J is for Jet Set by Pam Jernigan Rated: PG Submitted: December 2003 ------------------------ This is the third story in a series. The first story (H is for Hubris) branched out from canon at the end of Strange Visitor. The second story (I is for Illusions) picked up the action approximately a month later, in a rewrite of I've Got a Crush on You. This story begins a few hours later and will completely ignore the episode Smart Kids. ;- ) Thanks to my incredible essential brilliant beta readers Kathy Brown and Claire Hess, as well as to everyone who kept asking me about "J" and the letters beyond that. Honorable mention to Jocelyn Brant, who tried valiantly to keep up but was defeated by my erratic writing spurts and my habit of saying "no, wait, ignore everything I sent you two days ago, I've rewritten everything." And thanks to Erin Klingler for agreeing to some last-minute GE-ing. The reason this "alphabet series" didn't start at A was because when I started, I had no intentions of making it a running theme! I'm still not quite sure how that happened, actually... ---------------------- J IS FOR JET SET by Pam Jernigan ---------------------- Clark rocketed across the sky, flying twists and barrel rolls that probably had air-traffic controllers all up and down the East Coast scratching their heads. He was careful to avoid mid-air collisions, but all other considerations were drowned out by an internal refrain: He was going on a date! With Lois! Tonight! Eventually, he calmed down enough to begin thinking about practicalities. Lois wanted him to take her to dinner, so that was what he would do. And now that she knew about Superman, he could take her anywhere in the world. Superman. That thought slowed him down a trifle. Lois wasn't reacting the way he would have expected. Of course, she never did. She'd been incredibly affectionate last night, once she'd admitted her attraction to him, and he'd been happy to reciprocate. If it hadn't been for Toni Taylor, they might even have ended up going to his place for the night. But then she'd discovered he was Superman - - and since then, she'd backed off somewhat. He supposed he couldn't blame her for that, since Superman had usually done his best to discourage her from getting too comfortable in his presence. He just had to assume -- hope -- that she'd stick around long enough to realize that underneath it all, he was really just Clark. Up until a few days ago, he'd thought that while she would jump at the chance for a relationship with Superman, she'd drop him like a rock once she realized that she'd be spending most of her time with Clark. It would be the ultimate irony if she decided to go for a relationship with Clark, only to be put off by Superman. He was thinking about himself in the third person again. He tried to get a grip on reality. It had been less than a day since Lois had put one and one together to make... one. It would be astonishing if she didn't need any time to adjust. He could wait. Sooner or later, she'd see that Superman wasn't real. The really difficult part would be restraining himself around her. Making love a month ago had been so incredible. He'd dreamed about it many times, and fantasized about repeat encounters... but at the same time, this whole relationship was so new, so fragile. He was determined not to ruin things this time around. Given the way she'd panicked before, it seemed wise to take things slow, and follow her lead. Her trust was a precious gift. He couldn't bear the thought of spoiling it. Of course, this wasn't just a date. It was the beginning, he hoped, of a great future. He couldn't wait to tell his parents all about it. As soon as he calmed down enough to get his feet back on the ground, he'd give them a call. On second thought, though, he wasn't quite sure what to say. He hadn't told them about spending the night with her. He'd told himself it was because gentlemen never kiss and tell. He had to admit, though, that part of it was that he was ashamed of how he'd acted. Not just the unintentional one-night stand, though he sure wasn't proud of that, but also because he didn't want them to know how careless he'd been. His dad would do the frog speech again. No, as far as they knew, Lois was just another work colleague. They didn't really need to know anything more, until there was a "more" for them to know. He smiled, imagining what might happen when he introduced them to Lois. His mom would love her on sight, he was sure. And if cliches were any guide to the world, they'd probably both embarrass him by looking at his baby pictures. Dad might be a little more reserved -- and there was no doubt he'd be worried about Lois knowing about Superman -- but he'd warm up to her soon enough. Lois and Smallville, on the other hand, might not be love at first sight. Lois thought big cities were the only worthwhile places to be; she was snobbish even about suburbs. Rural towns would rate very low in her estimation. He'd like to take her to the corn festival next week, but he wasn't sure if that would make Smallville look better to her, or worse. Maybe that could wait a year or so. It occurred to him that he was planning a little far ahead, considering, as she put it, he'd never even bought the woman dinner. One step at a time. It had worked so far. So, in the meantime -- where should he take her to dinner? He had too many options. Even if he ruled out Europe and Asia due to time differences, that still left thousands of great places in North America. He knew a great southwestern restaurant in Albuquerque... or they could go for Chinese food in the China towns of either San Francisco or Toronto... and, sooner or later, they could even get some good old fashioned home cooking in Smallville. He was really looking forward to showing her the world. **** Lois carefully brushed her hair smooth and gave her outfit another once-over. The simple black dress was classically styled, and she was pretty sure she looked great. A little black dress worked almost anywhere, right? Her stomach fluttered and her hands shook slightly with a mixture of terror and joy. She was going on a date! With Clark! Tonight! Was she insane?? She took a deep breath, willing her heart rate to slow. She had already thought this through. Clark was nothing like the jerks she'd dated before. She didn't even have to take it on faith; he'd proved it in the last month. So that wasn't a problem. Clark would be a great boyfriend. Assuming she didn't scare him off... But then, if he hadn't been scared off by now, following a month of rough treatment, she was probably safe for at least a little while. Until he got a chance to see if reality matched up to his hopes, anyway. Lois shook her head to clear it. She needed to keep a sense of perspective here. They were only going out to dinner, not getting married. There was nothing to be afraid of here. She could handle dinner. And, she reminded herself, she'd never been happier than this morning. They'd just sat together, talking about various inconsequential things -- in between kisses. That memory calmed her down, as her lips curled up in an involuntary smile. Clark wasn't just jaw-droppingly handsome, he also had a great sense of humor and a wide range of interests. Talking to him had been a lot of fun. In fact, she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather be with on the face of this earth. Not even Superman. He was very awe- and crush-inspiring, but not much of a conversationalist. Then again, she realized, he didn't need to be. Those around Superman were usually too star-struck to say much. She'd dreamed about breaking through that reserve of his, getting to know the *real* man underneath... which had happened, kind of. She hadn't had any luck with a frontal assault, she thought whimsically, but then she'd found a secret entrance, around the back. With one last little spritz of hairspray, she walked out of the bathroom. What a difference a few days could make! Two days ago, she hadn't even wanted Clark's help at the Metro Club. "But you had such persistence..." she sang softly, thinking again how well some of those song lyrics fit them. "You wore down my resistance..." The doorbell rang and she jumped. With one last deep breath, she went to unlock her door and let him in. He slipped inside the apartment but stayed near the door, nonchalantly propping up her wall. The sight of him calmed her fears somewhat. He'd worn a dark suit tonight, one she hadn't seen before, with an almost-tasteful tie. "Hi." He smiled, and her stomach flutters intensified at the sight. "Hi, yourself. Lois, you look..." His eyes wandered briefly, and Lois couldn't help but be pleased at the look of appreciation on his face. "...you look fantastic." "Thanks. So do you," she replied, feeling almost shy. "Black is definitely your color." She looked away, fussing with her evening bag. She was intensely aware of him, her fingers itching to touch his arm, his hair, his skin... The depth of that wanting left her shaken -- and a little scared. This was too much like that night a month ago. She told herself sternly to focus; this date was about dinner in a nice public place, nothing more. The only thing on the menu tonight was food. "So, where are you taking me?" "Just a little place I know. Are you ready?" His eyes were beginning to wander again, and were acquiring a heated look. On the other hand, they could always get takeout... "Oh, yeah," she said huskily, "I'm ready." She cleared her throat, blushing. "Ready to go, I mean," she clarified hastily. "Out for dinner," she added, cringing inside at what an idiot she was making of herself. "Out for dinner, right," Clark echoed her, taking a deep breath. "I knew that. We'd better get going, then." He smiled wryly. "While we still can." Lois returned the smile, feeling the over-heated atmosphere relax. "Yeah, we should." She reached for her wrap. They could always get takeout next time. The very idea of a next time, followed by others after that, warmed her heart and slowed her pulse rate. They didn't have to rush anything. She was smiling as she let them out of the apartment and fastened all her locks. **** "... and she was *so* furious at me for getting into a fight." Clark shook his head, wondering how on earth Lois had persuaded him to share this story. He distinctly remembered planning to be suave. Lois was clearly delighted about this new view of him. "Clark Kent, juvenile delinquent. I would never have guessed!" Clark grinned at her, but was distracted from replying by the waiter bringing them their main courses. "You were doing the right thing, though," Lois continued, taking an experimental taste of her entree. Her eyes widened and a smile grew as she chewed and swallowed. "This is fantastic! You know, sometimes, when restaurants say their dishes are 'low-fat' they just make them taste so awful that no one wants to eat more than a few bites... but this is wonderful." "I was hoping you'd think so. I mean, I've heard they were good." Clark cut himself off before he could add the detail that he'd heard it from his mother; he didn't think that would add to the suave image. Lois nodded around another bite, then reached for her wine glass. After a sip, she said, "Anyway, bullies won't stop until someone stops them." It took Clark a moment to realize she'd jumped back a topic. "Well, after we left the principal's office, Mom wanted to hear my side of the story." Clark shrugged. "And at the end of it, she said I'd done a good thing *but* I was to make darned sure that things never got to that point again -- that I needed to find other ways to handle problems." Lois laughed. "I think I like your mom." A familiar wide- eyed look crept across her face. Glancing around the busy restaurant, she leaned forward to ask, "But what about that whole 'bending steel with your bare hands' thing?" "Lois, I was only ten at the time. At that point, I'm not sure I could have bent a spoon." That was a slight exaggeration, but if it made Superman less awe-inspiring, Clark was all for it. "Anyway, I'll have to take you to meet my folks sometime." Lois frowned. "Clark, aren't they in Kans-- oh!" Comprehension lit her face, and her eyes widened. Only this time, it wasn't unconditional admiration. "Well, maybe sometime. This would be a little early." "Well, okay, so we've only been dating for--" he checked his watch, grinning at her. "Nine or ten hours now." "Yeah, better wait to see if this works out," Lois suggested, with a hint of cynicism. "Lo-is," he said gently. He hesitated, not knowing how much he should say. "This is going to work out. Just give me a chance, okay?" "Oh, Clark, it's not about you," she replied, playing with her napkin. She glanced up at him, and seemed to be gathering her courage. "I just-- She was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, offering more wine and taking away their empty dishes. "So, Clark," Lois said in a determinedly cheerful tone. "Why don't you tell me more about your mis-spent youth?" Clark hesitated. He'd rather hear more about Lois's fears, but the moment was clearly gone and he didn't want to push. "Really, it was just that one thing. Other than that, I had a very boring childhood." "Oh, yeah, I'll bet. Tell me another one, Kent." "No, really!" Clark protested, enjoying the way she teased him. "But what about you? You must have had some excitement going on somewhere." "Well... mostly of the unpleasant kind," she said, her lips twisting wryly. "I have dealt with bullies once, though. Heh. I'd almost forgotten that was what started the whole thing." Clark paused in the act of sipping his wine. "Started what thing?" "Martial arts. See, my folks divorced when I was twelve, so mom and Lucy and I moved after that, and for a few years, we were in a pretty seedy neighborhood." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were lowered. "That must have been rough," he offered tentatively. "Mostly, it was okay. I still keep contact with some of those people. But there was this one creep who decided it'd be fun to make Lucy's life miserable. I tried everything I could to protect her, but..." She shrugged. "It didn't work so well. About that time, the local gym was offering karate classes... so I signed up." She met his eyes now, as a tiny smile played around her mouth. "It took a while, but eventually I, ah, convinced him that we weren't very good targets." "I can imagine." He tried to look properly impressed, but couldn't help feeling a spasm of retroactive fear, that she could have been hurt or killed so long ago. "Anyway, by then I'd really gotten interested in the philosophy behind the martial arts, and I've kept up with it." Her expression turned something close to smug. "I've nearly got my brown belt in Tae Kwan Do." Clark grinned. "Somehow this does not surprise me, Lois." She smiled back, then sat up, with a startled look. "Hey, I just thought of something! Considering your, um, method of transportation, we could have gone *anywhere* for dinner. Why are we still in Metropolis?" "Well, it is one of the best restaurants in town," Clark defended himself. "I thought about it, Lois, but I couldn't decide where I wanted to go, let alone where you might like to go, so I figured I'd better keep it simple. For now." Lois pretended to think about that. "Okay, I'll forgive you this time. But next time, I want to pick." Clark's heart skipped at this casual mention of their next date. "Anything for you, Lois," he told her lightly. Anything in the world, he wanted to add, but he didn't want to scare her by sounding too intense. Still, it was true, and he repeated softly, "Anything for you." **** Their plates were nearly empty when Clark stopped mid- sentence, his head coming up and his gaze going vague as he listened to something beyond her hearing. He pushed his chair back from the table, then paused, his attention returning to Lois. "Uh, Lois... there's been a wreck," he explained in a low, intense tone. "It sounds like some kids are trapped..." Lois blinked. She'd recognized the far-away look he got before running off, but somehow she hadn't expected an explanation. Clark got to his feet, but didn't leave the table, still watching her anxiously. "I'll be right back, I promise." "It's okay," she told him, in mild wonder. On one hand, it was gratifying that he worried about her reaction... but on the other hand, did he really expect her to be so mean- spirited as to object? She rolled her eyes. "What, do I have to shove you out the door myself? Go!" Clark's expression lightened. "Be back in a flash," he murmured, then started walking swiftly toward the door. She watched him leave, a smile playing around her lips. It was still hard to get her mind wrapped around the concept that Clark -- her good-natured, slightly naive, fresh-from- the-country reporting partner -- was a part-time superhero. It was only a few minutes before Clark returned, straightening his tie and slipping back into his seat. "I'm sorry about that. I really hadn't wanted any interruptions tonight." Lois shrugged, taking another sip of her after dinner coffee. "It's fine, Clark, really." Doubt still lingered on his face, and she reached out to touch his hand. "Don't you know how much I *love* watching you do your hero thing?" Clark grinned as he picked up his fork again. "Oh, well, that's good to know." The waiter stopped at their table again, asking rather pointedly if they wanted any more coffee. Clark glanced at his watch and was astounded to realize they'd been here for over three hours. "Ah... not me. Lois?" She shook her head. "Let's just get out of here." Clark handed the waiter his credit card and winked at Lois. "There. Now you can't say I've never bought you dinner." **** Lois and Clark exited the restaurant in silence. He hoped she really hadn't minded about him being called away. He'd hated to go -- he'd planned to ignore anything but the direst of emergencies -- but he couldn't have ignored the cries of the trapped children. The noises of the restaurant faded as they walked to the sidewalk, then stopped. Clark scanned the street for empty taxis. "So..." Lois flashed a smile that vanished again almost immediately. "So. Um... is this where we say goodnight?" Clark tried to read her expression by the streetlights, but couldn't tell what answer she wanted. "Well, I suppose it could be." Was that a look of disappointment? Emboldened, he said, "Or I could escort you home." He could see the emotions flit across her face as she debated the pros and cons. "When I'm escorting a lady, I like to give her door-to-door service." He grinned. "Just don't ask me in for coffee, or to see your etchings, or anything like that. This is only a first date, you know, and I'm not that kinda guy." As he'd hoped, she laughed, and the tension abruptly disappeared. "Get us a taxi, Clark." "Yes, ma'am," he murmured. He spotted several taxis approaching, and raised an arm to try to attract one. The first cab cruised smoothly past them. Clark nearly jumped out of his skin when Lois emitted an ear-piercing whistle. The second cab swerved over to the curb. He helped her into the backseat. "My hearing may never recover," he muttered, settling himself next to her. She shifted over slightly to press lightly against him. "Sorry." She chuckled softly. "But you have to know how to handle Metro cabbies. It's a knack." "I defer to your expertise." "So you should." She slanted him a speculative glance. "I'll bet you don't bother much with taxis, when you're on your own." "Well, now that you mention it... no." He hadn't offered to fly them tonight because he'd wanted it very clear that she was on a date with Clark, not Superman. But maybe he was being overly cautious. "I could offer you a lift next time... if you like." Her smile flashed briefly. "That'd be nice." It seemed only moments later when they arrived at Lois's building. "Okay, this is my stop," she said lightly. "Thanks for having dinner with me, Lois." "Thanks for asking me. This was really, really nice." She got out of the taxi without waiting for a reply. As soon as he'd paid the cabby, Clark met her on the sidewalk. "Are you sure I'm not keeping you from, you know..." She waved one hand in the air. It took him a second to work out that the gesture was meant to represent flying. "Oh! Sure. It's not like Superman punches a time clock." "No, I guess not." She grinned at him. "Which is a good thing, because if Superman's anything like you, he'd always be showing up late and leaving early." To Clark's delight, she slipped an arm around his waist, making it natural for his arm to encircle her shoulders. They walked up to the door and proceeded through the lobby to the elevator. "So..." Clark said as the elevator doors closed, "I'm sorry about running out on you earlier. Um... are you sure you're okay with the whole Superman thing?" She frowned at him. "Of course I am, Clark! I mean, sure, it's a lot to adjust to -- and it's not like I *want* you to run away all the time or anything, but that's not such a big deal now that I know you've got a good reason. And I'm pretty sure that there's an upside to this somewhere. Think of the hundreds of dollars I could save in cab fare!" She gave him a playful bump on the hip before her voice turned serious. "Well, after hours, anyway -- I still have no idea how things are going to work at work." The elevator jerked to a stop at Lois's floor. "The same way things have always worked at work, Lois," Clark assured her as they exited the elevator and strolled down the empty hall. "You bark out orders and I meekly comply." "Clark Kent, I do not bark out orders!" She smacked him lightly on the chest with her free hand. "And as for meekly complying -- I wish! Except really I don't." "You don't?" Clark asked, surprised but pleased. "Well, every once in a while you come up with something useful. Much as it pains me to admit it," she teased. They reached her door, and she turned to lean against it for a moment. "Seriously, Clark, I'm starting to think we work well together. It's just..." She looked up and down the hall, then lowered her voice. "...this whole 'strange visitor from another planet' thing is... well, it's..." "Wait, wait, wait. Strange visitor from another planet? Where'd you hear that?" Clark was torn between amusement and embarrassment. He glanced around as well, nervous about this conversation happening in public, but couldn't see anyone within earshot. And as long as they used oblique terms they should be okay. "That? Um... I think that one was from the Whisper. One of those rags, anyway." "Uh-huh. You know Perry'll fire you if he catches you reading those." She blushed. "I can't help reading those forty-point headlines in the grocery store." Her chin came up. "And he'll only fire me if I start *writing* like them, which I think will be a cold day in -- but don't you distract me!" "Sorry," Clark replied, trying not to grin at her. "So, before you yelled at me, you were saying you were over-awed by Superman...?" She rolled her eyes. "Clark, this is serious." "Okay, then -- seriously, Lois, we'll figure it out as we go along. At least I can stop lying to you." He still felt just a little nervous about that from years of conditioning, but he was determined to look on the bright side. "I was kinda hoping you'd help me out with my excuses, actually." That coaxed a smile out of her. "Yeah, you could use some help there." Her eyes searched his face for another moment before she took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." She was looking up at him with such unexpected vulnerability that his heart twisted. He wanted to vow to protect her from any and all comers. To keep her far away from any dangers. Yeah, he'd keep her safe and warm... in bed... with him... Once again, Clark felt an almost irresistible tug pulling him towards her, binding him to her. "Lois, we'll work it out." He moved a little closer and brought his other arm up to join the one that was loosely encircling her waist. "Together." She began to smile, accepting his embrace and resting her hands on his chest. "Partners," she said, with a new note of satisfaction in her voice. Then she closed the small remaining space between them and kissed him. The kiss was gentle at first, barely more than a brief brushing of lips, coming together only to dance apart again. Clark tightened his grip on her waist. Their lips met again and stayed together. They moved slowly, testing out this still unfamiliar territory, both relishing the lack of tension. Clark's hand trailed up the side of her body, to cup her cheek and explore the softness of her hair. He deepened the kiss, and Lois eagerly met him halfway, until the two of them felt almost as if they'd joined bodies. It was long moments later that they separated. Lois smiled up at him dreamily, looking gorgeously disheveled. "Lois," he growled, then couldn't help but lean in again, this time to plant tiny kisses on her cheek. "Oh, I would love to make love to you right now," he murmured against her skin before drawing back to look at her again. Her eyes were half-closed and her lips half-opened, but as he watched, she pulled herself back together. Wariness crept across her face. "Um, Clark..." "Shh, it's okay." Clark took a deep breath and ordered his hormones to settle down. "We do have to go to work tomorrow," he said, forcing himself to release her. "You need your sleep. And I should probably go, um..." He copied her hand movement from earlier. "Right. Okay, then." Lois took a deep breath as well, smiling shyly at him as she regained her composure. She reached up for one more quick kiss, then turned around and began fumbling with her keys and unlocking her door. While she was busy with that, Clark slid his glasses down his nose and took a quick peek through her apartment. Everything seemed quiet, no bad guys lurking anywhere. She opened the door and leaned against the door jamb, a spark of mischief in her eyes. "You're sure I can't get you to come in for a minute? I've got some pretty cool etchings..." He smiled wryly. If she was feeling confident enough to joke about it, then he hadn't scared her off. "Maybe tomorrow. Goodnight, Lois." "Goodnight, Clark. I'll see you in the morning." They shared one more lingering kiss, then he tore himself away and let her slip inside her apartment. Morning couldn't come soon enough for him. In the meantime, he had some air traffic controllers to baffle. **** Lois woke up feeling better than she had for weeks. Or maybe years. Had she ever felt this good? She'd been in love before, of course, diving in headfirst, uncertain of where things would lead. This time... it might actually work. She quickly got ready for work, impatient to see Clark again. She considered just throwing open a window and yelling for him... but Superman wasn't really who she wanted. Besides, she wouldn't want to pull him away from a real emergency. She gave the window one last longing look, then went out the door. Her virtue was rewarded a few minutes later when she spotted a commotion on a side street. Her reporting instincts kicked in, and she changed her course to walk down towards it. As she got near to the clump of people on the sidewalk, she saw that Superman was in the center of the commotion. Correction, *Clark* was. She paused for a moment, just watching him. He'd apparently just caught a hapless pair of jewel thieves, and was conferring with the police. Looking at him now, she decided that it really wasn't so surprising that she hadn't recognized him. He did look and act differently -- more stern and aloof -- but it was more than that. He was just so, well, *focused* on being a superhero that it was nearly impossible to imagine him kicking back and relaxing, let alone working for a paycheck. And there was no reason to suspect he had any other life -- why would someone with his great abilities choose to hide them? The curious crowd was beginning to disperse, and Lois knew the instant that Clark spotted her. His eyes widened just a little, and his lips twitched toward a smile before he caught himself. "Hello, Lois." She stepped forward, fighting a totally irrational nervousness. "Good morning, Superman. What's up?" "Oh, just the usual, really." He paused, then continued. "How are you this morning?" "I'm fabulous, thanks." She smiled at him, then sternly reminded herself to not show too much in public. She shrugged. "I was on my way to work, but I saw the commotion and decided to come see what was going on." "Well, I can give you the exclusive, if you like. Or," he added, his eyes beginning to dance, "you could delegate it to your junior partner." She stifled a laugh. "I suppose I could leave it in his capable hands, couldn't I? So how are you this morning?" "I'm just great, thanks." His smile broadened. "Thought I'd do some patrols, since I skipped 'em last night." Lois winced, feeling guilty about depriving the world of its hero, but unable to defend herself in public. "Well, good," she rallied. "Being unpredictable keeps the bad guys off-balance." "That's what I've always thought," he surprised her by agreeing. "And some things are more important than patrols." Before Lois could work out a way to respond to that, she was interrupted by a child's voice. "Superman?" Lois looked down to see a little girl, around preschool age. She was looking up at Superman with rapt admiration. Clark shot a quick smile at Lois before crouching down to get on eye-level with the child. "Hi, there. What's your name?" "MynameisAshleyI'mfouryearsold," the girl replied in one run-together phrase. "And I wanna be just like you when I grow up." Lois saw movement and looked up to see a harried-looking woman coming to claim Ashley. She winced when she heard her daughter's declaration. "Ashley," she said in a tone of forced patience, "don't bother Superman." Clark glanced up at the mother and smiled gently. "It's not a bother, ma'am. Ashley," he continued, returning his attention to the girl. "When you grow up, you can help make the world a better place in lots of different ways." Ashley looked thrilled at this encouragement, and began chattering about her preschool and her big brother. Superman listened carefully, clearly enjoying the interaction. Lois exchanged glances with the girl's mother. "I'm sorry about my daughter running up like that," she said quietly. "I told her he was busy talking to you, but she couldn't wait to see him." Lois smiled wryly. "I know exactly how she feels." The mother laughed at that, relaxing now. "Don't we all. I'm just glad he's being so kind to her. I didn't think he'd be nasty on purpose or anything," she explained, "it's just that some people have no idea how to relate to children." "He seems to be doing pretty well," Lois replied. Clark obviously loved children. He'd be a terrific father, she thought, then considered that. Before yesterday she'd never have imagined Superman in a family context. But then, she wasn't thinking about Superman that way --she was thinking about Clark. Superman hugged Ashley, then stood up again. "For right now, Ashley, the best thing you can do is listen to your mom, okay?" Ashley nodded enthusiastically, and above her head, her mother mouthed "Thank you." Taking a gentle but firm grasp on Ashley's shoulders, she steered her back down the street. The last thing Lois could hear was the girl's high clear voice saying, "Did you see that, mama? He hugged me!" "Sorry about that," Clark said quietly. "But I just love talking to kids." "I could tell," Lois said. "Don't apologize -- I thought she was cute. And her mother is now your biggest fan." Clark grinned at that. Suddenly, his head tilted and he stared into the distance as he listened to something beyond her hearing. "Excuse me -- boating accident on Hobs River." "Go, then. I'm sure I'll see you around." "Yes, you will," he promised, leaning forward and giving all the signs that he wanted to kiss her. She swayed forward for a moment herself, then remembered where they were and who they were supposed to be. She contented herself with a brief squeeze of his hand. "Later." He straightened, re-assuming his classic "Superman" posture. With only a brief nod and a heated look, he floated upwards. Lois watched him until he was out of sight, then smiled. That had been more fun than she'd expected. He'd better write up that story, though. **** By the time Clark made it into the newsroom, Lois had probably already been there for some time. She had the phone cradled between her ear and her shoulder, and was scribbling notes as fast as her pen could move. He smiled at the intent look on her face. As he watched, the scribbling stopped, and Lois relaxed back into her chair, thanking whoever it was on the other end of the line. Clark took a detour by the coffee machine before joining her at her desk. Lois looked up from her notes and smiled. "Good morning." She glanced at her watch. "It's about time you got here, Kent." Clark shrugged, trying hard not to grin. "I must have overslept this morning." "Remind me to get you an alarm clock for your birthday," Lois replied dryly. "Oh, new coffee?" He nodded, handing it over. She took a cautious sip, then a longer drink. "Okay, all is forgiven." "Thank heavens. Anyway -- would you believe it -- on my way in this morning, I ran into Superman." Lois raised her eyebrows. "What an astonishing coincidence." He shrugged modestly, trying not to grin at her. "I'm just lucky that way. He told me about an attempted robbery." He began edging toward his desk. "Just give me a minute and I'll get it typed up." She nodded, looking just a little bemused. "Good plan. And then I'll tell you about what I've been digging up on Luthor." That caught his attention. "I can't wait to hear about it. I've got a few things, myself, so we'll have to compare--" "Lane! Kent!" Perry called across the newsroom, sounding slightly grumpier than usual. "In my office, now!" Clark exchanged a baffled look with Lois before they both obeyed the summons. As soon as they got inside the office, Lois seized the initiative. "Morning, Chief, have you seen the latest follow-up on the Metro Club thing? I have some more material coming, but in the meantime I wanted to get you as much as I had. Was there a problem with it?" Perry sat down heavily, shooting her a sour look. "Not with the story. It's screwier than that. Judas Priest! That woman's crazy." Clark paused halfway into his seat. "Um, what?" "Toni Taylor," Perry informed them, "is suing you both. For breach of contract." "What?" Lois sputtered. "That's insane!" "Yep," Perry agreed. Clark frowned, settling into the chair. "What basis has she got? I can't imagine any judge would be impressed by a complaint that we interfered with her illegal activities!" "No, I don't imagine they will. I've just been on the phone with the Planet's lawyers. They're confident they can derail this thing fairly quickly. But... for reasons known only to their pointy-headed legal minds, they've decided that their job will be much easier if neither of you is served with papers just yet." "And how are we supposed to avoid that?" Clark asked with an uncomfortable sense of deja vu. "You're both going to high-tail it out of here, and stay gone at least until tomorrow." Their boss was clearly unhappy with this idea. "Maybe longer." Clark sighed. Hadn't they just gone through all that last month? And Toni Taylor didn't seem nearly as threatening as Jason Trask. "What?" Lois demanded, her voice edging towards shrill. "They can't do this to me! I've got work to do!" Well, at least this time, he would *not* be staying at Cat's apartment. He'd be with Lois. All of a sudden this seemed like a great idea. "Nothing that can't wait," Perry told her. "Not unless you stumbled across something huge this morning on the way to work." Clark glanced at Lois just in time to catch her looking at him. Lois turned back to Perry. "No, nothing major," she admitted, sounding more resigned to the situation. "So, go on, get out of here." Perry waved them irritably toward the door of his office. "You've both got some comp time coming to you after the hours you worked on that Metro Club thing. If you run through that I'll cover it somehow. Just don't go home and don't go anywhere anyone could find you. Wear your beepers! If you don't get paged, call in tomorrow and I'll let you know how it's going." **** "--and phone calls." Lois exited the Daily Planet's lobby, still explaining to Clark all the ways they could continue to do their jobs outside of the newsroom. "And research at the library," she added. "You know, we tend to think that the Planet morgue has everything we'll ever need to know, but the library has all that and more." "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, Lois," Clark replied in a more subdued tone. They reached the sidewalk and Lois halted, undecided where to go first. She glanced at Clark, but he gestured for her to lead the way. After a moment, she decided to turn towards her apartment. There were some things she wanted to pick up before officially disappearing. "So what do you want to tackle first, Clark? I grabbed a couple of file folders, so we have some leads to follow up on." "Actually, Lois," he said, glancing sideways at her as they walked. "I should probably visit my folks for a little bit." "Oh." But how could they work together if he was in a different state? "Well, it's just that they had a big thunderstorm go through last night," he explained, seeming almost embarrassed by the explanation. "A really big one; I just saw it on the newswire. And those things usually knock things over." "Oh. Do they?" City-bred Lois tried to visualize the possible damage but could only come up with an image of Toto swirling in a tornado. "Yeah, they do." Clark sounded faintly amused now. "Trees, mostly, but trees fall on houses, cars, power lines... It's usually not a huge emergency or anything, but there's a lot of cleaning up to do, and I like to give my Dad a hand when I can. He'll tell you he can do it all himself, and I guess he could, but I kinda feel obligated to help out, you know?" "Yeah, I can see that," Lois replied, her steps slowing a little. She tried to conceal the pang of disappointment that went through her at the idea that he would be spending time away from her. She told herself not to be ridiculous; she didn't have any claim on his time, and it sounded like his parents needed him. "I know what you mean, Clark -- like I do things for my mother sometimes. Not much, I admit, but that's because she doesn't want me to and if I try she's never happy about how I do things. But that's just my messed-up family. I'm sure your folks are a lot nicer. Not that it'd be difficult, but still. Anyway, I'm guessing it won't take you long." "No, it shouldn't. At least I won't have to ask you to cover for me, considering." She looked up at him, then swung her gaze back to the sidewalk ahead of them. "Well, okay, you do that. I'll grab some things from my apartment, and then... we could meet later or something." She tried to sound offhand about it. They reached a street corner, and Lois realized that if they were both walking home, their paths would diverge here; Clark's place was west and south of hers. "Well, this is where you turn, I guess," she said, slowing to a halt. Clark glanced at her. "Yeah, I guess it is. I'll still walk you to your building, though. Door to door service, remember?" It surprised Lois how much she wanted those few extra minutes of his company. Old reflexes kicked in. He was going to have to go sooner or later, and she abruptly decided she'd rather it was sooner, so she could get the painful moment finished. "No, that's okay, Clark." She smiled at him, taking one sideways step away. "I'll catch up with you later. Beep me when you're done." He looked unsure, and she had a hunch he was debating with himself whether to leave her so quickly, or go against her wishes. It comforted her a little, that he wasn't looking forward to leaving her. "The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be finished," she said lightly. "Yeah, I guess so," Clark replied, shifting his weight to his other foot, turning slightly away from her. Lois indulged herself briefly by walking back to him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, but then immediately turned and started walking away. "I'll see you later, Clark." "Definitely," Clark promised. He stayed still, though, she thought; but told herself it was just that he was waiting for the "walk" sign on the corner. She had to smile at that. Couldn't have Superman jay-walking, now could we? Come to think of it, maybe she should be listening for sonic booms, not footsteps. "Come with me." Lois stopped, and turned around slowly. Clark walked over to her, his face serious. "We can work later, right?" She searched his face as he gained confidence. "Please? I just... well, I was looking forward to spending some time with you today." Lois felt a warmth grow, somewhere near her heart. She stepped a little closer to him, reaching out to lay her fingers lightly on his arm, drawn by an almost palpable desire to touch him. His sincerity was obvious, and he looked endearingly anxious for her reply. "Are you sure? Wouldn't I just get in the way?" "Lois, you could never be in the way. And then we could talk for a while, just you and me without anyone nearby to overhear the wrong thing." He grinned suddenly. "Besides, I'd kinda like to show off for you." Lois laughed, now resting both hands against his chest. "Well, how can I resist that? You'll have to tell me what to wear, though. I'm not sure I have any farm clothes." "I can do that," Clark said, smiling, as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her that last fraction of an inch closer. He just looked at her for a moment, with an expression that made Lois's heart flutter. He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips, drawing back almost immediately. That wasn't enough. She reached up for him and kissed him back, and this time the kiss was longer, more lingering, blotting out all thoughts from her mind. When they separated, Clark was smiling at her more intimately. Even after the kiss they'd shared, she was struck by the strength of his feelings for her. He hugged her softly, then pulled one arm back, turning so they were both facing the same direction -- the way to her apartment. Lois fell into step happily, the file folders nearly forgotten at her side. Work could wait. **** Clark followed Lois into her apartment, drifting over to the living room area. "I've got jeans, of course," Lois said, halfway to herself. "Is it going to be cold?" "Well, it's a sunny day, but it is October... wear layers. My mom used to wrap me up like an onion." He chuckled at the memory. "But that was before we both realized it wasn't necessary." "I guess not," she said. "But that reminds me -- Clark, are your parents going to have the foggiest notion who I am?" She watched him closely, chewing her lip. "Sure they will, Lois. I have to admit, I've mentioned you a few times, talking to them... I haven't told them *everything,* though." Her lips twisted wryly. "And I'm sure you've said lots of nice things about me while I was being such a bitch to you." He smiled slightly. "You weren't that bad. We were starting to be friends, I thought..." Her expression softened. "Actually, in a way," he grinned, "it was a step up from how you treated me when I first started. " "Oh, yeah, that'll make me feel better, Kent!" she retorted, but he heard the hint of laughter in her voice. "Oh, I don't know. Even back then, I told them you were beautiful, brilliant... and stubborn." "Stubborn?" "Well, actually," he smirked, "I think the term I used was 'pig-headed' -- but I meant it in the nicest possible way." She laughed. "I'll just go get changed, okay? And then we can head over to your place so you can change, too -- if you don't mind having me there." "Why would I mind?" Actually, he wouldn't mind "having" her here, there, or anywhere, but that was definitely getting ahead of himself. "But I could just, um, run over there and be back before you're ready." "Oh!" She paused on the way toward her bedroom and looked briefly startled. She grinned at him. "I forgot." "I can see I'm going to have to make more of an impression on you!" he called after her as she left, disguising how much he loved the idea that she'd actually forgotten he was Superman. **** Lois hoped she wasn't taking too long with changing, but it had taken some time to find her old jeans and decide on a casual-but-still-attractive shirt. It had been hard to come up with one, since she didn't do casual very much. Or attractive, either, she ruefully realized -- it had seemed much safer to dress down most of the time and thus forestall any unwanted advances. Thank heavens it hadn't worked on Clark. That reminded her, they *still* hadn't had a chance to work together. They'd barely been in the office for fifteen minutes before getting thrown back out again. And then, in all her worries about how she was going to work with Clark, she hadn't given a thought to how things would appear to others. Two days ago she'd been pushing him away, not very subtly. If she started kissing him in the newsroom, Lois was certain at least some of the staffers would faint dead away. And she could just imagine the sneers from Cat. Did she want to be dragged through the gossip mill again? She wouldn't mind so much if she didn't feel so insecure about the whole relationship. She picked up a light sweater to take along, then suddenly realized she should be packing for overnight. Sure, they'd only be in Kansas until lunch or so, but she wasn't supposed to come back to her apartment before tomorrow sometime. Sighing at the extra step, she went to get her duffel bag. Where was she going to sleep, anyway, she wondered as she began packing. She was tempted to think that she and Clark could share a hotel room somewhere, platonically, just to share expenses... but even the world's champion at self- deception couldn't get herself to fall for *that.* This relationship of theirs was fairly topsy-turvy, Lois decided. She'd never before gone on a first date with a man she'd already slept with. Her body was all in favor of repeating the experience, too, but her heart and head were more cautious. She didn't want to turn into a clingy, emotionally dependent, and desperate woman, unable to survive without her man. She was in bad enough shape as it was, wanting to spend every minute with him. If they made love again, she might lose it completely. She was probably over-stating the danger, she told herself. But until she could be more sure, she didn't want to risk it. She finished packing the bag and headed back toward the living room. When she entered, the first thing she saw was Superman. Sitting on her sofa, to be precise, with his red boots up on her coffee table, channel-surfing. "You need a pair of sunglasses," she said, chuckling. "Just to complete the look." He startled, pulling his feet back down to the floor and turning around with a sheepish expression. "Hey. Um..." His eyes widened. "Nice outfit." Pleased, she put a little bit of swagger in her step as she crossed the room. "Thanks. So..." she gestured in the general direction of his 'S' and inquired innocently, "this is what they're wearing on the farm these days?" Clark grinned and stood up, turning off the TV. "Well, I had to change to fly over to my place and back, and in another minute we'll get going to Kansas, so... I'll change to 'farm clothes' once we get there." "Oh, don't apologize," she said. "In fact, just stand right there for a minute." Feeling very daring, she walked right up to him, putting a hand on his chest to explore the texture of his costume. Then she raised her face to gently kiss him on the lips. She pulled away before he had much chance to react, suddenly feeling very foolish. "It's just that, um." Her other hand came up to run lightly along his upper arm to his shoulder, exploring the spot where the cape began. She looked up shyly. "I've kind of always wanted to do that." Just having the freedom to touch Superman like this was very exciting. His eyes darkened as he watched her. "Oh, well, if we're living out fantasies here..." he growled, then reached out to pull her closer as his lips sought and found hers once more. Lois wound both her arms up around his neck and gave herself to the moment. The kiss was tender and sweet, but meanwhile her entire body was rubbing against his... and the thin material he was wearing was very little barrier. She moaned involuntarily, her knees weakening. She had dreamed of being kissed by Superman. As the kiss deepened, though, Lois found it impossible to think of him as anything other than Clark. Her Clark. Her friend and sometime lover. Her future... Some small part of her mind was scared of the idea, but that voice was easily drowned out by the part that told her this felt right. More right than anything she'd ever done before. *** The kiss gradually tapered off by mutual consent until Clark finally pulled back, breathing heavily. "Um... we should probably get going." "Yeah, probably." She didn't loosen her grip, though, turning slightly to lay her head against his chest. "So... you need to let go," he prompted. "Yeah, probably." She tilted her head upward and pressed a quick kiss to the base of his neck. Clark closed his eyes briefly, then changed tactics. "We should go do this somewhere out of range of our beepers." Lois's head came up. Her eyes were dancing as she stepped back and grabbed her full duffel bag. "Well, what are you waiting for, slowpoke?" Clark rolled his eyes, took the bag, and then scooped her into his arms. There was a moment of confusion as they worked out the mechanics of getting out her window and closing it behind them, but then he sped them upwards. "Slowpoke, huh?" It took Lois a moment to get her breath back, but by the time she recovered, she'd apparently forgotten about him. Instead, she was looking wide-eyed at the tiny city beneath them. "Wow. Clark, this is amazing." "Yeah, it is," he agreed, tightening his arms around her just a bit. He glanced up to where the thinning atmosphere allowed him to see the bleak beauty of the stars, then returned his gaze to the vibrant beauty in his arms. "I never thought I could bring anyone up here. Well, except for my mom and dad," he joked. "But it's just not the same." Lois wasn't deflected by his weak attempt at humor. "Do you come here a lot?" She turned to watch his face, eyebrows drawn down slightly as she tried to understand. "When I want to think, sometimes. I love the noise and bustle of Metropolis, don't get me wrong, and I like being around people, but sometimes..." He hesitated, turning his head to stare at a nearby cloud. "Well, I just don't fit in, and sometimes I just can't stand to keep pretending that I do." "Oh, Clark..." Lois's voice was full of sympathy, and her hand cupped his cheek, gently drawing him around to face her. He pasted on a bright smile, regretting the moment of weakness. He just wasn't ready to bare his soul quite that much. "It's okay, Lois. And anyway... now I have you." "Yes," she replied firmly. "You do. Now, I believe we're expected in Kansas?" His smile softened and turned real. "Oh, yeah. Thanks... for the reminder." He began moving them westward, gradually increasing their speed. "And actually," he added, "we're not expected. I tried calling earlier, but the line was busy." Lois stiffened in his arms. "You mean I'm going to meet your mother for the very first time, and she doesn't even know I'm coming?" He glanced down at her. "You're not nervous, are you?" "No, of course not." He just kept looking at her until she started to squirm. "Okay, okay, so I'm a little nervous. Which is ridiculous, I know, when you think about all the shady characters I run into on a daily basis. I can deal with them, no problem. It's just..." "That my parents *aren't* shady characters?" Clark suggested, amused at the thought. After a startled second, she nodded. "Yes, that's exactly it. They're *nice*! I mean, I haven't met them but if they raised you they have to be nice, and, well... I don't... have much practice at that. At being nice, I mean." Clark hugged her closer. "You do just fine, Lois. Really." And even if she did get somewhat abrasive, Clark was sure his parents would understand. He didn't think it would be helpful to say so, though, and the remainder of the trip was fairly quiet. **** By the time Clark set her down in front of a big farmhouse, Lois was a nervous wreck. She took a few deep breaths, staring up at the house. There was a brief blast of wind, and she instinctively turned to Clark for reassurance -- and found that he'd changed into jeans and a denim shirt. She blinked. He smiled at her, reaching out to hold her hand. "You'll be fine, Lois, really." He pulled her up to the door and knocked loudly before pulling the door open. He stuck his head inside. "Mom, Dad? Anybody home?" Lois felt her stomach clench even tighter as the silence stretched out. Clark looked at her. "Um... they're not home." Lois stared at him in confused disbelief. "I looked everywhere," he said, pointing towards his glasses-free face, "and I don't hear them, either. I guess they're... out. Somewhere." The embarrassed look on his face, coupled with the sudden release of tension, was too much for her. She laughed. "You mean you brought me to an abandoned building? Perry's warned me against guys who do that." She leaned against Clark briefly, taking the moment of reassurance to calm herself down. "Well, that's what you get for not calling ahead, I guess." Clark looked around, and Lois followed his gaze. There was a house, a barn, and a free-standing garage which held a tractor and an empty space. Was that where the Kents parked? "Looks like they took the truck," Clark murmured, confirming her guess. "And I don't see a lot of damage to worry about, either." He sounded chagrined, and wouldn't quite meet her gaze. "So... now what do we do?" She glanced into the dim interior of the house. She thought she could see a sofa. And Clark probably had his very own bedroom... "Well, we *are* here...." No, that was just too dangerous. "It's a beautiful day. Want to show me around?" Clark nodded slowly. "Yeah... or maybe we could take a walk." His voice gained enthusiasm as he spoke. "We could talk about some of that stuff we keep saying we're going to talk about." A twinge of Lois's earlier nervousness returned, but she ignored it. "Good idea, Clark. There are lots of things I've been curious about." "Okay, then." Clark smiled at her, setting her duffel bag down on the porch beside the door. Holding hands, they began a slow walk across the lawn. A slow *quiet* walk; now that Lois had the freedom to ask any question she wanted to, she couldn't decide which one she wanted to have answered first. "Why did you sleep with me?" The question surprised her as much as it did Clark. He was looking sidelong at her, carefully weighing his response. "I really don't know," he finally said. "I was ready to kick myself once I realized what I'd done. I mean, I was in- interested in a relationship, but I knew you weren't. And I've never... well, jumped into bed on a first date. And it wasn't even a date!" Lois nodded, mulling over this new information. "It did feel like one, though," she admitted. "And I was pretty sure that wasn't your usual pattern. Once I calmed down, I mean." She was quiet for a moment, then realized he deserved some answers from her, as well. "I'm not sure why I did it, either. I knew you were... attracted to me. And..." This was getting harder to say out loud. Clark squeezed her fingers in gentle reassurance. "Well, I guess I needed that. It'd been such a long time since someone really looked at me like he cared. Lex was charming and all, but I had no idea how he saw me, really. And Superman..." She glanced upwards at him and caught him in an embarrassed grimace. "Well, I was drawn to him, but there didn't seem to be much hope there, at least that's how I felt at the time. But I was drawn to you, too, you know... and you were there." She winced at that bald statement, and rushed into speech again. "I know that makes me sound like such a slut. Like I was settling for you since I couldn't have my first two choices, and I don't know, maybe that was true -- but even then, Clark, there was this... *thing* between us. You know?" She held her breath, waiting to see if this confession would disgust or anger him. "A *thing,*" he repeated thoughtfully. "Yeah, I felt it, too. Up until that night I hadn't had much trouble containing myself, but I'd been attracted to you from the beginning." "And I'd been ignoring it, as you could tell. But that night... and after that kiss on the plane..." She paused, searching for an explanation. "It was just like I didn't have any defenses anymore. That scared me." "Scared you?" Clark sounded confused and faintly hurt. "Why?" "Oh, Clark, it's not you personally, just... me, actually. I've had some bad experiences -- I told you about Claude, and he's not the only one, worse luck -- and I'd decided that, well, I wasn't going to make the same mistake again... and then you showed up." She looked up at him, frustrated at her inability to explain. He glanced down at her, smiling faintly. He untangled his fingers from hers, and she had a moment of panic, thinking he didn't want her anymore. Then he put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into a hug. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Wells said we share some kind of... bond, I guess," he spoke into her hair. "I thought he was nuts at the time, of course, but it might explain a few things." Lois frowned. "He *was* nuts, Clark. Forget about him. Although..." She paused as a strange new thought popped up. "Maybe we do owe him something. If he hadn't shown up to distract us from that fight..." "Things could have gotten ugly. We might not have talked to each other again for months, if ever." She looked up at him in alarm. "Not talked for months? That would have been awful," she said without thinking, then flushed. "But it didn't happen that way, so I guess we don't need to worry." "You like talking to me?" Clark asked in gentle teasing. He drew back from the hug and retook her hand, gently pulling her along as he resumed walking. "Yep," she agreed in a breezy tone. "And flying with you is pretty cool, too. I always wanted to join the jet set." Clark laughed. "Just stick with me, baby. I'll show you the world." **** "--so then you said I should bring a change of clothes to work, which got me thinking. I told Mom I needed an outfit of some kind, and, well... you saw the result." Clark shrugged. Lois blinked. "Your mother made that suit for you? Well, I guess you couldn't have gone to a tailor or anything. She's a pretty good seamstress." "Yeah, although she doesn't sew much anymore. Now she's being an 'artiste,' as my Dad says. Last I heard, she was welding a metal sculpture, but she might have moved on by now." There was a pause, then Lois asked, "Um... welding?" "Yeah, Mom likes to try new things. She takes all these adult education classes." Clark tried to gauge Lois's reaction, but her face was hard to read. "It's pretty cool, really." She pondered that for a few more seconds, then said, "You know what? I think I'm really going to like your mom." Clark wasn't quite sure how Lois had come to that conclusion, but he didn't want to discourage it. "She's really gonna like you, too." They walked up a grassy hill and paused at the top to gaze around. From this modest elevation they could see a fair distance. "Okay," Clark said, "over there is the field where my space ship landed." "Wow. Can we go see it?" He shrugged. "There's really nothing to see, anymore. Dad took the ship and buried it while I was still a baby. Mom had wanted him to burn it, but he just couldn't do it -- plus, you know, a ship that came all that way through space and then landed intact would *not* be easy to destroy." "Hmm, good point." Some motion in the distance over Lois's shoulder caught his eye. He reached to pull down his glasses, then remembered he wasn't wearing them. "Hey, I think I found my parents." Lois turned in his arms, squinting. "Over by that big building?" "Yep." He pointed. "That's Mr. Irig's house. The truck's there, anyway... yeah, there they are. Come on." He led her down the other side of the hill. As he took in more details of the scene, he chuckled. "Remember how I wanted to come here to help my dad clear out storm damage?" "Yeah..." "Looks like he had the same idea; Mr. Irig lives alone and my folks keep an eye out for him. My dad's in the side yard helping him cut up a fallen branch." As they passed a stand of young trees and scrub, they were able to see more of the farm yard. "Wow," Lois said. "That's one big tree." An entire oak tree had toppled sideways, its root system now upended and extending several feet in the air, leaving a corresponding bare patch where it had been ripped out of the ground. Clark winced. "Yeah, he's lucky it didn't hit the house. See, now that's the kind of stuff I came to help out with." They changed course slightly to get a closer look at how the tree had fallen. "And look -- it's taken out part of a fence. I hope none of his animals have gotten out yet." Lois tilted her head. "I think all the branches and leaves are covering the gap pretty well. I guess it would depend on how badly his animals wanted to escape." She turned away to study the farm house. "Is your mom in there?" "Yeah, it looks like she's doing something in the kitchen." He took an experimental sniff of the air. "And something smells good. Maybe she's making a pie," he suggested hopefully. Lois laughed. "Well, we should go investigate that, then. Since that's what we do for a living, and all." She paused, then added morosely, "Not that you'd know it, where you're concerned." "Hey, don't beat yourself up over that, Lois." He squeezed her hand gently. "You're the one who figured me out on very little evidence." "Well... that's true." She brightened. "Actually, I think I didn't figure you out earlier because I was trying to ignore you, not analyze you. Especially after we slept together." "Hmm, I'll have to keep that technique in mind, next time I'm worried about a reporter figuring me out." She bumped him with her hip. "Don't even think about it." Clark laughed. "No, ma'am." Lois rolled her eyes, and they walked a few more steps in silence. "So, tell me -- did your dad ever dig up your space ship?" she inquired. "Have you ever seen it?" "Yes and no." He glanced at her, wondering how she'd take this. "Well, we tried to dig it up back when Trask was snooping around. But it wasn't there -- and then I found it in that warehouse Bureau 39 had on Bessolo, when we were snooping around." Her head came around sharply. "What? You never said anything. Well, of course you couldn't say anything," she answered her own question with barely a pause for breath. "You were there as Clark, not Superman, and you would *not* have wanted me to make that connection then. And then we were thrown out of a plane..." Her lips quirked up. "At least now I know how Superman happened to be close enough to catch me." "Yeah. They must have thought I was nuts -- I jumped out of that plane after you." Lois turned her body towards him, moving slightly closer. She reached up and gave him a short kiss. "Thanks, Clark." Clark shifted uncomfortably. "It was just part of the job, Lois. Although I've gotta admit, I didn't mind having an excuse to hold you close again." She grinned. "Yeah, me neither -- at least once I saw that I wasn't going to die." He returned the smile, pulling her in for a swift hug. "Not while I'm around, you won't." As they approached the tree, it seemed a thick cloud had blotted out the sun; the world went gray and blurry. A step later, Clark noticed that the enticing scent of apple pie had disappeared. On the next step, sudden intense pain swept over every joint and muscle. "Lois..." he managed to say, grabbing at her arm before falling to his knees. He heard her asking him what was wrong, but the words were thin and far away. He continued falling, and was barely able to turn so that he landed on his side rather than his face. Pain seemed to center in his gut. He instinctively curled up, but the pain wasn't mollified. The ground itself seemed to hurt, against his cheek. He felt a wave of cramps, aware of nothing more than pain. Then even that faded away. **** "Clark!" Lois stared at his fallen form for one panicked moment, then knelt beside him, checking for a pulse with trembling hands. She found one, but it was thready, and his skin had a sickening greenish tinge. "Oh, my god, wake up, Clark!" She looked over towards the farmhouse and called for help, but there wasn't any movement. They were probably too far away. She smoothed his hair back from his face, hoping his eyes would flutter open on their own. They stayed stubbornly closed. And was that sweat on his forehead...? "Okay, I've gotta do something. Think, Lois, think." Her head came up, looking around, searching for the cause of this sudden collapse. He hadn't seemed sick earlier -- in fact, he'd been fine coming down the hill. It wasn't until the last one or two steps... could he have reacted to something in the area? She couldn't see how, but it didn't seem any weirder than anything else, and it gave her something to do. "Okay Clark, I'm going to move you away." She moved to his back and began trying to drag him by his armpits. "Or at least I'm going to try!" He was utterly limp, and too heavy for her to get an arm under him for a firm grip. And she was at a bad angle, anyway. She rolled him onto his back and grabbed his hands. He moaned, very faintly, and she grimaced. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'm trying - - umph -- to help." She stood up, drew his arms up, and began dragging him backwards, angling towards the farmhouse and help. He didn't wake up, or show any improvement, and she feared she was doing him more harm than good. But she had to do something. She dragged him at least a foot, maybe more, before needing to stop to rest and check him again. "Please, please, please..." Was it her imagination, or was his color starting to come back? Heartened, she pulled him another foot. He groaned, and twitched, which in the circumstances seemed very reassuring. "Come on, Clark, wake up. I need some help here." She turned around, trying to locate the people Clark had said were here. "Hello -- help!" Her voice didn't carry as much as she'd wanted it to. She glanced back and forth between Clark and the farmhouse. She didn't think she'd be able to drag him all that way, but she hated to leave him. She tugged again, pulling Clark a little further. Her arms felt as if they were going to come out of their sockets, and she was breathing heavily. Clark, however, was beginning to breathe easier. He moaned, feebly pulling his arms back towards his body. Lois folded his arms back over his chest and knelt next to him again. "Wake up, wake up..." His eyelids fluttered, and then opened partway before closing again, followed by a moan that could have been an attempt to say her name. "Okay, that's a little better." She rose to her feet, looking toward the farmhouse again. "There's no way I can drag you that far, Clark. Stay here," she told him, not even caring how stupid that sounded, and swiped a hand over her face. She was either sweating or crying or both, she hardly knew. "I'll be right back." With one last worried look, she turned and sprinted for the farmhouse. She stumbled up the stairs to the porch, and began banging on the door. "Hello? Help, I need help. Please, someone be there..." The door was yanked open from the inside, and a woman peered out, looking concerned. "Oh my goodness! What happened? Come in, come in!" "No." Lois shook her head, trying not to gasp between every word. "It's Clark... out there." The woman's eyes widened, then narrowed in alarm. She was out the door and down the stairs before Lois could explain further. She halted there for a moment, then yelled, "Jonathan! Clark needs help!" She covered the remaining distance to Clark's side in a remarkably short time. Belatedly, it occurred to Lois that the woman had to be Mrs. Kent. Two men came around the corner of the house, meeting Lois as she came back down the stairs. "Clark needs help?" asked one man, sounding confused. Lois didn't know which one was Jonathan and didn't much care. "This way," she said, stumbling back towards Clark. Mrs. Kent was already kneeling next to Clark, with his head cradled in her lap. Lois arrived in time to hear the rounder of the two men say, "I'll go back the truck up closer," before heading off to the right of the house. "It hasn't got a back seat!" Martha objected, looking worried. "You could borrow my sedan," the other man offered. "Oh, no, wait -- I was in town for supplies this morning, and the back's pretty full, still." "Well, if we have to, we have to," Martha muttered to herself, then looked up at the man who must be Wayne Irig. "Could you go fetch us some blankets and pillows, Wayne?" "Of course, Martha. I know just where to get 'em." Puzzled but cooperative, he headed off toward the back door. Lois was puzzled, too, until a look at the slowly approaching truck cleared it up. "You're going to put him in the bed of the pick-up." Martha nodded. "I don't like it, but there's no other way. The bedding will help." "I can ride in the back to keep him from sliding," Lois added. The truck seemed to be moving with agonizing slowness, then suddenly it was there, only a few feet away. The engine was abruptly silenced, and then Jonathan was out of the cab, hurrying past the truck to check on them. "How is he?" "No worse," Martha replied. "But I can't figure out how..." She looked up at Lois. "What happened?" "I don't know! We were walking, and then all of a sudden he fell over. We'd just come down the hill, over that way, near the tree. Then whatever it was hit him. All I could think of was to get him away, over toward the house. I think it helped..." "Oh, there's Wayne," Martha pointed out. He had his arms full, almost to the point where he couldn't see. He was probably going as fast as he could, but it still seemed way too slow to Lois. She contained herself until he dropped a pillow. "Oh, for Pete's sake," she muttered, and sprinted over to help him. She picked up the pillow he'd dropped and helped herself to the top few items from his stack and took off. By the time he reached the truck, she'd already laid down a blanket and a line of pillows. Martha arrived at about the same time, helping her distribute the rest of the bedding. When they were done, Lois and Martha turned to check on Clark -- and saw that Wayne had already joined Jonathan. The two of them began to carry Clark's body toward the truck. "Time to get ourselves in," Martha said, turning and grabbing the side of the truck. Lois grabbed her other hand to steady her as she climbed in and over the makeshift bed, then followed the same path herself. Wayne and Jonathan had almost reached the truck, and it was only a few more moments until they lifted Clark up and into the truck. Clark moaned faintly at the jolt. Lois found herself sitting next to Clark's legs. Now that she was in the truck, she realized that she didn't have any clear idea of what she could do, but she knew she couldn't leave Clark. She glanced at Martha, who was carefully cradling Clark's head. Martha glanced over at her. "I'm Martha Kent," she said. "Thank you." Jonathan motioned for them to slide Clark further into the bed of the truck. "Hold him," he said curtly, then flipped the tailgate closed. "Hi," Lois said briefly. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet." The familiar terse introduction slipped out without conscious thought. To soften it, she added, "I work with Clark." Martha looked at her sharply for a second, but then Clark stirred, riveting both their attentions. Martha was closer to his head, and she touched him lightly on the face. Lois, further away, contented herself with holding one of Clark's hands and squeezing gently. He remained stubbornly unconscious. **** Lois only vaguely registered the sound of a car door closing behind her, but she did notice when the pick-up's engine roared to life. She grabbed onto Clark's legs to stabilize him, and looked over at Martha. "Is this such a good idea? Moving him, I mean? An ambulance would have to be a lot more comfortable than jouncing around." "He'll be okay," Martha said, though her voice was less confident. "It's a short drive. We just have to get him home." "Oh, right," Lois said, remembering why they wouldn't want Clark to be seen by professional medical personnel. If he'd been hiding this secret all his life, his parents must have been, too. Caution would be ingrained by now. "I guess a doctor couldn't do anything anyway." Martha looked briefly startled, but then a muffled "look out!" from Jonathan warned them of an upcoming bump, as they moved from dirt road to pavement. Lois squirmed around, trying to find the best way to ensure that Clark wouldn't bang against the tailgate. He was heavier than a normal man, but the quilts beneath him were sliding around a little. She ended up sitting with her legs crossing his thighs, her sneakered feet forming a makeshift bumper between Clark's side and the tailgate. One hand had a grip on the waistband of Clark's jeans, and the other was clutching at the side of the truck. Once the truck was on the pavement, the ride became much smoother, but Lois was still relieved when the truck pulled into the Kents' farmyard and parked on the grass just past the door to the house, as close as Jonathan could make it. The engine stopped, a car door opened and closed, and then a grimly efficient Jonathan was opening the tailgate. Lois slipped, just a little, as her support was removed, and she moved out of the way. Lois watched Jonathan and Martha carry their son into the house. As they disappeared, and the immediate crisis was over, the rest of the view began to waver, and Lois felt her thought processes slowing down. Maybe this was all just a really weird dream. She certainly felt strange enough. But then, she reasoned slowly, if this were a dream then all the stuff before was a dream, too, and she didn't want that to have been unreal. The bang of a screen door bouncing against the doorframe as it closed roused her, and she shook herself. She swung her legs down to the ground and landed -- not quite as lightly as she'd planned. Her legs seemed shaky, and she grabbed the truck for balance. After a second, she recovered somewhat, and walked toward the house. Some small part of her brain pointed out that she was entering a stranger's house without so much as a by-your- leave, but the thought was shunted aside as irrelevant. She followed the sound of voices toward the stairs. Martha was coming down the stairs, blocking Lois from going up. "Jonathan's upstairs getting Clark undressed and into bed." She was smiling, but there was a hint of steel in her eyes. "In the meantime, how about you and I have a little chat." Lois met Martha's eyes for a moment, abruptly remembering that this was the mother Clark had brought her to meet. "Okay." She let herself be steered to the kitchen table. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Kent. Or at least it would have been, without all... this." "Yes. So you're Lois." Martha looked her over with a critical eye. "Clark's said a lot about you." Judging by the older woman's tone, she hadn't much cared for what she'd heard. Lois felt her stomach tense -- she'd just known that Clark's parents would hate her. "I wouldn't have expected to see you anywhere around my son outside of work hours," she observed coolly. Lois winced. "Look, I know I wasn't the world's nicest person to Clark all the time, but that's all changed now." Martha still looked skeptical. "Changed how, exactly?" "Well, the other night, I finally realized..." Lois trailed off, unwilling to share her emotions. Why on Earth had Clark ever thought his mother would like her? He'd be very upset to find out otherwise. "Never mind. That's between Clark and me." "I see." Martha paused. "So tell me, dear... I didn't see a rental car out front, so I was wondering... How did you and Clark come to be here?" "Well, we flew, of course," Lois gave the obvious answer to that silly question. Martha still didn't seem enlightened. "You know... Superman Express?" Martha just studied her more intently. "And... where did Superman go?" Lois frowned across the table. "According to you, he's upstairs with your husband, but I'm starting to think something funny's going on here. Unless..." A horrible, faintly plausible thought crossed her mind. "I mean, you know about him, right? Clark said you made the costume!" Martha raised her eyebrows. "You seem to know quite a lot about my boy. As his mother, I have to ask... what do you plan to do about it?" "What do I plan to *do* about it?" Perplexity was giving way to anger. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm not going to *do* anything about it. As if I could." Abruptly, she realized what Martha must be thinking. "Wait, do you think I was planning to print this?" Her words were coming louder and faster, a process not entirely under her control. "Or blackmail him or something?" Just because she'd been rude to Clark a few times? This was ridiculous. "How dare you?" Martha studied her for a moment. "I had to be sure. Now that I know you know about Clark and Superman, I can be a little more direct." Her face softened a bit. "What is your relationship with my son?" "Not that it's any of your business, but if you must know... I'm his girlfriend. Clark wanted to come help his dad clean up after the storm, and he brought me along for the ride." Lois sighed as her fear and frustration began to drain away, leaving her very tired. "We were having a very nice walk up until he fell over." She heard her own voice go querulous. "How could anything hurt him? Nothing's supposed to be able to hurt him!" "You're dating?" Martha repeated, looking astonished. Then she shocked Lois by adding, "Oh, that's wonderful!" Lois started to worry that Clark's mother had more than a few screws loose. "Okay, why is it wonderful, considering that you hate me?" "Oh, honey, I don't hate you!" Martha reached out, not quite touching Lois's arm. "I'm sorry, Lois. I've been looking forward to meeting you, actually -- it's just, when you showed up here today, with no warning..." Understanding slowly dawned. "...and with Clark collapsing and all, you just didn't know what to think." "I had to be careful," Martha agreed, sounding truly apologetic now. "I didn't want to spill any secrets, in case you didn't know them already." "I hate it when people play head games," Lois grumbled. Reluctantly, she added, "But I guess I can see why you'd have to." "Please, forgive me -- and call me Martha." Martha smiled warmly, the first genuine smile Lois had seen from her. "I'm delighted that you're here. And I'm very grateful for what you did for him out there." Lois didn't know what to say to that. Her gaze returned to the staircase. "Can we go upstairs now?" "Oh, yes." Martha stood, motioning for Lois to go first. "Let's go take care of our boy." **** Everything ached. His legs were as heavy as lead weights. His arms felt as if someone had been trying to pull them out of their sockets. His stomach still swirled sickeningly, and it hurt to breathe. This was a vast improvement. It took him a moment to remember what it was an improvement upon. Yes, this was much better. Upon consideration, he'd take aches over agony any day. He dimly remembered falling, and flashes of being carried... the jostling had not done his aches or stomach any good. He wasn't moving now, though. There was a rumble of a voice saying something. He couldn't make out the words, but he recognized his dad's voice. Dad sounded worried. It occurred to Clark that he was probably the cause of that worry. With great effort, he opened his eyes, and tried to speak. "Dad...? I'm okay..." He was in his childhood bedroom. That seemed very comforting. His father was looking closely at him. "Clark, you're safe now, at home." More of this morning was coming back to him. "Lois... Where?" "She's downstairs." Clark drew in a breath, then coughed. "Ow. Remind me not to do that again." There was movement in his doorway, and then Lois was in the room, heading directly for him. "You're awake!" She perched on the side of the bed, her hands touching his chest. "Oh, god, Clark, I was so scared..." She brushed some hair back from his face, watching him intently. "I thought I'd lost you." He reached up to catch hold of her hand. "I'm okay, really." He tugged at her, and she seemed to understand the invitation, leaning down to give him a gentle kiss on the lips before moving sideways to give him a one-armed hug. She buried her head in the hollow of his shoulder, and he felt her body shake. She wasn't crying, was she? "Hey, it's okay... shh, Lois, you haven't lost me, you won't lose me. It's okay..." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mom come into the room to stand next to his dad, laying a hand on his shoulder, waiting for Lois to pull herself together. He brought a hand up to the back of Lois's neck, gently stroking, murmuring soothing nonsense. In a remarkably short time, though, she sniffled and sat up again. With an embarrassed glance toward the older Kents, she ran a hand through her hair and tried to straighten up her blouse. Clark stretched, evaluating. He still had a lingering soreness all over -- his arms and shoulders were the worst -- but he definitely felt better. His stomach was settling down now, too. He still felt weak and shaky, though. Well, that would soon pass; whatever had happened couldn't keep him down for long. Whatever it was... He'd be back to normal soon. He had to be. "How are you feeling, Clark?" his mother asked. "Oh, I'm fine," he said vaguely, not ready to inspect that question too closely yet. "But I'm dying of curiosity -- how did I get here? Seems like I missed it." "We were walking, and then you... fell over." Lois's eyes were stark and red-rimmed, remembering. Clark gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I didn't know what the heck to do. All I could think of was to get you out of there, away from... whatever. It seemed to work." Martha nodded. "Then when she had you to a safe distance, she came to get us, and we all brought you home." Jonathan stirred. "If you're sure you're all right, Clark, I think I want to go back over to Wayne's and have a look around." "I'm okay. Just... tired." It was getting harder to keep his eyelids open. "Need to sleep a little bit, that's all." Lois was glancing back and forth between him and his dad. "Clark... if you're okay, I think I'll go with your dad. He's going to need me. I can show him where we were when... whatever it was happened. I want to figure out what it was." He smiled, his eyes drifting shut. "That's my Lois. Investigate..." There was a rustle of fabric moving, and he heard his mother's voice coming closer. "You go on, Lois. I'll take good care of him." His mattress shifted as Lois stood up, leaving a cold spot where she'd been sitting. "Thanks, Martha. I'll be back soon, Clark." There was one more brief caress on his arm before she exited. Clark felt as if he was sinking into the mattress. It was okay, he could rest. He felt a flicker of satisfaction at the exchange between Lois and his mom. He'd known they'd love each other on sight. Silly Lois, worried about nothing... **** The truck ride began in terse silence. Lois looked out the window at the scenery she'd been too busy to see before. Jonathan drove with economy, not wasting any moments or movements. Jonathan broke the silence first. "What time would you say that you and Clark walked over?" Lois looked at him warily. The question itself was innocent, but the tone was terse. She was making one heck of a first impression, she thought blackly. She focused on the question. "I wasn't really paying attention... we left Metropolis around quarter to ten, I think. It only took a few minutes to get here." She wondered if she might be in for another round of mind games. Might as well save them both some steps. "By the way, yes, I know Clark is Superman, and no, I don't have any plans to use that knowledge against him. I work with him, I'm dating him, and... we're just going to see where that goes." Jonathan chuckled. "Now, that's putting your cards on the table. I like that." He paused for a moment, negotiating the turn off the paved road and onto Wayne's long dirt-and- gravel driveway. "I'm not worried, Lois. I saw you two in there. I raised Clark to be cautious -- enough to be paranoid, I suspect--" he added, his voice turning rueful, "about revealing his abilities. If he's comfortable with you knowing, that's good enough for me." "Oh." Lois didn't quite know how to respond to that. Jonathan didn't say anything more, either, but now the silence seemed much more relaxed. After a moment, she remembered his earlier question. "So, um, anyway, timing -- we got here before ten. Which I guess is nine, your time. We saw you weren't home, and Clark suggested we go for a walk. We weren't really looking at the scenery, though, just talking. Then we came down that rise toward the farmhouse. We were about halfway there when he just -- fell over. One minute he seemed fine, the next minute he was passed out on the ground." She shivered at the memory. "Do you think the time of day had something to do with it?" They reached the farmhouse, and Jonathan carefully parked the truck before replying. "I don't know. I'm not ruling anything out." "Works for me." They exited the truck. "I want to talk to Wayne," Jonathan said. "You go on and find the spot you were. I'll be out in a minute." Lois nodded, walking back towards the hill. It wasn't such a long walk as she remembered it. She had lots of details sharply imprinted in her memory, but the big picture was hazy. Where had they been, anyway? She walked up the hill a little way, retracing their steps. Okay, so... they'd come down through here, around the bushes... then they'd seen the tree crashed on the fence. Had they gone that way? Yes, she thought they had. She took a few more steps, watching the ground. Ah. This was it. It seemed like an entirely ordinary patch of grass. She looked around, trying to calculate firing angles. Apart from this knocked-over tree, there wasn't much cover around for a sniper. That seemed far-fetched, anyway -- even if someone had figured out something that could hurt Clark, they could hardly have been lying in wait. They hadn't planned to be here. Up until an hour ago, she'd expected to stay in Metropolis all day. No one could possibly have anticipated this. Unless it was someone who was already here, and who had followed them... Looking back towards the hill, she frowned. They'd come around a stand of bushes and saplings, obscuring them from view from behind. No, it must have been something else. She looked around again, closer this time. "Is this the spot, Lois?" She turned to see Jonathan approaching. "Yeah, this is it. I still can't figure what it might have been." She filled him in on her discarded sniper theory. "There weren't any airplanes going overhead at the time, were there?" she asked without much hope. "None that we heard." "Well... if we rule out any sort of time-delayed poison, then it had to be something hidden around here. And not toward the hill or the house, I don't think." She began walking forward, continuing their earlier path toward the downed tree. Jonathan nodded, taking a course that led nearer to the fence. "He did seem to get better when we got him further away from here." "Right. Well, then..." Lois reached the newly bare patch of ground. The tree's root system had torn right out of the earth. Tipped on its side, it was nearly as tall as she was. She walked over to poke at the clods of dirt still clinging to some of the roots. "I'm no expert, but I don't see anything." She turned to check on Jonathan's progress, then frowned as something caught her eye. It was hiding in the edge of the uprooted ground, still partially buried. She walked closer, noting peripherally that it was only a few feet away from where Clark had fallen. It was a crystal of some kind. She'd never seen crystal of that color before, though. It almost glowed, reflecting a malignant green light. "I think I found something." Working together, they unburied it. There was a clump of crystals, altogether about the size of a person's head. It looked even less innocent in full view. "Unless something better drops out of the sky," Lois said, "I think this is our culprit." Jonathan picked it up. "Um, maybe I should carry that. Just in case it strikes again. You can carry me better than I can carry you." "I asked Wayne to keep an eye on us from the house," Jonathan replied calmly. "Now, what do we do with this? We can't leave it here." "No, it's got to be hidden. Just not too close to Clark." It looked as if Clark hadn't been affected until he'd been within a few steps of it, indicating it had a short range. That was hopeful. Jonathan huffed agreement. "Let's see if Wayne has any boxes we could put this in. I've got a spot in my tool shed waiting for it." Wayne met them as they re-crossed the yard. "Did you find something?" "We're going to take this, if you don't mind. And we need a case to carry it in," Jonathan said. Wayne eyeballed the size of it. "I've got just the thing." He hurried back up to his porch, pulling out an old battered box. When he got within speaking distance again, he added, conversationally, "I'd forgotten about that rock." "You've seen it before?" Lois asked, hardly knowing whether to be suspicious or relieved. If it had been around for years, then maybe... "Well, only this morning." So much for that. Well, at least they had it in hand now, and could keep it at a safe distance. "I was out this morning surveying the storm damage -- I'd heard the tree go over during the night." As he rambled, Wayne helped Jonathan get the crystal into the box. "That tree hasn't been doing so good lately, not sure why. And I'd been planning to run into town this morning to stock up on a few things, so I thought I'd better check to see if there was anything I needed to add to the list." "Thanks for all your help, Mr. Irig," Lois said, hoping it would stem the tide of words. They reached the truck, and she crossed to the passenger side to let herself in. She was anxious to get back to Clark. Jonathan placed the box on the seat between them, then climbed in himself. "Appreciate your help, neighbor." He closed the truck door, but rolled down the window. "Oh, any time, Jonathan, you know that. What do you think that thing is, anyway?" "It's dangerous, that's all I know." Dangerous seemed like an understatement to Lois. At least they'd found it before it could do any more harm. They'd have to figure out some way to hide or destroy it, so it could never hurt Clark again. "Well, it'll be interesting to find out," Wayne commented, leaning against the car, his arms folded and halfway in the vehicle. Would this man never shut up? Lois wanted to go see if Clark was awake and back to normal yet. "I don't think we'll be doing many tests on it, Wayne," Jonathan commented, starting up the truck's engine. "Well, that's what I've been trying to tell ya. I saw this chunk a'rock this morning, and took a sample. When I was in town, I mailed it off to the state lab in Wichita." **** The next time Clark woke, it was to a welcome absence of pain. And something else was missing. It took him a moment to work out that the world had suddenly gone very quiet. Someone had turned down the volume, and eliminated many channels of sound entirely. The only heartbeat he could hear was his own, even though -- he peeked -- his mother was sitting just on the other side of the room. He was afraid he knew what this meant, though it scarcely seemed possible. The world hadn't been this quiet since he'd been a pre-teen. He tried levitating, hoping against hope... nothing. He must have made some sort of face; he heard his mother move toward him. "Clark?" "Hi, Mom." With only a minor amount of effort, he opened his eyes. It wasn't just the volume that had been turned down, he confirmed. The brightness and contrast were cranked way down, too. She sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?" "I'm okay." He forced a smile. She looked him over for a second. "Uh-huh. Try again." He sat up against the headboard. "Ow." "What is it?" "My arms... and my shoulders. Ouch. I didn't feel it until I moved. But really, Mom, I feel okay. It's just..." He hesitated, as if saying the words could make things worse. "Things look... different. And I can't hear." "What do you mean, you can't hear?" "I can't fly, either." After a second of confusion, Martha sat up straight. "Oh. My." "Yeah." He tried to see the bright side. "Well, I always wanted to be normal..." "You're still recovering," she insisted. "I guess so," he replied, more to reassure her than because he believed it. Still... there was always hope. "So, what did I miss?" "Your father and Lois are still over at Wayne's place. They should be back soon. I was wondering if you could tell me what I've missed," she added, with a touch of asperity. "Last week, you were pretty pleased about just being Lois's partner at work. Then today, you show up here with her, and she says she knows about you and that she's your girlfriend..." "She said that?" Clark felt absurdly touched. Martha nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Isn't it true?" "Well, I wanted it to be... we've only had one date. Last night." He smiled. "It was a great date. She's a great person, Mom." "Yes, but what happened, Clark?" "Well... we were working, and the bad guys were about to find us talking in a closet." He grinned at how that sounded. "She kissed me. Just to deflect suspicion, I thought." Martha's lips twitched. "Did it work?" "Ah, no. We were both kicked out. But then we talked, and -- I couldn't believe my ears, Mom. She said she'd been thinking about me, and ever since last month--" Clark stopped abruptly. He hadn't told his parents about his impulsive night with Lois for a variety of reasons, some of which still applied. "Well, anyway, she'd finally decided she could trust me, I guess." "So is that when you told her about you?" "Err, no, actually. I was going to, but before I could, she figured it out. It was pretty funny, in retrospect. I'm there trying to figure out how to tell her, and she's asking me to fly her out of the window." Martha looked startled for a moment, then chuckled. "Now that I've met her... I can believe that." "Yeah..." Clark's smile faded. "Of course, that was back when I could still fly... I don't even know how we're going to get home," he realized in mild dismay. Martha shook her head. "Don't worry about that. You and Lois can stay here until tomorrow. She said she'd brought some overnight things, and tomorrow... well, we'll see. If it comes to that, we can always buy some airplane tickets." Clark made a face. "Now *there's* an incentive to get better!" Not that it would make much difference. The powers that had gradually developed and been there for all his life were suddenly gone without a trace. And he didn't have the slightest idea what to do about it. **** "We have to go get it back," Clark stated grimly. Sitting next to him on the porch swing, Lois nodded and squeezed his hand. "Your dad and I talked about it -- we only came back here so he could grab a few things, then we're going into town. He thinks maybe we can get someone at the post office to give it back to us, since everyone knows he and Wayne are close friends." Jonathan had disappeared upstairs shortly after Lois and he had returned to the farmhouse, and Martha was bustling around doing mysterious things in the kitchen. To Lois's great relief, Clark was sitting on the front porch, looking much improved. She'd filled him in as quickly as she could, including the detail that the chunk of -- whatever - - was hidden in the tool shed, until they thought of a more secure place for it. Clark looked doubtful, but didn't argue. He took a deep breath and announced, "I'm going with you. I'm sure they'll let us borrow the car." "Clark, no! That stuff almost killed you, and--" She stopped abruptly, and looked at him in confused dismay. "Why would we have to borrow a car?" "Well... I told you I was fine, and I am," he reiterated, watching her carefully. "But at the moment... I'm grounded." She frowned at him. He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying. "When I woke up, I realized... my special abilities -- my superpowers --" He paused, and looked away from her. "They're gone." Lois stared at him in horror. "What? How is that possible? Oh my God, Clark, are you okay?" He hunched his shoulders. "I'm fine. I feel fine. I can do anything a normal person can do. And right now, that includes going with you to find that sample!" he added, with an edge in his voice. "No..." Lois whispered. Watching him pass out had been terrifying, but this seemed worse, somehow. "No, Clark -- that rock nearly killed you. You can't go anywhere near it." He brushed that aside. "Yes, I can -- and anyway, that was the reaction to the big piece. This is just a little sample." "So you'll only be a little bit dead? Yeah, Clark, that's much better." "I can stay away from it. Maybe we can come up with a way to shield it. You thought it was emitting something like radiation, right?" She narrowed her eyes at this change of subject, but went along with it. "That's the closest analogy I can think of, yeah." "Well, there are things that block radiation. Lead, maybe. I can't see through it, anyway. It's worth a shot." "Clark, there's no point getting this stuff back if it kills you in the process." She rolled her eyes, impatient with his inability to see this basic point. "I can do this, and your dad will help." He frowned at her. "Wouldn't you rather have me along than my dad?" "Well, of course! I'm not trying to ditch you here, Clark. But it's only for an hour or two." Lois mentally crossed her fingers for luck. "Then we'll both be back here and it'll all be over." "What if it's not?" "What?" "What if you go to the post office and can't get it back? I think there are federal laws about these sorts of things." His voice edged toward the sarcastic. "I know that wouldn't bother you, Lois, but some people pay attention to laws." Lois glared at him. "Oh, now you're saying I'm a criminal?" "Only when you think it'll get you the story -- just ask Henderson!" "I can't believe this. Just because I *bend* a few rules - - and I don't hurt anybody, by the way -- in an effort to bring *real* criminals to *justice*--" "The ends justify the means?" he asked dryly. "Yeah, sometimes they do. It depends on the means, and the end! And don't act like you're all so pure, either, Clark, Mr. I-Lie-To-People-Constantly." "Oh, come on, Lois -- that's to protect people; I have to do that!" She smiled at him sweetly and went in for the kill. "Oh, so now you're saying that the ends justify the means?" A noise from the other end of the porch interrupted them, as Martha loudly cleared her throat. When she had their attention, she moved forward. Her voice was mild as she said, "Here you go. I brought some iced tea." She gave each of them a cold glass. "I thought it might help cool you down." Lois stared at her as she retreated back inside, once more suspicious of Clark's mother's mental health. "Doesn't she know it's October?" Clark sighed, hunching forward in the seat. "That's not the sort of cooling down she meant. Look, Lois, I'm sorry -- I'm not trying to insult you here. All I'm saying is that it might not be that simple to get the package. For all we know, it might have already been shipped out of town. Then what?" "Giving up is *not* an option," Lois replied automatically, then frowned. "If we have to, we'll chase after it." "And that's why I'm going with you." He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. "You need someone local, and my dad can't exactly take off for a road trip with no warning." Lois saw the logic, but refused to like it. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" His head dropped forward again, obscuring his face. "I keep telling you, I'm fine. Stop babying me." "I'm not--" Lois cut herself off, finally realizing why Clark was this edgy. His ego was normally very resilient, but this morning's events had evidently pushed him to his limits. And she was making it worse by trying to take care of him. Well... good. She'd never been very good at this tender-loving-care stuff; it would be a relief to drop it. "Okay, you're right." He swung his head around again to stare at her suspiciously. "What? It'll be more fun with you, anyway." She hurried on, not wanting to dwell on her abrupt surrender. "What can we drive? Your dad's truck isn't the most comfortable vehicle I've ever been in, but--" "No, that's okay," Clark interrupted, his voice sounding less strained. "They've got a car, too." "Well, if they'd be okay with us borrowing it for a while..." "No problem." "...then let's get going." She set her untouched tea down on the porch rail. "It's time to get this show on the road." **** Clark tried to hide his smile as he watched Lois rant and rave on the sidewalk outside of Smallville's post office. Despite his personal crisis, there was something magnificent about Lois on the rampage. Even if it was a thwarted rampage. "The nerve of that woman! Where's that famous small town friendliness? Hasn't she heard about neighbors helping each other out?" Clark motioned her back toward the car, and when that hint failed to penetrate, he took a light hold on her elbow to guide her. She scowled at him, but didn't resist. "Well, technically, Lois, being in a small town just means that they all know each other... not necessarily that everyone *likes* everyone else..." "Well..." She paused outside the driver's side door. "Aren't they supposed to pretend?" He laughed. "Sometimes. I guess Mrs. Phipps just wasn't having a good day today." He crossed to the passenger side and let himself in. After a short, belligerent pause, Lois followed suit. He was still a little surprised that his folks had let Lois drive their car. He suspected a conspiracy to keep him from exerting himself. Maybe his mother and his girlfriend were getting along a little too well. Although to be fair, a guy who keeled over with no notice was probably not the best one to put behind the wheel. "With customer service like that," Lois muttered, starting the engine, "it's no wonder the post office has such a stellar reputation." "Well, you have to admit, Lois, our cover story was pretty thin." Clark buckled his seatbelt and winced as Lois pulled out of their parking space with unnecessary force. "It was not! She knows you and your family are friends with Mr. Irig -- and if you're even half the do-gooder here that you are in the city, it's perfectly reasonable that you'd run some errands for him. Which way do I turn, here?" "Turn right," he directed, mentally mapping out their shortest route to the highway and converting it from an aerial view. "Go through the next light, over two railroad crossings, then turn left at the next light. After a block on that, you turn right, and that'll take you right to the interstate." "Oh, well, as long as it's not *complicated* or anything." Despite her grumbling, she drove as indicated. "Why are we heading toward the interstate?" "After the mail leaves here, it goes to the central office in Wichita." It was a good thing they'd thought to bring both Lois's much-used duffel bag and an overnight bag for him. "If we get there before the package maybe they can stop it for us. Or if they won't help us, we'll at least be close to the state lab." She turned toward him, and Clark was briefly distracted by the way her hair moved, flaring out slightly as she turned, then settling back obediently to frame her beautiful face. Or in this case, her indignant face. "Can't people change their minds after they mail something?" "Generally, no." Clark hesitated, then decided he should try to defend the small town's honor somehow. "C'mon, Lois, she was just doing her job. You know, federal laws and everything." "Well, if looks could kill, I'd be a goner. I don't think there are any laws requiring her to be nasty. Granted, if any organization would have laws like that, it would be a government agency of some kind, but as far as I know, she was going above and beyond the call. And it's easy for you to talk, she was being nice to you. How do you know her, anyway?" "What? Oh, Mrs. Phipps... well, just in general, of course -- oh, and her daughter Janice was in school about a year or two behind me, so we used to run into her at school events." "Ah!" Lois looked enlightened. "That explains it, then." Clark remained unenlightened. "How do you figure?" "Simple. I'll bet you anything that her daughter had a crush on you, and you never even noticed, and now here you are with another woman." "Well, maybe," Clark said, not really believing it. Little Janice Phipps, with a crush on him? "But even if she did, she must be over it by now -- she's getting married at Christmas." "Janice may have moved on," Lois allowed, "but her mother hasn't. And shouldn't we be eating lunch? I'm hungry." Clark glanced at his watch and realized with some shock that it was past noon. "Oh, yeah... and now that you mention it, I'm hungry, too. Or at least I think I am," he added. "It's been a long time." Lois glanced at him sympathetically, but to his relief she didn't say anything. Being normal wasn't that difficult a thing, surely -- billions of people did it, after all. There was no need for her to fuss over him. "So, where do we eat?" "Well, let's see," Clark replied, going into tour director mode. "There are a couple of chain restaurants in town -- including the ever-popular Dairy Freeze -- or we could do something more local." Lois tilted her head, considering this. "Well, let's see. So far today, I've locked horns with your mother, practically told off your father, and have been thoroughly dissed by a postal clerk. I'm not sure I'm up to any more of this small town hospitality." "Lois, you know Mom was just being protective of me." She flashed him a smile. "I know, and I'm okay with that, really. It's just that if I keep making such wonderful first impressions, I'll end up being run out of town on a rail." Clark chuckled at her wry tone. "No, you won't. Let's give it one more try. We've got time; we're definitely going to get to Wichita before the mail truck. A friend of my mom has a diner just up the road." When she hesitated, he tried to tempt her. "She does a killer chicken salad." "Well... okay. But if I end up getting banned from Smallville, I'm blaming you." **** Lunch was a relaxed affair, and Lois found herself enjoying the meal. Perhaps fortunately, it was the lunchtime rush - - she'd really wanted to avoid an encounter with curious locals. A few people had waved or said hello to Clark as they passed, but then they moved on, busy with their own lives. That was more like how people were *supposed* to behave, in her book. She paged through the cheap plastic menu, noting the lunchtime specials listed on the paper insert, searching for desserts. "Does this place have anything decent in chocolate?" "I don't know," Clark replied, picking up his own menu. "She used to have the *best* brownies, but Maisie's always changing her menu, so you'd better check the insert -- ow!" Lois looked up to see Clark with a slightly stunned look on his face, regarding a bright red spot welling up on one fingertip. She winced in sympathy; the poor guy probably hadn't been cut in almost twenty years. She was thinking of something comforting to say when the look on his face stopped her. He was looking at her warily, and she remembered that he didn't want anything resembling pity. "It's just a paper cut, Clark," she told him with calculated indifference, dropping her gaze back to the menu. "Stick it in your mouth and suck on it." Belatedly, she recognized the double entendre and blushed. The feeling of warmth spread throughout her body as flashes of memory resurfaced. She peeked at Clark through her lashes. He was looking slightly stunned, so she assumed he was remembering the same things she was. Unable to resist, she said, "You're pretty good at that." Clark's smile widened. Lois caught her breath at the heated look in his eyes, but he only said, "Thank you." Sometimes she thought that this whole celibacy idea was vastly overrated. Before she could follow up on that thought, however, she was startled by a female voice exclaiming, "Clark!" Lois looked around to see a young couple heading their way, and stiffened when it became obvious that they were about to be joined for lunch. Clark, however, didn't seem upset by this chance meeting. He was leaning back against his chair, his expression smoothed out and a pleasant smile in place. "Hey, Janice, Rob! Fancy meeting you here." As the three Smallville natives exchanged greetings, Lois studied Clark. Until he'd retreated into his shell, she hadn't realized how open he was being with her. Lois had her own "professional face" that dropped into place when she was working, and so did Clark -- but this wasn't his professional face. It was more relaxed, laid-back, friendly... his usual "Clark" mode, in fact. But she hadn't realized how much of that was assumed. "And this," Clark said with a note of pride, "is Lois Lane, my..." He glanced at her, suddenly uncertain. "My partner at work. Lois, this is Rob Little, and Janice Phipps. We all were in high school together." Lois produced her own professional smile. "Hi, Rob, Janice. Nice to meet you. And for the record," she locked eyes with Janice, "I'm also his girlfriend." Janice just smiled broader at that. "Really? Congratulations, Clark's a great guy." "I think so," Lois murmured in reply. "And maybe now," Janice continued with a laugh, "my mother will regain her sanity." She exchanged a look with her fianc‚. "But never mind about our problems. What are you two here for? You're a bit early for the Corn Festival -- you know you don't want to miss that, Clark." "Well," Clark looked at Lois, "we'll probably need to be at work next week." "So remind me, Clark, where is it that you work these days?" Rob entered the conversation, with an air of rescuing Clark from corn-related inquiries. "Oh, we're at the Daily Planet." Clark smiled proudly, a smile that dimmed slightly as Rob looked blank. "You know, the one in Metropolis? Lois grew up there, so she helps me get around." "Oh, right, that one!" Janice agreed eagerly, before turning her attention fully on Lois. "Tell me, honey, have you ever seen Superman? Up-close and personal, I mean?" Lois managed to stifle a laugh, but she didn't dare look at Clark for fear that she'd burst out in giggles at the absurdity of it all. "Um, well, yes. Once or twice." Janice's eyes grew rounder. "You have? Oh, that would be so exciting! Didn't you just die? Oh, and is he as gorgeous up close as he is on TV?" "Oh, yeah." Lois sighed happily, getting control of the urge to giggle. Unfortunately, that urge was followed by an irresistible temptation. She leaned toward Janice, "And let me tell you, that suit of his... whew! It's a wonder any woman in town can even think straight." A stifled choke drew Lois's attention to Clark, who was looking down at his food and turning bright red. Her voice slowed, feeling out what she wanted to say as she went along. "But the really great thing about Superman is that he *cares,* you know? He does what he does to help people, just because he thinks he ought to, just because he can." Clark's head came up, and he met her eyes. "He's just got this, I don't know... innate goodness." She reached casually across the table to lace her fingers with Clark's. "It's really pretty incredible." "Wow," Janice said. "I hadn't even thought of it that way... If I were in the same room with Superman, I swear I wouldn't even remember how to breathe, let alone get all philosophical like that!" Lois laughed ruefully, still looking at Clark. "Oh, I was like that at first, too... it took repeated exposures before my brain kicked back in." She squeezed his hand. "Clark and I run into him now and then, since we're reporters." Janice sighed and joked, "Can I touch you? This is probably about as close as I'm ever gonna get to Superman." Lois grinned at her. "Oh, you never know." Clark checked his watch and stirred. "Ladies, I hate to break this up, but Lois and I have to get going..." "Oh, okay." Janice took the news gracefully. "But I'd love to see you again sometime, Lois! You tell Clark to bring you back real soon." **** Clark waited until Rob and Janice were gone, and until the bill was paid. He even managed to contain himself as they left the cafe and began walking toward the car. As they turned a corner and gained a measure of privacy, however, he couldn't wait any longer. He tugged on Lois's hand to slow her down and get her attention. Then he was backing her up against the cinderblock wall, swallowing her tiny gasp of surprise. He kissed her hungrily, and after one startled second, she molded herself to him, her hands running up and down his back. After only a few moments, the worst of his hunger was satisfied, and he forced himself to ease back on the kiss. This was exactly the sort of thing he'd been convinced would scare her away forever. Passionate intensity gave way to tenderness, and scaled down to a series of little nibbling kisses. It occurred to Clark that most people did kisses in the opposite order, starting small and growing. Just like everything else they did, he thought distantly. Backwards. When he finally pulled his head away enough to see Lois's face, she was looking a little blitzed. Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled. "What was that for?" "Thank you," he told her huskily. "For what you said in there. Just... thank you." It had touched him deeply, in ways he couldn't even express. Lois's smile wavered as she looked at him solemnly. "It was all true," she whispered. The corners of her mouth twitched as she dead-panned, "Especially the part about the Superman suit." It took a moment for the joke to penetrate. When it did, he laughed out loud, full of joy and wonder and love for this incredible woman in his arms. "What would I ever do without you?" "Oh, I don't know," she said quietly, still watching him. "You seem to have done well enough for yourself so far." He shook his head. "I was only marking time until I met you." That came out a little more truthfully than he'd intended. Before it could spook her, he leaned down for one more swift kiss. "We've got a few hours of driving ahead of us. We should get on the road." She pulled herself together and smiled up at him. "Let's go." **** Conversation turned light as they got on the Interstate. After the intensity of that kiss, Lois felt herself retreating from him slightly until she could sort things out. She'd known that Clark wanted her, but apparently she'd underestimated him. Again. This wasn't a passing thing for him, she realized with a sense of amazement and trepidation. He didn't think of this as a trial period, to see if she could measure up. If she was reading him correctly -- which wasn't certain, given her track record - - he was thinking in absolute and permanent terms. How did she feel about that? She knew that she liked Clark -- the jury was still out on whether or not this was love, although it seemed to be a possibility -- but she wasn't really ready to admit to anything beyond that. He seemed to know that, though, and was giving her enough room not to feel trapped. The really amazing part was that the idea of being trapped by him wasn't entirely unattractive. She wasn't ready to tell him any of that, though. It was just as well that they had something objective to do. They *would* retrieve the sample. They had to. "Lois, can I ask you something?" Lois glanced at Clark. "Sure." "I was just wondering..." Clark sounded very unsure of himself. "Well, you said the other night that you'd wanted to kiss me for weeks. But, ah -- you sure had me fooled." Lois smiled wryly. "Well, a lot of the time I had *me* fooled, too. And even when I didn't -- well, in my experience, men aren't to be trusted, and relationships at work are uniformly disasters." She grimaced, unsure whether she wanted to go on. Clark stirred, but didn't immediately speak. When he did, his voice was hesitant. "You'd told me about Claude." "Uh-huh. What you don't know is that he was just the latest in a long line of bad relationships. After him, I kinda gave up on the male half of the species. I mean, I'd date -- occasionally -- but... I don't know. I would just keep *pushing* them -- testing them for something. Strength, I guess. Most of them folded pretty quickly, and after that, I'd lose all interest." "Strength?" Clark asked quietly. "Well, that explains Superman, but why me?" "You're stronger than you think, Clark. Although it took me a while to figure that out. You're always so darned polite!" Clark grinned at that complaint. "But you wouldn't let me push you around." She laughed. "It was *so* annoying! That's the kind of strength I mean, I think." "So... you're saying that you're only dating me because you find me annoying?" "Clark!" A quick look showed that he was teasing, and she swatted him playfully on the chest. "You goof." It was good to see him so relaxed, though. In fact, she was having a really good time now, considering the circumstances. Well, they'd get the sample back soon enough. And then... She frowned. "What are we going to do with this stuff once we get it?" There was a brief pause as Clark worked out the new topic of conversation. "Destroy it." "Yeah, but how? Can we destroy it?" He hesitated. "Well... I don't know. You said it was a crystal, or like one, anyway. Can't you shatter crystals?" "Hell if I know. It's worth a try, anyway. If not, we'll have to hide it someplace remote. Your dad was talking about dropping the big chunk in the deepest part of a lake, somewhere. The ocean might be better, if we could get it there." "I'm sure you'll think of something." Lois glanced at Clark, thinking he sounded unusually subdued. Well, it had been a rough day for him; he was entitled to feel tired. "What do you think this stuff is, anyway?" Clark stirred restlessly in the passenger seat, turning slightly toward her. "I have no idea." "Well, I've been thinking." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Before this, has there been anything that could hurt you?" "Other than you?" he asked, flashing a quick grin. Lois rolled her eyes. He continued, more seriously, "No, not since I was a kid. I've never run into anything remotely like this." "And you've traveled all around the world, right? By the way, you'll have to tell me all about that sometime. So it's safe to say that nothing on Earth affects you." Clark looked unconvinced. "Well, except for this stuff, which, if you've noticed, is right here on Earth." She ignored his weak attempt at sarcasm. "I don't think it started here. I think it came to Earth right along with you." "What?" "Your spaceship got here from -- what was it, Krypton? What if it wasn't the only thing that did?" "Well, it was kinda close to Shuster's field... it's as good a theory as any, I guess. Though I still don't see why it's dangerous." "Me neither, actually," Lois confided. "I just want something to call it. Like... Kryptonium or something." "Kryptonite," Clark replied absently. At her surprised look, he elaborated. "According to this theory of yours, we're talking about a meteorite." "Oh. Okay." Lois shrugged, losing interest in the topic. "You know, it's hard to get my head wrapped around this." "Um... what?" "Well, Superman just appeared out of nowhere a couple of months ago. But Clark's been here all along. I have no trouble seeing you as a kid, Clark." She smiled at the mental image. "But Superman as a baby? That just doesn't add up." She grinned at him. "I keep picturing an infant in spandex and a cape." Clark chuckled. "No, Mom says I was pretty normal. Look, Lois, you've got it right -- I've been here for twenty- seven years. Superman's only a few months old. Sometimes *I* have trouble getting my head wrapped around it, and I'm living it. Or at least, I was." Lois wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She focused on passing a slow-moving rental truck. "Powers still aren't back, huh?" "Nope." "Do you want to talk about it?" There was silence from the passenger seat. Before she could regret asking the question, though, he stirred and said quietly, "It's really weird." "Yeah, I'll bet. It's weird for me, too." She tried to think of the best way to say this. "I mean... you're sitting there with no superpowers, which is what I'd thought about you for most of the time I've known you -- but now that you match my mental image, it just feels... wrong." "Yeah. But you know, it could be a good thing." That startled her. "How, exactly?" "I always wanted to be normal," he said softly, looking down at his knees. "No huge secret, nobody trying to lock me up, nothing interrupting the things I want to do..." He didn't sound convincing so much as wistful. "Just, you know -- normal." "But Clark, being normal for you is being super!" Lois insisted. Absently, she noted a road sign informing them they were now only fifty miles away from Wichita. His voice dropped until it was almost too quiet to hear. "Maybe not anymore." "Just give it some time, Clark." She reached over to touch his knee and was rewarded by a half-hearted smile. This was temporary. This had to be temporary. He'd had powers for all his adult life; they couldn't just be turned off. She refused to believe that. "Just give it some time." **** They had to stop to ask for directions twice, but eventually they arrived at Wichita's main post office. It was a very large building, Clark noted as he climbed out of the car. He studied it for a moment, filled with misgivings. Rationally, he knew that the package might not even have arrived yet. And this was a much smaller piece. And it had a very short range. Still, he remembered the intense pain from earlier and shivered. "Are you okay, Clark?" He forced himself to focus, ashamed of the flash of cowardice. He walked around the car to join her, and together they walked across the parking lot. "I was just thinking." She seemed to accept that. "Yeah, me too. We need a new cover story here. 'Friend of the family' ju