AN: I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner! Life. It can be such a pain. So, to make up for it, I'm giving you more than one chapter! SURPRISE! :D

REVIEW PLEEEEASE! ;) Thankies much!

6: The Question

Jason heaved a heavy sigh as he trudged his way to the elevator of the Daily Planet. He was sure his dad had updated his mom on everything that happened. Stepping into the elevator, Jason punched one of the upper levels. Boring elevator music swam over his head; they really needed to update their music selection. The doors binged open and a flurry of noise hit Jason like a ton of bricks. The usual hussle and bussle could be found in the bullpen. Several reporters recognized Jason and waved. Others were shouting into their phones or slamming away at their keyboards on the next story.

Jason ignored all of this and headed towards the Editor in Chief's office. Two desks were situated so they were ten paces away from it. It wasn't a secret that the two best reporters resided here, and they just happened to be Jason's parents. His dad's chair was currently vacant.

"Honey, are you alright?"

Jason looked up to find his mother jumping up to give him a hug. "I'm fine, mom."

"You're dad called and told me what happened," Lois muttered. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Jason answered, a little flustered.

Lois studied him with a calculating expression. "Let's go to the roof."

Jason groaned. "Do we have to?"

Lois didn't wait for him to answer. Taking his hand, she practically dragged him back to the elevator.

"LANE! Where do you think you're going?"

Without turning around, Lois shouted, "I need some air, Perry! Every reporter needs a break once in a while!"

"You're deadline is in half an hour! If it's not on my desk in twenty, I'm gonna dock your pay!"

"I'd like to see you try, old man!" Lois snapped heartily, stepping into the elevator.

Perry flashed her a grin just before the doors closed. It was common knowledge that Perry's threats were idle words; but that didn't stop him from shouting them anyway. Even if Lois was his favorite, he treated her just like he treated every other employee which suited Lois just fine. In fact, she loved being yelled at; she took it as a challenge to try harder. Even though she had to deal with her son at the moment, there was no way she would ever miss a deadline. Perry wanted her article in twenty? She'd get it to him in fifteen. She didn't expect this little family meeting to last longer than five minutes.

Jason followed his mother out onto the roof where Superman stood waiting for them. Lois went over to the edge and leaned against the wall. Jason folded his arms and rested his shoulders against the door.

"What's up, Dad?"

"Jason, you really didn't see anyone?"

"No," he replied honestly. "It's like I told the police, when I came around the bleachers Thomas was already knocked out."

"So you had nothing to do with it?" Lois asked.

"Of course not, Mom! How could you even think I'd do something like that?" Jason demanded, feeling betrayed. Surely his parents didn't think he'd lied to the police? And they certainly wouldn't suspect him of being Thomas' attacker, right? Didn't they know him better than that?

Superman saw the hurt in his son's eyes. "Jason, we know that Thomas and his friends don't treat you kindly. We also know that you'd never intentionally hurt someone. We just wanted to make sure that this accident wasn't something out of self defense."

"Oh," Jason said, suddenly feeling stupid. Of course that would be what they would have guessed had happened. It made more sense than them thinking he'd done it on purpose.

"It wasn't self defense, was it, honey?" Lois asked.

Jason shook his head. "No."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief. "I hate those kids. If I had it my way, I'd go down there and kick their-"

Superman cut her off. "Lois, the last thing I want is to bail you out of jail for assault."

Lois grinned. "Who said I'd go to jail? You wouldn't throw me in, would you?"

Superman rolled his eyes. "No I wouldn't because I'd stop you from committing the crime before you could even start it."

"Not if I distract you," Lois murmured, stepping up to him and running a hand up his chest.

"Um, can I go?" Jason asked. "It's great that you two want to get all lovey dovey on the rooftop but I'd prefer if you didn't have any witnesses."

Superman and Lois both laughed. With his arms around his wife, Superman nodded to his son. "Keep your eyes open at school alright? Even though I feel it was a one time offense, I'd rather that we all stay alert. As much as I hate to admit it, that attack couldn't have been done by a human."

Jason nodded. "I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"And make sure nobody comes up the stairs on your way down, son," Lois called.

Jason scowled as he shut the door behind him, glad that he hadn't turned around since he was sure his parents were already making out in full swing.

o0o0o

Thora was in her room. She'd situated her chair to face the window so that she could see the sunset. She hadn't moved all day. Her arms were clasped around a bright yellow mouse with round red cheeks. Lana had bought the Pikachu plushie when she'd seen Thora staring at it intently in the mall the day they went shopping for clothes. Thora didn't know what is was about the bright yellow mouse that caused the aching in her heart to lessen a bit. It was a strange kind of security blanket and right now Thora needed as much security as she could get.

She'd convinced Lana and Richard not to hover over her because she couldn't stand to be around them. They weren't tainted like she was. They hadn't hurt someone so much to put them in the ICU. Though Richard had tried to hide it, Thora saw the front page of the Daily Planet that morning concerning the incident. She'd read the article against Richard's advice and afterward wished she'd listened to him. The words weren't meant to accuse but Thora felt as if they were knives repeatedly stabbing her in the heart. According to the article, if Superman hadn't arrived on the scene and taken Thomas Adkins to the hospital, the boy would have died. Thora's insides shriveled up at the very thought. She wasn't a murderer…was she? For all she knew, she really could be. And that thought scared her more than Thomas dying.

What if she was a killer and her natural instincts kicked in and she ended up killing Richard and Lana? Tears poured from her eyes for the tenth time that day as she considered the horrible thought. Hugging Pikachu tighter to her chest, Thora buried her face into the plushie.

"I'm not a killer," she whispered into Pikachu's head. "I'm not. I wouldn't hurt Lana or Richard."

Ahhh, but you hurt that boy, a nasty voice said in her head. What if you hurt them on accident, in self defense? Would you ever be able to live with yourself?

Thora stifled a sob. She didn't want to run away. Doing that would require her to use self defense all the time which would result in tons of people ending up in the ICU or worse. No, it was best if she stayed where she was. Lana and Richard would never do anything to provoke her. Drying her eyes with the back of her hand, Thora looked out the window. For the briefest of moments she saw a streak of blue and red shoot across the sky. Superman. Once again Thora sent up a silent thank you to him for saving that boy. Even if he'd done terrible things to her, she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if he'd died. Thora was so grateful to know that Superman was always out there, to help in any way he could.

And then she had a thought.

The strength she used yesterday had been astonishing. She knew that in times of self defense people were known to do extraordinary things but what she had done yesterday was beyond that. Thora had used all the strength she could and it had sent Thomas flying through two five feet thick pillars of concrete. No, what she had displayed was beyond human strength. It had been super strength.

Her thoughts raced further. She didn't know who her parents were. Was it possible that one or both of them were superheroes? Seized upon by this possibility, Thora stood up. Lana had said that if she wanted to know more about the Justice League that Richard could get her a ton of articles from the Daily Planet's archieves. Surely some of those articles would list off the superheroes abilities. All she would need is a brief description of what they looked like and which one of them had super strength. It was a crazy idea, but it was the only thing giving Thora an ounce of hope. If her parents were superheroes, maybe they would be able to console her and help her through these terrifying thoughts. Maybe they could help her control her strength so she didn't hurt someone else!

Thora kept hold of Pikachu as she crossed her room and headed down to Richard's study. With each passing step greater whispers of doubt clouded her mind, dismissing the idea of superhero parents. Standing outside of Richard's office, Thora squared her shoulders. I've got to know, she thought fiercely.

"Richard?"

Richard looked up from his computer to find Thora standing in the hallway. Her hair was tossled in different directions, her features were pale, and her arms were hugging her Pikachu plushie in a deathgrip. "Thora, what is it?" he asked, standing up.

"Um, I was just wondering," Thora mumbled, "do you happen to have access to the Daily Planet archives?"

Richard's eyebrows rose. "Sure do. Is there something you want to look up?"

"I-I wanted to research the Justice League," Thora admitted, deciding that it was only fair to be honest with him. "What I did yesterday…well, you saw the news. Normal people can't do that."

Richard saw that Thora was about to break again. She was shaking uncontrollably. Stepping forward, he wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay," he said, kissing her hair. "You didn't do it on purpose."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm dangerous," Thora cried, her tears returning. "I wanted to look up the superheroes because maybe one of them or both of them could be my parents. Maybe they could help me with my power so that I don't end up hurting someone else."

Her voice had reached it's highest pitch on the last part and she sobbed openly into Richard's shoulder. The older man stared at her, thinking over what she said. Granted, he'd had the same thoughts. He had actually been in the middle of deciding whether or not to call Clark when Thora had knocked on his door. If she'd thought the same thing he had, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence.

"I'll tell you what, kiddo," Richard said pulling her away so he could look into her eyes. "Lois Lane is one of my best friends and she just happens to be one of the best ways to get hold of superheroes."

Thora sniffled, rubbing her hand under her nose. "Do you think she'd help?"

"Definitely," Richard assured. "She may be a reporter but she won't tell anyone about your connection to the incident."

Thora stiffened. "How do you know?"

"Because she's the best at keeping secrets," Richard replied with such assurance that Thora's doubts were washed away instantly.

"Can we go and talk to her?" Thora asked.

Richard smiled. "Actually, she's going to come to us."

"Really?"

"Yep. She and her family will be joining us for dinner in about an hour. I was just about to come ask if you wanted to eat with us."

Thora nodded. "I'd love to." She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you, Richard."

"Any time," he answered, squeezing her gently.

A little over an hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Late as usual," Richard muttered as he went to answer the door. "It's about time! We were wondering if you'd gotten lost. Did you let Clark drive or something?"

The Kents laughed and hugs were exchanged. Jason held onto Richard longer than his parents; he hadn't seen his other dad in two months.

"How are you kiddo?" Richard asked with fatherly warmth.

"Great now that I finally get to see you, dad," Jason replied. "You've been back for almost a week. Why haven't I seen you?"

Richard ruffled his hair. "I've been super busy, son. But I promise next time I'll see you first thing."

The Kents made their way inside, hanging their jackets on the rack. The house was permeated with the combinations of steak, potatoes, and fresh vegetables. Jason's mouth watered. He was just about to head into the kitchen when a rather attractive woman stepped into the hall. Her long red hair cascaded over a dark green blouse that brought out the emerald color of her eyes. Patting her hands against the side of her jeans, the woman sent Jason a dazzling smile.

Richard made the introductions. "Ahhh, the lady of the hour! Jason, I'd like you to meet my wife, Lana."

Jason's jaw dropped. "You got married?" he asked, rounding on his other father.

Richard grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, it all happened so fast. The woman put me under a spell and when I woke up, we were in the same bed with rings on our fingers."

"Okay, TMI but, seriously, why didn't you invite us?" Jason demanded.

"It was a quiet wedding," Lana said. "It's mostly my fault. I didn't want the pomp and circumstance."

"Not to mention we were in England," Richard said.

"We could have caught a flight over," Jason retorted.

He was making a big deal out of this but the truth was he was hurt. Richard was practically family and he'd gone behind everyone's back and married some woman none of them knew. How could he do something like that?

Clark rested a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Son, Richard's old enough to make his own decisions. Besides, Lana's always wanted a quiet wedding."

Jason scrunched his eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

"Because we dated each other our whole senior year."

That was unexpected. Jason looked from Lana to his dad to Richard and back again. "Let me get this straight," he muttered. "Richard ends up marrying your ex and you end up marrying his ex. Does anyone else find that a little weird?"

The adults chuckled.

"I'll admit, it's out of the ordinary but somehow it all worked out and everyone's happy," Lois said.

"That might not be true, Lois," Richard said. "Are you happy, Jason?"

Jason looked at him and then at Lana. It was obvious that she was nervous about this whole exchange. He was sure that Richard had told her all about him. Lana seemed like a nice person. Heck, his dad had dated her his whole senior year! And Dad was always a good judge of character; he didn't just date any girl either. A thought occurred to him. Did Lana know? He glanced at his dad who seemed to understand the silent question. He shook his head a fraction of a second. Jason frowned. His dad hadn't trusted her with the secret but he'd trusted his mom. Then again, Jason wouldn't have told every girl he dated that his dad was Superman. It had to be the right girl, the one he knew he would marry.

Then he thought about Richard, who obviously had similar taste in women that his dad did. Richard was no fool. He knew that the woman he would end up marrying would not only be a second mother to Jason but would also have to be introduced to the secret side of the Kent family. He would have made his choice carefully, Jason was sure. And it helped that Lana already knew his dad. Coming to a decision, Jason grinned. "If you're happy Richard then that's good enough for me."

The tension in the room lessened and Lana seemed to sigh in relief. "I look forward to getting to know you, Jason," she said with a sweet smile. "You're the spitting image of your father, minus a couple inches."

"How long have you known each other?" Jason asked, following Lana and Richard into the kitchen.

"Since grade school," Lana responded with a laugh. "I got to see all of Clark's awkward stages."

Clark grimaced. "Do you mind if we skip the details? I'd rather not relive the nightmare."

Lana giggled and then winked at Jason. "Maybe another time, when your dad's not around."

Jason grinned. He loved hearing stories about how his dad grew up. It was fascinating after all. He'd had to learn about his powers on his own and keep them a secret from everyone. Jason didn't know what he would have done if he didn't have his dad there to calm him every time he broke something as a kid. Then there was the time he'd sliced his hand with a knife in the kitchen and didn't draw blood; only a bruise had formed. That had happened a few weeks ago, indicating that invulnerability was developing. Clark said he'd never received bruises when he'd come across blades but since Jason was only half Kryptonian, they were prepared for differences (like his super hearing being only half as strong as his dad's). It made things interesting but so far only their super strength had been equal.

Jason was pulled from his thoughts when a third person entered the room. It took everything he had not to let his jaw hit the floor. Standing in Richard's kitchen was Thora, the new girl from Smallville. Her hair was tied in a braid on the side of her head, cascading over a bright red shirt. She wore denim jeans with a few holes ripped across the thighs and above the leg. Her almond shaped eyes were actually a little larger than he'd first thought and their bluish hue was comparable to the bluest sky. She was drop dead gorgeous and it took every ounce of his intelligence not to stutter like an idiot.

"Jason, this is Thora," Richard said. "She's staying with us for a while."

Thora eyed Jason with the exact same shock as he eyed her. She didn't know that Lois Lane was Jason Kent's mother. Their last names were different after all. Jason's unruly black hair and stunning blue eyes really went well with that distinguished jawline of his. He was tall, five ten perhaps, and his half framed silver glasses flashed as he pushed them up the bridge of his slender nose with a long finger. The clothes he wore weren't baggy like the ones he'd been wearing out on the football field yesterday. His blue plaid shirt hung over a white tee. Blue jeans fit comfortably over his long legs. It took all of Thora's concentration not to focus on his biceps; the kid hid them well though she couldn't understand why. Everyone at school was completely blind. Dick Grayson may be attractive but Jason was irresistable.

"Hi," Thora managed to say, extending a hand. "I'm Thora."

"Jason," he responded, taking her hand.

Immediately an electric current rushed up both their arms and they pulled away, staring at each other. Clark shook Thora's hand and Lois gave her a hug, breaking the brief connection.

"It's good to see you again, Thora," Lois said. "I'm glad to see that Richard hasn't starved you to death. I assume that's only because Lana's been the one cooking."

"If she had been living with you, Lois, she would have died in the first twenty four hours," Richard teased.

"Wait, mom, you've met Thora before?" Jason asked.

"We both have," Clark said. "She came by the office with Lana a few days ago."

"Wait, so you knew that Richard had gotten married? How come you didn't tell me?" Jason inquired.

"We wanted to tell you in person," Richard said.

Jason sighed. "I guess that's fair."

Thora was watching him silently and when Jason caught her eye, that electric current seemed to return.

"Alright, dinner's ready and I think it's time to eat!" Richard said, pounding Jason on the shoulder, disrupting the connection again.

Dinner conversation mainly focused on the variety of stories the Daily Planet was chasing down since there were three reporters sitting at the table. Lois was in the middle of explaining how she'd practically arm wrestled a cop into spilling information about the most recent political attack on the senator when Clark cleared his throat. "I'm sorry but may I be excused?"

"Sure," Richard said.

"Thank you."

Clark stood up and left the room in a hurry. Thora seemed surprised that he would interrupt his wife when she was in the middle of talking but Lois didn't appear offended so she decided to drop it. Lois picked up right where she left off, as if no interruption had been made. Clark didn't reappear until everyone was halfway through dessert.

"Where did you run off to?" Lana asked.

"I got a text from a source that I had to meet. I've been trying to get hold of them for a week and the information they had to give is crucial to the story I'm working on."

"What story is that?" Thora asked.

"Drug dealers," Clark answered. "Originally they were only doing business in Gotham but they've been extending their outposts in Metropolis for the past few weeks. There's rumors that they're trying to smuggle in more than just drugs though. That's why Perry wanted me to look into it."

"What do you think the other thing is," Jason asked.

Clark's expression darkened. "Radioactive explosives."

Lois's hand automatically shot out to grip her husband's. "What kind of radiation?" she demanded.

Clark looked at her. Though he was hiding it very well, Lois had been with him long enough to know when he'd just come back from dealing with kryptonite. He looked pale and ragged, like he was about to come down with a cold. Lois squeezed his hand, silently asking if he was okay. He responded in kind. Sighing, he answered, "I'm afraid it's kryptonite."

There was an audible gasp from everyone except Thora. "What's kryptonite?" she asked, completely baffled.

The Kents looked at her like she'd spoken a foreign language. Feeling like she was missing something that she obviously should know, Thora fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Kryptonite is the only thing that can hurt Superman," Lana explained to her.

"Really?" Thora asked, intrigued.

"It's radioactive pieces of his home world," Lois said, suddenly remembering that Richard had explained Thora was suffering from short term memory loss. "It's deadly to him but not to humans."

"But I thought you told me his planet was destroyed," Thora said, looking at Lana.

"It was but when he arrived here, meteors containing the green rock came with him," Richard anwered. "There's not a whole lot of Kryptonite out there but because it's the only thing that can thwart Superman, villians seek after it like prospectors sought after gold during the California Gold Rush."

"That's awful," Thora muttered. "Why would anyone want to hurt Superman? He obviously only wants to help other people."

It was Jason's turn to answer. "Some people are afraid of him because they don't see the integrity of his heart. They only see his power and therefore consider him a threat."

Thora thought about that for a moment. "I guess that makes sense but I still think those people are being stupid."

"Agreed," Richard said cheerfully. "Superman's one of the best things that's ever happened to our planet. I'm glad we have him. So, Clark, did you bust the drug dealers?"

Clark had propped his head with his hand and had closed his eyes. Opening them, he looked half asleep. "Um…yeah….called the police…." He mumbled, his eyes sliding shut again.

"Clark, honey, are you okay?" Lois asked, grabbing his hand. She stiffened. His hand was like ice.

"F-Fine," Clark just barely managed to say. "I think I just need some air."

For a five foot six woman, Lois displayed incredible strength by lifting Clark to his feet. "Come on," she growled. "Let's get you some air, then."

"Sorry," Clark muttered, "I guess it wasn't the best idea to go up against drug dealers."

Lana groaned. "Clark, I thought you would have learned by now not to deal with bullies. Though I admire the size of your heart, you've never had the stamina to fight."

"Yeah, guess I never learned that one," Clark chuckled heavily as Lois pulled him out the back door.

Thora looked at Jason and suddenly saw what Helen had talked about. It was apparent to her now that Jason had inherited his clumsiness from his father. She was impressed that Clark would try to go up against drug dealers but she had to agree with Lana that he'd been foolish to do so. He should have just waited for the police. Thora was sure that Jason was the same way, desirous to fight for what he thought was right but probably clumsy enough to receive more bruises than punches.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked.

Jason seemed shaken up. "I think so," he muttered.

"Of course he will be," Richard said with confidence. "Clark may be a push over but the man has a remarkable ability to recover in a short period of time."

"I'll agree with you there," Lana said. "Growing up he got hurt a lot but he did manage to recover faster than anybody else I knew. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few hours."

Meanwhile, outside, Lois dragged Clark into a secluded spot where anyone looking from the house wouldn't be able to spot them. "What on earth were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I didn't realize they had it on them until it was too late," Clark answered, slumping into a lawn chair. He had no strength whatsoever. His brain seemed to process things slower than normal and his head rolled forward onto his chest.

"Clark!"

"I'm awake," he muttered.

"Were you alone?" Lois asked.

"Yes, but I managed to get away before I lost all my strength," he answered, his words slightly slurred.

Lois looked up into the night sky and cursed. "Why is it that every time you get exposed to kryptonite, the sun is nowhere to be found?!"

Clark didn't respond. Lois looked down and noticed blood coming from his shirt. Ripping it open, she cried out in dismay. Those stupid drug dealers didn't just have chunks of kryptonite. They'd made it into knives. Slashes covered Clark's chest and upper arms. The only reason he hadn't returned covered in blood was because the wounds weren't very deep. Lois yanked out her cell phone.

"Lois, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap, Hal," Lois half shouted. "Get yourself over to Richard's now! Clark's hurt!"

"How bad?"

Lois jumped from the change in voice. Apparently Hal was in a Justice meeting because Batman had stolen the phone.

"Bruce, he's bleeding," Lois cried. "He needs sunlight! Some thugs he was trying to take care of pulled out kryptonite. He managed to get back here to Richard's but now he's unconscious."

"Hal and Diana are on their way," Bruce said. "Lois, calm down."

"I am calm," Lois snapped. "It's not like I haven't gone through this before. Believe me, Bruce, you'll know when I lose it."

"They should be there in two minutes," Bruce assured.

"Fine," Lois said before hanging up. She grasped Clark's hand and squeezed. "Come on, Smallville," she muttered. "We were going to tell Lana the truth tonight and then you had to go and get involved with kryptonite. Sometimes I think we have the worst luck."

Just then Green Lantern and Wonder Woman swooped down from the sky. "We'll take care of him," Wonder Woman assured her as Green Lantern encased Clark in a green ball of energy.

Lois nodded. "His injuries aren't too bad. He probably only needs to be in direct sunlight for about an hour. I can keep my family at bay for that long."

Wonder Woman nodded before following after Green Lantern who had already taken to the sky with Clark. Lois watched them go and sighed with a sad smile. "You'd better recover in an hour, Smallville. You made a promise that you'd make tonight worthwhile. I might just have a surprise for you too," she whispered, knowing that even though he was unconscious he could still hear her. Deciding it was best to remain outside to fool Lana and Thora into thinking she was spending time with Clark, Lois propped herself on the lawn chair and stared up at the sky, drinking in the stars.

Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were out of Earth's atmosphere in minutes. Flying towards the sun, they positioned Clark directly in front of it. Green Lantern lowered his hand and the green energy around Clark dispersed, exposing him directly to the sun's rays. The cuts across his bare chest healed instantly, leaving trails of dried blood. His complexion was still pale and he remained unconscious but it was obvious that he was on the mend.

"He should have called," Green Lantern muttered as they hovered close by.

"You and I both know that's not how Superman works," Wonder Woman responded. "Besides, according to Lois he thought he was just taking care of a couple thugs. Normally petty criminals don't carry around kryptonite blades."

"This has Luthor written all over it," Green Lantern said darkly. "He's the only one who dares attack Superman with kryptonite weapons."

"He's also the only one of the few villains who could have them made," Wonder Woman pointed out. "He's been quiet for several months. I guess it's time for him to strike out again."

"How's he doing?" Batman's voice suddenly came in through the communicator in Wonder Woman and Green Lantern's ears, interrupting them.

Wonder Woman filled him in on Clark's progress and then shared their suspicions about Luthor.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Batman growled. "We'll have to find out where Clark was attacked. It will be the start of the trail that will lead us to where that maniac is hiding."

"We'll be sure to ask him as soon as he wakes up," Green Lantern promised.

"We're bringing Watch Tower over to you," Batman said. "We should reach your location in about half an hour."

Wonder Woman and Green Lantern looked over at Clark again. In the last five minutes his chalky skin had regained a little more color. If Lois was right, he was sure to be as right as rain in forty minutes. Watch Tower appeared at the appointed time and the other heroes looked on through the windows at their colleague and friend. No matter how many of them denied it, it still shook them to see the Man of Steel helpless. Superman needing this kind of recovery didn't happen very often. They'd learned that when he was in critical condition his heartbeat slowed to one beat every thirty minutes, his body going into some kind of catatonic state. When he reached this stage, he usually didn't regain consciousness until a month later. The first time it had happened, they'd all thought he'd died. There had even been a funeral. It was quite a shock when he came back but after explaining things to them, they were prepared if it should ever happen again. This injury wasn't critical but it had taken it's toll on him.

Another ten minutes went by and then Clark opened his eyes. Glancing around, he saw his colleagues, both the ones in Watch Tower and the two ten paces away. He grinned guiltily at them. "I didn't know they'd have kryptonite," he said.

Green Lantern grinned. "We're just grateful you got back to your wife before collapsing. If she hadn't called, you probably would have had to take longer to recover."

"Thank you," Clark replied. He spun really fast and in the blink of an eye was in his suit.

"That never gets old," Flash's voice said through the communicator in Superman's ear. "You okay big guy?"

"Now I am," Superman admitted.

"We need to get the details on what happened," Batman said, getting down to business now that he knew his best friend was okay.

Superman gave them a quick update since he was sorely needed back home. Batman warned him not to go chasing after the drug dealers alone since they were as much his problem as they were Superman's. Superman assured him he'd call for back up before flying towards Earth, hitting supersonic speeds as he entered its atmosphere.

Lois had been outside for a little over an hour. If Clark didn't get back soon, she'd have to make up some lie that she ended up taking him to the hospital. Just when she was thinking she'd have to do such a thing, Superman touched down in the yard. Lois ran up to him and kissed him full on the mouth.

"You're late," she said.

"The League wanted details," Superman responded with the grin she dearly loved. Stepping away from her for a moment, Superman spun on his heel and changed back into civilian clothes. "Shall we go inside?" Clark asked, holding out his arm.

"One second there, Smallville," Lois said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his glasses. "There you are," she said with a fond smile.

Clark grinned. Lois surprised him by leaping into his arms, kissing him with a deep longing. "I'm glad you're okay, Clark," she whispered against his lips.

"I'm glad I can always count on you to be here," Clark said. "You ground me, Lois. If I didn't have you, I would have died a long time ago."

"And don't you forget it, Smallville," Lois replied with a grin. "You owe me big time for always being there to save your sorry hide."

Clark grinned mischievously, pulling her close. "I think I have a way to display my thanks," he whispered huskily into her ear. "But you'll have to be patient and wait for when the timing is right."

Lois pulled away. "That's cruel. But I suppose I can wait. Come on, let's get back inside. The sooner we can get back home, the better."

Clark grinned, allowing her to drag him back toward's Richard's house, thinking that the evening couldn't come fast enough.