I had to go and re-read to figure out where I was heading. Sorry for the delay, school is intense. All mistakes are my own, only borrowing for fun.

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Tao sat on the sofa in the suite, pouring over data on the murders, while the boys ate dinner at the table.

"We can stay in Boston." Vic spoke as he finished his steak. "There's something here, it will take time to dig it up." He spoke.

"Like?"

"A green trail." A.C added. "The friends I've talked to say there is an interesting spike in drug use and OD's that are hitting the major ER's here."

"And before you ask if we mind, we are offering. We know that you want to get Liscious back to Metropolis."

He just looked at his friends in amazement. "Thanks, I appreciate that." He smirked. "This Destroyer thing needs to take more of my attention." He shook his head.

"And if you need OUR help, we can be back quickly." Vic smiled. Tao closed his eyes and tilted his head. "And on that note," he laughed. "Come on guys we can go over this stuff in the morning." He spoke standing.

"But?" Bart protested.

"Bart?" A.C spoke. "Come on man, the boss man wants some private time with the boss lady." He grinned.

"Awe man." He pouted.

"Look, let's go out, grab a beer…" Vic spoke. A.C nodded. Bart sighed and nodded.

"Thanks." Tao spoke. The trio nodded as they left the suite. He smirked, piled all his paperwork and set it aside and then sprawled out waiting for Chloe to enter the room.

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Lois led Clark into the bathroom and helped him out of the suit and into the shower. She washed him from head to foot, paying attention to the parts in between. She then toweled him dry. The words his father spoke to him echoed in his head over and over again as she led him to the bed. Lois pulled back the blankets and hopped into bed. Clark crawled in and pulled her into the cradle of his body then pulled the blanket over them.

"Out with It already so you can sleep." She spoke and rolled to face him.

"In the morning…I promise." he smiled and kissed her.. "I love you Lane." She turned to face him and cupped his face in her hands.

"Love you too Clark." She whispered and kissed him gently and then she kissed him again, the kiss lingering.

Clark celebrated his day of super-heroing by making lazy love to Lois. He had drifted to sleep with her on his chest reveling in the warmth of her body, and the miracle of her love. He woke up a few hours later to the cacophony of sounds in the world. His mind able to filter the noise, the emergencies that were going on were easily handled by local emergency services. He sighed and was going to go back to sleep when a voice, a familiar voice was heard in the noise.

"She is innocent, can't you just leave her alone?"

"No, she is not innocent, she's a nuisance, one that should have been dealt with long ago. Now, you owe me a debt. You either pay up, or pay the price."

"I don't. I have no idea what you're going on about. I would never make a deal with the devil." The voice hissed.

"Tsk, tsk Mr. White. You should have hid your demons better. You may not have directly made a deal with me, but what I have on you will ruin you and your precious life. You have a week to get back to me…or your loved ones will pay." And the conversation ended.

"Great Ceasar's Ghost." Perry spoke to know one. "What the hell am I going to do?" he spoke and then went back to the elevator that led him from the roof back to the bull pen of the Daily Planet.

Clark wanted to fly right out of bed and go talk to Mr. White, but he needed a more subtle approach. He yawned and closed his eyes when he heard the distress call, this one he couldn't ignore.

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Lois woke to an empty bed. She yawned and stretched and laid there thinking about her Superman. She rolled over to face his side of the bed and saw a note.

"Sorry, had to leave. Will see ya later. Love Smallville"

She smiled. Her reverie was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. She rolled back to her night stand and looked at the screen. She had 33 new emails and 20 new text messages.

"What in the world?" she spoke and nearly dropped the contraption when it started vibrating in her hand, the Planet was calling her?

"Hello?" she spoke

:Lane!: Perry White bellowed.

"Sir?"

:I need you in here PRONTO. I took a chance and ran your article front page. You're a hit, kid. I need you to come in and do some follow up.:

"Sir.. I haven't had any coffee this morning so if you're messing with me…."

:Not messing around here Lane. See you in 45 minutes.: He spoke and ended the call.

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Tao watched as Chloe read the edition of the Daily Planet he had delivered with breakfast. "I can feel your….distress." He spoke drinking his coffee. "I'm sorry," he spoke.

"What on earth are you sorry for?" she spoke looking up at him.

"The problems on earth; that have come from another world."

"And you think I'm distressed about Lois getting the spotlight because of the article on Clark? Because of this grand rescue?" She asked holding up the paper.

"It's front page, princess," He shrugged. "I know that the paper is your first love….your passion. I…"

"It is or it was." Chloe set the paper down and looked at him square in the eye and then grinned. She then closed her eyes sending him very vivid images of what she would do to him if he moved the 4 feet over to her from where he sat. She sent love, warmth, regret was never in the picture. Chloe opened her eyes to see him standing right over her. "Yes? Something you want?" biting her lip. "Something…you…need?" she whispered.

He said nothing as he leaned and kissed her with abandon. He pulled her up his body and she climbed willingly. He then carried her back to the bedroom and laid them down on the bed. He on his back and she sprawled over him like a blanket. "Something…on…your mind?" she purred as she kissed his jaw.

"Gratitude." He spoke as she reached for waist of his pajama bottoms and slid her hand inside to grab hold of him.

"Really?" she asked purring. He could only nod as she began her teasing of his length with her delicate hand. "I may have held a passion for the paper my entire life…." She grinned as her stroking got more salacious, "But I have a new passion." She kissed the dimple in his chin. He then, in a breath, flipped them so she was on the bottom and he above her and had them both naked.

"I love you Tao son of the house of Ra." He closed his eyes as the depth of her faith hit him like a Mack truck. He kissed her lips gently then showed her with his body how well he understood.

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Lois walked into the bull pen of the Planet, with the entire room pausing to watch her.

"Ok people!" Perry spoke. "Get your gawking done now. We have a headline to work and follow up to do." He spoke and still the room was silent. "NOW!" he enforced and the room began to roar with activity. "Lane, in my office!" he spoke as he turned and headed into his office. Lois shook her head, wishing Clark was with her. She straightened her back and marched into the Lion's den. "Shut the door." Perry spoke from behind this desk. Lois did and sat down in a chair in front of the desk.

"Mr. White." She spoke.

"I'm not going to lie, Lane. I was just a little surprised that your story has gotten as much traction as it did."

"About the flying man? That makes news!" she protested.

"No not that, your story. Your computer has spell check, I suggest that you use it, religiously. The flying man is news. I think the competition is spinning this in our favor. He saved us at the Planet, we have a quote un-quote exclusive." He spoke.

"Now….Superman." he spoke.

"I know, hokey right?"

"Not at all. It's a moniker that's stuck. Besides he does have that big S on his chest. Listen, we need more, we need a lot more. The entire paper is devoted to this, from travel to fashion." Lois listened, getting more crestfallen. She was getting edged out of her first major story. It could be her only major story. Her career as a reporter here and gone in a Metropolis minute.

"Am…am I out?" she asked hesitantly.

"What? NO!." he spoke shaking his head. "I may be tough, but I'm no jerk. I didn't bring you in for that."

"Then I'm confused, sir. Why am I here?"

"Because Lane, what I really need for you to do?" he grinned as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Lois gave him the yeah…I'm waiting to here it…look. "What I would like for you to do? Is to land an exclusive interview with the man who can fly."

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Lana sat at the breakfast table, Lex—Zod had already left and he was in a foul mood. She sat and watched the news and read the paper and sank further into a depression. She had hoped, in some tiny space in her heart, that her high school love would forgive her… save her. She saw the video and shook her head. Reality sucked, for now she was truly one of the damned. Karma truly was a bitch.

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"Oh is that all?" Lois frowned.

"What's the matter Lane, don't like a good challenge?"

"Sir, I'm an army brat. Growing up, everything was a challenge. What you're asking…"

"Is impossible? Improbable?" he asked smirking while leaning forward resting his forearms on his desk.

"Sorry?" she asked confused.

"Maybe you just want to say thank you for the both of us for saving our lives?" he smirked.

"Like drawing his attention with a front page article? Reporter seeks hero for thank you?" she grinned.

Perry just shook his head and laughed. "Stick to writing the piece for now. See how it turns out…then we work on the head line." He grinned. Lois nodded. "Good. Now get to work." He spoke. Lois nodded again and stood and went to leave. "And Lane…" he spoke. She turned. "I know Chloe set the bar pretty high, but I think that she would be very proud of you…go get him kid." He spoke and then picked up his phone receiver, succinctly dismissing her.

Lois blushed, 'aw hell, Chloe,' she thought. She made her way from Perry's office to her cubicle that had been labeled with a piece of paper with her name haphazardly written down. She sat, pulled out her phone and dialed her cousin and immediately got her voice mail.

"Shortstuff it's me…look, we need to talk. Call me when you can. Please...Chloe, I'm so sorry. I love you, bye." She ended the call. She turned on the laptop on her desk and pulled up her word program and began to write.

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Hours later, Chloe and Oliver were on his jet waiting to head back to Metropolis. Chloe had had her phone off and was now listening to her voice messages before they taxi'd.

"So Lois called this morning, like 10 times." She spoke as she turned to Tao who was reading a file.

"And?"

"She says she's sorry." She shrugged. "Apparently I've given every one this impression that I'm some delicate flower." She shook her head.

"Or" he spoke looking over at her. "My fierce little warrior, she is only looking after your heart. She has no idea that you are maybe moving away from a lifetime of dedication and is only concerned about hurting your feelings, nothing more…nothing less." He winked at her.

"I know," She sighed. "You're right," she frowned.

"But?"

"Is it at all wrong that maybe..just maybe, I'm just a tiny bit jealous." She spoke frowning. Tao put aside his file and reached and pulled her onto his lap.

"No, there is nothing wrong with that at all. Princess, you spent years becoming this amazing reporter. I have read everything you ever wrote, that I could get my hands on. This isn't just bias talking. You truly are gifted. Then Lois starts and in a very short period of time she's already making a name for herself. It's completely reasonable to be jealous."

"But…"

"Again with the but…" he teased and kissed her cheek. "You are entitled to your feelings. However I can help you to work through them I will. Talk to her, tell her how you're feeling."

"I know I stepped away because of all the crap going on at the Planet, and what really scares me is that I'm not sure that I really want to go back. I haven't even been away that long…and now..it just doesn't feel like a priority for me." She shook her head confused. "I've spent an entire lifetime as a truth seeker. I wanted nothing else then to be at the Planet… to be the best,"

"And now?" he whispered.

"I just don't know." She shrugged. "Like these murders? I want them to stop. I get the implications. I've done a lot of leg work, a lot of investigating…but I haven't thought about writing an article on it…not really. And for me that's just odd. Have I lost my mojo? Does that make me a hypocrite? That I'm not sure I want that life anymore and I'm not over joyed for Lois who just reached out and grabbed it?" she looked up at him.

He cupped her face in his palm, and stared at her intently with his dark chocolate gaze. "Never." He spoke, using his boardroom voice. "And I won't allow for you to put yourself down like that."

"Tao."

"No." he spoke again shaking his head. "What you're feeling is absolutely normal. I would say that you are distracted at the very least." He smirked. "Maybe you just need time to re-find your passion for it again. If you do…wonderful. If not? Well then you find a passion for something else." She took a deep breath as if to speak. "The point is love, you don't have to decide now. Just talk to Lois, tell her how you feel. Don't let it fester." She sighed and smiled and kissed him warmly.

"Thank you husband."

"Any time, wife" he smiled. "Now, buckle up." As he set her back in her seat. "We are going to be taxiing soon."

"And when we get to Metropolis?" she asked.

"Let's see, we have to see a hero, find the destroyer, and defeat Zod."

"Oh is that all?" she grinned and placed her hand on his knee laughed.