Chapter Seventeen

"Wallis Simpson"

New York

Karen sat at her desk going over the quarterly projections. The investors would be pleased with the company forecasts. Her cell rang and a smile came to her face as she saw it was Clark.

"Hey, you, I was just…" she started but he cut her off. The smile slipped a little on Karen's face as he told her about their secret being out. Everyone on the tower knew they were dating.

"Well, we knew it would come out sooner or later," Karen offered. He reminded her that it might be a little uncomfortable with everyone knowing.

"I'm not ashamed of us dating Clark. If others have a problem with it, that's their problem," she replied. "What? Oh, Batman, yeah, he did come to see me last night."

He asked why she hadn't called and let him know.

"Because I handled it myself, Clark. I'm not dating you to have you protect me. I'm a big girl, remember, Clark?"

The word 'vividly' was his reply and this made her smile. "Is this really just a sly way to make a dirty phone call to me, Clark? I would have never pegged you for a phone sex guy."

He laughed and said he preferred in person, but was always willing to try new things for his girlfriend. This made Karen laugh. Their playful banter went on for a few minutes and they agreed to meet later. Clark again asked if she was okay with everyone knowing and she assured him she was.

"We're just dating Clark, it's really none of their business," Karen replied. She then switched into the playful mood again. "I'm just thinking of seeing you tonight. I'm imagining your hands touching me and mine touching you, Clark."

She smiled when she heard him groan.

"I'm not getting you excited, am I, Clark?"

He laughed and told her yes, but would wait until they saw each other in person to show her how much.

"You're not even going to give me a hint," she teased. "I'm mean I'm sitting here is just my uniform, nothing else, Clark."

He gave another groan and told her she was killing him. The last thing he needed was for everyone on the station to seeing him aroused. He reminded her he had a reputation as mild mannered to keep up.

"Speaking of keep something up, Clark," she continued to tease. They both laughed and he promised he was going to make her remember those words later. After a few more playful words, they said goodbye.

Karen hung up and sat back with a smile on her face. It had just been teasing, but now she was really thinking about seeing him later tonight. A ripple of excitement went down her spine just at the thought of being with him again. God, I'm becoming such a pervert, she thought, thinking of sex all the time. Pushing these enjoyable thoughts away, she tried to get back to work. Somehow she managed to get all of her work done, but other thoughts had cropped up. While she had assured him it didn't bother her that others knew about them, part of her was nervous about how they would react.

If Kara was any indication, it was going to be difficult. Karen knew she had never really been as much a part of the team as Clark was. She only had a few close friends in the League, really. She regretted not knowing the rest of the members better, but that was a two way street. Some had even been hostile when she first came to this world. The whole being Clark's cousin hadn't help, either. Karen knew it made her more guarded around other members. She would have liked the easy friendships with some of the members had, especially the way she saw Zatanna, Shayera and Dinah interact.

That had never been her way, Karen thought. She could work with a team, but never really became part of the team. Part of it was to prove she could make it on her own, without anyone's help. She wondered if the other part wasn't that she was just a loner at heart. She had always been comfortable by herself, preferring it most times. The difference now was Clark.

Since she's started dating him, she found being apart from him difficult. Maybe the others finding out about them dating would help in the long run. With their secret out, they could act like a couple. They could have lunches together on the tower, or kiss when they saw each other. Maybe they could just spend more time with each other.

If that was the outcome of everyone knowing, Karen thought she could certainly live with that. If others had a problem with it, like Batman, well, they would just have to get over it. Clark and her were together, no matter what anyone said.

The strength of her emotions surprised her.

The dream she'd had the night before came back to her. It seemed so real, the images so crystal-clear. Her and Clark away from everyone else, and was the child theirs? Was she already thinking of a future with him? They'd only been dating a short time, it was too soon, Karen told herself. They were only just starting to get to know each other, yet those images lingered in the back of her mind.

The other part of the dream was even more disturbing. Danger. It was all around Clark, yet he hadn't seemed to notice it in the dream. Was the dream some sort of warning? Was her subconscious mind trying to tell her something?

Karen shook her head, thinking she was being silly. She didn't believe in all that dream stuff anyway. It was probably just a reaction to Batman's visit. He had rattled her more than she wanted to admit. It still pissed her off the way he'd been so dismissive of their relationship. He might be a hero, but he could certainly be a bastard when he wanted to be. Screw him, Karen thought, it's none of his business anyway.

Pushing these thoughts away, Karen finished up for the day and got ready to leave. As she walked through the offices, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of a construction crew working several blocks away. The heavy equipment they were using reminded her of the Earthmovers from her dream, the danger that was all around.

The Watchtower

The barrage of questions seemed to have no end. Clark deflected most of them, although he did admit he was dating Karen. Between Wally blurting out their relationship and all the kissing it was bedlam in the Tower. Clark knew he should probably be pissed at Wally for telling everyone, but part of him was surprised that Wally had lasted so long. Clark also had a feeling all the kissing was somehow connected to Wally telling.

If it hadn't been for the constant questions, Clark would have gone to see how Diana was doing. He had never seen her look so confused and flustered before. He actually felt a little guilty, but all the kissing had cut down on the questions somewhat.

He managed somehow to find a moment to let Karen know what was happening. She seemed to be handling it much better than he was. Hearing that Bruce had gone to see her pissed him off, frankly. His veiled hints before the meeting seemed to be his way of letting Clark know he knew about the relationship and didn't approve. Clark already knew Bruce knew. He would recognize Bruce's heartbeat anywhere. He'd heard it in New York at the charity ball and thinking back he remembered it distinctly when he'd been talking to Ray.

As elusive as Batman was, he, like everyone else, seemed to forget Clark had abilities far beyond the average hero. Over the years his hearing only gotten stronger. Clark was used to it now, being able to filter out the constant din that surrounded him. That didn't mean he wasn't aware of it all. Bruce should have known that.

Whatever Bruce's problem with him dating Karen, it pissed Clark off he hadn't come to him first. Going behind his back to Karen was wrong. They were supposed to be friends, good friends, yet Clark knew Bruce always kept everyone at arms length. The mission always came first with Bruce. While it was important to Clark he needed more than just the mission. He wasn't that different from most people. Yes, he had a job to do, an important job, but he wanted a life as well.

Clark Kent wasn't just a disguise he put on to cover up being Superman. He was Clark Kent. He wanted a private life. Maybe Bruce would call him selfish for that, but he didn't care. Clark's deepest fear had always been that he would end up alone. He would watch everyone he ever cared for and loved die and in the end it was be just him sitting alone in his Fortress. He was desperate for that not to happen.

Finding Karen had been so unexpected and welcome. When Clark was with her the loneliness seemed to disappear. In the short time they'd been dating, Clark found himself more and more drawn to her. It wasn't just the physical side of it, even though that was amazing. He felt at last he found a partner, someone he could share a life with.

Whoa, Clark thought, where did that come from? A partner? Share a life with? The very words rattled Clark a bit. He'd only been dating Karen a short time. They were still getting to know each other. They'd never even spoke about the future, certainly not in that way. Am I falling in love with her, Clark wondered?

The sound of teammates making their way towards him pulled Clark from these disturbing thoughts. He knew they would want to ask all about him and Power Girl and he wasn't in the mood. Glancing around, he groaned as he saw a group gathered around the transporters. It must be a shift changed he realized. The new arrivals would know soon enough about him and Karen. Thinking fast, he spotted someone that could help him. Putting on a burst of speed, Clark avoided everyone except the person he was looking for.

Observation Lounge

Zatanna sat alone, her face buried in her arms on the table. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life. If kissing Diana wasn't bad enough, finding out it was totally unnecessary made it completely humiliating. That all four of them had kissed Diana only compounded the problem. Zee cringed a little when she thought about Diana's reaction once she found out why they'd done it. Wally and his stupid ideas, Zee grumbled. It only made it worse that the four of them had probably made Wally the happiest man on Earth.

"Zee? You have a minute?" A voice said to her.

"I'm not talking about kissing Diana! Go to hell if that's what you want! Leave me alone," she shouted, not lifting her head.

"Actually, that wasn't it," Clark said. He stepped into the room and closed the door softly behind him. Zee suddenly recognized the voice and lifted up to see Superman standing right in front of her. She blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, hey, Cl-Clark, I-I didn't know-know it was you, "she stammered, trying to play it off. Seeing him only added to the humiliation. Finding out his secret was the whole reason everything had happened. Knowing that Mari knew about her crush on Clark only added to her embarrassment. If Mari knew than others knew. Zee just prayed Clark didn't know.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, but I could really use a favor," Clark said. He moved over to the table and stood across from her.

"Um, ah, sure, Clark," Zee replied. She tried to straighten her hair and outfit and keep from letting her eyes roam over his frame that was right in front of her. "What-What's the favor?"

"I'm trying to avoid any other members and their questions, but it's a shift change and the transporters are crowded with people. I have to get out of here so I don't have to deal with that," he explained. "Could you do your magic thing and transport me out into space? I can take it from there."

"I guess."

"Thanks Zee, I really appreciate this," Clark smiled.

Zatanna stood up and was about to do her conjuring when a thought came to her. She just had to know if it was true or not.

"I have to ask, Clark, is it true? You and Power Girl," Zee said.

"Um, ah, yeah, it is," admitted Clark. "I know it probably seems like it's out of left field and everything, but she's really an amazing person once you get to know her."

Zee smiled, but inside she was thinking, shut up, you handsome idiot! I don't want to hear about how great your girlfriend is! Why didn't you ask me out instead of her?

"Congratulations," Zee managed to say.

"Thanks Zee," Clark replied with a smile. "You're a good friend for helping me like this.'

Zee smiled at his genuine comment, but inside she wasn't happy. Friend? I don't want to be your friend, Clark! Is that how you see me, a friend? I'm a woman, Clark! A single available woman! What are you blind?

"Glad I could help," Zee answered. "So are you ready?"

"Yeah, thank again."

Zatanna said a few magic words and waved her hands in the air. Clark dematerialized and was gone. Zee slumped back down into her seat, a deep frown on her face. God, she thought, this day just keeps getting worse and worse.

The Transporters

Bruce hadn't been able to still his curiosity. He'd beamed back up to see what the reaction was. As soon as he stepped off the transporter, his already dour look turned dourer. Just as he'd feared, the news about Superman and Power Girl was spreading through the station like wildfire.

It seemed to be one of the only two things anyone wanted to talk about. The other was all the kissing, but he already figured out that had something to do with Wally. He had lasted longer than Bruce imagined he would, but it was just inevitable Wally would crack under the pressure.

Bruce's grim mood just seemed to deepen the more he heard as he walked around the station. The mission was too important for an affair to compromise it. If he couldn't get Power Girl to see that, he would have to confront Superman. Bruce told himself he was doing it as a friend, and that Clark would eventually understand.

If it strained their friendship that was just the price he would have to pay. If that didn't work, he might have to take the drastic step of distancing the League from Superman. If this affair was going to cause the problems Bruce envisioned, then perhaps the best thing was to cut ties with Superman all together. It would be a huge lose for the League, but their mission was too important to depend on any one member.

Metropolis

Kara had already heard all the details of what happened on the station by the time Clark walked in.

"Interesting meeting," she said with a smug voice.

"You heard?"

"Courtney couldn't wait to call," Kara replied. "Everyone is talking about you and your girlfriend, Clark. I hope you're happy."

"Oh, God," Clark groaned. "I kind of knew it would come out, but I wasn't expecting this."

"It serves you right for not telling me," Kara said. "Maybe you should break up with her till things calm down?"

"How did I know that was going to be your solution," Clark smiled. "Sorry, not going to happen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower."

Clark chuckled as he saw the look of displeasure on Kara's face. She punched him in the arm for this.

"Ow!"

"I hope it really hurt," Kara replied.

"It's so nice to have family," Clark mused as he headed into his bedroom.

After he closed the door, Kara dropped down on the sofa. She was mulling over what she could do about the situation, when someone knocked on the door. She got up, went over and opened it. Standing there was Diana. She was dressed in normal clothes and seemed a bit nervous. Kara smiled when she saw her.

"Diana! Come on in," Kara excitedly said. She reached out to pull Diana into the apartment, but Diana flinched away.

"You-You're not going to kiss me, are you," Diana asked suspiciously.

"Wh-What," Kara gasped, shocked by the suggestion.

"It seems to be going around today," Diana admitted.

"Relax, Princess," Kara replied. Kara stepped back to let Diana enter.

"Jeez, take the girl away from Mystical Lesbos Island and she thinks everybody wants her," Kara grumbled to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Is Kal here," Diana asked.

"Yeah, I'll let him know you're here," Kara said. She then turned towards Clark's bedroom. "Clark! Diana's here and wants to talk to you!"

It took a few moments, but then the door opened and Clark stepped out. His hair was still wet as he buttoned up his shirt.

'Thanks for shouting, Kara, you're such a help," Clark sarcastically said. Kara gave him a smile in return.

"I'm going out shopping so you two can talk," Kara informed him. "I need some money, Clark."

With a sigh, Clark took out his wallet and fished out some cash.

"I don't know how I managed before you got here, Kara."

"Thanks, I wonder about that too. You kids have fun."

With that, Kara left. Clark tucked in his shirt and moved over to wear Diana was standing. She seemed nervous.

"So this is a surprise," he started. "What brings you here, Diana?"

She didn't seem to know what to do with her hands as she started and stopped, unsure where to begin.

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with what went on up on the station, would it," Clark offered.

"Yes!" Diana exclaimed, glad he'd said it first.

"It was an interesting day, to say the least," Clark replied.

"Maybe I ask your honest opinion, Kal," Diana said. Now that the topic was open, she decided to just press ahead.

"Sure."

"Do men not find me attractive, only women?"

Clark had to will himself not to burst out laughing, but the serious look on Diana's face told him she wasn't kidding.

"Well? Kal, be honest with me?"

"Diana, you're very attractive, to men especially," he said with a straight face. "You're absolutely stunning and every guy notices, believe me."

'Then why is it that women are kissing me?"

"Promise not to get mad," he tentatively asked.

"I suppose," Diana replied, eager to find out what was going on.

"I think it was more about finding out about me dating Karen than actually the four of them being attracted to you, Diana."

He watched her expression, a little nervous about her reaction.

"I don't understand? How are they linked?"

"They kissed you to find out."

"But Wally blurted it out in the conference. I don't see that connection, Kal. Are you saying that…" Diana suddenly went quiet as the pieces fell into place in her mind. Clark watched nervously as her hand curled into fists.

"Wally!" Diana roared, her temper rising by the moment.

"You promised not to get mad, Diana," Clark offered.

"I did nothing of the sort," Diana fired back. "I said I'd try! Hera, help me, I'm going to kill Wally for this!"

"Come on, Diana, you know you can't do that."

"Want to bet, Kal," Diana replied. Clark absently took a step back, as the rage was plain on her face. "Wait, now that I think about it, those four used me! Wait until I get my hands on them!"

"Diana, try and calm down," Clark gently said. He stepped over towards her, but her glare stopped him.

"Get out of my way, Kal! I'm going back to the station this moment! I need to 'talk' to several people up there!"

Before Clark could stop her, Diana pushed her way by him and was out the door. Clark thought of going after her, but in the mood she was in, he didn't think even he could stop her. Rushing into this bedroom, Clark picked up his League communicator.

"Yes, Superman," Jonn immediately said.

"I don't have time to explain, Jonn, just tell Shayera, Zee, Dinah, Mari and Wally if they want to survive to get off the station now!"

"I'm not sure I understand," Jonn replied.

"Just tell them, Jonn and tell them that Diana knows!"

"Understood."