How's this for getting another part out quick? Enjoy!

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Clark waved a hand and offered a slight smile at the photographers waiting outside his publisher's building. He'd had a meeting this morning to discuss an idea he had for a new book. Franklin Stern was almost jumping in excitement over the possibility of Clark Kent writing a romance novel of sorts. It would be an instant hit. Who wouldn't want to read what Superman thought to be romantic? Clark considered it more of a release than anything else. A release from the incredible loneliness he'd felt most of his life. He got a rush just thinking about finally being able to tell the world he wasn't alone- without actually telling them.

Lois was his inspiration. He found himself wanting to protect her from the world ever learning of his feelings for her and wanting to shout them from the top of his lungs at the same time. He'd spent the most wonderful weekend of his life with the most incredible woman alive. And they hadn't just shared their bodies; they'd shared their very beings. That woman knew more about him than anyone else alive. He'd talked openly about his childhood, coming in to his powers, his overwhelming loneliness. She'd held his globe, seen the holograms of his birth parents. That was something even his mother and father hadn't been privy to. She alone knew the things that made him happy, that made him sad. Her arms had held him tight as he trembled when he'd talked about some of the rescues that gave him nightmares. In the span of hours, he'd shared his life with Lois Lane. She had the power to literally destroy him. Yet, that was the farthest thing from his mind.

All he could think about was the fact that he hadn't seen her since then. Everybody had needed Superman it seemed. Then he'd had the meeting with his publisher. And he flew out to bring his parents to Metropolis for the gallery opening. It was finally mid-week, the night of the opening. He'd be able to breathe again- once he saw her, inhaled the smell he'd already imprinted in his mind. He'd called her a couple of times, but she'd been busy. She'd called back when he was out, leaving messages on his machine. Brief apprehension had washed over him that she might not want to see him again- talk to him. Then he'd remembered the many things they'd talked about. He hadn't been the only one to bare his soul. She'd been just as open with him. That kind of trust was not given easily. Sharing herself with him the way she had could only mean that she felt she'd see him again- and often.

He'd read the articles in the Planet about the opening. It was easily the largest one she'd ever promoted. Clark had felt overwhelming pride over her success. And he wasn't about to analyze his feelings. All he knew was that he was crazy about Lois Lane and she appeared to feel the same way about him. The rest would take care of itself. Even his brief lack of good sense over his thoughtlessness before they made love the first time hadn't swayed her feelings.

Of course, she hadn't become media fodder yet, he felt compelled to remind himself. He'd have to be careful tonight around her. If he let his true feelings show, their relationship would not be private for long. Just the thought of being around Lois and not expressing how he felt made him almost ill. How would he ever survive that?

****

Lois shifted from one foot to another, looking at the door for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. Where was he? The opening was almost over. She'd had a wonderful time with his parents and her newest sensation was a complete success in the art world. But all she could think about was Clark. She hadn't seen him in nearly three days. She'd tried to return his calls, but there had been no answer. Granted, Superman had kept him busy. She understood that. Though it didn't stop her from feeling a little selfish, wanting to hide away with him again like they'd done over the weekend. She must have played the messages he'd left fifty times, just so she could hear his voice. Maybe they should have exchanged cell phone numbers so they could stay in touch.

Listen to yourself, Lois, she thought. You've spent a few days with the man and already you're trying to keep tabs on him.

Just then the insistent click of cameras drew her attention away from the woman she'd been speaking with. Clark had entered the gallery, smiling brightly at the continuous flashes in his face. She smiled when their eyes met, sighing inwardly. She gave her apologies to her guest, then made her way across the room.

"I'm glad you could make it, Mr. Kent," she told her honored guest as she reached for his hand.

He took the offered limb with a wide grin. "Thank you for inviting me, Ms. Lane."

"Superman, is it true you spent the weekend with Ms. Lane?" came the shout from one of the reporters.

The question caught him off guard and his smile faltered slightly.

"Sources have revealed that you kept Ms. Lane tucked away in a secret location while your fiance discovered she was carrying your child."

Clark's wide eyes snapped toward the reporter who'd asked that question. "What?"

"I have sources that tell me Ms. Lang is two months pregnant with your baby and that you stood her up for this woman."

She must have looked as shocked as she felt because the cameras were now trained on her and flashed over and over. What did she do here? She looked up at Clark, silently begging him to do something.

"Is it true, Lois? Are you a home wrecker?"

How the hell did she answer that? She jerked her head from Clark to flash a look of utter resent toward the reporters. "I... I..."

"I don't think..." Clark jumped in but was interrupted by the insistent reporter.

"Apparently you didn't," the man said with an arrogant leer. "Tune in to the eleven o'clock news," he declared to their audience before he headed for the exit.

After several more flashes, the throng of reporters bolted for the door, apparently eager to find out the latest scoop on the Man of Steel.

Lois flashed her eyes angrily at Clark before leaving to say goodbye as the few guests left began to make their departures. There had been whispers when Clark had first entered, then all eyes were peeled as everyone waited for the Man of Steel to answer the reporters' questions. Now that the excitement was over, the small group was ready to leave. They were probably anxious to see the news and learn the latest scandal involving the city's resident hero. Luckily his parents had left some time ago and she wasn't forced to deal with this new development with them as an audience. The short time she'd known them had shown her that more than anything, she wanted their respect and approval. The way she felt at this moment, she wasn't so sure they'd give her either one. She felt as if she'd explode at any second.

Lois found Clark in the back corner of the gallery as she was cutting the lights. Obviously he had faded into the background.

"I thought you'd left," she told him flatly. She wasn't sure what she felt. She knew what she thought. She thought she'd never been so thoroughly humiliated in her life!

"Lois..."

"Fiance?" She almost shouted at him, her anger beginning to bubble to the surface. "I thought you and Lana were over?" He'd told her about Lana. She knew of their past, that they were close friends even now. He'd also told her that he and Lana hadn't seen each other in months.

"We are. We have been for a long time. We just never made an official announcement."

"Then didn't you think the media would have thought you were still engaged?" He shrugged helplessly. Lois huffed her indignation as she stomped toward the front of the gallery.

"Lois..."

"You looked shocked when he said she was pregnant."

"I didn't know."

Lois whirled around to face him. "Please tell me there isn't a possibility this baby might be yours." She was practically begging him to say it. If there was a chance, that meant that just mere weeks ago he'd shared himself with another woman. That thought didn't bode well for their budding relationship- at least as far as Lois was concerned. She'd done the betrayal bit before, with Paul. But Clark's stricken, apologetic expression told her all she needed to know. She snatched up her handbag and started for the door.

"Lois, please. Talk to me." He reached out to grab her elbow, but withdrew in surprise when she snatched away from him.

"Goodnight," she told him with finality as she held the door open for him. He closed his mouth, shoved his hands into his pockets, and headed through the door. He was met with more camera flashes and questions. He glanced around briefly before disappearing in a blur. Lois stepped through the door and stopped to turn the lock.

"Ms. Lane!"

"No comment!" She hurried through the crowd and down the sidewalk toward her building. It wasn't until she leaned back against the elevator wall that she allowed the hot tears stinging her lids to burst forth. How could she have been so stupid? There was no way he could care for her the way she did him. He'd been in another woman's bed just a short time ago.

And made it to yours in just days, her errant conscience pointed out.

I know, she yelled silently. She'd just never felt as incredibly alive as she had with him. Her body had physically ached to touch him, make love to him. And against all rational thought, she'd given in to those desires. Just as quickly her heart had raced behind. She'd been so sure there was something special between them after all they'd shared with one another.

Numbly she made her way into her apartment, flipping on the television. The last thing she wanted was to see her face plastered all over the news, but she had to know what proof they had. She was horrified when she recognized the short footage. It was taken during their brunch at the lake. The camera pulled in tight on several subtle exchanges between her and Clark. After seeing that, there was no way one could deny that there was something between the two of them.

But what made her ill was knowing who had taped that footage.

She stormed through the living room and pushed through Lucy's door without knocking. Her stunned sister's head snapped up from where she was hunched over the computer.

"What the hell have you done?!"

****

Clark had weeded his way through the throng of reporters outside Lana Lang's townhouse. He had intended to land on the roof and make a more secret entrance, but they had the roof staked out, too. He'd been hounded with questions he couldn't answer, so he'd kept his lips tightly closed. Thankfully, Lana answered on his second knock. He breathed a sigh of relief when they were behind closed doors. He made a precautionary sweep of the place with his super senses just to be sure there were no bugs. Satisfied they were completely alone, Clark skipped all pretenses and jumped directly into the fire.

"Are you pregnant with my baby?"

"Good to see you, too, Clark." Lana flipped her hair over her shoulder as she crossed the room to settle in a chair.

She was a difficult woman. Clark had always known so. She'd been a difficult child. But she'd known who he was and hadn't turned her back on him. She was demanding, impatient. She was also caring and gentle. He'd once loved Lana very deeply. He still cared about her, loved her as a friend. They'd known each far too long for him to turn his back on her. But she could be infuriating.

He sighed in frustration before he took the seat across from her. "Why did I have to hear about this from the media?"

"I wanted to be sure before I told you. Someone must have leaked it to the press."

Clark glanced down at his clasped hands. What the hell did he do now?

"I'm nearly two months," she told him softly.

It meant they'd made this baby when he'd visited her after a particularly difficult rescue. An apartment complex in mid-town had burned to the ground. Several children and a couple of elderly people had perished. His parents had been visiting his aunt Opal. Jimmy had been on an assignment in Mexico. He and Lana might have severed their romantic relationship, but she was still one of his best friends. He'd gone to her and she'd known what he needed. She'd offered him comfort in her arms. Then later he'd sought a different kind of comfort that she'd given just as freely. It wasn't something he'd done before or since, but it had been exactly what he'd needed at the time.

"We took precautions," he reminded her. That had always been something he'd insisted on.

Until another night...

Not now, he told himself.

"Obviously not enough," she retorted angrily.

He sighed heavily, too upset to think. "I... I don't know what to say," he managed in a cracked voice after a moment.

"I'm sorry you found out the way you did. I was going to call you this week." She turned away from him. "I was debating on what to do."

His head snapped up. What she hadn't said resounded loud and clear in his mind. "You didn't think there'd be a reason to tell me," he clipped out.

"Clark, neither of us needs this."

"You mean, you don't need this. Lana, you know what a child would mean to me." And she knew all too well. He'd revealed his fears to her long ago about being the last of his kind. Until recently he hadn't even been sure if he could actually impregnate an earthling. He'd allowed a friend at Star Labs to run a few tests and it had been discovered then that he was very compatible with earthlings. And other than Lois, Lana knew exactly what a child would mean to him.

"And what would it mean to me, Clark?" Her lip quivered slightly. "My life would effectively be over. I'd be hounded worse than ever."

"Isn't that being a bit selfish?"

"What?!" She thrust herself to her feet. "I can't live like that!"

"What about this baby?" Clark asked as he stood to face her. "He or she didn't ask to be brought into this world."

"Exactly!"

"It's my baby, too."

"It's my body!"

They stared one another down. Clark saw Lana clearly for the first time. "I can't believe you'd do this to me," he said dejectedly.

"And what do you propose we do? Play house? Pass the kid back and forth on the weekends? Oh, I know. We'll have your mom sew you a pouch in your suit."

"Lana..."

"Superman cannot have children!" She crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

Clark thrust his hand through his hair to keep from yanking some sense into her. "We can still get married," he finally relented. It was the absolute last thing he wanted to do, especially now.

"Clark," she whined as she paced across the room. "We don't love each other..."

"We do," he countered.

"Not like that," Lana told him with a sad smile.

"It will be enough," he insisted. It had to be.

"No, Clark. And your weekend with Lois Lane proves it."

"She has nothing to do with this!" His voice had taken on the forceful tone of his alter ego, his need to protect Lois, even from Lana.

"She has everything to with this," Lana told him softly. "I saw that footage. And I saw the looks you gave her. You never looked at me like that. Not once."

He sighed and glanced away from her, unable and unwilling to deny his feelings for Lois. Lana knew him too well. She could see what others couldn't. Of course, the emotions between him and Lois on that footage had been so open and raw, everyone could see what she meant to him. He looked back down at Lana when she placed her hand on his chest.

"You deserve to be happy."

"Killing my baby won't accomplish that."

"Having this baby won't either. It would drive a wedge between you and Lois you wouldn't be able to move."

"If she cares anything about me at all, she'll understand my need to have this baby." He'd thought she already understood his needs. He would have bet his life on it.

Lana just smiled sadly at her old friend, her hand cupping his cheek gently. "I promise I won't make a decision before I discuss it with you."

"Fine," he snapped and stalked toward the door.

"Clark, don't be like this," she whined.

"And just how am I supposed to be?!" he threw at her before he opened the door and zipped through without waiting for an answer. Behind him, Lana sank to the sofa, sighing softly. Good, he thought. She was miserable. Hopefully she was as miserable as was. How did he handle this? It was shocking enough to find out he'd fathered a child. It was devastating to learn that his supposed friend might terminate that pregnancy before it even started good.

He pointed his body and pierced through the air quicker than he ever had. He was angry, too angry to see or talk to anyone. He landed in the middle of the Arctic, frustration and misery flooding to the surface in a rush. He yelled out in anger. In a matter of days he'd gone from sheer elation to pure agony. He needed to talk to Lois, but obviously she'd made up her mind where he was concerned. Lying with her just days ago, he'd been so sure he'd found his other half. Now he felt as if he'd lost his very soul.

****

Lucy Lane had been so taken by her encounter with Superman that she'd taped several seconds of footage on her cell phone, not to mention the tons of pictures. She'd hardly made it home before the footage and pictures were plastered on her 'My Space' page for all her friends to see. If her sister was with the resident super hero, she'd be a big deal by default. She'd had no idea the demons she'd released with a simple push of a button.

Lois had to fight her way through the throng of reporters every morning to get to the gallery. She was followed to the market, the bank... everywhere. The constant questions about her being a home wrecker were starting to pierce her armor. After she'd gotten over her initial anger with Clark, she'd felt sorry for him. Lana had announced to the world that she hadn't decided if she was going to keep the baby. That announcement had nearly killed the Man of Steel. He'd tried hard not to let it show, but she could see it. She'd come to know him very well and she knew enough to know he was in pain.

She'd nearly called him, opting instead to speak with his mother. Martha had confirmed what she'd suspected. Clark viewed this baby as a solid connection to this world. For a man who was the last of his kind, that meant a lot. To lose that connection would destroy him. You can't turn your feelings on and off like a faucet, Lois declared. She'd fallen for Clark Kent and had fallen hard. Seeing him on the news day after day in so much pain was killing her. She'd made up her mind that she would go to his place after work. He needed to talk, needed someone to tell him everything would be okay. And she was pretty sure only she could bring him any kind of peace at all.

Pushing thoughts of Clark from her mind so she could make it through the reporters outside the gallery, she ducked her head and hurried inside. Lucy had opened up, so she didn't have to waste time unlocking the door.

Lois met the apologetic eyes of her sister. Lucy had been almost as miserable as she was since this whole thing broke. Lois had heard a million 'I'm sorries' from her little sister. After hearing all she could possibly stand, she and Lucy had spent an entire night talking, confiding in one another the way they'd never done before. Lois and Lois had renewed their friendship from her personal tragedy.

"You, ah, you have a guest," Lucy told her and waved toward the other end of the gallery.

Her eyes landed on two of the most pathetic brown orbs she'd ever seen. Clark rocked up on his feet, his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking for all the world like a small lost child.

"I... I needed to see you," he began.

Lois tore her eyes from his to look at her sister. Lucy took the hint and hurried from the building in silence.

"I'm sorry, Lois, about all of this." He waved his hand toward the windows where several photogs were glued against the pane snapping pictures.

She shot them a threatening glare before crossing the room to grab Clark by the sleeve of his jacket. She pulled him into what appeared to be a studio- a studio with all of the windows covered with blinds.

"I'm sorry," she told him after a moment. "You must be devastated about the baby."

His eyes looked as if they were about to fill with tears, and she had to fight the urge to reach out to him. "Yeah, well..." He let the rest of his sentence just trail off. He didn't have to say any more.

"Has she...?" God, how could she ask him that?

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Not yet? Then she is...?"

This time tears did fill his eyes and he looked away.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered again. She had to wrap her arms around herself to keep from putting them around him. There were things that needed to be said first.

"Lois," he breathed, pushing his hand back into his pocket as if he was scared he might touch her if he didn't. Suddenly studying the floor was more interesting than anything else in the room. "I miss you," he managed in a strangled tone after a brief silence neither seemed willing to break.

"I miss you, too," she admitted. That caused his head to snap up, hope flashing behind his eyes. "I said goodnight, not good-bye." What the hell was wrong with her? Suddenly rational thought kicked into overdrive. It reminded her that the last few days had been horrible. She hadn't been in this much misery after her break-up with Paul. She'd only known Clark a few days and he'd managed to rip her heart out. If she continued an association with him, how much more pain would he cause her?

Hadn't she had all of these arguments with herself? Hadn't she decided that she loved this man and that was all that mattered?

Self preservation just wouldn't allow her to kiss and make up, even if she had decided that he needed someone to talk to. His life was too complicated. He lived in the spotlight, and she wasn't sure that was a place she wanted to be. And something would happen sooner or later. Like Lana deciding to keep the baby. Where would she fit into that little world?

But for the life of her, she couldn't turn her back on what she felt for this man.

Just as quickly as hope flashed in his eyes, it was gone. "You don't deserve this."

"Deserve what? Your heart?"

"My complications," he replied. "You're already hounded relentlessly."

"And that won't change any time soon. They know you're here. What do think they'll make of that? And if we don't see each other after today? I'll be branded 'the fling'." She gestured with her fingers.

"And if we do see each other? Especially if Lana aborts this baby... you'll be branded 'baby killer'." He, too, gestured with his fingers. "Not to mention if she doesn't."

"So it's damned if we do, damned if we don't," she spat at him. He looked away again. All those arguments why she should just walk away from Clark Kent- they all made perfect sense. She *should* walk away. Rational thought never stood a chance against the heart though. "I'd rather have ten minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."

His anguished eyes met hers, begging her to understand- to explain it all to him. When he found no answers, he stepped forward and grasped her face so he could kiss her soundly. He pulled back to look at her. "Just know you had the power to move a Superman," he told her fiercely before he released her and disappeared.

Tears welled in her eyes because she knew he'd just said good-bye. Lucy found her huddled in the corner of the studio fifteen minutes later, her face red from crying.

"Lo..." The younger woman eased to the sofa her sister was on and pulled her into her arms.

A while later, Lois pushed away from Lucy and pasted on a brave smile. "He might be Superman, but he has no idea what he's given up," she said with more conviction than she felt.

Lucy gave her a sad smile.

"Come on," Lois managed. "We have a gallery to run." And with that she crossed over her despair. Refusing to allow misery a home any longer, she forced the fear and uncertainty from her body. She might never see him again, not the way she wanted to, but for a brief time, she'd loved and had been loved completely. She wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.