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Broken	By : MidnightBard Category: G through L > Lois & Clark Views: 2191 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Lois had been right.
                The following days spent inside the stuffy courtroom were definitely easier for Clark to bear. That wasn't to say that he found them painless. It was still uncomfortable, sitting there, hour after hour as arguments were made to get Alex off the hook on his insanity plea, and as others strove to prove that Alex was indeed a sane man, albeit a very sick-minded one. But at last, the final day of the hearings came.
                Jeff Kingston made a passionate plea to the members of the jury, stressing that his client was not a well man. How could anyone, he asked, who was remotely sane do the things it was said that Alex had done? The notebook, he argued, was proof of that. After all, wouldn't a sane, rational man destroy the evidence of his crimes? Why would a sane man keep such a damning record?
                Mayson appealed to the jury's common sense. She quickly rehashed the facts of the case to them, glossing over the testimonials Clark, Ryan, and Denny had provided. She touched on the notebook briefly, reminding the jury that everything in the book had been as Alex had written it - not a single body had been found missing in a location, and that the DNA tests had proven that each victim matched the one named in Alex's record. She reiterated what most of the doctors had said - that their interviews with Alex, as he'd sat awaiting trial, had pointed to the alarming fact that, in their expert opinion, Alex Harwood was not only sane but completely unrepentant for what he'd done. She asked them to help ensure that justice was served.
                A plea was made for the death penalty, from the parents whose children had been so brutally murdered by Alex. Clark wasn't sure what he thought about that. His very gut instinct was to always, always oppose the ending of a life, no matter what the circumstances. His parents had been very vocal about their disapproval of court-mandated death. He'd always felt the same way. Wasn't life what he stood for? Both as Clark Kent and as Superman? Wasn't murder simply murder? After all, it was the premeditated ending of a life.
                And yet...
                He could not help but to feel nothing but distaste for the life which hung in the balance. Alex had raped and killed so many innocent children. He'd tried to do the same to Ryan, one of the sweetest, most polite kids Clark had ever known. And Alex had gotten to Denny. Clark had gotten there too late to stop Denny from being violated, and he'd only just gotten there in the nick of time to save the boy's life. Surely, if anyone deserved death, it would have been Alex, wouldn't it?
                He knew Alex's type. Life in prison, or in a mental institution, would never change him. And Clark had to believe that even if Alex's life was spared, he would be found guilty and sent to jail, though he would be assigned someone to watch over his mental health. He could not - would not - believe that Alex would ever roam freely again to continue his sadistic ritual in other states with other children.
                No, life in prison would not change Alex. He had no remorse for his actions. He'd invented "legitimate" reasons to justify what he'd done. If he was sent to jail, he would merely sit in a cell for all the rest of his days, getting fed three meals a day, having clothing provided to him, and possibly earning privileges if he behaved - a television in his cell, for example. He would even be placed in protective custody, well away from the other inmates. Clark knew only too well from his experience as both a reporter and a superhero, that people who did the kinds of things Alex did to children never lasted long in prison if they were allowed among the general population. Somehow, someone would kill him, likely in a brutal and violent manner. It never ceased to amaze Clark how inventive and effective homemade weapons in a prison could be. Or how much collective hate there was for child molesters. Even inmates who normally warred with one another were almost always united in their intolerance for people like Alex.
                Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Clark, it was time for the jury to deliberate. As they had on the first day of the trial, Lois and Clark went to the small diner nearby, mostly because Lois was craving one of their "famous" chocolate shakes. Clark couldn't argue against that. Even with the wind-chill plunging the temperature into the teens, one mention of the thick, rich shake had his mouth watering.
                As they sat eating their food - a barbeque chicken wrap for Clark and a plate of chicken tenders for Lois - the Harwoods entered the place. Clark swallowed the bite of food he was chewing and nodded subtly in their direction, letting Lois know of their arrival.
                "Either they're stalking you or we need to find a new place to eat," Lois muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed.
                "Lo-is," Clark quietly chuckled, though the same thought had crossed his mind as well.
                The couple sat several booths away from where they were, and Clark hoped they would remain as coldly distant as they seemed. He tried to ignore them as he took another bite of his wrap. The food was quite good - he hadn't tried this particular sandwich before. But the presence of the Harwoods had darkened his mood somewhat. Lois noticed and touched his hand.
                "Don't let them get to you," she said. "They aren't worth the aggravation."
                "I know," Clark acknowledged with a sigh. "And I won't, so long as they leave me alone."
                "Maybe Superman should tell them to back off," Lois jokingly suggested. "I hear he's very protective of you."
                Clark laughed as he swallowed a bite of his wrap. "He would, if it wasn't against his nature to intimidate people who aren't criminals."
                "Oh please," Lois said, sipping her shake. "They're close enough to criminals. Treating you so badly, ignoring you, turning a blind eye - willfully or otherwise - to what their son was doing."
                Clark shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Lois, and you know it."
                Lois slumped her shoulders a little. "Yeah, I guess so."
                Clark swallowed the last bite of his wrap and gestured to his plate, which now housed only a handful of fries. "This was good. I think you'd like it," he said, switching the subject but retaining the same hushed tone.
                "Maybe next time," she said, shrugging.
                When their meal was over, Clark paid the bill at the register, then went back to the table with his change in hand. He left it all as a tip, knowing he was giving a gracious amount. Then he took Lois by the arm and escorted her out of the establishment. Confidently, he stepped past the table where the Harwoods were just receiving their meals.
                "Probably on his way to ruin someone else's life," Clark heard Lillian mutter venomously under her breath as he made it to the next booth over.
                His free hand clenched tight, but that was the only outward sign that he made that he heard the remark, though he could feel the muscle in his jaw tick, as it always did when he tensed up. He only hoped that after the trial and sentencing was over, he would never see the couple ever again. Though he did not like to hold grudges, he wasn't sure if he could ever truly "forgive and forget" when it came to Alex and his parents. He simply wanted them removed from his life once again and for always.
                "Are you okay?" Lois asked, as they left the diner and went out into the freezing air outside.
                "I will be," he answered in a non-committal way. There was no reason to upset Lois with Lillian's scathing remark. "Let's just get back to the Jeep and check in with Perry like he asked." He glanced at his watch. "We'll tell him that we'll get the murder-suicide story from early this morning in before the paper goes to print for the morning's edition."
                An hour later, Lois and Clark sat side by side in the crowded courtroom. The members of the jury all filed in from a separate entrance off to one side, where they had been sequestered throughout lunch. A primly dressed black woman addressed Judge Grimes when he asked if they had reached a verdict.
                "We have, your Honor," she replied in a soft Louisianan accent. "We have found the defendant..."
                For a heartbeat, she paused and took a breath. Clark's heart stopped in that instant, his every nerve on a knife's edge. His muscles tensed without a conscious thought telling them to do so. His breath stuck in his lungs, unable to escape. His grip on Lois' hand tightened - not enough to hurt her - and he felt her return the squeeze.
                "Guilty," the juror finally said.
                An audible sigh of relief swept the room, from those who had testified and those who had gathered just to watch. Clark felt his breath leave him in a rush, mingling with that sigh. Apparently he had not been the only one holding his breath while the woman had paused, brief as it was. He felt the tension melting away again.
                They'd done it.
                Everyone who had testified against Alex had not done so in vain. Their stories had convinced the jury of Alex's guilt - and rather quickly too. Clark had bared his soul - his darkest secret - and had helped to finally put this tormentor behind bars where he belonged. He was unhappy that the world knew now the things Alex had done to him, but it was worth it, knowing that the man would finally be held accountable for the things he'd done. Relief flooded him and Lois excitedly squeezed his hand again, several times in rapid succession, a silent celebration that her fiancé's abuser would now face justice.
                The thin black juror went on to list every charge that had been leveled against Alex. Twenty charges of murder, twenty-two charges of rape, and one of attempted rape. At the end of each one, she pronounced him guilty. The jury hadn't bought into the insanity plea. They had found the man as Clark had - disturbingly sane and twisted in each case of rape and murder, and the attempted rape of Ryan.
                By the time she was finished speaking, the weight of the cosmos seemed to have lifted from Clark's shoulders. He'd only been dimly aware of it before; now that he felt it recede, he realized how heavy it had been. It made him realize, with sharp, sudden clarity, just how much he'd been carrying in his heart and mind.
                "All right," Judge Grimes said, nodding, as the juror finished and sat again amongst her peers. "Let's reconvene tomorrow morning for sentencing."
                Clark barely heard the man's remarks. He stole a glance at Arnold and Lillian instead. They looked devastated. Part of Clark understood that Alex was their baby, and they would always care what happened to him. The other part of him wondered why they cared so much now, when it had seemed clear to him during the months living with the Harwoods that they didn't care enough about him to spend time actually interacting with their son. Arnold turned slightly toward Clark and gave him a hard glare that Clark chose to ignore. Instead, he kept his gaze steady and neutral, until at last the man turned his eyes away.
                Clark looked next to Alex. His face was unreadable and utterly expressionless. He merely stared ahead of him, at the judge, though his eyes betrayed a sort of faraway look, as if he were seeing right through Judge Grimes. Clark thought, if anything, Alex had kind of a blank look in his eyes. Perhaps he was in disbelief that he'd been found guilty - Clark really couldn't tell.
                As everyone left the courthouse for the day, the normally quiet and somber crowd was animated. People excitedly talked over one another, creating a constant wave of buzzing sound. They nearly drowned out the steady stream of questions that the reporters shot, rapid-fire, at Clark and the others who had testified.
                "Mr. Kent!" he heard one woman calling as he tried to make his way out the door of the building and into the overcast late afternoon. He tried to ignore her. "Mr. Kent!" she called again. "How do you feel about this afternoon's verdict?"
                Clark didn't even turn his eyes in her direction, pretending not to hear her. He wanted to get home and enjoy the sensation of knowing that his testimony had done some good after all. He wanted to be with Lois - eating dinner, relaxing on the couch, reading together in bed - anything but rehashing the verdict with a stranger. He politely pushed past her as she repeated her question.
                Outside, he continued to dodge the questions that came flying at him from all sides. He strategically placed himself and Lois in the middle of the throng of people going down the steps to the sidewalk, giving them some buffer space between themselves and the news outlets. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped. Some reporters somehow missed them in the crowd, being too busy, perhaps, with trying to talk to those closest to them. Most still spotted him and flung their questions at him in ever louder voices. He pretended not to hear them amid the nearly dizzying swirl of voices around him.
                It was a godsend when he finally made it to the Jeep and closed the world off behind the door as he shut it. He leaned heavily into the backrest and looked pleadingly at Lois.
                "Please, get us out of here."
                Lois checked for oncoming traffic and pulled away from the curb, much to Clark's immense relief.
                "Just one more day of this circus," Clark muttered, more to himself than to Lois. "One more day and maybe the media will lose interest in me, as well as all those other poor kids and families."
                "Maybe," Lois said dubiously.
                Clark sighed. "It's not that I blame them. They're doing their job, same as you and I would be if it wasn't for how close we are to the story. It's just that I hate being so...exposed. I've never really enjoyed being in the spotlight."
                "Funny thing for a man who wears a skintight blue unitard and a red cape in public to say," Lois lightly ribbed him.
                Her joke had its intended effect as Clark cracked a thin smile. "Yeah, well..." His voice trailed off as he shrugged. "I only tolerate that because it's easier to have Superman in the limelight than trying to hide in the shadows, the way Bruce did with Batman."
                Lois nodded but said nothing, knowing the subject of Bruce Wayne was still a sensitive one for Clark. He'd never quite reconciled his friend's death within himself.
                "Anyway, just one more day," Clark repeated. "One more day and hopefully Alex will never breathe the free air again."
                "I'm sure he won't," Lois said soothingly. "The list of charges against him is pretty hefty. And the jury didn't buy his insanity plea."
                "I know," Clark said, nodding. "But, I don't know, I guess I won't relax until I hear the sentence."
                "I know what you mean. I couldn't accept my parents' divorce until they actually said the words...halfway through the process."
                Again, Clark nodded. "Exactly. Hearing it will make it real for me, I think."
                They drove in silence for a while, until they reached Clark's apartment. He walked a little ahead of her, unlocking the door before she could reach the few steps that led to the outdoor landing, though he allowed her to enter first. It was nice and peaceful there, Clark noted gratefully. After a full day in court, each night when he and Lois had returned home, it had been a blessing to enter the quiet solitude of the apartment. He went straight to the kitchen and started to prepare a meal - roasted chicken breasts with carrots and broccoli - and only stopped to change his clothing when the food was in the oven and beginning to cook.
                He uncorked a bottle of wine - one of the more expensive ones in his small collection - and poured two glasses. He'd been saving the bottle for a special occasion. Now, knowing that Alex would not escape justice, he felt there was hardly any better of a reason to indulge in the wine. He had a different bottle hidden away for their wedding night, one he had painstakingly selected after he and Lois had first made love and he had become confident in his ability to be a complete husband to her. He hadn't told Lois about it, nor had he displayed it in the wine rack in his dining area. He wanted to surprise her with the vintage bottle.
                As they ate, they turned their attention to some of the other stories they had for Perry. It was still unknown when Lex Luthor and his wife would be tried for their involvement in Intergang and the missing funds from the Safe Haven shelters. With the Harwood case, everything else - even the famous billionaire - had taken a back seat in the courts.
                When it was time for bed, Clark pulled Lois into his arms and kissed her tenderly. The verdict of the trial had released a lot of the tension he'd been carrying, which had also been stifling his desire to be intimate. But now he felt it all come rushing back to him. His body instantly responded to her as they kissed. In what felt like mere seconds, his sleep shorts felt unbearable tight, but he kept his hands running up and down Lois' back and in her hair as they kissed. Her hands roamed freely, feeling every inch of his chest and stomach. When they finally made it down to the tent at the front of his shorts, he was already beginning to ache with need.
                "Someone's feeling good tonight," Lois purred at him.
                "Mmmhmm," was all Clark could hum in agreement.
                "Well then, what are you waiting for? Lose the shorts, Flyboy," she teased, giving his hardened member a gentle squeeze to encourage him to move faster.
                Clark hurried to comply with her demand, using only a fraction of his super speed as he divested himself of his shirt, shorts, and briefs. Lois, meanwhile, worked at her own clothing, shedding each piece and dropping it off the side of the bed to flutter haphazardly to the floor. As always, her nakedness mesmerized him. He sucked in a breath, marveling at her body.
                "How did I get so lucky?" he whispered, just loudly enough for her to hear.
                "You haven't even begun to get lucky tonight," she teased with a wink.
                A low growl, deep in his throat, was his only response. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her close. She let him, giggling at the possessive, but gentle, way he handled her. She playfully ran her hand over his straining member, making him moan again.
                "Like that?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
                "Sweet torture," he replied, a grin playing across his features.
                "Would it be okay with you, if I had you just lay back and let me handle things?" she asked, lazily stroking his shaft.
                In any other circumstance, it might have been an awkward question. But Clark was touched by Lois' sensitivity to his lingering wounds. She wanted to be sure that if she took control, he wouldn't flash back to being Alex's helpless victim.
                "Yes," he croaked out. He wanted nothing more than to feel the weight of Lois' body pressed against his, skin to skin, as they made love. "Please, Lois."
                He started to move so that he could better access Lois' most sensitive areas, but she pushed a hand to his chest. He allowed the gentle force to still his movements and force him back into the pillows.
                "No," she said with a mischievous smile.
                "No?" he asked, unable to comprehend that single word.
                "No," she repeated. "You just lie there and let me take care of everything," she said in a sultry voice.
                Not one to complain, he nodded in silent agreement.
                "Good," she said, her grin widening.
                She slithered down his body until her head was at his throbbing manhood. She licked the tip of his shaft, making him squirm with delight. She moved onward, paying special attention to the underside of his manhood, eliciting soft moans of pleasure from him. From root to tip and back again she went, leaving no spot of his flesh unattended. Then she took him into her mouth. She bobbed her head in a slow rhythm, gripping the remaining length of him that she could not house inside of her mouth. Head and hand worked in tandem, stroking him and goading him into an even harder state.
                He gasped as the flared head of his penis hit the back of her throat. It felt so good, so right, to allow her to set the pace and have her way with him. His heart swelled with love for Lois even as he grew perilously close to his release. She must have sensed it. Her pace quickened and her free hand cupped his unattended balls.
                That was Clark's undoing. With a cry, his shaft twitched and pulsed, sending his seed down Lois' waiting throat.
                "Oh, God," he said, when his breathing returned to some semblance of normalcy. Then, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he apologized.
                "I wanted you to," Lois said, giving him a knowing smile. "You don't have to apologize for everything, you know."
                "It just felt so good," he continued. "You make me feel so good."
                "And it's not over yet," she said. She squeezed his penis, now at half mast. "Think you have another round in you, Superman?"
                The look she gave him was enough to melt all his hesitations and rekindle his ardor. He felt himself growing ready again.
                "I think I can manage," he said with a wink.
                How did she have such an effect on him? He sometimes wondered about that. Her touch soothed him, put his mind at ease, made his heart race, and kept him ridiculously calm at the same moment. He craved her touch the way he craved air after too long a time spent holding his breath.
                Lois lay next to him, stroking him with her hand, making him ever harder. Clark turned a little to face her. She kissed him, never ceasing her gentle fondling. Clark could taste himself on her lips and tongue. It should have made him uncomfortable, but knowing that it was Lois, and what she had allowed him to do, only made it incredibly erotic for Clark. He slipped a finger between her moist folds as they kissed, only to find her already slick with desire for him.
                Encouraged, he thrust the digit inside, carefully stroking her inner walls until she squirmed with desire, the same as she had done to him. She moaned into his mouth and lightly squeezed his penis, letting him know to increase his pace. He happily obliged, thrusting with greater speed, though he still kept it somewhat slow to prolong the experience for them both.
                "Lay back," Lois finally said, breaking their kiss.
                Clark withdrew his finger and lay back into the pillows as she'd requested. A second later, she straddled him, her legs to either side of his hips.
                "Okay?" she asked, still concerned that she might spook him by taking control.
                "Better than okay," he confirmed, his entire body aching with the need to be joined with her.
                "Good."
                She grasped his hardened shaft and guided it to her entrance. Clark gasped in pleasure as she sank down onto him until she was fully sheathing him. He didn't think he'd ever been so deeply inside her before. He let out a moan of approval.
                "You feel so good," Lois whispered into his ear.
                She had to lean forward to do so, thereby sliding herself along Clark's length.
                "God, Lois, so do you."
                She smiled and started to move, setting a quick rhythm. Clark was glad for that. Even with his recent orgasm, he was swiftly getting close to the edge once more. He guessed Lois was too, from the way she refused to take it slowly. She leaned forward as she moved, kissing his lips, neck, and nibbling at his earlobe. The sound of her husky breath in his ear further excited him and sent little shivers of pleasure shooting down his spine and directly into his groin.
                His hands moved to her back and behind, roaming aimlessly but desperate to touch every part of her skin. He tried to lift her body so that he could add his own momentum to their love-making, but she gently pushed his chest, telling him to stop. It was clear that she wanted to be completely in control, to make him orgasm without any help. He couldn't argue with that, so he brought his hands to her breasts and gently kneaded them. Her nipples were already rock-solid, and she gasped when he flicked his thumbs over the hardened nubs.
                Her pace increased again as she rocked herself along his shaft. He could tell she was close to her release.
                "Come for me," he urged her.
                She didn't need his encouragement. A second later, he felt her shudder and contact around him as her cry rent the air. She tossed her head back as she did so and her back reflexively arched. That was all the invitation Clark needed. He let go of the self control he'd been holding onto with a steel grip. He joined her as she climaxed, spilling himself deeply within her. His cry mingled with Lois', even as hers trailed off and died.
                Stated, Lois collapsed into Clark's waiting embrace, though she remained impaled on his slowly retracting member. She laid her head on his chest. He could hear the rasp in her breathing as her heart continued to race, knowing that he was in a similar state. He wrapped his arms around her lithe frame and held her closely.
                "Thank you," he whispered into her hair as he leaned in to kiss her.
                She hummed in acknowledgement of his words.
                Much later, they finally both drifted off to sleep, still naked and entangled in each other's arms. It was, for Clark, the most amazing feeling in the world. He never got tired of having Lois in his arms as they settled in for the night and allowed sleep to claim them. It brought him a peace and sense of completion that he'd never known.
                For the first time in what felt like weeks, Clark slept soundly. No dreams haunted him. No noises jarred him from his slumber. Not even a cry for help came in to rouse him from his rest. He awoke feeling refreshed, though a cold knot of worry sat heavily in his guts. Today would determine what punishment Alex would face.
                Would he be granted a reprieve from death? Would his remaining years be spent living in a prison, locked away from society, and, likely, from other inmates? Would he spend the rest of his life looking over one shoulder, expecting his fellow prisoners to attack - and possibly kill - him at any moment? And Clark had no doubts that Alex would be murdered in prison if the other inmates ever got their chance to lay their hands on him.
                Or would Alex's life be cut short? Would the judge call for his execution? Would a lethal mix of drugs be injected into the man's veins, only to stop his heart from continuing to beat? Would his organs be forced to fail, one by one, until nothing but the shell of his body remained on the table, and spectators watched in morbid curiosity? Would the Harwoods watch their son depart from this life? Would Alex's death bring any peace to those who had lost their children at that hands of that monster?
                Clark tried to shove away his thoughts as he dressed in a somber charcoal suit, but they persisted, regardless of his wishes. As on other days, he found himself unable to stomach any food, but he willingly cooked a breakfast for Lois. He didn't even attempt coffee for himself, knowing it would be a futile effort.
                On the way to the courthouse, he sat silently. Even Lois seemed a little nervous. Her usual tendency to yell at the other drivers on the road was noticeably absent, even when a tan SUV almost sideswiped her Jeep as the driver changed lanes. Oddly, it was a relief to him when they finally took their seats in the courtroom. At least the uncomfortable silence was expected in that place, though he heard the hushed whispers of many of those who sat waiting to hear the sentencing.
                Clark threw a glance back over his shoulder as the time ticked ever closer to nine am, when Judge Grimes was expected to enter the courtroom and deliver his sentence. The room was packed beyond anything that he'd yet seen for that particular trial. Every seat was taken, the people all without enough room to do so much as lift their arm to scratch their nose. The back wall was ringed with a double line of people, both media and non-media alike. Clark slipped his glasses down his nose, just enough to peer over the lenses in as subtle a way possible. He x-rayed through the closed doors of the courtroom and saw the hallway beyond similarly stuffed with people waiting to see what Alex's fate would be. He slid the glasses back up and turned around.
                "Some crowd," he murmured to Lois, just loudly enough for her to hear.
                She nodded, throwing a look around the room as well. "Yeah."
                "All rise for the honorable Judge Grimes," the court officer said, standing watch at the door to the judge's chambers.
                There was a shuffling of movement as everyone seated rose to their feet in respect. All but the slightest of whispers died out in the room, leaving a nearly dead silence. Clark could hear the faint buzzing of the overhead lights in the room, droning on in the sudden quiet. He stood with the rest, his hands clasped before him, outwardly appearing calm but nursing a ricocheting heart inwardly. The door to the chambers opened and Judge Grimes, in pristinely ironed robes, entered the courtroom.
                "You may be seated," he said in a benevolent tone, gazing out at the packed room, though not even a distant shadow of a smile could be seen in his features.
                Everyone sat, though the tension in the room only grew. Clark shot a look over to where Alex sat. As he had on the previous days, the man showed absolutely no emotion. He simply sat, staring ahead at the judge, almost daring him to pass his sentence. It was a cold look that Clark had almost begun to expect from Alex, though it still chilled him to the bone to see how passive and disconnected the man seemed to be toward his future, as well as to his past crimes.
                From his seat, Judge Grimes paused and looked over the room, his gaze finally settling on Alex.
                "We are here this morning for the sentencing of Alex Harwood. Alex," he said, fixing the man with a steady, unflinching gaze, "you have been found guilty by a jury of your peers on every account. And, I must say, I agree with their judgment. I've been a judge in this great city for forty-seven years now, and before that, an attorney. Never, in my collective fifty-five years in this courthouse, have I come across a case like this. And I've seen some horrible cases in my time."
                He paused and coughed into a handkerchief. Clark could tell from the man's slightly congested sounding voice that he probably had the beginnings of a cold.
                "Only once before have I ever passed a death sentence," Judge Grimes went on to say. "Today, I am passing that sentence for the second time. Alex Harwood, I hereby sentence you to die by lethal injection on a date yet to be determined, in accordance with New Troy state law."
                The courtroom erupted into noise. Shocked gasps, prayers of relief, neighbors commenting on the unusual sentence all filled the air. Rarely had any judge in the city's court system issued the death penalty. For his part, Clark wasn't sure how to take the news. On the one hand, another life would end. On the other, Alex was not an innocent, nor could he ever harm one ever again.
                Lois gripped his hand all the harder, letting him know she felt as he did.
                "Order! Order!" Judge Grimes said, rapping his gavel on his desk.
                Everyone quieted down, even if the room did not become completely silent again.
                The judge looked at Alex's lawyer. "You are aware of his rights?"
                "Yes, your Honor," Jeff Kingston said, nodding and looking none too pleased with the turn of events.
                "Good." The judge cleared his throat. "As for the demands made by most of the families of the victims for monetary compensation, I hereby grant their request. We will reconvene in one week to settle the details in a private meeting. Court is adjourned." He looked to the police officers who stood to one side, ready to take Alex back to prison. "You may take him."
                As the judge stood and made his way back to his chambers, the room again exploded into conversation. Lois and Clark took the time to sneak out before the media could have the chance to bombard him with questions. Arnold and Lillian had done the same as them, getting out of the room with all speed.
                Outside, a light snow had begun to fall. Lois and Clark's breath steamed in the air as they put their backs to the courthouse.
                "You little bastard!" Arnold called out to Clark as he quickened his pace to catch them. "You son of a bitch! I hope you're happy."
                Clark wanted to ignore them, but couldn't. He stopped mid-step and turned to his former foster family.
                "Excuse me?" he asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. He'd hoped he'd had the last contact with them.
                "You heard me, you little piece of shit. Are you happy now?"
                "Our son is going to die. And you're the one to blame," Lillian put in.
                "Clark did nothing of the sort," Lois said, jumping in to defend him.
                "Alex has only himself to blame," Clark said, struggling to keep his anger down. "He's the one who raped and murdered helpless kids."
                "All Clark did was tell the truth," Lois added.
                Lillian snorted derisively. "You mean that sack of crap he fed the court about our son abusing him? Right."
                Clark ignored the sarcasm. "I'm through discussing this," he said instead.
                "The nerve of some people," Lois commented to him, as they both began to turn away.
                "Don't you dare dismiss us," Lillian said venomously.
                "Look," Clark said, gritting his teeth. "I told the truth. Alex dug his own hole. He admitted to everything that was said. You need to accept that. And you need to leave Lois and me alone."
                "Maybe, if you'd been more observant parents, your son wouldn't be headed to death row," Lois tacked on. Clark could all but feel how much she was seething.
                "You little bitch!" Lillian said, raising a hand to strike Lois.
                Clark caught her by the wrist before she could do so much as blink. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned.
                "Get your filthy hands off me!"
                Clark let her wrist go.
                "I'll make you pay for this," Arnold put in, fuming.
                "Actually, you are going to do nothing," Clark said in a firm voice. "Except to leave Lois and me in peace. Trust me on this. You have no idea who you are dealing with."
                "He's right, you know," Henderson put in, coming up behind Clark.
                Clark had been so preoccupied with the Harwoods that he hadn't been aware of the Inspector's presence.
                "You see, my friends here have friends in high places," the Inspector continued. "Oh, sure, there's Superman. I mean, don't get me wrong, that's great and all. But, well, Superman can't have you thrown in jail for harassment and attempted assault," he said pointedly. "But some of their other friends can. Now, I ask you. Is there a problem here?"
                "No," Lillian huffed, her eyes still flashing with rage.
                "Good. I didn't think so," Henderson said with a sarcastic smile. "You folks best be on your way now."
                "Thanks, Bill," Clark said once the Harwoods were safely out of earshot.
                The normally stoic man smiled. "Anytime."
                Before they could take so much as a single step, Mayson Drake approached them, oblivious, it seemed, to the calls of the reporters, who had since spilled out of the courthouse. Most still lined the stairs, trying to grab quotes from anyone and everyone else involved in the case. Mayson's heels clicked on the concrete sidewalk.
                "Clark," she called, perhaps to prevent him from walking away.
                "Mayson," he said as she drew even with where he stood with Lois. "Congratulations on your win in there."
                Mayson shook her head. "It wasn't my win. It was all of ours."
                "Either way," Clark argued, "Alex is away for good now."
                He could feel Lois bristling in the other woman's presence. He guessed he didn't blame her. Mayson had pretty blatantly hit on him in Lois' presence before. And he knew it still rankled her to think about Mayson's unannounced visit to his apartment that one evening just before the trial had begun.
                "I just wanted to thank you," Mayson said. "For everything. For testifying. For being such a great witness on the stand. For your honesty. I'm sure it wasn't easy to do."
                "It wasn't," he admitted. "But it was necessary."
                Mayson nodded. "I'm grateful you see it that way."
                "If it means Alex is behind bars, it was worth it."
                "Well...thanks. And, uh, if you see your friend in blue, thank him as well...for his testimony." It clearly pained the woman to say those words, Clark could tell.
                "Of course."
                Mayson stuck out her hand. Clark took it and shook with her. Then she extended that hand to Lois, who obliging took it as well.
                "Thank you both. I really do need to get going though. But, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. Chances are, I'll be on the Luthor case next."
                "We'll see you around then," Clark responded.
                Mayson nodded and turned, heading in the opposite direction. For a moment, Lois and Clark watched her go. Then, before the media could converge on them again, they turned their backs on the scene. As they started to walk away from the courthouse once more, Clark slung his arm around Lois, pulling her against him.
                "Thanks for being with me through this," he said in a low voice, so passersby couldn't hear him.
                "You did a good thing," she replied.
                "Did I?" he mused, letting his guard down, finally. "Alex is going to die."
                They reached the Jeep and got in. Clark shut the door behind him as he sat down in the seat.
                "He did it to himself, like you said," Lois reminded him.
                "Yeah, I know. But I still played a part in it."
                Lois checked for traffic and pulled away from the curb.
                "No, you didn't. You told the truth about what happened to you...and about what Superman saw that night when Alex was arrested. You didn't pass the sentence on him. But you did help save who knows how many more kids who might have become his victims."
                "I guess," he said, not totally convinced. "I'm just so used to saving people, not delivering them into the hands of those who would kill them."
                "You did save people, Clark. Innocent people."
                "Yeah," he said in a slightly defeated tone, not wishing to argue.
                "So...what now?" Lois asked, perhaps trying to change the topic.
                "Now...we go home," Clark said. "We plan to move you into my place...or maybe look for a new place altogether - someplace that's ours, not just yours or mine. Now we go home and plan our wedding. If I've learned anything through all of this, it's how badly I need you in my life. How much I love you. How much you make me feel whole."
                "You know what's funny?" Lois asked. Then, without waiting for a response, she added, "I was thinking the same thing. Even with all the craziness lately, all the things we've had to overcome, I've found that I need you now more than ever. So, marry me, Clark. A soon as possible."
                "Did you...did you just propose to me, Lois Lane?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile on his face.
                "No," she said, shaking her head. She pressed the gas as the light they were at turned green. "I already said yes to you. I'm just saying that I'd rather not wait long. Some of us don't have Superman's patience, you know," she said, turning the last part into a joke.
                "You know what?" Clark asked. As Lois had done, he didn't wait for a reply. "It turns out that Superman isn't all that patient either. I won't rush you, and I won't make you give up your dream wedding if it means waiting a little while. Just...don't make me wait forever," he said, smiling at her.
                "Just you wait," Lois said. "I'm going to plan this so fast you'll think I'm the one with super speed."
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