FOREST GLEN SANITARIUM-

Ella could not believe she was actually speaking to her sister after twenty something years. She clasped her hands, unable to believe how good she looked as well.

"I feel like a miracle has taken place," Ella said quietly, fearing that she would choke up, "but I don't dare call it that. Just when something good happens it seems like fate steps in and takes it away. Especially when it comes to you, Moira."

Moira smiled softly. Over the years, she had come out of her state a few times, only to slip back into her own world again.

"I know, Ella. But this feels different. I feel different. I feel as if I'm ready to reclaim my life again."

Ella just nodded, still unsure that in one hour, Moira would be back as she was. She patted her hand, then withdrew her own from her sister's and stood up.

"Moira, many things have changed."

Moira stood up. Her dark hair looked glossy.

"I remember your telling me the other time that I was fully here, that Gabe had divorced me."

"Yes, but that was ten years ago." Ella told her reluctantly. "Chloe is a young woman now. She wants to be a journalist."

"Chloe. My God, is she here? Is she waiting outside?" Moira asked eagerly, looking around Ella at the door.

"No. She's not." Ella said. She decided in that moment not to tell Moira about what happened to Chloe. She feared that it would cause a setback and Dr. Crosby didn't seem sure that it wouldn't.

"You didn't want her to get her hopes up?" Moira asked.

"Something like that. If she came here and then you slipped back into your state..."

"Ella, that is NOT going to happen! I can feel it! I feel like I did before...well before I became this way."

Ella shook her head slightly.

"What happened? I mean the doctors here could never pinpoint why you ended up in a state of perpetual catatonia. What caused this?"

"You know what? Let's talk of this another time. Tell me about yourself? How is Sam? And Lois and Lucy are grown now too. What are they doing?" Moira asked. Ella hesitated before answering. First, because it was becoming clear from the way her sister evaded her question, that her condition did not just 'happen'. Something precipitated it. Something neither Gabe or Chloe, had ever known about.

And secondly, Ella found herself feeling funny about what she was about to tell Moira. But she didn't suppose it would hurt her to tell her how much her life had changed.

"Sam is fine but we are no longer married." Ella revealed. Moira looked puzzled.

"What do you mean? What happened?" she asked.

"I fell in love with someone else." Ella said simply. "And I couldn't hide it. The thing is, Moira, um, people from another planet came here to integrate with us. I fell in love with one of those other people. And I left Sam for him."

Ella knew she sounded like SHE needed to be in this place, with the way she was going on about 'people from other planets', but Moira just stared at her.

Then she spoke.

"Please tell me that they are not Kryptonians?" she asked in calm voice.

Meanwhile, Jor-El was speaking with Dr. Brigette Crosby, Moira's doctor.

"Is this a true miracle? Moira has been examined thoroughly? I am sorry to be so curious about this matter, but on Krypton, these things do not happen to people."

"You're telling me that no one goes through such a severe shock on Krypton, that they descend into a state of catatonia? You have no mental illnesses there?" Dr. Crosby asked in disbelief.

"Oh we have them, but when they get out of control, those people are sent to a place called The Phantom Zone." Jor-El told her.

"Which is?" Dr. Crosby asked, sensing that his answer would not be good.

"Well it is a prison of sorts."

"You put the mentally ill in prisons on your planet? I'm sorry, but I assumed that Krypton was more advanced than we are. Why would you put mentally disturbed people in prisons?"

"The 'prison' you speak of was designed by myself. And it does not resemble what prisons look like on this plant." Jor-El answered, now becoming bored with this line of questioning. Dr. Crosby didn't really want to talk about this either. Actually, she had been stalling. For there was something she did have to ask but didn't quite know how. And Dr. Crosby knew that the person she should be addressing was Ella, but somehow, she could not bring herself to ask her.

"I have a theory as to why your sister-in-law emerged from her state, but it is odd." Dr. Crosby shared.

"Well what is it? Maybe it is not so odd." Jor-El reasoned.

"She had a visitor. One that I had never seen before. She came out of her catatonia as soon as he left."

"A visitor? Was it her ex-husband?" Jor-El asked.

"No. He has not been here in many years. No, it was a young man. The thing is, he told the staff that he was her 'son'. Unfortunately, we have new staffers here that did not bother to check Moira's approved visitors list. He went in and sat with her for awhile, then a few minutes after he left, Moira came out o her state." Dr. Crosby told Jor-El.

Something in the back of Jor-El's mind, made him think that for whatever reason, this visitor, and Lor-Zod, were related. Why, he could not fathom, but he had to know.

"Do you remember the name of this visitor, Dr. Crosby?" Jor-El asked.

"Yes. He said his name was Davis Bloom."


Lois sat by Chloe's beside as she stared at nothing while clutching her hand. Kal-El stared at Chloe, now thinking that he should go against his father and make a return trip to Krypton. He could bring a cure for her blindness back here.

"Lois," Chloe said, "before the attack, Bruce told me some things...he seemed to think that you were going to have Kal-El's child and that you had been kidnapped by him! It didn't make any sense! Where were you? Your mother said you hadn't slept in your bed the other night?"

Lois glanced over at Kal-El, who's facial expression was non-expressive. She then looked at Chloe again.

"I was working on a story and it took longer than I expected. When I tried to return, my car broke down. Kal-El had to bring me here." she lied.

"A story? Can you talk about it?" Chloe asked. That was when Kal-El spoke.

"Yes, Chloe, she can. I told her that I believe Bruce Wayne is Batman. Lois went to Gotham to find out if I was telling the truth."

Lois gave Kal-El a dirty look! Kal-El grinned at her. Chloe perked up.

"What? Did you find anything? Kal-El, why do you think he's Batman?"

"I can't really say." Kal-El told her and Lois had no choice but to go with it.

"Yes, I was in Gotham talking to a source. I still don't have any proof."

"Oh, Lois! I know you're not especially fond of the Batman. I mean if it's true, what will it mean for Bruce and yourself?" Chloe asked anxiously.

Lois looked over at Kal-El and grinned before answering.

"I'll just have to find a way to forgive him and move on. Let me get you some more water, okay?" Lois suggested and picked up a water pitcher that was sitting on a tray. She ignored Kal-El's stare as she left the room.

Lois found a small kitchenette area and began to fill it up with water. She saw a refrigerator and grabbed a cup to get ice as well. That was where Bruce found her. Lois glanced over at him.

"Bruce." was all she said in the way of a greeting.

"Lois. How are you? How are you really?" Bruce asked in a somber tone

"My cousin is blind. But even better, my father tells me that Chloe's mother, who has been in a catatonic state for like twenty years, has picked today to come out of it. So I'm in there lying to Chloe about it."

Bruce moved closer to her.

"I mean, how are you doing after being kept prisoner by Kal-El? If you don't want to talk about it..."

"I don't, Bruce. But I want to apologize for letting Kal-El and Jor-El escape. I messed your plans with my father, hey?"

"No, Lois. You're not to blame. And I want you to stay at my penthouse tonight. I don't want you living in the same house as Kal-El."

"Chloe is going to need care..." Lois began but Bruce interrupted her.

"She isn't being released today. So you won't need to care for her at home, today. I want you to see Dr. Hamilton about that mark. I know how you are supposedly supposed to get rid of it. I think Kal-El has lied about all of this, just so he could do what he's always wanted to do." Bruce told her.

Lois set down the pitcher and the cup on the counter near the refrigerator.

"You know, before I allowed Kal-El and Jor-El to escape, Kal-El accused you of sleeping with his secretary. He then said that you were Batman. Is he lying?"

Bruce didn't even bother to look around to see if anyone could hear them. He never took his eyes of Lois.

"There would have been a time when you would've known Kal-El was lying. Now you are asking me if something he's said is true. What's changed?"

"You're not answering my question."

"You didn't really answer mine about what happened at the Fortress." Bruce retorted.

"How did you know I was there?" Lois asked. "Oh, don't tell me! You knew where I was the whole time but you were too busy sleeping with Dinah Lance to be bothered with me-again, right?"

Bruce's cellphone rang just then. It was from one of the labs at Wayne Enterprises. He chose not to answer Lois and turned to walk away a few yards to take the call.

"This is Bruce Wayne."

"Mr. Wayne? It's Myron Nygma. Mr. Bloom is here and he is in terrible shape! I think somehow, he is being affected by the weaponry we used on the Kryptonians. I can't tell. But I thought you'd want to know."

"You have Mr. Bloom there? In the lab?" Bruce asked carefully.

"Yes." Myron answered.

"I'll be back in Gotham shortly." Bruce said, hanging up. Actually, it would be faster if he took a helicopter. And he needed to inform General Lane so he could get a team together. Yet, Bruce had a nagging feeling, that maybe Kal-El or Jor-El should be present, in case Davis changed into that thing again.

He hung up and saw Kal-El come out of Chloe's room, looking for Lois. Bruce walked up to him.

"Davis Bloom is at my lab in Gotham City. I am informing General Lane of his whereabouts, but if what your father said was true, the military might not be enough."

Kal-El nodded slightly.

"I will accompany you. But I need to speak with General Lane first. Those weapons you used on my father and myself, must be turned over to us or destroyed. I will do nothing until then." he told him.

Lois came along with the pitcher and the cup of ice. She walked up to them.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously. Kal-El answered.

"Mr. Wayne here has discovered the whereabouts of Lor-Zod. He is in Gotham City. I will do what I can do help subdue him and turn him over to the proper authorities. But I will need assurances." he said.

"About the weapons used on you?" Lois guessed. She then looked at Bruce.

"Daddy and you should just cooperate until you can make sure that thing is destroyed. He almost attacked me in the Fortress."

This was the first Bruce was hearing about this!

"That thing was in the Fortress? Why would it go there?" Bruce asked suspiciously.

"Maybe because Lor-Zod is Kryptonian...in his own way. Lois was quick to evade the creature but it could have turned out badly." Kal-El said, reaching out to touch her hair. Lois smiled at him.

Bruce watched this exchange and everything became somewhat clear. What had taken place at that Fortress, had awakened something in Lois. Some sort of affection for Kal-El. He was still not convinced that she was not being fooled in some way. He just didn't believe that she needed to have sex with Kal-El and have his child, in order to make that brand disappear. He wanted Emil Hamilton to look into it.

"I need to speak with my father on this matter. Lois, you will stay with Chloe?" Kal-El asked. Lois nodded and he reached for her hand to squeeze it, before addressing Bruce.

"As soon as my father and I are assured, that neither General Lane nor yourself, pose any threat to my kind, we will both help you with Lor-Zod."

Bruce nodded and watched as Kal-El walked off. Lois was left alone with Bruce.

"Well, I'd better get in there with Chloe's water. She had a lot to deal with."

Bruce's answer to that was to stop a nurse in the hallway.

"Ma'am, could you see that the patient in there gets this water? There has been an emergency and her cousin here has to leave."

"Of course." the nurse said and took the water from a puzzled Lois, before going in to Chloe's room. Lois turned to him.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you'll want to be in Gotham when the creature is caught, won't you? The news never sleeps." he said in a daring tone, his eyes locking on hers.

Lois turned and hurried into Chloe's room!

"Chloe, I have to go, I'm just getting my purse! Kal-El and I will be back later. Mom will be back later too!"

"Lois? What's going on?" Chloe asked, hearing excitement in her cousin's voice.

"The creature is trapped in Gotham City. Bruce and my father need Kal-El and Jor-El to stop him. This could be a big story."

"I'm sorry I can't see it. Or write it." Chloe said glumly. The nurse left the room and Lois touched her cousin's hand.

"The point is you need to get well. And you have a story to tell too. You almost died at the hands of that thing. Okay?"

Chloe nodded.

"Just tell Kal-El to be careful. That creature is probably stronger than both Jor-El and Kal-El combined."

Lois did not like hearing that. But she nodded.

"I'm sure he will, Chloe."

"I love him, Lois. If he died I don't know what I would do."

"He's not going to die. Does he look like he's capable of dying? He won't die. Now I have to get going, okay? I'll call and check in to make sure someone is here with you, okay?"

"Okay. And you be careful too, Lois." Chloe said. Lois smiled and gave her cousin a brief hug, before leaving the room with her purse. Bruce was still waiting outside.

"So, are you ready to witness a creature capture?" Lois asked. Bruce smiled at her and sensed that she wasn't so angry with him anymore. He tested that theory by encircling one of his brawny arms snugly around her waist as they walked out. Lois ignored the welcoming warmth his preemptory hold around her middle, emitted from her. She couldn't think about Bruce Wayne, Kal-El or her medical predicament. Witnessing the capture of this creature could net her front page coverage. Hopefully.