A.N.: After her brief detour to Krypton, Chloe has to figure out a way to stop Brainiac from freeing Zod. Meanwhile, Clark's on his way--unaware that he's heading into a trap. From here on in, I think it's safe to say that the action picks up a lot. :)
Chapter Twelve
Chloe blinked at the light, feeling strangely disoriented. She was back in the lab, and Fine stood next to her, shouting in her ear. His fingers dug into her upper arm painfully.
"Keeper!" Fine snarled at her. "Order the Element to open the portal for the General! Why do you delay?"
Apparently, only a minute or two had passed by in the real world while she was on her Magical Mystery Tour inside the crystal. In that short time, Fine's mood had not improved.
"Thanks for the wake-up call," she muttered to him, trying to ignore the viselike grip.
With a guilty start, she pressed her lips together, eyeing the Kryptonite dagger in Fine's other hand nervously. She'd forgotten that her voice would draw Clark here, into deadly danger.
Turning her attention back to the crystal, she silently reviewed the instructions given to her by Jor-El's AI. I'll do my best, Jor-El.
Her free arm reached out to re-establish contact with the gem. All she needed was a minute or two to give the command the AI had taught her. . . .
A hand shot out to seize her wrist. She whirled to face Fine, who was staring, eyes glazed and motionless, as if listening to an unseen voice. When his eyes refocused, they were riveted on Chloe.
"Life-mate?" he ground out with clenched teeth.
Chloe fought a surge of panic. Could Fine read her mind? If so, did he know about Jor-El's plan?
Mouth twisting in disgust, Zod's construct yanked her away from the crystal. "Don't bother playing for time. Kal-El is already on his way here," he told her. Quick as lightning, he pressed the Kryptonite dagger against her throat. "When he arrives, he'll find more than he expects."
She drew a sharp breath as the edge pricked her skin. "Clark knows this is a trap," she lied, breaking her self-imposed silence. How the robot knew that Clark was coming, she had no clue, but she was sure it was true. "Don't underestimate him."
Meanwhile, she reflected grimly, her secret was blown, and unless she could reach the crystal, it looked as though Jor-El's plan was blown with it. This wasn't good.
The construct stared down at her stonily. "I advise you not to waste your breath defending him, human." The point of his dagger tickled her jaw line as he traced the line of her chin almost caressingly. "I should kill you now, but it would be wasteful. You may yet be useful to the General."
There was a sharp intake of breath from across the room. "Killing her won't help you," Lex whispered unsteadily.
Her eye on the dagger, Chloe turned her head as far as possible, her gaze darting to the slim figure in black in the far corner of the room. "He's a killing machine, Lex," she answered wearily. "He and Zod destroyed their world, and they plan on destroying ours, too."
She turned back to Fine, whose eyes had narrowed dangerously. "Go ahead. Tell him."
"What do you mean, he destroyed their world?" Lex glanced quickly from Chloe to the construct, squinting against the gem's radiance. "How could she know that?"
Fine didn't take his eyes off Chloe's face. "She's become one with the Element," he said slowly. "Already she knows too much."
The construct lifted his head to focus on the pale figure poised warily at the other end of the lab. "As for your own world, Vessel, it's already destroyed. This woman is the proof of that."
Lex peered curiously through the bright light at Chloe as she squirmed uncomfortably in the robot's viselike grip. "Is there something I'm missing here?" he asked mildly.
His obvious confusion seemed to amuse the robot. "I'm disappointed in you, Vessel. Surely you must realize the implications."
Lex didn't respond, clearly refusing to take the bait. The construct smiled. "This female is Kal-El's mate. If Kal-El defeats Zod, her children will become the new ruling class of Earth."
Chloe watched Lex go very still. Her heart sank, as she realized she was in danger of losing her best ally against this maniac machine.
"If not," Fine concluded, "the General will rule. Either way, human history is at an end."
In the blazing light from the gem, Lex's features looked colorless, and as hard as marble.
Chloe swiveled her head to look at him directly, ignoring the sharp edge of the dagger poised at her throat. "Lex, don't believe him. You know Clark would never—"
"I didn't know you had it in you, Lois," the billionaire interrupted coldly. "You've raised treachery to a level that impresses even me."
"Oh come on," she snapped back, too frustrated at Lex now to care about Fine and his death threats. "If Clark wanted to rule, he could've conquered the world a dozen times over by now. Isn't that what you always suspected?" Lex said nothing, but his dark eyes, turned away from the glare, were thoughtful.
"I know he's lied to you," she went on more softly. "But it was only to protect himself. Don't let Zod's pet robot fool you—"
She yelped in pain as the knife pricked her throat, and felt a warm wet trickle slide down her skin. "You're beginning to annoy me, human," he murmured. "You'll have to be taught to show respect."
His fingers squeezed her upper arm so tightly that she felt as though it would break in two at any moment. Waves of white-hot agony shot through her body, so intense that she could barely hear herself screaming.
With a heavy crash, the door to the lab flew open, its steel bolts twisted like pulled taffy. Through the mist of pain that clouded her vision, she could see Clark standing in the gaping hole it left, eyes flashing with anger.
Quick as thought, Fine shoved Chloe across the room with so much force that her feet left the ground. Instinctively, she braced herself for impact, but instead of thick plaster walls, her head landed on something soft and fuzzy, and strong arms pressed her close. She breathed in the scent of fresh cotton.
"Are you OK?" a voice she thought she'd never hear again whispered anxiously, its concerned tone muffled slightly by her flannel cocoon. She nestled further in, surprised by the sudden burst of tears that wet her cheeks and soaked into the plaid cloth of Clark's shirt. He tightened his hold, and Chloe felt soft, soothing fingers stroke her hair.
She met his worried gaze, managing a reassuring smile, then watched in horror as his face took on a sickly hue.
Clark's green-tinged features gave her the warning she needed. Behind him, a streak of brilliant emerald sliced through the air towards his back.
"CLARK! Watch out!"
She launched herself against him, wincing at the soreness of her injured arm. She succeeded in pushing him sideways, but not far enough to avoid the dagger entirely. It grazed his arm before it clattered to the floor near Chloe's feet. With a quick kick, she sent it flying towards the open door.
The robot construct materialized at the door in time to catch it. Clark clutched his wound, gritting his teeth, but sidling towards Chloe protectively as Fine advanced on them both. The closer he came, the brighter the dagger glowed, bathing Clark in its deadly radiance. Already, she noticed worriedly, it had begun to sap his strength; he looked weaker with every passing second.
To her intense relief, Fine halted abruptly when he was still a few feet away from them. "Vessel!" he called in a commanding tone, although his eyes never moved from Clark's face. "That's far enough."
Chloe darted a glance to the corner where she'd last seen Lex, only to discover that he'd moved. His figure, silhouetted against the gem's radiance, had crept much closer to the table holding the crystal. One more step, and he would have been within arm's reach of it. At Fine's words, he froze, facing the three other occupants of the room, the light at his back shrouding his form in darkness.
Clark looked over too, apparently noticing his former friend's presence for the first time. He squinted with weakened eyes at the dark shape. "Lex?"
The billionaire emerged from the glare to reveal steely eyes riveted on Clark. "Hello, Kal-El."
Clark's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes," Lex said, smiling grimly. "I finally know your little secret. When were you planning on telling me, Clark? After you and your mate here founded your dynasty?"
"He called you 'Vessel,'" Clark said slowly. Lex didn't respond, but his mouth pressed into a tight, tense line. "I see," Clark continued in a softer voice, flashing a brief glance at the construct, who stood motionless, clutching the dagger.
Chloe wondered why Fine was waiting to attack. He's afraid of Clark, even as weak as he is, she realized. He won't start a fight until he's sure he can win. Surreptitiously, she eyed the crystal at the far end of the room, wondering if she could distract the construct long enough to reach it.
"Fine's trapped you somehow, hasn't he, Lex?" Clark went on. "He wants to use this crystal to bring back Zod, through you."
"An unfortunate necessity, since you were unwilling to serve as the Vessel yourself, Kal-El," Fine interjected.
Clark ignored him, meeting Lex's accusing stare with steady, sad eyes. "I'm sorry," he said simply. "I never wanted to hurt you."
The billionaire's eyes wavered and dropped. It was hard for Chloe to be sure, but she thought she heard a small sigh. When he raised his head a moment later, he seemed years older.
His blue-gray gaze was leveled at Clark. "Then why did you?" he asked bitterly.
The pain in his voice hit Chloe with almost physical force. Clark, who was struggling to stay on his feet as the effects of the Kryptonite grew stronger, looked at Lex regretfully.
Chloe's attention was distracted by Fine, who, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, was moving in on Clark. At once she rushed to block the robot's path. Clark backed away, stumbled, and almost fell.
Lex started forward, eyes wide with alarm.
"Stay where you are, Vessel!" Fine exclaimed coldly. "Remember, the lives of your staff depend on it."
"Let them go, Fine," Clark said in a tired voice. "I'm the one you and Zod want."
The robot in the tailored suit raised a polite eyebrow. "You forget, Kal-El. Zod needs his Vessel. Are you volunteering?"
Fine pursed his lips, regarding Clark with an air of expectant triumph. It was soon deflated when Clark shook his head. "I'll never agree to help that murderer. If I can't beat him, someone else on Earth will."
"Someone on Earth? A human?"
One day, if they ever got out of this, Chloe was going to enjoy smashing that superior grin off the face of this creepy Terminator ripoff. The thought made her smile.
"Ah, Kal-El, I'll almost be sorry to see you go," the construct continued. "You're quite amusing, in a pathetic sort of way. Unfortunately, once the General and his loyal followers are free, there will be no more need for you, or for your precious humans. They will be replaced with a far more worthy species."
Fine's words seemed to energize Clark. With a strangled cry of fury, he launched himself at the robot, his speed obviously taking the construct by surprise. The Kryptonite knife was knocked from the robot's hand, and landed on the floor close to the struggling pair.
While they fought, Chloe ran towards the crystal, but a quick thrust from Fine sent her spinning into the wall. From there, she watched in alarm as the robot landed a direct hit on Clark's jaw.
The prolonged exposure to the deadly rock had sapped Clark's strength almost completely. He collapsed on the floor next to the table, groaning, as Fine retrieved the dagger and knelt over him.
"It is unfortunate that the General won't have the satisfaction of killing you himself," he murmured softly. Slowly, he raised the glowing green knife and aimed it at Clark's chest. "That pleasure," he added, grinning, "will be mine."
The light from the crystal shifted suddenly as a dark shape swooped over Fine. Lex, moving smoothly and with almost Kryptonian speed, had seized the gem and crossed the short space separating him from Fine. Now, like a hawk on the hunt, he struck, pressing the crystal against the back of the construct's neck.
A weird mechanical scream pierced the air. While Chloe looked on in horrified fascination, the construct's features melted into a silvery mass, and the tailored business suit blurred and disappeared, leaving a vaguely humanoid metallic figure.
The creature dropped the Kryptonite onto Clark's chest, flailing wildly at his attacker with arms that had morphed into steel-sharp pincers. Jumping back to escape a deadly jab, Lex tripped, losing hold of the crystal. As he fell backward, his head crashed against the edge of the bookcase, and he slumped to the floor, momentarily stunned.
The robot staggered too, and collapsed a few feet away, just out of reach of Clark's prostrate body, his metallic body dissolving into a hideously deformed mass. Only his arms remained fully formed, jutting out from the molten blob like monstrous lobster claws, snapping viciously in every direction.
Cautiously, Chloe crept forward. One of the pincers darted at her eyes with startling speed, forcing her back to her spot on the opposite side of the lab from Clark and Lex. Clearly, the robot wasn't blind. She could almost feel the force of its hatred as the silvery surface of the blob rippled and grew. It was trying to reform. She didn't have much time.
She searched the floor desperately for the crystal that had fallen from Lex's hand. Her heart sank when she saw where it had landed.
In a maddeningly perfect imitation of every ring Chloe had ever owned, the glittering rock had bounced as far away from her as possible. It lit up a remote corner underneath the table with pure, tantalizing, blue-white radiance.
It was really too much. Chloe almost screamed in frustration.
One look at Clark was enough to turn her frustration into panic. He hadn't moved since the knife had fallen onto him, and the sickly green pallor that covered his face was now spreading across his neck and arms. Bulging black veins crawled down the length of his biceps and forearms.
Suddenly she noticed that the crystal's white light was changing. By degrees, it shaded into cream, then gold, then orange, and finally deepened into a brilliant crimson that seemed to set the lab aflame with its fiery glow. At the same moment, a sharp pain shot through Chloe's head.
In the confusion of the struggle, she'd forgotten that the gem didn't need a command from her to start the destruct sequence. No matter what had triggered it—the Kryptonite, its physical contact with Fine, or something else—she was sure of one thing: The sequence had begun.
At least that's it for Zod and his plans, she mused. Without the crystal to free him, he's trapped.
And without the crystal, she was dead.
Another knifelike pain hit her, leaving her gasping for breath. She struggled to think clearly. Someone had to save Clark. Somehow, she had to reach him before the destruct sequence finished.
The construct, meanwhile, had reformed partially into its human shape, although its legs were still metallic stubs. The head was the color of liquid mercury, but it was, recognizably, Fine's.
The silvery figure glared at Lex, who was rising shakily from his latest concussion. "Foolish human," the creature snarled in the mock professor's voice, "Did you forget that part of my consciousness is inside your mind?"
His clawlike hand glinted blood-red in the light from the crystal as he pointed it at the billionaire. Lex's body stiffened, and his face settled into the same horrifyingly dead stare Chloe had seen once before.
Like a waxwork doll, Lex moved towards the spot where Clark lay. Slowly, Chloe realized Fine's plan, and a chill went down her spine.
Frantically she dove for the knife that lay on Clark's chest, but Lex's arm caught her before she got there. Still expressionless, he grabbed her injured upper arm, squeezing it with such excruciating precision that she nearly blacked out. When he released her, she collapsed where she stood, biting her lip in agony from the fresh torture.
Helpless, she looked on as Lex calmly knelt, scooped up the dagger from Clark's chest, and held it against his former friend's throat. In the crystal's blazing light, his smooth features seemed lit by fire.
Clark's eyelids fluttered open. Breathing in long, ragged gasps, he took in the glowing knife, and raised his eyes.
"You can't do this, Lex," he whispered. "Any more than I could do it to you."
Looking on from across the room, Chloe shook her head. Don't kid yourself, Clark, she thought bleakly. Lex is probably enjoying this.
She darted an anxious glance at the crystal's deepening red glow. She hoped desperately that whatever happened to it would be loud, and that it would happen soon. If so, there was a chance that it would somehow distract Lex.
She was almost afraid to look back at Clark, but what she saw was completely unexpected.
Lex was hesitating.
"Kill him! Kill him NOW!" shrilled the construct. The billionaire's fist shook as he clutched the dagger, but his hand didn't move. Chloe held her breath.
Clark tried to speak again, his voice so low that Chloe could barely hear him. She leaned forward, angrily shaking away the tears to clear her vision.
"You're stronger than he knows," Clark mouthed to the figure leaning over him. "Don't let him turn you into one of Zod's slaves." He twisted in agony, but his eyes never moved from Lex. The emerald light in their depths was very different from the hideous fluorescent sheen of the Kryptonite dagger.
Please, Lex, believe him, Chloe prayed, trembling. Just this once.
The following silence seemed to last forever. Then Lex's eyes blinked rapidly and he shivered, like a marble statue coming to life. When he looked again at Clark, the blank stare was gone.
The construct by now was almost fully human in appearance, except for a few silver patches scarring his cheeks. It struggled to rise. "You are mine, Vessel," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Obey."
Beads of sweat glinted in the red light as they trickled down Lex's forehead. "Clark…." he gasped, his tone almost pleading. "Help…."
Clark's eyes brightened, as if he was trying to transfer what strength he had left to his friend. Lex grit his teeth, and, slowly, the dagger lifted from Clark's throat.
Chloe's heart had just resumed beating when Fine stood up, glaring in pure malice at his master's would-be host. "Pointless bravery," he sneered, reaching for the knife.
To Chloe's amazement, Lex, with an obvious effort, straightened and stepped back, grinning at the construct. Then he raised the dagger and, in one quick motion, plunged it into his own shoulder.
Two screams rang out, one all too human, the other an unearthly howl. Both Lex and Fine staggered and fell.
Chloe saw her chance. Taking a deep breath and pushing aside the searing pain in her arm and in her head, she dashed for the crystal. Maybe it wasn't too late to follow Jor-El's instructions after all.
She cupped the gem in her hands, rays of light shooting out from between her fingers like crimson sunbeams. As she did, the pain in her head grew worse; it took all her willpower to concentrate on the words Jor-El's AI had taught her.
Her throat felt too dry to speak. Stubbornly, she swallowed and tried again, her voice gaining strength as she continued:
"Servant of Zod! By the power of the Council as preserved in this Element, for your crimes I commit you to the world apart known as the Phantom Zone. May Rao be with you."
Ignoring Fine's outraged shouts, she waited until, out of nowhere, an opening appeared over the construct, widening as it approached. A blinding flash, like lightning, made Chloe blink. When she looked again, there was no trace of Fine.
The gaping hole into nowhere slowly shrank. At the last minute, just before it closed, a silver hand shot through it, making her jump back in alarm. For one second, its fingers reached out in vain for a handhold, and then it was sucked back in. The last thing she heard before the opening disappeared was a faint, strangled yell.
Sighing and swaying slightly, she lowered the crystal and looked around. Lex lay on his back moaning in pain, still clutching the Kryptonite dagger stuck into his right shoulder. Chloe eyed him with concern and even with a little reluctant gratitude. His staff people, she hoped, would find him before long.
Right now, though, her priority was to help Clark. Now that the Kryptonite was out of contact with his body, Clark's color had improved, she noticed. A little more distance, and he would probably recover completely. Using the last of her strength, she dragged him out of the lab and into the carpeted hallway.
By the time she'd reached the corridor, he was already reaching for her hand and smiling. "I love you."
She collapsed weakly on the floor beside him, eyeing the gem in her free hand nervously. His gaze followed hers, and his face darkened.
"I love you too, Clark," she murmured softly. "I'll miss you."
Blackness closed around her.
…………………………
The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the touch of flannel on her cheek. The next was the blast of cold air on her bare arm.
She cracked open an eyelid curiously, wondering if the afterlife could really be this confusing. Clark stared down at her, dark hair framed against a vaulted ceiling of icy pillars, a relieved smile lighting up his face. He held her in his arms.
Chloe decided this must be Heaven.
"Hey there," she murmured, nestling into his hold comfortably, "aren't you the crazy guy who barreled into a room full of Kryptonite just to save me?"
"It was only one little rock," he answered, gathering her closer. "And it was worth it."
She considered lecturing him about proper caution, but the wattage of his grin had amped up to full Kent Charm mode, so she settled for returning it with the biggest smile in her repertoire.
Another blast of cold air made her shiver. She rubbed the arm that wasn't pressed against Clark's shirt to warm it up, and winced at its soreness. The pain shocked her into total recall of recent events.
She looked around and realized that they were standing (well, Clark was standing, anyway) in the middle of the Fortress. "The crystal, Clark! We need to…."
"Shhh," he soothed. "It's OK. It's in my shirt pocket."
Hastily, she dug out the little lump, expecting a blast of crimson flame. Instead, it glimmered white in her hand, its soft shimmer winking at her almost innocently.
"It changed color the minute we got here," Clark explained. "Something in the Fortress must have disarmed it."
They both looked at the hall's central console, where a slender, clear cylinder was rising up. "I guess that's where it goes," Clark said. He looked at Chloe. "Ready?"
She nodded. He set her down, keeping one arm draped around her for warmth, and together they moved cautiously towards the console. Each of them took hold of the crystal, and carefully set it into place on top of the cylinder.
It flared to full power immediately, and once again Chloe found herself surrounded by living walls of white fire, heading towards a portal far in the distance. Except, this time, she was hand in hand with Clark.
She enjoyed seeing the look of dazed wonder in those green eyes when they emerged over the snow-swept plains of Clark's home planet. It was morning now, not sunset. The first red rays of the sun struck rainbow splinters off the jewel-colored mountains on the horizon.
Tugging at his hand, she pulled him in the direction of the mountain range. Her last visit was cut short; maybe now they'd get a chance to explore a little.
She was looking eagerly at the horizon when she felt Clark's hand slip from hers. Pulling up, she swiveled in mid-air, and her jaw dropped.
Clark was dipping and swooping like an acrobat, grinning in delight as if he'd done this all his life. He soared straight up, slicing through a pink-tinged cloud, then went into a nosedive towards the icy wastes below. Against the craggy rocks and snowdrifts, his jeans and red plaid stood out like a beacon.
"Wow," she mouthed at him, grinning. Inwardly, she thought, He was born for this.
After a few more dips and swirls, he settled at last into a level glide next to her. But when he took her hand, it was to lead her away from the beautiful mountains. Chloe tugged back in protest, eyeing the horizon longingly.
"C'mon," said her life-mate, gently pulling her in the other direction. "Jor-El wants to talk to us."
"How do you know?" she whispered back, as they glided past familiar landmarks and towards the great city of Clark's birth.
Clark grinned, looking happier than she had ever seen him before. "I just have a feeling," he answered, soaring towards a familiar tall tower near the dome that, Chloe remembered, housed the Council chamber.
She wasn't surprised when they landed on the same balcony as before, the one with a view of her beloved rainbow mountains. There to meet them were the AI images of Jor-El and Lara.
Clark looked from one to the other. Chloe hung back, knowing that this moment was his own.
"Welcome, my son, Kal-El," Jor-El intoned gravely. Lara stood next to him, saying nothing, but holding her son's eyes with her own.
Clark started forward, reaching out to both of them, but his hand passed through his mother's arm as if through a ghost. She stepped back, shaking her head sadly. "We are only images," she whispered, staring at him longingly.
"Lara." Clark's voice was rough with emotion.
His mother's eyes widened. "You remember me?"
He nodded. "It was the first word I spoke when I got to Earth. My mother—my adoptive mother—told me so." Her face lit up, and Chloe's heart melted.
Jor-El spoke. "My son and daughter, I commend both of you for delivering the Element safely to the Fortress. Here it will keep you, and the future of our House, safe."
"What about Zod and Fine—I mean, the interactive construct?" Chloe asked. "They're trapped now, aren't they?" Even to her own ears, her voice sounded far too hopeful.
Jor-El was already shaking his head. "They are sealed, for now, in the Phantom Zone, but it is always possible that another way out of the Zone may be found," he told them. "Remain vigilant! Great men and women must always beware of great enemies."
Chloe's thoughts flew to Lex. She wondered if he would remember any of the events of the last two days. If he did, they were in trouble. Sooner or later, even Clark would agree with that.
"But now," Lara was saying, moving gracefully to a small round table in the middle of the room behind her, "we celebrate a bonding."
On the table two thin white woven bracelets materialized, each elegantly simple in design. At Lara's gesture, Clark and Chloe moved forward hesitantly.
"You must put your joined hands over the bracelets," she explained. As they obeyed, the bracelets fused, then blurred, a mix of colors playing over their joined surface. Finally, they separated, one bracelet a deep ocean blue to match Lara's eyes, and the other tinted with the red of the Krypton sun. Each bracelet bore thin stripes of gold.
"The gold symbolizes the House of El, and it is also Kal-El's namesake," Jor-El told them. "It stands for 'hope.'"
"The bonding is now complete." Jor-El announced, and relaxed into a smile. "May you bring honor to your House, and to your world."
Chloe blinked away tears. "I always cry at weddings," she muttered, feeling embarrassed. Lara nodded in understanding.
"Of course, these bracelets are only shadows," Lara added. "But when you return to your world, the Fortress will provide you with true versions." Her gaze shifted to her son and one slender arm lifted, almost touching his sleeve. "Whenever you need us, we will be here, Kal-El. Our blessings on you both, and on the House of El."
A split-second later, Clark and Chloe stood next to the command console in the Fortress, the crystal still glittering over them like the North Star. When Chloe glanced to the smooth surface of the console, her eyes brightened.
On the table sat two exact replicas of the slender bracelets, one red and one blue.
"OK," Chloe said without preamble. "I'll take the red one."
"Huh?" Clark asked. "Why?"
She tilted her head up at him, smiling suggestively. "I'm told I look ravishing in red."
Clark stared. "Who says that?" he asked quickly. There was a small silence. "Um, besides me, I mean."
She grinned and picked up the blue bracelet. "Shall we? You first." His fingers brushed hers lightly as he lifted his right hand, and the chill in the air seemed to disappear. The glowing hall was hushed, as if waiting to witness this moment. Her grin faded.
She hesitated, wondering how the little band would ever fit over such a large palm, until, to her surprise and delight, the bracelet stretched on its own. Carefully, she slipped it on, and it shrank again to fit loosely around his wrist.
In return, he slipped the red circlet around her own much smaller wrist. "For you," he said, his voice lowering to an intimate whisper. It sent a shiver down her spine, and not from the cold. "Life-mate," he added, with a smile that she knew, as long as they lived, would only be for her.
She looked up at him solemnly. "Clark. I'm sorry."
He frowned, puzzled. "About what?"
"About what happened to your home," she said quietly, reaching up one hand to stroke his cheek. His gaze softened.
"You mean, Krypton?" he asked.
She nodded. "And your parents. They must have been wonderful people, and your planet was an incredible place."
He looked at her gravely. "Yeah, it was, and they were," he said simply. "But I haven't lost my home."
He bent down to kiss her. "You're my home, Lois."
When their lips parted at long last, Chloe smiled. "That reminds me, I need to call my cousin and see if I can borrow her name for a little longer. I may need it for a byline."
She took his arm. "C'mon, we need to get back. I'm suddenly freezing. And I still have a story to report."
"Story?" Clark asked, one amused eyebrow raised. "What story? 'How I Defeated the Alien Menace'?"
"No," she replied, extracting the compact digital camera from her pants pocket. "I mean a printable story. One that might actually help me keep my job."
Clark smiled as he scooped her up. She slid the camera back into her pocket and snuggled into his hold, basking, as always, in his warmth. "OK. If I can show you something first."
"Really?" Her eyes slid up to meet his. "Something I haven't seen before?" she added, lowering her voice suggestively.
His answering grin was wicked. "Actually, it's something I just learned."
Before she had time to ask him what he meant, he was tucking her in closer to him. "Get ready for a surprise," he told her with a smile, and took off into the sky.
Chloe held on and whooped with delight, watching the sparkling Arctic glaciers slip away beneath them. Then she rested her head contentedly in the hollow of her life-mate's shoulder.
Something told her this was only the beginning of an incredible ride, for both of them.
TBC….
