Thanks for all the reviews -- I'm sorry it takes me so long to update, but life has thrown me some curves lately, and I never played baseball as a kid, so I keep missing them.

Disclaimer: Superman and his fellow characters are the property of Warner Bros. Studios and DC Comics and created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.

The fact that white Kryptonite was just discovered in Serbia is beside the point. Yes, it's real.

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10. Love is Blind

The gothic gargoyles, perched on each corner of the Justice building roof, glisten with the evening damp -- their stone grimaces set into sharp relief by the light filtering around Lois's body, silhouetting her, and hiding her face in shadow.

Superman pries himself from Katherine Kowalski's clutches, and moves to place himself between her and Lois.

He notes, with a tiny thrill that chases up his spine, that he would not be surprised if she launched into the air with all the power and might of a fellow Kryptonian.

Her aura is… luminous… "Lois, I…"

Kitty watches, with hungry eagerness, the show she has set in motion. Grinning, she examines her nails -- her mouth working like a thirsty hyena's. She snatches a glance at Lois.

Lois stands in place, waiting – she turns toward the light and her profile glows -- her expression hard and unreadable.

At least… by Kitty.

Relief washes over Clark like a blast of cold water in a shower -- surprising, but welcome in its unexpected freshness. My senses over-reacted, and registered the alarm pheromones – too much information, I guess.

This is all so… new to me.

Moreover, as he stands in wonder at the miracle that has just happened – at the impossibility that someone, some human -- besides his adoptive parents -- may understand him and believe in him, she takes a step toward him. He stops breathing… and then, she takes another step, and, as she doesn't stop, Clark thinks his heart will -- or that it may simply burst from his chest -- unable to contain the feelings –

-- Breathe, Clark, breathe.

He feels dizzy, and, for the second time in his life, he experiences a kind of tunnel vision – where all he can see is his dear loved one, in a halo of light where all around is nothing – not even darkness – absolutely nothing.

The first time was when his father had the heart attack. All my fault – I asked him to run -- I raced ahead, and urged him to follow, and when I turned around, his face was buried in the dust of the laneway.

His face.

Lois, I can't lose you too – please, don't love me -- I can't bear it -- everyone -- everyone that loves me, suffers.

Inches from him now, and misunderstanding his pensive expression, Lois whispers, "Kal, don't sweat it – this is Lex's ex, right? She's just picking up where he left off -- but instead of leaving you smeared with blood…" she pulls a tissue from her bag and wipes at his face, saying loud enough for Kitty to hear, "…it's cheap lipstick."

Cleaning his face, her eyes locked with his -- he knows her bravado is rice paper thin, but he also knows that her very first reaction was instinctual, and her trust in him and her native intelligence has won out over her gut.

Lois, again you've pulled me back from the brink; I'm safe with you. Every speck of lipstick transferred to the tissue, erasing Kitty's attempt to divide and conquer.

Slowly, he is renewed and healed by the one woman who loves him.

Kitty takes a hesitant few steps forward, her cherry-red, six-inch spikes chittering on the cement stone, and interrupts the lover's interlude, resenting the bonding going on under her nose, determined to preserve some of the damage she thought she'd caused. "Uh… excuse me… not cheap – it was the best lip colour money could buy – three hundred and fifty dollars a tube."

Lois smirks, spitting on the Kleenex and dabbing at Clark's skin, and mutters, "Funny, I thought the good stuff didn't rub off -- maybe you're just wearing too much."

Spitting and hissing like a badger, Kitty runs at Lois, ready to take her eyes out, when Superman holds a hand up, and looks down at her with his patented number three beatific expression.

"Okay, ladies – Katherine – look, I have a… kind of… aura that repels dirt, or, um, anything. No makeup would stick to my skin. Even printers ink won't leave a stain -- so I'm sure we could… start over. Lois, why don't you interview Ka-- um, Miss Kowalski -- now that you're both here."

With an arch look at Kal, that elicits a slight reddening of his cheeks, Lois smirks, "I think I will."

She strides toward Kitty, who seems to shrink a fraction at her approach -- her attack on the boy in blue not having the result she'd expected. "Plan B," Kitty whispers.

"Any thoughts on the whereabouts of your boyfriend, Ms. Kowalski?"

Kitty's light tone, "How's that SUPER kid of yours, Miss Lane?" stops Lois cold; blindsided like a field mouse under an owl's talons, her heel sideslips and she stumbles, "Wh… What?"

Katherine dives to catch her, and her poppy-red lips graze Lois's ear, "Jason – your son --. She slithers her ebony gaze toward Superman, and Lois's eyes follow. "-- and yours."

Regaining her balance, Lois flashes a look at Kitty that would bore a hole between her eyes -- if Lois had been born on a certain previously exploded planet. It takes all her journalistic skill, and interview experience -- with rapists and serial killers -- to hide her anxiety from this callow creature, challenging her very purpose for existence.

"Miss Kowalski, I don't know what recreational drug you're testing – today -- but my boy's heritage is none of your business, and you and I have nothing to discuss -- unless you want to tell me where Lex Luthor is hiding; I know you've been promised witness protection."

"Lois -- may I call you Lois? You and I both know that I have a snowball's chance in h e double hockey sticks if I turn Lex in. I figure, my only chance is with big blue over there. I mean… if he protects me."

Superman's iceberg-like persona tries hard not to melt, crack, and pour forth, but so much rumbles along below his calm surface, he fairly cracks with the strain.

Lois can't take much more of… this, this -- I can't even think the words I want to call this person.

Thanks, Ma, for instilling such high standards in your son, I can't even express my frustrations to myself honestly in my own head.

"Miss Kowalski, I have no more time for games – and I certainly can't be anyone's personal bodyguard."

"But, Super… sweetie, I know you worry about Lois, and… her boy. He did throw that big ol' piano…"

Kal Clark-stutters, "P… Piano?"

Lois whispers subvocally – "I was going to tell you…"

Sensing points gained, Kitty moves in. "He squished Brutus flat – he killed him – I'd hate to have to tell the authorities that a boy – who could be Superman's son – killed someone."

Lois rushes forward, her words tumbling out of her mouth in desperation, "Ridiculous – the boat lurched, the piano wasn't tied down – I saw it happen myself."

Standing between the two now, Kitty affects a conspiratorial air – "We're all in this together now, aren't we?" — an idea, which sits like lead in Lois's stomach, and green K in Kal's.

As Kitty speaks, she sidles up to Superman, insinuating herself in his space. "I told that exact thing to Lex – he was so eager to believe me. Supes, honey, aren't you glad – I got him off your back – see, he thinks you're some big ol' bad alien… thing -- like a bug he should squash. He could never believe… that you… and a girl… could, um you know…"

He looks at Lois, over Kitty's head, but her mask is back on. She trusts me – I don't deserve her.

Lois shakes her head as if this is all so ridiculous, and breaks the silence, "Kitty, it's late – speaking of Jason, I have to get home to him; let's talk tomorrow, okay? Perhaps your meds will have worn off, and the world will be a little more… normal – no alien progeny, no outlandish blackmail scheme – just cooperation with the authorities to avoid jail time."

Kitty tilts her head, shivers in the chill air and squints, tiny wheels working. Pursing her lips, she nods and turns without a word. As she reaches the door, she stands backlit, facing her opponents. "Okay, but I'll expect you to show – both of you. This isn't finished – I know I'm right, and I know you want me to keep my mouth shut."

As Kitty disappears into the stairwell, Superman senses Lois's heartbeat quicken with adrenaline, and he watches her carefully as her eyes, brimming, meet his. Lois, the lioness, is ready to defend what is hers, and disembowelling the enemy is par for the course.

"Katherine Kowalski had better watch her step," the mother of his child mutters.

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"Kent, my office," Perry's deep voice breaks through the comforting background noise of the tapping of keyboards, and the steady drone of voices – inside the Daily Planet office, and out in the city.

A forlorn perusal of Lois's workspace gives Clark no comfort. Instead of thrilling him, her pure belief in his truthfulness, and inability to let her down, makes him sick to his stomach. Better get up before she gets back from the courthouse and catches me here -- and I have to lie again, about something else.

Sighing, he lurches up, catching the edge of her desk with one knee. He pinches the corner melamine moulding, between forefinger and thumb, before it can catapult across the bullpen. Lucky save.

"Kent... now!"

Clark crosses the open area between desks -- his feet noiseless on the worn grey carpet, his co-worker Gil shaking his head at the typical Clarkian display.

"You w-wanted to see me, Chief?" Clark barely squeaks out, hunching his frame within his too-large tweed. The effect -- one of a scrawnier man, whose lack of fitness has resulted in poor posture.

"Get in here, Clark; we need to talk." Perry, uncharacteristically enigmatic, allows a slight smile to reach his eyes.

He… looks downright friendly. This is not right -- not normal.

"You okay, Mr. White?"

"Me? Never better – how are you… Clark?"

"Um, me?" Clark responds. "Um… fine, I guess… uh."

"Before we talk – Kent, uh… Clark, is there anything you wanted to tell me?"

"Tell you, sir?" Clark's voice takes an exaggerated upturn at the end. Great… I'm in full dork mode today – tone it down, Kal.

"Clark… you seem nervous…"

Nervous -- ha -- terrified is more like it.

"Nervous, sir?"

"Yes… and could you stop answering my questions with a question? It's infuriating."

"Question, sir? Uh, I mean, no. Sure. I mean, yes sir."

Good one.

"Look, Clark… relax. What's on your mind?"

Clark runs his hand through his hair and sits down without preamble, across from Perry. "Chief, I want to do a series of articles. Uh, on a concern I… have."

Perry looks disappointed, and hesitates. Clark watches him closely and Perry avoids his eyes.

That was… odd.

"Spit it out Kent." His sudden bark makes Clark jump.

This is not the right time – he's in a weird mood — preoccupied.

Another bark. "What is it?"

Clark swallows, closes his eyes and deeply intones, "Um… uh, the… um, g-greenhouse effect…" Followed by a more in-character squeak, "Global warming?"

Perry rolls his eyes. "Oh, Clark… that's a dead issue – it's a standoff between the tree huggers and the bureaucrats. And now the politicians are jumping on the bandwagon; look at Al Gore…"

"Well… Perry, his uh… documentary won an Academy Award--"

Perry waves his unlit stogie in the air like he's batting a swarm of mosquitoes. "—and some say it's not scientifically accurate… that he has a political agenda."

"How is it political to have an argument against a political bureaucracy… covering up an inconvenient truth?

"Cute Kent, cute – I see you've got your tag line written already."

"Perry, I'm not trying to sell toothpaste here -- just give me a chance to air the ideas; look at the increase of world-wide natural disasters in only the last two years."

"Clark, I have one question for you. If this is so important, why don't you do something about it?"

"That's just it Chief, I want to. I --"

"No. I mean… why don't YOU do something?"

"Wha… what do you mean?"

"Why don't you do something… Superman."

TBC

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