Kal-El was downstairs talking with his father.

"Are you any closer to fixing Lois' problem, Dad?"

"I've been doing a lot of research and I think if I could maybe alter her molecular structure, it would work. The whole problem is her body was made for a lesser gravity. I have a theory that if a Kryptonian had gone to live on her planet, he or she could fly because of the lesser gravity. The way they were able to fix her hearing and sight was to block her body from absorbing the red sun's energy. There isn't a way to block gravity, as far as I know. The only way left is to change her body's composition to resemble a Kryptonian's. I hesitate to put my theory into action because she is the only way I have to try it out other than clones. Clone's civil rights keeps me from trying it out on any clones that I could create from her, so what can I do? I don't know, Kal-El. I need more time and information. Why are you so dressed up?"

"I'm going to the dance tonight."

"That's right and you're taking Lois. When you went to see her, did you find out anything helpful?"

"Nothing we didn't already know from your research. She didn't feel any connection or much interest for Earth but it really wasn't a bad, little planet. She has images of Earth hidden in her subconscious. It's too bad nobody in art class knew it or she might have gotten a better grade. It wouldn't help with this problem though."

Kal-El went upstairs and was about to leave but his mom caught up with him.

"Honey, I want you to have fun but not too much fun. I know how you feel about Lois but you can't forget your duty to Zara. The school gave their permission because they don't think it's possible to be in love with an alien."

"I know, Mom. You can trust me," and he left.
---

He was late and Lois was nervous. Had he stood her up?

Her parents had dropped her off at the restaurant across from the school, where they were supposed to meet. She had to get rides from her parents because she didn't have her airship anymore. She had been forced to give it to her aunt. However with her new found paycheck, she could buy her aunt a new Jor-El, eventually.

That's it! She was leaving. She stood up to go, when Kal-El walked through the door.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late. I lost track of time," he apologized.

She gave him an annoyed look but she sat back down.

"Have you ordered yet?" he asked.

"No."

"What would you like?"

"I can order for myself, thank you!"

The robot waitress asked them for their orders.

"I'll have scarlet mushroom, fish snake, and a glass of water," Kal-El said.

"I'll have what he's having but double the order."

The waitress left.

Kal-El stared at Lois until she said, "I need double the nutrients to match Earth nutrients."

The waitress brought their meals out immediately. On Krypton every restaurant was fast food. They ate their meal in silence.

"Are you going to finish the rest of that fish snake?" Lois asked.

"No, go ahead."

Lois began to eat it and said between bites, "it's funny to think that a fish snake could kill you with its poisonous bite but yet it's a common delicacy."

"Yeah," said Kal-El. He was paying more attention to how pretty she looked and how nice she looked eating.

"You're not the best conversationalist in the world, are you?" she said with a teasing smile, "it's a good thing we have the technology to stay in our weight range because with all the extra food I have to eat, I should have 500 pounds added to me. I wonder if the technology to keep people from aging will work on me. Sometimes Kryptonian technology works for me and sometimes it doesn't. I wouldn't really care if it didn't. The body's natural processes shouldn't be fooled around with too much. Beauty should be on the inside."

Kal-El snapped out of his daze and said, "I agree. The dance has already started. Are you ready to go now that you've finished?"

"Ready as I'll ever be"
---

Lois looked around. The large room was fairly dark. The boys were in their tight outfits and dress capes. The girls were in their long, close-fitting dresses. Los smiled at how they nervous they all looked but she wasn't surprised. For most of them it was their first date with the people they knew they would marry and have kids with. If they wasn't the same ones that teased her, she'd almost feel a little sympathy for them.

She got a glass of punch and sat down in a chair. Classical Kryptonian music was playing. Kal-El sat down in a chair beside her.

"Did you want to dance?" he asked.

"Are you joking? I thought you knew that I couldn't move like that without causing a disaster."

He looked a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," she said, placing her hand gently on his knee, "I know you forget that I'm an alien with a disability but that's what makes you special. You only see me."

He looked down at her hand on his knee. It seemed to make him nervous. Even though she could touch people without fear of hurting them, if she were careful, it probably worried him. She took her hand off.

"Lois, since it's kind of silly to go to a dance and not be able to dance, did you want to go on a walk?"

She felt sorry for him. He must've been bored. It's too bad Zara wasn't able to come.

"Sure. Let's go," she told him.
---

They were sitting on a park bench and gazing at the moon.

"I wonder what it would be like to see 4 moons in the night sky," Kal-El commented.

"I don't know. I kind of like one moon. It's more special that way. I can never remember what happened to the other 3."

"One of them was gone so long ago that they don't really know what happened to it. Another had people living on it and it drifted off and became its own little planet, Xenon. The other Jax-Ur, a scientist, destroyed and that's why he was banished to the Phantom Zone."

"How do you remember all those details? Have you decided on a career?"

"Not yet and I'm running out of time. I wish they would pick it out for you like they do everything else but researchers find it gets better results if they let a person pick a job out for themselves."

"I'm sure you'll do something great, Kal," she whispered softly.

He smiled and said, "no one had ever called me Kal before. It's nice."

Before she knew what was happening, he had enclosed her hand in his.

"Lois, I don't think I've ever told you this but you may have guessed that I love you. I love you more than I could ever love anyone else. You're so independent, smart, and beautiful. You're funny and you say what's on your mind. There are a million more things that I love about you."

Lois didn't know what to say. She had been suspicious of him until recently but then life had made her cynical about how people felt about her. She had learned to trust Kal-El and she knew he meant what he was saying. He was wonderful and she had never met anyone like him and she loved him back, so she said the only thing she could, "I love you too."

They drew closer together and just as their lips were about to touch, she pulled away.

It was wrong. Krypton didn't and wouldn't allow them to be together. They could be in serious trouble for breaking this rule in a Phantom Zone kind of way. A first kiss was for your arranged wedding day, by law.

"I'm sorry, Kal-El but we can never see each other again!"

She could feel his eyes on her, as she walked away but he didn't stop her.

TBC