Insert the usual disclaimer here about characters belonging to 
other people such as those who have had a hand in creating 
both the "Lois & Clark" and "Quantum Leap" television series.

This is for Grace and the Aussie FoLCs out there who loathed 
the illogic of "And The Answer Is...", the second season finale. 
For Michelle and Nicolle, who provided me with a handy 
digest of QL facts (and episodes).  And also, especially for Dan 
for all his help and putting up with me thinking aloud.   :)
As usual, comments and thoughts are welcome.

[Rhen’s note:  you learn something new every day - a balaclava 
is another name for a ski mask :)]

LEAPING FOR THE ANSWER
by Leanne Richard  (volterra@sd.znet.com)

	Disoriented, Sam blinked, finding himself staring into 
a silent telecommunicator. The model wasn't that old, he 
thought, I must be getting closer. Had this latest Quantum 
Leap left him just short of reaching his own body? 
	After every Leap, it was important to determine who 
he was and thus act accordingly. Sam looked down. 
	"Oh boy," he  groaned. "I'm Superman." 
	Sam checked his surroundings. What was Superman 
doing standing in an alleyway by a smelly old dumpster? His 
mind was having difficulty getting to grips with the skin-tight 
blue and red costume he was wearing. He was Superman??? 
	"Al!" he hollered. 
	On cue, Admiral Albert Calavicci appeared. As a 
hologram, he could centre in on Sam's neurological patterns 
through time and space, but was only visible to Sam. Ever 
since the experiment had gone horribly wrong after the first 
Leap, with Sam unable to leap back into his body, Al had been 
there, helping him to Leap again. 
	"You look ridiculous in that suit," he remarked. 
	Sam ignored the comment. "I'm Superman! What am I 
supposed to do this time? Save the world?" To Leap again, and 
hopefully reach his own body, Samuel Beckett had to change 
some event which would make things better for the person 
whose body he was inhabiting or for the people around him. 
	Grimly recalling his first Leap into an almost fatal test 
flight, Sam made a tentative stab at testing his superpowers. He 
shot his arm out above his head and made to fly. Nothing 
happened. At first, Sam was relieved. He had a chronic fear of 
heights. Then the consequences came home to him. Panic filled 
his face. "Al! I haven't got his powers! What am I supposed to 
do?" 
	"That's a good question," Al drawled. "No 
superpowers, eh?" He looked around. "Can you lift that 
dumpster?" 
	Sam squatted in front of the dumpster and prepared to 
lift it. To his surprise, he lifted it with ease. He lowered the 
dumpster carefully and frowned. "But I can't fly..." 
	Al punched a few buttons and frowned at the answer 
displayed. "I'll have to get back to you," he said. 
	"Al!" Sam gestured to his costume. "I can't walk 
home!" 
	"The clothes are hidden by the dumpster, Sam." Al 
wriggled his fingers in a wave and vanished as abruptly as he 
appeared. 
	Sam changed into his street clothes and examined his 
appearance in a piece of broken mirror, smoothing the dark 
grey business suit. Sam made a pretense of adjusting his 
colourful tie, admiring the brown, even features and the dark 
brown hair that flopped over one eye. 
	"Very nice." Al re-appeared, causing Sam to jump and 
turn around. 
	"How long have you --" 
	"Oh don't worry, I've only been here a few minutes." 
Al leered and looked into the mirror over Sam's shoulder. 
"Handsome looking devil," he commented. Al compared the 
image with Sam's own uneven features, golden-brown untidy 
hair that had an odd white forelock. "A definite improvement." 
	"Thank you very much," snapped Sam. "Now, did you 
find out why I can't fly and what I'm supposed to be doing 
here?" 
	"I talked to Superman," who was inhabiting Sam's 
body while Sam inhabited his, "and he said he didn't fly until he 
was eighteen -- and that he learnt to do it." 
	"Oh great." Sam was not pleased to hear that. While 
he might have the physical body of Superman, he did not share 
any of his learnt skills. 
	"But apparently," continued Al, "if you concentrate 
hard enough, you can use his X-ray vision. It's a matter of 
wanting to and focusing." 
	Sam lowered his glasses, part of his mind vaguely 
wondering why he did so, and directed a penetrating glare at 
the wall. He frowned, concentrated hard and then smiled as a 
section of the brick wall melted away to reveal a janitor's 
closet, littered with pails, maps and other cleaning 
paraphernalia. 
	"What does Ziggy say?" Sam asked absently, referring 
to his "mission", as he used his X-ray vision to scan along the 
ground floor of the building. 
	"Ziggy is getting more and more difficult to work 
with, "whinged Al, biting the end off a cigar and lighting it. 
"Whoever programmed that A.I. with an ego -" 
	Sam turned sharply, blinking as he "switched off" his 
X-ray vision. "Al, *I* programmed him." 
	"Yeah, well ..." muttered Al. "Hey!" In an instant, Al's 
cigar was extinguished and flicked away by an unseen force. Al 
looked up. "OK, Ziggy, I'm sorry, I forgot!" 
	"Forgot what?" 
	Utterly miserable, Al said, "Ziggy's established a five 
mile No Smoking zone. It's a pain in the butt." 
	Sam shrugged. "I've told you time and again that stuff 
will kill you." Sam almost seemed to enjoy Al's discomfit. 
	"Yeah, well, anyway," Al started to pace, his hand 
gesturing as if he still held the cigar. His eyes were fixed on 
Sam. "Ziggy says that you're here to tell Lois Lane that you're 
Superman." 
	"But everybody knows Clark Kent is Superman!" 
	"Not yet they don't." Al flicked away imaginary ash 
from his imaginary cigar. "Ziggy calculates that if you tell Lois 
at midnight three days from now, you'll be able to make 
another Quantum Leap. You tell her before then and you're 
stuck here forever." 
	"I think I'm getting closer, Al," Sam said excitedly, 
unperturbed by merely waiting three days before spilling the 
beans to Lois. "Do you think that with the next Leap I'll be 
back in my own body?" 
	Al spread out his arms, raising them up to embrace 
the heavens. "Who can say, Sam? It's all in the lap of the 
gods ... Or whatever's up there." 
	Sam sighed. "I sure hope it's soon." He gave himself a 
little shake. "Did you happen to ask what Superman was doing 
here with this?" Sam produced the telecommunicator. 
	"Some guy has proof that Clark is Superman and is 
blackmailing him for it." 
	"You're kidding me, right?" Sam couldn't believe it. 
"And Superman is falling for this?" Sam began to pace, seeing 
complications arise. Al stopped his own pacing to watch -- it 
was far less exhausting to have someone else do the pacing for 
you. "So how does this guy know?" 
	"He has a diary written by some madman Tempus in 
the 1860's that says so." Al stuck an unlit cigar in his mouth 
and chewed. 
	"A diary written by a lunatic?" 
	"Don't be so cynical, Sam," said Al, pointing the wet 
end of his cigar at him. "The diary also accurately lists every 
major event to date." Al told him of the trip in time that Clark 
and Lois had taken. The diary still existed, forming part of the 
Superman Museum. 
	"Oh." Sam felt a little deflated. H.G. Wells had been 
his inspiration -- and to discover that it hadn't been fiction after 
all ... 
	Al slapped his forehead. "What am I thinking? Clark 
says that his parents are in town for their anniversary. They're 
at his, uh your, apartment. They're waiting for you." Al gave 
Sam Clark's address and vanished. 
	It helped that Sam was familiar with Metropolis, 
having lived there briefly before setting up his experimentation 
centre in New Mexico. 

	***** 
	"Mom? Dad?" Sam called as he entered his apartment. 
	"Honey, is that you?" called a woman, out of Sam's 
sight. "We're in here!" 
	In *where*? Sam wondered. Clark's apartment was 
not particularly large. It wasn't exactly one room either. The 
place was painted in earthy tones of orange and brown. A tiny 
kitchen area became a small dining area, marked by a round 
wooden table, which expanded into an open living area into 
which Sam now walked. His eyes itched to look at the books 
lining the wall, but first things were first. 
	Clark's parents appeared from another room. His 
mother was a spare, yet clearly energetic, woman. Her faded 
auburn hair was pulled back with clips. As Sam hugged Mrs 
Kent, muttering polite banalities like "good trip?", he looked 
over at Clark's father, a more reticent man. He was not much 
taller than his wife, but certainly more robust of figure. 
	Mrs Kent pulled back to look at her son, just as Al re-
appeared next to Mr Kent. "Uh oh, I know that look," 
exclaimed Clark's mother. "What's wrong?" 
	Sam didn't quite know what to say. He directed a 
beseeching gaze at Al. Al waves his unlit cigar in the air 
carelessly. "Go on," he said. "Tell them." 
	"What is it, son?" prompted Mr Kent. 
	Sam faltered over his words. "Someone ... knows 
I'm ... Superman. He has a ... diary that proves it." 
	Mrs Kent frowned. "A diary? What kind of a diary?" 
	"It's a long story ... Mom." Sam hesitated over that 
last word. He could never completely get used to calling 
somebody else his parent. 
	"No, Sam!" Al shouted, gesticulating wildly and too 
late. "Clark's not supposed to know about that yet. He was 
made to forget the time trip!" 
	"Well, son," said Mr Kent, as Mrs Kent consolingly 
hugged her son. "Maybe it's time to reveal to the world who 
you are." 
	"Lois has to come first," Al reminded. 
	Sam nodded in acknowledgment. If he started talking 
to thin air, his parents would begin to worry. "But, what about 
Lois?" 
	"Isn't it time you told her, dear?" Martha prodded. 
	No, thought Sam, not for another two nights. "You 
mean, just -- tell her?" he asked, stalling for time. Besides 
which, from what Sam could remember of his reading about 
Lois Lane, he recalled that she was quite volatile. 
	Martha nodded encouragingly. 

	***** 
	Sam walked down the ramp of the Daily Planet's 
newsroom, his eyes taking in the bustle of a busy city 
newspaper. Although he knew Lois would be at the Daily 
Planet, he couldn't avoid her, although Sam would certainly 
avoid telling her Clark's secret. On the other hand, Clark was 
supposed to be working at the Planet too. Sam wondered 
where Clark's desk was. 
	"Hey CK!" A cherubic-faced youth grabbed hold of 
his arm at the foot of the ramp. "You better be careful of Lois," 
he warned with a wry smile. 
	"Mad?" 
	"Real mad. I hope you've got life insurance." He 
pointed over to where a lovely young woman frowned at her 
screen, typing angrily. Her straight shiny brown hair fell to her 
shoulders, framing her expressive face. Sam felt a shock thrill 
through him when she glanced up and saw him. Beautiful, he 
thought. 
	He approached her. "Mad, huh?" 
	Lois harrumphed and stood. "You read my mind -- or 
my screen. In the conference room *now*, Kent." 
	Sam paused to read the screen and quailed inwardly at 
the invective. Quickly, he saved and closed the file. 
	He closed the conference room door. Lois quit her 
furious pacing and directed her fury at him. "Clark, I'm sick 
and tired of you walking out on me --" She railed on. 
	Al appeared and whistled appreciatively. "Nice," he 
drawled. "A real fiery one." Al bent over for a better look at 
her legs. "Great pins," he leered and his eyes moved upwards. 
They lit up. "Wow!" he gasped, his hands before him as if to 
grab her breasts. "Are they real? They're spectacular!" Sam 
ignored him. 
	"... and with the lamest excuses!" continued Lois, 
unaware of Al's leering gaze. 
	Sam recalled a memory of his own. His fiancee had 
bought him a "Superman's Lamest Excuses" as a joke gift. Sam 
Beckett had been so obsessed with his work that he often 
forgot he had a home to go to. He couldn't tell her that in the 
heat of discovery, he'd forgotten her existence. So ... it didn't 
turn out to be much of a joke gift at all. She'd left him waiting 
at the altar. 
	The cherubic-faced youth stuck his head around the 
door. "CK! Phone call for you on line one." 
	"Jimmy!" cried Lois. "Not now!" Jimmy cringed. 
	Sam decided. "Take a message, Jimmy." 
	Jimmy, expecting to be torn limb from limb by Lois, 
said, "He said it was important. Something about a dumpster." 
	Sam pulled a face. The blackmailer. "Lois, I have to 
take that call." Jimmy vanished. 
	"Clark, if you take that call," Lois threatened, a catch 
in her voice. Sam saw her eyes fill with unshed tears. He 
wanted to hold her, to reassure her things would be all right. 
	"Lois, I'm sorry ..." Sam picked up the phone and 
pressed '1'. Furious, and saddened beyond words, Lois ducked 
under the phone cord and stormed out. Sam watched her 
retreating form, wishing that there was something he could do, 
but he had to prevent this blackmailer from revealing 
Superman's true identity to the world before he could tell Lois. 
"Hello?" 
	Sam paled on hearing the latest threat. The Kents 
kidnapped! He winced as he heard Mr Kent being struck and 
Mrs Kent cry out. In exchange for their safety, the unknown 
blackmailer wanted Superman to steal $20 million worth of 
uncut diamonds from Mayzik Jewellers that night. It went 
against Sam's deep moral code. "I can't steal for you." 
	"I don't think you have a choice, Superman," sneered 
Mayzik, "and if I smell anything funny you'll end up an 
orphan." The line went dead. 
	Sam did have a choice. He didn't have to succumb to 
this blackmail. He could find and rescue Clark's parents 
without most of Clark's powers. He could call in the police. 
	He returned swiftly to Clark's apartment, hoping to 
find some clue to the Kents' whereabouts. The door was ajar 
and inside were signs of struggle: lamps and chairs overturned; 
a newspaper scattered across the floor. Painstakingly, Sam 
drew on his reduced and unsteady superpowers to search for 
evidence. There was nothing. The kidnappers had left no 
fingerprints or any other clue. Sam sighed, and resolved to 
return to the Planet to do a database search on lead-lined 
rooms. Surely there couldn't be that many. 
	Back at the Planet, Sam settled behind Clark's desk 
and activated the computer. Passworded? Sam silently swore. 
"Al?" Sam whispered hopefully. "Al? Are you there?" No 
response. Where was Al when you needed him? He 
methodically and casually went through Clark's desk, 
examining every file and piece of paper in the hope that the 
password had been jotted down. Many people did. Not Clark, 
apparently. Must have a super memory as well, Sam thought. 
But who knew how a Kryptonian mind worked? If Sam ever 
got back, he'd try and find out. 
	In the meantime, he was stuck. Where on earth in 
Metropolis would he find a lead-lined room? Sam doodled on a 
pad, actually sketching a complex physics diagram, while he 
tried to think of a location. Some sort of nuclear facility? But 
how on earth could the Kents have been smuggled in? 
Somewhere deserted, perhaps. 
	Sam heard the elevator doors open and looked up to 
see Jimmy enter loaded with  stack of files. "Jimmy!" he called. 
	Jimmy nodded and vanished through another door. 
Sam impatiently tapped his desk with a pencil. 
	Jimmy returned. "What's up, CK?" 
	Sam blinked. How to explain it? "Uhh, doesn't matter, 
Jimmy. I found what I wanted. Thanks, anyway." 
	Jimmy shook his head, bemused. "Sure thing, CK." 
	The truth was that time was running out. 
	Al appeared beside him. 
	Sam got in first. "Where have you been?" 
	Al sighed. "Trying to keep Tina's hands off 
Superman." He smiled. "With some success I might add." Al 
preened the lapel of his satin jacket and smirked in self-
satisfaction. He leaned forward and jabbed at Sam with his 
unlit cigar. "More importantly, Sam, time's running out! What 
are you going to do?" 
	"The only thing I can do, Al," Sam said softly. 
	"What?" Al's eyes bugged in disbelief. "You're gonna 
rob the jewelry store? Are you out of your mind?" 
	"No, Al," replied Sam with weary patience. "I'm 
calling in the police." Sam picked up the phone and dialled. 
	"The police? Are you sure this is the right thing to 
do?" Al's face mirrored his concern. "What if this guy finds out 
and kills the Kents?" 
	"Al, that won't happen." Sam turned his head away 
from Al to speak into the phone. "Yes, hello. I'd like to speak 
to someone about a kidnapping." 
	Once Sam had conveyed the urgency of his situation, 
the police acted quickly. Because Sam had left it so late to 
notify them, it was agreed that Sam should go through with the 
robbery under police supervision. The police swiftly liaised 
with the owner of the store and the diamonds were replaced 
with fakes, which the jeweller swore were almost as good as 
the real thing. The lieutenant in charge didn't want Clark to do 
anything but finally agreed there was too much at stake. 
	All Sam had to do now was find out where Mayzik 
Jewellers were. The police seemed to have left that pertinent 
fact out of their faxed instructions, which included the security 
code and safe combination to break into the store. Sam 
retrieved the Yellow Pages and flicked through to the Jewellers 
section. He scanned the columns for the Mayzik listing. He 
tapped his fingers on it as he found it. 
	Lois approached. "Clark?" 
	"I'm sorry, Lois, I have to go." Sam felt like he'd been 
punched in the gut by her quickly masked look of hurt. "We'll 
talk soon, I promise." He fled her presence. 

	****** 
	He donned snug-fitting black jeans, a black turtleneck 
jumper and a leather jacket. 
	Al appeared beside him as he walked towards the 
jewellers. "My," said Al. "Don't you look unobstrusive." 
	"Thieves are supposed to wear black. It absorbs 
light," replied Sam. 
	Once at the store, Sam scanned the instructions and 
codes retrieved from Mayzik's security firm. With an alarmed 
floor and safe, this wasn't going to be easy. One wrong key 
press and the observing police would be forced to arrest him. 
	Sam looked around. He pulled on some gloves and 
pulled a balaclava over his head. With a picklock, he managed 
to unlock the front door of the store. Reading the combination 
on the piece of paper by streetlight, Sam successfully 
deactivated the alarm system. 
	In minutes it was all over. Sam retrieved the diamonds 
from the wall safe. He poured them into a velvet bag and 
placed them in his jacket pocket. Sam switched the security 
system back on, safely and quietly making his exit. 

	***** 
	The fountain in Centennial Park burbled in the night in 
opposition to Sam's increasingly foul mood. The 
telecommunicator in his pocket beeped and he withdrew it. The 
screen came to life and a man's face in shadow spoke to him. 
"You look faaabulous in black," he drawled. 
	"Where are my parents?" Sam demanded. 
	"Do you have the diamonds? -- Show me." 
	Sam raised the black velvet bag of diamonds so that it 
was next to his face and visible to the blackmailer. 
	"Good, very good." The man sounded amused and 
highly pleased. "Drop the diamonds in the fountain." Sam did 
as he was told, longing to give this smarmy git a black eye. 
"Don't wait, or follow the courier. I'll be in touch." 
	"Wait!" exclaimed Sam. "I bring you the diamonds, 
you release my parents. Was that the deal?" 
	"Yes, Clark," said the man. "I lied." The transmission 
cut off in mid-laugh. 
	Al reappeared. "You didn't really think it would work, 
did you?" 
	"What else could I do, Al?" Sam shrugged. "I tried to 
find them but I ran out of time. The police will catch up with 
him now." He moved away and had a quiet word to a bush that 
concealed a policeman, informing them that a courier, not the 
blackmailer, would be making the pick-up. 

	***** 
	Sam seemed to have run out of time as far as Lois 
was concerned too. She was waiting for him on the steps 
outside her apartment. 
	"You look good in black," she said. Each word was a 
sharp knife thrust between Sam's ribs. "Perfect for your skin 
tone." Sam stood, frozen, as Lois stepped towards him. 
"Perfect for a funeral." Lois didn't have to add that it would be 
his funeral for she was about to kill him herself. "Perfect to rob 
a jewelry store." Her eyes bored into his accusingly. 
	Sam was stunned. How did she find out? 
	Lois ended her rant. "I thought you were the last 
honest man alive!" she cried, agonised. "Who *are* you?" 
	Sam could tell her everything -- that he was Samuel 
Beckett, a time traveller trapped in her partner's body, trying to 
get Clark out of this scrape and thus hopefully get out of his 
own. 
	Instead, he drew her down onto the steps next to him. 
"My parents are kidnapped." He told Lois the whole story, 
leaving out the part that he was originally being blackmailed 
because of Clark's secret identity, but including that the 
robbery had been a sham. 
	Lois was horrified to see her normally together Clark, 
so vulnerable. The Kents kidnapped? She loved Clark's parents 
like she would have loved her own, if they had but given her 
the chance. "I'll do anything I can to help." 
	"Thanks, Lois. The police are taking care of it now." 
Sam hoped that the Kents would be safe. 
	"Maybe this will help." Lois leant over and kissed him 
near his mouth. 
	Sam's eyes widened. "Lois!" Sam could scarcely 
believe the tenderness of her kiss. It took his breath away. 
	Lois smiled ruefully and hugged Clark. "Let's go 
inside. I'll make you some tea while we wait." Lois rose and 
offered him her hand. 
	Sam took her hand and as he stood, he drew her near 
to him. Lois gasped in pleasure as Sam hugged her. "Clark!" 
	Sam released her at last, kissing her on the nose. 
"Come on, it's cold out here." 
	Inside, Sam sat at the same round wooden kitchen 
table and watched Lois prepare the tea: retrieving mugs from 
the cupboard, filling the kettle and setting it to boil. As Lois 
pulled the tea canister from the shelf, the phone rang. Sam 
answered it. 
	"Sergeant Zymeck here," said a gruff, recognisable 
voice. "I've some bad news for you. Our patrolmen were 
following the courier, but -- we lost him. Don't worry, we're 
pretty sure the courier didn't spot us. It was just bad luck." 
	Sam closed his eyes. "Thank you, officer." 
	As he hung up, Lois asked, "Clark, what is it?" 
	"The police lost him, Lois." Sam's shoulders slumped 
in defeat. 
	"We'll find your parents, Clark," Lois reassured him, 
coming over and giving him a hug. 
	"But how?" Sam ran a hand through his hair in 
frustration. 
	"We'll work something out. Come on, Clark, we 
haven't pulled an all-nighter for a long time." 
	The kettle boiled. Lois pushed Sam in the direction of 
a chair and went to make some soothing tea for Clark. For 
herself she made some stimulating coffee. 
	As she was pouring the hot liquid into mugs, the 
phone rang again. Lois paused and watched Sam closely as he 
answered it. 
	"Well, well, well, Superman, do you really care so 
little for your parents?" 
	Sam's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?" 
	"Superman, I know my diamonds -- and what you 
delivered, ain't diamonds!" 
	"What?" Sam convincingly acted astonished. "But 
they were in the safe? How could they not be real?" 
	"Come on now, Superman," the man jeered. "Don't 
tell me you don't know a real diamond from a fake one." 
	"I didn't stop to look," replied Sam, "or scratch some 
glass.
	Please," Sam begged, "please don't kill my parents." 
	Lois heard the anguish in Sam's voice. She hugged 
him from behind as he talked. It wasn't easy -- his body was 
stiff from the tension. 
	"Begging, Superman?" The caller laughed. 
	"Yes, I'm begging." There was more than a note of 
desperation in his voice. "Can I help it if the first bunch of 
diamonds I grabbed weren't real? I just wanted to get them and 
get out!" 
	"Superman, I credited you with more intelligence than 
that!" There was a pause. "Perhaps robbing a bank would be a 
little more straightforward for you? I'll be in touch with the 
details." The caller hung up. 
	"The blackmailer?" Lois asked, not releasing him from 
her hug. 
	"Yes. He found out the diamonds were fake. How he 
didn't suspect the police were also involved, I don't know." 
Sam sighed. "I managed to convince him that I picked up the 
wrong lot of diamonds." 
	"Come and sit down," Lois urged gently. She fitted 
Sam's hands around a hot mug of tea. Sam automatically took 
a sip. "Let's see what we can come up with." 
	After some thought, Lois' first question was 
somewhat predictable. "Have you asked Superman for help?" 
	Sam sighed. "They're in a lead-lined room. He can't 
find them." 
	"Lead lined?" It rang a vague bell with Lois, an echo 
of the past, but she put it aside for more important 
considerations. 
	"You wouldn't believe how many lead-lined rooms 
there are in Metropolis alone," Sam told her hurriedly, "and 
what if they're not in Metropolis at all?" 
	The hours passed as over rapidly cooling mugs they 
thought and argued and brainstormed. Already at wit's end in a 
world Sam only understood because he'd lived it -- but as 
himself, not Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter, superhero 
and jewel thief -- Sam was quietly impressed with the sharp 
intelligence of his companion. Beautiful, intelligent, tender, 
Lois rather reminded him of his own fiancee, now lost to him. 
	At last, they had a manageable, practical list of leads 
to follow. Lois looked at the items wearily. "This is a lot of 
legwork," she commented. "Where do we start?" 
	As if summoned, Al appeared behind Lois. "I have it!" 
he exclaimed, eyes and cigar alight. 
	"What?" Sam prompted his invisible friend urgently. 
	"Clark, I said: 'Where do we start?'" Lois repeated. 
"You must be tired." 
	Al spoke over Lois' soothing tones as he related his 
news. Half an eye was on Lois' slim-fingered hand stroking 
Sam's arm. Sam had his full attention on Al. "Ziggy's come up 
with something interesting." He paused dramatically. 
	Lois was just finishing, "Are you sure you won't stay 
here and get some rest?" 
	"Yes," said Sam, prompting Al and answering Lois' 
question at the same time. 
	Seeing time was running out in Sam's sustaining his 
end of the conversation with Lois, Al hurried to finish. "He 
came up with something interesting. A Jason Mayzik was jailed 
one day from now." 
	"Mayzik?" repeated Sam, puzzled. "Of Mayzik 
Jewellers?" 
	"The jeweller?" asked Lois, her brow furrowing. 
"What about him?" 
	"The sentence was burglary, kidnapping and," Al 
paused, taking a closer look at the information being displayed 
to him on his console. He looked up and fixed Sam with a 
serious, worried gaze. "Murder." 
	Sam gulped. 
	"Clark?" prompted Lois. 
	"I ... uh, think we should check into Mayzik too." 
	"Why? You think there's some sort of jeweller 
vendetta happening?" 
	"Lois, it's just a hunch," said Sam, persuasively. 
"Maybe it's some sort of cover-up. An insurance scam." 
	That didn't sound believable to even Sam's own ears, 
let alone Lois'. "But Clark, why kidnap your parents?" she 
protested. "Why go to all this trouble?" 
	Sam's shoulders slumped again. How do I convince 
her? he wondered. 
	"Look, Clark," Lois' hand rested over Sam's, "let's put 
it on the list. It's no wackier than our other ideas." 
	Al silently gestured that more was required.  
	"Put it at the top of the list," Sam insisted. 
	"But Clark ..." protested Lois. 
	"There may be more than one Mayzik. Family against 
family, Lois. Besides, a known element is better than ..." Sam 
waved his hand in the air, trying to think. "Well, it's better than 
checking out customers at the store for the last week. Besides, 
that's police work." 
	"Clark, do you think we should wait for the police to 
work out who it is? They're overworked, underpaid --" 
	"Lois!"  Sam lowered his voice as Lois blinked, 
stopping in mid-harangue. "Lois, credit me with *some* 
reporter's instinct." 
	"OK, Clark." Lois scribbled 'Mayzik family' at the top 
of the list. She rubbed her face tiredly. 
	Al gave the thumbs up and disappeared. 
	"Lois, go home and get some sleep. We'll start in the 
morning." 
	Lois pushed her hair out of her face and looked out 
the window. "Clark, it is morning." She was right. The night 
was fading as the first rays of dawn touched Metropolis. 
	"The Planet?" Sam suggested. 
	"The Planet," Lois agreed. 

	****** 
	Much later, Sam was seated on the edge of Lois' desk, 
hunched over with tiredness. Lois was just as tired. She 
absently rubbed Sam's chest, partly in reassurance and partly to 
keep herself awake. They had been trying all morning to catch 
up with the only other living member of the Mayzik family: a 
brother by the name of Jason. In between times they had been 
fruitlessly following up their other leads. 
	At last Lois got through. "Hello? Mr Mayzik? This is 
Lois Lane from the Daily Planet. I was wondering if my partner 
and I might talk to you about --" Lois paused as Mayzik 
interrupted her. She resumed, "Yes, I know you don't own the 
jewellers, but I--" Lois listened patiently. "How about in 15 
minutes then?" Lois hung up and beamed at Clark. "We got it!" 

	****** 
	Jason Mayzik was an urbane, confident young man. 
From his penthouse office to the subtle Armani cufflinks, 
Mayzik radiated brash, young money. His suave smile set 
Sam's teeth on edge. 
	"Leave it to me," murmured Lois to Sam as they 
entered. 
	"Come in! Sit down!" Jason Mayzik showed them to 
two modern and very expensive leather and chrome chairs. 
	Mayzik settled back in his high-backed, black leather 
chair opposite them. A desk littered with executive toys was 
between them. "I think it's just wonderful how thorough 
reports are these days." He grinned at Sam. "In fact, I think it's 
just super." 
	Sam was stunned. Mayzik had just blatantly identified 
himself as the blackmailer. 
	Unaware, Lois spoke: "Mr Mayzik--" 
	"Jason, please." Mayzik beamed at Lois. Sam saw 
Lois's poised pen twitch in active dislike. 
	"Jason," Lois almost choked on the word, "we'd like 
to ask you some questions about the burglary at Mayzik 
Jewellers." 
	"That's my big brother's business. I'm afraid I can't 
help you with that." 
	"Didn't the store belong to your father?" 
	Mayzik tensed. "Yes." 
	"May I ask why it went only to your brother?" Lois' 
instinct for weak chinks in a person's armour matched Sam's 
own, to Sam's deepening admiration. 
	"As you can see," Mayzik gestured around, swiftly 
recovering from Lois' question, "my other interests have 
supplied me well." 
	"What would be these other interests?" interjected 
Sam, thinking he ought to pull his weight in this interview. 
	Mayzik beamed. Sam's skin crawled. "I'm one of 
those rare individuals who can read the stock exchange and 
make a huge profit out of it. It doesn't give me any time for 
peddling in diamonds." Disdain flickered across his features 
before being replaced by geniality. "I like to diversify, stocks 
aren't my only interests, which I think is just *super*!" Mayzik 
looked directly at Sam, with the barest whisper of a wink. Sam 
glanced nervously at Lois. 
	Lois however, had leant forward intently to ask her 
own question. "Tell me, Mr Mayzik. Do your interests extend 
to lead-lined rooms?" 
	Mayzik was stunned -- so was Sam. No wonder Clark 
was always rescuing Lois, he thought. With a qualm, he hoped 
that Clark's superpowers wouldn't be needed this time. 
	"Miss Lane, lead-lined rooms?" Mayzik chuckled as if 
the idea was absurd. "Did Superman tell you to ask that 
question?" 
	Lois concealed her triumph by bridling at his remark. 
"*Nobody* tells me what questions to ask, Mr Mayzik, 
Nobody." 
	Sam thought it best to bring the interview to an end 
before Lois and Mayzik strangled each other. "Mr Mayzik, 
thank you for your time." Sam rose to his feet, Lois following 
suit. "We're sorry for troubling you with your inquiries." 
	Mayzik smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been of 
more help." 
	"That's OK, Mr Mayzik," Sam was equally polite. He 
had this overwhelming urge to shake Mayzik until he revealed 
the Kents' whereabouts. Unfortunately, Mayzik wasn't likely to 
reveal that information without also revealing he was 
Superman -- and Lois couldn't know yet, otherwise he wouldn't 
be able to Leap. Instead, he shook hands politely and ushered 
Lois out the door. 
	"It's him," they whispered to each other 
simultaneously as soon as the door was closed behind them. 
	Lois' mind was already working. "Let's get back to the 
Planet and get Jimmy to help us check out what properties this 
Mayzik owns." 
	Sam sighed. "Lois, I feel we're grasping at straws 
here." 
	Lois gave his arm a tug. "Snap out of it, Kent. At 
least we have something to grasp." 
	Sam, Lois and Jimmy were in the Daily Planet archive 
room going through the Planet's copies of council records on 
microfiche. The latest records were on CD-ROM. Naturally, 
Jimmy had taken over the sole computer terminal. 
	Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet, stuck his head 
around the door. "So this is where you've been hiding," he 
grumbled. "Clark, there's a call for you." 
	Sam pushed past the editor and headed for his phone. 
Lois followed behind him. 
	"I hope you two are on a hot story," called Perry after 
them. 
	Lois reached Sam just as he put down the receiver. 
"Well?" she asked. "What did he say?" 
	Sam's mind was reeling in shock. Was this the murder 
Mayzik was jailed for? Did Mayzik take the rap for all of 
Clark's crimes? 
	"Clark," prompted Lois, "what did he say?" 
	Sam turned to face Lois. "He ... wants you dead, 
Lois. He wants me to kill you." Lois turned as pale as Sam. 
"I've got 30 minutes." Sam looked at Lois with great 
tenderness and helplessness. "I can't kill you, Lois." 
	An idea popped into Lois' head. She'd been getting 
used to these ideas ever since a mountain of information was 
fed directly into her brain through her eyes by the means of 
Faraday's device. "You may not have to," she blurted. "Clark, 
get Superman to meet me at my place." Lois left the Planet at a 
run before Sam could argue with her. 
	Sam waited until the elevator doors closed and ran 
after her. 
	In the elevator, Al appeared just as Sam was about to 
call him for assistance. "How's it goin'?" he asked casually, 
chewing on a fresh, unlit cigar. 
	"How's it going? I'll tell you how it's going: I have 30 
minutes to change into Superman, get to Lois' place and then 
probably argue with her, kill her and take her to some deserted 
air base ..." 
	"Whoa, slow down!" Al said, backing off from a 
furious Sam. 
	Sam took a deep breath. "Ziggy still enforcing the No 
Smoking zone?" he made himself ask. 
	"Yuh-huh," was Al's unimpressed response. 
	"What am I going to do?" 
	"Sam, don't panic." This was always easy for Al to 
say. "You have plenty of time." Al tapped at his handheld 
communicator, read the results and said, less convincingly, 
"Plenty of time." 
	"Great," said Sam, unenthused. 
	"You have the suit with you, right?" Al asked. Sam 
undid a shirt button to reveal part of the 'S'. 
	"I can't figure out what he did with the cape though -- 
and the boots -- they're at home." 
	"Lois Lane doesn't live that far away. You've got time 
enough to get to Clark's, change and then get to her. Clark 
*does* have to contact Superman after all." Al winked. He 
pressed some buttons and the white door opened behind him. 
	"Al! Wait! Find out what you can about the 
Springfield Air Base. Particularly, lead-lined rooms!" 
	"Gotcha," said Al. He stepped into the blinding 
rectangle and vanished. 

	***** 
	Sam ran up the stairs to Lois' apartment. He paused 
for a moment, to regain his breath. Clark's Kryptonian body 
may not tire -- but Sam hadn't quite got the knack of 
Kryptonian breathing -- he felt a little light-headed with 
breathing in too much oxygen. 
	His knock on the door brought a swift response. 
	"Superman?" Lois stood there looking baffled. 
	Sam realised that she expected him to fly into her 
apartment. "I ... ahh  ... thought I'd try something different," he 
ended lamely. Lois stepped aside and let him enter. "Clark told 
me everything. You have a plan?"
	Lois didn't waste any time. "Freeze me." 
	"What?" gasped Sam. 
	Lois stumbled over her words as she pleaded with 
him. "Clark's parents will die unless you do. He needs me, 
Clark's parents need me. You could revive me afterwards, so 
I'd just appear dead." Lois' lower lip trembled. 
	Sam was horrified. "No, Lois." 
	"Why not? Superman, I would do anything for Clark." 
	"Lois, even if I could freeze you correctly," Sam's 
medical knowledge kicked in, "the human body is very 
complicated. Freezing you and reversing that process is not 
that easy. The water in your cells will crystallize and puncture 
the cytoplasmic membrane. I don't need to tell you what would 
happen once I reversed the process. Freezing you would *kill* 
you, Lois. There's no pretense in that death." 
	Lois looked disheartened for a very brief moment and 
then she looked up, defiance and fear warring in her eyes. 
"Then kill me." 
	Sam was utterly aghast. "Lois--" 
	She interrupted, "Tell Clark that I did this for him, 
that I love him." 
	Al appeared as she said this. "Sam!" he exclaimed. 
"You were right! How did you know?" 
	Sam said, "Lois, just give me a minute to think here." 
He moved out onto the fire escape. Looking over his shoulder, 
he saw Lois push the hair back off her face and sit down on her 
sofa. 
	"What did you find out?" Sam whispered to Al. 
	"Well ..." Al did another of his dramatic pauses and 
called up the information with a few key-presses. 
	"C'mon, Al," Sam urged quietly. "I've got a woman in 
there who wants me to freeze her." 
	Al looked over Sam's shoulder at the seated, yet 
impatient, Lois. "I know what *I'd* want to do." 
	"Al!" cried an exasperated Sam. Lois looked up at 
him and Sam lowered his voice again, pretending to think at 
the same time. "What have you got?" 
	"Well, the Springfield Air Base was decommissioned 
in the 60's. It was brought recently by a subsidiary of a 
subsidiary of Jason Mayzik's main company. Both subsidiaries 
are nothing but fronts. Therefore, Mayzik owns it." 
	"But are the Kents there?" 
	"Once we had a more specific location, Ziggy could 
centre me in onto that site. I had a look around and guess 
what?" 
	Sam rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you say so at the 
beginning?" 
	Al frowned. "Because you always want a reason with 
an answer, Sam, that's why." He punched a few buttons. "Have 
fun," he said and vanished. 
	Sam re-entered Lois' apartment. "Lois--" 
	Lois had one last salvo up her sleeve, and seeing the 
resolve on Superman's face, she was determined to use it. 
"Please, Superman," she begged. "For me?" 
	Sam shook his head. "Lois, I have to go." 
	"What?!" exclaimed Lois, her jaw dropping. 
	"Please, Lois," Sam said, trying to calm her. "Let me 
check out this place." 
	"What place?" 
	"Clark told me where he had to take you. It's 
Springfield Air Base. I thought I'd hear your plan first." Sam 
caressed Lois' chin tenderly with a finger. "If Clark's parents 
are there, then I won't have to put you in danger, OK?" 
	"OK," said Lois, "but I'm coming with you." 
	"Lois, what did I just say about not putting you in 
danger?" Sam folded his arms and looked at her sternly.  

	****** 
	Getting across town so quickly was no easy matter. 
Fortunately, Sam had had the forethought to bring Clark's 
street clothes with him. The cape and the boots went into a 
shopping bag that Clark had tucked behind a pot plant outside 
Lois' apartment. Sam pulled on Clark's clothes. Running 
outside, he hailed a cab.

	***** 
	"You're late, Superman," snarled Mayzik, as Sam 
entered the subterranean chamber beneath the airbase. "And 
without Lois too!" 
	"I'm not Superman," declared Sam, who had not 
changed out of Clark's street clothes. "Your manipulation of 
me has come to an end, Mayzik. You're not squeezing any 
more out of me." 
	"Ho ho! Brave words, Superman. Brave words!" 
Mayzik laughed. "Oh, excuse me, perhaps I should say 'Clark 
Kent'?" 
	Al appeared beside Sam, gesturing frantically. "Sam! 
What the hell do you think you're doing?" 
	Sam steadfastly ignored his partner. "Your little game 
is over, Mayzik. Hand over my parents now." 
	Mayzik sighed and shook his head patiently. "You 
know, it's a pity you didn't kill Lois Lane as I ordered." 
	"You're a sick man," interjected Sam. 
	"Not as sick as you're going to be. I'll just have to kill 
Miss Lane later -- and you won't be able to stop it." An elderly 
man stepped out of the shadows, carrying a metal box. He 
came to a stop and opened it. 
	Sam doubled up in agony. 
	"Aw no, not Kryptonite!" Al spat out his cigar and 
stomped on it. "That's not playing fair!" 
	Mayzik waited, watching Sam writhe in agony. Sam 
had never known such pain. It felt like every fibre of his body 
was being torn apart. Mayzik came closer. 
	"Get up, Sam!" exhorted Al. 
	Mayzik kicked Sam in the ribs. Al winced. Sam could 
scarcely draw breath to moan. 
	"So you're not Superman, eh?" Mayzik grinned 
smugly. 
	Sam glared at Mayzik. "Food poisoning," he gasped. 
	"Nice try," replied Mayzik, "but no cigar." 
	"Cigar, did he say cigar?" muttered Al, patting his 
pockets absently for a fresh cigar, while watching the action 
intently. 
	"Stop playing with him," ordered the old man in a 
distinctively upper-class English accent. "Kill him and kill his 
parents. Then we can get rid of Lois Lane." 
	Mayzik looked back at the older man. "You're right, 
Nige." Al hit some buttons entering the scanty data about the 
newcomer, hitting the console in frustration as it failed to 
deliver further information. 
	"Sam! Get up!" begged Al. His fingers moved fast 
over his console. "The chances of you succeeding are dropping 
fast! *Really* fast," Al looked in astonishment at the dropping 
figures. He'd never seen them dive so fast before. 
	Sam struggled to raise his head. 
	"First," said Mayzik, rubbing his hands together. 
"First, we'll kill your parents in front of you." 
	"Watch them die slowly," added Nigel, showing 
pleasure at the thought. 
	"Leave -- them -- alone," Sam got out painfully. 
	"That's not possible," said Mayzik. "They know too 
much. And soon the world will know your secret." Mayzik 
produced the diary from underneath his coat, waved it at the 
helpless Sam and replaced it. 
	"No!" gasped Sam. 
	"Saa-am! Do something!" Al was on his knees beside 
his friend, his useless holographic arms trying to get Sam 
upright. 
	Lois came out of the darkness behind Nigel, a large 
piece of wood raised over her head. It came down hard on the 
back of Nigel's skull. He cried out and staggered, dropping the 
box as his hands automatically went to protect his head. The lid 
on the box fell closed with the fall. Lois delivered another blow 
and Nigel collapsed into unconsciousness. 
	With the Kryptonite's rays now cut off, Sam managed 
to struggle to his feet. 
	"Clark?" Lois lowered the piece of wood, panting 
with the effort it had taken to heft and swing it. "Are you all 
right?" 
	Sam opened his mouth to reply but Mayzik beat him 
to it. "Ah Lois! How lovely to see you! You're just in time to 
hear something really -- super." 
	Lois didn't look too impressed. "I heard enough, 
Mayzik." With a crisp uppercut, she laid him out cold. 
	"Way to go, Lois!" crowed Al, mirroring her 
knockout punch. 
	With a shake of his head, the last of  the Kryptonite's 
effects were dispelled. "Lois, what are you doing here?" 
	"I hoped to find a story here -- and Superman having 
already rescued your parents. Where is he?" 
	"Superman? He ... uhh, never made it," Sam said 
hastily. "There must've been some catastrophe." Sam looked 
down at Mayzik's still form. "My parents!" he exclaimed. 
	Looking around, they saw a large metal door down 
another side tunnel. 
	"The lead-lined room!" exclaimed Lois, hastening 
towards it. Sam followed. 
	"Sam!" Al's cry brought Sam to a standstill. "The 
diary! Nobody must know yet!" 
	Quickly, Sam ducked back and retrieved the diary 
from Mayzik's coat pocket. Tucking it into his own inner coat 
pocket, he caught up with Lois. 
	Between them, they managed to pull back the heavy 
cross-bar and open the door. 
	"Clark!" Mrs Kent cried as she ran into his arms. 
	"Mom, are you all right?" Sam looked over Mrs 
Kent's head. "Dad?" 
	"We're fine, son. We knew you'd come for us." Mr 
Kent was tired but very proud. 
	"Clark?" Lois regained Sam's attention. "I'll go call 
the police. Give you some -- quality time." Her smile took in all 
of the Kents. 
	"Thanks, Lois." Sam's smile dazzled Lois. It always 
did. 
	Lois touched his sleeve. "Clark? Can we talk later?" 
	"Sure, Lois." He smiled again. "There's something I 
have to tell you." 
	Lois nodded and smiled, leaving him to reunite with 
his parents. 

	***** 
	Together, Lois and Sam strolled through Centennial 
Park, lit only by the moon and the streetlights. Sam's arm was 
comfortably around Lois' shoulders. 
	"Clark," Lois said quietly. "You've been through a 
lot." 
	"Uh huh." Sam couldn't deny it. 
	"But there's something I need to know." Lois stopped, 
turning to face him. "Something I heard Mayzik say." 
	"You know?" Sam asked, with a sinking feeling in his 
stomach. Lois was a very beautiful woman, but this wasn't 
where he belonged. 
	Lois shook her head. "I heard Mayzik say something 
about a secret." 
	"Lois, I've been meaning to tell you this for a long 
time." It was almost time to tell her. With Nigel in a coma, 
Mayzik under psychiatric supervision and most importantly, 
with Clark's parents safe, there were no further impediments. 
	"This is what you were going to tell me the other 
morning." Lois said. "You have that same look on your face." 
Sam changed it to his blank look. "Before Waldo phoned?" 
	"Lois, sit down." Sam guided her to sit at the edge of 
the fountain. He took her hands in hers and knelt at her feet. 
"There's no easy way to say this." 
	A rumble of thunder and rain fell. 
	"You want to go inside?" Lois asked, giggling a little. 
	"Even if the earth opened up from under my feet, it 
wouldn't stop me from saying this now." Somewhere a clock 
began to chime midnight. 
	"Tell it to me straight, Clark," Lois encouraged, 
seeing that he had difficulty in getting it out. 
	"Lois, I'm Superman." 
	"Clark--" 
	Sam never heard what came next, never saw the 
expression on Lois's face. It vanished into piercing white light 
as he Leaped. 

	***** 
	The light faded away. Sam saw a handsome, yet 
balding, man looking into a mirror surrounded by bright light 
globes. He wore a heavy brown suit. From the cards and roses, 
the theatre paint scattered across the white surface, Sam knew 
he was in a dressing room. 
	Over the intercom came a voice: "Five minutes to 
curtain!" 
	Sam gulped. "Oh boy." 

THE END