The Measure of Two Hearts

by pumpkinmoose22

Kal-El had grown up a midst the stars with the few survivors of Krypton for seventeen years in search of a new home. Their travels eventually bring the Kryptonians to Earth. As time passes, it becomes a race against impending evil when Kal-El takes on a new identity and purpose to protect a world and the woman he comes to love with all his heart. AU but leads to movie verse.

11. Lois Lane

11. Lois Lane

Someone has been here, Krypto said sniffing around.

Clark smiled widely, his heightened senses smelling her sweet vanilla aroma. "It's an amazing smell, isn't it?" he sighed aloud, his goofy grin plastered to his face.

Krypto finally realized Clark was sitting on the floor, his back propped against the wall. What are you doing on the floor? And why aren't you alarmed from this foreign smell?

"Krypto… she was here."

Who? Then it dawned on him. The woman in the red dress?!

Clark nodded.

How? When? Krypto stuttered out, his thoughts incoherent.

"It'll be easier for me to show you," Clark whispered, looking over at Chloe who was sure to begin stirring any moment.

He opened his mind to Krypto and allowed the dog to see everything, beginning from the time he heard her heartbeat to when he woke with nothing but a note to prove it hadn't been a dream.

Krypto was stunned. I don't believe it. The heartbeat you've always been able to hear is hers?!

"I know!" Clark exclaimed, his heart racing with elation. "She's beautiful, Krypto. I can't tell you how happy I am." He closed his eyes, reveling in the memories of holding her in his arms. "She's real," he whispered.

"Who is?" Chloe asked, sitting up in bed and stretching.

Clark jumped. "Chloe! I didn't hear you wake up!"

She raised a thin eyebrow. "That's the second time in two days I've been able to surprise you. Yesterday it happened because you were distracted by your dream girl. Did you dream about her again?"

"I didn't dream about her this time Chloe," Clark said happily, "This time I met her!"

Chloe's jaw dropped as all hints of sleep left her eyes. "What? When? How?" Clark quickly related to her what happened. Chloe's jaw dropped as she took the hurriedly scrawled note. "Where do you think she is now?"

Clark strained his hearing. "She's downtown I think," he said after a moment.

Chloe shook her head. "How do you – oh, right, super hearing. Clark, you said she was meeting that jerk in the alley for information on Intergang, right?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah but I don't know what Intergang is."

"It's only the biggest crime organization in Metropolis right now!" Chloe exclaimed. "Clark, if she was meeting the guy for information, he was a source – even though he turned out to be a false one – but that's beside the point!"

"Where are you going with this, Chloe?" Clark wondered, totally lost.

"From your second dream, we determined she was a reporter," Chloe said, her smile widening.

Suddenly it clicked. "She's a reporter in Metropolis!" he cried, leaping to his feet.

Chloe nodded. "And we have her initials! L.L.! All we have to do is find a reporter in this city with those initials and bingo! We know who she is!"

"Or I could just follow her heartbeat to wherever she is and find out what her name is by listening to the conversations around her," Clark countered, eager to go to wherever the woman was at that very moment.

Chloe shook her head. "It's not proper to eavesdrop, Clark, and besides you might end up revealing your secrets to her by doing that. We're going to have to find her the old fashioned way. Lucky for you, I just happen to be a really good reporter."

Clark wasn't happy with having to wait but understood what Chloe meant. "Alright, but let's do everything we can as soon as possible, okay?"

Chloe grinned. "Don't worry, Clark, we'll find out who she is before you know it. Come on; let's get dressed and head to the Daily Planet. That's the best place to start looking anyway."

Clark took the fastest shower of his life, getting completely ready in two minutes flat. Chloe had already showered the night before so she just needed half an hour to get ready. By the time she finished packing up her things and taking a last sweep of the hotel room to make sure they didn't forget anything, Clark was itching to throw caution to the winds and fly out the window.

Kal, you need to control your emotions, Krypto complained. It won't do you any favors to behave like an impatient child like you have been acting for the last thirty minutes. You want to impress the woman in the red dress not chase her away with your lovesick recklessness.

Clark frowned. He knew Krypto was right. Sighing a little frustrated, he closed his eyes and schooled his feelings. Chloe glanced at him curiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah; just trying to contain myself," he muttered.

Chloe laughed softly. "Come on, Romeo, let's go."

They checked out of the hotel and headed for the Daily Planet shortly after ten in the morning; it had taken a lot longer to get out the door than they thought it would. Chloe had a bit of trouble finding a parallel parking spot near the newspaper; it was located in New Troy, the busiest place in Metropolis during the day. After a few frustrated shouts towards inconsiderate drivers, Chloe finally managed to find a spot three blocks away.

"Well," Chloe sighed, "it's not right across the street but I wasn't expecting it to be. I'm afraid Krypto is going to have to stay here in the car, though. You can't come with us into the Daily Planet and we can't just leave you tied up to a stop sign outside," she explained seeing his affronted look.

That is so unfair.

Clark shrugged. "Those are the rules, Krypto."

Krypto curled up. Fine but you're going to make it up to me by buying me bacon.

Clark chuckled. "Deal."

He and Chloe got out of the car, Clark reiterating Krypto's demand while Chloe paid for two hour parking in the parking meter on the sidewalk. Clark watched her with interest.

"We're going to have to show you how to use your card, Clark," she muttered thoughtfully.

"Dad said I needed to sign it," Clark said, pulling out the piece of plastic from his pocket.

Chloe nodded. "You'll have to practice coming up with a signature. I'll help you with that. Cursive is harder than it looks."

Clark smiled. "What would I do without you, Chloe?"

She smiled widely as they headed down the street.

Don't take long, Kal.

Clark glanced back at his dog. I won't, he promised.

The sidewalks were packed with people burdened with bags, purses, and business cases. Many were shouting into cellular devices, others listening to music through headphones, and some chatting animatedly with their companions. Clark spotted a few people walking their dogs across the street, the animals stopping to smell things and each other. He smiled when he thought of what Krypto had to do yesterday. It took a lot not to laugh aloud.

Clark took in all the sights with fascination, his eyes prowling the window displays of shops as well as the throngs of people and the cars rushing down the street. Not only were there actual shops built into the buildings to his left but to his right there were little booths set up on the sidewalk to sell all kinds of wares from knick-knacks to food. The smells of huge hot pretzels caught his attention along with the strong scent of salt. Clark saw someone smother their pretzel in mustard.

"Do you want to try one?" Chloe asked.

Clark flushed slightly, realizing he'd been caught staring. He did want to try a pretzel but he wanted to find his mystery girl more. He shook his head. "Not now."

Chloe smiled. "We'll get one on our way back to the car."

"Okay," Clark muttered, wandering past the pretzel stand.

They continued down the street for a few more minutes before Chloe stopped at an outdoor glasses stand. Grinning, she snatched up a pair of thickly framed black glasses and handed the money over to the vendor. Clark raised an eyebrow curiously as she spun on her heel and held them out to him.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the glasses.

Chloe chuckled. "It's a gift, Clark."

"But… I don't need glasses."

"You were wearing them in that dream," she pointed out. "Think of them as a good luck charm in finding your girl."

Clark frowned. "Chloe…"

"Oh, come on, Clark, put them on!"

Sighing, he slipped them onto his face, the glasses resting over his nose and ears surprisingly well. The glass was fake, something he couldn't understand, but he was grateful they didn't hinder his vision. "Well, what do you think?" he asked.

Chloe giggled.

"They're completely ridiculous, aren't they?" he asked, exasperated by her outright laughter.

Chloe reached up and removed the small tag that hung off the side of the glasses while she responded, "Actually, you look great!"

"Then why were you laughing?" he wondered.

"The tag," she said, waving it in front of his nose.

"Oh."

"Here, take a look at yourself," she said, pulling him in front of the mirror the vendor had supplied for people to properly sample his wears.

Clark stared at his image and turned his head back and forth. He kind ofliked the glasses but he still preferred to go without them. Yet Chloe was right, he had been wearing them in the dream when he'd spoken with L.L. And, the more he stared, the more he liked what he saw.

Chloe grinned, reading him like an open book. "You like them."

"Yeah," he admitted. "But, there's something I don't get."

"What's that, Clark?" she asked as the two started walking down the street again.

"They're fake," he said. "I thought glasses were designed to help improve vision."

Chloe laughed. "Most glasses do that but lately it's kind of become a trend to wear fake ones."

"Oh," he muttered.

After a few minutes they finally reached the Daily Planet and joined the crowd of people rushing through the revolving doors. Clark shuffled forward with Chloe and felt slightly uncomfortable as the triangular space temporarily closed them in before opening up to the inner lobby. Clark was surprised to see that unlike the hotel, the Daily Planet had not one but six elevators, three designed to go up, three to go down. The elevators that were taking the crowds to the upper floors were on the right; Clark noted that the left side of the room was fairly vacant. Opposite to the revolving doors was an information desk run by two pretty women in their early thirties. One had red hair and the other blonde.

Chloe marched up to them with purpose. "Hello," she said, distracting them from their conversation.

They looked a little annoyed at having been interrupted; Clark had overheard them speaking ill of a man that apparently had treated them badly. Apparently they enjoyed gossiping.

"Can we help you?" the redhead asked while her blonde friend turned away to look at her computer screen.

"Yes, I received an intern acceptance letter –"

"All interns have to report to the Editor in Chief on the sixty seventh floor," the blonde interrupted.

Chloe didn't appreciate her rude interjection but smiled anyway. "Thanks," she said. "Come on, Clark."

The two receptionists noticed Clark and their eyes widened, their heartbeats quickening. Not knowing what else to do, Clark inclined his head. "Ladies," he muttered.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" the redhead gasped under her breath.

"I know," her friend muttered, "now that's what I call eye candy!"

"Do you think he's another intern?"

"I hope so!" the blonde sighed longingly.

Clark uncomfortably walked away, grateful when he and Chloe were able to get into the elevator away from their view.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, looking over at him.

Clark nodded. "Yeah…"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's up?"

Clark frowned. They were in an elevator with a ton of other people but mostly everyone seemed distracted by phones, the morning addition of the paper, or their own thoughts. Clark bent down, stooping low to whisper to Chloe, "Those women found me attractive… it was uncomfortable."

Chloe snorted, trying to hide her laughter. Several people stared at her, annoyed. She sent them an apologetic smile before whispering under her breath, "You should have worn something other than jeans and a white shirt."

"What's wrong with what I have on?" Clark wondered.

Chloe sighed. "Nothing, Clark."

"Then why did you say that?" he asked, confused.

Chloe's cheeks darkened ever so slightly. "One of the great things about you, Clark, is that even though you are an incredibly attractive man, you don't even realize it. Unfortunately your humility makes you even more attractive. Combine that with your gentle yet commanding personality and you're a natural heart throb."

Clark blinked, his jaw opening and closing, his capability to speak temporarily nonexistent. "Earth women find me attractive?" he muttered to her.

Chloe rolled her eyes, a hopeless smile plastering upon her face. He really didn't see it. He was too cute for his own good. "You have no idea," she whispered just as the elevators dinged open.

The people in the elevator car leapt out, rushing to their respective destinations. Clark and Chloe were some of the last ones to get out of the elevator. Immediately Clark's senses went into overdrive; he could smell ink, paper, plastic, and coffee. He could hear hundreds of different conversations from gossip to reporters fishing for information on their phones along with the tap-tapping noises of hundreds of fingers pounding on keyboards. Interns ran this way and that to perform their duties with haggard expressions as they tried to fulfill all the demands placed upon their shoulders.

"Welcome to the Daily Planet bullpen," Chloe said happily as she practically skipped into the room. In her elation, she flung out her arms just as a young man with light brown hair stood up from his desk. Chloe's hands knocked the files he was holding all over the floor. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" she cried, stooping down to pick up all the loose papers.

The young man chuckled lightly. "It's not a problem. I guess I must have missed the caution sign warning people of spontaneous dancing in the bullpen."

Chloe glanced up at the man. He was six inches taller than her, his kind gray-blue eyes held a sense of amusement and his full lips were pulled up in a slight grin. His thick dark brown hair was cropped short, slightly covering the top of his ears. He was thin but muscular in his own right. Chloe felt her heart speeding up as the blush in her cheeks deepened.

Clark heard Chloe's heartbeat pick up and he recognized it wasn't out of fear; hers was a heartbeat of arousal. Clark eyed the man with interest, sizing him up. Unconsciously, he had become very protective of Chloe. He viewed her as he did Zara-Ra; a friend that deserved the best. The man's presence didn't feel sinister but first impressions could be deceiving. Clark observed the man silently as he finished gathering his papers with Chloe's help.

"I'm really sorry," Chloe repeated, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

The man smiled kindly at her. "You're fine."

"Um, I'm Chloe Sullivan," she said, holding out her hand.

"Richard White," he said, shaking her hand while sending her a thousand-watt smile. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

Chloe nodded. "I'm actually here to meet with the Editor in Chief. I got an acceptance letter as an intern."

Richard's face brightened. "Oh, really? In what department?"

"City beat," she answered.

Richard's smile disappeared in mock distain. "How tragic," he said with false disappointment. "Another poor victim for the city beat. International is where it's at."

Chloe raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Oh, really? I take it that's your department?"

Richard chuckled. "For now. I'm interning as well but I'm probably going to get hired on full time after I finish college. I only have two months left before I graduate."

"How do you know you'll get hired on full time?" Chloe wondered. "I heard it's really hard to get a permanent spot here."

Richard grinned. "It helps when you have some leverage."

Chloe frowned. Clark was glad she appeared just as confused by Richard's words as he was. Richard finally noticed Clark. "Are you an intern too?"

Clark shook his head. "Oh, um, no. I'm here with Chloe."

Richard's face fell slightly as he looked Clark up and down with a quick glance. "Oh… I see."

For some reason, Clark felt he needed to explain, "Chloe and I met a little while ago back in our home town in Kansas. Her dad didn't feel comfortable sending her off on her own so I volunteered to come with her to the big city to make sure she settles in okay."

"That was really nice of you," Richard replied.

Clark shrugged. "It's what best friends are for. I'm Clark Kent, by the way." He held out his hand.

"Richard White," he responded, taking Clark's hand.

Clark tried not to squeeze as he wrapped his fingers around Richard's hand, remembering to treat him as if he were cardboard.

"RICHARD! MY OFFICE! NOW!"

Richard, Clark, and Chloe leapt out of their skin from the sudden voice that hollered over the noise of the bullpen. Recovering first, Richard weakly chuckled. "Duty calls. Um, I'm heading to the Editor in Chief's office right now. Do you want to come with me?"

Chloe nodded eagerly. "That would be great! Thanks."

"Any time," Richard said, smiling warmly at her.

The three of them crossed the room towards the Editor's office. From the busy bullpen, one could see into the Editor's office through the large windows and glass door but only when the blinds were open which happened to be the case at the moment. Gold letters on the door read Editor in Chief, Perry White. The Daily Planet logo, a globe with rings around it, was under the name.

Richard opened the door and strode into the room. "You wanted to see me, Uncle?"

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Uncle?" she gasped.

The man sitting behind the desk gave her his full attention, his gray-blue eyes scrutinizing her with interest. Though his face was pulled into a frown and deep creases lined his forehead, he had a few other lines in his face that indicated he smiled quite often. His gray hair was parted off to the side displaying a pair of thick gray eyebrows. His hands were clasped together, resting on his desk. He wore a suit and tie, the latter a little loose around his neck. "And who is this?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"This is Chloe Sullivan," Richard introduced. "She's the intern you were expecting from Kansas."

Perry White stood, his frown turning into a smile. "Ahhh, so this is Chloe Sullivan! I've read some of your articles from that small town paper as well as that report you posted online concerning the conspiracies of large, big-name companies in small towns. You have some good potential."

Chloe smiled gratefully. "Thank you very much, Mr. White."

Perry noticed Clark. "And who is this?"

"Oh, this is my friend, Clark Kent. He volunteered to help me move in to the big city," Chloe said.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Clark said, inclining his head.

Perry stared at Clark curiously. He couldn't fully explain why but for some reason he felt intimidated by this young man. He carried himself well, something rare to find in his age group now-a-days and there was a regal air about him though he didn't appear prideful. He just struck Perry as a man with purpose. Shaking off these deep feelings, he got a hold of himself and gruffly said, "Well, if it's alright with you, I'd like to talk to Miss Sullivan for a few minutes?"

Clark blinked. "Oh, um, sure."

Richard clapped his shoulder. "Come on, Clark, you can have a cup of coffee while you wait."

"Now, just a minute here!" Perry called, halting his nephew in his tracks. "You don't have time for coffee breaks, Richard. I need that story about the disappearance of that submarine that went down two days ago."

"Wouldn't that be considered city beat?" Richard wondered.

Perry frowned. "It disappeared on a voyage off the coast of Africa. It's international news."

Richard sighed. "Fine. You'll have it on your desk by noon."

Perry nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, get out of my office!"

Richard shut the door, separating Clark from Chloe completely. "The break room is just down the hall to the right," Richard said, pointing. "I'm sorry I can't come with you."

Clark smiled nervously. "That's okay. I think I can find my way around."

Richard headed off to the international section of the bullpen, leaving Clark stranded in unfamiliar territory. Unsure what to do with himself, Clark wandered down the hall into the break room. There were several round tables, a couple of soft leather couches, vending machines, a fridge, a set of counters with a sink, and an entire section dedicated to coffee and donuts. Several people were in the break room waiting in line for their turn at the coffee table. Clark joined the line not knowing what else to do. He unconsciously pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose.

A young man with flaming red hair and a camera round his neck stood in front of him. He was about the same height as Richard but the slight rocking of his body back and forth gave Clark the impression that he didn't have the patience for standing still too long. The young man turned around when he heard Clark come up behind him. His cheeks were kissed with a few freckles and his bright blue eyes were filled with intense curiosity and life. His short red hair was slicked away from his face, swept off to the side so that pieces stuck up in different angles. He wore a light red bow tie and a green vest over his white shirt. He sent Clark a friendly smile. "Hi!" he said in a pleasant voice. "I'm Jimmy Olsen. I haven't seen you around here. Are you new?"

Clark shook his head. "No, I'm here with a friend. She's an intern. I'm Clark Kent. My friend's name is Chloe Sullivan. She's talking with the Editor in Chief. He wanted to talk to her alone so I figured I'd wander around while I waited."

"Oh, okay. Well, feel free to get some coffee," Jimmy said. "Not that it's that great but it gets the creative juices flowing around here."

Clark didn't know what to say to that so he merely nodded. Grasping for something to say to stop the awkwardness from fully descending between them, he noticed Jimmy's camera. "So, you're a photographer?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jimmy said, grinning widely while fingering his camera.

"How long have you worked here?"

"Well, I've been here for about a year. I started when I was in my senior year of high school. My photographer teacher kind of pulled a few strings so Mr. White would hire me on. I kind of became his personal errand runner about a month after I got here. But he sends me out on stories with his best reporters all the time; though he won't admit it, I think I'm one of his best. He just can't show favoritism to someone so much younger than the other photographers. They'd get jealous."

"I see," Clark muttered.

Jimmy became distracted when it was his turn to gather a cup of coffee and a donut. "Well, it was nice to meet you CK," he said.

"CK?" Clark repeated.

"Oh, um, your initials," Jimmy said. "Clark Kent… CK… it just slipped. Sorry."

Clark shook his head. "No, it's okay. It's just no one has ever called me that. I like it."

"Oh, okay," Jimmy relaxed and sent him a small smile.

Clark returned it. "It was nice to meet you, Jimmy."

"You too," he said. "See you around?"

"Sure," Clark grinned.

Jimmy left the room. Realizing there were people behind him, Clark quickly grabbed a cup of coffee, ignoring the donuts because he didn't know what they tasted like; he wasn't in the mood to try something new in a room of people he didn't know.

Turning around, he made to move to a secluded spot but stopped abruptly in order to prevent himself from colliding with a woman who, for some reason, had snuck up directly behind him. He suspected that the only reason she had managed to do so was because he had been so distracted by the coffee and the donuts on the table. Unfortunately, she was too close to him to prevent the inevitable impact. Slamming into her, her small frame fell backwards. Reacting out of pure instinct, Clark dropped his coffee cup and wrapped his arms around her thin waist. A tingling sensation spread from his fingers all the way down to his toes.

He was looking into the surprised face of the woman he'd rescued last night.

Her eyes were wide in surprise, her hands clutching his forearms instinctively – they having been the first thing she'd grabbed hold of to prevent herself from falling. Pieces of her long brown hair hung over her shoulders. Clark noted her heart beating faster as her beautiful hazel eyes moved back and forth taking in his features. A brilliant teasing smile climbed Clark's cheeks, unable to contain his elation of bumping into her. He pulled her up so she could regain her footing before letting go of her waist; though he wanted nothing more than to continue to hold her, he felt it inappropriate at the moment.

"Sorry," he said casually. "I didn't mean to bump into you. I'm Clark Kent."

The woman blinked. "Lois Lane," she introduced, clearing her throat slightly. Her voice sent tingles down his spine. Clark noticed the raw emotions crossing her face disappear as she wiped her expression into a professional air. "I'm sorry I made you spill your coffee."

Clark looked down and noticed the cup's contents had splattered all over his jeans and shoes. He looked up at her and shrugged. "It's not a big deal," and he meant it.

Lois smiled cautiously at him and Clark couldn't help but think that she had a gorgeous smile. "Um… I don't mean to sound presumptuous but, have we met before?"

Clark's face softened as he took in her delicate features, her exquisite eyes… "I believe we may have crossed paths for a brief time," he whispered.

Lois's heart picked up but her face remained neutral. She glanced around and noticed her coworkers were staring at them curiously. They had made quite the scene with the coffee cup. This wasn't the place to talk but she wasn't about to let this man disappear somewhere without allowing her to confront him. She just knew he was the one who had saved her last night – even though now he was wearing glasses. But how could she whisk him away without causing office gossip? A wild idea entered her head and she ran with it.

"Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, slapping her palm to her forehead. "You're the source that said they would be stopping by!" Before Clark knew what was going on, she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the break room, saying over her shoulder, "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you at first! After all, we'd only met briefly the other day and it was too dark to tell what you really looked like. I wasn't sure until I saw you up close!"

She hauled him into the first available conference room and shut the door, pulling the blinds closed before whipping around to face him. Clark blinked at her a few times, utterly lost. What on Earth was she talking about? "Um…" he began, unsure of what to say.

Lois Lane raised an eyebrow. "I've got to admit, I wasn't sure it was you until I saw you up close. Why are you wearing glasses? You weren't wearing any last night. You're the one who rescued me, aren't you?"

The last part didn't really sound like a question but Clark nodded anyway. "Yes, I was."

"Not that I'm not grateful but, why did you help me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why were you in that section of town that late at night? Why did you take me to a hotel instead of the hospital? Who was that blonde woman in the hotel with you? Was that your dog? Where is it? Is it back at the hotel? How did you find me? And why are you wearing glasses? Did you forget to put in your contacts or something?"

Clark's eyebrows rose as a smile voluntarily climbed his cheeks. Leaning against the wall, he folded his arms casually, observing her. "My, you are an inquisitive one, aren't you?"

A faint blush graced her cheeks. Clark found her even more endearing.

"Sorry… I'm a little high strung," she muttered.

Clark chuckled. "Miss, you are a Stradivarius."

Her blush deepened even more and a small smile, a real smile, graced her lips. Clark's fingers tingled, his desire to touch her increasing. He restrained himself, keeping his arms folded. "So, to answer your questions… I helped you because I couldn't stand by and let that man do what he was about to do to you. I was in that section of town for my own reasons. I took you to the hotel instead of the hospital because I wasn't sure where the hospital was and the man said the effects of the drug he gave you would wear off in five hours."

"He spoke to you?" she interrupted, her eyes glistening with eagerness. "What did he say?"

Clark held up a hand. "Please, allow me to finish your first stream of questions."

Lois pursed her lips. Goodness, she's adorable! Clark thought. "The blonde woman in the hotel room is my friend Chloe Sullivan. She is going to be starting work here as an intern in the City section. Yes, that was my dog. He's about three blocks from here in Chloe's car, waiting for us to return. I found you literally by chance. I'm wearing the glasses because Chloe gave them to me as a gift. And I don't need contacts or glasses; I'm wearing them for fun."

Lois's thin eyebrows rose. "You answered all my questions in order," she said, unable to hide how impressed she was.

Clark grinned. "I guess that's one of the perks of having an eidetic memory."

"Do you really?" Lois asked curiously.

Clark nodded. "It can be quite a burden though. You don't forget anything, ever."

Lois stared at him for a minute, noticing the dark shadow crossing his face. He seemed to becoming lost in his thoughts. She didn't mind this, though, because it gave her plenty of time to look at him. Gosh, he was even more comparable to a Greek god now that she could fully see his features. And his eyes! Though they were hidden behind those thick glasses, the blue she found was like nothing she'd ever seen. They were exquisite.

His head suddenly jerked ever so slightly to the side. He bit his lip, his eyes quickly moving back and forth. "Listen," he muttered quickly, "I have to go."

"What?" Lois cried, her heart constricting. You can't leave already! I haven't gotten to know you! She thought desperately. "Why?"

Clark sighed. "Believe me, I want to stay, but I have to help my friend Chloe move in to her new apartment. Why don't I meet up with you somewhere later? I have some information concerning that scoundrel that you need to hear."

Lois switched into reporter mode instantly. "Why didn't you say you had information before?"

Clark grinned. "You didn't ask for that specifically."

Lois scowled. "Yes I did! You said you spoke to him and I asked you to tell me what he said!"

"Alright, you did but now I have to go," Clark countered with a smirk.

"That's not fair! You can't just dangle something like that in front of me and then take off! Sources don't do that!"

Clark shrugged. "You're just going to have to treat me as a special case." – Lois frowned – "I'm willing to meet you later this evening. I'm unfamiliar with the restaurants around here but we could meet over dinner if you'd like."

Lois's mouth dropped open a little. "Wait… are you trying to asking me on a date?"

Clark's eyes sparkled. "I never said it was a date, Miss Lane, but it can be."

Lois's heartbeat fluttered. Clark tried to contain his grin from the noise. He couldn't deny he was nervous. Was that too forward? He didn't know the first thing about courting a woman; he'd never dated before. Praying to the heavens that he hadn't scared her off by his eagerness, he tried to keep his face friendly yet neutral.

After a moment, Lois shyly walked over to the table in the room and pulled a memo pad towards her. She found a pen, scribbled something down, and ripped the page away from the rest of the pad. Turning to Clark, her cheeks burning, she held out the note. "Pick me up at seven tonight at that address and we'll find some place to go."

Clark took the note and noticed the numbers. He believed she'd just given him the location to her private residence. A bubble of happiness swelled inside him. He grasped the paper as if his life depended on it, determined to never lose it.

Lois gathered her composure and stared him down, her hazel eyes stirring. "And don't you dare be late!" she said forcefully.

Clark grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Lois tossed her long hair away from her face and strode to the door. Her hand on the handle, she paused and turned to look at him. "It was nice to meet you, Clark Kent," she said in a softer tone. "Thank you for saving me."

Clark grinned. "The pleasure was all mine, Miss Lane."

Lois blushed, her heart racing. She pulled the door open and left the room. It was a good thing too; if she'd stayed a moment more, Clark would have started hovering. Sighing deeply, his head in clouds, he walked out of the room the same time Chloe left Perry White's office. She spotted Clark instantly and walked over to him.

"What's the goofy grin for?" Chloe asked.

Clark looked around. Lois was nowhere to be seen but her scent still permeated the newsroom. She was around here somewhere but he denied himself the pleasure of x-raying the room for her. Turning to Chloe, he shook his head. "Today is just turning out to be the best day of my life," he said evasively, heading for the elevators with Chloe on his heels.

As he passed the storage room, he recognized Lois's heartbeat. She was alone and her heart was racing. He immediately x-rayed the room but only found her holding her phone in her hand with a smile on her face. Her fingers were raking across the flat surface of her phone. He wanted to know what she was doing but he decided that since she wasn't in danger, there was no need for him to pry.

"Hello? Earth to Clark?"

Clark blinked. "Huh?"

Chloe was standing in the elevator, waving for him to join her before the doors shut. He hastened inside. "Wow, you are one distracted guy," she opined. "What's going on? Why are you grinning like that?"

Clark was thankful the doors were closed. He turned to Chloe, his smile deepening. "Chloe, I think I have a date tonight."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "What?! With who?!"

"The woman in the red dress," he answered, caressing her name, "Lois Lane."

o0o0o

The second Lois escaped the presence of Clark Kent, she rushed into the supply closet and locked the door. Her heart was racing wildly in her chest, the organ beating against her ribcage uncontrollably. Her face was so hot you could fry an egg on it. A smile spread across her face as excited feelings cascaded through her while she thought of him. He was so adorable! She thought of the small teasing smile that had tugged at the corners of his mouth as his eyes danced when he suggested taking her out to dinner. And then she paused in wonder over the realization that she had actually said yes!

Lois was not one to be distracted by men. Her goal had always been to become the greatest reporter the world had ever known. She didn't have time for men or relationships. Time and time again she had turned men down, Richard White – Perry's nephew – being the most recent one to feel her rejection. So why had she leapt at the first opportunity to give Clark Kent the time of day? What had possessed her to give him her address?! Her real address!

Because he's the most attractive man you've ever seen and out of all the girls on earth he gave you his attention, came the little voice in her head.

Lois smiled over this. Yes, he was the most attractive man she'd ever seen. Not to mention when he stopped her from falling onto the break room floor, his hands held her as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. He hadn't tried to feel her up like other men would have in his position. Once he was sure she was alright, he'd immediately let her go – even though she'd longed for him to keep his hands on her. He was a gentleman.

Lois swooned as she thought of him standing there, leaning against the conference room wall with his arms folded, his gorgeous eyes giving her his full attention. And his voice! The sound of it sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. Goodness… she was smitten. Lois shook her head, her smile widening.

But then the reality of what was happening to her came crashing down and the smile, though still on her face, faltered slightly. Whipping out her phone, she immediately text her sister, sending a desperate SOS.

Lucy immediately responded by calling her. "Lois! Where were you last night? I thought the worst! Why didn't you call me this morning? Where are you?" she asked the second Lois answered.

"I need your help!" Lois cried, ignoring her questions, her sudden elation concerning Clark Kent disappearing as the reality of panic rushed through her mind. "I'm going on a date tonight and I don't even know what to wear! I don't even know if I should go! I've never felt this way about anyone and it's scaring the heck out of me!"

"Wow, wow, wow, slow down!" Lucy urged. "I have no idea what you're talking about, sis."

Lois took a deep breath. "Sorry. Look, I met someone."

"What? Really?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Lois said, smiling while biting her lip. "He's really hot."

Lucy giggled. "I need details!"

Lois looked at her watch. It was still early but not too early to have lunch. "Can we talk about it over lunch?" she suggested.

"Sure where did you want to go? I don't work today so I've got plenty of time."

"How about Iggy's?"

"Alright. I'll meet you there in ten minutes. And Lois? Don't keep me waiting!"

Lois chuckled. "I won't. Thanks Lu."

Sighing, Lois put her phone back in her pocket and once again had her thoughts filled with Clark Kent. Her thoughts were interrupted when someone started pounding on the door. "Hello! Whoever's in there better not be making out!"

Lois rolled her eyes, immediately recognizing the voice of Steve Lombard, the editor for the sports section of the newspaper. Lombard was famous for flirting with every woman he found attractive though he was a hopeless bachelor due to his noncommittal attitude. He liked to get a girl just enough to satisfy his fantasies and then ditch her for the next hot item on the market. Many women in the building hated him but his narcissistic personality kept him aloof from reality.

Lois whipped open the door and Steve's eyebrows rose. "Lois?" he asked in surprise, "What were you doing in there with the door locked?"

Lois folded her arms and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Making a phone call. Why?"

Steve grinned. "Why were you making a call in a locked supply closet?"

Lois felt a small twinge of anger. "What business is it of yours where I make calls to my sources, Lombard? Some of the information I get I like to keep under wraps until my articles are finished. Out of everyone, I thought you'd understand this. How many girls have scooped you because you boasted all your information in order to get a kiss?"

Steve's eyes narrowed but he had a smile on his face. "Well, if you want, I can add you to that list, Lane. I've got some information about Intergang you might love to have. What do you say? One kiss and I'll spill it all."

Recognizing immediately that he was bluffing, Lois scowled. "I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last male on earth."

Forcing her way passed him she marched down the center of the bullpen towards her desk. Other reporters had stopped to watch the confrontation but one look from Lois sent them scampering back to their work. Even though she was twenty, Lois Lane had risen to be one of the most iconic reporters in the newsroom. She'd landed her first big article when she was eighteen as an intern and ever since then she'd poured in more front page articles than the reporters that had been working at the Planet for years. Known for her ferocity and unbreakable spirit to get the story, she was highly respected and looked up to by many of her colleagues. She went right for the kill, earning her the nickname Mad Dog Lane, and she was definitely Perry White's favorite, the famous reporter turned editor seeing himself reincarnated in her.

Lois had just barely managed to make it to her desk when Perry threw his door open and shouted for her to get in his office. Lois immediately obeyed. "Yes?" she demanded.

"How did your source pan out last night?" Perry asked right off the bat.

A series of emotions crossed her face: anger, fear, relief, elation, and finally embarrassment. "Um… it turned out to be nothing," she hedged, looking at the floor.

Perry raised an eyebrow. "Lois?" he prompted. "What happened?"

Lois sighed, looking at the floor. "He met me under false pretenses. He had another idea in mind besides sharing information."

Perry's eyes widened in concerned. "Oh gosh, Lois, are you okay?"

Lois nodded. "He didn't get to do anything to me."

Perry noticed the bruise marks on her wrists. "Really?"

Lois rubbed her wrists. "Really," she replied stubbornly. "Anyway, I'm meeting with another source tonight."

"Where?" Perry demanded.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Not in an alley and not in Hob's Bay or Suicide Slum so relax, Chief. We're talking over dinner."

"Is it Bobby Bigmouth?"

"No. This is someone new. Don't worry, Perry, we're meeting in a very public location. You don't need to send in the bomb squad or anything. I'll be fine."

Perry scowled. A few months ago Lois had been involved in a kidnapping. The police were able to find her after she'd been missing for two days. Nothing bad had happened to her – the villains who took her merely wanted to use her as ransom – but the incident had shaken Perry. He'd been reluctant to give her the Intergang story but she'd persisted and she was one of his best.

"Lois, I'm not comfortable with you meeting someone you don't know," he began.

Lois frowned. "Perry, I will be fine! I'll even call you before ten if that'll ease your conscious."

Perry bit his lip. "If I don't hear from you…"

"You will," she promised.

Perry sighed. "Fine; but no dark alleys or shady areas!"

"Perry!" Lois whined.

"Fine! Fine! Get out of my office and get me a story!"

Lois managed a small smile. "You got it chief. See you later."

Lois checked her watch and grimaced. She had two minutes to meet up with Lucy. Sending her a text saying she'd be five minutes late, Lois snatched up her purse and rushed to the elevator. She reached Iggy's nine minutes later due to traffic issues. Lucy was impatiently waiting for her. Lois had to hand it to her younger sister, the girl knew how to catch a boy's immediate attention. Lucy had an hourglass figure like their mother, her eyes were large like a doe, the hazel hue the same as Lois's. She was about the same height as Lois but her hair was shorter and her jaw line was softer than her sister's.

"You're late!" she said.

"Nice to see you too," Lois said.

"Lois, where were you yesterday? I waited up for you for four hours! You didn't answer your phone either!"

"I didn't have it on me," Lois said honestly. "I left it at the Planet. I was late in meeting with my source and by the time I noticed I didn't have it, I was halfway across town. Sorry."

Lucy gave her a look. "Seven months ago you were kidnapped because of being careless, Lois!"

"And you figured that something similar happened again?"

Lucy sighed. "Of course I did! What else was I supposed to think?"

The two women walked into the restaurant and sat down at a booth by the window, ordering lemonades before restarting their conversation. "Lucy, I'm sorry I made you worry. I would have come over last night but things happened."

Lucy's arms folded. "Wait, you're not telling me that the source you went turned out to be the guy you're going on a date with tonight?" She gasped, having a sudden thought. "You didn't come see me because you slept with him!"

Lois's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! Of course not, Lucy! I'm not a tramp!"

Lucy relaxed. "Oh, good! For a second I thought I was going to hear something scandalous!"

Lois rolled her eyes and hissed, "For your information, I didn't sleep with anyone! I'm still a virgin!"

Lucy's eyebrows rose. "Wait… what? I thought you and Derek Jenkins…"

"That jock from Met U?" Lois snorted. "Not in a million years, Luce!"

"But you saw each other for over six months last year!"

"Lucy, we broke up because I wouldn't have sex with him," Lois revealed, exasperated.

"Oh… I didn't know. Wow, I can't believe it…"

"What?" Lois asked. Lucy squirmed. Lois's jaw dropped. "Lucy, you haven't!"

Lucy sighed and nodded her eyes downcast.

"When?" Lois demanded.

"Last month."

"And? Who's the guy?"

"Um… Lois, there's something I haven't told either you or dad."

"What?"

Lucy lifted up her left hand. "I'm engaged." Lois's mouth dropped. For a moment, she was too stunned to speak. Lucy took her silence as a bad sign. "Oh my gosh, you hate me!" she cried.

"What? No!" Lois said quickly, taking her hand. "Lucy, that's great! I didn't even know you were seeing anyone!"

Lucy smiled guiltily. "I didn't want to say anything because mom and dad were too freaked out about your kidnapping. You'd just gotten back and you were in really bad shape. I didn't think it was the right time to bring it up."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"Ron Troupe," Lucy revealed, a warm smile gracing her gorgeous features.

Lois's jaw dropped. "Ron?! As in the same Ron I work with?"

Lucy nodded, her cheeks red. "We started seeing each other right after you were found. He's such a great guy, Lois. I really love him."

"How long have you been engaged?"

"Um, since last month. We've been keeping it low key."

Lois grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. "Am I to assume he's the same one you…?"

Lucy got the hint and smiled guiltily. "Yeah… right after he asked me to marry him. We went to a hotel. It was great."

Lois sighed. "I'm glad you're engaged Lucy but…"

"I know," Lucy interrupted. "You're disappointed I didn't wait. Well, I thought you already had so I figured I could too."

"I can't believe that out of the two of us, I'm the one who still hasn't experienced that particular part of a relationship," Lois muttered. "I'm more of a romantic at heart than you are!"

Lucy shrugged. "Ron's the right one. I'm sure when the right one comes along and the time is right, you'll find yourself in a similar situation Lois."

"Maybe…" Lois said though she secretly hoped that wouldn't be the case. She knew it was considered old fashioned but part of her wanted to wait until she was married. "So, when are you going to tell dad?"

Lucy sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. I don't think Daddy's going to approve."

"Dad doesn't approve of anyone," Lois pointed out.

Lucy chuckled slightly, "You've got a point there. Maybe I'll tell them next weekend."

Lois nodded, realizing that their father was going to be coming into town for a visit that weekend and had requested to meet up with his daughters. "That might be a good time."

"So, enough about me," Lucy said, turning the tide of the conversation. "You said that you had a date tonight? What's that all about? I thought you told me after your break up with Derek that you no longer had time for men."

Before Lois could answer, the waiter arrived to collect their orders. After Lucy ordered a salad and Lois a hotdog, she turned to Lucy and told her what happened last night and this morning. Lucy's eyebrows were high, her eyes gleaming.

"So this Clark Kent saved you last night, took you back to his hotel room, and met you this morning at the Daily Planet all by chance?"

Lois shrugged a little. "Yeah."

The waiter returned with their food and the two dug in. Lucy took a couple of bites from her salad before taking a peek at her sister. "Are you going to stand him up?"

Lois sighed. "I gave him my real address, Luce. I can't exactly stand him up."

Lucy grinned. "Do you want to?"

Lois's cheeks flushed. "Part of me does…"

"But?" Lucy prompted.

"But a greater part doesn't!" Lois admitted. "I mean, gosh Lucy, he's incredibly good-looking!"

"And he took you back to his hotel room and didn't do anything," Lucy pointed out. "What kind of guy does that?"

"A gentleman," Lois sighed, her thoughts on Clark.

Lucy grinned. "Those are really hard to find now-a-days. So, what are you going to wear?"

Lois's earlier panic returned. "I have no idea!" she admitted. "Part of me is terrified of going on a date with him because of what happened to me the last time I got into a serious relationship. I don't know if I should try to impress him or dress and act in such a way that will send him running for the hills."

"Lois, you're turning a mole hill into a mountain," Lucy argued. "You haven't even gone on a date with the guy and you're already afraid he's going to reject you like Derek did."

"Of course I am!" Lois grumbled. "What kind of guy would refuse to have sex?"

Lucy shrugged. "A gentleman?"

"What, you're saying Ron isn't a gentleman then?"

Lucy glared at her. "Of course he is! The difference between you and me, Lois, is that I chose to have sex with him. He was willing to wait if that was what I wanted but I didn't want to wait so he went along with what I wanted. You want to wait so if this guy really likes you, he'll respect what you want."

"But… you don't think he'd get bored with waiting?" Lois asked, showing a little of the insecurities about herself that she kept hidden away from most people.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Like I said, Lois, if he really likes you, he'll stay with you no matter what. But I think you're reading too much into this. You haven't even gone on a date with him and you're already thinking about sex!"

Lois looked down at her hands. "Well… maybe that's because I've never felt this way about anyone before…"

Lucy looked at her in surprise. "You're serious?"

Lois sighed, "Yeah. I can't explain it, Lucy. I just feel drawn to him."

"But you've only just met," she said skeptically.

"I know!" Lois groaned. "That's what's so frustrating! We were raised to be cautious of everyone, even the guys we date! It usually takes months before either of us is comfortable in a relationship with anyone but with Clark… the second I saw him, I don't know, there was just all these weird feelings. I can't get him out of my head."

Lucy frowned. "Well… I don't know what to tell you there. It took three months before I even allowed Ron to kiss me. Heck, I wasn't comfortable with holding hands until we'd been seeing each other for over a month!"

Lois shook her head. "Mom and dad really taught us to guard our hearts, huh?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah… I'm just glad Ron didn't give up on me."

"He sounds like a keeper," Lois opined. "Any guy willing to wait patiently for three months before kissing you deserves some kind of respect. I'll make sure Daddy knows that before he blows a gasket about you being too hasty."

"Thanks sis. So… are you going to wait that long before you kiss this Clark guy?"

Lois's heart skipped a beat as her cheeks flushed. "I…" she paused. Could she wait? She already knew the answer to that. "No," she admitted.

"What? Seriously?"

Lois groaned. "Lucy, haven't you been listening? I've never felt this way about anyone! I wanted to run my hands through his hair while he was asleep in his hotel room this morning and then, in the conference room, there was a part of me that wanted to kiss him senseless. I feel like a completely hopeless sap! I've never in my entire life been so weak in the knees over a guy, especially over a guy that I haven't even known for a day!"

"Okay, okay, so you're head over heels for this guy," Lucy said, "but, Lois, you've got to have some self control. You can't allow your emotions to run away with you or else you're going to end up doing something we both know you're going to regret. You have to set some ground rules for yourself right now so that when you meet him, you won't cross that line."

"You're right," Lois sighed.

"So, what's your first rule going to be? Where's the cut off for the first date?" Lucy demanded.

Lois glared at her but answered, "I won't get in bed with him."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "So you're going to let him kiss you?"

"If it comes to that, yes," Lois sighed. "But only if it comes to that! If he really is a gentleman, he won't be thinking about getting me into bed, Lucy. He'll respect me."

"I know that," Lucy said. Seeing that Lois didn't want to talk about this anymore, she changed directions. "So, what are you going to wear?"

Lois rubbed her eyes. "I don't know! What should I wear? He's taking me out to dinner."

"Where? Did he say?"

Lois shook her head. "He's new in town so we were going to decide where to go together."

"So you're basically picking the restaurant."

"Basically."

"So where do you want him to take you?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, let's see… do you want to find out how deep his pockets are or how willing he is to sacrifice to impress you? Because if that's the case then you should go to the Green River or Transcendence."

"Those are the two most expensive places in Metropolis, Lucy! Only the super rich go there!"

Lucy shrugged. "Then how about something middle-class like a national chain restaurant?"

"I think that would be best. I'd feel self conscious if I had him take me to the Green River. I don't think either of us would have a good time."

"Then you don't have to wear something ridiculously classy," Lucy supplied. "I'd pick something comfortable but cute."

"Like?"

"Like a simple dress or a nice blouse with some slacks. Let's go to your apartment and check out your options! When is he coming to get you?"

"Seven."

Lucy looked at her watch. "Alright, that gives us six hours to fix you up. Let's go!"

And before Lois could say a word, Lucy paid the bill and hauled her out the door back to her apartment. Lois lived in the higher class apartments of Bakerline near Hob's Bay, giving her a perfect view of New Troy from her balcony window. They reached her apartment in twenty minutes, Lucy tossing money at the cab driver and yanking Lois up the steps to her apartment on the third floor.

"Geez, Lucy, you're almost more excited than I am about tonight," Lois commented as she jimmied her key into her apartment door.

"Of course I am! This is a historic event! We need to make sure you look your best!"

Prancing into Lois's bedroom, Lucy threw open the closet doors and started throwing out random outfits. Lois watched with slight humor as clothes sailed through the air onto the bed. After Lucy had rummaged through half the closet, she turned to the bed. "Alright, let's get started!"

Lois was forced to try on outfit after outfit. After three hours, she put her foot down. "Lucy, this is ridiculous! I'm wearing what I have on!"

Lucy grinned, sitting back. "Fine by me; you look great!" Lois looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a bright red short sleeved blouse over soft white jeans. "All you need now is a pair of bright red heels and we both know you have plenty of those," Lucy laughed.

Lois turned this way and that in the mirror to look at her figure from all angles. She had to agree with Lucy; the outfit was great. Smiling, she turned to Lucy. "Thanks for helping me find something, sis."

"You're welcome. Now, why don't you hop in the shower and freshen up? I got a text from Ron; he wants to meet up tonight so I'm off to get myself ready. Have fun on your date and you'd better tell me all about it!"

Lois laughed. "Fair enough. See you later, Lucy."

o0o0o

"I still cannot believe that the woman from your dreams is Lois Lane!" Chloe squealed for the umpteenth time. She and Clark had been unpacking for hours in the new apartment.

"I can't believe the newspaper articles I was so enthralled over were written by her," Clark replied before emptying an entire box of silverware in two seconds using super speed.

Chloe frowned. "Clark, I told you that I wanted to unpack slowly to give us plenty of time to talk."

Clark looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry; I forgot again."

Chloe shook her head though she was grinning. She'd had to stop him from super speeding around the apartment five times already. They'd completely unpacked the things that would go in the living room, bathroom, and half the kitchen. Chloe refused to have Clark help her with the things that went in her room but allowed him to have half the dresser for now; his things were already unpacked.

"Where do you want these things?" Clark asked, holding out a box of pots and pans.

Chloe walked over to an empty cupboard next to the fridge and poked her head in. "Here's fine. Since the stove is next to the fridge, it makes sense to put them here. Easy access," she surmised.

Clark unloaded the box, placing the pots and pans with their respective lids in the places Chloe indicated while she filled the top cupboard over the stove with medicines and spices. Krypto was lying in the corner of the kitchen out of the way, watching them at work. Clark had mercifully removed his collar; it hung on the coat rack by the front door along with the leash.

"Seriously though, the woman is my idol!" Chloe sighed, stepping off the stool she'd been standing on to fill the spice cupboard. "I can't believe this. You've got a date with Lois Lane!"

Clark tried to hide his grin unsuccessfully. "Yeah, it's exciting."

Chloe looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, you've got two hours to find a place to go, get dressed, and find her apartment. Is that enough time?"

Clark sighed, setting the last of the pots on the hidden shelf before closing the door. "Theoretically it would be plenty of time. With super speed, I can be ready in less than two minutes. But as for a place to go and where her apartment is, it's going to take me a moment to find, though the latter will be easier since all I have to do is follow her heartbeat. But she said we would look for a place to go together since I told her I don't know my way around the city."

"Oh, right, I forgot you told her that," Chloe muttered, yanking open a drawer to place hand towels and oven mitts inside. The she gasped, "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot we have to show you how to use your card!"

Clark grimaced, "Oh yeah."

Chloe glanced at the clock she'd put up on the wall by the kitchen doorway. "Hmmm, I can finish up the kitchen later. Besides, it's getting late and we need to have some kind of food in this house. Let's go shopping! Will you be okay staying here Krypto?"

The dog raised his head. I suppose I can man the fort so to speak, while you two are gone.

Clark grinned. "Thanks boy. We'll be back in a bit."

Clark slipped his shoes on while Chloe pulled on the light jacket she'd hung up by Krypto's collar and leash next to the front door. After making sure she had the keys, Chloe locked up the apartment and the two headed down the hall towards a small stairwell that led to the ground floor. Chloe lived on the fourth floor of Windy Pines Apartments, a six story apartment complex. There was the option of taking the elevator but Chloe didn't mind the stairs. Clark didn't mind either way. The secluded hallway was a soft green color with dark brown carpet that ended at the stone steps.

Twisting back and forth, they reached the main floor that opened up to an inner courtyard. Weaving their way through the lawn chairs that lined the edges of the unoccupied pool, Clark and Chloe reached the outer gate that separated the complex from the outside street where cars were whizzing by. A stairwell to their right led to the basement where tenants could park their cars but instead of going down the stairs, Chloe proceeded towards the front gate.

"Um, Chloe? Why aren't we driving?"

"You certainly can't take Lois Lane out on a date without knowing how to use a taxi since that's going to be how you pick her up," Chloe said wisely. "I'm going to have to show you how it's done so that when you're on your date, you don't slip up."

"I hadn't thought about that! Wow, Chloe, you're really looking out for me."

She smiled. "Of course I am, Clark. You'd be hopelessly lost without me!"

"You're right," he replied humbly.

"Okay," Chloe muttered once they reached the sidewalk, the gate closing behind them with a loud crash. "See the yellow cars whizzing by a midst the other ones?"

Clark nodded. "Those are the taxies right?"

"Right. So, in order to hail one, you can shout 'taxi!' with your hand in the air or you can whistle."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "How would they hear a whistle in all this noise?"

"Cab drivers are trained in on the noise because that's how they earn their money," she answered. "So, why don't you give it a try? Make sure you're near the end of the curb; the more visible you are, the easier you'll be for them to see."

"Okay," Clark muttered a little nervously as he stepped nearer to the sidewalk's edge. Taking a deep breath, he let out a whistle. The noise was so loud that not one but five taxies stopped at once, two on their side of the street and three on the other.

"Ouch!" Chloe yelped, rubbing her ears. "Geez, Clark!"

Clark sent her an apologetic smile. "Um, sorry?"

"Hey, you the one in need of a ride?" a cab driver shouted out his passenger window.

"Yes," Chloe said, rushing forward and opening the door. She slipped into the back, indicating for Clark to do the same.

Clark followed suit and shut the door, his legs uncomfortably scrunched up in the back.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked.

"The nearest grocery store," Chloe answered.

"You don't have a preference?" the cabby demanded.

"We just moved here so not really," Chloe revealed.

The cab raised an eyebrow. "Well, Marley's is a couple blocks away," he suggested.

"That would be perfect," Chloe said.

As the cab driver pulled out into the main road, Chloe explained in hushed tones how to pay a cab driver based off how long you were in the car and the miles you drove. Clark watched as the meter she was pointing kept rising in price as they drove along. He found the process fascinating. Soon the cab driver pulled over onto the sidewalk in front of Marley's Grocers. Chloe pulled out her wallet and slid her card through a small slot on a machine. There was a little beep and the word 'accepted' flashed across the machine's green screen.

"Have a nice day," the cab driver said as Chloe got out of the car with Clark following right behind her.

"That seems easy enough," Clark commented. "You just have to slide a card?"

Chloe nodded. "Yep! Technology has really advanced in the past few years."

Clark furrowed his brow. "But, what about actual paper and coin currency? I remember the education crystal teaching me about those things."

Chloe pulled out a couple of green dollar bills from another pocket in her wallet. "Dollars," she said. "They're not as commonly used but still accepted the same as plastic cards are. There are also coins." – she pulled out a small silver one with an eagle on the front of it – "We use these as well but they're a bother because they can get really heavy after a while. It's always good to have a little cold hard cash on you though because your card might not always work when it comes to payments."

"I see," Clark muttered. "It seems I have a lot to fully understand. I learned all of these things from the crystal but… it's hard to explain… it's like downloading a ton of information but it's not the same as actually using the information."

"I know," Chloe said sympathetically. "You'll get it eventually. Now, come on; we've got to get you familiar with buying a couple things."

"But, Chloe, I didn't sign the card," Clark pointed out, holding up the piece of plastic that was blank on the back.

"Oh, yeah," Chloe muttered, frowning. "Well, how about I show you how it's done and then we'll head back to the apartment and practice your cursive?"

"Okay. I'm sorry for being a bother."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Clark, you're never a bother. I find this really fun! I mean, how many people can say they helped a visitor from a strange planet learn how to live on Earth?"

Clark raised an amused eyebrow as they headed into the grocery store. "I suppose not many."

Clark soon discovered that the process of shopping wasn't an entirely foreign concept. It was fairly similar to the market places he'd seen from the Endurance's window panels where merchandise was sold from sellers to buyers. The difference with this setting was that you collected what you wanted in a cart and strolled up to the front where a seller, or a cashier as Chloe called them, would sum up the total of your purchase through a machine. Clark watched as Chloe once more slid her card after the man behind the counter finished putting her things in bags. The cashier handed Chloe a long strip of paper and then moved to the customer behind them.

"Fascinating," Clark muttered as he watched Chloe fold up the strip of paper before stuffing it into one of the bags.

Chloe grinned. "That's pretty much the standard way to shop," she revealed. "Eating at restaurants is a little different."

"How so?" Clark asked eager to learn so he wouldn't screw up when taking Lois out to eat somewhere.

"Usually a waitress or waiter will bring the bill to you and then you slip your card into the little black envelope. They'll collect the envelope and bring it back later with your receipt – that's that long slip of paper I just shoved into that bag. You sign the receipt, take your card back and leave the receipt on the table for the waiter or waitress to collect. Oh, you'll also want to leave a couple of dollars on the table for a tip."

"A tip?"

"It's a courtesy to the waiter or waitress for serving you."

"Oh, yes, I remember! You pay for the meal as well as the services of the person who served the meal," Clark said, that particular information from the education crystal coming to mind.

"That's right," Chloe replied as they reached the sidewalk. "Do you mind hailing another cab? My hands are kind of full and unlike you I can't really whistle."

Clark looked down at her hands holding most of the bags. "Oh, Chloe I'm sorry! I didn't even think to offer my help." And before she could say a word, he whistled loudly while taking all the bags from her.

"Clark, you don't have to do that!" she argued just as a cab pulled up.

"I insist," he said firmly. "They're as light as a feather to me, Chloe."

Realizing she wasn't going to win this one, she smiled gratefully while muttering, "Show off," before getting into the cab.

Clark grinned, climbing in after her. Chloe gave her address to the cab driver who pulled sharply into traffic and shot down the road, twisting around and speeding back to her apartment. Clark was surprised by the man's hasty driving and was more than thankful to get out of the car when it stopped outside of Windy Pines Apartments. Though invulnerable, he didn't like being in a metal contraption with that kind of driving.

"I don't think I like cabs very much," he admitted to Chloe as they trudged up the stairs to her apartment.

Chloe laughed. "Yeah, that last one was kind of aggressive, wasn't he?"

"That's an understatement," Clark muttered.

Finally back are you?

"Hey, Krypto," Clark answered as the two came into the kitchen where the dog still sat on the floor in the same place they left him. "You haven't even moved."

I took a nap. This city is so loud! Going to sleep seems to be the only way to get any peace around here.

"You could try honing in on one thing."

I do but it's still not the same as blissful unconsciousness. So, did you get me some bacon?

"Chloe, we got bacon for Krypto, didn't we?" Clark asked.

Chloe rummaged around in one of the sacks and pulled out a package of raw meat. "Right here," she said.

It's raw, Krypto pointed out.

Clark rolled his eyes. Taking the package from Chloe, he pulled a plate from the cupboard, removed the plastic from the meat, and turned on his heat vision. The meat was cooked instantly. "There ya go," he said setting the now cooked bacon down in front of Krypto who lapped it up happily. Clark noticed Chloe with a small grin on her face. "What?"

"I just find it hilarious that you just cooked bacon with your eyes," she laughed.

Clark rubbed the back of his head. "I guess that's not really normal, huh?"

"Definitely not," she chuckled. "Now, let's teach you cursive before you have to get ready to go."

She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from a drawer next to the kitchen doorway. Sitting down at the small kitchen table, Clark sat down opposite to her as she started scrawling the alphabet on the paper. After printing the letters, she repeated them in cursive and put some examples of words at the bottom of the page in both print and cursive so Clark could see the differences. She also pulled up a tutorial video on her phone.

"Alright, let's watch this first and then you can give it a go," she said.

"Alright," Clark muttered, watching the video.

Thankfully the video gave several different examples of cursive and by the end of the two minute segment, Clark had a pretty good idea of what cursive style he liked. Taking the pen in his right hand, he set it against the page and began to loop the English alphabet before scrawling his Earth name under the letters.

"What do you think?" he asked, finishing without messing up once.

Chloe's jaw dropped. Clark hadn't just written in cursive. He'd performed perfect calligraphy. "That's just unfair," she muttered, looking from her sloppy cursive to his perfect, elegant scrawl.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Clark wondered, bewildered.

"What? Oh, no, not at all!" Chloe said hastily. "It's just unfair that your cursive is completely perfect while mine looks like slop."

"You're doesn't look bad," Clark argued. "I like your handwriting."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say that to make me feel better."

"I'm not!" he argued. "Your handwriting is very nice."

Chloe smirked. "But not as nice as yours."

Clark frowned. "Chloe, everyone has their own way of writing. This is how I write and this is how you write," he said, pointing at the letters on the page. "Both are unique and beautiful. If they were the same, it would be boring."

"I guess you're right," Chloe muttered. She then glanced at the clock. "Alright, well, since you obviously have mastered cursive in your first try, you should go and get yourself ready. You've got less than an hour."

Clark's heart lurched as he realized the time. "You're right," he said nervously, standing up.

"Clark? You might want to sign your card," Chloe pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," he muttered, pulling the card out and elegantly scrawling his signature across the back of it. Grinning, he held it out on display. "What do you think?"

Chloe chuckled, "It looks very nice. Now, get going!"

Clark left the room and rushed into the shower. His hands slipped a little on the soap a couple of times in his haste and at one point he had to stop the bar from propelling into the wall from a burst of excited super strength. Removing the excess of soap from his body with the warm shower water, he grabbed a towel and dried himself off. Standing in front of his closet in nothing but boxers, he contemplated on what to wear.

From the education crystal he had learned that when Earth couples went on dates, they tended to dress a little more professionally than relaxed, unlike Kryptonians who wore formal clothing at all times. The only thing Clark missed from his formal Kryptonian robes was the symbol of his house. He'd been surprised to see the letter S in the English language looked just like the symbol of hope representing his family's glyph. Clark sighed as he forced himself back to the matter at hand.

After another ten minutes of silent, slightly panicked musing, he settled on a deep blue button up collared shirt and black slacks with black shoes. Going into the bathroom, he looked himself over. He noticed the glasses sitting on the counter and decided to slip them over his eyes. He smiled at his reflection, tilting his head this way and that. Combing through his hair again, he tried to remove the stubborn single curl from his forehead. It whisked off to the side but was still prominent.

Clark frowned. "Stubborn thing," he muttered aloud.

Seeing that it was a losing battle to completely remove it from sight, Clark gave up and left the bathroom and entered the living room where Chloe was sitting reading a copy of the Daily Planet. She looked up when she heard his footsteps and her eyes widened. "Wow," she involuntarily gasped.

"Is it too much?" Clark wondered, suddenly terrified he'd overdressed.

Chloe shook her head, leaping to her feet. "No! Not at all! Clark, you look great!"

He grinned sheepishly. "You think so?"

She nodded emphatically. "You're going to knock her off her feet!"

Krypto came into the living room. Chloe is right, Kal. You look good in human clothes.

Clark's grin widened. "Thanks."

"I got you something," Chloe muttered, holding out a bag with tissue paper sticking out of it. Clark took the bag and removed the wrapping. Inside was a bottle of cologne. "Not that you really need it," Chloe said with pink cheeks.

"Thanks Chloe," Clark muttered opening the bottle. The scent coming from it was fairly strong and didn't smell bad.

I think you'll need all the help you can get to impress this woman of yours.

Clark scowled. Thanks for the confidence booster.

Krypto grinned. Any time, Kal.

Clark rolled his eyes before following the instructions on the bottle (he read them with super speed) and applying a small amount of cologne to his skin. Chloe grinned. "She's going to love it!"

"I hope so," Clark muttered, suddenly feeling really nervous.

Chloe handed him his debit card and the paper containing Lois Lane's address before glancing at the clock. It was ten to seven. "Are you going to make it?" she asked nervously.

Clark looked at the clock too as he pocketed the paper and the card. He tuned out all the other sounds in the world and focused solely on Lois Lane. His face lit in a comfortable smile as he turned to the window. "Yeah," he said, opening the window to the balcony conveniently revealing a secluded alley. Looking right and left and finding nobody around, he turned to Krypto and Chloe with a large grin on his face. "See you later."

Don't fly so fast that your clothes burn up, Krypto advised.

Thanks for the warning, Clark muttered.

"Have fun!" Chloe smiled. "I'll keep the balcony window unlocked."

"Thanks."

Clark took off, flying high into the sky before anyone noticed. Lois's heartbeat was a little faster than normal; he chalked that up to nerves since he couldn't hear any danger around her. Flying over various residences belonging to Bakerline, Clark found an abandoned alley a block away from Lois's apartment. Coming in for a landing, he slowly descended, touching the pavement without a sound. Smoothing his hair out of his face, he walked out of the alley.

Lois lived in a complex titled the Summerwood Apartments. Just from the look of the place, Clark could tell this was a nicer establishment than the one he and Chloe were living. Tall trees stood on either side of the entrance and an iron gate stood open, signifying visitors were still welcome in the later hour. Clark's heart started beating ridiculously in his chest and he had a hard time keeping his x-ray vision to himself. Walking into the complex, he followed the sound of Lois's beating heart up to the third floor. His heart in his throat, he looked at the watch on his arm that Chloe suggested he wear. It was exactly seven o'clock.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly and knocked on the door.