Welcome to my terror. Not the story, it’s really pretty tame (but hopefully at least minimally entertaining.) The terror is that this is the first fiction that I have EVER written. Actually, I never intended to write anything. I’m here because I like to read, not write. Anyway, one day I got to thinking about some LnC ideas. One thing led to another and before I knew what hit me I just had to write this down. My greatest fear is that the ideas here closely replicate work that has been done before. In my reading, I have not encountered them before, so here they are. These are truly my original ideas and if they do seem to copy someone else’s work it is coincidental and there was no intent to misappropriate.

Thanks to Dandello for being my BR and for the Writing 101 lessons that improved this story immeasurably. I have also benefited from having a wife that has been gracious those times when I woke her at 1:00 am with a question or idea.

Disclaimer: This is a fanfic based on the television show, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. I have no claim on the pre-existing characters whatsoever, nor am I profiting by their use. The new characters and story elements are mine. No infringement is intended by this work.

Luck and Consequence
By bobbart - Bob Bartholomew <bobbart_99@yahoo.com>
Rated: PG
Written: September 2008

Time frame: Early season 5.

** Chapter 1 **

Lois Lane didn’t believe in luck. Well, at least she didn’t believe in the kind of luck that determined your place in the world. Luck didn’t get her the best grades in school. When she had decided that she was going to work at one of the leading news organizations in the world, it wasn’t luck that got her that job. And luck didn’t put her at the absolute top of her profession as one of the top investigative reporters in the entire world. She had drive, skill and determination. Let other people worry about luck.

This particular evening, Lois was in an especially good mood. She was enjoying the end of an almost perfect day. Earlier, she had spent a pleasurable afternoon walking around the city with her husband. She loved the city and knew that Clark felt the same way. They enjoyed soaking in the energy and sense of connection that came from living in Metropolis.

As she thought of Clark, Lois couldn’t help but to shift her gaze to her partner. Clark was busy reading through a news magazine and hadn’t yet sensed that she was looking in his direction. Lois found that her eyes were lingering on the love of her life. As the seconds ticked by, she felt a warm glow welling up from within. Perhaps not everything that was the best in life came only from hard work. She couldn’t help but feel that Clark was truly a paradox made flesh. Here was simultaneously the strongest and most gentle man she had ever met. When he wore “the suit” he emitted a confidence that inspired the world, yet as Clark he was so shy that it had taken him nearly two years to tell her who he really was and how he felt.

How he felt… He had told her time and again that he had fallen in love with her the first instant they met. Yet even when she had tried to push him away… even when she almost married another man… even when they had actually gone on a date and the evening had ended with her slamming the door in his face for no reason… even after all that, he never gave up, never wavered, and never faltered in his love for her. Yeah, maybe there was something to be said for this luck business after all.

But luck wasn't what Lois was about this evening. The activity of the moment was all about talent. She and Clark had an established routine for the end of the weekend. In front of them was a pile of newspapers from all over the world. Years ago, Lois had found that there was an enormous amount of data that could be gleaned from the various other news sources. On more than one occasion, Lois had seen a small piece in another paper that had just *that* feel to it. To Lois, this sort of story felt like a thread hanging loose just begging to be pulled. Most of the time, when the thread got pulled, there was nothing more to that story. But every so often, pulling just the right thread, in just the right way, would cause a big story that had been hidden from sight, to fall into the waiting arms of Lois Lane.

When Clark became her partner, it took a long time before she was willing to share this particular aspect of her career. But even before they were married, she had come to trust Clark and allow him to assist in this research. His job was to scan the other news sources and do the preliminary screening of stories. When he saw something interesting, he would pass it to Lois. He was a skilled reported and his talents were more than adequate to recognize the difference between just another news blurb and something that had the potential to turn into a front page story. But by working together, and having Lois do a second pass on the stories, they were able to consider a much broader range of possible leads. Clark did the first pass because while his instincts were good, Lois had the “magic”.

As Lois was considering the news articles that Clark had passed over to her, she was also keeping an ear on the television. Lois had found that the same talent that allowed her to identify a potential gem of a story in print, could also key off of a passing comment from a talking head on the tube news. The local news was on and they had just finished describing a Superman rescue of a motorist earlier in the day. There was nothing newsworthy here since Clark had already submitted a small write up on that rescue, but she always enjoyed watching Clark in action. As that piece ended, the anchorwoman started reading the teaser for the next segment, “Coming up, all you pregnant mothers out there had better hope you’ve made arrangements for daycare. We have a special report on the overcrowding crisis in Metropolis daycare centers.”

Lois froze at this, the story she had been scanning before completely forgotten. Pregnant women… Children… Suddenly the evening lost its glow.

Lois realized that Clark was speaking to her. She didn’t even notice how long it had been.

“Lois? Are you okay?”

Lois looked into to the face of her husband. The concern that was evident on his face told her that she had been in deep “lock up” mode. She suspected that he had probably tried to speak to her several times before she even noticed his voice. Recovering, she tried to respond in a normal conversational tone…

“I’m fine. I just got distracted for a second”, she said in what she hoped was a casual tone of voice.

“Really, what’s wrong?” Clark insisted.

“Nothing”, she replied. Lois really didn’t want to talk about this. What had happened to the nearly perfect evening of just a few minutes before?

Now Clark’s voice took on a somewhat pained tone, “Please don’t do that. We’ve been together long enough that I know that look. It’s fine with me if you don’t want to talk about whatever it is, but don’t pretend that there’s nothing bothering you.”

Now she was stuck. She wasn’t going to deceive Clark even if this was a subject that would hurt him even more that her. Finally, she looked over to Clark with what she imagined was a pained expression. “It’s that piece they ran a few minutes ago about the preschool overcrowding.”

She could see from the reaction on his face that he already knew where this conversation would likely lead. However, Clark was never one to shy away from a difficult situation. Lois couldn’t help but think right then that there was too much Boy Scout in him for his own good. Watching his face she could see the instant when he arrived at the decision to talk this out. He asked cautiously, “Would you like to talk about it?”

“I don’t know. I guess that’s something that we’ll never have to worry about.”

As she said this, she could feel her so-carefully held expression beginning to break. The next instant Clark was there and she found herself in his arms. She heard his voice softly in her ear, "I'm sorry."

There was no going back now. Lois felt the tears starting to flow. "I never really wanted to be a Mom. I guess I never expected to be a wife either. Clark, things just changed so much when you came into my life. Now, the whole "can't have children" thing just eats at me. Darling, I know how you feel about children, and that doesn't help."

"Lois, being with you is so much more than I ever thought I'd have. I know I've told you this before, but you make me complete."

He was so sweet. She pulled back just a bit and looked at Clark with a sad smile. "I know that. But I also know that you do want children. You had such a wonderful family life while you were growing up. I know that you want to have children, our children, so you can pass that along. Don't bother to try and tell me you don't want that. You aren't the only one here who knows when something is bothering their partner."

Lois felt Clark move his hand to cradle her cheek in that way that she knew so well. When Clark next spoke, the emotional strain was evident.

"Yes, the whole incompatible-with-human-females thing bothers me." Clark leaned back on the sofa with a melancholy sigh. "I’ve always known that I came to this world in a spaceship. When I got old enough to understand biology, I realized that children would probably be impossible. Lois, I look so human. I feel so human. How could we have what we do if I was really that different?"

She could see that Clark was losing control of his emotions too. It looked like it was his turn to be near tears. She moved over to him and laid her head on his chest. "I know Clark. If it weren't for the powers, you’d be physically indistinguishable from any other man." She sensed an opportunity to lighten this conversation. She looked up at him with suggestive smile, "That is, you would be indistinguishable for any other fabulously sexy hunk of a man."

Lois thought to herself, Okay Lane, enough wallowing. Take some actions! Then, in a more serious tone she asked Clark, "When was the last time you checked in with Dr. Klein on the status of Superman's fertility?"

"Well, it's been over a month. The last time I spoke with him, he seemed pretty sure that I wasn't compatible with human women. That hurt both of us so much that I just didn't want to deal with it any more. Besides, remember that your Dad came to the same conclusion"

"Well, Dad got his memory erased before we had the chance to ask him why. Did Doc Klein ever explain why you can't have children?"

"No. At the time I just never followed up. Then, when your Dad verified the results, I guess I just didn't see the point."

Lois thought for a second. We really needed to work through this. Finally, she replied, "Clark, please find out why. I just don't see how we can ever really get past this if we don't at least try to understand."

"Okay. I guess you're right. I'll ask Doc Klein to set up a meeting to go over his conclusions in detail. Do you want to be there?"

"No” and then Lois added quickly, “Well, at least not yet. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be involved unless we're going to tell Dr. Klein who you... who WE really are. How much does he know about why Superman wants to know about his fertility with human women?"

Clark had a thoughtful look on his face. "I let him believe I was considering a relationship. I think I'd like to tell him that there is much more at stake than that. It might provide some extra motivation. Lois, for now I want to tell him I am in a committed relationship. Depending on what we learn, I think it may be time to bring him in on the secret. You know Dr. Klein. He can be trusted with this, and besides, he's a smart guy. Sooner or later he'll put the pieces together on his own.”

Lois thought about her previous interactions with Dr. Klein, "I think you're right. I trust him and it will probably make a lot of things easier in the future. But, please don’t tell him about us yet. I don't think that now is quite the time."

Lois could see that there would be no more work research for this evening. With another deep sigh she moved into Clark's embrace, closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy the togetherness that they shared.

****

By Monday morning, much of the feeling of despair that she had been feeling the previous evening was gone. While Lois wasn't feeling chipper, she had achieved a semblance of normalcy for the start of the week. This particular Monday had proven to be a bit quieter than usual and she had taken advantage of the lull to get on the phone and refresh her contacts with a number of her sources.

As afternoon arrived, Lois was at her desk typing up notes from that morning. She had to admit that, between the issues that were raised with Clark the previous evening and the lack of any really juicy ongoing investigation, she was not really "on" today. Clark had disappeared on a Superman call just before noon and she was wondering what was taking so long. Usually, anything that took more than 15 minutes or so meant that there would be some sort of news flash. This time it had been over an hour and Clark was still gone.

About ten minutes later Lois felt a pair of familiar hands on her shoulders. She felt Clark leaning down so he could speak quietly in her ear.

"How's your day going?"

"Where have you been? I didn't hear a news flash for anything that looked like a major emergency."

"There wasn't." Clark glanced around quickly to make sure no one could hear. "The 'call' was an ordinary robbery. While I was out and in the suit, I stopped by Star Labs and told Doc Klein that I wanted to meet with him this evening to follow up on the fertility research. He said that he would make time to review his notes and be ready to talk later. I have an appointment at 6:00 today."

Lois felt an unexpected rush of some of the despair from the previous evening. She found herself looking back at Clark with something of a blank stare.

"What?" Clark asked.

Lois gave a small shrug, "Nothing. I guess that I'm just scared. In some ways, it's easier not knowing. If it's really bad news then we don't even have hope."

Lois felt Clark put his arms around her as he replied, "I know. But we went all through this last night. We can't just keep letting this eat at us. One way or another, we need to move forward on this."

Lois sighed, "Yes. You're right. We did decide to do this and I'm not changing my mind. Clark, this scares me and I'm not in control. I've never been very good with that particular combination."

"Honey, learning more is what we can do to at least try to have some sort of control."

"I know", Lois replied. "Clark, please promise that you'll come right home when you get done at Star Labs. I need to know the situation and don't think I can stand to wait until after you finish your evening patrol."

"I promise I'll come right home. But Lois, if there is a real emergency..."

"Yes. If people are in danger, then I can wait a little longer. But Clark, this is really important. Okay?"

She could tell by the look on his face that Clark understood that this was important as he replied with a quiet, "Okay."

The rest of the afternoon dragged on very slowly. It's probably just as well that she was not in the middle of anything serious. Clark was obviously aware of how distracted she had been. He approached her in the late afternoon and suggested that they head home early so that they could at least start the evening at home together. Normally, Lois would have hated this idea of an early exit from work, but Clark was right and she just wasn't going to produce anything by staying in the office today.

Once they got home, Lois realized that her general feeling of anxiety was not going to get better just by being at home. Clark had tried to convince her to eat, but she was simply too wound up to consider food. When 6:00 finally arrived, she watched Clark spin into the suit to take off for Star Labs. It was with almost a feeling of relief that she saw Clark disappear into the Metropolis sky.



** Chapter 2 **

Bernard Klein had something of a different view of luck than Lois. Like Lois, his achievements were largely a result of his skill and effort. His different perspective on luck was based in the fact that he recognized the inherent good fortune that had come from his being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

When Superman had first appeared on the scene, Bernie had been in the process of establishing himself at Star Labs. His background of Biology and Physics was uncommon, and up to that point, there had not been a lot of situations that could make use of both sides of his particular dual skill set.

The appearance of Superman changed all that in a most profound way. Suddenly you had a person that seemed to be able to defy the laws of physics at will. Within the circle of scientists that made up the Star Labs community, the very first *big* Superman question was “What is it in his biology that allows him to defy the laws of physics?” When the first opportunity came to work with Superman, even the more senior scientists had to concede that his background made Dr. Klein uniquely qualified to head up all Superman studies.

When Bernie had first been chosen to head the Superman research team, he knew that he had been granted a prestigious scientific post. Beyond that, he was simultaneously thrilled and a bit worried about working with an alien. Sure, Superman looked friendly enough from a distance, but what would he be like up close? Fortunately, he learned very quickly that whatever powers Superman might possess, he was among the nicest people that Bernie had met. The only thing that seemed to constantly set him apart from regular people, other than the powers, was his ever-present seriousness. Many of his fellow scientists wondered if that was just another aspect of his alien heritage, but Bernie wasn’t so sure. Then, when Superman first approached him with questions relating to his fertility, Bernie concluded that however alien his biology might be, Superman apparently had all the emotional elements of any human.

Bernie was a bit anxious about the meeting this evening. Superman was long past just being a subject of study. He considered Superman to be his friend and wasn't looking forward to going over the details of the bad news about his compatibility with human women.

Superman was going to arrive by the “special” entrance on the roof. Some time ago, the two of them had established a protocol for these sorts of visits. There was a roof access that could be reached from inside one of the secure lab areas. The entrance itself was enclosed and had been specifically designed to allow Superman to enter and exit as super speed. This meant that when necessary, he could enter and leave Star Labs in secret. This entrance also had a compartment outside the door which concealed a buzzer that rang his office.

At what his clock showed to be 6:01, Bernie heard the buzzer. He hurried up the stairs to the heavily secured roof entrance. After verifying through the closed circuit TV monitor that it was Superman on the other side of the door, Dr. Klein began releasing the array of locking devices that secured the door. When the door could finally be opened, Bernie tried to be calm and offered a cheerful welcome of, "Good evening Superman. Please come down into my office so we can talk freely."

As they entered the landing, Dr. Klein reengaged the locks for the roof. It took an extra minute or so but was absolutely necessary since this was far too sensitive an entrance to leave unsecured. Bernie led the way as they went down to the lab and into his main lab office.

They had barely gotten seated when Superman just jumped right in, "Dr. Klein, I appreciate your making the time for us to meet like this."

Bernie had been thinking about this conversation all day. He decided that he might as well just “go for it” so he took a deep breath and replied, "I know better than most what you do for all of us. Even so, until you asked me to do this particular research, I didn’t spend very much time thinking about your feelings as a person. Since that time, I've taken the opportunity to consider your personality and how you interact with people… Superman, I would like to ask you a question."

"Go ahead", Clark said.

“This is it,” Bernie thought, “get ready to duck.” He finally asked aloud, "Are you a fraud?"

He saw Superman's eyes widen just a bit, "What! What do you mean?"

Bernie relaxed a little at this reaction. If Superman didn't storm out at that first bold statement, then it should be safe to speak freely. Bernie continued, "I have met with you many times. I've seen your interviews on television and read your quotes in the newspaper. Superman, when I’ve seen you interact with others, you usually seem to be exceptionally formal. You present a public face of someone that might be devoid of emotion. Then you came to me and asked me to do this research. When you were requesting me to pursue this line of research, your demeanor was anything but formal. Afterwards, the more I thought about how you behaved when you made that request, the more I had to believe that the persona that you let the public see isn't the real person. So, I believe the person that you show the world is a fake. Am I wrong?"

This time there really wasn't much delay in Superman's reaction. As a small smile developed on his face, Superman replied “No. You're right. Please believe me when I say that I have my reasons for showing only this side of who I am. It makes it easier for me to deal with most people, especially criminals. Many of the situations in which I become involved tend to work out better if I have an air of detachment. Dr. Klein, at some point it’s likely that I will show you more of the person behind this suit, but for now I have to maintain my detachment."

Bernie was pleased that he had been so accurate in his assessment of Superman's real personality. "I understand that Superman. But would you do me the favor of calling me Bernie?"

"I'd be honored, 'Bernie'"

Superman's openness left Bernie feeling flustered for just a second. However, it was time to get to the reason that they were here. Thinking about the things he had learned about Superman and his biology was more than enough to get him energized as he headed into the technical side of this meeting. “Superman, you have no idea how exciting this line of research has been for me. These tests have contributed a great deal in understanding why you are the way you are.”

Bernie couldn't resist pausing for dramatic impact, “First, and most promising, you’re fully human."

"What do you mean?"

Bernie could see the confused look on Superman's face. "I did a complete biological analysis of your blood. In every particular, right down to your genetic code, you are exactly as human as I am."

"How can that be? After all, other humans can't do what I do. Also, do I need to remind you that I'm from another planet?"

At this Bernie could hardly contain his excitement, "That's what's really exciting! I found that once I got past your super powers, all the regular medical tests showed you and your blood to be perfectly normal for a human. Obviously, you do have the powers, so there had to be something that was different. I kept looking and was finally able to isolate what makes you different from us non-super humans. What I discovered means that you would be best described as human-plus. However, it would probably be more correct to call you an artificially augmented human."

"Bernie, how can I be human when we both know that I came from another planet?"

"That was possibly the most exciting discovery of all. I'm now convinced that humans and Kryptonians both came from the same original human race. When I first saw these test results, the thought that crossed my mind that perhaps both Krypton and Earth were originally colonies of some other planet. However, that idea just doesn't hold up to what we know of human and Earth biology. There is a huge body of scientific data that ties humans to other Earth-based organisms. So, even though I don't know how it's possible, somehow your ancestors originally came from here. Based on my analysis of your genetic code, I would guess that your people were separated from Earth somewhere between five and ten thousand years ago. I also suspect that may be why you were sent to Earth to live. If you weren't essentially completely human, there would be no basis for biological compatibility at all.”

"Well, considering how I got here, I guess I can believe that. But what did you mean about my being artificially augmented? I don't use any kind of machines for my powers."

"Actually, the source of your powers is artificial. The artificial part operates at the genetic level. Your ‘perfectly normal’ human chromosomes have been modified. I have found what appear to be nanotechnology additions to your human genetics. These extensions seem to be located such that they don't interfere with normal genetic operation. And when I say normal operations, I am including reproduction."

"But you’ve said that I'm not compatible with human females?"

Bernie could see the hope spring forth in Superman's face as he asked that last question. Unfortunately, it was time to deliver the bad news. He took a deep breath. “I'm very sorry, but that appears to be true. Please let me get through the whole explanation and I think you'll understand the nature of the problem. I know this will seem like I'm not getting to the point, but believe me when I say that this is all very important. The information that I’m about to explain to you is central to the fertility issue. It will also give you a much better feel for who you are and how your body works."

Superman looked impatient but acquiesced, "OK. But I have to tell you that the fertility issue is very important."

Bernie felt like he needed to get through the rest of his explanation as quickly as possible. "We can detect these modifications, I have been calling them Kryptonian Extensions or KEs for short, but they are far too small and too advanced to analyze in any detail. I have no idea how humans ended up on Krypton, but I have a theory that on that planet, conditions were too harsh for normal humans to thrive. Based on what you've told us, I suspect that the gravity was too high and the light and heat levels were too low. I believe that these genetic modifications were introduced to allow your ancestors to deal with the harsh Kryptonian environment. We know that your extra powers are related to sunlight. My belief is that the KEs were designed to use the lower energy of Krypton's red sun to boost the capabilities of your people so that living on Krypton would feel to them like living on a more hospitable planet such as Earth. When you came to Earth, two things changed. First, even if the Earth's sun were a low-energy red sun like Krypton's, the fact that Earth's gravity and general environment is less challenging would mean you would be far more capable than a normal human. Now, add in the significantly higher energy that our yellow sun produces and your powers go from superior to super.”

Bernie watched as his friend took all this in. Finally Superman asked, "Are you saying that I'm some sort of cyborg?"

"Superman, that's true only in the crudest sense of the word. The additions that you carry are at the genetic level. These modifications are inherited and as much a part of who and what you are as any naturally occurring genetic characteristic."

Bernie saw the pained look on Superman's face resurface, "But if these additions are inherited and I'm still fully human, what is the basis for my not being capable of having children with a human woman?"

Bernie held up his hands defensively. "Please Superman, I'm getting to that. The KEs seem to do two things. First, they facilitate repairs to your body, that's why when you do manage to get injured, you heal so incredibly quickly. However, they also produce a bioelectric field. This field is the key to your powers. The energy field has characteristics that are beyond the capabilities of our science to analyze in any detail. However, this field seems to be the source of all of your powers. Now, the key point, besides being the source of your power, the biofield sustains the KEs in your body. If the field is removed, the KEs shut down very quickly and your cells die. There's some sort of circular dependency where the KEs generate the field and the field sustains the KEs.”

Bernie paused and took a deep breath, “And finally, that's the source of the problem. My tests show that any of your cells that are removed from your core biofield die quickly. Superman, what we found was that in every biological sample that we have taken from you, all living cells die within an hour or so of leaving your body."

Superman was speechless for a minute. Finally he replied in a despondent tone, "So what you are saying is that only a woman with a Kryptonian biofield can ever have my child."

This tore at Bernie’s heart. He replied slowly, "I'm afraid so. There would have to be a Kryptonian biofield present to maintain your sperm long enough for fertilization to take place. Then it would have to continue to keep the embryo alive long enough for it to grow sufficiently to generate its own sustaining field. I just don't see how to achieve that in a human woman."

Superman's tone became pleading, "Isn't there any way to create an artificial field?"

"Superman, believe me when I say that I have tried. This field has properties that I can't even begin to analyze. I have developed a mechanism for detecting it in a very rough form, but I'm nowhere near being able to create a field."

"But there is some hope to solve that issue?"

"Superman, there is some basis for hope and I wish I could say that we were close, but I won't lie to you. I will keep trying but as of now I just don't see a solution."

Bernie watched as Superman seemed to consider this. After a moment he appeared to come to some sort of decision. Superman put his arms on the desk and leaned forward, "Bernie, part of what I wanted to tell you tonight is how important this is to me. Earlier this evening, you were talking about the fact that the person that I show to the world isn't the whole picture. Well, I'm not free to tell you everything at this time but can tell you that I’m involved in a serious, long term relationship with a human woman. This is very important to us."

Bernie knew that this was a milestone moment. Superman had trusted him with information that was of a highly personal nature. "I had sort of guessed that already. Remember, that I said I had been giving a lot of thought to your situation. Based on what I know about you and what I could deduce, you would have never come to me with this issue unless you were in that sort of a situation." He reached over and put a hand on Superman's arm. "Please believe me. I will do everything I can. If I think of anything, I will tell you immediately. But as much as I want to help, I can't offer a lot of hope at this time."

"I understand Bernie. And thanks. Was there anything else before I go?"

Bernie suddenly remembered that he had another bomb to drop. "Well, as part of this work I figured out what Kryptonite does and why it affects you."

"What?"

"Yes. The radiation from Green Kryptonite neutralizes your KE biofield. That same radiation also seems to interfere with the operation of the KEs resulting in cell death. When you are exposed to Green Kryptonite, the loss of the biofield removes your powers and the KE induced cell death is the source of the pain. Red Kryptonite seems to disrupt the biofield but doesn't neutralize it. The Red also doesn't seem to harm the KEs. I'm still trying to figure out all the possible effects of Red. I imagine that there may be a variety of effects based on how your biofield was affected. Superman, as sorry as I am that I have provided bad news about your fertility, we have learned valuable information that will help us treat you in the future."

"OK Bernie. I appreciate what you have done. Please keep working on this and let me know if you discover anything new."

Bernie escorted Superman back to the roof exit. After Superman had left, as he was locking the entrance Bernie couldn't help but feel that he had to find a way to help Superman with this problem. Here was a person that had devoted his life to improving the well being of the people of his adopted planet. If there was any way for him to possibly add to the level of happiness in Superman's life, it was his duty to help achieve that goal.