Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Brothers owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.

Author's Notes: Well, I've wanted to come back to this story for almost a year. Earth-2 has always fascinated me, but first I had to get past all the wrong things about it and focus on Clois, and that's how my 'fix-it' one shot came about last year. Initially written for PBXIII, you should read the first chapter to get caught up. Here's the second chapter, and I can't say how much more there will be, but pay close attention, because I want to write more and my Muse tends to listen to me when I'm this determined. Read on and please review. Remember, all scenes take place on Earth-2. Thanks, everyone! :D

~o~o~

Chapter 2: Dreams and Reality

That same night, Lois' apartment, 2:00 am:

Clark was in the throes of a nightmare. It wasn't the first time. The nightmare was always the same, always the same scenario, the same sickening occurrence, the same ending everything was the same, except he was not alone when he awakened … not this time.

The nightmare:

"No, no, please, please don't kill me," his victim pleaded as he was slammed against the wall.

"It has to be this way." Kal-El would not listen to the man trying to get away from him pleading for mercy. He snapped his neck killing him in an instant. This time there was something there … pity and remorse. He shook his head. This time before he walked away, there was a voice speaking. It was his victim.

"Why, why did you kill me?" Kal-El turned back at the voice and watched the man on the ground. His lips were not moving, but he heard his voice clearly in his head. He covered his ears. "No, no, stop talking, stop talking."

"Kal-El, Kal-El, can you hear me, wake up!" Lois shook his shoulder. She was awakened by his mumbling and flailing about. Unfortunately though, in the throes of the nightmare, he grabbed her arm. That's going to leave a bruise, she thought.

"Lois?" Kal-El asked as he awakened from his nightmare. "Where am I?"

She stroked his shoulder. "You're here with me," Lois replied. As he looked around, he spotted her arm, and she tried to cover it with the blanket which was a dumb thing to do. He can see through anything.

He quickly sat up. He touched her arm, removing the blanket. "Please tell me that I did not do that." He raised his eyes to hers hoping that he hadn't done it.

"It's nothing," she said and covered herself up. "Tell me about the dream. Have you had it before?"

"Lois, I know what you're doing. Here, let me fix it." Instead of waiting for her to answer him, he blew his chilly breath onto the bruise, and it soothed the hurt for a minute.

It did feel a little better. "Thank you, Kal-El."

Clark shook his head, having second thoughts about all of this. "Lois, I … I don't think …" He hesitated.

She frowned as if she could read his thoughts. "What, what do you think?"

He watched her for a minute. This was not going to be easy. He couldn't face her. "There's an emergency. I have to leave." He got out of bed, oblivious to his nakedness and got dressed quickly.

Lois grabbed a robe and went over to him. "Wait a minute. You can't leave, not after … not after last night. You can't. Talk to me, Kal-El. What's wrong?"

He glanced at her arm.

"That was an accident. You didn't know what you were doing. I don't blame you. Please don't leave, not like this."

"I'm sorry, Lois." He paused. "Good-bye."

Lois didn't beg for anything, but this time she did. He had to realize that it wasn't his fault that they could work this out. She grabbed his arm. "Kal-El, please, please let's talk about this, please?"

He looked at her hand on his arm and then her lovely face. "My name is Clark," he whispered and then he was gone.

As a breeze blew across her face, Lois' eyes filled with tears. But now, instead of the crushing hurt, anger filled her veins.

You haven't seen the last of me, Kal-El or Clark or whatever your name is.

~o~o~

Once out in the alley, Clark changed into his black and silver costume and streaked across the city to stop a robbery at a jewelry store. He then reached out his hearing to help the police. They were leery of any vigilantes, but this one seemed to be on their side, and they were thankful for the help.

The next morning, Lois awakened with a headache and also with a determination to see Kal-El again. She hadn't given up on them. She couldn't. She told herself it was because Metropolis needed him, but if she were totally honest with herself, she needed him too. Last night had been the best night of her life. Thinking about him, she got dressed and headed into the office. Her article about him was ready to go, but she still had not convinced Perry to run it. He was skeptical to say the least.

That morning in his office, Lois sat down opposite her boss and waited for him to finish reading the article. "Well, Chief?"

"Give me a minute, Lane." He watched her for a moment. "Is this what you've been working on this week? I thought you were taking time off to clear your head and take care of yourself."

"I'm OK, Chief, but this was far more serious than time off. Just tell me what you think."

Perry couldn't hide his enthusiasm. "It's brilliant if it's true," he stated, still skeptical about 'Kal-El of Krypton.'

"Perry, he called me because he wants to do this. The public needs to know about him Chief. He wants to help people. That's all he wants."

"I'm finding that hard to believe. What does he want in return? He must want something."

"He doesn't want anything. I've listened to him, talked to him." She paused. "He's the real deal."

Perry leaned back in his chair and watched his star reporter. "Is there something you want to tell me Lane?"

"What do you mean?" Lois could not meet his eyes.

"I know you. When you get something firm in your head no matter what the story, you won't let it go, but I don't know. This seems different somehow."

"Chief, he is different. I've never met anyone like him. You have to print his story, Chief." She paused for a moment. "What do I have to do to convince you that it's true?"

"I need an angle. Vigilantes come and go. What makes him so special?"

Lois got up and walked over to the window. "He's remarkable, Chief. He wasn't born here, but he wants to belong, but he can't because of the things he can do, so he helps people the only way he can, with his powers. He knows that everyone will fear him, fear the unknown, but in spite of that fear, he wants to make a difference."

Perry walked over to her. "You care about him, I can tell." She opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn't." He touched her shoulder. "Lois, please be careful. You're vulnerable and still hurting."

She shook her head. "I'm always careful, and besides, he would never hurt me."

"Maybe not physically, but like you said, he's not one of us. He's an alien."

"But Chief, why should that matter? He's a good person. I know this."

He watched her for a minute. "Ok, I'll print it, but the title is all wrong."

"Kal-El of Krypton …? What's wrong with it?"

Perry walked away becoming thoughtful. "We need something titillating, something the public will want to read, want to know, something …sexy."

Lois frowned, but she also blushed. Lois never blushed. "Sexy, but …"

Perry grinned at her expression. "I got it. How about this? I Spent the Night with …. What's his name?"

"Kal-El."

"That's not going to work. He needs a superhero name."

Lois was thoughtful, as she looked up at the sky. "He is a … super ... man," she mumbled thinking about last night.

"That's it!"

"What's it?"

"Superman!"

"Superman?" Lois asked then ran the name over her tongue several times. She had to smile because it was just so perfect. "I like it."

~o~o~

The old Kent farm:

The story ran the next day. At the old farm, Clark was in the mist of making repairs when he heard a car drive up. He had a feeling he knew whom it was. He picked up the paper again and read the headline and he couldn't help the blush that appeared on his face. He told himself that he couldn't bear to hurt her, but the real reason was because he saw no future for them. His nightmares were only the tip of the iceberg. What if I hurt her again, then what?

"I knew you would be here," Lois whispered as she walked up the front porch.

He decided not to ask her how she had found him, but she looked far too tempting. He held up the paper. "Really … Superman?"

"Don't you like the name?" He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "Oh, that, it wasn't my idea."

"I do like the name, but …" he whispered and read the headline again.

She sat down in the wicker chair next to him. "I know what you're thinking."

"You can read minds, huh?"

"No, but I can't stop thinking about last night either. It was …" She stopped and waited for him to look at her.

"It was …?" He prompted wanting to know in spite of his doubts about them.

"Wonderful, amazing, the best night of my life."

"Lois, don't …" He looked at the paper again.

"Don't what, put our thoughts into words?" She paused as she watched his jaw clench. "Clark, please look at me."

"It hurts to look at you."

Lois closed her eyes for a moment at that heartfelt confession. It hurt to look at him too. "Clark, I don't understand why or how this happened between us so quickly, but to deny that it doesn't exist, that we can move on from each other, please tell me how, because right now, all I can think about is being with you, holding you, and telling you that we can do this, but we won't know, if we don't try."

He turned to look at her. "Lois, I don't know …"

She saw that as an opening. "Tell me why you're here and what you're doing."

Taking a deep breath, he was relieved to talk about something else. He stood up and walked inside his house. She followed him. "This place, I don't know, it's calling to me. I bought it the other day."

She looked around. "You've done a lot in just a few days."

"Well, the first floor is done. I'll finish the rest tomorrow."

She chuckled. "Wow, maybe you missed your calling."

He watched her for a minute and had to smile. "I did miss it for a long time, but I think I found it."

"I know you have," she told him firm in her answer.

He frowned. "You seem so sure about me. Even I have second thoughts."

Lois shrugged her shoulders at a loss as to why she felt this way. Suddenly feeling bold, she came over to him and took his hand. They both looked down at their joined hands. He couldn't help it; he squeezed her hand.

"Just think about this," Lois murmured and she couldn't help staring at his lips.

Clark was lost. He pulled her to him and kissed her, not too hard, not too soft, just right.

Lois moaned into his mouth and kissed him back. He picked her up and took her upstairs. She managed to pull her mouth away for a moment. "I thought you said the upstairs wasn't finished."

"The bedroom is finished," he whispered then grinned from ear to ear.

"Perfect!" Lois said and kissed him hard.

TBC!

~o~o~

A/N: Lois would not be deterred. Can you blame her? Remember now, this is Earth-2. Clark is not wearing the suit yet, but he is doing 'supermanly' things, just like Clark in Earth-1. Ok, I'll be getting into plots and other superheroes showing up. Stay tuned. Thank you for reading. Reviews are love.