Present
Clark had his powers back, but it only freed him to worry more about Lois and Joel.
He wished he had a way of contacting the Legion, so he could figure out what had happened to them. He feared Lois and Joel ending up in a time which was dangerous, though he comforted himself with the fact that the apocalyptical world he had made love to Lois in couldn’t possibly still exist, not with Zod banished from Earth. The future was hopefully a lot brighter – that is, as long as Clark found a way to fight the darkness.
As soon as he left the Fortress, Clark blurred back to Watchtower to see if Chloe had found out anything more on what they were dealing with.
He landed beside her where she was working on the computer with a whoosh.
“Looks like someone got his mojo back,” she commented, giving him a smile. “I bet that will make Lois feel better. She’s been awfully worried about you.”
“Well, now it’s my turn to worry about her,” Clark responded sullenly.
“Oh, no. I know that tone. What’s wrong now?”
Clark sighed. “The Legion ring is gone, and Lois and Joel are missing. I went up to the loft and found all my Kryptonian things scattered—the only thing missing is the ring. It has to be what happened to them…”
“Man, Clark, you guys just can’t catch a break, can you?”
“I just don’t know why she’d use it… I mean, I just hope she didn’t take the ring on purpose. That she wasn’t trying to stop Wilson or—I don’t know. It’s been difficult these last few weeks,” he said with a sigh, laden with blame. “I haven’t felt like myself – and I just hope I didn’t push her into doing something dangerous,” Clark admitted, the guilt weighing on his shoulders like a lead cape.
“Clark, look. You can’t do anything about it, right? I mean, it’s not like the Legion left you with a tracking device or something. But I am sure, wherever Lois is, she’s trying to come home.” Chloe tried to reassure him, but he could hear her underlying concern. “And at the moment, maybe it’s good that Lois and Joel have disappeared somewhere in time… we have to figure out what this darkness is and how to fight it.”
Clark nodded. “Jor-El said only someone pure of heart and purpose can fight the darkness. I’ve been feeling so lost these last few weeks, and not knowing about Lois and Joel… I don’t know if I am strong enough to fight it.”
“Clark, you know you can’t think that way. Now, come on. We’ve fought all kinds of creatures over the years. And I think this go-around, it’s more important than ever that you focus on your training. Jor-El warned you about this. Surely he’s given you the tools to help fight it.”
“I know…self-doubt is my own worst enemy.”
“Indeed, Clark. You can’t afford it right now. You have your powers back. That was priority one. Now, what to do about this encroaching darkness and what these omega symbols mean. Obviously, if Wilson was any indication, it may have infected more people.”
Clark stared out the window, thinking. He kept getting distracted, worrying about Lois and Joel. “Chloe, what if they don’t come back?” he said abruptly, interrupting Chloe. It was his worst fear, and he was unable to face that possibility. “I can’t just sit around and wait for Lois to return—someday.”
Chloe sighed. “I’m afraid that’s what you’re gonna have to do, Clark. You are better now, and you have a job to do here. Fight the darkness. Make this a better world for Lois and Joel to come home to. That’s all you can do.”
“Chloe, those three weeks when Lois disappeared the first time? I focused on my Kryptonian self, but you saw how much I tried to push Clark Kent away,” Clark wouldn’t meet her eyes, knowing that he had abandoned Chloe during that time as well. But he needed to reach out to her, find a way to help her understand. “I couldn’t feel anything… I hadn’t realized what Lois meant to me, until she was gone. And now—Chloe, I love her. And Joel. I can’t imagine my life without them… and I have no way of knowing how long they’ll be gone.”
“You’re right, Clark,” Chloe responded practically. “You don’t know. They could be gone for a long time—or they could reappear any second. But what do you do? Pine away for Lois and let the darkness win? Clark, that’s not you. And it’s not who Lois would want you to be, is it?”
“I just—I’m going to have to face that farmhouse tonight—and probably for many nights without them.”
Chloe nodded. “I know. It’s hard, Clark. But you and Lois have gotten through so much together. And, if there is a way to control the ring, Lois will come home. Whatever mission she may have thought she needed to set out on. Surely you know that she loves you?”
“You’re right, Chloe. I just –hope they are all right. I hate feeling powerless, not knowing.” He sighed as he turned to her, resolved. “All right. Tell me everything you’ve got. Let’s get to work.”
~L&C~
2007
When the flash of light faded, Lois and Joel were in a warehouse elevator.
“What the hell?” Lois breathed to herself, realizing after a few seconds that they were in Ollie’s building. She started hitting buttons, but it was too late. The elevator was already heading upwards, inevitably right into Oliver’s living room.
Without any indication as to when she had arrived, Lois tried to prepare herself for anything.
The door to Ollie’s loft opened, and standing before her was the man himself, wearing nothing but jeans. Her eyes landed on his chiseled chest for a moment, as she tried to think of what to say. It had been years since those perfect pecs had any effect on her, but she suddenly found herself stammering as she tried to quickly assess when they might be.
“Lois? I guess you didn’t get my message that we’ll have to reschedule our dinner date?” he said lightly, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the cheek.
“D--date?” she stammered. Oliver’s easy affection and casual way he dismissed their canceled plans suddenly brought bittersweet memories to the fore.
Oliver wandered over to his desk, still talking. “I never would have pegged you for the babysitting type, though. So tell me, what bet did you lose?” he said with a wickedly adorable grin.
Lois didn’t immediately reply, and instead laughed a little nervously, which garnered Oliver’s attention. “What? Is it that bad?” he teased. Then, suddenly sounding inspired, he went on, gesturing towards her. “And you look lovely, by the way. I love the new hair color. It suits you.” She fingered her locks, knowing it had been a few years since she had changed the color, but she still couldn’t summon any words. “And I promise, I’ll make up for our date next week. But I really have to get going.”
“Oliver,” she finally said, starting to think on her feet. “Is it okay if we stay here a while? I’m, uh, watching this tyke for a bit—for a story, actually. But uh, don’t have a car seat to drive us out to Smallville,” she added lamely, hoping Oliver would buy her story.
“Yeah, sure,” he said, throwing on a t-shirt and grabbing a jacket, barely looking her way. She could see the tell-tale signs that he needed to leave and had shut off really listening to her. While they had dated, she hadn’t noticed it, wanting to believe that his attention had always been fully focused on her. And while she now knew about Green Arrow, she couldn’t help but be a little hurt at his flippancy. “Make yourself at home,” he said, leaning in to give her a kiss. This time, he was a bit more thorough about it. Lois played along, all the while feeling like she was cheating on Clark, yet stirred by old memories she had of being with Oliver. It was a strange déjà vu feeling that she wasn’t entirely comfortable with.
He pulled away and stepped into the elevator. “I’ll catch you later, Legs,” he said affectionately, as the doors closed before him.
When Oliver was gone, Lois let out a long sigh. “Please, when you learn to talk, do not tell Daddy I let Oliver kiss me like that. I’d never hear the end of it,” she said to Joel. She sat her son down on Oliver’s super soft fur carpet and then plopped herself on his sofa. Tons of mixed emotions were pouring through her, and she needed to get her head together.
She had forgotten how willing she had been to believe Oliver’s excuses, and to believe in the likelihood they could actually stay together. He was charming and flirty, but oh so distracted. At the time, Lois had written it off to him being a busy CEO, but hindsight told her it had been much more than that. And while Oliver may have genuinely cared about her, she never was going to be foremost in his life.
But that kiss. As guilty as it made Lois feel, she knew that at the time, that kiss had been what had made her stay and try to stick it out with him. There was a passion in Oliver she had responded to, and she felt uncomfortable that she still did to some extent.
But she also knew the difference between chemistry and true love.
Still, she couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling that she had responded to Oliver’s kiss. Was it cheating if you were pretending to be you with an old flame before a time you started dating your current fiancé? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think Clark would be very happy about it if he knew.
~L&C~
A while after Oliver had left, Lois glanced around the loft. “Now what, Joel? Do we just hang out here for a while or should we put the ring on again? And will it ever send us home?” she mused, standing up to look around the room, maybe hoping for a bit of inspiration. Her eyes fell on the wall that hid Oliver’s Green Arrow gear. She recalled the moment she had discovered it, thanks to a siren called the Black Canary.
It had been a shocking betrayal to her at the time, especially since she had considered the Green Arrow to be a dangerous vigilante. She couldn’t imagine the man she thought she loved could be out playing Robin Hood and never told her.
And yet, she had fallen for Clark in a similar way.
She shook her head, thinking to herself. No, Clark had been different. She had had a rapport with the Blur, had understood him on a level that she never even came close to with Green Arrow. She had never even spoken to the Emerald Archer, either. The Blur had been all around different for Lois, and so was the man that she loved.
Still, there was a curiosity there that she had never had the chance to satisfy before. Lois knew Oliver well, but the Green Arrow was still somewhat of a mystery to her. She suddenly wanted to see up close and personal, exactly what was behind that wall…
Lois felt around the over-sized clock paneling, trying to find a way in. At last, she moved the second hand in a way that slid the doors right open. She gasped as she opened the doors, seeing Oliver’s array of weaponry, set off against a back-lit green panel. Lois had seen the truth-revealing weapons originally from a distance, but being this close was even more impressive. She slowly walked around the small room, noticing a bureau with tray-like drawers to the right. Curious, and in full snoop mode, Lois made her way over to them and opened the top drawer. There she saw newspaper clippings of anonymous philanthropic donations, obviously done by Oliver. He hadn’t wanted the credit, and had hidden all these good deeds from prying eyes. She felt a surge of affection for him, knowing how complicated his journey would be over the next several years. Oliver would lose his direction more than once, but to Lois, this proved that he was a good person underneath it all, no matter what.
Suddenly, she noticed that Joel was making a whimpering-like cry. She stepped out of the small room to check on him. His whimper grew stronger, and he covered his ears like a noise was bothering him.
“Joel? What is it, sweetie?” she said, making her way over to him to pick him up. He started crying even more loudly as Lois moved to close the doors to Oliver’s secret room. As she slid the doors shut, she noticed the sound of a high-pitched hum, realizing that Joel’s better than normal hearing may have picked up on it. And then she realized what that sound was – an alarm.
“Damn,” she whispered. Before she could decide what to do, the door to the loft opened, and several security officers entered the room, pointing a gun at her.
She lifted her free hand. “Please. Put the guns away. You’re scaring my son.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m Oliver’s—girlfriend,” she said, and heard how unconvincing she sounded, even to her own ears. “Look, I’m Lois Lane. I’m known here. I think I just accidentally set off an alarm.”
“Mr. Queen has had break-ins before. I’m afraid you will have to come with us until Mr. Queen can clear your name,” said an officer, making his way towards her.
“Really?” she scoffed. “ I have a little baby with me… You’re not taking us to prison. Just call Oliver, and he can tell you who I am.”
“He’s on his way, but in the meantime, we have orders to take you with us, due to protocol. We have a holding facility on the premises. As long as you cooperate, you and the little one will be perfectly comfortable, I assure you.”
Lois sighed and debated her options. She could just put the ring on and disappear, but she worried about the repercussions it might have on her past self. Besides, she was a little curious what would happen if she confronted Oliver about Green Arrow.
Lois hid a smile as the guards took her and Joel into the elevator.
~L&C~
It took almost two hours before Oliver showed up. Lois had been pacing the tiny, comfortable but locked waiting room, tempted to just put the ring on and go. But curiosity stopped her… She relived many moments in those few hours, thinking about her time dating Oliver. She knew her heart belonged to Clark, but she realized she had learned some things form Oliver, about herself and about what she needed in a relationship. She had some things to say to him that she didn’t think would cause too many ripples in time – at least she hoped not. But she was very relieved when she finally saw Oliver come through the door.
He looked apologetic and maybe a little antsy as he came in the room. “I’m sorry, Lois. I set up this protocol ‘cause I’ve had break-ins before.” He gestured for her to walk out the room before him, a guard standing just outside. “Can we go upstairs? I want to talk to you.”
“Sure, Ollie,” she said, collecting Joel who was asleep in a small crib the guards had brought in. They had been really sweet and hooked them up with diapers and baby food. Joel barely moved as Lois picked him up and settled him on her shoulder.
As they made their way up to Oliver’s loft, Lois realized how pensive Oliver was acting. She cleared her throat, searching for words of apology, though the idea felt a bit ridiculous to her. She understood that Oliver would feel violated for her knowing the truth about him, but it was water under the bridge in her book. Still, she had breached a trust, which was unfair to Oliver. “Look, I’m sorry for snooping around. A girl just gets curious, you know?” she said, trying to be flippant.
“Lois, it’s not just the snooping… I mean, yeah, I’m upset cause I guess you know--- “ he paused, glancing at her uncertainly.
Lois nodded. “Yeah, Ollie, I do,” she said softly. “And I also know what a kind, generous person you are. Why didn’t you try to convince me that Green Arrow was more than just a vengeful Robin Hood? I would have listened.”
“Well, I did – sorta. But you didn’t really want to listen, did you?” he said, sounding hurt.
They arrived at his loft, and Lois stepped inside in front of Oliver.
She recalled how aggressively she had gone after Green Arrow, and how much she had wanted to take him down. Maybe Oliver was right. Maybe she wouldn’t have listened.
“I’m sorry, Oliver. And I understand you wanted to protect me – but I guess I wish you had trusted me a bit more,” she said, hearing her own arguments with Clark echoed in that sentiment. The hurt went deeper than she had realized, seeing how often the men in her life had failed to tell her the truth.
She let out a puff of air, trying to steady herself. Man, she thought she had been past all this. But the insecurity came rushing back.
Oliver stood at his desk, shuffling papers, perhaps in an effort to avoid contact with her. “So, uh, how much damage control do I need to do, huh? Should I be looking for my face plastered across the Planet tomorrow?”
“Ollie,” she said in a gentle reprimand. “You really don’t think I’d—“ but she stopped herself before she could finish, recalling just how gung-ho she had been about wanting to unmask Green Arrow. “Oliver, I won’t say anything. I promise.”
He nodded, seeming to accept that. Then he went over to his liquor cart and poured himself some bourbon. “Sorry, I just—I’m trying to wrap my head around something,” he said.
“Talk to me, then,” she offered, though she was concerned about the bitterness in his tone.
“Why did you lie to me? Sure, I didn’t tell you about Green Arrow – but that was to protect you. But why – why didn’t you tell me you had a son?” he finished speaking, his voice full of hurt. “How could you have hidden him from me? And—whose is he, anyway?”
Lois puzzled over how Oliver had figured it out, and she debated what to say to him. But he looked so dejected, so defeated, that she knew she had to find a way to explain the truth to him. As she thought what to say, the silence stretched between them, and eventually Oliver sat down across from her, staring at his glass.
“I can tell by your silence that you aren’t denying it,” he said eventually. “I only figured it out because the guards mentioned it to me… that you were worried about your son. Lois – how could you have not told me about him? I don’t even care if he’s not mine—I mean, is he? I just—why did you keep that from me?”
“Oliver, I—“ she paused, thinking about lying to him, of trying to fabricate something. But she realized that wouldn’t do her present self any good, and it would only hurt Oliver more.
Lois knew that Oliver wasn’t really keen on understanding all the strangeness that encompassed her life with Clark Kent, but she thought the best way to put him out of his misery, was to tell him the truth.
“Oliver, look at me,” she began gently. “I’ve got to explain something to you, and I’m not sure how.”
Oliver sipped his bourbon and then set his glass on a side table. “I’m all ears, Lois. ‘Cause I certainly don’t know how to explain why you’d hide something like this… I mean, I know I’m not the best boyfriend. I’m not always here, and I often cancel—“
“Oliver, stop,” she interrupted, then took a big sigh. “Please, let me try to explain.”
He nodded, and Lois sat back in her seat, settling a sleeping Joel on her chest. “Oliver, I am not the same Lois that you know. I mean, I am her, but—I time traveled. From the future.” Lois mused that this was so much easier with Clark, who took strange occurrences in life in his stride every day. But for Oliver, it was plain ridiculous, and the words had felt absurd on her tongue saying them to him.
Oliver slid his glance over to her, and then burst out laughing. “Is that the best you can come up with?”
“Look, I know it sounds crazy, but— you know Clark Kent, right?” she asked, since she was uncertain exactly when they had met.
“Yeah, why?” Oliver asked, sounding suspicious.
“Joel---well, he’s Clark’s son,” she said, hoping first of all that Oliver would believe her, and second that she wouldn’t hurt him with this information.
“What? How? I mean---“
Lois scooted closer to him. “Oliver, this is going to be hard for you to hear. And even saying it now—all those emotions are coming rushing back… but, you and I—we’ll be great friends. But we were never meant to be… Surely on some level, you might already know that?”
“I just—I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You are saying you are from the future, and that you and Clark—have a baby together?”
Lois nodded, giving him a sympathetic smile. “I know it’s hard to imagine, but yeah. I just couldn’t bear you thinking that I had – lied to you, or cheated on you.”
“So instead you tell me you time traveled? I still don’t get this, Lois. I mean, how?”
Lois took the Legion ring out of her pocket. “With this. It’s one of Clark’s trinkets… oh, and I know all about him and what he can do too, by the way.”
Oliver just stared at her blankly for a moment. “You do? What things?”
Lois gestured over her shoulder to Oliver’s secret compartment. “You know, why you probably added that silent alarm. Because Clark broke in here once, and is part of your Super-Secret Superhero Club,” she said with a smile, starting to enjoy having the upper hand in revealing super secrets, for once.
“Are you kidding me? How do you know all this?”
She shrugged. “Oliver, I’m telling you the truth. I’m from the future,” she said with a grin. “I know it sounds over the top crazy, but I am telling you the truth… And I’ve just been trying to get home,” she added, sadness laden in her voice. “But this stupid ring—it must be broken, or something.”
“Why do you think that?” Oliver queried, though he still seemed skeptical.
“Well, it keeps taking me a year further back into the past… and I don’t know why… I don’t know how to make it take us home. Clark told me to focus on when I want to go…but traveling backwards in time…. I guess I keep thinking of the past,” she said with sudden realization. “Maybe I’ve been using it wrong.”
Oliver watched her carefully, seeming to make up his mind about what she had been telling him. “Lois, maybe you need to focus on your future… I see there’s a ring on your finger. So I guess that means you and Clark are—getting married?” he asked, halfway between sounding shocked and dismayed.
She nodded. “Yeah, we are. But Oliver, I have to tell you—“ she began, seeing how hurt he looked at the prospect. “Being with you—it was difficult and frustrating, but it was also what I needed at the time. You taught me things about myself, and boosted my confidence.”
He scoffed, offering her a small smile. “Your confidence never needed boosting.”
Lois smirked. “Well, maybe not in some ways. I mean, I always knew I kicked all kinds of ass, but—you were—are—someone special to me. Your friendship means the world to me.”
Oliver absorbed that a moment. “So we are still—friends?”
She reached over to take his hand. “Best friends. Always will be, too.”
“Wow… I don’t know what to say.”
Lois chortled. “Honestly, I don’t know either. And I’m worried what effect me telling you all this will have on our lives… Just know, that you and I are going to be okay. Better than okay.”
Oliver nodded, thinking. “So… Clark’s waiting for you somewhere in the future?”
“Yeah… he and I—well, we’ve gone through a lot lately. And I’m worried about him. I know he can do so much, but he tends to take the burden of the world on his shoulders. And all I want to do---“
“—is be there for him?” Oliver finished.
“Yeah. But I just can’t figure out how to get us home.”
“Well, maybe you said it. Clark is your future. Focus on that. See him as the man you love—and maybe that will take you back to him.”
Lois felt a lot of affection for Oliver, and she was sad to leave him with the knowledge that things wouldn’t work out between them.
“Oliver, again because I fear time paradoxes, I can’t tell you too much. But, you should know, there is someone special in your future. She’ll surprise you, but she’s your match. You’re gonna be okay, Ollie,” she said softly.
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Thanks. I guess that makes me feel a little better. So—“ he stood up, seeming to be resolved. “Maybe it’s time you go… Your future is waiting for you, right?”
Lois smiled. “Yeah, he is. Okay. Well, promise to be gentle to present me next time you see her?”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “I still can’t believe any of this is true.”
Lois held Joel close to her and slipped on the ring. “Believe it. Goodbye, Ollie…” she said, disappearing into time once more.
