~ღ~ Chapter Six: Love Bound by Sealed Doom ~ღ~

The Kryptonian and his love were awake; the connection had been temporarily interrupted, but the feeding continued. To keep it this way it would have to ensure that he would not find a way to permanently stop the transfer. Years amoung the humans had taught it many things, not only ways to avoid detection but to receive the right kind of attention. Time to use that knowledge and push the Kryptonian further from help, securing it's hold.

It was far easier then it would have thought, weak already the Kryptonian had not noticed what it took, what could be used against him. The law enforcers were scouring already believing the man himself to be at fault for the condition of his love. It had not intended that but it could use it. Watching patiently, it found that moment and sealed the Kryptonian's doom in the eye's of this naive law.

~ღ~

Once together, able to touch, it took all they had to not ignore her wounds, where they were at, and fall into each others arms in an embrace forever. Clark did not want to ever be separated from Lois again, and the worst of it was he knew he would. Sooner or later for whatever reason he would have to leave her side.

Lost in the simple touch of his face against hers, her hand in his, moments past with nothing said. Nothing needed to be said, not yet because it would mean coming back to reality and neither was quiet ready for the intrusion. Neither was fully aware that they had been left alone to have this moment in private.

Eventually, however, the unwanted reality eased its way to the surface of their thoughts. Clark ran the ends of her hair through his fingers wanting to ask her about what had happened but unable to find the words. Choosing to associate his lack of words with emotions rather then his current physical condition, facing the idea he was dying and unable to really protect her was something he could not deal with at the present.

Lois didn't need the ability to read minds to know what was going through Clark's. Brushing the curl that sometimes found its way to his forehead back, she lightly traced the contours of his face with her hand.

"Clark, I need you to tell me if you feel worse. we have to fight this.." He started to say something and she put a finger on his lip, she could tell by his eye's he was going to down play it. "No .. Don't you dare. I love you Smallville and I saw first hand what that thing could do.. so don't you pretend that its okay because its not, I know what it.. this thing.. is doing to you.."

Softly taking her hand from his mouth, he held onto it. "Lois, what.." he stopped, feeling a sudden flash of vertigo, blinking, everything came back into focus. To his relief, Lois hadn't seen it, he did not want to stress her. "What.. do you mean?"

Staring down at their hands, she took a deep breath, fighting both fear and pain. Even so, the fear of losing him won out over the fear this creature had placed in her soul. She looked up and met his eyes, "It wants to consume you.. it said ..it told me that you should die so it could have your strength, that it had already gotten to you before it grabbed me"

Clark could hear a touch of panic in her voice. Despite all her strength, she had just suffered a traumatic experience, and seeing the look of worry in her eye's made his chest ache.

"Babe.." He softly touched the side of her face where it wasn't scraped up, "Lois.. we'll figure this out. As you said, we will stop it, together!"

Lois gave him a slight smile in agreement, then shook her head softly, "Clark, it gets worse. The police... they want to question you.. they think you kidnapped me."

If it was at all possible, Clark went paler. "What.. why? "

"Oliver said it is because of you being here so soon .." she pulled him close feeling a desperate need to be wrapped in his arms, to hold him.

Hesitating at first, lest he should hurt her, he gave in after a second and gently wrapped his arms around her, feeling her bury her face in his neck. It had to of hurt her to be touched but he felt her breathing and heartbeat relax. Oh how he missed being able to feel and hear that beat properly, the way he use to. There was a tension that ran through him that he knew wouldn't leave till he was able to again.

He didn't let go until she pulled away, "Clark , this thing with the police, it's not proof.. it 'will blow over." She stressed the last words, hoping to quell any fears, he looked so weak.

"I hope so, Lois. .." It worried him, something inside told him that it wasn't going to be that simple.
Lois shared his fear even though she continued to say otherwise, "It will, Clark..it will. Remember we are in this together .."

She sounded so confident that he couldn't help but smile. " Yes we are.."

The moment was interrupted by Oliver who poked his head in, "Clark.. the detectives are here!"

Grabbing Clark's hand when he stood, Lois whispered as the detectives arrived to the room, "Smallville..I'll tell them. It wasn't you"

~ღ~

Peters didn't mind the night shift at the airport. The airport, while still busy did get a little less hectic and that tiny reprieve made it easy to clean. He had his routine, headphones in his ears, cleaning cart in hand he'd go through the restrooms, then empty the trash cans. It started out normal, typical messes to clean up, nothing unusual.

When he reached the trash cans just outside the airport he was surprised at what he found in the bin. Looking it over, through the trash bag, he was reminded of what happened the previous night with the reporter who had gone missing. Perhaps this was evidence that could help. With a heavy heart Peters brought it into the security office who then in turn called the police.

~ღ~

Clark sat at the table, trying not to tap his foot, wishing that he would quit sweating. He wasn't nervous with the cops or the interrogation he was in, but with what the thing was doing to him, it had him not only sweating buckets. he was feeling jittery and agitated.

"You have been repeatedly unable to account for your whereabouts Mr. Kent.." Detective Sinclair continued. His tone implying a deep dislike toward Clark.

The interrogation was going nowhere. Clark was contradicting himself because he couldn't tell the truth and the normal routine of just being quiet in the face of accusation wasn't going to cut it here. They had him cornered when it came to the lies, and Clark found himself grasping for something plausible to at least put doubts in their minds. He was innocent though the truth was clearly not on his side.

"Like I said I was out chasing leads.."

"Leads? before or after you took her.. Time to get your story straight Kent"

Clark felt a fire burn through him, they actually thought he took her. The thought of him hurting Lois like that, that they believed it aggravated his already sensitive nerves. It took a moment to find his voice and remain calm, his tone deep and low, "I was visiting my mother, and chasing leads for a story. Lois was working on hers here.. When I got the call I came."

"So you weren't home in metropolis.."

"No!"

Sinclair and Hernandez traded looks then Sinclair left. Leaving Clark alone with Detective Hernandez who gave him a thin sardonic smile, "Then why did you say you were.."

"I had just found out my wife had been missing and was hurt!" Clark exclaimed a little more forcefully then he intended.

"You know what I find interesting not one receipt, not one purchase during that time.. not one person who can say they saw you! " Hernandez was leaning forward now.

Clark closes his eyes and suppressed the urge to slam the table. He was beyond frustrated. "You can call and ask my mother, Senator Kent."

Detective Sinclair came back in the room bringing in a cart with a TV and VCR. He stood to the side watching Clark as Hernandez replied.

"Do you think its wise to involve her in your lies?"

No, Clark thought it probably wasn't. But he was feeling desperate, like he was going to crawl out of his own skin. His body burned with a fever, he ached and he could feel it all slipping away. It wasn't helping the looks they were giving him, like he was the biggest scum they had ever saw.

"I did not hurt my wife!"

"What did she do? Did you catch her in a lie?" Hernandez continued, digging, pushing, watching the sweat pour off the man, "Did she embarrass you, break you heart? did she cheat on you? Push you over the edge, you can tell us but the longer you hold out on.."

The detectives sentence remained unfinished for Clark lost it.

"I WOULD NEVER HURT HER I LOVE MY WIFE!" Unable to control himself he slammed his fist down on the table as he shouted, there was a resounding bang as the table cracked down the middle.

It went silent in the room. Hernandez stared at the table for a moment then back at Clark, who looked just as stunned by his own reaction.

"Do you have a temper Mr. Kent?" Hernandez began.

Sinclair added, "Sometimes love makes us do things we normally wouldn't.."

Clark sighed, "I didn't .. she's done nothing.. Lois is hurt, I want to be with her and this table, this was an accident." Normally Clark would have offered the the table was old suggestion but it didn't seem like the moment. But from the look in Hernandez eye's the cracked table was the least of his worries.

"Mr. Kent we have proof you are lying about visiting with your mother." Sinclair let the table and temper issue drop.

Shifting in his chair, Clark felt confused, "Proof.. what do you mean proof.. what Proof?" he rubbed his sweaty palms down his pants, noticing the way Sinclair looked at him. Great all this sweating was either making him look like he was lying or on drugs.

Hernandez nodded to Sinclair who hit play, "This.. recognize it ?"

Clark felt his heart drop as the tape began, showing him standing in the hall of the hotel. It wasn't super clear or up close, but it was enough that they could tell it was him. There was no sound and the role play game at her hotel room door took on a different context. It looked as if they were arguing, Lois hands on her hip, not letting him in at first, even slamming the door once in his face. But that wasn't so much the problem as the fact he couldn't explain away the simple fact he was there when he had said he wasn't.

They now had proof.

"Do you want your Lawyer now?" Sinclair said with a thin humourless smile.

~ღ~

Oliver watch the cops with Lois. He could tell by her face she was beyond livid, and from their reactions she wasn't saying nice things. What worried him was what it was doing to her health. They had promised to be kind, had approached so but their persistence in believing Clark had done this to her was a bit much.

Now to make it worse he was going to have to tell her that Clark was being held, that Oliver had just arranged for a lawyer to help get Clark out on bail. Watching her, he decided he had enough of them when Lois put a hand to her chest. Having gone significantly pale, her voice rising to such a level that told Oliver she was in need of a rescue from the mentally deficient cops.

"I'm TELLING YOU.. Clark did not do this.. I may not have seen who it was but It wasn't Clark!"
"Mrs Kent.. Please.."

"NO You please!" She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, "I was there.. I felt what this Monster did to me.. and I know Clark it was not him!"

"I'm sorry Ma'am" The young female cop said patiently, " .. we only need to know what you remember.. "

"I remember getting ill in the airport and waking up in a box with some strange voice talking to me. Now you should be out there looking for the creep who did this.. Not spending your energy after the one man I know i can trust!" her eye's had gone red rimmed, her body shook she couldn't help it.

The idea that they were so determined to turn Clark into the monster had her beyond upset and with everything hurting and the world feeling like it was spinning. It was all she had to not start throwing pointy objects at them.

"Lois, Lois relax!" Oliver came in ordering softly, brushing past the officers, not bothering to hide the dirty look he flashed in their direction.

Lois started to break down at the sight of him which only made her angrier at the cops. "Get out.. I don't want to talk.. get out!" she started to yell while the blood pressure monitor began beeping wildly, then she gasped from the pain in her chest.

Oliver hit the nurse button and glared at the cops.

Having not wanted to upset her, the officers retreated though it was to late, Lois had gone into a panic attack. Shaking violently, she gasped for breath, trying to get out of the bed. The nurses came, forcing Oliver to step back, he wanted to help but could only watch as they worked to calm her down, eventually sedating her.

How could he tell her that Clark wouldn't be at her side tonight, there was just no way she could handle it.

~ღ~

Aching was not a general feeling Clark was accustomed to, but at the moment it was all he felt , along with a profound sense of vertigo. The cell bunk was killing his back, his glasses felt heavy, his clothes were soaked with sweat. He was fairly certain that he smelled awful and the hours passed with a growing anxiety in the pit of his stomach.

What if he fell unconscious again? How was Lois doing? These thoughts rang through his head rolling over and over. Interrupted only by the a sinking feeling that would come on suddenly.

Each time he would grasp on to the bunk and fix his stare on the ceiling, trying to keep a hold of reality. It wasn't like vertigo which was bad enough, no this was something else, more like the darkness that he and Lois had been in. it was as if the darkness was trying to reclaim him, he could not, would not go.

Especially not here because if he had another seizure it would only make things worse, if not dangerous.
When the spells hit, he would picture Lois in his mind, envision her face in the pitting of the cell ceiling, imagine he could hear her belting out a Whitesnake ballad. Thinking of her made him feel grounded, able to fight off the darkness.

A bit ago he had met Oliver's lawyer who had reassured him that by morning he would be out on bail, he hoped so. Not only for his present condition but in case he was needed as Superman. So far he hadn't gotten any significant twinges on that front but at any moment that could change.

Musing on this Clark suddenly felt like was falling. Thinking it was like before he clenched the sides of the bed, causing the metal to groan. Staring hard at the ceiling he began to imagine Lois again, only this time everything faded out despite his best effort.

"Krytponian.. fight all you want ..You are mine.. "

There was the cold black and the sensation of eternity spread out before him.

"No!" Clark yelled into the darkness.

"It is either you or her.. you can not save you both"

Clark knew, felt that it had no intention of letting him go but with her..if there was a way to save Lois, then he had too. "I won't let you hurt her.."

"I already have.. I'll continue too. You.. Krytponian can do nothing to stop me"

Then it was gone and the ceiling was back. Breathing deeply, feeling a shiver run through his tired and weak body, Clark prayed that morning would come soon. Some how they had to find answers, he had to protect Lois.

~ღ/ღ~

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