All Shook Up - Matchmaker Style
Rated PG-13
Lois and Clark now live in Clark's ‘old' apartment.
In this particular story a lot of the dialogue is taken from the script text. I wish to express my thanks to my Beta readers Artemis and Ray Reynolds for their invaluable help. This was a VERY rough draft when it first landed in their hands.
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously
She quickly turned to face him, “Clark, some of our most memorable times have happened,” she nodded in the direction of the bedroom, “in there. Come on, honey. We are married after all. I need you to get your memory back. I need you and the world needs you.”
He stopped her and questioned her statement, “I can understand you needing me, but the world? I’m just a reporter.”
Lois was trying to get his memory back without telling him about Superman, but she would if she had to. For now she said, “Oh, honey, you are more than just a reporter. You are a part of the team of Lane and Kent. Perry teamed us because he could see the potential for greatness. You don’t want to let him down do you?”
“Well, if you put it that way.”
“Besides, it’s been more than twelve hours since we made love and I’m having withdrawal symptoms.”
By this time, Lois had him in the bedroom and standing with his back to the bed. She removed his tie and started undoing the buttons of his shirt.
When the buttons were all open she put her hands inside his shirt and sensuously slid her hands up across his pecs to his shoulders, across and down his arms, pushing the shirt off. His breathing deepened as she did and she knew that he was being aroused as a result of her actions. She leaned in and started trailing kisses across his chest. She took one of his nipples in her teeth and nipped it. He jumped and started as he felt her hands on his belt buckle, but quickly accepted what she was doing. He toed off his shoes and when she had loosened the belt she undid the button and zipper. When his pants fell to pool around his ankles he was standing there in a set of boxers.
Stepping back, Lois began to undress, doing a slow striptease for her husband. By the time she was down to her bra and panties she knew she had his full attention. Closing the distance she placed a finger on his chest and pushed causing him to fall back onto the bed. She crawled up on top of him and with as much skin to skin contact as possible started another kiss.
His hands came around her back and she was encouraged when he unclasped her bra. Pulling back she allowed it to fall away. She swayed her upper body to make her breasts swing to and fro in front of his face. He took the bait and used his lips to capture a nipple He reached for and grasped the waistband of her panties and started drawing them down her long slender legs. At his first touch she let out a sigh which slowly became a growl of desire.
Once he had her panties off he slid his hands up her legs, caressing them as he moved up to her torso. He caressed her hips and the curve of her waist before his hands found her breasts. His hands circled her breasts and squeezed gently while his thumb grazed over her erect nipples. Each time he did she would release a small gasp.
He continued working her breasts. When he did, his tongue flicked out and laved her hard nipple, wetting it slightly. Then he pulled back and blew on it, not enough to freeze the siliva, but enough to cool it. Once he had chilled her nipple he lowered his mouth to her breast and took her cold nipple into his warm mouth, flicking his tongue over it and applying some suction.
Lois was whimpering her desire as he did all of this. Her hips began to move of their own accord. She buried her fingers in his hair and pulled his face from one breast to the other. Even as all of this was happening it occurred to Lois that this scene was playing itself out exactly as it had the last time they had made love.
Her hands moved to his back and her fingernails clawed at the flawless skin that they found there. When that happened, the flood of emotion and the endorphins released in his brain triggered a sudden flood of memories. Memories of other times that they had been together this way. The love they shared. Suddenly, Clark Kent was back.
When she finally released him he lay next to her and caressed her breasts and body as she slowly relaxed.
After several minutes she exhaled, deeply and said, “Wow. That was something to remember.”
He replied, with heartfelt emotion, “I did remember.”
Hearing this, Lois was excited. She asked, “You remember?”
“Yes, I remember. I’m Clark and you are my wife and I love you.”
Afterward, in the afterglow of their lovemaking session, they were cuddling. Lois was lying next to him with her right leg across his and her right breast on his chest, her right arm across his shoulder and her face pillowed on his near shoulder. She said, “Wow, that’s something you haven’t forgotten. You are just a gentle a lover now as ever. You were just super.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Say what?”
“That I was super.”
Lois decided that this could be a good way to ease him into it. “Because you are.”
“I thought only Superman was super,”
With a wicked little grin, Lois said, “He is and you are.”
His confusion was apparent, “But if only Superman is super, how can I be super too.”
“It was only an expression, but actually … in this case it is true. You my dear … are … Superman. I have had to be careful to keep you from revealing what you can do.”
“But from what I’ve heard, Superman is an alien and doesn’t really mix with people.”
“Superman is a disguise that you put on so that you can help people and still have a normal life with me. You, my dear, dear husband are Clark Kent, adopted son of Jonathan and Martha, the sole survivor of the planet Krypton. Your biological parents sent you to Earth, to the Kents, to me because your planet was destroying itself and they wanted you to live. They loved you so much that they sacrificed themselves so that you could live. That’s why it’s so important that you get your memory back. The world needs Superman. There’s still that large chunk of rock headed this way.”
Just then there was a knock on the door and a shout in a voice that Lois recognized as Martha Kent’s, “Lois?”
Lois jumped up and grabbed a couple of robes. She threw one to Clark and said, “Your parents, you wait here. I’ll let them in.”
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 8
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jimmy was directing Perry as he drove. “I tapped into the reports of the fireball and it completely circumnavigated the Earth. It was like a shuttle reentry only a lot smaller. Radar tracks had it coming in low and skipping up higher like skipping a flat rock across the surface of a pond until it finally slowed down enough to drop to the ground like the pebble finally dropping below the surface of the pond only in this case it still trailed a fireball. Witnesses in this area reported seeing it.”
Perry was looking at the conditions and the panicky, dispirited people and said, “You know, I covered Beirut before the Marines showed up in '82, and it was never as bad as this.”
Jimmy pulled out the map and used a flashlight to check it. He had marked the reported sightings. “I got four people. All of them claim they saw the same thing.”
Perry acted like he hadn’t heard Jimmy as he continued his reminiscence, “Bob Kerns and I got caught in a free-fire zone. Somebody shot our tires out.”
Reassuringly, Jimmy said, “I don’t think that’ll happen here.” He looked around, checking his bearings and said, “Chief, slow down.”
Perry was still reliving the past, “We dodged out of there and started walking, but that just made us a target. Well, Kerns was a real charming guy and absolutely fearless, so he just marched into this little restaurant, ordered drinks for the house and that's where we ended up spending the night.”
Jimmy interrupted Perry’s flow of words, “”Pull over!” He shone the light on the map and then pointed at an alley across the way, “If you draw a line between all the sightings, they intersect right here!”
Perry pulled the car to the curb, Jimmy threw open his door and jumped out.
As he did, Perry shouted, “Jimmy! It’s not safe out there!”
With some asperity in his tone, Jimmy replied, “Chief, you've taken strolls in war zones! Give me a chance.”
Jimmy pointed to a large hole in a metal fence. A graffiti tagger has written "The End is Near." Underneath someone had written "No Kidding."
Excited at his find, Jimmy almost shouted, “Look! Who do you think could make a hole like that?”
Perry looked, got out of the car and slammed the door shut. He followed Jimmy as he headed for the alley.
Jimmy stopped at the mouth of the alley and looked back. When he did he saw that if he looked through the hole in the fence he was lined up with a hole in a billboard. With a smile on his face he turned and hastened into the alley with Perry trailing along behind.
Jimmy was eager to see what he could find so he quickly moved down the alley.
Perry was puffing slightly as he attempted to keep up. He asked, “What are you looking for?”
Jimmy was flashing the light around sweeping it from side to side of the alley as he replied, “I don’t know yet.”
Jimmy started kicking debris aside as he moved toward the back of the alley. When they neared the end Jimmy let out an exclamation as he saw the crater, “YES!! Look, Chief!”
Perry asked, “What do you see?”
“It looks like an impact crater.” He shone the light into the hole and said with mounting excitement, “There’s no rock in the bottom. Nothing that could have made this hole.”
Perry offered, “A sink hole maybe?”
“Nah, look at the sharp, well defined edges.” Jimmy jumped down into the hole.
Perry admonished, “Hey, you don’t know what’s down there!”
Perry saw Jimmy bend down and examine the bottom of the hole closely and when he stood up he had something in his hand. With awe in his voice he said, “I think I’ve been looking for this.”
He held it out for Perry to see and shone the light on it. When he did, Perry let out a gasp because he immediately recognized what it was.
Jimmy was holding up a burned, torn, ripped and smudged piece of cloth. As Perry got look, he realized it was a small red and yellow piece of the Superman insignia.
In a hushed tone Perry said, “He made it back.”
Jimmy was happy for the confirmation, but was still in a quandary. He asked “But where is he now?”
They both simply stood there for a minute stunned, contemplating the ramifications of their find.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lois had let the Kents in and accepted hugs from both. Standing back she allowed them to descend the stairs.
As soon as she hit the bottom Martha turned on Lois and asked, “Have you heard anything yet?”
Lois smiled and said, “Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?”
Noting Lois’s smile, Martha knew that any bad news couldn’t be all that bad so she said, “Good news first.”
Lois replied, with an even broader smile, “We found him.”
Martha’s relief was palpable, “Whew, that’s a relief. Okay, what’s the bad news?”
Lois’s smile faded slightly, “He has amnesia. We’ve been working on getting his memory back.” She pulled her robe closer around herself as she said, “I’ve been trying some … therapy. The doctor said familiar people, places and … activities ...” By the time she finished she was blushing.
Martha smiled and simply asked, “Well, did it work?”
“I’m not sure. He remembers me all right. He just doesn’t remember much else.” Turning toward the bedroom she called, “Clark, honey, your folks are here. Come on out.”
Somewhat hesitantly, Clark came out through the archway that led to the bedroom and said, “Hi, Mom and Dad.”
Clark stepped over and gave his mom a hug.
Jonathan said, “It’s good to see you, son.”
Not releasing Martha, Clark gave his father a smile.
Seeing this Lois asked, “Are you remembering?”
With confidence, he said, “Yes, your therapy worked. I remember you and me and us and them and the Daily Planet. But … I still don’t remember … Superman.”
Partially relieved, Lois asked, “Martha, Jonathan, How did you get here?”
Jonathan answered for them, “We caught a train in Wichita, changed trains in Baltimore.”
“How did you get from the train station here?”
Martha replied to that one, “We walked.”
Shocked, Lois said, “Oh, no, that’s a long walk. Would you guys like some coffee?”
They nodded and Lois went into the kitchen to make it while the Kents talked to Clark.
Martha was very solicitous of Clark’s physical condition and asked if he had had dizzy spells or anything that might go along with a head injury and explain the amnesia.
When Lois came back to the living room she had the coffee, cups, cream and sugar on a tray. She set the tray on the coffee table and everyone started to help themselves.
Clark was watching her as she did and seeing her take the regular coffee and add real cream and two spoons of sugar, he commented, “Hey, I'm remembering something else. You don't drink real coffee with real milk or with real sugar normally.”
Lois smiled and replied, “Normally, no. I just recently changed. We decided I needed the calories. I’ve been burning them off.” She started to blush as she remembered how she was burning them off and wondered if Jonathan and Martha would guess.
Seeing Lois’s blush, Martha was able to make the logical leap and patted Lois’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, honey, we were newlyweds once ourselves.”
Lois’s blush just deepened.
Just then, Lois was literally saved by the bell as the phone rang. She hastened to answer it.
Perry’s gravely tones came out, but she could hear Jimmy’s excited voice in the background, “Lois? Lois we have some good news! Jimmy found a piece of Superman’s uniform! That means he made it back, but we didn’t find a body which means he wasn’t dead. We don’t know just where he is, but he is somewhere in Metropolis.”
Lois had some concern about this and said, “That’s great news Perry. Well, you know how he is, Perry. With his power of flight he could be just about anywhere. He doesn’t have to be here in Metropolis.”
Perry knew how upset she had been when they had lost all contact and her reaction stuck him as odd. With a wary tone he asked, “What do you know that I don’t know? I expected you to be more excited about this news than you appear to be. Have you seen Superman?”
Lois was startled that she had been careless, “Who, me? No, uh, no. No, uh, I haven’t seen Superman. No, I haven’t seen him since he left on his mission.”
“Now, you look here missy, I know just how close you and that husband of yours are to Superman. You’re holdin’ out on me. What do you know?”
“Look, Perry, this has to be kept totally confidential, okay?”
Perry’s tone became conspiratorial, “Totally confidential, okay. What do you know?”
She looked over at Clark with his parents and said, “Yes, he made it back, but he was hurt. He needs time to recover. I haven’t seen him and Clark doesn’t remember how to contact him, but he got hold of us just a short while ago. Listen, Perry, I’ve got to go. Clark’s parents just got here. I had called them when he was missing and now they are going to try and help him get his memory back.”
“Okay, but, look as soon as you hear from him again, you let him know that we need him. Say ‘Hi’ to Clark’s folks for me.”
“I will, Perry.”
After hanging up the phone, Lois noted the time and said, “Clark, why don’t you pull out the sofa-bed while I get the linens. Your parents have had a long trip and I’m sure they’re tired. We can work on your memory some more in the morning. I know I’ll sleep better tonight having my husband in bed with me.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Martha was the first one up and Lois awoke to the aroma of breakfast cooking. She nudged Clark and said, “Time to get up, sleepyhead. Your mom is making us breakfast.” Sliding out from under the covers, Lois headed for the bathroom.
When she came out she said, “With four people this apartment is going to be crowded. I think we need to head into the office and see what’s happening. That will give your parents the apartment to themselves.”
As he headed to the bathroom he said, “Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I’ll recover some more memories.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When Lois and Clark arrived at the Planet it was a bustle of activity. Lois grabbed Jimmy as he was passing and asked, “What’s the latest?”
Jimmy was obviously excited, “Well, we found that piece of Superman’s uniform. Then Perry talked to you so now we’re trying to locate Superman. We’ve been checking the hospitals and nobody is saying anything.” Jimmy broke off and headed for Perry’s office.
A few minutes later, Jimmy exited the office and approached Clark, “C.K., grab your stuff. Perry says since my first long-shot paid off, I can try another one. You're comin' with me.”
Clark looked at Lois questioningly, but she only shrugged and nodded so he grabbed his jacket and followed Jimmy out. Clark asked, “Where are we going, Jimmy?”
“Tell ya on the way. Let’s go.”
Knowing what he had been told last night, he couldn’t see how any effort would be rewarded with success, but he went along anyhow.
When they got to the street Jimmy hailed a cab and when they got in he gave an address that he read from a notepad. The cab took off with a screech of tires.
Fifteen minutes later they were dropped off in front of a non-descript building on the west side. As they stepped to the curb, Jimmy checked the address and nodded. He led the way to the door and knocked.
Once they were admitted, the room that they entered smacked of part Arabian Nights and part Gypsy. Their host, who used the name Mystique, had them sit at a small round table in the center of which stood a crystal ball. Mystique, an attractive black woman, was dressed in flowing robes and had a scarf on her head like a Gypsy.
Jimmy asked, “Are you really a psychic?”
She looked at him and asked, “Do you think I do this all for show?”
Jimmy was somewhat skeptical, “Others have. Carney shows, Gypsy fortune tellers …”
With some asperity she replied, “This is no side show act. I can give you testimonials of how my readings have come true.”
Jimmy relented in his cross-examination and pulled out the piece of Superman’s uniform that he had found. Before handing it to her he said, “We think this was Superman's. We've had it analyzed. It's emitting very weak cosmic rays. That means it's been in space, which supports our contention that he made it back. We’re trying to find out where he is because we need him to divert that fragment of the asteroid that’s still out there. Do you think you can find him?”
“I don’t know, honey, but I can sure try.”
Jimmy finally handed her the fragment and she rubbed it thoughtfully between her fingers for several seconds. She was concentrating on what vibes she was receiving and finally spoke, “I am feeling Superman's presence strongly.”
Jimmy challenged, “Then he is alive?”
Mystiques reply wasn’t reassuring, “I don't know. I feel his confusion. Often, the recently dead are quite rattled by the experience.”
Jimmy said, “We’ve had independent confirmation that he is alive.”
“Okay, so he’s alive, but very confused.”
Clark had been warned by Lois and his parents to be careful not to reveal the secret, so he asked, “We need to find Superman. Do you have any idea where we might start looking?”
After Clark asked his question, Mystique settled back in her chair. Jimmy was skeptical because it all looked so theatrical. She had her eyes closed like she was going into a trance. Jimmy exchanged a look with Clark that said, “I’m afraid this was a waste of time.”
Suddenly, Mystique jumped out of her chair and started to pace around in a very agitated state. She almost shouted, “He’s here!”
Jimmy looked around, but all he could see was Mystique and Clark aside from himself. In an attempt to humor her he said, “We know he's here. That's why we're
here, but we know he isn’t here … here. Just somewhere near here, but where, that’s the question.”
There was awe in Mystique’s voice as she was speaking, “His life force is incredibly powerful.”
Clark moved over next to Jimmy so that he could whisper, “I think she's confused.”
Mystique overheard Clark and was exasperated by their apparent unbelief, “No! I'm feeling this very strongly. My senses tell me that he is definitely alive. I feel the vibration of life in his images. Have one of you just talked to him?”
Jimmy was almost laughing as he said, “I think you might be tuned into the wrong channel.”
Mystique was feeling insulted as she retorted, “I know what I'm feeling. This is unmistakable.”
Jimmy was having serious doubts about what happened and exchanged a look with Clark.
Jimmy recovered the fragment of Superman’s uniform from Mystique.
She said, “Look, I can see that you don’t believe me, but I’m telling you, I could feel him, very close. His vibe was so strong … it was like we were in the same room. Are you sure one of you isn’t …”
The look Jimmy gave her was one of total disbelief. She looked around as if Superman could be hiding behind the drapes in some part of the room as she said, “No, I guess not. Anyhow, it was strong, so strong it was overpowering. He’s around.”
Jimmy said, “Thanks anyhow,” and he and Clark saw themselves out.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After they returned to the Planet the feeling of gloom and doom was becoming more and more prevalent. It was even affecting Cat. She was even willing to take solace in Lois’s company. The two women, for a change, were not sparring, verbally. They were speaking in very serious tones
As Jimmy and Clark approached Clark’s desk Lois spotted them and moved to her own desk to pick up her things so that she and Clark could leave. She was feeling the pressure to have Clark get his memory back. With each passing minute it was becoming that much more important.
As Lois moved to her desk, Cat approached Clark. She was carrying a small duffle bag which she dropped on his visitor’s chair. She started going through it, enumerating the contents as she did, “Batteries, flashlight, food, water,” she held up a bottle of champagne, “survival supplies. Do you want to ride this out at my place or yours?”
“Cat, I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to barge in on you. I mean, my folks are here so there would be four of us and our place is crowded with the four of us as it is. If it didn’t mean a sleepover, we might be able to have you over, for a while.” He smiled to take out the sting as he said, “Besides, you and Lois don’t really get along that well.”
When Cat replied the depth of her fear and her vulnerability shone through, “I … I just don’t want to be … alone. When this thing … I just don’t want to be alone. We’ve always been friends even if Lois and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye.”
“I don’t know if it would work out. Let’s wait and see what happens between now and then, okay?”
Cat packed up her supplies and walked forlornly back toward her desk.
As Cat walked away, Lois came over to Clark and asked, “What was that all about?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I feel sorry for Cat. With all of the names she has in that rolodex of hers she says she doesn’t have anyone that she really considers a friend to be with when, if, that thing hits. She was asking if we could get together.”
“Wow, she must really be desperate.” Lois looked with pity in Cat’s direction and then whispered, “Let’s do what we can to see to it that she doesn’t have to go through that,” then she raised her voice, “Come on, Clark, Let’s get out of here.”
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