Chapter Twenty-Four— A Problem and Solution
Christmas with Ken’s family passed way too quickly for all concerned. It was with some sadness and with plans for further collaboration on wedding plans that everyone said goodbye before they returned to their respective homes. The flight back to Milwaukee was more crowded than on the way down but, thankfully, there were no problems due to weather. Once they had their luggage Ken and Lara walked to the shuttle that took them to their car. With their bags in the trunk moments later they were on the highway headed back to Chicago. Once they were safely on the road Lara took Ken’s hand and interlaced their fingers. She turned the radio on softly which added to the cozy atmosphere in the car. They were driving along in companionable silence when the song When You Love Someone came on.
“Oh, Ken, I love this song!” Lara said and laid her head on Ken’s shoulder. The words of the song flowed over them and touched their hearts. When the song was over Ken turned to Lara and his eyes shone with love.
“You’re right, it is beautiful and it does seem to describe how we feel about each other. I especially like the flying part, though I doubt Mr. Adams was thinking about you when he wrote it!” Ken chuckled.
“Honey, I want that song to be used for our first dance, what do you think?”
“It’s perfect! Well, that’s one thing to check off the wedding preparations list!” Lara leaned up to kiss Ken’s cheek then she settled against his shoulder for the rest of the trip.
It was late in the evening of the 27th that Ken dropped Lara off at her apartment.
“Good night, Lara, I’m so glad that you could come for Christmas. Be sure to thank George for me, he really did us a favor.”
“I will, he’s a great friend.” Lara leaned in and wrapped her arms around Ken’s neck to claim his lips. She tickled Ken’s lips with her tongue and he granted her entrance. After a quick swipe with his tongue, she pulled back, breathing heavily. Her eyes were dark with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Wow, that kiss is going to keep me warm all the way home!” Ken said, his hands still on her hips as he held her tight.
“Good night, Ken, I love you,” Lara said before she gave him another quick kiss.
“Good night, Lara, I love you too. See you tomorrow?”
“You bet. Night!” Lara watched as Ken walked down the hallway where she followed him with her x-ray vision until he got into his car.
**********
Even though it was after 10 o’clock Lara knew her friend Sally would be up.
“Lara! It’s good to hear from you. How was your visit with Ken’s family?” Sally asked when she answered Lara’s call.
“It was wonderful. They’re all so nice, they make me feel as if I’ve known them forever. Audrey and Amy are so friendly and we got along great. But that’s not why I called.”
“Oh, do tell?” Sally replied, curiously.
“Ken proposed on Christmas Day,” Lara said excitedly, “and I want you to be my Maid of Honor. You’re my oldest and dearest friend and I can’t think of anyone else I would want more than you.”
“Of course. It would be my honor! Oh, that’s so romantic! He proposed in front of his whole family?”
“Yes. Lydia, Ken’s mom, handed me a small box that was beautifully wrapped. When I opened it, I found Ken on his knee in front of me and he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! The ring is beautiful, a perfect diamond solitaire in a white gold setting. He slid it on my finger then he kissed me. I found out afterward that the ring belonged to his great-grandmother!”
“That’s so beautiful! Ken’s family must love you to give you an heirloom like that. You have to be so proud!”
“I am, and I’m humbled too, Ken’s grandmother told me that she knew her mother would be proud that I was wearing her ring.”
Sally and Lara talked well into the night after which it was too late to call Ashley so the next night after work Lara called Ashley asking her to be her bridesmaid, which she gratefully accepted.
**********
Superwoman was very busy the first few weeks of January. It seemed that there was at least one house fire every night and some nights more than one. Lara was out fighting fires so much that month that she and Ken were unable to get much alone time together. The only time he saw her was when she became overwhelmed with guilt for not saving everyone and she spent those nights in his bed.
Lara much preferred sleeping in Ken’s arms even if their sharing of the bed was purely platonic. The situation made Lara think about their coming wedding and the honeymoon night when she could, at last, be intimate with her new husband.
Being intimate brought with it another potential issue. Lara, being a female Kryptonian and a virgin, had no idea if there might be problems that first night. She pondered asking her father, he being the only other Kryptonian on Earth but she discarded that idea quickly. It would be too embarrassing to talk to her father about her situation. It was bad enough when he’d given her ‘the talk’ when she was twelve! She also considered the globe, but again she rejected that idea as being too impersonal and probably not very helpful anyway. Lara was about to ask her grandmother when she thought about Lois. Lois was, as much as anyone, an impartial observer who might have some ideas that could prove useful. So Lara opened her contacts to the entry for Lois and pressed her work number. After three rings Lois picked up.
“Lois Lane.”
“Hi, Lois, it’s me, Lara.”
“Lara! How nice to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m well, thanks. I know you’re busy so I’ll get right to the point. Can I stop by tonight? I need some advice.”
“Of course! I should be home by 9 o’clock.”
“I can pick up some food if you want and we can eat together.”
“Hmm, sounds good. I have a craving for some good Italian.”
“Great! I know just the place,” Lara said.
“Okay, see you tonight!”
**********
Lara took off from her balcony headed east to Rome a little after 8:30 p.m. Metropolis time. Lara walked into the little restaurant her dad had taken her to many times over the years.
“Signorina Kent! So good to see you! Table for two?” Mrs. Rosati asked when Lara entered.
Lara hugged the older lady and replied in perfect Italian, “Not tonight, Mrs. Rosati, I need the dinner for two, to go, please.”
“Right away!” Mrs. Rosati disappeared into the kitchen and returned ten minutes later with six takeout containers filled with steaming, wonderful smelling food. Lara paid and gave Mrs. Rosati a generous tip and then she left. She spun into her suit and headed back to Metropolis.
Lois’s building appeared as she entered Metropolis airspace. Her telescopic vision showed that Lois was there so she sped up. She also gave the containers a quick shot of heat vision so the food would be piping hot then she landed softly on the balcony and knocked on the window.
“Superwoman! Please, come in.” Lois smiled warmly at her daughter. Lara stepped inside and spun into her casual clothes.
“Please set those down on the table, I’ve got everything set up.” Lois directed Lara to the kitchen where she set the cardboard containers on the table.
“My God, this smells delicious!” Lois said as she opened the containers. “And it’s still hot!”
“I gave it a quick shot of heat vision before I got here, just in case.” Lara and Lois sat down and dug into the delicious food.
“Ummm, I’ve missed this, getting food from around the world. As you know from your last visit your father brought me food from Shanghai during our first investigation. That was before he created Superman.”
“Oh? I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. I always pestered him to tell me where he got the food he brought but he never would and I couldn’t find any place like it in the city. Of course, once I knew his secret I knew why; the sneak had brought it from Shanghai!” They broke into companionable laughter. Lois told Lara more about the early relationship between her and Clark, which Lara found extremely interesting.
“You mean to tell me that when you first met him in costume he hadn’t decided on a name?”
“That’s right. When I asked, he called himself, ‘a friend’,” Lois said with a chuckle. “It was me who named him Superman.”
“I’ve never heard those stories, Dad’s never said much about himself before I was born and I’ve never thought to ask. To me, he was always Dad, who worked at the Post and was the best dad a girl could want.”
“That’s why I gave you up.” Lois smiled sadly. “I knew I’d be a horrible mother with the example I had. Even as a single parent I knew Clark would be a better parent for you than I could ever be.”
“Lois, the woman I see beside me would, I feel, make a wonderful mother. After all, you know what not to do. I don’t want to reopen old wounds but I do wish you’d given being a parent a shot.” Neither woman spoke then as each of them pondered what Lara had said. Her words made Lois think about her decision once again.
Lois’s voice choked up with emotion. “Thank you, Lara, it’s very nice of you to say that. I do regret the decision I made all those years ago but I can’t change it. All I can do now is try to be the best friend I can be to you and I want that, more than anything.”
“Me, too, Lois. I want us to develop the best friendship possible and I know we can.” Lara and Lois finished the last of the food in silence, but it was a companionable silence.
When the last piece of garlic bread was gone Lois exclaimed, “I can’t believe that we ate it all!”
“I know, we both must have been really hungry. How about I help clean up then we can talk?” Lois nodded and they placed the dishes into the dishwasher. With a fresh cup of coffee each, they moved to the living room.
Now that their dinner was over Lois said, “So what can I help you with?”
“My boyfriend, Ken, asked me to marry him.”
“I know, your dad stopped by to tell me. Congratulations!” Lois clasped Lara’s hand so she could examine her ring. “That’s a beautiful ring
“Thanks. I’m over the moon but there might be a minor bump in the road and that’s what I want to talk about.” Lara blushed. “I… I’ve never been with a man.”
“That shouldn’t be an issue,” Lois said cautiously. “A lot of women are virgins on their wedding night.”
“True, but none of them have my particular… challenges.” Lara pleaded. “I’m worried that my invulnerability will be a problem. Do you see what I mean?”
“Ah, yes, I can see how that could be a concern. What did your dad say?”
“I can’t talk about this with Dad!” Lara blushed a light pink. “It was embarrassing enough when he told me about the birds and the bees when I was twelve!”
“He was probably more embarrassed than you,” Lois said with a chuckle. “Okay, what about Martha? I know she’d be very supportive and would give you excellent advice.”
“Yeah, she would but I don’t think she’d have much insight into this particular problem.”
“Hmm, yeah, I can see that. So how do you think I can help? While I’m familiar with superpowers this is kind of out of my wheelhouse.”
“You’re the only woman I can think of who has some experience with superpowers and might have the connections to provide a solution.”
“I see,” Lois said as she thought. “I know a scientist who’s also a medical doctor and we’ve become friends over the years. If there’s anyone in Metropolis who might have an answer it would be him. How about I give him a call?”
“Now? It’s kind of late, isn’t it?”
“No, Bernie is a night owl. He’s probably still at his lab.” Lois pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
“Bernie, Lois… yeah it’s good to hear your voice as well. …Listen, I have a friend who needs a specialized opinion on a problem she has and I can’t think of anyone better than you. … I know Bernie, but it’s very important. … Okay, tomorrow night, 7:00 p.m. …Thanks, Bernie! See you then.” Lois ended the call and turned to Lara with a satisfied smile.
“We’re all set. Meet me at S.T.A.R. Labs tomorrow night at 7 o’clock. I’m sure Bernie will be able to advise you.”
“Is he discreet? I’m going to have to tell him I’m marrying a human man.”
“He’s a clam. He has more security clearances than anyone and I know he’s very trustworthy. He may not actively practice but doctor-patient confidentiality is something he prides himself on.”
“Thank you, Lois, I appreciate your help. It’s getting late and I should probably be getting back.” Lara spun into her suit and Lois walked her to the door then hugged Lara lovingly.
“See you tomorrow.” Lara nodded then she floated off the balcony and disappeared in a blue and black blur.
**********
Lara paced her apartment nervously the next day while she waited for the time to leave. While she had a lot of faith in Lois, she still unsure how a scientist, even if he was a medical doctor, could help her. With a glance at the clock in her kitchen, Lara spun into her suit and headed towards Metropolis. As Lara approached S.T.A.R. Labs she saw Lois waiting near the entrance and landed lightly next to her.
“Hi, Superwoman, are you ready?” Lois asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Lara replied with trepidation.
Lois opened the door and walked up to the reception desk. The guard on duty barely noticed them until Lois cleared her throat.
“Hello, Lois Lane and friend to see Dr. Klein.” Lois looked at the guard with barely concealed impatience.
“Uh, right, and your friend is…?”
“Superwoman pleased to meet you,” Lara said using her authoritative tone of voice.
“Su-Su-Superwoman? Umm, do you know where Dr. Klein’s lab is?”
“I know the way,” Lois said as she headed towards the door. The guard handed them visitor’s badges then hit the buzzer. Lois led the way down a long corridor to the lab of Bernie Klein. As they passed open doors on their way Lara heard gasps of surprise and speculation as to why the superhero was in their facility. Lois stopped at a nondescript office and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Bernie called out without looking up.
“Hi Bernie,” Lois said as she came to a stop next to the scientist.
Bernie still did not look up from his microscope. “Hi, Lois, what’s so important that we couldn’t meet during business hours?”
“Bernie, you’re being rude to my friend, your microscope can wait.”
Bernie reluctantly raised his eyes from the device and turned to face his guests then he blushed to the top of his bald head when he saw the statuesque brunette superhero standing next to Lois.
“Su-Su-Superwoman?” Bernie stammered.
“Do you get that reaction a lot?” Lois asked.
“Not really, only here it seems,” Lara said dryly.
Bernie shook himself metaphorically and made his apologies. “I’m sorry, Lois, when you said you had a friend that needed my advice, I never expected it to be Superwoman!”
“That’s okay, Bernie, she’s very nice and she could use your advice. Superwoman, why don’t you tell Dr. Klein why we’re here.”
Lara cleared her throat and looked the doctor straight in the eye. “Dr. Klein, I’m engaged to be married soon and I have some questions—”
“Congratulations! But how can I help you?”
“This is a little embarrassing for me. I’ve never been with a man and I’m concerned that… there may be problems on my wedding night because of my invulnerability.” Lara said, her heart beating nervously.
“Hmmm, I see.” Bernie’s eyes lost focus as he pondered Superwoman’s predicament. Time seemed to pass slowly as Lois and Lara waited patiently for Bernie to return his attention to them. “I think I have something that might help but I need to do an examination.”
“Examination?” Lara squeaked.
“Oh, sorry, not that kind of examination,” Dr. Klein blushed again. “I’d like to examine your aura. If I remember correctly Superman once said that his invulnerability came from his aura.”
“That’s my understanding as well, Doctor. How can you do that?”
“Please step over here.” Bernie directed them to a machine with a large screen, somewhat resembling a fluoroscope. “I’ve been doing some experimentation to see what kinds of auras different living things give off. I’ve found that all living things have an aura of some kind. For most animals, it’s very small, barely noticeable. For humans, it’s a little stronger though still weak. I’ve always wanted to test this on Superman but I’ve never had the opportunity so your visit here is perfect for my research.”
“How does it work, Bernie?” Lois asked curiously.
“All you need to do is step behind the screen, the machine does the rest. There is no radiation or anything like that, the machine just measures the aura and returns a color value. Red to orange are weak auras, small animals, and such. Humans are in the yellow to green range while large animals like elephants are green to blue. I’ve never found one higher but the machine can register well into the blue to violet range. Lois, why don’t you step behind the screen so I can show Superwoman how it works?”
“Why not?” Lois bravely stepped behind the screen. Lara and Bernie watched while the machine warmed up then an outline of a human figure showed on the screen with a yellow-green glow surrounding it.
Curious, Lois asked, “So how does it look?”
“It’s just as the doctor said. Your aura glows yellow-green and surrounds your body,” Lara said in amazement. Bernie hit a button and the image froze.
“You can come out now, Lois, take a look.” Lois stepped out from behind the screen and looked at it, amazed.
“That’s so cool,” Lois said, suitably impressed.
“Okay, Superwoman, please step behind the screen.” Lara nodded and stepped into place. Lara watched the faces of Lois and Dr. Klein change from interested to amazed.
“What? What is it?” Lara asked, nervously. What were they seeing? Dr. Klein hit a button on his control panel to better focus on the image.
“You can come out now, Superwoman,” Bernie said, awestruck. Lara stepped from behind the screen to stand beside Lois. The image on the screen was not what she expected to see. What she saw was a dark violet, almost black aura that extended nearly an inch from her body. Lara was amazed, mute, as she stared at the image.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bernie said in a hushed whisper. “Your aura is the strongest I’ve ever measured. It extends out from your body even more than I might have predicted.” Bernie fiddled with his control panel and adjusted knobs until the image sharpened even more then he pressed another set of buttons and the machine began to whir softly.
“What are you doing, Dr. Klein?” Lara asked.
“Oh, I’m fine-tuning the output for later study. This is going to help me immensely in my research!” Bernie said over his shoulder, lost in the excitement of his discovery.
“Okay, Bernie, you can play with that later. What can you offer Superwoman regarding her issue?” Lois asked, bringing Bernie back to the task at hand.
“Oh! Yes, yes, sorry about that. Can you give me a moment to analyze this data?”
Lois and Lara took a seat on the couch while Bernie fiddled with his computer. He brought up various screens and made notes on a pad next to him all the while making all kinds of satisfied noises. Five minutes later Dr. Klein turned to face them with a smile on his face.
“My preliminary findings lead me to believe that your aura projects a certain amount of temporary invulnerability to any human you encounter. By this, I mean that you can interact with humans at superspeed without causing catastrophic harm. For example, when you rescue a person from a collision with a truck or a falling object you snatch them off the ground with such G-force that, if not for your aura, they would receive catastrophic if not fatal injuries. It’s what allows you to fly with a passenger at the tremendous speeds that you do without causing them harm. It is my opinion that, as long as you are in intimate contact with your husband, your invulnerability will be extended to him and there should be no problems with your first time.” Dr. Klein smiled a pleased smile. Lara jumped off the couch to envelop Dr. Klein in a very enthusiastic hug.
“Thank you, Dr. Klein, thank you so much!” Lara said as she whirled the doctor around and around.
“Oof, you’re very welcome, Superwoman, very welcome!” Bernie gasped.
“Yes, thanks, Bernie. I knew if anyone could come up with a solution it would be you,” Lois said proudly. When Lara set Dr. Klein back on his feet, he straightened his lab coat, smoothed back what little hair he had, and took a deep breath to calm himself further.
“Umm, Superwoman? Could I ask you a question?” Bernie asked.
“Of course, what is it?” Lara replied.
“I know this is an imposition but would you be open to coming in for a physical examination? I’d love to see how your physiology differs from humans, especially if you might want to have children with your husband someday,” Bernie said. Lara pondered his request and she came to a decision.
“Dr. Klein, what I am about to tell you must remain a secret. No one outside this room can ever know. Do you promise?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Bernie replied seriously.
“The story my father told at my debut was not quite truthful. I am Superman’s daughter but I was born and grew up here on Earth, not Krypton, my mother is human.” Dr. Klein’s face registered confusion then excitement.
“That’s, that’s amazing! You’re living proof that humans and Kryptonians are compatible for procreation! I never even considered the possibility,” Bernie said, lost in the enormity of this revelation.
“Remember, Bernie, no one can know about this,” Lois said sternly. “People might not take kindly knowing that Superman had a human wife. She and Superwoman’s family would be in grave danger.”
“Sorry, Lois, I got carried away. I do understand the need for absolute secrecy here. I’ll make sure I take every precaution with any data I gather. Superwoman’s secrets are safe with me.” Bernie looked at both women in the eye conveying his absolute commitment to them.
“Oh, there is one more thing,” Bernie said as they made to leave.
“What is it, Bernie?” Lois asked. Lara looked on curiously as well.
“I’m just speculating based on what I’ve seen so far…”
Lois grew impatient. “Out with it, Bernie!”
“Yes, sorry. I think being in close contact with Superwoman’s aura over a lifetime could have potential health benefits for your fiancé.”
Lara’s mouth dropped. “Say that again, please?”
“I think your aura could be beneficial to your fiancé. We’d have to do tests over years to determine the exact benefits but there is a distinct possibility.”
Lois and Lara looked at each other then they hugged.
“Bernie! That’s great news!”
“Yes, Doctor Klein, it is great news! I’ll have to talk with him but I think my fiancé and I will be more than willing to participate.”
Lois and Lara shook hands with Dr. Klein and left the lab with the promise that Superwoman would return for future appointments.
**********
Continued in part Twenty-Five
