the  door. "You Lois Lane-Kent?"

"She is," said Martha gesturing to Lois who was coming up  behind her.

"Then these are for you," said the man, handing Lois a  white flower box.

After Lois tipped the delivery boy and Martha closed the  door, Lois carried the box over to a small desk and set it  down. Opening it, she saw a dozen red roses with a note on  top. She quickly withdrew the note and read it. She pulled  in a sharp breath.

"What does it say?" asked Martha.

Lois handed Martha the note who proceeded to read the words  out loud. "I have loved you from the beginning."

"It's what he had engraved on the inside of my wedding  ring. Why did he have to go and do this?" she asked,  gesturing to the flowers.

"It's the first step in his plan to woo you back," Martha  explained.

"How do you know?"

"Please!" said Martha. "It's the first thing every married  man does when he's behaved like an idiot. Flowers. They  announce that he's decided you're worth fighting for."

"How do you know?"

"I've been married for thirty years, honey. And trust me,  during that time, Jonathan has done some pretty stupid  things."

"But, you two seem so happy," Lois said in confusion.

"Well, we love each other, if that's what you mean. But  that doesn't mean we both haven't been known to inflict our  share of hurt. But we've always managed to work past it. Is  that what you want to do with Clark?"

Lois fiddled nervously with the flowers for a moment before  saying, "I don't know, Martha. I just don't know if I have  it in me to trust him again. I still love him, but... do I  really even know him - the real him?" Lois managed to choke  out the last few words before once again dissolving in  tears. This time, however, she wasn't alone. Martha was  beside her in an instant, and Lois was lost in her embrace  as Martha gently rocked her and made soothing sounds into  her ear.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 17

The black of night had been replaced by the rich before-dawn blue when Clark arrived back in Metropolis. He  hesitated for only a moment before landing on the balcony  of his apartment in the Superman suit. There was no longer  a need to change first - after all, Lois now knew. Besides,  Lois wasn't here.

The knowledge of her absence suddenly felt like a knife  plunging into his stomach. Over the past twelve days, he'd  gotten so used to Lois being here when he came home. Would  she ever be here again? Or had he destroyed everything?

He spun into his Clark clothes and began wandering absently  around the apartment. His hand ran across the back of the  couch. Had it really only been a couple days ago that he'd  been lying on that couch, Lois straddling him. Her eyes had  positively danced while she'd tickled him. Would she ever  look at him that way again? Or hereafter, would she only  look at him the way she had this evening - as if she were  regarding a stranger.

As he picked up the picture of him with his parents, he  sighed. Lois had been standing in this same position,  looking at this same picture when she'd come to tell him  that she would marry him. That had been one of the  highlights in his life - a moment he would never forget.  'Yes, Clark. I will marry you.'

He quickly set down the picture. Yet everywhere he went,  there seemed to be another piece of her - another memory  specifically designed to haunt him. The landing, where  she'd stormed in looking for Superman when he'd first  rented the apartment. The balcony where she'd sipped tea  and she'd put her head on his shoulder as she talked about  flying with Superman. The bed where... No! He wouldn't even  think about what had happened in that bed. A place that had  seemed like a home without her only a couple of weeks ago  now seemed so incredibly empty. Would he ever be  comfortable here without her again?

His father was right. He hadn't done this to protect Lois.  Instead, he'd allowed fear to dictate his actions. Once she  accepted his proposal, he should have told her everything.  When they arrived at the honeymoon suite at the Lexor, he  should have told her. Before they consummated their  marriage, he should have told her. After they'd consummated  their marriage, he should have told her. Even when she'd  asked where he'd been when he was crawling back into bed...  Even then, he should have told her. There had been dozens  of opportunities. And if he hadn't waited until their was  no other option, maybe he wouldn't have hurt her as badly  as he had. He had been a coward. He had to find a way to  win her back.

No matter what, he'd find a way. He had to. Life without  her was just too horrible to contemplate.

He walked to the phone. He knew, in spite of the early  hour, that she wouldn't be asleep. It only took him a  moment to make his decision. He had to hear her voice. He  needed to tell her how much he loved her, how much she  meant to him. He picked up the phone book. Once he'd found  the number he was looking for, he placed a call. His hand  was damp with sweat as he waited for an answer.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois jumped slightly when the phone began to ring.

"Are you going to answer that?" asked Martha when Lois  still hadn't moved towards the phone after the second ring.

"It's him, isn't it," said Lois.

"Probably," Martha conceded.

Ring.

"I'm not ready to talk to him, Martha," Lois admitted, her  eyes glued to the phone.

"Do you want me to get it?"

Ring.

Lois bit her lower lip and studied the phone as she  considered the question.

Ring.

Lois jumped again. Then she looked at Martha and nodded.  Martha got up and made her way to the phone.

"Don't tell him I'm here," Lois said in desperation as  Martha's hand landed on the phone.

"I don't think he'll believe that," Martha said, giving  Lois an understanding smile. "But don't worry." With those  words, she picked up the phone.

Lois listened intently as Martha said hello to the person  on the other end of the line. She didn't need to hear both  sides of the conversation to know what must be being said.

"She doesn't want to talk to you right now, honey," said  Martha. "No, Clark, I don't think you should come here.  Lois needs more time." Pause.

"Well, you hurt her pretty badly." Pause.

"I don't know. But I suspect groveling will be involved."  Pause.

"Yes, the flowers arrived. They are beautiful, honey. But I  don't think they're going to solve this." Pause.

"No, honey, I can't force her to talk to you if she doesn't  want to." Pause.

"Oh, honey, I do love you. But I'm not the person you  hurt."

Lois got up off the bed and wandered restlessly around the  room. It was obvious from the strain that was starting to  come through in Martha's voice how much pain Clark was in.

"I don't think it will do any good." Pause.

"Okay, I'll ask," Martha said, before looking over at Lois.

Lois backed up against the wall, shaking her head. "I  can't," she mouthed.

"I'm sorry, honey," said Martha into the phone. Lois  watched Martha close her eyes as she fought against the  obvious pleas of her son. "I'm sure she already knows you  love her."

* * * * * * * *

Joe the Blow pulled his car to a stop across the street  from 344 Clinton St. The streets were deserted. He got out  of the car, quickly walked across the street and glanced  through the door to Kent's apartment. He could see the man  sitting on the couch with his head buried in his hands,  talking on the phone. Smiling, he slunk away.

Once he arrived back at his car and got inside, he picked  up the box on the passenger's seat and looked inside.  Making a quick adjustment to the timer on the small bomb,  he smiled. This bomb was the same design as the one he'd  used to destroy the Daily Planet. The main difference was  the length of time before the bomb would detonate. He would  connect the one remaining wire and give himself a two  minute lapse to get away once he got word that it was time.

Picking up his cell phone, he dialed a number. It was  answered after the first ring.

"Everything's set up at this end," he said into the phone.  "I'll wait to hear from you." He flicked the phone closed  and looked back at Kent's apartment.

* * * * * * * * *

Unable to listen to Clark's pleas to his mother for one  minute more, Lois made her way to the door. She took a  brief look back at Martha before opening the door and  stepping outside. It might be easier for all involved if  Martha could honestly tell Clark that she wasn't there.  She'd go for a walk. Hopefully, Clark would have said good- bye before she got back.

She closed the door and took a deep breath of the cool  early-morning air. The streets were deserted - the night  time crowd having either passed out or headed home and the  day time crowd not yet having made an appearance.

She headed for the street. She'd walk to the small park  she'd seen when the taxi had brought her here. She never  even saw the hand that reached around her until a rag was  clamped across her mouth. She kicked back and could swear  she heard a man yell, but then everything went fuzzy and, a  moment later, darkness engulfed her.

* * * * * * * * *

Joe hung up the phone. Picking up the box beside him, he  carefully removed the bomb and made the final adjustment.  It was time.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark's eyes were closed as he listened to his mother's  voice. Bowing his head, he ran his hand through his hair in  frustration.

"Please, Mom. All I need is a minute. I just need to hear  her voice. I just need to know that she's all right. I  promise, I won't keep her long."

"Clark, she's not all right. How could she be?"

"Mom, I'm begging you. Just one minute. Just to tell her  I'm sorry," Clark said, his voice cracking on nearly every  word. He just needed to hear her voice - to know that she  didn't hate him, to know if there was at least hope. But he  couldn't even get past his own mother. "Just ask again.  Please," he begged, certain he would shrivel up and die if  he couldn't at least talk to her.

"She's not here, Clark."

"What do you mean, she's not there?"

"She decided to..."

KA-BOOM!

One moment, Clark had been sitting on his couch, pleading  with his mother on the phone. The next, he heard an  explosion, felt a rush of wind and saw debris flying around  him. When it finally stopped, Clark was sitting on a pile  of rubbish of what had previously been his couch, the  phone's receiver still clutched in his hand. However, now  the cord was dangling uselessly below it, the phone having  been completely demolished.

Still, it only took him a moment to react. He spun into the Superman suit and began forcing his way into the adjoining  apartments to make sure his neighbors were safe and getting  them out of the way of the fire that followed the initial  explosion.

It being the early hours of the morning, the task was not  particularly pleasant - people being startled out of sleep,  in some cases by a stranger in their bedroom. Often it took  them a moment or two to recognize the superhero and relax.  But even the people not in direct danger from the explosion  or the fire had to be evacuated until the damage could be  assessed by the fire marshal to ensure that the structure  of the building had not been compromised.

The hardest part was when Clark had to bust down the door  of a young couple. They had been asleep in bed, with only a  sheet covering them, lying in much the same position as he  and Lois had been only hours ago - before his world had  been turned upside down. He flew them out, wrapped in the  sheets and set them on the street. It wasn't until all the  others had been evacuated that he was able to go back in to  get their clothes.

Once everyone was out of the building, Clark attended to  the fire. He had just finished putting it out when he heard  the distant sound of fire engines and police cars  approaching. He walked out the now demolished front door of  his apartment and was about to go down to meet the police  when he thought of Lois.

Had the explosion been meant for him? Or her? Without  another thought he was hurling himself through the air. He  had to be sure she was okay.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois groaned as she regained consciousness. Her chin was  lolling against her chest. She attempted to raise her head,  but her neck was stiff. And she had some sort of gag in her  mouth. She moved her head side to side, trying to work out  the kink. Once her neck seemed to regain some of its  mobility, she raised her head. Her eyes took a moment to  focus on her surroundings. She appeared to be in some sort  of medical facility or lab. Was it possible she had been in  an accident?

No. That wasn't it. After all, she was gagged - presumably  to stop her from calling for Superman. Not that it would  have particularly mattered. She had no intention of calling  for Superman at the moment, except as a last resort. But it  would be nice to have the option.

She attempted to get up before realizing that she was tied  to the chair on which she was seated. She groaned as she  recalled the seconds before she'd lost consciousness. This  was obviously a kidnapping. Well, this day just seemed to  be getting better and better.

She closed her eyes, fighting the aftereffects of the drug  she'd been given, before opening them again to evaluate her  situation. She was alone in the sterile looking room. She  tested the bonds holding her to the chair. Her hands and  legs appeared to be bound by ropes. Okay. Ropes were good.  After all, ropes could be cut. All she needed to do was  figure out how to do that.

She glanced around the room again. Medical instruments  appeared to be out on the counter. She pushed herself  upright in her chair to see better. In fact, there was  something which resembled a scalpel - probably was a  scalpel, in fact. She began pushing herself slowly around  so that her back was to the counter before using her toes  to slowly inch the chair in the direction of the counter.  She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to get the  scalpel when she arrived since her hands were tied - but  one problem at a time.

Her movement came to an abrupt halt when the door to the  room swung open and a burly-looking guy whose hair was  hidden beneath a baseball cap walked in. He looked at her  briefly before calling over his shoulder.

"Hey, Alex."

Presumably, in response to his name being called, a tall,  skinny man with wire-rim glasses appeared behind him. He  looked a little like an accountant.

"She's awake, I see," said Alex.

"Yeah. Should I tell the boss?" asked the burly man who  Lois hadn't been introduced to.

"Do that. Now," Alex continued, coming further into the  room, "why exactly did you turn your chair around?"

Lois looked away, hoping Alex was dumber than he looked. He  walked closer before letting out a knowing, "Ahhh."

Lois glanced over in time to see him take the scalpel off  the counter.

"What do you say we just remove the temptation?" he asked  before smirking and walking out.

Lois let out a breath and looked around again. There must  be another way. She had to find it before this boss,  whoever he might be, came back.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark was nearly frantic when he arrived back at the motel  room. His mother had told him when he'd arrived that Lois  had taken a walk. He'd immediately gone in pursuit of her.  When, after ten minutes at superspeed, he still hadn't been  able to find her, he knew something had happened.

"What did she say when she left?" he demanded of his mother  when he arrived in the room.

"Nothing, she just..." Martha responded.

"Did she say where she was going?" he asked.

"No, she just..."

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"Clark!" exclaimed Martha in her patented mother voice.  When Clark fell silent, she continued. "Breathe," she told  him.

"But..."

"Just do it. Ten breaths. Slow."

He opened his mouth to object again, but knew the look in  his mother's eyes well enough to know that this was a fight  he was not about to win. He took a deep breath and let it  out before repeating the procedure.

"Now, Clark," began his mother when he finally reached  number eight, "calm down and think. Chances are that Lois  just went into a coffee shop or decided to catch a cab to  her apartment or something. But if she has disappeared, it  must be connected to the explosion in your apartment.  So..."

"I've got to get back there - find out what the police can  tell me," said Clark before disappearing out the door in a  rush of wind.

Martha shook her head. He had only reached breath number  nine.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois' initial reaction was relief when Lex Luthor entered  the room. She wasn't sure how he'd found her, but at the  moment she didn't care. He carefully closed the door. She  wished she could yell at him to hurry and get her untied  before the thugs returned with their boss, but with the gag  in her mouth, the best she could do was grunt at him.

But when he didn't come over to her, but instead took a  seat and pulled out a cigar to roll it between his fingers,  the truth began to sink in. She stared at him in disbelief.  Was it the drugs? Was this a hallucination? Was this even  Lex Luthor? But no matter how many times she blinked, the  image before her remained the same - Lex Luthor, sitting on  a chair across from her, regarding her with amusement.

"Well, my dear," began Luthor, "I'm glad you decided to  accept my invitation."

Lois' heart rate increased. It made no sense. Lex was a  well-respected businessman. Why would he do this?  Undermining her marriage was one thing, but he had just  kidnapped her. Why would someone in Lex's position risk  everything just because he was upset by her rejection of  his proposal?

"I'm especially pleased that you would come to see me while  you're in mourning. Is it not more common for me to pay you  a visit at a time like this?"

What was that supposed to mean? A time like what? She  stared at him in horror. What had happened that she hadn't  yet heard about?

"It's too bad about your husband. Let me offer my deepest  condolences."

Clark! Her breathing became labored. Had something happened  to Clark? She felt tears begin to slip down her cheeks.  What would she do if something... She shook her head  slightly. Clark was Superman. He couldn't be hurt... or  could he? Martha had told her about kryptonite. She wished  she could speak, to ask how Clark had died. Only then would  she know for sure if Clark were alive. She made a noise,  asking as best she could to have the gag removed.

"What was that?" asked Luthor.

She growled in frustration.

"Am I given to understand that you want to say something?"

She growled even louder this time.

Luthor leaned back in his chair and studied her for a  moment before responding. "I think we can work something  out," he said. "The problem is that if I remove the gag,  you'll immediately call for Superman."

Lois let out a breath. If he was afraid that Superman would  show up, Clark must still be alive. After all, without  knowing that Clark was Superman, he wouldn't know that the  only way to kill Clark was by using kryptonite. She closed  her eyes and more tears found their way down her cheeks. He  was alive. He was still alive. Please, God, let him be  alive.

"Now, might I suggest," continued Luthor, "that you rethink  your plan to call for Superman? After all, then I could  remove your gag."

Lois nodded ferociously. Once the gag was off, that was one promise she planned to break. Not only would he get her out  of this, but Superman's appearance would assure her that he  wasn't dead.

"Normally, I wouldn't believe you. But..." He glanced down  at his hand. "...for some reason, this time I do."

Lois followed his gaze to his hand. What was that supposed  to mean? On his finger was a ring with a glowing, green  stone. But it looked like no stone she'd ever seen.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Luthor. "Do you like my new ring? I'm  even wearing my matching cufflinks." He set his unlit cigar  on the table and made his way over to her. Standing in  front of her, he gave her a good view of his ring. "I  believe you are aware of this rock. At least, you are the  one who told the world about it. From your article, though,  I got the impression that you weren't sure it even  existed."

Lois sucked in a breath. There was only one possible  explanation to what he was saying. Kryptonite. She was  unable to take her eyes off the ring. She'd never seen kryptonite before, but the rock did appear to be a crystal.  Could this really be the same stone Trask had used to try  to kill Clark?

"That's right," said Luthor. "Kryptonite. So you see, I  guess in this case I can trust you not to call for  Superman."

Lex was right. There was no way she'd risk exposing Clark  to that rock.

"Besides, Superman will be joining the party soon enough,"  Luthor concluded before reaching over and lowering the gag  around Lois' mouth. "So, what did you want to say?" asked  Luthor, leaning over so that his face was less than a foot  from Lois'.

Lois didn't hesitate. There was only one possible response.  A moment later her spittle was running down his cheek.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 18

Superman landed beside Inspector Henderson who was  currently talking to the Fire Marshal. The Inspector  quickly thanked the man he was speaking to and turned to  Superman.

"Superman, I'm glad you're here. We've managed to account  for all the people living in the building except Clark Kent  and... Well, none of the neighbors could tell us her name,  but they did indicate that Clark Kent had gotten married.  But we haven't been able to find any sign of either of  them. Given the fact that the bomb seemed to have been  meant for Kent's apartment..."

"It's okay, Inspector," Superman interrupted. "Clark Kent  is fine. I realized he was the potential target so I took  him somewhere safe."

"And his wife?"

"Lois?"

"Lois? As in, Lois Lane," gasped Henderson.

Superman nodded.

"Lois Lane married Clark Kent?" Henderson asked for  clarification.

Again, Superman nodded.

"Is she okay?" Henderson asked.

"I'm not... Inspector, I need a favor from you."

"Go on."

"Well, Lois wasn't in the apartment when the explosion went  off. But she seems to be missing. I don't want anyone  knowing that Clark is alive or that Lois is missing at the  moment. Not until I figure out what's going on."

"Understood," said Henderson.

"So what can you tell me about the explosion?" asked  Superman.

"According to the Fire Marshal, it seems the bomb was the  same type that destroyed the Daily Planet."

"Is that significant?"

Henderson nodded. "Bombers tend to get very attached to a  particular type of bomb. Once they find one they like, they  don't divert from it. According the Fire Marshal, it's  almost as good as a fingerprint."

"Then if Jack is in jail..."

"He's probably not the one responsible for the bombing of  the Planet," Henderson said. "But it's too soon to tell for  sure. It will take some time for the experts to put the  pieces together."

"So then, all I have to do is figure out who destroyed the  Daily Planet, and I'll find Lois," said Superman.

"It looks that way. Also, since it appears that either Lane  or Kent was the target of this bombing, it is entirely  possible that the bombing of the Planet was an attempt to  kill one or both of them."

"You said bombs are like fingerprints. Does that mean that  you have some idea who did this?"

Henderson shook his head. "The Fire Marshal said no one  recognized this particular bomber's work."

"Anything else you can tell me? Anything at all?" asked  Superman, trying to keep the desperation he was feeling out  of his voice. After all, this wasn't much to go on. And who  knew what was happening to Lois in the meantime?

"Sorry, Superman," said Henderson, placing a hand on  Superman's shoulder as if realizing how close to the edge  Superman was. "If we find out anything else, how can I get  word to you?"

Clark gave Henderson the motel that Lois had been staying  at. At least his mother would be there to take a message.

Another officer approached Henderson, who excused himself  and turned to the officer. Superman looked around in  desperation. There had to be something here. Just one clue.  Was that too much to ask? He felt someone slip a piece of  paper into his hand. He glanced around in time to see a  big, burly-looking man quickly making his way through the  crowd. He was about to go after him, but decided to look at  the paper first.

'Superman, I have information about Ms. Lane. Please don't  follow me. They'll kill me if they know I've contacted you.  And trust me, they're watching. And don't tell anyone - you  don't know who you can trust. Go to the phone booth on the  corner of Mapleward and Dawson in half an hour. I'll call  you.'

Superman glanced around again - this time looking for  anyone who might be taking an interest in the note he'd  received. No one seemed to be watching. He grabbed the  wrist of a passing officer and looked at his watch, making  note of the time.

"Thank you," Superman said, releasing the man's hand. He  immediately took to the air. What on Earth was he going to  do for the next half hour?

* * * * * * * * *

Perry White took a deep breath when Stern's secretary told  him Franklin Stern would see him. He rose to his feet and  followed the secretary into Stern's office. Stern was  standing by a book case when he entered.

"Mr. Stern," said Perry when he finally spotted the  businessman.

"Come in, Mr. White," said Stern, making his way over to  his desk. "Please, sit down," he continued, gesturing to a  chair.

"I appreciate you seeing me at this early hour," said  Perry.

"Perry... May I call you Perry?"

"Oh, sure."

"Perry, I put in long days. I always have. If my wife sees  my face after six a.m. or before ten p.m. she calls the  police."

Perry chuckled.

"I'm sure you know what that's like," said Stern, sinking  into the chair behind his desk.

"Only too well," Perry responded.

"Strange we've never met," commented Stern. "I'm very  familiar with your work, of course."

"As I am with yours."

"I miss reading the Daily Planet. It has imitators but no  true successor. Metropolis has lost an asset."

"Those of us who worked there were proud to call it home.  And well that's the reason why I've come."

"I didn't think you were here looking for a fourth for  bridge," Stern responded.

"Now, Mr. Stern, you own television, radio stations. You  have interests in book publishing. Have you ever considered  owning a newspaper?

"Perry, correct me if I'm wrong? There is no newspaper."

"The Daily Planet was a lot more than just steel girders  and concrete. It was people. It was ideas, principles.  Those still exist. There is a newspaper. We just don't have  a place to print it."

"Even if that were true, why would I want to own the Daily  Planet?"

"I can't imagine anyone wanting anything else."

Stern regarded him seriously for a long moment before  speaking. "I'm sorry. My answer's no. I wish you luck,  though, in finding some way to rebuild. But resurrecting  the Daily Planet is just not financially viable."

"That's what Luthor said, too," Perry responded.

"Luthor!" snorted Stern.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. If Luthor couldn't  rebuild, I shouldn't have expected anyone else to be able  to. After all, Luthor is something of a genius in business  matters." Perry rose to his feet. "By the way," he added,  almost as an afterthought, "did I mention that Lois Lane  and Clark Kent are writing the authorized account of  Superman's activities since arriving in Metropolis?  Apparently, there will even be an introduction by  Superman."

"Really," said Stern thoughtfully. "Why don't you tell them  to come by and see me when they decide to look for a  publisher?"

"Sorry," replied Perry, "but since the names of the Daily  Planet's two star reporters are on it, they think they  should offer it first to whoever decides to reopen the  Planet - maybe even publish portions of the book in the  paper. But I will be sure to pass on your offer." Perry  extended his hand. "Well, thank you for seeing me, Mr.  Stern," Perry said.

Stern narrowed his eyes and regarded Perry for a long  moment. "You're an old horse trader from way back, aren't  you?" he finally said. "Don't act as if you don't know what  I'm talking about," he added in response to Perry's look.  "Have a seat, Perry," he continued after another moment.  "Let's talk turkey. Exactly how many of your people can you  deliver?"

Perry smiled as he again took his seat.

* * * * * * * * *

Lois bit her lip, determined not to let Lex see the pain  he'd inflicted when he'd backhanded her across the cheek  after she'd spit at him. Fortunately, he'd turned his back  to her to fiddle with a radio that was sitting on the  counter. She abstractly realized that he had turned on the  news. The words '344 Clinton Street' suddenly caught her  attention.

"Apparently, Superman was nearby when the bomb exploded. He  rushed to the rescue, removing people from the building,"  the newscaster announced. "So far only two people can't be  accounted for. SNG has learned that the missing people are  Lois Lane and Clark Kent."

Lois closed her eyes to keep Lex from seeing the relief in  them. He had undoubtedly turned on the broadcast to inform  her that he was telling the truth about Clark's death. What  he didn't know was that he'd just confirmed that Clark was  alive.

"So, how does it feel being single again?" asked Luthor. "I  would imagine two weeks of marriage to that giblet would  make being free seem awfully sweet."

"What do you want, Lex?" she asked. "You can't possibly  think I'll ever marry you now."

"Marry me?" Luthor asked, a touch of amusement in his  voice. "What makes you think I still want to marry you? I  told you once that you had the potential to overcome the  mundane. You could have had me. I'd venture a guess that  you could even have had Superman. But you threw it all away  for a nobody like Kent. What would make you think that  you're worthy of marriage to me after you've given yourself  to Kent?"

"Clark Kent is more of a man than you'll ever be," Lois  spat.

"Don't you mean, 'was'?" Luthor responded on a chuckle.

Lois flinched. She was supposed to believe Clark was dead.  A mistake like that could be very dangerous. There were  certainly disadvantages to being in on the secret. She  deliberately forced a couple more tears to escape her eyes.

"What are you going to do to me, Lex?" she asked. In spite  of her normal courage, the idea that marrying her wasn't  his motive terrified her. Just what did he have planned?

"I'm going to let you go," said Lex.

"You are?" asked Lois, in absolute confusion.

"Of course. Within a few hours, you'll find yourself safely  tucked into your lonely motel room with no memory of these  events," Luthor continued.

Lois narrowed her eyes. "And how's that?" she asked.

"Please. There are a number of drugs that affect short term  memory. And my doctor will administer one of them before I  have you taken back."

"What's the catch?" Lois asked, knowing that there must be  more to his plan. Why go to all this trouble just to let  her go? After all, he could simply have got his revenge by  killing her husband. Why kidnap her just to release her?

"No catch," Luthor said. "Or at least none that you will  remember. When it's all over, you'll blame your deceased  husband." He smiled. "Don't worry, my dear, I'll explain it  all in good time. But right now, how about I show you what  it's like to be with a real man?" he asked, running a hand  through her hair.

She jerked her head away.

"Are you sure?" asked Luthor. "After all, this might be  your last chance." To her questioning look, he continued.  "You didn't really think I'd let you say no to my proposal,  did you? Not after all the careful planning and expense I  went through to get you to say yes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Who do you think destroyed the Daily Planet? Jack?" He let  out a breath and shook his head, telling Lois exactly how  stupid he thought that idea was. "I went through all the  bother and expense of taking over and then destroying the  Daily Planet just to knock you out of your daily routine.  And you go and marry Kent." His eyes went hard. "Understand  this, my dear, I didn't go to all that trouble so that  someone else could have you. I bought you. You belong to  me. Whether you live or die, whether the people around you  live or die is completely within my power. I am god to you.  And if I can't have you, no man shall. Of course, after  today, that won't be a big problem. So are you sure you  don't want to know, just one last time, what it's like to  be with a man?"

"What are you going to do, Lex?" she asked, suddenly  feeling very nervous. She was in some sort of medical lab.  She recalled the scalpel she'd seen earlier. What exactly  was Lex planning? After all, with equipment like that, he  could certainly make her unappealing to any man. Not that  she would risk Clark's life in order to protect her face or  body. But would Clark still love her if Lex followed  through on his threat.

"Don't worry, my dear. I know how curious you are. I'll  tell you everything. But first someone else has to be  invited to the party." With that, he turned and made his  way to the door.

* * * * * * * * *

The phone only rang a half ring before Clark had it at his  ear.

"Hello?" he asked into the receiver.

"Is this Superman?" asked an unfamiliar voice on the other  end.

"Yes. Where's Lois Lane?"

"Listen," said the voice. "First, you have to promise to  protect me."

"Of course," Clark responded.

"How do I know that you will? Once you find Lois Lane,  you'll forget all about me. And once these guys find out  that I've betrayed them..."

"I give you my word."

"That's not enough. I need something a little more tangible  - something that I can use to disappear on my own if you  don't follow through. I've got myself to think about, you  know. If I don't watch out for me, who will? I don't have a  superhero who jumps anytime I get in trouble."

Clark was only partially listening. Why wouldn't this guy  just tell him what he knew? No one had ever questioned his  word before. He stretched out with his hearing, listening  to hear the man's heartbeat over the phone. The heart rate  was normal - not the fast pace he'd expect from someone who  was scared. He closed his eyes and listened even more  intently. He could hear more than one person breathing.  There were other people in the room the man was calling  from. He heard a door open and someone enter.

Clark had to stifle a gasp when his hearing picked up a  familiar heart beat for only a moment before the door  closed again. Lois was there. The only explanation Clark  could think of for this guy to be calling him from the  place that Lois was being held was that this was some kind  of set up.

"...but you wouldn't understand that," the man was saying.

"What exactly do you want?" asked Clark.

"Money."

"You want money?" asked Clark.

"I just need something to help me get started over  somewhere new," the man explained.

"How much?" asked Clark.

"Ten thousand dollars."

Ten thousand dollars? Maybe this was the plan. Maybe,  rather than asking for a ransom directly, these guys were  making it seem as if the money were a finder's fee. But  then, why not ask for more? Why not ask for a hundred  thousand? A million? Ten million? After all, with Lois'  life at stake, he'd break into Fort Knox if he had to.  Perhaps they were only asking for ten thousand because to  ask for more would seem like a ransom. Or, more likely,  this was a trap. They wanted Superman in a particular place  at a particular time.

"Fine," Superman said, realizing he had no other options.  He'd find a way to get the money. If necessary, he'd steal  it - umm, borrow it. He'd even walk into a trap if he had  to. What mattered was getting Lois back.

"Great!" exclaimed the man. "I can lead you to where Ms.  Lane is being held. All I need you to do is bring the money  when you meet me in an hour..."

The man proceeded to give Superman an address and a warning  not to bring anyone with him. Clark had no choice but to  agree. What else could he do? After all, even if this was a  set-up, Lois was in danger.

He hung up the phone. At least he knew that Lois was alive.  His mind flashed back to his brief encounter with  kryptonite a couple of days ago. In the light of the events  that had followed, he'd completely forgotten about that.  What if that incident was connected with this one? Still,  there was no choice. He stood inside the phone booth for a  moment more. In an hour he'd be walking into a trap  unless... He forced himself to remain calm. He had an hour,  after all. So, where to start? A moment later, he was  airborne.

* * * * * * * * *

"How'd I do, boss?" asked Jake, turning to look at Luthor.

"Did he believe you?" Luthor asked in return.

"Yes, sir," Jake said proudly.

"Good. Then you know what to do. Meet Superman at the  assigned place and bring him here. I'll take it from  there."

"Yes, sir."

"By the way, asking for money was a nice touch. Made him  think you were just someone trying to take advantage of the  situation. It should keep him from realizing that he's  walking into a trap. We'll have to discuss your future when  this is all over."

Jake beamed.

* * * * * * * * *

Henderson looked up when he saw Superman land at the crime  scene. He hadn't expected to see the superhero again so  soon. He felt a pang at the obvious anxiety in the  superhero's eyes. He had thought Superman was in love with  Lois Lane. And he had thought the feeling was mutual. He  would give a month's pay to know what had caused Lane to  marry Kent.

"Inspector, can I speak to you for a minute?" asked  Superman.

"Sure," responded Henderson, following Superman over to a  more secluded spot.

"I need your help," he said intensely.

"Name it," said Henderson.

"I assume you have a petty cash account."

"That's right."

"Well, I need you to loan me ten thousand dollars."

Henderson gasped. "That's not exactly petty cash." He  watched Superman's expression fall. Since Superman had  first come to Metropolis, Henderson had never heard of him  asking anyone for anything. No. Superman wouldn't be asking  if it wasn't important.  "But I'll get it. When do you need  it?" For a moment he was tempted to ask why Superman needed  the money, but then he rejected that idea. Superman would  tell him the reasons if he needed to know. The best thing  he could do was to meet Superman's request unconditionally  - to show his support for the superhero.

"I need it in forty-five minutes," Superman responded.

Henderson pulled in a sharp breath.

"Can you do it?" Superman asked anxiously.

"I'll find a way."

"Thank you. I'll do my best to get it back to you as soon  as possible."

"No rush."

"There's one more thing that you might be able to help me  with. I don't know if this is possible to do but..."

"What is it, Superman?" asked Henderson.

Superman took a deep breath and made his request. Henderson  simply nodded and told him he thought he could handle it.

* * * * * * * * *

Part 19

Lois struggled once again against her bonds. When Lex had  left the room, she'd considered yelling a warning to  Superman to stay away. The problem was that she wasn't  certain she'd get the entire warning out before he had  already attempted to rescue her. And if that happened...  No. She'd just keep her mouth shut. It was better if  Superman didn't know where she was. Besides, for all she  knew that was part of Lex's plan - leave the room, knowing  that she'd yell for Superman.

As she continued to pull at her hands, she thought about  Clark. Her words to him earlier this morning had been  cruel. She'd just been so heartbroken. And she was still  angry and hurt, but that didn't mean she'd meant half the  things she said to him. She wished so much that she could  tell him that. What if Lex killed her without Clark ever  knowing that she didn't hate him? She couldn't stand the  idea that her last words to Clark might be words spoken in  anger. She began struggling harder. She had to get out of  this. Her thought trailed off, as did the struggle, when  the door opened and Lex re-entered the room, accompanied by  a tall, blond woman.

"I don't believe you two have met," said Luthor. "Lois  Lane, this is my personal physician, Dr. Gretchen Kelly."

Lois felt disgusted at the perversion of Lex's attitude -  introducing the woman with him as if they were at a social  function. Besides, she had a sinking feeling about where  this was going. Why did Lex have a doctor here? Still,  there was no way she intended to let him see her fear.

"I'd shake your hand," said Lois sarcastically, "but I seem  to be tied up at the moment."

"Not a problem," responded Gretchen. "It makes what I have  to do easier if you're restrained."

Lois swallowed hard. The doctor's attendance was definitely  linked to whatever Lex had in mind for her.

"Actually, my dear," said Luthor, giving Gretchen a kiss on  the cheek, "I just need you to fill the syringe. I'll do  the actual honors."

"What exactly are you going to do, Lex?" asked Lois,  cursing the tremble in her voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Lex. "I guess you do have a right to  know what I have planned. After all, you won't remember any  of this once we're done." He took a seat and lit his cigar  before continuing. "The plan is quite simple really. And it  is your own fault, getting involved with a playboy like  Kent."

Lois bit her tongue.

"First, you will have the privilege of watching Superman  die. Too bad you won't be able to write the story. I have  used the kryptonite I obtained to build him a cage. Once  he's inside, I'll be able to dispose of him at my leisure."

"How do you know this kryptonite will even work?" asked  Lois. "As far as I know, Trask didn't even find out if it  could hurt Superman."

"That's because Trask wasn't exactly brilliant. I, on the  other hand, have tested the substance. My assistant set off  the alarm at Metropolis United Bank. When Superman showed  up, she simply walked past wearing a charm made of  kryptonite. Trust me, it works."

"When did you do this?"

"Day before yesterday."

Lois pulled in a breath. Clark must have realized he'd been  exposed to kryptonite. If only he'd told her, maybe they  would have seen this coming and been able to prepare for  it. She dragged her mind back to what Lex was saying.

"Once you've seen Superman's death, you'll be given a drug  to wipe out your short term memory, returned to your motel  room and tucked into bed. Unfortunately, when you wake up  you'll learn that your husband is dead. Before you have a  chance to recover from that, you'll learn that Superman is  dead. And before you recover from that, you'll receive a  call from a young woman who will tell you about her affair  with Kent. Now, you might be tempted to react to her the  way you reacted to me, but trust me you'll change your mind  when you find out that your husband left you with a similar  gift to the one he will have given his mistress."

"And just what is this gift?" asked Lois.

Luthor gestured to Gretchen who brought a small vial over  to him. He looked at the liquid before looking back at  Lois.

"What's in the vial?" asked Lois nervously.

Luthor smiled, obviously enjoying the moment. "It's the HIV virus."

If I can't have you, no man shall. The words that sounded  like something the villain in a cheap B-movie would say  echoed in Lois' head. Lex had meant it when he said that no  man would have her if he couldn't. That had to be the  purpose in killing both Clark and Superman. Lex wanted  Clark dead because he might stick around even if she was  HIV positive. And Lex obviously wanted Superman dead  because he wouldn't be hurt by the AIDS virus. And although  there were condoms, they weren't foolproof. On top of all  that were all the problems associated with having this  virus - including being a social leper and, beyond that,  death. Lex was insane.

For a moment, she was tempted to call for Superman. But  then she caught sight of the ring on Lex's finger. No. No  matter what, she wouldn't risk Clark's life. She began  struggling against the bonds holding her hands.

"Doctor," said Luthor, handing the vial to Gretchen. "I  don't see any reason to delay this. Would you prepare the  syringe?"

"Certainly, Lex," Gretchen responded making her way to the  counter. She placed the vial on the counter and pulled out  a pair of rubber gloves from a drawer. Lois flinched at the  snap of the gloves as Gretchen pulled them on her hands.  Realizing she didn't have much time, Lois began struggling  desperately against her restraints as Gretchen picked up a  syringe and removed the plastic covering on the needle.  Picking up the vial, she turned it upside down and prepared  to stick the syringe in the top.

"What the...?" asked Gretchen.

Before she could finish her question, a loud crash captured  everyone's attention. Spinning her head around, Lois gasped  when she saw a pile of red and blue on the floor which was  about the size and shape of a man.

* * * * * * * * *

Henderson had obtained the information Clark needed more  quickly than he would have believed possible. All it had  taken was one phone call, and Clark was on his way to the  place Lois was being held.

After he'd left the payphone, it had occurred to him that  it might be possible to have the call traced - if records  were kept of local phone calls. He'd been amazed to  discover that they were. It had only taken a moment for  Henderson to give him not only the phone number but the  address. He'd been hovering over the two-story building  almost immediately. He had half expected that whoever had  placed the call had spliced into someone else's phone line.  But obviously the kidnappers hadn't expected him to realize  that his 'tip' was a set-up because it only took Clark a  moment to locate his wife in the nondescript building.

He let out a breath of relief. She looked fine - at least  as fine as she could under the circumstances. In fact, at  this moment, Clark didn't think she'd ever looked quite so  beautiful. He was just about to go in when it struck him  that Lois wasn't calling for him. Why was that? Surely she  wasn't so angry with him that she'd risk her life.

Since Lois wasn't in any immediate danger, he fought  against his instinctive desire to simply get Lois out and  decided to take a moment to evaluate the situation. After  all, if he went barreling in there like some five hundred  pound gorilla and something went wrong, kryptonite would be  the least of his concerns. Lois would tear him apart with  her bare hands.

He supposed he could go back and tell Henderson what he'd  found. That was probably wise. It would undoubtedly be best  if he could get Lois out of there himself rather than risk  a stand off with the police. But telling Henderson would  give them a back-up plan if anything did go wrong. He was  just about to make a quick trip back to Henderson when  Luthor entered the room with a woman Clark had never seen  before. Clark froze. Luthor! He should have known. He  blocked out all the surrounding noise and focused in on the  conversation.

The first thing that really caught his attention was the  mention of kryptonite. He had been right. The encounter  with kryptonite outside the bank was connected with current  events. That must be why Lois hadn't yelled for him - even  though she didn't know for sure that kryptonite could kill  him. She had obviously decided not to risk it.

He took a moment to completely x-ray the building. The  first time he'd stopped upon finding Lois. Since she was on  the second floor, he began x-raying the first floor. He  spotted a large cage in the room directly below where Lois  was located. The bars appeared to have something of a green  glow to them. Kryptonite? Possibly.

He moved closer to the building. He stopped when he was hit  with a wave of dizziness. He quickly moved back. There was  indeed kryptonite in that building. He was just about to  make his trip back to Henderson when he heard Luthor's  plan, saw the doctor pick up the syringe and...

He reacted without thinking. The presence of kryptonite in  that building was irrelevant. He had to act now. Maybe if  he moved quickly enough... As he hurled his body towards  the building, he briefly considered grabbing Lois. The  problem was that he didn't know exactly what effect the  kryptonite would have on him. And if he grabbed Lois and  couldn't fly out again, the virus would still be there. If  he could get the virus, he could at the very least buy Lois  some time. So he headed for the virus. He grabbed the vial,  crushed it in his hand and was heading for the window when  everything went blurry. The next thing he knew, he was  crashing into the wall, barely conscious.

* * * * * * * * *

"Cl... Superman," gasped Lois when she saw the heap on the  floor which resembled her husband. That settled it. He was  a mutton-headed dolt. Didn't he realize that if she wasn't  yelling for him it meant she had everything under control?  If he'd just taken a little time to think about... He  wasn't moving. "Superman," she called again. There was a  small groan.

"I see you decided to join the party a little early,  Superman," said Luthor, walking over to Superman and giving  him a jab in the side with his foot. Superman groaned  again. Luthor bent down beside the superhero, moving his  ring directly into Superman's face. "Do you like my new  ring?" he asked. Then he turned back to Gretchen. "What are  you waiting for? Prepare the syringe. Superman might as  well know that his sacrifice has been in vain."

"He..." Gretchen began, looking down at her hand where the  vial had been less than a minute before.

"Well, what is it?" asked Luthor, rising to his feet.

"He took the vial," Gretchen managed to get out.

Lois let out a breath. So that was why he'd come. He must  have realized what Luthor was about to do. He must have  decided it was worth the risk. He was still a mutton-headed  dolt, but now she loved him for it.

"What!" exclaimed Luthor, looking back at Superman. His one  hand was clenched into a fist. Luthor bent down beside  Superman and pried open his fist, only to let out a  frustrated growl when he saw the broken pieces of glass  that had previously made up the vial.

In frustration, he reached into Superman's hand, desperate  to save the deadly substance that had formerly been in the  now broken vial.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, dropping the piece of glass his  hand had come into contact with as a result of his hasty  actions. He stared in disbelief at the blood that was  beginning to pool on his finger.

He was on his feet in an instant. "Do something!" he  demanded of his doctor.

"I..." Gretchen's voice trailed off as she simply stared in  helpless horror at the blood on Luthor's finger.

"Do something!" he demanded again, a touch of desperation  in his voice.

Gretchen was snapped out of her trance by Lex's voice. She  looked around frantically for the solution. But what  solution was there for AIDS?

* * * * * * * * *

Clark was vaguely aware of what was going on, but kept his  eyes closed in an effort to conserve whatever strength he  had left. He groaned when Luthor came closer. He must have  kryptonite on him. He heard Luthor mention a ring. That  must be it. Still, he didn't move. He needed to choose his  moment very carefully. If he could find a way to get Lois  untied, maybe she'd have a chance. But he'd only have one  opportunity. He better choose wisely.

He automatically flinched when Luthor cut his finger on the  broken vial. But there was nothing even Superman could do  to correct the situation. Right now, he could only prevent  Luthor from trying to infect Lois in the same fashion.

He waited until Luthor stood up, moving the ring a little  further away, and yelled at the doctor, before rolling over  from his back onto his stomach, and directly into Luthor's  legs. The man let out a yelp and tumbled backwards over  Clark's body. Already on his stomach, Clark scrambled to  his hands and knees and got to Lois' chair.

"You've got to get out of here," said Lois. Clark could  hear the desperation in her voice.

He ignored her to pull himself behind her chair. Closing  his eyes and focusing every bit of power he still had into  his hands, he pulled at the ropes tying her hands to the  chairs. For a moment, he thought he wasn't going to  succeed, but then he heard the rope pop and let out a  breath of relief.

"Get your feet untied," Clark gasped. However, his wife  hadn't waited for the instructions; she was already working  on freeing herself from her remaining bonds.

"If I can't have her..."

Clark heard Luthor's words and turned his head to see that  Luthor had managed to get back on his feet and had a gun in  his hands. And... it was pointed at Lois. He had obviously  decided if he couldn't infect Lois with the HIV virus, he'd  simply kill her.

"No!" yelled Clark, hurdling himself towards Luthor. The  gun went off just as Clark collided with the man, sending a  bullet harmlessly into the ceiling and knocking the gun  from Luthor's hands.

* * * * * * * * *

When Luthor had seen Superman snapping the rope on Lois'  hands, he'd forgotten all about the cut on his finger and  what it probably meant. The only thing he knew was that he  couldn't afford to let Lois escape. He had to act  immediately to free his soul from Lois' grasp.  He pulled a  gun he'd brought with him to use on Superman when he was  finally vulnerable from under his jacket and aimed it  carefully at Lois.

He wasn't even aware of the words that had escaped his  lips. When Superman had lunged at him, he'd been  unprepared. The gun sounded and then he felt it fly from  his hands. His first thought was to go for the gun, but  Superman was on top of him. Even without his powers,  Superman was a formidable foe. Luthor launched into his  counter-attack, surprised by the fury he could see on  Superman's face.

* * * * * * * * *

Gretchen Kelly saw the gun fly across the room and rushed  for it. She got her hands on the gun easily enough, but  when she turned around to aim it at Superman, she  discovered that she couldn't shoot Superman without risking  the bullet hitting Lex. She kept the gun focused on the two  men who were locked in a frantic battle. Superman was  obviously weakened by the kryptonite because Lex was  holding his own against the Man of Steel.

She heard a noise to her side and turned to see that Lois  had finally worked herself free of the bonds and was rising  from the chair. She quickly turned her gun on Lois.

"Hold it right there," she said, causing Lois to freeze.  "You never deserved him," spat Gretchen as she began  depressing the trigger. Lois instinctively began backing  up.

* * * * * * * * *

Both men looked towards Gretchen when she spoke her first  words, not aware of who she was talking to. But when they  realized what was going on, the reaction of both men was  remarkably similar.

"No!" they both yelled.

Luthor yelled when the words of Asabi flashed through his  mind. Lois Lane had to die at his hand, or she'd hold his  soul forever. He immediately forgot about Superman,  launching himself at Gretchen.

The gun sounded.

* * * * * * * * *

"No!" Clark yelled, when he saw the gun pointed towards  Lois. Forgetting about Luthor, he dove for Lois. He had to  get her out of here now. But how? The window was directly  behind Lois so, even though they were on the second floor,  he grabbed Lois and propelled himself backwards out the  window, holding Lois' body protectively against his. He  heard breaking glass and felt shards of glass embed  themselves in his back as they began to fall out the  window. He closed his eyes, praying that he still had  enough of his powers left to slow their fall enough for  Lois to survive.

'Please, let her live,' was Clark's final thought as the  street rushed to meet them. He lost consciousness the  instant his back came into contact with the pavement.

* * * * * * * * *

Gretchen looked in horror into the eyes of Lex Luthor as  the life slowly slipped from him. When he'd reached her,  she'd been unable to stop her finger from continuing what  it had already started - depressing the trigger. The bullet  had embedded itself in Luthor's chest.

She dropped the gun and reached out to catch him as he  collapsed in her arms.

"Lex," she breathed as she watched his last breath escape  his lungs. "Help!" she yelled.

Jake and Alex, who had heard the struggle and the gun shots  that followed, had been hiding in the adjoining room,  debating whether or not to risk involvement. When they  heard things calm down, and then the woman yelling for  help, they finally decided to risk a peek into the room. It  only took a moment for them to take in the scene - no Lois  Lane and a dead Lex Luthor. They reacted immediately. They  had to get out of here before the police arrived.

"Help me," Gretchen said, struggling to her feet and  dragging the body of Lex towards the door.

"You're on your own, lady," said Jake before the two turned  and dashed from the room.

"Ungrateful wretches," Gretchen yelled after them. She  struggled with the body of Luthor for a moment more before  realizing she'd never have time to get him out before this  place was swarming with police. Bending over and giving him  a brief kiss, she spoke. "Don't worry, my love. I'll be  back for you." Then, without wasting another second, she  fled the room without him.

* * * * * * * * *

Grady O'Neil was just leaving for work when he heard a loud  crashing sound mixed in with what sounded like a gun shot.  He automatically looked up to see someone falling from the  building across from his apartment. He recognized the red  cape immediately and expected it to fly upwards any second.  But to his horror, it continued to fall. The instant it hit  the pavement, he rushed towards it.

"Superman, are you all right?" he yelled as he approached  the large indentation in the pavement where Superman's body  collided with it. It was only then that he realized that,  cuddled protectively against Superman's larger body, was a  woman. He paused, wondering if both were dead. He rushed  forward again when the woman groaned and then slowly moved.

"Miss, Miss, are you all right?" he asked, crouching down  beside the two people lying on the sidewalk.

"Umm..." said the woman, as if not entirely sure what had  happened. A second later, the woman seemed to catch sight  of the man beneath her. "Clark," she gasped.

"That's Superman, Miss," said Grady. "I guess that fall has  left you a little disoriented. Can you move?" He reached  out to help the woman off Superman's body. She accepted his  assistance, but the instant she was up, she pushed away  Grady's hand.

"Call an ambulance and the police," she instructed before  collapsing to her knees beside Superman's body. "Be alive,"  she begged the unconscious man, her hand running lovingly  over his face.

Grady left the scene, rushing back into his apartment in  order to do as instructed.

* * * * * * * * *

Clark's first conscious thought was of a single drop of  water hitting his cheek. Then he felt a warm breath by his  ear. At first, he couldn't make out the words, but he  recognized the voice. He smiled inwardly. He loved Lois'  voice. He listened to it and soon the words started coming  through.

"Don't leave me, Clark," she breathed into his ear.

Leave her? Why would he leave her?

"Fight, damn it. Fight. Come back to me."

Her voice sounded desperate. Something was wrong. He  struggled to find his way to the voice.

"If you really do love me, don't you dare die on me."

He really loved her. He knew that. Die on her? He wasn't  about to die on her. He had to find a way to tell her that.

"Lo..." His voice broke. Still, the breath of air that  escaped her lungs told him that she'd heard him.

"That's right," she said. "Come back to me. Please, just  open your eyes."

He struggled with the request before finally getting his  eyes to open just a crack. His first sight was Lois' face.  It had a large bruise on the right side and was stained  with tears but it broke into the biggest smile he'd ever  seen when his eyes met Lois'.

"Hey," she said softly.

"You look..." His voice cracked. "You look awful," he tried  again.

She chuckled, a relieved sort of chuckle. "Well, spending  the last twenty or so hours not knowing if you were going  to live or die sort of took it out of me," she responded,  gently brushing a strand of hair off his forehead.

"Twen..." His voice trailed off as his memory began to come  back. The last thing he remembered was hitting the  pavement. But he wasn't lying on a hard surface now. He was  lying on a bed. He blinked. There were bright lights  focused on him. "Where am I?" he asked.

"Metropolis General Hospital," she responded.

"But..."

"And you're Superman," she added in hushed tones when the  door to the room opened and a man entered.

Clark glanced down at himself and realized why she'd told  him who he was. He was no longer in the suit. In fact, he  didn't seem to have anything on, except a thin sheet that  was covering him from his waist down.

"Well, he's awake," said the man. "Good. Good."

"Who are you?" Clark asked the man in a white coat.

"I'm Dr. Bernard Klein," the man informed him. "I'm not  your standard doctor. I'm a researcher for Star Labs. But  when you were brought in here, the doctors didn't know what  to do so they called Star Labs. I came."

"Umm..." said Lois. "Could I just interrupt here? Your...  Umm, Clark hasn't been able to get here to see you yet. But  his mother is just outside. I'm just going to go and tell  her you're awake."

Clark nodded his agreement and Lois quickly left the room.

"So, Doc," Clark began, "what's the prognosis? When can I  get out of here?"

Klein smiled. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're strong  enough to think about leaving. But I'm afraid it's probably  going to be a little while yet. Given your body's  remarkable ability to heal itself, I can't say how long it  will be, but..."

"I feel fine," Clark objected. He tried to move into a  seated position to back up his assertion, but ended up  collapsing back onto the bed. It was only then that he  noticed that he was hooked up to an IV unit. His powers  were obviously not back. "What happened to me?" he asked.

"Well, when you were brought in, they didn't think you were  going to live. You were diagnosed with a broken back, some  broken ribs and a punctured lung - not to mention a couple  of dozen shards of glass that the doctors had to dig out of  your back. They also figured you had a concussion. They  were able to treat the wounds, but didn't know what to  expect, so they called me. Since your powers come from the  sun, once the wounds were treated, I had you moved into the  sun and kept feeding you liquids. There wasn't much else to  do. When night came, I hooked up these sun lamps," he  continued, gesturing around. "It seemed to work. Your back  and ribs are healed but..." He gestured to the IV unit.  "...it seems that you're still vulnerable. So I'm not sure  how long it will be. Why don't we reevaluate your situation  after you've spent some more time in the sun? I should be  able to move you outside again soon."

"Can I come in?" asked a woman's voice from the doorway.

Dr. Klein looked at the older woman and back at Superman.  The big smile on Superman's face told him that letting this  woman in, whoever she was, for a visit was probably good  medicine.

"Certainly," said Dr. Klein. "I'll just go make sure  everything is ready to take you back outside as soon as  it's light." With those words, Klein left the room.

Martha waited until the door closed before rushing to her  son's bedside.

"Oh, honey," she breathed in relief, "you gave us quite a  scare." Her eyes swept down his body, even as her hand felt  for a temperature. "You're sure you're all right?" she  asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Mom," Clark responded.

"Because we've been getting different stories. At first,  they didn't think you were going to make it. Then they told  us that even if you did make it, you probably wouldn't walk  again. It wasn't until Dr. Klein got here that things  seemed to settle down a little bit."

"I'm fine, Mom," Clark repeated in an effort to calm down  his still anxious mother.

"You're sure. You're not just saying that to..." She  tickled the bottom of one foot. He jumped. "Just checking,"  she said with a grin, finally starting to look a little  more relaxed.

"Where's Lois?" Clark asked.

"She went to call Perry. He was here until after midnight.  Apparently he convinced someone named..." She struggled to  find a name.

"Franklin Stern?" asked Clark.

"That's it. Yes. He convinced Franklin Stern to rebuild the  Daily Planet. And Lois is calling your father. He has a  reservation on a flight to Metropolis tomorrow afternoon.  But I asked if she would mind calling since she'd already  seen you."

Clark nodded. "Do you think she's forgiven me?" he asked.

Martha let out a breath. "Clark, there hasn't been an  opportunity to even think about that. We were just so  scared that we were going to lose you."

"But if she was scared..."

"Is this a private party or can anyone join?" asked Lois,  sticking her head into the room.

Clark smiled and patted the side of the bed. Lois  immediately took him up on his offer.

"So, what exactly happened?" asked Clark. "The last thing I  remember was jumping out the window."

"Well, when I saw you..." Her voice broke and she looked  down. Clark's hand came up immediately and brushed away the  tear that was rolling down her cheek. She grasped his hand  in hers and held it against her cheek, closing her eyes and  getting control of her breathing. She forced the image of  him lying unconscious on the sidewalk aside. She was sure  that picture would haunt her dreams for quite some time as  it was. Instead, she directed her mind to tell Clark what  she'd learned since he'd been unconscious.

"Lex is dead," she informed him.

"How?"

"A single gunshot to the chest. When the police arrived,  they searched the building. Other than Lex, there was no  one else there."

Clark nodded slowly.

"Henderson came by a couple of hours ago and informed me  that they found a cage on the first floor that seemed to be  coated with an unknown metal."

"Kryptonite."

"That's my guess. And even though they secured the  building, the cage has disappeared."

"Great," groaned Clark. "So someone out there has the cage  and probably knows about kryptonite."

Lois nodded. "Oh, yeah," Lois continued after a moment.  "There's some good news. Jack has been released and all  charges against him have been dropped. Between what Lex  told me and the bombing of our apartment, they finally  realized Jack was just a patsy."

"Good," Clark responded wholeheartedly.

"And there's one thing that's a bit odd. Apparently, Lex's  body has gone missing from the morgue."

"What? Who would steal a body?"

Lois shrugged.

* * * * * * * * *

Gretchen Kelly ran her hand lovingly over the enclosed  glass container. Through the smoky glass, she could just  make out the shape of the man she loved. She glanced up at  the various monitors, making sure they were all in proper  working order.

"Don't worry, Lex," she whispered. "I'll bring you back  once they've found a cure for AIDS. Then, I promise we'll  get our revenge."

* * * * * * * * *

Martha sipped her tea as she sat on the swing on the front  porch of the old farmhouse. It had been a couple of days  since Clark had been released from the hospital.  She  glanced up when her husband joined her.

"So," said Jonathan, looking out at the new corn that was  poking its way through the ground in the field beyond. "Do  you think the kids will be able to work things out?"

Martha took a moment to answer. "Well, they're talking.  That's a start. Apparently, she told him that she needed to  get to know him all over again. And Clark told me earlier  that she even agreed to have supper with him tonight."

"So that's why he was practically skipping when I saw him  leaving earlier."

Martha chuckled. "He said something about taking her to a  little Chinese place he knows about."

"You mean the one in Shanghai?"

"That would be it."

They rocked in silence for a few minutes before Jonathan  spoke again. "When I was talking to Clark the other day, I  told him about the time I told your mother to 'stuff a sock  in it'. Anyway, it got me thinking. Maybe if I hadn't lost  my temper that day your parents would have..."

"Oh, Jonathan. It wouldn't have made any difference. You  were a farmer. You could have behaved like a prince and  they still wouldn't have approved of you. Besides... that's  what made me fall in love with you."

"Really?" he asked.

She leaned over and kissed him. "Really," she confirmed.  "I'd never seen anyone stand up to my mother before."

He drew her closer and she leaned back into him as they  continued to rock.

"I hope you didn't tell him everything about that night,"  Martha said.

"What are you..."

"Jonathan Kent!" she interrupted. "Don't tell me you don't  remember what happened after we left my parents that  night!" The color that suddenly developed in his cheeks  told her that he remembered very well. She smiled.

"Of course I do," he said hastily. "And no. I don't think  our son needs to know about the first time we made love."

Martha's smile widened. "Maybe you need a refresher  course," she said, running a hand down his chest.

"Martha, it's only four o'clock in the afternoon. What if  the neighbors come by to..." She leaned over and kissed him  again. "What the heck," he said when the kiss broke, rising  from the chair and taking Martha's hand to help her up as  well. She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him into  the house.

The chickens looked up from their food when they heard a  very feminine giggle just before the screen door banged  shut.

EPILOGUE

After opening the door to Lois' apartment, Clark's hands  reached for Lois, pulling her gently to him. Lois held her  breath, waiting for the kiss she knew was coming. It had  been the same every night this week - coming back to her  apartment after spending the evening together to be kissed  good-night at the door. Then she'd disappear into her  apartment while he returned to his parents' place in  Kansas. It would still be another month before his  apartment would once again be livable.

It amazed her that just knowing he was going to kiss her  could send the same tingle down her spine that she'd felt  on their wedding day after the Justice of the Peace had  pronounced them husband and wife. In fact, every time they  kissed, it felt the same as the first time - the rushing  heart rate, the sweaty palms, the butterflies in the  stomach.

It had now been just over a week since Clark had been  released from the hospital. During that week, a lot had  happened. They'd talked. She'd cried. He'd pouted. She'd  yelled. He'd pleaded. They'd held each other and shared  some of the most remarkable kisses she had ever  experienced. All in all, it had been a extraordinary week.  She was finally beginning to feel as if she was getting to  know the real man. He was not Clark. Nor was he Superman.  He was a wonderful mixture of the strengths and weaknesses  of both men. He was both vulnerable and invulnerable. He  was stubborn and yielding; strong and weak; proud and  humble. And he was completely in love with her - as she was  with him.

Given the gravity of his offence, Lois suspected that had  it not been for the fact that he had almost died in order  to save her, it would have taken her a long time to find a  way to forgive and trust him again. But if there was one  thing she'd learned while sitting helplessly at Clark's  bedside, wondering if he would live or die, it was that  time was short - that every moment they had together was  precious.

His lips brushed against hers, and all conscious thought  ceased. She moaned softly as he slowly explored her mouth.  All too soon, he pulled back.

"I should get going," said Clark regretfully.

"No," pouted Lois.

He smiled. "Lois, honey, if I don't leave right now, I'm  not sure I'll be able to leave."

"Then don't," Lois responded, pulling him back to her for  another kiss.

It seemed to take Clark a moment to focus on the words,  being as lost as he was in the kiss. She knew when her  words sank in because he suddenly pulled back and looked at  her in stunned silence. A slow smile made its way across  her face. He was so adorable when he was surprised. Oh,  heck. He was simply adorable.

"Are you sure?" he finally managed to get out.

"You're my husband," she said, running her hand down his  chest. "I tend to think my husband should be living with  me. I just..."

Her words were lost in his kiss as he began pulling her  with him towards the door to her apartment. For a moment,  she allowed him to take the lead, but as they arrived at  the threshold, she pulled back.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.

"Umm..." he stuttered, desperately searching his mind to  figure out what he was missing.

"Aren't you going to carry me over the threshold?" she  asked.

He suddenly smiled. He didn't bother pointing out that they  had been married for three weeks or that he'd carried her  into the honeymoon suite at the Lexor. Instead, a  mischievous smile made its way onto his face and, before  she knew what was happening, he had tossed her over his shoulder and was carrying her into the apartment, slamming  the door shut with his foot.

Lois yelped and began pounding on his back.

"Hey!" she gasped, through her laughter. "This isn't the  way you're supposed to do this."

"I'm carrying. That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Yeah," she laughed, "but not as if I'm a sack of potatoes.  What do you think this is, anyway? You Tarzan; me Jane?"

He walked into her bedroom and dumped her unceremoniously  on the bed before saying, "I was thinking more about the  scene where Rhett Butler tosses Scarlett O'Hara over his  shoulder, carries her up the stairs and makes wild and  passionate love to her."

"I don't think he tossed her over his..." That thought  trailed off when another thought sunk in. "Wild and  passionate?" Lois asked, her voice sounding slightly  amused. But then, Clark leapt onto the bed. Lois gasped and  then groaned when his lips found her neck with unerring  accuracy. "Wild and passionate is good," she conceded on a  moan as she began struggling to get her hands under his  shirt.

* * * * * * * * * THE END * * * * * * * * *

In case anyone is interested, when Lois finally had Clark's  wedding ring engraved, she used the following phrase: "I  will love you 'til the end." I just couldn't find a way to  include that in the story <g>.

The song is 'Stand By Your Man,' sung by Tammy Wynette.

After writing one of the scenes in this story, I came  across a story by Lauren M called 'Clark Gable He's Not.'  Then, after the story was finished, I heard that Missy was  writing a story based on the same premise as my story. I  guess great minds think alike <g>.

"If I can't have her, no man shall." I know this sentence  isn't mine. I tried to figure out where I'd heard or read  it, but was unable to do so. I even used a Google search  and couldn't find it. So I guess I'd have to conclude,  Author Unknown.

Other credits include, but are not limited to: song:  Sylvia's Mother; movies: The Winds of War, Gone With the  Wind, When Time Ran Out, Star Wars, Speed; all fanfic  writers (since they have subtlely affected my thinking  about Lois and Clark over the years), Gerry Anklewicz,  photographer of a certain picture of Teri Hatcher in a  black nightie, Sun Tzu, Alfred Lord Tennyson, 35,000+ Baby  Names, Roget's College Thesaurus, Webster's Dictionary, the  Thunder Bay phone book. If I have missed anyone or  anything, I deeply apologize. .

If you want to read more about some of the above credits,  check out Zoomway's message boards.

Lois and Clark Sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G First comes love Then comes marriage Then comes Lois pushing a baby carriage (Author unknown)

Table of Contents

FIRST COMES MARRIAGE

Part 01

Part 02

Part 03

Part 04

Part 05

Part 06

Part 07

Part 08

Part 09

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

EPILOGUE