Clark clears his throat when she pauses lost in the memory. Her eyes cloud over as tears filled her their depths. Clark's eyes dart about before landing on a box of tissue. He moves to grab it and sits it on the table before her. She snags a few out of the box and blots at her eyes.

"You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Kent. I'm still very emotional."

"You must have loved him very much."

A sob escapes her throat. "I'm very aware that no one comprehends that. But you have to understand I know that Kal wasn't a good man. He was a very bad one. But he was also a very good husband. He treated me well even when I didn't expect him to. When I lied and deceived him, he never retaliated. He forgave me, and he kept his promise to protect me."

Clark waits for her to compose herself. A part of him thinks he should leave. Clark feels sleazy intruding on her grief. And he feels like the worst person in the world because he agreed to it out of morbid curiosity.

"I can go if you want me to." Clark offers half standing. She half sobs and half laughs.

"Can't take a crying woman, Mr. Kent?"

"I don't really know what to do with them." He gives her an embarrassed smile that slows her tears and makes her laugh a little. "Kal often threatened to kill me whenever I cried. I never knew for certain, but I think it was because it made him uncomfortable too." She takes a few deep breaths before saying, "I apologize Mr. Kent. I shouldn't have lost my composure."

Clark shakes his head. "No. No, it's fine. You're entitled to your grief."

She gives him a small smile before saying, "I suppose I'll continue." Clark nods eagerly.

"Did he take your hand?"

Her eyes sparkle as she says, "He did."

Sakura doesn't dare raise her head, nor move until she feels Kal take her hand in his. He grips her fingers firmly and silently bids her rise to her feet. Sakura rises slowly and brings her eyes up to meet his. He is angry, but she knows he won't be for long.

He rises to his feet as well and turns her so that they face everyone. When he does, she knows he's caught sight of her back. She hears him gasp only because she has been waiting for it. She doesn't turn her head to look at him, but instead, she steps forward and speaks so that her voice carries throughout the room.

There may or may not be a jutsu involved that allowed it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please stand?"

There is a slight hesitation before everyone rises. Sakura feels Kal's fingers on her back tracing her skin lightly. His touch makes her shiver, but she forces back the pleasure that the tips of his fingers induce. Sakura raises her hand, covers her heart, and raises an eyebrow expecting everyone to follow suit.

To her surprise, they did and then she begins to speak,

"I pledge my allegiance to Kal-El

And not to these other nations like America

And to his wife, by his side, she stands—"

Clark's mouth drops open. "That was you? You bastardized the Pledge of Allegiance?" It is something that people still talked about even though Kal-El had been gone for several months. On the internet, there are several different versions of it. Some still say it in fealty others, knowing they are safe from reprisal, say it mockingly.

A lot of times Clark has a hard time ignoring the words when they were said.

She looks unrepentant. "I knew initially Kal was going to be angry at me, so I prepared something to soothe his initial anger." She hesitates for a second and Clark knows she has done something else to take away his rage.

Kal grips his wife's hand and helps her to her feet. The woman is entirely too defiant and needs to be brought to heel. When their eyes clash, he swears that he sees mischief in her eyes and he wants to know what she is up to. It isn't the time or the place for inappropriate behavior.

He turns her around to face the crowd and shock rocks his body. The soft, smooth skin of her back is exposed for all the world to see, but more than that the symbol of the House of El is inked into her skin in black and white. He can't help but reach out and touch it. Her skin is cool, so he gently rubs her back to warm her up.

She requests that everyone stand and when she does so there is a hesitation that makes his lips curl into a snarl. Without further ado, everyone rises and then she speaks. Her words make his heart race because he can hear her sincerity. She is giving not only her body but her loyalty to him.

Sakura lets him know with a few well-spoken words that she may defy him, but she will always be loyal to him. She will work with his best interests at heart. She walks tall and proud, and he finds her worthy to be at his side. When she finishes pledging her allegiance to him and ensuring that everyone else in the room does as well, he couldn't stop himself even if the world was ending. He grabs her small frame pulls her to his chest. Her green eyes look up at him in amused surprise. He growls and then claims her lips in a fierce and demanding kiss.

Clark's heart jumps. He reaches for his phone and fumbles with it a bit before he pulls up a picture on it. He has seen it before in his research into her life. He looks at it for a moment. The Dictator's wife is dipped low in his arms. Her arms are threaded around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair. They both looked blissed out in each other's arms as they were immersed in a heated kiss.

"Was this the night of the reception?"

She glances at the picture and then takes the phone out of his hand nodding. She raises her hand and trails her finger over the screen. "Yes, this was the night." She chuckles. "You know, it's awkward knowing that there are pictures out there of us like this."

"The two of you were a couple that everyone was interested in." Clark offers, and she murmurs, "Yes," before handing him his phone back.

"You were very beautiful."

She is more than beautiful, but Clark didn't think it was appropriate to say so. She is stunning and breathtaking. Something in his chest squeezes at seeing her in that picture, in Kal-El's arms. He has never seen a woman so gorgeous. Lois is appealing, but he knows that if he stands the two women side by side…he isn't sure he'd even see Lois. He needs to leave. He has to get away right that second.

"Thank you." Her words are polite but warm, and Clark surges to his feet.

"If you don't mind could we possibly continue your interview tomorrow?"

She rises to her feet as well. "That would be fine Mr. Kent. How does ten o' clock tomorrow morning sound?"

"It sounds swell." A small smile appears on her face, and he begins backing away to the door. "Alright. I'll see you then. Goodbye."

He doesn't stick around long enough to hear her reply. When he is sure no one was watching, Clark takes to the skies. He flies through the air, not at all certain about where he is going until he arrives at the Batcave.

It is early enough in the evening that Batman hasn't gone out on patrol yet, but he is in the Batcave on his computer. He doesn't bother to glance in Superman's direction when he arrives greeting him with a, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you certain all that Kryptonite is out of my system?"

Batman pauses then and turns and looks at him, "Are you exhibiting any homicidal tendencies?"

"No, but-"

"What is this about then?"

Clark sighs knowing that this isn't going to go over well. "I think I'm attracted to her."

Bruce arches a brow. "You came barging in here because you need relationship advice?"

"I'm talking about Sakura-El, I mean Haruno."

Bruce pauses once again, "I hear she retained her married name. And if you want my advice then stay away from her."

"I can't. I have this assignment."

"Pass it off to Lois."

"She won't talk to Lois."

Batman snorts. "I wonder why." Clark frowns and shakes his head.

"This is serious. Why am I so drawn to her?"

"Clark," Batman begins pulling off his cowl. "You were married to the woman for five years. Even if your mind has no physical memories of your relationship with her, your body does."

"I wasn't married to her. He was."

"Technicalities that don't apply to the situation. If you want my advice, you should avoid her. If you can't, keep your time with her as short as possible. Do your job and then get out."

Clark nods his head. Just do his job. Its that simple.