Yellow Fever By ML Thompson Rated: PG-13 Submitted: January 2003 * * * * * * * * * This is a fanfic based on the television show, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. No copyright infringement is intended. I do, however, use characters from that show in my story. I might keep the characters absolutely consistent with the way they are in the series or I might use a little literary license in portraying the characters. Either way, I recognize that the characters I borrow from the show are not mine. I also use portions from the various episodes of Lois and Clark in my story. Sometime I might use these portions in context and sometimes I might use them out of context. The portions taken from the series might include, but are not limited to, using actual words, phrases and/or sentences, paraphrasing, twisting sentences around to change the meaning, using larger segments and/or simply alluding to an idea. I sometimes have the same characters say or think a particular line, idea and/or segment and sometimes I give those lines, ideas and/or segments to someone else. Wherever such portions are used, I make no claim to being the author and give credit to those to whom it is due. Furthermore, I recognize that putting the above disclaimer on this story does not justify any breaches of copyright and/or breaches of trademark which might be contained herein. I rely on two things to keep from being sued. First, the mercy of WB and any and all other holders of rights to the series, the individual episodes and/or the characters. Second, I rely on the fact that I am not deriving any profit from either the writing or the posting of this story. [For anyone following the evolution of my disclaimer, I suspect that by the time I have found the perfect disclaimer, it will be several pages long .] My thanks to Gerry Anklewicz for staying with me throughout this venture (in spite of her hectic schedule this semester) and providing tips and comments on my story as it was coming together. And my thanks to Carol Malo for taking time to read and comment on my story. And to the people on Zoomway's message boards, thanks for your ideas, many of which I have also incorporated into my story. My thanks also to Wendy Richards for editing this story for the Archives. Special Guest Appearance: I would like to thank Cookie for agreeing to make a special guest appearance in this story. Your dog biscuits are forthcoming. And thanks to Gerry for telling me that he might be available. Your dog biscuits are forthcoming, too. * * * * * * * * * YELLOW FEVER By: ML Thompson thomplaw@tbaytel.net Submitted: January 2003 PG-13 * * * * * * * * * Lois took a deep breath as she reached out with trembling hands to pick up the lead-lined box sitting on the kitchen table. She fought back tears as the reality of what she was about to do began to sink in. After picking up the box and a lead-lined vest Dr. Klein had given her, she slowly made her way out of the kitchen and ascended the stairs. As she entered their bedroom, she tried to formulate another plan to handle the situation, but once again this was the only solution she could think of. She set the box on the small nightstand beside their bed and backed away. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. She was relieved that they had told Dr. Klein about Superman's secret identity when they first found out she was pregnant. But never in her wildest imaginings had she thought she would be asking him to provide her with the crystal in that box when they revealed Clark's secret to him. Yet here she was - with the one substance guaranteed to incapacitate the Man of Steel. She was unable to take her eyes off the box as she began to get undressed. She had no doubt that Clark would be home soon. If this was going to work, she was going to have to give the best performance of her life. That meant she had to find a way to relax. After all, if she couldn't control her heart rate, he was going to know something was up. And given how paranoid he was these days... She took and let out a deep breath. She swallowed again, this time in fear, as it occurred to her what he might do to her if he discovered the plan before she could implement it. It was the first time she had ever been truly afraid of Clark. As she climbed into bed and turned out the light, her mind drifted back to a very different night - to a very different feeling. At the time, she would never have believed she could be lying here now, even considering doing something like this. How had things gone so terribly wrong? * * * * * * * * * FOUR WEEKS EARLIER * * * * * * * * * Lois wasn't exactly awake when she felt the covers move and the bed beside her depress, but she wasn't exactly asleep either. After three years of marriage, she seemed to have trouble sleeping soundly when Clark was out on a Superman rescue. It wasn't that she precisely woke up when he would crawl out of bed, or that she would stay awake while he was gone. But until she felt him crawl back into bed, her sleep was restless. Her husband might be Superman, but Lois knew better than anyone that he wasn't nearly as invulnerable as people seemed to think. Of course, there was always the chance that someone else might have discovered kryptonite - or some other way to penetrate that tough exterior. But more than that, there were always the psychological dangers he faced when he encountered a situation that was more than even a Superman could handle. Until she knew he was okay, both physically and mentally, she found that she could not fully relax. She didn't open her eyes as she felt him curl up against her back, laying his arm across her waist to place a hand on her stomach. She smiled slightly. He was obviously thinking about the news they had received last week - that she was pregnant. After finally accepting that they were not going to be able to conceive, it was their own private miracle. Still not opening her eyes, she turned her head towards him. Picking up on her hint, his lips lightly brushed hers. She moaned softly at the sweetness of his taste. How had she gotten so lucky? "Everything go okay?" she asked, shifting positions so that she could look at Clark through mostly closed eyes. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he replied in the affirmative. The sleep disappeared almost immediately from Lois' mind. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Clark tended to minimize things - especially if something was wrong. He had done it ever since they'd met. He had done it when he'd begun to shrink after a woman Lois had gone to high school with had invented a method of shrinking people. He had done it when he had begun having flashbacks to being trapped in his spacecraft when they had encountered Baron Sunday. And he had done it when he had found himself not in complete control of his powers after being exposed to red kryptonite. In the years since, he still showed a tendency to hide things from her when he thought she would be upset. The difference was that she had learned to recognize the signs. The small hesitation in his voice before he had answered her question set off all the warning bells. "So what exactly was the emergency?" she asked. "Nothing much," Clark replied. "Just a jewelry store robbery. The bad guys are now the guests of Metropolis' finest." As he spoke he leaned in, softly touching his lips to the hollow of her throat. She stifled a moan as she fought what she suspected was his attempt to distract her. She was about to speak again when he began trailing his lips up the side of her neck. Pushing her head into the pillow and fighting the urge to surrender to the feelings he was provoking in her, she brought her hands up to his head and pulled him away from her neck. "What?" he asked. "Clark," was the only word she said in response, but her eyes held an unmistakable warning. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "It was nothing, really," he responded. He let out a breath when she didn't change her expression. "Okay. It was just that I got... I don't even know quite how to describe it. I mean, I landed in the jewelry store and for a moment... I just felt weird. But the bad guys are in custody and everything's fine so..." "What do you mean by 'weird'?" she interrupted. "Lois, it was nothing." "Clark," she said again. "Okay, so I got a little nervous. I don't know why. And since everything worked out all right..." "Nervous?" "Well, anxious, I guess." "Why?" "I don't know. It was just a feeling - you know, like when you just have this feeling that something's going to go wrong. But once the police arrived and I got everyone out of the jewelry store, it went away. I don't know why we're even talking about this." He leaned back in and once again kissed her neck. "I can think of better ways to spend the time." He trailed his lips up to nibble lightly on her earlobe as his hands slipped under the edge of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing. "In fact, I'm not entirely sure why we're talking at all." With those words, his lips descended on hers. Lois moaned softly, finally allowing him to distract her. Okay, so it was a little weird. But she knew the feeling. After all, every now and then, she got spooked about something when there was no reason to be anxious. If it could happen to her, why not Superman? Besides... She slipped her arms around her husband and allowed herself to get caught up in how he was making her feel - and anxious was certainly not the word to describe it. "Wait," said Clark, suddenly breaking the kiss. "I don't think I checked to make sure that the door was locked before we came to bed this evening." "What?" asked Lois, trying to pull her mind away from that kiss. "I'll be right back," Clark said. Then, without waiting for a response, he climbed out of bed and made his way to the door to the bedroom. "What?" asked Lois again as Clark disappeared from the room. * * * * * * * * * Lois was lost in thought as she drove to work the next morning. Clark had heard a cry for help as they had been getting dressed and as a result, she was coming in alone. But there had been a very strange moment just before he had left. He had seemed loath to leave. After so many hundreds of quick exits, it had just struck her as strange that he was so reluctant to leave this morning - after all, it wasn't as if the call had interrupted anything. Sometimes she understood, even shared, his reluctance. But this morning had just been your normal call for help. She wondered if it had something to do with her being pregnant. She let out a slow breath. When they had found out she was pregnant, she had worried that he would become over- protective. Well, that was one thing she was going to watch very closely. She would allow him to hover a bit more than normal, but she wasn't about to allow him to take it too far. She was pregnant - not sick. Women had been getting pregnant since the birth of the human race. And she was not about to let her 'condition' control her life. She had made that very clear to Perry and if she had to, she would take on her husband. On the other hand, she had to admit she loved how attentive he had been since they had received the news. There was something completely adorable about his excitement. Even if she really hadn't been craving pickles and ice cream for breakfast this morning, Clark seemed to enjoy it. She suspected he was going to be one of those husbands who experienced everything she did during pregnancy - from morning sickness to labor pains. Her only concern was that he might become over-protective. A more protective attitude was probably why he had left their bed last night during the middle of an intensely passionate kiss, too. After all, when he had returned, having discovered that the door was already locked, he had been more than anxious to pick up where they had left off less than a minute before. Having found an acceptable explanation for Clark's attitude both last night and this morning, Lois felt somewhat better. As long as he didn't take it too far, she would let him do his macho thing. After all, there was a part of her that, as much as she would never admit this to him, enjoyed his protective attitude towards his child. She chuckled softly. She had always known there was a reason she was glad he couldn't read minds. After all, if he knew what she was currently thinking, it would undermine her reputation as an independent woman, fully capable of taking care of herself. They had originally planned to wait before telling anyone that they were pregnant. After all, they were embarking into unfamiliar territory, being the first parents of a half-kryptonian, half-human baby. They decided to wait until they were sure everything was all right before spreading the news. But then Clark had asked if they could tell his parents. He had been so excited, she hadn't had the heart to say no. Telling his parents had led to telling hers. And that was supposed to be everyone. That decision, however, had lasted no more than one night. When they had walked into the Daily Planet the next morning, Clark had been so excited that he might as well have been wearing a t-shirt that said, 'I knocked up Lois Lane.' Perry had taken one look at him and the gig had been up. Everyone within one square mile of the Daily Planet had known by noon. She chuckled even now as she thought about how mystified Clark had been that people had figured it out. Lois, on the other hand, understood completely. Women might glow when they were pregnant, but kryptonians obviously beamed. At least, one particular kryptonian did. He gave the term 'proud papa' a whole new meaning. And so far, everything about her pregnancy seemed normal. She hadn't even experienced morning sickness yet so... Her only concern at the moment was that Clark might become over-protective. She exited the jeep and made her way into the newsroom. She had barely stepped out of the elevator when Perry bellowed for her to come into his office. "Where's that husband of yours?" Perry asked as Lois closed the office door. "Umm... he had an errand to run on the way here," she replied. "Humph," Perry grunted, glancing at the clock. "Well, anyway, I thought you and Clark might be interested in this." With the words, he handed a file to Lois. "Church appeal?" Lois said, reading the label on the file. "Perry, appeals are filed by convicted criminals as a matter of course. Why would we be interested in this one?" "Bill Church Sr. is claiming he knew nothing about Joe the Blow being hired to blow up the Metropolis Museum." "So?" "Apparently a witness has come forward - someone credible. This witness claims that Bill Church Jr. was trying to set up his father." "Someone credible?" "So it seems." "So then, that's our job - to try to find out how credible the witness is," said Lois. "That, and to cover the appeal. The appeal is going to be heard later today. I'll get the time to you once I have it. However, if the appeal is granted and a new trial is ordered, how credible the witness is might determine whether or not the District Attorney decides to retry Church. I want you and Clark to know whether Church will be retried before the D.A.'s office makes its decision." "We're on it, Perry," Lois replied. * * * * * * * * * Mindy Church leaned back in her chair and looked at the yellow crystal sitting on the corner of her desk. She hoped Dr. Livingston was right about this rock. The tape he had brought her of the jewelry store robbery last night certainly supported his theory. Now all they needed to do was find the right places to put pieces of the rock. And she had kind of a thought about that. A knock at the door of her office interrupted her musings. "Who is it?" asked Mindy distractedly. The door opened and a gangly man stumbled into the room. He always had the worst haircut - as if he regarded that as his trademark. And he practically shook with nervous energy most of the time. "You said you wanted to see me, Mrs. Church?" asked Tommy. "I have a sort of a problem, Tommy," Mindy said, opening a box on her desk and pulling out a cigar. Tommy was there immediately with a lighter. Mindy lit her cigar before speaking. "I need you to help me with a little something." "Yes, Mrs. Church," Tommy replied. Mindy immediately gave him his instructions. "I assume you can handle that," Mindy said when she had concluded explaining the situation to him. "Yes, Mrs. Church," Tommy replied obediently. "But without knowing exactly what the effects will be, should we really be..." "All those nasty criminals in Metropolis have ignored me. And I have lots of good ideas, Tommy. Lots and lots. Now I was kinda thinking that maybe if I could find a way to take out Superman, they'd have to listen to me. And besides, Superman has been kind of a pooper at my party - always making me fail. Until he's gone, I'm always going to fail. And I don't like failing, Tommy. I don't like it at all. So, do you think you can help me?" "Yes, Mrs. Church," Tommy replied. When he didn't immediately move to fulfill her order, Mindy looked confused. "So what's taking you so long?" she asked. Tommy immediately sprang into action, picking up the rock. It was only a moment later before he was leaving Mindy's office. Mindy set down her cigar and picked up a small dog with a bow around his neck. She pretended to give the dog a kiss on each cheek. "Well, Pookie, what do you think?" The dog licked her face. "You're right," Mindy said in response. "Mommy is brilliant." Once Pookie was settled, Mindy once again picked up her cigar and took a drag. As she blew a perfect smoke ring, she thought about Tommy. He wasn't the smartest cookie in the cookie jar but he had been loyal to her since the beginning, although, like her, he wasn't as dumb as he pretended. When she had failed to kill Superman last time and had then set up Joey Bermuda to take the fall, Tommy had been brilliant in convincing the police that Joey was responsible. She had been amazed at how quickly the police and those two nosy reporters dismissed Joey's claim that she was behind that attempt on Superman's life - not to mention, their own. * * * * * * * * * It was some time later and Lois was carefully studying the appeal papers Perry had given her as she made her way back from the washroom. She hadn't been able to put the papers down, even during her washroom break. In fact, she was so engrossed in the argument being advanced in the brief that she never saw the photocopier repairman until she literally ran into him. "Oh, I'm sorry," she gasped, taking a step back and meeting the eyes of the man she had hit. "It's okay," he muttered, quickly looking and then heading away. Lois crinkled her eyebrows as she watched him go. He looked so familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite place him. "Hey, beautiful," came a familiar voice behind her, directing her attention elsewhere. She turned and met the eyes of her husband. "Hey, yourself. It took you a while," she responded. "So how'd it go?" "Fine. An oil tanker hit an iceberg in the Bering Strait," Clark responded. "What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the file. "Oh, right," Lois replied before filling him in on what Perry had told her. * * * * * * * * * Tommy kept his head down and scampered away from Lois Lane - glad for the timely arrival of Clark Kent. When Tommy had entered the newsroom, he had been glad that neither Lane nor Kent appeared to be around. But then he had relaxed and, as a result, had run directly into Lois Lane. How could he have been so careless? He made his way into the photocopy room and placed his toolbox on the table next to the machine. He opened the box and carefully removed two small pieces of the yellow crystal. After leaving Mindy's office, he'd had the large yellow crystal broken up into a number of smaller pieces so that he could fulfill his assignment of placing a piece in each of the assigned locations. He knew it would be counter-productive to leave one piece here - after all, what would Superman be doing using the photocopy machine? He had to find somewhere more central to leave it. The other piece... He had seen the briefcase Lois Lane used. It opened from the top, allowing the crystal to remain undetected until such time as Lois Lane decided to clean out her briefcase. He wished he had a way to ensure she kept it on her person, but he didn't know how to make that happen. The briefcase was the next best thing. He wrapped both pieces in plain brown paper and stuck them in the pocket of his overalls before closing the toolbox. Then, taking a deep breath, he cracked open the door to the photocopy room and looked out into the newsroom. When he realized Lane and Kent were in the conference room, he figured this was probably his best chance. He casually stepped out and closed the door. Glancing at the conference room to make sure the occupants inside had their attention focused elsewhere, he walked quickly in the direction of Lois Lane's desk. His heart was racing as he bent over her briefcase and dropped one of the small packages inside. "Can I help you?" asked a voice behind him. He quickly jerked upright and turned towards the young man who had spoken. "Umm... I just dropped a screwdriver," he said. When the man looked towards the floor as if he would help, Tommy reached into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a screwdriver. "Oh, there it is," he said, bending over and then straightening with the screwdriver in his hand. The young man smiled and nodded. Tommy let out a breath of relief when the young man began walking away. Heading away from Lane's desk, he wondered where to put the second piece. He looked around before deciding that if Superman were here, he would probably stop to talk to Clark Kent - they were supposedly friends, after all. He quickly made his way to Kent's desk. Placing the piece inside without incident, he was on his way out of the newsroom almost immediately. Next stop: Star Labs. * * * * * * * * * "Can you believe that?" asked Lois after giving Clark a moment to review the appeal documents. "It's interesting. I suppose it is possible that Bill Church Sr. knew nothing about his son hiring Joe the Blow to blow up the Metropolis Museum." "Come on, Clark," Lois responded. "Now you're going to go back to telling me that Bill Church Sr. really was trying to dismantle Intergang." "I told you, Lois. When I x-rayed the Cost Mart store at the time, I saw evidence of machinery being dismantled." Lois let out a slow breath and leaned back in her chair as she looked at Clark. After a moment, she began to chuckle. "What?" asked Clark. "I was just thinking how difficult it sometimes is having... 'you know who' as a partner." Clark smiled. "And how's that?" "Well, he's always so determined to see the good in people." "True," conceded Clark. "But then there are other advantages to having... 'you know who' as a partner." "Not that I need his help," Lois responded fighting back a grin. "Of course not," Clark jumped in immediately, a grin playing around his mouth as well. "I mean, if it ever came down to a show-down between me and... 'you know who', 'you know who' wouldn't stand a chance." "Absolutely," agreed Clark. "'You know who' has never stood a chance when it came to you." The corner of her lip quirked up for a moment in response to his admission. "Not that I don't appreciate his help at times," she continued. Then, leaning in closer, she placed her hand on Clark's leg under the conference room table. "Among other things." A grin spread across Clark's face. "And just what 'other things' might you be referring to, Ms. Lane?" he asked. Her hand moved further up his leg. "Well, last night when you..." she began. Lois and Clark jumped apart when the door to the conference room suddenly opened and Jimmy entered the room. He looked at both of them oddly. "What is it, Jimmy?" Lois asked, recovering her composure. "Perry told me to let you know that Church's appeal is being heard in about an hour," he said distractedly, obviously trying to figure out exactly what he had interrupted. "We're on it, Jimmy," said Clark, trying to redirect Jimmy's thought processes. As Lois began gathering up the file from Perry, Jimmy made his way out of the room. "I wonder how Mindy Church will react to the return of her husband," she said. "Assuming his appeal is successful," Clark clarified. "Assuming his appeal is successful," Lois confirmed. "Well, I think she'll be thrilled. I think she really misses him." "Clark, Mindy took over Intergang when her husband went to jail." To his look, she continued. "I know, I know. There's no proof of that. But she did. And I can't quite see her stepping aside to allow her husband back in. I mean, even if he can... poach an egg for her." "Huh?" asked Clark. "Years ago, when I interviewed her, I asked her why she was so bereaved. She told me that although Church had left her a string of Cost Mart stores, a store couldn't exactly... poach an egg." Clark's eyebrows rose. "She actually said that?" "Okay, so it might have been my phrase. But she agreed. But I don't buy it, Clark. Something tells me that Mindy Church has no shortage of men willing to... poach an egg for her." "Maybe she really loves him." To this comment, Lois rolled her eyes. "Seriously, if something happened to you, it wouldn't matter to me how many stores you left me. I'd still be devastated." "I don't think it's exactly the same thing, Clark. She's a gold digger." "You don't know that." "She's his son's age. Actually, if I remember correctly, she's several years younger than his son. And then, after his heart attack, she nurses him back to health, falls in love and marries him - all in the space of a couple months. Come on, Clark. How gullible do you think I am?" "I still don't see why you are so convinced that she's the head of Intergang," Clark said. "I know that her name has come up a few time when we've been investigating stories. But do you really think Mindy Church could be the head of Intergang?" He sounded seriously skeptical. "No one could possibly be that blonde, Clark," Lois responded, provoking a chuckle from Clark. "I'm serious. That woman couldn't possibly be as dumb as she wants us to believe. Besides, if she is a nurse, she had to make it through college. So why does she pretend to be dumb? She's trying to hide something." He let out a breath. This was a discussion they'd been having on and off for years. And it was true that every now and then Mindy Church's name seemed to come up when they were involved in an investigation. But Clark just couldn't believe it. She seemed to him like a lonely woman who wanted to do the right thing, but just had no idea how. "Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Lois when she had finally reassembled the file. "The traffic is going to be murder today. We probably should get going." Clark nodded and rose to his feet. Going into the newsroom, Clark grabbed their jackets while Lois stuffed the Church file into her briefcase. She picked up the briefcase and made her way over to Clark. "What?" she asked when she saw Clark's head lift and the expression on his face suddenly change. "What do you hear?" "Nothing," Clark replied. "I just suddenly got the weirdest feeling that we were being watched." Lois glanced around the newsroom. Nothing seemed out of place to her. The copy girl was running past. A delivery boy was taking donuts to Perry's office. Everyone else seemed to be tending to their business. She shook her head. "Come on," she said, shifting her briefcase to her other hand and grabbing Clark's arm to head towards the elevators. Clark followed but the concerned look on his face didn't lessen. * * * * * * * * * Bill Church Sr. paced nervously in the Metropolis Men's Prison as he waited to hear from his lawyer. His lawyer had been very encouraging after he had filed the appeal papers, but one never knew with the Court of Appeal. Still, three and a half years after the trial, a witness had finally come forward with new information. And that information supported the contention that Bill Church Sr. had not been involved in the attempt to blow up the Metropolis Museum. However, the witness had also provided Bill Church with additional information - information which had not made it into the appeal papers. Information which he intended to make use of when he was finally free of this place. In point of fact, he had instructed his lawyer to tell his wife that this appeal was just 'routine' but that they really didn't think it would be successful. When his conviction was overturned, he intended to 'surprise' Mindy. Now that he knew she and his son had conspired to send him to jail, he had a little dirty laundry to clean when he got out. And this was laundry he fully intended to clean himself. He gave a sinister smile. If his attempt to go straight scared her, he wondered what Mindy would think when she discovered just how ruthless he could be. * * * * * * * * * A court room in the Court of Appeal always felt much the same as a church to Lois. Certainly more so than a regular courtroom. Conversation was kept at a whisper and everyone was dressed in their Sunday best - unlike the regular court which was filled with those accused of a crime who were generally noisy and often saw fit to wear blue jeans and tank tops. Lois and Clark found a seat near the front and sat down. Unlike a normal courtroom, the bench at the front was long. Three large plush red chairs sat behind the bench. Lois wondered what wonderful things the judges must have done in some previous life to rate such luxurious chairs when everyone else had to sit on hard wooden benches. She also noted that the bench behind which the judges would sit was elevated, requiring that everyone in the courtroom look slightly up to see the judges - as if they were gods, pronouncing judgment on people's lives. She shook off the fanciful thoughts. They were here to cover an appeal, not worry about the role judges played in modern society. She glanced over at Clark. He still had that ultra-alert look on his face, almost as if he expected a bomb to suddenly explode. As if he read her thoughts, he lowered his glasses and began x-raying the area around him. "What's got you so worked up?" Lois asked. "I was just thinking. If you're right and the release of Bill Church would threaten Mindy Church's control of Intergang, wouldn't this be a great place for Mindy to plant a bomb?" Lois furrowed her eyebrows as she continued to look at Clark. "First, even if Mindy did bomb this place, it wouldn't stop the appeal. It wouldn't take long to get it in front of a different panel of judges. And since Bill Church won't be in attendance, it's not as if she'd be able to kill him. Besides, when did you start believing that Mindy was the leader of Intergang?" "I don't know. I guess I was thinking about it on the way over." Clark shrugged his shoulders and pushed his glasses up on his nose again. Still, he continued to be watchful. Lois found herself puzzled as they watched other people file into the room. At the front, the lawyers introduced themselves to each other before getting set up at their respective tables. Still, Lois couldn't help but let her gaze wander back to her partner. They had been fighting about Mindy's role in Intergang for years. Why was he suddenly conceding that she might have a point? Before she could ponder the question too seriously, the room was called to order and everyone told to rise as three judges made their way in behind the bench and took their seats. She glanced over Clark. He obviously had a bad feeling about this. But then, she felt a little... unsettled herself. She suspected, however, that her feelings were because she was pregnant. She hoped this didn't mark the beginnings of morning sickness. Lois pulled out her notebook and began taking notes as the defense counsel presented his arguments. It seemed that someone, who was referred to only as L.N., had stepped forward with additional information which, if it had been available at the time of trial, the defense counsel argued, would quite possibly have resulted in a different verdict. L.N. apparently overheard a conversation which had taken place between Bill Church Jr. and an unidentified third party in which the two had concocted a plan to blow up the museum and have Bill Church Sr. framed for the crime. The witness had allegedly not told anyone what he had overheard at the time because he didn't take the comments seriously. Then he was afraid of the repercussions of coming forward. But unable to continue to live knowing that an innocent man had been convicted, he had finally contacted Bill Church Sr.'s lawyer. Although the police had been made aware of this witness's name, both the defense and the prosecution had agreed to keep his name a secret. A court order sealing the identity of the witness had allowed them to do that, even in the appeal papers. Because, although Bill Church Jr. was still in jail for his role in this crime, the unidentified third party wasn't. As a result, repercussions were still very possible - even likely should the witness's identity become public. When the defense had finished with their arguments and taken a seat, the lawyer for the prosecution was called upon. Lois raised her pen as she waited expectantly to hear the other side of the story. "Mr. and Ms. Justices," the lawyer began, "the role of the prosecution is to pursue the interests of justice. As a result, we are taking no position on this appeal. We leave it up to your honors to determine if this new evidence warrants a new trial." Lois' mouth nearly fell open. "Someone's been bought," Clark whispered into her ear. She was about to respond that that wasn't necessarily true if this witness really was as credible as they were claiming. Maybe someone really had been trying to set Bill Sr. up. She just wasn't sure anymore. But then she looked over at Clark. That was what he was supposed to be reminding her. "Will the prosecution be resubmitting the case to trial if the appeal is granted?" asked one of the judges. "No decision has been made on that issue yet, your honor," the prosecutor replied. "We would like to have a couple of additional interviews with L.N. before making that decision." "Very well," the judge said. Then she looked at her two fellow judges and the three moved away from the microphones to talk off the record - and where the people in the courtroom couldn't hear. "What are they saying?" Lois asked her husband. "Just a minute," Clark responded. Lois was about to question him when she saw why he had dismissed her question. The conversation was already over and the three judges had moved back behind the bench. "By a unanimous decision of this court, the appeal is granted and a new trial is ordered forthwith." The judge looked at the prosecutor. "We will not tolerate a lengthy remand here. If the D.A.'s office wants to retry the case, they will have to move quickly." "On the issue of bail, your honor," the defense lawyer said, rising to his feet. "My client was denied bail originally, but he's been sitting in jail ever since. Since the prosecution isn't even sure if they are going to retry the case..." "Say no more," the judge said. "One hundred thousand dollars bail - cash or bond." "Thank you, your honor," the defense counsel replied enthusiastically. And with that the court was again called to order and the judges left the room. The instant the clerk announced that court was closed, the entire crowd seemed to forget it was a church and chatter erupted as reporters began clambering to get questions asked of various lawyers. When both sides informed them that statements would be made on the steps to the courthouse, the room seemed to clear instantly. "Wow," said Lois softly. "This is a travesty," said Clark, rising to his feet and following the reporters out. Lois picked up her briefcase and followed close behind, still trying to figure out what had changed Clark's mind about this appeal, Mindy Church and the justice system in general. * * * * * * * * * Tommy's infiltration of Star Labs was a bit tricky. Unlike the Daily Planet, where anyone could walk in off the street, Star Labs had real security. And given that Dr. Klein's lab had the highest level security, Tommy needed something with a little more pizzazz than simply walking in wearing a photocopier repairman's uniform. Fortunately, he had found the perfect cover. He'd had the computer experts at Intergang get him a list of Star Lab employees. Then he had obtained the financial records of those listed as security. It hadn't taken him long to find the perfect candidate. His choice was a middle aged man named Gerald Sandrin who had recently spent most of his savings. A little bit of digging had revealed that the man's wife had been diagnosed with cancer, following which the man had lost his job as a security guard at one of the local factories. Since the cancer was a pre-existing condition when he started working at Star Labs, the medical plan didn't cover his wife's medical expenses - expenses which were quickly getting out of hand. After leaving the Daily Planet this morning, Tommy had gone to see the man and made him an offer he couldn't resist. Now Tommy was waiting outside Star Labs in one of Sandrin's uniforms. Tommy shifted uncomfortably. Sandrin's uniform was a little small, but it should do. Tommy raised his head a little more when he saw Sandrin exit Star Labs and glance around nervously. That was the problem with using civilians. They always looked so guilty when they did something wrong. Reaching over, Tommy opened the car door and disembarked. In his new persona and in the company of a bona fide security guard, planting the item in Dr. Klein's lab wouldn't be a problem. * * * * * * * * * Lois pulled the jeep into the parking lot of the Metropolis Men's Prison, where Church had been serving his time. When she had insisted on coming to the prison to try to get an interview with Church when he was released, Clark had been less than enthusiastic. Still, that was to be expected. She and Clark had been involved in the man's imprisonment. It only made sense that Clark would be concerned that Church would take that personally. Still, as Lois had pointed out, this was where the story was. "I suppose you should be safe enough here," said Clark hesitantly. "I doubt even Bill Church would try something in full sight of the prison." Lois rolled her eyes and opened the door. "There he is!" exclaimed Lois when she finally got out. Taking off at a run, she made her way across the parking lot. Bill Church Sr. was just getting into a car when they finally made it to where he was. "A moment of your time, Mr. Church. Do you think that the D.A. will retry the case?" Bill Church seemed as if he was about to ignore her, but then he looked up, catching her eye. A self-satisfied smile made its way onto his lips as he realized who was here to ask him questions. He straightened up and turned towards her. "Justice has been served today, Ms. Lane," he responded. "I'm confident that the D.A. will recognize that and not conduct a retrial." "So what's the first thing you plan to do now that you're out?" Lois continued. "I plan to have a steak, cooked to perfection and smothered in fried mushrooms. A baked potato covered in real sour cream and chives. And I intend to wash it down with a fine red wine. Then I have a little business to attend to." "What sort of business?" Lois probed. "For the past few years, Cost Mart has been without its leader, Ms. Lane. As a result, there are things that require my personal attention. Years in prison as a result of a false allegation can do that to a man. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to end this interview and get back to my life - which never should have been interrupted in the first place." "Why isn't your wife here?" Lois continued. "Do you think she'll be glad you're out?" Church smiled. "I'm afraid I don't have time for more questions, Ms. Lane," he said, before climbing into his lawyer's car and shutting the door. Lois watched as he drove off. "What did you think you were doing?" demanded Clark as the car pulled out of the parking lot. "My job," Lois replied. "What's got you so upset?" "False allegations. Business to attend to. Did it occur to you that just maybe you and I might be on top of that agenda?" "Psha," Lois responded. "I don't like it, Lois. That man might not have been responsible for the attempted bombing of the Metropolis Museum, but he shouldn't be back on the streets. What if he comes after you? What if I'm not there? What about our child?" "Unless we catch him in a crime..." "So what are you saying? That we just have to stand by and do nothing while he 'takes care of business.' I'm going to..." "To what?" she interrupted. Clark looked slightly confused for a moment. "I don't know, but I'll think of something. What that man deserves is to find himself in the middle of the Arctic tundra without any means of survival. And I can do that." With the words, Clark began looking around as if trying to find a place to change into the Superman suit. Lois grabbed his lapels and pulled him around to face her. "Think about what you're saying, Clark," she gasped, almost unable to believe what she had just heard - and even more dumbfounded by the serious expression on Clark's face when he said it. "You're not judge and executioner. You do this and there is no Superman - you will have killed him." Clark's expression remained defiant for a moment before her words seemed to penetrate. His expression suddenly softened. Lois was relieved when he finally nodded. "Good," she said in relief, still not quite able to grasp that Clark could have even suggested taking matters into his own hands. "Then let's get back to the Planet and type up the story." * * * * * * * * * "So what'd ya call us here fer?" asked a hefty man with a nasty looking scar on his cheek as he put his feet up on the conference table and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah. It ain't as if we got time to hang around here yapping. Every minute we're here is costin' us money," added another man before using his yellow fingers to take another drag on an already too short cigarette. "Boys, boys, boys," said Mindy, "do you forget already how you got your latest promotion? None of you would be running the operations you are now if it hadn't been for me." The men looked at each other. Their bosses had been killed en masse when they refused to work for Mindy Church. They glanced around, all of them with one thought in mind: was this the room with the poison gas vents? "Well, now that I got your attention, I just wanted to let you know that I expect greater cooperation from each of you in the future. It seems that some of you haven't been very good little boys - giving my assistant a hard time when he wants your reports." "Listen, Mrs. Church," said the man who'd had his feet up on the desk until Mindy reminded them what had happened to their bosses, the man affectionately known as Scarface, "we don't mean no disrespect. But you gotta realize it ain't none too safe for anyone to know what we're doing right now. I mean, as long as that big boy scout is around, it's safer to keep operations quiet. That way if one operation goes under it don't jeopardize all the others." There was a murmur of agreement around the table. They weren't defying Mindy Church's leadership. They were just being prudent businessmen. "Well, that's not a problem. You see, I already have a kind of a plan in motion to take care of that. Superman won't be a problem for much longer." There was a skeptical but hopeful look shared by all. All the men around the table had lost money because of Superman. It would be worth the inconvenience and payments they would undoubtedly have under Mrs. Church's leadership just to get rid of that pesky do-gooder. Besides, when Superman was gone, there was nothing preventing them from getting rid of Mindy Church, too. But until then... "You do that and, I think I speak for all when I say, you'll have our full cooperation," said Scarface. There was again a murmur of agreement from all the men. "Good," said Mindy. "Then I say this meeting is..." Her voice trailed off when the door to the conference room suddenly opened. "I said we were not to be bothered," said Mindy. "What do you think..." Her voice trailed off and there were a number of sounds of astonishment around the table when a gentleman known by all those present, at least by reputation and appearance, entered the conference room. "Don't get up, gentlemen," said Bill Church, walking confidently into the room. "Hello, Mindy," he said to a speechless Mindy. Bill walked over and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Glad to see me?" "Umm... yeah, hunky," she said rather hesitantly. "But should you be here? Won't the cops be looking for you?" "Oh, I got out legally," he replied. "And I'm ready to take over business again." "Oh, if you just got out, you probably have all sorts of fun things you want to do," said Mindy immediately, even as her brain began working overtime about how to deal with this unexpected complication. "Why don't you just let your little honey bunny worry about all this nasty business stuff for now?" With the question, she gave Bill Church an affectionate tap on the nose with her index finger. "Nonsense," said Bill. "I'm back and I'm ready to jump right in. I hear you've done a wonderful job taking care of business in my absence. But, as I'm sure all the men would agree, a woman's place is taking care of her husband. Besides, I'm raring..." "No offence, Mr. Church," interrupted Scarface. "But are you aware of Mrs. Church's plan to bring Superman down?" The turmoil on Mindy's face suddenly cleared. "That's right, hunky. I have a plan to bring Superman down." Then, meeting his eyes dead on, she said, "Can you do that?" When Bill Church didn't respond immediately, Scarface spoke again. "Again no offence, Mr. Church, but if your wife can do that, we gotta stick with her. Superman's been costing us a fortune." Bill Church looked around the room with growing anger. He had just assumed that all of his lieutenants would come running back when he got out of prison - none of them would take orders from a woman, after all. But then he realized that these weren't his lieutenants. Maybe it would be a good idea if he regrouped and found out what had happened to his organization during the past few years. "Maybe you're right, honey bunny," Bill said, looking over at his wife. "I assume you don't mind if I sit in, though - just to find out what's been going on in my absence?" "Oh, of course not," responded Mindy. Bill smiled, impressed by her acting performance. "But I was just about to tell the boys that the meeting is over." Bill's smile faded and his wife's grew. "Sorry, hunky," she said, putting an unmistakably fake pout in her voice. * * * * * * * * * "Clark, you're over-reacting," said Lois when she and Clark walked up the steps to the brownstone. He glanced nervously around, his glasses half way down his nose as she arrived at the door. She was about to open it when he stopped her. "It could be wired to a bomb," he said before carefully examining the door frame and lock. Then, opening the door, he quickly scanned the house before zipping her inside, closing and locking the door. She let out a breath, set down her briefcase and removed her coat. Once she had hung up her coat, she began walking across the living room. All of a sudden, she let out a yelp as she was grabbed from behind and found herself sitting on the couch, being held solidly against Clark. "What..." "Don't walk in front of the windows, Lois. There could be a sharp shooter out there, just waiting for you to do exactly that." "What are you talking about, Clark? You just took a look around outside. How would someone get into position that fast?" "Just humor me, okay. You know how sometimes you just get these gut feelings - and you ask me to trust you. Well, this time I've got a bad feeling. All I'm asking is that you trust me." Lois turned her head so that she could study her husband. Okay, so sometimes she did ask him to trust what her gut was telling her. And she had to admit, her stomach had felt uneasy all day, too. "Okay," she finally said. She would follow his gut feeling - for now. But tomorrow, they were going to find out what was going on with Bill Church - if for no other reason than to get Clark to calm down. "Besides," said Clark, pulling her even closer, "isn't this a great way to spend the evening." His head came down and began nuzzling at her neck. "Mmmm," moaned Lois. Yes. This wasn't such a bad way to spend the evening. In fact... His hands began working on the buttons on her blouse. She adjusted positions, giving him better access to her body. "The stove!" Clark suddenly exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Lois' arms flailed wildly as she tried to remain seated when her former backrest disappeared. "What?" she gasped as she watched him head for the kitchen. "I can't remember if I turned off the stove," said Clark, disappearing into the kitchen. "Why would you need to check the stove?" Lois asked the door Clark had gone through. "We never use it." * * * * * * * * * Late night found Bill Church scrunched over his computer, reviewing everything his lawyer had been able to give him about Intergang. Following the meeting, Bill enjoyed a steak dinner with his wife and then accompanied her to his house on the outskirts of Metropolis. He stayed long enough to... fulfill his husbandly obligations and make up for years in prison. Not that he wouldn't have been able to find warmer companionship tonight, but there was something about knowing how little she wanted him there that made the whole encounter more exciting. Afterwards, of course, he left again. There was no way he intended to stay there for the night - not when he couldn't be sure she wouldn't kill him in his sleep. Their relationship almost felt like the old joke: how do two porcupines have sex? The answer, of course, was: carefully. So, claiming that after being locked up for so long he needed to see the stars, he went for a drive - and, after a quick stop at his lawyer's, he ended up at his apartment in downtown Metropolis. This was where he used to stay when he got bogged down by work and didn't want to take the time to drive home. And it was certainly better than spending his first night out of custody at a hotel. He'd had his lawyer come here before the appeal was heard to ensure the kitchen was stocked, the beds were made and the wine rack was loaded - and, most importantly, to change the locks. After all, Bill didn't particularly want a surprise visit from his wife or one of her henchmen while he slept. He leaned back in his chair and yawned. It seemed that taking Intergang back from his wife might take a little work. After all, she had replaced all of his people - permanently retiring most of them. He had to admit, he liked her style. It was too bad they weren't working on the same team. Of course, that meant he was the only thing standing in her way now. He would have to take steps to get some bodyguards first thing tomorrow - always assuming, of course, that he lived through the night. He suspected his wife would also be beefing up her security. That meant a direct attack was probably out of the question. No matter. If the only reason Intergang's new lieutenants were staying faithful to her was because they believed she could get rid of Superman, it was likely only a matter of time before she went the way of all the others who tried to take on the Man of Steel directly. He found it slightly ironic that, in this case, he was cheering for Superman. After all, if Superman won this encounter, Bill Church's empire would be restored to him. He would figure it all out tomorrow. Right now he was going to enjoy his first night of sleeping in a comfortable bed. * * * * * * * * * "Pineapple!" exclaimed Bobby Bigmouth. "Who gets a pizza with pineapple on it?" "You said fully loaded," Lois responded in exasperation. They had decided to begin their investigation by meeting with Bobby Bigmouth. And since he demanded pizza at ten o'clock in the morning, they had spent the past hour tracking down a place that sold pizza at that time of day. "That's what it is. Fully loaded. So what do you have for us?" "Who puts pineapple on a fully loaded pizza?" Bobby demanded, pulling off little pieces of pineapple and dropping them back into the pizza box. "The juice gets into the rest of the pizza and completely ruins the taste." Still, even as he spoke, he began to shove the piece of now pineapple-free pizza into his mouth. "Next time, no pineapple," promised Lois. "And where's my drink?" demanded Bobby. "Lois!" exclaimed Clark. "All right. All right," said Lois, digging into her briefcase and withdrawing two containers of milk. She handed them to Bobby. Bobby looked at the milk cartons for a moment before handing one back to Lois. "For the baby," he said. "Congratulations, by the way. You have no idea how many people have been hoping you two would get past your infertility problem." "How did you..." began Clark. "What people?" asked Lois at the same time. Then Lois and Clark looked at each other. "Never mind," Clark said. "So what can you tell us?" Lois asked, getting them back on track. "Okay," said Bobby, cracking open his carton of milk to take a drink. "It seems that before Bill Sr. got out of prison, Mindy Church was having problems keeping control of the various criminal enterprises of Intergang." "So Mindy is in charge of Intergang?" Clark interrupted. Bobby gave him a look that very clearly indicated that he thought everyone knew that. "Told you," said Lois, looking over at Clark. "Anyway," continued Bobby, "rumor is that Bill Church returns and suddenly everyone is pledging allegiance to Mindy." "Why?" asked Clark. Bobby shrugged his shoulders. "That's all I know." "Can you tell us anything about this witness, L.N.?" asked Lois. "Nah. The cops are keeping that info under wraps. Anyway, thanks for the breakfast." With those final words, he made a move as if he would get out of the jeep. Clark stopped him. "Have you heard anything about Bill Church coming after Lois or me?" he asked. "No, why?" "It's just a feeling Clark has," said Lois. "Oh. Well, no. I doubt you're high on his list of priorities at the moment, though. I'd imagine getting control of Intergang might be a little more important. Anyway, if I hear anything else, I'll contact you." "Thanks, Bobby," said Clark as they watched Bobby crawl out of the jeep, being sure to take the remaining pizza with him. "See, Clark," said Lois when Bobby was gone. "There's nothing for you to worry about. The baby and I are safe. Bill Church has bigger fish to fry at the moment." "I'm not convinced, Lois," Clark responded immediately. "I'm sure he's up to something else. I think we should get some extra security installed at the brownstone and I think we should let Perry know. He can see that Planet security is a little tighter than normal." Lois, who had been about to pull the jeep out onto the road, suddenly threw it in park and turned to look at Clark. "Clark, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but this is getting ridiculous." "I want to make sure you're safe. What's so ridiculous about that? Besides, before we met, you had what? Four locks on the door of your apartment. All we have is the regular lock and a dead bolt. It couldn't hurt to beef up security a little." "But before I met you, I didn't have a superpowered protector in my life to make sure I didn't get in too deep." "You see, that's what I'm talking about, Lois. I can't be everywhere. And what happens if I'm out on a rescue when Bill Church comes after you?" "If," corrected Lois. "What?" "If Bill Church comes after me," Lois said, emphasizing the first word, "I can handle myself. I did before you came along and I can now." With that, she shoved the gearshift into drive and swerved the car out into traffic - clearly marking the end of the discussion. There were the usual horns, but, as always, Lois ignored them. * * * * * * * * * "So what do you two have for me?" Perry demanded. When Lois and Clark had returned to the newsroom after their meeting with Bobby, they had contacted every other source they had. Most had been complete dead ends. Even those who were able to confirm what Bobby had told them hadn't been able to elaborate further. Otherwise, it had been an entirely unproductive day. "Not much, Perry," responded Lois. "Bobby indicated that there was some sort of power struggle going on for Intergang. Otherwise..." She shrugged. "What about this mysterious witness? What do you know about him?" "Look, Chief," began Clark. "His name is being kept under wraps. There's no way for us..." "Actually," interrupted Lois, "I've been thinking about that. Now, if only the police knew this witness' identity, we might have a problem. But Church's lawyer knows it, too." "So what are you suggesting?" asked Clark. "Do you think he's just going to tell us?" "Of course not. But it's got to be in his files." "No, Lois," said Clark when it sunk in what she was about to suggest. "I'll let you two work it out," Perry said. "Just be sure that if you do get his name, you keep it under wraps. We don't want to inadvertently give it to the bad guys. Just talk to him - find out if he's credible and..." He pointed a finger at Lois. "...you be careful." "No, Lois," Clark said again when Perry began heading back to his office. "It's too dangerous for you to break into his lawyer's office. What happens if you get caught? I forbid it." Had anyone in the newsroom looked over at Lois at this moment, they would have sworn they saw steam coming from her ears. She hadn't initially been surprised that Clark would object to breaking into the lawyer's office to get the witness' name. After all, the police were obviously concerned about the safety of L.N. She figured Clark would object on the grounds that there was a greater possibility that someone would find out L.N.'s identity if they started digging around. But that wasn't what was troubling him at all. Instead, he was objecting that it was too dangerous for her to get the information. Forbid her? How dare he? She opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it again. Instead, she got up, grabbed Clark's arm and practically dragged him into the conference room. Closing the door, she spun towards him. "What the hell is going on with you, Clark?" she demanded. "What the hell is going on with me? What the hell is going on with you? Here you are, wanting to walk into Church's lawyer's office. What else do you want? A sign on your back that says: 'Go ahead and take your best shot'? What happens if you get caught? Do you think Church will hesitate to have you killed? You've just made his job a hell of a lot easier." Clark shot back, his voice even angrier than hers had been. "And what about the baby?" Clark continued. "This isn't just your life you're taking chances with now. Do you really think you have the right to risk our child's life like this? And you wonder what the hell is going on with me?" Lois stared back in stunned silence, almost unable to believe that this was her husband talking. He seemed to blush saying the word 'heck'. Yet in that speech, he had used the word 'hell' four times. Granted, he had always been cautious - concerned about her safety. But they both believed that the best defense was a good offense. "So what are you suggesting?" Lois gasped, when she again found her voice. "That we just sit back and hope he doesn't come for us?" "I'm suggesting that you stay out of this. I'm suggesting that you let me take care of Bill Church." "Stay out..." Her voice trailed off with her incredulity. "Lois Lane is not the helpless woman! She does not stay out..." she yelled back. "Maybe that's why our application for adoption was denied," Clark interrupted, his voice as loud and accusing as she had ever heard. "That lady was right! You are a danger junkie! You just can't quit, can you? You just gotta be hanging over the jaws of death. Now you're taking our child with you! I can't believe you!" Lois had never believed she could hear such accusations from Clark. He had just taken one of the most painful times of her life - when she realized that she was probably the one who was going to prevent them from being able to adopt a child - and thrown it back in her face. Tears of shock, disbelief, pain and anger began pooling in the corners of her eyes. "How dare you!" she hissed. "I can't believe you just said... How dare you!" she yelled this time. "I... You..." Before she could even get her mind to grasp his accusation, the door to the conference room opened. Lois turned her back to the door so that whoever had interrupted wouldn't see how badly Clark had hurt her. "Umm..." came Jimmy's hesitant voice. "I'm not sure if you care, but you can be heard yelling all over the newsroom." "Thank you, Jimmy," said Lois, still not turning towards him. She heard the door close before turning and making her way towards the door herself. "Wait a minute," said Clark. "We're not finished here!" She spun towards him. "Yes, we are, Clark!" she said. "So where are you going?" he asked. "To break into Church's lawyer's office," she responded without hesitation before throwing open the door and storming out. Clark stood in silence for a moment. Then, even though he knew she couldn't hear him, he responded. "There's no way in hell you're doing it without me!" With that, he headed after her. * * * * * * * * * It was dark as Lois navigated the jeep bearing her and Clark to Church's lawyer's office building. Neither she nor Clark had said a word to each other since they had left the Daily Planet. And right now, Lois wasn't entirely certain she wanted to talk to him ever again. She hated more than anything when they fought. It left her with a knot in her stomach the size of Metropolis. Clark had almost been cruel earlier. She knew he was concerned about her safety - and the baby's. But some of the things he had said... She half expected him to apologize the instant she left the conference room. But when he followed after her, he had said nothing. He simply grabbed his coat and silently accompanied her to the elevator. She didn't dare look at him. But even so, she could almost feel the fury still radiating off him. Never in the time she had known Clark had she known him to be so angry - especially at her. But it made no sense. That was what was troubling Lois most of all. He had no right to be mad. It wasn't as if she had suggested sky diving into a war zone. In fact, she hadn't suggested anything which both of them hadn't done a hundred times since they had started working together about six years ago. And although, at times, he would try to talk her out of some nefarious adventure, never had he berated her the way he had done today. If anyone had the right, almost the obligation, to be angry, it was she. Sure she was pregnant. Sure she was doing something that had some risk involved. But if Clark was right and Church was a threat to her, the risk was not nearly as great as sitting back and doing nothing. Besides, it wasn't as if she was doing this for kicks. She was doing this because it was her job. If he thought that he suddenly had a right to tell her what she could or couldn't do because she was pregnant, he had another think coming. Forbid her! How dare he! He wasn't her lord and master - no matter how many powers he had. Besides, it wasn't as if she had insisted on doing it alone. He would be right there. Not that she wasn't having second thoughts about that right now. It might be easier if she were doing this alone. She still had no idea why he was so convinced that Bill Church would come after her. It wasn't as if their role in his downfall had been anything more than locating the bomb and disarming it. In fact, if anything, if he really was innocent of the crime, they had done him a favor. After all, he might have been facing the death penalty if that bomb had gone off. And although prison was, in her experience, not exactly pleasant, it had to be better than being on death row for the last four years. No. She couldn't imagine that she would be high on Bill Church's list of targets - if she was even there at all. Bobby's comments had certainly supported that idea. But Clark had dismissed Bobby's comments out of hand. It made no sense. Why was Clark taking the threat more seriously than the evidence indicated? Lois pulled the jeep over to the side of the road and put it in park. The office they were going to was just up ahead. But it was best not to park too close in case someone saw the jeep and was able to make the connection between them and a break in at the lawyer's office. As she turned off the motor, she looked at Clark for the first time. He was already reaching for the door. "Wait a minute, Clark," she said, while reaching into her briefcase to withdraw a pair of gloves so that she wouldn't leave fingerprints. "Before we go, there's something I have to know." He stopped and looked at her. In the darkness of the vehicle, she was unable to read his facial expression. "What?" he asked, the coldness in his voice telling her how angry he still was. "I just need to know that we're going to be able to work together in there. Otherwise, I'd prefer that you wait out here," she said while pulling on her gloves. There was a moment of silence before he replied. "I'm a professional, Lois. Let's just get this over with." He didn't wait for a response before opening the door and getting out. Taking a deep breath, Lois opened her own door and stepped out. * * * * * * * * * "Clark, look at this," said Lois. She felt Clark's presence behind her immediately, looking over her shoulder at the file she was holding. Neither said anything as they both read. It seemed that the witness was a recent graduate of Metropolis University. He was the son of Senator Nicholson. A young man named Lawrence. He had been working at a Cost Mart store part time to help pay his way through university. Even though his father was certainly capable of simply paying the bill, it appeared that the young man was required to contribute to his education. On the day in question, Lawrence Nicholson had been working to move crates containing a number of expensive paintings into one of the Cost Mart stores so that people could enjoy the beauty of culture while shopping for bargains. He had taken a break and slipped behind some crates to have a smoke. He froze when he heard Bill Church Jr.'s voice which was getting perilously close to his position. Any closer and his unauthorized smoke break would be discovered. Clark suddenly gasped. "What?" asked Lois. Clark reached over her shoulder and pointed to a sentence that had caught his attention. "It appears that Bill Church Jr.'s co-conspirator was Mindy Church," he replied. "Omigod," Lois breathed. "And Bill Sr.'s lawyer knows this which undoubtedly means..." "...that his client knows as well," Clark concluded. She glanced at Clark and for just a moment, it felt as if they were again on the same side. But then Clark broke eye contact and Lois sighed. She redirected her mind back to the file and continued to read. It seemed that the conversation between Bill Jr. and Mindy had been started by Mindy who had outlined a plan in which Bill Sr. would arrange a fund-raiser at a museum. When she went on to suggest that maybe the museum could then blow up, Lawrence had almost gasped and given away his position. As the conversation continued, Lawrence had pushed himself further against a crate and listened to Bill comment that if that happened, the police would think that his father had done it to increase the value of his own burgeoning collection. Lawrence had been horrified. And at first he thought Bill Jr. had been, too. At least, Bill had apparently responded by saying something like: 'You expect me to frame my own father for the murder of hundreds of innocent people?' But then Bill had gone on to say that he loved it; that it was all just so Greek. As they had continued to discuss what would happen then - in particular that Bill Sr. would have to turn the business over to the two of them - they began walking away, making it impossible for Lawrence to hear. He left work early that day - feeling slightly ill. He had almost gone to the police. But the more he thought about it, the more he thought he must have misunderstood. After all, the Churches were pillars in the community. The conversation he had overheard must have been a joke. And he hadn't thought more about it until he heard what had happened at the museum. When he finally did find out about the incident, he was scared. How would he explain the fact that he had overheard this conversation and done nothing? He had been afraid to see the disappointment on his father's face. He had been afraid that his father would get blamed for his failure to contact the police immediately and that the voters would take it out on him when elections rolled around. And he had thought the truth would all come out in court. When Bill Sr. had been convicted, Lawrence felt guilty. But he figured it was too late to come forward with what he had heard. He had only contacted Bill Sr.'s lawyer recently because he could no longer live with the guilt of knowing that an innocent man was in jail and he could have prevented it. Lois closed the file and stuck it back in the file cabinet. "Well, I guess that settles it," said Lois. "Bill Sr. was indeed set up." "Assuming that what the lawyer's file says is also what Lawrence Nicholson says," said Clark. Lois glanced again at Clark. When had their roles changed so completely? Normally, Clark was the one who was trusting - she was the skeptic. Well, this wasn't the time or the place to worry about it. "I guess the next step is to talk to Nicholson," said Lois, closing the file cabinet. "I don't think we'll find out anything else here." Clark was escorting her out of the building immediately - so fast, in fact, that it took Lois a moment to realize that her feet weren't exactly hitting the floor. Still, she said nothing until they were back in the jeep. "See, Clark," she said as she stuck the key in the ignition. "There was no danger." "This time," Clark responded flatly. Lois let out a frustrated breath as she turned the key to start the jeep. * * * * * * * * * Clark stared blankly at the living room ceiling. He wasn't entirely sure whose decision it had been for him to sleep on the couch. Given the lateness of the hour, they had decided to talk to Nicholson in the morning. Since they couldn't write the story before interviewing Nicholson, they had come straight home. Clark wasn't even entirely certain what had started their argument in the jeep on the way home. Maybe it was her self-satisfied tone when she had told him that there was no danger. Maybe it was just that she didn't seem to be taking any of this seriously. But he wasn't sure he had ever been quite this angry with her. Why did she refuse to see the danger? Couldn't she understand that it was just a matter of time before Bill Church, or one of a hundred other criminals they had helped expose over the years, made an attempt on her life? For all they knew, a plan had already been agreed on and was being put into action even as he lay on this couch. And how could she take it so casually when it was now not only her life, but that of their child? Yet she had dismissed everyone of his concerns as if he were overreacting. When they had finally arrived at the brownstone, and he checked to be sure it was safe, she stormed into their house and, without even bothering to remove her coat, had thrown her briefcase on the floor and headed for the stairs. He followed, determined to continue this conversation until she promised to be careful. But when she walked into the bedroom, she had slammed the door in his face. It wasn't that she had refused him entry to their room. In fact, he never even heard her lock the door. So he knew she wasn't exactly determined to keep him out. But he was in the right here. And if she was trying to punish him for wanting to protect both her and their child, so be it. He shifted positions, trying to get comfortable. He had napped on this couch many times. But tonight sleep eluded him. Even if he were right, it still hurt like the dickens to fight with Lois. It left him feeling as if he had a hole the size of Metropolis in his gut. But he would do whatever was necessary to save her life, even if she hated him for it. For about an hour after she had gone to bed, he heard soft crying coming from their room. It had been a relief when her breathing had settled into the regular pattern of sleep. But as hard as it was to hear her cry, it would be even harder not to hear her - ever again. No. No matter how many nights he had to endure that were as awful as tonight, he wasn't about to let her get herself killed. While Lois had been rifling through Church's lawyer's papers looking for the identity of L.N., Clark had been focused on something else - not that he had told Lois. He was looking for some indication of what Church had planned for Lois. He had not found anything. Although, that didn't necessarily mean anything. He still knew, with every fiber of his being, that Lois was in danger. He allowed the ceiling to disappear from view so that he could look into their bedroom. His side of the bed was completely untouched and she was curled up, hugging a pillow as she slept. He always loved watching Lois sleep. There was something so vulnerable, so innocent about her when she was asleep - as if her true self were revealed. It was a captivating sight. It was a sight which only he was allowed to see. And it was almost hypnotizing. Not taking his eyes off his wife, he slowly moved to a seated position. Then, without consciously making the decision to do so, he got off the couch and ascended the steps to their bedroom. Before he knew what was happening, he was standing inside, silently drinking in the most beautiful sight he thought he had ever seen. Still, he was unable to join her - not entirely sure he would be welcome. After standing there in conflict for a moment, he made his way over to a big chair and sank into it. He was just so completely terrified. His entire life was in that bed. If something happened to her, to their child, it would destroy him. Losing his own life would be preferable to losing her. The tightness he had been feeling in his chest most of the day got worse - almost strangling him, cutting off his oxygen. He felt cold and clammy and realized that a thin sheen of perspiration was soaking through his t-shirt. And the voice in his head... If only he could stop the voice in his head that seemed to keep repeating, 'They're coming to take her from you.' He wasn't at all certain why he was so terrified. He could only assume that his subconscious mind had picked up on some threat, some danger, that his conscious mind had failed to register. Glancing down at his hands, he watched them tremble. If he thought he would get away with it, he would pick her up and fly her to some place where no one and nothing could hurt her. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his fears from overwhelming him. "Clark," said a soft voice causing Clark's head to snap up. * * * * * * * * * Lois hadn't been sleeping well. When she opened her eyes to see Clark sitting in that chair, his hands trembling, a tear slipping slowly down his cheek, their fight no longer was as important as he was. He looked up, the look in his eyes one of absolute vulnerability and there seemed to be a complete absence of blood in his cheeks. Never had she seen him looking so lost. She slowly pulled back the covers, silently inviting him to join her. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before making his way over to her. She moved on the bed to give him room. When he crawled in with her, burying his head against her chest, her arms went around him. Neither spoke - as if both somehow knew words would only get in the way. It was then that she felt him tremble. She placed a kiss on the top of his head and held him even closer. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on. What she did know was that, at this moment, he needed her. "What's wrong, Clark?" she finally whispered into the darkness. "I'm just so scared I'm going to lose you," Clark muttered as his arms tightened around her a little bit more. "Why? I mean, why now?" "I don't know." She swallowed hard at the sound of quiet desperation in his voice as he trembled against her. Her hands moved over his back and she realized he was actually sweating. What was happening here? Clark didn't sweat - at least not normally. It was quite some time later before his trembling stopped. It wasn't, in fact, until he fell asleep. She stayed awake, keeping vigil long into the night as her mind thought back over the past twenty-four hours. When she first crawled into bed, she wasn't sure which emotion was stronger - anger or pain. But as she held her husband now, all she felt was a need to protect him. She still didn't know what had happened to make Clark so paranoid, but she knew that Clark would never deliberately hurt her. He seemed honestly terrified for her safety. Why, she still had no idea. * * * * * * * * * The lights were out and the office was lit only by the greenish-blue glow coming off the television screen and a yellowish glow from a small piece of yellow crystal sitting on the corner of the desk - what remained of the rock Tommy had planted earlier today in Lois Lane's briefcase, Clark Kent's desk and at Star Labs. Mindy Church picked up the remote control and pressed rewind. It was almost as much fun watching this tape in reverse. Once she reached the beginning, she pressed play again. So long as this plan didn't backfire, Bill didn't stand a chance of regaining control of Intergang. And given what the plan was, she didn't see how she could possibly fail. Even if Superman did realize something was wrong, his macho male ego would never let him admit it. That was one of the advantages of being a woman. There were no stupid ego issues to get in the way of seeking help when necessary. "You watching the tape again?" asked Tommy, coming into her office. "Oh, Tommy," said Mindy. "Yeah. It's just so much fun watching this tape of Superman at the jewelry store robbery the other night. It's almost better than sex," she giggled. They both fell silent to watch the tape. They saw Superman enter the jewelry store and then, instead of immediately stopping the robbers, backing up slightly. Mindy smiled as she watched Superman's eyebrows furrow. Superman looked around before moving, somewhat hesitantly, to conduct a citizen's arrest of the men Mindy had sent to test the yellow crystal. "You know, when I first heard that Superman had ruined my party and stopped the bad guys I had sent to the jewelry store, I thought that must mean the rock didn't work," Mindy said. "But then that yummy Dr. Livingston pointed out that Superman looked scared." "And that's when you got the idea?" asked Tommy. Mindy nodded. "Dr. Livingston told me that this rock was found by Gene Newtrich when he discovered the red kryptonite. But that Newtrich didn't tell Bill Jr. about it because he had plans of his own for it. If he hadn't gone to jail, little old me might never have gotten it." "Is it really kryptonite?" Tommy asked, running his fingers lightly over the yellow crystal. "Yes," Mindy responded. "And you know what's really neat? Apparently, this yellow version is even more radioactive than the green kryptonite. It's a nasty rock, Tommy. Really nasty." She giggled when Tommy snapped his hand away from the crystal in response. "Don't worry. It's not dangerous to us." Mindy looked at the tape and the two fell silent as Superman once again entered the jewelry store. When the tape came to the end, Mindy clicked rewind and turned back to Tommy. "Anyway, when Dr. Livingston mentioned that Superman looked scared, I had a kind of a thought," she said. "When Bill Jr. used the red kryptonite, he found out that all those nasty effects increased with prolonged exposure. I thought if Superman was scared enough to hesitate that time, maybe he might become too scared to get involved at all if we gave him even more exposure. And after enough time, Dr. Livingston assures me that the effects will become permanent." "But why have me plant it on Lois Lane, at the Daily Planet and at Star Labs?" asked Tommy, settling into the chair across from Mindy. He immediately jumped up again when she gave him that look - that one that said she didn't remember saying he could sit. "I'm not just a dumb blonde, Tommy. I had just one itsy bitsy little problem. When Bill Jr. used the red kryptonite, he found out that Superman was going to see a shrink. I had to be more smarter. So I decided to plant it on Lois Lane. After all, she seems to get more interviews with the Man of Steel than any other reporter. Besides, Superman has a kind of a crush on her." "I thought that theory died when Superman proved that the Dirt Digger had faked the story about him and Lois Lane," said Tommy. "A woman knows these things, Tommy. And I decided on the Daily Planet for the same reason. I had you put those pieces at Star Labs since, if my sources are correct, Dr. Klein is probably the first person Superman will run to when he starts getting sick. Although, I'm still not too sure about that one. He might go to see the doctor, but he'll never tell the doctor that he's scared." "How do you know?" "He's a man. And if there's one thing I know, it's men. And real men don't admit they're scared. Now do they, Tommy?" "No, Mrs. Church." "So now all we have to do is sit back and wait as Superman gets more exposure to that nasty kryptonite. Soon he'll be too scared to interfere in my little business plans." "What about your husband?" A definite pout appeared on Mindy's face. "He doesn't love me anymore. And now he wants to take his little business back, too." "But you aren't going to let him, are you, Mrs Church?" "Of course not, Tommy. When I've finally taken care of the Superman threat, do you really think anyone will challenge me ever again? All those big ol' tough guys will be scared of little itsy bitsy me." There was a moment of silence before Mindy continued. "Still, it might be time to do a little house cleaning. Find out if anyone is expressing displeasure over my refusal to turn the business over to Hunky." Her voice suddenly took on a much deeper quality. "And take care of them." "Yes, Mrs. Church," Tommy responded. She gave a wave of the hand, indicating that Tommy was being dismissed. He turned and headed for the door to her office. As he left, Mindy turned her attention back to the television and once again hit the play button on the remote control in order to watch the tape one more time. * * * * * * * * * THREE WEEKS LATER * * * * * * * * * Lois held her breath when the sudden lifting of Clark's head told her that something had caught Superman's attention. She felt a profound sense of relief when Clark jumped up in response to whatever emergency his enhanced hearing had picked up. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked. "I really think I need to respond to this, but I don't want to leave you if..." "I'll stay right here," Lois promised immediately. Clark glanced around at the newsroom, as if making sure that he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, before nodding and dashing off. Lois waited until she was certain he was gone before letting out a breath and closing her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure how much more of this she could handle. If she thought Clark's behavior when Church had been released from prison was irritating, it was nothing compared to his behavior since. It seemed as if with each passing day, he became more protective and more insistent that she was in danger. On the day following their break-in at Church's lawyer's office, they had gone to see Lawrence Nicholson. It was obvious within ten minutes of their initial meeting why the D.A.'s office hadn't challenged Church's appeal. If there was a more credible witness alive, Lois wasn't sure where they would find him. In fact, after the interview, she could hardly believe that the D.A.'s office was hesitating in making its decision not to retry the case. At first, of course, Lawrence had been hesitant to talk to them. But once they had assured him that they wouldn't include his name or anything else that could be used to identify him in the story, he had become a fountain of information. Even Clark, with his new attitude, couldn't find any inconsistencies in Nicholson's story. He, however, had been less than enthusiastic about the news - claiming that even if Bill Church Sr. was innocent of this particular crime, as the leader of Intergang, he was undoubtedly guilty of many others. And Clark didn't particularly care which crime kept him behind bars. The whole reaction was so un-Clark- like that it had rendered Lois completely speechless. They also discovered the official reason Mindy Church's name had been left off the appeal documents. It seemed the police were looking at the possibility of filing charges against her in this case. But without any supporting evidence, they didn't think they could get a conviction. In the weeks that followed, bodies had begun showing up all over Metropolis - all with one thing in common. They all had alleged links to Intergang. It was obvious that a power struggle was taking place for control of the infamous crime syndicate. Of course, that had only made Clark's paranoia worse. Life with Clark had been so difficult lately that it was almost a relief when he got called away on a Superman rescue. She glanced up at the various news items that were running across the message board. A volcano had erupted in Hawaii. She felt a wave of guilt when the first thought that crossed her mind was that at least that should take him a little while - giving her a moment or two of freedom. He had cut back on a lot of his Superman activities, not doing as much as one charitable appearance. And he was leaving minor emergencies for city workers to take care of. All of this so that he could hover over her like a mother hen. It was not so slowly driving Lois nuts. Clark's new attitude resulted in a lot of fights between the two of them. She had tried yelling; she had tried reasoning; she had even tried begging. But Clark would not be moved. It seemed as if his fear for her safety was taking over every aspect of their life. No longer were they going to movies or out to dinner since Clark claimed he couldn't be certain he could protect her in public places. Lois could have gone without him. But he was her best friend. Those were the types of things they did together. They had even stopped leaving the newsroom for lunch or taking walks through the park. But even their lack of activity wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been for the emotional aspect of their relationship. The problem, in Lois' mind, was that emotionally she wasn't certain they had ever been further apart. Not even after he had broken up with her 'for her own good' so many years ago. Not even when she had turned down his marriage proposal. Not even when she, as temporary editor of the Daily Planet, had eighty-sixed his story. Not even when Leslie Luckaby had made a pass at her that Clark found out about before she had a chance to tell him. And yet in all the time since Church had been released from prison, there had not been a single hint that she was in any sort of danger. If only she could figure out what was causing his fear... But the only thing she could think of was that this new attitude had emerged with the news of her pregnancy. She wasn't certain she could stand another six and a half months of this - assuming, of course, that things went back to normal once their child arrived. And assuming a nine month gestation period for a human/kryptonian child. If things didn't return to normal then... One of the most shocking incidents had been when Clark had gone ahead and beefed up security at their brownstone without consulting her. Oh, sure, he had suggested the possibility previously. But when she indicated that she didn't think it was necessary and he hadn't pursued the topic further, she thought the issue was settled. And apparently it was - just not the way she thought. One day she simply walked into the brownstone to discover that it had been turned into a fortress. There was a new state of the art security system, a half dozen locks on both the front and back door and bars and bullet-proof glass covering the windows. It felt as if she had walked into a prison. Had their house not been attached to other houses, she suspected he would have built a moat and a draw-bridge. She had dreams that night about falling into a shark- infected moat, screaming for Superman who was too busy installing an electrified fence to help her. When she tried to tell him that he was taking this too far, they'd had a fight that made the fight they'd had in the conference room seem like a dress rehearsal. In fact, there had been a lot of fights that made their fight in the conference room seem mild by comparison. Yet no matter how loud Lois yelled, Clark seemed to yell louder. And not one word of reason she spoke seemed to penetrate his thick skull. As far as Clark was concerned, she was in danger and he was going to protect her - with or without her consent. She had tried to understand his new attitude. She really had. She loved him so much and it hurt to see him so convinced that he was going to lose her. She had reassure him. On occasion, she had even gone along with his demands. But it seemed as if nothing she could say or do made any impact. Unless she agreed to live in a glass bubble in some remote area of the world, she doubted he would be satisfied. She simply didn't know how much more of this she could take. She even tried calling Martha and Jonathan for back-up. And then, she persuaded Clark to fly the two of them out to the farm. That had probably been her worst mistake yet. When Martha and Jonathan had confronted their son, Clark had completely flipped - accusing her of trying to turn his parents against him and accusing them of not caring about her safety. Never before had Lois heard Clark talk to his parents the way he had that night. It almost seemed as if Clark could suddenly see dangers that weren't there, bogeymen hiding behind every corner. He had always been a tad bit over protective, but this was getting absolutely ridiculous. There was one thing that was particularly odd to Lois. It seemed that Clark had developed something of an obsession with their stove. Given that they had a gas stove, there was certainly a danger if it were left on. But since Clark cooked with his heat vision and she... well, didn't exactly cook, it was strange how often Clark seemed to check the stove. In fact, he checked to make sure it was turned off two or three times a day. One incident that had been particularly disturbing was when Perry had assigned them the task of following up on Bill Church's activities now that he was out of prison. At first, Clark had been hesitant. But then when bodies had started turning up... She had been absolutely furious when Clark had gone behind her back to tell Perry that Lois was off the story. That had resulted in their most public argument yet - in that it had taken place in Perry's office, in front of Perry. In the end, she won - mainly because Perry had insisted that he was the one who assigned stories. Lois had been stunned when, although Clark backed down, he proceeded to warn Perry that if he wasn't careful, and didn't take his wife's safety into account in assigning stories, he just might find a couple of resignations on his desk. Clark had walked out, leaving Perry as speechless as Lois. Not wanting to get into it with Perry when she suspected that Clark would be listening, she had simply shrugged and followed her husband out of the office. She would only challenge him to Perry if Clark tried to fulfill his threat - at least as far as her resignation was concerned. She wasn't entirely sure why she was putting up with as much from Clark as she was. She suspected it was because she, too, was having a funny feeling in her stomach about the whole thing. The problem was that she was no longer sure if the 'funny feeling' was that she was afraid of what Bill Church might do or if it was anxiety about what seemed to be happening in her relationship with Clark. She suspected it was the latter. Clark had changed in other ways, too. One thing about Clark was that he was always friendly with people. He stopped to talk to everyone - from chairman of the board of the Daily Planet to the night janitor. Yet, over the past few weeks, he had begun snapping at people. He no longer took the time to find out what was going on in people's lives. And he often wondered aloud when people tried to approach them - commenting that he felt as if they had a hidden agenda. Even in his clothing, there was a change. Clark had always taken great care with his appearance. Yet these days, he often looked disheveled. Lois suspected that it was the result of the distinct lack of sleep he had been getting. Although she had been going to bed at the regular times, he seldom came to bed when she did. On many occasions, she had woken up in the middle of the night to find him sitting in the big chair in their room, as if watching guard over her. At times she tried to coax him into bed. Other times, she simply allowed him to sit there. And although Lois knew her husband needed less sleep than ordinary men, he did need some. Maybe the lack of sleep was also the reason Clark seemed so paranoid these days. But how exactly did one make a Superman sleep? It wasn't as if she could slip a sleeping pill into his drink at night. "Lois," said Perry's voice, snapping her out of her thoughts. When she glanced up, he jerked his thumb in the direction of his office. She got up and followed him as he led the way there, somewhat surprised that he hadn't just bellowed at her like he usually did. He was waiting just inside the door when she entered. Closing the door, he sat on the edge of his desk, gesturing her to take a seat. "What's up, Perry?" she asked as she sat down. He studied her for a moment, as if slightly unsure about what he had to say. "What is it?" she asked again, very curious now. "You know how much I care about you and Clark," he said slowly. She nodded, not responding verbally, afraid that it would slow him down from getting to his point. "I just want to know... Well, are you and Clark all right? He seems to be... well, almost possessive of you these days. And knowing you..." He shrugged. "I guess given all the fights you two seem to be having I'm just a little worried. So are you okay?" "Of course we're..." Her voice suddenly trailed off and tears began congregating in the corners of her eyes. She closed her eyes and dropped her head. She couldn't do it. She couldn't lie to the man who had been more of a father to her than her own had been. Besides, right now she felt so alone. It was only a moment before the tears began slipping down her cheeks. And a moment after that, Perry's arms were around her. She buried her head in his shoulder and allowed all the pain to come pouring out. "I don't know how much more I can take, Perry," she breathed. "No matter what I do or say, I can't get through to him. I'm almost starting to feel as if the only option left is to leave Clark." Even the words felt like a betrayal. And she half expected Perry to withdraw from her in shock. She was almost surprised when his arms held her even closer. "I'm always here for you," Perry responded. "You do know that, don't you?" Lois simply nodded tearfully against his shoulder. * * * * * * * * * Clark entered the newsroom and automatically scanned it, looking for his wife. When he spotted her in Perry's office, he started towards it. He hesitated when he realized that Perry's arms were wrapped around Lois. And then his heart sank when he picked up her words. "...the only option left is to leave Clark." "I'm always here for you," Perry responded. "You do know that, don't you?" Unsure what to do, he continued to stand there. Suddenly, his hearing picked up the sound of an emergency transmission of an overturned truck, leaking some sort of dangerous substance all over the interstate about ten miles outside Metropolis. With one final look at his wife, and a pain in his heart, he headed back towards the stairs. * * * * * * * * * Lois returned to her desk lost in thought. She felt almost numb. Was she thinking of leaving Clark? She didn't know. What she wanted was the man she had married - the man she had lived with for the past three years - the man she loved and needed above all others. But the way he was now... She just wasn't sure how much more she could handle. Still, he was her husband. And there was a big difference between thinking of leaving him and actually doing it. No. In spite of what she had said to Perry, she knew deep in her heart that leaving Clark wasn't even an option. That meant that they were going to have to have it out once and for all. She hated the thought, but she hated the alternative more. She couldn't leave him. And she couldn't continue living, feeling as if she was a virtual prisoner. Besides, every marriage had its ups and downs. They were just going through a down period. They would find a way to work through this, just as they had every other problem they'd had in their relationship - of which there had been several. No. No matter what, he was her husband. And she was determined to find a way to make this marriage work - she loved him too much to do otherwise. And even if she hadn't... her hand drifted onto her stomach ...there were other things to consider here. This child would need his or her father - especially if the child turned out to share some of his or her father's remarkable gifts. And Lois knew only too well what losing a father could do to a child. No. Leaving Clark wasn't an option. But... "Earth to Lois," came Jimmy's voice, bringing Lois back to the present. "What is it, Jimmy?" Lois responded, trying to make herself look busy. "I just wondered if you had the twenty bucks you borrowed from me last week. I have a hot date tonight." "Bank!" Lois exclaimed, jumping to her feet. With everything that had been going on with Clark, she had completely forgotten that she needed to go to the bank. "I'll be back with your money in ten minutes. If Perry's looking for me, tell him I'll be right back. By the way, who's the lucky girl - the new girl in copy?" Jimmy smiled. "Uhh, young love," said Lois wistfully as she grabbed her jacket and headed towards the elevator. * * * * * * * * * Clark spun out of the suit and headed down the stairway into the Daily Planet at a jog. It had taken him nearly a half an hour to clean up the mess the overturned truck had left on the interstate. He just hoped Lois was all right. He stepped into the newsroom, his eyes immediately landing on Lois' desk. His search widened when he didn't see her. His gaze swept the newsroom quickly before returning to do a more thorough search, this time peeking into the conference room, Perry's office, the photocopy room and the supply closet. He even checked both the men's and the women's washrooms. When he still didn't see her, his heart rate increased, his hands got sweaty and his mouth became dry. What if something had happened in the short time he had been gone? "Hey, C.K.," came Jimmy's voice. "Are you..." "Where's Lois?" Clark demanded, cutting Jimmy off. "She went to the bank a few minutes ago. I got this hot date toni..." His voice trailed off when, without any explanation, Clark headed back towards the stairs at a jog. * * * * * * * * * Lois pulled out her checkbook and filled out a withdrawal slip while waiting in line at the bank. When she finished and the line still hadn't moved, she looked up. She let out a frustrated breath. There were ten places for bank tellers. Yet only two were actually working the counter. She glanced over at the bank machine and sighed. The line there was shorter, but with everything that had been going on, she had forgotten to send in the mortgage payment. If it wasn't paid today, there would be a penalty. She decided that she would make the payment in person while getting money out of the bank. The problem was... She sighed again as she counted the people still in front of her. One of the tellers became available, causing the entire line of people to take one step forward. Why did standing in the line at the bank always make one want to become a bank robber? She glanced down at the mortgage cheque and the withdrawal slip in her hands. Her head snapped up again when she heard the doors to the bank swing open and then watched four people noisily enter the bank - all of them dressed in black and wearing ski masks. Almost immediately, gun fire filled the air. Acting solely on instinct, almost everyone, including Lois, dropped to the floor. "Everyone stay down," said one of the men with guns. "Now, we're just here to make a little withdrawal. If we don't have any heroes, everyone will live to see another day. Otherwise..." The sound of gunfire again echoed through the enclosed space of the bank. "Any questions?" The man's final comment was greeted by silence. "Good," the man said. "I guess that means we understand each other." With his words, he gestured to his companions who quickly made their way into the employees' section of the bank, forcing the employees to put whatever money they had access to into large bags. At the same time, the man who had spoken stayed where he was, keeping an eye on the entire operation as if almost hoping someone would decide to be a hero. * * * * * * * * * Clark's blood ran cold when he heard gun shots coming from the Metropolis First National Bank. He didn't even stop to check out the situation as he made his way at full speed towards a window on the first floor of the bank. He was through the window, and three of the four assailants were tied up before the sound of the breaking glass of the window could even be heard. The fourth assailant was being held up by his collar, his mask having vanished, a furious Superman no more than a couple of inches in front of him. * * * * * * * * * Lois looked up from the floor to see the brightly clad superhero holding the would-be bank robber - a boy who appeared to be no more than eighteen. "Who do you work for?" Superman demanded of the boy. "Who do you work for?" Superman demanded again when the boy didn't immediately answer, this time giving the boy a slight shake. "I don't..." began the obviously confused, obviously fearful child. "Who do you work for?" Superman demanded again. "I don't work for nobody," the boy said, his expression going from fearful to terrified. A glimpse at the anger on the superhero's face brought Lois up short. She immediately understood the reason for the boy's fear. In his place, she would be feeling the same way. She took a look at the other people in the bank who had obviously realized the robbers were no longer a threat but had still not risen from their positions from the floor, being completely captivated by the drama now taking place before them. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" Superman demanded. "It's all a cover so you can kill her, isn't it?" "I don't..." the boy began again, his voice breaking in the middle of his denial. "Don't lie to me," the superhero hissed, narrowing his eyes. "This is about my wife, isn't it?" Lois' breath caught in her throat. She had been about to get up and put a stop to Superman's over-the-top actions. But at the mention of 'his wife', she froze. If she got up now and it became known that she was in the bank... She noticed the cameras covering the place and kept her face towards the floor. She didn't want it to look as if she was trying to avoid the cameras, but at the same time, if they didn't catch a clear view of her face, she could hopefully get out of here without being too noticeable. That was, unless Clark said something else - or directed attention to her. "I didn't even know you had a wife," the boy stuttered. Superman looked as if about to respond, but then something the kid had said seemed to sink in. He glanced around the bank, somewhat nervously, before, in another flash of color, he tied up the final kid and disappeared out the window just as the sound of police sirens could be heard approaching. Lois let her head drop to the floor and she breathed a sigh of relief. But then police officers began to rush into the bank and she realized she had to get out immediately - before she was asked for her statement. If at all possible, no one could know she had ever been there. * * * * * * * * * Clark watched Lois exit the bank from a rooftop across the street. He knew he had made a serious mistake in that bank. Everyone had heard him make a comment about his wife - of that he had no doubt. If anyone made the connection between that comment and Lois... He wasn't entirely sure how he had made such a stupid mistake. He had just been so scared that Lois was in danger, he hadn't been thinking straight. Lois would be angry. And he couldn't really blame her. That was why he wasn't waiting for her when she left the bank. At the same time, he couldn't let her walk back to the Daily Planet without his protection - just in case his initial impression that the bank robbery was just a cover to attack her was correct. He saw her keep her head down as she wove her way through the pedestrians on the sidewalk. Taking to the sky and floating high enough to remain unseen, he followed her progress until she was safely back in the newsroom. Then he headed back towards the bank. Taking a deep breath, he made his way into the bank so that, under the pretext of giving the police his statement, he could erase any security tapes that would likely have got a clear shot of Lois during her time in the bank. He knew it was evidence he was destroying, but... Besides, he would leave ones that wouldn't likely have recorded a clear picture of her. And there were a number of witnesses who could testify, after all. As soon as he was finished, he returned to the Daily Planet. Landing on the roof, he spun into his Clark clothes and took a seat. He needed to think about what had happened - trying to sort out what he knew from what he suspected. He still thought that the bank robbery was just a cover for an attack on Lois. He just wasn't sure why he thought that. And if he went in there without a coherent theory... Lois was going to kill him. And if she had already been planning to leave him before this latest incident... He felt a cold knot of fear well up in his stomach. The thought of her leaving him was bad enough. But how was he going to be able to protect her if she left him? Maybe it was time to start seriously considering taking some drastic action. Maybe it was time for him to get Lois out of the path of danger - whether she wanted to go or not. * * * * * * * * * When Lois arrived back at the Daily Planet, there were televisions on in the newsroom. She pushed her way through the crowd to see what was on, hoping desperately that it wasn't what she thought it probably was. "So what do you make of it, Lois?" came Perry's voice. "Of what, Perry?" Lois asked, trying to sound innocent. "Of Superman's comment about his wife," Perry clarified. Lois actually breathed something of a sigh of relief. It was bad - true. But it could have been so much worse. Had someone recognized that she was in that bank, Perry's question would have been so much different. "I suppose it's possible," said Lois as if unaffected by the news. Perry glanced over at her. Then, without comment, he looked back at the televison. Commentators had definitely heard about Superman's remark and were taking turns trying to figure out what it meant. Had the woman, Zara, who had come to Earth from Krypton years ago, stayed and married Superman? Was it possible that he had married Ultra Woman? After all, there had been rumors at the time that Ultra Woman and Superman had been seen kissing. She watched for a moment more, relieved that there was no mention of her. That didn't necessarily mean that someone wouldn't think to review all the bank tapes. But for right now, at least, it was a relief. And Clark hadn't actually said that she was in the bank so... Maybe they would be okay. Either way, it wasn't as if there was a lot she could do about it now. "We have just received the following video from the bank's security," said the anchorman on LNN before a video which showed Superman at the robbery began to play. Lois held her breath as she searched the people in the background of the video, only breathing again when she didn't see herself. If ever there was a time when she did not want to be seen on television, this was it. From the angle of the camera, Superman's actions, and even his facial expressions, could clearly be seen. But she was no where in sight. "Lane, line two," came a yelled voice. Lois made her way back through the crowds. When she arrived at her desk, she grabbed the phone. "Lane, here," she said. "Lois," came a woman's voice on the other end. "Hi, Martha," Lois responded, recognizing her mother-in- law's voice. "What's going on with Clark?" Jonathan asked, skipping any small-talk his wife might be tempted to engage in. Lois let out a breath. "I don't know, Jonathan. I wish I did, but..." Her voice trailed off. "I just don't know what's going on anymore," she said, her voice trembling as she sank down into her chair, the tension of the last half hour suddenly catching up with her. "I take it that you don't think the bank robbery was an attempt on your life," Jonathan commented. "I'm sure it wasn't. I was at the bank. But my trip there wasn't planned. I just happened to be there to pay the mortgage and get some money. The robbers didn't even know who I was. But somehow Clark..." Again her voice trailed off. "So things aren't going any better between you and Clark?" Martha asked. Lois snorted. "It's getting almost impossible. You should see our home, Martha. He's turned it into an armed fortress. And the stove..." "What about the stove?" "We don't use it. But it seems as if he's checking to make sure it's off two or three times a day. I don't know how much more of this I can take." There was a moment of silence before Lois spoke again. "God, you must think I'm horrible. I mean, he's concerned about the baby. I should be more sensitive." "That's not what we were thinking at all," said Martha. "We've just been talking and..." "And?" "Well, do you think there might be something wrong with Clark? Something more than just concern for you and the baby?" Lois was silent as she considered the possibility. "Like what?" she finally asked. "I don't know. But from what we saw on that bank tape LNN got its hands on... Lois, that was more than just being overly protective. The look on his face... I've never seen that look on Clark's face before. I was scared he was going to seriously hurt that boy. He almost looked... crazy," said Martha. "No," Lois denied immediately. "Martha, Clark might be a little over-protective. But he'd never hurt anyone. It just isn't in him." But even as she said the words, her mind flashed back to Clark's comments about taking Church to the arctic tundra with no means of support. Before she could evaluate Martha's comment any further, she saw Clark enter the newsroom. Suddenly, feeling guilty for even doubting him, Lois spoke into the phone. "Gotta go," she said before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up. * * * * * * * * * Mindy heard the phone in her outer office ring again. It seemed as if that thing had been ringing non-stop for the last few hours. She had left instructions quite some time ago that she wasn't taking any more phone calls. She turned the television up a little bit more to drown out the sound of the phone. It had all been going so well. Superman hadn't been around nearly as much during the past few weeks, making her believe he was too scared to get involved. Bill had killed some of her supporters, just as she had killed some of his. But Bill's hostile actions hadn't been doing much to undermine the support she was still receiving from Intergang's lieutenants. At least, not until now. But after that incident at the bank... By the number of phone calls she was getting, Superman's behavior at the bank had shaken up a lot of people. But until she had some answers herself, she wasn't taking their calls. Hopefully, this was an isolated incident. Although it might be time to make use of another one of her gifts as a woman - the ability to seduce. Choosing the right 'benefactor' could certainly help with keeping the boys calm. She thought about that for a moment before smiling and picking up the phone to make her own call. * * * * * * * * * Early the next morning, Lois' hand hovered above the phone in their living room. It was their day off. But, once again, Clark was out as a result of some sort of Superman emergency. Although she had quickly dismissed Martha's comments the day before, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about them. Martha loved Clark as much as she did. She wouldn't suggest her son had a problem if she didn't honestly think he did. And now that she thought about it, Lois found herself wondering the same thing. She had just assumed that his protectiveness was the result of her being pregnant. But when she considered Superman's behavior in the bank the other day - not to mention other little things, the stove, for instance, she found that she was unable to completely dismiss Martha's comments. Still, calling Martha and Jonathan almost felt like a betrayal. How could she go behind Clark's back like this? He was her husband. And one thing they had jealously guarded was their ability to talk to each other about anything. How could she start talking to his parents about something that she hadn't yet discussed with Clark? Not that talking to Clark would be easy. But didn't she owe him at least that much before going behind his back to discuss him with his parents? Having made her decision, Lois allowed her hand to drop and began moving away from the phone. But before she had been able to take more than a step, the phone suddenly began ringing. Lois jumped and then stared at it in disbelief for a moment before grabbing the phone. "Hello?" she asked. "Turn on the television," came Martha's voice. "But what..." "Do it now," Martha interrupted. Lois set down the phone and made her way to the coffee table. Picking up the remote, she clicked it on, tuning in LNN. She assumed there was something on the news that Martha thought she should see. She knew instantly that she was right. Making her way back to the phone, she picked it up but didn't raise it to her ear. Her eyes were glued to the television set as she sank into a chair beside the phone. Unable to do anything but stare, she watched in fascinated horror as the scene on the screen played itself out before her. Although the commentators were certainly giving their opinions on what was transpiring, Lois didn't hear any of it. She simply watched, working out the unheard details for herself. There had obviously been a multi-car pile up on the interstate. That must have been the emergency that had called Clark away this morning. At least, he was certainly there. A camera in a helicopter overhead was focusing on the superhero as he yelled at a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. What he was saying could only be imagined. But there was no doubt that the man looked terrified - and the superhero looked as if he was about to kill him. A third party, an older gentleman with thinning hair, cautiously approached Superman from behind. His body language seemed to indicate that he was trying to get Superman to calm down. The man reached out and touched Superman's arm. Lois' heart almost came to a stop when, without more than a glance at the intruder, Superman seemed to swat him, sending the man through the air to land a good ten to fifteen feet away. Without waiting to see if the older man was all right, Superman turned back to the original object of his anger. "My god," Lois breathed, almost as if in prayer. The camera focused for a moment on the man on the ground. Lois let out a breath of relief when the man moved. It seemed that there was a problem with his leg, but at least he was alive. As if afraid to miss any of the action, the camera returned to the main focus of activity. Superman. He was again yelling at the younger man - almost as if there had been no interruption. Although the camera hadn't caught the reasons for it, Superman was now holding the younger man up by the collar of his shirt. The helicopter moved around and the camera began to zoom in closer. At first the picture was fuzzy, but when it again came into focus, the look on Superman's face was clearly visible. Lois tensed when she saw Superman's eyes. They seemed to glow slightly. She had seen that before and knew immediately what it meant. Clark was about to use his heat vision on that man. "No, Clark," she yelled at the top of her lungs - oblivious to what the neighbors might think and hoping desperately that Clark would hear her. "Don't hurt him." Suddenly, the look on Superman's face seemed to clear. He tilted his head to the side and Lois held her breath, not entirely certain if she was imagining things or if he had heard her. He seemed to look confused before dropping the man and disappearing into the sky. Lois closed her eyes and finally released her breath. She thought she heard her name and raised her head. Her name being called again finally reminded her that she was still on the phone with Martha. She raised the phone back to her ear. "What's going on, Martha?" she asked in quiet desperation. "I'm not sure, Lois. But I've been doing some research. I think Clark might have schizophrenia." "Multiple personalities?" Lois asked. "That's a fallacy," said Martha. "Schizophrenia is not about split personalities. It's an illness that affects a person's thought processes. It plays with a person's senses, making them think they see or hear, or even taste, touch or smell, things that aren't there. The symptoms are not identical for everyone. The reason it is confused with split personalities is that the person suffering usually has a personality change." "Well, that's certainly the case here, but..." "Also, some people become completely paranoid. Since they are having difficulties distinguishing between real and unreal, they can become convinced that they are being plotted against or constantly spied on. Their reality says that there are dangers lurking around every corner. Their thinking is colored by delusions, having little basis in reality." Lois was now on the edge of her seat. It almost seemed as if Martha was giving her a description of Clark over the past few weeks. "But the important thing to remember is that it is an illness - not a weakness. And it is treatable. The problem tends to be that people suffering from schizophrenia are often in denial. What they are experiencing is so real to them that they can't accept being told that it isn't." "So what do I do? How do I find out?" "You need to get him to see Dr. Klein," Martha said. "There's something wrong with my boy. And given his powers, if he continues the way he's going, it's only a matter of time before he ends up killing someone. If that happens, Lois, he'll never forgive himself." Lois was silent for a long time. Martha didn't say anything, as if understanding Lois' need to try to digest what she was being told. Finally, Martha spoke again. "Even if he isn't suffering from schizophrenia, can you still deny that Clark is having some sort of breakdown?" Lois let out a breath. "No," she finally whispered. The incident on the freeway had been the final proof. There was no way the man Lois knew would have hurt that older man - especially since he seemed to be simply trying to help. It had almost reminded her of the time Ching had swatted her away as if she were no more than a fly. And it was so unlike Clark that the only explanation for it was that something was wrong with her husband. "Then at least talk to Dr. Klein," Martha begged. "I'm no expert, after all." "I will, Martha," Lois said quietly. "Do you want me to come to Metropolis?" Martha asked. "Jonathan and I have talked about it. He can't get away from the farm right now, but I could come." Lois smiled, touched by Martha's offer. But she knew full well that the last few years had been hard on Martha and Jonathan financially. Flying to Metropolis without Clark's assistance was beyond their ability. Besides, they were both needed on the farm this time of year. "We'll be okay, Martha," Lois responded. "Well, let us know if we can do anything," Martha added. "Just be there," Lois said softly. "You have no idea how much it helps just knowing you're there." * * * * * * * * * Clark shook as he slowly lowered himself to the ground by the edge of a small, deserted lake in New Troy's State Park. He needed a moment to himself to try to sort out what had just happened. By the time he had arrived on the scene, the chain reaction caused by one car abruptly braking, being followed too closely by too many other cars was well underway. The first car had been hit by the second, which had been hit by a third and so on. Even those cars that did manage to brake in time were hit by the car following them. And then one of the cars, upon being hit, had been forced into a second lane. The car there had braked, starting a whole new chain reaction. It had taken some superspeed and some super muscular dexterity for Clark to stop the process. Once he had finally ensured that no more cars would be involved in this particular collision, he had sped to the front of the line, intent on checking for injuries. It was then that he saw it. A young man had emerged from the second car and was approaching the woman who had emerged from the first. In the man's hand appeared to be a tire iron. Fear had well up in Clark's stomach as, for a moment, he saw Lois as the woman. The rest was sort of a blur. He could recall putting himself between the man and his intended victim. And... He struggled for a moment. He was fairly certain another man was involved somehow, although he wasn't entirely certain how. And then he had heard Lois' voice. Unlike the voice in his head that kept telling him Lois was in danger, a voice which he knew wasn't real, he could almost swear that Lois' voice had been real - telling him not to hurt the man. It had taken a moment for the remark to sink in. He couldn't imagine that he would have intended to hurt someone. But then he realized he was holding an obviously terrified man by his collar. He had immediately released him and flown away. But what had happened? Could he have actually have been intending to hurt someone? All he could really remember was being terrified. Terrified that that man was going to hurt that woman. Terrified that he wouldn't be able to stop it. Everything after that was a blur. He slumped down onto the ground and buried his face in his hands. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he remember what had happened between the moment he had inserted himself between the young man and the woman, and the moment he had heard Lois' voice? And why had he been so scared of failing? The man only had a tire iron, after all. Had there been some threat there that he had not been consciously aware of? And, most importantly, what did he do about it now? Well, there was one thing he knew he couldn't do. He couldn't tell Lois. After all, she had enough to worry about with the danger that Bill Church was coming after her. Besides, the stress couldn't be good for the baby. No. He couldn't trouble Lois with this. He would have to be strong and sort all this out for himself. * * * * * * * * * Bill Church Sr. leaned back in his chair and smiled as he watched the commentators clamor all over themselves to give their own versions about what had happened with Superman at the interstate. Superman's apparent lack of control, first at the bank robbery yesterday and now at the interstate, was certainly getting a lot of coverage by the press. It had taken a not so modest amount of money, but Bill had managed to find out Mindy's pl