Sorry, guys, for the long wait, but I have rewritten his chapter about six times. I'm still not satisfied with it, but I decided to go ahead and post it. (And swear to myself I am NEVER going to try and write red K Clark again! LOL! Lois is bad enough sometimes, but he does not cooperate at all.

Chapter 71

"Valentine's Day?" He laughed, and it was the easy, charming laugh she had grown to love many years ago. "I seem to remember the day after that was the fun one."

"Well, since I don't remember it at all…" She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that he had grabbed a table chair, turned its back to her, and was now sitting down, straddling it. Four feet from her place on the sofa, his forearms rested upon the chair's back, and he was grinning at her.

"Let's just say," he said, "the first part was scary, which just goes to show how stupid a young Clark was. I mean, he's in the kitchen, and all of a sudden standing before him is this gorgeous Lois-in-a-bimbo–suit, and the only thing he can think to do is run away?"

Lois emitted a low groan and shrunk back deeper into the sofa cushions at the thought of her gaudy wardrobe choices for that day.

"But the second part was awesome. Then there was the third part, and that, Clark is ashamed of, and man, was he relieved when you really didn't remember it."

"You're referring to yourself in the third person again," Lois said lightly to him, while silently screaming to herself, "You are Clark!"

"Am I? Sorry. You don't like that, do you?" He grinned again, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm just wondering…"

"How much Kal is still left in here?" He sighed. "Are you sure you're not just a little scared?"

"No," she said drawing out the word and jutting her chin up defiantly. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Oh, because your heart rate is twice what it should be, and your—"

"Look," she lowered her chin, but looked up through her lashes sternly, "I will never be afraid of you."

"Good. But you probably have every right to be, and I really do not want you to have to open that box. You do know that, not only are all of my powers increasing by the minute, my sensitivity to that stuff seems to be too."

She was stunned. Increasing by the minute? No, she had no idea. He hadn't exactly admitted that to her. No wonder he's been afraid to…She looked down at the box in her hands. And Kryptonite is affecting him even more than before? Terrific.

Her emotions way past the panic level, she asked, without looking up and as evenly as she could, "How do you know?"

"Clark's been having Kline use it on him for a few seconds every time I've been there when Hamilton's not around. Don't think he'd approve. He's such a drag."

And, buddy, you just mixed your pronouns! The thought almost beat down the alarm she felt at his admission. Surely that means something?

Her hope flared. Eager for him to do it again, she asked, "You let him expose you to Kryptonite? On purpose? Why?"

"They call me 'Boy Scout,' Lois. It should be obvious. I need to be prepared—"

"What? That's the stupidest—" She stopped herself. No, this is not the time to berate him for anything. Reining in her emotions, she continued, "What I mean is that I don't like it. You're putting too much trust in Dr. Kline, and—"

"Lois, you were the one who suggested going to him in the first place."

"I know, but…you know…I'm getting confused here…" she said carefully. "You wanted to be called Kal—"

That grin again. It's heart-stopping. Does he know that?

"It's a Kryptonian name and I am Kryptonian. Don't you think it fits?"

"No. You are Clark," she said, preparing to argue. "And I don't care what you—"

"No, I'm different and I like it," he said firmly, then burst out laughing. "Besides, it totally got under your skin, and you are so adorable when you're frustrated."

He laughed again, and it was such a pure, carefree way of laughing, it almost made her long to hear Clark, her Clark, laugh like that. It had been a long time since he had. Had becoming Superman changed him that much? Why hadn't she seen that he'd left some of himself behind when he'd put on that cape? Was this side of Clark somehow buried deep within him, and the red Kryptonite just allowed it to bubble to the surface?

Before she could say anything, she saw his face suddenly darken as he looked down at the floor. There was a small war of emotions going on inside of him; she could feel it. Watching his chest begin to heave up and down rapidly, she realized that she'd never seen Clark like this either. He could be worried out of his mind about something, but he was almost always…well, in control, in control of his body as well as his emotions. Sometimes it had been maddening, but most of the time, it had been comforting.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just…" he paused and looked at the window.

He froze, his head turned slightly down, his eyes unfocused, in that familiar pose she had seen him take when he was listening to something far away, something only he could hear at this distance.

She waited.

"I have to g—"

He had said it so suddenly that she jumped. "What is it?" she asked quietly, as she watched his body tense and half-rise from the chair. Then he visibly relaxed just as quickly.

"No…no…it's all right. The police…" He turned back to her, and it was like he had been miles away, somewhere …well, who knows where? He had said he could hear for miles. Was the danger he'd just picked up on even in the state? She wondered.

"Do you need to go to help someone?"

"No. The police are there now. But if I had been needed… Lois, it does bring something to mind. Something Clark—" he shook his head as if trying to shake away a bad feeling, "I mean, I need to tell you."

"Okay," she smiled, "shoot." Noting that his hands were now clenched into fists, she thought, You don't even know who you are right now, do you? That has to be good. You're not all Kal then! You're in there, Clark. Fight this!

"The thing is…I don't know how to… explain it. It's like there's …someone else…"

He was biting at his top lip, seemingly searching for the right words, and faltering badly at doing it. Lois watched his face intently; he'd ceased looking at her and was searching the air in front of him, looking for the answers he needed.

Come on, Lois! What did Chloe say about the red K stuff? How do you get him back to normal? No! She didn't say. She only said she was bringing the Green Kryptonite! The box in her hands felt heavier than ever. I told him I would never do that to him and I will not! There has to be another way!

"I just don't…"

Whoever this strange person before me is right now, he's hosting one hell of a fight for him to be one or the other and can't even complete a thought. Okay, think! It was the lipstick. He— Oh yeah, that tongue-hockey kiss I laid on him because he was nervous! Way to go, Lois! It's inside him. Right. Now if I had something inside me that I wanted out, what would I do? Throw up? Sure, but slight problem— Superman doesn't throw up.

"Lois, I think I'm…"

Sweat it out? No, Superman doesn't—

"…Superman!" He almost shouted the name, and she jumped again in surprise.

"What?"

"I'm Superman." He smiled as if he were a little boy who'd won a prize.

"Of course you are. I never doubted it for a minute."

She was humoring him and she saw him realize it, for as she watched him get up from the chair, the sudden anger on his face sparked just a note of fear in her. Inside, she was still having her own bout of turmoil. And how the hell do I get either Superman or Clark to win this battle over his inner Kal? Time? Maybe the stuff goes away over time?

She rose too and quickly continued, "And that's a good thing!" Starting toward him, she purposely left the box on the couch, and said, "Look, why don't we order a pizza? Or Chinese? I'm starved, and I'm sure everything will be a lot clearer on a full—"

"We could still go out to dinner? It's not that late."

And unleash you on the city like this? No way! Then as she reached him, she involuntarily drew back from him. "Wheww!" she said. Seeing the suspicious look he shot at her, she thought, Okay, this is a bit dangerous, but what the hell, woman! Got any better ideas? "Sorry, but you smell like smoke, and—"

"I did just come from a fire." His voice went from sarcastic to sincere in one beat. "Sorry."

For half a moment, he was pure Clark, and thankfully, she noticed. Okay, then, Lois, go with this.

"But there's something else that is…" She circled around him and sniffed at his cape, all the while still thinking about what to do. "What is that smell?"

"Oh that. One of the women…she tried to get out a stain on the cape with some kind of cleaner…didn't work though, did it?" He smiled sweetly.

Good. Very Clarkishly said, that!

"No. It did not." She laughed and sensed his mood relaxing even further, and decided to take charge. "Okay, strip!"

"Strip?" His eyebrows shot upwards; she had totally surprised him.

"Yeah, take that off," she said impatiently. "I'll throw it in the washer while you take a shower, and you can put on your suit. By then the pizza—"

"I've ruined our famous first date, haven't I?" He suddenly sounded and looked so regretful that it almost made her tear up for a second.

Waitaminute! What about tears? Superman could cry, couldn't he?

"Lois, look, I need to tell you something."

"Can we talk while you're changing out of that…hmm…do you call this a shirt?"

"No…"

"Yeah, more like a really light sweater." She pursed her lips.

"Can you forget about that for a minute?"

"No, it really does smell awful. Trust me on this one." Please, please, trust me! "I'll just lay out some towels for you." She started for the bedroom, hoping he'd follow. It took him a few seconds, but she heard him behind her as she reached the door.

"Lois!" He grabbed her hand and spun her roughly around to face him.

Despite the lump of fear in her throat, she looked at him as calmly as she could manage. "Look, the longer you let that stain set, the harder it will be to get out. I can't very well wash—"

"Fine!" he said irritably. In the blink of an eye, he had done as she had requested and stripped away the entire costume.

Lois' eyes quickly fell to the floor where she saw it lying in a pile at his bare feet, but she fought a losing battle to keep her smile to herself as they traveled slowly back up to his face.

An old refrain from some old television show resounded in her brain as she stood there seeing a sight she'd seen before a long, long time ago.

"Danger, danger, Will Robinson!" Oh, Lane, you and your bright ideas. Now what?

But when her gaze finally made it back up to the vicinity of his, she found her sudden rush of physical excitement was not shared by Clark, or Superman, or Kal. Whoever was standing in front of her, stark naked, was more intent on telling her something, something he deemed, at that moment, to be far more important than making use of the bed in the room behind her.

"Lois, I have to tell you this. It would be wrong not to. I know that. No," he corrected himself, and she saw his hands shaking oddly, "Superman knows it. I don't know if you've even thought about it…" He swallowed, and she looked hopefully for a sheen of sweat on his forehead, but, she could only see nervousness playing out across there. No, it wasn't nervousness. It was sheer, utter fear! She recognized it easily. After all, it was the same feeling that was creeping up her spine right now.

"Clark? Okay, Kal! Look, I'll call you whatever you want to be called," she said as the battle within herself raged.

Okay, go for the tears. In this crazy mood he's in, it should be a cinch. Right? No, no way! Lois, you've only ever seen the man cry once over that bitc—Don't think about that. Not the time, Lane. This may be your only chance! But just one! That's all. Shouldn't be that hard. One tear, that's probably all it will take. Just one. Then I'll wipe it away and—

"'Clark' is fine."

"'Clark' then, Look, I need to tell you something too. I do love you. You have to know that. I really—" Yes, he looked like the emotions were boiling over inside him. If ever he was close to tears, surely it was now. Yes, so close she felt horrible, knowing what she was going to do to him. But it was the only way she could think of to get him there.

"Lois, I love you more than I can even say, but I'll always—"

"But, I have to be honest with you. I've tried so hard, but I am only ever going to—"

Three things happened at the same time.

He completed his sentence. "— have to choose saving anyone over you!"

Lois completed hers. "—love you like a brother!"

And Chloe and Oliver burst through the doorway, coming to a full stop four feet away from them, Lex Luthor's green kryptonite ring glowing on Oliver's hand.

In that confusing instant, one thing everyone in the room was certain of was that it was Clark Kent who fell to the floor writhing in pain.

A very naked Clark Kent.