After LL left, the others came out from hiding.
“Why don't you let me do this,” Lane asked her, forestalling the others from saying anything.
Clark listened in silence, he didn't want – in any way – to come across as domineering or jealous in this matter. He would say his piece when he had collected his thoughts.
“I have to do this. She asked me. Besides, Kal-El knows of one set of doppelgangers – he doesn't know there are two. This gives us the element of surprise at having at least one weapon he doesn't know about.”
Kent and Clark winced at her use of the word weapon. Neither man wanted her to think of them as dangerous, yet they understood and didn't trouble her to change her terminology.
“You know what I mean,” she insisted softly seeing the quick flicker of discomfort in their identical gazes and they nodded. It was always so strange to watch them together – as strange as it must be for them to watch her and Lane. She grinned to herself for a quick moment.
“What's so funny,” Lane asked her wonderingly.
“We'd make a great synchronized swimming team...”
Lane smiled and nodded, understanding the point.
“Will you be okay,” Kent asked her worriedly, remembering his own disastrous experiences with her during his attempts at training her to put up barriers. Clark gave him a quick grateful look.
“I will, big brother,” she teased him. “Don't worry.”
“Seriously, Lois,” Clark asserted softly. “If you have misgivings - I know you want to go home, but please don't force yourself to do something that will hurt you.”
“Clark you've been wanting to link with him yourself, haven't you?”
“Wanted is too strong a word... but yes I'd feel more comfortable if I could get a personal read on him.”
“So why haven't you?”
“Because Lois doesn't trust me when it comes down to it, and the idea of asking her to allow me to do this... well, it seems premature. I figured eventually Zara would ask.”
“Despite all that, what do you think?”
“Zara thinks he's genuine, and from my link to Zara – I trust her. I have to trust her judgment.”
“Even though she didn't know what had happened in the beginning with him?”
“Yes. She's learned a lot over the years from that one mistake – she's paid dearly,” he added, suppressing a shudder at the memories of what Zara had shared. “I think she's as cautious as the other Lois when it comes to trusting him.”
“As cautious as I was to trusting you,” Lois asked Clark, her tone gentle but challenging.
“Perhaps not as cautious, but Zara is Kryptonian – so her ability to fight against an attack is much greater than yours would have been against me... I'm sorry -”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You're correct. You could have killed me instantly and horribly if you were so inclined. Zara can defend herself quite adequately against Kryptonian powers.”
Clark looked down, hating this conversation.
“I know you wouldn't have,” she hugged him hard, surprising him. They hadn't been together as man and wife since coming to this world and Clark had been very cautious about showing her physical affection of any kind – even when they were alone. He briefly wondered about the other two – knowing that they had no traumas to impede their intimacy – but would they have felt comfortable doing anything knowing that they could be heard by Clark – or even worse – by any of the other Kryptonians in residence?
He hugged her back gratefully and she felt a twinge of sorrow at having been so withdrawn during their time in this world. Being so close to where all her pain had taken place had left her feeling vulnerable and threatened most of the time, and while she would never have admitted it to either man, she tended to see the 'Kal-El' in them first before the Clark, here in this world, and it always took her a few moments to go back to being easy in their presence. Being constantly on edge like this had taken a toll on her ability to be free with her affections.
She pulled back and looked deeply into his eyes, taken aback by the pure love and acceptance she read in his warm gaze. Her heart swelled with returned love and she suddenly wanted him very much – in every way. But now was not the time for that. She contented herself with tracing a gentle hand down the side of his face, eliciting a grin from him, before she spoke again.
“Are you all right with my decision?”
He remembered how she had accused him of walking on eggshells. She had felt in some way diminished by his overtly caring manner. He wouldn't insult her by continuing that tendency here.
“I trust you to know what's right,” he answered.
“Good answer,” Kent said, breaking the moment with a bit of sly teasing. “It's a variation of 'yes dear'.”
“You're such a brat,” Lois grinned at her husband's double.
“I learned from the best,” he said easily, giving his own wife a wink. Lane responded by wrapping her arm around his waist as his own arm came around her shoulders.
“I'm scared,” she said, forestalling the question. “But that's no reason not to do this. How do you feel?”
“I'm scared,” Clark answered her honestly. “I'm afraid it will get in the way of what we have,” he admitted. “It was awful when you hated me... I don't ever want to risk going back there again.”
Lois had to fight from letting her mouth hang open in shock. Clark had just admitted to such a deep level of vulnerable fear about her feelings for him without trying to reduce the impact of his words.
She hugged him again.
“Thank you for that,” she mumbled against him. “I know it's not easy for you to share your feelings that way.”
“Bravery deserves at least an attempt at it's return ,” he answered her, holding her as tightly as seemed appropriate.
She tightened her hold on him and then stepped back again.
“I know that telepathy resonates with horror for the three of us,” Lois told Kent and Clark. “I know you all are worried I'll end up flipping out... you're just too gallant to say anything.”
“Or afraid,” said Kent, seriously. “But truthfully, Lois – are you sure?”
“I have to do this. So yes. I am.”
