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Author's Note: This is dedicated to my AMAZING and WONDERFUL beta Sue S. I sent this to her when it was about 20 pages in length or so and through her help, suggestions, encouragements, and tireless patience has helped me to turn it into something completely different. It honestly would never have been finished in it's former state had it not been for Sue. She has saved this story and made it something I am actually proud to post here. So thank you Sue. Thank you for your comments, you help, your encouragement and most of all, your sharp pointy stick. This one's for you :)

Henderson couldn't be reached for the rest of the day, but Lois couldn't be angry about that. According to the person she spoke to at the precinct, he was out with a team scouring the streets in search of Kampos. She and Clark did the same for as long as they could, but the end of the day was drawing near and it had been an exhausting one for both of them.

Lois was determined to keep the focus of it on the search for Kampos so she and Clark hardly spoke at all towards the end of it.

The search yielded nothing however. They questioned the Soldiers once more, trying to impress upon them the importance of finding him for his own safety but if they knew of his whereabouts they weren't talking. Either they didn't believe them when they said it could be a matter of life or death or they did and just didn't care.

She wasn't about to give up on proving Batchelar was guilty however, and had already started to formulate a plan for how she and Clark could break into his office to obtain the evidence they needed for Henderson to make an arrest.

Clark was dead set against her desire to break into the office, but she knew that she could get him to come around eventually.

Right now she just wanted to go home. She needed some time to unwind. She wasn't sure she could pull of a successful break-in in her current state. She would give it a few hours and then call Clark and convince him that it needed to be done. She briefly entertained the idea of trying to get in touch with Superman to see if he could help them, but dismissed it.

He would want to help, she knew that much, but he would never compromise his morals by breaking into Batchelar's office even if Batchelar was guilty like she thought he was. She should see it as an admirable trait, that his belief in the laws of society was so pure and complete and yet for some reason it bothered her now.

Clark was just as moral, just as good as Superman, yet he knew that sometimes it was necessary to bend the rules a little for the greater good. He knew that sometimes it just wasn't possible to do things by the book. Catching Batchelar was far more important.

She shook her head. It was weird. When she first met Clark she had constantly compared him to Superman and had always found him wanting. He had never seemed good enough, strong enough, heroic enough or altruistic enough. Not compared to the man in the cape and the suit. After all, he used the powers he possessed to serve the world, devoted his life to saving others and asking nothing in return.

But Lois had been looking at it all wrong. Yes, what Superman did was altruistic and there was no doubt that he was a hero, but to elevate him above everybody else simply because of his abilities was foolish.

Clark was just as heroic as Superman and without any powers at all to back him up. Clark followed every one of her foolish schemes, despite that they almost always seemed to result in life and death experiences that required rescuing by Superman. Superman had been there for them when they needed him, but it was Clark that had risked his life at her side. It was Clark who went into the situations they did without Superman's invulnerability to protect him. It was Clark who had confessed his feelings to her in the park that day, who put his heart on the line. It was Clark who had loved her then.

And it had been Superman she'd chosen.

But then again, if she wasn't able to see true evil when it was right in front of her, why should she be able to recognize selfless heroism?

There was no doubt that Superman's actions were heroic, and the world was a better place with him in it, but Clark was the one who did what he did without that recognition, never becoming bitter and never expecting any sort of public recognition.

But she was sick of dwelling on what was past. She had made a mistake. She had made many of them, come to that. But she was finished with all of that.

Her novel would be the first place she could fix those mistakes and maybe, just maybe her real life would follow.

She flicked on her apartment light and sighed as she sank onto her bed. After a few moments of relaxation, she forced herself upwards.

She needed to write. She needed to get her feelings and frustrations out somewhere. Finishing the book was no longer about publishing it. It was about personal catharsis and perspective, something she only seemed to be able to gain after writing a chapter or two.

She scrolled backwards through the story for a bit, allowing herself to get re-acquainted with what she had written last. As soon as she felt confident of it, she placed her hands on the keyboard and began to type.

Laura couldn't make up her mind about Liam. One moment she would be seriously considering his offer, and the next the very idea of marrying him caused her to break out into a cold sweat. How is it that one little proposal could cause so much inner turmoil? What was it that made her so unsure?

Charlie

NO! She refused to even consider that he was the reason she was holding back. All he had done was confuse her, right from the day she met him. One moment they'd be the best of friends and the next, it was like she didn't even know him.

Maybe that had been because he had feelings for her. She'd never stopped to consider how deep they might have been until he told her he loved her.

Something wasn't right though, even knowing that. There was something else that kept her from trying to salvage their friendship, or from seeing whether there might be a potential relationship in the offing. She knew he was hiding something.

There was nothing else it could possibly be. How else could he be so convinced that Liam was a bad guy? Somehow, he knew something she didn't. And he wasn't telling her.

It infuriated her. If he had information – actual reliable information - she'd be the first person to want to nail Liam to the wall. But all he had done was tell her he knew it in his gut and ask her to trust him.

Laura found that hard to do with anyone, let alone someone who was admittedly jealous of her relationship with the man.

If she were to be totally honest with herself, part of her was afraid – terrified that his information might be correct. If it were, it would mean Laura had been the stupidest woman in history to trust him. It would mean everything about her, as a person and a cop was a failure. If a rookie cop could see something that a seasoned vet like her couldn't, or wouldn't, then what the hell was she even doing on the force?

So yeah, maybe she was burying her head in the sand just a little bit. But it was no excuse for Charlie to just cut himself off from her entirely. And it certainly didn't make her upcoming decision any easier.

She was at a complete loss as to what to do.

Liam was offering her so much. Security. Safety. A job she'd be good at. What the hell was her problem? It wasn't as if the money was fantastic as a cop. And her relationship with her partner may very well be damaged beyond repair. So what was it?

It was Charlie. Part of her was unsure. Part of her trusted his instincts even when hers seemed to be betraying her.

She hated that it might come down to this, but she had to talk to Charlie before she made her decision. He had to know just what Liam had put out there. If he really did have information on him, he'd have to give it to her then and there, otherwise…

She drew a deep breath. Yes, that's how it would go. Charlie would do the deciding for her. If he were open and honest with her, then she'd tell Liam no and do everything she could to rebuild bridges with her partner. If he decided to give her the run around yet again, she'd give Liam a try.

Picking up the phone, she dialed Charlie's number with shaky fingers.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Charlie, it's me…Laura."

"I know," he replied. "I have call display."

"I'm surprised you picked up," she said softly. "You've been ignoring my calls all week."

"I've been busy," he said, but she could hear the lie in his voice.

"Me too," she took a deep breath. "Look, I know this is awkward and I'm partly to blame for that. I didn't handle our last conversation very well. But I need to talk to you. We have to sort things out."

"I'm not sure there's anything to sort out," Charlie said sounding weary and sad. "I told you how I felt. You don't feel the same way."

"It's more complicated than that and we both know it," she replied trying to keep from snapping on the phone and causing this already precarious conversation to crumble completely. "Look, can you just meet me for lunch? Please? I need to talk to you and it has to be in person."

"Laura, I don't want to…"

"Liam asked me to marry him."

She hadn't meant to tell him on the phone. She had wanted to ease into it, but she knew that the only way she was going to get him to meet her was if she dropped a bomb. He was just going to avoid her any other way.

She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other line followed by a pause that seemed to last for hours. She felt like dirt for telling him this way, but it was the only possible option. Eventually he spoke.

"Where do you want to meet?"

The café they had met before was nearly empty which suited Laura just fine. She wasn't keen on having a bunch of onlookers observing yet another one of the 'Laura and Charlie specials' should another occur.

She was early so she ordered drinks for both of them and flipped through a magazine absentmindedly until a shadow fell over her, signifying Charlie's arrival. He sat down, and she gestured to the drink in front of him.

"It's your favourite."

"Thank you," he said, though he didn't seem to taste it as he took a sip. Instead, he leaned closer and narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Laura?"

"Let's not start the conversation this way," she pleaded gently. She really didn't want a shouting match. All she wanted was for him to understand her position, to see where she was coming from. Why was that so hard for him?

"How would you like me to start it?" His jaw was set in a grim line and Laura desperately wanted to touch him, to get him to smile. Why should she be worried about how he was feeling? Why did she care so much that he was hurting?

"I'd like you to start it by asking me what I said to Liam after he asked me." She saw the surprise in his eyes and knew what he had automatically assumed. He confirmed it in his next statement.

"I thought…you mean you didn't say yes?"

"I would have told you I had on the phone if that were the case," she pointed out. "I called you because I needed to talk to you first."

"What am I, your girlfriend?" he spat, "and since when do you listen to any advice I have about Liam anyway?"

"Charlie, I'm trying to have a logical conversation," she sighed and met his eyes. "You're not making this easy for me. I don't know what I want here. All I know is that I'm being torn in two different directions and I need answers before I can figure out what to do."

"What kind of answers?" He was looking at her suspiciously now. Laura hated that.

"I need to know why you think Liam is the one behind the murders. I need to know the truth."

"I told you, I don't have any proof. If I did, I'd already have mounted an investigation." He shook his head. "You really don't need me here for this."

"No," she put out her hand and stopped him from getting up. "You're lying to me. I know you are, I can see it. Why won't you tell me what you know? We're supposed to be partners. Why don't you trust me?"

"You believe me then?" he asked, his voice low and hopeful.

"How can I when you won't tell me anything concrete?" She threw up her hands in a helpless gesture. "I don't think you're deliberately lying to me about him, but if there's something you know, I need to know it otherwise all I have to go on are my own instincts as a cop. Instincts that have kept me alive for a good long while. I know he cares about me, and he's offered me a job with his office. I wanted to make sure that accepting it was the right thing to do. If there's any…any chance that you are right I need to know. Otherwise…"

"That's it then?" He looked at her, a new sadness in his eyes that caused her own resolve to falter.

"What's it?"

"The only reason you wanted to talk to me," he sighed and shook his head. "The only thing stopping you from marrying Lancaster is the possibility I might be right. That's all?"

"What else is there?"

His head snapped up at her, his eyes blazing with part anger and part heartbreak.

"If you don't know, Laura, then there's nothing to talk about." He threw a few dollars on the table and stood to go.

"Charlie, no, please, don't go!" She was pleading with him but she didn't care. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. "Please, stay. I never said…I'm doing this all wrong."

"It's very simple," he whispered. "You either feel something for me or you don't. You already know how I feel about you."

"I do, I just…" she trailed off, unsure of how to put her own feelings into words. "God this is hard. I'm with Liam. I committed to that relationship first and I owe him that much to see it through, however it might turn out. My feelings for you are…complicated. I need to take each decision one at a time, and I need to do that based on logic, not emotion. I need to know if I'm marrying a monster."

"You are," he replied coldly. "But I can't prove it. You want to know what kind of guy he really is? Investigate. Do your job. I can't give you any other advice but that. As for making your decision…if you aren't making it based on your heart than you're not the woman I thought you were. I can't just sit here and listen to this. Call me if you change your mind. Good luck."

As he walked away, Laura scrambled to go after him.

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Lois cursed under her breath as the knock on her door caused her typo. She sighed, saved her work and headed to the door to peek out the keyhole.

It was Clark.

She checked her watch, wondering just what had brought him here only hours after they had parted at the Planet. She had intended to call him after she had finished working on her novel, to try to convince him they needed to sneak into Batchelar's office.

From the look of him outside her door however, he had come determined to do just that.

She opened the door, trying to ignore the flutter that occurred when seeing him dressed entirely in black. The surprise on her face was difficult to conceal.

"Clark? What are you…?" She didn't get to finish the question. The expression on his face caused her heart to drop and it told her more than words ever could.

"We need to break into Batchelar's office." Clark's voice was quiet, but there was a barely controlled fury underneath. "Superman found Kampos by the docks an hour ago. He was ripped apart, Lois. He's dead."

"No," Lois whispered. She wondered if it had been Intergang's doing or the drug's side effects then realized it really didn't matter. Another boy was dead. A guilty one perhaps, but that didn't make it okay. This needed to stop. Her throat convulsed and it was a moment before she was able to speak again. "Superman…how is he? Did he get too close? Was there Kryptonite?"

"No," Clark said with a shake of his head. "He found him from the air and called the police, then came to tell me. Whatever this is, Intergang won't stop there. They'll try again. You and I both know that. We have to get evidence on this guy and we have to get it soon."

"Before not even Superman can stop it," she added, though she knew Clark was already thinking that. She met his haunted gaze, reached out and touched his cheek in a gesture of comfort. He leaned into the palm of her hand and kissed it softly, so softly she thought she'd imagined it were it not for the shiver of feeling that skittered up her spine, tingling in all the right places.

She knew there was no time to lose, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to move. Slowly she stepped forward, and with her other hand touched his chest lightly. His skin was warm underneath his black turtleneck, vibrant and alive. His heart beat a shade more rapidly than it should and she felt hers echo it. It felt like he was calling to her, body and soul and she didn't want to do anything but answer it.

She stood there for what seemed like forever, lost in the solidness of his body, it's proximity to hers, and the gaze in his dark eyes. Death had been their constant companion for the last couple of days. Both had been haunted by the image of an innocent boy, ripped apart for what seemed to be no reason at all.

Lois didn't know about Clark, but before they went after this guy she desperately wanted to touch him, to know that he was alive and healthy and close. She wanted to know that if she were to wrap her arms around him - to press her body against his and feel his breath warm on her neck - that he wouldn't pull away.

She wanted that connection so she wouldn't have to feel so alone anymore. She wanted to know that her work wasn't just about getting the story, that there was a purpose to it…some meaning. Clark was that meaning. Clark had taught her more about compassion and love than any other human she had ever met. And Clark was the one who looked lost right now. As if he had been the one to find Kampos' dead body, not Superman.

Clark was the one who needed her to touch him.

"We should go," he murmured, his lips still warm against her fingertips. Chasing away every last bit of fear, she leaned in on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to the underside of his chin in an almost feather-light kiss.

He sucked in a breath, almost like a hiss, and she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her to him. His eyes were closed and his breathing quickened. He stood stock-still, as if moving would somehow break the spell they were suddenly under. Lois could understand it, but she needed more from him.

His arms fit so perfectly around her. She had never felt so terrified, yet so safe all at once.

Reaching up with her other hand, she tipped his face down to hers, and kissed him, this time on the lips.

His mouth parted slightly and the kiss deepened sending shivers throughout every part of her body. His arms held her tight and secure, yet Lois could feel a slight tremble in them, in every part of him. He was more than just a little affected by this and it only made her want him more.

She was running her hands through his hair now, unable to remain still in the embrace. It was wrong to be doing this now, when there was work to do, but Lois couldn't seem to bring herself to care. She had wanted this for so long. She didn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

Eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity of both pleasure and torture, Clark pulled away, drawing a shaky breath, his gaze darkened considerably by the kiss.

"Clark?" Her voice was a mixture between a throaty whisper and a plea.

"We…we need to go." He pulled back abruptly breaking the physical contact and Lois watched in desolation as he seemed to retreat back within himself. He was suggesting more than just stopping to break into Batchelar's office. It was clear he felt the kiss had been a mistake. She could see it in his eyes.

A second ago they'd been passionate and intense. Now, they were avoiding her.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head and backed out of the door.

"This guy needs to be caught, that's all." He nodded as if the matter were closed. "I'll wait out here."

Feeling her throat constrict, but not wanting Clark to see how upset she was, Lois simply nodded.

"I'll get changed."