Note: I know you all are waiting for The Sum, and I'll hopefully have that to you very, very soon. Couldn't resist posting this one though. For those of you who are seriously into the Superman mythos, I'm super fuzzy about some of the properties of Kryptonite, so please forgive me if I've gone too far off the established path. I really hope you enjoy this!! Would LOVE to hear your comments!! Thanks for all your amazing, wonderful feedback!

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Previously...

"You know, Mrs. Kent…" Clark tweaked her nose before slowly stepping out of her embrace. "…we may have had our first date seven years ago, but you and I…" His smile turned playful. "….we began loong before that. In fact, we began here."

"Here." Lois' brows furrowed.

"Uh-huh." Clark confirmed with a nod. "At the Daily Planet."

Glancing around, his actions indicated his words. "On this very roof."

Reaching into his pocket, Clark pulled something out and handed it to her with a knowing grin. "With this…"

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Chapter 10

"A heart tattoo?" Eyes narrowed in confusion. Then widened in remembrance. "That says 'Lois and Clark Forever'." Her hazel gaze snapped upward to meet his with surprised accusation. "I thought you said you didn't remember that night."

"Yeah, well…" Clark responded with a shrug. "…I lied a lot back then."

"So, you do remember."

Clark's eyes danced with mischief. "With perfect clarity."

"Yeah?" The beginning of a grin curled her lips suggestively. "Was it good?"

Clark's response was to lower his head with a chuckle.

Lois gasped then punched him in the chest with playful indignation. "Clark Kent, you jerk! You've been keeping this from me all this time?"

"Well, a guy's gotta have a few fantasies of his own. This one just happened to be real." Noting the disbelieving scowl on her face, he quickly added an addendum with exaggerated sincerity. "As are all of my fantasies about you, sweetheart."

Lois chuckled instantly and pointed an accusing finger. "Don't you dare try to sweet talk your way out of this!"

In one swift move, he grabbed her finger, captured her hand then yanked her to him. His arms secured her to him in a gentle embrace of iron. He heard her sharp intake of breath when full body contact was achieved and bit back a knowing grin. His voice lowered playfully. "Oh, I'm not trying to get out of anything."

She grinned up at him, placed her hands on his chest and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "No?"

"Uh-huh. In fact…" He paused to let his gaze roam her face. "…what if I said there was a way for you to remember it too? To…relive it, as it were."

Lois blinked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I've been thinking about our…Superman issue."

"And?"

"And there might be a way for us to still be together, even when we aren't."

He made the statement as casually as if he were announcing he was picking up milk from the store.

A sudden hope flared in Lois' heart. She instantly beat it down. "Clark, that's impossible."

He'd been prepared for this. "Riiight. So is marrying an intergalactic traveler and having his perfectly normal child. Then of course, there's the danger we've managed to escape pretty much every day of our lives. Oh. And about that amazing life we lead every single day..."

Rolling her eyes, Lois sighed. "Ok, so, maybe you're right. We have defied the impossible a few times."

Clark chuckled. "Just a few."

Despite her own internal red flags cautioning her to not get too excited, Lois' curiosity wouldn't be silent. "Soooo, what is this way?"

He had her hooked. Now it was Clark's turn to voice seeming doubt. And in voicing it, he knew he was securing her participation. Reverse psychology was a beautiful thing. Especially when dealing with one, unpredictably predictable Lois Lane. "Weeell, I'm not sure its reversible, so…if we go there…" He scrunched up his face in obvious doubt. "…we're pretty much sealing the deal for life."

Lois scoffed and slapped him on the chest. "As if it weren't already sealed." Her now eager prompt made his heart swell. "Clarrrk. Tell me."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a perfectly formed, plum-hued crystal in the shape of a bleeding heart flower petal. The color was deep and rich. Thin, shimmering streaks of pearlized white swirled throughout the transparent gem and gathered at the tip like a droplet of water. It was dangling from a delicate gold chain.

It was the most beautiful thing Lois had ever seen.

Lois breathed her question. "What is that?"

"A crystal. A Kryptonian crystal." Clark stated the obvious.

Lois rolled her eyes and reached out to take it from him. "Kinda figured that one, darlin'." Examining it carefully, her brows knit in concentration. "What does it do? More specifically, what does it do…" She looked back up at him, knowing his answer would be the key to any action they took. Or didn't. "…to you?"

Clark continued. "It's a mixture of Red Kryptonite, which, as you know, strips away all my inhibitions."

"Right. And?"

"And Blue Kryptonite, which acts as a neutralizer of sorts."

"Red and blue, hence the color purple."

"Right."

"Ok. And?"

"And the pearl swirl is White Kryptonite…" He would have preferred to stop there, but Lois' upraised eyebrow warned him not to. He stuffed his hands in his pockets in preparation. "…which, frankly, I've never run into before. I'm not exactly sure how I'll react."

Lois shook her head immediately and handed the crystal back. "Uh-huh. No way. We're not doing it."

Refusing to remove his hands from their protected location, Clark shrugged his massive shoulders in a helpless gesture. Lois rolled her eyes and stuffed the crystal in his shirt pocket. She spun away from him and headed toward the wall. "At least hear me out."

"There's no point, Clark. I am not going to agree to anything that we can't be sure of."

"Oh, no?" Clark questioned. "Ok. Then tell me how it is we have Lily and Chris…or even this marriage."

Lois spun on him, irritation flaring in her eyes. "Don't you dare pull that card on me."

"Lois…" Gentling, Clark approached her. A confident smile was spreading through his expression. "…honey, our entire lives are a risk. And you are the only woman strong enough to take them with me. The only one."

Reaching for her hand, he deliberately opened it and placed the crystal in her palm. He closed her fingers around it, then stepped closer. Cupping her face, Clark coaxed her gaze to meet his. "At least hear me out."

The roll of her eyes and her deep sigh was the only signal of defeat he was allowed. He grinned. "Thank you."

Shrugging away from his touch, which was a much better position for a thinking Lois to be, she took a step back and crossed her arms in front of her defensively. An eyebrow raised. A challenge was issued. "So, what is this whamified mixture supposed to do?"

Having been given the green light, Clark proceeded with caution. He immediately threw in one trump card that often swayed a stubborn Lois…his cousin. "According to Kara…"

"Wait. Kara knows about this?"

"She's the one that gave it to me."

The irritated roll of her eyes was almost comical. "Kent, you really need to work on giving pertinent details first." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Go on."

He bit back a knowing grin. "Well, Kara says the White Kryptonite opens a link between two sources. In our case, between the two of us."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, if done properly, it should allow us to…connect." The last word held a hint of emotion Clark couldn't quite name. A desire. A thrill. A need. Ever since Kara had placed the crystal in his hand earlier that day, Clark's mind had raced with endless possibilities.

"Connect." Lois repeated, unsure what all that entailed, but warming to the sound of it.

Clark nodded. "Yeah. To, talk to each other. Even when we're miles away."

"Kinda like an intergalactic cell phone?"

"Kinda. Only, it would be our minds that would talking." Clark explained, not able to gauge her unreadable expression.

"So we could read each others thoughts."

"Sort of." He pulled in a ragged breath when Lois turned away from him, her eyes distant and troubled. Maybe his timing hadn't been so great. Especially after the events of the past few days. "Look, given my blunder last night, I can see why you'd be hesitant about being that open to each other. And I know something like this would require an immense amount of trust. But…"

Whatever Clark said or meant to say was lost on Lois.

There was a faint light coming from her hand. Beyond that, she could feel it. Pulsing in her palm. Radiating through her system. Spreading intense warmth. Calling to her.

That's when she heard the voice.

"Lois, don't be afraid. It's Kara. Only you can hear me right now. I figured he'd have a hard time selling you on the idea and that a demonstration might be needed. It's safe, Lois. I've tested this myself. Tried it many times. Right now, in fact. This is only a hint of what the two of you could experience. Together."

"I wanted it to be a gift to you both on your next anniversary, but he came to me today. Broken. Hurting. I couldn't resist any longer. I know you're afraid for him. Don't be. He won't be harmed. He'll only be enhanced. Because he'll have you. And after all, that's all Clark Kent has ever really wanted. Just you, Lois. Now, how can you deny him that?"

It seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few moments. Speechless, Lois blinked at the crystal, wondering if it had all been a dream. The fading light in her hand proved it wasn't.

Without warning, Lois spun to face Clark, eyes bright with sudden excitement and determination. "What are we waiting for?"

"Wh-what?" Clark blinked, clearly taken back.

Sliding over to him, Lois held the crystal out. She cradled it in her hands like a delicate piece of glass. "If I understand this right, this little thing right here would mean you're with me even when you're off saving the world."

"Essentially." Clark responded slowly, wondering what had just happened.

"And that night?" Lois' question brought Clark back to his original point.

"Well, if it works, you'll be able to see what I remember through our connection."

Intimate knowledge renewed her determination. "Then I ask again…what are we waiting for?"

"Wait a second here." Clark held up his hands in protest. He looked at Lois like she was a complete stranger. "That was a pretty swift shift, Lois. What just happened? What changed your mind?"

"I can feel it." Her expression was stunned. Awed.

"What?"

"When I hold the crystal. Clark, I heard Kara."

Clark blinked at her speechless.

"She told me it was ok. That she gave it to you today, but she's been testing it for a while. It's safe for you. For us." Her excitement was infectious. Her breathing shallow. Her expression, animated. "But it's more than that. I can feel its power. It's intent. It's meant for us, Clark. It's meant to bind us. And there is nothing in this world I want more than that."

"But…"

She interrupted his protest with infallible logic of her own. She opened his hand and placed the crystal in the center. "You're the one who brought this to me, Clark. Why are you hesitating now?"

His eyes rested on the crystal before flickering back to her face. "I just…I didn't expect you to be so…"

"What? Eager to be with the man I love?" Lois chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Seriously. Are all the men on that planet of yours this dense?"

Red flushed across his cheeks as Clark dipped his head in sudden awe. He wrapped his arms around her and gazed down at her before voicing the one thought screaming through his brain. "You just…you keep amazing me, Lois Lane."

"Yeah?" Her voice lowered suggestively. "Well, here's your chance to amaze me. Show me, Clark. Show me what happened that night."

There was a moment of hesitation, then…

"Alright." Clark nodded, finally accepting his wife's willful compliance. He held out his hand. "Come with me."

Lois slipped her hand into his and followed him as he led her to another part of the Planet's roof. She blinked in amazement. He'd planned everything. Pillows were propped up against the wall. A warm, thick blanket was on the floor. Another lay to the side. Candles surrounded the make-shift seating.

"Prepared, were we?"

"I didn't know how this is going to go, so yeah…with my most precious asset on the line, I'm not taking any chances."

Clark lowered himself to the ground first. He sat with his back to the wall and reached his hand up to Lois. Taking his hand, Lois followed suit and settled in between Clark's spread legs with her back to his chest. She leaned back against him with a sigh. His low chuckle in her ear, alerted her to her vocal reaction to him. "Don't get too comfortable, love."

"That's impossible with you as my pillow." Lois snuggled into him playfully then sobered when she turned to look at him and their eyes met. "You're absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Clark deliberately wrapped his arms around Lois and gathered her hands in his. "More than anything."

"Ok."

His penetrating gaze never wavered from hers. "You scared?"

Lois shook her head. "Not in your arms. You?"

Clark's expression softened. "Not in yours." He lowered his lips to hers for a gentle, loving kiss.

"Let's do this." Lois whispered when Clark reluctantly ended the kiss.

Clark nodded. He pulled the crystal out and placed it in the palm of Lois' hand before covering it with his and entwining their fingers, trapping the crystal in a secure cocoon of unity.

"What do we do now?" Lois whispered.

"Concentrate on my touch. Let your mind blank out." Clark whispered back. "And I'll let mine open."

Lois nodded as her eyes drifted closed. Clark's did the same.

There was a moment of silence.

A moment of blackness.

Then the images came.

Tbc…