New Beginnings

By Matrix

Rated: PG-13

Submitted: October, 2006

Disclaimer: This is a *re*write of the Pilot. Some of the   scenes will be familiar to you but it really is a different   story. Oh, and there is a WHAM towards the end. Consider   yourself warned.

All characters and settings are the property of someone else,   definitely not me, and whoever else can legally lay claim to   them. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was   written purely for fun, not for profit.

A thank you to the writers of Lois & Clark, without them we   wouldn't have this wonderful world to play in. A special thank   you to the writers of the pilot episode, which I have   gratefully borrowed and used many lines and scenes from for   this rewrite.

A huge thank you to Tahu for giving me the idea for this story.   She shared some of her ideas with me and asked me if I could do   a story based on one of them. So Tahu, this story is for you. I   hope you like it. And, of course, last but certainly never   least, a thank you to Sue for her, always wonderful, beta work.   Sue, you know I couldn't post without you.

**********

Part 1

"Clark, remind me again why you decided not to move up here to   Metropolis?" Chad asks me, getting in a little dig.

I sigh, tired of rehashing the same old, tired argument. I   reposition the phone, propping it between my ear and my   shoulder, so I can free up my hands to make myself a sandwich.

"Chad, do we really need to go through this again? You know if   Lana had any way to transfer to Metropolis that we would move.   She was really fortunate to get that internship in the Mayor's   office. We can't exactly move the Mayor of Smallville up to   Metropolis just so I can work for a big city paper." I take out   two slices of bread and hesitate. Nah, why not make it three   slices? And a couple of extra slices of cheese while I'm at it.   Where did I put those pickles? Lana's working late tonight, so   she won't be dropping by unexpectedly to catch me eating this   triple-decker monstrosity. Better enjoy it while I have the   chance.

"Yeah, but come on. This was your dream. Our dream. We were   going to move to the big city together and take it by storm."

"Well, you made it up there. Are you "taking it by storm" yet?"   I ask, preoccupied with spreading a thick layer of mayonnaise   on each slice of bread.

"Not yet, but I've only been here for a few months," Chad says   defensively. "I may just be a gofer now, but when I get my   chance, big things are gonna happen. I still can't believe I'm   working for the Metropolis Star. It's so exciting, so   invigorating..."

"So second-rate. Why didn't you get on with the Daily Planet?"   I ask, finding the bacon in my fridge and giving a few slices a   quick *zap*. Mmm, a Club sandwich, even better.

"Hey, the Metropolis Star is nothing to sneeze at. They may be   second to the Daily Planet in ratings, but they aren't second-  fiddle."

"Well, next time I make it up your way, I expect a detailed   tour of the Star's newsroom." Didn't I have a tomato somewhere?   I poke around in the fridge a little further. Ah, there it is,   hiding behind the lettuce.

"You got it. So how's life treating you as editor of your own   paper? Mr. Bigshot?"

"Not bad. It's not a big-town paper, but the Smallville Post is   beginning to feel like home. I have a couple of reporters   working for me that are still 'wet behind the ears', but   they're learning pretty fast. I'm actually beginning to enjoy   working as an editor, but sometimes I miss the fast-paced, in-  your-face work of being a reporter." Ah, just a few more slices   of pastrami and that should do it.

"What? Are you kidding? What fast-paced work are you   remembering? This is Smallville we're talking about... Not New   York City."

"You know what I mean. I love the legwork. I love running the   story down. I love the interviews and the writing. Editing   someone else's stories just isn't the same." Now to toast the   bread just a little...

"I hear ya. Okay, well take care, Clark. Try to get up here for   a visit pretty soon. Tell your mom and dad I said hello and   tell your mom to send some of her brownies with you next time   you come. I'm aching for some of her homemade cooking."

"Will do, Chad. Take care."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I set the phone down on the counter and look down at the   colossal sandwich sitting before me, my mouth begins to water.   I lift it up to my lips to take the first tantalizing bite and   there's a knock at my door.

I sigh, putting my sandwich back down on the plate, and I lower   my glasses to have a look. It's Lana! Oh, no you don't. You   aren't going to interrupt my eating pleasure tonight, and I'm   not going to pay for eating it in front of you by listening to   you lecture me about my cholesterol for the next two hours.   Like I even need to worry about that. I pick up the sandwich   and inhale it in a matter of seconds, enjoying every last   morsel.

Running up to the door, I open it just in time to let out a   small burp in satisfaction.

"Nice to see you, too, honey," she says, giving me a small peck   on the cheek. "Have you been eating something bad for you   again?" she asks me, giving me that *look*.

"Me? Never."

"Liar. I can smell the pickles and bacon from here. Oh, and   there's *this*," she says, wiping a small spot of mayonnaise   off my chin.

"It was just a light snack. So, what are you doing here? I   thought you had to work late tonight?"

"I did, but the Mayor got a touch of food poisoning from the   chili-cheese fries he ate at dinner. That kind of threw a   wrench in things."

Chili-cheese fries? The Mayor? Actually, I can't remember the   last time I had some of those. They sounded pretty good. "Well   I'm sorry to hear the Mayor's sick, but I won't complain if it   means I get to spend the evening with you."

"Mmm. What did you have in mind, Mr. Kent?"

"Well future Mrs. Kent, why don't I take you home; and we can   curl up next to a fire, put in a good old movie, and take it   from there?"

**********

"Anthony, I think this is a great story, good job, but I can't   print this last part here. It's just speculation," I tell him,   circling the last paragraph in red. "You're going to have to   rewrite this part."

"Aww, but boss, you know as well as I do that it's the truth."

"I agree with you, believe me I do, but we can't print this   until we have solid proof. We'd have our butts handed to us in   court without the evidence to back this up."

"Yes, sir," Anthony says dejectedly, taking his copy back from   me and heading back to his desk.

He was a good kid, just a little green. I sit down at my desk   and thumb through some of the other articles that had been   turned in. Not bad for a small town paper. It may lack the   intrigue that a big city paper like the Daily Planet or Chad's   Metropolis Star have, but it also lacked the articles about   crime and violence that those papers have to report on.

A knock at my door brings me out of my retrospection. I look up   and see Steven standing there, waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in, Steven."

"Mr. Kent, I'm sorry to bother you, but while you and Anthony   were talking, Lana called and asked if you could meet her for   lunch today at your parents' house."

"Oh, okay, thanks. I'll make a note of that."

"Sure thing," Steven says, smiling as he walks back out of my   office.

He is so eager to please, so willing to do whatever needs to be   done. He just lacks self-confidence. Once he finds his   confidence and gets up the nerve to ask, I'm going to let him   partner up with one of the other reporters and see what kind of   stories he can churn out.

My phone begins ringing and I pick it up. "Smallville Post,   Clark Kent."

"Clark? It's Chad. Have you heard the news?"

"No. What news?"

"Apparently some lunatic came running into the Daily Planet   building this morning ranting that the space program is doomed.   He said that the Messenger is going to blow up and that Space   Station Prometheus has been sabotaged."

"You're kidding! Was he verifiable? Or a loon?"

"Well, I don't know, several people are saying he's a loon.   That he went off his rocker after his wife and kid left him a   while back. But here's the weird thing, he used to work for the   space program."

"That is interesting. Is anyone following up on the story?"

"From what I hear, the reporters at the Daily Planet are   looking into his allegation, but I think I'm going to see what   I can dig up, too. Anyway I just wanted to tell you about it. I   thought it might get your old reporter's juices flowing. I'll   call you and let you know if I find out any more details. Just   because you're an editor now, doesn't mean you can't lower   yourself back down to our level and do a little writing. Might   give your readers something exciting to read about for a   change."

"Hey! You don't think the upcoming annual Smallville Corn   Festival is exciting enough? We don't want to give our readers   a heart attack," I tell him sarcastically. "We do have real   news you know."

"I know, I know. Things that are important to a small town   paper, to small town folk. But this might just add a little   spice to their lives, huh? Anyway, I gotta go. Boss is looking   for me, but I wanted to pass that little tidbit along to you.   Later, Clark."

"Yeah, thanks. Bye, Chad."

Sabotage in the space program? Is it possible? Maybe this is   something I should look into. But not now, not this morning.   I've got a paper to put out and a lunch to go to with Lana. I'd   better get busy or I'll be late, and Lana hates it when I'm   late.

**********

"Oh, Martha, lunch was wonderful as always," Lana says, getting   up from the table. "And Jonathan, your barbeque was a little   spicy for me, but delicious nonetheless. Unfortunately my   beeper's going off and that means I've got to head back to the   Mayor's office," she continues, giving each of my parents a hug   and then turning to face me. "Clark, don't be too late putting   that paper to bed. I'm looking forward to a nice quiet pasta   dinner at your place tonight."

"You got it. I'll pick up a bottle of something white on my way   home."

"Love you," Lana says, giving me a soft kiss. "Bye, everyone!"   And then she was out the front door in an instant.

"Are the two of you ever going to have time for *each other*?"   Mom asks me.

I smile reassuringly at her. "Yeah, Mom. It's been a little   more difficult to spend time together since she got her   internship at the Mayor's office, but we'll work it out."

"I know you will, honey. I was actually just teasing you a   little."

"Son, you seemed a little distracted during lunch, is something   on your mind?" Dad asks.

"Actually, yeah. I spoke to Chad earlier today; he said to say   he missed your cooking, by the way, Mom." I'm rewarded with a   happy smile at the compliment. "Anyway, he was telling me about   an incident at the Daily Planet newspaper up there."

"Doesn't he work for the Star?" Dad asks.

"Yeah, but he has some friends at the Planet. Apparently some   man who used to work for the space program came running in   telling everyone that someone was going to sabotage the space   program; that the Messenger shuttle was in trouble. I've been   considering *popping* up there to take a look at things."

"You can't do that. You know what would happen if you got   caught?" Dad asks me.

"Don't say it, Dad. I've got the speech memorized. They'd take   me away, lock me up, do experiments on me; I'd never have a   life. Does that about sum it up?"

"Yeah, I guess," he says, smiling at me.

"But what good are these powers I have if I don't use them to   help when I can?"

"You do, honey," Mom says, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.   "You help out all the time in Smallville, with little things   that no one will notice. If you go snooping around the space   program and interfere, someone's sure to notice."

I sigh. "Maybe you're right. I'll have to think about it some   more. Surely I can come up with some way to help," I pause to   inhale another home-baked cookie. "Well, I'd better get going.   The boys down in copy will be panicking if I don't get back   pretty soon. Don't work too hard this afternoon, okay? I'll see   you both later."

"Us work too hard? What about you?" Mom exclaims.

"Ha. Touche. Bye, you two," I tell them, giving them each a hug.

"Oh, Clark, if the two of you think your offices can get by   without you for a little while, why don't you and Lana come   over Friday morning for breakfast? We can all watch the live   broadcast of the Messenger's lift off together," Mom says, her   voice sounding hopeful.

"I'll see what I can do."

**********

"Lana was sorry she couldn't come for breakfast this morning,   just too much going on today. I, however, wouldn't miss your   buttermilk pancakes for anything. Isn't it about time for the   launch?" I ask.

"Oh, you're right. It's supposed to go up at nine a.m.," Dad   says, getting up and turning the TV on.

We all sit around the TV in rapt attention. My conversation   earlier in the week with Chad comes back to my mind. Had anyone   tried to sabotage the Messenger? Surely they put on extra   security after that little incident. It should be about   impossible for anyone to get close enough to do anything.

The countdown had started: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,   four, three, two, one, ignition... Fire! The Messenger is on   fire!

"Oh, Clark!" Mom exclaims, as we sit in stunned silence   watching the Messenger engulfed in flames.

I slam my fist down on the table next to me, causing the table   leg to shatter. The table wobbles unsteadily on its remaining   three legs.

I curse under my breath. I know better than to let my emotions   get the better of me. "I'm sorry. I'll get that fixed for you."

"Don't worry about it, Son. It'll give me a little project to   work on this weekend," Dad says, grabbing my shoulder and   giving it a squeeze.

"Honey, are you okay?" Mom asks me.

"No, I'm not okay. See, it's things like this. If I had gone up   there and inspected things, given that shuttle a *once-over*, I   might have found the problem. I was warned that there might be   sabotage involved. I should have listened. I should have   checked it out."

"It's not your fault. You have to have a life, too. There are   problems all over the world, you can't be everywhere, fix every   problem," Mom tells me, trying to console me.

"Yeah, but this is big. Space Station Prometheus is running out   of time. This launch, this shuttle was critical to securing the   station's orbit. If sabotage really was involved then that   means someone doesn't want this to succeed. Who would benefit   from the failure of the space station? The failure of the space   program itself?"

My parents just stare at me in silence. They don't have any   words of wisdom to offer this time. I know what I have to do   now. I have to go up there to Metropolis and take a look   around. I might be able to see something that someone else   would miss. This is too important to not help. Besides, while   I'm up there, I can pay a visit to Chad.

"I've gotta go up there. You know I do," I tell them, firmly.   They nod their heads at me in understanding. "Now, how to tell   Lana, that's going to be the tricky part. If I take the time to   tell her what's going on, she'll just try to talk me out of   going. In her eyes, I'll just be a foolhardy newspaper editor   going up to poke his nose in where it doesn't belong."

"She might think differently if you told her about you," Mom   reminds me.

A small spot of guilt tugs at me. I haven't told Lana yet. I   keep coming up with all the same reasons not to tell her, none   of them really good ones. I'm basically just afraid to tell   her, when it gets right down to it. I'm afraid it will scare   her; I'm afraid of rejection. But it's not fair to her - I know   it's not.

"Yeah. I know. I'm working on it. I'm going to tell her soon,"   I promise.

"Do you think she's really the *one*?" Dad asks me.

His question catches me off guard. "I love her," I say simply.   "How do you ever know that someone is ?the one'?"

"Trust me, you just know. This is one of the most important   decisions of your life. Your mother and I both like Lana, and   we want the best for you. But she already expects so much of   you. I know you love her because of how much you've given up   for her. I mean, she's the reason you didn't move to   Metropolis. But just make sure she's the one for you, Son, your   circumstances are so special - it's going to take a special   woman."

"I know, Dad. I know. I think that's part of the reason I've   waited this long to tell her." I pause, remembering that we're   supposed to have dinner at my apartment tonight. She isn't   going to be happy. "I think I'd better just leave a message   with the secretary over at the Mayor's office, for her. I can   call her up and talk to her when I get to Metropolis. Then she   can argue with me all she wants to. At least I'll already be up   there, and she can't talk me out of going."

"Okay. Well be careful, honey," Mom says, looking worried.

"Yes. Be very careful. Don't let anyone see you doing   *anything*. You should probably wait until dark to fly up   there," Dad suggests. "Call us when you get settled in."     "I will and thanks. I'll talk to you both soon," I say as I   walk out the front door. I'd really like to leave as soon as   possible, but Dad's probably right. I should wait for the cover   of darkness before I attempt the flight up to Metropolis. No   point taking chances.

I better go back to the office and find a replacement to cover   for me while I'm gone and make that call to the Mayor's office.   I'm not looking forward to the phone conversation I'll be   having tonight with Lana.

**********

I wait outside the entrance to the airport, watching for Chad.   I would have just flown directly to his apartment, but when I   called him to tell him I was coming, he insisted on coming to   pick me up at the airport.

After a few more minutes of peering over the top of my glasses,   watching for him, I see his rusted-out pick-up coming a few   miles away. He's had that pick-up since we were back in high   school, and it was old even back then. I can't believe it's   still running.

I smile and wave at him when he gets close enough to see me. He   pulls over and I throw my duffle bag in the bed of his truck. I   open the door and climb inside; I'm greeted by one arm thrown   around my neck in a mighty one-armed bear hug.

"Clark! It's so great to see you. I can't believe it took a   disaster like this to finally get you up here to see me."

I smile at him sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. You know   how busy I've been lately."

"Hey I'm just ribbin' ya. So, you're here. Are you tired?"

"No, not too bad."

"No jet lag?"

"Nah. I never get jet lag," I tell him. Chad has no idea how   true that is. I hold back a smile.

"Well, I've got a proposition for you then."

Proposition? I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"See, through my connections at the Star, I was invited to this   big event tonight called the ?White Orchid Ball'. It's hosted   by Lex Luthor, the richest man in Metropolis and like in the   top five in the world. Anybody who's anybody is going to be   there. According to the invite, I'm allowed to bring someone   with me."

"Chad, don't take this the wrong way. I like you, but I don't   want to date you."

I'm rewarded for my humor with a slug to the arm. "Geez, Clark.   You're still as solid as a rock," Chad says, shaking his hand   gingerly. "I figured as busy as you are nowadays you wouldn't   find the time to work out."

"Who says I work out?"

Chad frowns at me. "Some guys get all the breaks. Born with   muscles and gets all the best dates, uh... me included."

I laugh at his joke. "No, seriously, don't you have some cute   girl you'd like to take with you to the ball?"

"Nada. Zippo. It's just you and me pal, if you wanna go. I   figured you'd be interested because it's rumored Lex is going   to make some sort of announcement about the space program at   the ball."

Hmm, that did sound promising. Well, why not, no sense in an   invitation being wasted. Besides, these events usually held the   promise of some great food... and Lana isn't even around to   chastise me for eating it. The night is looking very promising.   "Okay, it's a date then. But I expect you to act like a   gentleman."

"Always," Chad says snickering. "Now, let's go see if we can   find you a rental place in town with a tuxedo left."

**********

"So which one is Luthor?" I ask Chad, glancing around the room.

"I don't know. I've never actually seen the guy; he rarely   makes public appearances. I'm sure we'll know him when we see   him. There's bound to be a big ?to do' when he arrives."

As if on cue, a man begins to make a descent down the large   staircase in the room. Everyone stops dancing, pauses in the   conversations, and sets down that bite of food they were about   to eat, in order to turn and watch the man, presumably Lex   Luthor, walk down the stairs towards them.

He is an elegant, handsome looking man, with an air of definite   power about him. He walks down the stairs with purpose, with an   arrogant confidence. He stops briefly along the way to speak to   one person or another, shaking hands and smiling.

Something in his manner or presence sends a cold chill down my   spine. I'm not sure why I don't like him, it's just a weird   feeling I have. Usually men with that kind of power and that   kind of confidence aren't my favorite people to be around. They   think they're better than the everyday man. That somehow their   life, their needs, their opinions are worth more than anyone   else's.

Before I can study him any further a woman's voice speaks   loudly from bottom of the stairs, grabbing my attention.

"Lex Luthor, why haven't you returned my calls?"

A hush falls over the crowd and everyone turns to look at the   woman. I soon locate her as well. She's stunning. She possesses   an innate beauty with her hair swept up off her neck and   wearing her off the shoulder gown just a little too well. She   too seems to have an amazing confidence, but not arrogance.   There's just a certainty about her, as if she knows exactly who   she is and what she wants. And she obviously wants Luthor's   attention, right at this particular moment.

I continue to watch the pair as Luthor resumes his descent and   walks up to his accuser. He takes one of her hands in his and   she introduces herself.

"Lois Lane. Daily Planet." Daily Planet? How intriguing. I   should ask Chad about her. Maybe she knows something about the   man who came there to warn about the sabotage.

I let my hearing reach out to make out Luthor's response. "I   can assure you, I'll never make that mistake again," he tells   her. Suave, very suave.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Chad asks me. I flinch a little bit at   his unexpected voice. I was still attuned to the other   conversation, so Chad's speech accosts my enhanced hearing.

"Yes, lovely. Who is she?"

"Lois Lane. She's one of the top, if not *the* top reporter at   the Daily Planet. She's the one who Samuel Platt contacted that   day at the Planet."

"Samuel Platt?" I ask.

"Yeah. He's the one who reported the sabotage. I dug around and   found out his name. I tried to interview him but apparently   he's not willing to talk to anyone but Lois. She's already had   one interview with him and he's going to turn over a bunch of   research notes and documents to her, according to my source."

Interesting. So if I wanted to find anything out, I was   obviously going to need to speak with Ms. Lane. "Your source?   Chad you aren't even a reporter yet, why do you have sources?"

"Hey, you never know when I might get my first break." He grins   at me. "I keep in touch with another gofer, Jimmy Olsen; he   works for the Daily Planet. He feeds me interesting tidbits and   I feed him some of our more ?off-the-wall' stories, not that we   run very many of those; but he loves them. He's been known to   have been caught reading the National Whisper from time to   time."

I shake my head and laugh. "Those magazines are awful!"

"Yeah, I know, but they can be pretty entertaining," Chad tells   me, looking off, suddenly interested in something he spots   across the room. "Hey Clark, don't take this the wrong way, I   mean you're great company and all, but I just spotted Ms.   Catherine Grant. She's the gossip columnist at the Planet and   has quite the reputation with the men-folk in journalism, if   you know what I mean - at least according to Jimmy. I think   I'll go introduce myself."

I nod my head at him and hide my smile. Ms. Grant wasn't likely   to give a gofer like Chad the time of day, but then again Chad   could be pretty charming when he wanted to be. Who knows?

Once Chad is back out of sight again, I direct my hearing back   to Luthor and Ms. Lane's conversation. She is the one talking.

"I hope you'll forgive me for being so bold, but..."

"Boldness is a trait I find very attractive in a woman, Ms.   Lane," Luthor interrupts her.

Oh good grief.

She smiles prettily at him. Please tell me you're smarter than   that Ms. Lane, I think to myself.

"Oh, thank you. Anyway, I was wondering, Mr. Luthor..."

"Lex."

I roll my eyes. Quit interrupting her and let her talk, I   silently berate him.

"Lex, I know you're hesitant to give interviews..."

"I hope you can understand, a man in my position." Aaah, there   he goes again. "I wouldn't want to be misinterpreted, and I   have had one or two bad experiences with the media..."

"But not with me," Ms. Lane interrupts him. Good for you.

I cautiously allow myself to float just a little bit above the   floor in hopes of peeking in on them a little. Success. Luthor   is smiling handsomely at her, an amused twinkle in his eye. She   is just a diversion to him, obviously.

"Why don't we make it dinner?" Luthor proposes.

I shake my head. Yep, I can't quite pinpoint it, but something   about this guy really gets under my skin. I decide to see if I   can get an introduction to Ms. Lane by introducing myself ? and   maybe sucking up a little bit ? to Luthor.

I head over to where the couple is dancing and stride boldly up   to Luthor. "Mr. Luthor," I say, extending my right hand. He   gives me a look of slight annoyance, but probably not wanting   to make a scene, he stops dancing with Ms. Lane and takes my   proffered hand. "Clark Kent," I continue. "I just wanted to   express my gratitude at being able to attend this magnificent   event. You really do know how to make a night an eventful one."

"Thank you, Mr. Kent."

I nod at him and turn to Ms. Lane. "Sorry to have interrupted   your dance, Miss..." I throw a meaningful glance at Luthor and   to my surprise he indulges me.

"Ms. Lois Lane of the Daily Planet."

"Ah, Ms. Lane. I'm familiar with your work. Well pardon me for   my interruption. Enjoy your evening," I tell both of them,   pouring on the charm. I wouldn't have been nearly so good at   this if Lana hadn't dragged me to all those political functions   and parties at the Mayor's office. I was actually beginning to   feel comfortable around celebrity types. They weren't too hard   to figure out. Just woo them and charm them and throw out lots   of compliments and then they generally didn't mind being   gracious.

I walk off leaving them to dance, but I keep my hearing on them   anyway. The conversation was sure to be more interesting than   anything else going on at the party.

I find myself surprised to hear Luthor excuse himself from Ms.   Lane. I turn to watch him head off in another direction,   leaving her standing alone amongst the other dancing couples. I   start to turn away... oh well, why not? Maybe I could get some   information from her.

I walk up behind her and start talking, "I believe it takes two   people to correctly execute this dance, Ms. Lane. May I?"

She turns around to face me and regards me with a calculating   gaze. "Mr. Kent, right?" she asks me.

"That's right," I tell her as I boldly take her hand in mine   and slip my other arm around her waist. She lifts her free hand   and places it softly on my shoulder and we begin to move to the   music.

"You know, I really should be mad at you for interrupting my   dance earlier with Lex."

"Why aren't you?" I ask her, curious to what her answer will   be.

She shrugs. "Maybe because I already got what I wanted from   him."

"And what is that?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but a confirmed interview.   It's taken me almost a year, but I finally got him cornered. He   rarely gives interviews but he's going to give me one, and I'm   going to make the most of it."

"You are ambitious for a woman your age."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks, pulling back, trying   to halt our dance. I don't let her. I pull her back in and   resume the dance.

"Nothing at all. You have quite an impressive resume and are   very accomplished for a woman as young as you are."

"Oh... Thank you. It's easy. I mean, it isn't. It's hard work,   but it's easy when you know what you want."

"And you do?"

"Yes."

"Exactly?"

"...Yes." She hesitates just briefly this time, but I pick up   on it.

"I see. And what do you want?"

"My first Pulitzer by the time I'm thirty." Wow! She is   ambitious. "Mr. Kent..."

"Please, call me Clark."

"Okay, Clark. I don't mean to be rude, but if I'm going to get   that first Pulitzer, I'm going to have to get back to my job."

"And that is?"

"Being an investigative reporter. And right now my story is   Luthor. If you'll excuse me, I think it's time I do some   looking around."

"Not at all. Do you mind if I tag along?" I ask.

She looks at me, curiosity written plainly on her face,   possibly mixed with a little annoyance. "Why?"

"I used to be a reporter myself. I'm currently the editor for a   small paper in Kansas. It's a good job, but I miss those days   of gathering information, following up on leads, you know, the   fun stuff. I might be a little rusty but maybe I can be of some   assistance?"

She looks at me skeptically. "If you're from Kansas, what are   you doing all the way up here? And at the White Orchid Ball, no   less?"

"Oh, actually I came up to visit a friend, Chad Wilson, he   works for the Metropolis Star."

"Ah, so you're a spy for a rival paper." I can't read the   expression on her face. Is she teasing me, or does she actually   think I'm a spy?

"Uh, no. I'm not a big fan of the Star, Ms. Lane."

"You can call me Lois."

"Okay, Lois. Chad actually wanted to get on at the Daily Planet   when he moved up here but there weren't any openings. Anyway,   he was telling me about the incident with Samuel Platt and the   supposed sabotage."

Her eyebrows go up slightly at the mention of Mr. Platt. I   continue, "When the shuttle blew up, I decided to come up here   and visit Chad and see if I could do a small story on it for   our paper back home. But back to your original question, I'm at   the Ball tonight because Chad had an invitation and brought me   as his date." I wink at her.

This time it's her turn to look a little confused, and maybe   slightly shocked. I almost chuckle. "I'm kidding. Well, I mean   he did bring me, but only because he couldn't find an actual   date to bring."

If I didn't have enhanced-hearing I would have never heard her,   but as it is, I hear her mumble under her breath, "Yeah, join   the club." I smile to myself. All work and no play make Lois   Lane a very... *intriguing* woman. What makes her tick? There   has to be something besides work.

"So, back to my original question," I remind her. "Do you care   if I tag along?"

"It's a free country, you can come along - just don't get in my   way. But if we find anything interesting, I'd better not see it   printed up in some small town paper before I can get my copy   turned in." No confusion with the look on her face this time.   She's dead serious.

I follow her down a hallway to a set of double doors that are   closed. She brazenly opens them and waltzes inside as if she   owns the place. I shake my head in wonder at this fascinating   woman.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Luthor might not be..."

"If he really didn't want people in here, he would have locked   the door. Right? I heard he was giving private tours earlier. I   just missed mine and I'm catching up. Look, Kent, you don't   have to come. I didn't ask you to."

I sigh, conceding to her point. "What are we looking for in   particular?" I ask.

"Anything of interest. Just poke around and see what you can   find."

I see something that catches my interest almost immediately, an   ornate and exquisite display of ancient weaponry ? swords,   pistols, even a primitive looking crossbow.

I bend down to examine the collection more thoroughly feeling   my heartstrings tug with slight regret at deciding not to take   more of those trips I had planned after college, those trips to   other continents, other countries, other cultures. I had taken   a few, but not nearly as many as I had originally planned to.   My plans had changed. I had chosen instead to be with Lana.

Lana! Yikes! I'm going to have to cut this party short so I can   get back to Chad's place and give her a call. She's going to be   steamed.

I turn around and almost run right into the tip of a sword   that's being pointed directly at me. The man holding the sword   is Luthor, calm and cool as a cucumber. So that's how he wants   to play it huh? Two can play that game. "Macedonian," I remark   nonchalantly.

Luthor nods his head at me. "Yes. It belonged to Alexander the   Great, a brilliant tactician." He lowers the sword and turns it   around to me, presenting it for my inspection.

I take the sword from him and look it over, admiring the beauty   in the craftsmanship.

"Alexander's strategy was simple; always control the high   ground. It was with this sword that he..."

"...defeated Darius the third and was proclaimed King of Asia,"   I say, interrupting him.

He raises his eyebrows in appraisal of me. "You surprise me Mr.   Kent. I'm not often surprised."

Before I can reply, Ms. Lane comes back into the room and   regards the two of us cautiously. "I hope you don't mind Mr.   Kent and I looking around, we were just admiring your beautiful   home."

Of course he minds. I can sense it. But he isn't going to tell   Ms. Lane that. I get the feeling that he respects her and is   possibly, no probably, attracted to her.

"Have you seen the view from up here?" Luthor asks,   sidestepping the question. He holds out a hand to Ms. Lane   inviting her to follow him out onto the balcony. My invitation   was not expressly extended but I follow them anyway, out of   curiosity.

"Tallest building in Metropolis. I must confess a certain   pleasure in knowing that everyone has to look up in order to   see me."

Ms. Lane smiles indulgently at him while I roll my eyes. He's   not at all vain, is he?

"Let's get back to the party. I think my announcement will   interest you." He holds out his hand to me directing me to step   back inside.

"After you," I tell him, again all charm. Ah yes, the   announcement. I had almost forgotten Chad mentioning that.   Well, maybe that phone call to Lana could wait just a little   longer. I follow Ms. Lane and Luthor back into the main guest   area. This should prove to be interesting.

***********

Part 2

As soon as I can hear Chad's soft breathing and confirm that   he's asleep, I slide comfortably down onto his couch and pick   up the phone. Lana is going to be hacked at me for not calling   sooner, but I didn't know that Luthor's little announcement was   going to take so long. I had wanted to talk a little more with   Ms. Lane about Samuel Platt, but she had gotten swept away by   other members of the Daily Planet and I had left with Chad to   come home.

I then had to spend a significant amount of time recounting the   events of my evening to Chad, particularly to console him after   the rejection he'd received from Ms. Grant. Poor guy.

But now, finally, I have peace and quiet and I could devote   myself to Lana, even though I was dreading it. Charm. Remember   charm.

I dial her number and wait. Kansas is a time zone behind   Metropolis, so she shouldn't be in bed yet. It was late, but at   least I wouldn't be waking her up.

"Hello?" came her voice.

"Lana, it's Clark."

"So you did call. I had finally decided you'd lost your nerve."

I can't help it; I clear my throat a little, nervously. "Ahem,   ha ha, you're funny. No, I just got caught late at a little   function I attended with Chad. Sorry. I would have called you   from there, but it was so loud and busy, I knew I wouldn't be   able to have a coherent conversation with you."

"Well, you get points for at least *wanting* to have a coherent   conversation with me. I figured you'd be trying to avoid me   like the plague."

"Now why would I do that?"

"You know why," she reprimanded me and then she started in with   a proper scolding. "Clark, how could you do this? We're   supposed to be a couple. A couple that is thinking seriously   about getting married. How could you just run off like that   without at least talking with me first?"

"I really didn't have time to propose an Act of Congress," I   try for a little humor.

She's not amused. "If we're going to trust one another we have   to be open, honest with one another. Willing to share   everything."

Her words cut me a little. If she's upset about this, how is   she going to react when I tell her about me, about the real me?   I feel sweat breaking out on my palms. Not good. Definitely not   good.

"I know, Lana. Believe me, I know, and I'm sorry. Chad had   called me earlier this week to let me know that someone had   reported to the Daily Planet that the space program was being   sabotaged. Then the shuttle blew up this morning. I just wanted   to come up and check things out. Dig around a little."

"Chad? I should have known he was behind this. You know he   really needs to find a girl and settle down."

I chuckle a little to try and lighten the mood. She takes the   bait and joins me.

"But seriously, Clark, what do you think you're going to do up   there? You aren't a reporter anymore. You're an editor and a   good one. You're needed at your own paper."

"I know, and I won't be gone long. But the paper has my cell   phone if they need to get in touch with me. Smallville is   usually pretty quiet; I think they'll be fine without me for a   couple of days. The space program is something that is very   dear to my heart, and I just want to do my part, know what I   mean?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess. Just don't forget about something else   that's hopefully dear to your heart, okay?"

"Lana, how could I ever forget you?" I ask her sweetly.

"Hmm, I miss you horribly. Hurry home."

"Love you, Lana. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

I frown at the phone as I hang it up. Something dad said to me   earlier in the day comes to my mind. ?Is she really the *one*?   ...She expects so much from you.'

How much more is she going to expect when she finds out about   me? What is she going to do when I tell her? She already   worries about me enough as it is and is way too protective.   She'll want me to hide away from the rest of the world... never   use my powers. And that's just not something I'm prepared to   do.

I sigh heavily. If I know Lana there's going to be a bigger   fallout from this than a nuclear bomb. At least I get to hide   from it for a little while longer, at least while I'm in   Metropolis.

?Is she really the one?'

Yes. Isn't she?

**********

Pop Tarts, cold cereal, Fig Newtons, and a banana. Chad is a   great friend, but definitely a bachelor. I crinkle my nose a   little. At least if he'd had some Twinkies, Ding-dongs, or Ho-  Ho's that would have been something. I opt for the closest   thing and grab a Pop Tart.

As I head for the front door, I leave a note on Chad's entry   table. If I'm going to try and talk to Lois Lane at the Daily   Planet this morning, I need to get there early. I know her   type, she wouldn't waste time talking to me once things got   busy. I'll try and catch up with Chad later, at the Metropolis   Star, unless he catches up with me first.

It's still early in the morning so there's enough darkness that   I risk a short flight over to the Planet to save some time. I   land a few blocks away and begin a relaxing walk towards my   destination. As I walk I think about the events from last   night. I definitely have good reason for not liking Luthor, and   not trusting him. My suspicions about him were confirmed when   he unveiled his plans for launching his own space station,   ?Luthor'.

It wasn't much to go on right now, but it definitely put Luthor   on my short list for those who would benefit from the failure   of space station Prometheus.

I'm jolted out of my thoughts by an explosion a short distance   away. I quicken my pace to see what's going on and quickly   locate the problem. Smoke is billowing out of an open manhole.

"There's a man down there! Call the fire department!" A city   worker yells.

I hang back, watching the open manhole. Come on... Be okay...   Find your way out. No such luck. I don't see or hear any   movement from the manhole.

People are beginning to crowd in around the manhole, looking   down with concerned faces. There's no way I can help without   revealing myself.

"Back off! One of my men is down there!" the same worker   shouts. He must be the supervisor. "Where are the fire trucks!   Hurry up! He's dying down there!"

Dying? I realize I have to help him. I step back away from the   crowd, looking around. I spot another manhole not too far away.   No one seems to be paying much attention to that area,   everyone's is too busy eyeing the disaster unfolding in front   of them.

At the fastest speed I can muster, I shoot down the manhole and   locate the injured worker. He's pinned under some rubble and   probably has a broken leg. I scan it quickly. Yep, it's broken.   I scan the rest of him. He'll be okay once he gets to the   hospital, but the sooner he gets there the better. Doing my   best to stay behind the man where he can't see me, I lift him   up and float him up through the opening of the manhole   everyone's watching. Once the men have a good hold on him, I   let go and shoot back down the tunnel and out the other   manhole.

After I put the manhole cover back in place and try to dust   myself off a little ? this suit is probably ruined - I walk   back over to the crowd of people to inspect my handiwork.

"You okay?" the supervisor was asking the injured worker.

The worker coughs and then squints his eyes open. His eyes meet   with mine briefly and they widen. Uh, oh. Does he recognize me?   How? It was so dark down there. I was careful!

"That man! He saved me!" the worker cries.

Everyone turns to look at me. I hold my hands up in a defensive   gesture. "I... He's delirious," I offer as an explanation.

I turn to walk off before anyone can ask any more questions and   I run headfirst into Lois Lane.

"Ummpfff," we both exclaim. The force from our impact catches   her off guard and she stumbles backwards. I reach out, grabbing   her hand to keep her from falling.

"Ms. Lane? I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" I ask.

"Lois," she reminds me. "Uh, yeah, I think" she says, rubbing   her shoulder. I wince. She definitely got the worse end of the   collision.

She looks down at my hand, still clasping hers. "Thanks," she   says, flashing an awkward smile at me. I didn't realize I was   still holding it.

I give it a slight squeeze and nod my head at her. "You're   welcome."

She smiles at me and then looks down at my suit. She does a   double-take. "What happened?" she asks, pointing at it.

Yikes. "I don't know. I must have been too close when the   explosion happened. I think I'll have a hard time finding a dry   cleaner who can get this out." Will she buy it?

She buys it. "Yeah, I think that one's headed for the landfill.   Too bad too, it was a nice suit."

"Uh, thanks. Believe it or not, I was actually on my way to see   you."

She regards me with a little apprehension. Does she think   I'm... what? Interested in her? My mind recoils in shock... am   I? No, no of course not. I came here to talk about Mr. Platt   and the sabotage. Nothing else. Get a grip, Clark. You just   miss Lana.

Now, how best to get my foot in the door. If I just come out   and ask her if I can accompany her on an interview with Platt,   she'll be suspicious. She'll think I'm somehow trying to steal   her story, especially since Chad works for the Star. "Yes. I   was hoping you could give me a tour of the Daily Planet."

She stares at me for a couple of seconds and then blinks. "A   tour? I don't think..."

"Yeah. For several years I had actually planned to move to   Metropolis and try to get on with the Daily Planet. Chad and I   were college roommates; we were going to move up here   together."

"So what happened? He made it up here, why didn't you?"

I'm not sure why, but for some reason I don't want to introduce   Lana into the picture right now. "Just had some personal   reasons that kept me from moving. I've always kind of regretted   it though. It was a dream of mine for a long time to work for a   paper like the Daily Planet."

Lois smiles at me pleasantly. "I know just your type, Clark.   You're a dreamer."

"Am I?"

"Yes you are. Cute farm boy from Kansas dreaming of life in the   big city. Okay, I think I might have enough time to give you   that tour you're wanting, if we hurry. Come on."

Cute? She thinks I'm cute?

**********

"Wait here just a minute," Lois tells me and walks over to a   desk, probably hers. The phone is ringing there and she answers   it. While she's talking, I look around the newsroom and take it   in. I love the excitement, the *vibe* that I feel from it - The   voices talking all at once, the people scurrying around busily,   the smell of strong coffee and fresh donuts. Mmm, donuts. Now   there's something I haven't had in a while.

I start walking towards the smell of a freshly baked cinnamon   donut, when a voice catches the attention of my enhanced-  hearing.

"Mmm, who's the new tight-end?" a woman asks. I discreetly   glance around me to locate the voice. It's coming from an   attractive, vivacious-looking young woman who is scantily   dressed. I can tell by the look on Lois's face that she's the   one who'd been asked the question. Her eyebrows are knitted   together in a frown.

"Why don't you just throw your usual forward pass and find   out?" Lois tells her, and then looks aghast as the woman heads   off in my direction. I get the feeling Lois doesn't like her a   whole lot.

"Hi. Catherine Grant, ?Cat's Corner'," she says, extending her   hand in a gesture that would almost indicate she wants me to   kiss it. Hah! So this is Catherine Grant, the woman Chad had   sought after ? and had been rejected by - last night.

"Pleased to meet you Ms. Grant..."

"Cat," she says, making a biting motion at the end of the T   sound, and moving closer to me. Yikes, this woman is   aggressive.

"Cat," I mimic back at her. "Clark Kent, Editor of the   Smallville Post." I take her still outstretched hand and give   it a hearty shake. Then I step back a little to put some   distance between us.

She looks a little disappointed at my efforts to sidestep her   advances. "Smallville Post, where's that? Kansas?" she remarks   snidely.

"Yes, actually, ever been there?" I ask.

She looks slightly embarrassed. "Uh, no."

"Well it's nowhere near the size of Metropolis of course, but   we are proud to have two newspapers, the Smallville Post and   Press. I might sound partial, but I believe the quality of   writing at our paper is definitely better. We don't run a lot   of those gossip articles like the Press does." I give her a   significant look.

She takes it in stride and lets it roll off her back. "So tell   me, Clark, what brings you to Metropolis and what's a cute guy   like you doing hanging around with ?ole Lois here?" she asks   loudly enough for Lois to hear her. She glances over at Lois   and gives her a pitiable look. Lois looks like she might like   to get into a *catfight*.

"Well, actually," I proceed to tell her, "I'm here to see a   friend of mine, Chad Wilson, perhaps you've met him? Maybe last   night at the ?White Orchid Ball'?" I ask her, giving her a   knowing look. Her face pales slightly. Yep, she remembers him.   "Anyway, I wanted a tour of the Daily Planet and I asked Lois   if she'd give me one. I know she's a highly respected reporter   here and figured she'd be the best person to ask."

I may have rattled her a little bit, but not much, and it   didn't last long. "Well, sure, Clark, if you want the   librarian's tour. But you come look me up if you want to know   the really *juicy* stuff that goes on around here, okay? Nice   to meet you." And with that she walks off, still eyeballing me.

I walk over to Lois's desk where she is still standing,   scowling. "Wow," I say to her.

"Yeah, I guess, if you like her type," she responds, looking   disgusted.

"No, that's not what I mean. She's not my type. I just meant...   She's so... forward. Is she that way with everyone?"

"Usually. If they have a Y chromosome."

Ouch, poor Chad. I'll definitely make sure he doesn't find   *that* little tidbit out. He'd be down in the dumps for days.   Although, in his defense, I'd seen dozens of guys clamoring all   over Cat last night, so he probably didn't get a chance to make   much of an impression on her. Well, I threw his name out there.   She'd remember him now, if he ever works up the nerve to talk   to her again.

The look on Lois's face seems to indicate that she's pleased I   didn't fall for Cat's charms. I grin to myself. Definitely a   little rivalry there, for some reason. She walks over and takes   me by the arm leading me further on our tour.

"And, Mr. Editor, here is *our* editor-in-chief's office. Mr.   Perry White," Lois tells me, waving at her editor through the   glass. Mr. White waves back at her, turning his wave into an   invitation into his office. She walks into his office,   motioning me to follow her.

"Lois, did Jimmy find you yet?" Mr. White asks her and then   seems to finally notice me as I shut his door. "Who's this?"

"No, not yet, Perry. This is Clark Kent, editor of... I'm sorry   Clark, I actually don't think I caught the name of your paper."

"It's the Smallville Post in Kansas, Mr. White. I'm honored to   get to meet you. I used to dream of working as a reporter for   the Daily Planet. I was up here visiting a friend and met Ms.   Lane at the White Orchid Ball. I asked her if she'd indulge me   with a tour. But I can see you are all very busy this morning   on that shuttle explosion. Maybe I'd better cut my tour short,   I don't want to take up any more of your time." I reach out to   shake his hand.

"Oh, uh, that's okay. I'm sure we have a few minutes we can   spare. It's always nice to meet a fellow newspaper editor,"   Perry tells me, giving my hand a firm shake.

"Well actually I was a reporter before I became an editor," I   tell him.

"Same with me," he tells me. "Do you miss it?"

"Don't you? The excitement? The hunt?" I ask.

"Boy, you know it," he admits.

We all share a knowing look and then Mr. White's office door is   thrown open and a young man comes running in carrying an odd   assortment of papers and notes piled together, all different   sizes, colors, and shapes. "Lois! Here you are! I got them."

"Got them?" she asks him.

"Platt's notes. I picked them up from him earlier. I was going   to take a copy of the report over to my buddy at S.T.A.R Labs   to analyze but I can't make any sense out of any of this. If   you can piece it together, let me know and I'll run a copy over   to him." He hands the stack of papers to Lois and then turns to   look at me.

"Hi, Clark Kent," I introduce myself and extend my hand.

"Jimmy Olsen. Nice to meet you," he says with a quick shake and   then turns back to Lois. "Now don't forget; if you can get that   stuff pieced together before tomorrow morning that would really   be helpful. My friend at S.T.A.R. Labs is leaving town on   vacation the day after tomorrow. So it's tomorrow or nothing."

"Here Jimmy, before you leave, take this article and run it   back out over to Pete in Sports. There are more holes in this   piece than you can find on a golf course," Mr. White says,   shoving a paper at Jimmy.

"Sure thing, Chief." Jimmy takes the paper and starts to leave   but stops and turns to me. "Clark Kent? Chad Wilson's friend?"

I nod my head at him.

"Tell him I said hi and that I want my copy of ?Bikes and   Babes' back just as soon as he's through with it." And with   that he rushes out of the office. ?Bikes and Babes'? I'd have   to rib Chad about that one later.

Lois is busy flipping through the papers in her hands, a look   of annoyance on her face. "Why is it all scientists are so   smart but they can't keep a decent journal for their notes?   This is a mess! It'll take me all day and all night to wade   through this and piece it together by myself."

"Do you want some help?" I ask. Lois and Mr. White both turn to   stare at me and then look at each other.

"The friend I'm visiting is at work today and I don't have much   going on," I explain. "It would give me something to do. It   sure looks like you could use the help, and maybe I could write   a sidebar on the story for my paper... after you've published   your story of course." I hold my breath.

"Well, you did say you'd always wanted to work for the Planet.   If you're willing to donate your time, I don't see that we can   turn you down," Mr. White says, looking at Lois for   confirmation.

She looks unsure at first. I flash her a warm smile and she   seems to soften a little. "I guess I could use the help. Come   on, there's an empty desk across from mine we can put you at,"   she says, turning to leave Perry's office.

I follow closely on her heels.

**********

"I'm starving!" Lois exclaims. "I wish I knew a good Chinese   take-out."

We've been at these notes all day, trying to re-work them into   something legible. I'm sure she really is starving. In truth   I'd like to have a break too, and I can't remember the last   time I've had some really good Chinese. It has too much MSG for   Lana.

"Yeah, I could use a break. I think I remember Chad mentioning   a good place. I'll be right back," I tell her, getting up from   my chair.

"Wait. Don't you want to know what I want?"

"Nah. I'll bring an assortment."

I make my way downstairs and out the front door of the Planet.   It's dark outside so a quick trip to China shouldn't be too   risky.

I fly at top speed there and back, finding appropriate   alleyways to land in and take-off from. I look down at the   cartons in my hands as I walk back inside the Planet. Surely   there will be something in here she'll like.

As I walk off the elevator into the newsroom, Lois looks up at   me. I can see the surprise in her eyes.

"That was quick."

"I took a short cut." I set the food containers down on her   desk and she begins tearing into them eagerly.

"Mmm, it smells great!" She grabs an eggroll and hungrily takes   a bite. "Wow! Clark, this is out of this world," she exclaims.

Well, not actually, just out of this country. I smile at her.   "So, did you piece together any more of the report while I was   gone?" I ask, digging into one of the containers.

"No, you weren't actually gone long enough to give me a   chance," she says quickly, in between inhaling bites of food.   "Thanks, Clark. This really hit the spot."

I nod my head at her, my mouth too full of Chinese noodles to   say anything. Mmm, these are so good. I had forgotten how much   I missed them. Although, if I'd just suck it up and let Lana in   on my secret, then I wouldn't have to eat all that health food   she keeps force-feeding me.

After a few more minutes of silence and Lois devouring several   more items, she starts talking again. "You know what I think   I'm gonna do? I think I'm going to take all these notes over to   Dr. Platt's and ask him to help me decipher them. I should have   just done that in the first place. It would have saved you a   tediously boring day."

"I wouldn't say the day was boring, at all," I tell her   honestly.

On the contrary, I can't remember a day where I've felt more   alive, more useful, more... happy, than I've been today. Not in   a long time. Sometimes I get the feeling I'm not cut out to be   an editor.

I look up at Lois to find her smiling at me. It's not your run   of the mill smile, either. I feel a heat starting deep inside   me - I'm definitely attracted to her. I glance at her left   hand. No ring.

"It's getting pretty late," I tell her, looking at my watch.   "If you are going to go by and see Dr. Platt, I'd like to   accompany you. I just need to call and let Chad know to leave   me a key under the mat."

"Oh, really, that's not necessary. I've already imposed on your   vacation time enough as it is."

"It's not an imposition. I want to go." And I do. I *really*   want to go. She smiles a little nervously at me, and then we   sit in silence for a while, finishing our dinners.

I decide to break the silence first. I'm taking a risk, but   something in me just really wants to get to know her better.   "So I know all about your professional aspirations from our   conversation last night. What about your personal ones?" I ask   her.

I can tell the question takes her by surprise. I cringe, hoping   I didn't put her on the defensive.

"I can't say that I really have any. At least not right now."

"Really? Not interested in marriage? A family? That sort of   thing? I'm assuming you aren't married."

"No. Are you?"

Ouch. Difficult question. No, I'm not married. But if I simply   say that and nothing more, could that be construed as ?leading   her on'? I'm definitely in a relationship. In fact, I'm in a   serious relationship. What do I think I'm doing? I should come   clean with her right now.

I should. But, I don't. "No. I'm not."

She nods her head at me and looks down at the fortune cookie   she's turning over and over in her hands. Am I making her...   nervous? She finally stops playing with it and breaks it apart.   She pulls out the fortune and looks like she's trying to read   it.

"Oh, see, I hate that," she says, sounding frustrated.

"What?" I ask.

"It's in Chinese," she says, frowning.

I take the paper from her and read it. "A good horse is like a   member of the family." I look up and note the stunned disbelief   on her face.

"You can read Chinese? How? ...Why?"

"During the summers when I was in college I would take trips to   various countries. One of my other aspirations, besides working   for the Planet, was to travel the world, and I managed to make   it to a few places." I notice the impressed look she has on her   face. "I had studied up on several languages in preparation.   Chinese was one of them," I tell her, hoping she'll leave it at   that.

She looks like she wants to press me further but instead she   takes the fortune back from me, wads it up, and throws it away.   "*That* is not a fortune."

An uncontrollable laugh escapes from my lips. It feels good.   When I'm around Lana I have so many inhibitions, but around   Lois I feel so... myself.

Lois smiles and we lock eyes for a moment, a long moment. She   breaks the contact first and looks like she wants to say   something to me, but she doesn't. What could it have been, I   wonder?

"I'm going to call Chad and let him know I'll need a key to get   in," I tell her.

"Oh, okay. I think I'll make a quick trip to the ladies room   before we head off to see Dr. Platt." I'm not sure why but I   get the distinct feeling that she's really going to get some   air. I know I feel like I need to. Nothing sounds better right   now than a quick flight around the block.

***********

"It was awful, Mom," I whisper into the phone, trying not to   wake Chad.

Today is his day off and he'll want to sleep in late this   morning. If he hadn't set his alarm clock he'd probably sleep   till noon. I honestly don't see how anyone could actually sleep   that late; I don't care how late you stayed out the night   before.

I'm probably just jealous, though. I wish I could have slept in   this morning - Lois and I were up late last night. But I had to   get up since Lois said she'd swing by and pick me up. I   couldn't turn down a ride with her to the Planet.

"I'm afraid there's definitely more going on here than a simple   mechanical malfunction. Dr. Platt believed there was sabotage   involved and he died for that belief."

"So you don't think it was suicide?" she asks.

"No, definitely not. After talking with Lois and hearing some   of the things he had told her, I think someone was trying to   silence him. I think I'd better stick around here a few more   days and see if I can get to the bottom of this."

"Clark?" Dad's voice joins the conversation.

"Hi, Dad."

"What was this about a worker caught in an explosion down a   manhole? Your mother told me he recognized you."

"It's okay Dad, he was barely conscious and no one believed him   when he pointed at me. I said he was delirious."

"Maybe, but one of these days you're going to pulls a stunt   like that and some nut wit a video camera is going to..."

"What would you have wanted him to do? Let that poor man die?"   Mom interrupts him. "Clark, did you pack enough clothes with   you? I bet those clothes weren't salvageable after that   rescue."

"Don't change the subject..." Dad pipes up.

"Hey, hold on you two. I've been thinking about this a lot   lately. What if something like this shuttle disaster happens   and I do want to help. If I try to help with something that   big, with that many people watching, I'm going to expose   myself. This might sound like a crazy question, but... Mom?   How's your old sewing machine? Is it still working okay?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Well, here's what I'm thinking. What if I had some kind of   outfit..."

"Outfit?" Dad asks.

"Yeah. Like a disguise. Something I could wear when I want to   help and I'm going to be seen. Then, I could..." I'm   interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Mom, Dad, I have to   go. Lois is here and I'm still not dressed yet."

"Lois is there?" Mom asks.

"Yeah. She offered to come by and pick me up on her way to   work. I volunteered to help her out on this story some more. I   told her I was too involved to quit now. I didn't realize what   time it was. Would you let Lana know what I've found out and   tell her I'll call her again later tonight? Tell her I'm sorry.   Thanks."

"Bye, Son," they say in unison.

"Bye."

I walk to the door, putting on my glasses as I go. I look down   at the towel around my waist. Not really appropriate attire to   answer the door in but I'm afraid if I take the time to dress,   Lois will give up on me and leave. It's not like I can just   throw something on ? I need to sort through my clothes and see   if I have any left that can be salvaged. Between the few   rescues I've made, quick flights I've taken, and the trip into   the mud last night, my wardrobe choices are growing thin. I   reach out hesitantly and open the door.

I follow Lois's gaze from my face, down to my waist, and back   up again. "I said nine. I thought you'd be naked... Erm,   ready." Her face is bright red with heat. She looks like she's   pretty freshly out of the shower herself; I can smell the light   flowery fragrance of soap on her. I feel some heat of my own   starting, but not in my face.

"I was on the phone, sorry. Chad's still asleep and I was   afraid if I didn't answer the door you'd either knock again and   wake him up, or leave. I'll be right back," I say as I walk   away and head for the bathroom. I need to get out of this   towel, for both our sakes; it's way too revealing.

When I come back into the room, Lois is sitting on the couch   staring ? dreamily? - up at the ceiling. What is she thinking   about, I wonder? I cause myself to blush. "Ahem," I clear my   throat.

Lois jumps up from the couch like a kid with her hand caught in   the cookie jar. "So..." she says.

"So," I answer her.

"How often do you have to work out to stay in that kind of   shape?"

"I don't. I don't have the time."

"Ugh. Must be nice to look that great and not even have to   try."

"Do you work out?"

"Some, not enough. Same problem, no time."

"Well, I think for just ?some' that you look pretty great   yourself," I say and smile at her. She smiles back at me, a   little color coming into her cheeks again.

I mentally kick myself for my audacity. I have got to get a   handle on this. What about Lana? Somewhere a voice in my head   asks me, ?But is she really the one?'

Agh! I can't think about this right now. What's wrong with me?   I feel like such a heel.

"Uh, well, we'd better get going before Perry sends out a   search team looking for me," she tells me.

I nod my head and follow her out the door.

***********

It's been a long day. Lois has been on the phone all day,   following up leads and tracking down information. I'd spent my   day compiling information for her and interviewing Mrs. Platt;   her visit had been insightful.

She had come here to the Planet personally to talk about her   husband's death. She and her husband had been separated for a   while; she said he'd left because he was trying to protect her   and their daughter. He thought someone was after him, and now,   she's pretty sure he was right. She doesn't think her husband   committed suicide anymore than we do.

The Congress of Nations had made an announcement that they were   going to proceed with Space Station Prometheus and had declined   to support the launch of Luthor's personal space station. I am   positive that news isn't going to set well with Luthor.

That announcement has put the pressure on me to find out for   sure what is really going on. I don't want to see another   disaster like with the shuttle. The colonist launch for the   space station is scheduled for next week. That doesn't give me   a lot of time to figure this out, especially just by following   Lois around ? as much as I may enjoy that. I'm going to have to   do a little digging on my own.

I get up from the desk on loan to me in search of Lois and bump   into Jimmy instead.

"Hey, CK."

I grin at the nickname Jimmy came up with. He's a cute kid.   Reminds me a little of bit of Steven back at the paper in   Smallville. Jimmy lacks that same kind of confidence that   Steven does. "Hey, Jimmy."

"Have you seen Lois?"

Before I can answer, Lois answers for me. "I'm back, Jimmy.   What'd ya need?"

"Since Platt wasn't able to help us decipher his notes any   further, I went ahead and gave a copy of them to my friend at   S.T.A.R. Labs. They did a recreation of the launch in a   hologram, it was real smooth. Anyway, they concluded that   Platt's theory is right on. There was deliberate sabotage. The   transport explosion was no accident. Congrats."

I look at Lois. I can tell from the look on her face that she's   overjoyed. I start to mention something when she cuts me off.

"He was right! Platt was right! Now I can write the story and   we can stop them! Where's Perry?" She is flying so high that I   really hate to bring her down.

"Lois?" I say her name.

"Perry!" she hollers. She runs up to a co-worker sitting just a   few feet away. "Carl, have you seen Perry?"

"Lois?" I try again.

"No, can't say I have. I've been too busy to notice who's here   and who isn't," Carl replies, sounding a little irritated.

"Has anyone seen Perry?" Lois asks no one in particular, out of   frustration.

"Lois!" I raise my voice just a tad, trying to get her   attention.

"What?" she responds, finally hearing me.

"You don't want to take this to Perry, not yet," I tell her.

"Why not?" she asks, looking suspicious. Why is she always so   suspicious of me? Is she just that way with everyone? I'd   really like to find a way to earn her trust.

"Because we don't have any actual solid proof to back up the   story. Perry will turn it down without a moment's hesitation."

"Is that the editor in you talking?" she asks me.

I sigh. "Yes. If it were the reporter in me talking, I'd be   just as excited as you are. But I know Perry can't run with   this. You might as well save yourself the frustration of asking   him."

"So what do you propose that we do?" she asks me, folding her   arms in front of her.

"Go out and get him the solid proof he'll need. Let's see if   someone at EPRAD will let us in to examine the wreckage from   the shuttle," I offer.

"Ha. Good luck with that," Lois tells me. "I've already been to   EPRAD and talked with a woman there, Dr. Baines. Pretty smug. I   couldn't get anywhere with her. I say we go down there on our   own and do some snooping around. Jimmy go grab your camera."   Jimmy obediently runs off in search of his equipment.

"That sounds a little dangerous," I tell her.

"We're investigative reporters. We investigate. We do what   needs to be done to get the story. Now are you coming with me   or aren't you?"

"Right now? Shouldn't we wait until it gets dark?" I ask, a   little more than concerned. It would be nice to have that   disguise I had proposed to my mom ? it might come in handy if   we go breaking in somewhere we aren't wanted. But I don't have   it, so I'll just have to make sure we're careful.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Better to go when it gets dark,"   she agrees.

"Then why don't we go get some dinner while we're waiting for   it to get dark?" I ask her. Gah! What am I saying? I'm   practically asking her out on a date. Clark, you idiot! Lana   will kill you if she ever finds out.

Lois looks at me, her face a flurry of emotions. I can see   hesitancy, fear, hope, but also... desire? This isn't right. I   open my mouth to say something and the look on her face changes   ? to disappointment. I'm sure she can see the question mark   written all over my face.

"Oh, I can't," she tells me, sounding regretful.

"Why not?" I ask, curious. I should just leave it alone, this   is really what I needed to hear; it lets me off the hook.

"Um," she fidgets a little. "I already have that dinner   interview with Lex Luthor tonight."

I feel my blood run cold. I had forgotten about her obtaining   that interview with him. I hate to see her go out with him.   He's slimy and I just don't trust him. "A date you mean," I   accuse her.

"No!" she exclaims. "An interview. That's all it is. Strictly   business."

"Sure it is," I say sulkily. What *is* wrong with me? This is   not your girlfriend, I tell myself. You don't have the right to   tell her who she can and can't go out with. You would do better   to keep your mind on your own girlfriend.

"What do you mean by that?" she asks pointedly, narrowing her   eyes at me slightly.

Uh-oh. She's starting to get upset, and this is not a woman I   want to have upset with me. I'm being irrational and foolish   about this. "Nothing, Lois. Nothing. I'm sorry. I just meant   that you might look at it as business but I doubt that's the   way Luthor sees it."

Her face softens. "Oh. Well, it doesn't really matter how he   sees it. That's all it's going to be. Business."

I sincerely hope so. For her sake. "Where's he picking you up?"

"At my apartment."

"Care if I walk you home?" Here I go again. Well, a walk is a   pretty innocent event, isn't it?

"No. That would be nice."

Jimmy, who I noticed was hanging back to give us some privacy,   walks up brandishing his camera equipment. "So, no   investigative reporting tonight?"

"No, Jimmy," I tell him before Lois can say anything. "Lois has   something else to attend to and this way I can make that call   to EPRAD in the morning and see if anyone can let us in the   legal way."

That way I could sneak over there tonight and take a look at   things myself first, without anyone around to hamper me from   using my abilities.

Lois looks like she's about to object, but surprisingly she   doesn't. "Yeah, Clark's probably right, Jimmy. I'll call you   later tonight to go over some of those test results from   S.T.A.R. Labs, okay?" she smiles at him super-sweetly.

"Uh, sure, okay," Jimmy says with a funny tone in his voice. Is   there something going on here that I'm missing?

"Come on, Clark. You owe me that walk home," Lois says, sliding   one arm through mine, and with that, we leave.

**********

Part 3

I've enjoyed the walk to Lois's apartment building more than I   ever should have. She's an amazing woman. I have to keep   reminding myself, though, that I have a woman who cares about   me, who is waiting for me to come back home.

Lois doesn't have anyone, though. It strikes me as odd that she   doesn't. Does she push them away? She should have a dozen men   beating down her door as attractive and successful as she is.

"Back at the office, you acted outraged that I would even   suggest your dinner tonight with Lex could be a date," I remind   her. "Why? Is Lex not your type? I mean he is one of the   richest men in the world, with plenty of charm and charisma to   match."

"I know, most girls I'm sure would think he's a catch. I don't   know. He is handsome. Powerful? Definitely. I do like how he   gives so much back to the city with his donations and charity   functions. I could probably go for someone like him, if I   wanted to. But I wouldn't really say he's my type, no."

"Why? What is your type, Lois?"

She seems taken aback by my question and we walk for a while in   silence. I don't say anything else. I just let her think and   let her answer when she's ready.

When she lets out a sigh, I know she's ready to tell me   something of interest.

"Honestly? I'm not actually sure. I've always been so wrapped   up in my job - my career - that I've never really allowed   anyone to get that close to me. Oh, there's been a few," she   pauses to scowl a little. "And I've learned some valuable   lessons from those few. I've learned that I don't know if you   can ever truly trust anyone. If I've learned one thing, I know   more than anything else I want someone who can be honest with   me. I'm as guilty as the next person for telling a little white   lie now and again. But on the important stuff... there has to   be honesty. I'm not exactly sure Lex could be that honest with   me."

Her admission cuts me to the bone. I haven't been totally   honest with her. I've wanted her trust and now I would never   have it. When she finds out about Lana, she'd never trust me   again.

I look into her face and I can see the emotion she's trying to   hide in her eyes. She's been hurt, deeply. Does she trust me   enough right now to tell me about it? "What happened to you,   Lois? To make you distrust people so much?"

Again we walk in silence for a bit. "I had a relationship, a   serious one, with a co-worker once. His name was Claude. He was   handsome and charming, and I was young and na‹ve. He romanced   me and played me and then he took me... for all I was." I can   see the glassiness in her eyes but I don't let on.

"What happened?" I ask softly.

"One night, when he finally broke down my defenses completely,   we..." she looks away from me before continuing, "...and the   next morning I woke up and both he, and the story I was working   on, were gone. I found out later when I came in to work that he   had submitted it as his own."

She stops walking and looks up into my face. I can see such   nakedness in her eyes. She really is bearing her soul to me.   "He stole more than my story from me that night, though. He   stole the remainder of my innocence, and he stole some of my   faith in people." She looks away from me suddenly. I'm guessing   she's trying to compose herself.

She raises her hand and stretches out a finger, pointing to the   building in front of us. "This is me. I'm in apartment five-oh-  one." Her voice sounds shaky and delicate, not at all like the   intrepid reporter I was talking to last night.

I find myself wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort her.   But I can't. I know I can't. But would it be so wrong? She is a   friend and she's in pain. I would only be offering a little   support, a little sympathy.

Before I even realize what I'm trying to convince myself of, I   find my arm going around her, across her back, involuntarily.   And much to both my delight and my dismay, I find her turning   into my embrace and resting her head on my shoulder. I slide my   other arm around her and fold her into my arms, holding her   close.

She lifts her face from my shoulder and looks into my eyes. I   feel as if she can see into my mind, my very thoughts. Can she   see what I'm feeling?

She begins to lean up towards me. What is she doing?

What do you think she's doing, my mind berates me.

Her mouth is mere inches from mine and her eyes are beginning   to close. I find myself being pulled towards her. Yes, I want   this. Her lips look so inviting; the sound of her hurried   breathing so intoxicating.

I close the remaining distance between our mouths, our lips   almost touching, when I finally hear my mind screaming through   the emotions flooding through me. No! Stop! What are you doing?

I halt and open my eyes ? not realizing I had even closed them.   I look down into her trusting face. What did I allow to almost   happen? I've taken this emotionally delicate woman into my   hands and betrayed her trust, like others had done before me. I   belong to someone else. I can't allow this to continue any   further.

"Lois?"

"Yes?" she asks, hesitantly opening her eyes to look at me.

"There's something I need to tell you."

The honking of a horn interrupts our conversation. It's a limo.

It seems to snap her out of the momentary trance she'd been   under. "Oh, Clark, I almost forgot," she says pulling away from   me.

Her face is flushed. I can't tell if it's from embarrassment or   from what we were about to do. To my dismay, I find I'm hoping   the latter.

"That's Lex's limo," she explains, hurriedly. "I've gotta go.   I'm sorry, can we finish this later?"

And that was that. Lois Lane, intrepid reporter, is back on the   hunt, in search of her next great story. I grimace inwardly.   Great, I get to put off my confession, yet again. I wanted so   badly to come clean with her tonight. It would only get harder   the longer I wait.

"Sure. Have a good *interview*," I say emphasizing the last   word. I give her a soft smile to let her know I mean well.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow at the Planet."

"Yeah." I watch her drive off with *him* and feel the slight   stirrings of jealousy. Clark, you are a doomed man.

**********

Chad is nowhere to be found when I get back home. I see a note   taped to the fridge. It reads: Gone out, Cat called! ? Chad. I   smile. Well, good for him, I guess. It's just as well - I don't   feel like talking to him right now anyway. I glance at the   phone sitting on the table by the couch. Truth be told, I don't   feel like talking to anyone, but I promised Lana I'd call her   tonight.

?Is she really the one?' I hear the question in my mind.

I dial her number and then hang up before it can ring.

?Is she really the one?'

I set the phone down on the table and lower my head into my   hands. I'm startled when the phone begins to ring.

"Hello?"

"Clark?"

"Lana? I was just about to call you," I lie to her, feeling the   worst guilt I've ever felt in my life.

"Looks like I beat you to the punch. I miss you. It sounds like   I'm going to have to miss you even longer. Your parents told me   that you're planning to stay up there a few more days. Why?"

She really has to ask me? Does she really know so little about   who I really am?

"Because I have to see what I can do to help. That shuttle was   sabotaged, Lana, I'm sure of it. If Lois and I can just find   some solid proof of that, we can keep it from happening again.   We don't have much time. The colonist launch is scheduled to go   up in less than a week."

"Lois? Who is Lois?"

Another stab of guilt. "A reporter who works for the Daily   Planet. I met her at a function I attended with Chad and she's   the one who's been working on the possibility of the shuttle   having been sabotaged."

There is silence on the phone for a bit.

"Well, that would explain why I haven't heard from you yet,"   Lana says softly.

The stab travels deeper, hurts more. "What do you mean?"

"Well obviously you're getting all the female attention you   need from this Lois woman. You don't need to talk to me."

"That's not true, Lana." Is that another lie?

"No? Then prove it. Leave. Right now. Come home to *me*. This   isn't your fight. You don't live in Metropolis. These aren't   your friends. You have people here that love you, that need   you."

"I can't. These people need me too. There are people in danger   here."

"Clark, you're just one man. One man can't make a difference.   The Daily Planet can print this, expose this, with or without   your help."

After that final statement I realize something. I finally   realize she's not ?the one'. And it's not just because I've met   another woman and felt feelings for her. Lana really doesn't   hold the same values that I do. I believe that one man, any   man, can make a difference if he really wants to. She's only   thinking selfishly, about her own needs.

But now's not the time to go into this. If things do progress   to the point that I decide to break things off with Lana, it's   not going to be like this. I do love her, and I respect her. I   respect her enough to talk about this with her, and not on the   phone, in person.

"Lana, it's late. I don't feel like discussing this anymore   right now. I'm sorry, but I've made my decision. I'm staying. I   have to see this through. As soon as things conclude here and I   think things are safe, I'll come home and we'll talk. Okay?"

There is only silence on the other end.

"Lana?"

"Goodnight, Clark," she says, with an edge in her voice that   I've never heard before.

I sigh. "Goodnight, Lana."

I set the phone down and get up from the couch. I can't stay   here right now, if I do, I'll suffocate. I've got to get some   fresh air. What I really want right now, more than anything, is   to see Lois.

***********

I feel guilty, and actually a little like a stalker, as I hover   outside the top of the LexCorp building. But I just have to   check in on Lois. I use my x-ray vision to peer inside the   Penthouse.

To my relief I find that she's not here. It had taken me a   while to work up the nerve to come and check on her here.   Enough time must have passed that the dinner was over and   Luthor had taken her back home.

I find myself a little excited at the prospect that Lois might   be at home, where I could talk to her some more. But what would   I say? How would I explain what I was doing at her apartment at   this time of night?

I'll worry about that later. I fly up into the night sky and   head over to her apartment building.

She said she was in apartment five-oh-one. So I scan the fifth   floor of the building looking for her. There's no sign of her.

Where could she be?

Something Jimmy did earlier comes back to my mind. When Lois   told Jimmy she'd call him later to go over the test results   from the lab, Jimmy had reacted really strange. Why?

Maybe because of the fact that Jimmy had already given her the   results, I realize. He didn't even have them anymore. And they   were pretty self-explanatory from what I could see. There   wasn't any need for her to call Jimmy to go over them with him.   Was there?

Oh no! She wouldn't? ...Huh, wouldn't she?

I turn around in mid-air to head off towards the EPRAD   facility, where the wreckage from the sabotaged shuttle was   being held.

I stretch out with my senses, listening for her voice, for any   indication of trouble as I fly. I hear it, just barely.   Distressful sounds coming from Lois; she's in the middle of a   confrontation with someone.

I fly even faster and land just outside the building I'm   hearing her voice coming from. She's making muffled grunting   sounds. I *peer* through the wall to find her tied and gagged.   Jimmy is lying beside her on the floor, unconscious.

Part of me wants to just go charging in there, rescue them, and   fly them out of there. But of course, I'd have to reveal   myself. I sigh. I've got to get back to my mom on that whole   secret identity thing.

I wait patiently, keeping my eye on the situation. A blonde-  haired woman walks behind the shell of the shuttle. She begins   reaching towards a couple of valves on the back of it. I x-ray   the content behind those valves and see some nasty looking   liquids. I stretch my hearing out.

"...accidents do happen," the woman was saying.

"Accidents?" Lois asks.

"Yes. You see, while dissecting the orbital maneuvering   systems, the monomethyl hydrozene leaked and mixed with the   nitrogen tetroxide... Unfortunately, the blast killed two nosy   reporters who didn't bother to read signs." She pointed to a   sign on the wall. It read ?Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted.'   Then she reached out for one of the valves.

"Answer one question," Lois demands. "Why?"

"It's very simple, Lois. Profit. Outer space is no different   from any new frontier. It will belong to those who get there   first and seize the high ground."

High ground? Haven't I heard that phrase somewhere before? Yes,   and I know who said it, too. He's got a lot to answer for, but   I don't have time to think about that right now. I watch as the   woman turns both valves and liquid begins spilling out of them.

I hide as the woman and her henchman exit the building. As soon   as they're clear of the building, I head for the door. One   well-placed shoulder and a little force and I'm through.

"Lois? Are you okay?"

"Clark? Clark you have to get out of here, this whole place is   going to explode. Get Jimmy and get out!"

"I'm not leaving without you," I tell her as I come up beside   her. I work quickly to untie the ropes holding her.

"Can we stop it?" She asks, pointing towards the liquids about   to mix.

"There's no time. Come on," I say grabbing her hand and tugging   on her. I stop to lift Jimmy up and lay him across my shoulder,   holding him with my arm on the side he's lying on. I use my   other arm to grab hold of Lois again and I rush us all out of   the building as fast as I can.

Before we get too far, the building explodes. I use the force   of the explosion and lift us into the air and across the ground   to safety. Trying to help cover what I've done, I drop us into   a nearby mud puddle. We all land with splattering thuds.

"What happened?" Lois asks, turning around to look behind her   at the building now in flames.

"I'm not sure... I think the force of the explosion carried us   here. It's fortunate we landed in this soft mud."

"Look!" Lois yelled, pointing up at the sky. A helicopter was   flying overhead and suddenly it exploded in a spectacular   fireball.

Lois covers her eyes and ducks back down towards the mud. What   could have caused that, I wonder? It had been flying well above   the burning building.

The sound of the explosion must have woken Jimmy; he is pulling   on me trying to find his footing in the mud so he can stand up.   Lois is now pulling herself up as well.

"Clark! You saved us!" she says, throwing her arms around me.   I'm a little unsteady with Jimmy already pulling on me and we   fall together into the mud. Her body is pressed against me and   I can feel her trembling. Oh god, the heat is coming again.

Unable to resist, I put my arms around her. "Are you okay?" I   ask.

"Mmm-hmm," she mumbles against my chest, and then she sits up   abruptly and pushes me away. "Clark? What were you doing here?"

"What were you doing here?" I counter.

"I'm an investigative reporter, that's what we do...   investigate. Your turn."

I give her a wry look. "I got bored at home alone. Chad wasn't   home yet and so I thought I'd try being an investigative   reporter. You know that's what they do, they investigate." I   smile at her. She smiles back and smacks me lightly on the arm.   "Anyway, while I was looking around I heard voices coming from   the building you were in."

"I'm so glad you found us. That was too close. Jimmy, are you   okay?"

"I think so. Except for being wet and dirty." We were all wet   and dirty, some of us more than others. I grimace inwardly at   the direction my mind was headed. Focus!

"Yeah, me too," she says. "I think the thing I want more than   anything else in the world right now is a hot shower and a soft   bed."

Soft bed? That did it. That blew my focus. I look at Lois in   her bedraggled appearance. Even with mud in her hair she was   still ravishing. I could think of a few other things I want   more than a hot shower right now, but again I drag my mind away   from those thoughts... Maybe I need a cold shower instead.

"I guess I'd better go by the police station and give a   statement to Inspector Henderson about what happened here   tonight," she tells us.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I offer. "Actually, they'll   probably need statements from all of us."

"Yeah, but they won't need them all tonight. Jimmy was out   unconscious for part of the time and you showed up after Dr.   Baines left. You and Jimmy ought to go ahead and get some   sleep; we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll let the   Inspector know you're coming by in the morning to give him your   statements."

I reluctantly nod my head at her.

"CK do you need a lift back to Chad's?" Jimmy asks. It was   sweet of him to offer but would Lois have offered if Jimmy   hadn't? I'm a little disappointed.

"Thanks Jimmy. That's nice of you but actually I think I'll   walk for a bit. I'd like to think for a while and the fresh air   will do me some good. When I get tired I'll catch a cab," I   assure him. If Lois had offered I would have taken her up on   it, but otherwise I'd rather just rely on my own means of   transportation.

"Okay, well suit yourself. See you in the morning CK, Lois."

"Bye, Jimmy. See you in the morning," Lois says.

"Yeah, see you in the morning," I echo. I turn to face Lois as   Jimmy walks off. "Will you be okay?"

Ask me to come with you.

"I'll be okay. I guess I'd probably better get going, though.   There's no telling how long it will take me at the precinct,   and I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, me too. Oh, but one more thing, before you go. How did   your interview go?" I ask her, practically itching with   curiosity.

"Oh, okay, I guess. You were right about him. It wasn't much of   an interview. He was flattering, and was just mainly interested   in talking about me, instead of answering my questions."

I feel my blood starting to boil. "He didn't try anything did   he?"

"No... not really."

"Not really?" I exclaim. If he took advantage of her, he was   going to answer to me.

"He kissed me when he dropped me back home, but just on the   cheek. No big deal." I feel my hands ball into fists. "Anyway,"   she continues, "he asked me if he could see me again and I told   him no. I told him things were too complicated right now."

I'm silent as she finishes speaking, thanking the stars that   she hadn't agreed to see him again. Should I tell her my   suspicions that he's involved in the sabotage? No, not right   now. Later. When I've earned her trust. Much later.

Clark?"

"Yes?" my voice breaks slightly as I answer her.

"I'd really like to finish our conversation from earlier... but   right now I just don't think I have the energy."

"Yeah, you need to get going or you're never gonna get any   sleep tonight," I tell her, trying to both mask my   disappointment at losing her company and at the same hide my   relief. I'd told her I had something to tell her. She's going   to expect me to tell her what that something is, eventually.

"Goodnight, Lois."

"Goodnight, Clark. Get some sleep. We've got a busy day   tomorrow. We've gotta write up this story and get it to Perry."

We? We've got to write up the story? She wanted a partner on   it? I'm floored. "You bet. See you in the morning." I watch her   walk to her Jeep and get inside. I watch her pull away and   drive down the road. I watch her until I can't see her any   longer... and that's pretty far. Then I lift up and take off   into the night sky.

*********

When I open the door to Chad's apartment I find him sitting on   the couch, waiting up for me. When he sees me walk in, covered   in mud, his eyebrows shoot up. This is probably another suit   ruined. I've only got one more with me. If this keeps up much   longer I'll have to go home for a change of clothes. I've gotta   look into that disguise, and the sooner the better, suits are   just too expensive.

"Clark, buddy, are you okay?"

Good question. "Yeah, it's been a rough night, but I'm okay."

"What happened?"

"Are you sure you've got time?"

"Well give me the short, fast version."

I smile to myself. If Chad only knew how fast I could really   give it to him, it would make his head spin. "I spent the whole   day at the Planet helping Lois with the shuttle story ? did you   hear that Samuel Pratt was found dead at his apartment? The   police are saying suicide but Lois and I are positive it was   murder, especially after tonight."

"Wow! How come there are never any stories going on like this   over at the Star?"

I could venture a guess. For one thing they didn't have   investigative reporter, Lois Lane, working for them. "Well   anyway, Lois had her interview tonight with Lex Luthor."

"Date... go on."

"No!" I say a little too defensively. "I mean, it wasn't a   date. It was just an interview."

Chad's eyebrows arch another notch higher, if that's possible.   "Uh, sorry. I didn't realize you were so touchy about Lois."

Yeah, I know, join the club. Great. Now Chad was going to be on   me about Lois, I could tell from the look on his face. "I came   back here when she left for her interview but you weren't here   and I got bored. So I thought I'd go check out the shuttle   wreck over at EPRAD."

"And you were going to what? Break in? Trespass? That doesn't   sound like you, Clark."

No kidding. I'd been doing a lot of strange behavior since   meeting Lois, but somehow it had seemed like the right thing to   do. "I was just going to take a casual look around and see what   I could find. That's all. Anyway, when I got there, I heard   voices coming from one of the buildings. I saw a couple of   people leaving the building but heard someone calling for help   from inside. So I busted in the door." I garbled the details a   little, but he can get the gist of it anyway.

"Whoa! Buddy! I knew those muscles of yours would come in handy   for something besides football. Cool. So then what?"

"I've been trying to get to that."

"Sorry. It's just that your evening was way better than mine. I   spent all night at a nightclub waiting for Cat, who never   showed up. So I ended up talking to a blonde named Kelli, with   an I, who finally proceeded to tell me after a few hours had   gone by that she was getting married next weekend to a doctor.   What a waste of an evening."

I stay silent, staring at him.

"Sorry, sorry, please continue," he tells me.

"Well, Lois and Jimmy were tied up inside and these chemicals   had been released and were going to cause an explosion. I   grabbed them and got us out of there right before the building   exploded."

"Wow! Cool! I've gotta remember to try and hang out with you   more often!"

I smile at him. "Not that cool. If I hadn't happened to go   there, or if I had gotten there a little later, they would've   died."

The smile on Chad's face falls a little. "Oooh, yeah, I guess   you're right." Then the smile comes back, slightly crooked.   "And then we wouldn't have had a chance to explore your deep-  seated attraction to Lois Lane."

"Chad!"

"Hey, I only call ?em like I see ?em. Are you, or are you not,   attracted to her?"

I find myself unable to lie. Not about this, and not to him. I   *need* someone to talk to, and while Chad had only ever been   tolerant of my relationship with Lana, he'd never let anything   slip to her. For one thing, he's a better friend than that, and   for another, they never talk. "Chad you have to swear not to   tell anyone, especially anyone back in Smallville."

"Wow, Clark, what are you going to tell Lana?"

"I don't know. Things between Lana and I have been a little   rocky lately. I didn't realize it until just recently but I   don't think Lana really understands me, or maybe even wants to.   I get the feeling that she'd rather mold me into what she wants   me to be."

"Uh, ...duh. Are you just now seeing that? Man, are you dense   or what?"

Yeah, obviously not just my molecular structure either. "This   whole situation is so difficult though. I feel like I'm being   disloyal to Lana. Like I'm cheating on her or something and yet   I haven't done anything. I haven't even kissed Lois."

Chad whistles. "Whoa, buddy, but you've thought about it   obviously, haven't you?"

I feel a blush creep across my cheeks. I've thought about more   than that.

"You have!" he exclaims a little too happily. "So are you going   to see her anymore before you leave?"

"Well, yeah, I'll see her tomorrow at the Planet. We're going   to write up the story on the sabotage. We have the proof we   need now after what Lois found at EPRAD."

"We? You're going to help her write the story?"

"Yeah. She asked me to."

Chad's eyebrow's creep up to that previously high level. "Asked   you to? We're talking about the same woman here, aren't we?   Lois Lane, aggressive investigative reporter who you told me   wants to get her first Pulitzer by the time she's thirty?   *That* Lois Lane asked you to help her write the story? Buddy,   she's hot for you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

That bit of insight sends a thrill through me. So I wasn't just   imagining it. If I hadn't stopped her tonight, when we were   walking to her apartment, she would have kissed me. My stomach   hollows out and feels like it's sliding, and all the blood   seems to have left my head.

We sit in silence for a few seconds and I can tell Chad is   working on another way to harass me about Lois. I finally think   of something to say to take the focus off of me. "Oh, by the   way, Jimmy says he wants his magazine back from you, ?Bikes and   Babes'?" I grin lopsidedly at him.

"What? What magazine? Never heard of it."

What is that old saying about one protesting too much...? I   arch one eyebrow in disbelief and he gets a sheepish smile on   his face.

"Um, yeah," he finally concedes. "I'll find it before I leave   in the morning and lay it out so you can take it with you   tomorrow."

"Sure thing," I say with a laugh.

"Well listen, I'd love to stay up and probe you some more about   Lois, but I've gotta get to work early in the morning. So,   night, Clark. And, eh, sweet dreams," he says with a snicker.

***********

"Lois, Clark, Jimmy, I'm so proud of you three that I can't see   straight," Perry says, his face beaming.

I glance at the copy he's holding up for everyone to inspect.   It reads: MESSENGER SABOTAGED, SABOTEUR DIES IN FIERY   EXPLOSION. The by-line is: Lois Lane. Contributing reporters:   Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen.

"This headline warranted an extra edition! Good job everyone!"   Perry exclaims, holding the copy higher.

My first by-line for the Daily Planet. I wish it wasn't my   last.

"I just spoke to ground control over at EPRAD," Perry tells us.   "They went back over the colonist launch vehicle with a fine   tooth comb and discovered the same coolant problem in the   protective bands and fixed it. The launch is all set for   tomorrow morning," he pauses for a second before continuing.   "But it's a no go for you, Lois. No reporters allowed."

"But, Chief, imagine the Daily Planet getting an exclusive   personal account of being on the colonist transport?" she   argues.

"No can do, Lois," he says firmly.

Lois nods at him, looking resigned. At least I'm hoping she   looks resigned. She wouldn't try to sneak on board would she?   Wouldn't she? I smile to myself. I know the answer.

"Okay, you kids, now get on out of here and go celebrate!"   Perry tells Lois and I, his face beaming. Then he grabs my arm   and pulls me off to the side out of earshot of anyone else.   "Clark, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed having you here. If   you ever decide that being an editor isn't your cup of tea ?   believe me, I've asked myself that more than once ? I want you   to know that you've always got a job waiting for you here."

Wow. I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's what I've always   wanted. And yet, it's not possible, at least not right now. I   have to get a few other things cleared up and make a few   decisions before I could even consider something like this.   "Thank you... Chief." I smile at him as I shake his   outstretched hand. "I'll definitely keep that offer in mind. I   may take you up on it one day."

Perry shakes my hand and nods his head before turning to walk   back to his office. I turn to look at Lois who is still staring   down at the paper in front of her.

"Basking in the glory?" I ask her.

"No," she says, blushing. "Actually, I was thinking how good   your name looks next to mine. Mine being first of course."

"Oh, of course." I smile at her. "Lois, can I walk you home?   There's something I still want to talk to you about."

"Yeah, sure," she says, hesitantly. "Is something wrong,   Clark?" She can probably literally feel the tension flowing   from me.

"Just walk with me."

**********

"So what's your *type*, Clark?" Lois asks me as we walk,   finally breaking the silence.

"Excuse me?" I ask her.

"Well the other night you asked me why Lex Luthor wasn't my   type, and I told you that I was looking for someone who could   be honest with me."

...looking for someone who could be honest. Ah, there's that   little stab of guilt again. Keep your pants on, I'm getting   ready to come clean, I tell myself. I turn to look at her.   "Yeah."

"Well, you turned down Cat's advances, so I'm assuming she's   not your *type*," she grins lopsidedly at me and I smile.

"Ha. No, Cat is definitely not my type," I assure her.

"So what are you looking for?"

After my last conversation with Lana, that's easy.   "Acceptance."

"Acceptance?"

"Yeah. I want someone who can accept me for exactly who I am.   Someone who doesn't think they need to mold me, change me, or   force me to be someone I don't want to be."

"Hmm, yeah, that's a good one," she agrees. "I'll have to add   that one to my list."

"You have a list? Hey, that's not fair. You only shared one   item with me."

We both laugh together. It feels so good, so right. I wish it   could last. I wish I didn't have to tell her. Did it even   matter now? Lana and I probably aren't even going to stay   together... Yes! Of course it matters, I tell myself. This is   about being honest, coming clean.

"You know," she says, putting her arm through mine, "I bet if   you wanted to fulfill that boyhood dream of yours and move to   Metropolis, that Perry would probably give you a job," Lois   tells me, giving my arm a squeeze.

"Hah. Then you'd be stuck with me."

"That's what I was hoping for," she says, stopping our walk and   moving in close to me. Her face is just inches from mine, her   lips just a moment away. Oh god, I want to kiss her so badly.   She looks so beautiful in the light of the setting sun. I want   to take her in my arms and just hold her and forget about the   rest of the world. But I can't.

"I can't," I say softly, lifting my hand to brush a piece of   hair that had fallen across her eyes. "Lois, there's something   I really need to tell you before I leave."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I've been away from my paper too long already and I've   got some things I need to take care of back home. Now that the   colonist mission is safe, I really need to be getting back; but   not before I finish our conversation from the other night, when   we were talking about honesty."

She pulls away from me slightly and I can see the concern   filling her face. I press on, determined to tell her the truth.   I'll be honest with her from here on out, if she'll still speak   to me. "I should have told you this sooner. I don't know why I   didn't - I'm ashamed I didn't. If you give me the chance to   prove it, I promise I'll always be honest with you from here on   out."

She takes a step back and lightly pushes my arm away. My heart   sinks, but I push forward. "Remember when I asked if you were   married and you said you weren't and then asked me if I was?"

"Oh my god! You're married?" she exclaims.

Whoops! "No, no, I'm not married." She visibly relaxes a little   at that admission. "But I do have a girlfriend."

"I see," she says softly. She's upset, I can tell, and   rightfully so.

"I'm sorry. It was wrong of me not to reveal that to you. I had   the perfect opportunity that night we asked each other if we   were married, and I didn't. Part of why I didn't is because she   and I aren't going to stay together. That's one of the reasons   I have to go back to Smallville, to finalize a few things."

She looks away from me and we walk a few paces in silence.

"Is she the reason you never moved to Metropolis?" she asks   quietly. "You told me you'd always wanted to work for the Daily   Planet, but yet you never moved up here. You said it was for   personal reasons. Is she the reason?"

I nod my head at her.

"I think that would be a lot to give up for someone - your   dreams - even if you love them. You must have one heck of a   reason for calling it quits with her," she pauses for a moment   and when I don't say anything, she continues, "Are you breaking   up with her because of me?"

"No." That's not the truth, Clark. You promised to tell her the   whole truth. "Well, yes, ...maybe ...partly. But that's not the   main reason."

Is it?

"She's not in love with me for who I really am," I continue.   "She's in love with me for whom she thinks she can make me be.   I can't live a lie like that."

Can't I? I'm living another lie already.

"I want someone who can love me for who I really am," I tell   her, still hoping she'll forgive my deception and give me   another chance.

But can anyone ever love me for who I *truly* am? Could she? I   wonder as I look into her face. She has a determined look in   her eyes. What is she thinking?

Then she opens her mouth and says the one thing that catches me   off guard. "Is that it? Is that everything? Are you hiding   anything else?"

"Excuse me?" I feel the panic rising inside me.

She folds her arms across her chest. "You said you'd be honest   with me, from here on out, always. So I'm asking. Are you   hiding anything else?"

I'm floored. I don't know what to say. I promised her I'd be   honest with her, but I can't, not completely, not yet. I can't   tell her about *me* yet, I don't know her well enough. Could I   trust her? What if she wrote an article about me? They'd take   me away and lock me up for sure... But I promised.

"Yes."

The look on her face doesn't betray what she's feeling. She   simply stands there, waiting for me to continue.

"There is one other thing. I promised you I would be honest   with you, and I will, but you have to give me time to get to   know you. We have to give each other time. It's something I   would share with you in time; *now* just isn't the right time."   A shadow seems to come across her face. She looks disappointed.

Please... please, don't, I think at her. Give me a chance.

"Then I think it's time for us to say goodnight, Clark." Her   voice is deathly quiet as she turns away from me.

"Goodnight, or goodbye?" I ask her, holding my breath.

With her back to me I can't see her face, but I hear the soft   sniffle escape from her. "Just goodnight," she pauses, standing   a little taller and squaring her shoulders and then continues,   "But if you're leaving I guess it has to be goodbye also. Look   me up next time you're in Metropolis. Maybe we can take another   walk. Maybe you'll have more you want to say." She starts to   take a few steps away from me.

"Lois, I..."

She halts and when her voice comes, it's hollow and anguished.   "You'd better go, Clark. I wouldn't want you to miss your   flight." She doesn't make a motion to turn around, to face me.   My heart is breaking.

"Goodbye, Lois," I say softly. I walk up behind her and place a   kiss, ever so gently, in her hair. I feel a slight hesitation   in her, as if she might want to turn around. But she doesn't.

And then I walk away.

*********

Part 4

"So when are you going to tell Lana, Honey?" Mom asks me.

"Tomorrow night, when she gets home from work. I haven't even   figured out exactly how to break it to her, but I just can't   stay with her any longer. Dad asked me if she was the *one*. I   know now that she's not."

I sigh and rub my hands up my face and over my eyes. I'm so   tired, but I know I won't sleep.

"I don't know how I'm going to get any sleep tonight," I tell   her. "I was actually going to fly back in the morning, in time   to watch the colonist shuttle launch with you guys, but I just   couldn't stay in Metropolis a minute longer. Chad's going to be   peeved at me that I didn't stick around and say goodbye. I left   him a note taped to his door. I've gotta call him in the   morning and apologize."

"Well, you need to try and get some sleep, honey, because I'm   going to get you up bright and early in the morning. There's   something we need to do," she tells me, getting up from the   table and walking out of the kitchen into the living room.

"Bright and early? What are we doing, Mom?" I ask, chasing   after her. I walk into the living room to find her holding a   bag of various fabrics and articles of clothing. I raise my   eyebrows at her.

"Well, you said you wanted some kind of disguise. You know how   much I love art projects," she smiles at me. "I've got all   kinds of ideas. Come on, let me take some measurements and then   we can get started first thing in the morning."

I look down into the bag of items she has. Leopard skin? A   mask? Colored spandex? Suddenly I'm not sure if this is such a   good idea.

**********

I look down at the latest outfit mom sewed for me. This one   isn't *bad*. A heck of a lot better then the last two or three.   I look down at the pile of rejects, the mask and the hat are   definitely out. And that animal print? It made me look like   Tarzan. Ugh!

"Well, what do you think about that one?" Mom yells from the   other room.

"It's certainly colorful." Colorful yes, bright red and blue   spandex, but definitely doable. As I'm staring at my reflection   in the mirror and moving back and forth to see how the cape   reacts, Mom comes walking back into the room.

"What do you think?" I ask her. She looks exhausted. I think   whether I love this one or not, I'd better stick with it unless   I want her to fall asleep at her sewing machine.

Then I notice she's staring at the yellow belt... actually,   directly at the red briefs below it. Mom? What is she thinking?

"One thing's for sure. Nobody's going to be looking at your   face," she says, as if in answer to my question.

"Mom!" I feel my face get hot. How embarrassing.

She laughs lightly. "Well, they don't call them ?tights' for   nothing, Honey. Hmm, I don't know, I still think something's   missing," she says, moving off to the bed and pulling an old   trunk out from underneath it. She retrieves a red blanket from   the trunk; it has a red and yellow S crest on it. "This is the   blanket we found you in, so long ago." She holds the crest up   to my chest and smiles at me. "Your parents would have been   proud of you. We are."

"Thanks, Mom."

A few cuts and several stitches later and I'm once again   standing in front of the mirror. She was right, there was   something missing. I turn from side to side and the cape   swishes behind me. "I don't know. I'm still not sure about the   cape."

"Really? I love it. It'll look great when you're flying."

"Hey you two, get in here, launch vehicle's about to go up,"   Dad calls from the living room.

Mom and I walk into the room to find Dad glued to the TV. She   sits down next to him on the couch and I stand behind them.

"The colonists are just about all on board," he tells us. "You   know this is a historic occasion. Remember when you were   little, Clark, and we saw the first moon landing?" As he's   speaking he turns to look at me and then shakes his head. "Are   you sure no one will recognize you?"

"I don't think so, Dad, because it won't be me," I say and   reach up to pull my glasses off my face. I put them back up to   my face and pull them away again for added effect. He smiles at   me and turns his attention back to the launch.

"Forty-five seconds and counting," the public affairs announcer   states.

"There she blows," Dad says, excited.

We all wait in eager expectation and then it seems as if   something has gone wrong. The announcer's voice comes back on,   "Due to a mechanical failure, we have suspended the countdown   at twenty-nine seconds. We will advise."

It looks like I might have gotten my new outfit just in time to   try it out. I run out the front door and take to the sky,   hearing my dad's voice as I go, "I don't believe it.   Something's gone wrong. Clark do you...?" And then I was gone.

**********

On arriving at the shuttle, I carefully pry the doors apart and   let myself inside. Where could the problem be? And would I even   know what to do with it if I found it?

"Help! Someone!" I could hear a voice yelling. Wait! No! That   isn't just any voice... that's Lois! Oh, Lois, what are you   doing here?

Exactly what I had expected of her, to try and sneak on board.   I shake my head and smile.

"Help! There's a bomb!" I hear her shout. A bomb?

I quickly locate where her voice is coming from and enter into   the room to find Lois, dressed as one of the colonists, staring   at a bomb in front of her. Part of me worries that she might   recognize me, but I don't have time for that now. If I don't do   something, she'll die, along with the rest of the colonists on   board. I move towards the bomb, gently prying on it with my   fingers. She's not going to die. Not today. Not if I can   prevent it.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get away from that!" she scolds me.

I ignore her, pulling the bomb off the wall.

"What kind of lunatic..." she ponders out loud.

I turn the bomb over in my hands and find the C-4 explosive   buried inside of it. What do I do? There's no time left. I do   the first thing that comes to my mind. I *eat* it. I'm sure   later, if I live through this, I'm going to realize that this   was an insane thing to do ? Lana would die if she knew I'd   eaten a bomb ? but right now my mind just keeps screaming,   ?She'll die! She'll die! Just eat it!'

Lois gasps as she watches me put the C-4 into my mouth and   swallow it. A second later and I feel an eruption inside of me.   It's mildly uncomfortable, but I don't think it did any damage.   I'm amazed! I *ate* a bomb! And then I feel it coming. Uh-oh.   "Brrrrrpp."

I look at Lois. She doesn't seem to know whether to be amazed   or disgusted. "Excuse me," I tell her.

"What...? What are you?" she asks me.

**********

"I think, considering the fact that I saw you first, you owe me   an exclusive," Lois tells me as I fly her down towards the   floor of the Daily Planet newsroom. Everyone is staring at me.   Surely someone will recognize me. Lois? Jimmy? Perry? But no   one seems to.

"Is that the rule?" I ask her, setting her down.

"Well, um, no. But... I'd appreciate it, very much," she says,   and she rubs a hand across my chest, fingering the edge of the   S crest.

I smile at her as I lift back up into the air, feeling regret   at having to leave her touch. I had been relishing in her touch   the whole flight back to the Planet. Her arms had been around   my neck at first. I think she was a little afraid of flying   with me. But after a time, she had gotten braver and moved a   hand down to my chest to feel my suit with her fingertips.

But it's time for me to go now. I don't want to push my luck   that someone might recognize me. I fly back towards the open   window I came through.

"Wait! How will I find you?" she asks me.

"I'll be around," I assure her.

"Real smooth." I hear Jimmy say behind me. I hide a smile to   myself.

As I sail out through the window of the Planet and up into the   sky, I'm flying high, both literally and figuratively. I had   saved Lois and saved the shuttle mission, even managing to get   the shuttle into space and docked with the space station.

And... she hadn't recognized me. No one had. I could do this. I   could lead a normal life and still be able to help. I could do   both!

I'm so excited. I have to go to Smallville and talk to my   folks. I have to let Mom know that it worked. I increase my   speed a little in my enthusiasm to get home.

As I get closer to Smallville, though, I hear something.

First, a loud crash... then a soft moaning coming from someone.   It's coming from the highway below me.

There's been an accident.

I accelerate even faster, trying to get there as quickly as I   can. Maybe I can help.

I listen for the moaning, trying to pinpoint where it's coming   from, and then I see it, the wreck. My heart falls. It's Lana's   car.

It's lying upside down on a caved-in roof, wisps of smoke   coming from under the hood and fluid leaking from the radiator.   I can see the spot where the car had hit the concrete divider   on the highway. It had apparently hit with enough force to flip   the car. What was Lana doing on the highway headed out of   Smallville?

I land next to the car, leaning down to look inside. Lana's   inside, her body suspended by her seatbelt. My breath catches   in my throat. I reach out with my senses and I can hear her   heartbeat. She's not dead.

I rip off the driver's side door and reach inside. I hesitate,   knowing I should probably let the paramedics get her out, but   if I wait that long she could die. I carefully release the   seatbelt and lower Lana down and outside the car to the ground.   I kneel down to the ground beside her. I don't think I could   find the strength to stand.

Her face is cut up and bruised and there is a lot of blood on   her clothes. "Lana?" I whisper. No response. "Lana!"

Her eyelids flutter and she opens her eyes to look at me. "No!   No, get away from me. Who are you?" she wheezes. I had   forgotten I was still dressed in my red and blue suit.

Before I can answer her, she's trying to talk again. "Wait, I   know who you are."

Yes, it's me, Lana. Everything will be okay.

"They described you on the radio," she continues breathily.   "You're the one who saved the shuttle."

"Yes, Lana..."

"How do you know my name?" she asks and then a groan escapes   from her lips and her body spasms.

"You're hurt. I need to get you to the hospital."

"No, don't touch me. Get away from me," she rasps, trying to   lift an arm to fend me off.

She's hysterical. I've got to get her to relax, to trust me.   She has to get to the hospital. "Lana, it's me. It's Clark," I   tell her.

"Clark?" She stops struggling and looks up at me. Her eyes   widen and then she closes them as she starts to cough.

"Yes, Lana, it's Clark. Now come on, I've got to get you to the   hospital," I tell her, gathering her carefully up into my arms.

Her face takes on a look of sadness as she opens her eyes and   looks at me again. "I was coming to see you. A car... swerved   over in my lane," she whispers and places her hand against my   chest. "Please don't leave me. I'm so sorry."

My heart aches. That's what she was doing on the highway; she   was on her way to the airport... to fly to Metropolis, to see   me. I hadn't called her, talked to her, since the night we had   argued. "I... I won't," I tell her. No, I won't leave her... at   least not right now. "I'm right here. I'm going to get you to   the hospital. Everything will be all right."

"Clark?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

I feel my eyes start to fill with tears. She really does love   me. She always has. And I do love her, even if we aren't meant   to be together. I start to tell her that I love her, too, when   I realize she isn't breathing. "Lana! Lana, don't do this. Stay   with me. Please."

She doesn't respond. I fly as fast as I can to the hospital,   taking care to shelter her body with my own as much as I can.   She can't die. Not like this.

**********

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. There was just nothing we could do for   her. She had suffered too many internal injuries and had lost   too much blood," the doctor tells me, placing his hand on my   shoulder.

There are tears coming down my face. I don't even bother to   wipe them away. Was it my fault? Should I have waited to move   her? Could I have gotten here faster? "Can I ask your   professional opinion?" I ask him.

"Certainly."

"If the paramedics had gotten to her first, instead of *him*,   would she have lived?" I ask, afraid to hear the answer.

"No, Mr. Kent. I'm sorry. If the paramedics had been sitting   there waiting for the crash to happen it wouldn't have   mattered. She suffered massive trauma to her internal organs.   There wasn't anything anyone could have done."

I feel a little pressure ease from my chest. There was nothing   I could have done. No, there was. I could have stayed in   Smallville, with her. I could have never left her. But if I   had, all those people on the shuttle would be dead. She had   died because I saved them.

I look down the hallway and *through* the emergency room doors   until I locate her lifeless body. Yes, I had saved them, but I   couldn't save her.

I turn away, unable to look any more. Out of the corner of my   eye I see my parents coming through the front doors of the   hospital.

"Honey, we came as soon as we got your message. Is she okay?"   Mom asks me.

"She's gone, Mom." I feel more tears coming to my eyes. "She   was coming to see me and she had an accident..." my voice   trails off.

My mom comes to me and embraces me tightly. "Oh, Clark, I'm   sorry."

"Can we just go home, to the farm? I just... I just don't want   to talk to anyone right now. I just need to get away."

She nods her head at me and the three of us leave the hospital   together in silence.

**********

I hover just outside the Daily Planet building, looking inside.   She's there, sitting in her chair with her legs propped up on   her desk, reading something. Otherwise the place looks   deserted. It's after-hours but it's not quite dark out yet.

After having paid a visit to Luthor earlier, I'm mentally and   emotionally exhausted. I didn't have much to go on anyway with   just having attended Lana's funeral yesterday. I really   shouldn't have pushed myself so hard, but I just couldn't stay   in Smallville right now. I didn't want to be there, at my   apartment. There were too many pictures of Lana and I; too many   things that reminded me of what I had let happen.

What I had let happen...

There had to have been some way I could have prevented it. What   if I had flown faster, come home sooner, called Lana after our   fight? What if?

There were too many "what-ifs".

I sigh, trying to release the continuing frustration I'm   feeling. Couldn't just one thing go right? Even my little   meeting with Luthor hadn't gone the way I wanted. He wasn't   admitting anything and I didn't have any solid proof to back up   what I knew. So for now, I would just have to watch him and   wait, but I knew eventually he'd make a mistake, and I would be   there.

After everything that had happened the past few days, I needed   some reassurance. I needed someone I could confide in. Someone   who could help me find my strength again. Someone who could   help me forget.

What I really need is to see *her*.

I start to lower myself down to the ground below so I can   change into my street clothes, but I hesitate. A part of me   wants to visit her first as Superman. She would be glad to see   him; she isn't upset with Superman.

I shake my head. I couldn't believe it when Luthor told me that   was what people were calling me. But it's true. I saw the name   splashed across several newspaper headlines.

I float back up and push a window open. I fly over toward Lois   and the breeze ruffles the newspaper she's holding in her   hands. She looks up and spots me.

"Superman!"

I nod my head at her. "I read your article and heard you were   looking for me."

"All my life." My super-hearing picks up on her soft mumble.   Even as awful as I've felt the past few days, her words still   manage to make me smile. Yes, it was good that I came here   tonight. "Everyone's looking for you," she responds out loud.

"I've noticed. But I'm here to see you, Lois." I watch the   expression on her face change when I say her name. She looks   almost a little dazed.

Maybe I shouldn't have come here as Superman after all.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours."

Clark. Clark Kent. Hmm, not just yet. "Superman seems to have   caught on," I say instead.

She sets her newspaper down on her desk and takes out a pad.   "Do you mind if I write some of this down?" she asks.

I shake my head at her.

"Who are you? I mean you, uh, seem to have all... the parts...   of a man..."

"I am a man, Lois. Just like you're a woman," I assure her.   Even in the dim lighting I can see the blush on her face. If I   plan to talk to her as Clark, ever again, I probably shouldn't   stay much longer.

"I'm glad you're here, but why are you here?"

"To help," I answer quickly, trying to think of some way to   excuse myself.

"I need more of a quote, you know? Like ?I have not yet begun   to fight', or ?Damn the torpedoes.' Something along those   lines. I mean if you said you were here to fight for truth or   justice or something like that..."

Hmm, that sounded like a decent quote for a newspaper article.   "Truth and justice sound good. You can use that." She smiles   broadly at me as she jots in her notebook.

Okay, I think that concludes this interview. I suddenly cock my   head as if I'm listening to something far off.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Someone's in trouble." Yeah, me. It's just a little white lie.   Lois herself said she's guilty of them every so often.

"This is a job for Superman, right?"

I nod my head at her. "I'll be seeing you, Lois," I assure her.   Yeah, sooner than you think, too. And with that I take off,   flying out the open window. I hear her soft sigh and her words   ?Hope so', as I go. I hope she'll still want to talk to me as   Clark.

I lower myself down to the ground and enter the Daily Planet   through the main doors. Good, they haven't locked the place up   yet. I know the stairwells will be locked; but it doesn't   matter, Perry had given the elevator codes to me when I was   here before. I ride the elevator up and take a deep breath as I   step out of it onto the newsroom floor.

Lois looks up at the sound of the elevator door opening.   "Jimmy? That you?" she calls.

"No, Lois. It's me," I answer.

"Clark?" I can hear the surprise in her voice.

"Uh-huh," I say as I head towards her desk.

She doesn't move to greet me, just watches me from where she's   sitting.

"What are you doing here?" she asks me.

"I..." Her question takes me by surprise. Is she sorry to see   me? Maybe it was a mistake to come. "Something's happened and   I'm going to stay with Chad for a little while. I came up to   make some arrangements with him."

"No, not why are you here in Metropolis, why are you *here*?"

I'm taken aback. She really doesn't know? "I needed to talk to   you. I shouldn't have left the way I did... Are you busy?"

"No, I was, but not now. You just missed Superman; I'm sure   you've heard about him."

"Yeah," I confirm for her.

"I got the first interview he's given," she tells me, sounding   just a little smug.

"Congratulations." I can feel the slightest stirrings of   irritation beginning. Why am I annoyed by this?

Her face takes on a bit of a dreamy look. "You should have seen   him, Clark. He's the most magnificent looking man I've ever..."

"Sounds like he made quite an impression on you," I interrupt   her, my frustration growing. Why am I upset about this? She's   talking about me!

"He did... Why? Are you jealous?" She must have picked up on my   reaction.

"Of Superman? Should I be?" I ask. Of course not. But yet I   find myself feeling a little jealous. Ugh! Why was she asking   about Superman? Why wasn't she asking why I was here, if I had   finalized things between Lana and me? Maybe she didn't care.   Maybe I had ruined things and there wasn't any going back.

This wasn't "going right" either. Maybe I should just leave.

I'm just about to excuse myself when she looks away from me and   back down at the newspaper sitting on her desk. Her demeanor   seems to change - a shadow passes over her face and her eyes   take on a distant look. She hesitates a few more seconds and   then finally answers my question. "No. You shouldn't," she says   with a resigned sounding sigh.

What? Did I hear her right? "Lois, I..."

"Clark, I'm sorry." She finally gets up out of her chair and   moves towards me. I'm speechless when she wraps her arms around   me in an embrace.

"For what?" I enfold her in my arms. The warmth from her body   seeps into mine, filling the empty void that I've carried the   past several days. I lay my head down against her shoulder and   just enjoy her support and the feeling of her hands as she rubs   them across my back. No, it's good that I came.

She turns her face toward mine and whispers in my ear. "I'm   sorry for how we left things before, and I'm sorry about...   Lana."

I pull back from her and look into her face, my body tensing.   She knew about Lana? How?

"Chad," she says softly, answering my unspoken question. "Chad   sent me a copy of the Smallville Post with the article you had   written about her death." She pointed towards the newspaper   lying on her desk. So that's what she had been reading when I   first came in as Superman. "He told me that you were taking it   pretty hard and you were coming up to stay with him for a   while."

I'm quiet; my body seems to have gone numb again. I had of   course planned to tell her what had happened, eventually, but   she's caught me off guard and I don't know what to say.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it," she tells   me. "It's okay. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

"Me too," I finally respond. "She was coming up here to see me   when she had her accident." I hadn't wanted to talk about it,   with anyone. I had avoided talking about it as much as   possible, but with Lois it feels right, with her I can let go.

We're both quiet for a moment. This is it. This is the time to   tell her. I made the mistake of not letting Lana know who I   really am, and now I can never correct that mistake. She had   loved me to the best of her ability without that knowledge. I   won't make the same mistake with Lois. I don't care what   happens, what she does with the information. I have to take   that risk. I have to tell her the truth.

"Lois, I did love her, but I kept a secret from her, too. The   same one I haven't shared with you. It's too late to share it   with Lana, but it's not too late to share it with you. I..." I   pause, is it too soon? No, I'm laying bare my soul to her   tonight. "I want to be with you. I care about you, Lois, a lot.   I want to be completely honest with you and I trust you enough   to share this with you."

The phone at her desk starts to ring. Without her questioning   eyes ever leaving mine, she moves her hand down to answer it.

No, don't pick it up. If I don't tell you this now, I might   never work up the nerve again.

I reach out and take her hand in mine, keeping her from   answering the phone. I bring our hands up to my chest and part   my shirt where I had intentionally left it unbuttoned behind my   tie; and I slide her hand inside. Her eyes widen as her   fingertips feel the slick spandex of the suit and the ridges of   the crest.

She brings her other hand up and rips my shirt apart further.   She stands gaping at the exposed red and yellow crest in front   of her. Her hand goes up to her mouth and she backs up and sits   down hard in her chair. She looks up at me with wide, inquiring   eyes. "Superman?"

I nod my head.

"Clark?"

I nod my head again.

"*This* is the other *thing* you hadn't told me?"

I feel like a monk, but I simply nod my head again at her.

"Why couldn't you tell me before? Before you left me to go back   to Smallville? Why didn't you tell me that day on the shuttle?"

I finally find my voice. "I was afraid."

"And now you're not?" Her voice seems like it is just a little   bit too high. What is she thinking? I wish I could see inside   her mind.

Honesty, Clark, remember, honesty. "No, I'm still afraid. But I   was even more afraid of not telling you, of losing you because   of hiding from you."

"Why were you afraid?" Her voice came a little softer, a little   lower in pitch this time.

"I didn't know how you would react for one thing. And I didn't   know what you might choose to do with the information." The   admission pours from my lips. I should have told her the truth   before. Before I left to go back to Smallville. I had no idea   it would feel like this ? like it was cleansing my soul.

"What? Like I'm going to write an article revealing you to the   whole world? I'm a reporter, Clark. Not a tabloid journalist."   I hear the edge in her voice and feel the regret in my heart.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I know you're not, and I know I can trust   you. That's why I came here tonight. Why I shared this with   you."

She turns her face away from me and looks back down at the   paper lying next to her on her desk. "So what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I watched you save a shuttle full of people, Clark. I watched   you eat a bomb, for crying out loud. What happened with Lana?   Why couldn't you save her?"

Her words almost bring me to my knees. Does she know how many   times I'd asked myself just that question? I feel the familiar   ache in my heart beginning to return. What could I say? I   fumble for words and can't seem to find them. "I couldn't save   her because I was saving you."

I regret what I said as soon as the words leave my lips. I   shouldn't have said it like that. She's looking at me like I   just slapped her in the face. No, that's not what I meant.

I try again. "She had her car accident right after I saved the   shuttle and brought you back here to the Planet. I was on my   way back to Smallville when I heard the crash. I flew as fast   as I could, but it didn't matter. It was too late. I couldn't   save her."

"So she didn't know... about you?" she asks me.

"No," I whisper softly. "Not until that night... when it was   too late to matter and she died in my arms."

Lois rises from her chair and comes to me, embracing me again.   I just stand there and let her hold me for a while. I feel the   warmth of her breath against my shoulder, and the soft touch of   her hands as she rubs them against my back. She's a balm to my   soul, as is my confession.

"It's okay, you know," she tells me.

What is?

"You shouldn't blame yourself, about what happened. It would be   impossible for you to be everywhere, save everyone. What you   did that day was enough. You saved the lives of all those   people on board the shuttle. I've always believed that we all   have a chance to make our mark on this world, to make a   difference. Never have I believed in that more than I do right   now."

Neither have I. I've always wanted to believe that one man, any   man, could make a difference. But I never realized how much of   a difference one woman, this woman, could make in my life until   I was standing here, being held by her.

After a few moments of quietly holding one another, she breaks   the silence. "So are you coming back to Metropolis, to stay?"   Her head shifts against my shoulder and I can feel the warmth   of her breath on my neck. It sends a shiver through me. "I saw   your editor's note in the paper where you said goodbye to your   readers."

"You read that?" I ask her, reaching up with one hand to stroke   her hair.

She nods her head against me. "I thought it was very well   written. I think you should."

"I should what?" I ask her. I drop my hand down to her back and   stroke it lightly. Her body shivers slightly at the contact.

"Move to Metropolis."

"Why?"

She pulls back and gives me a look that says it should be   obvious, but I stay silent. I want to hear what she says.

"Well, for one thing it was your dream. And for another thing,   Metropolis needs Superman. You could do so much good here."

"And what about you?"

"Me?" she asks, looking confused.

"Do you need Superman?" My heart lurches in my chest. Please   tell me you need him too.

"No," she replies as she places her hands on my chest, pulling   my shirt back together and adjusting my tie. "I need you,   Clark." She flashes a timid smile at me that sends a tingle   through my body. I pull gently on her bringing her back to rest   against me and I feel well, whole for the first time in days.

"So, do you still think Perry will give me a job?" I ask her.   "I mean I could probably get him a lot of exclusive interviews   from Superman. If I bring him one of those, he's sure to hire   me."

Lois pulls back from me and looks into my teasing eyes and her   lips part into a smile. Then she smacks me. "No way, Kent! I   found Superman and I interviewed him first. That gives me   rights to the follow-up interviews. Just because you think..."

I interrupt her by pressing my lips to hers. I've wanted to do   this for a long time. I part her lips with my tongue and   discover her thoroughly and intimately for the first time. Her   body, rigid at first, soon softens and relaxes into my arms. I   pull her body to me tighter and hold her, never wanting to let   go. I drink in the softness of her lips and delight in the   urgency of her tender draws against my mouth.

After several moments we both come up for air, making soft   panting sounds.

"Well, maybe I could share some of the interviews," she   concedes breathily. "You could always try to bribe me." She   raises one eyebrow at me suggestively.

"I can try."

**********

Part 5

"Can you?" she asked, raising one eyebrow teasingly.

I smile at her, suddenly feeling just a little uncomfortable.   It's too soon. Isn't it? What would she think of me if I made   an advance on her? I would like nothing more than to take her   in my arms and kiss her again, but I don't want to mess this   up.

"It's getting pretty late," I say instead. Her smile falls a   little. Oh that was a brilliant thing to say. I try to recover   ground quickly. "Did you have anyone to walk you home?" Yes, a   walk. We had walked several times before. A walk wasn't too   forward.

Her face brightens and she takes me by the arm. "You." Her eyes   sparkle and the corners of her mouth turn up in a flirtatious   smile.

That smile could light the shadows in the darkest places. I   know because it's blazing a path through my heart.

I remember the words I said to myself only a few nights ago...

<Clark, you are a doomed man...>

I smile at the memory. I'm doomed to forever covet this woman.   I know I'll do whatever it takes to see that smile. I never   want to make her unhappy again.

I let her lead me downstairs and out the front doors of the   Planet, her arm still threaded through mine and our hands   clasped together. Our fingers rub against each other in a   rhythmic dance. Her thumb traces delicately along my thumb and   down across the palm of my hand. Her touch is electrifying. It   sends a jolt straight through me to my core.

"It's a beautiful night," she says, taking in a deep breath of   the cool, crisp air.

"Yes, it is, but not nearly as beautiful down here."

"Down here?" Her eyes get a curious twinkle in them.

I nod my head at her. "I love our walks to your apartment, but   tonight would you... perhaps... consider flying with me?"

I hear her soft gasp and by the look on her face I can tell   she'd like nothing more. I step away from her, letting go of   her hand. I move into the shadows and do a quick spin into my   suit. She watches with a look of fascination on her face. I   smile at her as I walk over to her and scoop her up in my arms,   carefully tucking her tweed skirt under her so the wind won't   catch it. She throws her arms around my neck and holds on   tightly as I lift us up into the night sky.

As we fly the wind whips across our faces and over our bodies,   ruffling the delicate white silk blouse she's wearing. I   delight in all the little sounds she makes as we move across   the night sky, and the way her breath comes hurriedly at times.

The raised flesh on her arms and the coolness of her skin cause   me to hold her a little tighter, a little closer to my body.   She takes her arms from around my neck and brings them inside   my embrace.

There's a comfort in knowing that she trusts me so completely.   That she knows I'd never let her fall.

I take us up even higher, where we're floating just above the   first layer of clouds that had settled across the evening sky.   They're light and airy but dense enough to obscure the view of   the city below. We're alone in the night sky, just she and I,   floating under the light of a waning moon.

"It's incredible," she breathes.

"Yes, it is," I agree, my eyes fixed on her.

"You're not even looking," she chastises me.

"Yes, I am."

I'm rewarded as a blush creeps across her face and a soft laugh   escapes from her lips. "Oh."

I slow our movement across the sky until we come to a stop,   just hovering above the clouds. I move the hand I have under   her legs and allow them to drop down as I bring us together in   an upright position. An almost imperceptible shiver courses   through her body and I pull the sides of my cape around her.

She lays her head against my shoulder and brings one hand up,   placing it on my chest. Her fingers begin to lazily trace the   curves of the S on my crest. I close my eyes drinking in the   scent of her hair, her skin. I can feel the racing of her   heartbeat and it ignites a smoldering fire deep within me. I   take a few deep breaths trying to compose myself. Don't rush   this. Don't rush her.

"This is what I've always wanted," I whisper against her   forehead. "Someone I could reveal myself to, who would accept   me for who I really am. Someone who wouldn't be frightened by   what they found, or try to use it against me."

Her head lifts up off my shoulder, her eyes searching for mine   in the darkness. "Clark, the night that you told me about Lana,   you said that if I gave you a chance that you'd always be   honest with me from here on out."

"Yes, and I will. That's why I came to you tonight."

"You promise? No matter what I ask?"

I feel myself starting to squirm a little. What would she ask?   "I promise."

"Then what were you thinking about just then? Before you said   this is what you've always wanted?"

I'm glad it's dark because I can feel the heat in my face, as   well as other parts of my body. She isn't serious, is she?

Of course she is. She made you promise.

But I can't tell her that. Can I?

She made you promise.

"I, um... was thinking... how much... I'd..."

She pulls back from me a little further and I realize that   she's smiling at me, a little lopsidedly at that. She's...   she's enjoying watching me squirm!

"You know for a writer, that's not very eloquently put and you   still didn't answer my question. Why don't you try again?" She   slides her hands around my body, holding me snugly against her   and places a soft kiss against my neck.

Oh god. As if this wasn't hard enough.

"Come on. You promised," she goads me.

I sigh and close my eyes, not being able to look at her as I   admit this. "I was thinking how much I'd like to hold you like   this with no clothing to interfere."

A soft giggle escapes from her lips. "I figured as much, you   know those briefs you're wearing don't do much to hide what   they're covering."

If my face got any hotter it would be glowing. How can she   tease me like that? And then I realize; she's doing what she   can to help me. To drag my mind away from other thoughts,   darker thoughts, and... it's working.

As I'm pondering these thoughts, there's a break in the clouds   below us and I realize how close we are to her apartment. I'm   almost a little sad that our flight is over so soon.

I decide to talk to her to prolong our voyage a little longer,   allow myself to hold her a little while more. "Okay, you got to   ask your question. Do I get to ask one now?"

Her face betrays her panic, but she responds smoothly. "Go on."

"You said you wanted honesty, but you also said you had a list.   What else was on that list? How many things were there?"

This time it was her turn to blush. "Um, well, there were five   things."

"Five? So what were the other four?"

"Do I really have to tell you?"

"Yes, if you ever want me to take you down from here."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" she asks, smiling   mischievously.

I drop us a few feet quickly and it takes her breath away.

"Oh!" she cries, her arms squeezing against me tightly.

"Well?"

"All right. Geez, I was just kidding."

I laugh softly and she smiles at me. "Okay, let's see... I   can't believe you're going to make me admit these. Honesty was   really the only one that mattered. The others were kind of   silly and superfluous and more than embarrassing once you have   to say them out loud..."

I move my body as if I'm going to drop us again.

"No, stop. Okay. I'll start at the bottom of the list... Good-  looking."

"Good-looking? Wow. After the one about honesty, I was afraid   they were all going to be these serious qualities like   integrity, intelligent, impartial, give me another "I" word..."

"Impervious?"

I grin. "So far. At least to everything I've come in contact   with."

"Hmm, including bombs," she agrees. We both laugh.

"Next," I prompt her.

"Oh, uh, and you made the check-list on the good-looking one."

"That's good to know."

She smiles shyly at me. "Good-natured."

"Really?"

"Yes, I want a guy who can lift my spirits and who isn't afraid   to laugh. I think we've established that you've made the list   on that one as well."

"Good. Only two left."

"Loyal." Her voice is a little quieter than before.

I don't make any comments after this one. I can tell it's an   important one to her. "Tell me."

"My father cheated on my mother, and he abandoned me and my   sister when we were young. *He* took some of my innocence   too..." Her voice trailed off and she sighed quietly. "That's   not how a family is supposed to be, Clark. A family is supposed   to be loyal, to stick by each other through thick and thin, to   be supportive of one another."

"I'm so sorry, Lois." So more than one man in her life had let   her down. No wonder she had seemed so reserved when I first met   her, why it was hard for her to trust people. "But believe me,   not all families are like that, not all *men* are like that."

She nods her head silently, her eyes looking glassy with unshed   tears.

"That's definitely a very important one," I tell her. "But   there must be one even more important - you still have one   left."

Her face brightens. "Acceptance."

"Acceptance? But that's mine."

"Yes, I told you I liked it and I was going to add it to my   list."

"But what was there before? Didn't you already have five things   before I told you that?"

"I'll tell you that one later. It was at the bottom of the   list, under good-looking. It got bumped when I added yours to   my list."

I'm amazed that she had made what I cared about so important to   her. It took my breath in a way that no one ever had before.   Lana had always tried to change me, make me into what she   wanted. Lois was instead changing part of herself, no not   changing, just supporting. She was aligning herself with me.

"Clark, would you take us down now?"

I feel a little disappointment that this night has to end,   regretful that I can't find some way to extend it a little   more. But I don't say anything; I just lower us back down,   setting her down in front of her apartment building. I move   into the shadows and spin out of the suit before rejoining her   at the steps leading up to her building.

Not wanting to leave her any sooner than I have to, I walk with   her up to the front entrance.

"Thank you, Lois. You'll never know how much tonight has meant   to me."

"To me too," she says. There's a slight waver in her voice.   Something isn't right. She seems almost nervous. I reach out   with my hearing and realize her pulse has risen to a high   level; her heart is beating wildly. I look down at her hands   and they're clasping and unclasping in front of her.

"Is something..." That's all I manage to get out before she   comes to me, capturing my lips in her own and drawing against   them deeply.

She catches me off guard but I soon recover and my arms go   around her, pulling her to me. I bring one hand up and slide it   behind her head, bringing her in to deepen the kiss.

I feel her groan against my lips and the sound resonates   through my body. Oh, god, Lois.

She pulls away from me, leaving my lips wanting. She opens the   door to her building and steps inside. As my mind questions   what I did to cause her to leave, her hand pulls on me, trying   to bring me inside with her. When I don't immediately follow   her, she releases my hand and takes a step back toward me.

"Please, Clark..."

"Lois, I don't know if I should..."

She takes my hand again and this time I allow her to lead me   inside.

When we make it up to her apartment door, her hands are   trembling and she can't seem to get the key into the door. I   reach out and place my hand on hers, steadying it. She looks up   at me and smiles shyly.

She manages to get the door open and leads me inside her   apartment. She leaves me long enough to go turn on a small lamp   in one corner of the room. It casts a low, soft light on her   body and our surroundings, causing her to look like a beautiful   apparition. I have to restrain myself from going to her and   enfolding her body into my arms.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asks me softly, smiling   shyly at me through her lashes. "Maybe a glass of wine to help   you relax? Unwind?"

"Alcohol doesn't really seem to affect me," I tell her, wishing   very much that right now that wasn't the case. "So it won't   help me unwind. Probably a good thing, though, because I might   have drank myself into a drunken stupor otherwise." I try a   weak smile out on her and realize that she looks a little   disappointed. "But maybe we could each have a glass and the   *company* will help me relax. I could really use someone to   talk to."

I'm dying to hold her in my arms again, but I wait. Men had   taken advantage of her before and I refuse to be one of them. I   don't want to rush her into anything that she isn't ready for.

If she will just sit... sit and listen to me... talk with me...   that would go farther towards healing my soul than anything.   I've never known what it feels like to be drunk but I'm sure it   can't provide the kind of relief that pouring yourself out to   another human being can provide, for one thing the effects of   alcohol are just temporary at best.

And yet, it would be nice to be able to forget, just for a   while. To not have to think about the pain, the loss... the   regret. But even if a drink couldn't ease the pain, maybe Lois   could.

Please, Lois, help me.

I watch her walk back to me and feel the anticipation welling   up inside me as she reaches out, taking my tie in her hands.   "Well, let's see what *I* can do to help you relax," she   murmurs as she loosens the knot and lifts the tie up over my   head. She gives it a toss over to the couch. It almost makes it   but instead slides down the side and pools on the floor.

She leans in close to me and brushes a kiss past my ear. "How   does that feel? Any better?"

I feel the heat in my face. "Define better," I tell her, my   throat suddenly very dry.

She reaches between us and unbuttons the top three buttons of   my shirt. She leans back and slides the shirt apart, frowning   at the blue spandex of the suit underneath. "You know ever   since that morning I came to pick you up at Chad's, I've dreamt   of seeing this chest again." She smiles softly at me.

My face flushes at the memory of answering the door in nothing   but a towel. "It seemed to me that you might have been dreaming   already when I came back in from getting dressed."

It's her turn to redden. "God, was it that obvious?"

I smile at her. "What were you thinking about that morning on   the couch? You seemed a little jumpy when I came back in."

When her smile comes again it's seductive and it sends a shiver   through me that almost breaks my resolve. "I was imagining ways   that I could have accidentally relieved you of that towel." She   slides her hands lightly behind my neck and pulls against me,   bringing her mouth to mine. She takes possession of my lips,   making slow pulls against them. Her lips are so soft, so warm   and... inviting.

My arms finally seize hold of her body, unable to hold back any   longer. One hand entwines itself in her silky tresses and the   other clutches against her hip as we deepen the kiss, silently   telling each other the things we haven't yet begun to say.

Her hand comes down to find mine, a surge of electricity again   flowing through my body at her touch. She finally pulls away   from me and I allow her to lead me over to her couch.

"Let me get us a drink and then you can give me a more *in-  depth* interview... off-the-record of course." She smiles   demurely at me. "I think maybe Superman might have been holding   back earlier. I want all the juicy details." Her smile flashes   and there's a curious twinkle in her eyes.

**************

As I sit on Lois's couch with her body leaning back against   mine, feeling the slow rise and fall of her body as she   breathes in an out, I realize how fortunate I am to have found   her.

All my fears, my doubts, the hurt, the pain, had all flowed out   of me as I talked to her, as I told her about all the years I   had hidden myself, been alone. Even with Lana, I just hadn't   been able to be myself.

Lois had listened to me, had asked me just the right questions   to allow me to open up. She had squeezed my hand when I   couldn't find the words to go on and she had hugged me to her   when I told her the details of the night that I found Lana.

We kissed, we touched, and we held each other. Her   attentiveness to me, her acceptance of me - of who I really am   - was the single most beautiful thing I have ever experienced.

I press a kiss in her hair and then to her cheek. "Thank you,"   I murmur in her ear. "I've never felt so... accepted before.   I've never been able to share myself like that with anyone."

I give her a gentle squeeze before sliding out from behind her.   I start to get up from the couch but her hands come out and   take hold of me, bringing me back down next to her.

"Stay, please," she says, her voice tender.

"Just try to get rid of me."

She tilts her head questioningly at me. "Then where were you   going?"

"To get a snack. I haven't eaten anything in days and this is   the first time I've felt like I wanted to eat. Can I get you   something?"

She grimaces. "I don't think I even have a package of crackers   in my cabinets right now."

I grin softly at her. "I really don't think that's going to be   a problem. I can go get something and bring it back. Tell me,   what would you rather have? Some Chinese again or maybe some   Italian?"

She frowns and then a smile creeps slowly across her face. "So,   the other night, that was *real* Chinese." I nod at her,   smiling. "Mmm, no wonder it was so good. Well, we've had the   Chinese, but I think the Italian might be a little too heavy   for as late as it is, or early, depending on how you want to   look at it. Do you know any good little French bakeries?"

"Oui. Just stay here looking that beautiful and I'll be right   back."

"Promise?"

"Always."

THE END

Table of Contents

New Beginnings

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5