"You can't!" Everyone stopped and looked at Superman and Zero when she screamed at him. "You can't ask that!" Superman put his arm around her shoulders and led her away from the group so he could talk to her privately.

"Calin listen to me…" He kept his voice low and calm as he grabbed her trembling wrists. "Look at me." Tears were already spilling out her wide eyes. "I know. I know it's a terrible thing for me to say right now – made even worse by a string of misfortune that has befallen us. But try to understand." He wiped her face gently and tried to keep his emotions in check. Seeing her this way was breaking his heart. The decision to go to Rimbor had happened so quickly - there was no time to prepare, barely time to even say good bye. Batman was already looking at him to wrap it up.

"Understand?" She huffed as she swatted his hands away. "You're dumping me." She growled in an attempt to stay quiet.

"Calin, I don't want you waiting for me to come back when it might not happen."

"Don't say that." She grabbed the front of his shirt desperately.

"I have to, so you'll realize it's a possibility." He said as he rubbed her shoulders. She was trembling. He hated that he couldn't hold her - God he wanted to hold her not just comfort her but to comfort himself. Calin would never know how much he relied on her. He was the rock everyone turned to but she was who he turned to so he could be vulnerable. Clark let his guard down for her and she never hurt him. Their age difference never mattered - there were still some league members that gave them off looks. But he didn't care - he never cared how much he needed her. Not just for his ego but for peace of mind. She was his whole world and there wasn't enough time to tell her that.

"Then don't go. You're not at fault. Just stay here and don't go—don't do this." Calin pleaded as more tears fell down her cheeks.

"I have to, love." He said as he cupped her cheek. "I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't take responsibility. Remember? If we don't obey the laws…"

"Then no one will." She finished his sentence. "But why are you…doing this to me?"

"They might imprison us for a hundred years, kill us on sight. Hell they might keep us in prison and then kill us years from now. The point is I'm not coming back tomorrow. And you need to live your life. I'm not even sure if we'll be able to communicate."

"But what if you do come back tomorrow? I will have slept with someone else and ruined what we have for nothing."

"My optimism is rubbing off on you." He said. She huffed – trying not to laugh. "Plus you really think you'll have sex in the next twenty four hours?"

"Well, you've seen me naked - you tell me." She tried to joke. Calin looked over when Superboy groaned - undoubtedly he was using his super hearing to eavesdrop.

"You ever heard that saying – if you love something let it go?"

"Yeah, if it comes back to you then it's meant to be or some other stupid shit that doesn't make sense." She said and crossed her arms. "But there's another saying: Out of sight, out of mind. What if you do come back years from now and I'm involved with someone else?"

"Well… I'd be happy for you."

"Liar." She snorted. "You'd make the guy disappear." Superman nodded like he agreed. He died a little inside at the thought of her being with anyone else but this was something that had to be done.

"If, 'if's' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, honey." He said. "I'd feel better if you at least tried to have some fun. Don't worry about me and how I'm being tortured and executed on some far off alien planet."

"Thanks for that nightmare."

"I'm serious. Go shopping, hang out with Zatanna, meet other guys - break some hearts." He said.

"Clark, me and Zatanna aren't really—

"Stop being hard headed." He interrupted. "Tell me you understand. Let me know you get why I'm doing this. Let me know you're not mad."

"I'm furious! You're an asshole for doing this now." She snapped. He just stared at her for a moment. His stern expression letting her know this was serious, that this was bigger than the both of them. "But…I do understand. You don't want to get my hopes up. You're right I can't live my life while pining away at the stars – hoping they haven't skinned you and thrown you in a salt pit."

"Don't think like that." He said. "And don't be mad at me."

"Don't ask for that right now. I'm probably going to give you the finger as you fly away." Calin said. She sighed. "How can I date anyone after you?"

"You'll find a way. I won't forget you and I will always love you."

"I love you too." She said. "Don't suppose I can change your mind about letting me come with you."

"I need you here. Metropolis needs you. The team needs you. Your little brother…" She glanced back at Conner again.

"I suppose."

"Take care of the planet for me while I'm away?" He asked – smiling a little.

"I'll water the plants and feed the animals." She answered before she hugged him. He held her tightly for a few long moments. Superman wanted to kiss her but he knew that would only make things worse. He was actually thankful when Batman cleared his throat to hurry them along. When Green Lantern formed the spaceship Calin saw Superman wave one last time before her line of sight was blocked. She couldn't watch it leave. Even with Conner holding her hand - she looked away as it took off.

"I want a change." Calin said as Artemis took her place behind her with a pair of scissors.

"Well you'd be surprised what taking a few inches off will do." She said as she gestured to her own hair. "People make fun of women cutting their hair after a traumatic event but it really is cathartic. It was so hard for me to give up the life but after I chopped my hair off it was easier to start over."

"Plus you had Wally." Calin said. "Full time job making sure he doesn't go crazy sitting still."

"We find outlets for all that pent up energy." Artemis said as she parted Calin's thick hair into sections.

"Like what? Sex in public? Streaking?"

"Geez, Calin we play ping pong and go to the gym." Artemis said. "What kind of a freaky stuff were you and Superman doing?" She covered her mouth afterwards. "Sorry, didn't mean to mention the S-man."

"It's alright. I'm moving forward remember?" Calin sighed. "And it wasn't that freaky - just stuff that took us out of that 'standard missionary comfort zone'."

"You convinced him to streak? I suppose he could do it so fast that no one would see him."

"No, not streaking. But that rotating globe on the roof of the Daily Planet has his butt print all over it now." Calin answered.

"Cowgirl?"

"At sunset. Super romantic." Artemis high-fived her and they both chuckled. She went to start cutting Calin's hair but paused.

"You know it's okay to miss him?" She asked. "No ones rushing you to move on."

"I know." Calin answered. "And I do miss him but he was right - I can't keep 'pining away at the stars'. I gotta move on. It's been a month. I'm ready to do something - haircut counts as something."

"Alright." Artemis said. "How short you want it?" Calin looked in the mirror for a second. Her mind replaying a memory of Clark pulling her pony tail playfully. She could almost feel his fingers running through it - gently gripping as he kissed her.

"I kind of like Conner's haircut." Calin said before she glanced at Artemis.

"… You got it."

—