09: Affirmations

Clark, Metropolis

The interview with the Blur was major news for a full three days(the Daily Planet picture seen all over the headlines of the news paper for those three days) before an explosion at a nuclear plant took the spotlight. Of course I played a part in stopping the toxins from poisoning the atmosphere from the shadows; I was trying to keep most of my abilities in the dark. Ever since the Blur had been printed in the Daily Planet, I had been doing some serious thinking about how this might affect the future. Superman was supposed to be the first of his kind. If people went digging into old news articles and found that the Blur had all the same abilities as Superman it would be sure to raise several eyebrows. So I decided to let the public see me using my super speed – as well as super strength in some cases – but the rest of the abilities I was determined to keep on the down low; that was one of the reasons I didn't disclose them in the article.

The results from the article were quite positive. People sent fan mail to the Daily Planet and a model scout even attempted to contact the Blur by harassing Lois until security came and hauled him away. Lois was handling all the drama rather well. She even laughed over some of the ridiculous fan mail; the Daily Planet staff had made is some sort of strange hobby to open and read them during coffee breaks.

It was Tuesday and the day had been fairly quiet. Finishing off a puff piece for Perry, I decided to head into the break room for a cup of coffee. The break room was empty when I first entered, which was nice, but it didn't last long. I was just enjoying my cup when a storm of people came in and bee-lined for the table where all the Blur fan mail had collected over the weekend.

"Let's see…" a red headed young woman with a slightly slender build muttered as she ruffled through the letters, "which one should we read guys?"

Several suggestions were made and a hot pink letter won the vote. The redhead opened it with a flourish.

I listened in; I try to treat fan mail with respect since people take their time to write such things to me. Usually what I receive is genuine and kind but occasionally something grotesque will pop up. Unfortunately this pink letter just happened to be one of those times. I nearly spit coffee all over the place as the writer requested photos of obscure places and the reason behind wanting said photos. Even as Superman I didn't get those requests very often so when they came, I acted the same way I always have: I blushed down to my roots and wanted nothing more than to crawl into the deepest darkest hole where nobody could find me.

Coffee didn't seem such a great idea anymore. Discretely dumping the rest of my cup down the drain, I left the break room that was filled with riotous laughter. I went into the bathroom. Sure enough my reflection displayed a very red face. Splashing cold water on my complexion a couple of times, I shook my head. I'd always reacted this way when it came to risqué things even though I'd been married to Lois for practically a year. I mean, sure, I loved risqué when it was Lois but anyone else…well, I found myself shying away from such things with a ten foot pole.

I left the bathroom and decided to tune-in to Lois. Honing through all the sounds of the city, I found her heartbeat a second later. It was a little faster than usual. Concerned, I branched my hearing out even further and listened to her conversation…

"Look, Emit, are you sure?"

"I'm positive, Lois," a young man muttered quietly.

She was speaking to Emit, the bartender at the Night Flight club? He knew who Lois really was?!

I immediately headed for the elevator doors, my senses branching out to find exactly where they were. From the sound of it, they were in a bar: the clinking of glass on wood, obscure music blaring, and occasional pool sticks hitting pool balls filled the background. I reached the roof and took off down the side of the building, not even bothering to pretend to run since I was flying so fast. In two seconds I was on the other side of town in the back alley to Jones Bar. I startled a stray cat but nobody from the street seemed too concerned about a well dressed young man stepping out of the alley. Straightening the glasses on my face – Lois bought them for me shortly after the Blur interview – I made my way into the bar.

Lois was leaning against the main bar wearing an outfit she'd usually wear at the Night Flight club; she was going into work later. Several men -including the bartender- were staring at her inappropriately. I ground my teeth together. Lois could be so naïve sometimes and this was proof because she was leaning forward, exposing herself completely for all to see while she chatted with Emit. Emit's long hair was tied back in a ponytail today, his green eyes darting back and forth as he addressed her. From his obvious body language, the man was clearly frightened about something and one look at Lois's face said the same thing. Deciding it was best to stick to the shadows, I sat at a table in the corner and ordered a beer even though I had no intention of drinking the stuff; it tasted horrible and did nothing for me anyway.

Lois leaned in further, looking back and forth before whispering, "How did you find out?"

"I went down into the basement because they ordered drinks. They had all your information spread out across the table. Lois, I'm your friend. I wouldn't make this up. I knew people met down in the basement but I didn't know they were dealing dirty like this!"

Lois reached out a hand and took Emit's in a comforting gesture. "I believe you, Emit. Are you sure they don't know you're talking to me?"

"I'm positive," he said. "They didn't follow me after I left. I figured they think I'm not much of a threat anyway. I'm just a college kid. What can I possibly do?" He lifted his shoulders.

Lois smiled though she still looked concerned. "Look, don't try to contact me anymore, okay? You don't work tonight, do you?"

"No, they gave me the night off."

She bit her lip. "They might be testing you. If I don't show up to work tonight, they're going to think you told me. They'll come after you."

"If you go, they're going to kill you!" Emit protested.

"If I don't, they'll kill you," she countered.

Emit grew frustrated. "Look, I can't live with your death on my conscience. I only took this job because the pay was helping me get through college. I'm not willing to get involved in a murder case."

"And you think I want a murder on my hands? No thanks," Lois spat. "I've already had one friend die over this, Emit. I can't let you die too."

"Lois, please, don't go into work tonight," Emit implored. He reached out a hand and caressed her cheek. "Please."

I stiffened. Lois may not realize it but that guy had been harboring feelings. Anger started licking my insides. Get your hand off my wife! The second the thought popped in my head, I curled my fingers and counted to ten. No point in getting possessive just yet; he hadn't crossed the line. Boys touched Lois like this all the time out of affection. Why should I be concerned? Maybe because this was a boy I hardly knew anything about and who seemed to be pretty comfortable sitting so close to my future wife (I had to work very hard to remember the future part of that).

Lois gently reached up and removed his hand from her face. The dragon of jealousy inside my chest roared in approval. "Emit, thank you for coming here and telling me what you saw. I'll see you later." Before the boy could respond, she stood up, dropped some money on the counter, and headed for the exit. I made sure to stay hidden in the shadows; I didn't want Emit to see that I had been there the whole time. Emit watched Lois's retreating figure without expression until she was gone. He turned back to his drink and sat there. I waited ten more seconds before blurring out of the door, leaving a ten dollar bill on the table for the untouched beer.

Lois was already at the end of the street when I caught up with her. Slipping my hand into hers, I felt her body instantly relax; by now she was very familiar with my touch. "I wondered if you'd be listening in," she teased.

"Your heart rate picked up," I said.

Lois stopped a fraction of a second to kiss my cheek. "Well, I feel special. I have my own personal superhero."

I squeezed her fingers lightly, smiling. "Well, a superhero does have to have someone special to protect."

"Oh, but of course!" Lois chuckled before becoming serious, "Did you hear what he said?"

"Not everything," I admitted. "I came just when you were asking for clarification concerning the information he'd given."

Lois bit her lip and looked around. "Is anyone listening in or following us?" she whispered so quietly the words were more in her throat than coming out her mouth.

Lucky for her, I'd trained my ears to always hear her voice, no matter how quiet it was. I looked around casually, pretending to look at the shops we were passing while my senses stretched out around us. After a moment I turned and kissed her temple. "Nope, we're alone."

"Good," she sighed. "Squeeze my hand if that changes, okay?"

"Okay."

"I've been trying to befriend Emit so we could have a little potential insurance to piggyback off of should something happen in the club when we're not working."

"That obviously worked," I put in a little sourly.

"Kal, don't be jealous!" she teased. "You're my number one."

"And I hope you don't forget that," I said kissing her temple again.

Lois bit her lip, pleased. "Stop distracting me! Anyway, Emit told me that our identities have been compromised."

"I'd gathered that from the conversation but how?"

Lois shrugged. "I'm not sure. Both of us were careful but the information got leaked anyway."

"Did Emit know who you really were from the start?"

Lois shook her head emphatically. "No, he didn't. He saw my information on the table when he went down to give the Boss and the Legion their drinks yesterday. He called me last night and requested to meet up today. He seemed so afraid, Kal. I had to go. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"That's okay," I reassured. "I keep an ear out for you all the time and I got here in two seconds just in case."

Lois stopped at a red light and looked at me, impressed. "You can run that fast?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "I kind of flew."

"Kal! What if someone saw you?" she hissed.

"Nobody saw me!" I defended. "Honest! I made sure to leave from the Planet roof and I reappeared in an alley, spooking a stray cat."

Lois breathed deeply, relaxing. "Oh, okay. Wow, you fly really fast! Thanks for coming to my rescue so quickly. I feel a lot safer with you here after finding out the mafia may be out to get us."

I frowned. "Lois…did Emit say he saw both of our information on the table?"

Lois shook her head. "No, he just said he saw me. But, Kal, we went to the club together. They'll know we're both reporters because our story was the same."

I sighed. "I guess you're right. Lois, you're not going to go into work tonight, are you?"

It was her turn to sigh. "I don't want to…but if I don't-"

"Emit will get in trouble," I interjected. "I know."

"Kal, I know it's the stupidest thing to do but I have to."

"I'm not scheduled to work tonight," I pointed out.

"I know... Hey, maybe you can be a customer!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

"Yeah! Think about it," she said, her cute little brain beginning to storm before my eyes. I loved it when she got this way even if I didn't necessarily approve of what she was thinking. "If you were to walk into the club with a completely different look as a customer they wouldn't pay you any attention!"

"Isn't it a little late for Halloween, Lois? Besides, I'm not old enough to get in," I pointed out. "Unlike other clubs you actually have to be twenty one to get into Night Flight."

Lois shrugged. "We'll create another false ID. I'm sure Perry can get one to us before my shift tonight! And I have a friend who's a makeup artist! He'll make you look completely different from the "James" that everyone knows!"

Her eyes were shining brightly now, the plan already formulated in her mind. I had to smile. Well, why not? Lois and I had gone undercover plenty of times in the past. I was a pro once in disguise because I could change my vocal cords to sound like any person on the planet. All I had to do was pick a voice. Immediately I thought of Richard. I'd been around him long enough to know what he sounded like in all kinds of situations. "Alright," I said, making Lois practically skip with glee.

"Sweet!" she exclaimed. "Let's go talk to Perry."

And she hauled me away across the street, heading back to the Daily Planet.

Lois, Smallville

I'd stewed over it all weekend. I'd searched the internet, read all the articles, and even cut the picture out of the Daily Planet's front page but I still could hardly believe it. Clark was in Metropolis. But how could that be when he was also here in Smallville?!

It was Tuesday. I'd gone to Clark's house last night – my second visit since his hermit habit – and knew he hadn't been anywhere all weekend. (One of the great things about being married to Clark was I knew for a fact when he was hiding something from me and when he wasn't. When he would, his eyes would shift back and forth and he wouldn't be able to look at me for very long.) The Clark I talked with on Friday and last night definitely assured me that he was just fine staying holed up in his room. He'd said it with a straight face, looking right into my eyes the whole time.

This left me with one conclusion. Both Dr. Fates had sent me back here to save Clark from some unknown threat from the future. Would it be asinine to think they also sent Clark back here to protect me? Could that threat against Clark also be trying to target the younger me in Metropolis? Sure, why not? I remembered that at this point of my life I should be in Metropolis working for the Daily Planet; I'd had a major fight with my father and ended up moving to the big city, not talking to him for over a year. From the articles about the Blur – which I wrote! – I wouldn't be surprised if my hunch was right. Though nothing spoke of heat vision, x ray vision, or flight, the super speed and strength plus the actual photograph wiped doubt from my mind. His hair may be grayish and his eyes brown but I knew it was Clark. Call it wife intuition!

But if it was Clark from the same time period as me, why hadn't he picked up my heartbeat? Maybe…maybe because my younger self was in Metropolis he was focused on hers? Smallville, Kansas wasn't anywhere near the East Coast after all. Why extend his hearing out here when it was clear that I was in Metropolis? And another thing I couldn't comprehend was if I wrote the articles about the Blur, why for the life of me could I not remember ever writing them?!

I let out a sigh as I started gathering up the Blur articles scattered all over my desk. After putting them under my pillow, I grabbed my jacket. Even if my brain was scrambling all over the place, if I didn't leave now, I'd be late for school.

School…

How was it fair that Clark got to come back and continue to be a reporter while I had to relive this nightmare?! Fate was laughing at me…this was recompense for skipping classes, I was sure of it! Well, my opinion of school hadn't changed! Even now I was having difficulties keeping up with homework. It wasn't that I didn't understand it. I just found myself not wanting to do it. I was here for Clark, not to further my education! But if I didn't at least attempt to get passing grades, my father just might get a call from the school and try to haul me back to Washington. Ugh, Clark had it easy in Metropolis. All he had to worry about was the usual – make sure I didn't die while chasing after stories. I had to worry about an unconfident Clark, a stupid overly possessive girlfriend, friendships, and grades! Life wasn't fair in the slightest.

Chloe knocked on my door. "Um, Lois?"

I looked up at her as I finished buttoning my pea coat. "Morning, Chloe. What's up?"

The blonde bit her lip. "I was wondering if you'd like a ride to school this morning."

I raised my eyebrows. Since returning from the hospital I'd been taking the bus; I didn't want to face the dramatic silences from Clark's friends. I wasn't thrilled over the possibility of Lana burning jealousy holes into the back of my head but Chloe was trying to be nice. I should at least give her a chance. "Um, sure, okay… Thanks."

"Cool," Chloe muttered, feeling awkward still. "I'll be leaving in a couple minutes."

"Alright. I'm pretty much ready to leave whenever."

Chloe nodded before excusing herself to go down to the kitchen to retrieve her pop tarts from the toaster. I heard her dad bid her goodbye as he went off to work at the plant on the other side of town. Chloe's dad was an engineer. I made my way down the stairs after clearing my desk of all the Blur articles; the less attention I drew to him, the better!

"Thanks for the ride," I said again as we left the house.

"No problem," Chloe assured. "It looks like it's going to rain today anyway."

We both looked up at the darkened sky. The first drop of rain touched my nose as I got in the car's passenger side. "Are we going to pick up Lana and Pete?" I asked hesitantly as Chloe pulled into the road leading away from the high school.

"Yeah," Chloe muttered. "Um, I hope that's okay?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

Chloe bit her lip. "Lois?"

"Chloe, there's obviously something you want to talk to me about so what is it?" I asked as nicely as I could.

The blonde sighed, feeling dumb for being caught. Unfortunately for her, I was an investigative reporter; obviously something was on her mind. After a pause, Chloe opened up. "I'm not an idiot, Lois. I'm planning on being a reporter once I graduate and I've managed the school paper – which everyone in the town reads – since freshman year. You came home late on Halloween and last night. Where were you?"

Even from her tone I could tell she wasn't ignorant. "I think we both know where I was," I said flatly.

"You were at Clark's." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I was."

Chloe's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Did he… talk to you?" she asked, even though it was more for confirmation than anything else.

Frustrated, I rolled my eyes and turned to her. "Chloe, you obviously know the answer to that question too! Look, I don't know why Clark opened up to me and not you, okay! I don't understand why he won't see any of you but he'll see me. But don't think for a second that I haven't tried to get him to talk! I've been pulling teeth in trying to get him to come to school; he's not budging just yet. I thought you knew I was your friend! I'm not here to replace anyone."

"Then why are you hanging out with Clark all the time?" she demanded angrily.

"Because I'm in love with him, that's why!" I snapped, fuming. "Yeah, I said it. I admit it! I'm in love with Clark! I see that he's struggling and since I can't be there for him as a girlfriend, the least I can be is his friend. So that's what I'm doing!"

Chloe was silent for a long time. We got to Pete's house first. He didn't seem at all enthused about me being in the car and when we picked up Lana, I thought she was going to spit venom. The drive to school was the most uncomfortable I'd ever had in my life. Nobody said a word. The second Chloe parked the car I booked it out of there and headed to my first class without a backward glance. I was beyond thankful that all my classes were separate from theirs. Unfortunately, I had to deal with several boys flirting with me in every class as well as disgruntled looks from other girls that were deprived of their affections. I wished I could play hooky. I was in no mood for sitting in a classroom all day while the whole reason I was here was to help Clark. But I stayed at school anyway for what reason I have no idea.

Lunch time rolled around and I had just finished my sandwich when Mr. Reppart, the guidance counselor with the earring, walked up to me. "Miss Lane?"

"Mr. Reppart, right?"

He smiled kindly. "That's right. How have you been? Settling in alright?"

"Sure," I hedged, not willing to unload all my problems on someone I hardly knew.

"You're in Clark Kent's writing class right?"

My eyebrows rose. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Well, as a guidance counselor, they want me to meet with several students who may be struggling in their classes. I've been informed by Mrs. Tundle that Clark went from being the top in his class to barely passing. I was wondering if you've noticed anything different about him lately."

I frowned. I wasn't about to tell him the real reason why Clark was failing his classes. That wasn't my place. Why hadn't he gone to the Kents? Why come to me? Shrugging, I lied breezily, "I haven't seen him in over a week."

Mr. Reppart nodded. "I see. I'll have to try calling his parents then. I just wanted to hear from some of his fellow classmates before alerting them of the situation. Thank you for your honesty Miss Lane."

"You're welcome," I said, hiding my confusion.

Mr. Reppart walked away, heading back to his office. That was weird. Weren't counselors supposed to go to the parents first? Being a parent, I knew that if Jason were in trouble, the teacher or counselor would consult us first before interviewing class members for information. I narrowed my eyes. Yep, something definitely didn't feel right about this. Deciding to ask Clark about it later, I joined the throngs of people heading back down the hallway to their next class.

Though Clark was absent, writing class was heaven compared to gym. Lana, Pete, and Chloe were huddled over in the corner, whispering instead of participating at all. Often they would glance in my direction and it ticked me off so much that I threw off my aim and the volleyball I was attempting to hit smacked me right in the face. Amid the laughs I was able to hear the shrill trill of Lana's annoying giggle. I closed my eyes and waved off the hands that tried to console me to see if I was alright.

"I'm fine," I said through clenched teeth, my pride hurt more than my nose.

I tried to resume play and concentrate but Lana, Pete, and Chloe were still whispering. After two more painstaking minutes of attempting to shrug it off, I gave up. Forget this! Despite my coach's calls, I walked off the court into the locker rooms without a backward glance. Changing at top speed, I angrily shoved my gym clothes into my bag, kicked my locker closed, and marched out the door; thankfully there was an exit that led to the outside instead of back through the gym.

Tromping across the football field, I gathered my thoughts. Enough was enough! Chloe, Lana, and Pete were only acting this way because Clark was being an idiot. I knew that he was sensitive about his heritage but it was time for him to grow up and realize that his friends didn't care about that at all! They were hurt from mistrust not because they'd found out their best friend was an alien.

I suddenly wondered how Lana felt about having made out with an extraterrestrial. From personal experience I was of the opinion they satisfied the desires much more than any human ever could. If Lana was mortified over that issue, by all means I'd take Clark off her hands in a heartbeat. Unlike her, I knew how he truly was when really serious and the experience was worth its weight in gold. But I didn't have to share that information…no, I'd rather keep that glorious truth to myself, thank you.

I hadn't realized I was approaching the Kent Farm until I nearly ran into the mailbox; I'd been reliving a rather happy memory involving my husband and a hotel room. Narrowly dodging the metal contraption, I recollected my thoughts and marched up to Clark's front door. I knocked twice, waiting impatiently.

Martha's expression immediately softened when she realized who it was. "Lois, dear, how are you?"

I unceremoniously filed past her. "I'm sorry Mrs. Kent, but enough is enough. Clark Kent!" I shouted up the stairs, "Get down here this instant or else I'm coming up there no matter if you're naked or not!"

Clark materialized in front of me, wearing his typical jean and flannel shirt combo. He had a hesitant smile on his face. "What's up, Lois?"

I jammed my finger into his chest with enough force to prove my point but not injure myself against his rock solid skin.

"Now you listen to me and you listen good! I have had enough, you hear? You've been holed up in this house like some ridiculous terrified mouse for almost two whole weeks. It's time to rejoin the land of the living! I know you're delicate when it comes to people knowing who you really are but you need to open up your eyes and realize that Lana, Pete, and Chloe are not mad because you're from another planet! They're upset because their best friend didn't feel like he could trust them! I know your secret is the most guarded information you have to keep but, hello! You're friends know so it's not a secret anymore! Stop cowering like a frightened little school girl and face your demons! I'm through with all this stupid, nonsensical drama! Get over yourself and make up with your friends before you throw them away. Enough is enough!"

I breathed deeply through my nose. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I hadn't realized it but I'd backed Clark up against the wall and, though he was a good foot and several inches taller than me, it appeared as if I were towering over him. He cowered under my menacing glare, his eyes the size of dinner plates, his expression comparable to that of a frightened deer. I minutely felt Jonathan and Martha off to the side, watching the scene without a word.

After several eternal seconds of silence, I stepped back, rested a hand on my hip, and ran the other through my long curls to push the hair out of my face. Clark didn't move, obviously afraid I might explode again. In this moment, I was once again struck with amazement that I could have such a profound effect on the most powerful man in the world. I lacked abilities of superhuman nature and yet I was able to bring this man to his knees. It was kind of scary when I really thought about it; my influence in Clark's life was stronger than I even realized most of the time.

Sighing, the worst of my wrath over, I surprised Clark and his parents by wrapping my arms around his strong torso. I bit my lip, my eyes focusing on his shirtsleeve. "Look, Clark, I care about you," I muttered into his chest, right over his heart. "You're my best friend and I can see that what you're choosing to do isn't going to help anyone – especially you. You can't allow this situation to rule your life. Mishaps happen; that's part of life. I can't stand by and watch you lose three irreplaceable friends and throw your grades away just because they found out the truth about you. Yeah, they're angry; but Clark, anger heals over time if replaced with kindness, love, and friendship. You need to come out of your shell, okay? Don't rot away when you have the potential to be great."

I couldn't bring myself to move. I stayed where I was, my arms still wrapped around him, my ear pressed right against his beating heart. With shock I realized its pace was beginning to slow down. Afraid, I began to draw away but Clark prevented me from doing so by securing his arms around my tiny frame. His warmth reaching all the way to the marrow of my bones, I breathed in his unique scent and closed my eyes. For the first time since coming to this time period, I felt like I was home. This was how home felt, secure and whole in Clark's arms. No matter the location, where I stood right here and now, so close to him, was home. The only thing missing was Jason. My heart clenched a little and unconsciously I drew closer to Clark. Immediately realizing he wasn't yet my husband, I froze. Was this too close?

Clark quelled that fear: he tightened his hold too. My heart picked up a little. Clark's lips gently graced the top of my head and he pulled away so as to look into my eyes. His expression was a combination of embarrassment as well as gratitude. "Thank you, Lois," he muttered. "I really needed to hear that."

Before I could even so much as smile, a car door slammed outside and the yard filled with the angry shouts of Lana Lang. "Clark! If you don't come out here and confirm to us what happened the night of the Homecoming Dance, we're going to print everything we saw in the Torch!"

It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. I glanced at Clark and felt a smile creep onto my face. He had the determined look that would one day become an iconic expression to the world; I was staring into the face of Superman. He looked at me and even his voice was deeper as he said with all sincerity, "Thank you for waking me up, Lois. Because of you I can face this now."

Kissing me on the forehead, he squared his shoulders and marched out the door without a backward glance at either me or his parents. The door shut with such finality, I almost thought back to that time when he said goodbye to me before flying away to deal with New Krypton. I knew the situation wasn't as dire as death but it sure felt like he was going out to battle. And in a way, he was. He was facing his biggest fear.

"Good luck, Smallville," I whispered.

Clark, Metropolis

I really dislike facial hair. I have nothing against it on others but I don't prefer it at all on myself. I was staring into the mirror, my eyes roving over my face which was now graced with a clean cut goatee. Lois was heard in the background congratulating her friend on doing such a profound job. I sighed, taking in the rest of the outfit I'd been forced into. I was wearing black dress pants, a bright blue long-sleeved button up shirt, black tie, and a black vest. A silver chain connected to a pocket watch was hanging from my right pant pocket and silver cufflinks glimmered slightly in the light coming from the portable vanity I stood in front of.

"Greg, he looks fantastic!" Lois declared, grabbing my attention as she hugged me around the middle.

Despite my displeasure over the goatee, I smiled; her enthusiasm was endearing. Greg, a middle aged professional hairdresser, looked me over and nodded his approval. "You turned out quite well, Kal. Too bad you fancy women," he added, winking.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Hey, keep your hands and thoughts off my man, Greg."

Greg merely grinned. "Whatever you say, sweetheart. Seriously though, nice catch."

Lois happily kissed my cheek. "I only go for the best."

Greg chuckled before hitching up his coat, portable vanity, and makeup kit. He'd come to the Daily Planet to do the job using one of the empty conference rooms. Lois made sure to hug him again before he took his leave. I delicately felt the false hair on my face, trying not to grimace. Lois caught me and pulled my hand away. "You look fine, Kal," she soothed.

I frowned. "I didn't tell you how much I abhor facial hair, did I?"

She looked amused as she shook her head. "No you didn't but in all honesty, you look really fine either way." Her hand slowly slid down the front of my chest while her lips gently graced mine.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Lois grinned wickedly as she prolonged separating by stepping backward with her hands running down my chest. I looked up and saw it was Perry. He didn't look at all pleased. Lois turned away from me and nonchalantly asked, "What's up Chief?"

Perry drew himself to his full height. "I don't think I need to remind the two of you that this is a newspaper not a hotel! Keep your private life out of the bullpen! If Kal wasn't an incredible writer I would have fired him in order to keep you in line, Lane!"

I felt my face starting to burn. "Understood Chief," I muttered.

Lois only responded by rolling her eyes.

Perry pursed his lips but decided to change tactics. "Your disguise is pretty good, Kal. Greg did a good job. Here's the false information we've decided to run with your character." He pulled out an envelope and handed it over – "The actual ID card should get here within two hours. Lois, when does your shift start?"

Lois looked at her watch and appeared relieved. "I don't have to go in until seven tonight."

"Perfect," Perry muttered noticing the time. It was half past four. "Now look you two, there's a lot of money going into getting this story so use your time wisely and get the information as fast as you can. Now that Lois is under the mafia's radar, we need to tread carefully. If I had it my way, I wouldn't let you go back there, Lois, but I know that even if I did you'd find a way to get there."

"Darn right I would," she muttered under her breath.

I smiled, exasperated. Once again my lovely future wife was going to put her life on the line. I wasn't surprised one little bit but that didn't stop me from wanting to follow Perry's lead and lock her away somewhere safe. Despite this, I knew that deep down some strange part of me enjoyed always coming to her rescue. The look she'd send my way when she knew that I was there made me feel special and instilled the necessary force to do everything in my power to stop the bad guys and save the girl.

Perry shook his head at Lois's insane determination but he was smiling. He was just as proud of Lois as I was. She had the heart of a diehard journalist – get the story or die in the attempt – and Perry loved that about her; they were kindred spirits in this characteristic. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

Lois smiled. "Don't worry, Perry, Kal won't let anything happen to me."

Perry nodded though from the look in his eye, he still had doubts. "Right, well, maybe as insurance you can talk to the Blur. I'm sure he'd be on board to help out."

"Don't worry, Chief, we've already communicated with him," I said. "He's going to stick to the shadows."

Perry finally seemed to relax for the first time. "Oh, well, that's good! I mean, not that I don't think you'd be enough to protect Lois should something happen, Kal–"

"It's okay Chief," I assured. "I'm just as glad as you are that he's going to be there. Lois isn't prone to paying attention to the dangers she sacrifices herself to."

Perry laughed while Lois stuck her tongue out at me. "Whatever Kal!" she argued. "I can take care of myself! I always carry around pepper spray and for your information my dad made sure I was trained in all the arts of fighting. I know the basics of every technique."

I put my arm around her and muttered, "Much help those would be against bullets…"

Lois slapped my chest. I smirked. Perry cleared his throat again. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. By the way, Kal, good article on that apartment fire."

"Thank you sir," I said as he took his leave.

Lois leaned back against the conference table and folded her arms. "You know, if you weren't so adorable I would have replaced you a while ago."

I raised an eyebrow and decided to be a little daring. In a flash I was standing before her, my arms pinning her in on both sides as they rested against the table. My lips caressed her earlobe for several precious seconds and I heard her heartbeat thunder against her ribcage as she let out a gasp of surprise.

"But if you replaced me you'd never be satisfied again," I whispered, kissing her neck just beneath her ear.

Lois's voice quivered as she mumbled, "K-Kal…that's not fair…"

"What's not?" I muttered against her skin.

After a few more tantalizing seconds, Lois couldn't take it anymore. Her lips found mine, kissing me furiously. "You're right," she breathed in between kisses, lacing her fingers through my hair, "human men don't stand a chance…"

A fiery desire started just below my navel and I knew that if we continued like this I was going to cross the line. I'd had more control of myself before I'd kissed her but now…now it was so much harder to keep my hands from exploring her body the way I yearned to. This was the hardest trial I had ever had to deal with in my life. Lois was my wife and yet in this time period I couldn't have the relationship with her that a husband and wife should have. I couldn't afford to mess with the past in such a way. It might be detrimental to the future – my biggest fear being that if I didn't control myself, Lois might end up pregnant and that would definitely destroy the future's time stream. No, I needed to control myself.

I was wrenched from my thoughts as Lois's small hands crept beneath my shirt. Panicked, I realized that if I didn't stop us immediately, my instincts were going to overrule my thoughts. "Lois," I warned, gently grabbing her hands.

She stopped kissing me and stepped backward, her expression surprisingly not one of hurt. Instead it reminded me of Jason after he'd been caught doing something he knew was wrong – like stealing my chocolate pudding from the fridge after Lois and I had 'gone to bed'. Lois had a small apologetic smile on her face, her teeth biting down on her lower lip slightly. Her shoulders were hunched a little and her hazel eyes were contrite. She twiddled her fingers. "Sorry, Kal."

I put my hands on her shoulders and gently kissed her. "We got caught up in the moment."

"Yeah," she muttered, leaning forward to kiss me again.

"Lois…"

"Sorry!" she gasped, stepping back.

I laughed and shook my head. "We've got to set some ground rules."

She nodded emphatically. "Good idea. Um…what did you have in mind?"

"Holding hands, cuddling, and kissing are allowed," I said.

"No touching over or under clothes in specific areas."

I nodded, adding, "And I think it would be wise to both agree that should also include not removing clothes."

Lois ran a hand through her hair. "You know, for an extraterrestrial you sure have pretty high morals. You're the strongest man in the entire world. If you wanted, you could seduce me and there would be nothing I could do to stop you. Yet you deny doing what every man is programmed to want to do."

I shrugged. "I was raised to respect the bonds of relationships between a man and a woman, Lois. Call me old fashioned if you will but there are certain things I refuse to indulge in before marriage."

Lois folded her arms for a moment, looking as if she were going to pout. But then she threw her hands at her side and sighed, smiling. "You just became five hundred times more attractive than you were before."

"Thank you."

She suddenly became troubled, her hazel eyes clouding over with apprehension.

"What is it?" I prompted.

Lois became shy. "Kal…I admire you for having boundaries. It's just…" she paused.

"Lois? What is it?" Her adorable hazel eyes shifted nervously back and forth, her heart rate accelerating with every passing second. I took her hand. "Sweetheart," I consoled, "what's wrong?"

The tenderness of my voice gave her enough courage to admit her thoughts aloud. "I wish I'd had similar morals like you." She blushed deeply. "Dang it… I hate to admit this but… I've already…you know…" – she paused to look at me and I nodded in understanding causing her to stare – "And that doesn't bother you?" she finished, shocked.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would it?"

Her eyes widened. "Kal, I'm not as bad as other girls but I'm not a saint either. I've made mistakes. I'm not like you. You're special…I'm just ordinary."

Keeping hold of her left hand, my right reached up to caress her cheek. "Just because our baggage is different doesn't mean that we aren't compatible, Lois. You can't fathom it but you have no idea how special you are. You're anything but ordinary to me."

"But I'm so different from you," she cried, burying her cheek further into my hand.

I shook my head. "No, you're not. We have some differences but those don't really matter. What matters is that we respect and love each other. We may have come from different walks of life but together we can pave a new path to walk on side by side. That's all I care about, Lois. I love you – every part of you. You're the only one for me, you know that? I want you to know that no matter what I will always be forever yours and yours alone."

She looked deeply into my eyes, searching them and finding nothing but sincerity. "Forever yours and yours alone?" she muttered, flashing a small smile.

"Yes," I returned tenderly. I hadn't even been planning on using that particular phrase. It had just come out. But it was the truth and I didn't have any regret in voicing it.

Lois wrapped her arms around me, cuddling into my chest. "I love you, Kal."

Resting my head against the top of hers, I returned her embrace. "I love you too, Lois."

Two and a half hours later

I'd been sitting in the club for half an hour. It was a good thing the place opened at six in the winter time verses at seven during the summer; this ensured that I would already be inside when Lois arrived for her shift. I'd left her at a small restaurant just up the road and had listened nonstop to her heartbeat the moment she was gone from my sight. It was beating just as steady as always, reassuring me that she was safe.

I looked down at my ID and frowned. They'd given me the name Darien Graves. I guess it was a step up from James Foreman. Slipping the ID into my pocket, I peered around. So far nobody had recognized me. A shooter girl caught my eye and came over, her outfit anything but modest. If I didn't know better, she was a dancer in disguise.

"Hi, handsome," she greeted, smiling seductively. "I noticed you didn't have a drink. Do you want anything?"

I frowned. Alcohol really wasn't my thing but I had to at least keep up appearances. I ordered a shot of alcohol and gave the girl some money so she'd walk away. Obviously she got the hint that I wasn't interested and didn't linger, heading to some other man sitting four tables away from me after completing my order.

I noticed that most of the staff seemed pretty relaxed; either they were good actors or they were just like Emit – naïve that a mafia boss and his cronies used their club as a base. The smell of strawberries and roses suddenly filled the air and immediately I knew Lois had just entered the building. Using x-ray vision, I saw her in the back, clocking in. A sinister group consisting of three men was hiding in the shadows. I prepared to rush to Lois's side but they didn't move as she left the backroom and came out onto the main floor. I didn't relax though. I kept all my senses on full alert.

Around nine, Carmine Falcone's right hand men, The Legion, showed up. They moseyed around for a few minutes, grabbing drinks from the bar and chatting with a few customers, before making their way discretely up the steps of the EMPLOYEES ONLY entrance. The dancers provided a good distraction for them to make their escape from the main floor; nobody was watching but me. After going down the steps, they settled themselves around the usual table.

Carmine Falcone stepped out of the shadows. After emitting a large quantity of smoke into the air from his lungs, he waved his cigar around, demanding an update.

"Your tip off was right, boss, the Legion member nearest to him confirmed as he set down a leaflet of papers. "We've got a couple reporters snooping around the joint pretending to work here."

"Too bad she's a reporter," Falcone said, staring at the papers in front of him. "She's kind of cute."

Several of the Legion members chuckled in agreement.

"When are you going to take care of her?"

"We've got a team set up to take the blame out in the alley," another answered. "They'll have her body in the dumpster before midnight."

Falcone grinned. "Make sure they don't do the job too quickly. We need to know everything she's collected. What about the other reporter?"

"He's a stringer. We've got someone watching the Daily Planet. The second they see him, they'll wipe the street with his brains."

Falcone nodded, satisfied. "Good. If the press got hold of what we were really doing, we'd have to relocate and start all over again. And all of you know I can't afford any mistakes… not when we're so close." There was a pregnant silence as the Legion stared uncomfortably at their boss. Apparently it wasn't a good thing when he stopped talking.

"Jackson, did the cargo arrive in Gotham safely?" Falcone suddenly demanded.

"Yes, sir, it did," the one farthest from him responded.

Falcone nodded, pleased. "Another shipment should be arriving tomorrow night. I want you there to oversee it gets done."

"Where's this shipment going, boss?"

Falcone's eyes narrowed. "Tristan, need I remind you of your responsibilities?" – Tristan gulped – "Like every other underdog in this town, the Legion does what I say without questions. And if there ends up being resistance…well…" Falcone pulled out a pistol and toyed with it in his hands.

"U-Understood sir," Tristan stuttered.

"I thought you might," he said, setting the gun down on the table. "Now, pay attention! The shipment is located in Warehouse 13. The boat should arrive at eleven o'clock. There are several other companies that are going to be loading their own cargo so our proceedings won't draw too much attention. I want all of you to oversee the project. Make sure you have back up should anything go wrong. I want the job done before one in the morning. Sykes, report to me when it's over."

Sykes nodded, his sharp eyes shining through the darkened state of his skin. "Will do, Boss."

Falcone leaned back in his chair and took another drag from his cigar. "Now," he muttered, sending smoke into the air, "update me on what our spies have picked up in Gotham."

The Legion then proceeded to tell Falcone the dirty work of his father and his ignorance concerning the coup going on under his very nose. As I listened, my brows drew even further together. Carmine Falcone wasn't only planning on murdering his father; he was planning on humiliating him by taking over his entire base of operations before doing so. I wasn't surprised, seeing how ruthless the Carmine Falcone of the future was, but I was still disgusted. How could someone want to murder their own father for power? It made no sense. I shook my head.

"Excuse me sir, we're closing now."

I nearly leapt out of my skin as Lois came into view. She was standing over me with a slightly amused expression though her eyes held worry. I looked around. The last of the customers besides me were busy heading to the exit. I stood up, getting a full view of Lois's rather revealing shirt. I tried to keep my eyes off her chest, focusing on her face.

"Thank you, miss," I said, sending her a smile.

She smiled back. "No problem. I hope you enjoyed your stay. Come again soon."

"I'll do that," I said and added under my breath while slipping on my jacket, "I saw three men earlier in the back but don't worry; I won't let them hurt you."

Lois nodded before heading to the back to clock out with the rest of the staff. A bouncer eyed me distastefully for making him late to lock up. I scurried out of the building and headed around to the back alley where the employee exit was. The alley was empty. Walking to the alley next door, I found it empty as well. Leaping to the roof, I quickly shed my current persona and changed into the outfit of the Blur - I carried around a bag of dust and water to mix into my hair which I did as quickly as I could. The most aggravating part was the contacts. Fishing them out of my pocket, I delicately placed them over each eye, blinking several times. Rushing to the other side of the building's roof, I looked down into Night Flight's back alley.

Several small groups of girls were exiting, their laughter filling the night as they shared stories of customers. A few more minutes ticked by and the door opened again, revealing the three sinister men I'd seen at the beginning of Lois's shift. My hands clenched together. Do I take them out now or do I wait to see if there's another threat? The least I could do was alert the cops. I pulled out my cell and called Maggie Sawyer.

She answered after the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Miss Sawyer, this is the Blur."

A sigh came into the phone. "Not you again. Why can't you call 911 like everybody else?"

I smiled. "I feel I can rely on you more."

"Well, you're out of luck tonight, pal. I'm off duty."

"Miss Sawyer, there is going to be an attempt on Miss Lane's life tonight," I said, getting right to the point.

"WHAT?!" Maggie yelled into the receiver. "And you're only telling me this now?! Where is she?"

I gave the address. "I'm already here but it'll be good to have back up just in case."

"I'm already on it," she muttered and from the racket in the background, she was scrambling to get out the door.

I hung up the phone so as not to hinder her progress. My eyes had been trained on the ground floor the entire conversation. The men hadn't left the alley. They busied themselves with small talk about sports of all things. The back door opened and out stepped Lois. The men immediately stopped talking and stared at her. She stared back. Several seconds passed and then Lois nodded, smiling nervously before heading towards the street.

The men leapt into action at once. The moment they began to run, I leapt off the building, the wind rushing in my ears as I plummeted to the earth. I slammed into the ground so hard that it cracked in several directions. Both Lois and the men were knocked backwards from the sudden wind. Latching on to Lois to prevent her from hurtling into a dumpster, I spun around, my back slamming into the metal. The men were scrambling to their feet, whipping out guns. They shot the second their arms were steady. I grabbed every single bullet with super speed. Dropping the crushed bullets to the ground, I gave them a stern stare before stepping towards them.

"He's real," one of them muttered. "I told you he was real!"

"Shut up, Ed!" another snapped.

I raised an eyebrow. "Of course I'm real. The news should have been proof enough of that."

"Anything can be made up now-a-days," the last grumbled. "Look, we've got nothing against you. We just want the lady so get out of the way!"

In the blink of an eye, I was right in front of them. Before they could lift a finger, I flicked the three of them in the forehead. Just as they began to fall to the ground, another gunshot filled the alley. I whipped around. In slow motion I watched as a shaded figure at the head of the alley disappeared in a whiff of smoke, the gun they'd been holding falling to the ground. The bullet was aimed right at Lois who was still looking at me. With all the speed I possessed, I rocketed towards her. I grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted on my heel.

Lois cried out and grabbed her arm. Blood trickled through her fingers as I heard the bullet smash into the wall. Feeling absolutely awful that I hadn't completely protected her, I latched onto her and cried, "Lois! Lois I'm so sorry!"

Through gritted teeth, she shook her head. "I'm okay, Kal. Don't blame yourself. You saved me."

The sounds of police sirens echoed in my ears. "I need to see the wound."

"It's not that bad," she muttered, turning away.

"Lois!"

"Fine!"

She removed her fingers. The bullet had grazed her, leaving a good half inch deep cut across her outer arm. "It doesn't look bad," I mumbled, surveying the area with scrutiny.

"Told you so," Lois grumbled.

Rolling my eyes, I ripped a piece of my shirt and tied it around the wound. Lois winced but didn't cry out. "We need to get you to a hospital so they can stitch that up."

She frowned just as the police stormed into the alley, Maggie in the lead. Assessing the situation, she ordered for the three men to be taken into custody before hauling Lois into her police car to escort her personally to the hospital. After making sure Lois was safely locked in the front seat, Maggie turned to me.

"You're a guardian angel for her, that much I'll say," she muttered, shaking her head. "Thank you."

I smiled. "It's the least I can do, Miss Sawyer. I really enjoyed the article she wrote about me."

"So this was a thank you of sorts?" Maggie asked, her eyebrows raised.

I shrugged. "Not particularly. Whenever someone's in danger, I come to help. That's what I do. Make sure she get's the proper medical attention."

And before Maggie could say another word, I was gone, running up the side of the building and out of sight.