THE SEPARATE SEASON

Summary: Kryptonite is one of the only things that can separate Clark from his wife, and now Lois is infected. Who is trying to drive a wedge between them? What will they sacrifice for the holidays to get back together?

This fic was inspired by Briee's magnificent short story, "The Way You Touch Me." It is NOT a sequel but just an exploration of the idea…

Clois Angst and Romance; T for Teen

Post Season 10

One - Shocking

Metropolis, December 21, 2018

The young woman standing in front of her was polished and sophisticated, the kind Lex Luthor loved to hire. Lois Lane-Kent couldn't help but notice that her attire blended perfectly with the large silver and gold bells placed strategically throughout the building. The oversized decorations were probably designed to make the inside of the building appear festive, but Lois thought they looked plastic, just like the woman running things.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll follow me, I'll show you Lexcorp's latest technological breakthrough…"

Lois winced. Against the background of canned, elevator Christmas music, the press agent's voice sounded shrill. After rubbing her ears a little, she tried once again to focus.

"…sure everyone receives enough food to feed their families this holiday season."

At the sound of several "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd, Lois rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered none too softly to her photographer.

Jimmy, or "Junior" as Lois often called him, jumped in surprise and looked around, shrugging apologetically at some of the other reporters glaring at Lois. She smiled sweetly back and, when the media mob started following Lexcorp's press agent, Lois punched Jimmy in the arm.

"Ouch," he exclaimed under his breath. "What was that for?"

"Don't ever apologize," Lois whispered loudly. "You work for the Daily Planet … and we print the truth… NOT this public relations bull-"

Pressed from behind by the crowd, Lois dug in her heals and stood firm in the middle of the hall. A wide-eyed Jimmy stopped as well and took the opportunity to massage his arm. Some of the other reporters grumbled as they crowded past, trying to follow the press agent.

"Hey, Lane," commented Jack Fields from the Inquisitor. "Give the kid a lecture somewhere else-"

"Back off, Jack," Lois retorted sharply, now fighting to move against the crowd. She watched with narrowed eyes as the bearded man raised his hands in the air in surrender.

From somewhere else she heard the voice of a reporter from the Ledger. "Ignore her. She's just cranky because Superman hasn't been around lately… she's obviously missing some superhero 'action.'"

A few of the surrounding reporters sniggered in response and Lois glared daggers at them. She'd gotten used to the rumors of being Superman's girlfriend over the years, but she liked to nip them in the bud when she could. It was best that everyone saw Clark Kent and Superman as completely separate.

If they only knew…

Lois rolled her eyes. It was time for her to get to the real story.

"Fine, follow Luthor to fairy land," She waved in the general direction of the group trailing Luthor's plastic press agent. "Some of us have real news to write." With that, she grabbed Jimmy's arm and strolled away from the crowd as quickly as she could in pencil skirt and heels. At the look in her eyes, the sea of reporters parted, letting her move to the end of the hall where she turned a corner and stopped.

With a bewildered-looking Jimmy standing by, Lois looked briefly around and smiled, adjusting her glasses. No one was paying attention to the "Mad Dog" now. They were all used to her storming off in a huff.

She turned to Jimmy. "Follow me… and try to look like you don't know where you're going," Lois mumbled under her breath.

"But I don't know where I'm going," the young man practically groaned.

"Good," Lois told him, ignoring the look of confusion on his face. She headed in the direction given to her by her source, trying to look lost. Occasionally she rattled a door handle. When she was sure they were getting close to her destination, she stopped.

"I was sure this was the way to the exit," she said loudly to a still confused Jimmy.

"But, Ms. Lane-" he exclaimed, starting to point in another direction. "I think the exit is that-"

"Jimmy," Lois interrupted. "That can't be right," she interrupted with a shake of her head. "No, I'm sure it's this way."

Turning one last corner Lois stopped and put her hand to an unnumbered door. "This is it," she muttered to herself. Motioning with her hand, she kept her voice low and her back to the security cameras. "Jimmy, see if there's someone down there and, if there is, keep him busy."

"Oh, okay," he agreed, a look of understanding coming to his eyes.

Lois smiled with relief. Her photographer was starting to catch on. She spoke a little louder for the cameras. "I'll see if someone in this office is available while you look down that way."

Jimmy's nod was a little overdone, Lois thought, but he headed down the hall like he knew what he was doing.

Good kid.

As he walked away he looked so much like his older brother that Lois couldn't help but remember with a twinge of sadness. Quickly she pushed aside the memories, blaming her sentiment on the holidays. Now was not the time for a stroll down memory lane.

Keep your head in the game, Lois.

Turning back, she made a show of knocking on the door, not expecting anyone to answer. Surreptitiously, she reached into the waistband of her skirt and removed the pass key she'd gotten from her source. Positioning herself so the camera couldn't pick up what she was doing, she swiped it, turned the handle and strolled inside.

Let Lex think his security was bad. It wasn't that far from the truth.

"Hello?"

No one answered and Lois felt that thrill, the rush that always went through her when she was on the hunt for a story. Man, she needed this right now.

Adrenalin pumping, she moved further into the lab and looked around. Inside the large room was a glass-enclosed laboratory standing empty. Lois wasn't surprised. Lex had probably closed the lab so it could be locked while the press was being escorted around other parts of this floor.

Using a second pass key, she let herself inside and studied the giant glass tube that ran from ceiling to floor. According to her source, that's where the experiment was housed… so why was there something that looked like sand swirling inside?

"Crap," she muttered under her breath, searching for any hints of green. She couldn't see any.

Where was the refined Kryptonite?

Her source, one of the many meteor infected from Smallville, came to the Planet as soon as she realized that her husband was illegally working with meteor rock as an employee of Lexcorp. She'd given Lois all of the information she could hoping, that the Planet could shut down the experiments. A few years ago, meteor rock had been declared a "hazardous" material after victims of the meteor showers came forward to talk about the adverse affects of exposure. Lexcorp wasn't licensed to work with the green rock.

Lois had immediately jumped on the story. She didn't want Lex Luthor or his employees anywhere near Kryptonite.

If he found out about Superman's weakness…

Just the thought made Lois sick to her stomach. She would do anything to protect her husband, especially from Luthor.

Quickly powering up the closest computer, she pulled out her phone and searched for her notes. When the screen prompted her, she entered the password she'd been given, held her breath, and waited.

Lois breathed a sigh of relief when the icons appeared on screen. She was in. If she couldn't get the substance maybe she could get the documents. Clicking as fast as she could, she opened several files until she found the one that looked promising. Plugging in her phone, she hit the "save to" button and watched for the transfer of information.

While she waited, Lois felt her foot tap the floor impatiently. Nervously, she started humming along with the piano version of "Blue Christmas" playing in the background. When she realized what she was doing, she shook her head, thoughts turning to Clark. If he were here, he'd tell her to calm down. She'd tell him to shove it, and then he'd smile and lightly touch her arm.

At just the memory Lois felt her foot still. Her heart-rate slowed and her breathing calmed. Her eyes seemed to close of their own volition, and Lois marveled at the fact that after all this time her husband's touch could calm her…

Or send her heart racing.

Clark stood next to her, his hand softly traveling up her arm to her shoulder. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. Her body tingled. An involuntary shiver went through her.

Her eyes snapped open.

This was ridiculous. Clark had only been gone for a couple of weeks. Still, it wasn't the length of time. It was the fact that he was completely cut off from her at the Fortress… and she missed him.

Her body missed him. She wanted to get back to working on her latest dream… and she needed him for that. Just the thought of success sent her heart to singing. She sucked in a deep breath.

Soon… he'd be home soon.

A low beep caught her attention and she checked the monitor. Almost half the data was downloaded. Her foot started tapping against the floor again as she looked around. Her gut was telling her this was too easy. Impatient now, she checked the monitor again.

The transfer was complete.

Lois felt a smug smile form as she reached for her phone and pulled it from the console. Her smile disappeared when an ear-piercing alarm sounded in the little room. She jumped, her heart returning to its frantic pace.

Cursing under her breath, she threw her phone into her bag and ran for the door. Before she could get there, she felt a whirlwind behind her. She couldn't resist looking and cringed when she spotted the tube in the center of the room opening, letting out the swirling sand.

Using her hand, Lois covered her nose and mouth with the collar of her coat and closed her eyes. She'd been through sand storms before. Dropping to the ground, she tried to make her way blindly on one hand and her knees. With her bag clutched tightly she inched forward in the direction of the exit.

The wind blew furiously and the sand felt harsh against her skin. Her hair came undone from its up-do and whipped around her face. In just a few seconds, she couldn't see and couldn't breathe. Her head hit the glass wall and she reached out blindly in an effort to find the door. The wind blew harder and it seemed as if all the oxygen was being depleted. Lois gave up trying to find the opening and tightened her coat around her nose and mouth, fighting for breath.

The air didn't seem to be there. Her lungs burned. Her body seemed to be covered with sand. When the wind died down, she barely felt it. Strangely, she thought she heard the sound of a low laugh right before she lost consciousness.

Fortress, Same time

The ache went deep into his bones. Clark tried to ignore it, along with the nausea that threatened. He took a shaky step closer to the glowing green rock and felt his blood boil.

"Mind over matter, my son." Jor-El's voice was jarring to Clark's exposed nerves. His teeth ground together at the sound.

Moving quickly and quietly in his white training suit, he closed in on the piece of glowing rock and, using a Klukor move, he thrust the rock away while driving his body in the opposite direction. Before either stopped, Clark had directed his heat-vision at the Kryptonite and incinerated it.

The relief was immediate. Clark stopped his momentum and planted his feet on the ground. No longer sweating, feeling stronger every second, he held himself erect and waited.

"You have improved, Kal-El."

Clark didn't acknowledge the compliment. "Again?" he asked, getting himself into position. When the Fortress remained silent, he didn't relax, knowing that surprise was part of this exercise. "Jor-El?"

It was silent for almost a full minute. "Your training is complete."

Clark's eyes widened with surprise. Only years of self-restraint kept him from pumping his fist in the air and speeding directly home. He hated being separated so completely from Lois during these training periods.

Knowing it was expected, Clark ended the session with a formal bow. "Thank you, Jor-El."

"You were wise to continue your training, Kal-El."

Clark didn't reply. They both knew it wasn't wisdom but near defeat at the hands of the Kandorians that brought Clark to the Fortress periodically to finish his training.

Five years ago, Lex Luthor uncovered an old Luthorcorp project, in the process of trying to recover his past. When he attempted to resurrect it he released some part of Brainiac. The computer's programming immediately led it to the Fortress, where it managed to open a gateway to the Phantom Zone and Zod. Unfortunately, Zod didn't come back alone and the resulting battle almost destroyed Metropolis and seriously injured Superman.

Following his recovery, Clark had been forced to face the facts. If he wanted to protect the planet, he needed to learn about Krypton, as well as other worlds and cultures. The amount of study and training needed was extensive, so Clark made the decision to dedicate time to it a few weeks out of every year.

This latest round was the longest yet. Even working without sleep, it had taken time for him to learn the fighting techniques of Klukor and Horu-Kanu.

The training had been effective, at least. He felt stronger than he had before.

Walking to the console area, Clark rearranged the crystals, inserting a smaller one into the chamber to check the passage of time. When the display appeared, it was a shock. It was only a few days before Christmas. He'd been gone for over two weeks.

His training had never taken him from Lois for so long.

Just the thought of his wife brought to mind the memory of their last morning together. His eyes closed at the memory where he could still envision her passion-filled gaze and see her hair spread out in a mass of soft curls. He could feel her soft and silky skin pressed up against his own and hear her gasps and moans of pleasure.

She was so responsive and, oh, how he loved to touch her.

As they lay in bed his hand softly traveled up her arm to her shoulder. His fingers stilled on her neck and then his thumb started rubbing tenderly along the sensitive area beneath her ear. He waited for the shiver that went through her body and felt that sense of wonder when it did. After all this time, she responded immediately to his touch. With a rush, his body hardened in response. He rolled her toward him, wanting to make sure she remembered this while he was gone…

Clark's eyes popped open when he realized he was sweating. This was ridiculous. His body was reacting to her mere memory.

He sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

Soon… he'd be home soon.

Impatient now, his visions driving him to be close to his wife, he arranged the crystals into a stasis pattern, spun into his Superman outfit and lifted into the air. Outside the Fortress, he shot to the sky.

The cold wind against his face felt refreshing. Again, he considered the amount of time away and realized that Christmas was fast approaching. He smiled at the thought. While Lois never made a big deal about Christmas, she was like a kid when it came to presents.

It would have to be something special this year. Maybe when he got home he could find out what had been on her mind lately. Before this latest round of training, he'd catch her daydreaming but, when he'd ask her about it, she'd change the subject.

He was considering the possibilities when he heard the scream just outside Metropolis. Immediately he changed direction, heading toward the sound with a resigned sigh.

The same thing seemed to happen every time he was in a hurry.

Looking below, he used his long-distance vision and spotted a blue truck speeding toward a sharp curve in the road without stopping. By x-raying the cab he could see the woman driver frantically hitting the brakes. The truck wasn't stopping.

With a blast of air, Superman rushed down and got his hands on the tailgate before the vehicle reached the edge of the road. He applied the necessary pressure and got it stopped at the edge of a dense group of oak trees. Unfortunately, the suddenness of the stop was enough to send the woman's head into the dash of the older model pickup.

Concerned with her welfare, he ran around to the driver's side door and opened it. "Are you all right, ma'am?"

The driver turned and he could see a small cut across her forehead. "I'm okay," she muttered. At the sound of her voice, Superman examined the woman's face more closely.

There was something familiar…

She had reddish-brown hair, worn down to her shoulders. Her body was a little on the plump side and her face was pleasant and round. She covered the cut on her forehead with one hand while stepping out of the truck.

"Watch it," Superman reached out to steady her when she wavered on her feet. "Are you sure you should be getting up right now?"

She steadied herself and looked him right in the eyes. In Superman mode, Clark kept the polite smile on his face to cover the shock. He recognized this woman now. She'd gone to high school with him. Her name was…

What was her name?

The last time he'd seen her had been about seventeen years ago when she'd gone on some kind of Kryptonite-induced diet and tried to kill Pete Ross.

"Superman?"

Clark tensed at the look of adoration in her eyes. It was a common enough response, especially from women, but he could never get used to it. He looked more closely and relaxed when he didn't see any recognition on the woman's face.

What was her name?

"Thank you… thank you so much!" She was absolutely gushing now and Superman stepped away from her a little.

"I can't believe… I can't believe it's you," she said, raising a shaky hand to her forehead. "Whoa," she said. "Maybe I should sit down." She backed up and rested her legs against the seat of the pickup. The look she gave Superman was a little dazed. "I need to get to Metropolis."

"Maybe we should call an ambulance or get the police-"

"No!" The woman shook her head and then groaned. "I mean, I just really need to get to the city. It's important."

Superman quickly examined her truck. "I don't think you're going to be able to get there in your pickup." He kept his expression passive. "Is there someone you can call?"

The woman tried to shake her head again and winced. Without a word she reached into the cab behind her and grabbed a phone. Superman waited patiently, wanting to make sure the woman had some assistance before he left.

"Hello… Lois?" The woman inquired quietly, turning her back on her rescuer. "I know… second time I've called… getting worried… story."

At the name Lois and the word "story," Clark felt his heart start pounding. He tuned in his super hearing. "The brakes went out on my truck just now and, well, I need to talk to you. Call me when you get this message."

When the woman turned back around Superman smiled, while adjusting his hearing to bring his wife's heartbeat to the forefront. Having learned how to tune into it a few years ago, he kept it with him, paying attention only to any dramatic changes in rhythm. At the Fortress he'd tuned in only periodically but now… he couldn't hear her.

His own heart started pounding. What had happened?

The possibilities were endless. His wife hadn't slowed down one bit. She could be in any kind of trouble. Just the thought made him all the more anxious to get to her.

That's when he remembered the woman's name… Jodi Melville. She'd been a nice girl but had lost control after starting a diet based of vegetables fertilized with meteor rock. He was pretty sure she'd also been one of the witnesses to testify in favor of labeling Kryptonite a "hazardous" material.

Anxious to get to Metropolis, he lifted off the ground. "Are you going to be okay?"

Jodi nodded and placed another call, this time to a family friend asking for a ride. He was surprised when she asked that the friend not to tell her husband, but shrugged it off.

When the ride was confirmed Superman waved and lifted off the ground. With is super hearing still activated, he could hearing Lois' voice on the other end. He stopped in mid-air.

"Jodi?" When the woman in the truck answered in the affirmative, a clearly irritated Lois continued. "Sounds like we've had the same kind of day. What do you say we meet another time?"

Superman didn't wait for Jodi's answer. He wasn't interested in invading her privacy, just making sure that Lois was okay. Having done that, he was anxious to get to his wife. If she'd had the same kind of day as Jodi… well, it probably wasn't a good one.

Daily Planet, twenty minutes later

Shivering, Lois tightened the scarf around her neck and waited impatiently for her husband to arrive. A part of her was disappointed that he was returning as Superman, even though she understood the reason. After all, it was her rule that Clark and Superman never depart or return on the same day.

She checked her phone again, just to make sure.

Roof in fifteen. S

Her heart started pounding with excitement… he was almost here.

Still, a part of her wished it was Clark who was coming. His soothing presence in the office would be welcome right now. She sighed. Her plans for a breaking story this morning had backfired and in a big way.

After she'd been found by a worried Jimmy and security, Lexcorp had called an ambulance. The manager had apologized profusely for what must have been an "equipment malfunction," while the plastic press girl lectured her in a gracious but firm voice, expressing her concerns that Lois had gotten "lost" and reminding her that the reporters were told not to "wonder off on their own." With half the media in Metropolis there, Lois' story soon became the focus of their attention and she barely hid her grimace as cameras clicked all around her. Perry was going to kill her.

To make things worse, when Lois returned to the Planet and plugged her phone into her computer, a virus swept through her data, wiping out everything on her hard drive and in her phone.

Perry was furious, his screaming almost incomprehensible. Lois caught, "Report the news, don't make it," and something about "cost too much" before he added "going to be the death of me" and finished with a "Great Caesar's Ghost!"

Normally Perry's rants didn't bother Lois but she'd blown it this morning and she knew it. She hated when that happened.

The familiar rustle and flap of a cape in the wind brought her out of the thoughts of the morning and she smiled. Turning slowly, she looked at her husband standing tall in his cape and tights. Her smile froze and she felt her breath catch.

Absence must make the eyes grow fonder…

He looked magnificent.

Had he always been so tall and confident?

Lois couldn't help but study him. He was a little thinner but that was typical after training. This time there was something more. A closer look at his face gave her the answer. His expression radiated control. Whatever training he'd endured had made him feel more secure.

Her body reacted immediately.

She didn't want to wait for his signal. Finally catching his eyes, she tried to convey her impatience but felt her knees go weak at the look in the deep blue of his.

"Ms. Lane," he greeted, his husky voice sending little shock waves through her. She waited with baited breath for him to give her the all clear, but then his brow furrowed with confusion.

"Superman?" She asked softly.

He took a step toward her and gasped, stumbling back in surprise. "Lois?"

Now she was really concerned. Superman never called her by her first name unless he was sure no one was around to hear or see… another one of her rules. "What is it?" Lois asked, stopping in her tracks.

"I don't know," he said under his breath, taking another cautious step back. If Lois hadn't been watching so closely, she might have missed the little stumble that accompanied the movement. "Feels like… Kryptonite." When his eyes met hers Lois could see the pain in them, and her heart constricted.

Slightly panicked, she looked all around the roof, and when she didn't find anything, started searching her pockets.

Could she have picked up something at Lexcorp?

In the meantime, Clark took another step back and breathed a little easier. Whatever was affecting him was coming from her direction, he was sure of it. His recent training increased his awareness of Kryptonite until his ability to pinpoint it had become more accurate. Concentrating on the effect, he moved a little to the right and forward.

The pain was immediate. It was coming from Lois.

While he watched her frantically dig through her pockets, he took a step away, opened his hearing, and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone watching or listening but he wasn't sure how effective his powers were right now. The Kryptonite was weakening him.

He decided to trust his instincts anyway. "What happened today, Lois?"

She stopped searching and her eyes met his. The look in them was anguished… and a little guilty. "I… I went to Lexcorp for a press conference." Her eyes dropped as she dug into her pants pockets again. "I had a source… she told me that Lex was working with, uhm, meteor rock." When she looked back up, Clark could see the frustration in her eyes. "I had the pass key, got into the lab, and then everything went to crap."

Clark felt his own eyes narrow with suspicion. Luthor was working with Kryptonite? That wasn't good. Lex blamed Superman for the Kandorian attack. If he found out that Superman had a weakness…

At the look on Clark's face, Lois stepped forward in concern. Clark couldn't hold back a hiss of pain. She stopped immediately, her expression turning distraught.

"What's happening?" This stress made her voice higher.

Still wondering if Luthorcorp's work was a coincidence, Superman kept his movements casual as he moved away. He put his head down as if he was concentrating and spoke softly. If anyone was watching – like one of Lex's people - it would appear that he was simply thinking while keeping a respectful distance from Lois.

Just as well.

Looking at his wife was too tempting. Even with the threat of Kryptonite between them, he couldn't get his mind off their last morning together...

"Looks like your source was right," he said, frustration making his voice sound rougher than he intended. "You must have it on you somewhere-"

"Where?" Lois cried, and Clark winced at the misery in her voice. "I've searched everywhere." As if to prove a point she shook out her coat, her body, and her hair. As Clark kept looking down, something that looked like sand sprinkled on the rooftop around Lois. Focusing, he tried to look closer but was surprised when he couldn't see anything with his x-ray vision…

"Oh," Lois remarked in surprise, looking at the gritty substance around her feet. "I was stuck in the lab and caught up in a windstorm. There was some sort of sand they were working with…" Her voice trailed off as her wide eyes met Clark's own. "Oh."

Her look of understanding was followed an expression of pure torture. "But it looked like sand," she protested. "It wasn't green," she urged, pointing to the stuff at her feet.

At the wretched look on her face, Clark couldn't help it. He moved closer, only to stop and groan when the blood started boiling in his veins.

"Don't," Lois told him with a little sob, putting up her hand and quickly moving away, until the color returned to his face. When she could see him breathing easier, she straightened with determination. Her tear-filled eyes turned resolute. "I'm going to see Emil," she told him. "I'll… I'll be at Star Labs."

She ran to the door, and turned back to face him. "I'll take care of this. It won't last, you'll see." With her lips tightly pressed together he watched her sprint through the door and down the stairs.

It won't last.

For some reason, the words didn't comfort him. Instead he was frozen, filled with a sense of dread and pain. Lois… his wife… had been infected by Kryptonite. He looked around the roof, remembering another time where he'd lost the ability to touch a loved one. The sting had faded because he and Lana weren't really meant to be, but now…

This was Lois... His heart tightened in his chest until every breath was an effort. All the strength he'd gained at the Fortress felt depleted. Visions of what happened years ago seemed to blend with what was happening now. Panic filled him...

He couldn't stand on this roof anymore.

With a muffled cry, he launched himself into the air, heading up toward the sun, out of Earth's atmosphere. When he reached the darkness of space he floated there, soaking up the directness of the sun's rays until he was feeling re-energized. He opened his sense wide and listened but he wasn't able to capture the heartbeat he sought.

I'll take care of this.

At the memory of Lois' words the look in her eyes, Clark cursed himself. Clearly, she blamed herself and, instead of being there for her, he'd taken off on his own.

After all these years, he was still brooding.

Shaking off his feelings of isolation, he flew toward Star Labs. Lois didn't have to take care of the problem alone. They would manage this… together.