Thanks again to everyone! Little man is doing great and more than double his weight from this time last year - praise God! 27.5lbs today.
Here we go!
Last time
Clark stared at his hands. Her leaps of logic were amazing to watch.
If only her conclusions didn't threaten him.
His family.
Everyone he'd ever cared about.
Everyone he'd ever loved.
She shifted to look at him. "What do you think, Clark? *Could* something that must have something to do with Superman hurt him?"
He ran both hands through his hair.
Her gasp shouldn't have startled him but it did.
"You're him," she breathed. "You're Superman."
*~*11*~*
Once she said it, it all made sense.
She wasn't entirely certain *why* but it made sense.
He had more interviews with Superman than anyone. He was in Smallville investigating guys she'd discovered were looking for something in connection with Superman.
He was... hot.
She mentally rolled her eyes as she continued to stare at him. *That* was a reason to make the connection.
The more she looked, the more she knew she was right, even if he hadn't confirmed it.
"So?" She looked at him expectantly. "Can't you just fly us out of here or something? And why did we traipse through the woods instead of getting us out of here?"
Clark sighed. "Fine. You're right. I’m Superman. But I'm so much more than that, Lois." He turned to look at her, his eyes earnest. "I'm *Clark* *Lane*. That's who I *am*. Superman is what I do, a costume I wear so I can help people and not lose *me*, not put my loved ones in jeopardy. Do you know what a nutcase like Trask would do if he got a hold of my parents?"
She reached out and rested a hand on one of his. "I'm not going to expose you. But why aren't we getting out of here?"
"Because I don't have my powers. Your dad..."
"What about my dad?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her, defiant. "Don't you dare start accusing him of..."
He shook his head. "Nothing like that. Wayne Irig gave him something to keep – something he found. Your dad thought it might have something to do with all of this so he showed it to me last night. I don't know what it was, but it affected me. I passed out. I don't have any of my powers at all. That's why I called my dad. He's a doctor and knows more about me and how my body works than anyone." He looked at his watch. "He's probably here at your house by now."
"They're probably worried sick," Lois said quietly. "Even if they don't know we're hiding out."
"Your mom made me promise to take care of you." He sighed. "Some job I'm doing."
"Do they know?"
He nodded. "Your mom figured it out last night after I passed out."
"My mom's pretty smart." She stared at the green curtain in front of them. "I thought you were invulnerable."
"I thought I was, too."
Lois stretched her leg in front of her. "You know it wasn't too bad while we were on the run, but my ankle is throbbing now. Must have been the adrenaline or something."
Clark was grateful for the change of subject, whatever the reason. "Let me look at it. My dad's a doctor and my mom's a nurse. I've studied some of this stuff. Don't know if I can actually do anything about it but..."
Lois shifted so her leg was lying on Clark's lap. He carefully worked her boot off then moved it around slowly. She winced a few times but it wasn't as bad as he'd feared.
"I think if we rewrap it a bit tighter that'll help keep it from swelling so much you can't get it in your boot, but it really doesn't feel too bad – at least it didn't from here. You weren't screaming or anything."
"No, I think it'll be okay. Mom put a poultice on it last night so..."
Clark looked up from where he was starting to rewrap the Ace bandage around her foot. "What? When?"
"How do you think we got the blanket, Einstein? She put it on after we went to sleep – I think I remember thanking her, but I'm not sure. I’m surprised you didn't notice the cabbage leaf wrapped around my foot this morning."
"I had other things on my mind," he told her honestly. Like getting caught making out with her. Like where his powers had gone. Like wondering if they were coming back. Like wishing he could kiss her again.
"Why'd you kiss me?"
"What?"
"Why'd you kiss me?" she asked again. "You're Superman. You probably have girls in every city – if you think the tabloids have even a smidgen of truth in them. Are you just looking for an 'I did a farmer's daughter in Smallville' sticker for your scrapbook? Because, Superman or not, that's not happening."
He sighed. Why had he kissed her? He wasn't sure. He just knew that when he'd seen the bandage and other scrapes and scratches all over her back that he wanted to kiss them and make them better. Just like his mom and dad and Gran had done when he was a kid. Not that he'd gotten hurt often, but when he did... "No," he finally said.
When he didn't go on, she spoke. "No, what? No, you're not looking for a sticker? No, not a sticker, a notch on my cape? No, you don't have a girl in every city? No, you don't find me attractive? No, your dad and his shotgun scare me now that I'm vulnerable? Which is it?"
"No, I don't have a girl in every city. No, I'm not looking for a notch or a sticker or whatever. No, I don't not find you attractive. And no, your dad doesn't particularly scare me, but your mom sure does."
"Smart man," she muttered. "Dad's a teddy bear but hurt one of his daughters and he's a grizzly. The only one worse is Mom."
He finished wrapping her ankle, letting her decide whether or not to put her boot back on. "All done."
She rolled it slightly, experimentally. "Not bad for a city boy." She worked her boot on and laced it up. "So, Superman. No holds barred interview. Not for publication. Anything I want to ask. You have to answer. You have to be honest and no, you can't say no."
"Do I have a choice?" he asked her resigned.
"No."
"Then shoot."
"Start at the beginning. Tell me everything from the time you got in that ship to the time you showed up in my house. *Something* in there is relevant to those military yahoos and we've got to figure out what it is."
*****
TBC
